Ammonia-nitrogen water quality bills await action from the Governor
Several bills drafted to mitigate the anticipated impacts on localities and wastewater authorities of the Environment Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2013 water quality criteria for guidance cleared both the House and Senate and have reached Governor Ralph Northam’s desk. As drafted, the new EPA guidance seeks to reduce the ammonia-nitrogen limits in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) […]
Legislation requiring Community Services Boards to provide mental health and substance abuse services in jails fails to move forward; discussions expected to continue
HB 1487 (Stolle) and SB 878 (Dunnavant) would have required local Community Services Boards (CSBs) to provide mental health and substance abuse services for individuals incarcerated in local and regional jails (HB 1487 was amended to provide that the CSB would deliver these services upon the request of the sheriff or regional jail superintendent). The […]
Court safety bill dies
SB 827 (Howell) would have allowed localities to increase assessments made on defendants convicted of violating a statute or ordinance from $10 to up to $20. Revenue from the assessment shall be used for funding courthouse security personnel and, at the request of the sheriff, other security-related equipment and property. The fee hasn’t been raised in […]
ENTER THE 2018 VACo ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Dear VACo Members – It’s time for the 2018 Achievement Awards Program. Any county department is eligible to compete so ENTER NOW! All entries are required to be submitted in electronic form. No paper copy submissions are necessary. The electronic copy should be a PDF or WORD file. Email entries to Gage Harter at gharter@vaco.org. […]
Board Chairs Converge on the VACo Training Center for the Chairpersons’ Institute
Earlier this month, Supervisors from across the Commonwealth traveled to the VACo Training Center for a two-day conference on the duties, joys, challenges, and responsibilities of being a County Board Chair. The VACo Chairpersons’ Institute is an annual education event, created with the goal of providing County Board Chairs with the skills and information they […]
Remembering Middlesex County Supervisor Jack Miller
By Larry Chowning | Southside Sentinel News John D. (Jack) Miller Jr. of Locust Hill, a Middlesex County supervisor for over 22 years and former chair of the board, passed away on Monday, February 19, after a bout with cancer. Mr. Miller served five full terms and most of a sixth term as Saluda District […]
House and Senate pass budgets and name Conferees
On February 22, the House and Senate passed their respective budgets; the budgets were officially placed in conference on February 28, where the differences between the two bills will be negotiated and reconciled. House of Delegates Speaker Kirk Cox on February 27 named House Appropriations Committee Chairman S. Chris Jones, Delegate Scott Garrett, Delegate Barry […]
Visit Accomack County and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
Points of Interest We encourage you to start your visit at the Herbert H. Bateman Educational and Administrative Center. There are a variety of exhibits, displays, brochures and wildlife-oriented programs. Refuge staff and volunteers are available to answer questions and help plan activities. Videos are shown by request daily in the visitor center auditorium, and […]
Oppose Wireless Bill Gutting Local Authority Over Siting of Cell Towers – Delegates and Senators to Cast Final Votes this Week
Oppose gutting of local authority to address siting of wireless towers This bad measure, HB 1258 (Kilgore) and SB 405 (McDougle), guts local zoning authority to address the siting of wireless towers. Specifically, they allow wireless companies to place cell towers up to 50 feet tall within rights-of-way without local control. Additionally, for towers of […]
Bill Mandating Land Use Valuation Headed to Senate Floor
HB 1204 (Hugo) is a problematic bill that would require that certain property be assessed based on use value rather than fair market value in certain localities meeting specified population growth criteria (Arlington County and Loudoun County). As introduced, the bill would require that real property of at least five acres that is devoted to […]
Chesapeake Bay Tree Replacement Bill Passes Senate, Heads Back to House
HB 494 (Hodges), which authorizes any locality within the Chesapeake Bay watershed to adopt an ordinance providing for the planting and replacement of trees during development processes, passed the Senate with amendments on February 23 by a 38-0 vote. Currently, only localities with a population density of 75 person per square mile are authorized to […]
Renewable Energy Pilot Program for Schools Heads to Senate Floor
HB 1451 (Sullivan), which directs Dominion Virginia Energy to conduct a renewable energy pilot program at a public school, has reported out of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee and now will be heard by the full senate. The bill establishes that under the pilot program, a public school that generates more electricity from a […]
Support Bill Funding Court Safety
VACo supports SB 827 (Howell), which allows localities to increase assessments made on defendants convicted of violating a statute or ordinance from $10 to up to $20. Revenue from the assessment shall be used for funding courthouse security personnel and, at the request of the Sheriff, other security-related equipment and property. The bill reported out […]
General Laws Bills of Interest
SB 391 (Barker) creates a statewide standard for installation and maintenance of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in rental property. Localities that have enacted ordinances must conform their ordinances by July 1, 2019. These were Housing Commission recommendations. HB 609 (Carr) is the companion bill, and both bills have passed. SB 529 (Mason) removes the […]
Solar Tax Exemption Bill Heads to the House Floor
SB 902 (Lucas) reported out of the House Finance Committee on February 26 by a vote of 18-3. As initially described in VACo’s January 23 Capitol Contact, the bill makes it a local option to provide certain local tax exemptions for solar facilities of a certain size. Under current law, solar facilities greater than 20 MW in […]
Update on Drone Bills
VACo supports SB 186 (Black), which authorizes localities to use unmanned systems, without the requirement of a search warrant, for purposes other than law-enforcement. Such activities include damage assessment, traffic assessment, flood stage assessment, and wildfire assessment. Drones may also be used for private, commercial, or recreational use or for the sole purpose of research and […]