Board of Supervisors: April 21, 2005

April 21, 2005

April 21, 2005

Virginia:

AT A CONTINUED MEETING of the Nelson County Board of Supervisors (from April 12, 2005) at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room located in the Nelson County Courthouse.

Present:   Gary D. Wood, Chairman
       Harry S. Harris, Vice-Chairman
       Constance Brennan, Central District Supervisor
        Thomas H. Bruguiere, West District Supervisor
       Thomas D. Harvey, North District Supervisor
        Stephen A. Carter, Clerk
        Debra K. McCann, Director of Finance and Human Resources

I.   Call to Order

Mr. Wood called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. with all members present to establish a quorum for the scheduled work session..

II.   Proposed Fiscal Year 2005-2006 Budget

The Board of Supervisors continued its work on preparation of the Fiscal Year 2005-2006 Budget for Nelson County. Working from a discussion agenda for the budget work session and following a summary update by County staff of year to date adjustments to the draft budget, the Board considered the following:

a. Paid EMS: The Board of Supervisors directed County staff to proceed with the work necessary to enable the Board to consider formal establishment of a paid emergency medical services program, including adjustments in County tax rates (see II.d. herein), input from the Nelson County Emergency Services Council and (with) acknowledgement of the pending receipt of a proposal from Wintergreen Fire and Rescue for private operation of the paid EMS program.

b. Capital Outlay: By unanimous consensus the members of the Board of Supervisors agreed to include funding for the construction of three residential solid waste collection sites and improvements to the solid waste transfer station (concrete pad repair/replacement and new or repaired office facility). This work is projected to be financed through a lease purchase agreement.

c. Transfers: 1) Public School Capital Request ö by unanimous consensus the Board of Supervisors agreed to provide a) funding to annually lease purchase 6 school buses at a projected expense of $75,000 per year (with County staff to confer and confirm with School Division staff the actual cost of the lease purchase program); b) $150,000 in addition to the balance of funding originally allocated from the Secondary School Project to apply to the completion of the rear parking lot project on the south side of Nelson

County High School; c) $150,000 for additional capital improvements to be designated by the Nelson County School Board. The funding proposed to be provided to the School Division for capital improvements is established and contingent upon the School Divisionâs use of an approximate $95,000 in funding remaining from a previous $300,000 allocation by the Board of Supervisors for school capital improvements being utilized for anything but the completion of the front parking lot at Nelson County High School. It was also the Boardâs comment that the School Division endeavor to repair pot holes in the road segment leading to Nelson County High School.

2) Piney River 3 Project ö County staff are directed by the Board of Supervisors to complete the distribution and collection of user agreements for the proposed water and sewer system project and to report the results of this work to the Board, as expeditiously as possible, to enable the Board to complete final decisions related to the implementation and completion of the overall project. Additional funding was not allocated for the cost of private lateral connections previously proposed to be paid by the County until the results of the user agreement work are completed and reported to the Board.

d. General Fund Revenues: By consensus agreement of each Supervisor the Board directed County staff to proceed with preparation of the ordinances and notices necessary to enable the Board of Supervisors to formally consider rate increases in the local Consumers Utility Tax applicable to consumers of public utilities (telephone and electric power). The proposed rate adjustments include: 1) Telephone: Residential ö 20% of the first $15 ($3.00); Commercial ö 20% of the first $50 ($10.00); Industrial ö 20% of the first $50 ($10.00); and, Mobile (cellular) ö 20% of the first $15 (3.00), 2) Electric power: Residential - $3.00 maximum; Commercial - $10.00 maximum; Industrial - $10.00 maximum (staff to compute the necessary formula for adherence to Code of VA requirements). In providing direction to staff to proceed the each member of the Board of Supervisors agreed that the funding to be derived from the proposed rate adjustments would be used to establish and maintain a paid emergency medical services program in Nelson County with the estimate of increased revenues to be derived from the proposed adjustment of the consumers utility tax being $355,456.

In addition to the proposed changes to the local Consumers Utility tax, the Board of Supervisors directed County staff by unanimous consensus of each member to prepare the ordinance and notices necessary to increase the local Transient Occupancy (lodging) tax from the present 2% to a rate of 5% with the proposed rate adjustment estimated to provide $46,803 in additional revenues per annum. In directing the preparation of the proposed rate adjustment, the Supervisors noted that the rate would not apply to condominiums located in the Wintergreen development, due to prior legislative action by the General Assembly, but that the Board may endeavor to request legislation to repeal this provision. The Board of Supervisors further noted that the proposed rate adjustment was not earmarked for the proposed establishment of a paid emergency medical services program.

The members of the Board of Supervisors also unanimously agreed by consensus that the Board would not at present seek to establish a local admissions tax, noting that the projected revenue from this revenue source did not merit such consideration.

e) Other Fund Groups: County staff (Debbie McCann, Director of Finance and Human Resources) presented summary overviews of the E911, Debt Service, Capital, Piney River 3, Piney River Operating, CDBG and Street Lights fund groups, which are established and maintained as separate and distinct from the General Fund. No specific changes were made by the Board of Supervisors to these funds, as presented.

f) Non-Departmental: The Board of Supervisors continued their review of the various funding requests contained in the Non-Departmental department budget within the draft General Fund budget. At the conclusion of this discussion the Supervisors unanimously concurred to retain funding requests submitted for the Gladstone, Rockfish and Schuyler Senior Center programs.

III.    Other Matters ö Resolution: Playground Project

Following discussion, the Board of Supervisors on by Ms. Brennan, seconded by Mr. Harvey, voted unanimously to approve the following resolution:

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), provides funds to assist political subdivisions of the Commonwealth of Virginia in acquiring and developing open space and park lands; and

WHEREAS, There are urgent needs within Nelson County to develop park-land; and

WHEREAS, This area is deemed of high acquisition and development priority by said Nelson County Board of Supervisors and shall be referred to as the Playground Project; and

WHEREAS, In order to attain funding assistance from DCR, it is necessary that the Nelson County Board of Supervisors guarantee that a proportionate share of the cost thereof is available; and

WHEREAS, The proportionate project share ($50,000) is funded through other grants and fundraising sanctioned by the Nelson County Board of Supervisors:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Nelson County Board of Supervisors that the Director of the Parks and Recreation Department is hereby authorized to cause such information or materials as may be necessary to be
provided to the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and to enter into such agreements as may be necessary to permit the formulation, approval and funding of the Playground Project; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Nelson County Board of Supervisors gives its assurance that the funds needed as the proportionate share of the cost of the approved program will be available, up to $50,000; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Nelson County Board of Supervisors gives its assurance that the General Provisions of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act (L&WCF) and the Virginia Outdoors Fund Fiscal Procedures will be complied with in the administration of this project; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Nelson County Board of Supervisors will operate and maintain the public recreation facility in good condition and will provide permanent project acknowledgement signs of the participating funding agencies and that this signage will clearly state that the said facility is a ãpublicä recreational facility; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Nelson County Board of Supervisors shall dedicate the metes and bounds of the Playground Project properties, in perpetuity, for public outdoors recreational purposes in accordance with the Land and Water Conservation Fund (L&WCF) Act; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Nelson County Board of Supervisors gives its assurance that all other applicable federal and state regulations governing such expenditure of funds will be complied with in the administration, development, and subsequent operation of this Playground Project; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Department of Conservation and
Recreation is respectfully requested to assist in approval and funding of the Playground Project in order to enhance the standard of public recreational enjoyment for all our citizenry.

Adopted: April 21, 2005       Attest: ________________________, Clerk
                                                            Nelson County Board of Supervisors

IV.   Adjournment

On motion by Mr. Harris, seconded by Ms. Brennan, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously by roll call to continue the meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, 2005 in the Board Room located in the Nelson County Courthouse for the purpose of a work session on the Fiscal Year 2005-2006 Budget and the draft Nelson County Zoning Ordinance.

Mr. Wood then closed the meeting at 9:45 p.m.