Mathews supervisor Janine Burns asked fellow board members on Tuesday to support a resolution requesting that the state amend the Code of Virginia to prevent fracking in or near coastal plain aquifers. Board members weren’t ready to take action on the matter.

Burns explained that, while Mathews County may not be a target for fracking operations anytime soon, proposed fracking operations in nearby localities could pose a threat to the county’s water supply.

The aquifer that Mathews draws its water from is part of a series of coastal aquifers, said Burns, and plans already in the works for a pipeline across the Potomac River include the possibility of piercing the wall of one of those aquifers and possibly allowing contaminants to enter the water supply.

There has been a rapid spread of fracking wells in Pennsylvania, said Burns, from just one well in 2004 to around 7,500 wells today. She said she’s interested in energy independence, but with Mathews County one hundred percent dependent on wells that are themselves aquifer dependent, “we have to be smart about how to protect ourselves in the process.”

Burns also included in her resolution requests that the state ensure that water quality and water withdrawal targets are managed and require bonds and inspections to ensure regulatory compliance.

Supervisor O.J. Cole said that the board of supervisors had been told that, although well casings for fracking operations are made of five layers of steel and concrete, every well eventually leaks and that the leakage could include detergents, solvents and other environmental contaminants.

Gas companies have been asked to supply a list of the chemicals used in the fracking process, said Burns, but they have resisted.

Supervisor Jack White said he was concerned about water quality and the water supply and had been impressed with presentations given the board last week (by Rick Parrish of the Southern Environmental Law Center at the College of William and Mary and King George County Supervisor Ruby Brabo), but he said he would feel better about discussing the issue with legislators on a personal basis.

Supervisor Charles Ingram said, “All I’ve heard is the bad side. There’s bound to be a good side or they would’ve stopped it a long time ago.”

Burns said the good side is that natural gas is a valuable resource and that the U.S. has an abundant supply of it.

“I have nothing against fracking,” she said. “I’m just for protecting our water.”

“My heart and mind go with water quality,” said White, adding that he would like to receive further information and public input on the topic before making a decision. No action was taken.

Commissioner of the Revenue Les Hall reported to the board that a local bank (identified in the supervisors’ packet as Bank of America) had filed an amended tax return with the Virginia Department of Taxation indicating that it had overpaid its taxes by nearly $20 million over a three-year period and desired a refund. After negotiations with the tax department, the bank settled on a refund of $13 million.

The state agreed to pay 20 percent of the refund and assigned the other 80 percent of the refund to the localities in which there were branches of the bank. Refund amounts are based on the value of the accounts in each bank, said Hall, with Mathews County owing nearly $25,874. If the debt were paid over time, he said, the total including interest would be $29,314.

The board will discuss how to repay the money during its November meeting.

After a public hearing during which no one from the community spoke either for or against the matter, the board voted unanimously to approve a budget amendment incorporating two hazard mitigation grants totaling $2,897,225 into the budget. Planning and Zoning Director John Shaw said that with the two additional grants the county now has four FEMA grants totaling nearly $5 million to elevate a total of 29 structures and to acquire three properties that have all seen recurrent flooding.

The board also unanimously approved Shaw’s request to appropriate $75,000 to the 2014-2015 budget to cover unexpected expenses for two of the elevation projects. No local funds were required for the appropriation.

A second public hearing was held on an exotic pet ordinance, but there was again no comment from the public, and the board adopted the ordinance with no discussion.

Sheriff Mark Barrick reported to the board that a security issue occurred recently at Liberty Square when the computer that operated security cameras and doors throughout the complex failed. Because the incident was an emergency, the company that installed the system is no longer in business, and parts were not available for repairs, Barrick said he had to hire a company to build a computer to control the existing hardware. The project cost $41,145, said Barrick, with the payment treated as an emergency expenditure by County Administrator Mindy Moran.

During the closing public comment period, Mike Casale, owner of White Dog Bistro, told board members that he is part of a group of 13 business owners who are working on a plan to promote Mathews by advertising in regional publications and setting up a website to attract more visitors to the county. He said he’s seeking at least 20 business owners to participate in the initiative and hopes to raise $25,000 to promote tourism in the county.
Casale asked that, if the proposed meals tax referendum is approved by voters during Tuesday’s election, the board use some small percentage of the proceeds to promote tourism in the county.

“I’m not saying I’m an advocate of the tax,” said Casale. “I’m saying I think it’s inevitable … Because of the increase in the real estate tax, I think people are happy to see it pushed into another area.”

The board took no action on his request.

The board also:

—Authorized County Administrator Mindy Moran to sign leases with tower owners in Cobbs Creek and New Point for installation of radio equipment for the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office;

—Changed the board’s by-laws to reduce the length allowed for public comment during public hearings from five minutes to three and to allow a person to speak during both public comment periods as long as two different topics are addressed;

—Approved a request by the Mathews County Historical Society to submit an application nominating Tompkins Cottage and Fort Nonsense to the National Register of Historic Places;

—Took no action on a request by Moran that it approve a measure to allow current and former county employees to participate in the VRS Health Insurance Credit Program. The cost would be 0.15 percent of covered payroll, or approximately $950 a year. Moran explained that the benefit is already offered to all school and social services employees and to employees in the offices of the registrar, clerk of courts, commissioner of the revenue, treasurer and commonwealth’s attorney.