This week in county government; Louisa residents head to polls for pivotal June 20 primaries; PC recommends approval of 5 MW solar facility; BOS approves emergency water supply ordinance
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, June 12 through June 17
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).
Note: Louisa County is in the process of switching to a new public meeting portal. We apologize if any links in this newsletter don’t work as a result of the change. If you have any questions about accessing public meeting information (videos, agendas etc.), please contact Louisa County.
Wednesday, June 14
James River Water Authority, Fluvanna County Administration Building, 132 Main Street, Palmyra, 9 am.
Louisa County Water Authority, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 6 pm.
Thursday, June 15
Industrial Development Authority, Public Meeting Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 8:30 am.
Louisa County Electoral Board, Executive Board Room, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa, 12 pm. (agenda)
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.
Voters head to polls for pivotal June 20 primaries
Virginians will go to the polls this fall for high stakes elections that will determine which party controls the General Assembly’s two narrowly divided chambers.
Last session, Democrats held a 22-18 majority in the state Senate while Republicans held a 52-48 edge in the House of Delegates and divided government stalled much of Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s agenda.
November’s elections are expected to play a pivotal role in determining what Youngkin can accomplish in his last two years in office. As the first Republican to occupy Virginia’s Executive Mansion in more than a decade, he’s advocated for a range of conservative priorities, from corporate and individual tax cuts to tightening restrictions on abortion.
But before campaign season heats up this fall, voters across the commonwealth are heading to the polls for June 20 primaries to choose party nominees in nearly 50 House and Senate contests.
The once-a-decade redistricting process reshaped all 140 state legislative districts—40 in the Senate and 100 in the House—setting up some intriguing primary battles locally that feature a mix of fresh and familiar faces.
Here in Louisa, voters in the western end of the county will select the Democratic nominee in the 11th state Senate District and the 55th House of Delegate District while voters in the rest of the county will choose the Republican nominee in the 59th House District. Check out Engage Louisa’s primary preview below.
Fowler, Craig and Strother square off for Republican nomination in HD59
Three candidates are vying for the Republican nomination in the newly drawn 59th House of Delegates District: 55th District Delegate Buddy Fowler, former Louisa County GOP Chair Graven Craig and Henrico attorney Philip Strother.
The district is friendly terrain for Republicans, encompassing most of Louisa County, western Hanover and a chunk of northwestern Henrico. Youngkin won the 59th by about 33 points en route to the governor’s office in 2021.
Fowler, endorsed by the governor last month, is vying for his sixth term in Richmond, but on altered political turf. While he represents more than 40 percent of the district’s voters in his current seat—all of them in western Hanover—he’s a new face to Louisa and Henrico voters.
The longtime Hanover resident, who served as a legislative aide prior to becoming a delegate, has pointed to his deep ties in the district and conservative voting record as reasons Republicans should choose him as the nominee.
In campaign outreach, Fowler has championed bedrock conservative positions that play well with the party’s base. He’s pledged to “always stand for life” and touted his “100 percent rating” from the anti-abortion Family Foundation. He’s expressed ardent support for the Second Amendment, vowing to work to enact “constitutional carry” in Virginia—legislation that would allow residents to carry concealed weapons without a permit—and repeal the state’s “red flag” law. Enacted when Democrats had full control in Capitol Square, the law allows courts to temporarily take firearms away from individuals who are deemed a threat to themselves or others.
Fowler has also touted his efforts to cut taxes and regulations and support small businesses, pointing to recognition he’s received from the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, National Federation of Independent Business and Virginia Manufacturers’ Association. He told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that if he wins re-election, he’ll introduce a bill “that will further reduce the tax burden on individuals and business,” but didn’t offer specifics.
While Craig and Strother share many of the same positions as Fowler, they’ve both tried to carve out their own lane in race. An attorney and 25-year Louisa resident, Craig brands himself a “conservative fighter” who will defend civil liberties, push back against government growth and overregulation, and fight for transparency.
In his campaign announcement, he pointed to his experience running Craig Williams, his Louisa law firm, as giving him first-hand knowledge of the “onerous regulations that all small business owners face.” He’s pledged to fight “the bureaucratic red tape that stifles the economic growth Virginians deserve” and roll back the web of regulations enacted by state agencies without the explicit approval of elected officials.
He told the Times-Dispatch that he would introduce legislation to “to bring transparency to state and local government and repeal the criminal charges that have been enacted by administrative agencies.”
“Only the General Assembly should have the authority to enact criminal statutes at the state level,” he said.
As evidence of his willingness to fight what he sees as unjust policies, Craig frequently references his multiple successful lawsuits against the state including a 2020 suit that enabled Republicans in the 7th Congressional District to hold a convention to choose their nominee amid coronavirus restrictions that had complicated the nominating process.
While he’s a lawyer by trade, Strother and his family own Philip Carter Winery and Valley View Farm, both in Fauquier County. Throughout his campaign, he’s highlighted his family’s ties to agriculture, the economic importance of farming and forestry in the district, and his commitment to fighting for those industries and preserving Virginia’s rural traditions.
Strother has said that, through his law practice, he’s fought government overreach and empowered citizens and he’ll do the same in Richmond. In 2008, he successfully sued the Hanover County School Board on the grounds that the division wasn’t providing an appropriate education for an autistic child. On the campaign trail, he’s said he’ll continue to stand for “parents’ rights”—a winning issue for Youngkin two years ago—and advocate for “school choice,” legislation that typically allows parents to use taxpayer money to pay tuition for private school.
Like Craig, Strother wants to limit the ability of government agencies to enact what he sees as costly and often arbitrary regulations, arguing that the power to make laws should be reserved for elected officials.
Both Craig and Strother have attacked Fowler on his lengthy record in Richmond. In a Facebook ad, Craig accuses Fowler of failing to defend gun rights by voting against legislation that would’ve allowed firefighters and EMTs to carry concealed handguns on the job. Fowler characterized the legislation as “a bad bill” and pointed to his endorsement from the Virginia Citizens Defense League and the National Rifle Association.
Craig, who has said he won’t accept money from Dominion Energy, a monopoly utility whose profits are regulated by the state, has also implied that Fowler has sold out to lobbyists. His campaign ran a Facebook ad that shows Fowler with a briefcase full of cash and states that he’s “taken money from lobbyists of all political stripes including Dominion Energy, big-Pharma, unions and environmentalists.”
Since first running for the House in 2014, Fowler has collected thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from industry lobbying groups and other entities with business before the General Assembly including $14,800 from the Virginia Beer Wholesalers Association and $13,500 from Dominion.
As of March 31, Dominion was his top donor this cycle, chipping in $7,500. In the run-up to the primary, the Dominion-backed political action committee Power for Tomorrow is sponsoring Facebook ads in support of Fowler and 11 other Republican and Democrat candidates, according to Virginia Public Media.
In an interview on Richmond’s Morning News with John Reid, Strother called Fowler a “career politician” and said that he had to move to run in the district. The Virginia Supreme Court approved new legislative districts in late 2021 that drew Fowler’s Hanover home into the 60th House District, pairing him with fellow Republican Scott Wyatt. He subsequently established residency in the 59th.
So far, the race has seen modest turnout during the 45-day early voting period. As of Saturday evening, 1,045 voters had cast ballots, ranking the race sixth in turnout among the eight House Republican primaries. According to Louisa County Registrar Cris Watkins, 304 Louisa residents had voted in the district as of midday Friday.
The winner of the primary will face Democrat Rachel Levy in the November 7 general election.
Laufer, Squire battle for Democratic nomination in HD55
A pair of Democrats who previously lost bids for General Assembly seats in red-leaning districts are vying for the Democratic nomination in the new 55th House District: former Charlottesville School Board Chair Amy Laufer and emergency department nurse Kellen Squire.
The Democrat-friendly district includes most of Albemarle County, a slice of western Louisa and northern Nelson and small sliver of Fluvanna. Former Governor Terry McAuliffe won the 55th by about 11 points in his failed bid for governor two years ago.
Laufer is a familiar face to some Louisa voters. In 2019, she narrowly lost a bid for Senate to incumbent Republican Bryce Reeves in the 17th District, which included most of Louisa. A former teacher, Laufer spent a year on the faculty at Louisa Middle School.
Squire, who lost to longtime Delegate Rob Bell in the ruby red 58th House District in 2017, also has local ties. His wife, Cari, is a former Louisa County firefighter.
Laufer and Squire overlap significantly on policy. Both advocate for traditional Democratic priorities including strengthening restriction on guns, protecting reproductive rights, fully funding public schools, and fighting climate change.
Laufer has said that experience sets her apart in the race, pointing to her two terms on the Charlottesville City School Board and her years as an educator and community activist.
Squire has said that his time working as a nurse in the emergency room has given him unique insight into the struggles Virginians face. Now, he says he’s ready to go to Richmond and fight for working-class residents who don’t have a voice in the legislature.
While the contest between the two Albemarle County Democrats started as a relatively cordial affair, it’s turned heated in recent weeks after Laufer’s campaign questioned Squire’s commitment to protecting access to abortion. Reproductive rights are a pivotal issue in this year’s state legislative races in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a nearly 50-year court precedent that constitutionally guaranteed the right to an abortion.
In mailers that arrived in voters’ mailboxes over Memorial Day weekend, Laufer’s campaign highlighted online comments from early in Squire’s 2017 campaign in which he described himself as “fervently and unashamedly pro-life” and said he’d “advocate for the addition of a plank to the Democratic party platform that we eliminate abortion in the Commonwealth of Virginia as soon as possible.”
“With so much at stake for Virginia women, we can’t afford Kellen Squire’s attacks on abortion,” the ad reads.
Squire, who has recounted his experience providing abortion-related care as an ER nurse and pledged to strongly defend abortion rights in Richmond, accused Laufer of misrepresenting his record and taking his words out of context. He told The Daily Progress last month that his comments were an attempt to draw in conservative voters in a solidly Republican district and “illustrate Republican hypocrisy.” He also said that, during 2016 and 2017, he engaged in “Democratic counter operations” in which he planted fake screenshots and quotes to bait Republicans into attacking him.
In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Squire called his past comments on abortion “a mistake,” according to The Daily Progress.
“I was trying to get people who would consider themselves pro-life to vote for a pro-choice Democrat,” Squire told the paper. “Obviously, it didn’t hit the mark and I got in a bunch of trouble for doing it.”
Despite heated blowback from Squire’s supporters on Twitter who called her tactics “dirty” and “deceptive,” Laufer has continued to hit Squire on the issue in subsequent mailers and campaign outreach. In a May 30 press release, Laufer said that she’s “concerned that we have Democratic candidate who said he would advocate for a plank in the Democratic party platform to outlaw abortion in Virginia,” adding that she’s always been pro-choice and “always will be.”
The race has attracted strong interest from voters. As of Saturday evening, it had the second-highest turnout among Democratic House primaries with 3,745 ballots cast, according to VPAP. In Louisa County, 193 people had voted in the contest as of midday Friday, according to Watkins.
The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican Reid Wernig in November.
Deeds, Hudson go head-to-head for Dem nod in SD11
Two sitting state legislators well known to Charlottesville area voters are competing for the Democratic nomination in blue-leaning 11th state Senate District: Sen. Creigh Deeds and Del. Sally Hudson.
The district includes the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle, Nelson and Amherst counties and a slice of western Louisa. McAuliffe beat Youngkin by about 18 points in the 11th in 2021.
Deeds, an attorney and 20-year veteran of the Senate, represents about 68 percent of the district’s voters in his 25th District seat. After redistricting drew his Bath County home into a strong Republican district, Deeds opted to move to Charlottesville to run in the 11th.
Hudson, a University of Virginia economics professor, has represented the 57th District in the House of Delegates since 2020. The Charlottesville-centered district includes almost 40 percent of 11th district voters.
Deeds, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2009, has garnered the backing of much of the state’s Democratic establishment including former Governor Ralph Northam and US Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. He’s touted his experience and seniority—he’s a member of the powerful Finance and Appropriations Committee and co-chair of the Judiciary Committee—as reasons Democrats should back him, arguing at a candidates’ forum hosted by Charlottesville Tomorrow that replacing him with Hudson would mean the district loses significant political clout.
“Being an effective legislator is about two things, seniority and relationships. If my opponent has her way, she’s giving up her seniority in the House and she wants to give up your seniority in the Senate. Charlottesville will start at the back of the line in both places,” Deeds said.
Hudson has framed this year’s election as “an extraordinary opportunity for generational turnover in the General Assembly,” in part, because of the shakeup delivered by redistricting. The strong progressive points to the diversity of perspectives among House Democrats—largely achieved after the election of Donald Trump—and says she hopes to help bring that to the legislature’s upper chamber.
“I think it’s really important that we start to diversify the Senate on all of those markers—on race, on region, on gender, and on professional perspectives—because I think we can get a lot of good work done if we broaden the range of voices that’s in the room,” Hudson said at the Charlottesville Tomorrow forum.
Hudson is no stranger to taking on Democratic Party heavyweights. In late 2018, she launched a primary bid against then-House Minority Leader David Toscano. Facing a well-funded opponent with strong grassroots support among Charlottesville progressives, Toscano ultimately decided not to seek re-election. Hudson easily beat former Charlottesville City Councilor Kathy Galvin in the primary then ran unopposed to win the seat that fall.
While Deeds and Hudson share many policy priorities—from expanding voting rights to protecting access to abortion—Hudson has positioned herself to Deeds’ left on some issues. In a recent campaign ad, she criticized Deeds’ voting record on gun law reform, highlighting his 2020 vote to block an assault weapons ban and a 2012 vote with Republicans to repeal a “one-gun-per-month” law.
Deeds said the 2020 bill was “poorly written” and, as proof that he’s committed to restricting access to guns, pointed to a bill he carried last session that would’ve barred the sale of some assault weapons. The bill passed the Senate but died in the Republican-controlled House. Deeds has also highlighted an endorsement from Gabby Giffords, a leading gun violence prevention advocate who was shot at an Arizona grocery store when she was serving in Congress.
Early voting has been brisk in the district with 8,328 voters already casting ballots as of Saturday evening, according to VPAP. To date, the district has the highest turnout of any primary in the state. In Louisa, 193 people had voted as of midday Friday, per Watkins.
The winner will face Republican Philip Hamilton and Independent J’riah Guerrero this fall.
Voter information
2023 Primary Elections: HD55 (D), HD59 (R), SD11 (D)
When: Election Day is Tuesday, June 20. Polls are open from 6 am to 7 pm
Where: Polling locations across Louisa County (Find your polling location here).
Early Voting: Vote early through Saturday, June 17
When: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and Saturday, June 17, 9 am to 5 pm.
Where: Louisa County Registrar’s Office, Louisa County Office Building, 1 Woolfolk Ave., Louisa
Voting By Mail: Voters who received an absentee ballot by mail can return their ballot via mail or drop it off in a secure drop box outside the County Office Building or at any polling place on Election Day. Ballots returned via mail must be postmarked by Election Day and received no later than noon on the Friday following the election. Mail-in ballots that are dropped off must be received by 7 pm on Election Day.
Register to vote: Virginia allows same-day voter registration. Voters who missed the May 30 deadline to register to vote/update their registration status can still vote via provisional ballot through June 20.
Find your state Senate and House of Delegates districts here. (Enter your address then click on “New” when map/legislators appear).
Check out sample ballots for the June 20 primary here.
Virginia has open primaries. Affiliation with a political party is not required to vote.
PC recommends approval of 5 MW solar facility near Gordonsville
More solar panel could be coming to Louisa County. This time, on its western edge.
The Planning commission on Thursday night voted 5-2 to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve Louisa Solar 1, LLC’s request for a Conditional Use Permit to construct and operate an up to 5 MW utility-scale solar array on 44 acres of a 119-acre tract off Kloeckner Road just east of the Louisa-Albemarle line. The mostly forested property is owned by Benjamin Ochs and zoned for agricultural use (A-2). (meeting materials, video)
In a 6-1 vote, the commission also found the project in substantial accordance with the county’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan, a determination required by state code. Patrick Henry District Commissioner Ellis Quarles voted against both motions while Jackson District Commissioner Cy Weaver joined him in opposing the CUP.
Neither Quarles nor Weaver offered specific reasons for why they voted against the request, which was supported by other commissioners who’ve, at times, expressed resistance to large-scale solar development, citing concerns that it’s an industrial use encroaching on the county’s farms and timberland.
Weaver said he “can’t see where the people are gaining anything” from the project, an apparent reference to the relatively modest amount of tax revenue the facility would generate for county coffers. Quarles didn’t comment when casting his votes.
A fiscal impact study by Mangum Economics, conducted on the applicant’s behalf, states that the solar array would generate between $110,200 and $352,000 in local tax revenue during its 35-year lifespan depending on how the county taxes the project. The study says that, under the property’s current agricultural use, it would generate $6,820 in local taxes in the same timeframe.
Jesse Dimond, a senior solar developer with New Energy Equity, the project’s developer, estimated that a siting agreement would add another roughly $40,000 to county revenue. Siting agreements are essentially deals between localities and solar developers that provide financial compensation to offset a facility’s impact. Details of the proposed agreement haven’t been publicly disclosed.
If the project wins final approval from the Board of Supervisors, it would be the smallest utility-scale solar facility approved in the county to date and the first included in the state’s shared solar program. Established by the General Assembly in 2020, the program provides residents an opportunity to buy a subscription for solar power via a third-party provider. The power generated at the Kloeckner Road facility would feed Dominion Energy’s distribution system, but Dominion customers could buy a share of the power produced at the facility that’s then credited to their bill.
“What (shared solar) does is it essentially gives the citizens an opportunity that may not be able to put solar on their home…to subscribe to power that we produce and we meter. Then, we can give that power back as credits to subscribers. We do that at a reduced rate below what Dominion does,” Dimond said.
Dimond touted the project as a benefit to the community, in part, because of the shared solar program. He said that subscribers could see their power bills decrease by about 10 percent and noted that the facility’s operator is required to sell subscriptions to residents in Louisa and surrounding counties.
At the request of Green Springs District Commissioner Jim Dickerson, Dimond agreed to reach out to staff to explore how the program could be made available to low-income residents in Louisa. State law requires that low-income customers comprise at least 30 precent of the program.
Beyond the benefits of shared solar, Dimond said that the project fits with the character of the neighborhood, contrasting it to large-scale solar arrays that are often situated amid farms and forests. Though the project site is zoned agricultural and adjoins some farmland, it abuts the Gordonsville Growth Area Overlay District and is bordered by a railroad right-of-way and Kloeckner Pentaplast’s manufacturing facility to the east and a Dominion-owned electric generating facility to its southwest. A substation to connect the facility to the grid is adjacent to the property.
“This site, in my opinion, is about as good a location as you get. You don’t often get to put solar next to other industrial uses. You often see it in a large agricultural area and (panels) are just randomly placed out there,” Dimond said.
Given the parcel’s surroundings uses and the mature vegetation on site, New Energy is requesting a pair of waivers from the Board of Supervisors to include a 170 and 220-foot setback on parts of the property. Under a revised solar ordinance adopted last year, Louisa County requires utility-scale solar facilities to include a 300-foot setback with an opaque vegetative buffer, but the board can grant a waiver that reduces the setback if certain conditions are met.
Commissioners didn’t address the waiver request, but they did discuss the vegetative buffer, which will include a mix of existing vegetation and supplemental plantings. Cuckoo District Commissioner George Goodwin suggested that the CUP include an additional provision requiring the applicant to submit a buffer plan crafted by a certified arborist to help ensure the buffer’s health and longevity. He observed that county officials should get out of “the business of pretending we know anything about trees.” The commission and the applicant agreed to the provision.
Neighboring property owner Tom Gilbert was the only community member to speak during Thursday’s public hearing. Gilbert said that he initially had “a lot of concerns” about the project, but New Energy tweaked its design and made other modifications that largely addressed them.
Gilbert said that he would like to see the parcel remain in agricultural use even as it accommodates solar panels, suggesting that the commission include a condition in the CUP requiring the project’s operator to graze sheep on the property.
Dimond said earlier in the meeting that the company intended to use sheep to manage vegetation within the 22 fenced-in acres of solar panels, noting that New Energy has offered Gilbert an opportunity to graze his sheep there. The grazing plan isn’t required by the CUP.
Goodwin asked Dimond how his company planned to ensure that the sheep don’t eat the pollinator-friendly plantings that are required by county code to cover 10 percent of the site. Dimond said that he’s “new to sheep,” but would bring Goodwin’s question back to the team working on the project.
The application’s next stop is a public hearing in front of the Board of Supervisors. At publication time, the county had not advertised a date for the hearing.
Commission defers action on proposed roaming livestock ordinance: In other business, the commission voted unanimously to defer action on a draft ordinance aimed at reining in roaming livestock. The ordinance would make it unlawful for livestock or poultry to roam at large at any time and impose penalties on people who repeatedly allow their farm animals to leave their property.
In requesting the deferral, Cuckoo District Commissioner George Goodwin said that he believes the goal of the ordinance—to remedy the problems posed by people who habitually allow their livestock to stray from their land—can be accomplished in a different way than what’s proposed. He and Patrick Henry District Commissioner Ellis Quarles volunteered to work with the county attorney’s office and stakeholders to craft a new proposal for consideration at an upcoming commission meeting.
Several community members have complained to the Board of Supervisors that livestock frequently crosses on to their property and occasionally causes damage. Under current code, the county has no way to resolve the issue.
In response to those concerns, the board asked the Agricultural/Forestal and Rural Preservation Committee then the Planning Commission to consider a draft ordinance aimed at reining in livestock that’s frequently a nuisance to neighbors. The ordinance under consideration Thursday night was considered by the committee at its May meeting. But, according to Community Development Director Josh Gillespie, members split on whether to recommend its adoption.
The proposed ordinance would make it unlawful for livestock or poultry to run at-large—meaning off the owner’s property and out of the owner’s control—at any time. People who habitually allow their livestock or poultry to roam would be subject to a $100 fine. Habitual offenders are defined as those cited for at-large farm animals three times or more in a two-year period. An additional violation within two years of the fine would constitute a Class 4 misdemeanor.
The draft ordinance states that it’s “not designed to penalize those farmers who are making a demonstrable effort to prevent their animals from leaving their property.”
But, during both Thursday’s meeting and a pre-meeting work session, several commissioners expressed concerns about the proposal and its potential “unintended consequences” for farmers. Chair John Disosway suggested that the draft ordinance is a sign that the county’s rural character is slipping away.
“This is one of the first signs that we are failing in the number one goal of the Comprehensive Plan. We are losing the rural character of the county when we start to go down paths like this,” he said.
Goodwin described the draft ordinance as “a sledgehammer approach to a finishing hammer problem.”
He acknowledged that the county has issues with people who habitually allow their livestock to wander on adjoining land but suggested that fixing the problem could potentially be accomplished by using the state’s lawful fence law, in which property lines are considered a lawful fence to prevent trespass.
“I’ve done some research on this and I think there is another opening (to address the issue),” Goodwin said.
BOS okays emergency water supply ordinance, breezes through crowded agenda
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors on Monday breezed through public business in less than an hour, quickly dispatching with a pair of public hearings and green-lighting several action items with little discussion. (meeting material, video)
Board okays emergency water supply ordinance: Supervisors held a public hearing and unanimously approved an emergency water supply ordinance proposed by the Louisa County Water Authority.
LCWA General Manager Pam Baughman told the board that the 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.
In the event of a water supply shortage or threat to the water supply, the ordinance authorizes the Board of Supervisors to declare a water supply watch, warning or emergency and empowers 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.
The ordinance provides the authority leeway to address threats to the water supply or other emergencies prior to any action from supervisors, giving it the tools to quickly respond to unexpected issues like equipment failures or water-borne diseases, Baughman said.
When a potential threat to the water supply arises, like the probability of drought, officials could declare a water supply watch, per the ordinance. When the water supply begins to decline due to sustained drought or other conditions, they 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, the authority 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. The authority is expected to discuss how much it will charge for water during an emergency at its June 14 meeting.
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.
Green Springs District Supervisor Rachel Jones, whose district includes many of LCWA’s residential customers, asked what sort of outreach the authority would undertake to inform customers of a water supply emergency. Baughman said that the authority would notify customers and, depending on the situation, could use the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office and Fire and EMS Department to help with outreach.
Mineral Mayor Ed Jarvis was the only community member to speak during the public hearing. He said that Mineral draws most of its water from a town-owned well, but, in some instances, buys water from LCWA. Jarvis asked how the ordinance would impact the town.
Baughman said that the authority has no jurisdiction over Mineral’s well, but it could curtail the sale of water to the town in the event of an emergency.
Supervisors approve new location for early voting as registrar’s office prepares to move: As soon as July, the Louisa County Registrar’s Office is expected to move to 103 McDonald Street, a spacious new home just across the street from its current location in the Louisa County Office Building.
In anticipation of that move, supervisors held a public hearing and approved an amendment to county code establishing 103 McDonald Street as the central absentee precinct as well as a satellite early voting location ahead of the November 7 general election. Board approval allows the county to use the office for early voting and absentee ballot drop off this fall and in subsequent elections.
The building will provide ample space for staff to accommodate voters during the 45-day early voting period and perform the daily work of administering elections. The office will feature an accessible drop box for voters to deposit mail-in absentee ballots that, like the current drop box, is under 24-hour video surveillance.
The office’s new location formerly housed the county’s Human Services Department. The Human Services Department moved to the old Virginia Community Bank headquarters in the Louisa County Industrial Air Park earlier this year.
No one spoke during the public hearing regarding the office’s move.
Board appropriates FY24 Operations and Maintenance Budget and CIP: Supervisors unanimously approved a pair of resolutions appropriating the Fiscal Year 2024 Operations and Maintenance Budget and Capital Improvement Plan. Supervisors adopted the combined $188.2 million spending plan at their May 15 meeting.
Check out the FY24 budget here.
Board agrees to advertise public hearing on returning surplus real estate tax revenue: Supervisors agreed to advertise a public hearing on a proposed amendment to county code that would empower the board to return surplus real estate tax revenue to taxpayers.
The amendment is necessary because, during the FY24 budget process, supervisors approved a five percent real estate tax rebate. Though the board agreed to tax homes and land at 72 cents per $100 of assessed value, the rebate will effectively levy real estate taxes at a 69-cent rate and reduce county revenue by nearly $3 million.
Board okays resolution funding engineering and design work for turf fields: As part of the FY24 Capital Improvement Plan, supervisors allotted $3.4 million for the construction of two turf fields adjacent to Louisa County Middle School.
The board approved a resolution Monday night that permits the county to spend up to $180,000 on design and engineering work for the fields. Supervisors included in its FY23 budget $150,000 in seed money for new playing fields with about $145,000 of that still available. That money will be combined with $35,000 from the FY24 budget to cover the project’s cost.
Board approves resolution to request split precinct waiver: Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution that allows the county to request from the State Board of Elections a waiver to administer a split precinct for the November 7 general election. The waiver is necessary because one residence in the Mountain Road 1 precinct is in the 56th House of Delegates District while the remainder of the precinct is in the 59th House District.
To simplify election administration, the General Assembly in 2019 passed legislation requiring that precincts be wholly contained in larger state and federal legislative districts. Under state law, precincts are also required to have at least 100 registered voters. Localities must obtain a waiver from the BOE to administer a split precinct in cases where the population threshold isn‘t met. The waiver allows the county to operate a precinct that includes voters in different legislative districts.
Louisa County Registrar Cris Watkins said that the home on Black Friar Lane constitutes “a donut hole” that’s considered part of Louisa but surrounded by Goochland County. The residence, which is home to two registered voters, is taxed in Louisa and was counted as part of the county during the 2020 census.
But, during the 2021 redistricting process, the home was placed in a House of Delegates district that covers western Goochland. Map drawers use census blocks to build legislative districts and the home constituted its own block, Watkins said. Districts are also required to be contiguous.
Watkins said that the anomoly requires the county to print special ballots for the two voters at a cost of nearly $500. If the 56th District has a Republican or Democratic primary in an upcoming election year and the 59th doesn’t, the county would be required to open a precinct solely to accommodate the two voters, she said. This year, 56th District Republicans opted for a convention while Democrats haven’t announced a candidate.
Board approves July meeting date: The board voted 7-0 to change its July meeting date from Monday, July 3 to Monday, July 17. In a separate action on the consent agenda, supervisors approved Monday, July 3 as a county holiday.
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