Regional Boards and Commissions

Blue Ridge Community College Board
The Blue Ridge Community College Board acts in an advisory capacity to the State Board for Community Colleges and performs such duties with respect to the operation of a community college as may be delegated to it by the State Board of Community Colleges. Members are residents of the region to be served by Blue Ridge Community College and include persons from various businesses, industries, and professions in the region being served. All members are deemed members at large charged with the responsibility of serving the best interest of the whole region served by Blue Ridge Community College. The Board consists of eleven members, with Augusta County having two (2) representatives that are appointed by the Augusta County Board of Supervisors.

Regular meetings of the college board are normally held at 6:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every other month from September through May with a determination for a July meeting to be made at the May meeting. Learn more .brcc.edu/boards.

Blue Ridge Criminal Justice Board
The Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro and Augusta County established the Blue Ridge Criminal Justice Board (Board) in response to the Comprehensive Community Corrections Act for Local Responsible Offenders and the Pretrial Services Act. The Virginia Legislature placed in the hands of Augusta County, Staunton and Waynesboro, the means to deal with the problems in their own communities. The new programs became effective July 1, 1995.

Blue Ridge Court Services is a criminal justice agency and strives to see that offenders who do not have violent histories give something back to their communities. The agency is not an alternative to punishment, but an alternative form of punishment. It deals with both the punishment for the crime and of treatment for the individual. If a defendant has committed a crime against a person or a person's property, Blue Ridge Court Services collects restitution for the victim. The Agency will also monitor community service performance. If a defendant has a substance abuse problem or other emotional symptom, Blue Ridge Court Services staff ensures the defendant receives treatment for the problem.

The Blue Ridge Court Services Pretrial Program is designed to ease overcrowding of the jail by providing a supervised structure for the defendant. The staff also makes bond recommendations to the court by verifying information provided by the defendant.

The goal of Blue Ridge Court Services is to help those who want help and to make sure the courts imposed sentences are carried out. Blue Ridge Court Services hold the offender accountable and work closely with local law enforcement, the Courts, Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, Public Defender's Office, defense attorneys as well as, the various treatment facilities in the Shenandoah Valley. Blue Ridge Court Services uses community service sites throughout the county. All community service sites must be non-profit organizations.

Regular meetings of the Blue Ridge Criminal Justice Board are held in the Caucus Room of Staunton City Hall at 4:00 p.m. on the third Thursday of February, May, August and November. Learn more.

BRITE Transit Advisory Committee

BRITE Bus offers fixed-route and on-demand transportation in the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro area. Services are administered by the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC) with operational recommendations by the BRITE Transit Authority Committee (BTAC).

The BRITE committee holds its regular meeting on the second Wednesday of every other month at 2:30 p.m. Learn more at britebus.org.

Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC)
The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission is a regional planning body made up of five cities and five counties in the Valley. Its membership includes the Counties of Augusta, Bath, Highland, Rockbridge, and Rockingham and the Cities of Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton and Waynesboro. Its purpose is to promote the orderly and efficient development of the physical, social, and economic elements of the Planning District by planning, encouraging and assisting governmental subdivisions to plan for the future.

The Commission meets on the third Monday night of each month. Membership in the Commission is based on the jurisdictions' population. Currently, there are 20 members of the Commission, Augusta County has four representatives - two elected officials and two citizen representatives. Learn more at cspdc.org.

Community Action Partnership of Staunton, Augusta, and Waynesboro (CAPSAW)

Community Action Partnership of Staunton, Augusta, and Waynesboro (CAPSAW) is the community action agency designated in July 2009 by Virginia’s governor to serve the citizens of Augusta County, the City of Staunton, and the City of Waynesboro. CAPSAW administers funds made available annually to designated community action agencies through the Federal Community Services Block Grant, the State Community Services Block Grant, and Federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds, along with required match funds provided by each of three localities. The federal and state funds made available to CAPSAW are administered through the Virginia Department of Social Services.

CAPSAW is a public community action agency and must be governed by a board of directors that is comprised of one-third local elected officials or their representatives, one-third democratically elected representatives of the poor, and one-third being representatives of businesses, religious, social service, education, or other major community groups. Learn more at the CAPSAW site.

Community Policy Management Team - Children's Services Act for At-Risk Youth

All members must be appointed by the Augusta County Board of Supervisors.

The membership of the organization in accordance with the Code of Virginia 2.1-751 shall consist of local agency heads or their designees of the following community agencies, (1) community services board, (2) juvenile court services unit, (3) department of health, (4) local school division, (5) department of social services. The membership shall also include a representative of a private organization or association of providers for children's or family services located within the locality, and a parent representative who is not an employee of any public or private program which serves children and families.

The purpose of this act is to restructure a fragmented service delivery system, reduce services costs, and to reduce the number of costly out-of-home residential care placements of at-risk youth. The youth population targeted by the Children's Services Act are those youth who are in, or at imminent risk of going into, residential care.

Local Emergency Planning Committee

This planning committee was established as a direct result of Superfund Amendments and Re-authorization Act of 1986 (SARA, Title III, Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986). The LEPC is composed of individuals appointed by the Virginia Emergency Response Council (VERC) from nominations by the City Managers of Staunton and Waynesboro and the Augusta County Administrator. There shall be no less than two (2) representatives from each of the following categories:

a) Elected state and local officials.
b) Law enforcement, civil defense, firefighting, and environmental groups.
c) Broadcast and print media.
d) Community groups.
e) Facilities subject to the emergency planning requirements of SARA.

There are no term limits for the appointees. The committee is responsible for:

Preparation and update of emergency plan in response to hazardous materials incidents under Section 303 of SARA.
Require facilities to report hazardous chemical inventories and supply Material Safety Date Sheets to the committee.
Establish procedures for receiving and processing requests from the public for Material Safety Data Sheets.

The committee is required to meet quarterly, but generally meets bi-monthly on the first Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m., at the Augusta County Government Center.

Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport Commission
The Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport Commission is a regional agency charged with maintaining, developing, and operating the airport. The representatives from the five member jurisdictions are selected by their respective governing body. Augusta County is allowed one member. Members are appointed for three-year terms.

The Commission meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month.

Shenandoah Valley Workforce Investment Board
The Shenandoah Valley Workforce Investment Board is a private, non-profit organization providing funds for employment-training and placement services under the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The Board plans and oversees a network of WIA programs serving the residents of the central Shenandoah Valley (Augusta, Bath, Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Highland, Lexington, Page, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Staunton, and Waynesboro) to equip job seekers with the necessary skills and education to successfully compete in the job market. Services are provided through a unique partnership involving business, labor, education, government and the community.

There are twenty-nine members on the Shenandoah Valley Workforce Investment Board, including two business representatives from Augusta County. The Board officially replaced the Shenandoah Valley Private Industry Council on July 1, 2000. Learn more at vcwvalley.com.

Social Services Advisory Board
Augusta County and the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro share the responsibilities to provide social services to their residents. Powers and responsibilities of the board include the following:

Know the programs, goals and objectives of the local department of social services.
Take an active interest in state and local social services issues.
Avoid any hint of conflict of interest.
Enhance the public image of the LDSS.
Educate the public about the local social services programs and activities.
Serve as a liaison for the local department of social services.
Faithfully attend board and committee meetings.

Appointments to the local board are made by the respective governing body. Augusta County has three (3) members on the Board, and they serve four-year terms.

The Advisory Board meets jointly with the Staunton Board of Social Services, the Augusta County Board of Social Services, and the Waynesboro Board of Social Services four times a year. The quarterly meetings are usually scheduled on the last Tuesday of the month. Advisory Board members are notified of the date, time, and location of the meeting.

Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (SAWMPO)

SAWMPO was established as a result of the designation of the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Urbanized Area (UZA) by the U.S. Census on March 26, 2012. Federal regulations require an urbanized area to create and maintain an ongoing transportation planning process that is overseen by representatives of the local jurisdictions as well as state and federal transportation officials.

The SAWMPO is the regional transportation planning organization that provides support for multimodal transportation projects in our area. Special emphasis is placed on providing equal access to a variety of transportation choices, and effective public involvement in the transportation planning process. Learn more at sawmpo.org.

Valley Community Services Board
The Valley Community Services Board is responsible for planning and implementing programs for mental health, intellectual disability, and substance abuse (drug and alcohol). The Valley Community Services Board serves Staunton, Waynesboro, Augusta County, and Highland County. The Board consists of five (5) members from Waynesboro, five (5) from Staunton, five (5) from Augusta County, and one (1) from Highland County. Each member is appointed by his or her respective governing body to serve a three- (3) year term, and may be re-appointed to a second three (3) year term.

The Board meets on the last Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m., at the Valley Community Services Board Office. Learn more at myvalleycsb.org

Valley Program for Aging Services
Valley Program for Aging Services is a regional agency charged with promoting and assuring the highest level of service attainable for every elderly person within Planning District Six, in an environment which contributes positively to healthful individual and family living. A Board of Directors has created advisory councils, which includes appointments from member jurisdictions. Augusta County is allowed one member. Members are appointed for two-year terms.

The role of the Advisory Council is to:

Advise the Board of Directors in planning activities and services which benefit elderly,
Advocate for the elderly,
Be a forum for discussion of issues that affect the elderly,
Be a channel for suggestions and advice to the Executive Director in administering the programs of the Area Agency on Aging.

The Advisory Council meets the second Tuesday at 9:45 a.m. at the Waynesboro Senior Center and the third Thursday at 4:00 p.m. at the Staunton Senior Center. Learn more at vpas.info.

Youth Commission
The Youth Commission is a 15-member Board, made up of equal representation from the County of Augusta and the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro. One member from each locality shall be a youth member (those who have not reached their eighteenth birthday at time of appointment). The purpose of the Youth Commission is to provide positive youth development of the youth of the region and to insure the provision of comprehensive delinquency prevention through interaction, active involvement, and cooperation with the community, agency representatives, the public and local youth.

The Board meets on the second Wednesday every other month (January, March, May, July, September, November) at 5:30 p.m., at The United Way of Greater Augusta community room. Learn more at officeonyouth.com.

Augusta County, VA

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Regional Boards and Commissions

Regional Boards and Commissions