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Residents press commissioners on roadside trash, landfill use and proposed fox pens
Summary
During public comment residents asked the board to consider a resident‑only sticker system for landfill access, requested county cleanup of secondary roads, and urged the county to lobby state legislators to change agritourism rules that allow fox‑pen operations.
Public comment at the Gates County meeting included two residents who raised persistent local concerns: trash coming from out of state at county waste facilities and the potential siting of a large fox‑pen operation under agritourism protections.
Brian Buck, who identified himself as a Gates County business owner and resident of the Sunbury area, asked the board to adopt a sticker system for county landfill access to restrict use to county residents and said the county’s trash budget had grown to about $1 million. "I don't appreciate my tax dollars being spent holding off Virginia's trash to the landfill," Buck said, and said a sticker system used in Dare County could reduce out‑of‑county dumping.
Buck also asked the county to pay to pick up litter on secondary roads that lead to county trash facilities, offering a rough contractor estimate of about $60 per mile to clear the trash. He said he had been told by state officials that main highways are eligible for state cleanup but secondary roads are not, and that county action would be required.
Buck raised a separate concern about investors proposing a large fox‑pen (coyote/fox containment for hunting or agritourism) of roughly 500 acres. He said such operations have been classified as agritourism under state rules and therefore bypass county permitting; he urged the board to work with state legislators to change rules that allow large pens without local approval.
Crystal Saunders, another resident, raised concerns about transparency for a "Merchants Commerce Park Committee" she said was formed without public notice and about a private social‑media presence by a commissioner that she says appears private and selective. Saunders asked the board to ensure openness and timely communication.
No formal actions were taken during public comment; commissioners did not adopt new policies at the meeting but heard the comments and directed staff to bring back information on several topics where appropriate.
