Feb 27, 2023 Town Council

FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A MOMENT OF SILENCE.

I WANNA CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH.

TO ORDER OUR

[1. MOMENT OF SILENCE]

I'M GONNA, UH, ASK, UH, INVITE YOU ALL TO OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND HUMBLY REQUEST THAT YOU INCLUDE THIS COUNCIL AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR PRAYERS.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO INCLUDE THE FAMILY OF RETIRED POLICE CHIEF RICHARD FURR, WHO PASSED AWAY EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON.

HE SERVED AND PROTECTED OUR COMMUNITY FOR 30 YEARS BEFORE RETIRING IN 2012.

SO OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE OUT ABOUT TO HIS FAMILY.

OF BUSINESS IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

OUR NEXT ORDER

[2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]

UM, AS YOU KNOW, DURING MY TERM AS MAYOR, I'M INVITING STUDENTS FROM THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TO LEAD OUR COUNCIL IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

AND THIS MONTH WE WELCOME RYAN WILLIAMS. SO, RYAN, CAN YOU COME FORWARD AS RYAN IS COMING FORWARD? I'D, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT RYAN IS THE SON OF KAREN AND JARED WILLIAMS. I'VE KNOWN AS MOTHER KAREN FOR A VERY LONG TIME, HAVING HAD THE PLEASURE OF TEACHING KAREN IN FOURTH GRADE AT LK.

UH, KAREN ALSO HAS WORKED FOR THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL FOR 10 YEARS AND CURRENTLY HOLDS THE POSITION OF PUBLIC WORKS OPERATIONS COORDINATOR.

RYAN IS A SOPHOMORE AT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL.

RYAN IS A TWO YEAR VARSITY STARTER ON THE SKYLINE WRESTLING TEAM.

HE WRESTLED IN THE 1 26 WEIGHT CLASS THIS YEAR AND PLACED SECOND AT REGIONALS.

RYAN'S FAVORITE CLASSES ARE HISTORY AND AUTOMOTIVES.

I UNDERSTAND HE'S TRYING TO DECIDE WHICH, UH, TRADE TO CHOOSE FOR HIS FUTURE.

RYAN IS SHARING HIS PASSION FOR WRESTLING WITH THE YOUTH AND SERVING AS A VOLUNTEER COACH WITH THE FRONT ROW WRESTLING CLUBS.

RYAN ALSO VOLUNTEERS WITH FRONT ROW LITTLE LEAGUE ASSISTING, UH, COACHES AND UMPIRING AND RYAN'S HOBBIES ARE HUNTING AND FISHING.

I KNOW QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THAT MIGHT ENJOY THAT AS WELL.

SO, RYAN SELECTED HIS GIFT CARD FROM SPLUNKERS FOR TONIGHT.

UH, SO RYAN, ARE YOU READY? YES, MA'AM.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.

AND RYAN, I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU.

COME ON NOW.

SHE'LL COME RIGHT THERE, RYAN.

[3. ROLL CALL]

COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS? HERE.

MS. PRESLEY, ARE WE READY FOR A ROLL CALL? MAYOR COCKRELL.

HERE.

COUNCILWOMAN.

D DEMONACO PAYNE? HERE.

COUNCILMAN INGRAM? HERE.

COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? HERE.

COUNCILMAN ROGERS.

HERE.

VICE MAYOR SEAK HERE.

NUMBER

[4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

FOUR.

UM, ON OUR AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.

DO I HEAR A MOTION? MADAM MAYOR? I MOVE THAT.

COUNSEL, APPROVE THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF JANUARY 23RD, 2023 AND WORK SESSION MINUTES OF FEBRUARY 13TH, 2023 AS PRESENTED.

SECOND.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MINUTES? ANYBODY WANNA ADD OR? OKAY.

MR. PRESLEY, CAN WE HAVE A ROLL CALL? COUNCILWOMAN DE TO MONICA PAYNE.

ABSTAIN.

JUST FOR, UM, THE PUBLIC'S KNOWLEDGE, UH, MS. UH, COUNCILWOMAN DE DOCO PAYIN WAS NOT AT ALL OF THOSE, UH, MEETINGS.

SO ABSTAINING FROM THE MINUTES IS, WAS THE APPROPRIATE THING TO DO.

NUMBER FIVE, ARE THERE ANY ADDITION OR DELETIONS OF ITEMS FROM THE AGENDA? YES, MADAM MAYOR, I WOULD MOVE THAT COUNCIL,

SO,

[5. ADDITION/DELETION OF ITEMS FROM THE AGENDA]

[00:05:02]

UM, TAKE BUSINESS.

ITEM 11, UM, 11 A 11 A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING TEAM IS 2023.

DISTRICT AND REGIONAL WRESTLING CHAMPIONS.

AND ADD THAT UNDER NUMBER SIX.

RECOGNITIONS AWARDS, REPORTS, AND PRESENTATIONS.

UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, ANYTHING FOR DISCUSSION? SO EVERY, ALL RIGHT.

SO WE HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE FOR THAT.

MM-HMM.

COUNCILWOMAN D DOCO PAYNE? YES.

COUNCILMAN RAPAPORT? YES.

WE WILL START OFF WITH, UM, THE RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL'S WRESTLING TEAM.

SO NUMBER SIX IS OUR RECOGNITIONS AWARDS, REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS.

AND I BELIEVE THAT

[11.A. Resolution recognizing Skyline High School Wrestling Team as 2023 District and Regional Wrestling Champions]

UM, AND SO I WILL NEED, UM, MS. PRESLEY, IF YOU CAN READ THE SUMMARY FOR US.

COUNCILMAN ROGERS HAS REQUESTED THAT COUNCIL APPROVE A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZED IN SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING TEAM ON THEIR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE REGION THREE B DISTRICT AND REGIONAL WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP AS PRESENTED.

DO I HEAR A MOTION, MADAM MAYOR? I MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPROVE A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING TEAM ON THEIR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE REGION THREE B DISTRICT AND REGIONAL WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP AS PRESENTED SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? WE'RE GONNA BE READING A RESOLUTION HERE IN A MOMENT.

SO, UM, MS. PRESLEY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A, UH, VOTE AND ROLL.

CALL.

COUNCILWOMAN D DEMO PAYNE.

UH, THIS SENIOR GROUP ESPECIALLY, UH, HAS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TO WHAT WE DO.

AT THIS TIME, I'M GONNA ASK COACH SIMONS, UH, TO COME FORWARD AND ALSO ANY TEAM MEMBERS OR ASSISTANT COACHES THAT WOULD LIKE TO JOIN HIM.

UM, ALL ALL OF YOU.

ALL OF YOU.

THIS IS NOT AN ALL OR NONE.

THIS IS EVERYBODY .

SO THAT'S WHERE HALF THE AUDIENCE CAME FROM.

THANK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.

SO I'M GONNA READ THIS RESOLUTION.

THIS IS A RESOLUTION OF RECOGNITION FOR THE SKYLINE HAWKS SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL HAWKS WRESTLING TEAM, THEIR 2023 DISTRICT AND REGIONAL WRESTLING CHAMPIONS.

WHEREAS THE SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL HAWKS WRESTLING TEAM WON THEIR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE REGION THREE B TOURNAMENT ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH, 2023 AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.

AND WHEREAS THE HAWKS EARNED THEIR TITLE BY PLACING 11 OF THEIR 13 WRESTLERS INTO THE CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS.

AND WHEREAS THE HAWKS ARE COACHED AND LED BY KYLE SIMONS AND HIS ASSISTANT COACHES, WHOSE TEAM IS RECOGNIZED AS THE ONLY TEAM IN THE AREA WHO HAS WON FOR STRAIGHT REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS.

AND THEIR GOAL WAS TO BE THE FIRST, AND THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED.

AND NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE MAYOR AND THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL RECOGNIZE AND CONGRATULATE THE SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL HAWKS WRESTLING TEAM FOR THEIR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE REGION, THREE B DISTRICT AND REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP, AND BEING THE FIRST TO DO SO IN THE AREA.

UH, WE JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, MAYOR AND, UH, TOWN COUNCIL.

UH, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THE TYPE OF SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE, UH, FOR THIS GROUP.

UM, MORGAN LAYMAN, ALSO, THIS PAST SATURDAY, SHE WON, UH, ONE, SHE'S ONE OF THE FIRST, UH, GIRLS STATE CHAMPIONS IN VHSL HISTORY.

UM, WOO.

THIS, UH, THIS GROUP ALSO AS A WHOLE, UH, NOT JUST, UH, DISTRICTS AND REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS, UH, WITHIN THEIR FOUR YEARS, WE'VE FINISHED THIRD OF THE STATE TOURNAMENT TWICE AND SECOND OF THE STATE TOURNAMENT TWICE.

AND,

[00:10:01]

UH, PHOENIX ALLEY, A HUNTER SOLOMON, UH, DUSTIN GU, PEYTON CARTER, AND, UH, DONOVAN PORTER.

UH, THOSE GUYS HAVE BEEN A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO NOW FOR FOUR YEARS.

UH, ALL OR FOUR OF THOSE FIVE WILL BE, UH, COMPETING AT THE NEXT LEVEL.

THREE OF THOSE WILL BE AT THE DIVISION ONE LEVEL.

UH, A COUPLE OF 'EM STILL GOTTA FIGURE OUT, UH, WHICH SCHOOL THAT'LL BE AT, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE PRETTY WELL SET.

SO, UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU GUYS.

UH, IT'S AN HONOR TO REPRESENT A COMMUNITY LIKE THIS THAT, UH, IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE ATHLETICS AND THE WORK THAT THESE GUYS PUT IN.

AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY DO A GREAT JOB, UH, NOT ONLY ON THE WRESTLING MAP, BUT ALSO BEING GOOD ROLE MODELS TO THE YOUTH, UM, WITHIN OUR WRESTLING CLUB ESPECIALLY, BUT ALSO IN GENERAL.

SO, UM, THANK YOU GUYS.

MUCH APPRECIATE COACH.

[6. RECOGNITIONS/AWARDS/REPORTS/PRESENTATIONS]

ALSO AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY OUR TOWN MANAGER, JOE WALTZ.

UH, THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UH, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK MARY ALLEN LYNN TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE.

TONIGHT, I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND RECOGNIZE A TRUE PUBLIC SERVANT WHO HAS STEPPED UP TO SERVE IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE HERE AT THE TOWN.

UM, MS. LYNN ASSUMED THE DUTIES OF DIRECTOR OF ENERGY SERVICES ON AN INTERIM BASIS LAST YEAR.

UM, AT THE TIME, SHE HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS INTERIM POSITION WOULD LAST A YEAR WHILE THE TOWN SOUGHT A REPLACEMENT.

BUT I WANTED TO TAKE THIS TIME TO SAY THAT MS. LYNN TOOK THIS ROLE WITH ENTHUSIASM AND DEDICATION TO PROMOTE THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF THE DEPARTMENT.

SHE PROVIDED THE NECESSARY LEADERSHIP AND DIRECTION TO SUPPORT THE SUCCESSFUL OPERATION OF OUR ELECTRIC SYSTEM.

HER LEADERSHIP SKILLS WERE DISPLAYED ON VARIOUS LEVELS WITH DIRECT SUPERVISION TO TALKING WITH CONSUMERS ABOUT THEIR CONCERNS AND ISSUES.

WHILE THIS INTERIM POSITION LASTED LONGER THAN EXPECTED, SHE NEVER STOPPED MOVING US FORWARD.

AND THAT IS IMPORTANT.

THIS DEDICATION AND EFFORT IS AT THE CORE OF OUR PURPOSE TO SERVE OUR CITIZENS AND NEEDS TO BE RECOGNIZED.

I WANT ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DID AND CONTINUE TO DO.

AND I ALSO WANT TO JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY WHAT THIS SAYS HERE, BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY, UH, IT SAYS, A, A LEADER STANDS OUT BY THE NATURE OF ONE'S COMMITMENT AND INTEGRITY OF ONE'S CHARACTER.

THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I'M NOT GONNA THANK YOU MARY ELLEN.

I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY MARY ELLEN TOO, FROM COUNCIL FORMER COUNCIL.

I KNOW WE CERTAINLY THREW LOTS OF QUESTIONS YOUR WAY, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

IT WAS A, IT WAS QUITE WELL, I'LL, I'LL, YES, PLEASE, .

UM, I JUST WANTED, I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THAT ACROSS THE INDUSTRY, IT WAS A REALLY WILD YEAR, UM, WITH SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES THAT WE FACED.

AND I KNOW A COUPLE OF YOU WENT ON THE JOURNEY OF WHAT THE WHOLESALE POWER MARKET VOLATILITY DID FOR US, UH, ALONG WITH ME.

BUT REALLY, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WE HAVE A REALLY AMAZING TEAM.

THIS, I GUESS I'M INSPIRED BY THIS WRESTLING TEAM, BUT WE HAVE SUCH AN AMAZING TEAM OVER AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SERVICES.

AND SO THIS RECOGNITION IS WONDERFUL, BUT I'M GONNA SHARE IT WITH THEM TOO, BECAUSE I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT 'EM.

[00:15:01]

IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO START OFF WITH ALL THAT PAUSE.

NOW COME TO THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THE AGENDA.

SO WE

[7.A. Special Use Permit for a Ground Floor Dwelling Unit at 437 S. Royal Avenue Submitted by Barbara Samuels]

PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNSEL TO LEARN OF INFORMATION OF WHICH THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY AWARE.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE RECOGNIZED, THEN COME FORWARD TO THE MICROPHONE AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.

IF THE COMMENTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE, YOU MAY SIMPLY SAY THAT YOU AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER.

THERE IS A THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR SPEAKERS.

UM, THE PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT IS FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR A GROUND FLOOR DWELLING UNIT AT 4 37 SOUTH ROYAL AVENUE, SUBMITTED BY BARBARA SAMUELS.

UH, TINA, COULD YOU READ THE SUMMARY, PLEASE, OR MS. PRESLEY? SORRY.

COUNSEL'S RECEIVED A REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT SUBMITTED BY BARBARA SAMUELS SAMUELS FOR A GROUND FLOOR DWELLING UNIT AT 4 37 SOUTH ROYAL AVENUE.

THE PROPERTY IS ZONED C DASH ONE COMMUNITY BUSINESS DISTRICT.

THE FIRST FLOOR OF THIS PROPERTY WAS PREVIOUSLY USED AS BUSINESS OFFICES.

THERE IS CURRENTLY ONE DWELLING UNIT ON THE UPPER FLOOR.

THE REMAINDER OF THE SPACE WILL CONTINUE TO BE USED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.

LETTERS TO ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS WERE MAILED FEBRUARY 17TH, 2023, ADVISING THEM OF TONIGHT'S PUBLIC HEARING STAFF.

AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT UPON THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.

THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS ONLY AUTHORIZED FROM ONE GROUND FLOOR DWELLING UNIT TO BE LOCATED AT 4 37 SOUTH WORLD AVENUE.

NUMBER TWO, THE EXISTING PARKING LOT SHALL BE STRIPED TO PROVIDE THE APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF FINAL ZONING COMPLIANCE.

NUMBER THREE, STAFF SHALL INSPECT THE PROPERTY PRIOR TO THE ISSUANCE OF FINAL ZONING COM ZONING COMPLIANCE TO ENSURE THE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ARE LIMITED TO ONE GROUND FLOOR DWELLING UNIT.

AND NUMBER FOUR, UPON INSPECTION OF THE PROPERTY, IF IT IS FOUND THAT THE PROPERTY IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH LOCAL REGULATIONS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE CONDITIONS OF THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT, THE TOWN MAY REVOKE THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT AFTER NOTICE TO THE APPLICANT AND PUBLIC HEARING.

NO, WE HAVE NO ONE SIGNED UP.

IS THERE ANYONE HERE THAT, UH, I'M GONNA CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN AFTER COUNCIL? I YOUR MOTION, MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPROVE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT SUBMITTED BY BARBARA SAMUELS FOR A GROUND FLOOR DWELLING UNIT AT 4 37 SOUTH ROYAL AVENUE TAX MAP, 20 A SEVEN DASH THREE DASH 10 UPON THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.

ONE.

THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS ONLY AUTHORIZED FOR ONE GROUND, GROUND FLOOR DWELLING UNIT TO BE LOCATED AT 4 37 SOUTH ROYAL AVENUE.

TWO, THE EXISTING PARKING LOT SHALL BE STRIPED TO PROVIDE THE APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF FINAL ZONING COMPLIANCE.

THREE STAFF SHALL INSPECT THE PROPERTY PRIOR TO THE ISSUANCE OF FINAL ZONING COMPLIANCE TO ENSURE THE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ARE LIMITED TO ONE GROUND FLOOR DWELLING UNIT.

FOUR.

UPON INSPECTION OF THE PROPERTY, IF IT IS FOUND THAT THE PROPERTY IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH LOCAL REGULATIONS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED, TWO, THE CONDITIONS OF THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT, THE TOWN MAY REVOKE THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT AFTER NOTICE TO THE APPLICANT AND PUBLIC HEARING.

DO I HEAR A SECOND? SECOND.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

SO I'M GOING TO OPEN THIS UP.

UH, IS THERE ANYTHING COUNSEL WOULD LIKE TO ADD QUESTION? HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANTS OR NO? ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THEN I'D SAY IT'S TIME FOR US TO TAKE A VOTE.

COUNCILWOMAN DE TO MONICA PAYNE? YES.

NOW WE'RE MOVING ON TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.

UH,

[8. PUBLIC COMMENTS NOT RELATED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS]

SO THIS IS OUR PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION OF THE AGENDA.

UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, UM, MS. PRESLEY HAS, UM, ALREADY COLLECTED NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO SPEAK.

WE CAN CERTAINLY ADD TO THAT.

UM, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE RECOGNIZED, THEN COME FORWARD TO THE MICROPHONE AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.

PUBLIC COMMENTS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING REASONABLE RESTRICTIONS.

THERE'S A THREE MINUTE, UH, TIME LIMIT.

THE SPEAKER'S COMMENTS SHALL BE RELEVANT TO THE BUSINESS OF THE COUNCIL AND DIRECTED TO THE COUNCIL.

THE SPEAKER'S COMMENTS DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS SHALL NOT ADDRESS THE SUBJECT MATTER OF A PUBLIC HEARING BEING HELD DURING THE SAME MEETING.

UH, THERE WILL BE NO PERSONAL ATTACKS IN

[00:20:01]

DECS LANGUAGE OR DISPLAY OF SIGNS, PLACARDS, POSTERS, OR OTHER DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT OR DISPLAY.

UM, MS. PRESLEY, UH, HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE 10.

SO WE WILL START WITH WHO'S OUR FIRST PERSON? OKAY.

JOHN LUNDBERG.

MY NAME IS JOHN LUNDBERG.

I LIVE AT 2 0 3 PEACHTREE COURT HERE IN FRONT ROYAL.

I WISH TO VOICE AN OPINION TONIGHT ON AN ACTION AGENDA.

ITEM THAT I UNDERSTAND WON'T BE DISCUSSED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL UNTIL NEXT MONTH AT THE EARLIEST.

THE ACTION AGENDA ITEM OF WHICH I SPEAK IS A REQUEST FROM A LOCAL PROPERTY OWNER TO REZONE A 35 ACRE PARCEL OF LAND FROM ONE HOUSE PER ACRE TO THREE HOUSES PER ACRE.

SO WE CAN BUILD A 135 HOME HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.

THAT DEVELOPMENT WILL BE BUILT NORTH OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS AT THE INTERSECTION OF SHENANDOAH SHORES ROAD AND HAPPY CREEK ROAD, ALREADY LANDLOCKED.

NINE TIMES A DAY WHEN A TRAIN IS PASSING THROUGH ON THE TRACKS OVER THAT INTERSECTION, THE TRAFFIC BACKUPS, WHICH ARE GETTING LONGER AND LONGER ARE A TICKING TIME BOMB, BECAUSE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, SOMEBODY IS GOING TO DIE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

A PREGNANT MOTHER WITH A DIFFICULT DELIVERY OR A GRANDFATHER WHO HAS JUST SUFFERED A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK IS GOING TO PASS AWAY WHILE WAITING FOR TRAFFIC CAUSED BY WHAT STUCK IN TRAFFIC WHILE WAITING FOR THE TRAIN TO PASS.

THE OPINION I WISH TO VOICE TO THE TOWN COUNCIL TONIGHT ON THIS PROBLEM IS THIS, DON'T REZONE ANY LAND NORTH OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS, WHICH WILL CERTAINLY ADD TO TRAFFIC BACKUPS UNTIL THE FUNDING OF AN EAST WEST CONNECTOR HAS BEEN PUT IN WRITING BY THE TOWN COUNCIL, WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, DEVELOPERS, VDOT, ANY OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ALL WORKING TOGETHER.

LET ME REPEAT THAT LAST SENTENCE.

DON'T REZONE ANY LAND NORTH OF THE RAILROAD TAX, WHICH WILL CERTAINLY ADD TO THE TRAFFIC BACKUPS UNTIL THE FUNDING OF AN EASTWEST CONNECTOR HAS BEEN PUT IN WRITING BY THE TOWN COUNCIL, WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, DEVELOPERS, VIDO, AND ANY OTHER STAKEHOLDERS ALL WORKING TOGETHER.

MY FINAL SENTENCE IS THIS, THIS IS THE BEST SOLU SOLUTION TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM DYING WHILE WAITING FOR A MOVING TRAIN TO PASS, OR FOR A TRAIN THAT HAS, HAS BEEN DELIBERATELY PARKED ON THE TRACKS FOR HOURS BECAUSE OF A LABOR DISPUTE TO BE CLEARED FROM THAT INTERSECTION.

AND LET ME REPEAT THAT SENTENCE AGAIN.

THIS IS THE BEST SOLUTION TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM DYING WHILE WAITING FOR A MOVING TRAIN TO PASS, OR FOR A TRAIN THAT'S BEEN DELIBERATELY PARKED AT THAT INTERSECTION AS A RESULT OF A LABOR DISPUTE TO BE CLEARED FROM THE INTERSECTION.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING.

THANK YOU, JUDGE.

THANK YOU, MS. PRESLEY.

UM, WHO WOULD BE NEXT? CONNIE MAR MAR.

CONNIE NER.

AS TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVES.

I'M CONNIE NER.

I'M, UH, LIVE AT 8 0 4 RODNEY AVENUE, AND I JUST CAME TONIGHT TO COMMEND THE TOWN COUNCIL AND THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR TAKING THE FIRST REAL STEP TOWARD FINDING A SOLUTION TO THE VERY SERIOUS TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM.

THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER ACTUALLY JUST ALLUDED TO, UM, THE FRONT ROW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

THE VERSION DATED NOVEMBER 30TH, 2022, ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF TOWN, THERE IS A LARGE AMOUNT OF MOSTLY VACANT LAND AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A VARIETY OF HOUSING TYPES.

THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN NOTES THAT THE CURRENT UNDEVELOPED QUOTE UNQUOTE, STATE OF THE FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK IN THIS AREA ALONG 6 0 6 AKA SHENANDOAH SHORES ROAD, AN ACTION STRATEGY IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SEEKS TO ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDUSTRIAL PARK AND THE HAPPY CREEK TECHNOLOGY PARK IN ORDER TO GENERATE JOBS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE HAVE HERE TO, FOR BEEN STYMIED BY LACK OF ACCESSIBILITY.

AND THE PLAN ALSO ENCOURAGES THE EMPHASIZES, I SHOULD SAY, THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTHEAST AREA OF TOWN THAT SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED AS TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVES.

AND I EMPHASIZE THAT

[00:25:01]

DURING THE RECENT PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THAT PROPOSED REZONING, UH, APPLICATION ALONG 6 0 6, UH, THE VOICE OF MANY CITIZENS WAS HEARD COMING IN PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION EXPRESSING DEEP CONCERNS ABOUT THE THREAT OF THE POTENTIAL THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE CURRENTLY FREQUENTLY LANDLOCKED CONDITION OF 6 0 6.

WHENEVER A TRAIN BLOCKS THE ONLY EXIT OUT OF THE SHENANDOAH SHORES AND INDUSTRIAL PARK SUBDIVISION, UH, BECAUSE SHENANDOAH SHORES IS IN THE COUNTY, THIS IS A JOINT PROBLEM.

AND THE RECENT DISASTER IN OHIO HAS ONLY INCREASED THE CONCERN OF A POTENTIAL HUMAN TRAGEDY HERE BECAUSE OF ANOTHER NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD CROSSING.

UM, AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, PUBLIC HEARING, PUBLIC COMMENTS, NUMEROUS PEOPLE MENTIONED THAT THERE HAS BEEN TALK ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR DECADES.

UH, ONE MAN SAID THEY'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR 30 YEARS.

UM, BUT THAT NO CONCRETE STEPS HAVE EVER BEEN TAKEN BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE BECAUSE Y'ALL HAVE DONE SOMETHING.

THE TOWN COUNCIL AND THE WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAVE RECENTLY CREATED A TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE THAT IS EXACTLY A FIRST STEP.

UH, THE TOWN, THE COUNTY, ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS ALONG 6 0 6 NOW HAVE AN OFFICIAL PATH TO COLLABORATION, TO FIND A WAY TO UNDERTAKE THE RESEARCH, PLANNING, DESIGN, AND FUNDRAISING, UH, TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.

IT WILL BE A LONG PROCESS, AND IT WILL REQUIRE THE COMMITMENT OF RESOURCES EVEN TO BEGIN THE PROCESS.

BUT 30 YEARS HAS BEEN LONG ENOUGH TO TALK ABOUT IT, AND IT IS VERY GRATIFYING, UH, TO SEE ACTION BEING TAKEN TO BEGIN TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM BEFORE A HUMANITARIAN DISASTER OCCURS.

AND SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO MY LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM AND TAKING A STEP.

AND I KNOW PEOPLE DON'T USUALLY COME TO SAY SOMETHING POSITIVE, SO I WANTED TO DO THAT.

DOWN THERE IN HIS BACKYARD WITH, WITH HIS VEHICLE.

GET CARD, MS. PRESLEY.

GLENN WOOD.

THIS IS PLAIN.

GOOD EVENING, MADAME MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCILMAN AND WOMEN.

I'M GLENN WOOD OF 1269 KESSLER ROAD, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN ABOUT THE REZONING REQUEST FOR THE A HUNDRED AND THIRTY FOUR THIRTY FIVE HOUSES.

YOU'RE GONNA BE CONSIDERING, UM, THE REQUEST BY TOMS AND I BELIEVE NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOMES THAT, UH, WILL IMPACT THE SOUTHERN SHORES ROAD.

FIRST OF ALL, I CONCUR WITH WHAT MS. NER HAS ALREADY PRESENTED.

I DON'T NEED TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS FURTHER DOWN IT THAN I AM.

HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR, UH, RESIDENTS SHOULD BE, SHOULD BE OUR TOP CONCERN, OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLANS BUILT ON IT.

I WAS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION WELL OVER 12 YEARS AGO WHEN THE REZONING OF DAVE ROSA'S FRONT ROW LIMITED PARTNERSHIP WAS APPROVED AND A FRIENDLY ANNEXATION BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN TOOK PLACE.

UM, THAT WAS A, A FIRST, UH, THE REZONING REQUIRED THE, UM, APPLICANT TO BUILD PART OF THE EAST AND WEST, UM, CONNECTOR ROAD FROM SHANDO SHORES ROAD TO MANASAS AVENUE.

AND THIS IS GONNA BRING A, A MUCH NEEDED HOUSING TO OUR COMMUNITY AND, UH, BEGIN THE PROCESS OF SOLVING THE LANDLOCKED SHONDRA SHORES ROAD IN MARY SHADYS LANE, WHO WE HAVEN'T MENTIONED.

BUT WHEN THE TRAINS ARE, IT LOCKS THEM AS WELL.

HERE WE ARE 13 YEARS LATER, AND WE HAVE NO HOUSING, NOR AS THE PROPOSED ROAD BEEN STARTED.

MEANWHILE, THE PROBLEM'S GOTTEN WORSE.

THE PROBLEM WASN'T CREATED OVERNIGHT AND ISN'T JUST THE COUNCIL'S RESPONSIBILITY TO SOLVE THE LOAN, AS WE KNOW, THE INLAND PORT'S GROWN AND THE RAILROAD WAS ALLOWED TO DOUBLE THE TRACKS, UH, COMING INTO OUR TOWN ON THE WAY TO THE PORT.

THESE ARE ALL SIGNS OF PROGRESS.

BUT THE DOWNSIDE MEANT THERE WOULD BE MORE TRAINS, THEREFORE MORE BLOCKAGE OF THE INTERSECTIONS ON HAPPY CREEK AND ASHEVILLE SHORES ROAD CAUSING BACKUPS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRACK.

BUT WHILE THOSE ON HAPPY CREEK ROAD MAY HAVE AN OPTION TO GET ONLINE AND, AND CURTAIL THEIR ACTIVITIES, UH, THOSE ON SHEOR SHORES, UH, THOSE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OUT THERE DO NOT.

WHY THE FLOWER AT HAPPY CREEK ROAD, UH, WAS NOT COMPLETED WITH LEACH'S RUN PARKWAY.

[00:30:01]

I DON'T KNOW.

I SUSPECT, UM, MONEY HAD A LOT TO DO WITH IT.

BDOT HAS SAID AND DOCUMENTS TO OUR TOWN THAT, UM, THE PARKWAY WAS ACTUALLY RELOCATED FURTHER WEST, UH, FOR A FLOWER.

SO THEY DID NOT WANT TO ALIGN IT WITH THE CURRENT INTERSECTION OF SH THE SHANDOR SHORES INTERSECTION.

SO IT WAS MOVED TO THE LEFT.

NOW THAT RE LEACH'S RUN IS COMPLETE.

YOU'RE RECEIVING REZONING APPLICATIONS TO ALLOW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ALONG.

AND THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE WE DO NEED HOUSING AND THE ROAD SYSTEMS THERE.

SHOR SHORES ROAD IS NOT, THE QUESTION IS, SHOULD WE MAKE THE TRAFFIC AND SAFETY ISSUE WORSE BY ALLOWING MORE HOUSES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRUCK? PLEASE DON'T PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE.

I CALL ON THE COUNCIL AND THE PARTNER WITH THE WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, THE FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE AN INDUSTRIAL PARK OUT THERE TOO.

THE INLAND PORT, WHO MANY FEEL HAS CREATED THE PROBLEM, NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD AND BDO, TO WORK TOGETHER TO RESOLVE THIS DANGEROUS LIFE AND PROPERTY THREATENING SITUATION.

I UNDERSTAND THAT A TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE THEN INCLUDES SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS AND BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEMBERS HAVE STARTED MEETING TO ADDRESS THE COMMUNITY TRANSPORTATION NEEDS.

AND I APPLAUD THIS NEW SPIRIT OF COOPERATION AND HOPE THEY WILL SOON INCLUDE MEMBERS OF THOSE OTHER AGENCIES TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO THIS COMMUNITY'S SAFETY ISSUE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

INTENTION.

THANK YOU, MR. WOOD.

MS. PRESLEY, WADE HOLLOWAY.

HEY, I'M WADE HOLLOWAY, AS YOU KNOW OR NOT KNOW, MY BROTHER'S CHRIS HOLLOWAY, FORMER TOWN COUNCIL AND FORMER, UH, MAYOR.

AND, UM, I STARTED THIS PROCESS ABOUT, WELL, I STARTED THE SURVEY OVER TWO, UH, STARTED THAT ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.

IT TOOK THAT LONG TO GET IT FOR THE ALLEYWAY.

AND UM, I TURNED AROUND AND IT TOOK, UM, AND I ASKED A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHO WAS AGAINST AND WHO WASN'T.

I APPROACHED MR. WOODWARD THAT LIVES DIRECTLY BEHIND ME.

AND HE ACTUALLY SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME, HE WAS FINE WITH IT, THEN HE WENT BACK AGAINST IT AND SAID HE WASN'T FINE WITH IT.

AND HE WAS, AND HE WASN'T.

SO I STOPPED DOWN BY MR. EARHART'S HOUSE ONE DAY, AND, UH, HE SAID, WELL, MOST OF THE PEOPLE THERE DON'T KNOW.

THERE WAS AN ALLEY THERE.

AND I WAS LIKE, HIS EXACT WORDS, QUOTE UNQUOTE, OR HOWEVER YOU WANT TO GO, IS THAT HE SAID THAT HE DIDN'T CARE IF I GOT IT OR NOT.

IF I GOT IT, HE WOULD JUST BLOCK OFF THE TOP WAY TO PULL INTO THE BACK OF THE ALLEY.

NOW, I'VE BEEN MOWING THE GRASS THERE FOR OVER 30 YEARS.

I DIDN'T SPEAK LAST TIME CAUSE I DIDN'T THINK I'D HAD TO.

BUT AFTER SEEING, YOU KNOW, THEM, THEM THROWING SUCH A BIG RIFF ABOUT IT, I FIGURED THAT I'M THE ONE THAT'S MOWED IT.

I'VE MAINTAINED IT ALONG WITH MY FATHER, DONE FOR MANY YEARS.

AND THEN, AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN TO, SO IT, IT HASN'T HAPPENED SINCE RECENTLY WHEN I WAS MOWING IT OR WHEN I SHOWED THE, UM, THE EFFORT ABOUT BUYING IT OR BEGINNING IT VACATED THAT MR. WOODWARD DECIDES TO DRIVE HIM DOWN THE ALLEY.

NO, AIN'T NOBODY DROVE UP AND DOWN THE ALLEY AT ALL IN A LONG TIME.

YOU KNOW, LAST TIME, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, DURING A WORK SESSION, CO COUNCILMAN MR. ROGERS SAID, I THINK IT WAS LIKE, UM, WHO TAKES CARE OF THE ALLEY LOOKS.

I BELIEVE THAT CHURCH TAKES CARE OF THE ALLEY.

I, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT LOOKS SO NICE.

BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, I, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, HE SAID, I BET THE CHURCH TAKES CARE OF IT.

WELL, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A BET THAT YOU WOULD'VE LOST.

UM, THE THING OF IT IS, IS THAT THERE WAS A MAN NAMED DANNY USED TO LIVE IN THE HOUSE, MR. WOODWARD LIVES IN NOW.

AND DANNY USED TO PULL ON EITHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE OF HIS THAT HE LIVED IN.

AND IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT REALLY BLOWS MY MIND.

NOW, I DID SAY I WAS GOING TO PROBABLY BUILD SOMETHING IN MY BACKYARD, BUT I HAD THE SPACE TO DO IT WITHOUT IT.

HOWEVER, I SAID I WAS GONNA PUT A FENCE UP, BUT THERE'S A SIX FOOT FENCE ALREADY THERE.

I WAS JUST MOVED IT BACK.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS LITTLE, WE USED TO RIDE MINI BIKES UP AND DOWN THE ALLEYWAY.

NEVER, NEVER NOTHING, NEVER CAME OF IT.

AND WE USED TO DO IT ALL THE TIME.

SO MY FATHER WOULD PARK UP IN THE ALLEYWAY PARK, THE TRUCK HERE, MANY, FOR MANY YEARS.

I MEAN, MANY YEARS.

NOBODY SAID NOTHING ABOUT IT.

SO ONE DAY, MY WIFE AND MY FATHER TAKES MY DOG TO THE VET FOR CHECKUP.

AND FOR SOME REASON HE P HE BECOMES, HE LEAVES A TRUCK IN THE ALLEY.

WELL, MR. WOODWARD IS

[00:35:01]

SO THEY ASSUME THAT MY FATHER IS AT THE HOUSE.

MR. EARHART AND THEM TRY TO CALL MY FATHER.

MY FATHER WASN'T THERE.

THEY INSISTED THAT MY FATHER WAS THERE.

HOWEVER, HE WASN'T, YOU KNOW, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT I'M WILLING TO PAY THE TOWN.

I TAKE CARE OF THE PROPERTY.

I NEVER BILLED YOU ALL FOR IT.

I'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, I REALLY, IF I DIDN'T TAKE CARE OF IT, IT WOULD LOOK LIKE THE OTHER HALF OF THE ALLEY GROWN UP.

ALL KINDS OF STUFF.

THERE WAS A HOMELESS PERSON LIVING DOWN THERE A COUPLE TIMES.

THERE'S BEEN TRASH DUMPED DOWN THERE.

SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET DUMPED STUFF BACK THERE.

BUT I MAINTAINED MY ALLEY.

SO I, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT IS IT THAT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, WHAT, WHAT'S THE I WAS GONNA PAVE IT.

Y'ALL WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HOW I WOULD'VE DONE IT.

I WAS GONNA RUN A TAKE ASPHALT UP THROUGH IT, PUT A LITTLE THING ON THE SIDE WHERE THE WATER RUNS DOWN.

I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

I WAS DOING THE, I WANNA DO THE TOWN JUSTICE ON THE ISLAND, BUT IT'S LIKE WHEN I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW BEFORE THAT, UM, I'M NOT USED TO SPEAKING THERE.

EVERYBODY LIKE THIS.

YOU GOTTA BEAR WITH ME.

I KNOW.

YOU KNOW, BUT WE, BUT I AM GONNA SAY, YEAH, YOU'RE DOING FINE.

JUST, BUT, BUT WRAPPING IT UP SOON, BUT GO AHEAD, SORRY.

WELL, YOU KNOW, UM, YEAH, I'VE, LIKE I SAID, I'VE MAINTAINED IT FOR MANY YEARS.

AND THE FACT IS, THEY SAID THEY HIRED SOMEBODY TO TAKE CARE OF IT.

THEY ONLY CUT BEHIND ME ONCE IN A WHILE.

AND THAT'S A FACT.

AND I'LL CONFRONT AND I'LL, AND I'LL, I'LL ADDRESS THAT.

IF THEY SAY ANYTHING THAT THEY WANNA SAY SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO TAKE, WE'VE BEEN DR THEY HAVE NOT, YOU CAN ASK ANY OF 'EM HOW, HOW MANY TIMES THEY USE IT.

AND FOR THE MOST PART OUT TO DUE RESPECT, MOST OF THE PEOPLE AT THE CHURCH ARE ELDERLY AND THEY CAN'T WALK DOWN THE ALLEY.

IT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE.

AND THEY, AND FOR THE MOST PART, I DON'T SEE HOW THEY EVEN KNOW, KNEW THAT THERE WAS AN ALLEY UNTIL I BROUGHT IT ALL UP.

EVERYTHING WAS FINE ABOUT THAT.

BUT I MEAN, NOW IT'S JUST LIKE WHEN I, WHEN I'M WILLING TO COME UP FRONT AND WILLING TO ASK THE COUNCIL TO VACATE THE ALLEY, I WOULD LIKE TO PAY.

THERE'S NO EMERGENCY VEHICLES WE'RE ABLE TO COME UP THROUGH THERE.

NOTHING EVER HAS FOR A LONG TIME.

LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR, I'VE BEEN MOWING THAT GRASS FOR A LONG TIME, AND I WEED EAT THAT PART, AND I MOW THE BACK PART.

AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.

MR. WOODWARD HAS PLENTY OF ROOM TO GO AROUND THE SIDE OF HIS HOUSE.

THAT'S A FACT.

BUT HOWEVER, HE, HE AND HE, HE JUST, HE ACTS LIKE, WELL, MISSY SAID, MR. HOLLOWAY, WHY DON'T YOU PUT A GATE UP SO I CAN HAVE ACCESS TO IT? IF I'M GOING TO DO THE GRUNT WORK AND GET EVERYTHING PREPARED, WHY SHOULD I, YOU KNOW, WHY SHOULD I SHARE? I MEAN, THE REALITY, WHY SHOULD I DO IT? I THINK THAT ME AND MY FAMILY'S BEEN DEALING WITH IT FOR OVER, WELL, I'M 52 YEARS OLD, SO I MEAN, I'VE BEEN THERE FOR, YOU KNOW, I USED TO GO TO THAT CHURCH.

I DON'T KNOW MORE, BUT I USED TO, IT'S REALLY COMICAL HOW MR. WOODWARD, FIRST OF ALL SAYS, I DON'T KNOW.

I DON'T KNOW YET.

NO.

BUT THEN HE DECIDES TO GO TO CHURCH WHEN HE'S LIVED THERE FOR TWO YEARS.

HE GOES TO CHURCH AND STARTS BUING UP.

MR. HOLLOWAY.

I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, WE PROBABLY, IT'S BEST IF WE JUST STICK, STICK TO THE FACTS AND NOT CALLING OUT OTHER PEOPLE NEIGHBORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO, OH, OKAY.

I, I, AND I, I'M JUST TRYING TO BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYBODY, BUT I UNDERSTAND, I I UNDERST I UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.

CERTAIN NEIGHBORS, CERTAIN COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE.

AND, AND ANOTHER THING, YOU ALL WERE SUPPOSED TO, UH, HIRE A NON-BIASED GROUP OF PEOPLE TO GO OUT AND LOOK AT THE ALLEY.

WELL, HOW IS THAT NON-BIASED? BECAUSE IF, WELL, I WAS TOLD THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE ALREADY HIRED BEFOREHAND.

YOU HAD MR. NORTH THAT WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER.

YOU ARE, YOU WORKED FOR THE SCHOOL.

WAS THAT CORRECT? I WORKED FOR THE, WHO'S MR. NORTH? UH, WASN'T THAT ONE OF THE GUYS THAT WENT OUT AND DID THE, UH, THE LOOK AT IT? NO, NO.

SIRT.

JAY CRAWFORD WASN'T ONE OF 'EM EITHER.

JAY CRAWFORD WAS, HE WORKS FOR THE TOWN.

HE WORKS FOR THE, TO ME, THAT'S A, THAT'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

HE DID WORK FOR THE TOWN.

BUT I STILL, THAT'S NON, NON-BIASED.

RIGHT, I UNDERSTAND.

AND HOW, AND, AND WE CAN ADDRESS THAT LATER.

MAYBE WE COULD ADDRESS, UH, THE VIEWING COMMITTEE, BUT WELL, HOW COME I WOULD NOW, DON'T Y'ALL, WAS Y'ALL SUPPOSED TO NOTIFY THE PEOPLE ABOUT THE MEETING TONIGHT? NO, YOU WASN'T.

NOT WE, UM, WE HAVE TO NOTIFY FOR A PUBLIC HEARING.

MM-HMM.

BUT TONIGHT WAS NOT THE PUBLIC HEARING.

THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS THE JANUARY MEETING.

SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE, UM, MS. PRESLEY, IS THAT CORRECT? WE DO NOT HAVE TO NOTIFY.

UM, THAT'S CORRECT.

IT'S NOT REQUIRED.

UM, MY NAME'S STEPHANIE HOLLOWAY.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE.

JUST THE PUBLIC HEARING'S REQUIRED.

OH REALLY, MR. HOLLOWAY, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE FOR COUNSEL TO KNOW BEFORE VOTING TONIGHT? OR, OR, OR FROM THE PUBLIC COMMENT? CUZ THERE WILL BE ACTION TAKEN LATER.

NOW I'LL LET MY WIFE FINISH THAT UP.

[00:40:03]

I LIVE AT ONE 17 WEST 12TH STREET.

I'M SORRY, WE WERE NOT PREPARED TO SHOW UP TONIGHT.

SO I ONLY HAVE BULLET POINTS I'M GONNA GO OFF OF AND TRY TO SKIM THROUGH 'EM REAL QUICK.

UM, BUT ME AND MY HUSBAND HAVE BEEN TOGETHER OVER 25 YEARS.

I'VE LIVED IN THE HOUSE WITH HIM SINCE THEN.

OBVIOUSLY HE'S LIVED IN THE SAME BETWEEN HIS PARENTS' HOUSE AND THAT HOUSE FOR OVER 52, OBVIOUSLY 52 YEARS.

SO I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON THE FACT OF THAT.

SINCE I'VE KNOWN THE HOLLOWAYS, THEY HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN CARE OF THE PROPERTY.

WE TAKE, WE TAKE PRIDE IN MAKING SURE OUR PROPERTY IS MOWED WEED, EAT IT, THE GRASS BLOWN OFF.

UM, TRASH PICKED UP.

SO EVERY TIME EITHER WE WENT TO MOW OUR GRASS OR BILLY WENT TO MOW HIS GRASS, WE WERE ALWAYS HITTING THE ALLEYWAY AT THE SAME TIME.

UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE ALLEYWAY LOOKS THE WAY IT DOES BECAUSE OF THE HOLLOWAYS.

UM, IT WASN'T FOR THEM.

IT PROBABLY WOULD LOOK LIKE THE OTHER SIDE WHERE IT'S ALL GROWN UP TRASH.

THERE ARE HAVE BEEN HOMELESS PEOPLE THERE MANY TIMES.

COPS CALL.

UM, SO I DO WANNA SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO TAKE PRIDE IN HOW THE ALLEYWAY LOOKS.

IF ANYONE WOULDN'T KNOW IT'S AN ALLEYWAY.

IT LOOKS JUST LIKE A YARD.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S EITHER, I MEAN, OUR FENCE LINE IS ON OUR PROPERTY LINE, BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE IT LOOKS LIKE, LIKE SOMEBODY'S YARD.

IT, THERE'S NO TIRE MARKS, THERE'S NO CARS GOING UP AND DOWN IT.

AND PERSONALLY SINCE I'VE LIVED THERE, I'VE NEVER SEEN A CAR GO UP AND DOWN UNTIL WE HAD THE ALLEYWAY SURVEYED.

UM, LIKE MY HU HUSBAND SAID, WE DID GO, WE'VE TALKED TO THE CHURCH NUMEROUS TIMES, MANY, MANY YEARS BEFORE WE START THIS LAST PROCESS.

TWO YEARS AGO, WE HAD ACTUALLY APPROACHED THE TOWN BEFORE, HOW DID WE BUY THE ALLEYWAY? AND WE REALLY NEVER GOT ANYWHERE.

YOU KNOW, LIFE MOVED ON AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO START.

WE KIND OF JUST LET IT GO.

AND THEN A COUPLE YEARS, THEN ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO IS WHEN WE WENT WITH GOT WHAT THE TOWN GOT THE PAPERWORK.

WE WERE THEN TOLD WE HAD TO HAVE THE ALLEYWAY SURVEYED BEFORE WE COULD TURN IN THE PAPERWORK.

SO WE HAD TO REACH OUT TO A SURVEYOR, WHICH HE WAS BOOKED FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

IT TOOK HIM MEMBERS TWO YEARS TO GET BACK TO US.

THE SURVEY WASN'T DONE UNTIL I BELIEVE, AUGUST, JULY OR AUGUST.

AND THEN WE GOT THE STUFF BACK FROM THE SURVEYOR AND THEN TURNED IT ALL INTO THE TOWN.

SO THIS HAS BEEN A VERY LENGTHY PROCESS FOR US.

I MEAN, IT WAS SOMETHING WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT.

WE APPROACHED THE NEIGHBORS, THE CHURCH.

THERE WAS NEVER A PROBLEM.

SO IT JUST, IT SADDENS ME TO SEE WHERE IT'S COME TO THIS ALL OF A SUDDEN.

AND WHERE WE'RE HERE, I FEEL LIKE TRYING TO, YOU GUYS ONLY GET TO HEAR US FOR A COUPLE MINUTES.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS AND WE REALLY JUST WANTED TO ADD TO OUR PROPERTY.

I MEAN, WE'RE ALREADY TAKING CARE OF IT.

THE TOWN HAS NEVER BEEN UP THERE TO TAKE CARE OF IT.

I MEAN, WE WERE ASKING TO BUY IT, NOT RECEIVE IT FREE FROM THE TOWN.

UM, SORRY, I'M NERVOUS.

THAT'S OKAY.

UM, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO THROW ANYBODY UNDER THE BUS, BUT YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T SPEAK THE LAST TIME BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK WE REALLY NEEDED TO.

HONESTLY, I THOUGHT THIS WAS PRETTY, UH, CUT AND DRY.

GO TO THE TOWN COUNCIL.

YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY VOTED YES OR NO.

I DIDN'T KNOW HONESTLY IT WAS GONNA TURN INTO THIS BIG ORDEAL.

HONESTLY, WE DIDN'T, WE DID NOT SPEAK LAST TIME.

WE HIRED AN ATTORNEY TO SPEAK FOR US, WHICH REALLY DIDN'T, PROBABLY DIDN'T NEED TO DO THAT.

BUT WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO APPROACH IT CUZ I'M LIKE, I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS GONNA COME TO US, HONESTLY.

UM, LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE I HAVE HERE.

I MEAN, I CAN JUST SPEAK ON THE FACT OF THAT.

I AGREE WITH MY HUSBAND.

NOBODY'S USED THE ALLEYWAY.

WE PERSONALLY ONLY DRIVE UP A PORTION OF IT, WHICH WOULD BE MY FATHER-IN-LAW'S SIDE IS WHERE THEY DRIVE UP TO GET INTO THE BACKYARD WHERE THE BACK GATE IS.

OUR SIDE, NOBODY DRIVES DOWN THAT PART AT ALL.

UM, I KNOW THE LAST TIME THE CHURCH HAD MADE A COMMENT ABOUT USING, YOU KNOW, FOR A FIRE EX THEIR FIRE ROUTE.

WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED THAT.

YOU KNOW, REALLY YOU CAN'T USE AN ALLEYWAY FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND ALSO THE EASTER EGG HUNT.

I MEAN, IF IT'S AN ALLEYWAY, YOU CAN'T PUT EGGS IN AN ALLEYWAY AND HAVE KIDS HUNTING UP AND DOWN IT IF YOU'RE GONNA CALL THE LAW OR MY FATHER-IN-LAW FOR PARKING THE TRUCK THERE WHEN WE UNLOADED THE DOG.

SO IT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW,

[00:45:01]

WHEN I'M, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S COME TO THIS.

I MEAN, LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE I GOT.

I'M SORRY, .

THAT'S OKAY.

I DON'T WANNA RAMBLE, BUT I WANNA JUST MAKE SURE I I AM GONNA LET YOU WRAP IT UP THOUGH, .

SO, UM, LET'S SEE.

WE ALREADY ASKED ABOUT THE MEETING.

WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT WE WEREN'T GONNA BE TOLD ABOUT THIS MEETING TONIGHT.

WE WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN HONESTLY UNLESS ONE I FOUND OUT FROM MY SISTER, UM, WHEN SHE CALLED ME AROUND FOUR 30 TONIGHT.

SO THAT'S WHY I HAVE BULLET POINTS AND I WAS TRYING TO WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING IN A HURRY.

UM, I JUST THINK, LET ME SEE WHAT ELSE I GOT HERE.

I'M SORRY.

SO THERE WAS A DISCUSSION WHERE I GUESS THE CHURCH HAD MADE A COMMENT ABOUT A FIRE MARSHAL COMING ABOUT THIS.

I MEAN, I, I GUESS WE'RE TRYING TO SAY IS THIS ALLEY CANNOT BE USED FOR AMBULANCES, FIRE TRUCKS.

IT'S NOT GONNA HURT ANYONE TO GIVE UP THE ALLEY.

WE'RE ACTUALLY, WE ARE WILLING, IF THEY WANNA PURCHASE IT, THEY CAN PURCHASE HALF OF IT.

WE'RE JUST, AT THIS POINT I FEEL LIKE WE'VE TAKEN CARE OF IT FOR SO LONG.

SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

EITHER THE TOWN NEEDS TO TAKE OVER AND START MOWING IT, TAKING CARE OF IT.

OR WHY CAN'T WE PURCHASE IT? IT'S NOT BEING USED.

THERE ARE NO CARS THAT GO UP AND DOWN THAT ALLEY.

THE CHURCH HAS NEVER USED IT FOR CARS COMING IN OR OUT OF THE CHURCH.

UM, CUZ THE HILL IS SO STEEP.

Y'ALL SAW THE PICTURES.

MR. WOODWARD, YOU KNOW, HAD ONLY STARTED USING IT ONCE WE HAD THE SURVEY DONE AND HE SAW THE STAKES IN THE ALLEYWAY, THEN THERE'S AN ISSUE.

UM, AND THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM ON BOTH SIDES OF HIS HOUSE IF HE WANTS TO GET TO HIS BACKYARD TO USE IT.

I MEAN, LIKE MY HUSBAND SAID PREVIOUSLY, THE OWNER THAT LIVED THERE BEFORE, HE WOULD GO IN THE BACKYARD ON EITHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE.

THERE'S WAY PLENTY OF ROOM.

THANK YOU MS. HOLLOWAY.

SO THANK YOU.

I THINK THAT'S ABOUT IT.

I'M SORRY, .

THAT'S OKAY.

I WISH I WAS MORE PREPARED.

NO, THAT'S, THANK YOU.

PUBLIC SPEAKING'S VERY DIFFERENT.

THANK YOU MRS. PRESLEY.

UM, OUR SIX SPEAKER SCOTT TURN, MYER.

ALLOWED TO START TO SHOW IT'S WORTH.

GREETINGS EVERYBODY.

MY NAME IS SCOTT TURNEY.

I LIVE AT ONE 60 CAMP DAVID COURT AND OWN TURN MYERS ON MAIN STREET.

AND HERE IN FRONT ROYAL.

TONIGHT I COME TO YOU AS MANY THINGS.

I COME TO YOU AS A RESIDENT OF WARREN COUNTY.

I COME TO YOU AS A NATIVE WHO GREW UP IN THIS AREA.

I COME TO YOU AS A TRAVELER THAT HAS SEEN TOURISM DONE BOTH THE RIGHT AND WRONG WAYS.

I COME TO YOU AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE TOWN AND AS, AS A SMALL BUSINESS AND I, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I COME TO YOU AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE TOWN APPOINTED BY THIS TOWN COUNCIL TO THE BOARD OF THE NONPROFIT CALLED DISCOVER FOR ROYAL FOR TOURISM.

TONIGHT I'M ASKING THAT YOU NOT ONLY CONTINUE WITH THE AGREEMENT WITH DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL, BUT WE FINALIZE THAT AGREEMENT SO THAT TRUE HARD WORK CAN BEGIN.

YOU MAY ASK WHY.

LET ME ELABORATE.

FIRST, TOURISM IS OUR NUMBER ONE INDUSTRY.

IT SUPPORTS SMALL BUSINESSES AND JOBS IN THIS COMMUNITY.

THESE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR COUNTRY.

AND BY SUPPORTING THEM, YOU ALSO KEEP CRUCIAL DOLLARS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.

ADDITIONALLY, A TOURISM EFFORT DOES MORE THAN ATTRACT TOURISTS.

IT CAN GUIDE TOURISTS AND IT CAN WORK CLOSELY WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS TO RECOMMEND INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES.

LIKE IT OR NOT, TOURISM GROWTH IS COMING.

WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CONTROL IT.

WE HAVE AN AMAZING NATURAL RESOURCE POOL.

AND THE FACT THAT WE LIVE AT TWO, JUST AN HOUR'S DRIVE AWAY FROM TWO OF THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED COUNTIES IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WOULD IMMEDIATELY TELL US THAT YOU WILL NOT STOP THEM FROM COMING.

TOURISM NUMBERS ARE GROWING EVERY YEAR FOR OUR AREA, OUR SHORT TERM RENTAL INVENTORY IN THE AREA HAS TRIPLED IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS.

THEY ARE COMING.

THEY WILL STILL BE COMING.

DID YOU KNOW THAT CONTROLLED TOURISM CAN KEEP A SMALL TOWN SMALL? I HAVE FOUR DESTINATIONS THAT I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD OF, GATLINBURG, MYRTLE BEACH, SEDONA AND MOAB.

YOU MIGHT FIND IT SURPRISING THAT ONLY MYRTLE BEACH HAS A HIGHER POPULATION THAN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL.

YET ALL OF THEM REAP THE BENEFITS OF TOURISM AND OUR VERY WELL-KNOWN DESTINATIONS.

DO WE WANT TO BE THESE? NO, WE WANT TO BE OUR OWN UNIQUENESS THAT TAKES THE BEST PRACTICES OF ALL OF THEM.

THE FACT IS THEY STAYED SMALL AND CONTINUE BECAUSE THEY CONTROL TOURISM.

FINALLY, THE LAST REASON WHY I'M ASKING THIS TONIGHT IS ALTHOUGH I WAS APPOINTED BY THIS TOWN COUNCIL TO SERVE ON THIS BOARD, NOT ONE TIME HAVE I BEEN ASKED FOR MY THOUGHTS WHEN THE AGREEMENT, A TOURISM INITIATIVE OR ANYTHING ELSE TOURISM RELATED.

I'M GRAVELY CONCERNED THAT DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE WITHOUT ALL OF THE DATA.

I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THIS FOR MANY YEARS NOW, AND IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN A STATE OF TRANSITION.

NEVER HAS IT ACTUALLY BEEN

[00:50:01]

YOU CANNOT JUDGE SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT HAD A CHANCE TO START.

IN CONCLUSION, I ASK EACH ONE OF YOU TO QUESTION YOURSELF.

DO YOU KNOW FOR A FACT THAT YOU HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION? DO YOU KNOW THE STRATEGIC GOALS AND PLAN OF THIS NONPROFIT? HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO MYSELF OR CARRIE BARNHARDT OUR CHAIR ON QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS THAT YOU HAVE? DO YOU WANT SMALL BUSINESSES IN THIS TOWN TO DIE? DO YOU WANT TOURISTS TO OVERRUN OUR TOWN LIKE, LIKE THEY DO EVERY SATURDAY MORNING IN OCTOBER? IF YOU ANSWERED NO TO ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS, THEN YOU SHOULD VOTE TONIGHT TO KEEP THE AGREEMENT AND LET'S LET THE REAL WORK GET STARTED.

AT A VERY MINIMUM, LET'S MOTION A ONE YEAR TRIAL.

ONCE THE AGREEMENT IS SIGNED AND FUNDING HAS BEEN TRANSITIONED, THEN TAKE A LOOK AT THE DATA IN RELATIONSHIPS IN ONE YEAR.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANKS.

THANK YOU MS. PRESSLEY.

DAVE EARHART.

GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME'S DAVE AIRHART.

I LIVE AT 8 48 WEST 13TH STREET.

I WAS GONNA KEEP THIS BRIEF THIS EVENING, BUT FOR SOME REASON I CAN'T, UH, I DO WANT TO CLARIFY A FEW THINGS.

THIS ALLEYWAY IS AN EMERGENCY EXIT.

IT IS NOT AN EMERGENCY ENTRANCE.

AN EMERGENCY EXIT MEANS IF ANYTHING HAPPENS INSIDE THE CHURCH, WE CAN WALK OUT THE REAR OF OUR CHURCH, WALK ACROSS TO THE ALLEY AND TURN LEFT AND GO DOWN TO VIRGINIA AVENUE.

AND ALSO IF ANYTHING HAPPENS OUT ON 13TH STREET IN FRONT OF OUR CHURCH, THEN WE CAN WALK OUT THE REAR OF OUR CHURCH, GET IN OUR VEHICLES, AND DRIVE OUT THIS EMERGENCY EXIT, NOT AN EMERGENCY ENTRANCE.

MY OBJECTION IS WE DON'T OBJECT.

WE, I KNOW THAT FIRETRUCKS CAN'T GET UP THROUGH THERE AND I WANT TO COME IN.

MR. SEAK, AT THE LAST MEETING, HE SAID, AND YOU HAVE 30 YEARS OF SERVICE, I BELIEVE AT THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.

HE SAID IF WE HAD AN EMERGENCY THERE, WE WOULD COME TO THE FRONT OF THE CHURCH.

WE WOULDN'T COME TO THE REAR.

TO ME, THAT IS MORE REASON FOR THE CHURCH TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY EXIT OUT THE REAR BECAUSE WE CAN'T EXIT OUT THE FRONT.

IF YOU HAVE WATER HOSES GOING DOWN THE STREET, YOU HAVE FIRE TRUCKS AND AMBULANCES GOING THERE.

NO ONE KNOWS WHEN AN EMERGENCY IS GONNA HAPPEN.

BUT DOES ANY, IF ANYONE CAN TELL ME WHEN ONE'S GONNA HAPPEN, WE WOULD BE GLAD THAT COUNCIL CHURCH THAT DAY, BUT NO ONE KNOWS.

AND WE ALSO, IT'S NOT ONLY OUR CHURCH SERVICES, IT'S ALSO WE HAVE FUNERALS.

WE HAVE, UH, UH, WEDDINGS.

WE, AND WE HAVE, UH, MEMBERS, UH, AT LEAST 50 TO 75 MEMBERS.

THIS IS NOT A NORMAL EVACUATION.

A NORMAL EVACUATION FROM A RESIDENT IS SAY THREE TO FOUR PEOPLE.

THAT IS ENOUGH.

UH, THAT'S BAD ENOUGH RIGHT THERE.

BUT WE HAVE A NINE MEMBER SAFETY TEAM AND WE HAVE 50 TO 75 PEOPLE THAT WE MAY HAVE TO EVACUATE OUT THE REAR.

NOW IF, IF THE FRONT IS CLOGGED UP AND EVERYTHING, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? AND EVEN IF IT, IT HAS TO DO WITH A, A HOUSE FIRE ON WEST 13TH STREET, WE COULD BE TIED UP FOR HOURS JUST WAITING FOR THE STREET TO CLEAR OUT.

NOW I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE, AND I'M SPEAKING FOR THE CHURCH, THE CHURCH FEELS VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE AN ALLEYWAY BEHIND US BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF COMMERCIAL PLACES THAT DON'T HAVE THIS ALLEYWAY, MR. HOLLOWAY'S.

RIGHT? WE DON'T USE IT ALL THE TIME.

WHY WOULD YOU LOSE, USE THE ALLEYWAY TO EXIT OUT THE BACK WHEN THERE'S, WHEN YOU HAVE A PERFECTLY GOOD ASPHALT ALLEYWAY OUT HERE, THE ONLY WAY YOU WOULD USE IT IS IF YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY.

BUT NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHEN EMERGENCY IS GONNA HAPPEN AND WHEN IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.

AS FAR AS I WAS GONNA SHUT IT OFF THERE, BUT I'M NOT YOU, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SHUT ME OFF.

AS FAR AS, AS YOU CAN SEE, I'M NOT VERY GOOD AT THAT.

BUT GO AHEAD.

WELL, YOU DID LAST TIME.

I TRIED AS FAR AS MAINTAINING THE ALLEY.

MR. HOLLOWAY AND WADE DO MOW THE ALLEY A LOT.

BUT I CAN GIVE YOU TWO NAMES OF TWO MEMBERS OF OUR CHURCH THAT ARE NOT HERE TONIGHT.

SO I DON'T MIND SAYING HIM NAMES.

IT IS BILL FIX AND IT IS DON HILTON.

THEY USED TO MOW THAT ALLEYWAY ALONG WITH THE HOLLOWAYS.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE CHURCH WENT AND BOUGHT A RIDING LAWNMOWER SO THEY COULD RIDE IT.

THE REASON THEY DID THAT, BOTH OF 'EM ARE IN THEIR EIGHTIES NOW AND THEY CAN'T CONTINUE DOING IT.

WE DO HAVE A PAID MOWER GUY THAT SAID NO PROBLEM IF, IF UH, AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHEN WE HIRED HIM, HE COME TO ME, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE FRIENDS.

[00:55:01]

AND I SAID, LEE, IF THE ALLEY IS NOT MOWED WHEN YOU COME TO MOW THE CHURCHYARD, MOW IT, I'LL SEE THAT YOU GET PAID AND HE'LL VERIFY THAT.

AND I WANT TO CLARIFY ONE OTHER THING.

I'M A DEACON AT THE CHURCH.

I HAVE NO REASON TO GET UP HERE AND LIE ABOUT ANYTHING.

I'M NOT ACCUSING ANYBODY OF LYING, BUT I AM ACCUSING SOME PEOPLE OF STRETCHING THE TRUTH.

SO I HAVE NO REASON TO LIE.

OKAY? THAT'S ALL I GOTTA SAY.

THANK YOU MR. EARHART.

WAYNE WOODARD.

IT'S A WOODWARD OR WOODWARD.

IS IT WOODWARD OR WOODARD? WOOD.

WOOD.

WOOD WHAT? WOODWARD WOOD WOODWARD.

WAYNE WOODWARD.

ONE 20 13TH STREET.

I LIVE NEXT DOOR TO THE CHURCH.

I'M THE NOTORIOUS WOODWARD THAT WADE'S TELLING YOU ABOUT.

BUT ANYWAY, BELIEVE ME, I'M CONFUSED, VERY CONFUSED ABOUT WHO MOWS AND WHO DOES THIS.

NOW I WILL SAY THIS AND I'M LIKE, DAVE SAID, I'M NOT GOING TO STRETCH NOTHING.

MR. HOLLOWAY, BILLY, HIS DAD MOWS THAT A LOT.

HE REALLY DOES.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN WADE MOIT THE FIRST TIME.

HE SAYS HE DOES.

I'M, IT MUST BE AT NIGHTTIME.

CAUSE IT'S CERTAINLY NOT IN I I'M BEING JUST AS HONEST AS I CAN.

I KNOW.

I JUST WANT, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.

I WOULD JUST FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IF PEOPLE WOULD JUST STICK TO THE FACTS AND NOT CALL OUT PEOPLE'S NAMES.

AND I DON'T GO AHEAD.

DON'T WE GET INTO THAT? THAT'S, I, THAT'S NOT ME.

BUT, UH, UH, WE HAVE MOWED IT AND I'VE TOLD, I HAVE A GUY THAT I PAID TO MOW MY YARD AND I'VE TOLD HIM IF IT'S NOT MOWED MOED, BUT I REALLY DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE THE CHURCH HAS A MOR ALSO AND A GUY THAT MOWS FOR THEM NOW.

AND, UH, THEY TELL HIM THE SAME THING.

AND IF IT'S UP, HE HE'LL CUT IT IF IT'S NOT.

BUT NOW MR. HOLLOWAY DOES DO THE MAJORITY OF THE GRASS CUTTING AND IT LOOKS GOOD.

IT REALLY DOES.

UH, I HAD SOME OTHER THINGS I WANTED TO TELL YOU, BUT I DON'T REALLY WANT TO GET INTO HIM NOW BECAUSE IT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE OF OPINION AND, UH, MIS UH, WADE HOLLOWAYS TELLING YOU ABOUT THINGS THAT WHAT WE SAID AND THIS AND THAT.

I DON'T REMEMBER THAT I MUST HAVE.

I MEAN, BUT ANYWAY, IF I TOLD YOU THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED, YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT ANYWAY, SO I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO GO THERE.

YEAH, I'M SERIOUS.

NO, THAT'S FINE.

WHATEVER COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO OFFER, YOU WOULD.

YEAH, THAT'S FINE.

SO, BUT ANYWAY, THAT IT'S STILL THE SAME OLD THING.

WE NEED THE ALLEY NOW.

HE SAID TWO YEARS REFERRING TO HA WHEN I STARTED USING IT OR WHATEVER.

JULY THE 19TH OF 2019 IS THE FIRST TIME I COME UP THAT ALLEY.

AND THAT'S WHEN IT BOUGHT THE HOUSE.

I BOUGHT THE HOUSE KNOWING THAT THE ALLEY WAS THERE.

NOW MR. JAW DAR WHO LIVED THERE, HIS MOTHER AND FATHER BUILT THAT HOUSE IN 1962.

AND HE WAS JUST TELLING ME HERE RECENTLY, THEY BUILT THAT HOUSE WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT ANY OTHER PROVISIONS AS FAR AS GETTING BACK TO THE BACKYARD.

NOW, WHEN HIS BROTHER WAS A MAYOR, HE CAME, UH, CHRIS HOLLOWAY, HE CAME TO MY HOUSE AND HE TOLD ME WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO.

AND WELL, I ALREADY KNEW THAT.

I HAD ALREADY HEARD ABOUT IT.

AND HE SAYS, UH, WHY DON'T YOU CUT A ROAD FROM THE STREET DOWN THROUGH YOUR, I SAYS, I DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE REALLY TO CUT A ROAD.

AND HE SAYS, WELL TAKE THAT TREE OUT RIGHT THERE.

IT'S A BIG PRETTY DOGWOOD TREE AND MOVE YOUR BUILDING.

I SAID, I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO ALL OF THIS, BUT THAT'S WHAT HE TOLD ME.

AND HE SAYS, WELL, MY DAD'S BEEN HERE NOW THIS IS WHAT HE TOLD ME.

I DON'T KNOW HOW ACCURATE.

HE SAYS FOR 31 YEARS.

AND, UH, I SAID, WELL, THAT'S COOL.

THAT'S IT, THAT'S GOOD.

AND HE SAID, SO HE'S JUST TAKEN OFFENSE BY YOU USING THE ALLEY.

ANY MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH.

AND UH, NOW EVERYBODY THAT WORKED ON MY HOUSE, AS I TOLD YOU BEFORE, THE HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING PEOPLE WHEN THEY PUT THE UNIT IN THE HOUSE, THEY ONLY WAY THEY COULD DO WAS BACK UP TO THE BACK OF IT.

NOW, WHEN I'VE DONE MY STOVE, I TOLD YOU ALL OF THESE THINGS, THERE'S NO SENSE IN GETTING BACK INTO THAT.

BUT IT'S GONNA BE FUTURE THINGS TOO.

WE REALLY NEED THE ALLEY.

I'M NOT GONNA SIT STAND HERE AND PREACH ALL NATIVE BOOK THAT.

BUT ANYWAY, WE REALLY DO.

IT'S, UH, THANK YOU SIR.

THANK YOU MR. WOODFORD.

AND MICHAEL WOODWARD? BOTH.

MELVIN BULGER.

[01:00:01]

HI, I'M MELVIN BOGER.

I LIVE AT 30 WEST 15TH STREET, FRONT ROW VIRGINIA.

LIVED THERE SINCE 1980.

I'D LIKE TO, UH, REMIND THE COUNCIL OF SOMETHING THAT WAS ON THE, THE, UH, COUNTY WEBSITE ABOUT THE, UH, AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC HEARING COUNCIL VOTED TO APPOINT VIEWERS TO GET INPUT FROM THEM.

FOR THEM, THE BUREAUS VIEWED THE SITE OF THE PROPOSED ALLEY VOCATIONAL FEBRUARY 1ST, 2023.

TO VIEW THE ALLEY.

WE NOTED THE FOLLOWING, THERE ARE NO PUBLIC UTILITY CLO LOCATED IN THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE VALLEY, UH, ALLEY.

THE REQUEST, THE REQUESTED ALLEY VACATION IS WELL MAINTAINED.

THE VIRGINIA ENTRANCE HAD GRAVEL ON THE GROUND AND THE GRASS WAS MOWED.

WE NOTED THAT THE WESTERN UNIT OF THE ALLEY WAS BLOCKED BY OUR VERY MATURE TREE THAT WITH LOTS OF BRUSH UNDER IT, THE ALLEY WAS NOT PASSPORT AT THAT POINT.

WE WENT TO THE WESTERN END OF THE VALLEY, NOTED THAT IT IS TOO WELL MAINTAINED DOWN TO A MATURE TREE.

THE WESTERN END OF THE VALLEY INTERSECTS WITH A SLIGHT AND NARROW ALLEY RUNNING, PREPPED PERPENDICULAR TO THE SUBJECT ALLEY.

WE NOTED THAT THERE WAS A CURBS CUT TO EXCESSIVE ALLEY ON THE CHURCH PROPERTY.

CAR HAVE BEEN PLACED FROM THE CURB CUT TO THE PROPERTY ACROSS THE ALLEY.

WE ALSO NOTED THAT THAT AVAILABLE IN FUTURE ACCESS TO ANY IMPROVEMENTS, SHUTTLE THE ALLEY WOULD BE ACCESSIBLE FROM THE VALLEY, EVEN IF THE LOCATION IS NOT APPROVED.

IF THE APPLICATION REQUEST IS APPROVED, THE FUTURE ACCESS FOR NEIGHBORS COULD BE REQUESTED.

AND THEN IT SAYS, WE, THE VIEW VIEWERS ARE IN UNANIMOUS AGREEMENT THAT THE APPLICATION TO VACATE A PORTION OF THE ALLEY SHOULD BE DENIED.

AND WHO BETTER THAN JAY CRAWFORD? WHO'S WORKED FOR THE TOWN OVER ALL THE YEARS? STAGE MILLER JR.

NOW, I'D LIKE TO ALSO SAY THAT IN 1998, I REQUESTED APPLICATION TO BUILD A GARAGE ON MY PROPERTY.

AND I, I LIVE AT 30 WEST 15TH STREET, RIGHT BEHIND THE, WHAT IS IT? THE CROWN OR SERVICE STATION THERE ACROSS FROM THE PIZZA HUT.

AT THE TIME THAT I REQUESTED A A, A PERMIT TO BUILD A GARAGE HERE, I HAD SOMEBODY TOLD ME THERE WAS AN ALLEY THERE.

SO AFTER INVESTIGATING, THE ALLEY WAS ALL CLOSED IN SO FORTH AND SO ON ALL THROUGH THERE YOU COULDN'T SEE NOTHING.

HONEY SOUTH THE TREES BRUSH.

SO I GOT THE, UH, PERMIT TO BUILD THE PROP, UH, BUILD THE, UH, GARAGE.

I FACED A GARAGE DOOR OPENING TO THAT ALLEYWAY I'D HELD, HAD GRAVEL HAULED IN ALL THE WAY TO THE GARAGE SO THAT I WOULDN'T GET STUCK IN THE WINTERTIME OR WET WEATHER.

AND WHAT I'M GONNA SAY HERE IS, AS A TOWN COUNCIL, THE TOWN OWNS THAT PROPERTY.

NOW, IF I'D HAVE KNOWN WHAT BACK THEN WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW, I WOULD'VE REQUESTED TO GIMME OPTIONS TO BUY THAT PROPERTY.

BUT BUY THAT RIGHT OF WAY THROUGH THERE.

NOBODY USED IT, ME BUT ME.

SO WHY ARE WE DOING THIS RIGHT NOW? WHY IS A TOWN EVEN CONSIDERING SELLING A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT'S USABLE FOR THE CHURCH AND STILL USABLE FOR THE HOLLOWAY HOLLOWAYS IF THEY WANT TO USE IT? AND IF A TOWN DOES VACATE THIS PROPERTY, IT'S NOT FAIR TO GIVE PILE AWAYS A A CHANCE TO BID ON THIS PROPERTY WITHOUT LETTING SOMEBODY ELSE BID ON THIS PROPERTY.

SO I WANNA PUT THAT FOR TO Y'ALL.

LET'S DON'T MAKE US A POLITICAL THING, LET'S JUST BE REAL HONEST ABOUT THE WHOLE THING AND YOUR HARTS MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS.

TO EVENT SPONSOR SPONSORSHIP.

THANK YOU MR. BOGER.

MS. PRESLEY, NUMBER 10, DOLORES OATS.

OKAY, GOOD EVENING.

GOOD EVENING.

IT'S WEIRD BEING ON THIS SIDE, .

JUST LETTING YOU KNOW.

WELL, I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU, UM, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, UM, COUNCIL TOWN MANAGER.

[01:05:01]

I APPRECIATE IT.

GEORGE .

I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE BEFORE YOU TONIGHT, UH, TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, WHICH IS TOURISM IN OUR COMMUNITY.

UM, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO IMPACT THE FUTURE OF SO MANY PEOPLE.

AND TOURISM IS ONE OF THOSE ITEMS. OUR DECISION ON HOW WE APPROACH THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT THIS COMMUNITY FOR GENERATIONS.

AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO COME TO YOU TONIGHT.

AND I DIDN'T WANNA STAND UP HERE.

BY THE WAY, I'M DOLO SOTS AND I LIVE AT ONE 70 DOUGLAS DRIVE.

I FORGOT TO DO THAT.

UM, I DIDN'T WANNA STAND UP HERE AND TALK ABOUT IT IN THIS WAY, BUT IT IS THAT IMPORTANT TO ME AND IT'S THAT IMPORTANT TO THIS COMMUNITY.

THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE, THEY'RE DEPENDING ON US.

THEY'RE DEPENDING ON US TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS FOR HOW WE'RE GONNA APPROACH THIS COMMUNITY, THE IDENTITY OF THIS COMMUNITY, AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IN THE FUTURE.

TOURISM IS OUR NUMBER ONE INDUSTRY.

WHEN I RAN FOR OFFICE, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES IN THIS COMMUNITY, EVERYBODY SAID TO ME, CAN YOU KEEP THIS COMMUNITY RURAL? CAN YOU MAINTAIN ITS CHARACTER? BECAUSE GAINESVILLE IS ON THE MARCH, AND WE ALL KNOW THEY ARE, THEY'RE ON THEIR MARCH OUT HERE.

SO LET ME GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND.

2, 20 20, WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD DO THIS TOGETHER.

THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, THE TOWN COUNCIL, WE SAID, THIS IS IMPORTANT, LET'S DO IT TOGETHER.

AT THAT TIME, WE WERE EACH INDIVIDUALLY SPENDING MONEY ON TOURISM, INEFFICIENT GOVERNMENT, BUY-IN THE SAME THINGS, ADS, MAGAZINES, UH, ALL SORTS OF THINGS WERE DUPLICATED.

SO WE SAID, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS AS A JOINT EFFORT, PUT THE MONEY TOGETHER.

IF WE'RE GONNA DO IT INDEPENDENT ANYWAY, WE MAY AS WELL JOIN FORCES AND USE THE MOST AMOUNT OF MONEY WE CAN TO MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID.

WE DISCUSSED A FORMATION.

WOULD WE HAVE THE CHAMBER DO IT? THE CHAMBER DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT, WOULD WE HAVE A BOARD? WELL, WE HAD AN E D A BOARD AND SO I DON'T NEED TO GO ANY FURTHER.

AND SO WE DECIDED THAT MAYBE A NONPROFIT WAS THE BEST WAY TO GO.

SO WE EXPLORED THAT.

WE DID ALL THE RESEARCH.

WE CAME BACK TO BOTH COUNSEL AND THE SUPERVISORS IN NOT ONE, BUT PROBABLY THREE JOINT MEETINGS IN THE BACK OF THIS ROOM.

AND WE SAID, THIS IS THE BEST APPROACH.

AND WE SAT THERE ONE NIGHT LAST YEAR AND WE HAMMERED OUT AN AGREEMENT THAT HAPPENED TO BE IN APRIL OF 2022.

IT WAS PAINFUL, IT WAS HOURS LONG.

EVERYBODY WANTED TO LEAVE.

WE WANTED TO GO EAT, BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO THIS COMMUNITY THAT WE WERE WILLING TO INVEST THE TIME TO GET IT DONE.

SO ANYWAY, WE DECIDED, WE MADE THAT DECISION.

AND ONCE WE DID, WE ASKED THE TOUR, UH, THE TOURISM DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL COMMITTEE TO MOVE FORWARD IN CREATING THIS ORGANIZATION THAT WE COULD BOTH FUND AND SUPPORT TOGETHER, TOGETHER SOMETHING THIS COMMUNITY HADN'T HEARD IN A LONG TIME TOGETHER.

IT IS US, IT IS NOT US AND THEM.

IT WAS US.

WE DID THAT.

SO LET ME TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED.

TOURISM IN VIRGINIA, .

SO WARREN COUNTY HAD A 77.8 MILLION DIRECT IMPACT IN REVENUE IN 2021.

718 EMPLOYEES IN THIS C IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE EMPLOYED IN INDUSTRIES THAT SUPPORT TOURISM.

2020 TO 2021, THERE WAS A 43.8% INCREASE IN THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY.

NOW WE HAVE TO SAY COVID IS AN OUTLIER.

I, I GET THAT, BUT IT'S ONLY GONNA GO UP FROM HERE.

NOWHERE CAN YOU PUT $400,000 INTO A BANK AND GET 77.8 MILLION IN RETURN.

NOT HAPPENING.

IT IS AN INCREDIBLE RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

UM, YOU KNOW, , WE HAVE, UH, COUPLE OF SUCCESSES.

I JUST WANNA MENTION, I KNOW EVERYONE OUT OF TIME.

COUPLE OF SUCCESSES THAT WE'VE HAD.

WE HAVE RECEIVED ARPA GRANTS SINCE WE STARTED DOING THIS.

WE HAD NOT RECEIVED TOURISM GRANTS IN PROBABLY FIVE YEARS.

SO LET ME TELL YOU WHAT WE HAVE.

WE HAD A, A GRANT THAT WE APPLIED FOR TOGETHER TO THE VIRGINIA TOURISM CORPORATION.

AND WE RECEIVED $170,000.

75,000 OF THAT WAS GOING DIRECTLY TO DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL.

25,000 WENT TO THE VISITOR CENTER TO IMPROVE ITS PRESENTATION TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT WE WANT TO ATTRACT HERE.

25,000 WENT TO MARKETING, 25,000

[01:10:01]

THE REMAINING HAD BEEN DECIDED BY BOTH TOWN AND COUNTY TO BE APPLIED TO THE AVTEX TRAIL WHENEVER THAT BECAME OR BECAME A, A, UH, PRO PROJECT FOR BOTH OF US.

UH, WE ALSO PUT $3,000 INTO THE MAIN STREET LOCAL EVENT ATTRACTIONS.

SO THAT WAS THE HOW BOTH COMMUNITIES AGREED ON HOW TO DISPERSE THE MONEY.

UM, ARPA IS STILL IN PROCESS.

IT HAS TO BE SPENT BEFORE 2024.

I DON'T KNOW THE IMPACT OF A DISENGAGED COMMUNITY OR AGREEMENT TO THIS, UH, GRANT.

I CAN'T TELL YOU IF THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE NO LONGER EXIST, IF THAT'S THE OUTCOME AFTER TONIGHT.

BUT I DID WANT TO BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION.

UM, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO INEFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT.

I REALLY KNOW YOU DON'T EITHER.

YOU GUYS ARE ALL GREAT PEOPLE.

A LOT OF YOU HAVE BEEN DRINKING FROM THE FIRE HOSE, BEEN THERE .

BUT IF YOU WOULD PLEASE CONSIDER IN EXTENDING THIS AGREEMENT FOR A MINIMUM OF A YEAR TO GIVE US A CHANCE TO, TO TAKE THIS THING FORWARD NOW THAT WE HAVE THE 5 0 1 IN PLACE AND WE CAN FUND IT.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU, MRS. PRESLEY.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO, THERE ISN'T AT THIS TIME.

IF THERE IS ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, UM, YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME.

IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE, SO I'M JUST GONNA GO, I'M GONNA START OVER HERE.

GO LEFT TO MOVE.

RIGHT.

SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK FIRST? ME? YES, SIR.

I RAN OUTTA PAPER.

DO YOU MIND? THANK YOU.

I'M BOB SKILLMAN, THREE 15 BLUE RIDGE AVENUE, AND I SPOKE AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT THAT'S KIND OF FEW THINGS I WANTED TO YOU TO READ ILLITERATE ON.

UH, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK MR. UH, SEAK, YOU LOOK LIKE A REAL PROFESSIONAL TONIGHT.

LAST MEETING, HOUSTON DIDN'T HAVE A TIE.

NOTHING ON YOU JUST KIND LOOK PLAIN, BUT YOU LOOK REAL SHARP TONIGHT.

, WE HAD PICTURES TONIGHT.

YEAH, BUT GO AHEAD.

TRUST ME.

GOOD.

HE REALLY LOOKS NICE.

UH, TO START WITH, THERE'S TWO THINGS I WANNA START WITH.

THE TOWN HAS, UH, A COMMISSION OR WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT THAT TELLS YOU PEOPLE WHAT TO DO OR WHAT TO PASS, WHAT NOT TO PASS.

APPARENTLY YOU DON'T CHOOSE TO BELIEVE THEM.

SO, SO YOU DECIDED AT THE MEETING TO HIRE A VIEWING CREW AND THEY AGREED WITH THE OTHER COMMITTEE.

NOW, WHETHER Y'ALL AGREE OR NOT, I DON'T KNOW, BUT THAT'S TWO PEOPLE THAT Y'ALL HAD TO HIRE, THAT IF YOU DON'T VOTE AGAINST CLOSING THE ALLEY, THEN YOU KNOW, WHY SPEND EXPENSES OF IRON THESE PEOPLE? WHY EVEN HAVE A VIEWING BOARD IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA GO ABOUT WHAT THEY SAY? AND THERE'S A ANOTHER THING.

THERE'S, UH, MR. WADE HOLLOWAY, HE GOT UP AND TRUSTED.

THEY'VE ALWAYS MOVED THE, UH, ALLEYWAY BACK THERE.

AND THAT'S A LIE WHEN I FIRST JOINED THE CHURCH.

MR. MR. SKILLMAN, I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY, LIKE I'D SAID BEFORE, WE'RE JUST GONNA, LET'S, WE'RE GONNA STICK TO THE FACTS.

MAYBE NOT CALL OUT PEOPLE'S NAMES AND ALL RIGHT.

BUT THANK YOU.

KEEP GOING.

WELL, WHO ELSE COULD I CALL OUT? I MEAN, PUT, WELL, I, I, I'M NOT REALLY SURE, BUT HE, SOMEBODY GOT UP AND SAID ALL THIS STUFF.

I KNOW, BUT OUR, OUR RULES, OUR RULES OF DECORUM ARE JUST, ANYWAY, KEEP GOING.

I DON'T WANNA INTERRUPT YOU.

THERE'S TIME NOW THAT, UH, MR. KILLED HER.

UH, WHERE WAS I? ANYWAY, HE SAID THAT THEY MOWED THE GRASS ALL THE TIME.

WELL, LIKE I SAID, THAT'S NOT TRUE.

WHEN I FIRST JOINED CHURCH 17 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS FOUR OF US THAT MOWED THAT GRASS, HALF OF IT IN THE ALLEYWAY.

NOW, I AIN'T GONNA MENTION THE NAMES CAUSE THEY, PART OF 'EM ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED.

AND THEN BILLY HOLLOWAY COME OVER, TALK TO ME, AND, UH, JESSE CAMERON ONE DAY WHO'S DECEASED.

SO HE CAME, GET UP HERE AND SAY ONE WAY OR THE OTHER THAT WHY WILL WE CONTINUE TO MOW WHEN HE COULD MOW THE WHOLE THING SINCE HE HAD TO MOVE PART OF IT.

SO WE SAID, OKAY, WE HAVE NO OBJECTIONS TO THAT.

HE SAID, THE ONLY THING IS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO MOVE YOUR HANDICAPPED SIGNS BACK SO I CAN GET AROUND THEM.

WE DID THAT TO COMMENTATE HIM.

AND

[01:15:01]

HE MOVES PART OF IT BACK IN THERE.

SO, I MEAN, THE WHOLE THING IS THERE'S A LOT OF MISREPRESENTATION HERE.

I MEAN, WHO ARE YOU GONNA BELIEVE? WHO YOU NOT GONNA BELIEVE? BUT ANYWAY, YOU GOT, YOU'VE HEARD OF YOU AND COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT IT OR THEY LYING TO YOU TOO.

DOES YOUR PLANNING COMMISSION LIE TO YOU? OKAY, MR. THAT'S OKAY.

MR. MR. SEE, LIKE I GOT HERE.

MR. SCH, THAT'S ENOUGH ABOUT CALLING PEOPLE LIARS.

OKAY, WELL, I MEAN, WHAT ELSE COULD YOU SAY, MR. SKILLMAN? THEY'RE WRONG.

THEY'RE WRONG.

IN OTHER WORDS, UH, MR. SKILLMAN, SOME THAT'S WRONG TO SAY.

I WAS GONNA SAY, I WAS GONNA ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.

YEAH, THAT'S IT.

UM, WE HAD OTHER PEOPLE, I'M GOING THIS WAY ACROSS THE ROOM.

YES, SIR.

FEEL FREE.

I'M MR. HOLLOWAY.

I LIVE AT 4 0 2 VIRGINIA AVENUE.

AND, UH, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 60.

I'VE MOVED HERE IN 68 WHERE I LIVE RIGHT NOW.

I'VE BEEN HERE 54 YEARS.

AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU, UH, I KNOW ABOUT MRS. DO'S HOUSE.

I EVEN HAVE TO CLEAN THE BRUSH UP.

THE ALLEY IS OPEN ON THE OTHER END, EXCEPT FOR A LOT OF BRUSH BE BETWEEN HER HOUSE AND A COUPLE OTHERS.

AND, UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS I'D LIKE TO GET THE ALLEY.

I'D LIKE TO ASPHALT IT UP TO WHERE I STOPS AT AND MAYBE PUT A FENCE UP.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF WEIRDOS COME UP THERE AT NIGHT AND THEY BACK OF THE CHURCH PARKING LOT AND EVERYTHING.

THEY CAN PROBABLY VOUCH FOR THAT.

BUT, UM, I'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF THE MOWING.

I'VE BEEN TAKING CARE OF IT.

WEED EATING AND EVERYTHING.

LIKE I BUILT THE TOWNHOUSES OVER ON 12TH STREET AND, UM, I DON'T CARE WHAT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THEY DID THIS AND DID THAT.

I LIVED THERE.

I LIVE THERE AND I KNOW THE CHURCH NEVER USED THAT ALLEY.

THEY TRIED TO AND THEY ASPHALT AND MADE A PARKING LOT BACK THERE.

THAT GOES WAY BACK.

I WAS, I'VE BEEN THERE, MY GOD.

IT WAS JUST LIKE A LITTLE SHIRT.

IT WASN'T MUCH JUST A FEEL RIGHT THERE IN GRASS.

THERE WASN'T NO PARKING LOT BACK THERE IN THE CHURCH OR NOTHING.

BUT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE GET UP HERE AND SAY THEY DID THIS AND DID THAT.

THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

AND I KNOW A LOT OF 'EM UP HERE.

MAY YOU WATER, MR. HOLLY? YOU CAN.

I WAS GONNA SAY YOU CAN ADDRESS.

OH, ARE YOU DONE? ARE YOU DONE? OKAY.

HOW ARE YOU GUYS? GOOD, GOOD.

I'M CHRISTINA COLVIN.

I'VE SENT OUT AN EMAIL TO ALL OF YOU, I THINK, AS WELL AS THE, UM, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

SO, UM, I LIVE IN WARREN COUNTY, UH, 1130 HAPPY WORDS DRIVE IN FRONT ROYAL.

AND I GREW UP HERE.

I HAD THE PLEASURE OF, UH, GROWING UP ON THE MCKAY SPRINGS PROPERTY.

I GREW UP IN THE OLDEST HOUSE IN WARREN COUNTY THAT SADLY BURNED DOWN IN 2009.

UM, THAT'S TAX ID 1226 D FOR THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY.

AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S THAT VACANT SINCE 2004, UH, SINCE THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY HAVE OWNED IT.

AND MY FAMILY IS INTERESTED IN TRYING TO RESTORE SOME OF THAT HERITAGE, PRESERVING THE REMAINING CHIMNEY THAT'S LEFT ON THE PROPERTY.

WE'RE INTERESTED IN PURSUING THE PURCHASE OF THAT PROPERTY AND TRYING TO, UM, PRESERVE THAT HISTORY.

AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A FACE TO MY EMAILS AND SAY HI.

AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE PROCESS FOR DOING THAT, BUT WE JUST WANT TO GET THAT STARTED.

SO, THAT'S IT.

THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY.

SO THANKS.

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.

ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? OKAY, WE'VE GOT, UM, SO WE GOT SOMEBODY RIGHT HERE.

WANT TO CORRECT IS WE NEVER HAD A FOREIGN MARSHAL AT THE CHURCH IS MY FAR CHIEF FROM MY FAR HALL.

I'M LEE KEELER.

I'M FROM, UH, I LIVE AT 2194 CLEARBROOK, VIRGINIA.

UM, WHAT I WANNA SPEAK ON, AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK AND FORTH HERE TONIGHT, AND I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT.

THE CHURCH HIRED ME SEVEN YEARS AGO TO MOW AT THE CHURCH.

AND WHEN I STARTED MOWING THERE, THEY ASKED ME TO MOW ALLEYWAY.

AND I'VE BEEN DOING THAT AND I RUN A TORO WITH A 52 INCH CUT AND I TAKE TWO SWIPES ON THE CHURCH SIDE OF THAT.

SO I'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR SEVEN YEARS PLUS THE ONE SIDE OF THE BANK.

AND THE OTHER THING I

[01:20:01]

HE WAS THERE TO HELP THE SAFETY COMMITTEE WORK OUT SAFETY PROCEDURES TO VAC EVACUATE THE CHURCH.

AND IF ANY Y'ALL BEEN AROUND FAR, WHICH I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE, EVEN STANDING OUTSIDE, YOU GOTTA BE BACK AWAY FROM THE FAR SO MANY FEET BECAUSE IT STILL EVEN GETS HOT OUTSIDE.

SO THAT'S ALL I GOT TO SAY.

UM, YES, MR. SAYER.

MR. I KNOW YOU HAD YOUR HAND RAISED, BUT THE WAY IT WORKS, SINCE YOU ALREADY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY.

OKAY, I'M SORRY.

THAT'S ALRIGHT.

IF THERE'S PROFFERS MADE.

I JUST WANNA LET I JUST, SORRY.

THOMAS SARAH, 8 35 SHANDO SHORES ROAD, FRONT ROYAL VIRGINIA.

FIRST I'D LIKE TO COMPLIMENT, UH, YOUR TOWN MANAGER JOSEPH WALTZ FOR ASSISTING AN ISSUE THAT WAS IN FRONT OF THE FRONT ROYAL PREGNANCY CENTER.

AND I, UH, MY WIFE WHO WORKS AT THE PREGNANCY CENTER, UH, ASKED, UH, THROUGH THE PREGNANCY CENTER, THEY SAID TO THANK HIM FOR HIS PROMPT ATTENTION.

AND THEY, AND YOU ALL DID TAKE CARE OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE THERE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO I'M HERE TO SPEAK.

UH, I WENT BEFORE THE BOARD, THE COUNTY BOARD, AND, AND GAVE A MESSAGE FROM OUR LADY OF MEGIA, AND THAT WAS A JANUARY MESSAGE.

SO I THOUGHT I'LL COME HERE AND GIVE YOU THE FEBRUARY 25TH, 2023 MESSAGE.

AND, UH, SO THIS IS MOTHER OF GOD, SHE'S A JEWISH WOMAN WHEN SHE LIVED ON EARTH.

AND, UH, SHE LIVES UP THERE IN HEAVEN WITH HER SON JESUS.

AND SHE'S GIVEN MESSAGES EVERY MONTH, 25TH, THIS MONTHLY MESSAGE TO MARIANA DEAR CHILDREN, KEEP CONVERTING AND CLOTHE YOURSELVES AND PENITENT GARMENTS AND IN PERSONAL DEEP PRAYER AND IN HU HUMILITY, SEEK PEACE FROM THE MOST HIGH.

IN THIS TIME OF GRACE, SATAN WANTS TO SEDUCE YOU, BUT YOU LITTLE CHILDREN KEEP LOOKING AT MY SON AND FOLLOW HIM TOWARDS CALVARY AND RENUNCIATION AND FASTING.

I'M WITH YOU BECAUSE THE MOST HIGH PERMITS ME TO LOVE YOU AND LEAD YOU TOWARDS THE JOY OF, OF THE HEART IN FAITH WHICH GROWS FOR ALL THOSE WHO LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING RESPONDED TO MONKA.

UM, ALSO, I WANTED TO COMPLIMENT LAUREN IN THE PLANNING AND ZONING APARTMENT.

SHE DOES A GOOD JOB FOR Y'ALL THERE.

AND I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT.

SO I HEARD A FEW THINGS.

I JUST WANT TO BE BRIEF.

I WANTED TO MENTION, UH, THE, THE, I'M THE OWNER OF SOME PROPERTY ON SHEO SHORES ROAD, AND IT'S MY HOUSE.

IT'S, WE'VE LIVED THERE WHEN WE BUILT THE HOUSE SINCE OCTOBER OF 1999.

SO IT'S A RESIDENTIAL HOUSE, IT'S WHERE I LIVE.

IT'S BEEN A LOT OF CONFUSION OVER THE YEARS.

WHEN I WAS ON COUNCIL, I WAS VERY CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE OVERABUNDANCE OF CAUTIOUSNESS, OF MAKING, UH, CONFLICT OF INTEREST, PROCLAMATIONS AND THIS AND THAT.

AND I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED WHEN I SAW IN THE MINUTES OF A PRIOR TOWN ATTORNEY THAT HAD SOME INTEREST IN HEAP, BUT HE DIDN'T MAKE THOSE CONFLICT OF INTERESTS LIKE I THOUGHT HE SHOULD HAVE.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT UNTIL HERE, JUST RECENTLY.

ANYWAY, UM, I, IT'S NOT THE LANDOWNER'S APPLICATION, SO, SO I'M GONNA SPEAK THE TRUTH HERE SO THAT, SO PEOPLE SPECULATE AND THEY GUESS AND IT GETS ALL OUTTA WHACK.

SO MY WIFE AND I HAVE A CONTRACT WITH NVR THAT'S ALSO KNOWN AS RYAN HOLMES.

SO IT'S A CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM.

SO IT'S, IT'S NV R'S APPLICATION.

IT'S NOT MY APPLICATION OR MY WIFE'S APPLICATION.

SO I'M ASKING Y'ALL TO BE CAREFUL, YOU KNOW, I WANT WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY.

SO I DID SEE SOME COMMENTS FROM VDOT AND IT DID CONCERN ME BECAUSE THERE'S, UH, EASTWEST CONNECTOR ROAD THAT I'VE BEEN WAITING TO BE BUILT AS AS, UH, PRYOR SPEAKER MENTIONED, I THINK FOR ABOUT 13 YEARS NOW, HASN'T BEEN BUILT.

AND THAT IS THAT I ENVISIONED IT WAS GONNA BE LIKE LEECH RUN PARKWAY.

IT WAS GONNA BE AS BEAUTIFUL ROAD.

IT WOULD GO BY BE FOUR LANE BIKE LANES AND SIDEWALKS.

NOW OBVIOUSLY THAT'S KIND OF AN EXPENSIVE ROAD TO BUILD, BUT THAT'S WHAT I ENVISIONED BEING BUILT.

EAST WEST CONNECTORS ARE SIMILAR TO THAT.

UM, SO WITH THAT SAID, I THINK I HAVE TO SIGN OFF

[01:25:01]

AND I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT'S KIND OF ROAD THAT I WANT GOING BY MY PROPERTY, .

I WANT A NICE ROAD.

I DON'T WANT LITTLE TWO-LANE ROAD AND THIS AND THAT.

AND, UH, JUST SO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND WHERE I'M COMING FROM.

HAPPY CREEK ROAD HAS BIKE LANES ON IT.

AND WHEN I WAS ON COUNCIL, I REALLY WANTED BIKE LANES AND, AND UH, THAT WAS SOMETHING WE WERE ABLE TO DO.

HAPPY CREEK ROAD HAS THOSE BIKE LANES AND ALSO LEES RUN PARKWAY HAS BIKE LANES ON IT, IF YOU'LL NOTICE.

AND THERE'S NICE SIDEWALKS AND THE PEOPLE LOVE THAT.

THEY WALK ON IT ALL THE TIME.

AND, UH, I DO SEE PEOPLE BIKING ON HAPPY CREEK.

SO THE OTHER THING I WANT TO MENTION IS THAT I LIVE THERE AT THE PROPERTY AND I SEE THE ISSUE WITH THE TRAIN.

MY, MY WIFE AND I ARE A AGREE, MY FAMILY IN AGREEMENT, WE ALL UNDERSTAND THERE'S A TRAIN THAT GOES BY THERE, GOES BY ABOUT NINE TIMES A DAY, FIVE TIMES IN THE EVENING, AND FOUR TIMES DURING THE DAY.

SO IT'S ABOUT NINE TIMES A DAY.

UM, THE LAST TIME THAT THERE WAS A BLOCKAGE WAS THE ONE WHEN THEY ABANDONED IT.

AND THAT WAS BACK IN MAY.

AND THE REASON WHY I KNOW IS I WAS THERE, I WENT BEELINE DOWN THERE AND I WAS TAKING VIDEOS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON.

AND OTHER PEOPLE WERE SAYING, OH, IT WASN'T ABANDONED, JUST BROKE DOWN .

AND I WAS SUSPICIOUS RIGHT AWAY AND LOOKED INTO IT.

TOOK ME ABOUT TWO WEEKS.

BUT THAT TRAIN WAS ABANDONED AND THEY DID DO IT CUZ OF THE LABOR DISPUTE.

BUT THAT'S THE LAST TIME A TRAIN BLOCKED CHAN SHORES ROAD.

SO WE GO INTO MAY, IT'D BE A WHOLE YEAR.

SO IT'S NOT OVERLY OFTEN THAT A TRAIN BREAKS DOWN RIGHT THERE.

IT HAPPENS EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.

UM, AND ALSO IF YOU WANT ME TO, I'LL BRING IT TO THE COUNCIL.

I WILL, I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH SOME NOTES AND FOUND AN, UH, ENV DALEY ARTICLE THAT, UH, I WASN'T AT THE HOUSE.

MY WIFE WAS.

AND, UH, THERE WAS, UH, UM, THE, THE HUMANE SOCIETY, UH, BUTCH WAS HIS NAME.

AND HE, UH, CAME IN THE BACK AND MY WIFE ASKED WHAT HE, WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND SHE SAID, HE SAID, DON'T, UH, LOCK YOUR DOORS AND WINDOWS AND EVERYTHING.

DON'T COME OUTSIDE .

HE SAID, JUST KEEP, KEEP INSIDE.

AND, UH, SO MY WIFE WENT UPSTAIRS, GOT BINOCULARS, AND WAS LOOKING OUT, AND SHE COULD SEE THE SKY COMING FROM HAY BELL TO HAY BELL TOWARD OUR HOUSE.

AND SHE WENT OUT, TOLD BUTCH, SAID, HEY, GET OUT FRONT HERE.

AND THEN EVERYTHING.

AND HE WENT OUT THERE.

WELL, THAT, THAT'S THE GUY, UH, MADE I THINK THE FRONT PAGE ENVY DALEY.

BUT HE WAS SOMEBODY WHO HAD COMMITTED A CRIME DOWN AT THE, UH, SHORE STOP.

AND HE HAD COME DOWN AND GOTTEN OUT AND, AND THERE WAS A TRAIN GOING BY RIGHT AT THAT TIME.

AND, AND, UH, MY WIFE AND I THINK I HAD ANOTHER THAT'S JUST FIGURE, I JUST WANNA ASK YOU, TRY TO WRAP IT UP, WRAP IT UP OR, OR BE DONE, WHICHEVER ONE WORKS WELL, I'M JUST MENTIONED THAT, SO THE, THE, THE TRAIN WAS BLOCKING THE POLICE CARS TRYING TO GET OVER AT THE TIME.

UH, BUTCH CAME OUT, THERE WAS ANOTHER GUY ON THE TRACTOR, UH, AND HE, THEY RAN AFTER HIM.

AND MY DAUGHTER WAS OUT A LITTLE WAYS AND THEY COULD, THEY COULD SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.

BUT, SO THE TRAIN WENT BY AND I DON'T KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF POLICE CARS CAME ON OUR PROPERTY PRETTY QUICK.

BUT ANYWAY, SO THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER WAY IN AND OUT.

CAUSE I'VE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THIS.

THEY'LL SAY, OH, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY.

WELL, AND I HEARD, UH, THERE WAS A, AN, UH, MEETING BETWEEN SOME COUNTY OFFICIALS AND STATE AND SOME, I THINK THE HOMEOWNER WAS LIKE WANTING $3 MILLION FOR RIGHT OF WAY ACROSS HIS PROPERTY.

PROBABLY, I GUESS 40 YEARS PLUS, I DON'T KNOW, BEEN A LONG TIME AGO.

IT'S IN ON VIEW DRIVE.

WAS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK? YES.

YOU KNOW THE DRILL? YES, MA'AM.

OH, THIS IS WEIRD.

UH, I'M CHRIS HOLLOWAY, TWO 40 VIRGINIA AVENUE, FRONT ROYAL.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS AT HOME DOWN THE STREET, UM, WATCHING THE MEETING, WHICH I HAVE PASSED A COUPLE, COUPLE MEETINGS.

UM, AND, UH, AFTER LISTENING TO A COUPLE OF SPEAKERS, UM, JUST LIT A FIRE UNDER ME AND I HAD TO COME DOWN HERE.

SO, UH, THREW SOME CLOTHES ON, I RAN OUT THE HOUSE.

UM, BUT AFTER LISTENING TO MR. ERHARDT AND, UH, MR. WOODWARD SPEAK, I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, MY FAMILY HAS LIVED THERE.

MY PARENTS HAVE LIVED IN THAT HOUSE, UH, SINCE 1968.

UM, AT THE TIME WHERE MY BROTHER LIVES AT, THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN, UM, UH, OLDER GENTLEMAN, MR. EDMONDS LIVED THERE.

UM, AND THAT ALLEY WAS NEVER USED EXCEPT FOR MR. EVANS WOULD ROLL UP THAT ALLEY WITH RUTS ON BOTH SIDES, PROBABLY A FOOT AND A HALF DEEP.

AND THAT CAR WOULD, UH, ROLL UP THROUGH THERE.

AND THAT'S ALL YOU SAW UNTIL YOU PASSED AWAY,

[01:30:01]

UM, SINCE THEN, UM, UH, AFTER HE HAD PASSED, THERE USED TO BE LARGE BUSHES ON THAT SIDE OF THE CHURCH, AND IT WAS GOTTEN TO BE GROWN UP THROUGH THE ALLEY.

UM, UH, CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL ONE DAY, OUR HOUSE BEEN BROKEN INTO THAT SIDE OF THE HOUSE BECAUSE THE CHURCH DIDN'T MAINTAIN THAT SIDE AT THAT END, AND THE ALLEY HAD GROWN UP ALSO.

SO AFTER, UM, A LOT OF TALKING WITH, UH, THE CHURCH, THEY FINALLY CLEANED THAT SIDE UP.

AND, UM, AND AT THE TIME, MY BROTHER, I THINK MENTIONED EARLIER THAT WE USED TO RIDE MOTORCYCLES AND MINI BIKES AND STUFF THROUGH THERE.

SO IT WAS JUST A PATH, JUST ONE PATH.

AND THEN IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE, UH, MY FATHER HAD PURCHASED, UH, MR. EDMOND'S HOUSE.

AND, UH, HE HAD PUT THE STONE DOWN THERE AND USED IT TO GO UP AND DOWN THE CHURCH.

NEVER USED THAT, UM, NEVER USED IT.

UM, THEY DID DO AN EX, UH, EXPANSION ONTO THEIR CHURCH, DID A PARKING LOT.

UM, THEY DO HAVE A CUT DOWN BACK THERE, BUT IT WAS CHAINED FOR MANY YEARS, CHAINED FOR MANY YEARS.

UM, AND TO THIS DAY, NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN THEM DO AN EMERGENCY DRILL FOR WHATEVER.

I KNOW MR. AIRHART SPOKE AND SAID, YOU KNOW, COMMENCE, YOU KNOW, MR. SEAK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NO APPARATUS WOULD USE THAT ALLEY.

AND HE ALSO STATED WHAT YOU FORGOT TO SAY WAS THAT YOU WOULD NOT, UH, UH, UM, MEET IN THE ALLEY.

YOU WOULD GO DOWN TO THE BACK OR DOWN ON VIRGINIA AVENUE AND MEET DOWN THERE.

UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE TAKEN CARE OF THIS ALLEY.

AND I KNOW MR. WOODWARD HAS STATED THAT, UM, NEVER SEEN MY BROTHER OUT THERE.

MY DAD'S IN HIS EIGHTIES.

MY BROTHER MOWS THAT A LOT.

UM, MY DAD STILL GETS OUT AND HE GOES, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT KEEPS HIM GOING.

UM, BUT, UH, UH, THEY'VE MAINTAINED THAT ALLEY FOR I KNOW, OVER 40 YEARS.

UM, THIS GENTLEMAN OVER HERE STATED THAT HE COMES UP THROUGH THERE WITH A ZERO DEGREE TURN.

I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM KNOW THAT ALLEY.

AND IF HE HAS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S MOWING BECAUSE THAT ALLEY'S KEPT IMMACULATE JUST LIKE THEIR YARDS ARE.

SO, UM, AND I DIDN'T COME UP.

I WAS GONNA SPEAK LAST TIME, BUT I DIDN'T THINK I NEEDED TO.

CAUSE I HAD ALREADY SPOKEN TO THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT SAID, DON'T WORRY, DIDN'T SEE AN ISSUE.

ONE SAID THAT THEY WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO VOTE TO VACATE AND THEN, UH, MOVED ON TO, UH, UM, SEND IT TO, UH, A BODY TO LOOK AT THE ALLEY, WHICH, WHAT ARE THEY GONNA LOOK AT? THEY'RE GONNA GO UP THERE AND LOOK AT THE ALLEY, AND THEY DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY OF IT.

THEY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

AND ONE IS A FORMER TOWN EMPLOYEE, WHICH I CAN'T SAY THAT THAT'S NON-BIASED.

SO, UM, YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT.

I DON'T REALLY CARE, BUT I JUST WANT TO COME UP HERE AND STATE THAT.

AND ALSO, MR. WOODWARD SAID SOMETHING ABOUT, UH, HAS SPOKE TO HIM ABOUT CUTTING DOWN HIS TREE MOVE BEEN, AND MY PARENTS BEEN THERE 31 YEARS.

MY PARENTS BEEN THERE ALMOST 60 YEARS.

AND, UM, NEVER MENTIONED ABOUT A TREE.

NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING TO YOU ABOUT ANY OF THAT.

SO THAT'S WHAT REALLY FIRED ME UP TO COME UP HERE AND, AND CLARIFY THIS BECAUSE I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE GETTING UP HERE TALKING TO NON-TRUTH.

SO, THANK YOU MR. HALL.

LET'S SEE.

I'M GONNA LOOK AROUND.

I'M SORRY, MR. UH, EARHART.

IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT.

SO, UM, I, I WILL SAY THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF THINGS SAID TONIGHT, A LOT OF PEOPLE BACK AND FORTH.

UM, SO WE TRIED TO BE AS RESPECTFUL AS WE COULD AND, AND WANT EVERYBODY ELSE TO BE AS RESPECTFUL AS WELL.

SO, MS. PRESLEY, THERE'S NOBODY ELSE SIGNED UP.

ANYBODY ELSE THAT HAS NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THAT WANTS TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS? OKAY.

GONNA MOVE ON TO OUR REPORTS, AND, UH, MR. WALTZ IS GOING TO GIVE THE REPORT OF THE TOWN MANAGER.

UM, THEN WE'RE GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.

WE'RE

[9.A. Report of Town Manager]

ALRIGHT.

UM, THANK YOU MAYOR.

I WANTED, UH, TONIGHT TO DISCUSS OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET, OUR EMPLOYEES.

THE ONE CONSTANT I HAVE OBSERVED OVER THE PAST 90 DAYS IS THE DESIRE OF OUR EMPLOYEES ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS, THE SERVE THE CITIZENS TO THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE STANDARD.

I SEE THIS EFFORT AND DEDICATION EVERY DAY WHILE SERVING AS TOWN MANAGER FOR TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL.

WHILE I ADMIT WE MISSED A MARK, SOMETIMES IT IS OUR DESIRE TO LEARN, IMPROVE AND EXCEED YOUR EXPECTATIONS AS WE SERVE YOU THE CITIZENS.

SO THEREFORE, TONIGHT I AM RELAUNCHING THE EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION PROGRAM CALLED PRIDE AND PERFORMANCE.

IT IS TO RECOGNIZE AND ENCOURAGE SUPERIOR EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AND ENGAGEMENT AS THEY SERVE YOU.

I NOW OFFICIALLY INVITE YOU ALL CITIZENS TO GIVE US THE FEEDBACK WE NEED TO CONTINUE PROVIDING THE SERVICE THAT YOU EXPECT.

SO WHEN AN EMPLOYEE EXCEEDS YOUR EXPECTATIONS, PLEASE LET

[01:35:01]

US KNOW IN WRITING IF POSSIBLE.

WE DO HAVE THE PROGRAM PACIFICS ON PRIDE AND PERFORMANCE ON THE WEBSITE WITH A FORM TO CAPTURE THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO IDENTIFY THE EMPLOYEE WHO THAT WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND.

YOU CAN ALSO SEND ME AN EMAIL WITH THE PACIFICS, JUST SO THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY THE EMPLOYEE THAT HAS STEPPED ABOVE AND BEYOND.

WE ARE ALL HERE TO SERVE YOU, AND WE DON'T WANNA LOSE THAT FOCUS.

WHEN WE PERFORM OUR DUTIES, OUR MISSION IS CLEAR.

WE ARE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE EVERY DAY FOR EVERYONE.

AND THAT COMPLETES MY REPORT TONIGHT.

NIGHTMARE.

MR. WALTZ.

I HATE TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT I DID WANNA ASK YOU BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS EARLIER, UM, DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT HOW THE VIEWING COMMITTEE THAT, UM, WAS, UH, REQUESTED, UM, FOR THE BUSINESS ITEM FOR 11 C.

DO YOU MIND JUST MENTIONING, UM, UH, WHERE, WHERE THAT, WHERE IT CAME FROM AND, AND JUST, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S CLEAR.

UH, YES MA'AM.

UH, THE CLERK OF COUNSEL HAS A LIST OF AVAILABLE PEOPLE FOR THE VIEWING COMMITTEE.

AND IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, MS. PRESLEY REACHED OUT TO THOSE THREE INDIVIDUALS.

HOPEFULLY THAT CLARIFIES, UM, THAT POINT.

WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE REPORT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I AM JUST GONNA, UM, START WITH, UH, MR. REPPORT, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO OFFER THIS EVENING? THERE'S NO PRESSURE.

[9.B. Report of Councilmembers]

I'M JUST GIVING EVERYBODY THE CHANCE.

I JUST DON'T WANNA LEAVE ANYBODY OUT.

WELL, I'M FEELING THE PRESSURE.

SORRY.

I'LL PICK YOU SECOND NEXT TIME.

WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO, UH, TELL, UH, CHIEF MCG THAT I GOT, UH, SIX AMMO CANS WAITING FOR YOU, UH, THAT, UH, HE'S DONATED BY, UH, ACCURACY INTERNATIONAL NORTH AMERICA.

UH, SO WE'LL GET THOSE OVER TO YOU.

UH, SECONDLY, UH, I'VE BEEN GETTING A FEW CALLS ABOUT, UH, UH, JUST HAPPENS TO BE UP, MR. MCGS IS ALLY, UH, UH, UH, SPEEDING IN THE, UH, COMMUNITY.

AND, UH, UH, I, I BELIEVE WE MENTIONED IN THE WORK SESSION THAT WE WOULD BRING THAT UP, UH, IN A, A FUTURE WORK SESSION.

UM, OTHER THAN THAT, UH, I THINK THAT, UH, THAT'S ALL I GOT.

COUNSEL, COUNCILMAN INGRAM, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD THIS EVENING? UH, YES, MADAM MAYOR.

I WOULD LIKE TO JUST GIVE A BRIEF, UH, OVERVIEW OF WHAT, UH, WE HAVE DONE WITH THE TRANSFER THE TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE, UH, FORMED BY BOTH THE TOWN COUNCIL AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

UH, WE HAD A, UH, MEETING A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND AS, UH, AS, UH, WAS MENTIONED BRIEFLY, UH, BY MS. ER ABOUT, UM, UH, ADDRESSING SOME OF THE CONCERNS WITH THE RAILROAD CROSSING AT, UH, SHENANDOAH SHORES.

UH, WE'VE ALL BEEN ASSIGNED SOME ACTION ITEMS OF ONE OF WHICH I AM TRYING TO REACH OUT, OF COURSE, TO THE, UH, RAILROAD COMPANY THEMSELVES.

UH, I'VE LEFT SEVERAL MESSAGES.

I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THAT'S A VERY, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TOLD GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.

SO ANYWAYS, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT AS WELL.

YEAH, AS WE ALL KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT THE, I DON'T THINK THE RAILROAD COMPANIES ARE, ARE , YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, UM, CURRENT, UH, SITUATION HERE AS WE'VE SEEN HERE WITH SOME OF THESE INCIDENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT HARD TO BARGAIN.

BUT ANYWAYS, I'M STILL CONTINUING THAT EFFORT.

UH, OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY AT, UH, THE 1ST OF MARCH AT 4:00 PM UH, UNLESS IT'S CANCELED BY MEANS OR, UH, AS FAR AS I KNOW, IT'S STILL ON.

UH, BUT ANYWAYS, YEAH, THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF, UH, MYSELF, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, MORRIS, AND AS WELL WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEMBERS, UH, CHERYL KOHLERS AND DOLORES SOS.

WE'VE ALSO BROUGHT UPON, UM, UH, UH, MS. NER, MS. CONNIE NER WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF OTHER, UH, STAKEHOLDERS, UH, WITH BOTH CHRIS AND THEM, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BRING IN, UH, VDOT AS WELL.

SO, UH, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE ADJUST, WE'RE CROSSING IS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ADDRESSING.

BUT, UH, THERE ARE SOME OTHER, UM, DOWN THE ROAD PROJECTS, IF YOU WILL, THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING AS WELL.

SO, UM, THINGS ARE GOING, BEING PUT IN MOTION.

SO THAT'S LIKE, I'D LIKE THE REPORT.

UH, COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS, IS THERE SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? YES, SO, UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD, UM, IT'S BEEN AN HONOR SITTING ON THE TRANSPORTATION

[01:40:01]

SUBCOMMITTEE.

I, TOO WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE.

UM, AND I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT THE ISSUE IS WITH THAT TRAIN AND THE CROSSING.

AND THEN NOW WE SEE WHAT KIND OF COMPANY NORFOLK SOUTHERN REALLY IS, UM, WITH WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN OHIO.

UM, SO BLOCKING HOURS FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS.

WE'RE LUCKY.

THAT'S ALL THE CATASTROPHE THEY'VE CAUSED IN WARREN COUNTY.

UM, WITH THAT TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE, WE HAVE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS IN ONLY TWO MEETINGS, AND WE HAVE INVITED IN THE STAKEHOLDERS.

WE HAVE SOME ADJOINING PROPERTY OWNERS JOINING US AT OUR NEXT MEETING THIS WEDNESDAY.

UM, AND WE HAVE INVITED SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT ARE A PART OF THE SHENANDOAH SHORES COMMI COMMUNITY OUT THERE, UH, KRISTEN COLLEGE AND THE INDUSTRIAL PARK, PEOPLE OF THAT NATURE.

UM, I'VE BEEN TOLD FOR MY TWO YEARS ON COUNCIL, IF WE DEVELOP IT, THEN THE TRANSPORTATION WILL COME, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT BACKWARDS TO ME.

SO, UM, WE DO HAVE SOME PROMISING HEADWAY THERE.

UM, AND WE'VE, YOU KNOW, UNCOVERED SOME ARCHIVES FROM THE COUNTY AND FORMER PROFFERS THAT ARE YEARS AND YEARS, WELL, MORE THAN A DECADE OLD RATHER.

UM, SO HOPEFULLY AT OUR NEXT MEETING LIKE THIS, WE'LL HAVE A LOT TO REPORT ON THAT.

UM, I DID WANNA SAY, SINCE OUR AGENDA WAS RELEASED THURSDAY AROUND 1:00 PM I HAVE HAD, UM, A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS REGARDING TOURISM.

AND I DO ECHO THE SENTIMENTS THAT IT IS IMPORTANT.

UM, I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO LOUD IN OUR COUNTY.

I SAY THAT OFTEN.

UM, I WANT THEM TO COME HERE, SPEND THEIR MONEY AND GO HOME.

PERHAPS STAY A NIGHT OR TWO, BUT NO MORE THAN THAT.

UM, AND I WANNA PRESERVE OUR HISTORY AND WHAT MAKES WARREN COUNTY GREAT AND KEEP OUR PROPERTY TAXES LOW.

THERE'S SO MANY THINGS I COULD ADD TO IT.

UM, THIS HAS BEEN A CONTINUED ONGOING, PAINFUL CONVERSATION.

IT BEGAN PREDATING MY TIME ON COUNCIL.

HOWEVER, IT IS POLITICALLY INVOLVED.

AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE WERE EACH ELECTED TO SIT UP HERE AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TAXPAYER'S DOLLARS, AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER TO THOSE CONSTITUENTS.

SO I TAKE BOTH SIDES OF IT EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY.

UM, AND I DO THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MAKE STRIDES ON TOURISM WHEN WE LEAVE HERE TONIGHT.

I DON'T THINK IT'S THE END OF THE ROAD, DESPITE SOME STRONG LANGUAGE THAT'S BEEN USED.

UM, LASTLY, I'M JUST GONNA ADD COMMENTS, UM, TO OUR FORMER MAYOR WHO MENTIONED THAT HE THOUGHT THAT HE HAD ENOUGH VOTES AND SOMEONE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THE ALLEYWAY.

UM, AS WE'VE ALL LEARNED, UM, BEFORE REMOVING TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED, THOSE PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WEREN'T PROVIDED PRIOR TO THAT.

UM, AND A LOT OF INFORMATION DOES CHANGE.

I THOUGHT I WAS BEING UNBIASED IN MY MOTION TO ASK FOR AN UNBIASED VIEWING COMMITTEE.

I DIDN'T KNOW ANY OF THOSE PEOPLE, UM, OR THE FORMER TOWN EMPLOYEE OF THAT MATTER.

UM, THERE WILL NEVER BE A DECISION THAT I SIT ON THIS COUNCIL, ON THIS DIOCESE MAKE THAT I CAN BE BULLIED OR CUSSED INTO MAKING.

UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD JUST APPRECIATE RESPECT FROM EVERYBODY AS WE SIT HERE AND DO THIS THANKLESS JOB.

UM, AND I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO ADD IN MY REPORT.

MAYOR, THANK YOU, COUNSEL.

MY MORRIS VICE MAYOR SEAK.

YES, MA'AM.

I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ATTENDING THE, MY FIRST TIME FOR THE NORTHERN CHANO VALLEY REGIONAL COMMISSION.

UH, LEARNED A FEW THINGS.

LAUREN, HELP ME OUT HERE IF I MESS UP, PLEASE.

UM, THEY HAVE, UH, RIGHT NOW, UH, THEY HAVE A LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE NOT USING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD START TO USE.

UM, THEY'RE WORKING WITH, UH, DEQ ON SOME OF THE WATER SUPPLY PLANS THAT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

UM, THE COST OF THE 10 IS 14,000, $94 AND 15 CENTS, UH, A YEAR.

UH, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA, WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE WITH THE POPULATION THAT WE'VE INCREASED, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA GO TO $18,000 A YEAR TO BELONG TO THIS.

SO MY WHOLE THING IS TO BRING IT BACK TO COUNCIL AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA PAY THIS MONEY, THEN LET'S USE IT.

YOU, LET'S USE THESE RESOURCES TO GET THINGS OUT TO PEOPLE.

I DON'T CARE WHETHER IT'S TOURISM OR WHAT IT IS.

UH, AND THERE IS SOME STUFF IN IN THERE THAT, THAT WILL HELP US WITH, WITH SUMMER ADVERTISEMENT FOR TOURISM.

ALSO, UH, LIKE I SAY, THAT WAS MY FIRST MEETING.

I'M STILL TRYING TO GET MY FEET WET, SO MAYBE THE NEXT QUARTER I HAVE A BETTER FEEL FOR WHAT EVERYTHING IS GOING, WHAT, WHAT ALL IS GOING ON WITH US.

SO, THANK YOU.

UH, RAIL INTERRUPTION OF SEVERAL HOURS BECAUSE OF AN INCIDENT, I, I WOULD LIKE TO, TO LET FOLKS KNOW, BOTH FAMILY AND FRIENDS HAVE BEEN STUCK FOR 10, 15, 20 MINUTES AT A TIME WHEN, UH, THE TRAIN DOES STOP FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.

UH, COUNCILMAN ROGERS, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UH, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS.

FIRST, I JUST WANNA MAKE A GENERAL COMMENT.

UH, IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING DISCUSSION FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, UH, IN THIS COUNCIL AND IN, IN THIS COMMUNITY.

AND, UH, IT AGAIN, HAS TO DO WITH THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, NORTH OF, UH, UH, IN AND AROUND, UH, SHANDO SHORES, UH, WITH A MAJOR TOPIC BEING THE RAILROAD.

AND I, I WANT FOR ALL OF US TO UNDERSTAND THAT ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT,

[01:45:01]

UH, AND IT'S FREQUENT.

UH, THOSE OF YOU WHO NEED TO GO TO SCHOOL SOMETIMES GO TO WORK, YOU GET STUCK.

SO I WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT THAT, AND THERE'S A REASON WHY I'M MAKING THAT POINT.

UH, THERE ARE FREQUENT STOPS, INTERRUPTIONS, AND WHAT I WANT EVERYONE TO CONSIDER, BOTH THIS COUNCIL AS WELL AS THIS COMMUNITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AND, UH, AND I KNOW MY FRIEND HAS A DEVELOPMENT THAT I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, CONTINUING TO EXPLORE AND CONTINUE TO, UH, DO WHAT WE CAN TO MOVE FORWARD ON GETTING THAT DEVELOPMENT BUILT.

BUT I CAN'T IN GOOD CONSCIENCE WHILE I SIT ON THIS COUNCIL, BE A PART OF APPROVING DEVELOPMENT OF HOMES AND FOLKS MOVING INTO A COMMUNITY WHEN INGRESS EGRESS MAY BE INTERRUPTED, AND GOD HELP US FOR THE FIRST TIME.

IF SOMEONE HAS A HEART ATTACK, SOMEONE HAS A STROKE, SOMEONE HAS A REAL EMERGENCY, AND THEY CAN'T GET THROUGH EVEN FOR A 10 MINUTE TRAIN INTERRUPTION.

SO I WANT ALL OF US TO CONSIDER THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THAT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DEVELOPMENT.

TO ME, IT HAS TO DO WITH SAFETY AND MAKING SURE AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT I ENSURE TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT ANY KIND OF DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO BE IN A SAFE MANNER.

SO THAT'S 0.1, 0.2.

AND I, AND I PERSONALLY WANNA APOLOGIZE.

THIS HAS, I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO THE COUNCIL REALLY ABOUT THIS, BUT I PERSONALLY WANNA APOLOGIZE.

UM, WE HAVE A VERY SIGNIFICANT VOTE THAT'S COMING UP TONIGHT, AND ALL OF US I KNOW HAVE SPENT MANY HOURS DISCUSSING THE ISSUE OF THE CURRENT M MOU WITH THE COUNTY.

I WANNA MAKE VERY SURE AND CLEAR THAT THIS COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS WHAT IT MEANS TO EITHER CONTINUE OR TERMINATE THE EXISTING M O U THAT M O U WAS DEVELOPED.

AND I DON'T WANNA GET INTO HISTORY, BUT I'M PERSONALLY NOT CONFIDENT THAT IT IS THE BEST WAY TO MOVE FORWARD.

WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS ON DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL, THAT HAVE PUT IN YEARS OF WORK, AND I WANT TO COMMEND THEM ON THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE AND THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE.

I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT.

I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT THAT IS BEHIND DISCOVER, FRONT ROYAL AND OUR RELATIONSHIP, UH, WITH THE COUNTY ON THAT.

ON THAT POINT, I WANNA WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS OF WHICH I'M, I'M, I'M A MEMBER, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT THE INSTRUMENT WE HAVE IN PLACE IS BY ANY MEANS A UH, AN INSTRUMENT THAT I CAN LIVE WITH.

SO I WANT TO APOLOGIZE BECAUSE NO ONE WAS NOTIFIED UNTIL THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

AND THAT IS AN OVERSIGHT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WAS A PART OF, DID NOT REALIZE.

AND I THINK THE COUNCIL PROBABLY FEELS THE SAME WAY.

I BELIEVE THAT, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE LET FOLKS KNOW WHAT WAS COMING TONIGHT BEFORE THURSDAY.

SO I WOULD ASK FOR YOUR, UH, UNDERSTANDING ON THAT.

UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR.

ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL, UM, PARTICULARLY AT THE HOLLOWAY CASE, UM, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER HOW THE VOTE GOES, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T WANT THAT ALLEYWAY TO BECOME A CHASM FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS.

UH, COUNCILWOMAN D DOO PAYNE, AND I'M, I'M PRONOUNCED YOUR NAME, ZACH D DOO.

GO AHEAD.

UM, IF YOU WANT TO, YES.

UM, HI EVERYBODY.

I'M, I'M THE NEWLY APPOINTED, IF I CAN TALK.

COUNCILWOMAN.

UH, I WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING FORWARD TONIGHT.

IT'S REALLY, UM, REALLY INSPIRING TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE HERE.

AND I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT MY COMMITMENT TO YOU ALL IS THAT FOR EVERY DECISION, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M GONNA EXAMINE THE INFORMATION, I'M GOING TO LISTEN TO WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY, AND I'M GOING TO THINK ABOUT IT, AND THEN, UM, MAKE A DECISION.

AND I KNOW THAT, THAT MY DECISIONS WILL BY FAR NOT BE ACCEPTED BY EVERYBODY.

UM, BUT I HOPE THAT WHATEVER DECISIONS COME OUT, I HOPE THAT IN THE END, WE CAN ALL BE NEIGHBORS.

YOU KNOW, THE MOST DISTURBING THING I SEE TONIGHT IS I WORRY

[01:50:01]

YOU KNOW, JUST REMEMBER THAT YOU'VE GOT YOU, MAYBE NOW YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD.

AND SAME WITH TOURISM AS A BIG THING TOO.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE MAKING A VOTE ON SOMETHING DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN'T REGROUP AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND BETTER FORWARD, UM, WHILE RESPECTING THE HISTORY, OF COURSE.

UM, AND I WANT TO, I WANT TO, UH, RECOGNIZE THE WARREN COUNTY, FORT ROYAL ANTI LITTER COUNCIL.

I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY SAW THIS, UH, ABOUT A WEEK OR SO AGO, BUT, UM, JUST A WHOLE SLEW OF VOLUNTEERS OUT BY THE OLD JOE STEAKHOUSE AND, UH, 7-ELEVEN THERE PICKING UP, YOU KNOW, TAKING THEIR, TAKING THEIR FRIDAY OR SATURDAY, WHATEVER DAY IT WAS, OR SUNDAY.

AND, UH, JUST TRYING TO CLEAN UP OUR COMMUNITY AND, AND DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.

SO I, I APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, AND, UH, I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME LEARNING AND I'M STILL LEARNING, AND I'LL CONTINUE TO LEARN.

AND, UM, AS WELL AS I LOOK FOR INFORMATION, I'VE BEEN REALLY IMPRESSED WITH HOW MUCH WE DO GET, WE GET PICTURES OF PLACES AND ALL KINDS OF DETAILS.

WE'VE HAD, UM, DISCOURSE THAT TALKS ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES THAT PEOPLE HAVE.

UM, SO I'VE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED BY THAT.

BUT I WANT YOU TO FEEL LIKE IF YOU WANT TO GIVE A PIECE OF INFORMATION TO ME THAT YOU CAN DO THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE MY EMAIL, PROBABLY MY CELL PHONE IS ON THERE AS WELL.

I'M HAPPY TO LISTEN, UM, AGAIN AND TAKE WHATEVER INFORMATION YOU FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

OKAY,

[9.C. Report of the Mayor]

SO THE REPORT OF THE MAYOR.

FIRST, I WANNA SAY WELCOME TO COUNCILMAN MELISSA D DOCO PAYNE.

THIS IS HER FIRST REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING.

UM, SHE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A WORK SESSION ALREADY, BUT I JUST WANNA EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR HER WILLINGNESS TO SERVE AND DO THE WORK.

AS SHE SAID, SHE WAS APPOINTED, UH, NOT ONLY THE WORK INVOLVED SHOWING UP AT THE MEETINGS, BUT ALL THE PREPARATION, UH, THAT GOES INTO UNDERSTANDING THE ISSUES BEFORE THE COUNCIL.

UM, BUT THIS APPRECIATION GOES TO ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS.

UH, I KNOW HOW MUCH TIME IS INVOLVED IN READING EMAILS, READING AGENDA PACKETS, ANSWERING PHONE CALLS, SPEAKING TO CITIZENS ON THE STREET AND IN THE GROCERY STORE, AND SO MUCH MORE.

SO THANK YOU ALL.

SECOND, I WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT, UH, TO TWO OF OUR TOWN EMPLOYEES THAT MY FAMILY HAD DIRECT INVOLVEMENT WITH, UH, THE WEEKEND BEFORE LAST.

THEIR NAMES ARE TIM MCCOY AND RALPH SMITH.

UM, WE, UM, WELL, LET ME BE HONEST.

IT WAS NOT, WE, IT WAS MY HUSBAND, MY SON, MY BROTHER-IN-LAW WHO CUT DOWN A RATHER LARGE CEDAR TREE IN OUR YARD, WHICH INVOLVED MULTIPLE TRIPS TO THE MANASSAS AVENUE YARD WASTE DISPOSAL SITE.

AND THESE TWO MEN WERE NOT ONLY PROFESSIONAL, BUT THEY WERE EFFICIENT, THEY WERE CUSTOMER FRIENDLY.

UH, ONE HAD THE MORNING SHIFT, ONE HAD THE AFTERNOON.

I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF VERY HARDWORKING TOWN EMPLOYEES, AS MR. WALTZ SAID EARLIER IN ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS.

BUT I DID WANT TO GIVE AN EXTRA THANK YOU TO THESE TWO GENTLEMEN.

SO IF YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DISPOSE OF SOME YARD WASTE AT THE MANASSAS AVENUE LOCATION, PLEASE TELL THEM THANK YOU.

THIRD MARCH 23RD AT 7:00 PM AT SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY.

GET OUT YOUR CALENDARS, PHONES, WRITE THAT DOWN.

MARCH 23RD, 7:00 PM AT SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY.

THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL IN THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY TO ATTEND A COMMUNITY INPUT MEETING FOR THE SHANDO VALLEY RAIL TRAIL.

THIS IS A JOINT MEETING WITH THE PARTNERSHIP, WHICH INCLUDES ALL THE COMMUNITIES, TOWNS, AND COUNTIES ALONG THE TRAIL.

MB DOT, UM, YOU THERE, YOU CAN GATHER INFORMATION, SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS.

THERE ARE GONNA BE 10 JOINT COMMUNITY INPUT MEETINGS ALL ALONG THE CORRIDOR, BUT MARCH 23RD IS FRONT ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY'S OPPORTUNITY.

SO AGAIN, THAT'S MARCH 23RD, UH, 7:00 PM AT SANDERS LIBRARY.

UM, TOMORROW I WILL BE ATTENDING THE WARREN COUNTY DRUG COURT MEETING.

I ATTENDED LAST MONTH, UH, JUST TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW IT'S MOVING FORWARD.

AND I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC THAT THE FIRST DOCKET WILL, UM, BE HAPPENING BY THE END OF SUMMER.

LASTLY, THIS PAST THURSDAY, UM, I WAS INVITED TO ATTEND AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MARKETING EVENT AT THE VIRGINIA LYNN PORT.

IT WAS A VERY INFORMATIVE EVENT.

I KNOW MS. COOK WAS HERE EARLIER.

UM, MR. WALTZ ALSO ATTENDED WITH ME AND, AND OTHER, UH, COUNTY STAFF.

IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE.

THE COUNTY'S E D A HOSTED IT WITH THE VIRGINIA PORT.

THESE TYPES OF EVENTS HAD BEEN HELD QUARTERLY IN THE PAST, BUT LIKE MANY THINGS AFFECTED BY COVID, THEY HAD LAPSED.

SO I LOOK FORWARD TO ATTENDING THESE TYPES OF EVENTS IN THE FUTURE, AND THAT'S ALL.

SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON

[10. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS]

TO ITEM NUMBER 10, WHICH IS THE

[01:55:01]

CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. UM, IS, DO I HEAR EMOTION, MADAM MAYOR? I MOVE THAT COUNSEL, APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

CORRECT.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, CAN WE HAVE A ROLL CALL? COUNCILWOMAN DE DEMO.

MONICA PAYNE.

ON TO 11 B, WHICH IS THE WAIVER OF CURB AND GUTTER REQUIREMENT AT TWO 19 ORCHARD STREET FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.

UH, NUMBER 11 IS BUSINESS ITEMS 11 A WAS MOVED TO EARLIER IN, UH, THE ORDER OF BUSINESS.

SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE

[11.B. Waiver of Curb and Gutter Requirement at 219 Orchard Street for Habitat for Humanity ]

MS. PRESLEY, CAN YOU READ THE SUMMARY FOR US? COUNSEL'S RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM AMANDA SLATE, PRESIDENT OF THE WARREN COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, REQUESTING THE WAIVER OF THE INSTALLATION OF CURB AND GUTTER AT TWO 19 ORCHARD STREET.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OWNED A LOT LOCATED AT TWO 19 ORCHARD STREET, WHERE THEY CONSTRUCTED A NEW SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING CURB AND GUTTER IS REQUIRED ALONG THE FRONT EDGE OF THE APPLICANT'S LOT PER TOWN.

CODE 1 48 DASH 85 OH C STATING FOR ALL SUBDIVISIONS INVOLVING THE CREATION OF AN ADDITIONAL LOT, AND FOR ALL NEW DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, CURB AND GUTTER SECTIONS SHALL BE REQUIRED ALONG THE FRONTAGE OF ALL EXISTING PUBLIC STREETS.

THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE WAIVED UPON APPROVAL OF TOWN COUNCIL AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS WHERE THE MAJORITY OF SURROUNDING DEVELOPMENT PROPERTIES DO NOT HAVE CURB AND GUTTER, WHERE THE CHARACTER OF THE AREA, RELATIVELY LOW DENSITY AFTER CONSIDERATION OF THE TRAFFIC IMPACT CREATED BY THE SUBDIVISION AND THE TOTAL LOTS ON A GIVEN STREET, DRAINAGE CONSIDERATIONS AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN PERIMETER.

OKAY, I WILL OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL.

DO I HEAR A MOTION? MADAM MAYOR, I'VE MOVED THAT COUNCIL WAIVED THE CURB AND GUTTER REQUIREMENTS FOR TWO 19 ORCHARD STREET AS ALLOWED BY TOWN CODE CHAPTER 1 48, UH, DASH EIGHT 50, SECTION C AND D SECOND.

OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION.

DOES COUNCIL HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD OR ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR YES, UH, MADAM MAYOR TO SPEAK? OKAY.

UM, I HAVE TO DIVULGE THAT, UH, I'M A, A NEIGHBOR OF THE, UH, APPLICANT, UH, THE PROPERTY ABUTS, UH, AN ALLEY, WE'RE TALKING ALLEYS TONIGHT.

UH, IT, IT ABUTS AN ALLEY, UH, THAT, THAT IS, UH, UH, PORTION OF IT IS, IS USED, IS PAVED, BUT, UH, THE PORTION THAT ABUTS BEHIND MY PROPERTY, UH, IS, UH, ISN'T NOT USED.

IT'S STILL, UH, UNDEVELOPED LAND, RIGHT? UH, SO I, I NEED TO DIVULGE THAT FACT, UH, BEFORE THE VOTE THAT I DO NOT HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE PROPERTY.

SO, UH, I WILL BE VOTING TONIGHT.

UH, I NEED TO TELL YOU THAT I AM A, UH, A PROPONENT FOR CURB AND GUTTER.

UH, REASONING BEHIND THAT IS IT, IT TIGHTENS OUR ROADS.

UH, UH, IT ALSO GIVES A DIRECTION FOR FLOW, UH, OF, OF THE, THE WATER, UH, TO A CENTRAL POINT SO THAT IT RUNS THROUGH, UM, A, A, UH, THE, THE ACTOR FLOW INTO, INTO OUR STORM WATER SYSTEM.

UH, WITH THAT SAID, I AM A PROPONENT FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.

UM, I'M A CONTRIBUTOR, AND I THINK THEY DO GREAT THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY.

THERE'S NO ONE ELSE, UH, RIGHT NOW THAT DOES THAT.

SO, WITH THAT SAID, UM, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION.

IF THERE'S A STAFF MEMBER, UH, AVAILABLE, I WOULD, I, I'M THINKING, UH, LAUREN FOR PLANNING AND ZONING COULD ANSWER ONE QUESTION.

JUST WANT TO KNOW IF, UH, THE STAFF, UH, WHEN THEY REVIEWED THE, THE PROPERTY, THE LAND AND WHATNOT, IF THE BEST PRACTICES OF STORM WATER MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN OBSERVED, UH, ON, ON THAT ORCHARD STREET PROPERTY.

UH, I'LL MAKE THIS VERY, UH, SHORT FOR YOU.

UH, I

[02:00:01]

AS OF NOW, ACCORDING TO OUR ORDINANCE, THE BEST PRACTICES WOULD BE FOR CURB AND GUTTER TO BE INSTALLED ON THAT ENTIRE STREET.

AT THIS TIME, WE DON'T HAVE THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE PROVISIONS FOR THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN HERE IS YOU WOULD HAVE ONE HOME ON THAT ENTIRE STREET STRAIGHTER THAT ENTIRE BLOCK WITH CURB AND GUTTER.

UM, BUT THE BEST PRACTICE WOULD BE FOR THE ENTIRE BLOCK TO HAVE IT.

STEP AWAY.

IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OF WHERE SHE, I HAVE DISCUSSION, BUT NO QUESTIONS.

WE'LL CONTINUE DISCUSSION.

COUNCIL MORRIS, I TOO AM A PROPONENT FOR CURB AND GUTTER.

UM, HOWEVER, ON ORCHARD STREET IN THIS PARTICULAR IMPRO IN PARTICULAR, I IMPLORE YOU GUYS TO GO BY TWO 19 ORCHARD STREET.

IF WE WERE TO SPOT, CURB AND GUTTER THIS ONE PARTICULAR PROPERTY, IT WOULD CAUSE WATER INTRUSION TO THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR.

AND IN SPEAKING WITH STAFF MULTIPLE TIMES, THERE ARE NO FUTURE PLANS WHATSOEVER TO HAVE CURB AND GUTTER ON ORCHARD STREET, UM, AND NEVER SIDEWALKS.

THE ROAD'S TOO NARROW AS IT STANDS.

UM, AND THEY DID, THERE IS A LITTLE BUMP THERE FOR THE DRIVEWAY THAT THEY, UM, HAD TO PUT IN.

UM, AND I MEAN, I'VE CAME AND SPOKE BEFORE COUNCIL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DIAS REGARDING CURB AND GUTTER WAIVERS.

UM, I DON'T THINK THE TIME TO SET THE PRECEDENCE FOR CURB AND GUTTER FOR A HOUSE IS, UM, A ON A STREET THAT'S GONNA BE SPOT, CURB AND GUTTERED, WHICH COSTS MORE MONEY.

UM, AND THEN THE TOWN MAY COME IN AT A LATER DATE AND PUT CURB AND GUTTER IN, AND THEN THOSE PEOPLE WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.

UM, I DON'T, I CONTINUE TO NOT BELIEVE THAT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOUSE IS THE ONE TO SET THE PRECEDENCE FOR THAT.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE ON COUNCIL WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THE DISCUSSION? ANYBODY? OKAY.

THE RE THE, THE RE I DO, UH, THE REBUTTAL IS, UH, IT'S NOT REALLY A REBUTTAL, BUT GO AHEAD, .

THE REBUTTAL IS, IS, UH, THAT, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE TAXPAYERS ARE, ARE PAYING FOR CURB AND GUTTER GUTTERING THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.

AND WHY ORCHARD STREET AND WHY, UH, GRAND AVENUE HAVE BEEN IGNORED OVER THE YEARS AS ONE OF THE OLDEST STREETS IN TOWN IS BEYOND, BEYOND BEYOND ME.

UM, NOW MY PROPERTY ABUTS, BUT THERE'S ALSO PROPERTIES BESIDE ME THAT ARE LOWER.

SO I SPEAK FOR THE STREET AND I, UM, I JUST, UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME CONSENSUS GOING FORWARD AT SOME POINT BY THIS TOWN, UH, TO EITHER TAKE IT UPON THEMSELVES TO CURB AND GUTTER OUR TOWN BECAUSE IT MAKES IT, FIRST OF ALL, IT MAKES THE TOWN LOOK BETTER.

AND SECONDLY, IT, IT DOES FLOW THE WATER INTO A DIRECTION TO WHERE IT CAN BE CARRIED OFF.

PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT, UH, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE, UH, A STORM WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, UH, WHERE IT'S A A TWO, A TWO PROCESS SYSTEM WHERE THERE'S CERTAIN WATER THAT THAT SHOULD BE, SHOULD BE, UM, LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY, ABSORBED INTO THE GROUND BEFORE IT GOES INTO OUR WATER SYSTEM.

THEY CALL IT PERMEABLE ASPHALT.

AND, AND, UH, WE'VE KIND OF LIKE BEEN, BE, BEEN BEHIND THE CURVE ON THAT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

UH, AND, UH, SO WITH THAT SAID, THE, THE IDEA OF SENDING MORE POLLUTED WATER DOWN THROUGH OUR, OUR, UM, SAN SAN, UH, STORM WATER SY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, UH, IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT, WHICH ENDS UP DOWN AT EIGHTH STREET AT SOME POINT, CARRYING ALL THE DEBRIS THAT IT PICKS UP CIGARETTE BUTTS, WHATEVER, UH, OIL FROM THE ROADS, IT, IT DOESN'T GET CLEANSED BACK INTO THE RIVER WHEN IT FINDS ITS WAY BACK THERE.

[02:05:01]

SO IT'S SOMETHING, THIS IS CALLED AN MS FOUR SYSTEM THAT I BELIEVE THE TOWN NEEDS TO BE LOOKING AT GOING FORWARD.

WITH THAT SAID, I'M DONE FOR THE NIGHT.

I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD TO THE DISCUSSION WHILE I AGREE THAT, UM, RAINWATER RUNOFF STORMWATER RUNOFF IS AN ISSUE.

AGAIN, SPOT CURB AND GUTTERING TWO 19 ORCHARD STREET, WHICH IS THE PROPERTY AT DISCUSSION CURRENTLY, UM, IT WOULD CAUSE WATER INTRUSION TO THE NEXT STOREHOUSE.

PLANNING AND ZONING IS AWARE AND HAS SEEN THE PLANS, UM, THAT AN ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERS COMING IN TO PLANT SOME ST SHRUBBERY AND TREES THAT WOULD ACTUALLY DO MORE WORK FOR THAT, UM, STORMWATER RUNOFF THAN THE CURB AND GUTTER THAT'S GOING TO PLACE IT INTO THE HOUSE BELOW IT NEXT DOOR.

THAT SOME OF THOSE HOUSES ALREADY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH PROPERTY MAINTENANCE.

SO, UM, TO HOLD ONE PROPERTY ACCOUNTABLE AT TWO 19 ORCHARD STREET NOW IS NOT THE TIME.

REBUTTAL , YOU SAID YOU WERE DONE.

NO, I'M NOT DONE.

UH, OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SAY THAT THINGS ARE GONNA BE PLANTED THERE, HAS THAT BEEN PROFFERED? UM, LAUREN, HE ASKED IF THAT HAD BEEN PROFFERED, I BELIEVE PLANNING AND ZONING HAS A COPY OF THAT FROM THE ENGINEER THAT'S GOING TO BE PLANTING THAT.

CORRECT.

THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE PROFFERED PROFFERED.

RIGHT.

BUT YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN AND BEEN MADE AWARE OF THAT PLAN.

WE, WE HAVE SEEN.

WE APPROVED THE FINAL VOTING COMPLIANCE AND IT IS UPON, UM, THE LANDSCAPING BEING DONE.

AND, UM, THERE WERE A FEW MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS THAT, WHICH WE DISCUSSED AT OUR WORK SESSION.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

IF COUNCIL DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, I, I WILL OFFER THAT MAYBE IN THE FUTURE.

AND AT OUR RETREAT COUNCIL'S RETREAT WHERE WE TALK ABOUT OUR VISION OR GOALS THAT CURB AND GUTTERING MIGHT BE, SINCE IT SEEMS TO BE, UM, ON EVERYBODY'S MIND, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE MIGHT ADD TO IT.

IF THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION, MS. PRESLEY, CAN WE HAVE A ROLL CALL? COUNCILWOMAN INDEED.

MONICA PAYNE? YES.

COUNCILMAN RAPAPORT? YES.

COUNCILMAN MORRIS? YES.

IS THE, THE REQUEST FOR VACATION OF A PORTION OF PUBLIC ALLEY LOCATED ADJACENT TO 1202 VIRGINIA AVENUE AND ONE 11 AND ONE 17 WEST 12TH STREET.

11 C

[11.C. Request for Vacation of a Portion of Public Alley located adjacent to 1202 Virginia Ave and 111 & 117 W. 12th St ]

MR. AND MRS. WADE HOLLOWAY AND MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM HOLLOWAY.

MS. PRESLEY, WOULD YOU PLEASE READ THIS SUMMARY? COUNSEL'S RECEIVED AN APPLICATION FROM MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM HOLLOWAY AND MR. AND MRS. WADE HOLLOWAY REQUESTING THE TOWN TO VACATE A PORTION OF A PUBLIC ALLEYWAY LOCATED ADJACENT TO 1202 VIRGINIA AVENUE AND ONE 11 AND ONE 17 WEST 12TH STREET WITH THE INTENT TO PURCHASE THE VACATED ALLEYWAY FROM THE TOWN AT THE JANUARY OF 23RD.

2023.

PUBLIC HEARING COUNSEL RECEIVED PUBLIC INPUT ON THIS REQUEST AND VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPOINT VIEWERS TO VIEW THE PUBLIC ALLEYWAY AND REPORT ANY INCONVENIENCES TO THE PUBLIC THAT WILL RESULT FROM GRANTING APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST FROM MR. AND MRS. HO, WILLIAM HOLLOWAY.

AND MR. AND MRS. WADE HOLLOWAY FOR THE TOWN TO VACATE A PORTION OF A PUBLIC ALLEYWAY ALLEYWAY LOCATED AJA ADJACENT TO 1202 VIRGINIA AVENUE AND ONE 11 AND ONE 17 WEST 12TH STREET.

ON FEBRUARY 1ST, 2023.

THE VIEWING COMMITTEE VISITED THE SITE AND CONCLUDED THAT THE APPLICATION TO VACATE A PORTION OF THE ALLEY SHOULD BE DENIED.

THE FULLING FULL VIEWING COMMITTEE REPORT IS INCLUDED IN THIS AGENDA.

COUNSEL IS REQUEST TO APPROVE OR DENY THE REQUEST TONIGHT.

THANK YOU, MS. PRESLEY.

I'M GONNA OPEN UP TO COUNSEL.

DO I HEAR A MOTION? YES.

MADAME MAYOR.

I MOVE THAT COUNSEL DENY THE REQUEST FROM MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM HOLLOWAY AND MR. AND MRS. WADE HOLLOWAY FOR THE TOWN TO VACATE A PORTION OF A PUBLIC ALLEYWAY LOCATED ADJACENT TO 1202 VIRGINIA AVENUE AND ONE 11 AND ONE 17 WEST 12TH.

STREET.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND WE HAVE A SECOND.

I'M SORRY, WHO IS THE SECOND? UM, COUNCILMAN ROGERS.

UM, OKAY, SO WE HAVE A MOTION, WE HAVE A SECOND.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I I WILL SAY THAT THERE, THERE HAD SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS ADDED SOME DISCUSSION DURING THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER REPORT, BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYBODY TO ADD OTHER, UH, DISCUSSION.

SO I'M GONNA ACTUALLY JUST GO DOWN THROUGH THE, TO GO DOWN THROUGH THE ROW HERE.

I ONLY HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE REWARDING

[02:10:01]

THAT HE JUST DID.

SO HE IS, YOU, YOUR MOVEMENT WAS TO DENY THE VACATION REQUEST.

THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES.

COUNCILMAN ROGERS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA OFFER OR ADD? NO, MA'AM.

COUNCILMAN? UH, VICE MAYOR SEAK? NO.

COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS? YES, I DID WANNA ADD TO THE DISCUSSION.

WE HAD SOMEBODY SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.

UM, I THINK IT WAS MR. BOGER.

I APOLOGIZE IF IT WASN'T.

IT WAS IN REGARDS TO THE PROCESS OF VACATING AN ALLEYWAY AND NOT BEING POLITICAL, BUT BEING FAIR, UM, WHEN THE TOWN COUNCIL IS APPROACHED TO VACATE AN ALLEYWAY, WHICH DOES HAPPEN MORE OFTEN THAN, UM, I GUESS THE PUBLIC REALIZES BECAUSE THIS DID JUST HAPPEN, UM, WITH ANOTHER PROPERTY, I GUESS ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO.

UM, ACTUALLY NOT TOO FAR IN THE TOWN DOWN FROM THAT.

BUT WHEN THE TOWN PROCEEDS WITH VACATING AN ALLEY, IT THEN GOES FOR SALE AND ANYBODY IS AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE IT BASED ON A, A REAL ESTATE APPRAISAL OF THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY.

SO ONCE WE VACATED, IT DOESN'T GO TO THE PERSON WHO SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION TO VACATE THE ALLEYWAY.

IT GOES TO THE PERSON WHO WISHES TO PURCHASE IT ON THE INTENDED, UM, PARAMETERS THAT ARE ESTABLISHED BY THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL.

SO IT'S OPEN FOR SALE AT THAT POINT.

IT'S NOT TO THE APPLICANT.

I JUST WANTED TO CORRECT THAT.

UM, COUNCILMAN INGRAM, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO OFFER? UH, NO MA'AM.

IAM.

AND MR. RAPPAPORT? UM, UH, UH, I WILL JUST SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE KIND OF DECISIONS ARE, ARE VERY DIFFICULT.

UH, BUT, UH, UH, KNOW THAT, UH, TOMORROW WILL BE, UH, PRETTY IMPORTANT DAY IN MY LIFE.

UH, MY, UH, IT WOULD'VE BEEN HAD MY MOTHER LIVED.

SHE LIVED TO BE 98 AND A CHANGE.

AND, UH, HAD SHE LIVED, SHE'D BE 107, UH, TOMORROW.

UH, ACTUALLY SHE WAS A LEAP YEAR BABY, SO, UH, BUT, UH, THAT'S WHEN YOU WOULD CELEBRATE IT.

BUT, UH, ANYWAY, SHE ALWAYS HAD A SAYING, UH, SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE AND, UH, UH, I THINK THAT KIND OF RESONATES TONIGHT.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

UH, IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, DISCUSSION FROM COUNSEL BEFORE WE TAKE VOTE? NO, I, I HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION IF EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.

I JUST WANTED TO ADD ONE LAST THING IN REGARDS TO VACATING AN ALLEY AND IT NOT BEING UNCOMMON PRACTICE.

UM, TYPICALLY WHEN AN ALLEY HAS BEEN VACATED IN RECENT YEARS OF MY INVOLVEMENT IN THE TOWN AND ATTENDING THE MEETINGS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DAIS, THERE'S TYPICALLY NOT A LOT OF, UM, REQUESTS FOR DENIAL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DIAS.

SO IT HAS BEEN DONE, IT HAS BEEN DONE IN RECENT YEARS EVEN.

UM, BUT WE, SOMEBODY MENTIONED EARLIER, AND WE DO HAVE A PLANNING COMMISSION AND A VIEWING COMMITTEE TO HELP US AND AID IN THESE DECISIONS, UM, AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.

SO, THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO ADD TO THAT.

THANK YOU, MS. PARLEY.

UM, WE'RE READY FOR A ROLL CALL.

ON A MOTION TO DENY THE REQUEST.

COUNCILWOMAN DECO PAYNE? YES.

COUNCILMAN RAPAPORT? YES.

AND VICE MAYOR SEAK.

I'M GONNA ABSTAIN.

TO 11 D UM, WHICH IS THE DISENGAGEMENT WITH THE COUNTY REGARDING THE COMMITMENT TO TOURISM EXPENDITURES TO FUND THE BUDGET OF AND DONATE A LEASE OF TOWN PROPERTY TO DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL BY TERMINATING THE FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY JOINT TOURISM AGREEMENT DATED APRIL 6TH, 2022.

I BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE FIVE YES.

[11.D. Disengagement with the County Regarding the Commitment to Tourism Expenditures, to Fund the Budget of and Donate a Lease of Town Property to, “Discover Front Royal” by Terminating the Front Royal-Warren County Joint Tourism Agreement Dated April 6, 2022.]

MS. PRESLEY, COULD YOU READ THE SUMMARY FOR US? COUNSEL IS REQUESTED TO DISENGAGE WITH THE COUNTY OF WARREN REGARDING THE COMMITMENT TO TOURISM EXPENDITURES TO FUND THE BUDGET OF AND DONATE A LEASE OF TOWN PROPERTY TO DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL BY TERMINATING THE FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY JOINT TOURISM AGREEMENT DATED APRIL 6TH, 2022.

PER TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT TO WHICH SECTION FIVE AMENDMENTS, THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE AMENDED OR ALTERED IN WHOLE OR IN PART UPON APPROVAL BY THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL AND THE WARREN COUNTY BOARD SUPERVISORS.

THIS AGREEMENT SHALL CONTINUE EACH FISCAL YEAR, STARTING JULY ONE AND ENDING JUNE 30TH, UNLESS TERMINATED BY EITHER PARTY BY MARCH 1ST OF ANY YEAR.

THANK YOU, MS. PRESLEY.

I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL FOR A MOTION.

[02:15:05]

DOES ANYBODY PLAN TO MAKE A MOTION? MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNSEL TERMINATE THE FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY JOINT JOINT TOURISM AGREEMENT DATED APRIL 6TH, 2022 PER TERMS OF SECTION V OF THE SET AGREEMENT AND EFFECTIVE UPON APPROVAL.

THERE'S A MOTION, DO I HEAR A SECOND? SECOND.

OKAY, LET ME OPEN IT.

THERE'S A MOTION AND THERE IS A SECOND.

AND SO NOW WE'RE GONNA OPEN THIS UP FOR DISCUSSION AND I'M GOING TO USE THE SAME, UH, ROUTINE AS I DID BEFORE, BUT I'M GONNA START WITH VICE MAYOR SEAK.

SORRY.

GIVING EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO BE FIRST TONIGHT.

WELL, CAUSE JUST CUZ SKIP ALREADY SAID SOMETHING.

I'VE LOOKED AT A LOT OF THE, THE REPORTS AND PAPERWORK.

UM, YEAH.

AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST, I DON'T AGREE WITH.

UH, SO, BUT I DO AGREE WITH US, UM, TAKING A LONG, HARD LOOK AT THIS AND, UH, I, I'M JUST, I WANT TOURISM BACK IN FRONT ROYAL.

I WANT THE VISTA CENTER BACK OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

UH, I WANT MERCHANDISE BACK IN THERE FOR PEOPLE.

I'VE BEEN TO A LOT OF TOURISM CENTERS ALL UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST AND PART OF THE WEST COAST TOO.

AND YOU WALK IN AND YOU CAN BUY STUFF, YOU CAN BUY A T-SHIRT THAT SAYS FRONT ROYAL, YOU CAN BUY A COFFEE MUG.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN BUY BROWNTOWN T-SHIRTS, BROWNTOWN COFFEE MUG.

WE HAVE NOTHING.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTA GET THIS OFF THE GROUND IF WE WANT TO MAKE OUR TOWN GROW WITH TOURISM.

I'M GONNA JUMP TO COUNCILMAN INGRAM.

NO, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, I THINK WE AS A COUNCIL ARE DEDICATED, OF COURSE, TO CONTINUING OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY.

UH, QUITE FRANKLY, I JUST, I JUST THINK THE DISAGREEMENT IS, IS OUTDATED FOR THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT IT WAS WRITTEN.

UH, IT WAS WRITTEN DURING A TIME WHERE WE HAD ANOTHER AGREEMENT WITH ANOTHER PARTY THAT WAS INVOLVED.

UH, I THINK IT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS, UM, UH, I JUST, I DON'T THINK IT WAS, IF, IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH IT, I DON'T THINK THIS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR THE TOWN FOR THE COMING YEAR.

I'D LIKE TO SEE US START FROM SCRATCH WITH AN AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY, UH, WITH AN A NEW, A NEW MOU.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL, UH, COME TO, I MEAN, UH, CONTINUE, UM, AN OPERATION.

BUT I'D JUST LIKE TO HAVE THE TOWN HAVE ITS, UH, HAVE ITS OWN, UH, SWIM LANE WITH DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL, AND THEREFORE HAVE THE COUNTY AS WELL CAN HAVE, HAVE A SWIM LANE WITH DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL.

THAT WAY WE STILL ARE WORKING TOGETHER.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UM, PERIMETERS OF THIS BEING SET UP, OF COURSE WERE THE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DIFFERENT FINANCIAL BENEFITS, UH, FROM THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY AND, UH, WHAT WE CAN TAKE FROM IT.

AND, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS SET UP WITH ANOTHER THIRD PARTY THAT WAS A FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.

AND OF COURSE, DISCOVERY FRONT RULE IS OBVIOUSLY BEING A, UM, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.

AND ALSO THE, THE NEW, UM, UH, INFORMATION WE JUST GOT ABOUT THE 5 0 1 UH, STATUS WITH, WITH DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL.

UH, I JUST THINK THAT THE, THE TOWN NEEDS TO HAVE, UH, A CLEAN AGREEMENT AND THE COUNTY NEEDS TO HAVE A CLEAN AGREEMENT.

AND THEN I, I THINK THE REST IS GONNA BE FAIRLY EASY WITH COMING UP WITH THE, UH, AGREEMENT OF HOW TO OPERATE THE, THE, UH, VISITOR CENTER.

SO I JUST, MY TAKE, I THINK THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT AGREEMENT WAS JUST TOO CONVOLUTED AND IT DOESN'T SUIT FOR THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE NOW FOR THE TOWN.

I THINK THAT WE CAN DO BETTER WITH WHAT WE GOT AND, AND, AND I CAN SAY THAT I, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD AND MORE, UH, WOULD BE COMPLETELY DEDICATED TO, UH, PROMOTE, YOU KNOW, TOURISM, UH, IN A JOINT EFFORT WITH OUR COUNTY.

SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

I'LL TRY STRAWS NEXT TIME, BUT GO AHEAD.

YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD PICK ME RIGHT? ALWAYS HOPING I WOULD GO LAST.

OH, OKAY.

WELL, SOME PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY COMMENTED ON IT, SO I THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PEOPLE THAT HADN'T, BUT GO AHEAD.

EVERYBODY'S GONNA GET THEIR CHANCE.

PROMISE.

PUBLIC WORKS, UH, PERSON.

UH, LET ME ME SAY THIS.

UH, I'VE BEEN ON THE, I DON'T KNOW, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO.

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT, THAT I, UH, WAS ON THE, UH, DISCOVER FRONT ROW.

UH, I GUESS IT'S A WEBSITE.

IT'S A WELL DONE, IT'S A WELL DONE.

UH, I DON'T KNOW.

HAS, HAS EVERYONE ON COUNCIL SEEN THIS? IF THEY HAVEN'T, THEY, THEY SHOULD.

BUT, UH, UH, IT'S VERY INFORMATIVE.

UH, IT EVEN HAS A LITTLE PORTION OF A DAY AND A LIFE OF A, OF A, UH,

[02:20:01]

UH, AND THEY FOLLOW 'EM ALL, ALL OVER TOWN.

IT'S, IT'S AN AMAZING, UH, VIDEO.

UH, SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT PEOPLE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.

UM, UH, YOU KNOW, TOURISM, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I HEARD SOMEONE MENTION, UH, GATLINBURG EARLIER, UH, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, GATLIN, THE S SMOKEYS BRING IN ABOUT 1.8 BILLION, UH, WORTH OF, UH, ECONOMIC REVENUE DOWN THERE.

OF COURSE, THEY MIGHT HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH, UH, DOLLYWOOD.

UH, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, OUR SKYLINE DRIVE, UH, THE PARK SERVICE SAYS THAT, UH, THE ECONOMIC ENGINE BRINGS IN ABOUT 129 MILLION.

UH, SO, UH, WE WILL ALWAYS BE A FOCAL POINT HERE FOR, UH, TOURISM AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE DRIVE AND WE HAVE THE GEORGE WAR NATIONAL FOREST.

WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE, UM, UH, RIVER, UH, I WAS LISTENING TO, UH, UH, CONTEMPORARY ROCK, UH, ONE DAY AND DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND ON DC 1 0 1, AND HE SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS WAS ABOUT 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT AND I'M GONNA BE SIGNING OFF THE AIR AND I'M HEADING DOWN TO WARREN COUNTY.

UH, SO IF ANYONE HAS KNOWS ANYTHING OF WHAT TO DO IN FRONT ROYAL, DIAL ME UP.

UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S REGRETTABLE THAT THIS, UH, COUNCIL, I MEAN, IT'S NEW IN THE FACT THAT IT'S GOOD.

IT'S REGRETTABLE THAT WE WEREN'T BROUGHT IN EARLIER TO THE SCHEME OF THINGS.

UM, AND, UH, THE ONLY THING THAT BOTHERS ME ABOUT ABORTING THIS IS, UH, I DON'T REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT IT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN IN PLACE.

AND I'M A .

THAT'S SORT OF WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING.

AND, UH, I'M ALWAYS, ALWAYS GOTTA THINK AHEAD AND, AND REMEMBER THAT, UH, THINGS, PLANS DON'T ALWAYS WORK OUT THE WAY YOU WANT 'EM.

AND, UH, YOU BETTER HAVE A CONTINGENCY IN PLACE OR ELSE YOU'RE SHUT DOWN.

SO, WITH THAT SAID, UH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH, UM, MY TAKE ON IT.

AND I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD, UH, SHARE THAT MY THOUGHTS WITH COUNSEL AND THANK YOU, THE PUBLIC.

UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT? ? IS IT MY TURN? IT IS YOUR TURN.

I DIDN'T KNOW IF I HAD TO RAISE MY HAND, SO I DIDN'T EVEN WANNA MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE, UM, JUST ARE DISCUSSING CURRENTLY, HOWEVER, IT IS 9:30 PM AND IT SOUNDED LIKE WE MAY HAVE BEEN HERE ALL NIGHT HAD I NOT MADE A MOTION TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION.

SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, ALL I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THE DISCUSSION IS THAT I DON'T THINK THE INTERESTS OF THIS COUNCIL WERE NECESSARILY TO TERMINATE THE FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY JOINT TOURISM AGREEMENT.

UM, HOWEVER, IF YOU GUYS GRAB THE AGENDA, YOU WILL SEE THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION BY EITHER MARCH 1ST OR THIS CONTINUES ON FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, AND THERE WERE SOME THINGS IN THERE THAT WE WANTED TO ADDRESS, UM, RATHER THAN TERMINATING IT AS A WHOLE.

AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THINK, UH, THE MAYOR HAS A STATEMENT THAT COVERS A LOT OF WHAT I WOULD SAY, SO I'LL SAVE THE REDUNDANCY.

THERE'S ENOUGH OF THAT.

UM, COUNCILWOMAN D DOO, UM, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF TALKING WITH, UH, A FEW FOLKS ABOUT THIS ISSUE OVER THE WEEKEND, AND, UM, I KNOW THAT EMOTIONS RUN HIGH ON THE TOURISM.

UM, BUT I JUST AGAIN, WANNA REITERATE THAT I THINK THAT, UM, NO MATTER HOW THE VOTE GOES TONIGHT, THERE IS A WAY FORWARD, UM, AND THAT, UH, WE CAN LOOK FOR SOMETHING NEW TO IMPROVE, UH, THE, THE, UH, CONTRACT THAT WE'RE IN.

THIS IS ON THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT, UM, IS BECAUSE THE TOWN HAS UNTIL MARCH 1ST TO TERMINATE, IF THEY SO CHOOSE, OR THE M MOA AND ITS CONDITIONS WILL BE IN EFFECT UNTIL JULY 1ST, 2024.

AND COUNCILMAN ROGERS, I KNOW YOU SHARED YOUR THOUGHTS DURING EARLIER CONVERSATION.

SO, UM, BEFORE, UH, THERE'S ACTUALLY A VOTE TAKEN, I, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT, UH, BE A GOOD IDEA FOR, UH, FOR JUST TO CLARIFY SOME THINGS.

SO BEFORE THERE IS A VOTE TAKEN TONIGHT ON THIS ACTION ITEM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS VERY CLEAR WHAT THIS ACTION ITEM MEANS.

THIS ITEM IS ONLY IN REGARDS TO THE MOA THE TOWN ENTERED INTO WITH THE COUNTY ON APRIL 6TH, 2022.

THIS ACTION ITEM DETERMINES IF THE TOWN WISHES TO CONTINUE ALL OF THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE STATED IN THAT MO A OF APRIL 6TH, 2022.

THE REASON

[02:25:01]

SO TWO OF THE MAJOR CONDITIONS, UH, THAT ARE, ARE PART OF THAT MOA CENTER AROUND FUNDING EXPENDITURES AND THE VISITORS CENTER.

AND IF THIS COUNCIL DECIDES THAT THERE ARE AREAS OF CONCERN IN THE APRIL, 2022 MOA, THEY CAN DECIDE TO NEGOTIATE A NEW MOA WITH THE COUNTY THAT ADDRESSES THIS COUNCIL'S INPUT AND CONCERNS.

AND TO REPEAT WHAT A GENTLEMAN SAID EARLIER TONIGHT, I'M GONNA REPEAT THAT SENTENCE AGAIN.

IF THIS COUNCIL DECIDES THAT THERE ARE AREAS OF CONCERN IN THE APRIL, 2022 MOA, THEY CAN DECIDE TO NEGOTIATE A NEW MOA WITH THE COUNTY THAT ADDRESSES THIS COUNCIL'S INPUT AND CONCERNS.

THIS ACTION ITEM.

IF THERE IS AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE TO TERMINATE THE APRIL, 2022 MOA, IT DOES NOT PREVENT THE TOWN FROM ENTERING INTO A NEW MOA WITH THE COUNTY OR DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL.

I THINK, I THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME CONFUSION AS TO THE INTENT OF THIS ACTION ITEM FOR 11 D.

SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL THOSE PRESENT OR WATCHING OR READING ABOUT IT IN THE PAPER OR ONLINE UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS ACTION ITEM DOES NOT MEAN.

SO ONE OF THE MANY CONCERNS OF THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL BEFORE, UH, THESE PEOPLE SITTING ON THE DIOCESE WAS IN DIS, UH, ONE OF THE CONCERNS IN DECIDING TO AGREE TO THE APRIL, 2022 MOA WAS TO NOT TIE A FUTURE COUNCIL TO ANY FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS OR OTHER CONDITIONS.

THEREFORE, THIS COUNCIL SHOULD DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES WHAT CONDITIONS THEY WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH IN AN MOA.

THIS COUNCIL HAS TO ASK THEMSELVES, IS WHAT WE ARE DOING WORKING? IS IT BENEFICIAL TO THE TOWN CITIZENS AND OUR COMMUNITY? IF IT'S NOT WORKING, WHAT SHOULD BE CHANGED IN ORDER TO IMPROVE IT? OR IF IT IS WORKING, THEN WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH TOURISM? THE APRIL, 2022 MOA WAS DISCUSSED AND DEBATED AND NEGOTIATED FOR MONTHS AS, AS SUPERVISOR OATS MENTIONED EARLIER, AND IT WAS MONTHS, UH, IN THE END IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE TOWN WOULD MOVE FORWARD AND EVALUATE THE SITUATION IN THE FUTURE.

SPECIFICALLY THE CONDITIONS SUCH AS GIVING UP THE OVERSIGHT OF THE VISITORS CENTER AND THE EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS THE FUNDING FORMULA.

SINCE THE TOWN IS NOT REQUIRED BY STATE CODE TO ALLOCATE SPECIFIC FUNDS TO TOURISM EXPENDITURES, IN OTHER WORDS, THE TOWN HAS MORE FLEXIBILITY IN DETERMINING HOW TO SPEND THEIR TOURISM DOLLARS.

REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME OF THE VOTE THIS EVENING, IT IS MY HOPE, MY HOPE THAT THE TOWN WILL CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH THE COUNTY AND DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL.

THOSE ARE, I BELIEVE, THE CONCLUSION OF MY THOUGHTS.

IF NO ONE ELSE, UH, HAS ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD FOR THE DISCUSSION, MS. PRESLEY, I'D LIKE TO SEE US GO AHEAD AND, UH, UM, UH, OKAY.

ON A MOTION TO TERMINATE COUNCILWOMAN DCO PAYNE? YES.

COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? NO.

COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS? NO.

TO ITEM 12, UM, WHICH IS THE CLOSED MEETING.

UH, FORWARD TWO VOTE.

MM-HMM.

, THE MOTION PASSES, UH, AND WE'RE GONNA BE MOVING ON

[12. CLOSED MEETING]

AND SO, UM, IF A COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO READ THE MOTION TO GO INTO THE CLOSED MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT TOWN COUNCIL CONVENE A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 12 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSE.

ONE PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 11 A EIGHT OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR CONSULTATION.

EXCUSE ME.

HOLD ON ONE SECOND.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE EVERYBODY THE OPPORTUNITY.

I'M GONNA LET COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS CONTINUE.

WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR HER AND SO SHOULD THE CAMERA FOR CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL EMPLOYED OR RETAINED BY A PUBLIC BODY REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS REQUIRING THE PROVISION OF LEGAL ADVICE BY SUCH COUNSEL.

SPECIFICALLY PROPOSED AGREEMENT WITH DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL INC.

AND TWO, PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A THREE OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR DISCUSSION OR CONSIDERATION OF THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE OR OF THE DISPOSITION OF PUBLICLY HELD REAL PROPERTY, WHERE DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE

[02:30:01]

PUBLIC BODY, SPECIFICALLY MCKAY SPRINGS.

AND THREE, PURSUANT TO 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A, ONE OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION, ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE, DEMOTION, SALARIES, DISCIPLINING, OR RESIGNATION OF SPECIFIC PUBLIC OFFICERS, APPOINTEES OR EMPLOYEE FEES OF ANY PUBLIC BODY, SPECIFICALLY APPOINTMENTS TO FILL VACANCIES ON THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS.

MS. PRESTON, COUNCILWOMAN DE TO MONICA PAYNE.