[00:01:12]
[II. 2:00 PM - Call to Order]
MY HONOR TO CALL TO ORDER THE MAY 2ND GLAND COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BUSINESS MEETING.UH, WE WILL START OFF WITH AN INVOCATION FROM PASTOR BARTON FROM OAKLAND BAPTIST CHURCH AND A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY
[III. Invocation]
VICE CHAIR OF WATTERS.OUR FATHER, WE DO THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING HERE TODAY.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR GIFT OF, UH, OF LIFE, YOUR GIFT OF HEALTH.
FATHER, WE DO THANK YOU FOR GUC COUNTY AND WHAT A GREAT PLACE IT IS TO LIVE AND WHAT A BLESSING THAT IS.
AND FATHER, WE PRAY FOR THOSE WHO SERVE US HERE.
WE PRAY FOR THE COUNTY SUPERVISORS AND THE STAFF THAT GIVE, UH, UNSELFISHLY OF THEMSELVES TO SERVE THEIR, THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS.
AND FATHER, WE PRAY IN THIS MEETING TODAY THAT PARTICULARLY FOR THE SUPERVISORS, THAT YOU WOULD GIVE THEM AN EXTRA MEASURE OF WISDOM AS THEY CONSIDER DIFFERENT MATTERS AND, AND MAKE, UH, DECISIONS.
GIVE THEM THE, THE WISDOM TO KNOW WHEN TO SPEAK AND, AND WHEN TO LISTEN.
AND WE PRAY THAT ALL WOULD BE DONE IN ORDER AND IN A WAY THAT WOULD BE PLEASING IN YOUR SIGHT.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENCE HERE.
GUIDE ALL OF THESE DELIBERATIONS IN YOUR PRECIOUS NAME.
[IV. Pledge of Allegiance]
THANK YOU.ALL RIGHT, WE'RE STARTING OFF.
UM, WE'LL HAVE A COUPLE PROCLAMATIONS OR A FEW PROCLAMATIONS,
[V. Presentation of Proclamations]
ACTUALLY.SO WE'LL GET STARTED WITH OUR FIRST ITEM, WHICH IS A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING ME, UH, AS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH.
MS. MS IS CHRISTOPHER LEETON HERE.
[1. 5658: Proclamation Recognizing May 2023 as Older Americans Month]
OKAY.IF YOU WANNA COME UP, SIR, THE CHAIR IS GONNA COME DOWN.
IT WILL BE THE FIRST FRAME THERE.
WHEREAS GUC INCLUDES A GROWING NUMBER OF OLDER AMERICANS WHO CONTRIBUTE THEIR STRENGTH, WISDOM, AND EXPERIENCE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS COMMUNITIES BENEFIT WHEN PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, ABILITIES AND BACKGROUNDS ARE WELCOMED, INCLUDED, AND SUPPORTED.
AND WHEREAS GUC AND RECOGNIZES OUR NEED TO CREATE A COMMUNITY THAT PROVIDES THE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS, OLDER AMERICANS NEED TO THRIVE AND LIVE INDEPENDENTLY FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.
AND WHEREAS GUC LINK CAN WORK TO BUILD AN EVEN BETTER COMMUNITY FOR OUR OLDER RESIDENTS BY PLANNING PROGRAMS THAT ENCOURAGE INDEPENDENCE, ENSURING ACTIVITIES ARE RESPONSIVE TO INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND PREFERENCES, INCREASING ACCESS TO SERVICES THAT SUPPORT AGING IN PLACE.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF GUC DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY, 2023 TO BE THE OLDER AMERICANS MONTH.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS URGE EVERY RESIDENT TO RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR OLDER CITIZENS, HELP TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE SOCIETY, AND JOIN EFFORTS TO SUPPORT OLDER AMERICANS' CHOICES ABOUT HOW THEY AGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? THIS CHAIR, I MOVED TO, UM, APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? HE WAS BY SAYING AYE.
[00:05:01]
MOTION CARRIES.DO YOU WANNA SAY A COUPLE WORDS? YES.
UH, WE WANT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR, UM, THIS PROCLAMATION OF MAY IS OLDER AMERICANS MONTH.
UH, MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER LEIGHTON.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR SENIOR CONNECTIONS.
WE'RE THE AREA AGENCY ON AGING THAT SERVES THE COUNTY OF GLAN.
UM, ROUGHLY ONE QUARTER OF THE POPULATION OF GLAN IS OVER THE AGE OF 60.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, THE MEDIAN AGE IN GLAND RIGHT NOW IS OVER THE AGE OF 45.
SO THAT POPULATION IS ONLY GONNA GROW AS WE GO FORWARD.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR RECOGNITION TODAY REALLY HIGHLIGHTS THOSE INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT OLDER ADULTS MAKE IN THE COUNTY OF GUC LAND, AND EMPHASIZES THEIR SIGNIFICANCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS PROCLAMATION IS GOING TO HELP FOSTER A CULTURE OF INCLUSION AND RESPECT FOR ALL OF THE RESIDENTS OF GLAND COUNTY, REGARDLESS OF THEIR AGE.
UM, THROUGHOUT MAY WE LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OLDER RESIDENTS HERE IN GUC LAND, HIGHLIGHTING THEIR NEEDS AND RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THEM.
UH, YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT AND DEDICATION TO THEIR WELLBEING IS TRULY APPRECIATED.
WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR BUSINESS APPRECIATION MONTH,
[2. 5680: Proclamation Recognizing May as Business Appreciation Month]
MR. SLOAN.WHEREAS GLAND BUSINESSES PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN STRENGTHENING GUC AND COUNTY AND THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA BY EMBRACING JOB CREATION, INNOVATION, AND EMPLOYING DIVERSE WORKFORCE TO PRESERVE THE ECONOMIC WELLBEING OF OUR CITIZENS.
AND WHEREAS GUC BUSINESSES PROVIDE OVER 20,000 JOBS TO THE CITIZENS OF GUC AND GREATER RICHMOND REGION, AS WELL AS OFFERING A VARIETY OF GOODS AND SERVICES WORLDWIDE.
AND WHEREAS GUC BUSINESSES WORK IN A NUMBER OF DIVERSE INDUSTRIES, INCLUDING AGRICULTURE, FINANCE, AND INSURANCE CONSTRUCTION, FOOD AND BEVERAGE, MANUFACTURING EVENTS, AND HOSPITALITY, LOGISTICS, AND HEALTHCARE AND LIFE SCIENCES.
AND WHEREAS THREE FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES ARE LOCATED IN GLAND, AS WELL AS 14 COMPANIES EMPLOYING MORE THAN 100 WORKERS AND HUNDREDS OF SMALLER BUSINESSES.
AND WE'RE, AS GUC IS EXCITED TO RECOGNIZE AND SHARE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OUR EXISTING BUSINESSES ON ENTREPRENEURS, SMALL, MINORITY, AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES, NONPROFITS AND MAJOR EMPLOYERS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMIC HEALTH OF GUC AND COUNTY.
AND WHEREAS GIN WANTS TO HIGHLIGHT ITS BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO THE CITIZENS OF GUC, SO THEY UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE HOW OUR BUSINESSES HELP DRIVE THE GUIN ECONOMY FORWARD.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF GLAND, VIRGINIA DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY, 2023 IS BUSINESS APPRECIATION MONTH IN GLAND, AND CALL THIS OBSERVANCE TO THE ATTENTION OF OUR CITIZENS AND APPRECIATION OF ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES.
DO I HAVE A MOTION, MR. CHAIR? I MOVE THE, UH, PROOF OF RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED.
I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
GLAND BOARD ON BEHALF OF, UH, GUGLIN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND GLAND COUNTY, ED A I'M SURE MR. STALLONE WILL WANNA SAY SOMETHING.
I JUST WANNA APPRECIATE OUR, UH, EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION FOR THIS RESOLUTION.
IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, THE BUSINESSES IN GUC AND COUNTY, AND HOW MUCH THEY DO TO REALLY DRIVE OUR ECONOMY AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE HERE FOR OUR CITIZENS.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO SARAH AND CHANCE FOR INCLUDING ME IN ON THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, WE ARE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP, THE CHAMBER AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND I VALUE IT.
AND THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, BOARD MEMBERS.
WITHOUT YOU, OUR DEVELOPMENT COULD BE NOTHING HERE IN GOODLAND.
REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN MORE BUSINESSES AND YOUR SUPPORT OF THAT.
[00:10:14]
THANK YOU, SIR.OUR THIRD RESOLUTION IS, UM, VERY SPECIAL.
[3. 5707: Proclamation Recognizing May 7-13, 2023 as Public Service Recognition]
RECOGNITION WEEK.SO WHEREAS AMERICANS ARE SERVED EVERY DAY BY PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES AT THE FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY, AND CITY LEVELS, THESE UNSUNG HEROES SUPPLY CONTINUITY TO OUR SOCIETY.
AND WHEREAS PUBLIC EMPLOYEES SERVE IN AREAS SUCH AS HEALTH, EDUCATION, PUBLIC SAFETY, THE ARTS, THE ENVIRONMENT, FINANCE, PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, COMMUNITY PLANNING, HUMAN RIGHTS, RECREATION, AND MORE.
AND WHEREAS PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ACCEPT NOT ONLY JOB, BUT OATHS.
AND WHEREAS GLAND COUNTY RECOGNIZES THE GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS OF TIME AND TALENT BY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SERVICE THEY RENDER.
AND WHEREAS WITHOUT PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES AT EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT, CONTINUITY OF PUBLIC SERVICES WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF GUCCI COUNTY DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 7TH THROUGH 13TH, 2023, AS GUCCI COUNTY COMMENDS ALL OF COUNTY EMPLOYEES FOR DELIVERING QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICE.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ENCOURAGES ALL CITIZENS TO RECOGNIZE THE COMPLIMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AT ALL LEVELS OF FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY, AND CITY BOARD.
DO I HAVE A MOTION, MR. CHAIRMAN? I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE, UH, PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNI RECOGNITION WEEK PROCLAMATION AS READ.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SECOND FIVE BY SAYING AYE.
OPPOSE, MR. CARPENTER, THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF SO MUCH.
I THINK IT WAS, IT WAS REMARKABLE TO ME WHEN I TOOK THIS JOB OR THIS ROLE, HOW PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND ALL THAT GOES ON TO MAKE THIS COUNTY FUNCTION IN THE, THE WAY HE DOES.
AM I ALLOWED TO SAY SOMETHING? PLEASE, YES.
YOU KNOW, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SERVANTS.
NOBODY TAKES ON THIS ROLE AS HIS JOB.
IT IS A CALLING, IT IS A MISSION FOR, I MET, UH, GENTLEMAN TODAY.
IT IS A SECOND DAY ON THE JOB.
UH, WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE NOT TOO LONG AGO WHO HAS 48 YEARS ON THE JOB.
PEOPLE COME AT A PUBLIC SERVICE BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
UH, WHETHER IT'S TEACHERS, WHETHER IT'S DEPUTIES, WHETHER IT'S LINEMAN, WHETHER IT'S, UH, CONVENIENCE CENTER, ATTENDANCE, CLERKS, UH, THEY'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE, IN THE FABRIC OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND, AND IT MEANS SOMETHING TO THEM.
SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, AND I APPRECIATE THE JOB THAT YOU AS WELL DO AS PUBLIC SERVANTS AND SERVING THE CITIZEN OF THIS COUNTY.
UM, NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS, UH, CHAIR'S, COMMENTS.
I'LL, I DON'T HAVE ANY COMMENTS AT THIS TIME,
[VI. Chair's Comments]
SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS MR. CARPENTER, UH, FOR HIS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S COMMENTS, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, IT'S[VII. County Administrator's Comments]
A BUSY MONTH.I'VE GOT SEVERAL THINGS TO, UH, BRIEF YOU AND THE COMMUNITY ON, FIRST OF ALL, TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, MAY 3RD IS OUR BUSINESS EDUCATION ROUND TABLE AT GUCCI HIGH SCHOOL.
IT'LL BE FROM EIGHT O'CLOCK TO, UH, 9:30 AM AND THIS IS JUST, UH, A REGULAR FUNCTION THAT GOES ON.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS TO WORK TOGETHER WITH OUR SCHOOL.
AND, UH, THEY GET AN UPDATE ON COUNTY DEVELOPMENT AND INDUSTRY, UH, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE STRENGTHS AND, UH, CHALLENGES OF NEW GENERATIONS COMING INTO THE WORKPLACE, AND ALSO HOW TO ATTRACT THEM, UH, LATER THAT SAME DAY TOMORROW, TOMORROW EVENING, IS OUR SMALL BUSINESS APPRECIATION EVENT AT KINDRED SPIRITS.
THIS IS SPONSORED AND HOSTED BY OUR ED FOR SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS THE COUNTY.
AGAIN, IT'S GONNA BE A KINDRED SPIRITS FROM FIVE 30 TO SEVEN 30, JUST SAYING THANK YOU, UH, TO THE CONTRIBUTION THAT THEY MAKE.
THEN MOVING ON SATURDAY, WE IS SHRED DAY, AND THAT'S AN ANNUAL EVENT THAT THE COUNTY DOES.
THIS YEAR'S GONNA BE AT REYNOLDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
UH, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THOSE OLD TAX NOTICES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT YOU'VE GOT SITTING AROUND.
UH, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO BRING UP TO FIVE BOXES OF STUFF.
SO HOPEFULLY NOBODY HAS MORE THAN THAT TO BRING.
IT'S NOT INTENDED FOR BUSINESSES TO GET RID OF 20 YEARS WORTH OF STUFF, BUT FOR OUR AVERAGE CITIZENS TO BRING SOME STUFF AND CLEAR THEIR HOUSE OUT AS WELL.
THEN WE MOVE ON TO NEXT WEEK, MAY THE 12TH IS OUR BUSINESS CENTER, OPEN HOUSE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CHAMBER, OUR E D A AND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, UH, TO, UH, BE THERE JUST TO, UM, HAVE PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO STOP BY AND VISIT, UM, OUR SMALL BUSINESS CENTER OPEN HOUSE.
SO IF YOU GET A CHANCE, PLEASE COME OUT FOR THAT.
UM, THEN MOVING INTO THAT, WE HAVE OUR SMALL AREA PLANS ON TUESDAY AND THURSDAY OF MAY 16TH AND MAY 18TH, MAY 16TH WILL BE THE CENTERVILLE AREA PLAN.
UH, IT'LL BE AT THE RESIDENCE IN AT SIX O'CLOCK, MAY 18TH WILL BE THE COURTHOUSE PLAN AT THIS BUILDING.
UM, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, UH, THEN MAY 29TH, JUST TO REMIND PEOPLE, IS MEMORIAL DAY AN OPPORTUNITY TO
[00:15:01]
REMEMBER THOSE WHO, WHO SERVED AND THOSE WHO SACRIFICED FOR OUR NATION, OUR COMMUNITY, SO MAY 29TH, THAT WE WILL BE CLOSED IN HONOR OF THEIR SERVICE AND THEIR SACRIFICE.AND THEN JUST WANT TO, UH, BRIEF THE COMMUNITY THAT, UH, THE COUNTY'S APP, ITS CELL PHONE APP IS RIGHT NOW IN KIND OF A BETA TESTING MODE, A SOFT LAUNCH, UH, NEXT MONTH IT SHOULD GO LIVE.
WE'LL BE HAVING A, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO TAKE PART AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AS WELL.
BUT CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, UH, START LOOKING FOR THE COUNTY APP.
UH, THE SHERIFF HAS A GREAT APP, AND THIS WILL BE A COMPLIMENTARY APP AS WELL FOR ALL THE SERVICES THAT THE COUNTY PROVIDES TO YOU THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET ON YOUR CELL PHONE.
NOW THAT, MR. CHAIR, THAT'S MY REPORT.
ANY REQUEST TO POSTPONE AGENDA ITEMS AND ADDITIONS, DELETIONS, OR CHANGES
[VIII. Requests to Postpone Agenda Items and Additions, Deletions or Changes in the]
IN THE ORDER OF PRESENTATION? OKAY, SCENE, NONE.UH, WE ARE GONNA MOVE TO OUR CITIZEN COMMENT PERIOD.
THIS IS A CHANCE FOR CITIZENS TO COME AND ADDRESS THE BOARD
[IX. Citizen Comment]
ON ITEMS, NOT ON OUR AGENDA THAT ARE, UH, OF NOTE TO GLAND COUNTY.PLEASE COME UP, GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, AND PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.
UH, 2164 PROFIT ROAD, MANNEQUIN, SAP, VIRGINIA, UH, 23,103.
UM, I'M, I'M DRESSED FOR SPRING.
I'M HOPING IT'S GOING TO REALLY BE SPRING SOON.
UM, UM, UM, MY FLOWERS WERE BEAUTIFUL UNTIL ABOUT TWO DAYS AGO, AND OH, THEY DON'T LOOK SO GOOD.
UM, THEY, THEY'VE BEEN OVER, OVER DRAINED.
UM, I'M GONNA GET TO THE POINT.
UM, IT HAS BEEN A WHIRLWIND OF A YEAR, UM, FOR MY COMMUNITY.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN FEELING THE PINCH, UM, TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND, UM, APPLICANTS WHO COME FORTH, UM, WITH APPLICATIONS THAT SEEM TO BE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR ZONING ORDINANCES AS FAR AS OUR HIGH STANDARDS THAT WE HAVE FOR, ESPECIALLY CUS UM, I THOUGHT, UH, I WAS FINISHED WHEN, UH, SYCAMORE CREEK.
UM, WE, UH, I WAS ASKED TO HELP THE, THE RESIDENTS OF SYCAMORE CREEK.
UM, AND I AM PROBABLY THE MOST, UM, AFFLUENT, UM, IN TRYING TO GET ANSWERS.
UM, I HAVE A REPUTATION, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, IT DEPENDS ON WHICH SIDE OF THE AISLE YOU ARE ON, WHETHER IT'S, IT'S, UM, A GOOD REPUTATION OR A BAD REPUTATION.
ANYWAYS, UM, HERE IS MY LEVEL OF CONCERN.
UM, WHEN PEOPLE USUALLY CONTACT ME, THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH FRUSTRATED BEYOND FRUSTRATION.
I TRY MY VERY BEST TO GET THE ANSWERS TO THEIR QUESTIONS, TO ALLEVIATE THE CALLS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO GET IF I DON'T GET THE ANSWERS.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE COULD WORK TOGETHER, UM, AS WE HAVE IN, WE STARTED THIS JOURNEY IN 2015, AND IT HAS BEEN A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP, UM, BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE CITIZENS.
UM, I GUESS THAT MEANS I'M, I'M FINISHED,
YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE 15 SECONDS
UM, I HAVE LEFT YOU ALL A LITTLE, UM, UH, UH, THING CALLED, UM, UH, THAT I REFER TO DAILY.
IT'S CALLED DISAPPOINTMENT AND DETERMINATION.
HI, Y'ALL DOING TODAY? MY NAME'S MIKE.
I LIVE IN THE TUCKAHOE CREEK SERVICE DISTRICT, SO I AM EXCITED.
UM, AND WHEN I SAY YOU'RE ALL DOING A GREAT JOB, CAN YOU, CAN YOU STATE YOUR ADDRESS PLEASE? SURE.
IT'S FIVE 80 VILLA PONTO LANE.
UM, YOU'RE ALL DOING A GREAT JOB.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK BRIEFLY ABOUT THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, DAVE OWENS IS RUNNING FOR A VERY IMPORTANT SEAT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF SEATS IN, EXCUSE ME, I'M SORRY.
GOVERNMENTAL MEETING IS NOT SUPPOSED TO DISCUSS S BE BUSINESS OF THE COUNTY AND CANDIDATES FOR ELECTION.
PART OF WHAT CAN BE DISCUSSED AT CITIZEN COMMENT.
[00:20:01]
THINK I'VE INDICATE, AT LEAST TO SOME OF YOU BEFORE YOU FOLKS DECIDE HOW MANY EARLY VOTING SITES THERE ARE, AND IF YOU LOOK OVER IN THE HANOVER SIDE OF A PARTICULAR DISTRICT THAT IS UPCOMING FOR ELECTION, THEY HAVE MULTIPLE EARLY VOTING SITES.TO MY KNOWLEDGE, EVERY SINGLE VOTER ON THEIR SIDE OF THE COUNTY LINE WILL BE CLOSER TO THEIR EARLY VOTING SITE THAN ANY VOTER IN THE DISTRICT HERE, BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE VOTER HERE WILL HAVE TO DRIVE THE WHOLE WAY TO THE COUNTY SEAT.
AND AGAIN, I WOULD ASK YOU TO CONSIDER A QUALITY AND PERHAPS HAVE A WEEK OF EARLY VOTING OVER NEAR CENTERVILLE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE OVER IN THAT SIDE OF THE COUNTY, WE DON'T EVER COME TO GUC EXCEPT FOR POLITICAL MEETINGS.
WE GO TO SHOP AT WALMART OVER THERE.
THERE'S MULTIPLE WALMARTS, THERE'S GROCERY STORES, THERE'S EVERY SERVICE YOU CAN IMAGINE.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE OTHER THING I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER DOING, AND PERHAPS THIS IS REALLY A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS AS WELL, BUT YOU GUYS ARE THE ONES SHOWING OUT THE MONEY.
YOU KNOW, ZUCKERBERG GAVE ALMOST HALF A BILLION DOLLARS LAST TIME, LARGELY DEMOCRATIC COUNTIES THROUGH A GROUP CALLED CTCL L THIS TIME.
OKAY? THAT MONEY'S GOING THROUGH A PLACE CALLED U S A EEE, EXCUSE ME AGAIN, TH THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE THAT RELATES TO GLAND COUNTY, BUT IF THERE'S A WAY YOU CAN RELATE THAT TO A GLAND COUNTY ISSUE, YOU ARE WELCOME.
YOU FOLKS ARE SPENDING MONEY ON THE ELECTIONS.
THAT THEY HAVE ELECTION RUNNING THE ELECTION EXPENSES.
THAT'S DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH PEOPLE GIVING MONEY.
OKAY? BUT YOU FOLKS SPEND TAX MONEY TO MY KNOWLEDGE ON ELECTIONS.
ELECTIONS COST MONEY TO, TO ADMINISTER.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS YOU CAN OFFSET THAT IS DO WHAT THE DEMOCRATIC COUNTIES DO, WHICH IS GET THESE GRANTS FROM OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK INTO DOING THAT.
THANK YOU, MR. THANK, GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR.
MR. CARPENTER, I JUST WANNA MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT TOMORROW IS CASE FOUNDATION.
I KNOW Y'ALL KNOW WHO I AM,
UM, JUST WANNA DO AN ANNOUNCEMENT TOMORROW, STARTING AT TWO O'CLOCK.
THE CASE FOUNDATION, WHICH IS A PRIVATE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT FUNCTIONS WITH THE PRISON HERE, AND THEY PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS AND OTHER, UM, THERAPEUTIC PROGRAMS TO THE PRISON.
WE'LL HAVE THEIR ELIZABETH CASE DAY TOMORROW, SO COME OUT AT SIZE AT TWO, AND THEY HAVE EVENTS UNTIL ABOUT 4, 5 30, AND YOU CAN BUY YOUR PLANTS IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL PLANTS AND YOU CAN BUY, AND THEY AT A CHEAP PRICE.
THEY'RE BETTER THAN LOWE'S
SO COME OUT TOMORROW AND SUPPORT THE CASE FOUNDATION.
AND IS THAT THE PRISON? NOT THAT THE PRISON.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, JONATHAN LAO 1521 MANNEQUIN ROAD, UH, $25 AND 85 CENTS.
DOES THAT NUMBER MEAN ANYTHING TO ANYBODY? IT MEANS SOMETHING TO ME BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT I PAY IN LOCAL TAXES ON A DAILY BASIS TO LIVE IN GUC, UH, $25 AND 85 CENTS.
UH, THREE YEARS AGO IN 2021, MY DAILY RATE WAS $20 AND 55 CENTS.
SO I'VE SEEN ABOUT A 30% INCREASE IN MY DAILY GUC LAND RATE, UH, OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
UH, SO FOR WHAT COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, WHAT AM I GETTING FROM A $25 AND 85 CENTS? NOW? NOW, DON'T TAKE THIS WRONG.
I DON'T FEEL UNDERTAXED, BUT I DO THINK I'M GETTING A PRETTY GOOD DEAL FOR MY $25 AND 85 CENTS.
UH, I LIVE IN A MOSTLY RURAL COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THINGS.
I LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE I FEEL SAFE.
I THINK OUR SHERIFF, OUR COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY, OUR EMT AND FIRE RESCUE FOLKS DO A GOOD JOB.
UH, WE HAVE GOOD SCHOOLS AND WE GET SOLID PERFORMANCE ON OUR METRICS.
UH, I THINK THAT, UH, THEY WORK TO ITERATE TO EXCELLENCE.
I, I'M ON A WELL, AND SO I HAVE GREAT WATER.
UH, AND I DO BELIEVE THE COUNTY, UH, PUTS AN EMPHASIS ON OUR NATURAL RESOURCES HERE.
UH, WE HAVE AN EFFICIENT AND DEDICATED STAFF AND, UH, ADMINISTRATION.
I THINK, UH, WE HAVE GREAT PUBLIC SERVANTS, AS WAS RECOGNIZED JUST A MOMENT AGO.
[00:25:01]
I THINK, UH, IT'S BEEN SAID, WE DO THE DIFFICULT BEFORE LUNCH AND THE IMPOSSIBLE BY DINNER TIME AND WITNESSED BY, UH, OUR, OUR AAA RATING, OUR TRIPLE, TRIPLE, WE'RE WELL RUN COUNTY.SO, UM, I HAVE A SENSE OF OPTIMISM TOO.
I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
BUT I THINK BETTER THINGS THAT CAN BE HAPPENING, I THINK SOLUTIONS CAN BE FOUND.
I THINK CHALLENGES CAN BE MET, AND I THINK THAT WE CAN ENHANCE WHAT WE HAVE.
SO FOR $25 AND 85 CENTS, I, I'M A SCOTSMAN, SO I WOULD NOT MIND PAYING LESS FOR ALL OF THOSE BENEFITS, BUT I FEEL WELL SERVED.
AND I WILL ALSO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, RECENT CUT IN, UH, THE, UH, PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX.
I THINK THAT WAS A MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND, UH, KEEP IT UP IF, UH, YOU FIND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
ANYONE ELSE FOR CITIZEN COMMENT? SEEING NONE, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE CITIZEN COMMENT PERIOD.
BOARD, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE, UM, IN OUR PACKET, WE HAVE A COUPLE, UH,
[X. Approval of Action Minutes]
MEETING MINUTES FOR THE FIRST IS THE MARCH 14TH TRANSPORTATION C I P WORK SESSION.AND THE SECOND IS OUR APRIL 4TH MEETING.
UH, HOPEFULLY YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW 'EM.
UH, CAN I PLEASE HAVE A MOTION? MR. CHAIRMAN, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE TRANSPORTATION C I P WORK SESSION ON MARCH 14TH IN OUR REGULAR MEETING LAST MONTH, APRIL 4TH, THANK ONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGN SAYING AYE.
ALL RIGHT, NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO OUR REPORTS.
AS ALWAYS, WE HAVE OUR PARTNERS FROM VDOT HERE.
[XI. Reports]
[1. 5710: VDOT - April 2023]
MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MR. CARPENTER MARSHALL WIN WITH VDOT.UH, THIS PAST MONTH WE HAD A HUNDRED WORK ORDERS COMPLETED.
HAD 10 CALL OUTS AFTER OUR CALL OUTS, DOING, UH, MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES, POTHOLE, PATCHING, SHOULDER REPAIR, DITCHING PIPE, UH, REPLACEMENT AND CLEANOUTS TREE REMOVAL AND LIMBING ASSIGNED REPAIR AND TRASH PICKUP.
UH, MOTORCYCLES WILL START WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO.
UH, WE'LL START ON THEIR PRIMARIES AND GO STRAIGHT TO THE SECONDARY ROUTES, AND IT'LL BE A FULL TRASH PICKUP DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME FOR, FOR PRIMARIES AND SECONDARIES, UH, SCHEDULE WORK THAT'S COMING UP, UH, MIGHT HAVE SEEN SOME CONTRACTORS AROUND ON, UH, ROCK CASTLE, THREE SQUARE, UH, SHALLOW WELL, DOVER ROAD.
UM, AGAIN, 6 54 IS SHALLOW WELL AS WELL.
UH, THAT, THAT CONTRACT IS A SURFACE TREATMENT CONTRACT.
UH, THEY, THEY'LL BE DOING A SINGLE MODIFIED SEAL.
CAN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY WHEN THAT CONTRACTOR'S COMING IN, BUT THEY HAVE TILL THE END OF OCTOBER TO COMPLETE THAT WORK.
SOON AS I GET A A A PAT SCHEDULE, I CAN SEND THAT ON TO THE BOARD AND OTHER FOLKS WITHIN THE, THE COUNTY.
UH, THE PLANT MIX ON ROUTE SIX, THAT OVERLAY IS COMPLETE.
THEY STILL HAVE TO PUT PERMANENT PAVEMENT MARKINGS AS TEMPORARY MARKINGS.
THEY GOTTA DO SOME SHOULDER STONE AND SOME MORE RUMBLE STRIPS THROUGH THAT AREA.
I THINK THEY'LL BE IN NEXT WEEK OR THE WEEK AFTER THAT TO DO THAT.
WE DO HAVE ANOTHER SECTION OF, UH, PRIMARY THAT WILL BE PAVED.
IT'LL BE BETWEEN OILVILLE ROAD AND THREE CHOP ROAD.
THAT AREA, UH, IT'S A DIFFERENT CONTRACTOR'S LEHIGH, THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING THAT WORK.
THAT'S GONNA BE A BILL IN OVERLAY.
ONCE I GET THAT SCHEDULE, I SEND IT ON OUT.
WE DO HAVE CAPE SEAL SCHEDULE THAT'S COMING UP.
UM, HOLLAND HILLS IS ON THAT SCHEDULE.
UH, THE, UH, SUBDIVISION RIGHT OVER HERE BY THE, YOU KNOW, HIGH SCHOOL.
THE PRESERVE IN HICKORY HAVEN ARE TWO OTHER ONES THAT WILL BE DONE WITH A CAPE SEAL.
UM, AND THOSE TWO ARE, I, I CAN'T TELL YOU EXACT SCHEDULE, BUT THEY'LL BE DONE BY BY THE END OF OCTOBER.
I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN A LOT OF WORK GOING ON ON THE ROUNDABOUT.
THEY'VE DONE, THEY POURING THE APRON TODAY.
I SAW THAT A LITTLE WHILE AGO.
THEY'VE BEEN PUSHING THE ENVELOPE ON THAT PROJECT, SO HOPEFULLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE WE'LL BE ABLE TO OPEN UP THAT, UH, 5 22 NORTHBOUND LANE.
UH, SO I, I THINK THEY'RE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS MYSELF.
SO OTHER THAN THAT, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.
Y'ALL GOT ANY QUESTIONS, LET ME KNOW.
[00:30:01]
OKAY.SO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA ASK YOU ABOUT, RIGHT? ROUTE SIX GUARDRAIL? YES, SIR.
I, I, I HAVEN'T GOTTEN WITH TRAFFIC ENGINEER AND I'M GONNA GET WITH THEM ON THAT.
YEAH, IT'S, IT LOOKS LIKE VEHICLES ARE CONTINUING TO HIT IT BECAUSE IT'S STICKING OUT.
IT'S JUST, IT'S THE, THE DESIGN OF IT, I THINK MIGHT BE, I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A FARMER COMING OUT THERE OR WHAT.
CAUSE IT'S, NO, I, I DON'T THINK SO.
ACTUALLY NOW, UH, I'VE HEARD FROM TWO PEOPLE MM-HMM.
IT'S IN THE WESTBOUND LANE, RIGHT? UH, YEAH.
THAT'S BEEN HIT BEFORE A COUPLE OF TIMES, SEVERAL TIMES.
SO MAYBE WE COULD REDESIGN IT A LITTLE WAYS OR ONLY THING YOU CAN REALLY DO THERE, SHORTEN IT UP,
WE DO HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT ARE WILLING TO OFFER, UM, ADVICE IF YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE IT.
ACTUALLY, THE LANDOWNER PROBABLY.
SO ANYWAY, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANYTHING ELSE, MR. PETERSON? YES.
UH, THANK YOU MR. WAYNE FOR THAT REPORT.
UM, YOU MENTIONED CAPE SEAL FOR HOLLAND HILLS AND, UM, IS THAT CURRENTLY PAVED WITH ASPHALT OR WHAT THE, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THAT, UH, PROCEDURE IS, THEY COME IN, DO A SINGLE MODIFIED SEAL, LET IT CURE, THEN THEY COME IN, SWEEP IT, AND THEN PUT A SLURRY SEAL ON TOP OF IT.
SO IT'LL, IT'LL BE, IT'LL LOOK JUST LIKE ASPHALT.
I KNOW IN THE PAST, UM, WHEN THE DEVELOPERS PAY THE FIRST CODE OF ASPHALT FOLKS BY THE HOMES, RIGHT.
AND THEN WHEN YOU COME BACK TO REDO IT AND IT, THEIR EXPECTATION IS ASPHALT AND THEY GET SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AND THEN WE GET SOME PHONE CALLS AND I, I DUNNO WHAT THERE IS THAT WE CAN DO TO ADDRESS THAT IN ADVANCE, BUT THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST AND WE, YEAH, I, I WISH WE HAD THE FUNDING TO, TO, TO PAVE EVERYTHING AGAIN.
BUT THAT'S SNOW CLOUD BUDGET FROM THIS YEAR.
IS THAT STILL AVAILABLE? THAT THEY, THEY, THEY TOOK ALL OF THAT FROM ME.
I CAN TELL YOU
IS THAT STILL OCCURRING? THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE SENDING UP A, YOU KNOW, PUTTING FLYERS OUT TO LET PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME IN THERE.
ADJUST OR MODIFY OR CREATE THE REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, THAT MAY HELP IN SOME YARDS.
OKAY, MR. LUKINS, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA ASK YOU, DO YOU
I DIDN'T KNOW EITHER UNTIL A FEW MINUTES AGO, BUT I WAS LOOKING AT, UM, THE, THE ROUNDABOUT.
AND SO I'M TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH MY ACRONYMS FLAT AND, AND DEFINITIONS FLAT WORK SCHEDULED ON T W L A DAYS TWO WEEK.
AND T W L A DAYS, TWO WEEK LOOK AHEAD, TWO WEEK LOOK AHEAD.
AND WE SUPPLY THAT TWO WEEK LOOK AHEAD TO AUSTIN AND, AND CRYSTAL.
THEY, THEY GET THAT EVERY TWO WEEKS.
AND THE 6 32 SPLITTER ISLAND, SPLITTER ISLAND, THAT, THAT'S JUST A, A, A CONCRETE, UH, CURB TYPE THING.
IT'S A ISLAND IS WHAT IT, WHAT IT ENDS UP BEING.
SO YEAH, THAT'S GOOD NEWS THAT, THAT'S MOVING, MOVING ALONG.
AND SO I GUESS WE'LL PROBABLY LOOKING FOR THAT REPORT EVERY MONTH FROM YOU.
OF COURSE YOU KEEPING CRYSTAL AND AUSTIN INFORMED TOO, SOUNDS LIKE.
I'VE GOTTEN, UM, SOME COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS ABOUT THE ROUNDABOUT AND THERE'S THE CENTER ISLAND, WHATEVER.
IS THAT, THAT'S VIDA PROPERTY? YES.
SO DOES ANYTHING GO IN THERE OR, WE WERE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT THAT YESTERDAY.
UM, AS OF NOW, FROM WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT YESTERDAY, WE'RE PLANNING ON PUTTING GRASS BACK IN THERE, BUT CRYSTAL WAS TALKING ABOUT MAYBE HAVING IT LANDSCAPED, CORRECT, CORRECT.
UM, MR. WYNN, UH, WE DISCUSSED IN OUR QUARTERLY MEETING YESTERDAY, UM, THAT THE COUNTY HAS THE OPTION AT ANY POINT IN TIME, ONCE THE ROUNDABOUT IS COMPLETE TO COME IN WITH A LANDSCAPING, UM, PLAN OF, YOU KNOW, SUSTAINABLE GREEN, LOW MAINTENANCE PLANS, BUT JUST FOR AN AESTHETIC PURPOSE.
UM, WHEN IT IS COMPLETE, THOUGH, HE IS CORRECT, IT WILL JUST BE GRASS.
I, UM, ONLY BECAUSE PLANTS CAME UP.
[00:35:02]
TRY AND KEEP IT, YOU KNOW, GLAND FOCUSED AND, AND PURCHASE THEM MAYBE FROM THE PRISON SYSTEM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? LIKE ABSOLUTELY.I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT EXPLORING WAYS WHERE WE CAN PARTNER WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS ON ONGOING MAINTENANCE AS WELL FOR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES.
NEXT UP FOR OUR REPORTS, WE HAVE OUR DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES TO TALK ABOUT NEW COUNTY STAFF.
GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS.
I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF DOING THE INTRODUCTION OF OUR NEW STAFF FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH AND APRIL.
AND I'LL ASK IF YOU ARE HERE, IF YOU CAN STAND AS I CALL YOUR NAME.
UM, SO WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD NEW HIRES FOR THE CLERK, THE CLERK'S OFFICE, THE TREASURER'S OFFICE, CIVIL ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, BUILDING INSPECTIONS, AND PUBLIC UTILITIES.
SO ON MARCH, IN MARCH, DONNA PAINTER AND CARRIE COLLINS WATKINS WATSON JOINED THE CLERK'S OFFICE AS DEPUTY CLERKS TWO.
IN THEIR ROLE, THEY'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DUTIES SUCH AS PROCESSING LEGAL DOCUMENTS, ADMINISTERING OATHS, UM, AS THE NOTARY AND RECEIVING PAYMENTS.
MS. PAINTER COMES TO GUC LYNN FROM MARY THOMAS DEED'S RECORDING WITH OVER 26 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD.
MS. COLLINS MOST RECENTLY WORKED FOR RANDOLPH MACON COLLEGE, WHERE SHE HELD VARIOUS POSITIONS OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, BUT MOST RECENTLY SERVED AS A STUDENT EMPLOY EMPLOYMENT COORDINATOR ON APRIL 4TH, 2023, TAYLOR GLENSON JOINED THE TREASURER'S OFFICE AS A DEPUTY TREASURER ONE.
IN HER ROLE, SHE WILL PERFORM ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES AS CUSTOMER SERVICE DUTIES IN SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS OF THE TREASURER.
PRIOR TO COMING TO GUC COUNTY, MS. GLEASON WAS A PATIENT COORDINATOR FOR VIRGINIA PHYSICIANS FOR WOMEN.
JUSTIN GONZALEZ JOINED THE CIVIL ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER TEAM ON APRIL 23RD AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTOR.
IN HIS ROLE, HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR INSPECTIONS OF COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS FOR COMPLIANCE.
PRIOR TO HIS PRE, PRIOR TO THIS POSITION, MR. GONZALEZ SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD.
ON APRIL 3RD, ETHAN WHITLEY JOINED THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES AS A UTILITY OPERATOR TOO.
IN THIS ROLE, HE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR INSPECTING AND OVERSEEING OPERATIONS AND THE MAINTENANCE OF WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE.
MR. WHITLEY HAS HELD SEVERAL OTHER POSITIONS SIMILAR FOR HANDOVER COUNTING IN QUANTICO AND HAS OVER 11 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD.
AND LASTLY, WE HAVE ON APRIL 17TH, 2023, MR. BENJAMIN JAMESON JOINED THE BUILDING INSPECTION TEAM AS, OH, YOU KNOW, I HAD NOT BEEN DOING THE PICTURES.
THEN WE HAVE JUSTIN GONZALEZ, THEN WE HAVE ETHAN WHITLEY.
AND HERE WE ARE, BENJAMIN JAMESON.
UM, HE JOINED THE BUILDING INSPECTION TEAM AS A FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM PLANS EXAMINER SLASH INSPECTOR.
IN HIS ROLE, HE WILL PERFORM FIRE PROTECTION PLAN REVIEW ON THE AS NEEDED BASIS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION OF BUILDINGS TO VERIFY COMPLIANCE.
PRIOR TO COMING TO GUC COUNTY, MR. JAMESON WAS MOST RECENTLY EMPLOYED WITH VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY AS A SAFETY OFFICER.
WELCOME EVERYBODY TO ALL RIGHT.
THE, UM, NEXT TWO ITEMS, THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY, AS WELL AS THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE REPORT ARE IN YOUR PACKETS.
UH, NEXT HERE, LIVE AND IN PERSON, WE HAVE OUR BROADBAND REPORT.
[5. Broadband Report]
GOOD AFTERNOON.PAUL DRUMRIGHT, COMMUNITY AFFAIRS MANAGER.
IT'S MY, UH, PLEASURE TO GIVE YOU A, UH, BRIEF, UH, BROADBAND UPDATE REPORT.
UM, I HAVE BROUGHT VISUALS AGAIN.
UH, THEY WERE A HIT BACK IN MARCH WHEN I WAS HERE.
UH, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU BROADBAND DID NOT TAKE A VACATION WHILE I WAS GONE.
WHAT YOU HAVE ON, UH, THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF YOU AGAIN IS THE MAP THAT WE KEEP REFERRING TO RELATED TO OUR BROADBAND EFFORTS WITH FIREFLY FIBER BROADBAND AND THEIR, UH, RE UH, REGIONAL INTERNET SERVICE EXPANSION PROJECT.
UM, SO I'M GONNA GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THAT.
[00:40:01]
TO START OUT WITH THIS SO WE CAN, UH, KIND OF KEEP IN MIND WHERE EVERYTHING'S GOING.UM, SO ONE, UH, REALLY GREAT, UH, PIECE OF INFORMATION NEWS IS THAT RAPPAHANNOCK ELECTRIC CO-OP, WHICH IS ONE OF THE PARTNERS IN THE REGIONAL, UH, INTERNET SERVICE EXPANSION PROJECT, CELEBRATED LAST THURSDAY, THEIR INITIAL CONNECTIONS IN BOTH LOUISA AND GLAND COUNTY.
SO, UH, AS YOU MAY RECALL, THEY ARE BUILDING OUT THEIR, UH, NETWORK IN BOTH LOUISE AND GUC AND THE MIDDLE MILE NETWORK IN FIREFLY FIBER BROADBAND IS BUILDING OUT THE LAST MILE CONNECTION.
SO WE HAD THE, UH, UH, PLEASURE OF BEING UP THERE FOR THAT CELEBRATION.
UM, THEY HAVE A COUPLE CONNECTIONS ALREADY.
UH, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE TWO IN GUCCI COUNTY CONFIRMED, UH, THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONNECTED, AND THERE ARE A COUPLE MORE THAT ARE ON THEIR WAY TO BEING CONNECTED.
UM, AND THEN WILL HAVE A WHOLE TON MORE IN THIS AREA, WHICH IS CALLED THE MOUNT HOPE, UH, SUBSTATION AREA.
AND THAT'S WHERE THEY WILL BE FINISHING DOING BUILDOUTS IN THE SPRING OF THIS YEAR.
UH, THEY'RE JUST GETTING READY TO GET STARTED ON THAT.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE 10 HOMES ARE ACTUALLY IN THE SHANNON HILL SUBSTATION AREA.
WE DON'T HAVE A MAP OF THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, IT WAS ONLY 10 HOMES.
AND SO WE GET VERY, VERY DOWN INTO THE DETAILS.
BUT OUT OF THOSE 10, TWO HAVE BEEN CONNECTED AND, UH, MORE ARE ALREADY BE SCHEDULED TO BE CONNECTED.
AND THEN THEY'LL BE MOVING ON TO THIS MOUNT HOPE SUBSTATION AREA IN SPRING.
AND, UH, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WILL KEEP ROCK AND ROLLING THROUGH ALL THOSE TO EVERYBODY WHO'S SIGNED UP TO BE CONNECTED, UM, IS CONNECTED.
SO AGAIN, WE ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO GO TO FIREFLY VA.COM AND EXPRESS THEIR INTEREST IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY, THAT ANYBODY WHO LIVES IN THIS AREA WOULD BE GIVING A LETTER, TELLING THEM, REMINDING THEM TO DO THAT.
UM, NOW GOING BACK TO OUR LARGER MAP, UM, TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE AGAIN, AND WE'RE GONNA TRY A LITTLE MAGIC.
SO WE HAVE THE MOUNT HOPE AREA RIGHT THERE, AND THEN RIGHT UP THERE IS WHERE THERE'S SOME OF THE 10 THAT ARE BEING CONNECTED.
UM, ONE OTHER PIECE OF INFORMATION.
AND AS CONNECTIONS START TO HAPPEN, WE'LL BE BRINGING BACK CONNECTION INFORMATION AND HOW IT'S GOING.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU, UH, TALKING WITH FIREFLY, THEY HAVE OVER 900 ADDRESSES IN THEIR CVEC SERVICE TERRITORY THAT HAVE LIT FIBER, UH, OR WILL BE HAVING LIT FIBER THERE AVAILABLE.
THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH CONNECTIONS THAT THEY HAVE, UM, FOLKS WHO'VE ALREADY SIGNED UP FOR SERVICE.
UH, SO THERE'S MAY BE SOME FOLKS WHO HAVEN'T BEEN CONNECTED YET.
THEY'RE GONNA BE GOING THROUGH THAT LIST.
UM, THAT'S AGAIN IN THE BLUE AREAS.
SO THE CVE, CARTERSVILLE AND THE CVE, SHANNON HILL AREAS, THEY HAVEN'T FINISHED CONNECTING EVERYBODY, BUT THEY'RE GETTING TO 'EM.
UH, IT'S AGAIN, A, UH, UH, A LONG PROCESS, BUT IF YOU LIVE IN THOSE AREAS, IT IS AVAILABLE.
SO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE GONE IN, UH, REGISTERED WITH FIREFLY SO YOU CAN GET SERVICE.
UM, SO THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER DETAILS ON THIS MAP THAT ARE NEW TO POINT OUT TO YOU AGAIN.
UM, WELL, WE HAVE THE THREE SQUARE AREA THAT WE TALKED ABOUT BACK IN MARCH THAT THEY, DOMINION HAS BEGUN THEIR, BEGUN THEIR CONSTRUCTION OF THE MIDDLE MILE FIBER AND A FIREFLY AT THE SAME TIME WAS BEGINNING THEIR FIELD SURVEY SO THAT THEY CAN GET READY TO START DOING CONNECTIONS ONCE DOMINION HAS FINISHED BUILDING THAT MIDDLE MILE FIBER.
UH, IF YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE'S TWO NEW AREAS UP HERE ON THE MAP UP HERE, UH, CALDONIA AS WELL AS IN, UH, TAB SCOTT HAYDENVILLE HAVE BEEN ADDED BY FIREFLY AND DOMINION, AND FIREFLY HAS ALREADY STARTED DOING THEIR FIELD SURVEY WORK IN THAT AREA.
UM, DOMINION HASN'T, I'VE NOT CONFIRMED, UH, WHETHER DOMINION HAS GOTTEN TO THAT AREA YET, BUT IT IS ENCOURAGING THAT FIREFIGHTER IS ALREADY MOVING AHEAD IN GETTING FIELD SURVEYS BEFORE EVEN THEY'RE FINISHED WITH WORK DOWN IN THE THREE SQUARE AREA.
UM, THE THREE SQUARE AREA, WE DO NOT HAVE A ESTIMATE OF TIME WHEN FIREFLY WOULD BE DOING CONNECTIONS UP IN THE NEW AREA UP HERE IN THE RISE, UH, CALDONIA AND TAP SCOTT HAYDENVILLE AREA FIREFLY HAS COME OUT AND SAID SPRING 2024, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT WE HAVE A DATE FOR IT.
AND, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP TRACK OF THAT DATE AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO GET TO IT AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
BUT IF YOU LIVE IN THOSE AREAS, AGAIN, FIREFLY VA.COM GO THERE, OR, UH, YOU CAN SIGN UP EXPRESS INTEREST, AND THEN THEY'LL NOTIFY YOU WHEN CONNECTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO HAPPEN.
NOW, GOING BACK TO THIS IS THE THREE SQUARE AREA.
[00:45:01]
SO CITIZENS WHO LIVE IN THIS AREA SHOULD SEE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON WITH THE DOMINION CONTRACTOR WORKING ON THAT MIDDLE MILE FIBER.AND THEN AGAIN, FIREFLY WILL BE TAKING OVER THAT AREA ONCE UH, DOMINION HAS FINISHED.
UM, IT IS IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT DOMINION HAS AGAIN, UH, PLEDGED THAT THEY WILL HAVE ALL THEIR MIDDLE MILE FIBER BUILT BY THE END OF 2023.
SO SOME AREAS WILL BE RELEASED SOONER, BUT IT ALL SHOULD BE FINISHED BY DOMINION BY THE END OF 2023.
THEN FINALLY, AGAIN, BACK TO THIS, THIS MAP SHOWS THE, UH, U S D A RECONNECT, UH, UCHIN AREA.
THEY HAVE PROJECTS DOWN IN CUMBERLAND, PROJECTS IN PALATAN, AND THEN PROJECTS HERE IN GLAND, AND THEY'RE WORKING ON THOSE AS WELL.
FIREFLY IS BUILDING THAT FIBER THEMSELVES, AND THEN WE WILL BE CONNECTING IT.
RIGHT NOW, THEY WERE PROJECTING A SUMMER OF 2023 FOR CONNECTIONS TO START.
THAT MEANS THEY'LL START WORKING ON CONNECTIONS AND THEY'LL CONTINUE WORKING ON THEM TILL THEY'VE CONNECTED EVERYBODY WHO HAS EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN SERVICE.
AND THEN THEY'LL BE TAKING FOLKS WHO CALL LATER ON IF THEY MOVE INTO THE DISTRICT AND CALL AND WHAT SERVICE THEY'LL BE CONNECTING THOSE FOLKS.
BUT, SO CONNECTIONS, AGAIN, ARE GONNA BE STARTING LATER THIS YEAR IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE COUNTY.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO GO TO FIREFLY VA.COM AND TO EXPRESS AN INTEREST IN SERVICE.
AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. DRUMRIGHT.
ANY QUESTIONS? BOARD AT THIS TIME? VERY, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THIS.
THE MONTHLY REPORT, NEVERTHELESS.
UM, NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO OUR BOARD REPORTS.
[6. Board Reports]
NOTHING OF GREAT CONSEQUENCE AT THE TPO.UM, WE'LL HAVE SOME DECISIONS.
I THINK IT'S ON THE AGENDA THIS COMING MONTH.
UM, THE COST OVERRUN, UH, APPROACH IS, IS GONNA BE VOTED ON.
I BELIEVE IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE ON OUR AGENDA IN WHICH WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE.
THE WAY TO GET SOME OF THE TPO PROJECTS AT LEAST, UH, FIGURE OUT A WAY TO CURB THE COSTS.
UM, SO THEY'RE, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE THAT.
I'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO REPORT ON THAT.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE OUR, UM, JOINT MEETING.
WHEN IS THAT? I THINK THAT'S A CVT AND PLAN RVA, THAT'S GONNA BE IN OUR JUNE MEETING.
UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S NEXT MONTH, ISN'T IT? YEAH.
NOTHING, NOTHING GUC SPECIFIC GOING ON.
MR. WATERS, ANYTHING? UM, I ATTENDED THE PLAN RVA UH, CLEO MEETING, UH, LAST WEEK.
UH, NOTHING MATERIAL DE GLAND, UM, JUST, UH, INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATION.
MR. CHAIR, UH, IMMEDIATELY APPRECIATING THIS MEETING, UM, THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE MET, UM, COVERED A COUPLE OF TOPICS.
UH, ONE WAS A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE ON THE TCSD TUCKO CREEK SERVICE DISTRICT, UM, IN THE INTEREST OF TRANSPARENCY AND SHARING INFORMATION WITH OUR CITIZENS.
THE OTHER ITEM, WHICH I WON'T GO INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL, IS THE THIRD QUARTER UPDATE, BECAUSE UNDER NEW BUSINESS ITEM 13 TODAY, UH, WILL BE A THIRD QUARTER PROJECTION UPDATE BY, UH, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.
UM, FROM THE CVT PERSPECTIVE, NOT A BUNCH.
WE DID MOVE INTO OUR FIRST, UH, AGREEMENTS WITH THE LOCALITIES THAT ARE, WILL BE ADMINISTERING THEIR OWN V D A PROJECTS.
AND I KNOW OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY REVIEWED THOSE DOCUMENTS, UM, AND THEY ALL PASSED.
SO THEY'RE SOME OF THE LARGER JURISDICTIONS, RATHER THAN HAVING V D A, UM, DO THEIR PROJECTS, WE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA SELF-ADMINISTER THEM.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD DISCUSSION REGARDING, UH, THE ELECTION, THE UPCOMING TERMS, AND, AND POTENTIALLY MOVING TO A ROTATION OF SORTS.
BUT THAT IS BEING THREATENED TO BE, UH, VETOED DOWN BY THE MAYOR.
SO, UH, WE'LL MOVE RIGHT ALONG INTO OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, LOOKS LIKE WE JUST HAVE ONE
[XII. Consent Agenda]
ITEM ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA.THE ADOPT THE SECOND SE ADOPT THE SECONDARY SIX YEAR PLAN PRIORITY.
[1. 5687: Resolution to Adopt Secondary Six Year Plan Priorities 2024-2029]
YES, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, THE BOARD IS BEING REQUESTED TO APPROVE TRANSPORTATION PRIORITIES FOR THE SECONDARY SIX YEAR PLAN, OR SS Y P FOR 24 TO 29.AND THIS WOULD INCLUDE THE DESIGNATION OF RURAL RUSTIC ROADS, AND THEN TO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE ANY NECESSARY DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THAT.
ESSENTIALLY, THE SS YP IS REVIEWED ANNUALLY, AND IT PROVIDES THE METHOD FOR THE COUNTY TO IDENTIFY SS Y P PRIORITIES AND FOR VDOT TO ALLOCATE S S Y P FUNDS
[00:50:01]
FOR COUNTY PROJECTS.THESE FUNDS MAY BE USED COUNTYWIDE FOR A VARIETY OF PROJECTS SUCH AS TRAFFIC AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, SIDEWALK, UNPAVED, ROADS, ET CETERA.
THERE'S TWO PROJECTS THAT ARE LISTED.
ONE IS FAIRGROUNDS, SANDY HOOK, ROAD INTERSECTION, THE ROUNDABOUT, ANOTHER IMPROVEMENTS, AND THEN BEN LAMONT ROAD, WHICH IS AN UNPAVED ROAD.
I PRESENT THAT TO THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION.
ANY DISCUSSION BOARD, UH, ENTERTAIN A MOTION, MR. CHAIR, I, UH, MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION? SO, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION IN MY WORLD, UM, REGARDING BEN LAMOND, AND I THINK WE'VE STAFF IS TALKING TO MOST OF THE CITIZENS AND THEY'VE AGREED TO, TO HAVE THAT PAVED.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THAT DONE TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE MAINTENANCE CONCERNS THAT WE SEEM TO RUN INTO ON A MONTHLY BASIS WITH THAT.
SO IT'S, UH, IT'S A GOOD, UH, IMPROVEMENT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS, UH, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
ALL RIGHT, MOVING RIGHT ALONG.
WE HAVE OUR, UH, THIRD QUARTER PROJECTIONS, MS. GABE.
[XIII. New Business]
CARLA CAVE, FINANCE DIRECTOR.I THINK FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS, THIS
[1. 5709: FY2023 Third Quarter Projections]
IS BECOMING TO FEEL LIKE GROUNDHOG DAY, CUZ WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS NUMBER FOR SO LONG DURING BUDGET PLANNING, BUT FOR CITIZENS TUNING IN, UM, WHEN TAKING A LOOK AT THE FINANCIALS AGAINST THE BUDGET AT MARCH 31ST, WE ARE, UM, LOOKING AT BRINGING IN A LITTLE OVER 10.3 MILLION MORE THAN WHAT WE HAD BUDGETED IN REVENUES.UM, THAT'S PRIMARILY DUE TO OUR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES COMING IN HIGHER THAN WE EXPECTED.
I THINK WHEN THIS BUDGET WAS CREATED, WE DIDN'T FORESEE THE MASSIVE UPTICK IN ASSESSED VALUES, ALTHOUGH THE TAXPAYERS DID.
UM, AND WE'RE ALSO SEEING AN INCREASE IN INTEREST COMING IN AND REAL ESTATE, UM, TAXES.
SO THAT'S CREATING A 10 MILLION SURPLUS THERE IN REVENUES OVER OUR BUDGET.
UM, IN EXPENSES, WE'VE GOT DEPARTMENTS TURNING IN, UM, SLIGHTLY UNDER $2 MILLION, WHICH LEADS US WITH A FUND BALANCE OF, UM, 8.3 MILLION COMING BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER.
ANY QUESTIONS, LISA? ALL RIGHT.
ON THE LAST ITEM ON UNDER NEW BUSINESS, BEFORE OUR BREAK IS OUR,
[2. 5711: Appointments - May 2023]
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL REAPPOINTMENTS.UH, SO WE WOULD, WILL BE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION, UH, THE REAPPOINTMENT OF BOB BASHAM IN DISTRICT FIVE FOR A TWO YEAR TERM TO THE, OUR, OUR TPO, COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, UH, THE REAPPOINTMENT FOR A THREE YEAR TERM, UH, OF MS. JOYCE LANE, JORDAN TO THE GLAND PTAN COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARD, UH, TOM FERRIS, UH, DISTRICT THREE, UH, REAPPOINTMENT FOR A THREE YEAR TERM FOR THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION.
AND DANIEL KEATON FROM DISTRICT TWO, UH, TO THE SAME BOARD FOR, UH, APPOINTMENT FOR THREE YEAR TERM.
AND THEN LASTLY, BUT NOT LEAST, UH, MS. KIMBERLY JEFFERSON FROM DISTRICT TWO FOR A RE-EMPLOYMENT FOR A THREE YEAR TERM ON THE CAPITAL AREA AGENCY ON AGING.
CAN I HAVE A MOTION BOARD? SO MR. CHAIRMAN, MOVE, UM, APPROVAL OF ALL OF THESE APPOINTMENTS.
ANY DISCUSSION? DO WE HAVE ANY OF THEM HERE? DO AND AND DO ALL OF 'EM KNOW THAT THEY'RE BEING REAPPOINTED? YES.
YOU
ALL RIGHT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? PLEASE LEAVE IN FAVOR BY SAYING AYE.
OPPOSED? THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THESE CITIZENS AND ALL THE CITIZENS THAT HELP SERVE OUR COUNTY.
UM, I WILL MOVE US INTO OUR DINNER BREAK AND RECESS.
WE'LL BE BACK HERE AT SIX O'CLOCK.
[XIV. Dinner Break/Recess]
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HONOR[XV. 6:00 PM - Chair Calls Meeting Back to Order]
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UM,[04:01:37]
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THE BOARD ON ISSUES THAT ARE GERMANE, DUC[XVI. Citizen Comment]
AND COUNTY, BUT NOT ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING.UH, IF YOU COULD PLEASE COME INTO THE MICROPHONE.
UM, MAKE SURE YOU TURN IT ON, ON THE BASE, THERE'S A, UH, BUTTON, UM, AND IT'LL TURN GREEN AND GIVE US YOUR NAME, YOUR ADDRESS, AND PLEASE TRY TO KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.
SO I'LL OPEN THE CITIZEN COMMENT PERIOD.
GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE PORT LY 1521 MANNEQUIN ROAD.
THIS IS REALLY A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
UM, I WAS ACTUALLY READING THE MINUTES THAT YOU'VE ALREADY APPROVED.
SO THIS MAY BE AFTER THE COURSE IS LEFT, THE BARN, WHAT, ON PAGE 35 OF YOUR PACKET DURING CITIZEN COMMENT, IT, IT QUOTES ME AS SAYING, UM, FEELS WE ARE UNDERTAXED, DOESN'T FEEL HE'S PAYING ENOUGH TAXES.
AND I JUST WANT TO CORRECT THAT.
SO, UM, IF, IF THE RECORD COULD BE CHANGED TO SAY THAT I DO NOT FEEL UNDERTAXED, THEN I DO FEEL WE ARE PAYING A FAIR TAX RATE.
GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIRMAN AND BOARD.
MY NAME IS MARK GOIN 24 76 HILL STREAM DRIVE.
I'M HERE TO MAKE A COMMENT ON AN EVENT THAT WAS HELD IN THIS COUNTY THIS PAST SATURDAY.
THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SPONSORED A KID'S DAY AT CAMP BRADY SAUNDERS, AND I WANTED TO COMMEND THE ORGANIZERS, THE DEPARTMENT, NOT ONLY THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, ALSO FIRE AND EMS, THE GAME DEPARTMENT THAT WAS THERE FOR AN EXTRAORDINARILY WELL PUT ON EVENT.
THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT DEPARTMENTS LIKE THAT, THAT HAVE SUCH A STRONG COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS JUST AMAZING.
I WAS THERE AS PART OF THE AMERICAN LEGION COOKING HOTDOGS AND HAMBURGERS, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE FAMILIES THAT WERE THERE, THE RECEPTION OF EVERYBODY THERE.
ALL THE POSITIVE COMMENTS I THINK REFLECTED EXTREMELY WELL ON THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND ON THE COUNTY.
AND THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY.
ALL RIGHT, WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR FIR HURST AND ONLY PUBLIC HEARING OF THE EVENING.
[XVII. Public Hearings]
TO OUR DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.[1. 5703: Countywide - ZOA-2022-00002 – Amendment to Zoning Ordinance Secs.]
EVENING, CRYSTAL ANNIS, DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.GET BACK, HIT THE MID, THE MAY VERSION, SORRY.
WE COULD GO OVER TUCKAHOE CREEK SERVICE DISTRICT AGAIN, ROUND TWO.
UM, OH, I SHOULD START THIS SLIDESHOW TOO, RIGHT? THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
I WISH WE SHOULD THINK I'D BE SO MUCH BETTER AT THIS THREE YEARS INTO, RIGHT, YOU KNOW, WORKING FROM HOME AND OTHER THINGS.
[04:05:01]
CHAIRMAN, UM, BEFORE YOU ALL TONIGHT, YOU HAVE FOR CONSIDERATION AS SOLAR ORDINANCE AND POLICY.IT'S A COUNTYWIDE, UM, ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT.
AND WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS JUST BRIEFLY KICK IT OFF, GO OVER OUR PROCESS AND JUST SOME BACKGROUND ON THE FACT THAT THIS IS A POLICY.
IT WILL BE VERY SIMILAR AND OPERATE IN A FASHION IF ADOPTED AS OUR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT PROCESSES, SO THAT THERE'S A FRAMEWORK FOR HOW WE CONSIDER THINGS.
BUT EACH APPLICATION FOR SOLAR, IN THEORY, IF APPROVED THIS EVENING, WOULD COME TO YOU ALL FOR CONSIDERATION ON ITS OWN MERITS.
AGAIN, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY EXTENSIVE PROCESS.
UM, NO PROCESS IS EVER PERFECT, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS TRY TO CAST THE NET AS WIDE AS YOU CAN AND WORK ON FINE TUNING THINGS.
SO THIS REALLY BEGAN IN FALL 2021 WITH INITIAL DISCUSSIONS ON LOOKING AT SOLAR REVISIONS.
WHAT CAN WE DO? HOW SHOULD WE DO IT? IN SPRING OF 2022, STAFF WAS TASKED WITH UNDERTAKING UPDATES TO OUR CURRENT STANDARDS.
UM, LAST SUMMER IN JULY OF 2022, STAFF HAD WORKED ON A DRAFT ORDINANCE, UM, SLASH POLICY THAT WAS ACTUALLY SHARED FOR OUTSIDE COMMENT THAT HAD CIRCULATED.
IT'S BEEN CIRCULATING IN VARIOUS FORMS AND WITH UPDATES PRETTY MUCH SINCE JULY OF 2022.
SO OCTOBER, 2022, UM, YOU ALL AS A BOARD HAD A REQUEST TO SET, UM, ON HEARING THE ORDINANCE AND THE POLICY IN NOVEMBER, 2022.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION ACTUALLY DEFERRED THIS TO ALLOW FOR MORE PUBLIC INPUT.
AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE WE HAVE WORKED, UM, IN, IN AN EARNEST EFFORT TO CAST THAT BROAD NET TO RECEIVE OPEN FEEDBACK AND INCORPORATE IT AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
UM, IN FEBRUARY, 2023 OF THIS YEAR, FINALLY, WE'RE GETTING TO PRESENT TIMES.
THE COMMUNITY MEETING WAS HELD AT CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL FOR THIS, IT WAS WELL ATTENDED MARCH, 2023.
THE COMMENTS WERE REVIEWED, DISCUSSED, AND REVISIONS WERE ADDED.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING TO APPRISE YOU ALL AS A BOARD WITH POLICY UPDATES AS WE'VE KIND OF MATRICULATED THIS THROUGH WITH EVERYONE'S INPUT.
UM, APRIL, 2023, THE PLANNING COMMISSION ACTUALLY HEARD THIS IN RECOMMENDED APPROVAL WITH A FIVE OH VOTE.
UM, AT THAT MEETING, THERE WERE TWO SPEAKERS THAT VOICED SUPPORT FOR THE POLICY AND ORDINANCE WITH SOME CAVEATS, BUT OVERALL, THERE HAS BEEN SUPPORT.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, I ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE A POINT I TOUCHED ON EARLIER WITH OUR STAFF PROPOSAL.
IT DOES INCLUDE THE ORDINANCE AND A POLICY.
NOW THE ORDINANCE, UM, HAS AMENDMENTS IDENTIFYING SOLAR USES IN DISTRICTS.
AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO WORK ON AREAS THAT WE CAN PUT, UM, WHERE SOLAR IS OF BEST FIT AND, UM, OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALLOW FOLKS TO MAXIMIZE LAND IN OTHER AREAS THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BE DEVELOPED FOR OTHER REASONS.
AND AGAIN, MAKING IT A C P PROCESS FOR SOLAR, FOR GENERATING ENERGY FOR SALES STORAGE.
SO THAT'S WITHIN THE ORDINANCE AND THE POLICY PIECE, WHICH IS ALSO A BOARD POLICY.
SO ANY CHANGES AS THIS LIVING BREATHING POLICY EVOLVES OVER TIME, AS SOLAR IS AN EMERGING FIELD WILL COME TO YOU ALL FOR APPROVAL.
SO THIS IS NOT AT THE STAFF LEVEL, IT'S NOT ADMINISTRATIVE.
SO AGAIN, APPLICATIONS COME THROUGH A C U P PROCESS IF WE NEED TO TWEAK OUR OVERALL POLICY AND THOUGHTS ON IT, IT COMES TO YOU ALL.
SO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS POLICIES RELATED TO SOLAR ENERGY FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, UM, AND ENERGY STORAGE FACILITIES.
IT ALSO IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE THAT GUIDANCE TO STAFF AND TO APPLICANTS ON THE ZONING PROCESS AND WHAT'S NEEDED TO ESTABLISH SOME UNIFORMITY AS WE GROW IN THE FIELD OF SOLAR HERE IN GUC LANE COUNTY.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MR. RAY CASH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WHO HAS KIND OF BECOME OUR IN-HOUSE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT FOR GOVERNMENTAL SOLAR POLICY HERE.
SO GOOD EVENING, UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UM, THIS, AS YOU SAID, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE ALL ACTUALLY WORKED TOGETHER A LONG TIME ON, UM, UH, DISCUSSIONS BEFORE WE KICKED IT OFF.
I'M SURE THAT YOU WERE PROBABLY DISCUSSING THINGS BEFORE I STARTED WORKING HERE.
FALL 2020 IS ABOUT WHEN I STARTED, UH, GETTING INTO THE CONVERSATION.
UM, SO IT'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK, UM, A LOT OF INPUT FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THIS AUDIENCE TONIGHT AND OTHERS.
UM, SO FIRST I'LL KIND OF GO THROUGH THE COURT, UH, THE COUNTY CODE PROVISIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO.
UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EACH ONE OF THEM, WHAT'S PROPOSED, AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE POLICY ITSELF RELATED TO THE SOLAR ENERGY FACILITIES AND THE BATTERY STORAGE.
WE'LL ALSO GO THROUGH SOME, UM, SPECIFIC TOPICS OR RELATED TO THE POLICY AND THE POLICY CHANGES THAT,
[04:10:01]
UM, I KNOW THE BOARD WAS INTERESTED IN SHOWING, YOU KNOW, THESE WERE CONCERNS OF THE PUBLIC, WHY DIDN'T I ADDRESS IT OR HOW I ADDRESSED IT.UM, WE CAN GO THOSE THROUGH THEIRS AT, UM, THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD, HOW QUICKLY WE'D LIKE TO GO THROUGH THOSE.
UM, SO REALLY THERE'S A COUPLE AREAS, AND I'LL SKIP THIS SLIDE.
WE'LL START WALK WALKING THROUGH THE ONES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO THE FIRST ONE HAS A BIG NAME NOW, BUT A SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY ACCESSORY.
AND THIS WAS REALLY THE PANELS OR OTHER TYPES OF STRUCTURES THAT ARE TYPICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY.
STATE CODE REQUIRES US TO ALLOW THESE, YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE, THIS IS YOU'RE PROVIDING FOR YOUR ONSITE CONSUMPTION.
YOU CAN'T REALLY BUILD IT BIGGER, UM, THAN WHAT YOU'RE REALLY SET TO DO FOR YOUR INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY.
UM, BUT IT GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO GET OFF THE GRID OR, UM, ALSO, UM, NET METERING POTENTIAL.
WHAT WE DIDN'T HAVE IN OUR CODE CURRENTLY, UM, IS THE RELIANCE FOR, UM, ADDITIONAL FARM USAGE.
THERE IS A PROVISION IN THE STATE CODE THAT ALLOWS SOME ADDITIONAL PROTECTION FOR A FARM, A PRODUCTION FOR A FARM.
IT'S ACTUALLY OUTLINED WITH CERTAIN PROVISIONS IN THE STATE CODE.
I HAVE JUST A, UM, REQUESTED THAT WE ADDED TO OUR CODE.
SO WE'D BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATE CODE.
UM, THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED, WE COULD ALWAYS ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR THEM.
AGAIN, THIS IS A PICTURE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON A HOUSE.
THE OTHER WITH A LARGE NAME IS SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY SUPPLEMENTARY.
THE INTENT OF THIS, UM, IS TO ALLOW FOR SOME ADDITIONAL GENERATION OF, UM, SOLAR ENERGY WITHIN OUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS.
UM, WHAT WE'D LOOK FOR IS NOT TAKING UP INDUSTRIAL LANDS WITH A SOLAR FACILITY OR OTHER USES, BUT REALLY IF YOU ALREADY HAVE AN EXISTING PRINCIPLE INDUSTRIAL USE, THEN YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO PLACE THE SOLAR PANELS ON YOUR ROOFTOPS OR OTHER, YOUR, YOUR PRIMARY BUILDINGS, AND ALSO USE AN ADDITIONAL PORTION OF YOUR LAND FOR GENERATING SOLAR POWER THAT COULD BE SOLD OR, UM, UTILIZED IN, UM, OFFSITE.
UH, IT'S NOT THE INTENT THAT THIS WOULD BECOME THE PRINCIPLE USE OF THE PROPERTY, BUT AN ALLOWANCE THAT THEY CAN DO THAT.
AND THAT'S SORT OF A LOT OF GREEN ENERGY MISSIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF, UM, BUSINESSES.
SO WE SEEK THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, WE PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES ON HERE.
UM, THE TRAEGER PARKING GARAGE FOR DOMINION INJURY, THAT'S REALLY GONNA BE MORE RELATED TO THEIR ONSITE ENERGY.
BUT THE ONE THAT'S BESIDE IT, UM, IS A PICTURE REALLY SHOWING THAT IF YOU NOTICE THE AMOUNT OF ROOFTOP SPACE THAT IS TAKEN UP FOR THIS FACILITY NOW THE, THE OPPORTUNITY IS THEY CAN GENERATE MORE THAN WHAT THEY DO.
WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE PUT A, A CAP ON IT, UM, AND THE PERCENTAGE OF LAND THAT CAN BE USED, AND IF YOU GO MORE THAN 10 ACRES, WE'RE GONNA KICK YOU INTO THE LARGER, UM, ENERGY FACILITY STANDARD.
SO REALLY IT'S JUST TRYING TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, FOR INVESTMENT.
UH, THE NEXT IS WHAT IS FORMALLY, AND I HAVE TO SAY THE TERM, ONCE A SOLAR FARM, FORMALLY SOLAR FARM.
UH, AS I SAID LAST TIME, YOU KNOW, THE SUN RISES OVER GOODLAND.
UM, REDEFINED WHAT THAT IS TO CALL IT SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY PRINCIPLE.
SO REALLY WHAT THAT IS, IS WHAT YOU PROBABLY SEE IN YOUR HEAD, UH, ONSITE PANELS, OTHER ACCESSORY COMPONENTS THAT GENERATE THE ENERGY COLLECTED AND TRANSMIT IT.
UM, OFTEN THERE WOULD BE THE BATTERY STORAGE, UM, CAPABILITY WITH THAT, BUT THAT IS REALLY A SEPARATELY DISTINCT, DISTINCT USE.
UM, THIS IS PROVIDED FOR IN THE CODE ONLY IN THE A ONE DISTRICT AND ONLY THROUGH A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
WHAT WE WILL DO WITH THAT IS HAVE JUST BASED CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT PROVISION IN THE CODE.
BUT THE POLICY WE'LL TALK ABOUT NEXT IS REALLY HOW WE SORT OF SHAPE, UM, THE LOCATION AND THE LIKE, UM, IMAGES OF THIS.
UM, I WILL NOTE THAT, UM, I HAVE FROM THE, FROM DOMINION ENERGY RECEIVED OPTIONS AND, YOU KNOW, ABILITY FOR ANYONE WANTS TO GO VISIT FROM THE BOARD OR PLANNING COMMISSION OR OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF TO SAY, TO CHECK OUT, UM, SOLAR FARM, SOLAR PRINCIPAL ENERGY FACILITIES, AS WELL AS, UM, THE BATTERY STORAGE FACILITIES.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE POLICY, AND IT'S REALLY, ITS INTENDED TO SERVE IN OUR EVALUATION AND APPLICANTS PREPARATION.
THIS IS SORT OF OUR, HERE'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE, LET'S TALK.
UM, WE GET THE GENERAL CRITERIA AND APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THESE ARE SORT OF THE EXPECTATIONS OF WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE WHEN YOU COME FORWARD.
AS WITH ANY OTHER SENIOR P IT'S SITUATIONALLY UNIQUE.
THAT'S WHAT THE PROVISION IS FOR.
THE REASON IT'S CONDITIONALLY USED IS WE WANT TO GIVE THE COMMISSION AND THE BOARD A CHOP OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY EVALUATE THE CASE, SEE HOW IT FITS.
UM, DURING THE CASE OF REVIEW, WE CAN ADOPT CERTAIN PROVISIONS OUT OF THE POLICY, INCLUDE THOSE AS CONDITIONS OR STANDARDS, OR WE COULD NOT, IF WE WANNA CHANGE THE POLICY OVERALL OR AMEND IT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD COME BACK TO YOU WHEN WE WORK THAT OUT.
[04:15:01]
IT'S NOT REALLY A, THAT'S THE FLEXIBILITY GAINED BY BEING A POLICY VERSUS AN ORDINANCE.SO SOME OF THE PROVISIONS, FIRST OFF, JUST LIKE IT REQUIRES IN THE CODE, IT'S LIMITED TO A ONE PROPERTY.
WE FURTHER LIMIT IT TO RURAL ENHANCEMENT AREA FOR THE POLICY, WHICH IS MAJORITY OF WHAT A, UH, THE PROPERTY IN A ONE IS.
UM, LOOK AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES CUZ IT'S TYPICALLY THE IN AVAILABILITY OF LAND, LESS LIKELY TO CON CAUSE CONFLICT WITH OTHER DEVELOPMENT.
AND THERE'S LIMITED PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE OR SERVICES IMPACT THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT.
WE DON'T NEED TO BRING SCHOOL BUSES INTO, WE DON'T NEED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ROADS OR WATER AND SEWER FOR.
THERE IS ALSO A PROVISION, UM, THROUGH OUR DISCUSSIONS.
WE CAME UP AT AS ABOUT, UH, TWO MILES BETWEEN THIS FACILITIES.
THE INTENT PART OF THAT WAS TO LIMIT THE CLUSTERING OF THE FACILITIES.
WE WANT TO PRESERVE THE RURAL AREAS AND VIEW SHEDS WAS ALWAYS A PRIMARY DISCUSSION.
UM, LIMIT ALSO THE NEED FOR UP, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADE FROM THE UTILITIES STANDPOINT AND THE IMPACT THAT MAY HAVE ON LAND.
BUT ALSO WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE AGRICULTURAL CEER USES IN THE AREA.
SO ALSO ANOTHER LIMITATION WE PUT IN HERE AS WE DISCUSSED THE POLICY IS WE DID A LITTLE OPPOSITE THAN WHAT A LOT OF LOCALITIES DID.
A LOT OF LOCALITIES HAVE ORDINANCES THAT PUT A CAP AT WHAT THE, UM, OUTPUT IS, UM, OF THE ENERGY.
SO SOME PEOPLE HAVE 150 MEGAWATT, 300 MEGAWATT, WHATEVER CAPACITY WE TOOK.
THE APPROACH THAT WE LOOKED AT INTER GENERATION COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM FIVE TO 10 MEGAWATTS PER ACRE.
AND IT REALLY VARIES WITH THE TYPE, LOCATION, OTHER TYPES OF IMPACTS.
UM, SO WHAT WE WERE FOCUSING ON IS THE POTENTIAL IMPACT AND THE SIZE OF THAT AND WHAT THAT DID.
IT ALSO ALLOWED FLEXIBILITY OF LAND AREAS TO PRESERVE THE ACTING FARMING LAND OR PROVIDE FOR SMALLER, SMALLER SITES.
SO AGAIN, AT THIS POINT, THE POLICY AND THE APPLICATION RECOMMENDATIONS IS 30 TO 1000 ACRES.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S INTEREST IN SITES MUCH SMALLER AND I KNOW THERE'S INTEREST AND, AND SITES MUCH LARGER.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO DETERMINE WHAT WE WANT WITHIN EACH SPECIFIC SITE.
UM, OTHER THINGS THAT ARE PRETTY STANDARD, JUST LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, WE STAY OUTTA THE WETLANDS, ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS.
UM, WE WANNA SEE A PROJECT OVERVIEW THAT GIVES GOOD DETAILS SO EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE ON THE SITE, GENERALLY WHERE THINGS ARE GONNA BE LOCATED, UM, BUFFERS OR ACCESS POINTS, HOW ARE LINES GONNA SERVE THE AREA.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THE PROVISION ABOUT THE LIMITATION OF 20% OF THIS, WELL WE SAY FARMING, UM, IMPACTED LAND.
AND AGAIN, THAT IS ALSO A, SOMETHING THAT'S EVA EVALUATED ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT THOSE MAPS WITH AN INDIVIDUAL SITE ARE GONNA TO BE UPDATED AND IT'S SORT OF UP TO THE, THE BOARD TO GIVE CONSIDERATION TOWARDS THAT.
UM, THIS IS A MAP THAT IS PUT TOGETHER.
UM, LAST YEAR FROM OUR, UM, DISCUSSION WE HAD LOOKED AT, SO IF THE 30 ACRES IS THE MINIMUM, LET'S JUST LOOK AT VACANT PARCELS THAT ARE 30 ACRES OR, OR MORE IN THE AREA THAT'S ALLOWED.
AND SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THIS IS THE, A ONE OF THE AREA OF THE COUNTY.
IT'S BASICALLY EVERYTHING WEST OF WHERE WE'RE STANDING HERE.
UM, THE GREEN IS THE UNDERLYING PRIME FARMLAND UPON THE DOCUMENTATION.
AND THE RED LINES THAT YOU SEE UP ALONG THE TOP HERE, THAT RED LINE IS THE MAJOR PRIMARY TRANSMISSION LINE THAT BI BISECTS THE COUNTY.
THERE'S ANOTHER ONE THAT IF YOU CAN SEE ON THIS BOTTOM MAP THAT GOES, UH, THAT'S IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
SO WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING, IF YOU LOOK AT THE AREA, IS YOU HAVE THE ORANGE COLOR.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE ORANGE GETS DARKER.
THAT'S THE GREEN UNDERNEATH OF IT, AND THAT'S THE UNDERLYING PRIME FARMLAND.
SO THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SITES 30 ACRES OR MORE TO, TO BE DEVELOPED FOR SOLAR.
THERE'S ALSO OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERHAPS LIKE SMALLER SITES TO BE DEVELOPED FOR THAT.
UM, AND THAT REALLY DISCERNS, YOU KNOW, DETERMINES BASED UPON THE TYPE OF PRODUCT SIZE AND SCALE OF WHERE THEY NEED TO BE LOCATED.
DO THEY NEED TO BE UP NEAR THE MAJOR TRANSMISSION LINE OR CAN THEY BE LOCATED OTHERWHERE OTHER PLACES? STANDARD CONDITIONS WE LOOK FOR WITH THIS WOULD BE LIKE ANY OTHER CASE.
UM, WE WANNA HAVE SETBACKS AND BUFFERS.
WE'VE ALSO PUT IN A PREFERENCE FOR NATIVE SPECIES TO ALLOW A SIZE STEP DOWN IN THE TREE.
CALIPER IN SIZE IF YOU'RE USING A NATIVE SPECIES, UM, TREE PRESERVATION AND MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS.
UM, THE KEY IS IF YOU WANT THIS SITE TO NOT STAND OUT OR TO BE ABLE TO RESTORE ITSELF, YOU SHOULD HAVE THE SAME NATURAL HABITAT THAT'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR BEES, BIRDS, UH, RACCOONS, DEER, WHATEVER ELSE YOU WANT THAT THAT, THAT SETS YOUR NATURE.
THERE'S ALSO A REQUIREMENT FOR A SIGHTING AGREEMENT, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT AT THE END.
WE'D LIKE TO HAVE NEW TRANSMISSION LINES BELOW GROUND.
THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE CONSIDERATION OF HOW MUCH CAPACITY OR HOW MUCH PRODUCTION THERE IS ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE YOU NEED.
[04:20:01]
AND THAT'S BEEN ALSO DISCUSSION.THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D CONSIDER WITH AN INDIVIDUAL CASE.
UM, WILDLIFE FRIENDLY DESIGN OF FENCES AND, AND THE SITE ITSELF.
THERE IS A LAND DISTURBANCE LIMITATION.
UM, WHEN THE POLICY FIRST CAME FORWARD, WE WERE AT A MINIMUM OF A MAXIMUM OF 100 ACRES OF LAND DISTURBANCE.
WE'VE PUT IN THE PROVISION FOR ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL OF UP TO 300 ACRES.
UM, AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT THAT AT THE END AS WELL.
THERE IS LIMITATION OF CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION AND DECOMMISSIONING ACTIVITY GENERALLY MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, UM, WITH LIMITATIONS ON WHEN THE PILE DRIVING COULD TAKE PLACE.
ONE OF THE LARGEST IMPACTS OF THIS IS DURING THAT PROCESS WHERE THE THINGS ARE BEING POUNDED INTO THE GROUND.
OF COURSE, THE HEAVY EQUIPMENT MOVEMENT, UM, BEING IN A RURAL AREA WE HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN IT SEEMED VERY SUPPORTIVE FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE SOLAR COMMUNITY.
AT LEAST ONE DAY OF LET'S HAVE SOME QUIET IN THE AREA.
UM, WHAT WE'D ALSO LOOK FOR IS HOW THE FACILITY IS ON ITS OPERATION.
UM, WE AS THE STAFF, AS THE COUNTY WANTS TO BE AWARE OF ANY CHANGES IN THE POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS, OWNERSHIP, THE DECOMMISSIONING PARTY.
WE WANT TO BE AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH THESE FACILITIES BECAUSE THERE IS CERTAIN REGULATIONS WE NEED TO ENFORCE.
THERE'S ALSO PROVISION FOR A STEEP SLOPE REGULATION.
IF WE THINK ABOUT THE LAND THAT'S GONNA BE DEVELOPED, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY.
I MEAN, THERE COULD BE SOME STEEP SLOPES.
UM, DECOMMISSIONING IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT'S UNUSUAL.
IT'S ALLOWED UNDER STATE CODE FOR US, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WAS A BIG DISCUSSION AND A LOT OF AGREEMENT FROM THE SOLAR INDUSTRY TO GET SOME OF THE SOLAR REGULATION FORWARD.
UM, WE WILL ESTABLISH THE DECOMMISSIONING PLAN.
UH, HOW DO YOU SHUT DOWN THE FACILITY? UM, AT THE TIME OF P D REVIEW, UM, OUR BASE CONDITION WAS THAT IT WOULD BE RESTORED.
THE SITE WOULD BE RESTORED TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE OVER NATURAL CONDITION.
UM, WE ALSO WANNA LEAVE THE PROTECTION AND BUFFERS AND STORM WATER CONTROL FEATURES IN PLACE BECAUSE NOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN ESTABLISHED OVER 15, 20, 30 YEARS, THEY WILL NEED TO STAY IN PLACE TO KEEP THE EXISTING DRAINAGE PATTERN AND THE LIKE.
THE BOARD COULD ALSO APPROVE A DIFFERENT, UM, TYPE OF OPPORTUNITY AT THE END IF WE THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THAT SOME, FOR SOME REASON THERE WAS SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITY, UM, THAT WE'D LIKE TO PRESERVE THE DRIVES THAT ARE PLACED IN THE AREA CUZ WE'D LIKE IT TO BE A PARK FACILITY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THERE'S THINGS WE CAN CONDITION THROUGH THE CASE.
UM, WE DO NOT WANT THE DISPOSAL OF PLAN OF THE REC OR RECYCLING OF PANELS INSIDE OF GLAND COUNTY.
THAT'S BEEN A BIG CONCERN IN A LOT OF COMMUNITIES ABOUT THE POTENTIAL BREAKDOWN OVER TIME.
WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN OTHERS IS WE ARE GONNA REQUIRE THE PLAN ITSELF, THE DECOMMISSIONING PLAN, AND THE RELATED SURETY TO BE UPDATED EVERY THREE YEARS.
I THINK WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, EH, PRICES CAN FLUCTUATE PRETTY QUICKLY, UM, AND BE WILD.
AND WITH EVEN WITHIN A YEAR PERIOD, THIS WILL HELP KEEP US UP TO DATE.
MOST OF THE TIME IT'S JUST GONNA BE CHECK UP.
MOST OF THE TIME THEY'RE GONNA COME FORWARD AND SAY, ALL RIGHT, WE JUST NEED TO UPDATE THE, THE NUMBER FOR THE BONDS.
WE'D ALSO LIKE THE DECOMMISSION TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN ONE YEAR.
WE COULD ALSO BE FLEXIBLE TO PROVIDE A PROVISION OR, YOU KNOW, IF THEY GIVE US A REASONING AS TO WHY, WHAT'S THE DELAY? AND WE DO THAT WITH OTHER APPLICATIONS ALREADY.
UM, THE NEXT USE IS ENERGY STORAGE FACILITY.
AND THAT'S REALLY BATTERIES, UM, A LITTLE DIFFERENT WITH THIS.
WE'RE ALLOWING THIS BY CONDITIONAL USE AND A ONE A TWO, M ONE AND M TWO.
AND THE REASONING IS, IS THESE BATTERY STORAGE FACILITIES MAY OFTEN COME WITH, WITH A OR BE UTILIZED WITH A SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY THAT'S COMING FORWARD.
DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE THERE.
UM, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE TO BE BESIDE TRANSFORMING STATIONS OR OTHER LINES, THE ABILITY TO DROP THESE IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS WHERE YOU'RE BRINGING POWER OFF THE EXISTING GRID, UM, STORING IT FOR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO BE UTILIZED AND PUMPED BACK UP INTO THE GRID.
UM, HOWEVER, WE DID CONSIDER THAT THESE USES SHOULD BE A CONDITIONAL USE.
WE HAVE SOME STANDARDS IN THE POLICY THAT RELATE TO THAT.
UM, IT ALSO HAS TO MEET A SIGHTING AGREEMENT, JUST LIKE THE SOLAR OR WOULD HAVE TO APPLY FOR A SIGHTING AGREEMENT RATHER.
UM, WE HAVE SETBACKS ABOUT A HUNDRED FEET, 50 FOOT BUFFERS WITH LIKE SCREENING FROM THE ROADS.
AND SAME REASON WE WANT TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP RELEASE.
SO WE KNOW WHO TO CONTACT, UM, REGARDING ISSUES.
SO THOSE HOPE TO HAVE A BETTER PICTURE ONE DAY OF WHAT THESE ARE.
BUT, UM, THEY'RE BASICALLY ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS A, UH, A SHIPPING CONTAINER.
UH, TYPICALLY LIKE A SH UH, ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORT SHIPPING CONTAINER, UM, WITH RELATED EQUIPMENT.
SO, SO A LOT OF WHAT'S UNUSUAL ADDITIONALLY FOR SOLAR IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA IS THE ALLOWANCE FOR A SIGHTING AGREEMENT.
AND THE SIGHTING AGREEMENT HAS A LOT OF BROAD FLEXIBILITY TO THAT.
UM, BEING A DILLON STATE, USUALLY A LOT MORE TAMP DOWN THAN WHAT YOU CAN DO.
UH, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THE APPLICANT IS REQUIRED FOR EITHER A SOLAR ENERGY STORAGE PROJECT
[04:25:01]
OR FOR A SOLAR ENERGY, UM, FACILITY PRINCIPLE, UH, TO MEET WITH US, TO MEET WITH THE COUNTY, UM, INFORM US OF THEIR APPLICATION, MEET, NEGOTIATE, AND DISCUSS, UM, A SIGHTING AGREEMENT.UM, TERMS COULD BE IN INCLUDE A VARIETY OF THINGS.
COULD BE MITIGATION OF IMPACTS WE SEE, WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT WE DO THROUGH THE CONDITIONAL USE, BUT ALSO SOME OTHER TYPE OF FINANCIAL COMPENSATION OR SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
BROADBAND EXPANSION IS A BIG ONE THAT OFTEN USED IN SOME LOCALITIES BECAUSE THESE ARE, ONCE THEY'RE UP AND RUNNING, THESE AREN'T, THERE'S NOT PEOPLE STANDING AND OPERATING 'EM ALL DAY LONG.
THEY'RE USUALLY CONNECTED THROUGH BROADBAND OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF, UM, CONTACT.
THE DIFFERENCE IS, AND I THINK THAT WAS THE QUESTION I KNOW I'VE RECEIVED BEFORE, IS ABOUT REQUIRING THIS WITH EACH OF THESE APPLICATIONS.
UM, THE FAILURE TO MEET AN AGREEMENT, UM, WITH AN APPLICANT CANNOT BE THE ONLY REASON FOR DENIAL OF A CONDITIONAL USE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WOULD BE OTHER EVALUATIONS AND OTHER COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE.
SO AN INTER UM, SECOND DEGREE MAY, MAY NOT ALWAYS BE MET, BUT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE GOAL TO WORK WITH THE APPLICANT TO WORK WHAT NEEDS TO, TO DO THAT AND TO FIGURE OUT A NEXUS OF WHAT'S THIS IMPACT, UM, OF THE FACILITY AND HOW WE'RE GONNA, UM, WHAT'S WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE SITE AGREEMENT.
UM, SO THAT'S REALLY THE ORDINANCE AND THE POLICY AT THIS POINT.
UM, THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES REALLY KIND OF GO THROUGH SOME INFORMATION OF, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE POLICY THAT OVER TIME THERE'S A REASON IN THAT WHY WE DID THAT.
THESE WERE THE QUESTIONS WE RECEIVED.
UM, SO IF THE BOARD WOULD LIKE, I'D CONTINUE WITH THIS.
OKAY, FIRST BIG ONE I HEAR VERY OFTEN, AND I THINK, I'M SURE ANYBODY THAT'S SAID IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE PROBABLY HEARS IT AS WELL AS WHY DO WE USE AGRICULTURAL LANDS FOR SOLAR AND NON-INDUSTRIAL? UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF IT IS IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GENERALLY PASSIVE USE ONCE IT'S CONSTRUCTED.
UM, IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES DEPEND ON HOW THESE ARE UTILIZED, YOU COULD ACTUALLY ENCOURAGE PRESERVATION.
WHERE I ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UM, LIMIT THE, YOU KNOW, OTHER MITIGATION FACTORS.
I DON'T HAVE TRAFFIC JAMS GETTING LINED UP AT A SOLAR FACILITY EVERY MORNING WHERE PEOPLE TRYING TO GET INTO THE WORK GATE.
UM, THERE'S ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY, ESPECIALLY ON A SMALLER OR MIXED SCALE, THE PRESERVE FAMILY LAND, UM, SAIL AND SKIES NEEDED FOR PRINCIPLE SIZE AND SCALE OF THE LARGER FACILITIES.
TAKING UP INDUSTRIAL LAND WOULD REALLY ALSO CREATE A JOB IMPACT UPON THE, ON OUR COUNTY, OTHER TYPES OF WAYS WE SET UP OUR LAND USES.
UM, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THERE'S, THERE COULD BE UPGRADES TO DIFFERENT THINGS SUCH AS THE GRID GETS BETTER FOR OUR RURAL AREAS.
THEY'RE NOT LOSING POWER IN A WINDSTORM, UH, LIGHT WINDSTORM, UM, HIGH SPEED INTERNET OPPORTUNITY.
MAYBE SOME IMPROVEMENTS IS SOME RURAL ROADS UPON WHICH THESE ARE LOCATED.
UM, THE INDUSTRIAL, UM, AREAS, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THOSE INDUSTRIAL AREAS REALLY AFFECTS A LOT OF THE INVESTMENT WE'VE ALREADY DONE AS A COUNTY.
T S D IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THAT, BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF INVESTMENTS THE COUNTY HAS DONE, WENT AND FOUGHT WITH THE STATE FORWARD TO BUILD THE ROADS AND GET THOSE FACILITIES IN THERE.
WE ALSO HAVE OTHER TAX OPPORTUNITIES WITH INDUSTRIAL REAL ESTATE JOBS IS THE OTHER PRIMARY THING.
UM, AND THESE ARE AREAS OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN HAS PLANNED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS UTILITIES AND PUBLIC SERVICES, FIRE STATIONS AND THE LIKE.
SO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF INDUSTRIAL BROWNFIELD AND QUARRY LANDFILL SITES.
UM, SO THE ORDINANCE WE DOES SET UP, IT PROVIDES FOR LIMITED WHOLESALE PRODUCTION, SOLAR AND INDUSTRIAL AND OCCUPIED AREAS FOR US.
BROWNFIELD AND CORRY LANDFILL SITES ARE NOT A LARGE RESOURCE AT THIS TIME.
UM, I THINK, AND I'VE BEEN CONTACTED BY PEOPLE AND HAVE AND EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES PLAYING EMAIL TAG TO REALLY GO BACK AND SORT OF TALK ABOUT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES SO I CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN EVALUATE OVER TIME AND THE OPPORTUNITIES OF TRENDS FOR THOSE TO COME FORWARD.
LET'S SEE WHERE THE TECHNOLOGY GOES.
LET'S SEE ALSO HOW OUR INDUSTRIAL AREA MAY REDEVELOP, YOU KNOW, IN THE SITES AS TO MAYBE HOW DO WE USE THOSE, UM, AS A RESOURCE IN THE FUTURE SIZE LIMITS.
WHY DO WE DO THE SIZE LIMIT OF 30 TO A THOUSAND? UM, FROM OUR INITIAL CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, WE RECOGNIZE THIS IS A PRETTY CONSERVATIVE, UM, ORDINANCE AND POLICY BEING PUT FORWARD.
WE WERE LOOKING AT TRYING TO KEEP FACILITIES IN THE MEDIUM RANGE.
WE DIDN'T WANT THEM TOO LARGE TO TAKE UP A LOT OF RURAL, UM, FARMLAND.
ALSO THE RURAL VIEW SHEDS, SORT OF THAT FEEL THAT YOU GET WHEN YOU DRIVE THREE PARTS OF GLAND.
UM, THERE ARE NOW, AND AS THEY'RE ACTUALLY INCREASING OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, ABILITIES FOR SMALLER MODELS OF ONE TO FIVE MEGAWATT TYPE OF MODELS, THOSE USE ANYWHERE FROM PROBABLY 10 UP TO 30 TYPE OF ACRES.
UM, THE POLICY DOESN'T DISCOURAGE THAT.
I MEAN, THE POLICY SAYS, OKAY, WELL THAT'S PART OF AN EVALUATION.
SO THAT'S A CONSIDERATION THE BOARD WOULD COULD CONSIDER, UM, OVER
[04:30:01]
TIME WITH THAT.OR IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION.
UM, THAT'S ALSO THE ONE THAT PROBABLY GIVES THE MOST OPPORTUNITY FOR PRESERVATION OF, UH, FARMER'S LAND OR, UM, A FAMILY LAND.
SO THERE'S ALSO BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT LIMITS IN THE TOTAL ACREAGE IN THE COUNTY.
UM, AT THIS POINT, STAFF HASN'T, UM, AS PUT FORWARD IN OUR CONVERSATION, SORT OF RECOMMEND THAT WE, WE HOLD OFF ON ESTABLISHING THAT LIMIT.
PART OF THAT IS WE WANT TO SEE WHAT IS REALLY THE INTEREST IN, IN GOLAND CUZ OF OUR TERRAIN BECAUSE OF OUR OPPORTUNITIES AND, YOU KNOW, AND OUR LAND VALUES.
WHAT'S THE ACCEPTANCE OF OUR CITIZENS, UM, REGARDING THE USES AS WE START SEEING THESE APPLICATION, STATE POLICY IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
RIGHT NOW THE NATIONAL POLICY
UM, AND TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING.
SO AT THIS POINT WE DIDN'T, UM, PUT FORWARD A NUMBER, UM, TO CONSIDER CUZ WE REALLY WANTED TO SEE HOW THIS IMPLICATION AS WE START GETTING APPLICATIONS IN, WHAT DO WE REALLY HAVE BASED UPON THE, THE CURRENT PROVISIONS WHILE REQUIRE UNDERGROUND TRANSMISSION LINES.
UM, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN ITSELF PROBABLY NEED, NEEDS TO INCREASE CONNECTIONS AND EXPAND THE GRID.
UM, THE PURPOSE OF BUILDING THESE FACILITIES IS TO GET THE POWER SOMEWHERE.
UM, BUT ALSO WE'D LIKE TO CONS BE CONSIDERATE ABOUT WHAT THAT IMPACT IS.
IF WE CAN FIND OPPORTUNITIES THAT THERE ARE LIMITED, YOU'RE ONLY GOING UP AND ATTACHING TO THE EXISTING POWER LINE THAT'S RUNNING DOWN THE ROAD.
YOU'RE NOT PUTTING ADDITIONAL LINES ACROSS THE SITE.
WELL THAT'S, THAT'S NOT INCREASING THE IMPACT MORE THAN IT WAS BEFORE.
UM, THE CONCERN WOULD BE IN CERTAIN IMPLICATIONS WHERE THERE HAS TO BE A LOT OF ABOVE GROUND LINES THAT BECOMES AN IMPACT OF ROYAL VOAD.
THERE'S CLEARING OF ADDITIONAL TREES THAT AREN'T REALLY RELATED TO THE SITE ITSELF.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S SOMETHING, DOESN'T MEAN IT'S, WE SAY IN THE, IN THE PLAN, IT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULDN'T DO, BUT IT'S ALSO SOMETHING WE CAN NEGOTIATE AND EVALUATE WITH AN INDIVIDUAL CASE THAT MAY HELP SHAPE THE DETERMINATION AS WELL.
IN THIS SITUATION, WE RECOGNIZE THERE HAS TO BE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF, UM, TRANSMISSION LINE DISTURBANCE.
WE NEED THE SHORTEST ROUTE OR SOME TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCUSS THOSE THINGS, BONDING REQUIREMENTS.
BUT FOR DECOMMISSIONING WITH LIMITED INVESTMENT, IT'S COMMON PRACTICE IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
UM, AS I SAID BEFORE, I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S DECOMMISSIONED ONE IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA AT THIS POINT.
UM, BUT IT IS PERMITTED BY STATE CODE.
UM, IT ALSO ENCOURAGES THE UPKEEP AND ASSURES OUR NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES THAT WHEN THIS IS DONE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE SURE IT'S TAKEN CARE OF OR, UM, CLEANED UP.
UM, IT'S THE BONDING FOR DECOMMISSIONING SHOULD BE AT STARTUP, NOT SITE APPROVAL STAFF REQUIREMENT OF BONDING FOR PLAN DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL WITH ANY OTHER USE.
WE GET OUR BONDS AT THE TIME OF P OD APPROVAL.
UM, STARTUPS A CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT THAT YOU, I WE'RE NOT AT THE TABLE FOR THAT.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT IS.
ALSO STAFF, WE DON'T WANT THE COUNTY WE PUT IN POSITION WE'RE YOU'RE HOLDING UP OUR POWER KICKING OFF, WE'RE DONE.
THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO HAVE ALL THE BONDING IN PLACE WHEN YOU START.
UM, FINALLY THE ENCOURAGING OF USE OF NATIVE SPECIES AND PROTECT HABITS, HABITATS.
UM, I THINK THAT'S BEEN A CONCERN FROM THE VERY GET-GO OF THIS BOARD.
UM, CITIZENS AND HEARING FROM
UM, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PRESERVING THE LAND? UM, WE'VE ADDED SOME PLANNING INCENTIVES INSIDE THERE FOR, UM, AND BUFFERS.
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE MORE ENHANCED BUFFERS THAN WE CURRENTLY HAVE WITHIN OUR ORDINANCE.
WE'RE STEPPING IT UP TO SORT OF GET IT MORE BACK TO A NATURAL FOREST TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT AND ENCOURAGING PRESERVATION.
BUT WE ALSO WANT TO USE NATIVE SPECIES LIKE WE TALKED BEFORE.
UM, SAME THING ABOUT NATURAL NATIVE GROUND COVER.
AND THEN WHAT I THINK IS PROBABLY THE MOST INTERESTING THING THAT I'M STARTING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AS THIS GOES FORWARD, AS THE NEW OPPORTUNITIES EXPLORE IN OUR REGION, BUT ALSO ACROSS THE NATION IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR AGRI VOLTAIC OR SHARED AGRICULTURAL AND SOLAR USES.
UM, THE POLICY DOESN'T DISCOURAGE THAT USE.
UM, I THINK OVER TIME AND DURING APPLICATIONS, WE COULD FIND WAYS TO EXPLORE AND INCENTIVIZE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AND THAT COULD BE ONE OF THE THINGS CONSIDERED DURING THE SITE PLAN OR, UH, OR CASE EVALUATION.
UM, I KNOW RECEIVED A LETTER ABOUT SOMEONE WHO, I MEAN EMAIL MET WITH THAT GRAZES, UM, SHEEP ON DIFFERENT SOLAR FACILITY SITES.
THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE NOW FOR GROWING SPECIFIC PLANTS AT, WITH THESE SOLAR PANELS.
UM, SO THAT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED DURING EVALUATION OF, OF A CASE.
AND THEN FINALLY, AS, UM, AS CRYSTAL MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS, THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID FORWARD A RECOMMENDATION ON BOTH THE ORDINANCE AND THE POLICY AND APPRECIATE YOUR
[04:35:01]
PATIENCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY, COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UH, MR. CASH, DON'T, DON'T, SORRY, JUST A COUPLE.
AND THIS MIGHT BE FOR OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY.
I JUST HAVE A PROCESS QUESTION THAT MIGHT LEAD INTO MAYBE LATER DISCUSSION, BUT WE HAVE BEFORE IS AN ORDINANCE AND A POLICY, WE'RE BEING ASKED TO VOTE ON THEM IN ONE SWOOP MM-HMM.
DON'T YOU WANNA SECOND? UM, YES.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS ACTUALLY BEFORE YOU IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE OF THE ORDINANCE, SINCE THAT'S REQUIRED.
BUT, UM, WHAT WE PUT IN OUR, UM, MOTION IS THAT YOU'RE ADOPTING THE ORDINANCE AND THE POLICY.
I I THINK IT'S, I, AND THIS WILL BECOME APPARENT MAYBE LATER, AND I THINK IT'S KIND OF APPARENT IN THE DISCUSSIONS.
I THINK WE SHOULD DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE TWO CLEARLY, BECAUSE I THINK GOING FORWARD WE'RE GOING TO BE DISTINGUISHING THEM.
AND, AND IF WE, IF WE DON'T, I THINK, UH, BECAUSE I THINK CITIZENS AREN'T NECESSARILY, IF YOU'RE OPPOSED TO SOMETHING OR YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF SOMETHING AND THERE'S A DOCUMENT THAT THE COUNTY ADOPTED THAT EXPRESSES SOMETHING ON IT, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE CARE WHETHER IT'S AN ORDINANCE OR POLICY.
SO THAT'S WHY I THINK WE SHOULD BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT WE PUT IN THE POLICY, UM, AS CAREFUL AS WHAT WE PUT IN AN ORDINANCE.
BUT I APPRECIATE THE ELEMENT OF FLEXIBILITY THAT, THAT Y'ALL ARE EMPHASIZING THAT WE HAVE WITH POLICY.
AND MAYBE THAT'S A GOOD THING.
BUT I, I DON'T THINK THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE ANY LESS ABOUT GETTING IT AS RIGHT AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE, UM, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE SPECIFICS MAYBE AFTER THE PUBLIC PUBLIC HEARING.
BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
SO ON THE ORDINANCE COMPONENT, AND I, TO BE HONEST, IN PREPARING FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS I'VE FOCUSED ON THE POLICY.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'VE READ MM-HMM.
BUT TODAY I STARTED READING THE ORDINANCE AND I SEE, YOU KNOW, THE SIX, UH, 15,289, UH, SECTION 15,289.
AND THAT IS ON, UM, BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT THE CHART IN THE BEGINNING, AND IT HAS SOLAR FACILITIES.
THERE'S C U P IN MOST PLACES, BUT THEN THERE'S BY, BY RIPE, BY PERMISSION.
AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT THEN BECOMES, AND IT SAYS IT'S P OR BY RIGHT WHERE IT'S ON A FACILITY DESIGNED TO SERVE ONLY THE PROPERTY IN WHICH IT IS LOCATED.
AND THEN IT TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ROOFTOP.
SO, SO, SO I, I GET THAT DISTINCTION.
WHAT I D AND I ASSUME THAT INCLUDES HO HOMES IF I, I DON'T, I'VE NEVER DONE SOLAR IN MY OWN HOME, BUT RIGHT.
AND SO I, SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT 15 DASH 2 89 ARE ADDRESSING, RIGHT.
IF I WANNA PUT A SOLAR, UH, FACILITY ON MY HOME, WELL, UNDER THE FIRST SECTION, WHICH IS B, B, YEAH.
AND THEN 2 89 CONTINUES WITH C SO B IS DESIGNED FOR THAT ACCESSORY SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO YOUR ROOFTOP.
AND SO THEN HELP ME WITH C, WHAT IS C COVER? THAT'S, UM, SO C IS THE ONE THAT'S PROVIDED FOR THEM WANTING M TWO FOR AN INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT TO UTILIZE THEIR ROOFTOPS AND POTENTIAL PORTION OF THE LAND TO GENERATE FOR OFFSITE CONSUMPTION TO SELL IT.
WHERE DOES IT SAY THAT IN SEA? IF YOU LOOK AT PACKET PAGE 76, YOU'VE GOT A DEFINITION OF WHAT A SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY SUPPLEMENTARY IS.
AH, AND THAT GOES INTO THE, THAT TIES IT TO SEA.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO FIND THAT CONNECTION AND I'LL JUST, THAT, THAT CLEARS IT UP.
I JUST SAW A DECOMMISSIONING REQUIREMENT AND C MM-HMM.
THESE, BECAUSE THESE WILL, THAT'LL BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION AS WE GO THROUGH.
THE CONDITIONAL USE FOR THAT CASE IS HOW ARE THEY CONSTRUCTING IT, WHAT'S THE IMPACT? AND WHILE, UM, I'M SURE WE, YOU KNOW, THE DEFINITE C IS DESIGNED TO BE SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF A BUSINESS, PUT IT ON THEIR ROOFTOP, THEY'RE USING IT, BUT THEY CAN ALSO SELL.
SO THE FOR SHORT STATEMENT ABOUT WHAT, IT'S A STEP BEYOND YOUR PERSONAL MM-HMM.
THAT'S JUST THE PROCESS COMPONENT.
BUT SO WE ARE, PUBLIC HEARING IS FOR THE ORDINANCE, BUT THE STAFF IS LOOKING FOR US TO ADOPT THE ORDINANCE AND THE POLICY.
UM, I'M CURIOUS WHY WE HAVE, UH, ANY MENTION OF MAX CAPACITY, BUT JUST GIVEN THAT TECHNOLOGY IS GETTING EXPONENTIALLY BETTER, UM, UH, ALL THE TIME AS FAR AS THE, UM, THE POLICY CONDITIONS.
I THINK IT WAS, IT WAS EARLY ON IN YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT I JUST IN ANY REFERENCE IN POLICY OR ORDINANCE TO
[04:40:01]
MAX CAPACITY TO ME SEEMS, UM, SHORT-SIGHTED.I, WELL, I, AND I DON'T MEAN THAT IN THE, MAY NOT.
I MEAN, WE'RE INTERESTED, YEAH.
WE'RE INTERESTED IN KNOWING THE CAPACITY WHEN YOU COME IN AS TO WHAT DEC IT IS FOR THE, THE POLICY, THE, THE PRODUCTION.
UM, BUT THE, WE SET UP THE POLICY TO LIMIT IT AS THE SIZE, THE SQUARE FOOTAGE, I MEAN THE ACREAGE THAT'S TAKEN IN A FACILITY.
UM, OTHER LOCALITIES DO HAVE THE PROVISION THAT IT'S 150 MEGA, UM, MEGAWATT MAXIMUM OR A 300 MEGAWATT MAXIMUM.
FOR THE, THE PRINCIPLE SOLAR ENERGY FACILITY.
OURS IS SET UP BASED UPON ACREAGE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT IMPACT RATHER THAN WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO GENERATE OVER TIME.
UH, AND THEN GOING, IT'S A GOOD SEGUE INTO THE SMALLER SITES MM-HMM.
SO E EVEN A 25 TO 30 ACRE SITE, AND COULD WE POTENTIALLY PUT IN SOME SORT, I MEAN, I, I GUESS PEOPLE ON PRINCIPLE CAN WANT TO DO A SOLAR FARM, BUT IF WE KNOW IT'S ECONOMICALLY UNVIABLE OR, YOU KNOW, THE ROI IS NOT THERE, I JUST, I WONDER WHY WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, UM, WHY WE WOULD BE SO SUPPORTIVE OF IT.
BUT I GUESS IF AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME FOR A CUP.
BUT THAT JUST WANTED TO HEAR THAT.
IF, IF, SO REALLY THE ROLE OF THUMB FOR THE WAY WE ORDINANCE AND POLICY IS SET UP, IF YOU'RE PRODUCING ENERGY FOR OTHERS, YOU GOTTA COME SEE YOU.
I, I JUST WANTED TO HEAR IT FOR YOU,
IF I DON'T WANT TO LIMIT SIZE OF FACILITIES, IF THEY'RE DOING RIGHT BY, YOU KNOW, VIEW AND SETBACK AND, AND THE LIKE.
UM, SO I JUST AM CURIOUS, CAN WE GO, COULD WE POTENTIALLY DO LARGER FACILITIES AS A COUNTY WITH, YOU KNOW, MORE EXTENSIVE SETBACKS WITH THAT RURAL VIEW SHED YOU MENTIONED REALLY TAKEN CARE OF? RIGHT.
THE PART, PART OF THE RACIAL DISCUSSION WE EVALUATE THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, LET'S PRESERVE AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED HAVING DISCUSSION ABOUT SOLAR YEARS AGO, WHEN I FIRST STARTED LEARNING ABOUT AND DOING STUFF, BUFFERS, BUFFERS, BUFFERS, NOT SEEING THEM FROM THE ROAD.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN CONSIDER WHEN AN APPLICATION, WHETHER IT'S SMALLER OR LARGER THAN THAT, 30 A THOUSAND IS WHAT'S THE IMPACT IN THIS CASE, WE BELIEVE THAT YOU PROBABLY NEED A LARGER BUFFER TO PRESERVE THAT RURAL CHARACTER.
UM, BUILDING UP ON A HIGH SLOPE IS A PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, TO THE, SO I SAY THINGS WELL, AND, AND I, AND I ASK THAT BECAUSE I THINK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO LIMIT SOMEBODY TO A THOUSAND ACRES IF THEY DO RIGHT BY THE COUNTY AND THEY PRESERVE THE RURAL INTEGRITY.
SO THAT, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON.
UM, FINALLY MY LAST QUESTION IS WHERE THERE IS DEVELOPMENT ON THE EXISTING TRANSMISSION LINE OR WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE FROM THE EXISTING TRANSMISSION LINE MM-HMM.
THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE PROMOTING.
RIGHT? AND I DON'T WANT SOMEBODY WHO'S ALREADY ON A OVERGROUND LINE TO HAVE TO BEAR THOSE EXTREME COSTS.
AND I, AND I THINK THAT'S THE CONSIDERATION IS THE, UM, LIKE A REFERENCE, THE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF THAT LINE THAT ALREADY EXISTS ALONG THE ROAD, UM, IN FRONT OF THERE.
UM, THEY'RE GONNA DO WHAT THEY CAN TO TAP IN.
THERE'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT OF A OVER ABOVE GROUND LINES JUST WHERE THE CONNECTION GOES IN.
SO THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S SORT OF LY ACCESSORY NORMAL TO IT.
SO WE WOULDN'T BE THE INTENT AS YOU TAKE AND BURY THOSE LINES IN FRONT OF YOUR PROPERTY.
WHAT WE WANNA DISCOURAGE IS THE LONG, YOU KNOW, LONG RUNS OF TRANSMISSION LINES.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF LINES AND THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF NEEDS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D TALK ABOUT WITH AN INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION.
UM, YEAH, THE IDEA IS THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, WHERE YOU GET YOUR CONNECTION OR NEED TO ON YOUR SITE, THEN THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.
WE DON'T WANT TO ENCOURAGE ADDITIONAL
[04:45:01]
INFRASTRUCTURE IF POSSIBLE.BUT THAT'D BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS FOR CONSIDERATION WITH THE CASE OR HOW MANY CASES WE HAVE IN AN AREA.
ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT, MR. CASH.
ALL RIGHT, FOLKS, I'M GONNA OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE, UH, GIVE US YOUR NAME, YOUR ADDRESS, AND PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.
GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I AM AT 1809 SOUTH CLIFF ROAD, AND, UM, I'M WITH COMMONWEALTH ENERGY PARTNERS.
WE ARE A RICHMOND BASED CLEAN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY.
UM, AND I'LL START BY JUST COMMENDING STAFF ON THE LEVEL OF EFFORT THEY PUT INTO CREATING THE POLICY.
AND, YOU KNOW, NAMELY, UH, SOLICITING FEEDBACK FROM A BROAD RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS.
NOT EVERY COUNTY DOES THAT, AND IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED.
UM, AND I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK IN PREVIOUS OCCASIONS, AND THEY'RE REALLY, UM, SPECIFIC TO A FEW OF THE CRITERIA, UH, AT THE TOP OF THE POLICY, THE, UH, DISTANCE SEPARATION OF TWO MILES, THE ACREAGE CAP, UM, THE PRIME AG LIMITATION.
AND, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE INTENDED TO BE GUIDELINES.
THE WHOLE POLICY IS INTENDED TO BE GUIDELINE.
AND, UH, SOME OF THE, UM, SHALLS HAVE BEEN CHA CHANGED TO SHOULDS.
SO, UM, I, I AM GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
AND EVEN THE ABILITY TO, LIKE MR. CASH MENTIONED TO SELECTIVELY APPLY SOME OF THE, THE POLICY BY THE BOARD.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GREAT EXTENTS TO, UM, BUILD FLEXIBILITY INTO THE POLICY AND SELECTIVELY APPLY IT.
UM, I WILL SAY THOUGH, YOU KNOW, MY CONCERN IS THAT IN THE FUTURE, IT COULD NOT BE TREATED AS A GUIDELINE OR NOT UNDERSTOOD TO BE A GUIDELINE BY, UH, FUTURE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OR, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY OR STAKEHOLDERS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU PUT SOMETHING IN WRITING AND, UH, IT'S GOT THE COUNTY STAMP ON IT, AND PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU PUT A NUMBER NEXT TO IT, UH, YOU CAN'T BE CLOSER THAN TWO MILES, OR YOU CAN'T BE MORE THAN 20% PRIME AG, THEN THAT CAN REALLY STICK IN FOLKS MINDS AND, AND IT CAN LEAD TO CONFUSION AS TO WHETHER THE PROJECT IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH WHAT THE COUNTY'S LAID OUT.
UM, AND ULTIMATELY IT CAN LEAD TO THE DISQUALIFICATION OF OTHERWISE HIGH QUALITY PROJECTS.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M HERE SPEAKING TONIGHT IS, UM, I'M ADVOCATING FOR A REVISION OF, UM, A FEW OF THESE CRITERIA, UH, TO INCLUDE MORE FLEXIBLE LANGUAGE, IDEALLY THE REMOVAL OF SPECIFIC NUMERICAL CRITERIA, UH, SO THAT PROJECTS CAN BE INSURED TO BE, UM, REVIEWED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
AND THE, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CAN USE YOUR DISCRETION, UH, TO APPROVE PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA BE THE BEST FIT FOR THE COUNTY.
MY NAME'S MARK GOIN 2 40 76 HILL STREAM DRIVE.
JUST A COUPLE OF POINTS I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IS CONSIDERED WHEN THE PROJECTS DO BECOME UP BEFORE THE BOARD STUDIES THAT I HAVE READ, IS THAT THERE'S BEEN A CONCERN DURING THE BUILDING PROCESS AND THE INSTALLATION PROCESS OF THESE FACILITIES WITH EROSION CONTROL TO ADJOINING LANDS.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD DOES TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, UH, WHETHER IT BE CASE BY CASE BASIS, WHICH I THINK IT WOULD HAVE TO BE.
UM, AND ONE OF YOU MENTIONED THE TECHNOLOGY CHANGE FROM WHERE SOLAR WAS 10 YEARS AGO TO NOW IS NIGHT AND DAY, WHERE'S IT GONNA BE IN 10 YEARS? SO THE CAPACITY OF EACH SITE, I CERTAINLY ANTICIPATE THAT THAT'S GONNA CHANGE DRAMATICALLY AS FAR AS THE OUTPUT ON SMALLER SITES AS THE TECHNOLOGY CHANGES.
UM, SO THERE MAY NOT BE THE NEED IN 10 YEARS FOR A THOUSAND ACRE SITES BECAUSE OF THE MEGAWATT PRODUCTION WILL HAVE INCREASED SO DRAMATICALLY AS TECHNOLOGY CHANGES.
THIRD THING IS ON THE DECOMMISSIONING.
NOW I KNOW THESE, TYPICALLY WHAT I HAVE READ IS 25 YEARS.
I'M NOT GONNA BE AROUND TO WORRY ABOUT IT, BUT THERE ARE GONNA BE PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY THAT, THAT DO.
AND I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU DECOMMISSION THESE PANELS, IT GENERATES SOLID WASTE.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN THE PLANS ARE PUT FORWARD FOR THE EXPENSE AND THE DISPOSAL OF THE MATERIALS
[04:50:01]
COMING OFF OF THESE SITES.HI, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MY NAME IS JACOB CARELLA, AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH FOR ENERGY.
UM, MY, UH, MY ADDRESS IS 1201 MANOR BOULEVARD.
I'M A LIFELONG VIRGINIAN CURRENTLY, UH, RESIDING MOST, MOST NIGHTS IN WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA DURING MY TRAVELS.
UH, BUT IF, IF YOU'VE, IF YOU'VE, YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD OF MY COLLEAGUE BEFORE.
HE'S SPOKEN IN FRONT OF YOU SEVERAL TIMES, SKYLAR ZK.
BUT JUST AS A REMINDER, ENERGY RIGHTS, A NONPROFIT THAT TRAVELS THE COMMONWEALTH TO EDUCATE AND ENCOURAGE, UM, CLEAN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL WITH CONS USING CONSERVATIVE PRINCIPLES.
UH, LIKE I SAID, MY COLLEAGUES, SKYLAR ZK HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU, UH, PREVIOUSLY AND HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ATTENDING THE, UH, THE COMMUNITY MEETING BACK IN FEBRUARY, UH, WHERE THE SOLAR POLICY PROPOSALS WERE DISCUSSED WITH THE PUBLIC.
AND, UH, JUST WANTED TO, AGAIN, DO A SPECIAL THANK YOU MR. CASH, UH, FOR HOSTING THE DISCUSSION AND INVOLVING OUR TEAM AND THE CONVERSATION.
UH, WE APPRECIATE THE UPDATES MADE TO THE SOLAR POLICY TO ALLOW FOR FLEXIBILITY AND THE ABILITY TO CONSIDER PROJECTS ON THEIR INDIVIDUAL MERITS.
UH, SIMPLY MOVING AWAY FROM THE SHALLS TO SHOULDS IS HELPFUL TO LANDOWNERS, NEIGHBORS, AND THE COUNTY'S REVENUE POTENTIAL.
HOWEVER, A FEW ELEMENTS OF THE POLICY DESERVE RECONSIDERATION, OR AT LEAST ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY AT THE COMMUNITY MEETING ON THESE POLICIES.
ERIC BRONSON, UH, OF JAMES RIVER GRAZING, UH, THE, THE GENTLEMAN WHO SHARED THE LETTER, UH, WITH YOU ALL THIS AFTERNOON, I BELIEVE, UM, UM, SHARED HOW HE HAS CREATED AN AGRICULTURAL OPERATION OF SHEEP GRAZING UNDER THE PANELS, UH, OF THE SOLAR PROJECTS.
AND, UH, AGRICULTURAL CAN AND SHOULD BE A PART OF SOLAR PROJECTS, UH, SOMETHING WE ADVOCATE STRONGLY FOR.
BUT LIMITING THE INCLUSION OF GOOD SOILS TO 20% LIMITS THE OPPORTUNITIES OF FARMERS LIKE MR. BRONSON, UH, AND OTHER SOLAR GRAZERS ENERGY, RIGHT, HAS ENJOYED SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE GLAND FARM BUREAU.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT MOVING AWAY FROM THE 20% PRIME SOIL LIMITATION, WHEN A AGRI AGRI TAKE USES, SUCH AS SOLAR GRAZING OR THE PLANNING OF POLLINATOR SPECIES TAKE PLACE, WOULD BE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN THESE CASES.
AGRA VOLTA CAN BETTER THE SOIL HEALTH OVER TIME COMPARED TO CURRENT INTENSIVE FARMING USES OR PINE PLANTATIONS.
SOLAR IS A HUGE BENEFIT TO SO MANY ROYAL LOCALITIES WHEN IT'S DEVELOPED RESPONSIBLY ON THE UTILITY SCALE.
AND, UH, THE PROVISIONS TO REQUIRE VEGETATIVE BUFFERS, REASONABLE SETBACKS AND REASONABLE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP ARE TENANTS OF GREAT CONSERVATIVE POLICY.
AND THAT WE REALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THESE MATTERS AND, UH, FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THESE ROBUST RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE TIME AND APPRECIATE YOU GUYS TAKING THE, A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT, UH, TO THIS POLICY.
GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
JONATHAN LYLE, 1521 MANNEQUIN ROAD.
UM, CURRENTLY I'M CHAIRMAN OF THE MONA SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT, AND I'M ALSO A GUC AND FARM BUREAU DIRECTOR.
UM, I WANT TO FIRST OF ALL SAY MR. CASH HAS DONE JUST A REALLY, REALLY GOOD JOB ON THIS.
IT IS, UH, IT, IT'S ALMOST BEEN ELEPHANTINE IN ITS, UH, GESTATION PERIOD, BUT IT'S ABOUT TO GIVE BIRTH.
AND I, I THINK HE'S DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB.
UM, AND I ALSO THINK THAT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS SOMETHING CALLED COMPROMISE, WHERE, UH, NOBODY GETS EVERYTHING THEY WANT.
AND MR. PETERSON, I'M SORRY, I'M NOT SURE EVERYBODY'S GONNA GO HAPPY TONIGHT.
BUT THE PETERSON PRINCIPLE MAY NOT BE IN EFFECT.
UM, I DO WANNA POINT OUT TO BOTH THE VIRGINIA FARM BUREAU AND THE VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF SOLAR WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICTS HAVE POLICY POSITIONS THAT DISCOURAGE, DISCOURAGE THE PLACEMENT OF SOLAR FACILITIES ON AGRICULTURAL LAND.
SO THERE'S STATE POLICY FROM THESE BOTH ORGANIZATIONS THAT DISCOURAGE SOLAR COLLECTION FACILITIES, UH, ON AGRICULTURAL LAND, AS I'VE OBSERVED, A COUNTRY THAT CANNOT FEED ITSELF CANNOT EXIST.
AND SO THE MORE AGRICULTURAL LAND THAT WE UTILIZE FOR SOLAR COLLECTION FACILITY IS A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE.
WE GOT A LOT OF LAND IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS, UH, THE CRUCIBLE THAT'S GONNA CAUSE US TO COLLAPSE, BUT BOTH ORGANIZATIONS HAVE, UH, STATEWIDE POLICY POSITIONS DISCOURAGING THE USE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND FOR SOLAR COLLECTION FACILITIES.
URBAN FACILITIES CAN BE DEVELOPED.
UH, BROWN LANDS CAN BE DEVELOPED, BUT THIS DOES FLY IN THE FACE OF WHAT THESE, UH, TWO STATE ORGANIZATIONS ARE.
BUT BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO BE ADOPTED, OR AT LEAST MY CRYSTAL BALL SUGGESTS IT WILL BE, UM, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU MIGHT ALSO CONSIDER REQUIRING EVERY APPLICATION TO EXPLORE, UM, A VOLTAIC
[04:55:01]
APPLICATION.EVERYBODY HAS TO COME AND SAY, WE'VE LOOKED AT INCORPORATING AGRICULTURE INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS FACILITY.
HERE'S WHY IT DOESN'T WORK, OR HERE'S HOW IT COULD WORK.
SO THE COEXISTENCE OF AGRICULTURE AND SOLAR, I DON'T THINK IT'S, IT'S NOT BINARY.
I THINK THEY BOTH CAN'T EXIST.
BUT BY REQUIRING A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO SEE HOW THEY CAN COEXIST, UM, MIGHT BE AN INCENTIVE THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE TAKE.
UM, AND THEN I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANY PRE, UH, REASON.
UH, WE HAVE POLICY IN GOLAND THAT WE WANT 85% OPEN RULE, 15% DEVELOPED.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS A REASON.
WE WOULDN'T WANNA SAY WE ONLY WANT SO MUCH OF THE COUNTY FOOTPRINT TO BE IN SOLAR COLLECTION FACILITIES.
WE HAVE POLICY PRECEDENT SAYING WE DO WANT TO GUIDE, UH, EITHER 15% OR 85%.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED.
AND FUTURE BOARDS MAY TAKE THAT UNDER ADVISEMENT.
I APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION.
AND, UH, I HAVE PLACED THE BET AS TO HOW THE VOTE IS GONNA GO TONIGHT.
ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, WE'RE CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
BOARD MS WAS WAITING FOR MS. LASETTE IF SHE WAS GONNA GO FIRST.
UH, MR. CASH, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL POINTS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP TONIGHT BY CITIZENS.
UM, AND MAYBE WE COULD GO THROUGH A COUPLE OF THEM OKAY.
AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY, WE'VE CONSIDERED 'EM, WE'VE ADDRESSED 'EM OR WHATEVER.
SO ONE OF, UH, THE FIRST ONES WAS EROSION CONTROL.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS SAID TO BE MOSTLY MAY, MAYBE NOT, BUT I UNDERSTOOD IT'D BE MOSTLY DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE.
SO WE TALK ABOUT EROSION CONTROL, AND THAT'S BEEN AN ISSUE, RIGHT.
UH, THERE, THAT'S BEEN A CONCERN.
I KNOW SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORING LOCALITIES EXPERIENCED SOME, SOME BAD THINGS.
UM, OVER THE YEARS DISCUSSION WITH OTHER LOCALITIES, THEY'VE, THEY'VE HAD THE SAME CONCERN.
UM, WE PUT FORWARD WITH OUR, UM, PROPOSED STANDARD CONDITIONS TO BE A HUNDRED ACRES MINIMUM, I MEAN, MAXIMUM.
UM, PART OF THAT WAS TO REALLY LIMIT THE, THE AMOUNT OF SOIL THAT'S DISTURBED AT ONE POINT IN TIME, MAKING SURE THAT CAN BE CONTAINED.
UM, IT ALSO IS, I DON'T HAVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF STAFF THAT CAN BE OUT THERE EVERY DAY TO EVALUATE A SITE.
UM, BUT WE'VE ALSO PUT IN THERE, UM, THE ADDITIONAL THAT WE COULD AMEND OR MAKE IT LARGER THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVELY UP TO 300 ACRES.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO PUT IN THE PROVISION OF ALLOWING FOR THIRD PARTY INSPECTIONS, WHICH WOULD ALSO GIVE US MORE CONFIDENCE, POTENTIALLY ALLOWING LARGER DISTURBANCE.
UM, AND SO AT THIS POINT, THE, THE MAIN CONCERN WAS NOT EXPERIENCING WHAT OUR NEIGHBORING LOCALITIES HAVE, HAVE, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE SITES ARE, ARE TAKEN CARE OF AS THEY DEVELOP AND NOT CAUSING IMPACTS.
AND JUST LIKE ANY OTHER SITE, WE'D, WE'D EVALUATE 'EM UNDER THE STANDARD EROSION SEDIMENT CONTROL ORDINANCES THAT WE DO HAVE.
UM, I THINK WE ARE LOOKING AT UPDATING THOSE IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS.
UH, YOU KNOW, TIME AS WELL, CUZ WE HAVE A, THERE'S SOME STANDARDS THAT COULD BE IMPROVED, UM, FOR THAT.
UM, SO THAT COULD ALSO BE CONSIDERATION DURING THE PROCESS ABOUT SOMEONE'S DOING ABOVE BOARD, UM, ADDITIONAL TYPE OF EROSION.
I SEDIMENT CONTROL PROTECTIONS.
MAYBE THAT MEANS A LARGE DISTURBANCE WITH AN APPLICATION.
IS THAT ON A STATE AGENCY BASIS THAT, UH, DEQ YEAH.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE RE THEY REVIEW FOR CERTAIN SIZES OF THESE SOLAR SITES.
THERE'S AN INITIAL REVIEW FROM THEM.
THEN WE ALREADY HAVE THE STANDARD DQ REGULATION AND THEN ADDITIONALLY A LOCATION, THE, THE LOCAL CONTROL STANDARDS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE PART OF THAT IS, AGAIN, I HATE TO KEEP SAYING IT, BUT THAT'S SORT OF OUR FIRST BLUSH AS TO THIS IS WHAT'S SORT OF MANAGEABLE.
UM, IF YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH IS TAKEN DOWN IN A, A STANDARD SUBDIVISION OR THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, UH, ARE ALL AT ONE POINT.
UM, TO SAY THAT YOU CAN OPEN, OPEN A THOUSAND ACRES AT ONE TIME, UM, THAT'S JUST THE RECIPE FOR A DISASTER YOU LIKE A LOT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, UM, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE.
WE, AGAIN, WE WERE SORT OF BUILDING IN SOME FLEXIBILITY SO THAT WITH AN INDIVIDUAL SITE, WE'RE NOT STUCK AT THE 100.
WE CAN OPEN IT UP AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ABLE TO BE MANAGED PROPERLY AND WE'VE GOT THE PROPER CONTROLS IN PLACE.
AND SO FOR EROSION CONTROL WHEN THINGS GO WRONG, WE'VE HAD THE SAME POLICY THAT WOULD APPLY HERE AS IT WOULD ANY OTHER TYPE
[05:00:01]
PROJECT, OR IS THERE SOMETHING DIFFERENT HERE? UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A MAXIMUM SPELLED OUT FOR INDIVIDUAL USES ABOUT A AMOUNT THAT'S CLEARED.UM, IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT'S DEVELOPED HERE IN GLAND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE THAT SOMETHING IS A HUNDRED ACRES UNDER ALL DISTURBED AT ONE TIME.
UM, AND SO THIS WAS A, AN APPROACH TO RECOGNIZE THE LO THE AREAS WHERE THERE, THESE, THESE ARE GONNA BE, UM, THE POTENTIAL SOILS IMPACT THE POTENTIAL TOPOGRAPHY AND THE CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD WITH PEER LOCALITIES ACROSS AS SORT OF WHAT'S YOUR STANDARD, WHAT DO YOU LOOK AT, UM, UM, FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONTROLS.
DOESN'T MEAN EVERYBODY HAS IT IN THEIR BOOKS, BUT EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES THEIR RECOGNIZES WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS DURING DEVELOPMENT? WELL, WE SHOULD, SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT IT WHETHER WE HAVE OR NOT.
UH, DECOMMISSIONING IS STILL A HUGE ISSUE OF, IN A LOT OF PEOPLE'S MINDS.
AND WE DO, OBVIOUSLY WE WILL HAVE A BOND.
AND WE'RE GONNA REVIEW THE BOND OR THE, WELL, I GUESS YEAH.
YOU THINK THAT'S ADEQUATE? I DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT? UM, YEAH.
THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD GENERALLY KEEP YOU UP CLOSER TO THE COST OF CHANGES OVER TIME.
AND AGAIN, RECOGNIZE WE'RE DEALING WITH A LONG TIME PERIOD OF 30 YEARS.
UM, BUT SEVERAL EVALUATIONS BY THE TIME THAT WE EXPECT TO SHUT DOWN, UM, THAT'S, I THINK IT'S A PRETTY GOOD NUMBER.
AND I, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE DON'T WANNA LEAVE IT 30 YEARS BECAUSE WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT GONNA BE COMFORT.
I'D HAVE A DOLLAR TO PAY FOR 20 TIMEFRAME
UM, I LOVE THE IDEA OF THE, THE GRAZING OR AN AGRICULTURAL USE.
UH, THAT IS NOT A REQUIREMENT REALLY.
IT'S, IT'S NOT IN THE POLICY TECHNICALLY.
UH, BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY A CONSIDERATION WE COULD USE, UH, IN A C U P APPLICATION.
THAT THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CONSIDER.
I THINK THAT THAT HELPS, UM, AN APPLICATION STAND OUT WITH THEIR CONDITIONS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ACHIEVING SORT OF OUR, OUR FARMING GOALS AND OPPORTUNITY.
AND I UNDERSTAND MR. LYLE'S, UH, POSITION ABOUT, UH, AGRICULTURAL LANDS.
AND WE DON'T, I MEAN, WE ARE A AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY.
UM, AND IN THE SAME WAY, I MEAN, IF IT'S FOREST LAND, I MEAN, WE'RE TAKING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF OUR BIGGEST, UH, PRODUCTS IN THE STATE IS A BIG PRODUCT FOR THE COUNTY.
SO EVEN TAKING, UM, TREES DOWN, UM, COULD BE A BIG THING.
BIG IMPACT OPPOSED TO FOOD YOU CAN EAT AND THAT KIND OF THING.
APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR ANSWERS ON THOSE.
UM, I THINK IT WAS ONE OF THE COMMENTERS, UH, POINTED OUT HOW POLICY, WHEN WE START PUTTING NUMBERS IN IT, AND THAT KIND OF, TO MY POINT EARLIER THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT DOWN THE ROAD THERE'S GONNA BE THE DISTINCTION THAT WE ARE KIND OF IMAGINING.
UM, SO THAT, THAT GIVES ME PAUSE ON SOME OF THE THINGS IN THE POLICY.
BUT READING THIS AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE ARE SEPARATE, I'M GONNA JUST GO AHEAD AND TRY, TRY SOMETHING HERE.
AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE ORDINANCE AS PRESENTED, UM, AND MAYBE SEE IF THAT CAN GET CHECKED OFF THE TABLE.
AND THEN, BECAUSE MY, AT LEAST MY COMMENTS AND I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING IS, IS ON THE POLICY.
SO AGAIN, IN FURTHERANCE OF THAT CONCEPT THAT I'VE, UH, SAID AT THE OUTSET THAT THESE ARE REALLY SEPARATE, I WOULD JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE, AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
UM, PROCESS WISE, MR. LUKINS, WE HAVE THE BOARD ACT IN ONE MOTION ON WHATEVER'S BEFORE IT.
SO IF YOU WISH TO HAVE THE BOARD ONLY ADOPT THE ORDINANCE, THE MOTION WOULD BE TO ADOPT THE ORDINANCE AS PRESENTED AND NOT THE POLICY.
IN OTHER WORDS, NOT TO LEAVE FOR A SECOND MOTION.
WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE POLICY? MY APOLOGIES FOR HAVING MY VOICE BREAK.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF I, IF THAT IF MY MOTION MOVES FORWARD, IT WOULD PRECLUDE US FROM AN ADOPTION OF THE POLICY.
BECAUSE AGAIN, FOR EVERY AGENDA ITEM, WE HAVE ONE MOTION THAT HANDLES WHAT'S BEFORE YOU.
WELL, I, UH, OKAY, THEN, THEN I'LL WITHDRAW MY MOTION BEFORE IT GETS A SECOND.
BUT THAT KIND OF MAKES MY POINT THAT WE'RE NOT EVEN BOTHERING TO MAKE A DISTINCTION THAT WE'RE HOPING THAT OTHER PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE WILL, UH, RECOGNIZE.
CAN WE GET MAYBE A CL MR. CHAIR A CLARIFICATION ON THAT? UM, UH, IS THERE A LEGAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ORDINANCE AND A POLICY? THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT LEGAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ORDINANCE AND A POLICY.
COULD ANYBODY BE CONFUSED BETWEEN THOSE TWO, UM, CALLS FOR SPECULATION? I'LL WITHDRAW.
[05:05:01]
E EVEN A DICTIONARY COULD EXPLAIN THAT YOU DON'T NEED A LAWYER.WELL, I LIKE, I LIKE THE, WITH THE, UH, YOU OBJECTED TO YOUR OWN QUESTION.
UM, I, NO, I, I UNDERSTAND WHERE THIS IS GOING, BUT I, I JUST, I JUST DON'T, I MEAN, WHAT, WHATEVER WE DO TONIGHT, IF THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE POLICY THAT PEOPLE CLINGING FOR, THEY'RE GOING TO BE, UH, USING IT AS A CLUB ON A FUTURE BOARD.
SO I THINK THAT THE, THE MORE FLEXIBILITY THAT IS EXPRESSLY IN THE POLICY, THE BETTER IT WILL SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, SO, BUT I WITHDRAW THAT MOTION AND I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST TICK THROUGH SOME OF, SOME OF MY QUESTIONS FOR MR. CASH.
AND, AND I WOULD ECHO WHAT'S BEEN SAID ALREADY.
MR. CASH, YOU, YOU IMPRESSED ME, UM, WHEN YOU GAVE US THE FIRST LONG PRESENT PRESENTATION ON THIS, I DON'T KNOW, SEVERAL MONTHS BACK.
AND AGAIN, YOUR COMMAND OF THIS IS JUST IMPRESSIVE AND THANK YOU.
YOU'VE TRIED TO PULL TOGETHER A LOT OF COMPETING IN DIFFERENT THOUGHTS AND, AND THIS IS GOOD.
UM, AND I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE, APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR, YOUR WORK.
SO YOU SAID, AND I'M GONNA FOCUS FIRST ON THE TWO MILE, UM, OKAY.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT VIEW SHED PRESERVE AGRICULTURAL USES, AVOID CLUSTERING AND LIMIT INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES.
AND I ALMOST FEEL WHEN I, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT CRITICAL OF, BUT WHEN I SEE THESE, THIS TWO MILE LIMITATION, I I COULD ALMOST MAKE THE OPPOSITE ARGUMENT THAT IT POTENTIALLY COULD HARM THE VIEW SHED.
UM, IT COULD CAUSE MORE TO UPGRADE.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE, DEPENDING ON THE TOPOGRAPHY AND THE DIRECTION YOU'RE GOING, YOU COULD MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE A REQUIRED TWO MILE GAP WHEN IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE VIEW SHED AND, AND FOR THE LENGTH OF TRANSMISSION AND EVERYTHING TO BE TO, TO CLUSTER MM-HMM.
WE'D LIKE IT TO BE CLUSTERED HERE BECAUSE WE'VE GOT NATURAL BUFFERS.
WE'RE NOT USING PRIME AGRICULTURAL LANGUAGE.
I NEED YOU TO, I NEED YOU TO DEFINE THAT FOR ME.
UM, SO THE TWO MILE, THE TWO MILE DISTANCE, JUST, UM, I THINK TO THAT GENTLEMAN'S POINT, UM, I, I WROTE DOWN, UM, HARRY, HARRY, HARRY, UM, DIDN'T CATCH YOUR, HARRY COULDN'T PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAME, BUT TO YOUR, TO YOUR POINT, UM, WHERE'S THAT? OH, OKAY.
SO, SO I HAVE, I HAVE SOME CAUTION ABOUT THAT.
IF WE'RE TRYING TO STICK TO THE SHORTEST ROUTE PROTECTIVE VIEW SHED, I'D LIKE, I THINK MAYBE WE MIGHT BE BETTER OFF WITHOUT THAT LIMITATION AND JUST TAKE IT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
UM, DID YOU EXPLORE LOOKING AT LIKE TOTAL ACREAGE LIMITATION, JUST A RAW TOTAL ACREAGE LIMITATION ON FACILITIES? UM, FOR THE, I MEAN FOR THE COUNTY FACILITY ITSELF, FOR THE COUNTY, FOR COUNTY OVERALL, FOR COUNTYWIDE THERE PERCENTAGES AND GETTING ALL THIS, LIKE, THIS IS ALL THE ACREAGE WE WANT IN THIS COUNTY TO BE.
PART OF THAT CONSIDERATION IS THAT WE, UH, AT ONE POINT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED IS TO REALLY TO SEE HOW THESE OTHER TYPES OF LIMITING FACTORS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, WHAT TYPE OF FACILITIES DOES THAT BASICALLY, ESSENTIALLY PRODUCE, FOR INSTANCE, HAVING A LIMITATION, THE AMOUNT OF PALM FARM LAND TAKEN, OR THE DISTANCE SEPARATION OR ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.
WHAT, WHAT DO WE END UP REALLY WITH THE AMOUNT OF FACILITIES? SO WHAT'S VIABLE UNDER THIS POLICY WITH THOSE THINGS? UM, AND WE ALREADY HAVE THE LIMITATION OF ONLY GENERALLY LITTLE, I GUESS, UH, LITTLE OVER, WELL I'D SAY IT'S A HALF, BUT CLOSE TO THE COUNTY IS WHERE THE LIMITATION IS FOR THE A ONE MM-HMM.
UM, SO BASED UPON ALL THAT, AND THE OTHER FACTORS WE TALKED ABOUT WITH CHANGING TECHNOLOGY AND ALL THOSE THINGS JUST STARTING OUT, UM, STAFF DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO REALLY PUT A NUMBER ON THAT.
I KNOW SOME OTHER LOCAL COUNTIES HAVE, SOME HAVEN'T.
UM, I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS TO KIND OF LIKE, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THE, THE BOARD KIND OF ADDRESSES EVERY TIME THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE IMPACTS.
AND MAYBE THAT BECOMES UP IN THE NEXT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN EVALUATION IS, OKAY, WHAT, WHAT'S, HOW'S ISSUES WORKING AND HOW SHOULD WE MAYBE MODIFY THE POLICY? UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT I DIDN'T WANT DO IS FELT LIKE I WAS CREATING AN ARBITRARY NUMBER BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD DO DISSERVICE TO THE, TO THE CITIZENS AND THE BOARD.
I'M JUST TRYING TO ASK IF YOU, I'M NOT, BUT I'M NOT AGAINST EXPLORING ONE IN THE FUTURE OR FIGURING OUT WHAT WE GET GOOD CRITERIA.
SO, SO THIS IS A BOARD POLICY.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE, AND THIS MIGHT BE MORE FROM MS. MCGEE, BUT THIS IS A BOARD POLICY IF WE ADOPT IT, THAT THE BOARD WOULD HAVE TO AMEND, RIGHT? YES.
CAN YOU DEFINE, UH, AS, UH, HINT AT THIS, UM, PRIME,
[05:10:01]
UM, WELL, PRIME AGRICULTURAL LANDS? YEAH.HOW, HOW WILL YOU INTERPRET THAT? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS SEE, UM, YOU HAVE PROVISIONS ALREADY IN STATE CODE ABOUT WHAT THE PRIME FARMLAND IS, AND THAT'S THE, THE LAND IS GENERALLY IN, IN USAGE FOR FARM ACTIVITY.
THERE'S ALSO OTHER TYPES OF SOIL RELATED, UM, TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES WITH THAT.
WHAT IS HAS THAT CONCERNED ABOUT MAPPED BY ANYBODY? WE HAVE A GENERAL MAP THAT'S THERE ALREADY THAT'S SHOWN IN THE, UM, AREA THERE, THE MAP YOU SHOWED US, RIGHT? THE MAP WE SHOWED.
NOW UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S A JUST SAME THING WITH THE SOIL DATA.
THAT'S A BIG PICTURE THAT GETS, UM, ZONED DOWN OR HONED DOWN MORE THE FURTHER YOU GET INTO AN INDIVIDUAL SITE.
AND SO WHAT'S SHOWN ON THAT LARGE MAP THERE IS PROBABLY NOT AN INDIVIDUAL SITE REALITY.
UM, AND IT COULD BE WHAT'S CHANGED OVER TIME, IF THAT WAS FORMERLY A FARMLAND, IT'S BEEN CONVERTED TO A DIFFERENT USE.
YOU KNOW, IS THAT, THAT SEEMS, DOES IT MEET THE SAME TYPE OF STATUS AS HAD BEFORE? UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THAT'S THE, UH, UH, PROBABLY OF MOST OF THIS CRITERIA, THAT'S GONNA BE THE ONE THAT REALLY GOES DOWN AND WE'RE GONNA REALLY NEED TO SEE AT ZONING.
WE GET ONE THING, BUT THE GENERAL MAPS, I HATE TO MAKE PEOPLE SPEND A HUGE, BUT BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE ACTUAL, UM, DEVELOPMENT PROSPECT, THE ACREAGE COULD VARY.
IF I, IF I OWN, IF I OWN A LARGE SWATH OF LAND IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY, AM I GOING TO KNOW WHAT, WITHOUT SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY GETTING ENGINEERS, AM I GOING TO KNOW, BE ABLE TO COME TO THE COUNTY AND SAY, OKAY, I'M LOOKING AT THESE, YOU KNOW, FIVE PARCELS.
UM, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT PORTIONS ARE PRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND? RIGHT.
THERE'S, WE HAVE THE GENERAL MAPS THAT EITHER FOR THE PRIME FARM LAND AS WELL AS THE SWELL MAPS, UM, THAT HAVE SORT OF GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS, UM, THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE EVALUATION THAT TYPICALLY OCCURS WITH THE SITE.
WE ASK FOR SOIL DETERMINATIONS ON STANDARD SITES FOR SUBDIVISIONS AND, AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
SO ALL THAT WOULD HAVE TO HAPPEN AFTER I APPLY OR WOULD I BE ABLE TO KNOW, LIKE, LOOK, I'M JUST, I'M JUST, I'VE GOT 150 ACRES HERE, SOMES WOODED SUMS, UH, IN FIELD.
CAN YOU TELL ME IF MY FIELDS ARE PRIME AGRICULTURAL LIFE? IF, IF FROM OUR, FROM THE, THE COUNTY'S, UM, DETERMINATION, IT WOULD BE BASED UPON THE MAP RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
UM, FURTHER EVALUATION CHANGE LATER WHEN I GET INTO IT, WHEN THEY ACTUALLY GET INTO, THEY MAY DISCOVER SOMETHING TO THEIR BENEFIT OR TO THE DETRIMENT ON THE SITE, THE DETRI TO THEIR, SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN THAT ALL GETS DEFINED, THEN THEY'RE GONNA, IF I WAS LOOKING AT THAT, I'M GONNA SAY ONLY 20% OF THAT PRIME AGRICULTURE LAND ON ALL MY PARCELS.
UM, UH, THE RE THE REASON, YOU KNOW, THE INTENT WAS AT LEAST TO PRESERVE SOME LAND.
UM, FROM THAT, UH, THE CONCERN WAS THE POTENTIAL OF UTILIZING SO MUCH OF THAT LAND CUZ IT IS OUT THERE IN INVALUABLE.
SO THAT WAS PART OF THE, THE POLICY GUIDANCE THAT WE STARTED WITH.
AND LA IS LAND, SORRY, THE STARTING POINT IS LANDS OF STATEWIDE SIGNIFICANCE.
IS THAT SOMETHING ELSE? THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING LANDOWNER OR THE SOPHISTICATED LANDOWNER WOULD KNOW WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, YEAH, THERE'S THAT CUZ PART OF THAT IS THERE'S CERTAIN LANDS FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE OR OTHER TYPE OF ACTIVITY WITHIN IT.
THEN AGAIN, THERE'S OTHER TYPE OF REFERENCES TO, TO SOIL AND CAPABILITIES FOR FARMING ACTIVITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THAT THOSE MAPS ACTUALLY AREN'T SHOWN WHAT'S UP ON THE, THE MAP THAT WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER AND WE ONLY HAVE THE PRIME FARMLAND DETERMINATION ON THERE.
UM, HOW, HOW IS STAFF GOING TO INTERPRET THAT POLICY? UM, SO WILLIE WOULD, THIS IS PART OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND ACTUALLY I THINK, UH, MS. MCGEE AND I KIND OF WENT THROUGH THAT A LITTLE BIT TODAY.
UM, SO UNDER THE STATE CODE, THE APPLICANT IS REQUIRED TO COME AND MEET WITH US, UM, FOR A SIGNED AGREEMENT ON ONE OF THESE TYPE APPLICATIONS.
WE ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO APPROVE ONE AND IT MAY BE THAT WE DON'T ACTUALLY READ MEET YOUR APPROVAL.
UM, SO THE REASON I PLACED AS APPLICABLE IS BECAUSE IT'S LIKE IT, WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE A SITE AGREEMENT WHEN THE APPLICATION COMES FORWARD.
UM, ACTUALLY MOST, MOST LIKELY IN PROCESS IS THAT SIGHTING AGREEMENT IS PROBABLY PART THE, THE APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF THAT CITING AGREEMENT IS PROBABLY PART OF THE ACTION OF THE CCEP NIGHT THAT WE'RE HEARING THE, THE CASE TOGETHER.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE UNUSUAL IF WE'VE REACHED A CITING AGREEMENT AND YOU HAVEN'T COMPLETED THE ZONING APPLICATION.
UM, THIS IS HOW YOU ALLOWED FOR THE USE ALSO, WOULDN'T IT ON THAT POINT, JUST TO INTERRUPT YOU, SORRY.
[05:15:01]
CASE WITHOUT THE CITING AGREEMENT? UM, NOT NECESSARILY.I MEAN THERE, THERE, THERE COULD BE CONDITIONS THAT WE JUST CAN'T REACH THE AGREEMENT REGARDING A PARTICULAR APPLICATION.
UM, BUT THE ACTUAL REALITY IS, IS THAT THERE'S OTHER REASONS WE THINK WE'RE SUPPORTIVE OF THE CASE.
UM, WHAT THE STATE CODE SAYS IS THAT CANNOT BE THE SOLE REASON FOR DETERMINING, UH, DENIAL OF THE CASE.
UM, AND AGAIN, I HAVEN'T DEALT, I HAVEN'T LIKE NEGOTIATED ONE OF THESE YET I'VE SEEN OTHERS OR DISCUSSED WITH THE PEOPLE REGARDING OTHERS OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE SMALL DIFFERENCES THAT WE COULD CONDITION A DIFFERENT WAY CUZ WE HAVE CONTROL BEING THIS AS C P.
YEAH, THAT'S AN INTERESTING ONE WITH THE STATE LAW SAYS IT CAN'T BE THE SOLE REASON, BUT I THINK THE COUNTY AND, AND MAY, I WOULD THINK FROM BOTH SIDES, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SIGHTING AGREEMENT, THAT'S KIND OF DIFFICULT FROM THE POSITION OF BOTH SIDES.
BUT I, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF ACTUALLY THE STATE ALLOWING US TO DO THIS TYPE OF SITUATION.
WE GET TO HAVE DIFFERENT DISCUSSIONS THAN WE NORMALLY WOULD DURING A ZONING CASE.
UM, AND SITE AGREEMENT COULD BE ADDRESSING OTHER NEEDS THAN WHAT'S TYPICAL.
SO NUMBER 13 IN THE POLICY IS, IS ANOTHER ONE.
IT'S, AND THAT'S THE LAND DISTURBING THAT, THAT LAND DISTURBANCE AND INSPECTION.
NO MORE THAN A HUNDRED ACRES AT A TIME WE'RE REQUESTED BY AN APPLICANT AT THE TIME OF P O D REVIEW, UH, PLANNING DEVELOPMENT, UH, UH, YEAH, I'M HAPPY THAT
I KNOW I'M, I'M, UH,
THAT BOARD SUPERVISOR MEMBER PROBABLY DOESN'T KNOW THE ACRONYMS. THAT'S THAT'S GOOD.
BUT, UM,
SO, UM, THAT WOULD HAPPEN AFTER, AFTER THE BOARD ACTION THAT WOULD BE ADMINISTRATIVE.
SO, SO I WOULD THINK IF I'M A DEVELOPER, I MEAN, I COULD SEE THAT'S JUST ANOTHER ONE THAT PUTS STAFF, WELL, PUTS THE DEVELOPER AND STAFF IN A TOUGH POSITION.
UM, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHY, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE LOGIC FOR THAT FIRST PART FROM YOUR, FROM STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE? SO, UM, A LITTLE BIT EXPLAIN PRE, SO THE LIMITATION IS ENCOURAGING THE LIMITATION OF DISTURBED AREA THAT PREVENT SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES OF WHAT WE'VE SEEN.
UM, WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS A HUNDRED IS THE BASE THAT WE WOULD CON THAT SHOULD BE THE STANDARD CONDITION THAT COMES FORWARD.
WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR IS THAT ALLOWS STAFF TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY WITH CERTAIN SITES THAT WE CAN EVALUATE HOW THE ACTUAL EROSION SEDIMENT CONTROL IS GONNA BE HANDLED.
WHAT WE'RE NOT GONNA KNOW ALL THE DETAILS OF THE TOPOGRAPHY OR OTHER TYPES OF THINGS WHEN WE'RE AT THE ZONING STAGE TO ALLOWS A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY TO GRANT A, A ADDITIONAL AREA OF DISTURBANCE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDED THAT WE FELT THAT IT DIDN'T INCREASE HAZARDS, WE COULD HAVE A CERTAIN CRITERIA FOR THAT.
SO REALLY THAT WAS THE INTENT OF, UM, BIG BECAUSE I HEARD CONCERN FROM, UH, DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY AND UH, AND PEOPLE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH THAT A HUNDRED WAS A LITTLE BIT TOO RESTRICTIVE.
SO WE WANTED TO BUILD ON A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY TO LET US REALLY EVALUATE A SITE BY SITE TYPICALLY THAT YOU WON'T SEE WHEN IT'S HERE BEFORE THE BOARD.
AND ONCE YOU GET, ONCE YOU SPEND THE MONEY AS YOU REFERENCE, I'M GETTING A LITTLE INWE AND I APOLOGIZE, I'LL MOVE ON.
BUT I, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF, UM, BY THE TIME I GET TO A P O D WITH, IF I'M THE LANDOWNER DEVELOPER, BY THE TIME I GET TO A P O D, DON'T I KIND OF ALREADY KNOW THAT I, YOU KNOW, THE FINANCES OF THIS ARE GONNA WORK IF I DEPLOY MY GROUP TO KNOCK OUT 300 ACRES VERSUS A HUNDRED AT A TIME MM-HMM.
WELL, I MEAN, A LOT OF TIME WITH THE DOMAN, YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, AND SOMETIMES UNTIL YOU GET THAT INITIAL ENGINEERING SURVEY SURVEYING TYPE OF ON THE GROUND TYPE OF EVALUATION, YOU MAY NOT KNOW YOUR LOT YIELD IN THE SUBDIVISION AREA.
YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO RUN UTILITIES OR SOMETHING BECAUSE THERE MIGHT BE, OR YOUR WHERE PLACE OR STORM WATER, WHICH COULD TAKE UP BUFFERS AND THINGS.
I I LOOK AT IT THE SAME WAY FOR THIS.
I THINK THERE IS THE ANTICIPATION ON THE LARGE SCALE AS THEY START DRILLING IT DOWN, THEY MAY EVALUATE AND SAY, IT'S NOT GONNA WORK UNLESS I CAN GET THIS MORE CLEARING.
THEN THAT'S SOMETHING THEY SHOW ON THE REVIEW AND SAY, OR COME TO ADMINISTRATIVE AND SAY, LOOK, I KNOW IT'S A HUNDRED, WHAT'S YOUR BASE, BUT HERE'S WHAT WE'RE SHOWING.
WE FOUND WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE DOWN THIS PROPERTY AT THIS TIME.
AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE DO WITH A LOT OF SITES.
WE SORT OF FIGURE OUT THE PHASING ONCE
[05:20:01]
IT GETS PAST THIS STAGE.UM, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF WHERE DOES THIS, WHERE DOES THIS MM-HMM.
UH, I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION FOR MS. MCGEE.
SO WE ARE BEING ASKED TO LOOK AT THE ORDINANCE AND THE POLICY IN ONE MOTION TONIGHT AS YOU EXPLAINED.
UH, BUT THEN THEY BECOME TWO, TWO SEPARATE THINGS.
THEY GO IN SEPARATE SECTIONS SO WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK AND AMEND ONE OR THE OTHER.
THEY DON'T ALWAYS GO TOGETHER, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM.
I JUST WANNA BE SURE WE'RE CLEAR.
THAT, THAT PROMPTS A QUESTION.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING TO AMEND THE POLICY.
SO I, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, CONNECTING TO THE TRANSMISSION, UH, THAT'S, UH, I'M GUESSING GONNA BE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY DOMINION.
THAT DEPENDS WHERE THIS STATION, WE HAVE TO HAVE RAPPAHANNOCKS IN THEIR AREA.
UM, THERE ALSO COULD BE, UH, USERS THAT MAY, UM, DEVELOP AN AREA THAT COULD USE IT, BUT THAT'S MOST BIGGER.
THAT'S THE MOST LIKELY, THE BIGGER QUESTION I'VE GOT IS I, I THINK THERE'S WORRY ABOUT SIZE, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATE SIZE MM-HMM.
BUT I ALSO WORRY ABOUT APAC MARK, LIKE JUST
SO I MEAN, WE WOULD, THERE'S NO WAY THAT COULD HAPPEN WITHOUT SOMEBODY COMING WITH THE C U P.
I I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND THEN, UM, I'M KIND OF STUCK ON THE A HUNDRED ACRES, UM, IS WE'RE EVALUATING SITE BY SITE MM-HMM.
SO WHY PUT A NUMBER IN A POLICY OR AN ORDINANCE TO DISCOURAGE THE MOST SKILLED, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO CAN DO IT THE BEST WAY.
I MEAN, I, I I I COME FROM THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY AND, AND, AND I THINK OKAY, YOU KNOW, A MOM AND POP CAN DO IT ONE WAY MM-HMM.
IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S ALWAYS RIGHT.
IT JUST, YOU KNOW, IT, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, PUT A POLICY IN PLACE WHERE WE SHOOT OURSELVES IN THE FOOT.
UM, SO I JUST ASK FOR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
UM, AGAIN, IT WAS, UH, WE STARTED DEVELOPING THIS POLICY AND THE FEEDBACK WE WERE GETTING FROM THE SORT OF THE NON-DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, UM, WAS REALLY TO THINK ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF THE LAND CLEARING.
UM, WE ALSO EVALUATE AS A, YOU KNOW, UH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IT'S SORT OF LIKE THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SORT OF SET UP AND EXPERIENCE IN ABOUT HOW MUCH IS REALLY TAKEN DOWN AT A TIME STARTS TO GET RESTORED.
UM, THE RELATED FACILITIES THAT NEED TO BE PUT IN PLACE FOR, FOR THAT TYPE OF DISTURBANCE AND STAFFING LEVELS.
I HAVE TWO INSPECTORS FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY, UM, TO GET OUT THERE AND LOOK AT THAT.
IF YOU'RE DOING, IF YOU START TAKING DOWN SITES, MUCH LAR UH, LARGER THAN THAT, IT'S THE AMOUNT OF STAFF TIME.
THAT'S WHY WE PROVIDE IT FOR THIRD PARTY INSPECTION AND PROVIDE IT FOR THE ABILITY TO EXPAND.
UM, AND SO, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD, THE NUMBER DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THERE.
THAT WAS SORT OF, THIS IS OUR COMFORT LEVEL FOR WHAT'S DEVELOPED.
BUT TO THAT EXTENT, WE COULD EASILY, AS A BOARD, DEFER A VOTE TO GET THE APPROPRIATE, UH, A ROAD STUDIES, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WE SO DESIRE MM-HMM.
SO, I MEAN, I, I JUST, I I HAVE CONCERN ABOUT OUT BEING A LITTLE TOO TIGHT WHEN WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE, UH, STOP GAPS IF, IF THAT MAY, IS THAT THE RIGHT TERM? RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS WAS SORT OF OUR, YOU KNOW, THIS IS OUR FIRST DISCUSSION.
UM, THIS TO COME FORWARD TO AN APPLICANT AND SAY, THIS IS SORT OF OUR COMFORT LEVEL, WHAT WE THINK WAS APPROPRIATE FOR A SITE.
HOW DO YOU THINK YOU NEED, IF YOU NEED MORE, TELL ME HOW IT'S APPROPRIATE WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO.
AND IT COULD BE WE CAN, SOME, WE CAN DETERMINE SOME OF THAT IN ZONING, BUT SOMETIMES, BUT OTHER TIMES, LIKE I MENTIONED, IT MAY NOT BE TILL LATER THAT YOU RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, IT ACTUALLY, WE, WE NEED TO BE, IT'S LIKE DONE QUICKER.
WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE CAREFUL BECAUSE IF THE MOVIE POSTER SUCKS, NOBODY'S GONNA GO SEE THE MOVIE.
[05:25:01]
WORRY THAT, YOU KNOW, OKAY, WE SAY A HUNDRED ACRES AND, YOU KNOW, NOBODY WANTS TO COME LOOK.AND, AND THAT'S, I MEAN, I THAT'S FINE.
IT'S A, IT'S AN EASY FIX, RIGHT? SO I'M NOT LIKE, THIS IS CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM,
THIS IS, THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, I, IT'S A LITTLE TIGHT AND IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING NEW TO US, BUT I AM A BIG PROPONENT OF ECONOMICALLY VIABLE SITES VERSUS CRAPPY ENVIRONMENTALIST SITES,
AND, AND I CAN BE QUOTED ON THAT, BUT, UM,
AND IF I MIGHT, JUST A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE, BUT WHEN WE FIRST SAT DOWN AND TALKED WITH CD, UM, STAFF AND THE DEPUTY ABOUT WHAT TO DO, YOUR DEPUTY MOST DEFINITELY WANTED TO DO ORDINANCE, ORDINANCE, ORDINANCE.
AND, AND RAY AND I, UH, PUSHED BACK AND WENT LIKE, THIS IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING AND WE'VE NEVER DONE IT.
AND MOST PEOPLE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT THE IDEA WAS, BE TRANSPARENT WITH PEOPLE AND TELL THEM WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE, BUT DO IT IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS SOME FLEXIBILITY SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY, YOU CAN'T CHANGE THIS TILL THREE MONTHS FROM NOW, FROM ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING AFTER A REQUEST FOR SET AND SO FORTH IN A POLICY.
THIS BOARD COULD CHANGE IT AT ANY MEETING JUST BY, BY PUBLIC ACTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF SECTIONS OF THE POLICY ARE GIVING THE BOARD CONCERN, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS YOU COULD DO IS ASK FOR A POLICY UPDATE EVERY SIX MONTHS.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? ASK FOR STAFF TO BRIEF YOU, ASK FOR IT TO COME BACK ANNUALLY.
YOU'RE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS YOU GET ABOUT THAT.
BUT WE DID START FROM, WE WANT TO, THE IDEA WAS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT THEY COULD EXPECT.
LET RESIDENTS KNOW WHAT UTILIZERS KNOW.
SO IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY NUMBERS OR, OR A LOT OF INFORMATION, THEN EVERYBODY'S STILL LIKE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND SO THAT, THAT WAS JUST THE GOAL, UM, TO, TO GET WHERE WE ARE.
AND, AND I THINK A PART OF THIS AS WE SEE IS, UM, AND, AND I'LL DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID, MR. WATERS, YOU KNOW, WANNA MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WE'RE OPEN, WE'RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS, WE'RE OPEN TO APPLICATION.
UH, PART OF THIS WAS REALLY, UM, THIS IS OUR OPENING DISCUSSION.
AND SO, UH, SOME OF THIS ANSWERS OUR QUESTIONS AND WE GET DIFFERENT UNIQUE THINGS AS WE GO THROUGH THE ZONING PROCESS AND WORK THE CASE WITH THEM.
UM, THAT MAKES IT MORE APPROPRIATE TO SITE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I ANTICIPATE ANYTHING THAT'S, IF, IF THE FIRST CASE COMES OUT AND I GOT EVERY CONDITION I HAVE IN HERE, I
CAN YOU PLEASE QUOTE WHAT, MR. READ THIS BACK TO ME.
I, BUT I, I, I, I THINK THAT'S, AGAIN, WE'VE COME A LONG WAY IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BOARD AS TO WHERE WE WERE WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, AND I THINK A LOT OF THAT IS WE EDUCATE OURSELVES TOGETHER.
WE TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES, WHAT WE THOUGHT SARAH WAS CONCERNS, AND WE'VE HAD PRETTY GOOD FEEDBACK FROM, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH US IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, THAT, THAT AT LEAST THEY UNDERSTOOD WHERE WE WERE COMING FROM.
AND I, I THINK THIS FLEXIBILITY THAT'S BUILT IN HERE AS A BASELINE DISCUSSION REALLY HELPS US, UM, AND AGREE.
DOESN'T MEAN WE NEED TO TWEAK IT OR TO LOOK AT CONCERNS OVER TIME.
HOW DO WE ADOPT, ADOPT IT, THE DIFFERENCE.
ANY, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR MOTION? UM, I'LL DO A MOTION AND NO MORE THOUGHTS.
UH, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AND THE POLICY AS PRESENTED.
DISCUSSION MR. PETERS? HONOR? MR. PETERSON.
A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS REAL QUICK AND UH, THAT WON'T TAKE TOO LONG.
UM, IS THERE ANY PARTICULAR ADVANTAGE TO LOCATING NEAR THE TRANSMISSION LINE? COULD WE REASONABLY EXPECT A LOT OF THE APPLICATIONS TO COME ALONG THAT TRANSMISSION LINE? AND IF SO, THEN DOES THE TWO MILE CHANGE ANYTHING BY SAYING IT'S ONLY EVERY TWO MILES ALONG THE TRANSMISSION LINE? I, I, I DO THINK, UM, IT'S LIKELIHOOD, ESPECIALLY DEPENDING UPON THE SIZE OF THE USE, UH, THAT IT'S LOCATED UPON THE TRANSMISSION LINE.
I THINK THAT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS IS WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DISTANCE SEPARATION, MAYBE THE TWO MILES NOT APPROPRIATE IN EVERY
[05:30:01]
SITUATION.IF THEY'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SORT OF AREA THAT'S ALREADY CLEARED.
AND WE HAVE THAT AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS.
UM, BUT EVERY TWO MILES UPON SIX, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE FELT LIKE WAS THE BOARD OR EVALUATION MAY I CONSIDER.
BUT I WOULD SAY LIKELIHOOD, ESPECIALLY OF LARGER ONES TO BE AS CLOSE AS THEY CAN, THE TRANSMISSION LINE WOULD BE MOST LIKELY MAY OR MAY NOT OVER TIME FURTHER LIMIT THE OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, AND NOT JUST, AND THAT'S SOMETHING TO EVALUATE AS WE START.
DO WE KNOW, ARE THERE ANY PROJECTS CIRCLING THE AIRPORT WAITING FOR CLEARANCE TO LAND? UM, YOU KNOW, MY FIRST WEEK HERE I WAS, I'M SORRY, MY FIRST WEEK HERE, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO OR TWO, I WAS GETTING TOWARDS TWO YEARS AGO.
I WAS GETTING, OH, WHEN ARE Y'ALL, ARE Y'ALL DOING SOLAR THERE? ARE YOU DOING THAT? UM, I KNOW THERE IS CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
I WILL SAY THE STAFF, WE HAVEN'T, UM, SEEN A PRE-APP OR OUR DISCUSSION WITH ONE, BUT I THINK PEOPLE WERE WAITING FOR THIS TO OKAY.
SO FAR JUST INDICATIONS OF INTEREST IN WHAT WE'RE DOING AS OKAY.
I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ACTUAL APPLICATIONS.
UH, PRIME ECONOMIC OR PRIME AGRICULTURAL LANDS AND LANDS OF STATEWIDE SIGNIFICANCE? YOU'VE MENTIONED WE HAVE GENERAL MAPS AT 30,000 FEET THAT GENERALLY WITH BROAD BRUSH PAINT THINGS MM-HMM.
UM, BUT IF AND WHEN AN APPLICATION DOES COME IN, IT WILL COME THROUGH STAFF WHO WILL NEED TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT'S CONSISTENT WITH OUR POLICY AND WILL NEED TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PERCENTAGES ARE.
MY UNDERSTANDING SO FAR IS THAT THAT WOULD TRIGGER A MORE GRANULAR LOOK TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE SPECIFICS OF THAT LAND SO THAT IT COULD BE, THIS WAS IN PRI PRIMARY CULTURAL LAND, BUT NOW THAT WE LOOK MORE CLOSELY IT'S NOT, OR VICE VERSA, THAT THIS WAS NOT IN PRIME LAND, BUT AS WE LOOK A LITTLE MM-HMM.
IT'S A SO NEED TO BE A DETERMINATION MADE, BUT IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE PLOT BY PLOT, LOCATION BY LOCATION FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
WHAT IS AND WHAT IS IT AT THIS POINT? IS THAT RIGHT TO, TO BE SPECIFIC? WE HAVE THE GENERAL IT NOW IT'S, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO ZONE IN MORE TO DO THAT.
UM, THAT'LL BE PART OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS FROM THE APPLICANT IS TRY TO BETTER DEFINE THAT.
UM, IF FOR SOME REASON SOMETHING CHANGES AS YOU GET THROUGH THE, THE P OD PROCESS, YOU KNOW, UM, THE FLEXIBILITY WOULD'VE TO BE OR CONSIDERED OF THAT, YOU KNOW, THEIR BASE IS WHAT IS INTENDED TO BE THIS 20% OKAY.
BUT WE REALLY DON'T KNOW, WE HAVE TO EVALUATE.
SO YOU SEE A SPECIFIC PLOT AND SAY, OKAY, WELL NOW WE NEED TO DO A DEEP DIVE.
UH, LAST ONE IS ON THE LAND DISTURBANCE.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE A HUNDRED ACRES.
UH, RIGHT NOW IT'S WRITTEN SHALL BE A HUNDRED ACRES.
A POTENTIAL ADJUSTMENT MIGHT BE, SHOULD BE A HUNDRED ACRES.
AND THEN THAT GIVES THE INDICATION THAT IT'S A HUNDRED.
BUT THERE IS A LITTLE FLEXIBILITY.
WE TALKED, WE HEARD EARLIER ABOUT THE CHANGING SHASTA SHOULDS AND MAYBE OR MAY MAYBE OR MAYBE NOT.
THAT MIGHT BE ONE FOR CONSIDERATION.
I WON'T ASK YOU TO OPINE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
LET'S, UNLESS YOU HAVE THOUGHTS.
OH, WELL I WAS GONNA WRAP FOR SAYS THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE STANDARD CONDITIONS.
SO THAT WOULD BE WHAT WE PUT IN THE CASE TO SAY SHALL BE THE STUFF AT THE BEGINNING SHOULD SO, BUT, BUT THE IDEA IS THAT WE COULD AMEND IT ANYWAY AS WE GO THROUGH THE ZONING DISCUSSION.
THAT'S THE ONLY REASON IT SAYS SHOULD THERE, I MEAN, SHALL THERE VERSUS SHOULD.
WELL, LET ME CONCLUDE BY AGAIN, PILING ON AND ADDING MY THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR DOING THE HERCULEAN EFFORT HERE OVER YEARS OF TIME.
UM, AND ALL THE DISCUSSIONS AND THE MIAD THAT THAT KIND OF DISTILLED AND CONGEALED DOWN TO THIS FOR AT LEAST A STARTING POINT FOR US TO LOOK AT.
AND I THINK WE ALL GENERALLY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A POLICY THAT'S YOU GONNA EVOLVE OVER TIME, BUT WE GOTTA START SOMEWHERE AND WE NEED TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY WHERE OUR GENERAL THINKING IS RIGHT NOW, BUT IN, IT'LL EVOLVE OVER TIME.
BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL YOUR EFFORT YOU PUT INTO THIS.
JUST, UM, I KNOW I'M A GREENHORN AND, UM, EVERY TIME WE DO A HAZING SESSION, I FAIL THE ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER.
SO I WILL THIRD, UH,
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW WHEN THINGS GET CODIFIED IN AN ORDINANCE, IN A POLICY, SOME INDIVIDUALS LOOK AT THOSE AS THE LAW OF THE LAND.
SO I, I'D BE REMISS JUST NOT TO PUT THAT INTO A, UH, ON THE PUBLIC RECORD THAT HEY, LET'S BE OPEN TO THIS AND LET'S GET IT, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT WAY WITH EACH FURTHER ONE, UM, AND NOT BE SO CONSTRAINED.
UM, SO THIS ONE'S INTERESTING FOR ME.
AND THINK OF ALL THE CASES THAT
[05:35:01]
WE'VE HAD.THIS WAS THE ONE THAT I WAS PROBABLY THE MOST AGNOSTIC ABOUT WHEN IT CAME UP.
I, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT OUR CITIZENS WOULD THINK.
IS IT BAD? YOU KNOW, IT'S, WHERE'S IT GOING? IT'S EMERGING TECHNOLOGY.
SO I WAS REALLY JUST, I REALLY HAVE BEEN ENJOYING WATCHING HOW THIS HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME.
UM, AND I, I'M GONNA DIFFER FROM MR. ARDS A LITTLE BIT.
I I, I KINDA LIKE THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING TO, FOR PEOPLE TO REACT TO.
AND I KNOW THIS BOARD, IF ALL OF A SUDDEN ARC CITIZENS START CLAMORING FOR SOLAR PROJECTS OR THE TECHNOLOGY CHANGES, THIS BOARD'S GONNA ADAPT.
AND WE'RE GONNA DO WHAT WE NEED TO, TO GET THE PROJECTS HERE THAT WE WANT.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING FOR US TO REACT TO.
IF SOMEBODY COMES WITH US AND SAYS, LISTEN, WHAT YOU GUYS JUST PASSED LAST NIGHT, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN.
WE, WE, WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
ONE OF THE FIRST CONTENTIOUS VOTE WE EVER HAD WAS A CELL TOWER, UH, AN AT AND T SALES TELLER THAT WAS, UH, WENT AGAINST COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BUT, UM, BUT IT PASSED.
UM, WE JUST CHANGED OUR ITERATE, MERCHANT TAX, WE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
WE DIDN'T REALLY IDENTIFY CERTAIN, UH, GROUP OF BUSINESSES THAT THAT WAS A NATIVELY IMPACT.
SO I DO THINK THAT THAT WHILE HAVING A POLICY FOR SOMEBODY TO REACT TO, UM, IT IS THAT, AND I, AND I DO, I DO THINK WE HAVE THE RIGHT FOLKS HERE AND THE, AND THE, THEIR PREP, WHOEVER COMES AFTER THEM, TO, TO, TO KNOW THAT WE LOOK AT EACH PIECE OF PROPERTY IS DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE.
AND THAT'S WHY LAND USE IS DIFFERENT.
AND HONESTLY, AND EVERYTHING WE DO IN OUR EVENING SESSION IS BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAS COME TO US TO MAKE A CHANGE TO WHAT IS WRITTEN DOWN.
SO THAT IS WHAT THIS BOARD ACTUALLY EXISTS TO DO.
SO, UM, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING OFF ON A GOOD FOOT AND WE WILL ITERATE TO GREAT
UH, THIS WAS A HEAVY LIFT AND A COUPLE YEARS IN THE MAKING.
UH, SO AT THIS TIME I WILL ADJOURN OUR MEETING TO THE TUESDAY, JUNE 6TH, 2023 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
[XVIII. Adjournment: The Board of Supervisors will adjourn as follows:]
2:00 PM REGULAR MEETING AT 6:00 PM PUBLIC HEARING.AND THEN A MONDAY JUNE 12TH, 6:00 PM BOARD OF SUPERVISORS COURTHOUSE VILLAGE PLAN, PUBLIC HEARING IN OUR BOARD MEETING, UM, AND ALL ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.