Talks between Charles City boards productive, insightful in moving county forward

It’s no secret that Charles City’s Board of Supervisors and Charles City’s School Board have butted heads on many occasions. But with a focus on developing the county and school system, as well as getting a firm understanding and viewpoint from each other, it seems that both boards hit their breakthrough at the Oct. 14 joint work session after nearly three hours of dialogue.

Charles City’s County Administrator Michelle Johnson and Charles City Public Schools Superintendent Dalphine Joppy both agreed that a conversation should be held prior to their normal dialogue that occurs towards the middle of the budget cycle. The meeting was established so that both boards could express their desires as well as their hardships that they may encounter in the FY2022-23 budget.

Johnson’s presentation focused on the five pillars that the county is building its budget around: communication, community development, community engagement, economic growth, and public safety. Among some of those preemptive strategies that are currently in progress include applying for a $12 million grant for the expansion of broadband, a new food pantry, the Vision 2040 plan, retail strategies for the Economic Development Authority (EDA), and a new fire station. Johnson added the key points in the upcoming budget from the county’s perspective are upgrading facilities for parks and recreation, upgrading wastewater treatment plants, upgrading safety equipment and new vehicles for the sheriff’s office and the fire/EMS department, and conducting an assessment of community needs.

On behalf of the school’s, Joppy’s presentation revolved around the three pillars to educate, engage, and empower. The superintendent said that the goal was to use collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creative to have self-sustaining students and give them the tools to contribute and improve the world.

Joppy continued, saying that the school has been working diligently to regain a social/emotional balance as a result of the COVID-19. With that, the school’s budget planning and focus include providing programs in place for learning loss, covering rising transportation costs, instructional resources, human resources, and sustaining new positions that were provided through ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds. Those positions are currently the school’s math specialist, reading specialist, a second registered nurse, and school psychologist.

The superintendent concluded by presenting a list of requests for the county to consider. Among them include compensating for the increase in VRS (Virginia Retirement System) rates, increasing minimum wage, increasing bus driver pay, raises for employees, continuing support on assessments to pay scales to assist with recruitment and retention of teachers, maintaining levels of services for students, technology and software investments, addressing staff shortages in the special education department, and maintaining funds for student mental health.

Healthy dialogue between the boards continued, as both agree that unfunded mandates have been the burden of many of the headaches.

“We need to continue to push Del. [Delores] McQuinn, State Senator [Jennifer] McClellan, and Congressman [Donald] McEachin to address these issues,” commented Johnson.

Both boards moved to a discussion about leftover funds being reverted back to the county from the schools at the end of each year. Talks centered with the school representatives saying that many of the reverted funds are from the state and are usually not budgeted.

“We are receiving unexpected money,” Joppy said, working with school finance director Sue Salg when describing the issues when receiving additional funds from the state level from a number of areas that include the loss of students to other jurisdictions. “Based on the timing and receiving of those funds, it’s usually near the end of June just prior to the end of the fiscal year.”

The school system is required to spend all funding before June 30 of each year. This is done to ensure there are no mistakes in the auditing process and reports.

County leaders wanted to clarify that the school would only ask for state funds to be reverted and not funding from the county. School board members confirmed that was their intention to ask in the future as the funding was not from local dollars.

Another big area of discussion that was met with positivity was the use of categorical funds for spending. Under the state law, county leaders can appropriate funds either categorically or in lump sums according to their appropriation schedule. Currently, the school works with a categorical budget, making it difficult to use savings from one area and apply it to another without receiving approval from county supervisors.

Johnson said that returning to sums would be easier on her department in comparison to the categorical divisions. While supervisors had no issues with that, District 2 supervisor Bill Coada posed a question on the issue.

“Would we lose the ability to do the things that we did in the past, such as the raises we gave the teachers?” he commented, specifically speaking about the recent budget cycle where teachers approached county supervisors asking them to support a five-percent raise.

Johnson confirmed Coada’s inquiry but didn’t dismiss the idea completely.

“I just want to make sure that we do this that this board [of supervisors] is not blamed for future raises if we give this to them,” the District 2 representative continued. “We are giving them the money and tell them to do what they want with it. So, if the teachers don’t get raises, they can go to the school board.”

Johnson recommended moving to the model but asked that school leaders have a plan to present to the staff of school. Both sides agreed that as long as its communicated, county supervisors would consider the school’s board request to go back to quarterly appropriations in lump sums upon receiving a formal letter.

Talks moved to plans for a proposed solar farm on the school’s property. The solar farm was featured in an energy performance contract agreement that the school entered into with ABM Solutions. However, Assistant County Administrator Rhonda Russell talked about the developer’s plans and the difficulties she is having with them.

Russell highlighted letters of plan rejections she sent to the developer on July 2, Sept. 20, and a final denial letter on Oct. 6.

“There plans can’t be approved without a stormwater plan/permit, dedication of right-a-way, and appropriate stormwater fees as proscribed by the county,” Russell commented. “All of the requirements that are being asked by the county are state requirements from the Department of Environmental Equality (DEQ).”

Russell said the aggressive nature from the developer to the planning department was not welcomed. After mentioning that conversation to both boards, they agreed that the developer did not follow the proper process and that each board would reach out to their respective counterparts to address the issue.

In the final discussion topic, Charles City County is desiring to take control of the wastewater treatment plant that is maintained by the school system.

Currently the plant is in need of replacement, with an early estimate starting at $500,000 to replace it (based on numbers provided during the school’s system 2021-22 budget discussion). According to Russell, the goal is to take control of the plant and expand it as part of the Courthouse Area plan.

“We have the potential to expand the school site as well as generate revenue for desired services,” she said.

The county has been busy acquiring land in the area and has shifted its focus to providing utilities. The county announced that the former neighborhood facility building would be the home of a brewery and café that could open as early as January of next year. The county has also bought land across from the elementary school complex, with one company interested in developing it into a mixed-use property with retail stores and a three-story apartment complex at its rear.

“Many people have seen the success of what the Dollar General is doing in that area, and we have been approached by a lot of big-name companies lately,” said Johnson.

An expansion of the wastewater treatment plant would allow several businesses and areas to connect to the line. However, at-large school board member Preston Adkins talked about why the school’s took possession of paying for it in the first place.

“The school was paying for it because the county failed to maintain it and was in violation with DEQ,” Adkins said. “If the population of our schools go up, we would have to expand it more.

“All these plans are great, but if you build something, you have to have infrastructure included,” he continued. “You have to build it and expand it for that development to grow and you have to have water and sewer. Then that will need to expand as well.”

Coada agreed with Adkins with the previous handling of the plant. But the District 2 representative also said that the board of supervisors have worked hard with DEQ to get back in compliance with the county’s wastewater plans and want to ensure that taking over the school’s plant would do the same if it does expand.

For Johnson, she says it will take a burden off the schools and it will be a win-win situation.

“We can expand it and you all don’t have to maintain it,” she said. “Basically, we will be getting a new facility and our thought is that it wouldn’t be an astronomical price. We can’t build a new one and maintain the one you have right now.”

It was evident that both boards made progress in their discussions, with the future goal to continue dialogue and working with each other.

“What happened in the past is in the past,” said District 1 school board representative Joy Harris earlier in the meeting. “We want to move forward and do what’s best for our students and this county. That’s why we are here to talk with the board [of supervisors].”