[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6211013,"mediaKeyId","3701317-0d58f5e0910f003600ba4b9e3d826f2e","parentId",3701317,"title","Board authorizes settlement of Heritage Commerce LLC lawsuit in closed session","audioSeconds",107,"startMs",6417000,"endMs",6524000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3701317-0d58f5e0910f003600ba4b9e3d826f2e&start=6417&end=6524","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3701317-0d58f5e0910f003600ba4b9e3d826f2e/thumbnail_6417000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6211013/Stafford-County/Virginia/Board-authorizes-settlement-of-Heritage-Commerce-LLC-lawsuit-in-closed-session","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211013-ad88f08fa1c824b29acca5e91a097168/orig.mp4?Expires=1773582126&Signature=BxBub3LXaHntio65l0wJ7W6RzwPawjIhXohZ3RNumpeLXsh3sGFv-HB8P9C8BWvefPrz8VMeTQIiJngZiG5azcP8-qMBfcPD~9sVei7nRDFfwjQHt3EIriqddCHhhiyjeVE4KZ8CtIREKbo8rLbrsBVGRMd9X8yUxPVlytl-Mo1UVf7K005zWf4DRvXcJCntaqXmaalaBdfYzcWV3-VQQVWHJ6jEJnm8ddnBYqnL563-bDkqmfh0eEQqHhOhOLjhPVVE-oLzttXLy0iJu-~GwsX1mZECy3-3gi4UGBFSKO9KXv8mkATo-Le4i7b1GfmwQgmEIJJlHnNo0HGYkxVSGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Stafford County","date","2025-06-03T00:00:00Z","article","The Stafford County Board of Supervisors authorized settlement of Heritage Commerce LLC v. County of Stafford (case CL25-888) during a closed session on June 3 and subsequently voted in open session to permit the county administrator and county attorney to execute the required settlement documents.

Under Virginia law the board moved into a closed meeting to consider the disposition of real property and litigation strategy; the closed meeting resolution cited Virginia Code sections permitting closed discussion of bargaining strategy and legal consultation. After the closed session the board certified, in open session, that only the topics identified in the motion were discussed. The Board then adopted Resolution R25-168 authorizing settlement and execution of documents related to the Heritage Commerce matter.

The precise settlement terms were not read into the public record during the open session. The recorded motion authorized the county administrator and county attorney to execute any and all documents necessary to settle the case. The board voted to approve the authorization in open session; the transcript records the vote as unanimous.

County staff indicated the matter had been briefed in closed session because public discussion could have adversely affected the county’s bargaining posture, consistent with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act exemptions cited by staff. No further details about the settlement amount or related property transactions were disclosed at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Stafford County Board of Supervisors 6/3/2025","oneSentenceSummary","In closed session the board authorized the county administrator and county attorney to execute settlement documents for Heritage Commerce LLC v. County of Stafford, CL25-888; the board later certified the closed session and passed the authorization by recorded vote.","taxTitle","Stafford County, Virginia","taxId",21897,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6211018,"Supervisor raises transparency concerns as board approves added IT spending for Microsoft 365 services",145,1319000,1464000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3701317-0d58f5e0910f003600ba4b9e3d826f2e&start=1319&end=1464","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3701317-0d58f5e0910f003600ba4b9e3d826f2e/thumbnail_1319000.jpg","/articles/6211018/Stafford-County/Virginia/Supervisor-raises-transparency-concerns-as-board-approves-added-IT-spending-for-Microsoft-365-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211018-a493e288620d689597819a0012258f0d/orig.mp4?Expires=1773582126&Signature=l2jdb0e9neVxrOVPIi4EbP-~T-CJa6tNsyHeaCACSNHWDtSVpDvz0noxs12w~HMNCotbkvBFrJdgqYznE7lrJvq9TB2N4Wt2WOaivYYzvqYvtv2e~hYNFFYdSqdNnOehqERiipiB8zswdHc0mSfkME~yOfMG8nbxHfY3cD59TLLUiU6O~oppCndpw8u3XJohay5Gx-FEU4q9sb2YibP8hfOrXmSMo6W6bq~BxVOn06nDUWzt3cuqvrfG7FNXUQazqazRHG2deW5Y40DvVqVHQD1~qnu8SW~KhyzcJDl-jKmbf6OShMbGjuRIE8BuBZC1mNFZTeSX-u-CQjlYvm4zMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Stafford County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution (R25-144) on June 3 authorizing additional expenditures for managed services under the county’s Microsoft 365 platform contract with McLean Advanced Technologies LLC. The vote followed supervisor questions about inconsistent dollar amounts appearing in the resolution and background report.

Supervisor Bohnke said she had spoken with staff and supported the item but described the packet language as “confusing” for members of the public. The meeting materials referenced a $200,000 procurement threshold in the resolution’s final “whereas” clause, while the background (fiscal impact) report listed expected additional expenditures “no more than an additional $569,000.” Bohnke said the discrepancy would confuse residents who read only the resolution, not the background report.

Staff acknowledged the mismatch and told supervisors they would revisit the resolution language and background materials to make the amounts clearer in future documents. Vice Chair Allen and other supervisors discussed the county procurement policy that requires board appropriation when expenditures exceed $200,000; staff explained that prior actions in 2023 had already authorized earlier phases of the program and that the current resolution was intended to reflect ongoing phased expenditures and procurement thresholds.

Board members voted to approve the resolution and asked staff to provide clearer, consolidated dollar amounts in the packet and to include prior related resolutions when presenting follow-up appropriations so the public can more easily trace the total program cost.

No change to the contract terms beyond the authorized additional expenditures was adopted at the meeting; staff said they would return with clearer documentation if needed.","The board approved a resolution authorizing additional expenditures with McLean Advanced Technologies LLC on the county’s Microsoft 365 managed services contract but supervisors pressed staff to make the dollar amounts clearer to the public after finding inconsistent figures in the resolution and background materials.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6211021,"Board approves state-funded retention bonuses for Stafford County public school employees",199,1016000,1215000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3701317-0d58f5e0910f003600ba4b9e3d826f2e&start=1016&end=1215","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3701317-0d58f5e0910f003600ba4b9e3d826f2e/thumbnail_1016000.jpg","/articles/6211021/Stafford-County/Virginia/Board-approves-state-funded-retention-bonuses-for-Stafford-County-public-school-employees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211021-3d899ca4e9a756ca7f98e52b40f0102c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773582126&Signature=NiEqorQewhbzY5Pxy-obNto4vQ3wJpEm0h1VyDXTI5JrDXO5~02MdsC9~my4dEj1woHvGvSInMruGbfx9dhCKmirl4yFcKNo6iyd~pL7Lf~FqyZWA7idcDsPkbDxBYEoh4o7YsV7-8Dj62mUvm37Vu7Cfatl0kacA-~RJ1kurwY-k4SzhHb6T8HtGmdSW59r4vGITK1PmsU24ftarDAdESujju5kN6Qz9t5XiLZCkulQQ4KHjc4xUUeKWzFC3plBkzeDyWdp9O6vepGw-qaZodaTCodJU4E8oOfYRxCnP~brvMqX5WsVhHIKwFoXoBB7S-3l-p9OcKAa2-0IZXE~eQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Stafford County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution (R25-161) on June 3 to appropriate state funds for retention bonuses for Stafford County Public School educators.

Supervisors discussed the item briefly after pulling it from the consent agenda for transparency. One supervisor characterized the bonuses as modest, saying the amounts range from roughly $300 to $700 per eligible educator depending on the allotment. A supervisor noted that recipients must be under contract before the end of the summer to qualify and that many localities across Virginia are receiving similar state-directed bonuses.

The discussion also touched on local budget context. One supervisor emphasized that state funds do not necessarily relieve local obligations in perpetuity: state contributions can sometimes lead to public expectations that localities will maintain funding levels. Another supervisor said the county has worked to provide pay raises and other supports to county employees and first responders but that the state allocation to schools was separate.

Board members expressed bipartisan support for educators. The resolution passed unanimously; the board did not attach a separate local bonus program for county employees during this meeting.

Details recorded in the meeting packet and the discussion said the state-directed bonus amounts for eligible teachers would be in the $300–$700 range and that eligibility and distribution depend on state rules and timing. Supervisors asked staff to ensure transparency in public materials about the source of the funds and the amounts.","The board unanimously adopted a resolution to appropriate state funds to provide retention bonuses to eligible Stafford County Public School educators; supervisors described the bonuses as modest and contingent on state allocations.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6211023,"Residents urge pause as board refers data-center performance standards back to review",1072,3783000,4855000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3701317-0d58f5e0910f003600ba4b9e3d826f2e&start=3783&end=4855","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3701317-0d58f5e0910f003600ba4b9e3d826f2e/thumbnail_3783000.jpg","/articles/6211023/Stafford-County/Virginia/Residents-urge-pause-as-board-refers-data-center-performance-standards-back-to-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211023-4fbe24646e1ca59a38143dc5d8b22e39/orig.mp4?Expires=1773582126&Signature=RqC~KDqKjvUPKdgQ4Rgas77HxZwyQZC4XOqUu9J7TF6bUU1ScoUvkKZu822PjWb8qJ~tbTgazuScKUJYr~naDdxuXk~22BGjuWSgt5EEbgMro1sfYwNjuff9dlQEzaAXXd9EkmdqPes1Zc30h0sCJnZg-rJvmfWXV-h~d8BI8Ckn~Q608~v4UKYCThXWMN5IO09t28CofRcguSv7qvonOWx0VmCTK~CFuZToIb5SvtqR2Dp8VMm8KycqJb7oWmOF7wb-KeByM6lh033HmcT5J93sQy3W-v6m7fmLifcFvZldXX1gRBSuhQVZzNcZfU5Zz7nyw3MilsZFYBGOEF~3eg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Residents from multiple districts urged the Stafford County Board of Supervisors on June 3 to slow or halt approvals for large data centers while the county revises its performance standards and studies environmental and residential impacts.

Public commenters cited a range of concerns including proximity of data centers to homes, potential noise — including low-frequency noise — impacts on wells and water supplies, increased strain on the electric grid, and long construction phases. Several speakers quoted the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) report and asked the county to place data centers in industrial zones rather than adjacent to residential neighborhoods.

Multiple speakers described the proposed data centers as “giant monoliths” with industrial-scale generators and 24/7 security lighting. Experts and residents urged the county to require environmental monitoring, sound modeling that includes low-frequency metrics (dBC), and to ensure developers do not remove tree buffers without county oversight. One resident reported that timber had recently been cleared near Kelsey Road and asked the board to inspect the site.

Supervisor and staff discussion acknowledged rapid changes in the data-center industry and the need to update local regulations. Board members repeatedly emphasized the county’s plan to reexamine the 2023 regulations: the board directed staff to return revised performance standards to the Planning Commission and supported the establishment of an ad hoc committee to study data-center siting and mitigation measures. Staff noted that many applications have already been submitted and that regulatory updates could affect pending and future cases.

Speakers pointed to examples from other Virginia localities: advisers from Loudoun and Prince William counties recommended locating centers in industrial areas and said localities there had learned to refine zoning after experience. Several commenters referenced news stories about data centers using supplementary generators or turbines when grid capacity is insufficient, and urged Stafford to anticipate technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs) that utilities are reportedly considering for grid support.

The board’s direction will send standards back to the Planning Commission for further work; staff said that the Planning Commission’s subcommittee would meet publicly in the coming weeks to review proposed changes. Supervisors also discussed whether to “grandfather” projects already submitted; no final policy on grandfathering was adopted during the meeting.

The public comments and the board’s referral signal that Stafford intends to tighten or clarify standards on placement, buffers, noise limits, lighting and water or fuel use before allowing new large-scale data centers adjacent to residential areas.","Public speakers raised environmental, noise, water and residential-impact concerns about proposed data centers; the board sent the county's Data Center Performance Standards back to the Planning Commission and established further review and an ad hoc committee to refine protections.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6211025,"Stafford supervisors adopt Pride proclamation after heated public comment",6157,238000,6395000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3701317-0d58f5e0910f003600ba4b9e3d826f2e&start=238&end=6395","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3701317-0d58f5e0910f003600ba4b9e3d826f2e/thumbnail_238000.jpg","/articles/6211025/Stafford-County/Virginia/Stafford-supervisors-adopt-Pride-proclamation-after-heated-public-comment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211025-5f668d9c38f560a34bb6dc677011fbc0/orig.mp4?Expires=1773582126&Signature=TTn1a6BmSZ2Isxg-P398gZM8w1uzGCZOKlgjEV1M4l9UMBdOtrERO5dUGGNmdS6XVitkxJ62~vdLTgkqeTZM5UnvwpaYHxyfcMcuSSf7iUOpt9b5ne8El2SOEnZhtBoXuQJokIx5JFwYB2WjRPLAhD493vW~TvITIFqg~476Kvj5OGqZqCrTjVHN11Ue7E9CxqHIht5P8XVXN9EQ2ugBKqiGZrWl3Y3KpTWr5mjQq-dc5VzyyIxI2fOgVlQmu1Lyq07U2h5H7XHNDZ7EnzU9j1pceeFNYKYOwCm1WPQIVwtIECL8NMF35tFBdm0yeJnJy~oqFr~ep7a8ctFSVLBOYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Stafford County Board of Supervisors approved a proclamation recognizing June as a month of recognition and support for individuals of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities on June 3, after extended public comment both supporting and opposing the measure.

The proclamation, titled P25-21, affirms that Stafford County “is dedicated to fostering the acceptance of all its residents and preventing discrimination and mistreatment based on sexual orientation or gender identity.” Chairman Deontay Diggs read the proclamation aloud during the meeting and invited the Stafford branch of the NAACP to accept it on behalf of the organization.

The vote followed a lengthy public-comments period during which speakers sharply disagreed. Supporters described the proclamation as an expression of inclusion and a way to reduce stigma for vulnerable residents. Terry Martin, who identified himself as a retired social worker, said the recognition “would assist youth as well as any LGBTQ+ adult with feeling valued and accepted.” April McCarthy, a military veteran, told the board that celebrating Pride “in no way detracts from” other holidays or recognition of veterans.

Opponents framed the item as an inappropriate government endorsement of private choices and raised concerns about perceived cultural impacts. Thomas Winston Whitstead asked why the county would “set aside a month to celebrate someone’s lifestyle choices,” while other commenters urged the board to focus on veterans, public safety, or development issues instead.

Board members debated the proclamation before the vote. One supervisor said they would not support the proclamation because they believed it was not a proper subject for government recognition. Vice Chair Tanisha Allen and Chairman Diggs both spoke in favor; Diggs said the action aimed to make residents feel seen and to address mental health risks faced by some in the county. The motion passed with four votes in favor, one no vote, one abstention and one member absent.

The proclamation does not create a program or allocate funding. The language recognizes local organizations such as Fredericksburg Area Health and Support Services (PAHAS) in the background text and encourages respect and inclusion, but it does not direct county departments to adopt new policies or expenditures. The board did not attach implementation steps to the proclamation during the meeting.

Public reaction at the meeting demonstrated sharply divided views in the county. Several speakers urged the board to move from symbolic recognition to concrete supports — for example, outreach, health resources, or educational programs — while others said symbolic gestures were unnecessary or inappropriate from local government.

The adopted proclamation will be part of the county’s official records. Any future follow-on actions (funding, programming, or policy changes) were not specified during the vote.","The Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted 4–1–1 (with one abstention and one absent) to approve a proclamation recognizing June as a month of recognition and support for individuals of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, drawing prolonged public comment both for and against the measure.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board authorizes settlement of Heritage Commerce LLC lawsuit in closed session

Supervisor raises transparency concerns as board approves added IT spending for Microsoft 365 services

Board approves state-funded retention bonuses for Stafford County public school employees

Residents urge pause as board refers data-center performance standards back to review

Stafford supervisors adopt Pride proclamation after heated public comment