School board holds public hearing on sale of Mount Vernon Adult Education Center property

The Henrico County Public Schools board paused its regular meeting at about 4:30 p.m. to hold a legal public hearing on a resolution to sell real property at 7850 Carousel Lane, the site formerly used as the Mount Vernon Adult Education Center.

The hearing’s stated purpose was narrowly to solicit public input on both the sale of the property and the retention of a portion of real property sales proceeds. "The next item on the agenda is the public hearing to solicit public input related to a resolution for the sale of real property and retention of a portion of real property sales at 7850 Carousel Lane, formerly Mount Vernon Adult Education Center," the presiding official said.

Board staff explained that citizens could sign up in advance with the school board clerk and that the board would follow the sign-up list first before allowing anyone else to speak. When asked by the presiding official, Miss Burton, the clerk, said, "We do not," indicating no one had registered to speak in advance. The presiding official then asked those in the room whether anyone wished to speak; after asking, "Are you sure?" and hearing no responses, the official concluded, "Hearing none, seeing none, that concludes our public hearing on real estate."

Board members said the hearing was being held so the board could receive public comment before taking a vote later in the meeting. The transcript records no public comments or testimony during this hearing. The record shows the board moved from agenda item 6.01 to agenda item 9.01 to accommodate the hearing, but no motion or final vote on the sale was recorded in the transcript excerpt provided.

Next steps: according to remarks made at the hearing, the board plans to vote on the referenced resolution later in the same meeting; the transcript excerpt does not include the vote or any subsequent action.