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UH, EPA, UM,[Town Council Work Session on March 6, 2023.]
TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL, WARREN COUNTY, UH, UH, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, PARKS AND RECS, E D A, UH, RIVER KEEPERS.I MEAN, MANY GROUPS GOT TOGETHER AND LITERALLY CAME UP WITH A VISION FOR WHAT THEY WANTED AND WHAT THEY SAW OVER YEARS BEING DEVELOPED IN THE CONSERVANCY PARK.
AND IT'S PRETTY AMAZING THAT EVERYBODY SIGNED OFF ON IT.
NOW, YOU MIGHT ASK WHY WASN'T IT IMPLEMENTED? THE CLEANUP WASN'T DONE AT THAT POINT.
AND SO THE VISION WAS JUST THERE.
IT JUST WASN'T A TIME TO IMPLEMENT IT.
AND NOW IT REALLY SEEMS THAT THIS IS THE TIME TO DO IT WITH THE RAILS TO TRAILS PROGRAM, WHICH WE KEEP READING ABOUT, UH, PEOPLE WANTING TO BE OUTDOORS MORE.
AND, UH, UH, WE'RE READY AT THIS POINT TO MOVE FORWARD AND, UH, UM, OPEN THIS PLACE UP AND LET THE FOLKS OF THE TOWN, OF FRONT ROYAL AND HORN COUNTY AND SURROUNDING AREAS COME AND ENJOY THE RIVER AND COME AND BE IN THIS PART OF, UH, OUR, UH, UH, AREA.
UH, ALSO, TOO, OH, HERE ARE ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS.
I'M SORRY, I WASN'T TRYING TO HOLD OUT ON YOU.
UM, AND I HOPE YOU, YOU, YOU GOT THE HANDOUT.
WE DID SEND IT OVER, SO I HOPE EVERYBODY GOT IT.
AND, UH, IF YOU NEED AN ADDITIONAL ONE, WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE IT TO YOU.
BUT THESE WERE ALL THE FOLKS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE 2000, UM, CONCEPT, I GUESS, IF YOU WILL.
AND SO QUITE A FEW FOLKS, AND A LOT OF THEM ARE STILL AROUND.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT.
WE HOPE THAT YOU ALL WILL SUPPORT THIS PLAN AND, UH, UM, BE AS EXCITED AS WE ARE AS HOPEFULLY MOVING FORWARD TO TRY TO MOVE THIS THING.
OH, ONE THING I DID FORGET WAS ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE RESTRICTIONS.
UH, THE RESTRICTIONS FOR THE CONSERVANCY SIDE ARE LIMITED TO, YOU KNOW, LITERALLY TRAILS OF, UH, BATHROOMS. UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING.
NO RESTAURANTS, NOTHING LIKE THAT.
IT IS DEFINITELY A PASSIVE, UM, PASSIVE PLACE TO, YOU KNOW, TO WALK AND JUST ENJOY THE RIVER AND, UH, THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
UM, AND ALSO THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE INDUSTRIAL SIDE, WHICH WE WON'T TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT.
THEY WERE REVISED IN 2014, WHICH WILL ALLOW NOW FOR SOME RESTAURANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO BE OUT THERE.
WE NOW CAN HAVE FOOD AND A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS, WHICH LENDS ITSELF FOR FOLKS COMING OUT, YOU KNOW, AS, AS, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO GO OVER AND HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT.
AND, UH, WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN CONNECT TO DOWNTOWN.
AND I HAVE TALKED LONG ENOUGH, I'M GONNA TURN IT RIGHT OVER.
THIS IS ANOTHER VIEW, EXCUSE ME, OF, OF THE CONSERVANCY SIDE.
AND, AND YOU MIGHT WONDER WHY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CONSERVANCY SO MUCH RIGHT NOW AND NOT THE PLANT SIDE, THE INDUSTRIAL SIDE.
UH, AND, AND THERE'S A LOT MORE RESTRICTIONS ON THE, THE PLANT SIDE.
AND QUITE HONESTLY, IT'S A TOUGH SELL FOR THAT PROPERTY.
UM, WE'VE HAD SOME DIFFERENT BUSINESSES COME IN, SOME DIFFERENT ENTREPRENEURS COME IN AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT PROPERTY, AND GENERALLY WHAT THEY SAY IS, WELL, WE'LL COME BACK IN 15 YEARS AFTER YOU'VE ALREADY GOT SOMETHING GOING THERE.
NOBODY WANTS TO BE THE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST PERSON IN TO, UH, REVITALIZING THAT INDUSTRIAL SITE.
UH, WITH THE RESTRICTIONS THAT WE HAVE ON THE CONSERVANCY PIECE OF THE PROPERTY.
THE ONLY THING IT'S REALLY SUITABLE FOR IS OUTDOOR RECREATION.
AND, AND WE FEEL, UH, REALLY STRONGLY THAT, UH, LEADING WITH THAT IS A GOOD STRATEGY.
THAT IF WE CAN GET THE PARK OPEN, WALKING TRAILS, BIKE TRAILS, PUBLIC USE BEGINS TO CHANGE THE STORY BEGINS TO GET SOME BENEFIT OUT OF THAT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT BEGINS TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR US TO PROPOSE FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT ON THE INDUSTRIAL SITE BECAUSE THEN THERE'S COMPLIMENTARY ACTIVITY GOING ON.
UH, THE OTHER ADVANTAGE TO, UH, CONNECT GETTING THOSE TRAILS IN THERE AND, AND, AND JOKE AND, UH, TALK ON SOME DETAIL TOO ABOUT CONNECTING THE COMMUNITIES.
RIGHT NOW, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GET THE SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL AND YOU LIVE DOWNRIVER FROM THERE, THERE'S NO DIRECT PATH TO GET THERE.
ONCE WE HAVE TRAILS THROUGH THERE, IT'LL CONNECT IN TO THROUGH, THROUGH THE CONSERVANCY AREA TO EASTHAM PARK AND, AND TOWARDS THE HIGH SCHOOL.
THAT'S GONNA BE A REAL BIG BENEFIT.
IT'S GONNA OPEN UP ACCESSIBILITY FOR TOWN RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT CORRIDOR TO GET FROM ONE SIDE OF TOWN TO THE OTHER WITHOUT HAVING TO GET
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IN THE CAR AND DRIVE.UM, BUT WE'VE LOOKED AT SOME OTHER, UH, LOCALITIES THAT HAVE DONE SOMETHING SIMILAR, UH, WITH A, A BROWNFIELD, UH, WITH, UM, AREA THAT USED TO BE USED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES AND HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO PARTS.
AND WE REALLY SEE IT AS A GOOD COMPLIMENT TO FUTURE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE REST OF THE APP TECH PROPERTY.
USE ANOTHER EXAMPLE IN ARLINGTON.
UH, TIMING WISE, JOY MENTIONED, UH, WE HAVE SOME ARPA GRANT MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THE COUNTY THROUGH THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
IT HAS TO BE PUT TO YOU $92,000, I THINK IS THE NUMBER.
UM, AND THAT'S FOR TRAILS DEVELOPMENT.
THE COUNTY CAN'T ACCESS THAT TODAY BECAUSE THE EED OWNS THE PROPERTY.
SO WE WANT TO GET THAT TRANSFERRED TO THE COUNTY IN THE FIRST, BY THE, BY JUNE, BY THE END OF THE COUNTY FISCAL YEAR, SO THAT THEY CAN TAP INTO THAT, THAT MONEY.
AND BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE CAN HAVE MADE SOME SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS IN GETTING THAT OPENED UP.
WE WERE, THE FIRST QUARTER WE FOCUSED ON GETTING OUR MESSAGE OUT, UM, RAISING AWARENESS OF WHAT THE PLANS ARE, UH, RE-ENGAGING WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THAT 2000 MASTER PLAN.
AND THEN THE SECOND QUARTER REALLY BEGINNING TO FOCUS ON THE LAND CONVEYANCE SO THAT BY JUNE WE'VE GOT THAT IN THE RIGHT HANDS AND THEN THE COUNTY PARTS AND RECREATION CAN START TO MAKE PROGRESS WITH IT.
AND, AND THEY'RE NOT WAITING FOR THAT.
THEY'RE ALREADY WORKING WITH JOE AND STARTING TO LOOK AT TRAIL DESIGNS, UH, LAYING OUT WHAT THE ROUTES WILL BE, UH, LOOKING AT DIFFERENT FENCING OPTIONS BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME PART PORTIONS OF THAT PROPERTY THAT ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE FENCED TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT FOR SAFETY REASONS.
UH, AND SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS THERE AND COSTING THAT.
AND THAT'S ONGOING WORK RIGHT NOW THAT'S KIND OF HAPPENING IN THE BACKGROUND.
UM, ALL IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR, WE'D LIKE TO ENGAGE IN AD HOC COMMITTEE WILL BE COMING BACK AND ASKING YOU ALL FOR MORE HELP.
UM, SO WE'VE GOT SOME ENGAGED PEOPLE FROM A GOOD CROSS SECTION FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO HELP SET THE PRIORITIES FOR WHAT THE PARKS AND REC SHOULD BE ROLLING OUT OVER TIME.
CAUSE IT'S NOT ALL GONNA HAPPEN LIKE THAT.
UH, THE FIRST PHASE WE'RE HOPING GETS DONE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, AND THEN THERE'LL BE CONTINUAL WORK TO ADD ON TO FACILITIES AND TRAILS, UH, IN THE PROPERTY GOING FORWARD.
BUT WE WANT CITIZEN INPUT TO GUIDE THAT.
AND SO THE E D A PLANS TO ENGAGE AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO WORK WITH PARTS AND RECREATION, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE STAYING TRUE TO THAT MASTER PLAN VISION.
SO I, I JUST WANTED TO LET COUNSEL KNOW THAT, UM, AT THE UH, E D A EVENT THAT I WENT TO AT THE VIRGINIA COURT, UM, UH, THEY, THEY, UH, JOE AND SCOTT AND J TALKED ABOUT COMING BEFORE COUNSEL.
UM, THIS WAS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
I KNOW JOSH, JOE, MYSELF, ATTENDED THAT EVENT AND, AND OR NOT EVENT MEETING.
AND THEN OF COURSE THEY CAME TO THE LIAISON MEETING AND THEN THEY ASKED ABOUT DOING THIS.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, I JUST WANNA LET COUNSEL KNOW THERE IS NO FINANCIAL COMMITMENT HERE, RIGHT? THIS IS JUST, THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT CUZ WE ARE A STAKEHOLDER AND, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE IN THE TOWN, JUST HOW COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY, UH, BE AWARE OF IT AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE SUPPORTIVE OF THE CONCEPTS AND THE IDEAS.
SO, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? GOOD PRESENTATION.
WE'LL, UH, WILL ANY KIND OF MOTORIZED ELECTRIC VEHICLE BE ALLOWED ON THE TRAIL? UM, I, I THINK THE, I THINK THE PLAN RIGHT NOW IS FOR, UH, ONLY EMERGENCY ACCESS.
UM, TODAY THERE IS, UM, A ROAD THAT GOES IN FROM THE INDUSTRIAL SIDE CROSSES THE RAILROAD TRACKS THAT, UH, THE PARSONS, UH, ENGINEERING GROUP USES FOR ACCESS TO THEIR LEACHATE PLANT.
THAT'S THE ONLY VEHICULAR ACCESS THAT THERE IS.
UH, AND THAT WOULD ONLY BE USED FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES.
UH, OR I'M NOT SURE EVENTUALLY IF THE COUNTY MIGHT NEED DIRECT, MIGHT NEED TO TAKE A SERVICE TRUCK DOWN THERE EVERY NOW AND THEN.
BUT HOW WIDE, NOT PLANNING FOR PUBLIC ACCESS TO BE MOTORIZED, HOW WIDE OF THE TRAIL'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW? SO, UH, INITIALLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IN THIS IMAGE THAT'S UP THERE, UM, REALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AT, IN THE FIRST PHASE IS THERE ARE EXISTING GRAVEL ROADS THAT GO
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OVER THIS PROPERTY THAT THEY USED FOR THE REMEDIATION AND THEY USED FOR CURRENT O AND M.WE WANT TO UTILIZE THOSE EXISTING GRAVEL ROADS FOR MULTIPLE REASONS.
ONE IS FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE MUCH EASIER ON THE DO.
THERE'S A GREAT BASE THERE ALSO ENVIRONMENTALLY, WE DON'T WANNA BE DOWN THERE DISTURBING A LOT OF DIRT.
WHEN HE MENTIONED THE FENCES FOR SAFETY, IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF A HEALTH THING, BUT THEY HAVE VENTS AROUND HERE.
UM, AS PART OF THE REMEDIATION.
WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE, OR YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A FOUR-WHEELER FOR A JEWEL RIDE OR SOMETHING ONTO THE TRAILS EXITING THE TRAIL AND DAMAGING SOMETHING.
SO THE SECURITY KEEPS THE PEOPLE OUT OF THE AREAS FOR THE O AND M PURPOSES WITH PARSONS.
AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THE EPA IN THEM.
BUT THE TRAILS WILL BE ROAD WIDTH, UM, FOR MOST OF THE SPACE.
UM, THERE IS ANOTHER TRAIL THAT RUNS ALONG THE RIVER THAT WILL BE MORE OF A WALKING MULCH PATH THAT'S ALREADY CUT IN WHEN THEY, THERE ARE OVER A HUNDRED WELLS ON THIS SITE THAT THEY USE FOR TESTING.
AND ALONG THE RIVER THEY HAVE TO DRILL WELL.
SO THEY CUT IN A ROAD WE'LL UTILIZE THOSE EXISTING ROAD BEDS AND, BUT THOSE ARE DOWN FURTHER INTO THE FLOODPLAIN, SO WE WOULDN'T DO ANY PAVING OR GRAVEL DOWN THERE.
BUT MS. MC, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE CAN GET A MEDIC UNIT DOWN IN THERE.
SO YOU CAN DRIVE A BIN DOWN THERE, YOU CAN DRIVE, AND THAT IS A KEY THING.
SO THERE WILL BE NO VEHICLE ACCESS FOR LIKE THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BUT FOR SERVICE OR EMERGENCY ACCESS AND USING THE RAILROAD WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.
WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT.
LIKE I SAID, PARSONS HAS THEIR TRUCKS AND THERE'S ALWAYS PEOPLE DRIVING AROUND.
SO YES, THERE WOULD DEFINITELY BE EMERGENCY ACCESS AND THEN YOUR JUST GENERAL, YOU KNOW, TRASH PICKUP, SO.
SO IT WOULD DEFINITELY BE WIDEN UP FOR A VEHICLE TO GET DOWN THERE.
I THOUGHT I SAW, UM, WHERE YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE SOME, UH, INFORMATION BOOTHS AND THINGS IN THE, IN THE, IN THE CENTER THERE TO, FOR EDUCATION PURPOSES.
IS THAT CORRECT? WE'RE GONNA DEFINITELY HAVE TO HAVE SIGNAGE, UH, ALONG, ALONG THE PATH.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE MASTER PLAN IS LAYING OUT DIFFERENT USES AND INCLUDING INFORMATIONAL BOOTHS, UM, UH, RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN THERE.
THAT'S ALL CONCEPTUAL AT THIS POINT.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S, UH, WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR THAT AD HOC COMMITTEE TO WORK WITH PARTS AND REC, UH, TO LAY OUT MORE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO SEE AND PRIORITIZE THAT SO THAT IT CAN BE ROLLED OUT OVER TIME.
YEAH, CUZ I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE OBSERVATION.
I MEAN, I'VE NEVER SEEN THE ASH MOUNTAIN AND I THINK PEOPLE WOULD BE INTERESTED IF THERE WAS AN OBSERVATION, YOU KNOW, SAFE OBSERVATION LEVEL, UM, AND SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT THE CLEANUP.
WE, WE TALKED ABOUT DEFINITELY WE WANT AN INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE FOR, UM, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THAT DOWN ON EASTON PARK NOW IT TALKS ABOUT THE RIVER AND WARREN COUNTY.
BUT I THINK TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF WHETHER IT BE THE CLEANUP OR WHAT APTEX DID, UM, WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO COVER THAT AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY IN THE PLANS.
UM, WELL, WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE WORK WITH PARSONS TOO, BECAUSE AS FAR AS THEY'RE CONCERNED, THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT'S STILL AN ACTIVE WORK SITE FOR THEM, RIGHT? YEAH.
PARSONS IS ON EVERY CALL WITH FMC.
MAKE SURE THEY PUT SIGNS UP AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE, YEAH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ADAM AND HIS, THEY GOT A GREAT TEAM.
I FORBID YOU HAD SOMEBODY WALK A KID THROUGH THERE OR SOMETHING AND BIG TRUCK COME THROUGH OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW.
SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR, SO THE, THE ONGOING FUNDING, UH, WILL BE LIKE GRANTS AND THAT, THAT TYPE OF THING AND, AND THE WILLINGNESS OF THE, OF UH, THE GOVERNMENTAL JURISDICTIONS TO HELP OUT, RIGHT? I MEAN, IS THAT, SO THE HOPE, LIKE I SAID, WE ALREADY HAVE SOME GRANT FUNDING NOW.
UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF GRANTS OUT THERE, WHETHER IT BE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL OR, UM, YOU KNOW, DO PARKS AND DCR GRANTS TO CONTINUE TO DO IMPLEMENTATIONS AND UPGRADES OF THE TRAIL ONCE IT'S IMPLEMENTED.
THERE WILL BE THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE OF THE TRAIL ITSELF.
WE HAVEN'T WORKED OUT THE DETAILS WITH FMC ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AS FAR AS WIDTH AND HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD BE MAINTAINING WITH THE TRAIL.
THEY HAVE A CONSENT DECREE WHERE THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN THIS ENTIRE PROPERTY.
IF WE DO THE TRAIL, IT WOULD LIKELY BE A MOWING SWATH OR TWO AND THE FENCING AROUND IT, EVERYTHING OUTSIDE OF THAT WOULD STILL FALL UNDER FMC AND, AND PARSONS AND, AND PART OF THAT CONSENT DECREE THAT THEY MAINTAIN THAT PROPERTY.
SO HOW CONFIDENT DO YOU GUYS FEEL WE HAVE WHAT, YOU HAVE THE 92,000, $93,000 RIGHT.
Y'ALL FEEL CONFIDENT THAT IT'S GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO LIKE, AT LEAST GET IT GOING FOR SOME LEVEL OF OPERATION OR,
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OR CONSTRUCTION.I, I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT'S ENOUGH TO GET IT OPEN AND WE CAN GET SOME INITIAL USE DOWN THERE AND BUILD ON THAT MM-HMM.
I THINK THE SAME THING WILL HAPPEN HERE BASED ON AS FUNDS BEEN AVAILABLE AS PRIORITIES ARE ESTABLISHED.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT INITIAL PHASE, I THINK WE'VE GOT ENOUGH FUNDING ALREADY LINED UP THAT BY THE END OF THIS YEAR WE COULD GO INTO NEXT YEAR AND SAY WE'VE GOT A PARK, WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO THE NORTH THAT HAVE THE PROPOSED CAMP GROUND, UM, BECAUSE IT WOULD EXIT THROUGH THEIRS TO, SO WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING IT WITH THEM ON WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE.
CUZ WE WANT TO OBVIOUSLY WORK WITH THEM TO NOT, YOU KNOW, TRUE ON WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET INTO.
BUT THERE'S AN EXIST BETWEEN THE CONSERVANCY SIDE AND THEIR PARCEL.
THERE'S A LARGE BE, WELL THERE'S AN EXISTING BOX CULVERT AND SO WITH THE ROAD AND EVERYTHING.
SO THAT, THAT'S A HUGE COST SAVINGS BY JUST USING THAT EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE AND IT PUTS US EAST OF WHAT THEIR PROPOSED CAMPGROUND WOULD BE.
SO WE WOULD BE KEEPING THOSE TWO USES SEPARATE, BUT ALSO GETTING ACCESS TO THEIR PROPERTY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ANYBODY WHO MIGHT BE USING THE FACILITY THERE WOULD ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO THE TRAIL.
HOW CLOSE ARE THOSE TWO? UH, HOW CLOSE ARE THE TWO DEVELOPMENTS? HOW CLOSE IS THE CAMPGROUND AND ROUGH? THEY'RE, THEY'RE JOINING PROPERTIES THAT THEY GO.
AND IF YOU GO BACK TO THE, IT'S GONNA BE PHENOMENAL IF, IF WE CAN WORK OUT ALL OF THESE, I ASSUME THOSE CONVERSATIONS, JOE, WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS STARTED AFTER OUR LIAISON MEETING CAUSE THEY CONTACTED ME AND HAD NOT BEEN IN TOUCH YET AT THAT TIME.
I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ON AND OFF OVER THE YEARS AND THEN YEAH, I'VE MET WITH ONE OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
WELL, SO THE, UM, THE TWO, THE CONSERVANCY PARCEL ENDS RIGHT HERE.
AND THE BOX CULVERTS UP ON THIS END.
SO WE WOULD JUST UTILIZE THAT SIGN.
AND THAT 92,000, JUST TO LET COUNCIL KNOW THAT CAME FROM, CLARIFY FOR ME, UH, WE, THAT ORIGINALLY THAT WE WERE HOPING TO SET THAT MONEY ASIDE TO PAY FOR THE ENGINEERING REPORT FOR THE RAILS, TRAILS.
UM, THAT'S WHAT THE TOWN AND COUNTY HAD HAD DECIDED.
BUT, UM, THEN WE FOUND OUT THAT YOU COULDN'T USE IT FOR THAT.
SO THIS, WE COULD USE THIS, BUT, OR THIS, YOU COULDN'T USE THAT, IS IT? WELL, THE REASON IT DIDN'T GO TO RAIL, THE, THE CHANDO VALLEY RAIL TRAIL IS BECAUSE THE MONEY HAD TO BE SPENT BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
AND WE KNEW THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO, TO SPEND IT ON THE SHINDEL VALLEY RAIL TRUCK.
THERE'S NOTHING FOR US TO SPEND IT ON AT THIS TIME.
AND I ASSUME, AND IT SEEMS, UM, THAT THE COUNTY AND PARKS AND REC HAS THE APPETITE AND MAN POWERED A MAN YET ANOTHER PARK.
JUST BECAUSE I ASK, I LOVE YOU GUYS' PRESENTATION.
I LOVE YOUR IDEA, WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO WITH IT.
UM, I'M A BIT STILL BITTER AND THINK IDEALLY AND REALISTICALLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD FUND THIS ENTIRELY.
UH, WE'VE NEVER ECONOMICALLY, UM, RESTORED WHAT WE, WHAT HAPPENED FROM APTEX AND THE POLLUTION THAT THEY'VE CAUSED HERE IN FORT ROYAL HORN COUNTY.
AND, UM, JOB CREATION OBVIOUSLY IS GONE.
BUT I JUST ASKED THAT BECAUSE WHEN I CAME ON COUNCIL, ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS WERE WE HAVE A VERY LARGE NEEDLE ISSUE AT A LOT OF OUR LOCAL PARKS.
AND SO WHILE THIS IS ALREADY A TOXIC WASTE SITE, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE OF THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, WITHIN THE TOWN LIMITS.
UM, SO THAT PARKS AND REC HAVE THE MANPOWER AND THE APPETITE TO TAKE ONE YET ANOTHER PARK AND THE TOWN LIMITS.
AS, AS WE'VE TALKED WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, UH, I'LL LET JOE TALK ABOUT PARKS AND RIGHT.
BUT, UH, WE'VE HAD ENTHUSIASM, A LOT OF INTEREST IN THIS.
THEY'VE ASKED A LOT OF GOOD QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S THIS GONNA COST DOWN THE ROAD.
UH, AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE COSTS SUCH AS THE FENCING THAT WE'RE EVALUATING RIGHT NOW MM-HMM.
BUT, UM, BUT THE COUNTY IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE HEADED THAT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE AND JOKING.
I MEAN, THE COUNTY'S BEEN SUPPORTIVE.
I MEAN, WE'VE TRIED FOR THE DUPONT FUNDING IN THE PAST, ET CETERA, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD.
UM, BUT AT THIS TIME, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD HASN'T MADE ANY DECISIONS AND THIS LONG COURSE STILL, YOU KNOW, HAVING CONVERSATIONS, MAKING CALLS AND SEEING, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE FEASIBILITY IS OF IT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK NUMBER ONE PRIORITY WOULD BE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ANYBODY WHO'S USING IT AS WITH ALL PARKS AND, YOU KNOW,
SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE JUST THINGS THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT AND ADDRESSING IT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR COMING OUT AND, AND CERTAINLY IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I KNOW
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THAT EVERYBODY'S EASILY ACCESSIBLE, RIGHT? YEAH.ALRIGHT, SO NUMBER THREE, UM, IS OUR FLEET MAINTENANCE BUILDING PROJECT, PROCUREMENT AWARD, UM, FINANCING AND BUDGET AMENDMENT.
SO I BELIEVE THAT BJ UM, HERE AND ALSO DON'S HERE TOO, RIGHT? DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION? DON'S UH, YAY.
RICHARD, YOUR FLEET MAINTENANCE.
IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE, THAT I CAN'T ANSWER.
SO,
UM, THE FLEET MAINTENANCE BUILDING, UH, REHABILITATION, UH, RENOVATION, UH, BASICALLY TAKES THE CURRENT FLEET MAINTENANCE BUILDING, UM, PARTS OF IT AND THEN, UM, ADDS ON TO IT.
ENGINEERING WAS BEING COMPLETED.
WE PUT PUT OUT THE BID FOR IT.
WE RECEIVED, UH, THREE BIDS BACK, UH, FOR THE PROJECT BIDS CAME BACK, UH, LOWEST BID IN $1,995,000.
YEAH, I WAS A LITTLE, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT HOW LONG, UM, SO, UH, LANCE CONSTRUCTION AFTER WINCHESTER WAS THE LOWEST BIDDER.
UH, THEY ACTUALLY DID THE, UH, ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT MM-HMM.
SO THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE TOWN, HOW IT WORKS.
AND THEY'RE, THEY ACTUALLY, THE ENGINEER THAT WE USE ACTUALLY DID THE ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
SO THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH HOW THE, UH, THE ENGINEER WORKS.
AND, UM, CAN YOU ALSO DO THE PAVILION OR NO, IT WAS SOMEBODY DIFFERENT.
I'VE GOT A SWORN, I BELIEVE IT WAS LANCE.
I THINK IT WAS ANOTHER VARIATION.
YOU'D BE WRONG THAT, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE LANCE DON'T HOLD ME PART OF IT.
BUT, BUT, UH, WE'VE, WE WORKED WITH LANCE.
THEY DID THE, ALSO DID THE, UH, UM, THE KRA ROAD TRAIL, UH, FOR US.
SO THEY'VE, UH, UM, WE'VE DEALT WITH THEM IN THE PAST ACTUALLY.
THE, UH, UM, UH, SO THE BIDS WENT OUT.
WE RECEIVED, UH, THOSE THREE BACK LANCE WAS INDEED, UH, THE LOWEST.
UH, THE NEXT PART OF THAT WAS, IS, UH, OBTAINING THE FINANCING FOR THE PROJECT.
BUT, UM, PREVIOUSLY WE THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA HAVE FUNDS, UH, IN OUR RESERVES TO USE FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, UH, WITH THE, WE'RE DOING THE WATER LINE COMING IN OVER BUDGETING AS WELL AS THE, IN I ABATEMENT COMING IN OVER BUDGET, NO LONGER HAVE THAT LUXURY OF USING THE, UM, UH, THE RESERVE FUNDS.
UH, THE RATES CAME BACK A LOT LOWER THAN WHAT WE HAD ANTICIPATED.
UM, WE WERE ANTICIPATING AROUND THE SIX OR 7%.
UH, I CAME BACK AT FOUR POINT, UH, 3.5, YEAH, 4.345%, UM, FOR A 20 YEAR TERM.
UH, WITH OUR PAYMENTS BEING AT $183,994 AND 80 CENTS.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN BUDGETING ABOUT $200,000 A YEAR AFTER THE PAST FEW YEARS ON THIS.
TRYING TO SET SOME MONEY ASIDE.
UH, WE'RE, UH, GOING TO CONTINUE, UH, LEAVE THOSE MONEY SET ASIDE.
UH, WE'VE USED SOME OF IT FOR THE ENGINEERING.
WE'RE ALSO WOULD BE USING SOME OF IT FOR THE CLOSING COSTS, THE BOND COUNCIL FEES, THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND FEES.
UM, AND THEN, UH, ANYTHING EXTRA WE WOULD, UH, LET'S SET ASIDE FOR CONTINGENCY, UH, ROUGHLY, I THINK WE HAVE ABOUT $300,000, UM, SET ASIDE FOR THIS.
UH, BUT AS WELL, THERE'S A LIST OF ITEMS THERE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE IN THE, UM, UH, FINANCING, UH, FOR THE PROJECT.
UH, THIS IS A EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD BE USED AT THE FLEET MAINTENANCE BUILDING.
UM, SOME OF IT, UH, WOULD BE REQUIRED ALONG WITH THE RENOVATIONS.
A COUPLE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE'VE ACTUALLY PUT OFF FOR DON FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW, UM, HOPING THAT THIS PROJECT'S COMING DOWN THE PIKE.
UM, SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, REQUESTING COUNSEL TO APPROVE THE PROCUREMENT OF IT, AS WELL AS THE BUDGET AMENDMENT TO BRING IN, IN THE FINANCING FUNDS FOR THAT AND AWARD THE FINANCING TO, UH, WEBSTER AND, UM, WHAT WAS IT, WEBSTER BANK? I'M SORRY.
I IT WAS, YEAH, WEBSTER BANK, UH, CAME IN THE LOWEST STUFF.
EML VACO DID LOOK THE, UH, BID OUT FOR US AND RECEIVED, UH, FIVE RESPONDENTS, WHICH WAS, UH, UH, REALLY GOOD.
I KNOW I JUST SAID A LOT THERE.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS WELL AS DON.
I I JUST WANT, OH, I WAS GONNA, I JUST WANTED TO START OFF BY SAYING THAT THIS HAS BEEN ON OUR RADAR, OR AT LEAST SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL.
UM, BUT IT WAS NECESSARY, VERY NECESSARY.
I, I BELIEVE YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN WORKING IN SOME PRETTY TOUGH, UH, UM, ENVIRONMENTS DOWN THERE.
SO I KNOW THIS IS, UM, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN PUTTING MONEY BACK FOR AT LEAST I KNOW, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL.
SO, UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP BEFORE WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IS, IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY, IT ALSO SAVES US BY BEING ABLE TO WORK ON OUR END THINGS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THOSE COUPLE THINGS.
UM, CUZ I KNOW THIS LOOKS LIKE A BIG TICKET PRICE, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S FANTASTIC.
BUT WE CAN'T REALLY, YOU CAN'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN PUT ALSO ON THE SPIN OF IT IS WHAT THE MONEY IT SAVES US BY
[00:25:01]
BEING ABLE TO DO.JOSH, YOU HAD A QUESTION? NO, I WAS JUST ASKING, DID THEY GIVE A TIMEFRAME? WHAT WITH THEIR PROPOSAL ABOUT WHAT, HOW LONG DO THEY THINK IT WOULD TAKE TO BUILD? OR? IT WAS 400 AND SUNDAYS DAYS, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR.
THAT, THAT'S WHAT MY QUESTION WAS, IS WHY THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE, THE OTHER, THE OTHER GUYS HAD IT DONE AND, AND LIKE, UH, SIX MONTHS.
AND SO WE'RE SEEING THAT ACROSS THE BOARD WITH, UH, WITH OUR BIDS.
RIGHT NOW, THE CONTRACTORS THAT YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY WANT THE JOB, THEY COME IN REALLY TIGHT.
UM, AND, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, UNLESS SOME OF THESE CONTRACTORS DO WELL, YEAH.
BUT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, I'D BE WILLING TO TAKE THEM JUMP, SHOUT IT OUT AT ME.
AND MAYBE IT RELATES TO OVER, UH, UH, ARE YOU BIDDING THE THING OR, OR NOT BIDDING IT PROPERLY.
IS IS THE STATEMENT BY THE CONTRACTOR THAT SAYS, WELL, WE CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT THE CONTRACTOR HAS MET ALL SPECS, THE PROPOSAL, DA DA DA DA.
WELL, IF YOU, IF YOU'RE BIDDING THIS ON A KIND OF UNS SPECT OR NOT SPECT, UH, EFFORT, IT'S, YOU GUYS GOTTA DO IT.
I MEAN, I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT BEHIND THIS.
WELL, WHAT I WOULD CAUTION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY HAVEN'T SPECKED THIS THING, MAYBE THAT'S THE DELTA BETWEEN THIS BID AND THE NEXT.
SO I, I WOULD JUST CAUTION MAYBE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
UM, SO WE HAVE THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE ENGINEER.
THE ENGINEER DID, UH, REVIEW ALL THE BIDS.
HE DIDN'T JUST REVIEW THIS ONE.
UH, SO WE HAVE THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE ENGINEER TO HOPEFULLY KNOW CENTER MINES AT EASE A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.
HOW MANY CHANGE ORDERS DID GIVE YOU LAST TIME YOU, HOW MANY GIVE US IN THE ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT? WASN'T THAT BAD ACTUALLY, I THINK, UM, MAYBE A HALF A DOZEN.
AND THEY WERE JUST TYPICAL, YOU KNOW, UM, ENGINEERING CHANGES THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL YOU GOT INTO AN EXISTING STRUCTURE.
LL K'S RENOVATIONS BEEN UNDERWAY FOR I THINK A MONTH MAYBE, AND THEY'VE ALREADY CAME BACK.
SO, UM, I WILL JUST SAY I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR LIKE YOUR WELDER VENTILATION STUFF AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE TALENT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DOWN THERE IS REALLY GOOD PEOPLE THAT WE WANNA RETAIN AND DOING SO WITH GOOD EQUIPMENT AND GOOD WORKING.
OH, THAT'S THE PROBLEM IS THAT SOME OF THESE VEHICLES ARE EQUIP WORKING.
I WAS DOWN THERE WHILE THEY WERE WELDING AND MAKING SALT SPREADERS TWO YEARS AGO.
WHEN I, UM, YEAH, THE, UH, YEAH.
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT THAT SAVED THE TOWN FROM BUYING THEM.
YOU GOT VEHICLES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, FROM EIGHTIES AND YEAH.
AND THE WELDING JOBS LOOK LIKE.
I MEAN, THEY WERE JUST WELDERS.
BUT ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AHEAD? WE, EVERYTHING WILL FIT INSIDE OF THIS SHOP FOR Y'ALL TO WORK ON IT, LIKE THE BIG, THE BOONE TRUCKS.
AND THAT WAS A QUESTION WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IT DOWN WHEN WE WERE DOWN TO VISIT STUFF DOWN THERE.
ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER CLIMATE CONTROL? YES.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST, THAT'S WHAT HE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO.
MOST
UM, BUT, UH, WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE A, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE FINANCING AND THE BUDGET AMENDMENT.
UH, SO WE'LL HAVE TO ADVERTISE FOR THAT, UH, BEGINNING TOMORROW.
MORE THAN HAPPY COUNCIL DIRECTION.
ARE YOU ALL GOOD WITH ADVERTISING FOR PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, THIS COUNCIL, SAY AGAIN? THIS THANK IT'S BEEN NEEDED FOR A WHILE, SO, YEAH.
UM, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, LAST WEEK AT OUR COUNCIL MEETING, UM, THERE WAS A, A BOUTIQUE IN REGARDS TO AN MOA WITH THE COUNTY.
UM, I, IT, IT, UH, IT, I BELIEVE THAT THE IMPRESSION THAT WAS GIVEN, UH, WASN'T REALLY COUNSEL'S INTENT.
UM, SO WE ARE GONNA DISCUSS THAT TONIGHT.
UM, BUT BEFORE WE DO, WE'RE GONNA, I'M GONNA HAVE LIZZIE, UM, LIZZIE LEWIS IS GONNA JUST COME UP AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, LIZZIE'S HELPING US OVERSEE THE VISITOR CENTER RIGHT NOW FROM THE, FROM THE CHANGE.
SO WOULD YOU, UH, MIND TALKING WITH US AND, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, COUNSEL'S, UH, DISCUSSION.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME THIS EVENING.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL A QUICK UPDATE.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVEN'T BEEN, UM, OVERSEEING IT DIRECTLY FOR VERY LONG, BUT WE'VE MADE SOME CHANGES, UH, HOPEFULLY ALL GOOD THINGS.
SO WE HAD NEW STAFF THAT STARTED ON THURSDAY.
UH, WE HAD NEW, TWO NEW PART-TIMERS WHO STARTED THEIR TRAINING ON THURSDAY, AND THEY ALL WORKED THIS
[00:30:01]
WEEKEND AS WELL.UM, WE, I ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH TRAINING AS WELL, SO THAT WAS A LOT OF FUN.
UM, GOT TO SEE A LOT OF THINGS FIRSTHAND, WHICH IS HOW I ENDED UP WITH PAGES OF NOTES AND THINGS TO DO.
UM, WE UPDATED SOME LOGISTICAL ITEMS LIKE, UH, UM, PROVIDING PROPER TECHNOLOGY FOR THE STAFF.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD KIND OF A DISCONNECT THERE.
SHOUT OUT TO CHARLES FOR HELPING US ON THAT.
UM, AND IF MANY THINGS LIKE HAVING THE HIGH BACK CHAIRS THAT THEY NEED, THAT SORT OF THING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ORDERING THOSE PIECES AND MAKING THAT ALL FIT.
UH, I'VE GOT A LIST GOING OF LITERATURE THAT'S BEEN MISSING, THINGS THAT WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE ON HAND, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING THAT DONE.
UM, AND TRULY JUST TREATING THE STAFF, LIKE ACTUAL STAFF AS OPPOSED TO, UM, FOLKS THAT ARE KIND OF WORKING FOR US, BUT KIND OF NOT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT EMPLOYEES ARE FEELING VALUED AND RECOGNIZED.
UM, WE'RE ALSO UPDATING SOME OF THE SIGNAGE, MAKING SURE THAT WE'VE GOT PROPER INFORMATION GOING OUT TO EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS PLANNING FOR THAT RETAIL ACTIVATION.
SO I'VE HAD, UM, BRIEF CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH IT AND STARTING THE BALL ROLLING WITH FINANCE, UM, TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S NEEDED IN ORDER TO START HAVING RETAIL AGAIN IN VISITOR CENTER.
UM, NOW LOOKING DOWN RANGE IS OBVIOUSLY IN BRINGING BACK THAT RETAIL PIECE.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF PASSION ABOUT THAT AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TOWN AS WELL.
I WILL SAY THAT WHILE I WAS THERE ALL DAY ON THURSDAY, THERE WERE, WE SAW ABOUT 40 VISITORS ON THURSDAY.
UM, AND I THINK THERE WERE FOUR THAT CAME IN SPECIFICALLY TO BUY SOMETHING.
SO, UM, I'M SURE THAT WAS AN ANOMALY, BUT IT WAS AN EYE-OPENING ONE.
SO THAT WAS REALLY GOOD TO SEE THAT THERE IS PASSION FOR IT FOR SURE.
UM, WE'RE ALSO REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON GETTING BACK TO MORE OF OUR COMMUNITY ROOTS.
UM, THERE WERE SOME PROGRAMS THAT WE HAD DONE IN YEARS PAST, AND I'VE LEARNED A LOT IN THE LAST FEW DAYS.
UM, AS FAR AS THINGS LIKE WE DID FOR THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL HIKERS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WERE A TRAIL TOWN.
UH, WE USED TO HAVE LIKE THESE LITTLE COMFORT KITS THAT WE WOULD GIVE OUT TO THE TRAIL FOLKS TO COME IN AND, YOU KNOW, WORKING, UM, MORE COLLABORATIVELY WITH SOME OF OUR STORES AND, UH, BUSINESSES AND RESTAURANTS HERE ON MAIN STREET.
I KNOW WE USED TO HAVE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH MOUNTAIN TRAILS AND REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE SERVING THE COMMUNITY THAT'S COMING TO US IN ADDITION TO OUR FOLKS THAT HAVE NEVER SEEN A TRAIL EVER IN MY LIFE.
UM, WE ALSO WANNA, UH, WORK ON PERHAPS ENGAGING SOME MORE VOLUNTEERS.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS KIND OF A LEGACY PROJECT.
UH, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT THE TOWN DID FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THERE ARE OTHER, OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, UM, THROUGHOUT THE STATE THAT HAVE KIND OF LIKE A, UH, THEY, THEY ALL CALL 'EM DIFFERENT THINGS.
WE WOULD CALL THEM LIKE AMBASSADORS.
SO WE WANNA, WE WANNA LOOK IN DOWN RANGE.
WE WANNA DEVELOP A PROGRAM WHERE WE CAN TRAIN FOLKS ON WHAT ARE THE ASSETS WE HAVE HERE IN TOWN, UH, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT THEY CAN COME AND SEE AND DO.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE GONNA BE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WHERE I NEED MORE THAN THE THREE STAFF.
WE HAVE, UM, THINGS LIKE WINING CRAFT FESTIVAL, FESTIVAL OF LEAVES, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN THE CHRISTMAS PARADE.
WE PULL IN A GOOD AMOUNT OF FOLKS WHO DON'T LIVE HERE FOR THE CHRISTMAS PARADE.
AND HOW OFTEN CAN YOU SEE AN HOUR LONG CHRISTMAS PARADE IN THE TINY TOWN? RIGHT? SO, UM, REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE BUILDING A DEEPER BENCH.
BUT THESE ARE ALL BIG PROJECTS, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO WORK ON THE LITTLE THINGS THAT WE CAN.
UM, BUT WE'RE TARGETING BY THE END OF THE MONTH TO BE BACK OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
UM, AND THEN EVENTUALLY I'D LIKE TO BE BACK OPEN NINE TO FIVE CUZ THAT'S WHAT THE SIGN ON 66 SAYS.
AND I DON'T WANNA LIE, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE ARE WITH VDOT AND SIGNAGE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN ASK THEM TO CHANGE THAT.
SO WE'RE JUST GONNA TRY TO GET BACK ON TARGET.
UM, BUT I AM TRYING TO GIVE MY NEW STAFF A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO GET COMFORTABLE BEFORE WE THROW 'EM IN AT SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT VISITOR SEASON IS ABOUT TO BE UPON US, UM, IF IT'S NOT ALREADY.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE READY FOR THAT.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY VISITOR CENTER RELATED QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.
WHAT I WAS THINKING IS THAT WE MIGHT MOVE ON TO OUR DISCUSSION AND THEN IF WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, YOU'RE GONNA STICK, I'LL BE HERE.
IF YOU WANNA, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'LL BE HERE.
YEAH, IF YOU DON'T MIND STICKING AROUND TILL ACTUALLY, MAYBE EVEN AFTER NUMBER SIX TOO.
I WAS WELL AWARE THAT I NEEDED TO BE HERE FOR THAT TOO.
AND, AND BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER IT, HALF TIME AND IT IS 38 TO 27 THEM, I DON'T LIKE THAT.
I KNOW, BUT LET US KEEP IN MIND THAT THEY WERE, THEY, THEY WERE DOWN BY 10 FRIDAY, FRIDAY NIGHT AND AT HALF TIME AND STILL PULLED IT OUT.
UM, SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US DO NOW IS JUST KIND OF TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT COUNCIL SEES AS A DIRECTION FOR TOURISM.
UM, BEFORE WE JUMP INTO HAVING PEOPLE TALK.
[00:35:01]
I DO WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, PROBABLY LAST MONDAY WHEN WE, UM, HAD A LITTLE BIT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT TOURISM IN THE MOA AND AS PEOPLE BEGAN TO SPEAK THERE PROBABLY WAS, THERE, THERE WERE DIFFERENT THOUGHTS, DIFFERENT, ALMOST, MAYBE EVEN SOME DIFFERENT BELIEFS.AND SO THERE MIGHT BE A TIME WHERE WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT LIKE, WHAT WE SEE, UM, EACH INDIVIDUALLY ABOUT WHAT, WHAT YOUR PERCEPTION OF TOURISM IS AND WHAT ROLE THE TOWN SHOULD PLAY AND WHAT ROLE, UH, YOU KNOW, EACH SHOULD DO.
SO, BUT INSTEAD OF, UH, MAKING THIS BE A FIVE HOUR CONVERSATION, UM, WE ARE GONNA SHORTEN IT UP A LITTLE BIT.
AND IF TONIGHT AT THE END OF THIS CONVERSATION THAT WE ARE SAYING, UM, WE NEED MORE TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT, THEN WE CAN PUT IT ON NEXT WEEK'S WORK SESSION TOO.
WE CAN PUT IT ON THE NEXT, WE CAN PUT IT TILL WE, TILL WE, UH, GET TO WHERE WE THINK WE WANNA BE.
AND IT MIGHT EVEN BE THAT WE WANNA INVOLVE OTHER PEOPLE TO, TO COME TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT THIS SAME CONVERSATION.
MR. ROGERS ACTUALLY WAS, UM, WAS IS IS OUR REV FOR, UM, DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL.
SO I'M GONNA LET YOU SERVE FIRST.
SO, UH, I WON'T SPEND ANY TIME ON IT.
I THINK I LET MY, MY FEELINGS KNOWN THAT I, I, UH, I MADE A MISTAKE IN ABOUT LAST WEEK.
UM, AND I'VE SPENT THE WEEK TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, A WAY OF KIND OF SALVAGING, UM, MAINLY OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL, BECAUSE DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL AS AN ENTITY.
UM, IN, IN TALKING WITH CARRIE STARTING LAST TUESDAY MORNING, UM, HER, SHE HAD ALREADY NOTIFIED AFTER ONE.
UH, AND THIS'LL TAKE A MINUTE, AND I BEG YOUR INDULGENCE.
UM, SHE HAD ALREADY CONTACTED AN ATTORNEY, AND THAT ATTORNEY, UH, WAS, UH, GENERATING, UM, UH, DISPOSITION, UH, PAPERWORK FOR THE, UH, 5 0 1 CUN
DIS I'M SORRY, WHAT DID I SAY? DISPOSITION.
UH, THAT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE WITH THE RESIGNATION ON FRIDAY THAT WEEK.
SO WE VOTED LAST MONDAY, SO AS OF FRIDAY, THIS LAST WEEK, UM, IT WOULD HAVE DISSOLVED THE 5 0 1 AND SHE WOULD HAVE, UM, TERMINATED HER ROLE AS DIRECTOR.
SO OVER THE COURSE OF THE WEEK, IN TALKING TO LOTS OF FOLKS FOR LOTS, LOTS OF HOURS, WE BELIEVE, FIRST OF ALL, I BELIEVE THE WORK AND THE EFFORT THAT THE TALENT OF CARRIE, FOR EXAMPLE, MR. TURN, MY FIRE TURN, MYER, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE, ARE EXTREMELY VALUABLE.
AND HER, HIS RESIGNING AND HER, UM, RESIGNING, TERMINATING HER, UH, HER ROLE, UH, WHICH HASN'T HAPPENED YET, BUT HASN'T HAPPENED YET, BUT IT WILL TOMORROW.
SO I, I WANT TO GET TO THAT JUST A MOMENT.
SO WHAT WE, WHAT WE CAME UP WITH LAST THURSDAY, IF, UH, I WOULD AGREE TO TALK TO COUNSEL AND BRIEF COUNSEL, UH, ABOUT AN, AN AVENUE TO MAINTAIN THE 5 0 1, WHICH IS A BUSINESS ENTITY THAT IF WE, UH, DISSOLVE IT, IT'S, IT'S DONE.
SO, UM, I, I LET HER KNOW I WOULD TALK TO COUNSEL AND IF, UH, IF SHE WOULD, UH, MOVE THE DISILLUSION DATE FROM FRIDAY TILL TOMORROW.
SO AS IT IS PLANNED, AND UP UNTIL ABOUT FOUR O'CLOCK TODAY, THE PLAN WAS, AND I THINK MANY OF US MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN THAT SHE'S GONNA RESIGN HER POSITION TOMORROW, AND THAT THE DISSOLUTION PAPERWORK WILL BE POSTED, UH, TOMORROW.
NOW, TO ME, THAT IS A HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE THING TO HAPPEN AFTER THEY'VE DONE SO MUCH WORK, HAVE SO MANY CONNECTIONS, WE HAVE SO MUCH, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER MARKETING AND OUTREACH THAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO COME UP WITH AND, AND SPECIFICALLY TO KEEP THE 5 0 1 C ALIVE IS 99.99.
UM, CARRIE IS GOING TO, SHE DOES NOT WANT TO LEAD FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
SHE, SHE DOES NOT WANNA HEAD THE, UH, 5 0 1,
[00:40:02]
SO SHE IS WILLING TO LEAVE, BUT QUITE HOPEFULLY BECOME A BOARD MEMBER.UH, WE'VE IDENTIFIED AN INDIVIDUAL AS AN INTERIM ED, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL HER, CHAIRMAN, CHAIRMAN, I THINK DEPOSITION.
BUT THAT WOULD BE A, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY BE A PLACEHOLDER.
SOMEONE SOPHISTICATED WITH BUSINESS, VERY DEPENDABLE IS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF MAINTAINING IT WHILE WE MAINTAIN ALL OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, ALL OF THE WORK THAT I'M SUGGESTING THE COUNCIL CONSIDER TO PROTECT THE VALUE OF THE 5 0 1.
IF WE LET THAT GO, SHAME ON US.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS TO WORK OUT THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, HOW WE INTERACT WITH FOLKS.
YOU MADE A FANTASTIC PRESENTATION, RIGHT? OUR CARE AND OVERSIGHT WITH, UH, THE, UM, VISITORS CENTER.
THE VISITORS CENTER, RIGHT? IT'S ALL INVOLVED IN ME.
SO MY APPEAL TO THE COUNCIL, UH, IS WE CAN, UM, ADDRESS THIS BY CONTINUING NO COST TO US, RIGHT? THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF DISCUSSION TO US, BUT NO COST TO US.
UM, I'M SUGGESTING THAT COUNCIL CONSIDER THIS AS A KIND OF A STOP GAP, UH, UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
EVERYTHING IS IN PLACE RIGHT NOW.
THE LAST COMMENT I I WILL MAKE IS THAT I BELIEVE, UH, IF WE HAVE NOT SAT DOWN WITH THE COUNTY TO REENGAGE AND KIND OF RENEGOTIATE OR REESTABLISH WHO DOES WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW, WHO'S IN, WHO'S PAYING FOR WHAT AND SO FORTH.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS NOW NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
SO I I, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION ON THIS.
UM, AND I, UH, I WOULD THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
SO WHO ELSE HAS A, HAS A THOUGHT? I, I, UM, WE SKIP BROUGHT UP SOME THINGS THAT I'M, I'M, I'M THINKING THAT SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS WEREN'T AWARE OF.
AND SO PART OF THAT IS THE COUNTY WAS THE FISCAL AGENT FOR, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, BECAUSE THE MOA, UM, BECAUSE WE TERMINATED THE MOA, IT AFFECTED IT, IT, IT MADE SOME OTHER DOMINOES FALL BASICALLY, IS HOW THAT WENT.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T NO ONE ON THIS COUNCIL.
AND NONE OF US ANTICIPATED THAT THAT'S WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO.
DO WE, UM, SKIP MENTIONED, UM, SOME, SKIP MENTIONED SOME THINGS.
I KNOW THAT JOE AND I TALKED ABOUT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THROWING OUT SOME OPTIONS OF, OF WHAT WE COULD DO, WHAT WE SHOULD DO, SOME PROS, SOME CONS MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF, IF JOE WANTS TO SHARE THOSE NOW OR SHOULD WE JUST GO AROUND THE ROOM AND JUST GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO YEAH, BRUCE, GO AHEAD.
WE'RE GONNA AROUND THE CIRCLE, GOING AROUND THE CIRCLE.
WE'RE GOING THERE JAPANESE WAY.
DO YOU NOT WANNA BE NEXT? I'LL CALL SOMEBODY ELSE.
I DON'T, UM, ANYWAY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THAT, THAT, BY THE WAY, THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.
AND, UH, THE, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE VISITOR CENTER, IT'S, IT'S SORT OF A, A MICROCOSM OF WHAT, OF WHAT, WHAT WE, WE, WE, WE WANT TO DO WITH REGARD TO TOURISM.
BUT TOURISM IS A, IS A BIGGER PICTURE.
IT'S MORE OF A MACRO, UH, LOOK AT THINGS BECAUSE WE WANT TO REACH OUT AT LEAST 50 MILES, MAYBE EVEN FURTHER, UH, TO GET THE TARGET MARKETS.
AND THIS REQUIRES A SPECIALIZATION THAT I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT WE HAVE THAT, THAT ENTITY RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK WE NEED IT.
UH, I THINK THAT, THAT, UM, AS YOU KNOW, I VOTED NOT TO TERMINATE, UH, BUT I, I, I WANT, I I WANT TO MAKE MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I THINK, I THINK THAT WE NEED
[00:45:01]
THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY.UM, AND, UH, WE'RE SUCH A SMALL COMMUNITY, UH, WE JUST CAN'T GO AT IT ALONE.
AND WITH THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M ALL FOR TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO WHERE WE, WE CAN EQUIVOCALLY WORK TOGETHER ON THIS, UH, BETWEEN THE TWO JURISDICTIONS ON, ON, NOT, UH, I, YOU KNOW, I, I LOOKED AT WHAT THEY'RE DOING OVER IN WINCHESTER JUST RECENTLY.
UH, IT CAME OUT IN THE NEWS AND, UH, I DON'T WANT TO LOSE, I DON'T WANT TO LOSE THAT, UH, BECAUSE I THINK IT, IT WOULD BE A LOSS TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT WAS THE, THE DIRECTION THAT DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL WAS GIVING US.
UH, SO, UH, UH, A TO MAYBE WE NEED A, A PROFESSIONAL A TO A TOURISM QUOTE UNQUOTE DIRECTOR OF SOME SORT THAT, THAT MIGHT, UM, MAY BE ABLE TO BE FUNDED BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES.
UM, I HAD VOTED IN FAVOR OF TERMINATING THE AGREEMENT, CUZ THAT WAS THE DECISION I CAME TO AFTER LOOKING AT THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PRESENTED.
UM, AND I GUESS I, I GUESS MY ADVISEMENT WOULD BE THAT WE START WITH THAT VERY BASIC QUESTION OF DO WE WISH FOR DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL TO CONTINUE AND FOR US TO BE A PART OF IT AND LEAVE IT AT THAT POINT.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE HAVE SOME GREATER VISIONING TO DO ON WHERE WE SEE THE DIRECTION.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE HAVE THE REAL BIG VIEW OF WHERE TORI IS GOING, BUT YOU HAVE TO AGAIN, WALK BEFORE YOU CAN RUN AND HAVE WE WALKED WELL SO FAR? AND SO, UM, I WOULD JUST SAY IF WE, UH, I WAS, EVEN THOUGH I HAD VOTED TO TERMINATE, I VERY MUCH AM IN FAVOR OF TRYING TO SALVAGE A WAY TO MAKE THE AGREEMENT BETTER AND MAKE OUR WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETTER AND, AND FIND A ROLE FOR THEM.
BUT WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO HAVE, I THINK, A BETTER STRUCTURE WITH THAT IF, UM, JUST TO ENSURE AT LEAST COLLABORATIVELY THAT OUR MESSAGING IS CONSISTENT.
WE, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD HAND EVER MESSAGING ENTIRELY TO SOMEBODY ON THE OUTSIDE.
UM, BUT WE CAN USE THEIR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND, AND BE A PART OF IT.
I'M FRUSTRATED Y'ALL, BUT I'M GONNA TRY TO GET ALL MY POINTS ACROSS WITHOUT READING MY NOTES.
FIRST OF ALL, I THINK BY THE TIME YOU'VE GOTTEN TO ME, I'M THE FOURTH COUNCIL MEMBER HERE.
THERE'S A MAJORITY CONSENSUS TO COLLABORATE AND CONTINUE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL.
UM, AND I'LL HAVE TO DISAGREE THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE REPERCUSSIONS WOULD BE BECAUSE WE HEARD FROM SUPERVISOR OATS ABOUT THE ARPA FUNDS THAT WERE EARNED AND GRANTED TO DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL AS A JOINT EFFORT.
AND WHEN WE TERMINATED THAT JOINT EFFORT, WE'D BE NAIVE AND IGNORANT TO SAY THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT GETTING JOINT MONEY AND TERMINATING A JOINT AGREEMENT WOULDN'T AFFECT SAID MONEY.
I STILL HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANSWERS TO WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THAT FUNDING.
UM, IT'S EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME OUR COMMUNITY HAD EVER RECEIVED GRANT FUNDS FOR TOURISM.
UM, THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF TOURISM AND THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING AROUND THIS TABLE TONIGHT IS THE VERY SAME THAT THE COUNCIL HAD WHEN THEY TERMINATED IN-HOUSE TOURISM YEARS AGO WITH NO PROPOSED PLAN MOVING FORWARD.
THAT WAS THE ONE THING THAT COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT AND I, UM, LANDED IN OUR VOTES BECAUSE OF, UM, WERE THERE ISSUES WITH THE AGREEMENT? ABSOLUTELY.
DID I HAVE CONCERNS MY ENTIRE TIME WITH COUNSEL? UM, HOWEVER, NOT HAVING A PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD AND A LACK OF VISION IS WHAT HAS LED US HERE TODAY.
NOT FROM THIS COUNCIL, NOT FROM COUNCIL BEFORE US, BUT FROM MANY COUNCILS.
UM, AND THERE ARE TWO PARTS TO TOURISM.
THERE'S A LITTLE T IN THE BIG T.
UM, I KNOW I TRY MY BEST TO BRING THIS COUNCIL UP TO SPEED ON IT.
WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE LOCAL TOURISM, UM, THAT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
UH, BUT THAT ALSO DOESN'T KEEP THE LIGHTS ON THE WATER RUNNING AND THE TOILET'S FLUSHING.
NOT FOR BUSINESSES, NOT FOR TAX REVENUE, NOT FOR ANYTHING.
UH, THE WAY MOST OF THESE SHOPS ON MAIN STREET OPERATE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR IS SOLELY FROM LEAF SEASON REVENUE.
UM, AND THAT IS BIG T THOSE PEOPLE COME FROM 50 MILES PLUS TO VISIT.
THIS COUNCIL HAS SAT HERE AND HEARD A RECORD NUMBER OF SHORT-TERM RENTALS, UM, BE OPENED.
AND THEY WERE OPENED WITH THE IDEA THAT WE WERE DOING SOMETHING IN REGARDS TO TOURISM.
AND THEY WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, THESE RENTALS RENTED OUT FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING HERE TO SHOP, EAT, AND PLAY AND GO BACK HOME.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO MOVE HERE.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO LIVE HERE.
I WANT THEM TO SPEND THEIR MONEY HERE AND GO BACK HOME, COME BACK AGAIN.
SO MY NEXT POINT, AND I THINK THIS IS THE LAST ONE, IS THE REASON WE DID WHAT WE DID
[00:50:01]
YEARS AGO AS A COUNCIL IN A TOWN WAS BECAUSE WE REALIZED IT'S A MUCH BIGGER JOB AND MAGNITUDE THAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE DOING.UM, I UNDERSTAND AND HEAR THE ARGUMENTS THAT SETTING UP A BOARD THAT WE DON'T HAVE A VOTE ON IS SCARY, BUT THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY BOTH HAVE AN E D A AND WE BOTH GIVE THEM MONEY THAT WE DON'T GET A VOTE ON.
SO, UM, AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN ROCKED AS A COMMUNITY FOR WHAT HAPPENED IN YEARS PAST AND THINGS THAT WE HAD NO CONTROL OVER.
AND IT'S DEVASTATING AND WE HAVE TO RECOVER AND RECUPERATE AND COME BACK FROM THAT.
BUT WE CAN'T HOLD FUTURE BOARDS AND PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE ACTIONS AND ABUSE OF PEOPLE PRIOR.
UM, THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE SOME OVERSIGHT THAT I THINK LACKED.
BUT I THINK THAT DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL ALSO LACKED, YOU KNOW, IN MY BRIEF 10 YEAR OLD COUNSEL, IT'S BEEN BUMPY.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH I THINK THREE, FOUR TOWN MANAGERS.
UH, ONE OF 'EM WAS INTERIM FOR A DAY OR TWO AND ANOTHER ONE FOR A WEEK.
BUT, UM, IT IS HARD TO EFFECTIVELY GOVERN.
AND I WILL JUST ALSO ECHO THE REASON THAT WE NEED TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE COUNTY.
AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WAS OPPOSED TO IT.
I THINK THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING.
BUT WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU'RE MARKETING WARREN COUNTY AND FRONT ROYAL AND THE RIVER 95 3, AND THE COUNTY'S PAYING FOR ADS ABOUT THE CANOE CAPITAL OF VIRGINIA AND THE TOWN'S PAYING FOR ADS ABOUT THE CANOE CAPITAL OF VIRGINIA, WE'RE DOING A DISSERVICE TO OUR CONSTITUENTS BY DOUBLE TAXING THEM AND THEN USING THEIR TAXES TO PAY FOR THE SAME THING TWICE.
UM, AND IT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING FOR ME AS A TOWN CITIZEN.
SO WHEN I SEE THESE BROCHURES THAT ARE JUST REDUNDANCY, THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON I RAN FOR OFFICE.
THERE'S REDUNDANCY IN GOVERNMENT, IT'S INEFFECTIVE GOVERNING.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA PROP TOURISM UP, WHICH WE'VE DECIDED WE WANT TO, WE NEED TO WORK WITH SOMEBODY WHO HAS THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES TO DO SO EFFECTIVELY.
AND, UM, WE LEARNED AFTER OUR VOTE MONDAY NIGHT, OR IT WAS REITERATED AGAIN IN A CLEARER MEANING WHAT YOU GET FOR, LET'S JUST PUT A RANDOM NUMBER ON IT, WHAT YOU GET FOR $200,000 IN TERMS OF IN-HOUSE VERSUS WHAT YOU GET FOR 200,000 IN TERMS OF OUTSOURCING, THAT YOU GET A MUCH BROADER, BIGGER REACH AND A LOT MORE SKILLS AND ABILITIES WHEN YOU WORK TOGETHER.
AND I, I DO THANK YOU, LIZZIE, FOR YOUR SERVICE AT THE VISITOR CENTER.
I'M REALLY PLEASED TO HEAR THAT YOU GUYS WERE ABLE TO BRING EMPLOYEES BACK IN QUICKLY.
UM, I RECENTLY WENT OVER TO WINCHESTER AND VISITED, UH, THE WINCHESTER AREA THERMAL TRANSITION SHELTER.
THAT'S THEIR HOMELESS SHELTER, IF YOU WILL.
AND THE LARGEST, UH, ISSUE THAT THEY FACE IS NOT CURRENTLY HOMELESS PEOPLE.
IT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, SPOUSES WHO ARE WIDOWED, ET CETERA.
AND SO WE HAVE A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE VOLUNTEERS AT THE VISITOR CENTER.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID, I THINK THE DIRECTION OF COUNCIL WE'VE ALREADY HEARD IS TO MOVE FORWARD AND WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO REMEDY THIS QUICKLY.
UM, 40 PEOPLE ON A THURSDAY WHEN IT WAS CLOSED, YOU KNOW, A WEEK BEFORE THAT.
UM, AND THEN AS A LITTLE TEE, I'D BUY FRONT ROYAL MERCHANDISE.
SO I'M DISAPPOINTED AND I WOULD NOT HAVE BET MY MONEY THAT THE VOTE WOULD'VE GONE THE WAY IT WOULD'VE.
I THOUGHT LORI WAS GONNA BE BREAKING A TIE, BUT WE SAVED YOU FOR ONCE.
I WILL JUST KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT ON THAT ONE.
UH, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD, I MEAN, JUST LIKE WE'D SAY IN PUBLIC COMMENTS, YOU'RE WELCOME TO JUST SAY, I REITERATE WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE DOES, OR YOU HAVE SOMETHING NEW TO SAY.
UM, WELL, I MEAN, YEAH, I, I, UM, LIKE I SAID, I VOTED THE WAY I DID WITH THE INFORMATION IT HAD AT HAND.
I STILL BELIEVE THAT I THINK WE COULD HAVE A BETTER AGREEMENT.
AND, AND I WANT TO, I DO WANT TO REITERATE THE FACT THAT IT WAS, IT WAS PRESENTED BEFORE OUR VOTE THAT THIS WAS NOT, YOU KNOW, AT THIS, IT WAS INTERPRETED THAT AS A TURNED DOWN FOR, FOR DISCOVER FRONT ROLL, BUT YET IT WAS PUBLICLY SAID THAT NO, THIS ISN'T NOT A, A SHOE AWAY OF PUBLIC DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL.
THIS IS JUST THIS DOING AWAY WITH THIS MEMBER AGREEMENT AGREEMENT.
WE, WE SAID THAT DIDN'T YEAH, WE DID SAY THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T INTERPRETED THAT WAY, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE SAID.
SO THAT'S, I I MADE MY VOTE WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT UNDERSCORE.
SO I WILL SAY THAT I WAS, I I WISH WE HAD MORE TIME.
I WISH WE WOULD'VE GOTTEN THIS INFORMATION MAYBE IN JANUARY OR EVEN GO AS FAR AS SAYING MAYBE EVEN THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL COULD HAVE LOOKED AT THIS IN DECEMBER.
YOU KNOW, SO, UM, THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL HAD LOOKED AT IT.
WE HAD JUST HADN'T MADE A DECISION.
SO LIKE I SAID, AND WE ARE GONNA REMEDY THAT AND THE FUTURE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.
WE'LL MAKE SURE WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO, TO TO GET EVERYTHING WE NEED TO GET WITH, WITH COUNSEL HAVING PLENTY OF TIME TO YEAH.
THIS IS A TOUGH DECISION TO BE MADE IN A VERY, VERY QUICK TURNAROUND, TURNAROUND TIME.
BUT AGAIN, AS, AS THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE MENTIONED,
[00:55:01]
UM, I AGREE WITH POINTS THAT EVERYBODY HAS MADE PRIOR TO ME.I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE HERE WITH SOME DIRECTION AS MATTER OF FACT, I'D GO AS FAR AS SAYING, GIVEN MR. WALTZ AND MR. SON HERE, SOME DIRECTION ON WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR AN AGREEMENT GOTCHA.
VICE MAYOR SEAK, DID YOU, DID YOU, YOU DON'T WANNA LIKE SAY YOU DISAGREED, DO YOU? I'M JUST TEASING.
NO,
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL AND GET A DIFFERENT AGREEMENT.
I, I, THE BIGGEST THING I WANNA SEE IS THE VISTA CENTER BE BASICALLY UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE TOWN BECAUSE IT BELONGS TO THE TOWN.
BUT WE NEED TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S THINGS THAT THEY GO FROM THE COUNTY TO THE TOWN OR THE TOWN TO THE COUNTY FOR TOURISM.
YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK WE NEED TO, UH, WE NEED TO WORK AN AGREEMENT OUT AND, YOU KNOW, UH, IF NOTHING ELSE, WE PAY HALF OF THE EMPLOYEES AND THE COUNTY PAYS HALF OF THE EMPLOYEES.
THAT KIND OF WAS, THAT KIND OF WAS YEAH.
THAT'S ALL PART, THAT WAS ALL PART OF SOME OF THAT DISCUSSION.
BUT WE, WE NEED TO KEEP DISCOVER FROM OUR OIL.
THAT'S THE YEAH, I THINK, I MEAN, I THINK WE CAN WORK IT OUT WITH THEM.
WE'VE GOTTA KEEP 'EM, AND AGAIN, I HAVE TO AGREE WITH SKIP.
WELL, SO EVERYBODY'S SO, WHICH I'M REALLY GLAD EVERYBODY, UM, GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY ANYTHING.
UM, BUT SO I, I WANT TO SAY THAT I WANNA APOLOGIZE A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I DO THINK EVERYBODY DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT I'D SAY THAT ANYBODY HAD THE INFORMATION AND WASN'T PROVIDING IT.
IT WAS THAT THERE WERE LEVELS OF THIS THAT WE DIDN'T COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND.
UM, AND SO SOME OF THAT BEING LIKE THIS, THIS SCHOOL AGENT, THIS, YOU KNOW, DMO, ALL THESE TYPES OF THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE STILL LEARNING FROM THREE YEARS, UM, RUNNING.
BUT WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE IS THE CONSENSUS IS IN THIS COUNCIL IS THAT WE WANNA COLLABORATE WITH THE COUNTY ON THE TOURISM EFFORT.
AND I, AND I ACTUALLY THINK THAT THERE'S MERIT TO POOLING OUR MONEY, UM, FOR THE TOURISM EFFORT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE, PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION WITH A NEW MOA WITH THE COUNTY.
IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? BECAUSE MR. WELCOME, MR. SON AND ALL OF US, WE NEED SOME DIRECTION.
AND IT ALSO SOUNDS LIKE EVERYBODY HERE WOULD SUPPORT THE IDEA THAT DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL, THE 5 0 1
I MEAN, EVERYBODY AGREES ON SOMETHING DOWN THAT WE'VE ALREADY GOT, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
WELL, THE OTHER THING IS THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY INVOLVED IN THIS.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, I COULD SHARE WITH ALL OF YOU ALL, A REPORT THAT WAS GIVEN TO US IN THE SUMMER OF 2020, THAT WAS THE INITIAL GROUP, THAT WAS THE JOINT TOURISM COMMITTEE THAT LITERALLY RESEARCHED MRS. BARNHART, RESEARCHED MULTIPLE LOCALITIES AND SHARED WITH COUNCIL, HERE'S WHAT THIS GROUP DID.
THIS, YOU KNOW, GAVE US OPTIONS OF, OF WHAT WOULD, HERE'S THE OPTIONS OF THE WAY YOU COULD DO IT.
SOME PEOPLE DID CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, SOME PEOPLE DID THAT, SOME PEOPLE DID THAT.
AND THE COUNCIL AT THAT TIME, UH, DECIDED THAT THIS, I BELIEVE IT WAS B, IT WAS OPTION B I THINK I'M KEEP GETTING THAT IN MY HEAD WAS THAT THAT WAS THE, UM, THAT THAT WAS THE OPTION WE WANTED TO FOLLOW.
AND SO THEN FROM THAT MOVING FORWARD, THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN EVOLVING.
THEY WERE LEARNING, YOU KNOW, AND 5 0 1
THERE WAS ALL THOSE PARTS OF THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR, UH, UP UNTIL RIGHT BEFORE OUR MEETING, THEY, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THEIR TAX ID, YOU KNOW, THAT STUFF.
SO THERE WERE SOME REVOLVING PIECES, BUT SOUNDS LIKE THAT COUNCIL'S DIRECTION, UM, IS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN, UH, A NEW MOA WITH THE COUNTY.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE COULD DISCUSS THINGS LIKE FUNDING AND THE VISITOR CENTER AND HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK.
AND THEN WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE SENDING THE MESSAGE THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE DISCOVERED FROM ROYAL, UM, TO CONTINUE AND THAT WE'D LIKE TO WORK WITH THEM.
IS THAT, IS THAT A FAIR ASSESSMENT OF EVERYBODY'S THOUGHTS? MM-HMM.
AND I'LL ADD THAT I'M VERY PLEASED THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AND OPEN.
UM, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN ENCLOSED FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE TOWN FOR LEGAL PURPOSES AND THE
[01:00:01]
CONSTITUENTS AND THEIR TAX DOLLARS.UM, BUT I FEEL LIKE IF WE COULD HAVE HAD MORE OF THESE OPEN CONVERSATIONS, THERE'D BE A LOT MORE LIGHT SHED TO THOSE WHO FEEL LIKE THEY'VE WASTED THEIR TIME AND TALENTS BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T.
I FEEL, I I I, I, I FELT BAD FOR MR. TURN MYER, MR. BAR, THAT THAT WAS NEVER THE INTENTION ON THEIR EFFORT.
SO I, I, I, I HOPE THAT, I HOPE THAT SHE STAYS ON BOARD.
NO, MR. TERMER EVEN DECIDED TO COME BACK.
YOU WE'RE THIS CLOSE, THE COUNCIL, THIS IS IN, THIS IS IN THE COUNCIL'S CONTROL, IS IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THE 5 0 1 MAYOR, UH, I, I THINK WE HAVE SALVAGED SEVERAL THINGS, AND I LOVE TO HEAR THAT WE'RE SITTING DOWN AND FIGURING OUT WHAT THE MOU IS GONNA BE WITH THE COUNTY.
I, YOU KNOW, THIS IS UNFORTUNATE TO CLOSE MY COMMENTS THEN.
UM, THIS IS UNFORTUNATE THAT IT HAPPENED.
MAYBE THE MOU NEEDED TO BE CANCELED BECAUSE, UH, CANCELED BECAUSE OF A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT WEREN'T REAL COMFORTABLE TO SOME OF US.
BUT THE RESULT OF THIS HOPEFULLY IS KIND OF A NEW VISION THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO CRAFT WITH THE MOU WITH THE COUNTY, AS WELL AS WITH, UH, AND, AND TO FOLLOW UP ON, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, MORRIS, UH, CONCERN.
AND MY CONCERN ALSO, WE NEED TO PUT IN, AND WE CAN, WE CAN CRAFT HOW WE WANNA RELATE WITH THIS 5 0 1
I DON'T KNOW LEGALLY IF WE CAN PUT A REPRESENTATIVE, BUT IF WE CAN PUT A REPRESENTATIVE NON-VOTING YES.
WE DO, WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVE WHILE I HAVE THE FLOOR FOR A SECOND.
I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYONE, PRIOR COUNSEL IN THE FALL PUSHED OUT, NOT ONE, BUT TWO DRAFT AGREEMENTS WITH DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS HAPPEN, GEORGE.
I MEAN, THAT'S, WE, WE WILL MAKE THIS THING HAPPEN.
CAN I JUST ADD FOR STAFF AND COUNSEL AND THE PEOPLE WATCHING, UNDERSTANDING, I HEAR THE APPETITE TONIGHT.
WE HAVE TO MOVE THIS ALONG FAST BECAUSE WITH THEIR FRUSTRATION, NOVEMBER ON AN ODD YEAR COMES TWO NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS POTENTIALLY.
SO AS I'VE SAT THROUGH SO MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS COMING AND GOING, UH, THIS COULD ALL BE BLOWN UP AGAIN BY NOVEMBER IF WE DON'T GET IT DONE.
THAT I I WAS, YOU, YOU, THANK YOU.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA SAY IS, IS THAT, IS THAT PART OF THIS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, I'M THE ONLY PERSON THAT WAS SITTING HERE WHEN IT FIRST, AND SO YOU SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE CHANGING THEN, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO, AMBER'S RATE, WE NEED TO GET IT ON, GET IT IN PLACE TO A POINT WHERE WHEN THE NEXT PEOPLE COME IN, THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO LEARN, START FROM SCRATCH, LEARNING THE PROCESS.
AND ALSO SOMETHING THAT MR. SIMON SAID THAT I DO, WHILE I DON'T WANNA SIT HERE AND REHASH WHAT WENT WRONG OR DIDN'T GO WRONG, CUZ AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT HELPFUL.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT MR. SON IS RIGHT THERE.
THERE HAVE BEEN, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, MOAS, MOU BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH, AND, YOU KNOW, UM, AND I THINK WE ARE ON OUR FOURTH VERSION OF ONE THAT WAS SENT TO COUNSEL.
AND SOMETIMES AS SOON AS WE GET ONE, BEFORE WE EVEN HAD A MEETING, THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE THAT CAME.
SO WE KNOW, WE KNOW WHAT WE, WE KNOW WHAT WE DID WRONG.
NOW LET'S SEE IF WE CAN'T GET THIS THING ACROSS THE FINISH LINE, WE MIGHT BE QUALIFIED AS TOURISM DIRECTOR AFTER READING ALL THESE MOAS
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NEED DIFFERENT, ANYTHING EXTRA FROM US? ALL RIGHT.
SO WE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN ASAP SO WE CAN HAVE SOME MEETINGS AND TALK ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE TWO ITEMS THAT ARE SLATED FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS THE SPECIAL 57 51 WITH SIX MINUTES IN THE FOURTH QUARTER.
BE 7 51 WITH SIX MINUTES LEFT IN.
I'M A HAWK, SORRY, I'M PASSIONATE.
AND THEY WERE STILL PULLED OUT.
FIVE A IS THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR A COMMERCIAL OUTDOOR RECREATION FACILITY.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU LIVED HERE A REALLY LONG TIME, IT'S THE OLD VFW PROPERTY
SO FOR THOSE TWO, LET'S GO BACK TO EPISODE.
AND THEN THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE THAT EXACTLY.
I CAN SEE BETTER WHEN I'M CLOSER TO THE COMPUTER SPRAY.
UM, SO THE APPLICANT, J AND J SHORES, LLC, THEY SUBMITTED A SPECIAL USE PERMIT OR AN OUTDOOR RECREATION FACILITY.
THIS IS IN THE A ONE ZONE, SO THAT'S WHY THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS REQUIRED.
UM, IT IS A 12 ACRE PARCEL WITH AN 1847 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE.
[01:05:01]
IS ENTIRELY IN THE FLOODPLAIN.UM, SO THEY ARE PROPOSING TO HAVE CANOE AND KAYAK RENTALS WITH SHUTTLES STAND UP, PADDLE BOARD RENTALS, INNER TUBE RENTALS, AND, UM, OVERNIGHT CAMPING.
SO THEY HAVE PRIMITIVE CAMP SITES, AND THEN THEY HAVE, UM, POTENTIAL FOR RV CAMPSITE DEPENDING ON IF, IF THAT'S NEEDED.
AND THEY'VE GOT APPROXIMATELY 52 SPACES, PARKING SPACES RIGHT NOW.
SO THIS IS THE KIND OF PROPOSED SITE PLAN.
UM, THERE'S AN EXISTING BATHHOUSE HOUSE.
UM, THEY WILL HAVE OVERFLOW PARKING, THEY WILL HAVE AN OPERATIONS CHECK-IN CENTER, THE RETAIL BREWERY FACILITY, THAT'S A POTENTIAL DOWN THE ROAD ITEM.
AND THAT IS NOT PART OF THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
THEY'RE THINKING THAT THE TENT SITES WILL BE, UM, DOWN ALONG THE RIVER AND THEN POTENTIALLY HAVE A SECOND SET.
UM, AND MAYBE EVEN RV CAMPING.
IT'S, IT'S GONNA DEPEND ON HOW MUDDY IT IS AND, UM, WHAT THE, THE NEED IS.
UM, THEY WILL BE, UM, BUSING PEOPLE TO THE, UM, THE DOG PARK.
AND THEN EVEN FURTHER DOWN, UM, HELD INTO THE COUNTY SO THAT THEY CAN FLOAT BACK.
UM, PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEWED THIS.
WE'RE ASKING FOR TWO CONDITIONS.
ONE IS COMPLIANCE WITH HEALTH DEPARTMENT PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS, AND THEN, UH, 1 75, 10 POINT 10 OF OUR CODE, WHICH ARE JUST ADDITIONAL.
UM, THEY NEED TO SUBMIT THEIR OPERATION HOURS TO US, UH, PRIOR TO US ISSUE PERMIT.
I CAN TAKE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
I WATCHED THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, MEETING, UM, AND THE APPLICANT SO PASSIONATE.
AND SO, AND JUST HONESTLY, IT DIDN'T MATTER WHAT QUESTION THE COMMISSIONERS THREW WITH HIM, HE'S LIKE, HAD AN ANSWER FOR EVERYTHING AND HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE.
AND, AND HE HAS SOMETHING IN HARPERS FERRY AND SOMETHING, AND BERRYVILLE.
AND I MEAN, REALLY GOOD FOR HIM FOR THINKING OF IT.
SOME THAT'S, I THINK HE'S SITTING ON A GOLD MINE IN MY OPINION.
SOME OF YOU FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE A WHILE, I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE, YOU KNOW, UH, A FEW YEARS COMPARED ALL U BUT THERE USED TO BE A MAJOR CANOE, CARNIVAL, CANOE RACE.
HUNDREDS, IF NOT EVEN MORE THAN THAT.
CANOES AND VISITORS AND SO FORTH.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT TERMINATED, BUT WHAT AN INCREDIBLE DRAW.
BOAT LANDING THE NEXT ON, HOW LONG AGO WAS THAT? 30 YEARS ON AT LEAST 30.
SO ACTUALLY ALSO I JUST MENTIONED BEING A HAWK.
THE, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE STILL DOING IT, BUT THE GYM CLASS, OUR SENIOR WEIGHT TRAINING CLASS, YOU HAVE TO CANOE THE SHENANDOAH AS PART OF GYM FOR SKYLINE HAWKS HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, IT'S PART, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE CANOE CAPITAL OF VIRGINIA AND IT'S LEGIT.
I KNOW THE OWNER, I MET HIM WHEN HE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED IN THIS PROPERTY WHEN HE BOUGHT IT.
AND I SPOKE TO HIM CUZ I'VE RENTED IT FOR MANY YEARS.
I'VE ALWAYS FISHED AND KAYAKED AND CANOE DOWN THERE.
AND HE TOLD ME HE WAS INTO CONSERVATION, GAVE ME HIS BACKGROUND AND SAID THAT HE WANTED TO PRESERVE IT.
I DID ASK HIM TO PUT IN A RIVER BOARDWALK AND A RIVERFRONT RESTAURANT, BUT BECAUSE THE BLOOD PLAN CAN'T DO THAT
UM, SO I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
IT'LL BE THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFETIME THAT WE'VE HAD A CANOE COMPANY IN THE TOWN LIMITS AND ACCESS IN THE TOWN LIMITS.
UM, I DID GET, YOU KNOW, STUCK AT INGA STATE PARK IN A LOW RIVER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ONE NIGHT.
UM, AND I THINK THIS WILL BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE TRAIL HEAD IS GONNA BE.
SO IT'S GONNA LIKE DROP OUT RIGHT THERE.
HE, THAT'S WHAT I SAY, THAT THE PLANT MISSION, WHEN THEY COME OUT TO, UH, FOR WHERE ROYAL AVENUE MEETS 14TH, HE'S NOT GONNA HAVE ANY OF HIS SHUTTLES SET TO MAKE A LEFT.
HE'S EVEN GOT THE MAP, MAKE THEM MAKE A RIGHT AND GO, I GUESS GO DOWN BY THE OLD HOSPITAL.
AND HE'S GOT A GREAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
HE'S ALLOWED THE BOYS TO CONTINUE TO FREELY PRACTICE FOOTBALL DOWN THERE.
I JUST TALKED, I TALKED TO HIM THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
CLARK COUNTY, I BELIEVE IT'S FAIRLY PRO.
I DON'T, I JUST KNOW HE HAS A BUSINESS OF CLARK COUNTY, BUT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, UM, UH, HARPERS FERRY HAD SOMETHING THERE.
SO, UM, HE'S GOT A RIVER, A COMPANY THERE.
I MEAN HE JUST, HE JUST SPEAKS FROM SUCH KNOWLEDGE.
UM, SO WHAT IT'S A THRIVING BUSINESS IN ARBITRARY.
[01:10:01]
BUT I TALKED TO HIM IN LENGTH THE OTHER DAY ON THE PHONE.WELL MY SON SPOKE AT THE MM-HMM.
UH, HE HAS AGREED TO CONTINUE TO LET IN THE BIG AREA WHERE IT'S HIS OPEN SPACE REC OF THAT AREA, HE'S GONNA LET HUNDRED SOME KIDS PRACTICE FOOTBALL THERE AT, AT NO CHARGE.
YOU KNOW, AND I MEAN, WELL, I REMEMBER THEY THEY WERE PRACTICING THERE FOR SPORT.
BEFORE THE UH OH, I WAS GONNA SAY THAT'S AWESOME.
I KID WAS PLAYING THERE AT EIGHT.
NO, THEY HAD, THEY HAVE TO PAY.
AND THAT'S GONNA HELP OUT A LOT IF THEY CAN DO THAT.
UM, AND HE WAS TELLING ME HE'S NOT GONNA REALLY LOOK LIKE THE OPERATION AND CHECK-IN POINT, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE LIKE AN OFFICE TRAILER, SO IF THERE'S HIS, BUT YOU CAN PULL IT OUT.
UH, AND HE'LL PROBABLY, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THE CANOES AND STUFF.
HE'S GONNA KEEP 'EM ON THE, AROUND THE, THE RACK TRAILERS SAY YOU AIN'T GET EVERYTHING OUT IF SOMETHING DOES GO.
BUT, UM, I MEAN, I, I THINK IT'S GREAT.
AND I DON'T THINK HE WAS AWARE THAT USED TO BE A CAMPGROUND DOWN THERE.
THERE, THERE WAS I SEE FULL HOOKUPS THERE AT ONE TIME.
I USED TO CAMP DOWN THERE IN MY LIFETIME.
ALL WELL IF ANYBODY, IF NO ONE, IT SOUNDED LIKE EVERYBODY'S ON BOARD
THE CONCEPT, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKS GREAT.
UH, THE ONLY QUESTION THAT I HAD WAS, UH, TRAFFIC AS FAR AS, UH, I THINK THEY MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT 380 SOME ODD VEHICLES.
IT, IT WAS GONNA BE AN INCREASE OF TRAFFIC.
AND WITH THE, WITH THE POPUL WITH IT IS A FAIRLY POPULATED AREA BACK, WELL, IT'S A ONE LANE ROAD UNDER THE TRAIL ROAD, TRAIL RAIL LANE, RAILROAD TRADING CROSS, UH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA GET TRAFFIC.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME OUT OF THERE TRYING TO GET DOWN 17TH, UH, 18TH STREET.
I THINK THEY NEED A LIGHT THERE SOMEWHERE.
THE, THE CONCERN, THE ONLY CONCERN THAT I HAD ABOUT IT WAS COMING BACK TO NORTH ROYAL A UH, YEAH.
UH, SHANDOR AVENUE 14TH STREET.
WELL, YOU KNOW, HE'S GONNA GO RIGHT THE YEAH, I KNOW.
PEOPLE TRYING TO CROSS OVER THERE.
UH, I EVEN THOUGHT TOO TO THE FIRST BANK IN THE BRIDGE ARE RIGHT.
18TH DOWN FIRST BANK IN THE BRIDGE WHEN HE COMES OUT WHERE THE USED TO BE.
I MEAN, DOWNTOWN PEOPLE MAKING THAT LEFT RIGHT HERE ON RURAL AVENUE.
THAT, THAT, THAT IS REALLY SCARY.
UM, SO JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
I MEAN THE, IF YOU NEED TO CONSIDER A LIGHT THAT'S A VDO.
I MEAN I THINK THERE ARE ALREADY PLANS IN THE WORKS FOR THAT'S A VDO THING.
YOU'RE PLANS IN THE WORKS FOR A LIGHT AT I THINK 18TH STREET AND 18TH.
BUT I, I'M TALKING ABOUT AT NORTH ROW.
AT NORTH ROW AND 14TH STREET RIGHT THERE.
WELL, I MEAN, YOU GOT A CAR WASH GOING THERE ACTUALLY, YOU'VE ALSO GOT A PLAN THAT SHOWS LIKE IF YOU HAD TO A POTENTIAL ROUNDABOUT, THERE ARE EIGHT LOCATIONS IN TOWN.
WE'VE GOT PLANS FOR ROUNDABOUTS IN THE FUTURE.
BUT I CAN, I MEAN, I CAN CHECK JUST, BUT THE CONCEPT I LIKE, I LIKE THE CONCEPT.
WELL, THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC HEARING IF EVERYBODY'S, EVERYBODY'S DIRECTION IS WE'RE GONNA SEND IT TO A PUBLIC HEARING.
SO PUBLIC HEARING ON 27TH MARCH.
UH, NOBODY MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT THE RAILROAD ONE LANE PASSING RIGHT THERE.
THEY DID, HE THEY TALKED ABOUT IT.
MY ONLY QUESTION QUESTION WAS TO, WELL, IT WASN'T ALL RIGHT.
MY ONLY QUESTION WAS IN THE PICTURE, YOU SEE THE TRASH TRUCK SITTING THERE.
UM, SO I JUST, YOU HAVE TO WAIT.
I'M JUST KINDA LIKE PRAY TO GOD AND CLOSE YOUR EYES WHEN YOU DROP THROUGH THERE.
HE ALSO SAID THAT HE MAY, MAY HAVE STAFF THAT MAY NEED TO HELP DIRECT TRAFFIC.
OH, IN WEST VIRGINIA, HE SAID THAT WHEN IT'S LIKE PEAK SEASON.
I HAVE WHITEWATER RAPID WITH HIM IN WEST VIRGINIA.
HE'LL HAVE STAFF DIRECTING AND HE IS ALSO SAID HE IS GOT LIKE AN ONLINE RESERVATION PLATFORM AND, AND HE, THAT HELPS CONTROL TRAFFIC IN AND OUT ALSO.
AND THEN I REMEMBER 'EM SAYING TOO, LIKE THE PEAK TIMES, OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE GOING IN ONE DIRECTION, BUT YEAH.
I WONDER, DO IF WE HAD, UM, ONE OF THOSE LIGHTS THAT SORT OF REGISTERS RIGHT AT THE, UM, BRIDGE, DOES THAT REQUIRE V OTS INVOLVEMENT? YOU TALKING ABOUT LIKE A TEMPORARY LIGHT OR SOMETHING? YEAH, LIKE, WELL, LIKE A SMALLER LIGHT WAS SLOW LIGHTS THAT YOU GET THERE GOING ONTO THAT.
I DON'T DUNNO OFF WELL, WHEN YOU GO ON TO A LOT OF 95 AND DOWN IN YEAH, YEAH.
[01:15:01]
THE RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC MAINLY.YOU GET A, YOU GET A A STOP FOR ABOUT THREE SECONDS.
I DUNNO WHAT THEY'RE CALLED, BUT IT'D STILL BE FOR THAT.
WELL, I MEAN, IT WOULD BE ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT I MEAN, I JUST WONDERED IF WE HAD AN OPTION.
UM, AND I'M SORRY I'M A LITTLE DISTRACTED.
WE ARE UP ON, WE'RE UP BY 1 1 1 1 BY ONE POINT AND THERE'S LESS THAN TWO MINUTES.
SO CAN WE ALL, WE'RE WE'RE UP BY ONE AND IT'S BEEN INTERESTING.
SO THIS ONE WAS AN, THIS IS AN EASY ONE.
I THINK EVERYBODY WAS ON BOARD WITH IT ANYWAY, WE JUST HAVE TO PUT IT TO A PUBLIC HEARING IF EVERYBODY'S GOOD WITH, WE'RE JUST GONNA BE ADDING THE ADDITIONAL WORK SESSION, WHICH WE'RE ALREADY HAVING TONIGHT.
SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? THAT'LL BE, UM, AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER FOUR DASH ONE.
UM, SO, UH, SIX IS THE DISCUSSION ON THE FUTURE USE OF THE TOWN OWNED CABO.
AND, UM, MR. SEAK MENTIONED THAT, UH, HE HAD MENTIONED THAT ALREADY BEFORE.
MR. WALTZ, DO YOU WANNA JUST SHARE WITH, UH, I MEAN COUNCIL HAS SEEN IT, BUT DO YOU WANNA SHARE SO THE PUBLIC KNOWS WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE WE TALKED ABOUT IT? YEAH, ACTUALLY, I, I, STEPH AND I TOURED THE CABOOSE THIS WEEK.
AND UH, ACTUALLY IT IS A REALLY, IT'S A GYM.
I THINK IT'S KIND OF LIKE A LIVINGS QUARTERS.
HE'S GOT A SINK AND A FURNACE AND A SMALL BATHROOM.
AND, UH, SO LOOKED UP A LITTLE HISTORY.
IT WAS GIVEN TO THE TOWN IN 1988 OR 89.
UM, DURING THE COURSE OF WAY HE GOT HEARD THAT SOMEBODY SAID THEY ACTUALLY TOURED THAT CABOOSE BACK IN THE EARLY NINETIES POSSIBLY.
AND SO IT NEEDS A LOT OF WORK, BUT I, I THINK IT WOULD, IT WOULD, WE'D BE DOING A DISSERVICE IF WE DIDN'T, IF WE IGNORED THAT.
AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF POSSIBILITIES AND I'D LIKE TO JUST GET SOME IDEAS AND THEN MAYBE LOOK FOR SOME GRANT MONEY OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF FUNDING.
NOT USE TAX DOLLARS, BUT TRY TO UTILIZE THIS.
UM, I, I THINK THAT THERE MAY BE SOME INTEREST FOR SOME OF THE TRAIN ENTHUSIASTS IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT IT.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
I MEAN, LET'S DO SOME REACH OUT OUTREACH TO SOME, UM, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICE GROUPS.
YOU KNOW, LIKE SCOUT OR SOMEONE LIKE THAT.
PEOPLE WHO GET BOOKED COMMUNITY SERVICE FROM THE COURTHOUSE.
THERE'S A RENT, THERE'S, I THINK THE ROI FOR USING THE CABOOSE WILL, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY IT'S GONNA TAKE TO GET IT OPERABLE, BUT I MEAN, I'D HOST MY KIDS' BIRTHDAY PARTY.
GET OUR CNC AND CLIMB ON THE OUTSIDE OF IT.
DON'T EVEN GET TO GET IN THE COOL PART.
I KNOW, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE INSIDE OF IT WAS, WAS STILL LIKE IT IS.
UM, I CAME UP WITH THE IDEA YEARS AGO.
THEY HAD ONE IN STEVEN AND, UH, STEVENSON.
UH, IT HAD BEEN USED FOR SMALL MEETING PLACES.
I, I THINK I TOOK BLAKE TO A BIRTHDAY PARTY AT THAT ONE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
CAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY ONE NEARBY.
RIGHT? THAT WAS THE ONLY ONE IT USED TO BE AT THE MCDONALD'S IS STEVE.
I WAS GETTING READY SEVEN MCDONALD'S.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS KIND OF LOOKING, THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT.
UH, I KNOW WE'D HAVE TO BUILD A HANDICAP RAMP ON THE BACKSIDE.
I WOULD SAY THE BACKSIDE SO IT WOULDN'T DISTRACT FROM PEOPLE COMING THROUGH LOOKING AT IT.
UH, THAT'S A GOOD EQUAL PROJECT.
WELL, AND THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING.
KNOW IF WE GET THE BOY SCOUTS, I MEAN, LET'S DO SOME MORE RESEARCH.
IF WE WANNA STRIP IT OUT AND MAKE IT A MEETING PLACE, UH, OR WE FIXED IT UP LIKE IT IS, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING PEOPLE WALK THROUGH TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS ACTUALLY MIGHT KNOW WHERE THE TOWN COULD GET A RAMP.
WELL ITS GOTTA BE, IT'S, IT'S DONE BY RAMP SERVICE COMPANY.
AND WE PROBABLY HAVE TO, I THINK THE ONE DOOR, WE PROBABLY HAVE TO WIDEN THAT ONE DOOR FOR A CHAIR.
THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT I HEARD FROM STAFF WAS THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT IT BEING ADA COMPLIANT.
AND UM, BUT BEYOND THAT, I WILL SAY THAT THE STRUCTURE INSIDE, IT'S GOT A WOODEN FLOOR, BUT MAJORITY OF IT'S METAL.
SO, UM, SO YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT, THAT YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, UM, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN EXPLORE.
WE HAVE LIABILITY ON THAT NOW, DON'T WE? YEAH.
WE'D HAVE TO CHANGE A LITTLE BIT MAYBE.
OR WOULD THE LIABILITY PO UH, LIABILITY POLICY SHOULD GO PROBABLY BE SAFER WHEN WE LET 'EM ON THE INSIDE.
I, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, BUT I CHECK, CHECK WITH OUR INSURANCE CARRIER, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE ON BOARD WITH KEEPING EXPLORING IT, UM, GATHERING UP INFORMATION.
[01:20:01]
PEOPLE HAVE AN APPETITE FOR IT.SO MAYBE WE PUT THIS BACK ON ANOTHER FUTURE WORK SESSION AFTER WE EXPLORE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
DO WE HAVE A, IS THERE A DIRECTION OF WHAT I MEAN WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE? OR WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT, WHAT TO DO NEXT? OR IF I COULD HAVE ABOUT 60 DAYS.
NO, I WAS JUST SAYING LET US KNOW IF WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING AND I'D LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU ON IT, JUDGE, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
BUT I DO THINK THAT, UM, I LOVE THE IDEA OF AN EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YEAH, THE EAGLES, THE EAGLE SCOUT PROJECTS ARE VERY SPECIFIC AND THEY HAVE TO KNOW COMMUNITY.
AND THE OTHER THING IS THEY ALSO HAVE TO, THE EAGLE SCOUTS OFTENTIMES HAVE TO, UM, MAKE EFFORTS TOWARDS FUNDING TOO.
SO IT COULD EVEN BE SOMETHING THAT ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, THEY, I'VE ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT GOING OVER OR EVEN, EVEN CHRISTMAS TIME.
I THINK THAT'D BE AWESOME TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT OPENING ON YOUR WE WE GOT YES, THERE YOU GO.
UM, SO THE NEXT THING IS THE LIAISON COMMITTEE POLICY AMENDMENTS.
AND PRETTY MUCH THOSE OF YOU THAT WERE AT THE LAST, UM, LIAISON MEETING, YOU KNOW THAT THERE WERE A FEW THINGS THAT, UM, WE WERE PROPOSING THAT WE CHANGED AND IT'S SOMETHING WE, WE HAVE TO, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO VOTE.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO VOTE ON MARCH 27TH.
BUT THE THREE MAIN THINGS ARE THAT NOW EVERYBODY ON COUNCIL AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL BE INVITED TO ATTEND THE MEETING AND PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSION RATHER THAN BEFORE IT WAS JUST CHAIRMAN, MAYOR, AND ONE OF EACH, UH, WE'RE CLARIFYING THE DEADLINE OF PLACING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
WHICH LIAISON MEETINGS ARE ALWAYS THE THURSDAY.
AND SO PEOPLE WOULD, WE WOULD NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR AGENDA WAS SET THE TUESDAY BEFORE, NOT TWO DAYS BEFORE, BUT NINE DAYS BEFORE.
AND THEN THE LAST ITEM, I'M NOT GONNA LIE TO YOU, I'M NOT SURE WHAT I, I LOOKED IT UP LAST NIGHT AND STILL THE REMOVING THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE LAST BULLET.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS, TINA? I SHOULD KNOW LAST SENTENCE OF THE FIRST BULLET RIGHT BEFORE MEETING POLICY PROCEDURES.
THAT IT WOULD SAY THE LIAISON COMMITTEE MAY AMEND A MEETING AGENDA BY AGREEMENT.
MEANING LIKE, WE GOT TO THE MEETING AND EVERYBODY SAID, HEY, SOMETHING HAPPENED TWO DAYS AGO.
WE CAN AMEND THE AGENDA RIGHT THEN AS LONG AS EVERYBODY SAID AGREEMENT WITH IT.
AND IT DOESN'T REALLY EVEN SAY LIKE A MAJORITY OR A UNANIMOUS, JUST THAT WE MAY AMEND IT.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THAT, UM, TOWN MANAGER AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, WE GIVE AN ORAL REPORT ORDERLY TO EACH OTHER'S BOARD.
AND THE LAST THING, AND WE NEED TO MAKE A CORRECTION ON HERE, AND IT WILL BE CORRECTED BEFORE MARCH 27TH.
IT SAYS, IT WAS ALSO CLARIFIED THAT THE MEETING SCHEDULE WOULD BE ROTATED EVERY OTHER MONTH.
IT'S ACTUALLY EVERY OTHER QUARTER.
SO WE MEET JANUARY, APRIL, JULY AND OCTOBER.
ANYBODY NOT GOOD WITH THAT BOARD? SO THERE ARE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT.
AND, AND THAT WOULD BE A SPECIAL MEETING.
REGULAR MEETINGS ARE SET IN TOWN CODE.
SO, SO LIAISON MEETING EVERYONE WOULD BE A SPECIAL MEETING.
DOES THAT MESS US UP THEN FOR ATTENDANCE? BECAUSE I KNOW BEFORE WHEN YOU, YOU CAN'T MISS, I MEAN NOW THIS BOARD SEEMS TO BE PRETTY ATTENTIVE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT
THAT'S WHEN WE WERE, IT'S NO LONGER A COMMITTEE.
AH, THAT'S WHY YOU HAD THE TWO.
ONCE YOU HAVE PARTICIPATION BY EVERYONE.
WELL IF YOU INVITE THE ENTIRE BOARD BECOME OF MEETING.
SO HERE'S WHAT I'M THINKING BECAUSE WE NEED TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT THING.
UH, CAUSE WE HAVE SOME A TIME PERSON, PERSON FOR CLOSE.
UM, I'M THINKING THAT WE BETTER MOVE THAT LAST PART TO THE LIAISON MEETING IN APRIL AND TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN BECAUSE I'M WONDERING IF THEY REALIZED THAT AND WE REALIZED THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP CUZ I, WE JUST SAW IT AS WE DIDN'T EVER LIKE THE IDEA THAT ONLY, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN PEOPLE COULD PARTICIPATE OR WHATEVER AND IT GIVES PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK MORE, BUT IF IT CHANGES, IF IT PUTS SOME PARAMETERS THAT EVERYBODY'S NOT OKAY WITH, THEN WE BETTER MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS IT.
I MEAN AS FAR AS IT BEING A PUBLIC MEETING, THAT WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM CUZ WE'D ADVERTISE THAT.
I MEAN, THAT PART OF IT BEING ADVERTISING THAT YEAH, IT'S ADVERTISED ANYWAY.
BUT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS WE'D HAVE TO HAVE A QUORUM, YOU'D HAVE TO TREAT IT AS A SPECIAL MEETING.
SO COUNSEL WOULD CALL IT A SPECIAL MEETING AND THE BOARD SUPERVISORS WOULD CALL IT A SPECIAL MEETING.
[01:25:01]
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT IN APRIL WITH THE BOARD SUPERVISORS.SO CAN WE, SO WE PROBABLY SHOULDN'T TAKE A VOTE AT ALL UNTIL WE, WE SHOULDN'T TAKE A VOTE OR ANY OF THIS.
SO WE'LL JUST MEET IN APRIL AND, AND I'LL JUST HAVE THIS WRITE UP AT THE LIAISON FOR YOU ALL.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT YOU MAY WANT TO SEND THIS INFORMATION TO MRS. COOK, UM, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S, THERE'S BOARD SUPERVISORS MEMBERS HERE, BUT YOU MIGHT WANNA SAY THAT THEY CAN TALK ABOUT IT TOO, SO BEFORE THE NEXT LIAISON MEETING.
THANK, LIKE I SAID, WE DID OBVIOUSLY WE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT COULD BE A THING.
SO, UH, WE ARE ONE, TWO, NUMBER EIGHT, WHICH IS OPEN DISCUSSION.
IS THERE ANYBODY THAT HAS ANYTHING THAT THEY WANT TO, UH, THROW OUT THAT, THAT'S CAUGHT ON YOUR MIND RIGHT NOW BEFORE WE GO INTO CLOSE? I'LL BE SUPER BRIEF.
WE HAD ANOTHER TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING.
WE WERE MEETING WEEKLY OR BI-WEEKLY.
UM, THIS LAST ONE WAS, UM, VERY, VERY, VERY INFORMATIVE.
WE HAVE LAUREN AND TARAN WORKING TOGETHER AT THE COUNTY TO GET AN, UH, VDOT REPORT TOGETHER IN REGARDS TO THE SHENANDOAH SHORES LEACH RUN ROUTE 6 0 6 AREA.
WE HAD A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS THERE, DEVELOPERS THERE.
UM, EVERYBODY'S IN AGREEMENT TO GET, UH, SHORT TERM SOMETHING FIXED RIGHT AWAY.
WE HAVE SOME PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE WILLING AND ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND THEN WE'RE WORKING ON THE LONG TERM NOW.
SO I'M CONFIDENT THAT THIS SUBCOMMITTEE WILL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS OTHER TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES VERY NEAR FUTURE BECAUSE WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS, UH, FOR CHANDO ASSURES IN PARTICULAR.
AND WE DISCUSSED THAT WE WANTED IT TO BE BROADER FOR THE TOWN AND COUNTY AS A WHOLE ONCE WE ADDRESS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES THAT ARE PRESSING.
UH, COUNCILMAN, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? YES.
UH, AND, AND HELP ME BECAUSE I'M REALLY NOT CLEAR ON THIS.
IS THERE ON THE NORTH SIDE, MAYOR ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS MM-HMM.
SHANDO SHORES COMPANY THAT FIVE AND THAT'S VOLUNTEER.
I GO GOOD CAREER, BUT IT'S FINE WITH DEVELOPMENT.
IT'LL END UP HAVING TO AT SOME POINT.
SO WHAT I WAS THINKING IN TERMS OF US THINKING IF, IF THERE WAS A WAY TO PUT A PERMANENT ROTATING EMT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT FIREHOUSE THAT COULD RESPOND, RESPOND TO AS WE, I CAN ADDRESS IT THOUGH.
SO CURRENTLY THE ONE GENTLEMAN LIVES OUT THERE, THE CAPTAIN I BELIEVE, UH, THE VOLUNTEER.
SO THEY DO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES EVEN WHEN THE TRAIN IS LOCKING.
THEY CAN'T GET THEM TO THE HOSPITAL IF SOMETHING HAPPENS.
IF SOMEBODY WERE TO GO IN LABOR, HAVE A HEART ATTACK, SOMETHING TIME CONS SCREAMING, THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA UNTIL RIGHT NOW HE LIVES OVER THERE.
CURRENTLY THE MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS HAVE CURRENTLY FIVE LIVE OUT THERE.
CURRENTLY THE AGREEMENT THAT WE ARE WORKING ON THE COUNTY IS ACTUALLY WORKING ON THIS ONE PRETTY DILIGENTLY.
THERE IS A STAKEHOLDER OUT THERE WHO HAS OFFERED THEIR PROPERTY FOR A TEMPORARY EMERGENCY USE OFF RAMP FROM 66.
UH, WE HAVEN'T WORKED ALL THE DETAILS OF THAT OUT, BUT THAT WOULD PROVIDE AN IMMEDIATE MEANS TO, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY HAS A HEART ATTACK OR SOMETHING, WE CAN, IT'S PRETTY LEVEL WITH THE GROUND.
SO THE COUNTY'S WORKING ON THAT.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE DEVELOPERS THAT SHOWED UP TO THIS MEETING, WHICH THEY WERE MORE THAN ONCE, THEY ALL SAID THEY WERE WILLING TO DO WHATEVER THEY COULD DO.
UM, THERE WAS SOME NEW INFORMATION THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US AT THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
I GUESS, UM, WE WERE REMISS OR DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE IS A LARGE FARM OWNED BY TRAN WHERE THE EAST WEST CONNECTOR WOULD NEED TO GO.
AND THERE IS, THERE WAS SO, UH, GEORGE, WE ACTUALLY NEED TO GET WITH YOU DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT EAST WEST CONNECTOR ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
SO, UH, YEAH, BUT YOU, THAT WAS BROUGHT UP TO OUR ATTENTION AS WELL.
SO, AND JUST ADD TO WHAT AMBER WAS SAYING, UH, YOU GOT THREE OF THE FOUR ME, THREE OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ARE HERE IN THE ROOM TONIGHT.
MS. CHERYL KOHLER'S OVER THERE, BOARD SUPERVISORS IS ACTUALLY THE CHAIRMAN OF THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF SHE CAN SPEAK RIGHT NOW OR NOT, BUT WELL, WE HAVE A TIME, BUT WE HAVE A TIME.
BUT STILL, UH, IT'S JUST MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT HAS, WHICH I'M REALLY GLAD WHEN WERE UTILIZING V OTS FREE MONEY.
YEAH, THAT'S DEFINITELY A ITEM ON PEOPLE'S MINDS.
[01:30:01]
WE WERE TALK ABOUT.ANYTHING ELSE FOR OPEN? ALRIGHT.
OH, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? I JUST WANTED FRIENDLY REMINDER.
WELL, DINNER DINNERS, FOUR TO FIVE.
AND THEN FIVE TO NINE WILL BE THE COUNCIL RETREAT.
NOW WE, WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE A WORK SESSION AGAIN NEXT MONDAY NIGHT, BUT HE'S TALKING ABOUT, SO THAT YOU OH MY GOD.
MONDAY NIGHT WORK SESSION AND THEN, UM, WEDNESDAY NIGHT IS THE RETREAT.
I'M SORRY, WE'RE AT THE FOR THAT.
SEND OUT AN EMAIL TOMORROW PLEASE.
AND WE'RE MEETING WITH THIS THE MEDIATOR WEDNESDAY.
WHO WOULD LIKE TO READ US INTO CLOSED? I'VE GOT IT.
MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THE TOWN COUNCIL CONVENE AND CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 11 AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 12 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSE.
PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A EIGHT OF DAKOTA, VIRGINIA 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 ONE PROPOSED PROFFER AMENDMENTS FOR ANNA SWAN STATE'S HEP HAD LLC TWO PROPOSED PROFFER STATEMENTS FOR SAYER NV R IN REZONING.
WE'RE GOING INTO CLOSE AND UNFORTUNATELY SKYLINE LOST.