School Safety in Virginia Part 3. House Select Committee on School Safety
EDITOR’S NOTE: In the November 21 County Connections, VACo reported on the final recommendations by House Select Committee on School Safety. Read the article here. Over the past several years, Virginia has implemented various policy measures meant to decrease the likelihood of school violence within the Commonwealth. Our last post delved into those actions, and […]
See you soon for VACo’s 84th Annual Conference!
VACo County Pulse Podcast – Top Issues in Behavioral Health with Dr. Hughes Melton
Link to the Top Issues in Behavioral Health with Dr. Hughes Melton Podcast Dr. Hughes Melton, Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, sat down with VACo’s Dean Lynch to discuss major issues in behavioral health, including efforts to address the addiction crisis and the effects of Medicaid expansion.
Martha Hooker
Roanoke County Chairman Q1. You’re in the middle of your first term on the Board of Supervisors, but you served for more than 20 years on the Roanoke County Planning Commission prior to your election. Are there aspects of your current role that have surprised you? What elements of your service on the Planning […]
Visit Powhatan County and its newly completed water tower
Powhatan County’s new water tower is a 185-foot, 500,000-gallon elevated spheroid water tank built to provide fire protection to county facilities. The project was designed by Timmons Group and built by Phoenix Fabricators and Erectors, LLC.
Introducing a New Associate Member – Klett Consulting Group, Inc.
Klett Consulting Group, Inc. (KCG), a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, provides innovative system engineering and consulting for municipal services, broadband, cyber security, military transformation, joint experimentation, C4I, and interoperability Subject Matter Expertise (SME). We also offer system integration services facilitating ideas and concepts across technical and operational boundaries to create new capabilities. KCG’s […]
VACo Premier Partner Spotlight Podcast – Enterprise Fleet Management
LINK TO THE ENTERPRISE FLEET MANAGEMENT PODCAST Host Dean Lynch speaks with Enterprise Fleet Management’s Eddy Simon, Account Executive, and Kate Quinn, Area Sales Manager. Listen to how Enterprise Fleet Management can help counties save thousands of dollars with its hands-on management, award-winning technology, and the infrastructure and expertise of Enterprise, the world’s largest fleet […]
2018 Presidential Initiative: Healthy Virginia Counties in Action
As the end of my term as VACo President draws near, I’ve been reflecting on the Healthy Virginia Counties initiative and wanted to share a few thoughts. As many of my colleagues know, health care is one of my passions, both as a direct service provider in my time as a volunteer EMT, and in […]
My County Works
NACo and ICivics have partnered together to create a comprehensive educational program that teaches students about the importance of local government. This much-needed resource will help students in any educational setting gain a solid understanding of the roles, duties, and challenges of local governance. NACo’s program includes an educational video game, a set of courses […]
Work Continues to Implement Family First Prevention Services Act
The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), enacted earlier this year as part of an overall spending package, makes major changes to federal funding for foster care, and presents both challenges and opportunities for Virginia as it works to implement the law in advance of the effective date of most of its provisions (October 1, […]
Study of Special Education Private Day Program Rates Underway
Budget language included in the 2018 Appropriations Act directed the Office of Children’s Services (OCS) to contract for a study of the current rates paid to providers for special education private day placements funded through the Children’s Services Act. The study is to include a review of the adequacy of current rates as well as […]
VACo 84th Annual Conference Mobile App
Dear Annual Conference Attendee: As a registrant of the VACo 84th Annual Conference, you are invited to download the event Mobile App. The Mobile App provides all kinds of useful information to help you navigate the Annual Conference. It also allows you to create a personal schedule, access exhibitor and sponsor information as well as […]
Webinar for Local Officials on Transition to “Next Generation” 911
2 pm | Wednesday, November 7 As Virginia makes the transition from analog to digital technology for 911 service calls, each locally administered emergency call center will need to complete certain infrastructure upgrades. While the state is paying the capital costs for replacement and upgrades (including connectivity upgrades such as installation of fiber), some of […]
VACo releases 2019 Preliminary Legislative Program
VACo has released its 2019 Preliminary Legislative Program, which was drafted through VACo’s steering committee process. The document includes a host of important and timely proposed policy statements including language pertaining to K-12 education funding, local taxing authority, stormwater regulations, land use planning, transportation, broadband, health and human resources and other local budget and legislative […]
2018 Presidential Initiative: Healthy Virginia Counties in Action – Spotlight on Economic Health Part 2
In my last column, we looked at the connection of economic stability with health outcomes, and I shared some data on poverty in Virginia, as measured by the federal definition of poverty, and by the United Way’s “ALICE” standard, which seeks to determine what amount of money would cover the true expenses of life, including […]
Visit Bedford County and the New London Water Tower
This water tower is located in Bedford County’s New London Business and Technology Center park. The water tower supplies one million gallons of water to the research and manufacturing businesses in this 500+ acre park, which still has graded lots available and offers nearly 7 miles of walking/running/biking trails. To learn more about this park, […]