On the agenda: Henrico Regular Meeting Minutes September 22 — Flock camera (Sep 22)

County of Henrico, Virginia
Board of Supervisors
Regular Meeting
September 22, 2026
The Henrico County Board of Supervisors convened a regular meeting on Tuesday,
September 22, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room, Administration Building, Henrico County
Government Center, Parham and Hungary Spring Roads, Henrico County, Virginia.
Members of the Board Present:
Roscoe D. Cooper, 111, Chair, Fairfield District
Misty D. Roundtree, Vice-Chair, Three Chopt District
Daniel J. Schmitt, Brookland District
Jody K. Rogish, Tuclcahoe District
Tyrone E. Nelson, Varina District
Other offlcials Present:
John A. vithoulkas, County Manager
Andrew R. Newby, County Attorney
Tanya N. Brackett, CMC, Assistant to the County Manager/Clerk to the Board
W. Brandon Hinton, Deputy County Manager for Administration
Steven J. Yob, Deputy County Manager for Community Operations
Ben Sheppard, Director of Communications
Steve Boots, Chap1an for the Henrico County Police Division, offered the invocation.
On motion of Mr. Nelson, seconded by Mr. Rogish, the Board approved the minutes of the
September 8, 2026, Regular and Special Meetings.
The vote of the Board was as follows:
Yes: Cooper, Roundtree, Schmitt, Rogish, Nelson
No:

None

Reconition ofNews Media
There was no media present for the meeting.
Managers Comments
Mr. Vithoulkas shared that September 15 - October 15, 2026, is recognized nationally as
Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month, and Henrico County joins communities across the
country in celebratiQn. Here in Henrico County, we are grateful for the Hispanic and Latino
residents, leaders, organizations, and families who help strengthen and enrich our
community each day. Theix traditions, perspectives, and contributions continue to make
Henrico a more welcoming, vibrant, and connected place for all.

Mr. VithouJkas recognized Yuriko Ota, owner and founder of Silk anð So1, LLC, and one of
the alumni of My Henrico Academy.
Yuriko Ota thanked the Board for the opportunity to reeognize Hispanic and Latino Heritage
Month. This month celebrates the increthble diversity within Hispanic and Latino
communities. She noted this recognition is deeply personal as a Peruvian, and her culture
has shaped everything: her values, the passion for food and entrepreneurship, and her
commitment to bringing people together. Through her bu8ine8s and cultural events like
PeruFest RVA, she has seen how powerful it is when people can share their heritage and feel
that their culture is genuinely welcomed. Ms. Ota shared how gratefu1 she is to be a part of
the Henrico community. My Henrico Academy was a transformative experience beeause it
helped her unðerstand the County more deeply, build meaningful relationships, and
recognize how important it is for residents from every background to have a voice at the table.
She thanked everyone for this moment to honor their stories and the many contributions of
Hispanic and Latino communities.
Mr. Vithoulkas recognized Deputy Chief Scott Sutton of the Division of Fire, who oversees
the Fire Marshals Office. The Manager recapped the events that occurred on Saturday, Ju1y
4, when our Emergency Communications staffreceived the first cail from an automatic alarm
system at Darby House Apartments. Additional calls came in quickly, reporting that there
was an active, heavy fire at the four-story-tall apartments, including on the roof.
Mr. Vithoulkas noted this was a historic fire unlike anything he had seen during his tenure
with Henrico County. He noted he witnessed dozens of public safety employees doing what
they do: tisking their own lives to save the lives of others, providing seffless public service
without hesitation.
Deputy Chief Sutton provided perspective on the role of the Fire Marshals Office in
investigating fires. He noted his personnel have returned to the property flve separate times,
including two visits that were essentially full-day operations. At one visit, they were able to
recover the builthngs digital video recording system, and this has become a signiflcant part
of the investigation. To date, they have conducted 12 interviews. As the investigation
progressed, investigators obtained a search warrant for a specific apartment, recovered and
processed evidence, and obtained a separate court order for flnancial records. He thanked the
Police Division for their work in helping with forensic examination of evidence, including
flngerprinting and DNA processing.
Chief Sutton stated at Darby House Apartments, they are stffl in the final stages of adthtional
interviews to complete before they are prepared to definitely state the cause of the flre. He
noted their goal is not to provide the fastest answers, but their responsibility is to provide
the most accurate answer that can be supported by the totality of the evidence. Not having
an immethate answer does not mean an investigation is not progressing. Ln a complex case,
it often nieans investigators are doing the work necessary before reaching a conclusion. He
recognized the many families who have lost access to their homes and valuable items such as
medication, important documents, and pets. During the past weeks, the Fire Marshals Office
has becoine the connection between the Fire Division and the people trying to recover from
what has happened.
Chief Sutton then shared similar insights into the intense efforts of the Fire Marshals Office
in responding to and investigating the SwimRVA fire that occurred during the early morning

hours of july 7, 2026. He noted the time and commitment demonstrated by his staff to gather
and review all of the evidence before making a determination on the cause of the fire.
He thani(ed the Manager and the Board for the opportunity to share.
Board ofSupervisors Comments
Mr. Sehmitt wished Mrs. Glover a very Happy 90th Birthday and many more.
Mr. Nelson took a moment to highlight a new County initiative, Rebuild Henrico, which is
designed to focus reinvestment in community facilities, infra8tructure, commercial corridors,
and more. Earlier today, the initiative was launched at a press conference announcing the
Countys purchase of a pair of blighted commercial properties on Williamsburg Road-the
Bowl America property and the A11-Days Inn.
These properties had fallen into disuse and disrepair and had become infamous among
surrounthng residents and businesses. They were frequent trouble spots for Henrico Police
and for County inspectors, with more than 700 calls for service. They were eyesores for the
neighboring community and for our region as well. Mr. Nelson noted that Wffliamsburg Road
has long been known as the «front door to Richmond Internationa1 Airport and Sandston.
Now, these properties wffl be razed, cleared, and marketed as prime opportunities for
redevelopment. He stated it is his hope that other property owners and investors will see
similar opportunities along the williamsburg Road corridor and will work with the County
to help position this area for the future. He noted he was grateful to have strong partners,
like the Henrico EDA and Richmond Internationa1 Airport, for the work thats ahead. He
thanked his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors, the County Manager, and the EDA for
recognizing the needs of this community and for taking action to address them. He also
thanked Dr. Perry Miller of Richmond Internationa1 Airport for his key partnership in this
effort. He expressed his excitement about todays launch of Rebuild Henrico, and he looks
forward to having more conversations with our residents and business owners as we plan our
next steps.
Agenda Item

Presentations
Proclamation - Fire Prevention Week - October 4 - 10, 2026.
Mr. Schmitt presented a proclamation recognizing Oetober 4 - 10, 2026,
as Fire Prevention Week. Accepting the proclamation was Doug Clevert,
Chief for the Division of Fire; joining him were Deputy Chief Scott
Sutton and Assistant Chief Dan Cramer. Chief Clevert thanked the
Manager and the Board for their continued support for all public safety
not just Fire.
Proclamation - Active Aging Week - October 5 - 11, 2026.
Mr. Rogish presented a proclamation recognizing October 5 - 11, 2026,
as Active Aging Week. Accepting the proclamation was Jelisa Turner,
Director for Outreach & Community Engagement. Ms. Turner thanked
the Board and the Manager for this recognition on behalf of Outreach &

Engagement and Recreation & Park8. She highlighted the many events
they wffl be offering during the week and noted they wffl be celebrating
17 ofour centenarians at the Springs Recreation Center.
Aenda Item

public Hearin Item

204-26

Resolution - Amendments to FY 2026-27 Annual Fiscal Plan
September 2026.
No one froni the public spoke in opposition to this item.
On motion of Mr. Schmitt, seconded by Mr. Nelson, and by unanimous
vote, the Board approved this item — see attached resolution.

Mr. Cooper recognized an Eagle Scout in the audience and invited him to the podium. Ollie
Paige stated he was in attendance for his citizenship in the community merit badge.
Public Comments
Anthony Whitlock gave the Board information on the non-profit Resources for Independent
Living, Inc. and requested the County support initiatives for individuals with disabilities.
Richard Gladfelter, a resident of the Brookland District, requested the Board create an
ordinance regarding high hedges and bushes in neighborhoods.
Andrea Bade, a resident of the Brookland District, requested the County voice opposition
regarding the NextEra and Dominion Energy merger.
Linda Steenrod, a resident ofthe Brookland District, thanked the Board for the sidewalks on
Staples Mill Road.
Thomas Watson, a resident of the Tuckahoe District, spoke via Webex and requested the
Board not ajlow Amazon to have drone deliveries and asked if the County can investigate
adding plantings in the medians of Patterson Avenue.
Charles Sledge, a resident of the Varina District, requested the Board look into reducing the
speed on Midview Road.
Merethth Kozera, Courtney Dare, and Jessica Harrison, residents of the Three Chopt
District, voiced concerns about the proposed data centers in Goochland County and a8ked the
County to help.
Aria Sears, a resident of the Varina District, voiced concerns about Flock cameras.
John Martin Owens, a resident of the Brookland District, requested the Board remove the
debris from the stream in his neighborhood.
Jen Butler, a resident of the Three Chopt District, voiced concerns about the Dominion
transmission line proposed near Tuckahoe Creek.

Agenda Item

General Agenda

205-26

Resolution - Authorization to Submit Application - Virginia Stormwater
Local Assistance Fund - Fairfield District.
On motion of Mr. Cooper, seconded by Mr. Nelson, and by unanimous
vote, the Board approved this item — see attached resolution.

206-26

Resolution - Acceptance of Road - Brookland District.
On motion of Mr. Schmitt, seconded by Mr. Rogish, and by unanimous
vote, the Board approved this item — see attached resolution.

Mrs. Roundtree thanked Chief Deputy Sutton for his detailed reports on the two fires. She
praised his presentation as showing due process and that the process could be trusted and
relied uon. She noted her respect for the Fire Marshals Office.
Mr. Rogjsh encouraged residents concerned about data centers to reach out to their state
representatives and noted an upcoming meeting at Benedictine on October 4th from 4:00 7:00 p.m. hosted by the supervisor for that area in Goochland County.
Mr. Schmitt recognized Mr. Whitlock, who had spoken earlier during Public Comments and
noted they were stuck in an elevator for over 45 minutes together two weeks ago. He noted
it was a pleasure to see him.
Mr. Nelson noted this is the first time in 15 years he has been on the Board that every
member except for the Chair has made a comment at the end of the meeting.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:41 p.m.

Chair, Board of Supd(risors
Henrico County, Virginia