This week in county government; McGuire claims Republican nomination in SD10; Republicans to choose nominee for sheriff; LCWA to consider rate hike; BOS roundup; Planning Commission preview
Engage Louisa is a nonpartisan newsletter that keeps folks informed about Louisa County government. We believe our community is stronger and our government serves us better when we increase transparency, accessibility, and engagement.
This week in county government: public meetings, May 8 through May 13
For the latest information on county meetings including public meetings of boards, commissions, authorities, work groups, and internal county committees, click here. (Note: Louisa County frequently schedules internal committee/work group meetings after publication time. Check the county’s website for the most updated information).
Wednesday, May 10
James River Water Authority, Morris Room, Fluvanna County Administration Building, 132 Main Street, Palmyra, 9 am. At publication time, an agenda was not publicly available.
Louisa County Water Authority, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 6 pm. (public hearing notice) The authority will hold a public hearing on a proposed rate hike. (See article below for more information).
Thursday, May 11
Louisa County Planning Commission, long-range planning work session, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 5 pm. (agenda, livestream)
Louisa County Planning Commission, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 7 pm. (agenda packet, livestream)
Other meetings:
Monday, May 8
Mass Meeting, Louisa County Republican Committee, Betty Queen Center, 522 Industrial Drive, Louisa, 7 pm. (Registration to vote begins at 6 pm). The Louisa County Republican Committee will hold a Mass Meeting to choose the party’s nominee for sheriff for the November 7 general election. (See article below for more information).
Additional information about Louisa County’s upcoming public meetings is available here.
Interested in taking your talents to one of the county’s numerous boards and commissions? Find out more here including which boards have vacancies and how to apply.
McGuire wins Republican nomination in SD10
Delegate John McGuire on Saturday claimed the Republican nomination in the 10th state Senate District, easily beating Louisa County Board of Supervisors Chair Duane Adams and two other contenders in a party-run convention at Buckingham County High School.
McGuire surpassed the 50 percent plus one threshold required to win the nomination on the first ballot, reportedly claiming more than 60 percent of the vote. Per convention rules, the vote was weighted based on the Republican voting strength for each of the district’s 10 localities.
Adams then motioned for the convention’s nearly 1,500 delegates to declare McGuire the nominee by unanimous consent to cheers from the McGuire supporters who packed the high school’s gym. Adams and McGuire were widely regarded as the co-favorites to win the nomination heading into the convention. Governor Glenn Youngkin endorsed McGuire while 5th District Congressman Bob Good backed Adams.
Party officials didn’t release results from the lone round of voting Saturday afternoon. At publication time, it’s unclear what percentage of the vote the four candidates officially received. Republican Party of Virginia Chair Rich Anderson said on Twitter that McGuire received 62 percent of the vote. He didn’t report percentages for Adams or the other two candidates, Hanover County Republican Committee Chair Jack Dyer and Powhatan resident Sandy Brindley.
Party officials said that 2,258 delegates signed up to participate in the convention with 1,478 showing up in Buckingham to vote, a small fraction of the 10th District’s roughly 167,000 registered voters.
McGuire thanked his supporters after clinching the nomination and called for party unity. He and Adams sharply attacked each other in the campaign’s final stretch with each candidate portraying their opponent as a political opportunist who conservative voters can’t trust.
“Your prayers, positive word of mouth, donations, phone calls, door knocking, hard work and more made the difference,” McGuire said in an email Saturday evening. “Now, we ‘must lock arms’ as Governor Glenn Youngkin says and win in November.”
When motioning to declare McGuire the nominee, Adams also called for unity.
“This has been a well fought, tough campaign. But, at the end of the day, we all walk out that door as Republicans,” he said.
McGuire, a fitness instructor and former Navy Seal from Goochland, has represented Louisa and the rest of the 56th District in the House of Delegates since 2018. He’s an overwhelming favorite to win the 10th District seat in the November 7 general election.
Redrawn during the 2021 redistricting process, the district is friendly terrain for Republicans including most of Louisa County and western Hanover at its northern edge and stretching south across eight other mostly rural counties: Fluvanna, Goochland, Powhatan, Buckingham, Cumberland, Amelia, Appomattox and part of Prince Edward. Youngkin (R) won the district by about 36 points en route to the governorship in 2021.
Tenth District Democrats have yet to formally select a nominee. Jacob Boykin, who initially filed to run as a Democrat, announced on Twitter Friday night that he’ll instead run for a seat on the Powhatan County School Board. Boykin said that another Democrat, Louisa County resident Dan Tomlinson, plans to run for Senate. In a Facebook post Sunday afternoon, the Louisa County Democratic Committee said that Tomlinson would challenge McGuire in the 10th.
All 140 seats in the General Assembly—40 in the state Senate and 100 in the House of Delegates—are up for grabs this fall with control of the legislature’s two narrowly-divided chambers on the line. The election is expected to play a pivotal role in determining the fate of Youngkin’s conservative agenda during his last two years in office. Last session, Republicans held a 52-48 advantage in the House while Democrats had a 22-18 edge in the Senate.
Republicans to choose sheriff nominee
On the heels of a closely watched convention to choose the party’s nominee in the 10th state Senate District last week, local Republicans this week will hold another nominating event for a high-intensity race.
The Louisa County Republican Committee this Monday will host a Mass Meeting to select the party’s candidate for sheriff in the November 7 general election. The meeting will be held at the Betty Queen Center at 7 pm with registration to vote beginning at 6 pm.
One-term incumbent Donnie Lowe, a 35-year veteran of the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office, and Lake Anna resident Tim Sansone, the owner of Sentry Force Security, a Fairfax-based private security company, are vying for the party’s nod. At publication time, no Democrat or independent candidate had filed to run for the job, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
Local Republicans had expected to decide a pair of nominating contests on Monday, but a planned vote to choose the party’s nominee for the Louisa District Board of Supervisors seat won’t be necessary. According to LCRC Chair Robin Horne, Blue Ridge Shores resident Christopher Colsey is the only candidate seeking the nomination after Bo Bundrick, Director of Career and Technical Education at Louisa County Public Schools, withdrew from the race. Horne said in an email that Bundrick “feels he does not have the time to fully commit to the campaign and then the board.”
Monday’s Mass Meeting is a party-run nominating event that doesn’t involve the Louisa County Electoral Board or the Virginia Department of Elections. While the event is open to all registered voters in Louisa County, participants will be asked to sign a form agreeing to support the Republican candidates on the ballot this November, pledging not run for office this year as anything other than a Republican or accept any write-in votes, and declaring oneself “in accord with the principles of the Republican Party as exemplified by the Virginia Republican Creed,” according to a copy of the registration document shared on Sansone’s campaign Facebook page. Horne said that voters will be required to show a photo ID and that each candidate will have a chance to speak prior to the vote.
The meeting caps a contentious, if brief, campaign for the party’s nomination for sheriff. During the campaign, Sansone has sharply criticized Lowe for his leadership at LCSO while branding himself as the capable and visionary leader the county deserves.
Sansone points to his experience running Sentry Force as aptly preparing him for the job. His campaign website states that the company employs some 300 officers and provides both armed and unarmed security officers, special police officers, private investigators, diplomatic security agents and personal protection specialists to clients in both the private and public sectors.
Sansone argues that LCSO is a poorly run department that struggles to recruit and retain deputies and lacks professionalism and proper training, problems he links to its lack of accreditation. He's specifically accused Lowe of nepotism and a lack of transparency and claims the sheriff hasn’t done enough to raise deputies’ pay.
As sheriff, Sansone has pledged to obtain accreditation—a process in which a third-party accrediting agency ensures that the department meets a range of professional standards—contending that the status will improve the department’s operations and open doors to federal grants to bulk up officers’ salaries. The Albemarle, Greene, Goochland, Spotsylvania, and Hanover County Sheriff’s Offices are all accredited.
In a section of his campaign website entitled “It Could Happen to You,” Sansone’s campaign details his own experience with the sheriff’s office, recounting an incident at a Lake Anna boat launch on September 10, 2022.
The website says that Sansone and his elderly father were “confronted” by an “aggressive and belligerent young man” and Sansone was subsequently assaulted. Sansone called 911, according to his website, and it took deputies nearly a half hour to arrive. Once on the scene, Sansone’s campaign says that the deputies “refused to take any form of action - including refusing to charge Tim's attacker with assault - since the deputies claimed they were not there to witness the attack.” The campaign says the officers “remained on-scene for approximately 15-20 minutes after the incident was concluded to socialize and fraternize with the attacker and his family.”
The campaign website doesn’t mention that, according to court records, Sansone was charged with Assault and Battery two days after the incident with the offense date listed as September 10, 2022. In January of this year, Sansone was found Not Guilty on the charge in Louisa County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. According to a court official, the charge was brought in that venue because the complaining witness was under 18 years old. Engage Louisa was denied immediate access to the case file because, per a court official, its release is subject to the discretion of the trial judge.
For his part, Lowe has run a relatively quiet campaign. In occasional posts on his campaign Facebook page, he’s highlighted the county’s low crime rating, an apparent reference to a report from the Jefferson Area Community Criminal Justice Board that ranks Louisa among Virginia’s safest localities and pegs its 2021 crime rate as its lowest in a decade. He touts his close relationship with Louisa County Public Schools, noting that the division was the first in the state to place a law enforcement officer in each of its six schools and points to a pay hike he secured for deputies two years ago that increased starting salaries by about $10,000 and adjusted pay across the department.
On Friday, Lowe took to Facebook and directly addressed some of Sansone’s claims. He said that LCSO had been stymied in its ability to pursue accreditation, in part, due to limited storage space for evidence. Since the Fire and EMS Department recently moved out of the Louisa County Office Building, the sheriff’s office has more space, he said, enabling it to begin the formal accreditation process later this year.
“One of the biggest obstacles the Sheriff’s Office had been faced with over the years has been space, and while there is no single square footage requirement for accreditation, space is certainly a factor when making sure you are able to do things effectively and efficiently,” Lowe said.
Lowe also suggested that he doesn’t have an interest in pursuing federal grants to hire and pay additional staff—a cause that Sansone has championed—because they often offer only temporary funding.
“Grants for positions are essentially borrowing and financing the future of the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office and as an agency you still cannot accept any of these grants WITHOUT the board of supervisors approval,” he said.
The county’s Fire and EMS Department has applied for and received federal grants with the backing of the Board of Supervisors. The grants have helped cover the cost of department expenses including staffing.
Sansone and Lowe have both portrayed themselves as ardent defenders of the Second Amendment. Lowe has pointed to his support for making Louisa a “Second Amendment Sanctuary” county in 2019 after Democrats took full control of state government and prepared to tighten restrictions on guns. Lowe recently received an endorsement from the gun rights’ group Virginia Citizen Defense League, which played a leading role in organizing the Second Amendment sanctuary movement.
Sansone ranks “protect(ing) 2nd Amendment rights” as one of the top goals of his campaign, noting that he plans to host free concealed carry and gun safety training for the public.
Read more on the sheriff’s race in last week edition of Engage Louisa: County tells sheriff candidate to stop using its seal
Colsey announces bid for Louisa District Board of Supervisors seat
Christopher Colsey, in late April, formally announced plans to seek the Louisa District seat on the Board of Supervisors as a Republican. In a press release, Colsey said that, as an experienced public official who holds “no Louisa County obligations to affect his objectivity,” he believes he would be “an effective and reliable representative” for the Louisa District.
Eric Purcell (I), who currently occupies the Louisa District seat, announced in mid-March that he won't seek re-election.
Colsey and his wife are both public school teachers. The couple bought a “fixer-upper” at Blue Ridge Shores in 2016 while residing outside the county and, during the pandemic, lived here full-time as they worked as “distance learning teachers,” he told Engage Louisa in an email. They eventually sold their other home and moved to Louisa permanently.
Colsey currently works as a teacher in Fluvanna County Public Schools and, since 2005, has served as an adjunct professor of government. He holds graduate degrees in Public Administration, Education and Biblical Studies/Christian Education, and completed the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office’s Citizens Academy in 2022.
If elected, Colsey would bring extensive experience in local government to the board. Before earning his teaching license in 2015, he briefly worked as a senior legislative aide to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. Prior to that, he served in various volunteer, elected and appointed roles in multiple municipal governments in New York including winning election to two terms as town supervisor and budget officer and serving as a director of zoning, planning and building.
Colsey spent 14 years working in the corporate world before moving on to public service and teaching. He has also been involved in Christian ministry work with Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child. He said a desire to serve his community sparked him to run for the board.
“I personally believe that community service is necessary for every citizen, and beyond my service in ministry (Samaritan's Purse/Operation Christmas Child) and other charitable efforts, I believe I am best gifted as a local public servant,” Colsey said. “While I was successful in my corporate career, my efforts were focused on the financial ‘bottom line’ yet (I) found far greater satisfaction in serving my community. Seeking this role on the Board of Supervisors is a combination of my skills, experience, and desire to serve.”
As a board member, Colsey said that he would focus on ensuring that local government provides necessary and efficient services and adequately supports emergency service providers. He said that he believes Louisa County offers ample opportunity for commercial growth to offset the residential tax burden and provide jobs, but he also wishes “to protect the rural nature of county.”
With respect to Louisa County Public Schools, whose funding constitutes about 60 percent of the county budget, Colsey said he wants to make sure taxpayer money “directly support(s) the improved education of our youth.”
Louisa supervisors have traditionally run for office as independents, but that trend began to change in 2017 when Mineral District Supervisor Duane Adams became the first candidate to win a board seat running as a Republican. Since then, Jackson District Supervisor Toni Williams and Green Springs District Supervisor Rachel Jones have both won seats as Republicans.
When asked why he decided to run as a Republican, Colsey said that he’s been a Republican for most of his life and believes the party provides “the best opportunities for a prosperous nation.”
“The foundational principles of free enterprise, sanctity of life, personal faith, respect for those in uniform, a strong work ethic and a valuing of the wisdom of our Founders have always been a part of my world view,” he said.
Colsey will face at least one challenger this November. Last week, Greg Jones, a small business owner and former president of the Louisa branch of the NAACP, formally filed to run as an independent. Jones represented the Louisa District on the Louisa County Planning Commission from 2017 to 2020. He previously ran for a seat on the board in 2007, losing to PT Spencer by just 15 votes. Candidates have until June 20 to get in the race.
Water Authority to consider rate hike
Water and sewer rates could be going up for Louisa County Water Authority customers.
LCWA’s board of directors this Wednesday will hold a public hearing on a proposed rate increase for both residential and wholesale customers. The hearing will take place as part of the board’s regular monthly meeting.
The increase would affect customers directly serviced by LCWA’s public water or sewer system. The authority draws water from the Northeast Creek Reservoir for customers in central Louisa County and public wells near Zion Crossroads for customers on the county’s southwestern edge. It provides sewer service via a regional wastewater treatment plant outside the Town of Louisa and the Zion Crossroads Wastewater Treatment Plant.
LCWA proposes a three-dollar hike in the monthly base rate for water consumption, from $20.13 to $23.13, and a $4.44 hike in the base rate for sewer use, from $29.79 to $34.23. The base rate applies to water and sewer usage up to 3,000 gallons per month.
Beyond that threshold, water rates would jump $1 dollar for every 1,000 gallons used, rising from $6.71 to $7.71. Sewer rates would increase $1.48 per 1,000 gallons, jumping from $9.93 to $11.41.
A residential customer that falls at or below the 3,000-gallon usage threshold would see their monthly bill rise from $55.92 to $63.36 including LCWA’s $6 monthly administrative fee. The bill for a household that used 4,000 gallons of water and sewer service a month would increase about 10 dollars.
Wholesale water rates would rise 78 cents for 1,000 gallons, increasing from $5.21 to $5.99. Wholesale rates apply to customers who source at least 4.25 million gallons of water from the authority per month.
The Town of Louisa buys water from LCWA at the wholesale rate then sells that water to its residents. Town residents wouldn’t see a hike in their water bills unless the Louisa Town Council opted to raise its rates.
The Town of Mineral buys some of its water from the authority but doesn’t qualify for a wholesale discount because it doesn’t meet the usage threshold, according to LCWA General Manager Pam Baughman. Residents who receive public utility service from Mineral’s system are subject to rates set by the Mineral Town Council.
Baughman said that the authority’s proposed rate hike is necessary to help it cover rising operating, compliance, and maintenance costs. LCWA last raised rates in January of 2021.
“We have experienced increases in electrical costs, chemicals, health insurance, additional employees to meet new and emerging regulations, gas, diesel, propane, annual audit and Miss Utility tickets just to name a few,” Baughman said in an email to Engage Louisa last week.
LCWA’s water and sewer rates are competitive with other localities and service authorities across the region, according to Draper Aden Associates’ 2022 statewide survey of water and wastewater rates. The Albemarle County Service Authority charges $24.60 for the first 3,000 gallons of water used, more than a dollar more than LCWA’s proposed rate. It charges a $30.72 rate for the first 3,000 gallons of sewer use, roughly four dollars less than Louisa’s proposed rate. The Rapidan Service Authority, which provides water and sewer services to parts of Orange, Madison and Greene counties, charges 10 cents less for water and about five dollars more for sewer compared to LCWA’s proposed base rates.
BOS roundup: Supes breeze through brief agenda
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors on Monday night breezed through a wide-ranging agenda, wrapping up public business in less than an hour. The board green-lighted the county’s Six-Year Plan for Secondary Road Construction, passed a pair of resolutions in support of the Fluvanna/Louisa Housing Foundation’s efforts to expand affordable housing, agreed to hold a public hearing on an emergency water supply ordinance proposed by the Louisa County Water Authority, and approved the implementation of a policy that allows some building inspections to be conducted virtually. Check out a brief recap of the meeting below. (meeting materials, video)
Board approves secondary road plan: Supervisors held a public hearing and voted 7-0 to approve the Six-Year Plan for Secondary Road System Construction in Louisa County.
Developed in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Transportation, the plan covers road improvements in the secondary system from FY24 through FY29, earmarking between $171,739 and $261,524 a year for improvements for a total projected allocation of roughly $1.42 million. The funds are drawn from the state’s Rural Rustic Program, which is specifically aimed at paving unpaved public roads, and “telefee” funds, money paid by telecommunications companies that use public right of ways.
The plan earmarks about $1.18 million to pave parts of several unpaved roads and $219,388 for the Rural Additions Program, which pays for upgrades to private roads to bring them into the state system.
The plan includes funding to pave parts of the following roads over the next five years: West Greens Springs Road; Harts Mill Road; Poplar Avenue; Albemarle Avenue; Piedmont Avenue; and Midway Lane. Funding to pave Pine Ridge Drive and Colemans Lane was allocated in last year’s plan.
VDOT Residency Administrator Scott Thornton said that, at the request of Patrick Henry District Supervisor Fitzgerald Barnes, the $77,000 allotted to pave Midway Lane in FY25 could be removed from the plan next year. Barnes said no one lives on Midway Lane and that the road is primarily used to access an asphalt plant.
Board okays virtual building inspection policy: Supervisors unanimously agreed to allow the Community Development Department to implement a virtual building inspection policy. The policy allows county staff to conduct some inspections via video conference.
In a memo to the board, County Building Inspector John Grubbs recommended the policy, noting that virtual inspections “have become increasingly popular in recent years especially with the advent of new technology that makes it possible to conduct inspections remotely” like video conferencing tools and mobile apps.
Grubbs said that allowing virtual inspections would improve the department’s efficiency and save money, among other benefits. Between 2018 and 2021, the number of inspections conducted by county staff rose from 5,967 to 14,289, a 139 percent jump, Grubbs said.
The policy allows virtual inspections only for specific projects. Initial virtual inspections are permitted for demolition, drain-tile, sheds, veneer, ditches, ice shield, shower pan and waterproofing. Virtual re-inspections are allowed for decks, electrical and mechanical work, demolition, framing, foundations, slab plumbing, insulation and footing. If a building inspector deems a project too complex for a virtual inspection, an official will conduct an on-site inspection.
“(Virtual inspections) would be for items that, quite frankly, it takes longer to drive down the driveway than it does for the inspectors to look at it and approve it,” Deputy County Administrator Chris Coon said when presenting the proposal to the board.
Customers are required to have a tablet or mobile device connected to Wi-Fi or 4G wireless service for the inspection. They can use either Apple’s Facetime or Microsoft Teams.
Louisa District Supervisor Eric Purcell said that he had some initial concerns about allowing virtual inspections because he’s “done some virtual things lately and they’re not quite as good as the actual physical person (being) in front of you.” But, after talking with Jackson District Supervisor Toni Williams, a builder by trade, he said he was comfortable moving forward with the policy.
Mountain Road District Supervisor Tommy Barlow, a surveyor, said that he thought virtual inspections would work well for verifying that a house didn’t violate the county’s setback standards after an initial site visit determined the structure wasn’t in the setback.
“A virtual inspection would show that the house is where they looked at it for the initial inspection and it might save a trip,” Barlow said.
Coon and Williams noted that that item isn’t on the list of permitted virtual inspections, but it could potentially be considered in the future.
Board agrees to hold public hearing on proposed emergency water supply ordinance: Supervisors agreed to hold a public hearing and consider adoption of an emergency water supply ordinance proposed by the Louisa County Water Authority.
LCWA General Manager Pam Baughman told the board that the proposed ordinance would provide the authority the ability to implement a progressive water supply conservation program in the event of a threat to the area’s water supply or a water supply shortage. Either scenario could be caused by equipment failure, natural disasters, man-made disasters, breaks or failures in the distribution system, outbreaks of water-borne diseases, and treatment process breakdowns.
“Louisa County Water Authority does not have the ability to pass a resolution for the Board of Supervisors declaring the existence or reasonable likelihood that a water supply emergency could occur,” Baughman said.
In the event of a water supply shortage or threat to the water supply, the ordinance would authorize the Board of Supervisors to declare a water supply watch, warning or emergency and empower the water authority’s general manager to implement voluntary and mandatory conservation measures throughout its service area. The measures would conserve or curtail the use of water supplied by the authority.
When a potential threat to the water supply arises, like the probability of drought, the board could declare a water supply watch, per the draft ordinance. When the water supply begins to decline due to sustained drought or other conditions, supervisors could declare a water supply warning.
Both declarations empower LCWA to implement voluntary water conservation measures, calling on customers to eliminate non-essential water uses and the waste of water. Non-essential uses include watering lawns, golf courses, and other outdoor areas, washing vehicles, and using water for recreational facilities like swimming pools. The ordinance defines the waste of water as “permitting water to escape down a street, roadway, or other surface intended for vehicle driving purposes, and/or any gutter, ditch, or other surface drain” and “failure to repair a controllable leak of water due to defective plumbing.”
In the event of a shortage of water for essential uses, supervisors could declare a water supply emergency, empowering LCWA’s general manager to impose mandatory restrictions on water use. Such restrictions could include general limits on how water is used, suspension of most new connections to the authority's water distribution system, the imposition of water rationing and a partial or complete ban on the waste of water, among other measures.
The ordinance also provides the authority enforcement mechanisms and allows it to increase rates in the event of a water supply emergency.
Currently, LCWA has some authority to impose water restrictions under the county’s drought ordinance. The ordinance empowers the authority to limit the use of water in the event of a shortage after an emergency is declared by the Board of Supervisors. LCWA and the board last used that power in October 2017 when the county faced drought conditions.
At publication time, the county had not yet advertised a public hearing for the proposed ordinance.
Supes approve supplemental appropriation for LCPS capital projects: Supervisors approved a $296,000 supplemental appropriation for a handful of purchases included in Louisa County Public Schools’ Fiscal Year 2024 Capital Improvement Plan.
Finance Director Wanda Colvin told the board that Superintendent of Schools Doug Straley requested the money prior to supervisors’ formal adoption of the FY24 budget and the start of the next fiscal year because of the lead time required to complete the projects by the beginning of the next school year. She said the division wants the money in place so it can begin the procurement process though the funds won’t be expended until after July 1, the first day of the new fiscal year.
The Board of Supervisors traditionally adopts its budget for the coming fiscal year at its first May meeting then appropriate that funding at its second meeting in May. But, this year, supervisors opted to delay adopting its proposed $189.4 million spending plan as they await the General Assembly and governor’s approval of amendments to the biennial state budget. The school division and other county agencies rely heavily on state funding.
Of the $296,000 supplemental appropriation, the board allotted $60,000 for resurfacing tennis courts at Louisa County High School, $81,000 for electronic marquees, $80,000 for LED lighting and $30,000 for a swing set a Moss Nuckols Elementary School. It allotted $15,000 for three other expenditures: a sun canopy at Moss Nuckols, bleachers for the Jungle, the high school’s football stadium, and LCHS “trade storage.”
Including those expenditures, LCPS requested about $1.82 million in funding for capital projects in FY24 including roughly $840,000 for five new full-size school buses, one bus for special needs students, a 10-passenger van and maintenance equipment for the bus garage. Another $355,000 would cover the cost of technology improvements while $150,000 would pay for upgrades to HVAC systems.
Supervisors green-light affordable housing resolutions: Supervisors unanimously green-lighted a pair of resolutions aimed at helping the Fluvanna/Louisa Housing Foundation increase the supply of affordable housing in Louisa County.
With one resolution, supervisors waived all development fees associated with the proposed construction of a 25-unit affordable housing complex at 140 Resource Lane between the towns of Louisa and Mineral.
In December 2022, the board agreed to partner with FLHF to build the $3.25 million complex, committing $775,000 in federal funding to the effort. The county received that money via a Community Project Funding request—specifically earmarked for affordable housing—submitted by Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger’s office. It also plans to tap $647,000 in federal funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME Investment Partnerships program.
FLHF agreed to contribute more than $1.7 million toward the complex’s construction. The non-profit organization will own the property and rent its units to income-eligible residents. FLHF expects to derive at least some of its funding from state and federal grants.
The county’s Community Development Department is authorized to issue development fees for rezoning applications, zoning permits, building permits, and other processes associated with site development.
In a separate resolution, the board authorized FLHF to develop Community Development Block Grant applications aimed at securing state or federal funding for housing production, construction-ready sewer and water, and housing rehabilitation. The meeting materials don’t include any additional information about the resolution.
The cost to connect to public water and sewer infrastructure at the Resource Lane property, an 8.3-acre parcel currently owned by the Louisa County Industrial Development Authority, is expected to reach $900,000. The grant funding could potentially be used to cover at least some of that cost.
Supervisors didn’t discuss either resolution prior to adoption.
PC preview: Commission to consider CUP for equipment sales and rental business
The Louisa County Planning Commission on Thursday night will hold a public hearing and consider whether to recommend to the Board of Supervisors approval of Sortie, Inc.’s request for a Conditional Use Permit to operate an equipment sales and rental business at 6043 Jefferson Highway (Route 33) near its intersection with Pendleton Road (Route 522) in the Cuckoo Voting District. The .75-acre property (tmp 72 54A) is zoned general commercial (C-2).
According to his land use application, Ryan Odom, Sortie’s owner, plans to establish a business that sells and rents small equipment and offers truck and trailer rental. He estimates that the business would have about three customers per day. The parcel is already home to a building with a showroom. Odom leases the property from the Wayne R. Byrd Revocable Living Trust.
Louisa County Community Development Department staff recommends approval of the CUP with eight conditions including that the business use dark-sky compliant lighting, operate only between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday, and 9 am and 2 pm on Saturday and install a vegetative buffer on part of the property. After hours drop off for truck and trailer rentals would be permitted.
In its report, staff notes that, while the parcel is situated in an area designated as “rural,” the proposed use fits with the character of surrounding properties.
“The proposed business is consistent with the mixed character of the surrounding area which includes existing businesses that are commercial and industrial zoned parcels (dismantling/recycling of auto parts to the north and mini storage to the southwest),” staff writes. “It is the opinion of staff that the proposed equipment sales and rental business would not only broaden the County’s tax base by establishing a new business, but it will also be providing a service to the farmers, homeowners, and contractors in the County.”
Click here for contact information for the Louisa County Board of Supervisors.
Find agendas and minutes from previous Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission meetings as well as archived recordings here.
Click here for contact information for the Louisa County School Board.
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