County Board Hears From Outside Agency and Departments on Funding Needs in Coming Fiscal Year

At a work session convened at 6 p.m. Tuesday evening, December 5, in the main meeting room of the Warren County Government Center (WCGC) the county Board of Supervisors got reports from outside agencies and several departments on operations and projected operational costs in the coming fiscal year. One scheduled report on Solid Waste costs and a review of the County’s Tipping fees was canceled due to the reported illness of Public Works Director Mike Berry.

The work session kicked off in its first minutes with a presentation and financial update from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Virginia, based out of Laurel Ridge Community College, followed about 16 minutes later by developer D.R. Horton’s request for a release and reduction in “Blue Ridge Shadows Subdivision Bonds for Roads and Stormwater Management”.

SBDC representative Christine Kriz presented a PowerPoint on the government grant and local matching funded center’s operational parameters across its six jurisdictional areas of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Shenandoah, and Warren Counties and the City of Winchester.

Graphics utilized by Small Business Development Center rep Christine Kriz, at podium, to explain the center’s methods, funding, and results in its efforts to help small businesses expand their operations and revenue flow. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

Questioned about the service level here and justification of the request for $15,000 in the coming Fiscal Year-2024/25, up from $2500 in the current cycle, Kriz responded that the increase would bring Warren County into line with what SBDC’s other service municipalities contribute to SBDC operations for their levels of financial returns. “I promise, I didn’t just pull (the number) out,” she said responding to Chairman Vicky Cook’s question. “Oh no, I’m sure you didn’t,” Cook responded.

A chart included in Kriz’s presentation showed Warren County with 100 small business clients served by SBDC last year, with $1.078-million dollars in loans achieved for those clients, and sales increases of $180,000 by those clients resulting from those SBDC efforts.

As illustrated in below graphic, those numbers put Warren County in the lower sector of SBDC regional returns, above only Clarke County. However, the chart doesn’t indicate what those higher-ranked county’s contribute annually to achieve those higher numbers; and one might note that the requested $15,000 is one-twelfth of that $180,000 sales increase mark here from the last budget cycle.

Chart indicating client numbers and financial results of SBDC efforts in its service areas. Below, County Economic Development Director Joe Petty joined Kriz at the podium to help respond to questions about past efforts and results compared to the more recent numbers justifying the funding increase request.

Kriz responded to other questions, including from South River District Supervisor Cheryl Cullers on services available on the “Agr-business” and tourism fronts. In the end it appeared the sitting board, minus absent Delores Oates, accepted the reasoning behind the SBDC’s funding increase request.

Bond amounts vs. work left

Kriz was followed to the podium by County Planning Director Matt Wendling, who summarized the D.R. Horton request for a reduction in its outstanding Blue Ridge Shadows Subdivision bonds for “Roads and Stormwater Management”. Wendling explained that portions of the bonds dating back to 2007 for specific phases of the subdivision developmental project had been achieved, at least to some degree, and that the developer was asking that the bond amounts continuing to be withheld be reduced to reflect what is actually left to be done.

Horton representative David Giovannacci (even Bianchini had to verify that spelling with the speaker) joined Wendling at the podium. Beginning with Supervisor Cullers, the board sought verification of exactly what has been completed in regard to roads and stormwater management and what remained to be done in order to assure the County wasn’t left holding the bag of financial responsibility for remaining work.

Planning Director Matt Wendling and D.R. Horton representative David Giovannacci, at the podium, responded to questions on assurances the requested Subdivision Bond reduction on aspects of the Blue Ridge Shadows development process related to roads and stormwater management were adequate to cover any future expenses.

“My team has been working diligently with VDOT to get each bond’s release. And I think it could take some time for grass to grow,” Giovannacci said of one of Supervisor Cullers’ concerns. “I don’t see that it’s required to keep over $2-million dollars essentially in bonds to look after these things. That’s why we’re asking,” he explained of the release amount requests versus developmental aspects remaining to be covered.

The amount of money involved was illustrated in these passages from the meeting agenda packet: “A subdivision bond for this phase (5) of the development was posted by D.R. Horton to the County on December 8, 2006 for $3,238,631 and was reduced to $611,967 effective March 21, 2007. They are requesting a reduction to bond #929413863 to $112,000 for the remaining VDOT and stormwater management improvements.

“They are requesting a full release of Phase 1 bond and a new bond issued in the amount of $50,000 for the portion of John Hopkins Drive (S), Sand Bunker Ct., First Eagle Ct. and Fairway Ct. additional streets from Phase 1 have been accepted into the State system and this amount would allow for completion of final items on their checklist. The final plat for Blue Ridge Shadows subdivision (phase 1) was approved by the Planning Commission on October 17, 2005. A subdivision bond #964006768 for this phase of the development was posted by D.R. Horton to the County on August 9, 2005 for $6,088,513 and reduced to $1,843,818 effective March 21, 2007. They are requesting release of this bond and a new bond be issued for $50,000 for the remaining VDOT and stormwater management improvements.

While Wendling was able to summarize some input from VDOT on the various involved phases, it seemed the precise detail and written verification from involved state agencies was not immediately available. However, Wendling reported that he had a meeting with VDOT officials scheduled for the following day and would seek to get the necessary verification in writing prior to the board’s next meeting on December 12.

Completing the Agenda

Other presentations included a Review of County Fire & Rescue Department services, a review of the County’s Handbook on Personnel Policies and Procedures; discussion of the Northern Shenandoah Hazard Mitigation Plan and its adoption; a review of revisions to the County Parks & Recreation Department Code of Conduct Policy; and a projected Carryover Package by County Finance Director Alisa Scott.

Fire Chief James Bonzano acknowledged a general tendency by both the public and their elected representatives to resist raising taxes. However, he noted that reluctance was often tied to vagaries surrounding the reasons for tax hikes. He suggested that when approaching a need to hike taxes for services the public depends on and supports, among those Fire & Rescue emergency services, if that connection to specific services is including in presenting a tax hike to the public, much of that general opposition will evaporate. Point well taken, chief.

There were a number of Fire & Rescue personnel, to right of photo, on hand with Chief Bonzano and Assistant Chief Maiatico in support of that department’s presentation, as well as other county departmental representatives on hand. Below, also observing from a staff table were incoming, as of January, supervisors John Stanmeyer and Richard Jamieson. However, Stanmeyer may need a new name plate come January as this one is misspelled.

The County video of all these work session presentations and subsequent Q&A’s will be linked to this story when it becomes available.