Welcome to the Maysville Voice, the newsletter for those who live and vote in the Maysville District in Buckingham County. I am pleased to bring you lots of information, links, and resources to inform and engage with you as your County Supervisor. This newsletter is filled with lots of resources and information from our upcoming Monday, Feb. 14, 2022 Board Meeting.
What’s Coming Up Monday Night
We have four public hearings scheduled to address the following: a special use permit to consider an AirBnB and event center on Route 24; an AirBnB and Breakfast, campsites, and an event center; continuing the agricultural use that has been consistent with the existing Special Use Permit at the BARN on Route 60; and a Special Use Permit for an AirBnB on Belle Meade Lane. We will also take up two small-scale solar facilities, honor former longtime Planning Commissioner Dabney Crews, hear from the school division regarding budget updates, discuss the proposed new hotel, discuss refinancing two holder high rate loans, discuss consideration of joining a new regional economic development organization the CRC is working on, and more.
Our upcoming Board of Supervisors regular meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, in the Peter Francisco Board Room in the County Administration Complex on Route 60. I encourage you to attend to learn more about your County Government and how your tax dollars are spent. If you’re unable to attend in person, you can view our meeting live here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfIL3rVTUEqgxBwXCQoBDTA.
Here is a link to our agenda and full Board Packet: https://buckinghamcountyva.org/administration/boards___commissions/board_of_supervisors/board_agenda_minutes_youtube.php. Should you have any questions or concerns about anything contained in the
packet or on the agenda, please reach out to me. My contact information is below at the end of this newsletter.
Public Comments may be made in person or by using the following methods:
- In person Public Comments must sign up to speak. Sign up times are 5:30 p.m. to 5:55 p.m.
- Written comments may be mailed to the Board of Supervisors at PO Box 252 Buckingham, VA 23921. Please limit word count to 500 words.
- Emailed comments may be sent to publiccomments@buckinghamcounty.virginia.gov. Please limit word count to 500 words.
- Telephone voicemail comments may be left to be played to the board by calling 434-969-5039
- To appear virtually to the Board of Supervisors for comments please email publiccomments@buckinghamcounty.virginia.gov. You will receive notice with the link and/or telephone number necessary to connect virtually during the meeting.
Please note: Please state your name, district, address, and which hearing you are commenting on. The three (3) minute rule will apply to public comments. All correspondence must be received only by the methods above, and are due by 12:00 PM the day of the meeting.
Second Public Hearing Coming for Solar Facility
We will also soon take up, again, the 149.5 mega watt solar facility as an introduction from staff for a Special Use Permit. We are scheduled to set a Monday, Feb. 28, 2022 joint hearing with the Planning Commission on this matter. In November, the Board of Supervisors voted 4-2, following a very lengthy public hearing, to approve of this facility that would be sited on roughly 2,000 acres in northeastern Buckingham County.
The solar panels would encompass about 900 acres of the 2,000. Last year, I intently listened to and read all submitted comments from the public during the meeting, and engaged with landowners and those with concerns and supporters of the project. The numerous conditions and rules we have approved and the siting agreement for Riverstone go above and beyond in ensuring that this project will ensure the protection of the environment and the well-being of those who live near the project’s footprint. These include a 350-foot setback from existing residences, buffers within and around the entire project, strict erosion and storm water control measures, wildlife corridors, numerous runoff basins, and third party, professional consultants to review all plans before construction. Additionally, this is clean, green energy and Buckingham will benefit from this project. Solar energy is clean, safe, and ecologically beneficial. The project will emit no carbon pollution, release no heavy metals, acid gases or small particles, and require no water to operate.
Riverstone Solar represents an initial capital investment of about $190 million. Based on the county’s adoption of the revenue share ordinance option, it is estimated that the project will initially contribute about $209,000 per year. This amount will escalate by 10 percent every five years, with the total county revenue under the revenue share anticipated to be about $12.7 million over the project’s 40 year life. Additionally, the project will contribute real estate taxes that are estimated to be around $2.1 million over the project’s 40 year life. In November, we also voted 4-2 on the siting agreement, which memorializes many of the financial benefits of the project, including professional, third party reviews of the project.
Riverstone will create about 480 full-time equivalent positions during construction, many positions of which will be targeted for Buckingham County residents, representing about $24.3 million in wages in our county’s construction sector. Once operational, Riverstone will provide more than 355,400 megawatts of clean, green energy to the local transmission grid, which is enough to power about 30,000 homes annually. Several full time jobs will be created after construction, which, again, will be targeted toward hiring Buckingham residents.
Offering Comment to the SCC Regarding Transfer of CenturyLink
As you know, you all and our community have been experiencing severe problems with outages with CenturyLink, causing health and safety issues for many. At the same time, CenturyLink wants permission from the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to transfer its assets to Connect Holding, LLC. (It is case number PUR-2021-00246). The official SCC filing is attached to this email. Please consider forwarding this to anyone who has had issues with CenturyLink.
This is a great opportunity for our community to reach out and offer comments on the lack of service, lack of maintenance, and lack of investment in the infrastructure in Buckingham and Rural Virginia. The deadline is Feb. 16, so please act quickly!
There are a number of ways you can do this:
- You can complete this form: https://www.scc.virginia.gov/getattachment/1691e052-07da-4e8e-9c4d-532694e5f9ed/PW-2021-00246.pdf.
- You may also register by one of the following methods: From the SCC website: https://scc.virginia.gov/pages/Public-Witness By Telephone: (804) 371-9141 (weekdays between 8:15 a.m. and 5 p.m.)
Here is a copy of the SCC filing: https://www.scc.virginia.gov/getattachment/0321f393-2e55-4b18-8246-4eed3ce4efe7/nr210246.PDF.
More information:
A public evidentiary hearing on the Petition shall be convened at 10 a.m. on February 24, 2022, either in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or by electronic means, to receive testimony and evidence offered by the Petitioners, respondents, and the Staff on the Petition. Further details on this hearing will be provided by subsequent Commission Order or Hearing Examiner’s Ruling.
A hearing for the receipt of testimony from public witnesses on the Petition shall be convened telephonically at 10 a.m. on February 23, 2022, with no public witness present in the Commission’s courtroom.
To promote fairness for all public witnesses, each witness will be allotted five minutes to provide testimony. On or before February 16, 2022, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide to the Commission (a) your name, and (b) the telephone number that you wish the Commission to call during the hearing to receive your testimony. This information may be provided to the Commission in three ways: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at see www.Virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting; (ii) by completing and emailing the PDF version of this form to SCCInfo@scc.virginia.gov; or (iii) by calling (804) 371-9141.
Beginning at 10 a.m. on February 23, 2022, the Commission will telephone each person who has signed up to testify as provided above.
This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting.
PUBLIC WITNESS NOTICE OF INTENT TO COMMENT Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022 Case Number: PUR-2021-00246 Joint petition of Lumen Technologies, Inc., Embarq Corp., United Telephone Southeast LLC d/b/a CenturyLink, Central Telephone Co. of Virginia d/b/a CenturyLink, CenturyTel Broadband Services, LLC, and Connect Holding, LLC for approval of transfer of control.
Contact Me
As always, if I can be of any assistance to you, please do not hesitate to call or text me at 434-390-7023, email me at jmiles@buckinghamcounty.virginia.gov, or visit me at 13170 West James Anderson Highway, Buckingham Court House Village on Route 60.
Humbly serving you,
Jordan
Thomas Jordan Miles III
Chairman, Buckingham County Board of Supervisors
District Four Supervisor (Maysville)
434-390-7023
13170 West James Anderson Highway
PO Box 188
Buckingham, Virginia 23921
Maysville District Supervisor Thomas Jordan Miles III 