Hi, everyone! This coverage of the Board of Supervisors meeting is super delayed, and I’m sorry about that. My goal is always to send out an edition of the newsletter within 24 hours of a public meeting. I got preoccupied covering Gov. Northam’s latest press conference yesterday. I took to Twitter trying to sort through exactly what Northam explained during the event. I also offered more details in an article for The Dogwood.
Long story short: Virginia expanded vaccine eligibility without having sufficient supply of the vaccine to accommodate the millions of people who would want an appointment. They wrote a check they couldn’t cash, so to speak, and they did it because the federal government promised supplemental doses that it couldn’t deliver.
It’s kind of a mess at the moment. But as the Supervisors discussed Tuesday evening, localities are trying to set up vaccination clinics to get shots in arms. And of course, we all know healthcare employees continue to work so diligently every day. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. In the meantime, we should all continue to maintain physical distance, wear masks and take other precautions to try to temper the spread of the virus. Hang in there! And thanks for reading.
-Ashley
BOS approves millions in spending for public safety upgrades, fire engine
The Floyd County Board of Supervisors spent most of its meeting Tuesday evening discussing a Public Safety Plan and Recommendations Report. The report, compiled by Federal Engineering, offered an overview of the county’s existing public safety communications infrastructure and alternatives for improvement.
The county currently operates on an analog radio system that’s nearly two decades old. The system also fails to provide adequate coverage, particularly in the southwest portion of the county. Back in June 2020, Federal Engineering met with county officials, including Emergency Management Coordinator Kevin Sowers, to discuss the county’s existing infrastructure and its forward-looking needs.
Federal Engineering conducted site visits and issued a questionnaire to system users from the county’s Sheriff’s Office, fire, emergency and rescue departments, dispatch and E911 offices. The survey showed relatively low ratings for the system’s portable and mobile coverage.
A representative from Federal Engineering explained that the Supervisors had two options for improving the usefulness of the public safety communications system. They could either update the analog system with newer equipment but the same basic technology, or replace it entirely with a digital system. The digital alternative plan also suggested procuring a new “greenfield site” where the county could add a tower to improve the system’s overall coverage.
The Federal Engineering representative highlighted shortcomings of the analog system. “The system’s old, quite frankly,” he said, and added that could lead to problems with accessing support from equipment manufacturers. He also said the system lacks redundancy, meaning that if one portion of it fails, large swaths of the population could be left without coverage.
The county listed interoperability among its top priorities for any radio system. This refers to the system’s ability to communicate with other systems in nearby counties. Currently, the representative said, most rural counties, including those around Floyd, have legacy analog systems. However, Roanoke operates on the P25 (digital) system and Federal Engineering is working with the Twin Counties and City of Galax to potentially transition them as well. “The ability of your county to talk to adjacent counties—it’s really dependent on what your neighbors have,” the representative said. “P25 probably provides the most interoperability for you long-term.”
All of the Supervisors agreed on the importance of making sure emergency responders can communicate and access the support they need. Locust Grove District Supervisor Lauren Yoder, who used to be a firefighter, had this to say: “We’ve got a Sheriff’s Office that’s underpaid…We’ve got paid EMS that are not making big money, doing really stressful work. Frankly, the more that we can do to keep all of those people safe—we need to step up and do it.” Supervisors also pointed out that it’s not just the safety of first responders at stake, but also of Floyd citizens. If there’s an emergency and professionals can’t respond adequately, people could be injured or die.
The Board ultimately authorized up to $3.9 million for the P25, digital replacement system. As a next step, Federal Engineering will work to develop functional specifications for a bid.
The Supervisors weren’t finished spending, though. They also approved during Tuesday’s meeting a $579,393 expenditure for a new fire engine. The engine will serve the station in Willis. According to the proposal, the expected delivery date of the truck is about one year after the purchase order is made.
Acting County Administrator Cindy Ryan posed to the Board the question of how to pay for these new projects. She listed them off: The Board has recently approved spending for a new garbage truck, a new ambulance, the fire engine, and the new radio system. As Yoder pointed out, some of those expenses are already built into a level-funded budget. Ryan estimated their cumulative cost at $8 million.
Ryan asked the Supervisors about their preference for how to finance the projects. “Do we want to ask Davenport (& Co., financial advisors) to put something together for us that rolls all of this together? And if so, for how many years?” Ryan asked. She also asked whether the Board wanted to finance the full $8 million total or dip into its own unreserved funds to cover part of the cost.
The board consensus was to ask Davenport & Co. to put together several different proposals for review.
Near the end of the meeting, there was some discussion among the Supervisors about spending general funds for those or other capital improvement projects. According to Ryan, the county imposed a meals tax increase a few years ago for the express purpose of investing in capital projects. In fact, the Supervisors are legally required to use the additional revenue solely for such projects.
Not all of the county’s general fund balance comes from meals taxes, but Yoder argued that spending down the fund balance could make it more difficult for the county to qualify for financing for the radio system and fire engine.
No specifics were discussed or consensus reached during the meeting.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting:
-The Board approved about $180,000 over the next three years for Robinson, Farmer, Cox Associates to conduct the county’s audits. The cost of the service has increased about $2,000/year for the past six years, but the Supervisors agreed it was reasonable, especially considering the extra work required to audit CARES Act spending.
-Electoral Board Chairman Brecc Avellar and General Registrar Amy Ingram presented to the Board about an unexpected Democratic primary the state will have to conduct in June. There are multiple candidates vying for the party’s nomination for governor. The Republican party hasn’t yet decided whether to hold a convention or a primary. The Electoral Board requested $14,000 in supplementary funding, which the Board approved. Some of it may be justifiable under CARES Act spending.
-Ryan shared plans to bring a vaccination clinic to Floyd County. Both the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library and Floyd Eco Center were offered as potential sites for the clinic, and were evaluated by members of the NRV Public Health Task Force. The Eco Center was judged to be more suitable. Business owner Kamala Bauers offered the site to the county at no charge, and merely requested that COVID-19 protocols be followed and the space appropriately cleaned. The clinic will operate once/week as soon as Floyd County can secure doses of the vaccine from the New River Health District.
-Ryan detailed how the library and Floyd County Sheriff Brian Craig have “stepped up” to help elderly folks throughout the county register for vaccinations. Library staff have assisted folks who don’t have access to the internet at home, Ryan said. Through his “Rise and Shine” program, which checks in on area seniors each day, Craig and his officers have also helped connect people with appointments.
The Board of Supervisors next meets on Feb. 9 at 8:30 a.m.