Supervisors deny by-right Data Center code amendment, approve additional monthly meeting among policy and procedural changes, and elect officers

After hearing cautionary comments from two Public Comments speakers, at its first meeting of 2023, Tuesday, January 3rd, the Warren County Board of Supervisors denied approval of an ordinance amendment that would have included “Data Centers” as a by-right use in Industrial and Light Industrial Zoning Districts. While some see the technology use as a Personal Property Tax boon for communities attracting them, others have pointed to high utility usage, particularly regarding water consumption, among other negative environmental impacts, as well as a minimal number of jobs created in the generally large spaces they occupy, and an uncertain future as to how long Data Centers may remain a primary usage in a quickly evolving technology industry.

The vote to deny on a motion by Cheryl Cullers, seconded by Walt Mabe, was unanimous. All five supervisors prefaced their votes with expressions of concern on the above-raised issues. Prior to the matter coming before the supervisors as “Unfinished Business”, first John Lundberg, then Eileen Hilleary during Public Comments, cautioned the county’s elected officials on approval of the ordinance amendment, particularly as a by-right use.

John Lundberg addresses the supervisors on data centers, urging a balanced and comprehensive perspective. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

Tuesday’s 7 p.m. meeting followed a work session convened at 6 p.m. to review Meeting Policy and Procedural changes recommended by staff in the wake of changes instituted by the supervisors for the coming year. Primary among those is the addition of a third monthly board meeting on the fourth Tuesday to accommodate a sharp rise in the number of public hearings largely facilitated by requests for Conditional Use Permits (CUPs) for short-term tourist rentals.

On a suggestion by North River Supervisor Delores Oates, the board has also eliminated the traditional 9 a.m. starting time for the first Tuesday monthly meeting. That time was initially set to accommodate monthly or quarterly reports from outside agencies and county departments to coincide with normal work-day schedules, so those agency or departmental personnel wouldn’t have to add a night meeting to their normal work day hours. Perhaps in a portent of things to come, a written summary of the scheduled report on road projects and work in the county from Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT’s) Ed Carter was handed to the board by County Administrator Ed Daley. No VDOT representative was present to respond to any board questions on the report.

Sanitary District contract expenditures one of Closed Session topics

With work session discussion with County Attorney Jason Ham and County Administrator Ed Daley on the policy and procedure adjustments completed at 6:19 p.m., the board amended the work session agenda to accommodate convening to Closed Session slated for the end of the meeting agenda. Closed Session topics included consultation with legal counsel concerning “the provision of legal advice … concerning the award of public contracts involving the expenditure of public funds and the discussion of the terms or scope of such contracts … regarding sanitary districts in Warren County“; and personnel appointments involving the Social Services Advisory Board and Laurel Ridge Community College (LRCC) Board. Near the regular meeting’s end the board announced the appointment of James Wells to fill out an unexpired term on the Social Services Advisory Board and the reappointment of Steven Jerome to the LRCC Board.

At the outset of the regular meeting at 7 p.m. the board’s first order of business was the election of officers. In the wake of County Administrator Daley’s call for nominations, Jay Butler nominated Vicky Cook as chairperson. While no other nominations for the chair were forthcoming, the motion to close nominations for chairman passed by a split 3-2 vote, Mabe and Cullers dissenting. However, Cook was then unanimously elected to the chairman’s seat.

Oates then nominated Cullers, who has served the last two years as chairman following Mabe’s one year there in 2020, as vice-chair. With no other nominations made, Cullers was then unanimously elected to the vice-chairman’s seat.

Prior to officer elections the supervisors sat at a work session bench in front of public seating. After the votes, new Chair Cook and former chair, now Vice-Chair Cullers took their new positions on the board dais.

Following the officer elections, “County Employee Years of Service” awards were distributed by various department heads. Like the VDOT representatives, a number of the cited recipients were acknowledged as unable to be present. However, a good number were there to receive their 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 years of service or retirement awards.

The 5 years of service group was the largest.

In other business the board adopted the Meeting Policy and Procedure changes discussed at work session; approved a 12-item Consent Agenda, six of those items being CUP requests for short-term tourist rentals; and approved a contract with Silent Falcon as Fixed Base Operator and Aero Services LLC for Aircraft Maintenance Hangar Services at the County-operated Front Royal Airport (FRR). All three votes were unanimous.

During the County Administrator’s Report, discussion turned toward coming Real Estate Assessments county citizens will be receiving within the next month. County Administrator Daley noted that the assessments would be based on the current County Real Estate Tax rate. He added that the board was likely to adjust its Real Estate Tax rate down in order not to increase its operational revenue stream too much at the expense of taxpayers facing suddenly higher valuations due to various economic factors. See more on this aspect of the county’s and its citizens’ economic futures in a related Royal Examiner story.

See the full work session and meeting discussions and votes in the 1-hour-42-minute-15-second County video.