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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-03-23 adjMarch 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting - Adjourned from March 16, 1988)33 (Page 1) An adjourned meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Albemarle County, Virginia was held on March 23, 1988, at 2:00 P.M., Meeting Room 7, County Office Building, McIntire Road, Charlottesville, Virginia, adjourned from March 16, 1988. PRESENT: Messrs. Edward H. Bain, Jr, F. R. Bowie, C. Timothy Lindstrom (arrived at 2:07 P.M.), Walter F. Perkins and Peter T. Way. ABSENT: Mrs. Patricia H. Cooke. OFFICERS PRESENT: County Executive, Guy B. Agnor, Jr.; Deputy County Executives Ray B. Jones and Robert W. Tucker, Jr. (arrived at 2:55 P.M.); and Administrative Assistant, Roxanne White. Agenda Item No. 1. The meeting was called to order at 2:02 P.M. by the Chairman, Mr. Way. Agenda Item No. 2. Pledge of Allegiance. Agenda Item No. 3. Moment of Silence. Agenda Item No. 4. Work Session: 1988-89 County Budget: Budget Overview - County Rxecutive, Guy B. Agnor, Jr. Mr. Agnor said the total funds requested for FY 88-89 is $70,764,837. Staff recommends funding $66,955,580 of this amount, which would increase the budget $4,541,012, or 7.28 percent, over that of FY 87-88. The recommendations leave unfunded requests for $2,220,364 in the School Board's budget and $1,588,793 in General Government requests. On the Revenue side, property taxes are estimated at $27.58 million, which is $1.4 million more than collected during FY 87-88. Other local revenues have jumped to $14.43 million, an increase of $2.22 million, 18.2 percent. Even without a reassessment, real estate taxes have gone up $650,000. Mr. Agnor said these revenues are not enough to meet the requests. He said the problem is with the State portion of the School Fund. The State has increased its funding to County schools by only $200,000, or 1.25 percent. It is hoped that the one million dollars in carryover money can offset the impact of dwindling state support. There are two significant changes in the fringe benefits of County employees which affect the budget. Health insurance is going up 15 percent. The County Executive recommends that half of ~hat increase be funded by the County and the other half by the employee, in the case of employee coverage. For family coverage, staff recommends that the employee pay the entire increase. The second change in the fringe benefit package is an increase.in FICA (Social Security). Board of Supervisors, Lettie Neher. Requested $241,736; Recommended $270,723. Mr. Agnor said the proposed operating costs show an overall decrease of 27 percent. The following are significant increases and decreas- es: an increase of $2677 (36 percent) in advertising costs due to an increase in the amount and cost of advertising; a decrease in printing and copy servic- es of $9035 (90 percent) reflecting last year~!s update of the County Code; and, a decrease of $7500 because the Italian Student Exchange Program will not be occuring this year. Contingency fund categories show a 4.5 percent in- crease in the Visitors' Center contingency fuOd to provide for a new contract when proposed; the amount to fund, if necessaky, a full-time gypsy moth coordinator in January 1989; and a contingency amount of $7000 to fund, if recommended, home care services through the J~fferson Area Board on Aging. Based on actual costs to date, the Count~ Executive recommended funding more than the amount requested for subsistenc&, travel and miscellaneous expenses. Funding was not recommended for anlincrease in Travel-Education Conferences, as all departments have been kep~ at last year's budget level. 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting Adjourned from March 16, 1988) (Page 2) County Executive, Guy Agnor. Requested $355,951; Recommended $355,801. Mr. Agnor said this proposed budget includes the following significant increases: $2000 (400 percent) in printing and copy services to develop an information brochure on County government; an increase of $2500 (100 percent) in preparation of the Annual Report, which reflects under-budgeting of this item last year; an increase of $650 (48 percent) in Telephone Service-Watts to reflect increased usage of the 800 information line; the addition of $3000 for the operation and maintenance of a new Teleworks System, which provides information through recorded telephone messages; and, an addition of $540 in data processing supplies for the laser printer. Program additions for this budget are in Capital Outlay and include one external disk drive for an IBM computer ($250), software to monitor financial trends ($500), and a Teleworks phone message system ($12,000). Mr. Bowie asked how much the new phone systam would: cost per year after the initial $12,000. Mr. Agnor replied that $9000 was for equipment and would be a one-time cost. The remaining $3000 would be a yearlY operating cost. Mr. Lindstrom said he had reservations about funding this item. Mr. Bain said he thought the system was essential and would allow employees to devote more time to their regular duties. Mr. Way said this was one item he had marked as vulnerable when he examined the budget. Mr. Lindstrom asked for more information on the phone system, such as how much time it would save County employees. ~i Mr. Bowie objected to spending $2000 to prepare a brochure (Annual Report) on County government. Mr. Agnor said that no additional money would be spedt on travel. Departments would be allocated for travel in FY 88-89 wha6 they had spent on travel in FY 87-88. ~ Personnel, Carole }{astimgs. Requested $277,778; Rec~m~emded $219,503. Mr. Agnor said the total operating budget of the Personnel Department is carried in the School Fund. A transfer from the General Fund to the School Fund represents general government's share of the operation, based on the number of general government employees (currently 21 percent). In addition to this contribution, line-items in the personnel budget include stipends and fringe benefits for general government employees that are not carried in individual department budgets, such as early retirement, work- men's compensation, etc. ~ Mr. Agnor said overall personnel expenses for genera~ government decreased by 7.39 percent. The following are significant~increases and decreases: a $3219 decrease (53 percent) in vacation pay ~tipends for those employees hired before 1978 who had accumulated excess annual leave; a $13,071 decrease (75 percent) in early retirement stipends; a $22,!259 increase (29 percent) in workmen's compensation due to the combined effect of an increase in the rate for municipal employees not otherwise classified, increased payroll, and lack of accumulated dividends of prior years hsed to affect premiums; a decrease of $53,000 in prior year vested merit5 which is now carried in individual department budgets; an increase of $~6,846 (20 percent) in the general government contribution to the operations of the personnel department; and a decrease of $18,640 budgeted in the curr~nt year for the Pay/Classification Plan Study. Mr. Agnor said not recoranended for funding were four ~omputers ($6444), six computer network boards ($2364), five printers ($10,42~), three clerical stations ($3750), operating supplies for the hazardous materials program ($14,500), and a combined reduction in microfilm, consultants, postal service, telephone, copy supplies, data processing supplies, books/~ubscr~pt~ons, routine travel, conferences, dues/memberships, and staff d~velopment~ of $49,400 (General Government share @ 21 percent = $10,374).i Legal Services, George St. John. Requested $166,T86;!Recommended $166,286. Mr. Agnor said the budget for legal services decreased by one percent due to a reduction in fringe benefit costs. This reduction occurred- March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting - Adjourned from March 16, 1988) (Page 3) because funds for a third attorney are provided under contract services in the FY 88-89 budget rather than as a full-time employee. Significant increases or decreases in the operating budget are as follows: an increase of $865 (865 percent) in Telephone Service reflects the actual cost of telephone usage for County business; an increase of $100 (50 percent) in office supplies due to heavier workload; an increase of $100 (100 percent) in data processing sup- plies reflects heavier workload; and, an increase of $500 (167 percent) in dues and memberships to reflect actual cost Of County-related memberships that have not been charged to the County in the past. Mr. Lindstrom was concerned that the attorney who recently left the County Attorney's Office. Legal Services was not replaced. Mr. Bain agreed that this cut in personnel, combined with the increasing workload, might affect the efficiency with which County legal affairs were handled. Mr. Lindstrom said that Mr. St. John had said heiwas becoming a full-time County Attorney. Mr. Lindstrom said he feels the B6ard must decide whether hiring a full-time County Attorney would be in the best interests of the County. Finance, Melvin Breeden. Adm~nistratioh. Requested $1,395,258; Recom- mended $1,381,853. Mr. Jones said the proposed budget represents a 4.7 percent increase over the FY 87-88 budget with a three percent decrease in operations and a 6.3 percent increase in personnel costs. This reduction in operation can be attributed to capital items~Ithat will not be repeated next year. The significant increases and decreases are as follows: a $500 (50 percent) increase in legal services for the ~ost of warrants, judgments and filing fees related to tax collection; a $40q0 (19 percent) increase in printing and copy services due to increased qolume; an $800 (19 percent) increase in advertising costs due to rate inqrease; a $6'500 (33 percent) decrease in fees paid to outside agencies to ~sell County decals; an $11,250 (30 percent) increase in postal service costs~ due to increased mailings; a $1500 (75 percent) increase in books/subscriptions due to growth of the department; a $500 (45 percent) decrease in pool car usage based on actual costs; and a $21,115 (70 percent) decrease in capital expenditures. The County Executive recommends funding fat the requested level with the exception of a combined reduction of $13,395 ~in microfilm services and sup- plies, office equipment maintenance, telephon~ service, advertising, office supplies, books/subscriptions, subsistence, t~avel and travel-education/con- ferences. Mr. Way questioned whether the growth, in the Finance department warranted a 75 percent increase in books and subscription. Mr. Agnor said the Finance Department could furnish the Board with a list of the requested books and subscriptions. Mr. Bowie asked what the $5000 listed fo$ renovation of Accounting floor space would be used for. Mr. Jones said the money was for minor renovations in the Registrar's old office to provide room~in order to move the Accounting Division. i In reference to the requests of several ~epartments for new computers, Mr. Lindstrom asked whether the County owned {ts computers or leased them. He wondered if the County could get any money fo~ the computers as trade-ins. Mr. Agnor replied that if no other department needed the computers, the County traded them in on new ones. Mr. Lindstrom asRed what the total expenditure for additional computers was for the County. Mr. Agnor said he would find out, but that every request for additional computers and related equipment went through the Automation Needs Assessment Gommittee to insure that the need for the new equipment was valid. Mr. Lindstr~m asked if the committee deter- mined that need by using an established set oC criteria. Mr. Agnor replied "yes". Refunds. Requested $59,600; Recommended 1559,600. Mr. Jones said there was a 97.69 percent decrease in this category.i For many years, he explained, the land use deferral program and tax relief for the elderly and handicapped have been shown as a refund, rather than as an uncollected tax assessment. The budgeting of these programs inflated the expenditure side of the budget, and required that the real estate property tax revenues on the revenue side of 36March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting Adjourned from March 16, 1988) (Page 4) the budget be inflated a like amount. With the demise of the Federal Revenue Sharing program, and the ne~dffor this budgeting method no longer required, both of these programs will be removed from the expenditure and revenue side of the budget, and the costs of these two programs will be provided as a footnote in the budget each year. Information Services, Fred Kruger. Requested $626,317; Recommended $607,257. Mr. Jones said the overall budget increase of 17 percent reflects the addition of three full-time employees to handle an increasing backlog of computer projects and services. Personnel costs increase by 29.7 percent, while operating costs decrease $14,835 (8.9 percent). The following are significant increases and decreases in the proposed budget: an increase of $5000 (71 percent) in Professional Services to provide training for County personnel outside the department; an increase of $200 (33 percent) in Trav- el/Pool Car to reflect greater staff participation in meetings and visits with other centers; and, a decrease of $14,940 in lease/rent software, because IBM no longer charges for software support. The County Executive recommends funding at the requested level with the exception of a $200 reduction in pool car expenses. It i~s recommended that a new position known as the Support Team Supervisor begin i~n January 1989, rather than in July as requested. Board of Elections, Jim Heilman. Requested $105,4691; Recommended $103,569. Mr. Jones said the overall budget decrease of 8.9 percent reflects a 13.3 percent increase in personnel costs and a 43.5 percent decrease in operating costs. The large decrease in operations reflects the one-time '87-88 expenditure ($22,000) for the Super Tuesday Primary. Other significant increases and decreases include: an increase of $200 (10~ percent) in over- time to cover additional hours required by law; an increase of $3080 (28 percent) to increase the hourly wage and number of election officials; an increase of $150 (43 percent) in repair/maintenance of office equipment to reflect the actual maintenance costs on two tub files and i~,a CPT word processor and printer; an addition of $950 in printing and copy ser¢ices to print ballots and stationery; and a decrease of $250 (83 percent) in insurance- voting machines. The County Executive recommends a funding reduction aY $1900 in machin- ery/equipment replacement due to the purchase of one voti~.g machine in the current budget. Circuit Court, Jean Easton. Requested $44,632; Reco~ended $43,832. Mr. Jones said the overall budget increase of 0.4 percent refl!ects a five percent increase in personnel costs and a decrease of 17 percent i(~ operations. Other significant increases follow: an increase in repair/maintenance of $350 (233 percent) is due to added maintenance for the courtroom recbrder and 12 micro- phones; and the addition of lease/rent computer software o~ $3000, which reflects the projected leasing cost of case research software. The County Executive recommends a reduction of $800 i~ books/subscrip- tions and travel due to actual expenditure and level funding for travel. General District Court, Sterling Hudson. Requested $i3,020; Recommended $12,520. Mr. Jones said the FY 88-89 budget decreased by ~.7 percent with the following significant increases and decreases: a decrease!of $500 (20 per- cent) in professional health services (used for blood testing in suspected cases of driving under the influence of alcohol) and an in~rease in telephone service of $700 (18 percent) is based on increased usage a~d because the item was underbudgeted in FY 87-88 The County Executive reconm~,~ends an additional $500 reduction in professional health services. Magistrate, D. D. Hudson. Requested $3920; Recommended $3920. Mr. Jones said the total budget for the Magistrate's Office is $7840,! an increase of $1600 (24 percent) over FY 87-88. The increase is due to Che replacement of two 13-year old desks and two side chairs. The County Executive recommends March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting (Page 5) Adjourned from March 16, 1988) 37 funding at the requested level, which includes the County's share of the replacement furniture at $750. Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, Anm Comnors. Requested $31,160; Recommended $31,160. Mr. Jones said the proposed budget decrease of 3.7 percent in the County's contribution to the Juvenile Court reflects a decrease in the purchase of capital equipment. The County Executive recommends against funding a request for the pur- chase and installation of a new telephone system ($14,309). Next year, the City will conduct a study of communication needs and will include the Juvenile Court system in the study. Commonwealth's Attorney, LindsayDorrier, Jr. Requested $273,719; Recommended $270,619. Mr. Jones said the budget increase of 17.9 percent is primarily due to an additional attorney for a total of four full-time attor- neys. Other significant increases include: an increase of $100 (100 percent) in repair and maintenance costs for office equipment; an increase of $1000 (22 percent) in telephone service; an increase of $1000 (33 percent) in books and subscriptions; and increase of $200 (200 percent) in travel for the additional attorney; and, an increase of $550 (25 percent) in dues and memberships. The County Executive recommends a combined reduction of $3100 in tele- phone, office and copy supplies, books and subscriptions, travel, dues and memberships and furniture. Police Department, Frank Johnstone. Requested $2,462,037; Recommended $2,426,962. Mr. Jones said the proposed budget reflects an overall increase of 6.9 percent, the major increase (13.4 percent) being in personnel costs due to hiring three new officers. Other significant increases and decreases include: an increase of $4250 (567 percent).in contract services for informer information which was previously funded by a ifederal grant; a decrease of $1500 (14 percent) in telephone service due ~o an improved system; an increase of $215 (44 percent) in dues and memberships which reflects increased organ- izational costs; an increase of $1000 (33 percent) in staff development expenses which would provide training for th~ new officers and increased in-service training for all officers; an incmease of $2880 (400 percent) to replace old cameras and equipment used by evidence technicians and to replace batteries for portable radios; and, an increase of $18,100 (29 percent) for replacement vehicles, which reflects the cost, of replacing seven vehicles this year (six last year) as well as increased cos{ per vehicle. The County Executive recommended against funding $7500 in professional services to contract the Commission on Accreditation to evaluate the police department for accreditation and $19,000 to p~rchase a new voice/data record- ing system. A combined reduction of $6575 is~ also recommended in contract services for informers, postal, telephone, security supplies and travel. Mr. Bain said he had read the justification for the new voice/data system. He asked Mr. Johnstone just how important this system was and would the Chief elaborate on his need for it. Mr. ~ain said he believed the system would save money in the future. Chief JohnstOne agreed that the system would probably reduce secretarial costs and improve~the presentation of evidence in the courtroom. He has been promised that the asset money which has been frozen after drug arrests will be turned over'to participating localities in October, as part of the Drug Asset Sharing Program. He would like to use the County's share to purchase this system. Anlmnl Control. Request $81,417; Recommended $75,908. Mr. Jones said the 52 percent decrease in the overall budgetiis due to one-time costs in FY 87-88 for security supplies, a radio and a vehicle for the new officer, plus one replacement vehicle. Other significant i~creases and decreases include: an increase of $750 (50 percent) for insuranc~ on the third vehicle purchased last year; a decrease of $1200 (40 percent) iq vehicle power and equipment based on actual usage; a decrease of $765 (71:percent) in security supplies, due to one-time costs last year; and, an increase of $300 (20 percent) to 38March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting Adjourned from March 16, 1988) (Page 6) purchase one cage, "catch sticks" and other operating supplies. The County Executive recommended against funding the purchase, maintenance and operating costs of two cellular telephones ($5349). Mr. Bowie observed that dog licenses pay roughly a third of the costs of running the Animal Control operation. He asked if having a third officer would result in more dogs receiving licenses? Mr. Jones said "yes". Sheriff, Terry~awkins. Requested $461,755; Recommended $370,783. Mr. Jones said the FY 88-89 budget increases by $53,839 (16.9 percent) over the budget for FY 87-88. A 7.9 percent increase in personnel costs reflects a merit raise in January, 1988, plus the cost of living and merit increase anticipated in 88-89. An increase of $30,815 (118 percent) is reflected in the following line items: an increase of $1720 (344 percent) in security supplies to purchase eight new guns at $240 each and $300 for ammunition; an increase of $1800 (129 percent) to replace one-third of the deputies' uniforms and provide new leather accessories for all deputies; an increase of $9700 to replace one vehicle which has traveled 100,000 miles; an:addition of $1000 for a new category for laundering and dry-cleaning uniforms; land, $12,800 for a new mini-van to transport prisoners and mental patients, i The County Executive recommends funding current operations of the Sher- iff's department, plus the addition of one van. Not rec~_ommended for funding were the following requests: one additional deputy ($19,~60); ten new high band radio systems ($28,000); requests for sirens, bar l~hts and decals for the new vehicles ($1628); and, the request to replace al~!uniforms and leather accessories for deputies (one-third of the uniforms will be replaced each year for three years). Also not recommended were requested increases in vehicle operation, travel, office supplies and repair and maintenance. Sheriff Hawkins spoke out against some of the recommendations made by the County Executive. He said the vehicle costs were quoted ~rom a 1987 contract, the $9700 needed to replace a vehicle must be increased t~ $9988 for a mid-sized automobile. The van price is now $13,000. The cost of postal service is also increasing as postal rates rise and the mailing load increases. He also asked that the funds recommended for guns and ammunition be increased to cover the ammunition used for qualificatiQn tests (100 rounds to qualify each individual once a year). Sheriff Hawkinsialso requested that funds be allocated for sirens, bar lights and decals for ~he new mini-van. He said the van would transport prisoners and therefore should be marked appro- priately and it needs a cage installed. These improvements would cost between $400 - $500. Mr. Way agreed that it was necessary to install a cage in a mini-van if prisoners were to be carried in it. Mr. Jones said there:iwas $520 allotted for cages for both the replacement vehicle and the mini-v~n. Mr. Lindstrom said the problem is that staff's estimate of the cost of ~he cage differs from that of Sheriff Hawkins. Sheriff Hawkins said another problem with the money $1000 allotted for maintenance is too low. Two of his veh exhausted their maintenance allotments. He said that smal maintenance costs. Two of his mid-size vehicles will not without costing the County much more than $1000. or cars is that the icles have already ler cars have higher ~each 100,000 miles Mr. Lindstrom asked about the cost of postage and of~.ice supplies. Sheriff Hawkins explained that the Judge had increased the! jury panel list from 90 to 115, which increased their mailing list by 20 -~ 25 percent. Mr. Bowie asked whether all the deputies wanted new weapons. He feels they would rather carry what they're carrying now. Sheriff Hawkins replied that his deputies wanted weapons issued by the County. He:~wants the whole department equipped with the same type firearm. Mr. Hawkins said that the County is one of the few jurisdictions in the State where deputies are re- quired to furnish their own firearms. I Joint Dispatch, Michael Carroll. Requested $224,086; Recommended $224,086. Mr. Agnor said the Joint Dispatch Center created by Albemarle March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting - Adjourned from March 16, 1988) (Page 7) 39 County, the City of Charlottesville, and the University of Virginia in 1984, provides emergency communications for the region. The Center receives 911 calls in the area and serves as a central dispatch for the three local police departments. Mr. Agnor said the total budget reflects an overall increase of 25.5 percent over last year, and an increased County contribution of 28.6 percent (this assumes $25,000 from the Board's contingency fund added to the FY 87-88 appropriation). The major reason for the increase is the addition of seven new employees. By agreement, the Countywi$1 pay 60 percent of the costs attributable to rescue dispatch in addition~to the "formula rate" of 34.24 percent of the cost of the rest of the operation. The City will pay 40 percent of the cost of rescue dispatch and 51.05 percent of the rest. The University of Virginia pays for only 911 call taking and police dispatch at the rate of 14.7 percent of that amount. The County Executive recommends funding as requested. ~ Mr. Agnor also reported on the progress~of the advanced 911 system begun in the Fall of 1987. Mr. Carroll has devised a computerized database that will not necessitate the naming of every road and the numbering of every building in the County. It isbased on loc~tional methods similar to ones used by the Centel Telephone Company and virginia Power'. A request for funding this system may come before the Boa=d during the next fiscal year. Mr. Carroll elaborated upon the budget for the additional posi- tions. He said they could be broken down i~o two groups: one for additional police dispatch and another for additional =~scue squad dispatch. Over the three years that 911 has been in operation, there has been an increase of 46 percent in the number of calls for service. ~They answer over 100,000 calls to 911 each year. Mr. Way asked when the 911 service might begin taking rescue calls Mr arroll replied that it takes six months after the equipment is ordered to construct and install the equipment. He be~eves that the system could be in place and personnel trained by October, 1988~ City Fire Department, Julian Taliaferr9~ Requested $445,571; Recommended $445,571. The County provides funds for one'paid fire company which is supervised by the Charlottesville Fire Depart:ment. Mr. Jones said that under an agreement negotiated in May, 1986, with the City of Charlottesville, the County's fee rom services is an annual calcula- tion based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI)~ plus an additional charge of $25,000 per year for four years, beginning in FY 86-87. The FY 88-89 fee is based on: $402,461 x 104.5 (1987 CPI) + $25,1000 or $445,571. Volunteer Fire Departments, Sandy Tucke~. Requested $346,420; Recommend- ed $346,420. Mr. Jones said the amount allocated to each of the seven volun- teer fire departments represents an increase iof $932 in County funds (three percent) over last year. The increase of $1~50 (13 percent) in Fire Service Program funds represents projected revenues ~rom the State of $56,000. In the current year, the County is provi.ding a contribution to each of the seven fire companies in the amount of $3 Firefighter's Association (JCFA) makes reque fire companies, rather than each company mak the request from the JCFA was two-fold: to by three percent and to allocate some money 51~010. The Jefferson Country ~s to the County for each of the lng its own request. This year, ncrease the County's contribution for a needs study and recruitment training for the volunteer companies. The v,~lunteer companies of Earlysville, East Rivanna and Stony Point want paid firempD. In lieu of meeting that request, the JCFA has requested a study to investigate whether there is a need for paid firemen at these stations. In some 9f these areas, there is no deployment center during the day, when the volunteers move out of the area to work, there is no one left to cover that area~ This problem is not as severe in Crozet and Scottsville. ~ 4OMarch 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting Adjourned from March 16, 1988) (Page 8) Mr. Way asked who was to conduct this study. Mr. Jones replied that they were still looking over companies. He has not yet talked to anyone who does both recruitment and needs assessments, so the two concerns might have to be split. Rescue Squads. Requested $79,714; Recommended $58,470. Mr. Jones said rescue squads receive the same percentage increase (three percent) as the volunteer fire departments. This results in a $273 increase for Charlottes- ville/Albemarle and a $546 increase for Scottsville and Western Albemarle. Total State EMS revenues are projected to be $11,580 for FY 88-89, a four percent increase over the amount actually received last ~ear. The County Executive recommended against funding a request for $40,000 from Western Albemarle Rescue Squad, which was based on what the squad per- ceives as inequities in the funding allocations among the three rescue squads and between the rescue squads and the volunteer fire departments. Staff recommends that any changes in the present funding distribution be postponed until completion of the Fire/Rescue Needs Study. Mr. Mark Adams, the President of Western Albemarle Rescue Squad (WARS), addressed the Board. He said WARS is increasing its request from $18,000 to $40,000, an increase he feels is justified by the level o~f service provided. The area that WARS covers is roughly two times the area c~vered by the Scottsville Rescue Squad. Last year, WARS responded to 1~27 calls; Scottsville 760. More importantly, WARS provides a highe~ level of care by providing cardiac technicians and paramedic level care. The County provided '30 percent of Scottsville's budget, but only 17 percent of WARS's budget. He pointed to a map of the County and said that the area represented by one rescue squad, WARS, was covered by three volunteer fire companies. The County is spending over $60,000 in emergency fire coverage and oi{ly $18,000 for the emergency rescue squad that covers the same area. He believes that the request for $40,000 from the County is needed to bring the Western Albemarle Rescue Squad into line with the funding provided for other~ emergency services. This need is too urgent to wait for the results of the Fi~e/Rescue Needs Study. He said WARS needed to replace some cardiac telemetry equipment and to repair an old VEPCO truck that was donated to the squad. Mr. Lindstrom asked how long the study would take. ~r~ Jones said he could not give a definite answer since staff had not decided who was to conduct the study yet, but he thought it could be done in,six months. Mr. Perkins said it was clear to him from Mr. Adams si presentation that the Western Albemarle Rescue Squad needs more funding. Mr'.. Way agreed that there appeared to be an inequity, but there should be some program before the Board starts changing allocations. He would like to wait ~for the results of the study. Forest Fire Extinction. Requested $13,595; ~ Recom~en~d $13,595. Mr. 3ones said that, based on Section 10-46 of the State Code,.! the County must reimburse the State for forest fire prevention, detection !and suppression provided by the State Forester. The yearly amount is computed on the basis of five cents per acre of privately owned forests in the County. The budget is based on 271,888 acres at $0.5 per acre, or $13,595. Joint Security Complex (Regional Jail), Mike McMahan.I Requested $49,482; Recommended $49,482. Mr. Jones said the Albemarle-Charlottesville Joint Security Complex provides jail services to Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville on a contractual basis. On a space-available basis, the Complex houses prisoners from Greene, Madison and Fluvanna counties, as well as federal prisoners. The main function of the jail is to provide pre-trial!and short-term detention as ordered'by the Courts of the localities serve~. This requires round-the-clock supervision, food service, and medical service as well as upkeep of the building and utility services. Most of the 9perating costs are reimbursed either by the State Department of Corrections or the State Compen- sation Board. The costs that are not reimbursed are divided between the City March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting - Adjourned from March 16, 1988) (Page 9) and County, using a ratio determined by each jurisdiction's actual use of the jail in the prior fiscal year. Mr. Jones said the total FY 88-89 operating budget for the Complex is $1,941,259, which includes eight new positions. Five of the positions depend on 100 percent reimbursment from the State Compensation Board; three positions depend on two-thirds funding from the Department of Corrections and one-third local funding. Based on the County's usage, which declined eight percent in FY 86-87, the County's contribution decreases to $49,482 (29 percent) and the City's share increases to $121,446 (71 percent). The total local share of the operating expenses increases by 6.37 percent from $162,354 to $170,028. Mr. McMahan addressed the Board and said that only three of the requested positions were approved by the State Appropriations Act, so the chances are fairly slim that all three or even one of thOse positions will be funded. He may approach the Jail Board and propose that the local funds be consolidated into one position for the upcoming year. This budget was based on a two and one-half percent increase in state funding and three percent was actually funded. He does not believe that this will make any difference in his funding request. Inspections, Jesse Hurt. Requested $546,584; Recommended $541,189. Mr. Tucker said the total inspections budget reflects an increase of 7.6 percent. Significant increases and decreases include: an increase of $1500 (38 per- cent) in office supplies due to increased stiff and item being underbudgeted last year; an increase of $800 (44 percent) in copy supplies due to an increased number of forms and handout material; an increase of $1400 (127 percent) in other operating costs for the increased Fire Prevention Program; an increase of $600 (17 percent) in fuel and~lubricants due to additional vehicle and item being underbudgeted last year; an increase of $1675 to replace six desk chairs and one storage cabinet; an increase of $7137 to replace nine worn-out radios; and, a decrease of $7500 (47 percent) since only one vehicle is being replaced this year. The County Executive recommended to increase the Inspections operational budget 16 percent, since several operating expenses were underbudgeted last year. Funding is not recommended for the purchase of new and replacement audio visual equipment for the Fire Prevention Program ($1640), nor for two replacement desks ($700). The request to purchase a new microcomputer ($3200) was revised to the purchase of a CRT ($700) to be connected to the mainframe computer. Mr. Lindstrom asked what effect the change in fees had upon the budget for the Inspections Department. Mr. Tucker replied that this is the first year in a long time that the funding requeste~ by the Department has not been fully funded by the fees. He believes that some of the fees should be reviewed. Mr. Lindstrom asked when the new fee schedule was implemented. Mr. Tucker said three years ago. Mr. Perkins asked if the eight inspectorp were full or part-time. Mr. Hurt replied that they were all full-time employees. Mr. Bain asked if this staff could handle the workload. Mr. Hurt re~lied that they were stretching their limit. Sometimes each employee handles!20 inspections a day. Mr. Bain asked how long the Inspections Department had~operated with this number of inspectors. Mr. Agnor replied that it had probably been four or five years. He said that the department had hired inspectors to handle the flurry of building activity that began about that time.~ Since then, the number of building permits has dropped to what it had b~en two years earlier. Mr. Bain said that although the number of permits may have decreased, more of those permits are commercial rather than residential, which means more work for the inspectors. He feels that the increased comm&rcial building may eventually necessitate hiring more inspectors and the Board should be ready for this step. i Juvenile Detention Home. Requested $20,q60; Recommended $20,060. Mr. Agnor said the projected FY 88-89 budget cost!is based on the County's usage of the facility. This request represents an increase of $3756 (23 percent) over FY 87-88. 42March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting - Adjourned from March 16, 1988) (Page 10) Emergency Medical Co.,,,,~nication. Requested $340; Recommended $340. Mr. Agnor said the contribution of $340 represents the County's share of the rent for the radio tower on Brown's Mountain. The tower provides radio communica- tion for regional fire and rescue squads. SPCA Contract. Requested $6000; Recommended $6000. Mr. Agnor said the County is billed each year by the SPCA for the actual cost of boarding stray animals. In 86-87, 420 animals were taken to the SPCA by the County Animal Control Officers and county citizens. The FY 88-89 contribution to the SPCA is based on the previous costs, for which the County is billed quarterly. Clerk of Circuit Court, Shelby Marshall. Requested $370,948; $369,488. Mr. Jones said the following significant increases and decreases affected the FY 88-89 budget: an increase of $2904 (12 percent) in indexing services to reflect the projected increase in deeds, judgments and financing statements next year; an increase in maintenance contracts/office equipment of $2000 (31 percent) reflects additional copy machine and two microcomputers; and a decrease in record books of $550 (20 percent) to reflect the replacement of books in FY 87-88. Also requested are funds for three microcomputer stands for the replacement computers and printers for the new f~nancial system ($2000). The County Executive recommends funding at the requested level with the exception of a combined reduction of $1460 in postal, office supplies, micro- film services, record books and travel. Mr. Lindstrom asked that the Circuit Clerk put the real property assess- ment computer printouts into some sort of binders in orde~ to facilitate their use. Agenda Item No. 4a. Executive Session. At 5:18 P.M~, motion was offered by Mr. Bowie and seconded by Mr. Bain to move to executiw session to discuss personnel matters. There was no further discussion. Roll was called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Messrs. Bain, Bowie, Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None. ABSENT: Mrs. Cooke. Agenda Item No. 5. Recess for Supper and Reconvene {n the Auditorium at 7:30 P.M. The Board reconvened at 7:35 P.M. in the Auditorium of the County Office Building. Mrs. Patricia H. Cooke joined the meeting; also present was Mr. John T. P. Home, Director of Planning. Agenda Item No. 6. SP-87-103. Christ Community Church. To allow for a church to be located on property zoned RA, Rural Areas. ~roperty located within Roslyn Ridge Subdivision on the east side of Rosly~ Ridge Road and the west side of Route 743 near the Rock Store. Tax Map 45, ~arcel 21. Jack Jouett District. (Advertised March 8 and March 15, 1988,~in the Daily Progress.) I Mr. Way said he believed there was a request to defe~ this matter. Mr. Horne said the applicant has requested an indefinite deferral. Mr. Lindstrom said the deferral should be dated, so anyone who was interested in the permit would know which Board meeting to attend. Mr. Home said he believed it was matter of discussion between the owner of the property, the church and adjoin- ing property owners. He suggested that the Board defer th~ request for at least 30 days; the applicant may need even more time. March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting (Page 11) Adjourned from March 16, 1988) 43 Mr. Lindstrom moved that the request be deferred until April 20, 1988. Mrs. Cooke seconded the motion. There was no further discussion. Roll was called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Mr. Bain, Mr. Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None. Agenda Item No. 7. SP-87-109. Albemarle County Fair, Inc. Allow for county fair. Located on approximately 50 acres, zoned RA, Rural Areas, within agricultural/forestal district, north side of Route 692 west of intersection with Route 29 South. Tax Map 87, Parcel 3. Samuel Miller District. (Adver- tised March 8 and March 15, 1988 in the Daily Progress.) Mr. Horne said he had some additional information on off-site traffic, one of the issues which had engendered much discussion when this request was first presented. He presented a memorandum from Chief Frank W. Johnstone which detailed the Police Department's plan to control traffic as it moved toward the fair site on both Routes 692 and 29 South. Mr. Horne summarized the following majo~ areas of concern: access directly to Route 692, installation of a turn lane, the time limit to be attached to the special permit and the suitability of some of the soils on the site to support this kind of event. In response to the last concern, Mr. Horne said he met with Mr. Gordon Yager, the?District Conservationist. There are portions of the site, centered around two streams, that are made up of soils that drain poorly, particularly in rainy weather. According to Mr. Yager, it would be very difficult to move heavy equipment around on this soil during a wet season. Soil on the eastern portion of the site, however, is suitable for the intended use. There is als9 a small tongue of suitable soil beginning between these two streams and extending toward the rear of the site. Fair officials originally intended to set upl]amusement rides and tents between the two streams. Mr. Horne said it is important to decide whether there is enough room on suitable soils to provide for fall that the Fair wishes to offer. No site plan has been submitted, nor ~a detailed design. He stressed that these soils become unsuitable only when~it rains - as long as the weather stays dry, the soil is strong enough to support heavy vehicles. Mr. Lindstrom asked how much of the acreage was suitable for the intended purpose. Mr. Home replied that topography ~liminated much of the western portion of the site and said no more than on~-half of the fifty acres was suitable. Mr. Lindstrom asked how many acres' the previous Fair site con- tained. Mr. Home said about eleven or twelve acres. Mr. Way asked Chief Johnstone to go over his memorandum With the Board. Chief Johnstone said it was possible to get traffic in there safely, but some precautions have to be taken. A stationary marked police vehicle will be placed at the intersection of Routes 767 and 697, south of the site, to take care of Northbound traffic. To handle the Southbound traffic, two officers will be placed at the intersection. Traffic .will be stopped on 29 North and South only if a significant line of traffic builds up on Route 692. One officer will work the area on 29 South. Since the shoulder is so wide yards before the left-turn lane, signs could direct Fair-bound traffic onto the shoulder and then into the turn-lane. At le~t three, maybe four, officers would be assigned to handle the fair traffic.~; Chief Johnstone said he had been asked whether it would be necessary to have a uniformed officer stationed on Route 692 to direct people into the Fair i~self. He did not think it was necessary. Mr. Bowie asked if the officers assignedi!to the Fair would be working overtime or would they be diverted from regular patrol duties. Mr. Johnstone said it could be handled just by rescheduling~ since he just had some people finish field training. Mr. Lindstrom asked if the Virginia Department of Transportation would let the police stop traffic on Route 29. Mr. Johnstone said "yes". Mr. Roosevelt confirmed that the police could stop traffic if they wanted to. Mr. Way asked Mr. Roosevelt why traffic could be stopped on Route 29 but not on Route 20, when Scottsville has its parade. Mr. Roosevelt replied that the z~March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting Adjourned from March 16, 1988) (Page 12) police did not want to stop traffic on Route 20 because doing so would be unsafe. Mr. Bowie asked if anyone had considered what might happen to a two-ton ferris wheel sitting on unsuitable soil after two days of rain. Mr. Horne said that is the most serious problem. Mr. Way then opened the session to public comment. First to speak was Mr. Jim Crosby, the Organizing Chairman of the Albemarle County Fair. He said that the Fair organizers had done their work. They have given every aspect of the site the consideration it deserves: the soil, the traffic, and even the stabilization of the ferris wheel. They did one-foot elevations for the site plan for the staff. No one ever has been injured at the Albemarle County Fair. He mentioned that he had some experi- ence with highway policy. Before he moved to Virginia, he worked for the Highway Department in Delaware and sat on the committee that wrote the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices. He said that the Fair is not going to be in anyone's back yard: the midway is at least 30,000 feet from anyone's bedroom. He and other Fair organizers have searched the entire County for a suitable spot for a Fair. The most appropriate site in the County for the Fair was ;bought by the County for a softball park. He thought that the Fair would be ~eld on this site; a year later, he was told that there would be no room. Then he thought there would be space for a fair in the Southern Regional Park. ::;He is still hoping, but the Fair has to survive in the meantime. Mr. Crosby ~hen asked everyone in the room who supported this application to stand up. Mr. Crosby went on to deny any similarity between th~ Albemarle County Fair and the Foxfield races. Unlike the races, the Fair is held on a lightly traveled road, with an average daily traffic count of 1000 vehicles a day at what would be the entrance of the Fair, peaking at 8:00 A'.M. and 5:00 P~M. During what would be the Fair's peak hours, Friday evening, one of the Fair organizers counted two dozen cars passing through the intersection. Foxfield drew 12,000 people last year during a five-hour period off'time. The Fair dre~ 16,000 people last year over a period of five days. Neither does the Fair have the problem with public drunkeness which plagues Fox~ield. Mr. Richard Carter, the attorney representing some oK the local landown- ers, said he feels these landowners have some genuine con~erns about having the fair at its intended location. Firstly, this land is~zoned residential. Secondly, this property is within an agricultural-foresta~ district. The Fair is a commercial venture and one that does not belong in sffch a district. Thirdly, regarding the vehicle trips, on March 18, 1988, Ne counted the traffic between 5:00 P.M. and 6:15 P.M., and 1157 cars pas:sed through that intersection. Between 9:00 P.M. and 10:15 P.M. that same ihight, 415 cars passed through that intersection. He asked if the County ~anted 10,775 more cars on this road during a Labor Day weekend. He said th~s is a dangerous intersection and must be protected. He asks that the BoaKd treat this appli- cant just as any other applicant would be treated. The VDOT terms the exist- ing taper lane onto Route 692 "inadequate". The staff re~0rt states that "existing turn lanes do not meet VDoT standards". He said~ the procedure for applicants facing this Board is that they must pay for t ~.ihighways to be brought up to standard. The VDot also says that the sigh~idistance to the east is no more than 550 feet and with the volume of trafEic using the site, the Department recommends that the entrance be further to ithe west where the visibility is much better. The Department recommends a rilght turn and taper lane on 692 to serve this entrance due to the volume of t~ffic. Mr. Carter feels that an approval for this petition should carry the iSame conditions for this applicant as for any other applicant facing the Board:I The staff report goes on to say that many people attending the Fair will belunfamiliar with th~ area, so there should be as many accesses and exits as possible. He agrees. Mr. Carter then noted that the Planning Commission had approved a special use permit for the period of one year only. He would like~.the Board, if it is inclined to vote for this request, to follow the recommendation of the Plan- ning Commission and limit approval to one year. March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting -Adjourned from March 16, 1988) (Page 13) 45 Mr. Ron Harvey, representing the Cove Garden Ruritan Club, then rose to speak. He read a resolution (on file in the Clerk's office) supporting the site off Route 692 as a temporary site for the Albemarle County Fair and praising the Fair as an asset to the community. A woman representing the North Garden Home Extension Club rose to speak. Her club supports the request of the Albemarle County Fair and expressed their support to the Board of Supervisors in a letter dated March 8, 1988 (on file in the Clerk's office). She stressed that the money the Fair collects for charity reduces the amount of taxes County residents pay. Mr. Hemp Caruth, Secretary of the Batesville Ruritan club, read a resolu- tion (on file in the Clerk's office) supporting the applicant's request. Mr. Walt Sullivan, an adjacent property owner, has lived next to this site for 75 years. He said that the site under consideration was an extremely wet place which was difficult to farm. The main soil between the two creeks is Wedhadkee. The soil survey of the County limits this soil for building sites, sanitary facilities and recreational development. If this soil is used for camp areas, the result is severe flooding and wetness. If anything is built on this soil, severe flooding and wetness also results. He said he has never seen anyone try to build anything on this type of land. He believes the criteria for the Fair should be a site with well-drained soil, a few miles from a primary road and a site that is intended to be a permanent one. He does not think this site meets any of those criteria. With no one else rising to speak, Mr. W~y then closed the public hearing. Mr. Lindstrom says that he is now satisfied on the question of whether the Highway Department will allow Route 29 tO be closed. He still has serious reservations about approving this request for five years. He has heard from people connected with the Fair who are not happy with the site. He is still concerned about the traffic control. He is ~illing to approve the request with proper conditions concerning traffic control, without tying all the conditions to the request that he would want iif the site were to be a perma- nent one. He still believes that there shouid be a one-year trial period. There are too many problems, he believes, to ~go with a five-year approval. Mr. Bowie said his reasons for voting a~ainst the request last time were two-fold. The first reason is traffic safety. He is grateful for the infor- mation the Board has received tonight. His Second concern is with the possi- bility of flooding. Part of the land is justl not usable when it rains and it has rained during the Fair every year he hasi.~ttended it. He does not want the Fair organizers to consider the Board's ~ction on this request a "slap in the face". He says the Board has a responsib~ility to the 16,000 people who will be driving on Route 29 during the week. He cannot support this petition for five years without restrictions. In light of the Police Chief's report, he can support this request for one year. Mrs. Cooke said she thought the Fair was one of the best things to have happened in this community in a long time and she has supported it wholeheart- edly. She raised the questions she had in an' effort to help the Fair. Her main concern last time was with the soil and its ability to support the activity of the Fair. She asked Mr. Crosby hbw he responded to Mr. Sutherland's analysis of the soil. He replied that the Crozet Park provided 21 available acres, only twelve of which were usable. This site has 50 acres, plenty of room for the Fair to stay out of the wet spots. He estimates that the Fair will use only half the acreage available on this site. Mr. Perkins asked if they needed level areas to set up the rides. Mr. Crosby replied "yes". Mr. Perkins asked if he thought there were enough level ground in soils other than the Wehadkee on which to place the r~des. Mr. Crosby said "no", and that they intended to use the front acreage, which was the most level part of the site, for the midway. He said the Fair organizers intend to stabilize this area. Only one stream must be crossed; nothing will be on the west side of the westernmost stream~ When it rains, he said, no one comes to the Fair, so handling crowds will be~ino problem when it's wet. Mr. Bain said his concern was the traffiC. He feels these concerns have been addressed, and in much greater detail than at the last meeting. He 46March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting Adjourned from March 16, 1988) (Page 14) believes there may still be some safety problems. He agrees that this request should be approved on a one year basis. Mr. Way agreed with Mr. Bain that while the basic issues have been addressed, the Board should take another look at the Fair after a year's operation. He believes that the problems can be solved during that year. Mr. Lindstrom offered motion to approve SP-87-109 subject to the three conditions of the Planning Commission, plus a fourth condition stating "Traf- fic management shall be as approved by the Albemarle County police Department, Virginia Department of Transportation and Albemarle County Planning Depart- ment, with the final responsibility being that of the Police Department." Mr. John T. P. Horne suggested that, since VDot and the Health Department will be solicited for comment during the site plan review, Condition #3 be amended to read: "The applicant shall submit a preliminary plan in accordance with Section 32.4.2 of the Zoning Ordinance for Planning Commission review no later than June 1, 1988." Mr. Lindstrom agreed to amend his motion. Mr. Bain ~econded the motion. There was no further discussion. Roll was called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: ~ AYES: Messrs. Bain and Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindst~om, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None. (Note: The conditions for approval are: This special use permit is issued for a period 6f one year beginning in 1988 and ending in 1989. Such events shall be limited to six consecutive days excluding Sunday. Hours of operation shall be limited to 4:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M., Monday throdgh Friday and 9:00 A.M~ to 11:00 P.M. on Saturday with no operation on Sunday ("Opera- tion'' shall mean the period of time during which the fair is open to the public and shall not include set up, dismantling and restoration activities). This permit is issued for the conduct of the Albemarle County Fair by the Albemarle County Fair, Inc., iand shall not be used for any other event requiring special use ~ermit pursuant to Section 10.2.2.42 and 5.1.27 of the Zoning Ordinance; The applicant shall notify the Albemarle County~olice Department, Virginia Department of Health, and servicing fir'e and rescue squads 60 days prior to each event and shall make adequate arrangements for the conduct of the event with each of these age~cies; The applicant shall submit a preliminary plan i~accordance with Section 32.4.2 of the Zoning Ordinance for Plan~ing Commission review no later than June 1, 1988; Traffic management shall be as approved by the Albemarle County Police Department, Virginia Department of Transportation and Albemarle County Planning Department, with the ~knal responsibility being that of the Police Department. The Board recessed at 9:03 A.M. and reconvened at 9:11 A.M. Messrs. Bowie and Perkins were absent. Agenda Item No. 8. Budget Overview - County Executive. Mr. Agnor repeated for the public the budget summary he had presented to the Board earlier. He noted that the subject of a meals tax was broOght before the Board for information only. It will not be a major factori in balancing this budget. To date, the necessary legislation has not even b~en signed by the Governor. Even if such a tax were adopted by the County, it would generate nc more than $450,000 in the first year. This would have lit{le impact on the $3.8 million shortfall in the proposed 1988-89 County budget. (Mr. Perkins returned at 9:13 P.M.; Mr. Bowie at 9:14 P.M.) March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting - Adjourned from March 16, 1988) (Page 15) 47 Agenda Item No. 9. Public Comments 1988-89 County Budget. Mr. Way then opened the public hearing. First to speak was Miss Amanda Mercer who asked that the Board increase the funding fo~ schools to provide for the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program and resource classes. Mr. Jessie Mercer then spoke and asked that the Board increase the funding for schools to provide for more computers. The ratio of five students to one computer keeps students from being able to spend the time they need to become proficient on computers. Mr. Kent Sinclair of the Rivanna district then spoke. He supports funding in full the budget the School Board submitted, both as an individual and on behalf of the Special Education Advisory Committee. As Chairman of the Special Education Advisory Committee, he has closely followed the evolution of the School Board's budget. Everyone connected with this budget believed that they had cut this budget down to the bare mimimum for this school system to stagger along at its present level. There is no "fluff" in this budget, no expansion in services for the students, no improvement in the teacher-student ratios, despite increasing enrollments and s~ate mandates. Mr. Sinclair asked the Board what exactly the staff had suggested be cut from the proposed School budget. He said the document was not clear about this, only that $2,220,362 would not be fund&d. He said in every category of the County's budget, the document was very specific about what would be funded and what wouldn't be. He says there is no w4y for a citizen to know what, of the $5 million increase requested by the schools, is in the $3 million that the County will fund and what is in the $2 m~llion that the County will not fund. He would like to know exactly, down t~ the dollar, what will not be funded and he would like to know in time to 6e able to provide the Board with input on the items under question. Mr. Way replied that one reason that th~ staff did not specifically recommend what should be funded and what should not be in the schools budget was that staff did not have that authority, iHe said that the Board received today a staff report listing possible areas ~or reduction. That document will made available to concerned citizens such assr. Sinclair. Mr. Bob Cook, President of the Woodbrook Parent Teachers Organization and a member of the Albemarle Alliance for Quali~y Education, spoke. He said a recent survey conducted by the Woodbrook PTO shows that parents in the County are quite concerned about overcrowding in County schools. According to County figures, Woodbrook has almost ail the students the school can hold. He said the Board recently approved a 700-unit housing project on Rio Road. These people must go to school somewhere. Mr. Jerry Donowitz, a member of the MeriWether Lewis Parents Teachers Organization, spoke. He also is concerned about the $2.2 million which may be cut from the schools budget. He is worried that there was such a quick review of a budget that took a long time to develop. He would like to know what the County Executive thinks should be cut. Mr. Agnor responded that this was not in, his power: the School Board would decide where the cuts would fall. Mr. ~ay said he had no problem with Mr. Agnor making public his recommendations, ~s long as everyone understood that they were suggestions only. -~ Mr. Agnor went on to describe the list referred to by Mr. Way. Items recommended for reduction include: fuel and lubricants, telephone service, copying supplies, pool car expenses, conference expenses, dues and member- ships, heating service, maintenance supplies, contracted building services, and electricity. Reductions in these areas amount to $1.7 million. The remaining one million dollars will come from ~rograms, perhaps salaries and perhaps local initiatives. Mr. Donowitz asked Mr. Agnor if he knew What had already been cut from the school budget. Mr. Agnor said he was kept abreast of this budget, even in its early stages. Mr. Donowitz said the items which never made it to the budget presented to the Board are important, too. He reminded the Board that improving the education system of the County Was a campaign goal of Board members who had recently run for re-election.: He said that the newspapers 48March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting - Adjourned from March 16, 1988) (Page 16) give citizens the impression that the Board distrusts the ability of the School Board to make a budget. Notwithstanding the fact that it took three months or longer to develop this budget, in less than a Week one million dollars can be deleted from an already tight budget. That bothers him. He worries that the Board is more concerned about making cuts than providing a good system of education in the County. If the Board is ~.truly interested in quality education, then what has been cut should worry Board members. The number of buses and drivers has been reduced, even though many children must spend over an hour on a school bus every morning and afternoon. There is talk that there will be no increases to teachers' salaries this year; inflation will be allowed to nibble away at the gains CoUnty teachers made laSt year in approaching the salaries of teachers in surrounding counties. If the Board is truly interested in providing quality education in the County, then each member should examine what has been deleted from the budget. Mr. Lindstrom addressed Mr. Donowitz's concern that the recommended cuts were made too quickly, which he said also bothered the Board, but in a differ- ent way. He said it worries him that the staff received from. the School Board a budget that had been worked on so hard, yet still contained easily discov- ered excesses. Ms. Peggy Scott, of Southside and a Parent Advisory ~epresentative, spoke. She is concerned that the Chapter I and II programs might be cut by $2.5 million. Money taken away from this program depriveg those children who are already deprived enough as it is. '.i Ms. Kathy Horner, a Vice-President of the Murary - M~riwether Lewis Parent Teachers Organization, spoke. She understood that the State Standards of Quality, which will eventually be mandated, accounts f~r approximately $2.5 million over the money budgeted for FY 88-89. Without thQse requirements, the already trim budget is $1.5 million over. She also belie~esi~,, that $1.7 million could be allocated for additional County funds. She is cgncerned that the school budget as presented to the Board is already a "skeleton" budget and one that should not be reduced any further. Year after year ~ounty schools have sacrificed needed improvements just to make ends meet. It is time that the COunty strives for the "state-of-the-art" in education, n~t just the bare essentials. '? .~. Ms. Lynley Gough, President of the Albemarle EducatiOn Association, spoke. She feels the school budget presented to the Boar~ maintains the status quo, rather than advances toward the level of excellence desired by County residents. The increases in the School Board's request stems from the increased enrollment brOught about by the growth of the C~Unty. Other in- creases are caused by state and federal mandates for whic~ there is not enough funding. If education is indeed a priority in the County~ then local funding must make up the difference. ~' Mr. Edward Strauss, resident of Western Albemarle, asked if 67.9 cents per dollar is a normal figure for a school budget for a CoUnty this size. Mr. Agnor replied that it was about average. Mr. Strauss would, like to know how much money you have to throw at something before it becom~ a quality product. He complained that there was not a cross-section of the CoUnty here at the meeting; instead, only the interests of one group were being represented. Mr. George John, President of the Brownsville PTA, sp~ke next. He would not mind having his taxes raised to provide a good educati6n for his children. Ms. Susan Brownlee, Chairman of the Albemarle County Committee, spoke. For too long, she said, the County has the State minimums. She would like to see excellence the Albemarle County, She also feels that the Board should lo budget before it was cut by the School Board and see just those items cut were. Ms. Linda Baggus spoke next. She is concerned about the shortage of programs for gifted students in the County. She said that!i~if the County improved its system of education, more people would move in and the increased tax base could then fund even more improvements in educati6n. Education Advisory ~et its standards at ;oal of education in ~k at the school ~ow vital some of March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting - Adjourned from March 16 1988) 49 (Page 17) ' Mr. Ken Holler, President of the Broadus Wood PTO, spoke. In three major cuts before the budget was presented to the Board, he said, the schools have lost $1.3 million, $2 million, and in the last cut, just under a million dollars. He suggested that if the Board is determined to keep a $66.9 million level in the budget, perhaps the Board should inspect that part of the budget dealing with general government. The administrative overhead for ~education is $831,000, which is 1.8 percent of the education budget, while the general management overhead for the rest of the budget is $3.1 million, which is 4.6 percent of the whole budget. In other words, he said, the County spends~-j~ $831,000 to administer two-thirds of the budget and $3.1 million to administer the other one-third. Mr. Bob Branagan spoke. He works for the school system in Louisa County, where schools provide guidance counselors and gifted and talented programs at all levels of the education system, even though Louisa is a much poorer county than Albemarle. He would like to see Albemarle accomplish what Louisa has. Ms. Deborah Abelman, Vice-President of fihe Albemarle Education Associa- tion, spoke next. She said her group appreciates the Board's commitment to the career incentive plan. She said that she is ashamed that a county with the resources Albemarle has would spend so little on education. Mr. Donald L. Lane, President of the Vocational Education Advisory Committee for Albemarle Schools, spoke. He said that after inspecting the equipment, staff, teachers, facilities and students of the County's schools, he recommends that the school budget be funded in full. In certain areas, he said, County schools have suffered from several years of benign neglect. The County should not forget the "forgotten half!~, that one-half of the student body that does not go on to college. ~ Mr. George Dellagan, a parent with children in Broadus Wood and Jack Jouett schools, spoke. He is also concerned iabout the speed with which the budget was cut by the staff. As a taxpayer, Ne is willing to "reach a little deeper into his pocket" to pay for quality education for his children. Mr. Lee Early, a member of the Broadus Mood PTO, spoke. He is in favor of quality education, an asset to the County ~hich would bring more investment to the County, more businesses, employers anH professionals and more tax revenues. A quality school system also tends to lower the crime rate. Since the State funding for education remains stable while enrollments increase, the County must make up the difference. He suggested that the County investigate assessing developers for each additional 500 ~or 1000 students their develop- ments add to the school base. Other areas o4 the country have used this approach. Ms. Martha Wood, a teacher in the Scotts~ille District, spoke. Both the School Board and the Board made a substantiali commitment to the career ladder program last year. The County must remain competitive. Teacher's salaries in several nearby counties are already higher th~n those in Albemarle. She believes that the School Board would have liked to have recommended a higher base salary for teachers. The two and one-half percent increase on the base salary does not meet the increase in the cost of living in this area. If the base salary does not remain competitive, the career ladder plan will not attract good teachers to Albemarle. She also said the benefits have eroded in the past few years. Health program premiums have gone up every year. Every individual employee will be paying part of their premiums next year. Mr. Tom Mason, a member of the Hollymead PTO, spoke. He fears that the demands of the budget-making and cutting process take the teacher away from the more important job of teaching the children. With no one else rising to speak, the public hearing was closed. Agenda Item No. 10a. was made. Agenda Item No. 10b. ment was made. Appointment: Appointment: Equalization Board. No appointment Social Services Board. No appoint- 50March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting Adjourned from March 16, 1988) (Page 18) Agenda Item No. 11. Approval of Minutes: April 15 (N) and October 14, 1987. Mr. Bowie had read the minutes for October 14, 1987, pages one through eight and, except for a few typographical errors, found them to be in order. Motion was offered by Mr. Lindstrom and seconded by Mr. Bowie to approve the minutes for October 14, 1987. There was no further discussion. Roll was called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Mr. Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindstrom and Way. NAYS: None. ABSTAINING: Messrs. Bain and Perkins. Agenda Item No. 12. Consent Agenda. Motion was offered by Mr. Lindstrom and seconded by Mr. Bain to approve 12.1 and accept the remaining items as information. There was no further discussion. Roll was called and the carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Messrs. Bain and Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None. Item 12.1. Request from Mr. Dale Abrahamse, developer of Willow Lake Subdivision, to take Willow Lake Drive and Maple View Drive in Willow Lake Subdivision into the State Secondary System of Highways..:iThe following resolution was adopted by the vote shown above: BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Supervisors of A~bemarle, County, Virginia that the Virginia Department of Highways ahdTransportation be and is hereby requested to accept into the Secondary System of Highways, subject to final inspection and approval b~ the Resident Highway Department, the following roads in Phase I i~ Willow Lake Subdivis ion: Willow Lake Drive Beginning at Station 10+00, a point com~non to the centerline of Willow Lake Drive and the edge of pavement of State Route 20, thence in a westerly direction 1,414 feet to Station 24+14, the end of this dedication. Maple View Drive Beginning at Station 10+17, a point common to the centerline of Maple View Drive and the edge of pavement of Willow Lake Drive, thence in a northeasterly direction, 1,555 feet to Station 25+72, the end of the cul-de-sac. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation be and is hereby guaranteed a 50 foot unobstructed March 23, 1988 (Afternoon Meeting - Adjourned from March 16, 1988) 53_ (Page 19) right of way and drainage easements along these requested additions as recorded by plats in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Albemarle County in Deed Book 875, page 57. Item 12.2. Memorandum dated March 3, 1988, from Mrs. Judy S. Gough, Administrative Assistant, Department of Finance, re: Refunds on business and professional licenses, real estate and personal property taxes from Novem- ber 1, 1987 to February 29, 1988; received as information. Item 12.3. Copy of "Employment and Wages in Virginia," Calendar Year 1986 and Industry and Area Summaries for First Quarter 1987 (on file in Clerk's office); received as information. Item 12.4. Superintendent's Memo. No. 65, (State Department of Educa- tion) dated March 16, 1988, re: Aid to Localities Appropriation 1988-89; received as information. Item 12.5. Superintendent's Memo. No. 66, (State Department of Educa- tion) dated March 16, 1988, re: Aid to Localities Appropriation 1989-90; received as information. Agenda Item No. 13. Other Matters not Listed on the Agenda from the Board or Public. ~ Mr. Agnor said that the meeting for April 20, 1988, the date to which the Board had moved the request of Christ Community Church, already had nine planning items on the agenda. He recommended deferring this item until May 4, 1988. Motion was offered by Mr. Bain to accep~ the recommendation of the County Executive. Mr. Lindstrom seconded the motion. There was no further discus- sion. Roll was called and the motion carried by the following recorded vote: AYES: Messrs. Bain and Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None. Mr. Bowie said that the last work sessi6n on the budget was scheduled for April 1, 1988, which is also Good Friday. He asked that the meeting be rescheduled for March 31, 1988, if it becomes! necessary to have that extra session. Mr. Way said that every April 13th, a member of the Board lays a wreath on Jefferson's grave at Monticello. This year April 13 falls on a regular day meeting of the Board. He asked that a member! of the staff assume the respon- sibility of laying the wreath. Agenda Item No. 14. Adjourn to March 25, 1988, at 1:00 P.M. At 10:55 P.M., motion was offered by Mr. Bain and seconded by Mr. Lindstrom to adjourn to Friday, March 25, 1988, at 1:00 P.M. There was no further discussion. Roll was called and the motion carried by thelfollowing recorded vote: AYES: Messrs. Bain and Bowie, Mrs. Cooke, Messrs. Lindstrom, Perkins and Way. NAYS: None.