Board of Supervisors Initiatives

The Board of Supervisors establishes priorities and initiatives for Hanover County's government for each fiscal year. These are the Board’s adopted initiatives for FY09:

• Update the Economic Development Strategic Plan to include information from the 2007 Comprehensive Plan Update, the Retail Strategy, the results of the development departments’ customer service review and what was learned from “Business First” surveys, among other information. One objective of this update would be to better align Hanover’s economic development strategy with the region’s strategy.
• Continue Bond Referendum Project construction and transportation improvements. Specific projects include the Mechanicsville Library, Ashland and Farrington replacement fire stations, the Emergency Communications system, various Parks projects and improvements at the intersection of Pole Green and Bell Creek Roads.
• Develop plans for a new Courts facility and Courthouse Master Plans. An architectural contract for a new courts building has begun with detailed reviews performed for the size and scope of the building. The total cost of the new courts building is expected to be $45.6 million, with most of this cost reflected in FY10. Construction is expected to be completed in 2011. The County also needs to further refine the Courthouse Master Plan and timelines over the next few years.
• Implement customer service initiatives for the development departments. A comprehensive customer service review for development departments (Planning, Public Utilities, Public Works, Building Official and Health Department along with the Virginia Department of Transportation) was conducted in FY08. A project manager was hired in the spring of 2008 to serve as an ‘advocate’ for customers.
• Update Planning and Zoning ordinances. Certain provisions of the Zoning Ordinance will be reviewed and updated as needed in FY09, including parking requirements, sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, signage regulations and consolidation of the R-4 and R-5 residential districts.
• Study integration of delivering human services by County agencies. The goal for FY09 is to study the coordination of services that cross human service agencies, with a particular focus on early childhood development (children aged up to 4) and specialized transportation.
• Develop and begin implementation of a County/School Health and Wellness Program. Using funds available from the health insurance provider and the Self Insurance Fund, the County will explore such opportunities as purchasing a blood pressure kiosk at various locations, providing smoking and tobacco cessation programs to help employees quit and providing weight management programs.
• Establish plans to serve the Rt. 33 area with water and sewer. In the 2007 Comprehensive Plan Update, the Board added 3,400 acres of business park designation in the Rt. 33 area. The Department of Public Utilities is developing plans to provide the appropriate service area with water and sewer over the next several years. In April the Board established a new Business Park district which will protect exiting residential communities within the area while providing for high-quality economic development opportunities such as a West Creek-type development. This district can also be used in other areas of the County where such development would be appropriate.
• Update Parks Master Plan. Since the Parks Master Plan was adopted in 1990, eight completed or potential park sites have been acquired by the County. While each of these sites has a plan for future development, there is no overall County plan tying these individual sites together. This Parks Master Plan update will analyze and recommend improvements, seek the community’s input and describe relevant development costs and funding strategies.
• Establish four-year strategic goals for the Board of Supervisors: The Board will hold a retreat later this year to discuss which goals it would like to set for itself over the current term.

To read the Board’s FY08 Initiatives, read here.