[00:00:03]
[Call to Order / Moment of Silence / Pledge of Allegiance/ Agenda Adoption]
LIKE TO SAY GOOD EVENING TO EVERYONE.WELCOME TO OUR NOVEMBER 5TH, 2026 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING.
BEFORE WE CONTINUE OUR MEETING, I WILL LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE AND ASK IF YOU COULD PLEASE SILENCE ALL OF YOUR ELECTRONIC DEVICES.
BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR MEETING, I WILL ASK IF REVEREND LAWRENCE BILL OF MOUNT EBOLA BAPTIST CHURCH WILL COME UP TO DO OUR INVOCATION.
MR. BILL, IF YOU COULD PLEASE APPROACH...
BILL, IF YOU PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM, THE, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
I NOW CALL THE NOVEMBER 5TH, 2026 BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEETING TO ORDER.
I'LL NOW ASK FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
I NOW ASK IF YOU COULD RISE TO SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION OF GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR YOU.
BOARD MEMBERS BEFORE YOU, WE HAVE OUR AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING.
I HOPE EVERYONE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE AGENDA.
[00:05:01]
I'LL NOW ASK IF THERE IS A MOTION TO ADOPT TONIGHT'S AGENDA, IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS.THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MOVED BY DR.
ELLIOT, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR DREW, THAT WE, UM, ADOPT TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
IS THERE ANY QUESTION ON SAID MOTION? HEARING NONE, WE'LL NOW VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF SAID MOTION SIGNIFY YOUR VOTE BY SAYING AYE.
I'LL NOW ASK IF INTERIM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR HARRISON COOK DO OUR ROLL CALL.
[Consent Items ]
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE OUR CONSENT ITEMS. THIS EVENING, WE HAVE SEVEN CONSENT ITEMS. ONE BEING THE APPROVAL OF DRAFT MINUTES, MARCH 5TH, 2026.SECOND, APPROVAL OF DRAFT MINUTES, SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2026.
NUMBER THREE, APPROVAL OF DRAFT MINUTES, SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2026.
NUMBER FOUR, APPROVAL OF DRAFT MINUTES, OCTOBER 1ST, 2026.
NUMBER FIVE, APPROVAL OF DRAFT MINUTES, OCTOBER 5TH, 2026.
NUMBER SIX, APPROVAL OF AWARD FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES CONTRACT.
AND SEVEN, VIRGINIA EMERGENCY SHELTER UPGRADE ASSISTANCE GRANT AUTHORIZATION.
BOARD MEMBERS, WHAT IS YOUR PLEASURE? MR. CHAIRMAN, I MOVE THAT WE WOULD APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEMS AS, UM, PRESENTED.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR SEWARD, SECOND BY DR.
ELLIOT, THAT WE APPROVE TONIGHT'S CONSENT ITEMS. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON SAID MOTION? HEARING NONE SEEN, WE'LL NOW VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF SAYING MOTION TO SIGNIFY YOUR VOTE BY SAYING AYE.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND THIS EVENING WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE NEW BUSINESS, AND THIS EVENING THERE LOOKS LIKE THERE'S NO NEW BUSINESS EITHER.
[Unfinished Business ]
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR UNFINISHED BUSINESS.AND THIS EVENING, WE HAVE TWO ITEMS OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS, ONE BEING THE ORDINANCE OF 20- 2026-02, AND THE OTHER BEING ON ORDINANCE 2026-03, AND I BELIEVE BOTH OF THESE ARE AMENDING MOTIONS.
UM, EXCUSE ME, UM, ORDINANCES.
I'LL NOW ASK IF MR. HORSTWAY COULD PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON OUR UNFINISHED BUSINESS, AND WE'LL START WITH NUMBER ONE, ORDINANCE 2026-02, PC ORDINANCE AMENDMENT, UM, 2026-01.
I'LL TURN NOW TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO MR. WADE.
UM, THIS, THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE WAS, UH, PRESENTED A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AT YOUR, AT YOUR, AT THE BOARD MEETING BOARD MEETING.
AT THE SEPTEMBER BOARD MEETING.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM IT.
I THINK THE LAST TIME WE UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR COMMISSION ON THIS, UM, DISCUSSION STARTED AROUND, AROUND JULY AND THEN, UH, OF, OF 2025.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN DISCUSSING, UH, SUBDIVISIONS WITHIN, WITHIN THE COUNTY AND HOW TO, AND HOW TO ADDRESS SUBDIVISIONS SUCH THAT PRE - SUBDIVISIONS THAT COME IN THE COUNTY, UM, HOW DO THEY EVENTUALLY COME TO THE BOARD, UM, BEFORE THEY ARE APPROVED.
AND SO THIS DISCUSSION STARTED AROUND, UM, JULY 2025, MAINLY WITH ONE BOARD DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT THAT CAME THROUGH, UM, THAT AT THE, AT THE SAME TIME THE STATE ACTUALLY SAID, UM, SUBDIVISIONS THAT COME THROUGH, UM, COMMISSION HAS NO HEARS - NO POWER OVER APPROVING ANY DIVISION.
UM, SO IT WAS, IT BECAME A CONCERN OF THE COMMISSION AND THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING SUBDIVISIONS IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW, THAT POWER RELIES ONLY IN THE AGENT OF THE COUNTY, WHICH IS MYSELF.
AND I THINK THAT, THAT DOES, UM, IT'S INTERESTING TO BE IN THAT POSITION FOR MYSELF.
UM, NOT THAT I, I CAN'T DO WELL FOR THE COUNTY, BUT I DO FEEL AS THOUGH THE COUNTY COMMISSION GETS INPUT FROM FOLKS THAT ARE APPOINTED OR ELECTED TO HAVE SOME HEARSAY OVER WHAT IS COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY VERSUS, UM.
[00:10:02]
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMISSION DISCUSSED.WE, WE MOVED THROUGH THAT AND THEN AS PART OF THAT CONVERSATION WAS ABOUT ABOUT LOT SIZE.
UM, WE'RE AT THE POINT RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, LOT SIZE, BUT THE WHOLE BIG PICTURE IS SUBDIVISION.
BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE, UH, LISTENED TO MR. WADE'S, UM, UM, COMMENT ON OUR, OUR SAID ORDINANCE AMENDMENT.
UM, I NOW OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR ANY DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS, UH, FOR MR. WADE.
MR. WADE, MR. WADE, UH, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION CAME UP WITH THIS TO CONTROL THE GROWTH IN THE COUNTY.
UH, WHAT INDICATORS HAVE WE HAD THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, ASTRONOMICAL GROWTH WHERE THIS ORDINANCE IS EVEN NEEDED? UM, WE HAVE.
SO WE, WE HAVE A POTENTIAL GROWTH COMING.
AND WHAT, WHAT DROVE IT TO THE 10 ACRES? AND, AND, UH, I KNOW WE'RE DEALING WITH THE SUBDIVISIONS AND I, I, I LIKE THE, UH, THE PORTION OF IT WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT THERE WILL BE, UH, A NEW DISTRICT OR NEW ZONING, SOMETHING IN BETWEEN.
WELL, WHAT DROVE US TO 10 ACRES AS OPPOSED TO RIGHT NOW WE CAN DO IT ON ONE? WHAT TOOK IT TO 10? THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, IN, IN, IN OUR ORDINANCE, WE ACTUALLY, WE HAVE A PORTION THERE THAT IS A PORTION OF THE AGRICULTURAL FIELDS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE PAST HAVE PREVIOUSLY SPECIAL EXCEPTION.
[00:16:24]
WELL, THE, THE ORDINANCE HERE, WHAT, IF I'M READING IT INCORRECTLY, LET ME KNOW, IS SAYING IT'S GOING FROM ONE ACRE TO 10 ACRES.SO MY, MY QUESTION IS, UH, AND, AND YOU KIND OF EXPLAINED IT TO ME A LITTLE BIT, WHY 10 ACRES? IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN IMMEDIATE, INTERMEDIATE, UH, DISTRICT, WHY GO TO 10? AND, AND THE REASON WHY I'M SAYING THIS, I, I DO KNOW THAT, UH, FROM MY PAST EXPERIENCES LIVING IN OUTSIDE OF SURREY COUNTY, I LIVED IN A DISTRICT WHERE THE, THE, UH, IT WAS FIVE ACRES.
IT WAS FIVE ACRES, AND THEN IF THEY WERE, UH, SPECIAL EXEMPTIONS, THEN, UH, THEY COULD GO IN AND ASK FOR, FOR THE FIVE ACRES.
AND THAT WAS FOR, AND THE PURPOSE FOR THAT WAS TO CONTROL GROWTH.
AND THEN AFTER THEY GOT THE GROWTH THAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR IN THE COUNTY, THEY JUMPED IT TO 10.
SO I'M ASKING WHY START AT 10? WHY CAN'T WE LOOK AT IT IN IMMEDIATE, UH, SITUATION AT FIVE ACRES? AND THEN IF WE GET MORE GROWTH THAN WE'RE LOOKING FOR, THEN WE CAN TAKE IT UP TO 10.
BUT RIGHT NOW, WE ARE COUNTED THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND WHY WILL WE PUT THIS RESTRICTION ON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT TO TAKE IT FROM ONE TO 10? I MEAN, I, I'M, I'M, I KNOW A COMPROMISE CAN BE MADE OR FEEL LIKE A COMPROMISE.
MY, ME PERSONALLY, I'M SPEAKING FOR, FOR MYSELF NOW, I FEEL LIKE A COMPROMISE CAN BE MADE FROM THE 10 ACRES TO FIVE ACRES BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO DETER GROWTH AT THIS TIME, WANNA CONTROL GROWTH, AND THEN IF WE GET M- MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF GROWTH, GROWTH THAT WE FEEL THAT WE NEED TO INCREASE IT, WE CAN INCREASE IT THEN.
BUT WHY START OUT TO 10 ACRES FOR SOMEONE THAT WANT TO COME IN AND PURCHASE A HOME IN SURREY COUNTY? FRANKLY, THAT, THAT'S A POLICY DECISION THAT, THAT YOU ALL AS A BOARD CONTROL OF THAT NUMBER FIVE AND 10 AS A STAFF AND, AND AS A PLANNING COMMISSION, THEY RECOMMENDED 10 BECAUSE THAT NUMBER IS KEEPING THE CHARACTER OF AN AGRICULTURAL RURAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE DISTRICT.
FIVE ACRES IS SOMEWHAT OF AN INTERMEDIARY TYPE OF, UM, OF, OF DISTRICT WHERE AS, EVEN, EVEN IN THEY ARE CONSIDERING DOING - HOW YOU KNOW I WAS TALKING ABOUT PRINCE GEORGE.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING I CAN JUST SAY, WELL, IT'S ONLY THIS, YOU KNOW, THE CHARACTER, THE CHARACTER OF THE RURAL CHARACTER IS BEING INTERRUPTED NOW AND IS BEING INTERRUPTED AT, AT A, AT A PACE THAT I, I'M NOT SURE THAT SURROGATE CAN HANDLE BECAUSE THERE'S A NUMBER OF VEHICLES ENTERING THESE MAJOR ROADS THAT ARE CUTTING OFF WHAT DEVELOPERS ARE DOING, THEY'RE CHOOSING TO DEVELOP ON THE CHEAP.
THEY'RE DEVELOPING RIGHT DIRECTLY OFF OF THE MAIN ROAD.
THEY'RE NOT CREATING ROADS INTO SUBDIVISIONS.
AND SO WHEN YOU CREATE ROADS IN THE SUBDIVISION, YOU'RE INVESTING IN THE COMMUNITY AND YOU'RE DOING DEVELOPMENT THE RIGHT WAY.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE CHILDREN THAT WANT TO RIDE BIKES, THEY CAN'T RIDE BIKES ON ROUTE 10 OR 31 OR.
THEY CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE YOU CAN DO THAT IN A SUBDIVISION WHERE YOU HAVE THAT, THAT TYPE OF LIFESTYLE IF, IF YOU WANT SMALLER LOT SIZES.
AND I- IF YOU GOT 10 ACRES, YOU CAN DRIVE WHEREVER YOU WANT TO RIDE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BRING - BEING ABLE TO BRING PEOPLE TO THE COUNTY AND MAKE, STILL MAKING IT AFFORDABLE.
I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH ANY, ANY OTHER, UH, ENTITIES OF THE ORDINANCE.
I, I JUST WOULD PERSONALLY LIKE TO SEE IT GO FROM 10 TO FIVE.
AND THEN IF WE FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE WE ARE STILL EXPERIENCING A GROWTH AND GOTTEN TO A PLACE WHERE WE ARE UNCOMFORTABLE,
[00:20:01]
I DON'T THINK 10 ACRES TO FIVE ACRES IS GONNA CHANGE THE RURAL CHARACTER OF SURREY COUNTY.I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA DO THAT, BUT IT WILL GIVE, UH, INDIVIDUALS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE LAND AND PUT A HOUSE ON MORE SO THAN 10 ACRES.
THAT'S, THAT'S JUST MY, UH, HUMBLE OPINION OF IT.
I THINK WE SHOULD STILL BE SEEKING GROWTH.
AND I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU EXPLAINED IT VERY WELL, WELL WHY THE PLANNING COMMISSION DECIDED TO DO THIS, BUT, UH, DO WE NEED TO MAKE IT THIS RESTRICTIVE AT THIS TIME? THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S MY POINT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THE COMMISSION, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR RESPONSIBLE GROWTH VERSUS JUST GROWTH IN GENERAL.
AND, AND THE RESPONSIBLE GROWTH WOULD BE TO CONTROL WHERE THAT'S DONE.
IF YOU WANT TO DO FIVE ACRE SUBDIVISIONS, YOU COULD STILL DO THAT, ALBEIT IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOU, YOU AS A BOARD HAVE THAT SAY SO OF, YOU KNOW, HOW IT'S CONTROLLED.
AND IF, IF, UH, I CAN BE HONEST WITH SOME OF THE SITUATIONS THAT WE'VE DEALT WITH MS. PERKINS AND I, WE BOTH RECEIVED CALLS BEFORE IN THE PAST FROM PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS ZONED AGRICULTURAL ROLE.
THE, THE DEED RESTRICTION SAYS WE CAN'T HAVE ANYTHING LESS THAN SIX ACRES.
WELL, GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? SOMEBODY OFF THE CUFF DECIDED THEY WANTED TO CUT OFF AN ACRE OR TWO OR ACRE AND A HALF OFF THE LAND.
THE NEIGHBOR NEXT DOOR CALLED US AND ASKED WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT.
WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THE RESTRICTIONS.
WE ONLY ENFORCE CONDITIONS OF ZONING.
SO IF THAT PARTICULAR CASE HAPPENED AND SOMEONE CAME FOR A SUBDIVISION FOR A NEIGHBOR THAT CAME TO OUR OFFICE AND WE SAID, "WELL, THE COUNTY APPROVED THIS REZONING CASE THAT SAYS NO LOT SIZE HERE IS ONLY FIVE ACRES.
WE CAN'T CUT ANY, ANYTHING SMALL OF THAT.
WE'RE CONTROLLING IT IN OUR OFFICE.
IT NEVER SEES, THE NEIGHBOR NEVER KNOWS ABOUT ANY OF THAT.
WE'RE CONTROLLING IT ADMINISTRATIVELY.
YOU NEVER HAVE TO HEAR ABOUT IT WHILE THIS PERSON'S DOING THAT OR WHY SOMEBODY PUTS A DEVELOPMENT NEXT DOOR THAT THEY DIDN'T, THEY DINPROVE IT.
WE APPROVED IT AT THE BOARD LEVEL WITH BOARD, BOARD CONDITIONS FOR CONDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE PIECE WHERE I, I KIND OF WANT TO KIND OF ECHO TOO WHEN YOU'RE ABLE TO ESTABLISH A NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGH REZONING.
WE HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER IT THAN JUST DEED RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE PUT IN PLACE THAT THE PERSON WHO HAS TO ENFORCE THAT IS NOT THE COUNTY, IT'S A PRIVATE ENTITY OF ITSELF THAT SOMETIMES THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING TO, TO GO OUT AND, AND DO A CIVIL TYPE OF SITUATION AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I, I, I KIND OF ECHO, ECHO OR KEEP, KEEP VERIFYING THAT, THAT INFORMATION.
SO JUST, IT'S MORE PROTECTION FOR PEOPLE WHO INITIALLY LIVE THERE.
YOU SAID YOU KNOW WITH THIS RIGHT HERE THAT THERE WILL BE A NEED FOR IN BETWEEN.
WHAT WOULD THE IN BETWEEN LOOK LIKE? 'CAUSE THE IN BETWEEN COULD, COULD SWAY ME AND, AND HOW I'M FEELING ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M STILL STUCK ON THAT 10 ACRES.
THAT A WHOLE LOT OF LAND TO PURCHASE IS TO PUT A HOUSE UP.
THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD SO FAR WOULD BE MINIMUM LOT SIZE WOULD BE TWO ACRES.
MINIMUM LOT SIZE WOULD BE TWO ACRES, UM, FOR THAT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE CODE ACTUALLY REQUIRES IF YOU'RE DOING WELL AND SEPTIC, YOU HAVE TO HAVE TWO ACRES ANYWAY.
SO IF THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE FOR THIS MOVE TO THE DISTRICT, IT WOULD BE IN BETWEEN, UM, CONCEPTUALLY TWO ACRES.
AND AGAIN, I, I ALMOST FEEL ASHOVIET ABSOLUTELY GO BACK AND.
SO THAT, IF, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED TO SAY, WE, WE CAN DO THAT.
MR. SUPER, UH, ADVISOR ELLIOT, FINISHED WITH YOUR COMMENTS? YOU GO AHEAD.
UH, I, I DIDN'T WANT AN OPEN FLOW FOR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.
YEAH, WE CAN COME BACK IF WE GOT SOME MORE, BUT, UH, MR. STEWART, MR. DREW, MR. UH, HARDY, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR MR. WADE? MR. STEWART.
JUST, YOU KNOW, AMONGST US BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, UM, OF COURSE, LIVED HERE ALL MY LIFE AND, AND STUDIED, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY OF THINGS AND I'M JUST NOT SEEING THE NEED FOR IT MYSELF.
AND WITH, WITH PRO- PROJECTIONS FROM LIKE THE WELDON COOPER CENTER ON OUR POPULATION IS SUPPOSED TO BE GOING DOWN.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, LATEST CENSUS DATA, WE'RE UP ABOUT 50 PEOPLE IN, FROM, IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
UM, IF IT, AND IT HAS BEEN A DISCUSSION I'VE HAD INDIVIDUALLY WITH DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THE BOARD THAT WE DO WANT TO ENCOURAGE SOME GROWTH TO KEEP, TO TRY TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM A CONSTANT DECLINE.
UM, I PROBABLY SAID THIS IN PUBLIC MEETINGS BEFORE, BUT THE SURGE POPULATION WAS A COUPLE HUNDRED PEOPLE LESS BACK IN 1790.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T CHANGED A LOT.
WE'VE HAD A LITTLE PEAK IN THERE ONE TIME, WENT UP TO ABOUT NINE, 9,300 PEOPLE, I BELIEVE IT WAS, BUT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT DROPPED RIGHT BACK OFF REAL QUICK WHEN ALL THE SAWMILLS LEFT DENVER.
[00:25:01]
NOT SEEING IT RIGHT NOW AND I'M SEEING IT AS KIND OF BEING A LITTLE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO WHAT I THINK ALL OF US WANT TO ENCOURAGE SOME GROWTH.AND THEN WE ALSO, I DON'T, I, I THINK IT'S A BIT RESTRICTIVE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SELL LAND AND, OR NEED TO SELL LAND OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S THEIR LAND.
UM, SO MY OPINION RIGHT NOW WOULD BE THAT WE NOT DO ANYTHING RIGHT NOW.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE...
I JUST FEEL LIKE IT WOULD KIND OF LIKE, UM, JUST TIE UP BOTH PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN AFFORD AND PEOPLE WHO ARE WANTING OR NEEDING TO SELL THEIR LAND AT A TIME WHEN THERE'S NOT A, UM, REAL, REAL NEED.
I MEAN, I CAN SEE IT IF WE WERE GETTING REALLY ENCROACHED IN FROM ISLE OF WHITE, BUT WE'RE NOT.
I MEAN, THEIR END OF, UH, THE SURREY END OF ISLA WHITE'S NOT GROWING.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE PRINCE GEORGE, THE SURREY END OF PRINCE GEORGE IS NOT IN THAT, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEY HAVE RESTRICTIONS OR ZONING THAT KEEPS THAT FROM HAPPENING, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, I JUST, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE NECESSARILY AT A TIME WHEN WE NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE.
NOW, IF THE REST OF THE BOARD WANTS TO COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, A COMPROMISE INSTEAD OF NOTHING, I, YOU KNOW, ENTERTAIN THAT.
AN- ANYONE ELSE? MR. CHAIRMAN? YES, MS. PERKINS.
IF I MAY, JUST, JUST FOR A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, AND I BELIEVE I MENTIONED THIS AT YOUR SEPTEMBER MEETING, BUT IT'S WORTH REPEATING.
SO, UM, AT SEP - AT THE SEPTEMBER 3RD MEETING, YOU ALL HAD A PUBLIC HEARING, YOU OPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING, CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, SO THAT IS WHY WE NO LONGER HAVE TO, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, BUT IN TERMS OF SHIFTING FROM 10 ACRES DOWN TO FIVE ACRES OR ANYTHING BELOW 10 ACRES, YOU ARE ABLE TO DO THAT WITHOUT HAVING TO RE-ADVERTISE AND HAVE A NEW PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE THAT IS CONSIDERED LESS RESTRICTIVE THAN WHAT WAS ADVERTISED.
SO IF, IF, IF IT IS THE DECISION OF THE BOARD TO, UM, REDUCE THAT NUMBER FROM 10 ACRES, YOU ARE ABLE TO DO THAT TONIGHT AGAIN WITHOUT RE-ADVERTISING.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, MS. PERKINS.
ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? ALL RIGHT.
WELL, LOOK, UM, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SITTING ON THE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION.
I SAT THERE, WE SAID MR. WADE, SINCE JULY 2025, UH, LISTENING TO, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, DEBATE AND DISCUSS THE PROS AND CONS OF WHAT'S CURRENTLY GOING ON IN SERRA COUNTY RIGHT NOW.
UH, I'VE HEARD THIS EVENING, UH, FROM BOARD MEMBERS DISCUSSION ABOUT GROWTH.
UM, THAT IS CORRECT, YOU KNOW, GROWTH IS, IS, IS WHAT, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR, BUT ME PERSONALLY, I THINK STRATEGIC GROWTH IS VERY IMPORTANT AS WELL.
UM, RIGHT NOW, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, FROM LISTENING TO, UH, THE, UH, PRESENTATION THAT WAS BACK IN SEPTEMBER AND LISTENED TO SOME OF THE REMARKS THAT MR. WADE HAS MADE THIS EVENING, THAT RIGHT NOW AND CURRENTLY, IF A, IF A DEVELOPER WERE TO COME INTO SERIE AND PURCHASE A LARGE ACREAGE OF LAND, HE OR SHE COULD, UH, USE 50 ACRES, FOR EXAMPLE, PUT, UM, THE WAY THE ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN, PUT UP, UH, 25 HOMES IN THAT AREA, UH, IF IT'S CONSIDERED AR BEING, UH, TWO EIGHT, TWO ACRE LOT MINIMUM.
AM I CORRECT, MR. WADE? I DON'T WANNA BE A MISINFORMATION.
WITHIN REASON, RIGHT? SO AGAIN, THAT'S 25 HOMES, 25 SEPTIC TANKS, 25 WELLS, RIGHT? AND IF THAT TREND CONTINUES, ME PERSONALLY, I THINK THAT WILL CAUSE ANOTHER ISSUE DOWN THE ROAD AS FAR AS ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, UM, ISSUES THAT WE MAY HAVE, YOU KNOW? UM, I THINK THAT ALSO TOO, UH, LISTENING TO, UH, SOME OF THE COMMENTS TONIGHT, UM, I THINK THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THEIR IDEA WAS TO PUT SOME SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE.
RIGHT NOW, UH, A DEVELOPER, UH, BECAUSE OF WHAT THE STATE LEGISLATIVE, UM, VOTED ON LAST YEAR AS FAR AS, UM, NOT ALLOWING DEVELOPERS TO HAVE TO COME THROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION TO BE APPROVED, THAT GIVES, UH, THE, UM, THE, UH, THE PERSON THAT WE APPOINT THE, THE OPPORTUNITY OR THE, THE, UH, PRIVILEGE TO, UH, APPROVE OR DENY.
BUT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, A LOT OF THESE, UH, SUBDIVISIONS OR THESE DEVELOPERS ARE ABLE TO DEVELOP ON BY RIGHT, MEANING THAT WHAT'S EVER, WHAT'S IN CODE RIGHT NOW, THEY ARE ENTITLED TO THAT.
SO AGAIN, IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING, I JUST FEEL LIKE WE MAY CAUSE US HAVE AN ISSUE DOWN THE ROAD.
MR. SEWARD, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING, BIG HISTORY BUFF, YOU SAID THAT, UH, THE TREND HASN'T REALLY MOVED THAT FAR, UH, SINCE THE 1700S, IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID, AS FAR AS POPULATION? WELL, THIS, IN 1790, IT WAS 6227 AND RIGHT NOW, WELL,
[00:30:01]
THE 2020 CENSUS WAS 6,561.AND WE'RE, IT'S ESTIMATED, I THINK ABOUT FIVE, FIVE, AROUND 58 MORE PEOPLE THAN IT WAS IN 2020.
UH, SO I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT A...
OUR TREND IS WE'RE GOING TO STAY THE SAME.
AND, AND I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO, RIGHT, BRING MORE, UH, ROOFTOPS.
BUT I, MY CONCERN WITH THAT, I GUESS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, THE CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT THE GROWTH, WE WANT, WANT THIS, BUT ARE WE PREPARED FOR IT THE WAY THINGS ARE WRITTEN NOW? SO AGAIN, I'M JUST, THAT'S JUST MY, MY FEEDBACK ON IT.
I, ME PERSONALLY, I THINK, UH, AND THIS, AGAIN, I, I CALLED SOME CONSTITUENTS, ASKED THEM ABOUT IT, SOME FIFTY FIFTY, BUT ONE CONSTITUENT, UM, BROUGHT SOMETHING TO MY ATTENTION.
SHE SAID, UH, MR. PIERCE, UH, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CALLING, DEVELOPERS HAVE BEEN CALLING THEM, UH, IN A, IN A SENSE HARASSING THEM AS FAR AS SELLING THEIR LAND.
AND, UH, THEY HAVE NO INTEREST IN SELLING IT, BUT, UH, WHAT BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, I DIDN'T WANT THAT TO CONTINUE BEING A TREND IN SERIES AS FAR AS, UM, DIFFERENT CONS - UH, CONSTITUENTS BEING HARASSED BY DEVELOPERS OR PRESSURING THEM TO SELL THEIR LAND.
WE ARE A RURAL FARMING COMMUNITY, UH, THAT PUTS A LOT OF THE RURAL FARMING, UM, ASPECTS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, UM, IN JEOPARDY AS WELL, UM, FROM FAR AS LAND VALUE.
IT WOULD BE HARD FOR A FARMER TO, UH, FARM, UM, LAND THAT'S CUT UP IN FIVE ACRE, 10 ACRE LOTS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I'M JUST TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, GET MY, MY FEEDBACK ON DISCUSSION.
AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION FROM THAT, I'M STILL OPEN FOR IT.
MS. OH, MS. SUMMERS, YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING? OKAY.
UM, IT WAS NICE TO HEAR, UM, THE TALK ABOUT NEW HOUSING.
UM, AND I ALSO BELIEVE THAT, UM, WELL, I REALLY HOPE THAT WE CAN ALWAYS PRIORITIZE SARI'S, UM, RURAL ASPECT.
UM, KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE DO IT TOO, UM, SO THAT WE CAN KEEP OUR RESOURCES, UM, LIKE THE FRESH FRUIT AND WATER THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, KEEP THAT JUST, UM, THE ROOT OF EVERYTHING.
BUT YES, IT'S NICE TO HEAR ABOUT NEW HOUSING.
UM, IT'S A GREAT INVESTMENT AGAIN, AND NICE TO HEAR ABOUT IT.
CHAIR, SO JUST LISTENING TO THIS HEALTHY DIALOGUE, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WE JUST REALLY NEED, I, I PERSONALLY BELIEVE WE SHOULD REALLY JUST MAKE A, A COMPROMISE OF FIVE ACRES BECAUSE WE, WE WANT TO MAINTAIN OUR RURAL CHARACTER, BUT WE ALSO DON'T WANT TO DETER DEVELOPERS FROM COMING WITHIN THAT COUNTY.
UM, AND THE FIVE ACRES IS A GREAT START.
IT'S, IT'S BETTER THAN NOTHING, BETTER THAN ONE ACRE.
UM, AND WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND CHANGE THE 10 ACRES IF NEED BE.
SO I PERSONALLY THINK, AND IF THERE'S NO FUR- FURTHER DISCUSSION, I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND ORDINANCE 2026-02, UM, TO FIVE ACRES RATHER THAN 10 ACRES.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY MR. DREW THAT WE, WHAT'S YOUR MOTION? I'M SORRY, MR. DREW.
WE AMEND ORDINANCE 2026-02, UM, FROM FIVE ACRES TO 10 AC - SORRY, FROM 10 ACRES TO FIVE ACRES.
UM, THERE'S A MOTION TO FLOOR TO AMEND THE, UM, MOTION ACRES.
UM, AND MR. ELLIOT SECOND THAT.
UH, MS. PERKINS, IS THAT OKAY TO DO? JUST WANT TO DOUBLE CHECK.
MR. CHAIRMAN, YES, YOU SHOULD DO A MOTION TO AMEND AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO, HAVE A VOTE ON THAT AND THEN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE.
SO A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE IS STILL NEEDED UNLESS YOU WANTED TO COMBINE THE TWO AND SAY, MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE WITH A CHANGE FROM 10 TO FIVE ACRES.
GO AHEAD MS. ONE POINT IN THAT INCLUDING TO FIVE ACRES.
I CAN TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE MINIMUM WE WOULD HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT PIECE THERE, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU IF IT IS A FIVE COULD IT STAY THE SAME? I THINK MEN TONIGHT AND APPROVE LATER.
CAN YOU - IF YOU, IF YOU COULD, IF YOU COULD GIVE ME ONE MOMENT TO LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE PLEASE.
'CAUSE I BELIEVE THOSE SETBACKS ARE CALLED OUT SPECIFICALLY IN THE ORDINANCE.
SO THE, THE SETBACKS ARE CALLED OUT IN SECTION 3-304 UNDER LOT REQUIREMENTS.
SO, UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO KNOW THAT INFORMATION
[00:35:01]
IN ORDER TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE TONIGHT.SO THE, THE, THE SETBACKS THAT MR. WADE IS REFERRING TO ARE, THEY ARE DELINEATED IN THE ORDINANCE.
AND SO IF WE ARE NOT, IF IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE, AND THIS IS A MR. WADE QUESTION, IF IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE TO KEEP THEM HOW THEY ARE FOR ONE ACRE - RIGHT.
BUT IT'S ALSO NOT APPROPRIATE TO PUT THEM AT THE LEVELS FOR 10 ACRES, THEN WE NEED TO COME UP WITH NEW NUMBERS.
WELL, WELL TO SET THE NEW ACREAGE.
IF SHE SAID IT'S NOT ALLOWABLE.
UM, WELL LOOK, LET'S, LET'S DO THIS, UH, BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, HONESTLY, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE ALL WANT THE GROWTH.
BUT M- MR. WADE, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION BEFORE WE GO IN FURTHER, JUST SO FOR MY CLARITY PURPOSES.
UM, THE WAY THINGS ARE WRITTEN RIGHT NOW, IT SAYS 10 ACRES, BUT I UNDERSTAND IF THERE WAS A CHANGE TO FIVE ACRES, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE SETBACKS AND ET CETERA, ET CETERA, RIGHT? HOWEVER, H- HOWEVER, UH, MY QUESTION TO YOU IS THAT, UM, UH, COULD WE GIVE DIRECTION, I GUESS, FOR, FOR YOU AND PLANNING TO, I GUESS, COME UP WITH A FIVE ACRE ORDINANCE, UM, TO, I GUESS, NOT TO CONFUSE THINGS.
SO IN A SENSE, THE, IF THE, FROM THE WAY I LOOK AT IT, IF WE, IF WE COULD HAVE MORE THAN ONE ORDINANCE, LISTEN TO SOME OF THE, THE COMMENTS TONIGHT.
IF WE HAVE MORE THAN ONE ORDINANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE WERE TO APPROVE THIS ORDINANCE, THIS JUST SAYS THAT THIS IS AR 10 ACRE ORDINANCE.
IF WE GOT DIRECTION FOR MR. WADE AND HIS TEAM TO COME UP WITH AN ORDINANCE FOR FIVE ACRES, THEN WE CAN COME UP AND APPROVE THAT.
AND THAT IS STILL SATISFYING ALL.
WE PUTTING SOME TYPE OF GUARDRAILS RIGHT NOW CURRENTLY TO, UH, UH, HELP THE, UH, RESTRAINTS OF THE GROWTH, BUT ALSO TO GIVE, GIVE PLANNING COMMISSION TIME TO COME UP WITH THE FIVE ACRE ORDINANCE, AND THAT WAY WE HAVE, UM, TWO DIFFERENT ORDINANCE.
I HOPE I, THAT'S NOT, NOT THE, NOT - WELL, WELL, IF, IF WE, IF WE APPROVE - UH-HUH.
THE MOTION, CAN, UH, MR. WADE AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO REA - ADDRESS THE ACREAGE AND, AND THE SETBACK FOR A DECISION FOR THE BOARD IN DECEMBER? MR. MR. CHAIRMAN, IF, IF, IF I MAY.
I THINK THE CLEANEST WAY TO HANDLE THIS WOULD BE FOR THE BOARD TO PROVIDE THE DIRECTION YOU'VE PROVIDED TO MR. WADE.
HOLD OFF ON TAKING ANY SORT OF VOTE ON THE MOTION SUPERVISOR DREW MADE AND TABLE THE MATTER UNTIL YOUR DECEMBER MEETING.
AND AT THE DECEMBER MEETING, WE WILL HAVE THOSE NUMBERS, THOSE SETBACK NUMBERS FOR YOU ASSOCIATED WITH FIVE ACRE LOTS.
SO - OH, I'M SOR, NO, YOU'RE FINE.
JUST TO CLARIFY, THE STATEMENT I MADE EARLIER ABOUT NOT HAVING TO RE-ADVERTISE THE PUBLIC HEARING IF YOU WENT FROM 10 TO FIVE, IT WOULD BE THE SAME, THE SAME LOGIC FOR THE SETBACKS IF THOSE SETBACKS ARE GOING TO BE LOWER, LESS RESTRICTIVE.
SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD TABLE UNTIL DECEMBER.
WE COULD MAKE THOSE, THOSE MODIFICATIONS, PRESENT THOSE MODIFICATIONS TO THE BOARD, AND YOU COULD VOTE WITHOUT, AGAIN, HAVING TO RE-ADVERTISE AND HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING, UNLESS YOU ALL WANTED TO RE-ADVERTISE AND HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING.
I THINK, I THINK, UH, NO, I THINK THAT'S IT.
UH, MR. DREW, DO YOU MIND, UH, WITHDRAWING YOUR MOTION, PLEASE? CHAIR, I WITHDRAW MY MOTION.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE WILL TABLE, UH, THE REQUEST FOR THE O- ORDINANCE AMENDMENT, UH, UPON GUIDANCE OF DIRECTION THAT WE'VE GIVEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO BRING BACK THE ORDINANCE ON OUR DECEMBER MEETING.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON SAID MOTION? HEARING NONE, WE NOW VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR SAY MOTION SIGNIFY YOUR VOTE BY SAYING AYE.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE OUR FAMILY DIVISION ORDINANCE.
UM, MR. WADE, COULD WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS MOTION TONIGHT OR DO WE - I THINK WE CAN.
WELL, BOARD MEMBERS, UH, IF YOU CAN RECALL ON OUR LAST, UH, SEPTEMBER MEETING, WE TABLED THIS MOTION AS WELL.
UH, THIS MOTION IS PERTAINING TO OUR FAMILY L - FAMILY LOT ACREAGE, UH, FOR SUBDIVISIONS.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PERTAINING
[00:40:01]
TO THIS, I'LL NOW, UH, OPEN THE FLOOR UP TO MR. WADE FOR ANY QUESTIONS FROM, FROM BOARD MEMBERS.HEARING NONE SEEING NONE, I ASK IF, UM, THERE IS ANY REMARKS OR ANY DISCUSSION FROM MR. WADE.
ONE, ONE OF THOSE THINGS ABOUT THAT IS GIVING A DATE I THINK INITIALLY HAD IN THERE.
I THINK IT WAS OCTOBER THE 1ST WAS THE DATE THAT THIS WOULD GO LIVE.
I THINK MS. PERKINS AND I, WE DISCUSSED, UM, POSSIBLY HAVING THAT BEING JANUARY 1ST AS THE DATE THAT THAT WOULD GO.
IS THAT, IS THAT RIGHT MS. PERKINS? MR. CHAIRMAN? YES.
SO ORIGINALLY WE HAD, UH, PLACED IN THE ORDINANCE THAT, UM, IF THE, IF THE PROPERTY HAD BEEN PURCHASED PRIOR TO OCTOBER 1ST OF 2026, THESE NEW CHANGES WOULD NOT IMPACT YOUR PROPERTY.
SO, UM, GIVEN THAT THE ORDINANCE DID NOT GO FORWARD IN SEPTEMBER, UM, AND IT'S GOING FORWARD TODAY, OUR, OUR PROPOSAL WOULD BE THAT WE CHANGE THAT DATE TO JANUARY 1ST OF 2027.
MAKES IT NICE AND EASY STARTING THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
SO ANY PROPERTY WHERE THE, UM, AND NOW I'M, I'M BLANKING ON THE WORD, BUT WHERE THE, THE PURCHASE, UH, OCCURRED OR THE, THE CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP OCCURRED PRIOR TO JANUARY 1ST, 2027, UH, W - THE OLD STANDARDS WOULD APPLY AND, UM, WHEN IT, WHEN IT COMES TO THE, THE PARTICULAR AREA, AND IF YOU CAN HELP ME, MR. WADE, BECAUSE THAT, THAT ONLY APPLIED TO ONE PARTICULAR AREA.
THIS WAS THE FAMILY DIVISION PORTION OF IT.
IT'S, UH, THE, THE RESIDUAL PARENT PARCEL MUST CONTAIN NO LESS THAN FIVE ACRES, EXCEPT FOR A PARENT PARCEL WITH A LAST TRANSFER DATE, THAT'S THE WORD I COULDN'T REMEMBER, A LAST TRANSFER DATE PRIOR TO NOW IT WOULD READ JANUARY 1ST, 2027.
UH, FOR THAT, THE MINIMUM SHALL BE ONE ACRE.
SO, WHICH IS WHAT, WHAT IT CURRENTLY IS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, MS. PERKINS.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, IS THERE, WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? MR. CHAIR? YES, SUPERVISOR ELLIOT.
I MOVE THAT WE WOULD APPROVE ORDINANCE 202603, UH, WITH THE CHANGE OF DATE FROM OCTOBER 1ST, 26 TO JANUARY 1ST, 2027.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR ELLIOT, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR SEWARD, THAT WE APPROVE ORDINANCE 2026-03 WITH THE CHANGE OF THE DATE FROM OCTOBER 1ST, 2026 TO JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON SAID MOTION? HEARING NONE SEEING NONE, WE'LL NOW VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR SAY A MOTION TO SIGNIFY YOUR VOTE BY SAYING AYE.
[Presentations]
ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE OUR PRESENTATIONS.THIS EVENING, WE HAVE THREE PRESENTATIONS, ONE BEING THE EMPLOYEE ACHIEVEMENT AND CERTIFICATIONS, TWO BEING A PRESENTATION FROM, UH, ELIZABETH COOPER, OUR AGE, OUR AG AND NATURAL RESOURCE EXTENSION AGENT.
AND LASTLY, NUMBER THREE, A PRESENTATION FROM, UH, CHIP POLK STATE PARK REPS.
I WILL NOW TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO MS. M- MR. HARRISON.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I'M, I'M VERY SORRY, BUT I JUST WANNA, JUST OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY SOMETHING.
I BELIEVE, UH, IN THE LAST MOTION, UH, DR.
ELLIOT'S MOTION WAS TO CHANGE THE DATE FROM OCTOBER 1ST, 2026 TO JANUARY 1ST, 2027.
I BELIEVE WHEN YOU REPEATED THE MOTION - SEVEN, YES.
YOU INDICATED THAT IT WAS JANUARY 1ST OF 2026.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION POINT AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE DATE AS JANUARY 1ST, 2027.
MS. PERKINS, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
SO YES, IT IS JANUARY 1ST, 2027.
MS. UH, STAFF, TURN OVER TO STAFF.
AT THIS TIME, I WILL ASK DEPUTY, UH, ADMINISTRATOR BROWN TO PRESENT, UM, EMPLOYEE ACHIEVEMENTS AND CERTIFICATIONS.
GOOD EVENING, BOARD CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, THIS EVENING, WE HAVE TWO, UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE, UM, ATTAINED, UH, RECENT CERTIFICATIONS, UM, IN THEIR PARTICULAR, UM, AREAS.
ONE, UM, FIRST WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE MRS. UH, MRS. ANNE FINNEY.
[00:45:01]
IS OUR OPERATIONS SUPPORT TECHNICIAN HERE IN THE COUNTY, AND SHE SUCCESSFULLY OBTAINED A ACCREDITATION AS A VIRGINIA CONTRACT - UH, CONTRACTING OFFICER BY THE VIRGINIA INSTITUTE OF PROCUREMENT.SO MS. UM, FINNEY BRINGS US A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND SHE'S CONTINUING HER EXCELLENCE HERE AT THE ORGANIZATION.
JUST WANT TO WISH HER, UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT.
NEXT WE'LL HAVE MR. UH, LORENZO TURNER, WHO IS, UH, FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING, UH, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
HE IS, UH, SUCCESSFULLY EARNED THE TITLE OF CERTIFIED ZONING OFFICIAL ISSUED BY THE VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF ZONING OFFICIALS.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS ANOTHER EMPLOYEE THAT, UH, DEFINITELY IS, UM, GREAT VALUE TO THE ORGANIZATION AND IS CONTINUING HIS, UH, EFFORTS HERE AT THE ORGANIZATION.
SO WANNA OFFER HIM A, A CONGRATULATIONS ALSO FOR THAT.
I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU, CHAIRMAN.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, DEPUTY BROWN, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE OUR PRESENTATION FROM ELIZABETH COOPER.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. HARRISON.
IS MS. COOPER HERE THIS WEEK? NO, SHE'S NOT HERE.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE'LL SKIP, UH, WE'LL SKIP ON, GOING DOWN TO CHIPOKS.
I'LL NOW ASK IF MR. TREVOR JOHNSON COULD PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM.
HELLO TO THE SURREY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, UH, TO THE GUESTS ATTENDING TODAY AND ANYONE WHO'S WATCHING ONLINE.
UM, I AM HERE, UM, ON BEHALF, UH, AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF TROOK STATE PARK, AS THE PARK MANAGER OF TROK STATE PARK.
UM, AFTER CONVERSATIONS, UH, WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, UM, THAT HAPPENED A FEW WEEKS AGO, UH, I, WELL, BOTH OF US DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD, UH, STEP TO, UH, WELL, ONE, IT, TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU ALL AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, UH, ON A SEMI-FREQUENT BASIS AT THE PARK TO KNOW JUST HOW IT IMPACTS SURREY COUNTY, UH, HOW IT IMPACTS ITS CITIZENS, UH, AND THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY.
UH, SO, UH, THIS FIRST, UH, UH, THIS FIRST MEETING THAT, UM, I'M ATTENDING HERE, UH, FOR THIS PURPOSE IS GOING TO BE MORE OF A, UH, I DON'T WANNA SAY ADVERTISEMENT IN A WAY, BUT JUST AS A REFRESHER TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, UM, AND ANY CITIZENS WHO MAYBE ALSO ARE NEW TO THE COUNTY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, WE HAVE HAD SOME NEWS SINCE THE LAST, UH, CENSUS, UH, WHO MAY NOT BE AS FAMILIAR WITH WHAT OUR, UH, IS ON OUR PROPERTY AND NOT AS FAMILIAR AS THE PROCESSES THAT GO ON WITH, UH, OUR STATE PARK IN TERMS OF IT BEING A, UH, A PART OF THE, THE GOVERNMENT, THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, UM, AND HOW THAT INTERACTS WITH, UH, COUNTY POLITICS, HOW IT INTERACTS WITH, UM, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
SO THIS FIRST ONE IS MORE OF A, UH, A WAY TO RE-FAMILIARIZE PEOPLE WITH HOW WE WORK AS A ENTITY AND HOW CITIZENS CAN INTERACT WITH US.
UH, GOING FORWARD, HOPEFULLY, UH, STARTING IN 2027, UH, WE DISCUSSED, UH, US ATTENDING, UH, ON A QUARTERLY BASIS, UH, SO EVERY THREE MONTHS COMING BACK B- BACK BEFORE THE, UH, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO TALK TO THEM MORE ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WELL, WHILE THIS ONE'S GONNA COVER BROAD STROKES, WE'LL BE ABLE TO, ON A QUARTERLY BASIS GOING FORWARD, TALK ABOUT THINGS MORE IN DETAIL, UH, AND HOW THEY IMPACT THE COUNTY.
UH, SO, UH, I'M HERE TODAY, UH, IN REGARDS TO THAT.
I ALSO HAVE OUR ASSISTANT MANAGER, NATHAN CONRAD, IS IN ATTENDANCE.
UH, BOTH OF US, UH, OPERATE THE PARK, UM, UH, AS, UH, EQUALS, ESSENTIALLY.
UH, SO, UH, A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT IS ON HERE PERTAINS TO BOTH OF US.
UH, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE A, UM, A REP - BOTH BE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PARK IN THE SENSE THAT CITIZENS CAN INTERACT WITH US ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THE CO - AND THE, UH, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CAN AS WELL.
SO, UH, DO I OPERATE THIS MYSELF OR JUST SAY NEXT SLIDE? YEAH.
UH, SO JUST TO REFAMILIARIZE PEOPLE, UM, I TRIED TO MAKE THIS, UH, PRESENTATION AS, UH, COLORFUL AS POSSIBLE, UH, TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE, UH, UH, INTERESTING ON THE EYES.
UH, BUT TO REMIND, UH, THE COUNTY ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE AT THE PARK ITSELF, UH, WE HAVE A CAMPGROUND THAT HAS 50 RV SITES, 10 SITES, UH, A GROUP SITE THAT GROUPS LIKE BOY SCOUTS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, SMALL VOLUNTEER GROUPS WILL LIKE TO RENT THOSE YURTS, UH, AND BATH HOUSES THAT GO IN THAT CAMPGROUND.
WE GOT LOTS OF, OR WE HAVE A MILE OF SHORELINE OF ACCESS TO THE JAMES RIVERVIEW, THE BAY, UH, THAT IS UTILIZED FOR, FOR SWIMMING BY OUR GUESTS.
WE HAVE HISTORIC CABINS, HISTORIC LODGE, ALL AVAILABLE BY RESERVATION, AN OUTDOOR MUSEUM THAT DISPLAYS ANTIQUE FARM EQUIPMENT, UH, FOR INTERPRETIVE PURPOSES, EDUCATIONAL
[00:50:01]
PURPOSES, UH, HOMES AND, OR SEVERAL HOMES AND MANSIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR TOURS FOR GUESTS.UH, FOUR MILES OF HIKING TRAIL CURRENTLY, EXPANDING THAT, UH, WE'LL GO ON A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT LATER.
ALSO EIGHT MILES OF EQUESTRIAN TRAILS FOR, UH, PEOPLE WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE BRINGING IN THEIR HORSES TO WALK THEIR TRAILS.
UH, WE HAVE RANGER-LED PROGRAMS THAT FOCUS ON THE HISTORY, BOTH NATURAL AND, UH, CONTEMPORARY HISTORY OF THE PARK, UH, THINGS THAT RELATE TO THE SCIENCES, OF COURSE, UH, OUTDOOR SHELTERS, CONFERENCE SHELTERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UTILIZED BY, UH, EITHER GROUPS FOR PURPOSES OF, SAY, WEDDINGS, UH, UH, FAMILY REUNIONS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE SOME LOCAL, UH, COUNTY ORGANIZATIONS THAT UTILIZE THOSE, UH, ON A REGULAR BASIS FOR, UH, AS A MEETING, UH, FACILITY, AND WE HAVE RIVER AND CREEK ACCESS FOR CANOES AND KAYAKS.
SO I MENTION ALL THIS JUST SO THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ANYONE WHO IS WATCHING THIS AT HOME, UM, AND THE BOARD SURVIVORS CAN SEE THAT WE DO HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, UH, THAT DOES HELP, UH, AID THE COUNTY IN A NUMBER OF, OF WAYS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, GREAT ACCESS FOR, UH, EXERCISE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, FITNESS, SO IT, IT'S A GOOD, UH, GOOD HEALTH TO THE COUNTY TO, TO HAVE OUR PARK OUT THERE AND TO HAVE A PARK THAT CAN BE EASILY ACCESSED, UH, BY PEOPLE WITHIN THE COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES AS WELL.
UH, AND A LOT OF THIS WILL BRING IN REVENUE, UH, TO THE COUNTY, UH, IN A, YOU KNOW, IN A, IN A TANGENTIAL WAY, WHICH WE'LL GO INTO ON, ON FURTHER SLIDES.
UH, BUT THE AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE HERE AS A STATE PARK IS ACTUALLY A LOT MORE THAN MOST PARKS.
UH, WE HAVE 43 PARKS CURRENTLY IN OUR, UH, AGENCY.
UH, WE ARE ONE OF THE BIGGER PARKS.
I THINK WE'RE AT THE 13TH OR 14TH BIGGEST PARK, UH, IN THE, UH, ENTIRE, UH, STATE PARK SYSTEM, UH, AND WE HAVE A LOT MORE RESOURCES EVEN MORE THAN OUR BIGGER PARKS.
SO THERE IS A LOT THAT BRINGS PEOPLE FROM SURROUNDING COUNTIES OUT HERE, HELP SPEND THEIR MONEY IN THE COUNTY.
UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT WE DO AS PARK RANGERS.
UM, I THINK THERE, OF COURSE, IS ALWAYS A MYTHOS ON WHAT PARK RANGERS DO, UH, AND THAT'S KIND OF THAT WE DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.
UH, SO, UH, ONE THING THAT, UH, YOU CAN ACTUALLY, A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION IS TAKEN FROM OUR, UM, OUR WEBSITE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION, UH, AND IT'S THE FACT THAT, UH, E- ESSENTIALLY PARKS ARE LIKE SMALL CITIES, SMALL TOWNS.
UH, WE DO HAVE A STAFF THAT FLUCTUATES, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE FULLY STAFFED, WE HAVE 24 EMPLOYEES, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABOUT HALF STAFF, UH, BUT WE STILL OPERATE ON THAT SAME BASIS OF KIND OF OPERATING AS OUR OWN SMALL CITY.
WE GET ON AVERAGE 300 PEOPLE A DAY, 3,000 PEOPLE A MONTH, AND 100,000 PEOPLE A YEAR.
AND A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE, THE MAJORITY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE NEW VISITORS WHO ARE COMING IN, UH, EITHER, UH, MORE THAN 50 MILES AWAY, UH, THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, AND A LOT OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS WHO ARE COMING INTO SURVEY COUNTY FOR THE PURPOSES OF VISITING OUR PARK.
UH, AND HOPEFULLY, UH, WELL, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT SOME OF THAT REFLECTS BACK INTO THE COUNTY ON MONEY THAT IS BEING SPENT HERE THROUGH OUR RESTAURANTS, UM, AND THROUGH OTHER LOCAL ATTRACTIONS.
UH, JUST TO TALK ABOUT THE MISSION OF THE PARK IN CASE THERE ARE THOSE THAT ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH IT, UH, THIS COMES OFF OF OUR MASTER PLAN, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I CAN GO INTO MORE DETAIL.
I HAVE SLIDES ABOUT IT, UH, LATER.
UH, BUT OUR MISSION IS, UH, OR SORRY, THE PURPOSE OF TROPOKE STATE PARK IS TO RESERVE AND INTERPRET THE NATURAL, CULTURAL, AND HISTORIC LANDSCAPE, WHICH REPRESENTS A GEOLOGICAL AND HUMAN TIMELINE ALONG JAMES RIVER TO CONSERVE THE NATURAL, SCENIC, HISTORIC, AND CULTURAL RESOURCES OF THE COMMONWEALTH AND PROVIDE RECREATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES CONSISTENT WITH THE GOOD STEWARDSHIP OF THESE LANDS, WATERS, AND FACILITIES THAT LEAVES THEM UNPAIRED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE, THERE'S A, UH, KIND OF AN EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETIVE MISSION AS WELL, UH, THAT IS QUOTED AS CARRIED BY TIME, TIED IN AGENCIES.
THE STORIES OF TROKE STATE PARK ARE WRITTEN BY THE GENERATIONS OF HANDS THAT HAVE PLANTED, HARVESTED, FORAGED, INTENDED THESE ANCESTRAL LANDS OF THE KYOKUHANIC PEOPLE.
SO AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE 43 PARKS WITHIN OUR AGENCY.
UH, THIS IS A SPECIAL PARK WITHIN THAT SYSTEM.
WE CAN CATEGORIZE THIS AS AN HISTORICAL PARK EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE RECREATIONAL, UH, UH, OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.
UH, BUT THERE IS A RICH VEIN OF HISTORY, UH, THAT WE STRIVE TO, UH, EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT, UH, WHEN THEY'RE VISITING.
UH, AND IT'S A, UH, YOU KNOW, SUBJECTS THAT WE WANT THE, THE COUNTY TO BE INVOLVED WITH AS WELL, OUR CITIZENS TO KNOW THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT, WHAT WE PROMOTE, UH, THINGS THAT WE ARE TELLING VISITORS ABOUT OUR COUNTY, ABOUT WHAT PARK, COUNTY,
[00:55:01]
STATE, UH, ALL THE THINGS THAT, THAT IMPACT OUR CITIZENS.UH, SO, AND WE'LL GO INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW WE'VE CHANGED THAT IN RECENT YEARS TO REFLECT MORE ON WHAT IS, UH, APPROPRIATE FOR STATE PARK TO, UH, BE EDUCATED ABOUT.
UH, I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE, UM, AS EMPLOYEES.
UH, SO OUR PARK IS, AS I MENTIONED, UH, IT HAS A LOT OF RESOURCES, A LOT OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES.
UH, SO WE, UH, ARE CONSTANTLY, UH, FIGHTING, UH, DIFFERENT ITEMS AND SUBJECTS THAT ARE OF VARYING DEGREES OF, UH, INTENSITY.
UH, SO SOME OF THESE THAT, UH, I LIKE TO POINT OUT, UH, HISTORIC REPAIRS.
WE HAVE MORE THAN 100 BUILDINGS ON OUR PARK.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE HISTORIC STRUCTURES.
UH, AND WITH A STAFF OF, LET'S SAY ON YOUR GIVEN DAY, WE HAVE FIVE PEOPLE, FIVE TO SIX PEOPLE ON STAFF, UH, WHEN MOST OF US ARE TAKING CARE OF VISITORS, UH, OR EDUCATING VISITORS, UH, WE ONLY HAVE A SMALL HANDFUL OF STAFF THAT CAN ACTUALLY MOVE TOWARDS, UH, WORKING ON THOSE ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UH, IT'S THE KIND OF WORK WHERE WE COULD FIX ONE BUILDING AND THEN YOU GO DOWN THE LINE AND BY THE TIME YOU'RE DONE, YOU'RE, YOU JUST START RIGHT BACK AROUND, YOU KNOW, ON THAT ORIGINAL BUILDING.
SO, UH, FOR OUR GUESTS WHO ARE VISITING THE PARK, UH, WHO HAVE NO- NOTICED THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE REPAIRS THAT NEED TO BE MADE TO OUR HISTORIC STRUCTURES, WE MAKE THOSE REPAIRS, AND WHEN WE CAN'T MAKE THEM IN THERE AND DONE, WE TURN TO OUR CONTRACTORS, UM, AND EXTERNAL, UH, UH, EXTERNAL BUSINESSES TO HELP US, UH, TO, TO GET THOSE ITEMS REPAIRED.
UH, SO IT IS A CONSTANT, UH, FLOW OF MAINTENANCE THAT HAPPENS AT OUR PARK.
UH, WE ALSO ARE FACING, UH, CLIFF SIDE EROSION.
THIS KIND OF TIES INTO A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS, UH, RISING SEA LEVELS AND SUCH.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF WEATHER INTENSITY AT OUR PARK IN THE COBB BAY.
A LOT OF THE WATER PUSHES UP AGAINST OUR SHORES AND CAUSES DANGEROUS CLIFF SIDE EROSION.
THAT'S A PROBLEM THAT WE'RE FACING THAT WE AREN'T EVEN REALLY SURE HOW TO COMBAT YET.
WE GOT, YOU KNOW, 30, 40 FOOT TALL CLIFFS THAT ARE CRUMBLING A FEW FEET, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR, UH, DROPPING TREES DOWN INTO PLACES WHERE WE TRY TO KEEP PEOPLE AWAY FOR THEIR SAFETY.
UH, THERE, THERE'S A LOT THAT, UH, WE COMBAT, NOT JUST IN A MAINTENANCE SENSE OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO UPKEEP, BUT ALSO THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO BE AWARE OF, UH, UH, EMERGENCIES, UH, SITUATIONS THAT CAN DEVELOP INTO, UH, THINGS THAT, UH, ARE A DANGER AGAINST GUEST SAFETY.
UH, WE ALSO, UH, DO FACE ECONOMIC BURDEN, MOVING ON SOMETIMES, UH, FACING ECONOMIC BURDEN, UH, JUST LIKE ANYONE RIGHT NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS, UH, ARE COSTING MORE AND MORE.
UH, OUR BUDGET ONLY GOES UP MAYBE A LITTLE BIT EVERY YEAR, AND AS THINGS GET MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE, UH, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO LESS AND LESS.
SO WE DETERMINE THINGS OF THE GREATEST NEED.
WE LOOK AT, AND I, IF WE HAVE TWO ITEMS THAT REALLY NEED ATTENTION, WE SAY, "WELL, WHAT IS THE THING THAT NEEDS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE GREATER ATTENTION FIRST?" WE, WE HAVE TO TRIAGE THOSE KINDS OF SITUATIONS, AND WE WORK AROUND THE YEAR EVERY DAY TO, UH, MAKE THOSE DECISIONS ON WHAT'S THE BEST THING TO FIX RIGHT NOW.
IT MIGHT MEAN WHEN SOMETHING DOESN'T GET FIXED AND GETS PUSHED OFF BECAUSE SOMETHING ELSE ALL OF A SUDDEN COMES OUT AND EMERGES THAT WE HAVE TO FIX RIGHT AWAY.
UH, SO THERE'S, THERE'S MULTIPLE THINGS THAT WE FACE, UM, EVERY DAY THAT, UH, IMPACT HOW WE OPERATE THE PARK, UH, AND, UM, IT'S, UH, IT IS A CHALLENGE.
UH, BEING A PARK RANGER IS, UH, IS NOT AN EASY JOB AS, AS PEOPLE THINK.
UH, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF, UM, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO KEEP A FACILITY, UH, HOW TO KEEP THE PROPERTY FUNCTIONING ON A DAILY LEVEL, AND IT CAN BE DIFFICULT.
UH, WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED A FEW THINGS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, I THINK IN SOME PREVIOUS STOPS THAT I MADE TO, UH, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETINGS, UM, I HAVE BEEN AROUND A LOT IN TERMS OF REPRESENTING THE PARK WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THE PUBLIC, UH, AND THAT'S BECAUSE THERE WAS A LOT TO FIX AT THE PARK WHEN I GOT THERE ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO.
UH, WE HAD TO IMPROVE SOME MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.
UH, THINGS HAD TO, UH, BE REORGANIZED.
UH, OUR STAFFING HAD TO CHANGE IN MULTIPLE WAYS TO BE MORE EFFICIENT, TO SERVE OUR, UH, PUBLIC IN A BETTER CAPACITY.
UH, AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT FELT LIKE A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE 40 HOUR WEEKS ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TIME, IT ALWAYS FELT LIKE A 50 TO 60 HOUR WEEK.
UM, AND SOMETIMES THERE, THERE WERE A FEW EXTRA HOURS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAD TO BE PUT OUT TO, UM, HELP FIX SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT OR, UH, AMEND THE SITUATION, UH, BETWEEN, BETWEEN GUESTS.
SO, UH, IT, UH, IS A DEEPER READ OF MINE THAT I HAVEN'T
[01:00:01]
BEEN ABLE TO BE MORE ACTIVE SOONER, BUT THANKFULLY NOW, UH, THERE ARE, UH, ITEMS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITHIN OUR AGENCIES THAT ARE CHANGING HOW WE MANAGE, AND IT'S MAKING IT A LOT EASIER FOR US TO, TO DO OUR JOB.SLOWLY BUT SURELY, THOSE THINGS ARE IMPROVING, AND IT DOES ALLOW ME TIME NOW TO BE ABLE TO COME OUT ON A SEMI-REGULAR BASIS TO TALK WITH YOU ALL, WHICH IS, IS AWESOME.
UM, AND IT'S A MAIN PART OF WHAT THE POSITION THAT I HOLD ENTAILS, UH, SO I'M VERY GLAD THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THIS GOING FORWARD.
UH, WE, WE WROTE SOME OF OUR EDUCATIONAL GOALS, UH, SO FOR ANY GUESTS WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE PARK, BUT BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE CONSTANTLY, UH, FOCUSING ON WAS THE LIVING FARM, UH, ASPECT TO SHOW THAT, OF COURSE, WE ARE, UH, OUR HISTORY IS OF A FARM THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN FARMED, AND WE WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH THE PUBLIC IN WAYS THAT WERE SOMETIMES A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT FOR US TO, UH, DO IN A GOOD CAPACITY.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE DECISIONS THAT HAD TO BE MADE, UM, A FEW YEARS AGO, UH, WE USED TO HAVE SEVERAL ANIMALS AT THE PARK THAT WE TOOK CARE OF, RIGHT? SOME OF YOU MIGHT REMEMBER IF YOU VISITED OUR PARK MAYBE FIVE, SIX, SEVEN YEARS AGO, WE HAD LOTS OF ANIMALS THAT YOU COULD COME OUT AND YOU COULD SEE, UH, BUT, UH, THAT, WHAT OCCURRED THERE WAS, UH, WE HAD A, AN ORGANIZATION CALLED THE FARM AND FORESTRY FOUNDATION THAT WAS A ORGANIZATION, UH, UH, THAT THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA PLACED IN CHARGE OF OUR HISTORICAL AND EDUCATIONAL, UH, DEPARTMENT, UH, ALMOST SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE PARK.
AND, UH, IN 2012, I BELIEVE THE ORGANIZATION DISBANDED, THE COMMONWEALTH DISBANDED THE ORGANIZATION, AND, UH, THE ORGANIZATION WHICH HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE KEEPING IT UP, UH, PROBABLY MORE THAN A DOZEN, MAYBE UP TO TWO DOZEN PEOPLE THAT WERE ACTIVELY TAKING CARE OF OUR EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH VIA THE FARMS, ANIMALS, THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, WAS HANDED OFF TO A STAFF OF TWO TO THREE PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE OF.
AND IT JUST BECAME CUMBERSOME.
UM, OUR STAFF, UH, WERE LESS EDUCATING PEOPLE AND MORE JUST ANIMAL CARETAKERS, UH, AND COULDN'T ACTUALLY TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS.
AND WE DECIDED, UH, THAT, UM, IT WASN'T VIABLE FOR US TO DO THAT ANYMORE.
WE RE-HONED OUR ANIMALS TO, UH, LOCALS WHO WE FELT WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE ANIMALS, UH, IN A GOOD CAPACITY, AND DECIDED THAT WE NEED TO GO AWAY FROM, UH, SIMPLE THINGS LIKE TALKING ABOUT ANIMALS TO TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY.
UH, WE INSTRUCTED OUR STAFF TO REWRITE OUR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES AND PLANNING TO REFLECT MORE EDUCATION ABOUT THE ENSLAVED, ABOUT THE INDIGENOUS, UH, AND SHARE MORE STORIES THAT WEREN'T BEING COMMUNICATED AS WELL.
UH, WE THOUGH IT WAS A POSITIVE TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS, UH, AND THANKFULLY MY STAFF, UH, WITH THE, UM, UH, THE STAFFING THAT THEY HAVE HAD, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO INCORPORATE A LOT MORE PROGRAMS THAT TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND STIR THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UH, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE THINK ARE VALUABLE FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND LEARN AT OUR PARK BECAUSE OF THE HISTORY THAT WE HAVE.
SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE THAT WE HOPE HAS A, UH, UH, A BROAD, UH, OUTREACH TO, UM, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE VISITING THE PARK IN THE COUNTY, UH, IS TO KNOW A BIT MORE ABOUT THE ACTUAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTY RATHER THAN JUST TO TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE MORE, UM, EVERY DAY AND COMMONPLACE TODAY.
UH, WE'VE ADDED MORE MILES OF HIKING TRAILS.
WE'VE REPAVED A LOT OF OUR, UH, CAMP, OR SOME OF OUR ROADS, CAMPGROUNDS, SIDEWALKS, WE'VE RENOVATED SOME OF OUR, OUR BUILDINGS.
WE ALSO OPEN UP OUR PARK FOR MORE MULTI-AGENCY USE AND INTERNAL USE.
OUR PARK IS VERY FREQUENTLY USED AS A, UH, TRAINING, UH, SITE FOR NOT ONLY OUR AGENCIES, BUT SIMILAR AGENCIES.
UH, SEARCH AND RESCUE USES OUR, OUR PARK VERY OFTEN.
UM, SOMETIMES THE STATE POLICE USE US FOR CANINE TRAINING.
UH, WE TRY TO BE AS ACCOMMODATING TO OTHER AGENCIES AS POSSIBLE TO, UH, BRING MORE PEOPLE TO THE PARK, INTO THE COUNTY.
UM, SO WE'VE, WE'VE DONE PRETTY GOOD OF THAT, UH, SO FAR.
UM, THIS NEXT SLIDE IS HOPEFULLY I'M NOT GONNA SPEND TOO LONG ON IT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHAT EVEN I DO ON, UH, ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THE BROAD STROKES THAT, UH, THAT I COVER.
UH, SO EVERY, UH, UH, EMPLOYEE'S ROLE IN THE STATE, UH, IN THE VIRGINIA STATE PARKS IS VERY UNIQUE.
WE VOLUNTEER FOR DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, WE'RE PART OF DIFFERENT, UH, COMMITTEES.
UH, SO I AS A STATE, AS A PARK MANAGER AT CHIPOKES, I OVERSEE ALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE, FINANCIAL, EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH, MAINTENANCE ASPECTS OF THE PARK.
UM, IF YOU SAW ON THAT PREVIOUS SLIDE ABOUT WHAT PARK MANAGERS DO, IT SAYS THEY RUN A SMALL CITY, THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT WE DO.
WE'RE KIND OF LIKE A SMALL MAYOR THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH EVEN LESS POWER, UH, TO, WHO
[01:05:01]
DOES WHAT THEY CAN TO KEEP A, A SMALL TOWN RUNNING.UH, AND THANKFULLY, YOU KNOW, I HAVE PEOPLE LIKE AN ASSISTANT MANAGER WHO CAN HELP ME WITH THOSE THINGS NOW.
UH, BUT IT IS A LOT TO TAKE CARE OF.
UM, SO WE ALSO COORDINATE POLICY AND PROCEDURES WITH OUR CENTRAL OFFICE.
SO AS PARK MANAGERS AND ASSISTANT MANAGERS, UH, WE ARE IN FREQUENT COMMUNICATION WITH OUR CENTRAL OFFICE.
UH, A LOT OF OUR TIME IS TAKEN UP BY, UH, REGARDING POLICY, PAPERWORK, UH, MAKING SURE WE'RE COMPLIANT ON THINGS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS, UH, WATER TREATMENTS.
UH, A LOT OF THE KIND OF PAPERWORK YOU HAVE IN A REGULARLY MUNICIPAL, UH, SETTING, WE FOCUS ON A LOT OF THOSE WHILE, UH, MORE PART-TIME STAFF ARE FOCUSING ON THE DAY TO DAY OF, UH, MAINTENANCE, EDUCATION, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, WE ALSO, UM, ARE PUBLIC LIAISONS, UH, FOR THE, UH, AGENCY.
UH, SO, UM, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, PART OF MY POSITION IS TO DO THIS, UH, COMMUNICATION WITH YOU ALL.
UM, IT'S BEEN SIDELINED BY PREVIOUS YEARS, BUT NOW, THANKFULLY, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE AGENCY IS IMPROVING ON, ON HOW WE, UH, SPEND OUR TIME WITH THIS SUBJECT AND IT'S, IT'S GETTING BETTER.
UM, SOME OTHER THINGS, SO PEOPLE KIND OF KNOW WHAT I DO AT, AT THE PARK, UH, OR, AND FOR THE AGENCY AS WELL, UH, THINGS THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR THE BOARD TO KNOW.
UH, I AM THE, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE AGENCY'S INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND ACCESS BOARD.
UH, SO WE FOCUS ON FINDING WAYS TO, UH, INCREASE THOSE ITEMS ACROSS THE BOARD IN VIRGINIA STATE PARKS.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE FOCUSING ON ACCESS FOR, UH, THE DISABLED, UH, BEING ABLE TO HAVE THEM ACCESS PARKS, UH, MORE CLEARLY WORKING ON OUR PAPERWORK, A LOT OF, UH, UM, UH, THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA PUSH OUT TO PARKS TO SAY, "THESE ARE, ARE HOW YOU CAN IMPROVE ACCESS." UH, SO WE FOCUS ON DIFFERENT THINGS THROUGHOUT THE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A LARGE GROUP THAT WE HAVE, UM, WHO, THAT OVERSEES, UH, INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND ACCESS.
I'M ALSO OUR, MY DISTRICT'S REPRESENTATIVE FOR OUR INTERNAL SIGN MANAGEMENT BOARD, SO ALL THE SIGNS THAT YOU SEE AROUND OUR PARK, SOME OF THEM ARE OUTDATED, SOME OF THEM ARE ORAL, ARE OLD.
IT'S A HARD PROCESS TO MAKE SIGNS.
IT'S MORE COMPLEX THAN PEOPLE MIGHT THINK.
UH, AND PART OF PRESCRIBED BURN WILDLIFE FIREFIGHTING, AND ALSO A MEMBER OF VIRGINIA TUCKER OF AMERICA STATE PARKS LEADERSHIP CONFERENCES.
SO THIS IS JUST GONNA GIVE Y'ALL AN IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT JUST KINDA SITTING OVER THERE, YOU KNOW, UH, SPENDING OUR DAYS JUST SITTING BEHIND A DESK OR WALKING ON TRAILS.
WE ARE ON A LOT OF COMMITTEES, UM, SUBCOMMITTEES, UH, VOLUNTEER GROUPS WITHIN OUR OWN AGENCY TRYING TO BETTER, UH, HOW WE PERFORM ON CERTAIN TOPICS AND SUBJECTS.
UH, SO WE DO KEEP BUSY, UH, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO, UH, LISTEN TO OUR, UH, THE PUBLIC CITIZENS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH, OF COURSE, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
UH, I DO WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT, UH, ABOUT HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE.
UH, THERE MAY BE SOME, UH, MISCOMMUNICATION ON, UH, EXACTLY WHO DECIDES THINGS THAT HAPPEN ON STATE PARKS, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, PEOPLE KINDA GET AN IDEA OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN A VERY BROAD STROKE.
UH, SO FOR THIS, YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE TO START FROM THE BOTTOM.
UH, THE PARK MANAGER, UH, WE MANAGE THE DAILY OPERATIONS OF A SINGLE PARK, UH, SUPERVISION OF SITE EMPLOYEES, PARK BUDGET REVENUES, AND WE CAN MAKE SMALL SCALES CHANGES, SMALL SCALE CHANGES.
WE ACTUALLY AREN'T PERMITTED TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WELL, BIG CHANGES ON OUR PARK THAT YOU WOULD THINK, "WELL, WHY DON'T THEY DO THIS? WHY DON'T THEY GET THAT?" WELL, BECAUSE USUALLY THAT ISN'T, WE'RE NOT EVEN GIVEN THAT ABILITY TO, TO, TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
WE CAN START THAT CONVERSATION.
UH, WE, THE PARK MANAGERS HAVE A DISTRICT MANAGER OVER US WHO SEES SEVERAL PARKS WITHIN A DISTRICT.
WE'RE PART OF DISTRICT ONE, TIDEWATER DISTRICT THAT OVERSEES, UH, SEVEN PARKS ACROSS, UH, ALL THE TIDEWATER AREA.
UH, AND THAT DISTRICT MANAGER LISTENS TO US ABOUT THE SMALL SCALE CHANGES THAT WE WANNA INSTITUTE.
THEY CAN APPROVE THOSE THINGS, AND THEN THEY CAN ALSO MOVE THINGS UP, UH, UP THE CHAIN.
UH, WE HAVE A FIELD OPERATIONS MANAGER ABOVE THAT WHO CAN ACTUALLY SUGGEST, UH, LARGE SCALE CHANGES THAT HAPPEN, UM, AND THEY OVERSEE 20 PLUS PARKS, UH, SO THEY HAVE TO JUGGLE THEIR TIME BETWEEN A BUNCH OF THESE PARKS ASKING FOR VERY LARGE SCALE PROJECTS TO OCCUR.
THEY THEN TAKE THAT UP TO OUR AGENCY DIRECTOR, THAT'S THE AGENCY OF VIRGINIA STATE PARKS.
THEY CAN, UH, TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND THEN THEY ACTUALLY TAKE IT OUT OF OUR AGENCY.
IT GOES FROM THE VIRGINIA STATE PARKS AGENCY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION.
SO VIRGINIA STATE PARKS DOESN'T USUALLY OFTEN ASK FOR FUNDING ITSELF, IT GOES TO THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, OUR DEPARTMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR WHO THEN GETS THAT INFORMATION ABOUT LARGE SCALE ITEMS, THEN THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, ASK FOR THAT FUNDING.
UH, THIS IS ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT, UM, WE GET OUR REGULAR FUNDING EVERY YEAR, UH, TO OPERATE
[01:10:01]
OUR FACILITY, UH, BUT, UH, IF WE NEED SOMETHING EXTRA, IF WE WANT A LARGE SCALE PROJECT, MOST OF THE TIME WE HAVE TO ASK THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS.AND SO OUR DEPUTY, UH, DEPARTMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR WILL GO BEFORE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ASKS FOR THOSE THINGS.
AND OF COURSE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILL VOTE ON THAT.
UM, A VERY BASIC, UM, SUBJECT TO KIND OF SHOW HOW THIS OCCURRED RECENTLY, UM, OUR FLEET OF TRUCKS WAS UPGRADED ACROSS VIRGINIA STATE PARKS.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS PARK MANAGERS WERE TELLING THEIR DISTRICT MANAGERS THAT OUR VEHICLES ARE VERY OLD.
UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, OLD BY OUR STANDARDS, THEY HAVE VEHICLES FROM THE, SOME OF US HAD VEHICLES FROM THE 80S AND 90S THAT WE WERE USING TO, UH, RUN REGULAR OPERATIONS ON A STATE PARK IN 2025.
AND, UH, DIS - DIFFERENT DISTRICT MANAGERS WERE GETTING THAT ACROSS THE BOARD FROM THEIR PARK MANAGERS.
DISTRICT MANAGERS RAISED IT UP TO THEIR FIELD OPERATIONS MANAGER WHO WENT ALL THE WAY UP THE CHAIN TO WHERE THE, UH, DEPARTMENT DEPUTY DIRECTOR WAS ASKING FOR IT IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
THANKFULLY, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SAID YES, UH, UH, NOTICED THAT WE NEEDED THESE NEW VEHICLES TO OPERATE OUR PARKS EFFICIENTLY.
AND SO WE GOT A NICE NEW FLEET OF VEHICLES.
UH, WE, I THINK WE GOT MAYBE, UM, SIX OR SEVEN BRAND NEW VEHICLES BECAUSE OURS AT CHIPOTLE WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST OUTDATED IN THE ENTIRE AGENCY, HONESTLY.
UM, AND SO WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT.
BUT THAT KIND OF SHOWS THAT ESCALATION THAT HAS TO HAPPEN FOR ANYTHING TO OCCUR ON A PARK.
UH, IF IT'S A BIG DECISION, UH, IT CAN TAKE YEARS FOR THAT TO ACTUALLY SEE, UH, APPROVAL.
FOR INSTANCE, UH, JUST ONE MORE QUICK, UM, ITEM.
OUR SIDEWALKS, UH, THAT WAS SOMETHING I STARTED ASKING FOR, UH, FOUR YEARS AGO, AND WE JUST GOT THEM PAVED ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
SO IT KIND OF SHOWS HOW THAT PROCESS GOES ON REPAIRING ANYTHING OR, OR GETTING NEW RESOURCES.
IT, IT DOES TAKE A WHILE WITH, UH, STATE GOVERNMENT.
MR. JOHNSON, I'M GONNA CUT YOU OFF YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, JUST WANNA RE - UH, QUICK QUESTION.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MORE SLIDES YOU HAVE, BUT I WANT, WANNA BE MINDFUL FOR, UH, BEING RESPECTFUL FOR EVERYONE'S TIME IN OUR, OUR MEETING THIS EVENING.
AND AGAIN, I DIDN'T WANT TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, BE, UM, BE MINDFUL AND RESPECTFUL FOR EVERYONE'S TIME.
I CAN SPEED THROUGH SOME THINGS.
UM, SO, UH, JUST SOME STATISTICAL INFORMATION.
UM, UH, THIS OF COURSE CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE TO, TO LOOK OVER AND KIND OF NUMBERS THAT WE GO THROUGH.
UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY JUST REAL QUICK.
UH, SO, UM, OUR ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN 2025 THAT WAS GENERATED THROUGH STATE PARK WAS 8.27 MILLION DOLLARS.
UH, SO THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT, UH, OF NEW MONEY THAT IS, UH, OR SORRY, THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S STIMULATED THROUGH THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
UH, AND THEN MONEY THAT WAS, UH, STIMULATED THROUGH EXTERIOR OR PEOPLE MORE THAN 50 MILES OUTSIDE OF THE PARK WAS 5.71 MILLION.
UH, AND FOR WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, UM, THIS IS A MAP THAT SHOWS THAT SCALE.
UH, SO EVERYONE IN THAT GROUP CONTRIBUTED, OR WITHIN THAT CIRCLE CONTRIBUTED 2.56 MILLION TO GO TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND THE COMPANY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, UH, THROUGH VISITATION TO OUR PARK.
UH, I'LL TALK REAL BRIEFLY ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS, UH, FOR CITIZENS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN, UH, HOW THEY CAN IMPACT, UH, THE PARK, HOW THEIR SUGGESTIONS CAN BE, UH, MADE.
WE HAVE A, SOMETHING CALLED THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS.
EVERY 10 YEARS, UM, OUR AGENCY WILL GO TO OUR, THE COMMUNITIES AROUND OUR PARKS AND HOLD PUBLIC CONFERENCES, OR PUBLIC MEETINGS WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN COMMENT ON WHAT THEY LIKE TO SEE AT A PARK.
UM, OUR LAST ONE WAS IN, UH, 2020.
UH, SO IT WILL BE A LITTLE BIT BEFORE OUR NEXT ONE.
UM, BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ON TIMELINE RIGHT NOW IS OUR NEXT MASTER PLAN PROCESS WILL BE, UH, STARTING IN 2029.
SO, YOU KNOW, MARKET CALENDARS.
UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO ATTEND, UH, THOSE MEETINGS WHERE YOU WANT YOUR VOICE TO BE HEARD ON, UH, WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO INCLUDE AT OUR PARK, THAT IS A GREAT PLACE TO DO IT.
UM, ALTHOUGH THE MASTER PLAN CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT THOSE THINGS ARE DONE, IT HELPS PUT THOSE THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE ON, UH, THE, THE, IT ALLOWS THE COMMONWEALTH AND DEPARTMENT TO SEE WHAT THE LOCALS ACTUALLY WANT AT THEIR PARK.
UH, WE, UH, SORRY, LET ME GO BACK REAL QUICK.
UM, SO WHEN THEY DO THE 2020 MASTER PLAN PROCESS, THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD TAKE 28 MILLION DOLLARS OR 36 MILLION DOLLARS TODAY TO ACTUALLY GET THE PARK UP TO SPEED.
UH, AND JUST TO SHOW HOW THAT BREAKS DOWN IN PHASES, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THESE ITEMS, UH, IF THEY'RE IN GREEN, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED.
UH, AND IF THEY'RE IN YELLOW, WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING ON IT.
BUT WE GO IN PHASES THAT STARTED AT, SAY THIS ONE'S ABOUT, UH, 20 MILLION DOLLARS, UH, OR IT'S 21 MILLION DOLLARS AND WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT FROM OUR LIST IN 2020.
SAME THING WITH OUR SECOND, THIRD PHASES, THAT'S PROBABLY ABOUT ADDITIONAL SEVEN, EIGHT MILLION THINGS THAT WE ARE JUST STARTING TO TOUCH.
UH, SO WHILE THESE ITEMS ARE IN THE MASTER PLAN, THE ITEMS THAT YOU CAN PROMOTE IN THE MASTER PLAN OR IN THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS, THEY CAN TAKE A WHILE, UH, AND THEY MIGHT NOT ALWAYS GET THERE.
UH, SOME THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO,
[01:15:01]
UH, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, COMMUNICATE MORE WITH THE PARK IN TERMS OF HOW YOU CAN AFFECT WHAT HAPPENS AT THE PARK, OF COURSE, KIND OF PUBLIC MEETINGS FOR THE MASTER PLAN EVERY 10 YEARS.UH, IF YOU WANT CHANGE SOONER, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO CONTACT YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
UH, THEY WILL SOMETIMES PICK UP THINGS THAT WE ASK FOR, FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
UH, YOU CAN MAKE SUGGESTIONS TO PARK MANAGEMENT SO THAT WE CAN SUPPORT SMALL EVERYDAY CHANGES.
UH, YOU CAN, UH, OR WE ASK THAT YOU BE PATIENT WITH OUR PARK STAFF IF YOU'RE VISITING.
A LOT OF THEM CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS AT OUR PARK, UH, THAT, THAT HAVE A, A REAL IMPACT ON OUR VISITORS.
UH, ENCOURAGE YOUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN THE PARK AND THE COUNTY, UH, BY SPEAKING WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
UH, OF COURSE, YOU CAN ALWAYS APPLY FOR OPEN POSITIONS AT OUR PARK.
WE ALWAYS ARE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO, TO WORK WITH US.
OR YOU CAN JOIN THE, UH, FRIENDSHIP STATE PARK.
I KNOW WE'RE RUNNING LOW ON TIME, SO I'LL SKIP THAT SLIDE.
UH, BUT BASICALLY, UM, MY SUMMARY IS JUST THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STAFFED BY TWO DOZEN RANGERS.
UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DO OUR BEST AND WE'LL HELP BRING THOSE SMALL CHANGES ABOUT.
BUT FOR BIG CHANGES, THAT POWER IS IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES WHO CAN ASK FOR THOSE THINGS EACH OF THEM.
WE CAN ACTUALLY ASK FOR THOSE, UH, ON OCCASIONS.
UM, COME WORK WITH US, BE EMPLOYED, BE A VOLUNTEER, JOIN OUR FRIENDS ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS MOVE THOSE ITEMS ON OUR PARK ON A REGULAR BASIS AS WELL.
UH, BUT THAT WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T SUCCEED WITHOUT A LOCAL SUPPORT, SO WE DO APPRECIATE ALL ASSISTANTS WHO DO COME OUT AND DO VISIT THE PARK AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WHO WANTS TO WORK WITH US.
UH, IT'S, IT HELPS MAKE BOTH US AND THE COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE.
SO, UH, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THE TIME.
I KNOW WE PROBABLY TALK MORE THAN I'M SUPPOSED TO.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR US, YOU'RE WELCOME TO ASK THEM, UM, UH, FOR ANYONE WHO'S ATTENDING HERE, UM, OUT IN THE, UH, PUBLIC AREA.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, MR. JOHNSON.
UH, BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE LISTENED TO MR. JOHNSON.
YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR HIM? CHAIR? YES.
OH, I WAS JUST SAYING THANK YOU.
IT WAS LENGTHY, BUT, UM, GREAT STUFF.
AND, UM, I DO GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS, UM, BUT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT LATER ON, LIKE, THINGS LIKE THE, THE, UH, THE FESTIVAL AND THINGS.
A LOT OF THE PUBLIC, AND YOU PROBABLY HEAR THEM TOO, LIKE HAVE YOU, CAN WE, UM, BRING STUFF LIKE THAT BACK? SO, I MEAN, THAT'S OFFLINE TOPIC, BUT, YOU KNOW, LOVE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, SO THANKS A LOT.
YEAH, UM, JUST ONE FINAL WORD, THE BOARD SUPERVISORS, UM, MR. PIERCE, UH, WAS VERY GRACIOUS IN REACHING OUT TO COMMUNICATE WITH US, AND I THINK AT SOME POINT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, SPEAKING MORE WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
UM, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL.
ANY OTHER QUESTION? NOT YET, MR. JOHNSON.
WE GOT, HE, HE'S STILL AT THE HOT SEAT.
MR. JOHNSON, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR, UH, COMING OUT THIS EVENING.
UH, YES, UH, THANK YOU FOR A THOROUGH PRESENTATION AND, UH, I'M, I'M, I DO APOLOGIZE FOR HAVING TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I JUST WANNA BE MINDFUL FOR EVERYONE WHO IS IN ATTENDANCE AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING AT HOME.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I'M LOOKING FORWARD FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, F - UH, FUTURE UPDATES.
UM, WHAT IS, WHAT DO YOU HAVE CURRENTLY, UM, FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR COMING UP AT DOWN CHIP OAKS? ANYTHING THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF? UM, THE ONLY THINGS THAT WE HAVE COMING UP FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, WE HAVE SOME, UM, DEER HUNTS TO HELP MANAGE THE LOCAL POPULATION - OKAY.
UM, WE HAVE A, UH, UH, A PROGRAM WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME OUT AND CREATE, UH, DECORATE, UM, WREATHS FOR CHRISTMAS.
UH, UH, UH, VISITING OUR, OUR OPEN HOUSE, OUR MANSION WHEN IT'S ALL DECORATED.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, OUR CAMPGROUND DOES CLOSE IN DECEMBER, STAY CLOSED FOR A FEW MONTHS, UM, AND THAT'S THE TIME THAT WE KIND OF GET BACK INTO OUR PLANNING MODE AND GET THINGS READY FOR THE SPRING.
AND, AND IF I WANTED TO FIND OUT WHERE TO GET THIS INFORMATION, HOW DO I DO THAT? UM, SO, UH, I WON'T SAY THE FULL ADDRESS FOR THE, UH, WEBSITE BECAUSE IT'S JUST TOO LONG, BUT IF YOU LOOK FOR CHAPOKA STATE PARK, UH, IF YOU LOOK ONLINE FOR CHAPOKE STATE PARK AND LOOK FOR THE SITE THAT'S FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION RECREATION - UH-HUH.
THAT IS WHERE YOU GET LESS OF OUR INFORMATION.
THERE IS A SEPARATE SITE OPERATED BY OUR VOLUNTEER GROUP, THE FRIENDS OF CHOPOKES, CALLED, I THINK THAT'S JUST CHAPOKES.COM THAT HAS LESS INFORMATION ON IT, BUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JOINING IT AS A VOLUNTEER.
UH, BUT FOR ACTUAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARK, LOOK FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION WEBSITE.
WELL, YES, WE, UM, LIKE YOU ME - YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO BUILD OUR RELATIONSHIP, UH, TO- TOURISM, AGRITOURISM, SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO, UH, PROMOTE IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, KNOWING THAT WE HAVE A, A STATE PARK, UM, THAT IS, UH, HAVE SO MUCH HISTORIC VALUE AND, AND BEAUTY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR CITIZENS AND GUESTS, UM, THAT ARE, UH, VISITING OUR AREA KNOW ABOUT THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT PRESENTATION AND LOOK FORWARD FOR FUTURE PRESENTATIONS AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT, HAVE A SAFE RIDE HOME.
[Board Comments ]
OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE, UH, BOARD COMMENTS.UH, THIS EVENING, WE'RE GONNA START OUR COMMENTS WITH OUR, MS. UH, SUMMERS, OUR HIGH SCHOOL LIAISON, MS. SUMMERS.
UM, FIRST, I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, GOOD EVENING, AND I
[01:20:01]
JUST WANNA SAY THAT I HAD A CHANCE, THE CHANCE TO ATTEND THE GROUNDBREAKING OF THE YMCA OF THIS...WHAT WAS THAT? THAT WAS LIKE - 14TH.
OH YEAH, THAT WAS A WHILE AGO.
BUT YES, I HAD THE CHANCE TO ATTEND AND PERFORM ACTUALLY.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA SAY, LIKE, I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE WHERE THIS WILL GO, UM, WHERE OUR INVESTMENT IN THIS, UM, BUILDING WILL GO AND JUST, UM, HOW OUR COMMUNITY WILL USE IT AND TALK ABOUT IT AND HOW WE'LL BE LOOKING BACK OVER AT THIS TIME AND BE LIKE, "OH MY, LIKE, WE, WE SEE, WE SEE IT NOW." SO YES, THAT WOULD BE NICE.
AND ALSO, LASTLY, I JUST WANNA, UM, HIGHLIGHT, LIKE, THAT AS WE GROW, UM, ANOTHER THING WE CAN START TALKING ABOUT IS OUR SCHOOLS, UM, MAKING THEM BETTER EVOLVED, UM, JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE KEEPING L - A LOOK AT THOSE JUST TO, YEAH, JUST MAKE SURE WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE TOO AS WE GROW SO THAT OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE CAN BE NICE.
UM, FIRST OFF, I'LL START OFF BY CONGRATULATING, UH, SUPERVISOR STEWART ON YOUR ELECTION.
UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU ON THIS BOARD.
UM, ALSO JUST PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT, UH, MS. SUMMERS SAID ABOUT THE YMCA GROUNDBREAKING, UM, MOMENTOUS OCCASION.
UH, I'VE ACTUALLY, OF COURSE, BEEN ABLE TO TRAVEL THE COMMONWEALTH, I MEAN, ALL THE TIME, AND I'VE HE- HEARD FROM PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT REGIONS AND DIFFERENT, UH, COUNTIES AND CITIES THAT'S LIKE, HOW DID Y'ALL GET THAT? LIKE, THEY'RE JUST JEALOUS THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO GET SUCH A BUILDING, SUCH A TH - A NECESSITY FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND I'M SO EXCITED FOR IT BECAUSE I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN SPENDING MY MONEY AT PETERSBURG FAMILY YMCA BECAUSE I DO ATTEND VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SO I CAN'T WAIT TO SPEND MY MONEY AT SURRY COUNTY YMCA.
UM, ALSO ANOTHER TO, UH, COME, UH, MS. TUMMER'S POINT, UM, ABOUT SCHOOL INVESTMENT, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UM, THIS CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, UH, IS MAKING MONUMENTAL STEPS IN LOOKING IN, LOOKING INTO AND ALSO CH - TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT WE CAN, UH, STRATE- STRATEGICALLY CHANGE THE LCI LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR STATE SENATOR LAW STREET AIR AND OUR DELEGATE, UM, KIMBERLY POPE ADAMS HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR, FOR SOME YEARS NOW.
AND GOVERNOR SPANBERGER, SECRETARY SICKLES, THEY ARE ALL ON BOARD TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN WE CHANGE THIS THAT WILL, UH, BENEFIT EVERYONE IN A SORT OF WAY, BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX FORMULA THAT IS ALWAYS GONNA HURT SOMEBODY, BUT, UH, RIGHT NOW IT HURTS MORE THAN WHAT IT, THAN WHOM THEY, IT DOES HELP.
UM, AND MY LAST THING WHICH IS, I WOULD SAY, UH, TO ALL THOSE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WATCHING ONLINE, COME JOIN US IN PERSON, UM, NOT JUST FOR ALL THE HOT TOPICS, JOIN US FOR THESE TYPE OF MEETINGS AS WELL.
IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF OUR CITIZENS.
SO I THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UM, MICHELLE, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
I THINK HOMECOMING QUEEN? YES.
YEAH, YEAH, CONGRATULATE YOUNG LADY, SHE WAS A HOMECOMING QUEEN THIS YEAR AT SURREY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.
AND, UH, CONGRATS, UH, MS. FEENEY AGAIN AND MR. TURNER.
AND WE GOTTA GET SOME TRINKETS.
WE, WE CONGRATULATE IN A MEETING IN THE PUBLIC, WE GOTTA HAVE TRINKETS.
THAT'S MY MOTTO, SO WE, WE OWE, WE OWE Y'ALL SOMETHING.
I THINK SHE LEFT, BUT WE OWE Y'ALL SOMETHING.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, SUPERVISOR HARDY.
A DITTO TO ALL OF THE COMMENTS.
I JUST WANT TO, UH, CONGRATULATE, UH, MS. SUMMERS.
SHE'S ALSO THE DRUM MAJOR FOR THE BAND, AND I JUST WANTED TO COMPLIMENT HER ON HER PARTICIPATION IN THE MEETING TONIGHT.
AND I CONCUR WITH ALL THE REMARKS SO FAR GIVEN BY OUR SUPERVISOR, SO MY POOR, UH, MR. SEWARD, I'M GOOD.
UH, WELL, AS ALWAYS, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING, UH, FROM HOME, THANK YOU ALL FOR TUNING IN.
UH, JUST WANNA GIVE SOME QUICK THANK YOUS TO, UH, DR.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HEARTFELT PRAYER, UM, UH, THIS EVENING.
I ALSO WANNA CONGRATULATE MR. TURNER AND MS. MS. FEENEY FOR YOUR, UM, FOR YOUR ACCOLADES, UH, CONTINUE THE GREAT WORK.
UM, THANK YOU TO THE CHIP POLK STAFF, UH, MR. UM, TREVOR JOHNSON AND NATH - WHAT'S YOUR LAST NM - CONRAD.
UH, WHAT'S ONE MORE TIME? SORRY, CONRAD.
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT THIS EVENING AND GIVING US A PRESENTATION ON, UM, THE GREAT BEAUTIES OF, UH, OUR STATE PARK RIGHT HERE IN OUR BACKYARD.
UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK STAFF FOR COMING OUT TO THIS EVENING, ALL THE STAFF THAT IS PRESENT THIS EVENING.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE.
AND I ALSO WANNA GIVE A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO ALL MY CARSLEY CONSTITUENTS OUT THERE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR REPRESENTING AND COMING OUT ON THIS EVENING.
UH, JUST A QUICK REMINDERS, UM,
[01:25:01]
IT IS HUNTING SEASON, SO PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF ALL THE DEER THAT MAY BE GOING BACK AND FORTH THE ROADS.I KNOW WE LIVE IN SARAH COUNTY.
WE SEE THEM QUITE FREQUENTLY, BUT, UH, THIS TIME OF YEAR THEY MOVE A LOT MORE, ALL RIGHT? SO JUST MAKE SURE YOU BE MINDFUL OF THAT, TRAVELING DOWN OUR, OUR BEAUTIFUL HIGHWAYS.
UM, TAKE A TIME TO, UM, LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY CHANGING, UH, THESE LEAVES CHANGING IN OUR ENVIR - IN OUR, RIGHT HERE IN OUR BACKYARD.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TOO FAR TO SEE SOME BEAUTIFUL AUTUMN LEAVES RIGHT HERE IN OUR BACKYARD.
UM, AND LASTLY, UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, GREAT DISCUSSION TONIGHT.
UM, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HEAR, UM, BOARD MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, UH, DISCUSS, UM, THINGS AS, AS FAR AS THAT WILL IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I KNOW I'M A BIG, UH, ADVOCATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMLAND, UH, IN, IN DOING, UH, DOING MY RESEARCH AND THINGS.
I'M TRYING TO SHARE WITH THE YOUTH AS WELL TO ENJOY THE, THE, THE VARIOUS RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN OUR RURAL COMMUNITY AS FAR AS LAND, UH, FRESH WATER, FRESH AIR, A LOT OF THESE THINGS THAT A LOT OF, UH, UH, URBANIZED AREAS THAT WE REALLY LOVE TO HAVE THERE, BUT WE HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND, UH, AND IT'S GOOD THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO OUR BEST IN KEEPING OUR INTEGRITY AS FAR AS OUR, OUR VALUES, AS FAR AS OUR AGRICULTURE AESTHETICS, OUR FARMLAND, AND OUR RESOURCES.
UM, AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I JUST WANNA THANK AGAIN EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT THIS EVENING.
AS YOU TRAVEL HOMES, PLEASE BE SAFE.
[County Administrators Report ]
AGENDA, WE HAVE OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT.I NOW TURN IT OVER TO OUR INTERIM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MR. HARRISON.
GOOD EVENING, CHAIR, BOARD MEMBERS AND EVERYONE ASSEMBLED AGAIN.
UH, MY REPORT THIS EVENING WILL BE BRIEF.
I WILL START WITH SOME QUICK REMINDERS OF EVENTS, UH, HERE IN THE COUNTY, AND ONE THANK YOU.
UH, AND THEN I WILL HAVE MS. CHAPLIN COME UP WITH A BRIEF UPDATE, UM, PERTAINING TO TOURISM AND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
UH, FIRST, NOVEMBER 11TH, VETERANS DAY, UH, COUNTY OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED.
OUR SOLID WASTE COLLECTION SLI - SITES WILL CLOSE AT 4:00 PM.
AND OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL BE SPONSORING A VETERANS DAY LUNCHEON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH, VETERANS DAY, UH, 12 NOON AT THE SURRY COUNTY PAVILION FOR ALL OF OUR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
SO PLEASE PUT THAT ON YOUR CALENDARS AND SPREAD THE WORD.
UM, IT IS ON OUR, UH, GOVERNMENT SITE AS WELL AS OUR SOCIAL MEDIA SITES.
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UM, SHERIFF TURNER AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT FOR A VERY SUCCESSFUL TRUNK OR TREAT EVENT.
UH, THE YOUTH AND FAMILIES, UH, ENJOYED IT THOROUGHLY, SO THANK THEM.
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THEM AGAIN FOR THAT.
WE'D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE 55 PLUS INITIATIVE IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF COORDINATING OUR SECOND, SECOND ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE, AND WE WILL HOLD OUR TREE LIGHTING AT THE END OF THE PARADE.
SO AFTER THE PARADE COMMENCES, WE'LL GO TO THE COURTHOUSE AND, AND LIGHT THE CHRISTMAS TREE.
AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I BELIEVE I HAVE EVERYTHING AND I WILL INVITE MS. CHAPLIN TO THE PODIUM TO GIVE US AN UPDATE AS, AS IT PERTAINS TO TOURISM AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
ALL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND, UH, ADMINISTRATOR HARRISON.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF UPDATE YOU ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE EDA HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN.
I KNOW THAT YOU FOLKS COME TO SOME OF THE MEETINGS, SO YOU'RE PROBABLY SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR.
UH, WE HAD A SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT GRANT, UH, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES COULD COME IN AND, UH, HA - MAKE APPLICATION TO, AND THEN WE WOULD EVALUATE IT AND SCORE THEIR APPLICATIONS.
SO THE, THE TWO, UH, SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES, UH, WAS ACTUALLY, UH, OLD FARMS, AND I KNOW OLD FARMS DOWN ROUTE 10, MOST OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY SEEN HOW BEAUTIFUL THAT BUILDING IS LOOKING.
SHE'S BEEN DOING A LOT OF, UH, DEVELOPMENT WITH PUTTING IN, UH, KITCHEN AND, AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT, UH, SHE IS DOING TO MAKE THE AESTHETICS LOOK BETTER, BUT ALSO OPERATIONALLY WHERE SHE CAN EXPLAIN, EXPAND AND DO MORE.
THIS IS QUITE A SUCCESS FOR THE COUNTY IF YOU TALK ABOUT THIS BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY DO PAY A LOT OF VARIABLE TAXES TO THE COUNTY.
THEY HAVE A MEALS TAX AND ALL OF THAT.
SO THAT IS GROWING AND WE ARE THRILLED TO HEAR ABOUT THAT.
SO THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL IN RECEIVING A $7,500 GRANT.
UH, THE OTHER ONE IS COTTONS ELECTRIC, ANOTHER SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS STORY THAT CAME OUT OF, UH, SURREY COUNTY, AND THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF GREAT WORK.
YOU SEE THEM ALL OVER WORKING.
I ACTUALLY SAW THEIR TRUCKS AT OLD FARMS ONE DAY AS WELL.
SO WE'RE THRILLED TO SEE, UH, ALL OF THIS, UH, UH, UH, INWARD, UH, BUSINESS THAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR COUNTIES.
AND IT WOULD, IN FACT, THAT IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT YOU SCORE HIGHER ON OUR APPLICATION WHEN WE PUT THE SCORECARD TOGETHER, IS IF YOU UTILIZE FOR YOUR SERVICES, EXISTING BUSINESSES IN THE COUNTY, YOU GET THE, THE FULL THREE, WHICH YOU WON'T GET THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO, LIKE, PRINCE GEORGE AND HIRING OR CLINTON HEIGHTS.
SO IT'S MUCH BETTER TO TRY TO STAY WITHIN THE COUNTY.
WE, WE REALLY TRY TO PROMOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, IN OUR TOURISM ACTIVITIES.
[01:30:01]
GIVE A SHOUT OUT.I KNOW TREVOR IS GONE RIGHT NOW, BUT, UH, HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB WORKING WITH US ON THE BA 250 COMMITTEE AND CULTURAL TRAIL.
UH, WANTED TO JUST SAY THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE A HUGE ASSET FOR OUR TOURISM.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE AND HAD SOME UPDATES THERE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THEY'RE A HUGE PART OF WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT, ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL, UM, SURREY COUNTY.
UM, SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, I HAVE, UH, ONE OTHER THING TO LET YOU KNOW.
THE CULTURAL TRAIL SIGNS, ALL SIX OF THEM ARE PRINTED AND WE WILL BE WORKING WITH LEGAL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION TO DO THE PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION, BUT HOPE TO HAVE ALL THAT DONE BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND I'M SO EXCITED THAT WE'LL HAVE SIX BEAUTIFUL SIGNS AND THEY'RE GONNA BE GREAT.
ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. CHAPLIN? MS. CHAPLAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ALSO, I DID FORGET TO ANNOUNCE THAT ON NOVEMBER 11TH, UM, OUR SOLID WASTE COLLECTION SITES WILL CLOSE AT 4:00 PM.
SO WE DO HAVE THAT ON OUR WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT JUST BE MINDFUL FOR THE PUBLIC.
I WANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, SOLID WASTE COLLECTION SITES WILL CLOSE AT FOUR PM.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, MR. HARRISON.
[Reports]
BOARD MEMBERS, UH, NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE OUR REPORTS.WE HAVE THREE REPORTS THIS EVENING, OUR FOIA REQUEST REPORT FOR OCTOBER 2026.
NUMBER TWO, OUR SERRY COUNTY BILL OF PERMITS ISSUED FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2026.
AND LASTLY, NUMBER THREE, OUR SARAH COUNTY INSPECTION PERFORMANCE BY DISTRICT AND PASS FAIL RATE SEPTEMBER OF 2026.
PLEASE REVIEW THAT AS YOUR, AS YOUR LEISURE.
[For Your Information ]
HAVE, UH, FOR YOUR INFORMATION PURPOSES, WE HAVE THE LGIP INVESTMENT LETTER FOR JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF 2026.AGAIN, PLEASE REVIEW THAT AT YOUR LEISURE.
[Closed Session ]
DO HAVE A CLOSED SESSION ON THIS EVENING.AT THIS MOMENT, I WILL TURN THE MEETING OVER TO MS. PERKINS TO TAKE US INTO CLOSED SESSION.
YOUR MOTION REQUIRED TODAY IS TO CONVENE A CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO ONE, VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.23711A.
1 TO DISCUSS UPCOMING VACANCIES TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.23711A.
7 TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL PERTAINING TO ACTUAL OR PROBABLE LITIGATION WHERE SUCH CONSULTATION AND OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE NEGOTIATING OR LITIGATING POSTURE OF THE COUNTY.
AND I'LL NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND AND A ROLL CALL VOTE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, MS. PERKINS.
BOARD MEMBERS, WHAT IS YOUR PLEASURE? SO MOVE.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
ELLIOT, SECOND BY MS. SUPERVISOR SEWARD THAT WE GO INTO CLOSED SESSION.
ANY DISCUSSION ON SAY A MOTION? HEARING NONE, WE'LL NOW HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE.
WE'RE NOW INTO CLOSED SESSION.
GOOD EVENING AGAIN, BOARD MEMBERS.
WE'LL NOW ASK MS. PERKINS IF SHE COULD BRING US BACK INTO OPEN SESSION.
UH, YOUR RESOLUTION CERTIFYING CLOSED SESSION, WHEREAS THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF SURRY COUNTY HAS CONVENED A CLOSED SESSION ON THE DATE PURSUANT TO AN AFFIRMATIVE RECORDED VOTE MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT AND WHEREAS SECTION 2.23712D OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA REQUIRES A CERTIFICATION BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF SURREY COUNTY THAT SUCH CLOSED MEETING WAS CONDUCTED IN CONFORMITY WITH VIRGINIA LAW.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF SURREY COUNTY HEREBY CERTIFIES THAT TO THE BEST OF EACH MEMBER'S KNOWLEDGE.
ONE, ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS BY VIRGINIA LAW WERE DISCUSSED IN THE CLOSED SESSION TO WHICH THIS CERTIFICATION RESOLUTION APPLIES.
AND TWO, ONLY SUCH PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS AS WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE MOTION CONVENING THE CLOSED MEETING WERE HEARD, DISCUSSED, OR CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF SURRY COUNTY.
AND I'LL NEED A MOTION, A SECOND, AND A ROLL CALL VOTE.
BOARD MEMBERS, WHAT IS YOUR PLEASURE? SO MOVED, MR. CHAIRMAN.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
THIS MOVED BY MR - SUPERVISOR SEWARD, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR ELLIOT THAT WILL COME BACK INTO OPEN SESSION.
I WILL NOW ASK FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.
[01:35:01]
WE HAVE A DISCUSSION AT OUR CLOSED SESSION.I'LL NOW ASK THAT THERE IS A MOTION TO BE MADE.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, UM, OF THE FOLLOWING APPOINTMENTS.
MR. THOMAS HIGHT FOR THE SURREY DISTRICT APPOINTMENT, UM, TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THE TERM OF 11 / SIX / 26 TO NINE / 30 / 30.
AND FOR MR. EDDIE BROCK, MEGAN'S CASTLE DISTRICT REAPPOINTMENT FOR THE TERM 10 / ONE / 26 TO NINE / 30 / 30.
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY SUPERVISOR SEWARD, SECOND BY SUPERVISOR HARDY, UH, THAT WE APP- APPOINT MR. THOMAS HYDE AND MR. EDDIE BROCK.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON SAID MOTION? HEARING NONE, WE NOW VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR SAY MOTION SIGNIFY YOUR VOTE BY SAYING AYE.
BOARD MEMBERS, I NOW ASK, UH, NOW THAT WE HAVE ALL OUR BUSINESS TAKEN CARE OF, I NOW ASK FOR ADJOURNMENT TO OUR NEXT SCHEDULED BOARD MEETING ON DECEMBER 4TH, 2020, DECEMBER 3RD, 2026.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECOND THAT WE ADJOURN UNTIL OUR DECEMBER 3RD, 2026 MEETING.
ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, WE NOW VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR SAID MOTION TO SIGNIFY YOUR VOTE BY SAYING AYE.