Garrisonville District supervisor holds town hall meeting

NORTH STAFFORD — Garrisonville Supervisor Mark Dudenhefer and other county officials discussed several issues with county residents at a town hall meeting Aug. 26 at Hampton Oaks Elementary School.

Stafford Detective Brian Smyser presented information on the ongoing problem of graffiti.

Graffiti is sometimes gang related, sometimes by gang wannabes, and sometimes by vandals, he said. The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office is concerned that it is removed as soon as possible.

“Education, evaluation, and eradication” are key points in dealing with it, said Stafford Sheriff Charles Jett.

One county resident commented that homeowners’ taxes are paying for its removal.

Not necessarily, said Smyser. The county is only responsible for graffiti on county buildings. On homes or private buildings, it is not.

Graffiti painted on highway infrastructure is the responsibility of the Virginia Department of Transportation, and graffiti is not always at the top of its priority list, said Smyser. However, the sheriff’s office has created an outreach program through which it works with VDOT for speedy removal of the material.

An ongoing problem lately has been car break-ins. Thieves look for unlocked vehicles and take items such as GPS units, credit cards or cash. Jett characterized GPS units as “hot commodities.”
“It’s not just the neighborhood kids,” said Jett. People come from surrounding areas and find it a “lucrative business,” he said.

Roger Sullivan, assistant chief of fire and rescue administration, presented an overview of his department as well as its evolution over the years. He noted a decline in volunteers, attributing it to a “change in society, hectic family schedules, sports and activities, time constraints and the need for two family incomes.” It is a nationwide trend, he said.

Many of the present volunteers, said Dudenhefer, are full time firemen elsewhere.

A goal for Fire and Rescue is to respond to calls in eight minutes. The national standard is to do so in 90 percent of cases. In 2005, said Sullivan, Stafford’s Fire and Rescue reached that goal 41 percent of the time. At present, the goal is reached 72 percent of the time.

Rock Hill Supervisor Cord Sterling discussed the $29 million bond referendum coming up in November, and noted the importance of youth sports activities.

Passing the referendum would give the board permission to borrow the money for procurement of land, upgrading of present facilities and the creation of new ones. Included in the plans are complexes where multi-purposed athletic fields would be erected. A complex of baseball/softball fields are planned for Chichester Park, land near Stafford High School that was donated by Stafford Commonwealth’s Attorney Dan Chichester.

Dudenhefer emphasized that passing the bond issue only gave the board permission to borrow the money.

“A transportation bond was passed last year and the board has not borrowed anything yet,” he said.

The board has eight years to borrow that sum, and the money is borrowed at a low rate, depending upon the county’s bond rating.

Jim Lawrence is a contributing writer to the Stafford County Sun. Reach him at .