VOL. 55 NO. 5 JUNE 2020 Hold on! Transportation funding is shifting gears Also inside: An interview with Clerk of the House Suzette Denslow COVID-19 financial impacts on Virginia local governments 12 ABOUT THE covER Hold on! Get a grip! Grab hold of something solid and brace yourself! Transportation funding in Virginia is about to make a sharp turn for the better. THE MagaZINE OF THE Virginia MUNICIPAL LEagUE DEPartMEnts VOL. 55 NO. 5 JUNE 2020 DIreCtOr’s message ....................... 2 CALEndar ......................................... 3 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PEOPLE ............................................... 3 Michelle Gowdy NEws & notES ................................. EDITOR & ADVERTISING MANAGER 6 Rob Bullington MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ........................ 32 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR & GRAPHIC DESIGN ProFEssional dirEctory ..............33 Manuel Timbreza INTERN Josette Bulova FEatURES CIRCULATION MANAGER Joni Terry Introduction: Transportation By Rob Bullington .................................................................................................................12 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Thomas R. Smigiel, Jr. (President), Norfolk Virginia shifts gears: Funding transportation Willie Greene (President Elect), Galax in 2020 and beyond Jon Stehle (Vice President), Fairfax Anita James Price (Past President), Roanoke By Mitchell Smiley ................................................................................................................13 Jill Carson, Pennington Gap Laurie DiRocco, Vienna Keep Virginia Moving: A look at Virginia’s Sean Polster, Warrenton public transportation network A.D. “Chuckie” Reid, Farmville By Danny Plaugher ...............................................................................................................16 Bill Rush, Marion Derrick Wood, Dumfries Charlie L. Frye, Jr., Fredericksburg Transportation in the City of Alexandria finds a way Lisa Merkel, Herndon By Josh Baker and Hillary Orr ..............................................................................................19 John Rowe, Portsmouth Route 419: Place making and the art of leveraging Virginia Town & City (ISSN0042-6784) is the official magazine of the Virginia Municipal League. Published By Thomas Rowley .............................................................................................................. 22 10 times a year at 13 E. Franklin St., P.O. Box 12164, Richmond, VA 23241; 804/649-8471. E-mail: e-mail@ vml.org. Reproduction or use of contents requires prior approval of the Virginia Municipal League and if granted Also IN THIS ISSUE must be accompanied by credit to Virginia Town & City and the Virginia Municipal League. Periodicals Postage A chat with Suzette Denslow – Clerk of the House paid at Richmond, VA. (USPS 661040) Subscription rates: members - $16 per year, non-members - $32 per VTC catches up with VML alum Suzette Denslow to talk about the past, year. Single copies - $4 each. present and future of the General Assembly ....................................................................... 26 Postmaster: Send address changes to Virginia Town & City, P.O. Box 12164, Richmond, VA 23241-0164. COVID-19 Financial Impacts on Virginia Local Governments: A Report to Support Local Government Decision Making By Dr. Stephanie D. Davis Collegiate Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech ......................... 28 VRSA is here for our members (now more than ever) By VRSA staff .......................................................................................................................31 16 19 22 26 VISIT WWW.VML.org VIRGINIA TOWN & CITY • JUNE 2020 1 DirEctor’S MEssagE By Michelle Gowdy, VmL executive Director and general Counsel respect and appreciation available here! CONFESS to BEING aMONG THOSE who wish that Later, I would clarify my sentiments by telling all of you Zoom meetings would return to their proper place as a “sec- that… I ond best” option behind face-to-face meetings. Nobody gets “I know, and all league staff know, that local officials don’t involved with local government to see less of each other. In fact, normally get the respect and appreciation that they deserve. the attraction is quite the opposite. I miss seeing you! But we will They give so much of their time only for the fact that they love have to wait a bit longer because, as the great pontificator Yogi their communities and want to see the best for them. It’s the ul- Berra first observed in 1973, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” timate in volunteering and caring for your neighbor. When we Which is to say, this pandemic ain’t over yet, but it will be! approach our challenges with that in mind it makes everything In the meantime, we endure our present predicament and possible.” make things work as best we can. Which brings me back to Zoom meetings, specif- ically one I had last Friday which struck me as particularly evocative of how I feel about our league and our localities. Let me explain… Every Friday afternoon, the Execu- tive Directors of the municipal leagues across the nation and the National League of Cities hold a Zoom call to discuss the news, share personal accomplishments (and hardships) and offer encouragement to each other. On last Friday’s call, we heard from Michael Darcy, the Executive Director of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, who is retiring after 30-plus years with the league. Mr. Darcy was introduced with many accolades and some of those on the call read excerpts from the New Jersey league’s magazine interview with him. His words were powerful, and they struck a chord with me because they perfectly captured how I feel about all of you who serve Virginia’s localities. So, with permission from Michael So, while I had to “steal” from Yogi Berra and the outgoing and the New Jersey league, I would like to use his words to let director of the New Jersey municipal league, what I am saying you know what I would say to each of you if we were all sitting is: I respect and appreciate all of you! Together we are making around a conference table (a really big one!) and someone asked a difference and doing the work to get back to normal. me how I would encourage the next generation of local govern- In closing, I ask that you join VML staff in celebrating ment officials to commit to a lifetime of service to local govern- Mary Jo Fields who, after more than 30 years with VML, has ment. I would respond (as Michael did) with the following: decided she no longer wants to get paid to work (i.e. retirement). “I would not feel comfortable answering this question be- A couple years ago Mary Jo switched to a part-time role but has cause I don’t feel like I have given a life of service that local of- now decided we are ready to get along without her! ficials have. They truly do that work from the goodness of their Given the theme of this month’s issue, you will forgive my heart without expectation of rewards or compensation. They metaphor when I say that the whole VML staff take it as a great engage as local officials out of concern for their neighbors.” compliment that Mary Jo feels she can take her hands off the wheel. Thanks MJ…we’ll keep it between the ditches for you! 2 Virginia Town & City • JUNE 2020 CALENdar Due to the affects of the COVID-19 outbreak, many events are going through a rescheduling process. To view the lastest updates and changes, visit our on-line calendar at www.vml.org/events-list. PEoplE Price elected head of the lan noticed how city employees and other served as the director of economic develop- African American Mayors members of the community adapted to ment for the City of Richmond and as the Association the changes required by the spread of CO- executive director of the Virginia Tobacco Newport News Mayor VID-19 and wanted to highlight the many Indemnification and Community Revitaliza- McKinley L. Price people who had to adapt their work to con- tion Commission. As the executive director, has been elected as the tinue to serve others. he worked closely with the Virginia Eco- president of the Afri- McClellan posts her videos Monday nomic Development Partnership to leverage can American Mayors through Friday on her Facebook page at the Governor’s Opportunity Fund with the Association. He took www.facebook.com/andriafornorfolk and Commission’s Tobacco Region Opportu- office in May 5 and has on her YouTube channel. nity Fund to provide incentive assistance announced that his plans A sampling of the people interviewed so in economic expansions and relocations to - Price - are to focus on the CO- far include a school teacher, the sheriff, a bus approximately 85 companies creating over VID-19 crisis, increase work opportunities driver, a postal officer, the head of the Eliza- 10,000 jobs. for students in historically black colleges and beth River Trail and the head of the animal universities (HBCU) and prioritize funding control shelter. McClellan also invites people Birch named chief financial officer for for the needs of HBCU students. to suggest industries and people to feature in Albemarle County Price has served as the mayor of New- the series. port News since 2010. He formerly served McClellan was elected to represent The Albemarle County as an appointed member of the council for a Norfolk Superward 6 in May 2016. Mc- Board of Supervisors five-month period in 2004 and served on the Clellan currently serves as the vice chair of named Nelsie Birch city school board for 8 years, including two the Hampton Roads Planning District Com- as the incoming chief years as chair. Price has received numerous mission, where she serves on the Regional financial officer for the awards and recognitions and has taken an Broadband Ring Subcommittee and chair county, effective at the active role in civic and professional organiza- of its Coastal Resilience Subcommittee. end of June. As the CFO, tions in Newport News. A dentist, Price has She also is a gubernatorial appointee to the Birch will directly over- served as president of the Peninsula Dental Chesapeake Bay Program’s Local Govern- - Birch - see the county’s financial Society and was also named “Dentist of the ment Advisory Committee and she is a systems, which support the nearly $400 mil- Year” by the Old Dominion Dental Society.