04-25-2002 Continued Meeting
CONTINUED MEETING OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS` HELD THE TWENTY-FIFTH DAY OF APRIL IN
THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND AND TWO
1
1
1
PRESENT: Robert C. Claud, Sr., Chairman
Richard K. MacManus, Vice Chairman
Stan D. Clark.
Phillip. A. Bradshaw
Henry H. Bradby
Also Attending: H. Woodrow Crook, Jr., County Attorney
W. Douglas Casket', County Administrator
Donald T. Robertson, Assistant
County Administrator/Director of
Human Resources
Carey H. Mills, Recording Secretary
Chairman Claud called the continued meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
//
Chairman Claud called for consideration of the FY2002-2003 Isle of
Wight County School Budget.
Supervisor .Bradshaw. stated he is in favor of at least funding
compensation for school employees at a minimum. He suggested that-
$150,000 to .$200,000 could be taken from the County's proffers line item
.and applied toward the School Budget.
Supervisor MacManus stated teacher and staff salaries, as ,well as
special education,,are important needs that must be addressed, in addition to
the recent effort for the Governor's School for Math and Science. He stated
the Board has been supportive of the school system by averaging a 325%
increase over the last four {4) years. He stated the State is failing to do its
• job, thereby placing the burden on the County. He stated .the Board is
considering a lawsuit against the State at this time ,because it is failing to
.meet its obligations to children. He stated earlier. this year- school staff
approached the Board requesting unappropriated funds and the .Board
approved a portion of these funds, leaving a balance. of $185,000 that was
not appropriated .back to the schools. He suggested the Board appropriate
the $18.5,000 back to the schools and appropriate an additional $645,000,
for a total of $830,000. He stated this amount will represent a $.04 increase
in taxes.
.Supervisor Clark stated quality public education is the Board's
number one emission, along with fire and: rescue needs. He stated the State.
has abandoned the County this year and left the children of the County
shortchanged. He concurred with appropriating $830,000, but recommends
l
plJ~d lJo ~• ~~~U
that a message be sent to Richmond stating that the Board does not want this
shortfall coming its way next year.
Supervisor Bradby stated his duty is to be responsive to the concerns
of .the citizens. of the County. He stated that every citizen .who contacted
him regarding the school budget asked him not to forget about education for a.
the children of the County. He stated the Board must do whatever is
.necessary to ensure that the .children of the Countyreceive the best
education it can afford. He stated he particularly wants to ensure that
teachers receive an adequate increase and that kindergarten and special
education needs are addressed adequately.
Chairman Claud stated -the Board collectively supports public
education and that it has never been. the intent of the .Board to harm the
public schools. He :explained to the public that the Board gave specific
instructions to staff prior to entering the budget year that it wanted a realistic
budget, not .wish lists from any department.. He stated staff. reviewed the
requests from all County departments, as well as the schools, and prepared a
draft budget pursuant to Board direction. He stated, excluding schools, $5.8
million dollars from the Budget was cut prior to it coming to the Board.
Supervisor Clark advised the public that the Board continually strives
to collect voluntary cash proffers from citizens and developers who wish to
develop in the County. He noted that it is not just once a year when the
budget is approved that the Board thinks about funding for schools as it
thinks about it throughout the year as applications are considered.
Supervisor Bradby inquired of Dr. Decker if the Board approves an
additional $830,000, would this ensure that teachers would receive an
increase.
Dr. Decker replied "yes" and that- there would be no layoffs in the
school system, as well.
Supervisor MacManus moved the Board approve the School .Budget
with an increase. in funds of $830,000 over last year's funding in the total
amount of $19,278,863 local funds. The total approved budget amount is
$42,231,284. The motion was adopted with Supervisors MacManus,
. Bradby, Bradshaw, Clark and Claud voting in favor of the motion (5-0) and
no Supervisors voting against the motion.
//
Anne F. Seward, Director of Budget and Finance, presented the
following needed budget amendments: 1) transfer to E-911 Fund/Central
Dispatch in the amount of $31,155; 2) deletion of the State Compensation
Board reduced reimbursements line item in the amount of $72,000; and, 3}
2
R
~~~~. 2Q .;:. ~~9
State. Electoral Board and Registrar reduced reimbursements :in the amount
of $4,000.
1
Mrs.. Seward addressed a summary of .potential tax revenue:
amendments, as follows: l) court fee ordinance adoption in the amount of
$50,000; 2) probate tax ordinance adoption in the amount of $8,000; and, 3)
motor vehicle license. fee ordinance adoption. in the. amount of $160,000..
Mrs. Seward- addressed .the status of Board .requests, as follows:. 1)
Summary of State Cuts in Funding for FY03.; 2) Motor. Vehicle Decal
License Fee proposed increase, to include tax revenue projects and regional
comparison; 3) school contribution/enrollment trends, 4) Department of
Public Works/budget issues, to include HVAC contracting vs. in-house
Technician and staffing costs for convenience centers; and, 5) projection of
General Fund revenues/expenditures.
Mrs. Seward stated the anticipated reduction in State funding for the.
. next fiscal year is $631,71.2, which is equivalent to a $.04 tax increase. She
stated she has prepared for the Board the tax revenue. projections- for the
.motor vehicle decal license fees, to include motorcycles and trailers:
Chairman Claud cautioned that he did not want to do anything that
might negatively impacteconomic development:
Supervisor MacManus requested Ms. Seward provide the Board with
:additional information, i.e., the number of trailers and their type that are
housed in the County.
Ms. Seward noted she would obtain additional information on trailers
from the .Department of Motor Vehicles and she would speak with the
Director of Economic Development in regards to how this might .impact
economic development. in the County.
' Ms. Seward noted contained in the agenda are school contributions
and enrollment trends for the Board's information.
1
Ms. Seward addressed the Board regarding HVAC contracting for.
Public Works versus an in-house technician. She stated the recurring cost
would be $41,600 and the non-recurring cost would be $8,000 for start-up
equipment. ,She stated data has been gathered from the previous two (2)
years for HVAC contracting purposes and she anticipates the cost to be
approximately $3.5,000 for this fiscal year, to include parts purchases.
Supervisor Bradshaw suggested coordinating County HVAC activities
with the school division.
3
g~~~ ~t7 ~ :790
Donald M. Long, Director of Public Works, advised that he has spoken
with school staff regarding a joint cooperation with the schools in various
areas.
Chairman Claud requested Mr. Long continue his dialogue .with
school staff in this regard.
Ms. Seward reported that staff is currently discussing joint efforts with
the school division and .anticipates a .report .for the Board at its next joint
meeting.
Ms. Seward addressed the. Board regarding staffing costs to take
Carrsville, Walters and Camptown to manned centers. .She stated the
Carrsville and Camptown sites are currently manned six (6) hours per day
and all other sites are manned at twelve (12) hours per day. She stated the
anticipated cost to take these sites from six (6) hours to twelve (12) hours is
$15,524 using part-times services. She stated the Walters site is currently
not manned and the recurring cost would be $35,000 and non-recurring
start-up cost is $8,300. She stated the Director of Public Works is not
- recommending the Walters site be manned at this time.
Supervisor Bradshaw inquired what the cost savings would be by
going to a manned site for both sites.
Mr. Long stated in addition to freeing up some of his maintenance
employees, there would also be a reduction in the amount of trash that
.would be disposed at these sites due to curtailment of illegal dumping.
Supervisor Bradshaw requested that the Board continue to consider
this matter as it goes through the budget process.. He requested Mr. Long
provide the Board with an estimate of the amount of illegal trash .being
dumped at these sites.
Chairman Claud requested Ms. Seward add $5,000, fora ,total of
$25,000, to the Public Works overtime line item.
- County Attorney Crook stated that he had recommended that the
County .Attorney's budget be comparable to the Commonwealth Attorney's
budget. He stated the County Attorney's responsibilities .are comparable to
that of the Commonwealth Attorney's time-wise and staff-wise. He stated
he did not recommend a paralegal. He stated the County Attorney needs an
Assistant County Attorney to meet with Department Heads, Boards,
Planning Commission and other agencies and provide them legal advice. He
recommended the staff consist of a County Attorney, an Assistant County
Attorney and a secretary.
u
1
4
n
1
so~. 2~ ,.. 79i
Chairman Claud and Supervisors MacManus and Bradshaw directed
Ms. Seward add $23;000 to the salary and change the paralegal to an
Assistant County Attorney in the County Attorney's budget.
Ms. Seward briefed the Board on the Surry Free Clinic's budget .which
consists of approximately $119,000 with approximately 80% of the .clientele
served from the County.
Chairman Claud requested Supervisor Bradby provide Ms. Seward a
record of the budget and expenditures as required for all budget requests for
future funding consideration. He further directed Ms. Seward to include
$5,000 under the Health & Welfare line item for this purpose .and to make
contact .with the .Department of Social. Services to get their recommendation
on an amount to be allocated.
1
Ms. Seward requested direction from the Board on the delinquent tax
collection process to amend the legal fee recoupment.
County Attorney Crook stated the delinquent .tax collection attorney
has advised that he is agreeable with amending his contract so that he would
be paid the fee under the ordinance that is collected which is 20% of the
taxes collected. He stated the State statute stipulates that the County can
collect up to 20% collection fees if it is contracted for.
Supervisor MacManus stated. this is agreeable with him. He stated the
Board also discussed having some of the .correspondence, i.e. the first
several letters sent to the delinquent taxpayer, being done by the County
Attorney's Office.
County Attorney .Crook stated he has requested the delinquent tax.
collection attorney to prepare an amendment to the contract and he will
bring it to the Boar d when he receives it.
Donald T. Robertson; Assistant .County Administrator/Director of
Human. Resources, stated he is in the process of reviewing the skating rink
funds plan for self sufficiency, as well. as employee benefits .and he will have
a report for the Board by its May 6, 2002 meeting.
Under the .Operating Budget, Ms. Seward was directed to do the
following:
1
Under employee recognition, Supervisor Bradshaw directed Ms.
Seward to add $3,000 back in the budget
Under GIS Needs Analysis/Phase I, Supervisor Bradshaw
suggested as needs arise that they be brought back to the Board
for consideration.
5
Under HRPDC Stormwater Dues, Chairman Claud requested
that these funds be left in the budget.
Under the VDOT 50/50 Road Improvements, Supervisor
Bradshaw requested that the amount be left at $250,000 and that
the Board revisit the matter when the County, receives an
advisement letter from VDOT.
Under Zoning & Subdivision Ordinances, Supervisor
MacManus directed Ms: Seward leave the $40,000 for
contracted services in the budget... He requested that the Director
of Planning and Zoning provide the Board with an update on
how he is proceeding in regards to the Zoning Ordinance at the
Board's May 6, 2002 meeting.
1
Under the Chamber of Commerce, Supervisor MacManus
directed Ms. Seward include $2,400 for a total of $15,000.
Under Fire & Rescue, Supervisor Clark directed Ms. Seward
include a 5% increase among the. fire departments, to be
distributed among the departments by the Director of Emergency
Management, for a total of $261,614.
Under the Rushmere Volunteer Fire Department, Chairman
Claud requested that the one (1) time appropriation of $4,000 as
..recommended by the Department of Emergency Management for
defibrillators be left in the budget, but that it should not be spent
twice both in the current year and next year.
Under Rescue, Supervisor MacManus directed Ms. Seward add
a $1,700 increase to be split evenly between the two (2) rescue
departments. Supervisor Clark requested Mr. Childress report to
the Board on the issue of why the Isle of Wight Volunteer
Rescue Squad signed a contract in the amount of .$120,000
against his advice versus applying for a State grant that could
have funded as much as 50% of the cost.
Under the request for funding by the City of Newport News. for
consideration of a $1 per capita for the Aviation World's Fair,
Supervisor MacManus directed that Ms. Seward not include any
funds in the budget.
For the proposed Capital Improvement Program, Ms. Seward was
directed to do the following:
Under the $1.4 million for the radio system and transmission
upgrade, Supervisor Bradshaw requested that the Director of
Emergency Management begin meeting now with other
6
1
1
R
1
LJ
~~-:; ?~ ~ .793
localities about the pros and cons of the systems they have
recently installed
Under Public Utilities, Supervisor Bradshaw requested that the
Board keep in mind that funds need to be earmarked for the
upgrade of the Zuni system.
Ms. Seward. discussed the General Fund Budget Model with. 5-Year
Projections. Under expenditures,. she stated County departments are
estimated with an average increase of five percent (5%); road improvements
estimated at $250,000 based on a three percent (3%) increase; health .:and
welfare estimated at three percent (3%) increase; Constitutional Officers
estimated at an average of four- percent (4%); Social Services estimated at a
two percent (2%) increase; Schools estimated at a five. percent (5%)
increase; and, transfer to enterprise .funds assumes a ten percent (10%)
decrease in the transfer to public ,utilities and .the skating rink... Under
revenue, she stated real property assumes. an average of 6.2% increase, 3.5%
increase annually with. the exception of the reassessment years and assumes
the Board keeps the reassessment cycle at four (4) years. which she
recommends the Board change to every two (2) years and which assumes the
County picking up the assessments in the revenue streams; personal
property is assumed`at five percent (5%); machinery and tools at 1.2%; other
local taxes at 3%; fines and forfeitures at 6%; permits at 4%; State aid at
2%; and, Social Services at 2%. She stated. that in FY2002-03, the County
wily have $323,500_ in unallocated funds with it' dropping to $55,000 the
next year and a negative $200,000 the following year and finally a negative
$2,000,000 when the $17,000,000 bond- issue is issued for all the school
needs. She stated these are conservative estimates and the Board may wish
to implement tax increases. She stated a more current .reassessment cycle
would improve the County's cash flow and revenue stream.. ~
Supervisor MacManus requested Ms. Seward provide the Board, in
writing, the options available for advertising the budgets for public hearing..
Supervisor Bradshaw stated he is in favor of balancing the budget
from the fund balance, leaving the rates flat and in July have a second
advertisement to determine how the Board wants to set the rates.
Ms. Seward reported .that the E-911 budget is being presented to the
Central Dispatch Board of Directors .next Tuesday.
`J
Chairman Claud stated there are no funds included in the E-911
budget for capital purposes and he requested that staff represent the Board's
desire that some capital funds be included.
Ms. Seward suggested that $100,000 be included for that purpose.
Chairman Maud concurred with Ms. Seward's .recommendation.
7 ~ ~
aa~~ ~~ .,, : 7~4
Supervisor Bradshaw suggested that the Board conduct a work session
in August or September to discuss projections and revenue streams for the
next fire (5) to ten. (10) years.
Ms. Seward stated she. is not clear on the Board's desire to incorporate
:the three (3) new revenue streams into the budget. She inquired if the Board
:wanted her to incorporate them or not.
Chairman Claud requested that Ms. Seward provide the Board with
the amount of tax funds necessary to meet the budget so that the Board
could make a decision.
//
Donald T. Robertson, Assistant County Administrator/Director of
Human Resources, presented. a request to submit a grant application for. the
renewal of an existing grant.. He stated no local funds are required for the
cooperative effort between the Office on Youth and the school. system.
Supervisor Clark moved. that the Board approve the submittal of the
application renewal.. The motion was. adopted with Supervisors MacManus,
Bradby, Bradshaw, Clark and Claud voting in favor of the motion (5-0) and
no Supervisors voting against the motion.
. Supervisor Bradshaw requested that the Board consider eliminating
the Farm Machinery tax due to the Federal. peanut program being eliminated
by Congress which will most likely be enacted this. year and which will have
a tremendous impact on the farmers in the County. He stated more time and
resources are probably-being spent to implement this tax than revenue being
generated.. He requested Ms. Seward list this as an item for further
discussion by the Board during the budget process.
//
Chairman Claud requested a closed session under ~ Section 2.2-3711
Al of the Freedom of Information Act concerning a personnel matter.
Supervisor MacManus requested a closed session under Section 2.2-
3711 A7 of the Freedom of Information Act for advice of counsel
concerning contract negotiations and .under Section 2.2-3711 AS concerning
siting of a prospective business that has not been disclosed previously.
Supervisor Bradshaw moved the Board enter closed session for the
reasons stated. The motion was adopted with Supervisors MacManus,
Bradby, Bradshaw, Clark and Claud voting in favor of the motion (5-0) and
no Supervisors voting against the motion.
~. 8
r
i
,.
,.
iL
1
Upon returning to open session, Supervisor Clark moved the Board
adopt the following resolution:
.CERTIFICATION OF CLOSED MEETING
WHEREAS,, the Board of Supervisors has convened a closed meeting on
this date pursuant to an affirmative recorded vote and in accordance with the
provisions of the Virginia. Freedom of Information Act; and,
WHEREAS,. 2.2-3712D of the Code of Virginia requires a certification
by this Board of Supervisors that such closed .meeting was conducted in
conformity with Virginia law;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Supervisors
hereby certifies that, to the best of each member's knowledge,. (i) only public
business matters lawfully exempted from open. meeting requiremen*s by
Virginia law were discussed in the closed meeting to which this certification
resolution applies, and (ii) only such public business matters as were identified
in the. motion .convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed or
considered by the Board of Supervisors. ;
VOTE
AYES: MacManus, Bradby, Bradshaw, Clark and Claud
NAYS: 0 ~'
ABSENT DURING VOTE: 0
ABSENT DURING MEETING: 0
The motion was adopted with Supervisors MacManus, Bradby,
Bradshaw, Clark and Claud voting in favor of the motion (5-0) and no
Supervisors .voting against the motion.
//
Supervisor Clark requested that the Board further discuss Ms.
Seward's recommendation for a bi-yearly reassessment process.
Supervisor Bradshaw suggested the bi-yearly reassessment process be
further discussed when .the. Board sets up its work session in August or
September dealing with projections and revenue streams for the next five (5)
or ten (10) years.
//
{
9
s