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WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF COUNTY STAFF HERE.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING TIME TO COME.
THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR PREPARING THIS AND, UM, BEING READY TO PRESENT TO THE ATTENDEES.
UM, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE IN THE AUDIENCE WE'VE GOT, UM, MYSELF AND MICHELLE MAXWELL, OUR DISTRICT FOUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, AND FROM DISTRICT FIVE WE HAVE JONATHAN LYLE, UM, UH, FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, UM, AFTERWARD, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA STAY AROUND MUCH AFTER SEVEN, BUT WE DO.
EMAIL US, UH, CALL US ANYTIME.
AND, UM, HOPEFULLY THIS IS VERY INFORMATIVE AND YOU GET AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COUNTY.
UH, I'LL CALL UP MR. CARPENTER NOW, OR, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
WELL, GOOD EVENING AND AGAIN, WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR TAKING YOUR TIME OUT TONIGHT FOR, UM, OUR FALL TOWN HALL.
WE WERE HERE BACK IN THE, UH, SPRING WHEN WE, UH, WERE PRESENTED THE BUDGET TO YOU.
THIS IS THE FOURTH OF THE TOWN HALLS THAT WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR.
UH, WE STARTED BACK IN OCTOBER, EARLY OCTOBER, AND THEN CONTINUING TO, UNTIL TONIGHT, UH, SOME OF YOU I'VE SEEN AROUND.
SO THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MORE OF THESE, UM, BECAUSE THEY DO TEND TO CHANGE A LITTLE BIT EACH TIME BASED ON WHAT'S HAPPENED OR IS GONNA HAPPEN.
SO WE START TONIGHT WITH ME TELLING YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE COUNTY'S BEEN DOING IN THE LAST, YOU KNOW, SIX, 12 MONTHS.
AND THEN WE'LL TAKE SOME QUESTIONS, HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU, UM, UM, GET A BETTER SENSE FOR THAT.
WE'RE HERE BECAUSE WE'RE THE COUNTY'S WORKING FOR YOU.
AND THAT TAKES A COUPLE OF WAYS.
FIRST, STARTS WITH OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM AND FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, FINANCIAL EXCELLENCE, HIGH QUALITY CORE SERVICES, PUBLIC SAFETY, KEEPING GUC AND RURAL LOW TAXES AND QUALITY EDUCATION.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN CRITICAL TO THEM.
AND WE START, THEREFORE AS A STAFF BY, WELL, OUR AWARD-WINNING STAFF WE'RE EXCELLENT IN SO MANY WAYS, BUT TWO OF THE THINGS I WANNA POINT OUT TO YOU TONIGHT ARE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STAFF.
YOU SEE THEM THERE UP THERE ON THE LEFT.
UH, THEY WON THREE EXCELLENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARDS THIS YEAR, UH, FROM THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.
AND THEN OUR FINANCE STAFF WON THE DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION AWARD FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 FROM THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION AND THE COUNTY WORKING FOR YOU.
NOW WE'RE STARTING TO DO THINGS THAT YOU'LL BE SEEING AND BENEFITING FROM FOR YEARS.
RECENTLY, WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE CENTERVILLE VILLAGE STUDY, ONE OF THE OUTCOMES FOR THAT WAS THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE A BETTER SENSE FOR THE IMPACT THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT WAS GONNA HAVE ON THIS COUNTY.
SO OUT OF THAT, WE STARTED WHAT WE CALL THE SOUTHEASTERN INFRASTRUCTURE STUDY.
IF YOU'VE BEEN AROUND, THEY USED TO CALL THAT SPEEDA.
UH, BUT THEN IT'S THE SOUTHEASTERN INFRASTRUCTURE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP, THAT GREEN CIRCLE, IT'S BASICALLY THE 2 88 AND PATTERSON ROAD QUADRANT, AND THAT'S AN AREA THAT'S GOING TO BE GROWING.
WE KNOW IN THE FUTURE, UH, THERE'S A THOUSAND PLUS ACRES OF LAND THAT IS AVAILABLE TO BE DEVELOPED IN THERE.
AND SO WHAT THE SIS STUDY IS DOING IS IT'S GIVING US A TOOL THAT'LL LET US ANALYZE THE IMPACTS OF GROWTH, THE PRIORITIES, THE IMPACT ON ROADS, ON BRIDGES, ON SCHOOLS, ON FIRE AND RESCUE, ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, ON EDUCATION.
UM, SO WE LOOKED AT SEVERAL THINGS IN IT, THE ROADS IN THEM, THE WATER AND SEWER SCHOOL AND FIRE AND RESCUE.
AND WE MODELED THREE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
ONE OF THOSE SCENARIOS WOULD BE IF WE JUST FOLLOW THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, WHAT'S IT GONNA LOOK LIKE? ANOTHER IS WHAT IF WE GO MORE TOWARDS A MIXED USE FUTURE WHERE WE HAVE APARTMENTS AND, AND SHOPPING AND COMMERCIAL MIXED IN WITH RESIDENTIAL OR THE OTHER IS WHAT IF WE GO MORE OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITH LIGHT INDUSTRY AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THE AREA.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF MAJOR ROAD WORK GOING ON.
NOW, ONE THING ABOUT GOVERNMENT PROJECTS IS THEY TAKE A LONG TIME.
SO ALL THESE ROAD PROJECTS ARE YEARS IN THE PROCESS.
SOME OF THEM WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR YEARS.
GONNA START THOUGH, WITH THE ONE THAT EVERYBODY HERE IS QUITE INTERESTED IN, AND THAT'S THE ASHTON ROAD I 64 INTERCHANGE.
UH, THE ENGINEERING IS UNDERWAY ALREADY.
WE ANTICIPATE THAT BEING COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2031.
WELL, YOU'RE TALKING IN INTERSTATE IN INTERCHANGE.
SO YOU'RE DOING A MAJOR AMOUNT OF CONSTRUCTION WORK IN A, IN A FASHION THAT WILL JUST BE BY ITS NATURE, VERY COMPLEX.
UH, THE KIND OF INTERCHANGE IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S CALLED A DIVERGENT DIAMOND.
IF YOU'VE BEEN TO THE ZIONS CROSSROAD, YOU HAVE AN IDEA WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA BE.
UM, ADDITION TO THAT SAME AREA, IF YOU DRIVE ASHTON ROAD, THE PARK AND RIDE LOT THAT'S ALREADY UNDERWAY, IT'S GONNA BE COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER OF 28, AND THAT'S RELOCATING THE CURRENT PARK AND RIDE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE.
IT'LL BE BIGGER, IT'LL BE BETTER DESIGNED, BETTER LIT IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE LEVEL OF USE THAT IT'S ALREADY GETTING.
ANOTHER ONE OF THE PROJECTS IN THIS AREA THAT'S ALSO FUNDING, IT'S ALSO UNDERWAY WITH THE ENGINEERING, IS THE HOCKET ROAD REALIGNMENT.
SO IF YOU TAKE HOCKET ROAD AND YOU'RE GOING UP
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TO SHOPPING RIGHT NOW, YOU HAVE TO KIND OF COME TO BROAD STREET, YOU GOTTA TAKE A RIGHT AND THEN IF YOU'RE GONNA GO TO THE INTERSTATE, YOU GOTTA TAKE ANOTHER LEFT.THIS REALIGNMENT WILL ALLOW YOU TO, TO BASICALLY GET ON HOCKETT ROAD AND GO ALL THE WAY STRAIGHT THROUGH TO I 64 WITHOUT HAVING TO MAKE THAT WEIRD LITTLE ZIGZAG.
YOU'LL STILL BE ABLE TO GO TO THE FOOD LINE.
THAT LIGHT'S STILL GONNA STAY, SO YOU CAN KEEP GOING STRAIGHT.
BUT THERE WILL BE A ROUNDABOUT, IF YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP UP THERE.
THERE WILL BE A LITTLE ROUNDABOUT RIGHT THERE WHERE THE NEW INTERSECTION'S GONNA BE BUILT.
ONE THING THAT WE LIKE IN VIRGINIA ARE ROUNDABOUTS, AS YOU'LL SEE.
SO THAT'S A ROUNDABOUT THAT'S BEING BUILT.
ANOTHER ONE, OILVILLE AND I 64, IF YOU'VE EVER TRIED TO GET OFF AT OILVILLE EXIT ABOUT ANY TIME IN THE AFTERNOON, IT CAN BACK UP QUITE A BIT.
SO THAT HAS ALSO BEEN BEEN, UH, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED THE PROCESS OF ENGINEERING IT, AND IT'S GONNA PUT A ROUNDABOUT AT THE EXIT.
SO WHEN YOU GET OFF ON OILVILLE ROAD, INSTEAD OF THAT, THAT MESS OF, THERE'S A STOP SIGN THERE, THERE'LL BE A ROUNDABOUT THAT'LL MOVE TRAFFIC THROUGH AND AROUND.
ANOTHER PROJECT THAT'S WELL UNDERWAY IS IN THE FAIRGROUNDS, UH, INTERSECTION OF THE COURTHOUSE.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THE FAIRGROUNDS RECENTLY WAS, UM, FIXED WITH A ROUNDABOUT THERE.
THE ORIGINAL PLAN CALLED FOR THAT ROAD TO CONTINUE ALL THE WAY TO HIGHWAY SIX.
UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN IT WAS FUNDED, THERE WASN'T ENOUGH FUNDING TO DO IT.
WELL, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE THE FUNDING NECESSARY NOW TO EXTEND FAIRGROUNDS ROAD ALL THE WAY TO HIGHWAY SIX.
SO THE ENGINEERING IS UNDERWAY.
IT SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY FEBRUARY OF 28, AND THAT'LL MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN TRAFFIC FLOW THROUGH THE COURTHOUSE.
MAKE IT MUCH SAFER TOO, IF YOU'VE DRIVEN THAT INTERSECTION, THE ROUNDABOUT HELP, BUT YOU STILL END UP AT A STOPLIGHT WHERE IT CAN BACK UP AS WELL.
SO THIS WILL DIVERT A LOT OF TRAFFIC THAT'S GOING TO THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY AWAY FROM THAT INTERSECTION, THAT STOPLIGHT.
AND THEN IN THAT SAME AREA, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO THE FARMER'S MARKET, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING, IF YOU'VE BEEN TO SO MANY THINGS, IF CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS, PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD CROSSING AND TRAFFIC WHIPPING THROUGH.
SO WE'VE GOT FUNDED NOW A CROSSWALK THAT'S GONNA CONNECT THE LOWER LOT, THE PARKING LOT OF WHAT WE CALL NAPA FIELD, THE, THE GRASS LOT THERE WITH THAT FAIRGROUNDS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT.
SOUNDS LIKE A FAIRLY MINOR THING, BUT WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND THE, AND THE HILLS THAT PEOPLE HAVE SAW SOMEONE GOING DOWN THE HILL ONCE THEY ALMOST FELL ENROLLED INTO THE ROAD.
SO THIS IS GONNA FIX THINGS LIKE THAT AS WELL FOR US.
SO OTHER AREAS THAT WE'RE WORKING FOR AND WE'RE HELPING YOU ALONG WITH IS IN OUR PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT RECENTLY WE'VE HAD SOME VERY, UM, REALLY NEAT THINGS HAPPEN IN PUBLIC SAFETY, EMERGENCY SERVICES.
UH, WE RECENTLY COMPLETED A LIVE BURN STRUCTURE.
NOW THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INVOLVED IN OUR FIRE AND RESCUE, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO.
AND MANY YEARS AGO WE HAD A LIVE FIRE BUILDING THAT WE COULD DO LIVE FIRE.
BUT AS YEARS WENT ON, IT DETERIORATED TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DO LIVE FIRE TRAINING.
SO WE HAD TO GO OUTSIDE OUR COUNTY TO DO LIVE FIRE TRAINING.
WELL, THE BOARD FOUND THE NECESSARY FUNDING AND YOU SEE THE PICTURE THERE OF NOW THE LIVE BURN STRUCTURE OF THE HENLEY FIRE TRAINING CENTER.
WE HAD A GRAND OPENING BACK IN AUGUST FOR IT.
PUBLIC CAME TO SEE IT, IT'S AVAILABLE.
I'M SURE IF YOU EVER GO OUT THERE AND DRIVE THROUGH, THEY'D LOVE TO SHOW IT TO YOU IF THEY'RE ABLE TO.
BUT IT NOW ALLOWS US TO DO THAT KIND OF TRAINING AGAIN IN THE COUNTY AT OUR FIRE TRAINING CENTER.
YOU ALSO SEE A PICTURE OF THE TANKER WE JUST RECEIVED FOR THE HAYDENVILLE STATION.
WE GOT ANOTHER ONE COMING VERY SOON IN A COUPLE WEEKS DUE TO BE DELIVERED AS WELL.
THOSE TWO PUMPERS, UM, THAT HAVE COME IN.
AND SO THE WELL TANKER TRUCKS, AND THESE ARE MUCH LARGER THAN WE HAD IN THE PAST THAT ALLOW US TO CARRY MORE WATER.
THEY REPLACE UNITS THAT ARE OVER 20 YEARS OLD AND HAD A NUMBER OF MILES AND HOURS ON IT.
SO AGAIN, WE TRY TO REPLACE AT LEAST ONE OR TWO TRUCKS EVERY YEAR IN THE COUNTY.
NOW, THE THING THAT WE DO FOR YOUR COURSE IS THE ANIMAL SHELTER.
HOPEFULLY Y'ALL HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO GET OUT THERE.
IT'S ONE OF THE NEATEST ANIMAL SHELTERS AROUND.
IT'S A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT BUILT IT A FEW YEARS BACK.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE, THE, UM, UH, BEST THINGS NEATEST THINGS ABOUT OCHIN COUNTY.
YOU SEE SOME OF OUR CURRENT LITTLE RESIDENTS THERE, BARK TWAIN, LUA AND TAG ALONG.
UM, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN STOP BY SOMETIME AND LOOK AT THE DOGS AND THE CATS THAT ARE THERE.
BUT PEOPLE COME FROM MILES AROUND TO THIS ADOPTION CENTER BECAUSE IT'S SO NEAT.
IT IS A CERTIFIED NO KILL CENTER WITH A LIVE SAVE RATE OF OVER 97%, WHICH IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT WHEN YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT'S INVOLVED WITH DEALING WITH, WITH, WITH A PUBLIC SHELTER AND, AND ADOPTION CENTER.
MOVING ON IN OTHER WAYS, WORKING FOR YOU, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS CRITICAL TO THIS COUNTY.
AND WHENEVER I TALK, I STRESS HOW CRITICAL IT IS.
WE TALK ABOUT WE WANT TO KEEP GOOSES AND RURAL.
ONE OF THE ONLY WAYS WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO KEEP GOOSE AND RURAL IS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD QUALITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT THAT.
SO CURRENTLY WE'VE GOT OVER $81 MILLION INVESTED IN THE COUNTY THIS YEAR, UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW, OVER $450 MILLION OF NEW CONSTRUCTION COMMERCIAL MOSTLY, AND THEN OVER $3 BILLION IN THE PIPELINE.
NOW, THE PIPELINE DOESN'T ALWAYS TURN INTO SOMETHING, BUT IT'S THE PROCESS WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH WORKING, TRYING TO GET NEW, NEW SUITABLE INDUSTRY TO COME.
AND WE'RE ADDED RECENTLY 70 ACRES OF NEW INDUSTRIAL LAND.
YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE AVAILABLE LAND, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE
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AVAILABLE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR INDUSTRY BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, THEN WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS THE ONLY PEOPLE PAYING THE BILLS ARE THE PROPERTY OWNERS, THE HOMEOWNERS, AND PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE VALUE OF THEIR HOUSE IS GOING UP AND THEIR TAXES GOING UP.SO IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE ADD ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO OFFSET THAT SO THE PRESSURE DOESN'T JUST FALL ON THE SHOULDERS OF OUR HOMEOWNERS.
RECENTLY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVED SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, UM, APP, UM, SUPPLEMENTS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT'LL HELP THEM MORE, UM, FUNDED SOME DUE DILIGENCE TO INCREASE PRIME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SITE FROM TIER TWO TO TIER FOUR, WHICH IS THE MOST ATTRACTIVE SITE YOU COULD HAVE DOING STUDIES ON OTHER LAND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET WATER SEWER THERE IF WE NEED TO, AS WELL AS ADDING A, ADOPTING A TECHNOLOGY ZONE TO INCENTIVIZE THE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES SO THEY ENCOURAGE TO COME TO GLAND.
SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALL THOSE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
WHAT ELSE ARE WE DOING WELL IN CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD ABOUT IS OUR SUPPORT AND INVOLVEMENT WITH THE FIREFLY AND THE VADI.
UH, THE VADI 2024 GRANT WAS JUST APPROVED IN JULY, AND THAT'S GONNA BE ONE THAT'S GONNA BE BRINGING ADDITIONAL, UM, HIGH-SPEED FIBER INTO SOME OF THESE AREAS OF THE COUNTY THAT WERE OVERLOOKED IN THE PAST.
SO MOST OF THIS PART OF THE COUNTY IS COVERED BY BY COMMERCIAL PROVIDERS, BUT, BUT WE HAVE SOME DONUT HOLES.
SO THE VATI 2024 GRANT'S GONNA HELP US FIND THOSE DONUT HOLES AND FIX THEM AND FILL THEM.
BUT ALSO TO SEE ON THE MAP, THE PINK, THE YELLOW, THE BLUE, THE BLUER AREAS THAT ALREADY HAVE FIREFLY, UH, THE PINKER AREAS THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ENGINEERING AND THE YELLOWS ARE A LITTLE FURTHER ALONG.
THEY'RE IN THE, UH, MAKE READY WORK STAGE.
SO, UH, BY THE END OF THE SUMMER, 2025, MOST OF THESE AREAS YOU SEE ON THAT MAP SHOULD BE IN THE POSITION WHERE THEY CAN START SIGNING UP FOR HIGH SPEED FIBER CABLE INTERNET.
ANOTHER THING WE'RE DOING COMING UP TYRA AMNESTY DOCUMENT SHREDDING SATURDAY THE 16TH.
A YEAR AGO WE HAD SO MUCH INTEREST IN THIS EVENT.
SO MANY PEOPLE CAME OUT FOR THIS THAT WE RAN OUT OF TRUCK SPACE AND WE LITERALLY HAD TO TELL PEOPLE TO STOP WHILE WE FOUND ANOTHER TRUCK TO COME IN.
SO THIS YEAR WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE TRUCKS GONNA BE THERE, BUT ALSO WE'VE ADDED THE TIRE AMNESTY ASPECT OF AN AGRICULTURAL TIRE.
THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE ANY KIND OF AN AGRICULTURAL OPERATION KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO GET RID OF THE TIRES FROM TRACTORS AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT.
SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO BRING THOSE AS WELL THIS YEAR TO THE, UM, TIRE AMNESTY EVENT.
IT'S GONNA BE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS RIGHT BY THE, AT THE OLD FAIRGROUNDS AT THE ROUNDABOUT THERE IN THE COURTHOUSE AREA.
YOU JUST HAVE TO SHOW THAT YOU'RE A GOIN CITIZEN.
OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING COMING UP, A LOT OF NEAT EVENTS.
UH, RIGHT NOW IN OUR, UH, OUR PARKS AND REC PROGRAM, OUR YOUTH BASKETBALL REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW.
UM, ALSO COMING UP, UH, NOVEMBER 9TH COMIC FEST, WHICH IS A, A MODERN POP CULTURE, UM, DAY OF, OF COSTUMES OF COMIC BOOKS, OF GAMING, THINGS THAT, UH, REALLY ATTRACT, UH, OF A NEAT AUDIENCE OF PEOPLE WHO TEND TO BE YOUNGER AND, AND DON'T ALWAYS FIND AN OUTLET FORWARD IN SOME OF THE PROGRAMS HERE.
THEN WE MOVE TO THE HOLIDAY MARKET, NOVEMBER 23RD, ARTISAN CRAFTS, SANTA PHOTOS.
AND OF COURSE THE TREE LIGHTING I MENTIONED EARLIER, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE TREE LIGHTING, IT'S DECEMBER 6TH.
REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME OUT AND SEE IT.
UH, IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN A HALLMARK MOVIE IN REAL LIFE, THERE YOU GO.
JUST LIKE THIS PAST SATURDAY WITH THE, UM, FALL FAMILY FESTIVAL, JUST ONE OF THE NEATEST THINGS YOU'LL SEE SANTA COMES MISS SANTA COMES, THE TREES LIT, KIDS ARE THERE, THEY'RE HAVING GAMES, AND IT'S JUST A REALLY SPECIAL KIND OF EVENT THAT WE DO SO WELL HERE IN GOLAND.
OTHER EVENTS THAT WE DO WELL IN GOIN WE'LL HAVE COMING UP AS WELL, A SMALL TOWN GLAND CHRISTMAS, WHICH IS HOSTED BY SOME OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, RIVER ROAD COTTAGE AND MARKET.
AND ALSO WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM, THE EXPLORE GLAND, ONE OF THE APPS THAT WE HAVE, THE EXPLORE GLAND ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO COME AND SPEND THEIR DAY IN GLAND.
EITHER, EITHER SPEND A DAY, A DOG FRIENDLY DAY, A A COZY COUPLE GETAWAY, STAY AT SOME OF OUR BED AND BREAKFAST OR AIRBNBS, FIND EVENTS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THIS AREA, ATTRACTIONS THEY CAN GO SEE.
WE GET A LOT OF GOOD, UH, FEEDBACK ON THAT.
ANOTHER GREAT EVENT THAT'S COMING UP, COMING UP THIS COMING SATURDAY, UH, IS THE CELEBRATION OF LAFAYETTE'S RETURN 250 YEARS AGO.
UH, GENERAL LAFAYETTE, I'M SORRY, 200 YEARS AGO, LAFAYETTE RETURNED BACK TO GOLAND ON HIS FAREWELL TOUR TO AMERICA, AND HE STOPPED IN GOOCHLAND ITSELF ON THAT NOVEMBER 2ND.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING A CELEBRATION STARTING AT TUCKAHOE PLANTATION AT 10:00 AM IT'S A TICKETED EVENT AND UH, BUT WE ENCOURAGED THE PUBLIC TO COME.
AND THEN AT ONE O'CLOCK IN THE COURTHOUSE, THERE'S GONNA BE A MARKER UNVEILED.
UH, THIS IS PART OF THE AMERICA'S REVOLUTION 250TH THAT, UH, OUR, OUR, OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAVE APPOINTED A, UM, A COMMISSION TO FOR THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS.
MAKE SURE THAT WE CELEBRATE APPROPRIATELY.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THE PEOPLE WANT TO SEE OUR KIDS HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MADE AMERICA THE GREAT COUNTRY THAT IT IS.
SO THIS COMMISSION IS GONNA BE DOING THINGS FOR THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS TO TRY TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE REVOLUTION, BUT ALSO TO GLAND AND THE ROLE THAT WE PLAYED AND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE PART OF THAT.
IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON.
WELL, WHERE ARE WE GOING? WELL, YOU KNOW, ANY ORGANIZATION
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WHERE YOU GO IS BASED IN PART ON, ON YOUR BUDGET, HOW YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY, AND THAT ALWAYS TELLS WHERE YOUR PRIORITIES ARE.YOU CAN SAY THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, BUT IF YOU DON'T PUT ANY MONEY TOWARDS IT, THEN IS IT REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOU? SO WE START THE PROCESS ALREADY IN OCTOBER.
WE'VE ALREADY STARTED AS A COUNTY LOOKING AT THE DEPARTMENTS, GOING THROUGH WHAT THEY NEED, LISTENING TO OUR SUPERVISORS, UH, LISTENING TO CITIZENS.
UH, WE THEN START BUILDING THE BUDGET INTERNALLY THROUGH JANUARY.
I'LL BE PRESENTING IT TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN FEBRUARY.
THEN WE'LL BE HAVING TOWN HALLS JUST LIKE THIS STARTING IN MARCH.
AND THEN THERE'LL BE A PUBLIC HEARING IN APRIL, AND THE BUDGET WOULD BE ADOPTED AT SOME POINT AFTER THAT.
PART OF THAT BUDGET, OF COURSE, IS GOING TO BE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PRIORITIES.
AGAIN, THOSE ARE THINGS YOU SEE, YOU TOUCH, YOU KNOW, YOU HARD BRICK AND MORTAR THINGS OR, OR THE KIND OF OF ASSETS THAT THAT HELP US.
MOST RECENTLY, OF COURSE, THE NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS AN EXAMPLE OF OUR CIP IN ACTION.
OUR SHERIFF, EVERY YEAR WE GET NEW VEHICLES FOR, THERE'S NOTHING WORSE YOU CAN DO FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND NOT GIVE 'EM GOOD EQUIPMENT.
SAME THING WITH OUR FIRE AND RESCUE.
WE ALWAYS TRY TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE FIRE TRUCK, ONE AMBULANCE EVERY YEAR.
AND THEN FACILITIES ITSELF, YOU SEE THE COURTHOUSE.
WE STARTED THE PROCESS NOW OF DESIGNING THE NEW COURTHOUSE.
UH, BACK IN, UH, 2021, THE CITIZEN, THIS COUNTY, 85% VOTED TO BUILD A NEW COURTHOUSE.
IT TAKES ABOUT FOUR YEARS TO BUILD A COURTHOUSE BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH INVOLVED IN PLANNING AND DESIGNING.
IT'S A BUILDING UNLIKE ANY OTHER.
THERE ARE NO OTHER COUNTERPARTS TO A COURTHOUSE BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF SECURITY YOU HAVE TO HAVE BECAUSE OF THE VARIOUS CONSTITUENCIES, YOU HAVE TO MOVE THROUGH IT BECAUSE OF THE JUDGES, THE VARIOUS COURTS, PUBLIC SAFETY, THE CITIZENS.
SO IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO DO IT.
THAT'S PROBABLY WHY WE ONLY BUILD 'EM EVERY 200 YEARS HERE.
ANOTHER THING I'M PLEASED TO TELL YOU ABOUT IS WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR SERVICES.
UH, THE BOARD DID APPROVE US BEGINNING CONSTRUCTION OF THE SANDY HOOK STATION EIGHT, UH, THAT'S ON THE CORNER OF WHITEHALL ROAD AND, UM, UH, UM, 5 22 SANDY HOOK ROAD.
AND, UH, WE STARTED THE DESIGN PROCESS FOR THAT.
IF YOU'VE BEEN DOWN THAT ROAD, YOU'VE, YOU'VE SEEN THE SIGN, UH, WE'LL BE PUTTING A NEW SIGN UP, UH, IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
THAT'LL INDICATE THAT COMING SOON WILL BE THAT STATION.
WE ALSO CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR THE BEST LOCATION FOR STATION SEVEN IN WEST CREEK.
SO THAT IS STILL ON THE BURNER.
THE BOARD HAS MADE CLEAR THAT WE'RE STILL GONNA BUILD THAT STATION ALSO, BUT WE'VE STARTED THE PROCESS TO BUILD STATION EIGHT, NATE.
NOW, WHEN I TALKED ABOUT PEOPLE COMING AND SPENDING TIME IN GUIN, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE TRY TO GET THEM TO DO IS, IS VISIT US.
AND THE STATE OF VIRGINIA TELLS US THAT OUR VISITORS TO THIS COUNTY HAD AN IMPACT OF $89 MILLION LAST YEAR.
THAT'S BUYING GAS, THAT'S STAYING IN, IN AIRBNBS, THAT'S STAYING IN THE HOTEL, THAT'S BUYING FOOD AND MEALS.
UM, PAYING FOR TICKETS TO EVENTS, OVER 600 JOBS SUPPORTED.
THAT COULD BE FOOD TRUCKS LIKE YOU SEE THERE.
THAT COULD BE HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND AGAIN, OUR LOCAL TAXES BENEFIT BY ALMOST $3 MILLION FROM SALES TAX COLLECTIONS, UM, THAT, THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THEM.
NOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SHOPPING, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE REALLY STARTED FOCUSING ON IS TRYING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SUPPORT LOCAL.
SO A COUPLE WAYS I'M GONNA TELL YOU HOW WE'RE DOING THAT.
ONE IS, YOU SEE OVER THERE TO THE LEFT IS YOUR SHOP LOCAL.
THERE'S AN APP THAT WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO DOWNLOAD.
AND WHAT IT IS, IT'S A GUIDE TO EVERYTHING.
AGAIN, FOOD, BEVERAGE AND FUN IN THIS COUNTY.
SO YOU, YOU CAN GO STRAIGHT TO THOSE THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM IN GOON COUNTY.
BUT THEN ONCE YOU GO THERE, IF YOU SHOP THERE, IF YOUR APPLICATION, IF YOU GOT IT AND YOU GET A COPY OF YOUR RECEIPT, THEN OUR EDA WILL REIMBURSE YOU 5% OF THAT COST THAT YOU CAN THEN SPEND ON OTHER LOCAL RESTAURANTS OR SHOPS IN THIS COUNTY.
SO THE MORE THAT YOU ACTUALLY SHOP LOCAL, THE MORE IT HELPS OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES BECAUSE THAT MONEY COMES BACK AND IT HAS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THEM, AS WE'VE BEEN TOLD.
WELL OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF BENEFIT TO THEM AS MONEY GOES ROLLING BACK THROUGH IT.
SO YOU SEE THE OPEN REWARDS EARN CASH BACK AT YOUR FAVORITE BUSINESSES.
ANOTHER WAY, AND THIS IS A CRITICAL WAY, IS BUY YOUR GAS LOCAL.
A FEW YEARS BACK, THE STATE OF VIRGINIA CREATED THE CENTRAL VIRGINIA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, THE CBTA, AND THEY PUT A, UH, AN ADDITIONAL TAX ON GAS IN THE CENTRAL VIRGINIA REGION.
WHEN YOU BUY YOUR GAS IN GLAND, WE GET 50% OF THAT MONEY.
SO ALREADY TODAY, $9.2 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL REVENUE HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY GLAND COUNTY AND BEEN SPENT IN HERE ON PROJECTS.
SO SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT I'VE SHOWN YOU WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING, WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE IF WE HADN'T HAVE HAD THE GAS MONEY FROM THE GAS TAXES.
SO WHEN YOU BUY YOUR GAS, DON'T BUY IT AT HANOVER, HANNA OR HENRICO OR, OR YOU KNOW, CHESTERFIELD.
IF YOU CAN HELP IT, PLEASE BUY IT AT A LOCAL GAS STATION AT GLAND.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA START HELPING US FIX OUR ROADS BECAUSE OUR ROADS, AS WE KNOW, CERTAINLY COULD USE SOME HELP.
AND THIS IS WHERE THE MONEY CAN COME FROM.
SO THE FINAL THING IS HOW DO WE KEEP YOU INVOLVED? THE FACT THAT YOU'RE HERE IS ONE OF THE GREAT WAYS AND THIS IS SUCH A, UM, A VERY INVOLVED COMMUNITY.
OF COURSE, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE ELECTION VOTE.
I CERTAINLY WOULD HOPE AND EXPECT EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM HAS, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO ALREADY VOTED.
UH, NOVEMBER 2ND WILL BE THE LAST DAY OF EARLY VOTING.
[00:20:01]
IS ELECTION DAY.I DO WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT AFFECTS Y'ALL THE MOST IS ON JUNE, THE BOARD CREATED NEW VOTING PRECINCT, PRECINCT 4 0 3.
IT'S LOCATED OUT AT AVERY POINT, AND IT SERVES THAT AREA.
THAT'S AROUND THE AVERY POINT.
AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, UH, TWO APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN EVERY POINT ARE WHO'S COVERED BY IT.
IT HELPS YOU BECAUSE ALL THOSE PEOPLE WILL NO LONGER BE GOING TO THE PRECINCTS THAT YOU'VE BEEN USING.
SO IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF THE TRAFFIC OUT OF THE EXISTING PRECINCTS AND LET THEM VOTE THERE, WHICH THEN WILL HELP PEOPLE VOTE SMOOTHER, EASIER, AND QUICKER AT THE PRECINCTS THAT YOU'RE USED TO VOTING AT.
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN PARTICIPATE.
AGAIN, PARTICIPATE IN THINGS LIKE THIS TOWN HALLS.
YOU CAN VOLUNTEER, GET INVOLVED, RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE.
ALWAYS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO THAT.
TRY TO GET ON A BORDER COMMISSION.
WE ALWAYS HAVE VACANCIES OUT THERE.
WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO REACH OUT TO THEIR SUPERVISORS IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN DOING SO.
I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE THE SHERIFF'S APP ON YOUR PHONE IF YOU DON'T ALREADY.
THE SHERIFF'S APP IS, IS YOUR CONNECTION TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND WHAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SHARING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
ONE OF THE BEST, MOST USEFUL TOOLS THAT THEY HAVE IN THERE, OF COURSE, IS ROADS OPENING AND ROAD CLOSINGS.
IF YOU'VE EVER GOTTEN AN I 64 AND SEEN A DEAD STOP AND WISH YOU'D KNOWN THAT BEFORE YOU GOT ON IT, THIS APP WOULD'VE TOLD YOU THAT.
AND THEY'LL SEND YOU ANNOUNCEMENTS AND LET YOU KNOW THAT ROADS ARE SHUT DOWN AND WHEN THEY'RE REOPENED.
SO DURING BAD WEATHER ESPECIALLY, THAT'S HELPFUL DURING EVENTS, LIKE AGAIN, A WRECK ON THE INTERSTATE, IT LETS YOU KNOW TO TAKE A DIFFERENT WAY AROUND.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE THAT ONE.
ALSO, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, YOUR FIRE AND RESCUE ARE CODE RED.
AND THIS IS FOR EMERGENCY SIGNIFICANT EMERGENCIES ONLY.
BUT IF YOU HAVE THAT DOWNLOADED THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO YOU IF SOMETHING IS HAPPENING THAT AFFECTS YOU.
SO THAT COULD BE AN, AN EMERGENCY, THAT COULD BE A, A HURRICANE, A TORNADO WARNINGS.
IT COULD BE A SILVER ALERT OR, OR AN AMBER ALERT.
IT COULD BE, UH, UNFORTUNATELY ENOUGH, SOME MONTHS BACK WE HAD A WATER MAIN THAT, THAT THAT BURST AND WE HAD TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THE WATER WAS, WAS NOT WORKING.
THEY HAD TO BOIL THE WATER FOR 24 HOURS.
SO ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE THIS SO THAT YOU CAN KEEP INVOLVED AND AWARE THAT WAY ALSO.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE COUNTY'S GOT AN APP.
SO THE COUNTY'S OWN APP IS SOMETHING I'D ENCOURAGE YOU.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO WITH THAT APP IS YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR ALERTS AND NOTIFICATIONS.
AND THAT'S A REAL IMPORTANT FEATURE.
'CAUSE YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE WHAT'S INTERESTING TO YOU.
SO IF YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT PARKS AND REC ARE DOING, YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE IT AND IT'LL ALERT YOU WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
IF YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN PLANNING AND ZONING, IT'LL ALERT YOU AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING AND PLANNING AND ZONING.
SO YOU SELECT WHAT YOU'RE NOTIFIED, BUT STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
ALSO, YOU CAN GET EMAILS, A WEEKLY EMAIL WE SEND OUT GLAND AT A GLANCE.
IT JUST TELLS YOU, AGAIN, A SUMMARY OF EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED IN THIS PAST WEEK IN UCHIN COUNTY AND IT JUST GET INVOLVED AS WELL.
COME TO OUR MEETINGS THE FIRST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH EXCEPT NOVEMBER BECAUSE ELECTION DAY IS THE FIRST TUESDAY.
SO WE'LL BE MEETING WEDNESDAY THIS MONTH OF NOVEMBER, BUT EVERY OTHER MONTH IT'S GONNA BE THE FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH.
ALL THE MAJOR SOCIAL MEDIA PLAYERS ENCOURAGE YOU EXCEPT FOR TIKTOK.
WE DON'T DO THAT, BUT ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE PART OF, OF AND SEEING AND FOLLOWING US ON THERE.
AND SO WITH THAT, THAT'S KINDA WHAT WE'RE DOING IN A SUMMARY NUTSHELL.
AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER NOW TO OUR SUPERINTENDENT.
PARDON THIS FOR A TEMPORARY WARDROBE CHANGE.
MY NAME IS MICHAEL ARDI AND MY PASSION IS OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UM, YOU'RE A DISTRICT FOUR SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE MS. MAXWELL WANTED ME TO CONVEY THAT SHE'S GOT BUSINESS CARDS HERE FOR ANYBODY WHO NEEDS THEM AFTER, SO THAT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS THAT YOU THINK ABOUT ONCE YOU GET HOME AND WANNA REACH OUT, YOU CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
UM, I WALKED IN THIS EVENING OR BRIEFLY SPOKE TO CHIEF FERGUSON IN THE PARKING LOT AND IT REMINDED ME TO DO SOMETHING THAT I DON'T TYPICALLY DO, BUT SHOULD.
AND THAT'S TO CELEBRATE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES LIKE FIRE AND RESCUE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
UM, MANY OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT RECENTLY WE ENGAGED IN A SERIES OF ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS AND A REUNIFICATION, UM, SIMULATION THAT INVOLVE NOT ONLY FIRE AND RESCUE, BUT OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
AND WHILE I PRAY EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN EVENT THAT CALLS US TO UTILIZE THOSE THINGS AND HABITS, IT'S CERTAINLY GOOD TO KNOW THAT SHOULD WE HAVE DO THOSE THINGS.
ALSO WANT TO THANK THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER TO EACH OF OUR FIVE CAMPUSES.
AND THAT'S NOT SOMEONE WHO FLOATS THROUGH A COUPLE TIMES A DAY.
IT'S ACTUALLY SOMEONE WHO'S ASSIGNED TO THAT SCHOOL AND WHO IS A PART OF THAT SCHOOL COMMUNITY, GIVEN OUR KIDS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERACT POSITIVELY WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO TONIGHT IN MY TIME, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE STATE OF THE SCHOOLS AND I'M VERY PROUD TO STAND HERE AND TELL YOU THAT THE STATE OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS STRONG.
WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN BEHIND ME IS A PHOTOGRAPH FROM OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM THE GOLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS READING OLYMPICS.
[00:25:01]
WE HAD TEAMS OF ABOUT 75 STUDENTS PER SCHOOL TO COME AND, UH, COMPETE IN DIFFERENT READING CHALLENGES AND I'M REALLY PROUD TO SHARE THAT THIS YEAR'S WINNER WAS FROM BIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.WHILE I'M BRAGGING ON BIRD, BIRD, ALSO WON FIRST PLACE IN LEGO ROBOTICS AND DONATED OVER 1500 POUNDS OF GOODS TO GLAND CARES GLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, I'M GONNA BRAG ON ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS INDIVIDUALLY TONIGHT.
GLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAD 24 GIRLS PARTICIPATING IN ITS GIRLS ON THE RUN PROGRAM.
THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR YOUNG LADIES TO DEVELOP SELF-ADVOCACY AND LEARN TO BE A PART OF A TEAM.
AND OUR FLYING SQUIRRELS NIGHT, READING NIGHT LAST SPRING WAS VERY, VERY POPULAR AT THE BASEBALL PARK OVER IN RICHMOND.
WHEN I BRAG ABOUT RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, I CAN'T DO THAT ABSENT OF TALKING ABOUT THEIR HOUSE CONCEPT.
IT'S REALLY THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND AT LEAST THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL WHERE THEY TAKE KIDS FROM PRESCHOOL AND AFFILIATE THEM WITH A HOUSE.
SO IT'S PRESCHOOL ON THROUGH FIFTH GRADE.
THEY'RE PART OF A TEAM, PART OF A CULTURE AND PART OF A FAMILY.
AND THERE'S A GOOD DOSAGE OF HEALTHY COMPETITION THAT GOES IN THERE.
I'M AN HONORARY, UM, TRAIL RUNNER AND THEY REMIND ME OF THAT EVERY TIME I'M AT THE SCHOOL, MUCH TO THE CHAGRIN OR THE OTHER TEAMS, BUT I'M PROUD OF THAT.
THERE'S AN OUTDOOR LEARNING PAVILION BACK, UH, ABOUT 500 FEET, 500 YARDS I'LL SAY, IN THE WOODS BEHIND RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THIS WAS DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GLAND EDUCATION FOUNDATION TO PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS LEARNING EXPERIENCES OUTSIDE OF THE TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM.
AND I CAN'T BRAG ENOUGH ON OUR SCHOOLS WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS PROGRESS OF GLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL.
LAST YEAR WHEN I TOOK THIS JOB, GLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS DESIGNATED A LEVEL.
WELL, THEY WERE RED FOR ENGLISH.
AND AS A FORMER ENGLISH TEACHER, I THOUGHT THAT JUST CANNOT BE HERE.
AND I'M VERY, VERY PROUD TO SAY TYPICALLY SCHOOLS WHEN THEY'RE PROGRESSING, THEY'LL GO FROM A RED DISTINCTION, WHICH IS A LEVEL THREE DISTINCTION TO A YELLOW, WHICH IS A LEVEL TWO, AND THEN A GREEN, WHICH IS LEVEL ONE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT AT GOOCHLAND MIDDLE.
WE JUMPED DIRECTLY FROM LEVEL THREE RED TO LEVEL ONE GREEN IN ONE YEAR'S TIME.
AND OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN OUR FIRST OF WHAT'S GONNA NOW BE ANNUAL ENERGIZED AND ENGAGED DAY.
THIS WAS AN EVENT THAT ALLOWED OUR KIDS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE WITH TEACHERS AND THEIR PEERS IN WAYS THAT BUILT TEAMS AND FUN SPIRITS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
WE'VE RECEIVED A HEAVY DONATION EQUIPMENT FROM OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS AT SARGENT.
THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT VALUE HAD OVER $80,000, ALLOWED US TO RETIRE OUR PREVIOUS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
ACTUALLY, WE DIDN'T RETIRE IT, WE SOLD IT.
BUT THIS GIVES OUR STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE ON MORE MODERNIZED HEAVY EQUIPMENT.
AND I ENCOURAGE YOU, IF YOU'VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE, TO JOIN US FOR OUR MOCK INTERVIEWS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL THIS SPRING.
THIS IS WHERE BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS COME IN AND ACTUALLY INTERVIEW OUR STUDENTS.
THEY TYPICALLY GET DRESSED UP AND THEY PREPARE.
AND YOU ALL SIMULATE WHAT A REAL LIFE JOB INTERVIEW MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
WE MADE OUR BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE MORE ROBUST LAST MARCH, WE MOVED IT TO THIS AREA OF THE COUNTY AND ATTRACTED ALMOST 50 BUSINESS PARTNERS TO COME AND SHARE WITH US THE TYPES OF SKILLS THAT THEY WANT PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEES TO HAVE.
AND IN KIND THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS, WE WORK TO BUILD THOSE SKILLS TO MAKE A MORE EMPLOYABLE PUBLIC.
AND IN DOING SO, LAST JUNE, JUST BEFORE GRADUATION, WE HAD OUR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION SIGNING DAY HERE IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH FOR 28 STUDENTS.
THESE 28 KIDS GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL ON JUNE THE EIGHTH, SATURDAY NIGHT, AND WENT TO WORK ON MONDAY MORNING, JUNE THE 10TH, EARNING VERY COMPETITIVE WAGES AT EMPLOYEES FROM DOMINION TO SERGEANT AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN.
AND WHILE I'M TALKING ABOUT OUR GRADUATION, LET ME SHARE A FEW DETAILS OF OUR GRADUATING CLASS.
OF THOSE, NEARLY THREE OUT OF EVERY FOUR EARNED A VIRGINIA ADVANCED STUDIES DIPLOMA.
THAT IS OTHER WORLDLY FOLKS THAT IS REMARKABLE LEVELS OF ACHIEVEMENT.
OF THOSE 218 STUDENTS, 60 EARNED THEIR ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE FROM J SERGEANT REYNOLDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRIOR TO GRADUATION.
NOW THINK ABOUT HOW AMAZING THAT IS.
J SERGEANT HOLDS ITS GRADUATION BEFORE WE HOLD OURS.
SO 60 STUDENTS ACTUALLY EARNED A COLLEGE DEGREE BEFORE THEY EARNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
I'M VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT OUR GRADUATION RATE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL SITS AT 98% WELL ABOVE THE STATE AVERAGE, MATCHING OUR ALL TIME HIGH ALSO OF 98%
[00:30:01]
IN 2020.WE HAVE A 0.9 LESS THAN 1% DEEMABLE DROPOUT RATE.
NOW FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE CHECKING MY MATH, YOU'RE SAYING, WELL, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OTHER 1% OR 1.1%? IN THIS CASE, THESE ARE KIDS WHO RETURN TO US EITHER AT THE SUMMER OR ARE STILL WITH US WORKING TO FINISH THEIR HIGH SCHOOL CREDENTIAL.
AND I'M PROUD TO STAND HERE TODAY TO SAY THAT ALL FIVE OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE FULLY ACCREDITED AS DETERMINED BY THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
AND NOT ONLY ARE WE FULLY ACCREDITED, WE'VE MADE GREAT STRIDES.
WE'RE UP IN READING AND MATHEMATICS IN THE PAST SCHOOL YEAR IN READING.
WE RANK FIRST IN THE REGION OUT OF 10 SCHOOL DIVISIONS AND 14TH IN THE STATE OUT OF 131 SCHOOL DIVISIONS.
THAT IS THE HIGHEST SINGLE YEAR RANKING WE'VE EVER HAD FOR ENGLISH IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.
WE'RE SECOND AND LOOKING AT HANOVER TO BE FIRST OUT OF 10 SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN THE REGION AND EIGHTH IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
WE RECOGNIZE THE CHALLENGES THAT ALL SCHOOL DIVISIONS FACE WITH SCIENCE AND HISTORY IN THE FACE OF CHANGING STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENTS, BUT WE'RE COMPETITIVE THERE TOO.
RANKING FIFTH IN THE REGION AND 35TH IN THE STATE AND SCIENCE FOURTH IN THE REGION AND 13TH IN THE STATE IN HISTORY.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO FOLLOW NICHE, NICHE IS RATED GLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THE BEST SCHOOL DIVISION IN THE METRO RICHMOND AREA FOR THE SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR.
AND OUR ENROLLMENT IS UP IN OUR SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE 2,642 STUDENTS UP BY 71 STUDENTS OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
YOU MAY BE WONDERING TO WHAT CAN THAT GROWTH BE ATTRIBUTED.
I WANT TO TAKE YOU BACK ROUGHLY FIVE YEARS WHEN WE WERE ALL SHUT IN AND A LITTLE BIT IDLE WITH COVID AND PEOPLE FOUND INTERESTING WAYS TO PASS THAT TIME.
FIVE YEARS LATER, WE'VE GOT BOOMING KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT IN OUR SCHOOLS.
THAT'S THE WAY THAT MATH WORKS.
WE HAVE 473 EMPLOYEES ON OUR ROLE.
WE HIRED 41 NEW STAFF MEMBERS THIS SCHOOL YEAR TO INCLUDE 10 TEACHERS ACROSS OUR THREE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
NINE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS, 13 MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS, EIGHT SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, AND ONE SCHOOL COUNSELOR.
THE TABLE THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN BEHIND ME REPRESENTS WHERE OUR TEACHERS LAND IN TERMS OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE OF ALL OF OUR TEACHERS.
THE LION'S SHARE OF THEM HAVE ZERO TO FIVE YEARS EXPERIENCE.
THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE DOING A REMARKABLE JOB AT RECRUITING TALENTED TEACHER STAFF.
BUT AS WE GO ALONG THE CONTINUUM, THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE THE MOST EXPERIENCE, 26 TO 29 YEARS AND 30 YEARS, WE ONLY HAVE 26 STAFF MEMBERS THAT FILL THOSE BUCKETS.
AND I THINK IT'S PRETTY NEAT THAT WE HAVE 12 NEW COURSE OFFERINGS AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL FOR OUR STUDENTS.
GLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PUNCH UP.
AND I NEVER WANTED TO BE THE REALITY FOR ANY OF OUR STUDENTS, FOR THEM TO MISS THAT LAST ADMISSION SPOT AT A UNIVERSITY OF THEIR CHOICE BECAUSE THIS KID HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A COURSE AT THEIR SCHOOL DIVISION THAT WE DON'T OFFER IN OURS.
I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR ROBUST AND EVER-GROWING COURSE CATALOG.
WE HAVE, UH, WON AWARDS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND TECHNOLOGY GRANTS AND GOLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS AN APPLE DISTINGUISHED DISTRICT.
NOW, THERE ARE NOT VERY MANY OF THOSE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I SHARED WHEN I WAS HERE LAST MARCH AND SOMEONE REACHED OUT, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS FROM DISTRICT FOUR OR DISTRICT, SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTY, AND SAID, WELL, DOES THAT JUST MEAN THAT YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON APPLE PRODUCTS? NO.
ALTHOUGH WE DO SPEND MONEY ON APPLE PRODUCTS, THAT IS OUR PROVERB,
BUT THIS IS AN AWARD THAT'S A CELEBRATION FOR GLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS A LEADER IN INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY.
YOU DON'T GET THE AWARD WITH JUST THE TECHNOLOGY AND YOU DON'T GET THE REWARD AWARD WITH JUST INNOVATION.
YOU HAVE TO BE TECHNOLOGICALLY INNOVATIVE.
AND WE ARE IN PREPARING LESSONS DAILY AND EXPERIENCES FOR OUR STUDENTS LIKE THE COUNTY.
WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED THE, UH, GFOA DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION AWARD FOR MANY, MANY YEARS RUNNING.
AND ALL FIVE OF OUR BOOKKEEPERS AT OUR SCHOOLS RECEIVED PERFECT AUDITS THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR AND ALL THE TALK GLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WE OPENED A BRAND NEW STATE OF THE ART LEARNING FACILITY IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE COUNTY THAT ENCOMPASSES 105,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE, COLORFUL AND VIBRANT.
AND TO GO THERE DURING A LUNCH PERIOD WILL JUST MAKE YOUR ENTIRE WEEK.
I WELCOME YOU TO JOIN US SOMETIME AND SEE THAT THIS SCHOOL GAVE
[00:35:01]
US GROWTH CAPACITY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.AND I'LL EXPLAIN, YOU MAY SAY, WELL, IT'S IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE COUNTY.
HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THE ABILITY TO ABSORB GROWTH AT RANDOLPH IN OUR DISTRICT OR BYRD IN THE NORTHWEST END OF THE COUNTY? AND THIS IS HOW WHEN WE PLAN TO OPEN THE SCHOOL, WE ALSO TOOK ON A REDISTRICTING PROGRAM.
WE HIRED A FIRM TO HANDLE OUR REDISTRICTING.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT REDISTRICTING ABOUT 90 STUDENTS FROM THE RANDOLPH AREA, THIS END OF THE COUNTY WERE AUTOMATICALLY REZONED TO ATTEND THE NEW GLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THE SAME THING HAPPENED IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE COUNTY WHERE ABOUT 40 STUDENTS WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY GONE TO BIRD WERE NOW REZONED TO GO TO GLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THE NEW GES HOUSES A MAXIMUM OF ABOUT 675 TO 700 STUDENTS COMFORTABLY.
AND RIGHT NOW, TODAY HAS OVER 500 STUDENTS AT THAT SCHOOL.
CONVERSELY, BECAUSE WE'VE TAKEN STUDENTS FROM RANDOLPH, RANDOLPH SITTING AT ABOUT 340 STUDENTS AND BIRDS SITTING AT ABOUT 260 STUDENTS, EACH OF THOSE BUILDINGS WITH THE CAPACITY FOR GROWTH EQUALING THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WE TOOK OUT.
AND QUITE POSSIBLY MORE BECAUSE WE ALLOWED OUR CURRENT FIFTH GRADERS TO REMAIN AT THEIR SCHOOLS.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO TRAUMATIZE ANYONE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING TO DO PRE-K THROUGH FOUR AT ONE SCHOOL IN FIFTH GRADE AT A SEPARATE.
SO BECAUSE WE DID THAT, WE ALSO HONORED A SIBLING.
IF THEY HAVE A YOUNGER SIBLING, THAT YOUNGER SIBLING COULD REMAIN FOR ONE YEAR ONLY.
SO WE MAY SEE MORE STUDENTS AT GES IN THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.
WHEN I WAS HERE IN MARCH, I WAS HAT IN HAND TALKING ABOUT THE POWER OF A MARKET ADJUSTMENT FOR OUR DIVISION'S.
240 SCHOOL TEACHERS ONLY THE SCHOOL TEACHERS, MICHAEL M SAW NOT 1 CENT IN MARKET ADJUSTMENT, NOR DID OUR PRINCIPALS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS, FOOD SERVICE WORKERS, CUSTODIANS, BUS DRIVERS, YOU NAME IT.
BUT I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU THE POWER OF THAT INITIATIVE AND WHAT THAT MEANT FOR COMPENSATION OF SCHOOL TEACHERS IN GLAND ON THE SCREEN.
THE COLUMN THAT'S ON YOUR RIGHT, MY LEFT INDICATES WHERE WE WOULD'VE BEEN HAD WE JUST DONE THE 5% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, WHICH MANY LOCALES AROUND US DID JUST THE 5%, THREE TO 5% AT YEAR ZERO, WE WOULD'VE RANKED THIRD OF SEVEN SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN OUR STUDY.
AND THAT'S A GOOD THING BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE COMPETITIVE ON THE FRONT END TO RECRUIT THAT TALENT.
KEEP IN MIND THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR TEACHERS HAVE YEARS ZERO TO FIVE OF EXPERIENCE.
WE WERE RIGHT AT THE MIDDLE IN BANDS INCLUDING YEARS FIVE TO 10 AND NEAR THE BOTTOM FOR OUR LONGEST SERVING, LONGEST TENURED TEACHERS YEARS 15 TO 25.
NOW PIVOT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE COLUMN THAT'S ON YOUR LEFT.
WE STILL RANK THIRD FOR STARTING SALARY BECAUSE THAT NUMBER WAS NOT IMPACTED BY THE MARKET ADJUSTMENT.
BUT WE'RE SECOND IN THE REGION IN BANDS FIVE THROUGH 15.
OUR TEACHERS WITH YEARS FIVE THROUGH 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ARE COMPENSATED AT THE SECOND HIGHEST LEVEL IN THE REGION.
AND OUR TEACHERS WITH 20 TO 25 YEARS ARE COMPENSATED THIRD IN THE REGION.
THAT'S THE POWER OF THAT INITIATIVE.
WE RANK IN THE TOP THREE SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN THE THE METRO RICHMOND AREA FOR TEACHER SALARIES.
AND WHEN SURVEYED, SINCE THEY RETURNED TO SCHOOL THIS YEAR, NEARLY 60% OF OUR TEACHERS INDICATED THAT THAT MARKET ADJUSTMENT WAS AN INFLUENTIAL FACTOR IN THEIR DECISION TO CONTINUE WITH GLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THAT CONCLUDES THE STATE OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND AM I TURNING IT OVER TO YOU OR AM I OPENING THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS? WELL, WE'RE GONNA OPEN THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND MR. DRUMRIGHT WILL COME TO YOU WITH A, WITH A, UH, MICROPHONE SO WE CAN HEAR THE PEOPLE AT HOME CAN HEAR YOU AS WELL.
I DO UNDERSTAND THAT CAPACITY IS PART OF THE, UH, FORMULA FOR DECIDING A SCHOOL.
BUT HERE IN DISTRICT FOUR AND DISTRICT FIVE, WE ARE IN A DESIGNATED GROWTH AREA.
OUR LITTLE CHILDREN ARE ON THE BUS AN HOUR EACH WAY TO GET TO RANDOLPH, UH, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
IT'S HEARTBREAKING FOR ME, UH,
[00:40:01]
WHO HAS LIVED HERE FOR 45 YEARS NOW TO, WE WERE PROMISED THAT WE WOULD HAVE OUR OWN SCHOOL IN DISTRICT FOUR AND FIVE.UH, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, GAPS IN IT, BUT OUR KIDS ARE ON THE BUS ALL THIS TIME.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO FINDING OUT THAT THE LAST ONE THAT WAS GOING TO BE 15 YEARS BEFORE WE COULD POSSIBLY GET A NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS HEARTBREAKING.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE ARE PAYING OUR FAIR SHARE OF PROPERTY TAXES OVER HERE AND I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND IF MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE EVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO, UH, HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL TO GO TO.
I WENT TO SCHOOL IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I DIDN'T HAVE TO TRACK 20 MILES TO GO TO SCHOOL EACH DAY.
AND IT'S EVEN FURTHER FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M, I'M SORRY TO SAY, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, WE FEEL, WELL I'M GONNA SAY I I FEEL THAT WE NEED TO HAVE WHAT WE WERE PROMISED 45 YEARS AGO AND THAT WAS GOING TO BE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS WHAT, HOW MANY YEARS OLD? NEARLY 70, NEARLY 70 YEARS OLD.
UM, MOST, UH, BUILDINGS AT 70 YEARS OLD HAVE GOT MAJOR CONDITIONS.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO PLEASE, UH, UH, I'M SORRY, BUT YOU KNEW IT WAS COMING.
AND, AND, AND I'LL SPEAK TO THAT AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO HAVE, UH, MAYBE MR. CARPENTER TALK AT, TALK ABOUT IT FROM A CAPITAL OUTLAY PERSPECTIVE.
BOTH GLAND, I'M SORRY, BOTH, UH, RANDOLPH AND BIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE NEAR 70 YEARS OLD.
BUT IF YOU'VE BEEN TO THOSE SCHOOLS, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THEY, FOR THEM TO BE 70-YEAR-OLD FACILITIES, PARTICULARLY IN THE INSIDE, THEY'VE BEEN WELL MAINTAINED.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S NOT YOUR CONCERN, BUT IT IS MY ROLE TO SAY THAT WITH REGARD TO THE GEOGRAPHY AND YOU HAVING ATTENDED A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL GLAND'S, NOT A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL COMMUNITY GLAND'S A COUNTY WHICH DESIRES TO REMAIN RURAL IN NATURE.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE 2,700 STUDENTS FROM A COUNTY THAT'S AS VAST AS THIS, NATURALLY FOLKS ARE GONNA HAVE TO CONVERGE FOR THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN PARTICULAR FROM EITHER END TO THE CENTER.
NOW, WHAT THE REZONING DID FOR RANDOLPH IS IT'S VERY, VERY CLOSE GEOGRAPHICALLY WHERE RANDOLPH SITS, IT'S VERY, VERY CLOSE TO THE GLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LINE.
AND IF WE EVER HAVE TO DO ANY REDISTRICTING, IT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT TO REDISTRICT BACK THIS WAY BECAUSE IT COULD QUITE POSSIBLY HAVE RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SITTING INSIDE OF ANOTHER SCHOOL ZONE THAT DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE REMAINDER OF THE COUNTY HEADING TOWARD HENRICO THAT SITS OUT THERE.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THAT LENDS TO THE LONG BUS RIDES FOR STUDENTS.
THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THAT.
SOME ARE, UM, REASONABLY CONTROLLED.
SOME ARE JUST CIRCUMSTANTIAL AND, AND CANNOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO A LACK OF HUMAN CAPITAL.
IF WE HAVE MORE BUSES ON THE ROAD, WE COULD PROBABLY BETTER ACCOMMODATE MORE TERRAIN QUICKER.
BUT THE REALITY IS WE STRUGGLE TO FILL OUR BUS DRIVER VACANCIES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE UNDER OUR CURRENT SETUP.
IF WE HAD KIDS RIDE THE BUSES TOGETHER KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12TH GRADE, THAT MIGHT MITIGATE SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
BUT I'D VENTURE TO GUESS THAT NOBODY IN THIS ROOM WANTS THEIR FIRST GRADE STUDENT ON THE BUS WITH A 10TH GRADER.
AND IF YOU THINK YOU DO SUPERINTENDENT'S HERE TO TELL YOU THAT YOU DO NOT
SO THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS THAT REALLY LEND TO OUR SPECIFIC CHALLENGES, BUT YOU'D BE ENLIGHTENED TO KNOW, AS YOU'VE MENTIONED, THAT THERE ARE PLANS IN THE CURRENT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND THOSE PLANS GO OUT FOR THE SCHOOLS 28 YEARS.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT'S GONNA BE THAT BEFORE A SCHOOL IS BUILT HERE, THAT INCLUDES A RENEWAL OF BOTH RANDOLPH AND BIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, BUT NO NEW SCHOOLS.
IT INCLUDES CONSTRUCTION OF BIRD, UH, BYRD AND RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
CON CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW SCHOOL.
BUT NO NEW SCHOOL, NOT NEW IN TERMS OF ADDITION.
WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
UHHUH
[00:45:01]
FOR THE WHOLE COUNTY.BUT YEAH, WE, YOU KNOW, STRUGGLE FOR ALL.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S, IT'S, I'VE LIVED IN THIS AREA FOR 45 YEARS NOW.
UM, AND WE HAVE WATCHED, UH, THE PROMISES THAT WERE MADE.
YOU KNOW, UH, AND WE DID THAT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT IMPACT, UH, ANALYSIS.
AND WE HAD REAL HOPE THAT IN 2018 THAT IN FIVE YEARS WE WOULD SEE SOME FORM OF OF IN FACILITY CARE.
BY SHOW OF HANDS, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE CHILDREN OR GRANDCHILDREN IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THAT'S LESS THAN A QUARTER OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE.
IT'S TRUE THAT ARE HERE, IT'S TRUE THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING GREAT GROWTH IN THIS END OF THE COUNTY.
BUT DOES THAT GROWTH TRANSITION TO INCREASED ENROLLMENT IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS SLOW GROWTH, NOT AS, NOT AS RAPID AS THE POPULATION INCREASE IN THIS PORTION OF THE COUNTY OR, OR THE CENTER PORTION OF THE COUNTY FOR THAT MATTER.
SLOW GROWTH, PEOPLE ARE MOVING HERE, BUT RATHER OR NOT, THEY HAVE CHILDREN WHO ARE ENROLLED IN OUR, IN OUR SCHOOLS.
WE'LL BE GLAD TO KEEP TALKING TO YOU AFTERWARDS, BUT WE CAN TAKE SOME MORE QUESTIONS.
WHEN YOU SAY THAT RANDOLPH COULD BE A NEW SCHOOL DEVELOPED FROM CALLED RANDOLPH, ARE YOU SAYING THAT THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THAT RANDOLPH SCHOOL WOULD BE MOVED MORE CENTRAL INTO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT VERSUS ITS CURRENT LOCATION? OKAY, LET ME BE CLEAR ON THIS.
I CANNOT IMAGINE A SCENARIO WHERE AN ADDITIONAL SCHOOL WILL BE OPENED IF A NEW SCHOOL OPENS IN OR WHEN A NEW SCHOOL OPENS IN THIS AREA OF THE COUNTY, WE WILL CONSOLIDATE OR COLLAPSE, NOT PHYSICALLY, BUT CLOSE THE, IN RANDOLPH REGARDING WHAT IT WILL BE CALLED.
I WOULD IMAGINE IT WILL BE CALLED RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, BUT I DO NOT KNOW THAT FOR CERTAIN THAT THAT WILL REST ON THE HANDS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AT THE TIME.
YOU SAYING THAT IT COULD BE AT THE CURRENT LOCATION OR THAT IT WOULD BE RELOCATED MORE CENTRAL INTO THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT? I THINK THAT VIC AND I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IDEAL PLACES, BUT IT'S GOTTA EXIST EITHER ON COUNTY OR SCHOOL BOARD OWNED PROPERTY.
IT CAN'T GO ON PRIVATE PROPERTY UNLESS THE PRIVATE OWNER OF THAT PROPERTY'S WILLING TO SELL TO EITHER THE COUNTY AND SCHOOL BOARD PROPERTY THAT WE OWN ON HOCKETT ROAD, YOU KNOW, AND THE COUNTY DOES OWN 80 ACRES ON HOCKETT ROAD.
IT, IT IS CERTAINLY GONNA BE ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE WOULD LOOK AT FOR SCHOOL LOCATION BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY OWNED AND IT'S ENOUGH SIZE, WHETHER IT WOULD BE ADEQUATE FOR A SCHOOL.
THOSE STUDIES HAVEN'T BEEN DONE.
BUT WE DO HAVE A PROPERTY, UH, I THINK TO, TO BUILD A STRUCTURE LIKE A SCHOOL AND, AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS IS NOT MY VALUE, BUT THERE WILL BE A LOT OF STUDY THAT GOES INTO THAT THAT WE HAVE NOT YET DONE AND NOT STARTED.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, THAT SCHOOL IS ABOUT 15 YEARS OUT AND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IS A 25, 28 YEAR PLAN THAT WE'VE GOT TO INTEREST.
BUT WHERE THE MONEY'S GONNA COME FROM, FIRST OF ALL.
SO IT, IT IS FINE TO PUT DOWN ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WANT IF THERE'S NO WAY TO PAY FOR IT.
SO WE'VE ALL BEEN VERY FOCUSED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR REACH DOES NOT EXCEED OUR GRASP.
SO PUTTING A, A PROJECT LIKE A NEW SCHOOL ON, ON HERE AND BY THE TIME IT COMES AROUND, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE A BIT OF 80 TO A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS TO BUILD THAT SCHOOL BECAUSE OF WHAT THIS SCHOOL DOES COST US TO BUILD AS WELL.
SO WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE WE CAN AFFORD TO PAY FOR IT.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA ENTER INTO ANYTHING LIGHTLY, BUT IT IS ON OUR PLAN, WHICH MEANS THAT WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT THE REVENUES THAT WE CURRENTLY ANTICIPATE IN 15 YEARS IS HARD TO ANTICIPATE.
BUT AS WE CURRENTLY ANTICIPATE, WE WOULD HAVE THE MONEY AVAILABLE AT THAT POINT TO DO IT WITHOUT MAJOR TAX INCREASE FOR OUR CITIZENS TO PAY FOR IT LIKE OTHER COUNTIES DO.
SO WHAT DO OUR COUNTIES, UM, I WANTED TO, UH, SECOND, WHICH SHE'S SAYING I GUESS THAT WAS REALLY MY, MY MAIN THING THAT I WANTED TO SAY WHEN I CAME HERE TONIGHT.
BUT MY FOCUS WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE BUS ROUTES.
UM, I KNOW HOW CHALLENGING IT IS TO GET BUS DRIVERS.
I MEAN, THAT'S NOT A JOB THAT I WOULD WANT TO DO IN A MILLION YEARS, BUT WE'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING.
UM, WE DO HAVE A SPREAD OUT COMMUNITY, SO I WOULD JUST HOPE THAT THERE IS A FOCUS ON THAT.
I, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTION IS, BUT MY SON IS ON, HE'S A MIDDLE SCHOOLER AND HE'S ON THE BUS FOR TWO HOURS EVERY DAY.
BUT THEN I STARTED TO LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER ROUTES TO SEE, WELL MAYBE THERE'S ANOTHER ROUTE WHERE I COULD PICK HIM UP.
'CAUSE I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY AND THEY WERE SO MUCH WORSE.
LIKE THERE'S SO MUCH WORSE THAN HIS.
I KNOW A FOURTH GRADER WHO'S ON THE BUS, HE GETS ON THE BUS BEFORE MY ALARM GOES OFF IN THE MORNING.
HE'S ON THE BUS AT SIX 30 AND HE'S IN THE FOURTH GRADE.
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HE HAS A DHD.THIS IS NOT A GOOD WAY FOR HIM TO START HIS DAY.
SO, UM, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME.
ALSO, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING, UM, NURSES AT ALL OF THE SCHOOLS.
I, WE ARE A FAMILY ALLERGY, WE HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES, WE HAVE OTHER ISSUES AND THEY'RE MINOR COMPARED TO WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER KIDS ARE DEALING WITH THESE DAYS.
SO HAVING A SCHOOL NURSE AND THEY'RE WONDERFUL BY THE WAY.
THEY ARE, UM, AT EVERY SCHOOL IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME.
ONE MORE THING AND THEN I'M DONE THAT, UM, IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET TO ANY, NO KIDS USE THEIR LOCKERS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THERE'S LIKE, I UNDERSTAND WE NEED TO MINIMIZE THE TIME BETWEEN CLASSES BECAUSE OF ALL KINDS OF REASONS, BUT, UM, MY SON IS CARRYING HIS LUNCHBOX, HIS TRUMPET AND HIS WHOLE BACKPACK WITH HIS ENTIRE DAY SCHOOLS AND HE'S LIKE CHIRPING AROUND FROM CLASS TO CLASS.
SO LOCKERS AREN'T WELL, SO EVERY KID WHO REQUESTS A LOCKER CAN BE ASSIGNED A LOCKER, LIKE 95% OF THE LOCKERS ARE VACANT AND WE USE THEM TO STORE TEXTBOOKS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE BECAUSE KIDS JUST HAVE SHOWN A DISINTEREST IN HAVING A TRADITIONAL LOCKER BASED PRIMARILY ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED.
IT'S NOT LOCATED WHERE THEIR CLASSES ARE.
THEY'D HAVE TO GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO GO TO IT.
UM, I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, IF I CAN, 30 SECONDS OR LESS ABOUT THE BUS RIDES FROM HERE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
IF WE ALL GOT IN A CAR AND DROVE STRAIGHT FROM HERE TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE'D BE TALKING ABOUT 20 MINUTES MAX.
BUT WHEN YOU THROW IN SEVERAL BUS STOPS ALONG THE WAY AND SEVERAL VEERING OFF TO GO DOWN CERTAIN ROADS TO PICK UP STUDENTS WHO ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY CLOSE, BUT OUT OF THE WAY IN TERMS OF A MAIN THROUGHWAY, THAT ADDS TIME.
AND YOU ARE CORRECT, WE DO HAVE KIDS THAT ARE ON THE BUS 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR ONE WAY.
WE DO HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE GETTING ON SCHOOL BUSES AT SIX 30 AND WHEN IT'S THIS TIME OF YEAR GETTING INTO THE TIME CHANGING, STILL VERY MUCH DARK OUTSIDE AT THAT HOUR.
BUT WE TRY TO ROUTE OUR BUSES AS EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY AS WE CAN.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT IT'S PERFECT, BUT IF I HAD 15 ADDITIONAL DRIVERS AND 12 ADDITIONAL BUSES, IT'D BE MORE PERFECT.
AND I'M NOT LOBBYING FOR THOSE THINGS.
I'M NOT, I'M OFFERING A RATIONALE FOR WHY OUR TRANSPORTATION SET UP IS THE WAY THAT IT IS IN A COUNTY THAT'S AS LONG NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST AS OUR COUNTY IS WITH THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL IN THE CENTER PORTION OF THE COUNTY.
BUT IF THERE WAS A SCHOOL IN THE IN IN OUR DISTRICT, THIS IS MORE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
CAN WE GET SOME OTHER QUESTIONS? I AGREE WITH THAT, BUT THERE, THERE ISN'T.
I'M KID ALLERGIC, SO I DON'T HAVE ANY AND DON'T HAVE ANYTHING WITH THE SCHOOLS.
I HAVE FOLLOWED A LOT OF SCHOOL BUSES WHEN I DID HOME HOME HEALTH STUFF AND THE BUS WILL STOP HERE AND THEN 10 FEET IT'LL STOP HERE.
LIKE, WHY DON'T Y'ALL, WHEN I GREW UP YOU CONSOLIDATED.
NEIGHBORS CAME TO OUR DRIVEWAY.
THE NEIGHBORS THIS WAY CAME TO OUR DRIVEWAY.
WHY DON'T THEY DO THAT NOW? SO THEY DO USUALLY FOR YOUR, UM, LARGER SUBDIVISIONS.
THERE'S A SINGULAR STOP OR TWO DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE SUBDIVISION FOR THE SUBDIVISION.
BUT LET'S JUST SAY THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, HOMES THAT ARE ON FAIRGROUND ROAD WHERE THERE'S NO SHOULDER AND NO SIDEWALK.
IF YOU EVER GET BEHIND A SCHOOL BUS ON FAIRGROUND ROAD, I, I HOPE THAT YOU'RE NOT UNDER ANY KIND OF DURESS BECAUSE THAT IS GONNA BE AN EXPERIENCE.
YOU ARE GONNA STOP IN THAT BUS AND IT'S JUST LIKE THE MAIL TRUCK.
IF YOU GET BEHIND THAT ON FAIRGROUND ROAD, YOU'RE GONNA STOP.
WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS TRUE, BUT THAT'S NOT THE NORM.
IT IS THE NORM ON OUR MOST RURAL, THROUGH WAYS THAT DON'T HAVE SIDEWALKS WHERE KIDS HAVE TO BE DROPPED OFF LITERALLY IN FRONT OF THEIR HOMES.
UM, WELL A NUMBER OF US IN THIS ROOM WORK VERY HARD IN 2021 TO GET THE BOND REFERENDUM, UH, APPROVED BY THE COUNTY.
AND ONE OF THE UNDERSTANDING WAS THE, SOME OF THAT MONEY WAS GOING TO BE USED TO BUILD AN INSTANT, UH, FIRE RESCUE STATION.
AND NOW YOU'RE TELLING US THE EASTERN STATION BEING PUT ON HOLD SO YOU CAN BUILD A STATION EIGHT, WHICH IS NEEDED.
UH, WHERE IS THE MONEY FOR STATION A GOING TO COME FROM AND CAN YOU LEGALLY USE THE MONEY FROM THE BOND ISSUE TO BUILD ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE STATION IN EXTENDED COUNTY? AND ANSWER IS YES.
THE WAY THE BOND WAS WRITTEN, IT WAS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO USE THAT MONEY.
IT WAS DELIBERATELY WRITTEN SO THAT IF FUTURE BOARDS FELT THERE WAS A DIFFERENT NEED THAT STILL MET
[00:55:01]
THE CATEGORY OF PUBLIC SAFETY.SO BUILDING STATION EIGHT IS ABSOLUTELY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THAT BOND ISSUE.
NOW, STATION SEVEN WAS THE ORIGINAL FOCUS, BUT AS THINGS HAPPENED, STATION SEVEN WE DETERMINED THAT WE PROBABLY NEEDED TO LOOK FOR, SEE IF THERE WERE BETTER LOCATIONS.
SO WE STARTED WITH STATION EIGHT BECAUSE WE WERE LOSING THAT MONEY EVERY DAY.
WE WEREN'T GETTING THE BENEFIT OF IT TO BUILD STATION SEVEN.
THEN THE BOARD IS, WILL BE IN OUR CIP AND WE'LL FUND IT AS WE WOULD NORMALLY FUND A STATION LIKE THAT.
WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON THE MECHANISM, BUT WE WOULD ANTICIPATE THE STATION SEVEN.
WE'LL BE HAPPENING SOONER THAN LATER AS WELL.
RIGHT NOW THE BOARD HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT STATION SEVEN IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS FORGOTTEN.
AND ANOTHER SORE POINT, THE EAST END TRAIL SYSTEM, IS THAT DEAD, ALIVE OR STILL IN THE BOAT? NO.
WELL, AND AGAIN, IT'S VERY MUCH ALIVE.
THE BOARD HAS ALSO MADE THAT CLEAR THAT THE EAST END TRAIL WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM AS WELL AS OUR CITIZENS.
THE ISSUE HAS BEEN FINDING, FIRST OF ALL, FINDING A MECHANISM FOR, AND THAT THE RIDGE THAT WE'VE RECEIVED A GRANT THAT HAD SOME STRINGS ATTACHED TO THE GRANT, THAT IT AT AT SOME POINT BECAME INFEASIBLE FOR US TO USE THE GRANT TO BUILD THE TRAIL.
THEN ALSO WORKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
THAT'S THE CRITICAL PART BECAUSE THE COUNTY DOESN'T OWN THE LAND THAT'D HAVE TO GO ON.
SO WORKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS, WHICH WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEANS, AND WE ARE, WE BELIEVE GETTING CLOSER TO HAVING THAT, THAT ROUTE ESTABLISHED SO WE CAN START BUILDING IT.
BUT AGAIN, THE BOARD HAS MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THAT IS IMPORTANT AND IT WILL BE DONE.
I WOULD ALSO STRESS, LIKE SO MANY PROJECTS, WE DON'T WANT TO GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE WE DO A 20% OF IT AND DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS ALLOCATED AND THE PLANS MADE TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT.
THE SAME WOULD BE TRUE FOR THE, UH, STATION SEVEN IS THAT WAS DONE WITH CONSULTATION FROM CHIEF FERGUSON AND MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE NOT SACRIFICING SERVICES WHILE WE WERE MAKING THAT SHORTER TERM SHIFT TO THE BEST USE.
THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE FROM THE BOND REFERENDUM AND STILL ACTIVELY WORKING ON TRYING TO FIND THE BEST, UH, POSSIBLE LOCATION.
IT'S, I I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT STATION SEVEN BECAUSE TO START A $20 MILLION PLUS PROJECT, BECAUSE WE ARE GIVEN A PIECE OF LAND THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS, IS NOT RESPONSIBLE IN MY OPINION.
SO I THINK REALLY IF WE'RE GONNA UNDERTAKE ANY PROJECT LIKE THAT ACROSS THE COUNTY, WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON THE ABSOLUTE BEST.
NOT IN TERMS, NOT JUST IN TERMS OF QUALITY ABOVE LOCATION.
WELL GUYS, WE'LL STILL BE AROUND HERE TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT WE ALWAYS TRY TO KEEP THESE WITHIN AN HOUR.
UH, I KNOW REALLY THE REASON Y'ALL CAME WAS NOT TO HEAR US, BUT BECAUSE OF THE COOKIES AND THESE COOKIES ARE MADE BY OUR STUDENTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, THE CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM, THEY'RE ALL HOMEMADE.
UH, I THINK THEY EVEN TURNED THE BUTTER 'CAUSE WE ARE RURAL.
THEY'RE AMAZING AND THEY GIVE YOU JUST A TESTIMONY OF THE QUALITY THAT'S COMING OUT OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR COMING AND AGAIN, WE'LL STILL BE AROUND IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.