[Call to Order / Moment of Silence / Pledge of Allegiance/ Agenda Adoption ]
[00:00:05]
GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
THE HOUR HAS ARRIVED FOR US TO COMMENCE OUR APRIL 3RD BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING FOR THE COUNTY OF SURREY.
AND WE ARE SO, UH, FORTUNATE THIS EVENING TO HAVE THE REVEREND DR. JAMES HARRISON FROM THE MAIN STREET BAPTIST CHURCH IN SMITHFIELD, VIRGINIA, WHO IS A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF SURY COUNTY TO COME AND LEAD US IN OUR INVOCATION.
THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.
WOULD YOU BOW WITH ME FOR JUST A MOMENT? LET US PRAY.
WE INVOKE THY SPIRIT PRESENCE, OH LORD, IN THIS PLACE AND IN THE HEARTS OF MEN AND WOMEN AND MINDS AS WE MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY THAT WE ALL LOVE.
YOU OWE GOD, HAVE GIVEN TO US, ALL THAT WE HAVE, AND ALL THAT WE ARE.
AND NOW WE SURRENDER ALL TO YOU YOUR DIVINE WILL, THAT YOU DISPOSE OF US.
GIVE US ONLY YOUR LOVE AND YOUR GRACE.
WE ARE RICH ENOUGH AND HAVE NO MORE TO ASK, EXCEPT THAT YOU TEACH US TO SERVE YOU AS YOU DESERVE TO GIVE AND NOT TO COUNT THE COST TO FIGHT AND NOT TO HEED THE WOUNDS, TO TOIL AND NOT TO SEEK FOR REST TO LABOR AND NOT TO ASK FOR ANY REWARDS.
SAVE THAT OF KNOWING THAT WE DO YOUR WILL.
FORGIVE US, OH LORD, WHEN WE WHO ARE RICH, WOULD CUT OFF FOOD FOR THE HUNGRY.
MEDICAL CARE FOR THE AILING EDUCATION, FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO LEARN.
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE WILLING WORK AND JOBS FOR THE LABORERS.
PROTECTION AND SAFETY FOR THOSE IN DANGER AND DIRECTION.
FURTHER, TEACH US TO USE OUR POWER TO SERVE YOU, GOD, TO USE OUR PRESENCE TO PRAISE YOU, GOD, AND TO USE OUR POSITION TO GLORIFY YOU.
THIS IS OUR PRAYER THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.
I CERTAINLY WANNA THANK DR. HARRISON FOR OUR INVOCATION OF PRAYER.
AND AT THIS TIME, WE DO CALL OUR MEETING OFFICIALLY TO ORDER.
AT THIS TIME, WE WILL OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
LET US NOW STAND FOR THE LEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
PLEASURE ALL STATES OF AMERICA AND REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WHATEVER HAS A PROBLEM.
BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU OUR AGENDA FOR OUR MEETING ON TONIGHT.
AFTER PERUSING THE AGENDA, IF THERE BE NO QUESTIONS ON IT, WE WILL ASK FOR A MOTION TO ADOPT OUR AGENDA CHAIR.
WE ADOPT THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
ALL IN FAVOR? LET IT BE KNOWN BY THE VOTING SIGN OF AYE.
OPPOSED? OUR AGENDA HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
[Consent Items]
AGENDA WILL BE OUR CONSENT ITEMS. AND UNDER CONSENT, WE HAVE APPROVAL OF OUR DRAFT MINUTES FROM, UH, 12 13 25, EXCUSE ME, 2 13 25 APPROVAL OF OUR DRAFT MINUTES FOR MY WORK SESSION FROM 2 26, APPROVAL OF DRAFT MINUTES FROM MY WORK SESSION ON 2 27.ALSO A WORK SESSION FOR 3 6 20 25.
APPROVAL OF OUR DRAFT MINUTES FROM, UH, OUR REGULAR MEETING FROM 3 6 20 25, ACCOUNTS PAYABLE FROM FEBRUARY, 2025, ACCOUNTS PAYABLE FOR MARCH, 2025.
WE ALSO HAVE A RESOLUTION FOR PROCLAMATION OF NATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION WEEK, AND WE HAVE, UH, MS. CASEY HERRON HERE FROM, UH, THAT AGENCY.
MS. HERRON, WE RECOGNIZE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE TONIGHT.
WE ALSO HAVE A RE RESOLUTION DECLARING APRIL AS SURY COUNTY CLEANUP MONTH.
WE HAVE A MOU AND CONSENT WITH SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENT AND BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR SURY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE RENEWAL FOR YEAR 20 25, 20 26.
[00:05:01]
OUR CONSENT ITEMS? IF THERE BE NO QUESTIONS ON OUR CONSENT ITEMS, CHAIR WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF OUR CONSENT ITEMS. SO MOVED.HAVE A MOTION TO HAVE A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? LET IT BE KNOWN BY THE VOTING SIGN OF AYE.
OPPOSED? THE CONSENT ITEMS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA WILL BE OUR PUBLIC HEARING.
[Public Comments]
COMMENT, EXCUSE ME.WILL BE, UH, MS. HELEN, CAN YOU COME TO THE RO YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
STATE YOUR NAME AND, UH, YOUR DISTRICT IN WHICH YOU LIVE.
I HAVE ONLY ONE THING TO SAY CONCERNING THIS PUBLIC HEARING, AND THAT IS MY ASSESSMENT ON MY HOUSE IN THE TOWN OF DENVER INCREASED BY OVER $40,000.
PERSONALLY, I CONSIDER THAT ABSOLUTELY OBSCENE.
AND THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, MR. EDISON.
NEXT WE HAVE, UH, MR. EVANSON, MIKE KAON, TENDER AND BLACKWATER DISTRICT.
A LOT OF MY TALK IS GONNA BE ON INFRASTRUCTURE.
JONES DRIVE FLOODED FOR 30 YEARS UNTIL I CALLED THE STATE AND HAD 'EM CLEAN THE OUTFALL.
NOW THE ENTRANCE TO JONES DRIVE FROM SIX 17 HAS A CRUSHED COVID THAT SOMEBODY FILLED IN WITH GRAVEL INSTEAD OF FIXING THE COVERT.
IS THAT WHAT WE PAY THE STATE PO FOR? TO SERVE GRAVEL INSTEAD OF FIXING THE PROBLEM.
I ALSO HAD SCHOOLS DOWN THERE.
WE HAD A PRESENTATION LAST MONTH WHERE THE SCHOOL BUDGET HAD GONE UP A MILLION DOLLARS.
WE HAVE TEACHERS MAKING BETWEEN 59 AND $66,000 A YEAR.
PUPIL TEACHER RATIO OF EIGHT TO ONE.
HOW COME WE'RE NOT GRADUATING ROAD SCHOLARS? I DIDN'T SEE ANY INDICATION OF THE PERCENTAGES OF THE GRADES.
IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HIDE? WHY ISN'T IT OUT THERE WITH THE REST? WHAT'S OUR RATING COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE STATE? YOU KNOW, WE SAY A LOT ABOUT, UH, TRANSPARENCY, BUT I DON'T SEE A LOT OF TRANSPARENCY.
WE HAVE, UH, BARBARA SHIELDS WILLIAMS. GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS BARBARA SHIELDS WILLIAMS. I'M FROM THE COBHAM DISTRICT, AND MY CONCERN TONIGHT IS CONCERNING THE REVENUE, UH, COMMISSIONER REVENUE REPORT THAT I GOT BACK IN JUNE OF 2024.
HAVE NEWLY MOVED INTO MY HOUSE IN JUNE, JANUARY OF 2024.
AND I GOT THIS REPORT STATING THERE WERE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.
SO I CALLED DOWN TO MR. JUS TO ASK HIM EXACTLY WHAT THAT IMPROVEMENT WAS THAT HE SAID, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A SHED AND THIS AMOUNT, $2,500.
AND I WAS ASKING HIM $2,500 FOR A STORAGE SHED.
IT'S NOT A HE SHED OR SHE SHED.
AND AS OF YET, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A SUPPLY ABOUT REPLY CONCERNING THIS.
AND TO ME IT'S VERY EXCESSIVE.
AND I THINK THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THAT.
HI, SUSAN VELO, UH, CLAREMONT DISTRICT.
[00:10:01]
UM, I JUST WANTED TO DISCUSS THE ASSESSMENTS.AND FROM 2020 TO 2025, UM, IN 2020, MY ASSESSMENTS TAXES WERE 24 63.
THIS YEAR, THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE AROUND 33 82.
WE ARE GETTING READY TO DO A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND IF IT HAD BEEN TONIGHT, WE STILL DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO LOOK AT TO SEE WHAT OUR TAXES ARE GONNA BE PAID PAYING FOR.
UM, ARE THEY GONNA BE ROADS? ARE THERE, WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO SAY YES TO FOR 6 CENTS? WE DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION TO LOOK AT TO SAY, OH YEAH, 6 CENTS SOUNDS GREAT TO UP OUR RATE BECAUSE AT 65 YOU GET ABOUT WHAT WE GOT LAST YEAR.
UM, SO I WOULD REQUEST THAT IF SOMETHING COULD BE SENT OUT TO THE CITIZENS, IF YOU'RE WANTING A PUBLIC HEARING, SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ON RAISING OUR TAXES, AND YES, THAT'S RAISING OUR TAXES BECAUSE 65 WOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO LAST YEAR.
SO IF YOU WANT 71, TO ME, 65 TO 71 IS RAISING OUR TAXES.
UM, THERE ARE STILL THINGS, UM, I'VE BROUGHT UP MANY TIMES.
THE NATURE TRAIL, UM, THAT'S AT THE REC, UH, I'M SORRY, THE NATURE TRAIL THAT IS AT THE MARINA.
AS FAR AS THE CONDITIONS OF IT, UM, I HAVE NOT BEEN DOWN THERE IN THE PAST MONTH.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT FENCE IS STILL THERE AT ONE OF THE ENTRANCES.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CONDITIONS ARE STILL AT THE WALKING ON IT.
LAST TIME I WALKED ON IT, THERE WERE STUBS IN IT, TREE LEAVES ALL OVER IT.
I'M ONLY BRINGING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION FOR LIABILITY AND SAFETY PURPOSES.
SO, UM, THERE'S STILL A TREE GROWING OUT OF THE GUTTER AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT I ADDRESSED ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
UM, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE COUNTY START PUTTING MONEY ASIDE FOR ROAD CONDITIONS, START A 50 50 FUND PROJECT TO WHERE WE CAN ASSIST WITH VDOT SINCE WE KNOW VDOT IS SO TIGHT.
YOU DIDN'T TELL ME A MINUTE LEFT.
NORMALLY I'M USED TO YOU TELLING US WHEN WE GOT A MINUTE LEFT.
I SPEAK TONIGHT HONORING THIS EMPTY SEAT AND ALSO HONORING EVERY OCCUPIED SEAT HERE TONIGHT.
QUOTE, THIS GOVERNMENT IS NOT HEALTHY AND WE CAN'T NORMALIZE IT.
SO SAID US SENATOR CORY BOOKER BOOKER THIS PAST WEEK, AND THAT MESSAGE IS RELEVANT IN SURRY COUNTY.
WHEN WE ARE DIVIDED, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AND OPPORTUNITY TO FOSTER UNITY.
SUPERVISOR SHERLOCK HOLMES, ONCE WARNED AGAINST GOING FROM BEING THE OPPRESSED TO THE OPPRESSORS, WE NEED HUMILITY AND LOVING LEADERSHIP THAT REPUDIATES OPPRESSION AND DIVISION.
WE NEED THE NEXT GENERATION OF PRINCIPAL LEADERS LIKE HOLMES AND THOMAS HARDY AND DR.
AT THE MARCH MEETING OF THE SURREY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, CHAIRMAN ELLIOT SAID, EVERYTHING I DO, I DO OUT OF LOVE.
I'M ONE OF THE MANY WHO MOVED HERE FOR A KINDER, QUIETER COUNTRY WAY OF LIFE.
WHEN LEADERS ADVOCATE FOR PROGRESS AT THE EXPENSE OF THAT WAY OF LIFE, MANY FEEL IGNORED AND EXCLUDED RATHER THAN LOVED.
THAT THREAT TO PEACE IS EVERY BIT AS REAL AS SUPERVISORS WHO WOULD RULE WHILE CARRYING FIREARMS. WORDS CAN UNIFY, UNIFY OR THEY CAN DIVIDE.
ON FEBRUARY 23RD, SUPERVISOR ELLIOT ELLIOT SELECTIVELY QUOTING THE BIBLE, DECLARED A MORNINGSTAR BAPTIST CHURCH THAT GOD HIMSELF INCARNATED AS JESUS CHRIST WAS BLACK AND DECLARED PEOPLE OF COLOR, THE CHOSEN PEOPLE, HE DECLARED HIS ALL BLACK PARISHIONERS, KINGS AND QUEENS.
BUT THOSE WORDS DON'T JUST HAVE THE INTENDED EFFECT OF ELEVATING AND CELEBRATING HOW SPECIAL WE ALL ARE.
THOSE TITLES MEAN RULING OVER OTHERS.
ALL OF US, AS GOD'S MAGNIFICENT CHILDREN IS A MORE INCLUSIVE MESSAGE.
LOVE THY NEIGHBOR IS ALSO A BETTER, MORE BIBLICALLY ACCURATE MESSAGE.
I'M TIRED OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEADERS LEVERAGING WHAT DIVIDES US FOR POLITICAL ADVANTAGE.
DIVISION IS A TRADITION ROOTED IN CYCLES OF INJUSTICE AND INEQUALITY GUIDED BY LOVE.
WE CAN EACH BEGIN TO REUNITE OUR HUMAN FAMILY.
WE CAN BE BRAVE, HUMBLE, UNIFYING SERVANT LEADERS WISE ENOUGH TO SEEK WINS FOR ALL PEOPLE OVERCOME RISE ABOVE, BE IMAGINATIVE, BE BRAVE, HEED THE WARNINGS AND
[00:15:01]
COUNSEL OF WISE PASS AND PRESENT LEADERS, BE PART OF THE SOLUTION TURNING TOWARDS EACH OTHER RATHER THAN ON EACH OTHER, AS DR. MONROE LIKES TO SAY, WE CAN THRIVE TOGETHER.[Presentations]
ON OUR AGENDA WILL BE PRESENTATIONS.FIRST PRESENTATION WILL BE FROM WINGATE APPRAISAL SERVICES.
IT'LL GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE LIMITED SCOPE REASSESSMENT.
THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
THIS EVENING, UH, I CAN REPORT TO THE BOARD THAT, UH, WE HAVE FULFILLED OUR OBLIGATION TO THE COUNTY AND COMPLETING AND CERTIFYING THE VALUES OF THE REASSESSMENT THAT WE JUST, UH, JUST GOT THROUGH WITH, UH, UH, THE, UM, THE SLIDESHOW THAT I HAVE WILL GO THROUGH SOME OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE POINTS HERE THAT I'D LIKE TO MAKE, UH, UH, EXPOUND ON.
UH, SURREY COUNTY HAS ABOUT 6,500 PARCELS HERE OF REAL ESTATE.
AND, UH, OUR ANALYSIS INDICATED THAT WE NEEDED TO ADJUST APPROXIMATELY 4,600 OF THOSE.
AND, UH, DURING THE COURSE OF THAT, UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO COME TO OUR, OUR, UH, HEARINGS AND, UH, AND VOICE EITHER THEIR CONCERNS OR BRING TO US NEW INFORMATION THAT WE PERHAPS DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT.
AND SO THAT HAPPENED, UH, IN THE LATTER PART OF FEBRUARY, 1ST OF MARCH.
AND WE HAD, UH, WE RECEIVED APPEALS ON 111 PROPERTIES, WHICH ROUGHLY IS ABOUT 2.4% OF THE NUMBER OF, UH, OF ASSESSMENTS THAT WERE CHANGED.
AND USUALLY IF WE CAN DO, UH, DO A PROJECT, UH, LIKE THIS, AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE USUALLY COUNT ON ABOUT 3% OF THE, UH, TOTAL PARCELS BEING APPEALED.
UH, AND SO WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS A PRETTY, A PRETTY GOOD NUMBER GIVEN WHAT WE NORMALLY EXPECT.
NOW, OF THOSE 111 PROPERTIES, WE, UH, UH, REVISED 62 OF THOSE.
AND, UH, SO THAT'S ABOUT 56% OR A LITTLE BIT OVER HALF OF THOSE PROPERTIES RECEIVED A REVISION.
I, I DID WANNA WANT TO BRING FORTH A FEW SAMPLE ASSESSMENTS TO ILLUSTRATE JUST MORE OR LESS HOW THE, UH, HOW THE IMPACT OF THE ASSESSMENTS HIT DIFFERENT PROPERTY VALUE RANGES.
MOST OF, WE ARE MOSTLY, WE'RE SPEAKING RESIDENTIALLY RIGHT NOW.
AND, UH, UM, AND I THINK, UH, THIS IS INSIGHTFUL IN THAT IT SHOWS THAT, UH, UM, AND I, AND I MADE THIS COMMENT TO THIS BOARD EARLIER IN THE YEAR, UH, THAT, UH, WE EXPECTED THE LOWER END, LOWER PRICE RANGE PROPERTIES TO RECEIVE MORE ASSESSMENT CHANGE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE, UH, THE MOVEMENT IN THE MARKET IS.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE MEASURED THE MOVEMENT MOVEMENT IN THE MARKET.
SO EACH ONE OF THESE, UH, THESE BLOCKS OR RECTANGLES, UH, INDICATES A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT ACTUAL PROPERTY SALES AND THEIR ACTUAL ASSESSMENT PROGRESSION, IF YOU WILL.
UH, UH, AND THE FIRST ONE, UH, YOU CAN SEE, UH, WAS A, UH, UH, IN HERE IN THE COMMUNITY OF SURREY WAS A, A RANCH HOME, UH, BUILT IN THE 1970S ON AN ACRE A LOT.
AND IT SOLD IN NOVEMBER OF 24 FOR $200,000.
UH, AND THAT WAS A BENCHMARK SALE THAT WE, WE DIDN'T SEE TO BE TOO, NOT TYPICAL.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS PRETTY INDICATIVE OF THAT TYPE OF PROPERTY BASED ON OTHER SALES THAT WE HAD SEEN.
UH, AND NOW THE 2 20 24 ASSESSMENT, WHICH WAS ARRIVED AT BACK IN 2023.
THE LAST GENERAL REASSESSMENT WAS IN 2023, UM, THAT, UM, BUT IT CARRIED FORWARD TO 24 WAS A HUNDRED THIRTY FIVE FIVE.
AND, UH, AND OF COURSE, OUR, UH, ASSESSMENT FOR THIS, UH, UH, FOR THIS TIME FOR JANUARY ONE, WOULD BE 203 6, UH, REPRESENTING ABOUT A 50% INCREASE ON THIS PROPERTY.
UH, AND I THINK IT'S ALSO NOTEWORTHY THAT, UH, THIS ALSO, THIS PROPERTY ALSO SOLD JANUARY OF 22 FOR 145,000.
SO YOU CAN SEE BETWEEN JANUARY 22 AND NOVEMBER 24, THERE'S SOMEWHAT AN INDICATION OF THE PROPERTY APPRECIATION OR THE MARKET MARKET RESPONSE TO THIS TYPE OF PROPERTY.
AND, UH, THE NEXT, UH, THE NEXT RECTANGLE IS IN THE SPRING GROVE AREA.
[00:20:01]
ON, UH, OF TWO, BUILT IN 2007 ON ABOUT THREE ACRES.AND IT SOLD IN APRIL OF 24 FOR $354,000.
AND, UH, THE ASSESSMENT FROM, UH, THE PRIOR ASSESSMENT WAS 272 8.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT ALSO HAD AN INCREASE, BUT NOT QUITE AS MUCH AS THE FIRST, UM, FIRST, UM, UH, EXAMPLE.
AND, UH, WE COULD ALSO SAY THAT IT ALSO REPRESENTS A DIFFERENT PRICE POINT IN THE MARKET.
SO, UH, THIS IS APPROXIMATELY A $350,000 PROPERTY.
THE FIRST ONE WAS ABOUT A $200,000 PROPERTY.
AND THEN WE SEE THAT THIS, THIS INCREASE WAS ABOUT 28%.
UH, THE THIRD ONE, UH, IS JUST NORTH OF SURREY.
WE HAD A CAPE COD HOME BUILT IN, UH, 2005 ON 2.7 ACRES THAT SOLD IN 20 4G JULY 24 FOR FOUR $30,000.
AND, UH, THAT ASSESSMENT FROM 2 20 24 WAS 414 8, SO NOT TOO FAR OFF OF THE ACTUAL SALE PRICE.
AND SO WE CAME ALONG WITH, UH, A MODEST INCREASE HERE OF ONLY 2%.
AND I'M JUST DOING THAT TO ILLUSTRATE THIS, IS, THIS IS WHERE THE, UH, THE, UH, THE MARKET INDICATED THAT WE NEEDED TO MOVE THE ASSESSMENTS THE GREATEST.
AND THAT WAS ON THE LOWER END OF THE PRICE RANGE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE IN ASSESSMENT, UH, BUSINESS LIKE WE ARE, UH, IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE HARDER THINGS IS TO REALIZE THAT, UH, THE, UH, THE PORTION, UH, SOMETIMES THE PORTION OF THE MARKET THAT YOU HAVE TO RESPOND TO IS ME.
IT MAKES THE MOST, UM, FINANCIAL HARDSHIP IN, IN, IN ADDITIONAL TAXES TO THESE PROPER, THESE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE IN THAT LOWER PRICE RANGE OF PROPERTIES.
BUT NONETHELESS, VIRGINIA LAW REQUIRES US TO, UH, DO OUR ASSESSMENTS, ADD VALOREM ACCORDING TO VALUE.
AND IF OUR BEST ESTIMATE OF MARKET VALUE IS THIS, IS THIS, IN THIS CASE OF THE FIRST, FIRST EXAMPLE, IF IT'S $200,000, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE'VE GOTTA DO.
THAT'S, WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, IN OTHER WORDS.
AND SO THE, WE WENT ON, UH, THROUGH THE, UH, THROUGH THE, UH, THE REST OF THE, UH, THE MARKET ANALYZED, AND WE CALL IT STRATIFICATION, STRATIFIED THE, UH, THE DATA SETS AND, AND APPLIED IT AS BEST WE COULD TO THE, UH, TO THE DIFFERENT PROPERTIES IN SURREY.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO, UH, TALK ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT PROGRESSION AS FAR AS THE, UH, UH, AS FAR AS THE, UH, THE WAY YOUR ASSESSMENTS HAVE, UH, HAVE RACKED UP.
UM, IN 2024, WE HAD, UH, A TAXABLE ASSESSMENT, SIR, OF A LITTLE OVER $1.26 BILLION.
AND, UH, AND THEN THE, UH, THE PROPOSED ASSESSMENTS THAT WENT OUT EARLIER, UH, SUBJECT TO OUR HEARINGS, CAME IN AT, UH, A LITTLE OVER A BILLION, UH, 416 MILLION.
UH, THE NET CHANGE FROM THE ASSESSOR'S HEARINGS WAS 1,000,300 69,000.
AND, UH, OUR CERTIFIED, UH, NUMBER AS A RESULT OF THE HEARING IS JUST A SUBTRACTION OF THAT FROM THEIR PROPOSED TOTAL, WHICH IS A 1,000,000,400 15,545,900.
AND SO THAT'S A, UH, A BASICALLY A 12% CHANGE FROM 2024.
UH, THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER NOTABLE ASSESSMENTS.
I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO ALSO JUST MENTION THAT THAT ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS AS WE WENT THROUGH.
WE ALSO, WE ALSO CHANGED PRETTY DRASTICALLY SOME, UH, SOME, UH, LARGE ACREAGE, UH, TRACKS IN THE, UH, SPRING GROVE SOLAR AREA WHERE THEY HAD SOLAR PANELS GOING IN.
THAT THE NEW, THE NEW PHASE OF THAT, WE BROUGHT ON BOARD AND CHANGED THOSE RURAL ACREAGE VALUES TO, UH, TO INDUSTRIAL VALUES, WHICH BROUGHT ABOUT A, A VERY FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE.
AND WE ALSO, UH, RECOGNIZED THAT THE, UH, THE GAS PROCESSING, THE BIOGAS PROCESSING PLANT CAME ONLINE.
UH, WE HAD THAT ASSESSMENT, UH, UH, COMPLETED, UH, ALONG WITH THE GATHERING ASSETS AND THE, UH, AND THE, UH, BIO DIGESTERS AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING.
THOSE, THOSE ADDED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ASSESSMENT.
I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER IN FRONT OF ME THAT THEY WERE VERY SUBSTANTIAL ASSESSMENT INCREASES ON THOSE PROPERTIES.
SO, UH, UH, THE, UH, ULTIMATE GOAL HERE WAS FOR US TO GET THE ASSESSMENT RATIO, THE MEDIAN ASSESSMENT RATIO THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION CALCULATES, UH, FROM THE, UH, FROM WHERE IT WAS LIKELY GOING TO LAND, SOMEWHERE AROUND THE HIGH EIGHTIES, UH, TO, AND GET IT BACK TO A HUNDRED PERCENT SO THAT, SO THAT ALL PROPERTIES, INCLUDING THE PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATION PROPERTIES, WOULD BE, UH, ASSESSED AT THEIR PROPER AMOUNT.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO BOOK, UM, DEPARTMENT TAXATION CERTIFIED, UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT RATIO FOR SURREY COUNTY FOR, UH, FOR 2025.
AND, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD SO FAR.
I WAS JUST, UH, UH, TALKING TO COMMISSIONER JUDKINS BEFORE I STEPPED TO THE PODIUM.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD SO FAR FOR THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.
UH, THE RATIO'S HOLDING PRETTY WELL.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT CONTINUES BECAUSE, UH, WHILE I ENJOY BEING IN SURREY
[00:25:01]
COUNTY, I IMAGINE SOME OF YOU FOLKS ARE GETTING TIRED OF SEEING ME, SOSO ANYWAY, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS THAT, UH, YOU THAT, UH, I CAN ANSWER, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO SO.
THANK YOU, SIR, FOR THE PRESENTATION BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? I SEE YOU'RE CHOPPING AT THE BIT, MR. COWAN.
NEXT PRESENTATION WILL BE OUR SHORT TERM RENTAL UPDATE.
MR. CHAIRMAN, BOARD MEMBERS, UM, AS YOU MAY RECALL, SORRY, AS YOU MAY RECALL, UM, THE BOARD TASKED ME WITH, UM, EXAMINING THE ISSUE OF SHORT TERM RENTALS IN THE COUNTY AND CONVENING A, UH, A COMMITTEE, UM, MADE UP OF CITIZENS AND, UM, COUNTY STAFF, CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS, INDIVIDUALS WHO, UM, WERE INTERESTED IN THIS ISSUE AND HAD INFORMATION TO CONTRIBUTE TO A DISCUSSION OF SHORT TERM RENTALS.
UM, AT THIS TIME, UM, WHAT, EXCUSE ME.
THE COMMITTEE LOOKED AT, UM, THE, UH, REGULATION LIMITATION OR OTHER MANAGEMENT OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS, UM, IN A USE THAT WOULD BEST SERVE THE NEEDS OF HOMEOWNERS, THE COMMUNITIES, THE BUSINESSES AND VISITORS IN THE COUNTY.
UH, THE COMMITTEE MET SEVERAL TIMES, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL MONTHS AND HAS NOW CONCLUDED ITS MEETINGS.
AND AT THIS TIME, UM, MYSELF IN COLLABORATION WITH THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, MR. WADE.
UM, AND ALSO WE'VE HAD SUMMIT CONSULTING, WHO HAS BEEN A, A GREAT HELP TO THIS PROCESS.
UH, WE'D LIKE TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE AS TO THE DISCUSSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEXT STEP, UM, IF THOSE NEXT STEPS ARE DESIRED BY THE BOARD.
UM, AND I, I WOULD BE REMISS TO NOT THANK THE INDIVIDUALS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE SHORT TERM RENTAL COMMITTEE, SOME, SOME OF WHOM ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE WITH US TODAY.
AND JUST AGAIN, WANT, WANT TO THANK THEM.
I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO AUNT ARBY WITH SUMMIT CONSULTING, WHO WILL PROVIDE THE UPDATE.
WE'VE BEEN HAPPY TO WORK WITH SURY AGAIN ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, SO AGAIN, AGAIN, AS MS. PERKINS SAID, WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH A PROCESS.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, AND THEN TALK, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE ENABLING LEGISLATION AND PARAMETERS SET IN STATE CODE, AND THEN GET TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT MS. PERKINS WAS JUST MENTIONING.
WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WE HAD MS. CHEEK, MS. DIANE CHEEK, WHO'S ALSO REPRESENTING THE PLANNING COMMISSION, MR. DAVID COGAN, UH, BRUCE COUCH, TTA DAVIS, CLAYTON, LINDSAY ROSE MILLER, CATHERINE WALLS, AND MYRON WOODEN, REPRESENTING THE EDA FROM THE COUNTY.
WE HAD PAT, PAT BERNHAUSEN, RENEE CHAPLIN, JONATHAN JUDKINS, LOLA PERKINS, AND HORACE WADE.
WE WORKED ON THIS PROJECT, UH, STARTING ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
IN APRIL OF 2024, WE KICKED OFF AND CREATED AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS INVITED.
THE ONES THAT I JUST NAMED ARE ONES THAT, UH, PARTICIPATED ACTIVELY THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS AND, AND, AND STUCK WITH IT THE THROUGH THE WHOLE TIME.
UM, SO AGAIN, IN MAY AND JUNE, WE, EXCUSE ME, WE RELEASED A SURVEY IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR, AND WE HELD IT OPEN.
THERE'S A WHOLE SLIDE ON THE SURVEY.
I'LL EXPLAIN THE SURVEY RESULTS.
UM, THROUGH THAT TIME, WE KEPT MEETING WITH THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, GOING OVER THE INFORMATION, WHICH I WILL ACTUALLY SHARE WITH YOU.
THE POWERPOINT SORT OF FOLLOWS THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT ALONG.
UH, LAST FALL, WE DRAFTED RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON ALL THAT RESEARCH AND THE FEEDBACK.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, WE, IT'S, AND DURING THAT TIME, WE ALSO MET WITH CHARLES CITY AND I OF WHITE, UH, COUNTY STAFF, WHICH THAT TWO OF THOSE COUNTIES KEPT COMING UP AS EXAMPLES THAT WE SHOULD, UM, LOOK TO.
AND THEN WE HAD A FINAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING LAST NOVEMBER, AND THEN WAITED.
STAFF WANTED TO WAIT, I THINK, VERY WISELY TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION BECAUSE THE SHORT TERM RENTALS DID COME UP.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD A GOOD IDEA OF WHERE THAT WAS GONNA GO AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE WOULD BE NEW LEGISLATION THAT WOULD AFFECT THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO AGAIN, THE CODE OF A, THE CODE OF VIRGINIA IS, UH, PERMISSIVE IN THAT IT GIVES THE, UM, PERMITS, LOCALITIES TO CREATE A REGISTRY FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS.
IT DOESN'T SAY YOU HAVE TO, IT JUST GIVES LOCALITIES THE PERMISSION TO DO SO AND REQUIRE OWNER OPERATORS TO REGISTER AND PAY FEES.
A COUPLE OF EXCEPTIONS, IF THE SHORT TERM RENTAL IS THE PRIMARY RESIDENCE OF THE OWNER OPERATOR, AS IN, IF YOU ARE HAVING STAY IN YOUR GUEST BEDROOM AND YOU'RE PUTTING THAT ON AIRBNB, THAT CAN'T BE, UH,
[00:30:01]
PUT REQUIRED TO BE PUT ON THE REGISTER.AND A TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX MAY NOT BE CHARGED FOR THAT.
UM, AS WELL, ACTIVE FARMS WITH A SHORT TERM, UH, RENTAL ON THE PROPERTY, IF YOU ARE LIVING ON A, ON A FARM, AND THAT IS AN, WE'LL TALK LATER ABOUT THE DEFINITION OF FARM.
UM, BUT ACTIVE FARMS WITH AN STR ON THE PROPERTY, EVEN IF IT'S A CABIN THAT'S FAR AWAY FROM THE MAIN HOUSE, THAT CANNOT BE, UH, BEHOLDEN TO LOCAL SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCES.
UH, PARTIALLY THAT'S PART OF, UH, AN ATTORNEY, ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE OPINION.
SO AGAIN, THROUGH THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 2024, WE ESTABLISHED THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UH, AND I'M SAYING WE, BUT IT'S, THIS IS REALLY YOUR
UM, AND ESTABLISHED AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, AND THEN WORK TO UNDERSTANDING THE EXISTING CONDITIONS IN SURREY.
'CAUSE WE WANTED TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE STARTING, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THESE, UH, RENTALS ARE NOT REGULATED, I'LL SHOW YOU ANOTHER SLIDE.
AND SO THE CHOICE IS WHAT TO DO, WHETHER, NOT WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM, NOT WHETHER OR NOT THEY SHOULD EXIST.
SO WE DEVELOPED AND DISTRIBUTED AN ONLINE SURVEY.
I HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE, I'LL DESCRIBE THAT, AND THEN INTERPRETED AND SHARED THE SURVEY RESULTS WITH THE COMMITTEE.
AGAIN, I'M, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A REPEAT OF THE SCHEDULE SLIDE.
SO AS OF LAST JUNE, WHEN WE DID ALL OF THIS RESEARCH, WE REALLY WENT ON EVERY WEBSITE.
WE WENT ON VRBO, WE WENT ON AIRBNB.
UH, SOME, I HAD NEVER HEARD OF SOME THAT ARE QUITE NICHE, BUT, UM, THE ONES THAT WE OFTEN CALL SHORT-TERM RENTALS, AIRBNBS, UM, BUT THAT'S JUST BECAUSE IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST PREDOMINANT, UH, WEBSITE LISTING THEM.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE MOSTLY, UM, AROUND THE RIVER.
UM, BUT NOT, CERTAINLY NOT ISOLATED.
THE SURVEY WAS OPEN FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF LAST SUMMER.
WE RECEIVED 104 TOTAL RESPONSES.
I WON'T GO INTO ALL OF THE QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT WE GOT AN IDEA OF, UM, WHO WAS ANSWERING THE SURVEY.
IF THEY WERE A RESIDENT, AN OWNER, AN OPERATOR OF A SHORT-TERM RENTAL, OR, OR WHAT STANCE THEY MAY HAVE.
UM, THEY COULD PROVIDE THEIR ADDRESS JUST 'CAUSE THAT GIVES US AN IDEA.
WE ALWAYS LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING ONE PERSON ANSWERING THE SURVEY MULTIPLE TIMES JUST TO GET THEIR OPINION HEARD.
UM, BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO GIVE THEIR ADDRESS IF PEOPLE WANTED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS.
WE STARTED BY LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER LOCALITIES IN VIRGINIA ARE DOING THIS SINCE THE, THE LEGISLATION WAS ENACTED.
UM, 45, I THINK LOCALITIES HAVE VERY CLEAR SHORT TERM RENTAL, UM, REGULATIONS.
AND THEY ARE THE, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ONES IN BLUE ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE DECIDED AND GONE THROUGH A PROCESS TO, UH, REGULATE SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, THEY AS DIVERSE A STATE AS WE ARE.
UH, NOT ALL OF THESE LOCALITIES, OF COURSE, WE HAVE ALL OF SOME THINGS IN COMMON, BUT THERE ARE RURAL LOCALITIES.
THERE ARE, UH, URBAN OR SUBURBAN LOCALITIES.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE SMALL TOWNS AND THERE ARE A LOT OF COUNTIES.
SO, UH, WE LOOKED TO ALL OF THESE, WE READ ALL OF THE ORDINANCES, AND WE FOUND COMMONALITIES AND LOOKED TO SUGGESTIONS OF WHAT THE KIND OF THINGS ARE OTHER LOCALITIES REGULATING.
ARE THEY REGULATING PARKING? ARE THEY REGULATING PARTIES? ARE THEY REGULATING HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN BE IN A SHORT TERM RENTAL? UM, SO WE LOOKED AT THAT, BUT AGAIN, WE LOOKED, UH, AGAIN AND AGAIN TO STATE CODE BECAUSE THERE IS THE LEGISLATION THAT PUTS PARAMETERS AROUND WHAT CAN BE REGULATED.
AGAIN, THEY DO ENABLE THE, THE, UH, REGISTRY, BUT THEY ALSO DEFINE SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
SO THE PROVISION, SHORT-TERM RENTAL IS THE PROVISION OF A ROOM OR A SPACE THAT IS SUITABLE OR INTENDED FOR OCCUPANCY, FOR DWELLING, SLEEPING, OR LODGING PURPOSES FOR A PERIOD OF FEWER THAN 30 CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN EXCHANGE FOR A CHARGE OF THE OCCUPANCY.
THAT SEEMS REALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD, BUT THEN THE NEXT THING STARTS HAPPENING.
QUESTIONS, WHAT ABOUT MY BOAT? WHAT ABOUT THE TRAILER IN MY NEIGHBOR'S BACKYARD? IT WAS WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THERE ARE MANY QUESTIONS THAT ACTUALLY COME UP.
SO SHORT-TERM RENTALS, AND THIS ISN'T, WE DIDN'T MAKE THIS UP, THIS IS NOT THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION, THIS IS STATE CODE.
SHORT-TERM RENTALS CAN BE A HOUSE.
THEY COULD BE A ROOM AND A HOUSE.
THEY CAN BE AN APARTMENT, AN ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT, OR A TINY HOME OR IN A PERMANENT FOUNDATION.
SO THEY CANNOT BE A MOBILE HOME, A TRAILER MANUFACTURED HOUSING, RECREATIONAL VEHICLES, CAMPERS, BOATS, AIRCRAFT.
IF YOU HAVE AN AIRPLANE THAT YOU'RE NOT USING IN YOUR BACKYARD, YOU MAY NOT RENT IT OUT FOR A SHORT TERM RENTAL TENTS OR YURTS.
I KNOW IF YOU GO ON AIRBNB, THERE'S A LOT OF GLAMPING.
THERE ARE A LOT OF YURTS TECHNICALLY ACCORDING TO VIRGINIA STATE CODE THAT MAY NOT BE REGULATED AS A SHORT TERM RENTAL.
THEN THE NEXT QUESTION WE ALWAYS GET, AND WE GOT A LOT, WHAT IS, WHAT ABOUT TINY HOMES? SO TINY
[00:35:01]
HOMES ARE REALLY TWO THINGS.IF THEY, IF A TINY HOME, WHAT YOU LOOK AT AND DO YOU THINK IS A TINY HOME, IF IT'S ON WHEELS, THEN STATE CODE CLASSIFIES THAT AS A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE.
IF YOU CAN TAKE IT WITH YOUR TRUCK AND MOVE IT TO ANOTHER PLACE, THEN IT CAN BE REGISTERED WITH THE DMV AND IT CAN'T BE, UH, PUT ON THE REGISTER, UH, THE RE THE COUNTY'S REGISTRY AND CHARGED A TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX.
SO THAT SAID, IF A TINY HOMES ARE AN APPOINTMENT OF FOUNDATION, IT'S JUST A HOME, AND IT HAS, IF IT'S UNDER FOUR OR 400 SQUARE FEET, IT HAS A SPECIAL PART OF VIRGINIA BUILDING CODE.
IT CAN BE A SHORT TERM RENTAL.
SO ARE THERE OTHER EXCEPTIONS? YES, THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED A HOME SHARE.
UH, IN VIRGINIA STATE CODE, AGAIN, WE'RE JUST GOING BACK TO STATE CODE, SO WE'RE NOT ON OUR OWN HERE.
ZONING ORDINANCE ALSO DEFINES THIS.
SO WE'RE A ROOM OR ROOM, OR OFFERED A ROOM, OR ROOMS ARE OFFERED FOR RENT FOR LESS THAN 30 CONSECUTIVE DAYS BY THE HOMEOWNER WHO USES THE HOME AS THEIR PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE AND OCCUPIES THE HOME DURING ALL RENTAL PERIODS.
SO PICTURE, IF YOU WERE MAYBE TRYING TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY, MAYBE YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH TRAVEL NURSES OR THEIR MANY, MANY DIFFERENT EXAMPLES, AND YOU ARE SOME CHARGING SOMEONE, BUT IT'S A FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIP.
THEY'RE IN YOUR HOUSE FOR UNDER 30 DAYS.
THAT CANNOT BE CONSIDERED A SHORT TERM RENTAL PUT ON THE REGISTER OR TAX.
OKAY? SO WE'VE GOT SOME GOOD PARAMETERS NOW.
SO HERE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
HERE ARE THE EXISTING SURY ZONING DISTRICTS.
AND IN SOME WE'RE THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, AGAIN, I'M SAYING WE, I'M SPEAKING FOR THE COMMITTEE AND FOR STAFF.
UM, SO, UH, SOME WOULD BE ALLOWED BY WRIGHT IN AR AND, AND, UM, BASICALLY ALL THE AGRICULTURAL DISTRICTS BY WRIGHT IN BUSINESS DISTRICTS, NOT PERMITTED AS ARE NO OTHER RESIDENCES IN THE M1 AND, AND TWO INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS BY RIGHT IN THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.
UM, AND THEN BY CUP IN THE R ONE AND R TWO, AND NOT PERMITTED IN THE ET DISTRICT.
SO, NUMBER ONE, RECOMMENDATIONS, YES, CREATE THE REGISTRY.
UH, IN THIS, AS DICTATED BY STATE CODE OPERATORS MUST REGISTER ANNUALLY.
UH, THE FEE MUST BE, QUOTE, REASONABLE AND RELATED TO THE COST OF MAINTAINING THE REGISTRY.
SO THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT ARBITRARY.
IT'S NOT, WELL, WE DON'T REALLY WANT THEM, SO WE'RE GONNA CHARGE AN EXORBITANT FEE.
IT'S HOW MUCH WOULD THIS ACTUALLY COST THE COUNTY, WHAT STAFF TIME? ARE THERE ANY EXTRA SOFTWARE COST, ET CETERA.
AND THEN WHAT, WHAT IS A REASONABLE FEE FOR THAT? SO THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS FOR REAL ESTATE AGENTS.
UH, TIMESHARES CAN ALSO NOT BE, PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE ADDED TIMESHARES TO THE OTHER
UM, OR, OR, OR GROUP HOMES, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ARE REGISTERED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
SO THE, THOSE CANNOT ALSO BE, UM, AND RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE A, A DECLINE, UH, EXCUSE ME, A FINE AS THIS IS ALSO ENABLED BY STATE CODE FOR DECLINING TO REGISTER.
AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S NOT A STEEP FEE.
IT'S, IT'S A, UM, SMALL PENALTY.
BUT, UM, THAT SAID, IF THERE IS A VIOLATION AND AN OPERATOR DOESN'T PAY THE FEE, THEY CAN BE PROHIBITED FROM OPERATING.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, ACCORDING TO STATE LAW, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE A RENTER DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T OPERATE A SHORT TERM RENTAL IF YOU HAVE WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.
THAT SAID, IT'S LIMITED TO ONE, YOU CAN'T BE A RENTER, RENT OUT ALL OF PROPERTIES ALL OVER THE COUNTY AND THEN DO THAT.
SO, SO AGAIN, RECOMMENDATIONS AS IS ENABLED BY STATE CODE, THE COUNTY SHOULD INSTITUTE AND COLLECT A TRANSIT OCCUPANCY TAX.
THAT, AGAIN, IS, THAT'S A REFERENCE TO A DIFFERENT STATE CODE SECTION THAT IS VERY CLEAR ABOUT HOW THAT IS TO HAPPEN.
UM, THE TAX SHOULD BE COLLECTED BY ALL SHORT-TERM RENTAL PLATFORMS AND SUBMITTED TO THE COUNTY'S OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR THE REVENUE.
SO, OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS, AND YOU ALL HAVE, I BELIEVE THE, THE YES ALL HAVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AS WRITTEN IN, UH, ABOUT A FOUR PAGE REPORT THAT WILL GO INTO THEM.
UM, BUT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, AND AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT SPECIFIC, THE ORDINANCE HAS NOT BEEN WRITTEN.
THIS IS THE TIME TO ASK FOR YOUR FEEDBACK AND PLANNING COMMISSION'S FEEDBACK.
BUT, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO MAKE CERTAIN, UH, PARAMETERS AROUND NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER.
THERE WAS, UM, WE A A LOT OF THE SURVEY WE ASKED, UM, ABOUT SOME OF THE MORE INTERESTING, UH, TYPES OF AIRBNBS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE GEODESIC DOMES AVAILABLE TO RENT OR, UH, AIRBNB IN VIRGINIA.
UH, WE GOT A PRETTY CLEAR FEEDBACK FROM, UH, SURVEY RESPONDENTS THAT THEY WERE NOT IN INTO THAT IN SURY COUNTY AND WOULD LIKE FOR, UH, A NEW SHORT TERM RENTAL TO HAVE TO FIT WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER,
[00:40:02]
UH, PRIVATE NEIGHBORHOODS.THERE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THAT.
AND THERE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THAT PARKING TO REGULATE PARKING.
NOBODY WANTED TO SEE PARKING OF SOMEBODY RENTING AN AIRBNB AT THEIR NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE AND PARKING ALL OVER THE STREET AND NOT THEM NOT BEING ABLE TO PARK IN THEIR DRIVEWAY.
SO THERE'S SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS TO REGULATE PARKING, TRASH AND STORAGE DISPOSAL.
AGAIN, THAT'S JUST WHAT, WHAT KEPT COMING UP? WELL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S FINE, BUT, UH, WHAT IF THEY HAVE A HUGE PARTY AND THEN THEY, YOU KNOW, THROW TRASH AND RACCOONS GET IT OR WHATEVER.
SO THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, TRASH, STORAGE AND DISPOSAL.
UM, SIZE OF UNITS SCREENING, AS IN, IF THERE'S A NEW BUILDING, UM, THAT IT MIGHT WANNA BE SCREENED FROM.
AGAIN, NONE OF THIS IS VERY SPECIFIC.
IT'S A RECOMMENDATION THAT SCREENING SHOULD BE CONSIDERED NOISE PARTIES AND LARGE GATHERINGS.
I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS ABOUT SHORT-TERM RENTALS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, UH, SMALL A FAMILY OR A COUPLE OF FRIENDS OR WHOMEVER, UH, GOING TO HAVE A NICE NIGHT AND GOING TO BED AT NINE 30.
I THINK THE, THE FEAR IS THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A WEDDING OR A PARTY AND IT'S JUST GONNA BE CHAOS.
SO YOU CAN REGULATE THAT SAFETY AGAIN.
UM, THERE, WE, WE COVERED A LOT OF CONCERNS OVER WHAT IF, WHAT IF SOMEONE COMES TO RUN AN AIRBNB, BUT THEIR CELL PHONE PROVIDER DOES NOT GIVE SERVICE IN SURREY COUNTY? HOW WILL THEY BEHAVE IN THE CASE OF EMERGENCY? SO, UM, SO ALL OF THAT WAS THOUGHT THROUGH, AGAIN, HOW TO REVOKE THE LICENSE IF THESE THINGS ARE VIOLATED.
UM, AND THEN VIOLENCE, ALTERCATION OR NUISANCE.
SO AGAIN, NOBODY WANTS TO HAVE A SHORT TERM RENTAL NEARBY WHERE PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING IN THE YARD OR SCREAMING OR ANY OF THESE THINGS THAT REALLY NOBODY WANTS TO LIVE AROUND.
UM, OKAY, I WENT THROUGH A YEAR PRETTY QUICKLY.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, MR. CHAIR? PLEASE? MR. UM, HOW MANY QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT OUT WHEN YOU GOT 103 RESPONSES? WE DIDN'T SEND OUT PAPER QUESTIONNAIRES.
THERE WERE PAPER AVAILABLE BECAUSE SOME, THERE ARE ALWAYS SOME PEOPLE THAT DON'T WANT TO DO THE QR CODE ON THEIR PHONE.
UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY SAW IT.
AND MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I COULD ADD TO MR. MR. CALHOUN'S QUESTION, WE DID POST IT ON THE WEBSITE, RIGHT? UM, A NOTIFICATION DID GO OUT IF, IF, IF ANYONE WAS SIGNED UP FOR THE SURY COUNTY ALERTS.
SO, UM, WE DID BRING IT UP, UM, I BELIEVE AT A BOARD MEETING AS WELL AS A PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING THAT THE SURVEY WAS GONNA BE OUT THERE.
UM, SO I FORGOT ABOUT THE SIERRA CODE.
UM, AND THEN YOUR DEFINITION OF 30 DAYS, AND YOU REFERENCED TRAVEL NURSES.
MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR USED TO BE A TRAVEL NURSE, AND SHE WAS GONE MORE THAN 30 DAYS AT A TIME.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU EXCEED 30 DAYS? FOR THE RECORD? I CAME UP WITH THAT EXAMPLE ON THE FLY.
IT WAS NOT A RESEARCH, THAT'S FINE.
SO, UM, IF IT'S MORE THAN 30 DAYS, I BELIEVE THAT STATE CODE, 'CAUSE THAT WAS ABOUT THE HOME STAY OR, OR THE SHORT TERM RENTAL, BOTH OF THOSE ARE DEFINED IN STATE CODE.
I BELIEVE AT THAT POINT IT'S, IT'S JUST WOULD BE CONSIDERED A REGULAR RENTAL OF A RESIDENCE AND THEREFORE IF SOMEONE'S STAYING THERE LONGER, THAT'S TRUE.
IT, IT JUST, IT WOULD NOT BE ON THE REGISTRY ANYMORE.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS? MR. CHAIR? MR. PIERCE? YES, SIR.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
LIKE YOU SAY YOU DID A GREAT JOB GOING OVER A YEAR IN A MATTER OF WHAT, FIVE, SIX MINUTES, RIGHT?
UM, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY THOUGH, I'M SITTING HERE THINKING, UM, ABOUT THIS OP UM, I GUESS THIS, UM, ORDINANCE, UM, AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE, WERE SENT OUT.
UM, I REMEMBER IN YOUR PRESENTATION WITH THE COUNTIES THAT ARE, UM, ALREADY HAVE SOMETHING SIMILAR ORDINANCE MM-HMM
UH, DO YOU HAVE A, UH, LIKE OUT OF THOSE COUNTIES, WHICH LIKE ARE RURAL OR WHAT COUNTIES KIND OF ARE SIMILAR TO SIRI THAT HAVE SOMETHING WE DO YOU HAVE IT RIGHT OFF HAND? I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT OFFHAND.
THAT ABSOLUTELY WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WENT OVER BECAUSE, BECAUSE, AND THEN, AND THAT WAS SOME FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM THE ADVISORY, UM, COMMITTEE BECAUSE THE FIRST LIST THAT WE CAME UP, WE SAID, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, NORFOLK DOES THIS AND YOU KNOW, ARLINGTON DOES THIS, OR BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
AND CLEARLY THE RESPONSE WAS, NO, WE ONLY WANNA TALK ABOUT THE, WELL NOT, YOU KNOW, BUT WE REALLY WANNA TALK ABOUT OUR PEER COUNTIES.
AND SO WE DID FOCUS ON, WE DID FOCUS ON PIER COUNTIES, UM, BUT ALSO WE WANT, WE STILL WANTED TO LOOK AT THE PRECEDENTS TO SEE LIKE WHAT WITHIN THE ENABLING LEGISLATION ARE OTHER LOCALITIES DOING LEGALLY.
[00:45:01]
SO ON THIS, UH, THANK YOU FOR PULLING IT BACK UP.SO I, ON HERE IT IS, UH, A VARIETY OF, I GUESS, UM, SIMILAR TO SIR AND SOME MORE, I GUESS URBAN, LIKE YOU SAID, TO YOUR POINT, NORFOLK MM-HMM
IF I, IF I MAY, UH, MR. PIERCE, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT, UH, SOME HAVE SIMILARITIES IN TERMS OF BEING A, A WATER COMMUNITY, UH, LIKE SURY.
UH, OTHERS, UM, ARE AGAIN LOCATED IN A MORE RURAL AREA.
SO WE, WE DID IN OUR RESEARCH, TRY AND TRY AND FIND THERE, THERE'S NO PLACE EXACTLY LIKE SURY, BUT WE TRIED TO FIND PLACES THAT HAD SIMILARITIES IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
I REMEMBER YOU GUYS, UH, PRESENTED.
I WAS JUST, I I'M JUST CURIOUS, DID YOU GUYS KNOW, LIKE, I'M NOT GOOD AT GEOGRAPHY.
I DIDN'T KNOW LIKE EXACTLY WHAT COUNTY IS, UH, YOU KNOW, RIGHT HERE.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.
NO, I, THAT, THAT, THAT'S MY, AS A PLANNER WHO LOOKS AT MAPS ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, I SOMETIMES FORGET THAT NOT EVERYONE IS NOT NERDY.
BUT IF YOU WANT ANY OF THAT INFORMATION, THE RESEARCH, WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE IT.
I THINK I'M, I GOT AN IDEA NOW, SO I THINK, YEAH.
SO, UM, WHAT, UM, WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR THIS EVENING FROM THE BOARD IS SOME DIRECTION AS TO WHETHER WE SHOULD PROCEED WITH THE NEXT STEPS AND NEXT STEPS WOULD BE TAKING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND, UM, LOOKING AT DRAFTING AN ORDINANCE, UM, THAT WOULD THEN, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH THE, THE, THE TYPICAL ORDINANCE PROCESS.
UH, BUT AT THIS POINT, AS MS. DARBY STATED, THESE ARE, THESE ARE VERY HIGH LEVEL RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE WOULD NEED TO DRILL FURTHER DOWN INTO THOSE AND ENSURE THAT WHATEVER ORDINANCE THAT WAS DRAFTED WOULD BE LEGALLY DEFENSIBLE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR.
AND, AND IT WOULDN'T JUST BE A SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE THAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT AS YOU SAW SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN INVOLVED TAX.
SO THAT WOULD BE WORKING WITH MR. JUDKINS AND, UH, DEVELOPING SOME TAX RELATED ORDINANCES AS WELL.
BUT AT THIS POINT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOME, SOME DIRECTION ON WHETHER YOU ALL WOULD LIKE US TO CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATH.
BOARD MEMBERS ANY, ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS, UH, ASK FROM STAFF CHAIR.
WHAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMITTEE? ARE THE, ARE THE PEOPLE ASSEMBLED? DID THEY RECOMMEND WE MOVE FORWARD? MR. CHAIRMAN? YES.
YES, MR. HARDY, THEY'VE RECOMMENDED THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME SORT OF REGULATION LIMITATION AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS DOCUMENT GOES, GOES INTO, UM, WHAT AREAS THEY THOUGHT WE SHOULD LOOK AT WHEN DEVELOPING AN ORDINANCE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? IF THERE BE NONE, DO WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR STAFF ON PREPARATION OF AN ORDINANCE CHAIR? MR. HARDY? I MOVE THAT WE, UH, GO FORWARD WITH THE, UH, WITH THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE STAFF TO, UM, PROCEED TO THE NEXT STEP.
THE, UM, CONCERNING SHORT TERM RENTAL.
SECOND, IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MOVED.
ALL IN FAVOR? LET IT BE KNOWN BY THE VOTING SIGN OF AYE.
WE ASKING STAFF TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE NEXT STEPS.
[Public Hearing]
MEMBERS IS A ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TWENTY TWENTY FOUR ZERO FOUR.AND WE WILL CALL TO ORDER THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS MATTER AND WE WILL HAVE A PRESENTATION BY STAFF.
GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN ELLIOT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MR. PERKINS, UM, TONIGHT WE DO HAVE A, A ORDINANCE BEFORE YOU, UM, CALLED THE BATTERY AND ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS ORDINANCE.
UM, I WANT TO KIND OF LET YOU GIVE YOU A PREFACE OF IT.
WE DO HAVE AN APPLICANT THAT IS TYPICALLY, WE DON'T HAVE APPLICANTS FOR A LOT OF OUR ORDINANCES, BUT THIS ONE, THIS ONE STARTED THAT WAY.
UM, GIVE YOU A A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND OF HOW WE GOT THERE.
UM, UH, INITIALLY WE HAD HAD A PRE-APPLICATION MEETING WITH THE APPLICANT.
THEY WANTED TO PRESENT TO THE COUNTY A,
[00:50:01]
UM, BATTERY, BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM, IN WHICH CASE WE LOOKED THROUGH OUR ORDINANCES AND WE SUGGESTED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A USE FIT FOR THAT.UM, AND THE REASON WHY WE SAY WE DIDN'T HAVE A USE FIT FOR THAT, UM, WE SAW HOW SURY COUNTY PREVIOUSLY WENT FROM USING UTILITY MAJOR TO NOW REQUIRING A NEW ORDINANCE, UM, FOR SOLAR PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE HAVE DEFINED NOW A NEW USE FOR, FOR SOLAR PROJECTS.
WE FELT THE BEST WAY TO ADDRESS THIS WOULD BE SIMILAR, THAT WE WENT THROUGH SIMILAR STAGE THAT WE WENT THROUGH FOR SOLAR APPLICATIONS, UM, BY ADDRESSING, UM, THE SPECIFIC REGULATIONS RELATED TO THAT PARTICULAR USE.
SO PREVIOUSLY, SUR COUNTY USED UTILITY, UH, MAJOR FOR PROJECTS LIKE THAT, BUT WE FELT WOULD BE, UH, BEST ADDRESSED THROUGH AN ACTUAL SPECIFIC USE TYPE FOR THIS SPECIFIC STANDARD.
UH, AND WE WOULD SEE THE LOCALITIES THAT WE DOING SOMETHING VERY MUCH SIMILAR.
SO WE, WE FELT WOULD BE A BEST ADDRESSED IN SURY COUNTY, UM, TO DEFINE ORDERS.
AND WE ASK THE APPLICANT WOULD THEY, WOULD THEY WANT US TO WORK ON IT? 'CAUSE IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME FOR US TO DRAFT THE ORDINANCE UP OR IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO, UM, SUBMIT SOME LANGUAGE AND, UH, AND, AND SUBMIT THE APPLICATION WITH SOME SUGGESTED LANGUAGE FOR THE ORDINANCE.
SO THEY DECIDED THAT GO THAT ROUTE.
UM, WE DID, UH, SUGGEST THEY USE OUR SOLAR ORDINANCE AS A GUIDE TO HOW WE WANT TO SEE OUR ORDINANCE DEVELOPED, AND THEY USED THAT ALONG WITH BENCHMARKING OF THE LOCALITIES.
SO I DO HAVE WITH US, UM, THERE'S MR. FOSTER, MR. RUMBLE RIGHT HERE.
UM, THERE, THERE ARE APPLICANT AND AN APPLICANT'S REPRESENTATIVE HERE, UM, TO TONIGHT TO DO A PRESENTATION FOR YOU ON THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT.
AND WHENEVER YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER YOU THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
SO I'M THE, THE FIRST LEG OF A, A BIT OF A DOG AND PONY SHOW HERE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE WITH US, UH, MATT KIM, WHO IS WITH THE FIRE AND RISK ALLIANCE, WHO'S, WHO'S HERE AS A REFERENCE FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY RELATED TO THE BATTERIES.
AND THEN SCOTT FOSTER IS OUR COUNSEL AS WELL.
HE'S BEEN DOING MOST OF THE, UH, THE DRAFTING ON THE ORDINANCE.
SO I'M GONNA INTRODUCE JUST BRIEFLY WHAT THESE SYSTEMS ARE, UH, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE IN AN ORDINANCE AND ARE INCLUDED IN OTHER COUNTY'S ORDINANCES THAT ARE DONE WELL.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE MR. KIM AVAILABLE FOR, FOR REFERENCE IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, ABOUT SAFETY.
AND THEN, UH, MR. FOSTER WILL, WILL SPEAK BRIEFLY ABOUT THE, THE ORDINANCE AND HOW WE GOT TO THE, THE DRAFT THAT YOU HAVE WITH YOU TODAY.
SO AT ITS ITS HIGHEST LEVEL, THE, THE PURPOSE OF THE, THE BATTERIES ARE TO CHARGE, UH, IN STORE ENERGY FROM, FROM THE GRID DURING PERIODS OF, OF LOW DEMAND.
AND THEN TO REDISTRIBUTE IT TO THE GRID WHEN THERE IS, IS, UH, HIGH DEMAND.
SO USUALLY WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS IN THE FIRST PART OF THE DAY, AND IN THE, THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, THERE'S LOW DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY ACROSS THE SYSTEM.
THE BATTERY IS CHARGING DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, PRICES ARE GENERALLY LOWER.
AND THEN LATER IN THE DAY, THEY ARE, UH, RELEASING THAT BACK TO THE GRID.
AND THAT'S USUALLY AROUND, UH, A PEAK PERIOD OF TIME WHEN EVERYBODY GETS HOME FROM DINNER AROUND FIVE OR, AND PREPARES FOR DINNER FIVE, SIX O'CLOCK, SEVEN O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
UH, RINSE AND REPEAT O OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR, FOR THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT.
UM, BUT WITH THAT, THAT RELATIVELY SIMPLE FUNCTION OF CHARGING AND THEN, THEN RELEASING ENERGY COMES A LOT OF, OF BENEFITS TO THE, THE ELECTRICAL GRID, WHICH IS WHY THESE ARE, ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE POPULAR.
UM, SO NOT ONLY ARE THEY HELPING SMOOTH THE, THE DEMAND CURVE THROUGHOUT THE DAY, BUT THEY, THEY HELP, UH, OTHER TRADITIONAL GENERATING SYSTEMS RAMP THEIR PRODUCTION.
SO IF, IF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, THE SURY NUCLEAR PLANT NEEDS TO INCREASE ITS PRODUCTION BECAUSE, UH, DEMAND IS RISING, UH, BUT THEY CAN'T DO IT ON A 10 MINUTE INTERVAL OR A 15 MINUTE INTERVAL, THEN THE BATTERY CAN STEP IN AND, AND PRODUCE POWER WHILE THE, UH, THE NUCLEAR FACILITY KIND OF RAMP RAMPS UP.
UH, IT ALSO HELPS REGULATE, UH, THE, THE VOLTAGE AND THE FREQUENCY ON THE SYSTEM.
THERE ARE A, A MYRIAD OF BENEFITS.
I'M HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT ANY AND, AND ALL OF THESE, BUT, UH, IT TURNS OUT AT MOST OF THESE, I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT'S, THAT'S ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN THE NUANCE.
SO IF, IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS, I'D, I'D LOVE TO, UH, SPEND HOURS GOING THROUGH THIS.
BUT, UM, THERE, THESE ARE IN DEMAND NOT JUST BECAUSE OF, UH, OF BEING PAIRED WITH SOLAR PROJECTS, WHICH IS COMMON, BUT FOR A HOST OF OTHER, UH, OTHER USES FOR THE ELECTRICAL GRID AS STANDALONE RESOURCES.
[00:55:01]
ARE THEY, WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE? THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR TO, UH, ALL OF YOUR, IF WE TOOK ALL EVERYBODY'S PHONES IN THE ROOM AND WE TOOK THE BATTERIES OUT, AND THEN WE WIRED 'EM TOGETHER AND, AND PUT THEM, UH, ON TOP OF, OF CRATES AND THEN PACKAGED THOSE CRATES INTO A, UH, WHAT AMOUNTS TO A SHIPPING CONTAINER.SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY, THEY'RE ALL VERY MODULAR, ALL VERY SIMILAR.
THE COMPONENTS ARE, ARE ESSENTIALLY IDENTICAL, JUST STRUNG TOGETHER.
IT, IT AMOUNTS TO WHAT'S IN A, UH, AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERY OR YOUR PHONE BATTERY.
THE CHEMISTRY IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S, IT REALLY FUNCTIONS VERY MUCH THE SAME.
THE TECHNOLOGY IS, IS VERY SIMILAR.
UM, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE BOTTOM LEFT THERE.
YOU SEE THE BATTERY CELL, THAT WOULD BE KINDA THE INDIVIDUAL COMPONENT.
AND THEN THEY'RE COMBINED INTO MODULES.
THE MODULES ARE THEN PUT INTO A RACK, AND THEN THE RACK GOES INTO, UH, A SHIPPING CONTAINER.
UH, THEY ALSO INCLUDE SOME, SOME OTHER PRETTY STANDARD, UH, ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT THAT, THAT YOU WOULD SEE AT ANY GENERATING SITE, WHICH, UH, INCLUDES POWER TRANSFORMERS AND, UH, AND INVERTERS.
AND THIS IS WHAT ONE LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE.
UH, THIS, THIS IS ONE OF OUR PROJECTS THAT WAS RECENTLY FINISHED IN, IN NEW MEXICO.
YOU CAN SEE IT, IT LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE A STRING OF, OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A, UH, IT'S A 400 MEGAWATT PROJECT.
UH, I BELIEVE SO THE, THE TOTAL FOOTPRINT ON, ON THAT IS, IS ONLY ABOUT 25 ACRES.
UM, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY, VERY DENSE, UH, AND, AND RELATIVELY SMALL IN THE WAY OF FOOTPRINT, BUT, BUT LARGE IN THE WAY OF, OF ECONOMIC BENEFIT FROM, FROM THAT DENSITY.
SO JUST A COUPLE THINGS BRIEFLY.
WHY, WHY WOULD THE COUNTY BE INTERESTED IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS? WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A A BATTERY SYSTEM? THE, THE TAX REVENUE IS, IS THE MAIN ONE.
AND THAT'S PAIRED DIRECTLY WITH THE, THE DENSITY AND, AND SMALL FOOTPRINT.
SO THEY CAN BE PUT, THEY, THEY DON'T REQUIRE 800, 900 ACRES.
UH, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THESE WILL BE ON 10, 15, 20 ACRES.
UM, SO THEY CAN BE PUT IN PLACES WHERE THEY ARE LESS EASILY SEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, STRATEGICALLY LOCATED.
AND THEY, THAT, THAT DENSITY ALSO COMES WITH SIGNIFICANT TAX REVENUE ON A SMALL ACREAGE FOOTPRINT.
UM, SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF, OF 20 TO 25 TIMES THE CURRENT TAX REVENUE ON, ON AN ACRE, UH, FOR A STORAGE PROJECT, DEPENDING ON A, A FEW FACTORS.
BUT IT'S SIGNIFICANT REVENUE FOR A, UH, A RELATIVELY SMALL PIECE OF, UH, OF, OF PROPERTY, UM, CONSTRUCTION JOBS AND, AND THE FALL ON ECONOMIC ACTIVITY THAT, THAT WOULD COME WITH ANY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
AND IT'S, IT'S NO DIFFERENT FOR, UM, FOR A, A STORAGE PROJECT.
CITING AGREEMENT IS ANOTHER SOURCE OF, OF ECONOMIC BENEFIT AND, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COUNTY.
AND THAT THAT APPLIES TO STANDALONE BATTERIES AS WELL AS, UH, SOLAR AND THEN STATEWIDE BENEFITS.
AND THE, THE ELECTRICAL GRID REALLY IS A, IT'S A SHARED RESOURCE THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, BENEFIT TO, TO EVERYONE, NOT JUST IN THE COUNTY, BUT, BUT THROUGHOUT THE STATE FOR HELPING BOLSTER THAT, THAT SERVICE THAT, UH, HELPS EVERYBODY THAT TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON.
SO THAT'S, UM, THAT'S WHAT THE COUNTY WOULD, WOULD BENEFIT FROM.
THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT WE, WE THINK ARE IMPORTANT AS PART OF AN ORDINANCE, AND WE THINK THE ORDINANCE REFLECTS THAT.
UM, THE SAFETY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE IS A BIG ONE TO GET RIGHT.
SETBACKS AND, AND VISUAL IMPACTS TRAFFIC AND, AND CONSTRUCTION NOISE, AND THEN DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS.
AND, AND ALL OF THESE ARE, ARE INTERRELATED IN A LOT OF WAYS, BUT I THINK YOU'LL SEE THROUGHOUT THE ORDINANCE THAT, THAT THESE HAVE BEEN FACTORED IN AND, UH, AND TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY, UH, BY US AS THE APPLICANT AND THE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS, AS WELL, WHO HAD, UH, A, A LOT OF VERY GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN, UH, IN THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
UH, SCOTT, MATT, DID YOU HAVE, UH, ANY SLIDES? DID YOU WANT TO PRESENT OR, OKAY.
YEAH, SO, SO MATT WILL, WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HEALTH AND SAFETY.
THAT SAFETY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE IS, IS TOP OF THE LIST BECAUSE IT'S USUALLY TOP OF MIND WHEN YOU'RE DESIGNING THESE THINGS.
SO, UM, WE'VE, WE HAVE CONSULTED WITH THE INDUSTRY EXPERTS IN, IN THE REGION ON, ON MAKING SURE WE'RE GETTING THAT RIGHT.
SO IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS, WE'LL, WE'LL KICK THOSE TO MATT AND OTHERWISE, WE'LL, WE'LL LET SCOTT TALK ABOUT THE, UH, THE THANKS, THE LEGALS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, SCOTT FOSTER WITH GENTRY LOCK.
[01:00:01]
GOOD TO BE BACK WITH Y'ALL.UH, I WANT TO TAKE YOU THROUGH OUR THOUGHT PROCESS ON GETTING THIS DRAFT ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF YOU.
AS HORACE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, NORMALLY ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS ARE INITIATED BY THE COUNTY IN THE SITUATION.
WE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH HORACE AND LOLA AND SAID, UH, Y'ALL DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON THE BOOKS.
WE'LL RUN THIS THROUGH AS AN APPLICANT INITIATED ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT.
NOW, WHILE IT IS, AS APPLICANT INITIATED ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT, THIS WAS DRAFTED FOR ANY PROJECT THAT COMES TO THE COUNTY WITH THE COUNTY'S GENERAL INTERESTS IN MIND.
SO THIS IS BASED ON THE ORDINANCES THAT ARE ON THE BOOKS THAT WERE CREATED BY OTHER JURISDICTIONS.
UH, LOOKED AT KING GEORGE, JUST 'CAUSE I JUST FINISHED PERMITTING A BATTERY THERE.
UH, I BELIEVE PRINCE GEORGE HAS A BATTERY ORDINANCE ON POINT, UH, NEARBY.
SO I THINK WE CONSULTED THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT EXISTING ORDINANCES FROM ACROSS THE STATE TO GET THIS IN FRONT OF YOU.
BUT THE WHOLE GOAL BEING, OF COURSE, WE'RE GONNA PUT, PUT TOGETHER AN APPLICATION.
WE WANT THIS ORDINANCE TO WORK FOR THIS APPLICATION, BUT WE ALSO WANT THIS TO BE A GOOD DOCUMENT THAT THE COUNTY CAN USE FOR ANY OTHER APPLICANT THAT, THAT COMES IN THE DOOR.
SO THE, THE MEAT OF THIS, THIS, THE DEFINITIONS ARE IN THE, IN, WITHIN THE FIRST 16 PAGES.
THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY STANDARD.
BUT I WANT TO, I WANT TO TAKE YOU THROUGH THE THOUGHT PROCESS ON THE, THE ACTUAL TERMS. SO THIS OUGHT TO LOOK FAMILIAR.
IS THIS THE SAME THAT CAME OUT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION? I JUST, THIS IS THE SURE.
THAT WE, THAT, THAT YOU, YOU MAY HAVE MADE ADDITIONAL CHANGES.
THIS IS THE ONE THAT I PRINTED THAT OKAY.
THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE TWEAKED IT.
SO, UM, THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS PUBLISHED ONLINE, AND THAT HAS BEEN AVAILABLE FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTED TO COME AND GET A COPY OF IT IN THE GOVERNMENT CENTER.
IT IS THE SAME, IT MIGHT LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BUT IT IS THE SAME AS WHAT, WHAT WAS INCLUDED IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET? I JUST WANTED TO YEAH.
SO THE FORM OF THIS ORDINANCE OFF LOOK REALLY SIMILAR BECAUSE IT, WE, WE DESIGNED IT TO TRACK THE UPDATED SOLAR ORDINANCE THAT Y'ALL JUST ADOPTED, BUT SUBSECTION A CONTAINS THE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.
UH, THIS SECTION WAS MODIFIED PURSUANT TO DISCUSSION WITH PLANNING COMMISSION REGARDING THE SCOPE OF STUDIES THAT AN APPLICANT WILL SUBMIT.
UH, WE INITIALLY HAD IT, IT HAD IT THAT IT WAS OPTIONAL BASED ON THE DISCRETION OF THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR.
AND INSTEAD OF THAT UNDER FOUR, WE WENT AHEAD AND MADE THE COMMITMENT THAT THESE, THESE STUDIES AND REPORTS WILL BE, ARE REQUIRED TO BE A PART OF THE APPLICATION.
SO YOU ARE GONNA GET THOSE, UH, WITHOUT ANY QUESTION.
JUST LIKE YOUR SOLAR ORDINANCE, THERE'S A COMMUNITY MEETING REQUIREMENT, AND THAT THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY, EXACTLY A COPY AND PASTE FROM YOUR SOLAR ORDINANCE.
UM, PERFORMANCE AND OPERATION, THIS IS THE REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF, AND, AND MATT CAN SPEAK TO THIS IN GREATER DETAIL, BUT THE VIRGINIA BUILDING CODE IS, IS NOT ALWAYS CAUGHT UP TO THE BEST STANDARDS.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THIS ORDINANCE IS OPTING YOU, OPTING IN TO THE MOST UPTODATE VERSION ON OF, OF THE NFPA, WHICH IS THE REGULATION ON ENERGY STORAGE.
SO EVEN THOUGH THE STATE'S BEHIND YOU GUYS ARE GONNA GET THE BEST, THE BEST CODE SYSTEM, UH, IT GOES INTO OPERATION AND CONFIGURATION, FIRE DETECTION, DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.
AGAIN, MAKING SURE THAT WHATEVER TECHNOLOGY ANYBODY PROPOSES IS THE MOST RECENT AND THE MOST SAFE.
AND IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THIS, ANY OF THESE SECTIONS, PLEASE STOP ME.
WE HAD, WE'VE HAD, UH, NOW TWO MEETINGS WITH, WITH WHERE RAY PHELPS HAS BEEN IN INTENDANCE.
ONE BETWEEN THE FIRE RISK ALLIANCE FOLKS, THE, THE, THE SAFETY ENGINEERS, AND THEN A, UM, A RECENT PLANNING SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING.
THE SATISFACTION OF EMERGENCY SERVICES IS, IS THROUGHOUT THIS DOCUMENT, UH, EVERYTHING WE SUBMITTED FINAL SITE PLAN HAS TO BE THEIR, TO THEIR SATISFACTION.
UH, AND EMERGENCY ACCESS IS KEY.
I'LL TALK YOU THROUGH THE SETBACKS.
SO JUST LIKE A NUMBER OF THESE THINGS I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TALK THROUGH THESE ARE, THESE ARE THE BASE REGULATION SETBACKS.
IF THERE ARE, IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES WITH A PROPOSED PROJECT, YOU ALL ARE ALWAYS FREE TO INCREASE THOSE SETBACKS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS IF THERE'S A SENSITIVE SCENARIO NEAR, NEARBY.
BUT THE BASE SETBACK HERE IS 200 FEET FROM ALL PROPERTY LINES, UNLESS THE ADJACENT PROPERTY IS OWNED INDUSTRIAL AND HAS AN ELECTRIC SUBSTATION TO WHICH THE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM WILL CONNECT.
THE IDEA BEING IF THERE'S AN EXISTING SUBSTATION THERE, WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANNA HAVE A A, AN ARBITRARY 200 FOOT SETBACK IF WE'RE GONNA PUT A BATTERY NEXT TO IT, UM, 500 FEET FROM ALL RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES.
[01:05:01]
GOOD PLANNING PRACTICE.AND AGAIN, I, I, I CLARIFIED THAT YOU ALL CAN INCREASE THESE SETBACKS TO ADDRESS SENSITIVE ADJACENT USES, UH, IN M1 AND M TWO, BECAUSE SO LITTLE OF THE COUNTY IS, IS ZONED THAT, UH, WE WENT AHEAD AND JUST OPTED IN TO A SEC, A DIFFERENT SET OF REGULATIONS, BECAUSE IF IT'S ZONED M1 AND M TWO, YOU'LL HAVE ALREADY DESIGNATED IT AS AN INDUSTRIAL AREA.
AND AGAIN, THOSE ARE BASE SETBACKS.
IF IT'S ZONED M1 AND M TWO, YOU CAN STILL STILL INCREASE IT, UH, BUFFERS AND LANDSCAPING A HUNDRED FOOT BUFFER, UH, AND THEN, UH, THE BUFFERS AND LANDSCAPING AND M1 AND M TWO WOULD HAVE TO JUST COMPLY WITH THE APPLICABLE REGS IN THOSE DISTRICTS.
UM, ON PAGE NINE, TOP OF PAGE 19, THIS IS SEC, UH, SECTION, THE END OF SECTION SEVEN.
MR. COGGAN ON PLANNING COMMISSION SUGGESTED A 20 FOOT BUFFER AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE FENCE OF ESSENTIALLY CONSISTING OF NON-COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL.
WE THINK THAT'S A GOOD PLANNING PRACTICE.
SO THE WAY THIS WOULD WORK, YOU'VE GOT YOUR, YOUR BEST SYSTEM, YOU'VE GOT YOUR FENCE, 20 FOOT BUFFER, AND THEN OUTSIDE OF THAT IS YOUR A HUNDRED FOOT, UH, VEGETATIVE BUFFER.
SO IT'S IN, IN ESSENCE, THAT 20 FEET IS LOCATED WITHIN THAT 200 FOOT SETBACK FENCING.
I BELIEVE THAT'S A COPY AND PASTE FROM YOUR, YOUR SOLAR ORDINANCE MINIMUM FENCE HEIGHT OF EIGHT FEET.
SO NOISE IS, IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT WITH THESE BATTERY PROJECTS.
UH, AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COUNTY WAS PROTECTED BECAUSE YOUR NOISE ORDINANCE AS IS, IS, IS I THINK, EITHER NON-EXISTENT OR DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE.
SO, UH, THE NUMBER WE KNOW WE CAN COMPLY WITH AND WE THINK IS REASONABLE AS MEASURED AT THE PROPERTY LINE IS 65 DBA.
AND I'M HAPPY TO WALK, WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT THAT MEANS RELATIVE TO OTHER SOUNDS HERE, HERE IN A MOMENT.
UM, BUT THE KEY POINT HERE IS THAT, SO THE 65 DBA APPLIES TO ANY PROPERTY LINE, BUT THERE'S A 55 DBA AT THE OUTER WALL OF ANY OCCUPIED STRUCTURE ON AN ADJACENT PARCEL IN THE AR AR DISTRICT IN, IN THE TIME, IN, IN EXISTENCE, AT THE TIME THE PROJECT PROCEEDS CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
THE IDEA BEING THERE, WE WANT TO TAKE CARE OF SENSITIVE, SENSITIVE RECEPTORS THAT ARE ALREADY IN EXISTENCE.
IF, IF THERE'S NOTHING THERE, THE, THE, THE DEFAULT IS 65 DBA.
IF THERE IS SOMETHING THERE AT THAT OUTSIDE OF THAT RESIDENCE, IT'S GOTTA BE 55.
AGAIN, JUST LIKE THE SETBACKS, IF A PROJECT IS LOCATED NEAR RESIDENCES OR COMMERCIAL OR OTHER SENSITIVE UH, RECEPTORS, YOU ALL CAN ALWAYS VIA PERMIT CONDITION DECREASE THAT DBA AT THE PROPERTY LINE.
SO THIS IS THE GENERAL STANDARD THAT WILL APPLY THROUGH, THROUGH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
IF, IF SOMEBODY SUBMITS THEIR CONDITIONAL USE APPLICATION AND, AND THE PROJECT IS NEAR SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT, THAT'S UP TO YOU TO, TO TAKE CARE OF ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
AND THE LAST PIECE HERE IN, IN, UH, NINE TWO SUBSECTION ONE AT FINAL SITE PLAN APPROVAL, WE HAVE TO SUBMIT A NOISE STUDY THAT DEMONSTRATES THAT WE CAN COMPLY WITH THE STANDARD BASED ON THE EQUIPMENT SELECTED.
BECAUSE THE EQUIPMENT SELECTED IS WHAT'S GONNA DICTATE HOW LOUD THIS PROJECT IS.
EVERY, EVERY DIFFERENT MANUFACTURER HAS DIFFERENT NOISE SPECS.
UM, AND THEN SECOND TO THAT, IN THE EVENT THAT WE GET TO THAT POINT AND THE NOISE STUDY, THE NOISE DOESN'T, THE NOISE SCENARIO DOESN'T WORK.
WE WANTED TO AUTHORIZE THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR TO ADMINISTRATIVELY BE ABLE TO APPROVE THE INSTALLATION OF A SOUND WALL SO THAT YOU CAN MEET THOSE STANDARDS, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THESE THINGS ARE ENCASED IN SOUND WALLS.
AND I, I, LET ME, I'LL TALK, TALK YOU THROUGH AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
I PERMITTED A PROJECT OVER ON THE EASTERN SHORE, UH, ON THE WAY ON THE ROAD INTO, OO, IT WAS RIGHT ON THE ROAD.
IT WAS ADJACENT TO A, UH, TWO OR THREE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES AND A MOBILE HOME PARK.
IT WAS, I THINK THE PARCEL WAS LIKE 25 ACRES.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE BATTERY WAS IN THE CENTER OF IT.
AND IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE BASE NOISE REGULATIONS IN THAT SCENARIO, 'CAUSE OF THAT REALLY SMALL PARCEL, TO GET TO THOSE NOISE REGULATIONS, TO THAT SMALL PARCEL LINE, THEY HAD TO COMMIT TO A 16 FOOT SOUND WALL, WHICH IS ABOUT SIX FEET ABOVE THE ACTUAL PROFILE OF THAT BATTERY.
SO THE, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WOULD LIKE TO AVOID HAVING TO BUILD A SOUND WALL BECAUSE FRANKLY, THEY MAKE THESE PROJECTS A HECK OF A LOT MORE VISIBLE AND, AND MORE UGLY.
YOU END UP WITH SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A JERSEY WALL OR, OR SOUND WALL ALONG THE INTERSTATE AROUND IT, INSTEAD OF SOMETHING THAT'S SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER PROFILE.
SO I THINK IT'S IN EVERYBODY'S INTEREST TO MAKE THIS, TO MAKE THIS NOISE SCENARIO WORK AND, AND NOT HAVE TO BUILD A SOUND WALL, UH, UM,
[01:10:02]
LIGHT LIGHTING, DARK SKY COMPLIANT, YOU KNOW, THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, NOT GONNA BE LIT IF ANYTHING'S GONNA BE MOTION SENSOR ACTIVATED.UH, OR, OR, AND, OR, YOU KNOW, YOU PULL UP TO THE ENTRANCE AND THE LIGHTS COME ON.
UM, EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO A, SAY WHAT THE CONTENTS ARE, BUT B, THAT THIS HAS TO BE DONE TO THE SATISFACTION OF SIR EMS. AND, AND LIKE I SAY, MR. PHELPS HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN ENGAGING AND THOUGHTFUL AND HAS ALREADY GIVEN US A LOT OF SUGGESTIONS.
UH, TRANSPORTATION TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN.
THIS HAS TO BE IN HERE BASED ON Y'ALL'S EXPERIENCE WITH SOLAR.
WE KNOW, WE KNOW WE GOTTA ADDRESS THIS.
THE GREAT THING ABOUT BATTERIES IS THEY TAKE A LOT LESS TIME TO BUILD.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT LIKE A THREE MONTH, THREE MONTH CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE ON THE BEST ITSELF.
SO, AND THERE'S SIGNIFICANTLY LESS DELIVERIES.
SO YOU GET THESE CONTAINED UNITS PREASSEMBLED COMING IN ON A TRUCK.
IT'S A LOT DIFFERENT THAN, YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS OF ACRES FULL OF, UH, SOLAR PANELS.
BUT WE, WE, WE WENT AHEAD AND, AND ADDRESSED THAT.
THE CON THE NECESSARY CONTENTS OF THAT TRAFFIC CONTROL CLAIM, UM, BONDING REQUIREMENT CAME OUTTA YOUR SOLAR, SOLAR ORDINANCE.
DECOMMISSIONING IS GOING TO BE VERY, VERY SIMILAR TO YOUR SO SOLAR ORDINANCE.
I BELIEVE THAT'S THE HIGH NOTES, EVEN THOUGH IT TOOK ME 10 MINUTES.
Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? I TALKED HAPPY TO TALK THROUGH ANY OF THESE DETAILS.
BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, MR. CHAIR? I DO.
UM, SO YOUR ORDINANCE, YOU, I'M GOING BACK TO YOUR NOISE ORDINANCE MM-HMM
NUMBER NINE, WHERE YOU HAVE A 65 DECIBEL AND A, UH, 55 DECIBEL.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CREATING THIS ORDINANCE BASED ON, UM, A STARTING POINT OF THE SOLAR.
WE KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT NOISE WITH SOLAR, RIGHT? UM, AND I DON'T, I HAVEN'T HAD, DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK UP WHAT THE DECIBELS ARE FOR SOLAR.
I DON'T THINK IT'S SPECIFIED, IS IT? I THINK YOU JUST HAVE AN INVERTER SETBACK.
SO I, I GUESS LEADING INTO MY QUESTION IS, WOULD IT NOT, AND MR. WADE, YOU CAN WEIGH ON THIS, UH, I SENT OUT AN EMAIL EARLY.
WOULDN'T IT NOT BE BEST FOR US TO SET A LOWER DECIBEL RATE, UM, SINCE YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO'S COME IN AND ASKING FOR BATTERY STORAGE, AND WE WANT TO USE IT BROADLY ACROSS ANYONE ELSE WHO CAN COME IN OR WHO WANTS TO COME IN, EXCUSE ME.
WOULD THAT BE BEST TO LOWER THAT DELE AND MAYBE ADDRESS THE ISSUES FOR HIRE AND WHAT MAKE IT A MINIMUM STANDARD AT A LOWER DECIBEL RATE, UM, INSTEAD OF COMING DOWN ON THE CEP? DO YOU WANNA ANSWER THAT OR WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO? I, I'LL TAKE A STAB AT IT, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UM, SO, MR. CALHOUN, UM, THE, THE, THE CHALLENGE IS IT'S ALWAYS EASIER TO GO DOWN IN THE CONDITIONS, MAKE THE CONDITIONS, UM, THAN TO GO UP IN THE CONDITIONS.
SO WHILE FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, IT, IT'S TECHNICALLY WOULD BE ABLE TO BE DONE FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, IT'S, IT'S NOT BEST ZONING PRACTICE TO, TO GO ABOUT IN, TO GO ABOUT IT THAT WAY.
UH, WE WOULD STILL HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY UNDER THE ORDINANCE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE DBA AMOUNT LOWER IF THERE WERE SPECIFIC THINGS ABOUT THE PROPERTY THAT WE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT, THAT HAS COME UP IN OTHER CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD AND AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, IS THAT THE NOISE FROM THESE BEST, UM, UNITS IS NOT CONTINUOUS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MAJOR COMPLAINTS WE HAVE HEARD FROM, FROM THE SOLAR.
AND PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I THAT'S CORRECT, IF I'M WRONG, THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, SO THAT, THAT IS YET ANOTHER THING TO THAT THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED.
SO, AGAIN, FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, WE CAN, BUT IT IS NOT, IT, IT'S NOT THE BEST PRACTICE OF THE, THE WAY TO HANDLE THINGS.
AND, AND THEN IF I CAN ASK ONE OTHER QUESTION ON THE SAME PAGE, 1912, THE HEIGHT, UH, BATTERY ENERGY SOURCES WAS NOT EXCEED THE HEIGHT OF 30 FEET.
RIGHT? THAT'S, THAT'S EXCEPTIONALLY PERMISSIVE.
YEAH, BECAUSE I THINK IN YOUR, IN YOUR, UH, EXAMPLE, YOU, YOU HAD TO PUT UP 16 FOOT BARRIERS, RIGHT? WHICH WAS SIX FEET HIGHER THAN, AND, AND I THINK THESE UNITS ARE ROUGHLY ABOUT 10 FEET TALL, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO YEAH, WITH THE, THE SAME IDEA IN MIND IS IT'S EASIER TO GO DOWN THAN IT IS TO GO UP.
THERE ARE TECHNOLOGIES EMERGING THAT ARE STACKING THE CONTAINERS ON TOP OF ONE ANOTHER.
SO IF YOU HAD A PROJECT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS THAT WAS OTHERWISE NOT VISIBLE, THEN SOMEONE COULD, COULD
[01:15:01]
STACK THOSE CONTAINERS ON TOP OF EACH OTHER WITHIN THE ORDINANCE WITH THE 30 FEET.BUT, UH, MOST PROJECTS YOU WOULD SEE COME THROUGH OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS WOULD, WOULD ALL BE 10 FEET OR MORE, OR, OR LESS THAN HEIGHT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, CHAIR, MR. MR. HUD? UH, YES.
UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT LOCATION.
I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE, THE AREA.
UM, AND PROBABLY ABOUT 95% OF THE, UH, RESIDENTS WHO LIVE AROUND THERE.
AND I HAVE BEEN STUDYING GISI THINK THERE'S NOBODY WITHIN PROBABLY, UH, YOU KNOW, A THOUSAND FEET OF A, I SEE THE POWER LINE WITH THE, WHAT WE CALL THE CHARITY PATH, I GUESS IT'S CALLED THE VIRGINIA FOURTH STREET PATHWAY YOU WANNA CALL IT.
BUT, UH, YEAH, WE SPENT SOME TIME ON THOSE PATHS BACK IN THE DAY.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, I THINK THE LOCATION IS, UM, AND IT ALSO TO THE EAST OF THAT, IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE OLD SLAVES PARK.
SO NOISE IS NOT SO MUCH MY CONCERN, I DON'T THINK, BECAUSE OF THE ISOLATED AREA AT THIS TIME.
OF COURSE, OTHERS COULD BE ON THAT AREA LATER ON DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, BUT AGAIN, BY BEING, UM, UM, I KNOW YOU SAID THE, UM, DURATION OF THE BUILD ABOUT THREE MONTHS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ROAD CONDITIONS WOULD BE MY ROAD CONDITIONS.
AND, AND, AND I'LL GET ON SAFETY IN A MINUTE.
UM, WE ARE GONNA HAVE SOME, SOME STRICT PARAMETERS AS WE LEARN OUR LESSON FROM SOLAR.
I KNOW IT WON'T BE AS MUCH AS, BUT I THINK THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS WILL BE MORE OF A HEADACHE THAN THE ACTUAL, UH, IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS OF THE PROJECT.
SO, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING DEFINITELY WE HAVE TO, UH, TOUCH ON.
AND, UH, UH, CHAIR, I KNOW WE, WE HAD A, UH, A JOINT, UH, MEETING WITH THE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION FOR A PREVIOUS PROJECT.
THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA, YOU KNOW, GOING DOWN THE ROAD AT SOME POINT.
SO WE KIND OF DISCUSS THOSE MATTERS AS A, UM, YOU KNOW, COMBINED.
MAYBE NEED, MAYBE NOT BE NEEDED TO GET SOME SUGGESTION.
UM, BUT ALSO I DID ATTEND, I THINK I WAS PRESENT FOR A COUPLE OF THE MEETINGS, AND I THINK MR. COGGINS HAD A, THERE WAS A GREAT IDEA ABOUT THE SETBACKS FOR, UH, POTENTIAL, UH, FIRE RESTRAINTS OR, UM, BUT MY CONCERN IS IF A EMERGENCY HAPPENED, I DON'T BELIEVE SURY COUNTY IS CURRENTLY EQUIPPED WITH, UH, THE FIGHT OF FIREFIGHTING MATERIALS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
I MEAN, THESE THINGS JUST BURN OUT.
I MEAN, I KNOW THEY'RE SELF, SELF-CONTAINED.
I UNDERSTAND THEY MAY HAVE, UH, FIRE SUPPRESSION, UH, IN EACH MODULE.
UH, HOWEVER, IF THERE WAS, SAY, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, A, A WINDY DAY AND THAT STUFF WERE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ESCAPE THE, UH, THE AREA PROPER INTO THE WOODED AREA IN A DRY SEASON, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE SOME ON OUR HANDS.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE KIND OF STUFF THAT WOULD BE MY CONCERN, BECAUSE AS WE LEARN FROM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES, YOU KNOW, SPARKING A WINDY DAY CAN BE VERY DISASTROUS.
AND, UM, WHILE, WHILE THERE ARE NOT, UM, HOMES OR RESIDENTS CLOSE TO THE AREA, YOU KNOW, DEPEND, DEPENDING ON HOW TO FAST, UH, ANYTHING CAN SPREAD, WE DO WANNA BE MINDFUL OF THAT, UM, FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM EVACUATION, UM, PROCEDURES TO ALL TYPES OF STUFF.
SO THERE ARE DEFINITELY MY CONCERN GOING FORWARD, AND I KNOW WE CAN WORK IT OUT.
THERE ARE NO MORE, UH, QUESTIONS OF STAFF IN THE PRESENTATION.
WE'LL NOW OPEN UP OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER, WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD COME TO THE PODIUM.
STATE YOUR NAME, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
MIKE TON, BLACKWATER DISTRICT.
I'VE HEARD ALL THIS TALK WITH NO, WHETHER IT IS LITHIUM, IRON AND ORIGIN.
WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ELON MUSK CYBER TRUCK.
WHEN THEY GET WET IN FLORIDA, THEY CATCH ON FIRE, THEN THEY EXPLODE.
SO IS THIS BATTERY LITHIUM IRON IN ORIGIN, OR IS IT SOME OTHER LEAD ACID? I, I HEARD NOTHING TO TELL ME WHAT TYPE OF BATTERY IT IS, AND THE TYPE OF BATTERY DETERMINES THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURE.
SHALON PIERCE CASTLE DISTRICT.
UM, LEMME SAY THAT I WANT TO GO ON THE RECORD THAT I AM IN FAVOR OF THE PROJECT.
I DO BELIEVE THAT, UM, ANY WAY THAT WE CAN GET SAFE WAYS OF, UM, GETTING REVENUE IN THE COUNTY IS PROFITABLE.
I DO HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPLEMENTING THIS PROJECT, BEING THE SOLE PEOPLE.
NOTICE I SAID SOLE FOR DEVELOPING THE ORDINANCE.
I WOULD ASK THAT THE BOARD WOULD CONSIDER, UM, ONE LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER LOCALITIES, AND
[01:20:01]
I KNOW HE DID IT IN HIS PRESENTATION, BUT DOING SOMETHING ON, ON YOUR OWN OR HIRING ANOTHER CONSULTANT OR SOMETHING TO CHECK TO SEE WHAT'S WORKING FOR THEM, WHAT'S NOT WORKING FOR THEM, SOME LESSONS LEARNED THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE FROM THAT.AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT YOU DON'T VOTE TONIGHT BECAUSE, UM, THE INTENT OF PUBLIC HEARINGS IS TO HAVE THE PUBLIC JUST SPEAK AND FOR YOU ALL TO GIVE SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WE SAID.
AND THEN, UM, FOR CITIZEN INPUT AND INCLUSION BEFORE MAKING YOUR DECISION, AND THE SPIRIT OF THAT LAW WOULD SUGGEST THAT THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN TONIGHT.
ANOTHER, UM, THING THAT I WOULD SUGGEST, AND I DID THIS AS THE TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR FOR SURRY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITHOUT A SIMILAR SITUATION, YOU KNOW, I WAS A CLASSROOM.
I USED TO TELL 'EM I WAS ONE MINUTE REMOVED FROM, AND, AND DOING ALL THIS TECHNICAL WORK.
SO WE DID HIRE SOMEONE WHO WAS KIND OF HELPING US ALONG WITH THE PROJECT TO DO THIS, BUT THEN WE HIRED SOMEONE TO CHECK WHAT THEY DID THAT WAS NOT CONNECTED TO THE PROJECT, SO THAT WE MADE SURE THAT THINGS WERE KIND OF ALIGNED.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU THINK ABOUT JUST HIRING SOMEBODY TO LOOK OVER WHAT THEY DID, AND I'M NOT, I'M, I'M NOT.
BUT JUST TO SAY, TO LOOK AT IT, TO SEE, AND THEN TO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU DEVELOP AS THE ORDINANCE TO PROTECT US.
AGAIN, I KNOW THAT ALL OF YOU WANNA PROTECT US, AND ALL OF YOU WANT US TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COUNTY.
I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT IS YOUR INTENT.
I'M, UH, KEITH ESTES FROM SPRING GROVE IN THE CARSLEY DISTRICT.
AND, UM, I WANT TO KIND OF REITERATE, UH, WHAT MR. HARDY SAID.
UM, YOU KNOW, THESE, THIS IS MAYBE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COUNTY, BUT I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE US TO REALLY LOOK AT THE FIRST RESPONDERS AND STUFF AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE THINGS IN PLACE IF SOMETHING WERE TO GO WRONG.
YOU KNOW, I, AS A PROFESSION, I WORK IN TRANSPORTATION SAFETY, AND WHEN WE DON'T HAVE, UM, THE RIGHT, RIGHT EQUIPMENT OR THE RIGHT STAFF TO, TO RESPOND.
SO JUST, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT EVERY DETAIL, EVERY POSSIBLE SCENARIO THAT COULD GO WRONG, AND MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE TO CALL SOMEBODY THREE OR FOUR HOURS AWAY BECAUSE IT MAY BE TOO LATE.
UM, WE DID THE PLANNING COMMISSION, DID A VERY THOROUGH JOB ON THIS, AND, UM, IT REALLY HELPED FOR THE COMPANY TO BRING THIS FORWARD.
SO I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT I THINK YOU'VE GOT A GOOD ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, ONE AREA THAT I, UM, BELIEVE WE COULD STILL, UM, LOOK AT AND ALSO KIND OF THINKING ABOUT WHAT MS. P SAID, WE DON'T HAVE TO VOTE ON THIS TONIGHT.
UM, AND SO I WOULD LIKE YOU ALL TO CONSIDER ABOUT THE NOISE, UM, BECAUSE 55 IS STILL QUITE HIGH TO BE AT SOMEONE'S HOUSE.
SO I HAVE, UH, SENT EVERYONE A, A NOTE LAST NIGHT, UH, TO RECOMMEND, UH, SOME WORDING CHANGE ON THE NOISE.
AND IT'S TO REALLY PROMOTE THAT WE WANT THIS TYPE OF INDUSTRY OR PROJECT TO, YOU KNOW, INTEGRATE INTO OUR AREA MORE SEAMLESSLY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE VISUAL REQUIREMENTS, THE SETBACKS, AND THE NOISE.
NOISE IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY NOT UNDERSTOOD YET, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU COME TO AN ENVIRONMENT LIKE OURS, WHICH IS VERY QUIET.
AND WE KNOW THAT'S A, THAT'S A PLUS FOR WHY PEOPLE MOVE TO OUR COUNTY.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT WE CONSIDER THAT ANALYSIS BE DONE AND SEE IF COMPANIES CAN COME IN AT A LEVEL THAT'S ACCEPTABLE FOR WHATEVER AREA THEY'RE ENTERING INTO IN OUR COUNTY.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER THAT AS POSSIBLE CHANGE BEFORE THE ORDINANCE HAS PASSED.
SUSAN CORELLO CLAREMONT DISTRICT.
UM, AFTER LISTENING TO THE PRESENTATION AND A COUPLE OF WORDS THAT HE HAD SAID ABOUT HOW THE BATTERIES CAN COME IN DIFFERENT LEVELS, UM, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE BOARD PLANNING COMMISSION AND WHOEVER IS GOING TO LOOK AT THESE CHANGES POSSIBLY, UM, GO VISIT A BATTERY PARK.
[01:25:01]
A SITUATION LIKE WE WERE WITH THE FIRST SOLAR FARM.UM, NOT KNOWING A LOT OF THE BACKGROUNDS, NOT KNOWING THE NOISE LEVELS, THAT PEOPLE ARE CLOSE BY LIVING AND HEARING ALL THESE NOISES.
UM, GO VISIT SOME OF THESE LOCATIONS BEFORE YOU MAKE DECISIONS ON THESE ORDINANCES.
UM, IF THESE BATTERIES CAN COME IN DIFFERENT LEVELS AS MR. UH, CALHOUN WAS STATING, AND MS UH, UH, CHEEK
SO I WOULD SUGGEST LOWERING THE NOISE LEVEL IF THESE BATTERIES ARE AVAILABLE IN LOWER LEVELS OR ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS, UM, AND VISIT A BATTERY PARK.
UH, WHAT I'M, I'M GOING TO, YOU'RE GONNA COME, YOU CAN COME BACK TO ME, COME BACK TO YOU.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER, UH, COMMENTS FROM THE FLOOR, WE WILL NOW CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND NOW WE WILL HAVE, UH, CLOSING REMARKS FROM STAFF.
UH, WE DO HAVE THE, THE BATTERY EXPERT HERE.
I THINK IT'S WORTH GIVING THAT BATTERY CHEMISTRY CAME UP AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAME UP.
HE, HE'S TRAVELED HERE TONIGHT.
IT'S PROBABLY WORTH LETTING HIM SAY A FEW THINGS.
UH, AND THEN JUST ANECDOTALLY, WHILE, WHILE EVERYBODY'S TALKING, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS DBA METER ON MY PHONE.
UH, MS. CHEEK TOPPED OUT AT ABOUT 71, UH, DBA.
AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BACKGROUND NOISE IN THIS ROOM THAT NOBODY HEARS THAT JUST BECAUSE IT'S THERE.
AND THE SAME IS TRUE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WOODS.
THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S AMBIENT NOISE EVERYWHERE.
SO JUST TAKE, JUST TAKE A, PASS US AROUND AND TAKE A PEEK AS, AS HE'S TALKING, YOU CAN GET AN APPRECIATION FOR WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING IN THIS ROOM.
I'M A FIRE PRODUCTION ENGINEER SPECIALIZING IN BATTERY ENERGY CONSULTING.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, ADVISE AND, UM, DESIGN OF THE SYSTEMS FOR MANUFACTURERS, FOR DEVELOPERS.
ALSO, I ADVISE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS LIKE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN.
I, I HELPED DEVELOP THEIR, UM, ORDINANCE, UM, OR THEIR, UM, LOCAL LOCALITY AS WELL.
IN RESPONSE TO, UM, THE BOARD QUESTIONS TODAY REGARDING EMERGENCY SERVICES, UM, AND THE SETBACK DISTANCES, UH, THE, THE ORDINANCE I REVIEWED TODAY ARE, OR THEY SUBMITTED IN FRONT OF TODAY IS, IS EXTREMELY CONSERVATIVE FROM A FIRE SAFETY PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE NFP 8 55, WHICH IS A DEFINING CURRENT CODE FOR BATTERY AND STORAGE SYSTEMS, ONLY REQUIRE 10 FOOT DISTANCE AT MAX.
UM, BE, SO WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW IS 20, 20 ISH DISTANCES.
SETBACK IS QUITE CONSERVATIVE.
UM, AT, SO THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SETBACKS.
THERE'S 10 FOOT AND THERE'S A HUNDRED FOOT, RIGHT? 10 FOOT IS WHEN YOU HAVE SOME RESTRICTIONS AS THAT IS VERY CLOSE BY.
AND A HUNDRED FOOT AFTER A HUNDRED FOOT, THERE'S NO RESTRICTIONS IN FIRE CODE.
SO WHAT YOU HAVE IS PRETTY CONSERVATIVE IN RESPONSE TO, UM, GERMAN'S QUESTION OVER HERE REGARDING THE, UM, BATTERY CHEMISTRY AND THE WETNESS OF IT.
UM, THE BATTERY CHEMISTRY TYPICALLY RIGHT NOW WE SAY IS LITHIUM IRON PHOSPHATE, OFP, UM, DOES SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CHEMISTRY, SOME THAN ELECTRICAL VEHICLES.
WHY NOT USE NNMC CHEMISTRY EQUAL, UM, CO MANGANESE.
AND FOR THE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM THAT IS TYPICALLY BUILT ON SITE, GROUND MOUNTED OUTDOORS, THE MODULES THEMSELVES ARE WEIGHTED IP 57, UH, MEANING THAT IT'S DUST PROOF AND THEY'RE, UH, LIQUID SUBMERGED PROOF.
THEY ACTUALLY, THEY CAN, CAN PUT THEM IN THE LIQUID AND THEY PRESSURIZE LIQUID AND THEN NO WATER GETS IN.
ON TOP OF THAT, THEY BETTER INCLUDE YOUR EX EXTERIOR OF IT.
IS I TYPICALLY IP 55 OR I 50 56 RATED IP 55, MEANING THAT IT'S DUST PROOF.
AND IF YOU CAN SPRAY WATER WITH FIRE HOSE, NO WATER GETS IN.
THAT'S HOW YOU PROTECT, UH, THE ENCLOSURE FROM, UM, UH, ANY WATER INTRUSION AND SHORT CIRCUITING.
UM, AND, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YOU GUYS HAVE? NO, THANK YOU, SIR.
DO WE HAVE ANY CLOSING REMARKS FROM STAFF? YES, SIR.
[01:30:01]
UH, THE POINT OF COMMISSION, UM, MADE A RECOMMENDATION FOR, UM, BY VOTE OF NINE TO ONE, UM, IN FAVOR FOR THE ORDINANCE.UM, AFTER SEVERAL, UM, UH, DISCUSSION, THEY HAD THAT PUBLIC HEARING AND THEY HAD TWO, UM, SESSIONS AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING TO REVIEW THE ORDINANCE TO MAKE, HAVE THE APPLICANT MAKE SOME CHANGES AND WORK WITH STAFF AND, AND, AND AS WELL, PERKINS AND MYSELF, UM, TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID BEFORE WE EVEN GOT TO THE ORDINANCE, WE HAD OUR, WE HAD OUR SUMMIT.
WE HAD SUMMIT DO, UM, PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION AND RESEARCH, BATTERY INJURY STORAGE FOR US TO SHOW WHAT KIND OF THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE MONITORING WHEN IT COMES TO BATTERY ENGINE STORAGE.
AND A COUPLE OF THOSE THINGS WERE NOISE AND FIRE SAFETY.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE ADDRESSED IN THE ORDINANCE.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE RECOMMENDATIONS HERE IS FOR, UM, IN THOSE DISTRICTS TO BE ALLOWED BY CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS, WHICH IT WOULD COME BACK BEFORE YOU LATER ON WITH SPECIFIC CONDITIONS FOR SPECIFIC PROPERTIES.
SO AT THIS TIME, UM, WE TAKE THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE PODIUM COMMISSION NINE TO ONE, UM, FOR APPROVAL, UM, TO YOU, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, DID I ANSWER ANY OF THEM? THANK YOU, MR. SOE.
AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD ENTERTAIN, UH, ANY BOARD COMMENTS, MR. CHAIR? MR. UM, I THINK POSSIBLY WE MAY, WE MAY WANT TO HE, MR. PIERCE'S, UH, COMMENTS, UM, SINCE THIS IS OUR FIRST PROJECT, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE SOLE CON UH, THE CONCERN OF THE SOLE COMPANY ADDRESSING THE ORDINANCE, UM, ALSO, UH, GOING OUT AND VISITING ONE, UH, AN OPERATIONAL FACILITY, JUST SO WE, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF, EXCUSE ME, THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS BEEN TO ONE JUST SO WE CAN, AGAIN, I THINK AS MR. HARDY SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE FIRST ON EXPERIENCE OF, OF THE STRUCTURE AS WELL AS THE, UM, THE NOISE LEVELS.
UM, BUT, UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I, I, I THINK I'M GOOD WITH THIS, MR. MR. CHAIRMAN.
UM, IN TO ADDRESS MR. CALHOUN'S, UH, AND THE SUGGESTION THAT WE HEARD ABOUT VISITING ONE OF THESE, UM, BATTERY, BATTERY ENER, ENERGY STORAGE, UH, STORAGE FACILITIES, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN WORKING, UH, BOTH THE APPLICANT AND MR. WADE AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING TO TRY AND MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS TO VISIT A FACILITY.
THERE IS ONE IN CHESTERFIELD COUNTY THAT IS OWNED BY DOMINION.
UM, THAT WAS THE MOST, MOST RECENT OUTREACH.
SO ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS, UM, MR. RUMBLER SHOWED YOU A PICTURE OF A FACILITY HE'S WORKED ON THAT'S, UH, UM, OUT WEST.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A FIELD TRIP OUT WEST, BUT, UM, I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S VERY, VERY REASONABLE.
SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR A FACILITY THAT IS WITHIN A, A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE FROM SURREY COUNTY, UH, TO HAVE BOTH THE BOARD AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, ANY INTERESTED MEMBERS, UH, GO OUT TO THAT FACILITY.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE THERE IS NO LOCAL FACILITY THAT'S OWNED BY MR. BY BY RA, UM, WE HAVE FACED SOME CHALLENGES IN GETTING THAT VISIT SCHEDULED.
UM, BUT WHEN THE APPLICANT, WHEN THE APPLICATION DOES COME, IF THIS ORDINANCE IS EVENTUALLY PASSED, UM, WHEN THE APPLICATION DOES COME, THAT IS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY TO ALLOW AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A SITE VISIT PRIOR TO ANY CONSIDERATION OF THE ACTUAL APPLICATION AND A, AN ACTUAL PROJECT AT THIS TIME.
UM, ALL THAT IS BEFORE THE BOARD IS THE ORDINANCE, UH, NOT A SPECIFIC PROJECT.
I RIGHT IN MY COMMENTS, UH, WANT, WANT THE CITIZENS TO KNOW THAT I, I LISTENED TO EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID, UH, ABOUT, UH, LOOKING AT DIFFERENT LOCALITIES AND LOOKING AT THEIR ORDINANCE AND, UH, CONFERRED WITH, UH, LEGAL.
AND THOSE THINGS HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE, UH, HEARD ABOUT THE NOISE AND THE, THE FIRE, UH, SITUATION AS WELL.
AND THEY ARE VERY VALID POINTS.
UH, BUT AGAIN, JUST LIKE MS. PERKINS JUST SAID, UH, WE ARE JUST ASKED TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE TONIGHT, NOT THE PROJECT ITSELF.
AND THOSE OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE, ARE ON THE TABLE CAN BE ADDRESSED IN THE CUP.
THIS IS JUST AN ORDINANCE, UH, AMENDMENT FOR THE COUNTY.
SO ALL OF THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED TONIGHT BY THE CITIZENS, THEY CAN BE FURTHER, UH, EVALUATED AND PUT INTO THE CUP THAT WILL BE COMING BEFORE US.
THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE COMING IN TONIGHT AND WE ARE APPROVING A PROJECT TONIGHT.
ALL OF THESE THINGS CAN HAPPEN WITH DUE DILIGENCE FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE CUP COMES BACK
[01:35:01]
TO US.SO WHAT THEY'RE ASKING US TO, TO TONIGHT TO DO IS JUST TO MAKE THE AMENDMENT TO THE ORDINANCE.
SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY COMMENT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, WE WOULD ASK FOR RECOMMENDATION ON THE, UH, REQUEST FOR THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT CHAIR.
MR. HARDY, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE, UH, ORDINANCE 25, I'M SORRY, 2025 DASH OH TWO PC ORDINANCE AMENDMENT.
ALL IN FAVOR? LET IT BE KNOWN BY THE VOTING SIGN OF AYE.
WE DO LOOK FORWARD TO THE VISIT TO, UH, A FACILITY SO THAT WE CAN, UH, FURTHER EVALUATE THIS AND COME BACK WITH THE BEST SCENARIO FOR THE COUNTY.
THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR INPUT TONIGHT ON THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
[County Administrator Report]
THE AGENDA IS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT.YES, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN ELLIOT, VICE CHAIRMAN PIERCE.
UM, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MS. PERKINS AND MR. HARRISON.
I'M GONNA ASK MS. CHAPLIN TO COME FORTH AND JUST GIVE A FEW UPDATES FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND GOOD EVENING CHAIRMAN, VICE CHAIRMAN, MADAM ADMINISTRATOR, MR. HARRISON AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
UM, I'LL START HERE WITH JUST A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS TO KIND OF LET, UH, OUR CITIZENS KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING IN APRIL AND MAY.
SO THE FIRST THING, APRIL 5TH IS THE, UH, COMMUNITY SPRING FEST THAT IS 11:00 AM TO 2:00 PM AT THE SURREY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FIELD.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, ON APRIL 22ND, WE FINALLY HAVE OUR LOVE SIGN THAT IS READY.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE SEEN THE CONCRETE PAD OUT THERE.
UH, WE'RE VERY EXCITED BECAUSE WE WILL BE UNFAILING THAT TO OUR LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY ON APRIL 22ND.
UM, SO PLEASE COME AND JOIN IN.
IT WILL BE A LOT OF FUN, AND I THINK IT'S, UH, EVERYONE'S GONNA BE QUITE PLEASED WITH THIS.
UH, I THINK THE TIME WE, WE HAVEN'T SET THAT QUITE YET, BUT WE WERE THINKING FOR OR FIVE, UH, SO THAT IT WOULD GIVE PEOPLE TIME TO GET THERE IN THE AFTERNOON.
PROBABLY WE'LL GO WITH 5:00 PM LET'S JUST SAY THAT.
5:00 PM UH, AND ON TUESDAY, YES, APRIL 26TH, WE HAVE THE, UM, 55 PLUS INITIATIVE BOOTS AND BLOOM WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE HELD AT THE PAVILION, UH, FROM 3:00 PM TO 7:00 PM AND THERE IS A LINE DANCE TUTORIAL.
SO THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN ABSOLUTE LAST AND, AND MAY THE SECOND.
WE HAVE OUR FIRST OF OUR SERIES THAT'S GOING TO, UH, START FOR THE SUMMER, UH, FROM FIVE TO 7:00 PM AT THE PAVILION.
UH, THIS IS MUSIC ON THE LAWN.
PLEASE BRING YOUR LAWN CHAIRS, BUT THERE'LL BE FOOD TRUCKS, MULTIPLE FOOD TRUCKS, AS WELL AS, UH, A LIVE, LIVE MUSIC, LIVE BAND.
AND YOU CAN GO OUT TO THE, UH, GOVERN THE GOVERN GOVERNMENT WEBSITE AND YOU'LL SEE A FULL LINEUP OF THE LISTING OF ALL OF THE, THE BANDS THAT ARE LINED UP FOR THE SUMMER.
WE NEED, WE NEED PEOPLE SUPPORTING IT SO THAT WE CAN DO THIS ALL SUMMER AND HOPEFULLY EVERY SUMMER FROM NOW ON.
IT'S A GREAT FRIDAY NIGHT, AND IT'S FREE
SO, UH, ON THE FIFTH, UH, MAY 7TH IS THE SURREY COUNTY FAM TOUR, WHICH TOURISM DOES EACH YEAR.
JUST WANTED TO KIND OF LET YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, CONCIERGE FOLKS FROM THE HAMPTON ROADS REGION THAT BASICALLY COME OVER, TAKE A TOUR, SEE OUR BUSINESSES, AND SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE HERE.
AND THOSE FOLKS DRIVE OUR TOURISM INDUSTRY AND THEY WORK WITH A LOT OF THE HOTELS AND DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS.
AND SO WHEN THEY'RE ASKED, YOU KNOW, A REALLY COOL THING TO DO, THEY CAN LIST ALL OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY SEE ON THE SPAM TOUR.
UH, ON MAY THE 10TH, WE HAVE UP THE CREEK WITH THE PADDLE.
IT'S A KAYAKING EVENT THAT'S GOING TO BE HELD THERE ON MAY 10TH AT GRAYS CREEK MARINA.
UM, SO GET REGISTERED FOR THAT.
AGAIN, YOU CAN FIND THIS ON THE GOVERNMENT WEBSITE AND TOURISM WEBSITE AS WELL, AND YOU CAN GET REGISTERED FOR THAT.
UM, THE OTHER THING WE HAVE SCHEDULED, THIS IS AT THE PAVILION AS WELL.
WE HAVE A FOOD GIVEAWAY AT THE PAVILION.
IT'S IN COLLABORATIONS WITH FIRST BEGINNINGS AND LULU'S LOCAL FOOD.
AND IT'S SCHEDULED FOR JUNE THE 10TH.
UH, I'LL BE TALKING MORE ABOUT THIS.
JUST WANTED TO GET THE DATE OUT THERE SO EVERYBODY COULD GET IT ON THEIR CALENDAR.
AND WE WANNA SAY THIS A LOT OF TIMES SO THAT PEOPLE WILL, WILL ATTEND, BUT IT'S FROM 3:00 PM TO 5:00 PM
[01:40:03]
AND THEN I GUESS THE LAST BUT NOT LEAST THING HERE IS, UM, SURREY COUNTY TOUR FOR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.THIS IS A COLLABORATION WITH THE OFFICE OF YOUTH AND FAMILY, AND THAT IS GOING TO BE HELD ON JUNE THE 11TH, UH, OF THIS YEAR.
AND SO YOU'LL BE SEEING INFORMATION ON THE GOVERNMENT WEBSITE WITH ALL THE DETAILS, TIMES, EVERYTHING THAT I'VE SAID HERE, AND WE'D LOVE TO HAVE GREAT PARTICIPATION AT ALL OF THESE EVENTS.
MS. CHAPLIN, MAY THE 10TH, THE KAYAK, UH, OF THE CREEK, ARE THERE TIME, DID YOU SAY A TIME FOR THAT? I'M SORRY, I MISSED THAT.
UH, I DON'T HAVE THE TIME HERE.
AND THAT DETAIL IS ON THE TOURISM WEBSITE.
PLUS YOU CAN REGISTER TWO TIMES.
I THINK THEY HAVE TWO DIFFERENT TOOLS.
AND THAT YOU'RE RIGHT, I THINK IT'S LIKE EARLY IN THE MORNING AND THEN MID, LIKE ONE OR TWO O'CLOCK IS THE SECOND ONE.
DO YOU DO IT? OH, 10 AND 12? NO, I SAW THAT APPLIED THOUGH ON THE WEBSITE.
OKAY, SO TWO, TWO DIFFERENT TIMES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE DIDN'T HAVE AS GREAT A PARTICIPATION IN THIS LAST YEAR, BUT WE'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET FOLKS THERE AND, AND PARTICIPATE IN THIS.
RECREATION IS ALSO GOOD EXERCISE.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU MS. CHAPMAN FOR THAT.
I ONLY HAVE TWO OTHER THINGS, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UM, MISS, IF I CAN PULL OUT, AS YOU ALL KNOW IT IS, BUT YOUR SEASON AND I DID WANNA PROVIDE JUST THE PROPOSED BUDGET CALENDAR FOR, UH, 2025 2026.
THIS IS A LITTLE BUSY BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY, UM, GONE THROUGH SOME OF THE, THE PROCESSES HERE, THE BUDGET.
BUT WE ARE RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE ON THE APRIL 10TH DATE, WHICH THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN POSTED ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE.
UM, THAT ON APRIL 10TH WE WILL BE PRESENTING THE PROPOSED, UH, ACCOUNT ADMINISTRATOR'S BUDGET, UM, TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THAT DATE.
AND ALSO WE WILL BE HAVING THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED TAX RATE.
AND AT THAT TIME, WE ARE GONNA BE ASKING THE BOARD TO, UH, TAKE ACTION ON THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE IN PREPARATION FOR OUR JUNE 5TH BILLING.
UM, WE WILL POST THE, UH, BUDGET RECOMMENDATION TO OUR WEBSITE ON THE FOLLOWING DAY AS ANTICIPATED.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A ADVERTISEMENT ON OUR PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MEETING THE ADVERTISEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT.
AND OUR PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR MAY 1ST.
AND WE, UM, HOPE TO ADOPT THE BUDGET, UH, SOON AFTER THAT'S MAY 6TH DATE.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, OUR SCHOOL DIVISION IS NOW IN EARLY CLOSING AND IS INCUMBENT UPON, UM, US TO ADOPT THAT BUDGET EARLY SO THAT THEY CAN PREPARE THEIR CONTRACTS FOR THE TEACHERS.
UM, THIS, UH, UM, ADDRESS RIGHT HERE IS NOT CORRECT, BUT ONCE WE DO GO THROUGH THE, UH, PRESENTATION, THERE WILL BE A EMAIL ADDRESS FOR CITIZENS, UM, TO SUBMIT COMMENTS REGARDING THE BUDGET.
BUT I JUST NEED TO CORRECT THAT.
UM, THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I HAVE, UM, JUST, UH, A KUDOS I GUESS TO, UH, S COUNTY AND TO THE THIS BOARD AND THE PREVIOUS BOARD, UM, I HAPPEN TO BE AT A EVENTS IN ANOTHER LOCALITY.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT FOLKS ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF THE BROADBAND PROJECT HERE IN SERRE.
SO WHEN YOU'RE SITTING THERE AND YOU HEAR, UM, THAT THEY ARE HAVING CHALLENGES IN THEIR COMMUNITY WITH BROADBAND, AND YOU'RE SITTING THERE AS SOMEONE FROM SIRI AND KNOW THAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THAT, I JUST WANT TO SAY KUDOS TO THE BOARD AND, AND THOSE BE, UH, FOR US WHO HELPED BRING THAT PROJECT TO SRA COUNTY.
AND, UM, AS YOU ALL PASSED IN YOUR, UH, CONSENT ITEM, APRIL IS SURRY COUNTY CLEANUP MONTH.
AND WE ARE ENCOURAGING, UM, CITIZENS TO DO, UM, OUR PART AND, AND CLEAN UP THE COUNTY.
UM, AS EVERYBODY KNOW, IT'S SPRINGTIME AND A LOT OF FOLKS ARE GETTING OUTSIDE AND TAKING CARE OF THEIR YARDS.
WE WILL BE POSTING, IF NOT ALREADY DONE SO ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE.
UM, WE DO HAVE THE SATURDAY DATES.
OUR, UH, SOLID WASTE, UH, COLLECTION CREWS ARE GOING TO BE PROVIDING THE SPECIAL REFUSE COLLECTION CONTAINERS ON SATURDAY, APRIL THE 12TH FROM NINE TO 11 AT BACON'S CASTLE, UH, GROCERY STORE AND AT THE OLD LP JACKSON SCHOOL SITE AND EXISTING PATH.
AND ALL OF THIS INFORMATION WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE.
AND THEN ON APRIL 26TH, THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN CLAREMONT, UM, AND ALSO AT THE PINE VIEW STATION SITE.
SO PLEASE TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE THESE SPECIAL COLLECTION PERIODS IN MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE KEEPING THE COUNTY CLEAN.
AND WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING AN EMPLOYEE CLEANUP DAY AS WELL.
I BELIEVE THAT'S TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30TH.
BUT, UM, JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WE'LL BE OUT THERE, UM, DURING OUR PART TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEANING UP THE COMMUNITY.
AND ALSO ON APRIL THE 24TH, WE ARE EXCITED THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE STUDENT GOVERNMENT FOR A DAY.
UM, SO WE'LL BE HOSTING ALL THE SENIORS AGAIN.
AND WE ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THAT GRAND
[01:45:01]
TIME HERE IN, UM, OUR GOVERNMENT CENTER FACILITIES SO THAT WE CAN SHADOW THOSE STUDENTS AND HOPEFULLY GET THEM INTERESTED IN BEING A PART OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.UH, WE WILL NOW HAVE BOARD COMMENTS
[Board Comments]
AND WE'LL CALL MR. HARDY.I DO WANNA COMMENT FROM MISS, UH, ZARIA HAR HARRELL, OUR STUDENT LIAISON.
SHE CAN BE WITH US TONIGHT BECAUSE SHE'S ACTUALLY COMPETING IN THE COMPETITION AT VIRGINIA BEACH.
SO SHE DID SEND, UM, A NOTE INFORMING THE BOARD OF THAT.
SO I DID WISH HER WELL, AND I KNOW SHE'LL BRING HOME TO GOLD SUR COUNTY.
SO JUST WENT THROUGH THAT OUT THERE.
GOOD LUCK TO, UM, MS. HARRELL.
I DON'T HAVE MUCH, UH, I WANT THANK, UM, THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM WINGATE COMING IN TONIGHT.
'CAUSE IT'S ALWAYS A, A CLOUDY, UM, UH, TIME WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH THE, UH, REASSESSMENT.
SO I'M GLAD HE CAME FORWARD TO EXPLAIN, UH, HOW THAT STUFF WORKS.
AND HOPEFULLY, PROBABLY NOT EVERYBODY AT EASE, BUT, YOU KNOW, TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHY IT'S DONE AND, UM, AND THE REASON BEHIND IT.
SO OTHER THAN THAT, UH, GREAT PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
AND, UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, UH, SIR, SOMETHING SPECIAL.
UM, KINDA JUMPING ON, UH, MR. HARDY'S, UM, COMMENTS AS WELL.
I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION BY WINGATE TODAY.
UM, HOPEFULLY THAT WILL EXPLAIN SOME OF THE, UH, SOME INFORMATION.
WE'LL PROVIDE INFORMATION TO OUR RESIDENTS REGARDING THE REASSESSMENTS.
UM, APPRECIATE THE, UH, SHORT TERM RENTAL UPDATE.
UM, THE, UM, THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE, UM, BESS SYSTEMS THAT, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, THE ORDINANCE, UH, WORKING WITH THAT AS WELL.
AND I THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING IN WITH THEIR PUBLIC COMMENTS, UM, BOTH BEFORE, UH, AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, UM, REGARDING THE, UH, ORDINANCE.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN ATTENDANCE, AND THANK YOU FOR THOSE, UM, ON THE INTERNET AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATION.
UH, AS ALWAYS, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE THAT'S STILL TUNING IN AT HOME.
UM, NOT GONNA BE UP HERE ALONE.
I WANTED TO MAKE A CORRECTION REAL QUICK BEFORE I MOVE FURTHER.
THE KAYAK EVENT IS ACTUALLY, UM, IT'S FROM 10:00 AM AND THEY HAVE ANOTHER ONE AT 2:00 PM SO THERE'S A EVENTBRITE, I'M ON THE, UH, ON SOCIAL MEDIA NOW.
IT'S A LINK YOU CAN CLICK, GO AHEAD AND PURCHASE, RE UH, PRE-REGISTER AND GO AND GET YOUR TICKET, SIGN THE WAIVER FOR ALL INTERESTED.
SO, UM, AND GOING, WITH THAT BEING SAID, LISTENING TO, UH, MR. RENEE CHAPLAIN'S, UH, COMMENTS.
I MEAN, IT'S EXCITING TO ALL THE, THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE HAVE.
AND, UM, I DON'T WANT TO, UM, PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR MUCH OF A PRICE ON ANY OF THOSE THINGS.
SO I'M HOPING THAT MANY OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE FREE.
AND SO A LOT OF THOSE THINGS ARE AFFORDED TO OUR YOUTH OUT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I ENCOURAGE OUR, OUR, OUR ADULTS AND PARENTS AND, AND, AND MENTORS TO, YOU KNOW, PLEASE GET OUR YOUTH OUT TO THESE EVENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, SO THEY CAN, UH, GET EXPOSED AND GET EXPERIENCE.
SO, UM, I'M, I'M REALLY APPRECIATE STAFF FOR WORKING HARD ON THAT.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, JUST A REMINDER, HAVE TO SPRING FEST WITH APRIL 5TH.
I HEARD THERE IS A EASTER EGG HUNT FOR ALL AGES, SO DON'T BE AFRAID TO COME ON OUT THERE.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS ANOTHER FREE EVENT, UH, FROM 11:00 AM TO 2:00 PM RIGHT HERE AT THE S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMPLEX.
SO AGAIN, I PLAN TO ATTEND, UH, IF, IF ALL, IF MY CARSLEY, UH, UH, CITIZENS WILL COME OUT THERE AND MAKE SURE YOU REPRESENT, UM, UM, AND, UM, YEAH, I LOOK FORWARD FOR A GREAT TIME AND GREAT WEEKEND.
SO THANK YOU FOR, AGAIN, FOR COMING OUT.
HOPE YOU ALL DRIVE HOME SAFELY.
UH, DITTO TO ALL OF THE COMMENTS FROM OUR BOARD MEMBERS.
UH, THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT AND PARTICIPATING AND OUR BOARD MEETING.
IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE POSITIVE CITIZEN, UH, INPUT INTO WHAT WE ARE DOING, JUST LIKE THE REPORT TO THE BOARD AND THE CITIZENS THAT ON THIS WEEK, I SERVE ON THE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION.
AND WE MET ON YESTERDAY, AND THEY ARE IN CHARGE OF THE HEAD START PROGRAM HERE IN THE COUNTY.
AND JUST WANNA LET US KNOW THAT, UH, THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS WITH FINANCING FROM THEIR PROGRAM WITH FEDERAL CUTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO WE NEED TO, UH, BE MINDFUL AS A COUNTY, AS A BOARD THAT THERE MAY BE SOME FINANCING REQUIRED OF US LATER ON ONCE WE GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON THE FINANCE FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND ALSO, I SAT ON THE, UH, THE NACO, UH, TRANSPORTATION STEERING COMMITTEE AND SPOKE WITH THEM TODAY IN A MEETING.
AND, UH, THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, TAKING AWAY TAX EXEMPTS FROM THE MUNICIPAL BONDS, WHICH WOULD BE DEVASTATING TO LOCALITIES LIKE, UH, SIRI, IF WE WANT TO GET BONDS FOR DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THEY'RE ASKING FOR SOME TYPE OF RESOLUTION OR
[01:50:01]
SOME TYPE OF, UH, LETTER TO OUR LOCAL, NOT LOCAL, OUR FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE WANT TO SUPPORT, UH, KEEPING THE TAX EXEMPT ON THE MUNICIPAL BONDS.AND I JUST HAVE TO CLARIFY, UH, ONE THING, UH, ONE GENTLEMAN STOOD UP TONIGHT AND IT SEEMED LIKE I LIVE RENT, RENT FREE IN HIS HEAD 'CAUSE HE, UH, WANTS TO QUOTE ME.
BUT I JUST ASKED PEOPLE NOT TO TAKE A SENTENCE THAT I GIVE AND TAKE IT OUT OF CONTEXT BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WAS DONE TONIGHT.
WHEN I SAY I LOVE EVERYBODY, I LOVE EVERYBODY.
THAT'S THE REASON WHY I SERVE.
I'M NOT ONE THAT WANTS TO BE A PART OF OR CREATE DIVISION.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT STAND UP AND PUT ON PERFORMANCES LIKE THIS TONIGHT THAT CAUSE MORE DIVISION, LOVE IS LOVE, LOVE IS WHAT LOVE DOES.
IT'S NOT STANDING UP TALKING AND MAKING INVALID POINTS ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL TO SPEAK DISPARAGINGLY ABOUT ME.
BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT MY MOTIVES ARE APPEAR.
UH, SO I THINK IT'S VERY COWARDICE TO, UH, GIVE DISPARAGING MARKS AND THEN WALK OUT.
UH, YOU NEED TO KNOW WHO I AM.
I THINK THE PEOPLE IN SIERRA COUNTY KNOW WHO I AM.
AND I'M NOT HERE TO HURT ANYBODY.
I'M HERE TO TRY TO MAKE QUALITY OF LIFE BETTER FOR EVERYBODY IN SURY COUNTY.
PLEASE DON'T TAKE WHAT I SAY OUTTA CONTEXT.
SO IT'S EASY TO DO THAT, JUST LIKE YOU CAN TAKE ONE SCRIPTURE AND GIVE IT A, A TOTAL, UH, A NEGATIVE CONSULTATION OF WHAT IT ACTUALLY SAYS BY YOU INTERPRETING IT.
DON'T TAKE WHAT I SAY IN A NEGATIVE WAY, COME TO ME AND FIND OUT WHO I AM AND THEN YOU'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY SO.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUALLY TO MOVE SURY COUNTY FORWARD IN A POSITIVE WAY.
AND WE ASK NOW FOR AN ADJOURNMENT UNTIL, UH, OUR APRIL THE 10TH AT FIVE O'CLOCK FOR A WORK SESSION BUDGET WORK SESSION FROM THE BOARD.