Tackling Action Agenda Items the County Supervisors Circled Back to Library Control Issues Chairman Cullers Opposes

Other than the hour of Public Comments, as previously reported, 20 of 21 critical of an apparent supervisor majority of as many as four’s effort to take over operational control of Virginia’s 2024 Library of the Year, independent non-profit LLC Samuels Public Library, the Warren County Board of Supervisors had four Action Items to deal with Tuesday, November 19. Those four items were:

1/ Approval of the SouthFork RiverSide Campground (staff summary begins 1:37:45 linked video mark) — Accomplished by a unanimous 5-0 vote on a motion by Cook, second by Jamieson. As summarized in the agenda packet: “The applicant (Gary Wayland) is requesting a conditional use permit for a campground and a river sports outfitter business for rental of canoeing, kayaking, boating, and fishing equipment as an accessory use located at 204 Russ Johnson Rd. off Rivermont Drive … It is located in the Wayland subdivision and in the Fork Magisterial District. The property is approximately 142.09 acres.”

The approval came with two conditions recommended by the planning commission, including a “150-foot setback off the west property line, to plant evergreen trees to provide screening to be approved by Staff during the site plan phase,” and to limit the stay of campground guests “to 14 to 30 days” in Supervisor Cook’s motion.

2/ A seemingly conflicting move toward both the establishment of and abolishment of a County Finance Board — The establishment Resolution was on the original Agenda package under “New Business” items following the vote on the Consent Agenda. The abolishment vote was added as “Additional New Business” after the open meeting was convened, also to be heard near the meeting’s end. (2:03:05 video mark) The establishment of a County Finance Board Resolution was first approved (introduced at 2:01:10 video mark) unanimously on a motion by Cook, second by Jamieson, as was the subsequent authorization to advertise for a Public Hearing on the abolishment of a County Finance Board.

County Administrator Daley, left, handed off to County Attorney Ham to explain the sequence abolishing a recently created County Finance Committee comprised of a minority of the board’s membership, so that a new Finance Committee composed of all 5 supervisors can be created. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

Following that second vote at the suggestion of County Administrator Ed Daley, County Attorney Jason Ham summarized the situation (2:03:45 video mark). He noted that the board had recently created a Finance Board comprised of three members. However, due to the importance of controlling the placement of County financial assets in higher interest investment accounts when they are on hold in surplus, the State allows a municipal government to abolish a previously created Finance Board in favor of having the entire board make such decisions under the banner of a newly created County Finance Board comprised of the entire elected board. And that full-member makeup is what the supervisors appear to be moving toward.

3/ Approval of a nine-item Consent Agenda — After removing one item of what was originally a 10-item Consent Agenda at the request of Chairman Cullers, see below, the Consent Agenda as amended was unanimously approved on a motion by Butler, second by Jamieson (1:54:04 video mark).

4/ A vote on one item removed from the Consent Agenda by Chairman Cullers (removed at 1:53:53 video mark). The item was Authorization to Advertise for Public Hearing a vote on adding a County Ordinance Amendment to facilitate the creation of a Warren County Library Board. It was brought forward by Sub-Committee members Jamieson and Cook.

As previous discussion has indicated, the new Library Board would give the supervisors appointment control of the Samuels Library Board of Trustees, that item would appear to be of particular interest to the 20 pro-Samuels Library as it currently exists-and-is-funded public speakers and those present in support of their November 19th comments, who had left the meeting after Public Comments closed. Consequently, while it would have been almost an hour’s wait, they missed Cullers’ critique of Samuels Library services versus costs, and her pro-library as it is conclusion expressed below.”

Those leaving the meeting early, post-Public Comments, missed the lone supervisor expression of support of the Samuels Library status quo as it currently exists operationally and financially from Chairman Cullers. Below, Supervisor Jamieson listens as Cullers explains why, based on professional and personal experience, she disagrees with the apparent majority perspective on a library takeover by the supervisors. ‘But with what they’re giving us I just don’t see how we can do it cheaper. And I can’t just be a part of tearing up this community by doing this.’

Chairman’s Library Perspective

In pre-vote comments (1:54:35 linked video mark) on her removal of the item for discussion and a separate vote, the board chairman traced her professional and personal history with Samuels Library and its Board of Trustees, and why as she said, she “can’t get on board with this” (takeover, defunding effort) because “… with what they’re giving us I just don’t see how we can do it cheaper.”

Cullers continued to describe what wasn’t always smooth sailing in her library negotiations, but which did smooth out as she explained by approaching those negotiations with an open mind, “I learned a lot.”

“And I got on this board and the very first budget meeting that the library staff came in and they presented all this stuff. And I thought they have lost their mind with all these requests. There’s no way we can afford to do this. And we whittled it down with them. They didn’t get everything they wanted. But it was a process we went through.

“After getting on the board, which I sit on the board as the (County) representation now, I learned a lot. And I see all the programs, and we’ve had some meetings there. The POA meeting I had; we’ve had some joint school board meetings there with this building committee.

“That whole sun area, there are kids sitting there taking advantage of the tutoring they’re offering.

“I’ve had constituents reach out to me who don’t have access to social media at their homes. So, when it comes to filling out forms, getting things notarized, that’s where they go,” Cullers said of the library as a county resource for its citizens, including some with financial hardships. “Otherwise, they’re on a fixed budget, and they can’t afford to pay for the services that they’re getting there (at the library).”

Pausing with a sigh, the board chairman continued, “I want financial oversight of everything. I one-hundred-percent support that from all the members of this board on everything. I think that is one thing we can all agree on, that we want to make sure that the taxpayer’s dollars are being spent to the most efficient and transparent way that we can. I hate raising taxes … And unfortunately in government that (crucial services) come out of the pockets of the taxpayers …

“But the one thing, and I just can’t get on board with this is, I know it costs a lot to run a library. But with what they’re giving us I just don’t see how we can do it cheaper. And I can’t just be a part of tearing up this community by doing this. I can’t,” Board Chairman Cullers reiterated to her four colleagues currently seeming to lean in the opposite direction. It is a direction appearing to be based on questionable financial analysis, as noted by Chairman Cullers here, as well as a number of readers, Bridget Randolph comes to mind, who have publicly commented on our Opinion page and elsewhere.

“I think that we can work together,” Cullers continued, expanding on her experience as board chairman working with the Samuels Library Board of Trustees, “I felt better, and I was a little frustrated with the library, and they will tell you that when I met with them I was frustrated with them. They dug in a little bit and I thought they should compromise a little sooner. But they did and I think they have met my expectations on those compromises. And I think we need to work with them a little more before going to this extent … and that’s why I pulled it. I couldn’t vote for this Consent Agenda and that be a part of it. So, that’s why I pulled it,” Culler told her colleagues.

Can the county’s elected officials “work together’ as Chairman Cullers has suggested? That would appear to be, first, as a county board with access to the same numbers and information approached with an open mind and no hidden agendas. Then secondly, as a unified board working with the existing Samuels Public Library Board of Trustees to continue to bring a wide array of public services and material to all the county’s citizens, not just special interest groups with their own personal agendas. Time will tell, about two weeks (to Dec. 10) it now appears.

She concluded by asking for feedback from her colleagues. Vice-Chairman “Jay” Butler responded by pointing out that the item was only authorizing advertisement of a public hearing on the ordinance addition, not approval of the ordinance. The vice-chairman then offered the motion to approve that authorization. Fork District Supervisor Cook seconded Butler’s motion, and the vote was 4-1, only Cullers dissenting, to take the next step toward seizing control of library operations.

It appears that public hearing and consequent vote on the attempted creation of an altered public library power structure could come as early as December 10, the next scheduled regular Warren County Board of Supervisors meeting. The board has a December 3 work session scheduled prior to that meeting.

Click here to watch the Warren County Board of Supervisors Meeting of November 19, 2024.