[Call to Order / Moment of Silence / Pledge of Allegiance/ Agenda Adoption ]
[00:00:05]
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY GOOD EVENING TO EVERYONE AND WELCOME TO OUR MAY 7TH, 2026 BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEETING.
BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR MEETING, WE'LL HAVE OUR INVOCATION BY EVANGELIST JOAN BROWN FROM ST.
IT IS AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE AGAIN FOR A BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEETING.
MY TASK IS TO PRAY WITH US FOR US.
SO IF WE MAY BOW OUR HEAD, AND WHILE YOU'RE BOWING YOUR HEAD, IF YOU WILL HUMBLE YOUR HEART.
OH, HEAVENLY FATHER, WE JUST THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY, A DAY THAT WE HAVE NOT SEEN FULFILLED AS OF YET.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR WAKING US UP THIS MORNING, MEETING OUR BASIC NEEDS TONIGHT.
HEAVENLY FATHER, AS WE HAVE AN AGENDA BEFORE US, WE ASK FOR YOUR GUIDANCE.
WE ASK FOR LEADERSHIP, SOUND LEADERSHIP.
HEAVENLY FATHER, TONIGHT WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISOR FOUR OF SIRI, AS WE SIT HERE TONIGHT.
LORD, LET US BE GRATEFUL FOR THAT, WHICH IS, AND TO TRY TO MAKE EVEN SIR, SOMETHING EVEN GREATER.
HEAVENLY FATHER, LEAD GUIDE AND DIRECT US.
WE THANK YOU TODAY BECAUSE IT'S THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER.
SO TO BE ABLE TO COME TO A MEETING.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL.
WE BLESS YOU, AND WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR US THUS FAR.
THANK YOU FOR THAT HEARTFELT PRAYER.
EVANGELIST BROWN, I NOW CALL THE MAY 7TH, 2026 BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEETING TO ORDER.
PLEASE TAKE A, TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
BOARD MEMBERS BEFORE YOU TONIGHT, YOU HAVE YOUR AGENDA.
BEFORE I TAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE TONIGHT'S AGENDA, I ASK THAT IF YOU MAY TAKE A LOOK AT, UM, ITEMS, UH, THE PRESENTATION IN UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS, I ASK THAT WE COULD PLEASE MOVE THE PRESENTATIONS, UH, BEFORE OUR UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE TONIGHT'S AGENDA? MR. CHAIR, DR.
MOVE THAT WE WOULD APPROVE THE AGENDA WITH THE NECESSARY CORRECTION.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, NO ADJUSTMENT.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO APPROVE THE AGENDA WITH, UH, NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS.
IT BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR ELLIOT, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR HARDY, THAT WE APPROVE TONIGHT'S AGENDA WITH THE, UH, SUGGESTED, UH, CHANGES.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON SAID MOTION? HEARING NONE.
APPLY YOUR VOTE BY SAYING AYE.
I'M NOW ASK MADAM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, IF SHE WILL PLEASE CALL THE ROLL CALL.
GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIRMAN, VICE CHAIRMAN, HARDY BOARD MEMBERS, THE ROLL CALL IS AS FOLLOWS.
SUPERVISOR DREW, PRESENT, VICE CHAIRMAN HARDY, PRESENT.
CHAIRMAN PIERCE, PRESENT SUPERVISOR DR.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, MADAM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
[Consent Items]
WE HAVE OUR CONSENT ITEMS. WE HAVE TWO CONSENT ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING.ONE BEING THE APPROVAL OF THE DRAFT MINUTES FROM APRIL 2ND, 2026, ALSO TO ANOTHER, TO, UH, NUMBER TWO, DEBT SERVICE PAYOFF.
BUT BUDGET A, A AMENDMENT, EXCUSE ME.
UH, FISCAL YEAR 25 26 FOR $353,000.
MR. MOVED BY SUPERVISOR HARDY.
SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR DREW THAT WE APPROVE TONIGHT'S CONSENT ITEMS. IS
[00:05:01]
THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON SAID MOTION? HEARING NONE.ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING TONIGHT'S CONSENT.
ITEMS SIGNIFY YOUR VOTE BY SAYING AYE.
[Public Comments]
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS TONIGHT.THANK YOU MS. TONIGHT WE HAVE, UH, FIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE FROM DR. DANIEL SHAVE FROM THE SARA DISTRICT.
WE ASK THAT YOU COME UP TO THE PODIUM.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES BEFORE YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
MY SUPERVISOR RESIGNED LAST YEAR, THE DRON DISTRICT SUPERVISOR RE RESIGNED.
WHY? SUPERVISOR DREW PUBLICLY CITED DIVISION BULLYING, WHAT SHE DESCRIBED AS A CULTURE OF HOSTILITY AND EXCLUSION USED TO MAINTAIN POWER.
THOSE WERE HER WORDS, NOT MINE.
SHE ALSO STATED, QUOTE, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND BOARD MAJORITY ARE MAKING ALL DECISIONS, LEAVING MYSELF AND THE SURREY REPRESENTATIVE IN THE DARK AND ASKING FOR NEARLY A YEAR FOR PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE IN DEALING WITH OUR BIAS AND DIVISION.
I'VE BEEN MET WITH STONEWALLING DENIALS AND SILENCE.
SADLY, HER RESIGNATION DID NOT PRODUCE MEANINGFUL REFORM REFORM.
RECENTLY, MY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE, TIM CALHOUN, RESIGNED AS WELL.
HE CITED A LACK OF FAIRNESS, RESPECT, TRANSPARENCY, AND TIMELY INFORMATION NECESSARY TO DO HIS JOB RESPONSIBLY.
HE DESCRIBED BUDGETS AND MAJOR DECISIONS BEING CRAFTED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, THEN HANDED TO HIM AFTER THE FACT.
MANY CITIZENS WATCH UN WATCH THESE EVENTS UNFOLD IN REAL TIME.
NOW, WE FACE A DIFFICULT TRUTH.
NO GOVERNMENT CAN REMAIN HEALTHY WHEN ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES ARE CUT OUT OF THE PROCESS.
WHEN DISSENT IS MARGINALIZED OR WHEN TRANSPARENCY BECOMES SELECTIVE, THAT'S NOT A REPUBLICAN PROBLEM.
IT'S NOT A BLACK ISSUE OR A WHITE ISSUE.
IT'S A GOVERNMENT ISSUE, AND ULTIMATELY IT BECOMES A CITIZEN ISSUE.
I HAVE NOT PURSUED APPOINTMENT FOR MR. CALHOUN'S VAC SEAT BECAUSE I DO NOT BELIEVE REAL CHANGE HAPPENS UNTIL A COMMUNITY FIRST ACKNOWLEDGES THERE IS A PROBLEM TO SOLVE.
AND I HEARD OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR JUST SOFTLY SAY MM-HMM.
WITH REGARDS TO MR. UM, CALHOUN'S COMMENTS.
BUT I STILL DO BELIEVE CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.
SUPERVISOR DREW, YOU CAMPAIGNED ON TRANSPARENCY.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PURSUE IT COURAGEOUSLY, PASSIONATELY, AND CONSISTENTLY.
CHAIRMAN PIERCE, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE REAL POTENTIAL AS A LEADER AND UNIFIER.
I ASK YOU TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THAT A GOVERNMENT GROWS STRONGER, NOT WEAKER WHEN DIFFERING VOICES ARE HEARD INSTEAD OF MANAGED AND TO THE CITIZENS OF S COUNTY.
PAY ATTENTION, ASK QUESTIONS, ATTEND MEETINGS, VOTE.
BECAUSE IN THE END, THIS COUNTY DOESN'T BELONG TO POLITICIANS OR ADMINISTRATORS OR POLITICAL FACTIONS.
AND TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE SURY COUNTY'S GOVERNMENT SOMETHING SPECIAL, HEALTHIER, MORE UNITED AND TRULY REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL PEOPLE WHO CALL THIS COUNTY HOME.
NEXT WE HAVE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, GLORIA EVANS FROM THE DENVER DISTRICT.
WE ASK THAT YOU COME UP TO THE PODIUM.
STATE YOUR NAME AND THE DISTRICT THAT YOU REPRESENT.
MY NAME IS GLORIA DEAN EVANS, AND I AM A MEMBER OF THE SURREY NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER COMMITTEE.
AND MY DISTRICT IS THE DRON DISTRICT.
I WOULD LIKE TO POLL TO POSE A QUESTION, UH, TO THE BOARD ON TONIGHT IN REFERENCE TO, UM, SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, NOT THE SURREY NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, BUT THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER.
I KNOW FOR AT LEAST THREE YEARS, UH, AS A COMMITTEE, WE'VE COME TO THE COUNTY TO ASK IF THEY WOULD SUPPORT THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER BY PUTTING SOMETHING ON THE MARQUEE.
AND WE ALWAYS ARE FACED WITH A NO.
BUT I THINK THAT IN FAIRNESS, THAT WE DESERVE MORE THAN JUST A NO, BUT THAT WE SERVE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER.
IF THERE IS A REASON WHY THAT SUPPORT CANNOT BE ISSUED.
AND THAT IS THE QUESTION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ON TONIGHT.
[00:10:01]
I'M NOT NECESSARILY LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER TONIGHT.IF YOU CAN PROVIDE ONE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, BUT IT IS A QUESTION THAT I WOULD, WE WOULD LIKE ANSWERED.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY THE PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOT A QUESTION AND ANSWER, BUT I I SEE STAFF HAS TAKEN NOTE.
UM, WE'LL GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR COMMENT, THOUGH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE TIME.
NEXT WE HAVE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
SUSAN VELO CLAREMONT DISTRICT, WE ASK THAT YOU COME UP TO THE PODIUM, STATE YOUR NAME AND THE DISTRICT THAT YOU REPRESENT.
HELLO, SUSAN COVELO CLAREMONT DISTRICT.
I WANTED TO BRIEFLY ADDRESS THE SITUATION REGARDING PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY.
THE BOARD HAS OFTEN ENCOURAGED CITIZENS TO REACH OUT WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT COUNTY MATTERS AND PUBLIC SPENDING.
RECENTLY, WHEN I WAS HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH A BOARD MEMBER REGARDING AN EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT FOR LANDSCAPING INVOLVING THE COUNTY'S CURRENT LANDSCAPER, AS WELL AS HOW MUCH WE WILL TRANSFER OF THE MONIES FROM THE REVENUE STABILIZATION FUND FOR THE UPCOMING YMCA PROJECT TO HOW MUCH WE WILL HAVE REMAINING TO HOW ARE WE GOING TO REBUILD IT, MAYBE WITH THE FINANCIAL ADVISORS PRESENTATION, WE MAY FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
UM, MY INQUIRIES WERE REDIRECTED INTO A FOIA PROCESS AND THEN CHARACTERIZED AS REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION, WHICH FALLS OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE OF FOIA.
I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THE TIME THAT THE BOARD MEMBER TOOK TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
I UNDERSTAND THE LEGAL DISTINCTION UNDER THE FOIA, HOWEVER, IT LEAVES CITIZENS UNCLEAR ABOUT HOW WE ARE SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE BASIC ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS REGARDING PUBLIC DECISIONS AND THE USE OF TAXPAYER FUNDS.
I'M SIMPLY ASKING FOR OPEN COMMUNICATION AND A WILLINGNESS TO ANSWER REASONABLE QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC SO CITIZENS CAN REMAIN INFORMED AND ENGAGED IN HOW THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT OPERATES AND THE SPENDING OF THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY AS BOARD MEMBERS THEMSELVES HAVE ENCOURAGED CITIZENS TO DO, REACH OUT TO YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE PERTAINING TO THE AGENDA TONIGHT, AFTER LOOKING AT THE CONSOLIDATED BUDGET INFORMATION, I WAS TRYING TO COMPARE THE OLD NUMBER TO THE CURRENT, UM, ONE MINUTE.
WHAT APPEARS IN THE CURRENT ONLINE BUDGET AND THE OLD NUMBERS DON'T MATCH WHAT IS OUT THERE ON THE BUDGET, WHICH WOULD AFFECT YOUR OUTCOME.
'CAUSE WHEN I TOOK THE OLD NUMBERS AND THE NEW NUMBER, IT FELL TO A TOTAL OF 341 INSTEAD OF 701.
SO, IF A CHANGE HAD BEEN MADE, I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WAS MADE, BECAUSE I'D LOOKED THIS UP AT FIVE O'CLOCK ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE, AND IT DOESN'T MATCH WHAT THE, UM, CONSOLIDATED AMENDMENT IS ON YOUR AGENDA TONIGHT.
IF Y'ALL COULD MAYBE LOOK INTO IT OR EXPLAIN THAT SITUATION WHEN IT COMES ABOUT.
NEXT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, WE HAVE MS. BARBARA S. WILLIAMS FROM THE CARSON DISTRICT.
WE ASK THAT YOU APPROACH THE PODIUM, STATE YOUR NAME AND THE DISTRICT THAT YOU REPRESENT.
MY NAME IS BARBARA SHEARS, WHERE I'M FROM THE
AND MY COMMENT IS CONCERNING THE HIGHWAY.
I THINK IT'S HOLLY BUS ROAD FROM HIGHWAY 10 TO THE SCHOOL INTERSECTION.
HOLLY BUSH, WHEN I WAS VOLUNTEERING, WELL, I'M STILL VOLUNTEERING FOR THE SCHOOL, BUT DURING THE TIME WHEN THE TIME HAD CHANGED, COMING HOME DARK, AND I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE NO CURB SIGNS.
AND THAT ROAD IS VERY, VERY CURVY.
AND FOR SOMEONE WHO DON'T NORMALLY TRAVEL, ESPECIALLY, MAYBE YOU HAVE A GAME OR SOMETHING AT NIGHT AND MAYBE BUSES COMING OUT OF TOWN, THAT'D BE VERY DANGEROUS FOR TO TRAVEL THE AREA WITH NO CURB SIGNS, EVEN DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT.
AND EVEN DURING THE DAYTIME, YOU KNOW, NOW THE TIME HAS CHANGED.
AND WHEN I TRAVEL THE ROAD, I'M SAYING LIKE, STILL I'M THINKING I'M GETTING TO A CERTAIN DIRECTION, A CERTAIN AREA, AND I'M NOT.
'CAUSE THERE'S A PRETTY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MILES IT IS, BUT FROM THERE TO HIGHWAY 10, THERE ARE NO CURVE SIGNS.
SO THAT'S MY CONCERN FOR SAFETY.
AND I, I WAS LOOKING AT THIS, THAT ON YOUR NEW BUSINESS, IT SAYS, UM, SIX YEAR SECONDARY ROLE IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S INCLUDED OR NOT, BUT JUST SOMETHING I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU JUST TO THINK ABOUT THE SAFETY OF,
[00:15:01]
OF, OF ASSAULT.THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT, MS. WILLIAMS. NEXT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, WE HAVE CARLOS TURNER.
WE ASK THAT YOU APPROACH THE PODIUM, STATE YOUR NAME, THE DISTRICT THAT YOU REPRESENT.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
ALL RIGHT, Y'ALL THIS EVENING.
CARLOS TURNER, CARSLEY DISTRICT.
I JUST COME, I KNOW Y'ALL GONNA MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT ON, ON Y'ALL NEXT FELLOW BOARD MEMBER FOR THE APPOINTMENT.
AND I JUST COME TO, UM, OFFER MY SUPPORT, UH, TO WILLIAM DAVENPORT.
I HAVE WORKED WITH HIM FOR, I GUESS A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW, UM, AT THE ACADEMY.
HAVE BEEN FIREARMS INSTRUCTOR TEACHING AT THE ACADEMY FOR, I'D SAY ABOUT 10, ABOUT 10 TO 15 YEARS NOW.
AND SO I'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH MR. DAVENPORT.
I'VE ALSO WORKED WITH HIM ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
WE ACTUALLY SERVED ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AT THE POLICE ACADEMY, WHERE HE IS THE VICE CHAIR CHAIRMAN OF THE, UM, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE THERE AT THE, SO I JUST COME TO OFFER MY FULL SUPPORT ON THE BOARD, APPOINTED HIM AS A FELLOW BOARD MEMBER TO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENT, SHERIFF.
OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW OVER.
YOU PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM HERE.
ASK THAT YOU PLEASE, UH, STATE YOUR NAME, THE DISTRICT THAT YOU REPRESENT, AND YOU HAVE THREE, THREE MINUTES FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, I'M DIANE CHEEK FROM THE SUR DISTRICT.
UM, I WAS JUST, UH, LISTENING TO THE LADY FROM REN AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION AS WELL.
SO I'M HOPING THAT MAYBE WHEN CITIZENS ASK QUESTIONS, UM, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT A, A QUESTION AND ANSWER TIME, BUT COULD THOSE ANSWERS BE PUT INTO THE MINUTES SO THAT EVERYONE THAT ATTENDS OR ARE WATCHING THE MEETING THEY GET THE ANSWER TO AND NOT, AND NOT JUST ANSWER THE PERSON.
YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION EITHER.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS BEFORE WE CLOSE THE COMMENT FLOOR? ALRIGHT.
HEARING NONE, THE PUBLIC COMMENT FLOOR IS NOW CLOSED.
[Public Hearing]
ON OUR AGENDA ITEMS FOR TONIGHT, WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEARING.WE HAVE THE SERE COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE.
UM, WE ASKED IF WE COULD HAVE STAFF TO APPROACH THE PODIUM.
UH, MR. WADE, UH, IF, IF YOU MIND, SIR, BEFORE YOU, WE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR SOME TIME NOW.
UM, THIS IS THE PROJECT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A WHILE FROM BETWEEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE BOARD SUPERVISORS FOR A, UM, JUST A BRIEF FIVE YEAR UPDATE, UM, FROM OUR LAST COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED IN 2020.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SMALL, SMALL MINOR UP DATA UPDATES AS WELL AS SOME UPDATES TO OUR FUTURE LINE USE MAP.
UH, WE DO HAVE A, BEFORE US WITH WITH US, UM, MR. WILL PLES, WHO'S WITH SUMMIT DESIGN ENGINEERING, WHO WILL DO A PRESENTATION ON OUR UPDATE.
UM, I GET THE FLOOR OF IT TO MR. PLES.
I'M, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
AS, UH, HORIS MENTIONED, I'M WILL TIPPLES WITH SUMMIT DESIGN AND ENGINEERING.
UM, SO I'M JUST GONNA QUICKLY GO THROUGH, UM, SOME OF THE, UH, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE, UM, MATERIALS THAT WE'VE, UH, COMPILED FOR THE COUNTY.
UM, SO, UH, GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UM, WE HAD, UH, A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT FOR THIS, UH, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE.
UM, AND, UH, THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE WAS A TECHNICAL UPDATE AS WELL AS A FUTURE LAND USE MAP UPDATE AS, UH, MR. WADE MENTIONED.
UM, AND SO WE RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK ON THE DRAFT DOCUMENT AND WE'VE, UM, ADDRESSED THAT FEEDBACK SINCE, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, SO, UH, SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD A LOT OF COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, UH, JUST A LOT OF TECHNICAL STUFF THAT WE HAD, UM, UPDATED.
[00:20:01]
UH, SUPPLIED SOME CONTEXT TO KIND OF LIKE EXPLAIN SOME OF THE CHANGES, UM, SEEN IN THE, UM, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.UM, AND THEN SURREY COUNTY STAFF WAS ABLE TO ADDRESS OTHER COMMENTS THAT WERE FOUND THROUGHOUT THE PLAN.
UM, AND SO WE'VE ADDED, I FOUND THIS ON THE WEB FOR HOW, UM, WE'VE ADDED SOME CLARITY REGARDING EXISTING ZONING PERMITTING, UH, REGARDING, UM, MANUFACTURED HOUSING WITHIN THE AR DISTRICT.
UM, AND WE ADDED, UH, MANUFACTURED HOUSING AS AN APPROPRIATE USE FOR THE RURAL PRESERVATION, UH, FUTURE LAND USE CLASS.
UM, AND THESE CHANGES WERE MADE TO, UH, SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA SECTION 15.2 DASH 22, 23 0.5, UH, WHICH REQUIRES PROVISIONS FOR MANUFACTURED HOMES IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, SO ONE OF OUR MAJOR CHANGES FOR THE EXISTING LAND USE MAP, UM, SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL NOTICE WHEN YOU LOOK THROUGH THE PLAN.
UM, THE PREVIOUS PLAN, UM, HAD, UH, ESTIMATES OF EXISTING LAND USE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
UM, THE 2025 PLAN, UH, WHAT I DID WAS I USED, UH, COUNTY ASSESSOR DATA TO GET A MORE, UM, UP TO DATE PICTURE OF THE EXISTING LAND USES.
AND SO IT, IT LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S MORE REFLECTIVE OF THE ACTUAL EXISTING LAND USES AND THERE'S LESS ESTIMATION INVOLVED.
THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP IS THE OTHER MAJOR UPDATE FOR THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, AND SO, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME NOTICEABLE CHANGES.
THERE'S MORE RESIDENTIAL AREAS DESIGNATED AS PART OF THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, UH, AS WELL AS, UM, TWO NODES, WHICH WE'LL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT LATER.
THERE'S THE GRAY CREEK AREA AND THE BACONS CASTLE CROSSROADS.
THESE WERE IDENTIFIED AS AREAS THAT COULD SUPPORT, UM, A MIX OF USES, UH, COMMERCIAL, SOME RURAL COMMERCIAL, AND SOME, UH, RURAL, SOME ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL GROWTH AS WELL.
UM, AND SO THE GRAYS CREEK AREA WAS IDENTIFIED BY STAKEHOLDERS DURING THE ROUTE 31 CORRIDOR STUDY AS A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL USES.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS TO PROMOTE, UH, TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY IN THE COUNTY.
UM, AND IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO, UH, BACON'S CASTLE IN THAT WAY.
THAT'S A MAJOR CONNECTION POINT TO EMPLOYMENT AGRITOURISM AND HISTORIC TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, SO THERE'S POTENTIALLY OPPORTUNITY FOR CROSSROADS STYLE COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL USES WITH SPECIAL CARE, OF COURSE, TO PRESERVE ACTIVE FARMS ENGAGING IN AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES SUCH AS CROP FARMING AND OR ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND NATURE CONSERVATION.
UM, ANOTHER BIG CHANGE YOU'LL NOTICE TOO, IS WE INCLUDED, UM, UH, SOLAR OVERLAY AS PART OF THE FUTURE LAND USE.
AND SO THE INTENT OF THIS IS TO ALIGN EXISTING UTILITY SCALE SOLAR WITH AGRICULTURAL USES TO ENSURE SOLAR CONTRIBUTES TO THE COUNTRYSIDE SCENERY, WHILE ALSO GENERATING RENEWABLE ENERGY.
AND THIS HAS SOME POLICIES ATTACHED TO THIS FEATURE LAND USE CLASS.
UM, SO, UH, USE SPECIAL CARE TO PROTECT THE V SHED ALONG MAJOR ROADS THROUGH BUFFERING AND LANDSCAPING.
UH, DEVELOP DESIGN STANDARDS FOR FUTURE PROJECTS.
UH, USE NATIVE LANDSCAPING POLICIES AND STATE WILDFLOWER PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE BIODIVERSITY IN AND AROUND SOLAR PROJECTS AND ENSURE THAT SOLAR PROJECTS MEANINGFULLY CONTRIBUTE TO SIR SENSE OF PLACE THROUGH WELL-DESIGNED BUFFERING.
UM, SO THIS IS AN UPDATE FROM THE PREVIOUS PLAN.
THIS, THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS PRESENT IN THE PREVIOUS PLAN.
SO WE, WE FELT THAT IT WAS GOOD TO KIND OF RECOGNIZE, UH, THE SOLAR PROJECTS IN THE COUNTY.
UM, ANOTHER ADDITION WAS WE ROLLED THE ENERGY AMENDMENT INTO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, THE ENERGY AMENDMENT WAS ADOPTED ON APRIL 6TH, 2023, AND THAT SERVES TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CLARITY AND POLICY TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ADOPTED IN 2019.
UH, AND UPDATES OBJECTIVE FIVE FOUND IN THE PLAN.
AND, UH, THIS UPDATE WAS NECESSARY DUE TO CODE OF VIRGINIA CHANGES AND INCREASE APPLICATIONS FOR ENERGY PROJECTS SUCH AS UTILITY SCALE SOLAR.
THE ROUTE 31 CORRIDOR OPPORTUNITIES REPORT WAS ANOTHER STUDY THAT WAS CONDUCTED, UH, RELATIVELY RECENTLY SINCE, UM, AND THIS WAS PREPARED BY THE VIRGINIA CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION AS PART OF A COMMUNITY PLANNING INITIATIVE.
AND THE REPORT INCLUDED A WORKSHOP WITH SURREY COUNTY STAFF, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PLANNING PROFESSIONALS.
UM, AND INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS FOUND THAT A, THAT MORE DIVERSE HOUSING TYPES WERE NEEDED ALONG THE CORRIDOR, AND THAT THERE'S A LACK OF PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE ALONG ROUTE 31.
[00:25:01]
ATTRACTING NEW BUSINESSES SUCH AS RESTAURANTS, SHOPS, AND SERVICES.UM, THE REPORT RECOMMENDS DEVELOPING A SMALL AREA PLAN FOR THE GRAYS CREEK MARINA WATERFRONT, PURSUING MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS AND ENCOURAGING DIVERSE HOUSING AND APPROPRIATE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND STRENGTHENING COLLABORATION BETWEEN SURREY COUNTY AND ITS TOWNS.
AND, UM, JUST AS LIKE A, TO KIND OF OUTLINE, UH, THE PROCESS FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON ABOUT A YEAR, THIS UPDATE.
UM, SO WE BEGAN, UH, SUMMER OF 2025 AND, UH, DURING THE SUMMER AND FALL, UH, THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF THE PLAN WAS DONE.
SO THAT WAS WHEN THE DATA RESEARCH WAS COMPILED.
WE UPDATED, UH, CENSUS DATA AND MAPS AND, UH, WE MADE SURE THAT, UM, OTHER ITEMS LIKE THE R-L-R-T-P WAS, WAS CHECKED ON IN THE SIX YEAR IMPROVEMENT PLAN PROJECTS.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAD OUR, UH, PRESENTATION TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN THE FALL AS A PROGRESS UPDATE.
AND THEN WE HAD OUR OPEN HOUSE, UM, THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND THE, UM, LP JACKSON MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND THAT'S WHERE WE RECEIVED A LOT OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, AND THEN FROM, UH, THE WINTER TO EARLY 2026, THE DRAFT DOCUMENT OF THE PLAN WAS AVAILABLE ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE FOR, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, AND OF WHICH WE RECEIVED 95 PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UM, AND THEN IN, UH, FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, WE PRESENTED, UH, TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND, UH, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF WHILE THEY'RE PRESENT? ALL RIGHT.
HEARING NONE, UM, STAFF, DO YOU, HAVE YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD, MR. MR. WADE? I THINK WHILE, WHILE WE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE NOTED, UM, ALTHOUGH WE DID A, A BRIEF UPDATE, FIVE YEAR UPDATE, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE DID RECEIVE, THE, THE BOARD CALLED PATION MAIN BOARD MAY WANT TO CONSIDER SOME OF THOSE FURTHER COMMENTS FOR, UH, A, A LARGER MO MORE ROBUST REVISION TO THE COPPER OF PLAN PROBABLY IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, UH, CONSIDERING THEIR, THE POTENTIAL POTENTIAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE SEE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS MAY REQUIRE A, UH, A MORE ROBUST, UM, LOOK AT THAT.
SO, UM, JUST SAYING THAT WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS A SMALL UPDATE, BUT THAT THE NEXT FIVE YEARS MAY REQUIRE MORE.
SO JUST, JUST KEEP KEEPING THAT UP FOR FRUIT FOR THOUGHT FOR NOW.
MR. WADE, WELL, I DO HAVE YOU PRESENT, I DO HAVE A QUESTION AS FAR AS ON YOUR TIMELINE.
WHEN YOU HAD THE, UM, THE PUBLIC, UM, AT LPG, THE FOR THE PUBLIC TO COME OUT, HOW WAS, HOW WAS THAT RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC? AS FAR AS THE UPDATE? I THINK IT WAS RECEIVED WELL, WE, WE HAD COMMENTS.
UM, WE HAD, WE HAD MAPS, UM, DISPLAYED FOR THE PUBLIC, UM, TO SEE WHAT THE POTENTIAL CHANGES WOULD LOOK LIKE, UM, A MORE ROBUST, UM, UH, INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS WHILE STILL PRESERVING, UM, THE RURAL PRESERVATION OF, OF SURREY COUNTY.
UM, SO I THINK WE'VE SEEN THAT, THAT FOLKS THAT CAME BY UNDERSTOOD WHAT THAT WAS OF STILL PRESERVING THAT ROLE CHARACTER.
AND SOME OF THE TEXTS IN THOSE IN THAT, UM, WE CHANGED SOME OF THE TEXTS IN THOSE FEATURE LINK USE CATEGORIES TO SHARE THAT THIS WAS, THE INTENT IS TO CONCENTRATE THE DEVELOPMENT IN THOSE AREAS WHILE STILL PRESERVING EVEN THE AGRICULTURAL AREAS IN, EVEN IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS.
UM, AND THE FUTURE RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
THERE MAY BE SOME AREAS EVEN WITH THAT FUTURE LAND USE AREAS THAT, UM, MAY HAVE CONSIDERATION TO PRESERVE AGRICULTURE SPACES EVEN IN THOSE AREAS.
SO THOSE, THAT WAS SOMETHING I THINK THE PUBLIC, UM, ENJOYED SEEING IS WE WE'RE CONCENTRATING ON FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, BUT UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE ARE NOW TO, YEAH.
YEAH, I WOULD, UM, I WOULD AGREE WITH MR. WADE.
I HEARD THE SAME COMMENTS AT THE, UH, PUBLIC MEETING.
WE ALSO HEARD, UM, SOME SPECIFIC COMMENTS OF LIKE ASKING FOR, UM, ACCESS, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE A PHARMACY OR LIKE HEALTHCARE TYPE THINGS.
AND LIKE WHEN WE, WHEN WE KIND OF COMMUNICATED THIS LIKE KIND OF NODAL DEVELOPMENT THAT MR. WADE WAS DESCRIBING, THAT WAS LIKE WELL RECEIVED, WE ALSO HEARD COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, ROUTE 31 AND BEING ABLE TO, UH, SPECIFICALLY BEING ABLE TO RIDE A BIKE IN A PROTECTED BIKE LANE.
UM, BUT, BUT GENERALLY, YES, IT WAS, UM, COMMENTS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, YEAH, RURAL PRESERVATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION WERE ALSO IMPORTANT TO ATTENDEES AS WELL.
[00:30:01]
THANK YOU GENTLEMEN, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.WE'RE NOW OPENING THE FLOOR UP FOR A PUBLIC COMMENT.
WHEN YOU COME UP TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT, WE ASK THAT YOU APPROACH THE PODIUM, STATE YOUR NAME, THE DISTRICT YOU REPRESENT, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
AND PLEASE, YOUR COMMENTS SHOULD BE PERTAINED TO THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THANK YOU, DR. DANIEL CHASE, SURRY DISTRICT.
AND I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE, UH, HORACE AND YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST I'VE HAD A LOT OF COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF CERTAIN WAYS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION HAS FUNCTIONED.
LOOKING THROUGH THIS DOCUMENT, IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT HORACE LISTENED, ACTIVELY LISTENED.
UM, YOU FOCUSED ON OUR RURAL CHARACTER AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
I THINK BOTH OF YOU TRULY HEARD THAT MESSAGE.
UM, THE ACTIVE LISTENING TO WHAT THE CITIZENS, UH, GAVE AS INPUT.
I CAN SEE IT THROUGHOUT THIS DOCUMENT.
UM, THE PROPOSED CHANGES, UM, THAT'S WELL DONE.
I NOTICED SOMETHING INTERESTING.
ONE OF THE CHANGES, UM, THAT, UH, MAY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO MULTIPLE COMMENTS OR A COMMENT THAT I MADE, UH, UNDER THREATS.
IT USED TO SAY THE FORMER VERSION LISTED RACIAL TENSION AS A THREAT IN SURREY COUNTY, AND THAT LANGUAGE WAS UPDATED TO CULTURAL DIFFERENCES, WHICH IS VERY INTERESTING AND NUANCED.
I MIGHT PROPOSE THAT OUR CULTURAL DIFFERENCES, IF WE WANNA PHRASE IT THAT WAY, UM, CAN BE BEYOND RACIAL AND ALSO MAY ALSO, IF WE PLAY THIS RIGHT, BE A STRENGTH IN ADDITION TO A THREAT.
IT CAN BE BOTH IF WE PLAY IT RIGHT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? SEEING NONE, THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
BOARD MEMBERS GIVE YOU GUYS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS.
BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS TO MAKE PERTAINING TO THE PUBLIC HEARING CHAIR, SUPERVISOR HARDY, UH, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, PRODUCE THE DOCUMENT SEVERAL TIMES FROM FRONT TO BACK.
AND, UM, I'D AGREE WITH THE, UH, THE GOOD DOCTOR THERE THAT, UM, WAS A VERY THOROUGH JOB.
UM, NOT ONLY, UM, UM, CAPTURING OUR RURAL CHARACTER AND THE PRESERVATION OF THAT, BUT ALSO, UH, FUTURE GROWTH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I KNOW IT'S A LONG PROCESS AND I KNOW THAT, UM, IT'S TEDIOUS WORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE DOT, YOU KNOW, EVERY I AND CROSS, EVERY T EVERY PERIOD, EVERY COMMA IS VERY TEDIOUS WORK.
SO, UM, KUDOS, HATS OFF TO YOU ALL.
THINK YOU FOR THAT SUPERVISOR.
HARDY, ARE THERE ANY OTHER, OTHER, EXCUSE ME? ARE THERE ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENTS? MR. CHAIR? DR.
ELLIOT? I WOULD SAY DITTO TO THE COMMENTS OF MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBER.
I'VE MADE MY NOTES HERE THAT, UH, THE NEW FIVE YEAR UPDATE GIVES POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH HERE IN THE COUNTY WHILE STILL PRESERVING THE RURAL CHARACTER AND THE NATURE OF THE COUNTY THAT WE ALL HAVE GROWN TO LOVE.
AND SO AGAIN, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE HALLWAY THAT, THAT YOU'VE DONE TO KEEP US ON A PATH FOR CONTINUED GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT WHILE WE STILL MAINTAIN THE THINGS THAT MAKE S COUNTY SO SPECIAL.
THANK YOU FOR A JOB WELL DONE.
ELLIOT, ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENT BEFORE I CLOSE THE BOARD COMMENTS? I WOULD LIKE JUST TO, UH, PRETTY MUCH DITTLE WITH SUPERVISOR HARDY AND SUPERVISOR ELLIOT JUST MENTIONED.
UM, I'VE SIT ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, SO I, UH, WAS ABLE TO GET A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION, UM, FIRSTHAND.
AND I CAN SEE HOW NOT ONLY STAFF BUT COLLECTIVE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSIONERS, UH, GOT TOGETHER AND, AND, AND WORKED STRATEGICALLY TO NOT ONLY LISTEN TO THE CITIZENS, BUT ALSO TO, UM, UM, THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF S COUNTY, UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED SOME TYPE OF GROWTH AND THAT GROWTH IS HOPEFULLY WILL RETAIN WHAT WE DO HAVE IN S COUNTY.
IS THAT WHAT, WHAT WE VALUE? AND, UH, HEARING THE COMMENTS TONIGHT, THE, THE RULE SCENES, THE HISTORICAL PRESERVATIONS, I THINK THOSE ARE ALL THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND.
UM, BUT HEARING MR. WADE'S COMMENT AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST A, A MINOR UPDATE.
YOU KNOW, WITH FIVE YEARS, WITH THE ANTICIPATED GROWTH THAT WE ARE EXPECTING, WE COULD POSSIBLY HAVE TO REALLY SIT DOWN AND BREAK THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOWN TO, UH, ADJUST FOR THE TYPE OF GROWTH THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MAY EXPECT OR MAY, MAY SEE.
BUT AGAIN, HEARING THAT STAFF IS, IS TAKING IN MIND WHAT, WHAT CITIZENS ARE SAYING IS, IS JUST TO KNOW THAT, UH, BOARD MEMBERS, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HARDWORKING EFFORTS FOR THAT.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM STAFF CLOSING COMMENTS? YES, THANK YOU, CHAIR.
UM, I, I ALSO WANT TO THANK THAT YOU KNOW, THIS STAFF, THIS STAFF, UM, OUR CONSULTANTS, OUR, OUR PLANNING COMMISSION, THEY, THEY DID A FANTAS JOB THERE.
NUMEROUS, UM, WORK SESSIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY NIGHTS.
[00:35:01]
WITH US, MAKING SURE WE HAVE, UM, AND I, I, I MISSION OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY TOO 'CAUSE SHE, SHE, SHE WAS STUCK IN THOSE MEETINGS TOO.MAKING SURE SHE KEPT US, KEPT US, KEPT US STRAIGHT.
UM, BUT, AND, AND THEN OUR BOARD MEMBERS, I'VE SEEN YOU GUYS EVEN AT ARE PLENTY OF COMMISSION MEETINGS COMING TO THE, THE MEETINGS TO, TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
'CAUSE IT'S AN IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR US AT, AT THE TIME.
SO, UM, I I HATS OFF TO EVERYBODY WAS, IT WAS A JOB WELL DONE.
CAN'T NO, NO ONE SINGLE PERSON CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR ALL OF IT.
IS EVERY, EVERYBODY WAS A PART OF THAT.
SO I JUST, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THIS.
WITH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS A, AN ACTION ITEM.
UM, AND SO I'LL ASK THE BOARD MEMBERS WHAT IS THEIR PLEASURE ON THIS ACTION ITEM.
CHAIR, SUPERVISOR HARDY, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE SURY COUNTY 2024 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, DRAFT UPDATE.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO APPROVE THE COUNTY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE.
IS THERE A SECOND ADOPTION? I'LL SEND MY PREVIOUS MOTION.
TO ADOPT A MOVE TO BE ADOPT THE SURY COUNTY 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
MR. HARDY, THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO ADOPT THE SURY COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE.
HAS THERE BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR HARDY, SECONDED BY SUPERVISOR ELLIOT THAT WE ADOPT THE UPDATED COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR SERE COUNTY? IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON SAID MOTION? HEARING NONE, I'LL NOW TAKE A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UPDATE SIGNIFY YOUR VOTE BY SAYING AYE.
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
UM, THERE IS A RESOLUTION FOR, UH, FOR THIS, UH, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE AND WE HAVE TO TAKE ACTION ON THE RESOLUTION AS WELL, MS. MS. S FOR CLARITY.
WE CAN, MS. MR. CHAIRMAN, I, I, I'M SORRY.
UM, THERE IS NOT A RESOLUTION ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, I DO NOT BELIEVE WE HAVE ONE FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THE ACTION THAT WAS TAKEN IS SUFFICIENT.
[New Business]
NEXT ON OUR, OUR, OUR AGENDA WILL BE NEW BUSINESS AND, UH, UM, NEW BUSINESS WILL BE THE VDOT SIX YEAR SECONDARY ROAD IMPROVEMENT PLAN, FISCAL YEAR 27 THROUGH 32.I ASK THAT IF MR. WADE COULD COME UP TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION.
BEFORE, BEFORE YOU IS YOUR, IS YOUR ANNUAL, UH, SIX YEAR, UM, IMPROVEMENT PLAN, UH, UM, SIX YEAR PLAN.
UH, YOU HAVE THE RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU TONIGHT, UM, TO PASS.
AND WE, WE WILL FORWARD OVER IF ONCE APPROVED, IT'D BE FORWARDED OVER TO VDOT FOR, FOR, UM, THEM TO KEEP WORKING ON WITH THEIR SIX YEAR IMPROVEMENT UP TO 2032.
UM, SO IF YOU, YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I'M, I'M, I'M HERE TO ANSWER EVERYTH.
I DON'T THINK VIDO IS HERE TONIGHT.
UM, BUT IF, IF YOU DO HAVE QUESTIONS, I I, I, I CAN ANSWER 'EM IF, IF, IF NEED BE.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT, MR. WADE.
UH, MR. UH, SUPERVISOR ELLIOT, MR. WADE, NO QUESTIONS, BUT, UH, COULD YOU PLEASE GET WITH, UH, VDOT AND EXPRESS THE CONCERNS OF A CITIZEN THAT BROUGHT UP TONIGHT ABOUT, UH, HOLLY BUSH ROAD AND, UH, SEE IF WE CAN GET THAT INCLUDED IN, IN WITHIN THE PLAN AND UPDATED? YES, SIR.
CHAIR, VICE, CHAIR HARDY, UH, MR. WADE.
I KNOW, UH, MR. CARROLL'S NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT, UM, AND OF COURSE WE, WE KNOW HOW THIS, UH, SIXTH YEAR, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S REALLY NO MONEY ATTACHED
[00:40:01]
TO THIS, YOU KNOW, SERIOUS MONEY ANYWAY.UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO PASS ON THE ROAD.
WE, WE HAVE TO START HAVING THESE SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SOME OF OUR SECONDARY ROADS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE THAT FUNDING'S GONNA COME FROM, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S YOUR COURT SO TO SPEAK.
BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, WHITE MARSH ROAD SIX 17 FROM ROUTE 10 TO BEACHLAND AND ALSO THE OTHER WAY FROM, UH, ROUTE 10 TO, UH, UH, ROUTE SIX 50.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'RE BECOMING VERY UNSAFE ROADS TO, TO TRAVERSE.
AND, UM, WE HAVE TO START HAVING SOME SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW CAN WE ADDRESS THOSE.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THOSE ONLY TWO OF MANY OBVIOUSLY.
BUT, UH, SPEAKING FOR MY DISTRICT, THOSE ARE VERY, VERY, UH, HIGHLY TRIBAL, UH, PASSAGES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT THE WORST TO HAPPEN KNOWING THAT, UH, WE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY AT SOME POINT TO GET IN THERE AND MAKE THE, THE NEEDED CORRECTIONS.
'CAUSE UH, THEY, THEY'RE IN HORRIBLE CONDITION.
YOU KNOW, VEHICLES THESE DAYS ARE HUGE.
YOU KNOW, TRUCKS, A LOT OF TRUCKS GOING TO THE, UM, THE NUCLEAR POWER STATION.
UM, NOT EVEN, NOT EVEN TALKING, YOU KNOW, 18 WHEELERS.
I'M TALKING JUST PICKUP TRUCKS, YOU KNOW, THE DUDES AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SO I KNOW, I KNOW I'M, YOU KNOW, PREACHING THE CHOIR HERE, BUT, UH, WE GOTTA FIND A WAY TO START HAVING NO SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS TO, UH, TO GET THE STUFF IN MOTION, AT LEAST TO THE TABLE AND, AND PLAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT EVEN THAT FAR YET.
SO, UH, WE, WE GOT, WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO THAT, SO THANK YOU.
CAN I HAD A THANK YOU FOR THE, UM, CAN I ADD, CAN I ADD SOMETHING? THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UH, UH, SO JUST TO ADD ONTO WITH ABOUT PARTICIPATION THAT, UM, WE, UH, SIRI COUNTY IS PART OF TWO DIFFERENT, UH, PDCS.
UH, ONE OF THE PDCS, UM, IS, HAS THE RURAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDS WITH IT.
THEY HAVE LAST SHARED WITH ME AT ONE OF THE PLAN DIRECTORS MEETINGS THAT THERE, THERE ARE SOME RURAL FUNDING OUT THERE.
SO WE, LET ME, LET ME CHECK INTO THAT AND SEE IF WE CAN TAP INTO SOME OF THOSE FUNDS.
UM, 'CAUSE THERE, THERE IS SOME FUNDING OUT THERE.
SO IF THERE IS FUNDING OUT THERE, THEN WE, WE WILL CHECK AND SEE IF, IF WE, IF WE CAN MAKE SOME OF THESE THINGS A REALITY.
SO JUST, JUST, JUST TO ADD BACK TO THAT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT BOARD MEMBERS OR COMMENTS? UM, MADAM, MADAM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR? YES.
TO, UM, ADD ON TO WHAT MR. WADE, UM, HAS STATED IN TERMS OF THE CREATIVE PDC.
AND THIS IS THE DISCUSSION, UM, CHAIRMAN PIERCE AND, UM, MR. HARDY THAT THE REGION IS, IS HAVING AMONGST ALL JURISDICTIONS, RECOGNIZING THAT VDOT IS SHORT OF FUNDING.
SO THIS IS A REGIONAL CONVERSATION.
UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU ALL WERE MADE AWARE OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PRESENTED BY, UM, DR.
ELLIOT AND ONE OF HIS REPORTS AS PERTAINS TO THE PROPOSED TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, UM, WE WILL HAVE, UH, THE CREATIVE PDC COME AND PRESENT AT A FUTURE MEETING, BUT AT THAT TIME AS WELL, WE ARE HOPING THAT THAT WOULD BE AN AVENUE FOR, UM, NOT JUST SIRI, BUT OTHER RURAL COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO SUPPORT OUR RURAL ROAD STRUCTURE.
ARE THE END OF THE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? BOARD MEMBERS, STAFF? HEARING NONE.
UM, BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM.
UM, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT BOARD BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVE THE PROPOSED SIX YEAR PLAN AND AUTHORIZE A SUBMISSION OF A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE PROPOSED ALLOCATIONS FOR THE SIX YEAR PERIOD, TOTALING $127,946 FOR MEMBERS.
WHAT IS YOUR PLEASURE, MR. CHAIR? SO MOVED.
SECOND BY SUPERVISOR DREW, THAT WE APPROVED STAFF THAT WE APPROVED TO RECOMMEND STAFF, UM, TO PUT THE PROPOSED SIX YEAR PLAN AND AUTHORIZE THE SUBMISSION OF A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING PROPOSED ALLOCATIONS FOR THE SIX YEAR PERIOD, TOTALING 127,000 9 400 940 $6.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON SAID MOTION? HEARING NONE WILL NOW VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR? SAID MOTION SIGNIFY YOUR VOTE BY SAYING AYE.
[Presentations]
HAVE OUR, WE WILL HAVE OUR PRESENTATIONS THIS EVENING.WE HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS, ONE BEING FROM THE HAMPTON ROADS PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION.
AND THE SECOND BEING FROM OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS, UH, OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR PRESENTATION.
WE ASKED IF WE COULD HAVE OUR HAMPTON ROADS PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION, UM, PRESENTATION TO COME UP TO, TO THE PODIUM.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE, I'M JUST CALL YOU MR. GREG.
HE'S THE EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
I'LL, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO, FOR MS. ROLLINS FOR INTRODUCTION, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
NO, YOU, I THINK YOU'VE, YOU'VE INTRODUCED, SO, OKAY.
CHAIRMAN PIERCE, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MS. ROLLINS, APPRECIATE BEING HERE.
I'M JUST REALLY HERE FOR A QUICK SECOND.
I'M GONNA INTRODUCE NIKKI 'CAUSE SHE'S DEFINITELY THE STAR OF THIS SHOW.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE, THE PDC REAL QUICK FOR, YOU KNOW, HAMPTON ROADS.
PDC CRATERS INCLUDED THIS AS WELL, BUT YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT WAS, UH, 1968 THAT VIRGINIA CREATED PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSIONS
[00:45:01]
RECOGNIZING THAT REGENTS NEED TO WORK TOGETHER.AND, UH, THAT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE TRUE THAN TODAY.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT JUST COMPETING NATIONALLY, WE'RE COMPETING INTERNATIONALLY FOR, FOR WORKFORCE, ATTRACTING TALENT.
AND, AND AS WE WORK TOGETHER, AS WE GROW TOGETHER, AND MR. ROLLINS AND MR. HARDY ARE BOTH ACTIVE MEMBERS ON OUR BOARD, WHICH WE REALLY APPRECIATE, BUT IT'S, IT'S REALLY IMPERATIVE THAT WE WORK TOGETHER FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE REGION.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE RISING TIDE FLOATS ALL BOATS.
SO, UM, THE H-R-P-D-C IS VERY ACTIVE IN SURY COUNTY AND SUR COUNTY IS VERY ACTIVE IN THE REGION WITH HORSE, UH, WEIGHED A LOT.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET SOME FLOODING SENSORS, UH, PUT IN HERE.
WE'VE GOT, UH, WATER SUPPLY PLAN THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH YOU ALL ON, UH, INCLUDED SUSSEX COUNTY.
AND WHAT WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT TONIGHT SPECIFICALLY IS I WAS HERE IN SEPTEMBER OF, OF, UH, 2020 BECAUSE IT WAS H-R-P-D-C THAT DID THE LAST COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE.
SO IT WAS REALLY GOOD TO SEE THAT.
BUT ANYWAYS, TONIGHT, UH, I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED TO, TO UH, INTRODUCE NIKKI WITH THE HAMPTON ROADS PLANNING DISTRICT MISSION.
UH, AND UH, SHE'S BEEN ALL OVER THE REGION PRESENTING AND LETTING FOLKS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE REGIONAL ECONOMY.
UM, THE THING THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THE 50 YEARS THAT AGO THAT, THAT THE STATE OF VIRGINIA REALIZED AT THE TIME IS REGIONS ARE FUNDAMENTAL ECONOMIC UNITS, RIGHT? THAT'S REALLY WHAT, WHAT COMPETES.
SO, UM, I'M EXCITED FOR NIKKI TO COME AND PRESENT.
HOW DO I ACCESS, OH, I SEE IT.
THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT TO DISCUSS THE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK FOR 2026.
AS I'M SURE WE ALL KNOW, WE'VE FACED SIGNIFICANT POLICY CHANGES AND A LOT OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY AND SO FAR IN 2026 THAT HAS CONTINUED TO BE TRUE.
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT THE NATIONAL ECONOMY HAS REMAINED REMARKABLY RESILIENT THROUGH IT ALL SO FAR.
BUT AS YOU'LL SEE TODAY, THAT'S SLIGHTLY LESS TRUE FOR HAMPTON ROADS BECAUSE WE FACED REALLY AN OUTSIDE IMPACT FROM THE FEDERAL CUTS THAT OCCURRED LAST YEAR.
BUT STARTING WITH THE MOST BROAD MEASURE OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY IN 2025 AND INFLATION ADJUSTED GDP INCREASED 2.1%.
THAT IS A SLOWDOWN FROM THE PRIOR YEAR, BUT STILL ROUGHLY AROUND THE HISTORICAL AVERAGE.
AND THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS THAT RESILIENCE OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY AND FACE OF A LOT OF POLICY UNCERTAINTY AND A LOT OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY OVERALL.
IF WE LOOK AT THE LATEST DATA FOR 2026, WE SEE THAT GDP INCREASED AROUND 2% IN THE FIRST QUARTER.
THAT'S UP FROM 0.5% IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2025.
WHAT WE SAW IS THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN DEPRESSED ECONOMIC OUTPUT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER AND THEN THE REOPENING HELPED LIFT ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.
IF WE LOOK AT WITHIN THE FIRST QUARTER, WE SAW CONSUMER SPENDING DID SLOW SLIGHTLY, BUT WE DID SEE A BIG BOOST IN BUSINESS, UH, INVESTMENT OF COURSE BECAUSE OF AI INVESTMENTS OVERALL WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY REMAINS SOLID.
BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THE CURRENT MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT HAS NOT BEEN REFLECTED IN THE GDP ESTIMATES YET.
SO IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WE SEE A SLOWDOWN IN GROWTH MOVING FORWARD, TURNING TO INFLATION AFTER PEAKING AT ABOUT 9% IN JUNE OF 2022.
WE SEE THAT INFLATION STEADILY MODERATED SINCE THEN, BUT HAS REMAINED SOMEWHAT STICKY OVER THE LAST YEAR.
WE DID SEE IT TICK UP BRIEFLY BECAUSE OF THE TARIFF RELATED PRESSURES, BUT IF WE LOOK AT THE LATEST DATA FOR MARCH, WE CAN SEE CONSUMER PRICES WERE UP ABOUT 3.3%.
THAT'S THE HIGHEST RATE OF INFLATION IN OVER A YEAR.
THAT WAS DRIVEN BY NEARLY 11% INCREASE IN ENERGY COSTS.
CORE INFLATION, WHICH IS THAT LIGHT BLUE LINE THAT EXCLUDES THE MORE VOLATILE FOOD AND ENERGY PRICES, WE CAN SEE THAT THAT ROSE TO 2.6%.
IT'S A SLIGHT INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS MONTH, ABOUT 0.2 PERCENTAGE POINTS.
SO THE GOOD NEWS SO FAR IS THAT HIGHER ENERGY PRICES HAVE YET TO FILTER INTO CONSUMER PRICES MORE BROADLY.
IF WE LOOK AT THE LABOR MARKET CONDITIONS OVER THE PAST YEAR HAVE REMAINED IN THIS LOW TO HIRE, LOW TO FIRE SCENARIO LAYOFFS ARE RELATIVELY STABLE, BUT HIRING REMAINS AT HISTORIC LOWS.
[00:50:01]
ADDED IS THE LOWEST OUTSIDE OF A RECESSION SINCE 2003.A MAJOR FACTOR HERE IS IMMIGRATION.
WITH FEWER PEOPLE, YOU JUST NEED FEWER NEW JOBS ADDED EACH MONTH.
AND SO THERE IS SOME QUESTION OF WHAT A NEW BASELINE IS FOR A HEALTHY JOB MARKET NATIONALLY.
UM, BUT WHILE JOB GROWTH SLOWED NATIONALLY, IT CONTRACTED IN HAMPTON ROADS, HAMPTON ROADS LOST ABOUT 4,000 JOBS SINCE THE START OF 2025.
WHILE STILL ABOVE THOSE PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS THAT WE SAW, IT'S STILL A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT YEAR OVER YEAR JOB GROWTH, WE CAN SEE THAT IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF THE PANDEMIC JOB GROWTH IS SLOWER RELATIVE TO THE NATION.
BUT THEN IN 20 23, 20 24, WE WERE ROUGHLY IN LINE WITH THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, BUT THEN WE CAN START TO SEE THAT DROP OFF AT THE START OF 2025 WHERE WE SEE THAT JOB GROWTH STARTED TO SLIGHTLY CONTRACT AND TURN NEGATIVE.
THE MAIN FACTOR FOR THE CONTRACTION IS THOSE FEDERAL CUTS.
HAMPTON ROADS IS HOME TO THE THIRD LARGEST FEDERAL CIVILIAN WORKFORCE IN THE COUNTRY.
WE LOST WELL OVER 6,000 FEDERAL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES SINCE THE START OF 2025.
WHILE A LOT OF THOSE CUTS OCCURRED AT THE START OF 2025, WE DID SEE THE FULL IMPACT WAS REALLY DELAYED IN THE DATA.
PART OF THAT IS JUST DUE TO THE FACT THAT WORKERS WHO ACCEPTED THAT DEFERRED RESIGNATION WERE STILL COUNTED AS EMPLOYED WHILE THEY RECEIVED THOSE SEVERANCE PAYMENTS.
AND THAT ENDED IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.
BUT OVERALL, WHAT WE SEE HERE IS THAT HAMPTON ROADS LOST A SLIGHTLY SMALLER SHARE OF ITS FEDERAL CIVILIAN WORKFORCE RELATIVE TO THE NATION.
THAT'S STILL ONE OUT OF EVERY 10 FEDERAL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES THAT ARE NOW GONE.
WHILE WE DON'T HAVE TIMELY DATA FOR SURREY, WE CAN LOOK AT THE LATEST CENSUS FIVE YEAR ESTIMATES, AND THOSE SHOW THAT FEDERAL EMPLOYEES REPRESENT ABOUT 6% OF RESIDENTS WORKING FULL-TIME IN THE COUNTY.
NOW, THAT'S WELL BELOW THE REGIONAL AND STATE AVERAGE, BUT THAT'S STILL NEARLY TWICE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
IF WE LOOK AT YEAR OVER YEAR JOB GROWTH BY INDUSTRY, UH, THIS DATA IS AS OF FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.
WE CAN SEE THAT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S DOWN ABOUT 6,500 JOBS, MANUFACTURING'S DOWN ABOUT 2,400 JOB GOVERNMENT AND IN HEALTHCARE.
AND THESE SECTORAL TRENDS LARGELY MIRROR WHAT YOU SEE AT THE NATION NATIONAL LEVEL.
MOST OF THE JOB GROWTH THAT OCCURRED LAST YEAR WAS IN HEALTHCARE.
A LOT OF THAT IS DUE TO DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS AND THEN MOST OF THE JOB LOSSES WERE IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND MANUFACTURING.
NOW, AS I SAID BEFORE, LABOR MARKET CONDITIONS NATIONALLY COOLED SIGNIFICANTLY.
BUT A SLOWDOWN DOES NOT MEAN A CONTRACTION.
THAT'S NOT TRUE FOR HAMPTON ROADS WHERE LABOR MARKET CONDITIONS REALLY DETERIORATED BECAUSE OF THOSE CUTS WE CAN SEE BOTH LABOR FORCE AND INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYMENT DECLINED OVER THE PAST YEAR.
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EMPLOYED WAS BELOW LEVELS THAT WE SAW JUST PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC IN FEBRUARY OF 2020.
WE DID SEE A SLIGHT UPTICK IN RECENT MONTHS, WHICH IS POSITIVE, BUT WE ARE LIKELY TO SEE SLOWER GROWTH MOVING FORWARD.
NOW, LABOR MARKET TRENDS IN SUR LARGELY MIRROR WHAT WE SEE AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL.
WE SEE A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE STARTING AT THE START OF 2025, HOWEVER, NOT AS SIGNIFICANT.
SO IF WE LOOK AS OF FEBRUARY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EMPLOYED AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE LABOR FORCE THAT MEASURES PEOPLE WHO ARE EITHER ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR WORK OR WORKING, IT'S ABOUT RIGHT IN LINE WITH WHAT WE SAW JUST PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, BUT STILL A DECLINE FROM WHERE WE WERE AT THE START OF 2025.
SO AS OF FEBRUARY, 2026, THERE'S ABOUT A HUNDRED FEWER INDIVIDUALS IN THE LABOR FORCE IN THE COUNTY COMPARED TO JANUARY 20, 25 AND A HUNDRED FEWER INDIVIDUALS EMPLOYED.
HERE WE CAN SEE UNEMPLOYMENT RATES IN 2025.
THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE TICKED UP BOTH NATIONALLY HAMPTON ROADS AND IN SURREY COUNTY.
IN HAMPTON ROADS UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS HISTORICALLY BELOW THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, BUT THAT GAP DID NARROW OVER THE PAST YEAR IN SURREY, UH, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WAS ACTUALLY SLIGHTLY ABOVE HAMPTON ROADS JUST PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC IN 2019 AND 2020.
HOWEVER, SINCE THEN WE'VE SEEN IT FALL DOWN TO ROUGHLY IN LINE WITH WHAT WE SEE FOR HAMPTON ROADS.
NOW BOTH HAMPTON ROADS AND SURREY.
OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE'VE SEEN THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE INCREASE ABOUT 0.5 PERCENTAGE POINTS.
SO FROM ABOUT 3.4 TO PERCENT TO 3.9%.
IT'S JUST SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN WHAT WE SEE AT THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHICH WAS A 0.4 PERCENTAGE POINT INCREASE.
NOW OVERALL, THESE ARE STILL HISTORICALLY LOW EMPLOYMENT RATES, BUT WE WANNA REMEMBER THAT THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE DROPPING OUT OF THE LABOR FORCE ALTOGETHER, THE GAP BETWEEN THESE TWO LINES REPRESENTS THE SHARE OF UNEMPLOYMENT.
AND SO IF PEOPLE ARE JUST STOP LOOKING FOR WORK ALTOGETHER, WE'RE MASKING SOME OF THE FULL IMPACT THAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR LABOR MARKET.
[00:55:04]
NOW, IF WE TURN TO THE MAIN PILLARS OF OUR HAMPTON ROADS ECONOMY, WE CAN SEE THAT INFLATION ADJUSTED HOTEL REVENUES DID SURGE IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT THEY STEADILY DECLINED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.NOW WHAT WE SAW IN 2025 IS A STEADY INCREASE, BUT WE'RE STILL BELOW LEVELS THAT WE SAW JUST PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC ON AN INFLATION ADJUSTED BASIS.
NOW WITH RISING FUEL PRICES, WE ARE LIKELY TO SEE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON DEMAND MOVING FORWARD.
THERE IS ONE BRIGHT SPOT OF OUR ECONOMY AND THAT IS DEFENSE SPENDING THAT INCREASED CONSIDERABLY IN 2025, IT WAS A $900 BILLION NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FY 26.
THAT INCLUDED PAY INCREASES FOR MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS.
IT ALSO INCREASED IN INCLUDED INCREASED INVESTMENTS IN SHIPBUILDING, AND THOSE WERE ALL POSITIVE BOOSTS FOR OUR REGIONAL ECONOMY.
WE KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT PROPOSED BUDGET REQUESTS FOR FY 27 IS A $1.5 TRILLION DEFENSE BUDGET.
THAT WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT BOOST TO OUR REGIONAL ECONOMY MOVING FORWARD.
SO TURNING TO THE HOUSING MARKET, HOME SALES TICKED UP IN 2025 FROM THEIR HISTORIC LOWS IN 2023 AND 2024.
SO JUST PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE HOVERING AROUND 23 TO 2,500 HOMES SOLD PER MONTH.
WE'RE NOW AT ABOUT 2200 SOLD PER MONTH.
SO STILL HAVE NOT YET TO REACH THOSE PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS, BUT A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT FROM THOSE HISTORIC LOWS.
THE KEY DRIVER FOR THAT UPTICK OVER THE PAST YEAR WAS THE STEADY DECLINE IN MORTGAGE RATES.
WHAT WE SAW WAS THIS LOCKED IN EFFECT WHERE IF YOU BOUGHT A HOME AT TWO AND A HALF PERCENT MORTGAGE RATE IN 2021 AND THEN YOU WANTED TO SELL YOUR HOME, TWO YEARS LATER, YOU'RE FACING A SEVEN AND A HALF PERCENT MORTGAGE RATE.
AND THAT REALLY DEPRESSED HOME SALES.
BUT WHAT WE SAW OVER THE PAST YEAR IS THAT MORTGAGE RATES REALLY STEADILY DECLINED AND THAT EASED SOME OF THAT PRESSURE ON HOME BUYING.
BUT NOW WITH INFLATION EXPECTATIONS RISING AGAIN DUE TO RISING ENERGY COSTS, WE ARE SEEING, UH, INTEREST RATES START TO INCREASE AGAIN.
SO WE HAD EIGHT MONTHS OF DECLINES IN THE MORTGAGE RATE AND NOW IN MARCH AND APRIL WE SAW INCREASES AGAIN IN SURREY COUNTY.
HOWEVER, WE SEE HOME SALES CONTINUE TO RISE STEADILY ONLY SLIGHTLY BELOW THE PEAK THAT WE SAW DURING THE PANDEMIC, WHICH IS VERY OPPOSITE FROM WHAT WE SEE AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL.
UNLIKE HAMPTON ROW ROADS, HOME SALES ARE STILL WELL ABOVE THOSE PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.
WE'VE SEEN A CONTINUED RISE SINCE 2023.
IF WE LOOK AT HOME PRICE GROWTH, IT DID SLOW FROM ITS RAPID PACE DURING THE PANDEMIC.
IF YOU LOOK HERE FROM 2017 TO 2020, THE MEDIAN HOME PRICE IN HAMPTON ROADS WAS UP TO ABOUT 10%, 13% IN SURREY, 20% IN HAMPTON ROADS.
OVER THAT THREE YEAR PERIOD, WITHIN THE NEXT THREE YEARS, IT ROSE AN ADDITIONAL 50 PERCENTAGE POINTS THAT HOME SALES SURGE WAS REALLY HIGH DURING THE PANDEMIC.
NOW IF WE JUST LOOK OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE CAN SEE THAT HOME PRICES INCREASED IN ADDITIONAL 3.2 PERCENTAGE POINTS IN HAMPTON ROADS COMPARED TO 2.2 PERCENTAGE POINTS IN SURREY.
STILL WELL ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE WHERE HOME PRICES ROSE JUST LESS THAN ONE PERCENTAGE POINT A KEY FACTOR KEEPING HOME PRICE GROWTH ELEVATED HERE IN HAMPTON ROADS AND IN THE COUNTY RELATIVE TO THE NATION IS INVENTORIES.
IT'S THE SHORTAGE OF AVAILABLE HOMES FOR SALE PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, THE MONTH'S SUPPLY OF HOUSING INVENTORY.
THIS MEASURES AT THE CURRENT PACE OF SALES.
HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE YOU TO SELL OFF ALL OF YOUR EXISTING INVENTORY RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC? WE WERE RIGHT IN LINE WITH THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AT ABOUT 3.1 MONTHS.
WE CAN SEE THAT FELL TO HISTORIC LOW OF ONE MONTH DURING THE HOUSING SURGE OF THE PANDEMIC.
NOW AS OF MARCH OF THIS YEAR, WE'RE AT ABOUT 2.2 MONTHS.
SO STILL WELL BELOW THE PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.
AND YOU SEE THAT DIVERGENCE WITH THE NATION.
AND SO THOSE TIGHTER INVENTORIES ARE LIKELY WHY WE'RE SEEING FASTER HOME PRICE GROWTH HERE IN THE REGION RELATIVE TO THE NATION.
WE ARE ALSO SEEING RENTS ACCELERATE IN HAMPTON ROADS OVER THE PAST YEAR.
THEY'RE ACCELERATING, THEY'RE ALSO RISING MUCH FASTER IN HAMPTON ROADS RELATIVE TO THE NATION.
SO FROM JANUARY, 2025 TO MARCH, 2026, WE SEE THAT RENTS INCREASE IN ADDITIONAL 9.2 PERCENTAGE POINTS COMPARED TO JUST 2.2 PERCENTAGE POINTS NATIONALLY.
NOW ALTOGETHER MY FORECAST EXPECTS A MARK SLOWDOWN IN ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THIS YEAR.
BUT STILL POSITIVE DEFENSE SPENDING, WHICH IS A HUGE PORTION OF OUR REGIONAL ECONOMY, IS LIKELY TO BE A KEY
[01:00:01]
STABILIZING FORCE THAT WILL HELP US STILL MAINTAIN POSITIVE GROWTH.BUT THERE'S A LOT OF DOWNSIDE RISK.
WE ARE SEEING WEAKENING DEMAND AT THE PORT JUST BECAUSE OF TRADE UNCERTAINTY.
AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE SEEING WEAKENING DEMAND IN TOURISM.
AND NOW WITH THE ENERGY CRISIS, THAT IS LIKELY TO WEIGH ON DEMAND EVEN FURTHER.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF DOWNSIDE RISK.
A RE RECESSION DOES REMAIN A POSSIBILITY, BUT THAT'S CURRENTLY NOT MY FORECAST.
I ALSO JUST WANT TO MENTION WITH IMMIGRATION POLICIES, HAMPTON ROADS, OUR LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR OF POPULATION GROWTH IS NET INTERNATIONAL IMMIGRATION.
WE CONSISTENTLY LOSE RESIDENTS EVERY YEAR TO NET DOMESTIC OUTMIGRATION BECAUSE OF DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS.
THE NATURAL CHANGE, WHICH IS BURST MINUS DEATHS SLOWLY DECLINED.
SO WE ARE LIKELY TO SEE SOME IMPACT ON POPULATION GROWTH, WHICH ALSO AFFECTS LABOR MARKET TRENDS OVERALL.
MS. JOHNSON, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR OUR PRESENTERS ON THIS EVENING? SURE.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU YOU'ALL, SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT.
UM, GREAT PRESENTATION AND UM, YOU KNOW, GOOD INFORMATION FOR THE CITIZENS OF SUR COUNTY TO, UH, TO DIGEST KNOWING THAT YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS REGIONALLY ALSO IMPACTS SUR COUNTY.
AND, UM, I KNOW IT'S A LONG RIDE OUT.
SO I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT AND, UM, PLEASE, UH, DRIVE SAFE GETTING BACK HOME.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENTS? CHAIR, SUPERVISOR DREW, UM, MS. JOHNSON, JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, UM, FOR COMING OUT.
UM, JUST, UM, LAYING OUT THE INFORMATION ON HOW OUR ECONOMY IS DOING CURRENTLY, UM, AND WHERE WE STAND AS FAR AS THAT.
SO THANK YOU, UM, FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU FOR THAT SUPERVISOR, DREW.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? HINNY, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AGAIN, MS. JOHNSON.
THANK YOU AGAIN, UM, GREG
YOU ALL HAVE A SAFE TRAVELS HOME AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING OUT THIS EVENING.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE A, ANOTHER PRESENTATION BY OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, MR. KYLE LOCKS.
MR. KYLE, THE PODIUM IS YOURS.
THE FLOOR IS YOURS, MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, NICE TO SEE YOU AS ALWAYS.
WE'LL GET OUR PRESENTATION ON THE SCREEN HERE AND I'M SURE THERE'S A FULL SCREEN MODE.
HOW DO I OVER HERE SEE THAT? UM, UH, AND AGAIN, AS YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, UM, A PRESENTATION, REALLY AN UPDATE FOR YOU, MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ON THE YMCA FINANCING PROCESS.
AND SO IT'S SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, HERE OVER THE, UH, PAST YEAR PLUS GOING BACK INTO LAST CALENDAR YEAR.
UM, AND SO WANTED TO BRING FORTH AN UPDATE ON THAT PLAN, THAT PROCESS.
UM, NO ACTION NEEDED THIS EVENING, BUT THERE WILL BE SOME ACTIONS OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER INTO THE FALL AND JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF THOSE, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE OVERALL PLAN.
UM, SO AS LOOK AT THE INTRODUCTION HERE, UM, AGAIN, WORKING AS YOUR, UH, FINANCIAL ADVISOR, WHICH WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE AND ALWAYS HAVE, UH, BEING IN FRONT OF YOU AND THE BOARD, UM, AND HELPING TO, UH, FIND SOLUTIONS TO, UH, THE VARIOUS PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE.
SO YOU MAY RECALL LAST SUMMER, UM, THE INITIAL PHASE OF FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT WAS AN INTERIM FINANCING ABOUT $5 MILLION THAT WAS DONE VIA BANK LOAN.
THOSE DOLLARS REALLY GETTING THE PROJECT GOING IN TERMS OF DESIGN, SO FORTH AND SO ON.
KNOWING THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THE BALANCE OF 2025 INTO 2026, WHERE WE ARE, YOU AS A COUNTY WORKING WITH YOUR PARTNERS WOULD BE GOING THROUGH THAT, UH, DESIGN PROCESS, REALLY LEADING UP TO LATER THIS CALENDAR YEAR, HAVING THAT FULL DESIGN.
AND SO WE'RE KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT AS WE UNDERSTAND FROM THE FINANCE STANDPOINT.
UM, AND SO WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE, UH, UPDATING YOU ON WHERE WE SEE THAT PROCESS GOING.
AND OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE COMPLETED YOUR 2027 BUDGET.
AND SO TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT IN, UH, THE FUNDING FOR THE YMCA, THINKING ABOUT THAT PLAN, I THINK AS WE LOOK AT THAT OVERALL, YOU'RE IN VERY GOOD SHAPE FINANCIALLY AS A COUNTY.
UM, WE'VE HISTORICALLY HAD VERY STRONG FUND BALANCES.
UM, WE, AT LEAST FROM THE OUTSIDE, DON'T SEE ANY REASON THAT WOULD CHANGE.
SO THAT GIVES YOU A STRENGTH AND B, FLEXIBILITY AS YOU THINK ABOUT BOTH THIS PROJECT AND FUTURE PROJECTS GOING FORWARD.
UM, WE WON'T GO INTO GREAT DETAIL ON THAT THIS EVENING, UH, BUT AGAIN, WE ALWAYS, UH, LIKE TO, UH, SORT OF REMIND AND REFRESH IN TERMS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE FUND BALANCES TO THE COUNTY.
IT GIVES YOU THAT FLEXIBILITY, IT GIVES YOU THAT STRENGTH, UM, IN TERMS OF TAKING ON YOU, WHETHER IT'S THE YMCA, UH, OR JUST YOUR GENERAL OPERATIONAL PROJECTS INTO THE FUTURE.
[01:05:01]
AND OBJECTIVES ON THE SCREEN HERE, UM, WE'LL WALK THROUGH STARTING WITH THE EXISTING DEBT PROFILE.REALLY NOTHING'S CHANGED SINCE THE LAST TIME WE TALKED, AND SO YOU AS A COUNTY, ANYTIME YOU'RE GONNA BORROW MONEY, IT'S OBVIOUSLY GONNA COME BEFORE THE BOARD.
UM, AND SO NEW, NO NEW BORROWING HAS BEEN DONE.
SO REALLY JUST WORKING ACROSS THAT PLANNING PROCESS.
UM, IN ANTICIPATION OF THE PERMANENT FINANCING FOR, UH, THE YMCA, UM, WE'RE REALLY ANTICIPATING THAT HAPPENING IN THE FALL.
WE'LL KIND OF CUT TO THE CHASE THERE.
WE'LL DO A TIME SCHEDULE AT THE END, BUT WE THINK OVER THE BALANCE OF SPRING, WHERE WE ARE NOW, SUMMER THROUGH THE PLANNING, WE'LL GET A COST ESTIMATE, WE THINK PROBABLY LATE SUMMER AND DO THE PERMANENT FINANCING FOR THAT IN THE FALL.
UM, JUST AS A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND IN TERMS OF WHERE YOU START, UM, WITH YOUR OUTSTANDING, WHAT WE CALL TAX SUPPORTED DEBT HERE AS A COUNTY.
UM, IMPORTANTLY, UH, THE DEBT HERE IS ALL FIXED RATE.
IT LOOKS MUCH LIKE A FIXED RATE RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE.
YOU'RE MAKING FIXED ANNUAL PRINCIPAL INSTALLMENTS EACH AND EVERY YEAR.
UM, TO, I'VE NOTICED ON THE, ON THE AGENDA AS WELL, YOU'RE ABLE TO PAY OFF SOME DEBT, UM, WHICH IS FANTASTIC AND A GOOD THING TO DO IN ANTICIPATION OF TAKING ON A LARGER PROJECT.
UH, BUT AS YOU LOOK AT THE OUTSTANDING DEBT TODAY AT ABOUT $17.8 MILLION OUTSTANDING, UM, WE'RE GONNA COMPARE THAT TO THE SIZE OF YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
UM, THAT IS NOT A HIGH LEVEL OF DEBT FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF YOUR SIZE.
CERTAINLY FOR YOUR INDIVIDUAL, THAT'S A BIG NUMBER.
BUT WHEN YOU COMPARE THAT TO THE SIZE OF YOUR TAX BASE AND THE SIZE OF YOUR REVENUES, IT'S REALLY NOT A PARTICULARLY LARGE NUMBER.
AND ALSO KNOWING THAT DEBT IS USED TO FINANCE CRITICAL, UH, LONG, LONG-TERM CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, THAT IS VERY MUCH RESPONSIBLE AND IN LINE WITH YOUR EXISTING POLICIES.
UH, THE OTHER THING WE'LL NOTE, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT GRAPH, UH, THERE'S SOME NATURAL, AS WE CALL IT, DECLINE IN THE DEBT PAYMENTS.
AND SO OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, UM, YOU'LL HAVE ROUGHLY LEVEL PAYMENTS AND THAT STARTS TO STEP DOWN AFTER THAT.
THAT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY AS WE THINK ABOUT THIS YMCA PROJECT TO BASICALLY WRAP, UH, THE YMCA AROUND THIS EXISTING DEBT TO MINIMIZE, UH, THE IMPACT TO THE BUDGET.
SO YOU START FROM A POSITION OF STRENGTH.
UM, YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DEBT TO START WITH AS A COUNTY.
AND SO TAKING ON LARGE PROJECT LIKE THIS, UM, IS, UH, MAKES SENSE GIVEN WHERE YOU ARE WITH THE OVERALL DEBT PROFILE.
UM, IMPORTANTLY AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS, WE TALKED ABOUT THE $5 MILLION INTERIM FINANCING FROM LAST FALL.
WHEN WE GET TO THE PERMANENT FINANCING, THAT'LL BE PAID OFF.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE ASSUMPTIONS IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE USING FOR COST ON THE WHY.
IT'S $24 MILLION, SO THE FINANCING OF THAT WILL BE $24 MILLION, NOT 24 PLUS FIVE.
SO THAT 5 MILLION IS JUST A BRIDGE LOAN TO GET US GOING WITH DESIGN, SO FORTH AND SO ON.
WHEN THE PERMANENT FINANCING HAPPENS, THAT $5 MILLION GOES AWAY, WE'LL HAVE A NEW PERMANENT LAND LOAN GOING FORWARD.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S, THAT'S CLEAR.
UM, I MENTIONED EARLIER YOU WERE IN, UM, IN THE POSITION OF RELATIVE STRENGTH IN TERMS OF YOUR OUTSTANDING DEBT.
SO YOU HAVE TWO VERY GOOD DEBT POLICIES, AND SO WE WATCH THOSE.
CERTAINLY YOUR STAFF WATCHES THOSE, UH, WITH THE ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS, YOU AS A BOARD AS WELL.
UM, THE FIRST OF THOSE IS DEBT SERVICE VERSUS REVENUES.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE ON THE PAGE RIGHT HERE.
IT'S BASICALLY A MEASUREMENT OF HOW MANY PENNIES OUT OF EVERY DOLLAR IN THE BUDGET IS GOING TO MAKE A DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT.
YOUR POLICY THERE ON THE SCREEN IS TO HAVE THAT BE NO MORE THAN 10 TO 12%.
THOSE, THOSE RED LINES THERE ON THE SCREEN WHERE YOU SEE SURREY COUNTY RIGHT NOW, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GRAPH THERE IN THAT KIND OF GOLD ORANGE BAR IS ABOUT HALF OF THAT LEVEL, ABOUT 5.4%.
UM, SO AGAIN, ONLY ABOUT FIVE PENNIES OUT OF EVERY DOLLAR IN THE BUDGET GONNA MAKE A DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT.
UM, WE'LL LOOK AT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE ONCE THE YMCA HAS TAKEN ON, BUT IT'S STILL VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE POLICIES THAT YOU SEE HERE.
THE OTHER POINT YOU'LL MAKE, UM, YOU'LL SEE HERE IS AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE, WE'VE COMPARED, UM, YOU AS A COUNTY TO SOME OF YOUR REGIONAL PEERS.
UM, AGAIN, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT, UH, YOUR NEIGHBORS LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF THE SAME RATIO, UH, YOU'VE GOT ISLE WHITE JAMES CITY, SOUTHAMPTON, PRINCE GEORGE, UM, ALL LARGER, BUT VERY WELL RUN, WELL RATED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
AND SO YOUR LEVEL IN TERMS OF DEBT SERVICE TO EXPENDITURES ACTUALLY STRONGER THAN THEIRS.
UM, AND THOSE ARE ALL WELL REGARDED, UM, IN TERMS OF HOW THEY RUN THEIR FINANCES SINCE YOU VERY MUCH ALIGN WITH THEM.
UM, ANOTHER OF YOUR TWO DEBT POLICIES IS DEBT VERSUS ASSESSED VALUE.
UM, YOU HAVE A POLICY THAT SAYS YOU DON'T WANT THAT RATIO TO BE ANY HIGHER THAN 3%.
THAT'S THAT RED LINE THERE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE GRAPH.
UM, WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF SURREY, THAT LITTLE GOLD BAR AT THE BOTTOM, YOU'RE LESS THAN 1%.
AND SO YOU ARE FAR, FAR BELOW THAT POLICY LIMIT, UH, WHICH MEANS, AGAIN, YOU'VE GOT CAPACITY TO DO SOME THINGS LIKE THIS YMCA WITHOUT ENDANGERING THAT POLICY LEVEL AND STILL MAINTAINING CAPACITY, UH, RELATIVE TO IT.
AGAIN, COMPARATIVELY, YOU LOOK AT YOUR PEERS, UM, ISLE WHITE, SOUTHAMPTON, PRINCE GEORGE, JAMES CITY, UM, YOU ARE THE LOWEST OF THOSE RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL BE ADDING SOME THINGS WITH THE NEW Y WE'LL SHOW YOU WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT YOU'RE STILL GONNA BE VERY MUCH
[01:10:01]
IN LINE WITH WHAT IS BEST PRACTICES EVEN AFTER THE Y COMES ONLINE.SO WITH THAT, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF AN UPDATE ON, UH, WHAT WE CALL THE CAPITAL FUNDING PLAN FOR THE YMCA.
UM, AGAIN, JUST AN INTERIM UPDATE HERE AS WE MOVE INTO THE SPRING AND SUMMER.
UM, WE HAVE REALLY BEEN LOOKING AT, UH, THAT FOR ABOUT THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF.
AND THE, THE SENSE AGAIN, WE HAVE IS THAT DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE SUMMER, WE'LL REALLY KNOW WHAT THE COST OF THAT IS.
WE'RE WORKING WITH A $24 MILLION NUMBER RIGHT NOW.
HOPEFULLY IT'S A GOOD ESTIMATE.
UM, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE PLANNED ON SO FAR.
AND SO OUR FINANCING PLAN IS REALLY BUILT AROUND, UH, HAVING THAT $5 MILLION IN PLACE THAT ALONG WITH MAYBE SOME FUND BALANCE, WILL CARRY US UNTIL WE KNOW WHAT THAT ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION NUMBER IS.
AGAIN, $24 MILLION IS WHAT WE'RE PLANNING ON.
WHEN I SAY WE, MEANING THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE GIVEN US AS A COUNTY.
UM, AND SO THE OVERALL FINANCING PLAN BASICALLY IS DESIGNED TO GET US THROUGH UNTIL WE KNOW REALLY WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, AND THEN GO OUT AND DO THE PERMANENT FINANCING RIGHT AFTER THAT.
SO WE'RE BORROWING IN ESSENCE EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED, UM, FOR THE PROJECT, KNOWING IT IS A LARGE PROJECT.
UM, AND THE WAY WE'LL BE DOING THAT, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE WILL BE THE VIRGINIA RESOURCES AUTHORITY PROGRAM.
WE'VE USED A FAIR AMOUNT IN THE PAST AS A COUNTY, UM, WILL GIVE US THAT FLEXIBILITY INTO THE FALL TO DO THAT FINANCING.
UM, A COUPLE ASSUMPTIONS IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS AND THE PLANNING.
UM, TOP OF THE PAGE HERE, WE'RE USING A 5% INTEREST RATE FOR PLANNING PURPOSES.
UM, I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT IT'S SOLIDLY ABOVE THE CURRENT MARKET.
WE LIKE TO BE CONSERVATIVE WHEN WE MAKE THAT ESTIMATE.
UH, CURRENT MARKET IS PROBABLY AROUND FOUR, UM, IN THAT RANGE SOMEWHERE FOR LONG-TERM FIXED RATE.
UM, AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THE SUMMARY SO WE REALLY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE COST OF THAT IS AND THEN GO GET THAT PERMANENT FINANCING IN THE FALL.
UM, BUT WE ARE PROBABLY A SOLID 1% BELOW THE PLANNING ESTIMATE.
AGAIN, TRYING TO BE CONSERVATIVE.
WE DON'T CONTROL THOSE RATES, NOR DO YOU, BUT WANNA BUILD IN SOME CUSHION.
AGAIN, WORKING WITH THE $24 MILLION ESTIMATE RIGHT NOW, THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE GIVEN TO US AS A COUNTY.
UM, UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYBODY IN TERMS OF THE PLANNING TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THAT.
UM, I'LL REITERATE THE POINT HERE THAT THE $5 MILLION INTERIM FINANCING LAST YEAR WILL JUST GET ROLLED INTO THE PERMANENT.
AND SO IT'S NOT 24 PLUS FIVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, GIVEN THESE ESTIMATES WILL HAVE $24 MILLION OF FINANCING FOR THE PROJECT ITSELF.
UH, WE'RE PLANNING ON A 20 YEAR REPAYMENT TERM.
UM, THIS WILL OBVIOUSLY BE A LARGE GENERATIONAL PROJECT.
IT'S GONNA BE AROUND FOR DECADES TO COME.
AND SO YOU THINK ABOUT MAYBE IF YOU BOUGHT A HOME OR PURCHASED A HOME, TYPICALLY FINANCING THAT OVER A 20 TO 30 YEAR TIME PERIOD.
THIS IS SIMILAR KIND OF GENERATIONAL ASSET WHEREBY IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO BE FINANCING THAT OVER A TERM THAT, UH, BASICALLY ALIGNS WITH, UH, THE USERS THAT'LL BENEFIT FROM IT, WHICH AGAIN, WILL BE DECADES TO COME.
SO FOR THE MOMENT WE'RE PLANNING ON A 20 YEAR TERM, UH, FOR THE REPAYMENT, UH, THE, I GUESS FOURTH BULLET POINT DOWN THERE, WE TALK ABOUT A STRUCTURING, APPLYING TO THE FINANCING.
ALL WE REALLY MEAN THERE IS BEING ABLE TO LAYER THE NEW PAYMENTS AROUND THE DECLINE IN THE EXISTING DEBT SERVICE.
SO THE WAY WE'LL BORROW THIS IN THE PUBLIC MARKETS THROUGH THE VRA PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE STATE PROGRAM, THEY LET US DO A LITTLE BIT OF CUSTOMIZATION OF THE PAYMENTS THAT'LL LET, LET US FOLD IN THE NEW PAYMENTS AS THE OLD PAYMENTS ROLL OFF AND LIMITED SPIKES IN THE BUDGET GOING FORWARD, KIND OF SMOOTH THINGS OUT.
UM, AND THAT'S ALL WE REALLY MEAN THERE.
UH, BOTTOM OF THE PAGE, UM, AND THIS IS AN ASSUMPTION WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST BY VIRTUE OF WHAT YOU AS A BOARD YOU AND A COUNTY HAVE DONE IN TERMS OF VERY PROACTIVE BUDGETING.
UM, WE REALLY SEE THE REVENUES TO MAKE THOSE PAYMENTS BEING BUILT INTO YOUR BUDGET ALREADY.
AND SO, UH, WE'LL FLIP THE PAGE HERE, AND YOU MAY EVEN GO BACK TO LAST YEAR RUNNING A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT NUMBERS AND SCENARIOS, UH, BY VIRTUE OF WHAT YOU DID IN THE 2026 BUDGET, REALLY, UH, BEING ABLE TO PROACTIVELY PUT THE DOLLARS FOR DEBT SERVICE AND THE PAYMENTS RELATED TO THE PROJECT, UM, INTO YOUR 26TH BUDGET.
IT REALLY MEANS THAT AS WE LOOK AT THAT, UH, IMPACT, WE REALLY SEE A NO IMPACT TO YOUR TAX RATE AND ABLE TO FOLD THIS IN, UH, GIVEN YOUR RECURRING REVENUES YOU HAVE IN PLACE ALREADY.
SO PART OF THAT DEBT STRUCTURING PART OF FOLDING THINGS IN YOU AS A BOARD PROACTIVELY SET THE BUDGET IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU REALLY HAVE THOSE DOLLARS AVAILABLE FOR DEBT SERVICE NOW.
UM, WE DON'T SEE ANY IMPACT TO THE TAX RATE OF THE BUDGET BY VIRTUE OF THIS, UM, PROJECT ITSELF.
UM, SO WE'LL TALK FOR A MOMENT ABOUT NEXT STEPS AND I'LL SHOW YOU A COUPLE ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
BUT AGAIN, REALLY WANNA BE HERE JUST AS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM.
UM, WE EXPECT THAT PROBABLY DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE SUMMER, MAYBE A LITTLE EARLIER BUT LATTER PART OF THE SUMMER, WE'LL PROBABLY BACK WITH SOME ACTION ITEMS. UM, THE INTENT THERE IS ONCE WE KNOW SOME MORE AROUND THE COST AND THE DESIGN,
[01:15:01]
SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE UNDERSTAND WILL BE LATER IN THE SUMMER, UH, COME BACK WITH SOME SPECIFICS.UM, IN TERMS OF ACTIONS FOR THE BOARD, UM, THE VRA PROGRAM IS WHAT WE ARE, UH, ANTICIPATING BEING THE PERMANENT FINANCING MECHANISM.
AGAIN, THAT'S RUN BY THE STATE.
UM, THEY BORROW IN THE PUBLIC CREDIT MARKETS.
THIS IS A LARGER FINANCING AND A LONGER TERM THAN YOU AS THE COUNTY HAVE DONE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND SO IT MAKES SENSE TO GO TO THOSE PUBLIC CREDIT MARKETS.
UM, VRA BENEFITS FROM, UM, BACKING OF THE STATE.
AND SO THEIR CREDIT RATINGS ARE VERY, VERY GOOD.
THEY'RE BASICALLY AAA SLASH AA MIX.
AND SO THAT GETS YOU AS A BORROWER ACCESS TO THOSE AAA SLASH AA CREDIT RATINGS, WHICH TRANSLATES TO, UH, VERY COMPETITIVE INTEREST RATES.
AND SO WE LIKE THAT FOR BEING ABLE TO ACCESS A MARKET THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE BANKING MARKETPLACE WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
UH, THIS FINANCING IS JUST A LITTLE BIT LARGER.
UH, SO THAT'LL BASICALLY HAPPEN OVER THE SUMMER.
WE'LL, UH, MAKE APPLICATION, UM, ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE DONE IN TERMS OF A BORROWING WILL OBVIOUSLY COME BACK BEFORE THE BOARD BEFORE THAT ACTION IS TAKEN.
UM, WE EXPECT THAT'LL BE PROBABLY INTO THE LATE SUMMER OR FALL.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OTHER VISUALS I'LL SHOW YOU AND CERTAINLY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
UM, WE MENTIONED THE, UH, THE WAY THE, UH, NEW DEBT SERVICE CAN BE LAYERED IN WITH THE EXISTING DEBT SERVICE.
THIS IS JUST A VISUAL PICTURE SHOWING HOW THAT WORKS.
SO YOUR GREEN BARS THERE IS THE EXISTING DEBT SERVICE.
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT ROUGHLY $18 MILLION.
THE GOLD BARS WOULD BE THE ESTIMATED PAYMENTS, AGAIN, USING A HIGHER THAN MARKET INTEREST RATE OF HOW THAT FOLDS IN OVER TIME.
AND SO REALLY TRYING TO ACHIEVE, THERE IS ROUGHLY LEVEL ANNUAL PAYMENTS, UM, TRYING TO SMOOTH THINGS OUT IN THE BUDGET.
AGAIN, KNOWING THAT YOU'VE PROACTIVELY PUT THE DOLLARS TO MAKE THOSE PAYMENTS ALREADY IN YOUR 2026 BUDGET.
UM, THE OTHER GRAPHS THAT WE'LL SHOW YOU, UM, AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT THE DEBT POLICIES EARLY ON AND MADE THOSE COMPARISON TO YOUR PEER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
UH, THESE GRAPHS ARE SHOWING WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TAKE THE EXISTING DEBT AND LAYER IN THE NEW $24 MILLION ON TOP OF THOSE RATIOS.
AND SO THE POINT HERE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, DEBT SERVICE VERSUS REVENUES, YOU'VE GOT THAT POLICY TO BE NOT IN EXCESS OF 10 TO 12.
EVEN WHEN YOU LAYER ON THIS NEW 24 MILLION, YOU'RE STILL HOVERING REALLY BELOW 8%, MAYBE AROUND 7%.
SO YOU HAVE CAPACITY RELATIVE TO THAT POLICY.
AT SOME POINT, THERE'LL BE SOME OTHER NEED THE COUNTY WILL HAVE TO TAKE ON.
SO YOU ARE BY NO MEANS MAXING OUT YOUR CREDIT CAPACITY, UH, WITH THIS FINANCING.
SIMILAR STORY ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
UM, AGAIN, DEBT VERSUS ASSESSED VALUE.
WE DON'T REALLY WANNA BE ABOVE THAT RED LINE EVEN WHEN WE LAYER THE $24 MILLION IN, UH, WE'RE WELL BELOW THAT RED LINE.
SO YOU REALLY HAVE GOOD CAPACITY, UM, MAINTAINING SOME FLEXIBILITY IN THE FUTURE.
'CAUSE AGAIN, AT SOME POINT THERE'LL BE SOME OTHER PROJECT THAT'LL COME UP.
THAT'LL BE OBVIOUSLY YOU AS A COUNTY TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT IS.
BUT I THINK THE POINT HERE IS YOU ARE NOT MAXING OUT YOUR CREDIT LIMIT, UM, BY VIRTUE OF THIS $24 MILLION.
UM, SO WITH THAT, MR. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
UM, WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE BEING HERE AND BEING WITH YOU.
EVENING, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, MR. LOTZ.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE SHARED WITH NOT ONLY THE BOARD MEMBERS, BUT THE COMMUNITY AS WELL, THE PUBLIC.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, BOARD MEMBERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. LA WHITE HERE, UH, HERE IN FRONT OF US TODAY? CHAIR, MR. DREW? UM, FIRST OFF, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS I WAS WRITING DOWN, YOU WERE ANSWERING THEM AS I WAS, UM, WRITING 'EM DOWN.
BUT MY, MY TWO REALLY ONLY ONE QUESTION I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU.
UM, DOES THIS YMCA PUT US AS A COUNTY AND ANY FINANCIAL RISK? AND WILL IT IMPACT OUR CITIZENS AT ALL FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT? NO.
UM, WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS A COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
SO WE DON'T LOOK AT THIS JUST IN THE SILO OF THE YMCA ITSELF.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE'RE SHOWING HERE IS, UH, THE $24 MILLION MEET YOUR POLICIES, YOU'RE GOOD THERE.
UM, YOU'VE ALREADY SET YOUR BUDGET, SO THE PAYMENTS ARE BUILT IN THERE, SO YOU'RE GOOD THERE.
UM, AND SO IN TERMS OF FINANCIAL RISK, UM, THE OTHER AREAS WE THINK ABOUT ARE MAKING SURE THAT YOUR OVERALL BUDGET IS STRUCTURALLY BALANCED.
MEANING YOU HAVE RECURRING REVENUES COVERING YOUR RECURRING EXPENDITURES.
WE'RE NOT DRAWING DOWN ON FUND BALANCE TO COVER RECURRING THINGS, UM, WHICH WE'VE UNDERSTOOD HISTORICALLY HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE.
UM, THE SECOND MAJOR AREA, UH, WE COULD TALK ABOUT THERE IS JUST MAINTAINING GOOD COMPLIANCE WITH YOUR FUND BALANCE POLICIES, WHICH IS SOMETHING YOU'VE DONE HISTORICALLY.
UM, AND YOU'RE TYPICALLY IN EXCESS OF THOSE FUND BALANCE POLICIES.
UM, AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER VERY, VERY IMPORTANT ONE, EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE YMCA ITSELF, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'VE GOT A GOOD FLEXIBILITY, GOOD RESILIENCY, UM, FOR A SURPRISE THAT MAY COME IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND SO AS IT RELATES TO THE WHY ITSELF, UH, BOTH THE CAPACITY, MEANING THOSE POLICIES AND THE AFFORDABILITY, YOU'VE GOT THAT BUILT IN ALREADY.
AND THEN, UH, THE FUND BALANCE POLICIES AND MAINTAIN STRUCTURAL BALANCE, THOSE ARE PROBABLY THE TWO OTHERS THAT EVEN EXTEND BEYOND THE WHY ITSELF.
THAT, UM, IF YOU MAINTAIN THOSE TWO, UM, YOU REALLY SHOULD BE IN GOOD SHAPE GOING FORWARD.
[01:20:01]
THANK YOU, SIR.AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK MR. RAWLINS FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE IN HELPING, UM, MOVE THIS ALONG WITH OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS AS WELL.
I MEAN, YOUR, YOUR WORK IS TRULY SHOWN AND I, I TRULY APPRECIATE IT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENTS? MR. CHAIR, SUPERVISOR ELLIOT, JUST ASK MR. LAW IF HE WOULD REITERATE, UH, HOW THIS WOULD AFFECT OUR TAX RATE.
I, OTHER CITIZENS ARE INTERESTED IN THAT.
IN SHORT, I'LL JUST, I'LL PUT THE PAGE ON THE SCREEN THERE.
IT WON'T IMPACT YOUR TAX RATE.
I MEAN, YMCA PROJECT, YOU'VE, YOU GOT THAT BUILT INTO YOUR 26 BUDGET ALREADY.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE WORKING WITHIN THESE ASSUMPTIONS HERE, OUR 24 MILLION, OUR 5% INTEREST RATE, UM, WE REALLY SEE THE DOLLARS TO MAKE THOSE PAYMENTS ALREADY BUILT INTO YOUR BUDGET.
MR. ELLIOT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? AND CHAIR, UH, VICE CHAIR HARDY, I JUST SAY DID TO FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS.
AND, UH, IT, IT, IT REALLY GOES TO SHOW, UM, THE DUE DILIGENCE OUR STAFF, UM, DOES AND, AND THE BOARD OURSELVES, YOU KNOW, HELPING WITH THE PLANNING AND, YOU KNOW, AND THE WILL OF THE, OF THE CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, BRING AMENITIES TO, TO THE, UM, TO THE COUNTY.
AND THANK YOU DAVENPORT, THE COMPANY SIR, UH, FOR YOU ALL MAINTAINING THOSE CHECKS AND BALANCES TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'RE IN A CLEAR, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE EVER START TO DRIFT OFF COURSE, THAT'S WHEN YOU PICK UP THE PHONE YEAH.
THE BE LINE AND SAY, HEY GUYS, UH, KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE.
SO, SIR, IT, IT'S DEFINITELY A TEAM EFFORT, UH, ALL AROUND.
UM, AND THANKS FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED FOR KEEPING US IN THIS, UM, GREAT POSITION.
I WAS GONNA SAY THAT EXACTLY FOR THE TEAM EFFORT, UM, IN, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THE COUNTY'S, UH, FINANCE POLICIES ARE IN THE POSITION TO BE ABLE TO, UM, NOT JUST DO THIS ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT YOU SHARED EARLIER IN TERMS OF WHY THAT DEBT CAPACITY IS SO LOW.
BECAUSE AS I HAD MENTIONED, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN GREAT STEWARDS AND USING A LOT OF CASH TO FUND A LOT OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS OVER THE LAST PAST FIVE YEARS.
SO THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN FUNDED WITH CASH, WHICH IS A TESTAMENT TO, AGAIN, MAINTAINING, UM, YOU KNOW, A, A BALANCED BUDGET AND MAKING GOOD FINANCIAL DECISIONS TO MAKING SURE THAT YOU DID HAVE THAT AVAILABLE CASH TO PAY FOR THOSE THINGS RATHER THAN INCURRING DEBT.
SO, JUST WANNA BE SAFE AND THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH.
I KNOW THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE COUNTY FOR QUITE A NUMBER OF YEARS AND CERTAINLY APPRECIATE, UH, UH, THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE HAD IN THE PAST YEARS.
YOU'VE BEEN BEFORE THIS BOARD NUMEROUS TIMES, UM, TO BE, TO EXPLAIN, NOT THIS JUST PROJECT, BUT JUST TO, UH, MAKE THE BOARD AWARE OF OUR, UH, POLICIES AS PERTAINS TO OUR PEERS.
AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, MS. ROLLINS.
UM, MS. LOCKS, I'M JUST GONNA ECHO WHAT EVERYONE SAID TONIGHT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARDWORKING EFFORTS ON THIS.
AND IF THERE IS ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON BOARD OR ANY QUESTIONS, I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, SAFE TRAVELS ON TONIGHT AND CONTINUE TO, UH, KEEP US IN THE CLEAR.
JUST TELL ME, YOU STILL LOOK LIKE MONEY TO ME.
WHAT'S THAT? YOU LOOK LIKE MONEY TO ME.
I'LL THINK THAT'S A COMPLIMENT.
[Unfinished Business]
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, WE WILL HAVE OUR UNFINISHED BUSINESS.WE HAVE TWO ITEMS UNDER OUR UNFINISHED BUSINESS ON TONIGHT.
ONE BEING THE APPOINTMENT OF THE INTERIM SUPERVISOR, THE SARA DISTRICT, AND THE OTHER BEING THE FISCAL YEAR 26 27 CONSOLIDATED BUDGET RESOLUTION TO ADOPT.
I WILL NOW TURN THE FLOW OVER TO MS. PERKINS TO READ A RESOLUTION PERTAINING TO THE INTERIM SUPERVISOR SURRY COUNTY DISTRICT POSITION.
UH, YOUR RESOLUTION FOR CONSIDERATION TONIGHT IS A RESO RESOLUTION DESIGNATING BLANK, UH, AS INTERIM SUPERVISOR FOR THE SURREY DISTRICT OF SURREY COUNTY, VIRGINIA.
UH, WHEREAS MR. WILLIAM T. CALHOUN OF THE SURREY DISTRICT RESIGNED FROM THE SURREY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON APRIL 2ND, 2026, CREATING A VACANCY WITH HIS UNFINISHED FOUR YEAR TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31ST, 2027.
WHEREAS THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS AUTHORIZED BY VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 24.2 2 28 TO APPOINT BY MAY 17TH, 2026, A QUALIFIED VOTER OF THE SURREY DISTRICT TO FILL THE VACANCY.
WHEREAS AFTER ADVERTISEMENT OF THE OPPORTUNITY AND A DELIBERATIVE SELECTION PROCESS, THE BOARD HAS SELECTED BLANK, WHO IS A QUALIFIED VOTER OF THE
[01:25:01]
SURREY DISTRICT, WILLING TO SERVE IN THIS CAPACITY.WHEREAS THE APPOINTEE'S TERM BEGINS UPON TAKING OATH OF OFFICE AND QUALIFYING.
AND THE APPOINTEE'S TERM CONCLUDES WHEN A CANDIDATE IS ELECTED ON NOVEMBER 3RD, 2026, AND QUALIFIES FOR OFFICE NOW.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HEREBY APPOINTS TO SERVE AS A MEMBER OF THE SURREY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS REPRESENTING THE SURY DISTRICT.
THE APPOINTEE IS VESTED WITH EVERY, EXCUSE ME, THE APPOINTEE IS VESTED WITH AND EXERCISES ALL OF THE POWERS AND DUTIES SET FORTH IN LAW IN STATE LAW AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF MAY, 2026.
THANK YOU FOR THAT MS. PERKINS.
SO, SO BOARD MEMBERS, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION AS FAR AS OUR INTERIM SUPERVISOR AND HEARING THAT I BELIEVE WE DON'T HAVE TO, UH, UH, MAKE A VOTE.
IS THAT CORRECT, MS. PERKINS? MR. CHAIRMAN? YES.
YOU, YOU JUST HAVE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND, AND VOTE ON THAT APPOINTMENT.
AND A VOTE ON EACH INDIVIDUAL CANDIDATE IS NOT REQUIRED.
AND AS WE ANNOUNCED AT THE LAST MEETING, WE HAVE TWO CANDIDATES THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING, UH, JOHN SEWARD AND WE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT MS. PERKINS.
I WOULD NOW ASK BOARD MEMBERS FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION THAT'S BEEN BEFORE US TONIGHT, MR. CHAIR, SUPERVISOR ELLIOT, BASED UPON THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD WITH OUR DEADLINE BEFORE US, AND AFTER, UH, INTERVIEWS WITH THE TWO CANDIDATES AND DISCUSSION AMONGST THE BOARD, IT IS THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE BOARD WOULD APPOINT MR. JOHN STU, MR. JOHN SUE, TO FULFILL THE INTERIM POSITION UNTIL THE SPECIAL ELECTION IN NOVEMBER.
BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HEARD YOU HAVE LISTENED TO MR. ELLIOT'S, UM, MOTION.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT MR. ELLIOT'S PROPOSED, UH, MOTION HEARING? AND I'LL ASK IF THERE IS A SECOND FOR MR. ELLIOT'S PROPOSED MOTION.
SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED, PROPERLY MOVED.
AND SECOND THAT WE APPROVE MR. JOHN SEWARD FOR THE SRE COUNTY DISTRICT BOARD OF SUPERVISOR SEAT.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON SAID MOTION? HEARING NONE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF SAID MOTION, SAY AYE.
MR. JOHN SEWARD IS NOW OUR, UH, SE DISTRICT, UH, REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
I BELIEVE THERE'S A PROCESS YOU STILL HAVE TO DO AND WE'LL STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP YOU WITH YOU ON THAT.
NEXT WE HAVE OUR FISCAL YEAR 26, 27 CONSOLIDATED BUDGET RESOLUTION TO ADOPT.
I'LL NOW TURN THE MEETING OVER TO MS. ROBBINS.
SO, UM, TONIGHT YOU DO HAVE BEFORE YOU, UM, A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE BUDGET FOR 2027.
UM, BEFORE I JUST, UH, HIGHLIGHT THE RESOLUTION, I DO WANT TO JUST EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU AT THE PUBLIC HEARING VERSUS WHAT IS REQUESTED FOR YOU ALL TO ADAPT ON THIS EVENING.
SO WITHIN YOUR AGENDA, UM, PACKET, YOU DO HAVE A BUDGET ERRATA, WHICH OUTLINES THOSE CHANGES.
AND I'LL JUST GO OVER THAT VERY BRIEFLY.
UM, SINCE THE PUBLIC HEARING, UM, ON THE BUDGET, WE DID RECEIVE SOME REVISED ESTIMATES FROM THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE, WHICH IS ADDING APPROXIMATELY $149,000, UM, TO OUR BUDGET AND REVENUE, UM, FOR STATE AND FEDERAL REVENUE, $409,000 ROUGHLY.
UM, SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO, UH, PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, CONTEXT AS TO WHERE THOSE FUNDS WOULD GO.
SO IN TERMS OF THOSE DIFFERENCES, YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT WE ARE ALSO GOING TO TRANSFER, UH, THAT ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO THE CIP FUND.
SO, UM, $701,000 ROUGHLY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU ALL AT THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING VERSUS THE CHANGE.
HOW ARE THOSE FUNDS GOING TO BE ALLOCATED? EXPENDITURE WISE? YOU CAN SEE FOR THE JOURNAL FUND, WE ARE MAKING SOME, UM, SOME SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS, UM, TO THE HAFA, UM, JUST $17 TO, UM, TO INDICATE THE EXACT AMOUNT OF THEIR REQUEST.
[01:30:01]
A TYPING ERROR.UM, THE CRATER YOUTH CARE COMMISSION, UM, WE ARE REDUCING THAT BY 9 66 TO REFLECT THEIR ACTUAL AMOUNT.
UM, AS I STATED EARLIER, WE ARE GONNA TRANSFER THE MAJORITY OF THEIR REVENUE TO THE, UH, CIP FUND.
AND THERE'S ALSO AN ADDITIONAL ADJUSTMENT TO THE VICTIM WITNESS, UM, PROGRAM BUDGET TO REFLECT ADDITIONAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PERSONNEL AND BENEFITS FOR THAT.
THAT IS A GRANT FUNDED POSITION THAT IS NOT FULLY FUNDED BY THE STATE.
SO THE BOARD, YOU ARE TECHNICALLY, UM, GIVING THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENT, UM, FOR THAT, UM, BECAUSE THE, UH, STATE DOES NOT FULLY FUND ALL THE COSTS THAT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO, UM, WITH THAT STATED, UM, YOU DO HAVE BEFORE YOU, AGAIN, THE RESOLUTION, UM, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU VERSUS THESE CHANGES OF 7 0 1 1 66 IS TO $63,106 AND 78 CENTS.
THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE BUDGET.
UM, AS, AS REGARDING FAR AS SOME COMMENTS, UM, BY THE CITIZEN MADE EARLIER, I'M NOT IN TUNE TO WHAT THAT WAS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD THAT WHAT YOU ALL ARE, UM, WAS PRESENTED AS FAR AS THE BUDGET AMOUNT, ADDING THESE DIFFERENCES TOTAL, WHAT YOU ALL ARE ACTUALLY ADOPTING ON THIS EVENING.
SO WE ARE FOCUSING ON THE 26 27 ADOPTED BUDGET FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE LISTENED TO MS. ROLLINS BRIEF PRESENTATION THERE.
THIS, UM, UNFINISHED BUSINESS HAS A ACTION ITEM.
THE WAY IT HAS A RESOLUTION TO IT BE APPROVED.
I'LL NOW ASK THE BOARD MEMBERS WHAT IS THEIR PLEASURE.
MR. CHAIR? I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
UH, MR. ROLLINS, THE AMOUNT ADDITIONAL WAS 63, THE TOTAL BUDGET ITSELF? NO.
YOU SAID IT WAS 3,400 SOMETHING.
YEAH, THAT IS THE TOTAL CONSOLIDATED BUDGET OF ALL FUNDS.
MS. ALLEN, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE, UH, ASK, WELL, WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD, MR. CHAIRMAN? MAY I BEFORE? YES, MR. BROWNS.
UM, SO, SO YOU DO HAVE BEFORE YOU, AGAIN, THE RESOLUTION AND THE RESOLUTION IS TO ADOPT THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027.
UM, AND THE, UH, FUNDS ARE HIGHLIGHTED THERE, YOUR REVENUE AND YOUR EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES.
UM, IN ADDITION, I WANT TO ADD THAT IT DOES INCLUDE, UM, NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS NUMBER TWO IS TO, UM, ADJUST THE WATER RATES FOR THE DING WATER SYSTEM.
SO I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT, THAT THAT'S A PART OF THE RESOLUTION.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARITY, MS. ROLLINS.
SO, BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE A RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU TONIGHT TO ADOPT THE PRESENTED ADOPTING, UM, THE PRESENTED PRESENTATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 27, CONSOLIDATE BUDGET.
ALL TAX RATES WERE ADOPTED AT THE APRIL 2ND, 2026 MEETING.
MR. CHAIR, SUPERVISOR ELLIOT, I MOVE THAT WE WOULD ADOPT, UH, THE RESOLUTION FOR THE BUDGET SIRY COUNTY FOR THE 2027, UH, BUDGET YEAR.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO ADOPT THE BUDGET RESOLUTION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 26, 27.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, MR. CHAIR.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR ELLIOT.
SECOND BY SUPERVISOR DREW THAT WE APPROVE THE RESOLUTION FOR THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR A FISCAL 26 27 FISCAL YEAR.
ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE WILL NOW VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING RESOLUTION, SAY AYE.
A A ALL OPPOSED, AS HAVE IT, THE THE RESOLUTION HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
SO I JUST WANT TO TAKE JUST A QUICK MOMENT TO, UM, THANK ALL THE STAFF WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING OF THE BUDGET.
I DO WANT TO, UM, ALSO THANK ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, UM, BECAUSE AS THE BUDGET WAS BEING PRE PREPARED, OBVIOUSLY, UM, WE HAD TO SHARE THAT WE HAD RECEIVED DIRECTIVES IN TERMS OF, UH, THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAD SOME, SOME LOSS IN OUR REVENUE, AND WE NEED TO HOLD THINGS HARMLESS IN TERMS OF THE TAX RATES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT DEPARTMENTS DID WELL IN TERMS OF WHAT THEIR REQUEST WAS.
UM, SO I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHARE, AND THIS IS, UM, MY LAST BUDGET THAT HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
I WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO, UH, SHARE MY THANKS TO THE BOARD FOR YOU ALL'S, UM, ASSISTANCE AND YOU ALL'S SUPPORT.
UM, AND AGAIN, TO ALL THE STAFF MEMBERS.
UM, OUR DEPUTY KEN ADMINISTRATOR, MR. HARRISON AND MR. BROWN, UM, FOR THEIR, UM, DUE DILIGENCE AND ASSISTANCE IN PUTTING THE BUDGET TOGETHER.
AND IT HAS BEEN TRULY A REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE, UM, EXPERIE IN TERMS OF, UH, PREPARING THE BUDGET FOR, UM, S COUNTY,
[01:35:01]
UH, FOR THE LAST PAST AT LEAST FIVE YEARS.BUT AGAIN, OVERALL PROBABLY ABOUT 24 YEARS WITH THE COUNTY THAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE BUDGET.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I GIVE ALL, UM, THE THANKS TO, UM, ALL OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN A PART OF THIS PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE MANY YEARS.
YES, MS. ROLLS, YOUR WORK AND STAFF.
YOU GUYS REALLY DID AN AWESOME JOB.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND EFFORT AND PRESENTING A BALANCED BUDGET TO, TO THE BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, NEXT BOARD MEMBERS, WE WILL HAVE OUR PUBLIC COM, EXCUSE ME, BOARD COMMENTS WHILE WE'RE DONE, PUBLIC COMMENT, WE NOW HAVE OUR BOARD
[Board Comments]
COMMENTS.UM, WE'LL START OFF WITH OUR MISS, UM, ARIA, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
IF YOU WANT TO, UH, MAKE YOUR PUBLIC, EXCUSE ME, BOARD COMMENTS FIRST.
I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY TODAY, BUT I'LL START BY SHARING MY PLANS FOR AFTER GRADUATION SINCE I FINALLY DECIDED WHERE I WANTED TO GO.
UM, AND GRADUATION WILL BE ON THE 30TH FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO ATTEND THE 30TH THIS MONTH.
AFTER GRADUATION, I'LL BE ATTENDING OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY AND I'LL BE MAJORING IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
BEING IN THIS POSITION AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY HAS PREPARED ME NOT ONLY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER OF MY LIFE, BUT ALSO FOR MANY EXPERIENCES I WILL FACE IN THE FUTURE.
THIS POSITION HAS SHOWN ME A DIFFERENT SIDE OF HOW THE COMMUNITY WORKS AND HOW COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE OFTEN FACED WITH DIFFICULT DECISIONS THAT MANY PEOPLE OFTEN FAIL TO REALIZE EXIST.
FOR EXAMPLE, LEARNING ABOUT THE BUDGETING PROCESS HELPED ME UNDERSTAND HOW RESOURCES ARE DIVIDED AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO HAVE A DIVERSE SOURCE OF INCOME SO THAT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE ABLE TO LIVE COMFORTABLY WHILE STILL HAVING THEIR NEEDS MET.
IT GAVE ME A NEW LEVEL OF APPRECIATION FOR THE WORK THAT GOES INTO SERVING AND SUPPORTING A COMMUNITY.
I AM TRULY GRATEFUL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS GUIDED ME ALONG THE WAY AND FOR THE CHANCE TO COME TO LEARN FROM YOU ALL.
I WILL CARRY THESE LESSONS WITH ME AS I MOVE FORWARD INTO THIS NEXT STAGE OF MY LIFE.
SO, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR SUPPORTING ME AND BELIEVING IN ME.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS, ARIA, AND BEST WISHES TO YOU, AND CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN.
UM, FOR RIGHT NOW, UH, I WANNA SAY JUNE WILL BE YOUR LAST MEETING WITH US.
OKAY? WE'RE GOING TO, UH, UM, SAY THAT NOW.
AND, UH, UM, SO WE WANT YOU TO COME BACK.
I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA BE GRADUATING, BUT PLEASE COME BACK TO OUR LAST MEETING.
BUT YEAH, THAT'S, THAT IS HUGE AND THAT'S AWESOME.
AND I, I DON'T WANT TO, UM, I, I'M SORRY, ZARA, BUT SHE DIDN'T MENTION THAT SHE'S ALSO THE VALEDICTORIAN OF, OF HER CLASS, SO THAT'S EXACTLY, YES.
SO, BEST WISHES TO YOU AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU.
UM, UH, AS MR. DREW, IF YOU MIND, UM, YOUR BOARD COMMENTS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF, UM, BY FIRST THANKING EVERYONE IN FOR, IN THE AUDIENCE AND THOSE WHO MAY BE WATCHING FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT.
UM, ON THIS EVENING'S, UH, BOARD, UH, BOARD MEETING, UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE, UH, MS. ARIA HARRELL.
UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND SCHOOL WITH HER AS WELL.
UM, AND SHE HAS BEEN A EXCEEDINGLY, UH, A GREAT ROLE MODEL FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, FOR HER PEERS.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE.
YOU, YOU DO, AND YOU CONTINUE TO DO.
UM, AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU, UM, WHEN YOU TURN 19 IN ONE OF THESE THINGS AS WELL.
UM, BUT ALSO, SHE ALSO FORGOT TO MENTION THAT, UM, THIS, THIS RECENTLY, THIS PAST WEEKEND, UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, UM, COMPETE AT TECHNOLOGY STUDENT ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS A CAREER AND TECHNICAL STUDENT ORGANIZATION.
AND ZAYA ACTUALLY PLAYS SECOND, THIRD PLACE AND FOR RECENT SCIENCES SCIENCE, WHERE SHE AND JASMINE FLORES IS QUALIFIED FOR NATIONALS IN DC THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING SHE FORGOT TO MENTION AS WELL.
BUT I'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO SEE, UM, UH, F-C-C-L-A AND ALSO FBLA COMPETE IN THESE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS AS, AS WELL.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED TO, TO LEARN THESE SKILLS.
UM, I WAS PART OF TECHNOLOGY STUDENT ASSOCIATION WHERE I, WHERE I SERVED AND LEADERSHIP THERE, AND IS TRULY WHAT HELPED ME, UM, BECOME THE LEADER I AM TODAY.
SO, UM, WHEN, WHEN WE SEE THESE THINGS AND THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT OUR STUDENTS COMPETE, PLEASE SUPPORT THEM.
'CAUSE IT'S TRULY IMPORTANT THAT WE LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY HAVE OUR SUPPORT SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO, UM, EXCEED IN THOSE PLACES.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE, UH, MR. JOHN SEWARD, WELCOME BACK TO THE BOARD.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING WITH YOU AND, AND GAINING YOUR KNOWLEDGE
[01:40:01]
AS WELL.UM, FOR, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE AND LOOKING TO CONTINUE TO DO.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE MS. ROLLINS ON A SUCCESSFUL LAST BUDGET.
THIS IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT BECAUSE WHAT YOU CAN SAY IS YOU COMPLETED A BUDGET BEFORE THE VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
UM, AND THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT, UM, TO MY CITIZENS, MY CONSTITUENTS, UM, MS. STEIN, I HEARD YOU.
UM, I WILL SEE WHAT I CAN DO ABOUT THAT, BUT ALSO TO ALL THE CITIZENS, MY EMAIL IS ALWAYS OPEN.
UM, IF YOU EVER SEE ME, STOP, STOP ME.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION IF THERE'S EVER A CONCERN.
UM, AND I, LIKE I SAID, I WILL ALWAYS, UH, REMAIN OPEN, HONEST, AND AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE.
UM, THAT IS ONE OF MY, MY, MY VOWS TO SERVE IN THIS POSITION.
UM, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THAT, UH, GOES BOTH WAYS.
SO I WILL LEAVE THAT RIGHT THERE.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN, MR. CHAIR.
THANK YOU MR. DREW FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, FIRST OFF, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT AND WITNESSING THIS BOARD MEETING ON TONIGHT, AND YOUR INPUT AS FOR THE AFFAIRS OF S COUNTY.
AND THEN I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO PERSONALLY CONGRATULATE OUR VERY FIRST STUDENT LIAISON AND ZARIA.
SHE IS AN OUTSTANDING YOUNG LADY, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY SINCE SHE'S BEEN ON SERVING ON THIS BOARD TO WATCH HER ACTIVELY IN SURRY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.
I WATCHED HER PLAY BASKETBALL, WATCHED HER PLAY SOFTBALL, AND THEN TO HEAR THAT SHE'S THE VALEDICTORIAN OF HER CLASS SPEAKS VALUES FOR THIS INDIVIDUAL.
I THINK WE CAN GIVE HER A LITTLE MORE APPLAUSE FOR THAT.
SHE HAS DEFINITELY SET THE BALL HIGH FOR THE NEXT STUDENT LIAISON THAT WILL COME OUR WAY.
AND I WANNA LET HER KNOW THAT WE WILL THIS BOARD, IF ALL POSSIBLE, WE WILL DEFINITELY BE AT YOUR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION.
AND IF I, I, I'M GOING TO ASK THE BOARD NOW THAT IF BEING SHE BEING THE FIRST, UH, LIAISON, THAT WE WILL HAVE SOME TYPE OF TOKEN FOR HER AT HER GRADUATION.
AND IF YOU GIVE ME A, UH, INVITATION, I'LL PERSONALLY HAVE A GIFT FOR YOU,
YOU GOTTA HAVE A SEPARATE INVITATION.
WE WANT WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE IN YOUR SENIOR YEAR, UH, FOR S COUNTY.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO A VERY BRIGHT FUTURE FOR YOU IN THE FUTURE.
AND JUST WANNA LET ALL THE CITIZENS KNOW THAT, UH, WE AS A BOARD, WE WILL WORKING DILIGENTLY TO IMPROVE AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.
WE DO HEAR FROM THE CITIZENS, AND IT IS HARD AND A TOUGH SEAT TO SIT BACK AND MAKE DECISIONS FOR AN ENTIRE COUNTY.
I'VE BEEN TOLD, AND I THOROUGHLY BELIEVE IT THROUGH ALL OF MY LIFE ENDEAVORS, THAT YOU CAN DO THE SAME THING AND HAVE HALF, HALF OF THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM HATE YOU, AND HALF OF THE PEOPLE LOVE YOU FOR THE SAME THING THAT YOU'VE DONE.
SO WHAT WE DO OR WHAT I DO, I SIT DOWN AND TRY TO MAKE THE BEST DECISION FOR THE BETTERMENT OF ENTIRE SURY COUNTY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE SURY COUNTY FORWARD.
I HAVE MUCH, UM, UH, GREAT MEETING, VERY INFORMATIVE MEETING.
THANKS FOR EVERYONE THAT CAME OUT.
UM, OUR PRESENTERS ARE ALL GONE NOW, BUT, UH, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A GOOD SYNERGY OF, UH, INFORMATION FOR, UH, THE BOARD ANCESTORS, A LIKE TO, UH, DIGEST, KNOWING THAT IT ALL REALLY WORKS HAND IN HAND FROM, UM, HAMPTON ROSE REGIONAL ECONOMIC, UH, PICTURE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, DAVENPORT REPORT TO OUR, EVEN OUR BUDGET.
SO IT ALL REALLY FLOWS TOGETHER.
AND, UH, SO GREAT INFORMATION THERE.
UM, MYSELF AND THE CHAIR DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT, UH, PEPSICO BOY SCOUT, UH, RESERVATION, UH, EARLIER, WAS IT EARLIER, LATE LAST MONTH, I GUESS.
BUT, UH, GREAT, GREAT, UM, GREAT EXPERIENCE.
UH, I DIDN'T KNOW ALL THAT WAS BACK THERE.
AND IT REALLY, UH, SPEAKS VALUES FOR THE RURAL CHARACTER AND, AND THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE TREASURES IS HITTING THE SURY COUNTY IF YOU DON'T KNOW THEY'RE THERE.
UM, SO, UH, MR. SHEEP, WE DID INVITE HIM TO COME OUT, UM, TO A FUTURE BOARD MEETING, INTRODUCE HIMSELF AND WHAT THEY'RE ALL ABOUT, BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND, I THINK THAT DATA HAS 600 FOLKS BACK THERE, WHICH IS HUGE.
AND, UM, SO THEY DEFINITELY ADD TO THE, UH, ECONOMIC DRIVE OF SURY COUNTY, YOU KNOW, UM, GAS AND FOOD OR WHATEVER ELSE THEY, UH, PURCHASE BY THEY, WHEN THEY, WHEN THOSE FOLKS COME THROUGH, WHICH IS ALSO A GREAT REASON FOR OUR, UH, TOWN DEVELOPMENT AND, UM, AND REVITALIZATION.
THEY COME FROM ALL OVER, YOU KNOW, VIRGINIA BEACH AND RICHMOND ALL OVER.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO, UH, UM, SEE COUNTY IS AT IT FINEST.
WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, A NICE REVITALIZATION OF BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN TO DRIVE THROUGH.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT SPEAKS BOUNDS.
SO ANY WHO I'M SURE MR. UH, SHORT CHAIR WILL SPEAK ON THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, IT IS NATIONAL, UH, TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK.
UM, SO IF YOU KNOW EDUCATOR, PLEASE THANK THEM.
I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO GO UP TO THE, UH, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I'M ALWAYS PARTIALLY AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I JUST LOVE TO SEE, LIKE, THOSE KIDS LOVE TO SEE ME MORE THAN THE GROWN KIDS.
SO THE LITTLE KIDS LIKE, HEY, HEY.
SO, UH, IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.
I WAS ABLE TO, UM, THANK THE, UH, THE TEACHERS AND GIVE 'EM A LITTLE TREAT
[01:45:01]
FOR ALL, FOR ALL THEY DO.SO, UH, PLEASE THANK THE EDUCATOR THIS WEEK.
UM, ALSO AFTER THAT, I STOPPED BY HERE TO THE, UH, NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER WHERE, UH, YES, PRAYER WAS DEFINITELY, UH, IN THE HOUSE OR IN THE, IN THE PAVILION.
SO, UH, THAT WAS DEFINITELY A BLESSING.
I, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT.
SO MAYBE THAT MARQUES THING, WE GOTTA FIND A WAY TO ADVERTISE IT.
'CAUSE I SAW THE SHERIFF'S POST, WHICH IS, UH, HOW I KNEW ABOUT IT.
SO, SO THANKS FOR THAT SHERIFF.
AND THAT WAS A GREAT TIME, UH, WITH FELLOWSHIP, WITH, UH, CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY.
UM, CONGRATS AGAIN TO MR. STEWART AND TO MR. DAVENPORT.
UH, THANK YOU FOR, UH, STEPPING UP.
UH, TRUST ME, THIS, IT'S NO EASY TASK.
UM, UM, SO PLEASE DON'T BE DISCOURAGED.
IT WAS JUST A, YOU KNOW, CHOICE 50 50, UH, UH, I THINK MR. SUE'S EXPERIENCE MAY HAVE, MAY HAVE PUT HIM OVER THE EDGE A LITTLE BIT, BUT THERE HAVE MANY WAYS TO SERVE, MANY WAYS TO SERVE, SERVE.
SO, UH, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE ULTIMATE, UH, DECIDED WILL BE THE, THE, THE PEOPLE OF THE SERVING DISTRICT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH OF Y'ALL, AND PLEASE, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH, UH, BOTH OF YOU.
UM, I WAS ALWAYS, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT.
UH, THE ONES THAT ARE WATCHING FROM HOME AND THEIR COMFORT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOR TUNING IN.
UM, I ECHO MOST OF THE, UH, REMARKS MADE BY OUR BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, THESE PAST 30 DAYS HAVE BEEN A VERY INTERESTING 30 DAYS SINCE WE LAST HAD OUR, OUR BOARD MEETING.
UM, BUT I DO WANT TO FIRST OF ALL BE, UH, SHOW APPRECIATION AND, UH, THANKFULNESS FOR THIS RAIN THAT WE HAVE.
UH, I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF FARMERS AND GARDENERS AND, AND VARIOUS PEOPLE THAT, UH, ENJOY THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND I, I'M KNOWING, UH, THAT THIS HAS BEEN, UH, UM, PROBABLY THE LONGEST TIME I'VE SEEN, UH, AS DRY AS IT IS IN MY, MY 38 YEARS OF LIVING AS FAR AS BEING A FARMER'S PERSPECTIVE.
BUT I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT RAIN THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
AND, AND SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE FARMERS THAT ARE, ARE DOING.
THERE ARE GREAT THINGS AND GETTING THE CROPS PLANTED FOR OUR, OUR FALL HARVEST.
UM, ARIA, I REALLY, REALLY CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR YOUR, THE BEING THE PIONEER FOR THIS POSITION.
I COULDN'T THINK OF ANYONE PERFECT TO SERVE AS BEING THE, UH, I THINK, UM, SUPERVISOR ELLIOT SAID IT THE BEST.
YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE SETTING THE BAR, YOU KNOW, SETTING THE STANDARD AS FAR AS WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR AS FAR AS LEADERSHIP, HEARING HOW YOU HAVE BECOME THE VALEDICTORIAN OF YOUR CLASS, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT AN EASY TASK.
BUT NOT ONLY THAT, HOW YOU ARE ABLE TO JUGGLE SPORTS, HOW YOU ARE ABLE TO JUGGLE, UM, COMMUNITY, UH, EXCUSE ME, CLUB ACTIVITIES.
BUT NOT TO MENTION YOU'RE STILL COMING OUT TO YOUR BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEETINGS AS WELL.
AND STILL, UM, UM, AGAIN, BEING A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL FOR OUR, OUR YOUTH.
SO THAT DOESN'T GUN UNNOTICED, AND YOU HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD OF YOU.
SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE, UH, ALL OF THE BOARD MEMBERS SUPPORT.
I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR 'EM, BUT I THINK ALL OF 'EM CAN ECHO THAT.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, BEST OF LUCK TO YOU, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT OUR, OUR JUNE MEETING.
SO CONTINUE UP THE GREAT WORK AND, UH, WE'LL SEE YOU AT YOUR GRADUATION AS WELL, LORD, WILLING.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR THE, FOR THE BUDGET.
UH, AGAIN, THAT WAS A, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS A INTERESTING, INTERESTING TIME OF THE YEAR, UH, FROM THE CONVERSATIONS HAVING WITH CONSTITUENTS AND STAFF AND, UM, EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS.
YOU KNOW, I, I'VE, I'VE SHARED, UH, WITH SOME PEOPLE, I THINK ONE DAY I WAS ON THE PHONE FROM ONE O'CLOCK TO LIKE FIVE O'CLOCK, YOU KNOW, FOUR HOURS STRAIGHT, HANGING OFF ONE, ONE PHONE CALL, GETTING ON THE OTHER.
BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK CITIZENS DON'T REALIZE THAT AS BOARD MEMBERS, WE, WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS.
NOT TO MENTION, IF YOU, IF FOR ME PERSONALLY, IF YOU WOULD TAKE AWAY THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISOR POSITION, AND I'M STILL GONNA BE A FARMER, I'M GONNA BE A FATHER, UH, THE EDUCATOR, ALL OF THAT, RIGHT? AND SO TRYING TO JUGGLE, UM, YOUR, YOUR PERSONAL LIFE AND STILL BEING A LEADER IN YOUR COMMUNITY IS, IT'S NOT AN EASY TASK.
YOU KNOW? UM, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, AND FORTUNATELY IN SOME INSTANCES, YOU KNOW, WE ARE AS BOARD MEMBERS SET AT A, A HIGHER PEDESTAL THAN A NORMAL CITIZENS.
WE PAY TAXES LIKE ANY OTHER CITIZENS.
BUT BECAUSE WE ARE ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO, UH, BE HELD AT A, A BRIGHTER LIGHT.
AND, AND IN CERTAIN INSTANCES, LIKE I MENTIONED, IS, IS, IS OKAY, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S NOT FAIR BECAUSE, UM, IF YOU, INSIDE OF MY CLASSROOM, MY ONLY RULE I HAVE IS, IS RESPECT.
UM, AND I FEEL LIKE RESPECT GOES A LONG WAY.
UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY AGREE WITH EVERYONE.
I DON'T SAY WE HAVE TO SIT HERE AND LOCK HANDS AND KUMBAYA, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE CAN ALL RESPECT ONE ANOTHER, UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE NEIGHBORS.
AND IN ORDER FOR US TO LIVE IN A COMMUNITY THAT WILL BE BENEFICIAL FOR OUR YOUTH, LIKE ZERIAH, WE HAVE TO SET POSITIVE EXAMPLES AS LEADERS AND CONSTITUENTS.
UM, IT'S, IT'S EASY TO GET BEHIND A KEYBOARD AND TYPE, UM, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION WHETHER IT IS ACCURATE OR INACCURATE.
UM, BUT, BUT WHAT KIND OF BRINGS ME BACK, YOU KNOW, I HEAR SOME OF MY STUDENTS WHEN I'M DISCIPLINED AND HEARING ALTERCATIONS, IT ALL GOES BACK TO RESPECT, YOU
[01:50:01]
KNOW, SOMEONE WAS DISRESPECTED BECAUSE OF, UH, THEY'VE BEEN, CHOICE OF WORDS, MAYBE HAVE BEEN AN ACTION.BUT WHAT I REALIZED IS THAT IF WE ALL CAN AGREE TO DISAGREE, UNDERSTAND THAT WE MIGHT NOT ALL SEE EYE TO EYE FROM TIME TO TIME, I THINK WE ALL CAN AGREE THAT WE CAN LIVE IN A COMMUNITY TOGETHER THAT WILL BE BENEFICIAL FOR OUR FUTURE.
AND AGAIN, I CAN'T KEEP HIGHLIGHTING ZARAY ENOUGH BECAUSE I, AGAIN, SEEING HER ACCOLADES, SEEING WHAT SHE'S PLANNING ON DOING FOR HER FUTURE IS JUST A TESTAMENT ON HOW SPECIAL S COUNTY IS.
UM, SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I, I, I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, UH, HARP ON THAT TOO MUCH, BUT I JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, KNOW, KNOW, PUT THAT OUT ON THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, US BOARD MEMBERS, WE ARE HUMAN TOO.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE ARE MEN AND, AND WOMEN STAFF ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, REAL BIG ON RESPECT.
SO THAT'S, MAKE SURE THAT RESPECT GOES, GOES A LONG WAY.
UM, THANK ALL FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
JUST WANNA REMINDER AGAIN, ZARAY, I'M PROBABLY MEET YOUR NAME ABOUT 10 TIMES ALREADY, BUT YOU, UH, WILL BE GRADUATING VALEDICTORIAN.
LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING YOUR SPEECH ON THAT, ON THAT, UH, AFTERNOON.
UH, OH, EXCUSE ME, THAT MORNING.
UM, WE, UH, LIKE MR. HARDY MENTIONED, UH, WE WERE INVITED DOWN TO PIP PEPSICO.
UM, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD FIT 600 PEOPLE WAY BACK THERE ON IN SWANS POINT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WERE, UH, FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, BUT, UM, UH, WHEN TRAVELING BACK THERE, IT'S MY FIRST TIME TRAVELING THERE ABOUT TWO MILES IN, IN THE WOODS, RIGHT? MR.
IT WAS DEEP IN THE WOODS, BUT WHEN IT OPENED UP, I MEAN, IT WAS SOMETHING I MENTIONED TO MR. JOHN, IT WAS SOMETHING I COULD, UH, LIKE, TOOK ME BACK TO MY CHILD AGE, LOOKING AT MOVIES IN THE NINETIES, SEEING ALL THESE KIDS RUNNING AROUND WITH THEIR, UH, BACKPACKS, WITH THEIR WATER BOTTLES, CLIMBING, ROPES, FISHING, UM, I MEAN ALL THESE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
AND ONE THING THAT I DID NOT SEE, AND I MENTIONED TO MR. JOHN, WAS THAT I DIDN'T SEE ANY CELL PHONES.
AND TO HEAR HOW THESE, THIS YOUTH 600, IT WAS A LOT, RIGHT? UH,
AND NOW THESE ARE THINGS WE HAVE TO CAPITALIZE ON AS A, AS A COMMUNITY.
SO AGAIN, I THANK HIM FOR THAT, UM, UM, IN INVITE AND ALLOWING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THAT.
UM, LASTLY, UH, WITH TWO MORE THINGS, THE JOINT PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, UH, WE HAD THAT THIS PAST MONTH.
I THINK THAT WENT WELL AS FAR AS HAVING A MEETING TOGETHER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WERE PRESENTED TO TODAY AS FAR AS THE LAND USE, UM, HEARING, UM, UM, THE COMMENT FROM MR. WADE, UM, YOU HAD BOARD MEMBERS ATTENDING SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS TO SHOW, AGAIN, TESTAMENT ON HOW WE ARE WORKING NOT ONLY ON OUR NINE TO FIVES, BUT AFTER HOURS TAKING TIME AWAY FROM OUR FAMILIES TO ATTEND MEETINGS, TO GET INFORMATION TO MAKE SURE WE ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE TO MAKE THE BEST DECISION FOR THE CONSTITUENTS OF SHERRY COUNTY.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, MR. DAVENPORT AND THE COMPANY, UM, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, MR. SEWARD, UH, CONGRATULATIONS MR. DAVENPORT.
UH, THAT STEPPING UP TO THIS IS, IS, IS HUGE, BUT ALSO TOO, IT JUST SHOWS OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE LEADERS READY TO STEP UP IN THE TIME OF, OF, OF, OF, OF PREPARATION, THE TIME TO, TO DO THAT.
UM, THAT INCLUDES MY BOARD COMMENTS.
SORRY, A LITTLE LENGTHY, BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I GOT EVERYTHING COVERED.
I STILL PROBABLY MISSED SOMETHING, BUT CHARGE IT TO MY HEAD, NOT MY HEART.
[County Administrators Report]
UH, NEXT WE WILL HAVE OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS REPORT, AND I'LL PASS IT OVER TO MS. ROLLINS.UM, SO THERE WAS WAS ONE, AND I KNOW IT WAS ON YOUR MIND, BUT IT WAS FIRST FRIDAY, SO YEAH, SO JUST WANNA TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY OF COURSE, TO THANK MS. CHAPLIN AND HER TEAM MEMBERS WHO WORKED, UH, VERY DILIGENT TO BRING BACK OUR SECOND ANNUAL RIGHT FIRST FRIDAY SERIES.
SO THANK YOU MS. CHAPLIN, FOR A JOB WELL DONE.
AND, UM, ALSO I JUST WANT TO SHARE, UH, THAT, UM, IF, IF I MAY, MR. CHAIRMAN AND BOARD MEMBERS DO RESPOND TO THE COMMENT REGARDING THE, UH, NATIONAL DAY PRAYER AND THE REQUEST.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I DID NOT RECEIVE A REQUEST THIS YEAR TO PUT THAT ON THE MARQUEE.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WAS GETTING READY TO SHARE WITH, UH, MR. HARDY AS I WAS WALKING THROUGH, TO SAY THAT THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD CAPACITY AND TO BE ABLE TO ENCOURAGE MORE FOR THAT EVENT.
SO IF I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE REQUEST, WHICH I'M NOT, NOT SURE WHO'S, NOBODY IN MY TEAM MEMBER SAID NO THIS YEAR, I DO NOT THINK IT WOULD'VE BEEN PROBLEMATIC.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT THERE WAS NOT A NO THAT CAME FROM THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE.
SO I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHERE THAT CAME FROM.
UM, BUT THERE IS OPPORTUNITY AND IT WAS KIND OF COLD OUT THERE, SO I WOULD'VE EVEN INVITED Y'ALL IN FOR COFFEE.
OKAY? SO JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT, THAT THAT WAS NOT A NO COMING FROM MY OFFICE.
UM, AND OTHER THAN THAT, I DO THINK THAT IS ALL THAT I HAVE.
UM, MR. CHAIRMAN, THE BOARD MEMBERS, THANK YOU.
[01:55:01]
BOARD MEMBERS.[Reports]
ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE OUR REPORTS.WE HAVE OUR S COUNTY BUILDING OFFICIALS OFFICE, MONTHLY REPORT, MARCH, 2026.
WE HAVE OUR S COUNTY INSPECTION PERFORMANCE BY DISTRICT AND PASS FAIL RATE MARCH 20TH, 2026.
UH, WE HAVE OUR SARA COUNTY BUILDING OFFICIALS OFFICE MONTH REPORT FOR APRIL, 2026.
SARA COUNTY INSPECTION PERFORMANCE BY DISTRICT AND PASS FAIL RATE, APRIL, 2026.
WE HAVE OUR FOUR YEAR REQUEST SUMMARY FOR APRIL, 2026.
AND LASTLY, WE HAVE OUR FINANCIAL REPORT, THIRD QUARTER ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2026 BOARD MEMBERS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPORTS? THERE'S NO QUESTIONS, BUT IF I MAY ADD ONE COMMENT.
MS. WRONG, I JUST WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SHARE, UM, UM, THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UM, IS A LITTLE DELAYED IN GETTING PERMITS OUT.
SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD AND THE CITIZENS KNOW THAT IT IS NO, UM, ON THE DEPARTMENT, ON THE BEHALF OF OUR BILLING INSPECTORS DEPARTMENT, THEY ARE DOING A FINE JOB COMPLETING WHAT THEY NEED TO DO ON TIME.
BUT ACROSS THE REGION, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS, UH, IS BEHIND IN TERMS OF ISSUING PERMITS.
[For Your Information]
MEMBERS, YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU YOUR LGIP INVESTMENT LETTER FOR MARCH, 2026.ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT WHERE BOARD MEMBERS THAT CONCLUDES OUR AGENDA FOR TONIGHT ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BOARD MEMBERS HAVE BEFORE WE ADJOURN, HEARING OR SEEING NONE? I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING, WHICH WILL BE HELD ON JUNE 4TH.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MR. DREW, SECOND BY MR. HARDY THAT WE ADJOURN UNTIL OUR JUNE 4TH, 2026 BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEETING.
ANY DISCUSSION ON SAID MOTION HEARING NOW? WE'LL NOW VOTE.
AYES HAVE IT GERMAN UNTIL JUNE 20.