Photo courtesy of Botetourt Co.
By Matt de Simone
The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors met for the September meeting last Tuesday at the County Administration Offices meeting room in Daleville. The meeting saw the board take action on various items which included adopting a resolution authorizing a lease agreement to relocate the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office records during construction of the new Botetourt County Courthouse.
The county made an agreement with Richard Clark on a property located on 5 West Back Street in Fincastle. According to the county, the previous storage plans for the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office were “insufficient.” County Capital Projects Manager Rich Evans stood before the board and presented the resolution at last Tuesday’s meeting.
Evans noted the original plan to hold the records in the old Breckinridge Law Offices (the former History Museum) “was never really practical.” This lease agreement now speeds up the eventual demolition phase of the new courthouse construction in addition to the physical move of the law offices on the courthouse property.
The board approved a “sample” lease with Clark, the owner of the property, for the price of $1,335 per month, for a term of 18 months. Evans noted that the lease can be renewed month to month, if there is an extended period needed.
The resolution adds that the county attorney and the county administrator are authorized and directed to negotiate reasonable and customary additional terms of the final lease document.
County recognizes Town & Country Women’s Club
The board passed a resolution recognizing the Botetourt County Town & Country Women’s Club for their community improvement efforts. The resolution explains that the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) is an international women’s organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.
Members of the Town & Country Women’s Club were on hand at the meeting to receive their recognition from the board. There was a presentation highlighting some of the recent achievements of the club. Valley District Supervisor Mac Scothorn read the resolution and commended the club’s impact on the Botetourt community.
“The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors does hereby extend our congratulations to the members of the Botetourt Town & Country Women’s Club for this prestigious award and also extend our gratitude for all that they do to make our community better,” Scothorn read in closing the club’s recognition. He then added, “The example you set forth is one to build upon.”
Botetourt Town & Country Women’s Club is a member of the GFWC Virginia Chapter and the recipient of the 2024 Community Impact Program Award for the members’ work to help save the Botetourt County Historical Museum from closure.
The resolution goes on to tell that the Community Impact Program Awards are designed to encourage and recognize the positive effects a club can have on specific needs in their community. Club members readied a house built in 1871 to allow the museum to be relocated by cleaning and painting every room, supplying recycled packing materials for moving over 6,000 artifacts, and prepared food for workers and events held at the museum.
The resolution continues by adding that the club also donated and installed a microwave, refrigerator, cabinets, furnishings, and American and Virginia flags, plus members of the club completed and maintained yard work and sidewalk projects. The ladies collaborated with numerous community groups including the Botetourt Historical Society, the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Office, the Fincastle mayor and council, Historic Fincastle, the Daughters of the American Revolution, County-Wide League of African Americans, Preservation Botetourt, Virginia State Garden Club and neighbors of Botetourt County.
The money saved on the move funded a full-time museum director and because of the club’s diligent work, not only was the museum moved (26 E. Main Street in Fincastle), but awareness of the museum and women’s club through local media partnerships helped increase membership to the club and the museum, according the meeting’s agenda.
Communications updates board on ‘Getting to Know BOCO’ initiative
The Botetourt County Communications Department updated the board about community engagement and the county’s “Getting to Know BOCO initiative” that launched in September. County Director of Communications Tiffany Bradbury and Communications & Marketing Specialist Jessica Hower gave a brief presentation about “Getting to Know BOCO,” website updates, the launch of the digital newsletter, and upcoming LOVE Sign dedication event that was originally scheduled for October 1 but has been rescheduled to a later date.
During the presentation, Bradbury went over an overview of the department’s journey and strategy which included utilizing multiple channels to equitably communicate with Botetourt’s audiences that make up county citizens, businesses, and visitors. The department also improved media relations, worked with multiple departments to promote services/initiatives, and streamlined the county’s presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. She highlighted launching the then-new county website in 2022, revamping the State of the County annual presentation, and developing infographic videos to give a visual explanation of various county service/projects/initiatives.
Bradbury then went over the initiative’s social media engagement numbers, the “Live, Work, Play, and Give Back” piece that launched in 2024 as a part of Civic Engagement Month that asks residents, businesses, and visitors to engage with the county about learning more on what’s going on in the county.
Bradbury clarified the overall goals of the department in the presentation which include simplifying complex local government information, humanizing local government employees, giving the community another way to ask questions, offering opportunities for the county to listen and make sure the information is easy to understand, and telling about the positive stories about the Botetourt residents and employees.
Amsterdam District Supervisor and Board Chair Steve Clinton thanked Bradbury and the department for all of their hard work.
“What I think is great about this… the affect that it has on the county – a unifying affect. People get the same information and get a better idea of what the county as a whole is doing,” Clinton said.
To watch last week’s meeting of the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors in its entirety, please visit the county’s YouTube channel (@BotetourtCountyVA) and follow along by reading the meeting’s agenda at www.botetourtva.gov/AgendaCenter.
