Central Virginia
Louisa County
Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting 3/2/2026
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Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting
3/2/2026
Attachments
AG 03.02.26.pdf
BOS Packet - 03.02.26.pdf
BOS Minutes - March 2, 2026.pdf
Public Hearing Notice - March 2, 2026.pdf
I. Call to Order - 5:00 p.m.
Closed Session
II. Administrative Items - 6:00 p.m.
1. Invocation - Mr. Williams
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Adoption of Agenda
4. Minutes Approval
1. Board of Supervisors Budget Worksession Minutes - February 17, 2026
02.17.26 Budget Minutes.pdf
2. Board of Supervisors Regular Meeting Minutes - February 17, 2026
02.17.26 Minutes.pdf
5. Bills Approval
1. Resolution - To Approve the Bills for the Second Half of February 2026
02-28-26.pdf
Resolution .pdf
Passed 7-0-0
Approve
6. Consent Agenda Items
1. Resolution - To Approve and Award a Contract for Supplying and Delivering Bottled Drinking Water
Bid Overview.pdf
Supplying and Delivering Bottled Drinking Water.pdf
Passed 7-0-0
Approve
2. Resolution - To Approve and Award a Contract for Roofing and Siding Services
Bid Overview.pdf
Roofing and Siding Services.pdf
Passed 7-0-0
Approve
3. Resolution - Pass Through Appropriation to the Louisa County Airport for State Aviation Grant Funding
Pass Through Appropriation Airport Grant Lighting .pdf
Passed 7-0-0
Approve
4. Resolution - Proclaiming March 1–7, 2026 as Women in Construction Week
Passed 7-0-0
Approve
5. Resolution - Authorizing a Letter of Support for the FY27 Community Project Funding Request Submitted by Fluvanna-Louisa Housing Foundation
Ltr.Local Government Letter of Support 03.02.25_FLHF.pdf
Passed 7-0-0
Approve
6. Resolution — Authorizing a Letter of Support for the FY27 Congressionally Directed Funding Request Submitted by Lake Anna Advisory Committee
Ltr.Local Government Letter of Support 03.02.25_House_LAAC.pdf
Ltr.Local Government Letter of Support 03.02.25_Senate_LAAC.pdf
Passed 7-0-0
Approve
III. Recognitions
1. Recognition - Recognizing and Commending Gordon Brooks for His Dedicated Service on the Louisa County Planning Commission
2. Recognition - Proclaiming March 1–7, 2026 as Women in Construction Week
IV. Public Comment Period
V. Information/Discussion Items
1. Resolution - Concerning the Congressional Redistricting Constitutional Amendment
Resolution .pdf
Passed 6-1-0
Approve
VI. Unfinished Business
VII. New Business/Action Items
1. Resolution - Authorizing a Budget Supplement to Central Virginia Regional Jail for Medical Expenses
Budget Supplement- CVRJ Medical Costs.pdf
Passed 7-0-0
Approve
VIII. Supervisor Comments
IX. Reports of Officers, Boards and Standing Committees
1. Committee Reports
2. Board Appointments
Bd appts 03.02.26.pdf
Board Appointment Request - 03.02.26.pdf
3. County Administrator's Report
County Administrator's Memo - March 2, 2026 .pdf
NRC 02.24.26.pdf
VDH - Abundant Love Child Development Center 02.23.26.pdf
VDH - Bio-Cat 02.23.26.pdf
VDH - LCWA 02.24.26.pdf
VDH - Zion Crossroads 02.23.26.pdf
VDH - Zion Crossroads (02) 02.23.26.pdf
X. Public Hearings
1. Public Hearing - Dominion State of the Station Address
2. Public Hearing - Louisa County Sanitary Landfill Environmental Permit
PN 03.02.26 Landfill SWMP.pdf
XI. Adjournment
SPEAKER_18
00:00:07
Following subsection of the Virginia Code, Section 2.2.37.11.
00:00:11
One, in accordance with Section 2.2.37.11.
00:00:14
A.8.
00:00:17
Consultation with legal counsel in Florida retained by a public body regarding specific legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice by such counsel.
00:00:29
Second.
SPEAKER_19
00:00:30
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
00:00:35
Aye.
00:00:35
Any opposed?
00:00:36
Motion passes.
00:00:37
We're in closed session.
SPEAKER_23
00:59:36
Any discussion?
SPEAKER_19
00:59:38
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
00:59:41
Aye.
00:59:41
Any opposed?
00:59:42
Motion passes.
00:59:43
We're now back into open session.
00:59:45
I will now call members certify that the best of your knowledge only public business matters lawfully exempted from the open meeting requirements under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and is identified in the motion for which closed meeting was convened were discussed and considered by the board.
01:00:00
Vinnie Member believes that the board varied from the purposes stated for the closed meeting.
01:00:05
Please state so and the reason prior to casting your vote.
01:00:07
Mr. McCotter.
SPEAKER_16
01:00:08
Yes.
SPEAKER_19
01:00:09
Mrs. Jones.
01:00:10
Yes.
01:00:11
Mr. Williams.
01:00:12
Yes.
01:00:12
Mr. Barlow.
01:00:13
Yes.
01:00:13
Mr. Barnes.
SPEAKER_16
01:00:14
Yes.
01:00:15
Mr. Woodward.
01:00:15
Yes.
SPEAKER_19
01:00:16
All right, we're back into open session.
01:00:18
This is the Monday, March 2, 2026 meeting of the Louisa County Board of Supervisors.
01:00:24
I'd like to welcome those of you present here in the public meeting room.
01:00:28
It's nice to see such a large crowd with us this evening.
01:00:30
Those of you that are joining us online will start this evening's meeting.
01:00:36
As we always do, the invocation tonight will be by Mr. Williams and followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
01:00:41
If you'd like to join us, please stand.
R.T. "Toni" Williams Jr.
Member, Board of Supervisors
01:00:45
Let us pray.
01:00:46
Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us and for making a way for us to get to heaven through your son, Jesus Christ.
01:00:52
Father, as we gather here tonight, today and now more than ever, we remember the men on our front lines out there fighting.
01:01:00
Father, Father, keep them safe.
01:01:01
Father, also protect the innocent people that get caught in the war and conflict that's going on overseas as well.
01:01:07
Father, thank you for this body.
01:01:08
Thank you for our county.
01:01:09
Thank you for loving us.
01:01:10
Thank you for keeping us safe.
01:01:12
And we just pray that the things we do here will be pleasing to you.
01:01:14
In Jesus' name we pray.
01:01:16
Amen.
SPEAKER_19
01:01:43
The first item is the adoption of the agenda.
R.T. "Toni" Williams Jr.
Member, Board of Supervisors
01:01:46
Mr. Chairman, I'd like to add three items to the consent agenda.
01:01:51
One, a resolution that came in March 1st through 7th, 26th is Women in Construction Week.
01:01:56
Number two, a resolution authorizing letter support for the 20th.
01:01:59
A fiscal year 27 community project funding request submitted by the LaVanda Louisa Housing Foundation.
01:02:04
Third, under the consent agenda, a resolution authorizing letter support for the 27 Congressionally directed funding requests submitted by the Lakin Advisory Committee.
01:02:13
And under recognition proclaiming March 1st through 7th, 2026 is Women in Construction Week, sir.
01:02:18
Second.
SPEAKER_19
01:02:20
And property moved to second that we adopt the agenda as amended.
01:02:26
Yes, all those in favor signify by saying aye.
01:02:28
Aye.
01:02:29
Any opposed?
01:02:29
Motion passes.
01:02:30
Next is the approval of the minutes.
Fitzgerald D. Barnes
Member, Board of Supervisors
01:02:32
So moved.
01:02:33
Second.
SPEAKER_19
01:02:34
In property moved and seconded, we approve the minutes.
01:02:36
Any discussion?
01:02:37
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
01:02:39
Aye.
01:02:39
Any opposed?
01:02:41
Motion passes unanimously.
01:02:42
Next is the approval of the bills.
Fitzgerald D. Barnes
Member, Board of Supervisors
01:02:44
So moved.
01:02:44
Second.
SPEAKER_19
01:02:45
In property moved and seconded, we approve the bills.
01:02:48
Any discussion?
01:02:49
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
01:02:51
Aye.
01:02:52
Any opposed?
01:02:52
Next is the approval of the consent agenda.
Fitzgerald D. Barnes
Member, Board of Supervisors
01:02:55
So moved.
01:02:56
Second.
SPEAKER_19
01:02:56
And property moved and seconded that we approve the consent agenda.
01:02:59
Any discussion?
01:03:00
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
SPEAKER_18
01:03:03
Aye.
SPEAKER_19
01:03:03
Any opposed?
01:03:04
Motion passes unanimously.
01:03:06
Next is recognitions.
01:03:08
Our first recognition is recognizing and commending Gordon Brooks for his dedicated service on the Louisa County Planning Commission.
Christian Goodwin
County Administrator
01:03:19
Mr. Brooks, I would ask that you come forward.
01:03:20
Anybody you'd like to bring with you, we'll have you stand up front to face the audience, please.
01:03:33
Mr. Chairman, members of the board, members of the public, this is a resolution recognizing and commending Gordon Brooks for his dedicated service on the Louisa County Planning Commission.
01:03:40
Whereas Gordon Brooks faithfully served the citizens of the county as a member of the Louisa County Planning Commission representing the Mountain Road District.
01:03:47
And whereas during his tenure on the Planning Commission, Mr. Brooks provided thoughtful leadership, sound judgment, and a strong commitment to responsible land use planning and orderly growth within Louisa County.
01:03:57
and whereas Mr. Brooks consistently approached his duties with professionalism, integrity, and a collaborative spirit, carefully considering land use matters, development proposals, and policy recommendations that affect the quality of life for present and future residents.
01:04:12
And whereas Mr. Brooks played an important role in the review and the evaluation of the county's comprehensive plan and capital improvement plan, helping to ensure that the future growth in infrastructure development and land use decisions aligned with the long-term vision, rural character, and unique nature of Louisa County.
01:04:28
And whereas through his service as the Mountain Road District Representative, Mr. Brooks served as a dedicated voice for his district while balancing community interests with county-wide priorities.
01:04:38
and whereas the Louisiana County Board of Supervisors desires to formally recognize and express its sincere appreciation for Mr. Brooks' time, service, and contributions to Louisiana County.
01:04:49
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Louisiana County Board of Supervisors hereby recognizes and commands Gordon Brooks for his dedicated and exemplary service on the Louisiana County Planning Commission as the Mountain Road District Representative.
01:05:00
Thank you, Mr. Brooks.
01:05:01
I'm going to ask Supervisor Barlow to present this.
SPEAKER_18
01:05:10
Well Gordon, it's my honor to present you with this thing.
01:05:20
He went on the landing commission 16 years ago when I went on the board and he has stuck by me ever since then.
01:05:30
Year after year he threatened to quit several times but I doubled his money and all that kind of stuff and conned him into staying on and I truly appreciate the service you've given this county and thank you for all you've done.
01:05:45
You will be missed.
01:05:47
I think I've got a good man on there but
01:05:50
He's going to have some big shoes to follow.
01:05:55
Thank you a lot.
SPEAKER_19
01:06:18
Gordon, if you don't have to, but if you want to address the board, feel free.
01:06:37
You don't have to, but I'll give you the opportunity.
01:06:48
Next is a resolution recognizing Women in Construction Week.
Christian Goodwin
County Administrator
01:06:54
We have some representatives for Women in Construction Week in the audience, and I would ask that you all come forward and stand up front, please.
Fitzgerald D. Barnes
Member, Board of Supervisors
01:07:07
Watch his step.
Christian Goodwin
County Administrator
01:07:14
Mr. Chairman, members of the board, members of the public, this is a resolution proclaiming March the 1st through the 7th, 2026th as Women in Construction Week.
01:07:23
Whereas the work by the NAWIC Richmond Chapter No.
01:07:26
141 has benefited Louisa County through community development and educational programs.
01:07:31
And whereas the NAWIC Richmond Chapter 141 has unceasingly promoted the employment and advancement of women in the construction industry.
01:07:40
and whereas the construction community represented by NAWIC Richmond 141 has been a driving force in fostering community development through renovation and beautification projects, promotion of skilled trades careers, and a positive vision of the future.
01:07:56
and whereas the NAWIC Richmond Chapter No.
01:07:59
141 has sought to achieve successful results for Louisa County and surrounding areas in a cooperative spirit with other organizations.
01:08:07
Now therefore be it resolved that the Louisa County Board of Supervisors does hereby recognize the NAWIC Richmond Chapter 141 and its many dedicated volunteers for its steadfast work
01:08:17
on behalf and in support of Women in Construction and do proudly proclaim the week of March the 1st through the 7th, 2026 as Women in Construction Week and encourages our citizens to congratulate the organization on its many accomplishments.
01:08:31
Thank you all for what you do.
01:08:32
I would ask Supervisor Jones to present this resolution.
Tommy James Barlow
Vice Chair, Board of Supervisors
01:08:42
Hi.
01:08:43
Thank you all for being here tonight.
01:08:44
And I am very proud to give you this resolution here.
01:08:48
I just learned some statistics right before this meeting.
01:08:52
Our fabulous executive assistant, Ms. Stanley, told me that we have 71% of our building inspectors here in the county are females.
01:09:02
That blew my mind.
01:09:03
And that made me really proud, because we're a force to be reckoned with, I think.
01:09:07
And in construction, you all are paving the way.
01:09:10
So thank you so much for your leadership, your dedication, and contributing to the community.
01:09:15
Thank you.
SPEAKER_19
01:09:33
Congratulations.
01:09:34
Thank you all for what you do every day to build Louisa, build Virginia, and build America.
01:09:39
So thank you.
01:09:39
We're always two years in a row.
01:09:41
I think we've recognized you.
01:09:42
So thank you all very much.
01:09:44
Next is public comment period.
01:09:48
So public comment period is an opportunity for the public to address the board on any subject that is not a public hearing.
01:09:54
We do have two public hearings tonight.
01:09:56
So if you're here to discuss or talk about the public hearing, please wait till then.
01:10:00
When I call your name, please come up to the podium, give your name.
01:10:06
In your voting district, you have three minutes to address the board.
01:10:09
I will give you a warning when you have 15 seconds so that we can keep everybody on time.
01:10:15
The first card that I have is David Purcell.
SPEAKER_07
01:10:31
Thank you.
01:10:31
I won't take long.
01:10:33
I'm David Purcell, Louisa District in the Town of Louisa.
SPEAKER_03
01:10:39
David Purcell, Louisa District in the Town of Louisa.
SPEAKER_07
01:10:43
I'm here tonight in reference to the proposed power line from ValleyLink going through the rural lands of Louisa County.
01:10:52
I'm in opposition to that.
01:10:53
I think it destroys the rural character of this county.
01:10:56
And it's my desire that this board will unanimously issue some type of decree or consent that they are opposed to this.
01:11:05
Thank you.
01:11:06
Thank you, sir.
SPEAKER_19
01:11:08
Next is
SPEAKER_13
01:11:11
Adam Combs, Louisa
01:11:28
So it's been a couple weeks.
01:11:29
I'm hoping that everybody's had some real time to do some real research.
01:11:35
I want to thank Supervisor Jones for her commitment to the community and coming out last night and showing her support.
01:11:42
So aside from the obvious implications, health-related, EMF radiation, EF radiation, noise pollution, property devaluation,
01:11:56
And while I'm sitting here, it's come to my attention that Mr. Williams, you're a builder, correct?
01:12:02
So, when you build a home... Let me interrupt.
SPEAKER_19
01:12:06
It's comments.
SPEAKER_13
01:12:06
Well, this is a comment.
SPEAKER_19
01:12:08
Well, we're commenting.
SPEAKER_13
01:12:09
We don't go back and forth.
01:12:10
Alright, well, the point is that the planning commission and then this board receive the plans for the data centers.
01:12:18
If Mr. Williams is a builder, then he knows that the 2,700 megawatt facility on Route 33 had to have 2.7 gigawatts coming from somewhere.
01:12:28
Where is the data?
01:12:30
You guys didn't look at the data for the second largest proposed data center in all of Virginia?
01:12:36
It had to come from somewhere, and if it's being drawn locally,
01:12:41
Where's the energy being brought in to replace that?
01:12:45
You guys want to come in overhead with toxic power lines that are legacy, and they're called legacy for a reason.
01:12:54
They're from the 1950s.
01:12:55
India hired Hitachi last year to run HVDC cable 530 miles, 950 kilometers.
01:13:05
India.
01:13:06
We're at war right now, and you guys want to go overhead with a product to deliver power that Iran and any low-level pyromaniac could take out.
01:13:17
There's so many just, I mean, I don't even know how you guys can sit here with Dominion behind me.
01:13:24
I mean, are you being paid off?
01:13:25
Why are you even allowing this?
01:13:29
I mean, let's keep it real.
01:13:30
You can shake your head all you want, but he's a builder.
01:13:32
He knows what loads are.
01:13:34
He works with electricians all the time.
01:13:36
There's no way you all can sit here and approve a data center on Route 33 and not know where 2,700 megawatts is coming from.
01:13:44
I'm not buying it.
01:13:46
You all should be audited.
01:13:49
Yeah, laugh it up, bro.
01:13:50
It's your lodge, right?
01:13:52
That Masonic Lodge you got?
01:13:53
Where's that at?
01:13:54
I'm a dog, man.
01:13:55
I'm here to fight for everybody behind me.
01:13:58
And this is ridiculous.
01:13:59
These guys haven't proposed an HVDC underground proposal.
01:14:03
And according to Mr.
01:14:06
Rob Richardson, who everybody has to talk to, he said Dominion's
01:14:11
I'll take the time I need, thank you.
01:14:15
Rob Richardson says, there is no HVDC plan, so you guys need to go back, do some real homework, and come up with the HVDC plan, and you're going to be landlocked for two counties.
Chris McCotter
Member, Board of Supervisors
01:14:27
Thank you.
01:14:36
I'm going to spare the Chairman the duty here, but in Louisa County, no matter what your opinion is, you're respected the most when you act respectfully to others.
01:14:47
We want our citizens to come and comment to us.
01:14:51
We like you being here.
01:14:52
But you need to do so in a manner that is respectful, constructive, and productive.
SPEAKER_13
01:14:59
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
SPEAKER_19
01:15:02
What's respectful is sending out letters.
01:15:03
You're out of order, sir.
01:15:05
You're out of order.
01:15:06
Well, here's the difference.
01:15:08
I can make you leave.
01:15:09
You can't make me leave.
01:15:11
So I'm not going to address some of the comments that you made, but I will echo what Mr. McCotter said.
01:15:20
You want to come here and be angry?
01:15:22
Come and be angry.
01:15:24
I'm not talking to you.
01:15:25
Sir, I'm going to throw you out of here.
01:15:28
One more outburst.
01:15:29
One more outburst.
01:15:33
We're in recess.
01:15:34
That gentleman will be removed.
01:15:39
So you go.
01:15:41
We'll get the show.
01:15:51
Completely out of the building.
SPEAKER_13
01:15:55
Completely out of the building.
SPEAKER_19
01:15:59
No, because I would have whipped your ass if I was your father.
SPEAKER_11
01:16:03
I said what?
01:16:04
What are you going to do?
01:16:05
You're going to whip whose ass?
SPEAKER_19
01:16:07
Go.
SPEAKER_13
01:16:07
I said if you... Whose ass are you going to whip again, old man?
SPEAKER_19
01:16:11
Go.
SPEAKER_13
01:16:11
Boy, you better ask somebody who I am, they thought.
SPEAKER_19
01:16:29
All right, we're out of recess.
01:16:31
You all now have an example of how not to act.
01:16:34
I don't care if you're angry, happy, you have a right to be all of those things.
01:16:38
But you don't have a right, hold on, you don't have a right to make false accusations against the board.
01:16:44
You certainly don't have a right to interrupt this meeting and shout from the crowd.
01:16:48
I won't allow that to happen from anybody.
01:16:51
I don't, I don't, I don't, I understand he's angry.
01:16:54
I'm angry about the same thing.
01:16:55
Maybe if he'd listen, he would understand the positions on both sides.
R.T. "Toni" Williams Jr.
Member, Board of Supervisors
01:17:00
Yes, sir.
01:17:02
Thank you.
01:17:02
I generally don't interrupt public session, public comments section, but I think it's important to get a couple things straight.
01:17:11
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors has not been asked to find an appropriate way for a power line to come through the county.
01:17:19
Your Louisiana County Board of Supervisors has not done anything to make this come through the county.
01:17:27
This is a transmission line.
01:17:29
This is passing through.
01:17:30
It's not stopping off.
01:17:33
And if you feel like we're complicit in this, you can believe what you want, but you're just wrong.
01:17:40
So you can be angry at us, and that's OK.
01:17:44
We can take it.
01:17:45
This is a really good job.
01:17:47
It pays a lot.
01:17:48
And no matter how you vote, somebody's always upset.
01:17:53
So we're doing the best we can to help the citizens in the community.
01:18:00
And you can believe that, or you can choose not to believe it.
01:18:03
It's whichever one you want to do.
01:18:05
But there's seven of us up here, and we work together.
01:18:08
We don't always agree.
01:18:09
99% of the time we come out with the best intentions for the community and that's our goal.
01:18:15
So you can believe you cannot believe it, but that was unacceptable.
01:18:20
So please do not repeat it.
01:18:22
Tell us what's on your heart.
01:18:23
Tell us what's on your mind and be respectful when you do.
01:18:26
That's all we ask.
01:18:27
Thank you.
SPEAKER_18
01:18:29
Alright, let's get back to this.
SPEAKER_19
01:18:31
Hurley, the last time you were here you actually gave it to me phonetically, your last name, and now I can't remember how to do it.
01:18:39
How is it?
01:18:40
Lucy.
01:18:41
I'm sure you spoke very well the last time.
01:18:43
I'm really looking forward to this time.
SPEAKER_00
01:18:46
Good evening members of the board.
01:18:50
Today I wanted to talk about the proposed resolution under tonight's agenda regarding the 2026 Virginia redistricting.
01:19:02
The proposed redistricting is a response to gerrymandering happening across the country in states such as Texas, which they didn't even put the redistricting up for a vote.
01:19:12
It's meant to protect fairness and representation on a national scale.
01:19:15
It's dangerous for local governments to put out statements like the proposed one.
01:19:19
It discourages research into the matter.
01:19:21
If the County of Louisa gives a specific statement discounting the redistricting, it will discourage citizens from looking into the facts, the pros, and yes, even the cons of the redistricting.
01:19:32
The state government is letting the citizens decide which redistricting in states like Texas didn't allow for.
01:19:39
Letting voters of Virginia use their constitutional power is the most important issue.
01:19:44
I appreciate looking at all different viewpoints and trying to pull positives from each side.
01:19:49
That is what matters in any form of debate or discussion.
01:19:52
It's what I am encouraging the Board to do.
01:19:54
Let's stray away from the party politics and look together for the common good of Louisa.
01:19:59
Statements being put out on social media or said to journalists or even said in private conversations matter.
01:20:04
I encourage the Board to think about what really matters to the community we have in Louisa.
SPEAKER_19
01:20:08
Thank you.
01:20:13
Roy Waters, Mineral District, resident of Louisa.
SPEAKER_08
01:20:27
First off, thanks.
01:20:28
You don't have to put up with that kind of stuff.
01:20:30
And I appreciate y'all being here.
01:20:33
I know y'all
01:20:34
I wouldn't mind your job, but I appreciate you all being here and thank you for what you do.
01:20:39
So here's just some comments I just wanted to make.
01:20:43
So one is on the rezoning and trying to cut down.
01:20:47
The only thing I want to know, and I would like to have some clear language, is to have exclusion for family divisions.
01:20:55
I mean, I've been here since 2006.
01:20:59
Where I live, I can rezone and give my kids a lot.
01:21:03
And I've heard talk about 10 acres and different things.
01:21:07
I read the language somewhere that says you are going to exclude family division.
01:21:12
But I would like to know that there's not going to be any amendment, no restrictions from what there are right now on family division.
01:21:23
I didn't catch up on what the status is of the TOD rollback over on the Fisher Tuning.
01:21:29
I don't know if you've gotten further on that, but I'd like to know about that.
01:21:33
The budget, people are going to hate me for this.
01:21:36
I love animals, but if we have a shortfall of $1.9 million and we're giving $2 million to the animal shelter, then we're not getting any tax relief.
01:21:48
I have a problem with that.
SPEAKER_07
01:21:50
We can't hear back yet.
SPEAKER_08
01:21:53
$867,000 to the maintenance shop.
01:21:56
They probably need it, but what are you doing with it?
01:21:59
Can we repurpose, reuse something that we already have?
01:22:03
Real estate tax says it's going to rise 13.6%.
01:22:07
Equated to $8.5 million.
01:22:08
Assessments are said to go up 6.8%.
01:22:16
I know we're talking about a 15% reduction on the personal property tax, the car tax, but that doesn't equate to a lot.
01:22:23
I don't know why we can't get rid of that.
01:22:25
We've got a lot of income, I would imagine, from Amazon, or we will.
01:22:30
I think that needs to move faster.
01:22:34
So I would like to make a citizen request to somehow or another reallocate some money on this budget to kind of speed up this process of the personal property tax.
01:22:46
I live on 33.
01:22:47
I'm half a mile from Northeast Creek data center going in.
01:22:53
The volume of dump trucks, tractor and trailer dump trucks, convoys, six days a week, six in the morning until whenever.
01:23:00
I mean, it's nonstop.
01:23:03
I have two granddaughters that get off the bus stop after school.
01:23:08
One of the dump trucks couldn't even stop, ran right through there.
01:23:12
Had the police come up, sheriff, one day, that was it.
01:23:16
So anyway, the water.
01:23:19
When they go out to do the water, who pays for that?
01:23:22
Does AWS pay to get the water off of treated water and dump it right back on the roads?
01:23:27
That needs to be looked at.
SPEAKER_19
01:23:32
I'll give you five more seconds.
01:23:34
Your time's up.
SPEAKER_08
01:23:35
I don't understand why we're giving so much money to Central Regional Jail to pay for their medical expenses.
01:23:40
There must be a law of some sort, but I saw $173,000 for a six-month period and that we spent $2.7 million last year.
01:23:49
Thank you.
01:23:51
Thank you, sir.
01:23:51
Thanks.
SPEAKER_19
01:23:52
But I'll try to do something about that.
01:23:54
Thank you, sir.
01:23:56
Ed Bailey.
SPEAKER_09
01:24:03
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
01:24:07
I'm Ed Bailey, 42-year farmer, 50-year lawyer.
01:24:10
I don't vote in Louisa.
01:24:12
I vote in Albemarle County.
01:24:15
I want to talk a little bit about the ValleyLink transmission line.
01:24:20
I just want to discuss a point of Virginia law that I'm sure the county attorney can confirm with you, but I think it's important.
01:24:28
In Virginia, a landowner cannot
01:24:33
recover the loss of market value of his property caused by a transmission line that is built on someone else's property.
01:24:47
For example, in Reedy Creek, if the property values go down because of the transmission line,
01:24:56
You have no recourse against Valley Link.
01:25:00
I'm not sure that everyone around here understands that.
01:25:04
But that applies to property values and business values.
01:25:08
You have a business, a vineyard, a property line.
01:25:12
The power lines come by.
01:25:13
People don't show up because they don't want to sit out in front drinking wine and looking at power lines.
01:25:21
This means, in effect,
01:25:24
that every property owner whose value goes down, every business owner whose value goes down, represents a cost, a non-reimbursed cost for these lines.
01:25:39
That is Virginia law.
01:25:41
The case is Byler v. Vepco 212, Virginia Supreme Court.
01:25:49
It's one of the few states in the country that does this.
01:25:53
But I did want you all to be aware of that.
01:25:57
The solution, obviously, would be to put the lines underground.
01:26:04
And it's already been mentioned here that ValleyLink has not explored that option.
01:26:11
We don't know why.
01:26:12
It's not in their letter that they haven't done that.
01:26:15
I'm a recipient of the letter.
01:26:17
All it talks about is that we are in early stages on this project.
01:26:23
And I would ask this board to have your legal counsel or someone make a request of Valley Lake and just put the question, have you considered the alternative of putting it underground?
01:26:39
What would it cost?
01:26:41
This is a 765 KV line.
01:26:43
It can be done.
01:26:44
Elon Musk has tools that go underground and can do.
SPEAKER_19
01:26:51
15 seconds.
SPEAKER_09
01:26:54
Next card is Mark Hitzkoff.
SPEAKER_05
01:27:26
Good evening.
01:27:27
My name is Mark Litzkopf.
01:27:28
I'm a resident of the Cuckoo District here in Louisa County.
01:27:32
I'm here to speak tonight in opposition to the proposed resolution regarding redistricting and to urge my fellow citizens of Louisa to vote yes on the redistricting referendum.
01:27:45
I have to apologize a little bit in the beginning because I'm going off secondhand knowledge of the resolution.
01:27:51
I haven't seen it.
01:27:53
As far as I know, it was not available publicly.
01:27:56
I understand that the resolution in front of the board does not take a formal position on the resolution but does express the board's opposition to the amendment.
01:28:07
I ask that the board refrain from the resolution until it hears from Louisa residents about how we feel about the amendment and we have a full opportunity to present both sides of the issue.
01:28:19
I have talked to many of my neighbors, and I have heard many of them say they support the Commonwealth's Constitution and that redistricting should wait until the next census in 2030.
01:28:31
I understand this.
01:28:33
In normal times, I would agree with this.
01:28:36
But we don't live in normal times.
01:28:38
And in extraordinary times, it is often necessary to act in extraordinary ways.
01:28:44
I support the Virginia Constitution.
01:28:46
It is an amazing document.
01:28:49
But one of the most extraordinary things about it is that it recognizes the need to change from time to time and it provides a method to make those changes.
01:28:59
We are in one of those times and we are following the Constitution as laid out to make a change in response to extraordinary circumstances.
01:29:10
The proposed amendment recognizes that this is an unusual time and that it will not last.
01:29:18
Under the amendment, the redistricting lasts only until the next census in 2030.
01:29:25
Following the new census, districts will be drawn up by an independent commission, just as we did in 2020.
01:29:34
The need to amend our Constitution started in Texas.
01:29:37
The Texas Legislature, without any input from Texas citizens, made drastic changes to their Congressional districts to increase the number of quote safe close quote Republican seats.
01:29:49
Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Florida are in the process of following suit.
01:29:55
The result will be a large increase in the current Republican minority in the House of Representatives.
01:30:01
This is not what Virginia voters want.
01:30:02
This is not what American voters want.
01:30:05
They want the process to be fair and consistent.
01:30:10
It is unfortunate that the legislatures in Texas, Missouri, and the others have moved to take away the voice of Democratic voters in their states.
01:30:18
This is not how democracy is supposed to work.
01:30:20
It is now up to Virginia to defend democracy.
01:30:24
That is why I urge the board to refrain from the proposed resolution, and I urge all Louisa voters to vote yes.
SPEAKER_16
01:30:31
Perfect.
01:30:36
Thank you.
SPEAKER_19
01:30:36
Thank you, Jim.
01:30:36
Good timing.
01:30:37
You must have timed that.
01:30:38
You were right on the three-minute mark.
01:30:40
Melissa Young
SPEAKER_26
01:30:48
Hi, Melissa Young, town of Louisa.
01:30:50
A couple things.
01:30:52
The first, I'm here in opposition, like many people, to the 765 kilovolt transmission lines.
01:31:00
Ma'am, used to them.
01:31:01
Why not?
01:31:01
OK, there we go.
01:31:02
And I understand there's two proposed routes for the lines.
01:31:06
And I know that it's not up to the board, but that you could certainly issue a resolution, right?
01:31:15
One of the lines, of course, goes near the schools, which nobody likes that idea.
01:31:19
The other line will be visible from my backyard, which I don't like that idea.
01:31:24
Much like was mentioned earlier, I definitely feel like that will affect property values on kind of just the simple financial level, salability or marketability of homes that are in ISHOT.
01:31:37
I wouldn't buy a home if the line was already there.
01:31:40
So why would I want to expect somebody else to purchase mine later?
01:31:45
affect the rural character of the county the studies that show that they are safe medically
01:31:54
mostly, maybe.
01:31:56
As a 13-year cancer survivor, that's not good enough for me.
01:32:00
So I have two kids who live in my home, so they would be at those schools during the day, but the rest of the time in my home along with many neighbors.
01:32:08
So just here to express the same sentiment that don't like the lines, would like support, and
01:32:15
The other kind of thing I don't know because I'm not an expert but I know we get enormous winds through that area knock down all kinds of things and to have these very high voltage lines up there with them isn't
01:32:35
The other issue I wanted to ask about, and it's really just a question, is we as a parent of an athlete, they are super appreciative of the turf fields.
01:32:50
and excited to see them going in and just wondering if we have any idea of when those will be ready either for kind of grand opening and or school practice.
01:33:02
With the spring season and all of the weather they are practicing in parking lots and gyms without soccer goals and whatnot and so
01:33:13
Next card is Robin Horn.
SPEAKER_22
01:33:48
Good evening, I'm Robin Horn, Mineral District.
01:33:51
I'm here tonight to respectfully express my concern about the ValleyLink Dominion Transmission Project proposed for Louisa County.
01:33:58
I've tried several times to upload my comment on the ValleyLink's website, but have not succeeded yet.
01:34:03
I received a letter telling me I am close to a potential route for the 760 kV electric transmission line from Joshua Falls to T.
01:34:13
The letter stated it wanted my input and it mattered to them, yet I can't upload my comments and I've been trying for days.
01:34:19
The meeting schedule they sent is incomplete with some dates missing and wrong times.
01:34:24
I don't get the impression they really care about my concerns.
01:34:27
Louisa County has worked with Dominion and been a good partner for many years.
01:34:32
We changed Louisa County for North Anna years ago when the power plant was proposed.
01:34:36
Unit 1 was commissioned in 1978 and Unit 2 was in 1980.
01:34:41
We've already changed for the better of big business.
01:34:44
This transmission line will once again change Louisa County and we've already done this once.
01:34:50
This massive project will carve up private property, family farms, and businesses.
01:34:54
We will have hundreds of permanent clear-cut quarters throughout our beautiful landscape with massive towers and power lines that buzz continuously.
01:35:05
Timber will be destroyed, scenic views will be permanently altered, and homes will be impacted at unsafe distances for a project promoted online as necessary for infrastructure.
01:35:16
Don't ask us to do this again.
01:35:17
We've done our part and it's time for Dominion to have our backs and support the citizens of Louisa County.
01:35:24
It's my understanding that you will be discussing at some point a resolution to either address concerns or state opposition and I urge you to oppose this project.
01:35:34
This project places huge burdens on rural landowners and communities who will have little direct benefit and will bear permanent consequences.
01:35:43
I urge you to pass a resolution of opposition and let's find alternatives.
01:35:48
We can start a dialogue with Dominion on how to preserve the beauty of Louisa County and the safety of our citizens.
01:35:54
Thank you.
SPEAKER_19
01:35:55
Thank you ma'am.
01:36:01
Next card is Colby Horn.
SPEAKER_15
01:36:13
Hello, my name is Colby Horn from the Mineral District and I'm here tonight not as a partisan voice, not as a political activist, but as a husband, a father, and a property owner.
01:36:24
My wife and I work hard and we saved up money to buy land so that my children could grow up with clean air,
01:36:30
open space and the simple freedom of a safe and healthy childhood.
01:36:35
We chose to return home to Louisa County because of its beauty and quiet rural character.
01:36:41
And now, a 765 kilovolt transmission line is proposed to run through our property and forever destroy the character of our community.
01:36:50
This is not about the blue line versus the orange line.
01:36:53
It's not about Republicans versus Democrats.
01:36:56
It's not about appeasing the relationship with Dominion.
01:36:59
It's about local citizens versus a massive corporation advancing a project that benefits its financial interests while imposing permanent consequences on families like mine.
01:37:10
The ValleyLink transmission project will devastate property values.
01:37:15
No family pays top dollar to live beside a 765 kilovolt industrial corridor.
01:37:20
But beyond the financial harm, it brings real concerns about EMF exposure and constant industrial noise.
01:37:28
When your children are sleeping and playing just a few hundred feet away, uncertainty is not acceptable.
01:37:35
We chose rural Virginia for peace and quiet, not a transmission line that hums day and night, louder in wet weather, and never truly turns off.
01:37:44
And for what?
01:37:45
For corporate gain dressed up as inevitability?
01:37:49
When something this significant and permanent is proposed, I respectfully ask that you put the interests of your citizens first.
01:37:57
This is a defining moment for our community.
01:38:01
I recognize that there are broader political relationships to consider, but when families feel their homes and livelihoods are at risk, we depend on you to speak clearly and stand firmly on our behalf.
01:38:14
Please send a unified message that Louisa County stands with its landowners, that we expect meaningful alternatives to be explored, and that we believe our quality of life deserves protection.
01:38:26
Strength in numbers matters.
01:38:28
When counties stand together, when elected officials speak with one voice, corporations will listen.
01:38:34
Tonight, I am asking you all to be that voice.
01:38:38
Not for me alone, not for one road or one neighborhood, not for the blue line versus the orange line, but for every family believing that this county will protect its people.
01:38:49
I respectfully request you submit a resolution of opposition to the ValleyLink project.
01:38:54
Make your position unmistakably clear.
01:38:57
Support those who elected you and let's fight this together.
01:39:00
Thank you.
SPEAKER_19
01:39:09
So we've also received one piece of correspondence that's been asked to be put in the permanent record of the meeting, which we will do.
01:39:19
That's all the cards I have, but people can still speak.
01:39:24
Is there anyone out?
01:39:25
You're the first hand I saw.
01:39:27
Raise your hand, and then you were the first person I saw.
01:39:30
And I will remind you when you come up, because if you don't speak directly into that mic, it's really hard for the people behind you in the crowd to hear.
SPEAKER_18
01:39:40
I saw you second.
SPEAKER_27
01:39:44
I live on Yanceyville Road.
01:39:49
Yesterday I went to neighbors' houses.
01:39:54
I went to 12 neighbors.
01:39:56
I contacted with seven of them.
01:39:58
I talked to nine different people.
01:40:01
A lot of them have not gotten the letters, including people that are much closer to where the line is going to potentially cross Yanceyville Road.
01:40:11
I would like to ask the board to
01:40:15
make a strongly worded statement opposing the building of the 765-volt transmission line at all.
01:40:23
They're not public utilities.
01:40:25
They're a corporate venture.
01:40:26
And I would prefer that over a weekly worded statement that says, oh, let's study this some more, because that just gives the corporations more leeway.
01:40:37
and then a strongly worded statement insisting that if that fails, no above ground lines should be built.
01:40:46
Underground Lines only.
01:40:48
And here are some of the potential fires due to we're in a pretty much constant moderate drought area with heat waves.
01:41:00
People that I talked to who moved to my road really near me because they were in another county where they lived right next to one said when there are high winds or storms they get fireballs shooting down the line.
01:41:12
My relative in California says a lot of the wildfires that are uncontrollable were found to be started by transmission lines.
01:41:21
Some of the lines that are being considered are not self-supporting.
01:41:26
They're a guideline with guy wires.
01:41:30
They're like that shape.
01:41:31
And according to the industry, they're prone to failure because I've been on a lot of industry sites.
01:41:38
Excuse me.
01:41:39
and the sounds, the noise, the bigger right-of-way and the property values.
01:41:46
So one of the properties I went to had just listed and it's right next to where it's going to go across.
01:41:52
It's a lovely, gorgeous house.
01:41:55
I would like to live in it but I know what's right next to it and the only person that would buy it would be somebody who hadn't done their due diligence and I wouldn't feel like laughing at them for that.
01:42:05
More concerning to me is on the other side of that field is a little dinky house with a smaller than mine, which is pretty small, and a very elderly person with health problem lives there.
01:42:19
In the event that there would be some fire or lines down or anything, that person cannot get up and escape their house.
01:42:27
They're just stuck there hoping
01:42:31
That nothing will happen to them.
01:42:35
How many?
01:42:35
15.
01:42:36
15.
01:42:37
So anyway, and my last thing is for the board to support financially, if possible, any coalition that comes together to oppose these transmission lines.
01:42:47
Thank you.
SPEAKER_19
01:42:48
Thank you, ma'am.
01:42:53
Juanita Jo, you were the next person I saw.
01:43:02
We'll be right back.
SPEAKER_25
01:43:11
Good evening.
01:43:12
I'm Juanita Jo Matkins.
01:43:13
I live at 624 Yanceyville Road, though I'll be speaking tonight in support of the redistricting amendment.
01:43:22
I'm also here as a member of Yanceyville Church, which holds property that is used primarily for conservation and as the location of our summer nature camp for 6 to 14 year olds.
01:43:34
And that property is crossed by the proposed transmission line, the blue line that is proposed by Valley Link.
01:43:41
So I just want to let you know I'm in favor of moving that line underground.
01:43:46
Now to my support of the redistricting amendment.
01:43:49
The Constitution of the United States of America provides for a balance of power for checks and balances among the three branches of government.
01:43:58
Currently, our Congress has refused to put any constraints on the executive branch, including our own Congressman John McGuire.
01:44:07
This has resulted in many violations of the rights of citizens, including several murders of citizens exercising their First Amendment rights, with no credible effort to investigate.
01:44:20
We're also in the first days of an illegal war, the outcome of which is unknown.
01:44:25
These are just two of many examples.
01:44:29
Since our current Congress is unable to provide a check on the executive branch, and since the executive branch is already intervening in the 2026 election,
01:44:40
I believe that Virginians have no choice but to fight for our democracy.
01:44:46
Call it a constitutional republic if it's your preference, but in order to fight for our democracy, aka constitutional republic, we need to vote yes on the redistricting amendment.
01:44:59
And I thank you.
SPEAKER_19
01:45:00
Thank you, ma'am.
01:45:04
Dr. Huffman, I saw your hand.
SPEAKER_20
01:45:16
Mr.
01:45:16
Chair, members of the board, thank you for your service to our county.
01:45:19
My name is Dr. Michael Huffman.
01:45:20
I'm from the Louisa District and I'm the Executive Director and Professor of Constitutional Law with the Virginia Assembly of Independent Baptists.
01:45:27
And I work in Richmond.
01:45:29
I work at the Capitol.
01:45:30
And I'm here today in opposition to the redistricting amendment because I was there on the House floor and in the Senate and debated delegates and senators on the constitutionality of this amendment.
01:45:43
Early voting cannot begin on March 6th.
01:45:47
Article 12 of the Constitution of Virginia requires a 90-day period between the passage of a constitutional amendment resolution and the election at which is submitted to the voters.
01:45:57
That 90-day period is mandatory.
01:46:00
The second passage of this amendment was on January 16th.
01:46:04
So by law, that would require early voting to start on April 16th, not March 6th.
01:46:10
So that is one constitutional violation that the left precipitated upon the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
01:46:19
requires that a certified copy, two copies of the resolution be sent from the Clerk of the House to the Clerk of the Court in every district in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in every city, 90 days prior to the election of the House of Delegates.
01:46:36
We did not even get a copy of the resolution until seven days prior to the election of the House of Delegates.
01:46:42
So that is point number two that the left has violated the law of Virginia in order to participate in an unlawful and unconstitutional amendment on the citizens of the Commonwealth.
01:46:54
The amendment process did not comply with Article 12, Section 1 and 2 of the Virginia Constitution.
01:47:01
Article 12, Section 1 and 2 requires it pass two legislative sessions with an election of the House of Delegates intervening between the two sessions.
01:47:12
When they brought it before us the first time, we had been voting for 38 days already.
01:47:17
1.1 million Virginians had already cast their vote without their voice being heard.
01:47:24
And among all those things, delegate Luke Toran brought about HB 1384, which would direct officials to raise money and promote and administer the referendum.
01:47:34
But Article 4, Section 13 of the Code of Virginia does not allow money to be raised for something that has not been approved by the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
01:47:45
And among all those things, the Department of Elections is down.
01:47:49
The registrars of Louisa County cannot download poll books.
01:47:55
And what is going to happen if something doesn't, because of the injunction, and if something doesn't happen, they're going to have to go back and use polling books from November.
01:48:02
Well I wonder if anybody's died since November.
01:48:05
I want to know if anybody has moved out of the precinct since November or moved into the precinct.
01:48:10
I recommend this board tell their citizens to vote no on this referendum.
01:48:15
No matter your political proclivities, it is unconstitutional, violates Article 12, and violates Code 30-13 of the Code of Virginia.
01:48:24
Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_18
01:48:33
Anybody else wish to address more?
SPEAKER_19
01:48:35
Yes sir, I saw your hand first.
SPEAKER_18
01:48:37
I'll get to everybody.
SPEAKER_16
01:48:41
Might as well bring them now.
01:48:44
I dropped my card, I apologize.
01:48:48
My name is Gerald Purcell, I'm an engineer and farmer from the Louisa district.
01:48:52
Better engineer than farmer, nonetheless.
01:48:55
I want to begin by saying I understand the importance of a strong, reliable electric grid.
01:48:59
It's clear.
01:49:00
My concern is not with reliability.
01:49:02
My concern is with the proposed design and routing of this 760 kV line overhead transmission line through actively managed agriculture and forest land in this county.
01:49:12
The utility is referred to much of this route as undeveloped land and I respectfully disagree with that characterization.
01:49:19
Land that is used for crops, cattle, forage, pulpwood, timber production is not undeveloped.
01:49:25
It is developed for agriculture and silvicultural practices in production.
01:49:29
It is managed, invested in, improved upon, and stewarded over a very long time horizons to produce food, fiber, and economic value.
01:49:39
It supports working families, property values, local tax bases.
01:49:44
It's part of what defines this county as rural.
01:49:48
Some of the fields affected in this proposal are some of my most productive soils on all of my properties, and they are actively used for cattle and forage production.
01:49:56
Other portions are in managed timber rotations.
01:49:59
These are not idle tracks waiting for industrial usage to come along.
01:50:04
They are functioning components of a working landscape.
01:50:07
The Board has repeatedly expressed a desire to maintain the rural character of the county.
01:50:12
Preserving rural character does not simply mean limiting residential subdivisions.
01:50:16
It also means carefully evaluating whether industrial scale infrastructure should permanently fragment intact agricultural and forest aerial land.
01:50:26
A 765 kV line is industrial infrastructure.
01:50:31
It structures a large, highly visible, and permanent.
01:50:34
When placed across working farms or forests, they permanently alter the operation, the access paths, and the long-term character of that piece of property.
01:50:45
I urge the board to formally oppose this proposal, not just be concerned with it, but to oppose it, and ask the SEC to demand alternatives from utilities and the PJM.
01:50:58
Where major infrastructure already exists, clustering additional infrastructure alongside can reduce cumulative fragmentation on our ag lands.
01:51:05
Underground routing or locating additional generation facilities closer to the demand in Northern Virginia, particularly their data center clusters, should be primary considerations for the utilities.
01:51:16
Ag and forest land should not be labeled undeveloped simply because it is open.
01:51:21
It is working land, it is productive land, and is foundational to the rural character of this county that y'all have committed to protect.
01:51:30
Your advisory recommendation is an opportunity to ensure that the ag and forest land is accurately characterized in the record and that rural land stewardship becomes part of the SEC's considerations.
01:51:40
Thank you for everything you do for the county.
SPEAKER_19
01:51:42
Thank you, sir.
01:51:47
Anyone else wish to speak?
01:51:49
Yes, ma'am.
01:51:52
If you want to bring Mr. Purcell and Mr. Goodwin, we'll take them both.
SPEAKER_28
01:51:58
I'm Helene Purcell, 2507 Ellisville Drive, Louisa District.
01:52:08
I can't follow that up.
01:52:09
He did a great job.
01:52:13
I've spent all afternoon knocking on doors.
01:52:16
A lot of these people were not aware.
01:52:17
A lot of them just got their letters.
01:52:19
Some got them today.
01:52:20
I know we got ours Saturday.
01:52:23
And it seems like most of the people right around
01:52:28
I went up Range Road today and most of those people were not aware.
01:52:36
I was very saddened to hear
01:52:42
Someone just lives near the line, but not on the line.
01:52:45
Any property value loss that they have, they will not be reimbursed for.
01:52:50
And I think that's quite devastating.
01:52:51
For example, the young gentleman whose door I knocked today, and he had just finished building his house.
01:52:58
And I had to tell him, I'm very sorry to tell you, but this line is going directly behind your house.
01:53:04
It's going to go right over the shooting range.
01:53:09
That would be truly devastating.
01:53:14
That's basically what I had to say.
01:53:15
I've been very upset about this because we've worked very hard on our farm and I'm hardly sleeping.
01:53:25
I think we've done quite well as far as stewardship of the land.
01:53:29
I think Chris McCotter would be happy to hear that we have ruffled grouse, which is unheard of in this area, and quail.
01:53:37
And you can hear the meadowlark and the whippoorwill.
01:53:42
So just let us know if you want to come and see our beautiful birds.
01:53:47
Thank you very much.
01:53:47
Thank you.
SPEAKER_19
01:53:52
I'll take it.
01:53:55
I'll point in a different direction.
01:53:56
All right, anyone else wish to address?
01:54:00
Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_05
01:54:08
Hello, everybody.
SPEAKER_14
01:54:09
I'm Butch Duke.
01:54:10
I'm in the Patrick Henry district.
01:54:12
Thank you.
01:54:13
7178 Poindexter Road.
01:54:16
And I desperately hoped that somebody would cover what I wanted to say, so I didn't have to come up and say it.
01:54:21
But I am opposed to the transmission line as proposed.
01:54:27
And I think, though it has been said that,
01:54:32
We request, those of us in opposition, that you send a letter in opposition, not just, you know, something, a strongly worded letter or something that, you know, forcefully says that we do not want these high towers of transmission.
01:54:48
And the alternative being underground, I think
01:54:54
My reason for needing to come up and say this is, all this is, is a transmission line to Northern Virginia.
01:55:02
We get nothing from it.
01:55:04
We have data centers, I believe plural, going in as we speak.
01:55:09
Am I correct in that?
01:55:11
And these are going to need to be powered.
01:55:13
And I think a precedent needs to be set that any transmission lines going to any of them
01:55:20
Anyone else wish to address the board?
SPEAKER_01
01:55:56
Mitchell Sasser, Louisa District.
01:55:59
Yesterday, I attended a virtual town hall that was hosted by Delegate Amy Laufer, Delegate Katrina Kallsen, and Senator Craig Deeds.
01:56:07
While the three discussed a multitude of issues going through state government right now, Senator Deeds briefly touched on the Senate budget proposal that would phase out the sales and use tax exemption for the data center industry beginning at the start of next year.
01:56:21
He outlined that when the data center tax exemption legislation was initially proposed in 2008, it would cost Virginia about $1.6 million a year.
01:56:30
But now the state is missing out on $1.9 billion in tax revenue.
01:56:35
Deeds said that ending the tax exemption for data centers will be a central point of budget negotiations that will dominate the last two weeks of the legislative session.
01:56:44
There is certainly debate to be had that while this could lead to increased local tax revenue from machinery and equipment, it could also slow development and cause existing companies to relocate in order to avoid high tax areas.
01:56:59
Two constituents have reached out to Deeds since the announcement last week, he said, union workers and local government leaders.
01:57:07
Senator Deeds said, quote, Since yesterday, I was unable to get in touch with Senator Deeds for a follow-up on that quote, but I'm currently working on an article highlighting the virtual town hall and some of the issues that were raised.
01:57:31
If you are one of the individuals who has spoken with Senator Dietz to express concern about the data center tax exemption, I would love to follow up with you after the adjournment of tonight's meeting to have your perspective represented in the article that will be going to print sometime tomorrow.
SPEAKER_19
01:57:47
Thank you.
01:57:53
So is there anyone else that would wish to address the board?
01:57:59
Anyone?
01:58:03
Just move their glasses.
01:58:04
If they'd been at an auction, they would have bought whatever we were auctioning off.
01:58:08
All right, no one else?
01:58:09
All right, I'm going to close public comment, and we'll move on.
01:58:13
Before we move to the next item,
01:58:19
I just want to say publicly that I owe you all an apology.
01:58:25
I very seldom lose my temper.
01:58:28
I did.
01:58:29
There's a minister here.
01:58:31
My minister is here.
01:58:33
And more importantly, my mother is watching this live.
01:58:35
And I know I'll hear about that later.
01:58:39
So I do want to apologize.
01:58:40
I did swear in public.
01:58:41
I'm not going to tell you I never swear, but I don't do it in public.
01:58:44
So I give you all that apology.
01:58:45
I should not have done that.
01:58:49
We'll move on.
01:58:51
The next is information discussion items as a resolution opposing the congressional redistricting constitutional amendment.
01:58:58
Mr. Goodwin, can I have you read that and then we'll have the discussion.
Christian Goodwin
County Administrator
01:59:00
I'd be glad to.
01:59:01
So this starts on page 44 of the public packet that was put out last week.
01:59:06
This is a draft resolution opposing the Congressional Redistricting Constitutional Amendment, whereas a constitutional amendment, Article II, Section 6A, was approved by Virginia's voters in 2020.
01:59:18
And the Virginia Redistricting Commission was accordingly created.
01:59:22
And whereas the proposed amendment received broad support across the Commonwealth of Virginia with 2.287 Virginians favoring the measure.
01:59:30
And whereas the commission was established to convene in 2020 and every 10 years thereafter,
01:59:35
For the purpose of establishing districts for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate of Virginia, and the Virginia House of Delegates, pursuant to the Constitution of Virginia, and whereas the Commission ended partisan gerrymandering of Virginia's legislative districts, creating compact, legally compliant, and contiguous districts,
01:59:53
and whereas the Virginia General Assembly called for a special session during the last week of October 2025 to propose a constitutional amendment that would amend the Constitution of Virginia by allowing the General Assembly to redraw the congressional districts in a partisan manner which is contrary to the Commission's goals and whereas the General Assembly passed House Bill 1384 which would force a vote on the constitutional amendment regarding the issue and whereas the Virginia General Assembly set the associated election date for April 21st with early voting beginning on March 6th
02:00:22
And should the amendment be approved, Louisa County would be placed in the 7th Congressional District.
02:00:27
And whereas the proposed 7th Congressional District would include Powhatan, Goochland, Orange, Green, Madison, Culpeper, and parts of Buckingham, Cumberland, Rockingham, Augusta, Fauquier, Prince William, Fairfax, and Arlington Counties.
02:00:40
and whereas Louisa has little in common with some of these localities and the proposed seventh congressional district is neither as compact nor contiguous as the current fifth congressional district and the county questions the fairness of the measure to our citizens.
02:00:54
Now therefore be it resolved on the second day of March 2026 the Louisa County Board of Supervisors does hereby number one express support for the existing legislative districts that are compact contiguous and compliant with applicable law.
02:01:05
2.
02:01:06
Express strong opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment which utilizes partisan gerrymandering and 3.
02:01:13
Encourages the citizens of Louisa County to exercise their right to vote on the proposed amendment.
02:01:18
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Louisa County's General Assembly representatives and to the Governor of Virginia.
R.T. "Toni" Williams Jr.
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:01:25
Thank you.
02:01:28
I'd like to start off by apologizing to the board and to the citizens of the county for not doing a better job of reading this beforehand.
02:01:38
I was on vacation last week.
02:01:40
I got back, and Supervisor McCotter asked me had I seen this.
02:01:46
I hadn't seen it.
02:01:48
Number three down there.
02:01:51
I was going to say encourage the citizens of Louisa to oppose the proposed amendment.
02:01:57
I had the wording changed to encourage the citizens of Louisa to exercise the right to vote on the proposed amendment.
02:02:03
I'm going to pontificate for a minute because I think this is important.
02:02:09
We can make a difference in Louisa.
02:02:15
We think we can make a difference at the State House.
02:02:18
And I don't think we can make a difference at the federal level.
02:02:20
Because I think, I don't care what side of the aisle you're on, the right or the left or the blue or the red, the problem is they all need to go.
02:02:28
We don't have enough statesmen up there working for us.
02:02:31
We got people with their own personal interests, and they vote red and they vote blue.
02:02:35
And you can kid yourself if you think I'm wrong, but you know I'm right.
02:02:40
So my apology is, I didn't catch the word opposing in the title of the resolution, and I didn't catch the word opposition in number two.
02:02:50
So everything, all the where is is whereas, they're all facts.
02:02:57
I asked, are they all facts?
02:02:59
Whereas the constitutional amendment was approved by Virginia voters in 2020 and the Redistricting Commission was accordingly created, every where is or whereas is a fact.
02:03:10
So I would suggest that we change the word a resolution concerning the Congressional Redistricting and Constitutional Amendment in the title.
02:03:18
And in number two,
02:03:20
We express strong concern for the proposed constitutional amendment, which utilizes partisan gerrymandering.
02:03:27
And you know what?
02:03:28
Let's be honest with ourselves.
02:03:30
It got started with the President of the United States in Texas.
02:03:34
You're right.
02:03:35
You're not wrong.
02:03:37
We do not need to enter the fray.
02:03:41
We need to rise above it.
02:03:42
We always rise above it here in Louisa.
02:03:45
And there's no reason we should get in the fray now.
02:03:47
This is important.
02:03:49
There are people that feel like we should do this and there are people that feel like this is wrong and it is not this board's place to tell you whether you should support it or you should be against it.
02:04:02
It is this board's place to say you should be aware of it and you should go out and you should vote according to how you feel and what it is because that's what democracy is.
02:04:14
That is what democracy is.
02:04:15
And this is a republic.
02:04:17
You have elected the seven of us, whether you like it or not, to sit up here and make decisions for you.
02:04:24
And a good friend of mine that sits right over there,
02:04:28
told me and made the comment in public session one night that on any given first and third Monday by a vote of four to three this board can make certain changes in this county and do things because you elected us to do so and you have the right
02:04:44
Mr. Chairman, I would move that we accept this, changing the word opposing to concerning
02:05:00
In the title and in number two, we express strong concern for the proposed constitutional amendment and we trust that the people of Louisa have a mind to decide for themselves what is best.
02:05:13
And we do not enter the fray because here in Louisa we are going to rise above that and we're going to be who we're going to be for?
02:05:20
We're going to be for Louisa.
02:05:22
That's who we're for.
02:05:23
Let's be clear.
02:05:24
Thank you.
H. Manning Woodward III
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:05:29
I agree totally with Supervisor Williams.
02:05:39
I don't think that we need to take a stand other than to say that we're concerned with what's going on down in Richmond with this.
02:05:49
And I agree totally with him that the problem with this comes from Washington D.C. and our leaders up there.
02:05:58
But I will also say two wrongs don't make a right.
02:06:04
And I think that's what this would be doing if it goes forward.
02:06:10
But I don't think that we as a body representing the people of Louisa County should tell you how we think that you should do on this, how you should vote.
02:06:22
You all are certainly very capable of doing that on your own.
02:06:26
So that's what I have to say.
02:06:29
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
SPEAKER_19
02:06:30
Any other comments?
Fitzgerald D. Barnes
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:06:31
Mr. Chairman?
02:06:32
Yes, sir.
02:06:32
I don't know how this vote is going to go, but I can tell you what, I've never been so proud of this body as I am right now.
02:06:43
And this, you hear Mr. Striller always talk about Louisa first?
02:06:47
This right here is a classic example of why Louisa is first.
Chris McCotter
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:06:52
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
02:06:54
Gerrymandering is wrong, period.
02:06:57
And while it may seem like it's the status quo recently, I'm very happy that we're going to let the citizens of Louisa County decide for themselves.
SPEAKER_18
02:07:09
When I read through this, it seems like to me this, other than letting the voters vote on it, which is fine, but we had
02:07:24
An establishment that set up the districts.
02:07:30
And then it looks like this is gerrymandering, right back to it.
02:07:35
So it looks like to me we're sending it back to do the very things we're trying not to have done.
SPEAKER_19
02:07:46
All right.
02:07:46
The question has been called for.
02:07:47
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
02:07:50
Aye.
02:07:50
Any opposed?
02:07:51
Motion passes.
02:07:52
Pardon?
02:07:53
6-1.
02:07:56
All right.
02:07:57
Motion passes 6-1.
02:07:58
Next is under new business a resolution authorizing a budget supplement to the Central Virginia Regional Jail for medical expenses.
02:08:10
Mrs. Colvin.
R.T. "Toni" Williams Jr.
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:08:10
I'd like to speak to this real quick.
02:08:13
Just for knowledge, we had a gentleman get up and speak, and I think it was you, sir, asking about the Central Regional.
02:08:20
We don't have a choice on what to pay.
02:08:22
These are for people we have incarcerated.
02:08:24
It's our share for what happens up there, and that's what we have to pay.
02:08:28
Go ahead, Mr. Coleman.
SPEAKER_24
02:08:33
Chairman, members of the board, thank you.
02:08:35
This is a request to increase the budget for the Central Virginia Regional Jail for medical expenses that have been incurred for our inmates.
02:08:45
We are required to pay we there's a certain amount allocated in our annual budget in our allocation.
02:08:51
We have gone above that this year after insurance is covered.
02:08:54
They have had some very large medical bills.
02:08:56
So this request here is for 172-701.
02:08:58
I have since found out that is only through December, which is what the resolution says.
02:09:06
But I called them when I got another bill for January and did some estimates.
02:09:12
So I can do a separate resolution next month for the additional or we can make an increase to this request.
02:09:19
The amount that we're anticipating is 485,701.
02:09:21
There's a couple very sick residents there right now.
R.T. "Toni" Williams Jr.
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:09:27
And they happen to be from Louisa.
SPEAKER_24
02:09:28
They are from Louisa, yes sir.
SPEAKER_19
02:09:31
Why don't you give us the new amount?
SPEAKER_24
02:09:34
485,701 would be the full in amount is what we're anticipating.
02:09:41
It could be a little less, it could be a little more, but that's what we're estimating right now.
SPEAKER_19
02:09:48
It's been promptly moved and seconded that we approve this additional budget supplement for the Regional Jail.
02:09:53
Any discussion?
02:09:55
All those in favor signify.
H. Manning Woodward III
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:09:57
So we're approving the 485?
R.T. "Toni" Williams Jr.
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:09:58
Yeah.
02:09:59
Okay.
02:10:00
Plus the January bill too.
SPEAKER_24
02:10:03
That includes... That's all in.
02:10:05
485-701 is everything.
SPEAKER_18
02:10:07
That's an obligation that we...
R.T. "Toni" Williams Jr.
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:10:09
It's an obligation.
SPEAKER_19
02:10:10
It's a statutorily obligated...
R.T. "Toni" Williams Jr.
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:10:13
They're gonna start taking sheriff's cards from us if we don't pay it.
SPEAKER_19
02:10:17
Doesn't pay, but it does cost our taxpayers.
SPEAKER_16
02:10:21
It does.
SPEAKER_19
02:10:21
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
02:10:24
Aye.
02:10:24
Any opposed?
02:10:25
Motion passes.
02:10:26
Thank you, ma'am.
02:10:28
Next is comments.
Tommy James Barlow
Vice Chair, Board of Supervisors
02:10:32
I have a comment.
02:10:39
Thank you, Mr. Adams.
02:10:44
I have to say,
02:10:46
I want to thank everyone who is here tonight and who has spoken respectfully to us, and I am sorry for the outburst from earlier.
02:10:53
I had an opportunity last night to attend the informal community meeting that was held at Southern Revere Cellars.
02:11:03
It was a meeting filled with passion.
02:11:05
It was a meeting filled with fear and anger, and rightfully so.
02:11:11
I went home, I took every single comment that everyone said and brought in their concerns and their worries for their property, their health, their land, our schools, when it comes to this ValleyLink transmission lines.
02:11:27
And I understand they're scared.
02:11:29
And my family also got the letter.
02:11:32
And this will change the trajectory of our county.
02:11:35
It will change the landscape of our county.
SPEAKER_24
02:11:37
And I heard Mr. Horn.
Tommy James Barlow
Vice Chair, Board of Supervisors
02:11:39
I went through every step with you while you guys are building that beautiful house and your beautiful children.
02:11:47
And I know that it's going to go through your property.
02:11:49
And that hurts me.
02:11:50
That hurts my heart because that was your dream home that's being built.
02:11:58
And I went home and I talked to my husband last night and we discussed in the 1960s all the way back when I-64 came through.
02:12:05
It's in the fabric of our lives right now.
02:12:08
I-64 went right through my husband's family's farm that's been in the family for generations and forever it changed it.
02:12:14
It was split in half, and it's just a small portion of what it was, and it's still in the family.
02:12:20
And 64 is there.
02:12:22
Now, we all use it.
02:12:23
We couldn't imagine living in Louisa County without I-64, but land was taken for that.
02:12:28
When the power plant was built, land was taken for that.
02:12:31
Louisa County has lived this before, and we have fought.
02:12:38
We fought in the historic Green Springs, what is now the historic Green Springs District, the prison that was coming.
02:12:45
I fully believe that we need to oppose this Valley Link transmission line coming through the county, 100%.
02:12:55
And we need to do a resolution opposing the overhead tower lines.
02:13:00
If they can put it underground, I would love to hear more information.
02:13:03
But the overhead lines need to be opposed.
02:13:06
And that's where I feel, and that's where I stand.
02:13:09
I would like for us to
02:13:12
at a future meeting have a proposal for a resolution for opposition to it.
R.T. "Toni" Williams Jr.
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:13:20
Mr. Williams.
02:13:22
Mr. Chairman, thank you.
02:13:24
I'll be brief.
02:13:25
The gentleman here spoke about family divisions and potential changes.
02:13:29
I'm going to tell you flat out right now that I'm adamant that we keep the family divisions in place.
02:13:34
I think that's something that we need to do for our people who live here.
02:13:38
I am proposing a change to the family divisions potentially, and I am pushing this one.
02:13:43
You shouldn't move here today and get a family division tomorrow.
02:13:46
So I am going to propose, and I don't know if it'll go through, we'll see, that maybe you have to live here for five years before you can do a family division.
02:13:52
I think that's reasonable.
02:13:53
I don't think you should be able to come here and immediately start a family division on your property.
02:13:58
I don't think that's why it was set up.
02:13:59
I don't think that's what it was intended for.
02:14:01
So I wanted to address that real quick in the comment period.
02:14:04
The other thing I want to address is that, you know, I know you don't like it.
02:14:09
I know you don't like the transmission line.
02:14:11
I know things make us upset sometimes.
02:14:13
And we start talking about,
02:14:16
You know, partisan politics and things like that.
02:14:20
I really remember that you're from Louisa and we try to rise above that here.
02:14:25
I can remember sitting in a 2A meeting, a Second Amendment meeting with a thousand people in it and I was chairing the meeting and you were maybe the sole person in that room opposed to that thing and you got up and speak and they booed you.
02:14:40
And I wrapped the gavel and I threatened to close the meeting because
02:14:45
You're entitled to have your opinion.
02:14:47
And you're entitled to respectfully share it.
02:14:49
And we're entitled to respectfully hear it.
02:14:53
Yeah.
02:14:54
And that's what we're about here.
02:14:56
We need to rise above.
02:14:57
We can make a difference here.
02:14:59
I really think maybe we can make a difference in Richmond.
02:15:02
I'm pretty sure we can't make a difference in D.C.
02:15:05
I've written that off.
02:15:06
But we can make a difference here.
02:15:07
And this is a good place to live.
02:15:09
And that's why the population is growing.
02:15:11
Because it's a good place to live.
02:15:12
We ran fiber to every house.
02:15:14
If you haven't got it yet, you're on the verge of getting it, and you had it offered to you if you didn't take it.
02:15:18
We've got a great school system, one of the best in the Commonwealth.
02:15:24
All around, on all facets, if you missed the meeting, the budget meeting, Dr. Straley gave a wonderful presentation of the past nine years and the accomplishments the school's done.
02:15:37
It's phenomenal.
02:15:40
We don't always get it right, but we don't intentionally try to get it wrong, okay?
02:15:47
So saying we're sitting here and doing things maliciously, that's not true.
02:15:52
Just realize what the truth is when you get up and speak.
02:15:56
And I realize sometimes you're upset and you're angry like the gentleman was earlier tonight, but when you're angry, you can't communicate clearly.
02:16:05
And this is about communication and it's about you telling us what's on your heart and your mind and us listening and understanding that.
02:16:13
And then us communicating back to you what we can do and what we will do.
02:16:18
So thank you for your time, thank you for your patience, and thank you for your confidence in us.
02:16:23
And again, we don't always get it right, but we are looking out for what we think is the best interest of the citizens of Louisa County.
02:16:30
Thank you.
Fitzgerald D. Barnes
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:16:31
Mr. Chairman, you know, I understand when you have emotions and you work hard and you try to protect what you are, I really do.
02:16:44
But I want some of you all to understand that we're not too far from the same issues that you all have.
02:16:52
I looked at my light bill, it was 680 this month, and I'm in there by myself.
02:17:01
It was 590 last month.
02:17:04
We all have the same problems and deal with some of the same things you all do.
02:17:08
We're not removed from it.
02:17:10
When you get an assessment, we get an assessment.
02:17:15
But I want to remind you one thing, this board is going to try to do what we can do.
02:17:21
But don't forget, you have state senators and you got House people that you can call
02:17:31
Because the word is SCC, State Corporation Commission.
02:17:37
Don't forget to call Ms. Amy Lloyd.
02:17:39
Don't forget to call Senator Creed Deeds.
02:17:42
Don't forget to call Cypher, Cyphers.
02:17:46
Don't forget to call them.
02:17:47
Just like you came here tonight to speak to us and Buddy Fowler.
02:17:52
Organize and let them know how you feel.
02:17:58
because they are your state representatives.
02:18:00
Let them know how you feel.
H. Manning Woodward III
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:18:02
Thank you.
02:18:08
I just would like to go back to what Supervisor Jones was saying.
02:18:14
And I totally agree with her.
02:18:16
I do think that this board needs to send a really strong signal in opposition to these lines.
02:18:27
And if they decide they can put them in underground,
02:18:32
I'd like to come back and talk about that, but I think these overhead lines, they're just not suitable to come through the middle or any part of Louisa County, I guess, as far as that goes.
02:18:44
And I also would like to, I was going to bring it up and I'm glad that Supervisor Barnes did before I did.
02:18:50
I've probably got more comments.
02:18:53
In the last two weeks, whether it be phone calls or emails or texts about people's electric bills, and I think we all know that January was an extremely cold month, but I think it's some other things that are involved in that increase as well that the SEC approved back last year.
02:19:16
I mean, if we start sending a lot of things down there, I guess it doesn't seem to be as important.
02:19:22
But I think there's some way we need to send a message to them to let them know that they need to really be careful with future increases that they allow.
02:19:34
Because there's no doubt the increases have had it.
02:19:37
And I know the electric utilities, certainly they need to get theirs too.
02:19:43
There's a lot of people that are really hurting financially, and to see the kind of increases on their electric bills is really hurting them significantly.
Chris McCotter
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:19:54
Anyone else?
02:19:55
Mr. Chairman, a couple things real quick.
02:20:00
I would like to thank you for getting us to this point in the meeting.
02:20:05
Barely.
02:20:06
Barely.
02:20:07
I think that took a real goodwill.
02:20:10
And tonight, when you go to bed, know that you did the best you could have done, and we were happy for that.
02:20:16
Kuku District also thanks you for help addressing the issues on Kentucky Springs Road at the Lake Enid Technology Campus.
02:20:27
Until you were involved, that problem situation was not addressed, so Kuku District is grateful.
SPEAKER_19
02:20:35
Anybody else?
02:20:37
So I'm going to ask for a motion in a minute, but I want to comment.
02:20:42
My two cents here.
02:20:45
It's interesting, sometimes some of the people who pay the least attention to politics gives you some of the best advice.
02:20:55
My wife falls under, I don't pay a whole lot of attention to politics.
02:20:59
She goes and votes, and she does tell me if she thinks I do something stupid, so I get that quite often.
02:21:08
But I was talking to her over the weekend about this power line.
02:21:14
And I'm going to tell you what I think our role is and what I hope the board does here in a minute.
02:21:21
First of all, let me say that Dominion Energy and North Carolina Power Plant, we're going to hear about the plant tonight, are great corporate neighbors, great corporate neighbors.
02:21:34
That lake generates millions and millions and millions of dollars in revenue to the county.
02:21:41
The plant pays millions and millions and millions of dollars in revenue to the county.
02:21:46
But my wife, as we were talking about that, she said, you know,
02:21:51
Just because you have somebody that you appreciate what they do, you don't have to agree with everything that they do.
02:21:59
And when I look at this proposed power line, I'm going to draw something in the air for you, which I got a lot of concerns about.
02:22:09
I'm 100 percent opposed to it.
02:22:12
But it looks to me like the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.
02:22:19
Joshua Falls, and this is Yeats, I'd go that way.
02:22:24
But of course, that way would take you through Albemarle and Keswick and horse farms and lawyers and lots of rich people, right?
02:22:31
This route goes east, then it goes north, then it goes northwest, which looks to me like, and I don't mean any insult when I say that, but those are rural, poorer counties.
02:22:46
And I don't believe that regardless of where you're at, you should have an undue burden.
02:22:53
I understand the need for power.
02:22:57
I understand the need for grid reliability.
02:22:59
I understand all of that.
02:23:01
But I also understand that I think we're being played.
02:23:06
And I think this board, somebody said it.
02:23:08
I don't even know if they're still here.
02:23:10
Somebody said to me before the meeting when I was talking to people.
02:23:14
They said, this board really needs to take a stand.
02:23:16
And they said, Duane, you need to take a stand.
02:23:18
I think the word he used was mealy mouth, which reminded me of my grandmother.
02:23:21
She used to use that word all the time.
02:23:23
And I agree with that.
02:23:25
I think this board's position, we don't have any decision making in this.
02:23:31
We don't cite it.
02:23:32
We don't zone it.
02:23:35
We don't do any of that.
02:23:37
But we do represent the people in the county.
02:23:39
We do represent the people that are being impacted.
02:23:42
And I think the board has an opportunity to amplify your voice.
02:23:48
We've done that tonight.
02:23:50
I'm sure we'll continue to do that.
02:23:53
And I do think we have the responsibility to state your opinion through your elected representatives and make sure that the people who make those decisions, the company that makes this decision, you know, it's in the beginning.
02:24:11
In the beginning, I had a conversation last week with some folks from Dominion.
02:24:14
I expressed some concerns.
02:24:15
I heard the response.
02:24:17
So that dialogue is important.
02:24:20
But I think that this board, and I hope I get a motion here in a minute, that
02:24:27
This board will present a strongly worded resolution in opposition to this power line coming through Louisa County and encourage Dominion and ValleyLink to look at options on whether it's underground, I'm not an engineer, but whether it's underground, what the route is, why people who live eight miles away are getting cards and people whose property it goes through aren't getting cards.
02:24:54
I know that because I've talked to 50 of them since last week.
02:24:57
I had somebody today way down in Apple Grove call me and wanted to know why they got a card.
02:25:03
I said, I can't answer that because you're miles and miles and miles away.
02:25:08
So you know, we do understand that.
02:25:12
We do hear it.
02:25:13
I think that this would change the
02:25:19
The character of this county forever and in a bad way.
02:25:25
So that's my two cents for supervisor comments.
02:25:32
You want to make the motion, Mrs. Jones?
Tommy James Barlow
Vice Chair, Board of Supervisors
02:25:35
I'd like to make a motion that we oppose the Valley Link Joshua Falls transmission lines here in our county.
02:25:45
and presented at the next board meeting a resolution for it.
SPEAKER_19
02:25:50
Do we have a second?
02:25:51
Second.
02:25:52
Any further discussion?
02:25:54
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
02:25:56
Aye.
02:25:57
Any opposed?
02:25:58
Motion passes unanimously.
02:26:08
Do we have any board appointment?
02:26:12
We do have a board appointment.
02:26:14
Yeah, Mrs. Linden right here.
R.T. "Toni" Williams Jr.
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:26:17
Did we do committee reports?
02:26:19
Committee reports are next, sir.
SPEAKER_19
02:26:21
Yeah, committee reports.
R.T. "Toni" Williams Jr.
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:26:23
We're going to do that.
02:26:24
I was going to do that.
02:26:26
Anybody?
SPEAKER_19
02:26:26
No committee reports or any board appointments?
R.T. "Toni" Williams Jr.
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:26:29
Linda Collins to the Commission on Aging to represent the mineral district.
02:26:35
You want me to do it?
SPEAKER_18
02:26:36
He did.
02:26:36
He seconded.
02:26:37
Second.
SPEAKER_19
02:26:38
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
02:26:40
Aye.
02:26:40
Any opposed?
02:26:41
All right, congratulations to her and thank her for stepping up on the Commission on Aging.
02:26:46
County Administrators report.
Christian Goodwin
County Administrator
02:26:48
Yes, sir.
02:26:48
Mr. Chairman and members of the board, just a few items briefly.
02:26:52
The comp plan survey closed and I'm very pleased to report that we had nearly 2,200 responses.
02:26:58
That's good.
02:26:59
I think that's a lot more than we got in the last comprehensive plan feedback.
02:27:04
The survey that we put out, and we'll be presenting a report on those findings to you all.
02:27:09
It just closed here very recently, so we'll be presenting a report at the next meeting on that input from the community.
02:27:15
I encourage you to pay attention to that.
02:27:16
I know you will.
02:27:18
Our staff is monitoring action in the General Assembly.
02:27:21
Obviously, there's a lot going on in the General Assembly right now.
02:27:24
And there's a lot that impacts localities, whether it's energy, housing, land use rights, taxation, there is a lot of very fast moving legislation.
02:27:34
I'm sorry, I hear you.
02:27:37
I know that you all are receiving communications from BACO and other statewide entities that are that are looking out for the interests of citizens and local governments.
02:27:46
So I encourage you to be in constant communication with our representatives regarding the same
02:27:51
We are working on finalizing the turf fields and should have dates for that very soon, so thank you very much for that input.
02:27:57
I know many people share it.
02:27:59
Ms. Colvin talked about this during the budget work session, but we do for those just tuning in tonight or watching online tonight, there are three budget town halls or budget road shows.
02:28:10
They're scheduled for March the 24th, March the 31st, and April the 1st from 6 to 8 p.m.
02:28:16
They'll be at Jewett.
02:28:17
the middle school and civilians respectively and so I definitely encourage people to come out.
02:28:22
We'll have a short presentation.
02:28:24
We'll take comment, and then we'll go ahead and talk to people individually to make sure that we get all the questions answered.
02:28:30
So we're really looking forward to engaging with the citizens in that process.
02:28:35
And just a couple of dates to make sure you've got on your calendar.
02:28:37
Our Easter Extravaganza this year is scheduled for the 28th at Louisa Fairgrounds, and Household Hazardous Waste Day is coming up in late April on the 25th.
02:28:45
So please inform your citizens of the same, your constituents of the same.
02:28:49
That concludes my prepared remarks.
02:28:51
I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
SPEAKER_19
02:28:52
Any questions for Mr. Goodman?
02:28:54
So, folks, here's what happens when you elect a 64-year-old chairman and you go an hour and a half into a meeting.
02:29:01
We're going to take a five-minute recess and then we'll be back.
02:35:51
We're going to have our first public hearing, which is Dominion State of the Station address.
02:36:05
Andre, I don't know who's going to kick it off.
SPEAKER_12
02:36:08
Good evening everyone, board members, chair, vice chair.
02:36:14
My name is Andre May, I'm the External Affairs Representative for Dominion Energy to Louisa County and tonight we will be presenting the North Anna State of the Station address for 2025.
02:36:25
With me doing the actual address is our site bike president at North Anna, Mr. Jim Jenkins.
SPEAKER_03
02:36:32
Thanks Andre.
02:36:36
Good evening Chairman Adams, members of the board, county staff, community members.
02:36:40
Pleasure to see you all again.
02:36:42
My name is Jim Jenkins.
02:36:43
I'm the site vice president of North Anna Power Station, taking over for Lisa Hilbert upon her retirement last year.
02:36:49
I live in the Patrick Henry district and I'm proud to raise my family in Louisa County.
02:36:54
I appreciate the opportunity to provide you with an update this evening on the continued performance of North Anna Power Station for 2025.
02:37:01
At Dominion Energy, our mission is to provide reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy that powers our customers every day, including more than 4,700 residents that call Louisa County home.
02:37:13
In support of this mission, Dominion Energy's North Anna Power Station has maintained our industry-leading performance for over 40 years and remains an industry leader in generating safe, reliable, low-cost, carbon-free power.
02:37:25
As mentioned before, Unit 1 and Unit 2 continue to remain more reliable today than they were when they were brand new, providing over 15% of Virginia's electricity and supporting your every day from your home to your business to your favorite restaurant.
02:37:41
Unit 1 and 2 had a combined capacity factor of 90.48% in 2025, exceeding our goal of 86.99% capacity factor.
02:37:51
While this capacity factor is lower than in 2024, the decrease was not from lack of performance, but as a result of a scheduled refueling outage on each unit.
02:38:00
In 2024, only one unit performed a scheduled refueling outage.
02:38:04
And as a reminder, each refueling outage takes place approximately every 18 months rolling.
02:38:10
Unit one formed successful 41-day refueling outage and a two-day maintenance outage to repair a cable in the rod control system this fall.
02:38:17
And unit two performed a successful 34-day refueling outage in the spring.
02:38:22
This means North Anna Power Station was providing enough power to supply 475,000 homes around the clock for over 330 days last year.
02:38:29
In fact, since the fall of 2023, there's not been a single minute where North Anna was not providing power to our customers.
02:38:36
As a result of our employees continued commitment to excellence, North Anna Power Station retains the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations highest rating of one
02:38:46
We remain in the licensee response category of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's action matrix, which is the most favorable category to be in.
02:38:54
At North End of Power Station and Dominion Energy as a whole, our highest priority is, and will always be, safety.
02:39:00
This includes for the safety of our employees, the station, the environment, and the public.
02:39:06
For 2025, the station had no declared emergencies.
02:39:09
An NRC emergency preparedness inspection was performed in September with zero findings identified.
02:39:15
We continue to work with federal, state, and local organizations to maintain strong relationships that ensure safety and security for the community and the station.
02:39:24
I want to take a moment to specifically thank Louisa County Sheriff's Office and Louisa County Emergency Preparedness Organization.
02:39:31
Both are integral parts for execution of our training and preparation exercises and with whom we appreciate a strong working relationship.
02:39:39
In 2025, the station experienced two supplemental worker OSHA safety and health administration recordable injuries and nine first aid events.
02:39:48
The two OSHA recordable injuries, one occurred when individuals were performing non-nuclear specific activities, one when an employee stepped on loose gravel and twisted their leg, and the second when an employee tripped over a hose that they were using and fell.
02:40:05
As noted in previous years, North Anna continues to be a Virginia Occupational Safety and Health's Voluntary Protection Program STAR worksite.
02:40:14
The Voluntary Protection Program STAR qualification recognizes North Anna Power Station and our employees who demonstrate exemplary achievement in the prevention and control of occupational safety and health hazards, as well as the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of their safety and health management systems.
02:40:33
In 2025, North Anna's VPP STAR recertification was once again renewed.
02:40:39
North Anna continues to participate in the voluntary nuclear initiative to monitor and mitigate groundwater.
02:40:45
In addition, North Anna's environmental team also regularly samples Lake Anna and the waste heat treatment facility to ensure environmental and public safety.
02:40:53
No required reportable events occurred at North Anna in 2025.
02:40:57
However, in July 2025, we detected elevated levels of tritium that four of our monitoring wells on the station property within the protected area where the units are located.
02:41:08
In order to maintain transparency with the community, voluntary notifications were made to local, state, and federal agencies.
02:41:15
The sources of tritium were identified as a leaking cooler outlet relief valve, which was immediately contained and permanently repaired in September of 2025.
02:41:25
The monitoring well tritium levels have been declining, but we maintained increased monitoring frequency of those wells to confirm the source remains localized and does not extend outside of the station's protected area.
02:41:35
The tritium concentration detected poses no threat to the employees or the public.
02:41:40
Based on hydrological assessment and sample results from other wells, there is no indication that tritium had or will migrate off-site into groundwater or Lake Anna.
02:41:52
As part of our continued operating efforts, support of federal developments related to permanent storage of nuclear spent fuel continues, and we see greater interest by Congress in finding a permanent solution, as more discussions surrounding nuclear as a clean energy solution take place.
02:42:07
In the interim, North Anna continues to move and operate spent fuel to its interim storage facility on site.
02:42:13
We thank Louisa County for approving the renewal of our interim spent fuel storage installation for an additional seven years.
02:42:21
The current independent spent fuel storage installation will hold spent fuel produced through the initial relicensing period for Unit 1 and Unit 2, which are in 2038 and 2040 respectively.
02:42:33
North Anna is critical in supporting Louisa County and surrounding communities.
02:42:37
Station remains a major employer, taxpayer, and local economic driver in Louisa County and the Commonwealth.
02:42:44
In 2025, Dominion Energy paid nearly $12 million in property taxes to Louisa County, with total company taxes paid to the county of almost $13.5 million.
02:42:55
Also, North Anant employs approximately 800 full-time Dominion Energy employees, and a day-to-day average of approximately 200 contractors are also on site.
02:43:06
During refueling outages, approximately 1,000 additional supplemental personnel joined the station employees.
02:43:12
This temporary increase in station workforce provides additional revenue for local businesses, merchants, and Louisa County.
02:43:19
Lake Anna and the waste heat treatment facility built to support North Anna also provide a great deal of economic benefit to the area.
02:43:26
North Anna continues to process dredging, construction, and use permits for Lake Anna stakeholders.
02:43:32
A total of 178 permits were issued in Louisa County during 2025.
02:43:37
As of January 22nd of 2026, there were approximately 50 construction and use permits pending in Louisa County, 25 of which are on the waste heat treatment facility.
02:43:48
I and other employees remain active members within the local community and continue to reinforce relationships and communications with stakeholders interested in North Anna, Lake Anna, and the waste heat treatment facility.
02:43:59
We're active participants in the study and mitigation of effects of harmful algal blooms and phosphorus remediation, as well as other efforts to keep Lake Anna clean and healthy.
02:44:11
Dominion Energy continues to promote the maintenance and increase of native vegetation in and around Lake Anna to support its environmental health.
02:44:18
No confirmed harmful algal blooms were recorded in 2025 for Lake Anna or the Waste Cheat Treatment Facility.
02:44:24
What I'm most proud of is the work ethic and sense of commitment we have towards our local community.
02:44:30
Outside of our duties to safely operate North Anna, many of us volunteer time, hold board positions, and participate in numerous organizations.
02:44:38
2025 alone, over $74,000 of direct donations, plus many additional non-monetary donations and over 350 volunteer hours were provided to such local community organizations.
02:44:51
In total, North End employees alone logged over 5,150 hours of volunteer service, valued at over $180,000 in labor.
02:45:00
Looking forward, Dominion believes that all of the above generation portfolio is essential to meeting the future needs of our customers.
02:45:07
North Anna is currently licensed to operate up to 80 years, 2058 for Unit 1 and 2060 for Unit 2.
02:45:13
See, no reason we cannot operate until then or even longer.
02:45:17
We continue to hold construction and operating license for North Anna III.
02:45:21
At this time, the company has not made a decision whether to build a new unit.
02:45:26
In addition, we continue to evaluate potential deployment of small modular reactors at North Anna.
02:45:32
If Dominion makes a decision to move forward, our first small module reactor could be placed in service in the early to mid 2030s.
02:45:40
Dominion Energy, North End Power Station and our employees work hard to safely power here every day.
02:45:45
Yet we do not simply work in Louisa County, we're your friends and your neighbors.
02:45:50
Louisa is truly a special place to live, work and raise a family.
02:45:54
We all recognize our responsibility towards being good and transparent corporate citizen here in our home county.
02:46:00
Thank you again for the opportunity to speak to you tonight, and I welcome any questions you may have.
SPEAKER_19
02:46:04
Anyone have any questions or comments?
02:46:08
Well, first of all, Jim, thank you for being here.
02:46:13
I would reiterate what I said earlier.
02:46:16
North Anna Dominion has been a great corporate neighbor, and you continue to contribute to the economy.
02:46:23
The lake continues to contribute to the economy of Louisa County, so we appreciate that very, very much.
02:46:28
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03
02:46:30
Thanks.
SPEAKER_19
02:46:30
You want to introduce the folks that are, I mean, we know Sarah, of course.
02:46:35
You may have met Sarah Marshall.
02:46:37
Once or twice.
SPEAKER_03
02:46:38
Also, Matt Hayes, he's the director of EP and Licensing at North Anna Power Station.
02:46:44
Mark Hoffman is with our Advanced Reactor Group in corporate.
02:46:49
And then he's not really mine, but Willie Lloyd from ODEC.
SPEAKER_19
02:46:51
And I was glad to hear you bring up that SMR.
02:46:57
We're looking.
02:46:58
Continue to look.
02:46:59
Continue to look.
02:47:00
All right.
02:47:00
Thank you very much.
02:47:03
So this is a public hearing.
02:47:04
I'll open a public hearing.
02:47:05
Is there anyone that would wish to address the board based on what they just heard from the state of the station address?
02:47:11
All right.
02:47:11
Seeing none, I'll close the public hearing.
02:47:14
Come back to the board.
R.T. "Toni" Williams Jr.
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:47:15
We do have to accept the report.
02:47:16
Second.
SPEAKER_19
02:47:16
It's been properly moved and seconded that we accept this report.
02:47:19
All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
02:47:21
Aye.
02:47:21
Any opposed?
02:47:22
Motion passes unanimously.
02:47:23
Next is a public.
02:47:24
Thank you all very much.
02:47:25
Next is a public hearing on the Louisa County Sanitary Landfill Environmental Permit.
02:47:31
Mr. Coon or Mr. Goodwin?
Christian Goodwin
County Administrator
02:47:32
I'll take care of that.
02:47:33
Mr. Coon had to step out.
02:47:35
So Mr. Chairman, our members of the board, members of the public, tonight's public hearing covers two actually related items.
02:47:41
First, a temporary increase in the county's permitted daily waste from 75 tons currently to 300 tons per day.
02:47:49
This increase would already be incorporated into the permitting for our existing landfill cells.
02:47:56
Due to population growth over the past few years we have been trending slightly upward and we're slightly exceeding that 75-ton daily average and this 300-ton increase was something that was always viewed as something we would have to do at some point in the future and it just allows us some growth in the years coming in the future that would be permitted under what we're discussing tonight.
02:48:17
The increase over the 75-ton average was self-reported to DEQ through our normal reporting process, and this report is part of a coordinated solution between the county and DEQ, this temporary increase in our permanent daily waste average.
02:48:30
So the second issue that's the subject of the public hearing for tonight is permits for landfill cells 4A and 4B.
02:48:38
So solid waste permits include two parts, Part A, which is site suitability, that's already been approved, and then Part B, which is construction and monitoring plans, which have been resubmitted following DEQ comments.
02:48:51
The new cells will add about 3.8 million cubic yards of capacity and provide landfill operational capacity.
02:48:58
It'll extend that from the 2031-2032 time period out to approximately 2049 based on our current modeling.
02:49:07
So this is just part of that public process that's required by the state for this permitting.
02:49:11
The public comment started on February the 12th.
02:49:15
It runs through March 14th.
02:49:16
Comments can be taken tonight or submitted in writing to the county.
02:49:19
So happy to answer any questions.
02:49:21
We have Anderson Wolfwalk here tonight as well as personnel from Jake from Labella Engineering who handles our... Jake from State Farm.
02:49:29
And they handle our landfill engineering and permitting assistance.
02:49:34
They can answer any detailed questions and certainly would welcome any public comment as well.
SPEAKER_19
02:49:39
All right, we'll open the public hearing.
02:49:41
Is there anyone here that wishes to address the board on this public hearing?
02:49:47
All right, seeing none, we'll close the public hearing.
02:49:49
What's the pleasure of the board?
Christian Goodwin
County Administrator
02:49:52
So moved.
02:49:54
We don't need any action tonight, right?
02:49:56
No action.
02:49:56
This is just part of the required process.
02:49:59
Well, we were ready.
02:50:00
Mr. Barnes.
02:50:00
So moved.
02:50:01
Second.
SPEAKER_19
02:50:02
Moved and seconded that we adjourn.
02:50:04
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Fitzgerald D. Barnes
Member, Board of Supervisors
02:50:06
Aye.
02:50:06
Any opposed?