Board approves stormwater contract, authorizes courthouse sign design amendment and renews two landfill leases

The Augusta County Board of Supervisors voted to award a stormwater maintenance contract, approve a design-services amendment for a courthouse entrance sign and renew two lease agreements for land adjacent to the county landfill during its meeting.

The board voted to award a stormwater maintenance contract to Brooks Land Services in the amount of $25,000; the motion passed 7-0. County staff said the work covers channels and easements in subdivisions platted before the mid-1990s where private landowners have not maintained drainage features and county crews have been unable to keep up with maintenance since the county lost access to Department of Corrections inmate crews.

County staff presented a contract amendment with Moseley Architects for $12,629 to provide three design alternatives and subsequent design services for a new entrance sign at the government center/courthouse entrance. Staff said the amendment is for architectural design services only and that funding to build the selected sign would require a later appropriation. A motion to approve the contract amendment was made and seconded during the meeting.

The board also considered two lease renewals for parcels owned by the Augusta County Landfill Trust that are farmed by private tenants. The trustees were authorized to enter into an agreement with Jesse Hershberger for a partial parcel of 116.83 acres (initial term two years with three one-year renewal options) and an agreement with Charles Schooley for a parcel of 76.579 acres under the same term structure; both lease motions were approved 7-0. County staff said the Hershberger lease was reduced slightly to exclude acreage within an easement.

Other formal actions recorded at the meeting included a motion to convene a closed session under Virginia Code exemptions for personnel and real-property negotiations; that motion passed 7-0. Following closed session, supervisors certified the closed session vote on the record. The board also made appointments to outside bodies; one appointment recorded on the floor passed with six votes and one abstention.

Why this matters: The stormwater contract and the landfill-lease renewals affect routine county operations and ongoing maintenance costs; the sign-design amendment is an early-stage architectural expenditure that will precede a separate construction appropriation.

Votes at a glance - Stormwater maintenance contract: award to Brooks Land Services, $25,000; funding from current grounds-maintenance allocation; vote 7-0. - Courthouse entrance sign design: Moseley Architects contract amendment for $12,629 for three alternatives and follow-up design services; motion made and seconded (funding for construction to follow in a later action). - Landfill Trust lease — Jesse Hershberger: 116.83 acres, initial two-year term plus three one-year renewals; authorized to execute; vote 7-0. - Landfill Trust lease — Charles Schooley: 76.579 acres, initial two-year term plus three one-year renewals; authorized to execute; vote 7-0. - Closed session: motion to convene under personnel and real-property exemptions; vote 7-0; closed-session certification recorded on return to open session. - Appointments: at least one appointment to an external body recorded with a 6-1 result (one abstention recorded). The specific appointment text mirrored the floor motion and subsequent roll-call reflected six yes votes and one abstention.

What the board said and next steps: Staff told supervisors the stormwater contract work is already funded for the current fiscal year and included in next year’s requested operating budget for community development. For the courthouse sign, staff will return with cost estimates and funding requests if the board selects a design. The landfill leases will be executed by the landfill trust with the Augusta County Service Authority acting as agent per the landfill management agreement.