County presses forward with Old Oak 4, among other less controversial expenditures in current and coming budget cycles

At its regular meeting of Tuesday, May 16, the Warren County Board of Supervisors tackled some contracting issues involving departmental software and Fire & Rescue Department vehicular upgrade requests, before authorizing advertisement for public hearing on approval of the Fiscal Year 2023/24 Budget, including tax rates.

One budget item included in a PowerPoint presentation by Finance Director Alisa Scott surely to raise eyebrows in the Shenandoah Farms Sanitary District, was the inclusion of the Old Oak 4 road and related infrastructure improvements recommended against by both the former and current Farms advisory bodies of involved residential stakeholders. Both former Sanitary District management partner Property Owners of Shenandoah Farms (POSF) and the current appointed Farms Advisory Committee saw Old Oak 4 as not a cost-effective expenditure of Sanitary District tax revenues. But as has been its pattern, the supervisors went with its involved staff recommendations over its advisory partners on cost versus benefit analysis on use of Sanitary District revenues infrastructure upgrades.

Finance Director Alisa Scott explains budget variables and planned expenditures. Below, one sure to catch some eyes in Shenandoah Farms is continuation of the planned Old Oak 4 infrastructure improvements targeted for removal by the board’s past and present Farms Advisory bodies.

Other, it would seem less controversial, expenditures approved as part of the evening’s Consent Agenda were award of a Reassessment Software Contract at the request of the Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office to Vision Government Solutions to upgrade their Computer-Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) System. Costs were cited “in the amount of $120,000, beginning July 1, 2023” with an annual maintenance service fee of $28,000, as well as an annual $10,000 “Cloud Hosting Services” cost recommended by the County’s IT Department “to mitigate risk and enhance security”.

However, all costs will not come due immediately it was explained in the staff agenda summary: “Funding for the $120,000 upgrade will be requested as part of the FY24 budget. Funding for the maintenance service contract will come out of the FY25 and subsequent budgets, because payments for those items are not due yet, even though the maintenance contract will be signed this year.”

As to relative costs it was noted: “There are other software companies that provide a similar service; however, they are more costly and do not provide this specific service that the Commissioner’s Office needs. This proposal includes the cost of a migration to another solution beyond the AS/400 as well as immediate and future training costs.”

The other Consent Agenda expenditure was the Fire & Rescue Department’s request for a vehicle upgrade. Staff noted in the agenda packet: “The Department of Fire and

Rescue has the need to replace our 2002 Chevrolet Suburban Response vehicle … This vehicle is currently being utilized by the Fire Chief. With the increase in use of this vehicle it has become unreliable. This vehicle has also reached its fully depreciated status.”

Costs were summarized for the purchase and upfitting of a 2023 Ford Police Interceptor through Apparatus Solutions of Culpeper VA. at $39,110.80 for the vehicle and $13,833 to upfit the vehicle. Staff noted that “Funding for this purchase in the amount of $52,943.80 is budgeted and available in the (current) FY2022/23 budget line item 4-60-11010-7001 County Vehicle Replacement.” Sounds like time for a new ride, chief.

The two-item Consent Agenda was approved on a motion by Cheryl Cullers, seconded by Jay Butler, by a 4-0 vote, Walt Mabe absent.

IT Director Todd Jones at the podium reviews tech issues underlying staff requests for several software upgrades.

One other departmental purchase was considered as a separate item under New Business outside the Consent Agenda. IT Department head Todd Jones presented the need for the software upgrade to the board. He explained, as noted in the agenda item summary, that: “Laserfiche is a critical archiving software package that multiple county employees utilize daily. The current version is not compatible with Windows 11, this purchase brings us to the latest version and greatest compatibility.” Cost and financing were cited at $22,836.88.

And after some confusion over a motion to authorize the purchase being included in the agenda, like the Consent Agenda, on a motion by Ms. Cullers, seconded by Mr. Butler, the purchase was authorized by a 4-0 vote, one absent.

Ms. Cullers requested that a third Consent Agenda item be removed for discussion. That was approval of a Resolution of the naming of a portion of the I-66 overpass over Routes 340/522 after a State Trooper who lost his life in the line of duty. Cullers, who lost her brother FRPD Officer Dennis Smedley to violence, took the opportunity to elaborate on Virginia State Trooper Kevin Carder Manion’s service and the circumstance of his death. The motion to approve the Resolution renaming the eastbound lane of the I-66 overpass of Route 340/522 after Trooper Manion was approved by a 4-0 vote.

South River Supervisor Cheryl Cullers continued her run of ‘No’ votes on monthly Approval of Accounts due to discontent on vagaries in some line items of various departmental budgets.

In otherwise routine business Approval of Accounts was passed 3-1, over the objection of one supervisor. Ms. Cullers remains unhappy with the presentation of some departmental budget line items.

See Finance Director Scott’s presentation of details of the proposed Fiscal Year 2023/24 Budget beginning at the 23:05 mark of the linked County video. Following that presentation on a motion by Ms. Cullers, seconded by Ms. Oates, authorization to advertise the FY-2023/24 budget for public hearing on June 6 was approved by a 4-0 vote.

As noted in the agenda summary: “The Warren County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing in the Warren County Government Center Board Room on Tuesday, June 06, 2023, at 7:00 PM on the proposed Warren County budget for FY 2023-2024, tax rates for 2023, and Sanitary District rates of charge. The Board will hear public comment on the proposed County budget, the proposed school operating and cafeteria budgets, and the proposed budgets, tax rates, and rates of charge for the Blue Mountain, Cedarville Heights, High Knob, Lake Front Royal, Linden Heights, Osprey Lane, Riverside, Shangri-La, Shannon Woods, Shenandoah Farms, Shenandoah Shores, Skyland Estates, South River Estates, and Wildcat Drive Sanitary Districts for FY 2023-2024.”

See the County video for these and other discussions.