In case you missed the Sept. 27 Board of Supervisors meeting, here is a brief recap of items from the board’s work session and business meeting:
APPROPRIATION OF TRANSPORTATION FUNDING
Following a public hearing, the board appropriated $67.1 million in federal and state funds and authorized staff to proceed with a series of transportation infrastructure improvements.
More than half of the funding, $34.9 million, is earmarked for four projects that will bring relief to the heavily traveled western Route 360 corridor:
- $12.4 million for a Continuous Green-T intersection at Route 360 and Brad McNeer parkway
- $10 million for the Bailey Bridge Connector
- $9.3 million for access management improvements and a roundabout on Brad McNeer Parkway
- $3.2 million for triple left turn lanes on Woodlake Village Parkway at Route 360
Chesterfield obtained another $13 million through Virginia’s Smart Scale transportation funding system for improvements to the Route 60 intersection at Stonebridge and Boulders Parkway, which will help accommodate traffic generated by ongoing redevelopment in the county’s eastern gateway area.
As part of the board’s action, it authorized county staff to proceed with design and right-of-way acquisitions, execute easement agreements for relocation of utilities, and proceed with advertisement for construction contracts.
SCHOOL CAPITAL UPDATE
Scott Carson, director of construction for Chesterfield County Public Schools, gave a presentation to the board about ongoing and planned school capital improvement projects. Watch it in full by clicking on the image below.
AIRPORT RUNWAY EXTENSION PROJECT
The board accepted and appropriated grant funds from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV) for acquisition of easements needed to advance the Chesterfield County Airport’s runway extension project.
The county reached agreements with Fair Havens Church and Five Forks Village Community Association, Inc., for easements associated with the runway extension.
Grant funding from the FAA will fund 90% of the acquisition ($658,200), with the DOAV funding 8% of the acquisition ($58,507). The balance will come from available local funding ($14,628) that was approved and appropriated through previous board action.
Acquisition of these easements will allow the project to advance into the design and engineering phase.
TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
Chessa Walker, acting director for the Chesterfield Department of Transportation, briefed the board on many roadway projects across the county that are in various stages of planning, funding and execution. You can watch her presentation in its entirety below.
UPDATE TO BACKGROUND CHECK POLICY
The board approved an update to Chesterfield’s background check policy for organizations co-sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department, allowing people with criminal convictions who had their voting rights restored by the governor to be evaluated for coaching positions – provided their crime was not against a minor.
Previously, the policy prohibited the county’s application review committee – which is made up of staff from Human Resources, Police, County Attorney, Mental Health, and Parks and Recreation – from considering individuals who had committed certain crimes, even if they completed the process of having the governor restore their rights.
The change will allow the committee to review and evaluate coaching applications for co-sponsored organizations on a case-by-case basis.
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT SERVICES UPDATE
Kelly Fried, director of the county’s Mental Health Support Services Department, gave an update to the board during its afternoon work session. Watch it below.
ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS ON MASSAGE CLINICS
Following a public hearing, the board adopted changes to the local ordinance that governs the operation of massage clinics.
The Chesterfield Police Department recommended the revisions in response to a nationwide explosion of illicit “massage shops” that are masquerading as legitimate businesses, but actually are transnational criminal enterprises engaged in prostitution and human trafficking.
Among other things, the approved amendments:
- Reinstitute a requirement for both massage clinics and massage therapists to obtain a permit from the county, which will include a criminal background check
- Require the clinic and therapists to display their county permits publicly
- Issue photo identification cards to therapists that must be produced upon inspection by the Police Department
- Require clinics to maintain a register containing the name and date of employment of each licensed therapist employed there
- Establish hours of operation for massage clinics
- Modify the definition of massage in accordance with current State Law definitions
- Provide for revocation of the county permits if the ordinance is violated
- Authorize civil action by the County Attorney to ensure compliance with the ordinance (in addition to potential criminal prosecution by the Commonwealth’s Attorney)
In addition, the ordinance amendment requires existing massage clinics and massage therapists doing business in Chesterfield to apply for a county permit within 60 days of adoption. County staff has already begun to contact such businesses to help usher them through the new regulatory process.
You can read the ordinance in the board's agenda packet from the Sept. 27 meeting.