e
is that one
up
[Music]
you ready
ready good afternoon
everyone I'd like to welcome you to the
Russell County Board of Supervisors
November the 13 2023 at 6m in the
Russell County Government Center I'd
like to start first with a call of order
and roll
call Tim LEL
here car Ray here David Eaton here Steve
bready here Rebecca D here for Christian
present and Lou Wallace here ma'am you
have a quorum thank you sir um at this
time I'm going to ask for the in
invocation please rise and remain
standing for the
pledge let us pray father God lord we
love you we thank you we praise you
today Father father forgive us for where
we fail you each and every day and
father thank you for all the veterans
across this great country that
sacrificed their lives for us especially
this week father as we just celebrated
Veterans Day forgive us for where we
fail you thank you for allowing us to be
a part of our local government father
for it's in your name we pray amen
amen Al to the flag of the United States
of America and to the Republic for which
it stands one nation under God
indivisible with liberty and justice for
all thank you and uh I'm just going to
say say this tonight welcome to the
Board of Supervisors we appreciate your
coming uh those that have signs I
appreciate your signs but if you're on
the front row please be cognizant of the
people behind you so that you don't
block their View and we appreciate that
so I can see your signs and I see those
in the back and we all do so thank you
for that but just remember there's
people sitting behind you that may need
to see and would like to see and not be
blocked another thing I want to say is
I'm going to welcome our uh attorne Atty
tonight to the meeting and this is Nick
Compton uh Miss Katie is out with Co so
prayers for Miss Katie please and we'll
have Nick here tonight thank you Mr
Compton for being here and representing
us well thank
you now moving along I need an approval
of the agenda and I believe we have an
amendment who's got
that okay Madam chair on under the
County Administrator request on line
item number seven for the Russell County
uh PSA uh Virginia Water Supply
revolving Loan Fund on Nash's Ford and
clinch Mountain Road project uh I'm
requesting the board to table it for one
more meeting to so we can get an
increase in Grant on that project and in
its place over the weekend due to the
amount of fires that are occurring in
the region in the county we have
implemented a burn Bank declaration
Emergency Management on a burn band okay
thank you very much so with those
amendments please I'll ask for an
approval of the agenda so moved I have a
motion I need a second second I got two
I'll take either one um any further
discussion hearing none all in favor any
opposed any extensions motion carries
thank you very much next we have on our
agenda a
presentation and um this is misss Martin
uh for vetfest Southwest
Virginia Doro are you in the house Stacy
Stacy oh I'm
sorry okay and I apologize Stacy please
forgive me no no need you just got a
settle for me that's all uh want to
thank the board and uh you know for the
County's support and vetfest in the
entire series of events uh we were able
to host events you know the veterans
breakfast over at Fairgrounds uh we we
were able to do a car show motorcycle
ride vetfest itself here in at the Town
Park I'm happy to report that we've had
the biggest success we've ever had this
year the attendance uh more than tripled
the previous two years combined uh so we
look forward to continuing to work with
the county and the town on that uh we
even got a couple more events we want to
throw in that should really tie in well
with the County's ecotourism business I
look forward to presenting those ideas
in the coming months but for this
evening we wanted to say thank you for
the donation and and the assistance we
had these flags done up and they flew at
every one of the events because we
wanted everybody to come to know if the
town supported or the county supported
uh and they did fly at all those events
we wanted to present that to the board
tonight along with a thank you card from
dorl that's the she thinks of those
those things I don't but I wanted to say
again thank you for your support it's
greatly
appreciated um who should I hand these
to that's
Mr ler be good as a veteran thank you
who is a veteran thank
you that's extra lovely we appreciate
that so
much moving along to new business um I'm
going to need approval of the minutes um
from the October the 2nd
2023 so move I have a motion to approve
the minutes I need a second I second got
a second um any further discussion on
the minutes hearing none I'll call for
the vote all in favor any opposed any
extensions motion carries next we're
moving along to line item number two
approval of expenditures I need a motion
to uh to
ex good Lord approve the expenditure
thank you I'll make a motion to pay the
bills second thank you David and Mr
breeding all in favor any opposed motion
carries next we're coming to line item
number three committee appointments for
board
consideration first we have the Dank
Community Center board um I would like
to do that as a slate if we may and next
we have the Russell County Planning
Commission and the C Plateau so starting
with uh the Dank Community Center board
and I think I can do this as a slate
right okay I'd like to entertain a
motion to put Katherine Pratt and Jason
gullet back on the Dank Community Center
board I'll make a motion I have a motion
I need a second second I have two
seconds thank you gentlemen um any
further
discussion I'll call for the vote all in
favor any opposed any extensions motion
carries next we're moving on to the
Russell County Planning Commission for a
four-year term and that's my district
and I would like to put Mr Greg STS name
in okay we have a motion for Greg sto
which out of District Six thank you Mr
Eaton we have a second uh any further
discussion on this hearing none I'll
call for the vote all in favor any
opposed any extensions motion carries
next we have Cumberland Plateau Economic
Development commission these are
one-year terms um citizens usually set
here we have J name Eaton Jr um I'll
entertain a motion for someone or him
I'll make that motion to nominate Jim
okay thank you very much um I need a
second second I got a second for Mr
Eaton um all in favor I I'll need to
abstain he's my first cin Steve that
made the motion second Steve second it
okay all right thank you
sorry okay so all in favor let's do it
again okay um and Mr Eaton is abstaining
let the record show that correct yes
ma'am all right thank you um citizens
comment period we're coming to that and
I have several on the list um we have a
three minute limit so um I'm going to
call for the first one on my list is Amy
Branson Miss Branson give me your name
address and what you're here for Amy
Branson my address is is 224 Davis
Memorial Drive Castlewood
Virginia and I'm here to speak in
opposition to the Moss 3 dump
site I want to ask the Board of
Supervisors why they can't tell us
anything about the project and why it's
been such a secret up to this point
wherein law or regulations does it say
that the Board of Supervisors cannot
discuss this with the residents of
Russell County has there been some kind
of signed NDA with a private party
wouldn't that be a conflict of interest
given their elected
positions everyone seems scared to talk
is this private entity threatening our
elected officials personally or the
county with a lawsuit if elected
officials are being threatened
personally with legal action maybe they
should consider stepping down so we can
elect officials who won't be bullied
into doing political favors for the
wealthy people especially those when
it's against the will of the people and
citizens would it be easier for the
county to fight a lawsuit against the
county that that stops the Landfield or
to spend millions of dollars to reclaim
this Landfield when it fails like our
neighbor in Bristol have any of you been
to Bristol or looked at their most
recent monitoring reports which are
posted monthly even after they've stop
taking trash the temperatures within
their Landfield are still too high and
they're still off gassing excessive
Benzene levels what is our health in
Russell County worth while the board has
not answered many questions we hope that
the board will Foster a more open
dialogue with its citizens in the future
for the betterment of Russell County and
its citizens thank
you next I have H Stanley
King Keen
sorry yes ma'am I I will start out by
saying I hate to interrupt the Landfield
discussion but uh my issue is with road
safety the lind spring area rout
6:32 and I have got some good hopes in
getting something done this
time with Mr Eaton and Mr Lester they
both are doing are doing good on it for
me so far but I've been here in the past
with issues on that road and I was in
hopes I'd see some one from Ved do
tonight
uh this last wreck we had uh I'm going
to need more than three minutes because
a a life and death situation
should deserve more than three minute
deal but I had there's been eight wrecks
at my house I've lived there 50
years we have a speeder problem up
there and we've had two fatalities ities
we had a
fatality uh couple weeks ago with Austin
Powder
truck that seemed to got swept under the
rug for some reason because it wasn't in
the Lebanon paper it wasn't on the
Richlands radio news or any TV news that
we seen that's beside the point I'm
standing here on behalf of the safety of
that road up there and in the safety of
my home and my family I'd hate to have a
truck come through my house through my
bedroom and and uh I ask each and every
one ofans that can to put a word in
edgewise and let's try to get something
done on this we have no law of there
zero big zero no law you can't get them
up there but the morning Austin truck
went in the creek and inside of my house
and I killed this 21y old man
the road was full of state
troopers but you waste your breath
trying to get any any law up there the
issue in the past on that without road
signs a speed limit set then they
couldn't do anything about
Speeders but it's just not the the
traffic of the people that live up there
we have a lot of commercial traffic over
in the page at the M
site and I'm here to tell you of them
people at
buckon they think they're on the daytone
of
500 and it's ridiculous and
it's we we can't get we can't get
nothing I've even off let radar my
driveway anything to slow people down
and help and and it it's really needs
addressed and I'm hoping this speed
study that you all are putting in for is
going to be the answer to it I have
spoke with mori's office and several
others and I'm reaching out to everybody
that I know that might can help to try
to do something about this Sy
time thank you Mr King I appreciate
everybody's time and I appreciate
anything you'll do to help me you made
it right into three minutes very good
thank
you um Mr
Burgess Josh Burgess 1857 Arch bro
Cleveland
Virginia I came here tonight not to
speak to y'all hopefully to get educated
but I saw the paper out there I said
what the heck
anyways I'm POS this
lanfield I'm really come to you as
concerned citizen but that's not true
I'm actually
terrified uh if anybody studied L fields
and effect and what it does theun
community property value you know you
could say right here today if I want to
resell my house the property value has
already dropped would I keep it a secret
that there's a potential landfill
[Music]
coming you know I I can't do that
so U that and um the amount of truck
traffic that that can
be associated with the
landfill and the amount of acreage that
the landfill is going to spread across
potential Landfield nobody's
educated I hate that it's come to us
like this I imagine if a community was
going to take on a project like a
Landfield it would come through a
newspaper as a warning to prepare the
citizens for what they might be up
against but you got 5,000 plus acres out
here the largest landfill in the world
worlds 2200 Acres so you're looking at
times
two as a potential infill may be broken
up in the sails there's a lot of
different ways to do
it but we sat on one of the most
protected areas of the Clinch River and
the watered on this thing is
enormous and the history of mining in
the
area is unknown it dates back so
far in reality we're sitting on under
there's Underground lakes in the area
and anybody's lived in the clinchfield
Cleveland back Valley area has known
somebody that has lost a whale in the
past due to the mining so the the hazard
the potential for the hazard and the
just the community needs to come
together and do whatever it takes to put
a stop to this thing I'm terrified and
I'm invested in the community and I plan
on continuing to invest in the
community this is the last way I imagine
myself approaching this board I thought
it would be on different
terms I know very few of y'all and just
uh I'll watch you on YouTube just let
you know your word does get out and what
y'all go go across I'm one of the few I
know the views are very low and I was
shocked theze of this room considering
the population of the county which tells
you that most of the count is not
involved in what y'all do just to the
amount of seating yall have here but I'm
opposed to lfi and I know there's a lot
of people that's opposed to it I haven't
run across a single person that is for
it
zero but that's all the time we'll take
thank you'all thank you we appreciate
your
voice next on the list is Billy
Johnson
I live at 5772 Cleveland Road I'm
against Landfield the health of it it's
not going to come
out like Josh said the
traffic there's underground
caves I mean there's still coal in there
so what if one of them catches on
fire you know what's going to happen
it's going spread
everywhere you not you can't put a fire
out that's
underground I mean it can't
happen you know I run for the rescue
squad and we don't want to see
that you know the fire department don't
want to see
it none of
us so maxing
y'all vote no
one I mean look at the the
citizens you know they're they don't
want
it and I mean that's all I've got to say
it's up to y'all we got to shut it
down
so thank you Mr
Johnson next I have Gary
Hughes
175 Community Church Road Swords Creek
Virginia all I want to talk about is the
Landfield but I want to talk about the
history of this
region when man came here white man came
here they saw huge
trees they saw the opportunity to make
big money so they cut saw wheals came
cut the trees and left then rich people
came in here and bought the coal rights
from these poor people for nearly
nothing and
uh so uh I think every time we turn
around all they want to do is just poop
on this part of the country uh the gas
wh the uh state legislator
allowed the gas companies to come in
here and drill for
gas it's all about rich people making
more
money and I don't want to be a part of
the a Landfield that my future
Generations are going to have to deal
with because we made a mistake today
thank
you thank you thank you very
much Elijah
cordal hello my name is Elijah cordal
and I live at 571 call Valley Road in
sords Creek
Virginia members of the board I'm here
today on behalf of myself as well as the
other citizens of Russell County to ask
you to vote no and stop all
consideration for a privately owned
landfill or
otherwise the evidence of what a
landville can do to a community and
their health is
self-evident all you have to do is look
at brist the endless testimonials on
social
media as well as in the newspaper and
there are study after study about them
and none of them report any good impacts
for a community we know the jobs they
create are limited and the economic
promises they bring are empty they can
easily pay any fun and continue to
operate with impunity they cannot
generate enough tax revenue to offset
the cost of their business the only
person who can possibly profit in the
owner is the owner of the Landfield so
how much is the future worth to you is
it worth the lives and health of the
community our family or friends is it
the worth is it worth the cost of new
business ever wanted to open here the
answer is no there can be no price on
something so precious because these
things mean everything to us it's our
future and I ask that you think
sincerely about what it means to be an
elected leader and what the right thing
to do is for citizens of Russell County
as you make your decision about the
landfill so please vote
no thank you Mr
Cal Angie
McGloin
hi I'm Angie mlin I live at 7202 fny
Road in
hker um I'm here to talk about the
landfill and I was wondering if any of
you could give us any reason why this
landfill would be beneficial to the
people of Russell
County if there's anything good about it
please let us know so that we can
consider what might be good
also and if you can't discuss anything
about the
landfill can you at least tell us why
it's a
secret why it can't be
discussed I've contacted the EPA the DEQ
and several elected officials no permits
have been requested for this project
must much less approved so there's no
way it could be considered already in
progress
why then can it not be stopped by an
ordinance Banning any private landfills
from locating and operating in Russell
County this is how family planic clinics
were stopped when there wasn't even a
danger of one coming in was that just a
show that's not worth the paper it's
written
on almost all of your constituents are
against this
Landfield it's a completely bipartisan
issue no one in the County wants it I'm
totally against a private landfill
locating anywhere in Russell County I'll
do everything in my power to stop it and
I'm asking you to do the
same and if anyone would like to sign
the petition against the
landfill I have forms out on the table
and feel free to take copies to your
friends and neighbors to let them
sign and
also I would like to request again that
the public comment section of the
meetings be changed to allow
communication between the citizens and
their
supervisors I'll probably request that
every time thank you thank you Miss
mclin next on the list is Jared
ring good evening I'm Jared ring of 149
Calvary Baptist Road and cwood I'd just
like to say congratulations those of you
that kept your seats through the recent
election I've got 12 points against the
landfill I'd like to try to condense
into three minutes um the first of which
is the runoff risk which several people
have already uh talked about a little
bit um there are pre-law features all
over that territory that can only be
scouted by drone a pre-law feature being
a mine feature that
predates the latter half of the century
when Congress actually legislated and
really the only way you can determine
where these pre-law features are is to
scout them with drones but the area is
also covered in Japanese knotweed and
cudu so it is not impossible to observe
all the features that could be dumping
down into a deep mind that we don't even
knows there and this whole part of the
state is covered in what's called car
graphy meaning we have caves all over
the place many of which feed into
underground streams and there's a real
concern of Overland and um underground
runoff and seepage from the landfill
landfills also leak um that's not a
matter of opinion you can Google any
amount of peer reviewed statistics on
the environmental effects of landfills
they leak it it is nearly 100% it's not
a question of if it's a question of when
um so water pollution cannot be
understated and a significant number of
people in this County are still on
wellwater um which Segways into my next
point which is the health risks um again
cursory Google search you can find
reputable statistics on the amount of
people that are affected and the ways in
which they're affected which are quite
horrendous by the way uh living in
vicinity to a landfill um
that can't be understated and typically
these health health risks uh
disproportionately affect people like
seniors and the extremely young and
Russell County frankly is a county of
seniors most of our working age people
have moved off over the years um so this
will disproportionately affect the old
who already have health
complications and the young who are the
future of this County more so than than
everyone um I also like to bring up the
point that this could alienate long-term
Employers in the county AEP has had the
power plant at carbo for longer than
I've been alive and the creek that runs
by Moss 3 is a right there at their
power plant if there's any amount of
trash that ends up in that Creek it's
going to end up being A's problem to a
degree there's also no way they're going
to appreciate when their corporate heads
come down there having the smell of a
landfill a quarter mile away and up wind
so this is going to alienate an employer
that is already here that has been
providing jobs in this County for half a
century um it could also alienate
potential employers because I think the
image of being a county that is open for
dumping is so
damaging uh it can't be understated uh
because who wants to move a business
into a county that just got a massive
landfill especially with the bad people
that Bristol just got Mr Ring our timer
went off so I'll let you wrap it up if
you can quickly well I got four out of
12 come back I know next month thank
you I
apologize all right that wraps it up so
before we end uh public expression or
public comments is there anyone that did
not get a chance to sign up that would
like to speak tonight on on the subjects
that you need to talk about to
us I'll recognize you you want to come
up and tell us your name
please
address uh 172 Alby Creek
Road Russell County I've lived here my
whole life enjoy it great back in the
90s seemed like we had people that
brought IND Industries into this area
you had tlex Le Alcoa Wester
Brown why can't we bring stuff to work
in Russell
County ain't nobody done nothing to
bring any industry into Russell County
in
years all y'all can come up with is
let's make it a
dump that don't bring no tax revenue to
this County that don't help the drug
addiction in this
County you bring work to people of
Russell County it takes care of a lot of
your
problems work cuts out on the drug
abuse stealing home invasions
everything bring us some work don't
bring us no
landfill Russell County can do anything
anything coal industry was great coal
miners was great russle County still got
coal y'all don't want
coal if y'all want electric vehicles
help bring us a battery plank but down
hit mil three you've got water you've
got rail access you've got people
willing to
work what's a Landfield going to bring
seven job JS bring us some jobs to
Russell County that's all I got to
say thank you very
much anybody else floor is
open your name and address please my
name is D 64 6203 High Point load I
worked up M fre for over 20 some years
right where y'all wanting to put the
rill it's sitting on refuge and The
Refuge is 80% pure Cal they had it
checked when he was building a power PL
at St Paul I was I I helped him check it
had his big dream pipe in under that
ranfield and he will eat too and his
water runs off at Pond all time because
I used to go with the federal men to
check it it run a 5 gallon bucket within
two minutes and it runs out into the
creek in the Quin River so where you
think it's waste is going to come out of
it it's going to go right into the river
it don't have to get down the mines it's
going to come through that Refuge
because Refuge ain't
solid H works it moves around and if it
catches on for it burn for
years and then then you got all that
traship bones
too so I just wanted to tell you all
that
because
it's yeah and every who dressed that up
down there at the
bottom put the dirt in reel that off
Russell County they did cover up a
graveyard they are a graveyard right
there it's right below the road out I
walked through it many of days I worked
up by since
79
hit the between the Dy side and Road
out the some of the Tomb rocks is 1800
1900s and every who done the do and
work don't know who done it but the
Refuge it's bad it does work because I
help fill that P in some and I you push
the road out there and you go back and
it wouldn't the road die ride out with
you
so it ain't
stable that's all I got to
say Thank you Mr
[Laughter]
sers anybody else before we close public
comments hello my name is Christina Cil
and I am a Russell County native that
also lived in Bristol for 20 years I
have firsthand seen the repercussions of
the de mental health problems it causes
also Russell County is a vable economic
industry if you focus it on the right
places we have that beautiful river that
has I think 23 protected species of
muscle ferally protected muscles it has
19 protected
fish we can make this County wonderful
if we focus on the things that already
are wonderful and trash is not the
answer the answer is viable Recreation
for families
and bringing families back to Russell
County thank you could I get your
address
please drop
Castlewood 140 Fletcher drop Castlewood
[Applause]
Virginia anybody
else
I'm going to recognize her first are you
coming do you mind
sorry Sheila ball thank you 12:47 Eagles
Nest Road
Castle I live within a mile of this
proposed
mess I have my dad generation one
generation two my daughter generation
three three of my grandkids generation
four this will be a
mess it will be a mess I have my
grandchild
here cuz I don't want this and I don't
want the health
issues my granddaughter is fighting
asthma
today who knows how much
more this is going to do to
us my dad's fought cancer I've had
cancer my mom has had
cancer
leate is some bad stuff and other
stuff you know it's
just
not good for anyone here in Russell
County why can't this go somewhere to
some desert somewhere where no one lives
where no one can live
anyway please don't put this on
us I don't usually
talk but this upsets me so bad for my
family their
children that's all I have to say thank
you
Sheila
name and address please 10 shotgun
holler
Cleveland I just wanted to let you know
experience I had me and my wife took the
grand babies down to the lake one day
and the smell from Bristol trash dump
was so bad we couldn't enjoy the day
there so I'm telling you all I know
y'all probably live here but this stuff
is going to come up here and settle over
this town and it's going to run this
town not only
the towns around I mean you really need
to think about this this stuff's going
to be like a cloud we couldn't even sit
down there and enjoy the day with her
grand and it's going to be bad and I
mean that's was on a real nice day down
there how how settled and we like 35 40
miles from r on host and
lake so I mean you really need to thank
this over because it's going to come up
up this mountain like a funnel and it's
going to settle right here on this this
along and I appreciate you listening to
me thank you for coming and thank you
for
speaking anybody
else anybody out there that I can't
see name and address please I'm Patricia
Lester I live at 39 Riverside in Drive
Le Virginia
I'm a single mother and we just recently
bought a house down in Caron place and
it's just a couple miles away from the
proposed Landfield I am against it and
my children are too my oldest has a 4.0
at the moment at school she's a senior
and she wrote some key points she want
me to speak about if you don't mind
please the Landfield will cause many
health problems which can affect her
children grandchildren family and
friends she said Bristol Landfield has
caused many problems um residents have
said they they can residents I'm sorry
can say they smell they can smell the
Landfield from their houses won't this
affect our clean air
also the trash could work its way down
into the Clinch River is her next Point
like some of the other citizens have
spoke about and we are concerned about
that because we're big environmentalists
we're big conservationists where we live
U you know the close to the river
already it's in our backyard most you
could
say many people who live towards the the
Clinch River they use it as well water
we have our own well down in Caron and
they are a lot of elderly that live down
there too so not only trying to speak
for them but I also want to speak for
elderly and I have to some of my
neighbors they are against the Landfield
also so please to consider if you know
something like this goes in and it gets
in our water I'm afraid it's going to
wipe us all out especially them you know
also we live on a protective Wildlife
Reserve in Cardon that uses the Clinch
River the pollution from the Landfield
might kill our Wildlife there are
hundreds of Acres down there that are
it's a wildlife preserve so we're
looking we want to look out for our
Wildlife too she
says also protect their freshwater
muscles that are in the river that would
probably die from the pollution and that
will be the end of all that she doesn't
want to see that
happen
also there are a bunch of new signs that
help people find the boat ramp won't
that go against the reason Recreation
russle county is trying to promote we
got some new signs down in carington
leading people down to where the river
is and she's saying doesn't this go
against what we all believe in we need
to keep the clinch clean we need to keep
it clear we need to keep it open for not
just ourselves for our future
generations and thank you for
considering this thank you so we like I
said please do vote against it
appreciate yall so much thank you for
your time we appreciate your voice thank
you anybody
else name and address please name Clan I
live at 188 syes Drive I've haul trash
half Long Island to Pennsylvania trust
me you don't want it in this County
you don't want it here I've H
it we're still open for
comments Carrie McCormack 6:30 ARP Road
Cleveland Virginia
um you know the the biggest thing for me
is that this is a biodiversity hotspot
and it's ranked up there nationally like
the top 10 with uh the Redwood forests
here in Nevada mountains the Everglades
and you know to some of these other
folks points today you know pouring
resources into into that type of uh
tourist industry and and promoting
biodiversity and you know I understand
too when I look on the web the muscle
population is down and a lot of other
you know issues are happening but like
when you look at the Everglades or or
the Redwood Forest like hey we only have
4% of our trees left they don't say hey
let's just come down call it a wash
right it's like they double down their
efforts to protect their their their
biodiversity and I just feel like it's
such a a huge Overlook thing in this
project specifically and again like we'd
like to see an environmental survey and
like hey you know the the cars
topography that they're talking about is
real and it's very complex you know like
how will that affect the water systems
does it go up to Horn aner does it go
down to Lebon you know we we know St
Paul's on the Clinch River and you know
it's a real um real thing that needs to
be discussed in in the open so that's
about it thank you thank
you anybody
else no
sir my name is Don Fields 14 Fletcher
Drive Castle
Virginia as my daughter spoke a while
ago about the protected muscles in the
river they are ferally protected and not
to mention the Nature conserv has worked
so hard producing buying properties to
protect our Wetlands the waterways U
keeping cattle out of the river you know
keeping the animals out of the river you
know things like that I don't see how
that's any different than would we would
be keeping industrial trash out of our
walkways um I have been on a Clint River
all my life I'm 59 years old I raised my
daughters on the Clinch River we I mean
that was just our Recreation we go
camping uh you know swimming it was just
something we did Regular and they loved
it and my my two little
grandsons love it now and they're only
four and six years old and I would hate
to see that for them
um they deserve to have good clean water
in our County and we all deserve we
we've worked hard to fight since the
acid spill at car carbo plant
the I mean it was awful and and the
river is just few years ago was
recovering from that and we don't need
we don't need to add to it I just hope
pray that it doesn't come to our area
that's all I got to say very good thank
you so much for
coming anybody
else nobody
anybody Mr Hughes you're out of order
I'm
sorry Mr Hughes you're out of order name
and uh name and address
please Curtis sers from 360 carbo
Road uh just purchased a house about
five years ago within a quarter of a
mile of this proposed
site never dreamed anything like this
would
happen couple years ago word was
circulating that the county was going to
put industrial park in there and then
this comes out
it don't take no rocket scientist to
know what this is going to do to the to
the community over there maybe you all
don't live close to it but if it was in
your backyard you wouldn't you wouldn't
want it
either and uh my daughter's 22 years old
just getting into a teaching career and
she don't need this we under well water
because the county didn't put water by
our house
and uh quarter of a mile and
uh the people the people vote no and I
expect you all to vote
[Applause]
no thank you so much all
right I don't want to cut you off
but
my name is Tammy Garrett I didn't intend
to I live at 336 Russell Street here in
Le didn't intend to speak tonight I was
going to wait until I had some things
prepared but um the everyone that has
spoken has moved me so much that I feel
compelled to speak to you all um I think
everyone's been very emotional they made
some emotional statements about how this
is going to um could impact them and
their families and future generations
and I think all that is true and valid
and we need to recognize that um but I
think that more than that we need to
look at um the
scientific
impacts um that this proposed private
livingfield could have um just look at
the research I've looked at it just a
little bit um you know it doesn't take
much to um research it and find out that
basically there are
no um good environmental or health
impacts from the
Landfield
um just from what little that I have
read uh the liners do eventually that
that contains the leachate which is
basically acid
does fail sometimes within 20 years so
that's within our lifetimes so if we
think that a liner is going to contain
it and hold it all in it will for a
short period of time but not for a long
period of time and if this is a private
Landfield we don't know how we can hold
hold them accountable when accidents
happen how can we hold them accountable
if we have leech a if we have accidents
if you Google
five major Manfield dis man-made
disasters um on the list you are going
to find toxic and
chemical uh waste accidents from trucks
from trains you're going to see that
that is on the list the things that we
would be looking at is on the list of uh
of most common man-made environmental
disasters
so there's a lot that we really need to
look at also we are looking at an
environment over there that we know is
already fragile it's already compromised
it's compromised from years of coal
mining um and that's why it's been
protected it's you know that's why the
Clinch River has a protected species
that's why we've worked so hard to um
reclaim that land and that environment
over there because it's already been um
abused and compromised by years of
cine so it's already a fragile ecosystem
there and I think that everybody here
that has spoken before has talked about
that and they that is what they're
trying to get across but what I want to
stress is everything that they said was
such a motion actually has um scientific
and proven um backed up results from
from what happens when a place has a
landfill thank you Tammy okay appreciate
you Jim little 1660 copper reach Road
Castle
Wood the many speakers tonight and I
their efforts here have all spoken on
health issues environmental issues so
I'm not going to repeat the many things
said by them but what I do want to make
the point of is our young people and
coming back to this County here we are
wanting to keep our young people here in
the county we want to have opportunities
for them we want them to be proud of our
County I can I have a daughter that and
I will preface since she's a County
employee that I'm not speaking on her
behalf in fact she would hit me on the
head if she knew I probably was speaking
but she goes away to
college returns here with a passion for
the environment with passion for
tourism and that's what we want our
young people to come back for whatever
reason whether it's in the medical field
or diesel mechanics makes or
whatever but are they going to want to
come back to a county with this type of
contamination with the stigma that gets
attached to the county when you say I'm
from Russell County or I'm promoting
Russell County you're already behind the
eightball when you do that do we want to
hang that anchor around our young
people's we having enough trouble
keeping them here and having them come
back and we're certainly not helping it
with this matter thank
you thank you Mr
little anybody
else great I'm David Ball uh 50 ball
Drive Cleveland Virginia I just think
the uh obvious consideration of a
private landfill operation is that when
it becomes too expensive to operate
they'll file bankruptcy and leave the
mess they created for the government
taxpayers to clean up the only thing a
private Landfield does is guarantee that
during the profit phase all the benefits
will flow up to the owners and during
the unprofitable phase uh such as a
Bristol Landfield the uh company will be
bankrupt and unable to meet its
Financial Obligations whatever bonds
exist will have to be split up you know
between all of its deaders which if
they're like me they'll always be
spending on new credit lines uh County
might never see a single penny uh and
instead the company uh if it can
outspend its bonds you know with
additional credit it could fall back on
the county to fix
it once it shuts down there's nobody to
blame but ourselves for allowing it to
happen these exploits are kind of
blatantly obvious if you really study it
uh anytime you think you can contain it
there's probably another loophole that
you haven't considered um there's no
legal requirement that a company or
Enterprise uh ever be profitable for
itself uh for instance It could only
exist for the purpose of you know uh the
other companies on its balance
sheet the
outflows even if you absolutely believe
with all your heart that those who seek
to establish a landfill are completely
benign in what they're doing there's
nothing to prevent the owners of selling
it to the highest
bidder a bidder who may for instance
have a foreign interest against their
own National Security or lacking a
genuine interest in our local
environment
here if you think you can track down
where the money flows you know good luck
because uh it'll probably vanish along
with the bonds and investors and the
promises and the
environment thank you for your time
thank
you anybody in
public comment still
open anybody out
there all right I'm going to close
public comment thank you all for coming
thank you for your voice we appreciate
you
okay um let me find my place here
constitutional officers reports and
request anyone here I don't think
so next we have the County Attorney uh
reports and request do we have anything
from anybody down there Mr Compton okay
thank
you County Administrator reports and
requests Mr Lester thank you thank you
Madame chair
first on the County Administrator uh
reports is of course again a reminder
for the Virginia Association of counties
preliminary legislative program for 2024
this will be a legislative issues that
the Board of Supervisors will have to
address with our local legislators and
the uh the New House and Senate so it's
going to be a little difficult but
anyhow I won't go into that one second
thing on the county administrative
reports is the Russell County Park
ordinance we have implemented a new park
we've also imp I mean a campground we've
also implemented a new community center
in Swords Creek everything is looking
good on both of them so this needs to be
reviewed and updated for these new
facilities and and and
operations um number three on the county
Ministry reports is again is the Russell
County School energy performance the
clean resource Capital saves credit
payment agreement of 12 $
7,464 this was an agreement that the
Board of Supervisors along with the
school board implemented years ago to
upgrade all the schools to uh for energy
performance and this is a break that
comes back from the US Treasury they pay
for 75% of the loan as long as we can be
keep meeting these requirements energy
saving requirements so this year's
allotment to the school board was1 2
7,464 number four on the county
administrat reports is the VT October
report as you can see on there they have
give you a schedule on uh the maintening
activities that have been completed on
which routes um and of course the
mainten activities that are planned for
each route and
um take a look at that and make sure
that all the maintenance activities on
your reports is up to date and just let
us
know now into the County Administrator
request is of course this is one that
the board enjoys doing every year it's
that time of the year year went by very
very quickly the Russ County Board of
Supervisors your annual holiday
Community turkey donation of a thousand
families will feed and the 222 employees
I need a motion and a movement to move
on this make it
all second okay we have several motions
and several seconds so um all in
favor any opposed any extensions surely
not motion carries yes and the way we
feed this the Thousand families is
through three pantries and the I'll go
through the word of Victory and they'll
garden and into Castlewood yes these are
we use them as their venue we feed a
th000 families so next on the count
ministrator request is um uh where we
had to table the PSA we're trying to get
a better loan agreement but we also had
to implement a band burn and uh
resolution on that and what that does is
we're restricting all all open Burns for
right now because actually we have an
active fire right now into the Mota area
that actually came over into from
Washington County over in to moccas so
it keeps reigniting itself we've had one
in big a we've had one in fny so luckily
we have not lost any lives or property
yet but other Counties have so we're
trying to get in proactive woring
Count's implementing one tomorrow night
banon county has already implemented
there's Lee Scott Dixon all the counties
are trying to get a handle on this until
we get some participation in rain to be
able to slow this down anyone that out
there you know in the hunting or just
out in your yard you know how dry and
complete is so there is a no band
burning to further notice resolution
that was put into place a no burn band
Mr Lester what did I say you had It
reversed but that's okay no we're
understanding no thank so I'll I'll uh
ask for a motion I'll make it I have
I'll take several of those and I need a
second I'll second it since Carl made
the okay we have a motion in a second
for a burn B B we have no burn
ban why they fire any opposed bur no
burn motion carries thank
you it's not post notal okay good
point next on the count administr
reports is a
um is a
actually the 2023 authorized General
register and local elor board member
salaries for Russell
County this is a um this is the
authorized General register and local
electoral board member salaries update
for Russell County this is all counties
in the State Virginia done by the
general assembly and the governor's
office with an effective 5% salary
effective on July the 1st 2023 an
additional 2% effective
December the 1st 2023 I need a board
approval on it for the appropriation for
both the register and the board members
motion to approve I have a motion to
approve I'll second I've got a second
any further discussion hearing none I'll
call for the vote all in favor any
opposed any extensions motion carries
next on man County administrative
request is the Virginia Department
emergency management the psap grant this
is the staff recognition Grant of
$330,000 this is for our uh dispatch
office for 911 it was a uh recognition
that was done through the department of
of Emergency Management to our
dispatchers that over this year in our
we have a
99.9% complete rate of answering and
responding to ks and this is a grant
that was is awarded to them and
acknowledged them for 30 ,000 so I need
an approval for this so move second I
got a motion in a second uh any further
discussion I think not on this um all in
favor any opposed any extensions motion
carries thank you madam chair now behind
it we also have the Virginia 911 Service
Board another Grant and behind it which
also pays for additional $55,000 for our
new upcoming year of Lifey 24 data
maintenance and data transfer grants of
$5,000 so I needed approval for the uh
data maintenance and transfer Grant of
$5,000 from the Virginia 911 Service
Board Mo second I got a motion and a
second all in favor any opposed any
extensions motion carries next on the
County Administrator request and reports
is of course the V speed study on Lind
Springs Road for Route
632 as a
resolution requesting that the Virginia
Department of Transportation conduct a
speed safe SL safety study along
Virginia Secretary route 632 ly Springs
Road a speed study along the Lyn Spring
Road Route 632 which will May assist in
limiting motor vehicle accid accidents
and improving the long safety along Glen
Springs Road I need approval on that so
moved I'll second I have a motion in a
second um all in favor uh any opposed
any extensions Mr King you have your
study we're going to send
help yes Mr Lester thank you madam
chair next on the count administrative
reports and request is of course the
Russell County Sansa project management
Services agreement this is the amendment
only to uh for the extension of the
renovation portion of the courthouse not
the new portion but this is the
renovation this is the continuation of
the existing agreement I need a motion
and approval on it
motion I have a motion I need a second
second thank you all in
favor any opposed motion carries this
one I don't want to bring up uh is she
sitting over
there uh Vicki Porter she's retiring so
I had to grudgingly put this one on the
agenda for her position for replacement
which is going to be very difficult to
do and I ain't going to say how many
years she's been here because I will
hear it tomorrow
so um I need an approval
for the Russell County Human Resource
and payroll position for approval for
advertisement I'll make that motion but
uh after we get a second I'd like to say
something second okay I have a motion
and a second discussion Mr Eaton I would
personally like to thank Vicki uh for
the hard work and uh it's hard to work
for an elected body I'll tell you that
and to go through what you got to go
through and do the job that she's been
able to do I am very grateful for what
she's been able to do and the trips to
Richmond her personality and her
commitment for Russell County has been
amazing and I want to thank you
person I think we'll all Dido that and
so um with that I'll entertain the
motion all in
favor any
opposed yes I'll be one I'll oppose that
one should have I
posted I'm a no tonight just because
thank
you thank you madam chair the next is
another Grant this is from the Virginia
Department of Housing Community
Development and this is a planning grant
that will go through the plate planning
district for the d d downtown
revitalization comprehensive Community
Development plan for
$60,000 I need approval one a motion on
it so moved second I'm second thank you
everybody I appreciate that all right
all in
favor any opposed any extensions motion
carries next on the County Administrator
request and reports is of course from
the Virginia Department of Environmental
Quality this is a linear a litter
prevention and recycling program of
$2,440 uh this will be given out to uh
Russell County the town of Cleveland the
town of haker and the town of Lebanon
this is for
$2,440 I need a motion for approval so
motion I'll second it okay we have a
motion and a second uh for the lit
program Grant all in favor any opposed
any extensions motion carries thank you
madam chair next on the County
Administrator and request is the
national opiate settlement payment this
is another payment that will will be
getting along throughout the years for
$1 155,156
181 I need approval for 15,156 go ahead
second I have a motion in a second
um all in
favor any opposed any extension motion
carries thank you madam chair thank you
last one on the county administrative
reports and request is the Professional
Services for the calendar year for the
Russa County landfill the current one
that's closed on on number 258 ground
Phase 2 groundwater monitoring and
TRC approval of their contract this is
an annual
requirement make a motion to
approve I have a motion I need a second
second
I've got a second that's good um any
further
discussion I would like to have a little
more discussion about that give us a
little more information on it the this
is uh as all requirements under the
Virginia Department of Environmental
Quality all landfills have to be
monitored whether they're open or closed
and water quality air quality uh Le this
is uh samples that we have to take on a
monthly ply annual basis to give to the
Department of quality on air quality
control water
control um and adjacent properties so
it's it's requirement under the federal
and state code from the Department of
quality we contract these out through
professional Engineering Services they
sample sample and test and turn all
these reports in and ensure that we meet
all these benchmarks within the
department Environmental Quality it's
done on annual basis we've done it for
28 years okay got a uh any further
discussion sorry about that that's a
pretty expensive U thing
too the on the report I think the
Landfield U the Engineering Services on
this Services I think is what 27,000
$28,000
yes
annually I think it varies like $2500
$3,000 a month yes that's about that's
about the a something
that each time to do it a quarter
monthly yes it's it annuals about
between 25 30,000 a year depending upon
how many rainfalls you have we have to
ensure this or how many events you have
we have to increase you know the the
monitoring and the well monitoring and
the water monitoring the air monitoring
and the gas
monitoring uh our Landfield has been
closed what is it was it 15 years now
something probably about 15 years
you still do that yes
yes
that I'm go in the question and answer
excuse
me Chairman's Chairman's prerogative
here no no no comments from the from the
audience okay Mr Lester have you got
everything explained ma'am that
concludes the county Ministry report we
have a we have a motion in a second we
were in discussion so all in
favor any opposed any extensions motion
carries at this time uh we're nearing
the end of our
um board book so we're going to be
looking at board discussions and
reminders
and then also in your packet you have
all your information back there for your
PSA your Ida please make sure your
school and everything please make sure
you take a look at that it's a pretty
hefty board book this time so board
discussions Mr Lovel no man Mr Ray uh
yes I just want to tell everybody on
thank we are having a Thanksgiving
dinner at Cleveland Town Hall from 11:00
a.m. to 2: p.m it's provided by 12 128
Theon and uh y'all can come down and get
you a Thanksgiving dinner that day and
we will deliver we will have meals also
to be able to deliver to people if you
want to they taking
volunteers yes they are taking
volunteers Mr Eaton yes I've got a few
things Madam chair one uh I want to give
the
citizens uh a little bit of detailed
information uh when I was on the Waste
Management Authority I was looking at
ways to we we're required by the state
to do recycling so when I and I want to
clarify this because I know a lot of
people have said that I'm the one that
brought this here this this industry but
I'm not but what I was working on was a
recycling project like they do in
survival
Tennessee uh you can look it up it's
called the survival compost site and
what we do and what the Waste Management
Authority does is Dickinson banon and
Russell we Haul the garbage down to the
transfer station and then we pick it up
from there and we take it to Tennessee
and what I was looking at doing is
taking 70% of that out and convert it
into
mulch and if you look up their project
development uh it's a pretty amazing
thing and and watching them and how they
react to taking it and then all you
would have was a a lower percentage to
take to Tennessee so the cost would
actually go down so that that's what I
was working on I wanted to clarify that
for the citizens it wasn't anything to
do with the Landfield it was a recycling
large recycling project so I just wanted
you all to look it up it's called the
survival compos site in Tennessee right
in the heart that's a another thing I'd
like to bring up is our Christmas parade
in h Acres November the 18th which
pretty outstanding Christmas parade uh
another thing I'd like to do is uh kind
of give you an update I want to thank
the sheriff's office for providing the
cdes we had a laurel bed Lake Road
Project we had the engineers come up
there and we've been working on this for
about eight years trying to get a road
up to Laurel bad Lake on the Russell
County side so you don't have to go all
the way across hater's Gap into Smith
County to access the most beautiful 333
acre Lake uh in Russell County and that
was a an outstanding meeting uh I think
we've got some traction on bringing a
lot of people into the area to be able
to what everybody's talked about tonight
to look at the beauty and and of what we
have in our
region next thing I'd like to do is tell
everybody I want to thank my board the
Sor Creek Community Center is up and
running we've got it scheduled and
booked for a year so I mean that's
amazing I want to thank this whole board
for uh for supporting that that
initiative I think every area needs a
community center I really do I think
every area District needs a community
center we've went through coid and
haven't had a lot of people that's been
able to get together and do things and
we've had bridal showers we just had
done a fundraiser for a gentleman that
was hurt terribly bad and they done a
fundraiser and raised a lot of money to
help his family that didn't have any
medical insurance so I just want to
thank this board and thank everybody
Lonzo the County Administrator and
everybody that's worked tirelessly and
the workforce uh crew that's worked
there Missy and her group I don't want
to leave anybody out but just want to
thank everybody and also I want to thank
our First
Responders I think a lot of times we
take fires and things like that for
granted if if it don't hit your area or
if it don't catch your farm on fire and
I've had that happen but uh we've got a
lot of great Rescue Squad and fire
department personnel and a lot of
volunteers that work
tirelessly uh to fight these things and
I just want to thank them and and tell
them how much I am grateful for their uh
reaction to these uh fires working
across boundaries and counties and they
they've done an excellent job so thank
you that's all I
have H I'm yes I'm sure they are honey
I'm I'm sure most of them
they
have paain
firefighters Mr
breeding yeah I never know what I'm
gonna say till David gets through he
comes in front of me and he takes all
the good stuff any R I want to I want to
talk a little bit about Laurel B Lake
follow up on what David said we went up
there from the end of the state
maintained road back in white
subdivision up there it's less than a
mile a half to the park to the wildlife
area is what it is to the boundary up
there and we'd written in once before it
was pretty rough four-wheeler tract
especially right up near the top because
there's a lot of cliffs up there and
after we came down we rode that same
route we came back down but after we
came back down our consultant rode a
different route up through there with
one of the property two Property Owners
we had to deal with other than
but at any rate this second route I
talked to talked to him a couple times
since then in relation to studying and
he said I asked him about that secondary
route he said it's a better route by far
eliminates a lot of that steep terrain
there
so
you're doing the
courthous
start
what's
my
all
I
got
I don't
want that we
have
thank you Mr Christian we do appreciate
you
are
l
neighor
they Department of resources is over
thisal to
cons
you
11
well
sometimes geology or geography H us
issues
this meeting isour thank you all it's
allat
areat tell me
it's