The Gloucester County Board of Supervisors voted 7-0 last Wednesday night for Gloucester County to cease being the administrative agent for the Middle Peninsula Virginia Housing Development Authority’s Section 8 rental housing program. Under the same vote, Gloucester’s housing department will be dissolved, most likely by the end of this year.
"This isn’t a light decision and can have ramifications," at-large supervisor Michelle Ressler said during the meeting, which was held in the colonial courthouse.
Gloucester County Administrator Brenda Garton said that VHDA will designate an administrative agent to support Gloucester and the five surrounding localities that the Gloucester program oversaw.
In this case, Garton said she has had discussions with Bay Aging, which currently seems interested in taking over the responsibility. "However, it’s not our decision. It’s the decision of VHDA," she said.
Garton said she felt a larger human services-based organization would better serve the localities and offer wraparound services for those who may become Section 8 rental housing clients.
"I’m confident citizens will get the same services," Garton said, "just through another coordinator."
She said Gloucester was previously funding itself as the administrative agent and now that money will go to Bay Aging or the administrative agent that VHDA designates.
Another question supervisors asked was what would happen to the one full-time position that was left in the department. Gloucester’s former housing director Michael Shifflett was put on administrative leave after he was criminally charged and resigned after he was acquitted in June without returning to the post.
"The one position would go away effective with the termination of the program and the department," Garton said. "However, I’m confident the agency that takes over the program will hire the person," since that individual has established a basis of trust and knowledge of area participants.
Gloucester has served as administrative agent for the program for over 32 years. Garton said 169 families currently participate in the Middle Peninsula section of the housing program.
Gloucester Town Commons
Following a closed meeting, supervisors discussed a growing sinkhole at one of the entrances to Gloucester Town Commons, a subdivision in Gloucester Court House, near Botetourt Elementary School.
According to county attorney Ted Wilmot, the subdivision was approved by the county in 2005, and the developer entered a development agreement that provided for the completion of the public improvements associated with the subdivision.
The principals of Somerset Gloucester Town Commons, LLC (the original developer) were involved in a personal bankruptcy proceeding and the remaining undeveloped lots were sold to another developer, American Dream Homes, with the understanding that the roads were ready to be taken into the state system and that only certain items, such as street trees and sidewalks, would be completed, Wilmot said.
However, Wilmot said the paperwork to have the road accepted into the state system was not completed and the road remains privately owned.
In July, the sinkhole was identified and staff has attempted to have those with interest in the development fix the road. When no action was taken, Wilmot wrote a letter to all those involved indicating that the road needed to be fixed giving a deadline of Sept. 6, 2010. To date, no action has been taken to fix the road.
Following the closed session, Wilmot said though Gloucester County does not own the roadway and is not responsible to fix the roadway, "the Board of Supervisors is very concerned and wants to work diligently to fix the hole.
"The county is exploring its options to have the party or parties involved fix the hole," he continued. "However, no definitive action can be taken at this point."
Gloucester Point Library
Following a closed session, the board voted 5-2 to direct staff to begin negotiating a lease to the highest ranking offer for a space to house the Gloucester Point Library and draft a lease for the space.
Money for the Gloucester Point Library lease was allocated into this year’s budget, Garton added. Ressler and Abingdon district supervisor Buddy Rilee cast the two votes against the matter.
Board appointments
The following citizens were appointed to various boards, councils and commissions during the meeting Wednesday night: Terry Durose (Ware), Dragon Run Steering Committee; Patricia Houtz (Ware), Economic Development Authority; Wesley Wilson (Petsworth), Economic Development Authority; Harrison Dixon (Petsworth), Middle Peninsula-Northern Neck Community Services Board; John Adams (Gloucester Point), Older Adult Committee; William Craig (Ware), Older Adult Committee; Donald Sandridge (at-large), Parks and Recreation Advisory, and Eileen Gedicke, recreational representative to the Tourism Committee.