County conducts national search for administrator
By Donna C. Gregory NEWS EDITOR

Ramsey

The county is one step closer to locating a replacement for retiring County Administrator Lane Ramsey - but finding a successor isn't going to be cheap.

Last week, the Chesterfield Board of Supervisors voted to hire Springsted Inc., an executive search firm based in St. Paul, Minn., to conduct a national hunt for Ramsey's successor at a cost of $18,000.

Ramsey is retiring on Aug. 15 after almost 20 years as the county's chief executive.

According to John Anzivino, Springsted's senior vice president, the search for Chesterfield's new county administrator "will command national attention."

He added that his firm has a good track record of finding candidates who remain in their jobs for years.

"This is not a process you want to embark on every three to five years," explained Anzivino. "You want some stability."

In Virginia, the firm has conducted administrator searches in Stafford County and the cities of Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Staunton.

"Our responsibility is to help establish criteria for the position and to help narrow the pool and bring you the best candidates," said Anzivino.

Miller

The search will also include potential in-house candidates. The county currently employs three deputy county administrators who could be possible applicants.

Woodlake truck traffic

Truckers may soon have to find another route to avoid heavy traffic on Hull Street Road. The Woodlake Community Association wants the county board to ask the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to restrict truck traffic along Woodlake Village, Lakebluff and Timber Bluff parkways.

But board members decided to delay any action on the community's request for at least 60 days. At issue is whether the restriction would alleviate safety concerns in Woodlake while creating them in other neighborhoods - mainly Brandermill.

If the county asks for truck traffic to be restricted in Woodlake, it must show VDOT that traffic has another alternate route to Hull Street Road.

The most obvious alternative is for truck traffic to use Genito Road, but some Brandermill residents object to that recommendation since traffic is already heavy on Genito, and the road includes a narrow bridge with weight restrictions.

Woodlake asked for the restriction due to the amount of truck traffic that's cutting through the neighborhood to avoid traffic tie ups on Hull Street Road. Residents say the trucks present a safety risk for children and other pedestrians especially around bus stops and schools. They also complain the trucks are noisy, damage roadways and release noxious fumes.

"It pits one community versus another," observed Chairman Kelly Miller.

The 60-day deferral will allow county transportation officials to discuss the matter more fully with VDOT.

"We're not trying to dump traffic on any other neighborhood," said Tom Hoekstra, association president, before agreeing to the deferral.

Magnolia Green transportation district

A public hearing on the creation of a transportation district for Magnolia Green has been deferred until May 23 to allow time for county officials to continue discussing funding alternatives with the large subdivision's developer.

Last month, supervisors proposed forming a transportation district for the future 4,000-plus home development to help fund an extension of the Powhite Parkway from its current end at Charter Colony Parkway to Route 360 near Grange Hall Elementary School. A transportation district would allow the county to charge Magnolia Green taxpayers an additional 25 cents per $100 of assessed value in property taxes.

After the developer Magnolia Green Development LLC learned about the proposed district, it entered into talks with county officials to discuss ways to offset the costs of providing roads and services for future residents.

When Magnolia Green was rezoned in 1991, proffers - the fees developers pay to offset the cost of providing county services to residents - were just $2,800 per home. Today, developers pay up to $15,600 per home.

Church gets new sign

Bethlehem Baptist Church on Midlothian Turnpike will soon have a new way to spread the message of God. County supervisors have given their blessing for the installation of an electronic sign that will be used to advertise spiritual messages and church events.

Miller reclused himself from the case since he is a member of the church.

Wastewater agreement

A wastewater agreement between the county and Dominion Virginia Power will help preserve the James River.

Under the agreement approved by the county board last week, Chesterfield will provide up to 3.5 million gallons of wastewater a day by 2010 to Dominion's power plant on Coxendale Road in Chester instead of dumping the water into the James River. Dominion will use the wastewater to help reduce sulfur emissions from the plant's smokestacks.

"What would be considered wastewater is now being used to help clean up the environment," explained Dominion's Larry Cridlin.

According to county reports, the project "represents the largest wastewater reclamation and reuse project" in Virginia.

Dominion is completely funding the project.