Mr. Hutson called the Board of Supervisors to order and Mr. Fedors took roll

Transcription

1 -1- AT A JOINT MEETING OF THE GLOUCESTER COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND SCHOOL BOARD, HELD ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2018, AT 7:00 P.M., IN THE THOMAS CALHOUN WALKER EDUCATION CENTER AUDITORIUM, 6099 T. C. WALKER ROAD, GLOUCESTER, VIRGINIA: I. Call To Order and Roll Call call. Mr. Hutson called the Board of Supervisors to order and Mr. Fedors took roll THERE WERE PRESENT: THERE WERE ABSENT: ALSO IN ATTENDANCE: Christopher A. Hutson, Chair Ashley C. Chriscoe, Vice Chair Phillip N. Bazzani Andrew James, Jr. Robert J. Orth Kevin M. Smith Michael R. Winebarger None Edwin Ted Wilmot, County Attorney J. Brent Fedors, County Administrator Ms. Parker, Chair, called the to order and Ms. Dehoux took roll call for the. The following members were present: Anita Parker, Chair; Troy Andersen; Randy Burak; Brenda Mack; and Elisa Nelson. Mr. Lee was absent. Other individuals present included: Dr. Walter R. Clemons, Superintendent of Schools; Heather Lucas, Chief Financial Officer; John Hutchinson, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services; and Dr. Charles Wagner, Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services. II. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance Andrew James, Jr. Supervisor, Ware District A. National Anthem - Gloucester High School Choral Students Mr. James gave an invocation and then the Gloucester High School Choral Students performed the National Anthem. III. Approval of the Minutes - no minutes available for adoption There were no minutes available for adoption. IV. Adoption of the Agenda Dr. Orth moved, seconded by Mr. Smith, to adopt the agenda. The motion carried and was approved by the Board of Supervisors by the following voice vote: Mr. Hutson, Mr. Chriscoe, Mr. Bazzani, Mr. James, Dr. Orth, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Winebarger yes. Mr. Burak moved, seconded by Ms. Mack, to adopt the agenda. The motion carried and was approved by the by a unanimous voice vote. V. Approval of the Consent Agenda

2 -2- Mr. Chriscoe moved, seconded by Mr. Smith, to approve the consent agenda. The motion carried and was approved by the following voice vote: Mr. Hutson, Mr. Chriscoe, Mr. Bazzani, Mr. James, Dr. Orth, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Winebarger yes. A. VSTOP Grant Holly B. Smith Commonwealth s Attorney By approval of the consent agenda, the Board authorized the Commonwealth s Attorney to submit the VSTOP grant application. B. Citizen Request for Relief of Holding Period for Family Transfer - Anne Ducey-Ortiz - Director of Planning and Zoning RESOLUTION APPROVING AN EXCEPTION TO THE HOLDING PERIOD REQUIREMENT AS SET FORTH IN (c)(3) OF THE SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE PERTAINING TO FAMILY TRANSFER SUBDIVISIONS WHEREAS, Norman and Deborah Brumfield received plat approval for a family transfer subdivision to Patricia Cropper (sister) under Section of the subdivision ordinance of Gloucester County on December 20 th 2017; and WHEREAS, said plat and attendant deed of transfer were duly recorded in the land records of Gloucester County on December 28 th 2017 as Instrument # and Clerk s Plat File #26, page 672; and WHEREAS, Section (c)(3) requires that lots created via the family transfer process shall remain titled in the name(s) of the immediate family member by or for whom the division is made for a period of not less than seven (7) years from the date of recordation of the deed of conveyance; and WHEREAS, Section (c)(3)e of the subdivision ordinance provides for the Board to make an exception to the minimum holding period, upon a determination of injustice or hardship... after ten (10) days' written notification to adjacent property owners; and WHEREAS, Norman and Deborah Brumfield have appealed to the Board of Supervisors for an exception to the seven (7) year holding requirement in order to sell the property to a non-family member on the basis of extreme financial hardship; and WHEREAS, the adjacent property owners have been duly notified; and WHEREAS, after careful consideration and review, the Board finds that a hardship exists. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors hereby approves the request by Norman and Deborah Brumfield to extinguish the seven (7) year holding period applicable to Tax Map parcels and 30-13A, effective this date and contingent upon recordation of this resolution, or another instrument acceptable to the Clerk, amongst the land records of Gloucester County. C. Local Approval of NNRJ Revised FY18 and FY19 Annual Budgets - J. Brent Fedors - County Administrator NORTHERN NECK REGIONAL JAIL BOARD REVISED FY18 AND FY19 ANNUAL BUDGETS WHEREAS, Gloucester County joined the Northern Neck Regional Jail (NNRJ) Board in August 2016; and

3 -3- WHEREAS, the NNRJ Board is an extension of the four member localities (Gloucester County, Northumberland County, Richmond County, and Westmoreland County); and WHEREAS, the FY18 NNRJ budget that was approved by the Board in June 2017, was revised to adjust revenues and expenditures due to increased costs in several categories including but not limited to overtime, medical, and pharmacy expenses, and WHEREAS, no additional local contribution was required of member localities in FY18; and WHEREAS, the NNRJ Board unanimously approved the FY19 annual budget at its May 2, 2018 scheduled meeting; and WHEREAS, the approved FY19 NNRJ budget incorporates Gloucester County s annual capital buy-in payment of $684,053.15, but requires no other operating revenue from the member localities; and WHEREAS, it is appropriate for each member locality s Board of Supervisors to subsequently review and consider approval of the revised FY18 budget and the FY 19 annual budget approved by the NNRJ Board. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors that the revised FY18 annual budget and the FY 19 annual budget adopted and approved by the NNRJ Board at the May 2, 2018, meeting are hereby adopted and approved. D. Resolution to Confirm and Consent to the Declaration of a Local Emergency - J. Brent Fedors - County Administrator A RESOLUTION TO CONFIRM AND CONSENT TO THE DECLARATION OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors of Gloucester County does hereby find that due to the potentially damaging effects of Hurricane Florence, Gloucester County faced a condition of extreme peril which necessitated the Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors, as the Director of Emergency Management, to declare a local emergency at 5:00 p.m. on September 10, 2018, in order to provide preparedness, response, and recovery, and other activities to protect life and property; and WHEREAS, the Board desires that all further emergency actions authorized by law may be taken by the Vice Chair as the Director of Emergency Management, or in his absence by the County Administrator, as the Deputy Director of Emergency Management. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors this 18 th day of September 2018, that the act of the Vice Chair of the Board of Supervisors, as the Director of Emergency Management, in declaring a local emergency is hereby consented to and confirmed, as are all actions set forth above pursuant to that declaration. VI. Matters Presented by the Boards Ms. Parker stated that they appreciated everyone s understanding during the lack of a hurricane. She noted that they needed to be prepared and with 2,700 families in Zone A, she hoped that everyone understood the reasoning for the schools to be closed. She stated that we all needed to be grateful that it did not happen.

4 -4- Dr. Orth stated that he had the opportunity to be in the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) and he was very impressed with the professionalism and dedication of the staff. VII. County Administrator Items There were no County Administrator items. VIII. Citizens' Comment Period - (limited to topics on the Work Session agenda only) (Speakers should provide 10 copies of handouts if any) DON MITCHELL YORK DISTRICT Mr. Mitchell stated that the schools property CIP (Capital Improvement Plan) projects were castles in the air. NORMAN BRUMFIELD ABINGDON DISTRICT Mr. Brumfield thanked the Board for the action that they took [on the consent agenda]. He stated that he appreciated it. He thanked the Planning and Zoning staff for all their help in getting this done. IX. Work Session Agenda A. Preliminary SOL/Academic Results - Dr. Walter Clemons - Superintendent of Schools and Dr. Charles Wagner - Asst. Superintendent for Instructional Services displaying. Mr. Hutson announced that due to technical difficulties the monitors are not Dr. Clemons welcomed everyone and apologized for the technical difficulties. He advised that the State will be coming out with an official matrix the week of September 27 and will provide an indication of the status of all of the schools. He noted that after reviewing the preliminary information, he wanted to share the pass rates. He reviewed the SOL (Standards of Learning) results for the Commonwealth and for the County. He noted that the County s results exceeded the Commonwealth s average in every category except for writing, where it was equal. He advised that they are projecting that every school will be fully accredited. He noted that several years ago Gloucester High School and Page were accredited with warning. He stated that they have improved. He publicly acknowledged the work that the teachers and the staff are doing in the buildings to accomplish this achievement. B. Gloucester County Public Schools Opening Update and Enrollment Information (10 Day Count) - Dr. Walter Clemons - Superintendent of Schools Dr. Clemons noted that he does not have the 10-day count because the students have not been in school for ten days. He provided a handout for the membership as of today. He noted that in building a budget, they have to project the number of students in order to obtain funding. He advised that they have to project as accurately

5 -5- as possible. He commended the executive leadership team and noted that the current year projection for funded students was 5,200. He stated that as of today, day seven, the funded membership was 5,196. Mr. Chriscoe asked that the 10-day enrollment and the September 30 enrollment be provided when they are available. C. Gloucester County Public Schools Capital Project Requests for FY 20 - FY24 - Dr. Walter Clemons - Superintendent of Schools Dr. Clemons asked Mr. Hutchinson to review the CIP requests. Mr. Hutchinson stated that he was presenting a needs-based list. He noted that there are nine prioritized items. He stated that the first item is divided in two parts representing either construction or renovation of Gloucester High School. He noted that they understand the funding concerns. He reviewed several of the issues that happened at the high school, noting that he was reviewing these items to indicate that the need is critical. He reviewed the other CIP items to include: HVAC replacement and equipment; bus loop at Achilles; lighting replacement; Page baseball field; playground equipment; bus replacements; roofing replacement at Achilles and Botetourt; and the bus compound. Mr. Fedors asked for clarification on the lighting replacement at Achilles and asked if there was a prioritized list of the HVAC replacements at the high school. Mr. Hutchinson agreed that the lighting replacement at Achilles was completed, but noted that outdoor lighting is still needed requiring it to stay on the list. He stated that they do not have a prioritized list for the high school HVAC as it depends on the comfort level in the classrooms. Mr. Andersen noted that he was concerned about focusing on a list at the high school as that seems to be getting away from the reason for the study. Mr. Fedors noted that there is still due diligence that needs to be done, but stated that it may be beneficial to know what the critical points of failure are to allow the Board to plan ahead as a contingency. Mr. Hutchinson stated that they do not know the critical points of failure as they are dealing with vintage equipment. He advised that they are always on standby to take care of what breaks next. Dr. Clemons stated that they can go back and look at what a catastrophic failure would look like as a potential expense and provide that information. Mr. Fedors stated that not knowing yet the County s capacity for debt, he felt it would be helpful to know what alternate approaches may look like. Ms. Mack stated that the high school is falling apart. She noted that she was not willing to pour money into something that is falling down. She stated that the students and parents have a right to have a school that works. Mr. Chriscoe stated that the Board does not know yet if the County could afford the debt service for the high school. He further stated that if the issue goes to a

6 -6- referendum, it could be voted down. He noted that the Board needs information to determine costs as a backup. Members of both boards discussed this matter further. D. Adopt-A-School Program - Dr. Walter Clemons - Superintendent of Schools Dr. Clemons stated that they have tried to have a collaboration in the past with members of both boards visiting schools. He noted that it is beneficial to have members visiting the schools and attending events to give them an idea of the things that are happening in the schools. He stated this item was on the agenda to have some dialogue on rekindling that program. Members of both boards discussed this matter further and members invited their counterparts to visit the schools in their districts. E. Gloucester County Public Schools Legislative Priorities - Dr. Walter Clemons - Superintendent of Schools Dr. Clemons reviewed the legislative priorities of the school division. First, to provide full funding of all State mandates. He noted that when the General Assembly passes unfunded mandates the school division has to make it work in its budget, but that means something else has to go. He stated they want to make sure that if something will be required, then a funding stream must be provided. He then reviewed the remaining priorities to include: raising teacher salaries above the national average; removal of the SOQ (Standards of Quality) support cap; additional state funding for technology and facility improvements; and additional state funding for school resource officers and mental health training. Mr. Chriscoe noted that in June, the Halifax County sent a resolution to request the ability to add a sales tax for use for schools. He stated that he will be bringing this matter to the Board and also to the VACo Finance Steering Committee for consideration as part of their legislative agendas. He noted that it may be possible to get the same ability for all localities to use as a funding mechanism for capital projects for the schools. He reviewed the localities who will be taking this request to the General Assembly in After a brief discussion by members of both boards, Mr. Hutson called for a short recess. F. Proposed Joint Meeting Calendar - J. Brent Fedors - County Administrator and Dr. Walter Clemons - Superintendent of Schools After the recess, Mr. Fedors stated that he and Dr. Clemons had discussed several things relating to the budget and CIP cycle. He noted that it may be a good idea for the two boards to get together and do something a little out of the ordinary. He stated that they are proposing a joint retreat in February beginning at 1:00 p.m. at a mutually agreeable offsite location. He advised that the boards would finish by 5:15

7 -7- to allow time for transfer to T. C. Walker for the presentation of the Superintendent s proposed budget. He noted that would allow for the budget presentation to be televised. He reviewed the other proposed joint meeting dates for 2019 of March 19 and September 17. Dr. Clemons stated that the meeting in March would be the s recommended budget so that the Board of Supervisors would have that recommendation prior to its budget deliberations. Mr. Fedors noted that the February 26 date would likely be the optimal date for the retreat as they may have clarity from the General Assembly and also information on debt capacity from Davenport. Members of both boards discussed the previous issues of canceled meetings and miscommunications. After further discussion, Dr. Clemons noted that the intent is to look at where we are and to move forward. Mr. Hutson stated that his thought is that it is important for the boards to have the joint retreat in order to be in a position to work together going forward. G. Adjournment Ms. Parker stated that she appreciated the opportunity to meet with the Board and hoped to move forward. Mr. Burak moved, seconded by Ms. Nelson, to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried by a unanimous voice vote. H. Discussion of Options and Path Forward Regarding the 2019 Reassessment - J. Brent Fedors - County Administrator Mr. Fedors stated that with Mr. Green s departure, the position of Assessor will be vacant. He further stated that 2019 is an assessment year. He advised that the position has been advertised and he is hopeful to see good candidates coming in. He stated that there were issues with having an assessment with the position vacant or newly filled however, and he reviewed some of those issues. He noted that after discussions with Mr. Green, Ms. Tinsley and Mr. Wilson, the recommendation he will make to the Board is to delay the reassessment for a year. He advised that growth will still be captured due to permits, but existing values will roll over. Mr. Bazzani stated that he agreed with this plan of action. Mr. Fedors noted that there is a procedural requirement to affect this action. He advised that a formal recommendation will come to the Board at the next meeting with the County Attorney s assistance. He then discussed another consideration regarding the assessments. He stated that the State Code allows reassessments to be held on cycles of 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6 years, but leaves out 3 years. He noted that the Board may wish to consider this for its legislative agenda. X. Supervisors Discussion

8 -8- Mr. Winebarger stated that the Board had not taken a vote for the proposed joint meeting calendar. He noted that he had a problem with the canceling the previous meetings and stated that they came back when they wanted something. Mr. Chriscoe stated that he agreed to a point. He noted that the Board would vote on the joint meeting dates with other meeting dates at the first meeting in January. Board members discussed the property that the current bus garage is on and what would be needed in order to obtain that property for economic development. After further discussion on building the baseball fields, Mr. Fedors noted that it is CIP season and the Board can contemplate all the items and balance capacity and need. XI. Closed Meeting - none scheduled There was no closed meeting. XII. Adjournment Mr. Winebarger moved, seconded by Mr. Chriscoe, to adjourn. The motion carried and the meeting was adjourned at 9:48 p.m. by the following voice vote: Mr. Hutson, Mr. Chriscoe, Mr. Bazzani, Mr. James, Dr. Orth, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Winebarger yes. Christopher A. Hutson, Chair J. Brent Fedors, County Administrator