On the agenda: Halifax meeting — data center (Mar 13)

Halifax County Board of Supervisors Retreat
March 13, 2026
Pagoda Building, Virginia International Raceway
Agenda
7:30 a.m. Gather
8:00 a.m. Call to Order
Introductory Remarks
•

Suggested goals for the retreat:
o Work as a team and develop consensus
o Review County operations
o Discuss County mission and values
o Discuss a vision for the County’s future
o Identify major strategic goal areas
o Identify objectives and priorities to advance the goals, with
assigned responsibility and timelines in the short, medium,
and longer range
o Craft a work plan for the next 18 to 24 months
o Understand constraints to progress and identify means to
overcome them

•

Themes that may run through the day:
o Board roles and responsibilities; dynamics and processes
o Board/Administrator roles and relationships
o Public engagement
o Limitations – staff, finances, time, statutes, Dillon Rule

•

Ground rules
o Everyone participates; no one dominates
o Engage
o Be honest
o Listen to each other
o Respect different opinions
o No idea is too outlandish
o Seek to understand
o Ask questions
o Seek consensus (formal action at a future Board meeting)
o Silence means consent – speak up if you disagree
1

o Use the parking lot for issues that may evade consensus or
require more background
o Have fun; don’t take ourselves too seriously
o We will take breaks when it seems appropriate
 Is the proposed agenda acceptable? Are there any questions at this point?
Video Presentations
Team Building Exercise





Tell your colleagues something about yourself that they probably don’t know.
What strengths do you bring to the Board of Supervisors team?
What two things might people find challenging when working with you?
What legacy do you want to leave when your term of service on the Board is
over?

Discuss County Operations






What is the mission of the County government? Why does it exist?
What is the County doing well?
What is the County doing not so well?
What is the County not doing that it should be doing?
What is the County doing that it should, or could, stop doing?

Discuss Values/Operating Principles
 What is important in how the County operates, in citizen, Board, and staff
interactions and relationships?
 What approaches will not change regardless of the goals being pursued?
Discuss a Vision for the County’s Future
 Describe Halifax County in the future (5,10,20 years). What would be better as a
result of this Board’s initiatives?
12:00 p.m. Break for Lunch
12:30 p.m. Reconvene

2

Common Themes – Issues Mentioned by More Than One Board Member in the
Pre-retreat Interviews
•

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Board of Supervisors
o A desire to work together as a team; personal relationships; building trust
o Processes, roles, and responsibilities
o Committees
o The County Administrator’s authority
Capital needs – facilities maintenance, repair, and improvement; new projects;
CIP
Staff turnover and staffing needs
Economic development and revenue generation – the potential role of solar,
battery storage, and data centers
Housing – rural land development; Smart Growth
Public safety – the radio system; EMS
Recreation – more needed in general; Edmunds Park specifically
Strategic planning – interest, process, ownership
The Hitachi expansion – opportunities and challenges; housing
Finances – budget, director, revenues, CIP, solid waste fees, Treasurer
Dealing with social media

Identify Major Strategic Goal Areas
Possibilities: Government Performance, Citizen Engagement, Rural Preservation,
Agricultural Production, Economic Development, Infrastructure, Education, Public
Safety, Housing, Recreation
Identify Objectives, Priorities, and Timelines Under Each Strategic Goal Area;
Assign Responsibilities - To the extent possible, craft SMART (specific,
measurable, achievable/attainable, relevant/realistic, and time-bound) objectives or
action items
a. Immediate or Ongoing Actions
b. Over the next 18-24 months
c. Longer term (as much as 3-5 years)
Organizing for Success
 What is needed to achieve your vision?
•
•

What assets have you got presently that can be utilized?
What limitations are you facing, if any? (staff, finances, time,
consensus, commitment, statute, policy, practice, etc.)
3

•

What can you do to overcome the limitations?

 What information would be useful to the Board to provide accountability: periodic
reports, financial reports, project progress reports?
 How will your plan and progress with implementation be communicated to the
public?
 How and how often will the plan be reviewed and modified?
4:45 p.m.

Wrap-Up

 Is there any unfinished work?
 What next steps do you want to take?
Facilitators’ responsibilities and comments
 Retreat feedback.
Final comments from the Chair, Board members, and the County
Administrator
5:00 p.m.

Adjourn

4