Bath BOS holds August meeting

The Bath Board of Supervisors met Tuesday evening, and reached conclusions for several significant items on which they have been working for quite a while. One item, which was thought to need a resolution about Growth Areas, turned out to be simpler than expected because no public hearing, or revisions to the comprehensive plan are required. The board voted unanimously in favor of adopting the Tourism Marketing Strategic Plan, and acknowledged it is a living document, which will continue to evolve as the communities’ needs change. The transfer station repairs and improvements all have the go-ahead, and funding, and County Administrator, Ashton Harrison’s attention to the engineers working closely with the operators will make this long-awaited project a success.

In addition, the board codified the ordinance that establishes staggered terms for both the School Board and the Board of Supervisors. That code reads as follows:

“At the general election to be conducted on November 3, 2015, two members of the board of supervisors shall be elected for terms of two years each. After the November 3, 2015 election, if sufficient successful candidates for the board of supervisors do not volunteer to accept the two-year term, the electoral board will assign the individual terms of members by lot on the day following the election and immediately upon certification of the results in accordance with Code of Virginia, § 24.2-219, as amended. In all elections thereafter, all successful candidates for the board of supervisors and school board shall be elected for terms of four years.”

The section of the code referring to the school board election is almost identical, as in:

“At the general election to be conducted on November 3, 2015, two members of the school board shall be elected for terms of two years each to correspond with the election of the county supervisors herein.”

It goes on to say that those representatives with the two-year terms will be “coterminous” by district. I needed to look that one up, and it means commensurate, or having the same boundaries. For example if the supervisor elected from the Cedar Creek district is the one, either by volunteering, or by lot, to serve two years, then the school board representative from that district would do the same. The goal of these staggered terms is to create more continuity and balance in the representation of Bath County citizens into the future.

After the time designated for public comment, Cliff Gilchrest, Millboro District Supervisor, reflected on some of the negative statements everyone heard. Some times it’s not always clear to residents, or to supervisors who have to work hard to figure it out themselves, if there is a difference between what certain constituents want, and what is the greater good.

“When you are elected to a board like this, that’s a governing body, you do have a responsibility to your constituents, and that’s important, but when I got elected the first time, and the second time three years ago, I also realized that, and I don’t mean this as some one who becomes now an autocrat, but you are expected to make leadership kinds of decisions, and some times that’s going to mean you’re going to have to go against some of the people who elected you, and that’s not going to make them too happy.”

Other board comments noted the value of being kind and respectful from all angles while working through so many critical decisions.

The next regular monthly meeting of the Board of Supervisors will be September 8^th at 7:00. The public is strongly encouraged to attend.