BOS preview: Supervisors to consider contract for Shannon Hill utilities; SD10 Republicans to choose nominee for special election at Dec. 13 mass meeting; Roundup of recent board appointments
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, Dec. 2 through Dec. 7
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 occasionally schedules internal committee/work group meetings after publication time. Check the county’s website for the most updated information).
Monday, December 2
Louisa County Board of Supervisors, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 6 pm. The board will convene in closed session at 5 pm. (agenda packet, livestream)
Tuesday, December 3
Louisa County School Board, Central Office Administration Building, 953 Davis Highway, Mineral, 7 pm. (agenda, livestream)
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.
BOS preview: At final meeting of 2024, supes to consider contract for Shannon Hill utilities, talk honorary road naming policy
After canceling its second December meeting earlier this year, the Louisa County Board of Supervisors on Monday night will convene for its final meeting of calendar year 2024 with a light agenda on tap. Check out a meeting preview below.
Supervisors to consider awarding contract for SHRBP off-site utilities
Supervisors are poised to take another step toward developing the Shannon Hill Regional Business Park.
The board will consider awarding Aspen Construction a $27.58 million contract to deliver wet utility infrastructure to the park, a 700-acre industrial site that the county is developing just north of the Shannon Hill exit off Interstate 64.
According to a memo from Economic Development Director Andy Wade and Purchasing Officer Sam Massie, Aspen was the lowest bidder among the four companies that vied for the project. The Minnesota-based firm’s bid came in about $7.3 million below the second-lowest bidder, Charlottesville-based Faulconer Construction.
Under the contract, Aspen will build a seven-mile, 16-inch water main and seven-mile, 12-inch sewer force main along Route 250, linking the park to Ferncliff. The infrastructure is expected to cost $22.8 million with another $4.7 million tacked on for contingencies.
The county began developing the Shannon Hill site in 2019 with hopes of attracting distribution centers, advanced manufacturing or other large-scale economic development projects that bulk up the tax base and create jobs.
The county hasn’t brought any businesses to the site yet. But Wade has said that readying the park, including investing in public utilities, transportation infrastructure and graded pad sites, is necessary to attract major industry.
With the infrastructure’s development, the park is poised to reach Tier 4 status on the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s (VEDP) ranking of site readiness. The state uses the rankings as a measuring stick for site preparedness and as a marketing tool.
Tier 4 denotes sites where all infrastructure is in place or will be deliverable within 12 months and all permit issues have been identified and quantified. Tier 5 sites, the highest rung, are considered shovel ready.
Supervisors allocated about $27.5 million to bring wet utility infrastructure to the park in the Fiscal Year 2024 capital budget. About 40 percent of that money came from a VEDP grant aimed at accelerating site readiness. Supervisors agreed to float some $17 million in bonds to cover the rest of the infrastructure’s projected cost.
Last year, the board took the first major step toward installing water infrastructure at the site, approving a $5.6 million contract with Landmark Construction to build a 750,000-gallon elevated water storage tank and accompanying booster station.
The Louisa County Industrial Development Authority has agreed to reimburse the county for that component of the project, tapping revenue it’s expected to receive from a lease agreement with Energix Renewables, an Arlington-based solar developer.
Energix plans to build a 118 megawatt (MW) utility-scale solar array and 50 MW battery storage facility at the 1200-acre Cooke Industrial Rail Park, most of which is owned by the IDA. Supervisors greenlighted the solar facility in January 2022. To date, Energix hasn’t started construction.
Board to discuss Household Hazardous Waste Day
Louisa County sponsors two Household Hazardous Waste Days each year at the Louisa County Landfill, allowing residents to dispose of paint, cleaning products, fluorescent bulbs, computer equipment and other items free of charge.
As the biennial event grows in popularity, its cost to the county continues to rise, prompting County Administrator Christian Goodwin to propose potential changes to the program.
The board will discuss the program’s future on Monday night.
In a memo to the board, Goodwin says that because hazardous waste poses an environmental threat, its disposal in the landfill is “controlled.” To help ensure that its discarded properly, the county brings in a special contractor for one day each spring and fall that accepts hazardous waste directly from citizens and charges the county for its disposal on a per item basis.
A chart included in the memo shows that the cost of the program has more than doubled in the last five years. In 2019, the county paid about $65,000 for the service and about $80 per vehicle. This year, the program cost about $150,000, about $258 per vehicle. In the last year alone, the cost of the program jumped more than $50,000.
Given the increase, Goodwin suggests that the program’s cost “could be controlled by placing reasonable per-citizen limits on item counts.” Alternatively, he says, the current approach could be maintained to ensure that hazardous waste is “both brought to the landfill (as opposed to illegal dumping) and treated appropriately.”
Goodwin recommends the board either direct staff on the approach it prefers or assign a workgroup to study the issue.
Supes to talk honorary road naming policy
Supervisors will again discuss a draft policy aimed at establishing guidelines for naming a slice of roadway in a citizen’s honor.
Louisa District Supervisor Manning Woodward sparked the discussion at the board’s October 21 meeting when he requested that the board name a mile-long stretch of Davis Highway (Route 22) in front of Louisa County High School in honor of Col. Samuel Nelson Drew.
A 1966 LCHS graduate, Drew served in the Air Force and as a diplomat with the State Department, playing a key role in bringing peace to the Balkans. In 1995, he died in an accident while traveling in the region and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by then-President Bill Clinton.
Woodward’s request prompted the board to form a committee to work with staff to craft a process for evaluating honorary road dedication proposals. He and Green Springs District Supervisor Rachel Jones agreed to serve on the panel.
The committee initially presented a draft policy at the board’s November 4 meeting, which would’ve limited honorary road namings to individuals with strong ties to Louisa County who garnered notable distinction at the national or international level.
But Jones expressed concern that the limitation would exclude some worthy residents, like law enforcement officers, who gained distinction locally. The meeting materials include a tweaked draft that broadens the eligibility requirements.
Under the proposal, residents, organizations and county officials could present naming requests to the board for consideration. Honorary road names would be limited to one approval per year and reserved for “individuals with significant national or international achievements, or those who made ultimate sacrifices in service to the community or country.”
Any honoree must have strong connections to the community, per the policy, including either being born or raised in Louisa County, graduating from an educational institution in the county or providing distinguished service to the community.
An honoree must achieve significant recognition at a national or international level including, but not limited to, “receiving awards or honors conferred by national or international bodies” or making notable contributions in fields such as government, military, arts and culture, sports, or business, among others, “which have garnered widespread acclaim and positively impacted society.”
Alternatively, an honoree must be “a first responder or member of the military with ties to Louisa County who died in the line of duty or during combat, beginning with service in 1917 (World War I) and continuing through recognized conflicts thereafter.” Eligible individuals include law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), other public safety personnel, and active-duty military members.
In addition, an honoree’s achievements and conduct “must reflect positively on Louisa County, upholding values of integrity, service, and dedication.”
The proposed policy would also allow the board of supervisors to nominate any individual for an honorary road naming, regardless of the specific eligibility criteria.
The meeting materials include a draft application that would be required for submission as part of the honorary naming process. The board would review each application to ensure the nominee meets eligibility requirements and vote on whether to name a section of roadway in the nominee’s honor.
If supervisors opt to move forward with the naming, county officials would “coordinate with relevant departments and stakeholders to establish an honorary road name in honor of the individual.”
The organization or individual that submitted the application would be required to cover the cost of signage and a dedication ceremony would be arranged to provide “an opportunity for the community to celebrate the honoree’s achievements.”
County officials have said that honorary road namings are only a symbolic measure and wouldn’t impact the county’s 911 system.
Robinson, Farmer, Cox to present annual audit
A representative from Robinson, Farmer, Cox Associates will brief the board on the county’s Fiscal Year 2024 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, a document that includes the results of an independent audit and provides a snapshot of the county’s finances. The meeting materials don’t include any additional information about the presentation.
Board to consider appropriation for new electronic poll books
Supervisors will consider giving the Office of Elections a greenlight to spend $76,700 on new electronic poll books for the county’s 14 precincts.
In anticipation of purchasing the equipment in the near future, the board set aside $38,747 in the last several capital budgets. But, according to the proposed resolution, the office’s current poll books need to be replaced sooner than expected because the vendor no longer offers technical support for the equipment.
If approved, supervisors would draw the additional $37,952 needed for the purchase from the county’s general fund. The expenditure will also cover the cost of two on-demand ballot printers.
J. Sargeant Reynolds CC to present annual update
Dr. Paula Pando, president of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, will present her annual update to the board.
One of Virginia’s 23 community colleges, Reynolds has campuses in Goochland and Henrico counties and the City of Richmond.
Supervisors allocated $32,074 to the school in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget with $23,618 of that earmarked for capital projects.
SD10 Special Election: Republicans to choose nominee to replace McGuire at Dec. 13 mass meeting in Goochland
Republican leaders in the 10th state Senate District last week set the location and changed the date of a mass meeting to choose the party’s nominee for a special election to replace Sen. John McGuire (R-Goochland). McGuire is set to vacate the seat after winning the 5th District congressional race in early November.
The party-run nominating contest will be held on Friday, December 13 at the Goochland Sports Complex, 1800 Sandy Hook Road. Registration runs from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm with participation open to voters who reside in the district. Attendees will be credentialed upon check-in and must provide a government-issued photo ID. (For more information, click here).
The party’s 10th District Legislative Committee selected the date and location at a meeting last Tuesday night. During a meeting a week earlier, committee members chose a mass meeting as the nominating method and initially scheduled it for a day earlier. But they opted to wait a week before settling on a location.
The Goochland facility wasn’t available on Thursday but was available on Friday. The committee ultimately decided to hold the event in Goochland and change the date.
In a mass meeting, voters gather at a single location then vote in rounds until one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote.
The 10th is a sprawling, mostly rural district, stretching from exurban Richmond nearly to Lynchburg. It covers all or part of 11 localities including most of Louisa County. The non-partisan Virginia Public Access Project rates the district “strong Republican.”
Goochland County is located at the district’s eastern end, about an hour and a half drive from Appomattox County at its southwestern edge.
Given the district’s conservative lean, the battle for the Republican nomination has turned into a crowded affair, drawing seven contenders to date. Candidates have until Wednesday, December 4 to file with the party and be considered for the nomination.
At publication time, the contenders include:
Louisa County Board of Supervisors Chair Duane Adams, who finished second to McGuire in a Republican nominating contest in the 10th last year;
Former state senator and far-right firebrand Amanda Chase, who lost her senate seat in a Republican primary last year then moved from Chesterfield to Appomattox and announced plans to run in the 10th;
Amelia resident and recent University of Richmond grad Alex Cheatham;
Prince Edward County entrepreneur Luther Cifers, founder of YakAttack, a maker of kayak fishing supplies;
Real estate appraiser and party activist Jean Gannon, a former chair of the Powhatan County Republican Committee;
Bryan Hamlet, a member of the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors;
Shayne Snavely, a former aide to Chase and state Senator Bryce Reeves;
The committee’s decisions regarding the nominating process have drawn muted responses from most of the contenders. But Chase, who often refers to herself as “Trump in heels” has been the exception.
In an email to supporters Tuesday evening, Chase said that she’s thankful the committee moved the mass meeting from Thursday to Friday. In a previous email, she’d complained that holding the meeting on a weeknight would make it harder for “working people” to participate.
Chase has also criticized the committee for selecting a mass meeting as the nominating method, saying she prefers a firehouse primary, also known as a party canvass or unassembled caucus. The latter method is similar to a traditional primary where voters show up at designated polling locations, cast their ballot then leave and the winning candidate isn’t required to get more than 50 percent of the vote.
Chase has suggested that a mass meeting could limit participation and turn into a lengthy affair.
“You may want to pack some snacks, water and even a lunch. It's such a small price to pay for our freedom. My hope is that enough of my supporters come out to vote so that we win on the first round of voting,” Chase said in a campaign email.
So far, Louisa County resident Jack Trammell is the only Democrat in the race. The college professor and farmer ran for the 7th Congressional District seat a decade ago, losing to former Congressman Dave Brat
Should it be necessary, 10th District Democrats will hold a firehouse primary to choose their nominee on Monday, December 9 from 6 pm to 8 pm at 10 polling locations across the district. Candidates have until Monday, December 2 to file with the party. If Trammell is the only candidate, the event will be canceled. (For more information, click here).
It’s unclear when the special election to choose McGuire’s replacement will take place because the congressman-elect hasn’t resigned his seat.
Under Virginia law, the official tasked with ordering the election—in this case, Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth)—has 30 days to schedule the contest from the date of the vacancy or receipt of notification of the vacancy, whichever comes first. Because McGuire hasn’t submitted a formal resignation letter, Lucas hasn’t ordered the election.
Lucas did schedule a special election in the 32nd Senate District after receiving a letter of resignation from Democrat Suhas Subramanyam, who’s vacating the seat after winning the 10th District Congressional race. That election is set for January 7, the day before the start of the upcoming General Assembly session.
Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle (R-Hanover), the top-ranking Republican in the body, told Virginia Public Media last week that he expects there to be a special election to fill McGuire’s seat by January 7.
Democrats currently hold a 21-19 majority in the senate.
Roundup of recent board appointments
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors appoint citizens and county officials to several dozen boards and committees, which inform policy decisions and oversee the operation of publicly-funded institutions, among other duties. These boards and committees often garner little attention but play a key role in local government administration. Below is a roundup of the board’s appointments from December 2023 through November 2024.
The board appointed Troy Painting to the Louisa County Planning Commission to represent the Jackson District;
The board appointed Matthew “Matt” Kersey to the Louisa County Planning Commission to represent the Louisa District;
The board appointed Donya Bauer to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee to represent the Louisa District;
The board appointed Chad Hensley to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee to represent the Green Springs District;
The board reappointed Barbara Perkins to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission as an at-large member;
The board appointed Robin Horne to the Lake Anna Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Harry Looney to the Lake Anna Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Page Kemp to the Industrial Development Authority to represent the Jackson District;
The board appointed Bo Bundrick to the Industrial Development Authority to Represent the Louisa District;
The board appointed Nathan Newcomb to the Industrial Development Authority to represent the Mountain Road District;
The board reappointed Dustin Madison to the Industrial Development Authority to represent the Mineral District (Madison previously represented the Louisa District);
The board appointed Bill Groome to the Commission on Aging to represent the Mountain Road District;
The board appointed Philip Madell to the Commission on Aging to represent the Green Springs District;
The board reappointed Jonathan Tustin to the Commission on Aging to represent the Louisa District;
The board reappointed Barbara Hollins to the Commission on Aging to represent the Jackson District;
The board reappointed Willa “Kathy” Swarthout to the Commission on Aging to represent the Cuckoo District;
The board appointed Tracy Clark to the Tourism Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Sheridan Grime to the Tourism Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Mike Kavros to the Tourism Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Kristy McGehee to the Tourism Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Judy Winslow to the Tourism Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Liz Nelson to the Tourism Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Melanie Baker to the Tourism Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Breese Glennon to the Tourism Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Ed Jarvis to the Tourism Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Melissa Young to the Tourism Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Cass Lloyd to the Tourism Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Bernice Kube to the Tourism Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Ronda Guill to the Tourism Advisory Committee;
The board appointed Elliot Golden to the Transportation Safety Commission to represent the Cuckoo District;
The board appointed Carson Lewis to the Piedmont Virginia Community College Board;
The board appointed Mountain Road District Supervisor Tommy Barlow to the James River Water Authority Board;
The board reappointed D.D. Watson to the James River Water Authority Board as a Louisa County citizen representative;
The board appointed Finance Director Wanda Colvin to the Rappahannock Juvenile Detention Center Board as an alternate;
The board reappointed Judson Foster to the Louisa County Water Authority Board of Directors;
The board reappointed Wendy Smith to the Jefferson Area Board for Aging Advisory Committee;
The board reappointed Joanne Hoyle to the Jefferson Area Board for Aging Advisory Committee;
The board reappointed Amanda Welch to the Thomas Jefferson Water Resources Protection Foundation Board;
The board reappointed Mountain Road District Supervisor Tommy Barlow to the Thomas Jefferson Area Community Criminal Justice Board;
News roundup: State grant protects farm in Louisa County
Engage Louisa focuses on Louisa County government. We recognize that we can’t cover everything and there’s plenty of other news in our neck of the woods. With that in mind, we occasionally include a roundup of links to the work of other journalists and organizations covering noteworthy events and issues that impact our community.
New state grants protect thousands of acres of area woods and farms including farmland in Louisa County -Richmond Times-Dispatch (subscription required)
McGuire says ‘timing’ behind delayed Virginia Senate exit -Virginia Public Media
No fireworks and much agreement at the first Republican candidate forum for Senate District 10 -Cardinal News
Proposed board would advise localities on large solar projects -Cardinal News
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.
Click here for minutes and agendas for School Board meetings. Click here for archived video.
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