Agency reports, fighting the Spotted Lanternfly, reason for rising tax assessments highlight County meeting

On Tuesday morning, June 1, the Warren County Board of Supervisors navigated a lengthy agenda led off by a variety of reports from various agencies, including an update on the Spotted Lanternfly infestation and mandated precautions to try and prevent its spread beyond county borders, as well as its eradication from this transportation hub community. The message on the intrusive and destructive insect infestation: “ID, report, scrape, smash it” before it does that to aspects of our agricultural and commercial transportation systems.

PowerPoint graphics show the spreading area of Spotted Lanternfly infestation that has spread out of Pennsylvania into five surrounding states since 2014. Below, the lanternfly’s life cycle with a calendar of its monthly development through those stages; and below that, a declaration of war on the destructive bug. Royal Examiner Photos by Roger Bianchini

A final Annual Report on People Inc.’s activities on behalf of some economically marginalized sectors of our community from Director Robert Goldsmith, who told the supervisors he would be retiring after 44 years with the organization at the end of this calendar year, was warmly received. VDOT and new Rappahannock Electric Cooperative CEO John Hewa also updated the board on their respective activities in the community and/or business models.

And good news from EDA Executive Director Doug Parsons – the long-awaited 2018 and 2019 audits are now in draft form, nearing final approval as the new EDA team and the supervisors examine the money trail during the final two years under the executive directorship of Jennifer McDonald. Both criminal and civil litigation have emerged from that era, the former in a holding pattern in federal hands at this point and the civil in which McDonald is named as the key player in allegedly misdirected or embezzled assets is fluctuating between $26 million and $62 million.

Executive Director Doug Parsons, on the job for two years, delivered a positive EDA update, including approaching finalization of the 2018 and ’19 audits; and removal of the $345,600 annual debt service on the Baugh Dr. warehouse in the coming year as SYSCO has moved in.

And Parsons updated the board on, as previously reported, the SYSCO rental of the sprawling Baugh Drive warehouse for a year – “and are moving in as we speak” Parsons told the supervisors.

The EDA will still be able to market the facility for sale during the leasing period, Parsons noted. The SYSCO rental will relieve the county’s taxpayers of the entire $345,600 of annual debt service of the Baugh Drive warehouse acquired during the previous board of directors and McDonald’s executive directorship of the EDA – “I think that’s a great thing for the taxpayers to give us all a little bit of relief on the building,” Parsons told the supervisors.

And speaking of taxes, County Commissioner of Revenue Sherry Sours and Treasurer Jamie Spiker addressed tax payment deadline extensions to June 21st and hikes in real estate and property assessments from what was called “a perfect storm” of economic factors raising property values prior to this tax billing period.

County Emergency Services Coordinator in charge of COVID-19 pandemic mandates and rules, as well as CARES Act federal relief financial distribution matters, Rick Farrall led the board through a summary of the dizzying finances of CARES Act distribution to both the County and Town through the County.

Fire & Rescue Lieutenant Rick Farrall has been earning his money over the past year, heading the County’s response and record-keeping related to the Novel Coronavirus pandemic and CARES Act financial relief acquisition and distribution.

Farrall also summarized the altered or unaltered consequences of Governor Northam’s Executive Order 79 easing social distancing and masking restrictions on vaccinated Virginians. As noted in the Royal Examiner’s recent summary of Farrall’s May 26 Situation Report (SETREP), it is still recommended that non-vaccinated people mask, maintain 6-foot social distancing, and engage in regular preventive handwashing for their own safety. Farrall was thanked by the board for his work in overseeing the monumental task of keeping up with the evolving legal, logistical and financial aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic response over the last year-plus.

During board reports near the meeting’s end, North River Supervisor Delores Oates continued to lobby her colleagues to eliminate the 9 a.m. morning meetings in favor of a second 7 p.m. evening meeting. Oates sighted her own work schedule, as well as that of other citizens, making it difficult to attend morning meetings. County Administrator Ed Daley noted that Frederick and Shenandoah Counties have previously moved from monthly morning meetings to around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. starting times, as opposed to a second 7 p.m. starting time inconvenient for some staff members and those agency people like VDOT and others listed above, traveling distances to deliver monthly, quarterly or annual reports.

Delores Oates continues to lobby her colleagues for the elimination of the board’s 9 a.m. morning meetings in favor of a second evening session. Below left, County Administrator Ed Daley – yes, following a recent closed session the interim is gone from his title – noted that two adjacent counties went from morning to late afternoon meetings to accommodate outside agency officials and staff participation in those first monthly meetings.

Following a brief closed session, two appointments were announced: Kent Houchins to the Community Policy and Management Team and Cyril Cook to the Airport Commission. The board then adjourned to a 25-minute work session that followed the meeting, during which Farrall delivered his governor’s Executive Order 79 report.

See any of these reports in their entirety, and other business, board, and staff reports in the County video here.