Two separate questions may appear on the 2003 ballot for new school and public safety facilities, as recommended by the Finance and Government Services Committee Monday. The Board of Supervisors will make the final decision whether to separate construction of the Belmont and Leesburg area elementary schools from that of the Brambleton and Lansdowne area fire and sheriff stations.
The schools, along with land acquisition of a future elementary school, are estimated to cost $34.13 million and the public safety facilities, $14.52 million, a total of $48.65 million.
The committee forwarded additional recommendations to the full board, including:
* Adopting capital facility standards for each of the county departments and agencies, as outlined in the Revised Comprehensive Plan, along with service plans for capital resource needs and the capital and operating costs impacts. The service plans will provide a 20-year projection, outlining the number and type of facilities for the county to build to meet growth projections.
"The discussion was some of them probably cannot be funded realistically," said committee member Charles Harris (D-Broad Run), adding that in some areas, including in social services and recreation, the county already is behind in meeting existing standards.
* Assuming responsibility of the maintenance and repair of the county's storm water infrastructure, along with developing a storm water ordinance and increasing the annual storm water management budget beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 by $250,000 to pay for the costs.
"We were surprised at how low the dollar estimate in that was," Harris said, adding that the staff also was surprised.
<1b>— Shelley Widhalm