UPDATE:
(Paraphrased from the Sheriff) The you-know-what is hitting the fan. A confidential memo has been leaked from Angela Horan. Athough the Resolution is on the Agenda, the County Attorney will advise that the current Resolution cannot be approved. Apparently, having a conflict of interest makes it too difficult for Supervisors to perform their duties? Well, DUH! That’s why we call it a conflict of interest. Head on over to Nottingham (with an N not an F, Corey) and get the gory details.
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Apparently, Rainbow Riding is “set” to receive 211,000 dollars of carryover money, ie. taxpayer dollars this coming Tuesday.
The county board has already committed to spending $2.3 million on specific projects which were dropped from the budget in April. Peacor specifically mentioned the Rainbow Riding Center, a therapeutic horse-riding program on county-owned land in Silver Lake. It is set to receive $178,000 to pave its parking lot and other improvements, on top of $33,000 it received in April.
Rainbow Riding attracted attention because its former leader is married to Supervisor Wally Covington [who tried to give it $100,000 from his office account in November] and some felt it hadn’t gone through the same budget review as others. Peacor disagreed with that, saying it was fully examined by the board, and provided a service more cheaply than the government could.
Allow me to recap, to date, the tax payer investment of a very small non profit that serves a hundred people or so.
First, Rainbow Riding, at no cost, leases 45 acres, valued at approx 976, 000 thousand dollars annually. Due to this lease, Rainbow Riding was able to sell their own land, subsequently putting several hundred thousand dollars in the “bank”.
We also know, from their most recent 990, Rainbow Riding has over $800 THOUSAND in cash.
For the past two years, they have recieved approximately 33,000 dollars through the annual budget.
Now, having requested an additional 178 grand, not including their annual 33 grand, we are running up to a grand total of well over 2 million dollars.
Where are the “measurables” on Rainbow Riding? It appears as though only about 90 PWC residents participate in their program. What other non profits, commensurate with Rainbow Riding, have competed for this county money?
What government programs, having been neglected in recent years, could benefit from these funds? Rainbow Riding served 114 people in FY2012. Yet a public parks serves thousands. Silver Lake is a withering “county jewel”, where is the investment?
I was shocked when I recieved a call from John Gray telling me that Rainbow Riding was not actually listed by name on the General Funds Carry Over Budget.
Check out this little gem on page 20 of the carryover budget!
Department of Park and Recreation Silver Lake Therepeutic Riding Facility Site Improvements (Paving and HVAC) 178,398
Really, a private non profit now qualifies as public park! Cool, I can’t wait to just show up anytime I want. Oh wait, those pesky, “keep out private property” signs tell me, loud and clear, it isn’t a public facility.
Just like I told Angela Horan, over two years ago, a barn is not a riding arena and a riding arena is not a barn. Rainbow Riding is not Silver Lake, a PUBLIC park, and Silver Lake is not a PRIVATE horse riding facility.
When I look at some of the reason given for investing even more taxpayer money into Rainbow Riding, listed, are their capitol improvements. Well, I’d like to see the actual real estate assessment that backs up that number of 1.1 million. Excluding the land, I find that VERY hard to believe. You see, I live a mere 2 miles from Silver Lake, I find it questionable that a tiny groundskeeper house and “barn” are worth 1.1 million. If that’s the case, I need to alert my neighbors who are selling their homes so that can get some updated comps!
It’s funny, not in a haha sort of way, but more like a, its so depressing sort of way, how little has changed since that intial response to Wally’s gift. Only several months ago Wally had to withdraw his taxpayer gift of 100 grand to Rainbow Riding due to public outcry. Yet, here we are today, and the only part of this debacle that has change is the amount of taxpayer money going to Rainbow Riding. Can’t give 100 grand, why not double it!
The joke is on us, the residents of PWC, but we aren’t laughing.
It’s just another day in PWC, business as usual.
As of their latest Form 990 filing, Rainbow Riding had over $820 thousand in assets, of which nearly $700 thousand was cash in the bank.
http://dynamodata.fdncenter.org/990_pdf_archive/541/541307995/541307995_201012_990.pdf
They sold their old facility, kept the money (thus the large bank account), moved onto PWC taxpayer-owned property for free, serve about 90 County residents, and keep their hands out for hundreds of thousands more of our taxpayer dollars.
Oh, but no money for Catharpin Park, which benefits thousands of County residents, because Pete has to be punished for not behaving and playing along with these scams.
Anyone else’s head steaming at this point?
Does anyone know how many “out of county” riders we have been subsidizing with our taxpayer dollars at the Rainbow Riding Center?
NTK,
How about improvements tothe park that Rainbow Riding sits ON! You know, SILVER LAKE 🙂
Welcome Watchful!
Well, from what is listed on carryover budget report, in FY12, it was 12 % of their riders. We all remember the guy from Fairfax speaking before the BOCS and telling us how much he love Rainbow Riding while teacher are gettng up and begging for more money for PWC schools. THAT was embarrasing in my opinion.
And something that is closed to the ordinary child, and can only be used by those with special needs, just doesn’t seem fair. It will be interesting to see if Mrs. Covington reclaims her board Chairmanship after they get the money on Tuesday.
The FX guy has addressed the board on a couple of occassions. He’s got cajones beggin our supervisors to funnell more money to the RRC. Well, as a PW resident I do not want to pay for FX people to enjoy OUR public parks. Last time I checked we had a PWC Park Authority, now called the Parks & Rec. Dept., again of PWC, NOT FX. PWC made a decision decades ago NOT to participate in the No. Va. Regional Park Authority. So, why isn’t FX the wealthiest county in the commonwealth providing these services for their residents? I know we as PW residents couldn’t even enter Bull Run Regional Park without paying an entry fee, because we are not part of the NVRPA. So, why should those residents that live in those jurisdiction be able to come to our parks for free. Enough!! We are PWC, not FX!!!
Let’s not forget the RRC teamed up with our public schools this year. I guess they thought it was good PR for their PWC funded non-profit.
There are a couple of savings or “costs” to the county you left out.
1. Site plan review costs $0.00
2. Stormwater review costs $0.00
3. Permits $0.00
4. Inspections $0.00
5. Public Hearings $0.00
Not to mention the additional cost savings from not having to hire attorneys to handle the above.
@Mom
Geesh, Mom…Just when I thought this day could NOT get any worse. There you are with services that cost RRC zip! Meanwhile, back at the ranch, PWCPS planning wasted tens of thousands of dollars for site planning, etc.. for their universitiy style elementary schoool on Stonewall Middle’s site. Maan, to think our tax dollars are paying these jokers. One Mr. Giff Hampshire comes to mind. GRRR!!
But MoM, didn’t you know, Rainbow Riding is in the AG district, where apparently, if you are a non profit with connections, you don’t HAVE to go through the same process as everyone else. Hey, I was told, a Riding Aren, with AC, bleachers, bathrooms, etc is a BARN! I must be a total rube not to understand that concept. A barn is exempt from permits, site grading, etc etc., silly ole me.
You will have the same degree of oversight over the parking lot when it goes in. NONE.
What is all that grading and heavy equipment operations going on to the left of the “barn?” No one seems to know what is going on out there.
I just get enraged when I think of the sneakiness going on. You (Elena) could never get a straight answer. Names came down off their website the minute we started asking questions. Right now you can find out the name of the horses but NOT the name of any of the humans on the board.
That information was taken down months ago as in a deliberate attempt to hide information from the public.
I know this blog is read by the supervisors and that our feelings about this center’s funding are well know, ever since the attempt to slide over $100k to them. This $211,000 is a collective SCREW YOU to us and the people who contribute here on the blog from the county board of supervisors.
It doesn’t matter one iota to me that Mrs. Covington has resigned. It doesn’t matter if she is on board or isn’t on the board. The fact that she just resigned looks …sort of like this organization always looks. Like it is hiding something all while taking the taxpayers money.
I want to see an up or down vote on this one, not a little chicken crap burial job so no one can be held accountable.
Yeah, a barn with office, classrooms and apparently an HVAC system that would cool an elementary school. Nice agricultural use. Since it is apparently a public park for agricultural purposes I wonder if they will let me stake out some tomato plants on the unpaved portions.
FUNNY!
The report says Rainbow Riding served 114 individuals, of which as Elena wrote, 12% were not PWC residents. That would be about 14 non-PWC residents and 100 PWC residents. The actual number is $178,398 going to Rainbow Riding (or Silver Lake Therapeutic Riding as they are calling it now). In the other thread, I based my calculation on the $178,000 number that Peacor had rounded down in slide 23 for the presentation next Tuesday. That comes to $1,564.89 for each of the 114 people.
I’m not even so bothered that 14 non-PWC residents avail themselves of a PWC facility. Let Fairfax County residents come to our parks. I don’t care. I’m sure some PWC people are using Fairfax parks sometimes.
The problem here is the conflict of interest. A supervisor’s wife runs this thing, and many among its leadership and patrons are the same people who consider the PWC treasury their personal piggy-bank. Also, $1,565 of taxpayer dollars per person for a facility that doesn’t benefit many residents is absurd.
We don’t even need another one of these horse facilities. Look at the list of non-profits in Virginia with “Riding” in their name:
http://nccsdataweb.urban.org/PubApps/search.php
I’m sure there are others who go by names don’t include the word “Riding.”
Think about all of the other better uses we could make of this money. How about raises for teachers, policemen, firefighters or EMTs? The $178,398 by itself might not go far, but combine that with all of the money we’re blowing on the Wartime Museum, Hylton Center, Manassas Ballet, etc., etc. and the money starts to add up. I have multiple kids in the Prince William County School System. I would far prefer that they have a competent, satisfied teacher than any of this other crap.
@Mom
Can I have some of your tomatoes? That way, I would at least get something for my tax dollars funding this.
@Need to Know
No, Corey would hit me with BPOL tax.
@Need to Know
If you saw the number of Md. plates at BenLomond daily, you might change your tune about others entering OUR parks for free. Park entry fee would be very hard these days since our county decals are non-existant these days. However, we still pay a fee and don’t even get a decal.
I love gardens. I wonder if we could have a non-profit of our own and ask to have a communtiy garden. The county supply the water, which I pay the PWCSA dearly for from May-to the end of October and supply the plants and/or seeds.
Mrs. C stepping down from her post doesn’t change the fact that the RRC should not be getting the kind of money they are from we the taxpayers.
@Mom
Well then, how about we let the tomotoes rot for a while, and then get together and throw them at Corey and Peacor?
@Lafayette
I don’t want to open an old debate at this point, but those MD tags might be on cars belonging to people with questionable immigration status who actually do reside in PWC. We have at least two houses on my street that are used for temporary boarding of multiple single males. Some of the license tags on cars parked on the street that have been there for a long time are MD. If paperwork might present some problems, it’s much easier to register a vehicle in MD than in VA.
Um Laf, in the master plan for Silver Lake, guess what is “planned”? Yes, you guessed, a community garden!!!!!
@Need to Know
I knew you would understand why MD plates are an issue on both fronts. I have some Md. plates on block 24/7 for the past year. Funny, not really has changed much for us in our respective “hoods” over the past 5 years. hmmm.
Elena, Well, I guessed it. Does that mean it will happen? 👿
@Lafayette
But Corey said . . . .
I agree with you. Now just why did Corey do what he did back in 2007, and what was it supposed to have accomplished?
My recommendation Laf is NOT to hold your breath while you wait!
@Mom
Call and ask them. Tell them Moon-howler sent ya!! That should get you a hefty yes right there on the spot.
@Need to Know
PWC people PAY to use Fairfax parks.
@Need to Know
NTK
Good luck getting the name of even one of the adults, board members, or people in authority. That information was taken down shortly after the attempted Thanksgiving slide-job of $100k, never to be seen again.
Elena asked and was given some sort of BS about a new website etc etc.
RRC is quick with answers and slow with facts if you ask me.
@Need to Know
They aren’t illegal immigrants. Let me put that one to bed right now.
Actually a lot of charter buses go down to the water park. I expect they are paying to use the water park so we are getting $$$ although there are reunions and company picnics down there all the time.
The RRC is having a fund raising concert at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas on Sept 29. Someone could go there, pay the admission fee and maybe get some inside info.
@Moon-howler
Thank you, Moon. I was not aware that PWC residents pay to use Fairfax parks.
Rainbow Riding, along with all other non-profits, must list their board and officers in their Form 990. They might have taken the information down from their website, but it’s in their Form 990. See my first post above where I linked it. This is the Form 990 posted last year, and the latest one currently available on this website. Another will probably be available soon.
@NTK
We shouldn’t have to dig that hard. It should be on the website. It went down once Wally pulled the giant slide-job last thanksgiving weekend.
There obviously wasn’t any shame and he,in the long run, won double since that organization is now getting more than twice as much. Why don’t you call and ask if the young Knows can come out there for a visit and ride or pet the horses. Watch your bad hand get slapped. However, supervisors were invited out to be lobbied. You can bet your sweet bippie that MY kids weren’t asked to bring their brood out for a fun afternoon.
In fact, I am willing to bet if I went out there to look around I would get arrested.
Something is and has been going on for a year out there to the left of the hanger. No one seems to know what’s going on. I also think something is going to happen across the street. The taxpayers just aren’t being told.
Meanwhile, bring your own trashbags.
I did state that we pay to enter their parks. FYI
Moon, the Md plate thing to has two meanings with me. The BenLomond front and then neighborhood front. At least with decals we knew who was registered as a PW resident, not neccessarily legal residents. 😉
@Laf
The out of state plates at Ben Lomond are different from the neighborhood plates. I totally agree. I hate that charter buses come through neighborhoods also.
Ben Lomond Water Park is a perfect example of what happens when you get lied to. At first it was just a community pool. then it became Splash Down. Then they put in a putt putt. Then it became a bigger splash down, until it morphed into a water park. Meanwhile, who pays? The people of Sudley. Thanks, Park Authority. I like waiting for the cattle drive to finish moving through before leaving my own home.
@Lafayette
I missed that comment, so many things going on today.
If we pay, then Fairfax residents should pay whether its Rainbow Riding or anything else.
@Need to Know
No problem. Indeed a busy day. I knew you want equality. 🙂
How does this even make sense? The board “committed” to spending $2.3 million, but then dropped it from the budget…knowing Peacor “budgets” for a surplus to fund the projects that were “committed for???? WTF??!??!
“The county board has already committed to spending $2.3 million on specific projects which were dropped from the budget in April. Peacor specifically mentioned the Rainbow Riding Center, a therapeutic horse-riding program on county-owned land in Silver Lake”.
Ummm, I have no idea. This has been quite a day, hasn’t it. The County, led by El Jefe Stweart, has said screw you to a supervisor and screw you to the taxpayers. Apparently, from what the Sheriff of Nottingham says, the employees have been directed to stonewall what appears to be the will of the people.
I want to see an up or down vote on the Candland Conflict of Interest Resolution and I want to know WHY Rainbow Riding is getting such a huge chunk of change.
I am appalled at what is going on in this county.
@IVAN
Are you volunteering to be our main go to person?
@Moon-howler
I’m not going to take the little NTKs out there. I suspect Stewart et al have figured out who NTK is, and I don’t want my little ones to pay the price of harassment for me standing up for what I know is right.
I doubt if they could even get in. The entire area is posted.
You probably are right about retaliation.
Besides, there are other horsey places Mrs. NTK and I can take them that don’t cost thousands per person. If we’re going to be fair about this, give me the same amount for each member of my family that PWC pays per person at Rainbow Riding and I can buy a week or two at the Homestead and their equestrian activities for my family.
@NTK
If well-heeled people want to providing well-heeled relaxation and recreation for special needs kids its fine by me. I guess I just resent paying for it, especially when so many of us have spoken out against cadillac programs.
And no, I don’t want an emmissary telling me about disabled people and riding. I am quite familiar with being disabled and I also rode as a young person. My parents foot the bill also. They didn’t ask anyone else to do it. Let me go on record, they were far from wealthy. They lived in the country then and were able to own their own horse. It wasn’t a fancy horse, just a horse. My own kids never had the opportunity. They lived in Northern Virginia and it is just far too costly to own horses here. Yes, it does make me resentful to feel I am not able to afford a hobby for my own children and then to be forced to pay for someone else’s “luxury.” Like I said, Let those who are able to pick up the bill, do so. Leave the rest of us out of it.
Moon, I’ll send my friend Ivan the Faker, he can get in and scope things out.
Thanks, Ivan the Real. Will Ivan the Faker go in drag or will he wear his horse costume? Perhaps he can wear part B.
Moon, the RRC website is http://www.rainbowriding.org. The B of D are listed under the Media tab. There are no familiar names as far as I can see.
Folks, note very carefully the wording within the item for Silver Lake Therapeutic Riding Facility – it leads in with ADA accessible parking lot. The defense of the expense for will be this brings it in compliance with Title II of the ADA (Title II is Government Entities). Hellwig also is getting an ADA compliancy upgrade.
Take note also the additional justification: Mounted Police training and Parks & Recs Speciality Summer Camps. Those camps are in conjunction with ARC, and funding for programs for Parks & Recs is one of those things listed under Community Partner Contributions.
Nicely stacking the deck for defense of the improvements without specifically addressing RRC.
Ray, where do you see this wording? ADA ccessible parking lot will not do anyone at Silver Lake any good. RRC is up at the top of the hill near the entrance and not close to the lake. Wouldn’t all parking lots now build have to be ADA compliant?
Funniest thing about these ADA compliant lots…..the lots might be compliant but getting in to the buildings is still impossible. Kelly Building is impossible to get in to. Their handicapped parking leads to locked doors.
I think a couple of the names are those of Extension Service employees or retired employees. Rainbow Riding is/was associated with the Extension Service.
It is NOT the role of the county to ensure that non profits are ADA compliant though Ray. Its the responsiblity of the organization.
Rainbow Riding is not “public” accessible, it is private. The question is not is Rainbow Riding accessible, it should be is Silver Lake accessible!
I don’t think Mounted Police require ADA accessiblity.
If Rainbow Riding wants public funds than the public deserves to see the deliverables.
No NO NO. Let’s do the “take and hide” form of public funding.
That board of directors list seems new and….it isn’t the old one I saw. A few notable names are not on it.
I just don’t think we should be responsible for their parking lot.
I also don’t think that Rainbow Riding is the “parent” of Silver Lake. It seems that the county is treating it as such. As far as I am concerned, once you get past the property manager’s house, that’s the end of RRC’s responsibility.
Pardon me for being suspicious but I see some hefty sponsorship for Rainbow overlapping with other supervisors.
Moon, go to Attachment 8-X and it is in the slides for One Time Funding Recommendations….Slide #23. That’s where it shows all the wording. And yes, Local Government is required to have all their government parking lots – to include their entities such as Parks & Rec facilities – to be Title II compliant. And yes, there have been complaints about different ones to include the one at McCoart.
I vote that Kelly Building is the worst. They really do have them outside of locked doors and there aren’t enough out front. One of my other gimp friends nearly broke her neck getting in the front. (at Kelly)
Eleana, Correct that it is not the County Government responsibility to ensure RRC is ADA Compliant. HOWEVER, since Silver Lake is technically Parks and Recs, that parking lot is government responsibility. All that said, this is what I meant by “stacking the deck”….and a nice twist where the RRC Facility is now (more or less) one which is being used by RRC under the umbrella of Parks and Recs….and since the only developed thing out there, as you pointed out, make it the “parent” for that park area.
But Ray, here is the bait and switch, Rainbow Riding is private property, it is no longer a part of PWC parks and rec. That land is leased by RRC, out of the public domain. Legally it is not open to the public. The parking lot feeds RRC NOT Silver Lake.
I’m no lawyer, but I don’t see you the county gets around that snafoo!
@Elena
Elena – yup, your dead on the fact it is leased…and have no fears as PWC Parks & Recs accounted for the capability/requirement to do leasing in their Comprehensive Plan!
http://www.pwcparks.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=tmpdCvjqzgI%3d&tabid=57
Silver Lake was acquired in 2009, and the Plan got published in 2010. Added in this version of the Comp Plan was an “Equestrian Complex” with a standard of having one for every 500,000 residents. Further identifies this complex would be built possibly by 2025 “depending on park development”. Of course, prior to development of this complex, the old Authority on Page 44 of the Plan said a “needs assessment” would be done first.
Further down in the Comp Plan you will find where the “vision” for Silver Lake is particularly on Page 55 where it provides an analysis of the needs in Gainesville District, and addresses Silver Lake as a Regional Park in a “passive” development approach – that being “fishing, horse riding, hiking, etc.”
Page 77 shows “parking improvements” for Silver Lake. Again, several places in the Comp Plan address the leased issue. I agree with you by the way – the whole purpose of the parking lot will be primarily for RRC. The Police and Parks&Rec Program in conjuntion with ARC is just secondary….