District 5 Update for February 2024

Thomas "Tom"  G. Shepperd, Jr. York County Supervisor, District 5 Hm:  (757) 858-8591 Mb:  (757) 903-1875 Email address: Shepperd@yorkcounty.gov Email address:  TGShep@cox.net          District 5 Update - September 2024 Subscribe for District 5 Report and Crime Watch Updates Residents and homeowner associations are encouraged to share the Update with others in their communities. Comments and questions are always welcome* School Speed Check Zones Back in May I wrote about Sheriff Montgomery’s initiative to install speed check cameras in five school zones. Tabb Elementary School is one of the zones. On August 26, the first day of school, the cameras went active. The next 30-days is a trial period to get the public used to the cameras and work out any bugs in the system. Speeders during the trial period will receive a warning letter from the Sheriff’s Office. Effective Wednesday, September 25, civil citations will be issued with a fine of $100 for anyone exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour. There is no cost for the cameras or their installation. Only a small portion of the funds collected from the fines will go to the vendor. The rest will go into the County’s general fund per state statute. Current traffic data is showing a positive impact on speeding. Earlier this year the Sheriff’s Office recorded 3,725 speeding violations of 10 mph or more over a five-day period. During a recent four-day period, the violation had dropped to 822 violations with about 70 percent of the violations occurring in the York High School zone on Route 17.  The Sheriff’s Office will be placing greater attention on the troubled speed zone. For more information about the program go to https://www.yorkcounty.gov/359/Sheriffs-Office Speeding on Carys Chapel Road Over the past year I received numerous complaints about excessive speeding on Carys Chapel Road. As a result, the Sheriff’s Office conducted a speed study using a Stealth Stat system. The results of the study showed that the median speed was 39 MPH and the 85th percentile speed was 43 MPH. This means that 85 percent of the vehicles were going 8 miles over the speed limit. This prompted the Sheriff to station several patrol cars along Carys Chapel Road.  During the patrols in late July and early August, the Sheriff deputies issued 19 citations and 9 warnings. Also, there were 6 Direct Patrols/Radar Enforcements. Not surprisingly, there were two Reckless Excessive Speed citations and one driving with a Suspended/Revoked license. Some of the highest speeds were recorded in the morning around 5 a.m., with speeds around 70 mph. The posted speed limit is 35 mph. As you might expect, word got out about the patrol cars and the traffic did slow down. However, we realize this is not a permanent solution. Because of the high traffic volume and ongoing speeding, the Sheriff plans to redeploy the deputies on a routine basis.   Crime & Punishment Another Scam: A criminal with "a fake country accent" is calling around pretending to be Deputy West with York County. He says that you need to do a DNA swab, a photo lineup, or have a warrant issued for your arrest. He proceeds to ask you to pay a fine, and if you don't pay, he will then threaten your family. No one from our Sheriff's Office or any other law enforcement agency will ever try to elicit fines from you over the phone, especially fines paid in gift cards! Be smart! Please don't fall for this scam! As a general rule, I never give out credit card or banking information to someone who makes an unsolicited call to my number. Professional scammers will call and attempt to distract you into doing something you would not normally do in a calm situation. Always, always, verify who you are talking to.  One of the best ways to verify a family member during a crisis call is to simply ask questions about the family. Scammers are raking in hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Don’t be the next victim.  Sheriff Montgomery's Program: “NOT in YORK COUNTY” April 23rd – A suspect enters the ABC Store in the Kiln Creek Shopping Center with a large backpack and begins filling the backpack with various bottles of liquor. The store clerk realizes what the perp is doing and threatens to call the police. The perp blows off the threat and tells the clerk to go ahead and make the call because they will never catch him. He walked out of the store with over $1,400 worth of liquor. On May 2nd the perp was arrested and charged with Felony Grand Larceny. The perp learned a hard lesson about crime and that is you might get away with it somewhere else, but “Not in York County.” June 13th –The Sheriff’s Office responded to a call that someone was trying to break into car in the Coventry neighborhood. Officers arrived quickly and worked with neighbors in both the Coventry and Tabb Lakes neighborhoods to locate the suspect. He was arrested on 2 counts of entering a motor vehicle with intent to commit larceny, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor, and on 4 counts of Obstructing Justice, which is also a misdemeanor. Additional charges are pending. The suspect learned, “Not in York County.”  August 15th – The Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from the Kroger grocery store near Kiln Creek where they found a male suspect trying to use stolen credit cards. He was not armed as first reported. He was arrested and charged with 8 counts of Credit Card Theft, which are felonies, 4 counts of Credit Card Fraud, which are misdemeanors, and 1 count of wearing a mask in public, which is a felony. He also learned, “Not in York County.”  Comments from the York County and City of Poquoson Commonwealth’s Attorney Krystyn L. Reid I would like to begin this update with a description of our staff in the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. Including myself, we have nine prosecuting attorneys in the office. What is remarkable about our attorneys is the collective experience they possess. Five of the nine attorneys in the office have more than 20 years of experience and a couple have more than 30 years experience. This is rare in small law offices, particularly prosecutor’s offices.  In addition to the attorneys, we have six support staff members and three Victim Witness Advocates. We are a collaborative office where we all strive to serve the needs of our victims and our community. We recently finalized a case that occurred in December of 2020. On December 26, 2020 in the upper end of the County, one man shot another resulting in permanent significant injuries for the victim. The men were known to each other and this incident stemmed from a personal dispute. The defendant pleaded guilty to Malicious Wounding, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, and Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony. The defendant was sentenced to 48 years with 33 years suspended resulting in an active sentence of 15 years. The victim was consulted on this resolution and restitution was ordered to cover his medical bills. Upon release, the defendant will be on probation and good behavior for 40 years. One issue of particular importance in the County right now is scams. York County residents lost and continue to lose a vast amount of money to scams, particularly over the phone. Based on the scammers’ use of cutting-edge technology, these scams are notoriously very challenging to investigate and prosecute. We remind residents to be wary of calls demanding immediate payment and of calls that demand money based on an emotional connection. It’s always a good idea to take a break, think about the demand, look up the phone number of the agency, and return the call after some reflection. One missing aspect in the state court system is assistance for witness protection and relocation. The federal system has long provided resources for this purpose but we in the state system were lacking. The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services recently implemented a Virginia Witness Protection Program providing grants to localities for reluctant or threatened witnesses. Our office applied and was awarded a $25,000 grant that will provide tangible protections for witnesses including cell phones, temporary lodging, relocation, and security systems. We are optimistic that this will be helpful in successful prosecution of serious crimes by providing these necessary protections for our witnesses.  PUBLIC SAFETY Rave Alert York County has launched a new emergency notification system called Rave Alert. This platform uses state-of-the-art technology to allow county officials to provide timely, accurate information directly to residents during emergencies. Rave Alert replaces the County’s current system, York Alert. Rave Alert is designed to enhance public safety by delivering real-time alerts and notifications through multiple channels, including text messages, emails, voice calls, and mobile app notifications on a variety of situations, such as severe weather, public safety threats, and important community updates. Another key aspect of the Rave Alert platform is the Smart911 app that can be used to receive the notifications being sent by the County and can also store important health data that can be shared with the County’s Emergency Communications department when assistance is needed. Registration is free and now available. You can enroll in the Rave Alert system by visiting yorkcounty.gov/ravealert. For any questions or assistance with the sign-up process, residents may call the County at 757-890-4961 or send an email to ravealert@yorkcounty.gov. HRSD Pressure Reducing Station (PRS) and Offline Storage Facility (OLSF) Update The photo above is taken from the site construction cameras. On the right (to the right of the crane) you can make out some piles that will be the foundation for the storage tank, and to the left, you can see the concrete that will form the walls of the PRS.  Construction remains on schedule for completion in March 2026. The contractor, MEB, has completed the bottom slab of the PRS and is over half-way through pouring the walls of this facility. Pile driving for both facilities (PRS and OLSF i.e. storage tank) is complete. The OLSF subcontractors will be onsite beginning September 16th to begin work on that facility. FLASHVOTE Have you ever wished for a quick an easy way to comment on important issues that come before the County Board of Supervisor. You know, those issues that impact you, your family and community? Well, now you can. York County is working with FlashVote to gather resident input through scientifically developed surveys. The survey questions are unbiased and the data from the survey is parse statistically to help County officials make informed decisions. From this Supervisor’s perspective, FlashVote is an outstanding tool that can help me in working with the other Supervisors to set policy, create budgets, fund schools, buy equipment, and plan for the County’s future.  FlashVote gives you a voice in local government. Often Supervisors only hear from a self-selected few on an issue. One vote every few years from regular citizens doesn’t do you or the Supervisors much good. A lot can change between elections, and it is good to receive citizen input on significant issues from time to time.    To participate in FlashVote, you must sign up at https://www.flashvote.com/yorkcountyva. You can also sign up by calling or texting 775-235-2240.    Here’s how it works: Sign up takes less than one minute and your input is always kept anonymous Personal or demographic information collected by FlashVote is never shared with the County or anyone else. When residents sign up, they can determine how surveys are received – whether by email, text or phone call. They will receive a notification whenever there is a new survey, and they will have 48 hours to participate before voting closes. Once a survey is closed, everyone who participated will automatically receive a summary of the overall results and be able to see how their responses compare to the group. First FlashVote Survey Results: The subject is home based businesses. Here are the five questions and results: Note that 266 of the 440 invited to participate responded to the survey. Again, you must sign up to be invited. You will have only 48 hours to respond to the survey. Question 1: Is the home where you live part of a Homeowners Association (HOA)? 52.5% yes, 47.1% No Question 2: Do you know or suspect that there are one or more home based businesses in your neighborhood? (Choose ONE) I don't think there are any home based businesses in my neighborhood 25.7% (61) I suspect there is at least one home based business in my neighborhood 4.9% (59) I know there is at least one home based businesses in my neighborhood (and my home isn't one) 21.1% (50) My home is used for a home based business 2.5% (6) Not Sure 25.7% (61) Question 3: Which of the following would be your biggest concerns, if any, about home-based businesses operating in your neighborhood? (You can choose up to FOUR) Increased car traffic on the street 48.2% (108) Loud noises made by the home business 26.3% (59) Lots of cars parking on the street 42.4% (95) The neighborhood looking bad during business hours 8.9% (20) Strangers coming and going through the neighborhood 51.3% (115) Hazardous materials escaping outside the home 18.3% (41) Noise from commercial vehicles or customers coming and going   32.1% (72) None of these 19.6% (44) Other: 7.1% (16) Question 4: Which of the following examples of home based businesses, if any, would you be most concerned about having in your neighborhood during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. any day of the week? (You can choose up to FOUR, if any)  A home beauty salon or piano teacher with 1 customer at a time 1.3% (3) A home beauty salon or piano teacher with an employee and 2 customers at a time 16.2% (37) A solo cabinetmaking business in a detached garage 8.3% (19) A cabinetmaking business in a detached garage with three employees parking on the property 44.1% (101) A landscape contractor who parks a trailer with mowers and a truck in their driveway overnight 31.4% (72) A craft (crochet, etc.) or service business (accounting, etc.) with customers doing drop offs or pick ups a dozen times a day 22.7% (52) An auto repair business that works on one or two cars at a time inside the home’s garage 46.3% (106) None of these are a big concern for me 35.4% (81) Other: 9.6% (22) Question 5: Any other comments or suggestions about home based businesses in York County? Only 10 of the 65 inputs are shown here: I literally do not care if there is a home based business in my neighborhood. I think the Home-Based Business regulations need to be loosened in York County. Having a total of four people and four cars all parked in parking spaces on the property and not on the street would be of no concern to me. Prefer off street parking (business must have enough parking on property) and concern about non-yard items stored in site of street (example: vehicles being worked on). Aside from traffic and drugs, I have zero concern what residents are doing on their own property. Establish ordinances for vehicle parking and daytime noise. Since I live on a very narrow lane, the street parking would be a concern for us. We already have to dodge lawn maintenance and delivery trucks. Some park on the easements and it destroys the ground (which they don't bother fixing). There are so many variables that make a difference in some home businesses being okay, the neighborhood, how close the houses are, how wide the street is and type of parking (if it is a type of business that has visitors) and so on. Neighbor input should also be considered. Not at this time. As long as the home-based business aligns with the typical sights and sounds of a residential neighborhood, and has the appropriate licenses and insurance, have no issues. I saw the Supervisors discussion on this topic. I think less rather than more rules about this is the right thing. People are struggling as it is to make a living. A little more grace and understanding should be the norm. I am more disturbed about the complaining homeowners who are counting how many parents are picking up their children from daycare. Why is this such an outrage? 4 cars twice a day. Who are these people? Perhaps they should get out more. Delivery trucks run down my street every day delivering to people's homes. This is how we shop. Why it is relevant what they are delivering? The FlashVote results presented here are not the complete survey report. By signing up to participate, you will be able to see more details about the survey. To participate in FlashVote, you must sign up at https://www.flashvote.com/yorkcountyva. You can also sign up by calling or texting 775-235-2240.   Subscribe for District 5 Report and Crime Watch Updates * Comments and opinions expressed in the District 5 Report are authorized and approved by me and do not necessarily represent the position of other elected representatives. All email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and to the Virginia Public Records Act, which may result in monitoring and disclosure to third parties, including law enforcement.

Supervisor Tom Shepperd | 131 Chinquapin Orch | Yorktown, VA 23693-2322 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice

District 5 Update for February 2024

Thomas "Tom"  G. Shepperd, Jr. York County Supervisor, District 5 Hm:  (757) 858-8591 Mb:  (757) 903-1875 Email address: Shepperd@yorkcounty.gov Email address:  TGShep@cox.net          District 5 Update - May 2024 Subscribe for District 5 Report and Crime Watch Updates Residents and homeowner associations are encouraged to share the Update with others in their communities. Comments and questions are always welcome* FY 2025 County Budget The Board of Supervisors approved the FY25 Budget in May. The real estate tax rate dropped from $0.77 to $0.74 per $100 in real estate value. To put this in perspective, in 2022 the medium value of a home in York County was $332,700 and in 2024 the medium value increased to $398,300. The Supervisors lowered the tax rate by three cents to compensate for some of the increase. However, the real estate tax paid on the medium home still increased by $385.63 yearly or $32.14 monthly. To help compensate for the tax increase, the Supervisors lowered the personal property tax from $3.90 to $3.80 and eliminated the vehicle registration fee, which was $23.00 a year on most vehicles.  The new rate applies to vehicles in the County as of 01/01/2024. The County’s Operating Budget is $190 million. The Supervisors approved $63 million for the schools. The County is hiring 8 additional deputies and 6 additional fire fighters. In addition, we are buying 2 ambulances, 1 fire truck and paying $500,000 for underground cables along Route 17. Also, the County Staff will receive across the board a 4.5% salary increase plus an additional $500 bonus. To sum it all up, 40% of the budget goes to the schools and libraries, 20% goes to public safety, 7% goes to Public Works, 5% to Management Services and 5% to Capital Outlay. The remaining 12% will go to various activities essential for effective government operations. New Rates for Solid Waste and Recycling At its April 16 Board of Supervisors meeting, the Supervisors approved increases in fees charged for curbside garbage and recycling collection. The last fee increase was in 2019 and the cost of the service has gone up. There are seven monthly fee options for solid waste and recycling. The new rates will be posted on the County’s website in June and will go into effect on July 1st. The first billing of the new rates will be in September. For example, the standard fee for both garbage and recycling will increase from $24.50 to $34.00 monthly.   Crime Larceny from Vehicles occurs year-round but seems to be most prevalent from late spring to early fall. Please remember to remove valuables such as purses, wallets, guns, cameras, and golf clubs from your vehicle, especially if you park near a street or road.  Also, make sure you lock your vehicle. If your car is broken into or you find that the car’s content has been rifled through, report the incident to the authorities. Commonwealth Attorney Krystyr Read Our attorneys spent three days in Norfolk receiving our mandatory annual legal hours. At the training, one of our prosecutors was acknowledged as a Distinguished Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney. Donna Maw has been with our office since 2012 and her hard work and accomplishments in the courtroom were acknowledged by her peers.  In the courtroom, we finalized a homicide case that occurred in the Dare area in 2019 where a man stabbed and killed his brother. The defendant pled “Not Guilty” and was tried in July 2023. The judge convicted him of Second-Degree Murder, a crime punishable by 5 to 40 years of incarceration. A Pre-Sentence Report was ordered, and we returned to court in April 2024 for sentencing. The discretionary guidelines recommended an active sentence between 15 and 25 years. Based on the brutality of the crime, our office argued that the Judge should exceed the sentencing guidelines and he did. The defendant was sentenced to 40 years of incarceration with 3 years suspended, which means he will serve an active sentence of 37 years. These serious crimes are rare in York County but, when they do occur, we will put all of our resources towards holding the offender accountable.   I will wrap up with some good news- the message has gotten out and vehicle break ins have declined in York County. This is good news for all, not only because these crimes violate our tranquility, but because unlocked cars are a fruitful source for firearms. Once firearms are stolen from cars, our safety is at a greater risk. As we near the summer months, please continue to be vigilant about locking your cars and help keep York County safe.   Community Development You may have seen the large white sign at the corner of Victory Boulevard and Carys Chapel Road announcing the award of a Community Block Grant for housing restoration on Carys Chapel Road. I was informed this month that a few York County residents are upset that the County was spending taxpayers ’money to refurbish and rebuild the homes. Evidently, these residents wanted the funds used to reduce the tax rate across the County. To set the record straight, the $1,346,000 for this project came from a federal block grant obtained by the caring and hard-working York County Staff. The Board of Supervisors authorized the County Staff to seek the funding and in February 2024 authorized acceptance of the funds. The grant is for 30 months and required that all work be completed by January 1, 2026. The funding is being used to benefit 14 low to moderate-income households supporting 23 individuals. The project includes the rehabilitation of 12 homes, substantial reconstruction of 2 units, and the demolition of 1 vacant structure. I want to thank the outstanding men and women in the County’s Department of Housing & Neighborhood Revitalization for submitting an award winning grant proposal.   Speed Cameras in School Zones & Driving Passed a Stopped School Bus York County is working through the process to install radar speed cameras in all the school zones. In February, the Board of Supervisors approved Ordinance 24-3 after receiving a report from Sheriff Montgomery on a study conducted by TrueBlue Inc. that showed 3,500 vehicles were exceeding the school speed limit by 11 miles per hours when the school zone flashing lights were on and operating. The 3,500 speeders were 10% of the 35,000 vehicles traveling into the school zones in only 5 of our 19 schools. The Sheriff’s Office met with the camera installation team and the School Board representatives last week. The installation of the cameras should be complete by the end of June. The County is already working on the media campaign to make the public aware of the camera systems and educate them about the purpose of the enforcement program. The program will start on the first day of school in August. The first 30 days will be a warning only period where offenders will receive notification that they exceeded the school zone speed limit by 11 MPH or more. The notification will warn drivers that after the warning period speeding in a school zone will result in them receiving a civil summons in the mail with a penalty of $100. After the 30-day warning period, the program will begin to issue violators a summons that must be paid within 30 days or give notice they want to go to court. In addition to the speed cameras, the Board of Supervisors authorized the School Board to install cameras in or on our school buses to identify drivers that drive around stopped school buses that are loading or offloading students from a bus. This action was taken at the request of the School Division. Per State Code, this program will be managed by the York County School Division. Citations for the violation will be issued by the County Sheriff and payment will be made to the York County School Board. The citation dollar value is $250 and may reflect on your driving record. Speeding on Carys Chapel Road and Hampton Highway I received several calls concerning speeding on Carys Chapel Road. In response, I asked Sheriff Montgomery to increase patrols in the area. Since January the Sheriff’s Department has issued 40 speeding citations on Carys Chapel Road with the last one being May 9th. Concerning Hampton Highway, the speed limit is 50 MPH for most of the Highway. The speed limit drops to 45 MPH after you pass Big Bethel Road. Traffic along Hampton Highway has been observed doing between 70 to 85 MPH, which is interstate highway speeds. Pulling into traffic that is traveling that fast can be really scary. I want to remind all drivers that exceeding the speed limit by 15 MPH can result in a reckless driving citation and the suspension of your driver’s license. The Sheriff, upon my request, is increasing patrols to Hampton Highway.   Development Updates Two land clearing projects are now well underway in District 5: The Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) Pressure Reducing Station and storage tank behind Fire Station #2 and the Celestial Way Subdivision off of Heavens Way, which is between Running Man and Lotz Acres subdivision.  As for the HRSD Project, they have finished the tree clearing and are now working on the foundation, which includes the pile driving work. The foundation work should be finished this spring. Depending on the weather, the pouring of concrete may begin during the July-August timeframe. Hollymead residents will receive notice of two 24-hour concrete pouring operations. The first pour will be on July 29th and the second will be on August 1. The pours will begin at 1 a.m. and are weather dependent. March 2026 is the scheduled completion date of the HRSD project.  The land clearing for the Celestial Way subdivision will continue for some time. The 41 detached home subdivision will have a combination of public and private streets. When the logging begins, the log trucks will exit the development site by way of Polaris Drive to Big Bethel Road then to Hampton Highway. There is no set timeline for completion of the subdivision. VDOT Update on Hampton Highway Overpass In February, you may have received a VDOT notice concerning a rehabilitation project for the Route 134 bridge over Route 17. The project will begin in March 2025 and continue for 9 months. Work includes removing and replacing the bridge deck. Much of the work will be performed at night. The bridge will be temporarily closed to northbound traffic during construction. You can anticipate using Victory Boulevard as an alternate route to Route 17.   Legacy of Poquoson and Victory Boulevard Traffic The 557-unit Legacy of Poquoson housing and retail development subdivision off Victory Boulevard is well underway. The development will include 238 single family homes, 108 town houses, 11 cottage homes and 200 apartments. There has already been a significant increase in traffic during the morning and evening hours. Sadly, the expansion of Victory Blvd. is not keeping up with the traffic and I expect it will be 10 years or more before Victory Blvd. is completely widened.   Mosquitoes It’s spring and that means mosquitoes. After a blood meal, a female mosquito can lay up to 200 eggs, which hatch within 48 hours. Also, mosquito eggs can over winter and last up to six months. Virginia has about 40 species of mosquitoes. Many carry diseases that can be life-threatening. Some of the most common diseases include West Nile Virus and Dog Heartworm. The symptoms for West Nile Virus are normally mild but can develop into encephalitis, meningitis or polio-like paralysis, which can be deadly. For those of you with dogs, prevention through monthly treatment is the best course of action. If your dog tests positive for heartworm, the cure is expensive and can take a month or more to complete.  York County Mosquito Control is part of Public Works. Public Work crews routinely clear drainage to eliminate standing water. However, you need to do your part. For example, regularly check around your home for standing water in flowerpots, buckets, drainpipe catchment containers, old tires, and boat or grill covers. The House Mosquito, which is a common nuisance, usually does not travel more than 100-feet from a hatching area. In other words, if you raise mosquitoes, you are more than likely going to be the first blood meal.  York County has an outstanding mosquito control program. Visit the County’s Mosquito Control website at www.yorkcounty.gov to learn more about the program or to request a free onsite review of your property. You can obtain Mosquito Dunks at the Tabb and Yorktown libraries or at the Waste Management Center on 145 Goodwin Neck Road.  Subscribe for District 5 Report and Crime Watch Updates * Comments and opinions expressed in the District 5 Report are authorized and approved by me and do not necessarily represent the position of other elected representatives. All email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and to the Virginia Public Records Act, which may result in monitoring and disclosure to third parties, including law enforcement.

Supervisor Tom Shepperd | 131 Chinquapin Orch | Yorktown, VA 23693-2322 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice