The Patrick County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to terminate its contract with the Berkley Group, LLC, at its Monday, March 24, meeting.
The Berkley Group is a local government consulting firm specializing in providing direct services such as community development and planning, capital project management, administration, and other local government concerns.
The county began contracting with the group last year to assist its Planning Commission in creating ordinances focused on solar power and tall structures.
According to Vice-Chairman Andrew Overby, of the Dan River District, Berkley received $3,600 a month for its services.
County Administrator Beth Simms said the county can issue a 30-day notice as it is currently in a month-to-month contract with the organization.
“We probably have to pay through April,” Simms said, “and then we can cancel it for May.”
Doug Perry, of the Smith River District, said he wanted to hear from the Planning Commission to ensure it had received all it needed from Berkley and was not currently using the firm for any essential tasks.
“Do you want to try and use them to get through the current solar resolution stuff we have?” Simms asked Planning Commission Chairman Kurt Bozenmayer.
At the March 18 meeting, Bozenmayer said the commission approved a resolution to amend the comprehensive plan, which determined that commercial solar is not a conforming use within the county. That amendment will now go to the supervisors for approval.
“I think that pretty much wraps it up because Berkley Group indicated that their next steps would be to revise the solar siting ordinance. I’m not so sure we need a solar siting ordinance if we’ve made the decision that our comprehensive plan is going to consider commercial solar a nonconforming use,” Bozenmayer said.
He added that it could be somewhat contradictory to have Berkley develop a revision to the solar siting ordinance, noting that prudence dictates the county’s attorney should review the matter as well.
“So, we could be looking at another four-to-six-month process here by the time we get through public hearings and all of these reviews. If the Board of Supervisors votes to accept that resolution and amend the comprehensive plan, then I think that the commercial solar issue is pretty much wrapped up at this time,” he said.
Perry asked for clarification whether the Planning Commission no longer needed Berkley’s assistance.
While he believes Berkley has been helpful, Bozenmayer said he is not certain the county couldn’t have received adequate help from the West Piedmont Planning District Commission (WPPDC).
“We’ve been relying on those folks for a decade or more, and to my knowledge, this whole solar issue was never brought to the attention of West Piedmont,” he said.
In other matters the board:
*Discussed the Proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2026 Budget. At the start of the discussion, Simms summarized budget decisions made at the March 10 meeting. The board reversed its decision to cut financial advising services from Davenport & Company, LLC.
Simms said the county received a letter from the Virginia School Board Association (VSBA) Financing Authority regarding debt it helped Patrick County renew a few years ago.
“It’s going to end up being $500,000 in savings. Keeping the financial advisor kind of in the know of what’s going on and having them consistently helping you, especially with the age of our infrastructure—our buildings are 40-50 plus years old except for the jail, and if and when there comes a time when Patrick County has to look at borrowing again, or when we get a new reassessment and you need to do a new tax rate, it may be good to have those financial advisors that that’s all they look at all day every day is local government financial advising. It’d be good to have them in the know of what’s going on in Patrick County,” she said.
After the last reassessment, Steve Marshall, of the Blue Ridge District, said the county needs competent advice to anticipate proper revenue levels to cover bills and expenses.
“I’d much rather cut the Berkley Group before we cut our financial advisor,” Chairman Jonathan Wood, of the Peters Creek District, said.
Perry agreed with Marshall and Wood, stating that one significant issue the county has faced is public concern about its high tax rate.
“Well, that’s because our property value is so much lower. Then with the assessment, all that’s going to change. To be able to make that adjustment, that fair adjustment, so that things are balanced. I think that’s where they earn their money—things like that, maintaining that balance,” Perry said.
An official proposal from Davenport was requested, and Simms said it should be provided at the board’s next meeting.
“So we can see exactly what they do and can do for us,” Wood said.
*Reversed its decision to remove water coolers. Instead, the board decided to use funds for water fountains equipped with filters and water bottle fillers.
“I know it will be a higher one-time investment, but long-term it might save. Like the ones at the high school, they literally tell you how many bottles you saved by using that. I honestly think our students drink a lot more water just because they like to fill their water bottle up in that particular type of water fountain,” Wood said.
*Discussed courthouse security improvements. The board reviewed the request to replace the carpet in the county’s circuit court, use the unassigned fund balance for one-time capital improvement projects, and implement an access control system for court proceedings held on the third floor.
Simms said a representative from the Department of Homeland Security was scheduled to evaluate the building to provide a more definitive analysis of security needs.
Perry asked if the analysis is something that could potentially be expanded and done in multiple phases.
“You start out with the keycards and one entrance,” he said.
Simms said that was all that was requested the first time. “That one point of entry and keycards, and then do the other buildings in future years,” she said.
Wood asked if that could limit access to some of the rooms in the Administration Building.
“What we’re really trying to do is create one point to and from, and be able to keep track of people coming in and out. That’s kind of the first step in all these things,” Simms said.
When he was picking up his child’s birth certificate in Rockingham County, North Carolina, Wood said he had to walk in with his keys in one hand and his belt in the other.
“I don’t want us ever to go that far. I think we live in a fairly safe place. I don’t want a TSA (Transportation Security Administration) inspection to walk in here, but I agree we need to tighten it up in a few places. I think we need to look at that and I’m looking forward to what they have to say on that,” Wood said.
Clayton Kendrick, of the Mayo River District, believes the county doesn’t need to be extreme. When he was at a security office in a larger city, Kendrick said he had to take off his shoes, his belt out, and hold his pants up.
“This is not a Homeland Security building,” he said.
“It’s a service that they offer local governments that have soft target offices, which we do,” Simms said.
Kendrick asked Simms if she expected Homeland Security to hold the county to its own standards.
“This isn’t a federal building. We don’t house a Department of Homeland Security here, but we do house court, and a Department of Health, and a DMV, and some things that are considered soft targets. Once we get the report back, the survey back, it would be up to you all to decide how or if to implement it,” Simms said, adding she’s just trying to get an outside perspective.
*Awarded Anthem the Health Insurance Contract for FY 2025-2026. The board approved fully insured coverage, with the county assuming the full cost of the premium increase. The $200,000 increase was added to the county’s budget.
*Heard from Schools Superintendent Jason Wood About the School Division’s Budget.
