Meetings Archives
Chesterfield begins construction of flood wall around Swift Creek plant
Posted June 9, 2025 at 9:27 PMBy Greg Pearson
The 1,500-foot flood wall around the Swift Creek water treatment plant is under construction, and the four-month long pile driving effort is expected to start on or about June 20th. County officials report that 441 piles are to be sunk to protect the plant from flooding on three sides.
The noise from the pile driving will occur between 8 am and 6 pm on weekdays and be noticeable to nearby residents and motorists on Hull Street Road near the treatment plant. The pile driving will end after four months.
The flood wall will prevent flooding of the plant that has occurred twice in the past 7 years. Hurricane Michael flooded the plant in October, 2018 and put the plant out of service for a month.
And on August 15, 2020, an unnamed storm anchored over the Swift Creek Reservoir and dropped 11 inches of rain in a few hours. That torrential storm shut down the treatment plant for 9 months. Brandermill Country Club reported that the water rose to six feet above its 9th green, washing away part of its golf cart path of blacktop pavement.
The flood wall construction will cost $21 million, which includes an $8.7 million grant from
federal sources. Anne Urenda, a principal engineer with the Chesterfield Utilities Department,
said she didn’t know if the federal government might “claw back” any of its funding. Urenda and
Mike Larson, an engineering supervisor with the utilities department, were the featured speakers
at the June 5 monthly meeting of the Brandermill Region Men’s Club (BRMC).
The flood wall construction period is expected to end in July next year. The height of the wall will vary with some portions being 18 feet tall.
The second part of the speaker program for the BRMC covered a new, fourth source of drinking water. Currently, Chesterfield has three drinking water sources: Swift Creek Reservoir with a maximum capability of 12 million gallons daily (mgd); the Appomattox River Authority with a maximum capacity of 66 mgd; and the James River (from the city of Richmond) at 32 mgd. With a total of 110 mgd available, the peak usage for Chesterfield thus far on any day is 70 mgd.
Because Chesterfield is experiencing the fastest population growth of any county in Virginia, it recently purchased land near Point of the Rocks Park in eastern Chesterfield for a fourth water source. According to Larson, who is heading up the project for Chesterfield, there is the “potential for 80 mgd when the water treatment plant opens in 2033.” Currently, the county is conducting water sampling tests for the next two years.
Additionally, the county has already announced it is seeking to provide land for data centers to be built in the Westchester Commons development off Route 60 and also adjacent to the Magnolia Green community off Rt. 360. Data centers are known to utilize considerable water.
To see the 10-slide PowerPoint presentation on the developing water treatment plant, click here.
At the end of the BRMC meeting, there were reports of dead catfish and opened but dead mussels in Sunday Park from the club’s membership and guests. By email later that day, Larson reported “the [Swift Creek Treatment] plant has confirmed that they are taking regular samples of water in the reservoir and the water quality is suitable for treatment at our plant. The plant is aware of the observations of floating mussels. According to our Biologist, there are several factors that contribute to mussels surfacing. Weather, wind, water quality, temperature, depth, carp, muskrats are some of the factors. Overall, the amount of mussels is not too dissimilar to previous years, but this year has had a much narrower time window. Water temperatures have been warmer earlier in the year before dropping recently, and wind speeds have been slightly above normal this spring. Our Biologist spoke with Scott Hermann at the Department of Wildlife Resources, and he confirmed that this phenomenon has been observed at other bodies of water in Virginia this year. Mr. Hermann is going to discuss further with DWR counterparts who focus on freshwater mussels and will coordinate with the Plant staff.”
Annually, the BRMC goes on hiatus for July and August. The speaker for the September program will be Chesterfield Police Chief Edward Carpenter. Over the past 25 years, Col. Carpenter has been working his way through the ranks within the department. He will be addressing the BRMC at 10 am on Thursday, September 4th at the Brandermill Church.
County leaders explain upcoming budget
Posted May 5, 2025 at 11:58 PMBy Greg Pearson
Deputy County Administrator Matt Harris and Budget Director Gerard Durkin answered more than 25 questions from the audience who came to hear them talk about the FY26 Chesterfield budget that becomes effective July 1. Like other local governments in Virginia, the county board is keeping an eye on the financial uncertainty at the federal level and those monies that trickle down from the state government budget, which is still being determined by the state legislature.
About 80% of the $44 million increase in spending for Chesterfield’s budget goes into three buckets: $17 million for first responders (police, fire and EMS); $15 million for schools including a 3% hike in teacher salaries; and $5 million to offset spending on tax relief for the elderly and disabled.
While residents in the 360 corridor have focused on the growth of multifamily developments in the Midlothian area, Harris said the real population growth is further west surrounding Magnolia Green. The bond issues passed in 2022 will support the Deep Creek Middle School opening this August and a new high school nearby in 2027.
Despite concerns expressed by several participants at the meeting, Harris said, “The student population in Chesterfield is stable.”
The number of younger students is being offset by those who are graduating from the public school system, he explained. More schools are needed to serve the population growth in the western portion of the county. While there are more multifamily developments springing up, Harris pointed out that those units are typically only 1-3 bedrooms with few children.
Chesterfield has made some progress growing the commercial base of property taxes with that share increasing slightly to 22% with the balance from residential property owners. As a result of being known as a bedroom community, the county property tax rate — being reduced by a penny to 89 cents per $100 of assessed value — continues to be higher than neighboring Henrico County, which has far more retail and employment centers. Providing services for commercial developments is less expensive than residential, mostly because of schools.
Harris emphasized the three data centers in the Magnolia Green area and at the Watkins Center are making their way through the zoning process, which he said will provide employment at a low cost to those needed services from Chesterfield. The county utilities department is working on a new source of water from the adjacent Hopewell area. Currently, Chesterfield gets its water from the Appomattox River, James River and Swift Creek Reservoir.
Representatives of Chesterfield’s utilities department will present a program on the 1,500-foot flood wall being built around the Swift Creek treatment plant at the Brandermill Region Men’s Club (BRMC) meeting on June 5. The program will include updates on the fourth county water source plus the latest on the hydrilla problem and begin at 10 am at the Brandermill Church. The construction of the flood wall is slated to start later this month.
Given the lack of county news, the BRMC expanded the outreach of its speaker programs and made them available to any resident of Chesterfield County whether or not they were a member of the men’s club. The annual cost for senior men to belong is just $35/year and includes a Christmas party, picnic and numerous group outings at a nominal, additional cost. For more details, go to http://brmcva.org.
Chesterfield Sheriff outlines duties of his department
Posted February 13, 2025 at 3:43 PMBy Greg Pearson
Sheriff Karl Leonard explained the changes he has made in the Sheriff’s Office over the past
11 years to put the emphasis on treating mental health problems that most of the 400 inmates
suffer from on a daily basis. Those mental health issues are a direct result of closing down state
and federal mental hospitals back in the 1980s because those would-be patients now have no
where else to go.
According to Leonard, the average recidivism rate for local jails is 70%, but the HARP program implemented in Chesterfield has cut the rate to just 23%. Reducing recidivism cuts the cost of maintaining the jail, which currently runs $48,000 annually for each inmate.
HARP (Helping Addicts Recover Progressively) is a faith-based program initiated in 2016 “using peer-to-peer recovery models and re-entry services, including assistance with obtaining identification, healthcare and job readiness.” Because it has not shown to be effective for inmates who have committed sex crimes and murders, HARP is not used for that jail population. Leonard just returned from Rwanda last month where HARP was recognized for its success as one of three effective programs in the entire world.
Chesterfield’s program focuses on treating trauma created by drug addiction. That treatment includes prescription drugs, which the jail provides free to prisoners at a monthly cost of $25,000. During Covid, Leonard said his prisoners were safer to be in jail than being on the outside because the jail was controlled space. By state law, each prisoner receives a free copy of the daily Richmond Times Dispatch.
Asked about the jail’s working relationship with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), Leonard said nothing has changed even with a new administration. Chesterfield provides records to ICE frequently including a week before and the day of an immigrant’s release. But ICE doesn’t pick up inmates, and Leonard believes that is because ICE is focused on sanctuary cities.
Leonard served 30 years in the Chesterfield Police Department, rising to the rank of major. Shortly after that retirement, he began another career with the Sheriff’s Office and was appointed sheriff in 2014 and then re-elected in 2019 and 2023. He announced he will be a candidate again in 2027.
Sheriff Leonard has a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from VCU and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. His office also oversees the operation of 17 court rooms at the courthouse facility. The 340 personnel in his office are responsible for 400 prisoners in the local jail and 500 at Riverside Regional Jail.
Leonard was the speaker at the February, 2025 meeting of the Brandermill Region Men’s Club. At the 10am March 6 meeting of the BRMC, State Senator Glen Sturtevant is the featured speaker. Sturtevant will do a wrap up of the 2025 General Assembly at the Brandermill Church. All residents of Brandermill and Woodlake are invited to attend.
Mark Early spoke at our January Meeting
Posted December 17, 2024 at 12:18 PMThe January 2, 2025 meeting speaker was VA 73rd Delegate Mark Earley, Jr..
December 5, 2024 Meeting
Posted December 1, 2024 at 11:30 PMLaura Lafayette is the Chief Executive Officer of the Richmond Association of REALTORS® and the Central Virginia Regional Multiple Listing Service—two organizations that serve over 6,800 REALTORS® in Central Virginia. Within the broader community, Laura is the Immediate Past Chair of the Board of the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust; serves on the Board of Directors of ACTS, the Partnership for Housing Affordability, Chamber RVA, the YWCA, and the Board of Trustees for Virginia Episcopal Real Estate Partners. Laura received her BA in Religion from the College of William and Mary; and pursued post-graduate work at both Yale Divinity School and the University of Virginia. She is the proud mother of three adult children. llafayette@rarealtors.com
November 7, 2024 Meeting
Posted October 10, 2024 at 2:02 AMThe speaker for the November meeting is J. Ronald Hunter, Holmes McGuire VA Hospital.
J. Ronald Johnson, FACHE, was appointed Executive Director in March 2019.
Mr. Johnson provides executive leadership to over 4,000 employees of an accredited health care system that includes a medical/surgical hospital, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Community Living Center, inpatient mental health unit, Polytrauma Unit, Domiciliary, Hospice, related inpatient and outpatient ancillary services, and five community based outpatient clinics (CBOCs). Annually, the system serves over 77,000 Veterans in 52 cities and counties in central Virginia and north central North Carolina on a budget exceeding $1B. CVHCS’s primary academic affiliate is Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), offers training in 57 programs, and educates approximately 1,000 trainees annually. In 2024 the health care system will open the largest Health Care Center (HCC) in VA’s inventory at 471,121 gsf, located in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Previously, Mr. Johnson served as the Executive Director, Hampton, Virginia. During his tenure the health care system opened a 25,000 sf outpatient mental health building, a 25,000 sf primary and specialty care outpatient clinic, 16 single patient rooms for spinal cord injured patients, and an Intermediate Care Clinic. Also, began construction on a 18,500 sf outpatient dialysis center, nearly doubled the capacity of the Chesapeake and Virginia Beach CBOCs, and began the design of a 209,472 gsf Multi-Specialty Outpatient Clinic. Furthermore, Mr. Johnson supported the procurement and installation of new technologies, such as, the da Vinci Surgical System, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, and 3D Printers. In addition to restructuring the Community Care Office and Call Center functions, Mr. Johnson led VISN 6 by being the first to approve and initiate the use of Advanced Nurse Practitioners as licensed independent providers.
Mr. Johnson served as the Executive Director, Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, Spokane, Washington. During his tenure he was recognized twice by national leadership as one of the Fastest Improved VA Hospitals in Healthcare Quality while improving from 81st to 14th for Best Places to Work.
Mr. Johnson has held other positions with the U.S. Army Medical Command, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, VISN 10, and VA Central Office. Additionally, he was the Interim Executive Director, Salisbury (NC) VA Health Care System from January – July 2022 and the VA Puget Sound (WA) Health Care System from January 2017 – April 2017. Also, he served four years on VHA’s Graduate Healthcare Administration Training Program (GHATP) Board where he oversaw the Administrative Resident/Fellow Training Program, the Health System Specialist Trainee Program, the Executive MHA Off-Campus Program, and the Army-Baylor MHA Program. Mr. Johnson co-chaired the work group that developed the Health Systems Management Trainee Program and is credited with initiating VHA’s Annual Administrative Trainee Poster Competition, held annually at the American College of Healthcare Executive’s (ACHE) Congress on Healthcare Leadership.Mr. Johnson is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives; was awarded the Dean William G. Toland Preceptor Award, U.S. Army-Baylor MHA/MBA Program in 2022; Mentor of the Year, College of Nursing, University of South Alabama in 2012; Champion of TRICARE Award in 2007 (the first VA employee bestowed the honor); and was selected as the VA ACHE Regent’s 2006 Young Healthcare Executive of the Year. Prior to starting his career in health administration, Mr. Johnson served in the U.S. Army with the 1st Infantry Division (Big Red One).
October 3, 2024 Meeting
Posted September 6, 2024 at 11:51 AMThe next meeting of the BRMC will be on October 3, 2024. The guest speaker will be discussing the development of the property formerly known as Celebrations. This property is located off Woolridge Road and abuts the Swift Creek Reservoir.
January 4, 2024 Meeting
Posted January 13, 2024 at 10:07 PMOur January meeting featured State Senator-elect Glen Sturtevant. He briefed the Club regarding the upcoming session of the General Assembly. He stayed behind after the meeting to answer questions from individual members.
December 7, 2023 Meeting
Posted October 3, 2023 at 3:06 PMThe Chesterfield County Administrator will provide a “State of the County” for our members.
November 2, 2023
Posted May 30, 2023 at 10:44 AMCapt. Bill Haneke, USA (Ret), will be featured for our Veteran’s Day program. Seriously injured in Vietnam, Bill underwent numerous surgical procedures to survive. Following successful rehab, he earned a master’s degree in Healthcare and Business Administration. He has spent many hours in support of injured military patients. Bill has even written a book, Trust Not, that details his experiences.