[00:01:00]
[I. 4:30 PM - Call to Order]
WE LOVE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY TO OUR BUSINESS MEETING AND HAVE A LOT OF STUFF TO GO OVER TODAY.SO WE WILL START, AS WE NORMALLY DO WITH OUR INVOCATION, UM, AND, AND OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY OUR VICE CHAIR.
[II. Invocation]
YOU FOR TODAY.WE THANK YOU FOR THE CHANGE IN SEASONS.
GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE STAFF AND THE, THE FOLKS THAT HELP SUPPORT THIS COUNTY.
LORD, WE JUST ASK, WE INVITE YOU HERE TODAY TO COME TO HELP US WITH THIS BUDGET AND WITH THE DECISIONS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE TONIGHT.
GOD, WE KNOW THAT IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHERE PEOPLE'S PRIORITIES ARE, YOU JUST OPEN UP THEIR CHECKBOOK.
SO, LORD, HELP US TO FOLLOW YOUR PRIORITIES FOR OUR CITIZENS.
AND IT'S YOUR SON'S NAME WE PRAY.
[III. Pledge of Allegiance]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.[IV. Chair's Comments]
HAVE ANY COMMENTS AT THIS TIME, SO I'M GONNA PASS IT RIGHT ON TO OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.[V. County Administrator's Comments]
THIS COMING APRIL 22ND, SATURDAY IS THE COUNTYWIDE CLEANUP DAY.THERE WILL BE THREE LOCATIONS ACROSS GOSHEN COUNTY, WHERE OUR CITIZENS CAN COME TO CHECK IN TO PICK UP THE NECESSARY SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND BAGS.
UH, THOSE THREE LOCATIONS WILL BE STATIONED THREE IN CENTERVILLE, UH, THIS BUILDING AND THE, UM, UH, CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL OVER IN THE, UH, WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY, UH, STARTS AT EIGHT O'CLOCK AND GOES TILL ABOUT NOON.
SO I ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS AND, UH, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO TAKE PART.
UH, BOARD, ARE THERE ANY REQUESTS TO POSTPONE
[VI. Requests to Postpone Agenda Items and Additions, Deletions or Changes in the]
AGENDA AND OR DELETIONS OR CHANGES TO THE ORDER OF PRESENTATION? OKAY, SEEING NONE, UM, WE WILL MOVE INTO OUR CITIZEN COMMENT PERIOD.UH, THIS IS THE TIME FOR FOLKS TO
[VII. Citizen Comment]
ADDRESS, UH, THE BOARD ON ITEMS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO GLAND COUNTY, BUT NOT ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.SO IF YOU CAN COME UP, GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.
UH, AT THE BASE OF THE MICROPHONE, THERE'S A SWITCH.
PLEASE MAKE SURE IT'S, IT'S GLOWING GREEN.
AND, UH, UH, WE PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.
MR. CHAIRMAN, JONATHAN LY 1521 MANNEQUIN ROAD.
UM, I, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE BOARD.
I DON'T KNOW THE PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE OBSERVED AS I'VE BEEN IN THE AUDIENCE IS THE, THE POSITIVE IMPACT THAT YOU'VE MADE WITH ME IS THE GLAND'S BOARD OF SUPERVISOR'S ABILITY TO ADAPT, TO CHANGE, AND, AND EVEN RECOGNIZE SOMETIMES WHEN IT DOESN'T HIT THE MARK THE FIRST TIME.
UH, THE BOARD'S ACTIONS ON THE, THE GRASS CUTTING MANDATE, UM, THE NOISE ORDINANCE, UH, TAXON POULTRY, MR. LUMPKINS HAS A FAVOR OF MINE.
UM, UH, THE, HOW YOU HANDLED THE, UH, COVID RESPONSE, UH, COMMUNITY MEETING REQUIREMENTS, COUNTY STAFF COMPENSATION, ALL OF THESE HAVE BEEN THINGS YOU HAVE TAKEN UNDER ADVISEMENT AND ADJUSTED AS, AS NEEDED TO, AND I LIKE THAT FLEXIBILITY.
BUT MOST RECENTLY, THE BOARD AND THE STAFF HAVE SHOWN, I THINK, AN ABILITY TO ADAPT AND MAKE CHANGES IN REFERENCE TO THE SMALL AREA AND THE VILLAGE PLANS THAT ARE UNDERWAY.
UH, THE CHANGE EARLIER THIS SPRING FROM HILL STUDIO TO TIMMONS, UH, I THINK ILLUSTRATED YOUR TEAM'S ABILITY TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT WHEN IT WAS RECOGNIZED.
UH, TRADITIONS CAN BE A CHALLENGE.
UH, HAVING BEEN IN THE ROOM THIS LAST WEEK WHEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAD THEIR RECENT WORK SESSION, UM, IT WAS, UM, HERE THAT WE SAW SOME THINGS THAT CARRIED OVER FROM THE HILL GROUP, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, WE STARTED TO SEE SOME OF THE SAME TIMEFRAMES THAT WERE BEING, UH, LOOKED AT OR FOLLOWED.
[00:05:01]
UH, I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT THE TIMEFRAME THAT WAS LOOKED AT AS A LITTLE COMPRESSED, I DON'T THINK IT'S, UM, GIVEN THE COMMUNITY TIME TO REALLY HAVE THE INPUT THAT IT NEEDS.I DON'T THINK IT'S GIVEN US A CHANCE TO ITERATE TOO GREAT THAT WE ARE TRYING TO HIT A TIME SCHEDULE, NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE A TIME SCHEDULE THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ACCOMPLISH.
UH, I THINK YOU HAVE RECEIVED CORRESPONDENCE FROM I WAS ONE OF THE SIGNATURES, BUT OTHER CITIZENS WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT TIMEFRAME EXTENDED A LITTLE BIT.
UH, THAT JUST HAVING A WEEK FROM WHEN THE PRESENTATION IS MADE TO THE PUBLIC TO WHEN IT THEN COMES BACK FOR APPROVAL BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS, IS A LITTLE ACCELERATED.
UM, SPECIFIC REFERENCES ARE MADE IN SOME OF THE DRAFT INFORMATION.
85% OF THE GROWTH IS GOING TO OCCUR IN THE VILLAGES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A TYPO OR IF THAT REALLY IS PART OF THE PLAN.
IT TALKS ABOUT THERE BEING 16 UNITS OF DENSITY IN CENTERVILLE.
THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A CUT AND PASTE.
MAYBE IT'S PART OF THE PLAN, BUT I HOPE THAT YOU'LL GIVE US MORE THAN A WEEK FOR WHEN IT'S PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC, AND THAT, UH, RESPONSES CAN BE MADE.
I TOOK, I HOPE YOU'LL GIVE US TIME TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS, AND WE NOT TRY TO HIT A TIMEFRAME JUST TO HIT A TIMEFRAME.
ANYONE ELSE FOR CITIZEN COMMENT? SCENE NONE.
I'M GONNA CLOSE THE CITIZEN COMMENT.
BOARD, WE'RE GONNA MOVE RIGHT INTO OUR NEW BUSINESS.
[VIII. New Business]
CAVE, IF YOU CAN COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THE FIRST ITEM, 5 6 93, THE RESOLUTION, ADOPTING THE TAX RATES FOR 2023 CALENDAR YEAR.[1. 5693: Resolution Adopting Tax Rates for the 2023 Calendar Year]
SO BEFORE WE DO THE FIRST MOTION, UM, WE'RE JUST GONNA RECAP THE BUDGET PROCESS.THIS WAS MY FIRST YEAR HERE IN GLAND FOR THIS BUDGET PROCESS, AND I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED IT.
UM, I REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS.
I THOUGHT IT WENT VERY SMOOTHLY.
SO WE STARTED BACK IN THE FALL.
UM, EACH DEPARTMENT SUBMITTED A BUDGET.
WE MET WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT THROUGH TWO BY TWO DISCUSSIONS.
WE ESTABLISHED WHAT THE PRIORITIES WERE FROM THE BOARD.
UM, BETWEEN JANUARY AND APRIL, UH, WE HAD LOTS OF DISCUSSIONS, WORKSHOPS, C I P OPERATING.
WE MET WITH SCHOOLS, AND AFTER THAT, THREE TOWN HALLS WHERE WE HEARD FROM CITIZENS SCOTT, GREAT INPUT THERE.
UM, I REALLY LIKED THE WAY GLAND HANDLES THESE TOWN HALLS.
THOUGHT THEY'RE VERY INFORMATIVE.
UM, PUBLIC HEARINGS ON APRIL 4TH, EARLIER THIS MONTH, AND HERE WE ARE TONIGHT TO ADOPT AND APPROPRIATE OUR BUDGET.
THERE'S, I BELIEVE, FIVE STEPS WE HAVE HERE.
NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO CONDENSE THIS INTO ONE, ONE BIG MOTION, BUT TONIGHT WE'LL DO FIVE.
WE'RE HERE TO ADOPT THE 2023 TAX RATES.
AND BEFORE YOU, YOU'LL SEE THAT ALL OF THE TAX RATES HAVE REMAINED THE SAME WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY ON PERSONAL VEHICLES, WHICH ARE P P T ARE QUALIFIED, WE ARE LOOKING TO REDUCE THIS 76 CENTS TO 2 99 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUE.
GIVE THE BOARD A CHANCE TO OBSERVE IT.
SO, ANY TH MR. PETERSON, UM, MS. KATE, THANK YOU FOR THOSE GLOWING COMMENTS ABOUT THE PROCESS AND ALL THE PEOPLE YOU INTERACTED WITH DURING THIS PROCESS.
UM, I, I APPRECIATE THAT, AND WELCOME TO GUCCI.
THIS YOUR FIRST YEAR, SO THANK YOU.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE SCAR TISSUE TO PROVE IT PRETTY SOON.
UM, MR. CHAIR, I, WHAT I THOUGHT I MIGHT DO IS JUST TO PROVIDE SOME, SOME CONTEXT SINCE THIS IS A, A FAIRLY CONSEQUENTIAL CHANGE, AND, UH, ONE OF THE HALLMARKS OF MY SERVICE ON THIS BOARD HAS BEEN THE, UH, THAT WE LISTEN TO CITIZENS WHEN THEY RAISE ISSUES.
UH, BUT MORE THAN JUST LISTENING, WE ACTUALLY TAKE ACTION.
UM, SINCE THIS HAS BEEN AN ACTION ORIENTED BOARD, AND I'VE RECEIVED A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF CALLS AND EMAILS, UH, AND COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS REQUESTING THIS TYPE OF RELIEF.
AT THE LAST FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, THIS, THIS LEVEL OF, UH, RE UH, TAX RELIEF WAS DISCUSSED, AND CITIZENS THAT ATTENDED WERE UNANIMOUS, UH, IN FAVOR OF THIS TYPE OF RELIEF.
AND OUR LAST BOARD MEETING, IN FACT, A CITIZEN CAME FORWARD AND SPOKE IN FAVOR, RELAYING COMMENTS THAT, UH, JUST ABOUT EVERYONE THAT INDIVIDUAL HAD INTERACTED WITH, UM, SUPPORTED, UH, THIS TYPE OF, UH, OF RELIEF.
SO AT THIS POINT, I MEAN, THE CITIZENS HAVE SPOKEN FAIRLY LOUDLY AND CLEARLY THAT THEY, UH, WOULD APPRECIATE THIS TYPE OF RELIEF.
NOW, THE OTHER THING I'LL MENTION REALLY QUICKLY BESIDES
[00:10:01]
CITIZEN INPUT, WHICH IS PARAMOUNT, IS OUR, UH, WHAT, WHAT IS GOOD TAX POLICY WHEN YOU'RE DEVELOPING TAX POLICY? UH, WHAT SHOULD IT LOOK LIKE AND HOW SHOULD IT BE IMPLEMENTED? AND THERE'S REALLY TWO TYPES OF TAXES.YOU'VE GOT PROGRESSIVE TAXES AND REGRESSIVE TAXES.
UH, PROGRESSIVE TAX EXAMPLES WOULD BE INCOME TAXES, WHERE YOU'VE GOT DIFFERENT BRACKETS SO THAT DEPENDING ON YOUR INCOME, YOUR RATE CHANGES, THAT WOULD BE A PROGRESSIVE TAX.
IF IT, IF THERE'S HIGHER TAX BRACKETS, THE MORE YOU MAKE, THE, THE HIGHER THE RATE IS.
A REGRESSIVE TAX WOULD BE A FLAT TAX, WHERE REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH YOU MAKE, WHAT YOUR INCOME OR ASSETS ARE, YOU PAY THE SAME RATE.
AND WHEN YOU RAISE A, A FLAT TAX, OR IT, IT'S A REGRESSIVE TAX IN THAT IT HURTS, TENDS TO HURT THE MOST VULNERABLE.
AND THOSE FOLKS LIVING ON VERY TIGHT BUDGETS THE MOST, WHEN THE PRICE OF EGGS GOES UP, IT, IT HURTS THE MOST VULNERABLE.
AND SO INFLATION IS A TYPE OF REGRESSIVE TAX, AND IT CAN BE ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING.
UH, WHEN YOU INCREASE, UH, REGRESSIVE TYPE TAXES IN GUTZON, WE DO NOT HAVE PROGRESSIVE TAX RATES IN OUR INCOME, UH, OR REVENUES.
WE DON'T COLLECT ANY INCOME TAX.
SO THERE ARE NO BRACKETS OR NO, UH, BRACKET CREEP OR NO PROGRESSIVE NATURE TO IT.
WE COLLECT REAL ESTATE TAXES, WHICH IS 53 CENTS RIGHT NOW ON A HUNDRED, BUT THAT'S THE SAME RATE, 53 FOR ANYBODY, REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH YOU MAKE.
SO IT, AGAIN, IS A TYPE OF REGRESSIVE TAX.
SAME THING WITH PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES.
SO IF YOU BELIEVE THAT TO BE TRUE, THAT IT'S MORE DEVASTATING ON THE MORE VULNERABLE, IF YOU REDUCE A REGRESSIVE TAX, THE BENEFITS THEN WOULD ACCRUE, UH, MORE GENEROUSLY TO, UH, TO THOSE THAT ARE MORE MARGINAL AND VULNERABLE IN OUR SOCIETY.
SO THEN, WHAT IS GOOD TAX POLICY? THEN THERE'S, THERE'S REGRESSIVE AND, AND PROGRESSIVE ARE THE NATURE OF TAXES.
BUT WHAT, UM, ARE GOOD POLICIES OR WHAT'S THE NATURE OF THE TAXES THAT WE SHOULD BE COLLECTING GIVEN THAT WE HAVE AGGRESSIVE TAXES? WELL, ONE OF OUR RULES OF THUMB IS TO MATCH RECURRING REVENUES WITH RECURRING EXPENSES AND ONE TIME REVENUES WITH ONE TIME EXPENSES.
THAT'S JUST BASIC, UM, TAX POLICY IN THIS COUNTY, THE LARGE PORTION OF OUR EXPENSES ARE PERSONNEL RELATED.
THAT'S SALARY, WAGES, AND BENEFITS.
THOSE TEND TO BE RELATIVELY STABLE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, CAR PRICES HAVE TENDED TO BE VERY VOLATILE.
AND WHEN CAR PRICES GO UP 40% THE WAY THEY DID OVER A CUP TWO YEAR PERIOD, OR GO DOWN 20% LIKE THEY HAVE RECENTLY, IT, IT, IT, IT'S NOT A GOOD FIT OR A GOOD MATCH TO HAVE A HIGHLY VOLATILE REVENUE STREAM MATCHED AGAINST WHAT YOU HAVE.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE PERSONNEL COSTS THAT ARE RELATIVELY STABLE, THAT'S KIND OF A MISMATCH.
SO, GOOD TAX POLICY WOULD SAY THAT YOU WANT TO BE, IF YOUR, IF YOUR EXPENSES ARE, ARE BY, BY AND LARGE STABLE, REASONABLY STABLE, YOU WANT MOST OF YOUR REVENUE TO BECOME IN FROM STABLE SOURCES, REASONABLY STABLE SOURCES.
NOW, WITH THE RAPID RUN UP RECENTLY IN CAR PRICES, WE HAVE BECOME MORE AND MORE RELIANT ON THAT HIGHLY VOLATILE STREAM.
AND SO THAT WOULD CALL FOR TAX POLICY THAT ADDRESSES THAT DRAMATIC INCREASE AND, AND REDUCES OUR RELIANCE ON THAT VOLATILE STREAM.
NOW, THE BOTTOM LINE, AND FINANCIALLY, THIS IS ALL GOOD TAX POLICY TO SAY IF YOU REDUCE A AGGRESSIVE TAX, IT HELPS THE MOST VULNERABLE.
AND YOU WANT TO MATCH THE NATURE OF YOUR EXPENSES WITH YOUR REVENUES SO THAT THEY'RE BOTH REASONABLY STABLE.
THOSE ARE BOTH INDICATE THAT WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING THAT'S, UM, UH, LIKE WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED HERE IN THIS BUDGET.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER QUESTIONS.
UH, CAN WE DO THIS AS A PRACTICAL MATTER? I THINK WE'VE CLEARED THROUGH THE SYSTEMS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THIS KIND OF A THING WITH RELATIVE EASE.
I WON'T SAY EASE, BUT RELATIVE EASE.
UH, ANOTHER QUESTION IS, DO WE HAVE THE MONEY? AND THE ANSWER IS YES.
ANOTHER QUESTION IS, CAN WE STILL FUND OUR CIP P IN ALL OF OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS? AND THE ANSWER IS YES.
AND IN FACT, GIVEN OUR RESULTS YEAR TO DATE THIS YEAR, WE MAY BE ABLE TO ACCELERATE OR FUND ADDITIONAL CAPITAL PROJECTS, NOT, NOT CUT THEM.
NOW, WILL THIS DRAIN OUR RESERVES? UH, THE ANSWER IS NO.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, AGAIN, WITH OUR RESULTS THIS YEAR, WE MAY BE ABLE TO ADD TO OUR RESERVES AS OPPOSED TO DRAIN THEM TO FUND THIS, THIS TYPE OF AN ACTION.
UH, ANOTHER ONE IS, WE NEED TO RAISE OTHER TYPES OF TAXES TO FUND THIS TAX RELIEF.
AND THE ANSWER IS NO, THERE'S NONE CONTEMPLATED IN THE BUDGET.
ANOTHER QUESTION, ARE NEIGHBORING COUNTIES, ARE THEY CONTEMPLATING SOME FORM OF TAX RELIEF EITHER IN THE REAL ESTATE SIDE OR ON THE PERSONAL PROPERTY SIDE? AND THE ANSWER IS YES.
UH, VIRTUALLY ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE CONSIDERING THIS TYPE OF, UH, AN APPROACH.
UH, HAVE WE REDUCED THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX IN THE PAST? THE ANSWER IS YES, WE HAVE REDUCED IT IN THE PAST.
AND DID THAT CAUSE ANY PROBLEMS GOING FORWARD? THE ANSWER WOULD BE NO.
WE'VE, UH, HAD THAT EXPERIENCE ON THE BOOKS.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS THIS GOOD TAX POLICY? AND THE ANSWER IS YES.
NOW, SHOULD WE CONTIN, SHOULD WE CONTINUE TO CONSIDER
[00:15:01]
OTHER TYPES OF TAX REFORM? UH, YES, OBVIOUSLY GOING FORWARD, CONTINUE TO CONSIDER OTHER, UM, REVENUE STREAMS AND TO TRY AND MATCH THEM IN, IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE WITH OUR EXPENSES.SO WITH THAT SAID, UM, MR. CHAIR, I THI THIS COMES, UH, FORWARD, NOT WITH A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE, THE BROADER COMMITTEE, BUT WITH SOME CONTEXT FROM THE CHAIR, I'LL YIELD BACK.
IF I MAY, JUST AS A POINT OF ORDER FOR THE BOARD, UM, WHILE MS. CAVE IS PRESENTING TO YOU THIS, THAT'S A CHANGE FROM WHAT IS IN YOUR, UM, PACKET.
AND SO SHOULD THE BOARD CHOOSE TO ACT ON THIS, UM, YOUR MOTION WOULD BE AS AMENDED.
AND ON THE DIAS FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE, UM, SEVERAL OF THE BUDGET RESOLUTIONS SHOWN AS HOW THEY WOULD BE AMENDED SHOULD YOU ADOPT, UM, THE CHANGES THAT MS. CAVE SUGGESTS.
THE ONLY ONE THAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY WITHOUT AN AMENDMENT FROM MS. CAVE IS THE ORDINANCE FEE SCHEDULE.
UM, BUT THE OTHERS, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO DO AS SHE IS RECOMMENDED, WOULD BE TO BE ADOPTED AS AMENDED.
MR. CHAIR, IF, IF YOU'RE PREPARED TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT MIGHT GET THE BALL ROLLING, AND WE CAN LEAD TO SOME DISCUSSION POTENTIALLY, I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THAT MOTION THAT I MOVE THAT THE BOARD ADOPT BY RESOLUTION, THE TAX RATES FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2023, UH, AS AMENDED.
SO I'VE GOT A MOTION AND, UM, ANY DISCUSSION MR. BARTERS? NO.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT, THIS HAS BEEN A LOT OF REVIEWING IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS OF THIS LOT OF, LOT OF ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSION.
THANK, THANK YOU MS, FOR ANSWERING A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS OR, OR FIELDING ALL OF MY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERING ALL OF THEM.
UM, AND SAME TO MR. CARPENTER.
THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME CLEAR SOME THINGS UP.
I THINK, UM, MR. PETERSON QUOTE, UH, YOU QUOTE THIS TYPE TAX RELIEF.
I THINK THAT KIND OF BEGS THE QUESTION IN MY MIND.
UH, YOU SAID PEOPLE ARE ALL CLAMORING FOR THIS TYPE TAX RELIEF.
I, I, I DON'T HAVE THE SAME SENSE FROM MY CONSTITUENTS.
UM, BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS TYPE TAX, TAX RELIEF IS.
YOU TALKED ABOUT INFLATION, UH, AND, AND THEN PROGRESSIVE AND REGRESSIVE, UH, TAXES.
UM, AND YOU ALSO SAID SALARIES ARE HOLDING STABLE SALARIES TEND TO BE OUR BIG PIECE, AND IT'S HOLDING STABLE.
WELL, I, I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT EITHER.
I THINK THEY'RE, THEY'RE CLIMBING AND BY NECESSITY, UH, SO, AND THA THANK YOU, MR. DRUMRIGHT.
YOU PROVIDED US SOME, YOU DID SOME RESEARCH FOR US, US RECENTLY, AND PROVIDED US A REPORT.
UH, YOU, YOU HAD, UM, COUNTIES, NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS.
YOU ASKED 'EM A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS AND, AND ONE QUESTION THAT WENT OUT, UH, DOES DO, DOES YOUR PROPOSED OR ADOPTED FY 2024 BUDGET INCLUDE ANY SPECIFIC TAX, TAX RELIEF MEASURE MEASURES FOR PERSONAL PROPERTY OR REAL PROPERTY TAXES? AND YET, RESPONSE FROM CHESTERFIELD WAS ON PERSONAL PROPERTY.
THEY'RE SUPPLEMENTING ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO P P T R A, SETTING THE RELIEF AMOUNT TO 50% FOR THE FIRST 20,000 ASSESSED OF PERSONAL VEHICLES.
THAT JUMPS OUT AT ME AS SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT WE WERE TRYING TO DO ORIGINALLY WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS AND, AND ADDRESS THE REGRESSIVE NATURE OF, OF THIS TAX.
AND THE FACT IS, LAST YEAR THERE WAS A LOT, LAST YEAR THERE WAS A LOT OF CLAMORING, UM, ABOUT THE HIGH BECAUSE VEHICLE PRICES JUST SKYROCKETED.
SO LAST YEAR WAS A YEAR THAT I WISH THIS BOARD HAD, UM, PROVIDED SOME RELIEF IN THE NATURE THAT I SEE SOME COUNTIES DOING, LIKE HANOVER COUNTY, WHERE THEY DID A 20% ASSESSMENT REDUCTION LAST YEAR.
UM, BUT WE, WE DIDN'T, FOR VARIOUS REASONS, WE DIDN'T TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
BUT I'M LOOKING AT THE AMENDED RESOLUTION, UM, THAT FOLLOWS WHAT THIS SPREADSHEET PROPOSES.
IT SAYS, UH, I'LL READ FROM IT NOW, BE RESOLVED THAT QUALIFYING VEHICLES OBTAINING CITUS WITHIN THE COUNTY DURING TAX YEAR 2023 SHALL RECEIVE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER.
PERSONAL USE VEHICLES VALUED UP TO $20,000 WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR 32% TAX RELIEF.
SO THAT HAS ME WONDERING WHAT IS CHESTERFIELD DOING DIFFERENTLY THAT THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'RE DOING MORE THAN WE ARE DOING? AND AGAIN, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE ALL THIS OUT.
THE P P T R A IS NOT EASY TO FOLLOW, BUT I, I HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT IT AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS EVER SINCE THIS WAS PASSED BACK AFTER, UH, DURING JIM GILMORE'S ADMINISTRATION, THE STATE FUNDS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RELIEF THAT WE THEN
[00:20:01]
TAKE AND PROVIDE THAT RELIEF TO P P T R A QUALIFYING VEHICLES.SO MY QUESTION, DOES THIS, MY QUESTION I HAVE FOR THIS, UH, CARPENTER, IS DOES OUR BUDGET AS PROPOSED, ARE WE PROVIDING ANY SUPPLEMENT, OR YOU MIGHT NEED TO JUST CLEAR THINGS UP FOR ME, BECAUSE WHEN I SEE 2 99 FROM 3 75, 2 99, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THIS RATE OF RELIEF OUGHT TO JUMP MORE FROM THAN IT DOES FROM LAST YEAR'S 30% TO THIS YEAR'S, 32%.
BUT I THINK I'M NOT FOLLOWING SOMETHING CORRECTLY.
SO I KNOW THAT'S TWO QUESTIONS, BUT I I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THOSE.
UH, MS. LUMPKIN AND I WILL ALSO DEFER TO THE COMMISSIONER, BUT, UM, UH, COUPLE THINGS AT, AT, UH, PLAY HERE.
FIRST, WE ARE PROVIDING A RELIEF TO OUR CITIZENS, APPROXIMATELY 3 MILLION OF RELIEF THAT, UM, IS IN THE FORM OF THE CUT FROM 3 75 TO 2 99, UH, AND MOVING FROM 30 TO 32%.
UH, THE MAJORITY, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT TAX RELIEF IS COMING FROM THE STATE.
UH, BUT THERE IS SOME MARGINAL AMOUNT FROM THE COUNTY GOING IN TO RAISE IT TO A 32% LEVEL.
UM, 7,000 THOUSAND DOLLARS PERHAPS IS GOING INTO THAT AS WELL.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE OVERALL, UM, IMPACT THAT WE REFER TO, TO THE CITIZENS IN THIS, UM, UM, IN THIS PRESENTATION OF A 3 MILLION RELIEF TO OUR CITIZENS NOW, UH, GOING FROM 30 TO 32% AND WHY IT DOESN'T HAVE A GREATER IMPACT, UM, AT THE SAME TIME THAT RATES WENT UP ON CARS 40% LAST YEAR.
THIS YEAR, THEY'RE DROPPING AVERAGE OF 20%.
SO INCREASING FROM 30 TO 32% WHEN THE AVERAGE VALUE IS DROPPED, 20% IS NOT GONNA HAVE AS MUCH OF A GROWTH FACTOR AS IF THE CAR VALUES HAS STAYED THE SAME AS THEY WERE LAST YEAR, AND IT WENT UP FROM 30 32%.
SO THE DELTA, THE RELIEF PERCENTAGE THAT'S IN THIS IS JUST, UH, BASED ON A RAW NUMBER.
AND SO THE PRICE INCREASES ARE TAMPING DOWN.
HAVE WE CHANGED THE AMOUNT WE SUPPLEMENT? I BELIEVE I WAS ABLE TO FIGURE OUT, IT'S ABOUT 600,000 THAT WE SUPPLEMENTED TO P P T R E.
HAVE WE CHANGED THE SUPPLEMENT DOLLAR AMOUNT IN THIS BUDGET? NOT SIGNIFICANTLY, NO, SIR.
WELL, I WAS GONNA SAY, WHY NOT? BUT THAT, THAT'S A POLICY QUESTION, AND THAT'S SORT OF WHAT I'M WONDERING.
WHY NOT, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT INSTEAD OF THIS ONE TIME, ONE TIME SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION? I MEAN, WE, WE ADDRESSED THIS TWO YEARS AGO, TAKING IT FROM 3 95 TO 3 75.
UM, IT SEEMS, I THINK WE CAN GET TO WHERE WE WANT TO GET, BUT WITHOUT, WITHOUT, I MEAN, WITHOUT TAKING, BECAUSE DROPPING IT THIS MUCH, IT'S A GOOD THING.
AND I WANT MY TAXES LOWERED AS WELL.
BUT I THINK WE CAN GET TO WHERE WE WANT TO GET NUMBER-WISE AND PRESERVE FLEXIBILITY FOR FUTURE BOARDS BY CHANGING THE SUPPLEMENT, WHICH LOOKS LIKE WHAT CHESTERFIELD IS DOING.
AND, AND, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO POINT OUT WE'RE PROVIDING A 50% RELIEF.
THANK YOU, MR. SO I'M SOMEBODY THAT HOPES TO BE IN THIS POSITION NEXT YEAR AND DEALING WITH THIS FACTOR.
I, I'LL, I'LL WEIGH IN, UH, UNCHARACTERISTICALLY IF, YOU KNOW, USUALLY I'LL LET EVERYBODY GO FIRST, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, I'M A SIMPLE GUY, AND I FEEL LIKE WITH OUR TAX CODES, AND I, I THINK YOU COULD PROBABLY ASK NINE, YOU ASK A HUNDRED AMERICANS HOW THEY'RE, HOW THEY'RE ACTUALLY TAXED IN THEIR FEDERAL TAXES, AND THEY COULD 99 COULDN'T TELL YOU.
UM, I FEEL LIKE BEING THE MOST TRANSPARENT.
SO THE THINGS THAT I WERE CONSIDERING IS, YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT? I THINK, AND I'M NOT GONNA REPEAT EVERYTHING, UH, MR. PETERSON SAID, UH, I WAS CONCERNED LOOKING AT PROJECTS SUCH AS THE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRE STATIONS, THE COURTHOUSE, BUT TO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE, THE SURPLUS THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING, I FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THAT.
I, IF YOU TALKED TO ME A MONTH AND A HALF AGO, AND I WAS OF THE BELIEF THAT CAR PRICES WOULD BE CONTINUING TO NORMALIZE OR COME DOWN, I DON'T SHARE THAT BELIEF ANYMORE.
THE RESEARCH THAT I'M SHOWING, UM, JUST LIKE I RESEARCHED FOR THE SCHOOLS AND WHETHER I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION WAS GONNA COME DOWN, I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA SEE THE CLIFF OF, UH, PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES OR THE VEHICLE ASSESSMENTS COMING DOWN.
IT'S JUST, THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING BACK UP NOW IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
UM, AND I THINK AS WE MOVE TO MORE GREENER VEHICLES, THE, THE DEMAND FOR FOSSIL FUEL VEHICLES IS GONNA GO UP.
SO I, I DON'T SEE THIS CLIFF THAT I THOUGHT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THERE A MONTH OR MONTH OR TWO AGO.
I, I AM NOT, I'M A SIMPLE GUY, BUT I'M NOT A DUMB GUY.
AND WHENEVER I SAW THAT P P T R A ON MY BILL, IT ALWAYS LEFT ME LIKE, WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON HERE? AND IT SEEMS LIKE FUZZY MATH, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A MUCH CLEANER, UH, UH, WAY TO DO IT.
AND IT'S A MORE TRANSPARENT WAY.
THE NEXT BOARD, IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO IT, THEY'RE NOT GONNA MONKEY AROUND WITH A PERCENTAGE.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO ADDRESS THE TAX RATE, WHICH I THINK IS AS TRANSPARENCY TO THE CITIZENS THAT I THINK THE CITIZENS DESERVE.
SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS A MUCH CLEANER WAY
[00:25:01]
TO DO IT.IT'S, IT'S GIVING BACK A PORTION.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'VE, I'VE, I'VE REMARKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE OVER THE LAST, YOU KNOW, THIS WHOLE BUDGET SEASON, THIS BUDGET KEEPS GOING UP EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND I THINK WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
WE'RE, WE'RE HOLDING THAT TIGHT AND PUTTING THESE MONEY TOWARDS THE CIP P BUT I THINK, I THINK OUR CITIZENS DESERVE THIS LEVEL OF RELIEF, AND I THINK WE CAN AFFORD IT.
AND I, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE CLEANEST WAY TO DO IT.
MAY I, MAY I, UH, I'D LIKE TO RESPOND.
UM, UH, I APPRECIATE AND, AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE WRAPPING UP WAS VERY, VERY CONCISE POINT THAT YOU THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY.
AND, AND I, I DON'T, I THINK IF WE ADOPT THIS, I DON'T THINK IT'LL, I DON'T THINK IT'LL BE ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT OTHER THAN, UM, I, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HEARD ABOUT THIS TYPE TAX RELIEF AND PEOPLE WERE CALLING FOR CERTAIN THINGS.
I, AND I, I, TO YOUR POINT, YOU, YOU SAID PART OF YOU, PART OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YOU'RE, MA I THINK YOU'RE MAKING MY ARGUMENT BECAUSE YOU SAID A MONTH AGO YOU WEREN'T THERE.
NOW YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, NOW PRICE ISN'T SO, SO THAT REALITY OF WE'RE JUST NOW HERE WE ARE ON TIME TO ADOPT, AND WE'VE HAD SWINGING EMOTIONS AND, AND THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS OVER SINCE WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, IN JANUARY AND, AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO THE COMMISSIONER ABOUT WHAT A PRICE IS DOING, WHAT, WHAT, WHERE ARE YOU? AND THAT'S CONSTANT.
SO IT'S SOME WAY, I THINK YOUR, YOUR ARGUMENT AR ARGUES, UH, SUPPORTS MY ARGUMENT FOR FLEXIBILITY.
DOING IT MY WAY IS LESS TRANSPARENT.
I, I I I LOOK AT WE ARE CHARGED WITH RUNNING THE RUNNING.
MAYBE NOT TRANSPARENT, COMPLICATED, BUT YOU ALSO SAID, FAIR SAID, THIS IS MORE TRANSPARENT.
I, UH, THE, THE PROPOSED WAY IS MORE TRANSPARENT AND IT'S CUZ IT'S SIMPLER.
AND, AND I MEAN, LIFE'S NOT GETTING SIMPLER.
RUNNING THIS COUNTY IS NOT GETTING SIMPLER.
WE, THIS JOB HAS CHANGED SO MUCH, UH, WITH PARTICULARLY US, US TAKING ON TRANSPORTATION AND WE'RE AN EMERGING GROWING COUNTY.
SO I LOOK AT YES, WE'RE, WE'RE CHARGED ABSOLUTELY WITH BEING TRANSPARENT.
AND I THINK THIS MEETING SHOWS IS, IS A MANIFESTATION OF THAT TRANSPARENCY.
UM, BUT I, I THINK FLEXIBILITY IN LIGHT OF ALL THE UNCERTAINTY IN THE ENVIRONMENT, KEEPING THAT FLEXIBILITY, AND AGAIN, I GO BACK TO MY RESPONSE TO MR. PETERSON, PEOPLE CLAMORING FOR THIS TYPE TAX RELIEF.
PEOPLE JUST WANT, WELL, LAST YEAR THEY JUST WANTED THE ASSESSMENTS LOWERED.
I MEAN, PEOPLE WERE CALLING ME AND THEY SAID, I PAID MY BILL, BUT THEY'RE STILL MAD.
AND I'M LIKE, WELL, YOU'VE PAID YOUR BILL.
WHAT ARE YOU MAD ABOUT? I CAN'T SELL MY CAR FOR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IT'S WORTH.
SO THAT TO ME IS NOT REALLY, I MEAN, ULTIMATELY AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WANT TO RETURN MONEY THAT WE CAN RETURN.
BUT I THINK WE'RE ALSO AS REPRESENTATIVE AS THE PEOPLE CHARGED WITH PLANNING AND PUTTING IN PLACES SYSTEMS AND DOES TAX STRUCTURE THAT IS, PROVIDES A LITTLE APP ADAPTABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY LAST YEAR WITH A VERY FLEXIBLE TOOL TO DROP THE ASSESSMENT ONE TIME AND PROVIDE THE RELIEF THAT I THOUGHT THAT PEOPLE WERE ASKING FOR LAST YEAR.
JUST, JUST SOME RELIEF FROM THE ASSESSMENT.
SO I KNOW EVERYBODY WANTS TAX RELIEF.
I WANT TO GIVE THEM TAX RELIEF.
I THINK WE CAN GET TO THE SAME PLACE WITHOUT BOXING THE NEXT BOARD, UM, INTO A SITUATION OF RAISING TAXES.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, RAISING A TAX RATE, AND THIS IS SUCH A SIGNIFICANT DROP AND IT'S JUST JUMPS FROM WHAT WE'VE DONE BEFORE.
WE CAN HEAD THE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO HEAD.
I JUST THINK THIS IS TOO MUCH OF A DROP.
AND AGAIN, UH, YOU SAID I THINK MR. PETERSON, YOU SAID ALL THE OTHER COUNTIES ARE DOING THE SAME THING.
I, I DISAGREE AND, AND MY EXAMPLE OF CHESTERFIELD SHOWS THAT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS NOT THE SAME THING WE'RE DOING.
THEY'RE PROVIDING RELIEF, BUT THEY'RE PROVIDING IT AS THE WAY I SUGGEST IT WOULD BE A BETTER APPROACH.
YOU SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, LAST MONTH AND A HALF, THE CHANGES IN EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS IS DRIVING THIS, UM, RESPECTFULLY, IT'S DATA IS DRIVING US NOT EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS.
UM, AND I DO THINK THAT THIS GETS US, AND I THINK I'LL, I'LL SORT OF RETORT.
IT'S KIND OF HARD TO, BUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING US MAKING THIS SIGNIFICANT OF A JUMP MAKES US LESS RELIANT ON THE VOLATILITY.
WHAT I HEARD MR. PETERSON SAYING, AND I, I DON'T, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A GOOD THING, MR. VADERS, UH, I'LL KEEP MY COMMENTS VERY BRIEF.
UM, I SUPPORT TAX RELIEF IN EVERY SHAPE AND FORM IF WE LOSE ONE MEMBER OF FIRE AND RESCUE OF THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOLS.
UM, BECAUSE WE CAN'T FUND THE, UH, SALARIES TO BE COMPETITIVE AND TO KEEP THESE PEOPLE, THAT'S WHERE
[00:30:01]
THE JUMP WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HITS HOME.AND SO I, UM, I I LOVE AGGRESSIVE TAX POLICY AND MAKING IT BETTER, BUT I JUST THINK THIS IS TOO FAR REACHING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, SORRY, I'M JUST GETTING MY COMMENTS ON THE RECORD.
MR. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? MR. PETERSON? UM, CHAIR, I'M TRYING TO LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY TO MY COLLEAGUES HERE.
UM, ONE QUESTION WAS, UH, THE MAGNITUDE, AND IF YOU TAKE OUR YEAR TO DATE, RESIDUAL SURPLUS, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, THE YEAR TO DATE THIS YEAR, AND THE 5 MILLION THAT THE, UM, COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS COME BACK AND SAID THAT, UM, THE REVENUES CONTINUE TO BE STRONGER THAN BEFORE.
SO WE HAVE 5 MILLION ADDITIONAL, IF YOU, IF YOU, IF YOU SIMPLY ADD THOSE TWO TOGETHER, HOW ARE WE DOING THIS YEAR AND WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT NEXT YEAR IN TERMS OF THE UPSIDE, UH, THAT'S BEING, UH, PROPOSED? THIS RELIEF WOULD BE ABOUT 22% OF THAT SURPLUS INCREASE ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS FUNDING ALL OF THE OPERATING EXPENSES, ALL OF THE C I P, ALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY INDIVIDUALS FUNDING EVERYTHING THAT'S THERE.
AND THEN THIS SURPLUS OR EXCESS, ONLY ABOUT 22% OF IT BEING PROVIDED IN RELIEF, THE OTHER 80 GOING TO EITHER RESERVES OR, OR TO ADDITIONAL ACCELERATION OF CAPITAL PROGRAMS. SO, SO IN TERMS OF ORDER OF MAGNITUDE, I JUST WANT TO GET LET FOLKS KNOW WHAT THE ORDER OF MAGNITUDE IS HERE.
IT'S ABOUT 20% OF THAT, OF THAT UPSIDE.
UH, AND, AND OF COURSE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE REALLY ENJOYED ON THIS BOARD IS THAT WE, UM, FEEL SAFE AND COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO SHARE OUR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS AND VOTE OUR CONSCIENCE.
AND, AND WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN FREE TO DO THAT.
AND SO THIS KIND OF A HEALTHY INTERACTION, UH, IS SOMETHING I WELCOME ON THIS BOARD.
AND I WAS TRYING TO FOLLOW THE NUMBERS.
I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, I'M A LAWYER.
I CAN FOLLOW THE POLICIES AND I CAN ALSO COUNT TO THREE, BUT I, I MIGHT NEED SOME HELP ON, I MIGHT NEED SOME HELP
IF YOU COULD CLARIFY, UM, THE, THE SURPLUS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, DOES THAT INCLUDE THE 8 MILLION PROJECTED SURPLUS THAT IS IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR? WELL, WE'VE, UM, UH, HAVE SOME PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF OUR THIRD QUARTER, UH, FOR THIS YEAR, THIRD FISCAL QUARTER.
UM, AND THAT IS COMING IN, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, ABOUT, UH, 8.2, 8.3 MILLION.
UM, AND YOU HEARD THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SUGGEST THERE'S, UH, 5 MILLION REVENUE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE ORIGINAL BUDGET, UH, PROJECTION FOR, FOR FY 24.
UM, SO OUT OF THAT, WE'RE, THEY MENTIONED THAT THE 2 99 WOULD BE ABOUT, WELL, IT'S $3 MILLION, $3 MILLION, SO 3 MILLION OUT OF THAT, YOU KNOW, 13, 13, 13 0.3.
BUT, BUT I, BUT I, I STRUGGLE, I STRUGGLE WITH YOU INCLUDING THE 8 MILLION SURPLUS IN YOUR, IN YOUR ARGUMENT, BECAUSE THAT IS BASED ON THE PRIOR TAX THAT'S HERE BECAUSE WE HAD A HIGHER TAX RATE.
SO YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENT COUNTING THE 8 MILLION SURPLUS IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, THE, THE 5 MILLION THAT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SHARED WITH US.
ONLY A PORTION OF THAT BE USED FOR THE TAX RELIEF, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHICH IS RECURRING IT'S ROOF THOMPSON VEHICLES AND THEY'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
SO IT'S A PORTION OF THAT INCREASE FOR THIS YEAR.
SO WE'RE NOT USING ANY OF THAT 8.3 TO FINANCE THIS, THAT, THAT, THAT'S ONE TIME.
AND THAT SHOULD BE USED FOR ONE TIME TYPE THINGS LIKE CIP P AND RESERVES AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
BUT THE RECURRING 5 MILLION THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING HERE IN THE BUDGET, ONLY A PORTION OF THAT WOULD BE ALL IT'S NEEDED TO COMPLETELY FUND THIS LEVEL OF RELIEF.
THE REST OF IT WOULD BE, UH, RETAINED TO HIGH, UH, UH, POTENTIALLY HIGHER PERSONNEL OR SALARY INCREASES AND THAT KIND OF THING.
AND, AND LET ME CLARIFY ONE MORE THING.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOR EMPLOYEES THAT MIGHT BE LISTENING, AND I CHARACTERIZE WAGES AND SALARIES AS RELATIVELY MORE STABLE THAN THE HIGHLY VITAL SOURCE OF REVENUE, A 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 10% CHANGE IN SALARIES IS MUCH LESS THAN A 40% CHANGE IN CAR VALUES.
SO WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT, UM, STABILITY OR RELATIVE STABILITY, IT'S IN RELATION TO OTHER LEVELS OF VOLATILITY AS OPPOSED TO, TO BEING FLAT.
UH, YES, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I, I DO WANNA, UH, STRESS ONE ASPECT OF THIS.
UH, STAFF WOULD NOT, UH, HAVE ANY CONCERNS IN THE, UM, STABILITY OF THIS BUDGET IF IT IS APPROVED, IS PRESENTED.
UH, WE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE REVENUE PROJECTIONS FOR THIS COMING YEAR AND THE FOLLOWING YEAR, UH, BEING ABLE TO MEET
[00:35:01]
THOSE NEEDS AS THE COUNTY AS WE LOOK INTO THE FUTURE AND SEE WHAT IS GOING TO BE COMING ONLINE FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AS, AS NEW HOUSES COME ONLINE, AS A NEW COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IS ADDED TO THIS COMMUNITY AS PEOPLE DO MOVE IN AND BRING NEW CARS WITH THEM.SO THE COMFORT LEVEL THAT STAFF HAS IN OUR ABILITY TO MEET THESE OBLIGATIONS AND CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF SERVICES THAT ARE EXPECTED IS STRONG.
WE WOULD NOT, UM, HAVE RECOMMENDED A BUDGET THAT WE DID NOT FEEL WAS SUCH.
SO I JUST WANNA, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD DOES UNDERSTAND THAT THAT STAFF IS COMFORTABLE WITH OUR ABILITY TO MEET OBLIGATIONS EVEN WITH, UH, A REDUCTION IN TAXES SUCH AS THIS.
THANK YOU, MR. CARPENTER, MR. LUKINS, AND THANK YOU, MR. CARPENTER.
BUT I, I HOPE I, I TRIED TO BE CLEAR FROM THE OUTSET THAT I THINK WE CAN GET TO THE NUMBER WE'RE TRYING TO GET HERE, THAT THERE'S NO, I HAVE NO QUESTION THAT THE BUDGET IS STRONG, THE COUNTY'S IN GREAT CONDITION, AND, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF THAT AND YOU'VE, YOU'VE SHARPENED THE PENCILS AND FOUND THE 5 MILLION AND WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THAT.
SO I, I, I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT, BUT I HOPE NOTHING I SAID PROMPTED YOU TO TRY TO EXPRESS THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M, THAT'S, I HOPE I WAS CLEAR FROM THE START.
I THINK WE CAN GET TO THE NUMBER WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO.
I, I THINK THAT THE METHODOLOGY, AND THAT'S WHY I TAKE ISSUE WITH THIS TYPE OF TAX RELIEF.
I THINK WE CAN GET TO THE NUMBER, BUT I, I, I JUST WANTED TO PRESERVE A D I WANTED TO, I WANT, I WOULD PREFER A DIFFERENT APPROACH, UH, IS ALL, ALL I'M SAYING THAT THAT WOULD AGAIN, HAVE THE NEXT BOARD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE SAME THING, BUT LOOK AT THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND DO THE SAME THING EACH YEAR AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS VERSUS SUCH A DRASTIC ONE-TIME DROP IN, IN RATES IN A, IN A VOLATILE NATIONAL ECONOMY, PARTICULARLY IN THE TIME OF A VOLATILE NATIONAL ECONOMIC OUTLOOK BOARD.
ALL RIGHT, MR. CARPENTER, ROLL CALL.
IS THE MOTION AS A, IS A AS AMENDED? YES, MA'AM.
I JUST WANTED TO JUST VERIFY THAT.
UM, UH, THIS, THIS IS GONNA LOOK GREAT IN THE PAPER.
ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON MS. CAVE.
I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION AND THE REST OF THESE SLIDES ARE BASED ON THE 2 99 TAX RATE.
SO KEEPING THAT IN MIND, UM, HAS MR. LUMPKIN'S ADDRESSED EARLIER? WE ALSO NEED TO SET THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF RATE.
UM, WE DO RECEIVE 2.85 MILLION EACH YEAR FROM THE STATE.
UM, AND THEN WE ARE ABLE TO PASS THAT ON TO CITIZENS AND ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RELIEF IN THIS FORM IF WE SO CHOOSE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
UM, GLAND'S RATE HAS BEEN SET AT 30%, AND WE ARE LOOKING TO UP THAT BY 2% TO SET IT AT 32% TAX RELIEF, 2% INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR.
MR. LOPEZ, I'M SORRY, I LEFT, LEFT MY MIC ON FROM LAST TIME.
WE ADOPT THE 2023 PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF RATE AS PRESENTED.
IS THAT AS AMENDED, NOT AS PRESENTED AS, AS, AS AMENDED PRESENTED
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
UM, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION EARLIER ABOUT, UM, A LITTLE DISAPPOINTMENT THAT WE COULDN'T STEER A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE RELIEF TOWARD, UH, THE FIRST 20,000, THE, THE, THE, THE LOWER PRICE VEHICLE.
IT, IT, IT INCREASES THE RELIEF SPECIFICALLY TOWARD THOSE LOWER PRICE VEHICLES.
SO IT MAKES THIS REGRESSIVE TAX AT THE MARGIN A TINY BIT MORE PROGRESSIVE, AND THAT IT PROVIDES MORE OF THE RELIEF TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE, IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO, THIS IS WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE WORKED A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT UNDERSTAND, I'M GOOD.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ROLL COVO.
[2. 5704: Resolution Setting the Percentage of Personal Property Tax Relief for]
PART THREE, UM, BUDGET RELATED ORDINANCE CHANGES THIS,[3. 5697: Ordinance amending the County Fee Schedule, Appendix C to the County]
UM, THESE FEW ORDINANCE CHANGES.[00:40:01]
UM, IN THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, AND UTILITIES WERE PRESENTED WITH THE ORIGINAL BUDGET PRESENTATION.NO CHANGES WERE DISCUSSED AT THE PUBLIC HEARING, SO THIS MOTION WILL BE AS PRESENTED.
THIS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS NO AMENDMENTS TO WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED PRIOR.
AND JUST TO RECAP, THE WATER AND VOLUME, SER WATER VOLUME AND SERVICE FEES WOULD INCREASE BY 3%.
SEWER VOLUME AND SERVICE FEES WOULD INCREASE BY 4%.
WATER AND SEWER CONNECTION FEES, FIVE AND A HALF PERCENT.
AND THEN TWO CHANGES IN ITINERANT MERCHANT PERMIT FEES, A DECREASE AND A REMOVAL SPEED.
UM, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD ADOPT IS PRESENTED.
THIS ORDINANCE AMENDING THE GUCCI COUNTY FEE SCHEDULE.
APPENDIX C TO THE CODE OF ORDINANCES.
ANY DISCUSSION? JUST ONE COMMENT.
UH, I'M PARTICULARLY, UH, GLAD TO SEE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO RESOLVE THE, UM, ITINERANT MERCHANT SITUATION THAT WE HAD EARLIER.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HELP OUR SMALL, SOME OF THESE SMALL BUSINESSES.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ROLL CALL VOTE.
AND BEFORE WE ADOPT THE BUDGET, SO THE NEXT TWO STEPS ARE TO ADOPT THE BUDGET AND THEN APPROPRIATE THE BUDGET.
BEFORE WE ADOPT, I'M JUST GONNA GONNA GO OVER WHAT AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN
[4. 5695: Adoption of the County Administrator’s Proposed FY2024 Budget]
MADE SINCE THE ORIGINAL PRESENTATION ON FEBRUARY 21ST.SO SINCE FEBRUARY 21ST, WE HAVE, UM, REANALYZED THE ECONOMY AND DECIDED THAT WE THINK THE REVENUE WILL INCREASE BY RIGHT UNDER $5 MILLION THAT WAS PRESENTED, UH, RIGHT BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO ALSO AT THE PUBLIC HEARING, WE HAD PUT BEFORE YOU, UM, THE OPTIONS, AS YOU KNOW, OF, WE COULD GIVE THAT BACK TO CITIZENS IN THE FORM OF TAX RELIEF.
WE COULD, UM, FUND ADDITIONAL OPERATING EXPENSES AND WE COULD FUND ADDITIONAL C I P, AND WE LET YOU GUYS DECIDE THAT.
AND THE CHANGES, OR WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THAT 5 MILLION ARE, WE'RE GIVING 3 MILLION IN TAX RELIEF.
WE ARE, UM, TO FUND THAT THE, THE FUND, THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY SUGGESTED WE'RE GOING TO USE $750,000 A FUND BALANCE.
UM, SO THAT IS A, A CHANGE FROM OUR LAST DISCUSSION OF 2.7 MILLION.
SO THE NET CHANGE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE 3 MILLION DECREASE IN THE 750,000 INCREASE IS 2.25 MILLION.
AND THAT'S WHAT WILL CHANGE FROM THE ORIGINAL PRESENTED BUDGET.
SO WHAT'S BEING FUNDED IN THIS BUDGET NOW IS A 7% COST OF LIVING INCREASE RATHER THAN 5%.
AND, UM, SHERIFF DEPUTIES AND FIRE RESCUE EMPLOYEES WILL RECEIVE A TOTAL OF 11% RAISE AND COMMUNICATION OFFICERS WILL RECEIVE 13% RAISE THAT COST, $865,000.
UM, THOSE SMALLER COSTS WERE BRINGING ON FOUR NEW FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
UM, AND THEN SEVERAL SMALL OPERATING EXPENSES.
THE BIGGEST PORTION OF THAT WAS TO PROVIDE MORE TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR, UM, WE WERE CALLING THEM CLOSING COSTS, BUT TO GET PROJECTS DOWN THE ROAD FOR LAST MINUTE CHANGES THAT NEED TO HAPPEN TO MAKE DEALS CLOSED, UM, WE'RE GONNA GIVE THE SCHOOLS $500,000 TO FUND THEIR ADDITIONAL 2% COST OF LIVING INCREASE.
UM, SAME WITH UTILITIES AND OFFICE OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES.
THOSE FUNDS WILL INCREASE BY A SMALL AMOUNT TO FUND THE SALARY INCREASE.
UM, WE ARE ADDING AN AMBULANCE AND AN ADDITIONAL $500,000 TO PUT TOWARDS, UM, FUTURE CIP P WHICHEVER PROJECTS WE FIND TO BE, UM, MOST IMPORTANT AT THE TIME.
SO WE'RE GONNA INCREASE C I P BY $876,000.
SO THOSE, THAT SUMMARIZES WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR $5 MILLION.
SO THE NET CHANGE TO THE ORIGINAL PRESENTED BUDGET IS 2.25 MILLION.
UM, THAT, SO THE BOTTOM LINE WILL DECREASE BY THAT AMOUNT FROM WHAT'S IN YOUR PACKET.
SO THIS WILL SHOW OUR BOTTOM LINE OF $141,411,148.
THAT'S A 13.7% INCREASE, BOTTOM LINE, ALL FUNDS.
AND THIS MOTION IS TO, UM, ADOPT THIS AS AMENDED ALONG WITH THE 25 YEAR C I P PROGRAM THAT WE HAD HAD IN THE WORKSHOP.
[00:45:01]
YES, MR. CHAIR, IF YOU COULD, UM, IF YOU COULD JUST BACK UP A COUPLE SLIDES VERY QUICKLY.I JUST WANNA TOUCH ON A FEW THINGS.
UH, MAYBE THE, UH, THE, WHERE THE 5 MILLION WAS YEP.
WAS GOING, BECAUSE IT FOLLOWS ON OUR EARLIER DISCUSSION OF, UM, PROVIDING, UM, A PORTION OF THAT 5 MILLION AS RELIEF MM-HMM.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE WITH THAT 5 MILLION, UM, 3 MILLION OF THE FIVE, UM, WE'D GO TO FUND THE, THE TAX RELIEF WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
UM, AND WHERE IT SAYS USE OF PRIOR FUND BALANCE, IT'S, IT'S REALLY USE OF FUND BALANCE.
I GUESS WE'RE PULLING THAT FROM THE, UH, CIP P, UM, FUTURE CIP P PROGRAMS, UM, DESIGNATED FUNDS, UH, ON THE THEORY THAT THERE'LL BE A SUBSTANTIAL, UH, RETURN OF FUNDS BACK TO THAT, UH, THAT CATEGORY.
SO IT'S KIND OF A TEMPORARY, UH, AND THEN IF YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ELSE ARE WE ABLE TO DO, BE BEYOND THAT TAX RELIEF? ARE WE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR PERSONNEL, UM, FIRE RESCUE, SHERIFF DEPUTIES, ALL OF THE IMPORTANT, UM, FIRST RESPONDERS.
AND YOU CAN SEE IN HERE, WE, UM, WE, WE, WE DO INCREASE THE COST OF LIVING.
WE DO INCREASE THE, THE COMPENSATION FOR THOSE FIRST RESPONDERS, THOSE VERY IMPORTANT PUBLIC SAFETY INDIVIDUALS, UM, AND THE COMMUNICATION OFFICERS AS WELL.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE ALSO ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES, UM, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO EDUCATION.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE IN THAT POSITION OF BEING ABLE TO DO, UH, A, A LOT OF EVERYTHING AS OPPOSED TO JUST ONE PARTICULAR THING.
UM, SO THEN IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
I BELIEVE IT WAS, UM, WELL, NOT THIS ONE, THE, THE NEXT ONE AFTER THAT.
SO FOR THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING AT HOME OR IN THE AUDIENCE HERE, YOU SEE THE BOTTOM LINE, BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER, 13.7% INCREASE.
THAT'S ALMOST HALF OF THAT IS, UM, OUR, OUR CAPITAL, UH, IMPROVEMENTS.
THE, THE $26 MILLION, IT'S A NINE.
UH, IF YOU TOOK THAT, THAT 9 MILLION, UH, DELTA, UH, THE, THE 9 MILLION INCREASE, UH, UH, HERE I'M LOOKING AT THE SECOND TO LAST LINE.
UM, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS STARTS AT 11 MANGOES TO 16.
YOU SEE THE 26 MILLION IS A 9 MILLION INCREASE.
THAT 9 MILLION INCREASE IS ALMOST HALF OF THAT 17 MILLION INCREASE YOU SEE AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT COLUMN.
UM, SO THAT 13 REALLY IS ABOUT A SIX OR 7% INCREASE.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE THE CAPITAL SPENDING INCREASES ON TOP OF THAT.
SO FOR THE NORMAL RECURRING KIND OF NUMBERS, IT'S NOT A 13 OR 14% INCREASE IN THE OVERALL BUDGET.
JUST WANTED, WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
AND OVER 15 MILLION OF THAT IS GIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH IS DEFINITELY A ONE TIME IN, IN ANY TIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE EXPENSE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? DO I HAVE A MOTION? UH, MR. CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD ADOPT AS AMENDED.
THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS PROPOSED FY 24 BUDGET AND 25 YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
[5. 5696: Resolution to Appropriate Designated Funds and Accounts from Estimated]
WE JUST NEED TO APPROPRIATE.THAT'S JUST TO ALLOW THE DEPARTMENTS TO SPEND THEIR MONEY.
AND THAT'S ALSO AS AMENDED AS AS AMENDED.
UH, MR. CHAIR, GO AHEAD AND MAKE THIS MOTION AS WELL.
UM, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVE AS AMENDED, UH, THE FISCAL YEAR 2024.
BUDGET APPROPRIATION RESOLUTION.
MS. LASETTE, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ROLL CALL VOTE.
WELL, I, I, I'M SURE I CAN SPEAK FOR MOST OF THE BOARD HERE WHEN I JUST TELL, UH, STAFF HOW MUCH STAFF AND THE OTHER CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS THAT HAVE WORKED WITH US, THE SCHOOLS, UM, HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIPS IN ALL THIS.
THIS IS NOT, UH, IN MY SHORT TENURE HERE, THIS HAS BEEN THE HARDEST THING WE'VE DONE IS THE BUDGETS.
MY FIRST YEAR WE HAD TO DO TWO AND SIX MONTHS CUZ OF COVID.
SO, UH, WE HAD, I GOT A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA PRACTICE, BUT JUST THANK, UH, MS. CARPENT, YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND, UH, DR.
RAILING AND HIS, HIS STAFF AND THE BOARD, UH, SCHOOL BOARD AND CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS.
SO WE HAVE A BUDGET AND, UM, APPRECIATE MR. JEFF.
COULD I JUST SUGGEST THAT TO MR. CARPENTER COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR THAT THEY NOT START ON THE FI 25 BUDGET TOMORROW? JUST WAIT AT LEAST A DAY.
WELL, IT GETS A DINNER BREAK,
AND WE, UM, WE ALSO THANK THE CITIZENS, UH, GREATLY FOR BEING ON TIME PAYERS AND
[00:50:01]
TO, AND, AND SUPPORTING, UH, THE EFFORTS AND GIVING THE FEEDBACK NECESSARY TO GET A BUDGET THAT REFLECTS THE VALUES OF THIS COMMUNITY.SO AT THAT, I WILL, UH, MR. LUKIN, MAY I JUST, UH, JUST, UH, YOU MENTIONED DR.
RAYLAND, THE SCHOOLS, AND I JUST WANNA SHOUT OUT TO DR.
ANDY ARMSTRONG WHO'S JOINED US TODAY.
HE'S, HE'S THE, AS Y'ALL KNOW, THE INTERIM, UH, SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT.
SO I JUST WANNA CONGRATULATE HIM AND WELCOME HIM.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK TO DATE AND, AND GOING FORWARD.
WE WILL STAND IN RECESS TILL OUR SIX O'CLOCK MEETING.
[IX. Dinner Break/Recess]
[01:31:41]
ALL[01:31:41]
RIGHT.[01:31:41]
GOOD[X. 6:00 PM - Chair Calls Meeting Back to Order]
[01:31:42]
EVENING[01:31:42]
EVERYBODY.[01:31:42]
WELCOME[01:31:43]
TO[01:31:43]
THE CITIZEN, THE 6:00 PM UH, UH, APRIL 18TH MEETING FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT.
WE HAVE SEVERAL ITEMS, BOARD THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO POTENTIALLY NOT HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING AS THEY'RE BEING DEFERRED OR SENT TO BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO WE WILL START OFF WITH OUR FIRST PUBLIC HERE, OUR FIRST ITEM IN FRONT OF US.
UH, AND MS.
AND, UH, I'LL TURN OVER TO YOU, CITIZEN.
YEAH, AND I NEED THE PRESENTATION UP WHEN WE'RE READY.
UM, THE ACTUAL FIRST THING IS ASSISTANT COMMENT.
SO THIS IS THE PERIOD FOR YOU TO ADDRESS THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON
[XI. Citizen Comment]
SOMETHING THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA THAT TONIGHT.JUST PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE, GIVE US YOUR NAME, YOUR ADDRESS, AND, UH, PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.
SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING THAT IS, UH, JERMAINE TO GUCCI COUNTY, BUT NOT ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, UM, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME OUT.
I KNOW WHAT I THOUGHT GOING ONCE.
I'M GONNA CLOSE THE CITIZEN COMMENT PERIOD NOW FOR REALSIES.
[XII. Public Hearings]
ALL NEW[1. 5699: Countywide – ZOA-2022-00006 – Amendment to Zoning Ordinance Sec.]
GOOD EVENING.I'M CRYSTAL ANNIS, DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BEFORE YOU, TONIGHT YOU HAVE A REQUEST TO WITHDRAW.
THIS RELATES TO THE COMMUNITY MEETING, UM, ORDINANCE AMENDMENT REQUIREMENT.
AT THIS TIME, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING TO THE BOARD TO VOTE TO WITHDRAW THIS ORDINANCE AMENDMENT.
UM, THERE, THERE'S SEVERAL FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN THIS, AND WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME PERFORMING DUE DILIGENCE BASED ON COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, BASED ON, UH, BOARD FEEDBACK AND DIRECTION AS WELL.
THERE'S NOT A CLEAR CUT SET OF OBJECTIVE CRITERIA THAT WE CAN APPLY THAT ELIMINATES COMMUNITY MEETING FOR CERTAIN CASES, OR, UM, REQUIRES IT FOR SOME.
THERE'S NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
THERE'S ALSO A HIGH LEVEL OF ACTIVITY OCCURRING IN THE COUNTY.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE A GROWING COUNTY.
UM, THERE'S ALSO THE PROJECTED GROWTH AS WELL AS TRYING TO KEEP WITH OUR CURRENT VALUE THAT IS VERY CORE TO GUGLIN AND THAT IS TRANSPARENCY.
SO BASED ON THAT, STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT, UH, THE BOARD VOTE TO WITHDRAW THIS.
BOARD, YOU HEARD STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
IS THERE A MOTION, JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING.
THIS PART IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING, RIGHT? NO, IT'S UNDER THE PUBLIC HEARING BUCKET.
BUT, BUT, BUT IF WE'RE WITHDRAWING, WE'RE NOT REQUIRED TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, THEN MR. CHAIRMAN, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WITHDRAW THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION 15 DASH 56.
ANY DISCUSSION? COMMENT? YES, GO AHEAD MS. VASCO.
SO ORIGINALLY I WAS VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF THIS, UH, FOR A COUPLE REASONS.
IT WAS AN EFFORT TO BE MORE EFFICIENT IN THE COUNTY.
I'VE BEEN TO MANY, UM, COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT WERE EXTREMELY LOW IMPACT, UM, AND VERY FEW PEOPLE ATTENDING.
HOWEVER, THE DEVIL'S ALWAYS IN THE DETAILS, RIGHT? AND HOW TO CRAFT
[01:35:01]
AN ORDINANCE THAT WE COULD APPLY ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BOARD.AND THE MORE WE HEARD FROM CITIZENS, THE MORE WE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, WE REALIZED THERE WAS REALLY NO GOOD WAY, AS MS. SON IDAS SAID.
UH, SO IF WE CAN'T DEFINE IT, WE CAN'T DO IT.
SO JUST WANTING TO GO ON RECORD AND SAY, THIS SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA, UM, BUT IT ENDED UP NOT WORKING OUT THE WAY WE THOUGHT IT WOULD.
ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, I'VE GOT A MOTION IN THE SECOND.
[2. 5649: District 5 - RZ-2022-00004 – Application by Tuckahoe Lands, LLC]
A SECOND ITEM.THIS IS TO REMAND TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
THIS IS FOR DISTRICT FIVE FOR, UH, REZONING APPLICATION 20 20 20.
THIS APPLICATION IS BY TUCKAHOE LANDS, LLC.
JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THIS.
UM, THE CURRENT STATUS IS THAT THERE'S BEEN MATERIAL REVISIONS TO THIS CASE.
AS SUCH, REMAND TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS UP FOR CONSIDERATION FOR YOU ALL TONIGHT TO ALLOW THE PLANNING COMMISSION THE ABILITY TO HEAR THE CHANGES PROPOSED IN THE APPLICANT'S LAND USE APPLICATION.
AND JUST FOR CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND, THERE WAS A COMMUNITY MEETING HELD ON THE ORIGINAL LAND USE APPLICATION IN FEBRUARY, UM, OF 2022.
THERE WAS, UM, A PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING ON THE ORIGINAL LAND USE APPLICATION, UM, AS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED IN FEBRUARY OF 2023 WITH A FIVE OH DENIAL RECOMMENDED.
AND INITIALLY IT WAS INTENDED THAT YOU ALL WOULD BE HEARING THIS CASE THIS EVENING.
HOWEVER, BASED ON MATERIAL CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED, UM, REMAND TO PLANNING COMMISSION IS UP FOR CONSIDERATION.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, THANK YOU MR. KNIGHTS BOARD.
ANY QUESTIONS OR A MOTION FOR STAFF? DOES IS THE APPLICANT, IS THE APPLICANT IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS? YEAH.
I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT IS HERE OR THE REPRESENTATIVE IS HERE.
JENNIFER MULLEN FROM RALPH JACKSON ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT TUCKAHOE LAND.
AND WE ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS.
MR. CHAIR, IF YOU'RE PREPARED TO PLEASE ENTERTAIN A MOTION, UM, BASED ON THE, UH, APPLICANT'S MATERIAL, MATERIAL REVISIONS TO THIS CASE, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD REMAND THIS CASE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR AN ADDITIONAL PUBLIC HEARING AND RECOMMENDATION FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON THIS REVISED APPLICATION.
UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ANY QUESTIONS? ROCO VOTE PLEASE.
SO THIS IS A REQUEST TO DEFER A REZONING APPLICATION 20 23 0 0 0 0 1.
THIS IS AN APPLICATION FOR AN INDUSTRIAL PARK THAT IS ACTUALLY RUNNING CONCURRENTLY THROUGH HANOVER COUNTY AS WELL.
AS SUCH, THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING DEFERRAL TO THE JUNE 6TH MEETING.
MR. LUKINS, MR. CHAIRMAN, I MOVE THAT WE DEFER THIS APPLICATION TO THE JUNE, WHAT DATE DO YOU SAY? SIXTH JUNE.
OKAY, WE GOT, THANK YOU, MR. PETERSON.
WE GOT A, A MOTION AND A SECOND.
DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MS. LASETTE? UH, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
IS THIS A COORDINATION ISSUE BETWEEN THE TWO WHEN THE TWO COUNTY BOARDS ARE HEARING IT? THERE'S ONGOING COORDINATION EFFORTS WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICES IN BOTH LOCALITIES AS WELL AS PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, ORGANIZATIONS IN BOTH LOCALITIES, JUST FIGURING OUT LOGISTICS.
NOW WE'RE ON THE MEAT AND POTATOES
UM, OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING, UH, CONSIDERATION OF THE EVENING, UH, IS FOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 20 23 0 0 0 1 FOR LUXTON CORPORATION.
[3. 5686: District 4 - CU-2023-00001 – Application by Luck Stone Corporation]
THIS IS RELATING TO AN ASPHALT MIXING PLANT AT A SITE THAT IS A, CURRENTLY A LITTLE OVER 11 ACRES.[01:40:02]
THIS IS A ZONING MAP.IT ACTUALLY SHOWS THAT IT'S M TWO AND IT ALLOWS FOR, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, HEAVY INDUSTRIAL INTENSIVE USES AND MANUFACTURING.
ALSO, THE COMP PLAN DESIGNATES THIS EXACT SAME AREA AS INDUSTRIAL.
SO IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE COMP PLAN.
THIS IS AN AERIAL OF THE ACTUAL SITE.
THERE'S A QUARRY THERE AS WELL AS AN ASPHALT MIXING PLANT.
SO, IN SUMMARY, YOU KNOW, WHY IS THIS APPLICATION HERE BEFORE YOU ALL? I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE ORIGINAL REZONING FOR LUCK WAS DONE IN 1976 AND IN THE SEVENTIES, AN ASPHALT MIXING PLANT BEGAN TO OPERATE CONCURRENTLY ON THAT SITE AS WELL.
THAT USE IS ACTUALLY GRANDFATHERED, UM, AS A USE AT THIS TIME.
SO THE APPLICANT IS, IN ESSENCE, SEEKING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO TAKE THAT GRANDFATHERED USE AND BRING IT INTO A CONFORMING USE THROUGH THE C U P PROCESS.
SO THE A, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES TO THE SITE, ANY OPERATIONAL, UM, MODIFICATIONS.
IT'S PURELY TO MAKE IT A CONFORMING USE.
HERE'S THE CONCEPTUAL PLAN AND JUST THEIR EXISTING LAYOUT OF WHAT THEY HAVE AT THAT FACILITY.
SO JUST AGAIN, UM, WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING IS NOT ANY CHANGE TO THE CURRENT LAYOUT.
IT'S BRINGING IN A CONFORM TO HAVE A CONFORMING USE.
THERE WAS A COMMUNITY MEETING HELD.
ACTUALLY, THERE WAS A TOUR OFFERED AS WELL.
THERE WAS ONE QUESTION THAT WAS RECEIVED RELATING TO AN ADJACENT PROSPECT, UH, BUSINESS THAT HAS BEEN, UH, DISCUSSED PUBLICLY.
UM, THAT'S AN E-COMMERCE DISTRIBUTION FACILITY.
NO ONE AT THE COMMUNITY MEETING OUT OF THE 15 ATTENDEES EXPRESSED OPPOSITION TO THIS REQUEST.
THIS CASE WAS ALSO HEARD AT THE MARCH 2ND PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING MEETING RATHER, AND IT WAS APPROVED ON A FOUR OH VOTE.
MR. MYERS WAS NOT AT THAT, UH, SORRY, A LITTLE TONGUE TIED.
MR. MYERS WAS ABSENT AT THAT MEETING.
UM, NO ONE ACTUALLY SPOKEN OPPOSITION, UM, OR, UM, IN SUPPORT OF IT.
THESE ARE A SUMMARY OF THE CONDITIONS.
AGAIN, THERE'S NOT A SUBSTANTIAL OPERATIONAL OR, UM, SITE LAYOUT CHANGE.
THIS IS JUST THAT THEY'RE PROFFERING THEIR CONCEPTUAL PLAN.
UM, IF THE PROPERTY HAS A TRANSFER, LEASE YOUR STANDARD LANGUAGE.
ANY QUESTIONS? HAPPY TO ANSWER.
ANY QUESTIONS? MR. UM, SOMETIMES THERE'LL BE AN EXPIRATION DATE.
THERE'S NO EXPIRATION ON THIS.
THERE IS NO EXPIRATION DATE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW.
THE USE THAT THEY'RE SEEKING, THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR IS ACTUALLY GRANDFATHERED IN.
UM, IS THE APPLICANT HERE? YES, SIR.
DO THEY WANT A SANDING OR, YOU'RE WELCOME.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE COUNCILWOMAN AND MEN, UM, AND ADMINISTRATION.
UM, I THINK STAFF HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB, UH, EXPLAINING WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE'VE HAD THIS PROPERTY SINCE THE 1960S.
UH, WE ADDED THE ASAL PLANT IN THE 1970S.
AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH, UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE A HUNDRED YEAR OLD COMPANY AND A LOT OF OUR, UH, USES ARE, HAVE BEEN PROFFERED IN AS ORDINANCES HAVE BEEN CREATED, AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH OUR PORTFOLIO AND JUST GETTING EVERYTHING TIDY AND, AND NEAT WITH OUR ORDINANCES.
UM, SO I'M HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
I ALSO HAVE, UH, BOBBY KLUK AND MITCHELL EDWARDS, WHO ARE RUN OPERATIONS AT OUR ROCKVILLE PLANT FOR QUESTIONS TO YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR, FOR THE PUBLIC? OH, COULD YOU JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD? OH, I'M VERY SORRY.
VIC MURPHY WITH LUCK COMPANIES.
SO NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA GET INTO THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO FOR THE, I SEE SOME, SOME NEW FACES TO JUST KIND OF TALK ABOUT HOW THIS GOES.
YOU SAW THAT WE HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION.
WE GET TO ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS, BUT THEN NOW WE'LL OPEN UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
UM, AND THEN, UM, THE BOARD WILL THEN CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THE APPLICANT CAN COME BACK UP AND ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS THAT THEY MAY HAVE HEARD, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO WORK.
UH, WE'LL GET A MOTION AND DISCUSSION AND, UM, WE'LL WORK ON THIS APPLICATION.
SO AT THIS TIME, I AM OPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING, SEEING NO ONE COMING UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS CASE.
I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
BOARD, ANY QUESTIONS? ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO THE ADVOCATE? DO I HAVE A MOTION GIVEN THE LUCK IS GRANDFATHER TO DO THIS AND THAT THEY ARE GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR COUNTY AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR COUNTY.
I MOVE THAT, UH, THE BOARD GRANT CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT
[01:45:01]
CU 20 23 1 FOR AN ASPHALT MC PLAN AT 2,115.SORRY, 2 1 15 ASHLYN ROAD, SUBJECT TO THE IMPOSED CONDITIONS AS PRES PRESENTED.
MR. LUKINS, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, ROLL CALL VOTE.
NOW I THINK ALL YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR OUR FIFTH CASE OF THE EVENING.
[4. 5689: District 4 - RZ-2023-00002 – Application by Goochland County, Virginia]
GOOD EVENING.THIS IS YOUR LAST CASE FOR CONSIDERATION THIS EVENING.
SO BEFORE YOU ALL FOR CONSIDERATION TONIGHT, YOU HAVE A REZONING FOR A FIVE ACRE PARCEL.
THIS IS R Z 20 23 0 0 0 0 2, UM, KNOWN AS THE GLAND COUNTY HAWK ROAD FIRE STATION.
THE EXISTING USE THERE IS M ONE INDUSTRIAL LIMITED AND THE REQUEST IS TO REZONE TO A B ONE WITH PROFFERS.
UM, SO THE USE FOR THIS IS INTENDED AS A NEW FIRE STATION WITH A LOCATION OFF OF HOCKETT ROAD AND THE LAND USE IS DESIGNATED AS PRIME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO, AS I BRIEFLY COVERED BEFORE, THIS IS THE ZONING MAP THAT ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHTS THAT IT IS M ONE LIGHT INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL ZONING.
YOU ALSO HAVE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN VICINITY MAP THAT FURTHER DEMONSTRATES THAT IT IS DESIGNATED AS PRIME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LAND.
ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT IS PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES AND APPARATUSES SUPPORT AND PROTECT BUSINESSES AND INVESTMENTS, UM, THAT ARE ALSO MADE BY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS, AS WELL AS LIFE SAFETY.
THIS SITE IS BEING PROPOSED, UM, FOR CONSIDERATION IS A FIVE ACRE PARCEL.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT RIGHT THERE WITH THE AERIAL PHOTO MAP.
SO THE PROPOSED NEW USE IS A FIRE RESCUE STATION.
AS I STATED BEFORE, THE FLOOR PLAN WILL BE ROUGHLY 15,000 SQUARE FEET, THREE BAYS, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A COMMUNITY SLASH TRAINING ROOM.
SO WITH REGARDS TO HOW THIS FITS WITH COUNTYWIDE PLANNING, THE APPLICATION IS CONSISTENT WITH THE COUNTY'S 20 20 35 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED IN 2015.
THE PUBLIC FACILITIES PLAN THAT WAS DONE IN 2018 AND THE BOND REFERENDUM FOR PUBLIC SAFETY APPROVED BY COUNTY VOTERS IN 2021.
SO IN SUMMARY, JUST REALLY WANNA GO BACK OVER THE M ONE WITH PROFFERS REZONING TO B ONE.
THE INTENT IS TO REMOVE THE CURRENT PROFFERS THAT APPLY TO THE ASSOCIATED PARCEL.
AS YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE FOR A BUSINESS PARK.
SO IT'S JUST REMOVING THE BUSINESS PARK PROFFERS.
IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE'RE PROCEEDING TO CONSTRUCTION TOMORROW, IT'S JUST GETTING THAT SITE READY IF AND WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, BOTH M ONE AND B ONE WOULD ALLOW FOR A FIRE STATION.
SO AGAIN, THE INTENT IS FOR THE APPLICANT.
WHAT THEY'RE SEEKING IS FOR REZONING TO REMOVE THE BUSINESS PARK RELATED PROFFER CONDITIONS.
UM, THIS IS A CONCEPTUAL SITE PLAN THAT'S GOING TO BE PROFFERED AND A COLORIZED RENDERING.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS BASED ON A PROPOSED CONCEPTUAL THAT WILL BE PROFFERED.
THE BUILDING WILL BE ROUGHLY 15,000 SQUARE FEET AND ON FIVE ACRES.
SO ANOTHER THING WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT.
I KNOW WE'VE RECENTLY DONE SOME COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WITH OTHER CASES OR APPLICANTS OR THINGS THAT WERE RELATIVE.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT PROXIMITY OF DWELLINGS OR OTHER ESTABLISHMENTS, TWO FIRE STATIONS OR FIRE FACILITIES, WE ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH AND LOOKED AT THE COUNTY'S EXISTING FACILITIES AND JUST DISTANCE TO DWELLINGS.
THE WEST CREEK FIRE STATION IS ROUGHLY 300 FEET FROM THE NEAREST DWELLINGS.
UM, YOU HAVE YOUR STATION OR COMPANY SIX OUT AT HAYDENVILLE THAT IS 290 FEET FROM THE NEAREST DWELLING, UH, COMPANY FIVE, UH, IN GLAND.
UM, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE APPLICATIONS LO APPLICANT'S LOCATION IS SIMILAR TO OTHER FIRE FACILITIES AND OFTEN FIRE FACILITIES ARE SITUATED IN YOUR COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, AND CIVIC AREAS, OR THESE ARE AREAS OF COMMON FIRE RESPONSE.
SO COVERING SOME OF THE TRANSPORTATION PIECE WITH THIS, UM, BACKGROUND ON THE SITE LOCATION.
UM, WITH REGARDS TO ROAD ACCESS, BASED ON OUR MASTER THROUGH FAIR PLAN, THERE IS 70 FEET OF RIGHT OF WAY.
A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS IS ACTUALLY NOT REQUIRED OF THE APPLICANT, UM, AS THE STATION TRAFFIC IN OF ITSELF WOULD NOT REQUIRE, UM, ONE OR WARRANTED BASED ON TRAFFIC COUNT NUMBERS JUST INHERENTLY.
[01:50:01]
THERE IS DOCUMENTED SUFFICIENT ACCESS MANAGEMENT.SO A LITTLE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON TRANSPORTATION.
I THINK THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT BECAUSE THESE ARE THINGS THAT WILL BE ASSESSED AS PART OF THE PROCESS, AS THE PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT OR AS THE SITE PROGRESSES SHOULD IT PROGRESS.
SO AGAIN, SHOULD THIS SITE PROGRESS TO BECOME A FIRE STATION AFTER THE REZONING, UM, THINGS WITH TRANSPORTATION WILL BE ADDRESSED IN THE VICINITY OF THE SITE LOCATION, SUCH AS PREEMPTIVE SIGNAGE THAT WILL BE ASSESSED AND REVIEWED THROUGH A PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
SPEED STUDY CONSIDERATIONS, ASSESSMENT OF TRAFFIC SIGNAL NEEDS.
THOSE ACTUALLY OCCUR IN TANDEM WITH A COMMISSION OF A FACILITY, WHETHER IT'S THERE OR ANYWHERE.
UM, THAT'S THE, THOSE ACTIONS OCCUR WORKING WITH VDOT.
SO A COMMUNITY MEETING WAS HELD FOR THIS, UM, REZONING APPLICATION.
IT WAS HELD AT COMPANY ONE ON RIVER ROAD.
THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 43 ATTENDEES.
THERE WERE SOME BOARD MEMBERS THERE, THERE WAS A PLANNING COMMISSIONER THERE.
THERE WERE A VARIETY OF CORE CONCERNS AND ISSUES EXPRESSED AT THAT MEETING.
THERE WAS SOME SUPPORT EXPRESSED AS WELL.
THE APPLICANT HAS WORKED TO MEET WITH THOSE CONCERNS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND HAS BEEN, UM, WORKING TO ADDRESS AND PLANS TO WORK THROUGH THE P O D PROCESS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS SUCH AS LIGHTING, PREEMPTIVE SIGNALS, SPEED ADJUSTMENT, AND OTHER SUCH CONCERNS.
SHOULD THIS MOVE TO CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN.
UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION HEARD THIS CASE ON MARCH 2ND.
THERE WAS A PUBLIC HEARING, THERE WAS A RECOMMEND APPROVAL WITH A FOUR OH VOTE FOUR OH VOTE.
MR. MYERS WAS ACTUALLY ABSENT FROM THAT MEETING.
NINE CITIZENS SPOKE DURING THE MEETING.
THERE WERE ACTUALLY TWO IN SUPPORT AND SEVEN THAT EXPRESSED CONCERNS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY NOTED THEIR CONCERNS AS LOCATION, SITE SELECTION, PROCESS TRAFFIC, SAFETY LIGHTS AND SIRENS, IMPACT TO PROPERTY VALUES.
VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONES NOTED AT THE COMMUNITY MEETING.
UM, JUST REVIEWING SOME OF THE PROFFERS.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE REMO WE'RE SEEKING WITH THE REZONING TO REMOVE THE BUSINESS PARK PROFFERS AND TO APPLY RELEVANT PROFFERS THAT WOULD OUTLINE PERMITTED USES OF THIS PARCEL, UM, FOR THE FIVE ACRES TO BE FOR FIRE AND RESCUE STATION, GOVERNMENT SERVICES AND ACCESSORY USES AND OR SUBORDINATE USES THAT SUPPORT A AND B.
UM, THE PROFFERING, THE CONCEPTUAL PLAN THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO YOU ALL IN THIS PRESENTATION OF ROUGHLY 15,000 SQUARE FOOT, UM, BUILDING FOOTPRINT, THREE BAYS, FIVE ACRES, AND ALSO THAT THE REFUSE CONTAINERS WILL BE AN ENCLOSURES AS IS STANDARD FOR SIMILAR FACILITIES.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL MAY HAVE AS A BOARD.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR A DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BEFORE I OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING? CORRECT.
MR. LINCOLNS? UM, I'M LOOKING AT THE EXHIBIT A.
THE, UH, OF COURSE THIS, THIS APPLICATION, IF WE APPROVE IT, IT SAYS THAT THE PROPERTY SHALL BE DEVELOPED IN GENERAL CONFORMANCE WITH THE EXHIBIT TITLED H ROAD FIRE STATION, CONCEPTUAL SITE PLAN, ET CETERA.
AND I'M LOOKING, SO EXHIBIT A THAT'S IN OUR PACKET, RIGHT? AND IT'S SIM IT'S COMPARABLE.
HOW MANY FEET IS THE FRONT OF THAT BUILDING FROM THE EDGE OF HOCK ROAD? DOES THAT TELL US FROM THIS ANGLE? I CAN'T READ AND TELL YOU THAT.
UM, LET ME SEE IF I CAN TELL, I CAN GET YOU THAT EXACT ANSWER IN A FEW MOMENTS.
IF I CONSULT WITH STAFF, THAT'S, THAT'S FINE.
UM, YOU HAVE THE MINIMUM SETBACKS, 55.
THE MINIMUM, THE MINIMUM SETBACK IS 55.
YOU WANT SLIDE 20, SLIDE SEVEN.
UM, THIS ONE, ONE MORE, I THINK 21.
WHAT, WHAT IS THAT? FIRST, THE MTP ULTIMATE RIGHT OF WAY WIDTH OF 70 FEET.
CAN YOU JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU JUST SAID? 55 FOOT AND THE, AND THE, AND THE RIGHT OF WAY, THE RIGHT OF WAY IS A VDOT RIGHT OF WAY 70 FEET ON THE EAST SIDE OF POCKET ROAD.
I WILL DEFER TO STAFF ON THAT.
UH, TOM COLEMAN, PRINCIPAL PLANNER, THE EXISTING RIGHT OF WAY IS ABOUT 50 FEET.
THE ULTIMATE RIGHT OF WAY IS 70 FEET.
THAT'S FROM THE MAJOR, THE FAIR PLAN.
SO THERE WILL BE, THERE HAS BEEN SOME RIGHT OF WAY DEDICATED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD.
THERE WILL BE SOME RIGHT OF WAY DEDICATED ON THIS SIDE OF THE ROAD.
SO ANY SETBACKS FOR BILLY SETBACKS WILL BE TAKEN FROM THE, THE, ASSUMING THE ROAD IS 70 FEET WIDE FROM THE ULTIMATE RIGHT OF WAY.
[01:55:01]
I'LL HAVE TO NOODLE OVER THAT.I DIDN'T FOLLOW THAT, BUT, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE.
LET ME TRY TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
NO, I WAS JUST GONNA TRY MR. COLEMAN BEFORE YOU GO ANYWHERE, MR. COLEMAN.
UM, I'M GONNA TAKE A SWING AT THIS AND JUST TELL ME IF I'M WRONG ON THIS.
CAUSE I'M TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THIS AS WELL.
UM, 70 FEET OF RIGHT AWAY INCLUDES THE ROAD, THE SHOULDERS, THE ENTIRE ROADWAY.
SO THAT IF, IF I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE BUILDING IS IN RELATION TO THE ROAD, THE CENTER LINE THEN OF THE, THE ROAD CENTER LINE OF HOCKETT ON THE FIREHOUSE SIDE WOULD BE 35 FEET OF RIGHT OF WAY AND AT LEAST 55 OF SETBACK.
CORRECT? IS THAT, MAY I SURE GO.
THAT ASSUMES THAT THIS RIGHT OF WAY IS THAT THIS ROAD IS IN THE CENTER OF THE ENTIRE VDOT PATH.
DO WE KNOW THAT TO BE THE FACT THAT HE'S NOT, THAT WE CAN MEASURE AT THIS POINT FROM THE CENTER OF POCKET ROAD? UM, OUR PRACTICE WHEN WE ARE, UM, IS, IS TO, THE ROADWAY IS GENERALLY IN THE MIDDLE, BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS, IT CAN BE OFFSET A LITTLE BIT.
SO I, I DO WANT, YOU KNOW, ROAD PAVEMENT WIDTH IS NOT THE SAME THING AS RIGHT OF WAY WIDTH.
SO THE RIGHT OF WAY OPEN RIGHT OF WAY IS 70 FEET.
THE PA TOTAL, TOTAL, THE TOTAL RIGHT OF WAY.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE LONG RANGE PLAN FOR HAW ROAD.
AND THAT CAME OUTTA THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLAN THAT IT RECOMMENDED HAW ROAD BE 70 FEET WIDE, SEVEN 70 FOOT WIDE RIGHT OF WAY WILL ALLOW YOU TO HAVE HOW MANY LANES? ULTIMATELY THIS IS PLANNED FOR TWO LANES.
WELL, IT IS TWO LANES NOW, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND THAT IS THE LONG-TERM PLAN FOR HAWK ROAD IN THIS AREA IS TO REMAIN A TWO-LANE ROADWAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, DON'T GO FAR.
AT THIS TIME I AM GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, PLEASE AGAIN, COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR ADDRESS, UM, AND PLEASE TRY TO LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.
AND MA'AM, IF YOU COULD PLEASE JUST PRESS THE, THE, UH, RED BUTTON ON THE BOTTOM THERE.
AND YOU CAN JUST LEAVE IT LIKE THAT FOR THE REST OF THE TIME.
MY NAME IS SUSAN PEMBER AND I LIVE ON SWINBURN ROAD IN KEN LOCK, PHYLLIS.
AND I'M SPEAKING TO YOU TONIGHT ON A SPECIFIC TOPIC AND THAT IS RESPONSE TIME.
I ALSO ADDRESS THE PLANNING COMMISSION ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD TO CALL 9 1 1 MULTIPLE TIMES FROM AUGUST THROUGH DECEMBER OF 21 WITH MY HUSBAND'S FAILING HEALTH.
EACH RESPONSE TIME WAS SURPRISINGLY RAPID.
THE CALLS WERE IN THE NIGHT, DURING THE DAY, THEY WERE RANDOM AND ET CETERA.
NOT MUCH TIME FOR ME TO GATHER WALLET, JACKETS, ET CETERA.
WHEN THEY WERE AT OUR DOOR TO TELL YOU THAT WE WERE SURPRISED WITH THE RAPID RESPONSE IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT AND SURPRISED THAT EACH TIME WAS SUCH A RAPID RESPONSE.
RESPONDING CREWS WERE FROM DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, NOT ALWAYS THE SAME.
AND THEY WERE ALL VERY PROFESSIONAL, VERY KIND, AND VERY RESPECTFUL.
NOT ONLY TO MY HUSBAND, BUT ALSO TO ME.
AND I HAPPY TO TELL, TELL YOU THAT WE WERE VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THAT.
BASED ON MY EXPERIENCES, I DO NOT SEE A PRESENT NEED FOR A BETTER RESPONSE TIME.
AND I QUESTION THE RATIONALE OF THIS PROPOSED SITE.
I STRONGLY OPPOSE THIS SITE ON HOCKETT ROAD ROAD, A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, TULANE WINDING WITH BLIND CURVES, NO SHOULDERS ROAD.
I TRAVEL IT A LOT AND I ENJOY RIDING IT.
I WOULD RATHER SEE THE COUNTY'S MONEY AND EFFORTS SPENT ON A SAFER, MORE LOGICALLY AND STRATEGICALLY PLACED LOCATION.
I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR EVERY ONE OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND I SINCERELY THANK EVERY ONE OF THEM.
PLEASE KNOW, PLEASE KEEP YOUR APPLAUSE TO YOURSELF.
GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO, UH, SPEAK.
I LIVE AT THREE 10 PIPING ROCK ROAD IN MANNEQUIN SABBA.
I SEED MY TIME TO THOMAS EICHLER.
[02:00:05]
MY NAME IS AARON KENNY.I LIVE AT 317 PIPING ROCK ROAD AND I SEIZE MY TIME TO DR.
I LIVE AT 300 PIPING ROCK IN, UH, MANNEQUIN SABBA.
AND I WILL ALSO SEED MY TIME TO TOM EICHLER.
I LIVE AT THREE 10 PIPING ROCK ROAD IN KEN LOCK VILLAS, WHERE MY BACKYARD FACES HAWKET ROAD.
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD SUPERVISORS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TONIGHT AND I WANT TO THANK THE KINLOCK VILLA'S WORKING GROUP FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THEY PUT IN OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
AND I WANNA THANK ALL MY NEIGHBORS WHO CAME OUT TONIGHT AS WELL.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THEIR SUPPORT HERE.
SO GLAND COUNTY IS NOT EXACTLY, NEVERTHELESS, MORE PEOPLE MEANS NEW INFRASTRUCTURE.
MUNICIPAL SERVICES WILL NEED TO BE EXPANDED AS WELL.
SO WE'RE DEPENDING ON YOU TO BE PRUDENT STEWARDS OF OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
THAT REQUIRES VISION, IT REQUIRES PLANNING, AND IT REQUIRES A WISDOM TO KNOW WHEN TO COMPROMISE.
SO WE APPLAUD LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S FORESIGHT, BUT WE QUESTION BOTH THE NEED AND THE PROPOSED LOCATION OF THE NEW FIRE STATION ON HAWK ROAD.
SO THE PUBLIC FACILITIES MASTER PLAN THAT WAS CITED EARLIER HAS A LOT OF DETAIL IN THERE, INCLUDING WHERE TO LOCATE FIRE STATIONS.
BULLET NUMBER THREE RECOMMENDS LOCATING FIRE AND RESCUE FACILITIES ON A MINIMUM OF FIVE TO EIGHT ACRES TO ALLOW FOR FUTURE EXPANSION.
THIS IS AFTER ALL A 50 YEAR INVESTMENT.
SO THERE NEEDS TO BE ROOM FOR EXPANSION.
AND BULLET NUMBER FOUR IS TO LOCATE FIRE STATIONS SO AS TO MINIMIZE NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
SO LET'S SEE HOW SANDY HOOK STANDS UP TO THOSE CRITERIA.
SANDY HOOK IS ON THE DOCK FOR A FIRE STATION AS WELL.
THE ROAD LOOKS BIG ENOUGH FOR EXPANSION.
THERE IS OUR INTREPID PHOTOGRAPHER'S CAR.
THERE IS WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN ABANDONED HOUSE.
WE'VE HAD TWO PEOPLE OUT THERE, APPEARS TO BE ABANDONED AND UH, AGAIN, IT LOOKS LIKE A, A GOOD, PROBABLY PAR FOUR RIGHT THERE.
AND UH, I WOULD SAY THAT THE CRITERIA THREE AND FOUR ARE MET VERY NICELY.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE HAWKE ROAD SITE AND THAT WHOLE PROCESS.
THE TIMMONS GROUP WAS RETAINED BY THE COUNTY BACK IN 2016 SLASH 17 OR THEREABOUTS TO EVALUATE THREE SITES THAT WERE, UM, PUT UP BY WEST CREEK ASSOCIATES COUNTY HAD THEIR PICK HERE.
SITE NUMBER ONE, THE RED.IS AT THE EASTERN DE TUCKO CREEK PARKWAY, ADJACENT TO 2 88.
SITE NUMBER TWO IS UH, THE YELLOW DOT, AND THAT IS AT, UH, WEST CREEK PARKWAY.
WE ARE TOLD THAT THAT SITE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
SITE NUMBER THREE IS THE HAWKE ROAD PARCEL THAT IS NORTH OF THE INTERSECTION OF HAWKET AND TUCKO CREEK PARKWAY.
THIS EMERGED AT SOME POINT THAT I CAN'T UNDERSTAND AS THE PREFERRED SITE, BUT THERE IS NO PAPER TRAIL.
IT'S TO DOCUMENT MEETINGS, INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS VOTES.
IT BECAME THE PREFERRED SITE BY SOME MYSTERIOUS PROCESS.
SO HERE'S THE EASTERN DE TCP AND PER THE TIM'S REPORT, THERE ARE LOW TRAFFIC VOLUMES, PROXIMITY TO 2 88, EASY ACCESS FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES.
AND THE EXPECTATION THERE IS EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE FROM THE PRIOR WEST CREEK EMERGENCY CENTER.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE, UH, ENTRANCE RAMP TO 2 88 RIGHT THERE.
UH, THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN, UH, BY THE TIMMONS GROUP, UH, AND IT IS FROM PROSPECTIVELY THE DRIVEWAY FOR SITE NUMBER ONE.
IMPORTANTLY, THERE IS NO RESIDENTIAL IMPACT OR WETLANDS MITIGATION REQUIRED.
THERE YOU CAN SEE A SCHEMATIC OF WHAT THE STATION WOULD LOOK LIKE ON THAT SITE.
SO IF WE MOVE TO HAWK ROAD, THERE'S NO REASON TO TALK ABOUT TWO IF IT'S NOT AVAILABLE.
SO WE'LL MOVE TO SITE NUMBER THREE.
AND AGAIN, CITING THE TIMMONS REPORT, THE SITE HAS SOME RATHER CHALLENGING TOPOGRAPHIC ISSUES,
[02:05:01]
UH, ESPECIALLY ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE PARCEL, THAT WOULD LIKELY REQUIRE SOME RETAINING LAWS.AND THEN OF COURSE THERE'S A TIE IN TO THE WATER MAIN AT THE INTERSECTION THERE OFF TUCKAHOE CREEK AND HAWK ROAD.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE CURVE RIGHT THERE HEADING SOUTH.
AND YOU'VE SEEN THE SCHEMATIC ALREADY.
THIS IS WHAT THE STATION WOULD LOOK LIKE ON THAT PARCEL.
IT'S KIND OF JAMMED UP THERE UNDER THE NORTHERN CORNER WITH WETLANDS BEHIND IT.
SO EITHER YOU'RE GONNA PAY MONEY TO MITIGATE THAT OR YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO EXPAND.
THIS IS THE AERIAL VIEW THAT YOU'VE ALSO SEEN.
AND THIS IS VERY CLOSE TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT IS PIPING ROCK ROAD AND THERE IS SOME MOCK UP THERE.
SO PER THE TIMMONS REPORT, AGAIN, SEWER EXTENSION'S GOING TO BE NECESSARY, POSSIBLY WETLANDS MITIGATION AS I MENTIONED.
AND OF COURSE THERE IS THE PROXIMITY TO THE PROPERTIES ON, UH, PIPING ROCK ROAD.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT THE CRITERIA FOR FIRE STATIONS POINTS THREE AND FOUR.
NOW THE PRIMARY CONCERN HERE IS THAT HAWK ROAD IS A TWO RING COUNTRY ROAD.
THERE ARE NO SHOULDERS, THERE'S NOWHERE TO PULL OVER FROM AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE.
THERE ARE SERPENTINE CURVES AND THE SPEED LIMIT IS 55 MILES AN HOUR.
ANECDOTALLY, MOST OF THESE PEOPLE BEHIND ME WILL TELL YOU THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE OBSERVE THAT SPEED LIMIT.
SO HERE'S A QUICK VIDEO TO ILLUSTRATE MY POINT.
HIGH SPEEDS AND COMING AROUND THAT CORNER, THAT IS WHERE THEY'RE GONNA PUT THE FIRE STATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD HEAR THAT, BUT THAT IS APPROXIMATELY WHERE THE DRIVEWAY, WHERE THE FIRE STATION WOULD BE, RIGHT THERE.
OUR PRIMARY CONCERN, OR EXCUSE ME, OUR SECONDARY CONCERN IS ALSO SAFETY FIRETRUCK AND CAR ACCIDENTS ARE PRETTY UNCOMMON.
I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ABOUT 2% OF AUTO ACCIDENTS ACTUALLY INVOLVE A FIRETRUCK.
BUT IN 22, 20 20 ALONE, THERE WERE 15,000 FIRETRUCK ACCIDENTS.
AND FIREFIGHTERS DO GET HURT IN THESE ACCIDENTS.
AND YOUR FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A FATALITY IN ONE OF THESE ACCIDENTS STANCE A REASON.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE MASS THERE, 50% OF THESE OCCURRED INTERSECTIONS LIKE POCKET ROAD AND TACO CREEK PARKWAY.
COULD IT HAPPEN HERE? UNFORTUNATELY ALREADY HAS.
IN JULY, 2010 IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN, SOUTHEAST OF ROANOKE, A VOLUNTEER CHIEF AND ONE OF HIS FIREFIGHTERS WERE KILLED ON A ROLLOVER ACCIDENT JUST ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO.
UP IN FAIRFAX COUNTY, A FIRE ENGINE COLLIDED WITH THREE VEHICLES.
GROVETON IS JUST SOUTHEAST OF SPRINGFIELD.
SO IN THE THE MIXING BOWL AREA UP THERE, EIGHT PEOPLE HURT.
BUT PAY ATTENTION TO THE PICTURE HERE FOLKS.
THAT IS NOT A TWO-LANE WINDING COUNTRY ROAD.
THAT IS A SIX-LANE HIGHWAY WHERE THAT HAPPENED AT AN INTERSECTION RESPONSE TIMES.
WELL, THE CHIEF TOLD ME THAT, UH, 75% OF THE CALLS ARE FOR EMS. NOW, THE EMS RESPONSE TIMES THAT WERE NOTED IN THE 2024 BUDGET, UH, SHOWED MANNEQUIN AT JUST SOUTH OF NINE MINUTES.
THE OVERALL COUNTING AT 10 MINUTES, UP A LITTLE BIT FROM 2021.
THE IMPORTANT POINT HERE THOUGH, IS THAT EMS RESPONSE STANDARDS WERE MET 90% OF THE TIME ALREADY.
SO HOW DOES THAT PILE UP AGAINST NATIONAL AVERAGES? WELL, THIS IS A STUDY THAT WAS PUBLISHED IN JAMA JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION SURGERY IN 2017, LOOKING AT EMERGENCY, UH, RESPONSE TIMES IN URBAN, SUBURBAN, AND RURAL AREAS.
IN CALENDAR YEAR 20 15, 485 AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
1.8 MILLION ENCOUNTERS, THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHICH WERE SUBURBAN.
THE RESULTS, THE URBAN RESPONSE TIME WAS SEVEN MINUTES.
THE SUBURBAN 7.7 AND THE RURAL 14.5.
SO THE COUNTY'S RESPONSE TIMES ARE NOT AS GOOD AS THIS ONE STUDY, BUT THEY ARE STILL VERY, VERY GOOD.
AND THEY MEET THEIR STANDARDS 90% OF THE TIME.
SO FORGIVE ME, UH, I'M NOT A URBAN PLANNER, I'M JUST A PLAIN OLD DOCTOR, BUT, UH, I'LL TELL YOU, THIS TO ME LOOKS LIKE THE QUINTESSENTIAL EXAMPLE OF HAMMERING A SQUARE PEG INTO A ROUND HOLE.
WHY HERE AND WHY NOW? THE FIVE ACRE PARCEL IS TOO SMALL FOR THE PROJECT.
THE COUNTY ACTUALLY WENT BACK TO WEST CREEK ASSOCIATES AND ASKED FOR TWO MORE ACRES.
AND WEST CREEK ASSOCIATES SAID, SORRY.
THERE IS NO ROOM FOR FUTURE EXPANSION ON THAT SITE.
BOTH PARCELS NEED INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT.
BOTH HAVE ACCESS TO ROUTE 2 88.
[02:10:01]
AND FURTHERMORE, WHY NOW 18% POPULATION GROWTH BETWEEN 2010 AND 2023 PER THE US CENSUS BUREAU MAY SOUND ROBUST, BUT 1.2% OVER THE LAST YEAR USING 25,000 AS N THAT EQUATES TO ABOUT 280 PEOPLE.THERE ARE LECTURE HALLS OF VIRGINIA TECH THAT HOLD WAR THAN 280 PEOPLE.
IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT ROBUST, LOOK AT GEORGETOWN, TEXAS 10.5% GROWTH RATE BETWEEN JULY 20 AND 21.
THEY ARE ON TARGET TO DOUBLE THEIR POPULATION IN SEVEN YEARS.
WHAT IS THEIR POPULATION? 75,003 TIMES THE SIZE OF OUR COUNTY.
SO IN SUMMARY, C**N COUNTY IS GROWING, BUT IT'S NOT EXPLOSIVE.
HA ROAD IS UNEQUIVOCALLY UNSAFE FOR ALL THE REASONS WE JUST CITED.
IT BEGS THE QUESTION, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO KEEP US THE PEOPLE THAT TRAVEL THAT ROAD EVERY DAY? AND YOUR FIREFIGHTERS SAFE.
THE HAWKIN ROAD PARCEL IS INADEQUATE FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT.
IT'S FUNCTIONALLY AND OPERATIONALLY INADEQUATE.
THE RESIDENTIAL IMPACT, WE'VE ALREADY CITED THAT AND THE RESPONSE TIMES IT'S A NON-ISSUE.
SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO HERE? ARE WE GONNA MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION? ARE WE GONNA MAKE THE WRONG DECISION? WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE IRISH SATIRIST, JONATHAN SWIFT, WE HAVE A MODEST PROPOSAL FOR YOU.
THE COUNTY, WHICH I GUESS IN THIS SITUATION WOULD BE THE IANS THE COUNTY DOESN'T LIKE SITE NUMBER ONE.
US LITTLE IANS, WE DON'T LIKE SITE NUMBER THREE.
BOTH SITES NEED INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT.
BUT YOU ARE THE STEWARDS OF OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
YOU'VE GOT ONE CHANCE TO GET THIS $9 MILLION PROJECT, RIGHT? IT'S NOT LIKE MEATLOAF, IT'S NOT BETTER THE SECOND TIME AROUND.
YOU GOTTA GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.
SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS YOU TAP THE BRAKES ON THIS THING, REOPEN THE SELECTION PROCESS.
THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE NEED FOR A NEW FIRE STATION.
DISCUSS ALTERNATIVE PARCELS WITH WEST CREEK ASSOCIATES OR OTHER LANDOWNERS IN THAT QUARTER.
AND I WOULD BEG YOU TO PLEASE IMPROVE THE TRANSPARENCY, THIS TRANSPARENCY OF THIS PROCESS, AND PERHAPS INCLUDE A COUPLE OF US ON THE COMMITTEE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, DO I NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO START THIS? NO, YOU'RE GOOD.
MY NAME'S STEVEN PEARSON AND I LIVE IN THE KINLOCK VILLAS AND BACK UP TO HAWKE ROAD.
I'VE BEEN A PART OF THE VILLA'S WORKING GROUP AND SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THIS REZONING.
WE'VE WORKED CORDIALLY AND CONSTRUCTIVELY WITH THE COUNTY, UH, THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND I WANNA STRESS THAT WE WANT, WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO DO SO.
MY REMARKS TONIGHT ARE RELATED TO THE SELECTION PROCESS AND THE ILLEGALITY OF THIS PROPOSAL.
UM, WHY IS IT ILLEGAL? SIMPLY PUT, IT'S A PRODUCT OF CONTRACT ZONING, WHICH IS A SHORTHAND NAME FOR A PROCESS IN WHICH A LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGREES TO AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE THAT CONFERS A BENEFIT BENEFIT ON A PROPERTY OWNER IN EXCHANGE FOUR OR AS A QUID PRO QUO FOR SOME TYPE OF BENEFIT FROM THE LANDOWNER HIMSELF.
IN THIS CASE, THE EXCHANGE WAS FREELANCE.
THIS WAS A DEAL THAT THE COUNTY DID NOT HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE, AND IT WAS VOID FROM THE BEGINNING.
AND AS A CONSEQUENCE, YOUR DEED IS VOID.
UM, SHOULD YOU APPROVE THIS REZONING, YOU'LL BE DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.
SO MY HOPE IS, AND OUR HOPE IS THAT YOU'LL SEE THE BENEFIT OF PAUSING TO CONSIDER HOW TO CORRECT THIS FUNDAMENTAL FLAW AMONG THE OTHERS.
THE FREE LAND HAS ALSO CREATED OTHER DISTORTIONS IN YOUR PROCESS AS WELL.
AND BY YOU I DON'T MEAN THE BOARD, I MEAN THE COUNTY AND I'LL, I'LL GO BACK AND FORTH WITH THAT.
IT'S PREVENTED YOU FROM CONSIDERING THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE COUNTY'S RESIDENTS AND TAXPAYERS IN A FAIR AND OBJECTIVE PROCESS WITH RESULT THAT YOU'VE CONSIDERED ONLY POTENTIAL SITES WITHIN WEST CREEK.
AND IN ADDITION, ONLY SITES OWNED BY WEST CREEK.
SO NO OTHER SITES ON HOCKETT ROAD WERE EVER CONSIDERED POTENTIAL SITES WITHIN WEST CREEK WERE IGNORED, IF NOT OWNED BY WEST CREEK.
SO ANOTHER FUNDAMENTAL FLAW, AND THE IRONY OF THIS PROCESS IS THAT NOW THAT YOU'VE OWNED THE LAND, YOU'RE REZONING THE VERY SAME PIECE THAT HAD TO BE IN WEST CREEK IN ORDER TO REMOVE IT FROM WEST CREEK.
AND ALL OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSES FROM THIS STATION TO CALLS FOR SERVICE
[02:15:01]
WILL LEAVE WEST CREEK IN ORDER TO REENTER IT MANY TIMES.IN DOING ALL THIS, YOU'VE OVERSEEN A PROCESS WITH LOTS OF OTHER FLAWS AS WELL.
IN ADDITION TO THE SAFETY ISSUES AND THE SIZE OF THE SITE RAISED BY TOM, YOU'VE IGNORED YOUR OWN RULES FOR SELECTING SITES, UH, FOR PUBLIC FACILITIES CONTAINED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT YOU'VE APPROVED.
YOU'VE CONFERRED A VETO POWER ON A PRIVATE PARTY, WHICH HAS BEEN USED TO BRING THE PROJECT MUCH CLOSER TO THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES THAT YOUR RULES SAY YOU SHOULD AVOID.
AND AS A RESULT, IN A REAL WAY, WE CAN SAY THAT THIS SITE WAS NOT SELECTED BY THE COUNTY.
THOUGH YOU'RE ABOUT TO RATIFY THAT PRIVATE CHOICE, THE REALITY IS THAT THE CHOICE THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO MAKE IS THE RESULT OF A PROCESS THAT'S BEEN ON AUTOPILOT FOR FAR TOO LONG.
NOBODY, AND I MEAN NOBODY FULLY UNDERSTANDS OR HAS A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THIS CHOICE WAS MADE, THIS SHOULD MAKE YOU PROFOUNDLY UNCOMFORTABLE.
AND IT MAKES ME AS A NEW RESIDENT, UH, QUITE DISTURBED THE CITIZENS AND TAXPAYERS HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPECT BETTER PERFORMANCE.
MR. PIERCE, YOU CAN WRAP IT UP PLEASE.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN STILL DELIVER THAT PERFORMANCE.
PLEASE DON'T RATIFY THIS FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED RESULT.
I LIVE AT THREE 17, UH, PIPING ROCK.
UM, JUST A COUPLE THOUGHTS REAL QUICK.
FIRST OFF, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE, UH, WE, WE'VE SAID IT A COUPLE TIMES, BUT UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHERE'S THE FIRE CHIEF, THE FIRE CHIEF AND ALL OUR UH, FIRST RESPONDERS, UH, A FEW TIMES FOLKS HAVE SAID THIS IS LIKE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AGAINST OR US AGAINST THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING'S BEEN VERY CIVIL.
WE JUST, UH, DISAGREE WITH THE SITE HERE, BUT WE ALL LOVE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT FIRST RESPONDERS.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S SAID AD NAUSEUM CUZ IT'S SO TRUE.
SO JUST REAL QUICK ON THE SAFETY, UM, AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT HAW AT TWO LANE ROAD, 55 MILES AN HOUR, AND THIS IS AMERICA, SO THAT MEANS 63 MILES PER HOUR.
UM, AND ALSO IF YOU EVEN WENT DOWN TO 45, PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE PUSHING 50.
I'M THE GUY THAT TOOK THE VIDEOS AND I'M PROBABLY ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT ACTUALLY STOOD THE SITE, UM, AND WATCHED TRAFFIC GO BY AND IT VERY, VERY FAST TRUCKS, VERY, VERY FAST CARS.
UH, BUT THE BIG THING IS THAT S-CURVE RIGHT BEFORE, IF YOU COME AROUND THE CORNER, UH, RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET TO WHERE THE SITE WILL BE.
MY CONCERN IS EVEN IF YOU'RE GOING 45, EVEN 40 AROUND THERE AND YOU COME AROUND, I DON'T IF YOU HAVE A SIGN OR ANY KIND OF, UM, LIGHT, THAT FIRST CAR MAY STOP, BUT THE SECOND CAR GOES RIGHT INTO IT OR COULD GO RIGHT INTO IT.
THERE'S NO PLACE TO GO, NO SHOULDER TO GO.
UH, VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY ASPECT OF WHERE THIS IS.
APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS MR. KENNY.
UH, STEVE BROWN, 3 46 SWING BURN ROAD.
SO FROM A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I'M RIDING NORTH ON HOCKETT ROAD.
I HAD JUST COME FROM THE WONDERFUL POST OFFICE ON PATTERSON AVENUE THAT I LOVE GOING TO AND I SEE OUTTA MY REAR VIEW MIRROR.
A E EMS VEHICLE THAT WAS GOING TO WHERE IT NEEDED TO GO.
BUT THE PROBLEM, AS WE'VE HEARD ON A FEW OCCASIONS ALREADY TONIGHT, THERE ARE NO SHOULDERS ON HOCK.
TRAFFIC WAS COMING TOWARD ME GOING SOUTH.
IT'S LIKE, OH BOY, WHAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING HERE? LUCKILY UPON EVERYBODY SLOWING DOWN THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO FINALLY GO AROUND ME, BUT IT WAS NOT A GOOD FEELING.
SO IT JUST EMPHASIZES EVEN MORE HOW BAD HAW ROAD IS AND HOW UNSAFE IT IS FOR ANYTHING LIKE A FIRE STATION TO BE RUNNING EMS CALLS AND OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENT KINDS OF CALLS.
SO THE SELECTED SITE HAS FIVE ACRES, ROUGHLY THREE ACRES ARE NEEDED FOR 15,000 SQUARE FEET OF BUILDING.
BUT TWO ACRES ARE PRETTY MUCH UNUSUAL BECAUSE UNUSABLE, BECAUSE OF WETLANDS AND THE USUAL SETBACKS ON CONSTRUCTION, THERE ARE NO DECELERATION LANES THAT WE COULD SEE ON THE SITE PLANS IN EITHER DIRECTION.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING WITH THAT.
CLEARLY THIS SITE IS NOT LARGE ENOUGH FOR A FIRE STATION TO EXPAND AND THAT IS A REAL ISSUE.
NOW WEST CREEK, IN LOOKING AT THE
[02:20:01]
WEBSITE ON WEST CREEK, THERE'S 3,500 ACRES IN WEST CREEK.1700 ACRES ARE STILL UNDEVELOPED.
I WOULD CERTAINLY THINK THAT THERE'D BE ANOTHER FIVE TO EIGHT AC ACRE PAR PARCEL SOMEWHERE IN THAT 1700 ACRES THAT WOULD BE USABLE FOR A VERY NICE FIRE STATION.
SO I BELIEVE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION SHOULD OPEN A DIALOGUE WITH THE PRUIT FAMILY TO SEE WHAT OTHER PARCELS WOULD MAKE A BETTER CHOICE INSIDE THE BUSINESS PARK.
THE PRUITTS APPEAR TO BE VERY CIVIC MINDED AND A LONGTIME SUPPORTERS OF A NEW FIRE STATION.
OUR UNDERSTANDING IS SINCE 2012, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE ANOTHER IDEA.
LET'S DISCUSS CENTER, THE CENTERVILLE STATION THAT WAS STARTED IN 1954.
I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD ACCOLADES ABOUT THE VOLUNTEERS AND OTHERS THAT WORK OUT OF THAT F BUILDING THAT IS THAT OLD AND MUST HAVE ALL KINDS OF ISSUES FOR PEOPLE TO DO THEIR WORK.
I WOULD PROPOSE CLOSE CENTERVILLE, OPEN UP A BRAND NEW FIRE STATION IN THAT ASHLAND ROAD AREA, MAKE IT A BIGGER FIRE STATION, SELL THE PROPERTY ON THAT, UM, CENTERVILLE LOCATION.
USE THAT MONEY TO HELP CONSTRUCT A BRAND NEW FIRE STATION.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO PUT A PAUSE ON THIS HO ROAD PROCESS AND OPEN IT UP FOR OTHER PARCELS OF CONSIDERATION.
AY, I LIVE AT 360 6 WIND BURN ROAD.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO GIVE A COUPLE OF, UH, THANKS AND SHOUT OUTS.
ONE TO VIC CARPENTER FOR BEGINNING THIS PROCESS OF SHARING, UH, JUST A TREASURE JOVE OF INFORMATION FOR US TO EVALUATE, UH, WHICH WAS AS ALREADY REPORTED, SOMEWHAT DISAPPOINTING THAT WE COULDN'T GET ALL THE FACTS THAT WE REALLY WERE LOOKING FOR AS THE DECISIONS WERE MADE.
IT WAS HARD TO DETERMINE HOW DID THE HOCKETT ROAD SITE EVER COME TO THE FOREFRONT AS WELL AS THE ONE ON TUCKAHOE EAST TUCKO PARKWAY EAST.
THAT WAS YOUR NEVER REALLY DISCLOSED AS TO HOW THEY CAME TO THE FOREFRONT.
TOM COLEMAN MANAGED THIS PROCESS INITIALLY AND THE INITIAL SITES THAT WERE IN WEST CREEK PROPERTY HAD FULL DOCUMENTATION AND HE DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB, BUT HE WAS TAKEN AWAY.
SO IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A PAUSE ON LEADERSHIP OF KEEPING THE CONTINUITY OF TRANSPARENCY FOR YOU AND OTHERS TO BE AWARE OF.
I KNOW A LOT'S BEEN COVERED ABOUT THE DANGEROUS S-CURVE AND I TRAVEL THAT ROAD.
UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE 15,000 SQUARE FOOT ON FIVE ACRES, IT'S GONNA HAVE SOME LIMITATIONS ON BEING ABLE TO MANEUVER THE EQUIPMENT IN THAT TIGHT QUARTERS AND THEN LEARNING INFORMATION ABOUT THE SETBACK REQUIREMENTS, WHICH ARE A LOT LESS THAN WHAT WE THOUGHT.
WE THOUGHT THERE WAS A HUNDRED FEET THERE.
THAT'S ALARMING BECAUSE IT PUTS MORE THINGS CLOSER TO THE ROAD.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE LOCATION, AND WE ARE NOT PLANNERS, BUT WE DO THINK ABOUT WHERE THE GROWTH IS HAPPENING.
IT'S OUT IN THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THE ASHLAND AREA.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHERE AVERY POINT IS COMING UP.
THERE'S A LOT OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE GONNA HAVE EMERGENCY SERVICES REQUIREMENTS.
AND TO PUT IT RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF TWO OTHER EXISTING FACILITIES DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
I LOVE THE IDEA OF MAYBE CONSIDERING HOW YOU ALREADY HAVE AN INVESTMENT OF VALUABLE PROPERTY, RIGHT IN CENTERVILLE THAT'S PROBABLY WORTH $500,000 AN ACRE FOR EQUITY THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED SOME OTHER PLACE.
ALLEY'S, MOTEL WIDE OPEN SPACE.
IT LOOKS LIKE A GREAT LOCATION FOR A FIRE STATION.
AND THERE'S OTHER PLACES RIGHT OVER BOGIES THAT COULD BE POTENTIALLY GOOD.
NOW, I MUST TELL YOU THAT, UM, WITH A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET INCREASE BECAUSE OF THIS NEW FIRE STATION, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOME, UH, ISSUES PRO RETAINING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF CENTERVILLE AND MANNEQUIN.
THEY NEED UPKEEP, THEY NEED FUNDING, AND YOU'RE GONNA BE PROBABLY APPROACHING ABOUT $2 MILLION A YEAR IN THE THE OPERATING ANNUAL BUDGET.
JUST THE 2023 VERSUS THE 2024 REQUESTED BUDGET WAS A 20% INCREASE.
THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY GOING IN JUST ONE YEAR.
NOT TO DISCOUNT THE FACT THAT A NEW FIRE STATION WILL ADD ADDITIONAL EXPENSE.
SO WHAT WE'RE SAYING THERE, YOU'VE GOT A, A LOCATION IN CENTERVILLE, WHICH ATTRACTS
[02:25:01]
VOLUNTEERS BETTER THAN ANY OTHER LOCATION.AND YOU KNOW WHY? THAT'S BECAUSE PEOPLE WANNA WORK IN A FIRE STATION THAT'S ACTIVE.
THEY'RE GONNA BE RIGHT IN THE CORRIDOR OF NORTHEAST SUPPORTING AVERY POINT SUPPORTING THE GROWTH IN ASHLAND AND BEING ABLE TO COVER THAT SPACE THAT'S EMERGING.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS, IT'S TOO DANGEROUS FROM HOCKETT ROAD, WE SEE OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL CHALLENGES FOR THE COUNTY THE WAY IT'S SET UP NOW.
SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO IS TO STEP BACK, REVISIT THE PLANNING PROCESS, INVOLVE CITIZENS, LET US HELP YOU MAKE A THOUGHTFUL POSITION ON HOW TO MAKE THIS THE BEST WE CAN.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, MR. THANK YOU.
ADDRESS IS 360 7 SWINBURN ROAD IN KINLOCK VILLAS.
EARLY IN THIS CENTURY, I SPENT SEVERAL YEARS AS A VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE DRIVER COMPANY THREE IN CENTERVILLE.
PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THIS I APPROACHED THIS WEST CREEK FIRE STATION FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAN THE SEVERAL OF MY NEIGHBORS WHO'VE ADDRESSED YOU.
IN THE DECADE SINCE I DROVE FOR CENTERVILLE, THE EAST END OF THE COUNTY HAS SEEN A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN POPULATION.
INDEED, MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES IN THE EAST END, INCLUDING THE ONE WHERE I LIVE AND NOTABLY THE AVERY POINT AND MOSAIC RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES DID NOT EXIST 10 YEARS AGO.
YET THE AREA IS SERVED BY THE SAME TWO FIRE FIRST DUE STATIONS THAT WE HAD AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY.
OF COURSE, THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN THE INTERVENING YEARS.
WE NOW HAVE ALL STATIONS MANNED AROUND THE CLOCK WITH FULL-TIME CAREER PROVIDERS.
BUT IT'S NOT HARD TO IMAGINE THAT BOTH OF THOSE STATIONS WILL, MIGHT BE OUT ON CALLS AT THE SAME TIME, EITHER ON SEPARATE CALLS OR ON MULTI-UNIT CALLS, SUCH AS A MAJOR ACCIDENT ON 2 88 OR ON I 64.
WHEN THAT HAPPENS, ANOTHER INCIDENT IN THE EAST END MAY NEED TO BE SERVED BY A UNIT FROM CROZIER, FROM THE COURTHOUSE AREA OR EVEN FROM HAYDENVILLE OR FIFE.
WELL, I CAN TELL YOU FROM EXPERIENCE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE TO COME FROM ONE OF THOSE AREAS ACROSS THE CO COUNTY, GONNA SERIOUSLY WORSEN YOUR RESPONSE TIME AND CUT DEEPLY INTO THE GOLDEN HOUR WITHIN WHICH WE WANNA GET STROKE AND OTHER SERIOUSLY ILL PATIENTS TO AN EMERGENCY ROOM.
THE THIRD EAST END STATION WILL INCREASE BY 50% THE CHANCES THAT WHEN A CALL COMES IN FROM THE EAST END, THERE WILL BE A NEARBY UNIT AVAILABLE TO RESPOND.
AND WE NEED THAT U WE NEED THAT ADDITIONAL STATION SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
THE SELECTED SITE HAS BEEN ACQUIRED, BUT EVEN IF YOU APPROVE IT TONIGHT, IT'S GONNA TAKE MONTHS TO, UH, BUILD AND PUT THE NEW STATION INTO OPERATION.
IF YOU SEND THIS BACK FOR ANOTHER SELECTION MORE ACQUISITION, YOU'RE JUST ADDING UNNECESSARY DELAY TO THE SELECTED TO NEEDED STATION.
SO I'M ASKING YOU TO, UH, APPROVE THE REQUESTED ZONING CHANGE THIS EVENING.
SANDRA WARWICK, 360 7 SWINBURN ROAD.
UM, WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I BOARD OUR HOME IN JULY, 2020, WE KNEW EXACTLY WHERE THE FIRE STATION WAS GONNA BE CITED.
WE CHOSE NOT TO LIVE THERE BECAUSE WE DID NOT WANNA LIVE NEAR THE BUY RIGHT USES IN WEST CREEK, WHICH WILL NOT CHANGE REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU GUYS DO WITH THIS ZONING APPLICATION.
AND WE DID NOT WANNA LIVE NEAR A LARGE GAS TRANSMISSION LINE, WHICH RUNS BEHIND A LOT OF THE NUMBER HOMES.
UM, MY NEIGHBORS MADE REALLY GOOD COMMENTS AND I AM SO GLAD THAT EVERYBODY WHO CALLED AN AMBULANCE GOT A PROMPT AND TIMELY RESPONSE.
I WOULD LIKE TO STATE CATEGORICALLY RIGHT NOW THERE ARE FOUR AMBULANCES THAT SERVE THE 10,000 PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN DISTRICT FOUR AND FIVE AND THE THOUSANDS MORE WHO COME HERE EVERY DAY TO WORK.
UM, I WOULD LIKE MY NEIGHBORS TO THINK HOW LONG IT TOOK THEM TO GET HERE TONIGHT AND IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO WAIT FOR AN AMBULANCE FROM COMPANY FIVE, WHICH IS ABOUT A HALF MILE THAT WAY.
I W A COMMENT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ABOUT THE PROPOSAL TO SELL COMPANY THREE.
THE COUNTY DOES NOT OWN COMPANY THREE, AS YOU WILL KNOW THAT'S OWNED BY THE FIRE RESCUE ASSOCIATION.
[02:30:01]
THEY DO NOT REALLY HAVE THE POWER TO SELL THAT.UM, PLEASE MAKE THE RIGHT APP CHOICE ON THIS REZONING APPLICATION FOR THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF ALL PEOPLE IN CLAND.
HI, UM, MY NAME IS HEIDI BENSON.
I LIVE AT 3 0 2 PIPING ROCK ROAD.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TONIGHT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY STATISTICS TO QUOTE OR ANY KIND OF SLIDES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I JUST WANNA KIND OF TELL YOU ABOUT ME AND WHY I AM, UM, HERE TONIGHT.
UM, I LIVE AT 3 0 2 PIPING ROCK, WHICH I SAID IS, UM, IN KINLOCK VILLAS.
MY HOME BACK'S RIGHT UP AGAINST HOCKET ROAD AND IT'S VERY MUCH AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED LOCATION OF THIS FIREHOUSE.
I RAISED MY THREE GIRLS IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND.
JUDE HIGH SCHOOL WHEN IT WAS STILL IN THE MUSEUM DISTRICT.
I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BE ANYTHING BUT, BUT THEN I BECAME SOMETHING ELSE.
I BECAME AN EMPTY NESTER AND I THOUGHT I CAN MAKE A DECISION WHERE I WANT TO GO NOW WHAT I WANT TO DO, AND I DECIDED I WANTED TO MOVE OUT OF THE CITY.
I LOOKED AT HOMES AND LAND FROM HANOVER AND ASHLAND TO MIDLOTHIAN PTAN, EVEN NEW KENT.
I LOOKED AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS IN GLAND COUNTY AND IN MY HEART AND WITH MY HEAD, I KNEW I FOUND MY PLACE IN KINLOCK VILLAS.
THERE'S DEER, THERE'S BABY RABBITS.
THERE'S SO MANY CUTE LITTLE THINGS RUNNING AROUND OUT THERE.
AND I CAN SEE STARS AT NIGHT AFTER HAVING LIVED IN THE CITY FOR SO MANY YEARS.
TO WALK OUT OUTSIDE AND SEE STARS JUST BLOWS MY MIND,
BUT ALL THIS IS BEING THREATENED BY THE BUILDING OF THIS PROPOSED FIRE STATION.
I'M NOT AGAINST A FIRE STATION.
THERE'S A NEW ONE ON MIDLOTHIAN TURNPIKE IN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ROADS ARE IN THERE, BUT THIS FIREHOUSE IS LIKE THE TAJ MAHAL FIREHOUSE FIREHOUSES.
WHO WOULDN'T LIKE IT? BUT I'M AGAINST THE LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED FIREHOUSE ON HOCKETT ROAD.
AND HERE'S WHY HOCKETT ROAD IS DANGEROUS.
I CROSS IT EVERY DAY GOING TO AND FROM WORK.
CARS FLY ALONG AT GREATER THAN 55 MILES AN HOUR.
THERE'S A DEEP CURVE TO THE NORTH THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO SEE ONCOMING CARS UNTIL THE VERY LAST MINUTE.
ADDING A FIRE STATION HERE WILL MAKE IT MORE DANGEROUS.
ONE OF THE REASONS WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS SITE IS NECESSARY IS TO SERVE THE HOTELS.
AND AVERY POINT OFF OF BROAD STREET.
NOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE FIRST RESPONDERS DON'T EVER PLAN ON GETTING ONTO 2 88 TO GET TO AVERY POINT AND THESE HOTELS, WHICH MEANS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THERE IS TO GO NORTH ON HAWKE, MAKE A RIGHT ON BROAD STREET.
I DON'T KNOW WHO'S BEEN TIMING IT OR MEASURING IT, BUT THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT GOING NORTH ON HOCKET ROAD RIGHT ON BROAD STREET TO GET TO THESE LOCATIONS IS FASTER THAN GOING STRAIGHT DOWN BROAD STREET FROM THE CURRENT FIRE STATION.
I WASN'T A MATH MAJOR, BUT I DO REMEMBER THE QUICKEST PLATE, THE QUICKEST WAY TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B IS A STRAIGHT LINE, NOT NORTH, AND THEN RIGHT ON BROAD STREET.
AND, UM, THAT IS A GREAT CONCERN TO ME.
FINALLY, AND MAYBE MOST IMPORTANTLY, AND THIS ISN'T PERSONAL
THIS LOCATION AFFECTS MY LIFE, IT AFFECTS MY HAPPINESS.
AND I'M AS MUCH OF A CONSTITUENT OF YOURS AND A MEMBER OF GLAND COUNTY AS ANYBODY.
AND I REALLY, REALLY WOULD HOPE THAT PEOPLE COULD LISTEN, MAYBE COME TO A COMPROMISE, MAYBE EXPLORE SOME OTHER OPTIONS.
AND I REALLY JUST IMPLORE YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER A DIFFERENT LOCATION OR AT LEAST LET'S COME UP WITH SOME GOOD COMPROMISES SO THAT EVERYBODY FEELS HEARD AND HAPPY AND CAN SEE THE STARS.
[02:35:01]
WE JUST START TALKING.ARE WE OKAY? JUST, UH, LET US KNOW YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, PLEASE.
I LIVE AT, UH, 3 51 SWINBURN ROAD, MY WIFE AND I FOR A YEAR AND A HALF.
I HAD A NUMBER OF PREPARED QUESTIONS BASED ON SOME OF THE INFORMATION I'VE GOTTEN FROM THE FOLKS HERE, BUT THOSE ACTUALLY HAVE ALL BEEN ANSWERED AND I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT SUSAN PEMBER AND TOM MICHAEL HAD TO SAY.
IT SEEMED APPROPRIATE TO ME JUST TO READ SOMETHING TO YOU FROM CS LEWIS.
YOU ALL KNOW WHO CS LEWIS WAS, THE EMINENT BRITISH HISTORIAN, PHILOSOPHER, LITERARY EXPERT.
I KEPT THIS THE OTHER DAY AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S APPROPRIATE TO READ IT TO YOU.
HE SAYS YOU CAN'T GO BACK AND CHANGE THE BEGINNING, BUT YOU CAN START WHERE YOU ARE AND CHANGE THE ENDING.
YOU CAN'T GO BACK AND CHANGE THE BEGINNING, BUT YOU CAN START WHERE YOU ARE NOW AND CHANGE THE ENDING.
ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, IF NOT, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
DID THE APPLICANT WISH TO ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS THAT THEY HAVE HEARD? PLEASE REMEMBER TO STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR MR. CHAIRMAN MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, VIC CARPENTER, UH, GUEN COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, UH, 25 56 HAYDENVILLE FIVE ROAD DISTRICT ONE.
UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UM, MYSELF AND UH, BEHIND ME, UC, CHIEF EDDIE FERGUSON, ARE GOING TO, UH, GO OVER UM, THE REASONING WHY, UH, THE STAFF OF COCHEN COUNTY FEELS THAT THIS IS A GOOD LOCATION FOR A FIRE STATION AND SOME OF THE RATIONALE AND LOGIC THAT IS BEHIND IT.
NOW TONIGHT I'M GOING TO ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL FOR OUR, OUR REQUEST FOR A REZONING OF FIVE ACRES OF LAND ON HOCKETT ROAD, WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO BUILD A FIRE STATION.
GUCCI COUNTY SEEKS TO BUILD A STATION HERE TO ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO GROWTH IN THE EASTERN END OF THE COUNTY.
FOR OVER A DECADE, GUCCI COUNTY HAS DISCUSSED BUILDING A STATION HERE, A NEW STATION WILL OPTIMIZE 9 1 1 RESPONSE TIMES A NEW STATION WOULD BE THE FIRST ADDITIONAL SERVICE AREA ADDED SINCE THE 1950S AND THE EARLY 1960S TO GIN COUNTIES.
BUILDING A STATION HERE WILL SUPPORT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC GOAL OF PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC SERVICES.
SO WHY ARE WE ASKING? WELL, I I'M GONNA START BY SAYING IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR TONIGHT.
WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR PERMISSION TO BUILD A FIRE STATION.
WE ARE ASKING FOR REZONING OF THE PROPERTY.
SO CURRENTLY WE CAN BUILD A FIRE STATION WHETHER THIS PROPERTY IS REZONED OR NOT, WE HAVE RIGHTS BY RIGHT TO BUILD A STATION ON THIS PROPERTY.
SO NO REZONING IS ACTUALLY NEEDED TO BUILD A STATION.
BUT THE PROPERTY THAT WE HAVE LOCATED IS LOCATED IN AN EXISTING ZONING DISTRICT M ONE THAT HAS PROFFERS THAT WERE ATTACHED IN 1989 WHEN WEST CREEK WAS DEVELOPED.
AND THOSE PROFFERS, THOUGH APPROPRIATE FOR A BUSINESS PARK, ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR A COUNTY OWNED FIRE STATION.
THEY INCLUDE ISSUES OF ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL, FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS RUNNING THE BUSINESS PARK AND OTHER ASPECTS RELATED TO IT.
SO APPROVING THIS REZONING WOULD SIMPLY REMOVE THE PROFFERS THAT ARE ATTACHED TO THAT PROPERTY.
SO WHY ARE WE WANTING TO PUT A FIRE STATION ON THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY? CHIEF FERGUSON WILL REVIEW IN BETTER DETAIL WHY WE NEED THIS STATION AND HOW IT'LL POSITIVELY IMPACT THE DELIVERY OF EMERGENCY SERVICES IN GUCCI COUNTY.
EDDIE FERGUSON, UH, FIRE RESCUE CHIEF.
I LIVE AT 25 56 MANNEQUIN ROAD, MANNEQUIN SABBATH, VIRGINIA IN GLAND COUNTY.
SO LOOKING AT, UM, OUR ASSESSMENT OF, OF HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE, UM, I WANNA TAKE YOU AROUND THE COUNTY AND AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR OPERATION THROUGH THESE, UH, FEW SLOTS.
GLAND COUNTY, UH, IS SERVED BY SIX FIRE RESCUE STATIONS PRESENTLY, AND THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL SITES THAT WERE, UH, BROUGHT INTO OPERATION IN THE LATE 1950S AND EARLY 1960S.
WE HAVE COMPANY ONE IN MANNEQUIN OF COMPANY TWO IN CROZIER COMPANY, THREE IN CENTERVILLE, FOUR IN FIFE, WHERE GEORGE'S TAVERN FIVE IS IN THE COURTHOUSE AND SIX IS IN HAYDENVILLE OF THE ORIGINAL SIX FIRE STATION LOCATIONS, UH, FIVE ARE OWNED BY THE VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED AND ONE IS OWNED BY THE COUNTY OF GLAND.
COMPANY SIX WAS REBUILT AND REOPENED NEW IN 2017
[02:40:01]
BY THE COUNTY OF GLAND FOUR OF THE FIVE VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION OWNED FIRE STATIONS WERE BUILT IN THE, THE LATE FIFTIES AND COMPANY FIVE WAS REBUILT IN 1983 AND OPENED NEW HERE IN THE COURTHOUSE.BUT HONESTLY, IN THAT ERA OF TIME, INCLUDING EVEN IN THE THE EARLY EIGHTIES, WE WERE A TOTAL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION AND VOLUNTEERS RESPONDED FROM HOME.
AND THESE FIRE STATIONS, THESE SIX FIRE STATIONS HAD COMMUNITY ROOMS. THEY HAD RESTROOMS, OFFICER TWO AND PRETTY MUCH, UH, APPARATUS BASE, BUT NONE OF THEM HAD ANY TYPE OF OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION.
OF COURSE THEY HAD A KITCHEN BECAUSE OF THE FUNDRAISING THAT WENT ALONG WITH IT.
AND SO ALL OF THESE FIRE STATIONS HAVE BEEN REPURPOSED.
AREAS HAVE BEEN REPURPOSED TO ACCOMMODATE 24 HOUR OCCUPANCY.
AND THAT IS NOT ONLY BY CAREER STAFF, BUT IT'S ALSO BY VOLUNTEERS BECAUSE OVER THE COURSE OF TIME WE HAVE SEEN THAT ALMOST 50% OF OUR MEMBERSHIP LIVE OUTSIDE THE COUNTY VOLUNTEER MEMBERSHIP.
AND SO THEY COME HERE AND THEY PROVIDE DUTY SHIFTS AND SO THEY STAY USUALLY FOR, UH, OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS.
AND THEN WE STILL HAVE MEMBERS WHO RESPOND FROM HOME.
BUT THAT'S JUST KIND OF THE WAY THINGS CHANGED.
AND OCTOBER OF 2019, WE STAFFED ALL SIX FIRE STATIONS 24 7 WITH CAREER STAFF.
THE INCEPTION OF THE CAREER STAFF WAS TECHNICALLY IN 2009.
PRIOR TO THAT WE HAD, UH, PAID FIRE CHIEF AND SOME PAID LEADERSHIP IN THE COUNTY.
BUT AS FAR AS THE FOLKS WHO, UH, ARE EMPLOYED BY THE COUNTY AND CAME TO BE IN 2009, THAT STAFFED THE FIRE STATIONS, THESE VOLUNTEER STATIONS ARE CURRENTLY BEING RENOVATED.
UH, I WANT TO CERTAINLY GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDITS DUE OVER THE YEARS.
MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN RENOVATED SEVERAL TIMES.
THEY'VE BEEN ADDED ON TO SEVERAL TIMES.
AND JUST RECENTLY WE'RE JUST FINISHING UP A RENOVATION AT MANNEQUIN COMPANY ONE THAT IS ABSOLUTELY MODERN IN STATE OF THE ART AT THE TUNE OF $650,000.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER PHASE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOWN THE ROAD.
COMPANY THREE IN CENTERVILLE YES, WAS OPENED IN 1954, ALSO ADDED ON TO IN THE LATE 1960S, AGAIN IN THE 19 UH, SEVENTIES TO ACCOMMODATE NEW RESCUE VEHICLES.
AND WE HAD A MAJOR RENOVATION IN COMPANY THREE AND 1989.
THE WAY IT APPEARS TODAY, THE VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED IS LOOKING AT RENOVATING THE INTERIOR OF COMPANY THREE, HOPEFULLY TO START THAT PROJECT THIS SUMMER AT THE COST, UM, OF ABOUT THE, THE SAME AMOUNT THAT THEY'RE SPENT THERE AT AT MANNEQUIN COMPANY ONE, UH, COMPANY FIVE IN THE COURTHOUSE.
SAME SITUATION LOOKING AT RENOVATING, USING EXISTING FOOTPRINT, THE COMMUNITY ROOM TO REPURPOSE IT SO THAT IT IS BETTER SUITED FOR OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS OF 24 HOUR STAFF, BOTH VOLUNTEER AND CAREER.
SO THE COUNTY IS LOOKING AT ADDING TWO NEW FIRE STATIONS, ACTUALLY, AND THAT'S ALREADY BEEN BROUGHT TO LIGHT HERE TONIGHT.
AND WE LOOKED AT THAT AND THAT WASN'T BY HAPPENSTANCE.
WE LOOKED AT THE AREAS THAT WE FELT THAT WE NEEDED THE COVERAGE.
UH, IN THE 1950S AND 1960S, FIRE CHIEF EARL HENLEY STRATEGICALLY CHOSE THESE LOCATIONS AROUND THE COUNTY AND HE IS TO BE APPLAUDED AND COMMENDED, UH, FOR THOSE SITES BECAUSE THEY CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR COUNTY VERY WELL.
THE TWO SITES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, THE ONE THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED ALL THESE YEARS, MUCH LONGER THAN 10 YEARS, BUT CERTAINLY INTENTIONALLY OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS IS THE, UH, WEST CREEK FIRE STATION ALWAYS HAS BEEN A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN DONE THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WEST CREEK DEVELOPERS IN THE WEST CREEK BUSINESS PARK THAT WOULD ALSO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE OTHER IS COMPANY EIGHT, UH, THE SANDY HOOK FIRE STATION, WHICH WE DO HAVE PROPERTY FOR AT WHITE HALL AND DOGTOWN ROAD.
BUT TONIGHT OF COURSE, WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE, UH, THE WEST CREEK FIRE STATION.
FIRE STATIONS TODAY HAVE TO BE MODERN.
THE FIREFIGHTERS FACE NEW CHALLENGES.
WE HAVE MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, UH, WHICH AFFECTS FIRE STATION DESIGN AS WELL AS HEALTH CHALLENGES.
AND FOR EXAMPLE, FIREFIGHTERS, UH, HAVE A HIGH INCIDENCE OF CANCER IN THEIR PROFESSION BECAUSE OF THE SMOKE IN ALL THE CARCINOGENS AND ALL THE CONTAMINATION THAT WE BRING BACK TO THE FIRE STATION FROM THE EMERGENCY INCIDENT SCENE.
AND SO BEST PRACTICES ARE THAT FIRE STATION SNA ARE BUILT WITH CONTROL ZONES TO CONTROL AND CONTAIN THE CONTAMINATION SO THAT THE LIVING QUARTERS ARE AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE.
FIRE ENGINES AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES FOLLOW THE SAME, UM, TYPE OF DESIGN FEATURES.
THE COUNTYWIDE OPERATIONS, OUR CALL VOLUME IS INCREASING AND PARTICULARLY INCREASING IN THE EASTERN END OF THE COUNTY.
AND THE EASTERN END OF THE COUNTY IS PRIMARILY COVERED BY MANNEQUIN COMPANY ONE AND CENTERVILLE COMPANY THREE.
THE NEXT CLOSEST STATION TO THE EASTERN END WOULD BE BE THE CROZIER STATION.
WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WHILE WE HAD A 14% INCREASE IN CALLS FROM 2021 TO 2022, COMPANIES CAN ONLY HANDLE ONE CALL AT A TIME.
[02:45:01]
STAFF THAT WE HAVE ON DUTY THERE, INCLUDING VOLUNTEER STAFF AND CAREER STAFF, MOST OF THE TIME AIR FIRE STATIONS ARE ABLE TO HANDLE ONE CALL AT A TIME.THE ISSUE WE HAVE IN THE EASTERN END IS THAT WE'RE HAVING MORE THAN ONE CALL AT A TIME.
I APPRECIATE THE, THE COMMENTS AND THE ACCOLADES AND RESPONSE TIMES.
WE'VE WORKED VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESPONSE TIMES ARE AS BEST THEY CAN BE.
WE DO A LOT OF THINGS AND I WILL CHALLENGE ANY FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT OR ANY OTHER, UM, GROUP TO BE AS RESOURCEFUL IF WE'VE BEEN OVER THE YEARS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE OUR RESPONSE TIMES STAY GOOD.
BUT THAT'S FOR THE FIRST CALL OR THE SECOND CALL.
BUT BY THE TIME YOU GET THE THIRD CALL AND MANY TIMES THIS IS OCCURRING IN THE EASTERN END OF THE COUNTY, THEN YOU'RE WAITING FOR RESOURCES THAT ARE COMING FROM MUCH FURTHER DISTANCES.
AND NOT JUST THAT, THOSE AREAS THAT ARE COMING FROM ARE NOW LEFT OPEN, UH, FOR OTHER CALLS THAT ARE OCCURRING, UH, IN THE COUNTY.
I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RESPONSE DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, IN 2022 THERE WERE 679 CALLS IN THE MANNEQUIN DISTRICT AND 1,115 IN CENTERVILLE.
BUT THOSE PARENTHESES OF ASTERISKS REPRESENT THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT ANOTHER COMPANY HAD TO RESPOND INTO THOSE DISTRICTS, EITHER TO HANDLE THE CALL OR TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE, BECAUSE THAT TYPE OF CALL REQUIRED MORE RESOURCES THAN WHAT WAS AVAILABLE.
SO SOMETHING, UH, TO THINK ABOUT AREAS TO THE WEST OF THE COUNTY, UM, GO WITHOUT COVERAGE WHEN THOSE UNITS HAVE TO MOVE EAST.
SO THE AREA IS PRESENTLY SERVED, AS I'VE ALREADY STATED, BY MANNEQUIN COMPANY ONE AND COMPANY THREE IN CENTERVILLE.
BUT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS THE DESIGNATED GROWTH DISTRICT OF THE COUNTY.
THIS IS THE TUCKO CREEK SERVICE DISTRICT OF THE COUNTY, AND IS NATURALLY GOING TO ATTRACT THE TYPE OF GROWTH THAT WE HAVE SEEN DEVELOPED IN RECENT YEARS, AS WELL AS WHAT'S, UH, BEING CONSIDERED.
AND THAT IS ALSO, UH, INCLUDES THE CENTERVILLE VILLAGE AND THE WEST CREEK BUSINESS PARK.
AND THERE'S ONE OTHER THING THAT WE NEED TO MENTION, AND THAT'S THE PATTERSON AVENUE CORRIDOR.
FOR YEARS, PATTERSON AVENUE, AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, I'VE LIVED IN THE COUNTY ALL MY LIFE HAS BEEN A FOUR-LANE, UH, ROADWAY, BUT IT NEVER DEVELOPED COMMERCIALLY FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.
BUT THERE IS NOW A SOUTHERN PRIME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STUDY AREA STUDY GOING ON ON PATTERSON AVENUE, AND WE ALREADY SEE THE APARTMENTS THAT ARE BEING BUILT, THE THIRD SET OF APARTMENTS, THE THIRD SET OF APARTMENTS BEING BUILT IN THE WEST CREEK BUSINESS PARK IS, IS RIGHT THERE PATTERSON BY GREENWOOD MEMORIAL GARDENINGS.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE DESIRE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF THE PLAN OF THE FUTURE IS TO COMMERCIALLY DEVELOP THAT AREA AROUND THOSE, THOSE LIVING UNITS.
AND I CERTAINLY THINK THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WELL.
AS FAR AS THE LOCATION OF THIS FIRE STATION BEING IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN COMPANY ONE AND COMPANY THREE TO SUPPORT THAT SINCE 2017.
SINCE 2017, COMPANY THREE'S CALLS IN CENTERVILLE HAVE INCREASED BY 55%.
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE SEEN IT GO TO 1,115 CALLS THE PAST YEAR.
I LIVE IN COMPANY THREE SERVICE AREA.
HONESTLY, IF I NEED AN AMBULANCE AT MY HOUSE, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA COME FROM ANOTHER DISTRICT BECAUSE THREE IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE BUSY.
THE UNIT HOUR UTILIZATION TIME THAT WE LOOK AT WITH COMPANY THREE, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BUSY VERY OFTEN.
SO IT'S, IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO BE, TO BE SAID AND BE KNOWN.
COMPANY EIGHT'S, I'M SORRY, COMPANY ONE'S CALL IN MANNEQUINS HAS INCREASED BY 68%.
UH, AND THEY'RE UP TO 679 CALLS, UM, IN 2022.
AND OVERALL, IN THE EASTERN END OF THE COUNTY, WE HAVE SEEN A 60% INCREASE IN CALL VOLUME.
I WANNA TELL YOU ABOUT OUR STAFF.
WE HAVE VOLUNTEER MEMBERS AND WE HAVE CAREER MEMBERS, AND WE HAVE SOME DAYS, UH, OUR STAFFING.
WE MAY HAVE 17 CAREER MEMBERS IF EVERYONE WAS ABLE TO WORK, BUT WE HAVE SICK LEAVE, ANNUAL LEAVE, AND WE'LL WORK ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 12 PEOPLE AND 12 PEOPLE ISN'T A LOT TO COVER THE COUNTY.
UH, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT RESPONSE TIMES, UH, CERTAINLY HAS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WITH THAT AS WELL.
RECENT DEVELOPMENT IS, IS ABSOLUTELY IMPACTING FIRE RESCUE SERVICES IN GLAND COUNTY.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, OF ALL OF THE, UM, DEVELOPMENT THAT'S OCCURRED IN THE COUNTY, I'LL JUST TELL YOU THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE RESIDENTIAL UNITS, THAT ADDS UP TO BE 3097 UNITS.
NOW THAT'S JUST COUNTING THOSE PROJECTS.
SMALL SUBDIVISIONS THAT DON'T MAKE THIS LIST WHERE PEOPLE, UM, BUILDING SPLITTING UP FAMILY PROPERTY, ADDING HOMES, AND THIS TYPE OF THING.
THE EASTERN OF THE COUNTY IS RAPIDLY GROWING THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S ALREADY BUILT, THE PROCESSES OF OR BEING BUILT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW.
I WANNA MENTION AVERY POINT FOR A SECOND.
AVERY POINT IS A HUGE DEVELOPMENT AVERY POINT.
WE HAVE ESTIMATED BASED ON PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS THAT WE USE TO FORECAST CALLS, COULD INCREASE OUR CALL VOLUME BY 484 CALLS A YEAR.
JUST AT AVERY POINT, WHEN IT'S FULLY BUILT OUT, OUR PARTNERS IN BALTIMORE, THERE IS A F SIMILAR
[02:50:01]
ERICKSON FACILITY VALIDATED THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE AVER IN ABOUT 500 RUNS TO AVERY POINT A YEAR IN THAT THAT JURISDICTION SHELTER IN ARMS HOSPITAL 243 RUNS, UH, THE SHELTER IN ARMS HOSPITAL, UH, IN 2022, THAT SOME WOULD SAY PRIVATE AMBULANCE SHOULD HANDLE THAT.WHEN THOSE PATIENTS ARE HAVING STROKES AND HEART ATTACKS AND STEMIS, THEY HAVE TO GO TO DEFINITIVE CARE.
IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, AND IT'S A BUSINESS IN GLAND COUNTY.
WE USE THE PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS, AS I'VE ALREADY, UH, MENTIONED.
UH, WE LOOK AT THE PER CAPITA, WE LOOK AT OUR POPULATION, AND IF YOU THINK GLAND ONLY HAS, UH, 24,000 OR 25,000 CITIZENS, I THINK YOU'RE MISTAKEN.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE COUNTY, UH, WHO TRANSIT THROUGH THE COUNTY, IF YOU COULD TAKE THE POPULATION ON INTERSTATE 64, ROUTE 2 88 AT ANY ONE TIME, I THINK WE'D ALL BE SURPRISED.
AND OUR CALL VOLUME DOESN'T REFLECT A COUNTY OF ONLY 25,000 RESIDENTS.
WE'VE ESTIMATED WITH ABOUT 3,500 RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE COUNTY THAT WE COULD SEE AN ADDITIONAL 1000 CALLS A YEAR.
AND THAT IS A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE, A VERY CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, WHAT WHAT COULD OCCUR.
SO, SO OBVIOUSLY, UH, THIS HAS BEEN A, UH, PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WEST CREEK BUSINESS PARK ALL THESE YEARS.
WE WERE OFFERED THREE PIECES OF PROPERTY.
WE CHOSE THE PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT WAS SERVED THE MOST RESIDENTS IN THE COUNTY.
THE PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT WE LOOKED AT OR WAS OFFERED AT THE END OF TUCK CREEK PARKWAY IS A DEAD END ROAD.
THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT HAS SINCE CLOSED.
UH, WE WOULD ALWAYS BE RESPONDING BACK IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, WHICH WOULD PUT US OUT OF POSITION FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE CALLS.
SOME SAY, WELL, YOU COULD GET RIGHT ON 2 88.
WELL, SOME OF THE CALLS ARE ACTUALLY ON 2 88, AND WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC BACKUPS THAT WE SEE ON 2 88.
NOT TO SAY THAT WE DON'T EVER TAKE 2 88 AS A RESPONSE ROUTE, BUT IT'S ALSO A CALCULATED RISK BECAUSE MANY TIMES WE COULD FIND OURSELVES STUCK IN TRAFFIC ON 2 88, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME CHANGES AND NOT BE ABLE TO GET TO EITHER PATTERSON OR BROAD STREET, UH, IN A TIMELY MANNER.
LOOKING AT THE LOCATION, WE THINK IT OPTIMIZES RESPONSE TIMES FOR THE BEST FOR FIRE RESCUE PERSONNEL.
WE BUILD OFF OF THE ONE THREE AND FIVE MILE RESPONSE RADIUS.
WE HAVE NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST CONNECTIVITY.
UM, HOCKETT ROAD IS A COUNTRY ROAD, BUT IT'S ONE OF THE BEST COUNTRY ROADS, UH, THAT WE HAVE IN THIS COUNTY.
WE WANT TO GO AND LOOK AT WHITE HALL OR OLD COLUMBIA OR, OR SOME OF THE OTHER COUNTRY ROADS.
YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE A COUNTRY ROAD AND HOCKETT, WHILE IT DOES NEED IMPROVEMENTS, AND WE WOULD RATHER THE CURVE NOT BE THERE, THE FACT IS WE TRAVEL THAT ROAD EVERY DAY WITH FIRETRUCKS AND AMBULANCES TO HANDLE EMERGENCIES.
WE, WE, THE RESPONSE TIMES, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF INDICATE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THAT ALREADY.
I'LL TELL YOU THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK FOR ANYWHERE FROM FIVE TO EIGHT ACRES FOR THE, FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A FIRE STATION.
COMPANY THREE IN CENTERVILLE IS BUILT ON JUST A LITTLE UNDER TWO ACRES.
AND YES, THAT IS PRIME, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROPERTY, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
UH, THE PROPERTY THAT WAS, UH, THAT WE SELECTED THAT WAS OFFERED TO US BY THE WEST CREEK BUSINESS PARK, UH, WAS, UH, A FIVE ACRE PARCEL.
AND YES, UH, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT TWO ACRES OF THE FIVE ACRES ARE WETLANDS.
THERE WAS A STUDY DONE BY THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND MULTIPLE STUDIES DONE BY TIMMONS.
UM, LOT, LOTS OF, LOTS OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE ABOUT THAT.
AS FAR AS, UH, WE LOOK AT IT, IT MINIMIZES THE ONE WAY, IN ONE WAY, EIGHT CONNECTIVITY.
WE COULD GO NORTH OR SOUTH ON HOCK ROAD, WE COULD GO TO TOWARDS HERMITAGE COUNTRY CLUB.
WE CAN COVER THOSE RESIDENTS CAN GO BACK TO PATTERSON, WE CAN GO TO BROAD STREET, OR WE COULD USE 2 88 IF WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO A SECTION OF THE, THE WEST CREEK BUSINESS PARK OVER NEAR HARDYWOOD, POSSIBLY, OR THE, UH, WEST CREEK 2000 APARTMENTS.
I'LL TELL YOU THAT, UH, THIS IS A GOOD LOCATION BECAUSE IT'S A PORTS, OUR EXISTING FIRE STATIONS, UH, OUR EXISTING FIRE STATIONS, IT'S KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF WEST CREEK.
YOU HAVE ALL THAT DEVELOPMENT THAT'S TAXING OUR RESOURCES TODAY IN THE NORTHEAST CORNER, THE WILKES RIDGE PARKWAY, THE RESIDENCE IN THE APARTMENTS, ALL THAT STUFF THAT'S BUILT THERE.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE FOCUSED ON WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED OR WHAT COULD POTENTIALLY OCCUR ON PATTERSON.
AND SO IF YOU PUT ALL YOUR RESOURCES IN ONE LOCATION IN CENTERVILLE, THEN AT THAT POINT, IF WE, WE HAVE THE BUILD OUT ON PATTERSON, THEN NOW WE'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE, ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE NOT IN THE RIGHT POSITION.
SO ALL OF THAT'S GOTTA BE LOOKED AT.
WE COULD LOOK DOWN THE ROAD FIVE YEARS, WE COULD LOOK DOWN THE ROAD 25 YEARS, AND WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD AS TO WHERE THE WAY WEST CREEK MAY BE BUILT OUT.
IT DOES PROVIDE THE MULTIPLE, UH, ROUTES FOR RESPONSE.
THE LOCATION WE'VE SELECTED ON HOCK ROAD, WE FEEL LIKE WILL MEET THE NEEDS AND ADDRESS THE GROWTH THAT WE ARE AWARE OF TODAY IN THE COUNTY.
[02:55:02]
SO LOOKING AT THIS MAP, I JUST WANNA SAY FIRST THE GUC COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF FIRE, RESCUE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES.WE ARE AN ALL HAZARD FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT.
WE RESPOND TO FIRE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
ABOUT 75% OF THE RUNS ARE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
WE DO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE, SOME TECHNICAL RESCUE, WATER RESCUE, AND WE HANDLE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR THE COUNTY.
THIS MAP HERE SHOWS TODAY'S FIRE RESCUE RESPONSE LOCATIONS WITH THE ONE THREE AND FIVE MILE DRIVE DISTANCES, WHICH IS VERY PERTINENT TO, UH, ISO, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAD AN IMPROVEMENT IN OUR ISO SCHOOL THAT'S EFFECTIVE MAY 1ST.
HOWEVER, THAT'S NOT SO MUCH WHAT I WANT YOU TO GET OUT OF THIS MAP.
WHAT I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THIS IS THAT GUTZON COUNTY IS ALMOST 290 SQUARE MILES.
WE HAVE, IT'S ABOUT 30 MILES LONG.
THEY'RE, UH, LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAYS, CSX, RAILROAD TRACKS, THE JAMES RIVER.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PROVIDES CHALLENGES FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
UM, AND SO YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
BUT THINK ABOUT WHEN THOSE WEST END COMPANIES HAVE TO RESPOND EAST, THAT'S THE AREAS THAT ARE LEFT WITHOUT COVERAGE.
AND THOSE CITIZENS WHO LIVE IN THE WESTERN OF THE COUNTY, THEY WAIT THE LONGEST FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AND FIRE BECAUSE OF THE, JUST THE PURE GEOGRAPHICAL SIZE OF THE WESTERN INN.
AND THEN THAT TIME IS COMPOUNDED EVEN MORE SO FOR THE AMBULANCE TRAVEL TO DEFINITIVE CARE BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE LONGEST DISTANCE TO GO TO GET TO A HOSPITAL.
AND SO WE ARE VERY SENSITIVE, VERY SENSITIVE TO COMPANY FIVE'S DISTRICT GOING VOID OR FIFE OR HAYSVILLE BECAUSE THEY'RE RESPONDING.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT IRONIC BECAUSE WHEN I WAS A YOUNG VOLUNTEER, ALL OUR RESOURCES WERE RUNNING WEST BECAUSE WE HAD RESOURCES IN THE EAST END AND THEY WOULD GO TO THE WEST END, AND AT THE TABLE HAS TOTALLY TURNED 180 DEGREES.
THOSE RESOURCES ARE COMING EAST.
SO THE WEST CREEK FIRE STATION AND OPINION WILL SHORE UP, UH, THE COVERAGE IN THE EASTERN OF THE COUNTY.
IT'LL PROVIDE DIRECT SUPPORT FOR COMPANY ONE AND COMPANY THREE.
IT'LL ALLOW BOTH OF THOSE COMPANIES THAT HAVE VOLUNTEER BASES TO CONTINUE TO THRIVE.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE ALWAYS SAID THAT THE WEST CREEK FIRE STATION OR EVEN THE SANDY HOOK FIRE STATION, WE HOPE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO GAIN A VOLUNTEER BASE AT THOSE LOCATIONS.
WE MAY NOT BE IN A TRADITIONAL SENSE, BUT WE COULD HAVE FOUR OR FIVE DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS WHO MAY WANNA PULL DUTY OUT OF THOSE STATIONS.
WE ARE A COMBINATION DEPARTMENT AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO D BE.
WE ARE JUST ABOUT READY TO LAUNCH A LARGE RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN FOR MORE VOLUNTEER PERSONNEL BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN THE COMBINATION, UH, CONCEPT.
LOOKING AT WHAT WOULD BE IN THE WEST CREEK FIRE STATION, WELL, ALL OF OUR FIRE STATION HAS AN AMBULANCE AND AN ENGINE.
WE'D PROBABLY HAVE A FIRE ENGINE AND AN AMBULANCE AND MAYBE A BATTALION CHIEF IN FUTURE YEARS AS WE BRING ON MORE, UH, COMMAND STAFF.
BUT WE WOULD ALSO HAVE ROOM FOR ADDITIONAL APPARATUS, UH, WOULD BE A THREE BAY DRIVE-THROUGH FACILITY, UH, THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR OUR RESERVE APPARATUS TO BE HOUSED.
WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH PARKING SPACE OR RESERVE APPARATUS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE TO COVER STATIONS WHEN VEHICLES ARE IN THE SHOP, AS WELL AS OTHER, UH, NEEDS GOING DOWN DOWN THE ROAD.
AND SO, IN ADDITION THAT IT HASN'T BEEN SAID TONIGHT, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UH, WOULD LIKE A SMALL PORTION OF THE WEST CREEK FIRE STATION FOR THEIR DEPUTIES.
UH, SHERIFF CREASEY INDICATED HE'D LIKE TO HAVE TWO ROOMS. ONE WOULD BE AN OFFICE AND ONE WOULD BE A ROOM FOR SUPPLIES SO THAT HIS DEPUTIES WOULDN'T HAVE TO TRAVEL ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE CENTER OF THE COUNTY TO RESUPPLY AFTER CERTAIN INCIDENTS AND POSSIBLY THE ABILITY TO, TO ADD ON TO THAT AREA, UH, IN FUTURE YEARS.
AND THAT'S WHAT, UH, SHERIFF CREI HAD INDICATED AND WHAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED ALL, ALL ALONG.
REMEMBER, COMPANY ONE AND COMPANY THREE CAN HANDLE ONLY ONE INCIDENT AT A TIME.
THAT COULD BE A HEAD ON COLLISION, IT COULD BE A, UM, IT COULD BE A SICK CALL, IT COULD BE A HOUSE FIRE.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE DEAL.
MINUTES MATTER, UH, ABOUT 75% OF THE BREAKDOWN OF THE CALLS ARE EMS MINUTES MATTER, BUT SO DO RESPONSE TIMES.
A FIRE CAN DOUBLE IN SIZE EVERY 30 SECONDS TODAY, IT TAKES, YOU ONLY HAVE THREE TO FOUR MINUTES TO GET OUT OF A BURNING HOUSE.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE WAY OUR HOMES ARE BUILT IN CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTED TODAY.
THE SYNTHETICS THAT WE FURNISH OUR HOMES WITH, YOU HAVE THREE TO FOUR MINUTES TO GET OUT TODAY COMPARED TO ALMOST 17 MINUTES 30 YEARS AGO.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT SHORTENING EMS RESPONSE TIME, UH, INCREASES THE CHANCE OF SURVIVAL FROM CARDIAC ARREST.
IF YOU CAN GET ON THE SCENE IN THREE TO FIVE MINUTES AND PROVIDE CPR AND THE USE OF AN A D, YOU CAN SEE SURVIVAL RATES GO UP AS HIGH AS 49 TO 75%.
REMEMBER, BRAIN DAMAGE CAN OCCUR WITHOUT OXYGEN IN LESS THAN FOUR TO SIX MINUTES, AND A PERSON CAN BLEED TO DEATH IN THREE TO FIVE MINUTES.
WE WANT TO GET PLACES AS QUICK AS WE CAN.
WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE TWO IN THREE AND FOUR CALLS THAT
[03:00:01]
OCCUR AT THE SAME TIME.THE SECOND CALL PROBABLY CAN COVER IT.
THE THIRD CALL, YOU'RE GONNA BE WAITING FOR RESOURCES COMING FROM A FURTHER DISTANCE ACROSS THIS COUNTY.
AND THAT ALSO INCREASES THE DANGER TO NOT ONLY THE CITIZENS, BUT TO OUR RESPONDERS TO HAVE TO TRAVEL SUCH A GREAT DISTANCE ACROSS THE COUNTY WITH RED LIGHTS AND SIRENS, THOSE, UH, PICTURES THAT WERE SHOWN EARLIER.
AND WE'VE HAD OUR OWN INCIDENTS IN THIS COUNTY, AND IT IS SAD TO SAY, BUT IT HAPPENS.
THE OTHER THING I'LL JUST BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION IS THE NUMBER OF RESPONDERS IT TAKES TO HANDLE A, A FIRE EMERGENCY, 15 MEMBERS TO HANDLE A HOUSE FIRE THAT'S, THAT'S IN AN AREA THAT HAS A COUNTY FIRE HYDRANT.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A COUNTY FIRE HYDRANT, YOU PROBABLY NEED 10 MORE TO SHUTTLE WATER AND BRING IT IN.
YOU JUST START LOOKING AT BUSINESSES, STRIP MALLS, 27 PEOPLE, GARDEN APARTMENTS.
WE HAD A FIRE AT THE, THE NOTCH APARTMENTS ON WILT PARKWAY.
HENRICO COUNTY CAME IN, PROVIDED MUTUAL AID FOR THAT AND COMBINED PERSONNEL TOTALS.
WE HAD ABOUT 41 FIREFIGHTERS ON THAT SCENE THAT MORNING TO MITIGATE THAT INCIDENT.
AND THEN WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT A HIGHRISE, WHICH IS TECHNICALLY ANY BUILDING THAT'S OVER 75 FEET TALL, AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THE PROJECT ROCKY IS PROPOSED COULD BE 120 FEET TALL.
THAT'S A HIGH RISE, REQUIRES A LOT OF PEOPLE TO HANDLE IT.
AND THAT JUST BRINGS UP THE WHOLE OTHER THING OF THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THAT'S OVER ON ASHLAND ROAD.
WE NEED THESE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND WHO KNOWS, ONE DAY, COMPANY THREE COULD BE SHIFTED IN THAT DIRECTION.
I DO UNDERSTAND AND, AND SHARE THAT GENTLEMAN'S, UH, YOU KNOW, THOUGHTS ABOUT COMPANY THREE BEING SHIFTED IN THAT DIRECTION BECAUSE OF THE, UH, GROWTH THAT'S OCCURRING ON ASHLAND ROAD.
AND OF COURSE, UH, AIR COUNTY DELIVERS EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH.
AND OUR PRIORITY ONE CALLS FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH REQUIRE MORE RESOURCES.
AND THAT'S ABOUT, UH, 75% OF THEM.
SO WE, WE NEED, WE NEED ADDITIONAL, UH, SUPPORT.
I APPRECIATE, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I RESPECT AND APPRECIATE WHAT'S BEEN SAID HERE BY OUR CITIZENS.
UH, FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT RARELY FINDS OURSELF, UM, IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS.
AND IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE FOR US.
WE LIKE TO BE THE ABSOLUTE BEST WE CAN BE.
SO I, I AM SENSITIVE TO THAT AND I THANK ALL OF THEM FOR WHAT THEY'VE SAID AND, AND HOW THEY'VE SAID IT, AS WELL AS THE COMPLIMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED.
AS MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I WANT TO KIND OF GO OVER A LITTLE BIT JUST THE HISTORY AGAIN OF THIS PROPERTY.
AND THE PROPERTY WAS FIRST OFFERED TO THE COUNTY IN 2012, HAS BEEN STATED BY WEST CREEK ASSOCIATES IN 2019.
AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF REVIEWING DIFFERENT SITES, THIS SITE WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE PREFERRED CHOICE.
THE PUBLIC COMMUNITY MEETING WAS HELD IN 2019 WITH CITIZENS.
IN 2021, THE COUNTY CONDUCTED A BOND REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN.
THIS INDICATED TO THE CITIZENS THAT A STATION WOULD BE BUILT IN THIS AREA OF GIN COUNTY.
AS I UNDERSTAND, APPROXIMATELY 50 MEETINGS WERE HELD ACROSS THE COUNTY TO DISCUSS THE ISSUES THE BOND REFERENDUM WOULD COVER, AND THE STATION WAS REFERRED TO IN ALL OF THEM.
IN 2022, THE PROPERTY WAS DONATED TO GIN COUNTY IN JANUARY OF 2023, ANOTHER COMMUNITY MEETING WAS HELD ABOUT THE SITE REGARDING THIS REZONING APPLICATION.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT THE CHIEF STRESS AND I WANNA STRESS, WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS OF A FIRE STATION AND WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS THAT ANY PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY BRINGS TO A COMMUNITY.
I WOULD, WOULD STRESS HOWEVER, THAT THERE ISN'T SHING AS A PERFECT LOCATION.
ANY LOCATION WE'LL EVER FIND WILL HAVE NEGATIVES ATTACHED TO IT.
WE'LL HAVE ISSUES CONCERNING TO IT.
UH, BOTH STATION THREE AND STATION ONE ARE LANDLOCKED.
WE CAN'T ADD MORE BAYS, WE CAN'T EXPAND THEM.
AS YOU HEARD THE CHIEF SAY, STATION THREE IS ON 1.2 ACRES.
UH, THIS IS MANY TIMES THE SIZE OF THAT FACILITY.
AND, AND STATION ONE IS ALSO SMALLER.
FOUR OF OUR STATIONS ARE ON VERY SMALL NARROW WINDING COUNTRY ROADS AS WELL.
SO THIS IS AN ISSUE WE DEAL WITH WHEREVER WE GO AND WHEREVER WE WOULD PLACE A FIRE STATION.
SO WE DO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS THE STATION WOULD HAVE ON OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE COMMIT TO BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR.
WE'LL BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, BOTH IN HOW WE DESIGN A FACILITY AND HOW WE OPERATE A FACILITY.
WE WOULD COMMIT TO MAKE SURE, FIRST OF ALL, THAT IT'S NOT A DETRIMENT TO THE COMMUNITY BY REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND BY ENSURING THAT IT LOOKS GOOD, UH, WE WOULD OPERATE ALL OF OUR LIGHTS AND SIRENS ALWAYS IN ACCORDANCE TO STATE LAW.
WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO CONDUCT OUR ROUTINE FUNCTIONS IN SUCH A MANNER TO BE MINIMALLY INTRUSIVE.
WE WON'T BE OUT THERE CLEANING GARBAGE CANS AT 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE'LL ENDEAVOR TO INCORPORATE ALL APPROPRIATE SAFETY FEATURES.
AGAIN, SAFETY IS TANTAMOUNT TO WHAT WE DO.
THE SAYING IN FIRE SERVICES IS EVERYONE COMES HOME.
EVERYONE OF THOSE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE THERE, EVERY CITIZEN WHO DRIVES THAT ROAD IS A CHILD OF GOD, IS AN IMPORTANT PERSON.
AND WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR SAFETY IS INCORPORATED
[03:05:01]
INTO WHAT WE BUILD AND WHAT WE DESIGN.AND WE WILL CONSTRUCT THE FACILITY TO BE DARK SKY COMPLIANT.
THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE PRIDE OURSELF ON IN THIS COUNTY, IS WE HEARD A CITIZEN ALREADY AND WE PRIDE OURSELF AS WELL.
I'M MAKING SURE THAT WE STAY COMPLIANT TO THAT.
SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE FUNDING FOURTH FACILITY HAS BEEN SECURED.
THE BOND REFERENDUM THAT WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER WAS PASSED.
OVERWHELMINGLY 85% OF THE VOTERS VOTED FOR THIS, UH, FACILITY AMONG OTHERS.
IF APPROVALS ARE RECEIVED TONIGHT, THEN WE CAN START THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING IT.
UH, AGAIN, APPROVAL TONIGHT DOES NOT GUARANTEE A STATION IS BUILT.
ALL THIS IS IS REZONING THE PROPERTY.
SO THIS IS NOT APPROVING THE BUILDING OF THE STATION.
TONIGHT WE ARE ASKING APPROVAL OF REZONING.
IF WE DID PROCEED WITH CONSTRUCTION, THAT'S GONNA BE 18 TO 24 MONTHS.
SO AGAIN, THAT, THAT'S 18, 24 MONTHS WITH AN IDENTIFIED LOCATION.
UH, IN THE EVENT THAT THIS IS NOT IDENTIFIED LOCATION, THEN WE ADD THE AMOUNT OF TIME NECESSARY TO FIND A NEW LOCATION ONTO THAT PROCESS.
SO WE'RE NOW LOOKING TWO TO THREE YEARS IN THE FUTURE BEFORE SUCH A FACILITY IS BUILT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, BUT AS HAS BEEN STATED EARLIER, THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE COUNTY'S 2035 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PUBLIC FACILITIES PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE BOARD IN 2018.
AND AGAIN, IT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE TOLD THE PUBLIC WE WERE GOING TO DO WHEN WE PUT IT IN FRONT OF THEM IN 2021.
SO WHAT IS BEING ASKED TONIGHT? WE'RE ASKING THAT THESE FIVE ACRES BE REZONED IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE BUSINESS PARK PROFFERS, THE COUNTY WILL COMMIT, WE WILL PROFFER TO STRICTLY LIMIT THE USE OF THIS FACILITY, THIS PROPERTY ONLY TO A FIRE STATION OR GOVERNMENT USE, AND PROHIBIT ALL OTHER USES THAT CURRENTLY COULD BE BUILT ON THAT PROPERTY IF WE WERE NOT THERE.
WE'LL PROVIDE CONCEPTUAL PLANS THAT WILL SHOW HOW THE PROPERTY WILL BE DEVELOPED.
AND AGAIN, WE'LL ENSURE THAT THAT SERVICES SUCH AS GARBAGE AND REFUSE ARE ATTRACTIVE AND COMPATIBLE WITH THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEIR THING AS WELL.
UH, THE, THE BUILDING AS WELL AS WE BUILT.
SO IN CLOSING, GUCCI COUNTY NEEDS A FACILITY.
THE CHIEF MADE THE REASONS WHY WE NEED A FACILITY.
WE CAN'T EXPAND STATION ONE, WE CAN'T EXPAND STATION THREE.
THEY'LL UNDERSTAND THE THOUGHT THAT THE COUNTY IS IS GROWING AT ONE TO 2% A YEAR.
UM, BUT, BUT IN CENSUS TERMS THAT, THAT, THAT'S FAST GROWTH.
THAT'S ON AN, ON AN ANNUAL, UH, ON A DECADE BASIS.
THAT'S ABOUT 20% GROWTH TO THIS COUNTY.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, AS THE CHIEF ALLUDED TO, WE HAVE ABOUT 15,000 PEOPLE A DAY THAT COME TO WORK IN OUR WEST STREET BUSINESS PARK.
I'VE MET WITH, WITH THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS THERE IN THE LAST MONTH.
PERFORMANCE FOOD GROUPS, ALL THREE OF THEM ARE, HAVE COMMITTED THAT THEY ARE NOT DOWNSIZING THEIR FACILITIES.
IN FACT, THEY'RE CLOSING FACILITIES IN RICHMOND AND MOVING BE TO THESE CAMPUSES HERE.
AND THOUGH THEY MAY NOT HAVE ALL 15,000 COMING IN EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK, THEY'RE COMING IN THREE TO FIVE DAYS A WEEK BRINGING THE A BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEY WANT TO GO BACK TO FIVE DAYS A WEEK IF THEY CAN.
AGAIN, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO, TO THE CAMPUS FACILITY OF, OF, FOR EXAMPLE, CAPITAL ONE, IT'S A VERY LARGE CAMPUS, VERY LARGE BUILDINGS.
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS THERE, WE NEED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO RESPOND TO THEM AS WELL.
AS THE CHIEF SAID, WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO THE INTERSTATE, WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO HIGHWAY 2 88.
THOSE ARE SPECIALIZED SERVICES THAT NEED TO GET THERE QUICKLY.
SO IN CLOSING, WE NEED THIS FACILITY.
ALL THE CITIZENS OF GOSHEN COUNTY WOULD BENEFIT RESPONSE TIMES ARE POSITIVELY EFFECTIVE THIS LOCATION BECAUSE OF ITS EXCELLENT ACCESS TO THE EXISTING TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.
WE WILL BE THE SAME GOOD NEIGHBOR THAT WE HAVE BEEN AT SIX OTHER LOCATIONS FOR 70 YEARS.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT THE COMP PLAN AND THE PUBLIC FACILITIES PLAN THAT COCHEN COUNTY HAS APPROVED AND ADOPTED.
MS CHAIRMAN MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, I ASKED FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THIS TONIGHT AND WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
WE'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF.
DO WE NEED A BREAK OR DO YOU WANT TO GO RIGHT INTO QUESTIONS? NO.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO, UH, LET'S DO 10 MINUTES.
[03:21:20]
I[03:21:20]
DON'T,[03:21:20]
I DON'T KNOW.ALL RIGHT, FOLKS, IF WE CAN COME BACK TO ORDER.
WE'RE GONNA CALL US BACK TO ORDER.
MR. CARPENTER, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE UP.
WHAT QUESTIONS DO WE HAVE FOR THE APPLICANTS AFTER HIS RESPONSE TO THE PUBLIC HEARING? I'LL, I'LL GET, I'LL GET STARTED.
THANK YOU CHIEF, AND THANK YOU MR. CARPENTER.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN INTERESTING.
UH, WE HAD GOOD DISCUSSION ON BUDGET EARLIER.
WE HAD SOME GOOD TALK ABOUT THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX BREAK.
SO IT'S BEEN AN INTERESTING BIG, BIG DECISION DAY FOR, FOR GLAND IN SOME WAYS.
AND THIS HAS BEEN A PROJECT THAT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, I GOT ON THE BOARD IN 2018 AFTER I WAS APPOINTED, AFTER NED CREASY PASSED.
AND I, THIS STARTED REFERENCE TO THE 2012 LETTER THAT'S BEEN MADE REFERENCE TO EARLIER.
AND I THINK IT GOES BACK FURTHER THAN THAT IN CHIEF, YOU TALKED ABOUT, UH, CHIEF HENLEY LOOKING AT THE AREA WHERE FIRE STATIONS WOULD BE LOCATED.
SO I, I KNOW PLANNING, YOU ALL ARE ALWAYS PLANNING AND, AND RESPONDING TO DATA AND FACTS.
AND I'LL SAY I, I'M KICKING MYSELF AND I WANNA THANK THE FOLKS IN THE KEN LOCK COMMUNITY FOR INVITING ME TO COME OUT AND, AND SEE THE LOCATION.
I WAS SURPRISED I HADN'T GONE UP THAT ROAD TO SEE HOW CLOSE IT IS TO HOCKETT ROAD.
YOU REALLY CAN'T APPRECIATE IT UNTIL YOU'RE THERE.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR INVITING ME, UH, A FEW WEEKS AGO TO VISIT AND LOOK AT IT.
UM, I, I, I WAS, LIKE I SAID, I WAS ON THE BOARD IN 2018.
I REMEMBER THE CO THE COMMUNITY MEETING IN 2019 AT THE MANNEQUIN FIRE STATION.
AND HERE I AM IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, UH, PUTTING UP A LOT OF INTERNAL RESISTANCE WITH MY COLLEAGUES, RAISING LOTS OF QUESTIONS, RAISING QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
AND I'M, I'M UNCOMFORTABLE AND I'VE, I THINK, RIGHT, RIGHTFULLY, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE PUSHED BACK ON, YOU KNOW, LAST KIND OF LAST MINUTE.
UM, AND, AND EVEN TO THE POINT OF WHAT'S MY AREA OF EXPERTISE THAT I CAN, THAT I CAN, YOU KNOW, START TO OPINE ON SOME OPERATIONAL ISSUES AND, AND I PLAN TO STAY AWAY FROM ANY OPERATIONAL ISSUES.
WE HAVE CHIEF FERGUSON AND, AND YOU, I MEAN, I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE AND, AND WE HAVE SOME CONSULTANTS IN RIGHT NOW, AND I TOLD YOU RECENTLY THAT THE CONSULTANTS WERE EXTREMELY, UH, COMPLIMENTARY OF HOW WELL YOU HAVE RUN A COMBINATION DEPARTMENT WITH VOLUNTEERS.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S A FACT.
YOU, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HEAR IT FROM THE CONSULTANTS.
YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE COMMUNITY RELATIVE TO OTHER COMMUNITIES, HOW VOLUNTEERISM.
AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH COVID, WHICH, YOU KNOW, REALLY HURT THE VOLUNTEERISM AND THE VOLUNTEERS HAVE SAVED THIS COUNTY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OVER THE YEARS.
AND, UH, I THINK WHEN I GOT ON THIS BOARD, I KNOW ME AND OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WERE LEANING ON YOU TO KEEP, KEEP DOING THINGS TO KEEP VOLUNTEERS IN PLACE BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN SO VALUABLE.
UM, BUT YOU DID, YOU DID, YOUR PRESENTATION DID CAUSE ME TO HAVE TO AT LEAST RESPOND TO A FEW THINGS OPERATIONALLY.
[03:25:01]
WANNA STAY IN MY LANE AS A BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEMBER, BUT I THINK I WOULD MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS IN MY LANE, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPENDING CITIZENS' MONEY AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING A FIRE STATION IN A PLACE THAT I THINK A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS COME FROM COMMON SENSE ARE, ARE ROOTED IN COMMON SENSE.BUT I I, I DO RESPECT WHAT YOU DO.
I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO AND, AND I SAY THE SAME TO ALL THE STAFF.
SO I HOPE ANYTHING I SAY AND WHAT I SAY, UM, IS NOT INTERPRETED AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN ME JOINING YOU ALL IN, IN TRYING TO GET TO THE BEST PLACE THAT WE CAN GET ON THIS, ON THIS QUESTION.
UM, JUMPING AROUND A LITTLE BIT, I'LL SAY, MR. CARPENT, DO YOU, YOU SAID A COUPLE OF TIMES IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT YOU'RE SIMPLY REMOVING PROFFERS AND, AND THE ARCHITECTURAL CONTROLS.
AND I, I, I HEAR THAT, BUT I DON'T ENTIRELY AGREE WITH THAT.
AND THAT'S THE REASON, OR I DON'T THINK THAT'S A COMPLETE STATEMENT, IS A BETTER WAY TO PUT IT.
BECAUSE IF WE APPROVE THIS TONIGHT, WE ARE YOU, THE COUNTY, LIKE ANY OTHER APPLICANT HAS PUT FORTH A CONCEPTUAL PLAN THAT SAYS THE PROPERTY SHALL BE DEVELOPED IN GENERAL CONFORMANCE WITH THE EXHIBIT.
AND THAT EXHIBIT IS WHAT WE'VE HAD UP ON THE SCREEN EARLIER, AND IT SHOWS THAT LITTLE NORTH CORNER OF A 24 ACRE PARCEL.
AND I KNOW I ASKED MS ON HOW FAR IS THE FRONT OF THAT BUILDING IN THIS DIAGRAM FROM HOCKETT ROAD? I, I, I DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER TO THAT YET, BUT I, I BELIEVE IT'S NOT MUCH MORE THAN THAN A HUNDRED FEET AND CHIEF YOU TOLD ME WHEN I STARTED GETTING ENGAGED AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE KIND LOCK FOLKS, I REALLY KICKED IN MY ENGAGEMENT ON THIS.
AND I THINK YOU TOLD ME YOU NEEDED, UH, AT LEAST A HUNDRED FOOT APRON TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE APPARATUS IN THE FRONT.
SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT ME KICKING IN AND GETTING AND ENGAGED SO LATE, YES, I AM KICKING MYSELF.
I HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT MYSELF LOOKING, LOOKING, THIS JOB, I'LL TELL YOU, IS A LOT HARDER THAN, THAN I THOUGHT WHEN I SIGNED UP.
AND YOU COULD SPEND A WHOLE LOT MORE, YOU COULD SPEND AN INFINITE AMOUNT OF TIME, UM, GETTING ENGAGED.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, I THINK ABOUT MY YEARS ON THE BOARD, AND IT PROBABLY IS ANALOGOUS TO OUR EXPERIENCE IN LIFE.
YOU, YOU DEAL WITH WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU.
YOU DEAL WITH WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU, AND SOMETIMES YOU F YOU KNOW, YOU THEN YOU'RE LIKE, WAIT A SECOND.
THAT'S BEEN BOUNCING ALONG AND I HAVEN'T BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO IT.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN BOUNCING ALONG FOR A LONG TIME.
AND IN 2019, I REMEMBER SITTING AT THAT COMMUNITY MEETING AND THINKING, OH, GREAT, OKAY, THIS MAKES SENSE.
UM, BUT I DIDN'T DIG INTO THE QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, BUT IT MADE SENSE BECAUSE IT WAS A, IT WAS A 24 ACRE PARCEL AT THE CORNER OF TUCKAHOE CREEK PARKWAY AND HOCKETT.
SO WHEN I STARTED, WHEN THIS CAME UP, I'M, I'M LOOKING AT LIKE, HOW IN THE HECK DID WE END UP ON THREE ACRE, UH, THREE ACRES USABLE? I EYEBALLING IT.
HOW DO WE END UP ON FIVE ACRES IN A CORNER PUSHED NORTH CLOSER TO THE S TURN? BECAUSE WHEN I MET THE FOLKS AT KEN LOCK TO THEIR CREDIT, AND I, I WAS WAITING FOR THE, CUZ OFTEN WHEN YOU DO THIS, THE FIRST THING WHEN YOU SIT DOWN WITH PEOPLE IS LIKE, I DON'T WANT THAT THERE.
IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW THAT NOT IN MY BACKYARD MENTALITY.
AND TO Y'ALL'S CREDIT, YOU DIDN'T GET TO THAT UNTIL LATER IN THE DISCUSSION,
AND THAT OF COURSE, YOU, YOU'LL, YOU, I, I CAUGHT THAT BECAUSE I WAS STARTING RIGHT BEFORE I MET YOU AND THEN MEETING YOU.
I WAS STARTING TO REALIZE HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? I WAS THERE IN 2019, UM, AND I THOUGHT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A PARCEL.
I JUST, I DIDN'T ASSUME IT WAS GONNA BE ANYWHERE IN PARTICULAR, BUT I THOUGHT WE HAD A LOT OF ROOM AND THAT WE, WE WOULD WORK THIS OUT.
THIS I'M CONCERNED IS NOT GOING TO, NOT GOING TO WORK FOR, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
BUT I EVEN THOUGHT EARLIER IN THE, UH, YOU KNOW, OVER THE WEEKEND THAT MAYBE I CAN GET TO YES ON THIS KNOWING, LIKE YOU SAID, MR. CARPENTER, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK A AHEAD, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF WORK ON SAFETY AND A LOT OF WORK ON DESIGN.
BUT I, THE ENGINEERS ARE GONNA HAVE TO DO SOME MAGIC TO, TO, TO, TO WORK WITH THIS.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE PRES PRESENTERS TALKED ABOUT, AND AND Y'ALL TOLD ME IT IN A SECOND MEETING, THAT THE LE THE NEIGHBORING LANDOWNERS HAVE SAID NO TO THE ASK FOR MORE LAND.
AND WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT I KIND OF CRINGED, I SAID, OH, DID THAT PERHAPS CAME FROM ME BECAUSE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I, WHEN I MET WITH CHIEF FERGUSON AND WE LOOKED AT SOME OF THIS HISTORY AND THE DIAGRAMS RIGHT BEFORE I MET FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES WITH THE CONSULTANTS THAT, THAT ARE DOING OUR MASTER PLAN, I, I CAME AWAY FROM THAT.
IT'S LIKE, THIS ISN'T GONNA WORK.
IF WE END UP HAVING TO DO THIS, WE NEED MORE LAND AND WE NEED TO PUSH THIS TO THE SOUTH AND GET SOME MORE DEPTH.
AND, UM, AND, AND I THINK THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, OF COURSE I THINK THAT'S COMMON SENSE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHO ASKED THE LANDOWNERS AND, AND
[03:30:01]
WHAT WAS ASKED GIFT US LAND, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA BUY SOME LAND.BUT I STILL THINK MY BOTTOM LINE IS I'M A NO TO THIS, BUT IF WE CAN GET THE LAND AND MAKE THIS, UH, SAFER, MORE FUNCTIONAL, PROTECT US FROM HOCK ROAD, EVER WIDENING, I HEARD WHAT THE TRANSPORTATION OR PLANNING FOLKS TOLD US THAT THE LONG-TERM PLAN IS.
BUT WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT SPEEDA TO THE SOUTH AND THE GROWTH TO THE NORTH AND WEST CREEK GROWTH TO THE EAST, I MEAN, I I, I DON'T KNOW THAT HOCKETT ROAD IS MAYBE IN MY LIFETIME, IT'LL, IT'LL SUFFICE AS A TWO-LANE ROAD, BUT, UH, I COULD SEE IT NEEDING TO BE MORE, AND I COULD SEE ANY WIDENINGS GONNA HAVE TO GO TO THE EAST.
IT'S GONNA JUST HAVE TO GO TO THE EAST, THE WIDENING, WIDENING OF H ROAD IF IT COMES TO THAT.
BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE RIGHT AT THE LIMIT AND WE LIKE TO KEEP FACILITIES FOR 70 YEARS AROUND HERE.
SO I DON'T THINK THIS IS, WE'RE NOT THINKING AHEAD ON IF, IF WE GO WITH THIS.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT JUST, I'LL EXPRESS SOME CONCERN.
I'VE GOT THE SLIDE DECK FROM THE NOVEMBER, 2019 MEETING THAT I WAS THERE.
I DID NOT MAKE THE JANUARY COMMUNITY MEETING.
AND THIS SLIDE DECK TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SERIES OF THINGS, BUT IT SAYS PARCEL IS APPROXIMATELY 24 ACRES.
COUNTY WOULD NEED ONLY FIVE DASH EIGHT ACRES OF THE PARCEL.
HERE, THE SLIDE DECK FROM THE 2023 JANUARY, 2023 PROPOSED WEST CRASH STATION PARCEL IS APPROXIMATELY 24 ACRES.
COUNTY WOULD ACQUIRE AND UTILIZE FIVE TO EIGHT ACRES.
IT SAYS IT TWO PLACES ON THIS SLIDE DECK.
THIS IS AFTER WE ALREADY HAVE THE FIVE ACRES DEED TO US.
SO I'M, I'M A LITTLE GRUMPY ABOUT THAT.
THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC THAT WAY.
NOW, IT COULD HAVE BEEN, I WASN'T AT THE MEETING, IT COULD HAVE BEEN CLARIFIED TO FOLKS THAT LIKE, HEY, THIS, I KNOW THIS SLIDE SAYS X, BUT YOU KNOW, WE ON, WE HAVE FIVE ACRES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS SAID AT THAT MEETING, BUT I JUST PICKED UP ON THAT PREPARING FOR MY REMARKS OVER THE WEEKEND.
AND THAT I THINK IS KIND OF AT THE ROOT OF MY FRUSTRATION.
AND IT'S PART OF WHAT'S AT THE ROOT OF WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM THE CITIZENS IS, IS THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION.
AND, AND THAT WAS, THAT'S A REALLY UNFORTUNATE MISS THERE.
BUT AGAIN, IF, IF THE MEETING, I WASN'T THERE, AND I WISH NOW IN HINDSIGHT, I, I HAD FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET TO THAT JANUARY MEETING.
BUT, UH, CHIEF, UM, YOU NEED RESOURCES, THAT'S CLEAR.
BUT WE, WE ARE OPERATING IN A FINITE RESOURCE WORLD.
I SEE SHERIFF CREASY IN THE BACK THERE, AND I, I, I KIND OF SMILE WHEN YOU SAID THE SHERIFF WANTS SPACE IN THE NEW FIREHOUSE.
I'M LIKE, THE SHERIFF WANTS SPACE ANYWHERE HE CAN GET IT
WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OTHER PLACES.
AND RIGHT AWAY WHEN WE, WHEN HE HEARS WE'RE LOOKING, JOHN, I NEED SOME SPACE.
SO HE, HE AND HIS, HIS DEPUTIES NEED SOME SPACE IN THE EAST END.
AND I KNOW WE ARE GONNA GET IT BECAUSE WE NEED A FIRE STATION IN THE EAST.
AND I COULD MAKE THE ARGUMENT, WE NEED TWO TO THREE FIRE STATIONS IN THE COUNTY.
AND THAT'S THE OTHER PIECE, WHEN I DID THE TOUR A YEAR AGO, UM, IT WAS SIMILAR TO WHEN I GOT ON THE SCHOOL BOARD IN 2012 AND WE TOURED ONE OF THE SCHOOLS AND I WAS SO GLAD WHEN, WHEN, UH, SUSAN AND, AND KEN CAME TO ME, CAME WITH US ON THAT FIRST TOUR BACK IN 2012 WHEN I WAS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THEY WERE NEW ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
AND ALL OF US HAD THAT SENTIMENT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED A NEW SCHOOL HERE AT GUCCI ELEMENTARY, AND HERE WE ARE JUST BREAKING GROUND ON THAT THE, THE OTHER DAY.
SO IT TAKES A WHILE SOMETIMES, BUT I HAD THAT SAME STRONG FEELING WHEN WE TOURED THE FIRE STATIONS THAT WE NEED NEW FIRE STATIONS.
AND I'M WORRIED ABOUT WE NEED A FIRE STATION IF WE PUT THIS ONE HERE, WELL, WE GOTTA FIX PROBLEMS WITH THIS LOT FIRST, BUT IF WE PUT THIS ONE HERE, WE STILL ARE LE LEFT WITH FIRE STATIONS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED.
BUT I WANNA GO BACK TO, UH, AGAIN, I DON'T, I WANNA STEER A LITTLE BIT CLEAR OF OPERATIONAL, BUT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO MAKE A DECISION AND YOU PRESENTED OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES.
SO I I THINK I, IT ALMOST PUTS ME IN A POSITION THAT I WANT TO ASK YOU, UH, THE BASIS OF SOME OF THESE THINGS.
BECAUSE IF I SAY NO, THEN IT'S, IT SUGGESTS I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M MAYBE NOT AGREEING WITH YOU, BUT I, YOU SAID COMPANIES CAN ONLY HANDLE ONE CALL AT A TIME.
UM, I, I DON'T, COMMON SENSE TELLS ME THAT THE ONLY, THAT THERE'S MORE THAN A SOLUTION BUILD A NEW FIRE STATION TO ADDRESS THAT.
I MEAN, AND I LISTEN TO THE RADIO.
YOU, I LISTEN AND, AND MY DAUGHTER HAS DONE VOLUNTEER WORK WHEN SHE WAS, BEFORE SHE HEADED TO SAN DIEGO.
UM, AND SO I'M A LITTLE FAMILIAR AND, AND YOU'VE ALWAYS GIVEN ME THE INFORMATION WHEN I ASK,
[03:35:01]
BUT YOU'VE GOT, THIS WAS AN EXAMPLE THE OTHER DAY WHEN WE TALKED, YOU, YOU LOOKED ON YOUR PHONE AND YOU LOOKED AT YOUR, YOUR RESOURCES.YOU'VE GOT TWO AMBULANCES SITTING IN CENTERVILLE NOW.
I THINK ONE OF 'EM IS A BACKUP, BUT YOU, THE LIMITATION WAS CRUISE.
YOU ONLY HAD TWO PEOPLE COULD RUN AND THEY, THEY GOT A CALL ON SHELTERING ARMS THAT MORNING WHEN WE WERE THERE, AND BOOM.
BUT YOU'VE GOT AN AMBULANCE SITTING THERE, YOU JUST DON'T HAVE PEOPLE TO DRIVE THEM.
MIGHT THEY, TO ADDRESS THE RESOURCE NEEDS? IS, IS IT A NEW FIRE STATION OR CAN WE ALSO START TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS BY STAFFING UP? WELL, WELL, MR. LUKINS, UH, GREAT.
I'M SORRY, MR. LUMPKINS, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'LL JUST BACK UP AND SAY THAT, UH, I'D INVITE YOU INTO THE OPERATIONAL WORLD ANY DAY OF THE WEEK BECAUSE, UM, YOU DO KNOW, AND YOU'RE A FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, AND YOU CERTAINLY, UH, HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO'S IN FIRE RESCUE, AND YOU'VE BEEN, UH, ONE OF OUR STAUNCH SUPPORTERS IN FIRE RESCUE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE WELCOME TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION, UM, WHETHER YOU ADD A NEW FIRE STATION OR NOT.
I WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE SIX FIRE STATIONS THAT WE HAVE TODAY NEED MORE STAFFING.
UH, THE GOAL IS TO HAVE FIVE PEOPLE, FIVE CAREER FIREFIGHTER EMTS, SOME BEING PARAMEDICS WORKING A DAY, AND ALL THOSE SIX FIRE STATIONS, THREE ASSIGNED TO THE FIRE ENGINE AND TWO ASSIGNED TO THE AMBULANCE.
BECAUSE THE BOTTOM LINE IS WHAT WE DO NOW IS, UH, WE REFER TO IT AS CROSS STAFFING OR DROP STAFFING.
UH, THOSE, THOSE TWO PEOPLE THAT MAY BE THERE, SOMETIMES THERE'S THREE, UM, WE WILL ACTUALLY SHARE FROM ONE VEHICLE TO THE NEXT, WHICH ALSO IMPACTS RESPONSE TIMES WHEN YOU HAVE TO MOVE YOUR GEAR AND YOUR EQUIPMENT FROM ONE VEHICLE TO THE NEXT.
SO I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO GET FROM THE, UH, REQUEST FOR MORE BRICK AND MORTAR AND ANOTHER FIRE STATION.
THE IDEA THAT THE SIX FIRE STATIONS WE HAVE NOW, THEY NE EVERYONE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE NOT STAFFED ADEQUATELY.
OKAY? WE, WE NEED MORE STAFFING IN THOSE STATIONS TO HANDLE THE CALLS THAT WE'RE GOING TO, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE AMBULANCES, WE HAVE A FLEET OF 10 AMBULANCES.
WE'VE WORKED DOWN TO NINE NOW BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF OUR FLEET AND HIGH MILEAGE.
BUT OVER THE, THE COURSE OF GETTING NEW AMBULANCES AND WE HAVE ONE ON ORDER, WE'RE GONNA GET BACK UP TO 10.
AND SO COMPANIES, UH, IDEALLY, YOU KNOW, UH, COMPANY ONE, UH, THREE, FIVE AND SIX WOULD HAVE THAT SECOND AMBULANCE IN THE STATION.
AND IF THERE WAS STAFFING THERE OR IF IT WAS VOLUNTEER RESOURCES THERE, THEN WE WOULD, WOULD RUN IT.
BUT MOST OFTEN VOLUNTEER RESOURCES ARE STAFFING FIRE ENGINES.
UH, VERY FEW VOLUNTEERS ACTUALLY ARE RIDING THE AMBULANCES.
THE ONES THAT WE, UH, WE DO HAVE WHO RIDE THE AMBULANCE DO A GREAT JOB.
THEIR SKILL SETS ARE JUST PHENOMENAL.
BUT THE REALITY OF IT IS, IS THAT THE CREW STAFF IS HANDLING, UM, 90 SOME PERCENT OF THE AMBULANCE WORK IN THE COUNTY, ALL TYPES OF WORKFORCE GOES, GO TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES CALLS ON FIRE ENGINES AND SO FORTH.
SO YES, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO NEED MORE STAFFING AT THOSE STATIONS.
AND YES, THAT WOULD'VE PROVIDED RELIEF YESTERDAY MORNING WHEN WE TALKED, WHEN WE HAD HAD ABOUT THE THIRD OR FOURTH INCIDENT DOWN ON WILKES RIDGE PARKWAY.
BUT THE AGE OF THE FACILITIES, THE AGE OF THE FACILITIES, UM, THE, THE FOOT, THE SQUARE FOOTAGE IS A SQUARE FOOTAGE.
AND WE CANNOT ACCOMMODATE THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE IN THE EXISTING MANNEQUIN FACILITY OR THE EXISTING CENTERVILLE FACILITY TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE, HANDLE THAT.
AND IF YOU DOUBLE UP, UH, RESOURCES AND THOSE BUILDINGS, PARTICULARLY CAREER RESOURCES, THEN I THINK IT COULD, UM, I WOULD BE, AS THE FIRE CHIEF AND AS A FORMER VOLUNTEER, I WOULD BE A LITTLE SENSITIVE TO THAT FROM THE STANDPOINT NOW I'VE GOT DOUBLE STAFFING FOR TWO FIRE ENGINES AND TWO AMBULANCES THAT COMING OUTTA ONE HOUSE FROM THE SAME LOCATION.
NOW, OUR VOLUNTEER MEMBERS MAY FEEL LIKE THAT THEIR SERVICES AREN'T, AREN'T NECESSARILY NEEDED.
SO, BUT WE DO NEED CAREER STAFFING TO STAFF AT LEAST ONE FIRE ENGINE AND ONE AMBULANCE AT EVERY, EVERY STATION WE HAVE IN ADDITION TO THE REQUEST FOR THE WEST CREEK FIRE STATION.
SO, AND SANDY HOOK, WELL, AGAIN, I STARTED THE WHOLE PREMISE WITH THERE'S LIMITED RESOURCES.
SO YEAH, I MEAN, IF WE COULD STAFF UP AND, AND RIGHT.
SO LET ME, LET ME ASK, UM, I THINK IT WAS MR, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MR. AY IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, BUT THE, BUT THE ASSOCIATION, UH, MS. WARWICK POPPED UP AND SAID THE ASSOCIATION DOESN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SELL COMPANY THREE.
DO, DO YOU KNOW IF YOU KNOW THE ANSWER? IS THAT TRUE, OR, UH, IS THAT ACCURATE? UH, SO I THINK, UM, I THINK MAYBE ABOUT PUTTING WORDS IN HER MOUTH, BECAUSE MS. WARWICK IS A FORMER VOLUNTEER AND KNOWS THE INS AND OUTS OF THE WORKING OPERATION, UH, AS WELL AS ANY OF US DO.
I THINK WHAT SHE PROBABLY MEANT TO SAY WAS THAT THE COUNTY, UH, CAN'T BUY SELL COMPANY THREE, BUT THE ASSOCIATION DOES ABSOLUTELY.
BUT IF WE, IF WE COULD WORK WITH THE ASSOCIATION, UM, WELL THE PRESIDENT HAS ALREADY BEEN SET FOR THAT.
WE, UH, WE WORKED WITH THE, UH, ASSOCIATION AT COMPANY SIX.
WE, UH, THE COUNTY BUILT THE NEXT FIRE STATION AND COMPANY SIX SOLD THE, UM, THE ASSOCIATION SOLD THE EXISTING PROPERTY AND SPREAD THAT MONEY OVER A RENOVATION THAT OCCURRED AT COMPANY FOUR AND FIVE.
SO THAT PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SET.
HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU EXPLORED WITH, HAVE YOU EXPLORED WITH THE LEADERSHIP ABOUT THE PLANS FOR COMPANY THREE AND, AND, AND IS, IS IT TOO LATE OR IS IT AN OPTION TO EXPLORE SELLING THAT AND HAVING THEM CONTRIBUTE TO ACQUISITION OF A, OF A, OF A FACILITY? THAT WOULD BE, FROM
[03:40:01]
EVERYTHING I'M HEARING CLOSER TO WHERE THE CALL VOLUME CURRENTLY RESIDES.CHIEF, BEFORE I ANSWER THAT, YEAH, I'M SORRY, I, MR. LUMPKINS, I JUST WANT TO KIND OF MAKE SURE WE'RE
BUT WE'VE HAVE THIS FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES NOW.
I THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE QUESTION THAT'S IN FRONT OF US.
OUR QUESTION TONIGHT ISN'T TO SOLVE ALL OF CHIEF'S PROBLEMS AND HOW HE'S STAFFING AND WHAT STATIONS HE'S REDOING AND THIS AND THAT.
CAN WE, CAN WE REZONE IT NOW? WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING WITH IT.
WHAT I, SO WE HAVE A STUDY THAT'S COMING BACK IN A COUPLE MONTHS.
THE NEXT, THE NEXT ACTION FOR THIS ISN'T THIS, WE DO THIS AND THEN MR. CARPENTER'S GOING TO THE STREET WITH BIDS.
IT'S OKAY, LET'S GO IN THE NEXT PROCESS, BUT LET'S TAKE CARE OF THIS PAPERWORK PIECE OF IT NOW.
SO THAT, I MEAN, WE'VE ALREADY LOST, NOT LOST, WE'VE INVESTED MONTHS OF STAFF TIME AND RESOURCES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD WIND BACK UP IN THE SAME PLACE.
SO RATHER THAN SORT OF TRY TO SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS TONIGHT, WE HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC QUESTION IN FRONT OF US.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE OPENING COMMENT, MR. LUMPKIN SAID THIS IS A BIG DECISION DAY.
UM, I DON'T SEE IT THAT, I SEE IT FOR THE TAXES.
THAT WAS A BIG DECISION DAY FOR THIS.
I THINK THIS IS FOR ME, AND I'M, I'M HAPPY TO BE WRONG, BUT TO ME THIS IS JUST CLEARING UP PAPERWORK, UM, TO WHERE YES, WE HAVE TO ANSWER ALL THESE QUESTIONS.
WHETHER, AND IT BIG QUESTIONS, IS THIS SITE WORKABLE THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA SOLVE TONIGHT? ALRIGHT, WELL I'LL WIND IT UP THEN.
WELL, I DON'T WANNA, I JUST REFER YOU TO CS LEWIS
WELL, RIGHT, BUT WE CAN'T CHANGE THE BEGINNING AND HERE'S WHERE WE ARE NOW.
AND SO WE'RE GOING FORWARD FROM HERE AND THAT'S WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
THE COUNTY IS AGREEING TO BUILD THIS PER THE CONCEPTUAL PLAN.
I, IS THAT AN ACCURATE STATEMENT, MR. CARPENTER? NO.
WHAT WE DO TONIGHT IN REZONING, IT WILL NOT CHANGE THE FACT OF WHETHER OR NOT THE COUNTY WOULD DESIGN OR BUILD IT.
THAT WOULD STILL BE ULTIMATE DECISION THE BOARD WOULD MAKE IF AS WE WOULD LOOK AT DESIGNING THE STATION.
AGAIN, THAT'S THE PROCESS YOU GO THROUGH THAT WE WOULD GO THROUGH ANYWHERE DESIGNING IT.
IT WOULD STILL COME BACK TO THE BOARD.
THE CITIZENS WOULD HAVE INPUT, THE BOARD WOULD HAD INPUT IN ACCEPTING THE DESIGN ONCE, IF THAT HAPPENS, THEN IT WOULD THEN GO TO THE STREET.
THE BOARD WOULD AGAIN, HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO REVIEW THE BIDS AND CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO.
SO THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO DECISION POINTS, IF NOT THREE, THAT THE BOARD WOULD STILL MAKE WHILE STAFF WORK TO TRY TO COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF A DESIGN.
OR SHOULD THE BOARD SAY, DO SOMETHING ELSE, THEN THE STAFF WOULD DO AGAIN, THE, OBVIOUSLY THE STAFF ALWAYS DOES WHAT THE BOARD WISHES US TO DO.
BUT APPROVING REZONING TONIGHT IS, IS NOT, UM, IS LIKE A STATEMENT I'VE USED ELSEWHERE.
UH, IT IS NOT, UM, THE BEGINNING OF THE END, IT'S JUST THE END OF THE BEGINNING.
WELL, I'VE, I'VE NEVER BEEN ON THE P O D SIDE, BUT I KNOW WHEN APPLICANTS, I, I LOOK SITTING UP HERE, WHEN I LOOK AT FOLKS TALKING ABOUT THE CONCEPTUAL PLAN, I, I EXPECT 'EM TO FOLLOW IT NOW I UNDERSTAND, I SEE RIGHT HERE EXACT LOCATIONS, FOOTPRINTS, CONFIGURATION, SIZE AND DETAILS OF BUILDINGS, ET CETERA.
AND I KNOW WE STILL HAVE TO APPROVE MONEY, ET CETERA.
I KNOW THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES AND I DID THINK ABOUT COMING TONIGHT SAYING, OH, THIS ISN'T, THIS ISN'T A BIG, THIS ISN'T A BIG POINT.
BUT, UM, UH, WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA DETER ANY OF YOUR THOUGHTS EITHER.
I'M JUST, I I'M NOT GONNA VOTE.
I'M CHARLIE, UH, CHIEF FERGUSON, COULD I ASK YOU A COUPLE QUESTIONS? UM, YES SIR.
IF, IF WE WERE TO, I HATE TO SAY THE WORD SPRINGLE, BUT
CUZ THERE'S NO WAY I'M EVER GONNA SUPPORT US.
NOT, YOU KNOW, APPRECIATING THE ENTIRE, UH, COUNTY AND, AND EVERY STATION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, FOCUSING ON THESE EAST END ASSETS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD EVER SUPPORT OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT MR. ROGERS, CAN I CLARIFY YOUR QUESTION? ARE YOU ASKING IF WE WOULD SPEND THAT MONEY WITH BOND REFERENDUM MONEY OR JUST IN GENERAL? WELL, IT WOULD STILL BE CAPEX.
JUST BECAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING NEW CAPEX TO ENHANCE THE FACILITIES ALREADY IN PLACE, BUT, BUT NOT FROM THE BOND REFERENDUM.
BECAUSE THE BOND REFERENDUM IS TO BUILD A STATION.
OKAY, WAIT, THEN I RETRACT THE STATEMENT.
WAIT, MCGEE, THE, THE BOND REFERENDUM DEVOTED $9 MILLION TO CONSTRUCTION AND APPARATUS.
THAT IS, AND THEN, OKAY, SO THAT IS NOT, AND I'M NOT, I I'M JUST THROWING OUT AN IDEA.
AND YOU KNOW, PART OF THAT IS WE'VE, WE'VE GOT THE BUDGET CYCLES TO DEAL WITH INDIVIDUALS, RIGHT? BUT I, IS THERE
[03:45:01]
A WORKABLE SOLUTION AND WOULD YOU BE VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED TO IT? SO I THINK I CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.UM, WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE FINANCES OF THAT, UH, COMPANY ONE AND THREE HAVE LIMITATIONS BASED ON THE, THE SIZE PROPERTY AND SO FORTH.
THEY HAVE, UM, BOTH WERE COMPANY ONE, UH, 19 51, 19 52, LOTS OF ADD-ONS.
I DON'T WANNA MAKE IT SOUND LIKE WE'VE DONE NOTHING TO THE BUILDING.
WE'VE DONE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT TO THE BUILDING.
SAME THING WITH COMPANY THREE.
UM, YOU HAVE LOANED A COMPANY, WELL YOU'VE LOANED THE ASSOCIATION.
WE TEND TO SPEAK OF COMPANIES, BUT IT'S ALL A VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED.
YOU'VE LOANED ALREADY LOANED THE ASSOCIATION $300,000, UH, FOR THE RENOVATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED AT COMPANY ONE THAT ARE BUMPING $700,000.
A REALLY, REALLY GOOD JOB THEY DID.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH LAND TO, UM, TO FIX THE PRESENT DRAIN FIELD, UH, SEPTIC FIELD BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ON COUNTY WATER OR SEWER.
AND SO THEY HAD TO COME UP WITH, UH, AN AGREEMENT WITH AN ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER FOR SOME PROPERTY TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND THE DRAIN FIELD TO ACCOMMODATE THE, UH, THE WATER AND SEWAGE USE THERE AT THE STATION.
UM, SO THE LIMITATIONS THERE, UH, YOU LOOK AT COMPANY THREE, I'M GONNA BE VERY HONEST WITH YOU.
UH, THAT WAS WHERE I ORIGINATED AS A VOLUNTEER AND STARTED IN 1982.
UH, COMPANY THREE IS NOT, IN MY OPINION, IS NOT WORTHY OF THAT TYPE OF SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT.
IT NEEDS TO BE REBUILT, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
AND THE WEST CREEK FIRE STATION, WHETHER IT'S, UH, BUILT OR NOT, UH, I'LL TELL YOU THAT COMPANY THREE LOOKING AT IT, THE RENOVATION THAT THE VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED HAS A SET OF PLANS ON WILL BUY THAT FACILITY, YOU KNOW, IN MY OPINION, SEVEN TO 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
OKAY? AND BY THEN, WITH ALL THE STUFF THAT'S OCCURRING ON THE ASHLAND ROAD, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT WANT TO SHIFT THAT SOMEWHAT IN THAT DIRECTION.
IF I HAD TO SAY TODAY, I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU NOT CROSS 64 WITH THAT DEVELOPMENT.
BUT THE FURTHER YOU MOVE IT NORTH, THE FURTHER IT IS FROM THE AREA THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SERVE IN WEST CREEK, WE NEED THE WEST CREEK FIRE STATION.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THE, THE CHALLENGES WITH IT, BUT I'M GONNA ANSWER YOUR QUESTION VERY, VERY HONESTLY.
WE NEED THE WEST CREEK FIRE STATION.
UH, WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THE UNITS COMING FROM ONE LOCATION THAT CAN BE IMPEDED BY CRASHES, ROADWAYS, TREES, DOWN, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS.
WE'RE TRYING TO SPREAD OUR RESOURCES OVER A COMMUNITY SO THAT WE DO HAVE THOSE RESPONSE ROUTES SO THAT WE CAN GET PLACES WHEN TREES ARE DOWN, WHEN THE ROADS ARE BLOCKED, UH, CONSTRUCTION IS GOING ON, OR TRAFFIC.
AND SO YOU PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET, IN ONE LOCATION, THAT COULD WORK.
AND YOU SEE COUNTIES DOING THAT.
BUT IT'S MY RECOMMENDATION YOU DON'T DO THAT.
AND, AND I JUST WANT TO ADD, UM, THIS IS JUST A ZONING VOTE, RIGHT? AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN AN ORGANIZATION DO MORE WITH LESS.
A AND I MEAN, THAT IS FROM SEEING EVERY SINGLE ASSET THAT WE PUT INTO OUR VOLUNTEER AND, UH, YOU KNOW, FIRE AND RESCUE.
THEY, I WISH GOVERNMENT TOOK CARE OF, UH, FINANCIAL RESOURCES THE WAY THAT OUR FIRE AND RESCUE AND OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE DID ON A REGULAR BASIS.
MAKE THAT, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, MR. PETERSON? UH, THERE'S BEEN A A LOT OF DISCUSSION TONIGHT ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT OUR FOLKS FACE, AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT OUR PROFESSIONALS, THE WAY THEY RESPOND, THE WAY THEY BEHAVE, UH, IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER FOR ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION TONIGHT ABOUT THE CHALLENGES AND THE STRETCHING OF THE RESOURCES AND JUST, JUST TO LET THE FOLKS KNOW THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT OR MIGHT BE WATCHING OVER THE LIVE VIDEO STREAM.
UM, DURING MY BRIEF TENURE ON THIS BOARD, UH, MAYBE IT DOESN'T SEEM AS BRIEF AS IT IS, BUT IT, IT, THE BRIEF TENURE, WE'VE MORE THAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, MORE THAN TRIPLED THE NUMBER OF CAREER FIRE RESCUE FOLKS.
WE BUILT COMPANY SIX OUT OF PAY AS YOU GO CASH FROM THE COUNTY.
WE ARE HIRING NEW SIX NEW POSITIONS THIS YEAR ALONE.
IF IT TAKES TWO YEARS TO BUILD A NEW STATION, THERE'LL BE ANOTHER 12 IF WE STAY THAT SAME TRAJECTORY.
MY POINT WITH ALL THIS IS WE'VE BEEN ON A TRAJECTORY OF ADDING SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES EVERY YEAR IN TERMS OF CAREER FIREFIGHTERS, CAREER, UH, RESCUE PERSONNEL, BUILDING NEW STATIONS.
AND I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY WE COULD NOT CONTINUE ON THAT TRAJECTORY TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE RESPONSE TIMES AND THE COVERAGE AREAS AND WHAT THEY DO ON A DAILY BASIS.
UM, BECAUSE WE DO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY OF THIS COUNTY.
AND IF WE'RE GONNA HOLD 'EM ACCOUNTABLE, WE NEED TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES THAT THEY FEEL THEY NEED TO DO THAT.
UM, SO I'LL, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY, READY FOR A MOTION?
[03:50:09]
I'M SORRY, MS. LAS, YOU SAID YOU WERE READY FOR A MOTION.I DIDN'T SEE
SO, SO, MR. CHAIRMAN, UM, I MOVED THAT THE BOARD APPROVED REZONING RZ 2 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 2 FOR 5.0 ACRES ON TAX MAP NUMBER 58 32 3 53 A FROM INDUSTRIAL LIMITED M ONE WITH PROFFERED CONDITIONS TO BUSINESS GENERAL B ONE.
DO I HAVE A, MAY HAVE A, A MOTION? IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THE MOTION.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND BOARD FOR THE DISCUSSION BRIEF BRIEFLY.
NO, I'M GONNA VOTE NO, BUT BECAUSE I THINK THIS THING'S GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK TO US ANYWAY BECAUSE I THINK THIS, THIS NEEDS TO BE CONFIGURED ENOUGH IN A WAY THAT'S GONNA BE SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE CONCEPTUAL PLAN.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD AGREE TO DEFER IT.
UM, I'VE HEARD THE CHIEF, I'VE HEARD EVERYBODY, WE NEED A FIRE STATION THERE, BUT THIS ISN'T GONNA WORK AT, AND AT THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION AND THE CURRENT LIMITATION OF THE SIZE, WE STARTED OUT FIVE TO EIGHT ACRES.
THAT'S WAS ADVERTISED AS RECENTLY AS JANUARY.
AND WE HAVE, LOOK WHAT LOOKS TO ME LIKE ABOUT THREE USABLE ACRES AT THE, AT THE BOTTOM OF A, OF A DANGEROUS S-CURVE.
WE CAN FIX IT, BUT THE FIX IS GONNA REQUIRE ENOUGH CHANGES THAT THIS NEEDS TO COME BACK IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT.
AT THAT POINT, I WOULD VOTE FOR IT, BUT THE CURRENT MOTION, I'M GOING TO VOTE AGAINST IT.
MS. MS. LASETTE, I, I WOULD JUST SAY THIS IS A REZONING.
THIS IS GONNA COME BACK TO US ANYWAY.
UH, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU VOTE YES OR NO, WE STILL HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
AND I KNOW WHEN WE BUILT THE HAYSVILLE STATION, THAT IS ON A LARGER PIECE OF PROPERTY, BUT PROBABLY, AND I DON'T KNOW IF CHIEF CAN ANSWER THIS, I IMAGINE THAT'S USABLE ACREAGE IS PROBABLY ABOUT THREE ACRES, UH, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM, UM, A LOT OF RESIDENCES ON BOTH SIDES OF IT, ON VERY NARROW ROADS, UH, AT A TRIANGLE INTERSECTION.
UH, SO, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S IN, THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE, UM, DESIGN OF THIS AND ALL AND ALL THAT, THE REZONING.
UH, COUPLE OF THE HALLMARKS OF THIS BOARD.
UH, ONE HAS BEEN TRANSPARENCY AND THIS HAS PROBABLY BEEN ONE OF THE MOST TRANSPARENT, UH, TRANSACTIONS.
WE'VE DONE 50 OR 60 PUBLIC MEETINGS.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE LAST TIME WE DID THAT MANY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THIS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THAT.
BUT, BUT COMING OUTTA THAT, THE OTHER HALLMARK, ANOTHER HALLMARK IS CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT.
CUZ WE WANNA LISTEN TO THE CITIZENS AND THEY TELL US WHAT WE DO AND WE DO IT CUZ WE'RE THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES.
AND WHEN THEY WENT TO THE, IN THIS CASE, WE GOT VERY SPECIFIC FEEDBACK IN THAT THEY WENT TO THE POLLS AND PULLED A LEVER.
IT, IT WASN'T JUST ANECDOTAL OR EMOTIONAL, IT WAS, AND WHEN OVERWHELMINGLY 85% OF THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY KNOWING FULL WELL WHERE THE LOCATION WAS, TOLD US THIS IS WHAT WE WANT.
UH, THE LAST ONE IS, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY IS JOB ONE.
AND I TENDED TO DEFER TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY EXPERTS.
UH, I DON'T HAVE MY BLACK BELT IN PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT WHEN MY PUBLIC SAFETY LEADERSHIP TELLS ME THEY NEED SOMETHING, I LISTEN TO THAT AS WELL.
SO FOR ME, IF YOU DISTILL ALL THIS DOWN, IT COMES TO THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY HAVE ASKED FOR THIS.
THE PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS HAVE ASKED FOR THIS.
AND THE IDEA OF TURNING A DEAF EAR TO THOSE FOLKS, UH, JUST STRIKES ME AS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
SO THAT'S WHAT I, MR. CHAIR, THANKS MR. VIRUS JUSTICE.
I I DO CONCUR WITH, UH, MR. PETERSON IN THAT I I THINK THAT WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE SHOTS AT THIS.
AGAIN, UM, WE ARE FAR FROM A COMMITTED, UH, FIRE STATION AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, I IT'S, IT'S FIVE ACRES.
IT'S, UH, THERE WERE BUY RIGHT ISSUES, CORRECT MS. ME.
AND SO THE, WE, WE WILL KEEP A, JUST A LASER FOCUS ON THIS AS A BOARD OVER THE NEXT, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS AND WITH THE, UM, FIRE AND RESCUE CREW.
AND, UM, THIS IS NOT THE END OF THIS DISCUSSION.
SO TONIGHT, LET'S FOCUS ON THE HERE AND NOW, AND THAT IS A REZONING ISSUE.
UM, I'M GONNA BREAK A RULE, A RULE OF ASKING A QUESTION I ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE IS THAT THIS IS JUST, THIS IS NOT THE BIG DECISION.
[03:55:01]
I'M KIND OF APPREHENSIVE ABOUT ASKING THIS, THERE ARE PROFFERS WITH THIS ZONING THAT THERE'S LI WE ARE LIMITING THE USE OF THIS LAND IF FOR SAY WE GET INTO DESIGN AND MR. LUMPKINS IS, IS CORRECT THAT THIS CAN'T BE USED FOR THIS SPECIFIC, ARE WE LOCKED? WHAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS TO UNCOUPLE THAT, TO BE ABLE TO SELL THE LAND OR DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT? THERE ARE, AT, AT THIS POINT THERE IS ALREADY ONE, UM, CONDITION, SHALL I SAY, ON THIS LAND.AND THAT IS, THERE'S A DEED THAT SAYS IT'S TO BE USED TO BUILD A FIRE STATION.
OKAY? UM, AND THERE IS AN ADDITION, UH, A PROFFER, UM, IN FRONT OF THE CASE TODAY, UM, WHICH COULD BE CHANGED WITH A REZONING, WITH A, WITH A PROFFER AMENDMENT, UM, COME BACK FOR PUBLIC, UH, CONSIDERATION AND A VOTE BY THIS BOARD TO CHANGE AS, AS MANY OF OUR CASES TO.
SO WE'RE NOT LOCK OURSELVES ANY MORE THAN WE ALREADY ARE.
THAT WAS THE RIGHT ANSWER, MR. SPIN.
NOW MAY I, YEAH, JUST MS. MCGEE, THAT CONDITION THAT'S IN THE DEED, THE LAND REVERTS IF WE DON'T USE IT, DON'T BUILD A FIRE STATION WITHIN 10 YEARS FROM THE CONVEYANCE TO US.
IS THAT CORRECT? I THINK THAT'S THE TERMS, YEP.
BOARD, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SCENE NONE.
I'LL ASK MR. C****R TO DO THE ROLL CALL VOTE.
UM, THIS BE BOARD WILL ADJOURN TILL TUESDAY, MAY 2ND AT 1230 AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FINANCE AN AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING AND THEN OUR REGULARLY
[XIII. Adjournment: The Board of Supervisors will adjourn as follows:]
BUSINESS MEETING AT 2:00 PM WE ARE ADJOURNED.