Oh, yes, sir. It's good to see y'all.
I tell you, I'm having to use these things more and more every
week. Went to the eye doctor and he told me why. And he wants to do something to it too, so we'll
take care of that too. But I have a few items of interest for y'all. And first of all, Mr.
Slavin, we talked a little bit about Barry Lane. We'll be contacting all the property owners
this week and getting some right of entries and having some very good conversations.
We sent them a little letter saying we're going forward and appreciate yours and Mr. Fitzgerald's
support on that and I think that I think it was the answer they were expecting and it
looks good for next summer and we'll be working that way to finish that but we're happy
about that.
We did some, did the slope fixed at Faley Road there, and that turned out real nice.
And so Dr. Seaton, we fixed that, well, Hickory Hill, we're going to go in there and take
all that out, probably put a little rock line on there, so because it seems like every
time it grows up, then we have the same problem, so we're going to try and address
that. Hermitage Road we have got some low shoulders and we're going to go out
there and try and that's going to be some of our fall work that we'll be trying
to accomplish on this fall.
Ms. Carter, 688 we've got all the pipes in we're
going to be laying stone out there on that road finally and hopefully going
to shoot that this fall but but but that's gonna be a common theory I'll
talk to a bunch of y'all about our rural rustics we're trying to shoot
a bunch of them in October. First of all, we're hoping for a warm October to accomplish that.
Hankey Mountain, 250, they started that work out there. I don't know if you got any calls,
but that's a good thing. I ran into the county administrator at one of our, for Highland
County, and she was very happy about that work. She says, it's not in her county,
but she's heard a lot of thanks for that so and I said well we're happy about
that work and she said about everybody over here uses that road on a daily basis
and so they were real pleased and we're happy a case been out there and I'm in
and I'm think it's looking really really good so we're happy with that 262 we
We fixed that one rough spot out there, and the one part in front of the SWOT fire department,
we fixed that.
We milled.
There was a bad spot in the road that we fixed out there.
I will look at the issue we talked about before the meeting also.
So Mr. Wells, I always like to tell you all about the widening on 81.
Boy, they're making hay out there.
It's moving along.
Still looking at getting those speed enforcement cameras out there.
I keep on bringing that out to you.
And they kept on saying it's going to be September.
They said it was going to be August.
And now we're in September.
I says you all realize we are already in September.
And so, it looks like it's November, December, it's going to be later this fall.
State police are the ones that are going to be enforcing all that.
And so, I just want to keep you all, as soon as I hear some solid data, I want to let
you all know, because it takes pictures of everybody that goes through it.
That net, it gets everybody.
So, I know I've got a lot of employees that drive it every day, and you all have
lot of people in your world that does too.
Hey, it happens. It happens to everybody.
And then we end up, they have a little extra when they went when they were for us and they
go through there, Mr. Shaw, you're exactly right. But be careful. We had a little mill
Fill and fill on 219 to 220 as you were to 221, that fixed, and that looks nice.
Broderick were about done with that except for some minor items.
And Mill Place, we're going to start on that project, notice proceeds of 29, so next week.
You know, that's a great little project, putting that double left into there, and then we're
going to fix that park and ride also with that project.
So B&S is starting it.
There's a lot of subs in there.
So it's going to be one of those ones.
It's going to be coming and going in there.
And I'll keep you posted.
But they do, they are expecting,
they want to start this fall.
And I really believe once the winter comes along,
they're going to be doing a lot of work on that.
Because I know B&S has got a commitment
to several of the 81 contractors and so you know they'll be out of that asphalt
work in the winter and probably trying to do a lot of that but I'll keep you
posted on that project. Mr. Garber, we finished the Samuel Bears, well they
finished the Samuel Bears, the old bridge, four-ton bridge out of there we
got a at-grade crossing. They did a beautiful job. They did some landscaping going up in
that fella. Now there's a marketable site on that side that I didn't know was very marketable
at one time. So they've got good access right there and really fit in there nice. It's
got a little less yard demo on the opposite side, but that grade crossing looks really
good out there. So hats off to the short rail for their work out there. And a local contractor
did that. I'm trying to crumb it. Crumb it did that. I thought they did a nice job giving
them a little air time. 256, the railroad crossing. They started Friday, finished it
Sunday morning early. So it was on time. Rise good and limited. I don't know if
Ms. Garber, you heard anything out there on that, Ms. Slavin, but well,
good, well, I'll take it.
So, and swish your road, swish your road, we've got all the pipes in, we're laying stone out there.
You know, I say that a lot, and so you all may wonder, when you put the stone,
it's going to be the base for the road and we usually put eight inches out
there and and what you do it is you put it in like four-inch lifts and then you
roll it in and so that's when I say we're laying stone and we'll do that
and then we'll come back with a surface treatment after that but we are
doing that on on on Swisher and we hope to shoot that by mid-October.
Again, surface treatment is very weather sensitive so hoping that we're
going to have good weather to do that. But yes, sir, I see some smiles because folks
have probably had an experience with that. But boy, we could get it, we'll get a good
product out of that if we have nice weather.
Ms. Bragg, we did our Wayne Avenue, we took
those speed samples out there and it meets. So, you know, if we want to go to the
next step with the flashing, with the variable speed.
Yeah. So, so, you know, we try to look
for 8 to 10 over, you know, is usually a good application for those. So, if you all are
interested in doing that, and those sounds are very, are, are helpful. I mean, I think,
I think it's a, it's really a, what kind of people you have? Because, you know,
And I know when I go through it, occasionally you do get a little heavier foot.
When you see it, you say, oh my, I'm going to slow down.
And that's what happened.
And you know, the sheriff can't be everywhere.
And so many times it's what it is.
So whatever you want to do there, we'll move forward.
Norfolk Southern, they've got several crossings in your patent farms in Linnhurst that
they want to rework again so they've contacted us and for some permits and
maybe this fall so as soon as this fall so we'll keep you posted as that comes
in please and and we'll keep you all in the loop on on on that mr. y'all there
is a couple in your area too Lofton peek in and
And poor, poor Creek Lane and Avis all, they're looking at, oh yeah, they done cut all of them.
They got them all marked. Okay, they got them all. So, yes, sir. So, you know, and, and, and,
and they're pretty logical. Usually you see them coming and they're coming down the line.
They come, um, literally on their lines and do them. So, um, um, very good. Uh, a couple
other things were on Pilsen Road. Uh, Miss Shaw, we, we are laying stone out there
and that might be the first one that we get shot because it'll be ready next week or week
after to shoot that road. And there's several shoulder repairs that are complete on 608.
And then we've got some other scratching that we're going to do a little bit later.
But, and I also put a note in there because y'all called me out last time about fixing
that entrance and I was, I didn't have a lot to say.
We had talked about it previously, didn't realize it was in a minute when we were discussing
it before and we had talked about it before we walked in and so.
But, you know, we want to be ready in there to get an estimate now, and if we get to that
point where it has to get done, we know how much it'll cost and how we'll go after that
if we have to.
But it really is the business's responsibility.
I know that's what we had previously said, and I've seen a letter come from one of
your cohorts in there that was sent out.
You know, you know, Mr. Shaw, I'm really glad.
A lot of times we write letters
and we wonder if people really read them.
Doug, I didn't say that, did I?
I was just thinking that.
But now I know you y'all do, and so.
Well, when I get phone calls wanting something
and wanting money, and so, you know, I look.
Yes, sir.
And that's why we call y'all,
and then you, I don't remember the one's name now,
but the letter was sent, so.
Yeah, in full disclosure, we were bringing in our concrete guy and we looked at a bunch
and a couple of us came up that, hey, look, there's some place we've gotten calls about
before.
So we said, well, why don't we get that while he's in here?
And then we realized, oh, no.
But all good.
I wanted to, in case somebody looked at him, it is a saw that we're going to do it.
I want to put it in there say that that was we misspoke but y'all have any
questions of me yes ma'am I'm not sure if I'd mention this I think I did the
timing of the light from Locust Grove on the 340 multiple people said that you get
three cars through and then you're done so the people leaving Stone Valley mm-hmm
And that's probably one of the greatest complaints I get up there is the light, but they get three cars and then it's over.
All right. We will have our folks take a look at that and make sure there isn't anything malfunctioning.
Okay, thank you.
And I've got one or two.
All right.
On Pilsen Road, you're not doing that whole road, right?
About half of it.
We're grading the whole thing and just seeing where we finished out.
That was almost two miles, and that was, you know, for, yeah, that, and we're capped at
a dollar amount that we could spend without going out to contract, and so we're afraid
we're gonna get close to that. We'll come back, we can come back and finish that.
All right. And then on you were talking about 81,
anything in the works on the 81
northbound side from 262 to 64?
Yeah, I think that piece is included in the
next round of 81 projects. Well, I know it was supposed to be on the next
So it's on the list and we had sent a letter,
I actually sent a letter requesting that green winter change be added
and they sent a response back as I expected saying that it wasn't on the main line
so they wasn't going to add it but this project you're talking about is on that next list
so they're looking at evaluating, I guess
it's like anything else, they got more projects and they got money
and so they're going to evaluate it but all indications are that it's there
and hopefully it'll score well and it sure is nice going southbound with that other one there.
If it if you get that north one to be it'll be it'll be a big help especially on Sundays and
things when the traffic backs up. Absolutely. Yes sir.
I think that might have been all right.
Okay if not I'll call you and I'll be talking to you some more anyway.
Yes sir.
Down on Klein River Road, you've got it staked, sort of, whatever stage that stake is in.
Yes sir.
Are y'all going to do anything if there's terms in that road?
You've got three very nasty terms in that road.
Well beside laying to the inside a little bit, yeah, we always like to do that, but
we will try to.
Yes sir.
And now the property owners we really got to look for their their assistance on that
Understand what one of them might take care of the other one. I don't know
We'll have to see it might involve fifth liquor or something
But okay, but two of those turns don't involve any buildings or you know things that are really problematic
The one the furthest one toward new hopes good bit of trees and stuff
I don't know but some couple nasty turns in that road should be nice
I could get eased out a little bit
Yes sir we'll look at it and ask, we try to, and that's some of the liberties that we take
on the rural rustics.
We always contact the property owners and if there are any agreements we can try and address
some of those.
But if you have trouble with property owners on those terms, let me know.
I will.
Yes sir, we will.
I got a.
Doc?
Yeah.
So I think it was a month ago.
So George Holm and Cattle Scales, the stop sign there was overgrown by vegetation.
Did you get to it?
Because I haven't been out there in the last few weeks or so.
But just like last year, the vegetation, it's almost up over the stop sign or the
turning sign.
I don't know if that's your responsibility or the county's responsibility.
Well, if it's getting the stop sign, we will take care of that.
If we have it, we will.
It might, it could be the street sign.
Okay, well, we'll forget which one it is.
Also, the beginning of this cycle, a few months ago,
I mentioned something about Hermitage
as States Road off Oak Grove, Church Road.
That road had been, hasn't been worked on
for, it looks like, a long time.
Okay.
I think you were going to, what's that?
What did you say, Hermitage?
hermitage estates off of Oak Grove Church Road. It's got grass growing in
the middle of the street and kind of potholes and divots and all that kind
of stuff all along it there. So I think you said you're gonna try to get it
worked on next year because you'd already planned out this year. I just want
to make sure we haven't forgotten to keep it on next year. We certainly will.
Anyone
else? You all good? All right. Thank you, sir. All right. Thank you all.
Good afternoon,
Mr. Chair, members of the Board, to come for you today to give you our update for September.
If our Rescue Agency dispatch were 691, we had 1,349 rescue dispatches for a total of
2040, 61 EMS supervisor responses. Currently, we are down 10 funded positions in our department.
We are working on a proposal currently with the county administration and looking at probably
starting a recruit school soon as January 1st once we get through the hiring process.
Our training division has completed 26 in-station training sessions.
We assisted with the EMS release, testing for six new full-time EMS providers.
They conducted a CPR class for Craigville Volunteer Fire Department, had 17 students
involved, attended a planning session at the Valley Career and Technical Center
for the future firefighter one and two program that meeting went very well as
we met with them so it it seems like that we may have a opportunity to move
forward with that program brief mr. Fitzgerald on and he might be speaking
with some of y'all regarding that here in the near future attended the session
for the active shooter hostile situation training conducted alert training with
the new school employees assisted with interviews for an onboarding with
the new hires conducted our monthly FTO meetings and conducted monthly volunteer
officer training. So they've been fairly busy over the last couple weeks. Now my
report is very short this month so I'll open it up to any questions anyone may
have.
How many were we down last month? I think we were down seven I believe. I'd
have to go back and look. And did we only lose three or we lost more and we
hired more. What do you mean? No we lost, we did end up hiring, we were down 11,
we hired one last week that was fully trained, we had one person come in
fully trained from Crozet, so we were able to hire that person which took us
down to 10. So we have not hired any more since then except for that one
person which dropped us from 11 to 10. And the reasons for leaving? We've had
a couple that either couldn't meet job performance requirements, we had a
a couple go to Wainsborough, City Harrisonburg,
and some got out of the system all together.
Did that include the one that quit last week?
That individual that went to Fluvana County,
I forgot about Fluvana County, so yes,
we did have one go to Fluvana last week.
All right.
The 12-hour stations,
are we good on all the 12-hour stations now?
As of right now what we're doing
as we're still sending them in at 6 a.m. until we work through a process we met
with the the chiefs of those agencies and they're trying to work out a process of
they've agreed to maybe looking at a 7 a.m. start time so we're pulling our
group and looking at that currently so we're still working with them but in
the meantime while we're working the 24-hour shift we're bringing the
daylight people in still at 6 a.m. so they're working 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. the
you know if we were good with these companies and things
and we were told, you know that we were good with them.
Yes, sir.
Everything was good to go.
Yes, sir.
And then the last meeting, Mr. Fitzgerald told us
that we had to have more meetings.
Yes, sir.
So I was wondering why we were told
that everything's good to go and then it's not.
Well, you were advised that
because I was advised that everybody was good to go.
and so that when I reported that out that's what was told in any 11th hour it
was brought back that after they went back and talked to their membership they
had concerns so we did not find that out until the week that we were going to
implement it so we met on that Friday try to work with them and come up with
a solution so when I told you that we were good to go I was told we were
good to go and so each agency and I ask them that question initially said
that when they first explained to their you know when we first asked them the
question they didn't see an issue with it but after they talked some of their
membership went back to their members then they had a problem but they didn't
advise us that as soon as they knew about it which kind of got you know
everything mixed up is a very big breakdown of communication I believe on
both sides so we're working through that process as we go so you weren't
misled you were led with what information I was given and that's the
information I gave is what I was thought was factual from the reports I was given.
And I was informed over the weekend was that one of our agencies that sent Mr.
Garber and Mr. Slaven an email concerning this you
know I think this
concerns the whole county so I think we all should have been informed about
the situation and I know personally that there was another agency that wasn't
happy with this either now I don't know that there was any emails exchange so I
think this has been an ongoing thing so when it concerns our citizens in the way
things have been done here I think that Board of Supervisors should be
knowing what is going on, you know,
it concerns our citizens and things.
Mike, let me straighten that out a second.
I got a phone call from Mr. Wampler.
They had already made arrangements to meet with the chief
and voice their concerns.
He simply, the chief at Wears Cave invited me
or me or Mr. Garber if I wanted to come over and set in.
The meeting between them had already been set up.
Didn't have anything to do with us.
as they croak.
The courtesy to him, I went and said in. Gerald didn't. But the invitation to come and
sit on their behalf came to me from the fire chief at Weir's Cave. Didn't have
anything to do with this. So I went on, I went on his behalf, not the county's
behalf. Because he asked me to. Well, I was informed over the weekend that it
wasn't Weir's Cave. It was a different agency. Was it in my district? Yeah. Well,
then why didn't you tell me about it?
I didn't know nothing about it till the weekend.
Well, please.
And if y'all were sending emails,
y'all knew about it before I was.
That's the only meeting that I had.
There was a concerned voice to me,
but that meeting had already took place.
But the meeting with the Fire Chief at Wears Cave,
that invite came from the Fire Chief
himself of Wears Cave, not through the county.
Well, this this came from reliable sources. Who was it? I'm not saying because well
we do an awful lot of that up here. If it's in my district and there's a concern
that I want to know who it is.
If it's worth bringing up here in front of
everybody and it's in my district I want to know who it is. Well, we're not gonna
get up here and talk about he said she said but if we there's well that
You're not going to get the information out of people if you start running names and things
because I've got information right now back from some of the career side that has spoke
out and they have had harsh words back to them.
Well, that's fine.
It didn't come from me because I've got good relationships with the people I have down
there and if somebody is doing that, there's a difference between good information and
gossip.
Well.
And good information we get from that podium when people invest their time and efforts and come up here and
Try to work things out with people
There's a lot of other stuff. It's gossip
And if it's coming out of my district and somebody's talking about they didn't talk to me
I want to know it
Because I've got good working relationships with them
Long-standing relationships with them and I don't want to be used as gossip
It ain't gossip. It's a way. It's a way to operate and then you give me a name
Yeah, we can talk if you're if you're talking about it up here on my behalf and
it's in my area and I don't know nothing about it I want a name well it's
county's behalf it ain't just one district it affects it affects the whole
county it's my district and I want to know who it is it affects everybody well
then then get everybody the name yeah I'd
like to also state that you say
that you talked to multiple career personnel and they said they've gotten
and by class because they spoke out.
I hate to tell you that's false.
So I don't know what information we're getting there,
but I can tell you that I've never lashed out at anybody
for giving any information or complaining about anything
within our organization.
So you might want to check that source.
Okay, I appreciate it.
Well, I understand that and that comes with the title,
but I do have folks that will stand up and speak
and I have had that and I've opened my door for that
and nobody has ever ever been ridiculed for doing so so if they're telling you
that that's false.
I have a question. The email that you got Mr. Garber did that
come from where's cave? Yes. Nobody else. Thanks.
Well no one more thing. If we bring
forth issues or things that we have heard or they've been told to us I see
no value in any of the any board member getting mad or accusatory or judgmental
about it I mean we're all here trying to serve the county so and work together so
I know I just doesn't sit well with me when you when we do that that's all well
if y'all hear things from people and you have a question please call me and I'll
to answer them at any time. You know my phone's on 24 hours a day seven days a
week so if there's a concern or question feel free to call me and I'll be glad
and I will not tell you a story. I'll tell you the truth no matter what. All
right thank you. You all have a good day.
Will again.
Yeah
so the board had
requested an update from all porings broadband relative to the VATI 2022
project and Tom Ennis is here to provide that update and there will be
slides.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the board. Thank you for an
opportunity to provide an update on our broadband project. We've got a long way
to go, but we've made a lot of progress in the last couple of months. You should
have been seeing construction in virtually every district, whether that's
Dominion or All Points Broadband. I've got a couple of high-level bullet
points to touch on at the beginning, got some maps, but happy to answer
questions at any time. And then at the end, I have a couple talking points
about the B program, which is an ever-evolving next step of your broadband funding in Augusta,
Virginia, and the country, and I believe Ms. Wetzel has provided updates as those are
coming in as well.
So we rescoped our project in November of 2024 to reduce the number of poles we were
going to attach to.
We went from something like 16,000 to 1,600 in Augusta and asked for an extension to
June of 2026.
We're on track to hit that right now.
Touching on Dominion real quick, on their construction, I usually get a report at the
end of the month, so maybe next week before our next staff check-in, I'll have a new
number.
But as of August 27th, they had done 145 of the 170 miles.
Most of the remaining miles are crossing 81 or 64 before our meeting on the 8th will have
a new update for you on that.
All points has built a little under 100 miles of the last mile fiber.
That's in areas 1, 2, and 7.
I got a map on the next slide for that.
As of today, about 750 locations can sign up and get service.
They still need to sign up.
They pay for the install, they pay for their service plan, we go out and we do the installation.
About 750 locations can do that.
About twice as many of that locations are eligible to pre-order.
And that is mostly in Fiber Service Area number two.
By the end of the year, we expect that number to be at about 2,000 locations that can
sign up for service.
We have one primary cabinet in every Fiber Service Area, so for numbers one and two,
Those are complete.
They're lit.
They're active.
Number seven is under construction.
The other three are about to be released to construction.
One of the Fiber Service areas, number five, I got subsumed into four.
That's why there's one missing in your map.
In terms of the VDOT land use permit applications, the applications themselves are being processed
fairly quickly.
We got through an issue where the underground vaults were required to have a concrete
collar placed around them. We worked with VDOT to come up with a an above-ground pedestal
that still met their requirements and didn't blow up the budget or the construction timeline.
So that was to appreciate that collaboration with the Harrisonburg Residency. We are limited
though in the number of work zones and total crews we can have in the county and they
recently gave us permission to bring in a second vendor but over the summer we
strongly encouraged our vendor to bring more crews to Augusta County. They brought in about 30 crews
and for reasons passing understanding, they put them all on like the same road,
29 crews all in a row and put us kind of in the penalty box with VDOT in terms of work zones
and available crews. So traffic control, top priority, we're meeting again with the Harrison
As new vendors are brought in to increase our productivity,
we want to make sure that they are following the rules,
that they understand what we do in Virginia
in terms of traffic control on mainline construction
and on the customer drops.
Two different types of work.
They also have a limit now that school has started
on the time of day, so we can work from 9.30 to 3.30
with an hour at each end for a setup.
So we're limited there,
and the working hours that we have per day, but always asking for more permission to do
more crews, work longer hours, and there's a bit of give-and-take there between us and
the VDOT residency.
So we've added a second construction vendor.
We're also sourcing a third-party inspection resources to help supplement VDOT for all
of the land use permits.
They have to approve them.
They have to send out inspectors to make sure that we can close them out correctly.
If that's an area where we can pay for those resources that may be limited at VDOT, we
will do that.
We're actively trying to bring those in as well.
In terms of customer installations, we have 81 that are currently work in progress.
So we've either surveyed the location from the home out to the main road, or that section
is being built, or they are scheduled for an indoor installation.
and right now we have 31 active customers. Their install is complete. It's about 40
in the backlog right now, in addition to the 31 and the 81. So working through
that backlog as people sign up, we go out, we survey their home, we do that drop
work, and then we schedule a time to be inside with them. So making some
progress there.
Here's an overall Fiber Service Area map in different
sections of the county, this doesn't mean that every single location in the colored
polygon can sign up for service, but these are roughly the boundaries of each of the
active cabinets. So each one of these different colored polygons has a cabinet the size of
a mini fridge, and that provides enough internet signal to reach all the locations in each
polygon. The network is designed to scale up quickly within each area as we add new
neighborhoods or new construction or the B program finally gets finalized. But
this is the way that the county is split up here. We used to have an Augusta 5
that was incorporated into Augusta 4. So for the end of Q4 2025, Augusta 2 and
7 should be fully active. At the end of Q1 2026, Augusta 1 will be turned on and
and then 3, 4, and 6 will be on by the end of June next year.
Now, individual sections in each one of these may be turned on sooner,
but that's when we expect the last Fiber Distribution Area to be turned on.
Zooming in on Augusta II, each Fiber Service Area is split into Fiber Distribution Areas.
These are subsections of where each of the active cabinets serve.
So right now, if you live in the 2.3, 2.4, 2.7, 2.8,
you can actively sign up for service and get installed.
That's where all of the customer action is right now.
In November, we are going to turn on 2.5 slash 6.
Those were combined into one.
And then 2.9, 2.10.
And then in December, we're going to turn on 2.1 and 2.2.
So, on a rolling basis, we're activating these subsections.
We notify customers who have pre-ordered that they can now get their drop installed.
We're also doing a lot of marketing for folks who have not yet signed up, and I got a slide
on that coming up.
Zooming into the next Fiverr service area that will be turned on in the end of the
year, November, we're going to turn on 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, and then in December, 7.1,
and 7.2.
So, again, on a rolling basis, subsections of the network will be turned on.
This is the northeast portion of the county, if you want to go back here.
So this was the dark blue and the yellow for the rest of this year.
This is a dashboard tracking the mainline, last mile construction, so this is not
middle mile. This is all points, mainline construction. The different FSAs are in the horizontal
bars on the left. If it's orange, that is ready to be released to construction. If it's
green, that means that that fiber has been built. So a lot of progress in Augusta II.
I'm going to send you an updated one. This is from the – or checking last time.
So on the current dashboard – sorry, it's 97 miles total, not 77 here. I'll
in the screenshot later, but you can see progress in Augusta 2, Augusta 1, and Augusta 7, which
is why we have a lot of currently active locations in Augusta 2 because their bar is green.
This is a couple weeks old.
I'll send one when I get back to my seat that has the 96, 97 miles in the green
bar chart.
But
we have a promotional offer going out to all of the Augusta locations, about 1,300
locations that could sign up for pre-order that haven't, and we're running a promotion
in Augusta.
Depending on the level of service you sign up, we're going to give a couple of months
of free service.
We're going to reduce the installation cost, and we want people to take advantage of
this network.
We have about 350 who've pre-ordered.
But we need another, you know,
step function in that to get more of the drops queued up before
the end of the year. So when it runs some promotions starting in October, this letter will go out.
But if they went to the website right now, they can get all of the promotional offers.
So for Bede, the state broadband office was required to rerun the entire Bede bidding
process at the end of June.
After they had just done it in March, after a two-year process, they were instructed
to treat fiber broadband and satellite broadband as the same and then award bead funding to
the lowest-cost provider, and they took out all of the local input, they took out the
requirements for low-cost plans, they took out a whole number of other requirements
that were in the program until June 4th, and they rolled this out nationwide in Virginia.
The state ran the program very quickly, and then in the beginning of September, they made
their announcements to NTIA with what they had awarded.
In Augusta, you were primarily awarded fiber broadband providers – not necessarily to
points broadband, but Comcast, MGW, all points, others who had applied.
So very fortunate that most of the funding went to a Fiber provider.
In some counties where they didn't have as active an internet service provider environment,
they were awarded substantially all to satellite service.
You can see that in some of your neighboring counties if you look at the state map.
So overall, good process and results for the residents, regardless of how it
turned out for us in particular.
There is a back-and-forth between the state agency and the federal agency, and the federal
agency has until early December to finalize their rule and their approval of the state's
plan.
Just last week, they came out with a new request to rebid all of our locations in
a 24-hour period.
So we're monitoring this actively.
fingers across that there's no more re-bidding or re-doing of the network
designs but they have until early December to approve of Virginia's plan
and then in January is when we expect the actual deployment to begin. So with any
federal program ongoing right now it's up in the air until it's finalized but
that's where you stand for BID. So with that I would be happy to answer any
Any questions?
Yeah.
Hi.
65AidinCircle, this has been something that I've brought up just about every meeting here.
It says it's – this is on the BEED website that's satisfied by satellite only there.
So it's been – you know, the person's been complaining for – since before we accepted
your contract there and it's still not covered by any fiber and I'm just
wondering why is it not covered by any fiber. It gives four options for satellite
but it says it's unserved and it's still unserved and and it's supposed to be
served and I just don't I don't understand what the process is and why
it's not served still. I don't know that address off the top of my head but I
I will, 65 Aden?
Yeah, and I have looked on your website,
put it in, and it says it's not served by you either.
So I'm wondering, this is long before you,
and long before we accepted the contract, 65 Aden Circle.
I don't know who's supposed to be accepting that,
but it's in Fishersville, A-D-I-N.
So, I'm just wondering, how is this one getting dropped and how many other ones are getting
dropped?
ADIN.
I think that area is, so if you go to the state's new bead map, they are saying that that one
will be built by Comcast,
but I'll follow up with Jennifer and you on that one.
Yeah, the new map that's out on the DHCD website, they call it Benefit of the Bar
again the winners which it sounds like just as of last week they may have went
back and asked again for information so this could still change. It does show down
to an address level of who would have gotten the bead a preliminary award for
that location and Comcast is in there a fair amount but you know fiber to the
home to me I would consider Comcast even though it might not be exactly
fiber, just as good. I have it personally and I have really good speed. So you want a wire
line. There's several hundred that are still addresses in Augusta County that were still
listed as satellite, whether it was Amazon or Starlink. So this is still changing, but
I can look up any addresses anybody has relative to the bead funding of who should
be serving it and that's what I'm telling people when they call like this is who should your provider
should be based on this award and please reach out to them directly for that so Comcast I guess in
particular this particular address would be better than um it would still be wire line it would
not be satellite so that that would be a plus and
I'll add that to our check thank
you
Yes sir. Mr. Chair.
What is your normal cost for installation? So when we
started it was $199 and now it's $99 and if you sign up depending on your service
level it's either zero or half of. So right now it's it's $99 without a
promotion and there are I think about 1300 locations we're going to say if you
sign up for the end of October you either get a free installation or a half
off installation. Do you know when you dropped your installation costs? It was
sometime over the summer. This this past summer? Yeah. All right how much
bead money did you get?
For this area? We haven't gotten any bead funding yet.
It's a provisional award. But you don't expect to get any? No we do but that
wouldn't apply to anyone who signed up over the summer. Right.
And then the
last thing and I have on numerous occasions asked from this is not
street names or numbers. I can't read. I mean, maybe it's just me. I don't know. I don't
think so. But when you show us these maps, I don't know what area one is or what area
two is or what area seven is. I can't read it. So what good is it to me?
I will get you a map. It would be helpful with Google satellite image in the back so
you can see, okay.
When should I expect to get those?
I think our next check-in is on the eighth,
but I can get that to you by the end of this week,
if you want a satellite imagery in the background
as opposed to the open streets.
Okay, thank you.
What would also be helpful if you saw the map
of the whole county and what areas is being covered
because we still got all the southern end of it might be in the process but it's
not being done and and maybe what's the projected date on what possible service
could be hooked up. We're a lot of folks down there still asking you know and
I know BARC that kind of let the ball fall up there on a lot of that and I
I know it's all pending in the bead applications
and all of that, but we still got those folks
that's asking and they deserve as much service
as anybody else in the county.
So when I do that map change,
I'll put a month of expected service
or quarter if it's next April or May,
but I can do that on the same map.
Are you applying for those areas that BARC didn't cover and what not?
We, I believe we applied for one area down there in the kind of the southwestern portion.
But I forget off the top of my head who exactly was awarded and where Barc defaulted.
But I do know overall that the majority of locations across the county went to some wireline
provider.
But I can check on that on the state's map in that area kind of the southwestern portion
and I can.
Well we kind of need the whole southern end of the county all the way across towards
the Blue Ridge Mountains and things there.
It appears from the original bead map rollout.
I had done screenshots of each provider that had selected Augusta County or was provisionally
awarded for Augusta County.
So from the southern portion of the county that you're alluding to, it looks like it
It would be all points, a little bit of satellite from Amazon, a little bit of Zytel, which is
a fiber-based company, a little bit of Comcast, and then also MGW.
So it looks like there's multiple providers that have been in that area.
They're not overlapping.
Those awards aren't overlapping, but based on the visual of the map, those were the
ones that are in the southern part of the county.
I think most of that area was awarded to MGW.
The Bark area might have been.
Do you have a map of those different companies
in the area that they're?
It's just a screenshot of the entire county
that kind of gives you a visual, which you know
your district really well as far as like, you know,
if it's 252 versus, you know, Route 11.
So I can, I send them an email a few weeks ago,
but I can resend them and make sure they're still
accurate with what's currently on the DHCD website.
Well, and I'm sure it's kind of like what Pam said about reading the maps and things
that you're going to have some people that can't really tell off of those maps and, yeah.
Yeah.
I'm going by like 252, Route 11, and you're doing that type of thing to read them.
So, I mean, as a visual of the county, you kind of get a feel for where the service
would be.
Well, I got-
But if you want to look, if you have addresses you want me to look up, I can do that
on the site and get to that person's house.
Well, had multiple people like on Old Rainbow Road
and then we've got people that's in the Visubius area
and then we've got people over in,
I think the southwestern quarter there
that you're talking about and, you know,
how far Mark was over there on the eastern side
of route 252 Oaks, I don't know exactly, maybe a mile maybe, but then we got folks
that's from there back towards the interstate, towards the Rayfien area and
things, so I don't know if you're covering any of that in there or not so.
So Rayfien would be an area of interest? Well, I can look at a couple streets here
in there and have to figure out who's where. Probably anybody that's from the
rafing back to well that whole quarter in there you've got Spotswood Road goes
through there you got Stover School Road goes through there and then kind of
back down to where you're getting back into the Verizon and anywhere that
They've got Comcast and things in there.
Of course, most everybody that can get the TV
can probably get the internet off of Comcast and things.
But anybody outside of Comcast TV areas
not going to be able to get it.
So you've got those.
I see a lot of blank spots in there.
Yeah.
Well, I can look up some of those road you named
to kind of give you a visual that shows this area would cover between 252 and
Route 11 or this area. So I can kind of give you that a little bit. Well and like
in Basuvius you got the south bottom road that comes back up 608 back up
through there and Dabney Road back.
Well Lofton Road on the eastern side of the
road track is covered, but then Lofton Road on the western side of the tracks is not covered, so.
Okay. All right, that is helpful to give me some clarity on the areas you're looking at.
All right. Is this information available to the average citizen?
It is. I mean, we're having trouble. I can't imagine. Yes, ma'am. It's
It's available on the State Broadband Office website, some of the colors they have put in
there for different providers, makes it hard to see them. And I don't think they have street
names on the streets, but you can search by individual address, you can see which provider
has been provisionally awarded for BID.
But if you're taking a whole look and trying to see, you know, who has been awarded to
my Magisterial District, that may be a little bit harder.
But you can search each individual address and it will zoom to that address, it will
tell you who was provisionally awarded.
And it is publicly available, it's on the State Broadband's website.
You just can't read it.
It's – I mean, I'm looking at it right now at, you know, the dots for Comcast
Augusta Green and the map screen. Yeah and what I had sent to the board when
Mr. Scholl brought it up about a month ago is I went in and I did a screenshot of
all of Augusta County so everybody kind of has an idea of where their district
lines are where 81 is where 11 is where 250 is all that and so you like I
glance at it and say it appears the orange dots for MGW are the bark
area of the county and maybe a little bit of Bradley pond, but that's just me
working with the county as a whole over time at a glance I can kind of say where
things are. So if you want I could probably go district by district and
blow it up and do screenshots a little bit more that may help you, but to Mr.
Ennis's point not everything's labeled so if I have an exact address if I
put that in there I can tell you exactly who is provisionally awarded
for Bede. And if for some reason it's not on Bede, then I can go to the All Points project
to see if they're in that, or if they're having to come, then I can also see that.
One of the other things before Mr. Ennis leaves to point out is we've been hearing for, you
you know, a decade that individuals need high-speed internet.
So the Badi project included 1,173 passings for,
and this is the one that was the MGW project from 2021.
They're currently at a 42% take rate.
So even though you're here, we need internet
and we need internet, only 40% of the people
have actually signed up for a service
that's existed now for over a year.
So one of the talking points just, you know, in the community of people are asking for it,
most of them will sign up if we're hearing from them on a, you know, a regular basis.
But if you have individuals that are hesitant to sign up, you know, long-term,
it's probably better for them to sign up sooner rather than later if they're going,
if they have somebody in their family that can use it because the offers now
are going to be better than, you know, the offers once it exists for a while. And we've
all experienced that with, you know, incumbent providers that have built a service and then
when you want to connect you have to pay a fee to do that whether it's Comcast or whoever.
So now that BEAT is out there for funding and has rules relative to service requirements
And then also these VATI awards, it's a good time for people to look hard at do they want
to sign up now if somebody in their family can use it and also help with the resellability
of their house.
One thing to touch on that, Jennifer, so we do offer a $99 installation fee for those
who want us to sign up that are in the program.
If they sign up two years from now, that fee may be higher because the program has ended
and we're not able to offset their long-drop fee.
Our grant contract says that we can do that for 12 months.
Even though we do have several fiber service areas where, you know, technically that
clock has started, we have not started that 12-month clock, we want people to take
advantage of the program, the county has invested a lot, the state has invested a
lot, we've invested a lot.
We want people to sign up, you know, there may be some neighborhoods where we get there
and there's not a VDOT right away, and it's a private road, and we may need help with
an HOA or a community leader to get some notarized easements.
They're also not going to be on that strict 12-month shot clock, so we will work with
neighborhoods, work with the community to get people to sign up before the benefits
of the program expire.
We're doing a promotion this month, and it's going to end October 31st, but there's a whole
portion of the county that can't sign up, and they're going to get a promotion too when
the time comes.
So Jennifer, is that something that we can post as areas open up on the website, Facebook,
Facebook, something like that?
These areas are now open, sign up.
Is that something we can do?
said that they know that their area potentially is covered?
We haven't really done that in the past.
We would have to have a very clear communication of what is available and what promotion is
out there.
If you do have any like, I don't know if you have any social media promotions, we could
probably just share those.
That would be the easiest thing to do.
That way we're sharing like information and there's no confusion.
Right.
I understand.
But I was thinking like, okay.
some areas in the northern part may be open now and available where in the
southern part maybe they're not. So if we could just announce that there are
areas now that are available that kind of thing and not necessarily to the
dollars but you know it's now available just a suggestion. I'll share some
options in our staff check-in and you can say yes or no. And to what
Carolyn said maybe on our website we can post the links to hook up so that
individuals can click go on to that and see whether their addresses are on there
and make it so they don't have to look and search and all of that if it's
readily available that they can you know we can say something about the
the internet hookups and things for the citizens of the county and if you want to find out whether
your address is available you can search on here and make it a little easier for them to maybe try
to find it. Yeah I can go back there's there's just a lot of layers to this but I think we have
all points information in the link there that you click on and you go to the website to put
your address in. I might be able to add like a B link to and pretty much just
preface it by saying you know this is the program that the federal government
has kind of rolled out and is still being worked through but if you go to
this link then you can type in your address and figure out who would be
serving you. So more specific instructions on that might get people
to where they need to be.
My only my not comment about that is if you're
going to do it for all points?
Shouldn't you do it for all the providers?
Well, this would be all the providers that put in for Bede.
So it's going to be a map of anybody nationwide that
has got a provisional award from Bede.
Yeah, so MGW's in there, Comcast, Zytel, Amazon, SpaceX.
It would be for everyone.
Jennifer, your comments about the 40% take rate or 47%?
When we started down this road, there was a lot of enthusiasm about it.
And I think, Gerald, you were there one morning.
There's a number of people in our neighborhood, handful, talking about this program.
And part of the problem is, it's gotten drug out so long that now they've made other choices.
They've, you know, it's just been ongoing.
And they've just used other providers or they've found other sources.
So now if it comes by, they're not sure whether the hookup or not, because when they thought
they were going to get it, they didn't.
And they went out on their own, found some other options.
And that's kind of a concern that I have that we've invested in this, and the longer it
goes on, the more options the consumers are going to find other than this.
And when you come by their house and say, hey, man, we waited a couple of years
on this, and we did something else we don't need you now.
So the take rate might be pretty low because we spent too much time not
getting the service to them. Yeah and I think in the original grant for the
VATI 2022 project the take rate was estimated to be extremely low, which
is a good business presentation to have that your return on investment is
going to be realistic versus overestimating the take rate. But yeah
I do understand that people have gotten other things temporarily, so they're also probably
holding out to say, I made this investment and I have a one-year contract, and when that's
up, now they have the option of fiber, so they're going to have to make the decision
if they can get in on one of the promotional deals.
They can try to get it to the house before that expires, so yeah, yeah, it is.
Yeah.
Anyone else?
Good thing.
Thank you.
Rebecca.
All right.
Today we have Jay Langston, Executive Director of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership
with us to discuss organizing a Shenandoah Valley-wide Regional Industrial Facility Authority,
also known as ARIFA, and to discuss the county's interest in participating. I did
want to note it is in the Draft Strategic Economic Development Plan to consider joining
Arifa, as the county works through developing sites and the cost of that development increasing.
Jay, welcome.
Thank you, Rebecca.
Good afternoon.
I have a few slides to go along with this because it's inextricably tied to a site,
but we may not need those, and so I'll just hold that off.
There's no need to go through it if necessary.
I wanted to give you sort of an overview of what the Regional and Deseroyal Facility Authority,
I'm going to call it REFA just for short through this, allows and what it can do.
It is authorized under the Code of Virginia and 15.26400.
It's very much similar to an EDA.
What it allows in addition to an EDA though is multiple jurisdictions in revenue sharing
and cost sharing.
It is typically used for business parks, industrial parks.
The idea, I cover 12 localities, not all are on the interstate, not all have the
opportunity for the good business parks or siting for good projects here.
Also, the cost of development for business parks, you own one, you know how
Mill Place has gone, it's been a very successful park, but it's expensive to
put in the infrastructure. This is a way for multiple localities to participate. The advantages
are it is shared resources and cost amongst the members. It helps expand the site inventory
inventory and facility inventory.
Rebecca and I just attended the Virginia Economic Developers Conference last week.
VEDP, I'll try not to throw too many acronyms at you as Virginia Economic Development Partnership,
has taken down through good project success and announcements in the last several months
over 6,000 acres for business growth. We've only replaced that with about 1,500 acres.
So we're very good at, you know, in our success, but we're not keeping up with the business
parks necessary to keep us in good stead going into the future. It also enhances
This is our regional competitiveness because it will allow another park to be available
in our footprint here, and it's being encouraged for us by the Virginia Economic Development
Partnership.
Also risk mitigation because the cost of this is shared over multiple different localities,
And it increases bargaining power because you also have a larger facility and, you know,
the return on investment is better for the investment that you put into it.
To create a RIFA,
it really is an agreement by the localities who want to participate
in the red.
There are some steps to go through that or administrative in order to do that, but that's a relatively
easy process to do. It's governed by a board, which is picked by the authority and the localities
there. It does have an annual cost associated with the RIFA because very similar to an EDA
You have to have an account and you have to have an audit on a yearly basis.
There are some administrative issues that go along with, you know, business part, the
creating of the authority and then the marketing and thereof.
You have duly elected officers, need an executive director and that's it in a nutshell.
And it's actually pretty easy to set this up.
There are five or six rifas in Virginia operating currently.
We have looked and talked with a couple of our close peers that have similar land, similar
opportunities for their localities.
the Western Virginia Rifa, which is in Roanoke, is the one that we have modeled
sort of this this template after since we have you know or have been looking at
it. Also the Eastern Virginia Rifa that is in your county is another. Reason
that I am bringing all of this up is we have been very fortunate to do a lot
of work on the Blue Mountain site, which is in Weir's Cave, which is nearly 500 acres
of privately owned industrial zoned property that's next to the airport.
And it has been a project that you have been working on and long before I got to the
Shenandoah Valley Partnership, but we have been fortunate in the last several years to
get three Go Virginia grants to do due diligence work and study the RIFA.
So we have put in about $500,000 into this particular site to get it to business ready
standards.
The third grant currently is finishing up and it will have all of the environmental wet
lens, everything that you need to make it business ready, done within probably the next couple
of months or so.
That's the good news.
The news that goes along though with continuing the development is it costs approximately
$100,000 an acre to bring on a business park, an industrial park now.
Nearly 500 acres, you could do the math.
We're talking about nearly $50 million in necessary to build this out.
Does not have to be done all at the same time, but it will require the development
of this.
and we have talked at a very high level of maybe moving this ahead by creating a RIFA,
which Augusta County would be the host for, and inviting other localities to participate
in that RIFA there. And I wanted to put that idea in front of you
get your feedback in questions related to that. I got the slides of the site if
you wanted to see it but most of you probably know this is the property that's
west of the airport there on Airport Road and I'd be happy to answer any
questions. I did a very very high level I realize that but it's one of these
topics that we could talk about for hours on end if if necessary that I get
everything Rebecca thank
you we as SVP already your regional economic
development group we have volunteered to it does require administration for
RIFA, just like an EDA does. We are offering to be the staff for the RIFA reporting to
that authority board, since we cover the region already. Have been marketing it with you on
the market, have been actually doing the administration of the GoVG grants to facilitate
getting to this point and the good news is is we are getting close to a point
where we may be able to get some Virginia Business Ready site program
dollars to help with the development of the site. I will also say that it is the
most viable site that we have anywhere in our footprint.
I'll be happy to answer questions.
It's a lot more complicated than that, obviously, but we are to the point now where we've talked
with amongst our economic developers and some of the other localities to judge interest
in participating in this if you so choose to host for this property.
The other
two rifas that you talked about, how many localities are in in those? The Roanoke
Rifa has five. It is the city of Roanoke, Roanoke County,
Bonnetot, Franklin and the town of Benton. Eastern Virginia has approximately 11 of the 15 localities
in the Hampton Roads area that are participating. All of the localities on the peninsula are
engage so Newport News, Williamsburg, James City County, York County,
Pecoson, because they're in a position of city, they don't have any
developable property, and then several on the other side of the James River there.
And on those two rivers, how much resources does each locality have to put up to participate in it?
It differs by each one.
That's a good question.
In the eastern Virginia, they have a split for the smaller localities putting in $5,000.
The larger localities are putting $10,000 in for that.
In Roanoke, it's a little bit of a different situation.
They do have a break between their cities, towns, and they went to the localities
and ask what would you build willing to do? You want to be a major donor, partner or second
tier. So they have divided. Each one of those larger ones are putting in approximately $19,000
for the administration and overseeing of the park. However, part of their higher donation
is because they are having to do work on their property at the very beginning to
get it on the market. So they have already passed a bond issuance for that
property. Similar for the first Rifa, which is near in Montgomery County near
Pulaski and Christiansburg, theirs is lower on a yearly basis, but they have been at it
the longest of any. We're predicting at the start that our annual cost, they've gone up
since I've done this analysis six months ago, but we're looking at around $40,000. Probably
Let's be, you know, conserving and go $45,000 for annual fees.
Part of that can be reduced because we can administer it because we already have been
working on it and we'll offer our time, you know, to devote to this because it's good
for us in that regard.
We know that the audit will require probably $10,000 out of that.
The rest of that would be the maintenance website, marketing, you know, in addition to anything, a website.
It would probably need its own website, and that would take some work.
The yearly fee after that may be a little less, but then that would depend upon the board authority,
Well, the authority board, I'm sorry, got that backwards, and what they would like to
do in terms of development standpoint.
We're in a position currently where I said, may be able to get another grant in the works
that would not put any burden on any of the localities that wanted to join the RIFA
at this point, so it might not go up,
but that might is very broad at this point.
How long has those two been in place?
Oh, the refas?
Yeah.
The Roanoke started in, I think it was 2014,
but it's been approximately 10 years, eight years for them.
the eastern Virginia is newer. It has only been in effect for about five years.
The first RIFA in Montgomery County is more than 20 years old. And has each
locality got a return on investment? The first RIFA has, yes. It took them a
a while before they did.
Each locality, like the cities and the counties,
and each individual one has got a return on it?
Yes, yes, for the ones that have participated.
And you're asking a very good point,
because there are two levels in ERIFA.
Participation, just being a part of that,
which everybody has to pay an annual fee,
and it can be stepped or it can be the same across the board.
and for the development of the property those are two different things and so you
must have and by law you must be paying annual dues on a annual basis you then
if you choose to participate in the development of like phase a and I could
show you an example of that if you were interested, then those localities who are
part of the RIFA can choose to be part of the development and thus then they
would be the ones that would receive the benefits, you know, the shared
revenues for the companies that locate in that particular project or
or development phase.
The most successful RIFA honestly is the one that's in the
Danville area. Danville, Pennsylvania County, Halifax County to some degree,
Patrick County to a little degree had been very very successful with their
RIFA. They have been working together over time. Cain Creek has
been extremely successful for them so that has been a good return for those
localities. It's no guarantee but we have in the Blue Mountain site one of the
few large sites really along I-81 anywhere in I-81 and been very gracious
with one owner who is won't the best for the county and has been holding on to
that property with y'all's agreement for the right kind of development long-term.
So we are being encouraged not being forced by any means but encouraged by
VDP to to move forward in the development of that. So for that site you're not
necessarily thinking of like an industrial park because that would lose
our whole 500 acres and we lose the size. You're still considering a big thing
or it depends. I think that depends upon first of all your wishes because it
It will follow your comprehensive plan in your zoning.
It will also then be up to the board, the authority, to decide whether they want a particular
project or not.
For those properties that you already have that make sense for, let's say, the Martin
property or your mill place. If there's a project that is a good fit for that.
There's no sense in going to a property that really is well suited for $100 million or $200
million project. So we're not talking about a mega site per se or just one project. Personally,
this is my opinion, I would love to see three or four really good projects on a property of this
It diminishes your risk, you know, with one sector, but it also provides opportunities to get a diverse portfolio in there and the potential for very good return on good jobs and revenue investment as well.
Did I answer your question?
And you had said the board is the one who decides whether it's the right project.
This board or the RIFA board?
RIFA board.
So if it's a project, yeah, what if we don't like it?
I would, I can't guarantee, but I cannot imagine an authority board going against the wishes
of the locality with the zoning in the comprehensive plan.
That would be destructive, I think, for the RIFA,
very much so.
And there can always be the agreements,
legal agreements made in documents,
both that and in your zoning, you know,
to prohibit something that you don't want to go in there.
And
when we were talking you had given us several different options.
Can you explain to them what those are?
I can.
Ms. Bragg is referring to, you have 500 acres.
Would you like to consider only a portion of the 500 acres as being part of the RIFA,
which could then, depending upon how everything's proceed, could go into that.
I will read you the options because I couldn't remember everything, so I'm going back to my notes.
It was to proceed with creating the RIFA in its entirety right now for all of the 500 acres,
knowing that we're not going to develop all of that at one time.
The other option is less end the discussion if you're not interested in it and that's
the second alternative.
Right now, and we could continue down the road, is create the RIFA and how it would operate
really is on a first come, first serve basis.
Let's take down all of the property at first or in an agreement like an option agreement
or continue with your marketing agreement but a good legal document and let's see what
happens with that first phase.
We get a project in there that you like, that's successful, okay, we want to continue
on and that sets the tone for the project.
We can continue down this path like we are now.
It's on the market now.
And if I were to receive a really good lead that I think would fit in there,
this would be sort of that first option.
I would come to Rebecca and go, we've got a project that trumps right now anything else
that we're doing with the property.
It's before the RIFA, and you would have that option to put that project in.
and then the last section is you could conceivably divide the property, have part
of it rifa and retain part of it for yourself just like you have no place
part of it could still be you know just for Augusta County so that's an
option. I do have some phasing plans that have been done by engineers
years visually, unless you want to see it, I won't bother with it, but that gives you
an idea of sort of the options that we have at this point.
The reason I'm coming before you now is we're at the point where we either need to start
moving forward with the RIFA or sort of let the idea go, you know, for a while.
This was I know talked about in the past before I joined seven years ago, but we
have been very fortunate to get the property to a point now. It has water
and sewer. It has a good road connection there. Yes, more has got to be done, but
it is marketable property.
I could provide lots of additional information to
you, I can share with Rebecca to share. I could bury you in paper if you'd like, but
I will refrain from doing that until you, you know, ask and you need. I did, I should say
we did have a feasibility study, that's this 100 page document, and it was positive for
for the property, for both a RIFA but also for the targets that we seek, which are manufacturing
equipment, you know, north of Grumman type of projects, electronic components and so
forth.
It does not have natural gas.
I don't see it having natural gas.
Probably will not be a food and beverage site, but then that doesn't compete with
some of your other good sites for food and beverage as well.
I've given you a lot to think about,
probably something new that you've not heard of.
So, but I'm happy to provide more.
Rebecca, I'd be interested in hearing your feedback.
If you don't want to do it now
and you want to put your thoughts together
that I understand I don't want to catch off guard.
I think on a very high level,
This would be a really good tool to add to our toolkit.
Site development costs are getting so high.
Our next item on the agenda is going to be to talk about the VBRSP grant.
We're looking for resources to help develop the properties that we have.
I think the board is going to have to talk more about what you want to see at that site
and what your priorities are on investing in sites and timing and what you're
looking to see there. And I think if we can have that broader discussion it's
going to help narrow down on the four options that Jay just outlined. I think
it's a good idea and I think if we could talk about it more and figure
out where your priorities are on site development it would help us get to
get to the answer. Is that helpful? What was that? It is for it is a tier 4 site.
Yeah, the 199 acres that we did the due diligence on at the very beginning I
should be in front of the mic I know. It is tier 4. The remaining property that is
under the due diligence. Now 287 acres will be tier four once we're done. So
that's the good news and that will bring the entire site up. Not all of that can
be reached by infrastructure at this point though but we're not trying to
sell it to one big user anyway.
I would also just add that with the Rifa you
can develop multiple sites under ARIFA. So the board can really discuss what's the
interest in joining ARIFA and what's the interest in putting Blue Mountain under
that RIFA. There isn't another site right now that we could put under the
RIFA, but multiple localities I think are looking at their available acreage
and if they can put more sites on the market. So I think in the future
there could be more but I just wanted to make sure you all understood it's it's two different
discussions but they are very tied right now because Blue Mountain's the only option for the RIFA.
Only 199 acres that you've assessed right now what are the challenges and obstacles to get it
to a pad ready site?
It requires an engineering layout which is actually under the current
contract that we have with the engineer that's doing the balance of that site
and barring that really would be then getting that information and filing it
with the county. So it's not far off and money and money for the grading.
Moroccan Ham County for example is finishing up a pad site in Innovation
Village and they are spending approximately four million dollars for
that. Now I would love to be able to take these plans and put this in front
of the state for the business ready site program and file an application for
that. It has been strongly encouraged that it would be very well received if it
were a RIFA project like that, but I think they would also honestly be very
interested in seeing something of this magnitude regardless of whether it's a
RIFA or not. On the 199 or whatever acres there, how big a pad site are you
looking at. For phase A, this is a topic of discussion and we haven't settled but
I would love to see a 20 acre pad as a start. For I think the property shows
extremely well. I don't think you're ever going to get the right size of a
pad for a project but 20 acres would certainly qualify for attracting the
size of projects that we would like to recruit and if they have to add to it
well they're already halfway there you know it's the last upfront to capital
but Rockingham got more money than they asked for in their last VBRSP because
the state wanted a larger pad. So they had to try to match that and they did, but the
state may go we'd like to see something bigger. Do you have a particular spot on
there picked up for the 20 acres right now? Yes. And what's the terrain like that
on it? What's the high elevation? It's about that's a good question. I think
is approximately 27 feet from the highest point to the lowest point may not be
that much but it truly is the property across from the airport on airport road
and if you would like I can flip flip to it on the slides oh it's alright I'm
just kind of wanting it to rain because yes it's gently rolling particularly for
area of what makes this property so attractive is this relatively flat. And it's known not
to have any karst. It has very minimal wetlands. The phase A of it would be approximately half
of that 100, well 200 acres, so you're looking at about 100 acres. And you could easily
They situate a couple of projects that are 200,000 or 300,000 square feet in size on just
that portion there.
We have a layout.
Rebecca has it now.
She can share.
The dollars wouldn't fix.
Yes, sir.
That's right.
I see our friends over in the corner.
They have rough ideas in their mind what their portion of it would be.
The main thing about it is if you start down this road, there's a certain amount of stuff
that has to be done.
There isn't any more tweaking to speak of with some of your stuff.
It's like you're all in, so that's what everybody needs to keep in mind.
We're not going to just fiddle with this.
You're either all in or you're not.
That is correct.
So that should be clear to everybody.
Can we pull out our the KV account down there for A2 vein?
good. It would last about five seconds.
Any other questions for now?
All right, very good.
Thank you. Thank you very much. And I'd be happy to come back and talk as Rebecca needs.
Tim needs. Thank you. The
county received $500,000 for wet utility infrastructure work
for Mill Place Commerce Park through the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program. Staff
and Augusta water have reviewed possibilities for that work and for the
match that will
Will be required. It's a one-to-one match. Augusta Water is here today to discuss the suggested
projects, and we will need to talk through the match opportunities. We are still waiting on
a draft performance agreement from the state to review, and we would also need to draft
our performance agreement with Augusta Water as we move forward, and I'll turn it over
to Augusta Water now to talk through the projects.
Can we
get the slides up?
Keep
going.
Okay. Almost. There it is.
Well good afternoon members of the board. So as
Rebecca said they the county staff did approach us about the grant and if we
could come up with some projects that would qualify for the grant money and
And we did, we came with a few, some of them we looked at, and I believe one of them was
determined that it really wasn't going to be something that would be attractive to the
state to do, so we took it out, and then we took, left us with three projects.
We took the one, it was a construction project, which we have up on the screen.
The other two were study projects that we combined into one, so we made one project
project of it to make it, again, more appealing to the state that they would approve the funding
for that.
So the first one that we want to talk about is the construction project.
This one would actually, over at Mill Place, we have two different zones, pressure zones
over there.
We have a pressure zone that is coming from Berry Farm, which is at a higher pressure,
and then we've got the mill place pressure zone.
Right now those two are not connected,
so we can't get berry farm water over to the mill place tank.
So this project would construct about 580 feet of pipe
between those two that would allow us to get water
from berry farm over into the mill place tank.
So we see that as something that is very attractive to us.
us. In fact, we already had that in some of the out years in our capital budget. So we
were already planning to do this. I think we had construction at 28. Yeah, 2028 was what
we were projecting on doing that. So this was something that we already knew we wanted
to see happen. So that is the first project. And we did present these to our board
last Thursday and we presented it as the two projects the one being the
construction project that one the board well let me back up the estimated cost
that we have for this for putting in this pipe work is about $600,000 so we're
gonna be crossing route 11 we're gonna be crossing the railroad track and it's
either gonna be 12 inch or 16 inch pipe so it's gonna be large diameter pipe
that we're talking about. So we had estimated $600,000 for that because it was already in
our budget. We had already planned to do this. Our board did approve for us to provide the
$300,000 in matching funds. So if it's $600,000 total, get $300,000 from the state. I guess
the water will provide the other $300,000 on that. So I'm hoping that that was going
be an easy sell to the board. The other two projects that we put together into one, those
were first, one half of that is a study at the Middle River wastewater treatment plant
to see how we could develop more capacity there and that one was estimated to be around
$110,000 for that. The other half of that is another study that's going to look at
the Mill Place Commerce Park and it's looking at improving the water and wastewater capacity
inside the park. That one is also estimated at around $110,000. So $220 for the total.
So the state will put up $110,000, then it will have to be a $110,000 match. Neither
one of, none of that is anything that's in any of our budgets. The board did consider
that and what they voted on and approved is to offer to do half of the match so up
to 55,000 so 220 for the total study 110 of it's got to be match so Augusta
water is offering to do 50% of that match if the county would do the other
50% on that and part of that is we do Mr. Schulte may correct me if I'm
wrong but I think the board's feeling was that the the work at the
middle river waste to our treatment plant is probably something that benefits us
more and doing the work in the industrial park in the in the middle
place commerce park is something that's really for the county it's more of an
economic development thing so I believe that that's the the feeling behind why
our board did what they did is to explain that to you so I think that's
everything I don't know if anyone has any questions I do have people who
actually know what they're talking about. William Monroe, our Director of
Engineering, Rachel Cannon, our project engineer here. So if I can't answer it,
hopefully they can. Mr. Martin, I think our discussion was it's because
Stanton has the capacity, what was it, 60%? About 72%. 72% of the wastewater
treatment plant there. So we only have the other portion of it. So you could
take several businesses in mill place and you can max that out pretty quick. So
that's kind of the concern of where do we come up with solutions to get more
capacity at the wastewater treatment plant. So that was kind of the feelings
of the board and I think I spoke for the board there. Yes sir.
Sir Rebecca we
have the grant is for five hundred thousand right and then we would
match it so we have a million or 500 and there 500 is that correct yes so it's a
million total project dollars we could if you want if we wanted to provide up to
500,000 it would be a million dollars worth of projects so if the cost of this
is 600 and 7,820 right for both projects we have to come up with well
they're going to do 300 plus 55 and 55 and we would we could the county could
provide the 55 and the state would provide the 110 to the 255s right but
you wouldn't you're not getting the full million you're not getting the full
right I understand that okay but I'm saying for our portion of it you could
do both projects and the county portion would be 110 is that right County
portion is 55. 55 because their board is willing to put 55 into those two
projects. Right. It's 55 twice. Yes. But Augusta Water's paying 50, they're willing to give 50.
Augusta Water 55, Augusta County 55, the state 110. Right. But there's two studies, right? There's the
waste. No, it's a combined. The total amount is 110, not 220. So, he said 220. Yeah. The total
The total amount is $220, but the state will do $110, so that leaves $110 in the match.
So $55 is the counting match.
We'll be getting out of $410,000 total in the match.
We're offering to put up $355,000.
So for us it would be $55,000 to do everything.
Correct.
That's not a problem, it's in the Beverly Manor District, that supervisor is not here,
he's got the money, I think we can cover that today.
I would point out that when we had this conversation, when we applied for the business site ready
grant program, we actually committed as part of that application two and a half million
dollars in match because we were trying to get a five million dollar grant to do
a pad ready site.
We didn't get that.
So we got the water the water was a sewer was a question when we went through
that process so the state in turn said since we have questions on water sewer
we'll give you half million dollars to go look at some of that so the 55,000
we can take care of out of economic development capital funds but it will
require a vote on Wednesday night to move that forward to do that 55,000
match. So we can reapply the next year. Oh yes. Yes, we could reapply. Mm-hmm. Yep.
The first project you talked about that that doesn't that is not included in
what we're the figures were given now right? It's included in the 300,000 Augusta
water will provide the match for the county will not have to provide a
for that portion. Okay. Thanks. That one was already in our projected budget in
some out years. So would you all be doing that earlier?
My understanding is that we
have a two-year window to get this done and that's all. So I think it's all
going to be on the fast track.
It's doable as long as we can I think
there's one or two easements. That's where you always run into the problem.
Once somebody doesn't want to grant an easement, it becomes an issue. But as far
as constructing 580 feet of pipe, that should not be that big of an
issue. It is water pipe, so it's not going to have to be super deep. We do
have, as I mentioned, the crossing of Route 11. So that, you know, we've got
to get that through VDOT, then there's the railroad crossing. However it is
Shin Valley Railroad, it's not Norfolk Southern, so that they have typically been
much more cooperative. Fewer hoops to jump through than what you have whenever you
have Norfolk Southern typically. So yeah we think it should be doable in two
years. And this construction project will also help our water tank over
there if we have an interruption from
Stanton on water that it provides a way that we can replenish the water over in
that tank and which that will help us out tremendously too so that that is
correct that would allow us to get some very
far water over there you know it's not the end all to everything
but it certainly will help with that there are some other projects that
We talked about at our board meeting Thursday and that we're looking at doing
here in the coming years so our goal is to be to have a complete backup plan so
that there's not an issue if we we our agreement with Stanton runs out in 2036
so that's when we'll be renegotiated so we do want to have things ready we were
So whenever we do those negotiations that we have things where we need to be.
And you know we had to boil water issue and things here and you never know when you're
going to have an interruption in your water line and system from Stanton to provide water there.
So we're kind of looking at this as a backup plan in case we would have an emergency situation
here too so help take care of us. Well one thing to remember there,
of the agreement that we have with the City of Stanton, we have to buy one million gallons
a day. And they have to be able to provide us with three million gallons a day if we
need it. So it is good to have that much water available if you need it. But regardless
until 2036, we're going to be buying a million gallons a day of water from the City of
stand. So okay
everybody clear on these. I'll be on agenda for Wednesday night. Very good. Thank you. Thank you all.
Yes sir. I request five
minute break. Okay. Cool.
Me if we get the slides up that would be great. Thank you.
Can we go ahead? Go ahead. Okay. All right. At a past board meeting, we were asked to bring
back some renderings of the new sign that's proposed at Route 11 in Dickhoff Lane. So I do have
some pictures here on the screen, and they were in their pockets as well. So this is
one picture traveling south on Route 11, with the sign kind of tucked in there right
in here.
This is another sign kind of at night, closer to the intersection, still
traveling south and it shows it lit and this is backlighting versus spot lights
on the ground and this is another view of the sign traveling north so
that gives
you an idea of what it looks like this is it without the rendering just a
simple bricks and color as a courthouse backlighting and the seal
there on the left-hand side there the impediment and
this is the
diagram that I had shown earlier, where we've really talked about. This shows the
improvements to DeKuff Lane. You've got two, I'm sorry, you've got three lanes
going out onto Route 11, which are the top of the screen with the arrows. You
have a right turn lane, straight through and left turn lane, and then a
designated only left turn lane there. And then you've got one lane that's
coming into the building with a median in the middle, and the median is
where the sun is going to be, which is right here.
Current sun sits just below that right
here, so we're just kind of moving it over and back just a little bit to get it in the
median. All that meeting and that intersection is all designed to be not standards. That's
a project that Mr. Wolf's been working on and it's slated to go to construction here
hopefully in a year, Doug, am I right on that? About a year after which we are
planning to build sun.
The original plan was to go ahead and get it constructed as part
of the courthouse construction, but timing is not going to allow us to do that, to add
on to their contract. And we need to build it after decoupling improvements are made,
just to allow us room, so it doesn't get, you know, damaged or down in the way, that
kind of thing. So we are planning to bid it out separately on its own. So we'll have
the construction plans for that to do it already? No, we don't have a cost for that
this time.
Sure we did.
It's a red. It may not be the exact red that that person
would want but it's it's a red. Yes.
What's the dimensions on the sign? Oh golly,
I don't know that I know. I've taught my head. I don't I don't know.
Honestly I
so?
It's sitting so low.
Yeah, the shrubbery too. This is going to set up higher and it's
going to allow for some landscaping as well. And it's going to be a boulevard style. So
like when you get to the intersection, it's going to be a bigger intersection than when
you have now. So that alone is a presence. And then the sign would be between the
two lanes. Is there going to be any V dot sign each at that intersection up over this
to stop lights and all.
There is a sign that exists right now
and that intersection that points to Augusta County
Government Center, so it's green and white.
Yeah, but you're not gonna change yet.
No, we will leave it up there.
It's up there today.
Yeah, I know there's one there today to match this one.
Oh no, it's on top up there, it's a green sign, yeah.
Is it a green sign up on top?
Yeah, it says Augusta County Government Center
with air on it. That'll remain in place.
My only concern is somebody arriving to
their court date drunk and hitting it. I hope they wouldn't be drunk, but it looks
like the perfect place for somebody to hit it and having driven up Lutuit
numerous times and how many times their stop signs are taken out and their road
signs taken out. Understand your point. One of the main reasons why it was
put where it is as far as being proposed are all the utilities that are located where
it's at now and trying to get it there between what's going to be the new road and the bank.
There's poles there that's not going to be moved, that's going to stay, and there's
just so many underground utilities to try to maneuver.
And we thought it would be better to place it into the median where there wasn't anything.
And this, the area I'm talking about is like right in here.
And you can see all these lines here that are utilities on the plans.
Okay.
I cannot thank the floor.
I think it's too high.
Keep the view down.
Just to take a discussion.
Okay.
Thank you all very much.
Just in case any of y'all want to know why I ask her about duck food.
I ask her every time I see her if she has dog cages.
So one day I said, let me tell you my duck story.
A little duck visit the grocery store and asked if he has any duck food.
And they said, no, it's a grocery store.
He goes back the next day, you got any duck food?
No, it's a grocery store.
He goes in the third day, got any duck food?
It's a grocery store.
If you come in here again, I'll nail your little web feet to the floor.
He goes in the next day, got any nails?
It's not a hardware store.
It's a grocery store.
Got any duck food?
Got any indulgages?
I'm sure. Coming soon to a facility near us.
Mr. Fitzgerald. Yes, Mr. Chair. Next up is the Natural Chimneys Park campground restroom
additions. This is two additions to our existing restroom bathhouses in the in
the park, essentially to build an ADA compliant facility there. Over the years
we have done some upgrades in there and we've made it more ADA friendly but we
have not made it ADA compliant. What this project does is basically build
two little small additions on to the bathhouses specifically for ADA
bathrooms and we bid this project out back in in December of 24 and at that
time we got some pretty substantial bids that we thought were that were really
high and so we put the project on hold for a little bit we've had
opportunity since then to have some more conversation with Nielsen
construction to work on getting that cost down to a more reasonable number.
They have provided us, and I provided in your packet, a cost of now, their cost at $104,280.78 for these two restrooms.
We would suggest a 10% contingency on that to make that $114,708.86 for a total project cost.
Nielsen Construction has a contract already in place in Albemarle County that
is a cooperative contract so they have the language in it that allows other
localities essentially to use that contract and you use Nielsen to do this
type of work. They bid that out across the mountain where they had multiple
building projects within their parks and so when they did that they added
the Cooperative Contract Clause to it, which allows other localities to use it.
We would suggest that we use that Cooperative Contract with Albemarle and negotiate the price
with Nielsen, which we have, and move forward with the project this fall as camping season
ends.
We would have the project done before camp season begins in the spring.
It would be my suggestion that we cover the cost of this from two line items, one being
50% of the cost to Mr. Slaven's infrastructure account, which he's agreed to.
The other 50% of the cost to come from our tourism account, as our campground does provide
for a tourism opportunity as well.
So with that, that would be on the agenda for Wednesday night for considerations and
we can answer any questions that you have.
Who did we receive bids from besides Nielsen?
I can send that to you. I've got it on my desk.
There was, I think, four contractors originally had sent bids in.
But I can send that to you by email.
And was Nielsen the lowest? Is that why you...
Nielsen was actually one of the higher bids originally,
when we originally built it out.
Well, when you were, why did you decide to work with them on trying to get the
cost down and not the other companies? Or maybe you did. So we, when we did the
bid, so the bid we just let go, we're not going to move forward with the
bid as we sent it out. So we just stopped it and let all the contractors
know that the bids came in too high and we were not going to proceed with
the project at this time. That's what we did back in December. And since
then and Rusty's conversation with Nielsen on some other projects. They let Rusty know
that they had a contract in Albemarle County and that if we wanted them to look at the
project through that lens, then they would do that for us and give us a price. And so
we said, yeah, let's, if you think that you can do it at a better price for us
than what you originally had said, then let's look at it.
So that's how Rusty worked with Nielsen.
They came back with this new number.
But the bid document that we sent out has been closed.
We're not moving forward with that at all.
So we did not call each one of the bidders
that put in originally to go back and do it.
We would have to go back and bid it all out again
to do that, so we didn't do that
on this particular one.
But why wouldn't you if you I mean I don't understand how you can just deal
with Nielsen and not open it back up to other we can we can do that because they
have a cooperative contract in Albemarle County and this price is lower than the
original low bid that we had. Why do we know other companies don't have some
kind of agreement that we could tag on to? Well we haven't asked that
question, but I mean we can always re-bid it back out. The issue with re-bidding it
back out is a time issue because we would like to get the project done while
camping season's out in order to get the project done before new camping season.
So it is an option that we could re-bid the project back out again under
the original terms. When Nielsen looked at this and Rusty would know
better than me. But when Nielsen looked at the project,
they did the project based on
what they saw and not necessarily what our architect had designed fully. And so I think
they made some adjustments in their pricing to move the project forward. So that's the
reason why the pricing came down to where it's at.
Ms. Price what's your opinion on sending it back the need to send it back out
for others to bid on it well
I think I would need more details in terms of what
he's talking about in particular with this contract and the prior bid but
there is certainly a mechanism within Virginia procurement to use other state
contracts and that's a commonplace decision by localities I hope that's
helpful but that's that is certainly provided for as a commonplace solution to the problem
because that that particular contract has already been it's been bid it's been negotiated so it's a
competitive solution thanks what was the price that they originally you said they were one of
the higher bidder so what was the price that they originally bid I can I can get
that for you and if you want we can let's oh well we won't we let Misty do
her thing and I'll run down and get that bid sheet on my desk when we come back
Oh, you got it?
Oh, Missy's got it, OK.
You got it.
There you go.
OK, so the original low bid was Sustainable Solutions
of Virginia, and that was $135,899.
Montgomery Consulting out of Richmond
bidded at $176,000. Lance construction at Hirshman Park, yeah Broadway, bidded at
$146,254 and then originally Nielsen's contract was at $164,889. So those
were the, that's the original, so it was four bidders and those were the
original bid prices. So they was able to cut just because going through the
state 164,000 back to 104,000.
How were they able to cut all of that out of it
when they've seen that all the material?
Well again, Rusty's not
here today but Rusty did the discussion with them and if you see in the
spreadsheet that we sent out they've got their costs there shown with
their subcontractor cost and when they went back and looked at it, they
determined that their cost could come down. So I don't know how to answer that
other than tell you that Rusty had conversation with them, had them relook at
it again based on that, and you know they came back to us with the hundred
and four.
But it's all in everything in here is what was included in the
original bid that went out to accomplish, you know, getting both these ADA
bathrooms constructed.
I just kind of find it hard to believe that you cut
$60,000 off of a price that you done turned in.
I know but why and I know
they're going through the bids and like that and maybe maybe they are
projecting of getting material off of multiple jobs and things to save in
the money, but then I
got questions to make that too.
Well, I mean, if they cut the money that much, what's to say sustainable solutions couldn't
come down even more?
And if we did send it back out to bid, I understand your urgency for time, but if
we did send it back out to bid, how long, what additional time do you think that would
add to the project?
What's that take that's missed out?
What?
We issued it as an IFB so we already have the plans, correct?
We've got plans, yeah.
We already have the plans.
I mean, we could reissue it.
If I'm not mistaken, I think it has to be up at a minimum of 10 business days.
So, I mean, you know, I'd say within a month we'd be ready to look at them,
but there's no guarantee you're going to get lower prices.
But you have no error acts?
You're exactly right.
What was your expectations in pricing on this job?
Well, Mr. Garber will confirm my estimates.
They've been real good here lately when we were talking about courthouse.
But certainly I would have guessed that the square footage cost of this was way up there over $700 a square foot.
And I was anticipating we'd have it somewhere around $400 a square foot or so.
So, it is a small project, that does play a role in the price that you get because it's
not, you know, both these are very small projects and not a lot of material and so forth.
So your square foot price is going to be a little higher, but originally I think we
were anticipating around the $400 square foot and I think it was a little over $700 square
foot originally.
You negotiated with the low bidder on the animal shelter, why didn't you negotiate with
the low bidder on this one?
Yeah, we did on the animal shelter negotiate with the low bidder.
This particular project, because the timing of it, when we looked at that project cost,
I had conversations with Mr. Slaven about it.
We decided at that time that was too much money at the time.
It was getting close to the time to open up the camp in season
We said we don't want to move forward with it. So we decided that we were going to cut that off
And just let folks know that we wasn't moving forward because we didn't feel like we had to the time to negotiate the price
Get all that done get the contract in place in order to get the construction project done before
We were able to open up for camping and so we decided to put it on the back burner until
this about this time and the conversation
that Rusty and I were having about how do we accomplish this project
and try to save us some money led to this conversation
with Nielsen. Certainly if a board wants to send it out to bed again we can
certainly do that. That's another option to move forward with.
And the timing of it is still questionable whether we can get to it
and whether they can get to it we would have to put I think in the bed some requirement for them to
be complete by a certain date so that we can make sure we had those things done
by the next camp and see I
personally would like to see go back out with the
stipulation had the work has to be completed by its date at
the moment
scheduled beyond Wednesday night but what are you gonna do
Pam was that
emotion where we're not we can't do that today but look I don't I don't care
if we can buff it back and get to be a suits me fine I don't have anything
other than I would like to see this work done. We kicked this thing down the road.
Actually it's been kicked down the road two years when I thought we were gonna
maybe be able to work on it.
She can get it out in ten days. If you take it all
for wins you want to relook at this thing suits me fine. So that's the way to do it or
I think we can make it make a motion and put it back in days. I mean, I mean, how long how long do we let people?
Right
Okay
You want to pull it? Yeah, be fine. Okay, all right start over. Thank you
All right, can I have
my slides please?
All right, Mr. Chairman, members of the board,
I'm pleased to present the fiscal year 25 financial report
to you.
Your agenda packet has a budget on sheet revenue
and expenditures.
endangers.
Summaries with explanations of variances for the budget. There's a school fund carryover
calculation and a 10-year summary. I'm just going to quickly go over some highlights because
I do realize we're towards the end of September. If you have questions, please let me know.
Just a quick overview. So our fund structure, our budget does consist of several funds.
Our general funds are a primary fund for the general government. That's where we
We have our administration or judicial public safety maintenance, community development and
cultural.
We do receive, the general fund does receive transfers from revenue recovery and the county
capital improvement fund.
I have ARPA on there, but ARPA is dying down as we wind down with those funds.
And then the general fund transfers funds to the DSS, CSA, school fund, debt fund
and county capital improvements.
investments,
other funds, fire-revolving loan, asset forfeiture, economic development.
We also have our school funds for school cafeteria, school capital improvements.
We have our debt fund.
We have our head start.
We have governor's school, and then we have ARPA.
ARPA should wind down in FY26.
We've almost spent all of that money that we've received under ARPA, so that one
should be going away.
The
2025 general fund revenues, property taxes made up of 64% of the budget.
Local taxes came in second at 18% of the budget and our state funds were third at 9% of the budget.
Percentages were fairly close to what they were in FY24.
Our property taxes did increase from 62 to 64%.
Our local taxes decreased from 19 to 18 percent and our use of money and property decreased
from four to three, so just some slight changes.
The real estate assessed value on one one of 25 per the Commissioner Revenue's Memo
was approximately 11 billion nine hundred, 11 billion nine hundred million dollars that
equates to about 60.7 million dollars in real estate taxes for the calendar year.
The assessment did increase over 24 calendar year 24 by about half percent, or $262,000.
This assessment does not deduct for tax relief the disabled veterans or any kind of TIP agreements.
Our business personal property, we had an increase of about 25 percent.
We typically budget for 1% growth, but we have had some new businesses come online.
Our other personal property, we did have a decrease of about a half a percent.
When we did the budget, we did expect values to start to decline as the vehicle inventory
rebounded from COVID.
We originally estimated that we were going to have a four and a half percent reduction
in those values, but again, we only had about a half a percent.
Our
sales tax revenue, when compared to FY24, was an increase of 2.6%.
Inflation has trended downward over the last year.
And, you know, it's likely led to a slight increase in the sales tax revenue.
The changes in consumer spending patterns can also contribute.
They're the base for our sales tax revenue and relies primarily on good sold.
business
licenses. For 2025, we were at $5.9 million. This was approximately 3%
more than our FY24 revenues, or about $200,000.
Other revenues, Sir Bank
franchise tax, we increased from 274,000 in FY24 to 293,000 in FY25.
This was an increase of about 6.8%.
This tax is assessed based on the ratio of local deposits to total statewide deposits of the bank.
Our lodging, when comparing FY25 to FY24, we increased about a half a percent, or about almost $6,700.
Our meals revenue increased by 2.6% over FY24, or about $129,000.
dollars. Our permits, we did have a 23% increase over FY24, which totaled about
$108,000. It did look like when I look back through the reports that we had
some several large permits issued to businesses.
Our interest on deposit, we
had a almost 1% decrease when compared to FY24 or about $42,000. And we'll
note that if you've paid attention the feds just dropped the rate on 917 so I
expect those rate I expect that income to continue to decline.
Recordation just
like interest income it's a volatile revenue source it depends heavenly on
the economy and our interest rates. For FY 25 we had about 1.1 million
dollars in local recordation revenue and we had zero from the state. If you
remember in 2021 the state cut our recordation state funding and I believe
they moved it to Hampton Roads maybe so we have not gotten that back.
State
funding so our library aid and FY 25 increased to $265,970 that was an
increase of about $18,000.
Our communication tax was down $29,000 from last year. It continues
to slowly drop year over year. If you look from 2025 back to 2011, which was the last
increase we've seen, we're down 39% on our communications tax. The COMP Board,
We did have an increase of about 4.3% or $268,000.
This was mainly due to the cost of living increases that the comp board issued.
Cigarette tax, I will probably drop this one off.
This is not really that new a revenue for us anymore, but I've kept it on here just
because we kind of keep playing with the cost per pack and everything.
So, if you remember, we started this tax in 1-1 of 2022, which was the FY22 revised budget.
For FY25, we budgeted $600,000, and we actually received just a little over $560,000 in cigarette
tax revenue.
The county ordinance was 15 cent per pack and FY23, 22, 23, and 24.
The FY25 tax was at 30 cent per pack and effective 7, 1 of 25 is maxed out at the 40 cent per pack rate.
Our 2025 general fund expenditures, you can see that public safety remains the largest portion of the general fund expenditures at 61%.
This is an increase of about $4.6 million.
We all know what we've done in the last year with the budget.
We had increases in fire rescue and ECC and the sheriff's office with personnel.
The administration decreased over last year by approximately $356,000.
The main reason for that is because we've concluded the reassessment.
The reassessment is one-time costs that we occur every five years, and it crosses usually
two fiscal years, and we've concluded that.
Our judicial increased over the last fiscal year by about $350,000.
This increase was mainly due to some grant funding and some personnel changes in the
Commonwealth Attorney's Office related to the body-worn camera project.
budget. Our cultural increased over last fiscal year by about $345,000. Parks and Rec continues
to offer programming that attracts interest and increased expenses, but these expenses
are offset by revenue. The library also had increases related to increased operating cost
and personnel changes, but overall these numbers remain consistent with prior years.
Over 60% of the budget is personnel cost.
It's by far our largest expenditure at $39.8 million or 61.4% of the budget.
Our contractual is next at 9.3% of the budget or about $6 million.
This is the landfill, the dump site hauling, any kind of audits, maintenance service contracts.
Operations came in next at $5.2 million.
dollars I mean I'm sorry excuse me let me rephrase that operations came in at
five point two percent or three point three million dollars and our supplies
totaled eight percent or about five point one million dollars and it does
include our utilities our compute contributions were about ten point four
million dollars or about sixteen point one percent of the budget this does
include our fire rescue volunteers our contributions to Middle River the
Detention Center, the Office on Youth, the CSB Tourism, our Health Department, and our
Animal Service Center.
These numbers remain consistent with prior years as well.
Overall our revenues were above what we budgeted for revised.
We're about $1.1 million over what we had budgeted, or just a little less than 1%,
it came in about $100.8.
overall
our expenditures were under budget including the schools so we were
total we were 2.5 percent under budget you can see a breakdown we've got total
expenditures less our transfers to the school fund less our transfers to the
school capital for buses less our transfers for debt service and county
capital and then the transfers to DSS and CSA we also still have a transfer
for the revenue recovery.
So you can see overall our expenditures
were about $3.8 million under budget fund
balance.
So FY25 fund balance came in over budget by 0.8%.
Expenditures were under budget due to close management
by departments and vacancy savings.
We do use our year-end fund balance
to supplement our capital budget.
And for 2025, that nets to $3,957,436.
And then this is just a breakdown.
So the general fund balance was 4.7.
The school did have a fund balance of $824,749.
That leaves the county with a net fund balance of $3,957,436, as I mentioned.
So
just looking forward to FY26, typically I just do a comparison of July of FY24 to, I'm sorry, July of FY25 to July of FY26.
And you can see, so when you compare the month of July from 24 to 25, which is going to be your FY25 and your FY26 budget, you can see our sales taxes down a little bit.
We did have increases in our local recordation and our lodging.
Our meals is down a little bit. Our permits are down a little bit.
We did have an increase in fines and we had a decrease in interest income and communications.
Overall, when you compare the month of July for FY25 to the month of July for FY26,
our revenue is down by about $168,000.
That's not really telling. It's just a one-month look back snapshot.
Just to cover revenue recovery really quick.
So if you look at revenue recovery revenue for FY25, it did increase when compared to FY24.
Our billing is up about $161,000.
Just as a reminder, our billing for medical transports has been done solely by the finance department since July of 2018.
So we're doing really well there.
We do continue to keep our rates in line with Medicare.
We're not sure what these Medicare or Medicaid cuts are going to do to our revenue transport,
but we'll have to wait and see.
But right now they're doing pretty good.
And then this is just a comparison.
This is a four-year look at what the agencies are receiving in reimbursements from the
revenue recovery.
You can see Stewards Draft by far is the largest, and Deerfield is the smallest.
Any questions?
If not, I'll move on to infrastructure.
So in your packet, you do have a infrastructure ads and deletes sheet.
These are just projects that you all have allocated money to.
The projects are either mostly complete, well, not mostly complete.
The projects are complete, and there's either a little bit of money left
that I need you all to uncover so I can put it back into your infrastructure
accounts or in this case Mrs. Bragg I would like $15.30 to cover the
overages on the circulation desk and that garbage can. So if you would allow that I would appreciate it.
Um, it's offset by the fact that I'm giving you some money back on the Stewart's Draft
Park meeting, so.
Other than that, the majority of the infrastructure accounts are pretty well
cleaned up. Um, and then the last thing I have on the agenda for you all is the school
boards, um,
year in fund balance memo. Um, Mr. Fitzgerald, do you want to cover that
since they're asking for something a little bit different than what they have in years
past? Yeah typically what they've asked for in the years past is to take all
their fund balance and essentially put it into their into their debt fund. This
year they had 824,749 dollars in fund balance and they're asking if they
could put 550,000 of that directly into their school debt service CIP fund and
And this is also the same fund that you all just increased this budget year by $2 million.
So they want to take that $550 put in there.
They keep a consistent line item in that debt fund at $500,000 in the fund balance toward
the debt fund.
And so they're asking for $550.
And then they would like to take the remainder $274,749 and use that to build the first
phase of the Buffalo Gap girls softball field and by understanding that this would get the
field built and get it into a playable condition so that they could relocate from the existing
field which is down over the hill in the floodplain, hard to get to, and so they would build
it up on the hill. This spot is kind of in behind. If you know where their livestock
stock building is in our house that we rent.
It's kind of right in there beside that.
And so they'd like to use that money
to get that project built.
They'll come back in future years
with their capital budget and increase it
and do some scoreboards and
press boxes and dugouts and those types of things
I think are gonna be at a later phase.
But this covers the actual building of the field
and it gets them in a position
where they can play on it this spring and so their school board has considered that and
they've actually, you've got to copy in your packet a letter from the school board requesting that
approval of you all on Wednesday night.
So from, I'll get a question on that.
What's the cost of the field?
$274,749, is my understanding.
Okay, so all of that is going toward that field.
All of that is going toward the field, yes.
If you don't mind, if my memory serves me correct,
there was a two million dollar increase or 20 million over ten years that they
asked for for their debt service correct that's correct they gave us a long list
of things here they need to spend money on the new gym for the fights and another
new gym for the fights some sidewalks and maintenance thing do y'all remember
seeing a media tower on that list. At fortifieds? Mm-hmm. There's no so no
cost associated with it. So I got to ask I said the media tower you have now is
center block and cement thing all the last as long as the pyramids are we
doing a new media tower? The answer was all that was gonna sit on top of the
new field house.
Did anybody catch the field house is gonna be hit
underneath the new media tower that they proposed and we're talking to sports
complexes within spitting or throwing distance of each other on the same high
school. If the fieldhouse cost half what the gym does that means half of that
capital funding we just gave them went to those two items sports items on one
school.
Where's this 550 gonna go? I got to dig in and I asked and no one
will tell me, I'm puzzled here, how did they get to $2 million a year? They knew they need
that much money. But nobody will tell me how much the field house is going to cost.
And
when you ask to get mad, some of them get mad. Before they get another dime, I want
to know how much that field house is going to cost. There ain't no way you can tell
me that you can propose a six to six and a half million dollar gym know what
that's gonna cost got all your plans for electrical and you know sidewalks and
all these improvements around all these other schools you know how much that's
gonna cost but no one when it was said a media tower no one has told me yet how
they came up with a figure when they proposed their budget to how much
they're going to spend on a field house. I asked my Dave Shiffley and asked Dr. Bond.
Dave's answer me was, oh, it don't work that way, Mr. Saban. We don't get that call. It
don't work like that. It will work like that when you need the price for the gymnasium.
Work like that when you need school buses. Simple question. Why didn't you tell us
It was a field house proposal and what's that going to cost?
That's all I need to ask.
But before they get another dime on that, I think we, I, would like to have those answers.
And by the way, everybody, we sitting here talking about this comprehensive plan.
How come a penny of that money didn't go to Votech?
It's earmarked for another sports facility and to fund whatever they're going to do in
their budget increase.
We see at least half of that over the next ten years may be thrown at two of those sports
facilities.
We all talk really high on we're going to help the VOTEC kids and that should be an emphasis
even our comp plan.
Talked about it the other night.
Why didn't that 5.5-year mark for vote take spin?
I want to know how much that fieldhouse is going to cost.
I think we should know it.
We should have known it before we approved it, but it got by us.
Because nobody said they were going to build a fieldhouse,
or at least that's what they didn't propose with the budget.
I only found out when I asked about the tower,
and they said, oh, it's the new tower is supposed to sit
on top of the fieldhouse.
Yes, ma'am?
I can see it.
You got something?
I was just going to say mention the Career Technical Center also because that has been
an emphasis and a concern.
We talk about the importance of providing our youth, our students with the ability to have
jobs and to stay locally but they're not investing the money in it and that really
concerns me.
Sports are good, education is great and so I'm concerned about that.
that, I can't get excited about this other spending. I just can't. So I'm just saying
that I'm really disappointed that the Career Technical Center is not getting attention.
And I think in their plan, it's way down the road and I just think that's not what
is the best interest of the students in Augusta. And I'm not a school board member. Obviously
I'm not a school board member, but if we're giving money to the schools to improve what
they have, I think they're missing the boat with that one.
I'll see if I can get you some answers before Wednesday night.
That money goes back to them.
How come it doesn't come back and go in our capital account?
That's the request they're making is that they keep that fund balance in their capital
account.
And traditionally we have done that for them there's an awful lot of good
projects ever one of us in here's got good projects that we're leaving lay on
the table to right there some money for in
the past one time in the past didn't
we take the fund balance and direct it to buses is that correct we did do that
one time where we the board specified that that amount of money would go toward
school bus purchases and that wasn't their request that we have done
different things just to clarify so the the 550 that they want placed they say
school debt service CIP that money is actually how we typically handled it so
So what that does is I address that and revise that money goes into a county capital line
item that is designated for the county schools.
And that is where we pull money if they fall short of their ceiling for debt service.
So you know that's that's how we typically handle it.
So the the 550 they would not be keeping in their account.
It's part of our fund balance and I actually allocate it to their line item and you know when their debt service
Their total debt service for the year is over the
Which now it's gonna be a nine point two. Yeah, it's nine point two million dollars now
If their debt services over that that's where I pull the extra money from and so it's kind of like a savings account for their
debt service
And we have pulled from that
And traditionally we do $500,000, typically it's $500,000.
Or this last year we did their entire fund balance amount, we put it in that account.
And then because if you remember during the budget, they need it in order to move their
10-year capital plan forward, they need to be able to borrow money for future projects.
So for like the valley career and technical if they decide they need to borrow money for that project and they have to take one more debt service
If they have a shortfall in that nine point two million dollars that we allocate each year
That's where I pull the extra money from so it's kind of a savings account for them that you know
They use in years where they have a shortfall. So are there funds in it now? There are funds in it now
Well park
I'm sorry I can get you that number but we are pulling from it because right now
their debt service is over the nine point two million dollars and Mark when
he was here he would update this cash flow analysis to show he would kind of
show where they're at and you know how much they have to pull from that a
year and I think the the 550 is about what they estimate so if they aren't
making their debt service my next question is should they be adding more
or paying on their debt service well so this allows them to that's why we
did the additional two million dollars because it gives them a little bit of
breathing room because they will have some debt that will come off I think
they've got one next year coming off it's a small one because it's you know
it was 20, 25, 30 years ago way before my time but they do have a cash flow
analysis for their 10-year CIP plan. So they do analyze that when they're looking at projects
to do that are on their 10-year CIP. So just to clarify, now the 274-749 would go into
their school capital account that they have control over, if that makes sense.
Well,
I want to take it one step further. You didn't see my face because I was looking
at Mr. Slavin, but to have a chairman of the school board not be able to tell you or
provide you with the cost and to say that we don't do it that way, that's concerning.
Well, at the risk of getting a bad phone call from Dave by the time I get home this evening,
if it was in a, okay, I will.
I had talked to Dr. Bond first.
This has got none to do with Dr. Bond.
He didn't do anything wrong.
I started questioning the media tower and if y'all remember it was written on
there were media tower now unless you all saw something I didn't that's all it
said and I'm thinking the media tower down there is any four knots but it's
about one stop from why do you need a new media tower so when I question him I
would be honest he was very transparent he said because it's supposed to sit
on top of the new field house.
Nobody talked about the field house that our
budget meeting did they? Did that even come up? No, never come up. No, and I guess
the media tower sounded small so nobody really questioned it. So I started
checking while I could check with Dave in all honesty. Checked my board, school
board reps, you know, none about nothing. So you wouldn't get any
information errors I called Dave and he was well they need is he talked about
with other schools have them well there's some other schools that's got
filled houses but it's my understanding that the community they've raised money
from the community and paid for or at least nearly all of them they can just
build one out of their 10-year capital service so I don't know if that's
That's why he couldn't give me a figure as he thought that there would be private money.
Any comment? But still, that shouldn't change the cost up. No matter where he gets the money.
All I know is that's what he told me. And if we go back and we look at those papers,
if anybody's got them, or Timmy, maybe you can pull them up somewhere, I don't think
there is a figure written down. Because if you remember when we were talking, I asked
Dr. Bond and the reps there that day, the new gym, I've heard you are thinking around
six or six and a half million for that. And they said, is that right? That's about right.
So figured, so I got a kind of a bar park cost for that. Nobody will tell me what this
other project's for.
Yeah, what the cost is. And it bothers me a little bit. And at the
same time, the reason I went digging, because I think they shortchanged VOTEC. Look,
Look, I know we've got problems over there,
as far as being in a partnership and all like that.
I know there's some of that needs to be ironed out.
We're kind of handcuffed, or they are kind of handcuffed
a little bit.
But we didn't see for the cost of $20 million.
We saw a fraction of a fraction go
to vocational education.
Now, here's almost just a little bit
south of another million dollars.
I didn't even hear the word vocational education used trying to proportion this out
Not one penny up.
When do they get their term?
All I hear is this plant ball field
That stadium this gymnasium
That field house
So what's stopping us from doing the same thing that we did about the school buses and
and airmarking that money towards VOTEC.
That was a question.
I don't think anything stops you from doing that.
I would suggest that we have Dr. Bond
and his school leadership an opportunity
to have conversation with you all before we did that.
I would think that would be a thing to do.
I can ask if they could come on Wednesday night
if you'd like for them to be your wins and I'll see if I can find I have the
capital program looking forward here but I'm not getting my hands on it quickly
but I can resend that out to you and I can see if I can get some information on
the cost on the field house and if it I think you're right I'm not sure a field
house is listed in the ten-year plan and so the question is if it's not
into 10-year plan then to me it's not really a project it's not gonna not
gonna happen yeah but the media tower is a question and so I can get those
answers for you but certainly this board has the ability to do with that as you'd
like so well I'm not saying do it immediately but I mean I think it
warrants a good conversation and a good convincing to me how we shouldn't do
that.
Hear your case. And I don't think that we'll be, I don't think we would be
prepared by Wednesday, would we? I wouldn't think so. Well, would they be
prepared by Wednesday? That's the question. Oh, I think they could, I think
they could, if I asked them to come Wednesday, I think they would probably
come and answer questions for you.
I don't know, I have to check with Dr.
on the timing of when they need to know something on this softball field project
as to when they're going to move forward. I'm not sure the timing of the construction on that.
Well, I suspect they have to wait till they have money.
Well, they do.
So I'm thinking that's kind of the timing.
But I'm certain to get them here. I can try to get them here Wednesday night.
I can let them know ahead of time what the questions are
so they can be prepared if that's what the board would like.
And are you going to, we have a 10-year plan?
We have a 10-year plan.
I got to find it.
I've got it.
It was sent out, did last year, and we can,
I'll send it out again.
OK.
Okay, Ms. Cook noted this earlier but usually the fund balance just rolls into the county
school capital account so if there is an issue with timing it can do that and then once the
board considers the softball field transfer it could be it just depends on
you know how soon we will find out I ask the question on how quick they need the
answer if they've got some time and we feel like it would be facilitated better
at a work session and we can have my work session
and in this quarter I can
assure you that he didn't necessarily take that response laying down and he
probably doesn't want to quote himself here at this meeting today so it was
not well received.
His response when he asked a question is pretty much told was
not of his business. They didn't take that well, but that's right.
So we'll do that on
schools. One thing that we'll be on your agenda. We know for Wednesday is the
infrastructure and deletes. So we'll put that on for Wednesday.
The
infrastructure adds and deletes.
Have we got an updated plan on the
the technical center yet I do not have anything I don't have anything school
board yet are they working on it my understanding is they working on it but
I don't have anything from them well I
think they probably need to get that put
in place and then kind of see where that goes along with the 10-year plan
And you combine both the 10-year plan and the technical school, is it going to be enough
in debt service to cover all of that?
So I think before they move forward with anything on the 10-year plan, you kind of
sort of need to see what the tech plan is and go from there on where you at.
So
now the role in good humor and go ahead take your chance good afternoon
chairman members of the board will have one public hearing on Wednesday this is
a rezoning request from cross go company and the request is to rezone from
from general industrial with proffers to general agriculture with proffers, approximately 1.476
acres out of a 102.84 acre parcel, owned by Crossco Company in Mount Sydney in the North
River Magisterial District, and it's located right off of Kieseltown Road.
On your screens are the current proffers and the proposed proffers.
All of this really depicts is that no ingress or egress will take place off of the property
that's outlined in that blue outline and that any ingress and egress will happen at that
existing commercial entrance that's located on Kieseltown.
And here is an aerial map of the property.
Kind of further shows that ingress egress point along with a zoning map of the property
showing the portion that's currently zoned industrial, a future land use map
of the property, which shows that it's planned for industrial, and lastly a
planning policy area map showing that the parcel is located within an urban
service area. And the Planning Commission has recommended approval of the
rezoning and I'm happy to answer any questions the board has.
I'm just
Just curious why, because it looks like they use it for storage and it's still used for
their business.
So it's funny because the applicant, as they were going through this process, they would
like to construct a building that would basically be utilized to store hay.
Right now, and I can kind of, if we can pull those slides back up.
So those current, those tractor trailers that are existing on that lot, those are
hay storage right now.
And because it's in general industrial and it's, you know, it's technically storing hay
per the ordinance that should be screened.
And so the applicant was like, ooh, didn't realize that it needed to be screened.
But being zoned general agriculture, they're already basically just utilizing the piece of property
for that purpose anyways, for the storage of the hay that is collected on the adjacent piece of property
or technically the same parcel.
And I'm not sure about building prices and building codes.
That's not my wheelhouse, but it's my understanding that it would be more economical for them
to construct a building if it was zoned agriculture than if it's zoned industrial.
Okay.
Well, that makes more sense because I'm looking at that.
It's just like, are they going to continue to use that for their trucking business?
Yeah.
No, currently it's just hay and they just are utilizing those very attractive storage trailers
And it's funny because if you drive by each one of them has spray painted on it storage
Just so that we know
Yeah,
are we good? All right. Thank you
Yes
Yeah so RFP has been put out for legislative services contract because
our contract with Eldon James is up this fiscal year and so we've received two
proposals so I will need two people to serve on the committee from at the board
level to do interviews with those to review those proposals and or do
interviews with the candidates.
All right, she called me a week or so ago. However long
it took for me to forget, if you remind me today, I've asked Carolyn to butch to do
that. Carolyn, because she's enthused in butch because he needs something to do.
I'll reach out. Very good. So, thank you. I believe that's all we have from Staya.
Yeah.
Oh, you got food stand.
All right,
let's show.
How is the radio system going?
So they have been out in the field doing coverage testing.
And at this point in time, they've kind of stepped back
to look at all of their results to calculate that.
So that's where we're at right now.
Basically, we don't know nothing yet.
We don't have any final results from that yet.
All right any indication that it's going well or anything or terrible or I had
been down there very preliminary in the process so I really don't have any
idea what the results were overall because the calculations like everything
together the whole county the whole city so I
just have a quick question
ECC we had the contractual employees have they hired trained where are they
We've had to work in for quite some time now, and the third one will be coming on
So we still have we have two of our people
Two contract people, but are they finding employees to replace them because I thought that was just temporary not a permanent
they have
brought somebody else's comeback that had previously worked here so they didn't
require any training and then they've got some interest from another dispatch
center so they're they're getting some interest in it but the contractors have
not been replaced yet.
The goal will be to replace the contractors
with trained people, but they're down there working full-time right now until we
get some applicants in and we, you know, put them through the plan I think was to
get some folks hired, put them through a training so that they could go to the
Academy in January. The new Academy starts in January, so we'll have some
folks that will...
be the plan to get some folks in. We did hire, like she said, a dispatcher who had left
and he came back. He's already fully trained, so we put him back on a shift, which is a good
thing. But yes, we're consistently looking to try to get applicants in and get them trained
so that we can, at some point, let those contractors go. But currently, we have two full time
with the contractor and one more is on the way, so to fill those slots.
one more contract one more contractor yes
so well three contractors but you
hired somebody so we only need to know we'll still need the three with the
vacancies that we have down there so we have another vacancy we have multiple
vacancies no but a new vacancy I don't know when the last time we gave you the
vacancies but when we voted to have contract people to fill well it's we
Yeah, we, we've lost some, we've lost somebody since then, yes.
Okay.
And then they have to go through the training academy?
The contractors do not, no.
No, our people.
They get a thumbs up higher.
Our people go through the training academy, the ECC, yeah.
They, they, uh, at the, uh, Central Chandler, um, the police academy in Weir's Cave,
they do the sheriff's deputies, and they do our ECC folks there, yes.
Okay, I do have something.
I have goodness.
And I was kind of whining about our airport situation.
Last Friday afternoon, they did make a decision.
They haven't made it public, but they gave us what we wanted.
It's probably going to, they're going to mess the schedule up.
We'll probably have to have the incumbent carrier there
a little longer, which is not good,
but we're going to the right place.
We'll wind up with the plane probably twice as big
as we have now, and we'll go to twice as many destinations.
Who knows the announce everything on Friday afternoon as if they're hoping
nobody's paying attention I really don't know but I'm hoping this week they'll
go and make it public but we have it in writing so we it's it's everything we'd
actually hope for so anyway if I'd be good okay
anybody else you're also well-behaved a Douglas he's well-behaved we do have a
closed session that I've given Mr. Bragg since Mr. Wills is not here okay so I
move that the Board of Supervisors of Augusta County convene in closed
session pursuant to one the real property exemption under Virginia code 2.2
dash 3711 a3 which is discussion or consideration of the acquisition of
real property for a public purpose or for the disposition of publicly held real estate
property, where discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position
or negotiating strategy of the public body.
So A, the Augusta County Courthouse at 6 East Johnson Street, Stanton.
And then number two, the economic development exemption under Virginia Code 2.2-3711A5,
which is a discussion concerning a prospective business or industry or the
expansion of an existing business or industry where no previous announcement
has been made of its interest in locating or expanding this facility in the
county. A proposed office space, flex space, storage facilities, manufacturing
facilities, utility, and mixed-use development. Mr. Chair, as I told
earlier, I've got a commitment at five o'clock and I don't feel like I should go
back in closed session and turn around and leave without going through the
proper things I would like to be excused from going back there and then
having to interrupt it by walking out so I don't think I should go into closed
session if I can't stay in closed session.
Is that okay?
Okay.
Yeah we're back.
All certified and we're out of close.
We're out.
See you Wednesday.