Washington County supervisors adopt employee policy changes, approve courthouse change orders, reallocate ARPA funds and back airport financing

The Washington County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 27 adopted several staff‑proposed administrative and capital actions, most by unanimous votes that the board’s chair recorded as 7-0.

Audrey Wells, a county staff member, summarized changes to county personnel and fleet policies intended to align local rules with federal definitions and to simplify overtime payments. Wells said the county will redefine the "designated work day" as the period an employee starts and stops duties, shift the official workweek to Sunday–Saturday to align with calendar weeks, end the practice of awarding compensatory time in lieu of overtime pay and instead pay overtime when earned, and add annual driving‑record checks and reporting requirements for CDL and emergency services employees. "We are proposing to change our designated work day from the more traditional eight hours to basically be saying when an employee starts their duties to when an employee finishes their duties," Wells told the board. On a motion by Supervisor Stevens the board approved the policy package unanimously.

The board also approved two change orders for the ongoing courthouse project. County staff explained that AV equipment overruns would be paid from contractor savings, and that an unexpected leak in the courthouse chiller — described as 30 years old — requires replacement. Staff presented the chiller estimate as $276,301.33 to be paid from the project contingency. Supervisor Pennington moved to approve Change Orders 37 and 39 together; the motion passed 7-0.

On funding for county priorities, the board moved to reallocate ARPA dollars to avoid risking federal de‑obligation while preserving local capital for a trail repair. County staff reported the board had previously committed $387,000 toward repair of trestle 31 on the Virginia Creeper Trail but that no contract is yet in place, creating a risk of losing ARPA obligation by the Dec. 31, 2024 deadline. Staff proposed uncommitting $387,000 in ARPA and $23,443.23 in other unused ARPA allocations, assigning the ARPA dollars to government‑services uses (the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail authority operations) and moving the equivalent local county dollars into the Capital Improvement Fund as an earmark for the creeper‑trail trestle. The motions to uncommit and reallocate were made and approved by the board unanimously.

Separately, the board approved a support agreement to allow the Virginia Highlands Airport Authority to close a $465,000 financing for construction of box hangars for smaller aircraft. County staff noted a cited interest rate of 4.48% in the documents and explained that the agreement includes a provision requiring the county administrator to notify the board if the airport faces a shortfall and request a supplemental appropriation; the board approved the support agreement and authorized county staff to sign.

Votes at a glance: - Personnel and fleet policy updates: motion by Supervisor Stevens; second recorded; approved 7-0. - Courthouse Change Orders 37 (AV equipment) and 39 (chiller replacement, $276,301.33): motion by Supervisor Pennington; approved 7-0. - ARPA uncommit/reallocate (uncommit $387,000 ARPA for Creeper Trail trestle 31; uncommit $23,443.23 other ARPA allocations; reallocate ARPA to regional jail operations and free county local funds for capital): motion by Supervisor Hargis; approved 7-0. - Support agreement for Virginia Highlands Airport Authority financing ($465,000; 4.48% interest cited): motion to approve and authorize county staff signature; approved 7-0.

County staff said the policy changes are intended to standardize overtime treatment across employee groups and to address administrative housekeeping items in fleet policy. Staff also said AV overages would be funded from contractor savings and that the chiller replacement is being taken from contingency to avoid a later disruption to courtrooms. The ARPA reallocation was presented as an accounting step to preserve federal funds and to keep local capital earmarked for the trail project.

The board’s actions will be reflected in upcoming budget transfers and contract files; staff indicated follow‑up reporting and, where needed, later board motions for specific budget appropriations.

The board took these votes as part of a broader meeting that also included public comment and several presentations. The meeting then moved into a closed session to discuss acquisition of property for a potential future state park; the board later certified the closed meeting.