In case you missed the June 29 Board of Supervisors meeting, here is a brief recap of items from the board’s work session and business meeting:
SPECIAL PURPOSE PARK
The board approved the purchase of 38 acres on the Appomattox River for use as a special purpose park in the village of Ettrick.
For $1.725 million, Chesterfield is acquiring eight parcels of land and 15 islands along the Appomattox from the Capital Region Land Conservancy, providing nearly a half-mile of public riverfront access.
The site will mark the eastern end of the county’s Appomattox River Trail System and connect with two regional trails: a 25-mile trail managed by Friends of Lower Appomattox River (FOLAR) and the 42-mile Fall Line Trail from Petersburg to Ashland.
The park will provide protection of natural, historic and cultural resources, through conservation easements that will be held by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
Public use will include river access for fishing and nature observation, small boat launch, walking trails and paths, picnic shelters and interpretive signage and exhibits illustrating the site’s rich history, along with other facilities that support biking and river use.
FINANCE UPDATE
Matt Harris, deputy county administrator for finance and administration, briefed the board on a variety of finance-related topics. View his presentation in its entirety below.
BOND REFERENDUM
The board adopted a resolution formally requesting the Chesterfield Circuit Court to add a bond referendum question to the ballot for the Nov. 8 general election.
In the referendum, Chesterfield will ask voters for the authority to issue $540 million in general obligation bonds to finance various capital improvement projects – including schools, public safety facilities, libraries and parks.
Because of Chesterfield’s Triple-AAA bond rating, general obligation bonds are sold at the lowest available interest rates, generating considerable savings for county taxpayers as the bonds are repaid over time.
Chesterfield’s most recent bond referendum was conducted in 2013.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE STEERING COMMITTEE UPDATE
Melanie Meadows, the county’s Drug Court administrator, updated the board on the work of Chesterfield’s Substance Abuse Steering Committee during its afternoon work session. Her full presentation is available below.
INTERIM MIDLOTHIAN SUPERVISOR
Longtime Midlothian resident Tara Carroll was appointed as the Midlothian District’s interim representative on the Board of Supervisors.
Carroll succeeds Leslie Haley, who resigned June 3 to accept a position as Virginia’s deputy attorney general for government operations and transactions.
She will hold the office until a Nov. 8 special election, when voters in the Midlothian District choose a candidate to serve out the remaining year on Haley’s term.