Chesterfield County, Virginia's Weekly E-Newsletter
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Stay Connected with Chesterfield!
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Scroll to the bottom for more helpful links and resources to stay up to date on all things Chesterfield!
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Chesterfield COVID-19 Updates
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Chesterfield COVID-19 Updates
For more detailed information about these COVID-19 updates and more,
please continue to scroll further down in this e-newsletter.
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Blueprint Chesterfield:
Key Financial Indicators Report
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As part of
Blueprint Chesterfield's
commitment to provide strategic insight and easy access to information, the county publishes quarterly reports representing comprehensive financial, economic and demographic data sets. The aim of these reports is to share with residents and businesses the key metrics that are tracked monthly, quarterly and annually. It is designed not to just state what these metrics are, but what they represent; their past and present performance; and how they inform the future economic, financial and budgetary outlook.
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Treasurer's Office New
Payment Processing Vendor
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Chesterfield County’s
Treasurer’s Office
is now working with a new company, Municipal Services Bureau (MSB), to process tax payments made online, over the phone or in person at the Treasurer’s Office. MSB offers many more convenient options and plans are already in motion to implement additional features to make paying your taxes even more quick and easy.
The change in third-party payment processing vendors has resulted in several changes relevant to taxpayers, including a new look for the Treasurer’s online payment portal, a new telephone number for telephone payments and lower rates for credit and debit card transactions. Electronic checks will still be accepted at no additional cost to taxpayers.
More information about paying taxes online as well as a link to the online payment portal may be accessed by visiting
www.chesterfield.gov/treasure
r
and clicking the “Pay Online” button. To access a personal property account, taxpayers must search by the account number, located in the upper-right-hand corner of their tax statement. To access a real estate account, taxpayers may search by account number, parcel number or the property address.
To pay by telephone, taxpayers must call the new telephone number for Chesterfield County’s tax payment system: 1-833-299-6593. To complete a tax payment over the phone, callers should have a copy of their tax invoice, as they will need to reference their account number and zip code.
For questions about paying taxes, call the Treasurer’s Office at 804-748-1201. The Office of the Real Estate Assessor may be reached at 804-748-1321 and the Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue may be reached at 804-748-1281.
In this video
, Treasurer Rebecca Longnaker explains the new payment processing vendor.
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Parks and Recreation to Oversee
Cooperative Extension Services
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Chesterfield’s Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Department will fall within the county’s
Parks and Recreation Department
starting Wednesday, July 1. Headquartered next door to Central Library at 9501 Lori Road, the
Chesterfield Cooperative Extension Office
provides research-based educational programming in three key areas: agricultural and natural resources, 4-H youth development and family and consumer sciences.
Cooperative Extension staff are able to significantly expand services to the community by utilizing a large volunteer base to provide additional outreach. These volunteers serve as Master Gardeners, 4-H camp and club leaders and Master Food Volunteers to carry forth the work of Cooperative Extension into the Chesterfield community. The agency also operates a laboratory, where staff assists residents with their plant disease, insect or weed inquiries and problems for free.
Cooperative Extension’s move under Parks and Recreation comes after long-time Chesterfield VCE Director T. Michael Likins retires June 30 after 18 years with the county. Prior to Likins’ retirement, both entities began working to streamline programs to better serve residents and enhance their experience.
Cooperative Extension will continue offering the same services, camps, seminars and programming from its Lori Road offices and laboratory, with plans to maintain and enhance gardening, nutrition and financial wellness programs as part of its transition into Parks and Recreation.
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CCPS: Virtual Community Meetings
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The
Chesterfield County School Board
will host a series of virtual community meetings regarding potential options for reopening schools in Fall 2020. Meetings will be live streamed on the school division’s website, school division’s YouTube channel and school division’s Facebook page; a link to the live stream also will be made available via the school division’s Twitter account. Comments and questions will be accepted in advance and via live stream chat functions.
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School Board members, the superintendent and the superintendent’s senior leadership team will discuss various options being considered for a return to learning in September, including providing families the choice to keep their student at home with virtual learning opportunities. The School Board reviewed potential options at its June 23 work session.
View the presentation
.
Based on feedback from parent/staff surveys and community input after the work session, a modification to one of the options proposed June 23 will be introduced as well.
At the end of the presentation, Board members and staff will engage in a question-and-answer session with families. Questions may be submitted in advance via this
Google Form
. The form will be available during the town halls, as well, and residents can submit questions in the live stream chat function if they are following online.
Tuesday, June 30
- 9-10:30 a.m.: Matoaca and Midlothian districts
- Noon-1:30 p.m.: Dale District
- 7-8:30 p.m.: Bermuda and Clover Hill districts
Wednesday, July 1
- 9-10:30 a.m.: Dale District
- Noon-1:30 p.m.: Bermuda and Clover Hill districts
- 7-8:30 p.m.: Matoaca and Midlothian districts
Thursday, July 2
- 9-10:30 a.m.: Bermuda and Clover Hill districts
- Noon-1:30 p.m.: Matoaca and Midlothian districts
- 7-8:30 p.m.: Dale District
Here is how to access the meetings online:
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Chesterfield LIVE! Music Festival
Announces 2021 Event Date
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Already confirmed to perform in 2021 are popular musical acts including the
Richmond Symphony
, jazz ensemble
Good Shot Judy
and the R&B and soul band
En’Novation
. The event will occur at the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds, 10300 Courthouse Road, and performances will be held under the Richmond Symphony’s iconic “Big Tent.”
In addition to musical entertainment, there will be a children’s play area, local vendors and a variety of food trucks. There will also be beer and wine for purchase.
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Meet Libby:
Come see us and meet the cutest Hound of all! This beautiful girl is Libby! If you have an active lifestyle and enjoy hikes and trails, Libby would love to join you! She loves the outdoors and likes spending her time frolicking around the yard. She is a girl with a mission and full of energy; because of that she would be best fit for a home with a fenced in yard and for a home with no small children. If you do have children, they need to be 12 years in age or older. Libby can't wait to get out of her cage to see us; she isn't a fan of her cage and doesn't really like going back in. Do you have other dogs? Please bring them in to meet her to make sure they get along. Libby does great with other dogs and likes to horse play! Libby is 1 year old. Call us if you are interested in meeting her!
Animal #568696
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Chesterfield - Employee and Everyday Excellence:
HR and IST - Teleworking;
Jim Poff
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At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the
Employee Excellence webpage
was created to recognize the resiliency, innovative solutions and adaptability of employees who have helped ensure Chesterfield County Government remains open for business throughout the ongoing public health crisis.
As the county continues to address the pandemic while safely reopening its doors to the public, the
Employee Excellence webpage
will be updated with the stories of those employees recognized by County Administration Dr. Joe Casey at the monthly Board of Supervisors meetings for exemplifying everyday excellence in service to the county.
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Human Resources and Internet Systems Technology: Teleworking
In late March, in the looming shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chesterfield County Government’s workforce began the largest shift to teleworking in the county’s history.
To prepare, county leadership had met daily – and sometimes multiple times per day – to formulate a response to the global pandemic. Central to these discussions was the need to keep employees out of the workplace while still providing services to residents and businesses.
At that time, Chesterfield County had approximately 530 employees who teleworked regularly, about 11.7% of the entire workforce.
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IST quickly identified a key component of the telework shift: laptops. Many employees did not have a county-issued mobile computer, and some who did needed to have their laptops reconfigured for at-home use.
Laptops originally scheduled to be distributed as part of the county’s Desktop Refresh Program were instead deployed to employees on loan. This program enacted a standard set by county leaders and IST to replace 20% of the county’s computers every year, replacing them with mobile computers to prepare the workforce to be more flexible. Though the program was only a year old, it was valuable beyond expectations. In total, around 200 computers were deployed as loaners, and IST loaded needed software and configured an additional 800 computers.
IST scheduled employees for staggered appointments to pick up their needed equipment, setting up four stations in the IST parking lot that abided by social distancing guidelines. The department then deployed software installations and upgrades remotely to allow employees to connect to the county’s network from home.
Just as vital to this telework shift was Human Resources, which was responsible for keeping employees informed, compensated and ready to work. Human Resources updated the county’s Telework Program Packet, which establishes guidelines for a consistent application of telework practices across county departments to ensure the security of county information and systems.
Specifically, Human Resources amended the guidelines to account for emergency events including viral pandemics. The updates recommit Chesterfield County to minimizing the risk of exposure and transmission through the workplace and outline how employees may be required to perform their job functions in instances of mass-teleworking.
Human Resources also helped fill essential personnel openings by assisting in departments’ emergency hiring and by conducting the
New Employee Orientation
session virtually.
In addition, the department’s monthly newsletter, Employee Update, provides regular information to the workforce about COVID-19 and the county’s response to the situation caused by the virus.
As the operation to increase teleworking capabilities continues, approximately 1,600 employees – around 40% of the county’s non-furloughed workforce – are now able to work from home, ensuring that important community needs are being met throughout the public health crisis.
While the crisis is far from being over, Chesterfield County remains committed to serving its residents, workers, businesses and visitors with the help of technology and innovation. For more information about the county’s ongoing response to COVID-19, visit
www.chesterfield.gov/coronavirus
.
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Jim Poff outside the Chesterfield County Courthouse.
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Everyday Excellence: Jim Poff
(Department of General Services)
At the Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday, June 24, County Administrator Dr. Joe Casey recognized Jim Poff for his work as the facilities maintenance supervisor for Chesterfield’s court buildings.
An employee of the
Department of General Services
, Poff is responsible for ensuring the Circuit Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court buildings remain in good repair by monitoring all support systems and overseeing all maintenance work.
Much of Poff’s day is spent responding to work order requests with his assistant, Igor Khanas, as well as managing communications with court employees to ensure that all maintenance needs are met.
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Poff joined Chesterfield County in July 1990 as a maintenance worker for the Buildings and Grounds Division, but he began his work with the courts as a trades assistant in 1995. In 2001, Poff was promoted to facilities maintenance supervisor for the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Building, eventually doubling his responsibilities by leading maintenance efforts for the Circuit Court building as well.
“In the eighteen years since I first met Mr. Poff, I have never, and I mean never, heard him say ‘no’ to any request made of him – and I know he has had some pretty challenging requests come his way,” said Edward A. Robbins Jr., chief judge of the Chesterfield Circuit Court. “He is a professional tradesman with a can-do attitude. Unless it defies the laws of physics, he will find a way to get the job done.”
Poff’s work has taken on even greater importance during the COVID-19 pandemic, as he and his team work to implement public health safeguards throughout the court buildings. So far, this new work has included installing plexiglass shields as a barrier between court workers and visitors, maintaining hand sanitizer stations and marking floors to denote social distancing guidelines.
Poff’s work is as critical to the success of our court system as any judge, clerk or bailiff, and it helps unburden court-involved residents as they work through the legal system.
Thank you, Jim, for your nearly 30 years of commitment to this county as well as the dedication you show to our court employees, buildings and visitors daily.
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County Response to COVID-19
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The
Chesterfield County Response to COVID-19 webpage
has links to many resources for citizens during this situation. If you are looking for information in any of the following topic areas, please click the links below to be directed to additional resources:
Other important information and updates on resources for Virginians can be found at:
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Governor Outlines Phase Three Guidelines
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In Phase Three, the Commonwealth will maintain a Safer at Home strategy with continued recommendations for social distancing and teleworking, and the requirement that individuals wear face coverings in indoor public settings. The maximum number of individuals allowed in social gatherings will increase from 50 to 250 people. All businesses should continue to follow physical distancing guidelines, frequently clean and sanitize high contact surfaces and keep enhanced workplace safety measures in place.
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Governor Launches Rent and
Mortgage Relief Program
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The
Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
will administer the $50 million program through a variety of partners, including nonprofit organizations and local governments, which will receive upfront funds that they will distribute on behalf of eligible households. Individuals and families receiving funding will also be connected to housing counseling and receive other technical assistance.
Eligible households must demonstrate an inability to make rent or mortgage payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Monthly rent or mortgage must be at or below 150 percent Fair Market Rent (FMR), and eligible households must have a gross household income at or below 80 percent of area median income (AMI).
To ensure RMRP funding assists households most in need, the program will complete targeted outreach to communities of color across Virginia. Before the pandemic,
analysis from RVA Eviction Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University
found that minority communities had higher eviction rates, even after controlling for income, property value and other characteristics. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a disproportionate impact on people of color.
The program will also give precedence to households without other federal and state eviction or foreclosure protections. From June 29 to July 20, priority will be given to households with current gross incomes equal to or below 50 percent of AMI. After July 20, households with current gross incomes at or below 80 percent of AMI will be also be included. In addition, households with an unlawful detainer action dated prior to June 8 will be given top consideration.
To identify the local RMRP administering organization for a household and to conduct a self-assessment for eligibility, visit
dhcd.virginia.gov/eligibility
or call 211 VIRGINIA by dialing 2-1-1 from your phone. Tenants and homeowners are encouraged to know their rights and responsibilities and pay their rent and mortgages on time if they are able. Visit
StayHomeVirginia.com
for additional information and resources.
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Chesterfield Health Department -
Free COVID-19 Testing
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Wednesday, July 1, 2020, 5–7 p.m.
Falling Creek Ironworks Park
6407 Jefferson Davis Highway
Additional July COVID-19 testing dates and locations will be forthcoming as they are established by health officials.
Testing is for individuals who have COVID-19 symptoms and is free for uninsured or underinsured persons.
While some appointments will be reserved for walk-ups that morning,
testing is limited
and appointments should be made prior to arriving.
Spanish speaking staff also will be present during the testing event.
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Remember to Complete Your U.S. Census!
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While April 1 was Census Day, Chesterfield encourages residents who have not yet completed their
2020 U.S. Census
to do so as soon as possible.
Completing the Census is easy!
Households should have received official U.S. Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond to the 2020 U.S. Census
online, by phone or by mail.
Pay close to attention to the unique number given to your household and be prepared to use it during your response.
The 2020 U.S. Census is mandatory and responses are based upon the members of a household as of April 1 (Census Day).
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To learn more about the 2020 U.S. Census, visit the official website at
my2020census.gov
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Learn More About Your District
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