50¢
Powhatan, Virginia
The hometown paper of Belinda Glidewell
Vol. XXVII No. 22
May 28, 2014
Board of Supervisors delays action on school retirement program By Jodi Deal Richmond Suburban News
A
t a May 19 meeting, the Powhatan County Board of Supervisors voted to defer action on Powhatan County Public Schools’ controversial supplemental retirement program, citing the need for more information and more time for attorneys to analyze documents associated with the plan. The board had placed a possible vote on when and how to end the retirement program on that night’s agenda two weeks earlier. Chairman Carson Tucker, District 5, moved to further defer the decision until June 16, or possibly sooner, noting that the June 16 deadline will allow prospective retirees to fill out Virginia Retirement System paperwork in time to meet deadlines. Supervisors in recent months have expressed growing concern with the administration of the retirement program and the special trust fund from which participants receive benefit payouts. Under the Supplemental Retirement Program (SRP), which was started in 1996 but later altered to remove maximum age cutoffs, employees who have served a minimum number of years with the school division and are nearing retirement can opt to work one more year for a portion of their salary, either 25 or 35 percent, with the rest of their earnings for that
year placed in a special trust fund. After that year, the employee retires, but continues to receive payments for 25 to 35 percent of their salary for five to seven years. By the end of an employee’s years in the program, he or she can receive a total of 175 percent of the salary they would have earned for working one year. Seventy employees have participated in the program since its inception. The board is considering two options to end the program. One of the options on the table would immediately close the program to new participants, ending it completely once the retirees already participating receive their remaining payments from the trust fund. A second option would keep the program open for one more year, allowing 17 employees who currently qualify to participate to opt in by June 30, 2015, then end the program once all participants are paid out. As the supervisors and School Board members have debated and studied the plan over the past several months, a struggle has emerged over documents associated with it. At the May 19 meeting, the supervisors again called for additional documents they said are needed to complete their legal evaluation of the program. Specifically, they requested a list of documents generated by Lacheney. In a May 15 email to county administrator Pat
PHOTO BY JODI DEAL
Powhatan County Board of Supervisors chairman Carson Tucker said at a May 19 meeting that he regrets his vote in favor of appropriating only a portion of the money budgeted for local schools.
Weiler, Lacheney asked for: Responses by School Board attorney Pat Lacy and former county supervisor T.J. Bise about memos see RETIREMENT page 2A
Hearing set on proposed cell tower By Jodi Deal Richmond Suburban News
T
he Powhatan County Board of Supervisors will provide one last opportunity during a meeting set for 7 p.m. on Monday, June 2, for public input before voting on a proposed 195-foot cellular tower on Manakintown Ferry Road. After the public hearing that night, the supervisors will vote on whether to grant or deny a Conditional Use Permit requested by SBA Communications Corporation, the company proposing to build the tower. According to documents submitted to the county’s planning department, the proposed tower site, located about 1.5 miles north of the intersection of Manakintown Ferry and Page Roads, was identified in a study by Verizon, which plans to lease space for wireless communications equipment on the tower. Up to three other companies also will have the option to lease space on the tower, which is located in an area that currently has
New county finance director
poor reception. The Powhatan County Planning Commission signed off on the proposal at a May 6 meeting, voting 4-1 to recommend Board of Supervisors approval. Commissioner Richard Ayers, District 5, cast the lone vote in opposition.
March Altman, one citizen appeared at the planning commission’s public hearing to speak out against the proposal, saying he did not want to look at the tower from his property. Seven citizens who live near the site, which is located in District 1, wrote letters to the county in support of the proposal. Those letters were included in information packets prepared for supervisors. “The cell Also included in the packet were maps showing levels of wirecoverage in less reception in the area around the proposed tower site, photos District 1 is from various vantage points taken during a “balloon test” to demonunacceptable” strate tower height and visibility, and a landscaping plan that promises to shield the tower site with James Wallace evergreen trees. Norwood Creek Way resident Altman noted in his report that the site in question, which is located near a Dominion transmission line, is in a wooded portion of the property parcel. Because the power is less than 200 feet high, According to a report by county the Federal Aviation Administracommunity development director see TOWER page 4A
Glad to work close to home By Jodi Deal Richmond Suburban News
F
or new Powhatan County finance director Charla Schubert, her job is a refreshing change of pace. The past 16 years Charla Schubert found Schubert working on the road, traveling to more than 20 Virginia localities to perform audits on governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations. Nowadays, her commute is a mere seven minutes from dropping off her son in the morning, and — when she has a few spare minutes at lunch — she loves going outside to walk in the Village. “It’s beautiful here,” Schubert said. “It’s really nice and close to home — I really like it.” Schubert, who has a bachelor’s degree in see DIRECTOR page 6A
E N ’ N OVAT I O N AT V I L L AG E V I B E F R I D AY M AY 3 0 Staff Report
V
illage Vibe will feature En’Novation from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 30, at Village Meadow 3920 Marion Harland Drive in Powhatan. The musical performance is presented by the Powhatan Chamber of
Commerce, with this week’s event being sponsored by Village Concepts Realty Group. Children’s activities are provided by the Bethesda Community Church, Gregory’s Grill, Granny’s Ice Cream, Cooper Vineyards Winery and Brown’s Distrib- Chamber, Village Vibe is bringing our community uting. “about family, friends, together. Each concert reAccording to the fellowship and fun by quires an Event Sponsor
Inside A3 Powhatan County Fair Jackie Green and Brian Tyler put on a good face at a Hawaiian-themed photo display.
who chooses his/her charity with the approval of the Chamber ($2 of each paid attendee is given to the charity).” Chamber leaders and members urged residents to spread the word about the concert series “so we can continue to give back to our community.” Admission is $5 per person, with children 12
Sports B1 Multi-sport athlete Mason Livers finds inspiration in family during his road to recovery.
and under being admitted free of charge. Of the $5, $2 goes to the designated charity. For more information about the Chamber, call 804-598-2636 or go to info@powhatanchamber. org. The Chamber office is located at 3887 Old Buckingham Road in Powhatan.
Index Calendar Classified Crossword Horoscope Obituaries Opinion TV Listings
A6 B6-7 A9 A9 A5 A6 B5-6