Coraggio Consulting
Prince William Board of County Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Place: Prince William County Board of County Supervisors, Virginia
Length: 9h 30m (video)
Official meeting video (Prince William County, Granicus): https://pwcgov.granicus.com/player/clip/3901
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 2026-10-26. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:25:07] All right. If everyone please find a seat. It is two o'clock on Tuesday, September 1st. Welcome back, everyone. We are going to begin with a moment of silence.

[00:25:36] Thank you. I ask that everyone, if you are able, please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. All right, before we get into the meat of the day, I would like to go over some procedural matters.

[00:26:08] We have a request to defer discussion on item 12N. We also have requests to defer two land use cases. One of them is 11C, and that's Savage Estates, and the other one is 14B, and that is project industry that is a part of our 7 o'clock meeting.

[00:26:28] May I get a motion to defer those three items? Madam Chair, I move to defer those three items. second all right it's been probably moved and seconded any discussion yes madam chair could you repeat again what you just said all right um 11c which is savage estates under agency time 12n which is discussion under supervisor's time okay and 14b this is a very one hot off the press is this project industry and that is a part of our seven o'clock meeting okay just needed clarity

[00:26:58] thank you so much ma'am chair thank you uh-huh now board is you then gordy is it Ordy.

[00:27:21] Vote unanimous. All right. Thank you very much. We are now going to move on to agenda item number four, and that's approval of minutes. Can I get a motion to move 4A through 4C forward?

[00:27:41] Move for approval, Madam Chair. Second. It's been properly moved and seconded. Any discussion? All right. Seeing none, let's go ahead and take our votes. Vote unanimous.

[00:28:11] All right. Thank you very much. We are now going on to the fun part, and that's accommodations and proclamations. Can I get a motion to move 4, I'm sorry, 5A through 5J forward? So move. Second. Properly moved and seconded. Any discussion? Let's go ahead and take our votes.

[00:28:36] Vote unanimous. All right, thank you very much. Before I go down to the dais, I just want to let people know, because we have a large number of commendations and proclamations today, we are going to hold all photos to the end. So we're going to give it to you, you're going to say a few words, But I ask that everyone remain seated so that we could take all the photos at the end.

[00:28:59] And I know there might be some members who want to come down for some of these. Not just at the podium we're giving, but actually for the photos. So for the first one, 5A, we are actually going to give that one at the 7 o'clock. That is the Brinsville boys soccer team.

[00:29:16] They are in school, so we're going to let them stay there. So for the first one, 5B, Lisa, if you and your team can meet me at the podium.

[00:29:27] okay so 5b is to proclaim september 2026 is recovery month if anyone else wants to come

[00:29:58] down and join all right september is recovery month this year's theme recovery is real restoring every aspect of life reminds us that recovery is not simply about overcoming a challenge it is about restoring relationships health purpose stability and the many aspects of life that make us whole it is also time to recognize family friends professionals community organizations and individuals in recovery who help make that journey possible.

[00:30:28] I would like to recognize Prince William County Community Services and its community partners for their continued commitment to this work, including the upcoming Recovery is Real event on September 16th at the AJ Ferlaza Building, where community members and people in recovery will have an opportunity to share stories of resilience and hope.

[00:30:47] The message is simple but powerful. Change is possible, recovery is real, And no one has to walk that journey alone. On behalf of the Prince William-Bardy County Supervisors, we proudly proclaim September 2026 as Recovery Month.

[00:31:03] Would you like to offer some remarks? Thank you, Chair. My name is Lonelle Moselle. I am Behavioral Health Program Manager with Prince William County Community Services, and this is our third annual Recovery Month event, and I thank you all for allowing us to have a proclamation again this year.

[00:31:22] I want to invite all of you, as well as the community, to our event on Wednesday, September 16th at the Falauza building. We have a dynamic speaker who's a local Virginia native who is a poet and a spoken word and does speeches about his path to recovery and his life and the using substances in the past and also sort of regaining his life and having a family. And we also have some other speakers coming as well. We're providing free lunch for everyone who attends.

[00:31:50] So we hope that everyone will make it on next Wednesday, September 16th. Thank you. And I'll give this to you for safekeeping. Thank you so much. Next is Phyllis Jennings-Holt. If you and your team want to come down for kinship care.

[00:32:07] And anyone else? Supervisor Bode, I don't know if you want to come down for this one.

[00:32:20] Do you want to read it? Sure. Thank you, Madam Chair. Proclaim September 2026 as Kinship Care Awareness Month in Prince William County. We recognize September as Kinship Care Awareness Month to acknowledge the extended family members who step forward to care for children when it is most needed.

[00:32:44] Across Prince William County, there are 27 kinship families caring for 44 children in homes where a relative, other than a parent, serves as the head of household. Every child deserves the opportunity to grow and learn in a safe, supportive, and loving home. Kinship caregivers help make that possible while preserving the family connections that give children a sense of belonging and identity.

[00:33:05] Kinship caregivers often step into the role unexpectedly, but they do so because they believe in family and in giving children the opportunity to remain connected to the people, traditions, cultures, and communities that are important to them. Today, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors proudly proclaims September 2026 as Kinship Care Awareness Month.

[00:33:30] Good afternoon, Madam Chair Jefferson, Vice Chair Angry, and members of the board, Phyllis Jennings Holt, Director of Social Services. Today with me, I have my team, Van Washington, Assistant Director, Jessica McCauley, Assistant Director, Carolyn Oliver, Acting Program Manager, Kenitha Grant, Senior Human Caseworker, Candice Fox, Human Services Caseworker, and also with us today, I have Chrissy Falls with the DSS Advisory Board.

[00:34:01] DSS is proud of the work done by our staff to keep children safe with their families. When it isn't possible, they do their best to make sure that children are able to stay with relatives of fictive kin. Data shows that children tend to do better when they are able to live in a home of a relative of fictive kin if they are unable to be with their biological families.

[00:34:25] Currently, we have 27 kinship families that are providing care and support, which means there's 27 or more or less children in foster care. Kinship caregivers step forward with courage and compassion, providing stability during challenging times. Our staff and community partners work diligently to support these families and strengthen our community as a whole.

[00:34:46] Thank you for recognizing the remarkable efforts of the caregivers, community partners, and staff in continuing to champion the health and safety of our children in Prince William County. Thank you. We're going to hold this one, so we have this time.

[00:35:10] Thank you. All right. Chief LaBelle, if you and your team can come on down for National Preparedness Month.

[00:35:30] Today, we recognize September as National Preparedness Month and the importance of making sure our residents and businesses are ready when emergencies occur. Emergency preparedness is a shared responsibility. Every household and business should have a plan and be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours following a major emergency or disaster.

[00:35:54] Through the Ready Prince William campaign, our Office of Emergency Management is encouraging residents and businesses to take simple but important steps. build an emergency kit, make and practice an emergency plan, stay informed, and learn life-saving skills. So this September, I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to ask, do I have a plan? Do I have the supplies I need? And do I know what to do when an emergency happens?

[00:36:24] Preparedness is more than protecting ourselves. A prepared community is a stronger and more resilient community. So today, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors proudly proclaim September 2026 as National Preparedness Month. Chief LaBelle, would you like to offer some remarks?

[00:36:47] Thank you, Chair Jefferson, members of the board, Mr. Shorter. I'm actually going to turn it over to the very able emergency management coordinator, Brian Meisner. The fire department is always focused on response and resiliency. We get to do that with a lot of great folks, including the Emergency Management Office. Thank you, Chief. And thank you, Chair Jefferson, Mr. Schroeder, members of the board, Brian Meisner, the Emergency Management Coordinator. So a couple of things we'd like to remind the community of for the month. First and foremost is to be practicing some of those pillars of preparedness that Chair Jefferson read with us there for the

[00:37:22] proclamation. And you can go to our website at pwcva.gov slash ready for the Ready Prince William campaign that has those six pillars of preparedness, which are making an emergency plan, building an emergency kit, staying informed by signing up for alerts, getting involved in your community, learning a life-saving skill, and knowing the threats and hazards in your neighborhood.

[00:37:42] And we're going to be using preparedness month this year for three new things that we're going to start soft launching with the community. First, and the one that we're really excited about, is going to be a community engagement window for our flood resilience plan, which is an effort that's been underway in planning for several years, and the implementation has finally kicked off here in 2026 so that'll be up on pwc works here shortly the second is an opportunity for some community facing presentations whether that's for a house of worship or potentially an hoa we are working on whether it be templates for folks to kind of self-deliver or to have one of our folks go out and deliver that presentation we're going to be in a position to start supporting

[00:38:21] some of those and last but certainly not least we really want to start encouraging neighbors to be thinking about how they can be helping their neighbors out during time of disaster those same pillars of preparedness are best applied at the most local level which for many of us is our neighborhood so you know that can look like an informal conversation after an HOA meeting about the unique skills that all all the neighborhood has perhaps someone's in skilled trades someone else maybe is in health care someone maybe is an avid backpacker or camper and knows how to purify water so just really start thinking about those collective skills that you can all use to help each other out if we should have a large emergency because while we do have a very robust public

[00:39:00] safety system in the county it could be overwhelmed and it could still take a day or two to be able to reach the whole community if we've got feet of snow lots of debris from a storm etc so really start thinking about how you can implement these steps with your neighbors thank you stick around we're taking photos later all right supervisor la croix if you can come down for this

[00:39:25] one everyone associated if with those who are associated this want to come down or if you want to stay in the back that is welcome i know she's going to stay but if there's anyone else so it's proclamation august 2026 a spinal muscular atrophy awareness month today we recognize spinal muscular

[00:40:03] atrophy awareness month and the individuals and families in our community who are living with spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA. SMA is a serious neuromuscular disease that affects physical strength and can impact a person's ability to walk, eat, and breathe. For many years, SMA was a leading genetic cause of infant death, but thankfully advances in treatment and research have given many individuals with SMA greater opportunities for longer, healthier lives. We also recognize

[00:40:39] the importance of access to health care, caregiving services, assessive equipment, and public programs that allow individuals with SMA to live as independently and fully as possible. Organizations such as Cure SMA play an important role in advancing research, supporting families, promoting best practices, and advocating for accessibility and disability rights.

[00:41:07] On behalf of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, we proudly acknowledge S, Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month. Would you like to offer us a few remarks? Yes. Hi, I am Cassie Manchester.

[00:41:24] I want to thank the board for agreeing to bring forth this proclamation. I have lived with spinal muscular atrophy my entire life. For people like me, awareness is more than knowing the name of a disease. It is about being seen. It's about recognizing that people with disabilities belong in our schools, our workplaces, our communities, and at every table where decisions are made about us.

[00:41:50] This proclamation may only be a piece of paper, but it represents more for the SMA community. It tells people living with SMA that our lives, our voices, and our futures do matter. Thank you for seeing us, recognizing us, and helping us make our voices be heard.

[00:42:23] All right, Supervisor Stewart and everyone associated with Disability Voting Rights Week, please come on down.

[00:42:38] Thank you, Madam Chair. Today, we recognize September 14th to September 18th as Disability Voting Rights Week. Disability Voting Rights gives us an opportunity to raise awareness of barriers to voting and to recognize the importance of removing barriers wherever they exist.

[00:43:06] We also recognize the work of organizations such as Rev Up, Register, Educate, Vote, Use Your Power, and the many disability advocates, election officials, community organizations, and public agencies working to promote accessible elections and greater civic participation. In Prince William County, we are committed to fostering an inclusive community where people with disabilities can participate fully in civic life, engage with their local government, and help shape the future of our community. On behalf of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, we proudly proclaim

[00:43:44] September 14th through September 18th, 2026, as Disability Voting Rights Week. All right. Can everybody here be all right? Fantastic. Good afternoon. My name is Adam Rizzoli. I am the Disability Voting Rights Week coordinator for Rev Up Virginia. I wanted to thank all of you today for ensuring that this proclamation is recognized by Prince William County to recognize the power and the importance of the disability vote.

[00:44:20] Many people falsely believe that the power of the disability community only existed in the 90s, where disability advocates fought to pass the ADA by walking up the steps of the Capitol, many of whom could not walk.

[00:44:38] When Congress passed the ADA, this became the Americans' Disabilities Act, the landmark law across the land that guaranteed access for voting rights, education, and all other public spaces. Today, however, the disability community and our vote is alive and well.

[00:44:58] We are, according to some measurements, 22% of the American population. And depending how you count neurodivergent people, 28% of the American population. We are one in every four Americans. Additionally, we vote like everybody else.

[00:45:20] In the 2022 midterms, the last time that we have received data on the disability vote, we voted at the same rate as all other Virginians, 53.1%. However, despite our vote being alive and well, Congress and many other institutions ignore the disability vote.

[00:45:42] Despite their promise of accessibility for all government programs, Congress underfunds many of the provisions under the IDEA, including education, which places a burden on local county governments like yourself to fund the difference.

[00:45:58] By supporting us today, you also fight for Prince William County's right to receive the funds from Congress to ensure that all disabled Americans receive accessible services. Finally, I wanted to thank Supervisor Stewart for meeting with Rev. Virginia advocates Kira Teller and Tate Jordan.

[00:46:23] Rev. Virginia is a statewide advocacy unit of organizations, particularly disability rights organizations, service organizations, and voting rights to protect the disability vote and to ensure that we keep voting the same rate as everybody else and protecting our right to the ballot.

[00:46:45] thank you so much and i hope you all have a wonderful day you're going to hold on to this we're going to take photos later yes thank you all right and if i can have police chief newsham and others associated with forensic science week i knew the rest of you were coming like here comes

[00:47:17] back up i was wondering chief where the crew was we are here to represent to recognize september 20th to 26th is forensic science week forensic science professionals play an essential role by examining evidence and providing objective scientific information to investigators, law enforcement officers, attorneys, and the courts. Their work can help establish facts,

[00:47:55] identify individuals, connect evidence to cases, and ultimately support a fair and effective justice system. The Prince William County Police Department is committed to using forensic science as an important tool in investigating crime. The department also works with local, state, and federal partners to build and maintain critical criminal databases involving DNA, latent fingerprints, and other forensic information.

[00:48:20] This week is also an opportunity to recognize the academic programs, researchers, scientists, and professionals who continue to advance the many disciplines that make up forensic science. The Prince William Board of County Supervisors hereby proclaim September 20th through September 26th as Forensic Science Week. Chief Newsham, would you or anyone else on your team like to offer some remarks? Thank you, ma'am. Captain Heather McLean. Madam Chair, members of the board,

[00:48:56] thank you for recognizing September 20th through the 26th as Forensic Services Week. With me today, I have members of our Forensic Services section. Members of these units not only respond to crime scenes, major crime scenes, violent crimes. They also investigate, evaluate, and process evidence that's collected by patrol officers and detectives and submitted to them. In July alone, our fingerprint technicians evaluated over 1,500 latent fingerprints. Our photo lab provided photographs for over 200

[00:49:31] cases for prosecution. Our CSIs processed over 49 cases of evidence and spent 240 hours on processing, and they responded to major crime scenes as well. Our digital forensic examiners analyze over 13 terabytes of evidence, and that's just in one month. Our members are scientists. They work in their labs. They conduct research into best practices, and they work tirelessly to link evidence to crimes to support successful prosecution. Thank you again for recognizing

[00:50:03] their incredible service to our community. And just a reminder to everyone, we are going to be taking photos at the end. I have a couple more left. No, actually, I have three more left. So I would like for everyone associate with childhood cancer awareness to please step forward.

[00:50:29] Thank you, Madam Chair. As those involved in this accommodation make their way forward, I just want to publicly thank the chief of staffs of each of my colleagues' corresponding offices for their true compassion, collaboration. Many of you don't know, but Chelsea Quintran is actually my chief of staff and this little guy that you see here is our beloved Joshua who not only had cancer fought it and beat it ain't that right buddy and so they always say that you truly don't

[00:51:08] know how something's going to impact you until it hits home my staff are an extension of my family and for about a year and a half Chelsea and her family have gone through so much and I just want to publicly acknowledge Chelsea because she's an absolute rock star super mom throughout this entire ordeal not only was she an advocate for her child she was a researcher she was a doctor she was a nurse she was a caregiver but through all of that she never once let anything in the district office fall through the crack cracks so yeah chelsea that's for you so thank you chelsea

[00:51:44] for being steadfast in your faith for representing our office with dignity throughout this entire ordeal. And to my colleagues and to your corresponding staff, also thank you for your prayers throughout this difficult time. So we recognize September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a time to honor the children and families whose lives have been affected by cancer and to recognize their growing number of young survivors who continue to face challenges long after treatment ends. For families, a childhood cancer diagnosis changes everything. It brings fear and

[00:52:19] uncertainty, but it also reveals extraordinary courage, resilience, and strength. We also recognize the parents, siblings, caregivers, doctors, nurses, researchers, and advocates who stand beside these children and families throughout their journey. We also want to extend our recognition to those who continue to research into the causes of childhood cancer and the development of more effective treatments are essential so that every child has the opportunity to grow up and live a long and healthy life.

[00:52:52] On behalf of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, we proudly proclaim September 2026 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Let us continue to raise awareness, support affected families, honor those we have lost, and work towards a future where no child has to face cancer.

[00:53:09] Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. I also want to echo everything that Supervisor Vega said.

[00:53:27] I really do appreciate the love, the prayers, and the support from each and every one of you all. So last September, my family and I came here for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and Joshua was in remission. We believe the hardest part of his battle was behind us.

[00:53:44] Three weeks later, his cancer came back for the third time. Joshua had Burkitt's leukemia, one of the most aggressive cancers a child can face. When he relapsed, there was no proven second-line treatment waiting for him. We were in uncharted territory with very few options and no guarantee that any of them would work.

[00:54:02] And yet, here he is. The little boy standing here, the little boy standing beside me has endured more than most adults ever will. He has been told the treatment didn't work. He has also faced a relapse when there was no roadmap for what came next, and he has undergone treatments that had never been used in this way for a child before. In two days, Joshua will have another scan. Last year taught me how quickly life can change, but it also taught me to appreciate what we have today, including sitting in traffic or any other little minor inconvenience. It's nothing. So there have been moments in this

[00:54:41] journey when medicine had no answers for us. In those moments, my faith wasn't just the platitude. It wasn't pretending I wasn't afraid or convincing myself that everything would turn out the way that I wanted. It was knowing that God was still God, even when I could not see what came next. And today Joshua is standing beside me, and I thank God for that every single day. But Joshua's story is also why what we are doing here today matters. His story is nothing short of a miracle.

[00:55:04] Just a few days ago, a friend of ours, a little boy named Talon, passed away from the same cancer that Joshua had. His loss is a heartbreaking reminder for too many childhood cancers. Medicine still has so much further to go. So if you're wondering what you can do, start by remembering these children beyond today's meeting.

[00:55:23] Pray for them. Pray for their families, their doctors, and the researchers working to give them another option. Go gold in September, and when someone asks you why, tell them. Support childhood cancer research. Give blood, join the bone marrow transplant registry if you're able, and support families whose lives have suddenly become hospital rooms, appointments, and scans.

[00:55:42] And most importantly, don't look away simply because childhood cancer is difficult to talk about. Awareness matters because these children matter. We say all the time, the children are our future. And in two days, we will walk into another scan with confidence. I cannot control what the scan says, but I know who has carried us this far.

[00:55:59] So we will pray, we're going to walk in faith, and we will be grateful for the tremendous gift of having Joshua standing here today. For Talon, for Joshua, and for every child still waiting for their miracle, thank you for making sure that childhood cancer is not forgotten.

[00:56:14] All right, if everyone associated with item 5i in that sickle cell awareness month would please come forward.

[00:57:26] Sickle cell disease is a chronic and often delimitating condition that affects more than 100,000 Americans. While it can affect people from many backgrounds, it disproportionately impacts individuals of African descent, as well as people of Hispanic, South Asian, Southern European, and Middle Eastern ancestry.

[00:57:47] Awareness and early testing are especially important because individuals who carry the sickle cell trait may pass the disease on to their children. Knowing your sickle cell trait status can help individuals and families make informed decisions about their health and their futures. We also want to highlight the critical need for blood donations. Many individuals living with sickle cell disease will require blood transfusions to manage serious conditions.

[00:58:13] I'm sorry if we can cut the noise. Excuse me. I'm going to start from...

[00:58:28] We also want to highlight the need, the critical need for blood donations. Mending individuals living with sickle cell disease require blood transfusions to manage serious complications, sometimes multiple times each year throughout their lives. Donating blood can make a direct and meaningful difference for these patients.

[00:58:47] Therefore, today, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors hereby proclaim September 2026 a Sickle Cell Awareness Month. Together, through greater awareness and community support, we can help improve the lives of those affected by sickle cell disease.

[00:59:03] Would you like to offer us some remarks? Good afternoon, and thank you, Madam Chair. First off, I'd like to thank all the board members that are supporting this, Supervisor angry body steward and bailey as well as uh standing with me back here my sister valerie bay and community partners sentara northern virginia medical center prince william county alumnae chapter delta sigma theta sorority incorporated top ladies of distinction incorporated dale city

[00:59:39] prince william county chapter and our dear friend joshua king glad you're here um sickle cell disease has impacted many families, and they live with it every day. Today, we carry forward the vision of our late niece, Clarissa Pearson, who passed away from sickle cell disease in 2021, and her vision to support families, raise awareness, provide education resources, encourage genetic testing, and advocate for better care. Prince William County, Virginia,

[01:00:13] ranks in the top three jurisdictions in the state of Virginia for sickle cell disease births. With the passage of the Queen Candace Hope for Sickle Cell Act, named in memory of the late 15-year-old Candace King, a Prince William County resident who died from complications of sickle cell disease, we asked Prince William County to share awareness messages and to partner with the Heart of Gold and our community allies to connect residents and families with information and resources.

[01:00:46] All of you have received a gift bag from us today from the Heart of Gold, that pretty purple bag with informational materials, both in English and Spanish, for the residents of Prince William County. Together, Prince William County can be a model for what it means to not only raise awareness, but to take action, stand with sickle cell warriors and their families, and help change the future for generations to come.

[01:01:12] Thank you for your leadership and your partnership and for this proclamation. Good afternoon. My name is Joshua King. I want to thank the chair and board for giving me an opportunity to speak on behalf of my wife, Candy King, who could not be here, and my daughter, Candice King, who passed away on October 4th of last year from sickle cell.

[01:01:41] I'll be brief and just say thank you guys for this proclamation. Thank you for all the support that y'all have given my wife and I. Candace's birthday is this month on the 20th, and we are still struggling. We cry every day.

[01:02:01] Sickle cell is real, and there are cures, and we need to do all we can to help. And instead of my wife and I sitting in bed and crying every day, we're out here standing with everyone else who needs help. And our daughter was a strong sickle cell warrior, and we're doing it for her and for us.

[01:02:24] It hurts us every time we speak about this, every time we stand up, but we know that there is a cure and that we can do more. I want to thank our governor for passing the six laws and everyone who's doing the work, the nurses, the doctors, everyone. But we're not there yet.

[01:02:40] We have a long way to go. Please come out on the 26th. We'll be at Kogan High School doing the sick or so awareness walk. Come out, give blood, support, help friends, and learn something. That's all I have. Thank you so much for this time.

[01:02:57] Keep us in prayer. Thank you. And we'll take photos, everyone, at the end.

[01:03:21] We have one more left. If people associated with Junior League and Find the Good Day can come down.

[01:03:31] We are proud to recognize Find the Good Day, a celebration of kindness, compassion, volunteerism,

[01:04:33] and the many positive things happening throughout our community. Observed on September 17th, Find the Good Day encourages each of us to pause and recognize the good around us, whether it is a neighbor lending a helping hand, a volunteer giving their time, or someone simply taking a moment to make another person's day a little brighter.

[01:04:54] We are especially pleased to recognize the important work of the Junior League of Northern Virginia, which has a longstanding commitment to volunteerism, empowering women, developing community leadership, and creating meaningful, lasting change. Today, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors hereby proclaim September 17, 2026 is Find the Good Day.

[01:05:16] Let's take this opportunity to recognize the good, share the good, and most importantly, to be the good in our community. Would someone like to offer some remarks? Good afternoon. My name is Karen Kennedy and I am the advocacy manager for the Junior League of Northern Virginia. We'd like to thank the chair and all the members of the board for honoring us with this proclamation and just remind folks that in these times and especially now it's so important to look in community and think of and do all the things that we can to help each other. With that being said I just want to thank you on behalf of the Junior League of

[01:05:55] northern virginia um thank you all right to my colleagues on the dais we are going to take roughly 10 minutes for recess um and i say roughly because when we're done with the last picture i'm going to haul it back to the dais and i hope the rest of you will do the same recess we are back we are moving on to agenda item number six and that is the consent agenda before i move forward

[01:06:31] i want to see if there's anything anyone would like to pull off supervisor bode yes thank you madam chair i'd like to pull off 6-0 and 6-r 6-0 and 6-r is there anything else anyone like to pull supervisor vega thank you madam chair 6s all right i don't hear anything else so for the

[01:07:01] consent agenda i would like to entertain a motion for 6a through 6n 6p and 6q so moved second it's improperly moved in second at any discussion on those items i am actually while i wait for people to jump in the queue there's a couple things i would like to pull out and one of them is six and matt smolsky is going to be retiring after 49 years i was told that we will allow that matt

[01:07:40] 49 years is a lifetime it's certainly most of my lifetime and for some people it's more than a lifetime so i wanted to commend him i don't know if he hears me if he's here where you are but for your no he's is he gone he gone gone he gone gone well in your absence i want to commend you for all the work that you have done even saving us when we had a smoke incident and we had to temporarily take a break take a recess um but 49 years that's that's that's a long time that's a lifetime of service and the people who do these jobs the hours that you're putting in

[01:08:19] the dedication to our community, I couldn't allow that to pass without noting something. So now I'm going to jump into the queue. I have Supervisor Gordy. Thank you, Madam Chair. I also wanted to just recognize Chief Smolsky, not only a great chief within our fire department, but also just a good human being, really nice guy.

[01:08:49] And I really didn't get a chance to say goodbye to him. I hear he tried to sneak out and kind of go quietly. But definitely appreciate all his work. And I know we're voting on an acting replacement with Brian Ferguson today.

[01:09:06] And I look forward to Brian's leadership in the acting role there. And I also wanted to point out on item 6D the sidewalk project along Old Carolina Road between the Brentsville and the Gainesville District. This is something that the community has wanted for quite some time, and I'm very happy to see this starting to come to fruition.

[01:09:26] Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, we do. Thank you very much. Supervisor Bode. Thank you, Madam Chair. Just wanted to first echo what Supervisor Gordy just said, and you as well, Madam Chair. You know, a big part of our job as supervisors is constituent service, and our constituent service is only as strong as the county staff that stands behind us when we interact with folks.

[01:09:46] I know that probably every single person on this day is, or at least their offices have great opportunities to engage with Matt Smolsky as he helps us engage with community on a wide variety of issues, whether that's fire safety, whether that's, hey, there's a bunch of brush in my neighbor's yard. Is it dangerous or not? Whatever it is, Matt has always been there, and I will say he's been on some really tough calls with me and some really challenging folks that have had a lot of really big issues.

[01:10:10] So I just wanted to affirm and reinforce what was already said, but to just really highlight how much he played and his replacement is will play a major role in constituent services. I also wanted to talk a little bit about a couple items on the consent agenda that we are going to be passing. 6A is an authorizing execution of memorandum of agreement between Prince William County and George Mason, which operates George Mason Small Business Development Center.

[01:10:35] Just want to highlight that. We talk a lot about promoting businesses, how much Christina Wynn and her team does for small business, But it's one of those partnerships with George Mason that's really continued to highlight, uplift, and accelerate the ability for us to help small businesses. So I wanted to highlight that. And the last one is 6B, which is a grant application for the Old Bridge Road and Gordon Boulevard intersection improvement project.

[01:11:00] Really just want to continue thanking Rick Canizales and his team with Transportation and Capital Construction for their continued work on that intersection. I know it's a high-priority intersection for not only my district, but a lot of folks on the eastern end. So we'll really appreciate their work as we continue to refine and get this one to the finish line.

[01:11:16] Thank you, Madam Chair. All right. Thank you so very much. Supervisor Bailey. Thank you, Madam Chair. Again, echoing what you said about Chief Smolsky. Who gave him permission to do that anyway? That was smooth. Okay, okay. But I tell you, Chief, I want to thank you for really saving my dear husband's life when we were doing COVID testing when he almost got hit by a huge Escalade car.

[01:11:43] And you just kind of pulled them out of the way because you're a giant, and you're a giant in every way. And so I thank you for that, and I thank you for who can do stuff for 49 years only if you enjoy serving. And so God bless you for your servanthood. Go somewhere and fish, and we love you.

[01:12:01] I want to also highlight Christina Wynn and the MOA that is being established with George Mason University. That is a step in the right direction and keeping partnerships in the community benefits and making sure that we're serving at a higher level. That's an example of that.

[01:12:17] And then on 6I, the Kaboom Playground in Supervisor Vegas District, congratulations on that. I've got one in my district, and it's good for the kids, but thank you for an industry that believes in partnering with our county.

[01:12:33] That's critical. That is the reason why we're going to take an example and look at a community benefits agreement as we go forward. And then 6L, there's great successes in our county in prioritizing mental health services. And so that doesn't go undone or unsaid or unfocused on.

[01:12:51] And so we thank you for that. And that's L, M, and Q. And then I want to congratulate Supervisor LaCroix. We finally got it on the consent agenda. trap neuter vaccination release program kudos to you for that the cats the pets are part of our community and we appreciate you so thank you that's all i got thanks madam care supervisor angry thank you madam chair so i'll just start by um congratulating chief smolsky um i just i'll

[01:13:25] say that um he's probably the coolest chief i'll say because he never rises in temperature to situations he's all cool calm and collected and the way he talks is just really cool so i think I'm going to miss that about Chief Smolski, so congratulations in retirement.

[01:13:44] Now, oh, my, well, come on, I mean, Chief. We love you, too. We love you more. You're still here. Now, what I want to talk about, though, is item 6, Hotel 6H, the Neopsco Greenway being completed.

[01:14:04] And because we're saying farewells, you know, we lost a great man, our parks director, Seth Hamler Voss, who we're going to give Princeton County what's happening down here. We built managers, the city managers everywhere.

[01:14:21] So he went on to Voss Church to be the city manager there. But in his last official act, he was able to get my greenway extended for these 10 miles. and so I'm really happy to see that in here and that we're pressing forward.

[01:14:37] We've been working on that since 2019. We've still got some steps to go, but this is a great lead in purchasing this parcel to finish that out. So I really want to thank Seth and the team and Parks, and they're going to be in great hands. I want to thank Chief. Chief was there. Chris Schroeder was there.

[01:14:54] Matt Valliere was there. Anybody else that we have? So we were represented down there to see our guy off in a fashion, But I just want to thank him and the team for pulling this last piece. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you. If we can go ahead and take our vote on those items.

[01:15:20] Vote unanimous. All right, thank you. Supervisor Bode, you pulled off 6-0 and 6-R. Do you have any questions? Yes, I do, Madam Chair. Thank you. And the reason why I pulled these off is, you know, these are MOUs with Potomac Mills.

[01:15:42] One is about the use of security cameras and images. The other one is about a drone program. And I wanted to sort of ask the Chief, I assume he's the one that's going to be filling most of these questions, because this has been a quickly evolving situation, just both for the community, but also in the broader conversation around surveillance versus public safety.

[01:16:00] So rather than let these go, I wanted to call the Chief up and also thank the Chief for the great conversation we had last week about some of these issues. So Chief, just wanted to ask you first about 6.0 first. Can you please explain what the sharing of the cameras would entail, the footage, the pictures, what have you, and how privacy would be protected and what the public safety benefit would be?

[01:16:27] Chair Jefferson, members of the board, I'm Pete Newshman, the chief of police here in Prince William County. Thank you for those questions. Before I begin, I also want to agree with Supervisor Angry that Matt Smolsky is also my favorite chief. Shots fired in the chambers.

[01:16:46] But one of the things, though, that we do have and we're very fortunate to have is an excellent relationship between the police department and the fire department here in Prince William County. And one of those reasons is because of the 49 years of dedicated service by that person.

[01:17:01] And so I wish him the very best in his retirement. Supervisor Bode for the Potomac Mills MOU on the digital images that we're getting. These are only live, real-time images from some of the cameras. God forbid in the event we had some kind of an active violence situation at the mall.

[01:17:20] So we'd be able to tap into those. For anything historical, any historical camera images, we would have to still go through a court process to get those images. Appreciate that. And the video sharing relies on AXIM FUSIS software.

[01:17:35] Does this software platform include automated license plate recognition, facial recognition capabilities? If so, does the MO user talk about that? Can you talk about that balance a little bit? So we don't have any facial recognition at the Prince William County Police Department, so no on that. We do have automated license plate readers, as you know.

[01:17:54] And they've been a topic of much discussion, as you know, recently. You and I had a very lengthy discussion about that. We did. Thank you for that. And now moving on to the drone pilot, can you please explain how these drones would be used and why Potomac Mills was selected for the location of this pilot program?

[01:18:10] Yeah, so the drone as a first responder is really an enhancement to our current drone program. We've had drones in Prince William County since 2021. The way that we deploy drones now is if there's an emergency, somebody will have it in a vehicle and they will drive to the scene and deploy it.

[01:18:26] This gives us the ability to, as soon as the call is dispatched, is to deploy it from that location. It only has a two-mile radius, so this is going to be a pilot to see how effective it is. And what the drone does is it gets on the scene very, very quickly and it gives information to the police department and it could give information to the fire department about exactly what is going on.

[01:18:47] It will significantly improve officer safety as one of the values giving information to our first responders before they get there. So, as you know, a lot of other jurisdictions have gone to drone as a first responder. We're a little bit late in the game, but I'm very encouraged by this pilot.

[01:19:06] And the reason that we selected Potomac Mills is because we looked at our crime, and that little area is a pretty good hotspot for crime. Appreciate that. And you talked a little bit about some of how it will be used, and can we talk a little bit more about cases? You know, are we talking about just violent crimes?

[01:19:24] Will this be used for shoplifting calls, loitering? What kind of cases will it be deployed in? Yeah, great question. So Virginia statute restricts the times that we can use it, and essentially when we would be using the drones, When we currently use them is when it's an emergency situation.

[01:19:40] We could send it up in a traffic situation, a traffic crash, to give information to the public. We could use it in a missing person situation, but primarily it's for emergencies. Appreciate that. And similar to an earlier question, what is being done to protect residents' privacy as drones fly to and from scenes?

[01:19:56] So obviously they get deployed to a scene, they fly back. Are they going to be recording to and from, or are they going to only be recording when they get to a scene? Can you talk about that? That's an excellent question, because a lot of people are under the misimpression that the drones are taking images the whole way, and that's not true. In fact, the camera is not in a position to be able to take images as it travels to and from the scene of an event.

[01:20:17] Appreciate that. My last one, thank you for your time, Chief, is would these drones be using facial recognition or other AI-driven software? They would not. There's no facial recognition. They obviously do have a camera. Access to that information from the camera would be very restricted.

[01:20:32] It would be law enforcement sensitive. and we would only use it if we had a criminal case. Sure, appreciate that. And actually, I had one final question, just logistically for you and the county exec. If we were to defer the drone MOU but move forward with the other one, is there a time sensitivity to it, what have you?

[01:20:51] For us, there is, because as I said, we're a little bit late in the game, and anything that improves officer safety, I'm reluctant to delay that. And let me just give you one example of how it could make folks on the fire side safe as well.

[01:21:07] We get a number of spoof calls throughout the weeks. And what we do is when you have a call and it's an emergency, and some of the descriptions of the things that people call in, they'll say mass shooting, and that, God forbid, could happen here. So what we do is we send units out there going code one across our county.

[01:21:27] If you were able to get a drone there and they were able to see from the scene that there was nothing going on there. We could slow our units down, and it would really improve. The most dangerous thing our police officers and firefighters do is drive in those vehicles in an emergency status. It's the reason that most police officers get killed in the line of duty is in car crashes.

[01:21:47] So to be able to get a drone there, and so that's my, to answer your question, I, Pete Newsham, would be reluctant to delay it if at all possible. Thank you. Appreciate that. All right, Supervisor Vega. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Chief Newsham, for being here.

[01:22:04] I actually had those items also that I wanted to talk about, and Supervisor Gordy, I'm sorry, Gordy, see what you guys do here? Supervisor Bode has almost asked all of the questions that I had, and I just want to be clear, as somebody that is very connected to the world of law enforcement, I understand that time is of the essence, and that when it comes to officer safety and ensuring that we're keeping the public safe, Certain tools are necessary in order for officers to do their job while also keeping folks safe.

[01:22:33] I just want to be very clear and on the record that I understand that there's a legitimate concern about public safety just as there are legitimate concerns about individual privacy. And I think that as a body, what we're trying to do is how do we answer the question for the general public in regards to government entities appropriately protecting both.

[01:22:53] And so with that being said, how does this impact FOIA? Because there is language that states that footage will not be distributed. And so can you walk us through that? Yeah, so generally because most of the information that we obtain by way of video is related to a criminal case, it would be investigative in nature, and that is one of the exceptions to a FOIA request, and that's why we would not provide that.

[01:23:20] Thank you for that. And for those here in chambers and those watching at home, a lot of these questions came from our constituents, and so we feel the need, the duty, to ask those questions publicly. I'm actually very happy we're having this discussion. Great. Thank you. So moving right along, in regards to the drone request here, I want to say that when it comes to leading, whether it's for these asks or how our department conducts itself, I don't just say it because I'm biased because I live in Prince William County, but when we look at what has transpired over the last four or five years,

[01:23:57] I think that our department should be commended publicly for always taking the lead. Oftentimes we see that things are taking place in a different manner across the nation, but when it comes to our department and how the county does things, I think that we're always proactive rather than reactive, and we set the standard.

[01:24:14] And so can these drones be used to routinely patrol or surveillance without an active call? No. Okay. How long is this footage retained and who can access or share it? The drone footage, I think it's 30 days, but let me get back to you.

[01:24:31] It's a very short window of time. And then in terms of who can access or share it? And let me correct the drone footage answer because retention is going to be based off on the nature of what it captures. So if it's a criminal offense, it would continue to be in our system until the criminal case was disposed of.

[01:24:51] If it's a non-criminal event, then we would delete it after 30 days. And I'm sorry, I missed your second question. The who can access or share it? The police department. Okay. And then can the drones somehow integrate with flock cameras or other tracking technologies? They do not.

[01:25:07] They do not. Okay. Those are all the questions I have. Again, thank you, Chief, for your transparency. Really appreciate it. You're welcome. All right, I'm going to go to Supervisor Baleubi. Before I do, this has been a real big issue with constituents. And vlog cameras are a brand of license plate readers.

[01:25:24] They're not all. And there's a lot I've learned. I went to the town hall, Supervisor Ingrid's town hall this weekend, and you addressed these issues. And I think there's a lot that we need to talk about and the differences between license plate readers and red light cameras and so forth. And who has access to the footage and who has the authority to pick them up.

[01:25:41] So I would say that this should be a topic of a work session coming up. And so I'll work with Mr. Shorter and with you on making sure that we have a work session around this so that we are being transparent with the public, they understand what the police department's doing, and it gives everyone a chance to ask more in-depth questions.

[01:26:01] So with that, Supervisor Bailey. Chair, if I may, and I know you were at the town hall meeting on Saturday with us, And there's a couple things I would like to say here, if I could, about the license plate readers that we use here in the county. We have a very, very strict policy.

[01:26:18] The statute in the Commonwealth of Virginia is very strict to begin with. Retention on license plate reader data is 21 days, and there's criminal penalties for misuse. Washington Post recently did a story about misuse across the country by law enforcement officers.

[01:26:34] And what that was was a failure to audit by those agencies. We audit our license plate reader hits every single day. The two things we have to, first of all, all of our officers have to be trained before they use it. And in the training, the two things that they emphasize is, one, that there is a criminal penalty for misuse.

[01:26:53] And two, you have to have a criminal predicate before you enter a tag into the system. So our policy here, in Prince William, in my opinion, is very tight, very sound policy. The license plate readers are critical to law enforcement.

[01:27:09] In fact, we've had 11 homicides in the county this year, and eight of those homicides, license plate reader information was extremely helpful in ensuring those cases were closed. Since we're still on this quickly, I do want to address this. It's that information about our cameras, our public knowledge, right?

[01:27:30] and we have a website, correct? We do, and we have 28 cameras right now that are fixed, and we have four that are mobile, and those are on the website. The locations are on our website, and we're being as transparent as we can about this information. Everybody knows, and I've got to tell you, the policy here, if a Prince William County police officer was to misuse this data, they would be charged criminally, and we would make every effort to ensure that they were removed from this department.

[01:27:57] And I want to ask a question, because I've gotten this about Montclair, about a camera out there. Not every surveillance camera is installed by the police, and there are private cameras out there, aren't there? Great question. So the license plate reader technology is available to the general public.

[01:28:13] So not every camera out there is a police camera. Our cameras are the 28 and the 4 that we have, and we share those locations with the public. And the way that we deployed those cameras is based off of crime, in particular stolen autos. And the way that we have them deployed in the county right now, if I'm not mistaken, is 9 in the Western District, 10 in the Central District, and 9 in the Eastern District.

[01:28:35] But I just quickly, in my last bit of time, for the ones that are private, do they have access to that information, or does that information feed into your database? They don't have access to our information. Our information is owned by us. We do have access to 10.

[01:28:52] There are 10 private entities where we have access to their information. They cannot get ours. All right, I appreciate this again. There are so many questions, and this is such a hot topic. We will work on having a work session. With that, I'll go to Supervisor Bailey. Madam Chair, thank you for all of your detailed questions, because this kind of answered my list here along with my other colleagues.

[01:29:13] I appreciate the in-depth questions, and Chief just bearing with us in saying that you wanted to have this in terms of clarity. So just for clarity's sake, in terms of as we move forward with this and the time frame that you're looking at, if it changes for any reason in terms of compatibility with federal agencies, can you address that, please, and explain to us what that looks like if for some reason that changes?

[01:29:46] So I don't anticipate a change. Virginia General Assembly passed a statute a year ago, July, which restricted us from sharing our license plate reader data with federal agencies.

[01:30:02] And I don't -- that is our data, so I don't think we could be compelled to share. I personally don't think -- it might be a better question for a lawyer, but I don't think we could be compelled to share that data. Okay. And the timeframe, again, is 30 days that you retain the information?

[01:30:19] For the license plate readers, by statute, it's 21 days. It's deleted. Okay. The data is deleted. Okay. And for the drone? For the drone, it's based off of what it captures on the camera. If it's criminal in nature, it could be until the criminal case is completed.

[01:30:36] Everything else is, I believe, 30 days. I think I've got that right. Okay, Chief. Thanks for your patience. You're welcome. Supervisor Stewart. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thanks, Chief. So when it comes to the private cameras, are there any private cameras that exist that you do not have the ability to tie into?

[01:30:54] Oh, yes. Yeah, there's a lot of privately owned cameras and homeowners associations, private businesses. We have 10. I can share with this group if you want to see it, the 10. And actually, the footprints of those 10 are generally within Prince William County.

[01:31:12] Okay. And are they subjected to the same time period of data deletion of 21 days? The retention schedule, we had actually reached out to the vendor because I think their retention schedule may be 30 days.

[01:31:30] We wouldn't be able to use anything past the 21 days. So if we were doing a search and it came up past the 21 days because it came off of one of those private cameras, we couldn't use that information. Interesting. Okay. And I think the vendor is going to make, within the Commonwealth, they're going to make it 21 days for all of their private cameras as well because of the statute.

[01:31:50] That's my understanding. All right. Thank you very much. Supervisor Bailey, did you have another question? I do. I didn't use all my time, so I got like five hours left. No, I'm just kidding. Just kidding. So, Chief, with that, what you're basically saying, you have no control over those cameras, the private cameras.

[01:32:10] You have no control over that. A privately owned camera, we have no control. And as far as I know, there is no statutes that restrict the ability of a privately owned entity to use those cameras in any way they want. Okay, thank you. All right, thank you very much.

[01:32:28] There's no further questions. Supervisor Bodie, do you want to move 6-0 and 6-R forward? So I want to move 6-0. I think we should separate them out, so I'd like to move 6-0 forward for approval. Is there a second? Move and second it.

[01:32:43] Any further dissection on 6-0? All right, Supervisor Bodie? Chief, I wanted to thank you again for the conversation we had last week and also your transparency in answering our questions. Like Madam Chair said, we actually have two websites. We have the Prince William County website that has the locations.

[01:33:01] We also have the specific transparency page that the Prince William County set up using the same platforms as these entities. So I just wanted to commend the Chief and the team for being as transparent as was said. That's not the case all throughout the country necessarily, so I wanted to say that.

[01:33:19] I just know that, again, there's a lot of community concern around these cameras, and again, as was said, most of the cameras folks are seeing as they drive through, whether it's Potomac Mills, some of these other locations, actually not owned by the county, not operated by the county, so wanted to highlight that as well. I'm comfortable enough with the MOU between the police department and Potomac Mills to move forward with it.

[01:33:39] I have talked to Putnam-Mills about their concerns around crime and other things going on, not only in the mall itself, but around the private drives and the pad sites around the area. So I'm comfortable with that. So I wanted to commend the chief again on that understanding. Thank you. All right.

[01:33:57] There are no other comments, no other speakers in the queue, so let's go ahead and take our votes.

[01:34:25] Unanimous. All right. Thank you. Let's move on to 6R. Would you like to move that forward? So I hesitate on that one. I completely understand the Chief's stance on the safety of officers, having that first responder be a drone.

[01:34:43] But I would really love for us to have a more robust conversation, perhaps in the context of that work session, before we move forward on that one. But I wanted to see what my colleagues had to say about it. All right. I would prefer to have discussion within the motion. Supervisor Vega? Madam Chair, I would like to move 6R forward for approval.

[01:35:01] Second. Yes, we're probably moved and seconded in. Supervisor Vega, did you have any additional comments? Yeah, I just want to say that I'm supportive of this. It's not just a matter of officer safety. When you talk about drone technology, it's if you have a missing child, somebody that has autism, for example, or somebody that's part of the elderly community who suffers from dementia.

[01:35:19] Again, I said earlier during the accommodations and proclamations that you never know how something's going to impact you until it really hits home, and I think that this is needed. I'm satisfied with the framework that has been provided and the safeguards that have been put in place, and I'm happy to have further discussion in the work session.

[01:35:35] but for those reasons I'll be supporting this today. Supervisor Angry. Thank you Madam Chair. I second it because and I you know I understand the citizens and their concerns with cameras but I always err on the side of caution. I'd rather us have this technology which I continue to say we should be using technology to our advantage to help our police department to help our fire and rescue to help our first responders and I'd rather err on the side of putting this in place to prevent something from going on to Supervisor Vega's point than missing the opportunity that something bad happens.

[01:36:07] So I'm always open for more discussion, but for that I definitely support this. Thanks Madam Chair. Supervisor Bailey. Thank you Madam Chair. I think that there is opportunity for us to talk to the community even more and to assure that they have a sense of security, but I also, you know, I think we do need to err on the side of caution and make sure that we are putting our public safety employees in the best light forward to assure that we're

[01:36:41] protecting them as well and so I will be supporting. Supervisor LaCroix. I'm going to be supporting it but I think there needs to be a lot of guardrails on it. I mean a lot because it could be it could be used either way but I am going to support it because I think that our officers need to have the latest and greatest. That's all. Thank you. I'm just going to say a few quick words. I certainly understand the security issues. I understand that people are nervous about all the different types of surveillance out there and how technology is used, deployed, the guardrails around it,

[01:37:20] the policies and the procedures, for me really does get to what Chief Newsham said. It's keeping the men and women who have chosen public service, who have chosen to keep our community safe and secure, making sure that we're not putting their lives at risk and that we're using all the technology that we can. But also, yes, and finding the missing children and being able to do other things. We have to keep pace. And I think that we will have a robust discussion once this issue is set for our work session. So with that, I'd like to go ahead and call for the votes.

[01:38:13] Unanimous supervisors, Bodie and Stewart abstaining from the vote. all right thank you we are now moving on to 6s supervisor vega thank you madam chair i'm going to direct my questions to mr shorter our county executive and this is in regards to the transferring request of 48 000 from the police department's animal service bureau budget to provide additional funding for the expansion of the county's trap and neuter vaccinate release program for the sake of consistency for me personally we are not adding a new expense outside of a budget cycle

[01:38:53] Not a new expense. So, Supervisor Vega, thank you for the question. The funding for this item is being reprogrammed funding. So it's being reprogrammed. We're not going to our reserve to get the funding.

[01:39:11] So it is coming from the police department as a reprogramming request. Thank you for that. And based on my readings, it is my understanding, correct me if I'm wrong, that we are now going to seek outside parties in order to take care of this request, the services provided?

[01:39:28] That is correct. So as a reminder, $48,000 is the current budget that the animal services staff use for this program. Based on their directive from Supervisor LaCroix in July, we have moved forward to identify $48,000 again from within the police department.

[01:39:49] And we will be, if approved today, working with third-party organizations, nonprofits who service the CAC community here in Prince William County. This will be done via grant. So this will be a grant program, and I'm really excited that the police department has worked so quickly.

[01:40:07] We plan to tomorrow put out an announcement from PD, if approved, for us to push information to the community and even hold an information session based on the request from Supervisor LaCroix. Thank you. And then the last question that I have, because it's in the form of a grant and we're using third parties to try to help us solve an issue that we have here in the county, What metrics or data are we going to have in place that lets us as a county know that the job is actually being taken care of?

[01:40:40] So what we're planning to do during the application process, where we will review which organizations ultimately apply, what qualifications they currently have to service this community, we'll make sure that they are registered as a nonprofit within the community.

[01:41:01] We will, in that process, be asking questions about the number of cats they've served in the past, and we will have reporting requirements. So at the, I believe, six-month and one-year time frame, we will be requesting all of the organizations to provide reports of what they've done during that period of time.

[01:41:23] We'll also be ultimately looking at those reports to make sure that the number of cats that they neutered is consistent with what they reported they would do as part of the application process. I'll remind you and the board that because this is a grant and not a contract, that once the grant funding goes out, we will not be able to pull that grant funding back in.

[01:41:47] And so because it is a grant, we are once approved and that money goes out, it will essentially, well, be granted to the organization and not be pulled back into the government. Madam Chair, if I can close. Thank you, Mr. Shorter. I understand, you know, the difference when it comes to a grant versus a contract.

[01:42:06] I would just ask for those on the county side to be vigilant in ensuring that these funds are adequately being used so that we can address the issue that we have here in the county, and I will anxiously be waiting for those reports. I did not support the initial request, but Mr. Shorter has provided answers to the questions and doubts that I had, And so I will be supporting this ask here today.

[01:42:31] Thank you. All right. Thank you so very much. Supervisor LaCroix. Thank you for supporting it today. We have a kitty emergency going on in Prince William County. I also want to mention that this is money that we had for this cause that we did not use because of something going on with the animal shelter.

[01:42:56] And so it's really important to get people up. And that's what Chris and his team have done for me is to make sure that we can get the money out as quickly as possible so that the people that have done, they had a pilot program on this, and it was very successful.

[01:43:14] That's how they got the $48,000 to be a yearly amount that goes towards this program. So we did get those people together, and Chris is going to speak more on this later when I talk to him about it. But thank you for the questions, and this is really important.

[01:43:33] And now we're, because we missed the mating season, we do have a crisis on our hands. I make a motion that go forward. Sorry, hold on.

[01:43:49] Before we do that, were there any other questions for Chris Short, or were they comments? I had a question. Okay, you had a question. I ask that we vacate the motion, the second right now, so that Supervisor, no, we're going to, Supervisor Bode has a question.

[01:44:08] So I want him to be able to ask his question. Thank you, Madam Chair. And it goes along the same vein of where Supervisor Vega was going. Knowing that, yes, this is a reprogramming of funds. And as Supervisor LaCroix said, the funds that we weren't able to allocate because of issues at the animal services.

[01:44:23] And I get that. For this year, it's not a new expenditure. I guess my only question for the county exec is, since we're setting up a program and sending it up, can you talk a little bit about what it looks like in future fiscal years? And is there going to be, to the point that Suraz Vega made, a review criteria, what have you, is going to be open for different folks to be awarded money in different years?

[01:44:47] How will that look moving forward after this? Sure. I want to make two statements. One, funding that was programmed for this purpose last year is no longer available. Look, books have been closed, well, will be closed for FY25, FY25, am I saying that right?

[01:45:07] FY26, FY26. So the $48,000 that animal services will be using this year is what is budgeted based on the board's approval for this year. The $48,000 that is being considered today would be $48,000 that the police department would have used for another purpose, but is being reprogrammed.

[01:45:28] Now, for future years, we will need to come back to the board as part of the budget process to really get the board's approval or consideration if this program, outside of what the police department does at the Animal Services Center, we would need the board's really green light to move this forward into a more permanent program.

[01:45:54] And so for this year, it is a grant program for that reason. If the board requested and then approved a request to make the outside funding permanent, then we would have time to put this in the form of a contract and have very clear performance metrics associated with it.

[01:46:12] Appreciate that. Thank you. All right, Supervisor Bailey, do you still have a question? I do. I'd like to have my turn, please. I just wanted to remind the board, this is something in terms of continuity that we did with the previous administration.

[01:46:28] on the board. And Supervisor LaCroix, good eye, like in baseball, you caught it and brought it back and reprogrammed the funding. The thing that I wanted to make mention of is with the animal shelter, this is, we talked about this in the previous administration for no other reason as a reminder, collectively on the board, because we built a new animal shelter, we have to put things that have not been put in place for a very long time.

[01:46:58] So I just wanted to make that statement as we're voting. The question that Supervisor Vega that you mentioned about, is this new money or not, is a very appropriate question. And so we, and I said it earlier, but we appreciate the reprogramming of the funding to let the community know that we're not being over excessive in how we're spending our funds.

[01:47:21] Do you have a question? So I just want to, I know a couple other people are on the queue right now we there's no motion so if we can keep our comments until we go back and do the motion again supervisor la coin did you have a question you have a statement let's go ahead are there i just i want everyone who has a question um does anyone else have a question if you have let's go ahead and let's redo the motion so you can make your statement madam chair i do have a question okay if i may for the county exam okay is that okay yes please ask your question What I'd like to ask is, as we reprogram these funds, will it be brought back?

[01:47:59] Can you speak into the microphone so that we can get one here? As we reprogram these funds, will it be brought back during the budget cycle, or how does that one of us have to initiate that since it's reprogramming funds?

[01:48:15] Just explain that process. Sure. What we intend to do, we are hoping that the application process, and I certainly can explain this later during CXO time for the benefit of Supervisor LaCroix, what we plan to do by hopefully mid-September is have started the application process and made some selections.

[01:48:37] We will bring those selections back to the board for the board's awareness. The funds, again, will be issued via grant, and I have the authority, or at least will have the authority, if this is approved today, to issue those funds by way of grant.

[01:48:54] If the board decides for FY28 that you all want to see a program similar to this, that is in addition to what the Animal Services Center already does by way of neuter, trap neuter, vaccinate, and release, then we will come back with the budget proposal.

[01:49:16] The board will consider it along with all of the other budget proposals that come in FY28. And ultimately, if it becomes a permanent program in that way, we will then work towards a more permanent contracting vehicle. Thank you, Madam Chair, for your indulgence.

[01:49:32] All right. Thank you. Supervisor LaCroix, would you like to go ahead and make a motion again? I make a motion that we move forward with success. Second. It's been, I'll give it to Gordy. So as we're probably moved and seconded, it's Supervisor LaCroix. It was my understanding, and it's the understanding of all the animal activists out there that have been reporting to me and emailing me, that this is a program that is going to be taken over completely and totally by our animal shelter.

[01:50:06] That's why we have the area for the doctors and the surgery areas, but we've had issues with the heating and air system or the air system. so that's my understanding um but until we get that we have these people that are willing to help out in in the time for the time being so um that's all i want to say all right supervisor body thank you madam chair and first i wanted to again thank supervisor la croix for bringing this forward in the directive form and really jumping on the opportunity that was presented by those activists i know we got a lot of emails a lot of calls i know our appointees of the animal advisory board

[01:50:44] were also inundated, so I wanted to thank you and commend you for that. And again, as I said before, this is a building on all the past directives we've given. I know I've given some, Sarasvega has given some, so we're at this point. And I appreciate your commentary just on the thought and the intention that this is supposed to be a permanent thing, but supposed to sort of supplement what's already been being offered as we stand up the vet clinic.

[01:51:06] And the reason why I brought up the question is, you know, we have a lot of folks that really want to help the community, and so maybe not to close the door completely, Maybe in subsequent years later down the line, we figure out that, hey, our vet clinic really can't respond to the demand alone and be able to bring those community partners in that are doing great work, that it's still an opportunity down the road.

[01:51:26] So, again, we'll be supporting this wholeheartedly. I appreciate it, but just knowing that we have an opportunity maybe in subsequent years to maybe supplement this with a program that looks at the community as well. Thank you, Madam Chair. All right, Supervisor Gordy. Madam Chair, thank you. I just want to say, you know, when we can leverage our volunteer community on something of this nature, I think it's something that's worth doing rather than trying to put this purely and completely on the backs of our government officials.

[01:51:54] When we have interested parties within the community who are willing to step up and take on this challenge and do it, you know, I think that's a win for us. And that's what community is all about. And so government can sometimes provide the resources that cannot be garnered outside of government, but the work that can be done can probably be leveraged more outside of government within the community.

[01:52:19] And so thank you for your leadership on this. We've had many folks come and speak to us about this, and clearly, you know, I live in Oaksville. You know, coyotes take care of the cats out there. I'm just kidding. You know, there's natural selection that takes place in some parts of the county.

[01:52:40] It doesn't necessarily take place in other parts of the county. But we have, you know, clearly this is an issue, and it's something that it is a problem and it needs to be addressed. And looking at a community solution, I think, is the right way to go.

[01:52:57] And I appreciate the work that's been done on that. Thank you. Got a little hurt after that, Tom. I mean, you know how much I love cats. Any dog people out there? the coyotes are they getting the dogs too all right let's move on i'd like to call for the vote unanimous all right let's go on to public comment time so for those of you if this is your first time speaking i will call people up in groups of five you will go to the back um you will have

[01:53:36] three minutes to speak on any item you're choosing at the back screen is a timer please watch it so i don't have to cut you off and i ask that everyone please please please begin by stating your name and where you reside don't need your exact address unless you want to give it um but where you the magisterial district and where you reside so first i'm going to call up john pain chris brown keith schneider sunny um kofi i'm going to call up i'm going to lie i'm going

[01:54:11] call up six people because i only have six kimberly melman and melody miller so if each of you can go to the back again start the timer will be up start by saying your name and the magisterial district where you reside you may begin good afternoon madam chairman members i'm sorry adjust the mic because we can barely hear you get a little closer yeah there you go good afternoon madam chairman members of the board county executive my name is john pain i live in the Coles District of Manassas on Lake Jackson Drive. I've been a resident at that location for

[01:54:48] 40 years. I've been a resident of Prince William County all my life. I wanted to share a little history with you with respect to what I'm asking tonight. First of all, when I came back from college from VPI in 74, the town of Manassas was crippled by economic decline. My father was on the city council, and he and I worked on the idea of creating a historic district. And I did a lot of legwork creating a historic district in Manassas. It was not really popular, but it has paid its fruits today, and you can see what has happened because of the restoration and preservation of

[01:55:27] so many properties. There was one gentleman, Jack Ratcliffe, who was a historian. He said, I don't know why you're doing this, because everything that's worth saving is gone. I don't want that to be the case with Bennett School. My father was also, as city councilman, responsible for the location of the Manassas Airport.

[01:55:50] He was instrumental in beginning Lake Manassas, and that council spent money in a way that was fully visioned in the future. They understood the need, and they made the investment at that point in time, and our county's a result of that.

[01:56:06] When I was first a resident, there were 1,800 people in the Manassas area. I think there are over 180,000-plus that have Manassas as an area. I hope that we can look at this as kind of, if we go down the parkway, there are two barns that have been saved.

[01:56:27] And I ask you, what would two silos be without the barn? My request is that you reconsider the task of looking at Bennett School. When I was taught as an architect, I'm a licensed architect, you never drew more in the morning than you could race in the afternoon.

[01:56:46] This is an opportunity to really look at what the Bennett Building looks, what its importance is to the residents and the culture of Prince William County. A lot of people have talked about that with previous speeches here.

[01:57:03] I was present when integration took place at that school, and I think that the architectural character could be incorporated into the new courthouse. So if someone was asking directions, they would not say that big building down there, they would say it's where the school is.

[01:57:23] Let's make education a big part of our new project at the courthouse. I thank you very much. Thank you. Next speaker, please. Chris Brown in the Gainesville District.

[01:57:41] My printer broke today, so my speech is stuck in this computer, so I'll just read it from here. I've come today to speak about the proposed Prologistics Park that is proposed for the corner of Carthapen and 55 in Gainesville.

[01:58:09] My reasons opposing this project are twofold, the first of which is the traffic that it will bring to my neighborhood. We already have the congestion caused by the NTT data center construction across the street from the ProLogistics site.

[01:58:29] If this is approved, we'll have even more traffic. Once the project is finished, we will have to contend with the daily truck traffic caused by this warehouse. Across the street, NTT has refused to... Hold on, sir. So we are actually going to have a public hearing on this topic, and you will have a chance to speak during the public hearing rather than public comment time.

[01:58:50] during the public hearing same rules um but it better captures your comments and there might be other people who are speaking on that particular issue so i just wanted to give you the opportunity to speak then you don't want me to finish i mean you can but i think it would be better for you to speak during the public hearing is that hours from now no it's next on the agenda so what's going to happen is we're going to finish a public comment time we're going to go see if we have anyone virtual then we go to the public hearing okay all right it's not going to take forever

[01:59:24] will i be the second speaker she's going to the clerk will handle that um keith are you also here for that or what are you here for i'm here to uh request that we start looking at sanitizing data centers all right go on again start by saying your name where you generally reside can i use the

[01:59:47] overhead projector you can please and thank you it's going to take us a minute hello my name is Kibi. I live in the Gainesville district. With no proactive measures in place to sanitize data

[02:00:19] centers, AI pornography will continue to drive data center demand. An answer exists. This is the official federal standard for securely sanitizing and disposing of data storage media. Members of the board, we currently have 300 data centers constructed in our state that are without power.

[02:00:48] Not sure how much tax revenue those are generating. We have allowed the clear-cutting of our forests and destruction of our watersheds to build monuments to grid failure. And for what? If you analyze the server demand driving this endless expansion, you'll find it's bloated by the hoarding of illicit, degrading, and illegal content.

[02:01:12] We are sacrificing our natural commonwealth to act as a digital landfill. It is time to scrub these servers clean of non-consensual intimate imagery and digital waste before you even think, before we, sorry, I'm part of us, even think about approving another permit to pour another massive hot footprint on our beloved Virginia.

[02:01:37] We have a choice, protect the dignity of our citizens and the integrity of this land, or continue to be the architects of a disposable planet. We the people are pleading to elected officials everywhere. Please clean up the data centers and please stop cutting down all the cherry trees.

[02:01:58] Thank you. I just found that guidelines for media sanitization in the last 24 hours. I thought I was encouraging that to be created. It's quite enlightening to find that that exists.

[02:02:15] There are processes. It's not something we're inventing. It's just something that hasn't been implemented yet because nobody's demanded it to be proactively implemented. This would really help a lot of things take place with a lot more sanity. Thank you.

[02:02:37] We can do this. Our name is Prince Will.i.am for a reason. Thank you. Will.i.am, will we are. Peace. Next speaker, please. Could you put the timer back on and also I might use the projector thing as

[02:03:13] well. Okay. My name is Dr. Kimberly Melman Orozco. I'm a resident of Gainesville. Last time that I was here and I spoke to you all, I told you about how there were systemic violations to special education law occurring in Prince William County, Virginia. I see you nodding your head yes, but I didn't hear back from any one of you. This is a bipartisan board. Not one of you I heard back from. And that's interesting because I told you about how there was a whistleblower teacher who contacted me on my cell phone in 2023 saying, I quote, they're violating so many laws. Your daughter's

[02:03:48] civil rights are being violated and they're trying to sweep it under the rug. I didn't hear back from you, but my speech, one of them went viral with over 5 million views. And thankfully there's actually those audio recordings that are now being posted for anybody who wants to hear the audio recordings of the whistleblower teacher go to ensure to fail podcasts. But the other interesting thing happened that even though I didn't hear back from you, I did hear back from other whistleblower teachers. Here's an email dated May 2026. You may want to dig into all of the employee complaints in Prince William County, including high-level administrative people who left because of the

[02:04:26] unethical and illegal practices in schools and in central offices, would estimate in the hundreds of people. This person emailed again. They said they will only hire young people and people who will say yes and do what they're told even if it's unethical and illegal or not right for kids.

[02:04:45] I subsequently submitted a FOIA request. You guys talked about FOIA and transparency. I paid over $1,000. This whistleblower told me what to ask for for your internal documents. People talking about restraint of disabled kids, discrimination, seclusion, very serious civil rights violations. I paid over $1,000 and guess what? It's still being withheld. I have to go to court to try to get it from Prince William County Public Schools. I am asking for the federal government to investigate this school district and this board for what they're allowing, because it is a civil rights abuse like no other that we've never seen. And I asked you to put this up here

[02:05:24] because you also talked about money. You're quibbling over how to spend 45 grand. Let's look at some of the invoices of what your school district, mind you, I mentioned Wade Anderson, former employee of Sands Anderson. Let's see what he's paying for. So here's one invoice for 50, if you can zoom in on that at all, for $55,000 in one month. Here's another one for $37,000 in one month. Here's another one for $99,000 in one month. Here's another one for $34,000 in one month.

[02:05:56] That goes on and on and on. But what else do they have? Expenses. You all are paying for these attorneys to eat Nando's peri-peri and Five Guys and stay at a residence inn. That's where our tax dollars are going. The level of fraud, corruption, federal abuse of our funds is absolutely astronomical. And if you don't do anything, I'm asking for the federal government to investigate this county because it is disgusting. So before I go to the next speaker, I just do want to acknowledge that we do not have the authority to investigate the school board. They are a separately elected body. So we do not have that authority. You're still welcome to come and speak,

[02:06:33] but we do not have that authority. I'm going to come every time. Okay. Next speaker, please. My name is Sonny Cuffey. I'm in the Brinsfield District. I'm here to talk about Virginia Senate Bill, SB 425, that passed the legislature, and it involves the implementation of environmental justice and the comprehensive plan.

[02:07:06] It says to all the next as well as subsequent comprehensive plans, and that the opportunities are there to identify environmental justice and fence line communities that's it all right thank you for your time thank you so very much next speaker please uh hey y'all uh my name is melody miller i'm from neabsco i've spoken here a billion times so you guys know who i am but um i wanted to

[02:07:44] just take a quick moment i know i sent all of you a giant email about the mous and i do appreciate you guys uh bringing some of those questions forward i'm sure i wasn't the only one um i do want to state for the record as a first responder I do actually support the underlying public safety intent to this but I read the actual MOUs and I did have very specific some some really grave concerns because really as you know if it's not written it's not real so you can say whatever you want in this forum like the chief of police said oh we don't do that not we can't do that oh we

[02:08:19] haven't done that not we can't do that so there are some wordings that really worry me because exigent circumstances is a really broad road that you can drive a lot of trucks through the ambiguity there so before we implement some of these pilots and before we finalize some of this stuff in operations of prince william i just i just want to i mean everybody in the room has probably heard ben franklin right saying those who sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither liberty nor safety so public safety is a valid concern but so is constitutional liberty so is

[02:08:54] the right to privacy so is the right to be able to move around this county doing whatever you want to do within the boundaries of the law and not be observed for somebody else to judge those actions so the other thing i want to point out as somebody who works with facial recognition in my in my other job fairly regularly. Because you don't in your contract have access to all of the data that those cameras collect, there are many companies, and this has borne out nationally, what they sell to you as a part of your contract is not often the sum total of what their devices actually collect. So just

[02:09:33] because Prince William doesn't have access to facial recognition data, if they contract with a company like Axos that their devices are capable of facial recognition they may be collecting facial recognition and you're just not paying for it so you don't get it and to your point yes there are plenty of facial recognition things going on in the county but the argument that everybody is doing it so we can do it too is a little bit juvenile and I think that we can do better I would recommend or I would respectfully ask that the board hold some public comment sessions on this before we start rolling this out permanently. I would ask that you amend some of these MOUs to narrow what

[02:10:08] exigent circumstances are defined as, right? Emergency means a lot of things to a lot of different people. There's really big laws about what public airspace rights people have. Those have gone all the way up to the Supreme Court. I would ask that we require an annual audit or some level of independently review of how these programs are used and what data they're collected and put public notice and signage at the mall with data retention and deletion policies that are publicly posted i would also ask that you establish a defined complaint process for citizens who feel they've been wronged by this um and i have play more say but no more time so thank you so much for your time i appreciate it all right thank you so very much we are now going to move

[02:10:46] on to remote public comment i'm not sure do we have anyone supervisor angry i'm not sure i have a list of 10 but do we have any online uh good afternoon we do not have anybody online to speak All right, thank you, sir. All right, thank you so very much.

[02:11:04] We are now moving on to agenda item number eight, and that is public hearings. This is including consolidated land use cases. I am, before I move on, I want to see if anyone had anything that they wanted to pull for public hearings under agenda item number eight.

[02:11:33] Supervised, so I just also want to say, if it's for purposes of, I'm going to do public hearings. I'm going to open that after I talk to everyone. If it's for purposes of you wanting to vote something down, we can get to that. But I just see that you are in the queue.

[02:11:49] So what did you have, Supervisor Stewart? For item 8F, just wanted to make clear that it's going to be the proper statement dated 1 September. Okay.

[02:12:05] And a copy has been provided to everyone here on the dais. I also ask that the applicant include two proffers as it relates to landscaping, and that's on the second and third page, proffer 3A and 3B.

[02:12:23] 3A is the applicant will coordinate the need for supplemental plantings, if any, within the buffer adjacent to the school property. The coordination will be with the county arborist prior to the final site plan approval. And 3B, the applicant has committed to include a plant species identified in the Journey Through Hollow Ground Living Legacy Tree Planting Project as permitted by the county within the buffers along Cat Harpin Road and John Marshall Highway.

[02:12:52] And I also wanted to make it clear that the county is not going to be responsible to fulfill any of the proffer obligations. All right. Thank you. Supervisor Bailey. Yes, ma'am. Chair, I'd like to pull item 8 in, please. All right, 8.

[02:13:08] And so what I'm going to do is I'm going to go ahead and open the public hearings for items 8A through 8M. So I know we had a gentleman who was speaking earlier, and I said that he can come back to the mic.

[02:13:26] I don't have the sheet in front of me, so it's right here. I know I see one. Do you have? Oh, there's three. Okay, I believe it's Mr. Chris Brown. I'll let you go first. Where are you? All right, Mr. Chris Brown. I have Melody Miller that you would like to speak on three of the items.

[02:13:45] So if you can go. Yes, you can go back to the back. So Mr. Brown, it's a fresh start. It is Prologis, and it's Cat Harpen. So there you go. Start with saying your name and where you generally reside. Okay, this is take two.

[02:14:02] Yeah, I'm Chris Brown, Gainesville District. And I'll just start from the beginning here. I'm opposed to this truck terminal for several reasons, the first of which is the traffic it will bring to my neighborhood.

[02:14:21] We already have the congestion caused by the NTT data center construction across the street from the pro-logistic site. If this is approved, we will have even more traffic. Once the project is finished, we'll have to contend with the daily truck traffic caused by this warehouse.

[02:14:36] Across the street from this, NTT has refused to honor the proffers they promised five years ago, including a traffic light, a turning lane, sidewalks, and landscaping. Because the county has failed to enforce these proffers, it is unconscionable for the county to consider adding more traffic to an already congested area with this warehouse project.

[02:15:01] In addition, there is the loss of 23 green forested acres and the ecosystem that exists there. The developers, along with the Planning Commission and possibly the Board of Supervisors, seemed determined to deforest western Prince William County.

[02:15:17] The developers should choose a vacant industrial site in the county for this project. We would not have to rely on ugly wind and solar farms to fight climate change if we could just stop building in the forest. We have to stop replacing soft, cool surfaces with acres of hot, hard, impervious ones.

[02:15:38] Directly across from this site, three years ago, we lost 103 acres of moist forest to what is now the largest hyperscale data center in Virginia. Those 103 acres of asphalt now generate enough heat on a summer's day to fry an egg.

[02:15:56] There is no truth that this site must be developed with something that is the least worst alternative. These 23 acres are best left in hay. Please do the right thing and vote against this project. Thank you. All right, thank you so very much.

[02:16:14] Melody, I know that you have three things you're going to speak on. You can go to the mic. So I'm going to give you your three minutes for 8A first. And again, although we know who you are, just go ahead, state your name. Totally get that. Can I actually ask, because 8A and 8B are both on vacating trees, can you actually just – it's a general statement on, like, just the effect of that.

[02:16:35] Can you combine those two into six? Go ahead, then I will 8A. I'm trying to make this short so we're not here until, like, 9 o'clock tonight. I mean, I can give you – I just thought it would be cleaner to give you discreet – But you can take, for the three items you have, you can take your nine minutes, okay? So I actually wanted to speak on A, B, E, F, G, J, and K.

[02:16:55] Girl, you're making me dumb enough. Well, because Prologis is three, right? It's actually E, F, and G. So you want to do five items? I want to do seven items. Oh, seven. But that's why I'm saying, can we combine them? I will combine everything. Wait, hold on.

[02:17:10] Everyone, let me just, there's a lot of chatter on the data. So I will combine everything. That will be up to 21 minutes. I'll be quick. I'll be quicker. Okay. Wait, hold on. I'm not trying to be good for mine either. The clerk, yes. Okay.

[02:17:32] Yeah, yeah, that's fine. All right. All right. Thank you, Melody. Let's go. I'm going. This is like a filibuster. Fair enough. Let's get water. Thank you, guys. My name is Melody Miller. I'm from Neabsco. The first time is A and B, which is at the tree vacation.

[02:17:48] So at the kind of high level, that really seems like minor administrative actions. But really, those two items represent a fundamental question about whether we honor our commitments to the public or sacrifice them for private convenience, right? So let me remind everybody that the land that we're talking about in these two offers was supposed to be a proffer agreement for the Broad Run Linear Park.

[02:18:08] That dedication explicitly stated that it was the intent of this proffer that existing non-native invasive vegetation within the Broad Run Linear Park dedication will remain undisturbed, and that any construction would minimize the amount of impact to the adjacent TCA and avoid removal of specimen trees to the maximum amount feasible.

[02:18:24] That's like in the original dedication, okay? This land was dedicated to the county for use as open space conservation and or passive recreation use only. That was the deal, a public trust for parkland to protect trees in exchange for the development. Now, as the gentleman mentioned before, we're not honoring proffers.

[02:18:41] Now we're being asked to vacate that protected tree conservation area on this public parkland to serve private, not public, utilities for the Stack Infrastructure Data Center. So this developer's own application has been deferred a couple times. Supervisor Gordery actually noted that Stack Infrastructure requested time to address community feedback.

[02:19:02] The project's already been delayed while they work to address concerns, and I get that, but we're not seeing any options that don't really resolve in the developer's financial interest, and the loss of mature tree canopy to the citizens and the impact to the watershed is not in the county's interest it's not in the citizens interest all possibilities not just those that are financially beneficial to stack should really be explored before we vacate that conservation area and i'm not opposed to development okay i'm really not i am opposed to using public assets to serve private interests without adequate mitigation staff reports on these uh report that no cost will be incurred to the county beyond

[02:19:37] staff time to execute the deed, but lack of county direct expenditure does not mean a lack of public cost. Those two things are not the same. In fact, the costs here are actually significant. We are permanently removing protected tree canopy on public park land. Those properties are in the watershed where trees will filter stormwater runoff and clean the water that ends up in the watershed. Over like 72% of Prince William County's waterways are impaired. Of the 93 assessed waterways, 68 of them fail state standards. So stream flows are at critical monitoring sites

[02:20:12] are an average of 40% of normal. SF Quantico was 31% this year, for example. And salinity levels in the Occoquan are steadily rising. So every tree we remove makes that worse. The trees filter stormwater, they trap pollutants, and they slow runoff. So the first thing I would ask you guys for these tree conservation areas is I would say, explore the alternative routing that avoids negating the TCA entirely. Like, the proffer requires impacts to be minimized and removal avoided to the maximum, but we have not exhausted all of the alternatives. I would also ask that the board condition the approval on the developer establishing at least two to three times the tree

[02:20:50] canopy to compensate for what is removed if you do decide to approve this. Two to one tree ratio is reasonable, but it's important to understand that the U.S. Forestry Service and most urban arborists will say that for every 40-foot canopy tree, you need 269 two-inch caliper trees to get the same effect. I mean, two to one is really reasonable at that level, right? Because you're not going to get the same effect, but you're going to make a good faith effort, sort of.

[02:21:25] So having a bigger tree replacement ratio acknowledges the gap. I also think it's important that going forward that we insist much more firmly on a canopy-based approach where a replacement tree's value is measured by the mature crown spread and the effect on our watershed and not just the actual physical count. Ultimately we're damaging our watershed to save a commercial developer some money. I will urge the board to do a deeper exploration of viable alternatives and if none are possible I would say the adoption of a minimum of two to one tree replacement ratio.

[02:21:58] I know that recently in the news supervisors at Vega said that I believe that a county is not growing is a dying county but i would also like to remind the board that growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell so thank you guys that was my a and b um now if we can move on to uh ef and g which is the prologis uh that we talked about earlier um trying my best guys to go fast i understand the appeal of economic development and expanding the commercial tax base i know supervisor anger we've had a lot of talk about uh the density of urban development But I think that we have to ground a lot of our decisions in the reality that exists, right?

[02:22:37] Reclassifying almost 24 acres at John Marshall Highway and Cat Harpin Road to accommodate a heavy logistics facility is, in my opinion, a profound planning mistake and kind of blatantly in violation of the county's environment plan. Which, funnily enough, the county staff actually explicitly confirmed in their report.

[02:22:55] So all three of these requests, right, the CPA, the rezoning, and the special use permit, explicitly and profoundly violate not one, not two, but eight of the categories addressed by the environmental plan. And they really just undermine the policies on natural resource, forest resource, and watershed protection, as well as our actions on tree cover and preservation, stormwater management, and stream restoration. They blow urban heat island relief right out of the water. And these are all things that are required for us to even consider hitting our 2030 goals. So if this is approved, the board will ultimately, because you guys are the approving

[02:23:34] body, be responsible for green lighting, irreversible ecological damage to the Bull Run watershed. The applicant for this plans on 100%, near 100% clear cutting of mature forest, remember the 269 to 1, right? Removing all four identified specimen trees and destroying the critical habitat for the tricolored and northern long-eared bats one of which is endangered one of which is on the list so the clear cutting will remove a currently functional and necessary water reclamation and filtration filtration resource there are no replacement measures that even come

[02:24:08] close identified the project will also eliminate entirely 1.3 acres of mapped wetlands with over 2200 linear feet of intermediate streams from a hydrological i'm not a hydrologist but from a hydrological perspective. Headwater wetlands and intermittent streams regulate stream flow, they trap sediments, and they transform nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphase and phosphorus. And replacing those natural buffers with almost, I think it's 15.6, almost 16 acres of impervious surface will shift that entire site from a hydrological sponge into an accelerated runoff generator. Pavement doesn't absorb water, and it certainly doesn't

[02:24:46] absorb pollutants, which you're going to get from logistics, industrial and logistics. So we're going to lose almost 24 acres of natural pervious land, and we're going to replace it with 15 acres of asphalt and roofing. So this directly contradicts our energy and sustainability master plan.

[02:25:04] Artificial underground stormwater chambers just really cannot replicate biological nutrient uptake. They can't replicate carbon sequestration, and they do not provide groundwater recharge, which is provided by these current natural palestrian forested wetlands. They can't clean the water as well, which leads to an increase in water treatment costs.

[02:25:23] They can't replenish and sustain the ecological systems that they purport to replace. They certainly can't clean the particulates that this site would generate. And so the citizens living anywhere near there are going to suffer a marked degradation in air quality. So also with the approval of this, we're really going to shift to the long-term operational environmental costs from a private developer down to the Prince William County taxpayers.

[02:25:45] So the property contains, according to the reports, soils classified with severe erodibility. Stripping severely erodible soils like Arcola and Braddock Loam heightens the risk of downstream sedimentation into Bull Run, which threatens the Occoquan Reservoir. Taxpayers are going to absorb the long-term costs of downstream flood mitigation, which the developer is going to offer you $1,700 in water quality.

[02:26:09] I don't know if you know this, but the actual operational current cost for that type of mitigation runs about $10,000 to $35,000 a linear foot. So I'm not really sure where the $1,700 is going to get you, except maybe that is what it's going to cost for them to print the invoice.

[02:26:30] Again, Prince William County water rights are impaired. Stream flows are at critical 40% of normal, and the salinity levels in the reservoir are steadily rising. Every single tree we take out, every wetland we take out just makes this worse.

[02:26:47] If you get away from the environment for 10 seconds, then you're going to go and you're going to introduce heavy freight traffic right next to the two schools that are over there. So you're going to put safety hazards, you're going to put diesel emissions, you're going to degrade air quality in your local schools, you're going to create traffic hazards between conflicts between heavy freight haulers and school bus routing schedules because that road is just absolutely not rated for that.

[02:27:11] during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal periods. You're going to sanction clear cutting all the trees that would clean all of that out of the air. So those kids are going to be breathing it. And also fire station four is there in Gainesville. That's right at max capacity. I don't know if you guys know this, but industrial and heavy truck incidents actually require additional specialized extrication skills in first responders. It takes a little bit longer to train them. It's a little bit harder to keep them. And so proffers are not even touching the true cost of what that actually looks like. So that's going to be shifted entirely to the taxpayers and citizens. As the gentleman before mentioned, we don't have to choose between a

[02:27:51] vacant lot and heavy industrial destruction. Under the current mixed use and transect designations, this land is specifically intended to serve as a transition between higher intensity of uses and surrounding environmental resources. We have viable, as a county, we have viable lower impact alternatives that do not require rezoning this i'm not in favor of clear cutting at all but there are other alternatives that can integrate rather than pave over the existing acres of aquatic resources and natural open space that would be far better for the county and the residents here so what i would ask the board to do on these particular items is to offer the developer

[02:28:30] incentives to alternative siting directing a heavy logistics facility to pre-existing pre-existing degraded industrial sites somewhere else maybe within the established e-commerce or early district somewhere else in the county would encourage the development of a useful logistics capability which we could use within the county without stripping the desperately needed environmental resources that we away that we need we need to build climate resilience if you really want to be environmentally terrified look up the effects of a super el nino but i do respectfully urge you to uphold the environmental integrity of prince william county

[02:29:05] and deny these requests or offer significant alternatives um thank you for your time on that one uh could you reset the timer to six and i'll do the last one is that possible rather than stop in the middle so that's the first five so we're good i'm three minutes under oh no six i mean you can give me 15 but okay perfect okay so again my name is melody miller from neabsco um and i'm here This one is about items 8J and K, which is the rezoning and the proper.

[02:29:41] So this is the data center campus, the 200 megawatt data center campus. And when I was reading this, you guys know I speak against data centers. I think this represents a really critical failure in our county's planning. And I think it violates both the spirit and the letter of our energy and sustainability master plan.

[02:30:00] Again, we're being asked to sacrifice natural resources, air and grid stability for a short-term industrial sprawl. So I want to focus for this, because I got five minutes, on the two major areas where this project really fundamentally fails our community. The first is the burden on our power grid, and the second is the irreversible destruction of the local environment that this is going to actually engender.

[02:30:19] So the energy burden and the strained grid. So a 200-megawatt facility running continuously demands about 1.75 million megawatt hours annually. Our regional grid operator, which is PJM, has already issued warnings about capacity shortages and strain, and the FERC, which is the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, has ordered PJM to overhaul its rules so that massive large load customers, specifically data centers like this one, must secure their own power supply or fund dedicated generation before connecting to the grid because they're such a drain.

[02:30:49] Those rules have not changed yet and would not apply to this development. So those guys have all acknowledged that this problem persists, and here we are again with an item on the agenda proposing to add a massive, unrelenting, unindustrial drain to these exact systems. So this also directly contradicts strategy one of our CESMP, which sets our transition to 92% clean energy and 50% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030.

[02:31:14] You cannot approve a facility of this scale, powered predominantly by fossil fuel-reliant grid energy and diesel generators, and still claim with a straight face that you're working towards our stated climate goals. It completely neutralizes the county's mitigation efforts. The massive transmission upgrades required to support this are going to externalize costs onto local rate payers.

[02:31:34] As I stated earlier, the citizens of Prince William County should not be forced to fund this when it's a private developer and the profits are there. uh in the immortal words of billy mays but wait there's more chamois equally devastating to us is the uh actual destruction of our local environment right so i know i talk about watershed and air quality a lot the applicants request on this one to slash mandatory 50 foot environmental buffers down to a mere 10 feet i think their biggest offer was 30 feet uh is absolutely unacceptable it destroys mature tree canopy again critical storm water absorption right

[02:32:12] Asphalt doesn't absorb water, it doesn't trap pollutants. Replacing forests with this massive impervious concrete surface just is going to guarantee severe hydrological degradation. Proffer 33, though, unless it's been updated since the agenda first came out, it's farcical.

[02:32:30] It's $75 per acre for water quality and stream restoration. Real life, we're talking $10,000 to $35,000 is this area's cost per linear foot, right? So their total proffer is about $3,700. Our total cost would be $1.5 to $2 million.

[02:32:48] We are not going to be able to get them to cover the toxic runoff, the pollution, the degradation to our local streams. And our own plans identify flooding and watershed compromise as the biggest threat to Prince William County's environment.

[02:33:06] We're not going to be able to handle that with $3,500. I can tell you that right now. In addition to the watershed, this would bring a severe threat to the air quality. A campus of this size, everybody is, I think, kind of well-educated on data centers by this point, requires dozens of massive diesel backup generators.

[02:33:26] Just the biweekly testing and potential emergency operation of these generators is going to pump particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, green gases, greenhouse gases, directly into the communities there. Residents living nearby, I think University Village Apartments is nearby. Correct me if I'm totally off on that one.

[02:33:44] They will be subjected to localized pollution. They will also be subjected to localized low-frequency noise. I think it's somewhere between 65 and 85 decibels on a continual basis. And there has been plenty of solid research coming out over the last 18 months that the noise levels produced by these centers cause residents damage.

[02:34:08] There needs to be a much stronger consideration of resident impact. and it needs to be guaranteed that nearby residents are going to have mitigations if this is approved. So in conclusion of this one, the project offers inadequate sustainability proffers and demands maximum concessions from our community. It also squanders I-3 designated land on low employment facility that burdens our grid, destroys our buffers, and pollutes our air and water. I really don't think that it's worth it and I urge you to reject these items, uphold the environmental protections that our residents rely on and deny the rezoning so that's the end of jk and the last

[02:34:46] one is l i don't know if we want to that was the two so we reset your time you're almost out i'm sorry right right but i got i got 10 minutes i used 10 minutes and then six minutes right so i still have three minutes because i i wanted to step i wanted to put the time together for the grouped ones this was two items this was so next time okay next time we will not clear you did have some time left we'll give you the last three minutes okay yeah this i just wanted to separate them so that because they're different they're different agenda let's go perfect okay thanks

[02:35:18] so last one uh melody miller from neabsco again i appreciate your appreciate your forbearance um so for 8l the data in the staff reports if you look at it there are some really big flaws for the proffer amendment for canfield crossing okay the county staff gave the environmental impact of this proposal a giant red F. So to squeeze 47 high-density townhomes onto six acres, this project will completely destroy, completely destroy the existing Palostrine forested wetland.

[02:35:54] This directly violates the environmental policy. It's number five in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which mandates preserving natural wetlands over off-site developer mitigation. So what I really want to focus on is that the true cost of this project really fall heavily on the residents across multiple areas. So I know I've talked about watershed, and I'm hoping that all the numbers aren't being really confusing, but for financial costs, the developer is offering $450, which is $75 an acre, for water quality mitigation. As I said, real-world municipal costs to restore degraded streams or treat polluted runoff run tens of thousands of dollars per linear foot.

[02:36:34] So this leaves taxpayers to fund the inevitable downstream restoration infrastructure repairs. As I mentioned earlier, station four is already at capacity. This particular project adds burden with absolutely no capital contributions for public safety.

[02:36:51] Just so you know, if one fire truck is about $850,000 and can be well over a million dollars, so if that number doesn't have a couple commas on it, it's probably inadequate. Again, the environmental cost of this is devastating. We're going to replace natural biofiltration, mature tree canopy, and we're going to guarantee thermal pollution.

[02:37:10] we're going to guarantee increased stormwater runoff into the lake manassas watershed we're going to guarantee heat island effect you're going to destroy a natural carbon sink which again further degrades our county's emission goals 2030 2035 and you're going to build a heat island um so i i can't use my 53 seconds to expand on the value of wetlands but i will say that this proposal directly violates multiple core policies and action strategies of both the environmental and the 2040 comp plan. So lastly, I'm going to close with opportunity and social costs, right?

[02:37:45] The county is going to forfeit very valuable, ecologically intact land that poses significant benefit to our county's air quality and watershed recharge. We're being offered 45-foot-tall townhome clusters packed very tightly with waived environmental buffer protections. They're going to degrade the quality of life in green space for adjacent residents, and they're going to do irreversible permanent damage to the two things that we require to exist, air and water.

[02:38:11] I'm asking you, please get creative on space use, uphold the 2040 comprehensive plan, protect your taxpayers from externalized costs, and vote no. Thank you so much. Thank you. I believe we have another speaker who signed up in person but wants to speak. I mean, signed up remotely and wants to coming you may go please um you have three minutes for each topic on the public hearings if you look up at the timer it's right up there state your name and where you generally reside at the top your remarks and you may begin hello i'm kathleen patton and i'm a resident of the gainesville

[02:38:49] magisterial district like most citizens i'm concerned about what happens in my county But I'm also extremely concerned about our country being competitive in the global AI race. In the coming years, AI will solve many of the most serious health, environmental, farming, food shortages, other challenges, and outright problems that face our country.

[02:39:16] It will develop the new medicines and cures for the terrible diseases we've all lost loved ones to. And while I do not support all data centers, especially not those that share borders with our national parks and homes, I strongly believe data centers are necessary and play an important role in ensuring these technological advances are achieved.

[02:39:40] Further, if the Manassas Tech Center is approved, it will create hundreds of high-paying construction jobs for two or three years. That's significant work for people who decide that learning a trade is the right path for them rather than going to college and being saddled with tens of thousands, if not hundred thousand plus dollars of student loans to get a college degree.

[02:40:08] And those whom the data center employees directly are blessed with good, stable jobs to support their families and contribute to our tax base in Prince William County. I believe an electrician can earn a salary of $100,000 or more, well above the average in the county.

[02:40:28] My understanding is this project aligns with the county's comprehensive plan. It's recommended for approval by the staff and has recently received a positive vote from the Planning Commission. As such, I encourage you to vote for approval.

[02:40:47] Thank you. All right, thank you so very much. We do not have anyone else in person. I'm going to turn it over to you, Supervisor Angry, for remote. Thank you, Madam Chair. Do we have any remote? Yes, we do. Our speaker is Craig Whitmore. Okay.

[02:41:03] Go ahead, Craig. Go ahead, sir. Thank you. My name is Craig Whitmore, and I'm a resident of the Neabsco District. I want to quickly touch on how important the data center industry is to our Prince William County regional economy.

[02:41:23] It creates long-term tax revenue and provides the infrastructure needed for the digital services that businesses, schools, hospitals, and residents rely on every day. At the same time, newer data center developments should be held to a high standard.

[02:41:41] Projects should be carefully planned, responsive to community concerns, and designed to reduce impacts on nearby property. From what I've reviewed, the Manassas Tech Center reflects that type of approach. The application includes meaningful commitments and demonstrates an effort to balance development with the interest of the surrounding community.

[02:42:06] The data center industry still needs to be a significant part of our future, and projects like the Manassas Tech Center show that it can happen in a way that balances economic benefits with community priorities. I encourage you to support Manassas Tech Center rezoning application.

[02:42:25] Thank you all for your time and your service to our community. Thank you, sir. Chris, do we have any other speakers? We do not. Thank you. All right. Thanks a lot. All right. Thank you, everyone who has spoken. I'm going to go ahead and close the public hearings for 8A through 8M, as in Mary.

[02:42:47] I did not do the public hearing for 8N because Supervisor Bailey wanted to defer that item. But before we go on to everything else, I'm sorry, Supervisor Bailey, I thought you pulled it, 8N? I just want to give comments.

[02:43:03] I don't want to defer it. Oh, you don't want to defer it? Well, then I'm going to go back and I'm going to open the public hearing for that item. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to misguide you. All right, so then I would like to go ahead and open the public hearing for 8N. Is there anyone who wants to speak on 8N? Is there anyone, 8N, open the public hearing for 8N?

[02:43:26] Is there anyone? So we will go ahead and close the public hearing for eight in as in Nancy. So if you have comments, as always, they should be contained within the motion. And I want to be clear on that because I know people had questions earlier and there was a little confusion.

[02:43:43] So if you have comments, they should be contained within the motion. I am going to go ahead, me personally, because I'm not going to vote on everything on this. So I'm going to pull 8N off separately.

[02:44:01] And does anyone else have anything they want to pull off or anything they have questions on? Not comments, but questions or something that you may abstain or want to vote against. If not, I will ask for a motion for 8A through 8M.

[02:44:18] Wait, I see. Supervisor Stewart, did you have anything? Yeah, I wanted to pull off 8J and 8K. 8J and 8K. Anyone else? All right, so what I'm going to supervise, I'm sorry, Madam County Attorney.

[02:44:36] Madam Chair, members of the board, I just want to make clear that on 8F and 8G that it includes the proffers dated 9-1 in the motion as Supervisor Stewart mentioned before. Yes, thank you so very much for that. All right, so I would like to get a motion for 8A through 8I, 8L through 8M.

[02:45:03] So moved, and with the proffers dated, as I said, by the county attorney. Is there a second? Second. All right. Comments. I see Supervisor Stewart. Are you going to get in there, Supervisor Vega, or are you just going to stare at me?

[02:45:19] You're just stretching. All right. It has been a very long afternoon. So is there any discussion on those items? If not, let's go ahead and vote on those items. Vote unanimous.

[02:45:46] All right. Thank you very much. We are going to go to 8J and 8K. Do you want to separate that out, Supervisor Stewart, or do you want to? Wrong button.

[02:46:04] I want to make a motion to deny. Yes. All right. You may go ahead and make your motion to deny. I motion that we deny rezoning 2024, I'm sorry, 2025, 8J, item 8J, and rezoning 2025, 32, and rezoning 2026, 22.

[02:46:31] One's a rezoning, one's a proffer amendment. Okay. Is there a second? It does not seem that there is a second, so that motion fails. Supervisor Gordy, would you like to make a motion to move this forward? um yeah madam chair i move that we approve item uh j and k second it's been properly moved and seconded madam chair supervisor gordy um i just like to point out this this item when it um this is a by right data center it's going to get built with or without this approval what this is doing

[02:47:08] is just aligning the different zonings of the land which are different to one single zoning on the entire part, the four or five different parcels of this land. At the same time, we're getting better buffers against Aberliavera Apartments, which helps protect the residential community. I would point out that much of this land is already cleared. These are not forested areas. There's already substations being built on this site that they will plug into. So again, this is a buy right data center. It's going to get built. This is not a matter of voting for

[02:47:45] against a data center. This is simply just aligning the different zonings of the land so that they are all one zoning within this development. So this, again, if the intent here is to vote against and to kill a data center, this is not what's happening here. The data center is already by right. It's getting built. This is just a matter of a technical change to the land use designation uh to align it to to a single thing and so for that simple reason i will be supporting it and that's why i've made the motion thank you supervisor voting yeah thank you madam chair just

[02:48:22] wanted to reinforce what suresor gory just said and i appreciate suresor stewart your thought and your spirit behind it but as was said this is in the overlay it's already zoned and if we don't approve this they could build the data centers closer to the residential um so folks that are concerns about the residential impact what have you if we don't approve this they could build the data centers again closer to the existing residential um so that's one two i had a really uh good discussion with the applicant um this is one of the first uh applicants to utilize the high energy use facility legislation that was passed in richmond um so i think that should be highlighted

[02:48:59] and another reason why i think we should be supporting this as opposed to sort of stepping away from it so wanted to highlight that too um they also uh took some of the recommendations for the sustainability commission around proffers and green infrastructure which should be highlighted again would not be done through by right uh development also had a good conversation with them around uh power utilization efficiency and water utilization efficiency knowing that they are doing as much as they can to make this uh data center as it's going to be built out and could have been built out by right as efficient as possible and again underscoring as Gordy said that there's going to be a substation put on this property already that it will draw from.

[02:49:39] And also, by the way, it's not going to max out that substation. We're not dealing with a situation where this is going to max out the substation and make demand somewhere else. So for all those reasons, I'm going to be supporting it. Again, understanding that there is concern around further development of data centers, not only in Prince William County, but throughout the Commonwealth.

[02:49:57] This one by far goes a long way in answering a lot of those concerns. and is all just plugging in as another reason why i look forward to on the uh later this month sunsetting the overlay and being able to be used as buy right thank you madam chair supervisor stewart i get the whole thing about the overlay district but i think we you know moving something from somebody's porch to their lawn doesn't make a difference i think we do our constituents dirty when we build data centers next to their homes thank you so i'm going to pick up on that i'm sorry before i go to you supervisor gordy i'm going to pick up on that we're not doing the

[02:50:37] constituents dirty. We're actually doing them right in this case. I'm not a fan of the data center industry, but I also go through the packets and I read and I meet with the applicants and I ask them questions before I get on the dais. We're not moving it from their porch to their lawn. We're moving it away from homes. And that's the only reason why I would support this. And this actually got a unanimous vote, the planning commission, which let's be honest, some of the people on planning commission, you know, are very passionate, even more so than we are on the board are. But the fact that they got a unanimous vote gives me a lot of confidence. But if we let them

[02:51:13] build by a right, it will literally be in their backyard. We're moving it from their backyard, from their porch, from their front yard. And we have to do this because we don't want it right next to homes. There is a piece, I am actually going to break protocol. I'm going to have, you're not going to present, but I want you to bring up the slide because I want people to be able to see exactly what we're doing. And that's why I want to interject because I will probably have a little bit more say, but I want to give you the time to do that. You're not going to present. You're just going to pull up the slide. What buy right would look like versus if we

[02:51:49] approve this project. And I want that visual on the screen so everyone understands exactly what we're doing. I don't want to be disingenuous and I don't want people to play to an audience. I don't want to stoke fear where no fear should exist. That is why I'm going to break protocol and have them put it on the screen because I don't want people unnecessarily alarmed.

[02:52:13] I don't want people writing into us. I haven't actually, I have to look through, I don't recall getting any concern, but if you would see what they're able to do, and part of the reason is, is you see in the first slide, by right development, where that pond is, that actually has different zoning that would not allow for a data center to go on that.

[02:52:36] And that's why we're making this change so that that land right there where that pond is and the by right development, So they could actually move the data center, move that one data center a little further over. Now again, buy right, they can still build.

[02:52:52] But I don't understand why anyone thinks that the buy right is better than the proposed. Again, I don't like data centers. I am not a friend to the industry. But I will be damned if I allow a project to move forward that could actually be worse than if we work with the applicant and get something better.

[02:53:17] Supervisor Gordy. Yeah, Madam Chair, thank you. You kind of took the words out of our mouth. When we're dealing with something that's by right and we have the opportunity to make it better, I think we owe it to our citizens to try to do what we can to make it better. Again, I am trying to, and at the end of this month, we're going to be able to vote on eliminating the opportunity for by right development of data centers.

[02:53:40] And that's something I've been working on ever since I've been on this board. I've already voted to do that by the previous Gainesville supervisor. So this isn't about, you know, again, we're trying to make for a better product that's getting built anyway.

[02:53:56] And so we owe it to our citizens to give them a better product. And again, this is in the middle of the Hornbaker Industrial Area. All of this land here is already in the industrial area. This area was designed and planned for industrial activities. And it could be any number of things.

[02:54:14] And there are some things over in this area that from an industrial perspective are a lot heavier and a lot more impactful, both from transportation, emissions, all sorts of things. And so if we can have a situation here where we can make a better product to better protect our citizens, then that's something that I'm going to continue to support, especially as long as the buy-write opportunities for data centers continues to exist.

[02:54:43] And so we work with the applicants to try to solve and to identify and solve the issues to try to make the situations better in these by right situations. And so because of that, I mean, again, I get where you're coming from, Supervisor Stewart.

[02:55:02] But again, I come from the standpoint is I have to fight for my citizens and to try to improve their quality of life as much as I can, as long as the current ordinances are the way they are. And, again, we're trying to fix that so that the buy-right no longer exists.

[02:55:18] Thank you, Madam Chair. Supervisor Angry. Thank you, Madam Chair. I normally don't chime in on these, but I think that comment was a lot about from the porch to the yard. And I just want to remind this board and remind the audience that Supervisor Gordy said at least two to three months ago that we were going to have cases like this come before where it's buy-right and we have an opportunity to make that product better.

[02:55:48] He's on record of saying that. This is that project. Maybe there's another one. I don't know. I listened to you when you said it, and I listened to your staff as this was presented to me, and I listened to the applicant as they came to this conclusion. This is better, and this is all it is.

[02:56:05] So I just, we got to get away from trying to store up the group and get these basic folks that think this is something that we're doing wrong. This is far better than what you got, and it would have been exactly what that by-right development has. So, listen, I appreciate the effort of what you've done. You said this was coming.

[02:56:21] You stood. You actually did what you said, and here it is. And so I'm supporting this. Thanks a lot. All right, Supervisor Vega, did you want to? All right, all right. We're going to. I just want to make sure there's no more questions.

[02:56:37] All right. Can we please vote? Yes, we may.

[02:56:50] Motion passes 6-1. Supervisor Stewart voting nay.

[02:57:06] Supervisor Bailey absent from vote. All right, thank you so very much. We are now going to move on to 8, and Supervisor Bailey, would you like to make the motion? Yes, ma'am.

[02:57:22] Madam Chair, I move that we approve item 8N. Second. That's a move to second it. Any discussion? All right, let's go ahead and take our votes.

[02:57:52] 8N. Okay. I can, let's just start over. We'll make sure we're all on the same.

[02:58:07] I thought it was good, but let's. So 8N, is that on your screens now? I see nothing. Nothing's up. How about now? 8N? Okay.

[02:58:25] Well, no, but it's the item, I guess. Supervisor Bailey seconded by Supervisor Bode. How about now? Okay. All right.

[02:58:43] Yeah, we'll get it. We'll get there. All right. Motion passes. 7 to 1. Chair Jefferson voting nay. All right. Thank you so very much. We are now going to move on to agenda item number 9, and that is county executive time.

[02:58:58] Mr. Shorter, the floor is yours. All right, thank you very much, Madam Chair, members of the Board. First, welcome back. I have a few updates, and I'll jump right in. As you are aware, over the last several weeks, my office has worked to complete an audit of the Board Directive Tracking Records, which identified 17 directives that have been marked complete or closed after the requested work had been done but had not received a separate closure notice to provide transparent accounting.

[02:59:30] You received a memo identifying 17 directives, their subjects, relevant dates, and the action taken, and the basis for closure. This included directives such as funding for additional noise testing, the adoption of an ordinance related to tax relief for elderly and disabled residents, the adoption of the ordinance regarding the three-year dog licenses, and several other land use matters.

[02:59:56] And in addition to those directives, administratively closed, three other directives have been closed since our last meeting, including reviewing the county's current practices and authority related to angled parking and cul-de-sacs and how the board could prohibit angled parking if it wishes to do so.

[03:00:19] You received an update from me on the expansion of the county's trap, neuter, vaccinate, return program, which we've talked about today, which you voted on earlier. And the feasibility study for deploying solar parking canopies at county facilities and other publicly owned rooftops.

[03:00:40] Over the last month, I've also sent several updates to the board. This includes messages about the 2026 community survey, which will launch this month with a mailing to randomly selected households, followed by an opportunity for all residents to participate beginning October 12th.

[03:01:01] I'll say as an aside, as a county, we have been doing this since 1993. And so really appreciate the tradition that has been established and the way in which we give feedback from this community and use that feedback for programs and services here in Prince William County.

[03:01:18] You also received an update from me on panhandling signage. The update included timing and the placement of signs with the commitment of meeting with each board office on the topic. You also received an update on boards, committees, commissions, or BCCs in term details.

[03:01:38] This work was requested last month and included a summary of the applicable term lengths for each of the BCCs, as well as the completed audit reports for all of the BCCs, and so happy to answer any questions related to that audit and the report that followed.

[03:01:56] You also received a consultant support for planning update. The board asked for this update during the July work session when the planning office provided the board with an update on their workload. Specifically, the board requested information regarding the level of spending on consultant services, which was provided to you with a summary of the current purchase orders for professional assistance for the department projects and initiatives funded by the planning office's budget.

[03:02:28] The board said it earlier this afternoon, I want to just acknowledge Chief Matt Somolsky. He, as you said, has been with the county since November of 1977 and has made his way through the ranks in our fire and rescue service over this 49 years.

[03:02:48] I want to take this opportunity to thank him for his service, not just to Prince William County, but to our organization and to the generations of public servants that he has impacted. So thank you, Chief. Thank you, Matt. He is not here today. He told us he would not be able to be here, but I wanted to use this opportunity to thank him for his service.

[03:03:08] 49 years is absolutely remarkable. So thank you, Chief. I also want to recognize our Department of Economic Development and Tourism. So each year, the International Economic Development Council does a survey globally of all of the economic development organizations.

[03:03:32] And in 2026, the economic development tourism team here in Prince William County was ranked number one and received the Economic Development Organization of the Year for populations over 500,000.

[03:03:48] This is specifically remarkable here in Prince William County because as the most populated county in or as because we're a part of the most populated county category, we are competing against Montreal, Toulouse, New Orleans, Detroit, Phoenix, all of these big, very big organizations.

[03:04:12] And it really means the world that Prince William County, and it really speaks to the board's commitment and investment in the economic development team and certainly the team itself that they've done the work of being recognized in this way. So a big, big shout out to our economic development and tourism team for the recognition.

[03:04:32] I also wanted to really thank the board as we are closing out the year for our community partners program and opening up the year for the current year of community partners that the board first invested in an increase in the community partners program and really wanted to show the board that the communications team interviewed a few of the community partners that will be received or have received awards as part of the FY27 program and wanted to take a pause and just for a few minutes show the board a video of a few of the organizations and what

[03:05:10] really this program means to the community. No, no, please jump in. With services, resources, and support that make a meaningful difference in their lives. Prince William County's Community Partners Program helps strengthen that work through partnerships with local nonprofit organizations. Each year, funding is awarded through a competitive process, with applications evaluated based on their alignment with the county's strategic plan and key performance indicators. In fiscal year 2026, Prince William County provided more than

[03:05:46] $570,000 to support 15 nonprofit organizations. This fiscal year, the Board of County Supervisors increased that investment to $1 million, expanding support to 32 organizations. Each organization brings its own expertise, trusted relationships, and understanding of the people it serves.

[03:06:07] Together, these partnerships help extend the reach of services throughout Prince William County, and the impact of that partnership is best told by the organizations doing the work. Hi, I'm Sarah Tindall. I'm the founder and executive director at Boxes of Basics. Here at Boxes of Basics, we provide a seasonal wardrobe to local children in need that are experiencing clothing insecurity. Every box has everything a child needs to thrive.

[03:06:31] Just a big thank you from everyone here at Boxes of Basics. We've had over 1,000 volunteers walk through our front door in the past year. And again, our friends at Prince William County through the Community Partnership Program have been amazing standing alongside us.

[03:06:50] And it has allowed us to provide seasonal wardrobes to over 10,000 local children, helping us impact the lives of kids right here in Prince William County. My name is Shannon Stockton. I am the program director for Pink Space Theory. Pink Space Theory is a STEM education program. We are currently operating after-school programs in four Prince William County schools. What we are trying to do is to get kids excited about science, math, technology. Last year, with the help of the community grants, we were able to hold our

[03:07:26] Family STEAM Night, which reached over 100 students. We brought in county agencies as well as other local businesses and just have a great night where they're learning about how science affects their community. Through these community programs that we are able to do with this funding, we are looking to connect the students and their families to local resources, career opportunities, and then hopefully connect them to the future employers within their own community.

[03:07:59] I'm Maddie Gerber. I'm the executive director of Rainbow Therapeutic Writing Center. Rainbow serves individuals across the community that have special needs or unique challenges that need additional support. So we work with students with mental health challenges, physical challenges, learning disabilities, anyone who would not thrive in a traditional writing environment. So we provide those services to them to help work on mental health, physical strength, anxiety, and a myriad of other challenges. So this grant has been a real game changer for us.

[03:08:32] It's 7% of our operating budget, but it actually impacts 500 students or about 17% of our lessons. So this allows us to serve students that may not otherwise be able to access services because we subsidized 50% of our lessons.

[03:08:51] With this grant, Rainbow is able to serve so many more people. And again, this is helping students that may not be able to access these services anywhere else. But with the help of the county, we can provide that for them. These are just three examples of the impact made possible through the Community Partners Program.

[03:09:10] Each of the 32 organizations brings something different to the partnership, helping meet important needs and serve residents across Prince William County. Together, these partnerships help make a lasting difference. So big, big thank you to the communications team, obviously, for putting the video together.

[03:09:31] This video will live on PWC Works on the website, and we will continue to really shout as loud as we can about the benefits of the program and how many of our residents are being helped through the partnerships and programs and organizations being supported.

[03:09:49] Finally, Madam Chair, I'd like to just remind everyone that we are having our 9-11 Remembrance Ceremony. This is the 25th anniversary for the ceremony and actually 25th anniversary for our ceremony. I'm not completely sure about for certainly the 25th anniversary for 9-11, but this is going to be a special ceremony for us in that we are bringing a number of families who are impacted to participate in the program, and we are holding our event on September 10th because

[03:10:27] many of those families are also participating in 9-11 ceremonies at the Pentagon. So everyone is invited, and we will have Osborne Park High School as the choir with us celebrating for that event, so it will be a fantastic event, and we appreciate all the support. And with that, Madam Chair, that is all for me. Supervisor Bode. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Chris, for the long but needed update on everything that's happened. I mean, even without it being the August recess, you and your staff have done a lot. So I wanted to highlight that first and say thank you. You know, I know

[03:11:04] we went back and forth a lot of different requests and requests for information. I wanted to thank you for that personally. I also wanted to thank you for helping me get straight on all the different water studies we have going on. I know that's been a public and community concern, and I don't think everyone truly realizes how much we have going on, so I wanted to say that too. Two, really wanted to commend you and the team on the community partners program, as we just highlighted. There's a lot of great community partners doing great work. I know Supervisor Gordy said it earlier, there are some things the community just sometimes does better, and if we're able to help empower them with resources,

[03:11:41] it helps us do better too so wanted to highlight that thirdly wanted to commend and highlight the the planning department i know we've received a lot of planning oriented updates and and director washington you and your team have been working on a lot of stuff whether it's all the work you're doing but also frankly we're responding to all the requests for information that we've been uh fielding uh because it really helps us give more transparency not only for our offices in the work that you do but really helping the community understand just all that's going on and all the great transformational things that are happening in your office, Director Washington, so I wanted to say that. Finally, I had a question. As we continue

[03:12:18] to audit and look at different directives, and again, appreciate you going through that audit, there was a directive that Gordy gave almost a year ago about the Transfer Development Rights Program, so the TDRs. What did I hear from you if we had an update on that?

[03:12:35] Sure. So, a number of things on that. That directive I would divide into two parts, the PDR and REPI program. So we work, we have ongoing work with our base, with Marine Corps Quantico Base.

[03:12:51] That directive related to encroachment issues. So the REPI program and our PDR program, we are providing ongoing communication and navigation with the base in that way. That said, we, I believe the board, acted January of this year to update the PDR ordinance. With the PDR ordinance updated and the REPE program ongoing, that work is ongoing. I would say that the part two of that directive is related to the comprehensive zoning ordinance, and really I would ask planning to provide an

[03:13:27] update on that part of the directive. Good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of the board, Tanya Washington, planning director. With regards to that particular directive, We, as I shared when I was here in July to give an update on planning office initiatives and gave an update on the zoning ordinance update, as part of our bashing approach, we will be looking at the agricultural zones and all of those pieces, not in the first batch, but I think in the second batch.

[03:14:00] And so we will be incorporating and taking a look at those pieces from the directive that relate to that as part of that effort, sort of comprehensively. In addition, we are also, you know, again, partnering and supporting the Department of Public Works as they are working on the PDR program and seeing what pieces may come out of that that we will need to support, as well as the agribusiness and agritourism study that the Department of Economic Development and Tourism are working on now.

[03:14:32] There is a portion of that that relates to the Agricultural and Arts Overlay District, And their consultants and our consultants for the zoning ordinance update have already been in communications. So there will be a handoff to us. So it is still very much in our work program.

[03:14:50] And we are, again, looking forward to being able to focus on that, you know, again, when we get to that part of the zoning ordinance update. If I could. Thank you for that. Yeah, and so that all makes sense. The Transfer Development Rights Program is the part that I'm a lot more fixated on right now.

[03:15:06] Because, as you said, we've done a lot of good work, and I appreciate the work that's been done to reform and make the PDR program more effective. And I know that, obviously, we just voted on another enhancement for it today, and we'll be appointing folks at the PDR committee today. But the transfer, the TDR program is what I'm more fixated on because, you know, the board back, the previous board, we sort of passed it back to the Planning Department of Planning Commission.

[03:15:29] Then Supervisor Gordy gave his directive on it last October, knowing that there's interest in both programs, the PDR program, but also the Transfer Development Rights Program, knowing that all of us have in our districts places that could absorb some of that growth that needs to be done that shouldn't be in the more rural areas.

[03:15:46] So that's more what I was looking at is the TDR program. Thank you for that. All right. Anyone else has anything for the county executive? And you are finished? Good, sir. Yeah.

[03:16:02] And if you could talk about the groundwater studies and also, I know we talked about a presentation on the land use, the LEMA study. Yes. So, yes, I did. So I sent an update out to the board a few weeks ago on the groundwater study. This is connected to a directive from 2024.

[03:16:21] We are working with U.S. Geological Survey and Virginia Tech on this study. They provide six-month and annual presentations to our Public Works Department. Now, I'm happy to have Public Works come up if there's some specific questions about it, but we are on our way, and as far as I'm concerned, the partnership and the work of the study is on track.

[03:16:48] I believe it's fall of 2028 we expect the final product. Fall or is it April? I believe it's fall, but I could follow up based on what we sent out in the memo. Is there anything else?

[03:17:08] You guys are good? All right. We are going to agenda item number 10, and that is county attorney time. Madam Attorney, the floor is yours. Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the board. This afternoon in closed session, we will have consultation with legal counsel and briefings by staff members regarding specific legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice by such counsel pertaining to energy regulatory law and proceedings before the State Corporation Commission, where such consultation discussion or briefing in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position, negotiating strategy, or litigating posture of the public body.

[03:17:41] And this item is appropriate for closed session pursuant to 2.2-3711A8 of the Code of Virginia. Move for approval. Second. All right, let's go ahead and take our votes. Vote unanimous.

[03:18:05] All right, thank you. We're moving on to agenda item number 11. Mr. Shorter. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I just got a text, a note from the team. Supervisor Bode, you are correct. It is April of 2028, consistent with the memo that was sent out.

[03:18:21] Thank you. And with item 11A, Madam Chair, this is initiating a CPA for Quantico Memorial Chapel, and I will turn it over to the Office of Planning for the presentation. Thank you, Mr. Shorter, Madam Chair, members of the board.

[03:18:41] I am Eric Griffiths with the Planning Office bringing you today the initiation for consideration

[03:18:47] of a CPA 2025 0002 Quantico Memorial Chapel. Let's try this again. So this is a request to amend the

[03:19:41] comprehensive plan long-range land use of 4.32 acres of parks and open space to Hamlet mixed use for the development of a funeral home and this site is specifically chosen because it's across the Joplin Road from Quantico National Cemetery, and staff recommends initiation of this CPA.

[03:20:10] If this project looks familiar, it is because it's not a new project. We were before you in October of 2024 to initiate a smaller area for the same consideration, but to a different land use office mixed use.

[03:20:28] So why are we back? Well, during that meeting, if you recall, Supervisor Weir had several concerns about this being a little bit too upscale and zoning for this particular area. And what was being proposed for the rezoning at that time was office low-rise district.

[03:20:53] And he thought that there were other possible considerations for the rezoning that would allow for a funeral home buy-right that were not as intense.

[03:21:09] and he encouraged the requester to look into those considerations and that's exactly what the requester did they uh eventually settled on a b3 convenience uh retail zoning district that's better fit for rural areas but in doing so they actually that that b3 zoning district is not compatible with the what was initiated for the omu-2 so they rethought their rethinking on

[03:21:44] the thought process for land use to find a compatible land use what they found was uh hamlet mixed use which is compatible and in many respects is actually a better fit uh for the area so that's one thing the other thing that they did was they added land and and during some of the initial staff review of the initial applications, there were some buffer management issues and we encourage them to sort of acquire, expand the site if they can to address those issues. They added an acre, approximately a little acre and some change, but, you know, that's even that

[03:22:24] actually has helped with some of their buffer issues. So it's really those two considerations that you know requires us to come back to you to sort of reinitiate this cpa um talking about the rezoning for a bit uh the the area is largely uh r4 uh zoned today um and as i mentioned the proposed zoning will be a uh b b3 convenience retail uh again the land use uh most of land use

[03:22:59] is parks and open space and that's largely because of the location of Prince William Forest Park we do have a county registered historic site that's actually a small parcel that they that the park has acquired that's to the east of the site and and discussing you know the the park for Prince William Forest Park it's it's important to understand that this site is within the congressional authorized boundaries for the park and what that is and when the park

[03:23:35] was formed in 1948 uh congress actually authorized this boundary as a possible areas for expansion so we're in the site um i will note that the park service has not been supportive of this project from the beginning uh they have concerns about the environmental impacts that this would cause They have concerns about impacts to Joplin Road, which is a Virginia scenic byway.

[03:24:05] It's been designated that as well. So, and they have, you know, submitted last week comments regarding this particular initiation, again, objecting it for those reasons and also basically stay with the statement that

[03:24:27] They don't believe that this land use would serve the residents of the area, and they had concerns about, you know, potential impacts that this would have on changing the sort of nature of this area.

[03:24:46] And as far as, you know, one thing to note, I think, in relevance to that, you know, when we're talking about, you know, how this proposed development, you know, will be compatible with the area, you should consider, you know, the fact that the location of Quantico National Cemetery, that is a neighboring resource.

[03:25:06] So in this area, that is one of the things that this project would benefit as well. So I should point out, again, this is another thing to point out. This is also within the Marine Corps Pontico Special Planning Area.

[03:25:25] And that special planning, one of the goals is to ensure that land use does not, remains compatible and does not inhibit the operations of the marine base. This project will not do that. We've had, we've met with the marine base on this project.

[03:25:43] and I think they have shared some of the concerns that the Park Service has on environmental impacts in the area, but they're not concerned about what the impacts will be on their operation. And I mentioned before, you know, when we want to look at this in terms of, you know, where we are now, what was proposed in 2024 and what's being proposed now, I think this is a good graphic that shows we're actually trying to get into a better place in terms of what's being proposed in the land use.

[03:26:17] And I think that, you know, Supervisor, we had legitimate concerns. You know, the OMU2 is more of a suburban kind of capacity, and you can kind of see this from the plans. And we're trying to – and the MU, you know, T1B is better fit for a rural area.

[03:26:37] And you can kind of see that from the numbers here from, you know, GFA numbers and as well as job areas. The funeral home is not going to employ a lot of people. It's not going to be a real significant employment resource.

[03:26:54] So staff does recommend that the board approve initiation for the reasons stated that they will provide opportunities to support the Quantico National Cemetery, that the proposed Hamlet mixed use is more compatible with the proposed B3 convenient retail zoning designation.

[03:27:17] And that proposed, you know, Hamlet mixed use is certainly more compatible with the context of the area than the office mixed use, and that's what I have for you. So I'll open up for questions now. All right. Supervisor Bailey. Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate it.

[03:27:35] We have been – thank you for your presentation. I want to highlight the positive in this. Supervisor Weir and I, God rest his soul, had some interesting conversations. Not a lot of cocktails, but conversations.

[03:27:53] And one thing I enjoyed about working with Supervisor Weir is we could agree to disagree, and then we would come to the middle of the road with our decisions. And so I say that because I did enjoy working with him, But I also say that what you said about this being complementary to the Quantico base, and not only that, it's needed on the Eastern Corridor because we don't have a lot of services on the Eastern Corridor as it relates to veterans and civilians, a combination of both.

[03:28:28] I did have a conversation with the park, and it was an amicable conversation as well. So you are speaking truth, and we appreciate that. But this project is needed as it extends to the Marine Corps Cemetery, which is a part of the area plan that we had talked about as well.

[03:28:52] You neglected to say that, but it is a part of that. And the reinitiation of the project, the changes, was due to transportation opportunities as well. So there was a highlight in that, too, that we had a discussion about that as well.

[03:29:08] So I just wanted to bring that forward because I think that we've been working on it for, what, five years, four years. It's been a long time. But I'm going to support it because it's needed. It's needed for the community and for the county to have additional access when people lose their loved ones.

[03:29:32] And so I appreciate how you presented it, but I just wanted to say that it is needed. And I said that in the beginning, and I appreciate what the county has said as well. It's needed. So that's all I have, Madam Chair. I don't have any questions. You know, it is in my district. I will be supporting it.

[03:29:48] And I entertain or welcome any comments. Supervisor Gordy. From a transportation perspective on this, when you consider, I mean, I've been down Joplin Road.

[03:30:07] I've traveled Joplin Road quite a bit to get to 95, and I've gotten behind a funeral procession on Joplin Road. If you've ever driven down Joplin Road, you can you understand it is very narrow, very curvy, very hilly road.

[03:30:27] There is no passing. There are no shoulders. And if you get a good windstorm, you're usually going to find a couple of trees down across the road. And so looking at this from a, you know, from the transportation, particularly as it relates to like funerals and the fact of having the memorial service, what are the positive benefits of having this here located next to the cemetery rather than having to have the funeral processions come from other points of the county into the cemetery?

[03:31:02] Well, one of the benefits is that we will have, I don't particularly have a good graphic to show you, but it will have a direct access from the site into the cemetery that will kind of alleviate some of those traffic processional issues that you talk about, Supervisor Gordy.

[03:31:24] I mean, but are there going to be funerals to other locations? Sure, it's a commercial funeral home. So there's that. I know as part of the rezoning, there's ongoing considerations and working with our transportation department with the applicant team and making sure that, you know, those access issues and things of that will be sorted out to mitigate any potential impacts.

[03:31:51] But there's more work to be done on this, and, you know, this is something that, you know, we're encouraged by what we're seeing from this particular requester, the applicant, and listening to the county's concerns and addressing some of those concerns, I think, is a moving in the right direction.

[03:32:11] All right, real quick, Kevin Weirach, Transportation Planning Manager. Most of the transportation impacts are going to be handled with the companion rezoning. We've already gone out there to walk the corridor, taking inventory of some of the safety considerations.

[03:32:28] There's already been comments made about line of sight distance and, you know, ways to improve the intersection in that area. Especially with more traffic along Joplin, we need to make sure that people making left turn out of there, it's safe for them. There might be some right-of-way constraints as well that we need to work through.

[03:32:46] VDOT has commented the same. They were even suggesting doing something like a traffic circle at that intersection. I don't want to set any unreasonable or, you know, unrealistic expectations, but that comment was made. You can look in the file. But we are proactively working through all that with the applicant and with VDOT.

[03:33:05] Okay. Yeah, I think there's some benefit to this, but clearly given its location, and that is kind of a curvy little area. Yeah, I look forward to seeing what the transportation solution is, their traffic circle.

[03:33:20] And, you know, so we'll look forward to seeing what that looks like going forward. Thank you. I think it's at the magic word. Did anyone else have any questions? All right. Well, thank you so very much. I'd like to go ahead. Supervisor Bailey, would you like to move this forward? I would, Madam Chair.

[03:33:36] Move for approval, please. Second. It's been properly moved. I'm just wondering if that second had anything to do with the traffic circle. I don't know. All right. Supervisor Bodie. Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. Very quickly, I wanted to thank staff for doing a little bit more work on this.

[03:33:52] I'll just highlight and reinforce what Supervisor Bailey was already saying earlier about Supervisor Weir, you know, God rest his soul, his role, and so pushing back a little bit on this. But I just want to highlight for the planning department, you know, your work on this and how we do with the new comp plan have some of these more nuanced long-range land use that more fit an area like this.

[03:34:12] So I just wanted to say that and also just wanted to say that as we continue to have conversations not only on this project but other ones that happen and folks that come in and request things that we work with you all to get a little bit more sharp when it comes to the right long-range land use because it does have implications on the rezoning, your analysis, all the other reviewing agencies, and frankly the public's perception about what we're doing to develop.

[03:34:35] So just want to say that and I'll be supporting this. Thank you, Madam Chair. All right, Supervisor Bailey. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to also acknowledge the client that's sitting to the back. Thank you so much for your cooperation and working through all the hard stuff.

[03:34:52] And the client, though, small business, is a resident for a very long time in our community and so have been watching the needs here in the community and how do we partner to make things happen for our citizens and understanding the needs. So we respect and appreciate that. To our planning department, you know, y'all just rock. You rock.

[03:35:10] Justin, it's good to see you sitting at the end of the helm because you've identified if there's any burial opportunities that we need to acknowledge. And that's important, not just the traveling circle that we want our partner to have down there, but also the burial because there's a lot of history in that little area, that little corridor that we're talking about, not just military history but family history.

[03:35:33] And so we appreciate that, Justin. And so just thank you to the planning department for all the work that you've done for the past. It's been almost five years, so thank you so much. All right. Thank you so very much. So let's go ahead, since there's no one else in queue, take our votes.

[03:35:56] Vote unanimous. All right. Thank you much. Mr. Shorter. Thank you, Madam Chair. With item 11B, this is the initiation of a zoning map amendment from Noxville Road. Turning it over to Planning.

[03:36:17] Good afternoon again. Tanya Washington, Planning Director. Ms. Chevele could not make it here today, and so David McGettigan will be here to provide the presentation on the request to initiate zoning map amendment, DPA 2027-0001, Nooksville Road.

[03:36:39] Thank you, Ms. Washington. Again, David McGettigan from the Planning Office. Madam Chair, members of the board, glad to present to you on this zoning map amendment. This is different than maybe some other things that you've seen in that this is a proactive rezoning by the board of land to further the comprehensive plan.

[03:37:05] this was directed by the board in june of 9th 2026 and this location was subject to a previous rezoning and special use permit for a data center that was denied by the board and there's not much industrial land in uh in the area left that can that's non-data center claim so this is an economic development opportunity to to use this land and encourage development that is

[03:37:43] is not going to be a data center and by proactively rezoning that we make the the way better for it and have some more land that christina win our award-winning economic development team can show to potential applicants and we are recommending initiation of this again this is a just initiation of the zoning map amendment, we will come back with public hearings to the Planning Commission and the board to approve this rezoning.

[03:38:13] So just for location-wise, this is just west of Manassas on Noakesville Road Route 28, west of Innovation Park on the north side of the road near the airport, near Youth for Tomorrow, and the Broad Run Linear Trail.

[03:38:35] It's mostly planned I-3, Industrial Tech Flex, which is our medium-intensity industrial appropriate long-range land use for data centers and the proposed zoning, which will be a planned business district with an office high and an M2 land bay designation to provide this variety of opportunities for this property.

[03:39:12] With that, I'll try and answer any questions. Supervisor Gordy, you were in queue, now you're out. Madam Chair, I don't have any questions. I just, when we get into the motion, I'll just have some comments.

[03:39:28] All right, does anyone have any questions? All right, Dave, this might be your easiest time at the podium. Run while you can. Supervisor Gordy. Madam Chair, I move we approve item 11B. Second. And properly moved and seconded.

[03:39:44] Supervisor Gordy, I'll turn to you first for discussion. Yeah, Madam Chair. Just a little bit of background here. So in working with economic development, we've come to the realization that Innovation Park is running out of land. And so we're looking, we are running out of opportunities to have land that is this close to being shovel ready.

[03:40:07] we've lost a couple of opportunities because the land that we had to offer had to go through a rezoning, then it would have to go through the development services. You were looking at about a five- to six-year window, and the company said we don't have that kind of time. So if we can identify areas, and sort of the strategy behind this is to identify areas, some land opportunities where we don't need a lot of improvements because the roads already exist, the water, the sewer, everything already exists, but the land just doesn't align currently in terms of zoning to the comprehensive plan,

[03:40:44] then so when we take a look to try to identify those opportunities, you know, this will give us the chance to offer up more opportunities for our economic development. So the proactive rezoning that we're doing here, it's sort of a test.

[03:41:01] It's really – we're pressure testing our approach to proactive rezonings. And I really appreciate the planning staff. I appreciate economic development. We've had numerous meetings about how do we do this, what do we need to do in order to move this forward.

[03:41:18] And this is sort of our test case to figure out how we do this going forward. And so there may be some little bumps along the way. We've already hit one bump, and we realized that there were a couple of two to three parcels that we failed to include that need to be part of this, and we will be bringing those back later on that provide the access to the site.

[03:41:40] But in order to maintain momentum with what we currently have ongoing, we're just going to – I'm asking us to go ahead and move this forward, and we will address the other parcels here probably within later this month or in next month.

[03:41:56] Thank you, Madam Chair. Okay, Supervisor Bodie. Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. One, again, just wanted to highlight and appreciate both planning staff and Supervisor Gordie doing this. Again, not many people here in the audience, but I'll say it anyway. This, again, happened because we said no to the Bristow campus.

[03:42:12] We have an opportunity now to help highlight and increase employment in the activities that are in the Bristow district because we decided to go in a different direction on that. Earlier today with the approval of ProLogis, there's another opportunity where we said no to the data center, even though it never came before us.

[03:42:28] We said no in various other ways that would probably not take our support and that we have an employment opportunity there as well. I just say that to say there's momentum behind looking at these areas, bless you, in different ways and saying no to data where it makes sense and in order to have more opportunities.

[03:42:44] So I also see this as a broader strategy around green taping. Far too long we talk about red taping and sort of how regulation get in the way of allowing folks to create more job opportunities, more housing opportunities, more opportunities in our county to begin with. But I see this as a great step, a pilot, as it were, as Supervisor Gordy said, to us green taping, where it makes sense in the county, to allow folks to get through these processes a lot quicker because time is money, money is time.

[03:43:12] And in situations where you have some of these very competitive industries that need land right now, a 12 to 24 to 36-month cycle to go through a CPA, then an entitlement, then development service, and all these things, they don't have time for it. There are other localities that will allow that to be a much more streamlined, shorter time frame.

[03:43:33] And so we're losing out on these opportunities. So I just say that to say is this is the first one. I hope it's not the last, but I really look forward to see how this is tested out and pressure tested so we can then begin looking at ways to incorporate this into other strategies we have to green tape development as it makes sense to create more jobs in this county.

[03:43:51] Thank you, Madam Chair. All right. I don't have anyone else in queue. So let's go ahead and wait. We have a motion on this one, right or no? All right. Then let's take that vote.

[03:44:14] Unanimous. All right. Thank you so very much. as we mentioned earlier we voted to defer 11 item c to a date uncertain so that means we're going to move we're going to roll right into agenda item number 12 that's supervisor's time i first would like um to take some votes let's go ahead and move 12a through 12l forward so moved second properly moved and seconded let's go ahead and take our votes

[03:44:44] All right, we are going to move on now to 12M, Supervisor Bailey.

[03:45:15] If you want to just tee it up for us, please turn on your mic. Madam Chair, we're going to be in synergy before this meeting is over. I promise you that's going to happen. I wanted to take this opportunity just to introduce a directive that I had shared with y'all before vacation, and I'm bringing it back because the governor has passed a bill in reference to this.

[03:45:40] So, as we know, there has been a lot of discussion and proposed legislation regarding regulating marijuana and cannabis. I'd like to explore the ability of establishing a local marijuana tax in Prince William County. As such, without objection, I'd like to direct the county exec to work with staff to review the county's legal authority under current federal and state law to implement such a tax to include any 2026 General Assembly legislation signed by our governor.

[03:46:10] and an assessment of potential revenue impacts and any administrative requirements associated with such tax, consideration of how peer jurisdictions in Virginia are approaching this issue, and, finally, any policy consideration or implementation challenges the board should be aware of in going forward.

[03:46:30] The county execs is directed to bring back an appropriate recommendation for the board's consideration. Such recommendations should, where applicable, include timelines, physical impacts, and other pertinent impacts for board consideration. The county attorney's office is directed to review the information and recommendations for any legal issues.

[03:46:49] Keep us safe, Michelle. When the research and work are completed, the county exec should report back to the board with his analysis and recommendation during board meeting or by memorandum as they determine appropriately. Oh, so we don't need a read anymore since now it's been properly.

[03:47:10] All right, you want to make sure. So if there are no objections that moves forward, does anyone have any objections? All right. There is no one jumping. You want to jump, Yesli? All right.

[03:47:29] All right. So that moves forward. So we, since you were the last, I'll let you go ahead. Keep that light on. I'll let you go first. We're going to go around the horn. Yes.

[03:47:45] Yes. No, I don't. I'm just saying yes. Yes. Everyone has, again, so we have a new procedure. I know Kenny has sent around some stuff. You've sent around something. As long as everyone sends it to the board, it will get on the next agenda.

[03:48:01] So if anyone else has anything to pass out, I think email is a better option than passing things out. So with that, Supervisor Bailey, are you ready for your five minutes of fame? All right.

[03:48:24] Okay, thank you. I was talking loud then. To reappoint Millicent Green to the CDA board and to appoint Seth Opoku Yeboah to the housing board. With that, on 8-4, I participated in National Night Out, had a great time with all of my colleagues.

[03:48:40] We had a great time, thanks Chief Newsom and Carter, for the amazing evening and ride. Then on the 5th, I had a youth forum with my interns, and Captain Carter came along with three other youth leaders in our community, and they talked about community safety and youth engagement, mental health and emotional wellness, and preparing for life challenges for our youth in the community.

[03:49:05] On the 6th, I attended the PwC Adult Recovery Court graduations. And congratulations to Supervisor, not Baker, Angry, for your presentation. It was awesome to the Adult Recovery Program. And then on the 8th, I attended the American Revolution Memorial Dedication.

[03:49:26] And thanks to Rob Orverson, Parks and Recs, and the staff for a beautiful presentation and finalizing our museum in Dumfries. It is beautiful. If you haven't gone there, please take a look. On the 12th, PwC Department of Fire Rescue graduation, 40 recruits, Class 26-1, bird dogs, they graduated.

[03:49:46] And then the 13th through the 15th, again, they co-chair Supervisor Angry for a great, great, powerful summit where our governor keynote speaker, Spanberger, came and talked to us. And as the chair of Health and Human Resources, Secretary Figueroa came and talked to us about SNAP and Medicaid programs within our region and other cabinet members attended.

[03:50:08] Then on the 15th, participating in the PWCC Foundation Annual Back to School Backpack, where I supported and contributed. My staff attended 150 vendors and community organizations for our children to go back to school.

[03:50:24] 21st, 10th Annual Anniversary for the JR Realtor Association. Congratulations to them. And then 25th, OmniRide 40th anniversary wrap-up buses in person. We had a great time on the 25th. And then condolences to one of our great, great leaders, Dr. Alice H. Howard, passed away.

[03:50:48] She was the president and national board member with the National Coalition of 100 Black Women here in Prince William County. We will miss her advocacy and her support. On the 27th, I did a back-to-school tour in my community and shook hands with the parents and high-fived with the kids, and we had a great time.

[03:51:09] NVBIA Crab Feast was on the 27th as well. That's annual. We had a good time. And then on the 30th, I participated in the Maternal Health Summit 2026 ROAR program, thanks to Kristen Ghazani, who honored and participated, who set up the Maternal Summit.

[03:51:27] But I also partnered with Delegate Franklin and my mayor, Mayor Derek Wood, for the summit to support maternal health care. And so it was a great, great summit. So, and then on the 31st, yesterday, congratulations to the Manassas, Washington Manassas Airport Authority Ceremony.

[03:51:47] We have finally gotten from the FAA a formal certification to say that we can operate as a commercial airport. And we need that on this end of the county. So congratulations to all.

[03:52:04] And that's all I have. Thank you so much, Madam Chair. All right. Supervisor Stewart. Thank you, Madam Chair. Welcome back for what remains of summer 2027. I trust everybody had a good, healthy summer and will enjoy what remains of the last 20 days of it.

[03:52:26] So just to kind of mention some things that happened since we last met. Also attended National Night Out in Haymarket on August 21st. I attended with Madam Chair the ribbon-cutting at Heathcote Village, the Del Webb community, also in Haymarket, right close to the hospital.

[03:52:52] Attended the summer concert series in Haymarket as well. Haymarket's doing a lot this past summer. And also participated in AMDC Zipline tour. Again, everybody have a great remaining of summer, and we'll see you in two weeks.

[03:53:11] Thanks again. I'm going to switch it up. You ready, Supervisor Gordy? It's your five minutes. Thank you, Madam Chair. I really don't have a whole lot to share. I did take the opportunity of the August recess to travel with my family across the country to take a road trip to do something my family has never done, seeing 22 states traveling over nearly 8,000 miles, visiting national parks, uh, visiting a lot of communities and seeing, uh, what's happening

[03:53:47] across the country in terms of how they're managing, uh, housing, how they're managing transportation. Um, and, uh, and, and as well as, uh, amazingly how many, uh, say no to data center signs there were across the country, uh, in communities in, in almost every state. So, you know, the issues that we're dealing with here are not isolated to us. Clearly, we're seeing many communities across the country dealing with affordable housing. They're dealing with other life affordability issues. And so it was real interesting to see what life is like in

[03:54:26] some of those communities. All I can say is I'm glad we're not paying $6.90 for gas like they are in California. But I do want to let the community know that Chair Jefferson and I are working on a date and should have a date set here pretty soon as a follow-up to our power meetings on electrical power that Dominion had. And so we'll be getting those dates out here very shortly and look forward to further conversations about many of those challenges confronting the Brentsville district um other than that madam chair that's all i have thank you all right thank you so very

[03:55:05] much i'm gonna go to supervisor bode thank you madam chair i had to still highlight the boardy portion i i appreciate that um first a a housekeeping item i would like to provide my notice of intent to appoint owen meyer to the library board i believe the clerks do have his his uh his resume and i think he would be he's probably going to be one of our youngest appointees any board or commission I just want to highlight that he's come to our meeting quite a few times and he's really enthusiastic about really working with community and and and helping so really appreciate being able to appoint him when it comes back before the board I'm not gonna belabor this too much you

[03:55:45] know I went to a lot of the same events that everyone else did was a really great opportunity to get back in community during August recess there are some folks in the both the business community but also in the in the broader community that think that august recess means less work for us on this dais or for the county government i'm here to assure you it does not mean that by any stretch of the imagination um wanted to again highlight all the work that uh cxo shorter did with his team to help keep us informed to get some uh work housekeeping things done and off the table and off the desks and to all my colleagues that we continue to show up each and every day for our constituents in various ways

[03:56:20] um so wanted to highlight that um i do have uh sort of two resolutions i want to discuss one i sent out to folks probably about a week and a half ago and i'm sorry chair jefferson but i did print this one out so i will hand out the paper version because i know there are some folks that still do like uh paper in this day and age um but uh most of you had had an opportunity to be briefed or your office has been briefed by calvin farr prince william water in regards to uh some interest by UOSA in the city of Manassas on consumptive reuse and diverting some of the treated wastewater out of the system to be used by some industrial uses.

[03:57:00] He highlighted to me why that's a concern of Prince William Water. We've also heard that Fairfax County and our very own Fairfax Water Board of Directors is concerned about this. So this resolution sort of answers the request from them that we take a stance that you know as we continue to have conversation around water scarcity knowing that upwards of 90 percent during drought conditions of our water comes from treated water that is put back in the system having it go away essentially from the system is probably not a good idea so that's going to be hopefully on our september 15th agenda so i wanted to hand it

[03:57:36] out to folks to have um earlier today i also sent also related to water a a and a resolution out to folks. Long story short, back to the General Assembly session this year, there was a House bill that died in committee that asked for a groundwater study by DEQ to look at western Loudoun and Fauquier counties and the watershed there for, you know, groundwater concerns, possible mitigations, groundwater management strategies, what have you. And as everyone on this board and now the community well knows uh watersheds and basins don't respect jurisdictional

[03:58:14] boundaries so we were left out of that um that bill like i said died in committee but came back and resurrected through a budget amendment through the budget process was ultimately passed deq is currently conducting that study and it's going to be uh delivered apparently the general assembly sometime later this year probably in the november or december time frame my second resolution which uh was what i emailed to the board earlier today uh requests that at least has us requests that hey can we be added to that study um because again uh groundwater impacts that happen in foc here and loudon uh also would impact us as well so wanted us to be included that study again i know that

[03:58:52] that's a lot for us to consider right now so i'm not formally requesting that be on the september 15th uh agenda but wanted to sort of speak to it now so folks know that's coming and as always if If folks have any questions about resolutions that I'm working on, they're more than happy to approach me in my office.

[03:59:08] Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you so very much. I'm going to mix it up. Let's go over to Supervisor LaCroix. Well, welcome back, everyone. Here, hand these out. I've got a handout. So I was in National Night Out as well, and I was in the car with Andrea and Captain Carter, and I think we had the cool kid car.

[03:59:33] We had so much fun, and we did a lot of personal challenges, and it was great. I also went and joined the Unity in the Community at the Unity Church, and that was a really good event where they had free screening for, you know, eyesight and free medical, and they were just doing all kinds of things for the community.

[03:59:55] So next year, I want that whole word to get out throughout the Woodbridge District. We also went to the Bel Air Mobile Homes for a visit, and that's where I was able to bring the Welcome to Woodbridge Community Resource Guide. I gave you all the completed one, and I am super proud of it.

[04:00:15] It's bilingual, and we tried to make it Woodbridge-friendly. So it doesn't go to Brentsville or to Manassas. It stays in Woodbridge. And if you look in it and you see that we missed something, we will certainly add it to it.

[04:00:32] I hope it's a growing document that stays local and current for the folks. I visited the Senior Center and the Crisis Center. We have been knocking on doors with the Route 1 businesses to ask them, and Drew knows he's in the audience, that we were asking them if they could take care of picking up trash, help with mowing the grass, doing stuff in front of them, on the side of them.

[04:01:05] So they've been really good about that. We also, the LaCroix team went to the beach. I think all good supervisors should bring their staff to the beach. We had a really good time.

[04:01:23] They were all really good-spirited, and they're young, and I'm trying to keep up with them. But they were a lot of fun. And I just handed out, and I'll just show it to everybody out here. We now have a new member of our staff, and it is the Jeannie LaCroix ice cream freezer.

[04:01:43] And it's portable. So we have it stacked with ice cream, and we go and do town halls because we know that I don't draw as many people as ice cream does. So we try to have something there that will bring people in so that we can help them and talk to them and keep them updated.

[04:02:03] We have also done the HOA Roundtable with the Neighborhood Services. Transportation came, police came, so it's been a wonderful thing. And I don't know, did I appoint Will Lawrence to the Purchase and Development Rights Committee? uh finally uh we have adopted in our newsletter trashy the raccoon it's something that's been going on and we certainly need it in the woodbridge district for people to be aware we went to the crab feast with the mvbia and had a great time and finally i just got back from

[04:02:35] vermont where i was canoeing hiking and mountain biking and the mountain biking did me in but it was a great time and i'm going back to mountain biking it was fun i don't have a question for supervisor la croix sure did you name him mr freeze because you need to that's a great idea and you're welcome madam chair i just want to make sure that i what was the name again you did all right i will go over to supervisor vega i know everyone has missed me tremendously

[04:03:15] you can laugh now gosh such a tough crowd i don't have anything madam chair supervisor angry Thank you, Madam Chair. You know, August was a lot, so I won't go through all of that.

[04:03:30] You've pretty much heard everything. But what I will do is I want to give my testimony, because there's two things that I did in August that tied to a lot of what we did in our proclamation today. And one of those, well, first of all, the adult recovery.

[04:03:45] So that graduation was significant. Again, congratulations to the six that graduated from that. We know everybody slips, everybody makes mistakes, And the fact that we can recover from those through a court process that allows you to come back and be law-abiding and great citizens is absolutely fabulous.

[04:04:04] And the second was that on August 10th, I went and gave blood to Red Cross. As you know, there still is a national shortage of blood. Interesting enough, I can't give blood because I'm a sickle cell trait carrier. So as we did this proclamation today for sickle cell, I just want to tell my story and why that's so very important.

[04:04:24] When I married my wife 36 years ago, United States Army, the first thing the Army did was say, we have to take this test. Because as you heard in the data, sickle cell is a high rate in African-Americans or Americans of African descent.

[04:04:42] And it's in birth, birth rate. So what does that really mean? We're talking about two people getting together, making a baby. This is generally how it works. Okay. That lesson's out. So if you look at that, my journey through that was I have a 36-year-old son.

[04:05:00] I have a 26-year-old daughter, both very healthy, both doing well, all because we caught that early. My message here is simply this. This is how you stop or we monitor sickle cell anemia because you should get tested to see if you're a trait carrier. If you are a trait carrier, it automatically tells you you cannot get with a trait carrier.

[04:05:20] My wife, thankfully, is not a trait carrier. So it's very important that you get yourself tested for sickle cell traits. Lastly, I will say, please, the American Red Cross is still at a national shortage of blood. If you can give blood, give blood.

[04:05:35] If you can't give blood, trust me, platelets are just as important because it helps fight off a lot of the immunity that you don't have when you get into these illnesses. So my message here is simple. Go out and donate and go out and get yourself screened. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you so very much.

[04:05:53] quick housekeeping i'd like to give my nose of intent to point allison blow to the social services advisory board i also want to say to victor you had a great town hall that i attended in the neabsco district town halls town halls town halls there's going to be a lot of them coming up in the fall supervisor gordy noted that we are in the process of discussions about setting up a town hall the proposed transmission routes that are coming through the brinsville district i'm also doing a town hall on september 28th we're still finalizing all the details with Supervisor Bode on reimagining Prince William, just really to facilitate a discussion, hearing from

[04:06:28] the community some of the things that you want to see. And I know there are other people who've expressed interest, so going to work with other board members to get this teed up. And I do want to echo what Supervisor Bailey said. Dr. Howitt was truly a local legend. She had done so much in our community. She was one of the founding members of the National Coalition of 100 Black women prince william county chapter and she was a force to be reckoned with so that was a passing it's some people you think they'll stay here with for with us forever but sadly that's not true so you know and looking at her and looking her service to the community i hope that it continues

[04:07:08] to guide us all with that we are going to go into um our close session meeting thank you okay I just want to kind of wrap up a lot of what's been said up here today and just take you on a little history tour. First of all, fun fact, there is no school. From closed session, if I can get a motion to certify. So moved. Second. I'll give it to Stuart. All right, so let's go ahead and

[04:07:47] take our vote. Bodie Stewart. Oh my god. We started with Bordie and now. Vote unanimous. All right.

[04:08:10] Thank you everyone. We are on recess until the seven o'clock meeting. Thank you. My name is Phyllis Jennings Holt and I am the Director of Social Services and I would like to begin by recognizing our distinguished guests who are with us today from our Board of County Supervisors, DeShonda Jefferson, Chair at Large of the Prince William County Board of County Supervisors, Vice Chair and Neabsco District Supervisor, Victor Angry, Potomac District Supervisor, Andrea Bailey, from our Office of Executive Management,

[04:08:50] County Exec, Christopher Shorter, and we have our Deputy County Executives here, Elijah Johnson, Alicia Hart, Wade Hugh, and Steve Austin. We also have Congressional staff here, Fatima Malik with Congressman Walkershaw's office, Terraza Jenkins with Congressman Vindman's office, Tanya James, who is also with Congressman Vindman's office,

[04:09:29] Jackie Marmo with Senator Warner's office, Devin Schuer with Senator Kane's office, and we have our DSS advisory board members, Vice Chair Idris O'Connor, Latanya Hamilton, and Clarice Torian.

[04:10:00] We also have members from our community partners organization. All right, everyone, if we can come in and take a seat. It is 7.01, and we are resuming our evening session.

[04:10:25] First up, we don't want our young people to miss school, you know, so the Brentsville Tigers were not able to come during a 2 o'clock meeting, so we're going to begin with them, and we are going to do a commendation for this team.

[04:10:40] So if the students could join us, if you can line up on the side, and the coaches, we will begin with y'all.

[04:11:03] Good evening, everyone. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[04:11:19] I am trying so hard not to smile, but I am very proud tonight, not just because these young men have represented Brentsville High School with pride and integrity, but because my baby, who does not want me to embarrass him, but I'm trying so hard, is a part of this amazing group of young men.

[04:11:43] So let me get right to it. The Board of County Supervisors would like to issue the following proclamation. whereas the Brentsville District High School boys soccer team demonstrated exceptional skills, determination, teamwork, and sportsmanship throughout the 2026 season.

[04:12:01] The Tigers captured the program's first regional championship since 1998 and earned their place in the Virginia High School League Class III state tournament, advancing through postseason competition to the state championship. And whereas Brentsville advanced to the 2026 VHSL Class III Boys Soccer State Championship game, competing among the best high school soccer programs in the Commonwealth and finishing the season as the Class III State runner-up.

[04:12:30] And whereas the accomplishments of these students' athletes reflect the dedication of the players, coaches, families, school community, and supporters who contributed to an outstanding season. Now, therefore, it be a result that the Prince William Board of County Supervisors hereby commends and congratulates the Brentsville District High School Boys Soccer Team for its outstanding 2026 season and remarkable run to the VHSL Class III State Championship Game.

[04:12:58] This achievement will forever be a part of Brentsville's history and one these young men can carry with pride for the rest of their lives. The Board extends its best wishes for their continued success both on and off the field. Coach Martinez in Austin, if you could please come forward. Which one of you two would like to speak?

[04:13:24] All right. I prepared something, so I'm good. Okay, great. Come on, Rich. I got you, buddy. I prepared something. I just wanted to say, before we talk about wins and championships, goals, or anything else that happened on the field, I want to take a moment to talk about what really made this season special.

[04:13:45] It was all the people that was behind us all the way. To our players, I want you to know how proud I am, every single one of you. You showed up every day, you worked, you pushed each other, you believed in each other, and most importantly, you learned what it means to be a part of something bigger than yourself. And by that, I mean you give hope and believe to upcoming players for next year and the future.

[04:14:08] What you accomplished this season will be remembered for a long time, but when you look back years from now, I hope you don't just remember the trope. You don't just remember the trophies or the scoreboard. I hope you remember the bus rides, the practices, the locker room, the celebrations, the difficult moments, and most of all, the people standing beside you.

[04:14:29] To our parents, thank you. Thank you for the late nights, the rides to practice, the rides home from games, the meals on the go, and everything else that nobody else sees. Thank you for trusting us with your sons. Being a coach is an incredible responsibility, and we never take that responsibility lightly.

[04:14:45] Your support allowed these young men to chase something special, and we are incredibly grateful for that. Let me skip some of this because I wrote too much. And then I wanted to thank Coach Rich. Without him this year, he made it really special for me to be able to enjoy the game and enjoy these young men.

[04:15:05] Like I said, I'm really proud of them, and this is just the beginning of something special. Thank you. Go Tigers. Go Tigers. For those wondering, Brentsville High School is in Supervisor Gordy's district.

[04:15:23] However, my son lives in the Coles District, and redistricting caused some of my constituents, some of my kids, to go to Brentsville High School, so that's why we're doing this together. And I do see that they brought the trophy. Can you gentlemen please lift it up?

[04:15:40] All right. And we do have some special teammates who are not here with us today because they are our seniors who are actually now in college. But before we wrap up, I would like for Nick and Nikki to come forward.

[04:16:10] So this couple is Noah Coughlin's. They are Noah Coughlin's parents, and Noah is not here with us because he is away at college doing what he loves, which is playing soccer. And I want to brag a little bit about Noah because he accomplished so much this season.

[04:16:26] Brentsville District High School senior midfielder Noah Coughlin capped off an outstanding high school soccer career with his best season scoring 21 goals and 12 assists while demonstrating exceptional skill, leadership, determination, and sportsmanship. Noah earned recognition as a two-time first-team all-district and first-team all-region selection and concluded his Brentsville career with 38 goals and 24 assists, establishing himself as one of the most accomplished players in the history of the Tiger soccer program.

[04:16:58] NOAA helped lead Brentsville to its first regional championship since 1998, its first state tournament appearance since 2008, and an appearance in the 2026 VHSL Class III State Championship game, contributing crucial goals and assists throughout the Tigers' historic postseason run.

[04:17:14] Whereas in recognition of his outstanding performance, leadership, and contributions to Brentsville District High School, NOAA was named the 2026 Virginia High School League Class III Boy Soccer player of the year distinguishing himself among the commonwealth's finest high school student athletes the board of county supervisors recognizes and congratulates noah coughlin on being named the 2026 vhsl class three boys soccer player of the year congratulations mom and

[04:17:40] dad for the photo we're gonna go outside for this so if anyone else wants to join us thank you all

[04:18:29] right everyone we are back that was such a heartwarming moment congratulations to your son we can't wait to see what they do this soccer season as a reminder for people um who were not here for the two o'clock 14b and that was a rezoning and proper amendment in the brinsville district for project industry that has been deferred so we will only be hearing 14a tonight now with that i am going to invite the applicant's representative up to the podium for their presentation madam

[04:19:07] chair um supervisor gordy uh members of the board thank you for being here to hear this case and um i hope you had a great summer break uh no wrong one do you not want to do that one no i think i'll

[04:19:27] i prefer not to do that one that's the staff one okay where you improvise and you do your little

[04:20:28] Oh, okay. It's been that kind of a summer.

[04:22:14] I'm sorry it's the problem with the applicants compete where's the problem line you didn't get the presentation okay so what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna give the board a five-minute recess and I mean five minutes not five hours five

[04:22:51] minutes okay we're in recess okay all right if the applicant is ready we can

[04:23:39] be back two minutes early so it is the floor is yours mr. short thank you very much madam chair and i'm cory stewart here on behalf of my client hey joe um and um it's uh in introduction it's 23 acres give or take uh it's on warrenton road i'm going to show you the the uh the the details about where it's located in a minute uh it was replanned by the board uh to light industrial in 2022 and it's located in the brentsville district so um and if it's if you will

[04:24:17] indulge us. Ramona, I'd like to have the applicant come forward and just talk about their business a little bit, if that's okay. Elder? Good evening, everyone, and thank you for your time. My name is Elder, and as you guys can see, I have six kids. I grew up in the area. I've been in Prince William County from middle school, high school, and attended college around here, and I'm currently helping different high schools with wrestling. All my kids are going to Prince William County for their schools and I'm trying to be quick we basically do patios decks

[04:24:53] screen porches and we mainly service the community around here I'm trying to be brief with my and I here you got my follow my wife is with me tonight so my desk helping us and my mom was helping us kind of deal with the practices for tonight it's a family-owned business so both my my side of my family and my in-laws, everybody's involved, so that's how we run our business. So we do patios, decks, screen porches. This was done in Hopio Crossing, Rudd-up Spriggs. We work with composite decking, binauralin, and things like that. We also do stone

[04:25:30] manseries, so exterior wood-burning fireplaces, custom kitchens, and stem concrete. The same here just a stem concrete patio, and I can't remember what this job at, but we did it with deck in the patio, and that's pretty much and to tell you more what we bought the property think their main reason was that the way I believe is to continue to grow if you're not growing you're shrinking if you're shrinking you're dying so for us to continue to grow we are inquiring to be able to store the materials in our own property to be able

[04:26:08] to buy everything and for say invoking service our customers faster buying concrete nowadays if I call in it's gonna take me three weeks to get concrete i'm not big enough for some people and then i'm too small for others so the builders and other things that are taking place in the county i'm not priority so therefore i can't efficiently run my business by being able to have my materials on site and everything else i'm able to get to my work faster and that's the reason why we bought it i just didn't know the rules of disowning and all that um that's pretty much everything i'm not sure it's better than me it's better than me they

[04:26:48] wanted to hear from you more than me. I can guarantee you that. Okay, so this is the site. It's right close to the Fauquier County line. And one thing, I have another slide that we can show you. And actually, in order to get to this site from 28, you don't go through Prince William County. You just take a left out of the site, and it's a mile and a half to 28. So that's how you access the site for most people, is through Fauquier County, through an exit on 28 in Fauquier. So this is the site, one in yellow. Right on the left, which the board is familiar

[04:27:25] with, that is the Prince William County Public Safety Training Center. That is the track where I think Supervisor Vega spent a little bit of time. You will notice, just to give you an idea, you know, before this was all replanned by the board, it was seen by the board as a perfect place to put industrial. And I'll show you the whole space in a minute. But the reason is you're Right on the county line, you have the Prince William County Training Center right there.

[04:27:54] Right over here is the, right down here, that's the solar farm, the Energic solar farm. You will see in this part of the county, there's a lot of nonconforming uses because this whole area has not been used for agricultural in a very, very long time, probably since the 60s.

[04:28:12] And so what's happened over time is people are putting their light industrial uses in there already. And you've got that here and you have it back here as well. Again, this is more of a bird's eye view. Here's the space. Here's Hey Joe. Here's your training center. Here's Energex.

[04:28:31] Vulcan and Heidelberg are related. These are cousin companies. It's a huge multinational corporation that is now owned. And they're located in Germany. But they've been holding onto this property, Vulcan and their affiliates, since the late 60s. And most of it is zoned M1.

[04:28:53] The biggest chunk of it has already been zoned M1. The reason they're holding onto it is that someday they want to put a quarry there. And actually, they tried to get the SUP to do that back when I first entered the board way back in the early 2000s, like 2004. But they're just sitting on it. Someday they're going to try it again. So you can kind of see the space that we're dealing with. GDP, it's very simple. And the reason is there's no sewer, there's no water.

[04:29:22] It's very, very far away from sewer or water. So there's not a lot you can do with it. But for industrial, that's okay. Because what the county needs is, and I'm sure you're hearing about this all the time, there's a lot of small contractors, a lot of small businesses that need a place to put their stuff. That's it. And the problem with M2, which is the light industrial zoning category, is it doesn't allow for outdoor storage of equipment, materials as a primary use. But out here, that's pretty much the only thing you can do and can use it for. I know that staff is working

[04:29:59] on a zoning text amendment, possibly. You're looking at the zoning ordinance. But for now and for the future. There's a lot of people like this in this category who just want to be able to store things. You couldn't really put a real... Some properties can use M2. It's good for data centers.

[04:30:16] It works for data centers, but it doesn't work for most businesses. If you have a smaller piece of property, say 10 acres, you want to put a warehouse on there, you have access to sewer and water, and you want to do outdoor storage as an ancillary use, it works. But for most businesses, it does not work and that's the case with hey joe so um they have three yard sites here this is the one that they they intend to use uh this is this is warrenton road public safety training center is down here and uh they have these additional yard sites they're the good thing about this is there's

[04:30:51] a huge demand for outdoor storage light industrial just place to store your stuff in the county just an absolute huge demand. So now they have the opportunity to provide a solution for more than just themselves, and they won't have any problem trying to lease this out for other light industrial users or contractors. This is your comprehensive plan. I'm colorblind, so tell me if I'm wrong here. But in the turquoise, you will see I2. This is all that industrial land west of Noakesville

[04:31:27] that you all replanned back in 2022, and here the PL, that's the public land, that's your public safety training center. So we went to the planning commission. At that time, the staff had some concerns, and we worked through those together with the planning commission. We made several changes, and as a result of those changes, the staff is now recommending approval, and it meets, is consistent with every chapter of the comprehensive plan. Okay, this is a staff recommendation, and here's the planning commission recommendations. We did all that. We're consistent

[04:32:07] with I2 in reality, in fact. We're adhering to all the standards of I2. This is de facto an M2 site, but because the zoning category doesn't work, what we've done is we've proffered out more than, well, actually 80 uses that are in M1 that we have no use for, that are truly heavy industrial. Those aren't going to happen. They're proffered out that we can't do them. And so that is why de facto we are in compliance with I2. We excluded data centers and not the property is way

[04:32:45] too small for it anyway, honestly, but we know that's a concern of the community. So we proffer that out. And then we updated the GDP and the property statement. There was some emissions and some uncertainty that the staff identified. We wanted to correct that. Oops. Okay. All right.

[04:33:10] So I wanted to end on, I know Christina Wynn is here, but I wanted to end on the recommendation from Economic Development and Tourism. And this is the reason why. You need this. The county needs this. There's a huge shortage of non-data center industrial land. It attracts, it's going to keep those businesses. More than anything, it keeps light industrial businesses in the county and the job base. Otherwise, they have no choice, but unfortunately, a lot of light businesses, you know what they do. They'll have no choice. They'll park their equipment, sometimes their

[04:33:48] materials on their property in your residential neighborhoods, or they move out of the county. this helps keep those folks here it helps balance your tax base you're getting more of that and it's consistent with the the strategic plan so uh that's it and uh we're open for any questions you might have all right unfortunately it looks like my screen is down i can't even reload it so um just note to tech everyone's screen is down did anyone have i'm going to look over here first supervisor grade did you have any questions or anything you want to say um i'm going hold my questions for the staff thank you all right it looks like does anyone else have anything

[04:34:28] all right i'm still down all right staff if you would like to come up present see this button okay no i'll use the mouse

[04:35:08] um good evening uh madam chair and members of the board of supervisors um do you want to finish resolving the tech issue first or would you like me to begin awesome great so my name is harrison i am the case planner uh for this case and i'm just going to go over with you guys the history of the case um what happened at the planning commissioning commissioner level um what issues they had and staff had how the applicant has addressed it and how we got to where we are today

[04:35:39] so moving right along okay so um as stated by the applicant this is a rezoning from a1 agricultural to m1 heavy industrial to allow for future industrial uses in that category and as stated by the applicant significant portions are going to be leased out to other industrial users while the applicant is only going to be using a small portion of the site this 23.4266 acre property is located on warnton road approximately 0.65 miles west of its intersection with carriage

[04:36:14] ford road with a g pin of 7492-07-8472 and is addressed as 13505 warnton road as mentioned previously by the applicant the surrounding site is subjected is surrounded by single family residences to the south and west the north is undeveloped forest and the east is the training academy and solar farm and as cut off here um the planning commission did recommend approval with um specific recommendations which i will be covering in a moment and at this point uh staff now does recommend approval and just uh for uh full transparency during the there were public

[04:36:53] comments during the Planning Commission at the Planning Commission hearing, and we have received public comments as well over email and other submit methods. So going real quick on comparisons of the zoning and future land use map, as you can see, the subject property is surrounded by A1 zoning with the M1 Vulcan land to the north. As you can see in the future land use map, it's all surrounded by I-2 light industrial and right next to the public lands which being the training center as already established. Moving right along to the plan commissioning hearing staff had recommended

[04:37:31] denial due to the following a conflict with the long-range land use designation due to the proposed use zoning designation and height and omissions of the required elements of the GDP that prevented staff from conducting an accurate analysis. Specifically with that last part for lack of a better term it was considered a bubble plan where it doesn't really show where the location of any structures or uses are just here's the land bay and that's it we had issues with that and then when it was brought to the planning commission on april 22nd 2026 the proposal was a recommended approval with additional recommendations these recommendations

[04:38:09] are the following the applicant had to work with the county arborist regarding buffer section regarding the buffer section and when the roads are laid out regarding tree removal. Removal of coal from the coal wood lumber yards as an allowed use for this application. To work with the Board of County Supervisors between that Planning Commission meeting and today's Board of Supervisors meeting to see if there are other items on the allowed uses that are by right only in the M1 and allowed uses that would only need a special use permit if any of those need to be removed.

[04:38:40] removing the silo from the proffer statement, and having the location of the buildings more clearly stated. Following up with the applicant over the following months, the applicant made significant updates to the application that adequately addressed the recommendations of the Planning Commission, as well as staff-identified weaknesses.

[04:39:01] Specifically, they did remove coal yards as an allowed use. They required substantial conformance to the GDP, replaced the 20-foot landscape strip with a 50-foot buffer on Warrington Road, clarified the construction of a concrete silo requires a future special use permit, that the maximum building height would be capped at 45 feet and then 60 feet for a future silo.

[04:39:26] The reason why we're talking about that hypothetical future silo now is so that they don't have to come back for a proffer amendment as well as a special use permit. Limitations were added on the number and square footage of any buildings on the property. Added maximum building location envelope that I will point out on the GDP.

[04:39:46] Required coordination with public works on tree removal. And then added suggested minor modification language. And then as shown by the applicant, we determined that it is consistent with all aspects of the comprehensive plan. Moving on to the long-range land use.

[04:40:03] So the updates the applicant made in the rezoning are consistent with the I2 industrial land use transect 2 long-range land use designation, which aligns with land use policy 2 and action strategy LU 2.2. Specifically, it is meeting the – let me just scroll down here a little bit – the target building height, the minimum open space expected, the target non-residential floor-to-area ratio of up to 0.23.

[04:40:30] And then you could argue that some of the primary uses that they are asking for would fit under the primary uses desired in the I-2. They are still not doing the implementation zoning that is seen in the I-2, which would be M-2.

[04:40:48] However, they are still proffering to all the other aspects of the M-2 that we would expect from that zone. No worries. And just for clarification, Land Use Policy 2 states encourage land use densities and intensities that promote efficient development patterns throughout the county.

[04:41:08] And LU 2.2 states new development applications should have densities that are appropriate to the character areas in the county and are consistent with those reflected on the long-range land use map. Moving on to the next side, I'm not going to read through every use, but this is a list of all the uses that this property would be able to do under this rezoning.

[04:41:28] I've segmented it out to different categories for ease of analysis. This first section are uses that are allowed both in the M2 light industrial and in the M1 heavy industrial by right. So even if they had decided to rezone to an M2, they would still be allowed to do all these uses.

[04:41:46] The following section is allowed uses that are only allowed as secondary uses in the M2. and specifically that would be equipment material storage yard which is the desired use of the applicant. In the M2 this is called just outside storage. Moving right along to the next section we have allowed uses that need a special use permit in the M2 but are allowed by right in the M1 and one of them being fleet parking which is also a desired use by the applicant and then additionally we have allowed uses that are only by right in the M1 and then allowed uses that

[04:42:23] would need a special use permit in the M1 Heavy Industrial. The applicant has stated that they have plans to potentially submit a future special use permit for a concrete plant on the property. These would be all the uses that would be allowed to occur on the site, whether through the Hey Joe business or through another business that leases out part of the site.

[04:42:49] Moving right along. Moving to community design, the updates made by the applicant address previously stated omissions and uncertainty providing a gdp which allows for proper staff analysis specifically the provision of additional details includes the provision of a building envelope which i will show you when i bring up the gdp which restricts where any future building may be placed proffering maximum building square footages where only three buildings can be a maximum of 16 000 square feet with any additional structures needing to be smaller than that amount

[04:43:23] Additionally, the maximum industrial square footage on the property will be restricted due to the maximum floor-to-area ratio allowed on the entire site, which is 0.23. Community design plan policy 1 does state encourage site, architectural signage, and landscape designs that complement the scale and character of existing and planned development in the development area and in the rural area.

[04:43:44] So here is the GDP, and so I'm going to zoom in because it's a bit faint on this map, but the dotted line you see going out through the middle and edge of the little land bays, that is the building envelope that they are proffering.

[04:44:05] So any building or other activity that they want to do can only occur within this dotted line envelope. Other aspects to point out are the fact that all identified wetlands areas are not even within the limits of disturbance except for this small area right here.

[04:44:24] They have 50-foot boundary lines surrounding the property. And then moving right along to our final slide is the recommendation of the Planning Commission subject to the proffers dated February 11th with additional recommendations of approval.

[04:44:41] planning office recommends approval of rezoning 2024 00021 hajo property subject to the proffers date july 15th 2026 for the following reasons one updates staff determined that the applicant updates sufficiently adhere to the recommendations made by the planning commission as well as sufficiently addressing concerns staff outlined to the planning commission long-range land use alignment the updates made by the applicant make the rezoning consistent with the i2 industrial industrial use transect two long-range land use designation which lies with land use policy two and action strategy lu 2.2 industrial development the development of the industrial uses exclusive

[04:45:20] of data centers aligns with the land use policy 12.3 and then clarity and proposed development the updates made by the applicant address previously stated omissions and uncertainty providing a gdp which allows for proper staff analysis such analysis of the updated gdp as well as an updated proffer statement provide clarity regarding the project aspirations and commitments to orderly development this aligns with community design plan policy one and that is the staff presentation i'm here to answer any of your questions all right thank you is this your first time in front of us yes ma'am well congratulations hopefully it wasn't as bad well actually first

[04:45:55] time presenting i was here for a consolidated case i think a while ago but yes that's a different story all right tom ma'am thank you thank you madam chair um harrison thanks so much for the presentation. Good job on that. Could you go back to the slide where it talks about the comparisons between the M1s, the M2s? Yes, sir. I really appreciate that slide because I think what it does is it helps us understand just kind of the nature of the complexity of how we're trying to get to the intent of the Noakesville Industrial as it was designed in the comp plan, but because

[04:46:33] of the limitations of M2, the fact that it does not allow outdoor storage, it really does adversely affect our ability to meet the intent of the comp plan until we can get M2 to allow outdoor storage as a primary use.

[04:46:53] Just, if you don't mind, just kind of, so we've got to, no, it was the other one that showed the different comparisons of what can be done in each of them. Yes, sir. Yeah, so I think this was a great slide to show that even if we got M2, there's some pretty intense uses that could have been utilized in this area.

[04:47:12] But this is a much, would you describe this activity as much less intense of an industrial use than some of the things that could be allowed by Wright? Yes, if you're looking at, say, for example, distribution fulfillment centers, I would say that would be a great example of such assertion.

[04:47:30] Okay. And in terms of the transportation aspects of this, can you explain how the applicant has described the transportation requirements as it relates to the activities that are being proposed?

[04:47:47] Yes, sir. So what we have here in the proffer statement on page 8 out of 10, proffer number 23, they have Warrington Road restoration. The applicant shall not be required to pave Warrington Road, but shall, after construction is complete or at the request of Prince William County Department of Transportation, restore Warrington Road equal to the pre-construction condition.

[04:48:11] Compliance shall be demonstrated prior to final inspection and required approval by the Prince William County Department of Transportation and VDOT. And I am not sure if there is anyone from transportation here tonight. I don't believe so, but... Well, Warrington Road is a dirt road.

[04:48:28] It is, it's fairly wide for a dirt road. We have looked at trying to, I can't remember what we call the pave in place program, but there are some issues related to that for Warrington Road. But in terms of the ingress and egress along Warrington Road as it compares to 28 and Carriage Ford Road. Has the applicant made any commitments to use the 28 ingress and egress as opposed to

[04:49:02] carriage Ford Road? Not to my knowledge, no. I will also just state that they obviously proffer access to Warrington Road as shown as their on their GDP and that they do have right-of-way dedication. They're going to be providing a 20-foot right-of-way from the center line of Wharton Road at no cost to Prince William County or VDOT as shown on the GDP but in terms of proffering to only have trucks go in and out via the Route 28 intersection to my knowledge there's been no discussion of that and I do not believe to the best of my knowledge that that was discussed by VDOT or by our transportation department. And do we know what the transportation counts look

[04:49:41] like for this for this business? Let me pull up I think we do have it shown on the GDP let me just Sixty-two daily trips. Okay. Thank you. I just want to get that on the record. Thank you. Yes, sir. That's all I have for now, Madam Chair.

[04:49:57] Thank you. All right. I want to jump in because one of the questions I've gotten from a number of people who have written in is, why is there no CPA for this application? Yes, Madam Chairman. So that decision was made by upper management before I inherited this case, and I would like to send it over to Mr. McGettigan to explain that.

[04:50:20] Thank you, Harrison. Madam Chair, members of the board, David McGedigan from the planning office. Yeah, I know how you have to lower it. Harrison's a tall guy. I can just start squatting. No, that's okay. Anyway, thank you.

[04:50:36] Yeah, and when we came up with the I-2 long-range land use classification around Noakesville, it was recognized at that time, and as a matter of fact, we had the board initiate a zoning text amendment to look at the industrial zoning to better match, you know, our industrial zoning with the intent of the I-2.

[04:51:00] But, you know, we're still working on that. It's certainly included in our comprehensive update of the zoning ordinance that we're going to provide that zoning ordinance. So as an interim use, since outdoor storage is a perfect sort of rural industrial land use, out here. It's lower intensity. It doesn't have a lot of buildings and impacts to water and sewer infrastructure. This is the sort of use that we're wanting in the I-2, but it's not allowed

[04:51:38] in the M-2 zoning district. And we were only limited to that when we were putting together the charts of what zoning districts match the I-2. But we recognized that really we needed something else that and and that's why we had the board initiate that zoning text amendment at the same time they approved the comprehensive plan but so this is how we're handling it is to use the M1 use and then proffering out a lot of the heavy industrial uses so we can get what we intend the I2 to do

[04:52:18] through this rezoning so that that's why this is the path that we have in the current zoning ordinance to implement the comprehensive plan and therefore a comprehensive plan amendment isn't necessary because this is not going to a comprehensive we wouldn't change we wouldn't want to change it away from i2 i2 is what we want there a 0.23 far is very low and that's what we

[04:52:48] want a low FAR in here. No data centers are recommended in the I-2. We don't want data centers out here. So this is the kind of use we want, the kind of rezoning we want under our current zoning ordinance that best matches the I-2. So we don't want to change the comprehensive plan. This is implementing the comprehensive plan. We're just having to do it with our old zoning ordinance that we haven't had a chance to update yet to meet the comprehensive plan requirements.

[04:53:25] So then by follow-up, are you concerned at all about setting any precedents, or is this something that do you think in future land use cases you may be waiving that if you feel that it's in substantial conformance with what is envisioned in the comprehensive plan?

[04:53:42] Well, I think the way they've profiled out all the uses that they've sort of met the intent And I don't think it's going to set up a precedent until it may be something that occurs between now and when we fix the industrial zoning district.

[04:54:01] But once we get the zoning districts fixed to match the comprehensive plan, then there shouldn't be any more need to do this sort of thing. So it's a one-off. Yeah. Supervisor Bodie. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[04:54:17] And I'm going to follow the same beat that you just started to draw on in Supervisor Gordian. Thank you, David, for how you described that. So I'm going to just restate my question to what you just said. When you all are looking at compatibility with the comprehensive plan, do you only look at use or do you look at a wide variety of factors?

[04:54:35] Oh, yeah, we look at a wide variety of factors. I mean, we do have recommendations in there for zoning districts that would be compatible with that. But, again, we were working with an old zoning ordinance and new ideas in the comprehensive plan. So that's an imperfect match that we had to make at the time.

[04:54:54] But, yeah, we look at other things in there, including, very importantly, the height and FAR of the transect that's in the comprehensive plan. And the I-2 has a very low FAR and height requirement.

[04:55:13] Right. So, again, I appreciate that. So to the point, as Harrison said when he presented, there was a sort of decision point whether, hey, should we go with a CP as a recommendation or should we not, based on what the vision was of not only the board, but also, I believe, Saras Gordy, you were a planning commissioner at the time we were going through this, the thought of what this would be.

[04:55:33] And so, essentially, the decision point, and like you just said, the decision was, hey, this probably wouldn't want to be a comp plan to an I-3 because that goes against sort of the lighter, more suburban, semi-rural industrial that was envisioned by both the Planning Commission and the board and you all when we adopted the comp plan, right?

[04:55:53] That's correct. Okay. Appreciate that. That's all I had for you, Dave. I actually want to ask Christina to come up to see if Christina wanted to add anything. Mr. Stewart sort of spoke to a lot of, I'm sure, the high points you would have covered, but just sort of the economic need here and to the point on the fact that these types of yards where you have contractors, potential other businesses that don't really have a lot of other places to go in the county.

[04:56:22] Can you speak to that a little bit? Absolutely. Good evening. Christina Nguyen, Director of Economic Development and Tourism. Thank you so much for that question. No, this is exactly the type of project and use that we are desperately in need of.

[04:56:39] We are continuously getting inquiries and leads from small contractor businesses that need that outdoor storage. And it's very challenging to find them a site that's affordable. It was great in speaking with Elder and his family because one of the things is to understand as a small business owner, one of the concerns that they have is they don't, they're always looking for land to purchase because if they're going to invest in the site, they want that

[04:57:16] surety that if they're going to make those investments that 10 years from now, it's not going to flip right or that that owner is going to sell to a data center so the fact that this is actually now proffered out data centers and this is a lease opportunity which means that's a low cost to to entry because another challenge with small business owners is having that capital to actually buy the land so this really makes this ideal for other small businesses to co-locate in this site and really grow their business in scale.

[04:57:48] So this is a really ideal. And I actually really appreciate that the applicant is making that adjacent properties available for lease. And so I think we're going to be able to, if this were to go through, be able to send him some potential applicants. And I appreciate it. I see I have about a minute and 15 left.

[04:58:05] I won't use the entire bit. No, but I appreciate you saying that because I think that's the other part that's gotten missing in the conversation. He's not just doing this for his own business. is actually also opening up land for other contractors, other businesses to move in, start maybe the very first time being able to lease a space on industrial land versus having to the point their workers sort of try to find helter-skelter places throughout the county to park their vehicles, store their stuff in very small storage containers, things like that.

[04:58:33] So can you talk a little bit about that and sort of what that can look like in the future if we're able to sort of use that as a model? No, I mean, that's exactly, I think you just said it. It's an opportunity for them to have that look, and especially even the way Elder has described it. You know, right now, they're using it for that storage so that they can really get more business in scale because they'll be able to order in bulk.

[04:58:58] And that's a challenge because, as you know, we understand that a lot of these folks are storing it either at their house or in storage units, and there's limitations to that. So actually having a legitimate, you know, appropriate land use where they can utilize this site and as their business grows and scales, then they can, you know, add their operations, their headquarters, and their site.

[04:59:22] And it really becomes a model that could be replicated to other areas. Thank you so much, Christina. Thank you, Madam Chair. Supervisor Bailey. Thank you, Madam Chair. And Supervisor Bode, thank you for a question. Harrison, great job.

[04:59:40] Thank you, Supervisor. You don't have to bend. I know I'm short. You're tall. But, look, I wanted to, Christina, you ran away. You know I had some? No, I don't. But, no, I wanted to, this is a great project, and I say that from a perspective of it really shows as we are growing and moving with the comprehensive plan.

[05:00:06] It's diversification with land use, tax base, and small business. And you can't get any gooder than that. And the way you navigated, Harrison, was perfect, you and county staff. I also like the standpoint of you took away the big bear.

[05:00:28] And the big bear was, you know what it was. And so you don't have to worry about that in making this decision. You took that out of our toolbox so we can make a wholesome decision.

[05:00:45] And so, Elder, when you came in and talked about this, what was it, a year and a half ago? I don't remember, but it's been a long time. This is what we, in explaining to our communities, the way planning has laid this out for us and how you've worked with us, not for your own gain, but for where you live, is critical.

[05:01:06] So, Christina, and I'm glad planning and economic development are working together because that's the collaboration also that we need to see with the comprehensive plan as well. So I just, it's for me, y'all know, a win-win. It's a win-win, and it's not perfect because nothing is perfect, but it's good.

[05:01:27] And so, Harrison, I just want to compliment you again about how you work through it, how you use the tool that we've created to work through it, and that gives us a sense of comfort. Thank you, Supervisor. And I will say I couldn't have done it without the rest of management behind me. Those people.

[05:01:44] I mean, not only did they hire me, but they also have great experience in all this as well. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. That is a very good answer. All right. So, very good. I mean, I am still on probation, technically. I'd like to think you've passed.

[05:02:02] All right. So, what I'm going to do now, there are no more questions in queue. I'm going to go ahead. I have all these papers on my desk. I'm going to go ahead and call people up for the public hearing. For those of you who have not done this before, I am going to start with the people who have signed up, the people on this page, and then we're going to go to virtual, and then I'll go back and ask the applicant and the county to address any questions that were raised.

[05:02:27] You have three minutes, except if you are an organization of 501c3, then you get five minutes. You will see the screen up there. That is the countdown. When you go to the back, make sure that you adjust the microphone so that we can hear you and understand you.

[05:02:43] Please say your name. Just please say your name in the magisterial district where you reside. We only have one case today, so I see someone signed up for two. There is no 14B. 14B has been deferred. You can sit, bro. You can sit. You can turn that off. There was actually, there was part of the reason why you have the GDPs print out in front of you is there was an update.

[05:03:04] And I think, Mr. Stewart, would you like to come up and say what those updates were real quick? Yeah, sure. This was meant to be stated earlier, and we do apologize. Yeah, so the GDP has been, there's a slight revision to, number one, just to relabel the yard sites or label to make it more clear what's allowed to be done there.

[05:03:27] And then also in the proffer statement, Elder informed us that, you know, a lot of times he's doing, when he's building, say, a chimney, an outdoor chimney, it needs a steel sleeve, it needs a sheet metal sleeve. And so he would like to do that on their property rather than inside a neighborhood, et cetera.

[05:03:46] So we want to remove that from the prohibited list. It's sheet metal manufacturing or something like that, sheet metal fabrication. So that's the only change to the proper statement. And I will say staff did receive that proper statement, did read over that, and I do believe we had sent that over to the board clerks as well.

[05:04:10] I believe it's in my office. can go get that while public comments happens i think that would be great um just for future reference to the applicant it would be great to get changes before well before the date of a meeting um that's also the board members because i know sometimes people are working on stuff at the very last minute it'd be great if we got all the changes before we got up here with that said i'm going to move on to the public hearing i'm going to call people up we have normally calling groups of five we only have a group of four so that's easy so travis plumber susan tibbs marianne

[05:04:45] mccone and yes marianne we are going to be doing a town hall um and melody miller so those four people that is travis plumber susan tibbs marianne mccone and melody miller you may come to the back please adjust the microphone because i know i'm not going to be able to hear you now bring it closer to your all right start but if we can have some quiet on the dais start by saying your name where you generally reside and is the timer up let's go great uh good evening my name is susan tibbs i'm from the brentsville district i in fact live around the corner from this property and this

[05:05:25] proposal um i think that um the discussion that we've heard here tonight the discussion we heard at the planning commission meeting um was certainly very interesting and informative and and interactive and i really appreciate the opportunity to add the residential and community response some of the things in the application um and and some of the um characterizations of the area um i just like to speak to this is um it is an agricultural area it is a residential area

[05:06:00] these are families these are small farms livestock all that kind of good stuff we have on carriage forward already the public safety academy we have fire trucks police everyone coming back and forth on carriage forward it's actually quite a busy road regularly you'll see a nice tractor pulling someone out of a ditch on carriage forward because they've gone into the ditch to get out of the way of the fire truck coming down the road it is barely a two-lane road it has no lane markers it has no sidewalk. Sidewalk would be an extreme. It has no shoulder. It has no shoulder. There's no margin.

[05:06:40] There's nothing there. So this is an area that has virtually no infrastructure. We live with wells. We have septic. We have small country roads. The road itself where the applicant's property is, is as stated a gravel road it does lead to 28 and between carriage forward and 28 on the 28 side there's significant development there i don't know what they're building but there's massive construction on that side which would naturally push traffic back to carriage forward as well

[05:07:16] so i would ask for consideration that there needs to be infrastructure also supporting you know wonderful development and all these other good things that are happening there needs to also be enhancements to the infrastructure to make this place livable and so that we can maintain our investment and the growth that we've put into our properties at the same time. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Next speaker, please.

[05:07:42] Good evening. My name is Travis Plummer from the Brentsville District. As Supervisor Gordy said, you know, Warrington Road is, you know, a gravel road. You know, we have the county out putting gravel on it all the time because it is over traveled i think adding this heavy equipment you know 62 trips a day would just add an additional burden to it you know we've had v dot come out and evaluate it for the pave in place program the ditches don't meet the requirements thereof and so that is not a possibility and i just think that the additional heavy equipment

[05:08:19] traffic on it regardless if you're just you know traveling the over half a mile three quarters of mile up to the paved interface at Fauquier County to get up to 28 it's still a well-worn road it is as a country it is you know very rural farmland and I think just going outside the comprehensive plan where you think you may meet the intent of it by proffering out the things I think if the if the committee has been working on this on the new language for the new zoning to meet the intent of then why isn't that in place obviously there's challenges with it so going this

[05:08:59] alternate route just to proffer out things to meet the intent seems like a you know like you said setting a precedence here of going to the m1 m2 level i think we ought to fix our language and let that go through the process and then readdress this so i recommend deferring or denying. Thank you. Next speaker, please. My name is Mary Ann McCone. I'm Brentsville Dristick.

[05:09:33] And I am very disappointed that any of you would consider doing this. So I'm going to start with, I wasn't certain what I wanted to say this evening because what I would truly like to say would be considered inappropriate and disrespectful. That's a bit much considering neither Tom Gordy, Chair Jefferson, or any of the box have any respect for me, the residents of Brentsville, and more specifically, Noakesville.

[05:10:01] What you are proposing this evening is not only disrespectful, but totally irresponsible. Your constituents will be greatly harmed by voting for the Hajo application. It will set a precedence that overrides protections that safeguard our community from unwanted and disastrous political-motivated actions that will have dire consequences for our property, communities, and environment.

[05:10:25] In the case of the HAGO application, no comprehensive plan amendments are being required. Why does Corey Stewart get to forego the regulations that protect us? And I was going to also talk about project industry, but since it's deferred, I won't go.

[05:10:43] And so what I'm going to say is I suspect that beneficiaries of these EGLE acts, such as Stewart, Gordy, Jefferson, and other BOX members, are motivated by self-interest. The P.W. County Board of Supervisors are blatantly disregarding the rules set in place to protect the very people they swore to represent.

[05:11:02] And I am waiting for when the town hall is going to be announced, because you guys are a month behind, and we could sure use your help. Thank you. Next speaker, please.

[05:11:18] Could I try Elmo out for the first time, if you don't mind? Okay. No worries. If you don't mind, I'll start talking. Okay.

[05:11:35] Can't really see that at all. Sorry. So that's the property on the National Wetlands Inventory. That green is wetlands. I'm sorry. My name is Melody Miller, Neabsco District. Sorry, guys. I got enthusiastic for a second there.

[05:11:52] On the Elmo, you can see that the green is wetlands, according to NWI. The blue, these two little blue lines, are intermittent streams in times of heavy rainfall. 2026 was record rainfall, by the way. So while former Supervisor Stewart has said that the wetlands are not within the dotted line boundary, if you're intending to put 20 acres of impervious surfaces, you're absolutely going to affect that.

[05:12:23] So I don't think this board, this board hasn't really indicated any willingness to deny this, even though our 2040 plan mandates preserving wetlands to the extent possible. This proposal directly actually contradicts that. And so you do have the Conditional Zoning Authority under Virginia Code 15.2 to demand substantial impact-based offers.

[05:12:46] I would say starting with a hydrological study, because I couldn't find anywhere in any of the paperwork an actual hydrological expert who came out and looked at this and said, here's what the watershed impact is going to be. So I would say actually talking to someone or having someone who knows how that's going to be affected come out would be the first step.

[05:13:06] mitigation, tree preservation. I will say, as somebody who regularly uses the fire and rescue complex, and Noakesville is my first do. I staff station five every single week. We do a lot of things. We don't turn our sirens on in Noakesville because it spooks the horses. We run silent at night because it spooks the residents and the horses. Carriage Ford, to the other lady's point, is not a road for heavy industrial. Even taking tankers down there is you're taking your life in your own hands carriage ford has a lot of horses on it um if you're going to build chimney sleeves

[05:13:40] you can't mitigate that noise if you're going to put a concrete plant on there that's tremendously emotionally environmentally damaging and you're taking down all the trees we all to be fair the fire department already burns a lot of stuff but we are surrounded by trees that filter a lot of that particulate out you're not going to be able to do that if you're cutting down all the trees to put a pad there for light industrial. So just as you're thinking through the impacts to this, I haven't heard anybody talk about the noise because that is not a noisy road. Even with the fire academy, we don't operate at night on weekends, right? We operate during the business

[05:14:19] day. If you're going to put industrial and take away a lot of the things that remove pollutants from the air, like the trees and some of the mitigation factors, we breathe that. We're outside training we can't train for fire inside so you have a lot of legislative options and zoning options to demand studies and look at what the impacts are actually going to be rather than rely on the applicant to tell you what they think they are and i encourage you to use them thank you so much all right thank you so much i'm going to turn to supervisor angry for remote public comment on

[05:14:53] thank you madam chair do we have anybody remote uh good evening yes we do our first speaker is Rachel Ellis. Thank you. Ms. Rachel, go ahead. Good evening, Rachel Ellis, Gainesville District.

[05:15:11] I respectfully request that you deny this rezoning. Today, I received Supervisor Vega's newsletter, which was extremely timely. Ms. Rachel, can I pause you for one second? Hey, Chris, can we turn that up any more? Ma'am, I'm sorry if you could kind of speak up just a little more if we can't adjust the volume. How about that? All right. Thank you. I'll try screaming louder. Today, I received Supervisor Vega's newsletter, which was extremely timely as it contained a commissioner corner in which Planning Commissioner Justice explained a comprehensive

[05:15:45] plan amendment. She stated, simply put, a CPA is needed when a proposed change does not align with the county's current long-term vision for how a property should be used. This property is currently zoned A1 agricultural. They are requesting the change into M1 heavy industrial. Everything is zoned agricultural surrounding this property, including the residents around this property.

[05:16:11] The comprehensive plan clearly outlines this property as I2, industrial use transit 2, not M1. I consider M1 to be a more intensive step up regarding uses than I2. If this proposed rezoning plan is consistent with the I-2 designation in the cop plan, why are they not just requesting a rezoning to I-2? Why does it have to be M-1? And if it has to be M-1, why is this applicant not submitting a CPA? This change does not align with the county's long-term vision on how this property should be used or the surrounding area. It undermines the county's planning process to

[05:16:49] allow this change without filing a CPA. It also sets a precedent for other applications wishing to rezone at a different land use than what the comprehensive plan allows. And while planning staff stated a ZTA was initiated but not finalized, a CPA then should be followed. At the planning commission hearing, several residents spoke about how rural the area is as they did tonight.

[05:17:14] My concern is with Warrington Road is I would like basically the language to be clarified as to what happens after they restore it to the reconstruction condition, especially as people are going to continue to use it as an industrial road. For me, this application lacks transparency in the true intent of the future uses. It literally reads as if he wants to be able to cover a variety of possible future uses without actually committing to this board what those uses are and what

[05:17:49] possible consequences may have for the surrounding neighbors. Even these last minute changes given tonight should have been made to the public. And I actually want to thank the residents of this community for coming out to speak because without their voice tonight, anybody else listening, listening to the applicant or this board would think this whole area is industrial and that people do not actually live there. I'm asking you to defer or to deny this application. Thank you.

[05:18:16] Thank you, ma'am. Next speaker. Our next, sorry, excuse me. Our next speaker is Elena Schlossberg. Thank you. Go ahead, Ms. Schlossberg. Oh, there I am.

[05:18:35] Hi, Elena Schlossberg. I'm with the Coalition to Protect Prince William County. So I'd like five minutes, please. Yes, ma'am. I may not use it all, but I might. First of all, I want to thank all those wonderful residents who came out to share about what it's like living in that area.

[05:18:50] I think it's really important to understand this is not an industrialized area. There are homes. There are horses. It's a rural area, and we're still trying to have compatibility, at least we were. So I'll tell you, look, I'm not trying to be difficult, although I can hear my husband behind me saying, honey, you don't have to try.

[05:19:08] It just happens naturally. But I am so confused because David McGettigan got up and explained that this is, they're not rezoning to M1, but they are rezoning to M1.

[05:19:25] And so I believe this is very dangerous. I am not necessarily opposed to this application. What I am opposed to is changing the long-range land use via what I would describe as a staff decision.

[05:19:47] So I'm just going to read from the application itself. Through this proposal, the applicant is requesting to amend the underlying use designation for the site from A1 to M1, heavy industrial. The application deviates from the expectations in the I-2 regarding the implemented zoning district and with the inclusion of a few uses that are only allowed in M-1.

[05:20:12] However, the applicant is proffering to I-2 expectations regarding FIR target height, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. As such, the plan, the proposal is consistent with the land use policy intent of I-2. Nothing, it makes no sense that there is not a CPA with a companion rezoning.

[05:20:35] Everything that David McGettigan described as proffering should have happened with an M1 CPA. You could have done it that way, and then you just would have had this companion rezoning. What this does is it allows for staff to make changes behind the scenes that citizens might not always catch.

[05:21:08] These are exceptions. there are exceptions to the comp plan. And when you have a long-range land use designation that is not in the comp plan that you would like, the way you do it is you initiate a comprehensive plan amendment with a companion rezoning. I would like someone from staff to explain why they just did not do that with all the associated proffers. You can proffer everything out that you would like

[05:21:42] with M1. And I do not believe that the explanation was sufficient. In fact, it was only more confusing. It is being rezoned to M1. So let's see what else do I have to say. Well, I mean, look, I sent you my email. I mean, I'm reading from the comprehensive plan, consistency, long-range land use, plan consistency, no. You know, we have guardrails for a reason, so that everybody has to play by the same

[05:22:16] rules. If you want a rezoning to a land use designation that is not in the comp plan for the parcel you have bought, then you have to do a CPA. In fact, had the applicant, had Corey Stewart insisted, because Corey knows, Corey knows, did this a long time, that if you are changing the long-range land use designation to a different use, then you have to change the comprehensive plan.

[05:22:47] I would like someone to explain why they just didn't do that. I think it sets a terrible precedent. I think it does set up for abuse in the future. And I think this board cannot afford to allow these kinds of inconsistency.

[05:23:07] It's like saying, you know, long-range land use is residential. I mean, Village, Hamlet, RN, R4, R12. I mean, it's all the same. It's just residential. And so you would allow an applicant to come in and let's just say it was conservation residential.

[05:23:28] They could say, well, I mean, listen, if we proffer out a few things, just give us, you know, R4. That doesn't make any sense. So anyway, I think you should deny it or defer it. Have the applicant come back and do it the right way with a CPA and a companion rezoning.

[05:23:47] And then you would have less pushback. Thank you very much. Thank you, ma'am. Next speaker, please. Our next speaker is Vida Carroll. Go ahead. Hey, can you guys hear me?

[05:24:03] Yes, I can hear you. Okay, great. Vida Carroll, Brentsville District. I actually very much support outdoor storage materials here. I think allowing the business holder to support outdoor storage here is well within its property rights. And it really makes sense for this parcel.

[05:24:21] But what I am having a hard time with and what doesn't make sense is allowing a rezoning to take place that is not in line with the comp plan. It is reasonable that residents expect developers in this county and the county itself to follow planning procedures that have been set in place, which is the CPA process and which is the comp plan.

[05:24:45] A special exception for any applicant for any project rightfully raises eyebrows. Is this applicant specifically receiving special treatment because their legal team is a former county chair? If the county wants to allow outdoor storage under M2, which is light industrial, the county has the ability to initiate a zoning text amendment to do just that.

[05:25:05] Bypassing the procedures and protections set in place by our existing comp plan and zoning ordinance undermines our comp plan and zoning ordinance, and it undermines the integrity of the planning process. And frankly, it undermines the community that you all claim to serve. And I appreciate the applicant proffering out data centers, as it's true.

[05:25:24] The community does not want data centers. But you know what else the community doesn't want here is a concrete plant. And the applicant has not been honest with the Brentsville District that a concrete plant is exactly the long-term intention for this parcel. In an act of good faith towards the community, the applicant should absolutely proffer out a concrete plant.

[05:25:46] They should put it in as an unpermitted use, just like they have done for data centers. And the applicant, in an act of good faith, should also remove the height allowance for any structure so as to further prevent any loophole that could allow for a concrete plant tower or silo in the future.

[05:26:02] Residents no longer expect this board to do the right thing for our district. We actually expect this board to do the wrong thing. And it feels really pointless to be wasting our time speaking. And I think that's why there's, you know, about 75% less speakers tonight than there were at Planning Commission.

[05:26:19] But this community, Brentsville, deserves transparency from the developer. We deserve transparency from the board. We deserve adherence to the proper planning procedure. And frankly, if a concrete plant is being discussed for Brentsville, then residents and the neighbors should know that.

[05:26:35] That should be on the sign. That should be in the application. And it's not. This board has three ethical choices. One, deny this rezoning. Two, defer this rezoning until a CPA is submitted. Or three, consider rezoning this land to M2 with an SUP for outdoor storage.

[05:26:51] Thank you very much. Thank you, ma'am. Next speaker. Our next speaker is Jessica Grove. Go ahead, Ms. Grove. Good evening, Supervisors. Jessica Grove, I am from the Gainesville District. I'd like to thank the board for recognizing the Princeville soccer team first.

[05:27:13] I really do appreciate the recognition for all their hard work. Second of all, for this application, I also, I don't disagree that this would be a suitable place for outdoor storage.

[05:27:29] I think it's very reasonable to ask for that. The problem that I have is not doing a CPA and that the applicant, if they knew that they were going to be doing, wanting a cement plant, they should have started off purchasing a piece of property that would allow for that or gone about this the right way.

[05:27:53] In the Planning Commission, one of the first things that Corey Stewart said was, we're not going to talk about a cement plant tonight. So that is very indicative of hiding what the true purpose of this is for.

[05:28:09] I agree with Vita Carroll that that should absolutely be proffered out, that it is not an allowed use for this property. Because if that's the plan, which obviously it is, if that's the first thing that Corey Stewart brings up in the Planning Commission meeting, And it's also showing up tonight with very little notice and no notice really for the neighbors who live there.

[05:28:33] And I also think it's very indicative that nobody really brought up anything about the residents that live nearby. And when Corey Stewart talked about the surrounding areas during the planning commission, he was very dismissive about who lives there.

[05:28:50] And one resident was just, this is basically a dog kennel. There's lots of barking coming from there. those are people who live there. That's a family. There are horses, there are farms, there is a rural community. You need to be listening to the residents, and this needs to be gone about the right way through a CPA, and that has not been addressed. And I am afraid that if you do this tonight, it just shows the many developers who are coming forward with CPAs to change anything they want in the county. So I don't know who would want to move to

[05:29:29] to Western Prince William County when they have absolutely zero faith that what is in the comp plan will stay what is in the comp plan. You should be following the comp plan as it is because that is what holds us to a standard for our quality of life. And if you keep taking that away little bit by little bit, nobody's going to want to live here anymore. Thank you very much. Thank you, ma'am.

[05:29:57] Next speaker, please. Next speaker is Chris Grove. Ms. Grove, go ahead. Hi there, Chris Grove, gainesville district i'm hanging out in the princeville district at football tonight so pardon my uh location but uh no i i would like to just echo the last few speakers because i'm not so you know the using this parcel for storage and expanding his business i'm all good for that but i don't think the way we're going about this is is the right way um i i first of first off just

[05:30:34] have a real problem with setting the precedent of not going through a CPA and just kind of doing an end around for the zoning for this property. Because if we're continuing to hollow out the 2040 comp plan by either not doing CPAs or pushing CPAs that don't align with what we set forth in the comp plan, I think it's a bad precedent to set and it's a bad message to overdevelopment or development in the wrong areas of the county, including in my district.

[05:31:07] And I'm especially concerned because one of the parties of this actual application is doing similar in the Gainesville district, where they might be doing it with a CPA, but they're pushing for development that is completely outside of the 2040 comp plan.

[05:31:24] So there's just multiple levels of spidey sense that are just raising alarms here. And I don't think that the board should move forward with this as is. It either needs to be deferred or denied. Make them come back with the CPA. Make them do it right.

[05:31:40] If we've got to fix the comp plan, then fix the comp plan, fix the zoning ordinance. Do it the right way, but don't do the end around for this. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Next speaker, please. Hello, Chris, I got you.

[05:32:03] I'm sorry, my mic didn't unmute. We have no more speakers, sir. All right. Thanks, Chris. Thank you. Back to you. All right. Thank you, sir, very much. We finally got the updated proffer statement, which I would have been trying to quickly compare against the last one to see what all changes have been made.

[05:32:22] I want to see if the applicant first want to respond to any of the comments that you've heard. Madam Chair, I'll be happy to respond to anything, any questions that you have concerning that.

[05:32:38] We did make clear in the proper statement and the application that any sort of future concrete facility, small batch concrete plant requires a SUP approval by this board.

[05:32:57] And is that the intent to at some point have a concrete plant? It is possible in the future that Elder would need to do that. He can explain it. If you'd like to understand that a little bit more, Mr. Ramos, we wouldn't mind coming forward. Definitely. Just to answer the question, is that definitely eventually to have a concrete plant, you guys will have the vote to do so.

[05:33:25] It's not something that I'm able to do by right through this process currently. And part of the challenges for a small business to be able to obtain concrete is that I'm not big enough to go to Vulcan and get it directly at the right times for our customers.

[05:33:43] Let's say any of you guys want a patio, hire me to do it. I have it on schedule for Tuesday. The weather is not good because it's bipolar in Virginia, so we cancel the concrete that day. By the time I reschedule, I'm about three weeks out, so I can't run a business that way, and I'm not big enough for booking to give me prime time.

[05:34:01] It will be 8 o'clock, 9 o'clock. So we have to make Iver find our own way to be able to service our customers. So that is eventually, I would love to have a concrete, a small concrete plant for myself so I can do my own jobs.

[05:34:16] But I'm not in position to do that right now. So let's talk about what does that mean? What is a small concrete plant? How much would you be producing? I would say that I pour, and I'm giving you numbers, I would say that we can pour between three to four patios a week.

[05:34:32] So that would be, let's say, 40 yards. So that's making it about 40 yards of concrete. So I don't know how to describe it. All right. I appreciate that. Mr. Stewart, if you can step back, because I want to make sure I understand what I'm reading.

[05:34:48] Because I'm trying to look at the old proffer statement, and I'm looking at what was given us. The proffer stated data, July 15, it goes to C, looks like there's four Cs. You said you are adding in a use here, an additional use, or?

[05:35:07] Sure, yeah. So if you take a look at the, first of all, in the profit statement, the date is updated to September 1st. And then if you take a look at the next to the last paragraph, it refers to the GDP dated August 24th. And the only difference between that GDP and the one that's in your packet originally is the, it's not a legal change.

[05:35:29] It's just relabeling the yard sites on the GDP, just to be clear what's allowed. And basically, we added the language I said, and any other uses allowed under the proper statement, under the rezoning. So that's that.

[05:35:45] And then if you take a look at under the property uses, the prohibited uses, and it goes through, there's 80 of them. Originally, there were 81 that were prohibited. On the original proper statement, it was fabrication of sheet metal, and that's been removed from the prohibited uses.

[05:36:06] And that's the extent of the changes. I believe that that was a discussion that I had with the applicant about something my chief of staff brought up. Can you explain to me more about fabrication of sheet metal? Like, what is it, again, that they want to be able to do on the site?

[05:36:23] Well, you know, I think I might bring him back up here. Elder, he's the professional on this. So go ahead. Just to give a quick explanation on the reason why we need to be able to bend or fabricate the metal is to give you a technical day-to-day in my world when someone hires me to let's say build an outdoor fireplace you want it to be a wood-burning fireplace in addition to getting my zoning and my building permits down i also have inspections to meet with the county inspectors one of those inspections are going to make sure that the fireplace is not combustible so i have to make

[05:37:00] it out of our metal and then what i do is we'll then create everything out of two by four metal frame it and then we'll put it into to the job site and it's already pre-made think in terms of legos putting legos together we take it to a job site and it's already done instead of cutting all the metal on the job site which can bother the neighbors be very loud and obviously make a mess so that's what we will need that in addition to that we also do that for the exterior outdoor kitchens for say we i also do that for those items so i'm not familiar with sheet metal

[05:37:36] fabrication i don't know the ins and outs are there any environmental concerns with sheet metal fabrication no no ma'am i'm literally just buying the metal and abandon it the way i need it to so no ma'am all right supervisor vega thank you madam chair uh elder if you could stay there because you're the one that i want to elaborate and expand a little bit more uh first off thank you for coming to my office my planning commissioner was present at that meeting and we were able to go over um some of the questions and concerns that were raised during the PC hearing and how you all you know made right with those requests I just

[05:38:14] want to remind my colleagues on the day is that we're talking about a small business in this county and for us to not confuse things or to mislead because it is a small business so when you were in my office I did ask for you to explain to me a little bit about you know the concrete I wouldn't even call it a plan because the way that you explained it to me was maybe a concrete truckload is that correct yes ma'am okay and um another thing that i was asking about was is it safe to say that you have to weld to a certain extent yes ma'am okay um we don't want anybody welding outside of their garage um would it be fair to say that your work your work um

[05:38:53] involves perhaps if somebody is asking for a custom kitchen and you need a metal framing for that is that the type of work that you're doing yes ma'am okay um thank you for that i think that the facts are really important. Again, I understand we are at a point here in the county when land use can be a very emotionally charged issue, but I don't want to lose sight of your business, the size of your business, and what exactly you're asking of this board here tonight.

[05:39:18] So thank you for elaborating on those two items. Supervisor Stewart. Hi, this message, well, message, sorry. This question is also for Elder. So when it comes to this sheet metal fabrication, you said that you don't necessarily want to do that on site because it's loud and would disturb the neighbors.

[05:39:43] Yes, ma'am. Yes, sir. How loud is that? Like, would it disturb the neighbors where your facility would be located? So to answer that question, we have, it's nearly 24 acres. And the area around me is a training facility, and then the other next neighbor is probably 15 acres away.

[05:40:05] Compared to if I'm working at a community, there is probably children, There's probably people, it's just a lot more limited, so they would be allowed for them. But where I'm working, there's nobody in my 23 acres. Gotcha.

[05:40:20] And the other question is... I'm sorry, my phone was guiding me on part of your answer. Go ahead, sir. Yeah, go ahead. So part of what you were saying is that that's not only the thing we do. Out of my 10 jobs, we might need a fireplace that I do so.

[05:40:39] I might need an outdoor kitchen. Everybody, every customer we have has different needs. So not everybody's getting the fireplace and the outdoor kitchens and all those things. But we're being up front on what we do. So I don't want to be looking over my shoulder and doing something illegal and then be like, hey, you should have told us up front.

[05:40:59] We're being up front with everything that we do to be able to maximize our land and be truthful with you guys. Which I greatly appreciate. So one other question regarding the concrete. So you said about 40 yards a week.

[05:41:15] And I know we're not at that spot yet, but I'm just kind of thinking forward for your business, like future thinking. How many yards does a typical concrete truck hold? Good question, sir. So it comes in three different measurements. You can get a meter truck that is going to be eight yards, or you can get a already mixed truck that's going to be 10 yards, and there is a 12-yard truck.

[05:41:38] so you're talking about uh four trips uh with a mixer four trips a week correct but hopefully i get some more gotcha gotcha okay um and the next question is for staff but thank you very much yeah just kind of something that's just kind of stuck in my craw is i know it was said uh when madam chair asked about it that this is a one-off right but what's to keep somebody from

[05:42:14] proffering around a CPA going forward? I think the way we've talked about it is every case is unique, so every case is situational. And we always look at that with each application that we get, and that is the same mentality when we go up to the Planning Commission and the Board.

[05:42:35] And I think they have a big... But, yeah, so, yeah, it's really just every case is unique. That's what we like to say with every applicant, regardless of the application, because, you know, every parcel lands different, different neighbors, different uses, different considerations.

[05:42:55] So that's, on the staff side, how we would address that. And then, obviously, then it's how the Planning Commission would interpret such future cases if they were to occur, and the board as well. Got it, because I'm still worried about this setting a particular type of precedent.

[05:43:18] Well, wow, we're going to be here a minute. We're going to be here a minute. Tanya Washington, Planning Director. Just wanted to make a general comment to help address your question. The comprehensive plan is policy guidance to the board to help inform the board's decision-making on land use cases.

[05:43:34] Comprehensive plan amendments are not requirements. They are requests that go to the board to consider making changes to the land use designations. And so in terms of the process, as was noted, The process is very dependent upon what the requests are, what the applications, what the proposed development is.

[05:43:51] And if there is a determination either through the requester who feels that they would like to request a comprehensive plan amendment or in consultation with staff, if we feel that a comprehensive plan amendment would be needed to support what the proposed development is, That is a conversation that we have with applicants.

[05:44:16] There are instances where, as you all know, there are a number of projects where the county has received multiple comprehensive plan amendment requests recently. And so those, you know, obviously come to the board for your consideration as to whether or not to initiate them.

[05:44:31] Because, again, they're not legal requirements. They are requests to the board to consider making those changes to the board's comprehensive plan. But as Harrison noted, every case is very unique and has its own considerations.

[05:44:47] And so there's sort of, there isn't necessarily, you know, everything has to go exactly the same way for every case because it's very case specific. And so the sense of what this created precedent, we are dealing with a particular situation, not only with the site conditions, but with the particular requests in terms of the future use and also just a consideration of the lane use designations and the current zoning.

[05:45:11] And the idea of, in this instance, of doing a comprehensive plan amendment to a higher density level in terms of industrial is not something that the staff felt was warranted. And so we felt that the approach that we took in this instance to address the fact that there's the issue of how do we address the outdoor storage situation with regards to the zoning ordinance, but also looking at sort of the full picture of what is being proposed with this application, We felt that the approach that we determined working with the applicant is one that staff supports.

[05:45:44] And I will note, as Harrison noted, when this application first came to the planning commission, the planning office recommended denial because there were a number of issues with it. And in this instance, the applicant did work with staff, with the board, as well as into consideration planning commission recommendations to address those issues.

[05:46:04] And so that's why we support, we recommend approval and we support this application. But again, every situation is very case-specific. And so we did not see this as a situation in terms of addressing the particular elements of this particular application where we felt a concern about creating a precedent.

[05:46:25] Okay, and I get all of that. My concern is about just the process, and I get that it's not maybe a legal requirement. But there are protocols and a process that's typically followed.

[05:46:43] And so when something steps outside of that, it just, for me, it just, it gets my spidey senses tingling. But I will, and probably this is like a discussion to have just between myself and staff at some other time.

[05:47:00] But just wanted to to ask about that, not so much as it pertains to this case, but just typically the overall process. Thank you. All right. Supervisor Gordy, Miss Washington, if you don't mind staying, because I think when this application was filed, it was right after it was early in 2024. And it was a case when I first looked at it, I said, there's no way I'm ever going to support this case, because, number one, it just left everything open.

[05:47:35] It was seeking M1 zoning. It left everything on the table. And let me walk back. I was on the planning commission when we did the CPA, a comp plan update. There was an attempt to do heavy industrial in Noakesville.

[05:47:54] I attended the Noakesville Business Association meetings. businesses from Noakesville, in Noakesville, who were complaining there's no place for them to do their work in Prince William County. They said, I just need a place to store my truck, and there's no place to go. We can't compete with data centers. We can't go into Hornbaker Industrial. We can't go into Wellington Road. We can't afford those land use prices. We can't afford the rents. So what's happening? You go out anywhere on 10-acre lots or even larger lots in Noakesville, and guess

[05:48:32] what? People are already doing this stuff illegally. They're already doing it. Elder is trying to follow the law. He's trying to do it right. And so when in 2022, when we were going through this, we said, if we're going to do any industrial in Oaksville, it must be light industrial. We must preserve this area for our small businesses because they have nowhere else to go in this county. They're going to Culpeper. Well, guess what? Gas now $4 a gallon. Guess what

[05:49:11] that does to your bottom line? And oh, by the way, you've got people sitting in trucks not working for 45 minutes each way, not making profit. It's hurting our businesses. And so if we did a CPA, what would that CPA take us to? To an I-3. I-3. Describe what we can do in I-3 and whether that is truly what is compatible with what we're trying to accomplish in noakesville no for one thing data

[05:49:44] centers are primary listed use in i3 so that would be an issue and also the um i3 has much higher intensity and height use and even though this is is m1 uh zoning in the label in and practicality A regular M1 would allow 0.5 FAR, and they're only going to 0.23, which is within the lower density range.

[05:50:14] They're only going to 45 feet, as opposed to what's allowed, of 70 feet in M1. So the intensity of the use, and they're proffering out 80 uses from the M1 zoning district, 80 uses.

[05:50:33] And so it's trying to fit our zoning ordinance into this I-2 classification that we have. We're following the guidance of the, again, the comprehensive plan is just a guide. It's guiding us the policy.

[05:50:49] We're trying to implement the policies, and this is the best way to implement those policies is by doing this heavily proffered M-1 zoning that gets it down to the intensity and height and the uses that we want to see in the I-2.

[05:51:07] And I'd just point out my house is taller than 45 feet in Noakesville. Most houses in Noakesville are over 45 feet in height. So just to point that out. So this is keeping it even below the houses anywhere in Noakesville, if they're two stories, with a 12-12 pitch roof.

[05:51:30] What I would also offer is I am not comfortable with going to I-3. I am not comfortable with that at all. And I think this is a case of be careful what you ask for, because now what we're doing is we're opening up the Noakesville corridor to heavier intense use than what we want because we want to be technical.

[05:51:53] At the end of the day, this is an I-2 planned area, which is a light industrial, and what we're getting is a light industrial. Now, let me ask this question. I'm sorry if I'm, can I have another five? Thank you.

[05:52:10] Metal fabrication, does that fit the definition of M2, a light industrial? Pulling up the definitions right now. Okay. And what about concrete?

[05:52:26] So they would need an SUP for concrete mixing. I'm assuming that's what we're looking at. A special use permit for a concrete plant. So they'd have to come back to the board.

[05:52:42] This does not give them permission to have a concrete plant. They would have to come back and get a special use permit. Okay.

[05:52:57] Yes, sheet metal fabrication would fall under sort of light assembly, which is part of light industrial. I just made a point. I do metal fabrication at my house. I make birdhouses. So, and so, and I'll just, now I'll just ask Elder if you could come up.

[05:53:19] Can you talk about what is involved in the process of cutting metal, folding metal? So what are the tools that you're using, and what are the noises that are generated from those tools? Yes, sir. So basically, my guys, we will have our goggles, and we use a grinder, and we cut it two by fours based on the size that we need, and then we put it together and we weld it.

[05:53:44] And then with that, we create the fireplace or whatever it was we're trying to create. Like putting Legos together. In terms of loud, it's a grinder. So you can hear it in a small area like this, but when we're in the open, you're not going to be able to hear it.

[05:54:01] That's pretty much everything. So in terms of the noise levels, and you're using a circular saw to cut 2x4s, you're using grinders to cut metal, You're using nail guns to attach things, maybe even using an air compressor for other types of things.

[05:54:25] Air compressors are going on. Maybe a generator that helps support your tools. Are those the things that would be on site that you would be utilizing? Yes, sir. Those are our day-to-day. Okay. Those are our day-to-day. Yeah. All right. That's all I have for now. Thank you, Madam Chair. All right.

[05:54:41] I have one thing, and I think that we're going to go ahead and call for vote. And I said this earlier, and I want to say it again, is we need to get our proffers. We need to get everything ready. So when it comes to the board, we see it, it's final form. We did it earlier with Prologis, and I'm tired of this. So this question is for the applicant and for staff.

[05:55:00] You may sit down. Why are we getting this? Why is the date of September 1st, and why are we getting it today? This project has been worked on for a while. Why are we getting this today before or during the board meeting? Sure, yeah, and that's a very good question.

[05:55:15] So what we did is we actually provided this to the staff as soon as we got it, but the dispatch had already gone out. So what you have is that one change, and we were aware of it. As soon as we were aware of it, we sent it off to the staff.

[05:55:32] Well, my question is, I mean, you've been working on this case, I assume, and you were working with the applicant. You guys just decided after it was dispatched that that was something you wanted to allow for and remove from the property? Yeah, that's pretty much the gist of it, yes. Okay, so I'm saying this to you, I'm saying this to every land use attorney and Sherpa, and I'm saying this to the board, we've got to do better.

[05:55:56] It may be a minor change, just like Prologis was earlier, but we've really got to do better, especially for cases that have been worked on for a while. I know there's a lot of staff time, there's a lot of money, there's a lot of things that go into this. But I'm really tired of proffers coming to us during a board meeting.

[05:56:16] That is not acceptable. It isn't. If there's no more questions, I'd like to go ahead. Tom, would you like to do a motion? Madam Chair, thank you. First of all, let me, I want to thank everyone who's spoken out on this.

[05:56:32] I think for all the work that's been done on this, this has been a long process. This has been nearly four years in the making. It has gone through a lot of efforts to get this thing to the right place and to meet the intent of our comp plan and to meet the intent of the Noakesville Industrial.

[05:56:54] I appreciate the folks that live on Carriage Ford Road. I was out there the other day. I am working with transportation to deal with the issues on Carriage Ford Road. I have a meeting with them on Thursday, and we'll be having this conversation because we have a current existing problem because of the training center, And I think the county needs to adjust and address the challenges on Carriage Ford Road because the county itself is creating the problem.

[05:57:25] So we need to work on that. And then also working to try to resolve Warrenton Road. Again, in my view, I don't want to open this up to a CPA because the CPA opens up the door to more intense uses.

[05:57:47] And that's not the intent of what we want to accomplish here in Noakesville. We want to keep it light industrial. We don't want to open the door to heavy industrial. And that's what a comp plan amendment would do. And secondly, this does accomplish the intent of the Noakesville Industrial.

[05:58:03] It is for small businesses to have a place to put their storage and to have outdoor storage, storage of their vehicles, and to be able to keep the small businesses in Prince William County continuing to do their work and to have a place where they're not having to compete with data centers for land.

[05:58:20] And that's why we have done everything that we can to keep data centers out of Noakesville. And that will continue to be my commitment. And so, Madam Chair, I move for approval of item 14A.

[05:58:36] Second. With proffers dated September 1, 2026. Second. All right. Any discussion? Supervisor Bode. Yeah. Thank you, Madam Chair. Just very quickly, wanted to thank the folks that came out understanding your concerns. As Supervisor Gordy said, you have a very semi-rural, rural dirt road, and you already have some other uses there, and you have introducing another use.

[05:58:58] There's obviously going to be anxiety associated with that, and we know what's going to come next, the impacts, what have you. I also want to thank staff for their work on this. As Supervisor Gordy said, we know that this is basically going on since and even right before we updated the comp plan.

[05:59:14] So that should not be lost on us either. I also want to thank the applicant for, you know, soldiering through all this. Again, as Supervisor Vega said, cannot be overstated enough that you all are a small business. You're the exact type of business we want to try to keep and retain and attract to Prince William County.

[05:59:31] And so for some, in some cases, the rightful reasons, but overall, just the wanting to get this as technically sound as possible, we're going to make a small business owner go back and go through a CPA process, which again, could have unintended consequences from a land use perspective, to me sends the wrong message to our small businesses that, hey, we want to keep you here, but we're going to make you go spend more money, more time, more effort to go through a much larger process than what should be designed for a small business.

[06:00:02] this um so i wanted to say that i also want to speak to something that's where as a gordy just said it's happening all over the place i see it under the new hat that i have now with my job folks are that are trying to keep their businesses their small businesses their contractors their lay down yards all their equipment yards have two options right now you do it illegally or you go somewhere else they're going to warrenton they're going to culpepper they're going to fock here county they're going to farther places out because they can't do it here people talk about they don't like traffic they don't like impacts they don't like all these things that come up with doing the

[06:00:37] development but there's also a cost of inaction we're constantly saying no to things as well and that's what we're going to get people are complaining about traffic on 28 well guess what if these guys have to go farther out to to to warrenton or to fock here or some other place and they have to drive in not only is that a cost of the business then send people driving on roads they don't necessarily have to drive on because we have the capability to have them housed here in Prince William County. But also, what is the statement to our businesses? We say we want to diversify our economy. We say we don't want to just be an all-eggs-in-one-basket kind of county, but then if we make it harder for small businesses to start their selves, to grow, and to scale,

[06:01:17] we're basically telling them that we don't want them here. So we're saying one thing and then doing another. So I really want to just highlight that we have to continue to have tough conversations around how we're making our zoning ordinance our comp plan and all of our other documents and processes more friendly to have these these small businesses grow and thrive in the county so i appreciate the conversation when you were up here earlier christina because i also know you're working with tanya and her team as we go through the zoning ordinance update to make sure that we don't keep falling these pitfalls where there's folks that have legitimate concerns but because they're so concerned about how it conforms with the current zoning ordinance they're also

[06:01:55] inadvertently telling this board to say no to businesses businesses that we want to have um so i just wanted to appreciate and highlight that too and the last thing i'll say is i know that in the line of work that that you know elder's talking about but also in the types of tenants that he's looking to attract there's not always going to be a one-size-fits-all very tight structured box that these folks can fall into you may not even know the types of tenants you're going to have applying there i'm sure there's some in this room right now that may be interested in it. So as we continue to have conversations around these lay down yards, these equipment yards, these fleet parking, I know that we've talked a lot about parking fleets and where people can

[06:02:34] park their commercial vehicles. We continue to find that balance between being good neighbors to people that currently exist. We're also understanding that there's going to be businesses that we don't even know exist yet, or you may not even know your tenants yet, but we don't want to say no and slam the door on them before they even had a chance to apply for it. That's the way we'll be able to find a good way forward in an area that we said we want to have lighter industrial more suburban semi-rural industrial uses because the far the intensity everything else falls a heck of a lot farther into the the uh the i2 versus the i3 and that's where we're trying to land and so at the end of the day we just have to continue to have these tough conversations

[06:03:13] do what's right by the by the residents but also understand that there's also businesses that we want to continue to attract and retain in this county. Thank you, Madam Chair. Supervisor Angry? Let me try to be brief. I don't have questions, as you notice through all this, waiting to this part just to make my statement. My chief of staff calls these mindful exercises.

[06:03:35] And so let's talk about this mindful exercise. Two issues we have. Always land use. Everything is always land use. But the other one is we literally have a company, a family here who is law abiding and trying to follow a process to be legal in what they're doing in their business now let me just say this and i don't mean to be funny about it i need this model here on the eastern of the county where i see mobile mechanics working in every auto zone parking lot fixing cars i got so many oil stains as we all see all over the place because guess what i'm starting to think

[06:04:14] that if these folks saw this meeting right now they don't want to legalize their business because it's very tough because we're having some I feel unnecessary conversations about really how do we clean up trying to legalize businesses which is what we just and I'm not even saying your business was illegal you're literally simply trying to streamline your process grow your company do things that aren't done on site where you're working and literally have a facility that's clearly out of the way and I'm sorry because I know this is going to affect a few homeowners but But I know that academy well.

[06:04:47] I spent almost a year there in fire school, so I know that area very well. And it seemed to me a no-brainer that this would be literally that, without it being the regular conversation that we're always having about big business and that word data center. So I really felt that this was really something that would be simple to do.

[06:05:06] And, Supervisor Gordon, I appreciate everything you said because, literally, once again, I'll say it. You said this before in the past, pretty much what you're saying now, and how, you know, you even talked about the fact that you went to that small business meeting and found out that folks wanted this.

[06:05:22] And here we are today having this conversation, but it was, I mean, kind of long. But we have to go through these mindful exercises, but I hope at the end of this we really see small business and an opportunity for others to want to come forward and actually be a part of the county by growing their business into brick and mortar and in the process.

[06:05:42] So I really thank you for this effort. Thank you all for, you know, bringing this to grow in the county and not leave the county and doing it the right way. So thank you. Supervisor Bailey. Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm going to take the baton from Supervisor Angry.

[06:05:58] Thank you for passing it to me, and I'm going to start with growth. And I, you know, we do have to learn and grow together as a community, and we have an exceptional community. First thing I want to say is, Elder, hi, Joe.

[06:06:14] Thank you for deciding to live here and to establish your business here because we, in all communities, small business stimulate the economy in wherever people live.

[06:06:30] And so for your vision and understanding that and not leaving and working through from the time that you came to my office and talked about this and I didn't give you the thumbs up. The thumbs were like this. I'm like, but you didn't give up is what I'm saying.

[06:06:46] And so thank you for living here and raising your family here. And it's a family unit. He says, I got the father-in-law. Y'all are doing it together. And so the trust is there, and we want to help you build that trust. And so to my colleague, Tom, we learn from you all the time.

[06:07:07] And you don't say much, but when you say it, it's pointed. You were on the planning commission. That helps us in making decisions. We may not agree, but it helps us in making decisions. And so you were here with all of this, and you constantly show us different ways of how we can support staff and the client in saying yes or no or not now.

[06:07:30] And so for staff, economic development and planning, again, this is an example of how y'all are collaborating together when in the past you weren't. And I don't mean that in a negative sense. You were, but you weren't like you are now. And that helps us make a decision also.

[06:07:47] And Mr. Stewart, you're going to be the gift that keeps on giving because you're going to be transitioning consistently. Your role in the past is not what your role is now. And just call that growth.

[06:08:04] You take the punches, we give them. We're going to give them, you know, but we need answers from you. So prep us and prime us to be able to say yes to the client always, you know, but it's growth, you know. And then to our wonderful constituents that came out and gave your views on how you feel about this, we appreciate your voices.

[06:08:27] We have to make these decisions collectively, and it's hard because we're not going to satisfy anybody always. And that's hard. That's hard, but that's why they pay us the big bucks. That's why y'all pay us the big bucks. But you pay us to serve and serve everybody, not just in spots.

[06:08:45] So, I say that not in a negative sense at all, but to say that the process that Harrison took us through was tough, two years. But you stayed the course, and you fed us the right way, you and Tom.

[06:09:03] So, I appreciate that. And, you know, Madam Chair has been on me all night about commenting, but that's kind of how I express myself. I'm sorry, Madam Chair. But that's how I, because every community is important to me. And so I appreciate the presentation tonight.

[06:09:19] I agree with Madam Chair. Corey, set us up better. Last minute, you know, you've been up here. That's the transition, sitting up here making these last-minute decisions, you know, just set us up a little bit better. We'd appreciate that. But I want to say to Elder, the community, the citizen, the business owner, you help us in diversifying what we do here.

[06:09:43] And that's important as we build a tax base so this county is not riding on the citizens' backs. to support it. Thank you, Madam Chair. Supervisor LaCroix. Well, I already said it when I met you. You make me want to help you. I'm thinking, who needs a deck? I'm dying to give your name out.

[06:10:06] But so oftentimes, you know, the county makes it hard for people. And it does my heart good when people are showing grace. So you were denied. And then our staff kept working with you.

[06:10:22] And, you know, you don't have that kind of success. You know, usually somebody's really mad on the other side or on this side. And this was a success story. We showed grace, and you showed grace, and it's a winner in my view.

[06:10:40] But, again, I'm going to be calling you because I'm going to get people to go to your business. Thank you. All right, I'm going to say a few things. You know, first of all, when you came to my office, I talked to you, and I appreciate the conversation. And I certainly support small businesses. I also support process.

[06:10:57] I really am a big fan of process. I'm going to vote for this because I think it's a good project. But I'm also going to keep harping on process because people who've sat in this seat should know better. And when you know better, you do better. Let me make myself very clear.

[06:11:13] Process matters. I'm not going to hold up a project because of process yet. There may come a time where I decide I'm not going to vote for something because people are skirting the process. I don't like that. Because transparency matters. It's not fair to come here with a last-minute change and the voice is honest while we're on the dais.

[06:11:34] I don't like that. It's happened once today, and I said something. I'm going to say something again because I keep saying something, and again, maybe there comes a point where I'm not going to be as gracious. But I don't want to hurt a small business owner, and I don't want to hurt someone who has been earnest in trying to work with the county.

[06:11:51] I don't want to do that. I know that you've been a lot, Elder, you and your family have been through a lot with this process. It gets ugly sometimes. I do appreciate your willingness. You took a no and you came back and you worked with the county. I appreciate that greatly.

[06:12:07] That shows that you are a man of integrity and that you do want to be an asset to this community. But I'm going to say to everyone else, process matters. I don't want to get another last minute proffer adjustment.

[06:12:24] I don't know how to make that any more clear to anyone. This part needs to stop. Again, I don't want to hurt a small business process because of other people's sloppiness or perhaps it's laziness or perhaps I don't know what it is.

[06:12:40] But that I do not appreciate, especially from people who have sat on this dais. I take this role seriously. If we're going to make decisions, then we need to make decisions. We need to properly read through everything because that's what the public expects from us.

[06:13:02] There are a lot of people who are upset about this project and we've heard them out. I've read their emails, I've listened to their concerns. I don't want to do anything that undermines the integrity and the trust that people place in us and place in our decision-making. That's why process also really matters. But again, I'm not going to hold up a good project because of a sloppy process. I'm not going to do that.

[06:13:33] You have a business that's needed. You have a business that actually employs people and brings more jobs than a data center. And we do have a problem in this county with having enough land for businesses like yours? That's a common thing that I hear from a lot of business owners and from economic development. We also know that we need to diversify our local economy, and so that is very important to me. And so that is another reason why I'm supporting this application. But to keep beating the dead horse and bringing it up after I bury it, process matters. So for everyone on this

[06:14:12] dais, all of our land use attorneys, all of our land use Sherpas, process matters. Okay, process matters i'll get a t-shirt i'll put a hashtag on it process matters i don't want another sloppy process like we had tonight so with that i will call for the vote vote unanimous all right thank

[06:14:50] you very much we are going to move on to public comment time we can let the other people leave

[06:14:58] all right we are moving on to agenda item number 15 and that is public comment time i have two

[06:15:43] people signed up to speak in person i have again the rules are you go to the back please adjust the microphone so that we hear you begin by stating your name and the magisterial district where you reside you have three minutes and there's going to be a timer so please go to the back i have greg

[06:16:04] mathern and melody miller hi i'm greg mathern i'm in the aquapon district i think it's first off, we're losing supervisors, and that's just incredibly disrespectful. But besides that, I want to talk today about Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers.

[06:16:35] I've reviewed the Prince County William Police Department website. I've spoken to the agency briefly regarding the use of ALPRs. I take them at their word when they're telling us that they are useful to solve and prevent crime. The reality, though, is it's not a question of when, but a question or not a question of if but a question of when that information is going to be used improperly by folks. I work for a federal agency where it's a criminal offense punishable by a year in jail and a thousand dollar fine to illegally look up or improperly look up a citizen's

[06:17:09] information. That does not exist for the use of these cameras and we have seen time and time again throughout the country that law enforcement and others who have access to these cameras improperly use them to track people. We have seen them use these cameras to stalk former romantic acquaintances, to stalk people that they just randomly met. We've seen this information used to track women seeking health care because somebody decided that a woman didn't deserve health care. We have seen these systems fail and result in people pulled over on the side of the

[06:17:48] road at gunpoint because there was an error in the system. And Prince William County is employing these and is contributing to the problem. Flock boasts that its cameras have an accuracy rate in over the 90% range. But even at 97%, in our county, if every citizen went by one of those cameras just once, we would have 15,000 errors a month. Flock is scanning billions, billions of license plates every year. That's resulting in tens of millions of incorrect reports. These errors are

[06:18:24] going to get someone killed and if you continue to allow flock to be used in this county you all every single one of you up on that dais will have personal culpability in the death of someone flock might be a tool that can solve some crimes but it's coming at the expense of our rights as citizens to be free of the constant surveillance of the state these systems were incomprehensible 80 years ago yet they were the very basis of george orwell big brother when he wrote about that in 1984. 1984 was not a roadmap. It was a warning, and you should all be very cognizant of

[06:19:02] that. I'm calling on this board to require the Prince William County Police Department to remove all existing flat cameras and prohibit the any use of such similar technology in the future. You are endangering our lives. You are surveilling the people. It is unacceptable. Thank you.

[06:19:20] Next speaker, please. Thanks again. Last speaker, so I'll make it quick. My name is Melody Miller. I live in Neabsco. I had a statement prepared on the 14B, which obviously has been pulled, but I want to take a moment and say I'm really disappointed in the approval that you just gave to that after we just spat here for 90 minutes and talked about how they didn't follow any of the process.

[06:19:44] You absolutely had the option to defer that for 30 days. Give the public the opportunity to review those proffers that came today because I haven't seen them, the public hasn't seen them, and do this the right way. Even if it's not a CPA, you absolutely had the opportunity to give the public that information and you actively chose not to. Citizens in this county have a right to know what the board is approving. You ostensibly work for us. So I just wanted to remind you guys that you did have an option to defer and you actively chose not to. 30 days would not have made a difference

[06:20:20] to a small business. As a small business owner, I can say that very truly. What I wanted to address with my last two minutes though is to, as a nod to Supervisor Gordy's earlier admonition about buy-right data center development for 14B. I totally get that.

[06:20:37] I want to just remind the board again that even though you can't require certain things under Virginia code, you do retain full site authority over the site plan subdivision plot and building permit approvals. So when they do come back, since you've deferred it, I urge you to use that power.

[06:20:53] I urge you to impose the maximum allowable physical conditions through site plan review. Conditions imposed must relate to public health, safety, and welfare. They're fully authorized, and they include environmental impacts on the citizens. I ask that you demand a full infrastructure analysis. This is a 150-megawatt data center.

[06:21:11] There's two new codes, Virginia Code 15.2-2209.4, which is the High Energy Use Facility Assessment Law, and Virginia Code, it's 62.1-44.38, which is the data center water use disclosure.

[06:21:27] There's also another HB, I think, 64 that just came out. But you can and you should require a full analysis of the demand on grid capacity, especially with PMJ's warning, a full disclosure of water consumption impacts on the Occoquan Reservoir, which is eight inches below normal, and a full accounting of the infrastructure grid cost that will fall on rate payers.

[06:21:47] Okay, so I would urge you to put the full picture on the public record, environmental, financial, social, before any approval goes forward. I would also ask that you demand voluntary commitments and put them on record. You can't require proffers and buy rate. I understand that, but you can request and publicly document commitments, and then you can hold them accountable.

[06:22:08] So while you can't require them to offer it, you can certainly ask them, and then you can hold them to what they've promised, right? You can create a public record of what an applicant was unwilling to commit to and protect county citizens from greenwashing. Again, by right does not mean by right to the community.

[06:22:25] So I encourage you to urge, I encourage you to use the tools at your review, the power invested in you under your authority and protect our uh watersheds and our citizens and our future thank you so much thank you so very much i'm going to turn to supervisor angry for a remote public comment time do we have any remote speakers uh yes we do our first speaker is chris grove go ahead mr grove sorry chris can you uh can you defer me to the next person uh sorry i need to

[06:22:59] pull over okay i believe we can do that our second speaker sorry our next speaker is going to be miss jessica grove all right miss groves go ahead hi this is jessica grove um i just want to say um that it was mentioned before um with the hydro property that um it's difficult to find properties within prince william county and that they are moving you know businesses are moving out

[06:23:37] small businesses are moving out because they can't afford to be here and i just want to remind the board that the decisions that have been made by this board are what is causing that to happen. And it has been said by Christina Wynn several times before that because of all these data center approvals, because you're approving CPA initiations, the cost of land in this area has

[06:24:08] skyrocketed to levels that the normal homeowner or the normal business cannot afford. So the problems that we're seeing in the county for small businesses, you guys have caused. And I would like some acknowledgement towards that for future CPAs that you guys seem to be allowing to come forward

[06:24:40] that are troublesome um i know i have said this before and i i am going to say it again in the western end we are dealing with predatory land developers that it is impossible the decisions that you guys have made in the past are causing people to flee and they are causing people to take what they can get and screw the rest of the community while they're at it and i will say it

[06:25:15] over and over and over again, this is a community. You guys are representing us as homeowners, as residents, and as humans. And the decisions that you make should not always be based on money or profits for certain people. It should be based on the quality of life and the health and the well-being of the residents who are here and who have made it what it is. Thank you.

[06:25:42] Thank you, ma'am. Next speaker, please. Next speaker is Mr. Chris Grove. Thank you. I appreciate that. Chris Grove, Gainesville District, also VP of the Lawnvale Estates HOA, but I'm not going to take much time.

[06:26:03] For Supervisor Gordy, I do appreciate your comment about some questions. You don't necessarily want to ask the question or go through the CPA process because it could open you up to more things. So I do appreciate that. One thing I am pleased that you all did while considering this is you listen to your planning staff.

[06:26:27] That's that's great. You need to listen to the planning staff. You need to listen to the citizens, the residents of your neighbor of the district. I'm pleased that you actually showed deference to Supervisor Gordy as the district supervisor and letting him lead the way in how that decision went.

[06:26:49] Conversely, I would like to say from the last DOCS meeting with Manassas Preserve and Cat Hart Bend Valley Estates, I'm very disappointed in the board's unwillingness to listen to the planning staff. You listened, but you didn't really give them much respect and didn't value their opinions, their professional opinions, because they do this for a living.

[06:27:13] I also I would have appreciated if you had shown deference to Supervisor Stewart because he is the district supervisor for Gainesville and he was certainly not willing to put his thumb of approval, you know, his stamp of approval on the Preserve or Cat Harper Valley Estates.

[06:27:33] So as we go through the CPA process with those, I hope you do show him some deference on what he believes is right for his constituents in his district, because you're going to have a lot of us speaking out from a personal side and from a professional side.

[06:27:55] So I just I just want you to keep that in mind. So good job tonight. I'm not really pleased with how it went, but I hope the gentleman does really well with his business, but also respects his neighbors and keeps that in mind.

[06:28:14] So thank you all. Thank you, sir. Next speaker. That was our last speaker. Thank you very much. All right. Thank you, Chris. Madam Chair, back to you. All right. Thank you so very much. Let's move on to agenda item number 16. Can I get a motion? Madam Chair. Yes. before we motion to adjourn i just quickly i don't want to leave tonight with uncertainty and i just kind of want to know which direction you want to go in and certainly get the opinion of the county attorney i understand your frustration and i and i and i share it to a certain extent but i think that people that conduct business in this county also need clarity is this something that we're

[06:28:49] going to um take on and are there any legal considerations madam county attorney when it comes to last minute proffers because it happens all the time okay and so um you know to to single out um somebody here tonight i think is to an extent unfair and if that's the message that we're going to send i'm fine with sending it i just want to know what the process is um if there is one or if legally uh applicants are within their right um to provide last minute proffers changes to this board. Madam Chair, members of the board, when the agenda is published,

[06:29:28] all of the documents need to be available. But the law, the Code of Virginia does allow at a public hearing for changes to be made so they can be made. But I understand the board's frustration that it has become more of a rule of changes right at the last minute instead of the exception. You are at this time currently allowed to accept changes at a public hearing, but once the advertisement is made, the documents need to be ready. So I hope that answers your question.

[06:30:03] It did, Ms. Robel. Thank you. I would just suggest to my colleagues that if a matter is within our district, that we do our very best to try to work to ensure that we are prepared and that we avoid having last minute proffer changes because it does get a little dicey and a little difficult to try to make decisions sort of on the fly. I will be honest, I totally rely on the county attorney and her office to be thorough in examining these last minute changes and appreciate when a document has the redacted in red and the new language because it makes it a lot easier than flipping through seven pages. But I just think it's good practice for us to independently take on

[06:30:39] to ensure that we're ready for prime time when it comes to land use applications in our districts. Thank you, Madam Chair. So I'm going to respond to that. Red lines, which is what you call when the changes are in colors and such as that, that does make it a lot easier to read and to pick through. And that's appreciated.

[06:30:56] And I know I'm not picking on one specific person because I've said this before. I have been irritated other times with this. You remember. I was irritated earlier. It makes us look really bad when this happens. It makes us look sloppy. It makes it look like we are not being transparent.

[06:31:12] It looks like we are making decisions right at the last moment. I understand that things happen. I get that. But how often is this happening and why does it need to keep happening? And when someone comes up and they're at the podium and they're making me feel that this shouldn't be a big deal, I take exception to that because I take this rule very seriously.

[06:31:37] We have people with legitimate concerns. And so when we get these last minute changes, how does it look to the community? And I get everyone is working with the applicants, but I don't want to just put it on the district supervisor.

[06:31:55] I also want to put it on the land use attorneys, and I say Sherpas because not everyone is a land use attorney who comes before us. It's also on them. And this is something I was planning to address with some of the industry groups that represent people who bring land use cases before us, because it's something that I really am frustrated about. I am absolutely frustrated about this. When I read through the packet, I trust that everything is in there. When I meet with the applicant, I would like to think that we're going through everything. And then having

[06:32:32] the last minute changes sprung up on us, even if it's just adding more, you know, foliage to a buffer or native plantings, we shouldn't be doing it at the last minute. And I shouldn't be the only one calling this out and irritated over this. I really shouldn't be. And so it's an all of us thing. And it is something, like I said, I am going to address individually with some of the attorneys, Sherpas, and industry organizations, because we shouldn't keep coming. They shouldn't keep coming to the well. Everything's ready to go. It's been advertised. And the public hasn't

[06:33:07] had a chance to look at this. It was a minor change, but it is still a change. It is still something that people need to be able to look at, to question. So I do get tired of the last minute changes. I get very tired of the last minute changes. And I'm not going to apologize for that because it doesn't seem like it's going to stop. Supervisor Gordy.

[06:33:36] Yeah, Madam Chair. I appreciate the discussion and I appreciate the frustration. I would just point out that it's usually not until the agenda is posted that the applicants go meet with, you know, let's say it's a Bridsville case. Well, then they'll go meet the rest of you guys.

[06:33:58] And so it's in a lot of those conversations where things get pulled out and saying, hey, we need to fix this or that or whatever. And so it ends up resulting in last minute changes after the agenda is posted, which is where, you know, everybody gets to actually pull it, pull down the application from the agenda.

[06:34:20] So maybe, you know, there's got to be – I'd say we probably need to be meeting with these applicants earlier rather than waiting until the agenda is posted so that we can try to get these things changed before they get put into the agenda.

[06:34:39] So I'd just make that point, because that's where a lot of the last-minute changes are coming, is out of the meetings with us, which are usually done after the posting of the agenda. So thank you for the conversation. And that is something, yes, they should start coming around earlier, and I'm going to start asking people to come around sooner, because I feel it's a disservice.

[06:35:03] I really do. I feel like jamming these meetings in the week before is a true disservice to all of us. Supervisor LaCroix. I agree that if it's possible to do them, but I do go back to Belmont Bay, and right before we all voted on that, we had, because of a speaker, requesting an elevator in the community center, they did a last-minute grace for the community and offered to do it, and it had to be through a proffer.

[06:35:37] So, you know, it's a case-by-case situation, but i do understand if it is able to be here early and and i guess you're talking about tonight specifically and apparently it never made it you know here in time for this but i think it's case by case and that's all i have to say i'm going to say with belmont bay i really do appreciate the developer miller and smith for making that last minute adjustment based on what they heard in the board chambers that doesn't happen often that does not happen often that's a different situation entirely when they're hearing something they're like you know what we should make the change

[06:36:16] i respect that because that to me shows how responsive someone is trying to be we need a the only way we're going to get better is if we hold people accountable and we demand better that's it that's it i've said before previously i don't like it when we do these last minute changes from the dais they've happened less but they're still happening to a certain extent it's not again based on constituent feedback and if it's based on board feedback get it to us sooner

[06:36:50] get it to us sooner today's tuesday september 1st i don't want to be looking at something at seven o'clock i really don't when it should have been to us sooner it's not fair to us it's not fair to our constituents it's not fair to staff it is not fair people who could do better should be doing better and with that unless anyone has anything else we could stay here until 10 o'clock. I don't know if y'all want to. Move to adjourn. Second. All right. So probably

[06:37:25] moved in second. It's non-debatable. Let's take our votes. I am voting no because Yesley got me on my stilt box. Not voting at all. She's not doing anything. Motion passes seven to one. Chair

[06:37:45] Jefferson voting nay. And it is the Tuskegee Airmen and it is the women aviators who pioneered

[06:38:30] and opened up this dream for every single American. That's why this exhibit is so important. That is why we need to capture the stories and make them accessible to everyone, particularly our young people.

[06:38:51] May we never forget that we stand on the shoulders of heroes. Thank you all very, very much. Sometimes a place can make its mark on you.

[06:39:10] And sometimes you can make your mark on a place. That place is Prince William County. A place where the momentum of smart growth continues to create vibrant communities with spaces to play, explore, and enjoy.

[06:39:32] Where people in the most diverse county in Virginia enjoy unique live venues, parks, forests, and shoreline along the Potomac. A place where innovative research and manufacturing across multiple industries is happening just a stone's throw from unique entertainment and nightlife.

[06:39:55] Where being close to D.C. can still be close to home. Prince William County, a place where you can make your mark. Whatever your reasons are, whatever motivates you, there is a place for you here, regardless of who you are, what you look like, or what your interests are.

[06:40:25] You have what we're looking for, and you can have a rewarding career at the Prince William County Police Department. To make a difference, you have to be the change. See the impact that you can make by becoming a police officer. See yourself here at the Prince William County Police Department. For more information, visit joinpwcpd.org.

[06:40:45] Clean water is the world's most precious commodity. According to the World Health Organization, 785 million people lack even a basic drinking water service, including 144 million people who are dependent on surface water alone. Our code officials are vigilant protectors of our water supply.

[06:41:04] Because of their dedicated service, you can turn on the tap in your home and draw sufficient, clean water. Although it can be easy to take for granted, the work that Prince William Health District does for water safety affects residents and businesses daily. The Health District helps in the review and permitting of the area's septic systems.

[06:41:22] They inspect the systems to ensure that they comply with both state and local regulations. It is important to understand where your water comes from, and what's being done and how you can help to protect the water you use every day. Here are some more tips to keep our water supply safe.

[06:41:39] Don't dump hazardous waste on the ground. It can contaminate the soil, which could also contaminate the groundwater or nearby surface water. Don't overuse pesticides or fertilizers. Many fertilizers and pesticides contain hazardous chemicals which can travel through the soil and contaminate groundwater.

[06:41:57] Never flush pharmaceuticals and non-degradable products down the toilet. This material can build up and prevent systems from working properly. Pump out your septic tank as needed, or once every five years. By working together and with the help of the Prince William Health District, we can keep our water supply safe for generations to come.

[06:42:20] Officers here receive quality education and training up front, but we have a lot of different type of opportunities beyond patrol. There's a dive team, search and rescue, canine with dogs, criminal investigations division. As part of the crash investigation unit, we are investigating fatal and serious injury crashes.

[06:42:37] I can use a drone to take very high overhead pictures. Here in Prince William County, the main focus of the SWAT team, the main mission set that we usually get ranges from barricades on the street, high-risk apprehensions, hostage rescue. The level of training you get is second to none.

[06:42:53] We do a lot of traffic control for crashes. Anything that affects the roadways, power lines down, we manage those along with the crash unit and get the traffic flowing. Being able to train together, work together, experience some of the bigger calls, more complex calls in the department, and you get to handle them in a capacity that most officers don't get to experience, it really makes every day pretty awesome.

[06:43:17] Prince William County continues to make strategic investments that strengthen our economy, improve mobility, and enhance quality of life. As we reach the midpoint of 2026, I'd like to share a look at a few projects that are helping to move our community forward.

[06:43:36] Prince William County is investing in innovation, workforce development, and economic opportunity. Here at Nexus 234, we're helping to create an environment where businesses, researchers, and entrepreneurs can grow and succeed. Nexus 234 is Northern Virginia's first innovation district, bringing together education, research, and industry to support emerging technologies and high-growth sectors.

[06:44:03] Anchored by Georgia Basin University's Science and Technology Campus, the district is helping attract investment, create jobs, and strengthen Prince William County's innovation economy. Through partnerships and strategic development, Nexus 234 is positioning our community for long-term economic success.

[06:44:23] Building a more connected county means creating safer and more convenient ways for people to travel. The North Woodbridge Pedestrian Bridge will connect residents, commuters, and visitors to key destinations in the area. The North Woodbridge pedestrian bridge will span Route 1, connecting the Woodbridge VRE station to the future North Woodbridge Town Center.

[06:44:44] The project will provide a safe crossing for pedestrians while improving access to transit, supporting future development, and strengthening mobility throughout the corridor. Design work is currently underway and is expected to be completed this summer.

[06:45:00] Preserving our natural resources while expanding recreational activities remains a priority for the board. Two projects helping advance that vision are the Neonsco Greenway and the Occoquan Greenway. These projects are expanding opportunities for residents to walk, bike, and enjoy the outdoors while creating stronger connections between neighborhoods, parks, schools, and community destinations.

[06:45:26] And the Occoquan Greenway continues to extend a trail network linking communities from the McCourt Government Complex to the town of Occoquan, creating new opportunities for recreation and alternative transportation. Together, these products support voter-approved investments in parks and help create a more connected and accessible county for future generations.

[06:45:48] These projects are just a few examples of how the Board of County Supervisors is investing in our future. Together, they reflect our commitment to growing our economy, improving mobility, and enhancing quality of life for residents across Prince William County.

[06:46:13] At Beyond Hello, what we're able to do here in Prince William County is cultivate cannabis, extract and manufacture cannabis products for the patients of Virginia. We are patient centric. And so being able to create standardized medical products for patients to use that are going through cancer, chemotherapy, people that are having epilepsy, seizures, using the medical cannabis to be able to alleviate some of those symptoms and alleviate that pain and suffering that people are going through is something that we take pride in.

[06:46:53] This is a 96,000 square foot facility where we grow, manufacture, and produce finished products for patients. We have very stringent seed to sale tracking, not only for understanding where every single plant goes within our facility, but also to be able to ensure product safety for the patients.

[06:47:18] Being able to understand where that plant comes from and then into a finished product, I think is a very unique and transparent way to understand where and how medical products are produced for the medical patients of Virginia.

[06:47:38] We take great pride in continuing to educate about medical cannabis. For me, the passion comes from knowing that we are changing societal views on cannabis and we're helping craft programs

[06:47:54] that are bettering people's life.

[06:48:28] - Thank you all for being here this afternoon. We're here for the groundbreaking of a very important and unique project here in Prince William County. It's called the Spooey Single Point Urban Interchange, which is right behind me, you see the picture here. And before I get started, I just wanna recognize a lot of folks in the room.

[06:48:46] So we have Chair DeShundra Jefferson, We've got Chair of the Loudon Board and NVTA, Phyllis Randall. We've got Supervisor Kenny Bode, Occoquan District. We've got Tracy Blake, the Neosco School Board member. We've got, I don't think Breonna Sewell made it, but Breonna Sewell's here.

[06:49:05] We've got Josh Thomas, Delegate Thomas is right here. All right. Oh, you know what? I can't forget my man, George Stewart. We've got the Gainesville District Supervisor George Stewart here. We've got the Mayor, Michelle Davis Younger, and Vice Chair of NVTA. Madam Mayor, thank you for being here.

[06:49:22] I don't see Tanya James, District Commander for Congressman Vimmin. Oh, she's there? Oh, there she go. Walk up, okay. And Alejandra's with her, okay. So thanks for being here. And Tarazia Jenkins, she's here as well. Now, did I miss anyone?

[06:49:39] Well, we've got Karen Mills, Chief of Staff of the Potomac District, Supervisor Andrea Bailey's office. And if I missed anyone else, I apologize. Staff, we're going to get to you, but I won't be doing that. We're going to let the big guy do that, okay? And so from the business area, we've got Russ Guestle.

[06:49:59] Buchanan, partner. Where's Russ? And I got to get Ms. Myrna Phelps. Where's Ms. Myrna Phelps? Where is she? There she is. Okay, yes. Ross Snare. Where's Ross? We got Ross back there. All right. And then I have from VDOT, I've got Eric Spencer.

[06:50:15] I did see Dick back there somewhere. Where is he? There he is, Dick's over here. And then Cabrina. I'm going to mess this up. I'm going to butcher it. Good town? Good town? Okay. All right. Well, there we go.

[06:50:30] That just does a few of them. All right. Okay. So for years, we've heard from the residents about development. And as we develop, we've heard that one thing that we haven't done well is infrastructure. The interchange behind you that you see was rated at a D rating, which is one of the worst in VDOTS.

[06:50:50] But the upgrades that we're doing on this will take it from a D rating to a B rating. And at the same time of doing this project, it ties very much closely to the courts project that you see behind us as well. But we're not here to talk about courts just yet.

[06:51:06] We're here to talk about the interchange. But I do want to recognize the fact that as this project is happening, you will note that project is happening at the same time. And the goal is that we'll do a ribbon cutting of all of this at some point in the near future. Congratulations.

[06:51:21] Let me see here. I probably should have went and done all this before because I feel like, you know what I'm going to do? I'm just going to stick to the script here and turn this over to allow a few speakers to speak and then I'll get to make my remarks at the end. But unfortunately, the wind blew away the agenda. Does anybody have an agenda behind them? There we go. Okay, so we're going to have some opening remarks by our CXO, Mr. Chris Shorten.

[06:51:49] all right good afternoon good afternoon everyone can we give vice here angry another round of applause truly a pleasure to be able to join you all today what a beautiful day perfect day to be out here celebrating uh celebrating uh such a phenomenal partnership i will tell you this project represents more than just construction it represents progress it represents partnership And certainly it represents a shared commitment to our community's future.

[06:52:23] I want to start by thanking and recognizing our chair, DeShondra Jefferson, our vice chair, obviously, Victor Angry, and our entire board of county supervisors who have been introduced for their vision and for their leadership. Projects like this don't just happen by accident.

[06:52:43] They happen because people come together with clear vision and a willingness to work hard to make that vision real. As we start today's program, I think it's important to recognize some of the critical partners who have really played a vital role in this project up to this point and will certainly play a vital role as the project moves forward to success.

[06:53:09] And with that, I want to acknowledge and thank the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, NVTA. As Vice Chair Angry just mentioned, our chair is here with us, Phyllis Randall. Can we give her a round of applause? And the CEO of NVTA, Monica Backman, who joins us, fortunately, quite often here in Prince William County to break ground and to cut ribbons on projects supported by NVTA.

[06:53:36] They are absolutely phenomenal partners. We appreciate them, and we certainly appreciate the investments that they make across our county. For years, as Vice Chair Angry just mentioned, for years, this corridor has been a critical artery for our residents, for commuters, and for businesses.

[06:53:58] And with that importance has come real challenges. Traffic congestion, safety concerns, limitations that have certainly impacted quality of life and economic opportunity. This project is our response.

[06:54:16] It is about reducing congestion and improving travel times for families. It is about enhancing safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. And it is about supporting continued growth in a way that is smart, that is strategic, and that is aligned with our long-term vision.

[06:54:38] This investment reflects the priorities outlined in the county's strategic plan, particularly around mobility, economic growth, and building a community that invests in quality of life for everyone. I'm sure that Chair Jefferson, that Chair Randall, and certainly that Vice Chair Angry will highlight the critical importance of this project as the agenda goes forward this afternoon.

[06:55:02] I want to spend the rest of the time that I have just acknowledging some of our project partners, starting with our Department of Transportation. If you are with our Department of Transportation, if you would just raise your hand. So Rick Canezales, the director, I did not expect to see him today, but he's here with us.

[06:55:24] Our deputy director for transportation is here with us as well, Paolo Belito. Paolo, where are you? Yep, raise your hand. There we go. Paolo, we manage in Prince William County a capital budget of just over a billion dollars in infrastructure.

[06:55:43] And the transportation department plays a critical role in managing that program. So I just want to acknowledge and thank always our transportation team for all the work that they do. To our construction partners at Lane, thank you for the sign. Phenomenal, yep.

[06:56:00] Our construction partners at Lane and the design engineers at RDA. Can we give them a round of applause? If you all would raise your hand, I want to just acknowledge all of our, yep, phenomenal. I also want to recognize some of our county agency partners.

[06:56:19] And we don't get to celebrate, especially on projects like this, some of the agencies that are really behind the scenes in making projects like this successful, and that is our Office of Procurement. Anyone from our Office of Procurement, Shana Terry, Procurement Office, can we give them a round of applause for all the work that they do behind the scenes?

[06:56:39] Also want to acknowledge, I mentioned this capital program of over a billion dollars. Our Office of Management and Budget, Dave Sinclair, and the entire budget team, thank you for all the work that you do to support our capital program. A round of applause for our budget team and, of course, our Office of Communications and Engagement.

[06:56:59] Nikki, Shane is here. Really all the work that they do to make sure that the county's light shines bright. So, big, big round of applause really to the entire team. I also want to acknowledge I just got to meet Bill Cutler.

[06:57:14] Bill, thank you for all the work that you do. VDOT, Bill, there we go. Bill, can we give Bill a round of applause? VDOT is really a primary partner here today, and I want to specifically call out the Northern Virginia District Engineer, Bill.

[06:57:31] And finally, I want to acknowledge and thank, and we've heard his name, Russ. Thank you for all that you do, and Buchanan Partners. Can we give Russ a round of applause? As I mentioned, this is a big project with a big, big impact, and this is exactly, this is what partnership looks like.

[06:57:51] All the names that I just mentioned, all of the organizations I just mentioned, this project would not be possible without all of you so thank you for all that you do thank you for being here and thank you for the excitement around this project i cannot wait to be back here in 2028 to cut the ribbon on this project so thank you all very much all right thank you everyone and i too want to begin by recognizing our amazing transportation team everyone here you're right

[06:58:26] Chris, this is truly a partnership. The Quartz District represents a bold vision for the future of Prince William County. Planned is a 145-acre mixed-use development. It will bring together over 1,000 homes, retail, you know, I love retail space, retail spaces, offices, and community amenities into a vibrant, walkable community. This is not just another development. It is designed to be a true community hub, a place where people can live, work, shop, and connect without always

[06:59:03] relying on long commutes or car-dependent lifestyles. But with great opportunity comes great responsibility. And in this case, that responsibility is infrastructure. The intersection of Prince William County Parkway and Minnieville Road is already one of the busiest and most congested in the county. In fact, it is currently operating well below acceptable traffic standards due to heavy volumes and complex turning movements. Now imagine adding thousands of new residents, businesses, and visitors to that same intersection without making any improvements.

[06:59:41] It simply would not work. This is why the proposed single point urban exchange, single point urban interchange, often called a SPOEY, is so critical. This interchange will fundamentally redesign how traffic moves through the area by routing Prince William County Parkway beneath Miniville Road and consolidating traffic signals into a single point, the interchange will reduce congestion, improve traffic flow, and increase safety for drivers and pedestrians alike.

[07:00:11] In terms of investment, the total project budget is currently $80.9 million. This includes $80 million from NVTA 30% funds, along with contributions from proffers and state funding sources. this combination of funding reflects a strong partnership in delivering critical infrastructure improvements for our region now looking at the timeline the project design began in april 2022 with rinker design associates as its consultants and was completed in may of last year construction obviously as you can see it's now underway with lane construction corporation beginning work in

[07:00:50] march and we currently anticipate project completion in the spring of 2028. of course construction will bring temporary inconveniences. There will be detours, delays, and adjustments, and we certainly appreciate the community's patience and support as we work to deliver these important improvements. But these short-term challenges are far outweighed by the long-term benefits: reduced congestion, improved safety, stronger economic growth, and a more connected

[07:01:24] community this interchange is truly the foundation that makes the quartz district possible prince william county is a county on the move and projects like this continue to exemplify why we are a vibrant growing and diverse community so thank you everyone for joining us today and i guess i have the pleasure of introducing my colleague on nbta loudon chair phyllis randolph well good morning afternoon prince william county good afternoon prince william county that's what y'all can go

[07:02:02] okay first of all russ i didn't even know you knew how to come but you're supposed to be allowed it i don't know what you're doing over in prince william county and prince william county let me say you won't watch the chamber of commerce rather this today good job so i want to say a couple of things you know we talk all the time about the importance of regional collaboration of regional connections. And I want to give you this number. This is an $80.9 million project, of which $80 million comes from NVTA. It comes from NVTA Proverbs, comes from NVTA 30%.

[07:02:35] 80 million of the 80.9 is NVTA. In addition, there's another $45 million in corridor improvements. And so we talked about regional collaboration and NVTA says we put money in for congested relief, Relative to cost, what we know is this corridor in this area is not just important to people who are going to be at Prince William County, but all the entire region, which is why it is important for MBTA to put money into this effort.

[07:03:04] I will also say these things don't happen because in one year or two years or three years, these are long-term projects, right Rick? These are long-term projects. So there's some names I want to say who've been helping us all along for this. I want to say the name Marty Noe, who was one of the first people to help us disarm the NVTA books.

[07:03:23] I want to say the name Ann Wheeler, Sharon Boulava, of course, Jeff Marquette, all of NVTA. I should have Michelle Davis, I was standing up here right beside me right now. In fact, get up here while standing right beside me, the vice chair of NVTA. Everyone, yeah, no, I mean, get up here.

[07:03:40] Get up here. I'm going to let Michelle go. the vice chair of NVTA who helped in this project and help with this vote we have been working on this for a long time because we knew how important this was for the whole area and the whole corridor i also want to say one thing i always say this should never come out to a groundbreaking or to a construction um to a groundbreaking elected officials get to cut ribbons and we get to push the one be deserved like the one be today but i never ever forget it every single day the this is being real real people are out here real men and women are out here you're going to be hot

[07:04:16] you're going to be rained on you're going to be windy it's going to be cold and you're out of your building and i never ever forget that real construction people do this job and thank you so much for doing this job for us 15 years can we connect the leaves and safety we believe in quality we believe in equity all those things are part of this project today and so on behalf of along for that one on behalf of women inspired mvtl 18 including the vice chair of mvta i thank you all it's great to be i mean by the way i worked in kinship county for 23 years so i decided the country county is the second best county in the country

[07:05:02] wonderful county this is a wonderful project and the fact that this is an urban project is important because you look at the last sentences. There are in Eugene counties in the northern Virginia area, two in Clark County to include other parts. It actually saw growth. And that was loud and loud.

[07:05:19] You all are continuing to grow and do the good work. Thank you, Rector. Thank you, Rector. I think I'm getting the back to make you angry right now. Thank you so much. You're welcome. Yes, thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. And Vice.

[07:05:35] Oh, wait a minute. That's a hot him right there. I just want to kind of wrap up a lot of what's been said up here today and just take you on a little on this ritual. First of all, fun fact, there is no school in Prince William County, so this is the first. So when we talk about game changers for the county, this is exactly what we me right here um just a little bit of history because i think that's important to know and you

[07:06:12] heard oh the mic oh he needs you about okay i got to get this on tape all right so you've heard a lot about the history of how we got here so i just wanted to share a little journey because there's a couple of names that need to be mentioned as well before i do that let me recognize bill cutler because we did miss bill and bill is here nope there he is there he is okay i did we did miss you so did you get him oh you did oh sorry chris got him he gets a double shot all right all right uh so way back a long time ago i think it's like 2012 mr john jenkins um inherited this project it

[07:06:50] was more than just about the quarter it was really about the development of the courts district as you heard a little bit about miss phelps who i don't know many of you know has a huge role to play in that her and as you heard about russ gessel and the buchanons because that they partnered in to bring this development to us with our very first Whole Foods, mind you, and this interchange meant the world to really getting that done. It has always been on the county's book to improve this corridor. You recall that, I think it was like 2021, Supervisor Bodhi and I put forth a study on the Prince William County Parkway to really try to create the parkway as a true parkway

[07:07:28] and eliminating lights and trying to grow that. Well, we were able to get this corridor completed here. We got down at the Oak Ridge Road exchange there. There's going to be some developments coming there. So this corridor and this end of the county is truly changing and it is growing into something that it needs to be or to catch up what it should have been in the beginning because there's a lot of growth here as you can see. So I'm excited because as I know this is going to take a while to get done. It's something that we need to truly do and I'm happy that we're here today to throw some dirt and celebrate the fact that we are not changing history.

[07:08:07] We are not modifying history. We're changing it. Like, this literally is a game changer for the county and how we develop going forward. So very excited about it. Don't want to belabor the point anymore. I do want to thank my staff for everything they did putting this on.

[07:08:23] I want to thank my chief of staff, Ms. Kelly Easterly, who is the brainchild behind much of this. You know, we've gone through a history in this county where there was no leadership in the Apscope, and so I'm happy that she was able to hold that ship together to get us to where we are today. So very excited about today.

[07:08:40] Don't want to hold us any longer, want to get us all up here to throw some dirt. The heat is coming now, and so folks, come on up here, and let's get this party started. Three, two, one. Property code enforcement inspectors work in the Neighborhood Services Division, which is within the Department of Public Works in Prince William County.

[07:09:17] Property code enforcement inspectors are involved in building code enforcement, including investigations while providing guidance and education outreach. Inspectors may have to testify in court when necessary. Our mission is to help residents understand, abide by, and raise concerns about compliance with property codes.

[07:09:35] These codes are designed to maintain adequate health and safety and support quality of life in the places where we live and work in Prince William County. When a complaint is filed, the inspector will first research the history of the property in the county databases and visit the property and determine if there is a code violation.

[07:09:52] If there is a violation, the inspector will identify what it is and then reach out to the property or business owners working with them for the best resolution to clear up the issue. The Property Code Enforcement Inspector takes great pride in helping to maintain safety, welfare, and property within the community by educating residents and businesses about the codes that keep us all safe and healthy.

[07:10:18] Good morning, everybody. Good morning. And welcome to the Area Agencies on Aging's 2026 Older Americans Month celebration. I had a good time because A, the program was well planned.

[07:10:47] B, there were fun activities for me and everybody else. we got to dance we got to play we got to eat we got to laugh what else can you ask for i have a lot of fun at these gatherings it's a time to be with friends and enjoy some food and camaraderie plus the entertainment is always good but it's just the time to grow your community of friends it's the best time ever i love the energy i love how everyone it's family here everyone is family

[07:11:22] we're enjoying ourselves we're getting to know each other and i'm excited about next year

[07:11:32] welcome everyone welcome here to our woodbridge vre station we're so glad to have you here today to celebrate uh getting a nice big check from the congressman here and being able to do our

[07:12:08] pedestrian bridge across route one to connect into the woodbridge vre station here uh what's great about this project it's a it's a project it's a multimodal project that connects this urban Very urbanized, the most urbanized area in Prince William County. It connects you from the shopping area and what's going to be a multi-use area once Riverside comes in.

[07:12:31] It connects you into not only the VRE station, but possible parking facility, a possible Piss and Ride facility, as well as the bus station up north on Route 1 there. So we're very grateful to the congressman here today for the million-dollar check that we're getting to make this project possible.

[07:12:52] So just to introduce everyone here today, we have our honorable congressman, Eugene Vindman. Thank you very much for being here today. Chairwoman DeShondra Jefferson and Supervisor Andrea Bailey.

[07:13:14] With that, I will introduce Chair DeShondra Jefferson to come up and say a couple words. Thank you, ma'am. All right. Thank you, everyone. And thank you for coming so early in the morning. This is such a critical project for us, particularly in North Woodbridge.

[07:13:31] As Rick Canizales had alluded to, we have a lot of development, a lot of exciting development that's going to come to this area. That's really going to transform not just this corridor, but Prince William County. Multimodial solutions are so very vital and important for us.

[07:13:50] And the Woodbridge VRE is an important connection point for us, not just in the county, but in the region. I am so excited that we have a wonderful federal partnership with my congressman, Eugene Vindman, and all that he is doing to support the community.

[07:14:06] So this is not just a chat. It's an investment. It's an investment in an area that for far too long didn't have enough investments. And I am sure that there will be more to come. So thank you, everyone, for joining us. And really, truly, thank you, Congressman Vindman, for your important partnership and taking an interest in not just what you're doing in Washington, but what you're doing right here at home to make this a livable, workable, and thriving community.

[07:14:36] Thank you so very much. Thank you. We're going to hear now from Potomac District Supervisor, Supervisor Bailey. Good morning.

[07:14:52] Haven't had your coffee. Good morning. It is an honor to be here with you in somewhat of a different capacity. I'm the chair of VRE. Thank you. Thank you. And better known as your supervisor.

[07:15:08] And so it is an exciting time, a very exciting time for all communities in Prince William County. And as I said to the congressman, who is not only our congressman, but our neighbor, and that should give you a lot of security to let you know that we have Congressman Eugene Venman always looking out for Prince William County.

[07:15:30] As I said to him, you know, it's not just about the checks. that helps, but it's about those that are invested totally in our community. And so he is one that is invested in our community, but not just that, he's invested in our state and he's invested in our country. And so, sir, we thank you for your service, but most of all, we thank you for the care that you give to Prince William County. As some of you know, I'm here wearing two hats, as I mentioned, both as the Potomac District Supervisor and as the 2026 VRE Operations Board

[07:16:07] Chair. I want to express my deep, deepest gratitude to Congressman Vindman for his continued support of Prince William County and his recognition of what transit provides our cherished community. I truly believe the VRE is one of our greatest assets in the battle against traffic congestion.

[07:16:27] vre can move the equivalent of one lane of traffic in each direction on the interstate to another it keeps our region moving unlocking not just physical mobility but economic mobility as well with connections to thousands of job opportunities as it's going through but we need the surrounding infrastructure to support transit as well that's where projects like this are so crucial ensuring that those last miles, connections of transit stations are safe, convenient, and efficient.

[07:17:05] I look forward to seeing this project completed and the incredible connection of this vibrant transit hub as it provides more mobility to our community. Thank you again for being here today. It shows by your presence that you care.

[07:17:22] And I'm pleased to introduce now your Congressman, our friend, Eugene Vindman. Good morning, everybody. So I am honored to be here in Woodbridge alongside of leaders who deeply care about this community.

[07:17:44] My friend and my chair, DeShundra Jefferson, and my friend and my supervisor, Andrea Bailey. These projects don't get done without working hand in hand in partnership with local leaders.

[07:18:00] And we've had the privilege of working with local leaders, strong local leaders who care deeply about their community. I've used this station a number of times, and this area is critical to the future development of Prince William County and Woodbridge, and I look forward to seeing this project come to fruition.

[07:18:21] This $1 million represents just a portion of the work that will go into this area to revitalize the area. Once the walkway comes in, there's going to be a tremendous amount of development on the far side.

[07:18:37] It crosses a busy six-lane intersection on U.S. Route 1, and anyone who lives and works in this area knows just how heavily trafficked this corridor is. I use this corridor constantly. Route 1 connects communities, businesses, and computers every day, but crossing it safely has become a real challenge, and that's why this project matters.

[07:19:00] This project will connect North Woodbridge Town Center directly to high-capacity transit at the Woodbridge VRE station. This is where federal investment will go to work and where we take another step in ensuring safer, more accessible transportation for our community.

[07:19:18] The new ramp will be ADA accessible and bicycle use friendly and will provide safe and convenient access to Route 1. I'm grateful for the diligence and cooperation it took to move this project forward.

[07:19:35] As lawmakers and as Virginians, our responsibility is to listen to our communities and to respond. Thank you for your partnership and for your continued commitment to this community. And with that, I'm going to invite Everybody come up and take a picture with this big check now just Just so you know you cannot take this check to the bank and deposit it You have to wait for the funds to hit your account And I'm also told it's bad luck to take this check down from a prominently displayed location till the funds hit your account So let's keep that in mind And the last thing I'll mention is that we are at the start of a new CPF cycle

[07:20:12] Community project funding grants. It's an opportunity for the federal government to partner with local communities on projects like this one, and I look forward to supporting additional community project funding grants for Prince William County and for all the jurisdictions around the 7th Congressional District. So thanks for coming, and let's take a picture.

[07:20:34] My name is Bryce Barrett, and I am a principal planner with the Department of Transportation here at Prince Wayne County.

[07:20:56] I think the quality of life of our residents is the primary goal in everything that we do.

[07:21:12] Every single person, whether it's interacting with work, school, shopping, or just for recreational purposes, they need to go from point A to point B. And that's what the Department of Transportation helps to ensure that they have a way to access that and do it safely and efficiently. I really enjoy just working with residents, having them tell us what the issues are as they see it, identify those problems, and then use that to formulate recommendations to address their concerns. As a planner for Prince Wayne County Department

[07:21:48] of Transportation, I get to shape how the county's transportation network is going to look like. I do that through working with our comprehensive plan, our long-range plans such as the mobility chapter. I do that through planning studies and corridor plans that look at specific roads or facilities and make recommendations to improve those or make them safer. And I do that through the review of development applications to ensure that they align with the vision for our county.

[07:22:18] My hope is that we will continue to be and develop Prince William County into a more multi-modal friendly community and give people the choice and the opportunity to utilize different modes of transportation such as walking biking and transit and that is going to provide dividends and improve the quality of life of all of our residents I would say that I found public service growing up I was an outgoing kid I always liked to you know talk with people listen to people I started my career in public service nine years ago and then I became

[07:22:54] a planner for the first time. I was a long-range planner with the planning office and I got an opportunity to work on developing our community and what our community will look like. I fell in love with it instantly once I got a taste of it because it really is an opportunity to invest in your own community and that pays dividends in the long run to your quality of life, to fulfillment, and just being able to be proud of what you do as a public servant.

[07:23:28] I love working for Prince William County because we have a close-knit and dedicated team of people who are just as passionate about serving their community as I am. I come to work every day now because I know that the work that I do today will impact the future and hopefully I'll be able to look back on that and say that I had a hand in those changes.

[07:23:54] I am a resident here in Prince William County. I have a family here in Prince William County. And being told that we are making a positive difference not only feels good now but it makes me feel confident that the Prince William County that my children will inherit is the best possible place for them to live.

[07:24:13] I'm Bryce and this is how I serve. Mr. Raccoon, chilling in the back of this sun-covered truck with all this open cargo.

[07:24:43] Humans can be so lazy and careless. They never bother to cover their load when they drive. It's a total mess for our environment and a big danger to others. Maybe one day humans will learn to clean up after themselves.

[07:25:00] But until then, I'll just keep doing what I do best. Being trashy.

[07:25:21] A raccoon. Seriously. I grew up in a two-parent home.

[07:25:42] And then when I met him, he was telling me about how he was in foster care and everything, and he wanted to do foster care. At first, I just did it because he wanted to do it. Then, every kid that we had, I grew a soft spot for them more and more, so it was rewarding.

[07:25:59] We've had a 15-year-old, an 18-year-old, a 13-year-old, and then this is our first sibling group. It always just been me and him and our dogs, but now it's like kids just coming from everywhere, so it makes the house more exciting, more happy.

[07:26:17] We do a lot of continuing their visitations with their parents to let the kids know that we are here to help. We're all a team and we're trying to get that common goal of reunification. I was in foster care. My sisters and I, we were in foster care for a short period of time.

[07:26:35] And as for sibling groups, it's very difficult not only to be separated from your parents, but to be separated from your siblings. So to me, it's very important to keep the kids because they need somebody to show that this is support. we're not leaving you give kids time to show you who they are once you keep showing them like hey you can trust me i'm not gonna give up on you i'm always here if you need me they start peeling back their layers and like some kids have difficult times but when you see the true them you just

[07:27:07] fall in love with them prince william county virginia is a vibrant community with a strong and diverse economic foundation which makes it ideal for families individuals and businesses to thrive and succeed.

[07:27:26] We are located just 25 miles from the nation's capital and less than 80 miles from the state capital of Richmond. As the second largest county in the Commonwealth and the 10th most diverse jurisdiction in the country, we are an integral part of Northern Virginia's economic engine. Our local government is nationally recognized for its strong financial management.

[07:27:46] We adhere to rigorous principles of sound financial management, operate with a balanced five-year budget, and execute a robust capital investment program. We are a community that values our residents, visitors, and businesses alike, and offers an unparalleled quality of life.

[07:28:03] In Prince William County, there are housing options to suit every lifestyle, including suburban planned communities, high-density and mixed-use developments, and even the rural countryside. The opportunities are endless, with housing available at every price point.

[07:28:18] Prince William County also provides educational opportunities at all levels. Our public school system is the second largest in Virginia, and oftentimes, our programs, administration, staff, and students are cited as positive models by regional, state, and national organizations.

[07:28:35] Three years in a row, the county's public schools ranked among the nation's 100 best communities for young people by America's Promise Alliance and ING. And the Washington Post High School Challenge ranks our high schools among the top 9% in the nation.

[07:28:50] The county is also home to George Mason's Science and Technology campus, two Northern Virginia Community College campuses, and several vocational and technical schools. Prince William County has a highly educated workforce with 44% of the population with a bachelor's degree or higher, and is one of the nation's most affluent communities with exceedingly low unemployment due to the uniquely diverse, widely skilled, and highly educated population and workforce. With two major highways, rail, bus, and easy access to airports, the county offers multimodal opportunities to get around. I-95, the region's primary north to south

[07:29:29] corridor, and I-66, the primary east to west corridor, run through Prince William County, with major four-lane divided highways connecting both interstates. There are two major airports, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Ronald Reagan National Airport, within 20 minutes of the county.

[07:29:47] Manassas Regional Airport, located within the county's borders, is the largest executive regional airport in Virginia, which provides convenient corporate travel to and from the D.C. region, and plans to expand to offer commercial travel in the near future. Mass transit options are easily accessible for county residents.

[07:30:05] Potomac-Rappahannock Transportation Commission offers bus service in and around the county and throughout the region, including trips to Washington, D.C., Amtrak, and the Virginia Railway Express provide commuter rail service to and from Prince William County. CSX and Norfolk Southern provide commercial and industrial rail shipping and receiving opportunities for our local businesses.

[07:30:27] The I-66 Mobility Lanes infrastructure offers significant advantages to e-commerce, providing efficient and reliable transportation routes for supply chain logistics. So whether you choose to work in the nation's capital, or you choose to work in Virginia, or right here in your own backyard, diverse commuting and infrastructure options are readily available.

[07:30:48] Because of the infrastructure we continue to invest in, as well as our commerce-friendly environment, businesses continue to locate and thrive here in Prince William County. Our primary targeted industries include distribution and logistics, advanced manufacturing, information communications technology, and the life sciences.

[07:31:07] We are home to Innovation Park, Northern Virginia's premier life science and technology business park. We are proud that a number of major corporations and international businesses within these industries call Prince William County home. We are also proud of our support for startup businesses and entrepreneurship and providing opportunities for success within our community.

[07:31:29] Being in close proximity to Washington, D.C. also means that we are home to many federal government agencies and contract organizations, providing a stable economy and opening opportunities for other government-related agencies to locate here. In addition to a thriving business environment, Prince William County is experiencing revitalization through new mixed-use development centers along major corridors in the county.

[07:31:53] The county also offers a thriving retail and tourism market, providing access to a wide variety of retail options, including town centers, malls, high-end boutiques, local shops, and restaurants. This includes Northern Virginia's first destination brewery campus.

[07:32:09] What began as a restoration of a long-abandoned barn is now widely known as Farm Brew Live, an innovative dining and entertainment venue that draws more than 35,000 people a month to the county. Prince William County also offers opportunities to enjoy world-class visual and performing arts right here in our community.

[07:32:29] From modern concerts and events at Jiffy Lube Live Amphitheater to experiencing dance, theater, and musical performances at George Mason University's Hilton Performing Arts Center, which has received international recognition and praise for its acoustics and design.

[07:32:45] You don't have to go far to find incredible experiences of art and culture. And while the county celebrates its many cultural amenities, it also recognizes its historical ones. With approximately 15 historic sites in Prince William County, we serve as stewards of the county-owned historic structures, cultural and natural resources, historic landscapes, and artifacts.

[07:33:07] We build community identity alongside our local partners by telling the story of the people of Prince William County. And we show the connections between our history, our present, our future, and our growth. as a community. Looking for recreational opportunities? Prince William County has that in spades as well. The county is home to the internationally renowned National Museum of the Marine Corps.

[07:33:30] The museum, known for its stunning architecture and interactive displays, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world each year. It offers an opportunity for visitors to discover how the Marine Corps has protected our freedoms. The county boasts more than 4,000 acres of parkland, more than 100 miles of trails, blueways, lakes, six marinas, nine public golf courses, and various indoor recreation facilities. Our parks and community centers are true hubs of the community, offering diverse amenities like sports fields, trails, pavilions, pools, marinas,

[07:34:07] and many others, along with recreation programming. With such a wide range of options, There is always something to do in Prince William County. So whether you're a business seeking an ideal location, a visitor eager to explore the vibrant attractions of the Washington, D.C. area, or someone searching for the perfect place to call home, Prince William County invites you to experience all that our community has to offer, where remarkable opportunities and quality of life come together.

[07:34:42] I graduated from VCU. I was a criminal justice pre-law major. I was hired by a signed manufacturer.

[07:34:59] My first project 20 plus years ago was Potomac Mills. To install that pylon right on '95, it was a multi-agency effort. And that's when I knew that law school wasn't the way I wanted to go.

[07:35:17] Went back to grad school and got a graduate degree in urban planning with a focus in commercial revitalization. The cool thing about redevelopment and revitalization is essentially it's community development and it takes a unique thought process to think about, okay, we've got existing buildings and different uses here.

[07:35:44] How can we make it better as we grow as a community? You may see an empty parking lot, but what I see is a vibrant development with places to eat, places to shop, places where you can grab a coffee, sit on your laptop, take a meeting.

[07:36:05] And that's what I see in the vacant parking lot. And it's my job to help you see that as well. I love being a part of the development process as an employee of Prince William County and a resident of this county.

[07:36:21] I love looking at transformative spaces and saying, "I made an impact on that." And look how happy our community is. Look how much they are loving, feeling heard.

[07:36:36] 'Cause that's a big part of the job is paying attention to resident feedback and thinking about, okay, well, if we don't have it, why not? And what is it going to take to make it happen?

[07:36:52] What I'm most excited about is that we have three new vibrant town centers coming to Prince William County, first of their kind in our suburban community. You're gonna see multi-story buildings, you're gonna see retailers that don't exist in the county or retailers that exist in the county that are bringing their A game in terms of design and product offering.

[07:37:16] And it's going to be amazing next few years to see all of those transformative developments come to fruition. I don't know, I just get energized talking about building in Prince William County because we're on the map now and no longer do we have to explain what our county has to offer.

[07:37:38] It's more so, where would you like to go? Healthy Lawn is a Best Lawn. The Best Lawn program helps area homeowners build environmentally sustainable turf. Sign up for the program and a master gardener volunteer will come to your home, measure your lawn, and collect a soil sample. Then you'll receive a best lawn care handbook

[07:38:12] with customized plans for your lawn. You'll also learn about turf fertilization, maintenance practices, and timing to help keep your lawn healthy. Make your lawn healthy lawn with Best Lawns. My name's Detective Michelle McAllister and I work with Prince William County

[07:38:52] police in Virginia and I'm part of the women's mentorship program myself and Lieutenant Ashford Robinson are the founding members every day I think we mentor women within our agency and part of our program the two-prong approach to our program when we started it was inside of our walls and outside of our walls so we wanted to really have that recruitment aspect and the retention aspect as well so what can we do to train what can we do to inspire what can we do to lead and then really making the connections and keeping those connections. So we do it on a small scale every day within our department but we really wanted to branch out and share our message with other agencies. Creating a

[07:39:28] platform in an environment that is open and a little bit more casual and that way some of those conversations and trainings and really mentorship can take place. Some of the things that I've gained is basically just that reinforcement of being able to consistently obtain my confidence, being able to walk in really difficult spaces very confidently and being able to communicate what I need to happen and what I would like to see in the future.

[07:39:55] So the biggest takeaway was your network matters so you need to really focus on expanding your network and getting more people involved even if it's outside of your own agency, your family and making sure you have that. It's more than just being a hard worker at your agency. You really have to put yourself in the room where it happens and you have to make that a priority. Don't let anyone tell you it's not your turn. One of the biggest takeaways I've gained from the summit is that she can do it. She can do all things. This has been an amazing summit full of powerful women and it has really awakened something in me and I'm

[07:40:34] excited to get back to my organization. Sometimes in this profession you get burnt out, right? And so being here around these women it's kind of fueling and let me know that I'm on the right track, just keep going, and that what I'm doing matters. We are working hard as an agency with Prince William County, and our chief sends this message out every day to really be inclusive and have a diverse agency for the community that we serve.

[07:41:00] And right now, our mentorship program is really trying to do that as well for the recruitment aspect and making sure that we are inspiring younger women and just really trying to bring together and inspire young women from an early age and helping foster that connection.

[07:41:16] So hopefully they'll become inspired to be officers as well. Whatever your reasons are, whatever motivates you, there is a place for you here. Regardless of who you are, what you look like, or what your interests are, you have what we're looking for.

[07:41:35] And you can have a rewarding career at the Prince William County Police Department. To make a difference, you have to be the change. See the impact that you can make by becoming a police officer see yourself here at the prince william county police department for more information visit join pwcpd.org the second generation business started with my parents

[07:42:08] it is now run by my sister emily and i we've been in prince william county for almost 14 years we're a full service bakery so we do naturally cakes over here but we also do an assortment of pastries desserts cookies and pies but the thing is it's more than just birthday cakes it's really for any celebrations so from whether it's your first step to when your first step down the aisle so we do all sorts of different events and just all happy occasions my parents believed in

[07:42:43] education so the first rule was all of us had to go to college all of us had to go get a degree so it's perfect because i have a finance background and one sister has a public relations background and another one has a marketing background but the basis is we love this business and that's why it's not difficult for us it's just normal when covid happened we weren't quite sure whether we could still even open or not with the storefront we were allowing people to let them know that our business was still open the bakery was still open for business but what we also found was that we

[07:43:19] had new clients walking in because all of the populations that was going daytime to work now they were working from home and they were actually exploring their own community. Without the store and without the storefront up here, we would have had a difficult time continuing on. This community allow us to foster and grow to what we want to be. We're very grateful to have this establishment

[07:43:44] in Prince William County. Dad? Just one minute, okay? Hey, Bobo, do trees tell each other stories?

[07:44:12] I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't know that. Hey, why don't we go find out?

[07:44:29] Take naps? I couldn't tell you. Draw pictures? I don't have an answer for that. Do stars visit their friends?

[07:44:50] Look!

[07:45:12] Expo to connect applicants with available job opportunities.

[07:45:30] We actually have 35 departments. We employ 5,000 employees in various fields, fields that the community may not otherwise know about. And so we thought this was a great opportunity to bring the citizens of Prince William into one place with our hiring managers to actually talk about the work that we do every day. We get 70,000 applications a year. We get about a thousand people come through our career expo. It gives us an opportunity and it gives the applicant an opportunity to kind of shorten or make that applicant pool of 70,000 smaller. So we are going

[07:46:06] to offer and we've started offering live webinars to help prepare for expos. We're starting to offer now information sessions on the process and are really putting focus this year and going forward and through these events really putting focus on educating the applicant on how to be a standout applicant. Anyone can submit an application. We're hoping these opportunities actually teach you how to be a better applicant. It is important that the The citizens understand we have employment opportunities here.

[07:46:38] They don't have to travel outside the county and we think it's important for the citizens to know that we're here as an employer as well.

[07:47:06] Hello everyone and welcome. My name is Phyllis Jennings Holt and I am the Director of Social Services and I would like to begin by recognizing our distinguished guests who are with us today from our Board of County Supervisors, DeShonda Jefferson, Chair at Large of the Prince William County Board of County Supervisors, Vice Chair and Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry, Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey, from our Office of Executive Management, County

[07:47:45] Exec Christopher Shorter, and we have our Deputy County Executives here, Elijah Johnson, Alicia Hart, Wade Hugh, and Steve Austin. We also have congressional staff here, Fatima Malik with Congressman Walker-Senshaw Office, Taraza Jenkins with Congressman Vindman's office.

[07:48:17] Tanya James, who is also with Congressman Vindman's office. Jackie Marmo with Senator Warner's office. Devin Shua with Senator Kane's office.

[07:48:38] And we have our DSS advisory board members, Vice Chair Idris O'Connor, Latonya Hamilton, and Clarice Torian.

[07:48:56] We also have members from our community partners organizations representing Streetlight Ministries, ACTS, Northern Virginia Family Services, and Co-operative Council of Ministries, better known as the CCOM. Today is truly a proud and historic moment for Prince William County. As the Director of Social Services and someone who has the privilege of leading the department, I have seen firsthand the realities of homelessness in our community. I have met individuals who are working

[07:49:33] but still not can afford housing. I have met seniors who never imagined that they would experience homelessness. And I have met people who simply needed someone to believe in them and help them take the next step forward. Today is about more than just turning dirt with a shovel. Today represents hope. It represents dignity. And it represents our collective commitment to ensuring that persons in our community have a pathway to stability, support

[07:50:07] and a place to call home if and when needed. I want to thank all of you for being here today and I want to thank our Board of County Supervisors whose support and commitment to our community help make today possible. Now it's my honor to introduce Madam Chair DeShonda Jefferson.

[07:50:31] All right thank you everyone for coming out and joining us in spite of the weather. I agree today is an important day because it is marking a new beginning for people who need help we have to judge our society by what we are doing to help the most vulnerable amongst us and i really would like to give special credit to the late congressman jerry conley this is part of his legacy too he worked very hard to make sure that this day was possible and i also want to thank again representatives from our federal delegation because we need you you are partners with us

[07:51:10] and you are also going to continue to help make this a reality. Again today is a new beginning. I am so grateful for everyone who played a part in this coming together and I truly hope that this will be the beacon of light that is needed for our residents, our friends, our neighbors who find themselves unsheltered. It's still a problem not just within the nation but within our county.

[07:51:36] We have a lot of people who have a lot of needs and the board we are moving in the right direction. just a few months ago we opened the crisis receiving center that offered hope for those experiencing short-term mental health crises now with this we can continue to do even more so thank you very much for to everyone who was here today thank you phyllis for all that you and your department do please stand up she wasn't expecting that i've been saying that a lot to

[07:52:11] our staff lately you need to stand up when you're recognized because often you're working behind the scenes, and you may not get the recognition you deserve, but it is your dedication alongside everyone else here that's making this possible. So thank you so very much for everything that you and your team are doing. Hey, good afternoon, everybody. I have one request, okay? So we have a dedicated crew of folks that come out and set this up and put out all these chairs. Can I get some of y'all to come and fill these seats? I mean, they're here for you. We want you to come sit down,

[07:52:49] please, okay? Let's just show them that you care about the work they put in to set this room up. All right. Okay. Well, please just move as I begin my remarks. Okay. Okay. Well, again, good afternoon. Today represents more than a start of construction. It reflects more than two decades of commitment, partnership, and learning. Now, how did we get here? You have heard me say that on the board chamber a few times. There's a story about how we got to today.

[07:53:22] The path to this groundbreaking began in early 2000s. Between 2000 and 2003, the Cooperative Council of Ministries worked with the Board of County Supervisors to create a day drop-in pilot program. It was a daytime drop-in program. When the pilot program launched in 2003, it proved something important. It proved that there was both a need and a willingness in this community to respond. And what began as a temporary daytime effort became a permanent resource known as the

[07:53:58] Drop-In Center. Now, in 2010, the center was renamed to the Bill Mayer Drop-In Center. And I want to spend a little bit of time just telling you who Bill Mayer was. William Mayer was a well-known supporter of anyone in need and definitely our unsheltered. And from my research, he spent his years doing this. I've done a little digging on him. He passed away April 25th, 2010 at the age of 57 years old. And I find that interesting both because he lived in Fredericksburg,

[07:54:38] but spent all of his time and most of his time up here in Prince William County, in particular, the Woodbridge area. There's more information out there on him. So when you get the time, please go and research Mr. Mayor. And they say this, if you say someone's name when they're deceived, you've just brought them back to life for the day. So Bill is here with us today, joining something that we're about to celebrate here and we do this groundbreaking.

[07:55:03] So that's a little bit about Bill. So this shelter met the basic needs such as meals, showers, and clothing, while also connecting people to healthcare, employment, education, and housing referrals with the goal of moving people towards stability.

[07:55:23] That was the model, moving people towards stability. The hypothermia program operated during the winter months from November 1st through March 31st. And in 2017, the operation transitioned to Streetlight Ministries as the program evolved into an overnight shelter open seven days a week from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

[07:55:44] Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. The overnight shelter relocated several times from its original site here to Falazo and then over to Sharon Bauckham, the Dale City Rec Center, and then eventually back to Falazo. Many individuals require consistent medical and behavioral health support, and we learned that a night shelter model was not enough.

[07:56:08] As a result, the program evolved into a year-round, 24-hour, seven-days-a-week shelter. Even with that expansion, seasonal hypothermia services remain necessary. Today, Streetlight Ministries operates hypothermia east and Manassas Baptist operates hypothermia west.

[07:56:30] This program aligns with recommendations from the Marbutt Homeless Needs Assessment, which calls for adding year-round emergency shelter beds for single adults, particularly adult males. As we continued evaluating our system, the county researched the Homeless Navigation Center model.

[07:56:50] The goal was not to simply provide shelter, but to create a coordinated pathway towards permanent housing. Ultimately, the Homeless Navigation East Center was incorporated into the county's Capital Improvement Program, bringing us to today.

[07:57:08] That way it's picking up. This new 34,000-square-foot facility will provide temporary emergency shelter for up to 50 adults experiencing homelessness, along with a daytime drop-in center at the same location.

[07:57:24] More importantly, it will bring the services that will help those experiencing homelessness together under one roof. The goal is simple and clear, to help individuals navigate the system more effectively and move toward permanent housing.

[07:57:41] By strengthening coordination among community partners and centralizing services, this center will reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness and create real pathways to stability. Today, we break ground on a building, but what we are truly building is opportunity.

[07:58:01] An opportunity for stability and opportunity for dignity and an opportunity for a new beginning. And I am very excited to be here to celebrate this opportunity with each of you today. So let's get to throw in some dirt.

[07:58:17] Thank you all for being here. Let's throw in some dirt. All right. Well, good afternoon, everyone. It is wonderful. It is absolutely wonderful to be here.

[07:58:33] What a milestone for us. I want to agree with our chair, with Phyllis, and with our vice chair that today truly is a milestone, truly is exciting. And I will tell you, long, long overdue. Today certainly reflects the planning.

[07:58:50] The partnership and the steady commitment that this board and this community has made to support our neighbors experiencing homelessness in a thoughtful and certainly lasting way. I want to start with, in the same way that the chair did, with just recognizing Phyllis Jennings Holt in the entire social services and homeless services division.

[07:59:12] If we can give them a round of applause, we know that at some point soon, the ribbon will be cut on this facility. And when it is, it'll be this team, the social services team, the homeless services team that is actually in this facility changing lives.

[07:59:31] So we want to make sure that we appreciate what is to come, certainly. I also want to just acknowledge and thank Matt Villarreal and the entire FFM team. Can we give them a round of applause? If you would raise your hand, Matt, and really the entire team, thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you do.

[07:59:49] Facilities and fleet management, they bring projects like this forward and they bring them forward with pride. I see their faces. I see the smiles, the familiar faces, because they are proud of this work and it means a lot for them to be here. So thank you all very much. I also see many others from our government, our procurement team, our transportation team. I even see our chief, Chief Newsham here because we are all proud of the work that is about to happen. And after this construction happens, the work that then happens to change lives. So I want to just appreciate all

[08:00:22] the government staff that are here that play a part in this work. I also want to again acknowledge our board who are here with us today. These projects cost money, all right? And if it were not for our board willing to invest the funding, the vision to make sure that this happens, we would not be here today. So I just want to acknowledge our board members who are here today and those who could not be. So a round of applause to our board. We are also just very grateful for our

[08:01:00] project contractor. So Coakley and Williams Construction, if you all would raise your hands, thank you all for the work that you're about to do. Yep. Here, want to acknowledge you. Our project designer, Architecture Incorporated, if you would raise your hand, Architecture Incorporated.

[08:01:16] Yep. And of course, our construction team who will soon turn vision into reality. So I want to thank them as well. And mostly and most importantly, I want to thank all of our community partners. Phyllis went over those names at the start of the program.

[08:01:34] I just want to thank you for all that you are about to do to change life. Really, all that you are already doing to change lives here in Prince William County. But certainly, once this facility is operational and open, what you will do for this community and to change lives is absolutely phenomenal.

[08:01:52] So a round of applause to our community partners. This work does not happen without their partnership, and certainly we know that homelessness is complex. Addressing it requires more than just a bed for the night.

[08:02:11] Today, as we break ground on the Homeless Navigation Center East, it's important to point out that this center is about delivering coordinated services that connect people to solutions and giving a clear path from crisis to stability.

[08:02:29] And that is why this facility, this center, is so very exciting and why we're all excited today, because it is designed to support our neighbors experiencing homelessness in their journey to permanent housing. And we know it is a journey. So thank you all again for being here. It did not rain. So no umbrellas needed.

[08:02:50] Hopefully I'm going to knock on some wood when I say that. So appreciate you, all of you. Clearly, your presence here today means that you understand what is about to happen here, even post-construction, what will happen in terms of the lives that will be changed. So thank you all for being here.

[08:03:07] Good afternoon, everyone. So my name is Idris O'Connor. I'm chair for the Cooperative Council Ministries. And I want to thank, on behalf of the Cooperative Council Ministries, I want to thank the Board of County Supervisors and the Department of Social Services and the community at large for your support in the construction of this brand-new shelter.

[08:03:32] This shelter will help expand services to the county to help those who are currently unhoused. And this is a new beginning. It's an answered prayer for our church coalition. We, many of us for decades, you know, along with our past chair, Bill Mayer, had been praying and working to help get this day to happen, that there's a shelter that will help end homelessness in Princeman County.

[08:03:59] And so we're excited today for this groundbreaking, and, you know, we're going to continue this partnership with the county and the community at large to help carry out the legacy of Bill Mayer and end homelessness. So thank you, everyone. Yeah, follow directions well.

[08:04:22] So as we are about to close, I want to thank you all for being here today to mark this important milestone again for Prince William County. Today represents our community's commitment to ensuring that everyone has access to support, opportunity, and hope.

[08:04:41] Moments like this do not happen without strong leadership, meaningful partnerships, and a shared belief that we can make a difference. I want to take this moment, and I know that county execs, shorter, and many have already acknowledged the individuals, but again, I would like to acknowledge Prince William County facilities and fleet management, Prince William County communications staff that helped us and worked with us to get this date here and had its help set up.

[08:05:08] My DSS leadership team that has been on this journey with us from day one. And I can't forget my, especially the staff within Homeless Services, my state outreach team. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the work that you do.

[08:05:25] And now I invite our dignitaries to join us for the official groundbreaking and a photo opportunity. Make sure you got dirt. Okay, everyone's got it. Three, two, one. Go ahead.

[08:05:43] Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Rick Canizales. I am Director of Transportation here in Prince William County.

[08:06:07] And thank you for coming out here this afternoon. A little hot here today, but the sun's shining bright. So it's a nice day here in Prince William County. I would like to begin by recognizing the county's continued commitment to providing a safe, efficient, and truly multimodal transportation network for everyone who travels through our community, whether it's by car, foot, or even by bicycle.

[08:06:31] Today we are here to share an overview of the Devlin Road Widening Project and what it means for our residents and visitors. This project will widen Devlin Road from University Boulevard to Janelle Drive, covering approximately 3,000 linear feet. The goal is to transform this corridor into a safer and more accessible route for all users.

[08:06:53] Once complete, this roadway will feature four divided lanes separated by a raised grass median, along with a dedicated pedestrian sidewalk and a shared use path to better accommodate walkers, runners, and cyclists. Construction is now underway with Shirley Contracting Company, which began work in December 2025.

[08:07:13] We currently anticipate project completion in the spring of 2028. As I've lived in this area now since 2007, I've traveled this road quite a bit. And I've seen it progress from just a small two-lane rural road to what it currently is.

[08:07:34] It is a major thoroughfare to get folks from the development area over to 66 for commuters to get to commuter lots. And so this has been a very important project for this community for quite some time. But we do ask the community to be patient as we go through this construction process over the next couple of years.

[08:07:54] But when it's all said and done, this is going to be a safer and more convenient thoroughfare for our community. I am a resident of the Brinsville District, and I've done all I could to avoid Devlin Road since I've been a resident in this district over 20 years because it is congestion.

[08:08:13] congestion is a detriment to community congestion is a detriment to commuting congestion is a detriment to connectivity and this groundbreaking is really important today because that means that something is going to be done about it and that's what we should be celebrating the authority for our part we are pleased to have a small contribution to this project but that small contribution means big results. On behalf of the entire executive management team and Mr. Chris Shorter, our county executive, thank you for coming out this afternoon. I want to start by appreciating the support,

[08:08:49] the continued support that we get from our Board of County Supervisors, Chair Jefferson, Supervisor Gordy, and all the support they provide to the Department of Transportation. When this project is done, 3,000 additional linear feet of widened roadways, sidewalks, shared use path. This project helps us to continue on achieving our goal in the strategic mobility plan. So just want to appreciate that. And again, thank you all for coming out. With that said,

[08:09:15] let's dig up some dirt and get this thing going. One, two, three. I grew up here in northern Virginia in Alexandria. When I was just a small boy, I was walking down the street in my neighborhood

[08:09:50] one day, and I'm looking at, you know, the sidewalks and the street and the houses, and I'm thinking, who decides where all this goes? How close do you figure that you're putting the houses from the street, and just why it even exists in the first place? I studied city planning, and I got a master's in planning. Some of my earlier work had to do with waterfront redevelopment here in the metro area. Also, some of the new metro stops when they opened

[08:10:22] back in the 80s. You can see how you can help transform a place and change it into an even better environment than you started with. It really is a multifaceted endeavor. How do you actually make these things happen and happen in a meaningful way that it's something that the community wants? Today what I do is redevelopment. Sometimes we're helping people fix up an older building and renovate it and perhaps bring in a new company sometimes we're helping demolish older

[08:10:59] buildings whose time has come and work with the county to understand what kind of new buildings what kind of new business or what kind of new community is sought on some of these properties and then work with developers and property owners to put those projects together you know the beauty of redevelopment is we can have projects come to fruition where perhaps people didn't think could sometimes you have to look beyond what you're seeing right now to understand

[08:11:31] what could happen on on some of these properties so for instance you could have a retailer that maybe has left and if you can attract you know a trendy new retailer that could really add a whole different life to that shopping center and also to the nearby community, you're gonna see more vibrant places and the ability to attract perhaps our sons and daughters and their families back into the community as they grow up because it's a place where they want to live. It's just not an apartment,

[08:12:09] it's just not a house. When you get right down to it, you're creating better places for people to live and work. It's been helpful to be involved in a profession where after a while you can see the dots starting to connect not just changing a particular property or properties but an entire area. So all these years later I think that that kid and me looking back at the street and the houses and wondering why they're the way they

[08:12:45] are I think I'm still asking some of the same questions and I'm hopefully still finding some good ways to rethink a lot of this to make them even in better places down the road. Whatever your reasons are, whatever motivates you, there is a place for you here, regardless

[08:13:20] of who you are, what you look like, or what your interests are. You have what we're looking for, and you can have a rewarding career at the Prince William County Police Department. To make a difference, you have to be the change. See the impact that you can make by becoming a police officer see yourself here at the prince william county police department for more information visit join pwcpd.org i'm a raccoon i'm snacking i'm munching and i don't care where my litter goes

[08:13:53] i mean if humans don't care why should i let's be honest if you cared about your community you'd make sure to do your part but not throwing your trash and litter on the ground hey do you want a trashy community do you want to find a raccoon what's your excuse

[08:14:22] my name is Jeff Falkerson I'm the fatherhood engagement coordinator with the Prince William County fatherhood initiative the mission of the Prince William County fatherhood initiative is to empower and educate fathers to serve the best interest of their children and we do this through workshops forums and also support groups we target fathers at every level i mean we talk

[08:14:56] about military fathers who have been deployed we talk about teenage fathers you talk about incarcerated fathers being a public servant i mean you should want to be a compassionate neighbor to the people around you because there are a lot of people you know in our community that they just need someone who has empathy for them to provide that support that they need because this moment here this moment in time does not define who you are and then also you have an opportunity to change your situation all

[08:15:35] you got to do is decide what you want to do and how you want to do it and then take those steps that you know make it happen my mom and dad they separated when I was around four years old, my mom was a single parent mother, and you know just seeing how the system you know supported us, helped us keep a roof over our head, clothes on our backs, really got me thinking that you know I wanted to you know help people help themselves.

[08:16:04] When I was a high school student living in Kingsport, Tennessee, I worked a summer job at parks and recreation and I was a like program director so I had me and my staff we put on fun activities for the kids during the summer some of the other jobs that I had I was a upper bound director with up in Massachusetts with a program called the Bruce well scholars upper bound program we prepared low-income first-generation high school kids for success at four-year colleges and universities I mean just seeing the kids reaction you know to you know what we

[08:16:42] were providing. You know, we were relating to the kids and we had that rapport. You know, these kids were just like me when I was a child. It made me feel like I was giving back, but it brought me joy and then it just inspired me. When I got to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, I decided to major in social work and that was probably the best decision I made. I came here with Prince William County. I was hired initially as a Child Protective Services caseworker before I

[08:17:19] was hired as the Fatherhood Engagement Coordinator. I'm seeing men opening up about, you know, what was going on in their households. I mean, I'm seeing men sharing freely, you know, and really getting in touch with those emotions. The stories that they share about their connection with their children and how they miss their children. I mean, really, it's really, it's gut-wrenching. And I'm just seeing

[08:17:51] fathers who are readjusting their approach and the children, how they respond to that in a positive way. Okay, I see that my dad is trying to change. Man, that brings me so much joy because it relates to my personal experience of being a child of a single parent. I think for me, being a public serving is important because it feels like I'm able to give back, you know, to my community.

[08:18:27] I'm able to sow positivity into the lives of people that I serve. Just being able to do this work, you know, just, it's like I'm right where I need to be. I'm Jeff Falkerson, and this is how I serve. My main source of information and exposure to this background is my dad. He's been my main inspiration on why I wanted to do law enforcement in the first place.

[08:19:06] He had the opportunity to pretty much go anywhere he wanted to, but knowing that he wanted to come and work with his dad was pretty exciting. To say that I'm proud is an understatement. One of the main draws here was that I could carry on what he had started and make my own way as a second-generation police officer here at Prince William County. Being here doing this for so long and then having someone follow in your footsteps to me speaks volume of the career you chose and the agency you work for.

[08:19:36] So anyone that is thinking about joining law enforcement, consider Prince William County because it's been good to me, it's been good to my family, and it continues to be so. The goal of the Fire and Life Safety Inspector is to ensure that every public building is free of fire and life hazards and that they maintain compliance with the Prince William County Codes and the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code.

[08:20:08] The inspector enforces fire safety regulations and laws, which reduce accidents and fires that affect life and property in Prince William County. By conducting safety inspections, the inspector can find deficiencies within existing buildings as far as exit lighting, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers, fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and exit doors, which are all important for occupants to safely exit a building during an emergency.

[08:20:34] Often, the inspector performs new construction inspections. Testing fire alarms, sprinkler systems, underground water mains, and fire lanes are all proactive ways to make sure the new building is prepared for success during an emergency. What are some of the precautions you can take to keep your home safe?

[08:20:52] Make sure your smoke detectors are up-to-date, clean, and test them every six months, around daylight savings time. Keep things away from your furnace and electrical panels that could heat up or create a spark. exit doors free from any excess boxes, trash, etc. Make sure your address is visible from the road.

[08:21:10] Some precautions businesses can take include make sure your annual sprinkler and fire alarm inspections are up to date. If you have a kitchen and hood system, make sure it's cleaned and maintained. Hood systems need to be inspected and tested every six months at a minimum. Ensure your fire extinguishers are up to date. You should check them annually. Maintain exit signs and emergency lighting in proper working order. The Fire Marshal's Office handles general fire and life safety complaints and inspects them within 24 hours. Their goal is to make a life-saving difference by being proactive in preventing a situation before it ever gets started.

[08:21:45] Hi, I'm Occoquan District Supervisor Kenny Bodie. Today, I'm excited to have you walk with me on a newly added, much-anticipated section of Old Bridge Road, providing connectivity for people in our community.

[08:22:08] As you can see, this project adds 700 feet of more sidewalk on the north side of Old Bridge Road, connecting Oakwood Drive to Forest Hill Road. Importantly, it connects the folks who live here to three schools, a new Ococon Greenway Trailhead, a pool, sports courts, and Lake Ridge HOA offices, providing more connection to these amenities for folks without a car, Just in time for pool season, too.

[08:22:39] What's also great is our team at Transportation is excellent at finding more opportunities to connect these networks and secure outside funding to do so. The sidewalk that we're walking on right now together represents a $1.6 million investment of local and federal dollars, creating a more walkable community while building better partnerships as well.

[08:23:02] I want to thank our County Department of Transportation, Rick Canizales' entire team, for delivering this project. Step by step, sidewalk by sidewalk, we're delivering a community that puts people first.

[08:23:17] So most people know Nikon from cameras, but there's a different side to us, and that side is metrology.

[08:23:44] Metrology is simply, it's the science of measurement. It's working out how long something is, where something is in space, and that's what we do here. we develop metrology equipment for the automotive industry, but also aerospace industry.

[08:24:04] This is the Aptis Laser Radar. It's a long-range laser-based measurement device. It shoots a laser beam at an object and we can measure that position in space. This means we can measure pretty much any surface. If we can see it, we can measure it.

[08:24:22] We launched this about 15 months ago now, right in the middle of the pandemic, which was you know that was a challenge in itself and it's been out there on the market and we're now selling it successfully we sell globally we you know nikon is a global company we're selling worldwide but have been engineered designed developed all here in prince william all from

[08:24:44] this factory here my name is seth hendler voss the director of parks and recreation here in

[08:25:27] beautiful prince william county each year we take a moment to celebrate everything that we've accomplished together over the last year and preview all the exciting opportunities that are waiting for us on the horizon. I'm here at the historic Hayslip House tucked away behind the old Brentsville Courthouse in the Brentsville District. This is really an enchanting place to visit where you can experience what it was like to live on a 500-acre farm in 1850s Virginia.

[08:25:53] You can get directions to this historic site and all the others by downloading the RecMapper app. This year's Day to the Parks theme is Explore More, which calls on all residents who embrace their inner childhood curiosity and seek out new adventures in our award-winning park system where there's always so much more than meets the eye. It's a cold adventure beyond the walls of our old routines and habits where the fresh breeze of inspiration blows. It's a reminder that sometimes some of the best rewards in life come from a little wandering. 2005 has been a year of tremendous growth for our parks and recreation system in the form of adding more parkland,

[08:26:34] improving the quality of existing assets, introducing new amenities, forging new partnerships, and launching new programs. I'm proud to say that our parks are strong and as essential as ever. Our agency's mission is to create recreational and cultural experiences for a more vibrant community.

[08:26:53] We do this by hiring the best people who are passionate about serving others, building relationships, planning new spaces and programs that exude creativity and welcomeness, embracing new trends, and experimenting with new offerings.

[08:27:10] Prince William County is one of the growing number of communities across the United States that understands the connection between a well-resourced parks and recreation agency and a community's comprehensive well-being across the health, social, economic, and environmental spectrum.

[08:27:27] In Prince William County, we know that parks are more than just green polygons on a map. They're where first bike rides happen, where families gather to celebrate, where new friendships are made, where children build self-confidence and learn to embrace difference, where minds are expanded through hands-on education, where healthy habits are instilled and bodies are healed, where people transcend social divides to unite in their shared love of nature and play, where teenagers gain their first job experiences, where new employers look when selecting a community to expand their companies, and where tourism spending occurs that supports thousands of jobs.

[08:28:07] We proudly steward one of the most dynamic park systems in the United States. Here, visitors can choose from 55 parks and facilities, 15 historic sites, 60 miles of trail, and 5,400 acres of parkland stretching from the Bull Run Mountains to the Potomac River.

[08:28:25] And when you add in our two national parks, our state park and our state forest, our two national wildlife refuges, and our nature preserves, Prince William County's green infrastructure is the envy of the Commonwealth. We also serve up a dynamite menu of enrichment programs for people of all ages and abilities, from licensed preschool and adaptive baseball to history tours and adult fitness classes.

[08:28:50] Calendar year 2025 was filled with an abundance of accomplishments that fulfilled our strategic plan focus areas. Our focus on creating positive experiences for guests at every touchpoint challenges us to provide a first-class experience for guests during every interaction with our department, from the time that they register for a program to the time that they exit a park or a facility.

[08:29:13] In 2025, Inside Nova readers voted us Best Summer Camps, Best Swimming Instruction for the Chin Aquatic Fitness Center, Best Swimming Pool for the Chin Aquatic Fitness Center, Best Farmers Market for the Dale City Farmers Market, Best Plant Center and Agritourism Attraction for the Dale City Farmers Market, Best Place for Family Fun for Splashdown Water Park, Best Yoga and Pilates Instructor for Casey Pugh at the Chin Aquatic Fitness Center, Best Dance Instructor and Choreographer for Michelle Gagin at the Sharon Boncom Dale City Recreation Center for the second year in a row.

[08:29:49] Northern Virginia Magazine voted us Best Summer Camp. Prince William Times readers voted us Best Before and After School Program for the Chin and Aquatic Fitness Center. Best Playground and Park for Rollins Ford Park. And Best Preschool for the Sharon Boncom Dale City Rec Center.

[08:30:05] Prince William Living readers voted us Best Gym and Fitness Center for the Chin Aquatic Fitness Center. Our focus on community engagement challenges us to increased participation in our breadth of services, especially for underrepresented populations, as well as harnessing the passion of parks and recreation enthusiasts to accelerate our mission.

[08:30:23] In 2025, we hosted a free youth soccer clinic and motivational talk with Paralympic champion and Patriot High School graduate Nick Mayhew. We held three Wreck on Wheels mobile outreach events in partnership with libraries and the Office of Community Safety to celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month.

[08:30:42] We offered four free movie nights at Chin, Ben Lohman, Veterans, and Fairmont Parks. We sponsored six Fridays at five music events at the Government Center Complex. We welcomed nearly 35,000 visitors to our fourth annual Holiday Walk of Lights at Neabsco Boardwalk, which was an increase of over 120% from last year.

[08:31:04] Our focus on operational planning and business excellence challenges us to embody best in industry standards, maximize tools to enhance service delivery, strengthened working relationships with other agencies, and leveraged private partnerships to maximize our limited resources.

[08:31:21] In 2025, we completed a community needs assessment that provided valuable direction for how we prioritize new investments in our park system, and we secured $1.5 million in grant funds, furthering our effort to minimize sole reliance on taxpayer support.

[08:31:40] Our focus on safety and security challenges us to increase a sense of security for visitors and ensure the safest experience possible in our parks and facilities. In 2025, our rangers conducted nearly 85,000 park, facility, and trail patrols.

[08:31:58] Our lifeguards performed 2,300 water rescues. We achieved four exceeds ratings from Ellison Associates, which is our lifeguard safety art at INFIRM. Our focus on cultural and environmental sustainability challenges us to limit our environmental impact and achieve a better ecological balance, preserve our valuable resources, and increase cultural literacy. In 2025, we offered new environmental education programs for families such as stream explorers and critters and campfires. We held 19 park cleanups across the county with a total of

[08:32:31] 785 volunteers. We planted 15 acres of new forest at the Bristol Station Battlefield as part of the Battlefield Landscape Restoration Project in conjunction with the Prince William County Department of Public Works. We welcomed a record-setting 151,000 visitors to our historic sites. We reached an all-time high for hands-on history participants with nearly 3,500 students attending field trips at our 15 county historic sites. We welcomed nearly 10,000 elementary school students to our Science in the Park program. We unveiled a Revolutionary War exhibit at the

[08:33:06] Williams Ordinary Historic Site, highlighting Prince William County's role in the American Revolution, featuring soldiers, loyalists, and experiences of African Americans during that period. We brought the Virginia 250th Traveling Exhibit to the Manassas Museum and the 250th Mobile Museum to the Ripon Lodge, both of which highlight Virginia's foundational role in America's independence. We work with partners to refresh the King's Highway trail markers along the eastern corridor of the county and created a virtual tour in conjunction with the new signage.

[08:33:39] Our focus on inclusion challenges us to create environments and opportunities that are accessible and welcoming to everyone. In 2025, we hired a new therapeutic recreation coordinator, Demi Rivera, to provide a dedicated focus on expanding adaptive recreation and intentionally increase access, participation, and meaningful outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

[08:34:00] We partnered with families to host the I Can Swim program at the Prince William Aquatic Center, serving around 30 special needs participants with volunteer support. We partnered with the Prince William Park Foundation to award 194 Need Space Scholarships for summer camps and classes through the Count Me In Scholarship Program.

[08:34:18] 2025 was another period of major capital investments in our park system. We remodeled the clubhouse at Forest Greens Golf Course in the Potomac District. We installed a new kayak launch at Neabsco Regional Park in Woodbridge District. We completed entry road improvements to alleviate traffic congestion at James Long Regional Park in the Gainesville District.

[08:34:40] We installed a new picnic shelter at Veterans Park in the Woodbridge District. We made wholesale accessibility improvements at Dale City Recreation Center Park in the Neabsco District. We replaced a playground and expanded one of the baseball fields at Noakesville Park in the Brentsville District. We built a new equestrian trail and a parking area at Valley View Park in the Brentsville District.

[08:35:00] We kicked off a countywide trails master plan process, starting with mapping every foot of trail in our system to create a companion document to the comprehensive plan that will facilitate the construction of a robust public trail network. We completed accessibility improvements at Canine Gunner Dog Park in the Aquaquon District.

[08:35:19] We replaced Saunders Middle School football field artificial turf in the Coles District. We celebrated the opening of the county's first pump track at Rollins Ford Park in the Brentsville District in collaboration with the Prince William County Parks Foundation. We partnered with DOT to begin planning a mile-long trail connection for the newly constructed Jefferson Park, connecting it to Veterans Memorial Park and Rumscoe Acre Lake Park in the Woodbridge District.

[08:35:43] We completed wholesale accessibility improvements to Joseph D. Renning Park in Nicole's District. We achieved substantial completion of the Howison Park Soccer Complex improvement in Nicole's District, which features new restrooms, changing rooms, pedestrian seating, and new fencing.

[08:35:59] We replaced the pool white coat and preschool playground at the Chin Aquatic and Fitness Center in the Occoquan District. We completed a new accessible parking area along Blackburn Road for the Niabscow Boardwalk in the Woodbridge District. The year ahead will be one to remember, full of initiatives and projects that will respond to community priorities and our master plan.

[08:36:19] We'll be completing re-accreditation by the Commission for the Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies, an honor bestowed upon 1% of all 10,000 park and recreation agencies across the United States. We'll be preparing a list of projects for potential 2026 Parks and Library Bond Referendum to help meet the $500 million in unmet needs for parks, trails, and facility projects across the county.

[08:36:43] We'll be starting a feasibility study to explore locations for an Eastern and Western Community Recreation Center. We'll be drafting a public art policy for the Board of County Supervisors' consideration that leverages the creative capital of our residents to meet the county's placemaking goals.

[08:36:59] We'll begin permitting food trucks to vend in select parks starting this spring through an application process. Our ranger division will be launching a new apprenticeship program for at-risk youth in partnership with the Office of Community Safety's Gang Response Intervention Team to teach them professional skills and prepare them for future job opportunities.

[08:37:19] Our ranger division will also be expanding their effort to ensure a safe park system by developing a drone program to support search and rescue operations for lost persons. We'll be kicking off a public master plan process for the Future Thoroughfare Historic Park in the Gainesville District. We'll be dedicating a new Revolutionary War Memorial at the Williams Ordinary Historic Site in the Potomac District with funding support from the Historic Preservation Foundation.

[08:37:43] We'll be creating an online exhibit focused on a historic African-American community called the Settlement in the Brentsville District. We'll be launching our first ever therapeutic recreation summer camp designed for children with special needs. We'll be unveiling a new audio-based and motion-sensing play feature called the Sona Arch between the Chin Center and the Chin Library in the Occoquan District.

[08:38:06] We'll cut the ribbon on a new one-mile segment of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail through the Featherstone Wildlife Refuge in Woodbridge District. We'll cut the ribbon for the new splash pad at Cat Harpin Park in the Gainesville District. We'll be exploring sites for a new botanical garden as part of the Fettler Small Area Plan in the Potomac District.

[08:38:24] We'll complete the improvements at Ellis Barron Park in the Gainesville District, which will feature the county's first-ever artificial turf futsal courts. We'll complete the additional baseball field at Fuller Heights Park in the Potomac District. We'll begin master planning the new Neabsco District Adventure Park located within the new course mixed-use development in the Neabsco District.

[08:38:45] The Park Foundation will launch a new capital campaign for a new universal playground at Hellwood Park in the Coles District, as well as kayak lockers and a new mobile education ban for a Science in the Park program. Looking on the five-year horizon, we'll continue to reinvest in our existing park, trail, and facility infrastructure thanks to an unprecedented level of support from the Board of County Supervisors.

[08:39:08] And we also anticipate significant new capital investment to expand our system. We'll focus our efforts on meeting the community's top priorities as expressed in the 2025 needs assessment.

[08:39:20] These priorities include walking, hiking, and biking trails, botanical gardens, museums, indoor fitness and exercise spaces, small neighborhood parks, indoor walking tracks, passive use open spaces, picnic areas and shelters, boating and fishing areas, playgrounds, community special events, history programs, nature programs, food trucks and parks, water fitness, adult sport programming, outdoor environmental education, youth sports programming, youth summer camp programs,

[08:40:01] and out-of-school time programming. We'll continue leveraging partnerships wherever possible and appropriate in order to stretch public dollars and expedite the availability of new services. We'll increase our collaboration with the other human service agencies in the county to provide coordinated services where there's no wrong door to pass through when looking for assistance. We'll play an active role in interagency work groups to bring the Board of Supervisors strategic plan to fruition. And finally, we'll be transitioning to a more centralized capital project development model in order to streamline project delivery as our work

[08:40:38] volume grows. As the saying goes, many hands make lighter work. The holistic impact we make on the community would not be possible without the help of so many dedicated community partners, our sister county agencies, our elected officials, county leadership, our committed volunteers, Our advisory board members and you are wonderful patrons who trust us to provide lasting recreation and cultural experiences for you and your loved ones.

[08:41:06] I especially want to acknowledge our workforce of more than 1,300 dedicated full-time, part-time, and seasonal team members who pour their passion into creating guest experiences that we hope will last a lifetime. From the professionals behind the scenes to those on the front lines, your experience is our number one priority.

[08:41:27] In closing, the state of our parks is strong, but more than that, it's hopeful. Because every playground that we build, every trail we extend, and every program offered represents something bigger than infrastructure. It represents community and an opportunity to thrive.

[08:41:45] As we move into the coming year, let us continue to imagine what a park system can be and work together to make that vision a reality. Thank you very much, and I look forward to building our future together. Community Safety Innovation Symposium is an opportunity for professionals across the Commonwealth to come together, to network, to really understand the roles that we have in

[08:42:20] creating a safer ecosystem. We tackle issues related to safety, related to community building and connectivity. We need a vast array of minds, of diverse thinkers, of people from across the spectrum. We know that ultimately what our communities call us to do now is work together in a collaborative way. This is exactly what we should be doing. We're already seeing great, great innovation just from having these types of discussions. As I was standing in the

[08:42:55] back, I already saw the people across all the disciplines just reaching over and talking. That's not the best thing that could happen today. It's like a full circle of problem solving in the community. It's about whether people feel safe, supported and safe. Too often we talk about balance as a problem but more often as we start to unpack this thing we know that it is a symptom. A symptom of disconnection, undressed trauma, lack of opportunity and systems that don't align. At the

[08:43:31] end of the day the opposite of balance is not just peace it is connection, trust, opportunity and hope and that's what it means to create community and that's how we prevent violence. Community is about connectivity. If we're serious about creating safe community we create strong community we create resilient community we create a community where you know your neighbors and so that's what we're doing here not just with the symposium but with the office of community

[08:43:59] safety there's a lot of things i love about being a police officer being able to help people in different ways whether that's fellow officers or whether that's in the field dealing with community members both of my parents are retired police officers from prince lamb county i wanted to serve and give back to the community that i grew up in when they see our cars when they see

[08:44:33] our uniforms it equals trust i'm extremely fortunate to work with some amazing individuals we celebrate each other's victories and we pick each other up everybody's focused because they're proud of who they are and the people that they served with since day one i have felt like i'm not a number here that if you work hard you're going to be seen your name's going to be known and people are going to remember you.

[08:44:58] We have a lot of opportunities. People want to go to CID, SWAT, K9. People that want to move up the ranks. This is a great place to work. People here just feel comfortable. I say it's the caliber of the people that we hire, the training that we experience here, and just the leadership.

[08:45:13] We are always looking at what's better, what's best practice, and how we can get to that point. Delivering justice and helping others and protecting the innocent and bringing closure, it can be extremely rewarding. That honesty, that integrity, that desire to serve our community that is the Prince William Way.

[08:45:39] Welcome back to Shorter Topics. I am Chris Shorter, your county executive, and we have a special episode today.

[08:45:55] Jamal Hines, program manager here at Chinn, is going to walk us through and give us a lot of background on all the things that we do here in Prince William County around our parks and recreation centers. We're down here, first floor of the Chin Fitness Center, and obviously we're going to be talking this episode about summer and year-round activities for Parks and Recreation.

[08:46:19] We're going to start with the summer. Jamal, if you could just tell us all of the things that are happening with Parks and Recreation, and I know the list is long. Absolutely. Summertime is definitely a busy time here at the Chin. You know, we have a number of programs going on in aquatics, fitness, children's program, preschool, all of the things going on.

[08:46:39] We have our fitness classes each day upstairs, you know, our group fitness classes inside each day. We have swim lessons from all levels down from, you know, toddlers and parents all the way up to senior classes for swim lessons that are going on during the summer. And then, of course, what we're most well known for is our children's programs.

[08:46:56] We have nine full weeks sold out for summer camps. Registration opens in March. We fill within, you know, 48 hours of opening. And I will tell you, I mean, walking in the door, I see young people and I see our seniors. Absolutely. Fully understand what you mean.

[08:47:11] Yeah, we value that community piece. And we really try to make sure that we're promoting that holistic wellness from our younger patrons all the way up to, you know, our seniors that are in here trying to better their wellness. talking about the county you know while chin is very full and busting at the seams over the summer you know we have other facilities that just open seasonally we have waterworks water park we have splashdown water park we have community pools that just open to give more experiences to our community members during the summer then we also have year-round programming you know um that is outside of just the summer season so here at the chin we offer the only before and after care

[08:47:47] operation in the county um we offer seasonal camps on teacher work days spring break and winter break camps uh we're here and operating our fitness and our aquatic programming goes on year round not just at this center our sister center dale city recreation center also has similar programming formats um you know and then we have parks silver lake locust shade um that are all outdoor facilities that we have you know the farmer's market that takes place during the year yes so we do have instructional fitness. We also have open fitness. So you can come, you can get instructional time with our various, you know, fitness instructors. They offer a wide array of

[08:48:27] different formats for their fitness classes, which can all be found in our leisure magazine. So check out the leisure magazine and see what fitness formats we had. If you're just looking for open recreation, you know, you already kind of have an idea of what you want to work on. You can come upstairs, enjoy our cardio hallway. You can enjoy our weight room downstairs and just get your own personal work in you can also see some of our great personal trainers you know if you want to get into fitness you don't really know how here in dale city have some phenomenal personal trainers that will show you the road well now i'm seeing all of these amazing photos of young people over the years our staff volunteers i assume yeah absolutely and i'm seeing masks so this is

[08:49:06] during the covid years when we came back from covid so this is our last six years since we came back from COVID. Just six years. Program has been going since, you know, the earlier 2000s. So to now come see where it's come since then and now have some of these kids that were kids in these photos now be our camp counselors in the summer. Oh, yeah. That is an awesome thing to see.

[08:49:28] It's really see them come full circle. Talk about community. Yeah. Yeah. Right. To see a young person raised up in a program. That's right. To come back and work for the program. That's right. I think it's a testament to what we do here, you know. Even before I got here, they've had good staff with Parks and Recreation that truly cared about kids.

[08:49:46] And, you know, that speaks volumes when those kids now want to come back and give back to the new generation. Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. This is just a taste of what we're doing in Parks and Rec. You know, there's seven other sites across the county that are also offering similar things, you know, whether it be contracted camps or in-house camps.

[08:50:03] We're offering these recreation and wellness experiences to kids across the county. And not just sort of recreation center based, but we're talking about nature, we're talking about trails. Yeah, we're just building the community, right? Whether it be a fitness class, whether it be a walk on Neyabscope Boardwalk, you know, Fridays at five, you know, those types of things.

[08:50:24] There's no goal in that other than some sense of community, sense of belonging, you know. And I think when you have those types of things, then that allows the other programs, the other experiences to be so much more for your community members. This is one of the things I love so much about Parks and Recreation. I mean, you all create community.

[08:50:41] That's right. So all of the things you just mentioned, this is why people move to the county, certainly why they enjoy the quality of life. It's why they work for the county. That's why they work for the county. That's exactly right. That's right. That's exactly right because now I'm serving, you know, my neighbors. I'm serving my children.

[08:50:57] I'm serving my neighbor's parents, you know. Those are awesome things that can be matched really with other careers. We talked about a lot during this episode. Okay, so let me say that. Absolutely. If anyone wanted to find additional information, where do they go? How do they get in contact, et cetera?

[08:51:13] Yeah, absolutely. So the main thing would be to go online, Prince William County Parks and Recreation. It's going to bring up our website. That website is going to have everything that we do, from parks to facilities to centers, all the way down to what programs are happening at those spaces throughout the year.

[08:51:31] We have quarterly Leisure Magazine that's going to come out, you know, for the fall, spring, winter, summer seasons. Going to have all of our current offerings, upcoming offerings, and all of the contact information for the instructors, program managers that are responsible for those programs can be found in that Leisure Magazine as well.

[08:51:47] Perfect, perfect, perfect. Well, thank you so much. You're so welcome. Like I said, I appreciate you so much. Yeah, we appreciate you for sure. And thank you all so much for joining Shorter Topics, Bigger Impact. I will see you all next time. Effective January 1st, 2024, commercial haulers and businesses disposing of regular refuse in the landfill will be charged $40 per ton.

[08:52:17] Revenue from this fee will fund continued landfill operations, such as building new cells, burying county-generated waste, and capping cells, extending the life of the landfill. Residents can still dispose of trash, recycling, and yard waste without charge at the landfill and compost facility.

[08:52:34] Customers experiencing changes in their collection service fees should contact their contracted hauler or HOA with any questions or concerns. For more information, visit pwcva.gov slash disposal fees.

[08:53:00] I am the program manager for the Prince William County Child Advocacy Center.

[08:53:16] The Child Advocacy Center is a place where we do multidisciplinary services for children, their families. when there is an allegation of child abuse or child sexual abuse, extreme physical abuse, or that child has witnessed a violent crime.

[08:53:32] My goal is for that kiddo to come through our center to have the best experience possible. We're here for those residents, and we are here to make sure that they get what they need to walk through kind of some of the toughest times of their lives. I tell people all the time it's more of a calling than a job, if that makes any sense.

[08:53:53] The goal is to make sure my team can provide quality service to the residents of Prince William County. And whatever I need to do to make that happen, that's what I do. The journey started when I was a little girl. I was always the kid that advocated for other kids that were getting bullied or that were in trouble.

[08:54:12] And then I progressed to high school. I ended up being a peer counselor in high school. Go to college, I took one psychology course and was sprung. And that was kind of the, it just started from there. so I've always been in service serving child victims and their families I always call it it's heart work if that makes any sense and it's just in my heart to make sure that those kiddos are able to have their stories heard and those families get the resources that they need and that's kind of our goal to make sure that this is not a end-all be-all for them it's a

[08:54:50] chapter in their story and so we want to soften the blow of the chapter I think I'm passionate about it because I know what it's like sometimes not to be heard and I want to provide that space for other children so they can be heard. It's a space where you can talk about the most horrendous thing that's ever happened to you and that person is going to hold that space with you without judgment and I think every child deserves that. I think what geared me more towards public service

[08:55:25] is kind of just service is a part of who I am and it's a part of what I believe. You know if I'm not doing that, I'm not sure what I would be doing because I can't see myself doing anything else. But when I think public service, providing a service to the people that I live next to and work with every day, I consider that it's an honor and a privilege to give that back.

[08:55:49] I've worked a lot of places, and I can honestly say Prince William County is probably one of the best places that I've worked. When you have leadership that believes in the people, that believes in the mission and that cares about the people not only the people that they serve but the people that work for them. It makes you want to come to work and it makes you want to do a better job to see a kid go from day one to day whatever it is in court and have their say. To see that kid be able to tell their story and hold their head high and say I know what happened to me wasn't my

[08:56:23] fault. That's there's nothing better. My name is Clyette and this is how I serve. This is William

[08:56:59] County, but especially to my citizens in the Potomac District. I'm your supervisor, Supervisor Andrea Bailey, and I'm glad to bring you great news about a transportation improvement project that we just completed. At Stockbridge, we added two traffic lights, but we also widened the road to make a right-hand turn more accessible. We improved the pedestrian crossing, but also made it ADA compliant. And as you drive down the road to Tallinn Drive, we did almost the same. We added

[08:57:36] two stoplights and improved the pedestrian crossing, as well as made it ADA compliant. How did we do it? We combined our partners from the federal entity and our partnership with our transportation improvement project funding to the tune of $1.6 million. And so let's celebrate.

[08:58:01] I am so proud of what we've done together. So let's get on the move as we go forward with other projects.

[08:58:13] That's not nice.

[09:02:04] You should pick up after yourself and put the trash in the can. I'm not here to clean up. I'm here to enjoy nature. So are we. That doesn't mean we can trash the place. Seriously.

[09:02:27] Mama Raccoon, what's your excuse? We are the Prince William County Human Rights Commission, and we want to make sure our community is conscious of our agency's mission, which is to eliminate discrimination in our county by enforcing our civil and human rights laws.

[09:02:57] We want to ensure we maintain equal opportunities for all persons within our county through communication, education, and most of all, by making sure our agency is an accessible resource for our community. The Prince William County Human Rights Commission was established on January 15, 1993 by the Board of County Supervisors to ensure that each citizen is treated fairly, provided equal protection of the law, and equal opportunity to participate in the benefits, rights, and privileges of our community.

[09:03:34] We're here for you. Residents are encouraged to use our services if they feel their rights are being violated in the areas of employment, housing, credit, education, and or public accommodation. If you feel you've been discriminated against in the following areas, on the basis of your race, national origin, sex, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, status as a veteran, familial status, or marital status, you can contact our office to learn more about your equal opportunity rights.

[09:04:13] Complaints which have occurred within 365 days before filing a complaint, as well as alleged violations by employers that have six or more employees. Contact the Human Rights Office in person, by telephone, letter, or online at pwcva.gov slash human rights.

[09:04:38] You can talk to a staff member about your concerns. They can determine if the office covers the complaint. If the complaint is not covered by the Human Rights Office, the staff member will try to make a referral to another agency which can handle your complaint. To file a complaint or learn more about your rights, please contact the Human Rights Office or visit our website at pwcva.gov slash humanrights.

[09:05:06] Somos la Comisión de Derechos Humanos del Condado de Prince William y queremos asegurarnos que nuestra comunidad esté consciente de la misión de nuestra agencia, lo cual es eliminar la discriminación en nuestro condado haciendo cumplir nuestras leyes de derechos civiles y humanos.

[09:05:32] Queremos asegurarnos de mantener la igualdad de oportunidades para todas las personas dentro de nuestro condado a través de la comunicación, la educación y sobre todo cerciorarnos que nuestra agencia sea un recurso accesible para nuestra comunidad.

[09:05:48] La Comisión de Derechos Humanos del Condado de Prince William fue establecida el 15 de enero de 1993 por la Junta de Supervisores del Condado para asegurar que cada ciudadano sea tratado de manera justa. Se le brinde la misma protección de la ley y la misma oportunidad de participar en los beneficios, derechos y privilegios de nuestra comunidad.

[09:06:11] Estamos aquí para usted. Animamos a los residentes a utilizar nuestro servicio si sienten que sus derechos están siendo violados en las áreas de empleo, vivienda, crédito, educación y o alojamiento público.

[09:06:27] Si siente que ha sido discriminado en las siguientes áreas por motivo de su raza, origen nacional, sexo, género, religión, edad, orientación sexual, identidad de género, discapacidad, condición de veterano, estado familiar o estado civil, puede comunicarse con nuestra oficina.

[09:06:49] Para obtener más información sobre sus derechos de igualdad de oportunidades en relación con quejas que hayan ocurrido dentro de las 365 días antes de presentar una queja, así como sobre las supuestas violaciones por parte de empleadores que tengan seis o más empleados, Comuníquese con la Oficina de Derechos Humanos en persona, por teléfono, carta o en línea en pwcva.gov barra diagonal H-U-M-A-N-R-I-G-H-T-S.

[09:07:24] Puede hablar con un miembro del personal sobre sus inquietudes. Ellos pueden determinar si la oficina se encarga de la queja. Si la queja no está cubierta por la Oficina de Derechos Humanos, los miembros del personal tratarán de hacer una referencia a otra agencia que pueda manejar su queja.

[09:07:42] Para presentar una queja o aprender más sobre sus derechos, comuníquese con la Oficina de Derechos Humanos o visite nuestro sitio web en www.cva.gov.humanri.ghts.

[09:08:17] My dad couldn't get good internet out at his house, and the ISP drove out to his house and said, you'll never get fiber out here. There's just not enough homes to justify trenching. And that's really where the idea for Traxel began, using road networks to bring the internet.

[09:08:34] We have a saying, here to anywhere, and it's about connectivity. It's about getting connectivity in hard-to-reach areas. It's about closing the digital divide. When I say digital divide, It's the separation between communities that have high-speed internet and those that don't.

[09:08:51] The way to get connectivity using traditional methods would be either trenching or you're drilling underground. We avoid it altogether. We don't even go underground. We don't go into the other utilities. What we're basically doing is taking those cables and putting them into our lines that we basically are painting out onto road surfaces.

[09:09:12] So we're bringing the fiber optic connections using the surfaces of roads by painting them onto the roadwork. Just kind of began in the garage. Originally we were being pulled around on wagons. My dad would pull me on a wagon and I'd hold this little drag box and Steve would pour the resin into the box over top of the fiber cables that we had tacked down.

[09:09:34] It was in the middle of the night because we were both working full-time professions at this time. We're laying down these cables, turning on some lights, curing things. it really showed good resiliency and viability and so we just kept going out and testing it a little further a little further and so we're here today actually in our own shop working in our lab and in the in our own environment doing it so after many years of building different machines and trying to get this process automated we got to what we call our mark 2 trackster where we're

[09:10:14] basically taking fiber cables bonding them to the surface using a UV cured resin and just driving down the road painting optical fiber. So what this machine really represents is another tool in the tool bag for fiber installers to use that can really help solve some complicated installation challenges and and get the customer up and running faster. Today we're serving both rural communities to close the digital divide but we're also working with smart cities and bases and campuses to solve challenging situations in urban

[09:10:47] environments too. In high school and you're trying to figure out what you want to do after high school

[09:11:30] and maybe college is not something that's on your radar scope or maybe you're looking for something alternative. My name is Tim Mason. I'm the professional development intern and apprenticeship coordinator for Prince William County's Department of Facilities and Fleet Management. So we have programs where we can train you. We're looking primarily for seniors but we have some things help prep you even you know between your sophomore and junior year for example we do a summer exploratory internship program and that will allow you to see what jobs that we have meet all these individuals to be able to make an informed decision I'm Xavier Rome I am a maintenance and operations specialist

[09:12:10] for the county originally supposed to be doing college shows we're going to Nova and then I realized it's kind of not what I wanted to do I wanted to do more hands-on work so I looked around and it just so happened that my prior construction tech teacher got a job for the county as the coordinator for the apprenticeship program and he gave me an offer to try it out as the first apprentice and I thought it'd be a great idea so I tried it out and here we are.

[09:12:41] My name is Ethan Nures I was an intern with FFM. So I was a junior at Colgan high school and I'm a part of the part of Colgan's student NHB student chapter so through that I heard about the internship with FFM and I thought that it would be a good idea to kind of see what the kind of career or adjacent careers that I was interested in to see how they worked in real life such situations and just to see if I could learn just a little bit more about it my name is John a Blair and I'm an intern with FFM I think it definitely gave me a

[09:13:16] lot of advantages with definitely the experience part because a lot of my peers like they know what they want to do and they're just like oh i'll worry about you know focusing on what specifically i want to do like later in college or later after college but i was able to first hand see exactly what i could be doing in a couple of years and that's something a lot of people my age don't get to do or will never be able to do and that's definitely something that i'm grateful i was able My name is Jose Sarabia. I'm a Fleet Specialist Assistant at Fleet Facilities Management.

[09:13:50] I was in an automotive program at C.D. Hilton High School and received an email about this job position. I was taught how to work on ambulances, the light system, the emergency lights, and basic maintenance and repair.

[09:14:07] What motivated me the most was that I really liked doing that. doing that and I saw the idea of working on a police car or or an ambulance really really interesting. But working with the county was it made me feel feel good because we could see what all the behind-the-scenes work did to really help improve public life that most people don't even think about. It's very rewarding to see that my work in the county has transferred to other county workers and their ability to help out other people in the county. A message I'd

[09:14:43] to anyone thinking about joining this internship is definitely do it. You're not gonna have the same opportunity or the same experience to be able to do this most likely ever in your life and being able to see these people work their jobs and see their day-to-day life is a really good way to kind of know like what to expect. If there was something I would tell myself it would be to apply for this internship sooner. The way the students can find more information about this is visiting their website. Go to the county website, look for facilities and fleet management. If you're in high school, I'm in schools

[09:15:20] every week so if I have a table set up or come and do a career exploration, that's the time to be able to meet me as well. See yourself here. See yourself here. See yourself here. See yourself here at Prince William County.

[09:15:34] William County, thank you for joining us here today as we debut our 54-foot speed ladder this ladder has a message speed has an impact the force of falling from the top of

[09:16:12] this ladder is the same as being hit by a vehicle traveling 40 miles per hour and a pedestrian has about a 50 50 chance of surviving that crash preliminary data shows that in the first six months of 2026 there were nearly 9 400 speed related crashes in virginia and of those 544 of of them happened in Prince William County. And behind every one of those numbers, it's not just a statistic. It's a family, a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor whose life changed in an instant. Traffic safety impacts everyone. Every time someone chooses to speed, they're

[09:16:51] taking a risk, not just with their own life, but with the lives of everyone sharing the road. Real change happens when each of us makes the conscious decision to slow down, stay focused, and drive responsibly.

[09:17:07] But traffic safety is not solely the responsibility of the organizations represented here today. It is a shared responsibility for everyone who uses our roadways, and that includes drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. The message is simple. Being traffic-aware saves lives.

[09:17:27] Slowing down is one of the simplest choices that we can make to protect ourselves and others on the road. How to File and Pay Business Tangible's Property Tax Log in to your portal account at tax.pwcgov.org.

[09:18:01] If you do not have a portal account, you will need to register for one. After logging on, you will see the Summary of Accounts screen. Most business accounts will have a business license and business tangible property account.

[09:18:18] To file a return, click the Return Expected link. Click the View button to see the details of the business tangible account. Returns can be filed from the account details screen. To request an extension, the request must be made prior to the filing due date.

[09:18:38] After the filing due date, the request extension button will no longer be available. Any changes to tangible asset listings, such as additions or disposals, should be reported in the appropriate year.

[09:18:54] Leased items also need to be added to the lease section if applicable. To upload asset listings, choose the file to upload. Only one document can be uploaded. Click Submit Return.

[09:19:11] If additional documentation needs to be submitted, please email them to TaxpayerServices at pwcgov.org. You will receive a business tangible tax bill in September with a due date in October.

[09:19:28] File and pay for your business tangible property tax at tax.pwcgov.org. ¿Cómo declarar y pagar impuestos de propiedad de negocios tangibles comerciales?

[09:19:45] Inicie sesión en su cuenta del portal en tax.pwcgov.org. Si no tiene una cuenta en el portal, deberá registrarse para obtener una. Después de iniciar sesión, verá la pantalla de resumen de cuentas.

[09:20:04] La mayoría de las cuentas comerciales tendrán una licencia comercial y una cuenta comercial de propiedad tangible. Para declarar sus impuestos, haga clic en Return Expected. Haga clic en el botón para ver los detalles de la cuenta comercial tangible.

[09:20:24] Las declaraciones de impuestos se pueden presentar desde la pantalla de detalles de la cuenta. Para solicitar una extensión, la solicitud debe hacerse antes de la fecha de vencimiento. Después de la fecha máxima para declarar sus impuestos, el botón de solicitud ya no estará disponible.

[09:20:45] Cualquier cambio en las listas de activos tangibles, como Agregar o Desechar, debe informarse en el año correspondiente. Los artículos arrendados también deben agregarse a la sección de arrendamiento si corresponde.

[09:21:00] Para subir el listado de activos, elija el archivo. Solo se puede subir un documento. Haga clic en Submit Return. Si necesita enviar documentación adicional, envíalo por correo electrónico a taxpayerservices.pwcgov.org.

[09:21:24] Recibirá una factura de impuestos comerciales tangible en septiembre con fecha a pagar en octubre. Declare y pague el impuesto de propiedad tangible de su negocio en tax.pwcgov.org.

[09:21:45] I was looking to start my own business. Like most businesses, I was kind of starting with Google, right? So like how to start a small business. And to be honest, like it was kind of overwhelming and just trying to piece together, like, where do I start?

[09:22:05] Working in economic development, it really comes down to being an advocate for businesses. I guess the thing that kind of drew me to it was if I understood that it was difficult and I'm trying to gather all the information on how to start a small business, I can kind of come at it from that perspective.

[09:22:29] First role or my first task at hand is to listen. It's to not come from a government perspective of just implementing things. It's really just to sit down with the businesses, oftentimes just one-on-one, hearing what their challenges are, where they're getting stuck, and seeing how Prince William County can come in and provide a solution for that.

[09:22:56] The relationships I get to make with our business community, it's more of just, you know, I'm helping businesses, I'm going to visit them and they ask how my children are doing and I ask how their family's doing. So it's awesome just building that community and making those relationships. The work that we're doing, it's going to impact, you know, my neighbors just like me who want to have a vibrant community, not just for themselves, it's to keep a roof over their head. It's so that they can get their kid in college.

[09:23:31] You know, it's their retirement. This idea that Prince William County, you know, is made up of so many small businesses. We're really just neighbors helping neighbors. And so I'm really excited for the future of Prince William County and what we're creating here.

[09:24:01] Roadways across our area are busier than ever. We need your help so that everybody can get home safely. In Virginia, it's the law. Drivers must slow down or move over for vehicles stopped on the side of the road. Whether it's the police, fire department, tow truck, or road crew, if you see flashing lights, move over.

[09:24:23] Please give our officers, fire and rescue personnel, and road safety workers the space they need to work. If you are unable to safely or reasonably move over, proceed with caution and do regard for safety. Reduce your speed to a safe level for highway conditions. Pay attention and pass with extreme care.

[09:24:40] New in 2023, drivers must also slow down or move over for disabled vehicles on the side of the road. If these vehicles have four-way flashers activated or display other caution signs or lit road flares, slow down or move over. It's easy. Change lanes if you reasonably and safely can do so.

[09:24:57] Or slow down. We all need to share the roads. As always, buckle up, obey all posted signs and signals, never drive impaired, and avoid distractions. Remember, slow down or move over. It's not only the law, but it's for everyone's safety.

[09:25:20] Today, we welcome for the first time this new traveling exhibit of the history and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and Women, Air Force Service Pilots, or WASP.

[09:25:41] Their courage to go beyond what was expected of them, both the men and women, is something to honor and recognize. Thank you so much. Thank you so much to the city of Manassas, to the Boulay, and to Governor Yunkin.

[09:25:57] Thank you so much, and it's my honor to present a proclamation on behalf of Prince William County. This tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Air Force Service Pilots provides us an opportunity to remember and commemorate the historic and heroic contributions of these brave men and women who served during World War II.

[09:26:15] Let us never forget their courage, sacrifice, and patriotism. Today, we honor them. the Manassas Regional Airport will be hosting the Rise Above Tuskegee Airmen and Women Air Force Service Pilots Expositions from August 22nd to August 27th, providing a unique opportunity for residents and visitors to engage with this important piece of history. And whereas the special event represents an exceptional opportunity for students, history enthusiasts, and the wider community to engage in meaningful dialogue, learn from our shared history, and gain valuable insights into the profound legacy of Tuskegee Airmen and Women Air Force Service pilots,

[09:26:55] inspiring present and future generations to overcome challenges and pursue their dreams. And we express our gratitude and gratitude and admiration to the CAF Rise Above Squadron for their tireless efforts in organizing and bringing the Rise Above Tuskegee Airmen and Women Air Force Service pilots to our community, ensuring that the stories of these extraordinary individuals continue to resonate and inspire for years to come tuskegee airmen the women air service pilots

[09:27:27] both both true legends see the lead up to world war ii the war department denied african americans and women the right to fly nazi germany was terrorizing europe and the tuskegee airmen faced down hate and dictatorial rule all that mattered was that they could fly and they could complete the mission. From the Mediterranean Sea to the shores of Normandy, these brave men gave

[09:28:02] their all. They struggled through hardship. I can't help but see this plane out here and find myself in awe of what that plane signifies. Not a piece of equipment, but an absolute statement. A statement that men made in the face of adversity. Today, the legacy of these men and women stands proud.

[09:28:32] It serves as a guidepost for future generations. See, these men and women did not see America as it was, but they saw America as it could be. A nation where freedom exists, not just for some, but for all.

[09:28:51] All of this, notwithstanding the fact that every week, every month, I meet Virginians. I meet the next generation who tell me that they want to become pilots. They want to be an aviator. They want to go to space. They want to serve the nation. And it is the Tuskegee Airmen and it is the women aviators who pioneered and opened up this dream for every

[09:29:23] single American. That's why this exhibit is so important. That is why we need to capture the stories and make them accessible to everyone, particularly our young people. May we never forget that we stand on the shoulders of heroes thank you all very very much sometimes a place

[09:29:58] can make its mark on you and sometimes you can make your mark on a place that place is prince william county a place where the momentum of smart growth continues to create vibrant community

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