[I. CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:02]
WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT HAVING THIS ON A WEDNESDAY.
WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO LEAD US IN PRAYER FROM THE GALLERY? WANT TO HAVE A PLEDGE NOW.
YOU WANT TO DO THAT FIRST. OKAY, LET'S DO A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE FIRST.
AND I'D LIKE TO OPEN US UP WITH A WORD OF PRAYER.
BEAUTIFUL DAY THAT YOU'RE GIVEN.
DEAR LORD WE THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER DEAR LORD THAT WE MIGHT [INAUDIBLE] FOR THIS COUNTY LORD AND WE MAY MAKE WISE DECISIONS AND DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COUNTY AND DEAR LORD WATCH AND KEEP US BLESS THOSE WHO AREN'T FEELING WELL BLESS THOSE WHO AREN'T ABLE TO BE HERE AND BLESS THOSE WHO [INAUDIBLE] HAVE NO DESIRE TO COME OUT TONIGHT TO SUPPORT THIS.
DEAR LORD WE JUST THANK YOU FOR [INAUDIBLE] TO AND FROM [INAUDIBLE].
HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS NAME. AMEN. AMEN.
ALL RIGHT. I'D LIKE TO MR. DRAKE DOES USE THE GAVEL.
OPEN THE MEETING OF THE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH 2021 SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION. WE HAVE A FAIRLY SHORT AGENDA TODAY, BUT I'D LIKE TO CALL OUR MEETING TO ORDER. OUR FIRST BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
[II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
HAS EVERYBODY GOT THE MINUTES AND REVIEWED THEM.SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY, AYE.
THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS IS PUBLIC HEARINGS.
WE HAVE NONE ON THE AGENDA, SO WE'LL PASS THAT ITEM THREE BY ITEM FOUR IS UNFINISHED
[IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS]
BUSINESS. DISCUSSION OF UTILITY SCALE SOLAR AMENDMENT.I'D LIKE TO OPEN THAT UP AT THIS POINT FOR UNFINISHED BUSINESS, FOR DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
I BELIEVE THAT, MS. LEWIS SENT US.
I FINALLY GOT THE EMAIL MS. LEWIS THAT I DID NOT GET.
I DID READ IT, BUT I DIDN'T OPEN THE ATTACHMENT.
SO THAT WAS ON ME. MINUS ONE FOR JACK RANDALL.
OK. BUT YOU DID A PERFECT JOB AND I DID NOT DO A VERY GOOD JOB.
SO, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? MS. LEWIS ON THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
OK, I SENT IN YOUR AGENDA PACKAGE, THE CAROLINE COUNTY ORDINANCE MARKED UP WITH SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY KIND OF PUT IN, AND IT'S NOTED IN BOLD THE THINGS THAT ARE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY FROM SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY [INAUDIBLE], THAT'S WHAT WAS REQUESTED LAST MONTH THAT WE USE CAROLINE COUNTY AS THE BASE AND THEN PUT IT IN THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY ISSUES. SO YOU GOT THAT WITH YOUR AGENDA PACKAGE.
IN AN EMAIL TODAY, YOU GOT FROM, MR. FOSTER, HIS VERSION OF THE CAROLINE COUNTY ORDINANCE WITH THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY THINGS ADDED AND THEN HIS COMMENTS.
YOU GOT THAT BY EMAIL AND I PRINTED ONE OUT FOR YOU.
PUT IT AT YOUR PLACE WITH THE PURPLE ALONG THE SIDE.
SO I GUESS YOU WANTED TO GO THROUGH THIS ITEM BY ITEM AND NOW YOU HAVE IT.
YOU ALSO HAVE AT YOUR PLACE TONIGHT.
I THINK I MAILED THEM TO YOU A MAP OF FARMLAND OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE.
THAT'S THAT STRIP THROUGH SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY.
IT GOES FROM IT GOES DOWN TO THE STATE LINE AND STARTS.
[00:05:01]
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE, BUT FAR NORTH OF SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, YOU CAN SEE THE GREEN ARROWS ARE THE [INAUDIBLE] AND THE WEB SOIL SERVICE.THE USGS MAPPING THESE ARE THE AREAS OF FARMLAND STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE.
IN THE VERSION OF THE ORDINANCE THAT I SENT YOU.
IT JUST NUMBER 4 UNDER GENERAL [INAUDIBLE] STANDARDS, ADDS THE PROJECT SHALL NOT BE LOCATED ON PROPERTY DESIGNATED AS FARMLAND THE STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE AND THE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE SOIL SURVEY.
CAN I ASK? I HATE TO INTERRUPT YOU.
BUT FOR US, MY GRANDDAD WAS A PEANUT FARMER, BUT I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THE FARMLAND OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE.
CAN SOMEONE JUST CLARIFY THAT DEFINITION FOR ME? THAT IS A DEFINITION FROM THE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE SOIL SURVEY.
THAT IS SOIL THAT IS EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD AT PRODUCING CROPS AND IS THE BEST FOR GROWING FOR.
IT'S FLAT, IT HAS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF WATER, IT HAS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF SPEAKERS] CHEMISTRY. YES.
SO THAT IS JUST IN THE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE.
I WOULD JUST ASK THE QUESTION AND I HOPE SOME OF OUR FARMERS COULD HELP ME OUT, BUT LET'S SAY THAT YOU OWN A FARM THAT'S IN THIS, I GUESS THE EASTERN, THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF OUR COUNTY.
I GUESS THAT'S FORKS OF THE RIVER AREA.
I DO A LITTLE FISHING DOWN THERE AROUND ROUND GUT.
BUT I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME FIELDS THERE THAT HAVE CROPS IN THEM.
AND IF I OWN A FOUR HUNDRED ACRE FARM AND I HAVE A FARM OF NOT OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE, IT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT TO ME.
I MEAN. AND SHOULD WE SHOULD WE RESTRICT IT TO FARMLAND OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE OR AGRICULTURAL FARM OR FARMLAND AND CULTIVATE? I'M JUST THINKING, DOES THAT RESTRICT OUR DEFINITION BECAUSE I LOOKED AT THIS AND I'M THINKING TO MYSELF, MAN, I THOUGHT WE HAD MORE FARMLAND OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE THAN WHAT'S SHOWING HERE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PERCENTAGES ARE, BUT DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF IS THIS 20 PERCENT? IS THIS 60 PERCENT? IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE MORE THAN 10 PERCENT TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER CATEGORIES.
THE NEXT CATEGORY IS PRIME FARMLAND AND PRIME FARMLAND TAKES UP WELL OVER 60 PERCENT OF SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, THE NEXT HIGHEST LEVEL IS PRIME FARMLAND IF DRAINED, SO THAT MEANS THAT THERE ARE SOME WATER ISSUES AND THE LOWEST GRADE OF FARMLAND IS CALLED NOT FRONT FARMLAND.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT DOESN'T GROW CROPS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT DOESN'T GROW TREES.
BUT ITS SOIL TYPES ARE NOT THE MOST CONDUCIVE TO GROWING.
THE FARMLAND OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE IS MADE UP OF SOIL TYPES THAT THE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE AND THE USDA HAS DETERMINED HAVE THE COMBINATION OF SOIL TYPES AND HYDROLOGY THAT MAKE IT THE MOST PRODUCTIVE LAND.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT OTHER SOIL TYPES AND OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS AREN'T PRODUCTIVE, BUT YES.
SOME OF THE BEST SOME OF THE NOT THE HIGHEST AND DRIEST LAND IS NOT THE BEST TIMBER GROWING AREA, BUT IT'S OUR WINTERTIME LOGGING THAT I THINK WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESERVE YOUR YOUR RUMFORD SOILS, YOUR HOOCHI, VERY SANDY SITES.
WE'D LIKE TO WET AND THEY CAN'T FIND SITES TO LOG BECAUSE IT'S.
BUT YOU SEE IN MR. FOSTER'S VERSION, HE ADDED NOT USING FARMLAND STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE, BUT PERHAPS A PERCENTAGE THAT IS CURRENTLY AN AGRICULTURAL CROP PRODUCTION SO THAT IS THEN YOUR POINT, JACK, THAT IT'S AN ACTIVE AGRICULTURAL USE.
SO AND I'M READING PAGE ONE THE BOTTOM, THAT'S WHAT YOUR . THE PROJECT SHALL NOT BE LOCATED ON PROPERTY DESIGNED AS FARMLAND OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE AND THE NATIONAL NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE SOIL SURVEY OF
[00:10:05]
SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY THAT IS CURRENTLY IN AGRICULTURAL CROP PRODUCTION.AND THAT'S THE NOTE THAT MR. FOSTER ADDED YES.
BUT ISN'T THAT EVEN OVERLY RESTRICTIVE? I MEAN, BUT THAT'S LIKE ELEMENT ONE AND ELEMENT TWO THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN IS THE PROJECT SHALL NOT BE LOCATED ON PROPERTY DESIGNATED AS FARMLAND OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE IN THE NATIONAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE SOIL SURVEY OF SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY.
RIGHT. THAT IS CURRENTLY AN AGRICULTURAL CROP PRODUCTION.
SO THERE ARE SOME OF THIS THAT'S NOT IN AGRICULTURAL, SO THAT'S EVEN MORE OVERLY RESTRICTIVE.
I DON'T LIKE I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU ALL FEEL, BUT I DON'T LIKE THAT AT ALL.
WHAT IS TIMBER CONSIDERED IS THAT AN AGRICULTURAL CROP? YEAH, BUT IT'S JUST SAYING THIS AND IT AND IT HAS TO BE AN AGRICULTURAL USE.
BUT THESE GREEN AREAS THAT ARE NOT IN AGRICULTURAL USE WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR SOLAR INSTALLATIONS. IT'S THIS MINUS.
BUT MR. FOSTER'S HERE HE CAN ANSWER I DON'T THINK THAT PROTECTS ENOUGH FARMLAND.
OK, YOU WANT TO PROTECT MORE FARMLAND? ABSOLUTELY. OK.
BUT THIS DEFINITION WOULD ALLOW SOME OF THIS SMALL PERCENTAGE THAT, YOU KNOW, QUALIFIES WITH THE SOIL SAMPLES, ET CETERA.
BUT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE ACTIVELY FARMED, BASICALLY.
SO YOU PUT IN THERE A ONE THAT IS ACTIVELY FARMED, I GUESS IF YOU WANT TO GET MORE PROTECTED. THEN, OF COURSE, IF YOU WANTED TO GET RID OF YOUR PLACE, YOU JUST QUIT FARMING IN IT. I DON'T KNOW.
THIS MAP IS DISAPPOINTING TO ME.
I JUST DON'T FOLLOW THAT I THOUGHT OF.
WHO DECIDES IT'S FARMLAND OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE.
AND NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE KNOW, THE SOIL, I MEAN, THAT'S.
YES. I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A DISCUSSION GOING ABOUT IT.
BUT IT'S A COMMON IT'S A COMBINATION.
IT LOOKS GREAT ON PAPER, BUT THEN IN APPLICATION, IT'S NOT SO GREAT.
RIGHT. IT'S THE WAY THAT I SEE IT AND I'M JUST GIVING MY, YOU KNOW, SUBJECTIVE OPINION.
WELL, SOMEONE LAST MONTH STATED THAT SOUTHAMPTON WAS THE LARGEST PRODUCER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCER IN THE STATE.
RIGHT. ROW CROP PRODUCTION. THAT'S CORRECT.
RIGHT. AND THIS MAP DOES NOT, TO ME, DOES NOT REFLECT THAT.
NOT ALL THE MAPS THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING UP TO THIS POINT WITH PRIME FARMLAND SPEAKERS] ALL OVER THE WHOLE AREA, NOT THESE LITTLE TEENY DOTS.
ALL OVER. RIGHT. THIS MAP WAS DRAWN BY A PRO SOLAR FARMER.
NO, THIS MAP JUST I DISAGREE WITH THAT IT WAS. I AGREE WITH HIS RESERVATIONS IS I LOOK AT THIS AND I SAY, WAIT A MINUTE HERE.
YOUR MAPS THAT YOU HAD IN THE PAST THAT SHOWED THE AREAS THAT WERE NOT PRIME FARMLAND OR THE TAN SHADED AREAS.
MM HMM. MS. LEWIS, I WAS VERY POOR IN TAKING NOTES.
CAN YOU GIVE ME THE LEVELS OF SO FARMLAND OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE IS BASICALLY THE CREAM OF THE CROP? YES. WHAT WAS THE NEXT LEVEL? PRIME FARMLAND.
PRIME FARMLAND? AND THEN WHAT'S THE NEXT ONE? PRIME FARMLAND DRAINED.
DRAINED. IF DRAINED? DRAINED. YES.
SO THE FOUR LEVELS, RIGHT, THAT'S CORRECT.
THE SOIL OK. I THINK THIS IS JUST BASED ON SOIL TESTING IS THE.
BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THERE IS SOME THAT THEY WOULD HAVE NOT PRIME FARMLAND THAT IF YOU PUT IRRIGATION ON IT, IT TURNS INTO PRODUCTIVE LAND.
AND THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF LAND IN SOUTHERN BUCHANAN THAT'S GOT DRAIN TILE ON IT.
RIGHT. AND THERE WAS AN AWFUL LOT OF MONEY SPENT IN THAT PROCESS.
AND YOUR GRANDFATHERED IN TO KEEP IT MAINTAINED AND KEEP IT DRAINED, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE A LOT OF WETLAND LAWS ON THE BOOK.
[00:15:02]
SO REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE FORESTS THE TIMBERLAND.DID YOU SAY THAT IS CATEGORIZED AS PRIME FARMLAND? IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT THE SOIL IS, NOT WHAT'S GROWING ON IT.
IT'S BASED ON ALL OF IT IS BASED ON THE QUALITY OF THE SOIL.
SOIL AND THE HYDROLOGY, NOT WHAT'S GROWING ON IT.
OKAY. AND SOME OF THE LAND THAT IS FARMLAND OF STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE HAS TIMBER GROWING ON IT, AND SOME OF THE LAND THAT IS DESIGNATED AS NOT PRIME FARMLAND HAS TIMBER GROWING ON IT. ALL THE CATEGORIES HAVE.
CROSSOVERS, RIGHT? OKAY. BUT THIS IS INDICATIVE OF THE TYPE OF SOIL AND THE HYDROLOGY.
IT SEEMS TO ME WE NEED A MAP THAT SHOWS THOSE FOUR STAGES.
OK. BEFORE WE MAKE A DECISION.
I MEAN, WE'RE THE TOP ROW CROP COUNTY IN THE STATE AREN'T WE SIR.
THAT'S CORRECT. AND DON'T TELL ME YOU GET TOP OF THE STATE BY HAVING JUST SUCH, YOU KNOW, THE LITTLE GREEN YOU GOT PUT IN HERE.
THAT'S RIGHT, THERE ARE A LOT OF FARMS THAT HAVE TILE IN THEM.
THAT'S VERY EXPENSIVE. MR. CHAIRMAN, VICE CHAIRMAN, I'M GOING TO MAKE A COMMENT, PLEASE.
YES, SIR. I'M GONNA TRY TO GET THROUGH THIS IF I CAN.
THE USDA REQUIRES EVERY FARMER TO CERTIFY THE CROPS OF THE PLANTED AND HARVEST IT IN THE COUNTY EACH YEAR.
IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS.
SO EVERY ACRE, EVERY FIELD THAT YOU SEE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, THROUGHOUT THE NATION, ACTUALLY, EVERY ACRE ON THIS PLANTED HAS TO BE CERTIFIED BY JUNE 15TH FOR TRADITIONAL ROW CROPS.
I THINK A SMALL GRAINS MAY BE A LITTLE LATER.
AND IT HAS TO MEET THE ACREAGE OF THE GSI MAP.
I MEAN, EVERY TENTH A ACRE HAS TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR, THE PLANNING DATE HAS TO BE RECORDED.
AND WHAT THE CROP IS ON THAT PARTICULAR PIECE OF LAND.
SAME THING WHEN IT'S HARVESTED AND THAT GOES BACK TO A CROP INSURANCE SITUATION IF IT'S HARVESTED ON TIME OR IF IT'S NOT HARVESTED, IT HAS TO BE RECORDED AND TO BE CHECKED SO THAT THE CLAIMS CAN BE ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY.
BUT THERE ARE ACREAGE OR THERE IS ACREAGE IN THE COUNTY.
IT IS NOT PLANTED IN CROPS MR. MANN MAY HAVE SOME ACREAGE, I'M NOT SURE, BUT I KNOW WE DO.
I HAVE SOME PERSONAL THAT I OWN.
I DON'T LIKE TO RENT ACREAGE THAT I CAN'T PLANT.
BUT WHEN YOU RUN A FARM, YOU RENT THE FARM WITH THE NOTION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO WORK THE LAND THAT WILL PRODUCE A CROP THAT YOU MAKE A PROFIT ON AND THEN THAT THOSE FIELDS OR CORNERS OF FIELDS OR IT COULD BE ALL PASTURE OR ABANDON PASTURE LAND.
WE REFER TO IT AS MARGINAL LAND.
MARGINAL LAND CAN BE REALLY IFFY ABOUT PUTTING A CROP ON BECAUSE IT CAN COME BACK TO BITE YOU. YOU MIGHT GET IT PLANTED, MAYBE TO PURCHASE CROP GROWING IF THE RAINS COME EARLY IN THE FALL OR COME IN SUMMER, THEY MAY DRY ON AND YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND RETRIEVE THE CROP. SO THE MARGINAL LAND WE TEND TO STAY AWAY FROM, BUT THE LANDOWNER, HE WANTS THE FARMER TO CONTINUE TO MOW AND KEEP HIS FARM LOOKING NICE.
SO WHEN YOU LEASE A FARM THAT HAS MARGINAL LAND ON IT, YOU STILL HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT.
FOR SOME REASON SOME PEOPLE JUST DON'T [INAUDIBLE] GROW BACK UP IN TREES.
SO THAT BEING SAID? THOSE RECORDS ARE AVAILABLE ON FILE AT THE FSA OFFICE, WHICH HERE HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT.
AND, YOU KNOW IF A PARCEL OF THAT FARM IS NOT BEING TENDED LIKE SAY, IF IT'S MARGINAL WET IT COULD BE CONVERTED WETLANDS FOR WHATEVER REASON.
IT'S GOING TO BE A RECORD IN THE FSA OFFICE AND I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WOULD BE A PLACE THAT SOLAR WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE A PLACE IF THE LANDOWNER
[00:20:09]
DOESN'T WANT IT TO GROW UP IN TREES.HE MAY WANT TO PUT A SOLAR FARM PROJECT THERE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, BE CAREFUL BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT THAT SAME TENANT OR OWNER TO SAY, WELL, I GOT THIS, YOU KNOW, PRIME TRACK HERE.
I'M GOING TO LAYOUT LIKE ONE YEAR AND I'M GOING TO SAY WAS IT FARMED LAST YEAR.
BUT. THAT'S GOING TO KIND OF DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT TONIGHT.
BUT IF IT'S BEEN ABANDONED FOR 10 YEARS OR MORE, WHICH THE RECORDS, LIKE I SAY, THE RECORDS WOULD BE AVAILABLE.
IF IT'S BEEN MARGINAL LAND AND BEEN LAID OUT FOR 10 YEARS, WELL, IT'S PROBABLY IT PROBABLY HAS ANOTHER LITTLE USE TO BEING ROW CROP.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ADDS ANY LIGHT AS TO YOUR QUESTION OR NOT, BUT THERE ARE PARCELS MANY PARCELS IN THE COUNTY THAT ARE NOT BEING TENDED.
THAT THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD USE FOR.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUICK QUESTION? YES. SO THAT WOULD MOST LIKELY, PROBABLY NOT IN EVERY CASE, BUT IN THE MAJORITY WOULD FALL IN NOT PRIME FARMLAND CATEGORY.
THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY, THAT WOULD BE A CORRECT STATEMENT.
YES. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M FOLLOWING IT.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S GOING TO END UP BEING SMALL ACREAGE.
I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO BE A PLACE IN THE FIELD ON ONE EDGE OF THE FARM OR SOMETHING THAT'S CLOSE TO A CREEK OR SWAMP.
SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S BIG ENOUGH FOR A SOLAR FACILITY TO BE INTERESTED IN. WELL, BUT I WILL SAY THAT WE'VE HAD LAND THAT WAS IN PASTURE FOR 40 YEARS AND THEN BECAUSE OF GENETICALLY ALTERED CROPS, THE POSSIBILITY OF USING [INAUDIBLE] WE CONVERTED IT TO ROW CROPS.
AND THE BIGGEST THING WE HAVE TO CONTEND WITH IS THE FACT OF WHETHER THE RIVER COMES UP AND GOES ACROSS THAT CROP, THAT'S WHERE OUR BIGGEST RISK IS AND IT MAKES A GOOD CROP.
AND I HAVE LEARNED THAT IF IT DOESN'T GET DEEP, COTTON CAN SIT UP THERE ABOVE IT AND IT DOESN'T HURT IT IF IT'S FLOODING IN SEPTEMBER.
SO WE'VE GOT LAND THAT BECAUSE OF SCIENCE THAT HAS CREATED THE GENETICALLY ALTERED CROPS HAS BROUGHT LAND IN THAT IS VERY PRODUCTIVE TO ESPECIALLY CERTAIN CROPS, MAYBE NOT PEANUTS, BUT OTHER CROPS.
SO IT HAS MADE SOME PROFITED THAT YEARS AGO, THEY SAID.
WE'VE CONVERTED IT AND DONE THAT AND WE'VE GOT LIKE MR. DRAKE SAID. WE'RE USED TO HAVING WET SOIL CONDITIONS, BUT WITH THE EQUIPMENT WE'VE GOT NOW. I HAVE ACTUALLY PICKED BEANS THAT THE COMBINE WAS DOING A GREAT JOB STANDING UP ON IT. BUT WHEN I WENT TO WALK OUT THERE, I WAS [INAUDIBLE] ABOVE MY TENNIS SHOES.
BUT THIS [INAUDIBLE] WAS FLOATING LIKE IT WAS FLOATING ON TOP OF THE GRAIN.
SO WE'VE LIGHTENED UP THE WEIGHT OF THE EQUIPMENT, PUT MORE TIRES UNDER IT, TALLER TIRES AND WE'VE PUT STUFF IN PRODUCTION.
AND MY POINT OF ALL OF THIS, AND I THINK WE'VE GOT THIS IN THE RECORD THAT WITH THE LAST SOLAR PROJECT THAT CAME INTO THIS COUNTY, WE HAD DIFFERENT FOOD PROCESSES IN THIS KIND OF DIFFERENT AG INDUSTRY.
AND THE AG INDUSTRY IS BIG TO THIS COUNTY SENT LETTERS TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF STATING AND COMPARING THE NEED FOR FOOD WAS JUST AS URGENT IN 40 YEARS AS THE NEED FOR ENERGY. AND WE CAN PRODUCE SOLAR ENERGY ON ROOFTOPS, ON BROWNFIELD SITES.
AND WE CAN ONLY PRODUCE FOOD AND SOIL.
WE CAN NOT PRODUCE IT ON TOP OF AN AIRSTRIP AND OLD AIRSTRIP, WE CANNOT PRODUCE IT ON TOP OF ROOFTOPS EXCEPT IN SMALL CONTAINERS.
BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO FEED THE MASSES.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO RESTRICT IT.
WE DON'T WANT TO PUT LANGUAGE IN HERE THAT TURNS RAIN AND SNEAKS UP BEHIND US AND BITES US. BECAUSE IN 40 YEARS, I SAY THIS ALL THE TIME.
I CAN SLEEP BY CUTTING THE LIGHTS OFF AT NIGHT, BUT I CANNOT SLEEP WITH AN EMPTY STOMACH.
AND THE DEMAND FOR FOOD IS GOING TO BE THERE.
SO I DON'T WANT TO PUT SOMETHING IN HERE THAT WE WISH WE HADN'T.
AMERICAN FARMERS SUPPLY THIRTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE WORLD'S FOOD RIGHT NOW AND IT'S GOING TO GET.
SHORT. MORE THAN THAT AND ONLY 10 PERCENT OF THE AMERICAN FARM, I THINK, PRODUCES 90 PERCENT OF THE PRODUCTS.
FARMERS, BUT 10 PERCENT OF THEM ARE THE ONES THAT PRODUCE MOST OF THE FOOD AND WHETHER
[00:25:03]
IT'S FOOD OR FIBER OR WHATEVER.AND WE DON'T WANT TO FORGET OUR TIMBER INDUSTRY EITHER, BECAUSE I HAD SEEN TIMES WHEN THEY CUT SOME TIMBER AND THE FORESTRY PERSON SAID, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO PLANT PINE TREES BACK IN THERE.
OUR SUGGESTION AS A PERSON THAT LOOKS AT SOILS AND DOWN BESIDE THE RIVER, WE SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE BEST THING TO DO IS TRY.
AND THERE'S A PERFECT STAND OF TIMBER PINE TIMBER RIGHT NEXT TO THE RIVER AND ONCE IN A WHILE IT FLOODS. BUT I DARE SAY THAT OUR FORESTRY INDUSTRY 40 YEARS AGO WAS SAYING, DON'T PUT PINES IN THAT SPOT.
THEY JUST WORK WHEN NRCS HAS TO LOOK AT THE BROAD PICTURE WITH A MAN OUT THERE THAT THAT KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS SOIL AND TAKE 20 STEPS KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE OF THAT SOIL, THESE SOIL MAPS, THEY LOOK AT THE BROAD PICTURE THEY DO NOT A LOT OF TIMES THEY HAVE TO. I'VE HAD NRCS COME TO MY FARM WITH WITH THEIR GPS UNIT TO REALLY NARROW DOWN WHETHER I WAS IN A WETLAND ISSUE OR WHETHER I WAS IN GOOD SOIL ISSUES.
AND THIS PERSON IS WALKING AROUND WITH ME AROUND THE EDGE OF A FIELD WHERE AS LOOKING AT THE MAP. THE MAP IS SAYING ONE THING AND THIS PERSON IS WALKING AROUND.
NO PROBLEM. SO IT'S THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND THAT REALLY MAKES THE DECISION.
AND I JUST WANT I'D LIKE TO AND I THINK I'VE GOT A COPY OF SOME OF THOSE LETTERS THE LAST TIME THAT SHOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE FACING WITH THE FOOD SUPPLY IN 40 YEARS. AND I WANT MY ENERGY, BUT I CERTAINLY WANT MY FOOD AND FIBER AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT US, JACK AND I LIVE ON [INAUDIBLE], YOU COME OUT AT 46, THE BEALE FARM ON ONE SIDE AND THE LEAF FARM ON THE OTHER SIDE.
I MEAN, THEY'RE VERY PRODUCTIVE FARMS. THEY IRRIGATE AND THEY TAKE CARE OF IT.
SOME LAND MIGHT BE NOT BE JUDGED AS PRIME OR WHATEVER, BUT WITH A LITTLE PUSH, A LITTLE TWEAK. IT'S GOOD NOW THAT THAT'S JUST WHY I DON'T LIKE THIS MAP.
I JUST DON'T THINK THIS MAP SHOWS US WHAT REALLY WE NEED.
I'M LOOKING AT A LOT OF LAND THAT I FARMED PERSONALLY, AND IT'S NOT [INAUDIBLE] GREEN.
BUT WITH A LITTLE TLC, I CAN PRODUCE THE SAME YIELDS THAT THE NEXT GUY CAN, AND THE BIGGEST RESTRICTED THING THAT WE HAVE IS WATER.
I DON'T CARE WHAT I DO IF I DO NOT GET THE RAIN OR I CANNOT PUT IRRIGATION WATER ON IT.
I DON'T CARE WHAT KIND OF LAND YOU GOT, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE A CROP.
SO, BUT I DO SEE A LOT OF LAND THAT I PERSONALLY WORK, AND I'VE BEEN FARMING SINCE 1978, SO I HADN'T GONE BROKE YET, FARMING LAND THAT IS NOT PAINTED GREEN ON THIS MAP.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE ONE OTHER COMMENT, IF I COULD.
TO CONTINUE ALONG YOUR COMMENT, MR. MANN. BECAUSE THE NUMBERS ARE NOT OUT YET, BECAUSE THE HARVEST IS STILL GOING ON.
SO WE'LL HAVE THOSE PROBABLY THE FIRST PART OF THE YEAR.
BUT I THINK THE CORN, THE PEANUTS, THE COTTON AND PROBABLY THE SOYBEANS.
BUT THE FIRST TIME IT CAN ALL BE A RECORD YIELDS [INAUDIBLE] AND PROBABLY COULD ACTUALLY TOP SOME OF THE STATE YIELDS.
AND OF COURSE, WE'VE HAD A BLESSED YEAR.
WE'VE HAD WATER WHEN WE NEED IT AND EVEN THOUGH WE HAD TOO MUCH AT ONE TIME.
IT REFLECTS ABOUT WHAT'S IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE IT TONIGHT I USUALLY BRING IT WITH ME BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE [INAUDIBLE] ARE IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. YOU CAN GO BACK AND REVIEW THEM ABOUT YOUR PRIME FARMLAND AND SUCH.
BUT THAT'S THE 20 MILE BARRIER OR INCLUSION GOING THROUGH RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COURTLAND.
YOU KNOW, JUST THE SUBSTANTIAL [INAUDIBLE] THAT REMARK THAT UP TO COLONIAL BEACH, I MEAN, THIS IS THE BEST SOME OF THE BEST ROW CROP LAND FOR PRODUCTIVITY AND NOT ONLY THE ROW CROPS BUT THE VEGETABLE CROPS ARE COMING INTO SOUTHAMPTON FOR THE FIRST TIME THERE SEEMED TO BE A MOVE TO PRODUCE OR A MARKET RATHER FOR VEGETABLE TYPE CROPS GROWN LOCALLY, AND SOME FARMERS ARE STARTING TO EXPERIMENT WITH THOSE.
SO IT JUST REINFORCES THAT FACT, YOU KNOW, AND THE WHOLE THING ABOUT IT IS, YOU KNOW, WE NEED IT ALL WE NEED FOOD PRODUCTION.
WE NEED OUR ENERGY, WE NEED IT ALL.
WE'VE GOT TO FIND THE BEST PLACES FOR IT.
WE'VE GOT TO BE STEWARDS OF THE LAND AND USE THE LAND FOR WHAT THE BEST PURPOSE IS.
[00:30:03]
AND THAT'S WHAT OUR MAJOR REASON FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT AS WE CONTINUE THESE DISCUSSIONS.WHAT'S THE BEST USE OF THE LAND IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY? SO JUST LISTENING TO Y'ALL TALK THIS I THINK MR. MANN PUT IT VERY WELL.
YOU ALL'S PRIMARY CONCERN IS LAND THAT IS IN CURRENTLY WHETHER IT'S THAT OFF LOW LAND OR TRUE PRIME LAND OR LAND YOU CAN PROVE WHATEVER.
SO IF YOUR PRIMARY GOAL IS PRESERVING LAND AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, THEN IT MAY BE BEST NOT TO RELY ON NRCS THAN X OF PRIVATE AREA CAN IMPACT LAND THAT'S CURRENTLY IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION.
AND THAT WAS THE BASIS FOR MY COMMENT TONIGHT.
TWENTY THREE FIVE NUMBER FOUR.
IS THAT A PERCENTAGE THRESHOLD COULD BE ADDED THERE WHERE YOU KNOW? SO MORE THAN X NUMBER OF X PERCENTAGE OF A GIVEN PROJECT TO THE IMPACT LAND THE WAY THAT THE NRCS DESIGNATED THE THRESHOLD FOR IMPACT ON, I THINK YOU'D BE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THIS IS.
I'M GOING TO REPEAT MYSELF BUT REZONING AND USE PERMIT PROCESS TO LOOK AT A PARTICULAR APPLICATION AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW THAT LAND IS LOW OR IT'S WET OR WHATEVER THE DATA DOESN'T BEAR OUT FROM THE WOULD YOU SAY FARM SERVICE AGENCY IS THAT WHERE YOU REPORT AND YOU CAN SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD CALL.
IT MAKES SENSE TO PUT IT THERE.
IT'S NOT FOR THAT. YOU GUYS CAN EVALUATE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO HOLD YOURSELF TO A HARD AND FAST THRESHOLD.
WOULD IT JUST BE ONE FACTOR? CAN I ASK ONE QUESTION? AND I'M JUMPING UP, I RECALL READING THAT IT WAS JUST A HALF A MILE FROM ANY TOWN.
I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHERE THAT WAS.
IT WAS ON THE FIRST PAGE TO TWENTY THREE FIVE TWO.
WHAT NUMBER IS IT? THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE? IT'S 23.5.
ONE HALF MILE, I WAS THINKING SOME OF THE OTHER ONES THAT IT WAS A MINIMUM OF ONE MILE.
AND THAT WASN'T ME, THAT I BELIEVE THAT WAS STRAIGHT OUT OF Y'ALLS CURRENT ORDINANCE.
OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE SAYS A MILE.
CAROLINE MAYBE SEVEN IN A HALF. AND CAROLINE COUNTY SEVEN IN A HALF.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE RED LINE WITH THE COMMENTS.
YES. MY COMMENTS ARE THIS PART OF THE TRUE RED LINE.
OKAY. I BELIEVE MS. LEWIS'S EDITION SOME OF WHICH ARE IN BOLD.
ARE IN BOLD YES. EVERYTHING ELSE IS KIND OF STATIC LANGUAGE IS EITHER PULLED FROM CAROLINE BOLD AND MR. FOSTERS ARE IN PURPLE.
SO WHAT'S SOME OF THE LANGUAGE YOU WOULD RECOMMEND WITH PERCENTAGES? SO EXCUSE ME, PERCENTAGE IS ULTIMATELY UP TO YOU.
BUT I THINK IF YOU TAKE THE CATEGORY OF LAND CURRENTLY IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION INSTEAD OF YOU KNOW, THE WAY THESE PROJECTS ARE DESIGNED, YOU KNOW YOU'RE SIGNING A LEASE FOR SOMETHING THAT MAY BE 50 PERCENT TIMBER, 50 PERCENT CROP AND THEN.
BUT THAT'S BUT ONE PART OF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE UP TO A THOUSAND ACRES PROJECT.
SO I THINK HAVING SOME PERCENTAGE FOR VARIANCE INTO THAT LAND IN THE CURRENT AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IS A GOOD THING COULD AFFORD YOU SOME FLEXIBILITY.
THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE IS, AND THIS IS A LOT OF THIS GOES BACK TO THE NATURE OF THE CONDITION OF THESE PERMIT PROCESSES.
YOU CAN PROVIDE LANGUAGE THAT MAKES THE IMPACT TO LAND CURRENTLY IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION A FACTOR FOR CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF A PROJECT.
AND IF SOMEBODY BRINGS YOU A PROJECT THAT'S 90 PERCENT IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, YOU CAN SAY, HEY, THIS ISN'T WHAT WE HAD IN MIND AND DENIED THE PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, IF THEY BRING YOU A WELL DESIGNED PROJECT, IT'S THAT IMPACTS 40 PERCENT, MOST OF WHICH IS THE TYPE OF LAND AND DESCRIBING IT MIGHT BE WELL SUITED FOR SOLAR, THEN WE CAN SAY, WELL, SURE, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
[00:35:07]
IS PROBABLY NOT A BAD THING.AND IT GIVES YOU ALL SOME DISCRETION TO EVALUATE PROJECTS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS AND PUT THE ONUS ON APPLICANTS TO BRING YOU THE DATA ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON ON THIS LAND IN THE THANK YOU.
I GOT A LOT, I GOT A LOT OF THOUGHTS FOR Y'ALL, JUST LIKE FROM A LIKE A PROCEDURE PERSPECTIVE. THERE'S A LOT ON YOUR PLATE HERE WHAT MS. LEWIS HAS PUT TOGETHER AND THIS REWORK OF THE ORDER, SO IT MIGHT BE WORTHWHILE TO IDENTIFY LIKE FIVE OR SEVEN TOPICS THAT YOU WANT TO GET PER MEETING, KIND OF MAYBE DEVELOP CONSENSUS ON EACH ONE.
INTO THE IF WE GET BACK TO THE MAP.
IS IT A CONSENSUS THAT WE NEED A MAP THAT SHOWS THOSE FOUR CATEGORIES, JUST NOT WITH WHAT WE ARE SEEING HERE? YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, BUT I AGREE I'M LEANING MORE TOWARDS, YOU KNOW? GETTING RID OF THIS COMPLETELY AND SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, LAND IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION. AND THEN WE CAN CONSIDER A PERCENTAGE, BUT I'M.
WELL, HOW ABOUT A A MAP THAT SHOWS THAT, BUT I MEAN, I.
I MEAN, IF IT'S IN PRODUCTION, THAT'S FARMLAND, THERE'S NO FARMER HERE IS GOING TO FARM SOMETHING HE CAN'T MAKE A PROFIT ON.
THE CONTRARY POSITION IS SOMEONE IS SELLING THEIR LAND AND THEY'VE GOT A PERCENTAGE, I GUESS THAT IS TIMBERLAND NONPRODUCTIVE, NOT INCLUDED.
SO I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT BOTH SIDES.
BUT I THINK WHATEVER WE DO, WE HAVE TO PROTECT THE FARMLAND.
I THINK THAT IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE.
AND I THINK IT DEFINITELY HAS TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND AGAIN, IT'S I'M TALKING MY PERSPECTIVE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN WHAT'S WRITTEN HERE. THEY JUST.
IF IT'S BEING FARMED IT'S PRODUCTIVE LAND, BELIEVE ME THE FARMER IS NOT GOING TO RAISE THEIR CROP. IT'S CAPITALISM, IT'S CAPITALISM.
WHY WOULD HE DO IT IF HE WASN'T MAKING ANY MONEY? LIKE I SAID EARLIER, YEAH, IF IT'S NOT PRODUCTIVE, I DON'T PLANT IT.
I JUST CUT IT FOR THE LANDOWNERS.
COSMETICS, YEAH, I UNDERSTAND.
BUT THAT SAME LAND PROBABLY HADN'T HAD A CROP EVER ON IT.
IT WAS JUST CLEARED UP FOR THE WRONG INTENTION.
BUT LIKE MR. MANN SAID IT'S NOT A HUGE AMOUNT OF ACREAGE, BUT EVERYBODY HAS A SPOT HERE AND THERE. BUT IT IS BEING FARMED IS FARMLAND AND WE NEED TO PROTECT THE FARMLAND.
I'M ALSO, I KNOW WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE CUT OVER AND THE FOREST AREAS.
TO ME, THAT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT.
THAT'S A CROP. IF THE LAND IS CAPABLE OF GROWING TREES AND FIBER, THAT'S A RENEWABLE RESOURCE IT'S AESTHETICALLY PLEASING TO A RURAL AREA.
IT PROMOTES THE WILDLIFE, IT CLEANS THE AIR, IT CLEANS AND FILTERS THE WATER, BECAUSE THERE'S A REASON, THERE'S A REASON OUR FOREFATHERS CLEARED THE PARCELS THAT ARE CLEAR TODAY. YOU'VE GOT TO REMEMBER NOW WHEN, THIS AREA WAS DISCOVERED AND WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK A LONG WAYS BACK IN OUR HISTORY.
THIS IS ALL WOODED. IT WAS JUST A FOREST LAND.
IT WASN'T FIELDS LIKE THAT AUTOMATICALLY ALL THIS LAND IS BEING CLEARED, BUT IT'S CLEARED FOR A REASON IT WAS CLEARED TO PRODUCE CROPS.
AND THE REASON THOSE AREAS WERE NOT CLEAR BECAUSE IT WAS BETTER SUITED FOR GROWING TREES.
YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S A REASON THAT OUR FIELDS ARE SO ODD SHAPED BECAUSE IF YOU GO TO THE EDGE OF THE FIELD, THERE'S USUALLY A DROP OFF.
YOU GET INTO THE EDGE OF A MARGINAL AREA OR WETLAND OR WHATEVER.
BUT THERE'S A REASON THE FIELDS ARE SHAPED THE WAY THEY ARE, JUST LIKE ROADS.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION TO THE HIGHWAYS GENERALLY.
[00:40:04]
GENERALLY, THE HIGHWAYS ARE, YOU KNOW, GOING BETWEEN THE CREST OF THE RUNS AND THE CREEKS.AND I KNOW SOME POINT YOU'VE GOT TO CROSS OVER.
BUT TO ME, THE WOODED LAND IS JUST JUST AS IMPORTANT, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF ALLOWING SOLAR FOR SOMEONE TO GO UP AND CLEAR, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO CLEAR THE WOODS AND DEVELOP SOLAR ON IT ARE YOU KIDDING.
I MEAN, YOU NEED TO FOR YOU ALL HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THE [INAUDIBLE] BOARD THIS PROJECT.
YOU NEED TO COME OVER AND SEE, AND YOU JUST CAN'T DO IT RIDING BY ONE TIME, BUT TO SEE THE DEER, RUN UP TO THAT FENCE AND CAN'T CROSS OVER.
YOU KNOW, MY WIFE, MY SON, WE SEE IT ALL THE TIME.
THEY'LL COME ACROSS THE ROAD AND RUN, RUN UP THE CHAIN LINK FENCE LIKE, OH MY GOD, I CAN'T GO IN FRONT OF THEM. AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
SO THEY'RE NOT [INAUDIBLE] JUST SEVENTY ONE, YOU KNOW? IT IS VERY DISRUPTIVE TO THE WILDLIFE, AND I'M NOT A HUNTER.
BUT I DO ENJOY THE ANIMALS, YOU KNOW, AND ENJOY THE WILDLIFE, I ENJOY TAKING A WALK THROUGH THE WOODS.
BUT I THINK ANYBODY OWNS LAND IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT.
THE TREES ARE JUST ANOTHER CROP.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, WITH THOSE MATURING, YOU KNOW, THE WILDLIFE AND THE HUNTERS, GET TO ENJOY IT, GET TO ENJOY THAT IT TAKES 20 TO 25 YEARS TO PRODUCE THAT TIMBER.
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS I'M DOING MORE TALKING THAN I THOUGHT, BUT I'M GOING TO GET COFFEE IN A MINUTE.
THAT'S OKAY. TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, YOU KNOW, I'VE GONE BACK AND READ.
WHILE YOU'RE SITTING BACK THERE TONIGHT, I THOUGHT.
I'VE READ THROUGH JUST A COUPLE OF TIMES AND I'VE NOTICED THE CHANGES.
I'VE NOTICED AND NOTICED THE MEGA WATTS AND THE LAND MASSES, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL BEEN INCREASED FROM MY ORIGINAL ORDINANCE.
I'M GONNA BE HONEST WITH YOU. I JUST DON'T LIKE THOSE NUMBERS BEING INSERTED BECAUSE IT'S ALL BEEN INFLATED.
AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY TOOK IN FOURTEEN HUNDRED ACRES OF MOSTLY PRIME FARMLAND IN NEWSOMS AND BOYKINS.
AND I'VE SEEN HOW DISRUPTIVE IT'S CALLED OUT OUR COMMUNITY FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER.
AND THE MONEY'S, YOU KNOW, THOSE FEW LANDOWNERS, A LOT OF THAT MONEY IS OUT OF STATE, IT'S NOT EVEN IN LOCAL, IT'S NOT BEING SPENT HERE.
IT'S NOT DOING ANYTHING AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED FOR US.
AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED WITH THIS WHOLE SOLAR ISSUE.
IS, YOU KNOW, THE LADY THAT CAME TO OUR WORKSHOP, DO Y'ALL REMEMBER THE LADY THAT CAME FROM DOMINION [INAUDIBLE] AND SHE STOOD UP, SHE SAID, LOOK, IF YOU ALL DON'T WANT IT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACCEPT IT, IT'LL GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I SAID THAT WAS A PRETTY ABRUPT STATEMENT FOR DOMINION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S TRUE, AND NOW I'M SEEING THIS CAP AND MR. FOSTER BROUGHT THAT TO OUR ATTENTION, THE LAST MEETING, I DIDN'T REALIZE WE COULD PUT A CAP ON IT. I DIDN'T KNOW.
TO ME, I THOUGHT IT WAS BEING VERY RESTRICTIVE.
I WAS TRYING TO BEND THE RULES A LITTLE BIT, FIND PLACES THAT WE MAYBE COULD PUT SOLAR AND EVERYBODY WOULD BE HAPPY.
BUT MY PEOPLE WERE TO CALL ME AN ASSOCIATE.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL GET CALLS OR CONTACTS, BUT I DO HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A TASTE OF THE NEWSOMS. I THINK AS MENTIONED HERE, WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER SOLO PROJECT OR WITHIN A MILE.
ARE YOU KIDDING WAIT FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND MY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE OVER HERE.
THEY DON'T WANT IN TEN OF MILES OF NEWSOMS. ANOTHER ONE. THEY DON'T WANT IT 10 MILES THAT CLOSE TO US.
BELIEVE ME, WE DON'T WANT ANOTHER ONE A MILE.
WE GOT ENOUGH SOLAR, WE'RE DONE WITH IT SO WE CAN CAP IT.
I SAY CAP IT AT FOURTEEN HUNDRED ACRES WHICH WE ALREADY HAVE IT.
WE'VE GOT ONE OF THE FIRST ONES IN VIRGINIA.
SO OUR SUPERVISOR SAID TWO YEARS AGO, WE STARTED IT.
LET'S CAP IT AT 14 AND JUST MOVE FORWARD.
NO 14, WE GOT IT. WE'VE ALREADY GOT OUR PROJECT.
WE'RE DOING OUR SOLAR THING AND WE NEED TO COME BACK AND REVIEW IT.
IN A FEW YEARS, WE'LL COME BACK AND REVIEW IT THEN.
BUT JUST THINK WE JUST TOSS THIS THING IN CIRCLES, NOT PLEASING ANYBODY.
BUT MY PEOPLE JUST DON'T THEY DON'T WANT ANOTHER ONE.
WE JUST DON'T WANT ANOTHER ONE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF 58 AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
AND TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT, HOW BIG IS THAT PROJECT THAT WAS PROPOSED OVER [INAUDIBLE]? THAT WAS ABOUT THE SAME SIZE.
[00:45:02]
I WAS THINKING IT WOULD OKAY, AND I JUST SENT A TEXT TO A FRIEND OF MINE THAT'S FROM CHARLOTTE COUNTY AND THE ACRES THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT PROPOSING UP THERE IS IT MAKES THOUSAND ACRES LOOK SMALL. AND WHEN I HEAR THAT IT SHOWS ME WHAT KIND OF STEWARDS THAT THE SOLAR ENERGY IS, THEY WOULD TAKE WHATEVER THEY'RE GIVEN.AND CHARLOTTE COUNTY IS JUST GETTING WRAPPED UP WITH PEOPLE SIGNING OVER THEIR THEIR RIGHTS TO THE PROPERTY.
[INAUDIBLE] USED TO SAY THAT WE'RE JUST THE CARETAKERS, WE DON'T OWN THIS PROBLEM.
WE'RE THE CARETAKERS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
IF WE ALLOW AN INDUSTRY TO JUST COME IN AND RAPE A COUNTY, SHAME ON IT.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE HEADED IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY, RIGHT IN THIS STATE, AND IT'S NOT BUT TWO HOURS WEST OF US. SO AS LONG AS WE GIVE IT, SOMEBODY WILL TAKE IT.
AND 40 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, I GOT THREE GRANDCHILDREN RIGHT NOW, AND I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO DEPEND ON FOOD COMING ACROSS THE OCEAN TO FEED MY GRANDCHILDREN.
SO YOU THINK FOOD IS NOT SAFE NOW? LORD, HELP US IN 40 YEARS.
SO I, YOU KNOW, WE GOT SO MANY PLACES, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING I DIDN'T EVEN BRING UP, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO, SOLAR FACILITIES, THEN WE SHOULD JUST DO LIKE THE HOUSING INDUSTRY TOO. WE HAVE PROFERS AND WE'VE GOT THE TAX THING THAT'S PROPOSED.
BUT FOR IF WE'RE GOING TO GIVE UP A THOUSAND ACRES OF LAND, THEN WE ALL HAVE 5000 HOUSES IN THE COUNTY THAT THE SOLAR INDUSTRY PAYS TO PUT THE SOLAR PANELS ON TOP OF THAT HOUSE.
AND WE'RE NOT DEPENDENT ON THE GRID SO THAT WHEN THE GRID GOES DOWN, THOSE 5000 HOUSES HAVE ENERGY, AT LEAST DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS.
WE'RE NOT EVEN ADDRESSING THAT, BUT I'M.
I DON'T KNOW. WE'VE GOT BRAINFIELD, YOU CAN GOOGLE IT, YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IT IN EUROPE. AND WHEN WE HAD THIS LAST SOLAR INDUSTRY, THE SOLAR COMPANY COME BEFORE US AND WE MENTIONED BRAINFIELD SOLAR.
THE GUY STOOD RIGHT THERE AND LOOKED US IN THE EYE AND TOLD US HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS. IN FACT, HE STOOD RIGHT THERE AND TOLD US A LOT OF THINGS, HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. AND HE REALLY PUT A BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH.
AND THEN TO HEAR WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN SOLAR IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY, IT HASN'T STOPPED.
IT'S LIKE AS LONG AS WE CAN MOVE IN A COUNTY AND CATCH THEM OFF GUARD, LET'S STICK IT TO THEM. AND I JUST.
I CAN GET UPSET ABOUT IT, BUT I'M TRYING TO BE OBJECTIVE AS WELL.
BUT. ANYWAY, ONE QUESTION I'VE GOT IS, ACROSS THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, ACROSS THIS NATION, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE SOLAR PANELS AND BATTERIES ARE MADE IN CHINA VERSUS U.S.
PRODUCED? OH, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT PERCENTAGE, I CAN FIND THAT OUT.
IT'S ABOUT 90 PERCENT, I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF IT WAS 90 PERCENT.
OH. FIRST SOLAR IS ONE YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF WHO'S BASED IN OHIO, AND THEY ASSEMBLED AND MANUFACTURED ALL THEIRS IN THE STATES.
THAT'S THE KIND OF THEY'RE KIND OF THE STAR OF THE SOLAR INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY ARE DOMESTIC. BUT YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
RIGHT NOW, FOR THE MOST PART, THEY'RE ALL IMPORTED.
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, IF IT WAS PRODUCED IN THE UNITED STATES, I WOULD HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE SAY, MAYBE WE'LL TRY IT HERE.
I'M NOT A FAN OF SUPPORTING THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, I'M NOT THERE AND I CAN'T GET THERE.
AND THEY ARE MANUFACTURED A NUMBER ARE MANUFACTURED IN CHINA, BUT ALSO IN SOUTHEAST BECAUSE YOU BROUGHT UP CHARLOTTE AND WE'RE WORKING ON THAT BIG PROJECT.
SO I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS ON IT, BUT I KIND OF WANTED TO CONTEXTUALIZE BECAUSE YOU ALL AND SO YOU GUYS ARE MAKING A LAND USE CALL AND YOU'RE SAYING, OKAY, WHAT'S THE VALUE PROPOSITION OF THIS LAND USE RELATIVE TO ITS DETRACTORS? SO, I KIND OF WANTED TO GO THROUGH WHAT SOLAR MEANS TODAY IN 2021 FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUES AND WHAT IT MEANS, WHAT IT CAN MEAN OVER MULTIPLE MEANS FOR YOUR BOTTOM LINE.
SO THERE'S THREE PRIMARY BUCKETS WHERE SOLAR GENERATES LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUES, REAL ESTATE TAXES. SO.
THAT'S JUST LARGELY DERIVED BY THE CHANGING USE, SO LAND THAT'S ZONED FOR SOLAR IT'S USUALLY ASSESSED ABOUT TEN TO TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLARS PER ACRE.
SO YOU ALL KNOW WHAT YOUR LAND IS CURRENTLY ASSESSED FOR, PARTICULARLY IF IT'S IN LAND USE. SO THAT RESULTS IN THE BIG BUMP.
[00:50:04]
THERE ARE THREE WHAT I CALL STATUTORY STREAMS OF REVENUE RELATED TO SOLAR.SO ONE IS SOLAR REVENUE SHARE, WHICH IS FOURTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS PER MEGAWATT OF MIC] NAMEPLATE CAPACITY, WHICH MEANS LIKE THE LABEL ON THE FACILITY THAT SAYS THIS FACILITY CAN PRODUCE 100 MEGAWATTS.
YOU PAY A TAX BASED ON THAT, PROVEN PRODUCTION EVERY YEAR.
BUT IT'S [INAUDIBLE] SET TO INCREASE EVERY FIVE YEARS BY 10 PERCENT, EVERY FIVE YEARS, BEGINNING IN 2026.
AND THAT'S A YEAR'S IN TIME INCREASE.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE IF YOU BUILD A PROJECT THAT IT GOES UP 10 PERCENT IN FIVE YEARS, IT GOES IN 10 PERCENT ON FIVE YEAR INCREMENTS STARTING IN 2026 FROM THERE FORWARD.
OF THE PROJECT. THAT STREAM OF REVENUE IS NOT COMPOSITE INDEX FOR SCHOOL FUNDING, MEANING IT'S REVENUE THAT COMES TO YOU WITHOUT THAT OFFSETTING FACTOR OF CAUSING THE STATE TO VIEW YOU AS MORE ABLE TO PAY FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS.
THAT'S A MAJOR FEATHER IN THE CAP OF SOLAR REVENUE SHARE.
YOU KNOW, TO ME, THE TAX STUFF IS YOU'RE JUST TRADING THE LAND FOR MONEY? OKAY? AND YOU HAVE TO DECIDE WHICH YOU WANT.
I, YOU KNOW, I JUST CAN'T SEE THIS AND I DON'T.
WELL, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT TAXES ALL DAY YOU WANT, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, ARE YOU WILLING TO TRADE THE LAND FOR MONEY? OK, THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.
EVERYBODY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME IN HERE AND BRING THIS STUFF IN HERE ARE GOING TO PUT IT IN AND MAKE THEIR MONEY AND GET OUT WHEREVER THEY GO BACK TO THEIR HOME.
OKAY. NOW ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS AGO, THEY CALLED THEM CARPETBAGGERS.
OKAY, I PUT THEM IN THE SAME CATEGORY.
ALL RIGHT, I WANT TO JUMP IN HERE TO TRY TO GET US KIND OF LASER FOCUSED.
WE HAVE A JOB FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO GET THIS ORDINANCE DONE.
I THINK WE'VE GOT A GOOD CORE TO START WITH, AND TONIGHT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT PHILOSOPHY, OK? OF OUR, I GUESS, PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS, I THINK WE NEED TO GET THIS TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, WHATEVER IT'S GOING TO BE, WHETHER IT'S CAPPED AT 14 HUNDRED OR IT'S LESS RESTRICTIVE. OK.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE PUT THIS ON OUR AGENDA AND THIS IS NINE PAGES.
I WOULD SAY THAT THREE MONTHS BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT TO THIS.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST WE DO THREE PAGES A MEETING AND WE GET IT DONE ON THE THIRD MONTH AND WE PRESENT IT AFTER THE THIRD MEETING FROM TODAY AND WE PRESENT IT TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AS OUR FINAL PRODUCT BECAUSE WE NEED TO GET THIS TO THEM.
WE NEED TO STOP TALKING PHILOSOPHY AND START PUTTING WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE WANT THAT WE CAN AGREE UPON.
BUT THE MAJORITY RULES AND WE GET THIS TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, TO THE APPOINTED OFFICIALS, TO THE POLITICIANS, TO WHO MAKE THE BIG BUCKS.
WHAT I ENVISION, THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO TAKE EACH SECTION.
CAN YOU PUT THAT ON THERE ON THE AGENDA IS BASICALLY PAGE ONE THROUGH THREE AND, YOU KNOW, THREE PAGES EACH THE NEXT THREE MEETINGS AND WE NEED TO SUBMIT IT AND HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE AND GET IT DONE ON OUR NEXT THREE MEETINGS.
CAN WE COMMIT TO THAT? I THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE TIMELINE.
IT'S THREE PAGES A NIGHT AND WE CAN DO OUR PEN AND INK CHANGES AND SUBMIT THEM.
AND THEN THAT WAY, WE CAN KIND OF REVIEW IT AND I WOULD JUST ASK EVERYONE TO, YOU KNOW, SOME HOMEWORK IS GET YOUR PEN AND INK OF WHAT YOU WANT.
SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR LANGUAGE AND LET'S COME WITH SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, SUGGESTIONS AND YOU KNOW, WE CAN DISCUSS IT.
I'M NOT SAYING WE CAN'T DISCUSS IT, BUT THE PHILOSOPHICAL STUFF, I THINK THAT THIS BODY IS IN FAIR AGREEMENT OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO, BUT WE'VE GOT TO TAKE OUR CONCEPTS AND PUT THEM SPECIFICALLY INTO WRITING, SO I WOULD ASK EVERYONE HERE TO DO SOME HOMEWORK ON THE
[00:55:02]
THREE PAGES IN ADVANCE AND COME UP WITH SOME LANGUAGE THAT MEETS YOUR PHILOSOPHY BECAUSE MR. CHESSON ISN'T HERE TONIGHT.SO I'M GOING TO PICK ON HIM AS HE'S A PHILOSOPHICAL, YOU KNOW, I THINK HE MAJORED IN PHILOSOPHY. I THINK HE WAS ON THE TOP OF A MOUNTAINTOP OR SOMETHING.
BUT WE DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT FOR 30 MINUTES OF YOU KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE SENTENCES.
WE NEED TO PUT IT DOWN AND VOTE ON IT AND MAKE A DECISION.
OKAY. WELL, I CAN SAY THIS FROM THE BOARD POINT OF VIEW, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
AND EVERYBODY DO THEIR HOMEWORK.
AND EVERYBODY GET HERE, THIS IS ONE NIGHT A MONTH, UNLESS YOU'RE IN THE HOSPITAL OR YOU'RE DEAD, MAKE SOME PLANS TO GET IN HERE AND REPRESENT YOUR DISTRICT.
THAT'S HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS MIGHT BE IN ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT THIS PLANNING COMMISSION DOES.
WELL, I'VE GOT WE GOT 40 PERCENT OF THE BOARD HERE TONIGHT, AND I THINK THEY WOULD AGREE WITH ME, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
SO IS EVERYBODY IN? AND I JUST AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE OUR VISION TO THEM AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL PROBABLY HAVE SOME CHANGES TOO.
BUT I THINK WE'VE GOT TO GET PEN TO PAPER AND WHATEVER IT IS.
BUT I THINK THAT THIS BOARD HAS I THINK WE'RE AT 80 PERCENT.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY, YOU KNOW, FAR, FAR LEFT.
YOU KNOW, CENTRAL AND WHAT WE ALL WANT TO PROTECT AGRICULTURAL LAND IT'S JUST HOW WE DO IT. WE'VE GOT SOME DIFFERENT IDEAS.
BUT IF WE COME READY WITH SPECIFIC CHANGES, WE CAN GO DOWN THE LINE.
AGREE TO SOME LANGUAGE BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE MORE PROCEDURAL.
AND SOME OF THE SUBSTANCE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE COULD HAVE DONE NOT ALL OF IT, BUT I'M SAYING 80 PERCENT JUST SO WE CAN THROW IT OUT THERE AND WE CAN JUST KIND OF GO DOWN AT BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. WELL, WE HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. I WENT BACK AND PULLED A BECKLEY REPORT AND SOME OTHER THINGS.
AND AT THIS POINT, I THINK GOING THROUGH IT POINT BY POINT IN THREE PAGES IS A LOT MORE OBJECTIVE AND GETS US TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE, BUT.
WELL, THE GENERAL STANDARDS ARE CERTAINLY GOING TO BE MORE DISCUSSION THAN THE SETBACKS.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED TO WASTE TWO HOURS ON SETBACKS.
YOU KNOW, BUT MY CONCERN AND MY THOUGHT IS THAT WE DO NOT NEED TO FORGET WHAT WAS DISCUSSED TONIGHT BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS LIKE A DOME OVER THE REST OF THIS.
SURE. THAT WE HAVE THAT IN OUR MIND, AND OUR IDEA IS THIS IS AN AGRICULTURAL COUNTY AND THAT WE PROTECT OUR LAND.
SO I DON'T WANT US TO FORGET THAT.
AND IF THAT CAN BE CLEARLY STATED AS A TENANT IN OUR OVERALL DISCUSSION, I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THAT FOCUS.
AND I'M JUST GOING TO TRY AND SUMMARIZE BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE, IS THAT ON NUMBER FOUR, ON NUMBER TWO, WE ARE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ONE MILE AND 10 MILES AND I'M DRAWING THAT FROM MR. DRAKE. AND I JUST SAID ONE BECAUSE THAT STUCK IN MY HEAD WITH OUR ORDINANCE.
THAT IS WHAT WE DISCUSSED THAT WAS AND THAT'S IN THE CURRENT.
I CERTAINLY WASN'T TRYING TO BE DISRESPECTFUL TO ANY OF THE NEWSOMS RESIDENTS.
I WAS JUST REFERRING TO WHAT WE DISCUSSED BEFORE, AND I UNDERSTAND THEIR SENTIMENT BECAUSE I'VE GIVEN MY COMMENTS ON THAT PROJECT IS NOT POSITIVE FOR ME BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T CUT THE GRASS.
THEY COULDN'T DO BASICS, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET BOGGED DOWN IN THAT.
AND THEN I THINK NUMBER FOUR, WE PRETTY MUCH DECIDED THAT WE WANT TO NOT USE THE MAP.
WE'D LIKE TO SEE THE MAPS, BUT, YOU KNOW, AGRICULTURAL LAND IN PRODUCTION.
SO A VERY GENERAL INSTEAD OF A SPECIFIC AND THEN WE WOULD CONSIDER PERCENTAGE, SPEAKERS] OR I'M JUST READING MY NOTES OR OTHER ALTERNATIVES, AND MR. DRAKE HAS MADE HIS POSITION CLEAR.
SO I THINK WHEN WE COME BACK DO PAGE ONE THROUGH THREE.
WE'LL DISCUSS THAT AND MAKE A DECISION OF WHETHER IT'S RESTRICTED AT FOURTEEN HUNDRED OR THERE'S A PERCENTAGE OF THE AGRICULTURAL FARMLAND.
[01:00:05]
I THINK THAT'S OUR SPECIFIC WHERE WE'RE AT FROM THE DISCUSSION.THE OTHER THING THAT CONCERNS IS, MR. CHAIRMAN, IS WE'RE JUST NOT DECIDING ON PROTECTING OUR FARMLAND.
THE BYPRODUCT ABOUT PROTECTING OUR FARMLAND IS PROTECTING OUR WAY OF LIFE.
AND I THINK ALL OF US LOVE WHAT WE HAVE, SO, YOU KNOW, BY PROTECTING THE LAND, WE DO THAT ALSO. ALL RIGHT.
SO WE HAVE A SCHEDULE, SO WE'RE GOING TO STICK TO OUR SCHEDULE.
WE'RE GOING TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE AND IN FOUR MONTHS, WE SHOULD HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS REVIEW.
WE ALL AGREE TO THAT, RIGHT? SO THOSE FIRST THREE PAGES THAT YOU'LL DISCUSS NEXT MONTH ARE A CAP IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A CAP OF SOME SORT, IF, HOW YOU'RE GOING TO DETERMINE WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE, WHETHER IT'S AN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION OR SOME PERCENTAGE OF THAT.
AND THE ONLY THE LARGER THING IN THOSE THREE PAGES IS A DISCUSSION OF THE BUFFERS.
AND CAN YOU MAKE SURE YOU PUT THIS IN OUR PROPOSAL? I MEAN, IN OUR PACKAGE.
SO WE HAVE THAT AND CAN TAKE NOTES AGAIN.
SO I'M GOING TO MOVE FROM UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
I'M GOING TO CLOSE UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
MAY I ASK A QUESTION, THOUGH? ARE WE ON A LIVE FEED TONIGHT OR IS THIS JUST BEING RECORDED AS WE GO TO MEETING? I BELIEVE YOU'RE ON A LIVE FEED.
WE'RE ON A LIVE FEED? OKAY, THANK YOU.
BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE CAN CALL IN.
OKAY. BUT THEY CAN LISTEN TO WHAT WE'RE SAYING.
I'M GOING TO OPEN SECTION FIVE, THE NEW BUSINESS ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT DEFINITION OF
[V. NEW BUSINESS]
PRIVATE COMMERCIAL HUNT CLUBS.MS. LEWIS. DO YOU HAVE, CAN OPEN US UP ON THAT? YES.
THE HUNTING PRESERVE ON RIDLEY ROAD THAT SAW A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT THAT WAS DENIED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS STILL OPERATING UNDER SOME SORT OF I DON'T KNOW WHAT ANYHOW.
THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT MR. REILLY IS TAKING CARE OF OR IS WORKING WITH ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE. BUT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE ZONING ORDINANCE TODAY SAYS THAT A HUNT CLUB, PRIVATE OR COMMERCIAL IS A PERMITTED USE.
BUT THE ZONING ORDINANCE DOES NOT DEFINE WHERE THE HUNT CLUB IS.
SO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS ASKED THAT THIS BOARD WORK ON DEFINING A HUNT CLUB SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY HUNT CLUB AND THEN DETERMINING WHAT'S PRIVATE AND WHAT'S COMMERCIAL.
A HUNT CLUB IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY IS, AS I UNDERSTAND, A VERY DIFFERENT ANIMAL THAN HUNT CLUBS IN OTHER PLACES.
HUNT CLUBS ARE A LARGE PART OF THE CULTURE IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY AND HAVE BEEN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, SO THE ZONING ORDINANCE NEEDS TO SAY, WHERE, THE HUNT CLUB IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY IS. AND THIS IS MR. REILLY'S. BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT.
THIS IS MR. REILLY'S PROPOSED DEFINITION OF A HUNG CLUB.
I WROTE THIS AND GAVE IT TO MR. REILLY. HE GAVE THIS, AND HE SAID THAT IT SOUNDS AS REILLY AT A LOT MORE AT HUNT CLUBS THAN YOU MS. LEWIS. YES, YES.
SO I WOULD BE GLAD TO TAKE YOU TO MANRY HUNT CLUB.
YOU COULD JOIN AND COME FOR A HUNT YOU GOT TO GET YOUR HUNTING LICENSE, RIGHT? YEAH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO THE ORDINANCE SAYS HUNT CLUBS PRIVATE OR COMMERCIAL.
IF THERE IS NOT ANY SUCH THING AS A COMMERCIAL HUNT CLUB IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, AS SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY RESIDENTS CALL IT, THEN WE NEED TO TAKE COMMERCIAL HUNT CLUB OUT OF A PERMITTED USE, IF THE ONLY KIND OF HUNT CLUB IS THE KIND OF HUNT CLUB THAT PEOPLE BELONG TO, AND THEY GO WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND THEY IT'S NOT A BUSINESS, THEN THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO BE DEFINED.
I THINK MR. WILLIAMS HAS IS A HUNTING PRESERVE AND IT'S PERMITTED THROUGH THE GAME DEPARTMENT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HUNT CLUB.
I THINK THEY'RE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TERMS. RIGHT BUT THE USE OF LAND IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY HAS TO FOLLOW SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE. SO IF SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE DOESN'T PERMIT.
[01:05:03]
THEN IT'S ALLOWABLE, IT'S JUST WE'RE NOT TIGHTENED DOWN, AND THE DEFINITION IS GOING TO HELP US.RIGHT. THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE I'VE SPOKEN TO MR. REILLY ABOUT THIS AND THE THE DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES WOULD NOT APPROVE SOMETHING THAT IS IN VIOLATION OF THE COUNTY'S ZONING ORDINANCE, IF THE COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE HAD THE DEFINITION OF WHAT IS ALLOWED, BUT THERE ISN'T A DEFINITION.
IF THE COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE SAYS YOU CAN HAVE A PRIVATE HUNT CLUB AND THIS IS WHERE THE PRIVATE HUNT CLUB IS.
AND MR. WILLIAMS WANTED TO DO SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT THAT OR ANYBODY ELSE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT THAT, THEN THEY WOULDN'T ALLOW HIM TO BE A HUNTING PRESERVE IF HE DIDN'T MEET THE COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE.
BUT HE DOES HAVE A PERMIT THROUGH THE GAME DEPARTMENT NOW, THOUGH CORRECT AS A HUNTING [INAUDIBLE] BECAUSE HE IS SAYING HE IS A COMMERCIAL HUNTING CLUB.
AND THIS COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE SAYS YOU CAN HAVE A COMMERCIAL HUNTING CLUB, BUT IT DOESN'T DEFINE WHAT A COMMERCIAL HUNTING CLUB IS.
SO DO WE NEED TO APPROVE YOUR WORK AND MR. REILLY'S WORK AND SEND IT TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR THEIR APPROVAL? IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO IS.
TO DEFINE WHAT A PRIVATE HUNTING CLUB IS AND A COMMERCIAL HUNTING CLUB, AND THEN TO AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO SAY THAT A PRIVATE HUNTING CLUB IS PERMITTED IN A ONE ZONING DESIGNATION AND THE COMMERCIAL HUNTING CLUB IS ONLY PERMITTED WITH A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION. THIS CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE THIS LOCATION IS. I KNOW YOU SAY WE CAN'T CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT THAT NOW, BUT WITH THE CLOSENESS OF THE SCHOOL IN THE FUTURE, WOULD THAT BE LOOKED AT WITH THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT? THAT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS COULD CONSIDER THE LOCATION OF SCHOOLS, THE LOCATION OF HOUSES WITH SWING SETS IN THE BACKYARD AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YES. BUT UNTIL THE ORDINANCE DEFINES WHAT A HUNTING CLUB IS EITHER COMMERCIAL OR PRIVATE, BASICALLY THE COUNTY NEEDS US.
YES. I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE AMENDED THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO ACCEPT THE DEFINITIONS OF A HUNTING CLUB PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL.
OK. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I, SECOND.
OKAY. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, I WOULD CALL FOR THE VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE, AYE.
ALL OPPOSED, OK THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL.
THE PRIVATE CANNOT ADVERTISE OR CHARGE.
COMMERCIAL CAN ADVERTISE AND CHARGE.
YES. AND RIGHT, AS I UNDERSTAND IF YOU'RE A MEMBER OF A PRIVATE HUNT CLUB, AS IS THE VERNACULAR IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, THERE IS MONEY INVOLVED.
YOU DO PAY DUES OR SO YOU DON'T PAY BY THE DAY OR BY THE EVENT YOU'RE A MEMBER. MEMBERSHIP FEE.
RIGHT. BUT THAT CAN'T BE THE ONLY.
DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE YOU CAN BE A MEMBER FOR A DAY, YOU CAN JOIN FOR A DAY, IF THAT'S THE ONLY QUALIFIER.
THE VERY LAST PARAGRAPH YOU PUT HERE ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRIVATE COMMERCIAL IS SIMPLY AS ADVERTISING AND BRINGING IN WHAT YOU'RE HUNTING INSTEAD OF IT.
HUNTING? YEAH, AND THAT MAY BE THE GIST OF WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS.
WE WOULD CLOSE THE NEW BUSINESS SECTION FIVE AND OPEN UP SECTION SIX.
OKAY, SO IT MIGHT BE TIME BEFORE WE GET INTO PUBLIC COMMENT.
BUT I WOULD ASK YOU ABOUT THE OUTREACH PROGRAM IN LITTLE TEXAS.
IS THAT DISCUSSABLE HERE TONIGHT? I MEAN, YOU CAN CERTAINLY DISCUSS IT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING. NO WE CAN DISCUSS ANYTHING IN PUBLIC COMMENT.
I'LL STOP IT AFTER EVERYONE TALKS TO HAVE ANY GENERAL DISCUSSION.
ALL RIGHT. I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD UNDER SECTION SIX OF OUR AGENDA.
[VI. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD]
[01:10:17]
HOW ARE YOU DOING, MR. UPDIKE? WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND? I THINK REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT PART.SOLD BUT CARBON OUT OF THE AIR.
WE'VE FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE ADVANTAGES OF ROOTS, RUN OF FLOODING BY SOLAR.
NOTHING THAT PROTECTED, THERE'S NOTHING THERE TO MAKE IT ALLOW IT IN ORDER TO PENETRATE THE SOIL. THIS IMPORTANT THAT TO HAVE A GOOD WATER SOURCES.
WATER SOURCES IS BY CLEANING THE ROOTS.
AND PROTECTION OF VALUABLE RESOURCE WATER.
ALSO. NOT ONLY WATER THAT WE TAKE IN.
WHAT ABOUT OUR OXYGEN? DO THEY PRODUCE ANY OXYGEN FOR YOU TO BREATHE THE IS THERE GOING TO BE HELP? IT DON'T PRODUCE ANYTHING.
WHAT ABOUT THE OXYGEN THAT IS REQUIRED BY ALL OF US.
NO, FORGET ABOUT ALL THE IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE, IT'S LIFE ITSELF.
AND YET WE WANT TO THROW IT AWAY AND PUT IT UNDER A BUSHEL SOLAR PANELS.
THEY DON'T PROVIDE ANY OF THESE ESSENTIAL TO LIFE.
AND WE SEEM TO FORGET THAT THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, IS ESSENTIAL TO GET ALONG IN THIS WORLD.
ALSO, WELL, LIKE EACH ONE OF YOU, TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE AMOUNT, OF WE TAKE TO RAISE THAT ACRES OF COAL.
THEY'VE PROVEN BEYOND THE SHADOW OF DOUBT.
THAT THE CARBON IN THEIR CROPS TO GET YET WE JUST FORGET ABOUT AGRICULTURE BENEFITS FROM CARBON.
SO LIKE I'D LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO LOOK AT MORE THAN WHAT THAT ACRE OF LAND IS PAYING.
BUT LOOK AT WHAT IS PROVIDING US AS A HUMAN BEING TO EXIST IN THIS COUNTRY.
SO. I HAVEN'T BEEN TO ALL THESE MEETINGS, EITHER, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE OXYGEN THE EROSION AND THE CARBON [INAUDIBLE] IT TAKES TO RAISE CROPS.
[01:15:02]
WHAT DOES A SOLAR PANEL, DO? YOU SAID A THOUSAND ACRES? THAT MEANS A THOUSAND ACRES OF WATER AND NOT EVEN 30 PERCENT OF THE WATER GET'S A CHANCE TO PENETRATE THE EARTH.PROVIDE THE FUTURE ALL RIGHT. IT BURNS ME UP WHEN THE PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT FLOODING AND FLOODING.
WHAT DID THEY DO? THEY PAVED THE WHOLE WORLD OR PUT IT ON A LOT OF CONCRETE.
THEN WHEN WATER COMES IT CAN'T PENETRATE THE EARTH.
THEY GOT TO RUN OUT INTO THE STREAMS, INTO YOUR HOMES AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
THIS IS MORE THAT LIMIT THE NUMBER OF ACRES.
AND WHERE WE CAN LIVE WITH AND I WANT AN INTENSIVE STUDY OF THE CONTRIBUTION THAT THE SOLAR PANELS WILL OFFER.
THAT THEY DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT THAT WILL NOT MEET THE STRINGENT TEST OF TOTAL BENEFIT. SO.
DIG DEEPER THAN JUST IN WHY THESE THINGS NEED TO BE LOOKED AT.
BE A LITTLE MORE EFFORT PUT INTO STUDYING THE RESULTS.
OH, SO ABOUT IT'S MUCH MORE THAN WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED SO FAR.
THANK YOU, MR. UPDIKE. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS ANYONE HAS? MS. UPDIKE, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE VICTORY.
DR. EDWARDS, CONGRATULATIONS, I HAD HEARD YOU HAD SOME STIFF COMPETITION.
[LAUGHTER] YOU DON'T TELL EVERYBODY THAT.
OKAY. YOU KNOW, THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY, GLENN, IS BY PUTTING DOWN THESE REGULATIONS ABOUT THE SOLAR PANELS, WE ARE ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES THAT YOU BROUGHT UP.
I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT DIRECTLY MENTIONED, BUT THE BYPRODUCT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING PROTECTS THOSE THINGS.
I REALIZE THAT. BUT YOU'VE GOT TO CONVINCE THE PUBLIC TO CONVINCE THE PUBLIC THAT WHAT HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE, REASON.
THE CLEAN ENERGY THING AN THE CARBON FOOTPRINT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE LITERATURE, YOU LOOK AT THE FACTS. THE CARBON PUT IN THE AIR TO MANUFACTURE AND PUT THAT FARM OR PROJECT IN USE CANNOT BE RECLAIMED OVER 30 YEARS.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. THE ELECTRICITY THAT YOU GENERATE CANNOT NEGATE OR NEUTRALIZE THE AMOUNT OF CARBON DIOXIDE PUT IN THE AIR TO MANUFACTURE THE STUFF AND PUT THE THING TO USE. THAT'S TRUE.
OK, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS MR. UPDIKE, MR. MANN, I BELIEVE YOU HAD SOME COMMENTS.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO [INAUDIBLE].
THERE'S NOTHING, LEGALITIES THAT'S BEING BROUGHT UP YET WITH THIS HEIGHTENED LITTLE TEXAS, CORRECT? NO, THERE'S A..
ALL RIGHT. WELL, I GUESS I HAD A PHONE CALL.
THERE'S A PIECE OF PROPERTY OUT IN THE COUNTRY WHERE LITTLE TEXAS IS.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER Y'ALL KNOW WHERE THAT IS, BUT IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE AND IT'S ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE ACRES.
IT IS. AND I BELIEVE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THERE'S A GROUP OUT OF VIRGINIA BEACH THAT'S BOUGHT IT, AND IT'S CALLED THE OUTREACH FOR CHRIST MINISTRIES, WHICH THE NAME SOUNDS GREAT, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S TWO STRUCTURES ON THE PROPERTY.
ONE WAS BUILT WHILE THEY WERE REDOING THE HOUSE, BUT THEY ARE BRINGING INDIVIDUALS IN THAT I GUESS HAVE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH EITHER DRUGS OR ALCOHOL OR WHATEVER THE DEPENDENCE
[01:20:02]
ON SOMETHING AND THEY'RE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THAT, WHICH I THINK IS GREAT.BUT I GOT A TEXT THIS WEEK THAT THEY'VE GOT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY'VE GOT OUT THERE AT THE PRESENT TIME, BUT THE [INAUDIBLE] AS AN OLD MAN THAT LIVED THERE.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS HAS COME TO LIFE AND ALREADY THEY'RE HAVING ISSUES WHERE, A GENTLEMAN WAS DRIVING BY AND THERE WAS ONE OF THE CLIENTS OR HOWEVER YOU WANT TO PUT IT, STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD ON A CELL PHONE MADE ZERO ATTEMPT TO GET OUT OF THE ROAD. AND THEN THE SAME INDIVIDUAL'S WIFE CAME HOME THAT EVENING AND THERE WAS HER CAR AND ANOTHER ONE WAS COMING AND THEY LITERALLY HAD TO STOP.
THERE WAS A WOMAN STANDING IN THE ROAD AGAIN MADE NO ATTEMPT.
MY CONCERN IS, IS I THINK IT'S A GREAT, GREAT IDEA TO DO THIS.
IT'S JUST, I'M AFRAID SOMEBODY'S GOING TO GET HURT.
I'M NOT SURE. I THINK YOU ALL HAD SENT LETTERS ASKING FOR AN EXPLANATION OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND HAVE YOU HAD A RESPONSE YET.
THAT PROPERTY IS ZONED A ONE AGRICULTURAL AND PERMITTED USE IS A SINGLE FAMILY HOME AND THE SINGLE FAMILY HOME CAN BE OCCUPIED BY A FAMILY.
THE STATE GENERAL STATUTE SAYS IF YOU'RE LICENSED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL.
OR THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, YOU CAN HAVE UP TO EIGHT PEOPLE CLIENTS LIVING IN THAT HOUSE UNDER THESE TWO LICENSING AGENCIES AND THEIR LIVE IN OR NOT LIVE IN CAREGIVERS, AND THEY ARE STILL CONSIDERED A FAMILY.
SO OUR ZONING ORDINANCE SAYS THE STRUCTURE CAN BE OCCUPIED BY A FAMILY AND THE STATE SAYS UP TO EIGHT PEOPLE.
UNDER THESE TWO LICENSED AGENCIES AND THEIR CAREGIVERS ARE A FAMILY.
SO THERE ARE TWO HOUSES THERE, THE GENTLEMAN THAT I SPOKE TO SAID THAT HE SPOKE TO SOMEBODY WHO'S IN CHARGE THERE AND THEY SAID THE ONE HOUSE HAS EIGHT MEN LIVING IN IT AND THE OTHER HOUSE WILL HAVE EIGHT WOMEN LIVING IN IT.
AND UNDER OUR ZONING ORDINANCE, IF THEY'RE LICENSED UNDER ONE OF THOSE TWO AGENCIES, THEY'RE CONSIDERED A FAMILY AND THEY CAN LIVE THERE.
BUT ARE THEY LICENSED UNDER ONE OF THOSE? THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT.
I ALSO RECEIVED A CALL TOO AND I REFERRED THE GENTLEMAN TO YOURSELF AS WELL AS I TOLD HIM IF HE WAS CONCERNED THAT HE MIGHT ALSO REACH OUT TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOR A SAFETY VISIT TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.
RIGHT. AND I SPOKE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND THIS PROPERTY THE HOUSE CLOSED THE THIRD WEEK IN OCTOBER.
I THINK IT WAS, AND SHE SAID EVEN IF THEY'VE APPLIED FOR A LICENSE, IT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY THE SECOND WEEK IN NOVEMBER, IT'S SOMEWHERE IN THE PAPERWORK SOMEWHERE.
AND I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THE OTHER AGENCY, BUT I HAVE SENT LETTERS TO CERTIFIED LETTERS TO THAT PROPERTY, TO THE OUTREACH FOR CHRIST PHYSICAL OFFICE AND THE OUTREACH FOR CHRIST POST OFFICE BOX.
I SENT THOSE OUT AT THE END OF LAST WEEK, THE POST OFFICE HASN'T DELIVERED ANY OF THOSE YET, BUT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THEY'RE LICENSED BY ONE OF THOSE TWO AGENCIES AND THEY HAVE NO MORE THAN EIGHT PEOPLE LIVING IN EACH HOUSE.
THEN THEY MEET THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
THE OTHER CONCERN WOULD BE WHAT TYPE OF INDIVIDUALS ARE THEY? ARE THEY JUST RECOVERING FROM DRUGS OR ARE THEY SEX OFFENDERS? WELL, THE DEFINITION IN THE GENERAL STATUTES, LAYS OUT WHAT KIND OF SERVICES THEY'RE OFFERING, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE.
SO IF THEY MEET THAT, THOSE SERVICES THAT THOSE PEOPLE NEED AND THEY'RE LICENSED BY THOSE AGENCIES, THEN THEY'RE FINE.
IF THEY DON'T, IF THEY AREN'T LICENSED BY THOSE AGENCIES, THEN THEY'LL HAVE TO HAVE NO MORE THAN FOUR UNRELATED PEOPLE LIVING IN THE HOUSE.
THAT'S WHAT THE ZONING ORDINANCE DEFINES A FAMILY.
SO UNTIL I CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH THE TWO LICENSING AGENCIES AND THE OUTREACH FOR CHRIST ORGANIZATION. WELL, WE'RE JUST WAITING TO SEE.
SO WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THE LICENSE IS THAT RIGHT? WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE LICENSED.
THIS COMPLAINT CAME FROM A MR. EDWARDS WHO LIVED ACROSS THE ROAD.
BUT AND MY QUESTION IS TOO IS WHO OVERSEES THIS PROJECT? I MEAN, THEY GET LICENSES.
BUT DOES SOMEBODY COME IN ONCE EVERY 30 DAYS OR WHATEVER?
[01:25:05]
I MEAN, IT'S A GREAT IDEA, BUT I CAN ONLY IMAGINE IF THIS WOMAN STANDING OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD CRYING ON THE PHONE, SHE'S BEEN CARRIED OUT TO THE COUNTRY AND PUT IN HER EYES, AND SHE SEES NOTHING.AND SHE PROBABLY FEELS DESERTED.
I JUST DON'T WANT SOMETHING TO RAISE ITS UGLY HEAD INSIDE OF THE COUNTY THAT SOMETHING'S GOTTEN STARTED AND IT HASN'T BEEN OVERSEEN.
DO YOU KNOW WHETHER THE SHERIFF HAS BEEN OUT THERE OR NOT? I DON'T. BUT THAT'S MY CONCERN IS NOT SO MUCH THE INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY'RE BRINGING IN AS FAR AS THEIR WELL-BEING IS.
IF THOSE INDIVIDUALS COME OUT AND THEY DECIDED THEY DON'T WANT TO STAY THERE, THEN THEY ARE ROAMING RURAL AREAS WHERE SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T LEAVE THEIR DOORS LOCKED AND STUFF LIKE THAT BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THAT IN THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN LITTLE TEXAS.
AND SO AND THEN THE WAY [INAUDIBLE] AIN'T TOO FAR FROM MY HOUSE.
SO, YOU KNOW, NOT KNOWING WHAT TYPE OF PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE BRINGING IN TO TRY AND REHABILITATE? WELL, YOU KNOW THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME AND I FEEL LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, THAT PUTS THE COMMUNITY AT RISK BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TYPE OF INDIVIDUALS THEY ARE. YOU KNOW, AND IF THEY ARE RECOVERING DRUG ADDICTS, IF THEY DECIDE THEY NEED TO GET A FIX, WHAT ARE THEY WILLING TO DO? YOU KNOW. AND SOME OF THOSE PLACES OVER THERE IN LITTLE TEXAS, IF JUST SOMETHING HAPPENED, IT MAY BE DAYS BEFORE ANYBODY KNOWS.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK MAYBE THAT'S WHY THEY CHOSE THAT LOCATION, IT'S BECAUSE THEY COULD OPERATE THE WAY THAT THEY ARE OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND, THINKING THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO DO TO BE CORRECT.
WELL, I'M CONCERNED FOR THE NEIGHBORS, BUT I'M LIKE, YOU SAID I'M CONCERNED THAT THEY FEEL LIKE WE CAN GO OUT THERE AND NOBODY [INAUDIBLE].
AND I JUST I DON'T WANT US TO HIT THE NEWS [INAUDIBLE] YEAH.
WELL, WE LEARN IT FROM THE NEWS RATHER THAN LEARNING IT FIRSTHAND.
MRS. UPDIKE AND I HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THAT AND WE HAVE MADE INQUIRIES.
I THINK WE HAVE EVERYTHING GOING WITH MS. LEWIS THERE. AND I AGREE WITH YOU.
WELL, I HAD MADE THE STATEMENT TO SOME.
THEY HAVE CALLED ME THAT A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, SAYING SOMEBODY STANDING IN THE ROAD. WHEN YOU'VE GOT A PICTURE OF THAT, IT CAN'T BE DISPUTED.
AND I JUST WANTED TO BRING IT BEFORE THE BOARD AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY WAS AWARE OF IT.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE TWO MEN IN THE BACK YARD THAT APPEARED TO BE INTOXICATED.
GET FACTS, YOU KNOW? YES. FIND OUT WHAT THE REGULATION IS AT THAT POINT.
TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS.
YES. SO YOU'VE GOT VERY CAPABLE FOLKS HERE THAT CAN DO THAT.
AND IF THEY'RE AGAINST OUR ZONING ORDINANCE, THEN WE NEED TO GET THEM SHUT DOWN.
ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT, PERIOD.
OPEN UP BZA MATTERS SECTION SEVEN.
ANY OTHER GENERAL COMMENTS, ANY WORDS OF WISDOM.
CHAIRMAN DRAKE THANK YOU. [LAUGHTER] ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM ANYBODY ELSE? MS. LEWIS? NO, SIR.
OK, ANYTHING FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER.
ALL RIGHT. YOU NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
I DO. BECAUSE THAT'S NORMALLY YOU THAT'S NORMALLY ME. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.