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CURRENTLY AM YOUR VOICE AND YOUR EMPLOYEE, UH, THAT SERVES ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.UM, I STILL APPRECIATE YOU FOLKS COMING OUT BECAUSE I NEED TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE DOING FOR YOU AS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
SO YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINIONS, AND YOUR INSIGHTS ARE REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT TO US.
I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO JUST INTRODUCE SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE HERE.
OUR FIFTH DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, ELLEN ROBINSON, IS HERE AS SHE'S AT THE DOOR, STILL GRIEVING PEOPLE.
ELLEN, JUST LET FOLKS SEE YOU SO THAT THEY KNOW OUR FIFTH DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS HERE.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES FROM THE BOARD, CHARLIE, NEIL, JONATHAN, TOM, NO OTHER SUPERVISORS ARE HERE.
UH, I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE, UH, KAREN MERCY IS HERE FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD ALSO.
ANY OTHER SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS HERE, RIGHT HERE DON'T SEE ANY.
UH, WE HAVE OUR SHERIFF AND, UH, STRONG CONTINGENT FROM THIS DEPARTMENT.
SHERIFF
UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, IS CHIEF FERGUSON HERE.
YOU'VE GOT STILL FIRE AND RESCUE.
CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, AND MR. UH, CARPENTER'S GONNA REDUCE SOME OF THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES.
UH, I REALLY CAN'T START THIS TONIGHT.
JUST TAKING A MOMENT TO SAY THANK YOU TO KEN PETERSON.
UH, JOHN WHITE AND, UH, UH, TOM CHAR.
IN THE LAST 12 YEARS, THEY HAVE BEEN MET REPRESENTATIVES ON PLAN COMMISSION, SCHOOL, BOARD AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
I FEEL PARTICULARLY BLESSED THAT, UH, I'M COMING INTO THIS POSITION WHERE A REALLY STRONG FOUNDATION AND A LOT OF THAT IS BASED ON THE EFFORT AND THE ENERGY THAT THEY PUT INTO THEIR SERVICE TO THE COUNTY.
SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF IT.
IF THINGS ARE GOING WELL, IT'S 'CAUSE THEY DID A GREAT JOB.
IF IT'S SCREWING UP, THAT'S ON ME.
UH, MR. CARPENTER, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE OVER AS YOUR SIDESHOW, UH, I, THE END OF THIS DAY, UH, I DO HAVE MY BUSINESS CARD OUT THERE.
I'M A BOOMER, BUT I DO DO TEXT.
I CAN'T GET EMAIL AND PHONE CALLS ARE, ARE VERY EASY FOR ME AS WELL.
I'M YOUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
IT'S A GREAT DAY, GOON COUNTY.
IT IS GREAT TO SEE ALL Y'ALL OUT HERE.
YOU KNOW, I TELL PEOPLE THEY COME TO A MEETING AND IT, IT IS A FULL HOUSE OR A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND I LOOK OUT AND IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE PASSIONATE ABOUT.
AND THERE'S NO BETTER FEELING THAN TO LOOK OUT AND SEE A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE WHO CARE.
AND I SAY THAT EVERY TIME, AND I BEAT IT EVERY TIME YOU'VE SLEPT IN PLACES WHERE YOU'D BE TALKING SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AND THE ROOM WOULD BE EMPTY, AND YOU KNEW MAJOR DECISIONS WERE BEING MADE, AND THERE WAS NOBODY THERE TO WITNESS IT, TO SPEAK UP OR TO HEAR.
SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING TONIGHT, WHICH IS BEING ENGAGED, INTERESTED, AND INFORMED IN COMING OUT HERE TO JOIN US TONIGHT.
WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF COUNTY STAFF WITH US AS WELL.
I'M GONNA TRY TO, GOSH, IF TELL ME, WE'RE GONNA START WITH, UH, CHIEF GORDON.
D UH, UH, MS. HILLMAN, OUR EMERGENCY, UH, DIRECTOR.
UH, WE'VE GOT MR. C**K, OUR, UH, PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR.
UM, WE'VE GOT MR. DRUMRIGHT, WHO IS OUR, OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, DAN, OUR, OUR, IT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, OUR, UM, UH, MR. LONGSHORE, OUR UTILITIES DIRECTOR.
UM, AND SHE'LL BE SPEAKING A FEW WORDS AT THE END OF THIS TOO.
UM, MS DAYS, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, UH, MS. SHERRY, OUR, UM, OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HERE.
AND IF I'M, AGAIN, I'M LOOKING AROUND MY, I DON'T HAVE GLASSES ON OR ANYTHING, SO IF I MISS ANY ACCOUNTING EMPLOYEES, I APOLOGIZE.
BUT, UH, THEY'RE HERE TONIGHT FOR YOU AS WELL.
SO WHAT THIS IS, IS, THIS IS THE TOWN HALL.
THE TOWN HALL FOR US THIS TIME OF YEAR IS WE JUST PRESENTED THE BUDGET TO THE BOARD A FEW WEEKS BACK.
NOW WE GO OUT ON THE SHOW AND TAKE OUR SHOW ON THE ROAD AND TELL OUR CITIZENS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO HEAR IT.
THE BUDGET IS NOT ADOPTED YET.
THE BUDGET WON'T BE BE IN FRONT OF THE BOARD UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF APRIL.
SO WE'VE GOT, AS YOU SEE, FOUR TOWN HALLS, UH, COMING UP.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET, AND THEN THE ACTUAL VOTE FOR THE BUDGET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE, OF THE MONTH OF APRIL.
SO WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET.
UM, OUR SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS IS HERE, DR.
HE'LL BE ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE SCHOOLS AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO WE START WITH THE BUDGET, THEN JUST GO INTO WHAT'S GOING ON IN GUC COUNTY.
'CAUSE WHEN I START BY SAYING IT'S A GREAT DAY IN UCHIN COUNTY, IT'S A GREAT DAY IN UCHIN COUNTY.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU SOME OF THE NEAT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AS WE GO ALONG.
SO THE FIRST THING THAT I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT IS THE BUDGET.
AND FOR OUR BUDGET, THE PROCESS IS
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AN ONGOING PROCESS.WE REALLY STARTED BUILDING OUR BUDGET IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.
FROM NOVEMBER THROUGH JANUARY.
WE MET WITH DEPARTMENTS, WE MET WITH OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS, WE MET WITH SCHOOLS, WE HAD WORK SESSIONS WITH A VARIETY OF OFFICIALS.
WE, WE MET WITH OUR BOARD MEMBERS TO ESTABLISH THE PRIORITIES THAT GO INTO THE BUDGET.
PART OF THIS HAS GOT A FORECAST.
NOW WE'RE MEETING IN OCTOBER OF 23, TRYING TO FORECAST WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE IN JUNE OF 25.
SO WE'VE GOTTA ANTICIPATE WHAT'S GONNA COME IN REVENUE.
WE LOOK AT REVENUE, WE LOOK AT ALL THE REVENUE IT TAKES TO RUN A COUNTY.
YOUR GENERAL PROPERTY TAXES, YOUR OTHER LOCAL TAXES, STATE AID, FEDERAL AID, CHARGES FOR SERVICES, FEES, GRANTS.
NOW, I KNOW THAT OTHER BREAKDOWN INTO GENERAL CATEGORIES.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF YOU PAY IT, IT'S A TAX.
SO THAT'S HOW WE UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE TAXES THAT RUN THIS COUNTY THAT OUR CITIZENS PAY.
SO WE'RE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM.
SO LOOKING AT THAT, THEN WE GENERALLY WANNA GO BACK AND TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE WE'RE COMING FROM.
SO GOING BACK TO THIS COUNTY, WHEN YOU GO BACK TO OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENSES, WHICH INCLUDE OUR SCHOOLS, GOING BACK TO 2018, YOU SEE THAT WE ARE ABOUT $50 MILLION FROM 2018 TO 25.
WE'VE GONE UP ABOUT $89 MILLION IN TOTAL SPENDING AS WE PROPOSE FOR THIS COMING YEAR.
THAT'S ALL COUNTY SERVICES, THANK YOU.
THAT'S OUR SCHOOLS, THAT'S OUR PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO IT'S A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT THAT WE MAKE LOCALLY.
WHERE ARE WE GOING? WELL, WE START WITH WHAT THE BOARD SETS THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE BASIS FOR WHAT WE WORK OFF OF.
AGAIN, WE USE A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE OF WHERE THE MONEY'S GONNA COME FROM AND WHERE WE'RE GONNA SPEND MONEY.
WE TRY ALWAYS TO, TO UNDERESTIMATE OUR REVENUE AND OVERESTIMATE OUR SPENDING.
SO WE DON'T EVER WANT TO END UP IN THE RED.
WE RUN A WELL EFFICIENTLY RUN FINANCIAL OPERATION HERE.
WE SEEK EFFICIENCIES, COST SAVINGS.
BUT ONE OF THE GOALS THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN IS TO EXPAND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICE LEVELS.
OUR BOARD HAS SET FINANCIAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS THAT WE FOLLOW POLICIES THAT REQUIRE US TO HAVE MINIMUM FUND BALANCE LEVELS.
POLICIES THAT REQUIRE US TO HAVE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF DEBTS.
POLICY THAT REQUIRE US TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAINTAIN OUR TRIPLE, TRIPLE A CREDIT RATING, WHICH ARE ONE OF ONLY A FEW COUNTIES IN ALL OF AMERICA, THE SMALLEST COUNTY IN AMERICA TO HAVE THREE AAA CREDIT RATINGS.
WE'RE TASKED TO MAINTAIN COMPETITIVE EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION WITH OUR EMPLOYEE, OUR, OUR NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS AROUND US, AND TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS AND GROW.
OR THIS COUNTY, WHICH IS A GROWING COUNTY, CAN JUSTIFY IT AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR UTILITIES ARE SELF-SUSTAINING AND THEY'RE NOT A DRAIN ON THE GENERAL TAXPAYERS OF THE COUNTY.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
THE FIRST THING IS THE IMPACT OF A RECESSION.
YOU KNOW, FOR 10 YEARS NOW, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS ECONOMY WONDERING WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN? AND WE HAVE TO ANTICIPATE ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY OF, OF INFLATION COMING AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A RECESSION.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY TO GROW.
SO WE KEEP THAT IN FRONT OF US.
WE KNOW AS A COMMUNITY WE'RE GETTING OLDER.
THAT'S JUST THE REALITY OF IT.
GOON COUNTY IS ONE OF THE OLDER, OLDEST COUNTIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH, VIRGINIA, AN AVERAGE AGE OF A LITTLE OVER 60 YEARS OLD.
AND SO HOW DO WE REFLECT THAT IN OUR INCREASED CALLS FOR SERVICES? WE KNOW THE DESIRE TO INCREASE OUR SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND ALSO WE'VE GOTTA LOOK INTERNALLY, THE CONSTANTLY INCREASING COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE, HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES.
WE'RE GOING UP 11% THIS COMING YEAR.
YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THAT FEELING AS WELL.
SO WE TRY TO KEEP ALL THAT IN FRONT OF US.
AGAIN, WE TRY TO MAINTAIN A COMPETITIVE ASPECT FOR OUR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION.
WE'VE GOT MUCH LARGER COUNTIES AROUND US, AND MOST OF OUR EMPLOYEES, UNFORTUNATELY, DON'T LIVE IN GOLAND.
SO THEY LIVE IN OTHER COUNTIES.
SO WE KNOW THEY'RE DRIVING IN MANY CASES RIGHT BY ANOTHER PLACE.
THEY COULD WORK A SCHOOL, THEY COULD TEACH AT A COUNTY SERVICES BUILDING IN ORDER TO GET TO GOLAND.
SO WE HAVE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING COMPETITIVE ASPECTS TO THAT.
AND THEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, OUR GENERAL ASSEMBLY, THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, LOVE THEM LIKE WE DO.
YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN TODAY THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE COME TO AGREEMENT ON SPENDING.
ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'RE MOST FAMOUS FOR IS UNFUNDED MANDATES.
THEY LOVE TO TELL US WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, THEN THEY DON'T GIVE US THE MONEY HOW TO DO IT.
AND THEN IT'S UP TO US TO FIGURE IT OUT.
SO THESE ARE ALL THINGS WE'VE GOTTA KEEP IN FRONT OF US.
KAMAR TODAY, THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT, IF ANYTHING, THE STATE'S GONNA DO FOR SCHOOLS.
SO THEY ARE, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE GETTING TOWARD THE END STATE OF OUR BUDGET.
THEY'RE STILL FIGURING OUT WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO IN A BUDGET.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE DYNAMICS WE HAD TO LOOK AT THE GOLDEN BUDGET.
SO THE COUNTY'S GENERAL FUND IN FRONT OF YOU BROKEN DOWN AS FOLLOWS, LAST YEAR'S BUDGET THAT WAS ADOPTED WAS FOR 141,411,148.
IT'S OUR GENERAL OPERATIONS TO THE COUNTY, SPECIAL REVENUE UTILITIES SCHOOLS, AND OUR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
NOW, THE CURRENT FOR BUDGET WE'RE PROPOSING IS 134 MILLION, ABOUT A DROP OF
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7,000,005, A LITTLE OVER 5%.UH, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THAT THE COUNTY HAS SHRUNK BY 7%.
THE REALITY IS, LAST YEAR, YOU MAY REMEMBER, WE BEGAN BUILDING THE FIRST NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN 70 YEARS IN THIS COUNTY.
AN AMAZING STRUCTURE, AMAZING, REALLY FEAT THAT THE RESIDENTS OF CITIZENS APPROVED WITH 85% OF REFERENDUM RATE OF SUPPORT FOR BUILDING IT.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT COST MORE TO BUILD BY THE TIME IT GOT AROUND.
SO WE HAD TO ADD MONEY TO THE BUDGET LAST YEAR TO BUILD IT.
SO THAT'S WHY IT DECREASES, BECAUSE LAST YEAR WE HAD TO ADD MONEY TO THE BUDGET IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO BUILD THE SCHOOL THAT DR.
MARTIN'S GONNA BE TELLING YOU ABOUT.
AND IT IS GONNA BE WRAPPING UP PRETTY SOON.
I HOPE YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO DRIVE BY AND SEE IT.
IT'S GONNA BE AN AMAZING ADDITION TO THIS COUNTY.
NOW WE BREAK DOWN WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM, BALANCED BUDGET.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING 134 MILLION, WE'RE GONNA BRING IN 134 MILLION AND SEE GENERAL PROPERTY TAXES, ABOUT 11% MORE MUCH OF THAT IS DRIVEN BY GROWTH IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO PART OF THE INCREASED ASSESSMENT VALUES OF PROPERTIES.
THE AVERAGE HOUSE SET THAT WENT UP BY 4.9% AND THE REST CAME FROM ADDING IN NEW GROWTH, NEW BUILDINGS, NEW HOUSES, UH, VEHICLES, CARS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
GOING DOWN, YOU CAN SEE THIS WHERE OTHER MONEY COMES FROM.
AGAIN, UM, PROPOSED TAXES, GENERALLY OTHER LOCAL TAXES, MAYBE OUR SALES TAXES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND ON DOWN TO A TOTAL, ABOUT $134 MILLION OF TOTAL REVENUE TO RUN GOLAND COUNTY.
NOW, AS I SAID, REAL ESTATE VALUES INCREASED TOTAL OF 9.9%, BUT AGAIN, ABOUT 4.9 OF THAT WAS EXISTING PROPERTY AND THEIR MAYBE 5% CAME FROM NEW PROPERTY BEING ADDED TO THE TAX ROLLS.
PEOPLE STILL WANT TO LIVE IN GOLAND COUNTY.
WHY? 'CAUSE IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE.
PEOPLE ARE STILL LOOKING TO BUILD HERE.
AND THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT.
GOING ON A LITTLE FURTHER, WE WANT TO BREAK DOWN WHERE IT COMES FROM.
AGAIN, YOU SEE ABOUT 58% OF THE TOTAL REVENUE FOR THE COUNTY COMES FROM GENERAL PROPERTY TAXES.
AGAIN, YOU CAN BREAK DOWN STATE AID, OTHER LOCAL TAXES AND FEES.
ADDS UP TO, AGAIN, $134 MILLION.
NOW, OF THAT 134, ABOUT 96 IS THE GENERAL FUND.
THE GENERAL FUND, THE SHERIFF, THE GENERAL FUND IS FILING RESCUE.
THE GENERAL FUND IS ADMINISTRATION FINANCE.
SO WHEN YOU GET TO THAT, YOU SEE THAT AGAIN, GENERAL PROPERTY TAXES ARE ABOUT 71% OF OUR GENERAL FUND.
SO WE START GETTING MORE INTO THE SERVICES THAT DIRECTLY BENEFIT AND AFFECT YOU AS A CITIZEN WHEN YOU GET TO THE GENERAL FUND.
AGAIN, LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES, STATE AID, ET CETERA.
BRIEFLY ABOUT THE SCHOOLS, THEY'LL TALK MORE IN DETAIL ABOUT THE SCHOOL'S.
AGAIN, YOUR COUNTY TAXES ARE ABOUT 68% OF REVENUE THAT COME INTO THE SCHOOL.
NOW, THAT'S A STORY THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET INTO TOO MUCH TONIGHT.
BUT THE LACK OF STATE AID FOR COUNTY LIKE GLAND IS REALLY A SHAME.
AND THERE'S A WHOLE CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE WITH OUR DELEGATES IN RICHMOND OVER THE WAY THEY TREAT GLAND COUNTY.
SOME COUNTIES GET 80% OF THEIR REVENUE FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
WE GET 23% OF OUR REVENUE FROM IT.
SO I JUST POINT THAT OUT TO YOU AGAIN, UH, THAT'S ANOTHER STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY.
BUT IT'S AN INTERESTING FACT TO KNOW THAT THEY TREAT US VERY DIFFERENTLY HERE THAN THEY TREAT OTHER COUNTIES IN THE STATE.
SO WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO? WELL, GENERAL GOVERNMENT ITSELF IS ABOUT 21% OF THE BUDGET.
UH, GENERAL SERVICES, YOU SEE ABOUT 11% HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE.
THAT'S HEALTH DEPARTMENT, DSS, UH, EDUCATION, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THAT TO, AGAIN, ABOUT $134 MILLION UP.
NOW, WHEN WE START GIVING YOU, AGAIN, THE PIE CHART FOR THAT, ABOUT 33% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET GOES TO EDUCATION.
ABOUT 20% GOES TO PUBLIC SAFETY, ABOUT 2% GOES TO JUDICIAL.
GENERAL GOVERNMENT IS ABOUT 7%.
UTILITIES SHOW UP IN THE TOTAL BUDGET.
BUT AGAIN, THEY DON'T COME FROM TAX DOLLARS, UH, OF, OF YOUR GENERAL HOUSE.
IF YOU'RE IN THE HOE CREEK SERVICE DISTRICT, THAT'S A DIFFERENT CATEGORY.
UM, BUT THE, THE BULK OF THE REVENUE FOR, UH, UTILITIES COME FROM USER FEES.
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY USING THE SYSTEM ITSELF, THAT OUR CIP, THOSE ARE THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT WE DO.
SO FROM EVERYTHING FROM BUILDING A FIRE STATION TO BUYING A SCHOOL BUS, UH, VEHICLES FROM SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES TO TO WORK ON A COMPUTER SYSTEM, EVERYTHING IN OUR CIP SYSTEM, UH, IS RIGHT THERE.
IT'S ABOUT 6% OF WHERE WE SPEND IT.
ONCE AGAIN, WHEN WE TAKE OUT THOSE, THOSE EXTERNAL PARTS, WE GET INTO THE GENERAL FUND ITSELF.
ABOUT 60 MILLION OF THAT PUBLIC SAFETY NOW IS UP 46% OF WHERE YOUR GENERAL FUND GOES.
UH, YOUR JUDICIAL SERVICE, 5%.
SO OVER 50% OF YOUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET GOES FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
THEN YOU GET GENERAL GOVERNMENT AGAINST 16% GENERAL SERVICES, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND I'LL TAKE QUESTIONS, BUT YOU KNOW, SO, SO PLEASE, UH, THINK OF YOUR QUESTIONS FOR THAT
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AGAIN, BRIEFLY ON THE SCHOOLS.UM, THE WAY THEY BREAK IT DOWN INSTRUCTION, 65% THAT YOU TEACHERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, THE NEXT BIGGEST PART.
KAMAR WILL BE ABLE TO GET BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THAT WORKS OUT.
AND THEN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
HOUSTON HAS A 25 YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
THEY DON'T THINK THAT FAR IN THE FUTURE.
AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, IT IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
THIS IS $643 MILLION PLAN FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS.
UH, BUT THAT LOOKS AT SCHOOLS AGAIN, JUST FOR BUILDING ONE SCHOOL.
WE GOT TWO MORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT LOOKS AT FIRE STATION.
THERE'S A NEW COURTHOUSE IN THERE.
UH, THERE'S WORK ON A VARIETY OF, FROM NEW ROOFS AND HVAC SYSTEMS. ALL THE SCHOOL BUSES.
WE'RE GONNA NEED THIS, EVERYTHING IT TAKES TO RUN ACADEMY FOR 25 YEARS.
AGAIN, EDUCATION IS A BIG PART OF THAT.
WE FOUND OUT WITH THIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND THEY'RE JUST GONNA GET MORE EXPENSIVE AS IT GOES ON.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, WE NOW HAVE TO BUILD SCHOOLS IN WAYS WE DIDN'T HAVE TO BUILD 'EM 20 YEARS AGO.
WE HAVE TO BUILD 'EM INTO SAFE AND SECURE FASHION THAT ADDS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF EXPENSE.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CHILDREN SO THAT THESE ARE REFLECTED IN THESE ASPECTS.
FIRE AND RESCUE, AGAIN, VERY EXPENSIVE.
UH, MOVING FROM AN ALL VOLUNTEER SYSTEM TO A SYSTEM THAT IS CAREER AND THERE WILL BE MORE CAREER, EVEN THOUGH VOLUNTEERS ARE CRITICAL TO WHAT WE DO.
WE STILL ULTIMATELY PLAN ON HAVING NINE STATIONS AT THIS POINT IN THE COUNTY.
AND AS TIME GOES ON, THE COUNTY WILL BE MORE AND MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
A LOT OF MONEY GOES INTO PUBLIC SAFETY IN ORDER TO PROTECT, UH, TO PROVIDE IT FOR US.
BUT 25 YEARS IS A LONG WINDOW.
SO WE HAVE A FIVE YEAR WINDOW WE LOOK AT AS WELL.
AND THE FIVE YEAR WINDOW WE LOOK AT IS ABOUT $104 MILLION COMING UP IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
AGAIN, SCHOOLS ARE A BIG PART OF THAT.
WE HAVE OUR, OUR NEW CTE PROGRAM THAT WE PLAN ON BUILDING.
THE COURTHOUSE ALONE IS 25% OF THAT.
THE SCHOOLS ARE OVER 30% OF THAT.
A LOT OF THOSE FUNDS WE'VE ALREADY APPROVED.
AGAIN, THAT 85%, 15 REFERENDUM, THE PASSED BOND MONEY WILL PAY FOR THAT.
SO WE KNOW WHERE THE MONEY'S COMING FROM FOR MOST OF THOSE EXPENSES.
OTHER EXPENSES, WE'LL, JUST AS WE DO, WE WILL BUDGET FOR IT, WE'LL PLAN FOR IT, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT HAPPENS.
SO TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR CIP THIS COMING YEAR, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU NOW KIND OF A BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THEM.
I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO DIRECT DETAIL ON EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM, BUT YOU CAN SEE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND THIS NEXT YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT SPENDING ALMOST $3.7 MILLION FOR ENGINES, AMBULANCES, UH, LAND PURCHASE FOR A NEW STATION, TWO DOWN THE ROAD.
UH, MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT, SHERIFF'S VEHICLES, THAT'S THE BIGGEST PART.
AGAIN, FACILITIES, WE'RE SETTING ASIDE MONEY TOWARDS THAT NEW COURTHOUSE, YOU KNOW, LIFECYCLE REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE.
UH, THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING I'M IN, I THINK IS BUILT IN THE 1920S.
OF COURSE, OUR COURTHOUSE IS BUILT IN THE 1820S.
UH, LIFECYCLE MAINTENANCE FROM ROOFS AND HVAC SYSTEMS, PLUMBING, NEW WINDOWS, REPLACING CARPET.
ALL THAT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY.
AND THERE YOU SEE IT, IT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
UH, IF YOU FOLLOW ANY AMOUNT OF NEWS LATELY, YOU KNOW THAT MAINTAINING A CRITICALLY SAFE INFRASTRUCTURE ON OUR, OUR WEB OF OUR SERVERS OR OF OUR MAINFRAMES IS IMPORTANT 'CAUSE OF THE DATA WE HAVE AND WHAT HAPPENS IF THE COUNTY GETS HACKED AND TAKEN OVER.
SO WE CONSTANTLY HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD SECURITY, GOOD EQUIPMENT, AND THAT WE'RE NOT IN A SITUATION WHERE WE CAN BE VULNERABLE.
AND THIS SCHOOL BOARD, AGAIN, SCHOOLS ARE NOT IN EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN.
WE GOT THESE, THESE BUILDINGS, WE GOT SIX BUILDINGS PLUS OTHER ASPECTS TO IT.
SO MONEY FOR THEM TOTAL, ALMOST $8 MILLION THIS COMING YEAR.
WE LOOK TO SPEND ON CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET.
WHAT HAVE WE DONE IN THIS COMING BUDGET? WELL, WE'RE MEETING AND EXCEEDING EVERY FINANCIAL OBJECTIVE AND POLICY.
WE'RE INCLUDING A 5% COST OF LIVING INCREASE FOR ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES.
PUBLIC SAFETY, AGAIN, REMAINS A PRIORITY.
WE'RE ADDING 16 NEW FULL-TIME POSITIONS TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY.
AN ADDITIONAL 5% SALARY INCREASE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AS WELL.
EDUCATION, AGAIN, A $2.2 MILLION INCREASE IN LOCAL CONTRIBUTION.
AND AT $1.2 MILLION SCHOOL CIP PROJECTS.
WE'RE ALSO PUTTING ASIDE MONEY FOR, FOR ADDITIONAL STUDIES.
AS WE GROW, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS OF GROWTH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT.
THERE'S NO INCREASE IN THE REAL ESTATE TAX, THE TCSD TAX OR THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE AS WELL.
SO THIS IS AGAIN, A TOWN HALL MEETING.
YOU SEE MARCH 7TH TONIGHT, WE'LL HAVE THREE MORE TOWN HALLS AFTER THIS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTY.
YOU GIVE THE SAME CONVERSATION WITH OUR CITIZENS.
UH, YOU ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND THEM ALL.
UH, WE LOVE TO SEE PEOPLE THERE.
UH, THEN IN APRIL 2ND, AS I SAID, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET.
SO THAT'S THE CHANCE WHEN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL BE IN FULL AND THEY'RE TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE TO HAVE ANY OF THEIR THOUGHTS, CONCERNS, KUDOS, UPSET, WHATEVER ABOUT THE BUDGET THEY SEE.
AND THEN FINALLY ON APRIL 16TH, THE BOARD, HAVING HEARD EVERYTHING AND LISTENED TO YOU, WE'LL HAVE A FINAL BUDGET ADOPTION ON THAT DATE.
SO THAT'S THE BUDGET IN A NUTSHELL.
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NOW WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON THAT'S GOOD IN GOUCHER COUNTY? WELL, Y'ALL ALWAYS GOTTA START WITH PUPPIES.ALL RIGHT? PUPPIES AND KITTENS ARE ALWAYS SOMETHING WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
SO THE ANIMAL SHELTER IS SOMETHING WE'RE QUITE PROUD ABOUT.
UM, I ENCOURAGE YOU VERY MUCH GO STOP BY THERE IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE LATELY.
UH, THEY, THEY ARE ALWAYS, UM, HAVING SOME OF THE, THE NEATEST, CUTEST ANIMALS.
UH, OUR HOURS, AGAIN, TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, 10:00 AM PRETTY MUCH TO TWO FOUR, 7:00 PM UM, THIS IS A NEAT PLACE.
SO I ALWAYS LIKE TO PUT THE ANIMAL SHELTER IN JUST SO PEOPLE CAN SEE IT.
WHAT ELSE ARE WE DOING IN THE COUNTY? WELL, LET'S START WITH BROADBAND.
LET'S START WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE STUDY.
UH, WE USED TO CALL IT SPEED AND NOW IT'S SIS SOUTHEASTERN INFRASTRUCTURE STUDY.
AND WHAT THIS IS, THIS IS A STUDY KIND OF IN THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT OF THE COUNTY, WHICH IS INTENDED TO GIVE US A FOUNDATION, A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE NEED IN THE FUTURE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR OUR PRIORITIES THERE, WHAT IT'S GONNA COST US, UH, ZONING AND LAND USE.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS A STUDY, IT'S NOT A PLAN.
SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE BEEN PART OF THE RECENT, UM, UH, SMALL AREA PLANS.
THIS IS KIND OF A PRELIMINARY TO ANY POSSIBLE PLAN IN THE FUTURE TO BETTER HELP THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS OF GROWTH.
IF YOU ADD THIS MANY HOUSES, WHAT IS GONNA DO TO YOUR ROADS? WHAT'S THIS GONNA DO TO YOUR ABILITY TO RESPOND TO FIRE AND EMERGENCY? WHAT ABOUT OUR SHERIFF? WHAT ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS? WHAT ABOUT OUR UTILITIES? SO THIS IS THE STUDY TO LOOK AT THAT.
AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT APPROXIMATELY 4,800 ACRES OF LAND.
YOU SEE THE AREA GENERALLY BOUNDED BY IT.
AND WE'RE GONNA GET LOOK AT ROADS, WATER, SEWER, SCHOOLS, FIRE AND RESCUE, UH, ELECTRICITY TOO.
AND SO WE HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S GONNA BE COMING.
ANOTHER PART THAT SOME OF Y'ALL HAVE SEEN LIVE AND EXPERIENCE IS OUR UTILITIES IN THIS AREA.
OUR FORCED MAIN REPLACEMENT PROJECT.
AGAIN, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABOUT 70% COMPLETE.
UH, WE SHOULD BE MOSTLY DONE BY MAY WITH THAT PROJECT.
UH, THE RESTORATION WORK, AS YOU SEE THE WICKHAM GLEN NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE LONG RIVER ROAD WILL BEGIN THIS SPRING.
UM, THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE, YOU CAN SEE THAT ONE PICTURE OF, OF HOW LITTLE THAT MAN LOOKS.
UH, THIS IS A MAJOR PROJECT, UH, THE HUGE KIND OF THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE 25 YEAR PLANS FOR.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO NON-EMERGENCY ON THE CLOCK.
YOU KNOW, YOU PLAN FOR IT AND YOU FIX IT, UH, WHEN IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED AND REPLACED.
ALSO, OUR HUON HILLS WATER AND SEWER PROJECT, AGAIN, BRINGING WATER AND SEWER TO THE HUON HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD.
SHOULD BE ANTICIPATED TO BEGIN, UH, FOR SEWER IN THE SPRING OF THIS YEAR.
AND WE THINK BY THE END OF 24, SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION WILL BE DONE.
SO THIS YEAR WE SHOULD HOPE TO SEE MOST OF HUON HILLS PROJECT UNDERWAY AND THEN COMPLETED ROADS.
WE ALL WANT TO KNOW ABOUT ROADS, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR ROADS.
LET'S START OVER TOWARD THE CENTER PART OF THE COUNTY, THE FAIRGROUND OF SANDY HOOK ROADS.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS THE, UM, UH, TRAFFIC CIRCLE AND THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE HAD A CHANCE TO DRIVE THROUGH THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE.
I KNOW WHEN IT WAS FIRST BEING BUILT, WHEN WAS FIRST OPEN, PEOPLE HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH IT ON, UH, ON FACEBOOK AND SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT'S, IT'S GOING PRETTY SMOOTHLY.
UH, YOU VERY RARELY SEE TRAFFIC BACKED UP.
UH, MOVING ON FROM THERE THOUGH, THE FAIRGROUND ROAD EXTENSION, THE ORIGINAL PROJECT HAD FAIRGROUNDS GOING ALL THE WAY TO HIGHWAY SIX.
WELL, COST FOR THE PROJECT CAME IN HIGHER THAN, THAN THAN ANTICIPATED.
SO WE HADN'T CUT THE EXTENSION PART OFF INITIALLY.
WELL, FUNDING HAS NOW BEEN SECURED FOR THAT.
SO NOW THE ENGINEERING IS UNDERWAY TO CONTINUE THE EXTENSION ALL THE WAY TO HIGHWAY SIX.
UH, WE WOULD ANTICIPATE COMPLETION IN FEBRUARY OF 28.
NOW, IF THEY WOULD ROAD PROJECTS, I THINK Y'ALL KNOW THEY'RE NEVER SLOW.
SO ANY PROJECT THAT WE START TALKING ABOUT IT, YOU CAN ANTICIPATE A THREE TO FOUR YEAR WINDOW FROM WHEN WE START TALKING TO HOPEFULLY WHEN WE'RE DONE.
SO WHEN WE SAY ENGINEERING IS UNDERWAY, THAT'S ALWAYS A GREAT SIGN.
YOU DON'T SEE ANYTHING HAPPENING, BUT IT IS 'CAUSE ENGINEERS ARE OUT THERE WORKING.
THEY'RE SURVEYING, THEY'RE DRAWING UP EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO DO.
SO WHEN YOU SEE ENGINEERING UNDERWAY, THAT'S A GOOD SIGN.
THE DDI, THE ASHTON ROAD I 64, DDI, AGAIN, ENGINEERING IS UNDERWAY.
THE FUNDING HAS BEEN SECURED FOR THAT.
UH, WE WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT WILL BE COMPLETED IN 31.
THAT'S ABOUT A SEVEN YEAR PROJECT.
AS YOU KNOW, ANY KIND OF AN INTERSTATE PROJECT IS SIGNIFICANT.
AND IT'S MAJOR BUILDING MAJOR OVERPASSES OVER I 64, UH, BOTH SIDES LEADING UP TO IT.
WHEN IT'S DONE, IT'LL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON TRAFFIC FLOWING ON THE ASHTON ROAD CORRIDOR, UH, TO I 64 AND FROM I 64.
PART OF THAT SEPARATE, BUT SEPARATE PART IS THE, UH, PARKING LOT LOT.
THAT WAS A PROJECT THAT WAS FUNDED SEPARATELY FROM THE DIVERGENT DIAMOND AND IT'LL BE COMPLETED IN 28.
AND SO THEY NEED SOMETHING TO LAND THIS ON CURRENTLY.
SO THEY'RE GONNA DO THAT, GET IT DONE IN 28, AND THEN KEEP WORKING ON THE DIVERGENT DIVING.
IMPORTANT, PROBABLY MORE TO ALL THE POCKET ROAD REALIGNMENT.
AGAIN, WHAT THAT'S GONNA DO IS TAKE POCKET ROAD HEADING NORTH RIGHT NOW.
IT RUNS INTO THE STOPLIGHT, A FOOD LINE.
YOU HANG RIGHT THEN YOU HANG LEFT TO GET TO THE INTERSTATE.
THE REALIGNMENT PART IS GOING TO PUT A TRAFFIC CIRCLE IN AND TAKE YOU
[00:25:01]
STRAIGHT OVER TO THE STOPLIGHT TO TAKE YOU TO THE INTERSTATE.SO IT'LL BE A STRAIGHT SHOT TO THE INTERSTATE, MORE OR LESS.
YOU WON'T HAVE TO MAKE THAT ZIGZAG.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, RIGHT NOW EVERYTHING FROM VDOT TELLS US THE STOPLIGHT TO FOOD LINE'S GONNA STAY HERE AS WELL.
SO IF YOU WANT TO KEEP GOING TO FOOD LINE, YOU CAN STILL DO IT.
BUT THAT'S GONNA BE A MAJOR IMPACT ON TRAFFIC TO THE NORTH SIDE OF HOCK ROAD COMPLETION.
THERE AGAIN, 29, BUT AGAIN, ENGINEERING IS UNDERWAY.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE.
NOW, SOME OF THE HIGHWAY 2 88 ISSUES WE'RE DEALING WITH, UH, WE HAVE STARTED A STUDY FOR THE NEW ROUTE 2 88 INTERCHANGE.
THIS IS A STUDY TO SEE IN THIS WITH GROWTH OF, OF, UH, TRAFFIC ON 2 88.
SO THIS IS ABOUT A 20 YEAR WINDOW FOR THIS ONE.
SO YOU START WITH THE STUDIES TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF GROWTH AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO SO WE CAN ANTICIPATE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
SO WE STARTED THE STUDY FOR THERE.
THAT'S ONE THAT WE'LL BE AWARE OF.
IT'S NOT A SHORT TERM PROJECT, BUT AT SOME POINT WE WOULD LOOK TO GO AHEAD AND BUILD THAT NEW INTERCHANGE ON, UH, 2 88, TAKE TRAFFIC OFF OF THE RIDGE PARKWAY AND MOVE A LOT OF TRAFFIC OFF OF THE TWO 50 CORRIDOR.
ANOTHER ONE THAT IS UNDERWAY, THE OILVILLE ROAD I 64.
IF YOU GET OFF OF OILVILLE ROAD EVER HEADING TOWARDS THE COURTHOUSE, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC COULD BACK UP AT RUSH HOUR ALL THE WAY ONTO THE INTERSTATE.
UM, FUNDING HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY ACHIEVED FOR THIS.
WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR THE LAST LITTLE BIT OF IT.
UH, IT'LL ALLEVIATE THE TRAFFIC CAPACITY, UM, ISSUES THERE.
AND WE WOULD ANTICIPATE NOW THAT UPON SECURING THE FINAL ALLOCATION THIS YEAR, THAT AGAIN ABOUT FEBRUARY 28TH, THAT'LL BE DONE.
SO WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE LIKE THREE TRAFFIC CIRCLES IN THIS COUNTY.
SO WE'LL GO FROM HAVING NONE TO HAVING THREE.
AND YOU KNOW THAT I THINK PEOPLE WILL SEE AS WE GET THEM, THE TRAFFIC MOVES SO MUCH SMOOTHER AND SO MUCH QUICKER.
NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTY HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE, BUT NOT ALL THE COUNTY HAS BEEN, THAT'S OUR BROADBAND.
UH, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SEVERAL YEARS BACK MADE A VERY SIGNIFICANT COMMITMENT TO DO EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO GET BROADBAND ACROSS THE COUNTY.
UH, WORKING WITH PARTNERS, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR FIREFLY PARTNERS, UH, YOU SEE DOMINION ENERGY, UH, YOU SEE HANOCK ELECTRIC, YOU SEE THOMAS JEFFERSON PLANNING DISTRICT.
THOSE ARE THE PARTNERS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR.
AND THE, UH, UH, COURTHOUSE AREA, SIGNIFICANT FUNDS FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MATCH COUNTY FUNDS THAT MADE THIS HAPPEN.
SO THE FIBER SERVICE CAN BE AVAILABLE CURRENTLY ON ALL CE UM, AND ALSO DOMINION ENERGY IS FINISHING THEIR MIDDLE MILE PART.
A LOT OF THIS, UH, FIBER'S GOING TO BE ON DOMINION.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA PROVIDE THE SERVICE, BUT IT'S GONNA BE IN THEIR ROT OF WAY.
SO REQUIRES DOMINION TO BE PART OF IT.
SO GETTING THAT MIDDLE MILE COMPLETED SO THEN THEY CAN CONNECT IT FROM THERE TO PEOPLE'S HOUSES.
UM, YOU'RE GONNA START SEEING, UH, VARIOUS PROGRAMS THROUGH THE MAP'S.
KIND OF SMALL TO SEE FROM HERE.
UM, WE, WE'LL BE ABLE, WE'LL BE GIVING YOU INFORMATION GO ONLINE IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHERE THE VARIOUS AREAS ARE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT I LIVE IN, UM, KIND OF THE FAR WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY AND, UH, IN THE THRIVING COMMUNITY OF, UM, FIFE.
AND I SAW STARTING STRING WIRE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO IN FIFE AND, UH, THOSE PARTS OF THE COUNTY ARE SEEING WIRE BEING STRUNG.
YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE HAPPENING NOW.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS ASKED US, OF COURSE, IS WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET A CHICK-FIL-A UM, THEN THEY SAY, WELL, WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET A PUBLIC? YOU KNOW, WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET A CRACKER BARREL? UM, ONE STEP AT A TIME? BUT THE ADDITION OF NEW BUSINESS IS CRITICAL TO GOIN COUNTY.
WE HAVE ONE OF OUR, OUR UNDER OUR OVERARCHING GOALS IS BE AN 85% COUNTY OF RURAL AGRARIAN AND 15% COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THE BOARD SAID YEARS AGO.
THAT STILL IS IMPORTANT TO US.
WELL, IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN AN 85% RURAL FEELING, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THAT 15% COMING IN COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL, UM, IN ORDER TO HELP PAY THE BILLS.
OTHERWISE ALL THE COST GOES ON THE HOMEOWNERS AND IT BECOMES UNAFFORDABLE TO LIVE.
SO THAT 15% IN THE DESIGNATED GROWTH AREAS OF COUNTY IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF SOME THINGS THAT HAVE JUST COME IN RECENTLY.
SEVERAL VETS, AGAIN, INDUSTRIAL TAPHOUSE JUST OPENED THIS PAST WEEK.
CHICK-FIL-A SEVERAL OTHERS THAT ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
UM, WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE THE LAST EIGHT YEARS? OVER HALF A BILLION DOLLARS OF COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT HAS HAPPENED IN THIS COUNTY.
AND WE NEED TO KEEP HAVING THAT LEVEL OF INVESTMENT GOING FORWARD IN ORDER TO KEEP THIS COUNTY AS AFFORDABLE AS WE CAN.
BECAUSE THE COST OF PUBLIC SAFETY, THE COST OF EDUCATION, THE COST OF EVERYTHING IS GOING UP.
AND THIS IS PART OF THE CRITICAL ROLE THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAYS, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN AFFORD TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT OUR CITIZENS TELL US THEY WANT.
SO THIS IS A GREAT SIGN RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A HALF A BILLION DOLLARS, BUT WE ALSO WANT PEOPLE TO COME TO GOLAND.
SO THE BOARD ADOPTED A TOURISM STRATEGIC PLAN BACK IN JANUARY OF LAST YEAR.
IF YOU GO ON ON THE WEBSITE, EXPLORE GOLAND.COM.
AND WE'VE GOT A VARIETY OF THINGS.
WE'RE REALLY PUSHING, WORKING WITH OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS IN THIS COMMUNITY
[00:30:01]
OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO, DAY TRIPS, GIRLS, WEEKENDS, GUYS, WEEKENDS, FUN THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO, PLACES YOU CAN STAY, PLACES YOU CAN EAT.YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, WE'RE KNOWN FOR IS OUR, IS OUR CRAFT BEVERAGES.
WE WERE PART OF THIS PAST SUMMER, UH, WE CALL IT THE RED, WHITE AND BREW.
AND WORKING WITH SOME OF OUR SURROUNDING COUNTIES.
PEOPLE WOULD GO AND VISIT VARIOUS CRAFT BEVERAGES AND THEY'D BE ABLE TO GET A STAMP.
AND IF THEY WENT TO ALL OF 'EM OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER, NOT OF COURSE OF THE DAY, OF COURSE
JUST ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE.
AND GOOSE ONES, UH, WE'VE GOT AN APP ENCOURAGE YOU TO PUT IT ON, UH, OUR GUIDE TO FOOD BEVERAGE AND FUN.
IT CAN ALSO GIVE YOU A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT'S OPEN.
WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S PLAYING LIVE OF MUSIC.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN BUY FOR OUR CITIZENS.
SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S BEING OFFERED BY OUR EDA IS A IS A REWARDS PROGRAM.
IF YOU SHOP IN GOLAND COUNTY AND YOU HAVE THIS APP, IF YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND, AND TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR RECEIPT, LOAD IT UP, YOU'LL GET A 5% CASHBACK REWARD THAT YOU CAN SPEND ANYWHERE IN GUC COUNTY.
IT'S, THIS IS CASH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO, BUT TAKE A PICTURE OF THE RECEIPT ON YOUR APP.
UM, IT'S A NEAT WAY TO HELP OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP SHOPPING THE LOCAL BUSINESSES.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT EDA HAS COME UP WITH TO, AGAIN, TO HELP MAKE THIS A COMMUNITY, A PLACE WHERE SMALL BUSINESS CAN BE SUCCESSFUL AS WELL.
IF YOU'RE A SMALL BUSINESS PERSON THINKING ABOUT IT, ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THIS.
MAY 24, OUR BUSINESS DEPRECIATION MONTH, MAY 7TH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN OFFICER BY THE BOARD.
AND THEN ON MAY 15TH AT KINDRED SPIRITS, IT'S GONNA BE A BUSINESS APPRECIATION EVENT.
ALL OF Y'ALL WITH BUSINESSES LOOK FORWARD TO YOU PARTICIPATING AND COMING OUT.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON IN GOLAND? WELL, GOLAND DAY NOW, YOU KNOW, WE ARE EXCEPTIONALLY FORTUNATE THAT THE CLAND DAY FOUNDATION AND VOLUNTEERS PUT ON FOR US CLAND DAY.
IT'S GONNA BE MAY 17TH AND 18TH THIS YEAR, MAY 17TH IS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE DOING A FRIDAY NIGHT PARK.
AND THEN ALL DAY SATURDAY ON THE 18TH, THE PARADE
THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO SEE, I, I TELL PEOPLE THAT I'VE BEEN HERE ABOUT TWO YEARS NOW AND AFTER ABOUT A YEAR, I, YOU KNOW, CALLING, TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FAMILY AND ALL THAT.
GLAND COUNTY IS A HALLMARK MOVIE SALE.
YOU KNOW, THEY LITERALLY MUST FILM ALL THE MOVIES HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE FESTIVALS, YOU HAVE THE FALL FESTIVAL, WE HAVE THE FIREWORKS FESTIVAL, WE HAVE THE GLAND BAY, WE HAVE THE KNIGHT AT TUCKER.
SO, YOU KNOW, AT FALL FESTIVAL YOU LOOK OUT, I GUARANTEE YOU THERE ARE SOME LADY FROM NEW YORK WHO HAD TO COME BACK HOME TO TAKE CARE OF HER AGING PARENTS AND SHE MET HER OLD BOYFRIEND FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND EVENTUALLY THEY'RE GONNA GET BACK TOGETHER.
SO DAY MAY 17TH AND 18TH, OUR PARKS AND REC, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE REALLY PROUD ABOUT IS WE ADDED LEE MILL TO THE VIRGINIA BIRD AND WILDLIFE TRAILS, GREEN SPRINGS L UH, LATE LAST YEAR.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ATTRACTING PEOPLE TO GOOCHLAND, THE NATURAL BEAUTY WE HAVE IS ONE OF OUR STRONGEST RESOURCES.
UH, BIRD WATCHING IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT PEOPLE WILL DRIVE HUNDREDS OF MILES TO COME AND, AND IF THEY HEAR THEIR PARTICULAR BIRD HERE.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE BIRDS.
RECENTLY WE'VE SEEN ADDITION, WE'VE GOT OVER NINE MILES OF TRAILS IS YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO GO TO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, OR AT LEAST MILL PARK AND MOUNTAIN BIKES COME FROM AROUND THE SOUTHEAST TO RIDE THE, THE, THE BIKE TRAILS, AT LEAST MILL PARK.
AGAIN, THE KIND OF THINGS WE'RE DOING TO GET PEOPLE HERE.
WHAT ELSE? I CAN MENTION THE 4TH OF JULY FESTIVAL.
TWO NIGHTS OF TUCKER EVENTS WHERE WE GOT LIVE MUSIC, WE, WE HAVE FOOD TRUCKS.
IT'S A GREAT TIME FOR YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO COME OUT.
SO I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY THAT GLAND IS AN AMAZING PLACE.
WHEN I SAY IT'S A GREAT DAY IN GLAND.
NOW YOU SEE WHY I SAY STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO I STARTED BY SAYING THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND IT MEANS A LOT THAT YOU'RE HERE.
SO HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED? WHY OBVIOUSLY INVOLVED ALREADY BY BEING HERE.
LET US KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING GOOD.
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE DIFFERENT.
YOU CAN ALWAYS TRY TO SEE ABOUT GETTING ON A BORDER OF COMMISSION.
VOLUNTEER AGAIN, COME TO EVENTS LIKE THIS.
COME TO SOME OF THESE EVENTS I JUST SHOWED YOU.
OBVIOUSLY VOTE RUN FOR OFFICE.
YOU KNOW, UH, WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE DEDICATED CIVIL SERVANTS WORKING FOR YOU, BUT YOUR PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO RUN FOR OFFICE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THE ONES WHO, WHO REALLY PUT THEMSELVES OUT ON THE LINE.
THEY'RE THE ONES WHO GET OUT THERE AND GO DOOR TO DOOR AND THEY'RE YOUR PERSON.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU ALWAYS TO THINK ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE OPENINGS ON THE FOLLOWING BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING SOME YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE.
UH, WE'RE FILLING SOME OF 'EM NOW, BUT WE ALWAYS END UP WITH OPENINGS FOR THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
AND FINALLY, HOW CAN YOU KEEP YOUAS? WELL, WE START WITH OUR COUNTY MOBILE APP.
PLEASE PUT THAT ON YOUR PHONE IF IT GIVES YOU A LOT OF ABILITY TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE ALSO GIVE YOU UPDATES AND ALERTS AND NOTIFICATIONS.
YOU CAN SIGN UP, BE NOTIFIED ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS MAYBE RELATED TO PLANNING AND ZONING, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE THAT, OF COURSE YOU GOTTA HAVE THE SHERIFF'S APP.
I HOPE VILLE HAVE THE SHERIFF'S APP.
IT'S AN AMAZING WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT'S
[00:35:01]
GOING ON IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ON ROADS ESPECIALLY.IT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST SERVICES THEY DO.
THEY TELL YOU THE ROADS ARE OPEN OR CLOSED, BAD WEATHER HITS.
SO YOU WANT TO PUT THAT ON YOUR PHONE AS WELL.
WE'VE GOT, AS A HANDOUT WHEN WE CAME IN, THERE'S A LISTING OF ALL THESE PLACES.
UM, YOU CAN FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA CODE.
RED IS SOMETHING I'D STRONGLY HEARD.
RED IS OUR EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION TO TELL YOU WHEN SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.
IT'S GONNA BE GENERALLY SOME PUBLIC SAFETY RELATED.
UH, WHEN WE HAD A WATER MAIN BREAK IS LETTING YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CONDITION AND STATUS OF THAT.
IT COULD BE AMBER ALERTS, IT COULD BE A VARIETY OF THINGS.
BUT CODE RED, I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT.
SO WITH THAT I'M GOING TO UH, TURN AND TURN IT OVER, YOU KNOW, RIGHT THERE.
UM, BUT IF THERE'S ANY QUICK QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER I DON'T WANT TO GET TO BECAUSE I WANT TO GIVE DR.
ARDI, THEN WE'LL ALSO TAKE QUESTIONS AFTER THE END OF IT.
BUT YES, MA'AM WAS WONDERING, UM, WHAT COUNTIES GET THE 80% FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT? IS THAT THE HIGH POPULATION? IT'S GENERALLY GONNA BE MORE BASED ON THEIR UH, LEVEL OF AFFLUENCE OR PERCEIVED AFFLUENCE.
SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG CONDITIONS ARE ARE THAT, AND AGAIN, SMART WE PROBABLY KNOW, BUT I THINK IT'S INCOME LEVELS DRIVE MOST OF THAT.
ANYTHING FOR THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS THAT WE HAVE HERE MAINTAINING? NO.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT THEN I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER.
MY NAME IS MICHAEL ARDI AND MY PASSION IS OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
MR. CARPENTER SHARED, UH, SOME WHAT SHOULD BE GOOD NEWS COMING OUT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TODAY.
THAT SOMETIME OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS THEY'RE GONNA ANNOUNCE THAT THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE HAVE BROKEN THE DEAL AND THEY'RE GONNA TELL US THAT THAT DEAL MEANS A SIGNIFICANT BIT TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
AND IT MIGHT MEAN A SIGNIFICANT BIT TO SOMEONE'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
IT WON'T AS MUCH TO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
FIRST OF ALL, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS? OKAY, VERY GOOD, VERY GOOD.
FOR THE REST OF YOU, I'M GONNA TAKE YOU ON A WONDERFUL RIDE TALKING AND BRAGGING ABOUT ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS GOING ON IN GLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW SCHOOLS ARE FUNDED.
GLAND HAS A LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX OF 0.8 0.8.
DOES ANYONE CARE TO GUESS WHAT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX IS? POINT EIGHT.
WHAT IS IT? POINT EIGHT IT IS, I'M GLAD YOU ASKED.
SO WHAT THAT BASICALLY MEANS IS THAT THE STATE SEES THE LOCAL ABILITY TO FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION.
80% TO REST ON THE LOCALITY AND THE 20% TO BE SUPPLEMENTED BY STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS AND OTHER MEANS.
SO WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT THE MONIES THAT ARE GONNA BE RELEASED TO PUBLIC EDUCATION TO FUND A 3% PAY INCREASE FOR STAFF, THAT SHAKES OUT TO BE ABOUT $100,000 FOR GLAND COUNTY.
KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR WHAT IT MEANS FOR HENRICO.
WHEN YOU HEARD A LITTLE WHILE BACK THAT THIS ALL IN VIRGINIA MONEY TO HELP STRUGGLING STUDENTS FOR TUTORING WAS UNVEILED ACROSS THE STATE TO THE TUNE OF SOME 460 SOME ODD MILLION DOLLARS.
GLAND COUNTY'S SLITHER OF THAT WAS $236,000.
INRI COUNTY COMPARATIVELY $17 MILLION.
SO WHEN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SAYS THAT THEY'VE EARMARKED MONEY TO ADVANCE PUBLIC EDUCATION IN THE COMMONWEALTH VIRGINIA, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY FALSE.
IT DOES HELP PLACES THAT HAVE DEMONSTRATED A LOWER ABILITY TO PAY FOR THE LOCALE, BUT DOESN'T MEAN AS MUCH FOR GLAND COUNTY.
SO JUST WANT TO TALK TO THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T HAVE KIDS IN THE SCHOOL, SORT OF INTRODUCE OUR PROGRAMS TO YOU.
OUR CORE VALUES ARE EXCELLENCE, CREATIVITY, COURAGE, HONOR AND OPTIMISM.
OUR CORE GOALS TO MAXIMIZE EACH STUDENT'S ACADEMIC POTENTIAL EVERY DAY TO MAXIMIZE RESOURCES FOR INSTRUCTION AND TO IMPROVE THE CLIMATE OF OUR ORGANIZATION.
THAT'S THE OVERALL ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A LITTLE BIT.
OUR VISION IS TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT.
I CHALLENGE OUR STAFF EVERY SINGLE DAY TO TRAIN AND PREPARE THE KINDS OF NEIGHBORS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, THE KINDS OF CITIZENS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, OUR COMMUNITIES.
THE MISSION OF OUR SCHOOL DIVISION IS MAXIMIZING THE POTENTIAL OF EVERY LEARNER, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF 'EM.
AND WE DO MAKE EVERY DECISION WITH THE BEST INTEREST OF STUDENTS IN MIND.
SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT OUR ENROLLMENT, WE HOVER AND HAVE HOVERED HISTORICALLY, AT LEAST OVER
[00:40:01]
THE LAST DECADE OR SO, SOMEWHERE AROUND 2,600 STUDENTS.YOU LOOK AT THE LAST ACADEMIC YEAR AND THAT YEAR WAS AN ANOMALY.
I HAVE NOT REALLY PUT MY FINGER ON WHY THAT YEAR WAS SO OUTSTANDING.
THE BEST THAT I CAN CONCLUDE AS SOMEONE COMING IN WAS THAT WE LIKELY HAD A VERY LARGE COHORT TO GRADUATE AND THE KINDERGARTEN COHORT THAT ENTERED WAS SMALL.
BUT EVEN HAVING SAID THAT, WE NEVER SO EARLY 25, 50, 2600 STUDENTS, I WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT HOW THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IMPACT HOUSING MARKETS IN GLAND COUNTY.
THE REPUTATION AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SCHOOLS HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON HOME VALUES AND THAT COMMUNITY, AND THIS IS NOT ME MAKING UP STATISTICS THERE, THEY'RE ATTRIBUTED HERE.
NATIONAL STATISTICS SHOW THAT THE AVERAGE DIFFERENCE IN HOME PRICES BETWEEN HIGH PERFORMING AND LOW PERFORMING DISTRICTS IS ABOUT $205,000 PER HOUSE HOMES IN TOP PERFORMING DISTRICTS SELLING AVERAGE OF EIGHT DAYS FASTER AND RECEIVE 26% MORE VIEWS THAN THE AVERAGE LISTING.
NOT ONLY AM I YOUR SUPERINTENDENT, I'M SOMEONE WHO IN THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS HAS PURCHASED A HOME IN GOLAND COUNTY.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT THESE THINGS ARE TRUE.
OUR IMPACT OR INFLUENCE ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY, FUNDING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT STRATEGY.
EVEN FOR STUDENTS WITHOUT SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN.
QUALITY SCHOOLS TEND TO MAINTAIN STABILITY EVEN IN CHALLENGING ECONOMIC TIMES.
AND HOMES IN WELL PERFORMING SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE MORE RESILIENT TO MARKET FLUCTUATIONS AS WE SEE EVERY DAY IN THE COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTY.
INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION PAVED THE WAY FOR A HIGHLY SKILLED AND INNOVATIVE WORKFORCE THAT DRIVES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND REPUTABLE SCHOOLS THAT TRACK THE KIND OF BUSINESSES THAT MR. CARPENTER COVETS FOR THAT 15%.
SO NOW I WANNA BRAG A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS.
GOSMAN COUNTY'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WE ARE RECOGNIZED FROM MEANINGFULLY INTEGRATED VIRTUAL REALITY IN THE TEACHING AND LEARNING.
ALL FIVE OF OUR SCHOOLS IN THIS COUNTY ARE APPLE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS.
THERE ARE FEWER THAN 400 TOTAL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE'VE GOT FIVE OF 'EM RIGHT HERE IN GLAND.
ALL FIVE BY THE WAY, NOT ONE LEFT OUT FOR SIX YEARS IN A ROW.
NICHE INDICATES THAT GLAND COUNTY'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE THE BEST IN THE METRO RICHMOND AREA.
THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT HANOVER, ENRICO CHESTERFIELD, RICHMOND, THE BEST IN THE METRO AREA SIX YEARS IN A ROW.
WE'RE A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SPECIAL OLYMPICS UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOL DIVISION.
WE'VE GOTTEN FOR MANY YEARS RUNNING THE DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION AWARD OFFERED BY THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION.
GLIN IS ONE OF 10 SCHOOL DIVISIONS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA THAT HAS ALL OF ITS SCHOOLS FULLY ACCREDITED FOR OVER A DECADE.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF AND THAT WORK DOESN'T COME REGARDING STUDENT GROWTH.
THE PINK ONE HERE IS THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
THE BAR GRAPHS REPRESENT WHERE OUR STUDENTS ARE COMING IN FOR ACHIEVING OR ACTUALIZING THEIR GROWTH GOALS.
SECOND GRADE THROUGH 11TH GRADE, GOOSE ONE'S BEEN A LEADER IN ASSESSING GROWTH.
WE'VE BEEN IN THAT GAME FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS FOR THE LAST 11 YEARS AND FOR STUDENTS IN THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS FOR THE LAST FIVE THAT WAS READING, WE GO BACK GOING FORWARD, LET'S TRY THIS.
I USUALLY DON'T HAVE A CLICKER THAT WORKS.
IT HAS TO STAND ON MY MACHINE.
SO THE DATA THAT I SHOWED YOU A MINUTE AGO, THOSE WERE LITERACY DATA.
THEY PERTAINED TO READING THESE DATA PERTAINED TO MATHEMATICS.
'CAUSE YOU CAN SEE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SIXTH GRADE, ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE WELL OUTPACING NATIONAL AVERAGES IN STUDENT GROWTH.
IT IS MY GREATEST HOPE AND ANTICIPATION THAT NEXT YEAR WHEN I'M STANDING BEFORE YOU, THAT SIXTH GRADE LINE IS ABOVE THE PINK AND WE WILL AGAIN HAVE ALL OF OUR GRADES OPERATING ABOVE NATIONAL AVERAGES FOR STUDENT GROWTH GOALS.
OUR GRADUATION RATES ARE EXEMPLARY BETTER THAN ANY I'VE SEEN AND I'VE BEEN A LOT OF PLACES ALL FOR GOOD REASON FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS RUNNING.
WE POST GRADUATION RATES AT 95% OR HIGHER.
THIS IS AN ON TIME GRADUATION RATE.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT OUR DROPOUT RATE IS 5%, DOESN'T MEAN THAT AT ALL.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO DON'T GRADUATE WITHIN THE FOUR YEARS, BUT THEY DO COMPLETE THE HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT GO THE GED ROUTE AND GAIN THEIR CREDENTIAL THAT WAY.
BUT WE'RE DOING A MAGNIFICENT JOB IN MATRICULATING KIDS KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12TH GRADE.
[00:45:01]
IN A PLACE THAT'S SO WONDERFUL, WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY NEED? FOLKS, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TELL YOU THAT THERE'S AN URGENCY IN PUBLIC EDUCATION IN OUR COUNTRY.ENROLLMENT IN UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS IS DWINDLING FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE TRAINING AND SET OUT TO BE TEACHERS.
FOLKS ARE OPTING TO DO OTHER THINGS.
FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN TEACHERS SINCE THE PANDEMIC HAVE OPTED TO TAKE JOBS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
AND ALL OF THESE THINGS MERGE AND HAVE MERGED OVER TIME TO CONTRIBUTE TO A DIMINISHING OF THE WORKFORCE.
THIS CHART IN FRONT OF YOU INDICATES WHERE OUR SCHOOLS ARE IN REGIONAL COMPENSATION.
IF YOU ARE GREEN, THAT'S REALLY, REALLY WONDERFUL.
IF IT'S YELLOW, THAT MEANS WE'RE RIGHT AT THE AVERAGE.
BUT IF IT'S RED, THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE IN THE LOWER HALF IN REGIONAL COMPENSATION.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN 2017 WE WERE IN THE TOP THREE IN THE REGION FOR STAFF YEAR ZERO TO 15 OF SERVICE.
WE HAVE A YELLOW STARTING OUT AND WE HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE STARTING OUT.
OTHERWISE WE COULDN'T RECRUIT PEOPLE AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE REGION IN TERMS OF TEACHER COMPENSATION.
NOW I HOPE YOU'RE ASKING YOURSELF AS I DO, HOW DO WE HAVE ALL OF THESE SAVORY, WONDERFUL OUTCOMES AND RANK THE WAY THAT WE DO IN PAYING OUR HIGHLY SKILLED AND QUALIFIED STAFF WHOM WITHOUT WE COULDN'T HAVE THE OUTCOMES, MID-YEAR RESIGNATIONS ARE UP 120% THIS YEAR.
THAT DOES NOT COINCIDE WITH MY ARRIVAL
THAT DOES NOT COINCIDE WITH THE ELECTION OF A NEW SCHOOL BOARD.
WHEN WE EXIT SURVEY FOLKS WHO LEAVE US, ALMOST ALWAYS, IT'S A TRUE ATTRIBUTED TO COMPENSATION AND DISTANCE.
58% OF OUR WORKFORCE LIVES OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY.
SOME OF THEM DRIVE ACROSS TWO SCHOOL DIVISIONS TO ARRIVE TO US.
AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY THEY'VE DONE THAT HISTORICALLY AND A LITTLE WHILE AND WHY THOSE VARIABLES ARE LOSING GROUND.
WE'VE LOST FOLKS TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AT RAISES OF 20 TO $30,000 MORE THAN THEY WERE MAKING AS CLASSROOM TEACHER.
WHAT BREAKS MY HEART? WE RECENTLY LOST A SPANISH TEACHER TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL ONCE UPON A TIME THAT NEVER HAPPENED.
ONCE UPON A TIME, PUBLIC EDUCATION IN TERMS OF TEACHER COMPENSATION BY HEAD AND SHOULDERS OUTPACED WHAT PRIVATE SCHOOLS WERE ABLE TO PAY.
NOT ONLY WAS HE A SPANISH TEACHER, HE'S MY DAUGHTER'S SPANISH TEACHER AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REPLACE HIM.
AND KIDS WHO HAVE THAT SPANISH TEACHER ARE NOW LEARNING SPANISH FROM A TEACHER SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY VIRTUALLY.
AND IT'S NOT GOING WONDERFULLY.
I KNOW 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A CHILD WHO'S EXPERIENCING THAT.
120% THIS SCALE ONCE UPON A TIME, NOT VERY LONG AGO, THE VARIABLES THAT ARE ON THE LEFT WOULD'VE OUTWEIGHED THE VARIABLES THAT ARE ON THE RIGHT.
PEOPLE LOVE THIS SCHOOL DIVISION BECAUSE OF OUR COMFORTABLE CLASS SIZES, WHICH WE STILL HAVE BECAUSE WE GIVE TEACHERS AUTONOMY.
WE GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE CREATIVE AND TO EXPERIMENT AND TO TEACH THEIR PASSIONS.
WE HAVE SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP AT THE BUILDING AND CENTRAL OFFICE LEVEL.
AND I CAN TELL YOU FROM HAVING WORKED IN LARGER SCHOOL SYSTEMS, WE HAVE A LOT LESS BUREAUCRACY HERE IN GOLAND.
A LOT LESS RED TAPE, A LOT FEWER HOOPS TO JUMP THROUGH TO DO YOUR JOB.
BUT MORE INCREASINGLY, THOSE VARIABLES, WHICH ARE ALL GOOD, ARE BEING OUTWEIGHED BY TEACHER COMMUTES SALARY, WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT THE INSTRUCTIONAL CALENDAR, WHICH WE'VE WORKED HARD TO FIX.
M LINE INFLATION, WHICH WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER, BUT WE MUST BE PREPARED TO RESPOND TO HOUSING.
I HAVE AN ELEMENTARY TEACHER AT
SHE'S RECENTLY HAD TO MOVE OUT OF THAT APARTMENT FOR WHICH THEY WERE SPLITTING RENT BY THIRDS TO MOVE BACK HOME WITH HER PARENTS BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T AFFORD TO PAY ONE THIRD OF THE RENT.
THIS IS A TEACHER HIRING INCENTIVES AND PRIVATE SECTOR PAY.
SO WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR SUPPORTED BY THE COUNTY DOES INCLUDE A 5% COMPENSATION INCREASE FOR ALL STAFF.
SOME MAY CALL THAT A RAISE, SOME MAY CALL THAT A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, BUT EITHER WAY YOU SLICE IT.
THAT IS GOOD FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND WE'RE PROUD OF THAT.
[00:50:05]
THE TOTAL INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE REQUESTED FROM THE COUNTY AND THANKFULLY HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TOTAL ABOUT $2.3 MILLION AND THIS REFLECTS A 5.7% INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR'S ASKS AND INVESTMENTS TO PUBLIC EDUCATION BY THE COUNTY.AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE HAD A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE.
AND THERE WAS ONCE UPON A TIME, NOT VERY LONG AGO WHEN WE HAD LOTS OF COVID FUNDS, THOSE FUNDS HAVE EXPIRED AND WE ESSENTIALLY HAVE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30TH TO SPEND THE REMAINDER OF THOSE DOLLARS.
MUCH LIKE LET MR. CARPENTER SHARE IT WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
OVER 77% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET IS DEDICATED TO INSTRUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT TEACHERS IN THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS.
77%, 7.1% GOES TO ADMINISTRATION AND HEALTH.
ABOUT 7% TO TRANSPORTATION, KEEPING OUR BUSES WELL MAINTAINED AND ON THE ROAD 9% TO OPERATIONS AND A LITTLE UNDER 7% TO TECHNOLOGY.
WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT FUNDING SOURCES, THE COUNTY TRANSFER RECOMMENDED AN INCREASE OF $2.122 MILLION OVER THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET.
THE COUNTY TRANSFER INCREASED FROM 68% TO 70% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET WITH THAT $29 MILLION REPRESENTING THE LION SHARE OF THAT AMOUNT.
NEXT TO THAT IS STATE GRANTS THAT WE APPLY FOR EACH YEAR.
WE HAVE SIX SALES TAX, WHICH THEY REFER TO AS HOLD HARMLESS, AND RIGHT NOW HAVE NOT BEEN AWARDED TO LOCALES.
I PRAY THAT PART OF WHAT COMES OUT TOMORROW OR SATURDAY WILL RELEASE THOSE HOLD HARMLESS FUNDS TO LOCALES FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLING.
THE GREEN INDICATES ABOUT 4% FOR FEDERAL, FEDERAL GRANTS AND THEN THAT SLITHER OF PURPLE.
THAT'S UH, OTHER MONIES THAT WE BRING IN.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE ARE PEOPLE IN SURROUNDING COUNTIES WHO PAY TUITION TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN GO TO SCHOOL HERE.
NOT A LOT OF THEM, BUT WE DO HAVE ABOUT 37, 38 FAMILIES WHO LIVE IN OTHER PLACES WHO PAY US TO EDUCATE THEIR STUDENTS.
THAT ALSO SPEAKS TO THE STRENGTH OF OUR SCHOOLS.
THIS GRAPH INDICATES A 10 YEAR TREND OF REVENUE SOURCES.
NOW IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS, YOU'RE PROBABLY THINKING, THIS GENTLEMAN IS STANDING THERE TALKING ABOUT SCHOOL FUNDING AND IT'S A RECORD LEVEL OF FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
FOLKS, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SAY THAT EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
EVERY SINGLE YEAR WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SAY THAT WE'RE FUNDING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AT A HIGHER RATE THAN WE DID THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
IT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY CONTINUE TO THRIVE.
AND WHEN YOUR TOTAL ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS MATCH YOUR TOTAL ADDITIONAL REVENUE, YOU HAVE WHAT WE CALL A BALANCED BUDGET.
I'M PROUD TO SHARE IT WITH YOU THAT WE DO HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I HOPE THAT IT WILL BECOME A PART OF THE OVERALL BUDGET OF THE COUNTY.
THE TOTAL SCHOOL BUDGET GREW BY 5.65% OVER THE PREVIOUS FISCAL.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT I WON'T FORGET ABOUT.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN'T HAVE, WE PROJECTED A 9% INCREASE FOR HEALTH INSURANCE CALLS FOR EMPLOYEES.
THOSE NUMBERS CAME IN AT AN ACTUAL 11%.
TO BRIDGE THE GAP OF THE TWO PERCENTAGE POINTS WILL COST ABOUT 120,000 ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.
WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT A MARKET ADJUSTMENT POOL FOR OUR TEACHERS ONLY.
WE EMPLOY 234 CLASSIFIED TEACHERS.
THIS MARKET POOL ADJUSTMENT WILL BENEFIT ME AND PEOPLE CLASSIFIED AS ADMINISTRATORS, ZERO ONLY OUR TEACHERS, SO THAT WE CAN RISE TO THE MEDIAN OF THE REGION, NOT THE TOP, BUT THE MEDIAN.
AND THERE'S A SCHOOL OF THOUGHT THAT SUGGESTS, WELL, AS SOON AS WE RAISE OUR SALARIES, THE BIGGER PLACES ARE ONLY GONNA RAISE THEIRS.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA GAIN ANY GRANT.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, BUT I DO KNOW THIS.
IF WE DO 5% AND THEY DO 5%, THE GAP NEVER CLOSES.
IN FACT, IT WIDENS THEIR 5% IS TYPICALLY ON A LARGER NUMBER.
MORE FUNDING FOR NEW TEXTBOOKS BASED ON THE VIRGINIA LITERACY ACT, THE NEW MATH SOQ, SOL STANDARDS.
MR. CARPENTER SAID SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY PROFOUND A WHILE AGO.
AND ALL OF US IN GOVERNMENT KNOW IT MANDATES COME DOWN FROM RICHMOND.
[00:55:01]
HERE, BUT SOMETIMES THEY DON'T COME WITH DOLLARS.WE ARE NOW UNDER THE VIRGINIA LITERACY ACT, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'VE GOT TO OVERHAUL OUR LITERACY TEXTBOOKS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL DIVISION.
THE INITIAL QUOTE FOR THE FIRST ELECTION CAME IN AT $430,000 TO ADVANCE THE VIRGINIA LITERACY ACT.
NOW I AM A PROPONENT OF THE VIRGINIA LITERACY ACT.
IT BASICALLY IS A RETURN TO WHAT ALL OF US ALREADY KNEW.
AND THAT'S THAT YOU TEACH LITERACY THROUGH PHONICS, NOT WHOLE LANGUAGE, WHICH THEY TRIED.
AND THEN WE CAME RIGHT BACK AROUND TO TEACH IN LITERACY.
THE WAY THAT WE TRADITIONALLY HAVE THREE ADDITIONAL INTERVENTIONISTS FOR READING SPECIALISTS, ONE FOR EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WOULD MEAN A LOT SECONDARY SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS AT THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TO REDUCE CASE LOADS.
CASE LOADS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS AT OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS ARE NORTH OF 20 STUDENTS EACH.
THAT'S COLLABORATION MANAGEMENT, THAT'S ORGANIZING TEAMS. ALL OF THE THINGS THAT GO INTO BEING A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER, FILLING THE GAP ON DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND VEHICLE REPLACEMENTS 'CAUSE OF LESS CIP FUNDING THIS YEAR.
THAT WOULD BE OR COULD BE A $1 MILLION ASK.
I ASKED THE AVERAGE AGE OF A SCHOOL BUS IN OUR FLEET AND WAS TOLD 15 YEARS.
NOW, ONE MAY SAY, WELL, THEY STILL RUN, DON'T THEY? ABSOLUTELY.
A NEW SCHOOL BUS NOW COSTS $140,000 FOR ONE BUS.
THEY'RE OUTFITTED WITH AIR CONDITIONING AND CONFIDENCE AT AMENITIES.
WE HAVE SOME THAT HAVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES.
WE SPOKE ABOUT OUR NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THIS IS AN AERIAL PHOTO OF THAT SCHOOL ON THE DAY WE HAD A DUSTING OF SNOW.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL FACILITY.
IF YOU'VE NOT SEEN IT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DRIVE BY IT.
I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE AGE OF THE EXISTING SCHOOLS.
THE, THE EXISTING GUC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS BUILT IN 1957.
IT DID HAVE A RENOVATION IN 69.
IT HAS NO GYM AND NO ART MUSIC ROOM.
KIDS HAVE TO WALK ACROSS THE PARKING LOT TO GO TO THE, UH, PARKS AND REC GYMNASIUM FACILITY TO HAVE PHYSICAL EDUCATION.
WHILE WE MAY BE THINKING, WELL, THAT'S NOT ALTOGETHER TERRIBLE.
BUT IT DOES TAKE THAT FACILITY OUT OF UTILIZATION FROM THE COMMUNITY DURING THE DAY.
'CAUSE WE'RE USING IT FOR INSTRUCTIONAL SPACE, OR AT LEAST WE HAVE THERE.
THE NEW SCHOOL DOES HAVE A GYMNASIUM.
BIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS BUILT IN 58 RANDOLPH IN 58.
AND YOU SEE RENOVATIONS AND ADDITIONS HAVE BEEN DONE ALONG THE WAY ALONG WITH THE SCHOOL CAPACITIES.
A HIGH SCHOOL IS A LITTLE OVER 20 YEARS OLD, BUILT WITH A CAPACITY OF 988 STUDENTS.
WE'RE SOMEWHERE AROUND 840 IN THAT BUILDING NOW WITH
THAT'S RIGHT THERE BESIDE IT'S ADJACENT TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN BETWEEN THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AND GES.
AND WE HAVE A FLEET OF 59 BUSES IN 64 VEHICLES.
THE MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE FULLY DEPRECIATED.
AS JUST MENTIONED, WE OCCUPY THE OILVILLE GARAGE, WHICH WAS BUILT IN 1989.
THAT IS A COUNTY OWNED FACILITY AS OF 2013.
SO WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW GU ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WE'RE GONNA PULL ABOUT 40 STUDENTS FROM THE VERB ELEMENTARY ZONE.
IN THE NORTHWESTERN END OF THE COUNTY.
80 TO A HUNDRED STUDENTS WILL COME FROM AREAS, NOT OUT AS FAR AS MANNEQUIN, BUT THE REST OF THE RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ZONE.
HERE IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY.
THE NEW SCHOOL IS 105,000 SQUARE FEET.
THE EXISTING GES IS ABOUT 35,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO WE'RE GAINING 70,000 SQUARE FEET OF INSTRUCTIONAL SPACE.
THAT SCHOOL HAS A CAPACITY TO HOLD ABOUT 650 STUDENTS.
WE WILL START NEXT YEAR WITH JUST THE SHADE UNDER 500.
NOT ALL OF THAT WENT INTO THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE.
ABOUT 11 MILLION OF THOSE DOLLARS WENT TO PREPARING THE LAND THAT THAT SCHOOL SITS ON TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE A SCHOOL.
WE DO HAVE A 50, WE DO HAVE A $55 MILLION PROJECT.
WE DO NOT HAVE A $55 MILLION SCHOOL.
WE HAVE CLOSER TO A 44 40 5 MILLION SCHOOL.
THIS NEW SCHOOL'S GONNA OPEN FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS THIS FALL.
THE PROJECT IS CURRENTLY UNDER BUDGET AND HAS ALLOWED COUNTY APPROVED RELATED ROADS AND STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PONDS AROUND THE SCHOOL.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING THAT I INVITE ALL OF YOU TO JOIN US AT ON JULY THE 18TH FROM FOUR TO SEVEN O'CLOCK WHERE YOU CAN COME AND WITNESS THIS
[01:00:01]
PROJECT FIRSTHAND.WE HAD OTHER FUNDED, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RECENTLY RECEIVED A WHOLE SCHOOL GENERATOR AT THE COST OF $540,000.
IF THAT DID NOT HAPPEN WITH THE FREQUENCY OF POWER OUTAGES, EVERY TIME WE HAVE A POWER OUTAGE THAT EXCEEDED 30 MINUTES, WE HAVE TO LOAD KIDS ON BUSES AND GET 'EM OUTTA CAMPUS.
WHEN WE DO THAT, WE'VE GOTTA SEND ROBOCALLS AND HAVE PARENTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN TO LEAVE THEIR JOBS IN PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT.
MANY OF THEM NOT CLOSE BY TO COME HOME TO ATTEND TO THEIR CHILDREN.
THIS GENERATOR ALLOWS US TO KEEP ON BUSINESS AS USUAL, EVEN WHEN THEY'RE POWER ALLERGISTS.
WE'VE HAD HVAC REPLACEMENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT WILL COMPLETE THIS SUMMER.
BIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL'S GONNA GET A ROOF REPLACEMENT BEGINNING THIS SUMMER.
A MUCH NEEDED ROOF REPLACEMENT FOR BIRD.
I SAW THE PRINCIPAL OF BIRD LAST NIGHT.
I TOLD HIM, WITH ALL OF THIS RAIN, YOU MUST HAVE LITTLE DUCK WING UP THERE.
HE SAID, WE'RE MAKING IT AS BEST WE CAN.
WE JUST KEEP MOVING THE BODIES, NOT, NOT THE WAY SCHOOL WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE DONE.
WE TALKED ABOUT ELECTRIC BUSES ARE THE THING NOW.
I JUST TRY TO EXIST WITHIN ELECTRIC BUSES.
THEY COST COMPARABLE TO TRADITIONAL SCHOOL BUSES, BUT THEY DO STILL COST NO LESS.
CIP NEEDS LIGHT UPGRADE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL MAINTENANCE POOL WITH CARPET AND CEILING REPLACEMENTS, CAFETERIA EQUIPMENT.
SOME OF THE CAFETERIA EQUIPMENT IN OUR SCHOOLS WAS PURCHASED AND INSTALLED IN 1991.
NOW FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE THINKING, DOES IT STILL WORK? YES, IT STILL WORKS SOMEWHAT.
BUT FOR CONTEXT, THE SUPERINTENDENT WHO'S STANDING HERE TALKING TO YOU, COULD HAVE USED THOSE THINGS IN 1991 AS A STUDENT.
THAT'S A LONG TIME FOR EQUIPMENT TO CONTINUE TO BE MAINTAINED.
UH, UH, ECO-FRIENDLY PARKING LOT REPAIRS AT BIRD.
WE LIKELY WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE SCHOOL ON THE FOURTH WHEN WE LEARNED THAT OUR SCHOOL WAS BEING USED AS A PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY POLLING PLACE.
THE PARKING SITUATION AT BYRD WAS A MAJOR FACTOR IN DECIDING TO CALL IT A DAY FOR STUDENTS BECAUSE WE COULDN'T ACCOMMODATE POSTERS, PEOPLE WHO WERE COMING TO VOTE AS WELL AS STUDENTS AND STAFF FIELD IMPROVEMENTS AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL.
OUR HIGH SCHOOL HAS SUPER COMPETITIVE TEAMS. WE JUST RECENTLY HAD A CHAMPIONSHIP, A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLER AND TWO STATE CHAMPIONS, UH, IN TRACK AND FIELD.
UPGRADE 1958 BATHROOMS AT RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE ENGINEERING PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR THE CTE EDITION THAT'S CURRENTLY INCLUDED IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN.
MS. CARPENTER DID RELATE THAT WE ARE GONNA BE ON THE RECEIVING END OF $1.2 MILLION FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
THAT IS OF A $4.9 MILLION ASK.
WE'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF BUILDING BRIGHTER FUTURES.
I HOPE THAT WHETHER YOU HAVE A CHILD OR GRANDCHILD IN OUR SCHOOLS OR NOT, IF YOU'LL ENGAGE WITH US, WE ARE DOING QUALITY WORK FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
AND THE REPUTATION OF THE, OF OUR SCHOOLS SPANS THE STATE.
I CUT MY TEETH IN PUBLIC EDUCATION IN HAMPTON ROADS AND OUT THERE WITH MUCH LARGER SCHOOL DIVISIONS LIKE NEWPORT NEWS WHERE I WAS A PRINCIPAL AND PORTSMOUTH WHERE I WAS A CHIEF.
EVEN THERE, WE HEAR ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF GLAND COUNTY.
I REMARKED TWO ADMINISTRATORS OR TWO SUPERVISORS TODAY, GLAND COUNTY PUNCHES UP.
WE PUNCH UP, WE PUNCH WELL OUT OF OUR WEIGHT CLASS.
BUT WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO DO THAT IF WE DON'T TAKE CARE OF THE PRIDE STAFF TO HELP US ACHIEVE THOSE FEES.
I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION TONIGHT AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, I WILL GLADLY ANSWER.
SO I'M GONNA TWO COMMUNITY MEETINGS NEIGHBORHOODS OF WHICH THE PROJECTED IS GONNA BE 500 CHILDREN.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED, BUT THAT'S THE PROJECTED NUMBER.
IF YOU SIT AND YOU WALK IN RI COUNTY ON THREE CHOP ROADS,
THIS IS A LOT OF CHILDREN COMING IN.
DO WE HAVE A SPACE THAT WE'RE GONNA BUILD A NEW SCHOOL FOR THESE KIDS? SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE GOT THE, WE'VE GOT THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT'S GONNA HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR ABOUT 200 MORE STUDENTS WHO WILL ARRIVE THIS FALL.
AND WE'VE TAKEN STUDENTS OUT OF BYRD AND UH, RANDOLPH.
SO THERE'S EXTRA CAPACITY CREATED AT EACH OF THOSE BUILDINGS AS WELL.
THE NEW SCHOOL OVERALL SHOULD GIVE US THE ABILITY TO ACCOMMODATE ABOUT 280 ADDITIONAL STUDENTS.
THERE IS PROJECTED GROWTH OF THE COUNTY'S POPULATION.
[01:05:01]
ALSO EVOLVING.BUT AT A MUCH SLOWER CLIP, IF WE GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE YOUNG FAMILIES WITH SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN WHO ARE TAKING A LIKING TO OUR $850,000 HOUSES AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO COME AND BUY THESE HOUSES WITH CHILDREN, WE ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT SITUATION.
WE ARE PARTICULARLY PROJECTING 400 TO START THE TIME.
OH, THIS IS GONNA BRING IN A LOT OF KIDS.
YOU JUST NEED TO SIT BEHIND A BUS.
AND WE'VE GOTTA BE READY TO FACE THAT GROWTH.
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAD A GREAT, UH, DONATION OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS BULL.
WE CAN GET MORE OF THOSE KIND OF THINGS TO HAPPEN.
AND ALSO MY BIG DEAL IS I DID NOT HAVE ANY SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN THAT ARE IN
WHAT CAN WE DO AS CITIZENS TO HELP
UM, I THINK THE BEST WAY TO ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS THEY EXIST NOW IS TO SUPPORT MEASURES THAT COMPENSATE TEACHERS TO VERBALLY AND PASSIONATELY SUPPORT EFFORTS THAT COMPENSATE TEACHERS.
WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO LOSE QUALIFIED SKILLED TEACHERS AT THE RATE THAT WE'VE LOST THEM THIS YEAR.
AND I JOKINGLY SAID A BIT AGO THAT THAT COINCIDES WITH MY ARRIVAL.
I WOULD RATHER THEY BE LEAVING BECAUSE THEY HATE ME.
I CAN TURN THAT AROUND LIKE THAT.
BUT I NEED YOUR HELP IN TURNING AROUND SOME OF THE OTHER VARIABLES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO OUR TEACHERS LEADING US AT A MUCH FASTER RATE.
UM, DO YOU, THE NEW CTE BUILDING, UH, IS THIS GONNA BE AN ADDITION TO THE EXISTING BUILDING THAT'S BEING YES, SIR.
THIS WILL BE AN ADDENDUM TO THE OKAY.
DO YOU HAVE A, A FUNCTIONING CTE COMMITTEE ADVISORY COMMITTEE? WE DO.
AND HOW OFTEN DO THEY MEET YOU IN THE YEAR? I BELIEVE THAT THE CTE ADVISORY MEETS QUARTERLY FOUR TIMES A YEAR.
THE OTHER THING IS, I HAD HEARD THAT YOU MIGHT BE LOOKING AT YEAR ROUND SCHOOLS.
IN FACT, WE HAD, UM, AND THAT'S A GOOD PLACE FOR ME TO INJECT THIS STIPULATION.
WE HAD DONE INTERCESSIONS THIS PAST YEAR.
THEY WERE ADOPTED UNAPPROVED BY THE, UM, PREEXISTING BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT.
AND THEY WERE FUNDED WITH GRANT DOLLARS.
AND THAT WAS THE SECOND WEEK IN OCTOBER WHERE KIDS HAD INTERCESSION AND SOME KIDS COULD OPT TO STAY HOME AND NOT PARTICIPATE.
AND SOME FAMILIES, FRANKLY, OPTED TO TAKE VACATION DURING THAT WEEK.
UM, THE INTERCESSIONS CAME AT A REAL COST OF A LITTLE BIT OVER $300,000, WHICH WAS FUNDED LAST YEAR WITH GRANT FUNDS.
HAD WE CONTINUED THOSE INTERCESSIONS, WE WOULD'VE HAD TO ROLL THOSE COSTS OVER INTO OUR OPERATING BUDGET.
AND WHILE THE DATA ON INTERCESSION IS STILL INCONCLUSIVE, I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT IT WAS WONDERFUL OR NOT WONDERFUL.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE COULD NOT ABSORB THAT.
YEAR ROUND SCHOOLS ARE NIGHTMARE.
AND, AND IT IS A, IT IS A NON-STARTER CONVERSATION WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT UNDERPAYING TEACHERS FOR 10 MONTHS, THIS STRETCH OF THE 12TH.
I HAVE A THREE POINT QUESTION ON VERY SIMPLE.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT FAIRFAX LOUD COUNTY, THANK GOD.
INSIDE I SEE ALL THE DOLLARS AND CENTS PRESENTED.
HERE'S MY THREE POINT QUESTION, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
WILL THE STUDENTS LEARN PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? NUMBER TWO, WILL THEY BE IN TROUBLE IF THEY BRING A BIBLE TO SCHOOL? AND NUMBER THREE, ARE WE GONNA HAVE BOYS BATHROOMS AND GIRLS BATHROOMS? SO THE ANSWER TO NUMBER ONE, THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IS REC RESIDE IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UH, THE ANSWER TO QUESTION NUMBER TWO, WE DON'T HAVE POLICY FOR BIDDING ANY STUDENT TO BRING A BIBLE TO SCHOOL.
AND QUESTION THE ANSWER TO QUESTION NUMBER THREE IS FAR MORE COMPLEX THAN WE HAVE TIME TO GET INTO TONIGHT.
UH, GENERALLY IT FEELS LIKE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COUNTY CHANGING OR BEYOND SCHOOLS, BUT I THINK WE KIND OF ADD YOUR OWN PROBLEMS. YOU MENTIONED ABOUT MORE STUDENTS COMING WITH REQUIRES MORE SCHOOLS AND MORE FUNDING AND BRING MORE BUSINESSES IN DEVELOPMENT, KIND OF NEEDS MORE PUBLIC SAFETY.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE KIND OF CREATING OUR OWN PROBLEMS CHANGE CHARACTERISTICS OF COUNTIES FROM THE SCHOOL STANDPOINT.
THE STAFFING THREW OUT PER STUDENT.
YOU TALK ABOUT SOME BIG NUMBERS OF BEING MUCH BIGGER COUNTY PER STUDENT.
IS THAT ALSO AS EXAGGERATED AS THE UM, DOLLAR? SIR, OUR, AND, AND I SAY THIS TO OFFER YOU ALL FACTUAL NUMBERS, OUR PER PUPIL EXPENDITURE RANKS IN THE BOTTOM THIRD IN THE STATE.
WHAT WE INVEST PER STUDENT IN OUR SCHOOLS RANKS IN THE BOTTOM THIRD IN THE STATE.
[01:10:01]
YOU THAT OUR PERCEIVED ABILITY TO PAY, WHETHER THAT'S REAL OR NOT, WE CAN DEBATE, BUT OUR PERCEIVED ABILITY TO PAY IS AMONG THE HIGHEST.SO WHEN YOU HAVE A VERY HIGH PERCEIVED ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO FUND YOUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND YOU HAVE A PER PUPIL EXPENDITURE THAT'S IN THE LOWER THIRD OF THE STATE.
AND, AND, AND HERE I WILL SAY THIS, AND I DON'T WANT TO OVERTAKE MY TIME, I'M AFRAID I'VE ALREADY DONE THAT.
BUT IF THE NARRATIVE IS, WELL, LOOK AT HOW WONDERFUL OUR SCHOOLS HAVE DONE TRADITIONALLY, AND WE'VE MANAGED TO PULL THAT OFF ON THE CHEAP.
BUT THERE ARE THINGS NOW THAT ARE CHANGING IN THE FIELD THAT HAVE IGNORED OVER TIME, WE'RE GONNA ERODE THE SUCCESS THAT WE'VE BUILT IN THIS COMMUNITY WITH OUR SCHOOLS.
THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE IS TEACHER COMPENSATION.
WE CAN'T PAY WHAT HENRICO PAYS.
I JUST TOLD YOU HENRICO GOT $17 MILLION OF ALLOCATED STATE FUNDS FROM WHICH WE GOT $236,000 AT THE SAME POT.
THEY'VE GOT RESOURCES THAT ARE BOUNDLESS.
WE CAN'T PAY WHAT WE PAY, BUT WE CAN SHOW OUR FOLKS THAT WE'RE GONNA INVEST SOMETHING IN THEM AND GET THEM COMPARABLE.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF THEM HOLD A REALISTIC EXPECTATION OF BEING PAID HIGHER THAN INIKA, BUT I DO THINK THAT THEY ALL HOLD THE EXPECTATION OF BEING PAID COMPARABLY HERE.
JUST ONE MORE, ONE MORE THOUGHT.
IT'S BASICALLY, UH, MAKING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT NO PROPERTY TAX TEACHERS ARE EXEMPT TAX OR PEOPLE THAT BILL HOUSING FOR, I MEAN, OTHER WAYS TO HELP ADDRESS THE COMPETITION IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT ULTIMATELY GOES TO THE CONSTITUTION STATE OF VIRGINIA.
SO WHAT THE CONSTITUTION ALLOWS US TO DO, WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE VERY LIMITED EXCEPTIONS FOR THAT.
RIGHT NOW, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS, IS I THINK THEY'VE, THEY'RE PASSING IT TO THE GOVERNOR THAT WOULD ALLOW THE, THE DEC, THE WIDOWS OF DECEASED WAR VETERANS TO BE EXEMPT.
SO THEY'RE JUST GETTING TO THAT STAGE OF CONSIDERING IT.
UM, YEAH, THAT'S SOMETHING WHICH, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN DO THAT FOR, FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, FOR FIREMEN, FOR, FOR TEACHERS, YOU KNOW, THE LOSS TO THE COUNTY WOULD, WOULD BE INSIGNIFICANT IN THE BIG PICTURE.
UH, THE BENEFIT TO THEM WOULD, WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT.
UM, BUT WE'RE, WE WOULD LOVE TO DO SOME THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE CAN ONLY DO WHAT IN, IN VIRGINIA'S IS WHAT THEY CALL A DI RULE STATE.
DI RULE MEANS THAT YOU CAN ONLY DO WHAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS SPECIFICALLY WORD FOR WORD TOLD YOU YOU CAN DO.
AND YOU CAN'T EXCEED FROM THAT.
SO IF THEY SAY YOU CAN PUT A FEE ON THIS, UM, IT'S GONNA BE SO LIMITED IN HOW YOU CAN DO IT.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE, THE VERY LIMITING REALITIES OF, OF TRYING TO DO THIS IN VIRGINIA IS, IS THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PEOPLE HOLDS ALL POWER.
AND SO WE WILL BE UP HERE AND TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE REALITY SOMETIMES.
AND YOU SAY, WELL THAT'S, THAT'S A LOT OF TAXES.
WELL, UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S ALL THEY LET US DO IS TAX PEOPLE.
THEY DON'T GIVE US, UH, OTHER STATES MAYBE GIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO GENERATE REVENUE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND THINGS FROM DIFFERENT WAYS.
IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SAYING WE'VE PUT ADVERTISING ON A POLICE CAR, BUT SOMEPLACE WILL DO.
SO, LONG ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, UM, MS. AMANDA ADAMS IS HERE TONIGHT, OUR CLERK OF COURT, AND, UH, SHE, SHE'S GOT SOME REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
SO AMANDA, IF YOU WOULD, AND ALSO MR. WINFORD FROM DISTRICT, FROM DISTRICT THREE CAME IN FOR A WHILE.
UM, HIS WIFE IS HOME CIVIL COVERING, SO HE HAD TO LEAVE, BUT HE MADE IT AS WELL.
SO I'M SORRY I DIDN'T INTRODUCE HIM.
JUST REALLY QUICK, I'M JUST GONNA GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION FROM MY SIDE OF THE COURTHOUSE.
UM, I'M GONNA TAKE A FEW MINUTES.
I KNOW EVERYBODY'S READY TO GO HOME.
SO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT WE NOW HAVE AN OVERSIZED PLAT SCANNER IN THE, THE COURTHOUSE.
SO I KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS BEEN OVER AT THE CLERK'S OFFICE, AND IF YOU NEED TO GET A, UH, SCAN OF YOUR PLAT, YOU NORMALLY HAD TO JUST PIECE IT OUT AND GET JUST REGULAR SIZE.
BUT NOW WE HAVE AN OVERSIZED PLAT SCANNER, SO YOU CAN GET THE WHOLE BIG PLAT NOW.
SO I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT THAT'S THERE.
UM, ALSO WE'RE GONNA START DOING, UM, ONLINE CONCEAL HANDGUN PERMIT.
SO YOU CAN STILL DO IT, UM, COME IN AND DO IT THE POSITION WAY, BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO HELP OUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO GET INTO THE OFFICE BECAUSE THEY WORK, UM, AND CAN'T GET INTO THE OFFICE BY FIVE O'CLOCK.
SO THIS WILL BE COMING SOON AND WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN IT'S UP AND READY.
UM, AND IT'S GONNA BE THE SAME PROCESS WHERE YOU WILL HAVE TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION
[01:15:01]
ONLINE.YOU WILL HAVE TO HAVE A, UH, YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE OR PASSPORT, AND YOU'LL HAVE TO SHOW WHERE YOU HAVE COMPETENCY OF WHERE YOU'VE TAKE IN A GUN SAFETY COURSE.
AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT I WILL BE DOING AN ESTATE PLANNING, UM, SEMINAR UP AT THE COUNTY ADMIN ON APRIL 26TH AT THREE O'CLOCK.
UM, AND THIS WILL GO OVER EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PROBATE.
UM, I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO HAVE A WILL AND I WOULD LIKE TO LET EVERYBODY, UM, KNOW MY KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE IT IS A BIG TOPIC AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE ALL OF THE RESIDENTS AT GOMAN, UM, ARE PREPARED BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN TO YOU.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? OKAY.
SHERIFF, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED TO SAY? I, I CAN ANSWER AND, UH, TALK TO PEOPLE AFTER, AFTER.
UH, WELL, WE HAVE A PLE NOW IF I TURN IT OVER TO YOU, YOU GUYS JUST SAID WE HAVE A PLETHORA OF COUNTY STAFF HERE.
AND WOULD LOVE FOR Y'ALL TO TALK TO THEM AS WELL, MR. LY.
WHAT YOU HEARD TONIGHT YOU LIKED IS GREAT.
MY JOB IS WHAT YOU EITHER DIDN'T HEAR TONIGHT OR WHAT YOU HEARD OR DIDN'T LIKE.
I'M NOT A, I'M NOT A MASOCHIST, BUT MY JOB IS TO TAKE THE, THE COMMENTS OF WHAT YOU HEARD AND MAYBE YOU, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND OR YOU DIDN'T LIKE WHAT YOU HEARD AND I, IN YOUR VOICE AND YOUR CONDUIT TO TRY AND GET ANSWERS.
SOMETIMES THE ANSWER IS SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE.
BUT MY JOB IS TO CUT THROUGH SOME OF THE PROCESS TO THE DEGREE THAT I'M ABLE TO, AND THAT'S MY JOB.
SO I PUT MY BUSINESS CARDS OUT THERE AT THE TABLE.
I TOLD YOU I'M A BOOMER, BUT I DO KNOW HOW TO TEXT
I DO TAKE PHONE CALLS AND I CERTAINLY RESPOND TO EMAILS.
SO MY JOB IS TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE IN COUNTY.
EVERYBODY THAT I'VE MET THAT WORKS FOR THE COUNTY WANTS TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
AND THE BEST THING, SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED TO LISTEN A LITTLE MORE ACTIVELY TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE QUESTION'S COMING FROM.
I'VE HAD QUESTIONS BACK AND WE PUT SCREENING UP ON UTILITY MINE, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO SEE SOME OF THE PROCESS OUT THERE.
I'VE GOT A CALL FROM A CLIENT, UH, WELL THEY ARE A CLIENT.
UH, THEY'VE GOT A NEIGHBOR, AN ABANDONED PROPERTY WITH TIRES ON IT.
HOW DO WE GET THE TIRES OFF THE, UH, PROPERTY NEXT DOOR? I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT'S NOT REALLY MY JOB.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, SOMETIMES IT'S THE BROKEN WINDOW PROCESS.
IF YOU TAKE CARE OF THE LITTLE THINGS, THE BIG STUFF STARTS TO GET BETTER TOO.
UH, IF YOU CALL AFTER 10 O'CLOCK, I'M NOT GONNA ANSWER
YOU CAN CALL AS EARLY AS FIVE 30 IN THE MORNING.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, MY JOB IS TO HELP YOU ENJOY WHAT I THINK IS PROBABLY THE CROWN'S RULE, CENTRAL VIRGINIA, WHICH IS SO MR. P, WIND IT OUT.
THAT'S IT GUYS, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
I THINK YOU HEARD TONIGHT YOU'VE GOT PASSIONATE PEOPLE IN THIS ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE PARK AND REC, WE HAVE PUBLIC SAFETY, WE HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT, WE HAVE UTILITIES, WE HAVE FINANCE.
WE HAVE SHERIFF, WE HAVE CLERK OF COURT HERE.
YOU GOT QUESTIONS? COME GRAB US.