* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. EVERYBODY [00:00:01] READY? OKAY. I'M GONNA CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING FOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 23RD. [1. MOMENT OF SILENCE] AND WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] OKAY. NEXT UP, WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. SO, AS YOU KNOW, DURING MY TERM AS MAYOR, I'M INVITING STUDENTS FROM THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TO LEAD OUR COUNCIL IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THIS MONTH WE WELCOME FRANCESCA LUISA SIMON AND MATTHEW LLOYD. CAN YOU GUYS COME FORWARD? AND IF YOU JUST COME RIGHT UP HERE AROUND THAT BROWN PODIUM, AND IF YOU GET CLOSER TO THE MIC, I'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT THEY'RE THE CHILDREN OF ANNIE AND SCOTT LLOYD. THEY ATTEND JOHN PAUL THE GREAT MONTESSORI ACADEMY HERE IN FRONT. ROYAL FRANCESCA IS IN SIXTH GRADE, AND SHE ENJOYS SPORTS SUCH AS VOLLEYBALL, SOCCER, BASKETBALL, AND SWIMMING. SHE'S A BUDDING MUSICIAN AS SHE'S CURRENTLY LEARNING TO PLAY PIANO, WE HAVE LOUISA, WHO IS IN FOURTH GRADE. SHE ALSO LOVES BASKETBALL AND SOCCER, AND SHE MIGHT HAVE A FUTURE AS A VETERINARIAN, AS I UNDERSTAND THAT SHE LOVES ANIMALS. SIMON IS IN SECOND GRADE. HE LOVES PLAYING WITH HIS FRIENDS, PLAYING WITH ACTION FIGURES, AND HE LOVES HIS, LOVES HIS SCHOOL. AND THE TEACHER IN ME LOVES TO HEAR THAT. UH, LAST WE HAVE MATTHEW, WHO IS IN KINDERGARTEN. HE ALSO LOVES HIS SCHOOL AND PLAYING WITH ACTION FIGURES, AND MATTHEW ALSO LOVES PLAYING FOOTBALL IN HIS YARD WITH HIS BROTHERS AND NEIGHBORS. AFTER SCHOOL, THEY'RE RECEIVING A CERTIFICATE THANKING THEM FOR THEIR PATRIOTISM AND PARTICIPATION IN THE FRONT ROW TOWN COUNCIL MEETING ON OCTOBER 23RD. AND THEY'RE ALSO RECEIVING GIFT CERTIFICATES TO C AND C FROZEN TREATS. SO, ARE YOU GUYS READY? ALRIGHT. PLEASE STAND EVERYONE AND YOU CAN BEGIN WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TODAY, NATION UNDER. [3. ROLL CALL] OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, WE'RE READY FOR A ROLL CALL. MAYOR COCKRELL. HERE. COUNCILMAN D DEMON PAYNE? HERE. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? HERE. COUNCILMAN MORRIS? HERE. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? HERE. COUNCILMAN ROGERS. HERE. VICE MAYOR. SEA LOCK HERE. [4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] THANK YOU. SO NEXT UP IS OUR APPROVAL OF MINUTES. DO I HEAR A MOTION? I MOVE THAT. COUNSEL, APPROVE THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2023 AND WORK SESSION MINUTES OF OCTOBER 2ND, 2023 AS PRESENTED. SECOND. OKAY. WITH A MOTION AND A SECOND, MS. PRESLEY. AND WE DO A ROLL CALL. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN ROGERS? YES. VICE MAYOR C LOT? YES. OKAY. NEXT UP, ARE ANY ADDITION OR DELETION OF ITEMS FROM THE AGENDA? DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS? OKAY, SINCE THERE ARE NONE. UH, NEXT WOULD BE RECOGNITIONS, AWARDS, REPORTS, PRESENTATIONS. AND WE HAVE NONE OF THOSE THIS EVENING. SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE RIGHT ALONG TO OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS. [7.A. Receive Public Input Pertaining to an Appeal by Jim Weber from a Decision of the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) Denying the Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness Application Submitted by Jim Weber to Replace a Metal Roof with Shingles at 207 Cloud Street] UM, ITEMS SEVEN A IS TO RECEIVE PUBLIC INPUT PERTAINING TO AN APPEAL BY JIM WEBER. I HOPE I'M SAYING THAT CORRECT. FROM A DECISION OF THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL [00:05:01] REVIEW, DENYING THE APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY JIM WEBER TO REPLACE A METAL ROOF WITH SHINGLES AT 2 0 7 CLOUD STREET. MS. PRESLEY, UM, WOULD YOU MIND READING THE SUMMARY FOR US? AND IT IS LONG. UM, SORRY. DO YOU WANT TO TAG TEAM AND DO YOU WANT ME TO READ IT? NO, I'M FINE. OKAY. I'M FINE, THANK YOU. ON APRIL 27TH, 2023, STAFF ISSUED A STOP WORK ORDER FOR 2 0 7 CLOUD STREET. THE METAL ROOF AND CHIMNEY HAD BEEN REMOVED WITHOUT OBTAINING THE APPROPRIATE PERMISSIONS FROM THE TOWN AND COUNTY. THE PROPERTY OWNER WAS INFORMED OF VIOLATIONS AND INSTRUCTED TO APPLY FOR A PERMIT. AT THIS TIME, THE REMOVAL OF THE EXISTING METAL ROOF WAS COMPLETED AND THE INSTALLATION OF PLYWOOD DECKING HAD STARTED JUNE 20TH, 2023. A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS WAS SUBMITTED FROM JIM WEBER TO REPLACE AN EXISTING METAL ROOF WITH AN ASPHALT SHINGLES ROOF AT 2 0 7 CLOUD STREET, AUGUST 8TH, 2023. THE, THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW DENIED THE APPLICATION TO PERMIT THE CHANGE OF MATERIAL ON A STRUCTURE IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT OVERLAY DISTRICT. THE PLYWOOD DECKING WORK IS NOW COMPLETED ON THE ENTIRE ROAD SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE INSTALLATION OF A ROOF UNDERLAYMENT AUGUST 16TH, 2023. THE APPLICANT WAS SENT A LETTER BY STAFF ADVISING THEM OF THE DENIAL AND THE APPEAL PROCESS AS STATED IN TOWN CODE CHAPTER 1 75 DASH 94. ON AUGUST 21ST, 2023, THE APPLICANT DAWN WEBER, SENT AN EMAIL DISPUTING THE DECISION OF THE BAR AUGUST 31ST, 2023. THE APPLICANT ASKED TO DELAY THE APPEAL PROCESS UNTIL OCTOBER. THE AGENDA HAD ALREADY BEEN PUBLISHED AND THEREFORE WAS NOT HEARD DURING THE SEPTEMBER 5TH WORK SESSION, OCTOBER 2ND, 2023. THE APPEAL PROCESS WAS PLACED ON THE WORK SESSION. HOWEVER, A REQUEST FROM THE APPLICANT DAWN WEBER TO FURTHER DELAY THE APPEAL PROCESS UNTIL NOVEMBER CAME TO STAFF AT 2:38 PM ON OCTOBER 2ND. COUNSEL HEARD THE NATURE OF THE APPEAL FROM STAFF THE APPLICANT NOT APPEARING AND ASK THAT STAFF ADVERTISE FOR A PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HEARD ON OCTOBER 23RD. STAFF RECOMMENDS UPHOLDING THE DETERMINATION OF THE BAR DUE TO THE DWELLING BEING A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE IN THE TOWN'S HISTORIC DISTRICT. THANK YOU, MS. PRESLEY. AT THIS TIME, I'M JUST GONNA ASK STAFF, I KNOW WE HAVE, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION ALREADY SHARED WITH US. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT? OKAY. I'VE PROVIDED YOU WITH THE, UM, RECONNAISSANCE PHOTO FROM 1996. SO THIS IS THE IMAGE THAT, UM, THE STATE PRESERVATION OFFICE TOOK WHEN THEY CAME AND DID THIS SURVEY. SO THEY DID A SURVEY OF THE ENTIRE TOWN. THIS IS THE, UM, THESE ARE THE RECORDS WE HAVE FOR EVERY, UH, BUILDING IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT. UM, AND THEN THIS IS THE ASSESSMENT PHOTOGRAPH FROM 2006. SO YOU CAN STILL SEE THE METAL ROOF. THE STUCCO HAS BEEN COVERED WITH SIDING. AND THEN ON APRIL 27TH, THIS IS THE PHOTO. UM, ONCE STAFF HAD RECEIVED A CALL, UH, THE CHIMNEY HAD ALREADY BEEN REMOVED, AND THAT DOES REQUIRE A PERMIT FROM THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, UM, AT THE COUNTY. AND THE METAL ROOF HAD BEEN REMOVED AS WELL. SO THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING THE, UM, PLYWOOD UNDERLAYMENT DOWN AND THEN PUTTING THE, UM, THERE'S A WATERPROOF MEMBRANE THAT'LL SIT ON TOP OF THE PLYWOOD, AND THAT'S WHAT IS THERE NOW. UM, ON AUGUST 8TH, THE BAR DID DENY THEIR REQUEST TO PUT ASPHALT ASPHALT SHINGLES BACK ON THE ROOF OR ON THE ROOF INSTEAD OF METAL. UM, SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU, MS. KAKI. COUNSEL, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK AND ASK LATER, BUT DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY AT THIS TIME? OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, MS. PRESLEY, UM, DO WE HAVE ANY, UM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE DO. WE HAVE ONE ELLEN AERS. OKAY. IT'S A LOT MORE FUN TO WATCH THE KIDS SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. . UH, MAYOR COCKRELL, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, MY NAME IS ELLEN AERS. I LIVE AT TWO 19 EAST PROSPECT STREET, AND I OWN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AT 23 CHURCH STREET. AS YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BOTH IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT. UH, I'M ASKING YOU TO DENY THE APPEAL TO REPLACE THE STANDING SEAM METAL ROOF WITH AN ARCHITECTURAL SHINGLE ROOF ON THE HOME LOCATED AT 2 0 7 CLOUD STREET. UH, I SHARED MY SENTIMENTS WITH YOU GUYS IN A PREVIOUS EMAIL, BUT I WANT TO REITERATE THAT I DO THINK THERE ARE TIMES WHEN EXCEPTIONS [00:10:01] CAN AND SHOULD BE MADE BASED ON THE OWNER'S ADMISSION, THAT HIS P HIS APPEAL IS NOT RELATED TO WHETHER OR NOT HE CAN AFFORD THE ROOF, BUT RATHER HIS OPINION REGARDING THE RELEVANCE OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES THE BAR IS MAKING REALLY GREAT STRIDES IN PRESERVING WHAT'S LEFT OF FRONT ROYALS HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE, AND I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS WILL SUPPORT THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND DENY THIS APPEAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. AERS. MS. PRESLEY, DO I UNDERSTAND THERE'S NO ONE ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? THAT'S CORRECT. IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO SPEAK MR. SIK? MAD MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNSEL, DAVID OCK, 1 6 5 HICKERSON HOLLOW ROAD, FRONT ROYAL, VIRGINIA STATE THAT ONCE IN CASE I SPEAK AGAIN THIS EVENING, UM, DENIAL OF EQUAL PROTECTION'S, A LITTLE BIT OF AN ISSUE WITH YOU FOR THIS APPEAL. THE NIGHT, WHAT WAS THE FORMER NIDA HOUSE ON, UH, ROYAL AVENUE NEXT DOOR TO DR. WOODSVILLE OFFICE? ADJOINING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF, UH, FRONT ROYAL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION WAS ALLOWED. IT WAS A METAL ROOF. IT WAS ALLOWED TO GO TO SHINGLES. IF YOU ALLOW A MORE SUBSTANTIAL AND CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE WITHIN THE HISTORICAL DISTRICT TO GO TO SHINGLES, IT NECESSARILY FOLLOWS THAT OTHER SIMILARLY SITUATED PEOPLE OR PROPERTY OWNERS SHOULD ALSO BE ALLOWED TO DO THE SAME FOR COST OR WHATEVER REASON. BUT IT WAS DONE. THE COUNCIL, THE BAR WHEN I SERVED ON THE BAR, REFUSED TO ALLOW JOHN WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH ON CHURCH STREET TO GO FROM A METAL ROOF TO A ALL SHINGLE ROOF. THE ORIGINAL CHURCH WAS METAL, THE ADDITION WAS SHINGLES AND THE METAL ROOF HAD FAILED. WHEN I WAS ON THE BAR, I WAS IN THE MINORITY VOTING TO APPROVE. THE CHURCH APPEALED THAT DECISION TO THIS BOARD. THIS BOARD THEN ALLOWED THE CHURCH TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE METAL ROOF WITH SHINGLES. SO AGAIN, EQUAL PROTECTION. THANK YOU. MR. SLIK. MAY I ASK A QUESTION? UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY TIMEFRAME WHEN THOSE TWO THINGS HAPPENED? I'M JUST CURIOUS WHEN YOU SAY THIS BOARD, I OBVIOUSLY IT WASN'T THIS BOARD, BUT COUNSEL YOUR PREDECESSOR BOARD RIGHT. THIS BODY GOTCHA. ESTABLISHED THAT PRECEDENT? CORRECT. OKAY. AND I'LL FURTHER ADD, I OWN A HOUSE THREE DOORS DOWN FROM THIS ONE ON CLOUD STREET. OKAY. AT SOME POINT BEFORE MY OWNERSHIP, IT WENT TO SHINGLES. SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING UNUSUAL WITHIN THE CONTINUITY OF THAT BLOCK OR THE ADJOINING BLOCK. OKAY. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE HERE TONIGHT WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS ON FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY. WITH NO OTHER SPEAKERS. I'M GONNA CLOSE THE HEARING AND OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL. DO I HEAR A MOTION OR, ACTUALLY, IT'S NOT REALLY A MOTION. IT'S THE, IT IS TO TAKE ACTION TO EITHER UPHOLD THE, UM, OKAY. I GOT IT. SORRY. MADAM MAYOR. MAYOR MADAM MAYOR. MADAM MAYOR, WE GOT, WE GOT THE MOTIONS. SORRY. UM, MADAM MAYOR, THE CHAIR WOULD AT LEAST MAKE SOME RECOGNITION THAT THE APPELLANT IS NOT PRESENT. OKAY. YEAH. UM, UH, I HAD THOUGHT, I WONDERED IF THEY WANTED TO SPEAK, BUT, OKAY. SO THE APPELLANT APPLICANT APPELLANT IS, UH, NOT PRESENT THIS EVENING. OKAY. NOW, COUNSEL, WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? UH, MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL UPHOLD THE DETERMINATION OF THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW ON AUGUST 8TH, 2023, DENYING THE APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS SUBMITTED BY JIM WEBER TO REPLACE A METAL ROOF WITH SHINGLES AT 2 0 7 CLOUD STREET. SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. MR. MR. UH, COUNCILMAN ROGERS. SECONDED IT. OKAY, COUNSEL, UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD TO THE DISCUSSION THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSSED AT OUR LAST WORK SESSION. I BELIEVE THE APPELLANT HAD REQUESTED THAT WE, UM, DELAY HAVING THIS PUBLIC INPUT SESSION FOR THEM TO GATHER MORE INFORMATION. UM, SO IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THEY'RE NOT HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THEM DIRECTLY. UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, AS IT MAY BE WITH BUSINESS, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE AT SOME POINT. [00:15:01] I BELIEVE THERE WAS ALREADY ONE DELAY TWO MONTHS AGO. SO IT'S DISAPPOINTING TO HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE AND NOT HEAR FROM THE APPELLANT. OKAY, MR. . OKAY, MR. REPPORT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK? UM, WELL, I WAS JUST GOING TO MENTION, UH, I NOTICED WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, PICTURE UP THERE, UH, THE PREVIOUS PICTURE WHEN, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF, UH, PLANNING AND ZONING HAD UP THERE, IF YOU NOTICE, THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR IN 2006 HAD A METAL ROOF. UH, THE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR HAS WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN ASPHALT ROOF. IT'S A QUESTION OF IN FACT, OF ENFORCEMENT. UM, WITH THE OVERLAY DIS THE OVERLAID DISTRICT, THE, THE, THE OVERLAID DISTRICT, IN MY MIND, I MEAN, I KNOW THIS IS A STRETCH, BUT LIKE IN RICHMOND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE FAN DISTRICT DOWN THERE, , UH, AND, UH, SO THEY'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE THEIR, UH, HISTORIC, UH, COMMUNITY. AND, UH, THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE, UH, UH, RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD. UH, SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO POINT POINT THAT OUT TO THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? YES, COUNCILMAN ROGERS. JUST TO MAKE, UH, A BRIEF POINT, I, I LIVE IN THE, UH, HISTORICAL DISTRICT AS WELL. UH, I THINK IT'S, UH, IT'S AN ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO LIVE. I THINK IT IS A COLLECTION OF, OF ARCHITECTURE, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF PROBABLY 60, 70 YEARS, BEGINNING BACK IN THE MID 18, MID LATE 18 HUNDREDS AND, AND GOING ON WELL INTO THE THIRTIES AND FORTIES. WHAT BOTHERS ME ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THIS, THIS PARTICULAR, UH, HOME YEAH, I LOOK AT, I LOOK AT MY NEIGHBORHOOD AS, AS, UH, AS MOST PEOPLE WOULD, UH, IN A NEW DEVELOPMENT AND AN HOA AND HOW YOU'RE MAIN REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN CERTAIN, UH, UH, CERTAIN PRESENTATION QUALITIES, UH, ABOUT THE PROPERTY. UM, AND OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT, I, I IS ONE OF THOSE, I I FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT ONE MAYBE WE HAVEN'T DONE. AND, AND FOLLOWING UP ON, ON MR. SAKS, UH, COMMENT, WHICH I REALLY APPRECIATE, SIR, UH, WE HAVE NOT DONE, UH, AS, UH, GOOD A JOB AS WE HAVE, UH, WITH REGULATIONS QUITE OFTEN. UM, AND THIS REGULATION IS IMPORTANT. UH, I'VE HAD TO REPLACE MY ROOF, MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, AS A MATTER OF FACT, SIMILAR TO HERE, UH, HAD A METAL ROOF, TOOK IT DOWN, HAD THE COMPOSITE IN HIS BACKYARD, READY TO GO TOWN, CAME BY, SAW IT, AND FORCED HIM TO STOP, AND HE NEEDED TO. NOW, THAT DISCUSSION WITH HIM, UH, WAS, YEAH, I KNEW, BUT I THOUGHT I COULD DO IT. I'M, I, I, I'M JUST SORRY THAT, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR MOST OF US IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD THAT ARE, THAT ARE LIVING THERE AND HOMEOWNERS THAT WE MAINTAIN. UH, WE MAINTAIN THE LOOK AND FEEL OF OUR HISTORIC AREA. BUT FOLLOWING UP ON MY, MY COMMENT ABOUT WHAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST, I BELIEVE THIS HOUSE HAD ITS ROOF AND IT'S CHIMNEY REMOVED BEFORE ANYTHING WAS DONE. NOW, I DON'T KNOW OF A HOMEOWNER THAT WOULD TAKE DOWN A CHIMNEY IN PARTICULAR AND NOT KNOW, YOU PROBABLY NEED TO GET A PERMIT TO START THIS THING. UM, AND IT'S THE SAME WITH THE ROOF. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I'M REALLY BOTHERED BY THE ALMOST ARROGANCE, UM, OF MOVING FORWARD ON REHABBING A HOUSE WITHOUT KNOWING THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT FOLLOWING PROPER PERMITTING. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, I DON'T LIKE TO SEE THIS, I DON'T WANT TO SEE IT IN, IN THE, UH, UH, IN THE HISTORIC AREA. I THINK THOSE OF US THAT ARE IN THAT HISTORIC AREA FEEL VERY PROUD ABOUT THAT. I WANNA MAINTAIN THAT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. [00:20:02] THANK YOU. UM, ANYBODY ELSE? I KNOW NO, NO PRESSURE, BUT ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK BEFORE WE TAKE ACTION? I'LL, I'LL JUST ADD ONE OTHER THING. UM, WHEN YOU PURCHASE A HOME IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT, YOU SHOULD, AS A PROPERTY OWNER, YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT THE, THE CAVEATS ARE. SO, UM, I, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'LL ADD. I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT GOING FORWARD. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE, UM, SOME MORE DISCUSSION AT THE WORK SESSIONS AS THIS COUNCIL CONTINUES TO IMPLEMENT CHANGE AND ENFORCEMENT OF CODE. UM, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE AERIAL VIEW THAT'S IN OUR PACKET, YOU'LL NOTICE EVERY HOUSE SURROUNDING IT ACTUALLY HAS AN ASPHALT SHINGLE ROOF. UM, WHICH, WHO KNOWS IF THEY WENT THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS OR IF THE TOWN STAFF OR BAR WERE ABLE TO CATCH THOSE, AND THEY WERE GIVEN AN EXCEPTION. UM, IT'S A REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION TO BE THAT I FIND MYSELF IN OFTEN ON THIS COUNCIL THAT JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING WAS DONE PREVIOUSLY, WE HAVE TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY GOING FORWARD. UM, MOST PEOPLE KNOW THAT I AM THE, UM, GREAT NIECE OF THE LATE REBECCA POE, WHO WAS A LOCAL HISTORIAN HERE AND CONTRIBUTED MUCH TO THE ARCHIVES. UM, AND SO I ALSO, AND AS WE SAW AT THE MURPHY'S THEATER BUILDING, APPRECIATE OUR HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE AND OUR BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW. UM, SO THIS IS A UNCOMFORTABLE DECISION TO MAKE. UM, AND HOPEFULLY IT BRINGS LIGHT TO AN ISSUE THAT WE CAN ADDRESS GOING FORWARD. OKAY. IF THERE'S NO OTHER COMMENT, WE'LL GO. ARE WE GOOD? OKAY. LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE ACTION THEN. MS. PRESLEY, DO A ROLL CALL. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN ROGERS? YES. VICE MAYOR OCK? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES, WHICH IS TO UPHOLD THE BA'S DECISION [7.B. Receive Public Input Pertaining to an Application from Aaron Hike Requesting the Town to Vacate 15,324 Square Feet of N. Royal Avenue and an Alley Between N. Royal Avenue and Virginia Avenue.] SEVEN B AS TO RECEIVE PUBLIC INPUT PERTAINING TO AN APPLICATION FROM ERIN HEKE REQUESTING THE TOWN TO VACATE 15,324 SQUARE FEET OF NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND AN ALLEY BETWEEN NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND VIRGINIA AVENUE. MS. PRESLEY, UH, IF YOU COULD PLEASE READ THE SUMMARY. ERIN HEKE 1516 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE HAS REQUESTED THE TOWN TO VACATE 15,324 FEET OF NORTH ROYAL AVENUE, LOCATED IN FRONT OF 1516 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND THE UNIMPROVED ALLEY LOCATED BETWEEN NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND VIRGINIA AVENUE, AND ADJACENT TO 1516 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE, ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER OWNERS WERE NOTIFIED OF TONIGHT'S PUBLIC HEARING. THANK YOU, MS. PRESLEY, UM, STAFF, IS THERE ANYTHING, UM, IF YOU WISH, UM, WHETHER IT'S MR. WALTZ, MS. KUBISH, DO, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO SAY BEFORE WE, UH, ALLOW THE APPLICANT TO SPEAK? NO, MA'AM. OKAY. UM, MR. HEKE, I BELIEVE YOU'RE HERE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK? UM, I'LL SAY THE TONE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SO WE WILL GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. MS. PRESLEY. UM, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? YES, WE HAVE NINE SPEAKERS. OKAY. THE FIRST ONE IS SARAH RANDOLPH. SARAH, ON WHILE YOU'RE WALKING UP HERE, UM, JUST VERY QUICKLY, I WANTED TO, UM, READ ABOUT OUR, UH, PUBLIC HEARING SECTION. UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNSEL TO LEARN OF INFORMATION OF WHICH THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY AWARE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE WAIT UNTIL YOU RECOGNIZE AND COME FORWARD TO THE MICROPHONE. STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. IF THE COMMENTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IF ALREADY BEEN MADE, YOU MAY SIMPLY SAY THAT YOU AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER. THERE IS A THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR SPEAKERS, UM, AND JUST A REMINDERS TO SPEAK TO COUNSEL ABOUT THE ISSUE, NO PERSONAL ATTACKS AND DECORATIVE LANGUAGE. UM, AND AT THREE MINUTES, UM, THE, UH, MICROPHONE WILL CUT OFF. SO, ALL RIGHT, GO AHEAD. MY NAME IS SARAH RANDOLPH AND I RESIDE AT 16 0 2 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE, WHICH IS THE, ONE OF THE PROPERTIES THAT TOUCHES THIS EASEMENT. UM, KIND OF LEARNED ABOUT THIS APPLICATION THROUGH THE GRAPEVINES. NOT MUCH. APPARENTLY, I'M LEGALLY ALLOWED TO SPEAK ON THIS SUBJECT BECAUSE BELIEVE IT OR NOT, TODAY, TODAY I WAS SERVED A CEASE [00:25:01] AND DESIST OF SUBJECTS THAT PERTAIN THE PARTY IN WHICH HIS WANTS TO MAKE THIS PURCHASE. SO, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A LOT TO SAY TO YOU TODAY, I'M APPARENTLY BEING TOLD I'M NOT ALLOWED TO ADDRESS THIS SITUATION BECAUSE I'VE BEEN LEGALLY SERVED A CEASE AND DESIST OVER SOMETHING. SO, WHILE I LOVE TO SPEAK TO YOU ALL TONIGHT, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE I'M GOING TO BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE THEY SEE OTHER TEETH FIT TO DO, DO OTHER THINGS. SO I DON'T REALLY THINK THERE'S MUCH I CAN SAY TODAY. UM, MR. SONNET IS, UM, IS THAT ACCURATE? DO WE KNOW? NOT RIGHT? I JUST DIDN'T KNOW. I I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT'S ABOUT. OKAY. SORRY. I DIDN'T KNOW. I DON'T, I I CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA DENY ANYBODY THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT A PUBLIC HEARING. UM, SO I'M GONNA DEFER TO, I'M GONNA DEFER TO OUR TOWN ATTORNEY, AND IF, IF IT'S YOUR, UM, SHOULD, DOES THE CEASE AND DE DOES THE CEASE AND DESIST PERTAIN TO THIS APPLICATION? I GUESS WE DON'T KNOW. ANYWAY. I, I, YES. I I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S WORDED AND THE SPEAKER MM-HMM. , UH, HERSELF HAS DECLINED TO COMMENT. OKAY. SO, OKAY. I, I THINK THAT'S THE END OF THAT PART. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. MS. PRESSLEY, WHO'S SIGNED UP NEXT TO SPEAK? AFTON MCCARTHY. I'M SORRY. AFTON. MCCART. AFTON MCCARTHY. AFTON. AFTON. AFTON. ARE WE SAYING THAT RIGHT? AFTON. AFTON. YEP. AFTON. ARE YOU LOCAL WITH A NAME LIKE ATON? JUST SAYING . . OKAY. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I'M ATON MCCARTHY AND I LIVE AT 13 0 8 BELMONT AVENUE. UM, I WANTED TO SPEAK TONIGHT ABOUT THE ISSUE, UM, WITH THE EASEMENT BETWEEN 16 0 2 NORTH ROYAL AVE AND 1516 NORTH ROYAL AVE. UM, I PERSONALLY KNOW SARAH AND TYLER WHO LIVE AT 16 0 2 NORTH ROYAL AVE. UM, FOR YEARS SINCE THEY MOVED IN. IT'S THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I LIVE IN. UM, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN VERY PEACEFUL AND HAPPY TO LIVE THERE. UM, HOWEVER, KIND OF ON THEIR SIDE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT PICTURE. UM, THEY HAVE ALWAYS KEPT THE LAND THERE. WELL-MAINTAINED AND OPEN TO THE MEMBERS OF OUR TOWN AND OUR COMMUNITY. UM, THEY'VE SHOWN NOTHING BUT KINDNESS TO ALL OF THEIR NEIGHBORS, UM, DESPITE SOME OF THE HARASSMENT THAT THEY HAVE ENDURED, ALSO THEIR CHILDREN. UM, AND TO JUST PROVIDE ONE EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT I HAVE WITNESSED, UM, ON JUNE 16TH, WE WERE OUTSIDE. UM, THE LITTLE BOY NEXT DOOR WAS RIDING A BIKE WITH A FRIEND. THERE WAS NO PARENTS OUTSIDE, UM, OR NO ADULT. HE FELL OFF HIS BIKE, BIKE, TRAPPED HIM UNDERNEATH, AND SARAH WASTED NO TIME AT ALL TO RUSH OVER TO HIS AIDE, REMOVE THE BIKE OFF OFF OF HIM, MAKE SURE HE WAS OKAY, UM, WHILE HER OLDEST CHILD RAN TO THE FRONT DOOR TO, UM, GET AN ADULT TO COME HELP. SO, UM, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT. . THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, MS. PRESLEY. WHO'S UP NEXT? CARRIE CUNNINGHAM. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS. I AM CARRIE CUNNINGHAM. I LIVE AT 1620 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE. I HAVE ACTUALLY LIVED THERE FOR TWO YEARS, AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE EASEMENT THAT'S AROUND 1602 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE. UM, SINCE I HAVE LIVED AT THIS ADDRESS, 1620 NORTHBOROUGH AVENUE, I HAVE BEEN FRIENDS WITH SARAH TO WHERE SHE HAS WELCOMED MY SON UP THERE TO PLAY WITH HER KIDS. HE HAS PLAYED IN THE WHOLE YARD SURROUNDING THEIR HOUSE, THE EASTMAN AS WELL. WE HAVE DONE FIRE PITS, WE HAVE MADE S'MORES WITH THE KIDS. WE'VE DONE OUR TRAMPOLINE THAT I'VE MOVED INTO HER YARD FOR THE KIDS. 'CAUSE IT'S BIGGER THAN MY YARD TO WHERE WE SIT OUTSIDE AND WE WATCH THESE KIDS PLAY EVERY DAY, ALL SUMMER LONG. THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS. THANK YOU, MS. . DAVID SEK, MADAM MAYOR AND COUNCIL, [00:30:01] THANK YOU. RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. THE COUNCIL VACATED IN THE ALLEY WHEN JOE DENNY AND JOHN, UH, LANE, WHO USED TO OWN KILL A HELEN HAD THE PROPERTY. UM, JOHN AND JOE SPLIT THE COST OF THE VACATION AND IT PRODUCED CLEAN LOT LINES. SO YOU'VE ALREADY VACATED THE ALLEY RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET. THERE'S NO REASON NOT TO VACATE THIS ONE. I ASK THAT YOU APPROVE MR. HE'S REQUEST TO VACATE TO CREATE EIGHT CLEAN LOT LINES GOING DOWN THE PROPERTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. LIK. MS. PRESLEY, WHO'S NEXT? PATTY LEG. MY CHAIR JUST KEEPS FALLING BEFORE I'M GONNA BE ON THE FLOOR. MY CHAIR JUST KEEPS FALLING. I'LL BE ON THE FLOOR. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. MY NAME IS PATRICIA LEGG. I LIVE AT 1610 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE. I, SARAH, SHE HAS FOUR KIDS. THEY ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING WITH THE CHILDREN, AND, UM, THEY TAKE CARE OF THEIR PART OF THEIR EASEMENT. AND LIKE THE OTHER LADY WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, SHE'D ALWAYS OPEN THAT PART TO THE OTHER COMMUNITY IF THEY NEED TO PARK THERE OR WHATEVER. AND, UM, BEFORE SARAH CAME ALONG, OTHER PEOPLE THAT LIVED THERE IN THAT HOUSE, THEY ALWAYS PARKED THERE IN THAT EASEMENT BECAUSE THAT'S THE SAFEST PLACE TO PARK. IF SHE WOULD OTHER PLACE, THE ONLY OTHER PLACE SHE WOULD HAVE TO PARK WOULD BE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR IN HER YARD. SO I FELT LIKE YOU GOT SAFER FOR HER AND HER CHILDREN WHEN SHE PARKS IN THE EASEMENT TO GET HER KIDS IN OUTTA THE VAN. I HAD BEEN TO 1516 HOME FOR DIFFERENT EVENTS, AND THEY HAVE A HUGE BACK FENCE, FENCE YARD, AND THEY HAVE A BIG FRONT YARD. I'M JUST TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND WHY THEY'RE TRYING TO, TO TAKE THE PART WHERE SARAH IS TAKEN CARE OF. MS, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE THESE TWO PARTIES COME TO AGREEMENT. I THINK IT SHOULD BE SPLIT 50 50. THAT WAY EVERYONE CAN GET ALONG. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JEAN BUTLER. JEAN BUTLER. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JEAN BUTLER AND I LIVE ACROSS THE STREET, 1521 NORTH RURAL AVENUE. AND, UM, THE ONLY THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS, UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT SPLIT 50 50. I THINK THAT GIVES BOTH PARTIES ENOUGH, A LITTLE BIT MORE ROOM, UH, TO BE ABLE TO FUNCTION. UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE FAIR THING TO DO. I'M SORRY THAT SARAH CAN'T SPEAK ON HOW SHE FEELS. I THINK THAT'S REALLY TERRIBLE. BUT, UM, I DO SUPPORT SPLITTING 50 50 AND I HOPE YOU CONSIDER THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AKE, I'M SORRY, KEEP GOING. SORRY. AKE GREENS. HOW YOU GUYS DOING? MAKKE GREEN. STAY ON 1 0 1 WEST 16TH STREET. UM, I DON'T KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE A WHOLE LOT GOING ON IN THE BACK, BACK THERE, BUT ME PERSONALLY, I SAY DO AWAY WITH IT. SPLIT BETWEEN EVERYBODY WHO OWNS WHAT. UM, ME PERSONALLY, I HAD TO, I WENT TO PUT UP A SHED AND I WENT TO WAR WITH THE TOWN AND THE EASEMENT AND WHERE I WAS AT ON MY PROPERTY, SAYING I HAD TO BE 15 FEET FROM THIS EASEMENT AND HAD TO SPEND MORE MONEY THAN I WANTED TO, TO PUT UP A SHED TO MAKE MY YARD LOOK BETTER FOR A PRIOR SHED THAT WAS ALREADY THERE. THAT WAS A HAZARD. SO I'VE BEEN THERE FOR A LITTLE OVER THREE YEARS, ALMOST FOUR YEARS. I DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE HAS MAINTAINED IT. I KNOW I HAVE. UM, I, I, I SAY JUST SPLIT IT. THERE'S NO REASON FOR IT. UM, I CAN'T BUILD A HOUSE NEXT DOOR. I HAVE, I HAVE A LITTLE OVER HALF AN ACRE. I CAN'T BUILD A HOUSE NEXT DOOR TO ME, YOU KNOW, AND THE, THE ACCESS PROPERTY THAT I DO HAVE, AND IT'S JUST A, IT'S A HOLDUP FOR NO REASON. SO I JUST DON'T SEE THE POINT TO IT. SAY, JUST SPLIT IT UP AND LET EVERYBODY HAVE THEIR FAIR SHARE. TYLER MANSON. [00:35:18] GOOD MORNING, MADAM MAYOR. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. UM, MY NAME IS JOSEPH TYLER MANSON, JR. I LIVE AT 1602 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE EASEMENT, UH, JOINING MY PROPERTY. UM, UH, I WOULD BE TOTALLY OKAY WITH SPLITTING IT 50 50, UH, WHILE I WAS, I WAS ACTUALLY DEPLOYED THROUGH APRIL 1ST. UH, ACTUALLY CORRECTION MAY 1ST, 2021 TO APRIL 1ST, 2022 WHEN WE HAD AN AGREEMENT WRITTEN UP FOR OUR PARKING SPACE. UM, ACTUALLY MY WIFE HAD A POWER OF ATTORNEY, AND IT'S EVERYTHING IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GET THE LITTLE PORTION THAT WE ARE ACCESSING FOR OUR PARKING SPACES WRITTEN UP SO WE COULD HAVE IT DONE CORRECTLY. UM, AND AS, AS FOR THE EASEMENT, THE REST ON PORTION FROM WHERE WE PARK OUR VEHICLES, I'M, I WOULD LIKE TO SPLIT IT 50 50 IF, IF FOR WHATEVER REASON THERE WERE THE WHOLE EASEMENT WERE TO GET PURCHASED BY A PARTY AND THE FENCE WERE TO GET PUT UP FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD AND SEEN FROM A EMAIL THAT I RECEIVED FROM A THIRD PARTY, UM, THAT WOULD LEAVE US HARDLY NO ROOM TO BE ABLE TO GET OUR KIDS OUT OF THE BEDROOMS IN CASE OF A FIRE. BECAUSE IF THERE'S A FENCE RIGHT UP, IT'S LIKE A FOOT AND A HALF, TWO FOOT FROM THE EDGE OF OUR HOUSE. AND IN THE EVENT THAT SOMETHING BLOCKS THE DOOR SOMETHING, HAVE YOU, WE CAN'T, IT'D BE HARD FOR US TO GET OUR KIDS OUT. WE HAVE LIKE A LITTLE BRIAR BUSH RIGHT IN FRONT FOR A BERRIES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. BUT THAT'S EASY TO MOVE OUT THE WAY, STEP ON OR WHATEVER. FENCE IS A LITTLE MORE OF A PERMANENT STRUCTURE. YOU CAN'T REALLY WORK AROUND IT TOO MUCH. EXCUSE ME. I'M NOT FEELING TOO WELL. UM, AND IT'S JUST, IT'LL BE, MAKE IT DIFFICULT IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY AND THIS, THAT, THE OTHER. AND, AND IF WE WERE TO SPLIT IT HALF 50 50, UH, TO GIVE US MORE THAN ENOUGH ROOM TO BE ABLE TO FEEL SAFE WITH GETTING OUR KIDS IN AND OUTTA THE HOUSE IF NEED BE, IN CASE WITH AN INVENTIVE A FIRE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE NO ONE ELSE SIGNED UP AT THIS TIME. WE HAVE NO ONE ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? YES. HI. I AM ANITA LAI. I LIVE AT 1500 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE. UM, MADAM MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE WHATEVER BOARD. UM, I, UH, I GUESS I WANT IT TO BE DENIED AS IT'S WRITTEN. I AGREE WITH OTHER NEIGHBORS THAT I THINK IT SHOULD BE SPLIT 50 50 BECAUSE IF, AND I'VE SPOKEN TO BOTH PEOPLE INVOLVED ON, ON HERE THAT, AND THEN I TOLD THEM THAT I THINK IT SHOULD BE SPLIT 50 50. SO IF IT, YOU EITHER APPROVE IT OR DISAPPROVE IT, I GUESS AS IT'S WRITTEN, I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE DISAPPROVED SO THAT IT CAN BE RE UM, ESTABLISHED BY BOTH MEMBERS TO HAVE IT SPLIT 50 50. DOES THAT SOUND CORRECT? YOU EITHER APPROVE IT OR DISAPPROVE IT, CORRECT. TONIGHT? YES. THAT WILL, WELL, ACTUALLY IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE MOTION IS, BUT WELL, AS IT'S WRITTEN, THEN I WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO BE DISAPPROVED AND THEN REAPPLIED FOR SO THAT IT'S SPLIT 50 50. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT. THANKS. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? ARE YOU COMING BECAUSE YOU WISH TO SPEAK? YES. OKAY. SOMEBODY HERE TOO, THEN YOU CAN BE NEXT. UM, MY NAME IS TRACY MARTIN. I'M SARAH'S AUNT. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE PARKING THERE IS TOTALLY . IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THIS SIDE THAT THEY'RE PARKING ON, YOU WOULD HAVE TO PARK ON THE ROAD. I'M LIKE, I HAVE TO PARK. I COME FROM SOUTH CAROLINA JUST TO VISIT, AND YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR CARS. IT, IT IS CRAZY. IT'S CRAZY THAT SOMEBODY WOULD TAKE THEIR PARKING PLACES AWAY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE FACT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A FENCE, A FENCE UP AGAINST THAT HOUSE. MY GREAT NIECES AND NEPHEW, THEY'RE THE, LIKE MOST PRECIOUS THINGS IN THE WORLD. WE COULDN'T GET 'EM OUT OF THE HOUSE IF THERE WAS A FIRE. I JUST DON'T THINK THAT IT'S RIGHT. EVERYBODY'S FIGHTING OVER LAND. LEAVE IT LIKE IT IS OR SPLIT IT. BUT DON'T TAKE ALL OF THAT FROM THEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING THERE. AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, I LIVED AWAY FROM HERE FOR A WHILE AND I [00:40:01] CAME BACK TO HOME, SO I, I JUST LOVE HOW BEAUTIFULLY, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN IS LOOKING. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT. WHAT A PLEASANT, WELCOMING. THANK YOU. COULD YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS TOO? SO, MY NAME IS ALIYAH JUNK AND I'M HERE AS WELL ON MY, ON BEHALF OF MY HUSBAND, MICHAEL JUNK. WE ARE AT 15 0 5 VIRGINIA AVENUE. OUR PROPERTY ADJOINS THE EASEMENT. SO I WILL SPEAK TO THE FACT THAT I FEEL LIKE IT'S NOT MAINTAINED AND IT'S NOT REALLY A SAFE AREA WITH NO LIGHTING AND ALL THOSE THINGS. AND WE'RE RIGHT THERE IN THE CORNER. SO WHEN YOU COME UP THERE AND YOU LOOK IN THE EVENING TIME, YOU WILL SEE BLACK. WE ARE HAVING GROWING NUMBERS OF CHILDREN BECOMING TEENAGERS, AND IT NOT BEING ATTENDANT, I DON'T FEEL THAT THAT IS REALLY A SAFE SITUATION. SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IS THAT IT WOULD GO, UM, EITHER IT WOULD BE SPLIT, EITHER KNOW, GO AHEAD, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, UM, VACATED AND THEN HOWEVER EVERYONE DEEMS TO SPLIT IT, BUT TO REALLY TAKE OWNERSHIP OF IT AND BE AWARE OF, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT IT IS KIND OF SCARY AS YOU LOOK DOWN THERE AND STARK AT NIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HEARING ME. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK? YEP. UM, ACTUALLY, YES. 'CAUSE UM, THIS IS STILL THE PUBLIC HEARING 'CAUSE THE, UH, SO, SO I CAN, YEAH. SO THREE MINUTES OR, WELL, THAT'S MR. UH, SONNET. THIS IS THE APPLICANT. UM, SO IS HERS THE THREE MINUTES OR DO I NEED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING TO ALLOW THE APPLICANT TO SPEAK? I, BECAUSE NORMALLY WE HAVE THE APPLICANT. THIS IS NOT A, THIS IS NOT A PLANNING AND ZONING MATTER. RIGHT. UM, I, I THINK THIS ALL SPEAKERS SHOULD SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT OKAY. SECTION AND BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. OKAY, GO AHEAD. HELLO, MADAM MAYOR, HONOR BOARD MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. I'M HARMONY HEKE. I LIVE AT 1516 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE, ADJACENT TO THE ALLEY. OUR PROPERTY ACTUALLY STARTS AT THE ENTRANCE AND GOES TO THE EXIT ON ONE SIDE AND THE OTHER SIDE, YOU HAVE FOUR ADJOINING OWNERS. SO, UH, TONIGHT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE HEARING MOST ABOUT, UM, THE OBJECTION OF THE, THE FRONT PIECE MOSTLY. AND I JUST WANNA ADDRESS, I MEAN, I HAD SOME THINGS PREPARED, BUT I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS OBJECTING TO THE VACATION. ALL THE NEIGHBORS THAT I TALKED TO ALL SAID THE SAME THING. THEY SAID THAT I'VE, I EITHER DID KNOW IT WAS AN ALLEY, IT'S NOT BEING USED. IT'S, I'VE NEVER USED IT. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE USE IT. UM, I THINK THE FRONT PIECE THERE IS AN EXTENSION OF THEIR YARD, AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS, IT'S, IT'S THE ALLEY AND THE, IT'S A PUBLIC ALLEY, BUT IT, THEY'RE USED TO USING IT. WE WOULDN'T WANT TO PUT SOMEONE IN AN UNSAFE POSITION BY ASKING FOR MORE. I JUST WANNA SAY THAT A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE DID TRY TO VACATE AND WE HAD OFFERED 75%, WHICH WOULD GIVE THEM 12 FEET AND US FOUR FEET. AND THEY DENIED THAT OFFER, DECLINED THE OFFER. UM, AND THEN WE WEREN'T ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD THE VACATION. THIS TIME WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE YOU AND ASK TO VACATE AGAIN. AND SO THIS TIME WE SAID, LET'S JUST GO FOR IT. WE WERE ENCOURAGED TO JUST GO FOR IT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID. AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF MAYBE NEIGHBORS THAT DON'T KNOW THE WHOLE STORY. SO I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT, THAT WE, WE WERE MORE THAN GENEROUS. AND WE CAN STILL DO THAT. WE CAN STILL DO THAT. WE DON'T WANNA PUT CHILDREN IN AN UNSAFE POSITION. AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE DOING THIS TODAY IS ASKING TO VACATE IT BECAUSE WE DON'T FEEL SAFE NEXT TO OUR SIDE, SIDE OF OUR HOUSE. SO WE ARE JUST ASKING, UM, TO VACATE IT AND THAT EVERYBODY AGREES WITH THAT. AND THAT IF IT COMES DOWN TO AN UNSAFE SITUATION FOR 50 50 IN THAT FRONT PORTION, THEN WE, WE WOULD DO THAT. UM, THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY IT. I DON'T THINK I NEED TO GO OVER ALL THE BULLET POINTS OF WHY THIS IS BEST FOR THE PUBLIC. IT'S GONNA SAVE THEM MONEY. MY HUSBAND CAN ACTUALLY GO THROUGH ALL THOSE BULLET POINTS WITH YOU AS FAR AS UTILITIES AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT REASONS. FOR ME, MY MOTIVATION IS THE SAME AS THEIRS. IT'S JUST TO KEEP OUR KIDS SAFER. THAT'S IT. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. AND I FEEL THAT IT WILL DO THAT. AND I DON'T, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY ONE OBJECT TO THAT IN ANY OF THE DOORS THAT I'VE KNOCKED ON. EVERYONE'S BEEN EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE, AND I THINK WE'RE ALL AFTER THE SAME [00:45:01] THING. THANK YOU, MS. IKE. THANK YOU THERE. ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? SO, MR. HEKE, UM, MS. HEKE SAID THAT YOU WOULD BE SHARING OTHER BULLET POINTS. I'M ASSUMING THAT MEANS YOU'RE COMING TO SPEAK AS WELL, . HE DOES. OKAY. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, I'M AARON HEKA, ALSO RESIDE AT 1516 NORTH ROYAL. UM, ONE OF YOU GUYS FOR YOUR SERVICE ON COUNCIL. I KNOW FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN, SOMETIMES IT SEEMS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BE GRU AND YOU KNOW, BANKLESS, BUT, UM, SEEING THE HOURS YOU GUYS PUT IN AND, YOU KNOW, THE STIPEND, THEY GET PAID. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE HERE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU CARE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND YOU, YOU WANNA SEE THINGS GET PUSHED FORWARD. SO YEAH, IN 2018, YOU KNOW, WE CAME ACROSS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY. YOU KNOW, IT WAS OUR FOREVER HOME. AND, UM, FROM THE BEGINNING, OUR, OUR VISION, WE, WE SAW, YOU KNOW, STONE COLUMNS UP FRONT, UH, YOU KNOW, WROUGHT IRON FENCE. WE ACTUALLY PURCHASED THE WROUGHT IRON FENCE SHORTLY AFTER WE, UH, PURCHASED THE HOUSE. UM, AND AS OUR FAMILY HAS GROWN IN THE HOUSE, UH, AND OUR CHIL YOU KNOW, OUR FAMILY HAS EXPANDED, UH, THE NEED FOR A FENCE HAS REALLY KIND OF, EVEN EVEN GOT MORE SUBSTANTIAL WITH OUR KIDS IN THE DRIVEWAY. AND, UH, CARS KIND OF SPEED UP AND DOWN THAT SECTION, NORTH ROYAL AVENUE. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT YOU'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYBODY'S ON BOARD WITH A VACATION. AND AGAIN, TO REITERATE WHAT MY WIFE SAID, IN 2020, WE APPLIED FOR VACATION. UM, WE ATTEMPTED 50 50 SPLIT THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH THE ALLEY. AND, UM, THE INTERIM MANAGER AT THE TIME CONTACTED US AND SAID, YOU KNOW, SHE WANTS THE WHOLE THING. WE SAID, HOW ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SHE GETS 75, WE GET 25. UM, AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THAT'S YOUR BEST OFFER, I'M, I'M GONNA DENY YOUR APPLICATION WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE TO, TO GET OUR APPLICATION IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS TO, TO TRY AND, YOU KNOW, GET SOMETHING WORKED OUT. BUT, UM, THANKFULLY WE'RE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY AND YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL GOOD THAT, YOU KNOW, WE REACHED OUT TO EVERYBODY IN THE, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY ALL, THEY ALL SEEM, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS VACATION. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS ALLEY IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT USED BY THE PUBLIC, THE MAJORITY OF IT ANYHOW. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO UTILITIES, THERE'S NO FUTURE STRATEGY FOR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING THAT I THINK THE TOWN WOULD SERVE THE TOWN BY KEEPING IT. AND IF YOU GUYS UNLOAD IT, YOU GET A CASH INFUSION, YOU KNOW, GENERATES MORE TAXABLE INCOME YEARLY AS, AS IS PROPERTY WE TAXED. UM, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I'D REALLY LIKE TO REITERATE THAT AT OUR PREVIOUS ATTEMPT, YOU KNOW, WE TRIED YOU, WE OFFERED 75%, UM, THEY WOULDN'T TAKE IT. AND EVEN THE INITIAL APPLICATION THIS TIME AROUND, WE STARTED OFF 50 50. WE WEREN'T ENCOURAGED BY TOWN STAFF AND OTHER NEIGHBORS WHO WEREN'T INTERESTED JUST TO, YOU KNOW, GO FOR THE WHOLE THING. IT'S THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE AND, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEPS IT CLEAN FOR YOU GUYS JUST TO VACATE IT. AND, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE OPEN, YOU KNOW, TO WHATEVER YOU GUYS THINK IS BEST. AND, UM, IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, OKAY. UM, AT THIS TIME, SINCE THIS IS THE APPLICANT, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT, THIS WOULD MR. SONNET, I'M GONNA, UM, UH, ALLOW COUNSEL TO ASK QUESTIONS, OR WOULD BE, WOULD YOU PREFER THAT I CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN ASK THE APPLICANT QUESTIONS? THE CHAIR'S PREROGATIVE. OKAY. I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND, UH, I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL FOR A MOTION AND IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THEN THEY COULD ASK. SO DOES COUNCIL HAVE A MOTION? MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPOINT VIEWERS TO VIEW THE VACATION APPLICATION FROM AARON HEKE TO DISCONTINUE AND VACATE 15,324 FEET OF NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND AN UNIMPROVED ALLEY BETWEEN NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND VIRGINIA AVENUE AND ADJACENT TO 1516 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE. AND REPORT ANY INCONVENIENCES THAT WOULD RESULT TO THE PUBLIC FROM GRANTING APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST OF AARON HEKE APPLICATION. SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. SO NOW WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION. AND AGAIN, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT, YOU COULD ASK NOW OR NOT. UM, MR. RAPPAPORT, YOU, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE QUESTIONS? WELL, WHAT I'VE HEARD, WHAT I'VE HEARD TONIGHT, UH, IS LIKE, UH, UH, A LOT OF FOLKS, THE MAJORITY OF THE FOLKS THAT CAME, IT APPEARS, UH, THAT THEY WON A 50 50 SPLIT ON THIS THING. UH, I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN, UH, CAN, [00:50:01] CAN WE, CAN I, UH, PUT OUT THERE AN AMENDED MOTION AT THIS POINT? MINE'S NOT TO VACATE, IT'S TO APPOINT VIEWERS. YEAH, I MEAN, WE CAN VOTE ON THAT. UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE VIEWERS CAN BRING TO IT THAT, UH, WE DON'T ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THE UTILITY ASPECT IN THE FRONT PORTION. DID WE GET A REPORT ON THAT, JOE? THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF AT THE LAST MEETING? WE DIDN'T HAVE A REPORT ON THE UTILITIES IN THE FRONT PORTION OF THE YARD. I ACTUALLY BELIEVE, AND I COULD BE WRONG, HOLD ON, LET ME LOOK HERE. WE, UM, SO UNDER, UM, PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS, UM, ORIGINALLY ON EIGHT 10, IT WAS THAT, UM, THERE'S A STORM DRAIN AND THEN THEY AMENDED IT ON OCTOBER 20, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, SEPTEMBER 26TH. AND IT SAYS, WE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THE DRIVEWAY AND DRAIN CULVERT PIPE WAS IN A PORTION OF THE ALLEYWAY THAT WAS REQUESTED TO BE VACATED BY THE UPDATED PLATY SHOWS BETTER IN RED THAT NEITHER OF THOSE ARE LOCATED IN THE ALLEYWAY. THE ONLY THING THE APPLICANT NEEDS TO REMEMBER THAT THE CULVERT THERE DRAINS, BUT THAT'S THE ALLEY, NOT NECESSARILY THE FRONT. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, RIGHT? CORRECT. AND ALSO, WE'VE APPOINTED A VIEWER FOR EVERY ALLEY VACATION THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS HEARD, WHICH THEREFORE WOULD MAKE IT CONSISTENT AND IN LINE WITH WHAT THIS COUNCIL'S OPERATED ON FOR THE LAST YEAR. UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? AND THEN I DO BELIEVE, UM, THAT, UM, AND WE'VE HAD THIS QUESTION BEFORE, MR. SONNETT, IF WE, UH, DO WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THIS MOTION ON THE FLOOR OR CAN WE AMEND THE MOTION FIRST? IF SOMEBODY WISHES TO AMEND IT, THE CHAIR CAN ENTERTAIN MOTIONS TO AMEND, UM, WITH, GIVEN THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR, IT MIGHT MORE PROPERLY BE, UH, UM, TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE ACTION ON THAT. A, A MOTION TO SUBSTITUTE. OKAY. I'M, I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU WOULD AMEND THE CURRENT MOTION. YEAH. BUT, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE. BUT, SO IT MIGHT BETTER BE A MOTION TO SUBSTITUTE A DIFFERENT MOTION. OKAY. BEFORE I ENTERTAIN, UH, UH, A MOTION TO SUBSTITUTE, WOULD ANYBODY ELSE ON COUNCIL LIKE TO OFFER DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD? MR. ROGERS? GO AHEAD. I THINK IN LOOKING AT THE MOTIONS THAT ARE REALLY AVAILABLE TO US, AND, AND HEARING INPUT, UH, FROM THE COMMUNITY AS THE PROPERTY OWNERS AS WELL AS THOSE, UH, IN, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, IT, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE, UH, THE VACATION OF THIS PROPERTY, UM, IS, UM, UH, WOULD BE, WOULD, WOULD BE AGREEABLE, UH, TO A 50 50 SPLIT. NOW THAT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN ANYTHING I'M LOOKING AT CURRENTLY IN TERMS OF EMOTION. UM, AND IF I'M HEARING THE COMMUNITY CORRECTLY, IF THERE IS NO OPPOSITION TO VACATING AND THERE IS INTEREST IN TWO FAMILIES BORDERING TO SPLIT 50 50, UM, I, I WOULD CERTAINLY ENTERTAIN COMING UP WITH LANGUAGE THAT WOULD ADDRESS THAT TYPE OF MOTION. MR. ROGERS, I BELIEVE, AND MR. SONIC, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WHAT'S BEFORE US IS WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD ACTUALLY VACATE THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY, MEANING THAT THE TOWN WOULD GIVE UP ITS RIGHTS TO THAT PROPERTY. AND THEN AFTER, IF THAT IS AGREED UPON BY THIS COUNSEL, THEN AT THAT POINT, UH, THE PROPERTY WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. CORRECT? MR. SONNET? THAT IS CORRECT. THE, THE ISSUE BEFORE COUNSEL TONIGHT IS WHETHER OR NOT TO VACATE IT, THE PUBLIC CONVENIENCE OR INCONVENIENCE WOULD RESULT IN DISCONTINUING AND VACATING THESE PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY, CORRECT. AND I AND THE THIRD OPTION OF COURSE BEING A APPOINTMENT OF YOURS, CORRECT? THAT'S THE ISSUE TONIGHT. THE ULTIMATE DISPOSITION IS DEPENDENT ON DISPOSITION OF THAT ISSUE TONIGHT, CORRECT. MR. SAUNA, I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO CLARIFY IS THAT, UM, WHAT MR. ROGERS WAS ASKING, I DON'T THINK IS, UM, A POSSIBILITY. LIKE WE CAN'T MAKE A MOTION TO SAY CONTINGENT UPON THE TWO PROPERTY OWNERS SPLITTING IT 50 50 THAT WE COULD VACATE. CORRECT? WE'RE EITHER, OUR DECISION IS TO EITHER VACATE TO APPOINT VIEWERS OR TO DENY THE VACATION, CORRECT? I I AGREE WITH THAT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. MADAM MAYOR, I DIDN'T GET TO HAVE DISCUSSION EARLIER. I ONLY GOT TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT IT WAS INCONSISTENCY, IT WAS CONSISTENT AND IN LINE WITH WHAT THIS COUNCIL HAS DONE. SO WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS A COUPLE OF TIMES ON THIS COUNCIL. IF WE WERE TO VOTE TO APPROVE OR DENY VACATION, THAT'S NOT GUARANTEEING THE [00:55:01] SALES TO THE APPLICANTS, WHAT THEN TAKES PLACE AFTER THE VOTE TO VACATE IS AN APPRAISAL AND THE FAIR MARKET VALUE COMES IN AT THAT POINT, THE TOWN IS ABLE TO DECIDE AND NEGOTIATE THE SALE OF THE PIECE OF PROPERTY. SO TONIGHT, UM, I'M SORRY FOR ANY CONFUSION IS NOT ABOUT WHO GETS THE ALLEY, THE ALLEY WAS JUST APPLIED FOR VACATION BY THE HY FAMILY. AND I APOLOGIZE THAT YOU GUYS WERE DENIED THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL IN 2020. THAT IS NOT MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT'S HOW THE TOWN CODE WORKS. UM, I CAME ON COUNCIL NOT LONG AFTER THAT AND HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF THIS. SO, UM, IT IS YOU GUYS RIGHT TO BRING IT FORWARD AND THEN IF WE CHOOSE TO VACATE, IT WOULD GO FROM THERE. SO, MADAM MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION. OKAY. I I JUST WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION BEFORE YOU MAKE THE MOTION, JUST 'CAUSE I, BECAUSE I HAD SOME OF THESE SAME QUESTIONS BEFORE THIS WAS ON THE AGENDA, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, SO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS SAID ABOUT, UM, THIS WOULD BE ABOUT VACATING, I ASKED, AND I'M GONNA ASK AGAIN. UM, DOES THE APPLICANT WHO ASKED TO VACATE GET THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE IF WE WERE TO VACATE MR. SONNET? DO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT? THIS ISSUE'S LAID OUT IN STATE CODE 15 POINT 15.2 2008, WHICH STATES NOTWITHSTANDING ANY CONTRARY PROVISION OF LAW, GENERAL OR SPECIAL, ANY LOCALITY AS A CONDITION TO A VACATION OR ABANDONMENT MAY REQUIRE THE FRACTIONAL PORTION OF ITS PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY AND EASEMENTS TO BE PURCHASED BY ANY ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNER AND SO ON. AND THEN IT GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT HOW YOU ARRIVE AT A PRICE. SO THE ANSWER IS ALL ABUTTING OWNERS WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY BASED ON MY READING AND IT WOULD BE NEGOTIATED. UH, PART OF THAT STATUTE SAYS, OR AN AMOUNT AGREED TO BY THE PARTIES, MEANING THE TOWN AND THE ABUTTING OWNERS. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MS. MORRIS, DID YOU WANNA CHANGE YOUR, OR SUBSTITUTE OR NOT SURE IF WE'RE CONFIDENT IN THE OPINION OF THE FRONT PORTION OF THE YARD? MY ONLY CONCERN WITH THAT AND MY EMPATHY TOWARDS THE APPLICANTS WAS THAT I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS ALLEY VACATION. I THINK I'VE SEEN THREE IN MY TIME ON COUNCIL. AND THERE WAS ONE OTHER ONE THAT I SPENT NOT QUITE AS MUCH TIME THAT WAS VERY CONTROVERSIAL, BUT I DID SEE SOME, UM, I GUESS POLICE FOOTAGE AND PHOTOS OF YOUR YARD BEING OCCUPIED BY CARS THAT WERE SHOWING YOU THAT IT WAS THE TOWN'S PROPERTY. AND AT THAT POINT, IN MY OPINION, IT'S A PUBLIC AND HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARD AND RISK. UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'VE BEEN OF THE MINDSET SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL THAT THE TOWN HAS NO BUSINESS BEING PROPERTY OWNERS. THAT'S NOT THE BUSINESS THAT THE TOWN OR GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE IN. THESE ALLEYS ARE UNIMPROVED. THEY'RE NOT SERVING ANY PURPOSE. AND AS MR. HEKE MENTIONED, THEY MAKE US MONEY, UM, THROUGH REAL ESTATE, PROPERTY TAXES, AND THE INITIAL, UH, SALE OF THESE PROPERTIES. I DID REVIEW, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME EMAILS AND DOCUMENTATION FROM 2020 WITH FORMER TOWN STAFF, UM, REGARDING THE OFFER OF THE SALE OF 75%. UM, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID ON THE LAST PUBLIC INPUT HEARING, UH, THESE THINGS CAN BE QUITE UNCOMFORTABLE. UM, BUT TO ENSURE WE DO THE RIGHT THING ONCE THIS BECOMES VACATED AND APPRAISED, YOU KNOW, AT THAT POINT, EVEN IF IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY, NO MATTER WHO PURCHASES IT, I THINK THERE ARE FIRE CODES IN PLACE. UM, THE FIRE MARSHAL AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S HOUSE WOULD BE ENTRAPPED DUE TO A FENCE. UM, I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED IN THE TOWN CODE AS EITHER. UM, BUT IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT, YOU KNOW, THREE YEARS AGO AN AGREEMENT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MADE TO HAVE JOINTLY SPLIT THIS AND THIS HAD PROCEEDED THEN. SO NOW WE'RE LEFT TO CLEAN IT UP. UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THE TOWN ALLEYWAYS ARE PARKS. WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT PARKS. WE HAVE GREAT PARKS AND REC. THESE ALLEYWAYS SERVE AS A LIABILITY, IF ANYTHING, IF SOMEBODY WERE TO GET HURT ON THEM WHILE THEY'RE THE TOWN'S PROPERTY. UM, AND SEEING THAT EVERYBODY'S COMPLETELY HAPPY WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS, UM, I WOULD MOVE THAT COUNSEL APPROVE THE VACATION APPLICATION FROM AARON HIKE TO DISCONTINUE AND VACATE 15,324 FEET OF NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND AN UNIMPROVED ALLEY BETWEEN NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND VIRGINIA AVENUE AND ADJACENT TO 1516 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE. CONDITIONED UPON THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY FROM THE TOWN BY ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNERS FOR AN AGREED PRICE TO BE PAID WITHIN 90 [01:00:01] DAYS OF APPROVAL. I FURTHER MOVE THAT THE COUNCIL AUTHORIZED THE TOWN MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE A PURCHASE PRICE WITH THE ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNERS TO BE PRESENT FOR COUNCIL FOR REVIEW. MADAM CHAIRMAN MADAM MAYOR? YES. THE, THE, THE MOVING PARTY, UH, COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS IS WITHDRAWING HER ORIGINAL MOTION, CORRECT? CORRECT. AND THIS IS, SHE NEVER A SECOND. SHE DIDN'T, DID SHE HAD A SECOND TO THE FIRST MOTION, BUT WE HAVE A NEW MOTION. AND DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT MOTION? ARE WITHDRAW THE SECOND AS WELL ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION. I'M SORRY, WITHDRAWING THE SECOND AS WELL ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION. UM, MELISSA, WOULD YOU WITHDRAW? OKAY, SO WE HAVE A NEW MOTION ON THE FLOOR. DO WE HAVE A SECOND TO APPROVE THE VACATION? CAN WE READ THAT MOTION? IT'S NUMBER THREE IN THE PROPOSED MOTIONS ON THE AGENDA. UM, DO, DO YOU WANT ME TO READ IT AGAIN? SHE CAN READ. I MOVE THAT COUNSEL APPROVED THE VACATION APPLICATION FROM ERIN HIKE TO DISCONTINUE AND VACATE 15,324 FEET OF NORTH ROY AVENUE AND AN UNIMPROVED ALLEY BETWEEN NORTH ROY AVENUE AND VIRGINIA AVENUE AND ADJACENT TO 1516 NORTH ROY AVENUE, CONDITIONED UPON THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY FROM THE TOWN BY A BUDDING PROPERTY OWNER OR OWNERS FOR AN AGREED PRICE TO BE PAID WITHIN 90 DAYS OF APPROVAL. I FURTHER MOVE THAT COUNSEL AUTHORIZED THE TOWN MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE A PURCHASE PRICE WITH A BUDDING PROPERTY OWNER OR OWNERS TO BE PRESENTED TO COUNSEL FOR APPROVAL. SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY, WELL, I I AM GONNA OFFER SOMETHING THAT, UM, IF MOVING FORWARD, IF COUNSEL, UH, DOES MOVE FORWARD, THEN IT BECOMES MR. WALTZ'S JOB, I GUESS AT THAT POINT TO, UM, TO, UH, NEGOTIATE A PRICE AND ALL THE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PARTIES. UM, I THINK BECAUSE SOMEBODY MENTIONED EARLIER AND IT IS, IT IS, UM, ACCURATE 'CAUSE WE'VE SEEN THE DOCUMENTATION OURSELVES THAT, THAT THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO DO, UH, SOMETHING LIKE THIS PREVIOUS AND, UM, IT APPEARED AS THOUGH THERE WAS LIKE AN ALL OR NOTHING KIND OF THING. SO HOPEFULLY IF COUNSEL SO WISHES TO VACATE THIS ALLEY, UH, THE PROPERTY OWNERS CAN, UH, AGREE TO, UH, TO, TO HOW, HOW TO NAVIGATE MOVING FORWARD. SO ANYBODY ELSE ON COUNCIL HAVE ANY COMMENTS? I HAVE ONE PIECE TO ADD. GO AHEAD. I WAS JUST GONNA ADD FOR THE PUBLIC WHO'S HERE TONIGHT AND WATCHING FROM HOME OR WHO READ THIS FOR THE MISCONCEPTION OF THE PARKING EASEMENT THAT THIS COUNCIL WANTED TO WITHDRAW OR TAKE THAT AWAY OR CAUSE YOU KNOW, SAFETY ISSUES, THAT WAS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT THIS COUNCIL OR THIS CURRENT TOWN ATTORNEY WAS NOT AWARE EXISTED. UM, AND WE ACTUALLY REALIZED THE LEGALITY OF THAT IN LIGHT OF THIS. SO IT WASN'T THAT WE WERE EVER TRYING TO REMOVE OR TAKE AWAY THAT PARKING AND CAUSE A HAZARD THERE. UM, IT ACTUALLY WAS JUST QUESTIONABLE IF IT WAS LEGAL FOR THE T THE GOVERNMENT TO GIVE AN EASEMENT FOR PUBLIC PROPERTY THAT ALL OF US TECHNICALLY OWN. UM, AND IT NEVER CAME BEFORE COUNSEL, I GUESS, OR PERHAPS IT CAME BEFORE. THERE'S SOME CONFUSION WITH THAT. HOWEVER, THIS WAS NEVER ABOUT REMOVING THE PARKING RIGHTS. OKAY, MR. RAPPAPORT? UM, YEAH, I I JUST WANTED TO, I I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR BACK THE, UH, THE, UH, ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER, UM, UH, THE MANSON FAMILY'S PROPERTY RUNS, BUT I I I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE 50, SAY, THE 50 50 ASPECT OF THAT, UH, UP TO THAT PROPERTY. 'CAUSE IT WOULDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE , YOU KNOW, TO HAVE I UNDERSTAND PROPERTY BEYOND THE, UM, BEYOND THE LINES, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHY REALLY THIS DECISION, IT HAS TO BE BETWEEN RIGHT AND BETWEEN THE PROPERTY THAT'S, I WAS TRYING TO CLARIFY BEFORE MM-HMM. THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT COUNSEL'S DECISION HERE IS TONIGHT TO VACATE OR NOT TO VACATE, HOW THAT PROPERTY IS DISSEMINATED. HOW, HOW THIS PROPERTY GOES MOVING FORWARD IS NOT GONNA BE DECIDED BY THIS COUNSEL. IT'S CORRECT, MR. WALTZ. IT WILL ACTUALLY BE DECIDED BY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT WHO ABUT THIS PROPERTY. SO MY MOTION ENDS WITH FOR COUNSEL TO APPROVE. OH, OKAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. YEP. ALRIGHT. I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS, IS THAT EARLIER TONIGHT THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT US PUTTING A CONDITION UPON THIS VACATION AS THOUGH WE COULD SAY THAT THIS ALLEY IS GOING TO BE 50 [01:05:01] 50. AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT THAT'S, THAT ISN'T, THAT WASN'T THE MOTION AND THAT WOULDN'T BE ALLOWED. SO, SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YEAH, REALLY THE PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS 50 50, IT WOULD BE EVERY PROPERTY ON THIS SIDE AND THEN THE HIKES PROPERTY IS THIS WHOLE PIECE. SO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE WE TAKE ACTION? OKAY. THE, THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS TO MOVE, TO APPROVE THE VACATION. UM, MS. PRESLEY, GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL. WHO WAS SECOND ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION? THANK YOU. WAS IT MELISSA? YEAH, MELISSA. SHE WAS THE FIRST TIME AND THE SECOND TIME. GREAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN ROGERS? YES. VICE MAYOR OCK? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES TO APPROVE THE VACATION APPLICATION AND THEN AS WE SAID, UM, WITHIN 90 DAYS, [7.C. Ordinance Amendment to Chapter 156 Environmental Sustainability Pertaining to the Committee Name Change from Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee (ESAC) to Advisory Committee for Environmental Sustainability (ACES).] UH, WE'LL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS PUBLIC HEARING. FOR SEVEN C IS THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 1 56, THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY PERTAINING TO THE COMMITTEE NAME CHANGE FROM ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAIN SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, ESEC TO ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. ACES. MS. PRESLEY, I'M GONNA HELP YOU OUT. THE SUMMARY IS COUNSEL HAS REQUESTED TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 1 56, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY THAT IF APPROVED WOULD CHANGE THE NAME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS FORMERLY, OR WHICH IS CURRENTLY CALLED EAC TO ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. UH, IF APPROVED WOULD BECOME ITS, UH, ACES AS PRESENTED. SO MS. PRESLEY, IS THERE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO, WE HAVE NO ONE SIGNED UP. WOULD ANYBODY WISH TO SPEAK? OKAY, THEN I DON'T EVEN REALLY NEED TO OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING. CORRECT? I HAVE TO OPEN IT TO CLOSE IT. I DO. OKAY. I'M OPENING IT. NOBODY WANTS TO SPEAK. WE'RE CLOSING IT. OKAY. LET'S TAKE ACTION OR DISCUSSION. SORRY. UM, I'M ASSUMING YOU THERE, WE DID SO MUCH DISCUSSION DURING THE WORK SESSION, BUT IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO, UM, DISCUSS WHY WE NEED A MOTION OH, I'M SORRY. A MOTION. SORRY. MAD MAYOR. I, I, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPROVE AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 1 56, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY THAT WOULD CHANGE THE NAME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, ESAC TO ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. ACES AS PRESENTED. SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? I HATED THE NAME EAC. I THINK THEY'RE A GREAT COMMITTEE AND THEY DO GREAT WORK AND I LOVE TO SEE WHAT THEY DO AND I LOVE TO SUPPORT THEM, BUT I'M EXCITED TO CALL THEM ACES INSTEAD MUCH. I'M GRATEFUL THAT THE COMMITTEE ITSELF ACTUALLY CAME TO US WITH THIS SUGGESTION, UM, THAT THE, THAT THE PEOPLE APPOINTED TO THAT COMMITTEE ACTUALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS, THEY LIKED ACES BETTER THAN ISAC AND AMBER'S. RIGHT. IT DIDN'T TRICKLE OFF THE TONGUE. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, NOW CAN WE TAKE ACTION? COUNCILMAN DE DAMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN ROGERS? YES. VICE MAYOR OCK? YES. OKAY. I WISH WE COULD TAKE ACTION ON THE HEAT IN THIS ROOM. , UH, 'CAUSE I'M BURNING UP, UP HERE. [7.D. An Amendment to the FY2023-2024 Budget to Carry Forward Unpaid Balances on Purchases Orders Not Completed as of June 30, 2023, and to Carry Funds Forward to FY2024 to Complete Unfinished Projects.] UM, SO WE'RE MOVING ON TO, UH, ITEM SEVEN D THE NEXT PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE FY 20 23 20 24 BUDGET TO CARRY FORWARD UNPAID BALANCES ON PURCHASE ORDERS NOT COMPLETED AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2023, AND TO CARRY FUNDS FORWARD TO FY 2024 TO COMPLETE UNFINISHED PROJECTS. AND THE SUMMARY IS PRETTY SHORT. COUNSEL HAS REQUESTED TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $40,059,213 AND 44 CENTS TO FY 20 23, 20 24 BUDGET TO CARRY FORWARD UNPAID BALANCES ON PURCHASE ORDERS, NOT COMPLETED AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2023, AND TO CARRY UNSCORED TO FISCAL YEAR 2024 TO COMPLETE UNFINISHED PROJECTS. AND THAT IS THE SUMMARY. I'M ASSUMING, DO I I DON'T NEED TO READ ALL THE DIFFERENT NUMBERS 'CAUSE THAT ISN'T UNDER THE SUMMARY. OKAY. UM, AND AN INCREASE OF GREATER THAN 1% OF OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET REQUIRES A PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH IS THE REASON WHY WE'RE HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT. UM, I WILL OPEN IT UP TO, OR NO, MS. PRESLEY, IS THERE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO, WE HAVE NO ONE SIGNED UP. IS THERE ANYBODY [01:10:01] WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? OKAY. OPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING. CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING. OPEN UP FOR TO COUNCIL FOR A MOTION. MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL, PROVE AN AMENDMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $40,059,213 AND 44 CENTS TO THE FY 20 23 20 24 BUDGET TO CARRY FORWARD UNPAID BALANCES ON PURCHASE ORDERS, NOT COMPLETED AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2023. AND TO CARRY FUNDS FORWARD TO FISCAL YEAR 2024 TO COMPLETE UNFINISHED PROJECTS. SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? I JUST, UH, WANT TO ADD THAT, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO. UH, I WANNA SEE THE PAVING PROJECTS GET DONE AND, UH, UH, MANY OTHER PROJECTS. SO ANYBODY ELSE? I'LL JUST ADD THAT PAVING GIVES ME A BIT OF A HEARTBURN, SO YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO GETS IT. UH, MADAM MAYOR, WE OBVIOUSLY HAD A HUGE PAVING INITIATIVE THAT CAME FORWARD ON OUR PREVIOUS COUNCIL WITH A MILLION DOLLARS. AND THEN VDOT JUMPED IN TO OFFER REVENUE SHARING ON THE EIGHTH STREET BRIDGE TO, UM, BRING THAT UP TO, YOU KNOW, STATE STANDARD LIKE KREER ROAD. AND WE HAD TO QUICKLY HAVE A MEETING AND REALLOCATE IT. AND BJ IS ALWAYS VERY FLEXIBLE AND FORGIVING WHEN WE HAVE TO DO THAT KIND OF THING. SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE MONEY GO BACK TO PAVING TOO, BECAUSE WE HAD LOTS OF FIELDED EMAILS AND TELEPHONE CALLS ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN PAVING AND WE JUSTIFIED IT AND THEN QUICKLY DECIDED THAT WE HAD TO MATCH VDO T'S MONEY BEFORE THEY TOOK IT AWAY TO DO EIGHTH STREET BRIDGE. SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU FOUND MONEY TO THROW BACK TO IT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO ROLL CALL. COUNCILWOMAN DEAMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN ROGERS? YES. VICE MAYOR OCK? YES. OKAY. UM, MOTION PASSES. [8. PUBLIC COMMENTS NOT RELATED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS] SO THE NEXT ITEM FOR US IS OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT ARE NOT RELATED TO, UM, UH, ANY PUBLIC HEARINGS. MS. PRESLEY, BEFORE I READ THE, UM, RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR THAT, IS THERE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? YES, WE HAVE TWO. OKAY. WELL THEN LET ME GO AHEAD. WE NOW COME TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PORTION OF THE AGENDA. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE RECOGNIZED AND COME FORWARD TO THE MICROPHONE AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. PUBLIC COMMENTS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING REASONABLE RESTRICTIONS. A THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT AND THEN THE MICROPHONE CUTS OFF. THE SPEAKER'S COMMENT SHALL BE RELEVANT TO THE BUSINESS OF THE COUNCIL AND DIRECTED TO THE COUNCIL. THE SPEAKER'S COMMENTS DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS SHALL NOT ADDRESS THE SUBJECT MATTER OF A PUBLIC HEARING BEING HELD DURING THE SAME MEETING. NO PERSONAL ATTACKS AND DECOROUS LANGUAGE OR DISPLAY OF SIGNS, PLACARDS, POSTERS, OR OTHER DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT OR DISPLAY WILL BE PERMITTED. UM, SO MS. PRESLEY, I'M GOING, UH, WHO, WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? DAVID SEK. I THINK DAVID LEFT. DAVID LEFT, YEAH. SARAH RANDOLPH. OKAY. OH MY GOSH. MY CHAIR IS DOWN AGAIN. MY NAME IS SARAH RANDOLPH AND I RESIDE AT 16 0 2 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE. AND I AM UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECT THE COUNSEL'S DECISION TO CHOOSE TO TERMINATE OUR PARKING AGREEMENT THAT HAD BEEN MADE PRIOR WITH THE TOWN ATTORNEY BEFORE THIS GENTLEMAN, AS WE DID NOT WRITE UP THE AGREEMENT THAT MAN WROTE IT FOR US. THE ONLY THING OUR FAMILY HAD ASKED WAS IF THERE WAS A WAY TO PUT VERBIAGE IN THERE TO PROTECT US FROM ANY FURTHER HARASSMENT THAT THEY WERE ALREADY AWARE OF THAT WE WERE RECEIVING, WHICH IS WHERE THE VERBIAGE OF EXCLUSIVE USE CAME FROM. BECAUSE WE WERE AFRAID OUR PARKING AGREEMENT COULD BE TAKEN AS A BLANKET PARKING AGREEMENT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE WOULD HAVE UTILITY TRUCKS PARKED NEXT TO OUR HOUSE AS OTHERS COULD POTENTIALLY USE THE AGREEMENT. UM, WE JUST WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF YOU GUYS COULD HONOR POSSIBLY THE 60 DAY PORTION. AS MY HUSBAND AND I, OUR SOLE PROVIDERS FOR OUR HOUSEHOLD, WE ARE THE ONES WHO DO THE INS AND OUTS. WE DON'T RELY ON ANYBODY ELSE TO BE ABLE TO COME AND TAKE CARE OF OUR NEEDS, OUR CHILDREN OR ANY OF THOSE THINGS. MY HUSBAND IS THE SOLE [01:15:01] PROVIDER OF OUR INCOME. I AM A STAY-AT-HOME MOTHER. I'M ALSO ALMOST 20 WEEKS PREGNANT, HAVING COMPLICATIONS. I HAVE A HEMORRHAGE. I ACTUALLY WOKE UP BLEEDING THIS MORNING, SO, AND IT'S KIND OF TRIGGERING BECAUSE THE LAST TIME AN APPLICATION CAME ABOUT, I ALSO WENT THROUGH A MISCARRIAGE. SO THIS IS VERY TRIGGERING FOR ME IN SOME SENSE. UM, SO WE JUST WISH TO ASK, IF POSSIBLE YOU GUYS COULD HONOR THE 60 DAY PART THAT WAS IN THE AGREEMENT. 'CAUSE WE HAVE A FEW THINGS PUT IN THE PARKING AREA. WE WERE DOING SOME REPAIRS TO A BATHROOM. SO WE HAVE SOME DRYWALL. I'M NOT, I USED TO REMOVE STUFF, BUT CURRENTLY I'M NOT. WE DID HAVE RAILROAD TIES THAT EDGED OUT THAT GRAVEL WAY AND WE WERE ASKED TO REMOVE IT PRIOR TO US GETTING THE AGREEMENT BECAUSE ANOTHER PROPERTY WAS ALSO ASKED TO REMOVE THEIR BELONGINGS. AND INSTEAD OF DOING WHAT THE TOWN ASKED, THEY GOT AN AGREEMENT. SO THE TOWN ALSO OFFERED US AN AGREEMENT IN, IN EXCHANGE, BUT I HAD ALREADY REMOVED MY PERMANENT FIXTURES. IT WAS ALREADY DONE BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO FIND OUT IF I WAS PREGNANT AND I TOOK A TEST AND WAS NOT, AND WE FOUND OUT I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE REBARS. SO I DID. UM, WHICH IS WHY THERE'S NO PERMANENT STRUCTURE THERE BECAUSE THE TOWN DID TELL ME THOSE REBARS HAD TO BE REMOVED, THAT THEY WERE A PERMANENT STRUCTURE. AND I HAD SO MANY DAYS TO REMOVE THEM. AND THEN I WAS GIVEN THE SAME, UM, OPPORTUNITY AS ANOTHER PARTY. UM, SO FOR HEALTH OF AND SAFETY, WE'RE JUST ASKING IF POTENTIALLY WE COULD HAVE THE 60 DAYS. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. RANDOLPH. MS. PRESLEY, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE NO ONE ELSE. IS THERE ANYBODY HERE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? MR. SAYER? THOMAS AIR 8 35 SHANNON O SHORES ROAD, FRONT ROYAL, VIRGINIA. I HAVE TWO BRIEF POINTS THAT INITIALLY I DID NOT WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS, UH, SHERIFF'S RACE THAT WAS, IT'S CURRENTLY, I DON'T WANNA BE INVOLVED AT ALL. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO I WAS WANTING TO VOTE FOR OR WHO I WOULD VOTE FOR AND, UH, KIND OF BEEN DRAWN INTO THIS THING. BUT NUMBER TWO IS I'M UNAWARE OF ANYWHERE IN THE BIBLE WHERE JESUS SAYS, OH, YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY DURING POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS TO START DEFAMING PEOPLE AND SAY FALSE THINGS ABOUT PEOPLE AND JUST CRUD ALL OVER PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, I'M NOT UNAWARE OF ANY EXCEPTION THAT JESUS GAVE. AND, UH, IT'S SHAMEFUL SOME OF THE CONDUCT OF SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DEFAMED AND I'M SORRY THAT'S HAPPENED TO 'EM. I I'VE BEEN A VICTIM OF THIS STUFF TOO. AND, UH, UM, BE AWARE THERE'S INVESTIGATIONS GOING ON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU MR. SEA. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? [9.A. Report of Town Manager] OKAY, THEN WE'RE GONNA, UM, MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER NINE A, WHICH IS THE REPORT OF THE TOWN MANAGER. AND THANK YOU MAYOR. I'LL BE SHORT TONIGHT. UM, JUST WANNA LET THE CITIZENS REMIND THE CITIZENS THAT WE'RE STILL IN MANDATORY WATER CONSERVATION. AND THEN ALSO WANNA PUT A PLUG OUT. WE HAVE SPOOKY SATURDAY DOWN ON MAIN STREET. THIS IS SATURDAY FROM THREE TO SIX. I HOPE YOU CAN COME ON DOWN AND ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES. BACK TO YOU, MAYOR. OKAY. SORRY. I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T REALIZE MY FANNING WAS . I DON'T HAVE A CUSHION LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE DOES TO, MINE'S LIKE REALLY LOUD. I APOLOGIZE. [9.B. Report of Councilmembers] THE REPORTED COUNCIL MEMBERS AND I WILL LET YOU ALL DECIDE WHO IS GOING FIRST. 'CAUSE I'M ALWAYS ACCUSED OF PUTTING PEOPLE ON THE SPOT. ANYBODY WANNA GO FIRST? ALL JUDGE. OH, THANK YOU. I'VE ONLY GOT A COUPLE THINGS. UH, I THINK WE ALL ARE THE MAJORITY OF, WE WENT DOWN TO THE FESTIVAL LEAVES AND WHAT A GREAT EVENT THIS YEAR. UH, WE REALLY, REALLY NEED TO THANK, UH, LIZZIE LEWIS FOR WHAT SHE'S DONE. WE NEED TO THANK, UH, ELLEN SITTING OVER HERE FOR THINGS. SHE'S DONE WITH IT. UM, AND WE NEED TO THANK RMA. THEY ACTUALLY SENT, UH, THE CADETS DOWN WITH STAFF SHIRTS ON TO VOLUNTEER TO HELP PEOPLE SET UP THEIR TENTS AND CARRY THEIR, EVERYTHING THAT THEY CARRIED. UM, AND THEN THIS PAST WEEKEND, UM, WAS RANDOLPH MACON ACADEMY'S HOMECOMING. UM, THAT'S WHERE I WENT. I WENT TO SCHOOL THERE. BUT, UM, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WELCOMING ALL OF THE RMA CADETS AND MY CLASSMATES BACK TO TOWN AT A [01:20:01] DINNER OUT AT NANDO GOLF COURSE ON, UH, FRIDAY, UH, EVENING, UH, SATURDAY. I, I INVITED HIM TO COME DOWNTOWN, GO TO OUR VISTA CENTER AND JUST COME AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND. AND THEN WHEN I LEFT THE GAME ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON, I SAW ABOUT AT LEAST EIGHT OR 10 OF THE OTHER ALUMNI WALKING UP AND DOWN MAIN STREET. SO I WAS GLAD TO SEE. UM, AND THE LADY, UH, JENNIFER AVERY HELPED WITH, UM, WITH GETTING CADETS DOWNTOWN. AND, UH, ONE THING LIZZIE DID FOR RMA THIS YEAR, ALL OF THE, THE LIGHTS ON THE LIGHT POLES. THANK HER AGAIN FOR THAT. SHE TURNED THEM ALL YELLOW FOR THE YELLOWJACKETS. SO, UH, JOE, IF YOU CAN MAKE SURE SHE GETS KUDOS FOR THAT, I'D APPRECIATE IT, SIR. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I GOT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR LAC, WOULD ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK MR. INGRAM? YES, MADAM MAYOR. I TOO WOULD, UH, LIKE TO, UH, SHARE THE SENTIMENTS OF, UH, VICE MAYOR LAC WITH, WITH, UH, THE FESTIVAL POLICE. I THINK OUR, OUR TOWN STAFF DID A PHENOMENAL JOB PUTTING IT TOGETHER, POLICE CHIEF WITH, UH, COVERAGE THAT WE HAD THERE, UH, WITH LIZZIE, OF COURSE, ON HER COORDINATION AND ALSO OUR REFUSE TEAM THAT, THAT, UH, HELPED PICK UP SOME OF THE TRASH HERE AFTERWARDS. UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO REPORT, UH, THE, THAT THIS, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO WE WENT TO, UH, VIRGINIA MUNICIPAL LEAGUE'S, UH, STATEWIDE CONFERENCE IN NORFOLK. UH, THERE WAS A CONSISTENT OF, OF BREAKOUT SESSIONS AND SOME, AND SOME CLA AND SOME, UH, UH, LUNCHEONS THAT WERE, THAT WERE HELD WITH WITHIN THE, UH, THE, UM, RESORT THERE AT MARRIOTT. UH, I ACTUALLY ATTENDED, UH, TWO OF THE BREAKOUT SESSIONS. ONE OF THE ONE BREAKOUT SESSION WAS, UH, EVALUATING, EVALUATING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. UH, JUST GIVEN OUR, OUR RECENT ACTIVITIES, UH, I I FELT THAT WAS OF INTEREST, UH, UH, FOR OUR, FOR OUR TOWN IN PARTICULAR. VERY INFORMATIVE. THE GENTLEMAN THAT SPOKE, UH, AT THE, UH, UH, AT THE SESSION WAS A FORMER TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER OF FALLS CHURCH. AND HE ACTUALLY, UH, OPERATES A, UH, COMPANY THAT DOES, UH, FISCAL ANALYSIS, UH, REPORTS FROM MUNICIPALITIES. SO WE HAD A VERY INFORMATIVE DISCUSSION THERE. IT WAS ONLY, IT WAS ALSO SOME OTHER, UH, I THINK THE COUNSEL WAS MAYOR TON WAS THERE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WAS MAYOR LEEBURG LEE LEESBURG. MAYOR LEESBURG, YEAH. SO THERE WERE SOME, SOME, UH, SOME OTHER, OF COURSE, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR, THEY WERE THERE. UH, ALSO ATTENDED THE, UH, CHALLENGES IN PROCUREMENT, WHICH I THINK BJ WOULD'VE BEEN A BIG, VERY BIG HELP TO GET SOME OF THESE FOLKS. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT, UH, I, I DIDN'T SHED MUCH LIGHT ON IT. I JUST MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAD HAD A COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT AND THANKFULLY, I THINK OUR TOWN IS DOING A LOT BETTER FROM WHAT I GATHERED IN SOME OF THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WE'RE HAVING WITH, UH, WITH PURCHASING. SO, AGAIN, HATS OFF TO BJ FOR THAT. SO, UH, AGAIN, THAT WAS, THAT WAS ACTUALLY, UH, FACILITATED BY, UH, I THINK THE FOLKS FROM, FROM, UH, ROCKY. I THINK IT WAS ROCKY NOW IT WAS A VERY SMALL MUNICIPALITY, YOU KNOW, SOUTHERN VIRGINIA THAT FACILITATED THAT. BUT ANYWAYS, AGAIN, IT WAS VERY, UH, VERY INFORMATIVE. UH, IT WAS COLLABORATIVE SHARING BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, TOWNS FROM NORTHERN VIRGINIA ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE, SAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WISH TO SPEAK? ANY? UH, UH, GO AHEAD. I GUESS I CAN GO NEXT. UH, WELL, I'M GONNA JUMP IN ON THE, UH, FESTIVAL OF LEAVES EVENT DOWN THERE. FRIDAY NIGHT WAS REALLY A HAPPENING EVENT. I MEAN, PEOPLE HAD A LOT OF FUN DOWN THERE. UM, I GOT, I GOT RECRUITED TO DO, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAD A STAMP ON THEIR HANDS, , UH, UH, AND THEY PAID THEIR WAY. UH, WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO SOME OF THE EVENT ORGANIZERS. RICK NOVAK, UH, LAWRENCE IS AT WHITE PICKET FENCE, REBA IN GENERAL. UH, TOM HELMAN. UH, I WAS BUSY POURING BEER ON SATURDAY, UH, UH, THE VISITOR CENTERS, UH, ON FRIDAY, I BELIEVE IT WAS, HAD 240, OR MAYBE IT WAS SATURDAY, HAD 247 VISITORS DOWN THERE WAS THE HEAD COUNT. SO, UH, SO A LOT, A LOT OF FOLKS, UH, CAME INTO THE, UH, EVENT. SO, UH, ALSO ON THURSDAY, THIS PAST THURSDAY, I SAT IN ON THE WARREN COUNTY, UM, FRONT ROYAL, HIS ON COMMITTEE MEETING. [01:25:01] UH, I THINK IT WAS, UH, THE WORTHWHILE EVENT. UH, GOOD DISCUSSION. AND, UM, UH, I GUESS THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAVE FOR YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? I DO. GO AHEAD. SO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, MS. RANDOLPH'S, UM, STATEMENT. I HOPE THAT YOUR PREGNANCY GOES WELL, AND I'M SORRY THAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING STRESS. I KNOW THAT THAT'S DIFFICULT AND, UM, I KNOW THAT ANYTIME, UM, THAT FOLKS HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DEAL WITH ISSUES AT HOME, IT, IT'S, UM, IT IS DIFFICULT WITH PROPERTY. UM, ALSO, UM, IN RESPONSE TO MR. ER'S COMMENT, UM, THIS CAMPAIGN SEASON AS SOMEBODY WHO IS RUNNING FOR ELECTION, UM, IT HAS BEEN UGLY. UM, I'VE NOT, I'VE HAD MYSELF A FEW, UM, RECEIPTS OF SOME UGLY EMAILS AND SUCH, AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S SO MUCH EASIER TO JUST STAY AT A MEETING TILL 1:00 AM THAN TO, UM, THAN TO ACTUALLY CAMPAIGN FOR THE RIGHT DUE. BUT ANYWAY, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO BE SERVING, UM, THE TOWN. AND, UM, AND TO BE INVOLVED AND TO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE COMING FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OFTEN, BUT WE REALLY DO TRY TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THE TOWN AND DELIBERATE WITH, WITH THOUGHT. YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT ANYTHING PERSONAL. WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT THE FACTS BEFORE US AND, AND HAVING OUR OWN PERSPECTIVES ON THINGS. UM, I ALSO ATTENDED THE VIRGINIA MUNICIPAL LEAGUE AND ATTENDED THE EVALUATING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AS WELL AS, UH, THE VML BUSINESS MEETING AND ALSO RISK ASSESSMENTS REGARDING MARIJUANA AND OSHA. UM, WHICH ARE VERY INTERESTING. IF YOU'RE HAVING FEDERAL MONEY COME INTO YOU, THEN ALL THIS STUFF ABOUT MARIJUANA BEING LEGAL IN VIRGINIA REALLY DOESN'T APPLY TO THE EMPLOYEES OF, OF FOLKS WHO ARE RECEIVING FEDERAL MONEY. UM, I ALSO ATTENDED THE LIAISON MEETING, UH, FROM BETWEEN WARREN COUNTY AND THE TOWN. AND, AND AS LORI LIKES TO SAY, OR MAYOR COCKRELL, UH, LIKES TO SAY OFTEN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO WORK TOGETHER WHEN WE CAN. UM, WE DO TRY TO HAVE A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, AGAIN, WE, WE HAVE OUR OWN LANES AND OUR OWN THINGS AND OWN PERSPECTIVES, BUT WE DO, UH, TRY TO GET TOGETHER AND, UM, BE RESPECTFUL. AND IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, UH, IF YOU HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH THOSE MEETINGS OR PARTICIPATE THEM IN IN SOME WAY. THAT'S, IT'S GREAT. BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN ROGERS, . THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, JUST A COUPLE OF SHORT THINGS, UH, I'LL JUMP ON BOARD WITH, UH, THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS OR SO WITH, WITH THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE BEEN IN TOWN. IT'S BEEN, UH, TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS, UH, EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE OF US. I HAD, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY WITH KATHY TO WORK AND, AND PARTICIPATE. UM, THE, THE EXCITEMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY IS PAL PALATABLE. UM, IT WAS GREAT TO SEE SO MANY FOLKS HERE HAVING SUCH A GOOD TIME. FRIDAY NIGHT DANCE WAS, WAS AWESOME. UM, AND OF COURSE, FESTIVAL, UH, OF LEAVES, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH. UM, I, I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF MEETINGS WITH, UH, SOME OF OUR FOLKS IN AND AROUND TOWN THAT SUPPORT, UH, UH, HOMELESS AND, UM, ISSUES RELATING TO, UH, HUNGER, UM, UH, RENTAL ISSUES AND SO FORTH. SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT. IT'S, UH, BECOME VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO ME TO BEGIN TO ADDRESS, UH, SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE ABSOLUTELY, UH, NECESSARY TO, UH, TO PUT HIGH ON OUR AGENDA. UH, IT WAS INTERESTING. I, UH, ATTENDED ANOTHER SOCIAL SERVICES MEETING WITH ABOUT, UH, 14 PUT ON BY THE CHAMBER LAST WEEK. UH, WITH ABOUT 14 DIFFERENT SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE WORK BEING DONE BY THOSE, UH, IN, IN VARIOUS AREAS. ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC STATEMENTS THAT WAS MADE TO ME. AND IF WE AS A COMMUNITY ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THIS, UH, BETWEEN JULY 1ST AND LAST WEEK, UH, THERE WERE OVER 520 ABUSE CALLS CALLED INTO PHOENIX. THAT'S PHYSICAL ABUSE. AND THOSE PHONE CALLS WERE INITIATED BY YOUNG WOMEN, WOMEN, OLDER WOMEN, CHILDREN IN THIS COMMUNITY. OVER 500 CALLS CAME IN FOR ABUSE. I THINK ONE OF, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME, UH, TO MY COUNCIL AS WELL AS TO MY COMMUNITY, WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE A MORE OPEN DIALOGUE [01:30:02] ONGOING ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES FACING OUR COMMUNITY. UH, THIS IS, THIS IS DRAMATIC. UM, WE HAVE YOUTH ISSUES, WE HAVE HOUSING ISSUES, WE HAVE FOOD INSECURITY ISSUES. WE HAVE MANY ISSUES IN THIS COMMUNITY AND WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO PUT IT ON THE TOP OF OUR LIST IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, IN CONJUNCTION WITH SOCIAL SERVICES, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 5 0 1 C NON-PROFITS THAT HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT ARE HAVING THEIR HANDS TIED WITH WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO. I THINK WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND BEGIN TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES IN A REAL PLAN THAT HAS REAL GOALS, UH, WITH, WITH REAL OUTCOMES. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM MAYOR. UM, I'LL KEEP IT AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE. UH, IT'S MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR. THEY SAID IT WAS PEAK LEAF SEASON LAST WEEKEND, BUT WE KNOW US LOCAL FOLK, WE HAVEN'T HAD A FROST YET. IT'S NOT PEAK SEASON. SO BRACE YOURSELVES. I DO LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR. IT'S ACTUALLY THE MONEY THAT WE GET DURING LEAF SEASON THAT INFILTRATES MAIN STREET IS WHAT KEEPS A LOT OF THESE MOM AND POP SHOPS OPEN FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. UM, AND IT WAS REALLY COOL TO ATTEND VML. I'M VERY PROUD AND VERY BIASED OF BEING BORN AND RAISED IN FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY, VIRGINIA. WE ARE, YOU KNOW, THE HUB FOR THE SHADOW NATIONAL PARK. WE HAVE A STATE PARK WHERE THE CANOE CAPITAL OF VIRGINIA, WHICH WHEN I ANNOUNCED THAT IN FRONT OF HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE AT VML, THEY HAD NO IDEA THAT THAT WAS A REAL THING. , I GOOGLED IT. IT IS A REAL THING. IT'S BEEN FOR LIKE 30 YEARS, UM, DESPITE THE FACT THAT YOU CAN'T REALLY CANOE RIGHT NOW 'CAUSE OUR WATER LEVELS ARE LOW, BUT WE'RE GONNA PRESERVE OUR RIVER. AND, UM, I WENT DOWN TO VML FOR ABOUT THREE, FOUR DAYS AND IT WAS A JAM PACKED SCHEDULE. SO ANYBODY THAT'S ON THIS COUNCIL OR COMES ONTO THIS COUNCIL, I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE IT. UH, STARTED OFF WITH A MATTED AND CRAIG ENGINEERS AND SURVEYS, DINNER THE FIRST NIGHT THERE. THEY'RE SOME OF THE ENGINEERS THAT HAVE WORKED ON OUR BRIDGES. THEY DID ER ROAD, THEY'RE GETTING READY TO DO EIGHTH STRAIGHT. SO IT'S REALLY COOL TO GO TO NORFOLK AND MEET THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE WORK FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE HERE IN FRONT ROYAL. UM, AND YOU KNOW, DESPITE WHAT YOU HEAR IN THE LOCAL NEWS AND THE LOCAL ELECTION CYCLE, DON'T GIVE IT ANY VALIDITY. WHEN YOU GO DOWN TO NORFOLK AND YOU TELL THEM THAT YOU'RE FROM THE NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY, THEY ALL LOVE THIS AREA. THEY ALL WANNA BE LIKE US. UM, THE MAYOR OF LEESBURG, I RAN INTO HER AT THE HOTEL BAR AND SHE WAS LIKE, DUDE, THE DATA CENTERS TOOK OVER AND THEY TOOK OVER FAST AND I CAN'T AFFORD LAND IN OUR TOWN ANYMORE. AND I WAS LIKE, YEAH, WE ARE SELECTIVE IN WHAT WE CHOOSE. SO WHILE IT MAY SEEM LIKE THERE'S SOME CONTENTION, UM, I'LL ALSO SAY THE, THE, THE OVERTURN ON OUR COUNCIL, WHICH I SOMETIMES LOOK AT AS A NEGATIVE, HAS BEEN A POSITIVE FOR THIS COMMUNITY. WE GET A REALLY DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE UP HERE WHO SHOW THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY COLLECTIVELY. AND AS A WHOLE. I MET, UM, SOME PEOPLE FROM, UH, DOWN NEAR THE CLIFTON FORGE AREA. THEY'VE HAD THE SAME COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYORS FOR OVER 25 YEARS. AND THEY VOTE UNANIMOUSLY EVERY SINGLE MEETING. AND WHILE THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S REALLY SWEET AND HUNKY DORY, I WOULD NOT BE PLEASED IF I HAD NO OPTIONS ON THE BALLOT EVERY SINGLE YEAR AND THEY WERE ALL UNANIMOUS VOTES. IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S BEING WELL REPRESENTED IN THAT REGARD. SO WITH ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, UM, I WILL JUST ADD THAT YOU GUYS BEAR WITH THE TOWN POLICE AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AS THEY CONTINUE TO GUIDE OUR TRAFFIC. UM, I ALSO ATTENDED A BREAKOUT WORK SESSION ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WHILE I WAS IN NORFOLK. AND WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT DATA CENTERS. WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT PROFFERS AND THE LAWS SURROUNDING PROFFERS. AND, YOU KNOW, FRONT ROYAL HAD MADE THE NEWS BY THE TIME WE GOT TO NORFOLK AND A COUPLE OTHER LOCALITIES, WARRENTON HAD AS WELL. THERE'S A LAWSUIT GOING ON IN WARRENTON, APPARENTLY WITH AMAZON. SO WE SAT BESIDE THE MA I SAT BESIDE THE MAYOR OF WARRENTON DURING ONE OF OUR MEETINGS, AND SOMETIMES WE THINK THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A STRENUOUS JOB UP HERE. THEY HAD A PUBLIC HEARING THAT WENT UNTIL 4:00 AM RECENTLY. SO I DO CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE VERY GRATEFUL. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M PROUD TO SIT ON THIS COUNCIL DESPITE WHAT ANYBODY SAYS ABOUT ME, MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS, MY COLLEAGUES, UM, I THINK AND KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL UP HERE BECAUSE WE LOVE FRONT ROYAL. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA SPOTLIGHT AND CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON, IS THE GOOD WORK AND THE TRUE POLICY THAT WE'VE BROUGHT FORWARD. UM, I'VE SAID IT BEFORE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN AND I'LL CONTINUE TO SAY IT UNTIL I'M OFF OF HERE IN 2026. UH, THE JOB OF THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL IS TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON THE WATER RUNNING AND THE TOILETS FLUSHING. IF YOU'RE RUNNING FOR COUNCIL FOR ANY OTHER AGENDA, YOU PROBABLY DON'T HAVE A GREAT CONCEPT OF WHAT THE JOB OF THIS COUNCIL IS FOR, BUT IT'S FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PURPOSES. IT'S FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT'S FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT'S FOR STRATEGIC GROWTH. 'CAUSE GROWTH IS INEVITABLE. YOU LOOK AT I 66, IT'S COMING, IT'S CLOSE. SO WHETHER WE WANT IT OR NOT, WE NEED TO BE PREPARED [01:35:01] FOR IT. UM, SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO STAY ENGAGED AND ACTIVE IN A POSITIVE AND SUPPORTIVE WAY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE MAY NOT ALL LIKE EACH OTHER. [9.C. Report of the Mayor] OKAY, SO NEXT UP IS THE REPORT OF THE MAYOR. UH, AND ACTUALLY YOU ALL HAVE SAID SOME THINGS THAT MADE ME WRITE SOME OTHER STUFF. UM, COUNCILMAN ROGERS MENTIONED ABOUT HOMELESS AND, UM, AT THE FESTIVAL LEAVES, THERE WAS A, UM, PERSON SET UP, UH, NAME OF MS. LAURIE HOWARD, SAME PERSON NAME AS MINE, UH, WITH HARVEST MISSIONS. AND SHE ACTUALLY, UM, GAVE ME A CARD TO DO A HOMELESS SURVEY. AND SO THEY WERE ENCOURAGING EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY TO DO THIS SURVEY. IT WAS VERY PAINLESS. AND, BUT IT WAS JUST BASICALLY ASKING YOU QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR PERCEPTION AND, AND, AND YOUR OWN SITUATION. SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO MENTION. IF YOU WANT, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THAT, JUST SHOOT ME AN EMAIL AND I WILL GET YOU THE LINK. IT WAS ACTUALLY A QR CODE. I TOOK THE SURVEY, I GOT RID OF IT, BUT I KNOW I CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH LORI AGAIN. SO, UM, DURING THE PUBLIC POWER WEEK, A FEW WEEKS AGO, I ATTENDED, UM, THAT FIRST PUBLIC POWER EVENT IN OUR DOWNTOWN VILLAGE COMMONS. IT WAS A GREAT TURNOUT FOR AN INAUGURAL EVENT. CITIZEN JUNG AND OLD SEEMED TO ENJOY THEMSELVES AT THE DISPLAYS AND ACTIVITIES. THE EEC COMMITTEE THAT'S NOW GONNA BE CALLED ACES, EVEN GAVE OUT TREES, WHICH I BELIEVE THEY WILL ALSO BE DOING AGAIN ON VETERAN'S DAY, NOVEMBER 11TH. THANK YOU TO OUR ENERGY SERVICES DEPARTMENT SUPPORTED BY OTHER TOWN DEPARTMENTS ALONG WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO HELPED TO MAKE THIS INAUGURAL EVENT A SUCCESS. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THEY'RE PLANNING TO HOST THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR IT. I KNOW, MR. WALTZ, YOU JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I GAVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR STAFF. 'CAUSE THAT WAS A, IT WAS A GREAT EVENT. IT WAS A NEW EVENT, AND EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NEW, UM, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE. UH, AND IT WAS A THURSDAY NIGHT, UH, THE WEEKEND OF OCTOBER 6TH, AFTER INDUCTED NICOLE KING INTO THE WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, UH, FALL HALL OF FAME. I HEADED OUT TO ATTEND THE VIRGINIA NEW MUNICIPAL LEAGUE MAYOR'S INSTITUTE. SO, WHILE THE REST OF THESE GUYS WENT TO, UM, THE CONFERENCE, THAT WAS SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY, I WAS THERE FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. UM, AND IT WAS A VERY WORTHWHILE WEEKEND AS I LEARNED ABOUT A VARIETY OF TOPICS. AND I GOT A IN GOT TO INTERACT AND COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER MAYORS ACROSS THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT AS I WAS NOT LEAVING TOWN UNTIL NINE AND DIDN'T GET IN THE HOTEL ROOM UNTIL 2:00 AM I WAS QUESTIONING MY DECISION TO GO. AND I'M SO GLAD THAT I WENT. UM, UH, WE SH WE SHARED SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES ACROSS THAT WEEKEND. AS USUAL FOR ME. I AM GRATEFUL AND YOU GUYS ALL SAID IT, BUT BOY, LISTENING TO THE OTHER PEOPLE TALK, I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR MY LITTLE TOWN AND ITS BEAUTY AND ALL THE SUPPORTIVE CITIZENS WHO LIVE HERE. I'M REMINDED THAT WHAT WE MAY SEE AS A PROBLEM OR A CHALLENGE, OTHER LOCALITIES HAVE MANY OF THE SAME OR WAY MORE CHALLENGING. AS THE SAYING GOES, THE GRASS IS NOT ALWAYS GREENER. UH, SOME MAYORS REPRESENTED LOCALITIES, WHICH ARE MUCH LARGER THAN FRONT ROYAL, SUCH AS THE MAYOR OF NORTH. IT WAS THERE, BUT SOME WERE NOT. FOR EXAMPLE, I MET THE MAYOR OF ILMAR, VIRGINIA. HIS NAME WAS SEAN DONAHUE. UH, AND, UH, ILMARS POPULATION IS ABOUT 1400 CITIZENS WORTH 15,000 CITIZENS, IF THAT GIVES YOU ANY IDEA. AND WHILE THE TOWN HE SERVES MAYBE SMALL, HE WAS TRULY A WEALTH OF INFORMATION. HE SHARED THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO PROVIDE HOUSING TO ATTRACT TEACHERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND FIRE AND RESCUE WITH A TOWN THAT SMALL. HE SAID THEY HAVE TO COMPETE WITH LARGER LOCALITIES OFFERING HIGHER PAY, BUT THEY'RE HOPING THAT BY PROVIDING A LOWER THAN USUAL RENT FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES, THAT THEY CAN ATTRACT AND RETAIN EMPLOYEES FOR THAT AREA. AND SO I, I DID WANNA PICK HIS BRAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT HE JOKINGLY SAID THAT HE WASN'T GOING TO GIVE ME ANY OF HIS IDEAS OR THAT HE'D BE COMPETING WITH US FOR, UH, THOSE POSITIONS. SO ANYWAY, I TRULY FELT THAT THE WEEKEND GAVE ME INSIGHT THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD IF I HADN'T ATTENDED TO THANK YOU TO THE TOWN FOR ALLOWING ME THAT OPPORTUNITY. FESTIVAL LEAVES WEEKEND, I THINK EVERYBODY'S SAID A TON OF STUFF. UM, SO LET ME SEE IF I HAVE ANYTHING DIFFERENT. UM, I WILL SAY THERE'S REALLY NO WAY I CAN THANK EVERYBODY BECAUSE, UH, MR. RAPPAPORT MENTIONED TO EVERYBODY MENTIONED, UM, PEOPLE I KNOW THAT THE COMMITTEE, UM, NEEDS TO BE COMMENDED OUR OWN LIZZIE LEWIS, BUT LOTS OF OTHER PEOPLE FROM THE DANCING DOWNTOWN ON FRIDAY NIGHT, WHICH BY THE WAY, WAS A MUCH LARGER CROWD THAN LAST YEAR. AND, AND BRUCE'S RIGHT, HE WAS STAMPING, I WAS GETTING MY STAMP TO THE CROWDS THAT CONTINUE TO COME THROUGH ON SATURDAY. I THINK WE ALL THOUGHT MOTHER MA NATURE MIGHT NOT BE KIND TO US, BUT THE RAIN HELD OFF AS THE DAY WENT ON AND YOU COULD SEE THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WERE STARTING TO SHOW UP, FEELING COMFORTABLE THAT THE WEATHER WAS GOING TO COOPERATE. ALTHOUGH, I WILL SAY LITERALLY AT SIX O'CLOCK, THE [01:40:01] SKIES OPENED UP AND, UH, IT WAS CRAZY. UM, SO MANY OF THE FOOD VENDORS ACTUALLY SOLD OUT. UH, THE CRAB SANDWICH GUY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE BEST CROWD THAT HE HAD SEEN IN YEARS. SO THERE'S THAT. UM, JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS TO ALL OF OUR TOWN STAFF WHO PLAYED A PART IN THE SETTING UP AND TAKING DOWN. UM, ALSO, NOT ONLY DID OUR CITIZENS GET TO ENJOY THE WEEKEND, BUT THERE WERE VISITORS FROM ALL OVER. THERE WAS A COUPLE IN TOWN ON FRIDAY NIGHT THAT, UH, SAW ME ON MAIN STREET. THEY WERE ACTUALLY IN TOWN FOR THE HOMESTEADERS CONFERENCE, WHICH SOLD LIKE 5,000 TICKETS OUT AT THE FAIRGROUNDS. I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WAYS TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO ENTICE THEM INTO THE FESTIVAL NEXT YEAR, MAYBE WITH A FEW DISCOUNTS. UM, BUT THEY SAID TO ME THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOWNTOWN SEVERAL DAYS THAT WEEK, AND THEY JUST, THEY WERE LIKE, THIS IS JUST SO GREAT. YOU ALL ARE SO LUCKY. I JUST LOVE IT HERE. AND SO WHEN YOU HEAR THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU'RE JUST REMINDED HOW SPECIAL, UM, WE ARE HERE AND HOW OTHER PEOPLE JUST WISH, UH, THEY COULD LIVE IN A PLACE LIKE THAT. I KNOW RICK NOVAK TALKED WITH A COUPLE FROM LOUISIANA, WE'RE ACTUALLY JUST DRIVING THROUGH AND THEY SAW THE FESTIVAL SIGN AND DECIDE TO STICK AROUND FOR THE WEEKEND. UH, LAST THURSDAY, THE TOWN COUNTY LEAVES LIAISON MEETING WAS HELD. MR. REPPORT ALREADY MENTIONED THAT. UM, UH, LET'S SEE. IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING IN MY OPINION. AND I LOOKED FOR FORWARD TO MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOWN COUNTY TO COMMUNICATE, WORK TOGETHER FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY. R A'S HOMECOMING WAS THIS WEEKEND. I WOULDN'T HAVE SAID IT, BUT SINCE YOU SAID IT, I'VE GOTTA SAY IT TOO. SO, UM, 'CAUSE I WAS THERE AT THE EVENTS TOO FOR THE PARADE ON SATURDAY MORNING. I JUST DIDN'T SEE YOU. UM, RA WON THEIR FOOTBALL GAME AND APPARENTLY WAS THE FIRST WIN THEY'D HAD IN FIVE YEARS. MY, MY, MY NEPHEWS ONE OF THE CAPTAINS FOR THE TEAM. SO, UM, IT REALLY WAS A COOL EVENT. SAME STORY ABOUT PEOPLE LOVING THIS PLACE. SO THIS MAN WALKED UP, UM, WHERE I WAS STANDING AND WAS TALKING TO MY FAMILY AND WAS TELLING US HOW HE WENT TO RMA IN 1978. AND THE GUYS THAT WERE STANDING WITH ME HAD ALSO GRADUATED FROM WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL IN 78. AND HE WAS MAKING A JOKE ABOUT HOW WE USED TO CALL THEM THE JAKES AND THAT HE CALLED REDNECK. YEAH, HE WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT. AND SOMEBODY SAID, MENTIONED THAT I WAS THE MAYOR. SO THEN HE CAME OVER AND HAD THIS LONG CONVERSATION WITH ME ABOUT HOW WONDERFUL IT IS HERE THAT HE LIVES IN PRINCE WILLIAM. AND HE'S WATCHED IT CHANGE OVER THE YEARS. AND HE SAID LIKE FIVE TIMES, EVEN AS HE WAS WALKING AWAY, DON'T CHANGE, DON'T LET THEM CHANGE HERE. AND I WAS LIKE, WE'RE TRYING, WE'RE TRYING. SO, UM, ANYWAY, UH, THIS SATURDAY IS THE TOWN SPOOKY SATURDAY. MAIN STREET'S GONNA BE CLOSED DOWN BEGINNING AT TWO. UM, AND THE EVENTS WILL BE FROM THREE TO SIX FOR TRICK OR TREATING AND KIDS ACTIVITIES AROUND THE GAZEBO AND COMMONS AREA. IF ANY ORGANIZATIONS WOULD STILL LIKE TO JOIN IN ON THE FUND, YOU CAN CONTACT LIZZIE LEWIS AT ELEWIS@FRONTROWVA.COM. ALSO, THE TOWN'S GONNA BE OBSERVING HALLOWEEN TRICK-OR-TREATING ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST FROM SIX 30 TO NINE. PLEASE USE CAUTION THAT EVENING ON OUR STREETS AS YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ENJOYING THIS TRADITIONAL EVENT AND CITIZENS WHO WANNA PARTICIPATE SHOULD TURN THEIR PORCH LIGHTS ON TO ALERT THE TRICK-OR-TREATERS. UM, OKAY. LASTLY, I WANNA TAKE THE TIME TONIGHT TO SAY THAT WHILE I KNOW THAT WE HAVE ALREADY HAD LOTS OF VISITORS COME TO OUR TOWN, AND I ANTICIPATE EVEN MORE AS THE LEAVES ARE JUST STARTING TO TURN INTO THIS BEAUTIFUL ARTISTRY THAT ONLY NATURE CAN PROVIDE, WHILE WE WHO HAVE LIVED HERE OUR WHOLE LIVES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ENJOY IT, OTHERS CAN ONLY DREAM OF LIVING IN A PLACE AS BEAUTIFUL AS OURS. THIS ALSO MEANS WE ALL HAVE TO PACK A LITTLE PATIENCE WHILE WE'RE OUT AND ABOUT TRYING TO DRIVE THROUGH TOWN. UM, IT MIGHT BE FRUSTRATING OR ANNOYING AT TIMES, BUT PLEASE REMEMBER THAT FOR SOME OF OUR BUSINESSES, THESE WEEKS AND WEEKENDS PROVIDE HUGE ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO NOT ONLY THEIR BUSINESS, BUT IT KEEPS SOME OF OUR CITIZENS EMPLOYED, WHICH IN TURN HELPS OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY. SO IT WON'T BE FOREVER, BUT FOR THE SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME THAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT FEEL INCONVENIENCE, PLEASE REMEMBER THE POSITIVE EFFECT IT HAS ON OUR TOWN AND COUNTY. AND THAT'S IT. AND WE'RE [10. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS] MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION, MADAM MAYOR? I MOVE THAT COUNSEL, APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED. SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY. UM, I, I WOULD JUST ADD TO THE DISCUSSION, SORRY. I KNOW I WANTED TO GET OUTTA HERE. THAT'S WHY I MADE THE MOTION SO FAST. BUT, UH, UNDER THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LOOK, WE HAVE A APPOINTMENTS TO THE L-B-B-C-A AND AN APPOINTMENT TO THE BAR. UM, I'M VERY EXCITED FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, ELLEN'S, UM, JOINING THE BAR. I KNOW SHE'S VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT AND HAS BEEN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. UM, WHEN SHE CAME TO FRONT ROYAL [01:45:01] AND WAS VERY NEW HERE AND CHOSE FRONT ROYAL AS HER HOME, WE TALKED ABOUT HER, UM, PASSION FOR THE ARCHITECTURAL COMMITTEE. SO, AND ALSO FRANK STAN TO THE YEAH. IS GONNA BE JOINING OUR LOCAL BOARD OF BUILDING GOOD APPEALS. AND AS COUNCILMAN MOORE SAID, WE ARE ALWAYS SO APPRECIATIVE OF OUR, OF OUR CITIZENS WHO ARE WILLING TO JOIN OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. 'CAUSE WE COULD NOT DO THIS WORK WITHOUT YOU ALL. SO WE HAVE A MOTION. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? UH, NO. I JUST WANTED TO, UH, CHIME IN ON, UH, COUNCIL WOMAN'S, UH, MORRIS', UH, COMMENT ABOUT ELLEN. SHE, SHE HAS REALLY DONE, UH, SHE'S GONE ALL OUT FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN ROGERS? YES. VICE MAYOR OT? YES. YES. OKAY. A CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED. [11.A. Automated Speed Enforcement Systems Agreement with Blue Line Solutions, LLC] OUR NEXT ITEM ARE, UH, NUMBER 11 BUSINESS ITEMS. UH, A AUTOMATED SPEED ENFORCEMENT, UH, SYSTEM AGREEMENT WITH BLUE LINE SOLUTIONS. MS. PRESLEY, CAN YOU READ THE SUMMARY COUNSEL'S REQUESTED TO APPROVE AN AUTOMATED SPEED ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM AGREEMENT WITH BLUE LINE SOLUTIONS LLC AS PRESENTED, VIRGINIA STATE CODE 46.288 2.1, AUTHOR LOCALITIES TO ENTER INTO CONTRACTS FOR AUTOMATED SPEED ENFORCEMENT IN SCHOOL AND CONSTRUCTION ZONES. THE TOWN DESIRES TO CONTRACT WITH BLS FOR USE OF ASE IN THE FOLLOWING FOUR SCHOOL ZONES TO MONITOR EXCESSIVE SPEED INFRACTIONS BEFORE AND AFTER NORMAL SCHOOL HOURS. MORIN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL, SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL AS RHODES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND RESI JEFFRIES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, BEGINNING UPON COMPLETION OF THE INSTALLATION OF THE EQUIPMENT AND AFTER THE EDUCATION AND WARNING PERIODS, THE ASE SYSTEM IS DESCRIBED AS PHOTOGRAPHIC TRAFFIC MONITORING DEVICE EQUIPMENT CAPABLE OF ACCURATELY DETECTING A TRAFFIC INFRACTION AND RECORDING SUCH DATA WITH IMAGES OF SUCH VEHICLE. ON AUGUST 28TH, 2023, COUNSEL AUTHORIZED THE TOWN ATTORNEY TO NEGOTIATE AN AUTOMATED SPEED ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS AGREEMENT WITH BLUE LINE SOLUTIONS LLC AS A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AND BRING IT BACK TO COUNSEL AT A LATER TIME FOR REVIEW AND ULTIMATE APPROVAL. THE AGREEMENT WAS REVIEWED ON OCTOBER 2ND, 2023, AND COUNSEL AGREED TO PLACE IT ON THE OCTOBER 23RD REGULAR MEETING FOR FINAL APPROVAL. THANK YOU, MS. PRESLEY. UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION, MADAM MAYOR? I MOVE THAT COUNSEL APPROVE THE AUTOMATED SPEED ENFORCEMENT ASE, UH, SYSTEM AGREEMENT WITH BLUE LINE SOLUTIONS AS PRESENTED AND AUTHORIZED THE TOWN MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT. SECOND. OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION. AND SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? I SAID IT AT THE WORK SESSION, BUT I'LL SAY IT AGAIN. WE WERE THE FIRST LOCALITY IN THE NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY TO ENGAGE BLUE LINE SOLUTIONS, THANKS TO OUR POLICE CHIEF. AND, UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE GONNA BE ONE OF THE LAST TO IMPLEMENT THEM, BUT I THINK IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE COMPANY AS A WHOLE. UM, WHEN WE WERE FIRST HEARING SOME PUSHBACK ON BLUE LINE SOLUTIONS IN THIS ENTIRE AUTOMATED, UM, SPEED ENFORCEMENT ISSUE, PEOPLE SAID, WELL ASK FREDERICK COUNTY WHY THEY DIDN'T AND ASK THIS PERSON WHY THEY DIDN'T. WELL, NOW ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE AND THEY'RE USING BLUE LINE SOLUTIONS. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC, AND I THINK IT WAS A WARM WELCOME FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HADN'T FACED ANYTHING LIKE MYSELF OR MAYOR COCKRELL HAD FACED WITH THE VERY CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS BEFORE. UM, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, I THINK EVERYBODY CAN ALWAYS AGREE THAT PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN IS THE TOP PRIORITY. AND IF WE CAN DO THAT, UM, THEN THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS. AND, AND GETTING TO, YOU KNOW, I'M THE DAUGHTER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, SO I'M A LITTLE BIT BIASED IN MY BACK, THE BLUE HOORAH, BUT ALSO JUST GETTING TO SPEAK WITH BLUE LINE SOLUTIONS DIRECTLY AND GET TO KNOW THEM AS A COMPANY. THEY'RE ALL RETIRED OR CURRENT LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. AND SO THEIR PASSION IS REALLY BEHIND, UH, MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN COMMUNITIES AND THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF CHILDREN. SO IT ALWAYS IS VERY NICE WHEN WE MAKE A BUSINESS DECISION AS A COUNCIL, BUT IT ALIGNS WITH A COMPANY WHOSE WORK ETHIC AND THEIR MORALS AND THEIR DESIRE AND WHY BEHIND THEIR COMPANY ALIGN WITH SOMETHING LIKE OUR NICE COMMUNITY. I JUST WANTED TO ADD MADAM MAYOR, THAT, UH, IF ANYONE'S BEEN UP UNION STREET, UH, RECENTLY, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE'S [01:50:01] A, A, UH, A SPEED TRACKING DEVICE ON THERE. AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS IF YOU'RE GOING OVER 10 MILES PER HOUR OR OR ABOUT 10 MILES PER HOUR, IT GIVES YOU YOUR SPEED. IT TELLS YOU SLOW DOWN, SLOW DOWN. AND IF YOU'RE, IF YOU HIT THAT MAGIC NUMBER, BLUE LIGHTS START FLASHING. SO, UH, THAT'S, UH, THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, UH, BY MADDOX FUNERAL HUNT. YEAH, IT'S RIGHT THERE. YEAH. WHERE'S THAT? YEAH, BEHIND OLD TOWN HALL. YEAH. WHERE YOU CUT OFF OF, UH, ROYAL AVENUE. YEAH. TOWARDS, UH, WEST. YEAH. YEAH. SO PEOPLE, PEOPLE ARE REALLY SLOWING DOWN. I MEAN, LIKE WHEN THEY SEE THAT BLUE LIGHT. WHOA. SO, UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED. I THINK THAT, UH, THIS BLUE LINE SOLUTION CAMPAIGN IS GOING TO MAKE AN IMPACT AND, UH, WE'LL SEE SOME RESULTS. MADAM MAYOR. SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, I KNOW THAT, UM, WE DISCUSSED THIS FOR MANY MONTHS. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DIFFERS IN PUBLIC SERVICE VERSUS A BUSINESS AS BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, YOUR BOTTOM LINE IS PROFIT. UM, IT MAKES DECISIONS COME REALLY QUICKLY, BUT WHEN YOU'RE IN PUBLIC SERVICE, EVEN IF IT SEEMS LIKE A NO-BRAINER ON THE DECISION AND OUTCOME THAT YOU WANT, SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO TAKE TIME TO LISTEN TO THE OPPOSITION. AND I BELIEVE THAT WHAT WE DID WAS LISTEN TO THE OPPOSITION AND COME UP WITH A CONTRACT THAT I REALLY FEEL GOOD ABOUT. WE'VE DONE OUR BEST DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, FINANCIALLY THIS DOESN'T PUT US IN ANY SORT OF LIABILITY. AND CERTAINLY IT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OUTCOME OF HAVING THIS IN OUR COMMUNITY IS GONNA BE GREAT FOR, FOR SAFETY AROUND OUR SCHOOLS. SO, AGAIN, APPRECIATE, APPRECIATE ALL THOSE WHO, UM, PUT UP WITH THOSE OF US WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, LIKE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, PICKET PICKET LANGUAGE AND, AND THAT SORT OF THING. BUT IT'S ALL IN, UH, IN THE END WE, I THINK, CAME UP WITH A GOOD DECISION. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, WE'RE READY FOR A VOTE. COUNCILWOMAN DE DEMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN ROGERS? YES. VICE MAYOR OTT? YES. FINALLY. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. AND THEN [11.B. Sixty-Day Notice to Terminate Lease and License Agreement with Joseph Manson, Jr./Sarah Randolph Dated July 26, 2021, for Parking on a Parcel of Land Located Within a Public Alleyway Adjacent to 1602 N. Royal Avenue.] LAST ITEM THAT IS ON OUR BUSINESS ITEMS IS THE 60 DAY NOTICE TO TERMINATE LEASE ON LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH JOSEPH MANSON JUNIOR, SARAH RANDOLPH DATED JULY 26TH, 2021, HER PARKING ON A PARCEL LAND LOCATED WITHIN A PUBLIC ALLEYWAY ADJACENT TO 1602 NORTHWELL AVENUE. SO THE SUMMARY, AND, AND I BELIEVE PROBABLY SOME PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY HEARD PIECES OF THIS TONIGHT, BUT, UM, DURING THE OCTOBER 2ND WORK SESSION, COUNSEL WAS MADE AWARE BY STAFF THAT A LEASE AND LICENSE AGREEMENT DATED JULY 26TH, 2021, BETWEEN THE TOWN AND JOSEPH MANSON JR. SARAH RANDOLPH, 1602 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE WAS APPROVED BY COUNSEL AT THE TIME. HOWEVER, AFTER FURTHER REVIEW WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TOWN DID NOT POSSESS SUFFICIENT OWNERSHIP RIGHTS NECESSARY TO GRANT EXCLUSIVE USE TO ALLOW INDIVIDUALIZED PARKING ON A PUBLIC ALLEYWAY, IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE TOWN CAN AUTHORIZE ENCROACHMENTS IN AN ALLEYWAY IF DEEMED AN EXISTING STRUCTURE, NOTING THAT PARKING WAS NOT A STRUCTURE. COUNSEL HAS REQUESTED TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN ATTORNEY TO PROCEED WITH A 60 DAY NOTICE TO JOSEPH MANSON, JR. AND SARAH RANDOLPH 1602 NORTHWELL AVENUE TERMINATING THE LEASE AND LICENSE AGREEMENT DATED JULY 26TH, 2021. THE TOWN HAS WITH THEM FOR PARKING WITHIN A PUBLIC ALLEYWAY ADJACENT TO THEIR PROPERTY. SO COUNSEL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNSEL AUTHORIZED THE TOWN ATTORNEY TO PROCEED WITH A 60 DAY NOTICE TO JOSEPH MANSON, JR. AND SARAH RANDOLPH, 1602 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE TERMINATING THE LEASE LICENSE AGREEMENT DATED JULY 26TH, 2021. THE TOWN HAS WITH THEM FOR PARKING WITHIN A PUBLIC ALLEYWAY ADJACENT TO THEIR PROPERTY. SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION. AND SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SO, YES, UH, GO AHEAD. I, I'LL JUST ADD QUICKLY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT, IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO READ THAT, BUT, UH, IT, IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT, [01:55:01] UM, OUR ATTORNEY FELT WAS BASICALLY LEGAL AND, UH, THAT, UH, WE NEEDED TO CORRECT WHAT, UM, WAS PREVIOUSLY DONE. SO, UM, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU, MR. RAPPAPORT. AND SO THE MOTION IS A 60 DAY NOTICE, MR. SONNET, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ONCE, UM, YOU AUTHORIZE THAT, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE 60 DAYS TO, UH, TO NOT HAVE ANYTHING IN THAT PARKING AREA, CORRECT? UH, THAT'S CORRECT. UH, THE 60 DAY NOTICE COMES FROM THE AGREEMENT ITSELF. RIGHT. OKAY. SO I JUST KNOW EARLIER TONIGHT THERE WAS THAT, UM, MR. RANDOLPH HAD MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, TO HONOR THE 60 DAYS, WHICH MEANS THAT THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THIS MOTION IS, IS THAT WE GIVE THEM A 60 DAY NOTICE, CORRECT? YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT. CORRECT. AND ALSO DURING THAT TIME, TOWN MANAGER WILL BE TASKED WITH, UH, DETERMINING, UM, HOW TO PROCEED WITH THE ALLEY, UH, AS WELL. SO, UM, IF COUNSEL DOESN'T HAVE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, WE CAN. MS. MORRIS, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? OH, YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA ADD TO IT THAT I, YOU KNOW, AM SORRY FOR YOUR COMPLICATIONS AND THAT IS VERY HARD TO HEAR. UM, IT IS EXTREMELY HARD TO SIT ON THIS COUNCIL AND HAVE TO DECIPHER FACTS OVER FEELINGS BECAUSE A LOT OF DECISIONS CAN EASILY BECOME EMOTIONAL FOR US. AND I'M SORRY THAT, UM, THAT PORTION OF IT MAY MAKE US SEEM, YOU KNOW, ALMOST ROBOTIC OR WHATEVER, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION. SO IT'S REALLY HARD TO, YOU KNOW, SIT HERE AND WANNA OFFER EMPATHY TO YOU GUYS, UM, AND NOT BE ABLE TO DO SO. AND THIS, YOU KNOW, IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT ANOTHER ISSUE BROUGHT LIGHT TO A DIFFERENT ISSUE. AND I UNDERSTAND THE INCONVENIENCE OF THAT, AND I DO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. I MEAN, IT'S NOT A DECISION THAT WE WANT TO MAKE, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ON THIS COUNCIL WANTED THAT TO BE THE CASE. WE WERE JUST LOOKING FOR LEGAL ADVISEMENT AND GUIDANCE ON THAT. SO I DO APOLOGIZE TO YOU GUYS IF NO ONE ELSE HAS ANY OTHER COMMENTS, THEN MS. PRESLEY, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? COUNCIL MEDIDA. MONICA PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN ROGERS? YES. VICE MAYOR OCK? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. AND SINCE THAT IS THE LAST ITEM ON OUR, UM, AGENDA MEETING ADJOURNED, 9:00 PM. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.