County Response to COVID-19

Oct. 16, 2020 Update - 3 p.m.

Chesterfield CARES Water Assistance Program
Water and wastewater bill relief for those impacted economically by COVID-19

Has a loss or decrease in income due to the COVID-19 pandemic caused you to fall behind on your water and wastewater utility bill payments? The Chesterfield CARES Water Assistance Program is here to offer relief. 

Administered through the Department of Social Services, the program uses federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to assist Chesterfield residents needing assistance to pay past-due utility bills. Applications should be submitted by Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, and funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.

To qualify:

• Applicants must live in Chesterfield County and have an active residential Chesterfield County utility water and/or wastewater account.
  
• Applicants must have a past due balance on their residential water and/or wastewater account within the March 1 to Nov. 30, 2020 time frame. 
  
• Households must show a decrease in income due to COVID-19. All adult members of the household (18 years and older) must submit proof of a decrease in income due to COVID-19. (Examples include an unemployment letter, notice of furlough or layoff, one paystub from before March 1 and one paystub from after March 1 which shows a decrease in income due to COVID-19, etc.) 
  
• Self-employed applicants must provide documentation to show a decrease in income due to COVID-19. (Examples include documentation of business closing, pre/post COVID-19 banking account statements, etc.)

Initial funding assistance amount will not exceed $500. Depending on funding availability on or after Dec. 1, 2020, if household income has not increased and assistance for past due balances is still required, applicants may be eligible for up to $200 in additional funding assistance.

Questions about the program? Visit www.chesterfield.gov/COVIDWaterBillHelp to review qualifications, necessary documentation and begin the application process. Questions not answered by the online form should be directed to the Department of Social Services, 804-748-1100, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Oct. 16, 2020 Update - 2 p.m.

Commonwealth Identifies New Ways to Return Unclaimed Property to Virginians During COVID-19 Pandemic
Over $67.8 million in unclaimed property paid out in fiscal year 2020

Governor Ralph Northam announced that the Department of the Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Program returned more than $67.8 million in unclaimed property to Virginians in fiscal year 2020, representing over 111,000 asset accounts. New virtual outreach has been implemented this year to assist individuals with filing their claims amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Each year, the Department of the Treasury works to inform Virginians about the Unclaimed Property Program and assist in returning unclaimed assets. In addition to annual newspaper inserts distributed throughout the Commonwealth, this year Treasury staff have increased online and social media outreach and are collaborating with a variety of partners including television and radio stations, corporate human resources officers, statewide associations, businesses, community organizations and schools to hold virtual outreach events that offer remote one-on-one assistance with initiating a search and starting a claim.

More than $912 million has been paid out to Virginians since this program started in 1961. Unclaimed property consists of “abandoned assets or accounts” which are considered dormant due to inactivity and can include utility deposits, customer refunds, unpaid wages, money from insurance policies, securities and investments, bank accounts and tangible property. Property becomes unclaimed when the holder company has not had contact with the owner of the property for a specified period of time.

Virginia’s consumer protection law requires businesses to turn unclaimed property over to the state, relieving the business of the financial liability. Virginia holds the property as the custodian until the rightful owner, or heir, files a claim.

Virginians can easily search the Commonwealth’s unclaimed property database by visiting VaMoneySearch.org. This free website allows individuals to search the Commonwealth’s unclaimed property database and download a claim form. Organizations interested in hosting a virtual call event should contact Treasury staff.

It is important to be aware of unauthorized or unsolicited fee-based offers and make sure you are working with an authorized state representative. The Unclaimed Property Program is a consumer protection initiative to benefit all citizens—there is no deadline to claim your property, and there are no commissions or fees charged through this free service.

Read the full news release on the Virginia Governor Newsroom. 

Oct. 15, 2020 Update - 12:30 p.m.

Governor Northam Authorizes Hazard Pay for Home Health Workers
Federal funding will cover one-time payment for work at height of COVID-19 pandemic

Governor Ralph Northam announced $73 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Recovery and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to provide hazard pay to home health personal care attendants who served high-risk populations during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A one-time, pre-tax payment of $1,500 will be available to an estimated 43,500 home health care workers who provide personal care and who served Medicaid members between March 12 and June 30, 2020.

Home health care workers provide services that are critical in enabling older Virginians or people with disabilities to continue living in their own homes. In addition to the hazard payments, the state budget that went into effect July 1 included a seven percent pay raise over two years for home health workers, and the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) is working to provide those workers with personal protective equipment, including masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer.

DMAS, which oversees Virginia’s Medicaid program, will work with providers over the coming weeks to administer the payments to eligible workers.

Read the full news release on the Virginia Governor Newsroom. 

Oct. 15, 2020 Update - 9 a.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 20 Planning Commission Meeting to Be Held In Person
Residents can also submit comments ahead of time using the online form

The Chesterfield Planning Commission will hold its Tuesday, Oct. 20 meeting in person in the Public Meeting Room at 10001 Iron Bridge Road.

Measures are being put in place to accommodate public input while still practicing social distancing, as recommended by health officials.

Residents wishing to comment in person will be required to wear a face covering and pass a simple health screening before entering the building. In order to maintain the 6-foot social distance requirement, seating will be extremely limited; however, TV monitors will be set up outside the Public Meeting Room.

Citizens are encouraged to use the online comment form at www.chesterfield.gov/cpccomments to provide comment on public hearings regarding zoning cases. Those wishing to comment must submit a new online form for each public hearing they want to comment on. Only one comment per person per public hearing will be accepted. The online form can also be used to comment on unscheduled matters. In addition to the form, comments can also be received by email at planning@chesterfield.gov, or by calling 804-748-1125.

The Planning Commission will accept all public comments (online portal, telephone message, and email) until 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19 to ensure the comments are provided to the Planning Commission prior to the 6 p.m. meeting for their consideration.

The agenda, staff reports, and PowerPoint presentations for the October 20 Planning Commission Meeting can be found on www.chesterfield.gov/plan.

The Chesterfield Planning Commission Meeting will be livestreamed on WCCT Chesterfield Community Television, including Comcast channel 98 and Verizon channel 28, and on YouTube.com/ChesterfieldCountyVA.

Read the full news release. 

Oct. 9, 2020 Update - 2 p.m.

Chester Library to Reopen to the Public on Monday, Oct. 19
Fourth library to reinstate public hours since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic

The Chesterfield County Public Library’s (CCPL) Chester Library will reopen to the public on Monday, Oct. 19. Chester Library is the fourth library to reinstate public hours since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hours at the open locations are:

• Monday-Thursday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

All CCPL locations closed to the public on Monday, March 16 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Central Library, Meadowdale Library and North Courthouse Road Library reopened in June.

Customers are expected to wear face coverings while in the library and to continue to follow health department recommendations including conducting self-health checks, maintaining social distancing and washing hands frequently.   

All locations continue to offer virtual learning pods. These are spaces that allow students, teachers and teleworkers access to spaces to continue virtual learning and teleworking.

Curbside checkouts, which began the week of March 23, are still being offered at all locations and will continue to be available at open locations.

For more information, visit CCPL's website. 

Read the full news release. 

Oct. 9, 2020 Update - 11 a.m.

Governor Northam Reminds Virginians to Register to Vote Ahead of Tuesday Deadline
Fifth annual Governor’s High School Voter Registration Challenge encourages eligible students to register

With just a few more days until Virginia’s Tuesday, Oct. 13 voter registration deadline, Governor Ralph Northam urged all Virginians to check their registration status and make sure they are registered to vote in the upcoming Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election.

Governor Northam is also reminding Virginia students about the fifth annual Governor’s High School Voter Registration Challenge, which kicked off on National Voter Registration Day, Tuesday, Sept. 22, and will conclude the last week of April 2021, marking the end of Virginia’s annual High School Student Voter Registration Week.

The Governor’s High School Voter Registration Challenge invites high schools across the Commonwealth to register the highest percentage of their voting-age population, and those that reach or exceed 65 percent registration of their eligible senior class will receive a congratulatory certificate from the Governor. Created in 2016, the annual competition is a partnership of the Office of the Governor and the Secretaries of Administration and Education, in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Elections and the League of Women Voters of Virginia.

The 2020–2021 Governor’s Challenge is designed to help high schools comply with a new law passed this year that requires all public high schools in Virginia to facilitate voter registration for qualified students during the normal course of the school day. Virginia students born on or before Nov. 3, 2002 can register now and vote in this year’s Nov. 3 general election.

While in-person registration drives are more difficult and less frequent under social distancing requirements, there are still several convenient ways to register to vote or update an existing registration. A new law approved in Virginia earlier this year implements automatic voter registration for individuals accessing service at a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office or the DMV website.

Virginians also can register to vote by submitting paper applications by mail to their local general registrar, in person at their local general registrar’s office or completing the online form on the Department of Elections’ website before Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Resources to help schools educate and register students are available through the Department of Elections and the League of Women Voters of Virginia, which focuses on voter registration, education and advocacy.

Schools participating in the Governor’s Challenge can get credit for each student who registers to vote via the Department of Elections’ Citizen Portal by using their school’s unique URL. For more information, contact Janet Boyd, Voter Services Director for the League of Women Voters of Virginia, at HSVRChallenge@lwv-va.org.

Read the full news release on the Virginia Governor Newsroom. 

Oct. 8, 2020 Update - 3 p.m.

Chesterfield Government Citizens Academy Goes Virtual
Fall session begins Thursday, Oct. 22; registration now open

After postponing the spring Government Citizens Academy due to COVID-19, the Department of Citizen Information and Resources is excited to announce the fall Government Citizen Academy session will be offered virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Oct. 22-Dec. 19. Registration is now open, and the sessions will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. 

The Government Citizens Academy provides citizens the opportunity to learn about their local government, participate in interactive sessions and provide feedback about the county’s work. The academy is free to participants and offers opportunities to meet local government leaders. 

Learn more and apply at the Government Citizens Academy page. Class size is limited, so those unable to attend a particular session may be placed on a waiting list. For more information, contact GCA@chesterfield.gov or 804-796-7100. Once registered, participants will receive an email with the details for the sessions and the link to the virtual meetings will be sent the day before the session.

Oct. 8, 2020 Update - 11:30 a.m.

Governor Northam Directs More Than $220 Million in CARES Act Funding to Virginia’s K-12 Schools
All 132 school districts to receive at least $100,000 for COVID-19 preparedness and response

Governor Ralph Northam announced a new allocation of more than $220 million in federal Coronavirus Aid, Recovery and Economic Security (CARES) Act dollars to help K-12 public schools in Virginia. The funding will support COVID-19 preparedness and response measures for the 2020–2021 school year, including testing supplies, personal protective equipment, sanitization and technology for distance learning. Funding will be distributed to all 132 public school districts using an allocation formula of $175 per pupil based on fall enrollment, with a minimum of $100,000 for each school division. 

This funding will supplement $66.8 million provided to Virginia through the federal Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund and an additional $587.5 million allocated to the Commonwealth in May under the CARES Act. This included $238.6 million from the Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief (ESSER) Fund for K-12 activities. Additionally, the CARES Act provided $343.9 million for higher education through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.

View more information on the amount of funding allocated to each school division (PDF).

Read the full news release on the Virginia Governor Newsroom. 

Oct. 7, 2020 Update - 2 p.m.

Governor Northam Allocates $30 Million in CARES Act Funding to Fast-Track Broadband Projects
Localities can apply for funding to support expansion of high-speed, broadband internet

Governor Ralph Northam announced that Virginia is allocating $30 million in funding from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Recovery and Economic Security (CARES) Act to improve broadband access in underserved localities.

Localities must apply for the funding, and eligible projects are those able to be completed within the time constraints on spending federal dollars, which means more Virginians could get connected to high-speed, broadband internet by the end of the year.

The State Council of Higher Education in Virginia estimates that 200,000 K-12 students and 60,000 college students in Virginia lack access to broadband at home. Universal broadband access has been a priority for the Northam administration, which has worked to support broadband infrastructure projects capable of connecting more than 108,000 homes and businesses. Governor Northam’s current budget proposals include $85 million in investments for broadband infrastructure. 

The CARES Act funding allocated to this initiative is separate from other broadband funding streams. Localities are encouraged to creatively address the digital divide, including projects that address infrastructure or the cost of broadband services.  

The follow are examples of eligible projects. Projects not listed below, but related to broadband and telecommunications expansion, will also be considered.

• Broadband infrastructure capable of delivering a minimum of 25Mbps/3Mbps to Virginians currently unserved, with limited overbuilding of existing infrastructure.
• Broadband service connection costs for passings or property with high cost for individual connections, no greater than $10,000 per connection. Examples of such connections are for passings with long driveways, on a private road, or that have costs associated with a rail or highway crossing.
• Cellular transmission equipment for parts of the Commonwealth without cell service. 

The program will launch Friday, Oct. 9, and only localities are eligible to apply for funding. Additional information will be provided to local chief administrative officers. 

Detailed program and application information will be made available at commonwealthconnect.virginia.gov.

Read the full news release on the Virginia Governor Newsroom. 

Oct. 6, 2020 Update - 9 a.m.

Absentee Ballot Voters Can Skip Early Voting Lines to Cast Ballot
Voters returning absentee ballots do not have to wait in line to vote, can cast their ballots into a secure onsite ballot bag

With early voting in full swing in Chesterfield, the county’s Registrar’s Office is reminding early voters returning their absentee ballots to cut the line and drop them into a secure onsite ballot bag. 

The Chesterfield County Electoral Board has sanctioned the use of ballot bags over installing ballot boxes for early voting and the Tuesday, Nov. 3 General Election. Absentee voters can simply place their ballots in the ballot bag, where it’s monitored and later stored by an Officer of Election in a secure location until the ballots are ready to be opened and counted for the election. 

Each voting precinct also will be equipped with ballot bags during the Nov. 3 General Election. 

Ballot bags also will be available to early absentee voters seeking to return their ballots at four additional early voting satellite locations set to open starting Monday, Oct. 19: 

• North Courthouse Road Library | 325 Courthouse Road, North Chesterfield
• LaPrade Library | 9000 Hull Street Road, North Chesterfield 
• Meadowdale Library | 4301 Meadowdale Blvd, North Chesterfield
• Matoaca-Ettrick Library | 4501 River Road, South Chesterfield 

Currently, voters can cast their ballots in person at, or bring their completed absentee ballots to, the Registrar’s Office, located at 9848 Lori Road, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office also will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. the two Saturdays (Oct. 24 and Oct. 31) before the Nov. 3 General Election.   

All registered Chesterfield voters regardless of precinct can vote early at the county Registrar’s Office and the soon to be open satellite early voting locations. 

The last day of early voting is Saturday, Oct. 31 at 5 p.m.

Since launching in person and absentee early voting on Sept. 18, the rate of ballots cast by county voters has been high – with 14,220 people already submitting ballots for the General Election. The volume is only expected to increase as the Nov. 3 General Election nears; however, it’s not too late to register to vote, request an absentee ballot or vote in person. 

Visit PromoteTheVoteCfield.org to learn more about how to cast your ballot and important election deadlines. Then work your election plan and vote!

Read the full news release.

Oct. 1, 2020 Update - 8 a.m.

Virginia Launches New Open Data Portal to Enhance COVID-19 Response and Recovery
Virtual Virginia Datathon will use state portal to develop applications that address impacts of health crisis

Governor Ralph Northam announced that the Virginia Open Data Portal now includes more than a dozen new COVID-19 datasets from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). The launch of the new Virginia Open Data Portal, which is a collaboration between the Office of the Chief Data Officer and the Library of Virginia, was accelerated amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to provide greater access to the data informing public health officials and allow Virginians to interact with it.

The Virginia Open Data Portal was launched in 2014 by Governor Terry McAuliffe to provide centralized access to data across state agencies and create a platform where Virginians can interpret, analyze and transform the data into actionable intelligence. Within the portal, users can view stories and dashboards, create visualizations, filter data and access it through application programming interfaces (APIs) to build solutions in web and mobile applications. A list of COVID-19 datasets can be found on the Virginia Open Data Portal.

The 2020 Virtual Virginia Datathon, which kicks off Thursday, Oct. 1, will bring together state agencies, students, localities, non-profits and private sector businesses to leverage this data to develop innovative solutions that seek to address challenges created by the pandemic. The Datathon will be livestreamed on the Library of Virginia’s YouTube page beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 1. Team presentations are scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2.

The annual Virginia Datathon, which is being held virtually this year, is a two-day statewide competition where teams of innovators use state data and other open data sources to create applications with the support of subject matter experts from the community. In previous years, Datathon participants have tackled issues from workforce innovation, to equity in education, to the opioid and addiction crisis.          

In June, Governor Northam announced the expansion of the Framework for Addiction Analysis and Community Transformation (FAACT), Virginia’s cross-agency, cloud-based, data-sharing and analytics platform to help the Commonwealth mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and maintain an adequate supply of resources. 

The Commonwealth is committed to growing the number of open datasets available through the portal. Learn more about the Virginia Open Data Portal and access the Commonwealth’s datasets at data.virginia.gov.

Read the full news release on the Virginia Governor Newsroom. 

September 2020 Updates

All September 2020 updates have been moved to the COVID-19 Updates Archive - September 2020.

August 2020 Updates

All August 2020 updates have been moved to the COVID-19 Updates Archive - August 2020.

July 2020 Updates

All July 2020 updates have been moved to the COVID-19 Updates Archive - July 2020.

June 2020 Updates

All June 2020 updates have been moved to the COVID-19 Updates Archive - June 2020.

May 2020 Updates

All May 2020 updates have been moved to the COVID-19 Updates Archive - May 2020.

April 2020 Updates

All April 2020 updates have been moved to the COVID-19 Updates Archive - April 2020.

March 2020 Updates

All March 2020 updates have been moved to the COVID-19 Updates Archive - March 2020.