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Essex County supervisors adopt permit fees, set penalty ordinance start date and approve broadband, grant and Riverfest funding
Summary
At its June 9 meeting the Essex County Board of Supervisors adopted permit fees (ordinance 26-001), approved an ordinance on failure to pay with a July 1 effective date (26-003), and approved multiple budget appropriations including a broadband grant of $590,875.16, Riverfest support and an ASAP mural grant.
The Essex County Board of Supervisors on June 9 adopted several administrative and budget measures intended to move local projects and operations forward.
After a public hearing and discussion during the work session, the board approved ordinance 26-001 to adopt updated permit fees as recommended by county staff. The motion to adopt the fees passed by unanimous voice vote.
The board also approved ordinance 26-003, described as providing the Commonwealth’s attorney additional flexibility to impose fines or alternative options for certain minor infractions. The board specified a start date of July 1, 2026 for the ordinance’s enforcement. County staff had noted the ordinance as drafted could be effective immediately, but the board agreed on the July 1 start date.
On budget and grant items, the board approved an appropriation of $590,875.16 for the county broadband initiative (the motion referred to this grant as the Betty Garrett grant in the appropriation motion; earlier public materials referenced the VADI broadband grant). County broadband staff reported site-specific power and transport issues that should be resolved in coming weeks and encouraged residents on private roads to contact Breezeline or county staff to enroll before project closeout.
Other spending and transfers approved included a real estate tax refund of $2,157.48 (with a transfer from reserves to cover the refund), a transfer of $4,135 from reserves to cover additional Riverfest public safety costs, and the appropriation of $40,976.21 for the ASAP mural project with the Teffa Artist Guild. The board approved a Smart Scale resolution (26-010) to submit county road projects for state funding consideration prior to an August 1 deadline.
The board also tabled action on an E-Rate grant and a school improvement grant pending corrected signatures or formal action by the school board. During discussion of school grant reporting, staff warned that missing time-and-effort reports for a SPED grant could lead to the county/school division covering reimbursements previously paid (the transcript referenced $337,930 already spent and an unused fund balance of about $166,009.32 that may need to be returned if not properly accounted for).
Board members closed the meeting with routine directives and calendar notes: county offices will be closed June 19 for Juneteenth and July 3 for Independence Day; the July work session is scheduled for 07/07/2026 at 5 p.m. with the regular meeting at 7 p.m. The meeting adjourned by voice vote.
