Rappahannock supervisors back sewer authority loan, OK boundary change, recognize heroes, reconsider public comment cap

From approving a boundary line adjustment to the Town of Washington and hearing impassioned public comments, to a musical interlude in honor of blues legend John Jackson, here’s what you missed at Wednesday’s Board of Supervisors’ (BOS) meeting:

• The supervisors approved backing a loan sought by the Rappahannock County Water and Sewer Authority (RCWSA) to replace outdated equipment at the Sperryville Wastewater Treatment Plant. The county is not being asked to cosign the loan, said Bonnie Jewell, assistant county administrator, but to “backstop” the loan agreement to give the loan agency reassurance. RCWSA will be responsible for all payments on the loan, and plans to gradually raise rates to cover the cost. 

• Kathryn Waters, fire and rescue recruitment and retention coordinator, recognized the lifesaving efforts of Ben Hahn, a Rappahannock resident who performed chest compressions for 10 minutes on an individual at Settle’s Garage in Flint Hill until first responders arrived on scene. Janie Jenkins, a 911 dispatcher, was also recognized for giving Hahn clear instructions over the phone, as well as Wayne Dodson and the Chester Gap paramedic team who responded to the scene.

• A public hearing was held about a 3.94953-acre boundary adjustment to the Town of Washington, allowing for the entirety of the Rush River Commons project to exist within town limits. The board approved the request in a 4-1 vote, with Piedmont Supervisor Christine Smith voting against the adjustment. 

• Funding was unanimously approved for new LifePak 35 monitors for all emergency response teams in the county.

• A public hearing was held on county code amendments outlining how meetings are to be conducted and putting a three-minute cap on comments from the public. After citizens spoke against the amended language, feeling that it limits a citizen’s freedom of speech at public meetings, the board decided to redraft the amendment, with Stonewall-Hawthorne Supervisor Van Carney calling the language presented “too squishy.”

• The board proclaimed September 2024 Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and honored Rappahannock survivors and the families of children who lost their battle with cancer. Later this month, a lunch fundraiser to support families affected by childhood cancer will be held. (We recently wrote about a related local effort to shine a light on childhood cancer during this awareness month.) 

• Sept. 28, 2024, was proclaimed John Jackson Day in honor of the late Blues musician who was born in the county in 1924. The John Jackson Blues Festival is scheduled for the same date. 

• The board conducted a performance evaluation of County Administrator Garrey Curry in closed session, and discussed a proposed change to his compensation package and contract. Members of the board sang Curry’s praises, but decided to take a month to review the contract and “strike some balance” between tax dollars, a need to appropriately compensate Curry for his work and conveying “our confidence in him,” said Hampton Supervisor Keir Whitson. The topic was tabled until the October meeting.

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• Pat Kenney, former superintendent of the Shenandoah National Park, was appointed to the Recreational Facilities Authority Board, which runs the Rappahannock County Park. 

• The board discussed additions and edits to a proposed zoning ordinance amendment pertaining to contractors’ yards. No action was taken at this meeting, and it was added to next month’s agenda to further consider. 

• A new agreement between the county and the Rappahannock Animal Welfare League (RAWL) is needed to replace the current “inconsistent and outdated” agreement, said Curry. The board was instructed to read the draft agreement before the October meeting, when it will be discussed further.

• Discussions of the temporary sign ordinance amendments were postponed to October’s meeting. 

Expanded stories coming up in the Rappahannock News, in print and online.

Full video of the meeting: