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6/13/2023 - Regular - DRAFT June 13, 2023 219 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 first regularly scheduled meeting of the month of June 2023. 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, a moment of silence was observed. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all present. IN RE: CALL TO ORDER Chairman Hooker called the meeting to order at 3:01 p.m. The roll call was taken. MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Martha B. Hooker; Supervisors Paul M. Mahoney, Phil C. North and P. Jason Peters MEMBERS ABSENT: Supervisor Radford STAFF PRESENT: Richard L. Caywood, County Administrator; Rebecca Owens, Deputy County Administrator; Doug Blount, Assistant County Administrator; Peter S. Lubeck, County Attorney; Amy Whittaker, Public Information Officer and Deborah C. Jacks, Chief Deputy Clerk to the Board IN RE: PROCLAMATIONS, RESOLUTIONS, RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS 1. Public Technology Institute Solutions Award Presentation (Bill Hunter, Director of Communications and Information Technology) Mr. Hunter outlined the award. Attending with Mr. Hunter were Kelly Dooley, GIS Analyst I; Darren Jones, GIS Analyst I; Tracy Leet, GIS Analyst II and David Wray, Geographical Information Systems Manager. June 13, 2023 220 IN RE: NEW BUSINESS 1. Resolution canceling the 3:00 p.m. session of the June 27, 2023 meeting of the Board of Supervisors (Peter S. Lubeck, County Attorney) Mr. Lubeck outlined the request for resolution. There was no discussion. RESOLUTION 061327-1 CANCELING THE 3:00 P.M. SESSION OF THE JUNE 27, 2023 MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WHEREAS, by Resolution 121322-8 the Board of Supervisors established a meeting schedule for the 2023 calendar year, which scheduled a meeting for 3:00 p.m. on June 27, 2023; and WHEREAS, due to a reduced agenda, the Board of Supervisors desires to cancel the meeting scheduled to be held on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved by the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County that this Board hereby cancels its 3:00 p.m. meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 3:00 p.m.; and BE IT FURTHER resolved that the Clerk to the Board be, and hereby is directed to post this resolution in a public location at which notices are regularly posted and in the office of the Clerk to the Board. In addition, the Clerk is relieved of the obligation to send each Board member written notice by registered mail of the cancellation of this meeting. On motion of Supervisor Peters to adopt the resolution, seconded by Supervisor North and carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Supervisors Peters, Mahoney, North, Hooker NAYS: None ABSENT: Supervisor Radford IN RE: FIRST READING OF ORDINANCES 1. Ordinance accepting funds in the amount of $312,504 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, and appropriating such funds for use by the Roanoke County Police Department for school resource officers (Michael Poindexter, Chief of Police) Chief Poindexter outlined the request for ordinance. There was no discussion. June 13, 2023 221 Supervisor Peters’ motion to approve the first reading and set the second reading for June 27, 2023, was seconded by Supervisor North and approved by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Peters, Mahoney, North, Hooker NAYS: None ABSENT: Supervisor Radford 2. Ordinance approving an intergovernmental agreement for operation of the Regional Center for Animal Care and Protection (Jessica Beemer, Assistant Director of Finance and Management Services; Peter S. Lubeck, County Attorney) Ms. Beemer outlined the request for ordinance and provided a PowerPoint presentation. Supervisor Hooker asked why is Roanoke City at 28% and Roanoke County at 26% with Ms. Beemer advising it is based on usage. Supervisor Hooker then asked what does that equate to in dollars with Ms. Beemer advising they did not have those numbers on hand. Supervisor Peters’ motion to approve the first reading and set the second reading for June 27, 2023, was seconded by Supervisor Mahoney and approved by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Peters, Mahoney, North, Hooker NAYS: None ABSENT: Supervisor Radford 3. Ordinance amending Article II (Definitions and Use Types), Article III (District Regulations), and Article IV (Use and Design Standards) of the Roanoke County Zoning Ordinance (Philip Thompson, Director of Planning) Mr. Thompson outlined the request for ordinance. Supervisor Hooker asked with regard to the cluster ordinance was the development world contacted; she is sure there was some interaction. Mr. Thompson advised some of this was initiated with Mr. Alexander Boone. Staff reached out and sat down with him and tried to understand what some of the barriers are to the current regulations. We wanted to know what would make it more desirable and were advised more options and streamlining the process. There was no further discussion. June 13, 2023 222 Supervisor Mahoney’s motion to approve the first reading and set the second reading for June 27, 2023, was seconded by Supervisor Radford and approved by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Peters, Mahoney, North, Hooker NAYS: None ABSENT: Supervisor Radford IN RE: CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTION 061323-2 APPROVING AND CONCURRING IN CERTAIN ITEMS SET FORTH ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AGENDA FOR THIS DATE DESIGNATED AS ITEM G- 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 13, 2023, designated as Item G - 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 – March 14, 2023 2. Ordinance authorizing the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding with Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare and other local government entities governing the MARCUS Alert Program for the Roanoke Valley 3. Ordinance authorizing an Agreement with the City of Roanoke to authorize the City of Roanoke to act as the Erosion and Sediment Control Authority and Stormwater Management Program Authority for the Glade Creek Stream Restoration Project 4. Resolution requesting the Commonwealth Transportation Board name the Duguid’s Lane (Route 639) bridge over the Roanoke River as the "USN AWS1 James P. Buriak Memorial Bridge", to erect signage and to designate funds in the amount of $2,500 from Board Contingency, Catawba Magisterial District On motion of Supervisor Peters to adopt the resolution, seconded by Supervisor North and carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Supervisors Peters, Mahoney, North, Hooker NAYS: None ABSENT: Supervisor Radford June 13, 2023 223 A-061323-2.a A-061323-2.b RESOLUTION 061323-2.c REQUESTING THAT THE COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION BOARD NAME THE DIUGUIDS LANE (ROUTE 760) BRIDGE OVER THE ROANOKE RIVER AS THE “USN AWS1 JAMES P. BURIAK MEMORIAL BRIDGE,” TO ERECT SIGNAGE AND TO DESIGNATE FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,500 FROM BOARD CONTINGENCY, CATAWBA MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia, has received a request from Delegate Joseph McNamara to name the recently rehabilitated Diuguids Lane (Route 760) bridge over the Roanoke River in memory of Aircrewman Rescue Swimmer (AWS1) James P. Buriak, United States Navy; and WHEREAS, AWS1 Buriak was a Roanoke Valley resident, a Roanoke College alumnus and he passed away when his helicopter crashed off the coast of San Diego, California, on August 31, 2021; and WHEREAS, under Section 33.2-213 of the Code of Virginia, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) allows naming of bridges, highways and interchanges at the request of a locality when the locality commits to the costs of fabricating, installing and maintaining the signs; and WHEREAS, the sign size, location, color, font and other display details shall be determined by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia, as follows: 1. That the CTB and VDOT are hereby requested to name the Diuguids Lane (Route 760) bridge over the Roanoke River in memory of AWS1 James P. Buriak, United States Navy, and to erect signage in the public right-of-way of Route 760 in Roanoke County. 2. That the memorial signs shall conform to all applicable design standards as designated by VDOT. 3. That Roanoke County shall pay all costs for the fabrication and installation of signs to name the bridge, which costs shall not exceed $2,500. 4. That the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors hereby authorizes the expenditure of an amount not to exceed $2,500 from the Board Contingency account for fabrication, installation and maintenance of the memorial signs. On motion of Supervisor Peters to adopt the resolution, seconded by Supervisor North and carried by the following recorded vote: June 13, 2023 224 AYES: Supervisors Peters, Mahoney, North, Hooker NAYS: None ABSENT: Supervisor Radford IN RE: REPORTS Supervisor Peters moved to receive and file the following reports. The motion was seconded by Supervisor Mahoney and carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Supervisors Peters, Mahoney, North, Hooker NAYS: None ABSENT: Supervisor Radford 1. Unappropriated, Board Contingency and Capital Reserves Report 2. Outstanding Debt Report 3. Statement of Treasurer's Accountability per Investment and Portfolio Policy as of April 30, 2023 IN RE: REPORTS AND INQUIRIES OF BOARD MEMBERS th Supervisor Mahoney commented on May 25, he had the opportunity to represent the Board as well as County Administrator. There was a ceremony at the sewage treatment plant. It was a ceremony to recognize the public-private partnership that the Water Authority and Roanoke Gas is engaged in making the sewage a renewable energy source; very exciting. It was his understanding that this is the first such facility in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is unaware if there was a lot of media coverage, but he feels this is a significant step forward. We talked about renewable energy and we talk about recycling. This is a perfect example with this kind of initiative. The other part is that you have a private company, Roanoke Gas, partnering with public entities in a public-private partnership. It was an exciting day. If you have not been out to the sewage treatment plant, it is an interesting place; many years ago, he did a tour. You can see a lot of the equipment that has been constructed in order to take advantage of the Biogas Renewable natural gas system. Supervisor Peters reminded everyone that we have a voice and no matter what side of the aisle you sit on, next Tuesday will be our primaries, get out and vote. It is a blessing that we have in our country that we get to vote on who we put in office. th We have the 39 District and the Clerk of the Circuit Court to vote on. He encouraged everyone to vote next week. Make your voice heard. th Supervisor North commented on May 25, Sonja Waddell of the Richmond, Virginia Federal Reserve office spoke at the RVARC Meeting about our June 13, 2023 225 regional economy. Several points mentioned were: Roanoke area seeing a 0.7% employment growth from February until April. Inflation is being driver by both service industry and apartment rental price growth. Some future cooling likely in the business sector than consumer sector and in the Southeastern region, some employment layoffs th in construction, hospitality, retail and leisure segments. On May 30, Supervisior Peters and he attended a meeting with the School Board members to discuss with Delegate th Chris Head, State grant funding for our new CTE School. On June 4, he attended the Ironman event and watched a family friend, Stephen Olsen of Vinton cross the finish line to meet his personal goal of finishing in under seven (7) hours for a time of six (6) th hours and forty (4) minutes in his first Ironman event. On June 9, he attended the Explore Park Roanoke County concert series on the lawn at Explore to the music of Empty Bottles, 70s and 80s music. There were over 500 people in attendance, quite a crowd and event. Everyone was well behaved and look forward to future months at that event. He challenged Roanoke County staff and administration, stating you all need to th come to that event if you haven’t already. Lastly, on Sunday, June 11 attended the th US Army 248 anniversary and flag day celebration at Vinton War Memorial. Guest speaker was VMI Superintendent Major General Cedric Wins. Flag day is tomorrow June 14. Let’s remember old glory by flying our American flags, symbolizing the land of the free and the home of the brave. Supervisor Hooker noted she copied on a letter from Mr. Brendan Quark, CEO, CEO and President of USA Cycling. It was addressed to the Governor of Virginia. He was speaking of how impressed he was with Virginia’s Blue Ridge, the region, the amount of regional support surpassed what he has experienced with other communities. He mentioned he would like to pursue American Bike Racing to Virginia in even bigger and better ways. She thought that was exciting for us specifically with Economic Development, Parks and Recreation. Northside High School’s girl’s softball team won the Class 3 State championship; Class 2 Championships in boys’ tennis, boys’ soccer and boys track. We had a fantastic year; there is a lot of good things going on in West County. We have some great young people coming forward. She appreciated the comments from Mr. Peters about voting; it is so important for you to participate. Please don’t neglect your privilege; let your voice be heard. She also attended the Ironman events; it impresses her so much and it was fabulous. Thanks to Parks and Recreation, you have a big part in making that happen. IN RE: WORK SESSION June 13, 2023 226 1. Joint work session with the Roanoke County Economic Development Authority (EDA) and the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors to discuss Economic Development on State, Regional and Local levels (Jason El Koubi, President and CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership; John Hull Executive Director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership; Richard L. Caywood, County Administrator and Megan Baker, Director of Economic Development) Jason El Koubi introduced his staff and provided a PowerPoint presentation, which is on file in the office of the Clerk to the Board. Megan Baker, Director of Economic Development introduced the Linwood Windley, Chairman of the Economic Development Authority (EDA) and advised there was no quorum for the EDA. Supervisor North asked Mr. El Koubi about workforce development as it pertains to the new CTE school. Mr. El Koubi responded, “For the vast majority of competitive economic development projects, talent and workforce is at the very top of the list in terms of what they're looking for. In other words, if we can nail that, we're going to be in a very competitive position. Secondly, we also need to recognize as we all have that this is getting harder largely because of the demographic trend in America. So, we've really got to do a few things. One is we've got to get really, really serious about getting people into the labor market, getting people off the sidelines and recognize that labor supply has become a critical issue, but also a critical opportunity. Thirdly, we need to get really serious about this migration issue. We need to be thinking about marketing ourselves for talent in the same way that we market ourselves for deals and market ourselves for tourism as a Commonwealth. Fourthly, we need to recognize that there's a ton of money going into training and workforce development and education, but it is not always well aligned, and there's a couple of things going on to make that alignment better. One is one of the things I alluded to early in my presentation, and that is happening at VEDP basically to provide the strongest intelligence in America about the relationship between what's happening on the supply side and then what's happening on the demand side. In other words, understanding the relationship between what's happening in all these workforce programs, education programs, community colleges, universities, how that translates into employment outcomes for the people who are served there. The intelligence we have on that today is really weak. It's weak in Virginia and it's weak everywhere. We're picking up ground faster, but even with that intelligence, we need to be well positioned to act on it. And that's I think the significance of what the governor and Secretary Slater have done with this bill that you just alluded to. Right now, well, until recently, workforce development, and you've all seen this, I know this because you're all engaged in your community. It's a very fragmented enterprise with a lot of different pieces that are not super well-connected. What this bill does is consolidates a lot of these different silos June 13, 2023 227 into a single agency so that you can set a single goal, harmonize the different activities, and create a system where those different pieces are actually working together. So, I'm really excited about that. It's obviously not something that you can solve like this, but I think that what has happened with the creation of this new department, consolidating these different siloed functions is going to position Virginia to take action on the intelligence that we're developing right now, and I'm very excited about it.” Supervisor North then referenced page 6 in the presentation, stating the graph here is powerful in more ways than one. For example, looking at this, most areas of the Commonwealth, the Eastern shore is a lot of manufacturing. So, classes offered in community colleges, but also at the high school level and career programs need to align with that. And you're right, I think it is weak. We sit here in Roanoke, it's like, what industry have we got around here? And so, we try to address those, but you have to look beyond the mountains that surround this beautiful valley and ask yourself what industries do we want to attract or what are industries looking for? Then get that message aligned with the CTE program. Mr. El Koubi responded in the affirmative. Supervisor Mahoney commented the part that has always troubled me is we have limited resources, and a lot of times I felt that not just Roanoke County, but the Roanoke region with our partners in the City and Salem, we're trying to do a lot of different things, and obviously tourism is a big deal. We just had the Ironman. Well, that takes us in one direction, but we'd also like working with other places like that in terms of some manufacturing. So, we want to do that also, Plastics One. He often feels that we're always chasing different sectors, like you show on pages five and six, and I worry that we get lost because we're always running around almost chasing our tail and not really focusing. He is always worried that solely by virtue of our proximity to I81, a lot of places are going to look at us and say, oh, well, let's just put a warehouse here because of proximity to interstate and the location to I77 and then as you end up going through West Virginia up to Ohio. It's like this kind of worry that from the State's perspective, do you look at us in the Roanoke area as being limited in terms of sector initiatives? Mr. El Koubi responded, “The short answer is no. A few things, one is I do think there's a basic wisdom in your question, which is you've really got to figure out what you want to focus on and resource those things appropriately. And if you try to do a little bit of everything, you're not likely going to be successful. I do think, however, when I think about Roanoke, and I think about this region, and you can see it on this chart, but also when you look at the core growth sectors of Virginia, manufacturing, logistics and knowledge work, those are all core growth sectors that the Roanoke region can win in. So, I do think there's great alignment. I will also say that for any economic development organization locally, regionally, or at the state level, there's always going to be a lot of miscellaneous stuff that comes your way and you've got to be able to respond to it. And so, one thing that I would encourage you guys to just try to separate a little bit is what do you focus on going after proactively versus, that's one thing, versus being ready to respond to different opportunities regardless of what comes your way. And that's June 13, 2023 228 something that I really believe at the state level, we've got to prioritize what we go after proactively. We need to, if you're going after money, go to the bank and it's a little bit if you're going after jobs, go to the sectors where the big jobs are, but you also need to recognize that there's just a wide variety of different opportunities that could come your way that you need to be ready to respond to you if you have one of those opportunities come your way. The final thing I would say is that I think one of the places where the Roanoke region has really taken an enlightened approach and an effective approach is branding yourselves very distinctively as a destination for the outdoors and a place where the community here, the region, the people who live here can enjoy the tremendous natural assets that you guys have. I think you guys are really ahead of the curve on that, and I think particularly where we are and sort of an environment where people have a lot of choices, where people are making the choice of where to live as much based on quality of life factors as sort of the job, I just think the work that you've done here has positioned you really, really well for that. And I would encourage you to keep it up. So, I do think there's some basic wisdom there, but I think you guys are, I mean, you guys all live here and you're in positions of leadership, and you're all really sharp about this. My position from a statewide perspective is that you're making some really smart trade-offs.” Kyle Richardson, EDA member, stated, “In my world is some of the best ideas are always stolen. So, of the states that have cherry-picked all of the jobs over the last several years, the growth that you mentioned, what are they doing differently that the rest of the country's not doing? Some of that I'm sure is climate when we think about that. Some of its taxes, but there's got to be some other things that they're doing internally that set themselves apart. We know what those things are. Mr. El Koubi responded, “One big one is that they've been focused very aggressively on economic development for a long time, and I think in many cases their history, because we have a lot of historical advantages because the federal government's been in our backyard, because we've had a very rich history, including a very rich economic history. I think it's made us very proud. I think it's made us very prosperous. I also think it's made us somewhat comfortable. You look at states to our south and what their experience was like in the 20th century where lost tobacco, lost furniture, lost textiles. I think they were in a place where they really had to reinvent themselves. They got very scrappy. They got very serious about economic development, and they've been very serious about economic development for decades now, and it's really, really shown not just at the state level, but what they've done in different regions. I mean, you think about the story of Charlotte, you think about the story of Raleigh Durham, they've truly reinvented themselves and with a lot to show for it. So, I think part of it's that. I will also say that when you look at the story of the different states that are enjoying a lot of success, a huge part of it is what's happening in the different metro areas of those states. So, it's not just about what's happening at the state level, it's also very much about what's happening locally and at the metro level. I do think that there are some macro level factors. When you look at the states that have been growing very rapidly, one of the June 13, 2023 229 commonalities is that they have Very rapidly. One of the commonalities is that they have a very growth-oriented tax policy. And you think about Florida and Texas, for example, Tennessee, all of those states do not have personal income tax. You think about what North Carolina's been doing, and again, they've been very aggressive for many decades, now. Part of what they've done is not only reduced taxes, but they have, basically, forecasted how they're going to reduce taxes in the future. And so that's part of it. And they've done all of those things while continuing to invest in the fundamentals; strong education institutions in the case of North Carolina, strong infrastructure. So, you have a nice balance. Mr. Richardson asked about an inland port up the North corridor of I81 and then there was talk one time about putting an inland port down here in Montgomery County, just over Roanoke County line in Elliston. That got mothballed because of the economy, and it's been that way since, would you say that the inland port up there has attracted industry around it because of the logistics feature? Mr. El Koubi advised that is his impression. I think you're talking about the inland port at Front Royal. It was established many decades ago. So, I don't know the history super well, but my understanding, based on just what I've heard, is that yes, it has been a factor in attracting industry there” Next, John Hull provided a PowerPoint presentation, which is on file in the office of the Clerk to the Board. Megan Baker, Director of Economic Development provided her PowerPoint presentation, a copy of which is on file in the office of the Clerk to the Board. County Administrator Richard Caywood asked that Ms. Baker come back in three (3) months with an update. The work session was held from 3:50 p.m. until 5:50 p.m. IN RE: CLOSED MEETING At 3:54 p.m., Supervisor Hooker moved to go into closed meeting pursuant to the Code of Virginia Section 2.2-3711.A.5 - Discussion concerning the expansion of an existing businesses or industries where no previous announcement has been made of the business' or industry's interest in locating or expanding its facilities in the community namely in the Catawba, Hollins and Vinton Magisterial Districts and Section 2.2-3711.A.1 - Discussion, consideration, or interviews of prospective candidates for employment; assignment, appointment, promotion, performance, demotion, salaries, disciplining, or resignation of specific public officers, appointees, or employees of any public body; namely the County Administrator’s performance evaluation June 13, 2023 230 and Section 2.2-3711.A.1 - Discussion, consideration, or interviews of prospective candidates for employment; assignment, appointment, promotion, performance, demotion, salaries, disciplining, or resignation of specific public officers, appointees, or employees of any public body; namely the County Attorney’s performance evaluation. The motion was seconded by Supervisor Mahoney and approved by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Peters, Mahoney, North, Hooker NAYS: None ABSENT: Supervisor Radford The closed session was held from 6:03 p.m. until 8:29 p.m. Chairman Hooker recessed to the third floor for closed session and work session at 3:33 p.m. IN RE: CERTIFICATION RESOLUTION At 8:29 p.m., Supervisor Hooker moved to return to open session and adopt the certification resolution. RESOLUTION 061323-3 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 Mahoney and carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Supervisors Peters, Mahoney, North, Hooker NAYS: None June 13, 2023 231 ABSENT: Supervisor Radford IN RE: ADJOURNMENT Chairman Hooker adjourned the meeting at 8:30 p.m. Submitted by: Approved by: ________________________ ___________________________________ Deborah C. Jacks Martha B. Hooker Chief Deputy Clerk to the Board Chairman June 13, 2023 232 PAGE LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY