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OKAY.[Town Council Work Session on September 5, 2023.]
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE ORDER THE WORK SESSION, UM, FOR SEPTEMBER 5TH.UM, MS. PRESLEY, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? MAYOR COCHRAN.
COUNCILMAN MAD PAYNE IS ABSENT.
AND JUST WANNA SAY THANKS TO THE PUBLIC FOR BEARING WITH US.
IT'S A TUESDAY AND INSTEAD A MONDAY AS THAT WE WERE, UM, ALL, UH, HOLIDAY YESTERDAY FOR STAFF AND OURSELVES, SO.
UM, OUR FIRST ITEM TONIGHT IS THE BAR APPEAL CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS METAL DIS FOR 2 0 7 CLOUD STREET.
MS. KISH, WOULD YOU, UM, WOULD YOU, DO YOU WANT TO COME UP FRONT OR DO WE, UM, I MEAN, VERY QUICK.
SO, WITH THIS APPEAL FOR CLOUD STREET, UM, BAR DETERMINATION, HOWEVER, THE APPLICANT HAS REQUESTED THAT IT GET DELAYED UNTIL OCTOBER.
SO AT THIS POINT, UM, WE TAKE IT UP NEXT.
DO WE NEED TO, I MEAN, IF COUNSEL'S READY TO, GO AHEAD.
WELL, I, AT THE REQUEST OF THE APPLICANT, I GUESS WE COULD PROCEED FORWARD IF COUNSEL WANTED TO.
BUT OUR THOUGHT WAS BEING THE APPLICANT ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL TIME THAT WE WOULD DEFER UNTIL OCTOBER.
ASK FOR ADDITIONAL TIME FOR THE APPEAL TO BE HEARD.
WHAT'S ADDITIONAL TIME? WILL THERE BE MORE INFORMATION AT THE LATER TIME? THEY'VE REQUESTED AN ADDITIONAL TIME, JUST BECAUSE THEY WANNA GATHER MORE INFORMATION ON THEIR END TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE LEGISLATION, SOME OF THE RULES IN OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT, THINGS LIKE THAT.
LEGAL HAS NO ISSUE WITH PROVIDING MORE TIME TO THE APPELLANT.
I THINK IT'S PRETTY CUT AND DRY, BUT IT'S OKAY IF THEY, THEY WANNA GO FIND SOME MORE INFORMATION.
UM, SO ALL COUNSEL, HOW DO YOU ALL, DO Y'ALL WANNA WAIT TILL OCTOBER? SO WE WOULD PUT THIS ON OUR OCTOBER REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING.
WELL, WE WOULD PUT IT ON A WORK SESSION ON TALK ABOUT IT BEFORE WE DETERMINE OCTOBER 1ST.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? UM, IS THIS, 'CAUSE I KNOW STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS IN OUR AGENDA PACKET.
UM, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT COUNSEL WOULD HAVE TO TAKE ACTION ON IN PUBLIC? YES.
SO WHETHER OR NOT WE UPHOLD THE, UM, UPHOLD THE BAR'S DECISION OR TO REVERSE THE BAR'S DECISION, WE WOULD, WE WOULD NOT TAKE ACTION UNTIL OCTOBER TILL REGULAR, TILL THE REGULAR MEETING.
AND I ALSO ADVISE THE COUNSEL NOT DISCUSS THE MERITS AT A MEETING PRIOR TO THAT MEETING BECAUSE IT'S AN APPEAL.
SO COUNSEL NEEDS TO HEAR FROM THE APPELLANT, HEAR THE CASE FROM THE APPELLANT, AND NOT PRE-JUDGE OR PREDETERMINE ANY OF THE ISSUES, SO, OKAY.
SO I'M GONNA, SO IF IT'S ON A WORK SESSION IN OCTOBER, IT'S REALLY JUST FOR SCHEDULING.
SO I'M GONNA BE THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, BUT, SO IF WE WATCH THE BAR MEETING
YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, BECAUSE WE'VE ALL, MY POINT IS, UM, VOICING AN OPINION ON THE CASE GOTCHA.
PRIOR TO HEARING FROM THE APPELLANT.
CAN, CAN I TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT THE STATUS IS TODAY THAT'S BEING APPEALED? SO WE HAVE A HOME, AS I UNDERSTAND, A HOME IN, UH, THE, IN HISTORIC DISTRICT.
IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT WHERE I LIVE.
AND THERE WAS AN EXISTING STEEL ROOF ON THE HOME.
AND THAT STEEL ROOF WAS TAKEN DOWN, CORRECT? CORRECT.
AND CONSTRUCTION BEGAN ON PUTTING ON A NEW ROOF.
AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THERE IS ALSO THE MATERIAL THAT IS ON THE PROPERTY.
IS THAT CORRECT? UNDERSTANDING.
SO JUST AS PIECE OF INFORMATION, MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR KIND OF WENT THROUGH THE EXACT SAME THING, UH, METAL ROOF, TOOK IT OFF, PUT UP THE BEGINNINGS OF THE NEW ROOF, AND HAD A STOP, STOP WORK ORDER.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT NOW WITH THIS PROPERTY.
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THAT WHERE WE ARE? YEAH, THIS IS, YEAH.I'M JUST TRYING, TALKING THE BEGINNING.
TALKING ABOUT I'M THE STATUS STATUS IS FINE.
SO ON APRIL 27TH, I ISSUED A STOP WORK ORDER BECAUSE THE PERSON WHO BECAME THE APPLICANT, UM, HAD HAD A CONSTRUCTION CREW OUT THERE.
THEY REMOVED THE METAL ROOF AND THE CHIMNEY OF THE CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT WITHOUT GETTING A PERMIT FROM THE COUNTY OR THE TOWN, UM, UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR.
AND THROUGH THE HISTORICAL, UM, GUIDELINES, I CAN STOP WORK.
THEY, I LET THEM, OR WE HAD THEM PUT THE TAR PAPER UP SO THAT THE HOUSE WAS WATERPROOF ESSENTIALLY, AND WE, THEY SUBMITTED THEIR APPLICATIONS TO GO TO THE BAR.
UM, THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN PUTTING A, A METAL ROOF BACK ON THE PROPERTY.
SO IF THEY HAD DONE JUST THE METAL ROOF, IT WOULD'VE JUST BEEN AN ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW.
I COULD HAVE SIGNED OFF ON IT.
AND, BUT ANYTIME YOU DO A CHANGE OF MATERIAL, IT HAS TO GO BEFORE THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL.
AND WHEN YOU SAY MATERIAL IS ON SITE, DO YOU MEAN THE MATERIAL THEY REMOVED YEP.
OR THE MATERIAL READY? THE NEW ASPHALT, I THINK ISN'T THE NEW.
SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE WENT THROUGH NEXT DOOR.
SO I JUST WANTED TO FULLY UNDERSTAND AND, AND NOW THERE'S AN APPEAL OF, OF THE ZONING THE BAR HELD, UH, THEY HELD OR HAD THEIR MEANING FOR THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATE BARN DENIED THE DUE PROCESS REQUIRES THE APPELLANT BE HEARD BEFORE.
BEFORE THIS BODY MAKES A DECISION.
JUST WANTED TO FULLY UNDERSTAND.
AND IS THERE A TIME LIMIT? UM, WELL THE CODE TALKS ABOUT THE NEXT MEETING OF COUNSEL, BUT THE APPELLANT HAS AN EFFECT WAIVED THAT THE APPELLANT WANTS MORE TIME.
SO LORI, THE, THE REQUEST TO DELAY DIDN'T COME IN UNTIL LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON ALREADY AFTER WE PUBLISHED THE AGENDA.
I THOUGHT AT THAT TIME IT WASN'T AN UNREASONABLE REQUEST FOR A DELAY.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL PUT THIS BACK ON A WORK SESSION AND ON AN OCTOBER WORK SESSION.
UH, NEXT STEP IS EACS PRESENTATION AND REQUEST TO CHANGE NAMES.
AND I BELIEVE, UH, JOE AND JUSTIN PROCTOR ARE HERE FOR THIS.
IS THIS RAY GIVE THE TALK FROM? YEAH.
IS EVERYBODY CAN SEE YOU'RE ON CAMERA, SMILE.
I'LL TRY TO MAKE THIS 10 TO 15 MINUTES, BUT I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE AND GIVE YOU GUYS A CHANCE TO KNOW WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT WE HAVE LINED UP NEXT.
UM, SO FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS PRESENTATION, I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO SWITCH OUR NAME OVER TO ACES.
'CAUSE THAT'S A PART OF WHAT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TONIGHT IS A LITTLE BIT OF REBRANDING WE WANT TO DO WITH THIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS PRETTY EXCITING.
IT'S STILL THE SAME GROUP AND WE ARE STILL YOUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
I'M A CONSERVATION BIOLOGIST RIGHT HERE IN TOWN AT THE SMITHSONIAN.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN UP TO OUR CAMPUS.
IF YOU ARE, SOMETHING WOULD BE REALLY COOL TO DO IS GET THE TOWN COUNCIL, UH, BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR UP THERE.
WE'VE GOT SOME PRETTY NEAT STUFF GOING ON.
A LOT OF RUMORS, SASQUATCH, THREE-HEADED CAMELS, ALL THAT KIND OF GOOD STUFF.
SO WE COULD PROBABLY CLEAR THAT UP.
SO I'M UP THERE AND I DO ALL SORTS OF BIOLOGY, UH, CONSERVATION ON FARMS IN THIS AREA.
AND IN MY FREE TIME I SIT ON OUR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND, UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE, WE STARTED UP PRETTY MUCH OFFICIALLY TWO YEARS AGO AND HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
AND I FEEL, FEEL LIKE WE'VE, WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD MOMENTUM AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET A LOT DONE.
I'M EXCITED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU AND TALK ABOUT SOME UPCOMING PROJECTS AS WELL.
SO, SO REAL QUICK, JUST AS A REMINDER OF WHO WE ARE.
WE'VE LAUNCHED IN 2021 AS ESEC, WE'RE TRYING TO REBRAND ACES, SAME ACRONYM, UH, SAME, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
SWITCHING OVER TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHY WE'RE CHAIRED BY JIM OSBORNE, WHO'S IN THE BACK, WHO IS OUR TOWN ARBORIST.
AND WE BEGAN WITH FIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND WE NOW HAVE 10 PLUS MEMBERS THAT, THAT COME TO OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS REGULARLY, WHICH IS GREAT.
SOME NIGHTS WE HAVE AS MANY AS 15 PEOPLE SHOWING UP IN THESE MEETINGS.
SO WE ACTUALLY MEET AT FABRICA, UM, IN THE BACK.
SO WE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF INTEREST AND A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO'VE JUMPED IN AND WANTED TO ASSUME LEADERSHIP POSITIONS AND TAKE ON DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
WE ALSO HAVE A STANDING MEMBER THAT IS A LOCAL STUDENT AMBASSADOR.
SO THAT WAS SOMETHING WE STARTED WITH THAT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, IS TO HAVE A LOCAL STUDENT ALSO ON THE COMMITTEE THAT NOT ONLY CONTRIBUTES TO OUR PROJECTS, BUT ALSO TAKES ON ONE OF THEIR OWN LEADS IT AND EXECUTES IT.
[00:10:01]
ONE OF OUR BIG MISSIONS, OF COURSE, IS TO LEVERAGE PARTNERSHIPS IN THIS TOWN.THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER CIVIC GROUPS AND OTHER PEOPLE, INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES LOOKING TO DO REALLY GOOD WORK ENVIRONMENTALLY.
AND WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN HELP YOU VOICE AND ALSO A CENTRAL NEXUS TO BRING THOSE GROUPS TOGETHER TO GET LARGER PROJECTS GOING ON THE GROUND.
UM, THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT THING TO, TO MAINTAIN IS THAT WE ARE FULLY TRANSPARENT.
EVERYTHING WE DO, EVERYONE IS WELCOME.
WE LOVE TO HAVE EVERYONE JOIN OUR MEETINGS.
UH, THEY'RE PUBLICIZED ON OUR WEBSITE AND ANYBODY WHO IS INTERESTED IN ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABILITY, THE FUTURE OF THAT WITH THIS TOWN, WE WELCOME THEM TO BE A PART OF OUR COMMITTEE AND TO BE INVOLVED WITH OUR PROJECTS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S AN EXCITING THING.
UM, SO A COUPLE OF OUR FOCAL PROJECTS, SO YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE UP TO.
UM, SO WE COORDINATE A LOT WITH OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, LIKE I WAS MENTIONING.
WE DO A LOT WITH THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE.
THE TREE STEWARDS ARE A GREAT FIT AS WELL.
WE'VE DONE A LOT OF PROJECTS WITH THEM, UM, SMITHSONIAN A LITTLE BIT.
AND, UH, DIFFERENT SCHOOL GROUPS.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PARTNERS.
ONE OF OUR OTHER MISSIONS IS OF COURSE, THE HELP THE TREE STEWARDS MAINTAIN OUR, OUR RECOGNITION AND DESIGNATION AS A TREE CITY U S A TOWN BY THE ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION.
WE'RE GOING TO THE HIGH TWENTIES ON THAT ALMOST 30 YEARS WITH THAT DESIGNATION, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.
UM, WE ALSO ARE THE ONES WHO STARTED UP AND HAVE, UH, IMPLEMENTED THE LAST TWO EARTH DAY FESTIVALS, WHICH HAVE BEEN AWESOME.
A LOT OF FUN AND REALLY GREAT ATTENDANCE.
UM, WE TOOK THAT TORCH OVER FROM CAROL, LOU ALLEN, WHO WAS AT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL, WHO HAD STARTED SOMETHING DOWN THERE, WHICH WAS REALLY GREAT.
AND THEN CAROL LEFT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL AND SAID, HEY, I REALLY NEED SOMEBODY TO RUN WITH THIS.
THAT WAS THE SAME TIME WE WERE BEING FORMED, AND WE SAID, WE'D LIKE TO MAKE THIS EVEN BIGGER.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO COME TO ONE OF OUR LAST TWO EARTH DAY FESTIVALS.
WE HAVE OVER 40 DIFFERENT LOCAL CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS COME TO THAT WITH THE IDEA THAT IT GIVES OUR COMMUNITY A CHANCE TO COME AND MEET ALL THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT ARE ALREADY TRYING TO DO GREAT THINGS AROUND THIS AREA, WHETHER IT'S FOR WATERSHEDS, MOUNTAINS, FORESTS, WHATEVER IT HAPPENS TO BE, ARCHERY, CLUBS, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT INTERFACE WITH THE ENVIRONMENT, SHOW OUR COMMUNITY WHAT'S GOING ON AND SHOW THEM WAYS TO GET INVOLVED.
HERE'S ALL THESE OTHER, THESE THINGS YOU CAN JOIN TO BE A PART OF THIS.
UM, SO THOSE HAVE BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL AND WE HAVE A LOT OF IDEAS FOR HOW TO CONTINUE GROWING THAT, UM, AND MAKING IT A LOT OF FUN FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
OF COURSE, A BIG FOCUS OF OURS IS LOOKING AT OUR LOCAL WATERSHED.
WATERSHEDS ARE OF COURSE, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
WE KNOW THAT, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW WHEN ALL OF OUR CREEKS ARE GOING DRY, THAT WATER IS ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING AND IT NEEDS OUR ATTENTION.
WE NEED TO HAVE RESILIENCY IN OUR WATERSHED SO THAT WE CAN BE READY FOR SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE HAPPY CREEK, THIS AMAZING STREAM THAT GOES RIGHT THROUGH OUR TOWN.
IT'S THE HEADWATER STREAM, RIGHT, FOR THE SHENANDOAH RIVER AND THEN FOR THE CHESAPEAKE BAY.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY COOL THINGS WE CAN DO WITH HAPPY CREEK BEYOND JUST RIPARIAN BUFFERS.
UH, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS WE CAN DO WITH THAT.
UM, OF COURSE, WE'RE REALLY INTERESTED IN THE TOWNS GREENWAY AND, AND I ALSO WANNA REITERATE THAT ALL ALL OF THIS STUFF IS IN THE NEWCOM PLAN, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING TO US.
WE WERE AT ALL THOSE MEETINGS.
WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE GIVING INPUT ON THIS FROM OUR GROUP, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT 99.9% OF WHAT WE WERE SAYING ENDED UP IN THE COMP PLAN AND FITS REALLY WELL WITH OUR MISSION.
SO OF COURSE, GREENWAYS IS EVERYTHING.
WE'RE ALL LOOKING FOR WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO WALK AND CYCLE THIS TOWN SAFELY.
SO WE HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF THINGS WITH ACTUALLY TRYING TO GREEN UP OUR GREENWAYS SO THEY FEEL LIKE A GREENWAY.
SO YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN A BUNCH OF OUR PLANTINGS ALONG DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE GREENWAY, AND I'LL POINT THOSE OUT IN A SECOND.
UM, AND OF COURSE, ANOTHER BIG THING WE'RE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT IS BUILDING OUT A DARK SKIES INITIATIVE FOR THIS TOWN, WHICH IS ACTUALLY STARTING TO GAIN SOME REALLY GOOD MOMENTUM.
AND THE IDEA BEING THERE THAT A BRIGHT STREETS, BRIGHT STARS.
UM, SO TAKING ALL THAT LIGHT THAT WE SHINE UP INTO THE SKY FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY BEING BLOWN.
AND WE REDIRECT THAT BACK DOWN TO WHERE WE ALL LIVE AND WORK.
SO IT'S BRIGHTER AND SAFER WHERE WE ARE, RIGHT? SO THAT KEEPS OUR SKIES DARKER, WHICH FITS REALLY WELL WITH THE FACT THAT WE'RE RIGHT NEXT TO A NATIONAL PARK AND NATIONAL FOREST AND REALLY GREAT STATE PARKS.
AND THOSE, THOSE ARE ALL DARK SKIES COMPLIANT.
SO FOR OUR PEOPLE THAT, FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO GO OUTSIDE AT NIGHT AND ACTUALLY SEE THE STARS, THAT'S THE GOAL, RIGHT? UM, WHILE SAVING EVERYBODY MONEY, MAKING THE STREETS SAFER AT THE SAME TIME.
SO A LOT OF REALLY NEAT THINGS WE CAN DO THERE.
AND A LOT OF EXEMPLAR TOWNS AROUND THIS AREA THAT WE CAN DRAW, UM, REALLY GOOD MOMENTUM FROM.
SO WE, AGAIN, PARTNER WITH ANYBODY INTERESTED IN THIS KIND OF THING.
OF COURSE, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN PLANTING TREES OR HELPING WITH THE GREENWAY OR, OR WHATEVER, WE HAPPEN TO BE WORKING ON DARK SKIES INITIATIVE, PLEASE COME AND BE A PART OF THIS.
SO THESE ARE JUST, JUST SOME OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS WE'VE WORKED WITH SO FAR OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, AND THAT WHISK CONTINUES TO GROW.
WE HAVE GROUPS LIKE RURAL KING AND LOWE'S THAT HAVE COME ON BOARD WITH REALLY AWESOME DONATIONS.
THE NEW ANTI-LITTER FENCE WE JUST PUT IN ALONGSIDE ROYAL KING WAS COMPLETELY FUNDED BY DONATIONS, WHICH IS AWESOME.
UM, SO MORE AND MORE PEOPLE, AS WE, AS WE DO MORE, OF COURSE, MORE PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT US AND MORE PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN BEING A PART OF THAT.
I I FEEL REALLY HAPPY THAT WE HAVE A SYSTEM
[00:15:01]
THAT'S WORKING, THAT WE HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE SO PASSIONATE THAT SHOW UP ALL THE TIME AND HAVE GOOD IDEAS.AND WHEN WE GO TO A MEETING, UH, WE, WE LEAVE THAT MEETING WITH FIVE OR SIX NEW PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
WE'RE NOT JUST GOING TO TALK ABOUT THEM, WE'RE GOING TO DO THEM.
AND THAT'S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS COMMITTEE IS THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TURNING TALK INTO ACTION.
AND, UH, AND THERE'S, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT WE NEED THAT, RIGHT? THERE'S UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITY IN THIS TOWN AND IN THIS COUNTY FOR DOING REALLY COOL ENVIRONMENTAL WORK.
SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO, SOME DAYS PLAY CATCH UP A LITTLE BIT IN, IN MANY WAYS.
WE WANNA BECOME MORE EXEMPLAR, RIGHT AS THE TOWN.
SO ALL SORTS OF COOL THINGS WE'RE DOING.
YOU GUYS CAN READ ON THE TOWN WEBSITE.
UM, JUST A FEW EXAMPLES AND PHOTOS OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE DO.
WE HAVE EARTH DAY, WE HAVE TREE WALKS WHERE YOU CAN COME AND WALK WITH US AND LEARN ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TREES IN, IN OUR SUBURBAN AREA HERE IN TOWN.
WHAT YOU SHOULD PLANT, OF COURSE, DO A LOT OF PLANTINGS WITH THE TREES STEWARD TOWARDS THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE.
THE CENTRAL PHOTO DOWN IN THE CENTER IS A NEW SPLIT RAIL FENCE WE PUT UP WITH A HARDWARE CLOTH BARRIER ALONG THE BOTTOM TO ACTUALLY STOP WIND BLOWN LITTER FROM COMING ACROSS, UH, THE RURAL KING PARKING LOT AND ENTERING HAPPY CREEK NEXT TO IT.
SO IT'S A BEAUTIFICATION FENCE AND ALSO ANTI-LITTER.
SO THAT WAS IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR ANTI-LITTER COUNCIL.
UM, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF STUDENT INVOLVEMENT.
THE IDEA HERE IS TO REALLY GET YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THESE PROJECTS TOO.
SO COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING, THIS IS ONE THAT YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE.
UM, AND SO THESE WERE THE CREPE MYRTLES THAT WE PLANTED IN LAST YEAR.
I THINK THIS FITS VERY WELL WITH KIND OF SHOWING WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN AREAS WE'RE TRYING TO TARGET.
SO, UM, WE COULD SPEND TIME PLANTING TREES IN THE FAR BACK CORNER OF TOWN AND THEY'D BE GREAT, THEY WOULD BE GREAT TREES.
BUT WHAT WE REALIZED IS BIGGEST BANG FOR A BUCK TO TRY TO BUILD MOMENTUM AND LET PEOPLE SEE THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE.
LET'S TARGET HIGH VISIBILITY AREAS FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THAT THERE'S GOOD THINGS HAPPENING HERE.
RIGHT? AND I CAN BE INVOLVED WITH THESE.
SO WE'RE OUT HERE FOR A FULL DAY PLANTING THE CRANK MYRTLES.
OF COURSE, THOSE WILL GET BIG AND FLUFFY.
THEY'LL CREATE A BEAUTIFUL FLOWERING TUNNEL THAT YOU CAN NOW WALK DOWN THAT SECTION OF THE GREEN WAY, RIGHT? SO THAT'S THE IDEA.
MAKE IT A MORE, UH, PLEASANT EXPERIENCE.
SHOW THAT YOU KNOW, ALL THESE BENEFITS OF TREES.
UM, SO THAT'S THE IDEA WITH A LOT OF OUR, A LOT OF OUR PROJECTS.
THESE ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT THE, OUR ADVERTISEMENTS LOOK LIKE WHEN WE, WE BLAST THESE OUT TO THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
LIKE I SAID, EVERYBODY'S WELCOME.
WE GET A LOT OF GOOD ATTENDANCE, A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS, TEAM UP WITH ANYBODY.
YOU SEE ALL THE LOGOS THERE, WHO'S INTERESTED IN THIS KIND OF THING.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF GREAT PARTNERS.
UH, HERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A TREE PLANTING WE DID OVER AT, UH, ROYAL ARMS APARTMENT COMPLEX WITH THE KIDS OVER THERE ACROSS FROM SAMUELS PUBLIC LIBRARY.
SO YOU SEE A DENUDED GREEN SPACE LEADING TO A, UM, A HEADWATER, UH, DRAINAGE TO HAPPY CREEK, WHICH OF COURSE IS DENUDED TO VEGETATION, WHICH IS TERRIBLE.
AND SO THE IDEA IS TO COME IN HERE AND START GETTING SOME CANOPY AND THERE'S SOME TREES, BREAK UP THAT SOIL A LITTLE BIT AND CREATE A GREEN AREA FOR KIDS TO PLAY IN.
UM, NOT A HARD CONCEPT, RIGHT? WE'RE PLANTING TREES, BUT GETTING THIS ALL ORGANIZED AND THEN REALLY TRYING TO GET COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
AND OF COURSE, GETTING THOSE TREES BONDED, THAT'S WOULD TAKE SOME TIME.
THEY'RE SUPER SUCCESSFUL IN HOW THIS WORKS.
EVERYBODY'S OUT THERE, RIGHT? EVERYBODY'S HAVING A GOOD TIME LEARNING HOW TO PLANT A TREE.
IF I GO OUT AND PLANT A TREE AND NOBODY FROM THE COMMUNITY WAS THERE TO HELP PLANT IT, IT RUNS MORE VER SOMEBODY'S GONNA HIT THAT WITH A CAR OR BREAK IT OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, RIGHT? BUT IF, IF, IF THESE KIDS ARE THE ONES WHO PLANTED THESE TREES, THEY'RE DEFENDING THESE TREES, RIGHT? THEY'RE THEIR TREES, THEY'RE EXCITED TO WATCH THEM GROW.
SO WE REALLY LOVE GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED BECAUSE THEN THEY STEWARD THESE THINGS ALONG.
UM, JUST MORE SHOTS OF PEOPLE PLANTING TREES.
UH, THERE'S OUR ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION, WHICH WE HAVE IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR, UH, UM, EARTH DAY NOW AS WELL.
DIGGING THE CEREMONY TREE OUT THERE ACROSS FROM PAVEMENT.
UH, I THINK THOSE ARE RIVER BIRCHES WE DID THAT YEAR, WHICH WAS GREAT.
UM, HERE'S SOME WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING ON HAPPY CREEK, OF COURSE.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY AND A LITTLE BIT OF BAGGAGE WITH THIS STREAM.
BUT, UM, OUR GOAL IS TO, TO MOVE FORWARD AND TO DO SOME REALLY FUN THINGS WITH OUR WATERSHED HERE AND TO GET THE COMMUNITY BACK INVOLVED.
SO THIS WILL BE, UM, YOU KNOW, A LONG-TERM EFFORT.
AND ANYTHING IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A SUBURBAN GARDEN THAT YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN.
SO WE ARE BUILDING THIS RIPARIAN ZONE OUT LITTLE BIT BY LITTLE BIT, MAKING IT BEAUTIFUL, TRYING TO KEEP TRASH AND MENTORING THAT, FORTIFYING THAT AREA.
ALSO MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE, UM, AND THINKING A LOT ABOUT THAT LONG TERM.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THAT.
OTHER THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT ARE PLACES WHERE WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR GREENWAY.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN.
UH, WEST CHRYSLER ROAD, OF COURSE, WE WERE INVOLVED WITH HELPING WIND THAT ROAD.
AND, AND I ALSO WANNA SAY WE GET A LOT OF HELP FROM THE, UM, FROM OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
SO I WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO ROBBIE AND HIS CREW WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH, I THINK EVERY ONE OF THESE PROJECTS TO HELP WITH, WITH THE MECHANICS, THE MACHINERY, UH, A LOT OF HARD, HARD LABOR.
THEY HELP US SET UP A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS TOO.
SO THERE'S GREAT COLLABORATIONS ALREADY WITHIN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF THIS TOWN, WHICH MAKES, MAKES IT POWERFUL.
UM, SO THANK YOU ROBBIE AND YOUR CREW FOR ALL OF THAT.
OF COURSE, OUR OTHER PARTNERS,
[00:20:01]
SO THIS IS JUST A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.WE WIND THE ROAD, WE RECOGNIZE THIS AS AN AREA WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE RECREATING.
THIS IS OUR MOST RECREATED LOOP IN ALL OF TOWN.
THIS INVOLVES EASTON PARK, SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL, AND THEN PEOPLE HAVE TO GET BACK TO EASTON PARK AND THEY HAVE TO GO DOWN THIS GAUNTLET OF A ROAD.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT PLACES LIKE THAT AND SAYING, WHAT CAN OUR COMMITTEE DO TO GET IN THERE AND IMPROVE THIS? SO WE WIDEN THE HELP, WIDEN THE ROAD, WE GOT THE DOUBLE WHITE LINE PAINTED, AND NOW THE NEXT IDEA IS TO GET THESE FLEXI STAKES SET UP, WHICH WILL HELP REDUCE TRAFFIC SPEED AND ALSO CREATE A LITTLE BIT OF AN ADDITIONAL BARRIER THERE FOR PEDESTRIANS.
WE HAVE TWO SCHOOLS OF KIDS WALKING DOWN THAT DAILY.
UH, IT'S SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT AS A TOWN AND PUT A LOT OF, UH, IMMEDIATE FOCUS INTO IT.
WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE VERSUS REACTIVE.
WE DON'T WANT TO GET THAT CALL SOMEDAY THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED TO A KID WALKING DOWN THAT STRIP.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT A, I THINK THAT'S WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION WE CAN HAVE HERE AS A GROUP, IS WHEN WE RECOGNIZE A SCENARIO LIKE THIS THAT'LL COME TOGETHER AND SEE HOW WE CAN GET THIS FIXED AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE JUST PUT IN THIS, UH, THIS NEW SPLIT RAIL FENCE, WHICH AGAIN IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN A BUNCH OF GROUPS, KEEPING LITTER OUTTA THE CREEK.
IT HELPS BEAUTIFY OUR GREENWAY.
UM, AND WE HAD A LOT OF GOOD PARTNERS INVOLVED WITH THAT AS WELL.
UH, THE DARK SKIES INITIATIVE, OR WE COULD REBRAND IT TO BE A BRIGHT STREETS, BRIGHT STARS.
SOMETIMES THE, THE PHRASE DARK SKIES IS A TURNOFF 'CAUSE UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING FOR THERE.
THEY THINK IT MAKES IT LESS SAFE, WHEREAS ACTUALLY THE OPPOSITE, THE MORE LIGHT YOU HAVE DOWN WHERE WE ARE ACTUALLY LIVING OUR LIVES, THE SAFER IT IS.
THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT'S, A GREAT EXAMPLE.
YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THAT LIGHT AND IT'S JUST SHINING RIGHT IN YOUR FACE.
YOU DOWN SHIELD THAT LIGHT ON THE RIGHT, YOU COVER IT, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE AN INTRUDER.
A LOT OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT SAFETY CONCERNS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO YOU COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THE, THE WIND, THE WIN-WINS OF A DARK SKY IS PLANNED FOR THE TOWN.
UH, EVERYTHING FROM MIGRATORY BIRDS TO SAFER STREETS, UH, A BETTER AMBIANCE AT NIGHT.
UM, AND SO, UM, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT CARRIE, WHO'S BACK THERE, WHO WE'VE BEEN WORKING A LOT WITH TO THINK ABOUT DIFFERENT IDEAS FOR, FOR TACKLING THIS PROBLEM BOTH AT THE COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL, THERE'S A LOT OF LIGHTS OUT THERE, RIGHT? SO I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT ARROW'S POINTING AT FRONT ROYAL.
SO YOU'LL SEE THE NATIONAL PARK IN THIS AREA, RIGHT? IT'S VERY LIGHT COLOR.
YOU SEE DC IN THE SUBURBS ENCROACHING FROM THE EAST, SUPER BRIGHT.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU DON'T SEE THE MILKY WAY OUT THERE ANYMORE.
FRONT ROYAL UNFORTUNATELY IS VERY BRIGHT STILL.
WE'VE GOT SOME WORK TO DO COMPARED TO OUR SURROUNDING LANDSCAPES.
SO SOMETHING LIKE THE NATIONAL PARK, WE ARE IN THEIR VIEW, SHED, THE ASTRONOMY PROGRAMS HAPPEN THREE MILES UP SKYLINE DRIVE.
THEY CAN'T SEE THE STARS BECAUSE OF US, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY, RIGHT, TO, TO FIT THE RURAL CHARACTER AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT OTHER, THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES AROUND HERE HAVE THESE DARK SKIES AND THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
THE GOOD NEWS IS WE DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL ON A LOT OF THIS.
THERE'S A LOT OF THIS IS KNOWN WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND WE JUST NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO GO FORWARD AND DO IT.
CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT ONE? I WILL, YEAH, SURE.
SO I'M JUST MAKING AN OBSERVATION, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE.
SO ARE WE SAYING THAT LIKE WARRANT, I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SPACE THAT WARRANTY WARRANTY TAKES, LIKE WE ACTUALLY ARE HAVE MORE
WE HAVE OUR INDUSTRIAL, WE HAVE OUR INDUSTRIAL PARK HEADING TO THE NORTH.
I THINK THAT'S A BIG PIECE OF IT.
'CAUSE I JUST LOOK AT WHAT CALL PEPPER WARRANT AND YEP.
RAY TOWNS ARE OF COURSE GONNA HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE NATURALLY.
UH, BUT IT'S, IT'S INCREDIBLE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT A TOWN THAT HAS GONE TO A DARK SKIES POLICY AND DONE DOWN SHIELDING ON THEIR LIGHTS, CHANGED THE COLOR OF BULBS, FIRST OF ALL, THEY'RE SAVING A TON OF MONEY OVER THE LONG TERM.
UH, AND SECOND OF ALL, THEY JUST FADE INTO THAT MAP AND THAT YOU CAN WALK OUTSIDE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TOWN, YOU STILL FEEL SAFE.
YOU CAN LOOK UP AND SEE THE STARS.
YOU CAN HAVE BOTH WORLDS, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.
SO HAS LORAY ADOPTED THAT TYPE OF POLICY? I DON'T KNOW ABOUT LURAY, YOU KNOW, AN EXEMPLAR ONE WOULD BE ABLE TO, WASHINGTON'S BEEN PUSHING PRETTY HARD.
RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY HAS BEEN DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB.
WHICH, WHICH IS, I MEAN, THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF RESISTANCE TOO.
THEY'RE REALLY GREAT TO LEARN FROM BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN GOING AT THIS FOR ABOUT 5, 6, 7 YEARS.
AND I, I MEAN, WE'RE IN CONVERSATION WITH THEM TO SEE WHAT'S WORKED AND WHAT HASN'T.
WHAT DO RESIDENTS RESPOND TO IT KIND OF MESSAGING? IT'S ALL ABOUT THE EDUCATION, HOW YOU PRESENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS, RIGHT? IF YOU COME AT IT FROM THE FINANCIAL ASPECT THAT WE'RE SAVING MONEY, IF YOU COME AT IT FROM A SAFETY ASPECT, IT'S SAFER AT NIGHT.
YOU JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOUR MESSAGING IS GOOD.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, IT IS A WIN-WIN WIN ACROSS THE BOARD.
YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE TO GET THAT MESSAGING OUT CORRECTLY.
IS THE IDEA TO BE LIGHT AT BLUE? YEAH, THE IDEA IS TO BE A LOT MORE LIKE THE NATIONAL PARK NEXT TO US, RIGHT? WE WANT TO BE A CONTINUATION OF OUR NATURAL SPACES HERE.
UH, SO LOTS OF FUN THINGS TO DO THERE.
EARTH DAY CELEBRATIONS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
WE'VE HAD TWO OF THOSE SO FAR.
UH, I THINK YOU'LL RECOGNIZE SOMEONE IN THAT PHOTO PLANTING A TREE.
I WILL SAY THAT MAURY HAS BEEN TO MANY OF OUR TREE PLANTINGS, AND OFTEN I THINK YOU'VE BEEN ONE OF THE LAST ONES THERE CONTINUING TO PLANT.
SO I THINK YOU'RE HAVING A PRETTY GOOD TIME, WHICH IS, I LEARNED
[00:25:01]
A LOT.WANNA SAY JIM? UH, JIM TAUGHT ME WE'VE GOT SOME GOOD TEACHERS HOW TO SINK A TREE THAT I HAD NO IDEA HOW TO DO.
AND I, I FELT ACCOMPLISHED WHEN I LEFT THERE.
THE WHOLE IDEA WITH THESE PROJECTS ARE BIG IMPACT, BUT A LOT OF FUN.
UM, SO EARTH DAY, UH, 2024 IS, WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO MAYBE LEAN ON THE TOWN COUNTS A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR A LITTLE MORE HELP WITH THAT.
IT IS A LOT OF WORK, AS WE ALL KNOW, TO PUT ON A MASSIVE EVENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS.
UH, SO SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S A, IT'S A HUGE DRAW FOR, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT FIT FOR OUR TOWN.
THIS EARTH DAY CONCEPT WHERE WE ARE WITH FRONT ROW.
I THINK IT'S A REALLY, REALLY GOOD FIT.
SO JUST A COUPLE MORE PHOTOS FROM EARTH DAY.
WE, OF COURSE, WE HAVE FLUFFY THINGS FOR KIDS TO PET 'CAUSE THEY NEED THAT.
AND, UH, NATIVE PLANTS FOR SALE.
WE WANNA BE DOING SOME GIVEAWAYS, UH, NEXT YEAR AS WELL.
BUT EVERY TENT, PRETTY MUCH WHAT'S DIFFERENT IS IT'S NOT A VENDOR, IT'S, IT'S A CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION TELLING YOU ABOUT WHAT THEY DO AND HOW TO GET INVOLVED, WHICH IS REALLY COOL.
ALL OUR, ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT RIVER GROUPS, YOU KNOW, THE POTOMAC CONSERVANCY, THE SHENANDOAH RIVER KEEPERS, THE FRIENDS OF THE NORTH WARD, FRIENDS OF THE SOUTHWARD, ALL THESE GROUPS.
ANOTHER THING I WANNA JUST GET IN FRONT OF YOU, UH, BECAUSE WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
SO IN A NUTSHELL, NOT TO GO TOO DEEP INTO THIS TONIGHT, 'CAUSE WE DO, WE'LL PROBABLY GET INTO IT MORE LATER, IS THAT WE ARE RE-IMAGINING THIS AT CONNECTOR TRAIL.
SO, UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE AT GOES AROUND OUR TOWN, NOT INTO OUR TOWN.
THIS IS OUR TOWN BY ABOUT THREE MILES TO THE SOUTH.
WELL, EVERYONE WANTS TO COME HERE AND WE WANT THEM HERE.
WE WANT THEM TO USE THIS AS A BASE CAMP, SPEND THEIR MONEY HERE, MEET THEIR FAMILIES HERE.
UM, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THEY WALK THREE MILES DOWN A GAUNTLET OF ROUTE 5 22.
IT'S NOT A REALLY NICE WELCOME TO OUR TOWN, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE THIS AMAZING TRAIL, UH, THAT SPANS THE LENGTH OF THE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE CAN'T GET THOSE THREE MILES INTO OUR TOWN.
SO THIS TRAIL WE'RE RE-IMAGINING PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUILT 80 YEARS AGO, BUT HERE WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
UM, AND YOU MIGHT REMEMBER IF YOU, YOU'VE BEEN AROUND A LITTLE WHILE THAT THEY TRIED, THEY GAVE THIS A SHOT A COUPLE YEARS BACK, UM, AND DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF IT.
IT ENDED UP THEY WANTED TO PUT THE TRAIL ON THE EAST SIDE OR THE NORTH SIDE OF BUY 22 AND MAKE IT A PAID TRAIL.
ENDED UP HITTING A LOT OF LOGISTICAL BARRIERS WITH THAT BECAUSE OF THE TOPOGRAPHY.
THE PRICE TAG WAS REALLY HIGH.
WE'VE SINCE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT IT.
LOOKED AT THE TRAIN, SAID LET'S MOVE OVER TO THE SOUTH OR THE WEST SIDE OF 5 22 AND LET'S MAKE IT ONLY A FOOT PATH TO START, WHICH WOULD ALSO BE COMPLIANT WITH SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK.
SO THIS WOULD RUN ALONG VDOT PROPERTY, SMITHSONIAN OUTSIDE THE FENCE, AND THEN INTO THE NATIONAL PARK.
UM, IT WOULD SERVICE NOT ONLY AT HIKERS, BUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THAT WOULD THEN LITERALLY BE ABLE TO WALK HOME, WHICH IS SUPER COOL.
UM, AND IT WOULD PROVIDE A SAFE SPACE FOR PEOPLE COMING INTO OUR TOWN.
AGAIN, BEING PROACTIVE VERSUS REACTIVE.
WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR THE DAY WHERE THAT'S A FAST ROAD.
IT'S PRETTY SCARY OUT THERE, RIGHT? UM, SO WE DON'T WANT THAT.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS IN THE COMP PLAN.
THAT'S WHAT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN IS.
THAT'S TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM OUR COMP PLAN.
I WILL SAY THERE'S BEEN VERY GOOD MOMENTUM WITH THIS.
I THINK I'VE ACTUALLY FOUND A, A, UH, POT OF MONEY THAT WOULD FUND IT UP TO $2 MILLION.
AND I DON'T THINK WE NEED ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THAT.
WE WERE JUST IN TALKS WITH SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK TRUST, WHO I DO BELIEVE WE'LL PROBABLY CHAMPION THE PROJECT AND I WILL WORK ON THE SMITHSONIAN A LITTLE BIT.
UH, I THINK WE'LL, WE'LL GET 'EM.
UM, SO I'M HOPING TO HAVE A MEETING IN DECEMBER WITH ALL THE BIG STAKEHOLDERS, UM, AND SEE WHERE NEXT STEPS FOR THIS.
UH, THERE'S ANOTHER SHOT OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THIS.
UH, THE TRAIL COULD TAKE A FEW DIFFERENT OPTIONS AS IT COMES ACROSS.
SHE, SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK HERE.
WE HAVE SOME RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS HERE.
WE MIGHT GET A TRAIL EASEMENT, TALK TO SOME FOLKS THERE AND COME THROUGH INTO TOWN.
BUT CONCEPTUALLY, THIS IS THE IDEA TO BE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE SAFELY FROM THE AT CROSSING INTO OUR TOWN AND BACK.
UM, YEAH, VERY EXCITING ON THAT.
SO PROJECTED WINDS, OF COURSE, FOR THAT TRAIL ARE LOT OF TOURISM DOLLARS, MORE TOURISM DOLLARS COMING IN, RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
IT'S A NEW TRAIL FOR OUR TOWN.
EVERYONE MOVING HERE, YOU KNOW, YOUNG FAMILIES, PEOPLE MY AGE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
I WANNA BE ABLE TO, I'D LOVE, BE ABLE TO WALK TO WORK.
I'D LOVE, BE ABLE TO WALK TO HARMONY HOLLOW, RIGHT TO THE FOUR H CENTER TO BE AWESOME OR RIDING MY BIKE OR WHATEVER IT HAPPENS TO BE.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE ATTRACTIVE THING ABOUT THESE, THESE, UM, THESE RURAL TOWNS IS THE ABILITY TO MOVE AROUND LIKE THAT.
AND OF COURSE, THERE'S JUST A TON OF WAYS WE CAN ENGAGE PEOPLE ON THAT TRAIL ONCE WE HAVE IT.
SO, AND I ALSO THINK IT'LL BE A GOOD FIT WITH THE OTHER PROPOSED TRAIL.
UH, UP BEHIND THE OLD AB TECH CENTER TOO.
WE JUST START CREATING A BIGGER TRAIL NETWORK.
UM, SO AGAIN, UH, OUR COMMITTEE AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, HAS A REALLY BIG PRESENCE IN THE NEW COMP PLAN.
SO THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, EVEN IN THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, THERE ARE FOUR BIG PIECES.
AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACCESS IS ONE OF THOSE FOUR.
UM, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IS FRONT AND CENTER.
AND I THINK ALL THE THINGS WE'RE DOING MESH WITH A LOT OF, ALL OF THE GOALS THAT WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT AND WE HEAR TOWN COUNCIL TALKING ABOUT FOR THIS TOWN.
AND SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE REALLY WANNA LEVERAGE THIS NEW
[00:30:01]
COMP PLAN.UM, WE WANNA, WE WANNA LOOK AT A LOT OF THE LINGO IN THIS AND SAY, IT'S THERE.
LET'S, LET'S TRY TO FIND THE FUNDING.
LET'S HELP ALLOCATE FUNDING TOWARDS THIS.
WE CAN HELP PUSH THIS FORWARD.
UM, AND ON THAT, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE, UH, WE'VE GOT A NEW LOGO THAT WE WANNA PUSH.
WE, WE WERE THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE WANNA CHANGE THOSE, UH, THAT ACRONYM AROUND A LITTLE BIT JUST TO BECOME ACES.
THE IDEA WITH THAT IS THAT IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE OF ATTRACTIVE A NAME.
AND I WANTED TO PITCH THAT TOO 'CAUSE WE DO NEED TOWN COUNCIL TO SIGN OFF ON THAT.
THE IDEA ACE IS A LITTLE MORE CATCHY OF AN ACRONYM THAN EAC.
UH, AND, UM, OF COURSE ACES HAS A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE WINNING HAND, WHICH WE FEEL LIKE ENVIRONMENT IS A WINNING HAND FOR EVERYONE.
CLEAN WATER, CLEAN AIR, CLEAN SOILS IS A WINNING RECIPE FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, AND OF COURSE AN ACE IS SOMEONE WHO DOES SOMETHING VERY WELL.
AND I FEEL LIKE FRONT ROYAL IS REALLY BEGINNING TO EXCEL IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORLD.
SO I FEEL LIKE IT FITS OUR COMMITTEE, UM, PERFECTLY.
SO A COUPLE OF TAKEAWAYS IS THAT WE ARE KICKING BUTT, UH, WHICH IS AWESOME AND WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN A BIG PART OF THAT.
UM, I WANNA SAY THAT INVESTING IN THE ENVIRONMENT HERE IS INVESTING IN A HEALTHY COMMUNITY.
I THINK WE TALK ABOUT THE HEALTH OF THIS COMMUNITY A LOT, WHETHER IT'S MENTAL HEALTH OR PHYSICAL HEALTH.
AND I THINK A MILLION STUDIES WOULD SHOW THAT ACCESS TO ENVIRONMENT, MORE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, HANDS BACK IN THE SOIL, ALL THESE THINGS ARE WHAT REALLY HELPED MOVE THE NEEDLE IN THAT, IN THAT HEALTH WORLD, RIGHT? SO, UM, LET US HELP WITH THAT.
UM, ENVIRONMENTALLY SPEAKING, WE WANNA SEE FRONT ROYAL MAKE THE LEAP FROM KIND OF CATCHING UP TO OTHER TOWNS TO REALLY BEING AN EXEMPLAR COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT'S OUR GOAL AS A COMMITTEE TO REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, AND I THINK WE ARE EXCELLING IN SOME PLACES AND THERE'S OTHER SPOTS THAT WE NEED TO DO A LITTLE CATCHING UP.
UM, AND THAT, I THINK THAT'S JUST GONNA COME DOWN TO CAPACITY, UH, HAVING THE CAPACITY TO MOVE SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS FORWARD.
UM, WE'VE, UH, WE'VE DONE A LOT WITH VERY LITTLE FUNDING.
SO WE HAVE BEEN DOING OUR OWN FUNDRAISING.
WE WRITE OUR OWN GRANTS AND WIN THEM THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY.
WE JUST WROTE ANOTHER ONE TO VIRGINIA OUTDOOR FOUNDATION.
UM, THAT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY.
WE, WE ENJOY DOING IT AS MUCH AS SOMEONE WRITING GRANTS AND JURY WRITING GRANTS BECAUSE IT MEANS WE CAN GET PROJECTS DONE.
UM, BUT IMAGINE WHAT WE COULD DO WITH A BUDGET.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO KIND OF FLOAT OUT THERE TO YOU GUYS, UM, IS THAT A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY WOULD MEAN THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO BURN THREE MONTHS A YEAR WRITING GRANTS.
WE COULD BE DOING MORE REALLY COOL PROJECTS.
UM, AND IF THERE'S SOME FUNDING FROM THE TOWN, WE CAN USE THAT AS MATCH TO GET BIGGER GRANTS.
UH, SO WE'D LEVEL, YOU KNOW, THE SUPPORT OF THE TOWN ON THAT.
AND OF COURSE THE BIG ONE IS WE'D BE EXCITED TO HAVE ALL OF YOU JOIN US AT ANY TIME FOR ANY OF OUR PROJECTS OR OUR MEETINGS.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN OUT THERE AND I THINK WE REALLY ARE MOVING THE NEEDLE.
SO, UM, YEAH, WITH THAT, UH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
SO THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
APPRECIATE IT AND TELL YOU JUSTICE.
SO, UM, I'VE, BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD AND ASK IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT YOU SAID SOMETHING EARLIER ABOUT BAGGAGE AND SO NO, I'M GOOD WITH THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT, UM, I THINK LIFE IS ALL ABOUT LEARNING AND AND I TELL MY CHILDREN ALL THE TIME THAT, UH, IT'S NOT A MISTAKE IF YOU LEARN FROM IT.
IT'S, IT'S A LIFE LESSON IF YOU LEARN FROM IT.
AND SO WE DIDN'T, THERE WERE SOME THINGS ALONG THE WAY THAT I WISH COULD HAVE GONE DIFFERENTLY.
HOWEVER, I REALLY, YOU KNOW, THAT WHOLE SILVER LINING, I REALLY FEEL LIKE THE EAC AND I'M, I'M GOOD WITH WHATEVER WE CALL IT.
BUT, UM, I, I THINK ABOUT THAT AND IT REALLY KIND OF, IT REALLY WAS BORN OUT OF, UM, A NOT GREAT SITUATION.
AND IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I CONSIDER ONE OF WHAT, LIKE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT DURING MY TENURE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, AS SOMETHING THAT I FEEL LIKE, UM, WHEN THIS COMMITTEE CAME ABOUT.
AND PART OF THAT IS FROM THE STRENGTH OF YOU AND, AND JIM AND ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE A PART OF IT.
BECAUSE YOU ALL REALLY HAVEN'T WAITED FOR PEOPLE TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO.
YOU TOOK THE TASK AND SAID, THIS IS WHAT WE WANNA DO.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW I SAY THIS TO YOU PERSONALLY, BUT I WANNA SAY IT IN PUBLIC.
YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT THING AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
UM, SO, AND ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WATER EARLIER, YOU KNOW, WATER'S ON EVERYBODY'S BRAIN EVERYWHERE.
I WAS AT LAKE GASTON THIS WEEKEND AND, AND PEOPLE DOWN THERE WERE WORRIED, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S WORRIED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WELL ARE RIGHT.
UM, AND I THOUGHT ABOUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PROGRAMS, I, I THOUGHT WE REALLY NEED TO DO MORE REMINDING KIDS FROM AN EARLY AGE.
'CAUSE THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I WAS A KID, THEY WERE ALWAYS
[00:35:01]
PUSHING ABOUT SINGING THE SONG WHILE YOU'RE BRUSHING YOUR TEETH AND SHOWERS BEING THIS AMOUNT, LIKE ALL THESE THINGS THAT TO, YOU KNOW, CONSERVE WATER.AND I FEEL LIKE WE DON'T REALLY TALK ABOUT THAT MUCH ANYMORE.
I MEAN, MAYBE YOU ALL DO, BUT I'M, I'M JUST SAYING LIKE, WE DON'T REALLY TALK ABOUT THAT MUCH ANYMORE.
AND THEN YOU GET TO A SITUATION LIKE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK IF MAYBE IF WE WOULD'VE BEEN DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSERVING ALONG THE WAY AND TEACHING OUR KIDS AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE FUTURE THAT, THAT WE COULD DO THAT.
SO WHEN YOU THINK, WHEN WE, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THINGS THAT YOU ALL COULD DO, MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD WORK WITH WITH THE SCHOOLS TO KINDA GET THAT BACK IN THE FOREFRONT.
AGAIN, JUST SIMPLE LITTLE THINGS.
DON'T FORGET THIS, DON'T FORGET THAT.
I KNOW WE TALKED, I KNOW AT EARTH DAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S STUFF THERE, BUT REALLY JUST MORE PUSHING.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, NOW IT'S A REACTIVE NOW, NOW WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, NOW WE'RE NOT WATERING OUR GARDENS AND WASHING OUR CARS, BUT WHAT COULD WE HAVE DONE ALONG THE WAY SO WE DIDN'T GET TO THIS POINT? SO ANYWAY, THANK YOU JUSTIN.
AND I'LL JUST GO BACK REALLY QUICK TO THE POINT YOU MADE ABOUT HAPPY CREEK AND MAYBE BEING BORN OUT OF BLOOD A LITTLE BIT.
UM, THE AMAZING THING ABOUT THE WHOLE HAPPY CREEK FIASCO WAS THAT HOW MANY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE CAME OUT TO, UM, GAL WERE GALVANIZED BY THIS IDEA OF THEIR WATERSHED BEING ATTACKED, RIGHT? WE SAW THAT AND WE SAID, YEAH, IT WASN'T GREAT.
WHAT HAPPENED? WE ALL AGREED IT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE BETTER, BUT LOOK AT ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO CARE.
LET'S TAKE THAT AND USE IT AS FORWARD MOMENTUM.
LET'S NOT USE THAT AS AN OBSTACLE.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT? LET'S MOVE.
LOOK AT ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DO SOMETHING COOL.
LET'S DESIGN SOME PROJECTS WHERE WE CAN, WHERE WE CAN PUT THAT ENERGY TO GOOD USE AND MOVE FORWARD.
RIGHT? SO A HUNDRED PERCENT, THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR JUSTIN? OR ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE ACES? I MEAN, IS ANYBODY LIKE TOTALLY AGAINST THE IDEA OF CHANGING? YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, WHEN WE WOULD SAY IT, PEOPLE WOULD BE LIKE, WHAT? AND THEN I'D HAVE TO SAY ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARD
UH, BUT WE CAN HIDE BEHIND AN ACRONYM THAT'S A LITTLE EASIER TO REMEMBER.
BUT IT, BUT IT'LL FLOW A LITTLE BIT EASIER.
FRONT ROW ACES, YOU KNOW, CALLING THE ACES TO GET THE JOB DONE, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF LIKE THAT IDEA.
UM, SO IS EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT? YEAH.
I NOTICED THEY WERE DOING SOME STORM WATER TESTING ON THE, UP AT THE, UH, GREENWAY.
THAT'S, THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR, SO I ALSO SIT ON THE ANTI LITTER COUNCIL FOR FRONT ROYAL IN WARREN COUNTY, AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR STUDENT AMBASSADORS DOING A PROJECT THERE AS WELL, LOOKING AT STORMWATER RUNOFF.
UNFORTUNATELY IT HASN'T RAINED IN TWO MONTHS, SO IT'S BEEN REALLY HARD TO MEASURE STORMWATER RUNOFF.
WE'RE, WE'RE THERE WAITING, REMEMBER THE IRONY OF, OF, OF, UH, EARTH DAY THIS YEAR.
I MEAN, LORI AND I WERE THERE.
I MEAN, FOR THIS BEING THE SECOND YEAR OF IT, YOU GUYS DID AWESOME.
I MEAN, THERE WAS ALL THE VENDORS THAT WERE THERE.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT JUST LIKE, OKAY, YEAH, YEAH.
SITTING HOW FAST YOU CAN PACK THAT UP.
WELL WE GOT A GOOD, YOU KNOW, FOUR HOURS IN, WHICH WAS GREAT.
THE TURNOUT WAS, WAS WAY, WAY BETTER THAN IT WHAT I ACTUALLY ANTICIPATED, BUT I WAS GLAD TO SEE AS MANY PEOPLE SHOWED UP AND ALL THE VENDORS THAT DID SHOW UP.
I'M ALREADY GETTING EMAILS AND PEOPLE WHO WANT ARE LIKE, WE GET TO GO FOR 2024.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE EXCITING.
AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THANK, I'M, I'M SHOWCASING WORK AND I'M TALKING ON BEHALF OF A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE.
OF COURSE, I WANT TO POINT OUT LIZZIE AND LAUREN WHO COME TO OUR MEETINGS AND WHO ARE HUGE, A HUGE HELP WITH ALL THESE THINGS, ESPECIALLY THE EVENTS, PLANNING, THE PERMITS, ALL THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS.
SO WE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TAP INTO ALL THESE GREAT PEOPLE AND RESOURCES THAT YOU GUYS AS A TOWN HAVE.
AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT AND THAT'S WHAT'S ALLOWED US TO, TO MOVE FAST AND COHERENTLY ON THESE PROJECTS, UM, IS HAVING THAT KIND OF SUPPORT.
SO, QUESTION THAT YOU, I THINK YOU TALKED TO ME ABOUT THIS FORCE OF EC ACES.
I'M ASSUMING WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA ALL BE OKAY WITH CHANGING IT TO ACES, BUT I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, WHEN THIS WAS SET UP, IT HAD A NUMBER ON THE COMMITTEE, RIGHT? I THINK LIKE FOR MEMBERSHIP WE ACTUALLY APPOINTED YOU ALL TO THE COMMITTEE.
YOU HAD TO APPLY AND WE APPOINTED YOU.
AND SO WHEN FIVE PEOPLE, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND A STUDENT AMBASSADOR, YOU KNOW, A STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE AMBASSADOR.
UM, SO I KNOW WHEN YOU AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT IT, IT WAS, DO WE NEED TO LOOK AT EXPANDING THAT? AND THEN NOT, I MEAN, INSTEAD OF LIKE, WELL, MY THOUGHT WAS EVEN IF WE KEPT THOSE FIVE POSITIONS AS BEING LIKE, UM, CORE MEMBERS, AN ADVISORY, YOU KNOW, LIKE ALMOST LIKE A, AN ADVISORY BOARD OR LIKE, NOT A TRUSTEES BOARD, BUT LIKE THAT.
BUT THEN THE COMMITTEE, LIKE ANY, ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO JOIN BECAUSE YOU DO WANT, 'CAUSE THERE MIGHT COME A TIME WHERE YOU'RE BUSY THE WEEKEND
[00:40:01]
OF THAT PROJECT.AND I, I JUST DON'T, I WOULDN'T WANT ANYBODY TO BE DISCOURAGED FROM WANTING TO COME AND BEING A PART OF IT.
AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
SO WE ARE IN THIS KIND OF, WE HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE COMING NOW AND ARE JUST AS MUCH MEMBERS IN A FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY AS WE ARE, RIGHT? THEY'RE LEADING THEIR OWN PROJECTS, THEY'RE SHOWING UP TO EVERY MEETING, THEY'RE DOING GREAT STUFF.
LIKE SHOT'S, A GREAT EXAMPLE WHO DESIGNED THAT LOGO, WHO SHOWS UP TO EVERY ONE OF OUR MEETINGS AND IS HELPING SPEARHEAD THE PROJECT ON WEST CHRYSLER BECAUSE HE HAS KIDS GOING TO SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL.
SO YEAH, I, I WOULD LOVE THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO GIVE MORE RECOGNITION FORMALLY.
I'D LOVE TO HAVE HIM ON THE WEBSITE AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE SAME THING.
AND WHETHER, YEAH, IT'S KIND OF A, A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT LABEL OR WHATEVER IT IS WITHIN THE COMMITTEE.
IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO JUMP ON THIS COMMITTEE AND HELP US GET SOME PROJECTS DONE, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE VOLUNTEERS SO WE COULD USE ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AFTER WORK HOURS, WE'RE DOING ALL THIS STUFF.
SO I DON'T WANT TO TURN ANYBODY AWAY EITHER.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THEY'RE GETTING RECOGNITION FOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO MAYBE WE NEED, UM, MR. SONNET, I, I WAS GONNA SAY, DO YOU THINK YOU COULD LOOK AT THE PART WHERE WE ESTABLISH THIS COMMITTEE AND JUST SEE IF WE HAVE ANY FLEXIBILITY TO, YOU KNOW, NOT, I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, IT IS DIFFERENT THAN, I MEAN, BECAUSE YOU WERE APPLIED AND APPOINTED JUST LIKE A PLANNING COMMISSIONER BARR OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY TO HAVE A LEVEL OF, WE HAVE THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, APPOINTED BY TOWN COUNCIL, BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THAT WOULD BE OPEN TO ANYBODY.
THAT'S WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING TO LOOK AT SUBCOMMITTEES, LIKE THE DARK SKIES INITIATIVE.
PEOPLE HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE WORKING UNDERNEATH ONE OF THE FIVE.
THAT'S HOW WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT IT THAT WAY.
SO IT COULD BE JUST, YEAH, THAT'S WHY I WAS JUST SAYING THAT I THINK THAT IT'S IN THE CODE THAT, UM, THAT I THINK IT'S IN THE CODE ABOUT THE FIVE AND BEING APPOINTED BY COUNSEL.
SO I'M NOT SURE THAT, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE LOOK AT THIS.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD TWEAK THE CODE TO SAY THESE FIVE ARE APPOINTED BY COUNSEL, BUT, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, ANY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE.
UM, AND THEN MAYBE IT COULD BE SOMETHING WHERE THESE ARE THE BOARD MEMBERS AND HERE'S THE COMMITTEE.
SO LIKE YOU SAID, EVERYBODY GETS RECOGNITION.
ONE OTHER THING I DO WANNA POINT OUT TOO IS THAT THE, THE NEW NAME COMES WITH THE NEW LOGO MM-HMM.
AND SO WE KIND OF NEED YOU GUYS TO LOOK AT THAT LOGO AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE OKAY WITH IT.
THAT OF COURSE IS THE LONE PINE, WHICH I THINK FRONT ROYAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE REALLY KIND OF RAILING BEHIND, IS BEING THIS REALLY COOL ICON OF OUR TOWN.
WHEN YOU'RE COMING FROM THE NORTH AND YOU LOOK OUT AT SKYLINE DRIVE AND YOU SEE THIS ONE REALLY COOL LONE PINE UP THERE STANDING AND STRONG ON THE MOUNTAIN SIDE.
I FEEL LIKE THIS REALLY REPRESENTS NOT ONLY FRONT ROYAL BUT US.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING TOO THAT OF COURSE YOU GUYS NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, I THOUGHT IT LOOKED GREAT.
IT REMINDS ME, IT, IT SEEMS, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, TO GO HAND IN HAND WITH THE ONE THAT LIZZIE HAS FOR THE NEW TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL CIRCLE LOGO, IT'S VERY IN TUNE WITH THAT.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING.
AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS THE SAME PERSON SPOKE BEFORE US MULTIPLE TIMES.
PFIZER ROAD HAS BEEN ON MY AGENDA FOR YEARS AS EVERYBODY'S HEARD.
AND HE WAS THE ONE 'CAUSE HE WAS SELLING, YOU COULD SPONSOR THE, UM, THE FLEXI STAKES.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO FUNDRAISE QUITE A BIT FOR THAT.
WE'RE DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE FUNDRAISING BECAUSE WE, WE SAT DOWN WITH ROBBIE AND HIS TEAM AND REALIZED WE WANT A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A ROBUST FLEXI STAKE, A LITTLE HIGHER, A LITTLE MORE REFLECTIVE.
WE WANNA DO A GREAT JOB OF THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE USING THAT, THE SIDE OF THAT ROAD ESSENTIALLY, THAT THAT GREEN WAVE PORTION ARE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
SO IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN SPONSORING PROCESS, I KNOW, I THINK I WOULD.
I SPONSORED LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, THERE, SOMEBODY CHALLENGED ME DOWN THERE THAT DAY, SO I SPONSORED LIKE THAT.
I WANTED TO BE, I WANTED TO BE WHOEVER WAS THERE, I CAN'T REMEMBER.
BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO, BUT IF ANYBODY, LET ME JUST GET A, I KNOW WE'RE NOT VOTING.
DO WE HAVE TO VOTE ON CHANGING THE NAME? YEAH.
SO THEN I GUESS WE WOULD PUT THIS ON OUR TIMBER MEETING.
SO YEAH, I WAS, I WAS PREPARED TO, AFTER TONIGHT'S MEETING, ADVERTISE FOR A PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT I'VE CHANGED, BE CHANGED IN THE CODE.
SO THAT WOULD BE ADVERTISED IN PUBLIC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 25TH.
BUT IF YOU WANNA MAKE OTHER CHANGES DO YOU WANT ME TO PAUSE ON THIS UNTIL THE NEXT WORK SESSION? THAT'S ACTUALLY SO WE CAN DO IT ALL IN ONE FAILED.
THAT'S ACTUALLY WHEN YOU START TO SAY WE HAVE TO VOTE ON A PUBLIC HEARING, IN MY MIND I'M THINKING LET'S JUST TACKLE THAT CHAPTER ALL AT ONE TIME.
I MEAN, Y'ALL CAN START CALLING RUSH YOURSELF.
NOBODY'S GONNA BE UPSET OR ANYTHING.
BUT, UM, BUT THEN THAT WAY WE KINDA LOOK AT THAT AND SEE LESSENS THE PUBLIC HEARINGS TOO.
'CAUSE IT'S GONNA BE CHANGING THE TOWN CODE IF WE CHANGE THE WAY THAT THE BOARD IS ESTABLISHED.
SO WE COULD HAVE ONE PUBLIC HEARING AND
[00:45:01]
DO IT ALL.BASICALLY BE CHANGED THE WHOLE CHAPTER.
AND IT WOULD LIKELY ONLY DELAY IT BY A MONTH, OCTOBER.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR JUSTIN OR ANYBODY ELSE ON THE BOARD? THE COMMITTEE? THANKS AGAIN.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE SEEING YOU GUYS OUT THERE, YOUR ENERGY.
OUR NEXT STEP IS, AND WE'RE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
I KNOW, I'M GONNA ADMIT, I'M AFRAID TO SAY IT.
WE WANNA BE OUT HERE BEFORE ONE THIS, THIS NIGHT.
MS. LAUREN, THAT WOULD BE YOUR TURN AGAIN.
AND THIS IS ABOUT THE CHICKENS AND THE, UH,
NOT JUST THE CHICKENS, BUT OH YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
DID YOU NEED THIS
SO, UH, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO THE PLANNING COMMISSION VOTED TO AMEND, SORRY, KIND OF RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL TO AMEND, UH, CHAPTER 1 75, 1 10 0.5.
AND THAT'S OUR STANDARDS FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE.
UM, WE HAVE A FEW JUST TEXT CHANGES THAT KIND OF CLEAR UP THE LANGUAGE, LIKE IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS, UM, JUST CLEANING UP, UM, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER PORTIONS RELATED TO BEEHIVES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THE BIG CHANGE IS THAT WE WILL PERMIT UP TO 10.
CHICKENS CHANGED FROM SIX, UM, BEEHIVES AND RABBITS ARE STILL CAPPED AT SIX.
AND WHAT WE DID WAS ADD, UM, ADDITIONAL STANDARDS IN THAT, UM, APPLICANTS WOULD NEED TO MEET.
SO THEY'RE, THE HUTCHES OR COOPS HAVE TO BE AT LEAST 18 INCHES TALL TO ACCOMMODATE THEM RUNNING AROUND.
UM, THEY CAN ONLY BE USED FOR CHICKENS OR RABBITS AND THEY HAVE TO BE VENTILATED.
AND, UM, THE COOP OR HUTCH HAS TO HAVE AT LEAST FOUR SQUARE FEET OF COOP SPACE PER ANIMAL.
AND THEN THE RUN HAS TO HAVE AT LEAST EIGHT SQUARE FEET OF SPACE PER ANIMAL.
UM, AND THEN WE JUST ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, CONDITIONS TO HELP STAFF ENFORCE THE, THE CLEANLINESS OF MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S NO RODENT FECES OR MAKING SURE THAT THE COOPS ARE JUST WELL MAINTAINED AND THAT THEY'RE NOT A NUISANCE TO THE NEIGHBORS OR A HAZARD TO.
UM, AND THEN WOULD THESE BE, UM, AG EXTENSION OFFICE OF THE FOUR H? THEY WILL STILL CONTINUE TO REVIEW THE MANAGEMENT PLANS THAT ARE SUBMITTED TO STAFF.
AND STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO DO ANNUAL INSPECTIONS OF THE CHICKEN, UM, PERMITS AND COOPS FOR YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS? SO WHERE DID WE GET, WHERE'D YOU GET THE INTEL FROM THAT TOO? RIGHT.
I CALLED OVER TO, UM, THE AG EXTENSION OFFICER AND TALKED TO SOMEONE FROM VIRGINIA TECH WHO, HE'S THE ONE THAT REVIEWS OUR MANAGEMENT PLANS AND HE STATED THAT THE STANDARD WOULD BE THE EIGHT SQUARE FEET OF RUN SPACE AND FOUR SQUARE FEET OF CO SPACE.
AND HE SAID, TALK TICKET EXPERT.
HE SAID, DEPENDING ON THE BREED OF CHICKEN.
NOW, HE SAID, TYPICALLY WHAT'S SOLD AT BRO KING, THIS IS SUFFICIENT.
UM, IF THERE'S SOME TYPE OF ODD BREED THAT'S AN EXTRA LARGE BREED OF CHICKEN, THEY MAY REQUIRE MORE, BUT HE'LL MAKE THOSE COMMENTS AND SEND IT BACK TO STAFF.
SO AT THAT POINT, I WOULD JUST ASK THAT, OR I WOULD REQUIRE THAT THEY HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL SPACE BEFORE I SIGNED OFF ON THE PERMIT.
AND WHO, WHO, WHO WILL DO THE ANNUAL INSPECTIONS TYPICALLY? UH, MY DEPUTY ZONING
I COMPANY HIM ON ONE OR TWO INSPECTIONS STAFF.
THIS ONE, I'M UNLIKE THIS ONE, UNLIKE THE UM, LIKE SHORT-TERM RENTAL, THE ONLY NEED TO GO BACK AND INSPECT WOULD BE IF ON A COMPLAINT BASE.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE WITH THIS.
NO, WE DON'T BACK, WE HAVE TO.
WE DON'T CHARGE THEM TO RENEW IT, BUT WE DO GO AND INSPECT.
AND SO WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT THREE IN TOWN THAT, UM, WE WENT OUT THERE.
THERE'S SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE.
WE DIDN'T REVOKE THE PERMIT IMMEDIATELY.
WE WERE GIVING THEM A MONTH TO GET THINGS STRAIGHTENED OUT AND THEN WE'RE GONNA COME BACK AND RAISE THAT.
IT WOULD BE A SHAME IF THEY HAD TO CHOP THE CHICKENS CUT OFF WHILE YOU WERE THERE.
[00:50:01]
QUESTION, THANK YOU GUYS FOR GETTING ALL THIS BACK TO US.UM, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT I HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT REACHED OUT TO ME THAT WERE PASSIONATE ABOUT.
WE'VE BROUGHT THIS UP AT THE LAST WORK SESSION IN A TIME WHERE, YOU KNOW, 12 EGGS WAS ABOUT $6.
AND WE HAVE A LARGE POPULATION OF FAMILIES IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYALS.
SO IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME AND THEM TO BE ABLE TO LOCALLY SOURCE THEIR OWN FOOD.
MY QUESTION IS, THE CHANGE FOR THE SQUARE FEET, THE OLD ONE ISN'T IN OUR PACKET.
WHAT WAS IT PREVIOUSLY? THERE WASN'T A REQUIREMENT.
EVERYTHING THAT IS COMPLETELY NEW.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY REQUIREMENTS.
SO YOU COULD HAVE SIX CHICKENS WITH ZERO SQUARE FEET OF, THAT'S WHERE THE REVIEW FROM THE AG EXTENSION CAME IN.
HE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS SUFFICIENT COOP SIZE, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE IT CODIFIED.
THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I ASKED, BECAUSE I'D NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE EITHER.
UNTIL NOW EVERYONE WASN'T LISTENED TO.
I REALLY LIKE NUMBER SEVEN THOUGH.
I, I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING LIKE, UM, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF ISSUES WHERE THERE'S WHERE EVIDENCE OF ROOM.
AND I CAN SEE WHY SOMEBODY WOULD, YOU KNOW, I I, I COULD SEE THE NEED, WHY THERE WOULD BE A NEED.
'CAUSE YOU WOULDN'T WANNA LIVE LIVE NEAR SOMEONE THAT HAD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WELL, I MEAN, I, I HATE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, JUST, THERE'S OTHER, UH, THINGS THAT GET INTO PEOPLE'S CAT FOOD AND THEY, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO WE WOULDN'T WANNA CHICKENS WALK.
UM, DO YOU KNOW WHAT LOCALITY, THIS IS MORE IN LINE WITH BY CHANCE? UM, WE DID PULL, I KNOW YOU LOOKED AT A LOT, BLACKSBURG, ET WE LOOKED AT, UM, RICHMOND, BLACKSBURG.
WE LOOKED IN THE NORTH CAROLINA AND GEORGE FOUND INFORMATION FROM ASHEVILLE.
WE PULLED DIFFERENT, I READ THROUGH PROBABLY SIX OR SEVEN DIFFERENT, YEAH, I REMEMBERED A COUPLE OF THEM.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE BASED ON LOT SIZE, WHICH IS WHAT WE WERE INITIALLY WONDERING AND CONSIDERING IF THAT WOULD BE THE CASE IF WE DID THAT, THERE WOULD BE A I AGREE THAT WAS LARGE CHUNK OF THE MAJORITY OF COUNCIL CONSENSUS AT THAT TIME.
DOES ANYBODY, SCOTT LLOYD, YOU'RE GONNA GET YOUR CHICKENS.
WE GOTTA FORGET NAME FOR THE ACT FOR THAT.
SO ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS OR QUESTIONS FOR LAUREN OR CONCERNS BEFORE WE, UH, I'M ASSUMING WE'LL BE ADDING THIS TO THE SEPTEMBER 25TH MEETING TO DO AND PUBLIC HEARING.
HOW MANY PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE WE AT NOW SO FAR FOR 25TH? WELL, WE HAD NINE LAST MONTH.
MY GOAL IS TO NEVER DO THAT AGAIN.
SO 1:00 AM IS WAY TOO LATE TO BE LEAVING THE MEETING WHEN YOU HAVE TO WORK THE NEXT DAY.
UM, SO ITEM FIVE A IS REVISIONS TO THE LIAISON MEETING POLICY.
HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK THROUGH THAT.
UM, UM, HOPEFULLY EVERY, WELL, I'M SURE YOU GUYS, UH, RECOGNIZE THAT, UM, TOWN MANAGER RECOMMENDS THAT WE INCLUDE BOTH WRITTEN AND ORAL REPORTS TO THE RESPECTIVE BOARDS ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
AND I APPRECIATE, UM, HIS SHARING HIS, UH, HIS THOUGHTS WITH US ON THAT.
UM, THE YELLOW ARE THE THINGS THAT OBVIOUSLY CHANGED.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT ONE ITEM THAT WAS UNDER MEETING AGENDA, IT SAYS, ANY REQUEST TO PLACE AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA SHALL BE MADE BY 1:00 PM ON TUESDAY.
WELL, WE CROSS IT ON TUESDAY, CLOSE THE BUSINESS ON THURSDAY THE WEEK PRIOR TO THE A LIAISON MEETING.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THIS, THAT, SO, BECAUSE THEY'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE ON A THURSDAY, IF WE, IF THE ITEM TO BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA DOESN'T COME UNTIL CLOSE OF BUSINESS THE THURSDAY BEFORE, WHEN DOES THAT AGENDA HAVE TO BE PUBLISHED? THAT LIKE OUR AGENDAS ARE PUBLIC ON THURSDAY NOON BEFORE A MEETING? SO IF WE MAKE IT, IF THAT'S CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON THURSDAY, I MEAN, I DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, I I THINK IT SHOULD PROBABLY STAY TUESDAY BECAUSE THAT WOULD GIVE, THIS IS WHAT YOU AGREED IN LIAISON.
SO IF YOU ALL CHANGE, AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAW A MONTH AGO TOO.
SO WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT'S BEEN MISSED APPROVED LIAISON.
AND THEY ROTATE WITH THURSDAY.
WHICH MEANS IT'LL GO OUT MONDAY, FRIDAY OR MONDAY DEPENDING.
BUT YOU GOTTA REMEMBER, THESE AGENDAS AREN'T LIKE COUNCIL DONE.
THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF BACKUP.
THEY DON'T HAVE SOME DON'T EVEN HAVE COVER SHEETS.
[00:55:01]
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE.AND IF I'M THE ONE DOING THE AGENDAS, THURSDAY'S FINE.
UM, UNLESS YOU WANT THEM OUT SOONER, YOU WANT THEM OUT A WEEK AHEAD OF TIME.
WELL, I, I THINK WHAT I WANT IS TO NOT BE IN A SITUATION LIKE WE'VE BEEN BEFORE WHERE PEOPLE SUGGESTED THINGS THROUGH THE AGENDA AND IT WASN'T SOMETHING WE WERE GOING TO DISCUSS.
AND, UM, AND SO BY THE TIME WE SAW IT, IT WAS ALREADY OUT.
SO MY THOUGHT WOULD BE, AND AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
THANK YOU FOR POINTING OUT THAT THIS WAS ACTUALLY IN, AT THE LIAISON MEETING.
UM, I JUST, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT WHATEVER IS SUGGESTED ON BOTH SIDES, THAT WE ALL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT IT MM-HMM.
SO IF IT DOESN'T MAKE IT TO YOU BY CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON THURSDAY, AND THAT WOULD GIVE YOU FRIDAY TO HAVE IT TYPED UP TO MAKE SURE I'VE SEEN IT, OR MS. COOK'S SEEN IT OR WHATEVER, FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO PUT IT OUT ON MONDAY.
IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT GIVES A LOT OF BUSINESS TIME, LIKE BUSINESS DAYS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, YOU DOESN'T, COUNSEL HAS TIME TO CHANGE IT TONIGHT.
SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA TAKE BACK TO LIAISON ANYWAY.
SO IF IT'S SOMETHING YOU CHANGE, I JUST DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE IN, THEY'RE UNDER THE GUN TO GET SOMETHING DONE AND GET IT OUT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON IT? I AGREE WITH YOU.
IT WAS, WE'VE BEEN BLINDSIDED BEFORE, UM, WITH ITEMS THAT WE'RE NOT LEGALLY ABLE TO SPEAK TO, UH, IN THE PUBLIC FORM.
SO I JUST THINK ALSO TO BE GOOD STEWARDS, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, RESPONSIBLE.
IT'S NICE TO KNOW WHAT'S GONNA BE ON THE AGENDA IN ADVANCE SO WE CAN DO OUR RESEARCH.
'CAUSE JUST LIKE HERE TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO READ THESE AGENDAS AND DO OUR RESEARCH ON EVERY TOPIC PRIOR TO TONIGHT'S MEETING.
AND IT'S HARD TO DO THAT WHEN WE'RE FINDING OUT AT THE SAME TIME AS THE PUBLIC.
SO YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT KEEPING IT 1:00 PM ON TUESDAY? IS THAT WHAT YOU I WOULD I, AND THEN THE MEETINGS THAT SAME THURSDAY? NO, NO, THE TUESDAY.
BEFORE WAS THAT WHO, WHO WAS UN AGREEABLE TO THAT? WAS IT US? I, I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T REMEMBER.
I THINK YOU WENT THROUGH THE CHANGES AND EVERYBODY WAS JUST YES, YES, YES.
SO I JUST KNOW WE SAID THE TUESDAY, I KNOW WE SAID IT COULDN'T BE THE WEEK OF, IT HAD TO BE THE WEEK BEFORE.
UM, AND THE ONLY THING THAT I'M GONNA SAY IN MY HEAD OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD IS THAT BOARD SUPERVISORS MEETS ON TUESDAY NIGHT.
SO MAYBE TUESDAY, 1:00 PM ON TUESDAY MIGHT BE A STRETCH ON WEDNESDAY.
SO WHAT IF WE SAID WEDNESDAY ABOUT 1:00 PM AND THEN THAT WAY THEY WOULD'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY IF THEY WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING ON TUESDAY NIGHT TO DISCUSS IT, AND THEN WEDNESDAY THEY COULD HAVE IT TO EITHER ONE OF YOU ALL MM-HMM.
UM, BUT I WOULD SAY THEN MAYBE IT GOES OUT TO THE PUBLIC BY FRIDAY.
BECAUSE KEEP IN MIND, THE DAILY DOESN'T DO PAPERS ANYMORE ON SATURDAY.
SO IF YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW.
DO WE, DOES THE LIAISON? IT DOESN'T GO TO, IT DOESN'T GO TO THE PAPER.
I THINK TUESDAY WAS, BECAUSE THEY MEET ON TUESDAY NIGHT, BUT, BUT 1:00 PM ON TUESDAY.
I THINK THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE THAT.
SO I'M PROBABLY OBJECT TO 1:00 PM ON WEDNESDAY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE CAN JUST, THAT'S A SUGGESTION.
WE'LL MAKE IT THE NEXT LIAISON MEETING AND IF THEY'RE OKAY WITH IT AND WE COULD GIVE OUR JUSTIFICATION FOR IT THEN.
UM, BUT ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? WHAT YES, SIR.
I DID WANT TO SUGGEST THE INSERTION OF ONE WORD.
WHICH IS THE SECOND BULLET POINT UNDER MEETING AGENDA.
HOLD ON IN FRONT OF THE WORD AGENDA.
WHERE ARE THE MEETINGS ARE RIGHT HERE UNDER MEETING SCHEDULE, PREPARATION OF THE AGREED AGENDA.
ON CONSULTATION WITH THE MAYOR.
UH, SECOND BULLET POINT, UH, UNDER MEETING AGENDA.
WHEREVER THE MEETINGS ARE HELD, THE HOST RIGHT.
SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PREPARATION.
THE AGREED, AGREED UPON AGENDA.
BECAUSE, UM, SO THE BOARD CHAIR AND THE MAYOR ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, AGREED TO WHAT ITEMS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE ON THE AGENDA.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY I'M SAYING IF YOU, IF, IF YOU GET, IF WHOEVER GETS IT BY WEDNESDAY AT ONE AND THEY MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE SEEN IT BY THURSDAY, WE CAN TWEAK ANYTHING AND THEN IT GOES OUT ON FRIDAY.
AND WE CAN ALWAYS, IT SAYS ON THERE, YOU CAN ALWAYS CHANGE SOMETHING.
ARE YOU KEEPING IT AT ONE OR CLOSE AT BUSINESS WEDNESDAY? WELL, IT DOESN'T GIVE WHOEVER'S PREPARING IT A LOT OF TIME.
I SAY THAT'S WHY ONE ON WEDNESDAY.
SO KEEP IT AT ONE ON WEDNESDAY.
[01:00:01]
YOU GET IT AT FOUR 30, THEN YOU HAVE TO DO THE NEXT DAY.ESPECIALLY IF YOU GOTTA GET IT TO THE CHAIR AND THE MAYOR.
ANYTHING ELSE IN THERE? OH LORD.
I ASK THIS QUESTION AS FAR AS, IS TINA DO ALL WORK FOR THE AGENDA? FOR THE NO, I DO TWO OF THE FOUR.
WHOEVER CLERK, WHOEVER'S IT'S HOSTED AT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE HOSTED AT, OR IT IS.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS, WAS LIKE THERE.
AND SAME STORY ABOUT WEDNESDAY LATE FOR US GETTING IT TO THEM.
I MEAN, IT'S EASIER FOR US 'CAUSE WE MEET ON A MONDAY.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO IT'S EASIER FOR US TO GET IT TO 'EM.
AND TO BE QUITE FRANK WITH YOU, BECAUSE IT'S THE THIRD, THIRD THURSDAY, WE WILL HAVE ACTUALLY MET, YOU KNOW, TWO WEEKS PRIOR.
SO OURS SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET IN THERE PRETTY QUICKLY.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR SCHEDULE IS AS FAR AS LIKE, SO ANYWAY, IF EVERYBODY'S GOOD WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT THING.
NEXT THING IS SIX A, WHICH IS EJ PROCUREMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL.
SOMETHING IN HERE SOMEWHERE TONIGHT IN SOMETHING.
I DON'T, CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ITEM IT WAS.
HOWEVER, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T ADD TO IT LIKE THE OLD ONE.
YOU COULD GO IN AND ADD A COMMENT AND IT WOULD SAVE THE COMMENT SO EVERYBODY COULD SEE IT.
IT EXIST ANYMORE 'CAUSE OF YOU.
ALRIGHT, YOU READY? YEAH, I'M READY.
SO, UH, HERE FOR REVISED, UH, OR THE PROPOSED, UH, PROCUREMENT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL HERE.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA READ EVERY ONE OF THESE SLIDES, BUT, UH, UM, THANKFULLY
SO, UH, THE TOWN CAN, UM, OBTAIN OUR GOODS AND SERVICES, UH, NEEDED BY THE TOWN.
IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, REASONABLE AND RESPONSIBLE PRICING.
OUR CURRENT PROCEDURE, UM, UH, PURCHASING POLICY IS IN EVERY ADOPTED BUDGET.
I PROPOSED BUDGET THAT I PROVIDED IT TOWN COUNCIL, UM, IT WAS LAST REVISED IN, UH, 2002 CAN BE, UH, SEEN IN OUR ADOPTED CURRENT ADOPTED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 1, PAGE 94.
UH, OVER TO THE RIGHT THERE, YOU SEE EXACTLY WHAT, UH, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, WHICH YOU'LL SEE IN OUR ADOPTED BUDGET.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT WAS 2002.
MAN, WE'RE ON A ROLL HERE, BUT I'M, I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE RECOGNIZING WE'RE RIGHT.
WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE GETTING IT.
UH, SO IS THE TOWN REQUIRED TO HAVE A PROCUREMENT POLICY? SHORT ANSWERS, NO.
UM, THE, UH, BUT, UH, IT'S IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO THE, UH, UH, BASICALLY WHAT THIS MEANS IS, UH, THIS, UH, SECTION OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA HERE IS, IS IF WE CHOOSE NOT TO HAVE A, UH, PROCUREMENT POLICY, THEN PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING WE DO HAS TO BE SENT OUT FOR SEALED BIDDING.
THAT'S WHAT I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THERE, UNLESS IT'S AUTHORIZED BY, UH, LAW.
UH, SO IT'S IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO HAVE A, UM, PROCUREMENT POLICY.
SO WHY SHOULD WE, UH, JUST LIKE I WAS SAYING THERE, SOLICITING COMPETITIVE BID FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO PURCHASE WOULD BE A NIGHTMARE.
THE VENDORS RESPONDING, UH, THE GOVERNING BODY.
SO EVERY PURCHASE WOULD'VE TO COME TO YOU GUYS FOR APPROVAL.
UM, OBVIOUSLY, UH, IT'S NOT, UH, FEASIBLE.
UH, SO THE TOWN CAN ADOPT ITS OWN, UH, PROCUREMENT POLICY THAT'S TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF THE TOWN.
UH, IT CAN BE AS STRINGENT, AS LENIENT AS WE WANT, CAN BE AS BROAD OR NARROW, UH, AS WE WANT, AS LONG AS IT'S ALLOWED BY THE CODE OF VIRGINIA.
THERE ARE CERTAIN GUIDELINES IN THE CODE OF VIRGINIA THAT WE HAVE TO ADHERE TO.
UH, WHAT ALLOWS US TO ADOPT OUR OWN, UH, POLICY FOR PURCHASING.
IT'S THIS CODE OF VIRGINIA 2.2, UH, ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNMENT, AND IT ACTUALLY GOES INTO, UH, LENDING THE COUNTY CITIES OR TOWNS, UH, TO ADOPT THEIR OWN POLICIES.
SO WHY DO WE NEED NEW ONES? LIKE MS. LORI JUST SAID RIGHT HERE.
IT'S BEEN 2002 SINCE WE LOOKED, UH, OVER THIS POLICY.
UH, LOT'S CHANGED IN THE LAST 20 YEARS.
NUMBER TWO, ONLINE CAPABILITIES AND TECHNOLOGIES THAT HAVE ADVANCED.
UM, THE WAYS WE CONDUCT BUSINESSES HAS CHANGED.
UH, YOU KNOW, FAX VERSUS EMAIL PICTURES VERSUS SITE VISITS.
UM, AND THEN THE BIG ONE, OF COURSE, ACCORDING TO, UH, BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, UH, THE DOLLAR, UH, HAD AN AVERAGE INFLATION RATE OF 2.56% YEAR OVER YEAR FROM 2002 TO 2023,
[01:05:02]
UM, PRODUCING A CUMULATIVE PRICE INCREASE OF 69.92%.UH, THE MEANS THAT THE PRICES TODAY ARE 1.7 TIMES HIGHER AS THEY WERE IN 2002, UM, WORSE.
THE, UH, THE TIME THAT WE, UH, PUSHED, OR IT TAKES US TO DO A BID AND PUSH THIS UP TO COUNCIL.
TALK ABOUT IT HERE AT THE, UH, WORK SESSIONS.
UM, AND OBTAINING THE WRITTEN QUOTES FOR SOME OF THESE IS SOME KIND, IS AN ARDUOUS TASK.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ASK VENDORS FOR A WRITTEN QUOTE, WELL, WHY NO ONE ELSE DOES? WELL, 'CAUSE OF OUR POLICY, WE HAVE TO HAVE WRITTEN QUOTES.
AND THEN ALSO IT'S DELAYING THE PROJECTS WHEN WE'RE WAITING ON THESE QUOTES AND, UH, AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF APPROVAL.
ALSO, THE LAST THING ON THERE IS THE CURRENT POLICY IS CONFLICTED WITH SOME OF THE GRANT AGREEMENTS, UH, MAKING UTILIZATION OF GRANTS MORE DIFFICULT AND HAS CAUSED DELAYS.
UH, SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER THE C D B G GRANT.
AND, UH, WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES, OUR PROCUREMENT POLICY KIND OF CONFLICTED WITH THAT.
SO THE, UH, WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROPOSED POLICIES? UH, OF COURSE IT ADHERES TO THE VIRGINIA PUBLIC PROCUREMENT ACT.
IT DID PUSH OFF MY, THE PICTURE TOOK OFF MY TO ON THE ACT, AND I REALIZE THAT, I APOLOGIZE.
THAT'S ALL THE, UH, UH, NEW POLICY HAS ELECTRONIC BIDDING THAT ALLOWS FOR IT.
UM, SOMETHING I WANNA MOVE FORWARD TO HERE IN THE FUTURE, UH, INCORPORATES CLEAR AND REVISED PROCESSES FOR PRE PREQUALIFICATIONS.
IF WE HAVE A CERTAIN PROJECT THAT, UH, UH, WE NEED SPECIFIC VENDORS FOR, THEY CAN PRE-QUALIFY BIDS.
SO, UH, WE CAN HAVE THAT IN OUR BACK POCKET REQUEST FOR INFORMATION.
MAYBE WE DON'T EXACTLY KNOW WHAT WE NEED.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR PRICING AT THIS POINT.
WE CAN DO A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION INFORMALITIES.
UM, WE'VE HAD, UH, ISSUES WHERE BIDS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED AND WE'RE NOT EXACTLY SURE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THAT INFORMALITY LIES.
THIS KIND OF LAYS IT OUT BETTER.
UH, DEBARMENT AND PROTEST PROCESSES.
UM, UH, THAT WAS A, A KIND OF A NAVIGATION PIECE THERE, I GUESS TO SAY.
THE, THE LEAST WE DID HAVE TO DEBAR.
AND THE, UM, UH, COUNCILMAN HAD ADOPTED A SEPARATE RESOLUTION FOR DEBARMENT THAT WAS SEPARATE FROM THE PROCUREMENT POLICY.
SO THIS INCLUDES IT ALL TOGETHER.
UH, MULTIPLE ENGINEERING CONTRACTS, SPELLS OUT HOW THAT CAN BE DONE.
AND ALSO, UH, SURPLUS PROPERTY.
A BETTER, BETTER HANDLE ON THAT.
IF YOU REMEMBER A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TRADED IN THEIR GUNS.
SO WE HAVE COUNSEL'S APPROVAL ON THAT, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD.
UH, THIS WILL KIND OF STREAMLINE THE PROCESSES, AND I'LL GO DEEPER INTO THAT HERE IN JUST A SECOND.
UH, AND OF COURSE, INCREASE THE THRESHOLDS.
UM, 1.7, YOU KNOW, PERCENT SINCE 2002, AND WE HAVEN'T CHANGED OUR NUMBERS.
UH, SO DIG RIGHT INTO IT HERE.
SO, THE THRESHOLDS CURRENTLY'S SMALL PURCHASE IS UP TO $2,000.
WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS TO MOVE THAT TO 4,999.
BASICALLY $5,000, UH, WOULD BE A SMALL PURCHASE, UH, MEANING THAT WE WOULD OBTAIN A SINGLE QUOTE, UH, FOR THAT.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, IT, ANYTHING THAT ROLLS, IT COULD BE A TRAILER, IT COULD BE A SEGWAY, IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, UM, THE, UH, UH, A VEHICLE EQUIPMENT.
BUT, UH, NOTHING'S CHANGING AS FAR AS, UH, THE ROLLING STOCK GOES.
THAT'LL STILL COME TO COUNCIL.
BUT ANYWAY, UH, VERBAL QUOTES RIGHT NOW IS $2,010,000.
UH, PROPOSED AMOUNTS WOULD BE 5,000 TO 19,999.
UH, AND, AND THOSE WE WOULD REQUIRE, UH, THREE VERBAL QUOTES.
THAT IS OUR CURRENT STANDARD FOR VERBAL QUOTES IS THREE.
SO THE DEPARTMENT HEAD ACTUALLY WRITES DOWN, UM, WHAT'S BEING PURCHASED AND DOCUMENTS WHO THEY CONTACT AND THEIR INFORMATION.
UH, WRITTEN QUOTES IN FORMAL SOLICITATION.
10,000 TO $25,000 IS CURRENTLY WHAT, WHERE THE THRESHOLD CURRENTLY STANDS.
PROPOSING TO BUMP THAT UP TO 20,000 THROUGH FOUR 49,999.
AND THAT'S WHERE WRITTEN QUOTES WILL BE, UH, REQUIRED.
IT'S WRITTEN QUOTE, WE RECEIVED A, AN INVOICE OR A, A PROPOSAL FROM BUSINESS.
AND THEN, UH, FORMAL SOLICITATION FOR INVITATION FOR BID OR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.
CURRENTLY, IT'S GREATER THAN $25,000.
UM, PROPOSING TO GO UP TO $50,000 OVER $50,000 WOULD REQUIRE COMPETITIVE SEAL BIDDING IN, UH, COMPETITIVE NEGOTIATIONS.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU GUYS A BRIEF HIGHLIGHT OF WHAT THE DIFFERENCES IS IN THOSE HEARINGS IN JUST A MINUTE.
UM, CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH, THE, YOU KNOW, SINCE 2002, UH, THE 1.7 TIMES HIGHER, UM, UH, THAN THOSE AMOUNTS.
SO YOU CAN KINDA SEE THAT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DOUBLED WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THERE AS FAR AS THE THRESHOLD GOES.
UH, THE AGENCY OF PROCUREMENT SURPLUS MANUAL USED BY THE COMMONWEALTH VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES.
UM, THEY INCLUDE, THEY HAVE SMALL PURCHASES UP TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UM, THEY'RE SMALL PURCHASES ARE, YOU KNOW, DO THE BEST YOU
[01:10:01]
CAN, UH, FOR THOSE QUOTES.SOME, UH, LOCALITIES THAT ARE SMALLER THAN US, UH, DEEMED VALUES UP TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AS A, UH, SMALL PURCHASE.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO SHOW YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS IN LINE, I BELIEVE, UH, WARREN COUNTY IS ON SOMETHING SIMILAR, UH, TO THIS.
WITH THE $50,000, UH, THRESHOLD, THE LEVEL OF APPROVALS.
SO LESS THAN $5,000 A SMALL PURCHASE, THE DEPARTMENT HEAD OR THE DEPARTMENT HAS DESIGNEE, MAY AUTHORIZE THAT.
UH, THIS IS UNDER THE PROPOSED, I'M SORRY, 5,000 TO $30,000, WHICH IS THE VI VERBAL OR WRITTEN QUOTES.
UH, THE PURCHASING MANAGER CAN AUTHORIZE THOSE.
WE'RE GONNA DO A PURCHASE ORDER FOR THOSE SO WE CAN TRACK EVERYTHING.
WRITTEN QUOTES WOULD BE THE TOWN MANAGER OR HIS, OR THE DESIGNEE MAY AUTHORIZE THOSE.
AND THEN ANYTHING OVER $50,000, UH, AS FORM FOR FORMAL SOLICITATION WOULD COME TO TOWN COUNCIL FOR AUTHORIZATION.
STOCK HAS TO COME TO TOWN COUNCIL FOR APPROVED.
SO I'M GONNA GO INTO A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT EACH ONE OF THESE PROCUREMENTS IS.
I'M NOT GOING INTO DEPTH ON THESE, BUT TRYING TO GIVE YOU GUYS AN IDEA OF KIND OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE AND WHAT THE, THE DIFFERENCES ARE.
UM, I F P R F P, WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING THOSE.
THE WAY WE'RE DOING THE BUSINESS WILL NOT CHANGE.
UM, JUST THE THRESHOLDS WILL, UH, CHANGE AS FAR AS THIS GOES.
UH, BUT INVITATION FOR BID IS USED FOR GOODS AND NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
BASICALLY, WHEN WE KNOW WHAT WE NEED, WE'RE GONNA DO INVITATION FOR BID.
UM, SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA SEND IT OUT.
EVERYONE CAN, UH, ALL THE RESPONDENTS CAN BID ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM OR SERVICE.
UH, SO WE HAVE A SCOPE OF SERVICES.
UH, WE'RE GONNA PUT IT OUT FOR BID.
WE TRY TO ALLOW 20 DAYS MINIMUM IS THE, UH, 10, 10 DAYS IS THE MINIMUM.
UM, BUT ALL, UH, RESPONSES HAVE TO BE ON THE TOWN'S BID FORM.
SO IF THEY PUT A QUALIFICATION IN THERE, I'M BIDDING $10,000, BUT BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
UM, SO INVITATION FOR BID IS KIND OF CUT AND DRY, VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
UM, WHEN WE'RE GIVING THESE TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL, WE'RE GIVING YOU THE TABULATION THAT INCLUDES THE VENDOR'S NAME AND ADDRESS, AND THE AMOUNT FROM THE VENDOR.
UH, THE AWARD IS MADE TO THE LOWEST AND RESPONSIVE, UH, LOWEST RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE BIDDER.
UM, WE CAN'T CHOOSE WHO WE GO TO.
IF THEY CAN DO THE WORK, THEY CAN DO IT RESPONSIBLY.
UM, THAT'S WHO WE HAVE TO GO WITH.
AND THEN UNDER THE, UH, PROPOSED PROCUREMENT POLICIES, UH, THE TOWN WOULD BE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE WITHIN A FOREIGN I F B WITH THE LOWEST BIDDER.
IF FUNDS EXCEEDED, UH, AND CORRECT TERMINOLOGY IS INCLUDED IN INVITATIONS FOR BID.
WHAT THAT MEANS, SAY WE PUT OUT A BID, UM, TO HAVE SOME WORK DONE.
WE'VE BID A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, OR, UM, WE RECEIVE A BID BACK FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WE CAN THEN NEGOTIATE WITH THAT LOWEST BIDDER, UM, FOR THE SCOPE OF WORK.
UM, THAT'S, UH, PART OF THE VIRGINIA PUBLIC PROCUREMENT ACT WHERE THIS IS ALLOWED.
UM, DURING, WHEN WE WERE DOING THE C D B G, THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAD ENCOUNTERED THAT WE COULD NOT NEGOTIATE, UH, THE TERMS WERE SET.
BUT, UH, UNDER THIS PROCUREMENT POLICY, WE WOULD HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY.
I WAS JUST GONNA POINT OUT THAT THE AWARD IS MADE TO THE LOWEST RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE BIDDER.
'CAUSE IN MY TIME ON COUNCIL, WE HAD A LOWER BIDDER THAT WAS LESS RESPONSIVE, SO WE DIDN'T GO WITH THEM.
'CAUSE WE KNEW THAT THEY, YES, THERE'S WEREN'T GONNA FOLLOW THROUGH.
AND YET THERE'S CERTAIN, CERTAIN CRITERIA THAT DEEMS THEM AS RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE.
UM, AND RESPONSIVE IS, UH, SOMETIMES A BIGGER ONE.
UM, SAY WE PUT AN ADDENDUM IN THERE AND, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T INCLUDE THE ADDENDUM IN IT COMING BACK TO US.
WELL, IS THAT MATERIAL OR IS THAT NOT MATERIAL? RIGHT.
THEN YOU GET INTO, YOU KNOW, IT'S IS THE MINIMUM OF 10 DAYS OF STATE THING.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, UH, THIS IS USED FOR, UH, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS IS, UH, USED FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND WHEN A SCOPE OF WORK IS NOT AVAILABLE.
UM, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, THE BIG ONE BEING ENGINEERING SERVICES, UM, ENGINEERING SERVICES, OR, UM, I BELIEVE, UH, IT'S, UM, UH, LEGAL ARCHITECTURAL, UH, SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
SO, UH, WHAT THIS MEANS IS WHEN, UH, SOME OF THE RESPONDENTS MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SERVICES FOR US, WE CAN GO WITH AN R F P.
UH, AND GOING WITH AN R F P COST IS NOT THE SOLE DETERMINING FACTOR FOR THE AWARD.
SO AGAIN, THE RESPONSES ARE USUALLY DUE, UH, 20 CALENDAR DAYS IS WHAT WE TRY TO ALLOW MIDDLE OF 10 DAYS.
UH, THE FACTORS THAT WE'RE GONNA USE TO, TO EVALUATE THESE PROPOSALS MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE SOLICITATION.
WE CAN'T JUST FIGURE OUT ON A WHIM WHO
[01:15:01]
WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE CRITERIA.PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SUCH AS ENGINEERING MAY NOT USE COST AS A DETERMINING FACTOR.
WE CANNOT PUT A COST IN AN ENGINEERING CONTRACT OR IN AN ENGINEERING, UH, R F P.
SO, UM, THAT COMES DOWN TO THE NEGOTIATIONS.
UH, THEN LATER ON HERE, YOU'LL SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT THAT.
UH, SO AFTER WE GET THE PROPOSALS EVALUATION COMMITTEE COMPRISED OF TOWN STAFF EVALUATES THOSE, UH, WE CAN CONDUCT INTERVIEWS.
WE'RE NOT REQUIRED TO CONDUCT INTERVIEWS, BUT WE CAN CONDUCT INTERVIEWS TO, UH, MEET WITH THOSE, UH, RESPONDENTS AND CLARIFY ANY QUESTIONS.
AND THEN HERE'S WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE TRICKY.
WITH THE RFPS FOR NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, THE TOWN CAN ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH MULTIPLE OFFERS.
UM, THE, UM, UH, WE CAN START NEGOTIATING WITH DIFFERENT VENDORS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
WE CAN ENTER IN, WE HAVE TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TOP RANKED OFFER.
ONCE WE'VE, UH, EXHAUSTED THOSE NEGOTIATIONS AND THEY DON'T WORK OUT, WE CUT TIES AND WE CANNOT GO BACK TO THEM.
SO, UH, WE HAVE TO GO DOWN THE LIST FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES COOPERATIVE CONTRACTING.
UH, THIS ALLOWS US TO USE, UH, PURCHASING FROM ANOTHER PUBLIC, UH, BODY.
UH, SO THE PUBLIC BODY WILL HAVE SOLICITED EITHER AN I F B OR A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND WOULD'VE INCLUDED WORD WORDING TO ALLOW THE COOPERATIVE CONTRACTING.
WE CAN'T USE EVERY SOLICITATION THAT'S OUT THERE.
UM, IT'S ONLY THE ONES THAT PARTICULARLY INCLUDE COOPERATIVE CONTRACTING.
UM, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, IT'S BENEFICIAL TO DO THAT.
SOMETIMES IT'S NOT, UH, THE, UH, COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA SOURCE.
WELL, AND OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES WILL OFTEN SUBMIT IFPS AND RFPS AND INCORPORATE THE LANGUAGE FOR US.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE USE A LOT OF THE STATE OF VIRGINIA'S CONTRACTS TO, TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF SOURCE WELL IS CERTAINLY GROWING AS WELL AS A COUPLE OF OTHERS.
UM, THE BENEFITS FOR COOPERATIVE CONTRACTING INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, LOWER PRICES FOR THOSE GOODS AND SERVICES.
A LOT OF TIMES BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING PURCHASED IN MASS QUANTITIES, UM, ALSO THOSE PROGRAMS ARE ALREADY IN PLACE.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO, TO RECREATE THE WHEEL FOR AN R F P, UH, TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UH, THIS IS, UH, USED WHEN THERE'S ONLY ONE SOURCE PRACTICALLY AVAILABLE FOR PROCUREMENT.
UH, THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR MUST PROVIDE US A WRITTEN STATEMENT, UM, FOR THE BASIS OF DETER DETERMINATION AND IDENTIFY WHAT'S BEING, UH, PURCHASED.
A LOT OF TIMES THE VENDORS OR SUPPLIERS WILL ALSO PROVIDE US WITH, UH, JUSTIFICATION OF A SOLE SOURCE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE PART EQUIPMENT AND PARTS ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE MANUFACTURER WILL GIVE US A, UM, LETTER THAT WE'LL ATTACH.
AND THEN DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, YOU KNOW, I JUST KIND OF, UH, PUT IN HERE.
YOU KNOW, CHEVROLET TRUCK DOES REQUIRE A CHEVROLET MOTOR.
MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS CAN PROVIDE US WITH THE CHEVROLET MOTORS, SO IT'S NOT A SOLE SOURCE.
SO, SIMILARLY, THE TOWNS OF WASTEWATER PUMPS, UH, DO NOT HAVE INTERCHANGEABLE PARTS WITH OTHER MANUFACTURERS.
UH, BUT THOSE INTERCHANGEABLE PARTS ARE SOMETIMES NOT AVAILABLE FROM MULTIPLE DEALERS.
UH, SO THAT'S WHY YOU'LL SEE THE SOLE SOURCES COME THROUGH.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL, UM, SOME OF THESE, UH, PUMPS THAT WE HAVE, I MEAN, THEY'RE COMING FROM OVERSEAS, SO THERE'S NOT A, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT GOING OUT TO THE HARDWARE STORE AND PICKING UP PARTS.
SO WHAT'S AN EMERGENCY MEANS A THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY, OR AN UNFORESEEN SITUATION WHERE CURTAILS OR DIMINISHES AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES AS DETERMINED BY THE TOWN MANAGER OR DESIGNEE.
UH, SO AN EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT, UH, PURCHASES CAN BE MADE WITHOUT COMPETITIVE PRICING, BUT MUST BE MADE WITH SUCH COMPETITION AS PRACTICAL UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
UH, SOME OF THE CIRCUM, SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF WHERE WE'VE USED EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT IS A LIZARD OF 2010.
I WAS GONNA ASK WHAT YEAR THAT WAS.
THERE'S, THINK THERE'S A PICTURE DOWN THERE ON THE RIGHT SIDE THAT I FOUND.
UH, WE USE EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT TIRE CONTRACTORS TO HELP CLEAR THE SNOW.
UM, THE MULTIPLE PUMPS AT THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FAILED, UH, PLANT FAILED DURING A RAIN, UH, EVENT DEPLETING OUR, UH, SPARE PARTS.
SO WE USED EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT TO CLEAN PARTS.
UH, SCADA THE SUPERVISORY CONTROL AND DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM FAILED, UH, FOR ONE OF THE PLANTS.
UM, WE USED EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT TO GET THOSE PARTS AND SERVICES.
UH, BACK IN C OVID 19, UH, WE USED EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT TO GET, UH, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
AND THEN USUALLY IN THOSE NOT SOLUTIONS, THEY USUALLY, THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES WHERE, UM, EVEN WHEN WE'VE USED EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT, FEMA'S COME IN AND REIMBURSED US FOR THOSE, UM, FOR THOSE SERVICES OR SUPPLIES, SORRY, SURPLUS PROPERTY.
SO A PART OF PROCUREMENT IS ACTUALLY GETTING RID OF THE PROPERTY AS WELL.
UM, ONCE IT'S, I MEAN, ONCE IT'S REACHED IT'S END OF LIFE OR IT'S USED,
[01:20:01]
IT'S A USEFUL PURPOSE.THE, UM, SO SURPLUS PROPERTY CONSISTS OF TANGIBLE PROPERTY, UH, THAT IS LEFT OVER AFTER THE NEEDS WHICH HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED, HAVE BEEN SATISFIED OR NO LONGER HAVING USE USEFULNESS FOR THE TOWN.
THIS INCLUDES O OBSOLETE SUPPLIES, NON EXPENDABLE SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT AND EQUIPMENT THAT HAS COMPLETED THEIR USEFUL LIFE.
SO A PURCHASING MANAGER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, DISPOSING OF SURPLUS PROPERTY.
UM, AND UH, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS SOME CHANGES IN THE SURPLUS SURPLUS PROPERTY HERE, AS I WAS MENTIONING EARLIER, TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT BACK TO THE CONTRACTED VENDOR.
UM, INCLUDING PRODUCER'S RESPONSIBILITY OR TAKE BACK CLAUSES AND NEW CONTRACTS, UM, YOU KNOW, CELL PHONES.
A LOT OF TIMES IF WE'RE GOING WITH A DIFFERENT CELL PHONE CARRIER, THEY'LL GIVE US A TRADE-IN OF GOOD TRADE-IN VALUE FOR OUR CURRENT.
UM, ALSO PERMIT OF ANY ANIMAL, ESPECIALLY TRAINED FOR POLICE, UH, WORK TO BE SOLD AT A PRICE TO A DOLLAR TO THE HANDLER WHO WAS LAST IN CONTROL OF THE ANIMAL.
UM, AND ALSO ANY OFFICER AT THE TIME OF HIS OR HER RETIREMENT IS A FULL SWORN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WITH THE TOWN WHO RETIRES AFTER 20 YEARS OF SERVICE.
EVEN IF A PORTION OF HIS OR HER SERVICE WAS WITH ANOTHER AGENCY MAY PURCHASE THEIR SERVICE HANDGUN ISSUED IN BY A FOR A DOLLAR.
ENCOURAGES THE SALE OF RECYCLING OF SCRAP, UH, WHICH HAS THE VALUE FOR MATERIAL ONLY, LIKE OUR ELECTRIC AND WATER METERS, UH, USED MOTOR OIL AND OBSOLETE ELECTRONICS.
WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SELL THOSE FOR, UH, SCRAP AND THEN, UH, PERMIT OTHER METHODS OF DISPOSAL, UH, WHEN THE COST OF THE SALE WOULD EXCEED POTENTIAL REVENUE TO BE DERIVED THERE FROM, UH, SURPLUS MATERIAL IS NOT SUITABLE FOR SALE.
UH, WE DO RUN INTO THAT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.
NOW THAT WE'RE USING E GOV, WE HAVE A LOT MORE, UM, AVAILABILITY TO DIFFERENT CLIENTELE.
WE'VE HAD REALLY GOOD SERVICE WITH IT.
UH, SO HOPEFULLY WE WOULDN'T USE THAT OPTION TOO MUCH.
BUT, UM, UH, BUT WE DO HAVE IT THERE RIGHT NOW.
IF WE SELL IT AT AUCTION, IT DOESN'T SELL.
THE SECOND ONE PERMIT ANY ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY TRAINED FOR POLICE WORK, THAT'S THE ONLY ANIMALS WE HAVE, RIGHT? YES.
WHEN I SAW THAT, I WAS LIKE, THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY ONE.
I WAS LIKE THINKING, I DON'T THINK HAVE ANIMALS OR ANYTHING ELSE.
UM, AND THEN JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS.
SO SELLING THE HANDGUN, THE SERVICE HANDGUN, UM, AT A PRICE OF A DOLLAR.
LIKE, I, I GET WHY THAT WOULD BE A GREAT THING.
I'M JUST ASKING LIKE WHAT, UM, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE, WHAT WOULD BE WE BE GIVING UP AT THAT? I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT DOES A HANDGUN USUALLY RUN? OBVIOUSLY I'M CLUE.
CHIEF HAD, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH DID WE JUST PAY FOR THEM? LIKE, I WANNA SAY IT WAS LIKE 500, $600.
BUT I MEAN, YOU FIGURE THAT THIS, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE HAD IT FOR A WHILE.
IT'S NOT LIKE A NEW GUN
BUT I MEAN, THE GUN'S NOT 20 YEARS OLD, RIGHT? NOT, NOT, WE DON'T HAVE, RETIREMENTS ARE RELATIVELY IN FREEPORT.
I I KNOW THE, THE $500 IS THAT BIG.
IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE GETTING ONE AND TWO MONTHS LATER THEY RETIRE AND GO.
THEY'RE NOT RUNNING OUT THE DOOR ALL THAT FAST.
AND USUALLY SOMEBODY WOULD'VE WENT THERE.
I JUST WAS ASKING IN CASE SOMEBODY ASKED ABOUT THAT.
AND OBVIOUSLY I DON'T KNOW WHAT HANDGUNS CALL
UH, SO OUR NEXT STEPS IS OBVIOUSLY TO ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS THE COUNCIL MAY HAVE HERE AND THEN REQUEST APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE NEW, UH, PROCUREMENT PROCEDURE MANUAL.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANYTHING I KNOW MORE ABOUT, YOU EXPLAINED IT PRETTY WELL.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH GEORGE IS TIRED OF ME.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT? THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK.
SO CAN I JUST ASK, WILL THIS, WOULD THIS MAKE YOUR, WILL THIS MAKE TREMENDOUSLY MORE EASIER? EASIER? YES.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS AS WELL AS YOUR, AS WELL AS YOU GUYS.
I MEAN, IT TAKES A LOT OFF OF US, BUT IT ALSO PUTS, YOU KNOW, MORE OF THE RESPONSIBILITY, UH, ON US.
BUT I MEAN, SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD TO YOU, YOU KNOW, TRANSFORMERS, WE'RE BUYING TRANSFORMERS, WE NEED TRANSFORMERS.
AND THEY'RE ON A 52 WEEK BACKUP FOR A WHILE.
THE NEXT ITEM IS UM, THE WEST RASER ROOTS SIDEWALK PROJECT.
WHICH IS INTERESTING 'CAUSE IT ACTUALLY CAME UP EARLIER TONIGHT.
[01:25:01]
UH, ROBBIE, THAT'S YOU.I WAS TRYING TO GET BACK TO MY PAGE TO SEE WHO WAS IN CHARGE.
MY KIDS ARE LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE, WE DROVE A ACROSS.
I'M LIKE, YEAH, YOU'RE DRINKING POT AREA.
NOWHERE NEAR AS LOUD THE LADY.
REMEMBER GARY? HMM? THE SHERIFF BE DOWN THERE IN SEARCH.
IF YOU GO ALL THE WAY UP THERE, YOU CAN SLIDE DOWN TOO, RIGHT? WHERE I THINK CHARLES.
YEAH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
I LOVE ONE WHERE IT'S TEAMWORK.
WE GOT FINANCE IT AND PUBLIC WORK.
YOU GONNA PUT A CLASS ON FOR US? SURE.
UM, SO, SO LIKE WE SAID, THE CRASH ROAD, UH, SIDEWALK PROJECT, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
UM, PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT COME UP SEVERAL TIMES.
UH, INSTALL CURB AND GUTTER AND SIDEWALK FROM SOUTH AVENUE TO LURE AVENUE TO ENHANCE THE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY FOR ALL THE STUDENTS.
THE PEDESTRIANS I TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE GET A LOT OF FOOT TRAFFIC, UM, TOWN PLAID FOR VDOT FUNDING THROUGH THE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES PROGRAM.
UM, THE PROGRAM CAP IS 2.5 MILLION PER UH, APPLICATION.
UH, WE SUBMITTED A PRE-APPLICATION BACK IN JUNE.
UM, MADDEN AND CRAIG HELPED US WITH THAT PRELIMINARY DESIGN.
UM, ORIGINALLY WE TRIED TO APPLY TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO WITH THE WHOLE THING.
UM, YOU CAN SEE FOR THROUGH THE WHOLE THING, IT WAS FOUR, UH, 4 MILLION, 758,000, UH, WITH V DOTS.
INFLATION TOOK IT UP TO 7 MILLION.
UH, ALMOST SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION.
UM, THERE'S SEVERAL UTILITIES THAT NEED TO BE RELOCATED.
CURRENTLY THERE'S NO STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH THERE, SO IT WOULD'VE TO BE ADDED.
UM, AND IT'S A POSSIBLE RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION.
UM, SO ONCE WE GOT THE PRE-APPLICATION SUBMITTED, UM, WE GOT SENT BACK SOME COMMENTS.
UH, ONE OF 'EM WAS TO TRY PHASING IT TO BREAK THE PRICE DOWN.
UM, SO NOW PHASE ONE WHEN WE DO THE FINAL APPLICATION WILL BE FROM RURAL AVENUE TO SKYLINE VISTA DRIVE.
UM, WHEN WE DO THE SOUTH ROW AVENUE SIDE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO WRAP IT AROUND THE CORNER AND TIE IT TO THE EXISTING SIDEWALK.
UM, THEY SAID YOU CAN'T JUST DIG IN IT, 'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT IS TO KEEP THE SAFETY.
UM, SO THEY SAID IF WE'RE GONNA PHASE IT, WE COULD STOP THE OTHER SIDE, BUT ONE SIDE WOULD HAVE TO BE TIED IN.
SO THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
UM, WE'RE STILL GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THE ENGINEERING VDOT.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S ABOUT $2 MILLION FOR THAT.
WITH THE CONTINGENCIES IT'S 2.654.
WE'RE STILL TRYING TO TWEAK THAT TO GET IT DOWN TO THE UH, 2.5.
UH, WE HAVE TWO OCTOBER TO SUBMIT IT.
SO LIKE I SAID, WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH THEM, UM, TO WORK ON THAT.
AND THEN WE WOULD FIND OUT IN SEPTEMBER OF 24, UM, IF, IF WE'RE APPROVED FOR THAT FUNDING.
UM, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH THE SAC SINCE, UM, THE FIRST PHASE WILL NOT COVER FROM SKYLINE VISTA RE TO TRY TO SEE ABOUT GETTING THOSE, UH, PEDESTRIAN DELINEATORS PUT IN, UM, TO TRY TO KEEP THE, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, PEDESTRIANS AND STUDENTS SAFER WHEN THEY'RE WALKING THROUGH THAT AREA WHERE WE PUT THAT, UH, SEPARATE LANE THROUGH THERE.
SO I WAS, SO FROM LITERALLY FROM, I'M GONNA GET, I'M GONNA DO LANDMARKS FROM SEVEN 11 TO LORE AVENUE.
OR OR ALL OF CRO WEST RASER IS THERE, RIGHT? LIKE WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT PUTTING A SIDEWALK.
'CAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE A SIDEWALK UP BY RUST
[01:30:01]
JEFFRIES ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO ROYAL.YEAH, NO, THIS IS JUST, YEAH, IT'S JUST FROM ROYAL AVENUE TO LOURAY MM-HMM.
ALL THE POWER POLES AND UTILITIES REALLY.
ESPECIALLY ON THAT SECOND PART FROM SKYLINE VISTA TO LOURAY.
UTILITIES AND STUFF HAS TO BE MOVED, BUT YES.
UM, LIKE I SAID, IT'S 80, UH, 80 20 FEDERAL PROGRAM.
UM, THIS IS KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEAL UPON THE APPROVAL.
UM, THIS IS WHAT THE TOWN HAD USED EIGHT, 10 YEARS AGO FOR THE WESTMINSTER SIDEWALK.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEAL, UM, 'CAUSE I MEAN, ONCE YOU GET APPROVED, IT'S A VERY STRICT TIME SCHEDULE.
KIND OF BREAKS IT DOWN FOR YOU.
UM, SO IT, IT'S ABOUT FOUR YEARS TILL YOU START CONSTRUCTION.
UM, ONCE YOU GET EVERYTHING APPROVED AND WORK THROUGH THAT SCHEDULE WITH THEM, UM, FOR THAT, THAT JUST KIND OF GIVES YOU A BREAKDOWN OF IT.
UM, AND THEN I PUT IN SOME MAPPING JUST KIND OF SHOWS SOME OF THE UTILITIES, LIKE I SAID, WITH ALL THE WATER, SEWER AND UTILITY, UM, STUFF IN EVERY YEAH.
THAT REALLY DRIVES THE, ACROSS THE AD.
JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, WHAT WAS THE WESTMINSTER ONE? DO YOU HAVE IT? DO YOU I I HAVE, UH, WESTMINSTER WAS ABOUT $120,000.
WAS IT? IT WASN'T BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE TO MOVE ANY UTILITY.
WE DIDN'T HAVE TO MOVE ANYTHING.
ONLY THING MOVE WAS PROBABLY A NEWER NEIGHBOR AND THEY PROBABLY HAD STORMWATER ONLY THING WE HAD TO MOVE BATS, I THINK.
Y'ALL STORM DRAINS WERE PUT IN WITH SUBDIVISION WAS PUT BECAUSE IT WAS A NEWER SUB VERSUS, YOU KNOW, AND EVERYTHING WAS KIND OF LAID BACK OUT OF THAT RIGHT OF WAY ALREADY.
I MEAN THAT WOULD BE, I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO THIS IS ROYAL AVENUE TO SKYLINE VISTA.
IS THERE ANY REASON THAT PHASE ONE WOULDN'T BE FROM SKYLINE VISTA TO LURE AVENUE? AND THE ONLY REASON I ASK, UH, YOU MEAN OR SKYLINE VISTA? 'CAUSE WELL THE ONLY REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT THE FOOT TRAFFIC BETWEEN THE TWO SCHOOLS.
UM, WE LOOKED, BUT RIGHT NOW THE, HONESTLY THE PROBLEM IS, IS WE CAN'T GET IT UNDER THE THRESHOLD AT THIS POINT SO FAR TO DO, DO THAT WHOLE SECTION.
UM, NO, I DON'T MEAN THE WHOLE SECTION.
I MEAN INSTEAD OF GOING FROM ROYAL TO SKYLINE VISTA, WHAT ABOUT SKYLINE? VISTA TO LORAY? THAT'S WHAT I MEAN.
THAT'S THE MORE EXPENSIVE SIDE, RIGHT? BECAUSE WHEN I LOOKED AT IT, WE, WE HAVE A DEFICIENCY FROM SKYLINE UP TO SOUTH ROYAL.
SO FROM SKYLINE TO LA ARRAY, AT LEAST WE HAVE THAT ONE, THAT LANE, THAT BIKE LANE.
SO MY PUT MY PRIORITY ON SKYLINE UP TO THREE FOUR.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT I'M, THAT'S WHY I'M NOT AN ENGINEER.
AND HONESTLY, PROBABLY THE NEXT PHASE WOULD PROBABLY GO FROM SKYLINE VISTA TO THE SCHOOL SIDEWALK.
'CAUSE YOU FIGURE THIS IS GONNA STOP AT SKYLINE VISTA.
SO THAT WOULD ALL OF THAT OR THE HIGH SCHOOL UP BY THE UH, WAS THAT UH, I WOULD GONNA TURN AND GO UP THAT WAY.
WHERE THAT PIECE THERE, UM, THEY LOOKED AT THAT'S IT'S ONLY SEVEN.
BECAUSE THERE'S NO LANE THERE EITHER.
SO THEY SAID THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE GOOD TO TILE THAT IT AND FINISH THAT WHOLE SIDE.
SINCE THE ELDER'S THERE BEFORE YOU GO TO THE OTHER, 'CAUSE THE ELDER SIDE WHEN YOU GET IS WHERE ALL THE UTILITIES IS ON THE SIDE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, IS WHERE ALL THE UTILITIES IS.
LIKE I SAID, IT JUST DROVE IT UP AND OKAY.
AND THAT'S L AVENUE FEDERAL LAND WHERE ALL LU AVENUE SIDEWALK.
I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING LIKE IF YOU GO FROM, IF YOU GO FROM ROYAL ALL THE WAY TO L AVENUE, WHEN YOU GET ONTO LERE AVENUE, ALL THERE'S A BIG, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO SIDEWALK WHERE IT'S A VERY WIDE ROAD THOUGH.
GET ALL THE WAY UP TO THE UM, I SAY
AND I DO KNOW ESEC HAS TALKED ABOUT MAYBE ONCE THIS PROJECT'S DONE, TRYING TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT, THAT WHEN WE HAD OUR MEETINGS.
AND THEY HAD MENTIONED THAT TRYING TO DO SOMETHING DELINEATORS ON THAT SIDE AS WELL.
I WAS JUST THINKING, I HATE THAT THEY'RE PUTTING THEM UP, BUT THEN THIS IS GONNA TAKE A LONG TIME ANYWAY.
ANY QUESTIONS? UM, SADNESS, BUT I GUESS IT'S OBVIOUS THIS IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM, SO WE'RE GETTING FEDERAL FUNDING.
BUT LIKE I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATION WITH, YOU KNOW, I GUESS IT'S THE PARK THAT OWNS THAT PORTION.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY LIKE, RESPONSIVENESS FROM THEM ASIDE FROM, BECAUSE THEY, THEY DIDN'T GET US THE FEDERAL FUNDING.
AND AND WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD ANY COMMUNICATIONS.
I THINK THAT MADISON AND CRAIG WHO DID THE COST ESTIMATES BUILT IN SOME OF THE LEGAL FEES THAT WE'LL WE'LL HAVE TO NAVIGATE TO GO THROUGH THE PARK SERVICE THERE.
IT'D BE NICE IF THEY PAY FOR SOME.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANKS ROBBIE.
FOR, FOR PRESENTING TO US AND GOOD.
WELL I JUST, NOW I JUST THOUGHT LIKE THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD THE FIRST YEAR I EVER BROUGHT THIS UP WAS A DIFFERENT COUNCIL, DIFFERENT MAYOR, ET
[01:35:01]
CETERA.LIKE THE COUNTY HAD SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR SIDEWALKS WITH SCHOOLS.
WAS THAT NOT THE CASE? DIDN'T WE TALK ABOUT THEY PUT THE SIDEWALKS IN FOR SEE THAT'S WHY I SAID I'M NOT GONNA BRING IT UP.
THEY DIDN'T PUT THE SIDEWALKS.
NO, BUT THERE WAS HOPE WITH OR SOME MAYBE THE SKATE PARK SIDEWALKS.
AND I, AND I DON'T REALLY SEE THEM ONE, I DON'T EITHER.
WE TALKED ABOUT AS ROADS A LOT, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S NOTHING UP THERE.
MAYBE THAT ONE WOULD BE CHEAPER TO ACCOMPLISH, BUT LESS OF A PRIORITY.
WELL, I SHOULDN'T SAY LESS OF A PRIORITY.
'CAUSE STUDENTS WALK FROM THE TRAILER PARK TO AS ROADS WITH NO SIDEWALK THROUGH THERE.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, 25 MILE PER HOUR SCHOOL ZONE.
BUT YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO WALK 15.
I THINK I KNOW, BUT I'M JUST SAYING ELEMENTARY STUDENTS AREN'T SUB, AREN'T WE WALK TO L F K.
YEAH, BUT I MEAN, AND THEY'RE AT THE TRAILER PARKS OF THEIR PARENTS STANDING THERE.
I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GONNA MAKE THEM WALK DOWN.
UH, WE I MEAN WE, I'M JUST SAYING WE WE'RE, OUR KIDS AREN'T ALLOWED TO WALK TO OUR SCHOOL BY THEMSELVES IF AN OLDER SIBLING OR A PARENT CAN, BUT ANYWAY, BUT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOLS ARE DEFINITELY MORE PEOPLE WALKING THAN ASS ROADS.
I JUST WANNA REMIND COUNCIL THAT THIS ACTUALLY CAME OUT OF Y'ALL'S STAFF OR YOUR COUNCIL RETREAT IN MARCH AND THAT'S WHEN WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE TAPS PROGRAM COMING UP.
AND SO IT JUST REALLY ALIGNED REALLY WELL FOR THIS PIECE OF THE PROJECT.
NOW WE'LL TELL COUNCIL THAT WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT THAT OTHER PIECE UP THERE BY THE SCHOOL ON 55 IN CHARLOTTES GROVE.
UM, IT'S JUST, THIS WAS A KIND OF A SLAM DOG.
ANYTHING WE CAN GET DONE THAT'S, THAT'S HELPFUL.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK DID ON THAT.
MAYBE ACES CAN, UH, WITH THAT A LITTLE ACE HAS ASKED US FOR HELP.
WELL I KNOW, I DOUBT THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE NOT GONNA HELP US, BUT HE SAID HE WAS WORKING ON SOME FUNDING.
WELL I THINK HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THOSE.
I THINK HE CALLED 'EM DELINEATORS, BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE DOWN THE YELLOW THINGS.
YEAH, THE LITTLE, THAT'S THE DELINEATORS, HE CALLED 'EM PLEXI STEAKS.
BUT THAT'S, AND THEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT.
BUT LIKE I SAID, AT LEAST THERE WOULD BE THAT FROM SKYLINE VISTA TO, TO LARAY.
IF THEY COULD DO THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'LL NEED IT FOR FIVE YEARS.
SO NEXT UP, I'M SUPER INTERESTED IN THIS ONE, MR. WALTZ.
'CAUSE I WENT OUT THERE LOOKING ALL AROUND THAT PLACE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE EXACTLY THIS WOULD BE.
SO, UM, SO WE GOT A REQUEST, UH, A FORMAL REQUEST OF A 10 FOOT WIDE ACCESS EGRESS EASEMENT FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE NORTH FORT SHAND.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT WE DID PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA, STAFF IS STILL VETTING THIS OUT AND LOOKING AT, UH, THE PARCEL IN ITSELF, BUT WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT ON COUNCIL AND, UM, AT LEAST, UH, ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE STILL MAY HAVE, UM, AND PROVIDE ANY ANSWERS THAT WE CAN.
WE DO BELIEVE THIS WILL PROBABLY GO BACK TO ANOTHER WORK SESSION ONCE WE GET SOME BETTER DIRECTION IN ACTUALLY WHAT THE APPLICANT IS LOOKING FOR.
I, I, I'M GONNA ASK A QUESTION, WHICH I KNOW THERE ARE NO STUPID QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GONNA ADMIT THIS COULD BE STUPID, SO I'LL PUT IT OUT THERE PREFACE EXACTLY.
UM, SO THE IDEA IS THERE WOULD BE AN EASEMENT, SO THIS YELLOW THAT'S IN THE, THE PICTURE, UM, ON PAGE 1 38 OR WHATEVER.
SO HOW WOULD THEY ACCESS THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY? UM, OR IS THAT, I'M JUST TRYING OR IS IS THE IDEA THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO, THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A ROAD GOING TO IT.
I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, I WENT OUT THERE AND DROVE ALL OF THOSE ROADS AND THERE ARE ANY, SO THE YELLOW SECTION IS THE ACTUAL PROPERTY THAT THE OWNER OWNS.
THE LITTLE RED LINE OR THE BLUE LINE OF THE AREA, THERE IS ACTUALLY A PHYSICAL ACCESS ROAD, UH, THAT GETS BACK TO THAT PROPERTY THAT WAS USED WHEN THE BRIDGE WAS CONSTRUCTED.
SO, UM, IT'S BEEN THERE FOR YEARS FOR THE BAIT HOUSE IS YOU MAY BE DATING ME.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A PIPE GATE, RIGHT? JUST WEST OF THE BAIT HOUSE WHERE CHARLIE USED TO GO IN.
AM I RIGHT BILL? RIGHT, RIGHT.
THERE'S A GATE THERE RIGHT NOW.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT IS THAT SOME OF THIS IS ALSO VDOT LAND OR VDOT PARCEL.
[01:40:01]
UM, SO THE APPLICANT WOULD, WOULD, UH, WOULD HAVE TO GET, UH, SOMETHING IN AGREEMENT WITH VDOT AS WELL TO GAIN ACCESS.WE DON'T, WE WOULDN'T BE THEIR ONLY OBSTACLE OF PROVIDING ACCESS TO THAT PARCEL.
SO THE ACCESS, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, AND I KNOW WE'RE GONNA BRING THIS BACK, BUT I'M STILL TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND.
SO THE RED LINE, THE RED LINE ON THE IMAGE IS WHERE IS WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO, THEY NEED PERMISSION TO TRANSVERSE THAT SECTION OF PROPERTY, WHICH IS OWNED BY THE TOWN AND VDOT GOTCHA.
SO THE RED LINE IS OURS WHERE THEY WANT THE EASEMENT, THE YELLOWS THERE, RIGHT? YEAH.
NOW KEEP IN MIND THAT THE VDO EASEMENT MAJOR FACTOR IS UNDERNEATH THREE 40.
BUT I THINK THE VDO THEN THE VDIS GO FROM THE GATE.
BUT IF IT'S THAT, I DON'T KNOW THE, THE PROPERTY LINES, I JUST KNOW THAT IT'S, IT HASN'T BEEN SURVEYED.
IT PROBABLY CENTER ROAD, I WOULD GUESS EVER HOW MANY FEET OUT, YOU KNOW? BUT YEAH, IT'D DEFINITELY BE UNDERNEATH.
SO IT WOULD'VE NOTHING TO DO WITH GOING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT'S NOT CROSSING OVER THE RAILROAD, RIGHT? NO, NO, I THINK THAT IS THE WHOLE, UH, I, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE APPLICANT, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WOULD BE THE ADVANTAGE OF USING THIS PARCEL FOR YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE RAILROAD.
WELL, AND THAT'S WHERE THE RAIL TRAIL'S GONNA BE, RIGHT? ISN'T THAT THE TRACK? THAT'S THE RAILROAD TRUCK.
THAT'S GONNA BE THE RAIL TRAIL, ISN'T IT? NO, THAT'S GONNA COME IN.
I THOUGHT THAT ONE MUST THE FAULT FROM V W.
SO IT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE.
WHEN DAVIS HAS PAVING PLACE AND THEN YOU GET CREW WHEN YOU COME INTO THE SECOND PART OF THE S-CURVE.
SCUR, WHAT ROAD ARE WE ON? QUEENS HIGHWAY.
OKAY, SO THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING THE WAY THIS PICTURE IS.
I THOUGHT WE WERE ON THIS SIDE OF THE BRIDGE.
YEAH, I THOUGHT THE LINES ARE CONFUSING.
THIS IS WHERE LIKE STREET, BUT THAT'S PAST THE BRIDGE.
OH, IT'S BEFORE YOU GO OVER THE BRIDGE.
SO THIS IS THE BRIDGE RIGHT HERE.
YOU HAVE TO TURN AND GO DOWN BY, GO DOWN TO THE CHURCH.
SO THIS, THIS IS DUCK STREET, RIVERON.
AND YOU TURN AND DUCK STREET AND YOU, AND YOU GO, YOU GO ACROSS THE TRACK.
SO YOU GO RIGHT AT SEVEN 11, STOPLIGHT THEN LEFT.
YOU ACTUALLY CAN ALSO GO PAST, GO DOWN TO 11.
SO TO GET TO THIS PROPERTY, YOU LITERALLY HAVE TO DRIVE UNDER THE BRIDGE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS TO THE LEFT OF THE BRIDGE FROM THIS PICTURE.
I DRIVE, I DRIVE EVERYTHING ON THIS SIDE.
AND I NO WONDER IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.
I HAD TO ORIENT MYSELF BECAUSE THE OLD, THE OLD BRIDGE IS RIGHT HERE.
ALL THIS DOWN HERE IS LIKE, THERE'S LIKE A CAMPGROUND AND I JUST REMEMBER WHEN I WAS CAMPAIGNING, GOING DOWN THERE AND ALL THE DIFFERENT LITTLE YOU, YOU'RE UP, YOU'RE UP TOWARDS THREE 40 FROM THE CAMPGROUND.
SO MR. WELCH, YOU'RE GONNA COME BACK TO US WITH MORE INFORMATION IN THE FUTURE.
IS THAT THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD THAT? YEAH, BECAUSE I, I, WE, WE HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT THE DESIGNATION IS BETWEEN TOWN AND BDOT.
UM, UM, PARCELS PLUS I, I THINK WE NEED TO TALK TO THE APPLICANT TO FIND OUT EXACTLY.
I I THINK, UH, TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE REQUESTING.
THIS TRAIN'S STILL IN SERVICE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW, THOUGH? IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE, EXCUSE ME? I, I, JOSH WAS TALKING TO ME ABOUT THE RAILROAD TRACK AND I SAID, IS THAT ONE'S STILL IN? I DON'T, THIS TRACTOR'S.
I'M SORRY MS. TUCKER'S NOT USED YET.
YEAH, IT'S NOT BEING MR. WALLACE, DID YOU WANNA OFFER SOMETHING? YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THE STAFF IS STILL EVALUATING THIS REQUEST.
UH, THE REASON THAT WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA WAS FOR THE FACT THAT IT WAS ADDRESSED TO COUNSEL OF THE LETTER ITSELF FOR THE REQUEST OF THE EASEMENT.
SO MOVING ON TO ITEM SEVEN A, WHICH IS A BID FOR THE, UH, THREE PHASE PAD MOUNTED TRANSFORMER.
IT'S GONNA BE CARRIED, BUT OH, COME ON KAREN.
UH, SO THE ITEM I PRESUME TONIGHT IS FOR TRANSFORMER, UH, 500 KILOVOLT AMP FREE PHASE PAD MOUNTING TRANSFORMER REMANUFACTURED.
UM, PURCHASING RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY TO SOLICIT AN INVITATION FOR BID AND RECEIVE TWO RESPONSES.
STAFF WILL BE REQUESTED TO AWARD THE BID FOR THE LOWEST RESPONSE AND RESPONSIBLE, RESPONSIBLE BIDDER, WHICH WAS JERRY'S ELECTRIC, INCORPORATED OUT COMA SOUTH DAKOTA IN THE AMOUNT OF $28,425.
[01:45:06]
THAT'S QUITE A DELTA BETWEEN JERRY'S AND I THOUGHT SO TOO.LIKE ISN'T LIKE LARSON SO ONE REMANUFACTURED AND ONE'S YEAH, THEY'RE BOTH REMANUFACTURED.
YOU DON'T WANT SEE THE PRICE OF THE NEW ONE? YEAH.
HUH? SAY AGAIN? SEE, I WAS GONNA SAY, AREN'T THEY TWO 50 NEW? THEY'RE NOT THAT NINETIES.
OH, I REMEMBER WE LOOKED AT NEW ONES LAST YEAR.
WELL, WE USED JERRY'S BEFORE ON THE LAST ONE.
WE HAVE BEEN USING THEM FOR RE MANUFACTURED ONES A LOT LATELY.
A LOT OF TIMES IT COMES DOWN TO WHERE WE CAN GET 'EM FROM.
WE MANUFACTURE'S ALL WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET.
AND THE THRESHOLDS WILL HELP US OUT TREMENDOUSLY WITH THAT.
WHAT'S THE PRICE? THERE'S PRICE SERVICE FOR ALMOST A YEAR.
SO SOME OF THE BIDS THAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING BACK, THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE 'EM.
SO YOU'RE KIND OF, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT LEAD TIME IS WHEN THEY COME IN, THEY CAN REBUILD IT AND REMANUFACTURE IT.
AND THEN GET IT TO US ALL THE SAME SPECS.
THERE'S THAT KIND OF A DIFFERENCE.
AND IT'S PRETTY INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR THE MOST PART.
AND LARSON'S IS IN KEMP, TEXAS.
SO THERE'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TEXAS AND SOUTH.
RIGHT? WHAT, WHAT KIND OF TURNAROUND TIME ARE YOU LOOKING AT TO GET, I DON'T REMEMBER THE 36 WEEKS.
UM, I, I, I DON'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
THE LEAD TIME IS STILL, WE'RE GETTING BETTER.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS FOR MICHELLE? SOUNDS LIKE WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL THAT JERRY'S IS AROUND AND SHE TO SELL US TO REMANUFACTURE.
I'D BE GRATEFUL SHE'S SAT THERE.
YOU SEEM TO GET THE LUCKY THINGS RIGHT? HERE'S ARE FAST AND FURIOUS BJ.
SHE'S GOT YOU HAVE TO GIVE HER SOME OF THE HARD, I'M JUST KIDDING.
SO, MS. LIZZIE'S GONNA BE UP WITH SEVEN B, WHICH IS AN UPDATE TO THE WARREN COUNTY FRONT ROW ARPA TOURISM RECOVERY PLAN GRANT.
AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING ABOUT THIS 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'VE ALL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF TALK ABOUT THAT GRANT AND GRANT MONEY AND BLAH BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
SO I'M GLAD TO GET, UM, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE GONNA GET AN UPDATE ON THAT.
I KIND OF ALREADY GOT ONE, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER WHY I GOT ONE.
'CAUSE I RAN INTO YOU LAST WEEK WITH YOU.
THAT'S WHY I ASKED YOU ABOUT THIS.
NOW Y'ALL WILL HAVE TO EXCUSE MY BRAIN BECAUSE MY BRAIN WORKS MUCH BETTER IN THE MORNING THAN IT DOES IN THE EVENING.
I DON'T KNOW HOW Y'ALL DO THIS LATE NIGHT BUSINESS, BUT SHOOT, IT'S EARLY GIRL FOR ME.
LAST, LAST MONDAY WAS THE ICING ON THE CAKE FOR ME ALL.
I STRUGGLED FOR TWO DAYS AFTER
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GUYS DO THAT.
TWO, THE KIDS, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS.
IN CASE ANYBODY ISN'T AWARE, I'M, I'M LIZZIE.
I'M THE, THE TOURISM MANAGER, DEVELOPMENT LADY.
WHATEVER ELSE Y'ALL NEED ME TO BE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A REAL QUICK RUNDOWN ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE ARPA TOURISM GRANT.
AND I KNOW IN YOUR PACKET THERE'S INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THE ARPA GRANT THING STARTED.
UM, SO I'VE BEEN EDUCATED A GOOD BIT.
I'M SURE THERE'S STILL SOME THINGS I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS PROCESS.
BUT ESSENTIALLY, UM, WE WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT REFINING THE GRAND DIRECTION, THE TIMELINE NEXT STEPS, AND THEN WHAT DO WE NEED? SO ON, LET'S BACK UP A SECOND.
SO THE GRANT PROCESS, ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO IS THAT THE COUNTY WAS ABLE TO APPLY FOR THIS ARPA GRANT WHEN THIS CAME OUT.
IT WAS ACTUALLY BEFORE I STARTED HERE AT THE TOWN.
AND THEN IN ORDER FOR THE COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO APPLY, THEY HAD TO INCLUDE ANY TOWNS THAT WERE IN THEIR COUNTY AS PART OF THEIR APPLICATION PROCESS.
SO I BELIEVE, AGAIN, AND THIS PREDATES ME, BUT I BELIEVE THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT MADE SENSE TO INCLUDE IN THE GRANT.
AND TO BE CANDID, I'M NOT EVEN SUPER FAMILIAR WITH WHAT THAT PREVIOUS LIST WAS.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE'S MEETINGS IN THE BEGINNING.
BUT, BUT ANYWAY, UM, BUT I KNOW THAT WE'VE KIND OF REFINED THAT A LITTLE BIT AS PRIORITIES HAVE SHIFTED FOR BOTH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY.
SO THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IS STILL THE SAME.
SO WE'VE BROKEN A KIND OF INTO FIVE BUCKETS.
I MADE THIS POWERPOINT JUST TO KEEP ME ON TASK BECAUSE WE'RE PAST MY BEDTIME.
[01:50:01]
AND BEYOND AT 35,000 VISITOR CENTER REFRESH AT 25,000 TOURISM EVENT DEVELOPMENT AT 20,000.MARKETING CAMPAIGN EXPANSION, EXPANSION AT 25,000.
AND IN BENTONVILLE BOAT LANDING AT 65,000, LET'S KIND OF DELVE INTO THESE A LITTLE BIT.
SO APTEX TRAIL, SO THE FUNDS WOULD COMPLETE THE DESIGN PHASE OF THE APTEX TRAIL AND CREATE THE DESIGN PIECE OF SIGNAGE THAT WOULD SHOW THE HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY.
SO THE DESIGN OF THE TRAIL INCLUDES THE TRAIL ITSELF, ADDITIONAL BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WOULD CONNECT TO THE FUTURE RAIL TRAIL.
ASSUMING THAT THAT GOES FORWARD, UM, WE'RE ALL CROSSING OUR FINGERS ON THAT ONE.
BUT THE IDEA IS TO MAKE THAT SPACE A BETTER BUILD, A BETTER MOUSETRAP.
UM, THIS OBVIOUSLY THE TRAIL'S GONNA TAKE A LOT MORE THAN THAN THAT FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE.
HOWEVER, THE DESIGN PHASE AND HAVING SOME INFORMATIONAL SIGNAGE, UM, TO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY AND, AND WHERE IT'S HEADED.
UM, THAT WOULD BE PART OF THAT, OF, OF THAT GRAND DOLLAR.
AND THAT THE AVTEC TRAIL CURRENTLY, THAT PROPERTY THAT AVTEC CONSERVANCY RIGHT NOW BELONGS TO THE E D A MM-HMM.
AND I KNOW THAT AMBER AND, AND, UM, MELISSA WENT FOR THE, SO, SO THIS WOULD HELP THAT PROPERTY THAT'S CORRECT.
TO, TO DEVELOP IT AND SO ON THE DESIGN, I'M SORRY, ON THE DESIGN.
THE DESIGN, BUT, AND, AND THE SIGNAGE.
SO THE DESIGN OF IT, BUT NOTHING LIKE TANGIBLE WAS COMING OUT OF IT OTHER THAN THE DESIGN.
WHICH WOULD JUST SAVE MONEY FOR WHOEVER ENDS UP WITH THAT PROPERTY OR WHOEVER ENDS UP WITH THAT.
IT WOULD BE THAT MUCH LESS THEY'D HAVE TO SPEND ON IT.
IT'S IN AN INITIAL HURDLE THAT, THAT KEEPS THE BALL KIND OF ROLLING WITH THAT PROJECT.
UM, ALSO ADDING ADDITIONAL BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE OF COURSE PLAYS INTO THE NEWLY ADOPTED COMP PLAN THAT, THAT KEEPS COMING UP THIS EVENING.
UM, THE VISITOR CENTER, SO THE $25,000 THAT'S ALLOCATED TO THE VISITOR CENTER, UM, THOSE FUNDS WOULD VISUALLY ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE VISITOR CENTER.
IT AFFORDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE EXTERIOR AND THE INTERIOR OF THE VISITOR CENTER THAT WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE BUDGETED BEFORE AT THIS POINT.
AND THAT'S A VERY BROAD SCOPE.
WE HAVE GOOD OPPORTUNITY WITH THAT AS TO WHAT WE WANNA DO.
WE'VE GOT SOME PEELING PAINT AND SOME THINGS THAT COULD BE REFRESHED FOR SURE.
UM, TOURISM EVENT DEVELOPMENT.
SO THE FUNDS WOULD PROVIDE CAMPAIGN ASSISTANCE TO THE THREE LARGEST TOURISM DRIVEN EVENTS IN THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY.
SO APPALOOSA FESTIVAL, FESTIVAL OF LEAVES OF COURSE NEXT MONTH.
AND THEN THEN WINE AND CRAFT FESTIVAL IN THE SPRING.
BECAUSE WHILE ALL OF THE FUNDS HAVE TO BE, OH SHOOT, THERE'S A WORD FOR IT.
I'M SWIMMING OUTSIDE MY DESK HERE.
UM, ESSENTIALLY THE FUNDS HAVE TO BE ALLOCATED.
MAYBE I FEEL LIKE THE WORD WAS ENCUMBERED, BUT THAT'S NOT IT.
UM, TARGETED MAYBE BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR WE HAVE UNTIL THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY SPEND FUNDS.
HOW DOES THAT SOUND? SO LIKE APPALOOSA HAS ALREADY HAPPENED? THAT'S CORRECT.
APPALOOSA HAS ALREADY HAPPENED.
SO OBVIOUSLY THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE, THOSE FUNDS WERE AWARDED ALREADY WOULD BE ENCUMBERED ALREADY OR WHATEVER.
THAT'S WHAT LEASE WOULD BE OCTOBER.
AND MINECRAFT WOULD GET US BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
IT'S ALWAYS THE THIRD SATURDAY IN MAY.
AND WE CONFIRMED THAT WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WHO HOSTS THAT EVENT THAT YES, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND I LEARNED THIS WEEKEND, 7,000 TICKETS WERE SOLD TO APPALOOSA.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU WOULDN'T KNOW IT BY GETTING THERE.
NO, THEY GO IN ON FRIDAY, EVERYTHING.
WHEN YOU GET THERE, IT'S, WOW, EVERYTHING'S THERE.
BUT, WELL, I WILL SAY WE TO GET THERE WAS REALLY EASY.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE EXTREMELY BUSY AT THE VISITOR CENTER THIS WEEKEND.
I'M SURE SOME OF THAT WAS APPLE.
UM, WE HAD 181 PEOPLE THROUGH JUST ON SATURDAY, WHICH IS PRETTY HIGH FOR US.
UM, AND 132, I THINK IT WAS ON SUNDAY, WHICH AGAIN IS PRETTY HIGH FOR US.
UM, NOW LABOR DAY OF COURSE CONTRIBUTES TO THAT.
BUT WE WOULD IMAGINE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S 7,000 PEOPLE OUT AT, OUT AT THE SKYLINE, THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY FEW OF THEM PEOPLE TOO.
WELL THEY, IF ANYBODY WAS THERE, YOU, IF YOU SAW THE MAP, THEY HAD EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, PINS.
OH, SOMEBODY SENT ME A PICTURE OF THAT.
FROM CALIFORNIA TO MAINE TO MEXICO TO CANADA.
EVERY STATE PRETTY MUCH HAD A OPINION.
SO WE KNOW, I MEAN, AS WE TALKED ABOUT AROUND THE TABLE, WE KNOW THESE THREE BRING PEOPLE IN FROM FAR AND WALK.
SO IF WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THIS GRANT, MONEY, TEA, BIG TEA
[01:55:01]
MARKETING, SO MARKETING CAMPAIGN.SO THE, THIS SPECIFICALLY IS $25,000.
IT'S THE SAME DOLLAR AMOUNT AS THE VISITOR CENTER.
UM, FUNDS WOULD ALLOW WARREN COUNTY TO FURTHER DEVELOP THEIR BRAND EXPERIENCE, WARREN COUNTY, THROUGH THE CREATION OF A, A WEBSITE, BRAND DEVELOPMENT, PROMOTION ACTIVITIES, THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DEVELOPING THEIR, THEIR NEW BRAND AND SO WE WANNA BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE BENTONVILLE BOAT LANDING, AGAIN, COMING BACK TO THE COMP PLAN, UM, LAUREN OF COURSE COULD SPEAK TO THIS FAR MORE INTELLIGENTLY THAN ME, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME INFORMATION IN THERE ABOUT FOLKS WANTING BETTER WATER ACCESS.
UM, AND ANYTIME THAT WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION, I'M ALL FOR THAT.
SO THIS WOULD HELP PROVIDE THE FUNDS TO COMPLETE THE RENOVATIONS AND ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BENTONVILLE BOAT LANDING.
IT IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR FOR VISITORS AND OUTFITTERS TO USE.
AND OF COURSE, UM, WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS IN THE VISITOR CENTER ABOUT HOW DO I GET TO THE WATER AND I WANT TO DO THINGS AND I WANT TO EXPLORE.
UM, AND IT PROVIDE GREATER ACCESSIBILITY, PARKING, AND EASE OF USE FOR VISITORS AND OF COURSE OUR RESIDENTS TOO.
SO THAT ONE'S KIND OF A NO BRAINER.
THAT'S A, SO THAT'S THE COUNT THAT, THAT'S THE VILLE BOAT LANDING IS COUNTY, RIGHT? IT IS, YES.
BUT SOME OF THESE BOAT LANDINGS, THEY ALSO ARE, UH, VIRGINIA GAME AND INLAND FISHERIES.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THE ONE, I KNOW ALL OF THEM, I, I POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN I WAS CAMPAIGNING A FOLK, THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT STOPPED ME UPSET ABOUT THE RE BOAT LANDING.
AND THEY, THEY'RE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT TOWN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT AND BECAUSE IT'S IN THE TOWN, BUT, BUT IT'S NOT, OR YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T MAINTAIN IT.
THE GRAVEL, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
UM, SO ANYWAY, IT'S A ROUGH DROP OFF RIGHT NOW.
SO, SO I'M ASSUMING BENTONVILLE IS, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON DIFFERENT BOAT LANDS ACROSS THE COUNTY, SO I'M THINKING THIS MUST BE NEXT ON THE LIST.
AND SO THAT WOULD, THAT 65,000 WOULD GO TOWARDS IT.
BUT PROBABLY VIRGINIA GAME AND FISHER IS GONNA HAVE TO PONY UP SOME MONEY TOO.
I BELIEVE I, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE ABOUT ALL THE PLAYERS ON THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT WOULD STAND TO REASON I WOULD THINK.
UM, AND I DO KNOW THAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT GETS THEM REALLY CLOSE TO WHAT THEY NEED TO COMPLETING THAT WHOLE PROJECT.
UM, ALL OF THESE PROJECTS, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHETHER THEY'RE LOCATED PHYSICALLY IN THE TOWN OR IN THE COUNTY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY BENEFIT TOURISM AS A WHOLE FOR ALL OF US.
UM, WHETHER IT'S THE BOAT LANDING, WHETHER IT'S EVENT MARKETING, WHETHER IT'S THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR THE COUNTY, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE GOOD THINGS FOR EVERYBODY.
AND VISITOR CENTER AND OF COURSE THE VISITOR CENTER.
I TRY NOT TO THROW THAT ONE OUT THERE, BUT YES.
UM, SO WHAT'S NEXT IS THAT WARREN COUNTY IS LEADING THE CHARGE ON THE ARPA GRANT.
THEY ARE THE OFFICIAL APPLICANT.
WE ARE A PIECE OF THAT, BUT WE'RE NOT THE WHOLE PIE.
SO THEY ARE THE ONES WHO WILL SUBMIT THE UPDATED GRANT WORKSHEET, WHICH WAS IN YOUR PACKET THERE.
KIND OF, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE OUTLINING.
I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY BOARD SUPERVISORS IS GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT THIS WORKSHEET SOMETIME THIS MONTH, I THINK.
UM, AND THEN WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING IS TO HAVE LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM BOTH GOVERNING BODIES TO BE ABLE TO INCLUDE SO THAT, UH, JOE PETTY WHO'S MANAGING THE GRANT FOR THE COUNTY SO THAT HE COULD SUBMIT ALL OF THAT AT ONCE SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE REFINING, UM, THE GOALS OF THE GRANT FROM THE INITIAL APPLICATION AND MAKING IT WORK FOR EVERYBODY.
DOES IT HAVE TO BE A RESOLUTION OR JUST A LETTER OR WOULD I BELIEVE IT'S JUST A LETTER OF SUPPORT LETTER? JUST A LETTER.
THAT'S NOT TERRIBLY, TERRIBLY DISSIMILAR TO WHAT YOU GUYS DID FOR THE RAIL TRAIL VERY RECENTLY.
NOT, NOT, NOT TOO DISSIMILAR FROM THAT IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
SO, WELL, TINA'S GOT THAT LETTER I WROTE SO
JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY ABOUT VISITOR CENTER AS THE COUNTY, I KNOW AS THE COUNTY MEN, I KNOW THERE WAS TALK ABOUT LIKE THEM HAVING THEIR OWN VISITOR CENTERS.
IS THAT, IS IS THAT RIGHT NOW JUST ON HOLD.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL EVER, THE FRONT ROW VISITOR CENTER IS THE ONE THAT, THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL VISITING TO GET, GET INFORMATION ABOUT YES.
I I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THEIR OWN VISITORS CENTER OR NOT.
I JUST WAS CURIOUS SINCE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS STUFF.
I, I MEAN, FULL DISCLOSURE I DID ASK, BUT THEY DIDN'T ANSWER, SO OKAY.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL ANSWERING THE PHONE, THE FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY VISITOR CENTER.
WE'RE STILL SENDING FOLKS IN BOTH PLACES.
THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO REASON NOT TO.
SO, UM, WE'RE VERY THANKFUL TO BE IN SUCH A GREAT SPOT HERE AND HAVE SO MANY GREAT AMENITIES IN BOTH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY.
OF COURSE, THIS ARPA GRANT, I, WHEN I SAY I WAS AT SOME OF THE INITIAL MEETINGS, WE ORIGINALLY, WE CAME OUT, WE TRIED TO USE 90,000 OF IT FOR THE SHINDO RAIL TRAIL BECAUSE THEY'RE AT THE VERY BEGINNING THEY WANTED EACH OF US TO
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BUY IN, UH, PONY UP SOME MONEY OH.WELL OUR PART WAS, ANYWAY, WE TRIED TO DO THAT AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA AND THEN THEY CAME BACK AND SAID, NO, IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS, BECAUSE THE SHE RAIL TRAILS BUILD OUT WOULD NOT BE UNTIL SO MANY YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
IT HAD TO BE SOMETHING LIKE YOU JUST SAID.
HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS USED IN THIS TIMEFRAME.
SO, AND THAT WAS CERTAINLY A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE LIST OF THE FIVE PROJECTS.
SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY THEY HAD TO BE DONE NOW.
AND THAT WOULDN'T BE DONE FOR A WHILE.
WHO CAME UP WITH THE LIST OF THE FIVE PROJECTS? UH, JOE PETTY AND I WORKED TOGETHER ON THAT.
WE, WE HAD A MEETING AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT MAKES SENSE FOR BOTH PARTIES.
AND IF YOU NOTICE, IT'S KIND OF A NICE BLEND.
LIKE THERE'S COUNTY COUNTY, YEAH.
THERE'S SOME TOWN, THERE'S, THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT'S TOWN COUNTY.
AND UM, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHO'S GONNA OWN THAT.
THAT WAS A QUESTION THAT I HAD TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, NOT THAT IT MATTERS.
I MEAN, IT'S GOTTA BE DONE EITHER WAY.
WE JUST CAN'T, WE CAN'T FORECAST SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT ONCE THE TRAIL IS DONE, I MEAN, IT'S GONNA BENEFIT ALL OF US.
I WOULD HATE THAT WE PAY FOR IT AND THE TRAIL NOT BE DONE.
'CAUSE THAT'S I AND THE CONVERSATION THAT MY THAT'S FAIR.
THERE'S DISCUSSION ON IF IT'S GONNA BE A TOWN PROJECT OR A COUNTY PROJECT OR, SO I WOULD HATE TO SPEND $35,000 ON SOMETHING THAT'S NOT GONNA COME TO FRUITION.
OR BY THE TIME THAT IT DOES, THE DESIGN IS OUTDATED AND HAS TO BE UPDATED.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, LEGIT, THAT'S A CONCERN.
SO, UM, I DO KNOW THAT THE E D A, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, LIKE THEY, THEY DON'T WANNA BE IN THE TRAIL BUSINESS.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO THEY, I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE ANY INTENTION OF HOLDING ONTO THAT.
THEY WANT TO SEE THE, THEY WANT TO SEE THE CONSERVANCY THEY WANT.
SO WHETHER OR NOT THE COUNTY TAKES THAT ON OR THE TOWN, I MEAN, I, RIGHT NOW THAT'S THEIR MAYBE AND THAT'S THEIR DECISION.
ONE THING I WILL SAY IS MAYBE HAVING THE DESIGN DONE MIGHT BE ENTICING TO WHOEVER WANTS TO TAKE IT OVER.
IT'S KIND OF THE FIRST HEAVY LIFT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WITH THAT DESIGN PHASE, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE EPA ABOUT PLACEMENT AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
E AND DQ WAS AT THE TOUR WITH US.
SO A BIG CHUNK OF THAT WOULD BE WELL UNDERWAY.
IT MIGHT, IT MAY, IT MAY GIVE A LITTLE BIT, IT MAY MAYBE FIRM UP A PRICE TAG SOMEWHERE ON THIS THING FOR PEOPLE TO BE LIKE, IT'S IN OUR PRICE RANGE.
IT'S NOT IN OUR PRICE RANGE OR MOVIE GOING, I THINK IT'S IN MY PRICE RANGE.
BUT NO, I THINK, NO, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT OURS EITHER.
BUT HEY, MAYBE ACES WILL TAKE IT ON.
I BET HE'D BE SUPPORTIVE AT THOSE.
LIZZIE, WHAT, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, I'M SORRY I DIDN'T MEAN TO ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS? WE'RE GOOD.
AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT THAT WAS A WORKING TOGETHER, UM, DOWN AND COUNTY.
WE, YOU KNOW, JUST ABSOLUTELY NO, JUST PUTTING THOSE RUMORS TO REST THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
UH, WE COME TO THE PART OF THE MEETING THAT SOMEBODY'S GOTTA READ THAT BIG LONG DRAWN OUT THING.
SHALL WE DRAW THE SHORT? WHO'S GONNA DRAW THE SHORT STRAW TONIGHT TO READ THAT? WI WE, WE GOTTA LET JOE PLAY OR LET, LET GEORGE PLAY ROULETTE.
HE SAY
I'VE BEEN CLIENT I KNOW I'LL TAKE, I DON'T, YEAH, I DON'T MIND NOT READING IT.
I'LL MOVE THAT TOWN COUNCIL PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 2.2 DASH 37 11 AND 2.2 DASH 37 12 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSE.
ONE PURSUANT TO 2.2 DASH 37 11 A, ONE OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION, ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE, DEMOTION, SALARIES, DISCIPLINING, RESI OR RESIGNATION AS SPECIFIC PUBLIC OFFICERS, APPOINTEES OR EMPLOYEES OF ANY PUBLIC BODY.
MORE SPECIFICALLY THE CLERK OF COUNSEL, PLANNING COMMISSION AND
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SUCH CONSULT, CONSULTATION, OR BRIEFING AND OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE NEGOTIATING OR LITIGATING POSTURE OF THE PUBLIC BODY.MORE SPECIFICALLY, TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL VERSUS FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY, E D A ET ALL.
AND THREE, PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 37 11 A THREE OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR DISCUSSION OR CONSIDERATION OF THE ACQUISITION OF ROYAL PROPERTY FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE OR OF THE DISPOSITION PUBLICLY HELD REAL PROPERTY WHERE DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY.
MORE SPECIFICALLY, PORTIONS OF THE NORTH STREET AND ADJACENT UNIMPROVED ALLEYWAY IN THE CASE FURNACE.
UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A MOTION, WE HAVE A SECOND ROLL CALL.
COUNCILMAN THE DEMON? PAYNE'S ABSENT.
WE'RE GONNA DO A QUICK TO THAT.