HomeMy WebLinkAbout3/15/2015 - SpecialMarch 18, 2015 139
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 a special meeting for the purpose of
holding a work session concerning the budget development for fiscal year 2015-2016.
Audio 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: CALL TO ORDER
Chairman Peters called the meeting to order at 6-00 p.m. The roll call was
taken.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Joseph P. McNamara, Supervisors Al Bedrosian,
Joseph B. "Butch" Church, Charlotte A. Moore 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; Paul M.
Mahoney, County Attorney; and Deborah C. Jacks, Deputy
Clerk to the Board
IN RE: REQUESTS TO POSTPONE, ADD TO, OR CHANGE THE ORDER OF
AGENDA ITEMS
There were none.
IN RE: WORK SESSIONS
1. Work session to discuss budget development for fiscal year
2015/2016 regarding delivery of services for Community Services
and Public Safety (W. Brent Robertson, Director of Management
and Budget)
In attendance for this work session was Thomas C. Gates, County
Administrator- W. Brent Robertson, Director of Management and Budget; Richard
Caywood, A�sistant County Administrator; Daniel R. O'Donnell, Assistant County
140 March 18, 2015
Administrator; Anne Marie Green, Director of General Services; Steve Simon, Deputy
Chief of Fire and Rescue.
Mr. Gates gave a brief overview and turned the meeting over to Anne
Marie Green who gave a presentation on Community Services. A copy of this
presentation is on file in the office of the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors.
Supervisor Church inquired about the location of the West Main Street
pedestrian improvements. Philip Thompson, Deputy Director of Planning, advised they
would go from South West Main Street to Valley Tech Parkway.
Supervisor Church then asked Mr. Gates about the staffing levels. Mr.
Gates explained that he had the detail of all four of the service groups with dollar
amounts and provided a spreadsheet to the Board members.
Chairman Peters inquired about whether the revenue sharing was to
repave or seal roads. Arnold Covey, Director of Community Development responded it
is a combination. Some of the revenue sharing money is matched with our drainage
program. So it is used for drainage, pavement, safety improvements, i.e. a whole range
of options. Chairman Peters stated out in East County, Mt. Pleasant, the roads are in
terrible shape. We cannot rely on VDOT to take care of that so the question becomes
what we have to do to put money into this revenue sharing so we can use it for roads,
replacement, repair, patching, etc. Mr. Caywood responded the secondary network in
the County is in better condition than the other roads. Revenue sharing has a flexible
funding source; anything that would qualify for anything in VDOT's funding stream you
can do as revenue sharing projects. The application that we have in now includes the
Dry Hollow Road projects and a couple of drainage projects. One of the things that we
could definitely use this money for is road repair.
Supervisor McNamara stated as he understands it, we submit an
application and it is approved, we do not necessarily need to take the money or do we.
Mr. Caywood responded by stating he thinks we do. Mr. Covey advised the County
makes application, VDOT will send a letter saying that we qualify for the project that we
submitted, the $500,000 and if you plan to participate, please send the $500,000 by July
1st. Supervisor McNamara asked when did you put in the first application with Mr. Covey
responding in November and you have until the following July to say yes or no. The
reason he brings this up is that is seven to nine months depending on the days of the
month. He does not think $500,000 is the maximum on the match but whatever the
match is why would we not put in an application for $5 million and then Ms. Loope
comes with a prospect that wants to x,y,z and put in a huge something and now you
have State money that you can allocate and use for a pure economic development
standpoint or even the culver idea because you still have the State paying half of our
stormwater management rather than us putting fees on our citizens. Mr. Covey stated
that is a great idea, but we have not participated in revenue sharing for the last three
years. So, we are making one step in the right direction. Why don't we make two steps
in the right direction and put $2 million and recognize that our plan is that we are only
going to stick with $500,000, but if in the next seven to eight months, something comes
March 18, 2015 141
up that makes sense, at least we have the opportunity. For example, Allstate wanted to
relocate. Is there a drawback to that? Mr. Caywood stated the only caution he would
give is the way the program is structured, if you did that purely on a speculative fashion,
or apply for something that we could not draw down on the funds because eventually
they will cut you off.
Chairman Peters asked what the process is. Mr. Caywood advised they
get a budget for secondary resurfacing and they have twelve counties to service and
they are going to break that out. They have a pavement management system whereby
they rank the roads.
Supervisor Church asked if Mr. Covey could get a listing where it is in dire
need with Mr. Covey responded in the negative. Mr. Caywood stated he would
probably get a copy of VDOT's assessments of the roads.
Supervisor McNamara asked where the MPO fit into this. Mr. Caywood
advised that money can be used, but they have chosen to focus on regional projects,
i.e. Greenways.
Mr. Gates responded staff could certainly be more aggressive, we can add
more money to the revenue sharing and stronger in discussions with the MPO, but all of
that is contingent upon our willingness to get into that business.
Chief Simon then went through the presentation for the Public Safety
Sector. Also in attendance were Bill Hunter, Director of Communications and
Information Technology; Randy Leach, Commonwealth Attorney; Joey Stump, Acting
Chief of Fire and Rescue; Major Philip Weddle, Sheriff's Department and Joyce Earl,
Director of Social Services.
Supervisor Church asked Mr. Leach to explain briefly about the
Courthouse, which Mr. Leach explained that the Courthouse was thirty (30) years old
and for example his office was designed for six (6) people and soon it will soon have
thirteen (13), it is just not big enough, the ceiling leaks, parking is horrible. Ms. Green
advised the electrical is outdated and Chief Simon Sheriff Poff has mentioned safety
concerns. Chairman Peters then asked why the need to replace the public safety radio
system. Chief Simon advised what they needed to replace is the software in the Police
vehicles; the digital infrastructure is still intact and will be for a number of years.
Supervisor Church then asked Chief Simon to explain the need for a
Hanging Rock Station. Supervisor Peters inquired about the price and Chief Simon
advised it included the purchase of property as well as the building.
Supervisor Moore inquired what is a station fuel control system. Chief
Simon advised it is what the Schools have for the buses, it is key activated versus pen
and paper as it now. This is included in the capital budget.
Supervisor Peters commented at the end of the day, we have fixed
expenses, i.e. personnel, operating, maintenance. He would like to know what does it
cost to operate Roanoke County; no fluff, what is that dollar figure; no buildings just
services. He needs a starting point. At the end of the day, what is the cost? We need a
baseline. Mr. Gates responded the challenge of answering that question is tough. We
142 March 18, 2015
could tell you essentially what we spent last year and offer some kind of inflation factor
to that, which would tell you basically to maintain status quo. Chairman Peters stated
that is not what he is talking about. Mr. Gates stated the point he is trying to make is
that we could just take what we are expending, but what we are currently expending
and what our appropriation in the budget is he would argue is not really reflective of the
whole cost because there has been so much deferral of maintenance and other things
that we need to expend in order to make the service deliveries whole and to make sure
that we have not accounted for the full cost of delivering that service. Right now, if you
take the budget and pick it up and read it and it says $174 million, we have spent the
last several weeks describing that where it is not an accurate description of what
actually has to get spent. We have held things off. Chairman Peters stated his concern
is right there; we are deferring costs, maintenance, and replacement of vehicles and at
some point we are going to get caught. We are not there yet, but getting there fast. We
are going to be caught in the position of stripping services that are funded, borrow
money or raise taxes. The last two do not appeal to him at all. He would rather know
now where we stand. He likes the long-term plan, we need to see where we need to go
long-term so it does not impact our citizens. Mr. Gates advised that is what staff has
been working on in preparing these presentations to the Board; trying to explain those
things that we feel are deferred items that have to be addressed. Those things that are
absolutely necessary to fund because they speak to the core business of the services
we provide; that is the number we are trying to bring to you. Chairman Peters stated
they should have seen a number today, what it takes to provide and maintain the
services that our citizens are expecting. Mr. Gates stated he will bring to the Board a
set of priorities that will address primarily the deferred maintenance and items that we
have pushed off that we need to do in order to insure that we can deliver the services.
Chairman Peters stated his last statement has to do with two items that
the Chief brought up tonight that we cannot run from yet again; radio replacements and
the air packs for our firefighters. Those two things total over $5 million and we cannot
run from them.
Supervisor McNamara stated he would like to take a more positive aspect.
At the end of the day, from a capital prospective, we are better off than ninety-five
percent (95%) of the counties and cities in Virginia. We are in great shape from a
capital planning; availability of capital funding. He advised he was not going to second
guess prior Board decisions because he thinks the thought process was it was a
temporary revenue dip and let's not go change our entire focus in the way we do things-,
ride it out and it will come back and we can catch up. He did not think in 2009, 20087
2007 that you would be dealing with a stagnant revenue. He added that we need to
adjust ourselves to the new normal and count on two percent (2%) and figure out this is
how we can fund our government.
Chairman Peters commented we are in a strong position, but that is his
concern. He does not want to lose that strong position.
March 18, 2015
IN RE: ADJOURNMENT
143
Chairman Peters adjourned the meeting at 7:30 p.m. to the regularly
scheduled meeting on March 24, 2015, at 3:00 p.m.
Submitted by- Approved by -
'Deborah Cy Jgkks P. Jas n Pelters
Deputy Cleeto the Board Chairman
ME
March 18, 2015
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