Supervisors approve AWS infrastructure project; Board appoints Painting to PC; Mineral TC votes to expel Hempstead; Louisa town manager resigns
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.
Quiet coming week in county government
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According to Louisa County’s website, there are no public meetings the week of November 25 through November 30.
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Supes approve AWS infrastructure project
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors on Monday night okayed a multi-million-dollar wet utility infrastructure project, paving the way for large-scale data center development in parts of Louisa County. (meeting materials, video)
With little discussion, the board voted unanimously to infuse $87.9 million into the Fiscal Year 2025 budget to build a raw water pump station adjacent to the Northeast Creek Reservoir, about 12 miles of water lines and public sewer infrastructure to serve a pair of data center campuses under development by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
The board also approved a comprehensive agreement with Charlottesville-based Faulconer Construction, MEB and Timmons Group, operating as Louisa County Infrastructure, LLC, to design and build the infrastructure and hired Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson as a third-party engineer to monitor and manage the project.
AWS will pay for the project with some of that cost offset by local and state grants. Louisa County and the Louisa County Water Authority will build, own, operate and maintain it.
Supervisors announced last year that AWS, one of the world’s largest technology companies, plans to invest at least $11 billion by 2040 to build two data center campuses in the county’s Technology Overlay District (TOD). The TOD is a special zoning designation adopted by the board in April 2023 that’s aimed at attracting lucrative tech-sector development.
One of the campuses, dubbed the Lake Anna Technology Campus (LATC), is under development on 153 acres at the corner of Kentucky Springs Road (Route 652) and Haley Drive (Route 700) adjacent to the North Anna Nuclear Power Station. At full build out, the site will be home to seven data centers, covering some 1.7 million square feet and providing a minimum of 420 megawatts (MW) of data center capacity.
The other campus, called the North Creek Technology Campus (NCTC), is slated for about 830 acres of a 1,444-acre tract south of Jefferson Highway (Route 33) and east of Mt. Airy Road (Route 644) near the Northeast Creek Reservoir. For the first phase of development, AWS has submitted plans to build 10 data centers, covering about 3.28 million square feet and providing a minimum of 700 MW of capacity.
County officials have hailed the project as an economic boon, contending the campuses will provide millions of dollars in personal property and real estate tax revenue annually, create a few hundred high-paying permanent jobs and stimulate the local economy in other ways during the lengthy construction process.
Board Chair and Mineral District Supervisor Duane Adams reiterated those points on Monday night.
“There are two ways local government has to fund itself: one is raise people’s taxes; two is to bring in smart economic development. This multi-billion-dollar project is on 1,560 acres out of a 514-square mile county. I cannot think of smarter, [more] compact economic development for this county, which will provide tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue, construction jobs for the next 17 years and good, high-paying jobs for people in this county at complete buildout in 2040,” Adams said, adding, “We have put this county on an economic pathway that will allow it to be financially stable for the next 40 or 50 years.”
The infrastructure project
The wet utility infrastructure greenlighted on Monday will draw raw water from the publicly owned Northeast Creek Reservoir and deliver it to the campuses to cool the data centers. The giant warehouse-like facilities are critical pieces of 21st century infrastructure that house servers and networking equipment that support cloud-based computing, streaming, artificial intelligence and other internet-based services.
Per the comprehensive agreement, Louisa County Infrastructure, LLC will design and build a two-headed water pump station near the reservoir to serve the campuses, an 11-mile, 16-inch raw water line from the station to the LATC, traveling along a Dominion transmission line right-of-way, and two-way and four-way fiber conduit, which will allow the pump station to communicate with the campus.
For the NCTC, the firm will construct a 24-inch, 2,000-foot raw water line from the pump station under Route 33 to the campus, a 2,250-foot, 12-inch potable water line, two new sewer pump stations, including one at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, and a sewer force main running along Route 33 from the school to the campus.
Together, the campuses are expected to pull an average of 620,000 gallons of raw water per day from the reservoir. The NCTC is projected to use about 40,000 gallons of potable water daily. The LATC won’t have public potable water or public sewer service, instead using on-site facilities.
Amid concern that data center development will threaten the community’s water supply, Economic Development Director Andy Wade has said there’s ample water in the reservoir to accommodate the campuses, meet the needs of current customers and provide for future growth. The 187-acre impoundment is the primary source of drinking water for the Town of Louisa and surrounding areas.
A capacity study conducted by Johnson, Mirmiran and Thompson (JMT) last year determined that the reservoir has a safe yield capacity of 3.2 million gallons of water daily with current customers drawing 300,000 gallons per day and 500,000 gallons at peak demand.
Wade said that, in addition to covering the cost of the infrastructure, AWS will buy water from the authority at the same rate as residential customers. It will also pay for sewer service for the North Creek site.
The infrastructure for the NCTC is expected to be complete by June 2026 while the waterline to the LATC should be done by January 2027.
Project cost
The board approved an $87.9 million budget infusion on Monday night, which covers several components of the project. Based on current estimates, $84 million would go toward designing and building the infrastructure, $1.55 million is earmarked for JMT as the in-house project manager and $1.6 million would be reserved for easement acquisition along the LATC’s 11-mile route.
But Wade said the overall cost of the project would likely change because of several factors. He noted that, per the comprehensive agreement, the base cost to design and build the infrastructure is expected to be $55 million with another $29 million anticipated for “change orders.”
Wade said the latter figure could change as the design-build team “value engineers the project” and potentially identifies ways to save money.
To avoid a lengthy permitting process related to potential impact on wetlands, Wade said that the design-build team intends to drill 20 feet below the features, meaning contractors could encounter significant rock. The comprehensive agreement doesn’t include a rock allowance. Wade said that figure would be negotiated later and would likely increase the project’s cost.
Throughout the design-build process, County Administrator Christian Goodwin said the county would submit monthly invoices to AWS, which the company would pre-pay before the work is complete. The county would then disburse those funds to the design-build team.
County officials explained that, though the project’s funding is coming from AWS and not taxpayer dollars, state law requires that it’s added to the budget hence Monday night’s action.
Adams, the board’s chair, noted that putting the money to the budget “provides transparency so that people can see where the money is coming from and how it goes out.”
Impact on landowners
Wade has said that the 11-mile waterline to the LATC will travel along the same right-of-way as a Dominion-owned 230 kv transmission line. But AWS, via the county, would still be required to pay landowners for the right to use their underlying property. The budget infusion approved on Monday includes $1.6 million for easement acquisition.
If a landowner declines to provide an easement, Wade has said that the Louisa County Water Authority (LCWA), which will own the easements, would use eminent domain. LCWA is required to hold a public hearing before invoking that authority.
“Before we have the public hearing, we need to complete more project due diligence which we can now start since the contracts with the design build team have been approved. Surveying being the critical path so that we can establish easement areas and values for each individual property that we will purchase an easement from,” Wade said in an email last week.
Neither Wade nor other county officials discussed the details of the construction process and how it might impact landowners. But the comprehensive agreement requires the design-build team to create a website that provides weekly updates on the project.
It also requires contractors to contact landowners, via telephone and written notice, when working in their immediate area, to meet with property owners if questions or concerns arise and “to return any disturbed property to the same or better condition than it was prior to being disturbed.”
Community concerns
While large-scale data center development has met staunch resistance in some communities because of intensive water use, the threat of air pollution from diesel generators used as a backup power source, concerns about noise pollution and other potential ills, AWS’s plans have met limited pushback in Louisa—at least at public meetings.
But one resident weighed in during Monday’s public hearing to counter board members sunny outlook on the project.
Longtime Louisa resident William Hale told the board that, in the long run, residents won’t thank them for making a multi-billion-dollar deal with AWS.
“I understand that you are trying to do the right thing for the county. You are saddled with some pretty serious costs from residential development that were not accounted for in past decades…and you’re hoping, as I heard Mr. Adams say previously, ‘this is how we pay for the schools.’ But when people drive on the county roads and they hear the noise and they deal with the water issues and the power issues, they are not going to say thank you, board of supervisors, for getting us in this mess,” Hale said.
BOS roundup: Board appoints Painting to Jackson District PC seat
A new face is joining the Louisa County Planning Commission.
The board of supervisors on Monday night appointed Troy Painting to the Jackson District seat. The seat was previously held by Cy Weaver, who passed away in late August.
Jackson District Supervisor Toni Williams selected Painting, a Louisa native, veteran and father of three who owns Cooper Contracting, a commercial construction firm.
Williams said he chose Painting, in part, because he believes he shares his conservative approach to land planning and his interest in preserving the community’s rural character.
“{Troy} grew up in the county. I think he shares the same values I do on land planning and conserving and limiting development, especially in the Jackson District. I feel like we’re very like-minded,” Williams said.
While Painting doesn’t bring any experience in local government to the job, he’s been active in the community in other ways. He previously served as president of Louisa Little League, coached his children in youth sports and has been active in Louisa County Public Schools.
In 2019, he made a foray into local politics, running for sheriff. He lost that race to current Sheriff Donnie Lowe, garnering about 23 percent of the vote.
In a brief interview last week, Painting said he’s been researching what the job of planning commissioner entails, and he admits that he faces a steep learning curve. But he said he’s eager to put in the work and excited to play a role in shaping the county’s future.
“[I’ve discovered there’s] a lot to [the job] now that I've really researched it,” Painting said. “There's a lot going on. I've lived here my entire life and [I’m excited about] the opportunity to shape and guide [my] neighborhood, community and county.”
Painting believes that his years working in commercial construction, where he’s been involved in projects from initial sitework to final inspection, will help him as a commissioner. He also noted that he’s an avid reader and looks forward to taking a deep dive into the projects and issues that come before the commission.
Per state code, the planning commission is tasked with promoting “orderly development” and acting as an advisory body to the board of supervisors on a range of matters, from specific land use decisions to planning for transportation, public utilities and other infrastructure.
In the next year, the commission will have a lot on its plate, leading a state-mandated review of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, a long-range planning document that lays out a vision for the county’s future development.
Several board members, including Williams, have said they’re interested in reining in residential growth, noting that, over the last three years, Louisa ranks as the third-fastest growing locality in the state, according to the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
Williams has said the influx of new residents is increasing the demand for county services and ballooning the budget, and county leaders need to consider changing its zoning rules to limit development, especially outside of designated growth areas.
“We may see some potential changes to A-1 and A-2 zoning in the county to limit further residential growth,” Williams said last week, adding that he’s still formulating ideas about next steps and hasn’t come up with any specific proposals.
Painting hesitated to expand on his thoughts about slowing growth, saying he wants to get up to speed on the work in front of the commission. He said that, as a native of the Apple Grove area, he values the county’s rural heritage, but understands that its leaders must strike a “delicate balance” that protects the rights of private property owners and the interests of the larger community.
“We are rural America. I've said that my whole life…but how do you [preserve] rural America?” Painting asked.
That question will likely be at the center of many conversations in Louisa County’s Public Meeting Room in the year to come.
Board oks siting agreement policy for utility-scale solar development
Supervisors voted 7-0 to adopt a policy establishing minimum standards for utility-scale solar project siting agreements.
Siting agreements are essentially deals between localities and solar developments aimed at mitigating a project’s impact and providing other compensation. Per state code, they can include cash payments for certain capital needs and broadband deployment, among other items.
The board’s solar committee, comprised of Board Chair and Mineral District Supervisor Duane Adams and Patrick Henry District Supervisor Fitzgerald Barnes, recommended the policy. In a memo to the board, the committee said the standards would “help renewable energy development projects protect local values and resources.”
Under the policy, siting agreements for utility-scale solar projects are required to meet several minimum standards. Most notably, developers must remit an annual payment to Louisa County at least equal 0.1 percent of the county’s operating budget per megawatt (MW) of power produced.
Deputy County Administrator Chris Coon said that, under the current operating budget, that figure would be roughly $156,000, meaning a 20 MW project would be required to pay the county about $3.12 million annually.
The policy further stipulates that 25 percent of funding generated by a siting agreement “should be allocated to affordable housing initiatives within the county.”
The policy also recommends that the owners of large-scale solar projects provide at least $500 in annual compensation to adjacent property owners in the form of either electric bill abatement or property tax abatement.
“This provision acknowledges the potential impact on neighboring properties and offers tangible benefits to nearby residents,” the committee’s memo said.
In addition, the policy requires utility-scale solar projects to start generating electricity no more than three years after approval. Failure to meet the timeline would require renegotiation of the existing siting agreement, reapplication for a Conditional Use Permit and updating the project’s decommissioning bond to comply with current standards.
The policy applies to any utility-scale solar project not yet permitted by the board of supervisors. Per county code, utility-scale solar encompasses solar generation facilities that produce at least two megawatts of power.
Adams said that passing the standards as a policy allows them to take effect immediately, but the committee wants to see them codified in the county’s solar ordinance. That requires a lengthier public approval process, including public hearings in front of the planning commission and the board of supervisors.
Currently, there are two projects actively moving through the county’s approval process that would be impacted by the policy: BW Solar Holding, Inc.’s proposed 5 MW facility off Peach Grove Road and Louisa Solar 1, LLC’s proposed 3 MW shared solar array off Kloeckner Road.
The board is scheduled to hold a public hearing to consider BW Solar’s application at its January 21 meeting. The planning commission is expected to hold a public hearing on Louisa Solar 1’s request at its December 12 meeting.
Barnes and Green Springs District Supervisor Rachel Jones touted the provision creating a potential revenue stream for affordable housing as an important part of the policy.
Both said that addressing housing affordability needs to be a top priority going forward, and the provision shows the board is committed to tackling the issue.
“The last three conferences I’ve attended, affordable housing has been at the top of the charts. The governor came into a conference last week and listed affordable housing as the number one concern that we need to address in the commonwealth,” Barnes said. “These siting agreements will help us get some funds where we can start doing some things.”
While siting agreements would produce revenue for affordable housing in theory, it’s unclear what impact the new policy will have in practice.
That’s because the hefty per megawatt payment required by the policy could deter some developers from pursuing projects in the county.
Plus, the board earlier this year capped the amount of land that can be used for utility-scale solar generation at two percent of the county’s land mass, or 6,343 acres. Supervisors have already approved seven utility-scale solar projects, covering some 5,200 acres. If all of those facilities are constructed, it would leave limited room under the cap for future projects.
Beyond that, some board members have made clear that they aren’t interested in approving any more solar facilities, citing concerns that solar panels are gobbling up farms and forests, and threatening the community’s rural character. The last time the board approved a large-scale solar project was January 2022.
One thing that could change the course of solar development in the county is action by the state legislature in Richmond where some lawmakers are pushing to curtail local control over the approval process.
To meet the clean energy goals laid out in state law, they say that state agencies should have more power in greenlighting large-scale solar and wind generation facilities.
It’s unclear how efforts to limit local control would impact the county’s siting agreement standards.
Goodwin provides brief update on animal control ordinance
While the meeting agenda advertised “a discussion” about the county’s animal control ordinance, members of the public instead got a roughly 30-second update from County Administrator Christian Goodwin and no comments from board members.
Goodwin reminded the board that a community member had expressed concern at a recent meeting about roving animals repeatedly visiting her aging mother’s home, and that several other residents had reached out with complaints about roaming dogs.
Goodwin said he met with Chief Animal Control Officer Alyssa Ellison and Major Ronnie Roberts of the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office about the issues, and they provided “good feedback” on a way the board could make the ordinance “more effective going forward.”
Goodwin said that staff will draft an update to the ordinance in the coming week, and he’ll present it to the board for consideration “very soon.”
At the board’s November 4 meeting, Jackson District resident Amy Ware voiced frustration with what she characterized as animal control officers’ refusal to rein in roaming goats, dogs, a donkey and a horse that routinely visit her 87-year-old mother’s home.
Ware said that her mother, who suffers from dementia, had been knocked to the ground by the horse and that the animals have chased and harassed caregivers. She also noted that the animals damaged plants, bird feeders and other items.
Ware said that she has called Louisa County Animal Control hundreds of times and contacted others in county government for help, but the problems persist.
“The lack of action by the sheriff’s office and animal control is appalling to me. I am told over and over by deputies [that] unless they witness the event, there is nothing they can do. Even with evidence on camera, [they claim] that this board will not put any penalties in place that make it worth their effort to impound animals or otherwise act because the animals will just be returned to the owner. Specifically, they say they can’t keep property when they know where the owner is, or they’d be breaking the law. All I’m told is to go file with the magistrate to get the existing state law enforced,” Ware said, adding, “Then the board and county administration tell me animal control officers already have the tools they need to do their jobs, and I am not being given accurate information.”
In response to Ware’s comments, Mountain Road District Supervisor Tommy Barlow suggested that the board revisit an emergency ordinance aimed at reining in at-large livestock that it temporarily adopted last year after roving goats and sheep repeatedly damaged a neighbor’s property and wandered onto Interstate 64.
The board decided not to permanently implement the ordinance or otherwise beef up its rules after some farmers argued that the move could unfairly penalize them and then-County Attorney Helen Phillips contended that, at least in some circumstances, animal control officers already had ample power to impound the animals.
“I would like to see us take another look at this thing and find out if we need to change our ordinances or if what we have is just simply not being enforced,” Barlow said.
Amid repeated complaints from community members, the board has made some efforts to strengthen its rules regarding roaming dogs.
In May 2022, supervisors enacted an ordinance that bars dogs from running at-large year-round and institutes an escalating penalty structure for repeat offenders. Under the previous rules, at-large canines were only prohibited in April, May and June. Per state law, the ordinance includes an exemption for hunting dogs.
Board appoints new county assessor
At the recommendation of Commissioner of the Revenue Stacey Fletcher, supervisors voted unanimously to appoint Theresa Born as the new county assessor. The job was previously held by Rich Gasper.
Born will head the eight-person assessor’s office, which is charged with annually determining the value of the county’s real estate for tax purposes. Per state code, the office bases its assessments on a property’s market value, drawing on sales data from surrounding and similar properties, among other information.
Born comes to the county with 37 years of experience in property valuation and appraisal, having served as an assessor in several localities, according to Fletcher. Most recently, she worked as a senior property appraisal consultant and a certified general real estate appraiser with the Virginia Department of Taxation.
Though the board is tasked with appointing the county assessor, the assessor’s office isn’t under its supervision. The office works in conjunction with the Commissioner of the Revenue’s office. The commissioner is one of the county’s five elected constitutional officers.
Mineral Town Council votes to expel Hempstead
The Mineral Town Council on Thursday night voted 5-0 to expel Council Member David Hempstead, accusing him of negligence of duty, misconduct of office, misuse of office, and multiple violations of the town’s code and council’s civility pledge.
Hempstead was appointed to the body in April then elected in a special election on November 5.
Based on a disciplinary process outlined in Robert’s Rules of Order, the parliamentary procedure under which council conducts meetings, council members held a trial in closed session then subsequently voted to oust their colleague. Hempstead didn’t attend the meeting.
Council set the trial at a special meeting on November 7, two days after Hempstead finished second in a special election to fill two of council’s six seats. Hempstead wasn’t present at the meeting but was notified via email the next day that council would hold a hearing to consider “potential disciplinary action or [removing him] as a council member.”
In a telephone interview on Friday, Hempstead called the trial “a kangaroo court” and said that his colleagues were trying to silence him for questioning the way they run the town.
He also said that, under state code, council doesn’t have the authority to remove him, adding that he’s reached out to Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office, and he’s waiting to hear back.
Council voted to expel Hempstead after a roughly 75-minute closed-door hearing. Using Robert’s Rules of Order’s disciplinary process, council considered evidence gathered by an investigative committee appointed by Mayor Ed Jarvis. Council members were also authorized to hear witness testimony.
According to the procedure, Hempstead’s expulsion required a two-thirds majority vote, not a simple majority like most council action. All five of Hempstead’s colleagues voted to remove him: Vice Mayor Ron Chapman, Michelle Covert, Bernice Kube, Olivia McCarthy and Becky McGehee.
Council voted to expel Hempstead from both his appointed term and his elected term. Hempstead’s appointed term ended on November 12 when the Louisa County Electoral Board certified the special election results. His elected term began the same day.
In a brief interview after the meeting, Jarvis said that council had provided Hempstead with the investigative committee’s report prior to the hearing, and he was encouraged to show up and defend himself against its allegations.
Hempstead said that he never received a list of charges, noting that the only correspondence he had received from the town regarding the trial was the initial notification sent the day after the special meeting.
“They sent me an email telling me they were going to put me on trial, and I had two weeks to put my defense together,” he said.
Other than the broad allegations mentioned in the motion to expel, council members haven’t publicly shared details about the specific transgressions that prompted them to dismiss Hempstead. But Chapman suggested in an interview earlier this month that at least some of his concerns centered on Hempstead’s treatment of town staff.
Chapman also alluded to a “personal attack” that Hempstead allegedly directed at him but said it didn’t play a role in his support for conducting the trial.
“I could care less what he thinks about me personally. But, his behavior, the fact that town staff is afraid to be at their desk, that is what drives me to making sure we are protecting the interests of our employees and the town,” Chapman said.
Council’s decision to expel Hempstead comes on the heels of other disciplinary action, which was prompted, in part, by his alleged mistreatment of staff.
In mid-October, council members voted unanimously to censure their colleague. In a two-page resolution, council alleged that Hempstead had acted in a “less than professional manner,” accusing him of harassing and demeaning town staff, including the town manager, clerk and treasurer, as well as fellow council members.
The resolution also alleged that Hempstead ignored town protocol by using his personal email account to conduct public business; shared documents discussed in closed session without authorization, including paperwork that was part of a contract negotiation; and overstepped his authority as a council member, among other allegations.
As part of the censure, council directed Hempstead to “cease and desist” all direct communication with staff and instead communicate through the mayor and relevant committee chair. The resolution also instructed Hempstead to submit a written apology to staff, via the mayor, within 48 hours.
Hempstead has sought to defend himself against the censure. He’s insisted that, what council characterized as harassment, was merely an effort to get information about Town Clerk Stephanie Dorman and Town Manager Nicole Washington’s job qualifications.
He’s also said that he shared an executed contract related to an agreement the town made with Clayton Homes, the developer of a controversial 14-lot subdivision on the eastern edge of town when it was a “done deal.” He said the contract was a public document, but council members wanted to hide it.
Jarvis said on Thursday that council is waiting to see whether Hempstead pursues legal action and hasn’t decided on whether it would appoint another citizen to fill his seat.
Hempstead said on Friday that council violated the law in removing him and he has reached out to the attorney general’s office to discuss the issue. He referenced a section of state code that details a process for ousting a local elected officer, which council didn’t follow. And he said that Robert’s Rules of Order carry no legal weight, noting they’re just a guide to running meetings.
Jarvis and Chapman have said that, according to Robert Sproul, the town’s legal counsel, council has the authority to remove a duly elected member based on provisions in the town’s charter and code, and under the guidance of Robert Rules of Order.
As Hempstead noted, state law lays out a specific process for removing a local elected official. It includes filing a petition in circuit court signed by at least “a number of registered voters who reside within the jurisdiction of the officer equal to 10 percent of the total number of votes cast at the last election for the office that the officer holds.”
The court may remove the officer if it determines he or she committed a specific offense laid out in code, including but not limited to, “neglect of a clear, ministerial duty of the office, misuse of the office, or incompetence in the performance of the duties of the office when that neglect of duty, misuse of office, or incompetence in the performance of duties has a material adverse effect upon the conduct of the office.”
In some instances, however, town charters specify a removal procedure that supersedes state code. In the Town of Amherst, for example, the town’s charter provides that council can “expel a member with the concurrence of two-thirds.”
That process mirrors provisions in both the Virginia and US Constitution, which permit each chamber of the General Assembly and Congress to expel a member with a two-thirds majority vote.
In 2019, Amherst’s council used the process to oust a member, according to media reports.
Mineral’s charter doesn’t lay out a removal process, however. It says that council “shall establish its own rules of order and procedure, and may punish its own members and other persons for violations thereof.”
A town ordinance adopted last year requires that council conduct business using Robert’s Rules of Order.
Sproul, the town’s legal counsel, didn’t respond to multiple emails asking for clarification on where council derives the authority to remove a duly elected member.
Chris Guerre contributed research for this article.
Louisa town manager resigns
A high-ranking official in Town of Louisa government is stepping down from her position.
Liz Nelson, who has served as Louisa’s town manager for more than five years, submitted her resignation to town council on November 12. Nelson’s last day on the job is December 6.
Nelson told Engage Louisa that she’s leaving town government to take another position though she declined to name her future employer.
“I was given an offer to go back to my accounting and finance roots, and I felt that it was in the best interest for me and my family,” she said.
Prior to becoming town manager, Nelson served as the town’s treasurer for four years. Before that, she worked for Virginia Community Bank, managing two branches on Main Street in Louisa.
Nelson’s decision to leave town government comes amid a shakeup in its elected leadership. Former Mayor Garland Nuckols resigned in mid-September mid-way through his third term, prompting council to appoint longtime council member Danny Carter to fill the position on an interim basis.
And in November’s general election, voters elected two new members to the town’s five-person governing body: Danny Crawford and Roger Henry. Voters returned one-term incumbent Sylvia Rigsby to council but ousted two-term incumbent Jessi Lassiter, who has served as vice mayor for the last seven years.
Nelson said that the recent changes in the mayor’s office and on council didn’t play a role in her decision to leave her position.
“Job opportunities don't come up overnight. This has been in the process for a little while. I was presented with an opportunity, and I pursued it. It was a hard decision for me to come to, knowing that I was leaving a place that I legitimately loved working at. I loved working with the council and the citizens,” Nelson said.
A Louisa County native, Nelson said that she will miss working for the town, noting the central role it’s played in her career and her deep affection for the community.
“My career in the town started long before I was ever an employee of the town. Both of the branches that I managed at Virginia Community Bank were located in the town, so I've worked for my entire career in the Town of Louisa. It holds a special place in my heart,” she said.
In reflecting on her tenure with the town, Nelson said that she and other town leaders had successfully navigated several significant challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We went through the pandemic just a few months after I was appointed town manager, but the town has great staff. We worked well together and made it through all of that,” she said.
Nelson said that she’s especially proud of a couple accomplishments. Under her leadership, she said the town has made significant improvements to its aging infrastructure. She also said it’s gotten its finances in order.
“When I came to the town, [its audits were] not where [they] needed to be, so myself along with staff, and with the support of the council, worked through all that. Now, we have great audits, and it makes our financial position so much better. We're able to borrow money to get stuff done at lower interest rates,” she said. “Also, [I’m proud of] some of the work we've done on the infrastructure. A lot of times it goes unnoticed when you're working on material that's in the ground. But the town has made vast improvements on all of their water and sewer [infrastructure], and it’s continuing to do that today.”
Carter, the interim mayor who served on council throughout Nelson’s tenure, praised her leadership and said the town is losing a valuable asset.
“Liz has been a godsend. She's done a great job. She's up on everything, so I feel like we're going to lose so much by her leaving. Hopefully, that void will be filled at some point. She means so much to the town, to the staff and to all of us,” Carter said.
Council decided at its November 19 meeting that Police Chief Craig Buckley will fill in as town manager on an interim basis, Carter said. Sergeant Mark Nachtman will take over Buckley’s role as head of the police department with Buckley staying on as a consultant.
Buckley has served as the town’s police chief for nearly four years. Prior to coming to Louisa, he worked for the Fairfax County Police Department for 25 years, according to his profile on LinkedIn.
Carter said that council’s personnel committee, which currently includes Lassiter and John Jerl Purcell, IV, will make recommendations to the body on how to proceed in its search for a permanent replacement. He noted that there are various organizations and firms that could potentially help including the Virginia Municipal League and the Berkley Group, a local government consulting firm.
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What exemption did the Mineral Town Council specifically cite for holding a closed session? All meetings are required to be open unless they specifically cite an exemption under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.