Richmond County hears clean audit, advances broadband outreach and allocates solar siting funds; buys trailer for tire disposal

Richmond County supervisors received a clean independent audit for fiscal 2024 and moved on several administrative and capital items Wednesday, including an allocation plan for recently received solar siting payments, a county-backed application for emergency-generator funding for a community college health sciences building, next steps on broadband expansion in unserved pockets, and a decision to purchase a trailer to continue the county tire-disposal program.

The audit drew the most detailed discussion. "We issue 3 opinions ... all three of those opinions were an unmodified opinion," Taylor Stover, partner in charge for the county audit, told the board. He described the report as "a clean opinion," and highlighted key figures and a single, non-material compliance item flagged in a management letter.

The auditors reported the county's total current cash and invested funds and flagged a reduced unassigned fund balance. On a full-accrual basis, total net position increased $800,000; the auditors identified about $2.15 million as unrestricted net position. On fund-basis statements, the county's unassigned fund balance stood at roughly $1.7 million, representing about 8% of general-fund expenditures — below the roughly 15% the state recommends. The audit noted long-term debt decreased by about $1.17 million and that all American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds have been expended. Stover also said the auditors reported three bank accounts that had not been classified as public deposits for state reporting; the auditor described the issue as a state-compliance classification item rather than a risk to funds.

Why it matters: the audit’s results, fund balances and the single compliance item frame the county’s budget choices as supervisors move toward FY2026 budget work sessions. The board heard the county will need to weigh short-term one-time uses of newly received solar siting payments against setting aside reserves.

Audit takeaways and finance details

Stover told the board the county's current collection rate for taxes was about 95% (97% when delinquent collections are included). He said total ARPA funds originally near $975,000 have been fully expended and that the audit included a management letter describing the three bank accounts that need to be recorded with the state treasurer’s public-deposit reporting process. He advised staff and governance to monitor the reduced unassigned fund balance as the board develops the FY2026 budget schedule.

Community college health building, VDEM generator grant

County staff reported progress on an $8 million Health Sciences Building proposed by the local community college: the facility would include about 9,900 square feet for nursing instruction, simulation rooms and meeting space. College representatives have already raised about $6.52 million toward the $8 million goal and are seeking roughly $1.48 million more. County staff said the college asked the locality to apply for a Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) grant that would fund a backup generator. That generator would allow the building to be used as a non-congregate warming shelter — a place for residents to recharge devices, warm up and re-enter the community during outages — though not a wide-capacity overnight shelter with cots and meals.

Staff emphasized the VDEM application must be submitted by the grant deadline (staff said it was due the next day). The county will provide the required locality sponsorship and a memorandum of understanding to support the proposal.

Broadband outreach and BEAD/AllPoints updates

County staff presented an AllPoints Broadband status update and explained that the original grant maps left some homes out of the initial build areas. Staff described a follow-on infrastructure-funding mechanism (often called BEAD or related federal-state allocations) that AllPoints has begun to use to extend service to addresses initially excluded on the grant maps. The presentation noted make-ready pole work, last-mile drop construction and continuing work to sign up and connect customers. Staff said some residents who expected service were told by the company that they were outside the original grant footprint and urged patience while AllPoints works through the additional funding and make-ready work.

Solar siting payments and allocations

The board reviewed the first major solar-siting payment received under the county's siting agreements with developers. The Booker's Mill payment totaled approximately $1,656,002.26 and the board reviewed a proposed allocation that includes radio infrastructure upgrades (~$900,000), $100,000 for economic development, $56,000 to add to the capital-improvement program and about $600,002.26 toward the ongoing Coggin Building remodel. County staff said similar siting payments from other solar projects (named in the packet as Cerulean and Moon Corner) will arrive later and that allocations can be adjusted before those funds are finalized and placed in assigned fund balance lines.

Tire-disposal program: labor costs and trailer purchase

Staff reported the county's tire program — previously supported by inmate labor — now faces higher costs because inmate crews are no longer available through the regional jail. Historically the county shipped roughly eight loads of tires a year at about $2,000 per load, plus a rented container at roughly $200 per month. With inmate assistance gone, staff said a private contractor quoted about $500 per trailer to load the trailers, increasing per-load costs. The board discussed owning rather than renting a shipping container or buying an additional trailer. Members agreed purchasing a trailer is preferable to continuing the rental, in part because ownership avoids long-term rental costs and reduces manual labor demands; the board voted to buy another trailer to support the Indian Field site and continue the program.

Emergency services and EMS medication boxes

The county's emergency services director reported a busy January and brief logistical complications during a storm when Richmond-area hospitals paused accepting patients. The department also has begun a soft launch of an onboard medication-exchange program that uses sealed medication boxes on ambulances; staff said they moved the anticipated full launch forward and planned March 1 as the operational target if tests continue to go well.

Other actions and next steps

The board reviewed ongoing capital projects (radio towers, trail easements, VDOT access funding tied to an economic-development project), a task order for courthouse interior renovation design and the Coggin Building remodel status. Staff also noted a wetland-board meeting scheduled for February 27 and DEQ-proposed model ordinance language that may prompt future updates to local erosion, sediment control and stormwater management ordinances.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to purchase an additional trailer (to replace a rented container) for the county tire program — outcome: approved (voice vote: Aye). - Motion to authorize a task order for architectural/administrative services for courthouse interior renovations (estimated professional services $33,400) — outcome: approved (voice vote: Aye). - Motion to approve a March 2025 appropriation to Richmond County Department of Social Services in the amount of $85,000 — outcome: approved (voice vote: Aye). - Motion to approve a March 2025 tentative appropriation to the school board in the amount of $1,810,003.36, pending school-board approval at their Feb. 19 meeting — outcome: approved pending that approval (voice vote: Aye). - Motion to approve monthly supplemental/previous minutes as presented — outcome: approved (voice vote: Aye). - Motion to convene a closed session under Virginia Code §2.2-3711(A)(3) to discuss disposition of public property — outcome: approved (voice vote: Aye).

What remains: staff will finalize the VDEM grant paperwork for the community college generator, bring back a more detailed plan for solar-siting funds from the next projects, continue coordination with AllPoints on BEAD/expanded coverage, and return with FY2026 budget materials and schedule. The county auditor made the FY2024 report available to officials and will answer follow-up questions from staff about the three bank-account reporting items identified in the management letter.

Ending

Supervisors recessed into closed session after routine motions; staff said they will return with detailed budget work-session dates and follow-up materials on the generator grant and the proposed allocations of future solar-siting payments.