Communication between the county and the public has been dubious at best in the last several months, and apparently that extends to some members of the Patrick County Board of Supervisors, as noted in texts and emails obtained by The Enterprise. Some members are being berated, chastised and even threatened in private for their public stances, while others seek to ‘monitor’ public discussions.
“Jane your little stunt has really hurt the county in so many ways. It blew the budget and at best our EMS (Emergency Medical Services) will go back to the way it was if not worse. Your going behind backs and conspiring against us and pulling these surprise stunts at meetings is not the way to fix things. A lot of fallout of EMS is happing (sic) and I’ll make sure you get the credit you deserve.”
That text was sent on Wednesday, Oct. 23, from Doug Perry, board chairman, to Jane Fulk, who was appointed to the Dan River District seat. Fulk was among board members to raise concerns publicly at an Oct. 21 meeting during discussions of a new county employee to fill a top EMS position, the distance from the county that person lived, if a county vehicle was assigned for the commute and decreased pay for EMS employees.
“Oh Doug,” Fulk responded.
Fulk was not the only member to be rebuked by Perry.
“You and Jane really really hurt this County. There is a lot of really bad fall out from your actions. At best our EMS might go back to the way it was, if not worse. This conspiring behind our backs and pulling these stunts at meetings have really been harmful. Please talk to us,” Perry wrote to Clayton Kendrick, of the Mayo River District.
After checking with Jonathan Wood, of the Peters Creek District, Kendrick wrote to Fulk, “Jonathan said he didn’t get the text from Doug Perry that me and you got.”
Perry began detailing his concerns before the Oct. 21 meeting. At 1:48 p.m. that day, he asked about a resolution that was on the agenda, and suggested a divide in texts with some board colleagues.
“Good afternoon. Ref (reference) the agenda. In ref to The rights and disability proclamation. Are we all in agreement to proclaim the awareness day? Do we need to vote before the Resolved statement that is in the last paragraph,” Perry wrote.
Fulk responded: “We have to have a motion to adopt this resolution and a vote. Yes U (you) read it then we make a motion, vote and it will be signed.”
Wood replied in two texts, “I think we are all in agreement … I will have to look at it again in a few minutes.”
Perry then responded to Wood: “Thanks. It feels we have become divided. I just want to be sure. Let me know if you have any concerns with anything so I can ensure it come (sic) out or resolved.”
“Only issue I have right now is over job postings. I think we need some input on the director jobs, Such ad (as) I don’t know if the new ems (sic) person has to live in PC,” Wood wrote. “And I want a review of DSS (Department of Social Services). I’ve heard too many bad things in the past month to overlook it now.”
Perry responded: “Lack of info had me out of sorts as well. I have made the request to have PR and Media part of our Board retreat in Jan. To help is better communicate with each other, the media and the public. Thanks!”
“And just in general, I want contact information for all directors and such,” Wood replied. “If I want to call the facilities director directly, I want to be able to.”
The county’s contract with the county administrator specifies that the board and its members must communicate solely through the administrator with county employees who are appointed or directly supervised by the administrator. (See related story)
Wood: “And as far as the TOT (Transient Occupancy Tax), let’s table it till we see how the budget works out this spring.”
Perry: “I plan to suggest we reject it now so it isn’t lingering on old business. Then in Feb, Mar Apr when we have those hard numbers in front of us we can put it back on the table. If needed.”
“I’ll agree to that,” Wood wrote.
Steve Marshall, of the Blue Ridge District, also supported the resolution, according to a text. Then, after the meeting, at 9:25 p.m., Marshall sent a text to Perry, stating in part that there were discussions in the hallway during closed session “brain storming on how to fire” a county employee “and getting the rest of the public fired up.”
Marshall named two county residents that he alleged were involved, and added, “I know you try to ignore this stuff but we need to monitor the situation.”
Perry: “Yes, you are right. It does need to be headed off.”
It is unclear which, if any, message from Marshall that Perry replies to when he writes: “They don’t know any better, but they didn’t do any favors tonight.”
Marshall: “Nope, not constructive.”
Perry: “So now people can raise a fuss and we’ll change our mind.”
Tuesday, October 22
In a text to Perry, Wood wrote: “I don’t feel good about the new ems (sic) chief driving a county vehicle home. This sets the foundation to let more and more people do the same. When he took the job, he knew he was living over an hour away. I’m not sure who gave the ok to do it, but I’m not ok with it.”
Perry: “Even worse, a lot of damage was done last time. I don’t know if there is a fix. We’ll just have to eat it.”
Wood: “What damage are you talking about? Changing the schedule and pay?”
“It’ll costs (sic) a second ambulance on the road and making adjustments will be expensive. And it will set the pay back in the long run. We’ll see what magic Lori (Jones, the county’s finance officer) and Beth (Simms, county administrator) can work out,” Perry replied.
Wood: “We had it in the budget for a second full-time crew before the changes were made that became effective Oct. 14. We will have to see what they come up with financially.”
Perry: “Yes, we’ll see what we can do. Admin will be working on it today. I have asked Beth if he (new EMS hire) will be moving to the County. Waiting on her response.”
Wood: “I don’t think what jane (sic) brought up was the right thing at the right time and place. That is something we should have decided behind closed doors.”
Perry: “Agreed. Jane has pulled several bad and uncalled for stunts that has brought more issues and doesn’t solve things. Beth said if we want him to move. We need to have it put on Nov agenda, closed session. She said he was looking to rent here. She also said we didn’t have any applicants who were willing to move.”
A few other texts are exchanged and around 9:43 a.m., Wood replies in part, “I also think the admin needs to be more open to us about things. I should not hear from a firefighter who our new ems (sic) person is. We are all lacking communication, including myself. We all need to communicate better.
“I know we can’t meet as a group but we do need to talk about things before open meetings,” Wood wrote.
Perry: “Yes, I totally agree, I heard about the hire on the street too. I have asked about having PR and media training at our retreat. Say an hour block of instruction. Best practices and wording, We do need to come up with a way for us to talk.”
Wood: “Yes. The job isn’t bad. The PR is the harder part. I try my best to get along with everyone on the board so that we can accomplish what is best for the county.”
Perry: “I think highly if all of you. I know caring is passion and issues we have had come from that passion. Just differences on how to go about things, I’d love to have a BBQ with the Board and admin but that wouldn’t go o er (over) very well. Lol.”
Wood: “Lol. That would be good. That is the one thing I really hate about this job, We need time to talk before we have to do it in front (sic) of thr (sic) media and then public.”
Perry: “Same here.” Then it appears a good portion of that text is redacted. However, no redactions or reasons for redactions are cited, as is required by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Regardless, Wood responded, “That is true.”
Perry then asks Wood to call him. “There is a lot of really bad fallout from Monday night. Beth should be sending an email later this afternoon, but I’ll be glad to give you the rundown.”
In a later text, Perry wrote, “I haven’t received any more info in ref to the Budget. I’m wondering if they ment (sic) the rest of this year’s budget?”
Wood replies, “Hopefully so.”
In a text to Marshall, Perry again references “a lot of nasty fallout from Mon. Give me a call and I’ll give you the run down. I am working today. Might could get by if you had rather talk.”
Marshall: “Yup, a few pats on the back are more attractive to some folks than the long range health of our county.”
Perry: “They don’t want change, they don’t want better. Just the same stuff.”
Marshall: “Well there hope. Jonathan seems to be finding his stride and is at least civil in his disagreement, We know if Steve Ferring wins he thinks a lot like we do and Andrew Overby may be ok I don’t know him well enough to say otherwise.”
The fallout referenced by Perry was detailed in a series of texts—the dates and times are unclear— from County Administrator Beth Simms: “Damage was done last night that honestly I’m not sure how to remedy.”
Perry: “just have to go with it, and place the blame where it needs to go … It was awful.”
Simms: “Our citizens will be the ones to suffer.”
Perry asks if the new EMS employee would be moving to the county, and then, “Is he driving a county car back and forth? This seems to be what people are bent out of shape over.”
Simms: “I’m not sure he will continue working for us, will provide an update in a couple days … What they should be worried about is now we will have one ambulance running instead of two.”
Perry: “And the price tag. $$”
Simms: “If the BOS (board) wants to create policies that address those items please put them on the agenda for next month. … I don’t feel comfortable implementing those items, especially considering conversation last night.”
Perry: His response appears to be redacted, again without a notation or citing the required FOIA statute. Then, “If he does stay, will he move or stay in FC?”
Simms: “If y’all want to make him move please add it to November agenda. … He had talked about renting a place here but I’m not sure what he’s decided. … There were no applicants who could commit to fully move to PC.”
Perry: “Ok. Thank you.”
Simms: “My personal opinion, why should we expect any staff to invest here if they are going to be talked about/treated like this.”
Perry: “Especially before anything happens. Mike Hudson let me have it over not changing the name and the Fire Chief things. He should know better. … I’m sure Lori (Jones, finance officer) is working on the $ part and assume Scottie (Cassell) on a new schedule. Please keep me updated. Jon (Wood) has been texting me. Seems he is torn. He asked for me to keep him updated as well.”
Simms: “Lori is working on numbers to bring to y’all to appropriate next month. … There’s nothing to update, decision making was taken away from admin, Scottie is adjusting schedule and the BOS will have to decide where to find the money next month. … We will send agenda item cover sheet as soon as possible.”
Perry: “If you can send an email out to us all with the update, dollar and schedule wise, and just lay the next move in our laps. We need to see how bad we messed up.”
Simms: “It will be in agenda item cover sheet. … The schedule is what was decided we can’t change what the board voted on, the only thing for us to do is crunch numbers.”
Simms: “All of my other employees would be better off to quit their jobs and apply to work in EMS dept … Compression, equity issues, etc have been created.”
Perry: “No they just need to raise a stink so we can cave in and cater to the loudest member. … Was the stunt a legal call? Can we call an emergency meeting to maybe reverse the foolery from Mon night.”
Simms: “That’s probably a question for Jim Gwynn (sic/attorney), I have calls with two of my admin (next word not legible) monitors this week but honestly I have never witnessed something like this before. … Donna is going to let BOS know” the new EMS employee resigned, “and then I’m going to send an email letting y’all know that we will revert to org structure that was in place when I was hired until vote/action from the BOS.”
Perry: “I’m beside myself. Please send the emails and updates. Thank you!”
Simms: “Will do. … Apparently there are citizens talking to my dept heads about my contract, this is not fair to me or my family.”
Perry: “Hopefully, the dept heads aren’t talking to them. … I think I just screwed myself. Taylor Boyd (reporter) called and was asking if we have had your evaluation? I said no and we couldn’t until you returned, She asked when you return and if Donna (Shough, Human Resources) was running things while you were out. I told her the real issue is Jane and Clayton going behind our backs, plotting and conspiring against us and pulling these stunts blindsiding us.”
Boyd also asked about the resignation of the new EMS employee, Perry said. “I told her there is a group that felt they would (not legible) their authority and started the rumor mill and he was set for failure before he even started. I told her I don’t know what we will do. Can’t trust Board members and the plotting and conspiring is why Boards of the past and we are in the shape we are in. Until we can work together as a team to create sustainable plans we will never get better.”
MISCELLANEOUS TEXTS
While the dates/times are not immediately clear, Perry sent a flurry of texts to Kendrick, some as early as Oct. 14.
“Hey, hope you guys are enjoying this beautiful weekend! When you get a chance, please give me a call. I know you guys have something going on. Talk to me, please, please don’t blind side me again this month. I don’t know what hurt my feelings the most. You guy (sic) blindsiding me, or for whatever reason you felt you couldn’t talk to me. Or maybe I’m just reading too deep into it. Anyway, please and thanks,” Perry wrote to Kendrick.
“Hey, what legal matters are you wanting to discuss in closed session. If we know before the meeting we can get the ball rolling instead of being blind sided (sic) and having to react. Feel free to give me a call when you have a chance.”
It does not appear that Kendrick responded to either text.
EMAILS
On Oct. 18, Perry sent an email to the county administration, but that person is not identified:
“I know the County give (sic) the Vol Rescue for, lack of better terms, permission to operate as a rescue squad. Does the County approve the Fire Stations as well? Also, I don’t know the protocol, but when mutual aid is requested especially from outside the County, that request comes from the County not the individual station, right? The County has MOU’s (Memorandums of Understanding) with the surrounding counties, right?”
Assistant County Administrator and HR Director Donna Shough responded to Perry’s email on October 21:
“I discussed your questions with Scottie (Cassell) this morning. It is required that the Board of Supervisors grant permission to rescue squads and fire departments to operate, particularly since it is expected that the county fund those operations. The Board designates which district the squad/department operates in. This is standard practice for all localities.
“Patrick County has an MOU with surrounding localities in the event of national emergencies. For mutual aid, there is a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ that surrounding localities will provide mutual aid within the adjoining county of no more than one mile. If mutual aid is required, the volunteer squad or Station 8 (usually Scottie) will contact E-911 and ask them to call the appropriate locality. The squads do not contact the localities directly for mutual aid,” Shough wrote.
Perry responded: “Thank you! That is what I thought. Out of anticipation of ‘cry’s (sic) of outrage’ for tonight. Especially where I have had the Fire Chief thing come up. I wanted to be sure that when I said the County has to have a Fire Chief not to ‘take over the incident’ but to manage and set up operationally to ensure the Vols have what they need to be successful.
“Also, the model we are using allows for assessment and evaluation so the Chief and Deputy can grow and evolve to make a better system. Where previously 1 person drank from 10 firehoses and that’s more than one person can successfully do. Thank you!” Perry added.
The email discussed in texts between Simms and Perry was sent by Simms at 1:48 p.m. on Oct. 23. It stated the new employee resigned, and noted that “the EMS department will continue to operate with 1 Director, Scottie Cassell, and staff to run calls, as it was before I was hired unless the BOS wants to take action on a different structure at a future meeting,” Simms wrote.
“I do ask in order to provide clear direction to County staff that if the board wants Patrick County to implement certain items such as a residency requirement, vehicle purchases/usage, involvement with hiring of staff, etc. that a policy be voted on at a future BOS meeting,” Simms added.
Most of the “conversations” cited in this article should not be taking place behind the scenes, they should be happening DURING the OPEN portion of meetings witnessed by the public. Many citizens knew these conversations were happening and being hidden from them. Has this Board recently reviewed the Virginia “Sunshine laws?” Chairman Perry, as well as others, violates the unconstitutional “rules” that this board and the county administrator put into effect (June 2024) for taxpayers who speak during the public comment portion of BOS meetings. He feels free to criticize others while he forbids the public to do so. Perry and Marshall have called members of the public “liars,” and “stupid.” At the same time they deny the public their Constitutional right to free speech. The Board of Supervisors can limit the number of minutes members of the public can speak but the CANNOT LIMIT THE CONTENT OF OUR SPEECH.
Yeah Trena, the whole county can see Ya’ll at all the meetings , wasting time with your selfish backwards uneducated drivel.
Between You and That Leo White Jr, I don’t know who I am ashamed of more.
Seems a little ironic that this article comes from unnamed sources at the same time that it throws a baleful light on unpublished BOS conversations. As T.D. Anderson says, many of us suspected that these conversations were taking place thus they were never really being hidden from us. They are simply all that is printed, for reasons that many suspect to be self-serving. But then, I never was a fan of mud-wrestling.