Live Blog: Board of County Supervisors Meeting

The following is a live blog of the Board of County Supervisors meeting on July 19.

2:00 p.m. The meeting opened with a moment of silence and remembrance for on Saturday, July 16. 

2:05 p.m. The consent agenda was passed. The agenda included the following:

A resolution to authorize the execution of a lease agreement between county supervisors and Miller and Smith in order to lease at 2060 and 2080 Tackets Mill Square in Lake Ridge. 

A resoluton to accept Robert B. Hart's donation of a five acre piece of property at 15751 Neabsco Road in Woodbridge to be a trial connection  for the Potomac National Heritage Scenic Trail.

2:08 p.m. The meeting moved to public input. 

2:12 p.m. Manassas resident Anthony Arnold announced his candidacy for the Coles District County Supervisor position.

"I will not put aside our public school system," he said. "Our teachers and our students are a resource that we must maintain, cherish and provide for our community. Public schools are the backbone of what we try to do in our county. I was public schooled, my mother was public schooled. I have transportation solutions, and these solutions will not include raising taxes, any hint of that." 

He also touched on development and growth. 

"If you vote for me for the post of the Board of Supervisors, you'll find out that our schools will be better, our transportation will be strong, and our growth will not just be a verb," he said.

2:16 p.m. County Executive Melissa Peacor gave a presentation about the county being awarded with a third triple A bonding rating. 

The Credit Rating Agencies that have rated the county AAA are Fitch Ratings in 2004, Moody's in 2010, and Standard & Poor's in 2011.

"What it means is lower costs for taxpayers, lower interest rates on bonds, our opportunity to issue debt alone and not have to be in a pool with others, the PWC bonds will become more desirable, and we attain a higher credit stature," Peacor said.

2:25 p.m. Steven Solomon, Director of Finance, talked about what was next for the county after the new triple A bond rating. 

The FY 2012 budget includes funding to support the sale of Virginia Public School Authority bonds for school capital purposes including the construction of or additions to schools across the county, such as the addition of six rooms to Westridge Elementary in Lake Ridge. Other schools mentioned include T. Clay Wood Elementary School, Piney Branch Elementary School, Ronald W. Reagan Middle School, PACE West replacement school, the addition of six rooms to Swans Creek Elementary School, the addition of 30 rooms to Potomac High School, and a Bus Parking Lot for Gar-Field High School.

The bond sale results include a true interest cost of 3.147 percent which is the lowest true interest cost the "county has ever received on a 20 year GO bond sale," a presentation slide read.

"We received 14 bids this morning," Solomon said. 

"So we're becoming a safe haven," Chairman Corey Stewart said.

"It would appear so, yes," Solomon replied.

2:32 p.m. Peacor continued with the news that PWC received two awards from the National Assocation of Counties (NACo) for the reduction of collisions and the Kilowatt energy initiative at the county libraries.

2:36 p.m. County Attorney Angela Horan put forward the policy that county officials would "refrain from scheduling certain rezoning and special use permit public hearings." The board approved it unanimously.

2:44 p.m. Horan put forward a request for approval for a license for Lustine Auto Sales along Route 1 "for establishment of a large United States flag as a public patriotic flag under section 32-250.22(12) of the Prince William County Code." The board approved it unanimously.

2:48 p.m. The board moved to public hearing. The public hearing closed after no one stepped forward.

2:49 p.m. A resolution to consider amending the County Code was approved by a unanimous vote. Amendments would include changes to chapters on bad checks, building regulations, motor vehicles and traffic, taxicabs, and telephones.

Resolutions to convey about 0.67 acres of land at 13413 Jefferson Davis Highway, and about 0.16 acres at 13403 and 13405 Jefferson Davis Highwayy to the PRTC and NVTC, (which collectively are the Virginia Railway Express) were approved by a unanimous vote.

A resolution to "consider authorizing conveyance of a sanitary sewer easement and a temporary construction easement to the Upper Occoquan Sewage Authority across county property" was approved by a unanimous vote.

3:03 p.m. Supervisor's Time began. The following wording is taken largely from the board agenda, with the votes added.

A resolution to appoint John "Skip" Groupe, IV, P.E. of Woodbridge and Jack Rinker of Manassas as Regular General At-Large Licensed Professional Engineer Representatives to the Advisory Plans Examiner Board was approved by a unanimous vote.

A resolution to appoint J. Michael Hill of Woodbridge as a Regular General At-Large Representative to the Equalization Board was approved by a unanimous vote.

A resolution to donate $150 from FY 2012 Woodbridge Magisterial District funds to Girl Scout Troop 132 was approved by a unanimous vote.

A resolution to donate $250 from FY 2012 Woodbridge Magisterial District Funds to Virginia Cooperative Extension Prince William Master Gardener's program was approved by a unanimous vote.

A resolution to request the Virginia Department of Transportation's Commissioner to install "Watch for Children" signs on Wertz Drive, State Route 2328 was approved by a unanimous vote.

Woodbridge Supervisor Frank Principi also said he would be donating $500 in personal funds to Habitat for Humanity in the county.

Occoquan Supervisor Mike May asked to look at "issues associated with the Lake Ridge RPC."

"There may be a few churches in the RPC that are not compliant with the language," May said.

Dale City Patch editor Nathan Curby will be attending the evening BOCS meeting.