Virginia Municipal League

Building Better Communities Through Sound Government

BETTER COMMUNITIES THROUGH SOUND GOVERNMENT

VML eNews, the newsletter of the Virginia Municipal League, is published every other week except during sessions of the General Assembly. During legislative sessions it is published weekly. The newsletter includes up-to-date information on activities at the state capitol, including the General Assembly, and in the U.S. Congress and within the VML family of local governments.

Editor: Rob Bullington  |  Associate Editor: Manuel Timbreza

eNews

 

This edition of eNews is sponsored by:

Founded in 1853 in Hartford, CT, Aetna is committed to providing individuals, employers, health care professionals, producers and others with innovative benefits, products and services. Learn more >

In this issue:

VML News

General Assembly

Transportation

Opioid Settlement

Housing

Health & Human Services

Broadband

Opportunities

 

VML News

VML to hold Virginia Local Elected Officials Conference on Jan. 4, 2023

New and seasoned public officials will benefit from this valuable opportunity to learn from speakers with extensive experience working with local government officials. In addition to required training on FOIA/COIA, the conference offers an excellent opportunity to learn what it takes to succeed as an elected official. Topics pertinent to local officials such as budgeting, risk management, and cybersecurity will also be covered.

The event will run from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. There are two ways to attend:

  • In-Person: $65 with lunch provided. The event will be held at the Richmond offices of the Virginia Risk Sharing Association. The address will be provided to registrants ahead of the event.
  • Virtual: $80 with the link to join provided ahead of the event. VML will be working with an experienced provider to produce the event. Virtual attendees will be able to ask questions at the end of each session.

An agenda and link to register are available on VML’s website here >.

VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org

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Assistance needed: VML local government health insurance survey

VML is pleased to announce a partnership with health care provider Aetna and leading insurance provider Gallagher to explore options for local government health insurance needs.

To start this process, we are asking our local government members to help us gather some basic information about how Virginia’s local governments currently handle their health insurance needs.

Please complete this (very) short survey at your convenience:

Complete survey here >

VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org

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General Assembly

House and Senate money committees hold annual retreats

The joint meeting of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee was held in Richmond this past Monday, November 14, at the Science Museum of Virginia. The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee held their annual meeting yesterday and today at Longwood University in Farmville.

House money committee retreat

The House Joint Appropriations and Finance Committee meeting heard from Secretary of Finance Cummings about the administration’s perspective on state revenues for the remainder of the fiscal year. As he has in recent statements, Secretary Cummings again cautioned that future revenue growth is far from certain.

View Secretary Cumming’s presentation here >.

The House Appropriations Committee (HAC) staff provided their overview of revenue and budgetary issues of note for the 2023 session.

View the HAC staff presentation here >.

The full agenda for the HAC meeting with links to all presentations can be found here >.

Senate money committee retreat

During their retreat, the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee heard from Renee Haltom, vice-president and regional executive with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond about how Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region’s economy appears to be managing current economic conditions.

View Vice-President and Regional Executive Haltom’s presentation here >.

The Senate Finance and Appropriations’ staff shared with the committee their perspective on the budgetary and revenue issues of significance for the 2023 session.

View the Senate Finance and Appropriations’ staff presentation here >.

The full agenda for the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee meeting with links to all presentations can be found here >.

VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org

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Transportation

Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee holds transportation session during annual retreat

During the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee retreat there was a breakout session on transportation funding that focused on regional authorities. However, much of the interest from senators focused on a variety of issues ranging from dedicated transportation revenues, multi-modal transportation needs, and new federal revenues available from recent infrastructure legislation.

Senators raised concerns about impacts to transportation funding because of policy decisions made by the 2022 General Assembly that resulted in a loss of $741 million in dedicated transportation revenues over the coming six years. This funding gap was created when the state’s share of the retail sales and use tax on groceries was eliminated. The 2022 General Assembly decided to offset the short-term impact of this revenue loss with one-time revenue available within the Transportation Secretariat.

The presentation from the session is available here >.

VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org

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Opioid Settlement

Opioid epidemic public listening sessions begin in December

The Opioid Abatement Authority (OAA) and the Virginia Association of Community Services Boards (VACSB) have jointly announced a series of town-hall style listening sessions to take place around the Commonwealth starting December 1, 2022 in Roanoke with others scheduled at locations throughout Virginia through April, 2023.

The OAA’s Board of Directors will use these listening sessions to collect input from a broad and diverse audience including individuals in recovery, families of people who have been impacted by opioid use disorders, peers/allies, service providers, law enforcement, and local government. Input received during these sessions will help the Board maximize the value and impact of opioid settlement funds.

All dates and locations as well as a link to register for an event near you are available here >.

OAA Contact: Executive Director Tony McDowell, tmcdowell@voaa.us

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Virginia Institute of Government offering virtual opioid settlement information sessions

In December, the Virginia Institute of Government will host two virtual information sessions with the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.  VML are encouraged to attend. There is no cost, but participants must register for the date that best suits them:

  • December 8, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
  • December 13, 10:30 AM – Noon

The link to register is available here >.

VIG Contact: Charles Hartgrove, cwh4e@virginia.edu

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Housing

Affordable Housing and Neighborhood Transitions Workgroup

The Affordable Housing and Neighborhood Transitions Workgroup met on Nov. 9. Their agenda included a presentation by the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, a presentation on Community Development Financial Institution Funds for Housing and an update on Modular and Mobile homes.

View the agenda here >.

View a recording of the meeting with presentations here >.

During the first item on the agenda – “Partnerships to Address Virginia’s Affordable Housing Needs” – the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy spoke about using religious properties for affordable housing and suggested that there should be a request for $150M for the Virginia Housing Trust Fund to build new units, $45M for the Housing Stability Fund, and money for the eviction reduction program. As the population of persons attending religious institutions declines, there could be cooperation on assessing congregations in transition and looking at land that is owned by religious groups. Things that they identified where state / local assistance is needed are expediting zoning and permitting, keeping the property tax exemption status, and waiving permitting fees. The presentation was a smorgasbord of ideas one of which was to create a map of statewide zoning for use by developers. While an interesting presentation, the impediment to local zoning was mentioned several times.

The next item on the agenda – “Scaling Housing Resources Through Community Development Financial Institutions Funds” – focused on how successful this funding mechanism has been for some affordable housing projects. These are private financial institutions that are dedicated to delivering affordable support to help low-income and other disadvantaged people and communities to join the economic mainstream. Types of institutions in this cohort include banks, credit unions, loan funds and even venture capital funds. This group is working to establish a program in state code to become a permanent resource for community investment in Virginia.

Next up was an “Update on Mobile/Modular Homes in Virginia” and why it can assist in obtaining affordable housing. The presenters defined “manufactured housing” as modular and mobile homes and went on to describe the regulatory framework for these structures (which is different than a stick-built house). The value of the factory building process is the climate-controlled environment and the fact that is generates less material waste than a stick-built house. Localities are beginning to allow these houses in more zoning classes than before as they come to understand their value for citizens.

Last on the agenda was “Follow Through on Companion Animals in Apartments” which outlined a bill by Delegate VanValkenburg related to assistance animals in dwellings. While the draft legislation continues to be tweaked, the basic premise of the bill is that if you have an assistance animal the company who provides verification must be properly vetted to ensure that there is an appropriate and documented therapeutic relationship.

The Full Housing Commission will meet on December 14th in Richmond (location TBD) at 1:00pm to discuss legislation that they may bring forward in the 2023 General Assembly Session.

VML Contact: Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org

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Health & Human Services

Virginia’s behavioral health needs surveys are open until Nov. 30

Members of the public (that includes local government officials!) have until Nov. 30 to offer their opinions and ideas about multiple aspects of Virginia’s behavioral health and developmental services system through five separate surveys.  The surveys may be found on the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ website here >.

The five surveys address:

  • Adult behavioral health services
  • Developmental disability services
  • Substance use disorder services
  • Children’s behavioral health services
  • Forensic services

You can complete as many of the surveys as you like, and you can share the survey link with anyone you believe would be interested in completing a survey. Depending on how detailed your responses are, the survey should take about 10-20 minutes.

Remember, the last day to complete a survey is November 30, 2022.

Background

The Youngkin Administration is developing plans and areas of focus to redesign the Commonwealth’s behavioral health and developmental disability system to build stronger and more resilient communities through high-quality, accessible services for all ages. Over the next three years the Administration will develop those plans and areas of focus to make changes to the system, simply known as behavioral health redesign.

VML Contact: Janet Areson, jareson@vml.org

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Broadband

NTIA announces timeline for national high-speed internet deployment

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) to announce state Internet for All funding allocations by June 30, 2023, using most up-to-date version of FCC’s National Broadband Map

 Following the Federal Communications Commission’s announcement that on November 18 it will unveil an initial version of new broadband maps and open the mapping challenge process, NTIA expects to communicate Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment allocation levels to eligible entities by June 30.

“The next eight weeks are critical for our federal efforts to connect the unconnected,” said Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. “The FCC’s upcoming challenge process is one of the best chances to ensure that we have accurate maps guiding us as we allocate major Internet for All awards in 2023. I urge every state and community that believes it can offer improvements to be part of this process so that we can deliver on the promise of affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service for everyone in America.”

Timeline for “Internet for All” deployment

Key Dates Description
November 18, 2022 FCC releases draft National Broadband Map, a location-by-location view of high-speed Internet availability in America.
November 18, 2022-January 13, 2023 Best opportunity for eligible entities to submit challenges in time for the FCC to include corrections in the final version of the map that will be used to allocate Internet for All funding in the summer of 2023.
By June 30, 2023 NTIA plans to announce BEAD allocations, using the most up-to-date version of the FCC maps as a guide.

The Biden-Harris Administration is required by law to allocate Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funds according to a formula derived from the map data. NTIA coordinates closely with the FCC to ensure that this data is accurate and reliable and will continue to do so. NTIA’s efforts to date include:

  • Calling every single Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the United States to remind them of their obligations relating to the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) process, register any concerns or technical assistance requests, and relay those to the FCC;
  • Engaging in sustained outreach with Governors’ offices, state broadband offices, and stakeholder communities to share technical assistance resources, solicit feedback, and relay major areas of concern; and
  • Producing and sharing materials to break down the process with key dates and deadlines for affected stakeholders.

NTIA will engage in a comprehensive outreach effort to support the FCC in its efforts to ensure that every state that wishes to file a challenge can do so. This effort will include:

  • Technical assistance to state broadband officials and governors’ offices as they prepare challenges;
  • Webinars for members of the public wishing to learn more about how to participate in the challenge process;
  • Regular engagement with state officials to identify and resolve issues.

 “Internet for All”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes a historic $65 billion investment to expand affordable and reliable high-speed Internet access in communities across the U.S. NTIA recently launched a series of new high-speed Internet grant programs funded by the law that will build high-speed Internet infrastructure across the country, create more low-cost high-speed Internet service options, and address the digital equity and inclusion needs in our communities.

Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward high-speed Internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Visit getinternet.gov for more information.

For more information on the Biden-Harris Administration’s high-speed Internet programs as well as quotes from the awardees, please visit InternetforAll.gov.

NTIA Contact: internetforall@ntia.gov

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Opportunities

Forest Sustainability Fund applications due Nov. 15

Forestland provides many benefits to landowners, but also to communities. Landowners directly realize timber, wildlife, and recreational values, while the benefits of watershed protection, clean air, and scenic beauty are enjoyed by society at large. Realizing this, the Code of Virginia enables localities to provide use-value taxation that can assist owners in keeping their land as forests. Under use-value taxation, properties are taxed based on the productive value of the land rather than the current market value, which results in lower property taxes.

For county and city governments, maintaining forestland is beneficial, as land devoted to forest land use generally requires less cost in providing services than more intensive uses. However, property used for forestland does result in less revenue to local governments. Because of this, the 2022 General Assembly established the Forest Sustainability Fund administered by the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF)

Localities with forest use-value assessment may apply for an allocation from the Fund to help to offset lower, or forgone tax revenue. VDOF has developed guidelines for localities to apply for and receive funds. VDOF has received guidance from a steering committee made up of local commissioners of revenue, finance staff and interested associations.

Application process for 2022

  1. Receive email with instructions: VDOF will send an email to commissioners of revenue in localities with Forest Use Value in mid-October with application instructions.
  2. Applications are due on Nov. 15: Facilitated through an online web grants portal, applicants will need to provide basic contact information, a copy of the ordinance that established forestland use taxation, and the amount of forgone revenue due to forest land use taxation (the fair market value of forest land minus the forest use value of forest land times the locality tax rate).
  3. Review and Distribute: VDOF will review the applications and make distributions to the localities from the Fund, based upon their proportional share of the total applications received. In 2022, there is $1,000,000 in the Fund.

VDOF Contact: forestmgt@DOF.Virginia.gov

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This edition of eNews is sponsored by:

 

General Code’s 60 years of codification expertise and unique code-centric solutions make it possible to digitally link ordinances, zoning codes, building codes, and other essential content with your own procedures and public service platforms. Learn more >

In this issue:

VML News

Tax Studies

Health & Human Services

Opportunities & Reminders

 

VML News

Coming in January: Newly Elected Officials Conference and Local Government Day

It’s hard to believe, but 2023 is almost here! Looking ahead to the first part of the new year, please be sure to put these upcoming events on your calendar:

Wednesday, January 4 – Newly Elected Officials Conference

  • Location: Virginia Risk Sharing Association (VRSA) offices Richmond, VA
  • Time: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
  • What to expect: Content offered will include COIA, FOIA, Council Manager Relations, Budgeting, and more!
  • Registration: Coming soon!

Thursday, January 19 – Local Government Day

  • Location: Omni Richmond Hotel (100 S 12th St, Richmond, VA)
  • Time: 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
  • What to Expect: Legislative updates, Remarks by state officials, Opportunities to meet with delegations, evening reception, and more.
  • Registration: Coming soon!

VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org

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Tax Studies

DOT Assessor Certification Study report posted

The 2022 Appropriations Act directed the Department of Taxation (DOT) to study and develop a proposal requiring state certification and ongoing recertification for all individuals who conduct local real property general assessments receive state certification and ongoing recertification to ensure more effective, consistent, and equitable assessments across all jurisdictions in the Commonwealth.

The report is now available.

Title: Review of the Requirement of Certification and Ongoing Recertification of Individuals Conducting Local Property Tax Assessments – November 1, 2022

Access: View the report (#RD619) here >.

VML Contact: Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org

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Transient Occupancy Tax Work Group report now available

During the 2022 Session, the General Assembly enacted House Bill 518 and Senate Bill 651 which directed the Department of Taxation to convene and facilitate a work group to examine the processes currently used to collect local transient occupancy taxes and make recommendations for improving and the efficiency and uniformity of these processes.

The report of the Workgroup on Improving the Efficiency and Uniformity of the Local Transient Occupancy Tax Collection Process is now available here >.

Virginia Department of Taxation Contact: Vivek Bakshi, Senior Tax Policy Analyst – Policy Development Division, vivek.bakshi@tax.virginia.gov

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Health & Human Services

Local health department study findings now available; Comment period open until Nov. 18

On Nov. 3 in Richmond staff from Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC) presented findings from its study of the structure and funding of local health departments. Among the recommendations outlined by the staff were:

  • Increase the required core services of local health departments
  • Develop more robust performance management tools to improve accountability and transparency
  • Improve outdated IT systems
  • Improve selected salaries and provide loan forgiveness

The full staff report can be found here >.

The PowerPoint presentation can be found here >.

Policy options for consideration

JCHC staff proposed several policy options for consideration. They include the following:

  • Amend the Code of Virginia to require local departments to ensure the availability of clinical services, either by the local department or by other providers, facilitate access to and linkage with clinical care, as well as address chronic disease and injury prevention. This would be a part of the local government agreements. These are two services identified as national best practices but not addressed in the Code of Virginia, and only addressed by a few local departments in Virginia.
  • Require the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to develop a performance management process to assess effectiveness and increase accountability of local departments. The local government agreements are not seen as an effective accountability mechanism, and current data focuses on process metrics, such as the number of health inspections or clinical encounters, without any focus on outcomes or quality of services.
  • Direct VDH to develop and submit a plan by Nov. 1, 2023, for the development of a centralized data system that will enable VDH to access necessary data from all local departments to support assessment and performance management, as well as enable greater data sharing with stakeholders and the public. The current IT systems are outdated and unconnected.
  • Introducing budget amendments to create a loan repayment program and targeted salary increases for certain local department positions to address persistent staffing challenges due primarily to low salaries.
  • Direct VDH to require all health districts to participate in regular community health assessments and make this part of the local government agreements.
  • Direct that VDH track cooperative budget funding per capita, compare that funding to the identified needs of each LHD, and make appropriate adjustments as additional funding is made available.
  • Direct VDH to update state regulations for environmental health services to increase inspection fees and adjust them based on the type of establishment being inspected, to account for the typical time it takes to conduct the inspection.
  • Direct VDH to adopt regulations to implement a system of civil monetary penalties on facilities in violation of state environmental health regulations

Public comment period runs until Nov. 18

Public comment on the proposed recommendations regarding local health department structure and funding is open until 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18.

Public comments on the proposed recommendations may be sent by email or regular mail:

Following receipt of public comment, the Commission at its December meeting will consider what actions it wants to pursue in the 2023 General Assembly Session.

VML Contact: Janet Areson, jareson@vml.org

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Opportunities & Reminders

Forest Sustainability Fund applications due Nov. 15

Forestland provides many benefits to landowners, but also to communities. Landowners directly realize timber, wildlife, and recreational values, while the benefits of watershed protection, clean air, and scenic beauty are enjoyed by society at large. Realizing this, the Code of Virginia enables localities to provide use-value taxation that can assist owners in keeping their land as forests. Under use-value taxation, properties are taxed based on the productive value of the land rather than the current market value, which results in lower property taxes.

For county and city governments, maintaining forestland is beneficial, as land devoted to forest land use generally requires less cost in providing services than more intensive uses. However, property used for forestland does result in less revenue to local governments. Because of this, the 2022 General Assembly established the Forest Sustainability Fund administered by the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF)

Localities with forest use-value assessment may apply for an allocation from the Fund to help to offset lower, or forgone tax revenue. VDOF has developed guidelines for localities to apply for and receive funds. VDOF has received guidance from a steering committee made up of local commissioners of revenue, finance staff and interested associations.

Application process for 2022

  1. Receive email with instructions:VDOF will send an email to commissioners of revenue in localities with Forest Use Value in mid-October with application instructions.
  2. Applications are due on Nov. 15: Facilitated through an online web grants portal, applicants will need to provide basic contact information, a copy of the ordinance that established forestland use taxation, and the amount of forgone revenue due to forest land use taxation (the fair market value of forest land minus the forest use value of forest land times the locality tax rate).
  3. Review and Distribute:VDOF will review the applications and make distributions to the localities from the Fund, based upon their proportional share of the total applications received. In 2022, there is $1,000,000 in the Fund.

VDOF Contact: forestmgt@DOF.Virginia.gov

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Fall edition of the National Civic Review is now available

In the latest issue of the Review, published in collaboration with the Kettering Foundation, read about: community belonging, experiments in local journalism, the beneficial influence of a community mediator, housing as a platform for early childhood learning, a program to recognize health equity, the potential of regional charters, and a city that applied an equity lens to advertising staff openings.

To access this edition, go to the table of contents where you will be prompted to enter your unique access code: VML22.

VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org

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This edition of eNews is sponsored by:

 

Founded in 1853 in Hartford, CT, Aetna is committed to providing individuals, employers, health care professionals, producers and others with innovative benefits, products and services. Learn more >

In this issue:

VML News

Health & Human Services

Federal Funding

Education

Opportunities & Reminders

 

VML News

Post-conference reminders: Presentations posted; Event site still available; Don’t delete the VML app!

Thanks again to our members and the speakers and exhibitors who made the 2022 VML Annual Conference a success! Now that the dust has settled, here a few things to keep in mind.

Presentations posted

You can access resources and materials made available by presenters on the VML website here >. Please keep in mind that not every presenter provided materials to be posted. However, if you are looking for a particular presentation that is not posted to the VML site, you can review that session on the VML event site (see below) for the speaker’s contact information or contact VML Director of Communications Rob Bullington at rbullington@vml.org.

Event site still available

All the information regarding sessions, speakers, exhibitors, and more that you accessed using the VML app during the event is still available online at the VML event site here >.

And speaking of the app…

Don’t delete the VML app!

If you downloaded the VML app to your mobile device before or during the conference, don’t delete it! Now that the conference is over, the VML app is your best way to access the most important content on VML’s website. If you haven’t opened the app since the conference, check it out! You’ll see what we mean. Best of all, when we gather in Norfolk next October for the 2023 conference, the same app you already have will magically (well, it’s not exactly magic, but it’s close) become the 2023 conference app.

The VML app is your year-round mobile resource for all things VML.

Links to download the VML app are available here >.

VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org

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Take note – Opioid Authority email change

Many VML members got to visit with Tony McDowell, executive director of the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority, during the roundtable sessions at the VML Annual Conference.

McDowell has notified VML that his email address has changed. His new email address is tmcdowell@voaa.us

His phone number remains the same: (804) 572-8718.

VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org

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Health & Human Services

Juvenile detention consolidation proposal deferred

Proposal to defund and consolidate local and regional juvenile detention facilities will not move forward for now.

On Oct. 19, the Virginia Commission on Youth (VCOY) set aside the proposed recommendation and instead endorsed a motion by Delegate Carrie Coyner to write a letter to the Secretaries of Public Safety/Homeland Security; Health and Human Resources; and Education asking them to look at what is needed for the juvenile detention system. Senator Barbara Favola successfully added an amendment to Coyner’s motion to include VML and VACo at the table for this discussion.

While the juvenile detention population has been steadily decreasing, the proposal to recommend defunding/consolidation of local and regional facilities was met with expressions of opposition or concern from several groups (not just VML and VACo), including juvenile judges and the Sheriffs’ Association. Concerns included the increased distances from home/community/family for youth in these facilities, increased costs and complexity for youth to meet with legal counsel and to get to court, and increased distances and costs for families to visit or attend programs at a center.

VML Contact: Janet Areson, jareson@vml.org

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VML submits comments regarding auxiliary grant study

VML submitted comments this week on the Joint Commission on Health Care’s study and policy options regarding affordability of assisted living and auxiliary grants. VML cited its long-held position that the state should assume responsibility for funding auxiliary grants and said that any proposed increase in the grant rate should be assumed by the state. VML also said that any lump sum incentive payment to a facility to accept an auxiliary grant should be assumed by the state. Finally, VML noted that the JCHC staff report on this issue provided good insights into how some other states are addressing needs of vulnerable adults, including the use of Medicaid or Medicaid waivers, and that the Commission could promote further work to look at the options available to meet the needs of Virginians.

The Commission will meet early next month to review the public comment received on the proposal and discuss policy options it may want to endorse.

VML Contact: Janet Areson, jareson@vml.org

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JLARC topics subcommittee looks at possible studies for 2023

There is no lack of possible topics for the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to study at any time. On Oct. 17, a topics subcommittee of the Commission met to discuss possible topics for study in the coming year. The subcommittee heard about approximately 15 possible topics that were forwarded from House Rules, the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, and from individual members of JLARC.

These topics included enhanced benefits for a number of employee classes, including 911 dispatchers, juvenile detention specialists, and animal control officers; the GO Virginia Program; individual self-sufficiency (i.e., do people reach self-sufficiency with help from programs like TANF, energy assistance, etc.); child care access and issues; workforce development and access to training; constitutional officer compensation; compensation for court-appointed counsel and supplementing of public defenders; the K-12 teacher pipeline; state psychiatric facilities; and election governance.

No final decisions were made on topics to recommend to the full Commission; while the topics that seem to rise to the top included GO Virginia; self-sufficiency and childcare issues; workforce; enhanced benefits for particular employee classes; and the teacher pipeline, staff will draft resolutions addressing a number of topics and bring them forward for further discussion at the next JLARC meeting.

VML Contact: Janet Areson, jareson@vml.org

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Federal Funding

Act now for federal funding for Low Income Household Water/Wastewater Assistance Program

Federal Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) requires interested localities to act as soon as possible. The Virginia Department of Social Services has selected the Promise Network, Inc. to handle Virginia’s distribution of LIHWAP funding for localities, authorities, and other water/wastewater providers for eligible customers.

LIHWAP provides funds to assist low-income households with water and wastewater bills with an emphasis on assisting households that pay a high proportion of household income to drinking water and wastewater service. Payments are made directly to the utilities on behalf of these households.

The first step for interested localities is to submit a non-binding Intake Form to express interest in the program.

The Promise’s interactive online Intake Form is available here >.

Act now – funds are limited

Even if your decision on whether to sign a Participation Agreement is delayed a bit such as for board approval – you should submit an intake form as soon as possible to help Promise/VDSS understand the universe of potential participating utilities. The resources for this program are limited and likely to be fully distributed to utilities for eligible customer accounts and exhausted by December 2022 or potentially sooner.

Submitting the Intake Form will make the State’s team aware of your utility’s interest and enable them to factor your interest into the process in case there are shortfall or other allocation issues to address.

VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org

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Education

Virginia Board of Education meets; reviews school construction grant guidelines

On October 20 the Virginia Board of Education met to discuss several items including chronic absenteeism, the James Blair Middle School accreditation indicator, the advisory board on teacher education and licensures, and the first review of guidelines for implementing the School Construction Assistance Program.

As a reminder, the School Construction Assistance Program was created by the 2022 General Assembly to help localities fund school construction project needs with the money allotted for the 2022-2024 biennium. Part of the proposed guidelines is a series of eleven criteria localities must meet to receive funding. These criteria specify the different thresholds localities must meet to receive various amounts of funding. For more details, you can read the full guidelines here.

VML Contact: Josette Bulova, jbulova@vml.org

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Opportunities & Reminders

Forest Sustainability Fund applications due Nov. 15

Forestland provides many benefits to landowners, but also to communities. Landowners directly realize timber, wildlife, and recreational values, while the benefits of watershed protection, clean air, and scenic beauty are enjoyed by society at large. Realizing this, the Code of Virginia enables localities to provide use-value taxation that can assist owners in keeping their land as forests. Under use-value taxation, properties are taxed based on the productive value of the land rather than the current market value, which results in lower property taxes.

For county and city governments, maintaining forestland is beneficial, as land devoted to forest land use generally requires less cost in providing services than more intensive uses. However, property used for forestland does result in less revenue to local governments. Because of this, the 2022 General Assembly established the Forest Sustainability Fund administered by the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF)

Localities with forest use-value assessment may apply for an allocation from the Fund to help to offset lower, or forgone tax revenue. VDOF has developed guidelines for localities to apply for and receive funds. VDOF has received guidance from a steering committee made up of local commissioners of revenue, finance staff and interested associations.

Application process for 2022

  1. Receive email with instructions: VDOF will send an email to commissioners of revenue in localities with Forest Use Value in mid-October with application instructions.
  2. Applications are due on Nov. 15: Facilitated through an online web grants portal, applicants will need to provide basic contact information, a copy of the ordinance that established forestland use taxation, and the amount of forgone revenue due to forest land use taxation (the fair market value of forest land minus the forest use value of forest land times the locality tax rate).
  3. Review and Distribute: VDOF will review the applications and make distributions to the localities from the Fund, based upon their proportional share of the total applications received. In 2022, there is $1,000,000 in the Fund.

VDOF Contact: forestmgt@DOF.Virginia.gov

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Free training opportunity: VAPDC offering cybersecurity training

“See Yourself in Cyber” is this year’s theme for the annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month (in October). The Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions (VAPDC) is pleased to offer a free, one-hour virtual training on basic steps to help protect online information and privacy for organizations and individuals alike.

With bad actors constantly looking to exploit flaws in government, business and personal systems, the goal of this session is to educate and help you be more vigilant and prepared to protect yourself and others from these online threats…educating yourself is critical.

There is no cost to attend this online meeting, but you must register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

VAPDC Contact: Executive Director David Blount, DBlount@tjpdc.org

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DHCD opportunities: Industrial Revitalization Fund (IRF) planning grants and upcoming webinar series

IRF planning grants

The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) reminds all interested parties that applications are open for the current round of IRF planning grants and the deadline is just one month away – midnight on November 4th.

Information is available here >.

“Development Ready” webinar series

What does it mean to be a “Development Ready Community” or “Open for Business”? Often, there is a disconnect between messaging and reality. While a locality may say that they want to encourage new developments, their zoning code, incentives, and access to capital say differently. The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development is partnering with experts in the field to guide local governments, elected officials, community development organizations, housing providers, developers and entrepreneurs through the steps needed to ensure that their community’s vision can become a reality. This webinar series is a must for any community struggling to meet housing demands, rehabilitate derelict structures and fill vacant storefronts.

Starting with a review of zoning code and policies, the Incremental Development Alliance will speak directly to localities and officials to analyze whether or not their ordinances meet their needs and intent. Place and Main Advisors will continue this conversation by showing localities how to find and market to experienced developers who will help the community meet their vision. Afterwards, our partners at Virginia Community Capital will take these concepts to the next level through resources to help further build local economies with small businesses and entrepreneurship.

Webinar Series Schedule:

  • 10/05| Small-Scale Incremental Development
  • 10/12| Marketing & Promo. for Attracting Developers
  • 10/19| Supporting Small-Business Development

Register here >.

CVO Newsletter here >.

If you’re not already subscribed to this newsletter, you can be added by emailing zachary.whitlow@dhcd.virginia.gov

DHCD Contact: Community Revitalization Specialist Annie Arnest, annie.arnest@dhcd.virginia.gov.

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SCC seeks public comments on application of Appalachian Power Company to increase its fuel factor

The State Corporation Commission (SCC) is offering time for members of the public to give oral comments by telephone on an application by Appalachian Power Company to increase its fuel factor for usage on and after November 1, 2022.

Appalachian Power’s application requests approval to recover the company’s estimated Virginia jurisdictional fuel expenses of approximately $416,140,161 for the November 1, 2022, through October 31, 2023, fuel year, and its projected October 31, 2022, fuel deferral balance of $361,411,867, subject to its mitigation proposal.

The company’s mitigation proposal would spread recovery of the projected fuel deferral balance over two years.

For a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month, the average weighted monthly bill would increase by $20.17, from $127.81 to $147.98 under the Company’s proposal. The Commission has permitted the Company to place the proposal into effect on an interim basis, subject to further modification, effective November 1, 2022.

The SCC has scheduled a public witness session to begin at 10 a.m. on December 13, 2022. Public witnesses intending to provide oral testimony must pre-register with the SCC by 5 p.m. on December 7, 2022. The hearing will be webcast at: scc.virginia.gov/pages/Webcasting.

Public witnesses wishing to provide oral testimony may pre-register in one of three ways:

  • Completing a public witness form for case number PUR-2022-00139 on the SCC’s website at: gov/pages/Webcasting
  • E-mailing the same form (PDF version on the same website as above) toSCCInfo@scc.virginia.gov
  • Calling the SCC at 804-371-9141 during normal business hours (8:15 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and providing your name and the phone number you wish the Commission to call to reach you during the hearing.

A public evidentiary hearing will follow the public witness hearing at 10 a.m. on December 14, 2022, in the SCC’s second floor courtroom at 1300 East Main Street in Richmond to receive testimony and evidence from the company, any respondents and the SCC staff.

For those who prefer, there is also an opportunity to provide comments in writing on the Appalachian Power application. Written comments may be submitted through the SCC’s website by December 6, 2022, at scc.virginia.gov/casecomments/Submit-Public-Comments. Simply go to the SCC website, select “Cases” and then “Submit Public Comments,” and scroll down to case number PUR-2022-00139. Then click SUBMIT COMMENTS.

SCC Contact: Ford Carson, Ford.Carson@scc.virginia.gov

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  • eNews November, 18 2022   This edition of eNews is sponsored by: Founded in 1853 in Hartford, CT, Aetna is committed to providing individuals, employers, health care professionals, producers and others with innovative benefits, products and…
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