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GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY.APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME TO COME HERE TONIGHT.
I'M SORRY, I'M RUNNING A COUPLE MINUTES LATE.
I HAD TO COME SKIDDING IN HOT OFF FROM MECHANICSVILLE, SO I MADE IT TRY TO DO THE SPEED LIMIT, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA GOTTA KEEP THAT IN MIND AND BE SAFE.
SO, UM, BUT I'M VIC CARPENTER, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, UH, WITH ME TONIGHT.
WE ALSO HAVE DR. MICHAEL CROMARTY, OUR SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, UM, JOINING US FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
UM, ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WE HAVE MR. JONATHAN CHRISTIE, WHO IS THE DISTRICT ONE REPRESENTATIVE.
YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IF YOU LIVE HERE, MR. JONATHAN LYLE, WHO IS THE DISTRICT FIVE REPRESENTATIVE, WHO ALSO IS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE, THOUGH HE DOES NOT LIVE HERE.
I'M SORRY, HE'S LOOKING AT ME LIKE, YES, I LIVE HERE,
UM, ALSO WE HAVE STAFF WITH US TONIGHT.
UH, WE HAVE OUR, UM, DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, JOSH GILLESPIE.
UH, WE HAVE TOM COOCH, OUR PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR.
WE HAVE PAUL DRUMRIGHT, OUR COMMUNITY AFFAIR OR GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS.
WE HAVE JESSICA KREM RIGHT OUTSIDE, WHO IS OUR, UM, COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.
UM, WE HAVE FROM OUR IT DEPARTMENT, UH, FOLKS, UM, AND WE HAVE OUR, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IS REPRESENTED HERE TONIGHT WITH MR. BEN SLOAN.
OUR LIBRARY BOARD IS REPRESENTED WITH MRS. SLO.
SO, UH, AGAIN, WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
WE'RE JUST GONNA KIND OF GET GOING AND IN OUR TOWN HALLS ARE CHANCE TO KIND OF TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE COUNTY AND CATCH YOU UP.
AND THEN LATER ON IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, WE'LL BE GLAD TO TAKE THEM FROM YOU, YOU KNOW.
BUT THE FIRST THING IS THESE TOWN HALL MEETINGS, WE TRY TO DO THEM ACROSS THE COUNTY.
THIS IS THE THIRD ONE THAT WE'VE DONE.
WE'VE GOT ONE MORE ON THE 28TH OVER IN, UH, DISTRICT FOUR, DOVER BAPTIST CHURCH.
GONNA GO THROUGH A PRESENTATION OF MYSELF AND DR.
CMAR AND THEN TAKE QUESTIONS FROM YOU.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE COCOA COUNTY, WE'RE WORKING FOR YOU.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE WANT TO COMMUNICATE, UH, THE PRIORITIES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
THEY'VE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WANT US TO BE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER FINANCIALLY EXCELLENT WITH HIGH QUALITY CORE SERVICES, STRONG PUBLIC SAFETY, KEEPING GUC IN RURAL LOWER TAXES, AND A QUALITY EDUCATION.
SO THAT'S KIND OF OUR MAIN FOCUS THAT UNDERLIES EVERYTHING WE DO.
WE HAVE AN AWARD-WINNING STAFF.
HERE'S TWO EXAMPLES RIGHT HERE FROM OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SIDE AND THEN ALSO FROM OUR BUDGET FINANCE DIRECTOR SIDE.
SO WHEN WE'RE WORKING FOR YOU, THE FIRST THING WE'RE DOING IS I WANNA TELL YOU ABOUT SOMETHING WE'RE DOING OVER IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY, WHICH YOU MAY THINK THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY AFFECT ME HERE, BUT IT REALLY DOES IN THE LONG RUN BECAUSE AS A COUNTY WE'RE ALL CONNECTED.
SO A STUDY WE'RE DOING, YOU SEE THE CIRCLE AND IN THE CENTER, THAT'S THE INTERSECTION OF 2 88 AND HIGHWAY SIX PATTERSON AVENUE.
WE KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF GROWTH THERE IN THE NEXT 20 TO 30 YEARS.
SO THE COUNTY IS UNDERTAKEN, THIS STUDY SHOULD BE PREPARED AND DELIVERED TO THE BOARD IN DECEMBER.
IT'S BASICALLY LOOKING AT WHAT IMPACT GROWTH WILL HAVE ON THAT PART OF THE COUNTY ROADS, SCHOOLS, FIRE, EMS, PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, ROADWAYS, ET CETERA.
AND IT HELPS US BETTER PRIORITIZE WHERE WE PUT THE RESOURCES NEEDED AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT APPROVING DEVELOPMENT THAT CAN'T BE SUPPORTED BY WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE AS YOU CONTINUE ON.
WE'VE GOT THREE DIFFERENT MODELS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
ONE IS THE BASIC, IF NOTHING CHANGES FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
ONE IS IF WE GO MORE TO MIXED USE DIRECTION.
SO MIXED USE WOULD BE RETAIL, MULTIFAMILY, APARTMENTS, SINGLE FAMILY KIND OF MIXED TOGETHER.
AND THE ONE IF WE WENT MORE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTION, SO LIGHT MANUFACTURING OFFICES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO EACH ONE OF THOSE HAS A DIFFERENT IMPACT ON OUR ROADS AND OUR SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
AND THEN WE'VE CREATED THIS TOOL, WHICH WE'LL NOW BE ABLE TO USE GOING FORWARD.
WE'VE HELD SEVERAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS, AND AGAIN, WE PLAN TO REPORT TO THE BOARD IN DECEMBER.
ANOTHER THING WE'RE LOOKING AT, IF YOU EVER DRIVE I 64, SEVERAL OF THESE ARE GONNA BE IMPORTANT TO YOU.
ASHTON ROAD AND I 64 WE'RE WELL UNDERWAY WITH A PROCESS THAT'S GONNA TAKE A WHILE.
IT'S GONNA NOT BE FINISHED TILL 2031, BUT WE STARTED BUILDING A NEW INTERSECTION AT THAT, UH, PART OF THE INTERSTATE.
UH, IT'S CALLED A-A-D-D-I-A DIVERGENT DIAMOND.
IF YOU'VE BEEN DESIGNED CROSSROADS, THAT'S WHAT A DDI IS.
SO WE'RE BUILDING ONE OF THOSE.
IT'S BEEN FUNDED, THE STATE HAS SUPPORTED IT, THE COUNTY, UH, HAS SUPPORTED IT AND IT'S UNDERWAY.
ANOTHER ASPECT OF THAT IS IF YOU'VE DRIVEN THAT AREA, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PARK AND RIDE LOT THAT'S GONNA BE SHUT DOWN AND A NEW ONE BUILT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE.
SO THAT SHOULD BE COMPLETED MUCH SOONER.
THEN IF YOU EVER DRIVE IN AROUND THE FOOD LINE IN CENTERVILLE, THE HOCKET ROAD REALIGNMENT, WHICH IS RIGHT HERE, IT'S GONNA BE, UM, BUILDING A NEW INTERSECTION THAT'LL TAKE PEOPLE DRIVING HOCKET ROAD, ULTIMATELY TO THE INTERSTATE WITHOUT HAVING TO MAKE THAT LITTLE CRAZY ZIGZAG TO GET TO THE INTERSTATE.
SO OF COURSE THERE'LL BE A NEW ROUNDABOUT BECAUSE WE LOVE ROUNDABOUTS IN GOLAND.
SO THERE'LL BE A ROUNDABOUT AS PART OF THAT.
AND THEN LONG-TERM PLANNING, LOOKING AT A NEW INTERCHANGE FOR 20, 30 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
SO WILKES RIDGE PARKWAY AND 2 88, LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITIES.
SO WE'RE STARTING A STUDY OF THAT AS WELL.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT YOU JUST GOTTA UNDERSTAND IS
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WE LOOK 20 TO 30 TO 40 YEARS IN THE FUTURE.YOU HAVE TO, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T, WE END UP WITH SOME OF THE PROBLEMS WE'RE RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS WHY DIDN'T WE THINK OF THIS? SO WE'RE TRYING TO THINK OF THINGS AND DO THE STUDIES WE NEED TO DO ELSEWHERE.
IF YOU GET OFF MORE CLOSE TO HOME, OILVILLE THAT INTERSECTION, I JUST DROVE THROUGH IT.
UM, THIS IS GONNA BE, UH, UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW.
THE PLAN, THE STUDY FOR THE ENGINEERING HAS BEEN ALLOCATED.
UH, WE HOPE TO HAVE THIS COMPLETED IN 28.
SO THAT'S ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
THERE'LL BE, AGAIN, A ROUNDABOUT WHEN YOU GET OFF AT 64 ONTO OILVILLE ROAD.
ANOTHER PART IN THE, IN THE COURTHOUSE AREA IS, YOU KNOW, WE JUST OPENED THAT ROUNDABOUT.
ORIGINALLY THE PLAN WAS FOR FAIRGROUNDS ROAD TO KEEP GOING ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO HIGHWAY SIX.
THERE WASN'T ENOUGH FUNDING TO DO THAT, SO THEY HAD TO, HAD TO CUT IT IN HALF AND DO THE ROUNDABOUT AS PHASE ONE.
WELL, NOW WE'RE UNDERWAY WITH PHASE TWO, WHICH IS TO EXTEND FAIRGROUND ROAD ALL THE WAY TO HIGHWAY SIX, KIND OF COMING OUT IN BETWEEN THE OLD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL IS WHERE IT'LL COME OUT AT.
AND IF YOU TAKE THAT ROUTE TO GET TO THIS PART OF THE COUNTY, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE STOPLIGHT.
IT'LL JUST KIND OF TAKE YOU STRAIGHT THERE.
IT'LL BE MUCH SAFER AND QUICKER WAY TO GET HERE.
AND THEN IN SANDY HOOK ROAD, UH, THERE AT THE OLD HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THE BALL FIELDS ARE, UM, THERE'S A FARMER'S MARKET ON ONE SIDE, OLD, UH, OLD BALL FIELD ON THE OTHER.
WE'RE BUILDING A CROSSWALK FOR SAFETY.
UH, THAT'S A SMALL THING, BUT A BIG THING.
IF YOU'VE EVER GONE THERE, IF YOU'VE EVER GONE TO EVENTS LIKE THIS COMING SATURDAY FOR FALL FESTIVAL, PEOPLE CROSSING BACK AND FORTH, IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS.
SO THAT'S A SAFETY MECHANISM, SAFETY MEASURE THAT WE'RE UNDERTAKING RIGHT THERE.
SO UTILITIES, NOW, THIS IS PART OF THE COUNTY.
WE DON'T HAVE COUNTY UTILITIES, BUT WE STILL WANNA LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE COUNTY.
NONE OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS GO TO THE UTILITIES.
IT'S ALL PAID FOR BY THE PEOPLE WHO USE THEM.
BUT IT DOES BENEFIT US BECAUSE STRONG UTILITIES ENCOURAGE GOOD QUALITY GROWTH AND GOOD QUALITY GROWTH ULTIMATELY BENEFITS US ALL.
SO THE FORCE MAINE, IF YOU REMEMBER A FEW YEARS BACK, UH, THERE WAS, UM, A BOOBOO WITH OUR SEWER FORCE, MAINE, AND WE HAD TO COME IN, WE HAD TO REPLACE IT.
NOW WITH THAT PROP, IT'S BEEN ABOUT ABOUT A THREE YEAR PROCESS.
IF YOU EVER DROVE DOWN, UM, THAT ROAD LAST COUPLE YEARS, YOU MIGHT'VE SEEN IT ALL TORN UP.
THAT'S A MAJOR PROJECT UNDERWAY, ALMOST FINISHED THE HUGIN HILLS WATER AND, UH, SEWER PROJECT.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WAS ALWAYS IN WHAT'S CALLED THE, UM, TUCKAHOE CREEK SEWER DISTRICT.
BUT IT WAS NEVER ON SEWER WATER.
SO ONE OF THE COMMITMENTS THE BOARD YEARS AGO MADE WAS, WE'LL GET IT TO YOU.
AND WE'RE FINALLY FINISHING UP GETTING THEM THE WATER LINES AND THE SEWER THAT TIES THEM INTO THAT SYSTEM AS WELL.
OUR PUBLIC SAFETY IS SOMETHING WE'RE QUITE PROUD OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
MOST RECENTLY, WE COMPLETED, UH, THE, THE LIVE BURN BUILDING.
YOU SEE IN THE UPPER LEFT THAT LIVE BURN BUILDING REPLACES A STRUCTURE THAT, UH, BASICALLY WAS OBSOLETE MANY YEARS AGO.
WE CAN NO LONGER DO LIVE FIRE IN IT.
WE CAN ONLY DO WHAT THEY CALL COLD DRILLS IN IT.
UM, SO WE'D HAVE TO TRAVEL, WE'D HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY TO TRAIN OUR, OUR FIRE AND RESCUE IN ANYTHING DEALING WITH FIRE.
UH, WE HAD A PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE FOR IT, UH, SOME WEEKS BACK IN AUGUST.
AND THAT HAS GIVEN US THE ABILITY NOW TO FULLY TRAIN, UH, OUR CADRES AS THEY COME THROUGH WITH VERY LITTLE NEED TO GO ELSEWHERE.
WE JUST RECENTLY RECEIVED A NEW TANKER GOING TO HAYDENVILLE STATION SIX, UH, RIGHT THERE, YOU SEE.
UM, AND WE'LL BE GETTING ANOTHER ONE COMING IN AS WELL IN NOVEMBER.
SO TWO NEW TANKERS THIS YEAR THAT THE COUNTY'S ADDED TO ITS FLEET OF FIRE VEHICLES.
THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED RECENTLY.
WE, UH, IF YOU END THE COURTHOUSE, STATION FIVE WAS RECENTLY RENOVATED.
YOU, YOU, YOU MAY REMEMBER SOME YEARS BACK, UH, STATION FOUR WAS RENOVATED, UH, NEW STATION WAS BUILT IN HAYDENVILLE, PART OF THE OVERALL PLAN.
STATION FIVE IS FINISHED RENOVATING AS WELL.
YOU CAN SEE IT WAS A REAL NEAT SERVICE, UH, GOING BACK MANY YEARS OF PEOPLE WHO DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO PUBLIC SAFETY IN UCHIN COUNTY.
AND THEN THE PAST WEEKEND WE HAD THE FIRE RESCUE SHOW, IF YOU WERE THERE.
UH, NEAT EVENT, GREAT WEATHER, HUGE CROWD.
UM, SO SOMETHING THAT, UH, OUR FIRE RESCUE GUYS HAVE PUT ON VERY WELL FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
THEN OF COURSE OUR PART OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT ALSO OUR ANIMAL SHELTER ADOPTION CENTER.
UM, YEAH, WE'VE GOT A REALLY SPECIAL PLACE THERE.
I HOPE YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO EVER GO THERE AND TO GET TO KNOW, UH, THAT FACILITY.
UH, BUT IT IS A SPECIAL PLACE, A DIFFERENT PLACE THAN MOST.
AND YOU'RE GONNA MEET SOME OF OUR FRIENDS THAT ARE THERE RIGHT NOW.
BUT, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE THAT WE DO, UH, RUN IT MONDAY, UH, TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, AND YOU CAN ADOPT ANIMALS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEAR AND DEAR TO THE HEART, CERTAINLY OF OF ALL OF US, BECAUSE WITHOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WITHOUT THAT KIND OF GROWTH, THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO PAY FOR COUNTY SERVICES, AND THAT'S HOMEOWNERS PROPERTY TAXES.
SO WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE GOOD QUALITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UH, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MET RECENTLY WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BOARD AND THEY CAME UP WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU SEE, WHICH IS TO INVEST EFFORT, TIME, AND RESOURCES INTO INCREASING OUR ABILITY TO DEVELOP SOME OF THE LAND IN THIS COUNTY.
WE SAY IT FROM A TIER TWO TO A TIER FOUR.
WELL, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN NOT GETTING ANYONE LOOKING AT
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YOU AND PEOPLE STRONGLY LOOKING AT YOU AND CONSIDERING PUTTING A FACILITY IN THIS COUNTY AS WELL AS WATER AND SEWER AND STUDIES, UM, UH, SMALL BUSINESS EXPANSION, INCENTIVES, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT THE COUNTY IS FOCUSING ON TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF ECONOMIC GROWTH THAT IS CRITICAL FOR US IN ORDER TO SURVIVE AND KEEP OURSELVES EVEN RURAL.AND THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS PEOPLE SAY, HOW CAN YOU BE RURAL IF YOU'RE ENCOURAGING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? WELL, QUALITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE RIGHT PLACE IS WHAT ALLOWS US TO STAY RURAL BECAUSE WE'VE GOT PARTS OF THIS COUNTY THAT ARE INDUSTRIAL.
AND IF YOU ENCOURAGE IT THERE, THEN PEOPLE AREN'T LOOKING OUT HERE TO PUT FACILITIES BECAUSE THE LAND IS CHEAPER.
SO ENCOURAGING THEM TO GO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US HERE.
YOU SEE, RIGHT THERE, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE PRETTY PR PRETTY PROUD OF.
UM, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR, WAY UP IN SHANNON HILL, HG MEAT IS A SMALL MEAT PROCESSOR.
SO IF YOU RAISE LIVESTOCK, UM, GOATS, CATTLE, UH, PIGS, UM, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE IT THERE IN THE COUNTY AND GET IT PROCESSED.
IT'S GONNA HAVE A LIMIT ABOUT, I THINK 45 A DAY.
SO IT'S NOT HUGE, IT'S NOT BIG, BUT IT'S THE SIZE THAT WE NEED BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE WHO ARE RAISING LIVESTOCK SOMETIMES HAVE TO GO TWO TO THREE HOURS AWAY IN ORDER TO GET THEIR LIVESTOCK.
WELL, IF WE WANT TO BE A RURAL COUNTY, THAT DOESN'T ENCOURAGE YOU TO STAY IN HERE AND DO THAT.
ANOTHER EVENT COMING UP ON THE 16TH TIRE AMNESTY AND DOCUMENT SHREDDING.
UH, THAT WAS SUCH A BIG EVENT LAST YEAR THAT WE RAN OUT OF TRUCK SPACE.
SO WE HAD PEOPLE COMING IN, WE RAN OUTTA SPACE.
WE HAD TO BRING ANOTHER TRUCK IN AFTER THE FACT TO TRY TO HANDLE IT.
UH, 9:00 AM TO ONE O'CLOCK ON THE 16TH.
AGAIN, TIRES, AGRICULTURAL TIRES WILL TAKE AS WELL.
SO IF YOU'VE GOT ANY FARM TRUCK TIRES, IF YOU'VE GOT ANY TRACTOR TRIERS, THINGS LIKE THAT, WE'LL TAKE THAT ON THE 16TH AS WELL.
NO COST TO YOU, JUST BRING IT IN, WE'LL HELP UNLOAD AND WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT FOR YOU.
GARBANZO LITTLE MALE, SEVEN MONTH OLD KITTEN HACK ME.
SO ANOTHER PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING, CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY, AND LET'S START TALKING ABOUT FIREFLY.
SEVERAL YEARS BACK, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MADE A COMMITMENT TO EXPAND HIGH SPEED INTERNET TO AS MUCH OF THIS COUNTY.
IT WAS FEASIBLE AND PRACTICAL.
THERE WAS NONE, AS Y'ALL KNOW OUT HERE.
I KNOW I STILL DON'T HAVE ANY EITHER.
BUT WE STARTED THE PROCESS AND WE RECEIVED SOME VERY LARGE GRANTS.
THE COUNTY MADE COMMITMENTS OF SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS AS WELL.
AND WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IS IF YOU'RE ON THE CV SYSTEM, FIRELY THERE, YOU'RE ALREADY GETTING IT.
PEOPLE IN SHANNON HILL HAVE HAD IT FOR A WHILE.
FIBER SERVICE IS AVAILABLE SOON TO THE REC SERVICE AREA.
DOMINION ENERGY IS COMPLETING MIDDLE MILE FIBER BY THE END OF THIS MONTH, MIDDLE MILE WITH ALL THEIR POLES.
SO YOU WOULD SEE THEM WORKING.
I SAW 'EM WORKING OUTSIDE MY HOUSE.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE UP THERE WORKING INSIDE MY HOUSE AND THEY KEPT GOING AND DIDN'T CONNECT ME.
UM, SO THE RECONNECT FIBER PROGRAM WILL START IN FALL.
UM, WE EXPECT AND ANTICIPATE THE SERVICE AVAILABLE, UM, PROBABLY BY LATE SUMMER OF 25.
AND WHEN THIS ALL STARTED, I KNOW A COUPLE YEARS AGO, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS FOREVER, BUT THAT WAS THE DATE GIVEN AS IT'LL TAKE TILL 25 FOR US TO GET IT TO MOST OF THE COUNTY.
AGAIN, MOST OF WHAT WE SEE IS THE PART THAT HAS TO BE DONE.
THE ENGINEERING, THE, UH, THE RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION, THE SPLICING, THE FIBER.
THEY, THEY SAT OUTSIDE MY HOUSE ONE SUNDAY FROM LIKE 8:00 AM TO 6:00 PM WITH A BIG TENT.
I THOUGHT THEY GOTTA COME TO MY HOUSE, BUT THEY WERE SPLICING THE FIBER.
SO THERE YOU SEE WHERE WE ARE IN, IN THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF IT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE GUC IN CALEDONIA, TAPSCOTT, SO ON AND SO FORTH, ON DOWN SOME PLACES.
YOU KNOW, THE FURTHEST WEST OF THE COUNTY IS GONNA BE THE LONGEST ONE TO GET HERE.
I INTRODUCED TOM TO YOU A LITTLE BIT AGO.
GOT A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING.
THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN PARKS AND REC REALLY SHINES.
UH, STARTED THIS SATURDAY, THE FALL FESTIVAL.
I HOPE YOU'VE BEEN, IF NOT, PLEASE COME ON OUT FROM 11 O'CLOCK TO TWO O'CLOCK.
YOU GOT HIDING CONTEST, YOU GOT PUMPKIN DECORATING CONTEST.
YOU GOT ALL KINDS OF NEAT FAMILY FUN EVENTS THAT ARE GONNA BE HANDLING OUT THERE, HAPPENING OUT THERE.
UM, THEN AFTER THAT WE HAVE COMIC FEST OVER AT THE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL COMPLEX.
IT IT'S COMIC BOOKS, IT'S IT'S COSTUMES, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S A REALLY NEAT EVENT TO GO TO HOLIDAY MARKET.
YOU SEE THAT IN NOVEMBER 23RD.
AND THEN THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING ITSELF OVER THERE AT, UH, THE OLD NAPA FIELD ACROSS FROM THE NEW ROUNDABOUT, UH, SANTA COMES AND A FIRETRUCK.
AGAIN, IT'S LIKE A HALLMARK MOVIE.
YOU KNOW, I EXPECT IT TO START SNOWING WHEN IT'S GOING ON BECAUSE IT'S JUST THAT NEED OF AN EVENT.
OTHER THINGS COMING UP, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED WITH OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, THERE'S A TRAINING ON NOVEMBER 23RD FOR A COMMUNITY CERT RESPONSE TRAINING.
HERE'S HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
I ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU ON THE 26TH, THAT SATURDAY TO BRING YOUR DRUGS, YOUR, YOUR LEGAL DRUGS AND TURN THEM INTO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
UH, THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO IS THROW THEM
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IN YOUR TOILET OR EVEN PUT 'EM IN YOUR TRASH.THE BEST THING IS TO TURN THEM IN.
THEY'LL TAKE IT, THEY'LL DISPOSE OF IT CORRECTLY, SAFELY, AND LEGALLY FOR IT.
SO BRING WHATEVER YOU HAVE LEFT OVER THAT YOU'RE NOT USING.
A VARIETY OF OTHER EVENTS GOING ON.
OF COURSE, RAIC WAS JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND.
HOPEFULLY SOME OF Y'ALL HAD A CHANCE TO GO THERE.
UM, COMING UP IN NOVEMBER 2ND, 200 YEARS AGO, LAFAYETTE CAME TO GLAND IS PART OF THE CELEBRATION WE'RE DOING NOW FOR THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS OF THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
SO THERE WILL BE AN ACTUAL EVENT AT TUCKAHOE PLANTATION THAT A MARKER UNVEILING ACROSS FROM THE COURTHOUSE AT ONE O'CLOCK.
ALSO SEE OTHER EVENTS GOING ON WITH EXPLORE GLAND.
UH, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE PUBLICIZE AND PROMOTE ONLINE ON THE INTERNET.
SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SOME THINGS THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME TO, TO GOLAND AND SHOP OR PEOPLE IN GOLAND TO STAY IN SHOP.
ONE IS, AGAIN, OUR SHOP LOCAL APP.
UH, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT, YOU CAN, UH, GO TO THE QR CODE THERE.
AND WHAT THAT IS, IS BASICALLY MOST ALL, ALL OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES PARTICIPATE.
IF YOU SHOP AT A LOCAL BUSINESS, THEN YOU HAVE THE APP, YOU CAN GET 5% BACK, THEN YOU CAN THEN USE IT LOCAL BUSINESSES.
SO THROUGH THE COURSE OF A YEAR, YOU CAN KEEP GENERATING MONEY THAT YOU SPEND AROUND AS WELL.
UH, I SAW THAT THEY GENERATED OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF BUSINESS FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT THEY PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN JUST BY USING THAT.
IF YOU DO, UM, EAT AT RESTAURANTS OR, OR SHOP IN GLAND, AH, HERE WE HAVE BAR TWAIN.
NICE LITTLE 2-YEAR-OLD MALE NEUTERED HOUSE TRAINED.
SO WHERE ARE WE GOING? SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE DO FOR YOU.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE TRY TO CONNECT TO YOU AND WHERE ARE WE GOING.
WELL, THE BUDGET IS REALLY THE WAY WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING.
THE BUDGET IS THE ROADMAP THAT WE FOLLOW.
AND THE COUNTY'S ALREADY STARTED BUILDING THIS BUDGET.
UH, WE'LL HOLD INTERNAL MEETINGS.
THAT DEPARTMENTS, UH, WILL ALSO THEN START PUTTING TOGETHER BUDGET THAT IN FEBRUARY ALL PRESENT TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
WE'LL HAVE A TOWN HALL LIKE THIS IN MARCH THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, WE'LL HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND THE BUDGET WILL BE ADOPTED.
THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO SHARE TO STAFF, TO YOUR SUPERVISORS.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU, WHERE DO YOU WANNA SEE YOUR TAX DOLLARS GO? PART OF THAT IS OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
AS YOU SAW, WE JUST RECENTLY OPENED THE BRAND NEW GUCCI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, A BEAUTIFUL, AMAZING FACILITY.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS NOW OF STARTING THE DESIGN AND THE ENGINEERING OF BUILDING A NEW COURTHOUSE.
YOU KNOW, WE ONLY DO THOSE EVERY 200 YEARS.
SO IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE WHILE, PROBABLY FOUR YEARS TO BUILD THIS NEW COURTHOUSE.
BUT THE CITIZENS VOTED FOR WANNA APPROVE THIS BACK IN 2021.
AND WE'RE UNDERWAY WITH IT NOW.
AND OF COURSE, OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WE MAKE SURE WE ALWAYS ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE NEW VEHICLES, SAFE VEHICLES, SAFE EQUIPMENT.
THE WORST THING YOU CAN EVER HEAR IS THAT YOU GOT GUYS AND THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE IN THEIR VEHICLES OR WITH THEIR GEAR.
SO WE ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PART OF OUR PRIORITIES.
AND RIGHT THERE YOU SEE, UH, FUTURE STATION SITE.
UH, RECENTLY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MADE THE DECISION TO START THE PROCESS OF BUILDING THE WHITEHALL ROAD FIRE STATION.
SO THE WHITEHALL ROAD FIRE STATION IS UNDER DESIGN RIGHT NOW, AND IT WILL BE CONSTRUCTED.
SO THEY MOVED IT UP SEVERAL YEARS IN THE PROCESS.
AND SO HOPEFULLY WITHIN ABOUT THREE YEARS, THERE WILL BE A FULL FLEDGED FULLY MAN FIRE STATION RIGHT THERE AT THE CORNER OF WHITEHALL AND DOGTOWN.
NOW, WE TALKED ABOUT BRINGING PEOPLE IN.
STATE OF VIRGINIA SAYS THAT ABOUT $89 MILLION IS SPENT IN GLAND AS A RESULT OF TOURISM.
I'M NOT SURE WHERE IT ALL COMES FROM, BUT THEY SAY IT'S HERE.
EVERYTHING FROM FOOD TRUCKS AND RESTAURANTS TO PEOPLE WHO, WHO SELL CLOTHING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN ON THE RIVER, YOU SEE PEOPLE OUT THERE ALL SUMMER ALL THE TIME.
WE COLLECT LOCALLY OVER $3 MILLION IN TAXES FROM SALES TAXES AND FUEL TAXES THAT DIRECTLY COME FROM THAT.
THAT HELPS US, THAT BENEFITS US.
SO THE BUY BIOGAS LOCAL IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY WANNA ENCOURAGE.
SINCE 2020 WHEN THEY STARTED IMPOSING THAT GAS TAX, OVER $9 MILLION HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO GLAND THAT WOULD NOT HAVE COME HERE.
THAT IS BUILDING THESE PROJECTS I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT.
WE WOULD NOT HAVE HAD SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY WITHOUT THAT.
SO EVERY TIME YOU FILL UP YOUR CAR WITH GAS, DO IT IN GOLAND.
IF YOU DO IT IN HENRICO, THEY LOVE YOU, THEY BENEFIT FROM IT.
BUT IF YOU'RE ABLE TO FILL YOUR CAR UP HERE, WE GET THE DIRECT BENEFIT RESULT FROM IT.
SO HOW DO YOU GET INVOLVED? WELL, THE FIRST THING IS YOU COME, YOU SHOW UP TO EVENTS LIKE THIS.
UH, WE HAVE OUR CURRENTLY OCTOBER 14TH, EARLY VOTING STARTED.
UH, UM, THE LAST DAY OF REGISTER YOU SEE ON DOWN TO THE LAST DAY FOR IN-PERSON.
EARLY VOTING IS NOVEMBER 2ND, AND THEN ELECTION DAY ITSELF, NOVEMBER 5TH, THAT TUESDAY.
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HALLS, YOU CAN VOLUNTEER IN A VARIETY OF OF WAYS IN THIS COUNTY THROUGH THE COUNTY, THROUGH OUR, OUR AMAZING SCHOOL DISTRICT THROUGH OUR NONPROFITS.UH, AGAIN, YOU VOTE, YOU RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A TOUGH JOB.
YOU KNOW, THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE PUT THEMSELVES UP FOR PUBLIC OFFICE FOR PUBLIC VOTE, UM, IT IT, IT'S A HUGE COMMITMENT FROM THEM.
SO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DO THAT.
AGAIN, WE, WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES OF BOARD AND COMMISSIONS HERE TONIGHT.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE SHERIFF'S APP ON YOUR PHONE, STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO DOWNLOAD IT AND HAVE THAT.
UH, IT TELLS YOU ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION, ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT IT TELLS YOU.
AND ROADS ARE CLOSED AND ROADS ARE OPEN.
AND IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN HEADED IN TOWARDS RICHMOND AND YOU GET ON 64 AND IT'S DEAD STOPPED, YOU'D SAY, GOSH, YOU HAD THAT APP THAT WOULD'VE TOLD YOU THAT I 64 EASTBOUND IS CLOSED AND YOU WOULD'VE KNOWN TO GO AROUND IT.
SO ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE THAT SAME THING.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE CODE RED, CODE RED IS COUNTYWIDE.
AND WE ONLY USE IT FOR TRUE EMERGENCIES.
WHEN SOMETHING REALLY BAD IS HAPPENING OR GOING TO HAPPEN, WE'LL SEND OUT A CODE RED ALERT AND WE'LL TARGET THE AREAS THAT ARE AFFECTED SO YOU DON'T HEAR THINGS THAT DON'T AFFECT YOU.
BUT THAT CAN BE TORNADO WARNINGS, HURRICANES, UM, EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY WHEN WHEN, WHEN WE HAD WATER, UM, HAD A WATER BREAK AND AND WE HAD TO CUT OFF THE WATER.
ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT AFFECT YOU STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE THAT.
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN SEE THE COUNTY HAS AN APP.
IF YOU HAVE THE COUNTY'S APP, YOU CAN LOG IN AND YOU CAN GET NOTIFIED OF A VARIETY OF THINGS FROM EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING TO ZONING ISSUES.
YOU WANNA BE NOTIFIED ABOUT ZONING OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU CAN SET IT AND IT'LL NOTIFY YOU WHEN SOMETHING'S HAPPENING IN YOUR AREA.
AGAIN, YOU CAN GET EMAIL EVERY WEEK.
WE PUT OUT UCHIN AT A GLANCE AND AGAIN, OUR NEW COUNTY WEBSITE WILL BE COMING SOON.
SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE VARIOUS ACCOUNTS THAT WE'RE PART OF OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETS EVERY FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AND LUA SWEET LITTLE THING.
AND WITH THAT, I APPRECIATE IT.
I'M GONNA TURN OVER NOW TO DR.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS WE TAKE CARE OF OUR WARDROBE CHANGE.
UM, MY NAME IS MICHAEL CROMARTY.
OUR PASSION, MY PASSION IS OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WE HAVE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WITH MANY OF THE COUNTY AGENCIES THAT MR. CARPENTER JUST DESCRIBED, AS WELL AS REALLY WONDERFUL WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE GLAND COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, FIRE AND RESCUE AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
I WANNA WALK YOU THROUGH A FEW SUCCESSES FROM THE PAST YEAR.
THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION SINCE I WAS HERE WITH YOU LAST, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE IN MARCH, WE HELD THE G THE GLAND COUNTY READING OLYMPICS RIGHT HERE IN THIS VERY SPACE AT BIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO SHARE THAT.
BIRD'S TEAM WON THE READING OLYMPICS FOR 2024.
BIRD ALSO LED IN THE LEGO ROBOTICS WHEN IN FIRST PLACE FOR CORE VALUES.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE EXTREMELY PROUD OF.
AND THEY DONATED OVER 1500 POUNDS FROM THIS SCHOOL ALONE TO GLAND CARES.
OUR GLAND ELEMENTARY STUDENTS HAD 24 PARTICIPANTS AND GIRLS ON THE RUN.
IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH GIRLS ON THE RUN, THIS IS A YOUNG WOMAN OR FEMALE EMPOWERMENT GROUP THAT TEACHES FEMALE SELF-ADVOCACY AND CONFIDENCE.
THEY HELD EARLIER THIS SPRING, THE FLYING SQUIRRELS READING NIGHT, WHERE SEVERAL OF OUR STUDENTS EARNED THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OVER TO RICHMOND AND WATCH A BASEBALL GAME FOR READING AT RANDOLPH.
THIS IS THE ONLY OF ITS KIND THAT I'VE EVER SEEN.
A HOUSE SYSTEM IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WHERE THEY TAKE STUDENTS FROM PRESCHOOL ALL THE WAY THROUGH FIFTH GRADE AND AFFILIATE THEM WITH A HOUSE AND THEY BUILD HEALTHY, HEALTHY COMPETITIONS INSIDE OF THAT SCHOOL.
A LOT OF GOOD COMES FROM THAT.
IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH THE OUTDOOR LEARNING PAVILION AT RANDOLPH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, I REALLY ENCOURAGE IT.
IT'S BACK OFF IN THE WOODS BEHIND THE SCHOOL.
THIS CAME IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GLAND EDUCATION FOUNDATION.
THIS IS AN OUTDOOR LEARNING SPACE THAT GIVES KIDS AND TEACHERS, FRANKLY, AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE LEARNING OUTSIDE OF THE TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM.
AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE ENGLISH TEAM AT GLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THE WAY THAT THE STATE MAKES OUR ACADEMIC DISTINCTIONS, YOU ARE A LEVEL ONE.
IF YOU ARE RED, THAT'S NOT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE.
LEVEL THREE, I'M SORRY, I GOT THAT WRONG.
LEVEL ONE IS GREEN, TWO IS YELLOW, THREE IS RED.
LAST YEAR ABOUT THIS TIME, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH SCORES WERE RED AND WE WERE WORKING REALLY, REALLY HARD TO MOVE THOSE OVER TIME, BACK TO GREEN.
AND WE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE A MULTI-YEAR PROCESS.
I'M VERY HAPPY TO SHARE TONIGHT THAT IT WASN'T A MULTI-YEAR PROCESS.
IT WAS A SINGLE YEAR PROCESS AS THEY MOVED FROM RED TO GREEN.
REALLY PROUD OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THAT TEAM GLAND
[00:25:01]
HIGH SCHOOL HELD ITS ENERGIZING ENGAGED DAY, OFFERING 38 COURSES TO THEIR STUDENTS.THEY'RE GONNA DO THAT AGAIN THIS SPRING.
THAT WAS VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
AND WE RECEIVED A HEAVY EQUIPMENT DONATION FROM SERGEANT, ONE OF OUR PARTNERS IN BUSINESS.
THEY DONATED A BULLDOZER TO OUR HEAVY EQUIPMENT PROGRAM VALUED AT APPROXIMATELY $80,000.
WE HAD A LOT OF OUR CITIZENS COME IN AND HELP OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH MOCK INTERVIEWS, THESE ASSIMILATED INTERVIEWS THAT REALLY RUN CLOSE IN STYLE TO INTERVIEWS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE SEEKING JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY OR IN THE FIELD.
OUR BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE LAST MARCH WAS THE LARGEST THAT WE'VE HAD AND WE TOOK IT TO THE HOTEL.
WRITING GOLIN ON THE SHORT PUMP LINE.
WE DID THAT SO THAT FOLKS WHO WERE WORKING COULD EASILY GET TO US AND GET BACK TO THEIR JOBS AND PROFESSIONS.
THAT TURNED OUT TO BE A GREAT CHOICE.
WE HAD OVER 40 BUSINESSES A ATTEND.
AND WHAT THEY DO AT THE ROUND TABLE IS THEY TELL US WHAT SKILLS THEY WANT OUR STUDENTS TO HAVE FOR EMPLOYMENT.
THEY BASICALLY TELL US THE KINDS OF PEOPLE AND WHAT ATTRIBUTES THEY WANT THEM TO HAVE UPON BEING HIRED.
OUR CTE SIGN IN DAY LAST JUNE, 28 STUDENTS SIGNED ON FOR JOBS WITH PLACES LIKE DOMINION AND SERGEANT.
THESE STUDENTS IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH GRADUATED ON SATURDAY THE EIGHTH, AND ON MONDAY THE 10TH REPORTED TO THE WORLD OF WORK EARNING COMPETITIVE WAGES.
THAT SHOWS OUR INVESTMENT IN PATHWAYS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY INCLUDE FOUR YEAR COLLEGE INSTITUTIONS AFTER GRADUATION.
AND SPEAKING OF GRADUATION, WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THE CLASS OF 2024.
I WANNA BRAG ON THEM A LITTLE BIT.
74% OF OUR 218 GRADUATES EARNED A VIRGINIA ADVANCED STUDIES DIPLOMA.
THAT'S THE HIGHEST DISTINCTION THAT YOU CAN GET FROM GRADUATING FROM A VIRGINIA PUBLIC SCHOOL.
ALMOST THREE OUT OF FOUR OF OUR GRADUATES EARNED THAT DISTINCTION.
60 OF OUR STUDENTS GRADUATED WITH ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE PRIOR TO GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL.
EARNED THEIR ASSOCIATES FROM J SARGE BEFORE THEY EARNED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
AND OF THOSE 60 48 OF THEM GRADUATED WITH A HIGHEST HONORS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
WE'VE GOT SOME SUPER SMART KIDS IN OUR COUNTY.
OUR GRADUATION RATE FOR THE CLASS IS 98%.
AS YOU LOOK AT THIS, THIS SHOWS A TRAJECTORY OF GRADUATION RATES FROM 2008 TO 2024.
YOU SEE THAT WE'VE PEAKED 98% TWICE AND ONCE IN 2020.
AND AGAIN THIS YEAR IT'S ASTONISHING TO HAVE 98% OF YOUR STUDENTS GRADUATE ON TIME.
WE HAVE A DEFINED DROPOUT RATE OF 0.9%, LESS THAN ONE.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE WONDERING, WELL, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OTHER 1%? THOSE ARE KIDS WHO ARE STILL ENROLLED WITH US WORKING TO COMPLETE THEIR TIME, BUT DID NOT GRADUATE ON TIME.
100% OF OUR SCHOOLS REMAIN FULLY ACCREDITED AS DETERMINED BY THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
OUR SOL DATA YIELDS FROM LAST SPRING ARE VERY, VERY GOOD.
WE GREW IN READING AND MATHEMATICS.
WE'RE FIRST IN THE METRO RICHMOND AREA IN READING SCORES AND 14TH IN THE STATE IN READING SCORES.
THAT'S THE HIGHEST SKOLAND COUNTY HAS EVER BEEN.
AND FOR CONTEXT, THAT'S 14 OUT OF 131 SCHOOL DIVISIONS.
I KNOW IT SAYS 1 32 ON THE SCREEN.
I FOUND OUT AFTER I PUT THIS TOGETHER THAT COVINGTON AND ALLEGHENY ACTUALLY MERGED TO MAKE ONE SCHOOL DIVISION AND MATHEMATICS WE'RE SECOND IN THE METRO RICHMOND AREA AND EIGHTH IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
WE DO RECOGNIZE ROOM TO GROW AS MOST DIVISIONS ACROSS THE STATE HAVE ROOM TO GROW IN SCIENCE AND HISTORY AS THOSE ASSESSMENTS CONTINUE TO EVOLVE.
BUT WE'RE FIFTH IN THE REGION AND SCIENCE 35TH IN THE STATE OUT OF 131 DIVISIONS.
WE ARE FOURTH IN HISTORY IN THE REGION.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU SUBSCRIBED TO OR READ NICHE, BUT FOR SEVEN YEARS, RUNNING NICHE IS RATED GLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS THE NUMBER ONE SCHOOL DIVISION IN THE METRO RICHMOND AREA.
AND THIS YEAR THEY RATED US NUMBER NINE IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
ONLY EIGHT SCHOOL DIVISIONS EARNED A DISTINCTION GREATER THAN GLAND COUNTY.
AND KEEP IN MIND, THAT INCLUDES THE LARGER SCHOOL DIVISIONS.
SO IT'S A, IT'S, I'M VERY PROUD THAT WE RANKED NINTH IN THE STATE BY NICHE.
OUR ENROLLMENT IS UP 71 STUDENTS.
WE CURRENTLY ENROLL 2,642 STUDENTS.
THE LION'S SHARE OF THE 71 STUDENT INCREASE IS IN KINDERGARTEN WHERE WE HAD NEARLY 50 BRAND NEW KINDERGARTNERS, OR SHOULD I SAY 50 MORE KINDERGARTNERS THAN WE NORMALLY WOULD HAVE IN AN AVERAGE YEAR.
AND WE HAVE 473 STAFF MEMBERS SERVING STUDENTS EVERY DAY.
[00:30:01]
MEMBERS THIS YEAR TO INCLUDE 10 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS, NINE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS, 13 MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS, EIGHT SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, AND A SCHOOL COUNSELOR.NOW YOU MAY BE WONDERING IF WE HIRED 41, WHERE DID THE PEOPLE GO? WHO WERE IN THOSE PLACES? AND WHEN I WAS HERE LAST SPRING, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE LEAVING US FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
MANY LEAVING THE FIELD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION, NOT RUNNING FROM GLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THIS GRAPH IN ILLUSTRATES THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE HAVE IN THE BAND OF SERVICE YEARS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, YOU SEE THAT 53 OF OUR TEACHERS, THE LARGEST NUMBER THAT WE HAVE, HAVE BETWEEN ZERO AND FIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
THE GOAL FOR THIS BAND OF EMPLOYEES OVER TIME WILL BE TO RETAIN THESE FOLKS.
AGAIN, NOT JUST RETAIN 'EM FOR GLIN, BUT WORK REALLY HARD TO KEEP 'EM IN THE FIELD WHEN PEOPLE ARE OPTING FOR VARIOUS REASONS TO LEAVE PUBLIC EDUCATION.
38 OF OUR TEACHERS HAVE SIX TO 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE.
47 OF THEM, 11 TO 15, 37, 16 TO 20 31, 21 TO 25, 18, 26 TO 29 AND NINE.
WITH 30 YEARS PLUS, ONCE UPON A TIME PEOPLE WOULD GET IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION AND REMAIN 30 YEARS SO THAT THEY COULD COLLECT RETIREMENT UNDER THE VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
THAT SYSTEM CHANGED ITS REGULATIONS IN 2013 AND IS NO LONGER THE INCENTIVE.
IT USED TO BE FOR FOLKS TO COME IN AND STAY.
USUALLY IF TIMES'S GOT TOUGH, PEOPLE WOULD SAY, I'VE ALREADY INVESTED 17 YEARS, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND RIDE THIS THING OUT FOR THE BENEFIT ON THE OTHER SIDE.
BUT THE VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS BENEFIT CHANGED FOR FOLKS WHO CAME IN ON HYBRID STARTING AROUND 2013.
WE'RE PROUD THAT WE OFFER OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 12 NEW COURSES AND WE HAVE A REALLY DEEP CATALOG FOR COUNTY OUR SIZE, PARTICULARLY IN THE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION REALM.
WE'VE WON DISTINCTIONS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND COMPUTER SCIENCE.
WE HAD FIVE APPLE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOLS.
NOW WE ARE AN APPLE DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL DIVISION.
AND IF YOU THINK THAT THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE WE BUY APPLE PRODUCTS, IT'S NOT, WE ARE AN APPLE SCHOOL DIVISION.
WE DO HAVE IPADS AND WE DO HAVE MACBOOKS AND WE DO USE APPLE MATERIALS.
BUT THESE AWARDS ARE GIVEN FOR INSTRUCTIONAL INNOVATION BECAUSE OUR TEACHERS SHOW CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION AND THE CLASSROOM FOR OUR LEARNERS.
WE'RE ONE OF A HANDFUL OF APPLE DISTINGUISHED DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR SEVERAL YEARS RUNNING.
WE'VE WON THE DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION.
ALL OF OUR BOOKKEEPERS AT EACH OF THE FIVE SCHOOLS RECEIVED ABSOLUTELY PERFECT AUDITS THIS PAST FISCAL.
AND WE'RE REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF THAT.
AND WE OPENED A BRAND NEW SCHOOL, AS MR. CARPENTER ALLUDED TO, GLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS A 105,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY.
IF YOU'VE NOT TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO, I WELCOME YOU TO REACH OUT.
IT IS A REALLY REMARKABLE FACILITY, BUT WITH A NEW SCHOOL, WE REZONED AND WE ENDED UP PULLING NEARLY 100 STUDENTS FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN END OF THE COUNTY THAT ORDINARILY WOULD'VE GONE TO RANDOLPH AND ABOUT 30 TO 40 STUDENTS FROM THE NORTHWESTERN END OF THE COUNTY THAT HISTORICALLY WOULD'VE BEEN ZONED TO GO RIGHT HERE TO BIRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
IN DOING THAT, WE INCREASED THE ENROLLMENT AT GLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FROM ABOUT 380 TO A LITTLE BIT OVER 500 STUDENTS.
THE ENROLLMENT NOW AT RANDOLPH IS ABOUT 330 STUDENTS, AND THE ENROLLMENT HERE AT BYRD IS ABOUT 230 STUDENTS.
TWO 80, ABOUT TWO 80, EXCUSE ME.
WHAT THAT GIVES US IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH NOW AT ALL THREE BUILDINGS.
THE CAPACITY AT THE NEW UCHIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS ABOUT 675 STUDENTS.
SO WE'VE GOT GROWTH THERE OF ABOUT 175 SPOTS.
WE CREATED GROWTH AT BOTH BYRD AND RANDOLPH TO ADDRESS OUR GROWING NEEDS IN THE COUNTY.
WE MADE SALARY ADJUSTMENTS FOR OUR STAFF LAST MARCH.
I STOOD RIGHT IN THIS VERY GYM AND SPOKE WITH FOLKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING THAT MARKET ADJUSTMENT FOR OUR PEOPLE.
AND I KNOW IT SEEMED LIKE DOOM AND GLOOM, BUT THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING.
THIS GRAPH ILLUSTRATES WHERE WE WOULD'VE BEEN IN THE REGION WITH JUST A 5% MARKET ADJUSTMENT, WHICH MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORS ALSO DID A 5%.
WE WOULD'VE RANKED THIRD IN THE REGION, WHICH IS GOOD BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO RECRUIT TEACHERS.
YOU CAN'T START OUT BEHIND EVERYBODY ELSE.
BUT IF YOU SEE YEARS FIVE TO 10, WE WOULD'VE BEEN FOURTH IN THE REGION.
THAT'S ABOUT MIDDLE OF THE PACK.
AND THEN FOR OUR VETERAN TEACHERS WITH YEARS 15 TO 25 OF EXPERIENCE, WE WOULD'VE BEEN NEAR THE BOTTOM EITHER IN FIFTH PLACE OR SIXTH PLACE OUT OF SEVEN BECAUSE WE MADE THE MARKET ADJUSTMENT AND OUR COMMUNITY
[00:35:01]
BACKED THAT.AND I'M GRATEFUL TO BOTH OUR SCHOOL BOARD AND OUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
WE'RE NOW STILL THIRD AT YEAR ZERO, BUT WE'RE SECOND FROM YEARS FIVE THROUGH 15 AND WE'RE THIRD YEARS 20 THROUGH 25.
THAT PLAYS A GREAT PART IN THOSE 41 TEACHERS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE, MANY OF THEM, WE WERE ABLE TO RECRUIT FROM PLACES LIKE CHESTERFIELD, HANOVER, AND HENRICO.
WE RANK IN THE TOP THREE SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN THE METRO RICHMOND AREA FOR TEACHER SALARIES.
NOW THAT'S DUE ENTIRELY TO THAT MARKET ADJUSTMENT.
AND WE JUST SURVEYED FOR THE FIRST QUARTER WE DO AN EMPLOYEE POLL SURVEY.
AND OVER 60% OF THE TEACHERS SURVEYED INDICATED THAT THAT MARKET ADJUSTMENT WAS AN INFLUENTIAL FACTOR IN THEIR DECISION TO CONTINUE TO WORK FOR US.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT ON THE STATE OF THE SCHOOLS WILL GLADLY TAKE QUESTIONS.
OUT OF THE 70 OR 71 NEW STUDENTS THAT CAME TO FROM KIND OR TO KINDERGARTEN, WHAT AREA OF THE COUNTY ARE THEY PREDOMINANTLY FROM? OR IS THERE THERE'S, THERE'S MAJOR GROWTH AT RANDOLPH AND GLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, NOT NOW.
THERE WAS AN UPTICK IN KINDERGARTNERS HERE AT BYRD AS WELL, BUT NOT TO THE RATE AT RANDOLPH AND BIRD.
I'M SORRY, GLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHY KINDERGARTEN AND WHY THIS YEAR, THE BEST THAT I CAN SURMISE IS THAT WE'RE FIVE YEARS OUT FROM WHEN COVID STARTED, WHEN WE WERE ALL SHUT IN FOR A WHILE.
UM, I WONDERED, UM, WHAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S THOUGHTS ARE ON THE USE OF THE OLD UCHIN ELEMENTARY AND ARE YOU TAKING CITIZEN SUGGESTIONS? SO OUR SCHOOL BOARD HELD, UM, DIALOGUE ON THAT IN OUR OCTOBER SCHOOL BOARD MEETING WHERE THEY WELCOME COMMENT ON THAT ENDEAVOR.
THEY'RE GONNA VOTE ON IT AT THE NOVEMBER MEETING AND WE'LL MAKE THE DETERMINATION AS TO WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT POINT.
UH, WE'VE GOT SOME IDEAS, WE'VE HAD SOME JOINT MEETINGS WITH THE COUNTY WHO HAS SOME IDEAS.
BUT ULTIMATELY, UNTIL THE SCHOOL BOARD DECIDES ON WHAT THE PROPERTY IS GONNA BE USED FOR, I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO IT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT VOTE'S GONNA ENTAIL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE SCHOOLS? ANYTHING FOR THE COUNTY? WE ALSO ALSO HAVE MS. MOSES FROM SCHOOL BOARD.
WE ALSO HAVE MR. CHRISTIE FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS LIE FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
UM, VDOT HAS NOT CLIPPED THE SIDE ROAD HERE AND YOU KNOW, IT'S THE RU DEER.
IS THERE AN AREA? WES COMMUNITY HOUSE ROAD? SURE.
THERE'S A TREE ACROSS THE LINE ABOUT SIX.
IS IT TREE? YEAH, I'VE SEEN THAT.
I, MY ONLY THOUGHT WITH THAT IS THAT IT PROBABLY HAS NOT AFFECTED ANYBODY'S SERVICE.
CAN YOU POWER LINE SO I CAN USE THAT.
AND SO VERIZON TENDS TO NOT REALLY ADDRESS THAT UNTIL THE LINE'S COMPLETELY DOWN.
BUT I, I FLAGGED THAT AND I'M REACHING OUT.
I'M REACH OUT TO OUR VERIZON CONTACTS, JUST SEE IF WE CAN MAYBE GET THEM PROACTIVELY.
YOU CAN'T HELP 'EM MISS IT THOUGH.
YOU'RE LIKE, BUT YEAH, THAT IS VERIZON LINE.
SO IT REALLY ISN'T AFFECTING VERIZON SERVICE.
SAY, SO IT'S NOT A FIRE SAFETY HAZARD.
AND OF COURSE YOU HAVEN'T HEARD FROM YOUR VDOT GUY ABOUT ANY OF THE SPEED LIMIT CONCERNS, WHICH STATE I HAVE.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHEN WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE, YOU KNOW, VDO T'S RESPONSE IS THAT THE SPEED LIMITS ARE APPROPRIATE AND THAT THEY'VE DONE THE STUDY AND THEY COME BACK AND SAY THAT, THAT ALL THE TRAFFIC THERE IS RIGHT WHERE THEY EXPECTED TO BE FOR A SPEED LIMIT, FOR A SPEED LIMIT OF 55 MILES AN HOUR.
AND I GO THROUGH THERE MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY.
SO I'M I'M I'M WITH YOU ON THAT ONE.
SO WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, BUT ALSO I'VE FORGOT TO MENTION, UH, REALLY THE REASON OF PROBABLY SOME OF Y'ALL CAME IS THE COOKIES.
AND THE COOKIES HERE ARE MADE BY THE CULINARY ARTS STUDENTS OF GUCCI HIGH SCHOOL.
SO PLEASE HAVE SOME SAMPLE, SOME, UH, AND AND SEE AN, AN ACTUAL TANGIBLE EXAMPLE OF WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE, ARE BEING TAUGHT AND HOW TO DO.
AND IN YOU, I'M TALKING AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN, ALTHOUGH I AM A MEMBER OF FIRE RESCUE.
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT THAT
[00:40:01]
FIRE RESCUE GETS.IT'S, AND IT'S NOT JUST FIRE RESCUE, JUST PUBLIC EXAMPLE.
AND, AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE OKAY.
I'VE BEEN HERE A WHILE, SO I I DO APPRECIATE HOW FAR YOU GO WITH THAT.
SO AS WITH ANY COUNTY, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC MEETING, WHEN SOMEBODY TELLS YOU YOU'VE DONE SOMETHING GOOD, THERE'S SOMETHING COMING TO MIND, RIGHT? BUT, SO, BUT UH, JUST TO KIND OF GET YOU THINKING IN THE FUTURE, AND AGAIN, I INTENTIONALLY HAVE NOT SPOKE TO THE CHIEF ON THIS PLANNING TO COME TO THE MEETING.
'CAUSE I DON'T WANT ANY, YOU KNOW, YOU TO THINK ANYTHING.
HE'S GOT THINGS THAT HE'S GOTTA DO.
BUT SOMETHING THAT HE'S TRYING, I KNOW THAT HE'S TRYING DESPERATELY ALL OF 'EM ARE TRYING DESPERATELY TO IMPROVE IS THE, IS THE CALL TOTAL THAT WE'RE RUNNING IN, UH, EASTERN END OF THE COUNTY? MM-HMM.
NOW THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN HIGHER THAN UP HERE IS IN, IN NUMBERS SAY THAT.
HOWEVER, UH, AND I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE, WHAT ARRANGEMENTS OR WHATEVER.
YOU HAVE TWO FACILITIES DOWN THERE THAT ARE GREATLY IMPACTING THE COURT CALL TO, UH, OF RUNS.
THAT IS PUTTING A STRAIN ON YOUR VOLUNTEER SYSTEM.
I MEAN THE CAREER SYSTEM IS EXPERIENCING IT AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY CAN BE TOLD IT'S YOUR JOB DOING IT, WHICH IS NOT A GOOD ANSWER.
AND THAT'S NOT GONNA KEEP THEM AROUND.
LIKE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HAVING TEACHERS STICK AROUND.
BUT IT'S, IT'S STARTING TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE, ON THE VOLUNTEERS AS WELL.
UM, WE KNOW THAT FIRE EMS IS IN THE CENTRAL SERVICE WE HAVE, BUT WHAT I'LL THROW OUT TO YOU AND LET YOU ALL DISCUSS IT NOT HERE OF COURSE, UM, IS THAT WITH THE FIRE SERVICE, WE HAVE THE NUISANCE CALL AND I'LL CALL IT THAT.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT WHAT WE CALL IT, THAT'S NOT A GOOD NAME WHERE IF WE HAVE TO GO TO, BUT IF WE GO THROUGH AND ADDRESS MULTIPLE TIMES FOR, UH, A SYSTEM, AUTOMATIC SYSTEM RESPONSE, SOMETHING THAT THE, THE PEOPLE ARE NOT LIKE FIRE ALARM OR FIREARM ALARM, THAT SORT OF THING, THEN THERE ARE OPTIONS THAT THE COUNTY HAS TO TRY TO TER THEM OR TO WORK BETTER IF THAT SYSTEM WILL WORK BETTER.
UM, I WOULD STRONGLY URGE IF WE THINK OF SOMETHING OF THAT, UM, BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE CALLS DOWN THERE ARE NOT EMERGING CALLS.
UM, AND THERE, THERE ARE WAYS YOU CAN HANDLE THAT.
UM, ONE OF WHICH IS AFTER A CERTAIN NUMBER, UH, YOU START HAVING A PENALTY OF, OF BAD CALLS.
SO IF YOU HIT OVER A CERTAIN NUMBER IN A MONTH OR A QUARTER AND THEY'RE ALL FALSE ALARMS, AT SOME POINT YOU GOTTA START PAYING FOR THE, THE, UM, ASSIGNING OF SERVICES AND PEOPLE TO IT AND PLACES TO DO THAT.
SO I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME WAYS YOU CAN HANDLE LIKE THAT.
YOU STILL GOT TO REPLY TO THE CALL THOUGH.
SO IT'S NOT THAT WE CAN'T REPLY TO THE CALL, BUT THERE ARE SOME WAYS TO MAYBE MAKE THEIR, UH, HAVE A MONETARY IMPACT TO THE PERSON SO THEY CAN CHECK THE SYSTEM, SEE, OH LOOK, YOU KNOW, THE SYSTEM NEEDS, NEEDS UPDATING OR WHATEVER AND FIX IT.
THERE, THERE ARE, BECAUSE WE ARE NOT THE ONLY PLACE IN, IN VIRGINIA NORTH COUNTRY THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THIS.
SO THERE ARE, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND MODELS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACTING THE PEOPLE DOWN THERE.
UM, THE POINT IS THAT WE ARE BEING USED FOR NON-EMERGENCY TRANSPORTS AND THAT IS NOT THE PURPOSE OF THE ESSENTIAL SERVICE.
THE ESSENTIAL SERVICE IS TO RESPOND FOR A TRUE LIFE EMERGENCY, REALIZE THAT THAT LINE NOT VERY CLEAR BETWEEN WHAT IS AND IT'S NOT.
BUT I JUST REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO REALLY PICK THAT UP AND WE'LL, AND I, YOU KNOW, I WILL ASSURE YOU THAT THE CHIEF MAKES SURE THAT THESE ARE ISSUES THAT ARE VERY MUCH IN FRONT OF MYSELF AND THE BOARD.
UM, THESE ARE NOT THINGS THAT, THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
AND WE ARE AWARE BECAUSE ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ESSENTIAL SERVICES AVAILABLE AND WE NEED IT, IS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT WASTING THEM ON SERVICES THAT AREN'T REQUIRED.
SO THAT'S AN EASY SOLUTION SOMETIMES IF YOU CAN CUT THE NUMBER OF CALLS YOU'RE RESPONDING TO AND ELIMINATE THOSE YOU DON'T NEED TO RESPOND TO AND THAT FREES YOU UP FOR THOSE YOU DO.
SO, SO THAT IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE THAT THAT, THAT HE'S AWARE OF.
AND, AND PLEASE KEEP, KEEP DISCUSSING IT AS WELL BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT.
THE BOARD CERTAINLY NEEDS TO HEAR THIS FROM CITIZENS, BUT, BUT, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S VERY REAL.
UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN I, THERE HAVE BEEN PLACES WHERE, WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL GET A COMPASSIONATE CARE CALL WHERE SOMEONE JUST WANTS TO TALK TO SOMEBODY AND YOU GOTTA SEND A CREW OUT THERE AND THEY JUST WANT TO TALK TO YOU AND YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT HAVE JUST SAVED THAT PERSON.
YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU HAD TO RESPOND TO THAT CALL AND YOU DIDN'T ACTUALLY PROVIDE SERVICE TREATMENT TO THEM.
SO I I I, I DEFINITELY, SO JUST FURTHER
[00:45:01]
I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I HAVE ABSOLUTE CONFLICTS IN THE CHIEF, A THOUSAND PERCENT I KNOW YOU ADDRESS MY PURPOSE OF SPEAK HERE WAS SO THAT YOU KNEW SOMEBODY OPEN THAN THEN, THEN THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND THANK MY BOOTS ARE NOT ON THE GROUND AS MUCH AS THEY USED TO BE, UM, THAT YOU GET THAT FEEDBACK FROM.BUT WHEN THE CALL COMES INTO NINE ONE ONE, I NEVER GOT THE EMERGENCY
IS IT A POSSIBILITY? WELL, YEAH, BUT THEN, THEN WE'RE PUT IN MORE STAFF.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS THAT DC IS CHEAPER FOR US TO TRANSPORT THAN HAVE THE PRIVATE AMBULANCE.
AND SO PEOPLE WILL GET ON THE, THE PHONE AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUALS, I'M TALKING ABOUT NURSING STAFF AND MAY NOT TRULY, UH, PAINT THE PICTURE AS IT AS IT'S, WHICH REQUIRES US TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS WHEN WE ARE TRANSPORTED UNTIL THAT PATIENT, THAT'S CLIENT IS ADMITTED TO WHEREVER IT WAS, IT'S IN THE DOCK OR ST.
SO THEY'RE OUT OF CONDITION FOR AN HOUR OR TWO.
WELL, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AT THAT END, THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IS THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE SERVICE DELIVERY IS MORE, THAT MEANS THAT THE PEOPLE ON THIS END ARE MOVING DOWN TO THE MIDDLE TO HELP COVER FOR THAT END, WHICH MAKES RESPONSES AT THIS END SLOWER AS WELL.
SO IT DOESN'T JUST AFFECT THAT ONE END OF THE COUNTY.
IT AFFECTS THIS END OF THE COUNTY WHEN THEY'RE ALL BUSY DOWN THERE.
AND, AND THEN THAT FOR THE CITIZENS, THE BUDGET.
BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE NO UNITS AVAILABLE, THE ANSWER IS MORE UNITS.
AND THOSE PEOPLE USUALLY LIKE TO DRAW A PAYCHECK WITH THEIR CAREER.
AND, AND SO THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE STARTING TO BUILD UP A, A RESERVOIR OF RESOURCES THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S HAVE FLOW.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MANAGE IT.
BUT YOU PERSONALLY, I'VE BEEN WELL AWARE OF THAT AND I'VE BEEN ASKING QUESTIONS AND I'M NOT SMART ENOUGH TO HAVE AN ANSWER OTHER THAN NO, IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE SOMEBODY KNOWING THAT GAINING THE SYSTEM TO THEIR BENEFIT BECAUSE THEY ARE
I MEAN, WELL NOT, BUT UH, BUT THEY ARE, THEY ARE CHAIRS.
BUT I MEAN THEY CALLING NAMES EVERY POINT AND TIMES.
AND SO THEN THERE'S THE QUESTION, WELL I'M PAYING TAXES, SO WHY WOULDN'T I GET THE SAME SERVICE AS ANY OTHER TAXPAYER? DISPROPORTIONATE A WHOLE LOT.
WE CHARGE PEOPLE MORE, MORE WHY DO THEY USE MORE? THEY PAY, I'M SURE IF THERE'S FEES FOR US TO HAVE A SCALE OF FIRST 1, 3, 5, THIS DONE IT FOR FIRE.
SO IT'S GOTTA, I I DON'T SEE THAT THAT'S UNREALISTIC.
YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE THE SAME NUMBERS.
BUT IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE THE SAME LOGIC FOR FIRE, YOU GOT THE SAME FOR EMS. SO THE, THE OTHER POINT THAT I THINK WE NEED TO REALIZE ALSO IS THAT YEAH, THE CAREER GUYS WOULD LIKE TO GET A CHECK, BUT YOU'VE GOT, MOST OF YOUR VOLUNTEERS BECAUSE OF AGE ARE DOWN, DOWN IN THE COUNTY.
THEY'RE NOT COMING THERE TO RUN CALLS TO CARRY SOMEBODY BACK AND FORTH TO THE HOSPITAL.
IT'S START TO AFFECT YOUR VOLUNTEERS.
IF THEY ARE AWAY, THAT'S GONNA AFFECT YOU GONNA HAVE MORE REAR EYE OPENING.
SO LET'S, LET'S LOOK AT IT BEFORE YOU, YOUR CHIEF HAS ACCESS TO ALL OF THAT.
I'M NOT DOWN THAT IN, I DON'T LOOK THE SCANNER.
SO I, I WOULD DEFER ALL THAT TO THEM.
BUT I DO WANT SHOW YOU THAT AGAIN, THE, THE CHIEF AND THE SERVICE ARE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE AWARE OF THESE VERY REAL ISSUES AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GROWING COUNTY AND LIMITED RESOURCES.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING.
DID YOU HAVE A, SOMEONE HAS QUESTION.
I THOUGHT AS YOU BUILD NEW HOUSING IN THE COUNTY, ESPECIALLY SUBDIVISIONS, I WOULD LIKE THE COUNTY TO CONSIDER HAVING A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF ALL NEW HOUSING IN SUBDIVISIONS BE AFFORDABLE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MIXED HOUSING AS OPPOSED TO $2 MILLION
[00:50:01]
MANION AND THENSO THE QUESTION IT WAS THAT AS THE COUNTY LOOKS AT PERMITTING THESE SUBDIVISIONS, CAN WE CONSIDER, CAN WE CONSIDER HAVING, UM, A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF ALL NEW SUBDIVISIONS INCLUDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENT TO IT? IS THE QUESTION.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, THE REALITY OF IT IS, IS THAT WHEN SUBDIVISIONS COME IN FRONT OF THE BOARD, THEY CERTAINLY CAN DO THAT.
THEY, THEY CAN CHOOSE TO DO THAT.
UM, THE ABILITY OF THE BOARD TO REQUIRE THEM TO DO CERTAIN THINGS HOWEVER IS, IS REALLY, I MEAN THEY CAN REQUIRE THEM TO BUILD A CERTAIN WAY.
UH, THEY CAN UH, THEY CAN REQUIRE THEM TO HAVE CERTAIN SETBACKS AND ALL, BUT THE ONLY WAY THAT THE BOARD REALLY HAS IN FRONT OF THEM THAT COULD ENCOURAGE THAT IS TO ALLOW DENSITY.
BECAUSE DENSITY GENERATE GENERALLY RESULTS IN LOWER PRICES.
IF YOU CAN GET 20 HOUSES ON AN ACRE OR ONE HOUSE ON AN ACRE, YOU CAN SELL 20 HOUSES AT A CHEAPER RATE THAN YOU COULD ONE HOUSE.
AND, AND THAT GENERALLY IS ONE OF THE, THE, THE EASIEST MECHANISMS THAT YOU HAVE IS TO ENCOURAGE DENSITY.
AND THEN THAT GENERALLY RESULTS.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE REALTORS WILL TELL YOU.
AND THE BUILDERS WILL TELL YOU THAT IF YOU WANT MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ALLOW MORE DENSITY, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT OUR CITIZENS HAVE NOT SHOWN A LOT OF INTEREST IN, IS HAVING A LOT OF DENSITY.
WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE SIX STORY BUILDINGS WITH, WITH PEOPLE LIVING IN, IN THEM.
AND WE DON'T WANNA HAVE THOSE LARGE KIND OF, OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT 'EM FROM ABOVE AND IT'S JUST, JUST A TERRIBLE LOOK.
SO THAT TENDS TO, TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR US TO, TO, TO DO THAT.
YOU, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THIS IS A LIMITED THING IN IN THAT WE CAN'T MAKE SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING.
SOME STATES THEY'LL ALLOW YOU TO SAY, YEAH, WE'LL GIVE YOU A TAX BREAK IF YOU DO THIS OR IF YOU DO THAT, BUT VIRGINIA LAW DOESN'T REALLY MAKE IT EASY, UM, TO ANYBODY.
AND AGAIN, I CAN TELL YOU THAT I KNOW OUR, OUR SUPERVISORS ARE VERY AWARE OF IT.
MR. GILLESPIE, YOU KNOW, HE'S, THAT'S KIND OF HIS EVERYDAY THING IS DEALING WITH THAT AND YOU KNOW, THAT THEY CAN CERTAINLY CHIME IN AS WELL.
BUT IT'S, IT ULTIMATELY COMES DOWN TO THE MARKET SAYS PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO SPEND 2 MILLION FOR A HOUSE.
SO WHAT ARE THEY GONNA BUILD? THEY'RE GONNA BUILD A $2 MILLION HOUSE.
AND THE MARKET IS TENDED TO GUIDE THAT IN GLAND BECAUSE PEOPLE WANNA LIVE HERE.
'CAUSE WE'VE GOT GREAT SCHOOLS, WE'VE GOT GREAT SERVICES AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE PUT THE BRAKES ON DEVELOPMENT UNTIL WE GET THE INFRAS INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT IT BECAUSE I DRIVE DOWN FAIRGROUND ROAD AND MAINTENANCE EVERY SINGLE DAY AND IT'S A MESS.
AND IT IS LOTS OF TRAFFIC AND LOTS OF PEOPLE AND RURAL HILL'S NOT DONE YET.
GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON ON FAIRGROUND ROAD THAT PASSED AND THEY HAVEN'T STARTED BUILDING THAT YET.
I MEAN, TRY MAKING A LEFT TURN OFF MAS ON FAIRGROUND ROAD.
I'M HOPING FOR A ROUNDABOUT THERE.
MAYBE THAT'S ACTUALLY THE STUDY PART IS UNDERWAY.
I, I'LL I'LL BE IN TERMS OF ANY HOUSING, WHEN YOU SAY THE WORD DENSITY, I WANT JUST YEAH.
THAT, THAT MY HEAD EXPLODES WITH THAT BECAUSE YOU KNOW YEAH, YEAH, SURE.
WE WANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE WANT THIS, WE WANT THAT.
BUT ALSO LET'S GET THE, THE ROADS TO SUPPORT WHAT WE'VE GOT NOW BECAUSE WE ARE SO OVERGROWN IN THE CENTER PART OF THE COUNTY, IN MY OPINION, WHICH IS WHERE I LIVE.
EAST, I MEAN EAST TOO DOES, SO HOW, HOW, HOW DO THE ROADS WORK? IS IT IF WE BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME? WELL, FIRST QUAT, RIGHT, BECAUSE WE DON'T OWN THE ROADS.
SO THE ROADS ARE OWNED BY VDOT, UH, IN, IN THE COUNTY AND ROAD THAT'S ALREADY IN EXISTENCE, UH, LIKE WE'RE DEALING WITH NOW WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE DOING WORK ON THEM.
UM, YOU, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND DETERMINE THERE'S A NEED AND THEN YOU GOTTA PRIORITIZE IT AND SEE WHERE IT RANKS WITH OTHERS.
THEN YOU GOTTA GET THE FUNDING FOR IT.
UM, THAT'S WHY I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE GAS TAX.
THAT $9 MILLION HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY DOING THINGS WE WOULD NOT HAVE DONE WITHOUT THAT MONEY.
SO THAT HAS ALREADY MOVED THE NEEDLE IN THAT DIRECTION OF STARTING TO ADDRESS CONCERNS 'CAUSE IF WE'RE WAITING ON VDOT IN VIRGINIA TO FIND THE MONEY FOR US, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY GOT THAT MONEY FOR, FOR TWO BIG PROJECTS, WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA GET A LOT OF MONEY FROM THEM FOR A WHILE.
SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY AVAILABLE, THEN THE ONLY OTHER ALTERNATIVE IS, IS THE COUNTY GOING TO PUT THE MONEY INTO IT ITSELF? WELL, I SAW WHERE THEY'RE REBUILDING A ROAD FROM HURRICANE, UH, FROM HELENE, AND IT'S GONNA BE $10 MILLION TO REPLACE ONE MILE OF, OF ROAD IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE, OF THE STATE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS COUNTY WILL EVER HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY THAT WE CAN PUT IN THAT KIND OF MONEY.
$10 MILLION OR $5 MILLION FOR A MILE OF IMPROVED ROAD.
AND SO IT GETS INTO, IF IT BECOMES A CRISIS, UNFORTUNATELY, WHICH IS FREQUENTLY WHAT HAPPENS, THAT'S WHY ASTON ROAD IS GETTING WORK DONE.
AND THAT'S WHY OILVILLE IS GONNA GET WORKED BECAUSE IT'S BECOMING A CRISIS.
THE COUNTY, HOWEVER, IS LOOKING AT THE WHOLE FAIRGROUNDS, MAIDENS
[00:55:01]
INTERSECTION.THE COUNTY IS PUSHING THAT, AND THE COUNTY NOW WE HAVE SOME RESOURCES THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO THE STUDIES AND THE DEVELOPMENT, AND WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THAT BECAUSE THE STATE CAN SEE, OKAY, THE COUNTY'S TRYING, SO EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE.
BUT THESE TWO GUYS CAN TELL YOU FROM TWO DIFFERENT ENDS OF THE COUNTY THAT THERE'S TWO DOZEN MORE ROADS THAT NEED IT JUST AS BAD.
PROBABLY JUST INTERJECT, ALSO PARK FOR REFERENCE TO SOUTHEAST, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE STUFF.
AND, AND I'M GONNA KEEP NUMBERS.
I'M NOT QUITE AS GEEKY AS SOME ENGINEERS, BUT THEY CAN HEAR YOU.
UM, BUT THAT, AND, AND I ASPIRE TO IT.
UM, THAT MODEL ALLOWS US TO GO IN AND LOOK AT THINGS SUCH AS DENSITY AND THE TYPE OF USAGE, WHETHER IT'S SINGLE FAMILY, UH, UNITS OR WHETHER OR NOT IT'S MIXED USE OR HIGH DENSITY.
AND IT STARTS TO TELL US THAT, OH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A ROAD THAT'S CURRENTLY, AND, AND I BELIEVE VO GOES THROUGH A THROUGH.
SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE A D ROAD AND WE'RE GONNA PUT IN NEW DEVELOPMENT AND TURN IT INTO AN FI MEAN, SO, SO IT'S LIKE YOU WANNA SHOOT YOURSELF OR HANG YOURSELF.
I MEAN, YOU, EITHER WAY YOU'RE, YOU'RE CREATING A PROBLEM.
AND, AND SO I'M A PROPERTY RIGHTS PERSON, AND SO TO TELL SOMEBODY YOU CAN'T USE YOUR PROPERTY WITHIN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH IS REALLY WHERE IT WOULD START, WHERE WE WOULD RECATEGORIZE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND START SAYING, NOT MEDIUM DENSITY, BUT LOW DENSITY.
I MEAN, THERE'S EVEN DISCUSSIONS RIGHT NOW INSTEAD OF TWO ACRE MINIMUMS, MAYBE MAKE IT FIVE ACRE MINIMUM.
BUT, BUT THAT'S A RECALIBRATION AND IT'S A PROCESS.
THAT COMP PLAN WAS CREATED IN 2018 AND RECALIBRATED IN 20, OR WAS RE WITH THE, UH, IT WAS RECALIBRATED IN 2018.
IT WAS ACTUALLY WRITTEN IN 2015.
AND SO THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION OUT THERE AND, AND PLANNING, OUR PLANNING COMMISSION IS NOT APPROVED OF REZONING COMMISSION.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING 20 AND 30 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
AND, AND THAT'S HEAVY LIFTING AND IT TAKES A WHILE.
BUT WHAT WE'RE WORKING WITH NOW IS SOMETHING THAT 20 YEARS AGO PEOPLE SAID, THIS IS A GOOD IDEA AND THIS IS A GOOD ROADMAP FOR OSELIN AND HERE WE ARE TODAY.
AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, SORTA, BUT IT, IT, IT IS A CONCERN OF MINE.
AND, AND I'VE BEEN UNABASHED AND SAYING, I VERY MUCH LOOK AT DECISIONING.
DOES IT BENEFIT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN GLAND TODAY? OR IS IT GOING TO BENEFIT THE PERSON WHO WANTS TO COME HERE TOMORROW? AND IF IT'S TO BENEFIT THE PERSON WHO WANTS TO COME HERE, AND I'M AN IMMIGRANT, I CAME FROM HENRICO.
I MEAN, SO I WA I DID NOT WALK THE STAGE AND GET MY DIPLOMA, UH, NOT UNDER DR.
M'S WATCH, BUT ANYBODY'S WATCH.
SO I'M, I'M FROM OUT OF COUNTY, BUT I HAVE A HARD TIME MAKING CHANGES TO OUR COMMUNITY TO BENEFIT THE NEW PEOPLE COMING HERE.
AND THEY'RE GONNA COME, WE'VE GOT NEW KINDERGARTNERS, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, THAT'S GROWTH.
I MEAN, EVENTUALLY THEY'RE GONNA WALK THE, I, I GUESS THE STAGE AND GET THEIR DIPLOMA ALSO.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO TELL, PUT A MORATORIUM IN PLACE.
IF SOMEBODY FILES AN APPLICATION, WE'VE GOT 12 MONTHS, WE CAN VOTE NO, BUT WE CAN'T JUST SAY NO MORE APPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT.
SO IF A LANDOWNER COMES IN AND SAYS, I WANNA PUT IN, I WANNA REZONE FROM A TWO TO, UM, MPUD OR R THREE OR SOMETHING THAT IS A SUBDIVISION.
WE GOT A FISHER CUT BAIT IN 12 MONTHS, OR I GUESS WE, WE GET, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS FROM THE STATE AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT SOMETHING BAD IS, BUT THEY MAY TAKE AWAY OUR BIRTHDAY OR I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT IS.
BUT, UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A CHALLENGE.
BUT I ABSOLUTELY AM INVESTED IN THE FOLKS THAT LIVE HERE TODAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT MAKES GOODEN SPECIAL.
AND I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE COMING HERE, BUT I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO GIVE UP WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, THE BENEFIT, THE, THE FOLKS THAT WANNA COME HERE THAT I'M VERY WELCOMING.
BUT I MEAN, YOU CAN'T HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND
MAKE GUYS, WE'RE GOING TO BE AROUND, WE'RE NOT LEAVING, BUT WE TRIED TO END THIS IN AN HOUR.
SO KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS, KEEP TALKING TO US.
WE'RE NOT GOING, I JUST, YOU KNOW, SO THE PEOPLE AT HOME KNOW, I KNOW THEY'RE, I KNOW.