The Patrick County Board of Supervisors discussed its mission and vision statements during its annual board retreat on Tuesday, March 19.
Held at the Reynolds Homestead, the retreat was hosted by Dr. Stephanie Davis, who quizzed the board about how they wanted Patrick County to look in 20 years.
Brandon Simmons, the chairman, said he wants to see job opportunities, local healthcare, and great education.
“Beauty and scenery mean a lot to Patrick County I know, and that’s one of the biggest ways we make our money, but we have got to find new ways to make” the county “attractive besides trees and the hills,” he said.
Simmons said the county needs to find more ways to grow and make money besides its viewsheds and tourism.
Amphitheaters in the county’s parks that focus on music and arts, while encouraging and building up mom-and-pop stores, like the old general stores, are among the views shared by Doug Perry, vice-chairman.
“I want parks and recreation and outdoor markets and festivals, so when people think” of the county when wondering where they can go to have fun for a weekend, Perry said.
With the right amenities, that question could be answered with, “We can go to Patrick County’ and go get entertained, go to these quaint shops, enjoy the people, or go ride bikes or play at the park, or even go to a market or a Christmas Festival, or something like that,” Perry said. “This should be the first place in their mind when” they think of “where can we go and what could we do.”
Steve Marshall, of the Blue Ridge District, said he wants the county to stay as it is now, but with a developed robust economy.
“You know, festivals and that sort of thing, tourist-based thing, but also a good environment for everything from the day economy … right to retail and commercial,” he said.
Clayton Kendrick, of the Mayo River District, said he shared the views of the other board members but also wants to ensure there are service-based businesses in the future – like welders, linemen, and grading.
Jonathan Wood, of the Peters Creek District, said his concern is as the county moves forward over the next 20 years, the people who have lived in Patrick County all their lives or those who currently live here don’t get forgotten.
“Take for instance, you go to Floyd on a Friday night, a lot of people there are local, but a whole lot more of them are passing through. It’s sometimes the ones that have been here versus the ones that are coming to visit or move in. It’s a fine line,” he said.
Wood also believes the county needs to capitalize on its natural resources.
In addition to enjoying the scenery, “there are a lot of things out there with the different festivals with small, mom-and-pop stores that I think could be a good opportunity for us to do that,” Wood said.
The board determined its values include accountability, historical and cultural competency, transparency, and ethics and equity.
The results of the community survey made available from January 31 to February 25 also were discussed at the retreat, with 982 people responding, Davis said.
“We’ve got some demographic information at the end to give you a general perspective. Fifty percent of the people who responded to the survey live in Patrick County, 3.5 percent work in Patrick County, and 43.75 percent live and work in Patrick County. Then we have a few that don’t live or work and just thought it would be fun to give their perspective.”
The survey’s first question was about Emergency Management Services (EMS). Davis said 21 percent of respondents, or 205, had placed a call to 911.
“Thirty-five percent said that the response time met their expectations, 65 percent did not meet their expectations,” she said.
Davis asked the board if this response was expected.
“Right now, that’s not surprising. It’s something we all want to change,” Simmons answered.
For housing, Davis said 48 percent of survey respondents were dissatisfied or extremely dissatisfied with the availability of affordable housing, 40 percent were neutral, and 12 percent were satisfied.
Davis said 84 percent of respondents were dissatisfied or extremely dissatisfied with the current healthcare service access in the county.
Simmons and the other board members agreed healthcare is a priority for the board.
“There is a note of 108 driving out of Patrick County for childcare,” Davis said and asked the board what it thinks about jobs, what are some strategies, and priorities around jobs in the county.
Perry said he’s a little conflicted on this topic.
“So, Apex (Mill), I know they always seem to be hiring and so’s Worley Machines in Woolwine. I don’t know what their turnover rate is,” Perry said. “Ten Oaks and their associate Prolam always seems to be hiring. So, I don’t know if they’re just not good jobs, or I don’t know.”
Simmons said he believes there will be more jobs lost when the minimum wage goes to $15 an hour.
Marshall said the only thing the board can do is try to facilitate businesses to come to the county.
Regarding the festivals, markets, and mom-and-pop stores previously mentioned, Davis asked who was in charge of that and would help get that off the ground.
Perry said he thinks that would fall under the Economic Development Authority’s (EDA’s) umbrella. Perhaps setting up some kind of incentive or assistance would help.
The county also needs a tourism strategy to draw those who live one to two hours away. Additional county needs like a recreation center, indoor pool, gym, and senior programs and general government services like solid waste management, business licenses, and salary adjustments to retain employees, and other topics also were discussed.
Following the meeting, County Administrator Beth Simms said her biggest takeaway was the belief that the supervisors have a good grasp on the needs of the community.
“From my perspective, you know, they were engaged. I think we got a lot accomplished. it was an encouraging day,” she said.
Simms said Davis will return sometime in late spring or early summer to help finalize the board’s strategic plan.
The retreat is “like a two-session thing,” she added.
