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I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO COME OUT TONIGHT.
I'M THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR FOR UCHIN COUNTY.
UH, WITH US TONIGHT, WE HAVE WITH US MR. JONATHAN CHRISTIE, WHO'S THE SUPERVISOR FOR DISTRICT ONE.
AND MS. MOSES, WHO'S YOUR, UH, SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE.
KUMAR, WHO'S OUR SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND OUR CLERK OF COURT, MS. AMANDA ADAMS. UH, WE ALSO HAVE, WITH US, OF COURSE, THE SHERIFF.
WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THEIR TEAM AS WELL HERE.
WE HAVE, UH, COUNTY TEAM MEMBERS AS WELL.
WE HAVE MS. CARLA CAVE, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR.
UH, WE HAVE MR. PAUL DRUMRIGHT, OUR EXPERT IN, UH, BROADBAND ENGINEERING, AND, UH, JUST OTHERS HERE TO, UH, HOPEFULLY IF, UH, YOU GOT QUESTIONS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THEM FOR YOU TONIGHT.
UH, WHAT WE ARE HERE TO DO IS TO TELL YOU THE STORY OF GLAND.
WE'RE GOING TO TELL YOU THE STORY ABOUT THE BUDGETS AND, UH, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO US, AND THEN SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
NOW, I, I WOULD LIKE TO KID MYSELF THAT Y'ALL CAME HERE TO HEAR ME TALK, BUT I KNOW IN REALITY IT'S FOR THE COOKIES.
UH, THESE COOKIES IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM ARE MADE BY STUDENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, OUR CTE PROGRAM, AN AMAZING PROGRAM THAT WE OFFER, UH, TO OUR STUDENTS.
PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU TRY THEM.
UH, THEY'RE ALL HOMEMADE WITH LOVE RIGHT HERE IN GUCCI COUNTY.
SO IT'S ONE OF THE NEAT THINGS THAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES AND PROVIDES.
UH, YOU'LL ALSO SEE AS I GO THROUGH MY PART OF THE PRESENTATION THAT, UM, I'M RATHER FOND OF OUR, UH, ANIMAL SHELTER, AND EVERYBODY IN THIS WORLD NEEDS MORE, UH, PUPPIES AND KITTENS.
SO I'VE GOT PICTURES OF PUPPIES AND KITTENS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION AS WELL, BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT I WANNA START, AND WE'RE GONNA START, FIRST OF ALL BY JUST KIND OF GOING OVER WHAT THIS IS.
THIS IS OUR TOWN HALL MEETING.
OUR SECOND ONE, OUR DISTRICT ONE MEETING.
WE HAD ONE LAST WEEK IN DISTRICT FIVE.
YOU CAN SEE THE DATES, UH, WHEN THEY'LL, UH, WHEN THEY WILL BE, AND WHERE THEY'LL BE HELD, AND THE BUDGET ITSELF.
UH, OF COURSE, WE'RE GONNA START, FIRST OF ALL WITH CODA, ONE OF OUR DOGS AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
UH, YOU SEE THE HOURS FORWARD AND A DESCRIPTION OF, OF, UH, CODA AS WELL.
SO, MOVING INTO OUR BUDGET, WE'RE GONNA START BY LOOKING BACK.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, LOOKING BACK, WHERE HAVE WE BEEN THESE LAST FEW YEARS IN UCHIN COUNTY AND OUR BUDGET? AND WE STARTED WITH OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES.
WHEN YOU GO BACK ABOUT FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO TO 2018, YOU SEE THE COUNTY'S GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURE WAS RIGHT AROUND $50 MILLION.
THE CURRENT BUDGET THAT WE'RE PRESENTING FOR OUR GENERAL FUND RIGHT NOW IS OVER $90 MILLION.
AND IT IS, UH, REFLECTS THE PRIORITIES AND IMPORTANT THINGS THAT OUR, UH, OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS DECIDED WE NEED TO FOCUS ON AND DO.
UH, WHEN YOU SEE THE LARGE GROWTH IN THE BUDGET STARTING, THAT'S WHEN WE REALLY STARTED LOOKING INTO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONSE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD A FIRE AND RESCUE IN OUR STATIONS, MAKING SURE THE SHERIFF HAD THE NECESSARY NUMBER OF PATROLMEN ON DUTY, MAKING SURE THAT OUR 9 1 1 CENTER WAS ADEQUATELY STAFFED.
FIRE TRUCKS, AMBULANCES, SHERIFF'S VEHICLES, ALL VERY EXPENSIVE.
SO THAT'S WHEN YOU START SEEING THE BUDGET JUMPING UP IS WHEN WE STARTED REALLY MAKING THAT COMMITMENT TO THAT.
SO WHERE ARE WE GOING? WELL, THE ROAD AHEAD, WE START WITH RIGHT AT WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
WE ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE CITIZENS.
WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU, AND THAT THE BUDGET REFLECTS THAT.
YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET IS THE TOOL THE COUNTY USES TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
IF YOU WANT TO SEE SOMETHING DONE, IT'S IN THE BUDGET.
IF IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET, THEN APPARENTLY IT WASN'T WANTED TO BE DONE.
WE REALLY STARTED AS A STAFF BUILDING THE BUDGET IN OCTOBER.
SO THAT MANY MONTHS AGO, WE STARTED LOOKING AT IT.
AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IN OCTOBER OF 23, WE WERE TRYING TO ANTICIPATE WHERE WE WERE GONNA BE IN JUNE OF 25.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH IN BUILDING A BUDGET FOR YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS ANTICIPATING FAR INTO THE FUTURE SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE NECESSARY, UH, EXPENSES AND, AND PROGRAMS IN THERE.
YOU SEE, FROM NOVEMBER THROUGH JANUARY, WE MET WITH DEPARTMENTS AND CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS TO ESTABLISH PRIORITIES AND THOSE PRIORITIES.
WELL, THE FIRST THING IS, IS CONSISTENT WITH THE BOARD STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE'VE BEEN OPERATING OFF A PLAN FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS THAT, THAT, THAT REALLY SHARES WHAT THIS BOARD IN THE PAST AND CURRENT FIELDS IS IMPORTANT.
ANOTHER THING WE DO IS WE TAKE A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH.
WE DON'T OVERESTIMATE REVENUES AND WE DON'T OVERESTIMATE EXPENSES.
WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, THAT WE, WE DON'T, UH, DO WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DO, AND THEY PRETEND THEY'RE GONNA GET MORE MONEY THAN THEY HAVE, OR THEY'RE GONNA SPEND LESS MONEY THAN THEY ARE.
SO WE TAKE A VERY CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO HOW WE BUILD A BUDGET.
WE DO SEEK EFFICIENCIES AND COST SAVINGS WHERE WE CAN, WE LOOK AT EACH DEPARTMENT WHEN WE GO THROUGH IT TO MAKE SURE THAT, DO THEY STILL NEED WHAT THEY'RE SPENDING? IT'S AS CLOSE TO ZERO BASED BUDGETING AS YOU CAN GET IN A LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
ANOTHER ONE OF THE PRIORITIES IS TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND EXPAND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO THIS BUDGET WILL REFLECT THAT.
WHEN WE GET INTO THAT, OF COURSE, WE ALSO HAVE FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT WE MEET OR EXCEED.
YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT GLAND A FEW YEARS AGO, RECEIVED ITS THIRD AAA CREDIT RATING.
WE ARE THE SMALLEST COUNTY IN AMERICA TO HAVE THREE AAA CREDIT RATINGS.
AND LESS THAN 1% OF ALL COUNTIES HAVE AAA CREDIT RATING, LET ALONE A COUNTY AS
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SMALL AS OURS.WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE COMPETITIVELY COMPENSATED WITH, ESPECIALLY IN COMPARISON WITH OUR NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS.
AS YOU'LL HEAR THROUGH THE NIGHT, THAT'S BECOMING AN IMPORTANT AND INCREASINGLY RELEVANT ISSUE AS WE LOOK TO THE BIG BOYS TO THE EAST OF US, THE HANOVERS AND THE RICHMONDS, AND, AND THE HENRICO AND THE CHESTERFIELD, WHERE THEY'VE GOT BILLION DOLLAR BUDGETS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE DEALING WITH, WITH BUDGET, 10TH THE SIZE, 12TH THE SIZE, WHAT THEY HAVE, AND IT'S EASY FOR THEM TO POACH OUR PEOPLE.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE COMPETITIVELY COMPENSATED.
AND THEN WE ALSO LOOK TO EXPAND WHERE WE NEED TO.
I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU ALL THAT.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR, OUR STAFFING LEVELS APPROPRIATELY SO WE CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF A GROWING COUNTY.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY AND THE CENTRAL AROUND THE COURTHOUSE ARE UTILITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SELF-SUSTAINING.
UH, THEY, THEY BY NATURE ARE A STANDALONE BUSINESS UNIT OF THE COUNTY.
THEY DON'T MAKE MONEY, BUT THEY CAN'T LOSE MONEY.
IT'S NOT, UH, SOMETHING WHICH YOU, IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTY WHO HAVE NO WATER OR SEWER SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO PAY FOR, AND YOU DON'T.
SO WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR UTILITIES ARE ALWAYS SELF-SUSTAINING.
SO WE START WITH REVENUE RATHER THAN KNOWING WHAT WE WANNA SPEND.
WE START WITH KNOWING WHAT DO WE HAVE TO SPEND.
SO WE START GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, AND WE FORECAST AS AVAILABLE REVENUES, AND WE LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN.
WE LOOK AT, AT PROPERTY TAXES, WE LOOK AT AT OTHER LOCAL SALES TAXES, UH, MONEY FROM THE STATE, MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, CHARGES FOR SERVICES, FEES, ANY GRANTS THAT WE MAY GET.
NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S NOT LOST ON US IS, IS THESE MAY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY'RE ALL TAXES.
YOU PAY THEM, THEY COME OUTTA YOUR POCKET ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
AND SO WE'RE VERY COGNIZANT OF THAT.
WE'RE ALSO VERY COGNIZANT OF THE FACT OF STATE AID, UH, STATE OF VIRGINIA.
IN FACT, MOST STATES AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE GREAT FOR WHAT THEY CALL UNFUNDED MANDATES, WHERE THEY LIKE TO TELL YOU TO DO SOMETHING, THEY PASS THE LAW THAT YOU HAVE TO DO IT, THEN THEY DON'T GIVE YOU THE MONEY TO DO IT.
SO WE ALWAYS TRY TO LOOK AND MAKE SURE THAT THE STATE AID IS TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'RE HAVING TO DO.
SO WE HAD TO FIND THAT MONEY LOCALLY.
SO AFTER WE, WE'VE STARTED LOOKING AT THAT, THEN WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT THING IS, WHAT'S GONNA IMPACT OUR BUDGET? WELL, INFLATION IS SOMETHING THAT'S IMPACTED US THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
SO WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
UH, THE COST OF ANYTHING IS SO MUCH MORE THAN IT WAS THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO.
SO WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE THAT IN.
UH, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT A POTENTIAL RECESSION NOW FOR A COUPLE YEARS AS THE ECONOMY HEATS UP AND THEY RAISE INTEREST RATES WE KEEP BEING, TOTAL RECESSION MAY COME.
SO WE HAVE TO BE AWARE OF THAT.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO THIS COUNTY FOR RECESSION HITS US.
OF COURSE, THERE'S ALSO WHAT WE CONTINUALLY HEAR FROM YOU, OUR CITIZENS, IS THE IMPORTANCE, THE NEED FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE KEEP IN FRONT OF US.
BUT ALSO, PERHAPS NO SURPRISE TO YOU, UH, GLAND IS AN AGING COUNTY.
IN FACT, UH, THE AVERAGE AGE IN THE COUNTY GLAND IS OVER 60 YEARS OLD NOW.
SO WE ARE ONE OF THE OLDEST COUNTIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
THAT IMPACTS IN MORE AMBULANCE CALLS, THAT IMPACTS US MAYBE IN MORE, MORE FIRE OR RESCUE CALLS.
THAT IMPACTS US IN A LOT OF WAYS.
SO THE BUDGET HAS TO REFLECT THAT.
WE ALSO NEED TO CONSIDER THE, UH, PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING.
AND AGAIN, STATE OF, OF VIRGINIA'S NOT VERY GOOD ABOUT PAYING FOR WHAT THEY TELL US TO DO.
KUMAR'S REALLY GONNA GET INTO HOW THAT AFFECTS US LOCALLY WHEN THEY TELL US TO DO SOMETHING THAT THEY DON'T GIVE US ANY MONEY FOR IT.
SO WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN FRONT OF US.
OTHER COSTS THAT GO UP FOR US, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, INSURANCE, HEALTH INSURANCE, PROPERTY INSURANCE, ALL THOSE INSURANCES GO UP.
I THINK OUR INSURANCE ISSUES GOING UP 11% ON THE COUNTY.
THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR COSTS, BECAUSE OUR MAJOR EXPENSE IS PEOPLE, THE SCHOOLS, THE COUNTY.
WE MOSTLY EMPLOY PEOPLE TO DO THINGS.
SO THAT'S OUR SINGLE BIGGEST ASPECT OF WHERE WE SPEND MONEY.
AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, MAKE, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE COMPETITIVE EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION, SALARIES AND BENEFITS.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UH, LIVING IN HENRICO AND THEY'RE DRIVING TO GLAND.
WELL, IT MAY BE A LOT MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR THEM TO JUST STAY HOME IN, IN HENRICO AND MAKE A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS EVEN MORE, UH, THAN COME TO GLAND.
SO WE'VE ALWAYS GOTTA BE AWARE OF HOW COMPETITIVE WE ARE.
AND THEN THE LAST THING, LIKE I MENTIONED, ARE LOCAL MANDATES FROM OUR FRIENDS IN RICHMOND, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THE REVENUES, WHAT DOES THAT TAKE US TO? WELL, GENERALLY IN THE COMING UP BUDGET, UH, WE ARE ANTICIPATING REVENUES OF APPROXIMATELY $134 MILLION, 56,574.
THE BULK OF THAT COMES IN FROM PROPERTY TAXES, UH, PROPERTY TAXES, UH, AND ARE GONNA BE YOUR, YOUR HOMES, YOUR CARS, YOUR BOATS.
THAT ALSO INCLUDES THE GROWTH IN, UH, NEW, NEW BUILDINGS, NEW HOMES, NEW DEVELOPMENTS COMING IN.
OTHER LOCAL TAXES MIGHT BE SALES, TAXES, PERMITS, FEES AND LICENSES, ET CETERA.
YOU CAN GO DOWN AND SEE, BUT THE SINGLE BIGGEST CATEGORIES WE HAVE ARE YOUR TAXES AND YOUR CHARGES FOR SERVICES OR FEES.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE BULK OF OUR MONEY COMES FROM.
NOW, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, UM, AS I TELL THE BOARD, UM, THIS STOOL THAT WE SIT ON HAS GOT TWO LEGS TO IT, TAXES AND FEES, THAT'S NOT A GOOD, GOOD SITUATION BEING.
SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO DIVERSIFY.
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SO WE'RE NOT HAVING TO RELY ON PROPERTY TAXES TO FUND MOST OF THE GOVERNMENT.BUT RIGHT NOW, THAT IS, IS THE WAY THAT WE FUND THE BULK OF OURSELF, IS FROM GENERAL PROPERTY TAXES.
NOW, AS YOU NOTICE, THIS ACTUALLY DECREASED FROM LAST YEAR OF ABOUT 5.2%.
NOW, THE REALITY OF IT IS, AS YOU MAY RECALL, LAST YEAR, WE WERE BUILDING, UH, STARTED THE PROCESS OF BUILDING OUR NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND LIKE I SAID EARLIER, UM, INFLATION HAS KICKED IN HARD.
WELL, THE COST FOR THAT SCHOOL CAME IN DRAMATICALLY MORE THAN WE HAD, HAD EXPECTED, ANTICIPATED, AND PREPARED FOR.
SO WE HAD TO FIND AND ADD A LOT OF MONEY TO THE BUDGET LAST YEAR.
SO THIS YEAR THAT MONEY'S NOT IN OUR BUDGET.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S REFLECTING A DECREASE IN SPENDING FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, THE REALITY IS WE'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT IS STILL GROWN.
WE'RE JUST NOT SPENDING AS MUCH ON THE SCHOOL AS IT LAST YEAR.
SO I DON'T WANNA SIT HERE AND SAY, WELL, WE SHRUNK GOVERNMENT.
I WISH I COULD SAY THAT, BUT GOVERNMENT IS, IS STILL GROWING MARGINALLY IN OUR COUNTY.
UM, BUT WE'RE NOT HAVING TO SPEND THAT MONEY ON THE SCHOOL THAT WE DID.
AND WHEN THAT SCHOOL OPENS, AND DR.
KMART IS GONNA TELL YOU, IT'S GONNA BE A NEAT THING, HOPEFULLY Y'ALL WILL GET A CHANCE TO COME AND SEE THAT.
SO, DRIVING OUR, OUR TAX OF COURSE, OR ASSESSED VALUES, YOU KNOW, THE GROWTH OF YOUR PROPERTY, I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU.
YOU GET THAT PROPERTY ASSESSMENT EVERY YEAR.
YOU LOOK AT IT AND YOU GO, WOW, YOU KNOW,
UM, IT COMES IN, UH, ACROSS THE COUNTY AND OVERALL WENT UP 9.9, BUT MORE THAN HALF OF THAT IS FROM NEW GROWTH.
SO THAT'S COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S, UH, APARTMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
AVERY POINT HAS BEEN A HUGE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S COMING ON THE BOOKS.
UH, THE ACTUAL AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE WENT UP ABOUT 4.9% IN THE COUNTY.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT KIND OF DRIVES THE REVENUE THAT COMES IN TO GTIN COUNTY IS THE GROWTH OF ASSESSED VALUES.
SO WHERE DOES IT GO? WELL, IT GOES, AND, YOU KNOW, GENERAL, BASICALLY, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE CATEGORIES, UH, GENERAL GOVERNMENT, NON-DEPARTMENTAL, UM, IS ABOUT 9 MILLION.
UH, OUR, OUR COURTS ABOUT 3 MILLION ARE PUBLIC SAFETY.
A LITTLE OVER 27 MILLION SCHOOLS, OVER 43 MILLION, UM, AT GRAND TOTAL OF 134 MILLION, UH, 56,574.
IT DOESN'T USE FUND BALANCE TO RUN THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE COUNTY.
UH, IT DID NOT REQUIRE, UM, ANY INCREASE IN THE GENERAL TAX RATES, THOUGH AGAIN, THE VALUE OF PROPERTIES WENT UP.
SO THAT'S THE SAME THING WHEN YOU WRITE THE CHECK TAXES.
WERE STILL UP MORE THAN IT WERE LAST YEAR.
UM, BUT THIS IS WHERE IT GOES.
AND AS WE'LL GET INTO IT, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE COMMITMENT OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND EDUCATION IS OVER TWO THIRDS OF OUR SPENDING IN THIS COUNTY.
AND I PUT COURTS WITH, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY IN MY MIND.
YOU CAN'T HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER.
SO I ALWAYS, UM, IN MY MIND, WE'RE SPENDING 30 MILLION ON PUBLIC SAFETY, 43 ON EDUCATION.
AGAIN, UTILITIES IS PART OF THE OVERALL COUNTY'S BUDGET, BUT IT'S NOT PART OF OUR GENERAL FUND BECAUSE THAT'S A STANDALONE, UM, ITEM WHERE THEY BRING IN THE MONEY FROM, FROM THE PEOPLE WHO USE IT, AND THEN THEY SPEND IT TO RUN THE SERVICE.
SO NO PART OF THAT COMES FROM TAXES IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY AT ALL.
SO AS WE BREAK IT DOWN A LITTLE MORE, THE GENERAL FUND OF THE COUNTY IS ABOUT JUST A LITTLE UNDER $60 MILLION THIS YEAR.
UH, SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS CAN BE SOME OF THE, UH, UH, DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE IN THERE.
MAYBE SOME OF THE, UH, UH, DSS HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, SOME OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE PART OF THE GLAND ORGANIZATION.
AGAIN, UTILITIES, A LITTLE OVER 20 MILLION, UH, SCHOOLS, EDUCATION.
AND C-I-P-C-I-P IS, IS OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, OUR BUILDING PROJECTS, IT'S OUR SCHOOL BUSES, IT'S OUR SHERIFF'S VEHICLES.
IT'S FIRE TRUCKS AND AMBULANCES.
IT'S BUILDINGS, IT'S NEW ROOFS, IT'S AIR CONDITIONING, HVAC SYSTEMS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
ONE OTHER THING, GSO COUNTY HAS THAT, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE BETTER THAN THE AVERAGE BEAR.
AND SO WE'VE, UH, WE'VE GOT A 25 YEAR CIP PLAN.
WE'RE, WE'RE ALL OF OUR TEAM LOOKS FORWARD AND HAS BEEN LOOKING FORWARD FOR YEARS TO SEE WHAT DO WE NEED? SO WE DON'T GET SURPRISED SUDDENLY TO FIND THERE'S A HUGE EXPENSE COMING DOWN.
SO I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
BUT YOU SEE THAT'S ABOUT THIS YEAR.
WE'RE LOOKING TO SPEND ABOUT $8 MILLION.
AGAIN, LAST YEAR'S WAS DRAMATICALLY MORE BECAUSE OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE MONEY THAT WE NEEDED TO PUT INTO HELPING GET THAT BUILT.
HERE'S WINSLOW, FOUR YEARS OLD, NEUTERED CHIP, TESTED AND FULLY VETTED.
SO THE COUNTY CIP FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS, IF, IF NOTHING CHANGED, $643 MILLION.
NOW THAT'S NEW SCHOOLS, THAT'S NEW COURTHOUSE.
THAT'S FIRE STATIONS, THAT'S RENOVATIONS, REPAIRS, UPFITS, THAT'S PARKING LOTS.
THAT'S EVERYTHING WE COULD THINK OF.
SO YOU SEE, EDUCATION IS A HUGE PART OF THAT BECAUSE SCHOOLS AREN'T CHEAP.
AND WE KNOW THAT WE LEARNED WITH THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE FIRST SCHOOL THAT WE, FIRST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WE BUILT IN 70 YEARS.
UH, THEY'RE IN THE COURTHOUSE, THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THERE.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT A NEW BIRD SCHOOL AND A NEW, UM, EASTERN RANDOLPH SCHOOL WILL COST A WHOLE LOT MORE BECAUSE THAT ONE IS OVER 50 MILLION TO BUILD THAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO EDUCATION IS A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY TO BUILD A SCHOOL.
YOU CAN LOOK AROUND AND SEE THIS SCHOOL, WHICH IS, IS SERVED SO WELL, AND IT'S GONNA HAVE TO SERVE FOR A FEW MORE YEARS.
BUT WE HAVE A PLAN TO BUILD THIS SCHOOL.
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FIRE AND RESCUE IS THE NEXT BIG PART OF IT.AGAIN, FIRE STATIONS, FIRE TRUCKS, AMBULANCES, UH, WE'VE GOT OVER 20 FIRE TRUCKS IN OUR FLEET.
AND YOU HAVE THE SMALLER ONES.
BUT YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR AVERAGE BIG FIRE TRUCK MAY LASTS ABOUT 20 YEARS.
SO WHEN YOU'VE GOT OVER 20, YOU CAN DO THE MATH.
THAT'S ABOUT ONE TRUCK A YEAR.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO REPLACE AT A MINIMUM JUST TO KEEP WHERE WE ARE.
WELL, FIRE TRUCKS NOW ARE COSTING ANYWHERE FROM 800,000 TO 1.4 MILLION FOR A SINGLE FIRE TRUCK.
SO COST THERE AMBULANCES, UH, WE WANT TO HAVE 10 AMBULANCES IN SERVICE AS WE ADD MORE STATIONS THROUGH THE YEARS, THAT'S GONNA GROW.
WELL, AMBULANCES HAVE A LIFESPAN OF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THREE YEARS, FIVE YEARS.
UM, YOU GOT 10 VEHICLES, YOU GOT A FIVE YEAR LIFESPAN, THAT'S TWO A YEAR.
AMBULANCES ARE NOW HITTING 400,000, MAYBE MORE FOR AN AMBULANCE.
SO YOU START DOING THAT MATH AND YOU REALIZE JUST HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS TO RUN.
AND THESE ARE NOT VEHICLES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE REPLACING EVERY YEAR, AGAIN, 20 YEARS FOR FIRETRUCK.
THE CHIEF WILL TELL YOU, WE, WE'VE GOT VEHICLES THAT ARE MUCH OLDER THAN 20.
WE'VE GOT AMBULANCES WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES ON 'EM.
BUT IT'S CRITICAL TO ME AND THIS BOARD THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PROTECTING OUR LIVES AND OUR SAFETY HAVE THE BEST EQUIPMENT WE CAN GIVE THEM FOR SAFETY REASONS.
AND FOR YOUR SAKE, YOU DON'T WANT AN AMBULANCE BREAKING DOWN ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL, YOU IN THE BACK OF IT.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE COMMITMENTS THAT WE MAKE.
WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? AGAIN, SCHOOLS ARE A BIG PART OF THAT.
UH, THE JUDICIAL COURTHOUSE, YOU MAY RECALL A FEW YEARS BACK, THERE WAS A BOND REFERENDUM, UH, PASSED 85%.
UH, THE, THE GREATEST MARGIN OF APPROVAL IN THE HISTORY OF, OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO DO IT WITHOUT RAISING TAXES, BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN MANAGED WELL, AND BECAUSE WE HAVE GOOD GROWTH HERE.
SO A NEW COURTHOUSE IS IN THERE.
UM, THE SCHOOL THAT, UH, WAS BUILT IS, UH, ALREADY DONE, BUT WE'VE GOT COMING UP, UH, A NEW CTE BUILDING.
AND AGAIN, I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT THE COOKIES AND THE RESULTS OF THAT PROGRAM.
WELL, A BIG PART OF THAT IS A NEW CT AS WELL.
FIRE AND RESCUE FIRE STATIONS THAT WE'RE BUILDING CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WE'RE BUILDING NEW STATION SEVEN.
AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE WORK BEING DONE ON THE STATION.
EIGHT OVER IN GUM SPRINGS AS WELL.
AND THEN OTHER COSTS, PARKS AND RECS, SHERIFFS AND COURTS, GENERAL SERVICES.
AND WE'VE GOT, UM, A DETAILED ONLINE OF WHERE THE EXACT BUILDINGS ARE AND WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE.
BUT IN THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE PRESENTING, HERE'S MORE OF A BREAKDOWN OF THAT $8 MILLION WE WERE TALKING ABOUT FOR YOU THIS YEAR.
UH, SOME OF IT'S RELATIVELY SMALL PICTOMETRY SOFTWARE FOR OUR ASSESSOR, BUT THAT'S A CRITICAL PIECE OF SOFTWARE THAT WILL MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE, NOT JUST IN THE JOB THEY DO FOR THE COUNTY, BUT ALSO PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND ANYBODY WHO, WHO NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT BUILDINGS ARE, WHERE THEY ARE, THE DIMENSIONS OF BUILDINGS.
OUR PUBLIC SAFETY HAS ALREADY TOLD YOU.
FIRE ENGINES, AMBULANCES, UM, BUYING SOME LAND FOR A NEW FIRE STATION.
THEY'RE, UH, IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN OUT THERE, IF YOU KNOW OUR FIRE SERVICES, UM,
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUILD A NEW STATION THERE.
AND SO WE START BY BUYING LAND AGAIN.
UM, YOU SEE, WE'RE STARTING TO PUT MONEY ASIDE FOR THE COURTHOUSE AS WELL AS LIFECYCLE REPAIRS.
LIFECYCLE REPAIRS ARE ROOFS, HVAC SYSTEMS, REPAVING, PARKING LOTS.
AGAIN, MONEY FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AS WELL.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT BUILDINGS LIKE THIS, AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GONNA BUILD A NEW IN ONE DAY UNTIL THEN, WE GOTTA KEEP MAINTAINING IT AND SPENDING MONEY ON IT.
SO ABOUT 1.2 MILLION FOR THEM TO PUT INTO PROJECTS THAT THEY NEED TOTAL OF ALMOST $8 MILLION IN OUR CIP.
SO WHAT DOES THIS BUDGET DO FOR YOU? WELL, AGAIN, AS I STARTED OFF, WE MEET AND EXCEED ALL FINANCIAL POLICIES.
WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR FUND BALANCE IS STRONG.
WE MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THAT TRIPLE A CREDIT RATING.
WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR DEBT LEVELS ARE LOW.
IT INCLUDES A 5% COST OF LIVING SALARY INCREASE FOR ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES, BUT ALSO PUBLIC SAFETY REMAINING A PRIORITY.
UM, IT PUTS AN ADDITIONAL 5% FOR SHERIFF, FIRE AND RESCUE PEOPLE.
WE ALSO PUT 16 NEW POSITIONS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
UH, 12 OF THEM GOING TO FIRE AND RESCUE TO ENSURE THAT THE STATION OF GUM SPRINGS CAN NOW BE A 24 HOUR, SEVEN DAY A WEEK STATION.
AND THEN SIX OTHER POSITIONS THAT THEY CAN START USING FOR NOW, ULTIMATELY GOING TO THE NEW STATION SEVEN.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, ANOTHER SHIFT FOR OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THE TIP OF THE SPEAR.
WELL, THEY'RE THE ONES YOU TALK TO FIRST BEFORE A FIRETRUCK, AN AMBULANCE, A SHERIFF CAN COME OUT TO YOUR HOUSE.
SO MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE WELL STAFFED AND THEY HAVE ALL THEIR SHIFTS FILLED IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AGAIN, EDUCATION RECEIVES FUNDING, AND WE ALSO DOING STUDIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF GROWTH.
SO ONE OF THE, THE, THE BIG LESSONS WE'VE LEARNED THIS YEAR IS MAKING SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GONNA HAPPEN TO US AS PEOPLE KEEP MOVING HERE.
WE'RE THE SECOND FASTEST GROWING COUNTY IN THE REGION.
ONE OF THE 10 FASTEST IN THE ENTIRE STATE.
WHAT'S THAT GONNA DO TO US? WE WANNA REMAIN A COUNTY THAT IS
[00:20:01]
85% RURAL AND 15% URBAN AND DEVELOPED.WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE COMING IN AND EVERY POINT, LIKE I SAID, IT'S, IT'S GOT OVER A THOUSAND UNITS IN IT, WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF THAT AND OTHER THINGS.
SO WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT, THAT WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THESE AND GOING INTO THE FUTURE SO THAT WE, WE CAN BE, MAKE SURE WE'RE PREPARED AS WE NEED TO BE.
AND AGAIN, NO INCREASE IN TAX RATES, UM, THROUGH THE COUNTY.
SO THE SCHEDULE FOR THE BUDGET, WELL, UH, WE STARTED LAST WEEK WITH OUR, UH, OUR TOWN HALL IN DOVER BAPTIST TONIGHT.
HERE, YOU SEE THERE'S TWO MORE TOWN HALLS COMING UP.
WE ALSO HAVE A JOINT WORK SESSION WITH OUR SCHOOL BOARD ON THE 18TH.
WELL, THESE ALL ARE OPEN MEETINGS.
YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO COME.
UH, FINALLY APRIL, WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE BUDGET ON APRIL 2ND, AND THEN THE ACTUAL BUDGET ADOPTION ON APRIL 16TH.
SO YOU'VE GOT NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES TO THINK ABOUT, TO TALK ABOUT YOUR PRIORITIES, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU, TO MYSELF, TO YOUR SUPERVISOR, TO YOUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, SO THAT WE HEAR FROM YOU AND KNOW WHAT, WHAT YOU THINK AND, AND WHAT YOU WANNA SEE.
NOW WE'VE GOT A KITTY STRICKLAND LITTER TRAIN, NEUTRAL TESTED AND CHIPPED.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING.
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA ACCOMPLISH.
SO NOW, WHAT'S ELSE'S GOING ON IN GLAND? WELL, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON IN GLAND.
YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS LIKE TO START OFF AND TELL, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT IT'S A GREAT DAY IN UCHIN COUNTY, AND IT IS.
SO I'M GONNA START BY SHOWING YOU SOME OF THE EXAMPLES.
I TOLD YOU THE STUDIES WE'RE UNDERTAKING A STUDY.
WE CALL IT THE SOUTHEASTERN INFRASTRUCTURE STUDY.
AND IT'S LOOKING AT THE SOUTHEASTERN PART THAT THE PATTERSON AVENUE CORRIDOR, NORTH AND SOUTH, NOT AS FAR AS TWO 50 BROAD STREET.
AND MAKING SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, WHAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITY IS GONNA BE, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN THERE IN THE NEXT 20 TO 30 YEARS, BECAUSE WE KNOW GROWTH IS COMING.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT AN AREA THAT'S ALMOST 5,000 ACRES WITH THE POTENTIAL TO GROW.
IT'S ALREADY AN AREA THE COUNTY HAS IDENTIFIED AS A FUTURE GROWTH ZONE FOR THE COUNTY.
WE'VE ALREADY GOT APARTMENTS THERE.
YOU'VE GOT AN INTERSTATE THERE ON TWO SIDES OF IT.
YOU GOT FOUR LANE ROADS WITH PATTERSON AVENUE.
SO MAKING SURE THAT WE KNOW THE IMPACT ON OUR WATER, ON OUR SEWER, ON OUR SCHOOLS, ON OUR FIRE, ON OUR RESCUE, ON OUR SHERIFF, AND ON OUR ROADS.
SO THAT'S WHAT THIS STUDY IS GONNA DO, AND IT'S GONNA GIVE US A SENSE FOR THAT.
UM, YOU ARE INVITED, ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
AND THIS IS THE WHOLE COUNTY THAT'S AFFECTED BY IT.
SO THE FACT THAT IT'S ON THE EASTERN PART, YOU'RE VERY MUCH STRONGLY ENCOURAGED AND WELCOME TO BE THERE.
AGAIN, THE UTILITIES ON THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY PRETTY CRITICAL TO THEM.
WE'VE BEEN DOING A MAJOR PROJECT, UH, OVER THERE WHERE WE'VE BEEN UP, UP UPGRADE, YEAH, UPGRADING OUR FORCE MAIN THAT RUNS ALONG PATTERSON AVENUE.
IF YOU SEE THE PICTURE, THE SCALE OF THE GENTLEMAN TO THE PIPE ITSELF.
SO THESE PIPES ARE ABOUT AS BIG AS WE ARE STANDING UP.
AND THIS, THE MAIN PART OF OUR SEWER SYSTEM GOES THROUGH THAT AS WELL AS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF HENRICO COUNTIES GOES THROUGH IT.
SO THIS IS A CRITICAL, UH, PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE'RE ABOUT 70% COMPLETED WITH IT, AND WE SHOULD BE ESSENTIALLY DONE BY MAY OF THIS YEAR.
ANOTHER PART OF OUR UTILITIES IS, AGAIN, SUE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
THEY'RE OUT THERE, ONE OF THEM, GANAU HILLS IS GETTING WATER AND SEWER.
THEY'VE BEEN PART OF THAT AREA, UH, OF THE TUCKAHOE CREEK SERVICE DISTRICT, WHICH IS OUR UTILITY DISTRICT, UM, FOR 20 YEARS.
AND WE'RE GETTING WATER AND SEWER TO THEM.
THEY'RE OVER 50% DONE NOW IN GETTING THOSE PROJECTS DONE AGAIN, ALL THESE UTILITIES ARE PAID FOR BY THE PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE THE BENEFIT ONLY.
THEY'RE NOT PAID FOR BY THE COUNTY AS AS A WHOLE, BUT BY THE BUSINESS UNIT OF THE COUNTY AND THOSE PEOPLE THAT THEY SERVE.
WHAT ABOUT ROADS? A LOT OF GOOD STUFF GOING ON THERE.
IF YOU DRIVE THROUGH THE COURTHOUSE, IF YOU DRIVE THAT AREA OF SANDY HOOK AND FAIRGROUND ROADS, YOU KNOW, THE TRAFFIC TRAFFIC CIRCLE'S OPEN NOW.
AND PEOPLE HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH IT WHILE IT WAS BEING BUILT, WHEN IT WAS OPEN.
BUT AN INTERESTING THING HAS HAPPENED, PEOPLE LIKE IT.
UH, WE'VE HAD SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER WRECKS THERE.
UH, TRAFFIC DOESN'T BACK UP LIKE IT DID IN THE PAST, AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ARE DONE.
BUT WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY PRESENTED, IT WAS GONNA GO ALL THE WAY TO HIGHWAY SIX.
YOU MAY RECALL, WELL, INFLATION HIT AND THEY COULDN'T AFFORD THAT.
SO THEY TOOK OUT, UH, THE PART TO HIGHWAY SIX.
SO NOW WE'RE UNDERWAY WITH WHAT WE CALL THE EXTENSION, THE FAIRGROUNDS, ROAD EXTENSION ENGINEERING IS UNDERWAY.
THAT MEANS IT'S A FUNDED PROJECT.
UM, THEY SHOULD, UH, BELIEVE IT'LL BE DONE ABOUT 28, FEBRUARY OF 28, SO ABOUT FOUR YEARS TO FINISH ENGINEERING, DESIGNING, BIDDING IT OUT AND BUILDING IT.
THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH ROAD PROJECTS KNOW THEY TAKE FOREVER.
AND THAT'S THE SAME REALITY WITH, WITH THIS.
NOTHING IS QUICK OR EASY, SO IT TAKES YEARS TO DO IT.
UM, IMPORTANT WORD THOUGH IS WHEN WE SAY THAT ENGINEERING IS UNDERWAY, THAT MEANS IT'S PAID FOR.
IT MEANS THE MONEY'S BEEN IDENTIFIED AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO FINISH THE PROJECT.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON THAT WILL AFFECT ALL OF US WHEN IT'S COMPLETED.
AGAIN, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GO ALL THE WAY FROM, UM, BROAD STREET DOWN FAIRGROUNDS ROAD TO HIGHWAY SIX THAT TAKEN THAT JOG THROUGH THE STOPLIGHT, THEREBY THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING THE OLD HIGH SCHOOL.
WHAT ARE SOME OTHER THINGS COMING
[00:25:01]
OUR WAY? WELL, I 64 ASHTON ROAD, IF YOU EVER DRIVE THAT, THAT, THAT CAN BE A MESS.AGAIN, FULLY FUNDED ENGINEERING IS UNDERWAY FOR WHAT THEY CALL A DIVERGENT DIAMOND.
UH, THAT'S GONNA TOTALLY REBUILD THAT ENTIRE INTERSECTION SO THAT IT'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE TRAFFIC NORTH AND SOUTH ON THAT ROAD.
UM, HANDLING THE, THE WHAT'S ALREADY A CRITICALLY FAILING INTERSECTION AND IMPROVING IT SIGNIFICANTLY.
UH, IT'LL BE FINISHED ABOUT 2031 TAKES LONGER FOR THAT 'CAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH AN INTERSTATE.
THEY GOTTA BUILD TWO BRIDGES OVER THAT INTERSTATE.
AND IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN ZS CROSSROAD, THAT'S A DIVERGENT DIAMOND.
SO THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE PUTTING AT ASHTON ROAD, 2031.
A SEPARATE PROJECT, BUT CONNECTED.
ALSO THERE IS THE PARK AND RIDE LOT, IF YOU'VE EVER USED THAT.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA BE, UH, BUILDING A NEW ONE IN THAT AREA, CLOSING DOWN THE OTHER ONE.
'CAUSE THEY NEED THAT FOR, FOR THIS EXPANSION.
AND SO THE NEW PARK AND RIDE WILL BE DONE ABOUT 28 IF YOU EVER DRIVE THE HOCKET ROAD AREA.
THE HOCKET ROAD REALIGNMENT, AGAIN, ENGINEERING IS UNDERWAY.
IT'S A FUNDED PROJECT RIGHT NOW.
HOCKET ROAD TAKES YOU FROM PATTERSON ALL THE WAY UP TO, UH, BROAD STREET WITH A STOPLIGHT AT THE FOOD LINE.
YOU HANG A RIGHT, YOU GO 200 YARDS, HANG A LEFT AND KEEP GOING THE INTERSTATE.
SO THAT LITTLE HANG A RIGHT, HANG A LEFT, IT CREATES A REAL TRAFFIC BOTTLENECK FOR PEOPLE.
SO THE REALIGNMENT WILL BUILD A NEW ROAD THAT'LL TAKE YOU FROM HOCKET ROAD STRAIGHT TO THE STOPLIGHT TO I 64.
SO IT'LL BE A STRAIGHT SHOT FROM 64 ALL THE WAY DOWN TO PATTERSON AVENUE.
THE LIGHT TO THE FOOD LINE WILL STILL STAY.
SO PEOPLE WHO ARE USED TO DRIVING THAT ROUTE WILL STILL BE OPEN, STILL BE ABLE TO GET THERE, BUT IT'LL SIGNIFICANTLY TAKE AWAY ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS WE HAVE, WHICH IS THAT INTERSECTION OF POCKET ROAD AND TWO 50.
SO SOME OTHER THINGS THAT ARE COMING OUR WAY THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, UM, ON, ON ROUTE 2 88.
THIS IS ABOUT A 20 YEAR PROJECT.
WE'RE STARTING TO STUDY THE FUTURE OF 2 88 AND THE NEED FOR FUTURE INTERCHANGES.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT.
WILKES RIDGE PARKWAY, CONNECTING IT TO 2 88.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S ABOUT A 20 YEAR PROJECT.
ALSO, OILVILLE ROAD, IF YOU EVER GET OFF THE OILVILLE INTERSECTION, TRAFFIC BACKS UP INTO I 64 THERE.
UM, WE'VE ALMOST FULLY FUNDED IT RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WITHOUT DO IS PUT A NEW TRAFFIC CIRCLE THERE AS WELL, THAT AS TRAFFIC GETS OFF, IT'LL BE ABLE TO ROUTE IT AND IT WON'T BACK UP TO THE INTERSTATE NEAR AS MUCH.
UH, WE ANTICIPATE GETTING FUNDING THROUGH THAT IN THE NEXT YEAR.
AND AGAIN, IT SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN 2028.
NOW, MOVING ON FROM THAT INTERNET HIGH SPEED INTERNET, UM, I JUST LIVE DOWN THE STREET FROM HERE AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOTTA USE LITTLE MIFI TO CONNECT TO ANYTHING.
MY KIDS ARE ALL 26, 26, 28, AND THEY'RE LIKE, WE'RE NOT GONNA COME VISIT YOU TILL YOU HAVE REAL INTERNET.
AND, AND FIREFLY IS COMING AND I, I SAW SOME WEEKS BACK, ACTUALLY ABOUT TWO MONTHS BACK, LOOKING OUT ONE DAY, AND THEY WERE HANGING WIRES IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.
AND THAT IS THE DOMINION MIDDLE MILE, WHERE MOST OF THESE, OR MANY OF THE MILES OF WIRE ACTUALLY HAVE TO BE ON DOMINION'S, POWER LINES AND THE RIGHT OF WAY.
BUT DOMINION'S NOT PROVIDING THE SERVICE.
FIREFLY IS SO DOMINION IS THE MIDDLE MILE.
ONCE THEY'RE COMPLETED, THEN FIREFLY WILL BE ABLE TO START CONNECTING THAT LAST MILE TO THE HOUSES THAT ARE GONNA BE TIED INTO IT.
UM, ALL OF THE CVEC SYSTEM, IF YOU'RE IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTY, THEY'VE ALREADY GOT, UH, FIREFLIES ALREADY FINISHED IN THE CVE SYSTEM.
UM, AND THE REC SERVICE AREA, THEY'RE, UH, STARTING TO CONNECT PEOPLE.
NOW, AGAIN, DOMINION SHOULD BE COMPLETED WITH MOST OF THEIR STUFF BY, UH, THE, REALLY BY JUNE OF THIS YEAR.
AND WE'RE LOOKING TO START IN SUMMER OF 24, CONNECTING IN PARTS.
IF YOU'RE IN THE PORT 80, WHICH IS MORE IN THE COURTHOUSE AREA AS WELL.
THEY'VE GOT OVER 28 MILES OF FIBER CROZIER TOWARDS THE COURTHOUSE, AND OVER 370 HOUSES, THEY'VE RECEIVED IT.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, BY 25, UM, GOD, I WANT MY KIDS TO COME STAY WITH ME FOR MORE THAN A DAY OR TWO.
SO I CERTAINLY WANT TO HAVE IT HERE, AND I KNOW Y'ALL DO TOO.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER WAS THAT WE DON'T WANNA RUN OUR COUNTY OFF THE BACKS OF OUR TAXPAYERS, OUR CITIZENS.
SO WHAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO US IS THAT WE GROW THE COMMERCIAL PART OF THE COUNTY WHERE IT MAKES SENSE WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE.
SO YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU HERE, SOME OF THE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE COME IN THE LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE WAS EXCITED WHEN WE GOT A CHICK-FIL-A THAT WAS NORMALLY THINGS WHEN PEOPLE SAY, WHAT DO YOU WANT? CHICK-FIL-A, UM, AND THEN IT WAS A CRACKER BARREL.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT A CRACKER BARREL, BUT THE CHICK-FIL-A IS OVER, OF COURSE, IN THE, UH, EASTERN PART OF THE 2 88 CORRIDOR OF CENTERVILLE, THAT AREA.
BUT SOME OF THE OTHERS THAT HAVE COME, UH, TO THE COUNTY INDUSTRIAL TAP HOUSE JUST OPENED LAST WEEK UP THERE, UM, IN THE, UM, UH, ROCKVILLE AREA.
UH, SEVERAL MORE VETERINARIANS HAVE COME.
BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THESE ARE BUSINESSES THAT, A, THEY REALLY DON'T GENERATE STUDENTS IN OUR CLASSROOMS. UH, THEY DON'T GENERATE MANY CALLS FOR FIRE AMBULANCES, AND THEY REALLY DON'T GENERATE THAT MANY CALLS, GOD WILLING TO OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
THEY'RE HERE, THEY'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEY'RE GENERATING REVENUE THAT, THAT WE NEED SO THAT THE TAXES ON OUR HOMEOWNERS DO NOT GO UP OR CONTINUE GOING UP.
SO YOU'LL HEAR US TALKING, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO YEARS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF GROWING OUR COMMERCIAL SECTOR AND WHY IT'S
[00:30:01]
IMPORTANT.WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THAT WE NEED THAT 15% IS CRITICAL.
SO WE CAN MAINTAIN 85% RURAL AGRICULTURAL, THE KIND OF ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE ALL HERE FOR, WHY WE WANT IT.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THAT.
AND, AND YOU'LL SEE US TALKING ABOUT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, FREQUENTLY.
AND WHAT IS, WELL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
LAST EIGHT YEARS, $546 MILLION HAS BEEN INVESTED IN COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THIS COUNTY.
SO $546 MILLION, THAT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN OUR ABILITY TO PUT THOSE 16 PUBLIC SAFETY PEOPLE IN THE STREETS STARTING IN JUNE.
THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE TO BEING ABLE TO BUY FIRE TRUCKS AND AMBULANCES AND BUILD THAT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT'S GOING IN.
SO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T SEE.
AND IDEALLY, SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T AFFECT US, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN A PERFECT WORLD, IT DOESN'T AFFECT US AND WE SEE ALL THE BENEFIT, BUT IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE THIS CAPITAL GROWTH IN OUR COUNTY.
THERE ARE OTHER KINDS OF GROWTH WE'RE LOOKING AT AS WELL.
TOURISM, WE'VE GOT AN AMAZING PLACE.
UCHIN IS A GREAT PLACE AND, AND GETTING TOURISTS TO COME.
WHY? WELL, BECAUSE A TOURISTS GENERALLY COME, THEY SPEND MONEY AND THEN THEY GO HOME, OKAY? SO THEY DON'T PUT SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, KIDS IN OUR SCHOOLS, THEY GENERALLY DON'T GENERATE, UH, SERVICE NEEDS TO US, BUT THEY MAKE OUR, OUR RESTAURANTS HELP OUR SMALL SHOPS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY HELP THE GAS STATIONS, SO THEY SUPPORT US.
SO UCHIN COUNTY PASSED A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR TOURISM IN JANUARY OF LAST YEAR.
THERE'S THE TOURISM WEBSITE, EXPLORE UCHIN.COM.
YOU GO, THERE'S DAY TRIP IDEAS, VARIETY OF THEM FROM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANNA DO HISTORY, IF YOU WANT TO DO A GUY'S DAY OUT, A GIRL'S DAY OUT, YOU WANNA DO A CRAFT BEVERAGE DAY.
IT GIVES YOU ALL KINDS OF ROUTES YOU CAN FOLLOW THROUGH AS WELL.
UH, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, UH, LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE IT'S AMAZING.
SOME OF THE STUFF WE HAVE HERE.
I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT ARCHERY IN THIS COUNTY.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, TUCKER PARK AND THINGS YOU CAN DO THERE, UM, UM, LEES MILL OVER NINE MILES OF TRAILS THERE THAT YOU CAN MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE, PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE STATE TO RIDE MOUNTAIN BIKES IN LEES MILL.
UH, PEOPLE COME FOR ARCHERY COMPETITIONS HERE.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT YOU DON'T ALWAYS THINK ABOUT, BUT THEY'RE IMPORTANT TO WHO WE ARE BECAUSE AS UCHIN, WE'RE DIFFERENT.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT AN APP, OF COURSE, FOR YOUR PHONE, UM, ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT BECAUSE THAT ALSO HELPS THAT THAT TIES YOU INTO OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
AND IF YOU WANNA KNOW IF SOMEONE'S PLAYING LIVE MUSIC, THEN, THEN THIS WILL HELP YOU FIND OUT IF THEY'RE PLAYING LIVE MUSIC AT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR CRAFT BEVERAGE OR ONE OF OUR RESTAURANTS IN THE COUNTY.
SOMETHING ELSE THAT OUR EDA, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, WHICH IS INDEPENDENT OF THE COUNTY, BUT PART OF US IS THEY STARTED A PROGRAM WHERE IF YOU SHOP IN RICH, IN IN, IF YOU SHOP IN GLAND, UM, AND, AND, AND YOU JOIN UP AND IT'S JUST ALL YOU DO IS DOWNLOAD THE APP, UM, YOU CAN EARN 5% BACK FROM EVERYTHING YOU SPEND IN THE COUNTY.
AND THAT'S JUST ACTUAL, IT'LL DEPOSIT THE MONEY 5%.
IF YOU SPEND A HUNDRED BUCKS, IT'LL PUT FIVE BUCKS BACK IN YOU THAT YOU CAN THEN SPEND SOMEWHERE ELSE IN GUC AND COUNTY.
SO THE IDEA IS TO ENCOURAGE US TO GO SHOPPING IN GLAND AND HELP OUR FRIENDS WHO ARE KEEPING BUSINESSES GOING IN GLAND.
AGAIN, ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE WE DO CARE ABOUT OUR BUSINESSES.
THESE ARE SOME THINGS WE'RE DOING TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES.
AGAIN, UH, MAY IS SMALL BUSINESS APPRECIATION MONTH.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN OPEN HOUSE AT OUR BUSINESS CENTER ACROSS FROM THE COURTHOUSE, AND A SPECIAL APPRECIATION FOR ALL SMALL BUSINESSES ON MAY 15TH AT KINDRED SPIRIT BREWING.
SO IF YOU HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS, PLEASE CONSIDER COMING AND BEING PART OF THAT.
BUT WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE GOING ON IN GUCCI? WE'VE GOT GREAT STUFF.
GLAND DAY, MAY 17TH AND MAY 18TH COMING UP.
YOU KNOW, GLAND DAY EXISTS BECAUSE OF THE EFFORTS AND THE BENEFIT OF THE GLAND DAY FOUNDATION.
AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE US.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MOMS AND DADS AND PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE WHO CARE ABOUT THIS COUNTY.
AND THEY BROUGHT GLAND DAY BACK AND THEY PUT DOWN, NOW THEY'VE ADDED A SECOND DAY, A FRIDAY NIGHT, AS WELL AS THE ALL DAY SATURDAY.
SO FRIDAY NIGHT'S A CONCERT AND A FUNDRAISER.
THEN THE PARADE AND THE FESTIVAL SATURDAY FROM 11 TO THREE, UM, COME OUT.
GOSH, YOU KNOW, IT'S SO NEAT WHEN YOU SEE, WHEN YOU SEE THESE EVENTS THAT ARE PUT ON IN THIS COUNTY, AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF US.
OUR, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY DOESN'T PUT THIS ON.
WE SUPPORT THEM, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S CITIZENS DOING THAT.
PARKS AND REC, I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE TRAILS AT PARKS AT, UH, LEAKS MILL.
WELL, SOMETHING ELSE WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF IS, IS WE GOT ADDED TO THE VIRGINIA BIRD AND WILDLIFE TRAIL, GREEN SPRINGS LOOP AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.
UM, AGAIN, WHAT MAKES US SPECIAL? WELL, OUR, OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR NATURE OUTDOORS.
PEOPLE WILL DRIVE, AGAIN, HUNDREDS OF MILES TO DO BIRD WATCHING.
IF THEY HEAR THAT THERE'S A PARTICULAR BIRD IN AN AREA, THEY WILL COME TO SEE IT.
IT'S THAT KIND OF TOURISM THAT AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, RICHMOND TOURISM, IT'S GOOSE AND TOURISM COMING TO SEE THE WILDLIFE WE HAVE HERE.
AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE BIRDS YOU SEE THAT THEY'VE JUST SPOTTED RECENTLY.
WHAT ELSE DOES PARK AND REC DO AGAIN, IT'S A GREAT DAN G AND WE'VE GOT A PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT COMING UP.
OUR FIREWORKS FESTIVAL JULY 4TH NIGHT AT TUCKER CONCERTS AT THE, AT THE TUCKER PARK, WHERE YOU GOT LIVE MUSIC,
[00:35:01]
YOU'VE GOT FOOD TRUCKS, FAMILY FRIENDLY RIGHT THERE BESIDE THE RIVER.YOU KNOW, WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR, UM, IN A PLACE LIKE THIS? SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE OFFERED YOU AS A SERVICE DOCUMENT SHREDDING, HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE IN THE FAIRGROUNDS AREA, UH, IN GOLAND ITSELF.
UM, BRING YOUR DOCUMENTS TO BRING YOUR, UM, HAZARDOUS WASTE FROM FLUORESCENT BULBS, UM, PESTICIDES, UM, PHOTOGRAPHIC CHEMICALS, POOL CHEMICALS, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH.
THE COUNTY WILL TAKE THOSE OFF.
THAT'S GONNA BE COMING UP IN JUNE THE FIRST.
SO I'VE BEEN TALKING TO ABOUT GUC AND WHAT A GREAT PLACE IT IS.
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, YOU'RE HERE.
I NORMALLY START THESE MEETINGS BY TELLING PEOPLE HOW, HOW GREAT IT IS FOR ME TO SIT HERE AND LOOK AT YOU.
UH, AND THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT, I MEAN THAT I DON'T CARE WHAT THE REASON SOMEONE'S HERE FOR.
IT IS SO GREAT TO LOOK AT BECAUSE I'VE BEEN PLACES WHERE NOBODY CAME, AND YOU'D BE TALKING ABOUT THINGS THAT WERE IMPORTANT.
BOARDS WERE MAKING SERIOUS DECISIONS, AND NOBODY CARED AND THINGS HAPPENED.
SO THE FIRST THING YOU DO IS, IS GET INVOLVED.
UM, WE HAVE BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS YOU CAN, UH, APPLY ONLINE TO THE COUNTY FOR THEM.
UM, VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENTS, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR PARKS AND REC IS CERTAINLY AN EXAMPLE.
OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE, OUR FIRE AND RESCUE, ALL OF THEM HAVE CRITICAL NEEDS FOR ADDING MORE VOLUNTEERS.
AGAIN, COME TO THESE EVENTS AND JUST COME OUT TO THE STUFF.
COME OUT TO GLAND DAY, YOU KNOW, COME OUT TO THE FIREWORKS FESTIVAL, COME OUT TO THE FALL FESTIVAL.
UH, SEE THE NEAT THINGS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON HERE.
AGAIN, THESE ARE SOME OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
AND THERE YOU CAN SEE AT THE BOTTOM, UH, THE LINK YOU WOULD GO TO.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING ON A BOARD OR COMMISSION.
AGAIN, THE COUNTY HAS A MOBILE APP.
REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO, UH, HAVE THAT ON, BECAUSE IT'LL GIVE YOU, AMONG OTHER THINGS, ALERTS AND NOTIFICATIONS.
SO YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR ALERTS, FOR, FOR ZONING, FOR LAND USE CHANGES.
SO YOU'D BE NOTIFIED IF SOMETHING IN YOUR AREA IS GOING THROUGH A LAND USE PROCESS.
OF COURSE, OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE APP, YOU GOTTA HAVE THAT.
UH, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT APP, THE INFORMATION HE SHARES WITH US, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON TO TALK ABOUT CONDITIONS ON ROADS AND WITH BAD WEATHER, THE WINTER'S PRETTY MUCH OVER, BUT NOW WE'RE ENTERING INTO A TORNADO SEASON.
AND THEN HURRICANE SEASON ROADS CLOSED IN A COUNTY LIKE OURS, RURAL ROADS, TREES ALL OVER 'EM.
THAT'LL HELP YOU A LOT IN UNDERSTANDING WHEN ROADS ARE CLOSED AND WHEN THEY'RE OPEN TOO.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET HIS APP GO ONLINE TO OUR FIRE RESCUE SERVICES.
THEY'VE GOT A GREAT WEBSITE AS WELL TO TELL YOU INFORMATION THAT, AGAIN, UM, JUST VALUABLE TO HELP YOU BE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND OF COURSE, OUR ANIMAL CARE AND PROTECTION, THE SHELTER, UM, YOU CAN ALWAYS VOLUNTEER WITH THEM.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD ABOUT WITH THEM IS THAT THEY MANAGED LAST YEAR, A 96% SAVE RATE.
THAT'S NOT KIND OF ONE OF THESE COBBLED TOGETHER NUMBERS.
THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S NOT REAL.
THAT'S 96% OF THE ANIMALS THAT CAME IN, WALKED OUT, UH, EITHER WITH A PERSON OR WELL WITH A PERSON.
UH, WE ALSO RESPONDED, SHOOT OVER 2,600 CALLS FOR SERVICE.
UH, THEY, UM, UH, I CAN TELL YOU THEY DO NOT RESPOND TO CALLS FOR BEARS, UH, THAT VIRGINIA WILDLIFE WILL DO THAT.
BUT THEY'LL RESPOND ABOUT ANY OTHER CALL THAT YOU COME FROM, FROM, UH, FROM HORSES, FROM PIGS, FROM COWS, DOGS, CATS, UM, GUINEA PIGS, BIRDS, SNAKES.
THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT A SPECIAL AREA IN THERE FOR EXOTIC ANIMALS THAT'LL, THAT'LL COME THROUGH THEM AS WELL.
UM, CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT, AGAIN, ENCOURAGE YOU TO SIGN UP TO GO ON OUR FACEBOOK, OUR TWITTER ACCOUNT, UM, CODE RED.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE LAST THING THAT I WILL ENCOURAGE YOU TO SIGN UP FOR.
CODE RED, WE ONLY USE IT WHEN IT IS A CRISIS OR AN EMERGENCY.
SO YOU'RE AWARE THAT SOMETHING IS HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA.
IT COULD BE TORNADO WARNINGS, IT COULD BE HURRICANE WARNINGS, IT COULD BE, UH, AMBER ALERTS.
UH, IT, IT COULD BE A WATER LINE HAS BROKEN AND, AND YOU HAVE NO WATER IN YOUR AREA.
SO STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO SIGN UP AS WELL FOR THAT.
AND SO, WITH THAT, AGAIN, WE'VE GOT SCHOOLS COMING UP, BUT I'LL BE GLAD TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, A FEW QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW IF YOU'VE GOT ANY FOR ME.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE EXPANSION, UM, THE FIRE RESCUE.
SO HOW IS THAT GONNA IMPACT THE LOVE TRAVEL STOP, IF THAT ENDS UP GETTING PASSED? WILL THEY PROVIDE THE SERVICE TO, UM, LOUISA COUNTY? AND THE QUESTION WAS, UM, AS WE LOOK TO, TO, TO START WORKING ON THE STATION EIGHT IN GUM SPRINGS, AND HOW WOULD THE PROPOSED LOVE TRUCK STOP IN LOUISA COUNTY? UM, HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT STATION EIGHT? WELL, THE FIRST THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT GUSTON COUNTY HAS GOT A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR SURROUNDING COUNTIES.
AND SO WE PROVIDE MUTUAL AID FOR EACH OTHER.
UH, IF THEY EVER CALL US, IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE CAN HELP EM, WE WILL.
SO IF LOWE'S IS BUILT AND GOES IN AND THEY GET A CALL FOR SERVICE THAT THEY CAN'T HANDLE, IT'LL COME TO US.
AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO HANDLE IT, WE WILL, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST WHAT WE DO.
UH, WE PROVIDE SERVICE TO HANOVER, UH, CHESTERFIELD, RICHMOND, UH, PAL IN LOUISA.
UH, MOST OF OUR CALLS TO LOUISA GO TO I 64.
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WE'RE GETTING ANY NUMBER, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT, UH, THE NUMBERS FOR THIS PAST MONTH AND THE NUMBER OF CALLS ON I 64 SIGNIFICANT.SO IF LOVE'S IS BUILT, YES, IT, IT, IT ALMOST CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO HAVE IMPACT BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN OUR COUNTY.
WE WOULD NOT BE THE PRIMARY RESPONDER, BUT ABSOLUTELY, IF THEY NEEDED US, WE'LL BE THERE.
WITH THE, UM, FIREFLY THAT'S COMING, IF SOMEONE LIVES REALLY FAR OFF THE ROAD, ARE THEY CHARGING PEOPLE TO HOOK UP TO THEIR HOUSE, OR IS THAT, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, OKAY, THE QUESTION WAS FOR FIREFLY.
IF YOU LIVE, IF YOU'VE GOT A VERY LONG DRIVEWAY OR YOU LIVE FAR OFF THE ROAD, UM, WILL THERE BE A CHARGE TO YOU TO CONNECT? MY UNDERSTANDING IS NO.
NOW, I, I GUESS THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS NO.
SO I, WELL, I'LL STILL BE AROUND FOR ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE OR WE'RE HERE.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO DR.
SO MY NAME IS MICHAEL KUMAR AND MY PASSION IS OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I'VE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT I HAVE TO TURN MY MIC ON FOR THE BENEFITS OF FOLKS WHO ARE STREAMING.
IT'S ON, IS IT WORKING? OKAY, GREAT.
REALLY DON'T WANNA BE TETHERED.
SO HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE CHILDREN IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR GRANDCHILDREN? OKAY.
OKAY, SO JUST A FEW OF US IN THE ROOM.
FOR THE REST OF YOU, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE FUNDED FROM A STATE LEVEL, AND THEN I'LL GET INTO TALKING ABOUT HOW OUR COUNTY PROMOTES AND HELPS FINANCE OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WE ARE BASED ON A FORMULA AT THE STATE THAT FUNDS SCHOOLS BASED ON LOCALES, LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX, LCI.
THE LCI FOR GLAND COUNTY IS A 0.8.
ANYBODY CARE TO GUESS WHAT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LCI IS? IT IS A 0.8.
THAT MEANS THAT BASED ON THE STATE FORMULA, GLAND COUNTY IS SEEN AS HAVING A HIGH ABILITY TO PAY FOR ITS PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WORD OF CAUTION, YOU'LL HEAR COMING OUTTA RICHMOND MORE INCREASINGLY THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY JUST BROKERED A DEAL ON A BUDGET THAT COULD BE A GAME CHANGER FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND THAT MAY BE TRUE FOR SOME PEOPLE.
SOMEWHERE IT'S LESS TRUE FOR GLAND COUNTY.
AND THIS IS WHY, BECAUSE OUR LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX IS A 0.8, THAT BASICALLY MEANS THAT THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT WE GET FROM THE STATE FOR SCHOOL FUNDING IS DIMINISHED.
SO WE GET PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR AS COMPARED TO SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS THAT HAVE A LOWER LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX.
FOR EXAMPLE, RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU ARE, GIMME A THUMBS UP IF YOU HEARD ABOUT THE GOVERNOR'S ALL INITIATIVE.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE NOT HEARD OF IT, THIS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT'S GEARED TOWARD FILLING IN GAPS, BASICALLY DUE TO LEARNING LOSS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE STEMMED FROM CO.
GLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS RECEIVED A SUM TOTAL OF $236,000 OF THAT OVER $460 MILLION POT, $236,000.
HENRICO COUNTY A STONES THROW FROM US $17 MILLION OF THOSE SAME MONIES.
SO THAT GIVES YOU SOME CONTEXT OF HOW STATE MONIES FLOW DOWN INTO OUR COUNTY.
I WANNA INTRODUCE YOU TO OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.
OUR CORE VALUES ARE EXCELLENCE, CREATIVITY, COURAGE, HONOR AND OPTIMISM.
OUR GOALS ARE TO MAXIMIZE EACH STUDENT'S ACADEMIC POTENTIAL, TO MAXIMIZE OUR RESOURCES FOR INSTRUCTION, AND TO IMPROVE THE CLIMATE OF OUR ORGANIZATION EVERY SINGLE DAY.
OUR VISION IS TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT.
WE ARE EDUCATING STUDENTS TO BE THE KIND OF NEIGHBORS THAT YOU'D WANT TO HAVE.
AND OUR MISSION IS TO MAXIMIZE THE POTENTIAL OF EVERY SINGLE LEARNER, EACH OF THEM, EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WE MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR STUDENTS.
OUR ENROLLMENT, AS YOU SEE, WE'VE BEEN FAIRLY STEADY IN ENROLLMENT FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
THERE IS AN ANOMALY FOR LAST SCHOOL YEAR THAT I CAN'T QUITE PUT MY FINGER ON.
THE BEST THAT I CAN SURMISE IS THAT THE OUTGOING COHORT OF STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED MIGHT HAVE BEEN LARGER THAN THE INCOMING COHORT OF KINDERGARTNERS.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE ANOMALY YEAR.
ALL THE OTHER YEARS PRETTY MUCH RUN PRETTY CLOSE TO 2,600 STUDENTS.
I, I WANNA TALK WITH YOU ABOUT SCHOOLS AND THE HOUSING MARKET.
THE REPUTATION AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SCHOOLS HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON HOME VALUES IN THAT COMMUNITY.
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STATISTICS SHOW THAT THE AVERAGE DIFFERENCE IN HOME PRICES BETWEEN LOW PERFORMING AND HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOL DISTRICTS, OF WHICH WE ARE A VERY HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOL DISTRICT, IS ABOUT $205,000 PER HOME SOLD HOMES.IN TOP PERFORMING SCHOOL DISTRICTS SELL AN AVERAGE OF EIGHT DAYS FASTER AND RECEIVE 26% MORE VIEWS THAN THE LISTINGS, THAN THE AVERAGE LISTINGS IN PLACES WHERE SCHOOLS AREN'T AS SUCCESSFUL TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, FUNDING SCHOOLS IS A LONG TERM INVESTMENT STRATEGY.
WITHOUT SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN, QUALITY SCHOOLS TEND TO MAINTAIN STABILITY EVEN IN CHALLENGING ECONOMIC TIMES.
HOMES IN WELL PERFORMING SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE MORE RESILIENT TO MARKET FLUCTUATIONS.
INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION PAVED THE WAY FOR A HIGHLY SKILLED AND INNOVATIVE WORKFORCE THAT DRIVES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND REPUTABLE SCHOOLS ATTRACT BUSINESS.
WE ARE ON THE BENEFICIAL SIDE OF THAT.
OUR SCHOOLS ARE REPUTABLE AND HAVE BEEN REPUTABLE FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME.
SO NOW I WANT TO TRANSITION AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR SUCCESSES.
ALL FIVE OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE APPLE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS, ALL FIVE.
THEY'RE FEWER THAN 400 IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE FIVE OF THEM HERE IN GLAND COUNTY.
WE'RE INNOVATORS IN TECHNOLOGY.
WERE RECOGNIZED FOR MEANINGFULLY INTEGRATING VIRTUAL REALITY INTO TEACHING AND LEARNING.
NICHE RATES US FOR THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR AS BEING THE TOP SCHOOL DIVISION IN THE METRO RICHMOND AREA, SIX CONSECUTIVE YEARS NEXT YEAR.
THIS TIME WHEN I'M HERE TALKING TO YOU, I'M GONNA SAY NICHE HAS RATED US FOR SEVEN CONSECUTIVE YEARS AS BEING THE TOP RATED SCHOOL DIVISION IN THE METRO RICHMOND AREA.
THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING THAT ARE, THAT ARE UNIQUE.
WE ARE A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SPECIAL OLYMPICS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOL CHAMPION DISTRICT.
WE'VE RECEIVED A DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION AWARD FROM THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION.
AND WE ARE ONE OF 10 SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA THAT CAN BOAST 100% OF ITS SCHOOLS BEING FULLY ACCREDITED FOR OVER A DECADE.
THERE ARE 10 IN THE ENTIRE COMMONWEALTH.
I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE ARE ONE OF THOSE 10.
WE ARE A LEADER IN ASSESSING STUDENT GROWTH.
I COULD TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT SOL OUTCOMES.
I PRETTY MUCH JUST DID IT WITH THAT LAST SLIDE.
SCHOOL ACCREDITATION IS BASED ON SOL YIELDS, BUT I WANNA SPEND SOME TIME TONIGHT TALKING TO YOU ABOUT INDIVIDUAL STUDENT GROWTH.
WE USE THE MEASURE OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS AND GOLIN HAS BEEN A LEADER IN THAT ASSESSMENT.
IT IS A NATIONALLY NORMED RE VERY REPUTABLE ASSESSMENT.
GLAND'S BEEN USING IT IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES FOR OVER THE LAST DECADE, 11 TO 12 YEARS.
GLAND'S BEEN USING IT IN THE SECONDARY GRADES FOR OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
THAT PINK LINE THAT YOU SEE ON THIS GRAPH REPRESENTS THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF STUDENTS MEETING THEIR INDIVIDUAL GROWTH GOAL.
YOU'LL SEE THAT GLIN AT EVERY GRADE LEVEL, AND IT'S A LITTLE FAR AWAY.
BUT FROM SECOND TO 11TH GRADE, STUDENTS OUTPACE NATIONAL AVERAGES IN MANY CASES, MOST CASES SIGNIFICANTLY ON INDIVIDUAL STUDENT GROWTH.
MATHEMATICS TELLS A SIMILAR STORY.
THE PINK'S THE FLAT LINE FOR THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SIXTH GRADE MATHEMATICS.
OUR STUDENTS ARE OUTPACING THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR INDIVIDUAL STUDENT GROWTH.
WE WILL GET SIXTH GRADE MATHEMATICS FOR GRADUATION RATES ALMOST UNHEARD OF FOR THE LAST SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS.
WE'VE POSTED GRADUATION RATES AT THE 95TH PERCENTILE AND ABOVE.
I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE AROUND GRADUATION RATES OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 15 YEARS.
WE'VE, WE'VE PLATEAUED AT 98% AND HAVE BEEN PRETTY MUCH LEVEL AT 97% FOR THE LAST THREE ACADEMIC YEARS.
NOW, I DO WANT TO CAUTION YOU A 97% ON TIME GRADUATION RATE DOES NOT MEAN THAT 3% OF OUR KIDS ARE DROPPING OUTTA SCHOOL.
SOMETIMES KIDS TAKE ADDITIONAL TIME FOR VARIOUS REASONS TO EARN THEIR CREDENTIAL.
SOMETIMES STUDENTS EARN A GED, SO I DON'T WANT ANYONE LEAVING HERE THINKING, WOW, 97% IS REALLY SUPER, BUT DOES THAT MEAN WE HAVE A 3% DROPOUT RATE? NOT NECESSARILY.
SO WHEN I WENT TO OUR SCHOOL BOARD AND THEN ULTIMATELY OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO TALK ABOUT OUR FISCAL ASK FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, WE DID SO WITH TEACHER COMPENSATION AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT ARE VITAL TO STUDENT SUCCESS IN MIND.
IF THE, IF YOU HAVE A GREEN BOX, AND THESE ARE ALL DATA FROM OUR SCHOOL DIVISION OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST SIX OR SEVEN SCHOOL YEARS, THE GREEN BOX INDICATES A TIME WHEN WE WERE ABOVE THE
[00:50:01]
REGIONAL MEDIAN FOR SALARY AND COMPENSATION.THE YELLOW, WE WERE RIGHT THERE ON THE CUSP.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE WERE ABOUT AVERAGE.
THERE WERE THREE SCHOOL DIVISIONS THAT WERE DOING BETTER THAN WE WERE.
THERE WERE THREE SCHOOL DIVISIONS THAT WERE PAYING WORSE.
IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, YOU'RE NOTICING THAT IN 2017, STARTING TEACHER SALARY ON THROUGH YEAR 15, WE WERE IN THE TOP THREE, WE WERE DOING WELL.
BUT AS TIME HAS PROGRESSED, WE'VE FALLEN BEHIND THE REST OF THE REGION.
SO NOW WE ARE AVERAGE AT YEAR ZERO, AND WE NEED TO BE AVERAGE AT YEAR ZERO IF WE EXPECT TO RECRUIT ANYBODY TO COME AND WORK FOR US.
BUT AT THE INCREMENTS OF 5, 10, 15, 20, AND 25 YEARS, YOU SEE WE FALL BELOW THE MEDIAN REGION OR THE REGIONAL MEDIAN, EXCUSE ME, OUR MIDYEAR RESIGNATIONS ARE UP 120% AND I JOKINGLY SAID DOWN IN DISTRICT FIVE LAST WEEK, THAT HAPPENS TO COINCIDE WITH MY ARRIVAL, BUT THEY'RE NOT LEAVING BECAUSE THEY HATE MY GUTS.
PART OF ME WISHES THAT THAT WAS THE REASON BECAUSE I COULD CHANGE THAT JUST LIKE THAT.
THEY'RE LEAVING US FOR A VARIETY OF OTHER REASONS, MAINLY TO TAKE JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAT PAY FAR MORE THAN WE EVER COULD IMAGINE.
WE HAVE EXIT INTERVIEWS FOR STAFF WHO RESIGNED FROM US, AND WE HAVE LEARNED THAT PEOPLE HAVE LEFT US TO TAKE JOBS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAT IN SOME CASES PAY THEM 30, $35,000 OVER WHAT WE COULD.
THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN RETAIN OR SAVE THOSE EMPLOYEES.
THERE'S NOTHING I COULD SAY THAT'S GONNA MAKE YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON 30 TO 35 ADDITIONAL DOLLARS ANNUALLY AND WHAT THOSE DOLLARS COULD MEAN TO YOUR FAMILY.
BUT RECENTLY WE HAD ONE THAT BROKE MY HEART BECAUSE IT IMPACTS ME AS A SUPERINTENDENT AND AS A FATHER.
MY DAUGHTER'S SPANISH TEACHER RESIGNED AT THE HIGH SCHOOL TO GO TO SPANISH AT A PRIVATE SCHOOL.
NOW FOLKS, THAT NEVER WAS THE CASE.
NOT VERY LONG AGO PUBLIC EDUCATION IN TERMS OF TEACHER COMPENSATION, WE ALWAYS OUTPACED WHAT TEACHERS COULD EARN AT PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND WE LOST A SPANISH TEACHER TO GO TO THE PRIVATE SCHOOL.
WHAT'S WORSE, WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPLACE THAT SPANISH TEACHER.
WE LOOK TODAY, WE HAVE ONE APPLICANT FOR SPANISH.
WE REACHED OUT TO THAT ONE APPLICANT AND SHE'S GRADUATING IN THE UPCOMING YEAR AND SHE'S GOT OFFERS OR OPPORTUNITIES AT ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORING SCHOOL DIVISIONS.
NOT LIKELY SHE'S GONNA COME TO US.
SO WE'RE OFFERING SPANISH INSTRUCTION THROUGH SOMETHING CALLED PROXIMITY LEARNING, WHERE MY CHILD AND ALL THE OTHER CHILDREN WHO WERE ASSIGNED TO THIS TEACHER, THEY GO INTO A CLASSROOM, THEY TURN ON THE SCREEN, SOMEONE'S TEACHING SPANISH REMOTELY FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY, AND WE HAVE A LAB MONITOR THERE TO SUPERVISE TO MAKE SURE THE KIDS ARE DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, NOT AN IDEAL TEACHING AND LEARNING METHOD.
NOT VERY LONG AGO, THE ITEMS ON YOUR LEFT SIDE OF THE SCALE WOULD OUTWEIGH THE ITEMS. ON THE RIGHT TIMES HAVE CHANGED, AND THIS IS EVOLVING.
ONCE UPON A TIME, TEACHERS WOULD WANT TO JOIN US BECAUSE WE HAVE COMFORTABLE CLASS SIZES.
WE DON'T HAVE 28 TO 30, 32 STUDENTS PER CLASS.
IN FACT, OUR ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS HOVER SOMEWHERE AROUND 16 TO 18 STUDENTS PER ON AVERAGE BECAUSE THE RESEARCH INDICATES THAT TEACHING IS MORE EFFECTIVE WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE 27 STUDENTS TO DELIVER THAT INSTRUCTION TOO.
THEY LIKE OUR TEACHER AUTONOMY.
BY AND LARGE, WE HIRE TEACHERS THAT WE TRUST AND WE TRUST THEM TO PERFORM THEIR CRAFT.
WE HAVE SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL AND DIVISIONAL LEVEL, AND THERE'S LESS BUREAUCRACY IN RED TAPE.
THERE'S FAR LESS BUREAUCRACY IN RED TAPE IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION THAN THERE IS ONE THE SIDE OF CHESTERFIELD OR HENRICO.
BUT MORE INCREASINGLY, THOSE THINGS ARE TAKEN A BACK SEAT TO COMMUTE.
52% OF OUR WORKFORCE LIVES OUTSIDE OF GLAND COUNTY.
SOME OF THEM DRIVE ACROSS TWO SCHOOL DIVISIONS TO ARRIVE AND WORK AT HOURS SALARY, WHICH I JUST SHOWED YOU.
THE INSTRUCTIONAL CALENDAR WAS MISALIGNED.
WE'VE WORKED REALLY, REALLY HARD TO GAIN SOME ALIGNMENT AND GET THAT FIXED INFLATION, WHICH WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER, BUT HAVE TO BE IN A POSITION TO RESPOND TO HOUSING, HIRING INCENTIVES, PRIVATE SECTOR PAY.
I'LL TALK ABOUT HOUSING REALLY, REALLY BRIEFLY JUST TO SAY THAT I HEARD A STORY A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
UH, TINA MCKAY, THE PRINCIPAL AT GLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WAS TELLING US ABOUT A TEACHER WHO HAS TWO ROOMMATES.
SO SHE'S THE THIRD PERSON IN THAT APARTMENT, SO THEY'RE SPLITTING THE RENT BY THIRDS, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RENT IS.
I DO KNOW THAT THAT TEACHER RECENTLY SHARED
[00:55:01]
WITH MS. MCKAY AS HER PRINCIPAL THAT SHE'S HAD TO MOVE OUTTA THAT APARTMENT AND BACK HOME WITH HER PARENTS BECAUSE SHE CAN'T AFFORD ONE THIRD OF THE RENT.THIS IS A EDUCATED PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT THAT SHOULD NOT BE.
SO THE BUDGET THAT I'M GONNA SUMMARIZE FOR YOU TONIGHT REFLECTS A 5% PAY INCREASE FOR ALL EMPLOYEES OF WHICH WE'RE GRATEFUL TO THE COUNTY IS INCLUDING AS PART OF THEIR OVERALL BUDGET.
OUR TOTAL ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS THIS YEAR IN THIS BUDGET REPRESENT $2.3 MILLION, $2,329,130 TO BE EXACT.
THIS IS A 5.7% INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.
THIS IS THE WAY WE USE YOUR DOLLARS, YOUR TAX DOLLARS.
71% OF ALL OF OUR INVESTMENTS GO DIRECTLY TOWARD INSTRUCTION.
7.1% FOR ADMINISTRATION AND HEALTH, ABOUT 7% FOR TRANSPORTATION, KEEPING OUR BUSES WELL MAINTAINED, ABOUT 9% FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AND ABOUT 7% FOR TECHNOLOGY.
I COULD EASILY ARGUE THAT MONEY'S HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE.
THE LARGER PIECE, IF WE DON'T GET 'EM TO US, WE CAN'T INSTRUCT THEM, OKAY? IF WE DON'T HAVE THE APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY, WE CANNOT ADEQUATELY INSTRUCT THEM.
SO FOR SAFETY'S SAKE, I'LL SAY 71%, BUT I COULD ARGUE CLOSER TO 87.
THIS IS OUR PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET INVESTMENTS BY TYPE OF EXPENSE, 83% OF THIS TOTAL BUDGET SALARY AND BENEFITS FOR OUR STAFF, 23% REPRESENTS THE BENEFITS.
59.6, THE SALARY, A LITTLE UNDER 4% FOR PURCHASE SERVICES, 5% MISCELLANEOUS CHARGES.
UTILITIES, WE HAVE TO PAY JUST LIKE YOU ALL DO, DOMINION AT HOME.
WE HAVE TO PAY THAT AT A MUCH LARGER CLIP FOR OUR LEARNING FACILITIES, ABOUT 8% FOR SUPPLIES AND TEXTBOOKS, AND THERE'S A LITTLE SLITHER THERE FOR CAPITAL OUTLAY.
SO WHERE DO WE GET THE MONEY? 29,000,373 $150 IS GONNA BE THE LOCAL CONTRIBUTION FROM OUR COUNTY.
THIS TRANSFER IS AN INCREASE OF ABOUT $2.1 MILLION OVER LAST YEAR'S FISCAL AND THE COUNTY TRANSFER INCREASE FROM 68% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET TO 70% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET.
THAT GOES BACK TO THAT HIGH LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX THAT I TALKED ABOUT AT THE ONSET OF MY REMARKS.
THERE ARE PLACES NOT VERY FAR FROM US WHERE THE COUNTY CONTRIBUTES 60% OF THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO RUN THEIR BUDGET.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THEY'RE PLACED IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA WHERE IT'S FAR LESS THAN THAT IN COUNTY CONTRIBUTION.
ABOUT 4% OF OUR MONEY IS FEDERAL GRANT, ABOUT 3% OTHER LOCAL MONEY.
WE CHARGE TUITION FOR STUDENTS WHO GO TO OUR SCHOOLS BUT DON'T LIVE IN GLAND COUNTY.
AND YOU ALL WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT THAT'S A HANDFUL OF FOLKS.
THEY LIVE IN SURROUNDING AREAS.
THEY WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO BE A PART OF.
WHAT WE'VE GOT GOING IN GLAND SO MUCH TO THE POINT THAT THEY PAY TUITION TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN COME HERE OUT OF DISTRICT, ABOUT 10% STATE SALES TAX AND ABOUT 14% STATE GRANTS.
THIS IS A 10 YEAR TREND OF ALL REVENUE SOURCES.
AND YOU'LL NOTE THAT THAT NUMBER IS GOING, THAT THAT BAR GRAPH GOES UP WITH EACH PASSING YEAR AS IT SHOULD.
IF YOU EVER HEAR SOMEONE SAY THAT WE'RE FUNDING EDUCATION AT A HISTORICAL LEVEL, I HOPE THAT YOUR RESPONSE WILL BE, YOU SHOULD SAY THAT NEXT YEAR AND THE YEAR AFTER AND THE YEAR AFTER THAT.
WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE FUNDING PUBLIC EDUCATION AT HISTORICAL LEVELS WHEN YOUR TOTAL ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS MATCHES YOUR TOTAL ADDITIONAL REVENUE.
YOU HAVE, BY DEFINITION A BALANCED BUDGET.
AND FOLKS, I'M PROUD TO SHARE WITH YOU TONIGHT THAT THE SCHOOLS HAVE PRESENTED A BALANCED BUDGET TO BECOME PART OF THE OVERALL COUNTY'S BUDGET.
THE TOTAL SCHOOL BUDGET GREW BY 5.65% OVER THE LAST FISCAL, BUT WE DO HAVE THINGS THAT WE WISH WE COULD HAVE THAT WE DON'T.
WE HAD TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS.
I DON'T WANT ANYBODY DRIVING HOME TONIGHT THINKING, GOSH, THEY GAVE THAT SUPERINTENDENT EVERYTHING HE COULD HAVE WANTED MORE
[01:00:01]
FOR SCHOOLS.WE PROJECTED HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS TO COME IN AT A 9% INCREASE AND HAD BUDGETED ABOUT $400,000 TO ABSORB THOSE COSTS RATHER THAN PASS THEM ONTO OUR EMPLOYEES.
IF YOU DO THE QUICK MATH, WE GIVE 'EM A 5% RAISE AND THEN THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE COST GOES UP 9%.
THEY NET ENOUGH TO HAVE CHICK-FIL-A MAYBE TWICE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE YEAR TO COUNT TO ACCOUNT FOR THE ADDITIONAL TWO PERCENTAGE POINTS OF HEALTH INSURANCE INCREASE BECAUSE WE KNOW THOSE NUMBERS ARE ACTUALLY GONNA COME IN CLOSER TO 11% WOULD TAKE $120,000, WHICH IS NOT REFLECTED IN THE CURRENT BUDGET.
WE'RE SEEKING A MARKET ADJUSTMENT POOL FOR TEACHERS TO GET THEM TO THE MEDIAN OF THE REGION.
ONLY TEACHERS, NOT ALL EMPLOYEES, NOT THE SUPERINTENDENT, NOT PRINCIPALS, NOT ANYONE IN CENTRAL OFFICE, ONLY OUR 234 CLASSROOM TEACHERS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE CLASSIFIED AS CLASSROOM TEACHERS.
THIS WILL COME AT A COST OF $1.4 MILLION, MORE FUNDING FOR NEW TEXTBOOKS BASED ON THE VIRGINIA LITERACY ACT AND NEW MATHS OQ STANDARDS.
MR. CARPENTER SPOKE WHEN HE WAS UP HERE ABOUT UNFUNDED MANDATES.
THE VIRGINIA LITERACY ACT IS A POWERFUL PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT I REALLY HOPE WILL BE A GAME CHANGER FOR LITERACY ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
IT CAME WITH THAT MUCH MONETARY INVESTMENT.
WE ARE LOOKING AT PURCHASING MATERIALS TO ADVANCE THE VIRGINIA LITERACY ACT, AND THOSE QUOTES WE KNOW ARE GONNA COME IN BETWEEN 300 AND $350,000 FOR THOSE MATERIALS.
WE'D LOVE TO HAVE THREE ADDITIONAL INTERVENTIONISTS OR READING SPECIALISTS, ONE PER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SELF-EXPLANATORY THERE.
THE MORE SPECIALISTS WE HAVE GEARED TO TOWARD HELPING OUR KIDS WHO ARE DEFICIENT IN LITERACY, THE GREATER WE ARE AT GETTING THOSE KIDS WHO ARE DEFICIENT ON GRADE LEVEL IN LESSER TIME.
IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD HAVE A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER, ONE AT THE ADDITIONAL AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE HIGH SCHOOL TO REDUCE OUR AVERAGE CASELOADS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS FROM 26 TO MAYBE 18.
THAT WOULD BE A GAME CHANGER FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES AND FILL IN THE GAP ON DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND VEHICLE REPLACEMENTS BECAUSE OF LESS CIP FUNDING THIS YEAR AT AN ESTIMATE OF $1 MILLION.
WE'VE GOT SOME WONDERFUL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS GOING.
YOU HEARD MR. CARPENTER TALK ABOUT THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING AND OPEN HOUSE FOR THAT SCHOOL ON JULY THE 18TH, AND HOPE THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS ROOM WILL COME AND BRING A FRIEND OR TWO.
BUT THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE AT GLAND WAS BUILT IN 1957, NEARLY 70 YEARS AGO.
IT WAS DUE TIME FOR THAT FACILITY TO BE REPLENISHED.
THIS SCHOOL WAS BUILT ONE YEAR LATER, NEARLY 70 YEARS AGO, AND IF YOU JUDGE IT BY THIS SPACE, YOU'D SAY, OH, WELL IT'S NOT THAT BAD.
BUT THIS SPACE CAME ALONG IN 2006.
THIS SPACE ISN'T AS OLD AND AS CHALLENGING AS THE MAIN STRUCTURE, THE MAIN STRUCTURE, BY THE WAY, WHICH WE'RE GRATEFUL AND PROUD TO BE ABLE TO SAY WE'RE GONNA DO A MAJOR ROOF REPAIR ON THIS SUMMER.
YOU GUYS NOTICE HOW MUCH RAIN WE'VE GOTTEN HERE LATELY? FEELS LIKE SEATTLE.
IT'S LIKE THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST OUT THERE.
I'M GLAD WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY TODAY.
I ASKED MR. HOPKINS LAST WEEK, HOW ARE Y'ALL MAKING OUT WITH THE ROOF AND ALL OF THIS RAIN THAT WE'VE GOTTEN? AND HIS RESPONSE TO ME WAS, AS BEST WE CAN, WE JUST KEEP MOVING THE BUCKETS.
AND MR. HOPKINS IS RETIRING THIS YEAR, BUT OUR GOAL IS WHOMEVER COMES IN THIS BUILDING AS PRINCIPAL NEXT YEAR CAN SPEND MORE TIME LEADING TEACHERS AND ADVANCING THIS SCHOOL IN MEANINGFUL WAYS THAN WORRYING ABOUT WHERE BUCKETS ARE PLACED WHEN IT RAINS.
RANDOLPH BUILT IN 1958 HAD A GYM EDITION SIMILAR TO THIS IN 2006.
OF COURSE YOU ALL KNOW THE HIGH SCHOOL BUILT WITH A CAPACITY OF JUST UNDER A THOUSAND IN 2001.
THE MIDDLE SCHOOL CAME ALONG A LITTLE BIT LATER WITH A CAPACITY NEAR 700 CAREER AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CENTER BUILT IN 1997.
AND THERE'S BOND DOLLARS OR OR BOND SECURED FOR AN ADDENDUM TO THE HIGH SCHOOL FOR CTE.
WE HAVE A FLEET OF 59 BUSES AND 64 VEHICLES.
THE MAJORITY ARE FULLY DEPRECIATED FOLKS.
WE HAVE SOME BUSES ON THE ROAD THAT ARE BEYOND WHAT SHOULD BE THE AVERAGE LIFE OF A SCHOOL BUS.
NOW, YOU MAY BE THINKING THEY RUN, DON'T THEY? THEY DO TODAY, BUT IF THEY STOP TOMORROW, THERE'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING ELSE TO PUT IN THAT SPOT TO BACKFILL.
AND WE ALSO HAVE POSSESSION OF TENANCY AT THE OILVILLE GARAGE, WHICH IS A COUNTY OWNED STRUCTURE.
[01:05:01]
SO THE WAY THAT IT WILL SHAKE OUT WHEN WE OPEN THE NEW GLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, I WANT YOU TO THINK OF OUR COUNTY IN THREE CHUNKS.THIS IS THE AREA THAT WE'RE IN TONIGHT UP IN THE NORTHWEST CORRIDOR.
THIS IS THE SOUTHEAST CORRIDOR.
THE NORTHWEST CORRIDOR IS BYRD GLIN ELEMENTARY, RANDOLPH.
OUR REZONING PLAN, WHICH WE HIRED PROFESSIONALS TO DRAFT AND HELP US WITH, IS GONNA PULL APPROXIMATELY 40 STUDENTS FROM THIS SECTION OF THE COUNTY TO GO TO THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
IT'S GONNA REDUCE THE ENROLLMENT OF THIS SCHOOL BY ABOUT 35 TO 40 STUDENTS.
SO THIS SCHOOL IS GONNA BE LOOKING AT ABOUT TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY TWO HUNDRED FIFTY STUDENTS FROM RANDOLPH.
IT'S GONNA PULL 80 TO 100 STUDENTS.
SO THE ENROLLMENT AT RANDOLPH WILL BASICALLY FLIP WITH THE ENROLLMENT AT GLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE HOPE THAT THE NEW GLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WILL HAVE JUST A SHADE UNDER 500 STUDENTS.
IT'S BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE 650, SO THERE'S STILL SIGNIFICANT ROOM FOR GROWTH ADDED TO THAT.
THE 40 STUDENTS THAT WILL COME OUT OF HERE TO GO TO THE NEW SCHOOL WILL LEAVE THAT CAPACITY HERE.
AND THE 82 A HUNDRED THAT WILL LEAVE RANDOLPH TO GO TO GLAND MIDDLE WILL LEAVE THAT CAPACITY THERE.
SO WE'RE IN A POSITION TO MEET GROWTH, SLOW GROWTH, WHICH WE'RE PROJECTED TO FEEL IN OUR SCHOOLS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
THIS WAS A $55 MILLION CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
IT TOOK $11 MILLION TO READY THE GROUND ON WHICH THE SCHOOL SITS.
SO WHAT WE ULTIMATELY WILL HAVE IS ABOUT A 44 40 $5 MILLION SCHOOL.
AND IT IS A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL FACILITY.
THIS NEW SCHOOL WILL OPEN FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF THIS AUGUST.
THIS PROJECT IS CURRENTLY UNDER BUDGET AND HAS ALLOWED THE COUNTY TO IMPROVE RELATED ROADS OR WILL ALLOW THE COUNTY TO IMPROVE RELATED ROADS AND STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PONDS.
MANY OF YOU, IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN HERE A LOT LONGER, I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE SEVEN MONTHS, I DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE WAS A STORM WATER MANAGEMENT POND OFF TO THE, IS IT TO THE RIGHT? AS YOU'RE TRAVELING ON BULLDOG WAY, IS IT TO THE LEFT? IF YOU'RE GOING TO 5 22 FROM ROUTE SIX, IT'S ON THE LEFT.
IT'S ON THE LEFT, GOING TO 5 22 FROM ROUTE SIX.
MANY OF YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE EVER KNOWN IT BECAUSE IT'S OVERGROWN.
AND NOW TO GET THAT RESTORED, IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION.
AND I'VE MENTIONED OUR RIBBON CUTTING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE ON JULY THE 18TH FROM FOUR TO SEVEN.
WE HAVE OTHER CURRENT PROJECTS.
UH, RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY HAS A WHOLE SCHOOL GENERATOR.
IF YOU THINK THAT THAT'S A FRIVOLOUS CHARGE, LET ME TELL YOU WHY IT IS NOT.
THE POWER GOES OUT FREQUENTLY AROUND OUR COUNTY AND WE ARE IN SITUATIONS WHERE IF THE POWER GOES OUT AND IT DOESN'T, THEY DON'T HAVE AN ESTIMATED TIME OF RESTORATION, ESPECIALLY IF WE HAVEN'T FED STUDENTS.
WE'VE NOW GOTTA GET STUDENTS OUT OF SCHOOL AND HOME.
WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE HAVE TO CALL THEIR PARENTS WHO ARE WORKING.
THESE ARE ELEMENTARY KIDS TO BE HOME TO RECEIVE THEM.
THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF US NOT JUST BEING ABLE TO RELY ON A WHOLE SCHOOL GENERATOR AND KEEP BUSINESS AS USUAL.
IN THE EVENT OF POWER OUTAGES.
I'M PROUD TO SHARE THAT WE HAVE HVAC REPLACEMENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL SCHEDULED FOR THIS SUMMER.
I TALKED ABOUT THE BIRD ROOF REPLACEMENT THIS SUMMER.
$400,000 BUS AND VEHICLE REPLACEMENTS, ONE EACH DELIVERING SUMMER OF NEXT YEAR, $200,000.
SCHOOL BUSES ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.
WE RECENTLY GOT A NEW SCHOOL BUS.
I WAS AT THE BUS GARAGE TOURING WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR AND I ASKED ABOUT HOW MUCH DOES A BUS LIKE THIS COST? SHE TOLD ME $136,000 AND IT WAS A SPECIAL NEEDS BUS THAT HAD A LOT OF ACCOMMODATING EQUIPMENT FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
BUT THAT'S ABOUT THE GOING RATE FOR SCHOOL BUS 100 3600 $40,000.
ELECTRIC BUSES ARE ALL THE RAVE RIGHT NOW.
THESE ARE REQUESTED CIP NEEDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNFUNDED LIGHTEN UPGRADES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, $400,000, A MAINTENANCE POOL WITH CARPET AND CEILING REPLACEMENTS, HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
CAFETERIA EQUIPMENT REPLACES $300,000.
WE HAVE CAFETERIA EQUIPMENT IN SOME OF OUR SCHOOL'S CAFETERIAS THAT I COULD HAVE EATEN OUT AS A STUDENT.
I'LL BE 50 ON MY BIRTHDAY TO GIVE YOU CONTEXT.
BUT IF IT'S THAT OLD, THE DAY'S COMING WHEN IT WON'T WORK AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REPLACE IT.
TALKED ABOUT SCHOOL BUS AND, UH, VEHICLE REPLACEMENTS, PARKING LOT REPAIRS RIGHT HERE AT BYRD.
YOU PROBABLY NOTICE OUR CHALLENGE WITH PARKING WHEN YOU CAME HERE TONIGHT.
[01:10:01]
WHEN YOU COME HERE TO VOTE.YOU PROBABLY NOTICE THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES WITH PARKING HERE.
PHASE TWO ROOF REPLACEMENT HERE AT BYRD FIELD.
IMPROVEMENTS AT GHS UPGRADE 1958 STYLE BATHROOMS AT RANDOLPH ENGINEERING PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR THE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION EDITION AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
THAT'S A PROJECT THAT'S ESTIMATED TO COST $2.3 MILLION.
THE PRIORITIES THAT I JUST TALKED TO YOU ABOUT TOTAL, 1.2 MILLION, WHICH WE'VE RECEIVED A COMMITMENT FOR THE TOTAL REQUESTED REVENUE WAS $4.9 MILLION TO COVER ALL PROJECTS.
WE ARE, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE IN THE BUSINESS OF BUILDING BRIGHT FUTURES.
WE WANT TO TRAIN AND EDUCATE THE TYPES OF PEOPLE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO BE PROUD TO HAVE IN YOUR COMMUNITIES.
WE WANT TO TRAIN AND EDUCATE THE TYPES OF PEOPLE WHO WILL CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE EVOLUTION OF THIS COUNTY.
WE ARE BUILDING BRIGHTER FUTURES, AND AT THIS TIME, I WILL GLADLY ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO THE CLERK OF THE COURT.
AND I ATE INTO A LOT OF HER TIME LAST WEEK, SO I'LL TRY NOT TO DO THAT TONIGHT.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS AND THE FUNDING? ALL RIGHT, THANK Y'ALL.
I JUST WANNA GIVE Y'ALL A FEW UPDATES ON WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON AT THE COURTHOUSE.
I'M AMANDA ADAMS. I'M YOUR CLERK OF COURT.
SO THE FIRST THING I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW IS WE HAVE PURCHASED AN OVERSIZED PLAT SCANNER.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS COME INTO THE OFFICE LATELY.
AND, UM, THEY HAVE TRIED TO GET A, A, UM, COPY OF THEIR PLAT.
AND IT USED TO BE THAT IF YOU WANTED TO GET A COPY OF YOUR PLAT, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE PIECES OF PAPER AND YOU'D HAVE TO CUT IT AND PUT IT INTO SECTIONS.
WELL, NOW WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE THE WHOLE PLAT FOR YOU.
SO I THINK THAT, UM, THIS HAS BEEN VERY BENEFICIAL TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SO WHEN YOU COME IN, YOU CAN ACTUALLY JUST NEED, WE JUST NEED TWO COPIES OF A PLAT.
SO IF YOU'RE ACTUALLY, UM, WHERE THE COUNTY USED TO REQUIRE THREE COPIES OF IT FOR YOU, WE JUST NEED TWO COPIES NOW AND WE WILL JUST GET IT SCANNED AND IT'LL BE AVAILABLE, UM, FOR, FOR YOU TO VIEW DOWN IN OUR RECORD ROOM THE NEXT DAY.
I ALSO, WE ARE GOING TO START DOING ONLINE, UM, CONCEALED HANDGUN PERMIT APPLICATIONS HERE SHORTLY.
IT WILL PROBABLY BE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE, THE KINKS OUT OF THE SYSTEM.
SO YOU CAN STILL DO IT THE TRADITIONAL WAY WHERE YOU CAN EITHER MAIL IT IN TO US OR YOU CAN, UM, COME IN, BRING IT IN.
BUT THIS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE HERE SHORTLY.
SO THIS IS, THIS WILL BE GREAT FOR ANYBODY WHO'S WORKING AND CAN'T GET INTO THE OFFICE BY FIVE O'CLOCK.
UM, THIS OPTION WILL BE AVAILABLE TO YOU.
AND THEN I'M ALSO GOING TO BE OFFERING A ESTATE PLANNING SEMINAR AT THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ON APRIL 26TH.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYBODY WHO HAS ANY TYPE OF, UM, ESTATE PLANNING NEEDS TO PLEASE BE A PART OF THIS.
UM, ESTATE PLANNING IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AND I SEE A LOT OF IT COME INTO THE OFFICE AND IT'S NOT GOOD FOR ANYBODY'S CHILDREN, FAMILIES.
UM, SO I WOULD DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO HAVE ANY TYPE OF PLAN MOVING FORWARD TO PLEASE COME AND BE A PART OF THIS.
OR IF YOU KNOW ANYBODY IN YOUR FAMILY OR ANY FRIENDS AS WELL TO, TO PLEASE, UM, ENCOURAGE THEM TO COME AS WELL.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? YES, JONATHAN.
THE, UH, CONCEAL CARRY, THE ONLINE CONCEAL CARRY PERMIT.
IS THAT FOR RENEWALS AS WELL? IT'S FOR RENEWALS.
I'M GONNA TURN IT BACK OVER TO
[01:15:01]
MR. CARPENTER.THANK YOU, MS. ADAMS. APPRECIATE IT.
UM, THANK YOU'ALL AGAIN FOR COMING TONIGHT.
UM, UH, BEFORE WE GO, UH, WE HAVE CHRISTIE, WHO'S OUR DISTRICT ONE SUPERVISOR AND MS. OUR DISTRICT.
I SAY SOMETHING AND ALSO I SO APPRECIATE GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
UM, I DIDN'T HAVE TOO MUCH TO ADD.
VIC COVERED PRETTY MUCH ALL OF IT, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY CONCERNS WITH THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE KIND OF EXPLORING OR MAYBE GET SOME INPUT OF THE DIRECTION YOU WOULD LIKE THE COUNTY TO GO.
SO I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
MS. WELL, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT.
THIS YOUR, UM, DISTRICT ONE SCHOOLWORK MEMBER.
KUMAR FOR GIVING SUCH A NICE PRESENTATION AND HOPEFULLY EMPHASIZING ENOUGH ABOUT THE TEACHER SALARIES AND STUFF.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T TEACH WITHOUT TEACHERS.
SO, UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OR IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO, WE'LL BE HERE FOR A LITTLE BIT.
OH, AND LET ME TELL YOU, CTE COOKIES, WHILE CAN THANK YOU.
THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR COMING TONIGHT.
UM, IF YOU HAVE A PRINTOUT FROM THE CABINET, BUT YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND FIND ALL THIS, GET SOME COOKIES.
AND THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.