DATE: June 29, 1999
CONTACT: Virgil R. Hazelett, P.E., County Manager
PHONE: 501-4206
Henrico County won 16 Achievement Awards in the 1999 National Association of Counties (NACo) awards competition. Nine individual agencies earned the following 16 awards for innovative and progressive government administration:
Playing With Fire -- A Timeline of Substance Abuse
Police and School officials wanted a credible substance abuse prevention tool to use in their intensified efforts to provide appropriate drug education at the middle school level. An interdepartmental, public-private partnership produced an innovative, professional 30-minute video designed to deliver alcohol and drug use prevention information to 11- to 14-year-olds.
Agency: Community Corrections Program
Contact: Bruce N. Cruser, Coordinator
Restitution Monitoring Program
With increasing demands on the County's criminal justice agencies, procedures for victim restitution collection, monitoring and payment needed to be overhauled. An interagency task force worked with the County's Finance staff to develop and implement a centralized monitoring system that facilitates offender payments and gives victims their restitution.
Agency: Community Corrections Program
Contact: Bruce N. Cruser, Coordinator
Local Government Bond School
Henrico hosted the region's first Local Government Bond School, designed to better inform local government officials about the intricacies of municipal debt financing. Representatives from investment banking, financial advisors, state issuance authorities, rating agencies and bond counsel made presentations. The Local Government Bond School provided an opportunity to discuss questions and concerns about debt issuance with a panel of municipal debt professionals.
Agency: Department of Finance
Contact: W. Forrest Matthews, Jr., Director of Finance
Re-engineering the Business License and Personal Property Tax Function By combining the information collection process and filing dates for business licenses and business personal property, the Department of Finance significantly reduced the amount of paperwork associated with the collection of return information. The department also realized reductions in printing and mailing costs, processing time and required storage space.
Agency: Department of Finance, Revenue Division
Contact: Edward W. Trice, Director
Division Recruit School Citizen Assistance Project
The Division Recruit School Citizen Assistance Project involves people helping people in need. During each recruit school, an entire day is set aside to assist a Henrico citizen in need.
Agency: Division of Fire, Fire Training
Contact: Captain Herman W. Hudson
Division of Fire Bike Team
In response to the increasing number of large venue, mass gathering events in Henrico, the Division of Fire formed a bicycle team as an additional method of fire and emergency services delivery. The 24-member team consists of firefighters who have completed specialized bicycle training and orientation. The teams have greatly improved mobility in crowds, thereby reducing response time to both routine and emergency situations. Typical duties include safety inspections, pre-plans, general assistance and interaction with the public, routine first aid, fire or hazard control and paramedic-level emergency medical services.
Agency: Division of Fire
Contact: Firefighter William E. Aiken
Assertive Community Treatment
Henrico Area Mental Health and Retardation Services developed three assertive community treatment teams, using existing resources, to respond to the intensive needs of the most disabled adults experiencing serious, persistent long-term mental illness. Intensive case management, outreach, medical and psychiatric services and rehabilitation are provided 24-hours a day, seven days per week.
Agency: Henrico Area Mental Health and Retardation Services
Contact: Laura Totty, Acting Program Manager
The Henrico Executive Forum
The County, partnering with Motorola, The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, and the Pittston Company, created a forum for 80 corporate executives and top government officials to discuss the regional impact of the semiconductor industry. As part of the County's business retention effort, this event actively promoted the business-government partnership essential for community success in a rapidly changing environment.
Agency: Department of Personnel
Contact: Mary Jean Cline, Manager, Employee Development and Training
Benefits Enrollment Using the Intranet
The challenges of enrolling County employees in a new health care program demanded a new approach. The solution was to provide an automated benefit enrollment system, taking advantage of the County's recent investment in network infrastructure. Although enrollment via the intranet was voluntary, more than 2,000 employees elected to do so.
Agency: Department of Personnel
Contact: Jane Klosky, Manager Human Resource Information Systems
Volunteer Services Program - Language Bank
Created in 1995, the Language Bank is composed of volunteers with skills in over twenty languages and dialects, including sign language. These volunteers help customers gain the services they need even if they cannot communicate in English.
Agency: Department of Personnel
Contact: Judith Z. Marston, Personnel Analyst
Community Narcotics Task Force
A rapid-response team of trained narcotics investigators address complaints which, due to their threat to the community and public safety, require an immediate response. Different from conventional methods which rely on long-term investigations, this program's focus is a rapid and immediate response to narcotics problems. Since the inception of the program, there has been a sharp reduction in the number of active drug complaints, and a high number of seizures of illegal narcotics and illegally obtained assets.
Agency: Division of Police
Contact: Captain N. A. Bero
Get in the Game . . . at Your Library
Henrico's Public Library teamed up with the Richmond Braves baseball team to create an exciting summer reading partnership. "Books, Braves and Baseball" was the winning combination in the 1998 summer reading program. "Library Night at the Diamond" rewarded children who participated in the program. The summer reading program showed a dramatic increase in participation over the previous year. "Library Night at the Diamond" raised library awareness in the community and spotlighted books and reading for children.
Agency: Public Libraries
Contact: Joy Antrim, Children's Coordinator
Museum in a Basket
This traveling outreach program is designed to serve a diverse group of citizens, ranging from school age children to senior adults, who cannot visit Henrico's many historical, educational and recreational programs in person. The program has been enthusiastically received by teachers, librarians and school administrators and has spread throughout the County to recreation centers and local businesses.
Agency: Division of Recreation and Parks
Contact: Karen Perkins, Special Programs Supervisor
Child Care Occupations
High school students enrolled in the program are taught to become teachers through classroom instruction and work experience without ever leaving the campus. Preschool children experience activities in art, science, social studies and motor skill development.
Agency: Public Schools, Information & Community Services
Contact: Janet S. Binns, Director
Parent Patrol Volunteers
Fifty volunteer parents assist school administrators and police with monitoring crowds at athletic events, dances and other school events. Each volunteer is trained by police on what to look for and how to react. Volunteers watch, observe, witness and communicate and have been a valuable addition to security at school activities.
Agency: Public Schools, Information & Community Services
Contact: Janet S. Binns, Director
Continuous Improvement Program
Professional development activities target student achievement and support individual growth plans, individual school plans and the system's plan. A culture of continuous improvement and professional development is now pervasive throughout the system.
Agency: Public Schools, Information & Community Services
Contact: Janet S. Binns, Director
DATE: June 15, 1999
CONTACT: Laura Ecklin, Director of Public Information, Central Virginia Waste Management Authority
PHONE: 359-8413, ext. 21
CURBSIDE COLLECTION DAYS SCHEDULED TO CHANGE!
Effective the week of July 5th collection days will change for approximately 98,000 of the 205,000 homes participating in the curbside recycling program.
About 63,000 of those who will be affected are City of Richmond residents. The remaining customers are located in the City of Colonial Heights, and portions of Henrico, Chesterfield, and Goochland counties. Those affected will be notified by mail with a postcard stating their new collection day. Signs will be placed in some neighborhoods that will have a significant day change (for example, from Monday to Friday). The Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (CVWMA) has dedicated its "Environmentally Speaking" spot on Channel 6 (WTVR-CBS) to the change, and information will also be aired on the public access community channels of the affected localities. Advertisements on buses, radio, and in the VAL PAK mailing will also be used to alert residents of the change.
The curbside recycling collection contract for the next 5 years was awarded to Tidewater Fibre Corporation in November, 1998 with service to begin in July, 1999. Tidewater Fibre Corporation and CVWMA have taken advantage of this new partnership to change some of the routes to achieve more efficient collection. CVWMA will coordinate curbside recycling and garbage collection days for Richmond City residents.
The CVWMA curbside recycling program is currently available in the cities of Richmond and Colonial Heights, portions of the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico and Goochland, and the Town of Ashland. Recyclables collected in the program include brown, green, and clear glass, aluminum cans and foil, tin cans, newspaper, mixed paper and plastic containers (PET #1 & HDPE #2). Residents participating in the program should follow these simple guidelines before placing recyclables in the collection bin: rinse all containers, discard all caps and lids and flatten plastic containers and aluminum cans. The participating local governments provide funding for the program. Residents with questions about the program can call the Recycling Hotline at 340-0900 or check out CVWMA's web site at www.cvwma.com.
DATE: June 10, 1999
CONTACT: Bev Donati
PHONE: 795-5757
The historic Henrico Theater on Nine Mile Road will be the setting for Varina District Supervisor Jim Donati's next town meeting on Monday, June 21, at 7 p.m. The discussion topics will include a brief history of the theater, which was recently acquired by Henrico County, as well as cultural arts throughout the county.
"The Henrico Theater served the Highland Springs area for a long time -- until just a couple of years ago -- and it is really the only example of art deco style architecture in Henrico," Donati said. "The building itself is a flashback to the 20s and 30s, when art deco reached its popularity," he said.
Henrico's Director of Recreation and Parks Wes Malcomb will present a brief history of the cinema, as well as the cultural arts program in the county, including the recently opened Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen.
Donati generally holds town meetings the third Monday of each month. The meetings are open to the public.
DATE: June 9, 1999
CONTACT: Pat Brady, Director of Public Utilities
PHONE: 501-4280
Henrico County is currently experiencing extremely high water demands and has set new water consumption records each of the past two days. The lack of rain and the subsequent increase in lawn irrigation are contributing factors to these record demands. As a result, the county's water pumping facilities are operating at full capacity, yet are still unable to maintain normal water pressures.
The Department of Public Utilities asks that Henrico water customers voluntarily reduce peak water demand by irrigating lawns on alternating days. County officials suggest that those people living at even numbered street addresses irrigate on even dates, and those living at odd numbered addresses irrigate on odd dates.
This voluntary compliance will assist in providing adequate water pressure to all customers throughout the summer.
DATE: June 2, 1999
CONTACT: Mikki Knight, Deputy Clerk, Board of Supervisors
PHONE: 501-4207
Vice Chairman and Fairfield District Supervisor Frank Thornton will host a bus tour of historic landmarks, features and growth sites in the Fairfield District for his next constituent meeting on Tuesday, June 15. Buses will depart from the Henrico High School parking lot, 302 Azalea Avenue, at 6:30 p.m.
"The Fairfield District has undergone enormous change through the years, and continues to offer its residents many interesting, exciting activities and places to visit," Thornton said. "I encourage all Henrico residents to discover the rich history behind our county, as well as witness the positive growth and change first hand," he said.
Those people interested in the Fairfield tour must call 501-4208 to reserve a bus seat by Thursday, June 10.
DATE: June 1, 1999
CONTACT: Barry R. Lawrence, Clerk, Board of Supervisors
PHONE: 501-4318
Due to the Republican Primary Election, the Henrico County Board of Supervisors' meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 8 has changed. The Board has rescheduled the meeting for Wednesday, June 9, at 7 p.m., in the Board Room, Government Center, Parham and Hungary Spring roads. The Board will resume its regular schedule on Tuesday, June 22.