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[Town Council Work Session on July 10, 2023.]
COUNCIL, CERTIFY IT TO THE BEST OF EACH MEMBER'S KNOWLEDGE AS RECOGNIZED BY EACH COUNCIL MEMBER'S AFFIRMATIVE VOTE THAT ONLY SUCH PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS.LAWFULLY LAW EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS OF UNION, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT AS WE'RE IDENTIFIED.
AND THE MOTION BY WHICH THE CLOSED MEETING WAS CONVENED, WERE HEARD, DISCUSSED, OR CONSIDERED IN THE CLOSED MEETING BY COUNCIL.
AND THAT THE VOTE OF EACH INDIVIDUAL MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL WILL BE TAKEN BY ROLL CALL AND RECORDED AND INCLUDED IN THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL.
WE GOTTA HAVE A PROMOTION A SECOND.
MS. PRESSLEY, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? COUNCILWOMAN D DAMCO PAYNE IS ABSENT.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE BACK IN, UH, OPEN FOR OUR WORK SESSION AND, UM, THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS AFTER OUR CLOSED MEETING WAS AN UPDATE ON TOURISM AND THE FUTURE DIRECTION.
AND, UH, LIZZIE LEWIS IS GONNA BE PRESENTING TO US WHEN NO PRESSURE, LIZZIE MADAM, MAY I I NEED JUST A SECOND.
YOU, YOU'RE FINE, YOU'RE FINE.
THAT'S WHY I SAID WE'RE GOOD INTERNET.
ALL RIGHT, NOW LET'S SEE IF I COUNT.
DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THESE KIDS READY OR WE TODAY? I'D RATHER WALK HIM THROUGH IF THAT'S OKAY.
I CAN TALK ABOUT THE MATH THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHEN THE LAST TIME YOU WERE AT THE VISITOR CENTER.
OH, I SHOULD TAKE A STEP BACK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME THIS EVENING.
UM, NOT SURE WHEN THE LAST TIME YOU WERE AT THE VISITOR CENTER, BUT WE GIVE OUT THESE INFORMATIONAL MAPS TO JUST ABOUT EVERY VISITOR THAT WALKS IN THE BUILDING.
THIS IS HOW WE NAVIGATE THEM, WHERE THEY NEED TO GO ABOUT TOWN.
ON THE FRONT SIDE THERE, YOU'LL SEE MOST OF IN TOWN, WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED, UM, DARN NEAR EVERYTHING WE COULD THINK OF WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS THAT TOURISTS ASK FOR.
AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE IS A MORE ZOOMED OUT VERSION.
UM, SO YOU GOT A LITTLE BIT OF TOWN, BUT A LOT OF THE COUNTY.
SO, UM, WE HAVE REVAMPED THIS.
IT HADN'T BEEN TOUCHED SINCE LATE 2020, EARLY 2021.
UM, IT WAS ALSO IN BLACK AND WHITE.
AND WE'VE STEPPED OUR GAME UP A LITTLE BIT AND WE'RE, WE'RE DOING IT IN COLOR.
SO, UM, WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THIS MAP IS THAT IT'S GOT A VARIETY OF NEW INFORMATION THAT WE HADN'T HAD BEFORE, SUCH AS ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS.
UM, HAVING INFORMATION, EVEN AS SIMPLE AS HAVING WALMART IN TARGET, YOU KNOW, WHEN FOLKS COME IN, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE IN RVS, PARTICULARLY AT THE STATE PARK FOR SOME REASON, UM, THEY NEED SOMETHING FOR THE RV.
AND SO THE CLOSEST THING IS EITHER RURAL KING, WHICH IS ALSO ON THE MAP OR WALMART.
SO WE GET THOSE QUESTIONS A LOT.
SO WE REALLY TOOK THE TIME TO EVALUATE WHAT WE WERE MISSING,
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UM, AND ADDED THIS PIECES OF INFORMATION.SO WE HAVE ORDERED THESE, THESE ACTUALLY COME IN A TEAR OFF PAD, ALMOST LIKE A NOTEPAD.
UM, YOU'LL SEE MY, MY STAFF PULLING THOSE OFF THE PADS ALL THE TIME.
NOTHING, I THINK THIS IS REALLY COOL.
AND WE'VE ADDED THE MURAL TOUR.
UM, THE CIVIL WAR DRIVING TOUR WAS ALWAYS ON THERE, BUT THE NUMBERS WERE A LITTLE QUESTIONABLE.
SO WE'VE MODIFIED THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE.
UM, THESE MAPS ARE NOT EXHAUSTIVE.
THERE ARE CERTAINLY THINGS THAT DON'T MAKE THE MAP BECAUSE IT WOULD BE AN INCREDIBLY LARGE PIECE OF PAPER IF WE DID PUT EVERY SINGLE THING ON THE MAP.
UM, BUT WE HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS AS BEST WE COULD.
AND WE ALWAYS REMIND FOLKS THAT THESE ARE INFORMATIONAL, NOT NAVIGATIONAL.
SO IT MAY NOT BE EXACTLY WHERE IT IS IN THE WORLD, BUT IT'LL GET YOU REAL CLOSE, LIKE EXTRAORDINARILY CLOSE.
LIKE YOU'LL SEE THE SIGN FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE, KINDA THING.
YOU, ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE? AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THERE'S A QR CODE TOO.
SO SOME FOLKS DON'T WANNA TAKE THE PAPER WITH THEM, ESPECIALLY A LOT OF THE HIKERS, THEY'RE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW MUCH WEIGHT, EVEN A PIECE OF PAPER CAN BE A THING.
SO WE SAID, YOU KNOW, HEY, LET'S MAKE IT SO THAT YOU CAN SCAN IT AND HAVE IT ON YOUR PHONE OR YOUR IPAD OR YOUR PACK OF CHOICE.
THE GREEN LIGHT LAST WEEK, THIS IS ON THERE.
SO YEAH, IT'S VERY, AND I'VE ALSO GOT HER, WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW NEW IT WAS, BUT I'VE ALSO GOT HER VINEYARD ON HERE TOO, EVEN THOUGH SHE'S NOT TECHNICALLY OVER TO THE PUBLIC YET, BUT I KNOW THAT'S COMING.
UM, AND PRINCETON LANE, WHICH I HAVEN'T BEEN TO YET, BUT I HEAR GOOD THINGS.
HAVE YOU BEEN WHAT MAN? THOSE VIEWS LOOK BEAUTIFUL.
WE SEND A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE.
YOU NEED RESERVATIONS USUALLY.
ARE YOU GONNA TALK TO US ABOUT THAT? I AM GONNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT LITTLE FORESHADOWING.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT ALL RIGHT.
WE CAN LEAN THAT IT'S IN MY EMAIL.
CAN I JUST SIGN IN AS ME? IS THAT A NAME? EVERYBODY LOVES THIS AS MUCH AS ME.
THAT'S REALLY COOL, ISN'T IT? SKIPS TRY ON THE QR CODE.
I'M SURE IT IS, BUT I'M CURIOUS.
HE'S GREAT AT TURNING FORMS INTO PDFS TOO, THANK GOD.
ALRIGHT, SO DOING A LITTLE TOURISM UPDATE THIS EVENING.
SO I WANTED TO KINDA LAY THE GROUNDWORK A LITTLE BIT.
SO I'M A BIG FAN OF, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, TALK ABOUT IT, AND THEN REMIND YOU WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO OVER THE PLAN THIS EVENING.
VISITOR CENTER FACTS, PARTNERSHIP, LEVERAGE ACTIVATIONS FROM THE VISITOR CENTER, NEW BRAND IDENTITY, WHICH YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE ON THE PAPER IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND ON THE POWERPOINT, UM, OUTREACH SEGMENT TARGETING, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT COMMUNICATION REPORTING AS WELL.
AND THAT'S ME IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW ON THE RIGHT.
SO A LITTLE FAST FACTS ABOUT THE VISITOR CENTER.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CHANGES FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR UNTIL NOW.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE IN FACT OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK FROM 10:00 AM TO 4:00 PM SOMETIMES A LITTLE EARLIER THAN 10.
UM, IF PEOPLE ARE WAITING OUTSIDE, WE GO AHEAD AND GET THE DOORS OPEN.
WE ARE CURRENTLY ONLY CLOSED ON THE FOLLOWING HOLIDAYS, NEW YEAR'S DAY, EASTER, THANKSGIVING DAY AND CHRISTMAS DAY.
NOW WE MAY HAVE MODIFIED HOURS ON SOME OF THE OTHER HOLIDAYS, BUT WE DO THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE OPEN ON AS MANY TRAVEL DAYS AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO MY STAFF, UM, ARE PAID TO BE THERE AS WELL AS PAID FOR THAT HOLIDAY IN CASE ANYBODY WAS WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
UM, WE DO HAVE TWO VISITORS CENTER REPRESENTATIVES EVERY DAY AT THE COUNTER.
UM, PARTICULARLY DURING OUR BUSY SEASON, WE AVERAGE ABOUT 60 VISITORS PER DAY.
AND THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ARE OUR HEAVIEST TRAFFIC.
THAT MAKES SENSE, RIGHT? UM, MARCH 1ST THROUGH JUNE 30TH, WE'VE HAD 7,350 VISITORS TALLIED THROUGH THE DOOR.
AND YES, WE DO COUNT EVERYBODY AS OFTEN AS WE CAN, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WHEN WE ARE BUSY, WE MISS PROBABLY 10% OF PEOPLE.
UM, SO IT'S AT LEAST 7,350 HAVE COME THROUGH FROM MARCH 1ST THROUGH JUNE 30TH.
I THOUGHT YOU ALL MIGHT BE CURIOUS AS TO HOW MUCH, WHAT INFORMATION WE GET ASKED ABOUT A LOT.
SO SKYLINE DRIVE NUMBER ONE WITH A BULLET, RIGHT? SO EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW, HEY, AM I THERE? AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NO.
BUT YOU'RE REALLY CLOSE, YOU'RE 1.1 MILES AWAY FROM THE ENTRANCE.
OKAY? UM, I COULD DO THAT IN MY SLEEP IN A HIGHLIGHTER UPSIDE DOWN ON THAT MAP CUZ I'VE DONE IT MANY TIMES.
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A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT RESTAURANTS AND I'M GONNA CIRCLE BACK TO THAT IN A SECOND.TRAIL SUGGESTIONS FOR FOLKS WHO MAYBE DON'T WANNA HIT THE NATIONAL PARK, BUT THEY KNOW THAT WE HAVE OTHER TRAILS.
WE ABSOLUTELY DO A GREENWAY TRAIL OR, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE VIRGINIA BIRD AND, UM, BIRD AND WILDLIFE TRAIL AND OF COURSE THE ANDREA TRAIL UP BEHIND THE HOSPITAL, WHICH IS BEAUTIFUL BUT MORE CHALLENGING THAT YOU MIGHT THINK.
AND THEN FAMILY, FAMILY ACTIVITIES.
WE GET A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT COME IN AND SAY, WE'RE GONNA BE HERE FOR FIVE HOURS.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO? UM, ALL PUBLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE OFFERED FREE ALL DAY, EVERY DAY.
UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PARTNERSHIP LEVERAGE.
SO WE HAVE A VARIETY OF PARTNERSHIPS THAT THE TOWN IS INVOLVED WITH RIGHT NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN, SOME OF THEM LONGER THAN OTHERS.
ONE OF THOSE IS THE CIVIL WAR TRAILS.
I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE INFORMATION SIGNS.
I KNOW THERE'S ONE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET HERE.
UH, WE HAVE 12 SITES BETWEEN FRONT ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY.
THE CIVIL WAR TRAILS ORGANIZATION IS HEADQUARTERED OUT OF WILLIAMSBURG.
UH, THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND I HAVE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, THEY'RE LOOKING TO UPDATE THE NARRATIVES ON THOSE, THOSE SIGNS.
SO THE STORIES ON THOSE SIGNS, DOES IT MAKE SENSE? IS IT ENGAGING? IS IT SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE REALLY WANNA READ? UM, I WILL ADMIT I READ THE ONE OUTSIDE THE VISITOR CENTER AND IT WAS A LITTLE DEPRESSING, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK ON THAT ONE
UM, SO THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND THAT BECAUSE AS PART OF THAT PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH THEM, WE ACTUALLY, THEY WILL CURATE CONTENT FOR US THAT WE CAN SHARE ON ALL OF OUR PLATFORMS. THEY WILL GO AFTER SPECIFIC STORIES IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR THEM, YOU KNOW, HAVING NARRATIVES THAT TALK MORE ABOUT BELLE BOYD OR, UM, TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE BUCKHOUSE, THAT SORT OF THING THAT'S RELEVANT TO US.
AND IT'S RELEVANT TO TODAY'S TRAVELERS.
DIDN'T THEY JUST REPLACE SOMETHING? THEY DID.
SO THE ONE BY THE VISITOR CENTER IS, UM, TRAGIC AS THAT STORY GOES.
UM, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO READ IT AT SOME POINT.
SO THEY, THAT SIGN HAD HAD SOME WATER DAMAGE AND SOME WEATHER DAMAGE AND SO THEY REPAINTED THE STRUCTURE AND THEY REPLACED THE SIGN BOARD.
UM, IT JUST GETS A LITTLE DARK.
UM, BUT HISTORY'S HISTORY, RIGHT? SO, UH, THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY TRAVEL ASSOCIATION, SO WE'VE BEEN MEMBERS WITH THEM FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
THEY CURATE THE VISIT SHENANDOAH.ORG WEBSITE AS WELL AS THE VISIT SKYLINE DRIVE WEBSITE, WHICH ARE NATURALLY VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
UM, AND THEY CURATE THEIR OWN TRAVEL GUIDE AS WELL.
NOW, I WILL SAY THAT THAT ASSOCIATION AND THE SHE VALLEY TOURISM PARTNERSHIP, WE ARE MEMBERS OF BOTH OF THOSE, WE'RE BECOMING MORE ACTIVE.
THERE WAS A LITTLE PERIOD OF DORMANCY THERE FOR A LITTLE BIT.
UM, AND WE ARE NOT AS REPRESENTED IN SOME OF THEIR PUBLICATIONS AS I WOULD LIKE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING TO RECTIFY.
THE SH NO VALLEY TOURISM PARTNERSHIP.
I ACTUALLY MET THE DIRECTOR OF THAT PROGRAM JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO WHEN I WAS AT THE, UM, SH NO VALLEY TRAVEL ASSOCIATION.
THEIR BIG ANNUAL MEETING AT CROSS KEY VINEYARDS, WHICH WAS ALSO VERY PRETTY, UM, LONG WAY AGO THOUGH.
UM, THEY WERE GREAT IN THE SENSE THAT THEY WERE VERY EXCITED TO ADD NEW THINGS TO THEIR LOOP FROM HERE BECAUSE THEY JUST DIDN'T KNOW.
SO THEY HAD BABE BRIA AND THAT WAS IT, IT WAS ON THE LOOP.
AND WE'VE GOT WAY MORE TO OFFER THAN THAT.
SO WE'RE ACTIVELY TALKING ABOUT MAKING THOSE CHANGES SINCE THEY'RE WORKING ON A NEW PUBLICATION AND THEY HAVE A SHARED MEDIA AND WEB PRESENCE AS WELL AMONGST THE WHOLE PARTNERSHIP.
SO THOSE FOLKS ARE PRIMARILY, YOU KNOW, FREDERICK COUNTY AND MANCHESTER, CLARK COUNTY, SHENANDOAH COUNTY, PAGE COUNTY, RAPHA COUNTY, UM, AND, UH, ROCKINGHAM COUNTY AS WELL.
AND THEN VIRGINIA TOURISM CORPORATION.
SO OF COURSE WE ARE BIG FANS OF VIRGINIA'S FOR LOVERS.
THAT'S WHY IT'S ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZED PARTNERSHIPS EVER.
UM, AND THAT'S A FANTASTIC MARKETING CAMPAIGN THAT WE ARE HAPPY TO BE A PART OF.
ITS ROUGHLY 50 YEAR HISTORY AND OUR LOVE SIGNS ARE GREAT.
I SEE FOLKS TAKE PICTURES IN FRONT OF THOSE LETTERS ALL THE TIME.
I'D LOVE FOR US TO GET ONE THAT LOVE.
I DIDN'T EVEN DO THAT ON PURPOSE.
UM, I'D REALLY LIKE FOR US TO GET ONE THAT'S CANOE THEMED.
SO IF ANYONE'S GOT ANY CREATIVE IDEAS ON THAT, I'D LOVE TO DO 'EM.
UM, SO WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY WITH VIRGINIA TOURISM TO WORK WITH THEM ON SOME OF THEIR, WE CALL IT DISCOUNTED MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS.
SO WE DID THIS, UH, BACK IN JUNE.
I RAN AN AD AND WE RAN AN AD IN THE BLUE RIDGE OUTDOORS MAGAZINE.
UH, IT WAS THE PADDLING ISSUE.
SO I FELT LIKE IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE BE IN THERE.
SO WE RAN AN AD WITH SOME BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS OF, OF OUR, OUR FORKS OF THE SHENANDOAH.
UM, AND WE GOT THAT AT A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DISCOUNT BECAUSE OF THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.
AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH DIFFERENT PUBLICATIONS, DIFFERENT WEBSITES.
UM, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO EXPANDING THAT FOOTPRINT AS WELL.
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IS WHERE IT GETS WEIRD.OKAY? SO IN THE VISITOR CENTER, WE WANNA ENGAGE VISITORS IN SOME NEW WAYS.
SO PET VISITORS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, I ACTUALLY WANNA MAKE A WHOLE SERIES ON THE DOGS OF THE VISITOR CENTER, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T SIT STILL FOR PICTURES.
SO THAT'S BEEN A LITTLE TRICKY.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO IS SERVE THAT PUBLIC OF VISITOR.
SO HAVING THE WATER BOWLS OUT, WE'VE ALWAYS GOT TREATS.
UM, WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF DOG BANDANAS, SO I'M WORKING ON A NEW DESIGN SO THAT WE CAN GET NEW ONES WITH THE NEW LOGO, WHICH WE'LL GET TO IN A SECOND, I PROMISE.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REMINDING FOLKS THAT WE ARE PET-FRIENDLY HERE IN TOWN AND WE DO GET THAT QUESTION A LOT THROUGH OUR WEBSITE.
WHERE IS PET-FRIENDLY? WHERE CAN I TAKE MY DOG? UM, AND THE ANSWER IS JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE HERE IN FRONT ROW, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
THAT'S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE FOR SURE.
UM, TALKING TO A DIFFERENT TYPE OF VISITOR.
SO AS OF JUNE 30TH, I WAS TALKING WITH CHARLIE BROWN AT MOUNTAIN TRAILS AND WE ARE AT AN 803 HIKERS SO FAR THIS YEAR THAT HAVE CHECKED IN FROM THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL, CHECKED IN AT MOUNTAIN TRAILS.
NOW WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE MISSING ANYWHERE FROM 15 TO 20% OF THEIR HIKERS BECAUSE THEY DON'T ALL HAVE TO GO TO MOUNTAIN TRAILS, THEY JUST CHOOSE TO, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, BUT THEY'VE GOT 44 STATES PLUS THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA REPRESENTED AND 26 COUNTRIES I THINK SO FAR THIS YEAR, WHICH IS PRETTY COOL.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THEIR NEEDS TOO.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE BROUGHT BACK THE AT HIKER BOX.
SO TALKING ABOUT COMING BACK TO TALKING ABOUT WEIGHT WHEN THEY'RE HIKING.
SO SOMETIMES WHEN THEY'RE OUT, THEY'VE GOT EQUIPMENT THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY LOVE.
UM, WE HAD SOMEBODY TURN IN A SOLAR CHARGER THE OTHER DAY, UM, THEY LIKE IT, THEY DON'T LOVE IT.
AND IF THEY DON'T LOVE IT, THEY'RE NOT CARRYING IT.
SO WE'VE CREATED A LITTLE BOX.
IT'S LIKE A TAKE A PENNY, LEAVE A PENNY.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING, YOU CAN CHECK IN THE BOX AND SEE IF IT'S GOT WHAT YOU NEED.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT LIKE HIKING POLES OR YOU KNOW, USED BOOTS, BUT THINGS THAT SOMEONE MAY ACTUALLY WANT TO TAKE, UM, HIKERS ARE VERY RESPECTFUL THAT WAY, WHICH IS AWESOME.
SO MOUNTAIN TRAILS HAS SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR, SO WE'RE JUST SUPPORTING THAT EFFORT.
WE ALSO WERE OUT OF STAMPS, SO A LOT OF HIKERS CARRY A PASSPORT AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A STAMP.
AND WHITE BLAZE AND THE OTHER WEBSITES THAT THEY ALL USE SAID WE HAD A STAMP AND I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY EVERYONE KEPT ASKING ABOUT A STAMP.
SO WE HAVE A GREEN ONE AND A BLACK ONE.
YOU CAN CHOOSE WHICH COLOR YOU WANT.
UM, VIRTUAL GUEST BOOK MAPPING.
SO WE HAVE CURRENTLY A PAPER GUEST BOOK THAT FOLKS CAN SIGN IN.
I WOULD SAY MAYBE 35 TO 40% OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY SIGN IN ON THE GUEST BOOK CUZ THEY'RE REALLY JUST WORRIED WE'RE GONNA SPAM THEM.
BUT EVERYONE SAYS THEY DON'T, RIGHT? SO WE'VE COME UP WITH, THERE'S A, THERE'S A WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN CUSTOM MAPS.
AND SO I'M GONNA WORK WITH CHARLES AND HE ALREADY KNOWS THIS, SO HE'S NOT, THIS IS NOT SHOCKING TO HIM.
UM, I'M GONNA WORK WITH CHARLES ON UTILIZING AN IPAD IN THE VISITOR CENTER SO THAT IF FOLKS WANNA TAKE A SELFIE AND THEN PUT THEMSELVES ON THE MAC AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE WHERE ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL FACES ARE COMING FROM IN THE WORLD TO COME AND SEE US.
AND WE'VE GOT, UM, WE'VE GOT SOME SCREENS IN THE VISITOR CENTER THAT WE CAN SHARE THAT DATA TO.
AND THEN, ALL RIGHT, THE WEIRDEST ONE ON THE BOARD THAT EVERYONE'S GOTTA HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, I'M SURE.
SO THIS IS THE GUMBALL TRINKET MACHINE.
THIS IS KIND OF A FUNKY IDEA, BUT I WANT TO GIVE IT A SHOT.
SO THE IDEA HERE IS TO GIVE SOMEONE AN EXPERIENCE THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE CONSIDERED BEFORE.
SO AS PART OF OUR MISSION, I AM TRYING ACTIVELY TO CREATE BETTER COMMUNICATION PATHWAYS WITH OUR EVENT OR OUR ATTRACTION PARTNERS HERE IN TOWN AND IN THE COUNTY.
UM, AND OUR RESTAURANTS SHOPPING, YOU NAME IT.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT THOSE FRIENDS WHO WANNA GO ON THIS JOURNEY WITH US, WE ARE GONNA TYPE UP LITTLE PIECE OF PAPER THAT WILL HAVE A VARIETY OF THINGS.
MAYBE IT'S A SECRET MENU WORD AT ELEMENT THAT YOU GET, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S NOT ON THE MENU.
MAYBE IT'S A DISCOUNT AT TURN MYERS, MAYBE IT'S, UH, A LITTLE SKE FROM SKYLINE CAVERNS, WHO KNOWS? UM, HOWEVER CREATIVE THEY WANNA MAKE IT.
AND MAIN STREET GEEK HAS ALREADY GOT IDEAS ABOUT TINY LEGO THINGS.
UM, HOWEVER CREATIVE THEY WANNA MAKE IT, MY STAFF WILL PUT THIS TOGETHER AND THEN WE'LL EVEN PROVIDE THE QUARTER.
THAT WAY IT DOESN'T EVEN COST ANYBODY ANYTHING.
AND THE WHOLE IDEA IS THAT YOU GET WHAT YOU GET AND MAYBE YOU GO AND EXPERIENCE SOMETHING YOU WOULDN'T HAVE BEFORE.
YOU COULD GET REALLY LUCKY AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WERE DYING TO DO, OR YOU COULD GET NOT SO LUCKY AND YOU GIVE IT A SHOT ANYWAY.
UM, THE WHOLE POINT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS ARE TRYING MORE THAN JUST WHAT THEY'RE SEEING.
WE KNOW THAT THERE'S MORE THAN JUST MAIN STREET.
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WE KNOW THAT MAIN STREET IS AWESOME AND WE LOVE MAIN STREET, BUT IT'S NOT JUST THAT.SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE TRYING OUT DIFFERENT THINGS.
I KNOW IT'S WEIRD, BUT IT'S GONNA BE AWESOME.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE MARKETING LOGO.
SO I SAY NEW BECAUSE IT IS TECHNICALLY NEW.
HOWEVER, SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A MINUTE.
MAY I RECOGNIZE THE COMPASS ROSE? I BELIEVE IT WAS 2018.
THERE WAS A PUSH TO CREATE A NEW BRAND IDENTITY FOR THE TOWN.
AND THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO IT, THAT WAS BEFORE MY TIME.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT WHEN TINA WAS CLEANING OUT SOMEONE'S OFFICE, SHE HANDED ME THIS BIG OLD STACK OF PAPER.
AND WHEN THAT STACK WAS THIS PRINTED OUT POWERPOINT THAT HAD THIS LOGO AND I SAID, WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? WHY ARE WE NOT USING THIS? SO THE COLORS WERE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
SO I WENT BACK TO THE DESIGNER, MIKE SHOTTEN, SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW HIM.
HE'S AWESOME AND LOCAL, AND HE IS HONORED TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT.
AND I SAID, MIKE, WE GOTTA FRESHEN THIS UP A LITTLE.
SO IT ACTUALLY MATCHES OUR WAYFINDING SIGNS PRETTY WELL, WHICH IS A HAPPY ACCIDENT.
BUT THAT'S AN ACCIDENT I'M WILLING TO GO FOR.
UM, SO THE IDEA IS THAT WE WOULD USE THE COMPASS ROWS IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
WE GIVE OUT STICKERS AT THE VISITOR CENTER.
STICKERS ARE BIG CURRENCY AROUND HERE.
I'M GONNA SHOW YOU SOME IDEAS FOR THAT IN A SECOND.
AND THEN WHEN I WALKED US AROUND TOWN HALL AND I GAVE PEOPLE OPTIONS AS TO WHICH ONES THEY LIKED, UM, PEOPLE REALLY DUG THE ARCHWAY LOGO CAUSE THEY LIKE THE LITTLE CANOE GUY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE HIM OR NOT.
UM, SO WE DECIDED WHY NOT HAVE BOTH.
SO THE COMPASS, THE BLUE COMPASS WILL BE OUR PRIMARY LOGO.
WE'LL USE THAT FOR MOST THINGS, AND THEN THERE'LL BE SOME MERCHANDISE THAT'LL FEATURE THE ARCHWAY LOGO AS WELL.
I REALLY LOVED, MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT THIS LOGO WAS THE TAGLINE, SETTLE IN, VENTURE OUT.
I FEEL LIKE IT ENCOMPASSES FROM THE FUN WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO.
WE WANT YOU TO COME AND SPEND TIME AND SPEND MONEY AND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER ELSE YOU WANNA SPEND.
BUT WE ALSO WANT YOU TO CHECK OUT WHAT WE'VE GOT TO DO OUTSIDE.
WE'RE NOT JUST AN OUTDOOR ADVENTURE TOWN, BUT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF THAT TO OFFER.
THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE SHOULD REMIND PEOPLE OF THAT.
THESE ARE SOME MERCHANDISE IDEAS.
I'M A VISUAL KIND OF GAL, SO I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT WANNA SEE WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE ON A MUG OR A TOTE BAG.
UM, THIS TOTE BAG RIGHT HERE, THAT'S NOT REAL YET, BUT IT WILL BE.
BUT THIS IS PART OF THE REASON WHY THE ARCHWAY IS STILL IN THE RUNNING BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES THAT TOTE BAG.
IT LOOKS, I LOVE, I REALLY LIKE IT.
I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY SHARP.
UM, AND I DO LIKE THAT CANOE GUY.
RIGHT? I I'M GLAD YOU POINTED HIM OUT TO ME BECAUSE I WOULDN'T HAVE NOTICED IT UNTIL YOU SAID IT.
I THINK THAT'S SO, I'M NOT GONNA LIE.
WE TRIED TO FIT THE CANOE GUY IN THE COMPASS AND IT'S JUST TOO TIGHT.
SO I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'LL BE A LITTLE EASTER EGG IF YOU HAPPEN TO GET SOMETHING WITH THE ARCHWAY LOGO.
I DO THINK TOO, LIKE THE, THE MUGS, I KNOW WHEN MY SON WAS, UM, GOING TO LAW SCHOOL, I WENT DOWN TO THE VISITOR CENTER AND BOUGHT SOME THINGS THAT SAID FRONT ROYAL AND PUT SOME THINGS IN IT AND TOOK IT TO THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE.
CUZ THERE WAS A LADY DOWN THERE THAT WAS AMAZING.
AND I WAS LIKE, AND SHE THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY COOL.
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A NEAT IDEA TO SHARE SOMETHING WITH SOMEBODY SIX HOURS AWAY TO BE LIKE, HERE'S FRONT ROYAL IF YOU EVER GET OUR WAY.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THOSE WE MAKE GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR YOUR FAMILIES.
SO IN TALKING ABOUT MERCHANDISE, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT BRINGING BACK THE STORE AND I THINK, THINK EVERYONE KNOWS THAT I REALLY WANNA BRING BACK THE STORE.
SO I HAVE SOME OTHER THINGS DOWN THE ROAD THAT I DON'T HAVE MOCKUPS OF YET.
SO WE'LL BE SHARING THAT THE NEXT TIME I COME TALK TO YOU.
BUT THE IDEA IS TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL IN WHAT WE'RE HAVING IN THE MERCHANDISE IN THE VISITOR CENTER.
I DON'T WANT IT TO BE AN OVERABUNDANCE OF, YEAH, I DIDN'T WANNA USE THAT WORD, BUT YES,
I'D LIKE TO BE VERY, VERY INTENTIONAL WHAT WE CURATE IN THE VISITOR CENTER.
SO THINGS WITH OUR LOGO OF COURSE, AND THINGS RELATED TO CENTER NATIONAL PARK, THAT'S A GIMME.
UM, CONVENIENCE ITEMS. I WAS ASKED TWICE THIS MORNING BEFORE MY FIRST MEETING OF THE DAY, IF WE HAD SUNSCREEN AND WHERE YOU COULD GET IT, WHERE YOU COULD JUST WALK TO GET IT.
AND I SADLY DIDN'T KNOW THE ANSWER.
I SENT 'EM TO DUSTY'S AND CROSSED MY FINGERS.
BUT THINGS LIKE GRAB A BOTTLE OF WATER OR HIKERS LOOKING FOR A CL BAR OR JUST PLAIN OLD SUNSCREEN.
BUT THE IDEA IS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE VISITOR.
WHO ARE WE SERVING, RIGHT? SO THE FOLKS WHO ARE COMING IN WHO MAYBE BEEN IN THE CAR FOR FIVE OR SIX HOURS,
AND THEN COLLECTOR'S ITEMS. SO I THREW THAT TOGETHER.
[00:25:01]
THAT'S, THAT'S ME PRETENDING ON DAZZLE.OKAY? BUT THINGS LIKE THAT WITH SPECIFIC ICONOGRAPHY OF HERE IN THE TOWN AND IN THE COUNTY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE STILL HAVE THOSE ITEMS THAT FOLKS WANNA COME BACK AND PURCHASE.
I'VE HEARD MANY, MANY STORIES ABOUT FOLKS COMING AND BUYING OUR ORNAMENTS OR, UM, I ACTUALLY HAD SOMEONE ASK IF WE COULD DO A THIMBLE, WHICH I'VE NEVER HAD A CUSTOM THIMBLE MADE, BUT I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE.
UM, ARLENE WAS THE ONE WHO ASKED, SO SHE MAY BE THE ONE WHO'S HELPING ME FIGURE THAT OUT.
I HAVE LOTS OF THE PROBABLE ORNAMENTS.
THAT WAS SOMETHING MY MOM WOULD GET ME EVERY YEAR.
I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE, I HAVE THE, HAVE ALL THESE DIFFERENT LITTLE THINGS.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S A NEAT, THAT'S ANOTHER NEAT THING THAT, UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE THE PENNY MACHINE BACK IN CASE ANYBODY DIDN'T THAT OH YEAH, SOMEWHERE.
SO WE'VE GOT FOUR DESIGNS ON THE PENNY MACHINE THERE.
FOUR LITTLE DYES YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM.
UM, IT'S STILL 51 CENTS THAT HASN'T INFLATED.
ALRIGHT, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUTREACH.
SO KIND OF CATEGORIZE THESE INTO TWO THINGS.
SO WE'VE GOT DIGITAL OUTREACH THAT'S TARGETED, FACEBOOK ADS, GOOGLE SBO.
I'VE GOT A BLOGGER HERE WHO'S INTERESTED IN DOING, WHO INEX EXPERIENCING THINGS FOR US AND THEN WRITING ABOUT THEM.
SHE DOESN'T KNOW THAT I'M GONNA MAKE HER STRAP A PRO A GOPRO TO HER BACKPACK WHEN SHE GOES, BUT SHE'LL BE COOL.
UM, A TOWN EXPLORER PROGRAM, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND, AN INSTAGRAM FEATURE REELS.
SO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH AN INSTAGRAM REEL, SO THE IDEA IS TO DO A SHORT VIDEO, UM, ON THE PHONE.
I'M GONNA HAVE MY PHONE IN MY HAND, BUT JUST PRETEND, UM, THAT WOULD, THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO USE ON A VARIETY OF PLATFORMS. SO THE IDEA IS TO MAKE CONTENT ONE TIME AND THEN USE IT AS MUCH AS WE CAN UNTIL IT'S TIME FOR A NEW CONTENT, WHICH IS LIKE EVERY OTHER DAY.
SO, UM, THE TOWN EXPLORER PROGRAM, WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS HERE IN OUR BACKYARD WHO DON'T USE OUR BACKYARD, WHO DON'T GO AND SEE AND DO, UM, BY BETTER HALF, HE DOESN'T WATCH THESE MEETINGS.
SO HE WON'T KNOW THAT I TOLD ON, SO HE'LL BE 40 NEXT MONTH, HE'S GONNA BE MAD.
THAT WASN'T REALLY PART OF THE STORY.
BUT, UM, HE'S FROM HERE, BORN AND RAISED AND UNTIL TWO WEEKS AGO, HAD NEVER BEEN TO THE STATE PARK.
AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT? SO I TOOK HIM AND IT WAS, AND HE, YOU KNOW, COLORS OVER.
LOOK, YOU GOTTA HIT THAT, RIGHT? SO WE WENT AND WE CHECKED THAT OUT AND WE DROVE AROUND THE PARK AND I THOUGHT, MAN, I WONDER IF ANYBODY ELSE REALLY ISN'T USING THESE THINGS.
AND THEN I WAS UP AT THE STATE PARK LAST WEEK, WE WERE OUTTA RAC CARD AND I WAS TALKING WITH THEIR NEW CHIEF RANGER OF VISITOR EXPERIENCE, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS ARGUABLY THE COOLEST TITLE I'VE EVER HEARD.
UM, AND SHE ASKED ME, SHE'S VERY CONCERNED ABOUT FOLKS WHO LIVE HERE WHO AREN'T ENJOYING THE PARKS.
AND SHE SAID, HOW DO WE GET THEM TO TELL US WHAT THEY WANT? AND I SAID, WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.
SO SHE AND I HAVE A MEETING NEXT WEEK.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA DO KIND OF A SURVEY AND DO SOME SOCIAL MEDIA TIE-INS WITH THEM.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WHY WOULDN'T WE FLEX THAT MUSCLE? THEY'RE HERE.
WE DIDN'T PAY FOR IT, SO WHY NOT? LIKE PEOPLE ARE COMING.
I HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION WHEN I WAS DOWN THERE WITH SOME VISITORS FROM RICHMOND WHO HADN'T COME INTO TOWN YET.
THEY CAME UP OF COURSE AND STAFFED AT THE, AT THE STATE PARK AND UH, THEY WANTED SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO WE GAVE IT TO 'EM AND I OF COURSE TOLD 'EM TO STOP INTO THE VISITOR CENTER.
AND THEY WERE HAVING A GREAT CONVERSATION AND A GREAT TIME BECAUSE THEY ENJOYED COMING TO THE STATE PARK.
ALL RIGHT, SO PRINT, WE'RE GONNA COME BACK TO THE WELCOME CENTER TAKEOVER MAGAZINE FEATURES.
SO I'VE LOOKED AT THIS, I HAVE PAID ATTENTION TO WHAT GOES OUT THE DOOR AT THE VISITOR CENTER AND WHAT DOESN'T.
AND LET'S JUST SAY NOT EVERYTHING DOES, BUT BLUE RIDGE OUTDOORS MAGAZINE, BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY PLANNER, AND THE VIRGINIA MAGAZINE, THE VTC, THE VIRGINIA TOURISM CORPORATION THAT THEY PUT TOGETHER EVERY YEAR.
THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS THAT WALK OUT THE DOOR ALL THE TIME.
AND I FIGURE IF THEY'RE GRABBING 'EM FROM HERE, THEY'RE PROBABLY GRABBING 'EM FROM OTHER PLACES TOO.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA RUN ANY SORT OF PRINT ADS, THAT'S WHERE I WANNA START.
UM, I ALSO SPENT SOME TIME AT THE WELCOME CENTER, THE VIRGINIA WELCOME CENTER IN CLEARBROOK.
A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, UM, WE WERE REVISITING OUR VISITOR GUIDE AND I WANTED TO SEE KIND OF WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE WAS DOING.
UM, SO I ENDED UP BEING THERE FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES AND TALKED WITH THE MANAGER THERE.
AND IN THAT TIME THERE WERE FOUR VISITORS WHO CAME TO THAT IN CLEARBROOK.
UM, FOUR VISITORS THAT HE TALKED TO.
AND ALL FOUR OF THEM WERE COMING TO SKYLINE DRIVE.
I SAID, DID YOU PLAN THIS? DID YOU KNOW I WAS COMING HERE TODAY? AND HE DID NOT.
[00:30:01]
THESE SAME DOCUMENTS.THEY WERE, THEY WERE STEPPING INTO THE VISITOR CENTER OR THE WELCOME CENTER I SHOULD SAY.
THEY WERE GRABBING THESE SAME PIECES OF PAPER, THEY WERE GRABBING OUR RACK CARDS AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF.
AND SO I THOUGHT, OKAY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO REFRESH AND CULTIVATE THOSE ITEMS. I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EARNED MEDIA.
EARNED IS MY FAVORITE CUZ WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.
SO ON THE TABLE IN FRONT OF VICE MAYOR CLOC, THERE IS A DAY TRIPPER PAPER INSERT ON THE CHAP.
IT'S A VERY THICK DOCUMENT, BUT THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA DAILY REACHED OUT TO US AND ASKED THAT WE PROVIDE THEM WITH SOME INFORMATION.
SO THEY WANTED TO HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THINGS THAT WERE IN TOWN IN THE COUNTY.
THEY WANTED PHOTOS, YOU KNOW, WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE SEE? SO WE GAVE IT TO 'EM.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE GOT, THERE WERE 80,000 HOUSEHOLDS THAT THAT DOCUMENT WENT OUT TO, UH, FROM JUST NORTH OF GETTYSBURG TO, OH SHOOT, I CAN'T REMEMBER THEIR SOUTHERN DISTRIBUTION POINT.
UM, IN ADDITION TO 5,000 VISITOR CENTERS AND OTHER ATTRACTIONS, INCLUDING OURS THAT GOT THIS.
AND MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT IT IS THAT WE ARE ALMOST DEAD CENTER IN THAT DOCUMENT.
AND YOU CAN'T, THAT'S THE BEST SPOT TO BE IN BECAUSE WHEN YOU FLIP IT OPEN, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE, WHICH IS AWESOME.
UM, I HAVE MORE COPIES OF THE
YOU GUYS WELCOME GRAB, I TRIED YOU GET A VIRTUAL COPY, BUT WE ALL DO THAT PAPER.
UM, THE TOURISM MAP UPDATE YOU HAVE IN YOUR HANDS.
THAT WAS YOUR APPETIZER FOR THIS EVENING.
SO YOU GUYS ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THAT.
BUT I DO WANNA WALK THROUGH OUR NEW VISITOR GUIDE THERE.
ALL RIGHT, I WON'T BORE YOU WITH ALL THE DETAILS OF THIS, UM, BUT THIS IS WHAT GOES, THIS DOCUMENT'S JOB IS TO SELL YOU ON COMING TO FRONT ROYAL.
YOU'RE SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN HERE AND YOU WANNA KNOW WHY SHOULD I GO THERE? SO WE LEANED INTO WHAT WE KNOW BEST.
SO A LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT OURSELVES, HOW CAN YOU CONNECT WITH US DIGITALLY AND THEN WE DIVE RIGHT INTO THE SHADOW NATIONAL PARK CAUSE IT'S PRETTY AND PEOPLE GO THERE.
SO WHY WOULDN'T WE TALK ABOUT IT? THEN WE TALK ABOUT THE STATE PARK, SKYLINE CAVERNS AND THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALLY RECOGNIZE JUST HOW CLOSE WE ARE TO THE TRAIL, UM, THINKING OUTSIDE.
SO THE IDEA HERE IS TO CAPTURE AS MANY OF THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE AS WE CAN.
SO WATER SPORTS, TRAIL RIDES, HOT AIR BALLOONING, WHICH I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE DID TILL WAS MAKING THIS.
UM, OF COURSE WE GOT A LOT OF GOLF COURSES, GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT GOLF.
AND THEN INCLUDED IN THERE ALL OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY PARKS AND THE DOG PARKS.
AGAIN, TALKING TO THOSE PET VISITORS.
AND WE DO TALK TO THE DOGS TOO, BUT WE ALSO TALK TO THE HUMANS THAT CAME WITH THEM.
RICH IN HISTORY AND RICH IN CULTURE.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE SEATS IN HISTORY HERE.
WE'VE GOT 30, HIS 37 POINTS ON OUR HISTORIC WALKING TOUR, THE CIVIL WAR TRAILS, THE BATTLE OF FRONT ROYAL DRIVING TOUR.
THESE ARE ALL IMPORTANT THINGS THAT PEOPLE WANNA COME AND SEE.
UM, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GRABBING THAT INFORMATION AND NOWHERE TO GET IT.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE'VE GOT NINE MURALS ON MAIN STREET NOW, WHICH IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE FOR A TOWN OF OUR SIZE.
UM, WE'VE GOT NINE MURALS, WE GOT MAKER SPACES, WE GOT ALL KINDS OF GOOD STUFF.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE CHECKING THAT OUT.
THIS IS EVERY LOCAL RESTAURANT, BAKERY, COFFEE AND TEA PLACE, WINERY, BREWERY THAT I COULD FIND AS OF THE TIME I MADE THIS.
SO WE TRY TO MAKE IT ALL AS EXHAUSTIVE AND LOCAL AS POSSIBLE.
UM, IF YOU ARE A CHAIN, YOU ARE NOT ON THIS LIST.
IF SOMEONE ELSE IS PAYING A LOT OF MONEY TO MARKET YOU, AND I'M VERY HAPPY FOR YOU.
BUT WE'RE SHOUTING AT OUR LOCAL PLACES.
AND THEN OF COURSE GIFTS AND ANTIQUES.
WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT ANTIQUE SHOPS AND THEN HOTELS, CAMPING CABINS CUZ WE'D LIKE FOR YOU TO STAY FOR A FEW DAYS.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU HAVEN'T BOOKED ALREADY WHILE YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY FROM WHATEVER WELCOME CENTER, YOU PICK THIS UP IN THAT YOU DO THAT.
AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE MANAGER FROM THE WELCOME CENTER TOLD ME WAS THAT I BELIEVE IT WAS CHESAPEAKE, MAYBE IN THEIR GUIDE, THEY HAD GREAT SPOTS TO TAKE A PICTURE.
SO WE WENT AROUND AND TOOK PICTURES AT THE TOP, OUR TOP 10 INSTAGRAM PLACES.
AND THEN OF COURSE THERE'S A BONUS, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL NINE MAIN STREET MURALS.
AND IF YOU CAN GRAB A PICTURE OF YOURSELF WITH THE ROTUNDA FROM THE RMA IN YOUR, IN THE BACKGROUND, THAT'S DOUBLE BONUS.
AND WE'LL GIVE YOU TWO STICKERS OR SOMETHING.
AND THEN OF COURSE A MAP, THE ONE YOU HAVE THERE IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND JUST IN CASE, SO WHEN YOU'RE TRAVELING, WHAT MAY YOU NEED? YOU MIGHT NEED A LAUNDROMAT
[00:35:01]
OR A DRY CLEANER OR YOU MIGHT NEED TO BE ABLE TO SHIP SOMETHING OR GET YOUR CAR TOWED OR YOU KNOW, HEALTHCARE.SO WE'VE GOT PHARMACIES, THE LOCAL ONE AND CVS, UM, AND OF COURSE THE HOSPITAL AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF.
SO THE IDEA IS TO GIVE PEOPLE THE INFORMATION THEY MIGHT NEED WHILE THEY'RE HERE.
UM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THE INFORMATION THEY MIGHT NEED TO BRING THEM HERE.
SO WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON GETTING THIS COMPLETED.
SO THE DOCUMENT IS DONE, WE JUST HAVEN'T PRINTED THEM YET.
UM, I'VE GOT A COUPLE BIDS OUT NOW FOR THAT.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT BEFORE I DIVE IN? ANYTHING ELSE? GREAT JOB.
OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE WORDY WITH OUR MARKETING HERE.
SO DAY TRIPPERS ARE IMPORTANT.
WE WANT YOU TO COME STAY BY ALL MEANS.
WHAT IF YOU DON'T WANNA SAY THAT'S OKAY, WE WANT YOU TO EAT AND SHOP AND MAYBE GO HOME.
SO HAVING SOME CURATED ITINERARIES, WHICH WE WOULD TIE IN WITH OUR FEATURE REEL VIDEOS.
SO HAVING LIKE A HISTORY SPOTLIGHT, FOR EXAMPLE, 37 POINTS ON THAT WALKING TOUR.
WELL AS MAYBE I SHOW YOU FIVE OR SIX IN A 62ND VIDEO, THAT MIGHT SPARK YOUR INTEREST A LITTLE BIT.
UM, HAVING AN ART SPOTLIGHT, AGAIN, WE GOT TWO GALLERIES, TWO MAKER SPACES, SO KELLY WALKER'S STUDIO, ARLENE'S POTTERY STUDIO, AND OF COURSE ALL NINE OF OUR MURALS PEOPLE ARE INTO THAT.
SO WHY WOULDN'T WE CURATE A DAY TRIP ITINERARY THAT WOULD SHOW YOU THOSE SORT OF THINGS.
AND THEN THE OTHER SEGMENT THAT WE'RE CIRCLING AROUND IS MOTORCYCLE TOURISM.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'VE EVER NOTICED AND NOW YOU WILL IF YOU HAVEN'T BECAUSE NOW I CAN'T UNSEE IT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF MOTORCYCLISTS WHO COME THROUGH AND HEAD TO SKYLINE DRIVE IN PARTICULAR.
THEY'RE CHECKING OUT ALL SORTS OF GREAT THINGS.
AND VICE MAYOR SILAC HAS TAUGHT ME MORE CUZ I, I DON'T, I DON'T RIDE BICYCLES OR MOTORCYCLES, BUT HE TAUGHT ME SOME THINGS, WHICH IS GREAT.
SO WE'VE GOT SOME PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY WHO APPROACHED ME ABOUT LET'S CURATE SOME RIDES, SOME TRIP RIDES.
UM, LET'S MAP OUT SOME PHOTO SPOTS BECAUSE, UH, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THEY LIKE TO TAKE PICTURES OF WHERE THEIR BIKE IS IN THE WORLD.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA ENCOURAGE MAYBE SOME SEASONAL BIKE PARK PARKING OPPORTUNITIES AND SOME HOSPITALITY OFFERINGS, WHICH WE'LL DIVE INTO AT SOME POINT.
UM, BUT I ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO TWO DIFFERENT TOWNS.
I, UH, THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO CAME TO ME ABOUT THIS, I SAID, OKAY, WHO'S DOING THIS? RIGHT? AND OF COURSE THEY GAVE ME LIKE STURGIS AND DAYTONA BEACH AND I WAS NO, NO, NO, NO.
AND SAID, WHO LIKE US IS DOING THIS, RIGHT? UM, SO I HAD A VERY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION WITH THE TOURISM MARKETING MANAGER FOR, UM, OH, THE NAME OF THE TOWN.
THERE ARE ABOUT A THOUSAND PEOPLE LESS THAN US AND THEY'VE DONE THIS.
SO THEY CREATED FOR BROCHURES WITH CURATED RIDES.
THEY, UM, HAD A GREAT IDEA ABOUT ENCOURAGING THEIR SHOPS TO, WHEN YOU SEE SOMEONE COME IN WITH A BIKE HELMET AUTOMATICALLY SAY, IF YOU BUY SOMETHING, I'M GONNA SHIP IT TO YOUR HOUSE FOR YOU.
LIKE, JUST GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT OFFER AROUND THERE, WHICH IS SO SIMPLE, BUT MADE SUCH GOOD SENSE.
UM, THEY CREATED A, A PORTAL ON THEIR WEBSITE WHERE THEY WERE CAPTURING THAT INFORMATION, SO FANTASTIC NUMBERS FROM THEM.
AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVEN'T SEEN ANY SORT OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE BIG RALLIES OR ANYTHING THAT GOT YOU OUTTA HAND.
SO HOPEFULLY WE COULD FOLLOW IN THAT SAME VEIN.
UM, BUT I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND THAT SEGMENT CUZ THEY'RE ALREADY COMING.
MAYBE WE JUST HELP THEM COME HERE A LITTLE MORE.
UM, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF ASSETS HERE AND PEOPLE ARE ALREADY COMING.
SO I WANT US TO FOCUS ON, WE WANNA HIGHLIGHT WHAT WE'VE GOT.
WE WANNA MAKE WHAT WE HAVE BETTER.
UM, AND I WANNA KEEP HAVING THAT CONVERSATION WITH FOLKS ABOUT WHY YOU WANT TO COME TO FRONT ROYAL.
LET'S TALK A LITTLE ABOUT COMMUNICATION.
SO EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION, IT'S ON MY GOALS AT THE TOP OF MY LIST TO HAVE A QUARTERLY ATTRACTION CONVERSATION WHERE WE BRING IN ALL THE FOLKS WHO RUN A VARIETY OF ATTRACTIONS.
CAUSE MY MOM ALWAYS SAYS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU DON'T TELL ME.
SO IF I'M NOT TELLING THEM AND THEY'RE NOT TELLING ME, THEN WE JUST DON'T KNOW ANYTHING.
AND SO THERE'S A REALLY SIMPLE WAY TO FIX THAT AND JUST FACILITATE A CONVERSATION.
SO WE WANNA INVITE THOSE FOLKS TO THE TABLE ONCE A QUARTER AND THEY, THEY KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME IN BETWEEN.
BUT HAVING THOSE OPEN CONVERSATIONS AND MAYBE THERE'S SOME COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES THAT NOBODY HAD CONSIDERED.
UM, AND HAVING QUARTERLY DINING AND SHOPPING CONVERSATIONS, CUZ THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT PUBLICS.
UM, YOU KNOW, SKYLINE DRIVE MAY GET A LITTLE FRUSTRATED WITH PARKING QUESTIONS ABOUT MAIN STREET, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING, HAVING THOSE SPECIFIC BUT IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS, UM, I WANNA DO A MONTHLY EMAIL BLAST TO THE PARTNERS IN OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT EVERYBODY
[00:40:01]
KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON.CAUSE AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU DON'T TELL ME AND WEEKLY COMMUNITY CALENDAR UPDATES.
SO WE HAVE OUR CALENDAR ON FRONT ROYAL VA.COM.
WE ALSO HAVE THE CALENDAR ON DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL.
UM, THEY'RE NOT EXACTLY THE SAME BECAUSE NOT EVERY SMALL EVENT WOULD NECESSARILY TRANSLATE TO A VISITOR EVENT.
UM, THEY'RE, EVERY VISITORS ALWAYS WELCOME, BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE RIGHT FIT.
UM, BUT WE DO TRY TO KEEP BOTH OF THOSE THINGS UP TO DATE.
AND MY, MY INTENTION IS TO MAKE SURE THAT ONCE A WEEK EVERYTHING IS CLEAR AND STEADY AS FAR AS INTERNAL COMMUNICATION.
UM, HAVING QUARTERLY UPDATES TO YOU GUYS AND HAVING MONTHLY REPORTING TO THE TOWN MANAGER, WHICH I ALREADY DO ON A SMALLER SCALE.
BUT WE'LL CONTINUE TO EXPAND THAT AS WE GO.
SO TO WRAP IT UP, VISITOR CENTER, ALL THOSE FUN ACTIVATIONS THAT YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO COME DO THE LITTLE BUBBLEGUM MACHINE, NEW BRAND IDENTITY OUTREACH SEGMENT TARGETS AND COMMUNICATION.
ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN OKAY.
MY OFFICE IS NOW IN THE VISITOR CENTER AND I AM THERE MORE OFTEN THAN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THIS MUCH.
UM, WE'RE MEETING IN THE NEEDS OF THE VISITOR, THAT'S THE POINT.
SO, UM, I'M ALWAYS OPEN TO TALK ABOUT IDEAS AND ENGAGEMENT.
SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME.
I LOVED ALL OF, I LOVED ALL OF THIS AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY TOO, I THINK I'VE ALREADY SAID THIS TO YOU, BUT EVERYBODY LOVED THE FIREWORKS
I KNOW THAT'S OH YEAH, I DO THAT TOO.
BUT UM, BUT I ALSO FEEL LIKE TOO, EVEN THE FIREWORKS, THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION BECAUSE IT WAS A CARDINALS GAME AND THEY PLAYED THE WOODSTOCK RIVER BANDIT.
I THINK THERE WERE PROBABLY PEOPLE ABSOLUTELY.
THAT WERE NOT FRONT ROYAL NATIVES, BUT CAME TO OH, THERE WERE A LOT OF ME.
WOULD YOU THERE WERE A LOT SITTING AROUND ME.
I WAS ON THE, UH, WOODSTOCK SIDE.
SADLY, JOSH AND I DID NOT GET IN.
BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT, THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE LAYING UP OUTSIDE? NO, I, I, NO, I DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT.
AND I WAS WONDERING BECAUSE THERE WEREN'T ALL THAT MANY PEOPLE, UM, WHEN IT STARTED RAIN, THERE WERE PEOPLE ALONG THE PEOPLE LEFT.
THEY WERE LETTING PEOPLE ALONG.
THE BARRIERS THERE, BUT NOT A LOT.
AND I THOUGHT, WELL, MAYBE PEOPLE DECIDED NOT TO.
THEY WEREN'T LETTING, LETTING PEOPLE CAN'T LET THE NO, THEY REACHED THE FARMERS.
BUT THAT'S A GOOD PROBLEM, DAD.
THAT MEANS I LIKE, CAUSE I CAN WASH FROM MY COURSE.
BUT YEAH, I WATCH, YOU KNOW, YOU CRY.
RIGHT? SO THAT'S VERY INTENTIONAL.
YOU KNOW, YOU SAY YOU SAY THAT, BUT THAT'S ABSOLUTELY INTENTIONAL.
SO WE DON'T DO, UM, MOST OF THE SIZE SHELLS, WHICH I WAS HIGHLY EDUCATED ON, ON FIREWORKS AND SHELL AND ALL OF THAT LAST YEAR.
UM, WE, MOST OF OUR SHELLS ARE FIVE AND SIX INCH SHELLS.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT THE BIGGER THE SHELL, THE HIGHER THE TRAJECTORY.
UM, YOU WORK THAT WORD INTO REGULAR CONVERSATION.
UM, SO WE DON'T DO A LOT OF THREES AND FOURS BECAUSE THAT'S MORE CLOSE TO THE GROUND.
SO THE IDEA WAS THAT WE REALLY DON'T WANT EVERYBODY AND THEIR BROTHER AT THE PARK.
WE WANT EVERYBODY TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT AS FAR AS WE CAN.
SO, UM, IT'S A GREAT SPOT THERE.
WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT PUBLIC WORK SLIDE.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S THE BEST YOU COULD YOU, I MEAN, I KNOW WHERE I COULD SEE THEM FROM, BUT YOU COULD SEE 'EM FROM WHEREVER.
BUT WHERE I GREW UP, I WENT UP THERE AND WATCHED IT.
WE ALL, WE USED TO WATCH THAT FOR MY DAD'S PORCH, BUT I TOLD MY BROTHER, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO CUT SOME TREES BACK BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT YEAR.
WE HAD PEOPLE CHECKING IN ON FACEBOOK CAUSE WE STREAMED IT ON FACEBOOK LIVE.
CAUSE I KNOW WITH THE WEATHER, THAT WAS REALLY COOL.
WITH THE MUSIC, I GOT REALLY LUCKY THAT I WAS ABLE TO LEAN MY PHONE ON A HANDRAIL.
UM, CAUSE OTHERWISE IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN LIKE THIS THE WHOLE TIME.
AND PEOPLE WERE SHARING IT TOO.
LIKE PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T THERE WERE LIKE, OH, THIS WAS GREAT.
LIKE THEY FELT LIKE THEY WERE A PART OF IT.
SO FIREWORKS AND FLOWER BASKETS, THAT'S HOW WE MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY.
ALL RIGHT, SO NEXT UP IT'S CRAZY WE'VE ONLY GOTTEN TO FOUR, RIGHT? UM, WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR TWO HOURS.
UH, SO NUMBER FOUR IS A CONTINUED DISCUSSION OF THE REVITALIZATION OF THE FORMER YOUTH CENTER.
UM, AND SO LET'S SEE, SO THE SUMMARY JUST TALKS ABOUT, UM, THAT IT, IT, SOME OF THE THINGS THE TOWN COUNCIL CONSIDERS THIS REQUEST FOR FUNDING STAFF PROPOSES THE FOLLOWING QUESTION.
AND SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE, UM, MAY WANNA CONSIDER,
[00:45:01]
MAY WANNA TALK ABOUT.UM, AND THIS, I BELIEVE THERE, I KNOW THERE ARE, THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE FROM REACHING OUT NOW.
SO IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THEM, UM, AND IF YOU ALL WANT, I COULD ACTUALLY SHARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS FROM, UH, COUNCILWOMAN D DOMEN CAMPAIGN JUST TO KIND OF START THE CONVERSATION.
UH, OR HOW DO YOU ALL WANNA, DO Y'ALL CARE IF I SHARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS LATER THAT UM, THAT, SO, UM, I KNOW ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS THE PROJECT BUDGET AND UM, ORIGINALLY, ORIGINALLY WHEN IT FIRST CAME TO US, I MIGHT, IT'S CNA, RIGHT? CORRECT.
I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M SAYING RIGHT.
SO ONE OF, ORIGINALLY WHEN THIS FIRST CAME TO US, UM, IT WAS $50,000.
UH, THE, THE REQUEST TO COUNSEL WAS $50,000 FOR TWO YEARS.
BUT WE GOT A NEW PROPOSAL AT THE END OF LAST WEEK.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S NOT THAT, IT'S LIKE, SO IT'S GONNA BE A TOTAL OF 125,000 WOULD BE THE REQUEST.
CUZ WE WERE HOPING TO GET STARTUP FUNDING FOR THE INITIAL BUILD OUT THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THAT WAS IN THE, THE PROPOSAL THAT WE, UM, PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL IN JUNE.
UM, THE PRINTOUT THAT WE HAD, I KNOW THAT THE PREVIOUS ONE, UH, THAT WAS SHARED.
UM, JUNE WAS TWO YEARS, 50,000 FOR TWO YEARS AND IT WAS A TWO YEAR THING.
BUT THE ONE WE GOT LAST WEEK WAS, UM, FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS WITH A A SHOW.
THE, THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT THAT WAS INCLUDED IN, UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS LIKE THE AGENDA NOTES BEFORE THE MEETING HAD JUST THE TWO YEARS.
UM, BUT WHEN WE WENT AND LOOKED AT THE BUDGET AND THE TIMELINE, WE WENT FOR THE TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
UM, AND THE PRESENTATION THAT WE SHARED WITH, WITH THE COUNCIL.
BUT YES, IT IS NOW, UM, TWO AND A HALF YEARS AND 125,000 FOR THAT, FOR THAT TIME PERIOD.
AND ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WAS BROUGHT UP, OR JUST TO THROW THIS OUT THERE, UM, IS THAT, SO INITIALLY THE THOUGHT WOULD BE 25,000 NOW AND THEN JANUARY IT WOULD BE 50,000 THEN.
AND SO I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE, UM, THE CONCERNS WAS, SO THAT WOULD REALLY BE 75,000 IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE FOR US.
CUZ OURS, OUR FISCAL YEAR IS JULY ONE TO JULY ONE.
AND SO, SO IT WOULD BE MORE THAN THE LIKE ORIGINAL THOUGHT OF LIKE 50,000.
AND YOU KNOW, I SAY THAT CUZ I AS THIS ELECTED BODY, THE FIRST, YOU'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND, OKAY, WHAT ARE WE GONNA COME UP WITH? WHERE IS IT GONNA BE? AND BECAUSE THIS BUDGET WAS ALREADY SET BY THE TIME THIS PROPOSAL CAME IN, THE IDEA WAS WHERE ARE WE GONNA FIND 50,000 IN OUR BUDGET? AND NOW IT WOULD REALLY BE, WHERE ARE WE GONNA FIND 75,000 IN OUR BUDGET? RIGHT.
SO I WAS JUST SAYING THAT WAS ONE OF THE CONCERNS.
UM, AND THEN, UM, LET'S SEE, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT CAME UP, UM, IS YEAH, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, THAT WAS SUGGESTED FROM OUR COUNCIL IS CUZ THIS IS A NON, IT'S A NONPROFIT, RIGHT? REACHING OUT NOW AS A NONPROFIT AND TOWN COUNCIL DOESN'T, THAT'S NOT NORMALLY SOMETHING THE TOWN DOES IS TO FUND NONPROFITS.
UM, THE COUNTY IS UH, DOES THAT MORE OFTEN OR DEFINITELY DOES IT AND WE DON'T, HOWEVER, IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WE HAVE NOT PASSED YET, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT TONIGHT.
THERE IS, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S MENTIONED IN THERE IS THE TOWN, UM, UH, TESTING PILOT PROJECTS.
AND SO THERE WAS A THOUGHT THAT THIS COULD POSSIBLY BE CONSIDERED A PILOT PROJECT BECAUSE IT IS, THE IDEA IS THAT IT WOULD, THIS WOULD BE SEED MONEY AND THEN IN A COUPLE YEARS IT WOULD BE ABLE TO, TO UM, FUND IT, NOT FUND ITSELF, BUT TO HAVE, UH, A REVENUE STREAM THAT WILL ALLOW IT TO BE FUNDED WITHOUT THE UM, OR AT LEAST NOT THE TOWN GOVERNMENT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COUNTY WOULD BE A DIFFERENT STORY CUZ IT'S THEIR BUILDING.
UM, BUT THAT WAS ONE THING THAT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT OR THAT WAS SUGGESTED AND, AND JUST TO EXPLAIN THAT
[00:50:01]
A LITTLE BIT IS, IS THAT BECAUSE WE NORMALLY TOWN COUNCIL DOESN'T FUND NONPROFITS, THE CONCERN IS THAT IF WE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, UM, UH, PROPOSAL, THEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE NEXT GROUP COMES IN AND ASKS US TO FUND THEIR NONPROFIT? UM, AND WHILE EVERYBODY THINKS THIS IS A GREAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, YOUTH OBVIOUSLY, UM, I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY ON THIS COUNCIL THAT DOESN'T, UH, SEE THE VALUE IN PROVIDING ACTIVITIES FOR YOUTH.UM, BUT JUST THAT, THAT WAS THE CONCERN IS THAT HOW COULD WE EMBRACE THIS IN A WAY THAT WE, THAT THIS IS A ONE-TIME SITUATION, BUT NOT THAT EVERY NONPROFIT WOULD COME TO US, UM, MOVING FORWARD AND ASK US FOR FUNDING BECAUSE IT, IT, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE CHALLENGING ON OUR BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
UM, AND TWO, AS SOMEBODY HAS SAID TO ME IN THE PAST, NOT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER TIME A NONPROFIT CAME TO US AND, AND, UM, SOMEBODY SAID TO ME, WELL YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS AS YOU'RE PICKING WINNERS AND LOSERS.
IF YOU'RE SAYING, WELL THIS, THIS, THIS PROJECT WE THINK IS GREAT, THIS PROJECT WE DON'T, SO WE'RE TRYING TO BE CREATIVE IN A WAY THAT WE COULD FIND A WAY TO, TO MAKE THIS WORK MM-HMM.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WAS, UM, IS ONE, ONE THING THAT DID COME UP WAS THAT IT, IT SEEMED LIKE IN A LOT OF THE INFORMATION OR WHAT WAS SHARED WITH US TOO, THAT LIKE SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL, I BELIEVE THEIR PARENTS, THEIR STAFF AND SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL, LIKE THEY, THEIR, THAT THERE WAS INPUT FROM THERE.
SOMEBODY MENTIONED, WELL HAS THERE BEEN INPUT, UH, FROM WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL, WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL? AND I ACTUALLY THINK THAT WAS A VALID, THAT WAS A VALID QUESTION AND I'M SURE THAT IT WAS BECAUSE THAT WAS THE CONTACT INFORMATION THEY HAD.
UM, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO, OR I, I THINK OTHERS HAVE SAID, AND I KNOW I WOULD TOO.
LIKE, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THAT THERE'S, UH, INTEREST THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, NOT EVEN JUST THAT SOMEBODY ACTUALLY MENTIONED TO ME TODAY, YOU KNOW, THAT IF THIS WERE TO, IF, IF, IF THIS WERE TO MOVE FORWARD, THAT IT WOULD REALLY BE FOR ANY YOUTH, YOU KNOW, NOT NOT JUST PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
LIKE THERE WOULD BE PRIVATE SCHOOLS, HOMESCHOOL, CHO, ANY IF, IF IT'S TAXPAYER FUNDED, THEN ANYBODY WOULD BE ABLE TO USE IT.
AND I KNOW THAT'S YOUR ALL'S INTENTION, RIGHT? YEAH.
EVERY, EVERYONE YOU DON'T MIND.
EVERYONE IS, YOU KNOW, WELCOME TO THIS PROGRAM THE WAY SAM HAS IT.
YOU KNOW, DESIGNED AND WHAT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH.
ALSO, YOU'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, NOT THE PROGRAMS NOT ONLY JUST A PLACE FOR THE KIDS TO HANG OUT, BUT POTENTIAL INTERNSHIP WITH, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT CAN COME, MAYBE YOU CAN REPLENISH SOME OF YOUR, YOU KNOW, JOB FORCE RANKINGS THAT YOU'RE GONNA AT THE WATER TREATMENT PLAN OR WHAT THEY DO WITH THE COUNTY.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES WITH, WITH THIS PROGRAM AND IT APPLIES TO EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY.
JUST, JUST SO IT HAPPENS, SKYLINE WAS THE FLAGSHIP AND THAT'S WHERE SAM AND EVERYONE GOT GOT IT STARTED.
THAT'S WHERE THEY HAD THEIR INFORMATION FROM.
AND THAT, AND, AND, AND THE REASON WHY I SAID THAT IS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT ORIGINALLY, THE, INITIALLY WHEN I MET WITH PEOPLE ABOUT THIS, THE IDEA WAS THAT THEY WERE GONNA GET LIKE FOCUS GROUPS, THE KIDS AND MAKE SURE THE KIDS, YOU KNOW, WANT TO DO THIS.
AND I KNOW THAT IT MESSED EVERYBODY UP WHEN WE GOT OUTTA SCHOOL A FEW DAYS EARLY CUZ YOU DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, KIDS ARE ACTUALLY GONNA GO BACK TO SCHOOL ON AUGUST 9TH THIS YEAR, OR, YOU KNOW, UH, WARREN COUNTY, THAT SCHOOL STARTS BACK ON AUGUST 9TH.
UM, AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INPUT FROM THE KIDS JUST TO MAKE SURE FROM MY, THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE WE WANT TO, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THEY'RE GONNA USE IT.
THAT THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S JUMPING THROUGH LOTS OF HURDLES AND MAKING THIS HAPPEN AND THEN KIDS AREN'T, AREN'T BUYING INTO IT.
AND I KNOW THAT'LL, THAT'LL TAKE SOME, YOU KNOW, TRIAL AND ERROR TO FIND OUT WHAT THAT THEY WOULD WANNA DO.
BUT I KNOW THAT, AND I'VE, I'VE ACTUALLY, UM, ONE OTHER KIND I'M THINKING I GOT, I THINK I'VE SHARED EVERYTHING THAT I COULD POSSIBLY SHARE THAT, THAT SOMEONE, ONE OTHER THING THAT I THINK IS, I SAID THIS BEFORE AND I'M GONNA SAY IT AGAIN JUST CUZ I REALLY, UM, WORRY ABOUT THIS IS THE IDEA WAS LIKE EIGHT THROUGH 12TH GRADERS AND I THINK
[00:55:01]
THEY'RE ALL YOUTH AND I GET ALL OF THAT.BUT I WILL JUST SAY THAT, THAT MY EXPERIENCE IS WHEN THEY HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE, THEY, THEY, THE WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES OPENS UP FOR THEM TO SEE THEIR FRIENDS TO GO PLACES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I, I WONDER IF IT WOULDN'T, THERE WOULDN'T BE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO EVEN GO DOWN TO LIKE SEVENTH GRADE OR EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T THERE EVERY NIGHT, BUT TO HAVE EVENTS OR HAVE SOME FORM OF ACTIVITIES FOR SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH GRADE.
SIXTH GRADE I KNOW SEEMS KIND OF YOUNG BECAUSE THEY JUST LEFT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MAYBE NOT IN THE FALL OF THEIR SIXTH GRADE YEAR, BUT EVEN BY LIKE SPRING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, CUZ THAT'S, THAT'S A PARTIC THAT MIDDLE SCHOOL AGE IS SO PIVOTAL.
LIKE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HEAR STORIES ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOLERS VAPING, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK, WOW, WE GOTTA GET TO THEM BEFORE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE.
UM, SO YES, THE EIGHTH OF 12TH GRADERS HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE BUT, UH, LIKE 17, 18.
UM, BUT LIKE IN THE FIRST MEETING, RIGHT, THEY'RE HANGING OUT IN PARKING LOTS.
UM, THERE IS DEFINITELY STILL THAT NEED FOR, FOR THE HIGH SCHOOLERS.
I, I HAVE FRIENDS WHO, YOU KNOW, THEIR KIDS ARE LOOKING FOR THINGS TO DO AFTER SCHOOL.
UM, AND, UH, SAM HAS BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO, UM, SINCE THE LAST TIME WE MET, SHE'S ESTABLISHED A RELATIONSHIP WITH, UM, JANET CLARK.
SHE, UM, WAS ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN RALEIGH COUNTY.
SHE RAN A YOUTH CENTER OUT THERE.
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO JUST GET A TON OF INFORMATION ABOUT, FROM HER ABOUT WHAT MADE THEIR YOUTH CENTER SUCCESSFUL.
AND SHE'S BRINGING UP THE CONVERSATION OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS TOO, AND SOME IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE, YOU KNOW, EVENTS TO INCLUDE THEM.
WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE DAY A WEEK WHERE WE DO SOMETHING OR ONE DAY ONCE A MONTH, OR ONE ACTIVITY A MONTH OR SOMETHING.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY THINKING ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND JUST HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE THEM AS WELL.
I ATTENDED BOTH, UM, FOCUS GROUPS.
OUR, SOME OF OUR PARENTS WERE FROM, WE HAD ONE PARENT FROM A PRIVATE SCHOOL.
WE HAD ONE, ONE PARENT FROM MEGAN.
SO WE DIDN'T JUST HAVE THE SKYLINE.
UM, SKYLINE OBVIOUSLY IS, I MEAN, I'VE TAUGHT THERE SINCE 2007.
I TAUGHT AINSLEY, UH, SIXTH GRADE.
CAN I, CAN I JUST SAY, CUZ ACTUALLY WHEN YOU ALL WALKED IN, LIKE, I KNOW ROBERT, I MET CENA.
WOULD YOU ALL MIND INTRODUCING YOURSELF AS WELL? CUZ I DON'T KNOW THAT ALL OF COUNSEL KNOWS EVERYBODY.
UM, I TEACH EIGHTH GRADE AT SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
UM, I, LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN THERE SINCE 2007.
I'VE BEEN THERE SINCE THE OLD MIDDLE SCHOOL.
UM, I'M ALSO THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE MATH DEPARTMENT CHAIR AT SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
UM, SO I FEEL LIKE I KNOW THESE, THESE KIDS PRETTY WELL.
I AM, I MEAN, I STILL HAVE KIDS COMING UP TO ME.
I'LL BE LIKE SITTING AT EATING DINNER OR WHATEVER AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH MY GOSH, DO YOU REMEMBER ME? AND THEY'RE LIKE, I'M LIKE, WELL, I THINK THE LAST TIME I SAW YOU, YOU WERE 12.
YOU KNOW, SO PROBABLY YOU'VE PROBABLY CHANGED.
UM, BUT I, I'M A TRANSPLANT, I GUESS YOU CAN CALL, BUT I'M COMPLETELY INVESTED IN THIS COMMUNITY AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S JUST REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THESE KIDS KNOW THAT THEY ARE PART OF SOMETHING.
UM, WE DID TALK ABOUT HAVING ONCE A WEEK HAVING MAYBE YOUNGER SIBLINGS, CUZ WE ALSO HAVE STUDENTS THAT WATCH THEIR SIBLINGS.
SO WHILE I WANNA BE ABLE TO GO TO THE, TO THE STUDENT UNION OR THE YOUTH CENTER, HOWEVER, I CAN'T, CUZ I WATCH MY SIBLINGS AT NIGHT.
SO WE'VE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT MAYBE ONE NIGHT A WEEK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO BE ABLE TO BRING YOUR SIBLINGS IN, UM, AT, YOU KNOW, AT ANY AGE.
I KNOW THAT YOU JUST WANTED ME NOT ABLE TO SAY MY NAME,
AND I'M ON THE BOARD WITH YOU.
I KNOW YOU, BUT YOU WANT, I KNOW YOU, BUT DO YOU WANNA ENTER I'M ROBERT HELLMAN AND I'M ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD AS WELL.
I GOT INVOLVED WITH REACHING OUT NOW JUST PRIMARILY ON THE FEEDING, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO FEED FAMILIES DURING COVID.
UH, PRETTY PASSIONATE ABOUT BRINGING FRESH MEAT TO THE CANNED STUFF.
AND, UH, I WAS ABLE TO HOOK UP WITH DEVIN AND SAM AND THEN WE DELIVERED A LOT OF GOOD MEALS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE FAMILIES THAT NEED IT.
AND IT ALSO GREW INTO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A DREAM OF A COMMUNITY CENTER, YOU KNOW, BACK, BACK IN MY, UH, HE HAD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DO MORE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND, AND GIVE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE, FOR THE CHILDREN TO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, BE EDUCATED ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO GO ON WHEN YOU GET OUTTA SCHOOL AND WHAT'S NEXT.
AND MAYBE NOT MISLEAD 'EM TO GO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY THAT MOST KIDS MIGHT NOT HAVE.
AND A LOT OF THESE KIDS ARE, YOU, YOU SAY SOME OF 'EM ARE 17, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEING
[01:00:01]
ABLE TO DRIVE, BUT SOME KIDS CAN DRIVE AND DON'T HAVE NO FRIENDS.AND, YOU KNOW, YOU STILL HAVE THE KIDS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, MISPLACED.
THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, ROUGH TIME AT HOME.
YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A DRUG ADDICTION PROBLEM IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THEY NEED STRONG ROLE ROLE MODELS AND THEY NEED, YOU KNOW, KNOW IT'S GONNA BE OKAY.
YOU KNOW, YOU GOT, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN POLICE CHIEFS THAT CAN COME DOWN THERE AND TELL 'EM ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND, YOU KNOW, CAREER PATH.
I MEAN, I JUST THINK IT'S, IF WE HAVE ALL THE, ALL OUR THINGS ON THE TABLE FOR THESE KIDS, THEY MIGHT FIND, YOU KNOW, WANNA BE FIRE AND RESCUE OR THEY JUST WANNA GO TO COLLEGE AND BE AN ENGLISH MAJOR AND TEACH SCHOOL.
BUT WE JUST NEED TO PROVIDE, IT'S INVESTING.
I LOOK AT IT AS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR FUTURE, TRULY IS.
BUT, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S MYLES SPIEL, BUT THANK YOU ROBERT.
UH, HI, MY NAME'S JENNIFER DEHAVEN.
I'M ALSO ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR REACHING OUT NOW.
UM, MY INVOLVEMENT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
I'VE BEEN IN SEVERAL OF THEM, UM, IN MY LIFE.
BUT I HAVE PROFESSIONALLY, UH, 12, 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN RUNNING NONPROFITS.
AND SO A LOT OF THE WORK THAT I DO WITH THE BOARD OF REACHING OUT NOW IS TO ADVISE ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSING THAT WE'RE DOING INTERNALLY AND, UM, LOGISTICAL THINGS RELATED TO STRATEGIC ADVANCEMENT, STUFF LIKE THAT.
ALRIGHT, COUNSEL, WHAT ELSE DO, UM, WHAT OTHER, UH, DISCUSSION DO, UM, THIS WOULD BE A TIME FOR US TO CONTINUE OUR DISCUSSION OR IF, IF, YOU KNOW, REALLY IT'S OUR TIME FOR, I, I, I ASKED SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS BECAUSE THOSE WERE THINGS THAT CAME UP.
DID I LEAVE OUT ANYTHING THAT, THAT I, THAT Y'ALL CAN THINK OF THAT COUNCILWOMAN DEPA MENTIONED? UM, AND THEN, AND THEN OTHERS.
CAN I ANSWER ONE OF THE QUESTIONS YOU KINDA SURE.
BROUGHT UP? UM, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT IS WE HAVE STUDENTS, MEN OR MEN, BOYS AND GIRLS.
AND WE HAVE MULTIPLE STUDENTS.
THIS IS THEM ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOUTH LITERACY AND, UM, FINANCIAL AID AND FINANCIAL FINANCIAL SERVICES AND STUFF.
UM, THESE ARE SITUATIONS THAT WE HAVE HAD FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
AND SO WE HAVE, I THINK 30 RIGHT NOW, ABOUT 28 TO 30 KIDS RIGHT NOW.
SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A, UM, STUDENT LED YOUTH, LIKE YOUTH CENTER AND STUDENT.
THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA, UM, HAVE THE IDEAS.
SO THE BUY-IN WILL COME FROM THAT.
SO WE THINK THAT IF WE'RE, IF IF ADULTS TELLING THE STUDENTS WHAT TO DO, YOU'RE GONNA DO THIS AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS PROGRAM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS AND YOU SHOULD COME AND DA DA.
I'M 45 YEARS OLD, NO ONE'S GONNA LISTEN TO ME.
I MEAN, HONESTLY, I'M GONNA BE LIKE, YEAH, LET'S GO DO SOME GUITAR HERO, YOU KNOW, NO, THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT.
BUT IF THE STUDENTS, THE BUY-IN IS GONNA COME FROM OUR STUDENTS WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, INVESTED THEIR TIME IN REACHING OUT NOW WHO KNOW US, WHO FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH US AND WHO TRUST US.
UM, AND THEY, THAT IS GONNA BE MORE WHY, YOU KNOW, THE BUY-IN.
THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE GONNA COME FROM WITH THAT.
AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO USE THE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE SCHOOLS TO HELP WITH THAT.
UM, I'M REACHING OUT, UH, TO THE ART TEACHER AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL ABOUT BRINGING IN ART STUDENTS AND HELPING US WITH THE INITIAL DECORATIONS.
RIGHT? WE CAN REACH OUT TO THE, UM, TECHNICAL CENTER, THE BUILDING PROGRAM THERE, BUILD SOME FURNITURE OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT IS.
I THINK THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE THE KIDS ARE INTERESTED IN NOW AND USE THAT TO HELP BUILD THE PIECES OF THE YOUTH CENTER THAT REALLY GIVE THEM THAT INPUT AND BUY-IN.
AND AS THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO RANDOLPH MACON CUZ RANDOLPH MACON HAD APPROACHED ME ABOUT JUST NOT FEELING INCLUDED, UH, WHEN IT CAME TO SPORTS AND STUFF.
SO WE'VE STARTED TO PUT THEM IN SOME OF OUR SPORTING EVENTS.
UM, SO THAT I KIND OF REACHED OUT TO HIM AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT IF OUR STUDENTS KIND OF GOT TOGETHER BEFORE WE TALKED ABOUT IT? HE HAD SAID IT BEFORE, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT, IF WE HAD EVENTS AND STUFF AND THEY, THEY'RE EXTREMELY INTERESTED IN THAT.
SO IF THIS WAS THE CASE, THEN WE WOULD BRING THOSE OTHER STUDENTS.
AND CUZ AGAIN, RANDOLPH MACON, I MEAN, YOU SEE 'EM WALKING DOWN THE STREETS, YOU KNOW, ON THE WEEKENDS CUZ THEY'RE, THEY'RE FREE TO DO THAT.
BUT WHAT IF THEY COULD COME IN AND, YEAH.
I'M TRYING TO THINK BACK IN THE DAY, IF BRUCE, BACK IN THE DAY, DID THE, I THINK RANDOLPH MACON KIDS DID COME TO THE YOUTH CENTER, DIDN'T THEY? NO.
I DON'T THINK LIVED THERE, DIDN'T THEY? NO.
WAS, MAYBE IT WAS BY THE TIME THE EIGHTIES WERE ROLLED AROUND ON THE, BUT ANYWAY, BUT, UM, I, I DO
[01:05:01]
WANNA SAY THE PROPOSAL THAT WE DID SEE AT THE END OF LAST WEEK, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID LIKE WAS THE METRICS.BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT'S OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT FOR US, IS THAT TO BE ABLE TO, TO JUSTIFY THAT, OKAY, WELL THIS MANY KIDS ARE USING IT AND, AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY IT'S OPEN TO, YOU KNOW YEP.
HOMESCHOOL AND PRIVATE SCHOOL AS WELL, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
I'M SURE YOU NOTICED IF YOU WERE LOOKING THROUGH THE PROPOSAL, BUT MORE THAN HAPPY TO HOPEFULLY PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING AT LEAST PARTIALLY COMPARABLE TO WHAT LIZZIE DID.
UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, DO BIANNUAL UPDATES.
YOU'RE AN AMAZING PRESENTER, BY THE WAY.
I THINK THE PART ABOUT THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY JUST FOR US.
I THINK THAT THE BENEFIT OF THAT WOULD BE FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE ACCOMPLISHING.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE IDEA IS THIS IS, THIS IS THE FUNDING THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING FROM US.
UH, IF IT WOULD GO THROUGH, IT WOULD BE SEED MONEY.
AND THE IDEA IS THAT EVENTUALLY YOU ALL WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THIS ON YOUR OWN.
AND SO THE MORE THE COMMUNITY SEES WHAT'S BEING DONE THERE, I THINK THAT, I MEAN, YOU HAVE THESE CAPITAL CAMPAIGNS, YOU'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE BENEFIT OF THEM KNOWING WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
SO YOU HAVE MORE FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND STUFF.
THEY REACHING OUT NOW IS VERY, WE'RE VERY TRANSPARENT WITH ALL OF OUR FUNDINGS WITH, I MEAN, ANYBODY WHO ASKS US, WE CAN GIVE YOU EVERYTHING WHERE EVERY DOLLAR HAS GONE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
UM, WHERE IT COMES FROM, WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'VE PUT IT.
NO, IT'S JUST, JUST CRAZY WHERE IT CAME FROM, WHERE YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I EVEN JOINED AND IT'S JUST LIKE A, A WILDFIRE.
FREDERICK COUNTY HAS BEEN VERY RECEPTIVE.
SO I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S GROWING AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE REALLY AGGRESSIVE ON THE FUNDRAISING ASPECTS AS WELL.
WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THAT, AND THIS KIND OF FELL INTO MOTION QUICKLY, REALLY QUICK,
SO WE'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOOKING FOR THAT, THAT SHOT TO GET US GOING.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY PROVING THAT THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, THE START OF SOMETHING GREAT THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES CAN EVEN BORROW OUR CONCEPTS OR PARTNER WITH AND GROW IT.
I'M EVEN TALKING TO PAGE COUNTY AND LOU RAE AS WELL.
SO MAYBE DOING A LITTLE SUBSTATION WITH THESE GUYS THERE.
AND YOU KNOW, SAM, SHE'S VERY, UH, SHE'S VERY GOOD AT INSPIRING PEOPLE TO DO GREAT THINGS.
AND, UM, SHE ASKS, USUALLY PEOPLE LISTEN.
SO I ALREADY KNOW WOULD AGREE MM-HMM.
BUT YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHY WE'RE HERE.
WE'RE JUST HOPING TO GET OUR SHOT.
I KNOW IT'S A LOT TO, UH, ASK THE PUBLIC AND THE, AND YOU GUYS FOR, BUT I THINK IT'S GONNA, YOU KNOW, MAYBE GIVE THAT JUMPSTART THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BRING SOME TYPE OF, UH, TOGETHERNESS THAT WE'VE BEEN KINDA, UH, MISSING.
AND I THINK THAT WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, SORRY,
UM, AND WE ARE ASKING FOR KNOWING WE, WE ARE ASKING YOU FOR STUFF, BUT
UM, WE JUST WANT THIS COMMUNITY TO BE BETTER AND BRIGHTER.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IT, IT, IT CAN BE, IT REALLY CAN BE.
I, LIKE I SAID, I'M COMPLETELY INVESTED IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I LIVE TWO BLOCKS FROM THE SCHOOL I TEACH IN.
I MEAN, THIS, THIS COMMUNITY CAN BE SOMETHING GREAT.
AND THEY, I THINK SOME OF THESE KIDS JUST NEED A LOT OF GUIDANCE.
AND THIS ISN'T GONNA BE LIKE A LET'S GO PLAY THE VIDEO GAME TO THE YOUTH CENTER.
IT'S GOING TO BE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE CLASSES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE PEOPLE COME IN.
IF IT IS GONNA BE STUDENT LED, IT IS, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TUTORING SESSIONS.
WE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WHAT WE SPOKE WITH THE PARENTS ABOUT.
UM, WHAT ARE THINGS THAT THEY REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE VAPE, THE VAPING CLASSES, THE DRUG CLASSES, AND THE, UM, IT JUST SOCIALIZING.
I'VE NOTICED THAT SOCIALIZATION'S JUST NOT THERE ANYMORE.
SO, AND WHEN I MEANT ABOUT THE NONPROFITS JUMPING ON, I I MUST, I MIGHT HAVE NOT EXPRESSED IT CLEARLY.
WHAT I MEANT WAS, IS THAT OH YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I MEANT.
FOR OUR COUNCIL, WE WOULDN'T, YEAH.
BECAUSE THAT'S NOT REALLY, UM, NORMAL GOVER OUR GOVERNMENT, UM, DOESN'T, LIKE, WE DON'T GIVE TO NONPROFITS.
I KNOW THE COUNTY HAS MONEY SET ASIDE IN THEIR BUDGET, BUT THE TOWN NORMALLY DOESN'T DO THAT.
SO ANYWAY, COUNSEL, I'M GONNA OPEN UP TO YOU ALL COMMENTS, THOUGHTS,
[01:10:01]
THINGS THAT YOU WANNA CLEAR UP OR TALK ABOUT.UM, ANYTHING THAT'S, WELL, NO ONE'S GONNA SAY ANYTHING.
I WILL SAY, I'M, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 15, I'M A SHORT TERMER.
SO I, ABOUT 15 YEARS MY BUSINESS HAS BEEN HERE, LIVED HERE.
AND, UH, AND FOR THE 15 YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE, THERE HAS BEEN VIRTUALLY NOTHING, UH, ON A SUPPORTED YOUTH CENTER RECREATION FACILITY KIND OF A LEVEL.
WE'VE GOT GREAT SPORTS PROGRAMS HERE, WE'VE GOT GREAT AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS HERE.
UH, BUT IN TERMS, UH, AND FOR THOSE KIDS, IT'S TERRIFIC.
BUT NOT EVERY KID IS AN ATHLETE, RIGHT? NOT EVERY KID IS A CHESS PLAYER OR WHATEVER.
RIGHT? AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GOD WILLING, MAKING THIS THING HAPPEN.
I THINK IT CAN HAVE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY, ON OUR KIDS.
UH, AND I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, THE DAY WHEN WE CAN PAT WILLING OPEN UP THAT YOUTH CENTER AND, UH, AND SEE THE WONDERFUL FACT THAT, UH, THAT THESE KIDS CAN, UH, THAT THAT CAN BE FOR THESE KIDS.
HOW FAR OUT BEFORE DID YOU ON OFFER? WELL, I, I, I DON'T WANNA PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
UM, UH, SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING FOR 25,000 UP FRONT AND THEN, AND THEN, UH, 50,000 AND, AND THEN THE FOLLOWING YOUR 50,000.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS, UM, BECAUSE OUR, OUR BUDGET HAD ALREADY BEEN LAID OUT WITH LIKE A BIANNUAL PRO RATE OF THE LIKE 25,000, UH, UP FRONT FOR SIX MONTHS.
AND THEN THE NEXT YOU GET WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS.
I MEAN, IS THAT, IF YOU GUYS WANT THAT, WOULD THAT BE WOR WORKABLE?
UM, BUT WE'RE ALREADY PLANNING ON FUNDRAISING AND YOU KNOW, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I MEAN, IF, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT, THEN ARE YOU PLANNING LIKE MEMBERSHIP DUES OR IS THAT DOWN THE ROAD, OR, UH, YES.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFICS ON WHAT WE WOULD WANNA DO WITH THAT AND HOW MUCH THEY COST.
BUT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, MINIMAL, UM, WAS LIKE $5 A MONTH OR NIGHT MM-HMM.
AND I KNOW THAT BACK IN THE DAY, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THESE LITTLE CARDS THAT YOU GOT AND THEY WERE LIKE, MINE, YOU DO NICE.
IT'S JUST, WE'RE WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, UM, WE SENT OVER SOME OF THE QUOTES FOR THE SECURITY SYSTEM, RIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA NEED, UM, LUCKILY THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THERE ALREADY.
WE'VE GOT, UM, FIBER OPTIC RUN TO THE BUILDING ALREADY.
SO WE NEED TO, UM, DO THE CAMERA INSTALLATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S JUST GONNA BE A LOT OF LITTLE STUFF THAT WE NEED TO GET OFF THE GROUND.
SO THE MORE THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO GET THOSE DOORS OPEN, THE MORE HELPFUL THAT IS.
BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE POSITION YOU GUYS ARE IN.
SO I HAVE A QUESTION WHEN YOU, WHEN THEY, UM, FIRST AS I SAID, I, SO THIS IS LIKE THE FOURTH TIME.
CAUSE I WAS GONNA SAY I'VE ATTENDED A COUPLE MEETINGS AND THEN, SO THE TOWN'S, THE TOWN'S CONTRIBUTION ORIGINALLY, I KNOW THAT IT WAS PRESENTED TO US THAT LIKE OUR CONTRIBUTION WOULD BE FOR THE SALARY, WHICH THAT'S HOW I BELIEVE, RIGHT? ORIGINALLY, LIKE OURS, OURS WOULD BE SALARY.
OUR, UM, OUR FUNDS WOULD GO TOWARDS SALARY FOR THE STAFF MEMBER, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THE IDEA IS GONNA BE VOLUNTEERS TOO.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE SOMEBODY IN THE BUILDING THAT IS MM-HMM.
[01:15:01]
VOLUNTEER SHOWS UP, YOU HAVE STILL GOT STAFF, YOU KNOW? SO I'M, I'M PRETTY SURE I RECALL THAT THAT WAS, UM, YEAH, I'M ACTUALLY ON THIS PAGE PAGE TOO.SO LIKE, OURS WOULD BE STAFFING COSTS AND THEN, UM, IT WAS INITIAL FURNITURE GAMES AND ELECTRONICS COSTS IS WHAT WAS IN THIS AND WHAT YOU ALL SAID UPDATED UHHUH.
SO IS THAT COR IS THAT STILL CORRECT? THAT'S THE IDEA THAT THE, YEAH, THE TOWN'S FINDING THE TOWN TOWN'S CONTRIBUTION WOULD GO TO STAFFING AND POSSIBLY WHAT I WOULD ALMOST CALL LIKE, UH, THE ACTIVITIES PIECE TO IT, LIKE GAMES AND ELECTRONICS, YOU KNOW.
UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST IS GONNA BE GETTING THE SECURITY SYSTEM INSTALLED.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE TOP OF OUR LIST.
UM, ANY FUNDING WE GET IN IS GOING TO GO TOWARDS THAT.
UM, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, WITH THE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN WE'RE DOING, IF YOU GUYS WOULD RATHER SPECIFICALLY HAVE YOUR
BUT, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE SECURITY COSTS, UM, GUARANTEED.
AND IF YOU GUYS ARE WILLING TO FUND THAT, THEN THAT WOULD BE OKAY.
WE, WE ARE NOT GONNA A SECURITY SYSTEM AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT NOT ONLY THE CAMERAS, BUT WE'VE ALSO TALKED ABOUT LIKE A SCANNER, SO WE KNOW WHAT TIME.
SO IF A PARENT CALLS US, AND WE ALSO ARE GONNA HAVE A PHONE THERE, SO KIDS CAN CALL FROM, PEOPLE DON'T HAVE CELL PHONES, YOU KNOW, KIDS THAT DON'T, THEY DON'T HAVE CELL PHONES.
UM, BUT IF A PARENT CALLS US AT 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT AND THEY LOOK FOR THEIR CHILD, THEN WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, OH, YOUR CHILD LEFT AT 9 58.
SO WE KNOW THAT YOUR CHILD'S GONNA BE WALKING IN THE DOOR AT ANY MOMENT.
SO, UM, OR IF A CHILD DOESN'T COME HOME, THEY LEFT HERE AT THIS TIME.
SO, I MEAN, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS SET UP BEFORE WE EVEN HAVE CHILDREN IN THERE THAT, OH, WELL THIS IS, THIS IS, YOU ALL WILL BE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS.
BUT LIKE I HEAR THAT AND I THINK IN MY HEAD, IF THE PARENTS DROP THEM OFF, WILL OTHER PEOPLE BE ALLOWED TO PICK THEM UP? BUT AGAIN, I'M GONNA TELL, I'M GONNA BE FULLY TRANSPARENT THAT THAT WOULD, THAT'S NOT MY JOB TO ASK YOU THAT, BUT I'M, AS MY MAMA BEAR TELLS ME, LIKE, WELL WHO PICKED THEM UP? YOU KNOW? BUT ANYWAY, THE REASON WHY I ASK THAT QUESTION IS ABOUT LIKE STAFFING AND STUFF IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, FOR US, WE ARE, OUR RESPONSIBILITY LIES IN, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE OUR, OUR FUNDS GOING TOWARDS.
AND LIKE MY THOUGHT IS LIKE, BECAUSE THAT BUILDING ACTUALLY BELONGS TO THE COUNTY, OUR FUNDS SHOULD BE GOING TOWARDS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY TOWARDS THE BUILDING, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO LIKE, SECURITY IS PROBABLY, THAT WOULD FALL, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT.
I'M TRYING TO GET AT HOW DO WE, UM, HOW DO WE CONVINCE OUR CITIZENS THAT WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE WOULD BE GETTING TOWARDS WOULD BE THINGS THAT WITHOUT IT, IT WOULDN'T BE HAPPENING.
LIKE STAFFING OR, YOU KNOW, LIKE I, I MEAN YOU HAD GAMES AND ELECTRONICS CALLS.
I, I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING LIKE, YOU KNOW, VIDEO GAMES OR WHATEVER THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD BE USING, CARRY MACHINE, WHATEVER.
I'M JUST MAKING THIS UP CUZ I'M JUST THINKING FROM MY OWN KIDS.
BUT, UH, WHATEVER THE THINGS THE KIDS WANT THERE THAT WOULD ATTRACT THEM TO WANT TO BE THERE.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THAT.
AND THEN IT, SO LIKE THE THIRD YEAR IT WOULD BE FUTURE EQUIPMENT PURCHASE.
UM, SO YEAH, THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY I WAS ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO ANYWAY, I WANT BE THERE FOR THE CORN HOLE.
YOU OVER THE AGE A LITTLE BIT, BRUCE? NO, WE LEFT.
CAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU STILL GOT YOUR UH, CARD THOUGH? YES.
I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT IS THE ONE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW? ALRIGHT, WAYNE, WHAT IS ON THAT FLOOR RIGHT NOW? IT'S THE, UM, OH, COME ON SHUFFLEBOARD.
THAT'S WHAT'S CURRENTLY ON THE TILE OR WHAT? IS IT STILL ON THERE? WELL IT, YES IT WAS THE LAST TIME I WAS THERE IT WAS SHUFFLEBOARD.
THERE MAY BE A FEW KIDS THAT WOULDN'T MIND LEARNING BUT CORNELL THEY'LL KNOW HOW TO PLAY.
SO BELIEVE YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, A CERTAIN AREA, YOU KNOW, THEY ALWAYS LOVE TO DO THE TIKTOK VIDEOS OR WHATEVER.
YEAH, I KNOW IN MY CLASSROOM I'M ALWAYS LIKE, STOP DOING VIDEOS IN MY CLASSROOM CUZ THEY'RE ALWAYS DOING THOSE TIKTOK VIDEOS.
WE'VE EVEN TALKED ABOUT LIKE A POSITIVE SOCIAL MEDIA AREA.
YOU KNOW, THEY CAN DO ALL THE TIKTOK VIDEOS, ALL YOU WANT GREEN SCREEN, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEY PLAY SELF BOARD AGAINST WAYNE
WHAT OTHER CONVERSATIONS AND UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THEM? IF NOT, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT STAFF HAD PROPOSED FOR US IS, UM, DOES THE COUNCIL WANNA HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING?
[01:20:01]
UH, DO WE NEED A, A BUDGET AMENDMENT? HOW MUCH WHERE WHEN? UH, AND THEN SOME FORM OF LIKE A CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT, UM, WHICH IS WHAT I WOULD ASSUME WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE WITH THEM TO SAY, YOU KNOW, HERE'S WHAT WE'D BE WILLING TO GIVE AND HERE'S WHERE LIKE ACCOUNTABILITY AND METRICS.SO, UH, WHAT ELSE, WHAT OTHER THINGS? I MEAN THO THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE GUIDING US.
IS THIS, ARE YOU GUYS READY TO GET TO QUESTIONS LIKE THAT OR DID YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS? I JUST SAID, UH, UH, YOUR TIMELINE IS OBVIOUSLY CHANGED, RIGHT? I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING IN TERMS OF THE FACILITY BEING OPEN GIVEN, GIVEN THAT THINGS MOVED ALONG? UM, UM, WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A CHANGE IN THE, THE TIMELINE FROM THE COUNTY BECAUSE WE FOUND OUT WHEN THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE, GONNA HAVE TO DO SOME SEWER WORK AS WELL.
UM, SO HONESTLY, I'M NOT SURE OF THE TIMELINE ON WHEN THAT WILL BE COMPLETED, BUT UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE BATHROOM ISSUE.
I'M NOT SURE THE DETAILS OF WHAT, WHAT THE SEWER, IT'S THE BATHROOM.
I THINK THEY'RE TARGETED FIRST OCTOBER.
OH REALLY? UM, BUT AFTER THOSE RENOVATIONS ARE COMPLETE, BECAUSE, UH, THEY'RE DEALING WITH THE FLOORING AS WELL, WHICH IS ASBESTOS.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT THERE WAS A MOLD ISSUE.
UM, SO WE THINK WE NEED THREE MONTHS FROM THE TIME THOSE RENOVATIONS ARE COMPLETE TO GET THE CENTER IN A SPACE WHERE WE WOULD LIKE, OKAY, WE'D BE OKAY WITH THE KIDS BEING IN THERE.
SO THAT ACTUALLY CHANGES SOME OF OUR CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING BECAUSE, I MEAN, BECAUSE FOR EXAMPLE, IF OCTOBER 1ST IS WHEN THEY WOULD HAVE THE BUILDING READY AND THEN YOU'RE SAYING THREE MONTHS FROM WHEN THE BUILDING WOULD BE READY.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE, IF IT WAS POSSIBLE LIKE WHEN WE WERE GOING AFTER THE SECURITY SYSTEM, WORKING ALONG WITH THAT TIMELINE SO WE CAN YEAH.
HAVING IT DONE, BE READY TO GO AT THE RIGHT.
I THINK WE FINISHED OUR BUDGET IN ACTUALLY APRIL.
UM, SO IT IS JUST A LITTLE BIT HARD AND WE, I, WE, I THINK IT'S LOGISTICS FOR COUNCIL.
I MEAN WE'RE OBVIOUSLY ALL IN SUPPORT OF THE YOUTH.
I HAVE A TEENAGER, ORANGE COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I'D LOVE SOMEWHERE FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A HOME AND MAKE FRIENDS.
UM, SO I THINK LOGISTICALLY, LIKE TONIGHT, THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND, AND UH, OPEN THE FEEDBACK FOR ALL OF US.
BUT TONIGHT'S WORK SESSION IS THAT WE HAVE TO GIVE STAFF DIRECTION FROM THIS POINT.
UM, SO I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR YOU GUYS.
I THINK YOU ADDRESSED THEM ALL.
I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN MOA OR HOW WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH APPROPRIATING FUNDS.
UM, CUZ WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT AN ISSUE TO ARISE.
LIKE WHAT JUST HAPPENED WITH THE LIBRARY, THE MOA DIDN'T GET RENEWED AND THAT'S WHY FUNDS WEREN'T APPROPRIATE AND DESPITE ALL THE OTHER STUFF.
SO, UM, AND I KNOW COUNCILWOMAN DEAM, MONICA PAYING ONE OF HER QUESTIONS WERE ABOUT REPORTING.
YOU GUYS MENTIONED A BIANNUAL REPORT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D LIKE TO SEE IN THE MOA LIKELY JUST TO ENSURE THAT FUNDS ARE GOING WHERE THEY SAY THAT THEY ARE.
NOT TO IMPLY THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE, BUT UM, AS LORI MENTIONED, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'RE GONNA BE FUNDING A NONPROFIT IF WE DO.
AND SO WE AS AN ELECTED BODY HAVE, UH, RESPONSIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO VALIDATE AND JUSTIFY WHERE THE FUNDS FROM THE TAXPAYERS ARE GOING.
AND IT DOES WORK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY IN THE TOWN.
IT'S UM, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN USUALLY PAYS TWICE FOR THINGS LIKE THIS CUZ WE PAY TOWN AND COUNTY TAXES.
UM, SO JUST FOR OUR END, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER TO THE PUBLIC.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, MY, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN AGREEMENT BE DRAFTED, UM, ON HOW TO DISPERSE THE FUNDS AND THE ACCOUNTABILITY ASPECT WOULD BE THE BIANNUAL REPORTING.
UM, AND THEN WE OBVIOUSLY NEED TO DISCUSS A BUDGET AMENDMENT, UM, AND THEN I THINK, UH, A PUBLIC HEARING IS NECESSARY.
AND WE'RE HAPPY TO PUT TOGETHER AN MOA FOR YOU GUYS.
UM, JUST IF THERE ARE ANY, IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC THINGS, UM, YEAH, YOU'D LIKE TO SEE.
WE HAVE THAT AVAILABLE FOR YOUR NEXT WHATEVER SESSION YOU NEED.
AND THEN WE'D HAVE OUR, WE'D OBVIOUSLY HAVE OUR COUNSEL TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT YEAH, IF YOU WANNA GO AHEAD.
WELL, JUST WITH THE, SO WHEN YOU DO LIKE THE PUBLIC HEARING COMING UP AND WHATEVER WE GET
[01:25:01]
ALL THE INFORMATION TOGETHER, WOULD'VE TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO VOTE ON, YOU GUYS WOULD BE ABLE TO VOTE ON AT THE NEXT MEETING? OR IT IT JUST DEPENDS.IT JUST PUBLIC HEARINGS OR LIKE AT THE END OF THE PUBLIC HEARING, YOU CAN TAKE ACTION OR AT THE END OF THE PUBLIC HEARING, YOU CAN KEEP THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN AND THEN TAKE ACTION.
IT REALLY, IT, IT, I THINK WHAT WE WERE MORE LOOKING FOR TOO WAS PUBLIC INPUT VERSUS A PUBLIC HEARING.
IT'S THE SAME THING ESSENTIALLY, BUT IT'S FOR THE PUBLIC TO COME AND ALLOW THEIR INPUT.
AND IT'S NOT EXACTLY THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE IF THE PUBLIC'S ON BOARD, BUT IT ABSOLUTELY HELPS TO VALIDATE OUR SUPPORT FINANCIALLY IF THE PUBLIC SHOWS UP.
UM, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S GONNA COME AND SPEAK OPPOSED TO THE YOUTH CENTER.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT AMBER SAID, JUST, AND THIS IS MORE CLA CLARIFYING, UM, I KNOW COUNSEL HERE KNOWS, AND, AND, AND FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR YOU ALL AS WELL, WHEN SHE MENTIONED BEFORE ABOUT DOUBLE, ABOUT TAXING, SO THAT'S PART OF THIS TOO IS SO THE COUNTY PROVIDES LIKE, UM, PARKS AND RECREATION SERVICES AND THAT'S, THEY THE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN TOWN CITIZENS ARE CONTRIBUTING THROUGH THEIR BUDGET, THEY'VE ALSO ALREADY CONTRIBUTED THROUGH THE COUNTY BUDGET.
SO WE, WE WOULD ACTUALLY BE ASKING THE TOWN CITIZENS TO BASICALLY BE PAYING THAT, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORD, PAYING TWICE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC INPUT, PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE, WE, WE NEED TO HEAR THE PUBLIC SAY, YES, WE, WE WANT YOU TO DO LIKE, ALMOST KIND OF LIKE GIVING US THEIR PERMISSION TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T FUND NONPROFITS.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND SO IF THEY COME OUT AND SUPPORT TOWN CITIZENS, NOW I SAY THAT, I MEAN NOT, I'M SURE THE COUNTY CITIZENS WOULD BE FINE WITH IT, BUT IT'S THE TOWN CITIZENS THAT IT'S THEIR MONEY, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S WHO WE REPRESENT.
LIKE THEY'RE COMING OUT SAYING, YES, DO THIS.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE KIND OF PUBLIC INPUT WE'RE THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UM, WHICH AS AMBER SAID, I I, I THINK THAT I I THINK WE'LL HAVE THAT, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT SO THAT WHEN WE TAKE ACTION AND IF YOU FEEL LIKE IF, IF YOU WANNA SUPPORT IT, THEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE, YOU ARE BEING, UM, YOU'RE BEING SUPPORTED BY THE CITIZENS THEMSELVES, THE COMMUNITY THAT'S SAYING, YES, WE, WE BELIEVE THIS, WE WANT YOU ALL TO DO THIS.
IF IT MEANS SOME MONEY COMES OFF OF SIDEWALKS SO THAT YOU CAN DO THAT, WE'RE ALL FOR IT.
THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A PUBLIC HEARING, IT'S MORE I THINK PUBLIC INPUT SOUNDS LIKE THAT.
BUT SO COUNCILMAN, UM, INGRAM, DO, UH, DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON, UM, WHAT COUNCILWOMAN OR SHARED? DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING DIFFERENT? ADDED EXTRA? NO, I MEAN I'M JUST, I'M JUST CRUNCHING NUMBER REAL QUICK CAUSE IT WAS BROUGHT JUST IN THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT GETTING THE, UH, SECURITY SYSTEM DONE FIRST AND FOREMOST.
YOU KNOW, AND I JUST, MY QUESTION COMES FROM, FROM FROM THAT POINT, UM, ME SKIP YOU AND COME BACK.
WELL YOU CAN CRUNCH YOUR NUMBERS.
NO, I'VE GOT MY NUMBERS CRUNCHED.
I KNOW THE QUOTE HERE THAT YOU GUYS GOT FROM, LOOKS LIKE I, I'M GUESSING BOTH BUILDINGS ARE HERE.
ONE BUILDING WAS 4,800 SOMETHING.
ONE, ONE BUILDING WAS 1100 SOMETHING DOLLARS.
BUT IN YOUR BUDGET YOU HAVE $12,000 A YEAR FOR VIDEO SURVEILLANCE FOR 23 AND 25.
NOW I'M JUST ASKING YOU WHERE THAT NUMBER CAME ACROSS.
IT WAS AN EDUCATED GUESS ABOUT WHAT WE THOUGHT THE SECURITY SYSTEM MIGHT COST.
OBVIOUSLY I DO SECURITY SYSTEMS FOR A LIVING.
IF YOU'RE PAYING $12,000 FOR A YEAR FOR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM FOR THIS, UM, I'M WORKING IN THE WRONG BUSINESS
SO I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT THAT NUMBER RIGHT THERE SHOULD NOT BE THE ONLY THING YOU PAY FOR ONCE YOU, ONCE YOU GET YOUR SYSTEM INSTALLED.
UM, AND ADT IS ONE OF OUR MICRO COMPETITORS.
BUT ANYWAYS, WHAT YOU PAY FOR IS LICENSING WITH YOUR CAMERAS ESSENTIALLY.
AND THE WAY THEY GROUP THEIR QUOTES.
I'M FAMILIAR WITH THEIR QUOTES.
YOU KNOW, YOU GET PACKAGE HERE, YOU'RE IN THE R SO I KNOW ALL THIS SYSTEM STUFF, BUT UM, I'M JUST SAYING YOU'VE GOT SOME FLUFF RIGHT THERE.
$12,000 A YEAR, YOU'RE, I I'M GONNA BE SHOCKED IF IT COMES ANYWHERE NEAR THAT FOR WHAT YOU NEED FOR YOUR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM.
YEAH, WE WERE REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT WE WERE WAY OVER BUDGET, UM, AT LEAST FOR, YOU KNOW, ANNUAL COSTS ON THE SECURITY SYSTEM.
UH, THE INITIAL INSTALLATION COSTS ARE MATCHING WHAT WE HAVE.
UH, RATE, YOU HAVE $9,000 IN THE BUDGET FOR THE, UM, THE REST OF THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THE TOTAL COST FOR ALL OF THE
[01:30:01]
ED, ASSUMING, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T GET A BETTER QUOTE FROM ADT, WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AROUND TO OTHER VENDORS AS WELL.UM, IS GONNA BE RIGHT AROUND $7,000.
SO, AND, AND THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT.
I MEAN THIS BUDGET, THIS, YOUR QUOTE IS ISN'T FAR OFF.
LIKE I SAID, I WAS TELLING UM, UH, SAMANTHA THERE LAST TIME.
I MEAN THERE ARE OUTFITS IN MY COMPANY.
MY COMPANY DOES IT FOR WHAT DIVISION IT DOES, UH, UH, LOCAL, IT'S LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION ACROSS LED TEAM.
SO THERE ARE GRANTS AND OUT THERE YOU CAN GET, UH, AS A NONPROFIT FOR SYSTEMS LIKE THIS.
AND WHEN, UH, UM, LIKE I SAYING, I JUST WANTED TO THROW IT OUT THERE AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK THE QUESTION CAUSE Y'ALL BROUGHT IT UP ABOUT GETTING IT DONE SOONER THAN LATER, SO, MM-HMM.
SO ARE YOU GOOD WITH, UH, A PUBLIC HEARING, UM, AND AN AGREEMENT TO, I MEAN, YOU OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WE BROUGHT UP? YEAH, I I'M FINE.
DID YOU HAVE ANY EXTRA INPUT? I, NO, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, KNOW WE, WE, WHAT WE HAD DISCUSSED EARLIER, YOU KNOW, WITH SOME OF THE SITUATION WITH COUNTY WHATNOT, BUT YOU KNOW THAT YEAH, I KNOW WE HAVE, WE, WE DO HAVE SOME OTHER THINGS WE HAVE TO WORK OUT BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
BUT, BUT IT, THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC ALSO, I FEEL LIKE TOO, THAT I'M PRETTY SURE THESE NUMBERS ARE GONNA CHANGE BECAUSE, UM, IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE BUILDING UNTIL OCTOBER 1ST, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT A FEW MONTHS TO GET IT UP AND RUNNING, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, LIKE JANUARY 1ST.
SO IT COULD BE THAT YOU'RE NOT NEEDING AS MUCH AS WHAT YOU'RE THINKING TO START.
SO, UM, AND OBVIOUSLY UNTIL WE, UNTIL WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, WE THEN WE, WELL WHAT'S THE BEST WAY I COULD SAY FIRM UP THE NUMBERS THEN WE'D FIRM UP THE NUMBERS THEN.
SO WAYNE, DID YOU WANT ANY EXTRA THING? SKIP, IS THERE ANYTHING EXTRA YOU HAVE TO ADD, TALK ABOUT? NO, I WAS, UH, I'M GLAD YOU COMMENTED ABOUT THE, UH, THE PLUMBING ISSUE BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE ISSUES THAT ARE GONNA SLOW DOWN KIND OF THE MILESTONES THAT, THAT YOU ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED.
SO I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE ENOUGH NUMBER OF THINGS, NUMBER OF THINGS CHANGING OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS ANYWAY.
UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT.
ALRIGHT, COUNCILOR, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.
SO OTHER THAN YOU OBVIOUSLY, UH, IT WOULD BE A POSITIVE IMPACT IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN PUT ME OUT.
CAN, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID ABOUT THE MILESTONES, WHAT I THOUGHT TOO IS, IS IT ALSO GIVES IT AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN SOME SPEED AND POSSIBLY SOME CAPITAL.
LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, PEOPLE KNOWING THAT IT MIGHT COME MIGHT BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME FUNDRAISING KNOWING THAT IT'S HAPPENING.
COUNSEL AND THE MORRIS I INTERRUPTED YOU FOR.
WE DON'T HAVE JUST LIKE THE BUILDING SITTING AROUND.
UM, SO IT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, AND I, I'M CONFIDENT THAT OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR AND THE COUNCIL WILL FIND FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO APPROPRIATE, BUT IT, IT IS REASSURING THAT THE TIMELINE IS CHANGING.
I'VE HEARD THAT THERE WERE SOME FRUSTRATIONS, UM, ABOUT THIS MOVING A LITTLE BIT SLOW.
AND LIKE LAURIE MENTIONED, I THINK IT'S BEEN NOT EVEN A MONTH YET SINCE YOU GUYS APPROACHED COUNCIL WITH YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND WE HAD FINALIZED OUR BUDGET IN APRIL.
AND UM, DOLORES, MY FRIEND ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OFTEN SAYS THAT THE WHEELS OF GOVERNMENT TURNED SLOW.
AND THAT'S FOR GOOD REASONS FOR DUE DILIGENCE.
UM, AND JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S DONE RIGHT.
UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS ARE SUCCESSFUL, THAT IT'S SUCCESSFUL FOR THE YOUTH OF THE TOWN AND COUNTY.
UM, AND I KNOW YOU STILL WANT THE MONEY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE DESPITE THE DELAYS TO GET THAT STUFF UP AND RUNNING AND POSSIBLY, SIMULTANEOUSLY.
BUT IT DOES TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF PRESSURE OFF OF US IN REGARDS TO, YOU KNOW, I WAS BEING TOLD LIKE THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH IS AUGUST 9TH, WE HAVE LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS.
AND SO, UH, THAT WAS CAUSING A LITTLE BIT OF STRESS FOR COUNCIL.
BUT, UM, WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID, I THINK JUST LOGISTICALLY WE NEED TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY.
UM, WE JUST HAD A SIMILAR SITUATION WITH THE TOWN COUNTY PROPERTY AND THERE'S JUST A LOT OF BEHIND THE SCENES THAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT.
SO, UM, I BELIEVE STAFF KNOWS WHAT WE WERE SAYING.
SO WE DO WANNA, UM, HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING.
I, I, YOU KNOW, WE PUBLIC, WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO CALL IT A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT IT'S REALLY A PUBLIC INFORMATION.
UM, AND THEN, UM, TALKING ABOUT WHERE THE MONEY WOULD COME FROM, THE BUDGET, MAYBE SOME SUGGESTIONS OF THOSE.
I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE STAFF'S ALREADY BEEN THINKING ABOUT WHERE THAT COULD COME FROM,
[01:35:01]
BUT THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO KNOW SINCE IT, AND THEN, UM, WORKING ON A CONTRACT AGREEMENT.NOW, MR. SONNET, THEY WERE SU THEY UM, THEY WERE SUGGESTING THAT THEY MAY HAVE AN MOA OR WHATEVER, SO I WOULD SAY, AND HE STARTED FOR IS WONDERFUL.
YEAH, ONCE THEY HAVE IT, THEN THEY COULD SHARE IT WITH YOU.
SO YOU'RE ON HOLD UNTIL THAT COMES ABOUT.
SO ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED FROM US? UM, CLARIFICATION, I KNOW IT'S A PUBLIC INPUT MEETING INSTEAD OF A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT BY NORMAL PROTOCOL WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING UNTIL AUGUST 28TH UNLESS YOU WANTED TO NOT COMPLY WITH THE PUBLIC NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND WE COULD DO IT ON JULY 24TH.
JULY 24TH HAS GOT A LOT OF STUFF ON IT, RIGHT? I'M THINKING, BUT I'M JUST SAYING I DIDN'T KNOW HOW QUICKLY YOU WANTED TO YEAH.
SO THIS WOULD BE AUGUST 28TH FOR THE PUBLICATION.
WELL, I THINK SINCE I FEEL A LITTLE, A LITTLE LIKE SOMEBODY'S LET, LET ME UP A LITTLE BIT AFTER.
YOU KNOW, I WAS FEELING LIKE WE WERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF WE, WE WOULD BE OKAY IF WE DID ON AUGUST 28TH AND MAYBE BY THEN WE'D KNOW MORE AND IF WE WANTED TO TAKE ACTION AT THAT TIME, WE COULD AT THAT MEETING THE OTHER VERSUS A WORK SESSION, WE COULDN'T.
THE OTHER THING I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ADD IS THAT WE FOUND OUT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING TO, UM, REAPPROPRIATE OR AMEND OUR BUDGET BECAUSE IT'S LESS THAN 1% OF OUR ANNUAL BUDGET.
SO WE WOULDN'T NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING BEYOND THAT ONE TO FURTHER DELAY IT AGAIN ONCE AUGUST COMES.
YEAH, WE JUST NEED, WE WOULD JUST NEED, WE WOULD JUST NEED ONE FOR INPUT.
WE WOULDN'T NEED ONE FOR INPUT AND THEN ONE FOR A BUDGET AMENDMENT BECAUSE IT'S LESS THAN 1% OF OUR BUDGET.
ARE WE GOOD? CAN I MOVE TO ITEM THE NEXT ITEM? ITEM FIVE A, UH, IS MS. LAUREN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ALL WAS NICE MEETING THOSE OF YOU THAT I HAD NOT MET.
AND THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT CUZ I WOULD NOT HAVE UH, THE NAME SOUND FAMILIAR BUT YEAH, NO, I JUST HAD REMEMBERED HER CUZ SHE WAS FAMILIAR THERE.
YEAH, SHE'S WHAT, 24? 24? YEAH, I REMEMBER THESE THINGS.
HOW ARE YOU? ALRIGHT, SO YOU ARE GOING TO BE PRESENTING TO US ON, UM, COMP PLAN, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I FEEL LIKE THAT FEELS LIKE I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT NOW FOR HOW LONG? LET'S SEE.
UM, STARTED, I WAS GONNA SAY, I THINK I WAS HERE WHEN IT STARTED AND MAYBE JUST ME, YOU AND TINA WERE AND GEORGE WERE HERE.
I STARTED HERE AUGUST 2ND, 2021 AND THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I STARTED WORKING ON.
YES, WE, WE HAD GROWN RUNNING WITH THIS.
UM, BUT THE PROCESS, I BELIEVE STARTED EARLIER IN THAT YEAR.
UM, AND SUMMIT WE HIRED ON, I BELIEVE IT WAS ACTUALLY AUGUST.
THEY WERE HIRED ON TO REWRITE THE COMP PLAN AND ZONING AND SUBDIVISION WITNESSES.
SO, UM, HEARING FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVEN'T SEEN IT, WHAT THE COMP PLAN IS AND, AND THE IMPORTANT THING, IT'S BASICALLY THIS IS THE GUIDING DOCUMENT THAT PLANNING AND ZONING USES AND THAT COUNCIL USES THE COMMUNITY USES TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATENESS OF DEVELOPMENT.
AND IT JUST TAKES US, WHAT DOES FRONT ROYAL WANNA BE IN THE NEXT 20 TO 30 YEARS? THE PURPOSE HERE IS TO GUIDE, UM, AND THEN PROMOTE THE INTEREST OF THE TOWN AS A COLLECTIVE BOARD.
AS YOU'LL SEE, THIS HAS BEEN A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WITH THE PUBLIC STAFF AND SUMMIT HAVE DONE OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS HAD MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS AS POSSIBLE.
I WAS SAYING TO HER, YES, WE DID HAVE A LOT OF INPUT.
SOMEBODY QUESTIONED THAT WE HADN AND THEN I WAS LIKE, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WE HAD A LOT OF, UH, PUBLIC INPUT OR IT FEELS LIKE I WENT TO A LOT OF THINGS.
SO, AND SO BASICALLY THIS PLAN, THIS IS YOUR HIGH ALTITUDE PLAN.
THIS IS LOOKING AT THE TOWN AS A WHOLE AND THEN THE ZONING ORDINANCE, SUBDIVISION ORDINANCES.
TAKE US DOWN TO THE PARCEL LEVEL.
AND SO WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? SO ONE, YOU KNOW, A LOT'S CHANGED IN 25 YEARS.
[01:40:01]
LAST COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE PROCESS WAS STARTED IN 1996 AND THEN ADOPTED IN 1998.AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS TO IT.
AND THOSE WERE DONE AROUND THE 20 12, 20 14 TIMEFRAME.
THE STATE CODE IS 15.2223, REQUIRES THAT THE TA OR EACH LOCALITY HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BUT ALSO THAT IT GETS RECERTIFIED EVERY FIVE YEARS.
BUT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.
WE, IT IS TIME TO RECERTIFY, BUT WE DIDN'T WANNA JUST RECERTIFY IT.
UM, AND SO WITH THIS PROCESS, WE'VE ALLOWED THE CURRENT RESIDENTS AND THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP AND TOWN STAFF TO TAKE A GOOD HARD LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WE TODAY AND WHERE DO WE WANNA GO.
AND I THINK THIS MAP HERE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT IN TELLING MAPS IN THE DOCUMENT.
SO THIS SHOWS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAST, UM, 25, WELL, 40 YEARS ACTUALLY.
SO THE YELLOW AREAS ARE THE AREAS THAT WERE DEVELOPED BETWEEN 1985 AND 1997, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A GOOD PORTION OF THE TOWN CAUSE SO THIS PORTION OF TOWN WAS NOT EVEN IN COUNT, THE TOWN LIMITS, UH, WHEN MOST OF THIS AREA.
AND THEN THE RED IS THE DEVELOPMENT THAT HAPPENED FROM 1997 TO 2007.
AND THAT, UM, THE HAPPY CREEK, THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST NOW FINISHING UP THAT FINAL PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT.
UM, BUT THEN SINCE 2007 TO 2021, THE ONLY OTHER DEVELOPMENT WE'VE HAD HAS BEEN THE HOSPITAL SITE.
THE REST OF IT HAS BEEN INFILL LOTS.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, BUILDERS BUYING UP LITTLE PIECES OF LAND AND, AND PUTTING IN HOUSES.
SO IN THE LAST THREE YEARS WE'VE HAD AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 30 NEW DWELLING UNITS.
SO GROWTH HAS BEEN FAIRLY SLOW, AT LEAST RESIDENTIAL GROWTH.
AND THEN THE STATE CODE ALSO HAS CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS AS TO WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO THE, THE ITEMS IN BLUE ARE THE ITEMS THAT SHALL BE INCLUDED.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE THERE.
SO THAT THE TRANSPORTATION PLAN WITH MATH, AND WE HAVE A WHOLE CHAPTER ON THAT THAT VDOT HAS REVIEWED AND GIVEN US THE, THE PRETTY MUCH GO AHEAD.
THAT, UM, A BROAD, A BROADBAND PLAN AND THEN A SECTION COVERING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT STUFF.
UM, AND THEN THE REST OF IT IS PRETTY OPTIONAL, BUT, UM, YOU CAN SPEAK TO COMMUNITY APPEARANCE, LAND USE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, TOURISM.
TYPICALLY TOURISM ISN'T ALWAYS GONNA BE IN YOUR COMP PLAN, BUT WE, WE INCLUDED IT IN OURS.
UM, PARKS, OPEN SPACE, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND THEN AREAS TO WHERE WE WANNA FOCUS GROWTH OF.
SO THE FIRST PART OF THIS PROCESS REALLY WAS THE DATA GATHERING AND ANALYSIS AND THEN INCORPORATING THE PUBLIC OUTREACH INTO THAT.
AND THAT'S HOW WE DEVELOPED THIS PLAN.
SO PEOPLE THAT KNOW MOST ABOUT FRONT ROYAL ARE THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE.
WE REALLY LEANED HEAVILY INTO THAT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS.
UM, SO, UH, WHAT WE DID AT THE BEGINNING WAS WE OUTLINED ALL OF THE STEPS THAT WE WERE GONNA DO TO GET US TO THE FINISH LINE.
SO TO GET US BASICALLY TO TODAY.
UM, AND SO WE HAD KICKOFF MEETINGS WITH STAFF, WITH HOUSEHOLD, UM, WITH THE DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AND THEN WE STARTED GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND HAVING THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS.
UH, WE GATHERED CENSUS DATA AND WE PUT ALL OF THAT TOGETHER TO THEN GET US INTO THE SECOND PHASE, WHICH WAS THE ACTUAL PLAN ITSELF.
THESE ARE THE IMPORTANT DATES THAT I WANTED TO TOUCH ON.
SO AGAIN, THIS ALL STARTED BACK IN AUGUST OF 21.
BY OCTOBER OF 21, WE HAD HAD THE FIRST, I THINK, PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL AND HAD STARTED WORKING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
WE HAD OUR FIRST LEADERSHIP FORUM, AND THEN THE PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE IN NOVEMBER IS WHERE WE HAD TWO EVENTS AT THE PAVILION.
WE PASSED OUT BUSINESS CARDS FOR THE COMP PLAN AND THESE HAD QR CODES THAT ANYONE THAT CAME THERE OR CAME TO OUR DEPARTMENT TO PICK UP AND IT LINKS THEM TO THE WEBSITE THAT WE HAD CREATED.
SO THAT GAVE EVERYBODY ACCESS TO THE SURVEY.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD PAPER COPIES THERE FOR FOLKS THAT JUST DIDN'T WANNA DEAL WITH DOING IT ONLINE.
UM, AND THEN WE MADE IT AVAILABLE TO WHERE THEY COULD SUBMIT THOSE COPIES TO PLANNING AND ZONING.
AND THEN WE GOT THAT INFORMATION TO SUBMIT.
UM, THAT SURVEY WAS UP FROM THE END OF OCTOBER INTO DECEMBER.
AND THEN BY THE END OF DECEMBER WE HAD THE
[01:45:01]
EXISTING CONDITIONS REPORT, WHICH WAS SHARED WITH PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNSEL PUBLISHED ON THE TOWN WEBSITE, THE COMPTON WEBSITE.AND THAT ALLOWED EVERYBODY TO KIND OF, THAT GAVE US OUR BASELINE OF WHERE ARE WE AT.
UM, WE HAD FACILITATED TOWN MEETINGS IN MAY OF 2022.
SO WITH THAT, UM, WE HAD A TWO DAY, UH, EVENT.
SO THE FIRST EVENT WAS AT THAT COMMUNITY CENTER.
I THINK A LOT OF YOU WERE THERE.
SO THIS IS WHAT A HIGH DENSITY MAKES USE DEVELOPMENT COULD LOOK LIKE.
THIS IS WHAT RURAL RESIDENTIAL CAN LOOK LIKE.
WE HAD MAPS OF THE TROLLEYS, WHERE DO WE NEED TO HAVE STOPS? UM, WE HAD EMPLOYMENT MAPS, WE HAD TABLES SET UP SO THAT PEOPLE COULD GIVE US INPUT ON EVERY ASPECT THAT, UM, WENT INTO THIS PLAN.
AND THEN WE TOOK ALL OF THAT DATA AND THAT HELPED DEVELOP THAT FUTURE LAND USE MAP THAT WE PUSHED OUT TO THE PUBLIC STARTING IN JUNE OF 2022.
THERE SHOULD BE 22, NOT 23 THERE.
BUT, UM, AND THAT FUTURE LAND USE MAP HAS BEEN CHANGED UP UNTIL MAY OF THIS YEAR WHEN WE ISSUED THE FINAL DRAFT.
UM, BUT ALL OF THESE DOCUMENTS, ALL THE PIECES THAT HAVE GONE OUT TO COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION HAVE BEEN ON THE WEBSITE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN BE ENGAGED AND, AND PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, AND THEN IN THE FALL OF LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD OUR PUBLIC OPEN HOUSES, THAT WAS WHEN THE, UM, FIRST WHAT WE CALLED FINAL DRAFT WAS ISSUED TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
AND THEN WE HELD THOSE SESSIONS HERE IN TOWN HALL, UM, I THINK IT WAS A, A MONDAY EVENING I BELIEVE.
UM, AND THE COMMUNITY CAME AND GAVE US ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS.
PLANNING COMMISSION IN NOVEMBER OF 2022 REQUESTED SOME MAP CHANGES.
AND SO STAFF WORKED WITH SUMMIT.
WE GOT ALL THOSE CHANGES MADE AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO ISSUE THE FINAL DRAFT THIS EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UM, WE HELD OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS AND, AND COUNCIL OR, UM, PLANNING COMMISSION CERTIFIED THIS VERSION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT YOU GUYS HAVE IN YOUR, YOUR BOX, I BELIEVE, UM, FOR TONIGHT.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT STEP WILL BE MY, MY HOPE IS THAT BY JANUARY OF 24 AND THEN INTO FEBRUARY OF 24, WE CAN WRAP UP THE SUBDIVISION ZONING.
UM, SO HERE I'LL TALK ABOUT HOW THE PLAN WAS ACTUALLY ORGANIZED AND PUT TOGETHER.
SO WE TOOK ALL OF THAT INPUT AND ALL THE SURVEY RESULTS ARE IN THE APPENDIX OF THE PLAN SO ANYBODY CAN SEE THEM.
BUT WE DEVELOPED A VISION AND PLANNING COMMISSION HELPED TO WRITE THIS VISION.
IT SAID THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL WILL BE A PLACE RESIDENTS ARE PROUD TO CALL HOME.
WE'LL SERVE THE NEEDS OF ALL RESIDENTS WHILE PROMOTING ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND ENCOURAGING HIGH QUALITY DEVELOPMENT.
THIS WILL BE AN ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS COMMUNITY THAT PROTECTS ITS NATURAL RESOURCES AND PRESERVES ITS SMALL TOWN CHARM.
AND WHAT WE TRIED TO DO IS KIND OF LEAVE THAT THEME OF PRIDE IN THE TOWN THROUGHOUT THE PLAN AND THROUGHOUT THESE BIG IDEAS AND CORE TOPICS.
SO FROM THE VISION STATEMENT, THAT'S OUR BROAD, WHERE DO WE WANNA GO? BOLD.
WE CAME UP WITH FOUR BIG IDEAS AND THAT IS PRESERVE OUR HISTORY AND CREATE MORE OF THE CHARM THAT WE LOVE, THAT THIS WILL BE A LIFELONG COMMUNITY THAT WILL PROVIDE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND PROVIDE ENVIRONMENTAL ACCESS AND TAKE CARE OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES.
AND THEN THOSE FOUR THEMES ARE THEN BROKEN DOWN INTO CORE TOPICS WHICH CREATE THE CHAPTERS THAT YOU SEE.
AND SO WITHIN THOSE TOPICS, YOU HAVE SMALL TOWN CHARACTER TOURISM, HIGH QUALITY DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY, PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, RESPONSIVE, ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE.
AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CATEGORY TOO BECAUSE DURING THE PUBLIC INPUT SURVEY, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE PUBLIC SAID THAT THEY WANTED MOST WAS RESPONSIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE RELIABLE UTILITIES AND SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND THEN THE HOUSING SUSTAINABILITY, WHICH ENCOMPASSES THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PORTION.
UM, AND SO WITHIN EACH OF THOSE CORE TOPICS, WE HAVE GOALS THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH OF THEM, THESE ARE THE GOALS.
I WON'T READ ALL OF THEM FOR YOU, BUT UM, THIS IS OUR GUIDE WITHIN THESE TOPICS.
AND THEN FROM THOSE GOALS, WE BREAK IT DOWN FURTHER TO OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES.
UM, AND EACH OF THESE OBJECTIVES IS THEY'RE DIFFERENT TOPICS.
[01:50:01]
SO FOR THE SMALL TOWN CHARM, IT'S HISTORIC PRESERVATION, DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION, HOW DO WE PROMOTE ARTS CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT AND MAKE IT CLEAN AND ATTRACTIVE? AND MY FAVORITE PART OF THE PLAN IS THAT FROM THOSE WE DEVELOPED AN IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX.AND THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX, WE HAVE THIS FOR ALL OF THE CORE TOPICS, BUT THIS GIVES STAFF AND THIS CURRENT COUNSEL AND EVEN FUTURE COUNSEL IF THEY CHOOSE TO, UM, JUST A ROADMAP OF, OF HOW WE SET OUR GOALS.
SO THIS ALLOWS ME TO FIGURE OUT WHO THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY IS, IT GIVES TIMELINES AND THEN IT BREAKS EACH OF THOSE OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES DOWN.
AND THESE ARE OUR ESSENTIALLY GRADES, OUR MARCHING ORDER.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT I CAN JUST, AS TIME GOES ON, WE CAN CHECK OFF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IMPLEMENTING THE CONFERENCE PLAN.
THIS ALSO GUIDES WHAT WE DO WITH OUR ZONING AND SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE BECAUSE THAT DOCUMENT IS HOW WE MAKE THIS DOCUMENT HAPPEN.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT BIG SECTION OF THE PLAN IS THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
SO AT THOSE PUBLIC INPUT SESSIONS, WE HAD A MAP OF THE TOWN, WE HAD A GENERAL MAP JUST LIKE THIS, AND WE HAD PEOPLE DRAWN HERE, WHAT DO YOU LIKE, WHAT DO YOU NOT LIKE? UM, WHAT DO YOU SEE LAND USE WISE HERE? SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE CAME UP WITH THESE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
PLANNING COMMISSION HAS HELPED TWEAK SOME OF THESE DESCRIPTIONS.
UM, BUT ALL OF THIS IS BASED IN, YOU KNOW, THE BEST PLANNING PRACTICES AND PRINCIPLES AND THEN JUST WHAT WORKS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE AMENDED OR CHANGED A LOT OF THE ORIGINAL, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL USES THAT WE SEE IN TOWN.
SO THE CURRENT MAP HAS A LOT OF RED AND WE'VE CHANGED THAT TO A LOT OF ORANGE TO BUILD IN FLEXIBILITY.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF SMALL LOTS IN TOWN.
AND SO WHAT YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF, UM, LAND THAT'S MARKED AS COMMERCIAL, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY VIABLE FOR COMMERCIAL USES BECAUSE IT'S EITHER, IT'S USUALLY TOO SMALL, TOO NARROW, OR OUR SETBACKS DON'T ALLOW THAT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT.
BUT THIS BUILDS IN FLEXIBILITY.
SO THIS ALLOWS FOR ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL.
AND BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A BIT OF A SHORTAGE ON HOUSING, UM, IT JUST, IT JUST ALLOWS US TO HAVE A LOT OF OPTIONS.
AND THEN THE TOWN HAS ALSO BEEN BROKEN DOWN INTO PLANNING AREAS AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS BEEN WORKING ON UPDATING THIS PLAN FOR A LONG TIME.
SO THIS IS WHERE A LOT OF WHAT THE PREVIOUS PLANNING COMMISSIONS HAD WORKED ON IS INCORPORATED INTO THE PLAN IS IN THESE PLANNING AREAS BECAUSE EACH OF THESE SECTIONS, WE GAVE THEIR DOCUMENTS TO SUMMIT.
AND THEN THESE WERE, THIS IS WHERE THESE, UM, OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND ACTION STRATEGIES ORIGINATED.
SO THESE HAVE BEEN UPDATED BY MYSELF AND BY SUMMIT, UH, WITH COMMUNITY INPUT.
BUT EACH OF THOSE DISTRICTS HAS A SECTION, UM, JUST FOR IT AND IT HAS THE AREA DESCRIPTION AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE OUR GOALS AND WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO DO PER SECTION? SO LIKE THIS NORTHEAST SECTION, THIS SHOWS WHERE YOU'VE GOT THE, UH, INDUSTRIAL PARK, IT SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA DO SOMETHING LIKE THE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTIAL, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HIGHER DENSITY RESIDENTIAL, BUT IT FITS THAT AREA.
UM, AND THEN INCORPORATE SOME OF THE OPEN SPACE AND, YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY, HOPEFULLY CONNECT TRAILS INTO DOWNTOWN.
I FIND IT INTERESTING, THEY ALSO WOULD PUT LIKE CHALLENGES.
CAUSE IF YOU NOTICE THIS SAYS RAILROAD IS A BARRIER TO ROAD ACCESS, PARTICULARLY FOR EMERGENCY ACCESS FOR RESIDENTIAL USES, NEED FOR SIGNIFICANT UTILITY AND TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, ANYWAY, I JUST, I I, UM, ANYBODY LOOKING AT THAT, YEAH, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY THAT WAS THINKING ABOUT COMING HERE OR WHATEVER, THEY, THEY SEE ALL OF THAT IN THE DOCUMENT AND THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, AND THIS HELPS LIKE DEVELOPERS TOO DO AND PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE PURCHASING LAND, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS YOU DO IS YOU WRITE IN THAT DUE DILIGENCE PHASE INTO THE CONTRACT.
SO YOU TYPICALLY GIVE YOURSELF A COUPLE OF MONTHS, YOU CONTACT THAT PLANNING AND ZONING OFFICE, YOU MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU WANNA DO CONFORMS TO FIRST AND FOREMOST THE GOAL OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
DOES THIS PROJECT MEET AND LINE UP WITH THE CONFERENCE PLAN? AND THIS AREA OF TOWN WAS ACTUALLY DESIGNATED GROWTH AREA BY THE COUNTY AND TOWN.
UM, BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH RATE OF THE REGION, THE STATE REQUIRES THAT WE DO THAT.
IT'S JUST INTERESTING THOUGH, CAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE'VE IDENTIFIED.
THAT'S, BUT WE'RE STRUGGLING TO, WE'RE STRUGGLING
[01:55:01]
WITH IT.UM, SO I, I, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT A LOT WITH THIS COMP PLAN AS, AS WE'VE MOVED ALONG, IS THAT WE'VE, WE HAVE AREAS IDENTIFIED, BUT CAN WE MAKE IT HAPPEN OR NOT? I DON'T KNOW.
UH, BECAUSE OF THOSE CHALLENGES
UM, SO FOR THE NEXT STEPS, ONCE THIS PLAN, ONCE WE GET THIS CERTIFIED AND APPROVED, UM, THE NEXT STEP IS THAT WE REALLY START DIGGING INTO THE ZONING AND SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE.
AND AS OF NOW, WE HAVE AREAS OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH FOR STAFF AND FOR THE SYSTEM.
UM, SO WHAT WE WANNA DO IS MAKE SURE THAT OUR ENTIRE CODE IS COMPLIANT WITH STATE CODE AND THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WILL BE IMPLEMENTED.
AND THIS IS WHERE, UM, NEW DEVELOPMENT BE IN LINE WITH THE TOWN'S VISION.
SO THIS REALLY SPEAKS TO THE CHARACTER OF NEW DEVELOPMENT.
WHAT DO WE WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE? WE CAN INCORPORATE ASPECTS OF FORM-BASED CODE.
WE CAN LOOK AT, UM, JUST WRITING DIFFERENT ZONING REGULATIONS THAT ALLOW US TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTROL OF HOW DEVELOPMENT LOOKS IN FRONT OIL.
UM, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SMALL TOWN CHARM OF MAIN STREET THAT EVERYBODY IN THEIR SURVEYS SAID THAT THEY LOVE, WE CAN'T RECREATE THAT WITH OUR CURRENT ZONING REGULATIONS.
UM, WHAT WE, WHAT WE CREATED ESSENTIALLY LIKE THE TWO BIG SHOPPING CENTERS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN TOWN.
AND SO ZONING IN AND OF ITSELF IS THE STRONGEST SCHOOL THAT WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT LIKE OUR VISION IS REALIZED.
SO THAT'S WHY WE NEEDED TO GET COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PRETTY MUCH DONE BEFORE WE STARTED THIS NEXT STEP.
BUT I THINK THIS NEXT STEP IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA SEE THE MOST IMPACT FOR THE TOWN.
UM, AND SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, MY DEPARTMENT'S TAKING THE INPUT THAT WE RECEIVED THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS AND WE'VE STARTED IDENTIFYING ELEMENTS OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE THAT ARE WORKING, WHAT'S NOT WORKING.
I THINK I'VE GOT A TWO PAGE LIST RUNNING RIGHT NOW OF JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE NEED TO CHANGE.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL START, UM, COMPARING WHAT WE HAVE NOW, CHECKING IT WITH STATE CODE, MAKING SURE IT COMPLIES.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO STARTING TO LOOK AT OTHER JURISDICTIONS AND SEE WHAT'S WORKING.
THERE'S NOT WORKING THERE AND JUST TRYING TO BUILD OUR, OUR NEW ORDINANCE.
UM, AND THEN THIS KIND OF GOES INTO, IT ALL FLOWS TOGETHER.
SO HAVING A GOOD ZONING ORDINANCE HELPS WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
IT HELPS JUST, JUST GUIDE THE TOWN AND GUIDE THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CREATE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WANT.
IT PREVENTS, UM, IT ALLOWS US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE NOT ALL DEVELOPMENT IS GREAT, BUT NOT ALL IT'S BAD.
UM, SO AGAIN, SO AT THIS POINT WE ARE BASICALLY DONE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PROCESS, UM, AND STAFF IS STARTING THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
SO I'VE BEEN REACHING OUT TO SOME OF THE LOCAL BUILDERS.
SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS TRY TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT, WHAT ARE THEIR MAIN RIGHTS OR COMPLAINTS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING OR WHAT ARE THEY LIKE ABOUT OUR PROCESSES.
AND THEN I'M GONNA START WRITING OR PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER AND THEN WE WILL HOPEFULLY WE'LL BRING IT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND ONCE PLANNING COMMISSION OKAYS IT, WE'LL HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REWRITING TOWN CODE TOO? SO THE ZONING ORDINANCE AND SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE, THE ZONING AND, YEP.
SO THOSE ARE TOWN CODE CHAPTERS 1 75 AND 1 48.
AND HONESTLY, WE'LL PROBABLY NEED TO THROW MAYBE 1 52 IN THERE BECAUSE IT IS CONNECTED TO 1 48, BUT THEY DON'T MATCH.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON.
I JUST WANNA SAY, WHEN I LEFT TO USE THE RESTROOM, I THOUGHT IN MY HEAD, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS COMP PLAN NOW, OR WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE YOU GOT HERE TOO, I BELIEVE.
OR AT LEAST, UH, HIRING SOMEBODY AND EVERYTHING AND MAN, I JUST SO BADLY WANNA GET THIS THING ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A PARTY.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? AND JOSH, I JUST WANNA APOLOGIZE CUZ I SAID EARLIER, I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN HERE, TINA GEORGE, BUT YOU WERE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION WHEN THIS ALL STARTED TOO.
SO YOU'VE KIND OF BEEN HERE WITH THE IN INCEPTION OF IT ALL GOING ON TOO.
SO I KNOW IT HAS TAKEN A LITTLE LONGER CUZ ORIGINALLY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE AN 18 MONTH, BUT I THINK THAT
[02:00:01]
SOMETIMES YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO IT RIGHT, IF IT TAKES A LITTLE LONGER.I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IF THIS IS GONNA LAST US 20 TO 30 YEARS, WELL, SOME OF IT, WHEN, YOU KNOW, BACK WHEN IT WAS ON PLANNING COMMISSION, SOME OF OUR GRIPS WERE JUST, IT WAS HARD TO, HARD TO READ THE WAY THE FORM THE, THE, THE, UM, DRAFTS THAT THEY WERE SENDING US WERE JUST HARD TO READ.
LIKE IN THE MAPS WEREN'T LABELED.
SO A LOT OF IT WAS JUST, IT WASN'T SO MUCH SUBSTANCE, IT WAS MORE JUST GENERAL EDITING, YOU KNOW? AND IT TURNS OUT THEY DIDN'T MEAN TO SEND US A LOW, I GUESS WHAT THEY DID SOME TYPE OF WHAT THEY SAVED IT AND SAVED US LIKE A LOWER RESOLUTION PDF SO THEY COULD EMAIL IT.
OH, WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHY, BECAUSE ON THEIR END THE MAPS WERE CLEAR AND ON OUR END IT WAS FUZZY.
I JUST REMEMBER READING THE LAST AUGUST, READING THROUGH EVERY PAGE OF IT, MAKING NOTES, GIVING THEM TO YOU.
SO HOW DOES, UH, MIXED USE COMMERCIAL FALL INTO THE, UH, OUR STOCKING CENTERS OUT THERE? I NOTICED THAT ON THE MAP, ON THE FUTURE USE MAP, UH, I MEAN THOSE ARE PROBABLY ALWAYS, PROBABLY ALWAYS GOING TO BE COMMERCIAL.
WELL, THEY CAN BE, BUT WHAT THIS ALLOWS THEM TO DO IS IF THEY CHOOSE TO REZONE, IF THEY WANNA REDEVELOP, THEY CAN SUBMIT A REZONING PROPOSAL AND THEN THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO FALL UNDER NEW ZONING GUIDELINES.
AND I THINK IT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM TO REDEVELOP.
IT GIVES THEM THE OPTION IF THEY WANT TO.
LAUREN, UM, COUNCILWOMAN D DOMENICO PAIN HAD THE, UM, COULDN'T BE HERE THIS EVENING, BUT SHE HAD SENT SOME SOME THOUGHTS.
I MEAN, I, FIRST OF ALL, WHICH SHE SAID SHE BELIEVE IS A VERY GOOD PLAN THAT CLEARLY CAPTURES A WIDE RANGE INTEREST.
BUT SHE MENTIONED SOMETHING, I THINK WE NEED TO INCLUDE CITIZENS IN THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY COLUMNS.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT, PROBABLY, I CAN SHARE THIS WITH YOU AND THEN MAYBE YOU COULD CONFIRM WITH HER.
UM, UM, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS SHE SAYS WHERE, WHERE THERE IS JUST ONE ENTITY LISTED, FOR EXAMPLE, FRIDA OR PLANNING AND ZONING STAFF, ET CETERA, THERE SHOULD BE AT LEAST ONE MORE PARTY, UH, IDEALLY TWO MORE PARTIES LISTED FOR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE CONTINUITY IN THE EVENT THAT THERE IS A MAJOR TURNOVER WITHIN THE ENTITY MENTIONED, WHICH I, I, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE'S SAYING THERE.
LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN PLANNING AND ZONING, YOU KNOW, BECOMES TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE.
BUT, UM, TWO, THIS IS ALSO, AND I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE SAID THIS, THIS IS A LIVING DOCUMENT.
I MEAN, THIS DOCUMENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND RE GET, RE-CERTIFIED EVERY FIVE YEARS.
SO HONESTLY, IN PROBABLY TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS, STAFF WILL START TAKING A GOOD HARD LOOK AT IT AND WE'LL GO CHAPTER BY CHAPTER WITH PLANNING COMMISSION AND DETERMINE WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT'S NOT.
THE OTHER PART SHE SAID KIND OF IS REALLY WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
SHE WAS SAYING LIKE, UM, THE MAP THAT INDICATES FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES SHOULD BE STRONG BUT NOT CONCRETE.
UM, AS THE COMMUNITY CHANGES MAY CALL FOR CONSIDERATION OR ALTERNATIVE USES, IT'S BASICALLY WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
AND SO HER NOT KNOWING THAT IS THAT, IS THAT IF, YOU KNOW, IF THERE NEEDS TO BE A CHANGE AND IT DOESN'T EXACTLY MATCH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN MAP, WE CAN STILL ENTERTAIN IT.
SO TYPICALLY WHEN WE DO YESTERDAY, WE WOULD PUT OUT SURVEY QUESTIONS AGAIN, AND WE WOULD NOT GO THROUGH THIS IN DEPTH OF A PROCESS, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE GOOD BIT OF COMMUNITY POSITION.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THE CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT I THINK WAS VERY, UH, OR PLAYED A BIG PART IN THE LAST ONE.
BUT WHAT WE DID INSTEAD WAS USED COUNSEL AND RITA AND PLANNING COMMISSION, AND I WENT OUT AND I MET WITH REALTORS AND BUILDERS AND, UM, JUST TRIED TO TALK TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE ABOUT WHAT THEY WANTED.
SEE, I HAD STAFF THAT LIVED IN TOWN HAVE A MEETING HERE IN THIS ROOM, TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE FOR THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
SO, WELL, I DEFINITELY, I DEFINITELY FEEL LIKE WE HAD PUBLIC INPUT.
IF YOU, IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO GIVE INPUT, THEY CERTAINLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY THAT, THAT'S HOW I FEEL LIKE, I MEAN, YEAH, WE DIDN'T KNOCK ON EVERYBODY'S DOOR, BUT IF YOU WANTED TO HAVE INPUT, THERE WERE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES.
SO I, I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT PART OF IT.
SO COUNSEL, UM, STAFF'S RECOMMENDING THAT WE APPROVE AND ADOPT THE COMP PLAN DURING A PUBLIC HEARING ON AUGUST 28TH.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OPPOSITION TO THAT OR FEEL LIKE WE'RE NOT READY FOR IT? OR, OR COULD WE GO AHEAD AND PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON AUGUST 28TH? SURE.
[02:05:01]
NO, NO.I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S GOOD WITH THAT.
AS LONG AS THE PLANNING COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MOVING ON TO US AND I THINK EXPLANATION TONIGHT.
AND THEY, AND THEY PAUSED FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND REWORK THINGS, SO THEY'VE GIVEN IT, SO, ALL RIGHT.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING WE'D BE HAVING ON THE 28TH.
OH YEAH, YOU, YOU'RE THE NEXT ONE HERE.
THEY SUBMITTED A ZONING REZONING REQUEST TO, UM, RECLASSIFY.
IS IT TAX ACT 28 4 DASH 24 DASH ONE FROM COMMERCIAL C3 DESIGNATION TO RESIDENTIAL R TWO.
UM, SO THE C3 DISTRICT EXCLUDES RESIDENTIAL USES.
UM, AND RIGHT NOW WHAT THEY HAVE IS APPROVAL FOR A LODGING HOUSE, WHICH IS A BY RIGHT USE IN THE C3 DISTRICT.
THEY WOULD LIKE TO, UM, WELL, ESSENTIALLY WITH THIS REZONING, I WILL REVOKE THAT APPROVAL FOR THE LODGING HOUSE AND THEY WILL BE APPLYING FOR A MULTIFAMILY OR ZONING PERMIT FOR A MULTIFAMILY STRUCTURE ON THIS PARCEL.
UM, THE PLANNING COMMISSION VOTED THIS BOARD OR THE, GAVE A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL.
UM, AND WHILE THIS IS NOT IN LINE WITH THE CURRENT COMP PLAN, THIS COMP PLAN CAN SUPPORT IT BECAUSE THE COMMERCIAL, UH, THE FUTURE LAND USE DESCRIPTION FOR THE COMMERCIAL ZONES DOES SAY LIMITED MULTIFAMILY.
AND WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO WOULD BE
UM, THIS LOT IS ALSO A PIECE OF A LARGER LOT IN WARREN COUNTY.
UM, IT'S A PORTION OF A LARGER PARCEL, THE MAJORITY OF WHICH IS LIES IN THE COUNTY.
SO AS OF NOW, WE CAN'T FIND ANYTHING THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO HAVE A SPLIT ZONING ON A PARCEL.
SO, UM, THIS LOT IS, IS TOO SMALL AND I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE APPROPRIATE ACCESS FOR IT TO BE USED IN ANY TYPE OF COMMERCIAL CAPACITY.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS REZO, BUT I CAN TAKE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
SO STAFF STAFF IS GOOD WITH IT.
AND PLANNING COMMISSION WAS ALSO GOOD WITH IT.
CAUSE I KNEW THEY, I KNEW THERE WAS ONE, THEY HAD SOME, THEY HAD SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT IT.
I FEEL LIKE SOMEBODY TALKED TO ME ABOUT IT.
AND DIDN'T THEY SAY TOO, THAT PART OF THIS WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TO USE IT AS LIKE HOUSING FOR ONE OF THEIR CHILDREN OR SOMETHING? UM, THE APPLICANT STATED HE'S USING IT FOR A DISABLED ADULT CHILD.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS OR DOES NOT FEEL LIKE THIS CAN MOVE FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEP? ANYBODY? WAS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT IT HAVING GIVEN US ACCESS TO ONE OF OUR PUMPING STATIONS OR SOMETHING? YES.
THIS IS ADJACENT TO OUR PUMP STATION AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH ANY ACCESS ISSUES NOW, BUT THIS APPLICATION IS JUST FOR THE REZONING.
ANY ACCESS, THEY WOULD NOT GET THEIR FINAL APPROVAL UNTIL ANY ACCESS ISSUES THAT THEY MAY HAVE OR THAT THE TOWN MAY HAVE THAT'S RESOLVED.
SO OUR ACTION, THE COUNCIL'S ACTION IS TO REZONE IT.
THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR? YES, BUT THE, BUT IT'S NOT A DONE DEAL UNTIL THEY'VE MET ALL OF THE OTHER CONDITIONS.
IN THAT INSTANCE, I DON'T ISSUE THEIR FINAL ZONING OR THEIR, THEIR APPROVAL FOR OCCUPANCY, UM, THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO GIVE TO THE COUNTY TO GET THEIR FINAL CO, UM, UNTIL ANY ACCESS ISSUES WOULD.
SO WE ALL STILL GOOD? CHRIS, DID YOU I I DON'T KNOW.
I, I, UH, THE WAY, THE WAY I SEE IT IS, IS THERE'S NO, THE HOUSE IS LIKE OFF THIS LITTLE ROAD AND IT, IT DOESN'T FRONT, UM, GUARD HILL ROAD.
IT DOESN'T FRONT GUARD HILL ROAD.
SO HOUSE PORTION, IT, IT KIND OF INDICATES TO ME THAT, THAT IT'S LIKE SPOT ZONING THAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
AND I DON'T KNOW, I, I JUST, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE COULD BE GOING DOWN A, A PATH THAT, UH, I'M JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE.
UH, CAN SOMEONE SPEAK TO THAT? UH, WHAT WAS THE PLAN COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION? LAUREN? THEY RECOMMENDED, UH,
[02:10:01]
I THINK SPOT ZONING WAS DISCUSSED, IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY.I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH COMMISSIONER, BUT I THINK, WELL, THIS IS SPOT ZONING.
WELL, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S OUT OF CHARACTER WITH THE SURROUNDING ZONES.
IT IS CURRENTLY OUT OF CHARACTER BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT COMMERCIAL AND, AND LIKE HIGH INTENSITY COMMERCIAL.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE REMAINDER OF THE PARCEL IS AGRICULTURE.
WELL, IT NOW THAT'S IN THE COUNTY.
SO, AND THE RESIDENTIAL I THINK IS MORE APPROPRIATE WITH TO OR NEAR THE AG AND THE COMMERCIAL.
AND THESE, I, I DON'T SEE THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE COMMERCIAL.
THEY'RE ONLY BECAUSE OF THE GEOGRAPHIC CONSTRAINTS OF THE SITE.
NOT BECAUSE COMMERCIAL DOESN'T BELONG ALONG A MAJOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION BOARD, OR IT DOES, BUT THESE SITES ARE NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO HAVE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE CAVEAT I WAS GONNA THROW IN AS WELL, JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT I KNOW THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE AREA AND WHAT'S CURRENTLY THERE, YOU KNOW, SO PAPER, IT'S SPOT ZONING, BUT IN THIS CASE IT'S, THERE'S ALREADY NOT, I MEAN, THE WAY THAT EVEN BORDER WENT TO COUNTY.
WELL THAT'S, THAT'S A QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, HOW WAS THE ZONING DETERMINED WHEN THE BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT WAS DONE? YEAH.
AND SEE THE COUNTY DID GIVE US A COPY OF THEIR, WELL, UH, DRAFT OF IT ANYWAYS, OF WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING TO ZONE AND THIS, AND THIS WAS DISCUSSED WITH THE COUNTY ABOUT THE, ABOUT THESE POTENTIAL CAUSE THIS, THIS, THIS IS WHERE THE, THESE, UH, THESE AREAS WHERE POTENTIAL CONFLICTS, IF YOU WILL, WERE, WERE WERE GONNA BE, UH, OCCURRING.
YOU KNOW? SO, BUT SO HE MAINTAINS THE ROAD, RIGHT? I MEAN THAT PATH FROM GUARD HILL NOW, THAT'S WHO OWNS THAT? HE OWNS THAT.
I MEAN, YEAH, LET'S BE CLEAR ON WHAT THE QUESTION IS.
THAT'S A DIFFERENT ACCESS, RIGHT? TO THE, TO THE, YEAH, TO THE PARCEL.
YOU HAVE TO GAIN, YOU GAIN ACCESS TO THE PARCEL VIA GUARD THE LARGE PARCEL TO THE LOGING.
NOW THIS PORTION YOU'RE GETTING ACCESS THROUGH.
THAT'S WHY I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR ON THAT.
THIS ACCESS IS A, IS AN ISSUE, CORRECT? YES, IT IS AN ISSUE.
IT'S UN IT'S UNRESOLVED AS TO THIS PART OF THE PARCEL.
AND, UM, AND THOSE ISSUES HAVE TO BE RESOLVED PRIOR TO US ISSUING ANY FINAL OCCUPANCY.
HE CAN BASICALLY CONSTRUCT IT, BUT NOBODY CAN LIVE IN IT.
HE DOESN'T GET HIS FINAL APPROVALS UNTIL WE GUARANTEE THAT WE HAVE AMPLE SUFFICIENT ACCESS TO OUR PUMP STATION.
AND THAT ALSO THAT HE CAN ACCESS LEGALLY FROM THAT EASEMENT.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW HE IS ACCESSING OFF OF THE EASEMENT.
IT GOES THROUGH, WHAT IS IT, CORALS, THEN DOWN TO OUR PARK STATION.
BUT, UM, I, I DO THINK THERE'S SOME AMBIGUITY AND SO THAT ALL OF THAT HAS TO BE RESOLVED.
YOU'VE COME IN, HE'S MET WITH GEORGE AND I STATED THAT HE'S GOING TO WORK THROUGH THAT WITH US TO CONTINUE THE PROCESS.
SO AS LONG AS HE'S MOVING FORWARD, I DON'T HAVE GROUNDS TO NOT CONTINUE TO BRING THIS FORWARD AS WELL.
SO IS COUNSEL BELIEVE THAT IT'S READY TO ADVERTISE FOR A PUBLIC HEARING? I DO, YES.
I BELIEVE BJ, YOU ARE THE MAN OF THE LATE HOUR.
NO, YOU GOT CG E, RIGHT? YOU JINX.
HE SAID WE'LL BE OUT HERE AT NINE TONIGHT.
SO FIRST WE HAVE THE, UH, ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO TOWN CODE 75 FOR THE TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX.
PREVIOUSLY THIS WAS KNOWN AS LODGING TAX.
UH, WHAT THIS IS DOING BASICALLY IS ALLOWING US TO CHANGE THE TOWN CODE TO MIMIC STATE CODE.
UH, IN PARTICULAR, IT'S FOR THE, UM, INTERMEDIARIES TO COLLECT AND THE LODGING TAX OR TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX, SORRY, THAT, UH, CURRENTLY THE OWNER OPERATOR HAS TO COLLECT THE, UH, LODGING TAX.
THIS WOULD ALLOW THE INTERMEDIARIES, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR YOUR AIRBNBS, YOUR SHORT TERM RENTALS, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
CURRENTLY, OUR ORDINANCE, UH, DOESN'T ALLOW THAT, ALTHOUGH STATE CODE DOES.
UM, UH, IT ALSO, IT BRINGS US IN LINE WITH STATE CODE.
UH, ONE THING I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS, IS THAT, UH, THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT REVISION TO WHAT WE PRESENTED HERE TO COUNCIL.
UM, A SLIGHT REVISION BEING THAT THE, UH, THE RATES FOR PENALTY AND INTEREST ARE NOT INCLUDED.
UM, ALL THE RATES, UH, WILL STAY THE SAME, UH, SIMPLY CHANGING THE
[02:15:01]
TERMINOLOGY AND THE WORDING WITHOUT, FOR INTERMEDIARIES.WHAT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN THOUGH ABOUT PENALTIES AND SOMETHING ELSE? WHAT NOW? PENALTY AND INTEREST.
UH, THE CURRENT PENALTY RATE IS 10%.
INTEREST IS, UH, 1% PER MONTH, 12% A ANNUAL.
UM, SO THAT MEANS IF THEY DON'T PAY US THIS TIED YEAH.
AND, AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE THAT IN OUR CODE.
UM, WHEN I DID THE REWRITE FOR THE REVISION, UM, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE, UH, RATES WERE NOT IN THERE.
SO SIMPLY ADDING THE RATES BACK IN THERE, UH, TO THE REVISION.
COUNSEL, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I JUST KNOW WE'VE HAD ISSUE WITH THIS SINCE WE ADOPTED SHORT TERM RENTALS.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I'M SAYING YOU WON'T SEE ME HERE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, BUT WITH, UH, THE WAY THE STATE'S GOING, UH, I COULD BE BACK UP HERE IN A FEW MONTHS TO CHANGE IT.
YEAH, SO, SO
BRING YOUR SNACKS, BOYS AND GIRLS FOR THAT NIGHT.
UM, BJ, YOU ARE ALSO UP NEXT AND THAT IS SIX A RIGHT BID, A BID AWARD FOR CURB AND GUTTER INSTALLATION.
UH, WE DID PUT OUT A BID FOR CURB AND GUTTER.
WE HAD EIGHT RESPONSES OF THOSE RESPONSES.
UH, THE LOIS CAME BACK FOR ARTHUR CONSTRUCTION AT $43,475.
UH, THIS MONEY HAS BEEN BUDGETED.
UM, HE'S CURRENTLY SITTING UNDER THE LINE ITEM OR REQUESTING COUNSEL'S APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AWARDING A CONTRACT.
UM, THIS IS GOING TO BRAXTON MANASSAS AVENUE, AND THEN THERE'S A 50 50 ON WOODLAWN, UH, SLASH MARK.
UH, THAT'S GOING TO BE, UH, DONE.
SIR, SIR, IT'S PRETTY ROUGH
ANYBODY HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT MOVING THAT ONE ALONG THEN? NOPE.
SIX B, UH, NEXT WE HAVE A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO ACCEPT FUNDS FROM VERSA, UH, FOR THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE PAVILION.
UM, SIMPLY WHAT IT IS, IS, UH, UH, VERSA HAS APPROVED, UH, TO PAY IT DOWN $22,404 AND 20 CENTS, UH, FOR THE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED TO, UH, THE PAVILION.
UM, WE, UH, HAVE A CONTRACTOR THAT'S ALREADY, UM, BEGAN, I DON'T WANNA SAY BEGAN WORK, WE BEGAN WORKING ON IT.
UH, RIGHT NOW THE HOLDUP IS, IS WE'RE WAITING ON, UH, A SCHEDULE FOR THE SPECIALIZED BRACKETS TO BE, UH, MADE.
UH, SO I DON'T HAVE A TIMEFRAME ON IT AS OF YET.
WE'RE STILL WAITING ON THE CONTRACTOR, BUT WE HAVE EVERYTHING UNDERWAY.
SO THAT'S OUR INSURANCE POLICY, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO THE, THE PERSON THAT THAT CAUSED THE DAMAGE DID, IS THERE, THAT'S BETWEEN INSURANCE COMPANIES THERE? I THINK I CAN ADDRESS THAT.
PLEASE DO SO BY, BY PAYING THE CLAIM VERSA, THE TOWN SUBROGATE ITS RIGHTS TO GO AFTER, YOU KNOW, ANY PERSON CAUSING A LOSS.
SO THE TOWN SUBJUGATES TO VERSA.
AND I'M NOT SUBJUGATES TO VERSA.
SO AT THIS POINT, WELL, WHETHER OR NOT SOME THIRD PARTY'S LIABLE OR NOT.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOW IN THEIR HANDS.
BUT REGARDLESS, THE, REGARDLESS WITH THIS ACCEPTING, WE CAN GET THE PAVILION FIXED AND MOVE ON.
WE'RE NOT ARGUING OVER WHO OWES OR DOESN'T IT.
CUZ THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF QUESTION ABOUT THE PAVILION.
SO SOONER WE CAN GET STARTED ON IT, BETTER OFF WE'LL BE.
UM, WELL WE'RE JUST WAITING ON THE SCHEDULE FROM THE, UH, FROM THE CONTRACTORS AS WE HEAR BACK THE SPECIALIZED PARTS FORM.
AND THAT, I MEAN, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ABOUT THAT, UM, CUZ YOU KNOW, WE, SOME OF THE PUBLIC HAD HAD QUESTIONED LIKE WHY QUESTIONED WHY WE DIDN'T, UH, HAVE A PLAN FOR WHAT TO DO FOR MAINTENANCE OR WHATEVER.
BUT IT, IT WAS THE WAY IN WHICH THIS WAS CONSTRUCTED, IT MADE IT MORE CHALLENGING TO REPAIR IT.
SO WE HAVEJ, IS IT THE BRACKETS THAT ARE ON IT'S BRACKET BACK ORDER? IT'S NOT WOOD, IT'S NOT BACK ORDER.
THEY HAVE TO BE MADE, IT'S FABRICATED.
JOE PUT TOGETHER A WOODEN TOWEL TOO.
I'LL, UH, I'LL PROVIDE COUNSEL AS SOON AS WE HAVE AN UPDATED SCHEDULE OF WORK AND EVERYTHING ELSE, I'LL PROVIDE COUNSEL WITH AN UPDATE.
ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
UH, NEXT ITEM IS A COMPREHENSIVE SOLID WASTE, UM, UTILITY COST OF SERVICE FEE AND RATE STUDY AND A FISCAL, UH, YEAR 24 BUDGET AMENDMENT.
UM, WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING IS FOR COUNCIL TO AWARD A
[02:20:01]
CONTRACT, UH, TO, UH, MSW CONSULTING TO, UH, PERFORM A COMPREHENSIVE UTILITY COST OF SERVICE STUDY FOR THE SOLID WASTE.UM, AS ALSO ALONG WITH THIS, THERE WOULD BE, UM, VARIOUS COMPARISONS.
UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE TO, UH, OUTSOURCE TO A PRIVATE INDUSTRY, UH, KEEP IT IN HOUSE.
UM, AND IF WE, UM, AND ALONG WITH THAT IS, UH, ORDINANCE UPDATES.
UM, OUR ORDINANCES FOR SOLID WASTE HAVE NOT BEEN UPDATED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
I BELIEVE THE LAST, UH, INCREASE IN SOLID WASTE AROUND 2017.
DON'T HOLD ME TO THAT, I DON'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
BUT, UM, UH, BASICALLY HAVE THIS, UH, ORGANIZATION COME IN HERE AND LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, UH, THE TUB GRINDING SERVICES, THE, UH, THE PRIVATE COLLECTIONS, THE RECYCLING, EVERYTHING, THE WHOLE GAMUT.
UM, AND, UH, THIS DOES INDEED SEEM A LITTLE HIGH, BUT THE, UM, WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THE WATER SEWER COST OF SERVICES, I BELIEVE THAT WAS $55,000.
SO IT IS IN LINE WITH WHAT, UH, WE'VE DONE FOR THE OTHER SERVICES.
UH, I'VE BEEN WITH THE TOWN FOR 15 YEARS.
WE'VE NEVER DONE A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF SOLID WASTE LIKE THIS.
UH, SO I DO THINK IT IS, UH, INDEED MORE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, COUNCILWOMAN, DO YOU THINK SO? OH YEAH.
I'M SUPPOSED TO BE SHARING THE QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SHE ASKED IS JUST TO CLARIFY THAT THIS PARTICULAR GROUP, IF WE DID GO WITH THEM, THEY WOULD NOT THEN BE A POTENTIAL VENDOR FOR THE SOLID WASTE REMOVAL IF WE NO.
TO GO TO THIRD PARTY? NO, THEY DON'T DO, THEY DON'T DO, YEAH, THEY DON'T DO, THEY DON'T DO THAT.
I'M DONE ASKING ALL OF HER QUESTIONS.
UM, COUNSEL, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, UM, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? EVERYBODY FEELS LIKE THEY UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE DOING THAT.
CAUSE THEN THIS WOULD GO ON THE CONSENT AGENDA JUST FOR AUGUST 28TH.
AND, AND OBVIOUSLY SO WITH THE, THE, THE PRIOR YEAH.
AGENDA ITEM WOULD ALSO BE ON CONSENT.
UM, SO NONE OF THOSE WOULD BE DISCUSSION TYPE THINGS.
UM, ALL RIGHT, BJ, THAT'S IT, RIGHT? WELL SPENT, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S HOW WE KNEW THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO INCREASE OUR SEWER RATES THIS YEAR FOR LIKE THE LAST FIVE YEARS OR FOUR YEARS.
IT WAS NO SURPRISE THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THAT STUDY.
DID WE FORGET TO NO, I'M, I'M DONE.
UM, UH, MS. PRESLEY WAS POINTING OUT TO ME THAT THESE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDAS A MS PRINT, THEY CAN GO TO THE JULY 24TH, NOT AUGUST, AUGUST 28TH.
I DIDN'T QUITE A FEW OF THESE THINGS.
UM, SO EVERYBODY'S GOOD WITH THEM BEING ON JULY 24TH AND THEY'D BE ON CONSENT.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING GO FASTER THAN YOUR AVERAGE ITEM MOTION.
SO MOVING ON TO THE LAST ITEM WE HAVE, WHICH IS ITEM SEVEN A.
IT'S THE LIAISON COMMITTEE MEETING ITEMS. SO JULY 20TH, UM, WE ACT, WE HOST THE, UM, LIAISON MEETING HERE IN TOWN HALL AND IT'LL BE AT 6:00 PM UM, AND WE NEED TO DECIDE WHAT ITEMS WE WANT, UM, FROM THE TOWN'S, UM, PERSPECTIVE.
AND TINA, I MEAN, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, SO WE HAVE TO, THEY HAVE TO HAVE IT THE TUESDAY BEFORE THE MEETING, AS I RECALL.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE POLICY CAUSE IT MESSED CAUSE IT MESSED UP LAST TIME.
WE DIDN'T GET IT TILL THE LAST MINUTE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAD ITEMS ON THERE.
WE WEREN'T, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA TRY TO VERIFY THAT IS THE TUESDAY, IT'S THE TUESDAY BEFORE YOU MEET ON THURSDAY.
YEAH, BUT THE 20TH, THEY REALLY MEAN, SO 20TH BACK UP A WEEK WOULD BE 13TH AND THEN TUESDAY WOULD BE THE 11TH, WHICH WOULD BE TOMORROW.
TOMORROW BETWEEN GETTING THE ITEM ITEMS AND GETTING THE AGENDA OUT.
AND THE POLICY WASN'T CLEAR ON IT THE LAST TIME WHEN Y'ALL DISCUSSED THE POLICY.
SO WE NEED TO AT LEAST MAKE THAT DISTINCTION.
I THINK, I THINK THE INTENTION WAS JUST SO THAT PEOPLE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW WHAT WAS GONNA BE DISCUSSED.
AS I SAID, CUZ THE LAST TIME THERE WERE THINGS I ADDED TO THE AGENDA THAT WE WEREN'T GOING, WE, WE HAD, WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE DISCUSSING.
AND SO THEN IT INVOLVED US GETTING TO THE MEETING AND ASKING FOR IT TO BE TAKEN OFF.
SO I THINK THE IDEA IS JUST THAT, IS THAT THE, THAT BEFORE THE AGENDA IS PUBLISHED FOR THE, FOR THE CITIZENS
[02:25:01]
THAT BOTH THE CHAIRMAN AND MYSELF HAD LOOKED AT THE AGENDA AND AGREE THAT THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT ARE GONNA BE ON THERE.SO THE SOONER WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT, YOU CAN GET IT TO THEM.
AND DO THEY MEET TOMORROW AND NIGHT? NOT SURE.
I BELIEVE THEY DO, BUT I'M NOT SURE.
I WAS GONNA SAY CUZ IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED.
I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD SEND THEM WEDNESDAY.
DO THEY USUALLY, I THOUGHT THEY ALWAYS MET ON TUESDAY.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, THE SCHOOL COMMISSION.
I THOUGHT SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS WEDNESDAY NIGHT, THE BOARD OF APPARENTLY THE BUILDING BOARD SUPERVISORS IS ALWAYS ON TUESDAYS.
YEAH, IT IS TOMORROW WORK SESSION STARTING AT 6:00 PM OKAY.
SO IF WE HAVE OUR LIST, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL WHEN YOU CONTACT ZACH TO SAY, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO KNOW AFTER TOMORROW NIGHT WHAT YOU ALL WANT ON IT.
SO THAT I'VE ALREADY CONTACTED HIM.
AND I TOLD HIM I'D LIKE LET HIM KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS DISCUSSED TONIGHT.
SO THE FIRST BULLET ITEM WAS ABOUT THE LIAISON COMMITTEE POLICY.
YOU KNOW, WE BROUGHT IT UP, WE TALKED ABOUT IT, WE TOYED AROUND WITH IT AND THEN WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BRING IT BACK.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE MIGHT BE, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME ISSUES WITH THE SUGGESTIONS.
CUZ THE SUGGESTION WAS THAT THE SUGGESTION WAS THAT WE MAKE THE LIAISON MEETINGS BE EVERYBODY ATTEND THE, THE CONCERN WAS THAT IF EVERYBODY, IF THE IDEA WAS THAT EVERYBODY ATTENDS, THEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE A QUORUM.
AND, UH, AND IT ALSO IS A PUBLIC, BUT IT'S ALREADY A PUBLIC MEETING.
THAT THAT PART WASN'T THE TRICKY PART.
WHAT WERE THE TWO? IT IT WAS THAT, THAT WE, THAT IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE THERE, IT WAS A QUORUM.
BUT THEN WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT I'M FLAT FOOTED HERE.
IT, IT'S, UM, I'D HAVE TO PULL UP THE MINUTES FROM IT.
THAT WAS, SO CURRENTLY THERE ARE TWO YEAH.
THE CHAIR OR THE MAYOR AND ONE OTHER MEMBER THAT SITS AT THE TABLE.
AND WHAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT WAS, IS ALLOWING EVERYBODY, OR NOT ALLOWING EVERYBODY, BUT HAVING EVERYBODY THERE.
BUT I ACTUALLY THINK IN APRIL THE WAY IT WORKED, IT WASN'T, IT WASN'T A BAD THING.
SO IF WE, IF WE AGREED TO THAT, THEN WE DON'T NEED TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
THE LAST LEGAL OPINION GEORGE GAVE BASICALLY SAID THERE'S NO WAY AROUND IT.
SO WE GAVE UP AT THE 8 0 1 BECAUSE OKAY.
WE'RE TWO SEPARATE GOVERNING BODIES.
THERE WAS PROBLEMS WITH THE LEGALITIES OF EVEN CONSIDERING AT AN OFFICIAL MEETING OF TWO DIFFERENT PUBLIC GOVERNING BODIES.
IT WAS LIKE REALLY WE JUST SAID WE WOULD KEEP DOING THE WAY WE WERE.
I I, SO I DON'T RECALL EXACTLY WHAT I SAID BUT, BUT I DON'T THINK, BUT I STAND BY WHATEVER.
BUT I THINK WHEN WE, WHEN WE TALKED IN APRIL, WE TALKED ABOUT IT.
YOU, WE TALKED ABOUT IT BUT THEN WE, WE SAID WE TAKE IT BACK TO YOUR BOARD.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT WHAT WE NEED TO SAY IS WE'RE GOOD WITH THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN AND LEAVE IT AS IS WHATEVER WE APPROVED IN JANUARY, JOE, WHAT WERE YOU GONNA SAY? RIGHT.
UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE LITTLE THINGS WE'D LIKE TO CHANGE.
ONE IS, IT DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY THAT YOU ALTERNATE QUARTERLY BETWEEN THE TOWN AND COUNTY.
I THINK WE NEED TO SPELL THAT OUT.
AND THEN I THINK WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TAKE ANOTHER QUICK LOOK AT THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT SPECIFICALLY DETAILS HOW THE AGENDA'S HANDLED.
CUZ I THINK WE, IT WAS A LITTLE MURKY WATERS IN APRIL WITH SOMETHING ADDED THE LAST MINUTE.
AND SO I, I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE THOSE TWO MINOR CHANGES THAT WE CAN GIVE TO THEM AT THE LIAISON MEETING AND WE CAN TAKE BACK TO BOTH BOARDS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, COME BACK TO A CONSENSUS.
I DEFINITELY RECALL THAT ISSUE THERE.
THERE CAN'T BE ANY LAST SECOND ADDITION.
WELL THAT'S WHY I WAS SAYING I'M PRETTY SURE IT HAS TO BE BY CONSENT.
AND WE DISCUSSED THAT PART BEFORE THAT IT, BECAUSE WELL, THEY HAD A SWITCH.
THEY HAD A CHANGEOVER IN STAFF THERE AND SO THEIR PRIOR STAFF KNEW THE TUESDAY BEFORE MEANT THE TUESDAY BEFORE.
NOT THE TUESDAY BEFORE THURSDAY.
AND TWO DAYS LATER WE WERE GONNA DISCUSS IT.
SO, UM, I THINK, YEAH, SO JOE, IF YOU WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND THE NEXT, UM, THURSDAY NIGHT, WE'LL JUST GIVE THAT ONE LAST LIKE, UH, CONVERSATION PLEASE.
I MEAN, UM, THE NEXT ITEM THAT WE WANTED TO INCLUDE WAS ABOUT THE DELAY OF MAILING THE REAL ESTATE PERSONAL PROPERTIES HOUSE.
[02:30:01]
WAS SOMETHING HE SHARED WITH US AT A PREVIOUS MEETING THAT HE WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR US TO RIGHT.IT WASN'T SOMETHING YOU AND I DISCUSSED.
YEAH, I SHARED IT DURING MEETING.
ALL HEY BJ, THE STRANGE THING THOUGH IS IT SAYS 20 19, 20 20, 20 21, 20 22 AND 23.
BUT THEN THE REAL ESTATE WINS.
THOUGHT IT WAS, I WAS LIKE, OKAY, WE FORGOT HERE.
SO, UM, WE'RE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, EVERYBODY AGREE THAT'S AN ITEM TO ADD TO THE, WHEN BJ BROUGHT IT UP TO WORK LIAISON, I THOUGHT WE ALL, NOW MY QUESTION IS WILL YOU BE THERE? YES.
JUST SO THAT YOU CAN, IN CASE THERE'S ANY GOOD QUESTIONS.
EVERYBODY GOOD WITH THAT? MM-HMM.
NEXT ITEM IS THIS JOINT TOWING ADVISORY BOARD, WHICH I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT SEVERAL TIMES PROBABLY SINCE BEFORE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE WERE EVEN ON COUNCIL.
UM, AND YEAH, SO I GUESS THEY HAVE ONE OF YOU DON'T KNOW.
AGAIN, IT'S A, IT'S A CHANGE IN CLERKS OVER THERE.
YEAH, I THINK WE GOT LOST IN THE MIX.
BUT THEY DO, WE DO, THEY DO ACTUALLY HAVE SOMEONE THAT, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND AND IT'S A CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
CAUSE I KNOW LAST TIME THEY ACTUALLY, THE CLERK OF THEIR COUNCIL SERVED CUZ THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYBODY ELSE TO DO IT.
SO ANYWAY, FOR SOME REASON THAT'S NOT A REAL POPULAR, IT'S NOT A REAL POPULAR COMMITTEE.
SO ANOTHER SUGGESTION IS THE DISCUSSION, THE REVITALIZATION OF THE FORMER YOUTH CENTER.
AND I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THAT'S GONNA BE A GOOD CONVERSATION TO HAVE NEXT THURSDAY NIGHT, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE KNOW WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BREATHING ROOM, UM, UPDATE ON TOURISM TOWN AND COUNTY.
AND JOE, CAN I, IS LIZZIE GONNA, LIZZIE GONNA, UH, SHE'LL GIVE A CONDENSED VERSION OF THIS.
YEAH, I WOULD SAY CONDENSED FROM THAT.
I MEAN WE, WE NEEDED TO HEAR ALL THAT, BUT WHAT SHE'S GONNA SHARE WITH THEM.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA, AND WE'RE GONNA ASK IF THEY WANNA SHARE ANY UPDATES FROM THAT WOULD BE OUR HOPE.
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GOING IN SEPARATE DIRECTIONS THAT WE CAN STILL COLLABORATE TOGETHER.
UM, THE SCHOOL ZONE SPEEDING AND ENFORCEMENT.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, AFTER OUR LAST MEETING AND AFTER MANY, UM, AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION AND MUCH CONTACT BY CITIZENS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, I THINK THAT, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, UH, WITH THE COUNTY AS WELL FOR MULTIPLE REASONS.
BUT ONE BEING THE SCHOOLS ARE COUNTY PROPERTY, UM, ENFORCING, AND I KNOW WE HAVE TOWN STREETS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM IF NOTHING MORE THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO DO LIKE A, UM, A PUBLIC BLAST EDUCATION WISE.
YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS ARE GONNA START A WEEK FROM YESTERDAY.
A MONTH FROM YESTERDAY, SORRY.
ALL TEACHERS A MONTH FROM YESTERDAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE IDEA OF SPEEDING IN SCHOOL ZONES, WE, WE OPENED THIS CONVERSATION UP.
WE'VE TOLD, WE, WE HAVE ACKNOWLEDGE TO OUR CITIZENS THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST A TOWN ISSUE.
I THINK IT'S A, I THINK IT'S A COMMUNITY ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD TOPIC TO HAVE WITH THE COUNTY.
I KNOW SOME OF THE SUPERVISORS WANTED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH US.
THEY HAD REACHED OUT TO ME AND I'LL JUST SAY I'M STILL GETTING A LOT OF FEEDBACK, BUT IT'S NOT ALL BEEN NEGATIVE.
UM, I'VE HAD FACULTY OF THE SCHOOLS REACH OUT, UH, IN THE LAST 48 HOURS.
UM, WELL WE WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT WITH THE COUNTY TOO, BUT YOU KNOW, MY, LIKE I SAID, MY THOUGHT IS MAYBE IT'S A JOINT EFFORT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO BECAUSE IT ISN'T, YOU KNOW, IT ISN'T JUST US.
WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU ALL LIKE TO ADD? IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE YOU FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO ADD TO THE AGENDA FOR THAT NIGHT FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION? BRUCE, YOUR, YOUR VOICE TO SAY SOMETHING.
I DON'T KNOW IF I AM
IS THERE ANOTHER TOPIC? I DON'T KNOW.
UH, DO DO YOU WANT TO, UH, TALK ABOUT THE PROGRESS OF THE TAX SERVICING? YOU KNOW WHAT, YES.
[02:35:01]
UM, NOT YES, BUT YES BECAUSE I THINK THAT THERE'S NOT YES BUT NO, BECAUSE I UM, WHAT DOES THE, WELL AT THE LAST, AT THE LAST UM, WARREN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MEETING, THAT WAS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT.AND THERE, I I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS LIKE A HOLDUP ON WHAT'S GOING ON CUZ YOU ALL REMEMBER THEY CAME AND TALKED TO US MM-HMM.
AND SO THAT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE A BAD THING TO GET AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT, I DON'T KNOW.
WELL YEAH IT IS THE COUNTIES, UM, CUZ THE EED A WAS THEY WOULD BE WHATEVER THE WORD IS, EATING, DEEDING IT OVER TO THE COUNTY WAS WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT DOING.
YEAH, IT WOULD BE A COUNTY PARK.
WE CAN ASK IF THEY WOULD MIND GIVING US AN UPDATE ON THAT.
I DON'T THINK SHE HAS TO HEAR ME OUT.
LAUREN, ARE YOU GONNA BE THERE? YOU WANT MEETING? OKAY, NOW I'M JUST ASKING, UH, JUST AN UPDATE MAYBE CONDENSED VERSION UPDATE ON OUR, OUR, ON OUR COMP PLAN.
JUST, I DON'T THINK IT HAS TO BE EXTRAVAGANT, BUT YEAH.
WELL MAYBE JUST, THEY'RE STILL BUILDING THEIRS AS WELL, BUT SINCE WE'RE GONNA BE FINALIZING, THEY HAVEN'T STARTED HAVE THEY? THEY'VE STARTED BUT THEY'RE, THEY, THEY HAVEN'T LIKE HIRED ANYBODY.
THEY'RE JUST HAVING STAFF DO IT AND SO IT'S GONNA TAKE 'EM A WHILE.
BUT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT OUR PLANS KIND OF WORK TOGETHER.
YEAH, I'M JUST THINKING, I MEAN, JUST, JUST A GENERAL, JUST A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF IT.
NOTHING LIKE, AND, AND, AND IN ALL HONESTY, I DON'T KNOW THAT, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU WOULD NEED, IT COULD BE JUST US SHARING THAT WE'RE THAT WE'RE AT THE PHASE ON AUGUST 28TH.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING IF THEY WANNA, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT ACTUALLY USED TO ALWAYS BE ON OUR AGENDA FOR THE LIAISON.
WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE IT ON THEIR THINK THE, I THINK IT'S BECAUSE WE KEPT THINKING IT WAS GONNA BE DONE BY NOW.
SUBCOMMITTEE OR REMAINS RELEVANT.
THE TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE REMAINS RELEVANT.
SO SHOULD WE PUT THAT ON THERE? AN UPDATE FROM THE AD HOC TRANSPORTATION AD HOC COMMITTEE? I THINK SO.
CAUSE I MEAN THE MEMBERS OF THAT SUBCOMMITTEE HAVE GROWN AS WELL.
WELL THIS THING'S GETTING BIGGER, OUR AGENDA.
ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU ALL FEEL LIKE CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THE OCTOBER ONE STAFF? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU ALL FEEL LIKE YOU THAT THIS SHOULD BE A CONVERSATION? NO.
I THINK ALL THE SUBJECTS WE BROUGHT FORTH.
AND THE ONLY REASON I SAID THE TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE, I RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS A LONG AGENDA AS WELL.
BUT WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING COMING UP FOR SADDLE CREST AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE ENTIRE TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE WAS SO THIS WILL BE OUR LAST LIAISON MEETING BEFORE THAT PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, SO ARE WE GOOD? ANYTHING ELSE? NO.
EVERYBODY GOOD? JUST THE UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THAT'LL ATTEND THE MEETING.
UM, WAYNE, I WAS GONNA HAVE YOU DO IT.
NO, I'M GLAD YOU SAID CAUSE THIS, I THOUGHT CUZ YOU HAVEN'T ATTENDED YET THE LAST TIME YOU WERE OUT OF TOWN.
CAN YOU DO IT ON JULY 20TH? YOU GET BACK WITH ME? OKAY.
IF NOT, WE'LL YOU MIGHT BE PLAYING CHRISTMAS IN JULY.
YEAH, THAT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF THAT GOING ON CHRISTMAS.
I'VE ALREADY, IT'S A THURSDAY, JULY 20TH.
I JUST THOUGHT BECAUSE I KNEW THE LAST TIME YOU WELL THAT'S NEXT, IT'S NEXT THURSDAY.
CAUSE I SAY IT'S THIS THURSDAY.
I'LL PROBABLY BE IN THE COOK WEEK.
NO CAR WILL, YOU'LL BE, CAR WILL SHOULD BE OVER IT BY THEN.
I MADE THE MISTAKE OF GOING TO GET A HOT DOG.
ANYBODY? ARE WE GOOD? EVERYTHING ELSE IS DONE.
I'M ONLY WORKING TWO AND A HALF HOURS THIS YEAR.
WE DON'T HAVE TO, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO CLOTHES.