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UM, WHEN YOU CALL THE ORDER WITH A ROLL
[Economic Development Authority on June 16, 2022.]
CALL, CHAIRMAN NOVAK, VICE CHAIRMAN, TOPSIDE DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR, CROWELL, DIRECTOR, GIDNEY DIRECTOR, RUSHING THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.HOW ABOUT WE'LL WAIT TILL THE NEXT MEETING.
SO, UH, I, I, IN THREE COUNCIL WORK SESSION, UH, BYLAWS, THE FAC, UH, WAS THERE, MARK WAS THERE.
AND THEN I THINK COUNCIL IS ON BOARD.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, UH, HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND, AND SO, UH, UM, I DON'T KNOW, MARK, DO YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN ABOUT SURE.
I MEAN, I THINK WHAT IT'S STARTING TO COME DOWN TO, AND YOU, YOU'RE SEEING IT NOW IN SOME OF THE NEW LANGUAGE HERE AS THE COUPLE OF POINTS ABOUT IT, RIGHT.
UH, LEGIT, SOME OF THESE THINGS WEREN'T NECESSARILY THE DETAILS HASHED OUT, RIGHT.
SO THE IDEA WAS IT'S MORE, I'M AFRAID OF WORK SOME OF THESE THINGS OUT.
UM, BUT NOW THEY'RE KIND OF COMING TO THE REALIZATION.
I MEAN, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO KIND OF RESOLVE SOME OF THAT AND IT'S GOING TO BE WITHIN THESE BYLAWS THAT BOTH PARTIES ARE KIND OF AGREEING TO IT.
HOW DO WE EXECUTE? I, AS I WROTE ABOUT YOU, WHAT WAS YOUR TAKE ALL VALID POINTS? UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE LAST PAIR OF COTTON BROKE, BROUGHT UP THAT WERE VERY VALID POINTS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE JUST KIND OF GLANCED OVER.
EVERYBODY SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE ON THE SAME PAGE ANYWAYS, WANTING TO MOVE FORWARD, JUST FIGURING IT OUT.
SO YOU WANT ME TO, SO, SO IN ESSENCE, THE CONVERSATION WAS THAT THE TOWN ORDINANCE HAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT LANGUAGE THAN SOME OF THE BYLAWS WE ESTABLISHED BECAUSE THE BYLAWS WAS FOR US TO COMB THROUGH IT, FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANT AND IF NEED BE AMEND THE TOWN OF ORDERS TO COMPLIMENT.
UM, THE DISCUSSION STARTED WITH THE AUTONOMY OF THE GROUP AND SHOULD THE GROUP ITSELF HAVE ITS OWN EDA, AS WELL AS RE-ESTABLISHING THE SECRETARY AND TREASURER, UH, ROLE IN THE BYLAWS VERSUS IT BEING STABBED, SUPPORTING.
AND SO THE GROUP, UH, PROBABLY NEEDS TO HAVE A DIALOGUE OF HOW YOU ALL SEE FREE TO, UH, PHASING IN DIFFERENT WAYS TO, TO ULTIMATELY BE IN SELF-SUFFICIENT AND HOW YOU ALL FEEL WHEN WE MEET WITH COUNSEL AS A RESULT, UH, TINA, FOR MYSELF, WE'RE ABLE TO GET A DATE AND WE'RE GOING TO SHARE IT CAUSE IT'S HARD TO, TO, TO PULL EVERYONE TOGETHER.
THE JUNE 22ND, WHICH IS A, UM, IS A TUESDAY, RIGHT? TUESDAY AT SIX.
UH, NO, IT'S A WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY AT SIX SEEMS TO BE THE FAVORABLE DAY WITH COUNSEL AND FREEDOM TO GET TOGETHER, TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE ISSUES AND THERE'S PROS AND CONS THE BYLAWS, THE WAY WE ESTABLISH THE BYLAWS AS A GROUP, I MEAN, Y'ALL WERE INVOLVED IN IT, UH, IS A MODEL THAT OTHER LOCALITIES HAVE.
THE WAY THE ORIGINAL WARDENS WAS ESTABLISHED WAS IT WAS TO BE REALLY A ENTITY SELF-SUFFICIENT ENTITY FROM THE GET-GO TO DO THAT, THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE TOWN TO HIRE AN EDA PERSON, UH, HIRE POTENTIALLY AN ADMIN SUPPORT PERSON.
AND THEN THE EDA PERSON WOULD BE THE ONE WHO WOULD WORK DIRECTLY WITH STAFF AS NEEDED.
OBVIOUSLY STILL THE TOWN MANAGER AND, AND, AND BJ WOULD BE INVOLVED.
THE OTHER THOUGHT WAS THAT YOU WOULD ALSO HIRE YOUR OWN ATTORNEY AND THE, THE REASON WHICH ARE SOME PALLET WAS, UH, IS THAT IT REMOVES THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST THEY FEEL, UH, WITH, WITH THE TOWN MANAGER AND THE ATTORNEY BEING INVOLVED UNDER THE ORIGINAL MODEL.
UH, AND I'M GOING TO NOW LET JUNE SHARE THAT THERE'S, WE CAN GO EITHER WAY, BUT BEFORE WE STARTED, DID I KINDA COVER WHAT THE, WHAT AN ESSENCE THIS DISCUSSION'S GOING TO BE ABOUT? I GUESS, I GUESS MY UNDERSTANDING OF IT IS, IS THAT, UH, EITHER WE'RE ESTABLISHING OURSELVES AS OUR OWN SEPARATE ENTITY
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WITH OUR OWN DIRECTOR AND ATTORNEY, OR WE'RE WORKING AS SORT OF A SUPPLEMENT TO TOWN COUNCIL FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT USING TOWN STAFF.IS THAT A CORRECT ASSUMPTION? YEAH, SO I MEAN, I, I, I THINK THAT, UH, THE FULL FUNCTIONING, SEPARATE ENTITY IS SOMETHING WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS BOTH WE'RE A STARTUP BUSINESS.
AND SO I, I MEAN, IT'S LIKE, I NEVER REALLY GIVE IT ANY THOUGHT, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT EVENTUALLY US HIRING AN EXECUTIVE AND OTHER PERSONNEL, BUT, UM, AND I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH POTENTIAL HEARTBURN SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL HAD ABOUT SHARING, UH, STUFF.
BUT I STILL THINK THAT IS IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO WALK BEFORE WE TRAFFIC AND THEN TROT BEFORE WE RUN, UH, AND SAY THE TAXPAYERS SOME MONEY.
AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF VALUE IN HAVING, UM, THE TOWN MANAGER DIRECTLY INVOLVED, 3G.
I MEAN, THE FARTHER WE GET AWAY FROM THE TOWN LEADERSHIP, THE SLOWER WE'RE GONNA MOVE LIKELY, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE A BUREAUCRACY HACKING, WHATEVER.
ANYWAY, I STILL THINK THAT MARK, YOU KNOW, YOU CHIME IN, BUT, UM, I STILL THINK THAT THAT IS THE DIRECTION WE SHOULD GO FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR, OR, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHEN WE WERE GOING TO GET RID OF STEVEN AND WAIT, YOU KNOW, AND HIRE AN EXECUTIVE, THEN YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE THEN WE'LL BE READY TO HAVE ALL THOSE THINGS.
BUT I MEAN, ANYWAY, I THINK THAT'S HOW WE SHOULD PROPOSE IT TO THE TOWN.
I DON'T WANT YOUR ATTORNEY TO YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
SO, JIM, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? I'VE NOT MET YOU? MY NAME IS JIM COHEN.
WELL, I AM INTERIM TOWN ATTORNEY AND THE REASON I'M INTERIM POWER OF ATTORNEY, BUT I WAS ASKED TO STEP IN TO THE LOT OF SYSTEMS DURING THE PERIOD OF TIME IN WHICH THE TOWN WAS LOOKING FOR TO REEMPLOY A FULL-TIME TIME ATTORNEY.
UH, I'VE BEEN A LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAWYER SINCE 1974, UM, REPRESENTING PRIMARILY SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA LOCALITIES SERVED AT PETERBOROUGH'S, UH, BEEN COUNTY ATTORNEY IN LANCASTER FOR 20 YEARS.
SO, UH, ANYWAY, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND, MY SPIRITS, UM, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING AN ID UP AND RUNNING AND IT, IT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT TAKES TIME AND THE WAY IT IS, UH, AND, AND GETTING, GETTING IT STARTED IS SOMETIMES THE MOST DIFFICULT MOST, WELL, ALL JURISDICTIONS THAT I EVER REPRESENTED AT WORK THROUGH THE OFFICES OF THE LOCALITY.
SOMETIMES THE LOCALITY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, WHO ALSO SERVES AS THE DIRECTOR.
SOMETIMES THEY USE THE JOHNNY ADMIN AUSTRALIA OR THE, UM, TITLE CITY MANAGER, UH, TO THE, THE, UM, AT THOUGHT COUNCIL OUT OF THE 14 DRUG PICTURES THAT I WAS INVOLVED IN, UH, WITH THE EDI IS ONLY ONE OF THEM HAD SEPARATE COUNSEL FOR THE FBI AND ALLOW THAT COMES DOWN TO THE, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE FINANCES AND THE FINANCES OF THE COUNTY OR THE TOWN THAT WERE WILLING TO FUND THE EDI AND FUND THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND THEIR ATTORNEY.
UH, I THINK YOU DO NEED TO CONSIDER HOWEVER TO OFFICES OR TO REPORT TO YOU.
I THINK YOU NEEDED TO PERHAPS ISSUE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR BOND COUNSEL.
UM, THAT WOULD BE A, UH, UH, ATTORNEY WHO'S RECOGNIZED AS A BOND COUNSEL BY THE APPROPRIATE, UH, UH, STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS WHO CAN GIVE ADVICE OF THE FINANCING.
MOST OF THE TIME THE BOND COUNSEL IS PAID FOR BY THE APPLICANTS DOCUMENTS, JUST LIKE YOU PAY WHEN YOU GO BORROW MONEY TO BUY YOUR REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION AND THE PAYLOAD PROBING.
UM, SO THE BOND COUNSEL WOULD BE SOMEONE YOU CAN RELY UPON TO LOOK AT APPLICATIONS FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW AND MAKE SURE THAT LEGALLY THEY'LL BE LEGALLY BINDING ON BEING AFRICAN IN SECOND POSITION.
I THINK YOU OUGHT TO CONSIDER THIS POSITION.
SECOND POSITION WOULD REQUIRE TOWN FUNDING WOULD BE A FINANCIAL ADVISOR.
NOW THE TOWN HAS A REALLY GREAT FINANCIAL ADVISOR, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO EDA, IDA TYPE, UM, APPLICATIONS
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FOR LOANS AND SO FORTH, I THINK THAT THERE IS A SET OUT THERE WHO CAN ADVISE ON THE PROPRIETOR AND THE ABILITY OF THE APPLICANT TO COMPLY WITH THE TERM OF THE LOAN THAT HE'S ABOUT TO, IN WHICH YOU'RE ABOUT TO LOAD THE MONEY FOR.AND I WOULD SUGGEST AN RFP BID ISSUES SUBJECT TO FUNDING FOR BOTH OF THOSE POSITIONS THAT WOULD KIND OF TOUCH A BALL ROLLING.
PARTICULARLY IF YOU INTERVIEW THOSE PEOPLE, YOU CAN GET IDEAS FROM THEM AS FAR AS THE INTERVIEW PROCESS THAT WOULD HELP YOU IN, IN GOING FORWARD.
SO IN THE MEANTIME, THAT TRANSITION PERIOD, THE MODEL THAT WE HAVE NOW, JIM, WOULD THAT SUFFICE OTHER THAN WHEN WE DO HAVE TO REACH OUT TO A BOND COUNSEL OR, OR, UH, ANOTHER FINANCIAL ADVISOR TO REVIEW PROPOSAL, IN ADDITION TO BJ AND, AND MYSELF, THE BYLAWS WE HAVE IN PLACE, COULD IT, COULD IT STILL WORK FOR NOW OR, UM, I GUESS THAT'S THE QUESTION FOR THE GROUP ON WHAT THEY FEEL RIGHT NOW IS THE MOST BENEFICIAL TO, TO THE GROUP? I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET THE EPA UP AND RUNNING ON WHATEVER BYLAWS ARE IN EXISTENCE, AND THEN WE CAN SPLIT IT OUT.
THE BYLAWS, OF COURSE, AS YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE BYLAWS WERE WRITTEN, SOME PROVISIONS FOR BYLAWS WERE WRITTEN BECAUSE OF THE TOWN TROUBLED.
SO WE WOULD HAVE GET THE TOWN TO CHANGE HIS CODE.
SO WE HAD TO CHANGE THOSE PORTIONS OF THE BYLAWS.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S TO GET THESE UP AND RUNNING, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU ONLY FORCE TO NOT SIMPLY TO, TO WAIT ON SOME CHANGE TO THE BYLAWS.
UM, YOU HAVE A FUNCTIONING ENTITY BYLAWS, AND I THINK IF YOU, IF YOU WENT FORWARD WITH BOND COUNSEL AND THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD STEP ON THAT, THEN YOU OFF, AND YOU HAVE PEOPLE GETTING IN LINE TO SEEK FUNDING, UH, OR TO SEEK, UM, LIKE LOAN APPLICATIONS.
AS YOU KNOW, UH, I LEFT FOR UGA AS A POT OF MONEY, WIDGET LOANS OUT.
MOST OF THE VA DOES UNDERWRITING LOANS FOR, UM, BETA APPLICATIONS, UH, FOR THOSE WELLS.
AND THE REASON FOR DOING THAT IS THE JOBS AS INTEREST RATES.
IF A LENDER USES A FULL FORMAT TO GO THROUGH A LENDER TO GET A LOAN, ARE YOU AVAILABLE FOR THE JUNE 22ND EVENING MEETING JUST BY PHONE CALL? OKAY.
I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
I THINK YOU CAN ARTICULATE AND ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MAY HAVE A LOT BETTER THAN WE COULD RATHER THAN HEAR IT FROM, FROM YOU AND US.
I MEAN, IN A, IN A WAY, IF I CAN JUST REPHRASE IT AND JIM, PLEASE, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'VE GOT THIS WRONG, BUT THE DISCUSSION WITH COUNSEL, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T DELINEATE ANY OF THE ACTIVITY IS OF ATTORNEY, RIGHT? WE WERE AT THAT POINT WHERE THEY WERE RAISING, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TOWN ATTORNEY SERVING BOTH PURPOSES UNDER POTENTIALLY BEING COMPROMISED.
NOW, JIM, YOU'RE SAYING WELL, BUT IN THAT CAN CERTAINLY BE OKAY.
HOWEVER, IN THESE PARTICULAR INSTANCES OF ISSUING A BOND, UM, VETTING FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS, AND THEN POTENTIALLY HAVING A FINANCIAL ADVISOR, THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET A, UM, A COUNSEL OR AN ADVISOR SPECIFICALLY HAVING EXPERTISE IN THAT, RIGHT? THE TOWN CODE DOES NOT SEPARATE ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY, JIM, UH, I'M SURE STEVEN DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN THE COMMUNITY GOT BURNED AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS ATTITUDE ON EVERYBODY'S PART TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS.
AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, ALL COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS.
UM, AND I HAD NO BACKGROUND BECAUSE I REPRESENTED THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEMBERS WHO BEING EXPOSED TO ME WITH HALF THE COURT, GET THEM OUT OF OFFICE.
BUT IF YOU GENERAL COUNSEL POWER OF ATTORNEY WOULD HELP YOU IN, UM,
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CONFLICT IT'S THE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE ON COUNCIL TO GO, GOING TO DO ANY UNDERWRITING OF BONDS, THE LEVEL OF THE BANK FULL THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION, WHERE WE, YOU TO HAVE THAT.IF IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF ACCOUNT ATTORNEY BEING ABLE TO DO PARTICIPATE, PARTICIPATE IN THAT, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ADOPT THE APPROPRIATE RESOLUTIONS SO FORTH, WHICH YOU HAVE TO HAVE BOND COUNSEL.
AND I THINK IT'S BETTER THE ONE IN BOND COUNSEL OF NOW THAN IT IS TO WAIT UNTIL YOU GET A TRANSACTION AND THEN YOU'D HAVE TO GO, HONEY, WE'LL TALK.
SO I WOULD LIKE SHOULD HAVE THAT FINANCIAL ADVISORS, MORE OF AN OPTION, UH, FINANCIAL ADVISORS WILL COST YOU MONEY AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE TOWN COUNCIL TO APPROPRIATE HAD MONEY.
BUT I THINK GIVEN THE HISTORY, HAVING A GOOD FINANCIAL ADVISOR WILL BE TO EVERYONE'S INTERESTS.
YOU ALSO NEED TO HELP YOU COME UP WITH APPLICATIONS FOR LOANS AND THEY HELP HELP YOU TAKE YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HOW YOU CONSIDER SOMEBODY SEEKING TO FINANCE A PROJECT.
HE WILL ALSO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, STUDY THOSE APPLICATIONS AND DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE GOOD, UH, AFRICANS AND WHETHER THE MEDIA SHOULD GIVE THEM CONSIDERATION, BUT THAT WILL COST MONEY.
BOND COUNSEL USUALLY GETS PAID FROM THE LONG-TERM THE GYM.
I CAN JUST GOT TWO COMMENTS, ONE, THE TOWN, WE DO HAVE A BOND COUNSELOR, RIGHT? WE HAVE ONE, WE HAVE ONE THAT WE USE, WE USE, I DON'T KNOW IF THE EDA COULD USE THE SAME ONE AND TWO.
UM, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET A ADVISOR IF NEED BE, UH, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON THE SCALE, THE COMPLEXITY, UH, TO SOME EXTENT RIGHT NOW.
SO, AND I HAD, THAT'S A QUESTION OF
THE, YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR JIM? YEAH.
AND CAN WE, OUR AUDITOR, CAN WE USE OUR AUDITOR OR OUR RFP ONE OUT IN FRONT OF OUR AUDITOR TO AUDIT AT THE TOWN IN THE ED? HE WHAT'D YOU SAY HE MAY BE SAYING IT NEEDS TO BE DIFFERENT.
I DON'T SEE IT BEING A CONFLICT BECAUSE THEY HAVE DIFFERENT ETHICS AND DIFFERENT ARE PART OF THEIR INSURED.
SO I THINK BE YO GENTLEMEN, ANYBODY ELSE? NO.
WELL, UM, SO I MEAN, BASED ON WHAT WE'VE JUST TALKED ABOUT, DOES ANYBODY HAVE AN ISSUE MOVING FORWARD? THE WAY WE KIND OF HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, UH, CAN I GET A CONSENSUS THAT YOU THINK IT'S, WE'RE STARTING OUR BUSINESS AND, AND BEACH SHOULD HESITATE TO SPEND THIS EXTRA MONEY FOR BOTH TIME ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW, UM, AND ALL THESE OTHER AND POSSIBLY AN EXECUTIVE.
AND WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF THAT? WE KEEP OPERATING AS WE HAVE BEEN UNTIL THERE'S A NEED, IT'S GOING TO NEED TO SPEND THE MONEY AT THE TIME, ESPECIALLY WHILE WE'RE STILL GETTING OUR FEET UNDERNEATH, I'M STILL WAITING TO GET A BUDGET.
WE DON'T HAVE, UM, BUT THAT WAS ONE OF THE, I DON'T THINK YOU GETTING YOUR BUDGET ONCE WE ESTABLISH A FEDERAL ID, THE BANK ACCOUNT AND COUNCIL DECIDES TO GO AHEAD AND I, RIGHT NOW THERE'S A DEPARTMENT BUDGET.
IT WOULD BE THE COUNCIL'S DECISION TO GO AHEAD AND SOLIDIFY THAT AS THEN, THAT WAY YOU ALL WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE DOLLARS, UM, ON HOW, BUT, I MEAN, AT SOME POINT WE NEED TO LOOK AT OUR FINANCIALS, WHICH WE ASK THEM, WHICH WE HAVE NONE, BUT ON A MONTHLY MEETING, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AND GO, OH, THIS IS THERE AND WE'RE HEAD AND WE'RE BEHIND.
BUT I MEAN, IT'S REALLY SIMPLE RIGHT NOW.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO THE GOOD THAT WE GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE CHANGES BECAUSE THE TREASURER SECRETARY, WE GOTTA
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ADDRESS THAT, THAT HAD THAT, THAT, THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE, UM, THE AUTONOMY.IT'S MORE THAN YOU ALL PICK IT OFF THOSE, THOSE ROLES AND YOU ALL HAVE TO CONTINUE BLACK OFF THE QUESTION.
SO, I MEAN, IN ESSENCE, THE TOWN CODE DOESN'T SUPPORT NECESSARILY WHAT WE'RE DOING THUS FAR, IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY.
SO THAT WOULD NEED TO BE ADDRESSED OR NEED TO BE CORRECTED.
NOW DOES, IS COUNCIL OKAY WITH US PROCEEDING THE WAY WE ARE OR WOULD THEY RATHER US CONFORM TO MORE, I GUESS WE GOT YOU TO SOME TERMS. SO I DON'T THINK THE ENTIRE COUNCIL WASN'T THERE AND AT LEAST I DON'T THINK THEY WORK.
UM, AND THE MESSAGE WAS A LITTLE BIT MIXED.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND SO I, I THINK WE NEED TO, I THINK WE NEED TO END THIS MEETING ON THE 22ND, BE PREPARED TO JUSTIFY, UH, HOW WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD AND, AND DEFEND IT.
AND WITH JIM'S ASSISTANCE, I THINK WE CAN DO IT A LITTLE MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN WE DID, UM, ON MONDAY, IF YOU, IF YOU GUYS THINK THAT THAT'S HOW YOU WANT TO DO IT, I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL, DAVID, JUST TO EXPAND ON THAT, IT'D BE HELPFUL TO GO INTO THIS NEXT MEETING WITH COUNCIL WITH AT LEAST A RECOMMENDATION.
WHAT WAS, WHAT WOULD WE LIKE TO DO, RIGHT.
I MEAN, WE COULD JUST SIMPLY LEAVE IT UP TO THEM AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? BUT WE ARE DIRECTORS RIGHT NOW, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T HAVE ANY NUMBERS IN THE BANK ACCOUNT.
I THINK TO ME, IT JUST SEEMS AS THOUGH IT'S A LITTLE PREMATURE TO BE OFF ON OUR OWN, UH, GIVEN NO RESOURCE, NO PROPERTY, NO ANYTHING REALLY OTHER THAN IDEAS.
UM, I GUESS IT'S HARD TO, YEAH.
I MEAN, THERE WAS SOME CONCERN IN THE ROOM ABOUT, WELL, YOU KNOW, HOW COME YOU HAVEN'T HAD SOMEBODY SINCE DAY ONE? AND I WAS LIKE, CAUSE WE'RE ATTENDING ZUMA MEETINGS AND WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR PLACE IN THE WORLD AND HOW WE ARE FUNCTIONING AND PROBABLY DON'T NEED IT UNTIL YEAH.
I MEAN, THAT'S SORT OF WHAT I BROUGHT UP EARLY ON TOO, IS THAT IT'S HARD, YOU KNOW, THIS GROUP IS TOO, WOULD PRESUMABLY, YOU KNOW, IN A FEW MONTHS BE MOVING ON, YOU KNOW? AND SO IT'S, THERE'S BEEN AN INVESTMENT BY THE TOWN IN TERMS OF THIS EDUCATION AND ALL OF THAT.
AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS GROUP IS POOR, HAS TO KIND OF FORWARD TOGETHER FOR, UM, PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, UH, AGAIN, IT'S JUST SORT OF LIKE THE TOWNS SORT OF ON WE'RE ON THEIR DIME IN TERMS OF LEARNING AND TRYING TO GET UP TO SPEED.
AND YEAH, I DON'T KNOW A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING WHY THEY WOULD THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WALK RIGHT IN AND START DOING THINGS.
YOU'RE JUST GUN SHY BECAUSE OF WHAT I UNDERSTAND AND THEY SHOULD BE, AND WE SHOULDN'T BE ABSOLUTELY.
I'M JUST SAYING, BUT YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT LEVEL OF EXPECTATION CAN'T BE THERE EITHER BECAUSE NONE OF US ARE, YOU KNOW, I, I MEAN, I HOPE WE GET THERE.
AND THEN LATER, YEAH, YEAH, NO, I JUST, THAT'S THE ONE, I JUST WANT TO KIND OF
I MEAN, I, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO PROCEED THE WAY WE'RE, WE'RE WE'RE GOING THUS FAR, UM, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, KEEPING EXPENSES, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, DOWN AS WE CAN, WHILE WE FORMULATE THESE THINGS AND, AND GET A FIRMER FOOTING BEFORE WE TRY TO, UM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE PERSONAL ISAAC? UH, I MEAN, I SEE BOTH SIDES.
I SEE A, I SEE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING OUR OWN, UH, JOURNEY, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK A LOT OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC WOULD PREFER WE DID AND WOULD ACCEPT THAT COST AS A, YOU KNOW, A PRECAUTION.
AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I SEE BOTH SIDES, BUT I WOULD LEAN MORE TOWARDS THAT DIRECTION OF THAT SPECIFIC ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, UH, NICK MADE THE COMMENT, YOU KNOW, UNTIL WE NEED ONE, WELL, YOU SHOULD HAVE ONE 40 INPUT HERE.
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UH, I SAY WE KEEP EXPENSES AS LOW AS WE CAN FOR THE TIME BEING, WHILE WE'RE ALL LEARNING.AND WE'RE JUST IDEAS AT THIS POINT FORMULA AND WHAT WE CAN DO, UM, WHEN THE TIME COMES RIGHT NOW, WE'RE WALKING WHEN THE TIME IS THERE FOR US TO START REALLY MOVING ON PROJECTS AND MAKING MEALS, THEN I THINK IT'D BE GOOD TO HAVE A DIRECTOR AND POSSIBLY AN ATTORNEY.
UM, I'M ON THE FENCE ABOUT THE ATTORNEY THING.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE WHY WE COULDN'T USE THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT IT WOULD BE A CONFLICT OF HYMNS OR SAYING, I SAID, WE'RE ALL WORKING FOR THE TOWN FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE TOWN, SO THAT I'M STILL A LITTLE BIT ON THE FENCE, BUT FOR NOW I SAY WE OPERATE AS WE ARE, ESPECIALLY WHILE WE GET OUR FEET UNDERNEATH US.
I MEAN, I KIND OF SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING A LITTLE BIT.
I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE IF WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE GUIDANCE OF THE TOWN ATTORNEY, WE HAVE AN ATTORNEY AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, UM, IF WE START TO GET TO A POINT WHERE, OKAY, NOW WE'VE GOT ALL THESE THINGS IN PLACE, WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING TOWARDS SOMETHING.
UM, I GET YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO HAVE IT BEFORE YOU NEED IT.
UM, BUT WE KIND OF HAVE IT BEFORE WE NEED IT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF TOWN ATTORNEY.
I THINK, UM, I LOVE THE EXPENSE LOAD BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO SPEND.
I MEAN, WE GET A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOKING FOR MONEY FROM US, A LOT OF IDEAS, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE YET TO SEE WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO.
WE WENT FROM BIG BALL, SWINGING THE BAT TO NOW, LIKE, WHAT DO WE DO TO MAKE THE NEXT STEP? YOU KNOW? UM, YOU KNOW, IF THE TOWN ATTORNEY IS WILLING TO HELP US THROUGH THIS, I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WORKING AS AN ENTITY.
THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO PREFACE WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, UM, TO GET ANOTHER ATTORNEY AND NOT EVEN KNOW WHERE WE'RE HEADED, KIND OF SEEMS LIKE WE'RE JUMPING THE GUN.
UM, BUT I THINK THE ATTORNEY IS THE ONE THAT I WOULD GO FOR FIRST, IF I WAS TO STEP UP TO THAT PLATE, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE GALLEY IS A BIG DEAL.
I MEAN, THE TIME IS BILLABLE, RIGHT? I MEAN, WHETHER IT'S AN ATTORNEY OR ATTORNEY B, YOU'RE STILL, SOMEBODY IS PAYING FOR IT, IF THAT'S NOT CORRECT.
I MEAN, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, COUNTY ATTORNEY OR SOMEONE THAT WAS BROUGHT IN, DID ATTORNEYS A SALARY POSITION? I BELIEVE IT'S, I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T THINK RIGHT NOW, JIM SERVING AS THE INTERIM TOWN ATTORNEY UNTIL COUNCIL, UH, GOES TO THE NEXT STEP OF HIRING A TOWN ATTORNEY, ATTORNEY, OR CONTINUING TO USE OUTSIDE LEGAL SERVICE AND STUFF.
BUT I THINK WHAT JIM EARLIER SAID WAS IT'S MORE LIKE A PHYSICIAN AND THEN SHOULD YOU NEED SOMEONE WHO'S SPECIALIZED IN THE FIELD THEN THAT'S WHERE HE SAID, WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND GET SOMEONE AS A RETAINER.
AND WE REACH OUT SPECIFICALLY FOR THEM TO FOCUS ON X, Y, Z, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE IT.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I RELY ON JIM AND GEORGE AND YOU ALL, UH, AGAIN, I'M IN DIFFERENCE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL FEEL YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES, BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES.
IF WE WERE TO GET AN ATTORNEY, IT WOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE WHAT JILL DOES HOURLY RATE, ALTHOUGH GEORGE, YOU KNOW, HE ONLY WORKS 90 HOURS A WEEK.
SO, YOU KNOW, HE GETS PAID AT 40.
SO YEAH, I GUESS I CAN SPEAK TO THAT TABLE.
UM, SO, SO, UM, ONE POSSIBLE ARRANGEMENT AND I THINK OF WARREN COUNTY EDA WHERE BLAIR MITCHELL WAS COUNTY ATTORNEY, BUT HE WAS ALSO AN ATTORNEY FOR THE WAR IN EDA.
AND, UH, AND I BELIEVE HE WAS COMPENSATED, UH, JUST BY THE COUNTY.
UH, BUT HE TOOK ON THOSE ADDITIONAL DUTIES.
THE THING I DO WANT TO POINT OUT IS THE ATTORNEY CLIENT RELATIONSHIP IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN JUST EMPLOYER, EMPLOYEE.
UM, UH, UH, THIS, THIS BEING A SEPARATE LEGAL ENTITY FROM THE TOWN WOULD HAVE TO, UM, VOTE TO, TO ENGAGE THE ATTORNEY, WHETHER IT'S OUTSIDE OR IT'S, IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT INSIDE, MEANING ATTORNEY THAT WORKS FOR THE TOWN.
AND THEN, AND THEN, UH, CONFLICTS WAS MENTIONED, UM, THERE'S CERTAINLY A POSSIBILITY OF CONFLICT.
UH, AND THEN THE COUNTY ATTORNEY IS ALSO EDA ATTORNEY FRIEDA'S ATTORNEY, UH, AND SHOULD A CONFLICT ARISE.
THE ATTORNEY THAT ATTORNEY WOULD HAVE TO DISQUALIFY HIM OR HERSELF, UH, FROM REPRESENTING FRIEDA, UH, AND WOULD REPRESENT JUST THE TOWN IN THOSE SITUATIONS.
AND THIS BODY WOULD HAVE TO GET SEPARATE
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COUNSEL, BUT IT'S JUST, I THINK THOSE ARE RARE.I THINK THAT'S A RARE, UH, SITUATION THAT WOULD COME UP AND WE'RE AT THE BEGINNING.
IF IT GOT MUDDY, HEY, IT'S DOWN THE ROAD.
I MEAN, WE'RE NOT MAKING DECISIONS RIGHT NOW, IN MY OPINION, WHILE I AGREE AGAIN, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT.
I MEAN, THIS RELATIONSHIP IS TO FIND THERE.
I MEAN, EVERYTHING GOES BACK TO THROUGH COUNCIL AND IT SAYS RIGHT THERE THAT WE CAN'T ACT ALONE ESSENTIALLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID BEFORE, WE'D BE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION, THEY'RE MAKING THE ACTUAL DECISION.
SO, BUT I DO THINK I UNDERSTAND THAT'S ON THE TABLE.
NOW THEY HAD THE PURSE STRINGS, BUT I, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE AUTONOMOUS IN MY OPINION.
AND SO WHEN WE HAD A DISCUSSION, EVEN NOW COUNCIL MEETINGS, GEORGE ATTENDS THEM ALL.
AND DEPENDING ON THE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES OR THE INVOLVEMENT THAT OUR TOWN ATTORNEY RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE HE IS, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, OUT, OUTSIDE LEGAL SERVICE, HE'LL CALL IN OCCASIONALLY ON AREAS, CANCELED NEEDS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A TOWN ATTORNEYS, THE DECISION THAT STUFF, BUT GEORGE WAS PLAYING THAT ROLE.
AND AGAIN, I KNOW HE'S WORKING EXTRA 50 HOURS A WEEK.
UM, IF, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT SOME OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING IS MORE JUST LEGAL GUIDANCE OR RECOMMENDATIONS, NOT DOCUMENTED ALSO JUST TO MAKE SURE THERE'S OTHER LOCALITIES.
JIM, IF I RECALL, THEY ALSO ARE THE MANAGER AND EDA THE DIRECTOR, RIGHT? YES.
MOST LOCALITIES I'LL DEALT WITH SMALL LOCALITIES OF THE SIZE OF WHAT ROYAL SMALLER.
AND ALTHOUGH THEY MAY HAVE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR COUNTY EMPLOYEE WHO ARE BREAKING UP GENDER, WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY ADVICE.
START BACK ABOUT THE, UH, SOME OF THE WHOLE COUNTIES HAVE A DEPARTMENT.
WE CAN'T HEAR YOU THAT WELL, IT'S GETTING NOT AS CLEAR AS IT WAS AT THE BEGINNING.
SO WHERE, WHERE, WHERE ARE WE? OH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, I CAN HEAR YOU.
I'VE SAID MOST OF THE LOCALITIES I'VE DEALT WITH ON A PLANE SIZE OR SMALLER THAN FRONT ROYAL AND THEY JUST DON'T PUT, UH, THEY, THEY USE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ALL, IF THEY HAVE A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, THEY USE THAT OFFICER AS A COUNTY EMPLOYEE TO HEAD UP THE EFFECT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER.
SO IT'S, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN REPRESENTING SOMEBODY'S BOOK OUT THERE FOR 20 YEARS AND WE'VE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUE, A CONFLICT OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE.
UM, I MEAN, THE COUNTY IS DOING THAT RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, THEY CAN AN EMPLOYEE AND MOVED HIM OVER THERE, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, THE WARREN COUNTY EDA.
LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION ABOUT THE AUTONOMY QUESTION, JIM.
UH, I MEAN, I THINK WHAT I TOOK AWAY FROM SOME OF THE STATE SEMINARS THAT WE ATTENDED WAS THAT,
[00:35:01]
I MEAN, ADA'S ARE DESIGNED TO BE AUTONOMOUS AREN'T THEY? YEAH.IS IT SEPARATE POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS? ALL THE CATALOG.
SO WE'RE ON PRETTY FIRM GROUND, YOU KNOW, SAYING, YEAH, WE WORK FOR YOU GUYS, BUT WE'RE NOT RUNNING ALL OUR DECISIONS BY YOU.
AND USUALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT UVA SETS UP AN APPLICATION PROCESS IS A PROCEDURE FOR CONSIDERATION OF APPLICANTS AND HOW NOT INTERVIEWED THAT.
I'M NOT USUALLY SOMEWHERE LATE IN THE PROCESS.
UM, THEY'D BRING YOU IN, THEY SIMPLY INFORM THE LOWCOUNTRY THAT, UH, THERE'S THIS COMPANY, YOU KNOW, TO COUNT ME INTO WHATEVER DEPENDS SOMEWHAT ON WHETHER IT'S A LOCALITY NEEDS TO REASONABLE PROPERTY FOR THAT BUSINESS, UM, OR WHETHER OR NOT THERE FOR THAT PROPERTY TO EXPAND THE WATER JULY.
SO THAT'S PAID FOR BY THE LOCALITY.
SO IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU ARE IN THE PROCESS OF WHAT YOU MIGHT NEED LOCALITIES AS TO, WHEN YOU GO INTO THE, YOU HAVE THE POSSIBILITY AND ALL THAT STUFF IN CLOSED SESSION, ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ON THE PROSPECT, NOT STUFF, NOT THE SCRUBS, RIGHT.
BUT IF WE HAD A, UH, SHOVEL-READY PROPERTY THAT WAS ZONED APPROPRIATELY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO TO THEM AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE CONSIDERING THIS BUSINESS.
IF THIS BOARD THINKS THAT THAT BUSINESS IS WHO WE WANT TO PUT ON THAT PROPERTY AND WE OWN THE PROPERTY AND YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS READY, WE'RE GOING TO INVITE THEM TO THE RIBBON CUTTING AND THE GROUNDBREAKING.
IT, YOU MOVED THE BREAKOUT, BUT AFTER THIS, WE BACK DOWN.
THAT'S WHAT'S THAT RIGHT? YEAH.
AND, AND THE COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL, I BELIEVE SAID MONDAY NIGHT THAT THEY W THEY WERE UP FOR REVISING THE CODE EACH ONE OF THOSE.
DO YOU GUYS, DO WE WANT TO START WAITING AROUND THE BYLAWS CHANGES JUST BECAUSE THIS GROUP WOULD HAVE TO EVEN THE SLIGHTEST LITTLE CHANGE.
SO OUR, UH, UH, FIRST, WELL WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UH, A YELLOW, UH, TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR ON PAGE TWO WHERE IT SAYS, OH, HIGHLIGHTED THAT'S MINOR.
SO THE GYM OF GEORGIA, I FORWARD YOU ALL THE AGENDA, THESE CHANGES.
SO BIGGER CHANGES, UH, ARTICLE FOUR OFFICERS.
UM, ANYWAY, WE, WE NEED TO HAVE SECRETARY AND TREASURERS, UM, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR CEREMONIAL OR, I MEAN, WELL, I DON'T, I MEAN, THE TREASURER HAS THE REVIEW.
THEY'RE NOT WORKING SECTOR SECRETARIES.
WELL, IT WOULD BE ONE OF YOU, OR ONE OF YOU WOULD TO BE TAKING THE MINUTES, HAD SOMEWHAT THE PACKAGE TOGETHER.
AND THEN THE TREASURER WOULD BE THE ONE WHO WOULD ASSIST WITH THE REVIEW OF THE INVOICE.
POS IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, JIM, JUST CHIME IN OR GEORGE.
AND THEN, I MEAN, YOU ALL WOULD PLAY THAT, THAT ROLE, YOU WOULD PLAY THE ROLE.
I MEAN, STILL MYSELF AND TINA AND BJ WILL HELP OUT, BUT YOU WOULD PLAY MORE OF THE ROLE OF TINA.
UM, YOU ALL WOULD HAVE TO HAVE ACCESS TO SOME EXTENT OF PUTTING THE PACKAGES, THE AGENDA, EVERYTHING ELSE SHE CAN SERVE AS A ADMIN ASSISTANT, BUT SHE'LL JUST BE DOING WHATEVER, WHOEVER COMES OUT WITH THE AGENDA, JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE ORIGINAL WAS BUILT.
UH, THE SECRETARY AND TREASURER HAD TO COME FROM A DIRECTOR.
THAT'S HOW IT WAS ORIGINALLY, OR WAS THAT HOW IT WAS, HOW IT WAS WRITTEN CURRENTLY IN THE CODE.
AND, UH, IN THIS DOC, IN THE BYLAWS, WAS THOSE HAVE TO BE A DIRECTORS, GEORGIA.
I MEAN, SO, SO WHAT I WANT TO GET TO IS CAN WE NAME SECRETARY? AND THIS IS FOR BOTH ATTORNEYS, YOU GUYS TAKE TURNS, BUT CAN WE NAME A SECRETARY, A NAME, A TREASURER, AND,
[00:40:01]
AND THEN WE'LL HOLD THOSE TITLES, UH, FOR THE ORGANIZATION.BUT I MEAN, I, I, LIKE I WERE SAYING, IF I SAID I WOULD DO SECRETARY, WHICH I CAN'T, BECAUSE I'M DOING THIS OTHER THING, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE MINUTES AND PUT TOGETHER PACKETS, YOU KNOW, I, AND I'M NOT SURE ANYBODY ON THIS BOARD IS GOING TO HAVE THE TIME TO DO THAT.
UM, SO I, I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING AND THE ANSWER'S YES.
UH, YOU, YOU NEED SOMEONE TO HOLD THOSE TWO OFFICES.
WELL, TWO PEOPLE TO HOLD THOSE TWO OFFICES AND, AND, AND, BUT THE ACTUAL DUTIES CAN BE ASSIGNED.
UM, JIMMY, YOU AGREE? I AGREE.
UH, YOU ANSWERED THE OTHER QUESTION THAT THE CODE CURRENTLY SAYS, UH, THOSE OFFICE SERVERS CAN COME FROM THIS MEMBERSHIP OR NOT.
SO THAT, THAT ANSWERING THAT QUESTION, THAT'S HOW CURRENT TOWN CODE CURRENTLY READ, OH, TOM CODE DOES REHAB FROM THE MEMBERSHIP OR NOT, OR NOT, OR SO, SO WE CAN DEVELOP TO A POINT BJC, CORRECT.
PART OF THE BOARD QUESTION THAT NO, YOU'RE NOT A MEMBER OF THE BOARD.
YOU GET OUT A FULL, BIG TITLE PROMOTION.
WELL, FUNCTIONALLY, IT'S NOT OPERATING ANY DIFFERENTLY FUNCTIONING.
INSTEAD OF TINA BAN, YOU KNOW, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT NBJ VIA THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, DAVID, NOW HE CALLS MEETING TREASURE SECRETARY.
HE WOULD BE TREASURED CORE TO GEORGE.
OR GEORGE AND JIM, YOU CONCUR, UM, PRESENT BY LAW SAID THAT YOU MADE, AND IT ALSO SAYS UNTIL SUCH TIME, AS YOU DID THE TOWN STAFF PERFORM THOSE FUNCTIONS.
AND, AND, AND SO THESE BYLAWS ARE LIKE NOT EVEN DRY YET, AND WE'RE TRYING TO PICK SOME AND GET THEM.
BUT I WOULD THINK THAT IF IT'S JUST A MATTER OF A TITLE PROMOTION, WE WOULD WANT TO GO AHEAD AND JUST KEEP IT AS A TITLE VERSUS THE STAFF'S TITLE THAT WAY.
I THINK IT WOULD PROVIDE SOME COMFORT IN GENERAL.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT YOU'RE, I THINK THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE'LL TAKE ON THE TITLE OF SECRETARY BJ WILL TAKE ON THE TITLE OF THE TREASURER.
BUT I WOULD ASK THAT WHAT THOSE TITLES DOES THAT MEAN THAT IT REQUIRES A DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, FROM A CODE STANDPOINT AS OFFICERS AND HOW'S THAT WORK.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK I NEEDED TO DISCUSS WITH BJ AND TINA, BUT IF THEIR DUTIES AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, AND DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, OTHER THAN THE TITLE, UM, I THINK, I THINK I WOULD RELY ON THEM TO SAY IF THEY'RE COMFORTABLE, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? I GUESS MY RESPONSE TO THAT WOULD BE WHENEVER THE LAW IMPOSES A DUTY ON THOSE OFFICERS TO ACT, THEY WOULD ACT IN THAT OFFICIAL CAPACITY.
LET ME TELL YOU HOW YOU DO IT.
THEY LET THE DIRECTOR AND THE SECRETARY, AND SOMETIMES SECRETARY TREASURER AND THE ELECTED OFFICER I'M DIRECTOR AS A TREASURER, AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, THE WORK IS DONE BY THE TOWN OR COUNTY STAFF AND THE TREASURER AND THE SECRETARY REVIEWS THAT WORK.
AND THEN THEY REPORT BACK TO THE BOARD DIRECTORS, THE SECRETARY OF WHICH CASE, YOU'D SAY, I'VE LOOKED AT THE MINUTES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OKAY.
THE TREASURER WOULD GIVE, WOULD LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL REPORT DONE BY THE STAFF PERSON AND SIGN OFF ON IT.
AND THEY WOULD COME TO THE BOARD.
BUT MOST OF THEM BOTH
UM, YEAH, THAT PREVENTS THAT METAL FOR BEING CAUGHT IN SOME KIND OF AN ISSUE, WHETHER IT'S THE SECRETARY OF TREASURY AND SOME ISSUE RELATING TO HIS EMPLOYMENT.
SO, UM, SO WHICH ONE ARE YOU TWO GUYS WANT TO TAKE THAT ROLE WHERE YOU'RE SUPPORTED BY GINA AND BJ IN THOSE ROLES? SECRETARY I'LL DO ONE OF YOU ON
[00:45:01]
TREASURE.I MEAN, DO YOU HEARD WHAT JIM SAID? YEAH.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, SO I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THAT RECOMMENDATION.
I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THE OTHER ONE AS WELL, BUT I THINK THAT, I THINK IT'S BETTER IF IT'S NOT BETTER, IT'S PROBABLY THE SAME.
IT'S JUST WHAT I'M CALLING IT.
IF WE, IF WE COULD CARRY THOSE TITLES AND HAVE SUPPORT FROM STAFF IN THOSE ROLES, THEN I, I I'D PREFER TO DO IT THAT WAY IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU GUYS.
SO YOU SAID, NICK, YOU SAID YOU WOULD SEE ENDED DOMINATION THESE ACTIVITY.
NICK HAS TO BE THE, AND I NEED A SECOND, A SECOND.
SO ALL IN FAVOR OF NICK BEING, WHAT WAS THAT SECOND SECRETARY DURING THE FIVE SAYING HI.
ALL IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
SO WE HAVE SECRETARY AND TREASURER NOW, ELECTRIC WINNER, CONGRATULATIONS GUYS.
SO IN THAT CASE, THE LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF US, YELLOW, YELLOW IS GOOD.
JIM, YOU WERE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING.
YEAH, I HAVE, I HAVE THREE QUESTIONS THAT RELATE TO THAT.
UH, HAVE ALL OF YOU DONE YOUR CONFLICT OF INTEREST ACT AND YOUR FREQUENTLY.
UM, AND THE OTHER, THE OTHER COMMENT I HAVE IS A PRACTICAL ONE, AS MUCH AS ANYTHING.
UM, THERE ARE PROBABLY A HUNDRED FUNCTIONING.
IDA EDA IS IN VIRGINIA STEAL THEIR STUFF.
DO YOU BORROW, UH, THEIR DOCUMENTS? THEIR APPLICATIONS WILL LOAN THEIR, UM, UH, BYLAWS, UM, OPERATING PROCEDURES AND WHATEVER.
UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL.
UM, WE DON'T WANT TO FOLLOW A BAD PRACTICES, UH, IN RELATIONSHIP TO OUR NEIGHBOR.
UH, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD, UH,
YOU CAN BORROW, YOU CAN MODIFY THEM TO SUIT YOU.
UH, THAT'S NOT SUGGESTING FROM A PRACTICAL POINT OF VIEW, UH, TO GET, TO GET THINGS UP AND RUNNING.
WE HAD A RETREAT AND, UH, KEN MCFADDEN CAME FROM ANOTHER LOCALITY THAT ESCAPES ME AT THE MOMENT AND IS SHARING SOME OF THE I'VE WORKED WITH CAM WHEN HE WAS IN CAROLE, GRAPE AND GIDDY, LIKE REGIONAL, INDUSTRIAL STABILITY THOUGHT.
CAUSE WE, WE USED TO DO A LOT OF REGIONAL INDUSTRIAL FACILITY BODY WITHOUT WITH VIRGINIA.
I WAS TO THE ATTORNEY DE LAC COUNTY ATTORNEY, CHERYL AND COUNTY ATTORNEY IN FLORIDA.
AND WE WOULD WORK ON, UM, WE WOULD WORK ON PROJECTS, REGIONAL DOCTOR WITH ALL THOSE ORGANS BECAUSE WHAT WE GET.
SO GEORGE, UH, JUST TO MAKE SURE, I GUESS WE CAN WORK AFTERWARDS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY WANT TO GO AHEAD AND SAY SECRETARY AND TREASURER, YOU KNOW, SO WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE BYLAWS REFLECT OUR ACTIONS TODAY.
AND SO, UM, THAT WOULD TAKE US OVER TO, UH, I THINK, UH, ARTICLE FIVE, THE REGULAR ELECTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING CALENDAR YEAR, SHE'LL BE HELD AT FIRST MEETINGS OF THE, ANYWAY.
I THINK THAT SLIPPED BY US IS EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT CHANGE.
AND DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON THAT TEAM? OKAY.
SO THEN NOW WE'RE ALL OVER TO ARTICLE NUMBER TWO.
WELL, A LOT OF THIS, WE, WE KINDA TOUCHED ON IT THAT OUR EARLIER DISCUSSION, BUT, UH, IF YOU READ IT, I'LL READ IT OUT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE FRONT ROW.
EDA IS LIMITED EXPRESS CONDITIONS OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROW.
TOWN CODE IS SPECIFICALLY LIMITED PURSUITS.
[00:50:02]
B OF THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN CODE WILL REQUIRED ADVANCED APPROVAL BY THE TOWN COUNCIL.WELL TO ANY EDA FINANCING PERFORMANCE OR OTHER AGREEMENT WITH THIRD PARTY.
SO IN ESSENCE, AS OF NOW, THERE ARE NO DOLLARS.
HOWEVER, IF ONCE, UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUDGET THAT COULD BE TRANSFERRED TO BD A AS WELL AS EACH YEAR, IF COUNCIL WERE TO GIVE YOU ALL $500,000 OR UNDERWRITE YOU FOR A BILLION DOLLARS, LIKE A CREDIT LINE, THIS WOULD NEED TO BE CHANGED WHERE IT WOULD NOT NEED APPROVAL, BUT TO HIM COUNCIL.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN PUSHING.
BUT IT'S THE FLOOR, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
BUT I THINK GOING BACK TO WHAT YOU WERE SAYING TOO, IT'S WALK BEFORE WE TROT, BEFORE WE RUN.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE'RE STILL FORMATION IN, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT, IT MAY BE DIFFICULT IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS, I GUESS, IN TERMS OF THINGS THAT MAY TRANSPIRE BEFORE US.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT I COULD GIVE AN EXAMPLE THOUGH.
UH, LET'S SAY WE NEEDED TO PUT OUT AN RFP BECAUSE WE WANT TO DO STRATEGIC PLANNING AND IT EXCEEDED $25,000.
UH, COUNCIL HAS TO PROVE THAT BY CHANGING THIS, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO TO CANCEL YOU WALK IN THE PRISON.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE.
YOU ALL CAN JUST, AND IT COULD BE, IF LET'S SAY YOU WERE TO GO TO COUNCIL AND NOT SAYING THIS COUNCIL IS SUPPORTIVE, THEY CAN SAY, WELL, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW IF YOU NEED STRATEGIC PLANNING.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT DOES.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY, ALTHOUGH WE'RE NOT DOING PROPERTY STUFF, RIGHT.
WE STILL HAVE CERTAIN GREEN SODA SORT OF LIKE, DAVID'S POINT ABOUT MY EARLIER POINT, WE'RE BOUNCING AROUND THE ROOM.
UM, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY, SO WE'D HAVE TO ASK FOR MONEY.
DO YOU WANT TO CLARIFY WHAT THE FUNDING, BUT IT'S NOT TO THE EDA, THE DOESN'T HAVE ANY MONEY, RIGHT? DOES THE EDA WOULD HAVE TO PRESENT THE TOWN WITH A BUDGET AND THEN THE COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO GROUP.
SO I, SO I WOULD SAY LET'S MAKE THE CHANGE AND THE BUDGET WILL CONTROL THE DIRECTION THAT WE GO AND HOW MANY EXTRA THINGS WE ASK FOR.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I MEAN, IF WE STEP OUTSIDE OF THE BUDGET, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ASK FOR EITHER ADDITIONAL MONIES OR WE COULD CONSULT WITH THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR, THAT ADVISOR THAT WE MIGHT HIRE, HOW DO WE ACCOMPLISH THOSE THINGS? I DON'T KNOW.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? OR I DID GET A SENSE THAT COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, FELT LIKE, WELL, YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE THE AUTONOMY AND BJ AND ISAAC AND OBVIOUSLY MAKE SURE I'M CORRECT.
AND TINA, AGAIN, YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO GET SOME MONEY.
AND IF YOU ALL DECIDE, YOU WANT TO HIRE CONSULTANTS OF ATTORNEY OR ANYTHING, ANY OTHER SERVICES THAT ARE EXCEED $25,000 BY CHANGING THIS, THIS BODY CAN APPROVE IT.
I BELIEVE THEY ALSO HAVE TO ADOPT A SEPARATE PROCUREMENT POLICY BECAUSE IT SAYS THEY'RE FOLLOWING THE TOWN'S PROCUREMENT POLICY, THE TOWN'S PROCUREMENT POLICY STATES, THE COUNCIL HAS TO APPROVE IT.
SO YOU'D HAVE TO, UM, YES, UH, GREAT DAM PROCUREMENT POLICY.
WE COULD PROBABLY STEAL THE TOWN.
AND JUST SO THE QUESTION IS, AND I THINK THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION AMONG COUNCIL.
DO YOU ALL WANT TO APPROVE AND MAKE DECISIONS FOR CONSULTANTS OR ANY SERVICES OR DO YOU STILL WANT THAT TO BE DONE BY COUNCIL? YES, PLEASE.
WERE THEY GOING TO DISCUSS TWO AND THREE DURING THE JUNE 22ND WORKS? YOU'RE GOING TO TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES AND COME UP WITH THE BEST PLAN THAN TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT TODAY.
BUT THAT'S W WE JUST, AT THIS GAME, AT THIS POINT, BASED ON GREG'S ADVICE IS JUST GET CLARIFICATION GOING IN ON, ON WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE, WHAT THE GROUP IS CONSIDERING.
THEY HAVE SOME, I MEAN, I'D LIKE TO GO TO THE 22ND WITH A RECOMMENDATION, WITH A RECOMMENDATION AND JUSTIFICATION.
I'M NOT, LET'S SIT HERE AND TALK ABOUT, I MEAN, THESE BYLAWS TODAY, WON'T BE APPROVING THESE TODAY BECAUSE I THINK THEY WANTED TO GO OVER THESE BECAUSE IT
[00:55:01]
DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO APPROVE SOMETHING AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME.WELL, AND I HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT I THOUGHT OF LAST NIGHT.
WELL, BUT AGAIN, NUMBER TWO READS, I HAVE FREE, I MAY REQUIRED ADVANCED APPROVAL BY THE TOWN COUNCIL TO ANY FINANCING PERFORMANCE OR OTHER AGREEMENT WITH ANY THIRD PARTY.
THERE'S NO DECISION THAT COMES OUT OF THIS GROUP WITHOUT THAT IS THEN LEGALLY BINDING WITHOUT TOM COUNCILS.
BASICALLY I'VE SEEN VERY RECENT.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO AND ANYTHING THAT WE WANTED TO DO.
AND I JUST, I, BUT BEFORE WE HAVE TO DO IT BEFORE WE EVEN DO IT, I THINK IT EVEN SAYS YOU CAN'T REALLY IT'S ENTERING INTO AN AGREEMENT.
RIGHT? SO THE CHALLENGE BECOMES WHENEVER YOU'RE NEGOTIATING WITH THESE BUSINESSES, RIGHT.
TRYING TO FIND THAT HAPPY GROUND, YOU MIGHT THINK YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S AGREEABLE, BUT YET YOU STILL HAVE, OH, ARE YOU GOING TO GO TO A COUNCIL MEETING? AND YOUR HEAD IS GOING TO EXPLODE WHEN THEY SUGGEST SOMETHING THAT ISN'T GOING TO WORK AFTER YOU'VE SPENT HOURS NEGOTIATING IT WITH THE CLIENT.
SO WALKED UP TO THAT LAST TIME.
I MEAN TIME IN A TIME OF WE'RE ALL SMALL BUSINESS PEOPLE HERE, WE KNOW 30 DAYS, 60 DAYS, 90 DAYS BECAUSE OF WHATEVER.
AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING THAT FOR A LONG TIME ANYWAY, BECAUSE THE TOWN WOULD HAVE TO POSE AT LEAST A MORAL OBLIGATION TO THE LINES IT'S ADA PROVIDES.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE BYLAWS SAY FOR AT LEAST A BIT.
SO THE EDA DOESN'T HAVE ANY MONEY.
THE COUNCIL HAS AN ALLOCATED ANY MONEY TO THE EDA WHERE THEY DON'T MIND, THEY'RE GOING TO FUND THE EDA MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UM, EVERY TIME THAT EDA NEEDS MONEY, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO TOWN COUNCIL TO REQUEST THE MONEY.
IF A BANK'S NOT GOING TO GET THE EDA LOAN, THAT EDA HAS NO MEDICINES RIGHT HERE.
SO THE TOWN WOULD HAVE TO POSE A MORAL OBLIGATION TO BACK THAT LOAN FOR THE EDA TO THE EDA THAT CAN THEN GIVE IT TO THE BUSINESS.
SO BJ, THIS IS WHY AT THE MEETING ON MONDAY, I RAISED THE QUESTION OF, WELL, BUT WHAT'S OUR BUDGET.
SO THOSE TWO THINGS ARE INTIMATELY TIED.
THIS, THE WHOLE ISSUE OF DECISION-MAKING AND HOW MUCH MONEY ARE YOU REALLY MAKING DECISIONS ON YOU'RE RIGHT? LIKE THE TOWN LITERALLY RETAINS ABSOLUTELY EVERY DECISION.
IF THE ADA DOESN'T HAVE A DOLLAR WITHOUT US ASKING FOR A DOLLAR OR A MILLION OR WHATEVER IT IS, RIGHT? SO YOU DON'T NEED WORDS THAT SAY REQUIRES ADVANCED APPROVAL.
IF YOU'VE ALREADY GOT ADVANCED APPROVAL FOR LITERALLY EVERY DECISION.
I MEAN, IN THIS CASE THAT, UH, IN THIS CASE, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US WORK WITH THE TOWN, TO HAVE BYLAWS THAT REFLECT WHAT OUR FUTURE'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
NOT WHAT OUR NEXT SHORT TERM IS.
AND, AND, AND I THINK NOW'S THE TIME TO SET THAT FOUNDATION.
NOT LATER, IN MY OPINION, I JUST THINK, I THINK NOW IS THE TIME TO NEGOTIATE IT.
YOU KNOW WHAT THE BYLAWS ARE GONNA BE.
SO, AND YOU'RE SAYING I'M NOT THE APPROVAL PRE APPROVAL.
I DO NOT LOOK, I, I, YEAH, YOU GUYS KNOW I'M A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER.
MOST OF US ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS.
IT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME BECAUSE WE HAD DIFFERENT VISIONS.
AND, UM, AND SO BOTH VISIONS MIGHT'VE BEEN CORRECT.
AND I HAVE A, I'M VERY SLOW SOMETIMES AND METICULOUS ABOUT MAKING DECISIONS.
BUT WHEN I MAKE THEM, I WANT THEM, I WANT ACTION.
AND I DON'T WANT TO GO ASK A BOSS IF IT'S OKAY.
THAT'S WHY I, FOR MYSELF, RIGHT.
IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S TOO RESTRICTIVE IN TERMS OF THAT.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? WE'D BE, IT'D BE SILLY GOING INTO, LIKE YOU SAID, INVESTING HOURS, TALKING, GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH SOMEONE ON.
UM, AND THEN IT'S JUST NOT SITTING WELL WITH, WITH COUNCIL OR, BUT HE WHISPERS IN SOMEBODY HERE, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW.
SO WE'RE SORT OF ARGUING HERE ABOUT WHAT, WHAT PART OF THE BYLAWS IS RESTRICTED AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THE BUDGETARY
[01:00:01]
ITEMS RESTRICT THIS PART.IF THERE COULD BE LANGUAGE ADDED INTO THE TOWN CODE THAT SAYS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK WITH THE TOWNSHIP BUDGET, BE PRESCRIBED TO A CERTAIN DECISION, THEN I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS, IS THERE MONEY INVOLVED THAT WOULD COME FROM THE TOWN AND NOT FROM THE TOWN, NOT FROM THE EDA BUDGET.
SO IF IT WASN'T FOR THE TEACHER, WE HAVE OUR OWN BUDGET THAT WE CAN WORK WITH.
THEN WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO TO THE TOWN ASKS.
WELL, THAT WAS SORT OF MY UNDERSTANDING OF IN TERMS OF OUR GENERAL DIRECTION, ANYWAYS, IS ESTABLISHING OWN ACCOUNTS, HAVING INVENTORY THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY SELL USING THE SMALL BUSINESS REFERENCE.
I MEAN, WE STILL DON'T HAVE ANY OF THAT.
YOU KNOW? SO EVEN EVEN THE, THE, THE FEW THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD ALREADY, WE'RE JUST SORT OF SITTING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S NICE TO HEAR IT, BUT FOR WHAT, FOR WHAT PURPOSE? I DON'T KNOW.
RIGHT? SECTION TWO IS A DEAL BREAKER FOR ME IN THAT I, I'M NOT RUNNING EVERYTHING WE DO BY THE TOWN COUNCIL FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR APPROVAL.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST, I MEAN, IT ASKS FOR EVERYTHING.
SO WHATEVER YOU GUYS DECIDE IS FINE WITH ME, BUT I JUST CAN'T DO THAT.
I MEAN, I DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING CRAZY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT I'M JUST, I EITHER, I, WE EITHER ARE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BECAUSE I WILL SIT IN A ROOM WITH SOME PEOPLE AND THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, WE WANT TO TALK TO THE REAL BOSSES.
WHY ARE WE DOING? YEAH, THAT'S SORT OF WHERE I'M SITTING IS, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY AUTHORITY NEGOTIATE WITH US, BUT THAT'S SORT OF LIKE THE KID MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR PARENTS' HOUSE.
BUT I THINK THE KEVIN, ACCORDING TO BJ, THOUGH, IF THERE WAS A DEAL THAT NEEDS TO BE CUT AND YOU WORK ON IT, IT'S STILL GOING TO REQUIRE THE COUNCIL TO FINANCE IT.
AND THERE WOULD BE A MORE OBLIGATION ON, ON STUFF LIKE THAT.
THE BIG PICTURE, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY DOESN'T YOU STILL WOULD HAVE TO WORK WITH COUNCIL ON THE BIG STUFF, THE AUTONOMY, YOU HAVE A RESIDENTIAL PIECE OF PROPERTY AND REZONE IT, OR SOMETHING AUTONOMY YOU WOULD HAVE IS ONCE YOU ALL GET A BUDGET, LET'S SAY FOR A MILLION DOLLARS AND THEY GIVE YOU THAT AS A CREDIT LINE, IF YOU BOUGHT, LET'S SAY THERE WAS A PIECE OF PROPERTY FOR $200,000, AND YOU ALL DECIDED YOU WANTED TO PURCHASE THAT, THEN YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO COUNSELING.
SEE SOME OF THOSE TREES THOUGH, THEY DON'T SEEM LIKE BY LAW ISSUES, TO ME, THEY SEEM, THEY SEEM LIKE, LIKE A FINANCIAL POLICY, LIKE, CAN'T THAT BE HANDLED IN THAT KIND OF LIKE, NOT SO MUCH THE BYLAWS, THE CODE WILL HAVE TO, THE CODE WOULD HAVE TO REPLY.
IT SAYS FINANCING PERFORMANCE OR OTHER AGREEMENT, WHICH RIGHTLY TIES YOUR HANDS.
SO NOW NOW'S THE TIME IN THE MEETING WHERE I LIKE HAVING ATTORNEYS HERE AND I SAY, OKAY, WELL, WE'VE STRUGGLED WITH THIS LONG ENOUGH.
AND YOU KIND OF HAVE HEARD OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR HEARTBURN AND OPINIONS.
AND SO I ASKED GEORGE FIRST AND THEN JIM, WHAT'D YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE? HMM.
UH, JIM, CAN YOU HEAR ME? THIS IS GEORGE JAIL.
SO YOU, YOU HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE WITH EDS THAN I DO.
WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN, UH, IN YOUR PRACTICE AS TO HOW, UH, HOW EDA IS OR LAUNCHED, IF YOU WILL, UH, SEED MONEY, UH, PROPERTY, UH, HOW HAS IT TYPICALLY DONE? UVA.
YOUR PHONE'S BREAKING UP ANY BETTER? YEAH.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO START ALL OVER.
IS THIS ANY BETTER? MUCH BETTER.
[01:05:01]
OKAY.AND JIM, BEFORE JIM, BEFORE YOU JIM, BEFORE YOU GO, I ASSUME THAT SOME OF THIS IS LAID OUT IN STATE CODE AS TO WHAT, WHAT PROPERTY CAN BE RECEIVED AND ET CETERA, MORE PROCESS NOW, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE DA TALKING ABOUT, UM, UH, WITH, YEAH.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED, BUT WE CAN'T HEAR YOU AT ALL.
THERE YOU ARE THERE YOUR CRYSTAL GLARE.
I'LL TRY TO COP TRY TO KEEP IT SHORT IN CASE I LOSE YOU AGAIN.
USUALLY THE HAS, HAS THE AUTONOMY TO MAKE THE DECISIONS.
LET'S BE HONEST HERE, BUT WHO WOULD, WHO, WHO KNOWS THE ALRIGHT, BUT THE TOWN IS THE ONE WHO'S PRETTY MUCH THE BANK UNTIL THEY ESTABLISH A DECENT CREDIT EDA TO BE ABLE TO GO AND GET THEIR LOAN OUT.
AND THEN THE VA WOULD HAVE TO CHECK IN WITH OUR FINANCE TO FIGURE OUT IF WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO FUND SOMETHING.
WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRENDS.
I LOST YOU THERE JUNE WITH AUSTRIA THERE, THE LENS, HEY, JAIL.
SOMETHING HAPPENED DURING THE TIME WE STARTED UNTIL NOW, WHAT THE RECEPTION DO WE WANT TO HAVE? YEAH, THAT'S MUCH BETTER.
THE TRANSACTIONS, NOT BASED UPON THE TOWN'S CREDIT, NOT BASED UPON THE TOWN, TAKING OUT ANY KIND OF ALONE.
MOST APPLICATIONS ARE MADE BY A LENDER WHO WANTS TO BORROW MONEY TO DO A PROJECT, OR YOU FIND THE LENDER WHO'S GOING TO LOAN THE MONEY TO THEM.
AND THEY BRING IT TO THE IDA AS A PROCESS, AS PART OF THE PROCESS.
SO THE TOWN IS ON ALTOGETHER
IT WOULDN'T BE EDA ITSELF IS ACTING AS A LENDER.
AND I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN IN SMALL LOANS TO GET SMALL BUSINESSES UP AND RUNNING.
UM, THEN THEY WOULD BE BOUND BY THE BUDGET, BUT AT THE TIME OF COUNCIL WAS GIVEN FOR THOSE PROJECT.
SO THOSE PROJECTS, WELL, THAT MAKES SENSE.
YEAH, NO, WE HEARD, NO, WE HEARD ALL, EVERY BIT OF IT, WHEREVER YOU'RE STANDING, DON'T MOVE, DON'T TURN AROUND.
IF I'M X CORPORATION AND I WANT TO BUILD A WAREHOUSE, UH, I COME TO THE EDA AND ASKED FOR EGA.
I DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT AND FIND A LENDER WHO WAS VOTED TO FINANCE MY PROJECT, EITHER THE, IS CAN'T DO IT FOR GETTING THAT REDUCED INTEREST RATE AS A, UH, BASICALLY UNDER THE STATUTE OF THE IPA ACT AS A, AS AN ETA FACILITY.
UM, AND WE'VE DONE THIS IN COURTHOUSES.
FOR EXAMPLE, WOODWARD COUNTY WANTS TO BUILD A COURTHOUSE.
IT DOES THE GROUND LEADS TO THE EPA AND THE EPA BUILDS THE COURTHOUSE AND READ THROUGH THE FACT OF THE COUNTY.
THEY TRIED TO PROCESS WELL, THE UVA BUILDS A WAREHOUSE, AT LEAST AS A BACK TO THE PROJECT OWNER TO, TO PAY BACK THE LOAN.
SO THE EPA ITSELF DOESN'T MAKE THE LEVEL.
IT'S ABOUT REALLY THE TOWN INVOLVEMENT I LEFT.
THE DEPARTMENT WANTS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT OR THE IS GOING TO FRONT THE MONEY TO THE ADA FOR THE LOANS.
BUT THEY'RE USUALLY SMALL LOAN PACKAGES.
THE EASIEST TO COLLECT IS COST OF ISRAEL, ETA COLLECT A PERCENTAGE OF EACH PAYMENT.
THAT'S PAID TO THE LENDER FOR HAVE TO ONE, ONE AND A HALF PERCENT TO KEEP THE FUND BZA.
BUT SO THIS IS THE FINANCE 1 0 1 KIND OF LEARNING THAT
[01:10:02]
COLLECTIVELY WOULD BE HELPFUL AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO COME IN TONIGHT.I WOULD HAPPY TO JUMP INTO THAT, SHOWING ALL THAT OUT FOR YOU.
THE GOOD BALL COMES INVOLVED WITH IT IS BUDGETED FOR ITS OPERATIONAL COSTS.
UH, PERHAPS IT'S FINANCE, UH, UH, ALL THE TIME, BUT THE THOUSAND NOT BE FUNDING THE UDA FOR ANY LOAN THAT'S LACKING, UNLESS THERE'S AN AGREEMENT TO DO A SMALL VOTE PROCEDURE.
SO DID YOU GET TO ACTUALLY BE THE LENDER? IN FACT, A WOULDN'T IT BE, UM, ILLEGAL FOR THE TOWN TO DO THAT IN SOME CASES, A LITTLE BIT, THE LOCATE, THE TALENT DEVELOPMENT GRAB A BALL OBLIGATION THAT HAS, UM, PRIMARILY BECAUSE NO LOCALITY, EXCEPT ONE HAS RENEGED ON THE MORAL OBLIGATION.
UM, BUT THAT THAT'S USED TO SUPPORT, UM, GOVERNMENTAL PROJECTS, NOT PRIVATE PROJECTS.
UH, JIM, ON THE OPERATIONAL SIDE, HOW HAVE YOU SEEN, UM, UH, IDA IS ADA'S, UH, LAUNCHED AS FAR AS, UM, WORKING CAPITAL PROPERTY, ET CETERA, RIGHT? USUALLY THE LOWCOUNTRY
SOMETIMES I PUT THAT IN THE BUDGET SO THAT, UH, THE TOWN MANAGERS FABRIC IS PAID IN PART BY THAT, YOU KNOW, AFTER, HEY JIM, WE LOST YOU.
YOU MUST'VE MOVED, BUT, UH, YEAH, WE LOST YOU THERE.
WE LOST YOU WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SALARIES.
HOW ABOUT I TRIED TO CALL YOU ON MY CELL PHONE.
DO YOU KNOW? YOU GOT, YEAH, YEAH.
DOES HE HAVE A LAND MAN, RIGHT? THE 22ND DAYS TO BE HERE OR THIS ISN'T THE FIRST
SAY PROBLEM IS, WELL THERE, LET ME HOLD MY PHONE HERE.
YEAH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SALARIES.
SO, I MEAN, I KNOW BJ SOMETIMES THE PUBLIC TWO OR THREE.
BUT IN ESSENCE, I'LL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT ENTERPRISE BONDS AND STUFF AND CENSUS AUTHORITY.
THEY CAN DISTRIBUTE THE SALARIES, YOU KNOW, AMONG STAFF SUPPORT, RIGHT? YES.
WELL, IF YOU'RE GOING TO TALK, WAIT A MINUTE, WE LOST YOU AGAIN.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED, BUT, UM, YEAH, BECAUSE OF THE SENSITIVITY THAT THIS NOT THE SENSITIVITY, THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS DISCUSSION, UM, I THINK WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ENTITY PIECE, NOT THE ENTITY THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THE AUTONOMY
[01:15:01]
THAT UNLESS, UNLESS THE RECEPTION'S BETTER, JIM WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO HAVE THE, HAD THIS DISCUSSION ON THE 22ND.SO, SO IN ESSENCE, MY UNDERSTANDING WHAT HE WAS SAYING, AND BJ, IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH ANYTHING, HE, HE PRETTY MUCH SAID THAT THE PANEL WON'T BE NECESSARILY ALWAYS GIVEN THE LOANS, UM, UH, THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.
WELL, AND THEN, UH, AND THEN THAT'S OUR ROLE TO PLAY, NOT REALLY AS THE MIDDLEMAN, BUT THE BIGGEST ONES WE HAVE ON OUR PLATE NOW IS QUESTION LIKE WHAT? YES.
SO WE LEFT OFF ABOUT THE LOAN AND YOU GAVE THE EXAMPLE ABOUT THE WAREHOUSE AND ESSENCE, THE TOWN, OR THE EDA WILL NOT BE THE ONE WHO ACTUALLY GETTING THE LOAN AND RIGHT.
ANY OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS, I GUESS AGAIN, JUST TO LET THE VIEWING AUDIENCE AND EVERYONE, THIS IS THE BYLAW.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE APPROVED TODAY, BUT WHEN WE HAD A COUNCIL MEETING ON THE 20TH, THERE WAS DISCUSSIONS ON THE BYLAWS.
AND THIS IS TO BRING THE EDA UP TO SPEED AND JUST HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING GOING INTO THE MEETING ON THE 22ND OF WHERE W WHERE THE EDA, NOT NECESSARILY A POSITION, BUT AN INTEREST IN TRYING TO WORK OUT THESE BYLAWS THAT'S IN AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNCIL.
AND SO, AND THEN AFTER THAT, ONCE THERE'S AGREEMENT, I WOULD SAY, I WOULD ASSUME, UM, THE JULY, UH, REGULAR SCHEDULE MEETING, HOPEFULLY THE BYLAWS WILL BE APPROVED, BUT WE ARE ALL GOING TO HAVE TO ADVANCE THE TOWN BOARD IS, UH, TO COMPLIMENT THE BYLAWS.
AND THEN AT THE AUGUST MEETING, UH, POTENTIALLY THAT'S WHEN FORMALLY THE BYLAWS WILL BE APPROVED BECAUSE THE TOWN ORDINANCE WILL BE APPROVED.
I WOULD THINK WE COULD PROBABLY APPROVE OUR BYLAWS UNTIL THE ORDINANCE WAS CHANGED.
UM, SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BYLAWS.
UM, IS IT APPROPRIATE TO MENTION IN THE BYLAWS, UH, INSURANCE FOR THIS BODY, OR IS THAT IN SOME OTHER DOCUMENT? AND I GUESS THAT'S A QUESTION FOR A GYM, HUH.
I JUST, HE DID SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT SHALL BE ATTAINED BY THIS JOB, UH, INSURANCE TO PROTECT HIS VA MEMBERS OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER I BEEN LISTED ON THESE SHOULD BE LISTED UNDER THE TOWN'S POLICY.
UM, WHAT THE ISI, I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT I WOULD FEEL BETTER IF WE, UH, MENTIONED IT IN THE BYLAWS SOMEHOW.
NO, I THINK WE COVERED THAT BASE WAY BACK IN JANUARY.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT I WAS TOLD, BUT I, IT WAS SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF THERE'S COVERAGE.
I'D LIKE TO REFER TO IT IN THE BYLAWS.
I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE, FOR US TO KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE RELYING ON FOR OUR PROTECTION AS DIRECTORS.
I MEAN, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I MEAN, IF THIS IS THE DOCUMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO REFER TO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE OR NO? WELL, AS JIM SAID, I THINK IT'S WHATEVER YOUR PREFERENCE IS.
WELL, THEN I'D LIKE TO SEE IT IN THERE.
CAUSE THIS IS, WE ENDED UP GOING BACK TO LOOK AT THIS FOR SOME REASON ABOUT HOW YOU BEHAVE, YOU KNOW, AS A BODY JIM'S POSITION IS PROBABLY THAT IT'S NOT REALLY A PROCEDURAL MATTER, WHICH IS WHAT THE BYLAWS ARE, BUT THERE'S NO HARM IN PUTTING IT IN THERE.
IS THAT RIGHT, JIM? I DON'T KNOW.
WHAT'D YOU GUYS THINK, I AGREE WITH YOU BEING HERE.
I MEAN, IT SAVED, SAY WHERE WE THINK WE GET THIS COVERAGE FROM RIGHT.
REFERRED TO ALREADY AREN'T COVERED AND IT CAN BE POINTED TO, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S KIND OF REDUNDANT.
I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE, WHAT IT IS WE'RE RELYING ON FOR DETECTION.
I MEAN, IT DOESN'T PROTECT US AGAINST HE'S INSIDE.
I DON'T THINK OR ANY OF THAT OR MISFEASANCE, BUT IT PROTECTS US AGAINST SUITS.
YOU CAN GIVE ALL THAT THE COVER LETTER
[01:20:01]
NEVER GOT COVERED UNDER THEIR POLICY, JUST BECAUSE IT WOULD PUT IT IN THE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ALWAYS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.I, YOU KNOW, WHAT, IF YOU COULD PROVIDE ALL OF US WITH THAT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
AND ANY FUTURE DIRECTORS, I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD GET A COPY OF THAT.
UM, HOW ABOUT, UH, TERM LIMITS? HOW DO YOU GUYS FEEL ABOUT TERM LIMITS? I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT'S REALLY.
DO YOU HAVE A TERM ANOTHER TROPICAL YEARS? YEAH, I'LL WAIT.
SO, BUT, BUT TO THE GOOD, I'M GLAD YOU, I'M GLAD WE'RE TALKING JIM, BUT IF, IF WE, IF WE DECIDED THAT, UH, A BOARD MEMBER COULD ONLY BE ON FOR TWO FULL TERMS, LET'S SAY WHAT I MEAN INSTEAD OF SIX FULL TERMS. RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, WELL, THE APPOINTMENT IS DONE BY THE TOWN COUNCIL.
UM, THEY COULD MAKE THAT DECISION AND FORMULATED NOW, NOT REAPPOINTED, BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY PROVISION FOR OUTLAWING, UH, UM, ANY COUNCIL MEMBER OR ANY MEMBER OF POST-OP SURVEY.
IT'S PURELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL, THE REAPPOINTED WITHOUT I, I, IT, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST, I, IT POPPED INTO MY HEAD BECAUSE WHEN I WAS ON THE EDA, THE WARREN COUNTY EDA KNOW MANY YEARS AGO BEFORE SCANDAL, UH, THAT TOWN APPOINTMENTS WERE LIMITED TO TWO TERMS, THREE TERMS, IS IT THREE TERMS? SO TOWN CODE LIMITS, IT WAS JUST PASSED A RESOLUTION IN TWO OR THREE.
SO THERE WAS SOMETHING THE TOWN CODE THAT WAS PREVENTED.
IT DOESN'T HAVE FREE TO ON IT IF WE WOULD HAVE TO ADD THAT TO OKAY.
I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY'RE RIGHT.
SO IT WAS JUST AN, IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT POPPED INTO MY HEAD THAT COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY PREVENTED.
IT'S THREE FULL TERM THREE, FOUR YEAR TERMS CONSECUTIVELY.
SO YOU'D HAVE TO BE ON HERE FOR 12 YEARS.
THEY JUST, IT WAS JUST A QUESTION I WANTED TO DISCUSS WITH YOU GUYS, BUT JUST DOESN'T HAVE FREEDOM LISTED ON IT.
ANYTHING ELSE? ANYBODY? JUNE 22ND, TENTATIVELY AT SIX, WE GOT FORMALIZE IT WITH COUNSELING AS SHARE THAT THE APPEARS TO BE ABLE TO, MOST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN ATTEND.
UH, SO THAT'D BE HERE OR HERE.
JIM GOT, UH, I THINK IT'S, IF HE DOESN'T MIND JUST STAYING ON OH, PSYCHO.
SO, UM, JEFF, WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT TODAY, CORRECT.
AND HE'S GONNA RESCHEDULE IT IN JULY.
SO THEN ITEM FIVE ON THE AGENDA IS MR. HICKS.
SO WE'VE, UM, UH, ONE OF THE TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR RETREAT KIND OF LINDEN AND NUMBER SEVEN IS THAT THIS GROUP THAT, LIKE, THERE WAS SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO TRY TO HIRE A CONSULTANT WHO CAN HELP ASSESS, UH, THE RETAIL KNEES AND THE OVERALL ASSESSMENT.
UH, THERE, THERE IS, THERE COULD BE A PROPOSAL THAT COMES IN, WE'LL HAVE TO FOLLOW THE NORMAL PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
AND THE PROPOSAL COULD BE IN PHASE WHERE THEY DO THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT.
AND THEN WE VIEW AS IN DESIGN, WE HAVE IT AND WE'LL TAKE THE LEAD ON IT.
OR WE GO TO THE NEXT PHASE WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY THE ONE WHO WILL START GOING OUT THERE TARGETING, UH, WHATEVER, UH, RETAIL WE FEEL THAT IS NEEDED.
AND THEN THEY WOULD ALSO HELP KIND OF SEAL THE DEAL.
I NEED GUIDANCE OR DIRECTION OF THAT.
SOMETHING YOU ALL FEEL LIKE WE WANT TO PURSUE AND MOVE FORWARD, KEEP THEM ON.
AND WE'LL HAVE THEM CARE OF A PROCESS IN ADDITION THAT, UH, IT WILL REQUIRE COUNCIL APPROVAL BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO EXCEED $25,000 TO PLEASURE.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING IN PLACE NOW THAT THAT WOULD PROVIDE WHAT THEY WERE OFFERING? NO, SIR.
SO I I'D BE ON BOARD WITH USING THEM.
I MEAN, AFTER THE FIRST YEAR, IT'S NOT A THREE YEAR CONSULTING CONTRACT THAT WE WOULD HAVE WITH THEM.
IT WOULD BE FIRST YEAR, YOU, THE ASSESSMENT
[01:25:01]
AND THEN SECOND OR THIRD YEAR WOULD BE, UM, TRYING TO BRING EVERYTHING IN.BUT OVERALL THEY SAID IT COULD BE A FIVE-YEAR PROCESS IN TOTAL TO BRING EVERYTHING LOCKED-IN CALLS ONCE, AND IT WOULD BE APPROVAL OF THE ASSESSMENT.
AND THEN I'D HAVE TO COME BACK AND IS MORE MONEY GOING TO BE SPENT ON THAT, PROVEN WITH THAT.
SO, I MEAN, IT COULD GO YEAR BY YEAR, BUT I BELIEVE, AT LEAST DOING THE ASSESSMENT WOULD BE IN THE TOWN'S BEST INTEREST, BUT THE PEOPLE'S BEST INTEREST.
AND PLEASE KNOW, WHEN WE, IF WE WERE TO GO DOWN THIS ROUTE PRIOR TO US AWARDING CONTRACT OR MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, YOU ALL WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO, TO INTERVIEW THEM AND DRILL DOWN EVEN MORE OF THE DELIVERABLES.
AND THEN IF IT'S NOT FAVORABLE CHAIR, THEN YOU ALL CAN JUST, YOU KNOW, STEP BACK AND PUNT THE BALL.
HOW DID YOU GUYS, LIKE WHAT YOU HEARD ON THE RETREAT FROM THEM? I WASN'T TELLING MY THAT'S JUST ME.
LIKE I SAID, I THINK THAT THESE THINGS HAPPEN ORGANICALLY.
UM, I THINK THAT EVERYBODY ON THAT LIST IS ALREADY OUT THERE WORKING.
THEY'VE GOT THEIR TROOPS ON THE GROUND AND THEY'RE IDENTIFYING AREAS WHERE THAT FRANCHISE CAN GROW OR THE INDIVIDUAL, YOU KNOW, OR IF IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL FRANCHISEE, YOU KNOW, THOSE PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE LOOKING TO, UM, SO THAT'S JUST MY UNDERSTANDING OF IT.
I MEAN, AGAIN, I, I, I STILL SIT ON THIS, UM, OTHER ISSUE WHERE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR INVENTORY IS, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY, I MEAN, ESSENTIALLY GOING THROUGH THE FIRST PHASE MIGHT BE, IT MAY IDENTIFY THAT.
UM, BUT I THINK THEY'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUES WHERE, YOU KNOW, LAUREN HAS TO GET THESE THINGS REZONE.
THESE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF, UH, I GUESS GROWING PAINS THAT I SEE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE, IT MIGHT BE TOO EARLY TO BRING SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN OR NOT.
I MEAN, I JUST SEE THESE THINGS.
I MEAN, POPEYE'S IS ALREADY HERE, CHINA, JADE'S ALREADY HERE, YOU KNOW, CHIPOTLE IS ALREADY HERE.
THIS, THESE BRANDS ARE ALREADY HERE.
UM, THEY WEREN'T FIVE, 10 YEARS AGO, BUT I THINK TOO, THERE'S A REASON WHY I THINK THE TOWN HAS GROWN.
I THINK THIS AREA IS GROWING AND NOW THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SUDDENLY KIND OF ENTERING THAT MAP.
UM, I MAY BE LOOKING AT IT COMPLETELY WRONG, BUT THAT'S JUST THE WAY I SEE IT HAPPENING.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT I DIDN'T SEE ANY, UM, ANYTHING IN THERE EXCEPT FOR SOMEBODY THAT'S COMING IN AND KIND OF GOING SEE WHAT WE DID, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S LIKE, IS THAT WORTH PAYING FOR, OR IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M JUST, THAT'S THE WAY I SEE IT.
I MEAN, I, I, YOU KNOW, I EVERY DAY LOOK FOR ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I DON'T UNDERSTAND A GROUP LIKE THAT OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CONSULTANT THAT LOVES TO, YOU KNOW, FIND AREAS.
I MEAN, BUT I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SEE, I THINK THE BIG PICTURE.
I MEAN, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE JUST STANDING ON MAIN STREET, YOU KNOW, YOUR VIEW IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN AN OUTSIDER COMING IN AND LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE RIGHT.
BUT I MEAN, IN TERMS OF WHAT WE ALSO HEARD FROM LAUREN, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT'S IN THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A LOT OF STUFF, STUFF THAT HERE, IN TERMS OF THAT FUTURE, CAN'T BE DEFINED UNTIL THIS COMP PLAN COMES TOGETHER.
AND THESE, YOU KNOW, THESE NEW ZONING ORDINANCES TAKE PLACE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I'M LIKE OF INFORMATION GUY.
RIGHT? SO LIKE I LIKE WHEN I'M TRYING TO MAKE DECISIONS, I LOVE TO HAVE INFORMATION.
AND, AND SO I, I, FOR ME, I VIEW THIS AS POTENTIALLY, ALTHOUGH I AGREE WITH ALMOST EVERY ONE OF YOUR POINTS IS IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE THAT IN OUR TOOL BOX AS, OH YEAH.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED THIS AND WE COULD SHOW IT TO SOMEBODY WE MET WITH.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY HAVE MOST OF THOSE BRANDS.
AND SO THAT MAY BE SOME OF OUR PUSHBACK TO THEM THAT, YOU KNOW, MAY GROW.
THAT WAS A GREAT DEAL ALREADY THEN ANOTHER, YEAH, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO RIDE IN ANOTHER CONTRACT, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S RESTAURANTS, IT'S ALSO CLOTHING, RETAIL ACTIVITIES.
I THINK THE TIMING IS PERFECT.
UH, I THINK EVEN LAUREN, THE PLANET DEPARTMENT KIND OF LIKE TO KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE, WHAT'S THE POSSIBILITY AND HOW IT CAN COMPLIMENT THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWN AND, AND,
[01:30:01]
AND THE DEEDS, UH, YOU KNOW, UP TO THE GROUP TO THE SIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, WILL THE MARKET DRIVE IT NATURALLY OR, OR, YOU KNOW, ORGANICALLY PROBABLY.UH, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING, AND THAT'S PROBABLY WHY YOU ALL, PROBABLY THROUGH THE PROCESS, INTERVIEW THEM OR FROM, TO ACTUALLY GET A TRUE DELIVERABLE OF WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND WHY IS, WHY IS THE SERVICE YOU PROVIDE BETTER THAN MARKET DRIVEN? SO IT WAS THE NEXT STEP TO INVITE THEM FOR, I'D HAVE TO GET UP WITH BJ, IF YOU DON'T MIND AND DECIDE WHAT'S THE PROPER PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
SO, SO WHAT DOES THE JLL COMPANY OFFER US IN THEIR PERSPECTIVE, SINCE WE ARE WORKING ON THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND LAUREN'S BEEN WORKING, DON'T HAVE WEREN'T THEY DOING SOME OF THAT RESEARCH, SOME OF THAT ANALYSIS.
THAT'S WHY I ASKED THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE SITTING HERE LOOKING AT THAT PRESENTATION, I THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE GIVING SOME OF THAT INFORMATION, LIKE THE ANALYSIS OF THE AREA, WHAT, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR, WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE LEGWORK, WOULD IT BE LESS ON THE POCKET A LITTLE BIT? YEAH.
THAT'S PART OF THEIR SCOPE OF THE CONTRACT.
THEY MIGHT NOT BE DIRECTED TOWARDS SOME INFORMATION, SOME EXPRESS.
THEY, MY OPINION TO THEM, IT'S MORE OF A PLANNING, PLANNING OUT THE LAYOUT OF A, OF A TOWN AND WHAT YOU COULD INVITE HERE, NOT NECESSARILY GOING OUT AND FINDING, YOU KNOW, A DICK'S SPORTING GOODS OR A KOHL'S OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO SAY, HEY, KNOCK, KNOCK.
WE'VE GOT A PLACE THAT'S IN DOWNTOWN, MOUNT ROYAL.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A LOOK THERE AND WE CAN HELP PROCURE GETTING THAT.
WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ADA, WHICH I THINK IS WHAT THE, UH, THE RETAIL STRATEGIES PROPOSAL THAT WE PRESENTED.
AND HALF THE RETREAT WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT.
I'VE BEEN ASKED HIM YESTERDAY, JUST LOOKING UP ON THE IRS SITE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT QUALIFIED OPPORTUNITY ZONES AND IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE HERE, BUT IT'S NOT RIGHT HERE.
IT'S, IT'S 2 0 6 0.1, WHICH IS AN AREA THAT COVERS OUTSIDE OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND THOSE OFFER A LOT OF TAX BENEFITS FOR PEOPLE AND, AND CREDITS FOR, FOR PEOPLE TO START A BUSINESS.
BUT THESE ARE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMEBODY, A COMPANY COMING IN THERE AND DOING THAT TYPE OF RESEARCH, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET ALL THAT TOGETHER.
I MEAN, I JUST HAPPENED TO STUMBLE ON IT.
I'M PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT IT NEXT MEETING.
STEVEN ASKED BJ A QUESTION AND, AND CAN YOU ASK THAT QUESTION AGAIN? SO I DON'T RECALL THE SCOPE OF WORK AS PART OF THEIR CONTRACT AND IN YEAH, YEAH.
AS WE'RE TALKING, THEY'RE, THEY, THEY, UM, DON'T GO OUT RECRUITING BUSINESSES, BUT THEY KEEP TRACK OF WHERE PEOPLE WERE GOING.
UH, THEY HAD SOME SORT OF ANALYTICS THAT TRACK, IF THEY'RE COMING HERE FOR SPORTING OR RIVER MUSIC OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS, BUT, BUT NOT A RETAIL ASIDE GOING OUT AND BRINGING BUSINESSES IN THAT I'M AWARE OF.
I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THIS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE IDEA THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, KEEP THE EXPENSES LOW.
AND IF WE HAD A RESOURCE HERE THAT ALL WE HAD TO DO IS MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF LEGWORK TO GET THAT INFORMATION, OR AT LEAST GET STARTED IN THAT DIRECTION.
YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT AN ATTORNEY A MINUTE AGO AND WE WERE ALL KIND OF LIKE UP IN THE AIR ABOUT THAT COST.
THIS IS A MAJOR DEAL FOR THREE YEARS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE COMMITTING TO CORRECT.
I MEAN, IT WAS LIKE A HUNDRED, I THINK OF IT AS A ONE-YEAR DEAL.
I MEAN, THEY'RE ALL ONES WHEN YOU'RE WITH OPTIONS.
NOTHING IS, SO THERE WASN'T A THREE-YEAR COMMITMENT.
I MEAN, THEY'RE LIKE, IT'S A ONE-YEAR DEAL.
WE HOPE THAT YOU RUN IN THERE.
OH, WAS I THINK THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY USED, UH, LOCKED INTO SOMETHING FOR THAT LONG TIME, AND I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANY, UM, THERE WAS NO PENALTY FOR NOT GOING FORWARD IN THE SECOND, THIRD YEAR AND WE SHOULD EXPLORE THAT, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT VERIFY THAT THAT IS THE CORRECT UNDERSTANDING.
I THINK ONE OF US ASKED THE QUESTION IN TERMS OF THAT.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE ANSWERED IT AND SAYING, ESSENTIALLY THAT, OF COURSE WE WANT YOU TO DO YOU HAUL, UM, YEAH, I REALLY LIKED THE IDEA OF THE STAR.
I REALLY DID BECAUSE I LOVE THE INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, GIVE ME SOMETHING THAT I CAN LOOK AT THAT MAKES SENSE SO THAT I KNOW WHAT I'M MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON IT, YOU KNOW, WHO WANTS OR NEEDS AND, YOU KNOW, AND YOU'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO COME THAT SOME OF THE IDEAS I'VE BEEN HAVING IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK AT THINGS IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD, SMALL, LARGE MEGA OF WHATEVER, HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THAT? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ZERO INVENTORY,
[01:35:02]
YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE TO KNOW.AND, AND IS, IS THE GOAL TO BUILD AN ACCOUNT? IS THE GOAL TO JUST BE A FACILITATOR, IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF AUTONOMY, I WOULD THINK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A CERTAIN DEGREE OF, UH, MONEY MAKING MONEY.
AND I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT WHAT THE DA, UM, COUNTY EDA HAS.
UM, AT SOME POINT AS I BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS, THAT WAS A TIED INVESTMENT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PERCENTAGES WERE OR ANY OF THAT AT THAT.
BUT THEN THERE WAS DEFINITELY A POINT WHERE THE FRONT WHERE THE FRONT ROYAL NEW LONGER.
AND I THINK THAT WAS PART OF THE WHOLE SHOPPING CENTER DEBACLE WAS THAT THEY JUST SAID, OKAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS ANYMORE.
AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT ANYMORE.
AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OUR BALL AND GO HOME.
THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHEN THINGS WENT DOWN, BUT I, I COULD BE WRONG.
UM, IN TERMS OF FRONT ROYAL, NO LONGER SUPPORTING INNOVATE, THEY KIND OF DID TH THERE'S A DIVIDING LINE OF, OF SORTS IN TERMS OF WHOSE RESPONSIBILITIES ARE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW? UM, WHAT, SO, BUT THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
AND WILL STILL BE MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANY, DO WE HAVE ANY SKIN IN THAT GAME AND THAT LIST OF PROPERTIES THAT WE WERE SHOWING, YOU KNOW, UM, OR DO WE START SMALL AND SAY, OKAY, LET'S LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE BUILDINGS WHO OWNS ALL OF THIS PROPERTY, DO WE BECOME A RESOURCE IN TERMS OF PUTTING THIS PERSON AND THIS PERSON TOGETHER, YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? AND THAT WAY THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE AN INCENTIVE, THEY WANT TO WORK WITH US BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE THE ONES GETTING THE PHONE CALLS, RIGHT.
INSTEAD OF JUST SITTING THERE HAVING A, FOR RENT SIGN IN THE WINDOW, WE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN MAYBE MAKE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN MUCH FASTER.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, BUT AGAIN, IT IS, WILL THAT BE THEIR JOB TO COME IN AND GO AROUND AND, YOU KNOW, AND FIND THAT, OR IS THAT OUR JOB TO SAY, LOOK, WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD THIS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE 10,000 OR MORE SQUARE FEET, BUT WE'LL PUT YOU IN CATEGORY A, IF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET, YOU KNOW, OR, OR 15 ACRES.
UM, BUT THERE'S JUST NOT THAT MUCH IN THE TOWN, UM, ACREAGE IN THE TOWN.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK LAUREN HAS KIND OF POINTED THAT OUT TO US IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A FEW AREAS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THAT HAVE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, WE ARE FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER SITTING ON THE, JUST ON THE OUTSIDE OF THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF WHO OWNS IT, UM, I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT WAS SORT OF ONE OF THE THINGS I KEEP JOTTING DOWN AND SORT OF, HOW DO WE, HOW ARE WE GOING TO START MOVING? DO WE IDENTIFY, OR DO WE START REACHING OUT TO PROPERTY OWNERS OR I'LL SAY, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ON BOARD? ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS, YOU KNOW, IN ESSENCE LIST YOUR PROPERTY WITH US OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THAT WAY WE HAVE AN INVENTORY THAT WE KNOW WE CAN WORK WITH.
STEPHEN, WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US TODAY ON ITEM FIVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE, UH, GO AHEAD AND, AND, UM, HAVE THEM COME IN WITH THEIR ACTUAL PROPOSAL OF WHAT THEY'RE WILLING TO DO.
AND THEN BASED ON THAT, UH, UH, BOARD VOTE ON IT.
VOTE ON IT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH COUNCILS.
AND I DON'T THINK IT HURTS ANYTHING TO LOOK AT IT CLOSER.
I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T BE COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD WITHOUT SOME FOLLOW UP.
IS EVERYBODY GOOD WITH THAT? ALL RIGHT.
SO, UM, SO IT GOES IN TO, WELL, WE'LL SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, BJ HAS A LOT ON HIS PLATE.
I JUST, YOU KNOW, SENSE OF URGENCY WAS URGENT.
I THINK I'M HOPING MAYBE AUGUST WILL BE RIGHT, BECAUSE THERE'S A PROCESS YOU GOTTA AND STUFF.
SO, BUT, UH, JULY 21ST WAS OUR NORMAL SCHEDULE OF WORK SESSION MEETING.
UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT'S THE EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY.
WE WERE PLANNING ON HAVING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DAY FOR THE EMPLOYEES TO RECOGNIZE THEIR HARD WORK DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.
AND UNFORTUNATELY IT WOULD, IF WE HAD THE MEETING CHAIRMAN, UH, BJ, MYSELF, AND TINA WOULD MISS OUT ON IT.
[01:40:01]
CONSIDERATION OF IT.SO IT COULD BE, SO YOU GOT TO MAKE THAT WAY.
CAN WE MOVE IT TO THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE OR TJ? YOU GOT YOUR CALENDAR.
HOW ABOUT JULY 20TH OR, OR 20TH WORKS FOR ME? 20TH WORKS EVERYBODY OKAY.
WITH THE 20TH, THE 20TH OF JULY, I'LL BE BACK.
I THINK GEORGE WILL BE HERE FOR THAT.
THAT IS GOING TO BE A CRITICAL MATE BECAUSE OF THE BYLAWS THAT, WHERE WE'RE STILL NEGOTIATING THE DATE.
CAUSE THAT'S WHEN WE WILL, IS THERE A TIME IN THE DAY ON THE 20TH THAT YOU PULL THAT THERE A WHOLE CONFLICT THAT I THINK FOR YOU, JEN, THAT'S MY LACK OF THE COUNTY.
I HAVE A LACK OF A CATEGORY, FIVE O'CLOCK OR SEVEN O'CLOCK.
OUR MEETINGS ARE ALWAYS AT NOON, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ANOTHER.
SO PROPOSE A DATE OF 22ND, 27TH, 28TH AND 22ND.
WELL, MY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING TO BE KNOWN THE 22ND OF JUNE.
UM, UH, WELL, UH, I MEAN WE, ON 28, 20 YEAR WEAK ON ALL OF THEM, I'M GONE AT THE END OF THE MONTH AND THIS 4TH OF JULY WEEKS WORKS OR OFF AN OLD BAD, WE W WHAT ABOUT THURSDAY? THE 14TH.
TO ME, WHERE'S THE ALBUM, LIKE THINGS, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO SAY EVERYTHING I DO.
IT'S BIG AS AT NIGHT, RIGHT, JIM, OR ABOUT THURSDAY, THE 14TH, JULY 14TH AT 12 O'CLOCK.
SO, UM, ANY OPEN DISCUSSION HERE I DO JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW TONIGHT AT SEVEN O'CLOCK IS THE FRONT ROYAL CARDINAL'S GAME.
SO, UH, NO, NOT THAT ONE, BUT I JUST
UM, UH, THE VIRGINIA, THE STATE TOURISM GROUP WOULD BE WILLING TO, CAN ALSO GIVE A PRESENTATION ON THEIR SERVICES BECAUSE IT COMPLIMENTS SO MUCH WHEN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE TOP OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT WE MAY WANT TO LOOK AT.
UH, SO I'D THROW THAT OUT THERE FOR CONSIDERATION TO PUT IT ON.
IT WOULD SEEM MORE APPROPRIATE AUGUST AGENDA.
I THINK JULY'S AGENDA IS COLOMBIA PACKED WITH SOME DECISIONS AND POTENTIAL CLOSED SESSIONS.
UM, SO I JUST THOUGHT I'D PART OF THE PROCESS IS TO TRY TO KEEP YOU ALL FORM OR LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ABOUT WHAT THE STATE AND SERVICES PROVIDE AND DETERMINISM AND HOW IT ALL FILTERS SOUND.
SO IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT, LIKE TO DO, ADD IT TO ONE OF OUR AGENDA, AND THEN, UM, THE JOINT TOURISM COMMITTEE, UH, CHAIRMAN, I HAVEN'T FOLLOWED UP, BUT I NOTED THAT YOU REQUESTED A, UM, A MARKET REPORT OF, UH, OF WHAT'S GOING ON ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND I KNOW YOU REMINDED ME, SO I'LL TRY TO GET THAT AS OUR JULY MEETING.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SHARE THAT ANYBODY ELSE, UH, EVERY MEETING, I'LL JUST REMIND YOU GUYS THAT THE FESTIVAL LEAVES IS COMING BACK
[01:45:01]
AND, UH, IT'LL BE HERE OCTOBER 14.UH, AND, UH, THERE'S A COMMITTEE THAT MEETS EVERY TWO WEEKS.
ANYBODY WANTS TO BE ON IT, LET ME KNOW.
AND I'LL GET YOU ON THE EMAIL LIST ON THE FRIDAY NIGHT.
UM, THERE'LL BE A, WE'LL HAVE A, UH, BAND, UH, DOWN AT THE GAZEBO.
AND ALSO TONIGHT IS A KICKOFF FOR THE BAND BECAUSE HE BUILT TO TONIGHT.
YEAH, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE HERE.
UH, ONE MORE THING IS, UH, ALL OF OUR NOTES, BUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UH, AS FAR AS, SINCE THINNING THAT WARREN IS HE, IS THERE A DEADLINE WHERE SHE WANTED IT BACK LAST WEEK, LAST WEEK, SHE HAD SAID THAT I HAD TO MEET WITH HER REAL QUICK SO I CAN FINISH IT.
SHE DOWNSTAIRS SHE'S, SHE'S A TRADER RIGHT NOW, BUT I MEAN JUST SAID, I JUST SAID, OKAY, SO THE TERM, THAT'S ALL I WANT.
THAT'S ONE THING SATURDAY NIGHT CARDINAL'S GAME, IT'S GOING TO BE LITERALLY IGNITE.
SO GREEN AND GROUND SPONSORED ALL THE LITTLE LEAGUERS TO COME OUT.
UM, BUT IF YOU HAVE KIDS, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY WITH KIDS, THEY'RE GOING TO BE FREE ICE CREAM, FREE HOT DOGS, FREE SODAS.
UM, THEY'RE DOING T-SHIRTS BARBECUE SANDWICHES AND IT'S ALL FREE.
SO LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS ALL GAVE ME MONEY AND I BASICALLY JUST BOUGHT THE WHOLE NIGHT OUT.
AND, AND SO JUST BRING YOUR KIDS, BRING YOUR FAMILIES.
SO, AND WHEN, I MEAN, SELL IT OUT, ME, FILL IT, MAKE PEOPLE COME GET THOSE SANDWICHES.
CAUSE I'VE GOT A HUNDRED BARBECUE SANDWICHES AND ALMOST 500 HOTDOGS THAT I'M TRYING TO GIVE AWAY SATURDAY.
YOU ALL KNOW, UM, THE TOWN, THEY HAVE AN, A, UH, RESPONSE ROOM, UM, UH, FIREWORKS ON, ON JULY 3RD.
AND, UH, IT'S PRETTY IT'S TO BE PRETTY AWESOME.
UH, THE TOWN SPONSORING HALF OF IT, WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, GET SPONSORS FOR ANOTHER $7,500, BUT IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE A, A GREAT, GREAT THE FIREWORK.
IT'S GOING TO BE AT THE, UH, NEAR THE, THE STADIUM AND PUBLIC WORKS.
I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO LIGHT THE PLACE UP.
SO IF YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO WANTS TO HELP SPONSOR, BUT LET US KNOW JULY 3RD, I LOVE FIREWORKS LAST YEAR WAS GOING TO WAIT UNTIL THIS YEAR.
ANYTHING ELSE? I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
DO WE HAVE TO ROLL CALL? OKAY.
MAKE THE MOTION ALL IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.