Coraggio Consulting
Prince William Board of County Supervisors Meeting, Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Place: Prince William County Board of County Supervisors, Virginia
Length: 3h 13m (video)
Official meeting video (Prince William County, Granicus): https://pwcgov.granicus.com/player/clip/3916
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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[00:17:13] All right, everyone, if you could please take a seat. It is 2-0-3 on Tuesday, October 6th. We are going to begin with a moment of silence.

[00:17:39] All right, thank you. All rise, if you're able, for Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you, everyone.

[00:18:06] We are going to skip over agenda item number three. And I'm going to turn it over to my colleague, who is also the president of VACO, for item number four. Well, thank you, Madam Chair, for allowing me this honor to do this portion. So, VACO is the Virginia Association of Counties, and one part of that is they have an awards program where they basically travel through 95 counties, look at programs and great things that are going on around the county, and then they, through a process that doesn't include me, because I'm the president, from Prince William County, but they determine these great programs.

[00:18:43] And one thing, the great part about this, Prince William County has four recipients. So we're here to celebrate that with Joe Lurch is going to come up to the podium. He's one of our VACO lobbyists and kind of just read a brief description of each award and then we'll be presenting them.

[00:19:00] Sir, floor is yours. Well, thank you, Victor, and Madam Chair, members of the board. My name is Joe Lurch. I serve as the Director of Local Government Policy for VACO. And just a little bit about VACO. We've been around since 1934, serving on your behalf in all the counties in Virginia.

[00:19:16] We established the Achievement Award Program in 2003, so this is our 24th year. And as Victor said, I'm proud to present four Achievement Awards today, including Best Large County Achievement Award. Just a little bit about the competition, and it is a friendly competition.

[00:19:35] We received 103 entries in 2026, and 40 winners were selected from 26 counties. So it's truly a competitive program where less than 40% of the entries were selected as winners. Now, a little bit on Prince William County stats over the years.

[00:19:53] Prince William has now won the award 37 times and ranks tied for third all time with Loudoun County. Once again, a friendly competition. Prince William has won an award 14 years in a row and won the best achievement award in 2020, which is the highest.

[00:20:11] And you also won the Best Large County Achievement Award in 2022, so really keeping up the standard here. Just a little bit about the criteria. The judges who meet and go over all the entrants, they look at innovative solutions to a problem for a situation or delivery of service.

[00:20:30] Does it promote intergovernmental cooperation, you know, within the region, within the Fed, and with the state? Does the program provide a model for other governments may learn or implement on their own? And I think truly all of these do. And then lastly, is the program based on programs from another public or private entity but represents an innovative approach or customization to the local government?

[00:20:54] So what I'm going to do is I'm going to go over each one individually just to say a few words, and then my understanding is the recipients are going to come up and give a little more for your citizens. So the first one, which is the Best Large County Achievement Award, goes to the Crisis Receiving Center.

[00:21:11] Let's make sure I don't break these. These right up here. And I'll just say that when looking over this application, the details, I mean, this goes back to March 2021 when the Prince William County Board directed staff to look at serving the need for the community here in terms of crisis stabilization related to mental health.

[00:21:39] And I'll just cut to the chase. Since its opening, you've served 883 individuals, reduced ER psychiatric boarding by 66%, reduced police hours spent on mental health calls by 900 in the first month, and decreased out-of-area placements from 43% to 8%.

[00:21:59] So I think this truly serves as a premier replica model for other localities and other counties. So with that. Thank you very much. And I have with me two of our partners, our contract manager for our vendor that's operating the Crisis Receiving Center and our budget manager, or two that have made this possible.

[00:22:27] Absolutely, our county chair and board that has supported this, our champion and supervisor Bailey, our county exec in the county's office, and many partners with this. It's truly taken a village, and we are very grateful and honored to be the recipient of this Crisis Receiving Center Complex Award, as it really speaks to the hard work and the dedication and the collaboration, and we are thrilled with the benefits to our community.

[00:22:53] This recognition will really inspire us to continue to be innovative in coming up with ways to better serve our community, and we are serving in the CRC themselves close to 2,000 at this point. so thank you very much all right so moving on um the second um award for what you're getting today is for um the print pwc 311 transforming public service delivery uh this was launched in may

[00:23:31] 2025 by the county um and it really is uh you know innovative way on getting um answers to questions and service delivery. And once again, I'll cut to the chase. In the first eight months, starting in May 2025, the PWC 311 managed over 63,750 interactions with a 90% service request closing rate, achieving an industry-leading average speed of just under 13 seconds. So it truly speaks to automating this, using artificial intelligence as a part of this.

[00:24:11] And so that's the next group to come up and speak. Madam Chair, members of the board, we thank Virginia Association of Counties very much for the Achievement Award in Technology, highlighting the work that 3-1-1 completed in its first eight months since we launched back in May of 2025.

[00:24:38] We're so proud to be listed among the award recipients. As we near our first year and a half of service, we're pleased to share the continued growth of the program with additional service requests continuing currently in development from circuit courts, solid waste management, neighborhood services, as well as update to several existing service requests based on lessons we've learned as the number of requests have grown.

[00:25:05] Development continues on Will and Willow, our AI bots, with improvements in the new underlying structure for Will expected before the end of the year as our third version is released and updates to Willow and continued regression testing as we speak.

[00:25:22] And I'll pass it over to Katie to say some remarks. Thank you very much. The success of 311 is a true cooperative effort between county agencies, the residents of Prince William County, the 311 staff, and the Board of County Supervisors. We thank the agencies that have trusted us with their intake of over 11,000 requests.

[00:25:39] We thank the Board for their continued support of and enthusiastic interest in 311 updates. We're always happy to come back. Most of all we thank the constituents of Prince William County for trusting 311 as the front door of local government and making use of the many omni-channel routes to get requests to the right agency through 311 with a current total of over 120,000 interactions. Web submissions remain our most popular route for service requests followed closely by live agent phone calls and conversations with Will. Once again we sincerely thank the Virginia Association of Counties for the Achievement Award. We invite Prince William County to keep their eyes on us as we continue to grow, following the data, and expanding and improving where it leads.

[00:26:16] Thank you. Yeah, so that's the crisis, and then this is the 3-1-1.

[00:26:32] Yeah, okay. All right, the next award is for the Prince William County Internship Program, and I had to smile when I was reading about this because, first off, I think it's really important that you foster a desire for people to want to serve in public service, And I can't think of any better place than at the local government level.

[00:26:56] The reason I smiled is that I had the privilege this past General Assembly of lobbying for a change in the budget to allow the state funds that was all going to private enterprises to match on internship money, opened it up to local government.

[00:27:11] So that's an opportunity now. And so I think a combination of having that maybe available to others and showing the model you did here, particularly with the outreach. i mean using instagram i mean i don't use instagram but i know my daughters do so that's important if they're looking for an internship so if they would come on up and describe a little bit more about the program good afternoon madam chair members of the board i'm mina habibi digital communications manager in the office of communications and engagement and i've got ariana grant here with me our communications specialist and we're thrilled to accept the

[00:27:51] VACO Achievement Award for the internship marketing. We partnered with human resources when it launched in 2024 to create branded visuals to appeal to a younger audience. But in the second year when the program was approaching, we wanted to find a different way to reach college students, especially college students that may not have considered public service and local government as their career start.

[00:28:20] So we partnered with Human Resources to create a student-centered marketing program that included Instagram, pwcgov interns, make sure to follow us, as well as ways to meet them where they were. So Instagram with the younger audience, as well as we created outreach materials for our college partners and university partners to directly send to their students.

[00:28:47] My favorite part was our summer communications intern through the internship program was very involved in the marketing program and as of 2025 managing the Instagram. And so this gave her valuable real world experience in communications as well as it gave us valuable content that is authentic and tells the story of the internship program from an actual intern.

[00:29:17] And the results have been great. From 2025 to 2026, applications increased by 56%. And overall, from 2024 to 2026, applications more than doubled. So we are thrilled to accept this recognition. Big shout out to our whole team because everybody touched on this program.

[00:29:39] And I'll turn it over to Arianna to say a couple things. Thank you. Madam Chair, members of the board, my name is Arianna Grant, and a communications specialist with the Office of Communications and Engagement. And this approach has really allowed us to reach that younger audience that we've been seeking, just really taking it a step further and being able to, like she said, meet them where they're at and actually take the initiative and step forward and sort of see where they're looking to be.

[00:30:05] And, you know, being in their position just over a year ago, being an intern myself, and now getting to have a career within local government is incredibly exciting. And I hope that with this, we're able to continue to reach young people where they're at and sort of introduce local government and public service as a whole to them for years to come.

[00:30:21] Thank you.

[00:30:30] All right. So rounding out the awards today, the fourth award, this is for the Prince William County Sheriff's Office Senior Safe Program. And so this is a program connecting those in the community that still want to be independent. But in case of a medical emergency, they have that direct connection.

[00:30:51] with the sheriff's office with the help dialer 700 um excuse me um since the program began uh you had 15 active clients in 2024 it's now up to 95 active clients by the end of 2025 and i can tell you i think this is something that some of our counties particularly in rural areas might want to look at um you know having that connection and and being able to look out for the safety of those senior residents and so for the sheriff's office i want to come up and say a few words

[00:31:22] Madam Chair, members of the board, on behalf of your Sheriff Glendale Hill and the Sheriff's Office, we are very proud to bring home another vehicle award for one of our community services programs.

[00:31:40] I'd first like to thank our staff, because without our staff, these programs would not exist and they would not operate in the manner that they do. They are very dedicated men and women of the Sheriff's Office to make sure that these programs stay operating and they stay in touch with our citizens on a daily basis. Our second group that I'd like to thank is our citizens themselves.

[00:31:58] This program came out of a retreat, senior retreat that we do up at Camp Snyder every year where the sheriff and myself had the opportunity to talk to some seniors about things that were going on in their lives that were an issue or becoming an issue. And we spoke to several seniors in reference to electronic alert systems that charge a startup fee and an ongoing fee.

[00:32:20] And some of our seniors said, well, I've got to pick between a life-saving piece of equipment for me and my medication. So when myself and the sheriff got back to the sheriff's office, we said, we can do something about this. So that's when we enlisted our staff to go out and find us the equipment that we could purchase in-house and put into our citizens' residence.

[00:32:39] And then also have an ongoing relationship with our citizens on a routine basis to make sure that it's operating correctly and that the batteries are charged, which also gives us an additional resource to be able to see if these seniors in many cases have very limited means of funds to be able to assist them on a routine basis.

[00:32:59] And for those seniors that don't have family members that can check on them, the sheriff's office becomes that family. So when they push that button, the sheriff's office gets called, and then on that, emergency services is called if it's an emergency. So we would like to thank you for the opportunity to be here today and, again, appreciate everything that our staff does to make this program possible.

[00:33:20] Thank you. Madam Chair, that closes out the awards, and I guess the question for you all in the upcoming year is, will the tie be broken with Loudoun County? I think it's fair for me to say on behalf of the board, it will absolutely be broken by Prince William County.

[00:33:45] Without a doubt, we will shatter that glass ceiling, not even glass. But I also want to take a moment to thank our staff for all the incredible work that you do. Every day you show up, and quite frankly, you show out.

[00:34:01] That's why we are able to win these types of awards. So thank you to everyone who has received an award. And to those who may not have been honored this year, we still see you, and we know that the work that you're doing every day on behalf of the residents of Prince William County. So thank you.

[00:34:17] I would go to Supervisor Angry, then Supervisor Bailey. Well, thank you, Madam Chair. You basically said everything, and so thank you, all of staff, and really thank you, Vaco, for always doing a great job and recognizing these departments for all the great work they do.

[00:34:39] So thank you, everybody. Thank you to our wonderful Chair of Vaco. You rock also. I'm just saying, yeah. I just want to congratulate everyone, certainly for the hard work that you do to serve this wonderful community.

[00:34:57] And you rock. That's my word. You just rock. And I'm so thankful to serve as the champion for the Crisis Receiving Center, because if we do our job with that little building, then everybody else can do theirs.

[00:35:13] And so just thank you so much, Lisa, for entrusting me with your hidden jewel and for your staff. I am proud to serve with you at any hand. And to the rest of you, you rock. Thank you. Thank you, Supervisor Stewart. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[00:35:28] So as my two board of directors from BANCO, fellow board of director members, thank you for all that both of you do. Thank you, CXO, for your leadership. And also everybody up here on the dais, actually, right?

[00:35:47] It takes something to step up and step in. five years two weeks in two days i became a resident uh or citizen of virginia um in two days absolutely yeah um and you know when my wife and i were looking to move from new york you know this was the spot we we looked around at some other areas we know we wanted to be in nova but you know this this was the spot because you know it's an it's an incredible place and And I think that's attributed to the staff and to, you know, the BOCS.

[00:36:26] You know, it can get a little unbalanced at times, but, you know, that I think that you can find opportunities in those situations, right, where a third best idea emerges. And I appreciate this county for being the standout in the Commonwealth of Virginia, not just the Commonwealth, but in the United States as well.

[00:36:51] So thank you. All right. Did anyone else? Supervisor Bode? Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. I originally wasn't going to say anything, but I felt like it was appropriate. Ditto to everything my colleagues just said, but I wanted to just narrow my comments down to the CRC and the communications folks.

[00:37:07] So I don't know how many people up here on the dais has had a family member go to the CRC yet as a patient I have. And to have a member of my family have the level of care of affirming and inclusive care that you all provide at the CRC is something that cannot be overstated.

[00:37:29] So I just wanted to say that to you as a parent of someone who has been there to thank you for that. to thank Lisa Madron and Supervisor Bailey for their championship around that because I've said it several times I'll say it again that receiving some has already changed and likely saved lives and that will only continue to pay dividends over time so I wanted to say that first to Ariana you rock I see your Facebook videos all the time your recaps of the board meetings what have you but I highlight that to say that it's hard to get most people of all ages engaged with local

[00:38:07] government. We're boring, we're on the lowest in the totem pole, even though we affect the most lives locally, what have you, but especially to engage young people and be so deliberate and intentional about it. We can't say that we care about the future generations and we want to get them involved unless we actually meet them where they are. So whether it's Instagram, as was said, whether it's Facebook, being able to get that targeted engagement out there to folks in a broader way is also important, not only before transparency, but also frankly, we can't say we want to have young people involved and then not engage them where they're actually going to be in terms of the ecosystem so I just want to say that

[00:38:41] and again Ariana you rock appreciate you all right thank you so very much we appreciate everything that our amazing staff has done and continues to do so thank you very much thank you all right I am going to move forward we are now going to go into agenda item number five approval minutes may have a motion please so moved second it's probably moved and seconded it any discussion all right let's go ahead and take our votes vote unanimous supervisor vega absent from vote and

[00:39:20] all subsequent votes absent from meeting excuse me all right thank you um before i ask for a motion for agenda number six um supervisor bailey thank you madam chair um madam chair i'd like to request that item 6b be uh removed from today's agenda agenda and that the request made by mr who is not in the vicinity, will not be here.

[00:39:47] And for our collaboration together, you and I, November 17th, I'd like to request for that to be moved from today to November 17th, with your permission. So you're requesting a deferral? Okay, we'll work on that together, to November 17th? Yes, for November, yeah, item 6B to be moved to November 17th.

[00:40:04] So we will work to get that rescheduled. So then with that, can I get a motion for 6A, 6C, through 6H? so moved second it's probably moved and seconded any discussion all right seeing none let's take our votes unanimous all right supervisor angry if you can join me to the podium for the first

[00:40:33] one all right i'd like to call prtc to the front 40 years ago in august 1986 the potomac and

[00:41:20] rappahannock transportation commission held its very first meeting in 1991 prince william county asked PRTC to take over our commuter, bus, and ride-sharing programs. PRTC earned that trust, and those buses still carry thousands of our residents up and down the I-95 corridor every day. Over the years, that service grew into OmniRide. Today, it connects people right here at home to jobs, schools, the doctor, and the grocery store with local buses, express buses, Microtransit, paratransit, and weekend service.

[00:41:54] Local bus, microtransit, and paratransit services are free, and that is a commitment extended through June of 2027. That success belongs to the bus operators out before sunrise, the mechanics who keep the fleet running, the staff, and the commissioners from six jurisdictions.

[00:42:13] I want to recognize Executive Director Dr. Bob Schneider and his team for their outstanding work. On behalf of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, It is my honor to commend the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission and OmniRide on 40 years of service.

[00:42:33] Would either one of you like to offer a remark? Oh, Victor's going to say something. Thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, 40 years of service, PRTC.

[00:42:48] I've been fortunate and very blessed to chair our bus system for the last five years. And let me just say, I've seen the tremendous work and the change and the progress of the system. So for 40 years, I'm very excited of where we've come from and where we are today and look forward to a bright future.

[00:43:08] I've got Mr. Joe Stansby here. He's going to say some words. He's been in the system a minute. And so, Joe? Yes. Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you so much. Firstly, I just say here's to 40 more years. I just want to say very much we are appreciative to the support of the board, to our great Chair, Supervisor Renge, Chair Jefferson.

[00:43:29] We look forward to continuing to serve, hopefully, most of the people in this room for the next, you know, rest of the half a century or so. We do take everyone on our local bus services and our microtransit for free. I'm glad that Chair Jefferson stressed that. That is important, and everyone still somehow forgets that.

[00:43:46] Thank you very much for this honour. We are humbled, and we appreciate it. Thank you so very much.

[00:43:50] we are moving on to pedestrian safety month so everyone associate with that please come on down

[00:44:28] every one of us is a pedestrian at some point in the day we walk our kids to the bus stop walk the dog after dinner or walk from the parking lot to work every one of those walks

[00:45:05] should end the same way with that person getting home safely too often that is not the case a A person on foot has no seat belt or airbag. When a person and a car meet, often the person loses. Prince William County takes this seriously.

[00:45:23] We are investing in sidewalks, trails, crosswalk lighting, and street designs that slow traffic where people walk. Our police enforce the laws that protect people on foot, and our transportation staff works every day to close those gaps. But the government cannot do this alone.

[00:45:40] We all need to slow down, especially near schools and in neighborhoods. We all need to put that phone down and not be distracted driving. We should stop for people on the crosswalk every single time, because small things like these save lives.

[00:45:56] Today, on behalf of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, we hereby proclaim October 2026 as Pedestrian Safety Month in Prince William County. Would anyone like to offer remarks? Good afternoon.

[00:46:16] My name is Seppo Krakkainen and on behalf of the Virginia DMV, our safety office, we would like to thank Prince William County for its continuous initiatives and partnerships for preventing crashes, injuries and fatalities in our communities.

[00:46:33] In addition to the county's recent traffic safety month proclamation in August, the county will continue its efforts in October with a pedestrian safety proclamation. This is truly remarkable.

[00:46:52] October is one of the deadliest months on our roadways for pedestrians. Each year, pedestrian crashes change thousands of lives across Virginia. In 2025 alone, 138 pedestrians never made it home and almost 2,000 people were injured.

[00:47:14] Out of those 138 deaths, 10 took place right here in Prince William County. Preventing traffic fatalities requires safer roads and changes in road user behavior. This will be achieved through collaboration across community safety organizations, law enforcement, engineering, community coalitions, education and our healthcare system.

[00:47:47] As we strive to create a safer environment for all road users, we thank the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, the Office of Community Safety, the Department of Transportation and Capital Construction, greater prince william trails coalition active prince william prince william county trails and blueways council and all our partners involved in continuous efforts to reduce crashes injuries

[00:48:22] and fatalities across the community thank you i'm honored to be here today i'm charlie grimes i'm the chair of the greater prince william trails coalition i'm here with eileen sheridan from the trails and blueways council and alan muchnick from active prince william we want to highlight the opportunity for us to take what you have as a vision, a strategic plan, and a comprehensive plan to create a live-work-play communities and establish the bike pedestrian network that allows

[00:48:59] people to get around safely in Prince William County and not get in a car and drive three miles to the store. My measure of success for Bike Pedestrian Network is I can get on my e-bike can get to the ABC store and back safely. We're not there yet. There's more to do. You have an opportunity with a comprehensive traffic safety action plan and soon to be approved Pathways 2035 trails plan for us to invest in the infrastructure for bike and pedestrian use that we've been

[00:49:35] funding for 70 years for car use. Ever since the Occoquan River was touched by Shirley Highway, We've been funding projects to move cars. Now it's time to fund projects to move people that are not in cars and to fund them so that all of our intersections are safe, all of our routes to school are safe, all of our routes to parks and libraries and jobs are safe.

[00:50:00] So we look forward to you not just planning the work, and you've got some great people in the Department of Transportation and Capital Construction and the Department of Parks and Recreation to perform the work, We look forward to you funding enough of those people to grow that plan into reality.

[00:50:18] And so we encourage you to lean into Chris Shorter's ear and say, as you prepare the fiscal year 28 CIP, you want to make sure that we're not just planning the work, we're working the plan. Thank you. You ain't tall enough, girl.

[00:50:39] Hold on. Tall ones. All right, let's go. Men in the back. Yeah. Yeah. Quality in front. Yeah.

[00:51:00] All right, Nisham understands the assignment, because next we're going to do Crime Prevention Month. So you're a little light today.

[00:51:30] What's going on? Keeping the county safe. Keeping the county safe, because usually you have, like, between you and fire, it's like a competition. The best way to fight crime is to stop it before it happens. That is the idea behind Crime Prevention Month, observed across the country every October.

[00:51:51] Public safety is a partnership. It works best when residents, businesses, schools, and faith communities work closely with public safety officers who serve them. You can see that partnership in neighborhood watch groups, in officers who visit our schools and coach our kids, and in the residents who make the call and say something when they see something. Crime prevention means locking your doors, and it also means protecting your passwords, checking before you click, and talking with people you love about warning signs.

[00:52:22] To every member of the Prince William County Police Department and to the staff who brought this forward? Thank you for answering the call. To our residents, look out for your neighbors and report what you see. On behalf of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, we hereby proclaim October 2026 is Crime Prevention Month in Prince William County. Would anyone like to offer some remarks? Sergeant Ramos, on behalf of Chief Newsham, we want to thank the board for proclaiming, excuse me, October is Crime Prevention Month. Your recognition of this important

[00:52:59] initiative shows our shared commitment to community safety and awareness thank you guys all right with

[00:53:49] everyone associated with national disability employment awareness month please step forward to our nation recognizes something that should be true every day people with disabilities are part of america's workforce and they make it stronger people with disabilities are engineers and teachers cashiers and entrepreneurs they bring talent and determination to every kind of job yet too many

[00:54:29] who want to work still cannot find a job that would use their skills. Sometimes the barriers are building without a ramp. Just as often, it is a hiring process that screens people with disabilities out. We can change that. Employers can make accommodations part of how they do business. Schools can help young people with disabilities plan for careers, and the government can lead by example. Prince William County is committed to doing just that. This year's national theme is celebrating value and talent. It reminds us that inclusion is not charity. It's good

[00:55:05] business. It is the right thing to do. Therefore, today on behalf of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, we hereby proclaim October 2026 is National Disability Employment Awareness Month in Prince William County. Would anyone like to offer some remarks? Hello, my name is Jessica Towell and I'm representing the leadership of the Disability Employee Resource Group and I just want to thank you all the board and county executive leadership for continuing to work to build more accessibility and inclusivity in our government for our

[00:55:44] employees and I just want to say to employees who are working and dealing with and managing disabilities or chronic illnesses of themselves or their our loved ones, that we see you, we see how hard you're working, and we're here for you.

[00:56:05] So thank you.

[00:56:18] All right. If everyone associated with World Mental Health Day can come down.

[00:56:41] Mental health is health. It touches every family in this county. It is the teenager struggling with anxiety who does not know how to say it.

[00:57:00] It is a new mother who cannot shake that sadness. It is the friend hiding thoughts of suicide. It is the veteran who came home but has not quite come all the way back. For too long, the stigma has kept people suffering in silence.

[00:57:17] That silence costs lives, and we break it by talking about mental health openly, the way we would talk about a broken arm. If you're hurting tonight, you are not alone. Call or text 988 anytime, day or night. Prince William County is working to make sure that when someone reaches out, someone answers.

[00:57:36] We have expanded behavioral health care, including the opening of the Prince William Council's Receiving Center Complex, so people in crisis have a place to get care. On behalf of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, we hereby proclaim October 10, 2026 is World Mental Health Day.

[00:57:54] Would anyone like to offer some remarks? Chair Jefferson and members of the board, I'm Pat Victorson. I am president of the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI Prince William.

[00:58:12] And the theme of World Mental Health Day this year is lived experiences, heard, real voices, real change. And it reflects a core belief of NAMI, that meaningful change starts when individuals living with mental health conditions and their families are heard, respected, and included.

[00:58:36] For many families, the hardest part is knowing where to start. They may realize that someone they love is struggling but not know whom to contact, where to find reliable information, or how to access available services. Education, connection, and strong partnerships can transform that experience.

[00:58:58] NAMI Prince William is proud to have been a long-standing partner in the mental health awareness event taking place tomorrow at the Ferlazzo Building. It provides education, support, and advocacy while working to reduce stigma and connect people with care.

[00:59:15] We're especially proud of students from five NAMI on-campus high school clubs, and we think there's going to be soon a sixth club, that are promoting awareness, peer support, and stigma-free schools.

[00:59:33] Their leadership will be among those honored during the Voice of Recovery Awards tomorrow, and I hope that some of you can be there. We do invite the board and our entire community to join us at the Palazzo Building by listening to real voices and establishing genuine connection.

[00:59:51] We can create meaningful and lasting change. Thank you.

[01:00:02] We are now on to the National Association of Black Military Women.

[01:00:41] Fifty years ago, in 1976, a group of determined women came together with a shared vision.

[01:00:58] Led by Gladys Schuster-Carter and Lucille Brown, They believed that it was the responsibility of no one else except black military women to capture, record, and tell their own stories. And they did not wait for someone else to make it happen. They founded the National Association of Black Military Women.

[01:01:17] The group was founded to preserve, honor, and share the rich history, legacy, and contributions of black women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Tonight, we celebrate 50 years of their work. To the current president, Dr. Annette Tucker Osborne, and every member, past and present, thank you for your leadership, your persistence, and your belief that every woman deserves a chance to reach her full potential.

[01:01:47] And to the founders, the seeds that you have planted have grown into something remarkable. On behalf of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, it is my great honor to commend the National Association of Black Military Women on its 50th anniversary. Congratulations and here's to the next 50 years. Would anyone like to offer remarks?

[01:02:07] Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the board. I am Teresa Polk and I am the president of the DMV chapter of the National Association of Black Military Women and we are the host chapter for the event coming up this weekend. We are excited to celebrate 50 years. This event will be held at the National Harbor at Harborside Hotel, but we are really excited about everyone coming together.

[01:02:32] We have many family members from the 6888 Central Postal Battalion that will be celebrating with us. So, again, we just thank you for this honor and for thinking of us, and we continue to serve our country as members here in the DMV.

[01:02:47] Thank you.

[01:03:48] And 6H, everyone associated with Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence happens here in Prince William County in every kind of neighborhood and every kind of family.

[01:04:14] It happens behind closed doors, often in homes that look fine from the street. Because it happens in private, too many people think that it is someone else's problem. It is not. Domestic violence is a crime. It is a public health crisis. Its harm reaches the children who hear it through the walls.

[01:04:32] Its harm reaches the co-workers and teachers who notice that something is wrong. Its harm reaches us all. In our courts, in our hospitals, and in our schools. To anyone living with abuse, know that it is not your fault. know that you are not alone. Call the Virginia Family Hotline and Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-838-8238 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 at any time. And I especially want to thank the people in our county who are working in the shadows, hearing the hard stories, dealing

[01:05:09] with the victims to make sure that they know that they are not alone. So on behalf of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, we hereby proclaim October 2026 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Would anyone like to offer remarks? Good afternoon, Chair Jefferson, members of the board, and community members. I am Gwendolyn Diotolo. I'm the Director for Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Lethality Assessment Program Services at Action and Community Through Service, ACTS. I've stood before you guys many times before about the different services

[01:05:48] We provide acts, and we've newly merged our sexual assault and domestic violence services, and I thank you guys so much for your support. I want to thank you for this proclamation and recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

[01:06:04] This proclamation is not just symbolic. It lets survivors know that their lives matter and that they are not alone. And so I want you to imagine that you've lived in this community for many years. Recently, you've lost your job. You're having trouble paying your bills. and there's not enough food to put on the table this is causing some strife between you and your partner sometimes it's now getting physical you try to talk about it with friends and family but they can't believe it's that bad you have nowhere to turn this is a real case and it happens to us all the time it acts Prince William County is known as a very affluent county and also a

[01:06:43] commuting suburban county it's not uncommon for people to live right next door to someone who is having trouble with their spouse or can't pay their bills but we don't talk about it we keep it inside there's a saying i don't look like what i've been through we look good on the outside but it's on the inside that we're suffering so sometimes domestic violence is known as a quiet crisis because we're trying to handle it on our own and we never know what's happening to somebody behind closed doors the mission at acts been around since 1969 our domestic violence service program since 1980 our sexual assault services since 1983 and our lethality assessment program

[01:07:23] with the Prince William County Police Department since 2018. And our mission is to help our neighbors who are in crisis. Our vision is big, but one that we truly try to embody, where we are creating a community where no one goes without or suffers alone. We have programs that help with clients' physical needs, whether they need housing.

[01:07:42] We have an emergency shelter. We're able to get them permanent housing. We have utility assistance, where we pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills and utilities alone. And that's just to help people keep the lights on, the water flowing, and the heat on in the winter. We're the only comprehensive domestic violence and sexual assault provider in the county with two 24/7 hotlines along with our dedicated line for LAP for the police department to connect victims immediately to safety planning and shelter in high danger crisis.

[01:08:10] And we serve over 70,000 Prince William County area residents every year, people who are hungry, who need help paying their bills, and who are suffering because of trauma. Often these are wraparound services are needed for one victim because they'll come to us and say I'm in a crisis.

[01:08:25] It's either about a bill they can't pay or it's about they got kicked out again or there's not enough money for food and they're not allowed to work and they don't have a car. And then the more we talk with them, we realize there's more power and abuse and control that's going on in the home and helping them to break that cycle.

[01:08:47] So our job is to be here for those folks every day. And it's important to donate to our nonprofit because you're helping your neighbor. You may not know it, but it's your neighbor that's coming to us for help. And we want everyone to know that when you come to us, that you are cared for. And we want you to know that you're in a place where you can feel safe and comfortable.

[01:09:06] There's no judgment. We're here to help. And that's what makes us a community. And domestic violence is the most common form of violence in the world. It accounts for 15% of all violent crimes in the United States. And we in Virginia are higher than that national average. Nationally, one in three women and one in four men will experience physical abuse by an intimate partner.

[01:09:27] And every minute, 20 people in the U.S. are physically abused. And we know that domestic violence takes many forms. It's not just physical abuse. It's verbal, emotional, financial. And we know the risks are severe. Survivors of non-fatal strangulation are 750% more likely to be later killed by their partner.

[01:09:47] The presence of a firearm increases the risk of homicide by 500%. To put that into perspective, if there is a firearm in the home, it increases the risk of suicide by 800%. And if there is a domestic dispute where there is a firearm used, it increases the risk of femicide by 1,000%, meaning that the female, whether she's the abuser or the victim, is the one that's going to end up being killed.

[01:10:13] Greater than 90% of domestic violence injuries are to that head, neck, and face region. And separation, the moment when someone tries to leave, is the most dangerous time of all. And this violence doesn't just affect partners. A study of intimate partner homicides found that 20% of the victims were not the partners themselves, but family members, friends, neighbors, law enforcement officers, or bystanders.

[01:10:36] Anyone who tries to intervene with whoever they're trying to have power and control over is at risk. And every year, more than 3 million children witness domestic violence in their homes, carrying that trauma for the rest of their lives. And we have so many numbers where we respond to these realities every day.

[01:10:55] In the last year, we sheltered 336 individuals in our safe house, which included 200 adults and 136 children. At times, we were at capacity in our safe house, and so we utilized alternative lodging. And we assisted 1,271 clients in court to help them with their protective orders and if they were victims in a criminal case.

[01:11:16] And we engaged 1,875 participants in individual and group support and provided 536 high-danger interventions through our partnership with law enforcement in our lethality assessment program. And beyond direct services, we reached over 3,000 community members through prevention and education, equipping people to recognize warning signs, connect survivors to resources, and support and safety planning.

[01:11:41] Well, October is recognized as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We hold awareness events and prevention programs throughout the year because this work cannot be confined to one month nor to one agency. It takes an entire community. And so we're grateful for our partnerships with law enforcement, the courts, schools, health care providers, faith communities, local government, community stakeholders, multidisciplinary teams.

[01:12:06] and we honor those who have lost loved ones to domestic violence as well as survivors who bravely share their testimonies. Survivors do need to know that abuse is never the victim's fault. There is nothing you can say or do that justifies anyone putting their hands on you. We all have the right to a safe and healthy relationship and you're not alone. We are here 24-7 for support and together we can save lives, prevent abuse before it turns deadly, and build a stronger, safer community. I thank you again for this proclamation and for all the work that you do to support us and for standing with survivors and their families.

[01:12:40] Together, we affirm that abuse is never the victim's fault. Thank you.

[01:13:09] All right.

[01:14:07] Thank you so very much to everyone who came out. We are now going to move into agenda item number seven, and that is the consent agenda. Does anyone have anything that they would like to remove? All right.

[01:14:23] Saying none, if I can go ahead and get a motion. So move. Second. All right. And that's for 7A through 7L. All right. Discussion. Supervisor Bodie. Thank you, Madam Chair. Just very quickly, I wanted to thank Rick Gonzalez and his team over at Transportation and Capital Construction for their partnership on the use of our trip funds for the Worth Avenue pedestrian improvements.

[01:14:48] Everyone knows we just talked about the CRC quite extensively. One of the things we need to make sure is that no matter how you're getting to the CRC, you need to be able to get there safely and properly. So as everyone knows, it's over there in Potomac Mill, so being able to walk there, get across the street, what have you, is important. And so I wanted to say thank you to that.

[01:15:04] Also, I know that we'll be voting on, for 7L, the $48,000 in donations to charitable funds. I know that Supervisor LaCroix, that was your shepherdship there. I wanted to say I appreciate that. And as we discussed a few weeks back, just want to make sure as we continue to reward that money out, if it becomes something that we do in future years, we have a conversation about it.

[01:15:27] Because, again, the TNVR program, whether it's being done by the county or by these charitable organizations that are doing the work in the field is vitally important, and I appreciate that we're putting the funds to do this. Thank you so much. Supervisor Bailey. Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a couple things.

[01:15:42] I've got three just quickly. I wanted to thank Dominion Energy and Senator Jeremy McPike, and Delegate slash Supervisor Margaret Franklin, whom we miss very much. But thank them for participating in the town hall that we had on November the 14th on this specific subject.

[01:16:01] And the residents are very happy in the progress that's being made here with this project and to Calvin Farr's team as well. Just want to thank y'all for connecting our citizens to this project to sewer, something that they made a request for.

[01:16:17] And then on item 7C for the IGSA, for the Marine Corps, we keep making progress with our partnership at the Marine Corps base and helping them complete their projects. And so one of the things that has been socialized in the region are federal IGSA.

[01:16:34] So you'll hear a little bit more about that in the future. But just want to thank them for the partnership that we are having with this military installation. And then finally, 7G, the progress and flexibility to serve in this capacity with the Crisis Receiving Center And mental health concerns in all of its entirety is just so critical right now in our nation and in our county.

[01:17:01] And so just thank you so much for the contract with Connections Health and connecting that with mental health and physical health. It's imperative. And so the ongoing work, we really appreciate the focus on that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[01:17:18] Supervisor Gordy. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to echo Supervisor Bailey's comments on Item 7C related to our partnership with Marine Corps Base Quantico. This is an incredible partnership for our community and helps certainly strengthen our local economy while ensuring that our Marines and any other folks who are on Quantico, they're safe, that they have great work facilities.

[01:17:46] And so this partnership, I know these intergovernmental service agreements, support agreements have been instrumental in helping to support our military families and our military communities across the nation. And I'm very proud that Prince William County is partnered with Quantico in this way.

[01:18:05] Thank you, Madam Chair. Supervisor LaCroix. I just wanted to go ahead and echo what Kenny, Supervisor Bode has said, that the $48,000 that we took back from the funds to give back to the neuter trap program was so vitally important.

[01:18:26] And I thank Chris Shorter for helping me get through this because, of course, it was my first time trying to go through the rigmarole that it took to get this on the docket for everyone. Also, I want to thank the community and the organizations that stepped up that are constantly doing something wonderful for our community and making sure that animals that are in need are being taken care of.

[01:18:54] And so, again, thanks to Newsham and his department as well and everybody that was involved in making this a go. And hopefully it can be an ongoing partnership from now on. All right. Thank you so very much.

[01:19:10] I'd like to go ahead and call for the votes.

[01:19:23] Unanimous, Supervisor Angry, absent from vote. You ain't fast enough, bro. You ain't fast enough. If this were a fire, no. All right. Jokes aside, we're going to move on to agenda item number eight, and that is public comment time.

[01:19:40] I have two people signed up, if you would please. When I call your name, you would go to the back. Make sure that you adjust the microphone so we can see you. Let me hear you. Start by stating your name, the magisterial district where you reside.

[01:19:56] And on the screen, it will show your time. So I have Cody Puffenbarger and then Kimberly Melman-Aronsko. Well, hello, everyone.

[01:20:16] Is it working? Would you please adjust your microphone? Do I have to turn it on? It's already on. Just bring it closer to you. Can you hear me now? Yes, we can hear you now. Very good. Okay. Hello, my name is Cody. I'm from the Woodbridge District.

[01:20:32] I've been a Prince William County resident my whole life so far, and hopefully that will continue. now i'll start with just asking you to imagine if i am a police officer and want to track a suspect so i can find out where they work where they live who they meet with that sort of thing and i am only able to justify this after or do this after i justify my intent to a judge and a warrant is issued now if i don't know the suspect or if i don't follow the suspect myself and instead hire a bunch of people to watch for and write down whenever they see them this still requires a warrant because all the individual observations are easily combined to get the same result as if

[01:21:09] I followed them myself. Unfortunately, this is exactly what the ALPR cameras installed throughout the county do every single day to everyone. There is no warrant. There is no probable cause. There's only constant surveillance just in case that data is needed later. You may have heard that the cameras only mark when a specific vehicle is seen at a specific place. Now, this is partially true if we ignore the fact that they also use facial recognition and other means to track individual people but anyone arguing this must also then ask sir exactly how many cameras does it take before there are enough data points to count as continuous tracking which requires a warrant but

[01:21:48] maybe it's all worth it if our community is safer in the end ignoring the fourth amendment and looking only at the data we can see that there is currently no peer-reviewed research indicating that the use of these cameras decreases crime. In fact, in some cases, it has actually led to worse crime statistics.

[01:22:05] While looking at this issue of ALPR cameras, I found that there are indeed some laws and policies in place to help prevent abuse and limit data usage to only legitimate cases. Unfortunately, policies and laws have not prevented dozens of officials from across the U.S. from stalking their ex or anyone else they feel like watching at any given time.

[01:22:23] Now, I also found out that the current vendor is self-certifying that they are in compliance with these laws. The same people who would benefit the most from the misuse of surveillance data are the ones certifying that it isn't happening. This is the exact same pattern as seen throughout history where corporations lie about regulatory compliance only to be found out later after harming thousands or millions of innocent people.

[01:22:45] How is this an acceptable level of accountability? There are so many more reasons why these cameras are bad for everyone, and I really don't have time to touch hardly any of them. But this is a nationwide bipartisan issue with dozens of municipalities and states outright banning the use of this technology.

[01:23:02] In fact, just recently, a federal judge explicitly confirmed that its use was in violation of the Fourth Amendment rights to privacy and threw out a case entirely because of that. So I'm asking that you guys take the action to remove or more heavily restrict the use of ALPR cameras in our county because it really doesn't benefit anyone and just opens the door for abuse.

[01:23:24] I have citations for everything I've talked about and way more, and I really hope to start a discussion with all of you on this. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Next speaker, please. My name is Dr. Kimberly Melman-Orosco. I'm a resident of the Gainesville District.

[01:23:47] I have been coming for the last few months speaking about the systemic abuses to children with disabilities within our county, as well as the serious cases of waste, abuse, and fraud within how the school system is spending money.

[01:24:03] And two months ago, I think when I spoke, Chair Jefferson responded by saying that it is not within your purview to investigate what's going on. That level of apathy of elected official is something that really deserves attention.

[01:24:21] And Chair Jefferson, while you're typing away on your computer, letting this go in one ear and out the other, you're forgetting one thing, that a couple of months ago when you were giving and placating your constituency, talking about disability awareness, an important point was brought up.

[01:24:38] One in four voters is somebody with a disability. And I promise you, what's going to happen next election in 2027 is really going to, I think, get headlines with the amount of money that we're going to raise, the number of Democrats that are going to be voting for your challenger.

[01:24:57] I don't care who it is. I think that we need to vote each and every person out of office. Democrats need to vote Republican. Republicans need to vote Democrat. Every person who has shown apathy to what's going on needs to be investigated. They need to be voted out of office.

[01:25:13] And it really, it's not rocket science. You guys approve the budget. It's $2.9 billion. Don't take my word for it. Look at what you approve, how much money you give them, then look at how they spend it. For example, if you did your due diligence, you would know that in 2014, you approved $400,000 for legal services for the school district.

[01:25:34] Can you guess how much they spent? $1.7 million. They are taking and siphoning away money from our kids, from services for children, and they are putting it into their pockets, in the pockets of their friends. Legal services. Can you guess who we're paying?

[01:25:52] It is the former employer of Wade Anderson, Sands Anderson's, getting millions of dollars to fight against parents when all we're trying to do is effectuate the rights of our children. And while still, despite pointing this out, everybody look at Chair Jefferson typing away, not listening, going in one ear and out the other.

[01:26:11] She does not care about kids with disabilities in this county. She does not care about how this money is being spent and abused and wasted. and I definitely think you need to take that into account when you're voting next November. And the amount of money that we will raise, I promise you, it is going to make a difference.

[01:26:30] And I encourage every person who cares about children to take it to the polls. Don't just let it go by. The literacy crisis in our county is absolutely astounding. Look at the number of high school seniors that need read-aloud tests because they cannot read.

[01:26:48] Thank you so very much. Supervisor Angry, do we have anyone online? Thank you, Madam Chair. Chris, do we have anyone, any online speakers? No. Okay, we have none. Thank you, Madam Chair. All right. Thank you so very much. This concludes public comment time.

[01:27:04] Before I get to the county executive, I know we have a couple of COIA statements. Sure. Thank you, Madam Chair. Before the board considers an item 9A, which is an appointment to the Joint Environmental Task Force with the school board, I need to declare a personal interest in this matter.

[01:27:21] My wife is a school's employee. As a school's employee, my wife and I are members of a group which is affected by this matter. I will be participating in this matter because I am able to do so fairly, objectively, in the public interest. Thank you. Madam Chair, before the board considers item 9A, which is an appointment to the Joint Environmental Task Force with the school board, I need to declare a personal interest in these matters.

[01:27:42] My wife is a school's employee. As a school's employee, my wife and I are members of a group which is affected by this matter. I will be participating in this matter because I am able to do so fairly, objectively, and in the public interest. Thank you, Madam Chair. All right, thank you so very much.

[01:28:00] Mr. Shorter. All right, thank you very much, Madam Chair. Good afternoon, board members. Quickly, I'll go over some of the directives issued, my regular updates, and then we'll get to Item 9A. For the directives, one, staff was directed to review the discretionary authority regarding zoning administrator modifications under Virginia Code.

[01:28:21] This directive was assigned to Development Services and the County Attorney's Office. Two, staff was also directed to review and evaluate near-term opportunities to expand senior programming capacity in Woodbridge and eastern Prince William County.

[01:28:37] This directive was assigned to the Area Agency on Aging and Facilities and Fleet Management. And finally, staff was directed to review and evaluate near-term options to assist seniors with accessibility between Highbrook Park parking lot and the Woodbridge Senior Center.

[01:28:56] This directive was assigned to aging as well as parks and recreation. Two directives have been closed since your last meeting. One directive for me to provide the State Corporation Commission information with comments from the county regarding the Morrisville Wishing Star Electric Transmission Project.

[01:29:15] Last week, you received a copy of my letter to the SEC. And two, we closed the directive to schedule a public hearing for the board to consider amending the purchase of development rights section of county code, and the board held that public hearing on September 1 of this year.

[01:29:32] Since your last meeting, I've sent the board a few notices, including information on the implementation of the conditional approval process for site development projects, which became effective on September 1. This is a continuation of the development services efforts to streamline and improve the land development process.

[01:29:54] And it is only applicable as a reminder to final site and subdivision plans and allows developers who have met core agency requirements to move forward with key administrative and field preparation tasks in parallel with the final county review.

[01:30:13] I also sent the board a couple of messages following up on the requested information from our Finance and Budget Committee meeting, as well as the Joint County Board-School Board meeting. The board also received a brief update on the maritime study.

[01:30:31] Now, the full study and recommendations are scheduled to be presented to the board later this month on October 20th. You also receive preliminary and unaudited fourth quarter revenue and expenditure information or report.

[01:30:47] Final numbers will be available upon completion of the external audit later this calendar year. Like you, I want to just give a big shout out and appreciation to all of the departments, including the sheriff's office, who received VACO awards.

[01:31:05] For us to receive the largest county award and to receive four awards from VACO really is a phenomenal representation of what it means to continue to advance and innovate here in Prince William County.

[01:31:21] So I do want to thank all of the agencies and departments that received the award. It is wonderful. It makes me very proud to see VACO come and to see our agency stand and accept those awards. Finally, I want to also take a moment to recognize our Parks and Recreation Department, which recently received re-accreditation from the Commission of Accreditation and Recreation Agencies.

[01:31:46] And they received that accreditation with a perfect score. This is the only national accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies and measures overall quality of operation, management, and service to the community.

[01:32:06] And it is the best way to demonstrate that the department provides the community the best and highest level of service. Now, Madam Chair, I wanted to invite Nikki to come up. I mentioned yesterday and I mentioned to the board a few months back that we were going to work on creating a public platform for directives so that the board and this community really can monitor and track our progress around the directives issued.

[01:32:32] And so while I am happy to continue to, and I will at each board meeting, remind the board what directives were issued and certainly what directives were closed, this platform will allow us to make sure that this is in writing and that the board and your offices in this community can receive updates whenever they so choose.

[01:32:56] We're going to do our best to keep this platform up to date. I really do want to give a big, big shout-out to DOIT for all of the work that they did to make this happen, for Transformation Management, who they all came in as this was being presented, Marie Weber, who's not here with us today, but did some of the manual lifting in terms of putting in the directive language, and, of course, Nikki, for all that she and her team have done as well.

[01:33:26] So, Nikki, with that, I'm going to turn it over to you. Madam Chair, members of the board, Nicky Brown, Director of Communications and Engagement. And so we're very excited, as Mr. Shorter said, to be here to show you the new directives platform for the board and the public.

[01:33:43] He stole some of my thunder because I wanted to thank the team because they've done some amazing work. So Venkat and his team created this in-house, which is incredible. Transformation Management Office, as Mr. Shorter mentioned, has really helped to spearhead this project.

[01:34:00] and really Marie who has she has actually put these in one by one which is pretty incredible also and I think the county executive this was his vision to have this available for the board and the public and really helped make this a reality so thank you as well so as as we mentioned this is the platform we anticipate it going live next week it will be linked from the board of accounting supervisors web page as well as the Office of Executive Management web page and when people click on the the link this is the page that they will

[01:34:34] see so you will you will notice that there's a lot here and these are all the current in progress directives and in progress meaning they've been assigned and agencies are working on them I think the great thing about what the do it team created is there's lots of different ways to look at this data so if you look across the top here you can obviously see what's in progress there's 42 of them if you click on any one of these you'll see very standard information in terms of you'll see who what board member gave the directive who

[01:35:12] is the main office what date the the meeting was that the board directed the directive and then of course the estimated completion date and then the actual directive language itself the other thing that is on every directive is folks can put their email in and follow along so when there is a status change to this directive they would get notified of it so if there's one that folks are really interested in or all of them honestly I wanted to do that they could they just have to put their email in and hit follow and they'll get updated when there are status changes as I mentioned these are the ones in

[01:35:50] progress if you wanted to see completed you could click this button and you can see the completed I will say we are going all the way back to when directives started so it's a lot of directives putting them in kind of one by one and so that may take a little bit of time but hopefully the goal is to keep working on this there are some other things we're working on so you may see some tweaks over the next few weeks but really again want to thank Marie for all her work to go in and kind of put all this information in the other great thing about the platform if you like tiles that's great and you can see this

[01:36:30] view if you would rather see a list view you can do that here's the list view if you'd rather see by board member that issued the directive you can do that and they are an order of the the district and if you are more like myself and you visual and you want to see kind of a map you're you can do that too so and if you hover it'll tell you whatever you pick up here is what's going to show over here so you'll see we have completed if we wanted to click in progress it changes

[01:37:04] those numbers as well you can also if you wanted to look by district you can do a drop-down the other I think really neat thing is if you wanted to see by department who's got what and who's working on what you can go here I'll pick planning because I know they have just a couple and so if you look at the planning office you can see these are all the ones that are in progress for planning so a great way to to see the information for sure

[01:37:40] I'll also just point out and I think one of the great things about this platform in particular is our ability to make connections to other resources and other directives. So, for example, if we go down here to the noise ordinance, you can see not only is the directive here, but here are all the other directives that have been related to that.

[01:38:05] And if you click on them, you can see what that directive looks like as well. If you wanted to see the actual item, you can see the noise ordinance.

[01:38:22] So it's a great way for us to be able to connect if there are other plans that's associated to. So for example, if this item is part of the strategic plan, we can link to that. If it becomes part of the CIP, we can link to that.

[01:38:38] So it's a great way for folks who are looking to see what the different items are and how these things are connected to the plans of the board and of the county that they're able to do that I'll give you one other quick example go here the search parking because we just completed that not too long ago you click on that you can see here's the response that mr. shorter provided to the board but then

[01:39:14] here are the references in terms of the code sections that we referenced and the response so again hopefully it's easier for folks to find what they're looking for and understand how everything is connected together so um so as I mentioned there are some things we're still a little tweaking so you may see some changes slightly over the next few weeks but we are very excited about the

[01:39:50] system and the platform again thanks to the team for all their work on this and and I am happy to try to answer any questions. Well, first question. Actually, I want to make a quick comment. I've never seen Kenny geek out so much. Or maybe that's not true, but, I mean, he was all excited.

[01:40:09] I was like, oh, Kenny. All right, so exactly where am I going to find this? Because I'm trying to find this right now. So right now, it's not live. We will make it live, yeah. So next week, next Tuesday, and we will send a link to the platform itself, but we will make it live and it will be under the Board of County Supervisors webpage and the Office of Executive Management webpage. I really appreciate this. I know that it's taking a lot of work and I am so sorry, but this is such a great tool for to help us track things, stay on top of

[01:40:44] things. It's helpful for the public, great transparency so that they can see what's going on. Hey, this directive is really important and it makes it easier for them to follow up and get alerts when something is happening you know we give a lot of directives some more than others okay but we give a lot of directives and it's great for us in the public to be able to track everything so amazing work really amazing work i appreciate this greatly bailey supervisor bailey

[01:41:11] thank you madam chair this is like revolutionary um and this is also a testament to the progress that we are making in serving our citizens.

[01:41:29] You know, yeah, this is going to help us, but also it's a communication tool between the board, the county, and the citizens. And it also kind of trains us in not just making directives for the sake of making directives, which I know is not maybe an intent, but it helps.

[01:41:52] The thing that I would like to see in the future, not to give you another task, But just putting it out there is, will this show us, in terms of closure, the things that we are achieving?

[01:42:09] Because as we, and I keep saying serve higher and more and more intently, we need to look at not just the ugly, but the good and how we're growing in our level of service to our community.

[01:42:25] So help me, Nikki, with that, please. Yes, ma'am. So, yes, it will show you closure. we are putting those and as i said it may take a little bit of time to get all of them in but for those directives that folks are very interested in and want to follow along kind of again if they put in their email here and hit follow when that directive gets closed you will get notified that it's been closed okay um so or if you wanted to search so um if you're you know very interested in the noise ordinance in particular and you want to see the directives

[01:42:58] that have been closed, you can certainly search up here. You can put in noise ordinance and all of the directives that are associated with that will come up. So depending on what topic, if you're interested in a specific topic, you can do it that way.

[01:43:16] If you just wanted to, like I said, do completed, you could search through the completed items as well. So our goal is to get them all in so that folks can see the breadth of kind of work that has been done in terms of addressing the directives as a whole.

[01:43:34] And then the other question that I had was one of the things that Supervisor Gordy had mentioned, we were having a discussion in our last board meeting about a directive that we had given in 2022 or 21 back in the day. We're OGs now, Tom.

[01:43:50] Back in the day, and we were trying to vote on something. Remember that, Nikki? Will that, when you come back and give us a report, that will show that also in terms of continuity. Yes. The great thing about this system that we have not had before is it allows us to link directives.

[01:44:08] So there's been directives that have been amended with a different directive, and we've always had those kind of still open. Now that allows us to have the one directive, but it allows visually to see what those are.

[01:44:25] or if there are directives that are connected to each other same topic so it showed noise but if another directive comes up let's say about angled parking we could then link to the one we've closed to the new one so you would be able to see previous directives on the same topic so that the board and the public would know what's been what's been directed and then what the response was in the past I appreciate that because the thing that I just thought about what Supervisor LaCroix just mentioned today and her accomplishment with the board, with the grant that she just did for our little cat friends.

[01:45:05] I know that was something that back in the day started, but she had closure with it today. Thank you so much. Congratulations. We've got a little meowing going on. Supervisor Pody. Yeah, you'll never catch any meowing from the dais matter chair.

[01:45:24] Joking aside, just wanted to just echo all the kudos kudos to you nikki kudos to of course the county exec i know we've had a lot of discussions about directives and tmo and everyone else um who made this possible i'm going to be a little dramatic here for a second but this is a victory for transparency in this county um victory for us as supervisors victory for the public victory for the county government but also as um what was just said by swears of bailey and and by chair jefferson it also helps curate how much is being done because i think far too often i said it earlier what gets lost in local government is we don't make headlines with everything not going to throw shit at prince

[01:46:03] m times and inside no but they rarely talk about these directives as they get closed and as we actually act upon all these things and as the county exec and everyone else actually brings them forward we actually bring them to fruition it doesn't mean they're any less important actually in fact half the time a lot of these things are actually more impactful people's day-to-day lives than anything you read in the newspaper these days.

[01:46:23] Again, not throwing shade, but it's a fact. So I just wanted to highlight that, and this is a really great tool that a lot of folks hopefully will be able to use to show what's being done, what's going to be done, and sort of where we think things are in the process. And I appreciate, Supervisor Bailey, your questions and your response, Nikki, in terms of nested and connected directives.

[01:46:45] I will be the first to say I'm probably one of the biggest offenders of having these nested and connected directives because we had talked about it before, we first ask for research and information to be given, then there may be a couple different decision points, then we have to give a directive to get the decision points sort of brought forward, and then we act upon it. That helps bring that chain to clarity, but it also helps, frankly, keep all of us on board because, as was said, we give a lot of directives, but to me, that's housed in, at least from me philosophically,

[01:47:17] One of our core purposes as supervisors, you know, we obviously rely on the county exec and the team here to do a lot of great work around, you know, our grand sort of strategies, our policy documents that we all obviously support, whether it's a strategic plan, the comprehensive plan, our annual budget, the CIP, what have you.

[01:47:33] But there's always those little granular things that we get when we are in the supermarket or at an event or what have you. And someone says, hey, supervisor so-and-so, how about this? How do you look into this or that? And there's just no way, obviously, for either the eight of us or, frankly, you all as county government to catch each and every one of those things.

[01:47:51] But to me, that's where these directives come in because it allows us to do that spot work that may become bigger projects, may become smaller projects, but allows us to be better liaisons of the folks that voted us into office and that we all present collectively as a board. So, again, just wanted to say thank you for all the work that this is, continue, and is going to be, I'm sure.

[01:48:11] But also just how much it shows, and Mr. Short, I'm going to give you your biggest flowers on this, how committed you are to transparency and showing that work is being done. So, thank you. Absolutely. Supervisor LaCroix. Well, first, I think, Chris, you're the best leader I've ever experienced in my life, and I already told you that.

[01:48:33] Because every month, there's something else that you have initiated with your team who is amazing. And I love you so much, Nikki. I'm just going to say that out loud. Now, I just wanted to, and this is maybe for George, but you clicked on the Gainesville District, yeah, right there.

[01:48:54] Didn't he pull that or did he defer that? Like, if we put it in, it gets in here regardless of whether it went forward or got pulled, it was withdrawn. So should it have been in there?

[01:49:10] I'm just asking. No, that's a great question and a great point, and we'll go back and look at that. So I think we have just been trying to get them all in. If they're withdrawn, we'll note that they've been withdrawn, so it won't be in progress. I'm not criticizing. I just didn't know if everything I do is going to be memorialized forever.

[01:49:29] no i absolutely appreciate that um and you i will offer too if you are in here and you see things please let us know okay they said we've been trying to put them in one by one so i'm i'm not gonna say we didn't miss anything we've tried really hard not to but if yeah this is not a criticism it was just me saying you know if i do something go oh that was a bad idea it still gets memorialized and i was like ah we will we'll make sure okay yes thank you and thank you for being so smart i love that about you guys oh my gosh i i need a little bit of that what would it be a

[01:50:04] victor angry's vulcan mind swap we need that anyways it's the vulcan mind meld i've been corrected that's all i've got sorry you opened a whole can of worms okay now i got kenny on me All right. I don't see anyone else. So thank you so very much.

[01:50:31] We cannot wait for this to go live. I mean, this is, this is wonderful. Thank you so very much. Yep. Thank you. Thank you, Nikki. Thank you for the presentation. And again, thanks to the team for all of the great work. Um, just phenomenal, phenomenal progress that we've, we talked about it a few months ago, and here we are with a platform that we're about to introduce to the public.

[01:50:51] So thank you for that. Um, also wanted to mention, I sent out a bit earlier before the board meeting just an update to the board on the community benefits agreement directive. So that is in your inbox. I sent it literally an hour or maybe a little less before the board meeting.

[01:51:08] So in terms of item 9A, board members, you may recall that the Joint Environmental Task Force or the JET was created in 2021 to support both the county board and the school board. We're asking for the board's consideration to appoint Bobby Lynn, who is the risk and wellness manager, and happy to answer any questions about this item.

[01:51:32] Otherwise, asking for your consideration. All right, I don't see anyone queuing up for questions, so let's go ahead. Is someone going to do a motion? So moved, Madam Chair. Second. Properly moved and seconded. All right, Supervisor Bodie. Yeah, just very quickly. Thank you, Madam Chair.

[01:51:47] Thank you, the county exec, for this. I currently enjoy the privilege of being the chair of JET. And to the point of geeking out earlier, you cannot find probably in many cases a more geekier group of folks. It's just me, school board members, Zagapur, and a bunch of county staff and school board members just really working through all these sustainability issues, environmental issues, and now health and wellness issues that really affect on both sides of the house.

[01:52:14] I see you out there, Luke. You're part of that geeky group too. But we just have been getting a lot done and a lot of information sharing, a lot of resource sharing, and a lot of stuff that, frankly, de-silos the schools and the county. So just wanted to cheerlead for a second on the JET and appreciate the county exec continue to support that through this appointment.

[01:52:36] Thank you. All right. Thank you so very much. Let's go ahead and take our votes. Vote unanimous. All right. Thank you so very much. We are now going to move on to agenda item number 10, county attorney time.

[01:52:54] Madam Attorney. Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board. This afternoon in closed session, we will have a personnel discussion relating to the appointment for the delegate and alternate delegate with voting credentials for the 2026 Virginia Association of Counties, the VACO Annual Business Meeting, and consultation and discussion with legal counsel and briefings by staff members pertaining to the discussion or consideration of the acquisition of real property for a public purpose of a fire and rescue station, where a discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body.

[01:53:26] These items are appropriate for closed session pursuant to 2.2-3711A1 and 3 of the Code of Virginia. Second. Properly moved and seconded. Let's go ahead and take our votes. Vote unanimous.

[01:53:49] All right. Thank you very much. Mr. Shorter, I'm going to turn to you for agenda item number 11, agency time. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. With item 11A, Madam Chair, we're asking for the board's consideration of the awards. associated with the Foundation and Soil Management Program.

[01:54:06] Acting Director of Development Services, Ricky O'Connor, is here to answer any questions about the program. There's no presentation necessarily associated with this item, but certainly happy to give additional background if necessary or answer questions. Let's see. Supervisor Bailey.

[01:54:29] Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Just a quick, and Ricky, this is for you, if you can mosey on down. Just real quick, just a quick review, just to assure that we're all on the same page. um just assuring that our you know folks as housed are safe and clean and secure how does this actually help a homeowner just a brief how does this protect the homeowner madam chair members of the board i'm ricky with development services so this is a ordinance that was passed back in

[01:55:05] december i believe uh that will that gives aid to people with foundation issues related to original construction so this is a way the board thought was a way to help um give some extra money in essence to to private homeowners with with foundation issues yeah from back in the day from the old stuff correct well yeah from from any any any home that was a is a is older than 10 years and younger than 40 qualified for the program okay okay that's what i need to hear just to review thank you ricky if you don't mind just uh as a reminder if you'll just talk a bit about

[01:55:43] the application process and where we are right now in terms of the request of the board. Okay, yeah, so the application process was open from May 1st to June 15th, and thanks to, oh, they left Do It for all their help with the public platform, because without them, we wouldn't have got it done.

[01:56:01] However, May 1st to June 15th, you were able to submit your applications. In April, we created the administrative procedures, and they were published for the application and the criteria kind of just went more than the ordinance went, went further than the ordinance.

[01:56:17] And they submitted the applications. Our public works team, along with our development services team, has a panel of reviewers. They reviewed every application to its eligibility. And if it passed the eligibility, then we reviewed it on three levels. Those three levels were, I've got my notes here to just keep me straight.

[01:56:38] Those three levels were severity of damage, project viability, and cost effectiveness. and project readiness there was a max score of 30 that could be given for each project that was eligible to be reviewed and the maximum amount of points were severity of damage and impact meaning it had a major environmental impact it had infrastructure impact or the number of occupants that it was affecting due to its impact so that was a possible score of 15 then our second our second highest criteria was project viability, which is optimal engineering, project costs,

[01:57:17] nature-based solutions, as well as cost avoidance. That could get you a final score of 10. So now we're at 25. And then we were at our last criteria, which could give you a max number of five, which was product readiness, financial status, design status, and permanent application status.

[01:57:37] We had multiple projects that had already submitted for permit and are in the process. We had projects that were all the way through the process and had already completed and now looking for reimbursement for the program, from the program.

[01:57:53] Just thank you, Ricky, for the details for the second level question as well, because this is, and I say older homes, but it's for everybody, I know. Everybody. everybody across the county uh it was initiated by our former colleague uh supervisor franklin and unfortunately supervisor lacroix you've inherited uh this and so we thank you for your guidance in it as well so just thank you for expediting this we really appreciate it in the words that was luke and katab and mr mazer our building official we're all we're all all the team

[01:58:28] doing it I'm just here talking about it thank y'all so much thank you all right hold on we got more questions and before we do if I can invite people in the board chambers to have a seat are you you can have a seat hopefully we don't oh all right I don't think we bite most times unless you're something really yummy all right supervisor Gordy then LaCroix thank you madam chair um ricky from these uh i think we're looking at awarding seven projects and was

[01:59:02] were these the only projects that were submitted were how how many were submitted and um and were any of this uh were there any limitations based on amount of funding or it just they did not meet the criteria so 2020 22 total applications were either drafted or submitted um some people started a draft however didn't hit submit but we still counted those in our all the interest right they they seem to be interested in the program so we included them in the in the draft or submitted

[01:59:35] category of those so i guess it's uh 29 projects seven of them were eligible so 22 submitted or drafted and then seven eligible projects oh 22 total seven thanks and and um and so those uh 15 that were not selected for support, was it because of limitation of funding or was it simply they just didn't meet the criteria?

[02:00:08] They didn't meet the criteria. Luke can speak to a little more because him and Mr. Mays actually alerted every applicant, talked them through the process to make sure that we understood we were getting the information we needed in order to make the decision. So, Luke, if you want to talk to that. Chair Jefferson, members of the board, my name is Lucas Heisman, Deputy Director of Public Works.

[02:00:30] And to answer your question, they were largely ruled out due to age. The majority of the applicants that applied were over 40 years old. I think there was one or two that were a draft or incomplete, and then the rest of them that got smeared out were over the age criteria.

[02:00:53] Yes, sir. Not due to funding. So the funding, we actually, in this document you see, we used the $200,000 and prorated it. If we fully awarded each one of these projects, it would have been $356,000, but we didn't have that.

[02:01:09] So we went through the formulas and prorated it to where everybody gets something, but it's based on your score that we did in our evaluation. So that's how we arrived at those numbers. Okay. Thank you very much.

[02:01:25] We didn't want to, if we were going to go through the process of rating them and scoring them on severity of damage and all the other things we've already talked about, and we're just going to ward everybody why go through the scoring. We could have just given the money out. And I think another important part that Katab brought up is there's a max number of reimbursement.

[02:01:49] So if your project was $100,000 and you were a single-family resident, the cap was $25,000, regardless of how much it cost you. So funding is just the end portion, not the beginning portion. All right.

[02:02:08] So you answered one of my questions. The cap was $25,000, which, well, first of all, thank you to you, and thank you, Luke, and thank you, Katab. You know, you guys are fantastic. Go ahead.

[02:02:24] $100,000. I didn't finish. $100,000, because we were talking single family earlier. There is a HOA common property that can qualify for up to 50% of a max of $100,000. Okay. So some of the places that are in your district are communities.

[02:02:40] Yeah. So they were at the $100,000 cap, and you can kind of see that in the staff report. You will see the requested funding. If it's a single-family residence and it says they're requesting $25,000, that means they were eligible for the max fund.

[02:02:58] If you see $100,000, that means they were eligible. They were common interest, and they were eligible for the max. Some of the other ones you see are smaller numbers because their property didn't get over to the $25,000. We're only reimbursing 50% up to the max.

[02:03:14] So our award was $200,000. And realistically, this is a crisis, right? And we really need more money, don't we? You don't want my opinion. I'm ready for whatever you guys are ready for.

[02:03:29] We're here to support you any way we can. Well, I need you to support me if I ask for more money. So, yeah, that's it, $25,000. And then once they apply for it once, are they able to ask for it again next year?

[02:03:46] If they haven't reached their max, they're eligible for the reimbursement one time. However, if they didn't meet the criteria, and let's just say, I don't know, if we went with option two, which is just give the money out in the order in which they qualify or they ranked, the number four on the list of that would be receiving $61,000.

[02:04:12] They'd be eligible to come back and get that $39,000 next year. Okay, but there is no point in time if they're still suffering and needing more money that they're able to come back if you've maxed them out? Not currently under our administrative procedures that we currently have adopted, no. That's all. Thank you.

[02:04:29] And we will open the window next year if there is money to be awarded. If there's no money to be awarded, then we won't open the window to accept applications. Thank you so very much. Mr. Shorter? Very good. Ricky, thank you. I think that's all for item 11A.

[02:04:49] for item 11b madam chair members of the board this is a amendment oh yes we're voting we do need to go ahead um i do apologize because all the discussion so we already have a motion on the floor we didn't i thought we did oh we had questions second it's been moved and probably

[02:05:12] moved and seconded any further discussion all right let's go ahead and take our votes unanimous all right my apologies now we can move on to award 200,000 of foundation and soil management

[02:05:44] program funding that was we can pull it up in the all right i think we're safe yes uh with item 11b madam chair uh we're asking uh for the board's consideration for the initiation of a zoning map

[02:06:20] amendment uh to add parcels to the nolksville road uh and so i'm going to invite planning up to provide a presentation good afternoon madam chair members of the board so this is an amendment to an initiation that was for a zoning map amendment that was presented to you on September 1st.

[02:06:49] The board initiated the zoning map amendment for five parcels. The subject property is located to the north of Knoxville Road and to the west of Broad Run and Broad Run Linear Park. It is within the Brentsville Magistral District.

[02:07:06] So the amendment, the initiation that was a zoning map amendment initiation that was approved on or initiated on september 1st was for this highlighted portion at the at the top and today we're asking for an amendment for this portion which is approximately three acres which will which is three parcels and it is to provide access and to support the

[02:07:36] potential new zoning district again the site is within the i3 technology flex industrial land use designation with a T3 transect and POS that is the park and open space land use designation, long range land use designation. The subject properties are currently zone A1 and will be amended to reclassify as a planned business district which will implement OH which

[02:08:11] is office high and M2 which is light industrial zoning districts. So staff recommends the amendment to the initiation that was for the zoning map amendment and with that i'll take any questions you may have all right so now yes you get to stand all right does anyone have any questions we don't have to all right then can i get a motion madam chair moved to approve second probably moved and seconded is there any discussion madam chair supervisor gordy i want to thank the planning staff um just uh just want to remind my colleagues in the public

[02:08:49] You know, we set out to do what's called a proactive rezoning here. We are running out of land for economic development in Prince William County. Innovation District is, you know, we have a lot of interest in Innovation District, and we are looking at ways that we can, as you may recall, this site was the Bristow Campus Data Center site, which we did not support.

[02:09:19] But nonetheless, we are still in need of land for other types of development to support our economic development. And so this is when we first initiated this, we realized these three parcels were left out of the initiation.

[02:09:35] But if you can also note that the intersection, these are essential to ingress and egress to the site. So I really appreciate the planning staff for helping us work through that and to bring this back to get those included for this effort.

[02:09:52] Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you so very much. Supervisor Bailey. Thank you, Madam Chair. Supervisor Gordy, you do an impeccable job in being creative in your district with land. Don't say we're running out of land.

[02:10:08] That's scary. That's scary. But I just want to compliment you. I know what you meant. But I just, for the camera, I just want to compliment you in you using the duality and your skills as a former planning commissioner, now the supervisor, and caring for your land in your district and sharing that with your colleagues.

[02:10:28] So I just wanted to give that compliment and to the staff for your creativity as well and utilizing land as we are creatively not running out of it. Thank you, Supervisor Gordy. Madam Chair, thank you. All right.

[02:10:45] Thank you so very much. Let's go ahead. Madam Chair. I'm sorry. Yes. Tony just reminded me that I forgot to introduce myself. Uh, you've seen me before. I did do a CPA, but I'm super creative with, uh, the countywide planning division. Uh, I'm a principal planner. All right. Yay. Thank you. All right. Thank you.

[02:11:07] So let's go ahead and take our votes. And I hope that we're not terribly frightening when people have to come up here. All right. Maybe just a little bit. It's, we're getting close to Halloween.

[02:11:23] All right, Mr. Shorter. All right, thank you very much, Madam Chair, and thank you to the Planning Office. Okay, with the last item, item 11A, we're going to invite our Department of Social Services to come down. This item would typically come 11C, I'm sorry, I said 11A.

[02:11:41] Oh, 11C. This item would typically come to us as a consent item, given the size of the federal and state allocation. We wanted to have a more complete conversation and make sure that the board understood just the amount of funding that is being provided and to answer questions about how we would use the funding.

[02:12:04] So with that, I will turn it over to our director. Good afternoon, Chair Jefferson, Vice Chair Angry, and members of the Board of Philistines Holt, Director of Social Services. Thank you for the opportunity to provide you information regarding the department's request concerning the FY27, budget reconciliation, and to answer any questions you may have.

[02:12:27] Today with me, I have my deputy director, my assistant directors, and my HR manager, they are present, who are considered the subject matter experts in their divisions to provide more detailed information if needed.

[02:12:45] So for our agenda, we have the VDSS revenue true-up and the revenue usage, current and emerging pressure areas, our staffing requests, how it is connected to the strategic plan, and any questions, and be able to provide answers.

[02:13:08] Prince William County DSS receives an allocation for staffing to support all services and benefit programs. Our reimbursement rate for staff that support the VDSS mandated programs is approximately 51%. VDS, I would like to tell you that VDS informs local departments of social services of their budget allocations after this board has approved the county's budget.

[02:13:35] DSS recommends using the available budget capacity for efforts that will improve customer service, strengthen employee support, ensure compliance, promoting safety of clients and staff, and support the departments in administering the changes established by the HR1 bill and VDSS.

[02:13:55] The revenue in the VDSS program administration activities is being increased by $3.1 million to reflect the projected reimbursement from the Commonwealth. DSS projects an additional $1.1 million in revenue from VDSS with the addition of these positions for a total of $4.2 million of ongoing revenue.

[02:14:26] So for the emerging issues that we are facing, so we are having issues or will be facing issues in our adult protective services, our DSS administration, our FOIA response, our child care administration, family support services, which includes foster care and kinship care, public assistance to include Medicaid long-term care, benefits which serve SNAP

[02:14:59] Medicaid homeless services. We are keeping an eye on our Children's Services Act, which is CSA, which has been continuous over the past 13 years, and our homeless services, which is the Homeless Navigation Center East. So what we are recommending in reference to what we're asking is it is needed, the approval from the board is required to reconcile the allocations received

[02:15:33] from VDSS and the federal government with DSS adopted budget. In addition, the VDSS program administration revenue will be increased to reflect the current reimbursement rate. The increase in the revenue will support the creation of positions in, again, adult services, DSS human resources, the child care administration, public assistance, customer support and services, family support, and homeless services. With the exception of homeless services, the new positions will be partially reimbursed by VDSS. The positions will address the deficits and improve

[02:16:10] service levels. The total number of positions that we're asking for is 18.5. So with our adult protective services, DSS recommends hiring an additional human services program manager so that adult services and adult protective services can have separate management and supervision. Currently, we have one human services program manager that's responsible for supervising

[02:16:45] both the adult services and adult protective services team. Adult services supports adults age 18 and older with impairments who need services or assistance to enhance self-sufficiency and quality of life. Services may include case management, home-based care, long-term care services, guardianship, and conservatorship. The volume and complexity of adult service responsibilities has increased substantially. From 2021 to 2026, there has been a 17%

[02:17:20] increase in the county population of our residents ages 60 and plus. We went from 73,000 in 2021 to over 90,000 in 2026. In FY26, DSS served 1,038 adults through the guardianship program and completed more than 1,300 Medicaid long-term care assessments. It is recommended that a supervisor-to-worker ratio of 1.5, but currently the supervisor ratio is 1.8 to

[02:17:55] 8. For child care, DSS recommends adding three human service caseworkers, one human services manager, and one administrative specialist. The additional caseworkers will reduce individual caseloads and improve the team's ability to provide timely, consistent services to families.

[02:18:22] The additional manager will reduce the supervisory span of control, strengthen case oversight, and provide greater support to staff as program requirements and caseloads continue to increase. In a memo dated September 1st, 2026, VDSS notified Prince William County DSS that it must offer child care slots to 541 children currently on the wait list within the next five months.

[02:18:50] The additional administrative specialists will support the ongoing monitoring and management of this wait list with the goal of transitioning all 541 children off the wait list within the time frame. These positions will improve responsiveness to families, support compliance and state mandated contact requirements, strengthen program administration and oversight, and help ensure eligible households can access child care assistance in a timely manner.

[02:19:18] Currently, each child care worker has a caseload of 280 cases. As you can see, the state target to process cases is 30 days, which we are unable to do. In FY25, staff was processing cases at 95%.

[02:19:36] In FY26, it was at 83.4%, which is a decrease of 11.7%. Our human resources team, DSS is recommending converting a vacant, permanent, part-time administrative coordinator position currently assigned to the director's office into a permanent, full-time human resources analyst position.

[02:20:01] When the Office of Youth Services was established in FY25, DSS transferred two administrative support positions to OIS, a fiscal specialist and a human resources analyst. DSS currently employs more than 450 permanent and temporary employees.

[02:20:20] The department's staffing needs have demonstrated that restoring the dedicated HR analyst capacity is necessary to support effective recruitment, retention, benefit administration, and employee relations. In FY26, DSS recruited and hired 52 employees.

[02:20:38] The department also managed 76 FMLA cases. Creating this full-time HR position, HR analyst position, will provide the capacity needed to support employees and managers, strengthen the recruitment and retention efforts to ensure timely administration HR programs. In addition to that, DSS recommends hiring an administrative coordinator. We have centralized responsibility for the FOIA requests, subpoenas, and record management within the HR function to provide oversight, consistency, compliance, and legal

[02:21:13] and regulatory requirements. Over a seven-month period in FY26, DSS received more than 290 FOIA requests and subpoenas. These requests are subject to mandated response deadlines and offer required coordination across multiple programs. A dedicated FOIA coordinator will help DSS respond to requests accurately and within required timeframes, maintaining consistent record management practices, and reduce the administrative burden of HR staff.

[02:21:46] This position will support transparency and accountability, which allow the HR staff to focus on recruitment, employment support, and other core workforce responsibilities. And just to give you some context, one FOIA request could be a few pages to several hundred pages.

[02:22:05] We've had one case that we were actually almost 400 pages for one request. So it is very time-consuming. for our HR staff. Then we have our foster care kinship teams. DSS recommends creating a third foster care team. There has been an increase in the number of children entering foster care with complex needs and the level of oversight that is needed to ensure accurate service provisions to meet permanency goals. Between July 2024 and July 2026, the number of children

[02:22:40] foster care grew from 93 to 131, an increase of approximately 41%. The division is seeing more substance-exposed infants entering care, more child in need of supervision, case related to truancy, delinquency, and relief of custody, and a significant rise in kinship placements, which requires family engagement, relative searches, and ongoing support. The current two foster care teams are led by a human services program manager and their oversight or their

[02:23:15] overseeing the responsibility of approximately 50 active foster care cases. Best practice supports a manageable oversight range of approximately 30 to 35 active cases per manager. Adding a third foster care team could reduce the average caseload to approximately 35 to 35, 33 to 35 cases per manager. This structure will allow managers to focus on supervision, mentoring, consultation, quality oversight, rather than carrying cases themselves. Also, it will reduce potential risk

[02:23:49] and liability when there is a wide span of control. In addition, administrative tasks, including invoicing process, scheduling, responding to record requests, are currently being completed by direct service staff and managers because the FSS division only has one admin administrative person. Adding that administrative specialist would reduce the administrative burden and allow caseworkers and managers to focus more time on direct casework

[02:24:21] and supervision. Public assistance. DSS is recommending one senior human services specialist dedicated to long-term care, the UAIs, and DSS is also recommending adding three senior human services specialists. The number of uniform assessment instruments completed for Medicaid long-term care services has increased substantially, rising 68 percent from 808

[02:24:57] assessments in FY23 to over 1,300 in FY26. A UAI is a comprehensive evaluation used to determine an individual's functional, medical, and cognitive needs and eligibility for long-term care services.

[02:25:14] So this is the form that our staff use in adult services and APS for our vulnerable elderly who are in need of services in their home or if they need to go to a nursing home or assisted living. And these assessments are conducted jointly with the nurses within the health district.

[02:25:34] The implementation of the new federal Medicaid work requirements which become effective January 1, 2027, will create a significant ongoing workload increase for PA staff. Approximately, we have over 24,000 individuals through the Medicaid expansion will be required to have a biannual eligibility review and monthly compliance checks. Without additional three senior human service specialists, the increased volume expected to create processing backlogs and delays in compliance monitoring. Inefficient staffing also creates material

[02:26:13] program and client risk, including improper termination of benefits, delayed or inaccurate eligibility actions, federal compliance findings, and potential harm to clients who may lose access to needed health care. And we have homeless services. And so DSS is recommending any one permanent part-time, permanent full-time, and it says HSCA, which is a Human Services Caseworker Associate. Over the past two years, the shelters have served families with children who have

[02:26:51] autism spectrum disorder and other emotional behavior and mental health needs. Increased staffing will help ensure that staff can provide appropriate supervision, respond properly to emerging concerns, coordinate with families and service providers, and maintain a safe, supportive environment for all shelter residents. DSS is also recommending adding two permanent part-time human service case associates to provide weekend coverage from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

[02:27:19] and 4 p.m. to midnight. Families are more likely to remain in the shelter over the weekends because of field work, school, and daycare obligations, resulting in increased use of common areas, and greater supervision needs. The afternoon and evening shift will provide additional support during high activity periods, including family routines, meals, and bedtime.

[02:27:43] These positions will strengthen consistent supervision, improve the safety and well-being of shelter residents, and enhance DSS ability to provide timely support to families experiencing homelessness. So the positions that are being requested, again, is one, Human Services Program Manager and APS, five child care positions, one administrative coordinator specifically for FOIA, to convert a half-time position to a one full-time position as a human resource analyst, five foster care

[02:28:16] positions, four public assistant positions, and one full-time and two part-time positions and homeless services. So what we're asking for is connected to the county strategic plan within two goals.

[02:28:35] The first goal is the service delivery strategic goal, and the objective is to enhance opportunities for engagement and communication between the public and county government, fostering dialogue, feedback, and follow-up to promote the shared goals of trust, understanding, and transparency.

[02:28:51] And so this would be through the human resources analyst, the FOIA coordinator, the adult services program manager, child care workers, and the shelter staff. And an additional direct service and supervisory staff would reduce the work, the caseloads, improve client communication, and enable timely follow-up on service needs.

[02:29:15] The second strategic goal is quality of life, which states design and develop intentional structures and services to support residents' aspirations to age and place. The additional adult services program manager will strengthen DSS capacity to supervise services for adults with impairments, including case management, home-based services, long-term care assessments, guardianship, and conservatorship.

[02:29:44] And separating management responsibility for adults and adult protective services will improve oversight of the complex service areas and support timely access to services to help adults remain safely and independently in their homes and communities whenever possible.

[02:30:02] This next screen speaks to the fiscal impact. And so the DSS-FY27 expenditure budget will increase about $2.1 million, and the revenue budget will increase to $4.1.

[02:30:17] This table summarizes, and as you can see, it provides you information regarding the expenditure, the revenue that will be coming in and the impact to the county. So the department's request is to accept, budget, and appropriate net ongoing revenue increase of $1.4 million and an ongoing net expenditure increase of $2.1 in the Department of Social Services fiscal year 2027 budget and to reconcile the county's budget to state and federal funding allocations.

[02:30:55] Box approval of the DSS staffing recommendations is needed. Thank you. All right, thank you so very much for that thorough presentation. Supervisor Angry, you had questions? You know what, I don't have a question. All right, so if we ask comments when we have the motion, anyone questions?

[02:31:14] Questions, questions? All right, Supervisor LaCroix. Another question. All right, so statements. We are going to, if everyone has statements, what we're going to do, remove yourself from cue, Supervisor Angry, I'd like to get a motion.

[02:31:31] Move for approval. Second. All right, now we can have a discussion. Angry, no, no, no, not Bodie. It's going to be Angry LaCroix Bodie. Thank you, Madam Chair. You'll note my, woo, when you finish. Every department in Princeton County is a very important department.

[02:31:48] I'm not going to put the but, I'm going to put the however. I don't want to focus on your department because you have the most complicated department that I personally will say. And every area that you just mentioned, we are all involved in some form or fashion.

[02:32:08] And the hardest part about your departments is that your turnover is so significant because you have burnout because you don't have the personnel you need. So I think what you just presented to us, I'm 100%. I mean, I would double everything you had there, and I know you could use all that.

[02:32:24] I know that's more money, and that's the thing we have to discuss. It's the hardest part of the budget season I hate that everybody comes in with this. So I'm happy to see you now so we can fix this now, and we have the opportunity to do so. So I just want to say I'm 100% behind this. And I term DSS as the rabbit hole.

[02:32:44] And there's nothing negative about it. It's just that rabbit holes, if you go down them, they go deep. And you can learn so much about all of this. But it's complicated, which makes you the guardian of the rabbit hole. But I want to give you the guardian along with that man because I'm not going to leave out Ms. Elijah Johnson because you two understand this very well of all these departments.

[02:33:02] And so I just really appreciate it. So I'm going to acknowledge you for what you do in this role of this rabbit hole of all this stuff. And I know this will be very good for your staff, your employees, and getting more is going to just help you out significantly.

[02:33:18] So I'm all in for this. So thank you very much, both of you, for what you do. Thank you. Much appreciated. Supervisor LaCroix. Well, first and foremost, you look beautiful today. Oh, thank you. I had to say, so not only are you Superwoman, but you look good.

[02:33:35] Thank you. I have been learning the Woodbridge District and going to most of the facilities that you're in charge of. And one of the things that I have to say is I think that you need anything you say you need because, honestly, you're doing a great job.

[02:33:50] And the staff, they have such happy hearts, even though their business is to keep people that are, you know, in despair. a lot of times in despair or older, and everybody's in need, in big need, real need in your department that you're in charge of, and trying to keep everybody happy and successful. It's, like I said, when you go into an area where you know that there's human despair going on, and the employees

[02:34:25] are trying to make it work in such a way with such happy hearts it it is a testament to you as their leader and i say this to chris all the time a leader dictates um how it's going and if you have happy workers and and people that are in those areas and it is a big job and i thank you so much the bottom of my heart i didn't even realize half the things we were doing or you're doing but i'm proud to be a part of it even from a spectator seat thank you thank you so

[02:35:02] much supervisor body yeah thank you madam chair i'm not going to go belabor this too much other than to ditto what my colleagues have said but also highlight something that you mentioned in near the the second half miss jennings holt which is the cost of inaction right in so many circumstances the cost of inaction is bad not only for the county and for your workforce as said by my colleagues but for the people you are serving each and every day in this county so I wanted to highlight that but also I see this as foundational as well in the first part of your comments you mentioned the Homeless Navigation Center East now we have the uh privilege of going

[02:35:38] by there at least once a month to OmniRide it's right over there actually recorded a video last week before OmniRide meeting about how much progress has been made about that facility but also what it means what's going to be done without the right staff to help fill it and make sure all those services you all are going to be providing there it is only half of what it could be if not less so I just wanted to highlight that both that on one hand the cost of inaction what that could mean on the the frontline folks that you're serving each and every day but also the homeless navigation center east not even to speak to the homeless navigation center west which we bought the land for a couple years back and just knowing that all this is so foundational but also shares

[02:36:18] There's a large need, which is already done. So, of course, I'll be supporting this, but I wanted to highlight that as well. Thank you. Thank you so much. All right, Supervisor Stewart. Thank you, Madam Chair. You know, I will say this, you know, especially, you know, for what you do for these kids in foster care, because there was a time in life for me, my origin story as a baby, that I was one of those kids up until the age of three.

[02:36:48] And I think, you know, I've said this before, because it's also about what you do for seniors. In the Navy, I've been around the world four times, and I've seen firsthand how you can really look at any society, any country, any neighborhood, on how well they take care of their most vulnerable citizens.

[02:37:15] And that's typically women, not women, but typically, although they're vulnerable as well, but babies and seniors. And, you know, the job you're doing, it's in the background. It's things that people don't really think about every day.

[02:37:31] But the need is so real and it's so right there, you know, and people don't know what they're looking at when they look. And so, you know, you're simply put, you're doing God's work.

[02:37:49] And I appreciate, you know, as somebody who has come through this, not here in Prince William but just elsewhere in the country that I really appreciate what you're doing and keep doing what you're doing. It's appreciated and I just wanted that to be said. Thank you very much.

[02:38:10] I appreciate that and so you are exactly right but I am very fortunate to have an amazing staff who are the eyes and ears within the department and outside in the community and so you know I will say, and I will quote to my supervisor, DCXO, Mr. Johnson, you know, he always is saying that you never know, life is life, and you never know when you will be that individual who may need those services. So, you know, we really do come to work every day with the heart of being there

[02:38:50] for individuals when they are in crisis and in their lowest, and treating people with respect and dignity because you never know when you have to you will be on the other side of that table and so when you are you want someone to treat you with compassion and respect so i i do appreciate your support i'm very fortunate uh last month i hit 34 years with the county um and so um i have been very fortunate and very blessed to uh be here and growing this county and see this county grow um and so i truly do appreciate your support and thank

[02:39:27] you. Supervisor Bailey. Thank you, Madam Chair. I can't embellish any more than what my colleagues have said. Phyllis, but you, I wish I had your patience because what you do, you and your staff, it requires a lot of patience to get to this point to where the need has been and you've had to work through it without the funding. And so I, for the well-being of all, everyone and to what my mom was one of those recipients, and I thank you again and again for helping me in

[02:40:05] that regard with my mom when she needed care as well. I want to ask, though, what do you think precipitated changing the mindset from the state perspective, and how can we continue to support you and your team in that regard to making sure that in its totality they understand that the needs are there and we need to keep supporting um i think

[02:40:37] that the i think that the state understand that the need is there um i i think that one of the things that i i'm seeing is that from vdss the level of oversight that they want to have now is very different than it has been in previous years, which means that we have to make sure that everything is done accordingly, especially with H.R. 1 coming down the pike and some other things that are happening on the services side of the house.

[02:41:16] So there's a lot of conversations within the league and with VDSS to let them know what we are seeing here in our communities and what we're needing. They're hearing us, but it has to be an ongoing dialogue.

[02:41:33] But you all are supporting us, and you're hearing what we're saying, and that's very important. So I will, as your department director, I will keep you informed of what's happening so you will be able to make informed decisions when you're out in the community.

[02:41:49] Thank you so much. Thank you, Madam Chair. So much has been said, but I want to add on, because your department does some of the hardest work. what your caseworkers are seeing day in day out what they are working on it is hard and we have to acknowledge that the work that they are doing is truly vital to the community and so i am so happy that the state is able and federal you're that we're receiving additional money because

[02:42:21] we have a need what you're asking for is a huge need it's huge gaps that need to be filled and i'm just sorry that we weren't able to do it sooner but we are able to do it now and so thank you for highlighting this and bringing this to our attention and i am ready let's go ahead to take our votes all right thank you very much we're moving on to supervisor's time i'm going to talk

[02:42:57] 12a and 12b separately in case there are any questions or separate discussion can i get a motion to move 12a forward so moved been moved and seconded let's go ahead and take our votes all right moving on to 12b can i get a motion so moved second it's been moved i'll give the second

[02:43:29] to Bailey any discussion all right let's go ahead and take our votes all right thank you very much I am going to start Supervisor Bailey if you're ready for Supervisor's time then I'll go to Gordy thank you very much Madam Chair uh just wanted to uh just be thankful for another uh circle around the sun for my birthday I had a grand old time just happy birthday to me and I'm doing what I

[02:44:08] want to do uh in this time in my life and in serving and so I'm just grateful for that wanted to say that. On the 23rd, I had the pleasure of attending the 40th anniversary with OmniRide with my colleagues. Wonderful 80th theme and some good cake. So thank you to the chair for ushering that in. And we also had the joint school board meeting. And so thank you to Dr. McDade and the school board for having the joint meeting and engaging in a very meaningful discussion that we've been wanting to have for a very long time with shared goals and priorities.

[02:44:44] And thank you to the county exec for how you prepared us for that and the numbers and your staff that you showed in that collaboration. On the 24th, I had a placemaking in the Potomac District, and I want to express my deepest appreciation to the county staff and the development community for an excellent, productive, and engaging meeting to move the Potomac District to higher heights.

[02:45:10] On the 26th of September, I attended the Candace King 1.5-mile sickle cell anemia day and supporting one of our bright stars in our community, Candace King, and I so dearly miss her, and I know the community does, too.

[02:45:29] And then that evening I attended the Willing Warriors Gala, honoring our nation's wounded and injured servant members and their families, and we had a great time. So thank you to Ms. Shirley, Dominic, and her husband for a great presentation of supporting those who have served in our country and to the dais as well.

[02:45:52] On the 30th, we had the Ferlazo Bus Shelter ribbon-cutting, and to the chair again, we had a grand old time. That was a great time, so thank you to the chair, to my colleagues on the PRTC board, and to Dr. Bob and his staff for a great time.

[02:46:09] That evening, the Occoquan Elementary School ribbon-cutting. Thank you to colleague Mr. Bodie for a great time, and the principal, Mr. Buddy Lent, and he served and fed us well. so thank you so much. Then that evening I had a town hall with the Southbridge, entitled Southbridge Safety Community Town Hall with Captain Carter, Salah, and David from VDOT, and we addressed some of the community concerns that were happening in Southbridge, so thank you for the 61 attendees there in that event. And later on that evening I attended a revisioning

[02:46:49] opportunity with Madam Chair, it was a charrette for the Marine Corps and the community small area plan agenda where the Marine Corps base, Quantico, and the museum is looking at an opportunity there. On the 1st of October, I attended the NAACP Freedom Fund dinner in Alexandria with our governor, and we had a good time. Governor had a good time, so therefore i had a good time and then that evening my staff attended the streetlight community uh to support street life and thank you gabriella and her team for what they're doing for our community on the

[02:47:26] third saturday morning woke up early old arc 30 and went to the tour d vre that we have every year it's been going on to support triple negative breast cancer since 2021 that afternoon to participate in the SEIU town hall to focus on building collaboration and partnership with our employees. And then later on that afternoon, one diaspora, many routes. We attended there with their executive director, Nana Oppen. It was excellent to show how we as a community

[02:48:02] have to come together and support all cultures. That afternoon, I had a grand old time at George Mason University. With Rick Davis, thank you for the invitation and honoring and participating in the Honorary Committee for the Arts by George, where we heard Jeff Goldblum place the keys for us in the entertainment. Upcoming events, 10-10, I'll be having Families and Disabilities Aware Fair, and I'm looking forward to hosting the first Families and Disabilities Aware Fair at Local Shade Park, Saturday from 10-12, And we've got great speakers, food, and resources.

[02:48:40] Thank you very much. Have a good evening. Supervisor Gordy. Thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, happy birthday, Supervisor Bailey. Also, appreciated the time with our school board and was really pleased to hear that they are going to, after years of prodding, going to engage in a school boundary rezoning at some point in the future.

[02:49:10] We have schools that are over capacity. We have schools that are way under capacity, complete imbalances, and they may be very close to each other. So this can certainly help address many concerns in the Brentsville District, and I am very appreciative to hear of those steps coming forward from them and look forward to further conversations and dialogue on that.

[02:49:33] On the 28th, I attended a visit with the Marymount Trace community to discuss potential developments around their neighborhood and appreciate everyone who came out. We circled up in lawn chairs in the cul-de-sac and just had a great conversation.

[02:49:54] I appreciate the conversation and the hospitality from the community. I did want to just speak a little about the tragic events that took place last Wednesday at the United Rentals in Manassas.

[02:50:14] Many folks may not know, but it happened when the Manassas City Police were in a shift change, and there was only one Manassas police officer on duty at that time. We are so blessed in this county to have layers of security.

[02:50:38] And this exemplified the fact that a sheriff deputy stepped in, responded. And while the perpetrator had already left the building, she went room to room, putting herself in danger to ensure that there was no more violence that would take place.

[02:50:57] And then immediately started CPR, started first aid, I should say, and then had the wherewithal to have one of the victims call his wife and say goodbye. and that he loved her before he passed.

[02:51:14] Our first responders, our police, our sheriffs are very well-trained and we ought to be very proud of the investments that we've made in this community and that boundaries do not limit our ability to support one another and that while, I mean, it literally was a stone's throw from the Bentzville district in the city of Manassas, you know, it was just down the street from the Prince William Police, uh, the Western district office. And, and so the, the ability of

[02:51:52] us all to work together for our own, uh, for the safety of our community, um, it was a horrible event, but, and I hope we never have to learn, uh, see this again, but it did exemplify the partnerships and the training and, and, uh, um, just the, the ability to work together to protect this community. But there's another group I also want to recommend, and that's those who help support our first responders. Because when you go through an event like that, it's hard. It's very

[02:52:28] hard. And they need folks to talk to. They need folks to process. And I've heard numerous times we have some of the best. So, Mr. Shorter, I want to please, and Mr. Blakely, please pass along our appreciation and and uh for what they do every day to keep us safe uh our our again the training that we have here and and and every whether it's a sheriff deputy police officer they go through the same training and and it was just it and and so they are fully capable in of of supporting us

[02:53:05] as a community and uh and again i thank our sheriff's department i thank our police department and i thank those who support all of them thank you madam chair thank you so very much supervisor Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to echo what Supervisor Gordy said.

[02:53:23] You know, the situation is so heroic yet heartbreaking at the same time. So also thank you for all that you do. I know it can be a thankless job. And sometimes, again, the stuff that you keep from happening, we don't know.

[02:53:43] And so thank you for standing in the gap. Yeah, so a couple of things. I attended the recovery event put on by community services, and I wore the drunk goggles, and let's just say I did not do very well at all.

[02:54:09] My feet looked like they belonged to somebody literally standing next to me, so that was weird. I had an opportunity to also read to pre-K kids at Kitty Academy in Haymarket. That was great. On September 29th, I attended the Willing Warriors Gala, and this year they brought that gala home to the retreat.

[02:54:36] It was a stormy night and cold, but the mission of Willing Warriors and what they do and what they provide for our wounded warriors is excellent.

[02:54:54] And so extremely heartwarming, and it was a great event. I visited the Yellow House also, another piece of God's work, taking in mothers who are expecting, who are dealing with life crises, and giving these mothers a place to be and providing a roof for them to kind of get life reset as they continue on with a new baby.

[02:55:27] We did Dumpster Day on Saturday, and despite the rain, we collected almost three tons of trash. And I want to give out a big shout-out to the litter crew staff for toughing it out in the weather, in the cold and rain. That day, I also attended the Fire Rescue Fall Festival here with my daughter.

[02:55:47] Had a lot of fun on the fire trucks, the helicopter, everything. um northern virginia food uh rescue fifth annual hunger is um hunger is scary event is on october 17th and our office is doing a non-perishable food drive so please just drop stuff off at our office um and on october 17th um it's hay market day um and i know everybody uh countywide and and beyond uh looks forward to that you know it is the premier event it is the premier event it is the

[02:56:23] premier event of of uh prince william county and uh it it's haymarket day it's it's the 17th it's a parade it's a festival it's it's all it's the premier event and it is all the joy you're going to need especially going into the holiday season so um i also want to um um uh announce my intention um for a directive that i will be issuing um on the on the 20th um i it's in all of your email

[02:56:57] inboxes and with that madam chair thank you very much all right i'm going to go to supervisor bode thank you madam chair um just wanted to first thank everyone who's come out to various events that have been mentioned appreciate my colleagues coming out to the ribbon cutting of the Occoquan Elementary School the new Occoquan Elementary School which replaced the oldest schoolhouse in the county but it was really great sort of a capstone to celebrate that within just about a weekend change after the new Woodbridge Elementary School over in Supervisor LaCroix's district I know there's been a lot of talk over the years on facility inequities between various parts of

[02:57:36] the county and what have you but we have arrived in terms of having some of the newest state-of-the-art schools in some of our most at-risk communities and I just wanted to highlight that and celebrate that and thank everyone who helped bring that to fruition whether it's the school board Dr. McDade the school staff but also this board of supervisors which funds the school system and helps promote and support their CIP which brought that school forward so wanted to highlight that. Also wanted to thank everyone who braved the weather to come out to Barktoberfest and the Tackett's Mill Fall Festival this Saturday. Unfortunately because of family emergency I

[02:58:14] couldn't make it out to that or a lot of other events on Saturday but really appreciate my team for holding down the fort and everyone that made it that once again a success. We did have a few adoptions again. Some puppies made new homes so really always appreciate that and as always the animal services staff who supports um all the the the furry friends of all stripes in our community um tomorrow tomorrow uh madam chair and i will be uh having our own uh visioning event right here in mccourt um 6 30 if i recall correctly um so for everyone who um would like to come out for

[02:58:53] another vision event i hear the one that my colleagues did uh yesterday went really well So hope more folks can join us tomorrow night. Also wanted to put on the radar later this month, we will be having a transportation town hall.

[02:59:09] I just want to make sure I get the date right. So bear with me, please. Yes. So, yeah, so on the 22nd of this month, my staff will be partnering with LRPRA, Lakeridge Association, our transportation staff, and some other agencies.

[02:59:33] We have a grand old transportation town hall, 630 to 830, Thursday, October 22nd. We got a lot of transportation projects going on in and around the area. I know Supervisor Angry and I share the SPOE that's coming in. If you've driven down Old Bridge Road, especially Occoquan Road and Old Bridge Road, you see that project going through.

[02:59:52] We have Old Bridge and Prince William Parkway. We have Old Bridge and McNeville Road. We have Old Bridge and almost every other major intersection on Old Bridge Road, and people want to hear about it. So just wanted to invite people out again Thursday, October 22nd, 630 to 830 at the Tall Oaks Community Center.

[03:00:09] For folks that don't know where that is, it's just up Hedges Run. It's that community that's right next to probably one of the best playgrounds in the county, which is the playground over there.

[03:00:24] So just wanted to invite folks out. And, you know, as always, happy birthday, Supervisor Bailey. I know you're celebrating your 20th birthday. Congratulations. It's a birthday. And, you know, as we get into the holiday season and the fall season, we really hope everyone has a great family fun time.

[03:00:46] As was said before, we have had a lot of tragedies over the last few months and the last couple of years in the county. Thinking about folks and hope everyone can stay safe and stay happy. Thanks, Madam Chair. All right. Thank you so much. Supervisor LaCroix. Well, first and foremost, I want to thank my staff.

[03:01:03] My staff has been working so hard. and if anybody reads my newsletter it would exhaust you because and I have exhausted them and they have been amazing they have happy hearts and they work diligently every day and they're doing a good job but one of the things that I wanted to say other than yes I've been running around like a crazy person and yes we had a great event last night it was a lot of fun is that community woodbridge community resource guide that we came up with has been an incredible

[03:01:36] success and we have been going to mobile homes and low-income apartments to give them you know on the guys that were having an ice cream social because people would rather eat ice cream than hear me talk so they come and then I trick them by giving them a guide but I even in affluent communities that I've gone to speak for I bring hundreds in and they're all gone by the end of the day there are there's incredible need in my community so what Phyllis does on a day-to-day

[03:02:12] basis is wonderful and then for the folks that don't feel like they qualify or they don't really understand. My guide is bilingual. We just ordered another 2,000. Churches are calling me by the droves. They want to come in. They want to get them for their churches, even though they may have food pantries of their own. They want to make sure that everybody has this resource. So that has been an amazing thing for me, to notice the amount of need that is in the Woodbridge District, and

[03:02:44] And to be able to hand it to somebody and see the tears in their eyes when they realize that they don't have to worry anymore because they can possibly have free health care or subsidized health care or subsidized food or just free food or transportation or help with employment or veteran services.

[03:03:09] and so I really appreciate my my group my team who has been pushing this forward and making sure that we are part of a solution in Woodbridge and I'm very proud and that's all thank you supervisor angry thank you madam chair well let me just start by saying it's it's that time of season so we're all out busy doing all these events and so pretty much everything you heard It was cool to be at them.

[03:03:43] I want to focus on two things in the school system, both of those schools, Occoquan and Woodbridge. I didn't get to tour Woodbridge during that ribbon cutting, but we got to see it during our event. And Occoquan, I got to tell you, that's the epitome of schools.

[03:03:59] That's how you build schools. And so I don't sense overcrowding ever in those schools. It's nice and big, and they look like mini colleges. It's just what it looks like. And I got to tell you, the design is just incredible. So I wish we could rebuild every school to look like the new modern standard of schools that I just saw in both the districts there, because that was pretty impressive.

[03:04:25] The OmniRide, of course, we had the 40th anniversary kind of open house on the Eastern facility. We've got the next one coming up on the Western facility on the 14th, which is pretty much in Manassas. So if you're ever in that area and can get out there, just stop in and enjoy your buses.

[03:04:42] I also want to recognize, along with Supervisor LaCour, we were at the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for the celebration of Mescal and Damera. I'm saying that right. Yes. And that was just a beautiful event, if you've never been.

[03:04:57] And I know, Supervisor Boda, you attend those. I know you have some stuff going on there. But, as always, you're welcome and all because, you know, you're one of their biggest supporters. So great event again, though, just wanted to recognize that. And I want to just really say we had our dumps today, and we got about 11.5 tons of trash.

[03:05:18] What I noticed is that Shred Day is, like, super, super important. And we filled that truck up. And I want to go out again and set something up like that because we didn't fulfill our mission with the time of the shreds.

[03:05:36] So I'm going to be setting something up in the next few weeks to get that on the calendar for folks to come on out and finish what they started with the shreds. So I want to say that. This Saturday, oh, let's talk about the beam, the homeless navigation beam at the East End facility.

[03:05:53] That is amazing, by the way. We've all signed that, hopefully. It's more like blessing that building. We know it's going to be a phenomenal building, so really excited about that, and it's coming up so fast. So really looking forward to that. And I do want to congratulate Gabrielle and Rose from Streetlight Ministries.

[03:06:13] They did their fundraising gala. Always a beautiful event, well attended, and we got work to do there. So I even recommended they sign that beam because when we talk about homelessness and what that center is, they've been a big part.

[03:06:29] So I wasn't able to get them on that, but there is another beam coming out, And so we're going to get them over there to make sure they're a part of signing that. And then the last thing I want to just really talk about, first of all, the reimagining event we did, the town hall we did last night, I love that.

[03:06:45] My chief of staff has a term, a mindful exercise. And so I really appreciate it, watching the community sit at different tables and talk about either what they would like to see, what they're seeing, what their concerns are. And I did learn one thing from that.

[03:07:01] And, Mr. Shorter, I think you learned this. I think we need to do a better job of marketing the things that we actually have in the county because a lot of what they were saying are things that we have and are doing. And so somehow we have to brainstorm how we're getting this out.

[03:07:17] I love the website on our directives. I don't know if we are pushing out there, things like that. It's just what I heard, and I feel like something's missing. And I don't know if that's not you. I just want you to tag our brains and try to figure a way to extract and how can we get out all this great stuff that's happening in the district so people can actually know about it.

[03:07:37] So just to tag our brains, so not a directive, just a thought. And then so upcoming events, we have our third, well, fifth annual, wonderful, successful Neap School Community Day.

[03:07:55] Premier. Premier. That's this Saturday, okay, from 11 to 2, At Cloverdale Park, which is a premier park in Prince William County that you really should stop by and check out. It's just a beautiful place.

[03:08:12] It's a premier park and a premier event. I mean, I'm just saying you want to check that out. And let's see, anything else? Oh, Bill Mayer, I hope I got that right, used to be dropping center.

[03:08:27] He has an annual banquet, and that's going to be this Saturday as well. And I just think it's very appropriate that we're talking about all of this. We just had Ms. Jennings Holt discuss everything and the needs of DSS. Like, we have a lot going on for our community, so people just need to be aware of that, and I love it all.

[03:08:45] That's going to be at the Lutheran Church, by the way, St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Woodbridge, and it's from 6 to 9, and so you still have time if you want to attend that, and I highly recommend it. Madam Chair, I believe that's going to be it for me. Thank you. You have quite the list. So I want to begin. I'm going to tag onto that because I had a discussion with the Capital Area Food Bank talking about food insecurity, and it is a rising concern in our county. It's almost like we are two counties. We're a very affluent county, but that does mask a lot of the poverty and a lot of the hardship that's going on. And so I don't know if they've

[03:09:21] gotten to all the offices, but I've encouraged them to speak with everybody. I will bring this up again during budget season about having a food insecurity coordinator. This is not someone who's going to tackle it alone but who's going to work in concert with the different non-profits churches organizations tackling this issue because it's quite high in prince william county and we need to be mindful of that i want to touch on quickly thank you supervisors angry and la croix for joining me for reimagining prince william county it was fun i thought it was a great discussion i thought it was a great discussion it was so much fun i'm going to do it again tomorrow night

[03:09:58] with Kenny right here at McCourt. I'd also like to invite others if you want to participate. I'd like to get some other dates on the calendar to go to mid-county, western county. I'll go by myself if I have to. And just for people to know, this is a facilitated discussion. It is interactive.

[03:10:19] I want people to participate. We're asking questions. We want to hear ideas. We have people who come here who could speak, but this is different. We're coming to you. We're coming to your communities, and we want people to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas.

[03:10:38] And with that, I am going to just announce my intention. For October 20th, I have a directive for a market study for the Gainesville Magisterial District, I'm sorry, Economic Development. It is a market study for economic development for the Gainesville Magisterial District. And with that, we are going to take 10 minutes, and then we are going to go into closed session. Thank you.

[03:11:01] - All right, everyone, and we are back.

[03:11:50] I first would like to get a motion to certify the closed meeting. - So moved. - Second. - Man, we got a lot of people. Okay. Who, I can hurt, I heard a, angry. - Angry Stewart. - Angry Stewart, okay.

[03:12:07] Too many voices, not in my head. - Angry, that's like angry birds.

[03:12:26] - All right, thank you. Just have one thing to report out. For the VACO 2026 annual meeting, Supervisor Andrea Bailey, will be our voting delegate, and the alternate will be Supervisor George Stewart. So moved.

[03:12:42] Not a motion, but all right. I appreciate that. All right, with that, can I get a motion to adjourn? Motion to adjourn. Second. Third. All right. Y'all a little too happy to get out this meeting.

[03:13:01] So unanimous. Thank you very much, and we are adjourned.

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