03-30-2006 Budget Work Session8
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BUDGET WORK SESSION OF THE ISLE'OF WIGHT COUNTY BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS HELD THE THIRTIETH DAY OF MARCH IN .THE
YEAR TWO THOUSAND AND SIX
PRESENT:. Thomas J. Wright, III, Chairman
Stan D. Clark, Vice-Chairman
James B. Brown, Jr. (Arrived at 6:14 p.m.)
Thomas R. Ivy
Phillip A. Bradshaw
Also Attending: Jacob P. Stroman, IV, County Attorney
W. Douglas Caskey, County Administrator
E. Wayne Rountree, P.E., Assistant County
Administrator
Anne F. Seward, Assistant County Administrator
Liesl R. DeVary, Director of Budget and Finance
Carey Mills Storm, Recording Secretary
Chairman Wright called the-work session to order at 5:00 p.m.
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Supervisor Bradshaw. delivered the invocation.
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chairman Wright called for discussion on the. Red Oaks Mobile Home
Park private water system.
Columbus Grant, III, Director of Public Utilities, pursuant to the
Board's direction at its March 16, 2006 meeting, addressed the Board on the
proposal offered by Barry .Duval that the County purchase the Red: Oaks
Mobile -Home water system,.. He stated .staffs recommendation. is that. the
Board offer Red Oaks Mobile Home Park the option to have its water system
master-metered by -the County, as. the County. typically master meters-water
systems that. are located in private developments.
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Supervisor Ivy moved that the Board support staff's decision to master _ _
meter the- Red Oaks. Mobile Home Park water system. The motion was
adopted by a vote of (4-0) with Supervisors Bradshaw, Clark, Ivy and Wright
voting in favor of the motion; no Supervisors voting against the motion; and,
Supervisor Brown absent foc the vote.
Barry Duval, Kaufman cBc Canoles Consulting, responsive to the
Board's vote to support staff s decision to master-meter the Red Oaks Mobile
Home Park water, system, inquired if the Board had also made a decision on
whether or not to :charge the residents of that mobile home parka $17$,000
hook-up fee. to connect to the County's well system, as this is basically a
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conversion to .the County's water system of an existing well system: than is
being requested. due to health reasons.
Supervisor. Clark voiced his concern .with .the long-term impact
associated with the County taking over a water system in which the roads are
private. He stated it is the responsibility of the owner of the trailer park to
maintain the water system for its customers, and not the responsibility of the
County to take over a failing water system.
Supervisor Bradshaw stated .that the .Board would be setting a
precedent if it purchased the failing water system. .
Mr. Duval referred to a memorandum that he received from- the
Director of Public Utilities articulating that the County should own and
operate the water system in the. Red Oaks Mobile Home Park.
:Supervisor Clark noted that the memorandum was generated more than
two (2) years ago in a different context.
Mr. Duval noted that there are 178 families that are faced with fluoride
levels which exceed those established by the Virginia Departmentof Health.
He requested an opportunity to further address with staff whether or not those
existing customers that convert over .to the public water system should be
required. to pay shook-up fee. He asked the Board to consider making an
exception for those individuals who .are. already going to have to absorb a
$500,000 cost for a water system to be installed. He stated that their. water
bills are already going to increase from $5 to $50 per month, and is it not
appropriate that they should also have to pay a $1,000 hook-up fee under
those circumstances. He noted that he would continue working with staff in
an attempt to develop an exception for hook-up fees where there-are health
issues involved.
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Liesl R. DeVary, Director of Budget and Finance, presented the
proposed FY 06-07' Operating and Capital Budget to the Board in the
amount of $91,442,009. She stated the proposed. budget equates to a 16%
increase over the FY OS-Ob' Operating and Capital budget or $12.7 million;
includes a $0.05 "blended" increase to the real estate tax rate; assumes a 35%
increased in assessed values;.and, includes a 19% decrease in the tax rate or
$0.13 to $0.55 per $100.00 of assessed value.
Relative to the issue of tax relief for the elderly and disabled, Ms.
DeVary advised of the 4,400 citizens residing in the County over the age of
65; only 250 applications were. processed, and 20°,/0 of those were: rejected
due to the applicant exceeding the annual income threshold of $30,000 or the
net worth. threshold of $100,000. She advised that the. median threshold
income for counties in Virginia is $24,000, and the medium threshold for net
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worth is $75,000. She noted that further investigation is needed as to the
'reason why individuals who are applying are being rejected.
Chairman Wright requested that staff correspond with the. elderly
.person who recently submitted a letter to the Editor of the Smithfield Times
and advise her that the County does have a program to assist the elderly and
disabled with tax relief..
Supervisor Bradshaw voiced his concern with.. the impact the
assessment will have on senior citizens in the County who are living on fixed
incomes..
Supervisor Clark noted that the assessment will be, for the most part,
balancedout by a reduction in the tax rate.
Supervisor Ivy requested that staff research and report back to the
Board with respect to how the County compares to other. localities in the
region. He referenced a progrann implemented by the State of Florida where
there is a 3% maximum raise annually on assessments on homesteads in
order to accommodate the senior citizens living there.
Ms. DeVary recommended that, in addition to increasing thethreshold
amounts, steps be taken. to increase awareness of the program. She
recommended. flyers be posted at various locations throughout-the County,
and that applications be made available in the Social Services Department
-and other locations that senior citizens visit..
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At 6:50 p.m., Supervisor Bradshaw moved that the Board recess.. The
motion was adopted by a vote of (5-0) with Supervisors Bradshaw,. Brown,
Clark, Ivy and Wright voting in favor of the motion and no Supervisors
voting against the motion:
Supervisor Bradshaw moved that the .Board .return to open session.
The motion was adopted by a -vote of (5-0) with Supervisors Bradshaw,
Brown, .Clark, Ivy and Wright voting in favor of the motion and no
Supervisors voting. against the motion.
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The Board .requested Ms. DeVary to .respond to the following in
preparation of the Board's Apri16, 2006 meeting:
• GIS Coordinator: Further discussion on the .new .position, and a
job description is to be provided by staff.
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• Economic Development: Staff. is to provide a detail of requested:
expenditures with respect to publication advertisements.
• Inspections Department: Further discussion on the additional
Inspector position and threshold.
^ Planning and Zoning: Further discussion on .the Subdivision
Planner position.
• Public Works/Refuse: Further discussion on the Sanitation
Equipment Operator position.
• Public. Works/Contracted Services: Further explanation on
Budget and Finance's recommended $9,200 versus the requested
$20,000.
• Engineering Division: Assistant County Administrator Rountree
is to brief the Board on the implementation plan from this point
forward for that Division. He should be prepared to discuss how
he intends to combine the Director of Publie Utilities' position
with the Engineer's position, :and advise the Board how long he
anticipates before that Division is completely staffed.
• Public Works: Further. discussion on the six (6) proposed full
time Custodian positions.
• Emergency .Management Position Requests: The Director of
.Emergency Management is to be prepared to provide an
overview of his budget requests for :new positions at the Board's
April 6, 2006 meeting, particularly with respect to the Fire/EMS
Training Coordinator. The Director is to be prepared to address
his secretarial/clerical support needs, as well.. Relative. to the t
funding of a public master plan, $30,000 is to remain in this
year's budget and be carried over to next year.
• Blackwater Regional Library Board: Assistant County
Administrator Seward is to set up a meeting as quickly as
possib}e with. the County's Library Board representatives. to
discuss certain issues.
• Western Tidewater Regional JaiL•' Move -the County's
contribution to the unappropriated fund balance where if is to
- remain until needed. -
• Treasurer: The Treasurer is to be invited to attend the. Board's
April 6, 2006 meeting to address her rationale for increasing a
part-time position in her office to a full-time position..
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• Sheriff s Department: The Director of Budget and Finance is to
meet with the Sheriff and to amend and maintain level funding in
that Department's budget from this point forward with the
vehicles being :incorporated in the Sheriff s other line item and
with the exception. of the compensation .items and the. four (4)
additional Deputy positions (two of which are with the school
system) voted on and approved by the Board at its Town Meeting
of March 23, 2006, as follows:
Allocation, .from the .contingency funds, in an amount
sufficient to elevate the salaries of each uniformed officer
(including the Sheriff) in the amount of $5,000 per deputy,
effective April 1, 2006. This funding is to be included in
the FY06-07 budget and should continue going forward.
Sheriff Phelps is to receive an additional allocation of
$7,500 for taking on the responsibilities associated with the.
Animal Control Department, effective April 1, 2006. This
funding is to be included in the FY06-07 budget, and
should continue going forward.
Allocation of funding for five (S) new Sheriffs vehicles -
from the unappropriated fund balance, Staff is to prepare
an appropriate resolution for consideration by the Board.
With respect to the .budget submitted by the Sheriff to the
Director of Budget and Finance. prior to the meeting tonight, _
Supervisor Bradshaw indicated that the. Sheriffs budget .should
be discussed and finalized later pending its review.
With respect to the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office budget request,
Supervisor "Clark requested the Director of Budget and Finance to advise
Commonwealth Attorney Councill that if the Compensation Board failed to
fund his request for equipment, and he should advise her accordingly so that
the Board camconsider funding the equipment he requested.
Ms, DeVary requested authorization from the Board to advertise the
FY07' Operating and Capital Budget for public hearing.
Supervisor Bradshaw moved that the Board direct staff to advertise the
FY07' Operating and Capital Budget, as presented by staff, for public
hearing by the Board at its April 18, 2006 meeting. The motion was adopted
by a vote of (5-0) with Supervisors Bradshaw, Brown, Clark, Ivy and Wright
.voting. in favor of the motion, and no Supervisors voting against the motion.
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Ms. DeVary notified the Board that there would be another public
hearing on the reassessment, once. finalized, either at the .second. meeting in
May, 2006 or second meeting in June, 2006.
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Ms. DeVary distributed copies. of information prepared by staff to the
Board and the reporters for the Daily Press and Smithfield Times illustrating
the -proposed tax rate and other pertinent information.
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County Attorney Stroman requested a closed meeting pursuant to
Section 2.2-37.1 I.A.1 of the.Code of Virginia to discuss the performance of
specified County employees.
Supervisor Clark moved that the Board enter the closed meeting for the
reason stated by the County Attorney. The motion. was adopted by a vole. of
(5-0) .with Supervisors Bradshaw, Brown, Clark, Ivy and Wright voting in
favor of the motion, and no Supervisors voting against the motion.
Supervisor Bradshaw moved that. the Board return to open session.
The .motion was adopted by a vote of (5-0) with Supervisors .Bradshaw,
Brown, Clark, Ivy and .Wright voting in favor of the motion,-N and no
Supervisors voting against the motion.
Supervisor Brown moved that the Board adopt the 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, Section 2.2-3712.D 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 requirements 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
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AYES: Brown, Bradshaw, Clark, Ivy and Wright
NAYS: 0
ABSENT DURING VQTE: 0
ABSENT DURING MEETING: 0 <
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At 9:20 p.m., Supervisor Clark moved that the Board adjourn its work
session. The .motion was adopted by a vote of (5-4j .with Supervisors
Bradshaw, Brown, Clark, Ivy and Wright voting in favor of the motion, and
no Supervisors voting against the motion.
W. Doug s skey, Cle