laughs
this is relaxing
you ready
good afternoon everyone I'd like to
welcome you to the Russell County Board
of Supervisors uh regular meeting
December the 5th 2022 at 6 pm
I like to first start off with a call of
order and roll call
Tim Lovelace
and he will be here in a few minutes
correct ma'am
Carl Ray here David here
Steve Brady here
Rebecca die here or is Christian present
and Luanne Wallace here ma'am you have a
quarrel
thank you Mr Lester
um I just heard the door so there he
comes let the record show that Tim
Lovelace has joined the meeting place we
just did roll call Mr Loveless
we'll give you time to get seated and
then we'll have an invocation and the
Pledge of Allegiance when Tim gets to
his place thank you
I'm just right
let us pray father God Lord we thank you
for this day and we thank you for all
the many blessings you have given us we
thank you for allowing us to come
together and be a part of our local
government father forgive us for a way
we fill you each and every day lead God
and direct us in everything that we do
in your name I pray amen
one nation under God indivisible with
liberty and justice for all
foreign
at this time I'm going to ask for an
approval of the agenda please motion to
prove manager second Motion in a second
uh any discussion
all in favor any opposed any abstentions
uh and next uh Mr Lester do you want to
open the public hearing or shall I
you can proceed man all right at this
time I'm going to open a public hearing
for the Russell County employee bonus
ordinance
so I will take public comment at this
time
I'm Kelly McBride Delph and I am a
member of the staff of the Russell
County Public Library and I think I can
speak for most of the employees that we
would appreciate anything that you can
give us we don't we all have to live
within our budget so we want the county
to live within its but anything you can
give us I know we will appreciate
thank you Miss McBride
anyone else
Caleb do we have anyone outside
okay
okay if the all hearts are clear
I'm going to close this meeting of the
um employee bonus ordinance
the public hearing I'm sorry
Madam chair I'd like to make a motion
that
um
all the County employees get treated
equally uh that we give our County
Employees a thousand dollars uh bonus
and
in the part-time 500
that's your motion
on the floor four thousand dollars plus
a second
discussion
I think you don't have an ordinance in
our book it'll be in compliance with
that ordinance yeah
excuse me sorry I put a draft ordinance
now in working the ordinance I did make
a revision that Lonzo requested after he
spoke with the Auditors that has because
it's going to be paid from the covered
funds it's all the eligible employees
will be employees employed before July
1st of this year so I did have to put
that into the ordinance that it's all
eligible employees
right all we have to do is fill in the
amounts yes I just left that blank for
the board to decide but everything else
should be
um the way it needs to be
yes and full disclosure there are some
employees that are not eligible under
this ordinance yes ma'am if I may
elaborate the the offer funds are to be
utilized during the pandemic and when
the governor called off the pandemic and
closed it the county did too we ceased
our emergency declarations the month the
funding had to match the pandemic so it
is for the pandemic so what was the date
June 30th June 30th 22 22 yes sir the
fiscal year you had to be hired before
then yes sir
we've had discussion any further
discussion
I'll call for the vote all in favor
any opposed any abstentions motion
carries
thank you madam chair
okay moving on through the agenda I need
to
need to over all of those so I'll accept
a motion on uh to approve the minutes so
move I have a motion for Mr Eaton
I got two seconds I'll take one of them
and
Advance whichever one you put down is
fine okay all in favor any opposed any
abstentions motion carries
so we need to approve the expenditures
please
I'll make that motion a second thank you
Mr Ray we have a motion and a second to
approve the expenditures any discussion
all in favor uh any opposed any
abstentions motion carries
moving along to tap or number three in
your board book is committee
appointments for board consideration we
have Mr Brown is up for the
um
Cumberland Mountain Community Services
Board there is a letter in your packet
concerning his reappointment and also we
have the drill Community Center and the
Heart of Appalachia so I'll entertain a
motion on Mr Brown uh Madam chair I've
tried and tried to contact him and his
phone that I have has been disconnected
or something I can't reach him to see if
he'd be willing to serve again I did did
the county get get tired of him
did you reach out to him Loretta
foreign
conversation with him to be able to send
the letter that he he intended to
research well I'll make a motion that
we're reappointing that was my
understanding thank you Mr Eaton I need
a second I got a second for Mr Brown to
be reappointed to
um that committee all in favor
any opposed any abstential motion
carries moving to the drill Community
Center
uh can I do these as a slave yes sir yes
sir Madam chair I'd like to appoint this
slate to the drill Community Center
service volunteer service folks for the
drill Community Center
um
we have a motion in a second right we
don't have a second but I'll make it
Steve I thought you made that second I
didn't but I will okay I apologize thank
you all right any discussion further
okay all in favor any opposed
any abstentions motion carries moving
along to the heart of Appalachia Ms
Gordon is up for a two-year term she
just served she came off she served a
term for someone else I can't remember
exactly how that happened here I looked
down there and I are we still carrying
Heather on that
that's the latest slate that I saw no
right now and I am the acting DMO for it
and Shiloh just being appointed uh this
is the community that's what I was going
to say she probably should be the one
yes
yeah I'm sitting on it for the DMO to we
get it transferred to her and
through the HOA so I'll entertain a
motion for Maddie Gordon I'll make it
thank you thank you uh Mr Brady all in
favor any opposed
motion carries
citizen comment period we've got three
minutes anybody
Miss McBride I didn't come just to say
please give us money
um it is the season for giving I'll be
brief I have a present for you you I
love maps and I found that although VDOT
keeps their own copies State Library had
a 1930s map of Russell County a VDOT map
of the roads uh the ones that are
improved the ones that are not improved
um the ones that have hard surface and
it's not exactly accurate anyone that
looks at the road to date will go oh no
that Road's nowhere near that straight
but I have a present for you so I don't
know if you want it you want to keep it
or if you want to you know grind it or
whatever but I was so intrigued I love
old now
that is very nice thank you
didn't change much
yeah I can use that
say look 1932.
thank you Kelly thank you and I will ask
that um we somehow figure out how to
frame that little thing and hang it up
yes ma'am yes you brought it by the
office and I thought it was a great idea
you know and we took we took a brief
look at it and I'm going oh my God
I'm anxious to look at that thank you
Miss McBride any more for public comment
I'll close the public comment period or
citizens comment period constitutional
officers
all right next we've got the County
Attorney reports and requests
thank you madam chair the only thing
that I have is is what it is is a
revised moral obligation regarding the
Lebanon Inn and the Ida has requested
um it's it's
um a good thing um it it changes the
original moral obligation
that the county entered back in 2012
from um one million dollars to to lessen
the amount to 740 000 so the agreement
that you have the moral obligation that
you have before you is verbatim
um what was approved back in 2012 with
the exception of
um it didn't say between the Board of
Supervisors it just said the county of
Russell which is not the correct legal
entity name and I updated the address
from the PO Box to the physical address
but other than that it's verbatim the
same and Lonzo did contact me
um this afternoon asking about maybe
putting some kind of term in there I
guess for how long it's applicable but
um that will be up to vsbfa they will
have to agree to approve it and right
now we have a moral obligation that is
um it is legal and enforce and effect so
my advice I don't mind to check on it
I've talked to Ernie and he said he he
gave me a contact that I could call but
I guess my advice to the board because I
know the Ida is requesting this to to
finalize
um some work they're doing on the
project
um to approve it subject to
um final approval legal counsel with the
understanding I can't make bsbfa agree
to anything but I'll try
yeah okay I appreciate you reaching out
for that information I was inquisitive
about that and several more of us were I
think also so at this time I will accept
a motion to support the moral obligation
for the Russell County Ida motion
approved Madam chair pending
final review Council
second
thank you I have a motion and a second
any further discussion from the board
hearing none I'll call for the vote all
in favor
any opposed
any abstentions thank you very much
moving on to Mr Lester County
Administrator reports and requests
thank you madam chair
first on the County Administrator uh
reports is a course one of the big
topics that's going through the state
right now on uh that we're going to have
a lot of meetings on is the Virginia
opiate abatement Authority this is the
regulations through the opiate abatement
Authority that Senator pillion sets on
and I in the board members packets I put
a you know quite a lot of information
and and details and regulations and what
is going to be with the board but in my
report my request to the the uh the
Board of Supervisors chairperson I would
like to have two board supervisors
pointed to a committee to review this to
be held to be allocated and expanded
that is part of what we call the gold
standards for best practices and that's
one of the requirements of the APA the
alternative Public Accounts
ma'am yes sir and I have taken your
request into consideration and my choice
for these committees will be Rebecca Da
and Steve breeding my reasoning is Miss
Darnell serves um of the county on the
um help me out Mr road to recovery
houses and Mr breeding is very familiar
with this program because he has been
The Upfront for uh recovery
in Lebanon and so um I'm sending you off
with all kinds of information it's more
information than I know what to do with
but the gold standard I have read on
that and uh I do expect us to have that
and take care of it I'm I'm sending you
all well with that challenge
I think it just makes sense to go ahead
and do it and you get a 15 an additional
15 comes directly yes from the OAA
you've read all that you know two parts
of money
um
[Laughter]
all right so do you all accept my
challenge yes ma'am all right thank you
very much
thank you madam chairperson next on the
county Ministry request is of course the
VDOT Highway update and uh as in the
board members uh packet of course this
is the update on the projects but one of
the ones I wanted to emphasize on that
will be publishing out is uh there will
be a bridge inspection over the railroad
of Route 661 on Ultra probe will be
closed on on December the 15th between 9
A.M and 3 P.M for completion of the
inspection so that bridge will be closed
so I need to make note of that in the
minutes but also we'll we'll make public
notice
next on the County Administrator request
reports is of course the vaco local
government day this is the day that all
the board supervisors around the state
Virginia attend to uh talk to vaco and
other County peers and uh concerning the
upcoming legislation but it's also a
time that we also go and ask for
additional funds and programs and Lobby
for the county to see what is up for the
next year so what I need from the uh
each board member is to give us notice
if you plan to attend so we can make the
reservations get everything scheduled if
you have any uh special meetings that
you want to attend or Commissioners you
want to talk to give us a little note I
will make the schedules uh we've got a
few that we've already started on
already so let me know and I will
schedule those I will be attending I
just want to listen and Steve okay and
thank you guys and if I may Mr Lester
point out the uh there's going to be an
opioid meeting January 19th in Richmond
and that's the that's the time that we
are up there for those meetings and
um I will be hosting
um some of these receptions as your
Virginia planning district president so
I will be there also Mr Lester and I've
already made my arrangements it's taken
care of thank you mention so uh with Mr
breeding and Miss dive being put on the
opiate committee
okay I want to go ahead and register you
then yesterday Mr Eaton don't forget
anything else
he's shaking his do you want to come to
the opiate meeting too David
caucus
I'll probably we'll send out an email
just confirm with you I've got my
itinerary and anybody that wants to join
me in any of the meetings I already have
set up as well okay send that to us
David and we'll put all that out thank
you sir
next down the County Administrator is
the command County Ministry request is
the Russell County DSS CSA supplement
allocation that I had in the board
packet this is to supplement the
fostering program foster care program I
need a motion approval for the CSA
supplement application for FY 23. so
moved
okay I have a motion I need a second
okay I'll take one second Miss Vance
whoever you choose we had several up
here
um so anyway we have the for the request
for the Russell County DSS supplement
allocation for 2023 all in favor
um any opposed any abstentions motion
carries thank you thank you madam chair
next on the county Ministry request is
approval of the abstracts of votes off
the November the 8th to
2022 general election for the House of
Representative District 9 the mayor of
Cleveland
the mayor of Honaker and the mirror Town
Council of levington and the Town
Council of Cleveland and the Town
Council of Honaker I need approval on
all of those
and chair I'll make a motion we approve
all those certify those election results
thank you Mr breeding I need a second
we got several she can pick
so okay all in favor
any opposed any abstentions motion
carries thank you very much
next on the county Ministry request is
the Christmas holiday schedule this came
down from the Virginia Supreme Court
that was in the board's packet as y'all
can see that the
on the uh hang on just a second to
apologize
on the schedule for the 23rd that was an
additional day that was given I think it
was in the packet for the Virginia
Supreme Court and uh it's at the
pleasure of the board supervisors
whether they want to convey that same
time to the County Employees I will need
a motion on that what's the board's
pleasure
that'll be the 22nd
thank you Mr Ray I have a motion I need
a second
Boris thank you
all in favor or any any discussion
further
are we good I'm sorry I'm racing on okay
all in favor
any opposed any abstentions motion
carries thank you
now the next one is also an
authorization for holiday pay for
part-time employees
for uh
for any holiday pay that's incurred
during this time
working during the holidays I need
approval for that so move
second I have a motion in a second any
discussion
I'll call for the vote all in favor any
opposed any abstentions motion carries
man before we end the county Minister
request of course just to make the board
aware the January 2nd 2023 board is on
that's the first Monday of for the
reorganization that is a holiday
so we will need to do a public notice
it is on the schedule for right now and
that is the first Monday
so we need to advertise for a date after
that holiday which is the 2nd of January
you've done on the following day what
about Tuesday that's the pleasure of the
board
it's such a pleasure I'll entertain a
motion for that Tuesday the 3rd I'll
make a motion Tuesday the third I'll
sick we have a motion and a second to
have our next meeting January 3rd 2023
all in favor
any opposed any abstentions motion
carries
thank you madam chair that concludes the
county Ministry reports and requestment
and that looks like that takes care of
our packet tonight so with that I will
ask for board discussion and reminders
Mr lovely you got anything
uh
just it was really good to see you in
the VDOT report uh tombaz Hollow and
Thomas Warner projects are finished and
Lance Davis has been started so that's
really good to see that that stuff
happening I agree thank you Mr Ray yes
Madam chair I'd like to wish everybody a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
very good Mr Eaton I've only got one
thing made of the chair I would like for
the board to consider sending out a
letter of support to keep the widthful
um
testing laboratory opened uh I went to a
meeting and it was packed out we had our
local veterinarians there uh
we had a lot of the Farm Bureau and a
lot of farmers and a lot of Agriculture
people there speaking in regards to the
county supporting uh keeping this lab
Lab opening because uh if we lose this
lab we're going to have to go all the
way to Virginia Tech for testing and
that's probably not going to be a good
thing one is you've got to have a
referral from a veterinarian to be able
to take your animal there and it's going
to be cost prohibited and also you're
talking about from Lee County and wise
haven't they they have a hard time
driving all the way to wiffle can you
imagine having to drive all the way to
Virginia Tech so I would like to see the
board Madam chair uh send a letter of
support to our local legislators and
also a letter to the secretary of
agriculture to keep the wiffle
laboratory open and I don't know if I
need to do that in a motion man I know
motion's probably not
at this time but can we do that we'll
make sure that uh that we are all
there's a consensus here
we all agree that we will support
that through a letter and uh remember to
reach out to your legislators
and when you're uh visiting with them or
calling them and let them know how you
feel about that so I appreciate it thank
you
miss Mr Eaton are you is this one of the
meetings that you're having with uh with
vdac during the January yes sir yes I'm
hoping I've got a meeting scheduled with
the secretary vag I've done been in
contact with commissioner Al Pulaski
County he's coming down here
let me give you a little history this
laboratory is the only one that does
fish and we've got one of the largest
fish processing facilities going in up
here in Russell County I'm partnering
with the other counties so I'm really
concerned in regards to this they you
know we just need to make sure that we
don't lose this opportunity we don't we
want to make sure we don't lose anything
in Southwest Virginia so I just want to
make sure that we really push the
inbound upon this and especially if
you're in Richmond
uh be able to talk to them make sure
that this lab stays open
I know right now that uh just short and
sweet the our our animal shelter when we
test out skunks and raccoons and is this
is one of the facilities that we use too
it hit that and the co-op
does it utilizes this also so they have
put that on their radar too so I'll
draft up a letter of support it'll be a
financial hardship on all the counties
of southwest 50 Blacksburg
okay
ma'am chair I really don't have anything
other than to wish everybody up
Merry Christmas and happy New Year thank
you Mr breeding Kudos on that
no I'll just ditto what Steve said I
hope everyone has a nice Christmas and
enjoys himself and relaxes
Mr Christian
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to
talk thank you sir and um same from your
chairperson here I appreciate your
support I appreciate everything that
this county is trying to do to move us
forward and I thank you for the
opportunity to serve so with that I will
adjourn this meeting and say thank you
and merry Christmas
pretty good