431 MINUTES BOARD OF SUPERVISORS COUNTY OF YORK Regular Meeting April 1, 2025 6:00 p.m. Meeting Convened. A Regular Meeting of the York County Board of Supervisors was called to order at 6:01 p.m., Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in the East Room, York Hall, by Chairman Sheila S. Noll. Attendance. The following members of the Board of Supervisors were present: Douglas R. Holroyd, Sheila S. Noll, M. Wayne Drewry, G. Stephen Roane, Jr., and Thomas G. Shepperd, Jr. Also in attendance were Mark L. Bellamy, Jr., County Administrator; Brian Fuller, Deputy County Administrator; Susan Goodwin, Assistant County Administrator, Richard Hill, County Attorney; and Heather L. Schott, Assistant to the County Administrator/Deputy Clerk. WORK SESSION PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET COMMUNITY SUPPORT LINE ITEMS Dr. Walter Akers, Community Services Grants Advisory Committee, presented information on community support line items. He stated that this year, 18 organizations requested funding, and several of them were new. He noted that they had received an exceptionally high number of requests for youth programs this year. He explained that each committee member evaluated the grant applications and evaluated the costs and benefits of each organization. They compared the costs of funding to the people served by the applicant organizations, as well as potential other funding sources the applicants could seek rather than the local government. He expressed his gratitude to the Board for moving the Williamsburg Meals on Wheels, York Meals on Wheels, and Virginia Peninsula Food Bank to become regular County line items, which would provide consistent funding to those extraordinary community organizations. Dr. Akers presented the Community Services Grant Advisory Committee's recommending a total of $62,080 in funding for the following community support organizations: American Red Cross ($830) ARC of Greater Williamsburg ($3,000) Avalon Center for Women & Children ($4,665) Bacon Street Youth. And Family Services ($4,925) Colonial Court Appointed Special Advocates ($2,700) Center for Child & Family Services ($2,500) DeGood Foundation ($2,000) FISH, Inc. ($4,815) Grace Historical Church ($1,390) Historic Virginia Land Conservancy ($1,330) Hospice House and Support Care of Williamsburg ($6,830) Natasha House ($6,700) Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 960 ($5,000) Wasahingon-ec.hambeau Rev. Route ($1,500) William & Mary Foundation ($1,500) Williamsburg Faith in Action ($3,195) Mr. Holroyd noted that the recommended funding for the Historic Virginia Land Conservancy had decreased this year. It appeared that they needed to do a better job of explaining their work and impact on the community. Dr. Akers replied that the organization's mission remained unclear to him; his personal recommendation had been zero dollars. 432 April 1, 2025 Ms. Noll thanked Dr. Akers and the Community Services Grant Advisory Committee for another year of service to the County. Brian Fuller, Deputy County Administrator, continued the presentation on Outside Agencies and Community Support. He provided the funding recommended to fund strategic priorities in this year's budget, which were as follows: Exemplary Public Safety ($3,987,810) Excellent Educational Opportunities ($1,663,570) Value-Driven Economic Development ($1,935,895) Maximize Outstanding Communications & Customer Service ($2,066,740) Environmental Stewardship with a Focus on Resiliency ($145,165) Mr. Fuller explained that there was a combination of recommendations based on contracts, agreements, or formulas, and those that were not. The organizations not funded by contracts were generally recommended for level funding; the budget was tight enough this year that they did not consider increases. Mr. Fuller listed the agencies recommended for funding in Exemplary Public Safety: Colonial Community Corrections ($194,210) Heritage Humane Society ($42,500) HRDPC-Metropolitan Medical Response System ($14,360) Middle Peninsula Juvenile Center (Merrimac Center) ($166,520) Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter ($203,280) Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail (VPRJ) ($3,366,940) Mr. Holroyd expressed concern that the Humane Society had not been adequately funded, which was an issue discussed last year. He requested that an additional $7,000 be added to funding for the Heritage Humane Society for a total of $49,500. Mr. Fuller listed the agencies recommended for funding in Excellent Educational Opportunities: Child Development Resources ($125,000) Colonial Juvenile Services Commission ($212,100) Virginia Peninsula Community College ($136,060) Williamsburg Regional Library ($890,410) Peninsula Regional YMCA ($300,000) Mr. Fuller listed the agencies recommended for funding in Value-Driven Economic Development: EVRIFA ($20,000) Hampton Roads Alliance (BKA Greater Will. Partnership) ($80,555) Hampton Roads Military & Federal Facilities Alliance ($35,905) Hampton Roads Workforce Council ($17,740) Launchpad Regional Incubator ($34,500) Small Business Development Center ($10,000) START Peninsula ($7,005) Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce ($17,500) Williamsburg Area Transit Authority (WATA) ($677,140) York County Chamber of Commerce ($20,000) Comte de Grasse ($10,000) Historic Triangle Recreational Facilities Authority - Operating ($800,000) Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Inc. ($100,000) Virginia Air & Space Science Center ($10,000) Virginia Living Museum ($5,000) Waterman's Museum ($45,000) York County Historical Committee ($17,050) York County Historical Museum ($5,000) Yorktown Foundation - Administrative Support ($3,500) Yorktown Foundation - Celebrate Yorktown/Symphony ($5,000) Yorktown Foundation - Tall Ships Committee ($15,000) 433 April 1, 2025 The Board and Mr. Fuller discussed the changes in WATA routes, services, and funding. Mr. Fuller listed the agencies recommended for funding in Maximize Outstanding Communications & Customer Service: Colonial Behavioral Health ($1,249,000) Community Services Grant ($62,080) Lackey Free Clinic ($60,000) Peninsula Alcohol Safety Action Program ($25,000) Peninsula Community Foundation ($5,000) Peninsula Health District ($407,800) Peninsula Emergency Medical Services ($11,490) Virginia Peninsula Food Bank ($5,000) Virginia Peninsula Mayors & Chairs on Homelessness ($14,455) Old Towne Medical & Dental ($123,865) Williamsburg Meals on Wheels ($3,000) Yorktown Arts Foundation/On the Hill ($19,500) York County Arts Commission ($75,000) York County Meals on Wheels ($5,550) Mr. Fuller listed the agencies recommended for funding in Environmental Stewardship with a Focus on Resiliency: Colonial Soil & Water ($25,000) Hampton Roads Planning District HR Clean Community System ($4,650) o Member Contribution ($71,805) o Municipal Construction ($2,680) o Regional Stormwater Program ($2,680) o Regional Stormwater Education ($5,980) o Wastewater Program ($2,5 5) o HR Fog Study ($4,675) Regional Water Programs ($2,400) Sea Level ($12,810) Mr. Shepperd asked for clarification on the general operations of the Colonial Soil & Water Conservation District. Mr. Bellamy replied that he would put Mr. Shepperd into contact with the Colonial Soil & Water team to answer his questions. COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS Rose McKinney, Director of Human Resources, provided an overview of compensation & healthcare for York County employees. This information included the market outlook, market impact, competitive challenges, proposed general wage increases (GW), the Calendar Year 2025 (CY25) healthcare, the 2026 healthcare premium proposal, and wellness initiatives. Ms. McKinney acknowledged that the provided information was essential but added to the complexity of the Board's decision-making process for the budget this year. She emphasized that they were all committed to provide great services to their community, but these services had costs, which she elaborated on in her presentation. She explained that to maintain competitiveness, the County must offer higher starting salaries, signing bonuses, implementation of pay studies, proposed GWIs/step increases, career ladders, and slotting by experience. She noted that York County was lagging in some of these areas of competition. She added that the cost of hiring and retaining quality talent was increasing and should be accounted for. She noted that the last compensation study performed in York County was in 2016 and the recommendations were not implemented due to a lack of funding. However, many of their neighboring localities had performed recent compensation studies and had recommended wage increases. 434 April 1, 2025 Mr. Shepperd noted that there were nine localities listed as having completed compensation studies, but he was also interested in the other neighboring localities that had not done studies. He noted that all of these counties were very different, and it was important that they only compare those most similar to their own. Mr. Bellamy added that York had performed routine internal compensation studies, doing them one-quarter of the organization at a time, until the 2009 recession, at which point they halted the studies. Mr. Fuller explained that they restarted the compensation study in 2016 in order to catch up, but they did not have enough funding to implement the recommendations. This in turn created morale issues with staff. Ms. McKinney clarified that the localities listed on the slide were those with which York was most competitive. Mr. Roane suggested that they return to routinely reviewing and adjusting compensation one quarter at a time. This would be more manageable than giving the entire organization salary increases at once. Ms. McKinney provided some comparisons of York County's starting salaries compared to James City County's. She emphasized that many vacancies they struggled to fill had comparatively lower salaries than the same positions in peer localities. Additionally, their peer localities who had performed compensation studies were proposing general wage increases of 3%. The Board and staff discussed the logistics of completing and tollowing the recommendations of a compensation study. Mr. Shepperd asked Mr. Bellamy what the necessary tax rate increase would be to make salaries competitive and adequately fill vacancies. Mr. Bellamy answered that staff hoped to get the budget to a point this year where they could perform a compensation study in FY27 and fund the recommendations afterward. Mr. Shepperd expressed concern that the underemployment could lead to a crisis in their County government operations if they were not proactive in filling vacancies. Mr. Bellamy replied that they had raised some specific wages that they had identified as noticeably lagging, but they needed more help to make more progress. He had recommended the 4% general wage increase plus $500 for this fiscal year, which he believed was the minimum they should consider. Mr. Roane asked if there were requirements for graduates of certificate programs, such as paramedics, to stay on for a certain amount of time. Mr. Bellamy replied no. They had found it unproductive to require employees to stay on if they wanted to leave. Retaining employees through pay and culture was most effective. Mr. Roane expressed concern that the County was offering free certification opportunities to people who may not want to stay and serve the County. Stephen P. Kopczynski, Fire Chief, explained that new tirefighters were required to repay the County for training expenses if they did not stay on for three years. They also offered bonuses to pre-qualified individuals because the County would not have to pay for training. He explained that while there was a cost involved in providing the paramedic training, it was seen as a cost of doing business because it helped the employee become successful and helped the organization provide the essential service to the community. He emphasized that a majority of calls for were emergency medical services. He noted that they had one of the best emergency medical service organizations in the Commonwealth, twice named the EMS Agency of the Year by the Commonwealth of Virginia. He stated that they would be successful if they continued to focus on the quality of paramedic programs and had people who wanted to become paramedics. However, that success was contingent upon remaining competitive with salaries and benefits. 435 April 1, 2025 Ms. McKinney noted that many people had given feedback that they did not want to leave their jobs in York County; they had to leave due to finances. Mr. Holroyd stated that he believed it would benefit Mr. Bellamy to provide the Board with a budgetary recommendation to address their compensation challenges. Ms. McKinney stated that regarding pay structure, they increased their pay ranges every year to maintain closeness to market competition. However, it was important not to increase the pay ranges beyond the general wage increase, because it otherwise would create compression in wages of new versus old employees. It was important to equitably pay new and current employees, which required investment either way. She asked the Board to prioritize this in their budget considerations. Mr. Roane stated that a compensation study was unnecessary; they could compare currently advertised salaries to determine the market pay. A future compensation study for more complex data, such as optimal healthcare contributions or workplace culture, may be beneficial, but they already have enough information to make decisions on salaries. Mr. Drewry asked how many jobs they struggled to fill in York County. Ms. McKinney answered that they struggled to hire firefighters, deputy sheriffs, and certain specialized positions. Mr. Drewry suggested they focus on addressing the most challenging-to-fil positions first. Mr. Holroyd recommended that they compile compensation data over the next six months and propose a mid-year salary adjustment. Ms. Noll agreed that they knew what the issues were, and a six-month benchmark would provide the time to decide the best course of action. Mr. Bellamy noted that this conversation was only about salaries. However, this year the Firefighters' Union had requested that the County reinstate a step raise for their organization. Additionally, the Board had expressed interest in merit pay increases as well. Ms. McKinney explained that some localities merged merit with step increases, but it depended on what they could fund. She emphasized that as a locality, they would have to be able to fund the general wage increase, the step increase, a merit increase, and anything else they may want to include as benefits. The Board and staff discussed the effectiveness of performance-based bonuses, merit increases, and step raises. Ms. McKinney continued to present information on the recommended general wage increases for FY26. She further provided an overview of healthcare benefits, including the County's self- insurance, current calendar year health insurance plan options, current plan enrollment, CY25 changes to healthcare, and the CY26 health & dental proposal. She noted that while the proposal included a premium rate increase of 8% across all tiers of health & dental, effective January 1, 2026, staff recommended to keep the same amount of coverage in all plans to mitigate the effects of the 8% increase on employees. She provided examples of what the rate increases would look like across different salaries. Mr. Holroyd expressed concern that clinics were not accepting the insurance plans the County was providing, making the plan useless to the employee who was paying for it. Ms. McKinney agreed that it was an issue. She explained that when the clinics and the insurance companies could not negotiate a rate, the clinics would stop accepting the insurance. The County always had the option to pursue another insurance plan, but they may run into the same issue because they could not control what insurance the clinics accepted. She provided information on the County's wellness initiatives, which occur throughout the year. She noted that these are very well-utilized programs and key to ensuring their workforce stays healthy. She stated that future considerations for the County included stand-alone legal services and stand-alone pet insurance plans, neither of which would require contributions from the County. Additionally, 436 April 1, 2025 there were options to expand the current wellness program and add wellness days to the proposed plan. TABB HIGH SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL CROSSWALK Elizabeth Mertz-Guinn, Engineering Manager, presented information on the planning steps for pedestrian safety at the Tabb High School crosswalk. She explained that a student who lived less than 200 feet away from the school could not walk there due to the lack of a crosswalk, sO a plan was created to provide a safe path for students who live across the street. There are three options for this crosswalk: Option 1 at the intersection of Yorktown Road and Big Bethel Road; Option 2 at the intersection of Yorktown Road and Tide Mill Road; and Option 3 at Yorktown Road and the entrance to the north entrance to the school parking lot. Both Options 2 and 3 could connect to the Yorktown Road Sidewalk Project, due to begin construction this summer. Option 2 was evaluated as the best option and was approved by the School Board and staff. This option was designed and sent to Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for evaluation. Rossie Carroll, VDOT Residency Administrator, approved of Option 2 and agreed to do the safety evaluation. His findings indicated that the safety screening criteria and crosswalk installation criteria were met. Additional recommendations were for rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB) and high visibility pavement markings to enhance driver awareness and clearly define the crosswalk. Next steps included an application for funding from VDOT, beginning in June and ending in October, with the funding becoming available in spring 2027, then put the project into the CIP, followed by design and construction. The estimated cost was $660,000, which would be split 80/20 in the VDOT Transportation Alternatives (TA) application. She provided further details of the crosswalk design and connections to other ongoing transportation projects. The Supervisors expressed support for improving safety and accessibility by installing sidewalks and crosswalks in the area. CONSENT CALENDAR The Consent Calendar was approved on a vote of 5:0. A summary of actions is included below. Chairman Noll asked if the Board wanted to pull any of these items. Mr. Roane requested to pull Item No. 6 for discussion. Mr. Shepperd requested to pull Item No. 8 for discussion. Mr. Bellamy asked if Mr. Wyatt would like to address Item No. 6. Robert Krieger, Director of Public Works, stated that per the HRSD consent order mandates, the County is responsible for scoping a certain amount of their sanitary sewer line. The IT and Infrastructure staff had collaborated to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) technology could be used for this purpose. He explained that they could use AI to analyze the video footage they had of the sewer line to identify the locations in need of repair, then map them on the GIS system. The main advantage would be they would no longer have to analyze hundreds of hours of video to identify structural issues. The AI system could also provide gradings to prioritize repairs based on severity sO they could strategically make repairs. Mr. Roane asked how they would train the AI model to accurately identify lines in need of repair. Timothy Wyatt, Director of Information Technology, clarified that the AI was already trained specifically as a tool for piping; it was not a large catch-all model. It was specifically meant to analyze footage of pipes, SO its accuracy was significantly high. It would provide a report, but the County owned all of the data, which would be mapped onto the GIS layers SO people could be sent out into the field. Mr. Shepperd inquired about Item No. 8; specifically, he was asking about the route of the stream restoration. Mr. Krieger explained that this project was meant to stop the flooding on Big Bethel through Celestial Way. 437 April 1, 2025 Mr. Shepperd replied that flooding was not an issue on Big Bethel; it was an issue near the bottom. He asked how the restoration would go south of the neighborhood, towards Nature Boulevard. Mr. Krieger stated that he was unaware of the exact parameters but could follow up with Mr. Shepperd on that information. Mr. Shepperd asked what the goal of the project is. Mr. Krieger stated that they would receive Total Daily Maximum Load (TMDL) points for reduction of pollutants and would receive the matching SLAF grant. By keeping the water from moving too quickly with physical restoration, they could reduce erosion and reduce the impact on the neighborhood drains. Mr. Shepperd expressed concerns about the neighborhood being subject to flooding, despite the stream restoration efforts. Mr. Holroyd moved that the Consent Calendar items be approved as submitted, specifically Item Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively. Item No. 3. Approval of Minutes February 18, 2025 Regular Meeting March 4, 2025 Regular Meeting Item No. 4. Tax Refund - Veterans Exemption A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE A TAX REFUND TO INDIVIDUALS ELIGIBLE FOR REAL ESTATE TAX RELIEF PURSUANT TO CODE OF VIRGINIA $58.1-3219.5, TAX RELIEF FOR DISABLED VETERANS, FOR TAX YEARS 2022-2024 Item No. 5. Tugboat and Barge Services for Fireworks Shows A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO CONTRACT WITH SKIFFS CREEK TOWING, INC. FOR TUGBOAT AND BARGE SERVICES FOR FIREWORKS SHOWS Item No. 6. AI-Powered CCTV Sewer Footage Analysis with GIS Integration A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO CONTRACT WITH BURGESS & NIPLE, INC. FOR AI-POWERED CCTV SEWER FOOTAGE ANALYSIS WITH GIS INTEGRATION Item No. 7. Appropriation of Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF) Grant Funds #24-26, Celestial Way Restoration Project A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE GRANT FUNDS FOR THE STABILIZATION AND RESTORATION OF CELESTIAL WAY STREAM Item No. 8. Appropriation of Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF) Grant Funds #21-39, Larkin Run Stream Restoration Project A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT AND APPROPRIATE GRANT FUNDS FOR THE STABILIZATION AND RESTORATION OF LARKIN RUN, A TRIBUTARY TO QUARTERMARSH CREEK OPEN DISCUSSION Mr. Roane stated that the County was still seeking qualified applicants for the York County Youth Commission (YCYC) for next year. He encouraged the young citizens of their community to apply. 438 April 1, 2025 Chairman Noll announced the Board of Supervisors will host a town hall meeting to discuss the budget on Thursday, April 3, 2025 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the community room of the Law Enforcement Building. CLOSED MEETING There was none. Meeting Adjourned. At 8:43 p.m. Chairman Noll declared the meeting adjourned sine die. - Bellouf MarkL. Bellamy, Jr. Sheila S. NoH, Chairman County Administrator York County Board ofSupervisors