6/28/2018 - Regular
June 28, 2018
253
Roanoke County Administration Center
5204 Bernard Drive
Roanoke, Virginia 24018
The Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia met this day at the
Roanoke County Administration Center, this being the fourth Thursday and the second
regularly scheduled meeting of the month of June 2018. Audio and video recordings of
this meeting will be held on file for a minimum of five (5) years in the office of the Clerk
to the Board of Supervisors.
IN RE: OPENING CEREMONIES
Before the meeting was called to order an invocation was given by
Campus Pastor Ethan Callison of Fellowship Community Church. The Pledge of
Allegiance was recited by all present.
IN RE: CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Hooker called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. The roll call
was taken.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Martha B. Hooker, Supervisors George G. Assaid,
Phil C. North, Joseph P. McNamara and P. Jason Peters
MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Thomas C. Gates, County Administrator; Daniel R.
O’Donnell, Assistant County Administrator; Richard
Caywood, Assistant County Administrator; Ruth Ellen
Kuhnel, County Attorney; Amy Whittaker, Public Information
Officer and Deborah C. Jacks, Chief Deputy Clerk to the
Board
IN RE: REQUESTS TO POSTPONE, ADD TO, OR CHANGE THE ORDER OF
AGENDA ITEMS
County Administrator Thomas Gates added a briefing to update the Board
of Supervisors on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Roanoke County
Schools. There were no objections.
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IN RE: BRIEFINGS
1. Briefing to discuss SMART SCALE project applications by
Roanoke County and the Roanoke Valley Transportation Planning
Organization (Richard L. Caywood, Assistant County
Administrator)
Mr. Caywood provided the briefing through a PowerPoint presentation.
Supervisor Peters inquired about the Rt. 460, Gus Nicks improvements as
related to Tinker Creek Bridge, and if it was part of the process. Mr. Caywood advised
he was not familiar with that area, but the intent is to have a third lane after the end of
the three-lane section in each direction. So, that bridge, if within that window would
need to be widened to accommodate that additional lane and the other significant
improvement with that project is to increase your turn-lane lengths at each intersection,
which is one of the real problems you have. He further advised that he would check into
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and advise. Supervisor Peters advised it was the bridge at 13 and Orange Avenue.
Supervisor North commented that this is a good example of regional
cooperation among the members of the TPO and it was a unanimous vote at the
previous meeting and today.
2. Briefing to update the Board of Supervisors on the Memorandum
of Understanding with Roanoke County Public Schools (Eric
Orange, Sheriff)
Sheriff Orange provided the briefing advising there would be two full-time
deputies in all schools.
IN RE: NEW BUSINESS
1. Resolution supporting SMART SCALE project applications by
Roanoke County and the Roanoke Valley Transportation Planning
Organization (David Holladay, Planning Administrator)
Mr. Holladay outlined the request for resolution and advised there would
be no fiscal impact. There was no discussion.
RESOLUTION 062818-1 SUPPORTING SMART SCALE
APPLICATIONS BY ROANOKE COUNTY AND THE ROANOKE
VALLEY TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ORGANIZATION
WHEREAS, at a regular meeting on June 28, 2018, the Board of Supervisors
reviewed proposed SMART SCALE project applications; and
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WHEREAS, the list of projects includes both Roanoke County applications, and
Roanoke Valley Transportation Planning Organization applications; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors desires to support both local and regional
projects to mitigate congestion, promote economic development, increase accessibility,
safety, and environmental quality, as well as develop projects consistent with local land
use policies.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke
County, Virginia, as follows:
1. That the Board of Supervisors hereby supports the following SMART
SCALE projects for Roanoke County application:
a. Route 419 and Route 220 Diverging Diamond Interchange
b. Williamson Road Pedestrian Improvements
c. McVitty Road Improvements
d. Old Cave Spring Lane Improvements
2. That the Board of Supervisors hereby supports the following SMART
SCALE projects for Roanoke Valley Transportation Planning Organization
application:
a. Interstate 81 Northbound Improvements / Exit 140 to Exit 141
b. Interstate 81 Southbound Improvements / Exit 141 to Exit 140
c. Interstate 81 Southbound Improvements / Exit 150 through Weigh
Station
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d. Orange Avenue Improvements from 11 Street to Gus Nicks
Boulevard
3. That the Clerk to the Board forthwith send a certified copy of this
Resolution to Senator Mark Warner, Senator Timothy Kaine,
Representative Bob Goodlatte, Representative Morgan Griffith, and
Commonwealth Transportation Board member Court G. Rosen.
4. That this resolution is effective immediately.
On motion of Supervisor North to adopt the resolution, seconded by Supervisor
Peters and carried by the following roll call and recorded vote:
AYES: Supervisors Assaid, North, McNamara, Peters, Hooker
NAYS: None
IN RE: REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS AND FIRST READING OF
REZONING ORDINANCES - CONSENT AGENDA
1. The petition of Laurel Crest, LLC to rezone approximately 3.27
acres from AR, Agricultural/Residential, District to R-3, Medium
Density Multi-Family Residential, District, located at 5356 Indian
Grave Road, Cave Spring Magisterial District
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Supervisor Assaid’s motion to approve the first reading and set the public
hearing and second reading for July 24, 2018, was seconded by Supervisor North and
approved by the following vote:
AYES: Supervisors Assaid, North, McNamara, Peters, Hooker
NAYS: None
2. The petition of Western Virginia Regional Industrial Facility
Authority and Lewis Living Trust to rezone 113.6 acres from I-1,
Low Intensity Industrial, District and R-1, Low Density Residential,
District to PTD, Planned Technology Development, District, for a
Technology Park located on Wood Haven Road and Thirlane
Road, Catawba Magisterial District
Supervisor Peters’ motion to approve the first reading and set the public
hearing and second reading for July 24, 2018, was seconded by Supervisor North and
approved by the following vote:
AYES: Supervisors Assaid, North, McNamara, Peters, Hooker
NAYS: None
IN RE: FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES
1. Ordinance to appropriate funds in the amount of $208,917 from
the Virginia Department of Social Services for the County of
Roanoke Department of Social Services and add four new benefit
programs specialist positions to the County's Classification and
Pay Plan (Joyce Earl, Director of Social Services; Christopher R.
Bever, Director of Management and Budget)
Ms. Earl outlined the request for ordinance. There was no discussion.
Supervisor Hooker’s motion to approve the first reading and set the
second reading for July 24, 2018, was seconded by Supervisor McNamara and
approved by the following vote:
AYES: Supervisors Assaid, North, McNamara, Peters, Hooker
NAYS: None
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2. Ordinance amending Ordinance O-082218-5, fiscal year 2018-2019
Operations Budget for Roanoke County Public Schools, to
account for additional funding in the amount of $567,792 from the
Commonwealth of Virginia (Mrs. Penny Hodge, CPA, SFO,
Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, RCPS;
Christopher R. Bever, Director of Management and Budget)
Ms. Hodge outlined the request for the ordinance. There was no
discussion.
Supervisor Assaid’s motion to approve the first reading and set second
reading for July 24, 2018, was seconded by Supervisor Peters and approved by the
following vote:
AYES: Supervisors Assaid, North, McNamara, Peters, Hooker
NAYS: None
3. Ordinance declaring surplus and authorizing sale of 2 parcels
totaling .505 +/- acres of real estate located at 3319 and 3323
Westmoreland Dr., Cave Spring Magisterial District (Ruth Ellen
Kuhnel, County Attorney)
Ms. Kuhnel outlined the request for the ordinance. There was no
discussion.
Supervisor Assaid’s motion to approve the first reading and set the public
hearing and second reading for July 24, 2018, was seconded by Supervisor McNamara
and approved by the following vote:
AYES: Supervisors Assaid, North, McNamara, Peters, Hooker
NAYS: None
IN RE: APPOINTMENTS
Supervisor P. Jason Peters requested that the reappointment of Rick
James be added to the consent agenda. There were no objections.
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IN RE: CONSENT AGENDA
RESOLUTION 062818-2 APPROVING AND CONCURRING IN
CERTAIN ITEMS SET FORTH ON THE BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS AGENDA FOR THIS DATE DESIGNATED AS
ITEM I- CONSENT AGENDA
BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia, as
follows:
That the certain section of the agenda of the Board of Supervisors for June 28,
2018, designated as Item I - Consent Agenda be, and hereby is, approved and
concurred in as to each item separately set forth in said section designated Items 1
through 4 inclusive, as follows:
1. Approval of minutes – April 24, 2018
2. Resolution expressing the appreciation of the Board of Supervisors of
Roanoke County to Jerrold T. Greene Jr., Police Officer IV, upon his
retirement after nineteen (19) years of service
3. Resolution expressing the appreciation of the Board of Supervisors of
Roanoke County to Allen Thompson, Business Systems Analyst III, upon his
retirement after more than thirty-three (33) years of service
4. Confirmation of appointment to Roanoke County Planning Commission
(District); Length of Service Awards Program (LOSAP/VIP)(At-Large)
On motion of Supervisor Peters to adopt the resolution, seconded by Supervisor
North and carried by the following roll call and recorded vote:
AYES: Supervisors Assaid, North, McNamara, Peters, Hooker
NAYS: None
RESOLUTION 062818-2.a EXPRESSING THE APPRECIATION
OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF ROANOKE COUNTY
TO JERROLD T. GREENE, JR., POLICE OFFICER IV, UPON HIS
RETIREMENT AFTER NINETEEN (19) YEARS OF SERVICE
WHEREAS, Mr. Greene was employed by Roanoke County on July 1, 1984 and
again on January 13, 2003; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Greene retired on June 1, 2018, after a total of nineteen years
and five months of devoted, faithful and expert service to Roanoke County, first in the
Sheriff’s Office and later in the Police Department; and
WHEREAS, during Mr. Greene’s tenure with Roanoke County, he has served as
a Uniform Patrol Officer, a Traffic Enforcement Unit Officer, and a Community Services
Officer, rising through the ranks to reach the rank of Police Officer IV and has served
with skill and dedication in providing services to the citizens of Roanoke County;
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WHEREAS, Mr. Greene was a valued employee throughout his tenure with
Roanoke County. Mr. Greene served the community with passion and professionalism
that have been recognized by his peers, supervisors, and by citizens who he had
interacted with throughout his career.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Supervisors of
Roanoke County expresses its deepest appreciation and the appreciation of the citizens
of Roanoke County to JERROLD T. GREENE JR. for more than nineteen years of
capable, loyal and dedicated service to Roanoke County; and
FURTHER, the Board of Supervisors does express its best wishes for a happy
and productive retirement.
On motion of Supervisor Peters to adopt the resolution, seconded by Supervisor
North and carried by the following roll call and recorded vote:
AYES: Supervisors Assaid, North, McNamara, Peters, Hooker
NAYS: None
RESOLUTION 062818-2.b EXPRESSING THE APPRECIATION
OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF ROANOKE COUNTY
TO ALLEN THOMPSON, BUSINESS SYSTEMS ANALYST III,
UPON HIS RETIREMENT AFTER MORE THAN THIRTY-THREE
(33) YEARS OF SERVICE
WHEREAS, Mr. Thompson was employed by Roanoke County on October 15,
1984 on a full-time basis; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Thompson retired on June 1, 2018, after thirty-three years and
seven months of devoted, faithful and expert service to Roanoke County; and
WHEREAS, during Mr. Thompson’s tenure with the Information Technology
Department, he has served with professionalism and dedication in providing services to
the citizens of Roanoke County;
WHEREAS, throughout Mr. Thompson’s career with Roanoke County on the
Communications and Information Technology Application Services team, he provided
excellent support and development for the Roanoke County and Roanoke County
Schools Human Resources and Payroll systems, Roanoke County Schools SIS, SAS
and Personnel Budgeting, Roanoke County Building Permits ACES and Land
Development Office systems and Roanoke County Estimated Tax, State Tax and
Business Licensing, across several development platforms and many applications and
reporting tools; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Thompson devoted many hours to conversion and testing for the
Lawson Human Resources and Payroll environments and the HP to LDO, Budcon and
Munis migrations and subsequent upgrades, supporting systems with challenging
network, server and application complexity. His knowledge spanned from COBOL
programming, through AS400 and Windows server applications, up to hosted and web
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applications in the cloud. He performed his work with dedication, humor and focus, and
provided expertise to newer co-workers on his supported applications and business
areas. He will be missed by all of his team and co-workers.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Supervisors of
Roanoke County expresses its deepest appreciation and the appreciation of the citizens
of Roanoke County to G. ALLEN THOMPSON for more than thirty-three years of
capable, loyal and dedicated service to Roanoke County; and
FURTHER, the Board of Supervisors does express its best wishes for a happy
and productive retirement.
On motion of Supervisor Peters to adopt the resolution, seconded by Supervisor
North and carried by the following roll call and recorded vote:
AYES: Supervisors Assaid, North, McNamara, Peters, Hooker
NAYS: None
A-062818-2.c
IN RE: REPORTS
Supervisor Peters moved to receive and file the following reports. The
motion was seconded by Supervisor Hooker and carried by the following recorded vote:
AYES: Supervisors Assaid, North, McNamara, Peters, Hooker
NAYS: None
1. Unappropriated, Board Contingency and Capital Reserves
2. Outstanding Debt Report
3. Comparative Statement of Budgeted and Actual Revenues as of May
31, 2018
4. Comparative Statement of Budgeted and Actual Expenditures and
Encumbrances as of May 31, 2018
5. Accounts Paid – May 31, 2018
IN RE: CLOSED MEETING
At 3:27 p.m., Supervisor Peters moved to go into closed meeting following
the work sessions pursuant to the Code of Virginia Section 2.2-3711 A 3 Discussion or
consideration of the acquisition of real property for a public purpose or of the disposition
of publicly held real property, where discussion in an open meeting would adversely
affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body, namely
Westmoreland Drive. The motion was seconded by Supervisor McNamara and carried
by the following recorded vote:
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The closed session was held from 5:22 p.m. until 5:34 p.m.
At 3:28 p.m. Chairman Hooker recessed to work session and closed
session.
IN RE: WORK SESSIONS
1. Work session to update the Board of Supervisors on the strategic
direction of Economic Development in the County of Roanoke (Jill
Loope, Director of Economic Development)
Mr. Gates provided a brief overview and turned the work session to Jill
Loope who went through a PowerPoint presentation, a copy of which is on file in the
office of the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors.
Work session was held from 3:41 p.m. until 3:56 p.m.
2. Work session to update the Board of Supervisors on the May 27,
2018, storm damage and response (Richard L. Caywood,
Assistant County Administrator)
Chairman Hooker allowed two citizens to speak about the storm damage
on their neighborhood. (Steeplechase) Work session was held from 4:00 p.m. until 5:03
p.m.
Mr. Caywood provided an overview and turned the meeting over to Tarek
Moneir who went through the PowerPoint presentation, a copy of which is on file in the
office of the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors, including Chief Simon who provided the
fire and rescue response. Eric Vest provided the Parks, Recreation response. Billy
Driver provided the Real Estate response. Rob Light provided the General Services
response. Ray Varney also addressed the Board concerning the response from VDOT.
Tarek Moneir provided the Community Development Department response.
The work session was held from 4:00 p.m. until 5:03 p.m.
IN RE: CERTIFICATION RESOLUTION
At 5:35 p.m., Supervisor Hooker moved to return to open session and
adopt the certification resolution.
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RESOLUTION 062818-3 CERTIFYING THE CLOSED MEETING
WAS HELD IN CONFORMITY WITH THE CODE OF VIRGINIA
WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia has convened
a closed meeting on this date pursuant to an affirmative recorded vote and in
accordance with the provisions of The Virginia Freedom of Information Act; and
WHEREAS, Section 2.2-3712 of the Code of Virginia requires a certification by
the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia, that such closed meeting was
conducted in conformity with Virginia law.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Supervisors of
Roanoke County, Virginia, hereby certifies that, to the best of each member’s
knowledge:
1. Only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting
requirements by Virginia law were discussed in the closed meeting which this
certification resolution applies; and
2. Only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening
the closed meeting were heard, discussed or considered by the Board of Supervisors of
Roanoke County, Virginia.
On motion of Supervisor Hooker to adopt the resolution, seconded by Supervisor
McNamara and carried by the following roll call and recorded vote:
AYES: Supervisors Assaid, North, McNamara, Hooker
NAYS: None
ABSENT: Supervisor Peters
Chairman Hooker opened the evening session at 7:00 p.m. Supervisor Peters
was not in attendance.
IN RE: NEW BUSINESS
1. Resolution waiving Building Permit Fees for citizens affected by
weather events of May 27, 2018 (Tarek Moneir, Acting Director of
Development Services)
Mr. Moneir outlined the request for resolution. There was no discussion.
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RESOLUTION 062818-4 WAIVING BUILDING PERMIT FEES
FOR CITIZENS AFFECTED BY WEATHER EVENTS OF MAY 27,
2018
WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors recognizes that County citizens suffered
extensive damage to their homes and property as a result of extraordinary weather
events and flooding on May 27, 2018; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors recognizes that many affected
homeowners will need to conduct extensive repairs and/or demolition of homes and
other structures following flooding and related damages; and
WHEREAS, Title 34 of the Code of Virginia vests authority in the County to
inspect and issue construction, demolition and other permits governing structures and
allows but does not mandate that fees be charged for such permits; and
WHEREAS, Chapter Seven of the County Code sets forth the requirements for
various construction and demolition permits and mandates that such building permit
fees be paid and sets forth a schedule of fees; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors recognizes that there is a vested public
safety interest in ensuring that all repair, construction /or demolition of structures that
sustained weather-related damage from the events of May 27, 2018, be performed in a
workmanlike, Building-Code compliant manner; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors recognizes that such repair, construction,
and/or demolition following the extraordinary weather event of May 27, 2018 may
impose an undue financial burden on citizens and wishes to balance the public safety
interest of ensuring Building-Code compliant work with mitigating the financial burdens
on citizens, and wishes to take steps to waive building and/or demolition permit fees for
citizens affected by the weather events of May 27, 2018.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Supervisors of
Roanoke County, Virginia, as follows;
1. That all building and/or demolition permit fees, as established and set forth in
Chapter 7 of the County Code, are hereby waived for citizens whose property
in Roanoke County was affected by the weather event of May 27, 2018 ; and
2. That this waiver shall be in effect from May 29, 2018 until August 31, 2018;
and
3. That any citizens who have already applied and paid for building and/or
demolition permits for weather related damage shall be issued a refund of
such fees.
On motion of Supervisor Assaid to adopt the resolution, seconded by Supervisor
McNamara and carried by the following roll call and recorded vote:
AYES: Supervisors Assaid, North, McNamara, Hooker
NAYS: None
ABSENT: Supervisor Peters
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IN RE: PUBLIC HEARINGS AND SECOND READINGS OF ORDINANCES
1. The petition of Virginia Varsity Storage, Inc. to rezone
approximately 2.1256 acres from C-2C, High Intensity
Commercial, District with conditions to I-1, Low Intensity
Industrial, District, to remove proffered conditions, and to obtain
a special use permit for a mini-warehouse facility, located at 5881
Starkey Road, Cave Spring Magisterial District (Philip Thompson,
Acting Director of Planning)
Mr. Thompson outlined the petition request. The petitioner
provided a PowerPoint presentation, a copy of which is on file in the office of the Clerk
to the Board of Supervisors. There was no discussion. There were no citizens to speak
on this item.
ORDINANCE 062818-5 REZONING APPROXIMATELY 2.1256
ACRES FROM C-2C (HIGH INTENSITY COMMERCIAL WITH
CONDITIONS) DISTRICT TO I-1 (LOW INTENSITY INDUSTRIAL)
DISTRICT; TO REMOVE PROFFERED CONDITIONS; AND TO
OBTAIN A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR A MINI-WAREHOUSE
FACILITY, LOCATED AT 5881 STARKEY ROAD, CAVE SPRING
MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT (TAX MAP NO. 087.18-02-24.00-0000)
WHEREAS, Virginia Varsity Storage is the contract purchaser of approximately
2.13 acres of adjacent land to its existing mini-warehouse facility on Starkey Road from
Monroe Gardens LLC (Greenbrier Nursery); and
WHEREAS, Virginia Varsity Storage is requesting to:
A. Rezone this property from C-2C (high intensity commercial with conditions)
to I-1 (low intensity industrial),
B. Remove the six (6) proffered conditions on the property:
i. That the B-2 permitted uses for this portion of the property will be
restricted to those as currently stated in the current Roanoke County
Zoning Ordinance, Section 21-23-2-A; (1), (2), (4),(6) but only for Bowling
Centers, (7), and (10) but for Clinic only;
ii. That the access points onto Starkey Road excluding any industrial access
roadway be limited to a maximum of three (3) such accesses;
iii. That the projected parking areas be aesthetically treated with landscaping
and/or planting areas;
iv. That all dumpsters will be screened;
v. That the maximum light pole height will be thirty feet (30’) and directed
inward onto the parking areas and that the maximum light levels at the
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property lines adjacent to the residential property will not exceed one (1)
foot candle; and
vi. That there will be no billboards or similar outdoor advertising; and
C. Obtain a special use permit for a mini-warehouse facility (which is
required in an I-1 district for mini-warehouse use); and
WHEREAS, the first reading of this ordinance was held on May 22, 2018, and the
second reading and public hearing were held on June 28, 2018; and
WHEREAS, the Roanoke County Planning Commission held a public hearing on
this matter on June 5, 2018 and subsequently recommended approval of the
application; and
WHEREAS, legal notice and advertisement has been provided as required by
law.
BE IT ORDAINED by the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia, as
follows:
1. The request to rezone the property (approximately 2.1256 acres) located at
5881 Starkey Road, Cave Spring Magisterial District (Tax map no. 087.18-02-
24.00-0000) from C-2C, (High Intensity Commercial, District with conditions)
to I-1 (Low Intensity Industrial District) is approved;
2. The request to remove all proffered conditions associated with the property is
approved; and
3. The requested special use permit is approved, with the following condition:
a. The site shall be developed in general conformance with the concept
plan titled “Rezoning and Special Use Permit Conceptual Plan”
prepared by Lumsden Associates, P.C. and dated April 4, 2018.
4. In approving the above, the Board finds that the granting of the special use
permit meets with the requirements of Section 30-19-1 of the Roanoke
County Code. The proposed use conforms with the standards set forth in
article IV, use and design standards, and further conforms with the following
general standards:
a. The proposed use is in conformance with the comprehensive plan of
the County, and with official County policies adopted in relation thereto,
including the stated purposes of the zoning ordinance.
b. The proposed use will have a minimum adverse impact on the
surrounding neighborhood and community; the Planning Commission
has evaluated adverse use with consideration to items such as, but not
limited to, traffic congestion, noise, lights, dust, drainage, water quality,
odor, fumes and vibrations.
c. In considering impacts, the Planning Commission has given due
regard to the timing of the operation, site design, access, screening,
and other matters which might be regulated to mitigate adverse impact.
5. That this ordinance shall be in full force and effect thirty (30) days after its
final passage. All ordinances or part of ordinances in conflict with the
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provisions of this ordinance shall be, and the same hereby are, repealed.
The Zoning Administrator is directed to amend the zoning district map to
reflect the change in zoning classification authorized by this ordinance.
On motion of Supervisor Assaid to adopt the ordinance, seconded by Supervisor
McNamara and carried by the following roll call and recorded vote:
AYES: Supervisors Assaid, North, McNamara, Hooker
NAYS: None
ABSENT: Supervisor Peters
IN RE: CITIZENS’ COMMENTS AND COMMUNICATIONS
Ken Klimaitis of 7885 Cedar Ridge Road stated he is a concerned citizen
who loves our creator and community. Humanity and nature are in serious jeopardy
with unnatural frequencies being used for communications. His background is in power
distribution, which gives him an understanding of frequencies and the effects on biology,
sound and power. Nick LaTessla stated, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe,
think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” In our ecosystem, the air is positive
and the earth is a negative to create a natural magnetic field that surrounds us. Our
own human body operate on electric impulses and chemical reactions to our thoughts
and our physical motor skills. Every atom in humans, animals, insects and plants have
their own resident frequencies. They create their own electric-magnetic fields. He
wants the Board to understand that all life on earth lives in low frequency electro-
magnetic fields. The purpose of 5G is to use untapped bandwidth at extremely high
frequency millimeter wave between 30 gigahertz and 300 gigahertz. The intent is to
transfer data at much high speeds. High frequency millimeter waves travel at a short
distance, but they don’t travel well through solid objects like buildings, trees and tend to
be absorbed in rain and plants. Because of this signal interference of the 5G
infrastructure acquired many small cell towers situated closely together throughout our
community. Artemus Networks has introduced a Pwave mini, small compatible base
station enabling rapid, permit free, ultra-high density 5G deployment. These Pwave
mini base stations can be daisy chained into cable like TV cables. Preliminary studies
have shown that high frequency millimeter waves increase skin temperature, ultra gene
expression, promotes cellular proliferation, a censuses of proteins linked with oxidized
stress, inflammatory and metabolic process and could generate ocular damage, effect
neuromuscular damage. When 5G technology radiates a wide-gig level at 60 gigahertz,
it will destroy the orbital spin of oxygen and molecules in our bodies, which gives our
hemoglobin the ability to bind with oxygen, which gives us the ability to breathe. We
know that those living near cell towers have a much high rate of cancer than those who
do not. Imagine many cell towers around our schools, homes and cities surrounding us
with harmful, millimeter waives. Imagine someone hacking the communication system
and modulating frequencies as a weapon against our communities. Our leaders must
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put the health of our citizens over short-term economic gains that will be presented to
them by corporations and the federal government. He is providing a handout with
websites for each Board member to learn about this technology and educate your
communities. In our pursuit of technological freedoms to enhance our lives, we can
destroy our future generations if we do not consider our actions.
Nadean Carson stated she is a stormwater engineer at Parker Design
Group and lives at 4314 Cresthill Drive, which is in the Cave Spring district. We are
here to talk to the Board about the storm event that Mr. Moneir mentioned earlier and
how it is impacting us. Our house currently has a Roanoke County storm drain running
through the backyard. This is not a navigable water of the US. This is not a creek.
This is a storm drain installed by Roanoke County. The stormwater ditch has
experienced an increase of significant flooding events over the past 11 years, and she
says that because that is how long she has lived there. Our neighborhood has not
received any assistance whatsoever from Roanoke County in any flooding event that
we have had. With regard to the development upstream, stormwater regulations
changed in 2014 requiring development to consider the downstream impacts of any
development that occurs. The increased development upstream has increased the
stormwater runoff downstream in our backyards significantly, but no changes have been
done to the stormwater management system to accommodate this additional
development. The increased severity of the storms, the NE portion of the United Stated
has experienced a 70% increase in extreme precipitation events since 2014. This is not
changing; it is just what it is now. The system was designed for much smaller rain
events, which are no longer the norm. So every rain event results in flooding. There
are a lot of impacts to her and her neighbors in her neighborhood. The Memorial Day
rain event significantly flooded Crest Hill Drive as well as other parts of Cave Spring.
Garst Mill Park currently has a request for proposal out for contractors to come in a fix
the erosion that is going on there. This is just a band aid. It is going to continue to
erode. We are going to continue to put money into this park to continue to fix it. We are
trying to look at the source, not the symptom. The channel behind her house has now
been filled with approximately two feet of silt, rock and debris; reducing the volume that
the channel can handle. This means that any time that it rains, it is flooded in our
backyards. The creek in her neighbor’s yard has been completely filled in, which has
created a mosquito habitat and from preventing any further flow from happening there.
There are huge amounts of debris that litter the banks of the ditch. We demand that
Roanoke County look at developing engineering projects that focus on stormwater
remediation in this area. These projects can help reduce the quantity of water that is
flowing into the neighborhood as well as reducing the pollution that is flowing in the
Garst Mill Creek. These stormwater remediation projects have occurred in other parts
of Roanoke County. Now it is time to do it in our neighborhood. These storms are not
getting any less severe. The impacts on our neighborhood, however, are getting more
severe.
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Barbara Harrison of 4326 Crest Hill Drive in the Windsor Hills district. We
have resided at this address for 55 ½ years so we are probably the oldest resident on
the street. When we moved into their home, Rt. 419 did not exist nor any of the ensuing
development that has come about since then. She is very concerned about the
stormwater drainage, which runs through her property on Crest Hill Drive. When they
moved in, she thought they had a lovely little creek that ran partially through her
backyard. However, the ditch was mostly dry, except when there was wet weather and
it was at least 4 to 5 feet deep and it never overflowed its banks until upstream
construction and runoff of stormwater has increased over the years to the point that
every hard rain can result in our backyard being eroded away and flooded and trashed
with upstream debris that floats down this very narrow opening and hits a couple of
bridges and inadequate conduit into the Mudlick Creek that runs under Kirkwood Drive.
It then backs up and deposits silt, sand and rocks to the point that after this
th
unprecedented rain event on May 27, there is no longer a ditch for the stormwater to
burst. It has filled in her property to the point that her backyard is the ditch. She asked
the stormwater operations manager engineer to look at her property after the recent
flooding. While the damage to her lovely garden and yard was devastating, her main
concern is that there is no longer a ditch to carry the stormwater and the runoff. She
asked what could be done. His reply the next day after talking to the men in charge was
that the County has no responsibility for maintaining this easement. It is private
property. How is it that the stormwater runoff from all the construction and subdivisions
and businesses and church and the roads, etc. can be directed down Rt. 419, across
and under it and into a drainage ditch that runs down in the backyard of Cresthill Drive?
It is the private property that has taken a hit there. Should there not be a plan or
responsibility of the County for maintenance on this channel and a plan to prevent
erosion and destruction of private property of the taxpayer that this channel traverses?
Roughly ten years ago, a neighbor one house down, was served by the County in the
ditch for not being deeper and wider at the back of her property, but also had cement
poured into the ditch to prevent erosion. She was so glad to see the digging occurring
and thought it would include her property as well, it didn’t. So, she would ask that we
can excavate and assure and unobstructed ditch immediately to create a channel to
avoid the water runoff to the properties most severely effected on Cresthill Drive
Nicholas Sargent of 4356 Crest Hill Drive stated his family came to
Roanoke just last August so they are newcomers and does not have the perspective
that some of our other neighbors have had for 11 or 50 odd years. The creek behind
his house was blocked by several uprooted trees. It just clogs the area completely with
leaf and stick debris and some other objects like bicycles, etc. We also have a bunch of
silt that buried the bicycle that he cannot even pull it out. He noted it a little bit more last
Sunday; he has some time to really take a few hours and see if he could try to remove
the debris. He was able to remove some logs and scatter, leaves, stick and moved
them to the bank, but there were several logs and trees that he would have to leave or
figure out how to use a chainsaw or have a professional. The neighbor on the other
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side had trees down because of erosion with one tree that included its whole root
system, he could not have budged that. He noticed that half of their bank was not
eroded like others nearby because a neighbor of his pointed out that 20 years ago when
they did some sewage work on the property next to ours, big rocks were put there to
line the bank and so that part was really unaffected by the erosion because half of our
backyard where it backs up to this storm drain; the other part was eroded. In addition to
what he has already heard and petitions being made to get all that debris out and have
it excavated, it could be a solution as well to have rocks and things like that put up along
the banks to buffer it.
Gina Rexrode of 4332 Cresthill Drive in the Windsor Hills district stated
she and her husband have lived here for just over 13 years. We have a drainage ditch,
an easement, which was about five feet deep and ten to twelve feet across. Her
husband could not even see her from the yard when she was in the ditch trimming the
sides and the bed was dry most of the time, except for after a heavy rain. She showed
the Board several pictures. Picture one shows how deep it was to begin with. We were
amazed that we could see the water from the second level of our house. Since new
construction, both commercial and residential, and the seven-inch rainfall we had in late
May. At picture two, we became lake-front property. We were flooded to the point that
both of our neighbors lost their fences and expensive gardens from debris that floated
down from the drainage ditch and stopped up a narrow and winding passage against
two bridges. Several years ago, this ditch was rerouted and made with tighter curves.
We were fortunate; we only lost about 320 square feet of our backyard when it washed
down into the drainage ditch. Her concern now, if you will look at picture 3, the ditch
that was five foot is now only six to ten inches deep behind her house. This means that
the water had to rise before five feet before flooding her yard; now it only has to rise six
to ten inches before flooding her yard. (Picture 4) This past Monday, after one inch of
rain, the water was in her yard once more. She truly appreciates the opportunity to
speak her concerns tonight and ask that the Board consider this matter with
compassion and understanding. Please put yourselves in our place when considering
these matters. What would your expectations be? What if your children; grandchildren
or even your mother lived here? What help would you offer them.
Shannon Barnes of 4308 Cresthill Drive stated when he moved here in
2006, he thought it was a novel idea to have a creek in his backyard; not so much. That
Sunday, he saw the creek turn into a river, a major river. He contacted two-years ago
he contacted the stormwater department and expressed his concerns because debris,
i.e. rocks, logs, stumps, everything coming down the waterway. They said it was not
their problem. Meanwhile, there is a concrete canal that separates his property and his
has seen holes develop about one foot, two foot. After Sunday, the holes are filled in
with rocks and has another 2.5 foot wash out under the cinderblock wall, retaining wall.
So, as far as the residents it is a very big hardship and we need some help. As he
expressed to the stormwater department, we need some help to correct this. The way
the land is made, if there is any extensive amount of water, it is going to come straight
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across our properties. If his canal gets blocked up, it only raises it up. The bridge at
Kirkwood and Cresthill is damaged. VDOT needs to inspect because it is not the
County’s property. Garst Mill Park as previously indicated has logs, stumps,
construction debris all in the creek blocking up passages. So, he has reached out to his
flood insurance company, not their problem; stormwater department, not their problem.
So, he really thinks they need to do a survey, investigate what we can do and take
action to prevent this from happening again. It is undue costs and hardships to the
residents of Cave Spring and Garst Mill Park is going to get flooded again and we are
going to get flooded again. He cannot even make repairs because he knows it will be
thousands of dollars that insurance is not going to cover. The County is not going to
cover it. If he made repairs before this, it would be a waste of money. He is urging the
Board and anybody that can help to please help us.
Justin Hasis of 4313 Kirkwood Drive stated he essentially wants to build
on what all of his neighbors have said. He lives on the other side of the drainage ditch
from them. His yard is one of the lowest points in the neighborhood, the only yard lower
is directly across the street from him. He brought in heavy equipment to correct the
th
effects of May 27. He has approximately 30 yards of silt, sitting piled in the backyard.
The debris and the things collected that washed down from upstream filled an entire
Roanoke County knuckle-boom trash truck. They were out there for 45 minutes, trying
to collect the pile of debris that he left with them. To build on what Nadean has said,
there are currently 18 office buildings from Keagy Road to Cordell, which are two
entrances to our neighborhood. All 18 office buildings have extensive parking lots
creating massive runoff into our neighborhood. Who knows how many office complexes
and impermeable surfaces that are upstream on Mudlick Creek, which also flows
through the neighborhood? There are multiple ditch banks that are completely eroded
in both the ditch and Mudlick Creek. In fact, Mudlick Creek directly across from his
property is within three feet of Kirkwood Drive. If we get one more rain, he fears that
Kirkwood Drive may not even be there; it will washout right to the street. Obviously, you
don’t always pay attention to exactly how far that bank is away from the road surface
prior to an event, but he thinks that bank washed out a good five or six feet just from
that one rain. He is out probably $20,000 to $25,000 on this one event. Flood
insurance stated they don’t deal with outside, they don’t deal with finishes in the
basement. He just spent thousands of dollars inside his house. He had literally laid a
brand new floor in the basement the week before this happened. It was destroyed.
Insurance is no help; he does not know why the government forces us to have flood
insurance, FEMA, which mandates flood insurance when flood insurance does not
cover anything. It is worthless. So, we are asking for the Board’s help to deal with the
ditch line, dig it out, and make it a serviceable thing. He approached the County
stormwater management department and was told in one sentence that it is the
homeowners or landowners responsibility and technically speaking none of it is in my
property. In the very next sentence, his statement was that you cannot do anything, i.e.
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you cannot get down in there to clean it out, and you cannot do anything. So, what are
we supposed to do, let it flood over and over again?
Alice Stevens of 4620 Cresthill Drive stated she lives in the first house on
Cresthill Drive across from Lutheran Family Services. There was a lot of what that
came down in May, and it was as bad as 1985, or worse. She hopes that the Board has
looked at the creek and garden at her house. If not, she invited them to come and see
for themselves. She has a huge hole in the garden and her backyard is disappearing.
We lost at least two feet of the bank in May. This is not just the problem at this time.
She has lived in her house since April of 1968. When we first moved there it was a tiny
creek with a telephone pole in the side of the creek. In 1982, the pole had to be moved
because it was about ready to fall into the creek. We have worked with this problem for
50 years. We have written letters to the State Department and people at the County.
This is just a few of the people we have talked with: Athena Burton, Board of
Supervisors, John Herbert, Elmer Hodge, Lee Garrett, Bill Workman, Lee Eddy, Board
of Supervisor and another Supervisor came to her home. After the floods of 1985, the
water had left a dangerous situation with the bridge. This caused the base to be water
under the bridge and less room for water. We were told by the highway department that
the bridge needed work. This should be the time to correct all the problems with the
bridge, including the direction of the bridge. Other than some rocks we have put on the
bank from time to time, no one has taken care of the situation. During heavy rains, the
rocks wash down the stream. The amount of stormwater has not been controlled.
Instead, more building permits are being given to builders to build more construction,
which will cause more stormwater. Standing in her yard, you can see the Lutheran
Family service building, the three new homes that are across from the next house, the
office building that are above us on Rt. 419 and the Catholic Church on Rt. 419. What
about all the other homes and buildings that have been built above us. These permits
have been given out and nothing that been done to control the water runoff. She is not
against construction; that is the way we grow, but she is against construction when all of
the buildings will only end up hurting everyone on Cresthill Drive. Will the County
decide to help control the runoff water or will they just can that this is not the County’s
problem, even though they caused the problem by giving out more permits. If you live
on Cresthill Drive, would you be happy about what is happening. Please decide to do
something about this situation. Fifty years is a long time to wait for action that we
haven’t gotten.
Christopher Johnson of 4338 Cresthill Drive stated last year he was
concerned about his property because his chain-link fence that runs back to the edge of
the storm drain and he was concerned it was going to erode away and effect his fence.
So, he called about that and he was given a response that several of his neighbors had
commented that it was not their responsibility, they would not do anything about how
this storm drain looked, but at the same time, he could not do anything about it either.
Because he could not do anything that might affect the flow of the water. So, he was
left not knowing what to do and then at the end of May, sure enough the flood came
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through and completely took down a quarter of his chain-length fence. It was
completely down in his neighbor’s yard and he had to spend all week-end trying to put it
back up himself, digging out debris from the fence itself and that took quite a bit of time
to do on my own. It made it even heavier because of all the debris and all the posts that
he had to lift back up. Now, his concern is that he is going to have to move his fence
back about ten feet because he does not have anywhere to put his posts anymore. The
drainage ditch has completely eroded into his yard and damaged his property and now
he is going to have to move his fence because of that, there is nowhere to put those
posts. Also, there is a manhole cover there for sewer and utilities that he had to get
several inches of silt off of it to even uncover it. So, a lack of action here just means
that it may damage your own infrastructure. So, he urged the Board to please do
something to help us in our community and his neighbors don’t even have the drain dug
out enough that the water can flow through there anymore. The water is just standing in
his backyard and it won’t go any further because of the rest of the drain is completely
covered up with debris, silt, logs and other stuff.
Supervisor McNamara commented that we are at Board Member reports
and inquiries so that is our comment period so hopes that the speakers would stick
around for a few minutes and several of us will have comments.
IN RE: REPORTS AND INQUIRIES OF BOARD MEMBERS
Supervisor Assaid stated he was out in the Cresthill area when it was
raining and during the flood and did see the water actually coming over the road right at
the corner and was foolish enough to cross it, but he did get to see how much water
was going through there while it was taking place because as you all know Rt. 419 was
closed down and we were trying to find alternative routes to get back to South County.
So, he did get to see firsthand.
Supervisor North stated he was reiterating what we heard earlier in the
3:00 pm session about the regional cooperation on the Transportation Planning
Organization and addressing needs on I81 as well as Orange Avenue and hopefully
these efforts of allocating funds to help those projects will increase the SmartScale
process beginning August 1, 2018, so that we can secure funding from the State on
those projects. You folks don’t live in his district, but you live in Roanoke County and
water is no fun. Throughout his life, he has experienced it too, but he can truly say from
the pictures he has seen and the news coverage and talking to other Supervisors, this
was almost like a Tsunami that hit Cave Spring that day. When he first heard about the
eight inches you folks got, he was thinking, we did not get that much, but we did get
rain. He added that he feels for them and he would certainly hope that the comments
today are taken by our Community Development and Planning people for each and
every one of you folks. If he had any say on it, he would encourage you to visit each
and every one of these sites if you have not already done so and that a strong view to
see if there is any common denominator that we can address the stormwater drainage.
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He knows over in the Hunt Ridge area of the Hollins district there has been work that
has been going on for years to address stormwater drainage near the Bonsack School.
He would keep the folks in his prayers and hope that something good can come out of
your comments tonight.
Supervisor McNamara stated he really appreciated the citizens coming
out. Thank you very much for sharing your experiences. We had about an hour work
session on this exact topic this afternoon where we are exploring the events of May
th
27, what the various departments did, what we can do differently in the future and he
can tell you that there is great interest on the Board. He personally can feel your pain.
He had a waterfall in his backyard. He lives right behind the Catholic Church, so the
water comes through the back right corner, right behind the swimming pool is where he
lives and whoever had the fence down; his fences were down too. He could not put
them back up as they snapped. His neighbor had a 10 x 10 solid shed that the water
just picked up. There was a tree between so he understands. Did anyone get a flooded
basement; he understands. He spent days, fortunately he has grown sons who have
strong backs tearing up the carpet and furniture for General Services. We do care that
they had to spend 45 minutes to an hour picking up all that, but they did it. So, where
do we go from here? This event was extremely significant for a very small area of
Roanoke County. There was about 75 homes that had significant bulk collection
requirements. So, Cresthill was certainly one of the hard-hit ones. Dover Drive, South
Park, Canterbury, basically that entire drainage area was a mess. Castle Rock Road is
a good example, right up from Cresthill, water was coming across Castle Rock and filled
a basement completely filled with water. Where do we go and what do we do and the
frustration of not being able to do anything. He gets it. Somebody else called and said
the stream that was at the back of the property is now in the middle of their property.
You have to get a permit, then you have to get it approved by DEQ and you are going to
pay tens of thousands of dollars to put the stream back where it was. In 1985
happened it was not quite so bad as you could just unload the resources and plow them
out and things got back to normal quicker and that is not a possibility anymore. So,
where do we go? Cresthill is certainly a big area and it might seem like it is getting
worse, but he would suggest that the detention pond was built before the high school
was built probably helped a little bit. You heard us today, we are waiving building
permits and we will be looking at other things. There are no promises because there
are so many drainage issues in Roanoke County. Where do you start? He was on the
Board eight to ten years ago and we doubled the size of our drainage group and we
thought surely this was going to solve the problem. We have a long list of people,
himself included, where yards are disappearing. We doubled it and the list just keeps
getting bigger. So, that is something we will be looking at; do we want to expand the
County stormwater drainage. It will be part of the budget cycle. It won’t be anything
quick; there may be some things we can do. We don’t know. Do we enact a stream
buffer ordinance and we had comments about where we had a stream area, you have a
real nice wood pile, but what happens when the rain comes and the wood pile is gone.
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We also need to think if we really want to go through neighborhoods and yards and
make sure these easements are clear. Do we want an ordinance to require them to be
clear? The bigger issue is the regulations from DEQ, the State with what you are
allowed and not allowed to do. You are telling someone they cannot protect their own
property because you need to make sure it is done this way or that way and is
frustrating for everybody. It is very high on the radar screen. We will see where it goes.
Thank you for being here. By the way, switching topics, one thing with regard to road
issues. People ask all the time what the status is and he would like to run through them
real quick. People always want to know why it takes so long to fix roads. First,
Roanoke County does not do roads; he is not passing the blame but we want to be a
conduit of information but we do not do road repair. Stoneybrook Drive has been
washed out and many years ago you would throw some pipes in and throw tar and
asphalt over the top and you would be good to go. You cannot do that anymore. They
cannot put it back the way it was because it does not meet current standards. In order
to meet current standards, you need a little more land and you used to be able to do a
quick claim on that land, but they don’t do that anymore so you have to meet with the
landowners and see if the landowners will donate the land and you have to go through
the Courts to see if properly documented and then you can start repair the roads. It is
not surprising to me that people are frustrated. It is not surprising at all, but that process
and if everything goes smoothly with the land acquisition it is projected to be July 30,
2018; another month. Carriage Lane is actually looking a little better in late July. Sorrell
Lane is late July. The little road beside Garst Mill Park is July 5, 2018. Sugar Loaf
Mountain should be completed by July 10, 2018. The road in front of Sugar Loaf
Mountain Apartments should be completed by September 10, 2018. Stepplechase,
reasonably complete as is Cantor Drive.
Supervisor Hooker stated on behalf of the Board, please know that you
are heard and that we are not taking any action it feels like we are moving mountains,
please know that we hear you and we are working on it and bear with us. On a
completely different subject, she wants to spread some good news. There is an article
that suggests we have several schools that won the 2018 Governor’s Award for
Educational Excellence. Anytime that we can brag on the fantastic job that our schools
are going, she wants to take the opportunity. The schools are Cave Spring Elementary,
Cave Spring High School, Green Valley Elementary and Hidden Valley High School.
Congratulations to those schools for the great work they are doing. Thank you for being
here tonight.
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IN RE: ADJOURNMENT
Chairman Hooker adjourned the meeting at 8:02 p.m.
.ub i itted by: Approved by:
4d/ 1413
De•a rah C. J. Martha B. Hooker
Chief Deputy -rk to the Board Chairman
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