Chesterfield County, Virginia's Weekly E-Newsletter
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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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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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Information from the Board of Supervisors
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In this video
, Chesterfield County Bermuda District Supervisor
Jim Ingle
gives an update on the county’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak including major construction projects and ways to connect with the county.
(updated May 1, 2020)
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Messages from the
Deputy County Administrators for
Community Operations,
Community Development
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In this video
, Deputy County Administrator for Community Operations
Scott Zaremba
talks about how his division is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(updated April 30, 2020)
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In this video
, Deputy County Administrator for Community Development
Jesse Smith
discusses how his division is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(updated May 4, 2020)
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Central Virginia All Hazards
Incident Management Team Update
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In this video
, see how regional collaboration has helped the Central Virginia All Hazards Incident Management Team respond to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Greater Richmond area.
The leadership of the Counties of Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico and Powhatan and the City of Richmond authorized the activation of the CVAHIMT to help guide the region’s preparations and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Governor Announces Chesterfield
to Receive Critical Care
Decontamination System
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Governor Ralph Northam announced on Saturday, May 2 that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved Virginia to receive three Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System™ (CCDS) that can collectively sterilize up to 240,000 units of personal protective equipment (PPE) per day for reuse. The three systems will be operational in the Town of Blacksburg, the City of Newport News, and Chesterfield County within the next week.
The Battelle CCDS™ uses a concentrated hydrogen peroxide vapor to decontaminate N95 masks, which can sustain up to 20 decontamination cycles without degrading filtration performance. This technology will help address the national shortage of critical PPE and protect healthcare workers and first responders on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The three systems are being installed at the Marching Virginians Center on the Virginia Tech campus, a warehouse site in the Hampton Roads Sanitation District, and the Vietnam Veterans Pavilion at the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds.
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Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS)
Budget Work Session on May 5
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The Chesterfield County School Board will hold a budget work session at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5. The work session will take place electronically in accordance with the Continuity of County Government Ordinance adopted by the Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors on March 25, 2020 and confirmed by the School Board on April 14, 2020.
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Aging and Disability Services Information
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Additional Family and Parent Resources:
Staying Active - Fitness, Crafts, Learning Opportunities and More!
Mental Health and Coping
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Chesterfield County Farmers Market Opens May 6
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The
Chesterfield County Farmers Market
opens for its 9th season this Wednesday, May 6!
Join us on Wednesdays through Aug. 26, 2020 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to pick up fresh, local produce and more.
The market is located on the Chesterfield County Government Complex on Mimms Loop. Follow the directional signs on Iron Bridge Road to the market.
For more information including
new market regulations
and
pre-order/pre-pay methods
, visit:
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Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce
Initiates Relaunch Chesterfield
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- Arts and Entertainment
- Health and Safety
- Healthcare Services
- Hospitality
- K-12 Education, Childcare and Daycare
- Personal Care Service
- Restaurants
- Retail
Relaunch Chesterfield will work in conjunction with the recommendations released by Governor Northam’s
COVID-19 Business Task Force
to discuss plans and address issues in a phased reopening of businesses throughout the county.
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ChamberRVA and
Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond
Host Response to COVID-19 Virtual Town Hall
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Chesterfield Juvenile Detention Home
Receives Art Supplies Donation
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Chesterfield County sends a big "thank you!" to Chesterfield resident Lauren and her two girls for their generous donation of art supplies to the
Chesterfield Juvenile Detention Home
. The art supplies filled two trash bags and included paints, paint brushes, tape, glue, paper, lots of stickers, markers, crayons and glitter, as well as blank cards and envelopes. All of these items will be used by youth in the detention home to make cards to for seniors in assisted living facilities as well as seniors who are part of our
Telephone Reassurance Program
. Lauren said she used this as an opportunity to involve her daughters and teach them about giving back to their community. Thank you for your generous donation!
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Chesterfield - Open for Business:
Registrar's Office;
Cooperative Extension
Master Gardeners Virtual Help Desk
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These unprecedented times have forced innovative adaptations in how Chesterfield County continues to keep resources and services available for our citizens, businesses and employees. Those adaptations have taken multiple forms, from teleworking to completely new processes, and many employees are being redeployed in other areas to keep essential functions operating.
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Registrar’s Office:
Absentee Ballot Requests
On April 13, Gov. Ralph Northam’s
Executive Order 56
pushed back the primary elections from June 9 to June 23, giving elections officials statewide an opportunity to better prepare to protect themselves, voters and poll workers.
In Chesterfield, the
Registrar’s Office
is balancing a business-as-usual approach to the upcoming election with the health precautions necessitated by COVID-19. Though the Registrar’s Office is currently closed to the public, the entire staff is working in-office while observing social distancing guidelines: maintaining a six-foot distance when possible, wearing masks and holding meetings virtually.
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Registrar’s Office employees Jessica Davis (left)
and Tangela Kersey (right) process
absentee ballot requests
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The biggest change Registrar Constance Hargrove has seen in the lead up to this election, though, is the number of
absentee ballot requests
. According to Hargrove, typically one employee could handle the processing of absentee applications for a primary election. Now, it is taking four employees to keep up with the demand.
As of April 28, 77% of absentee applications processed by the Registrar’s Office cited
code 2A, disability or illness
, which is encouraged by the Department of Elections for voters wishing to vote absentee because of the risk of COVID-19.
“My team is adapting every day from the way we open mail to the way we prepare supplies for the polling places,” said Hargrove. “We are spending more time helping voters navigate the Department of Elections’ Citizen Portal now that more people are requesting ballots online.”
Helping residents navigate the Department of Elections’ voter registration process is central to the work of the Registrar’s Office, and staff are always willing to help answer questions. Citizens seeking more information about exercising their voting rights should visit
PromoteTheVoteCfield.org
or call 804-748-1471.
Absentee voting for the June 23 primary election begins on Friday, May 8, 2020. Absentee applications may be submitted online at
www.elections.virginia.gov
, or voters may call the Registrar’s Office to have an application mailed to them.
“Voting is a fundamental right of all citizens,” said Hargrove. “Understanding that elected officials determine how crises are handled brings home the importance of elections. Election officials wish that every registered voter would turn out on Election Day because they know how important good governance is to the community.”
Despite the pandemic, the Registrar’s Office and poll workers will continue to assist the community in exercising their right to vote. Hargrove said, “Please, exercise your right to vote by absentee ballot or in person on June 23, 2020 and in all elections thereafter.”
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Cooperative Extension:
Master Gardeners Virtual Help Desk
With residents throughout the county practicing social distancing and staying at home, gardening provides a wonderful opportunity to stay engaged and connect with nature. To assist gardening beginners and experts alike, the
Chesterfield Master Gardener Help Desk
has gone virtual.
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Master gardeners
are volunteer educators who work within their communities to encourage and promote environmentally sound horticulture practices though sustainable landscape management education and training. This team of over 150 volunteers can view and respond to gardening and landscaping questions submitted by citizens, such as plant identification, vegetable gardening support, and compost, fertilizer and pesticide safety.
“As I have been responding to questions from residents, everyone has been so grateful to know that we’re still available to help,” said Melissa Simulcik, a volunteer coordinator with Cooperative Extension.
The Master Gardener Help Desk is available from March to October. With the success of the virtual help desk, Simulcik says Cooperative Extension hopes to maintain it as an option into the future.
“We’ve received questions from people just starting a vegetable garden, or planning to devote some time to larger lawn and landscape projects, and they are relieved to know that despite everything, they can still turn to Cooperative Extension for reliable information.”
For more information about the virtual Master Gardener Help Desk, visit:
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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
2020census.gov
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Learn More About Your District
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