[00:00:01]
WEEKEND.[Economic Development Authority on March 4, 2024.]
THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE TODAY, UH, FOR OUR MARCH 4TH, UH, MEETING OF FRONT ROLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, UH, HILLARY, WILL YOU DO ROLL CALL? RICHARD NOVA? HERE.THIS WOULD BE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LATE.
UH, CAN WE MOVE ON TO APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING ON FEBRUARY 5TH? CAN MAYBE HEAR A A, A MOTION FOR APPROVAL AND THEN WE'LL HAVE SOME DISCUSSION.
ALRIGHT, SO ANY DISCUSSION? YOU GUYS, UM, FEEL LIKE THIS REPRESENTS THE MEETING? WELL, ANY, UM, ANY EDITS OR ANYTHING ANYBODY WANTS TO SEE ALL HEARING? NONE.
ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY TO SAYING AYE A.
SO ON OLD BUSINESS, ALL AYE, I HEAR THE TOWN, UH, APPROVED OUR MOU, RIGHT? SO, UM, LAST MONDAY, UH, TOWN COUNCIL DID APPROVE THE MOU THAT BASICALLY STIPULATES THE OPERATION OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR FRIDA, WHICH IS A GREAT THING.
UM, ON THE NEXT, ON THE ITEM IS A REVISION OF OUR BYLAWS IN THE TOWN CODE OF CHAPTER 16.
I WAS HOPING TO HAVE A DRAFT OF THAT TODAY.
BUT MEETING WITH GEORGE SAUNA, UM, LEGAL ATTORNEY FROM TOWN, UH, WE'VE GOT A FEW MORE CHANGES WE NEED TO DO AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR BYLAWS CORRESPOND WITH STATE LAW.
AND SO I WILL BE BRINGING THAT BACK TO YOU AT THE NEXT MEETING FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL.
UM, SO DO WE EXECUTE THE MOU AHEAD OF THE BYLAWS? RIGHT? WE EXECUTE THE MOU, WHICH IS WHAT I'LL GET YOUR SIGNATURE TODAY, RICK, ON THE MOU.
AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, I HAD THOUGHT THAT IT WAS GONNA BE SOME MINOR CHANGES TO THE BYLAWS, BUT THEN ONCE WE GOT DOWN AND STARTED LOOKING AT STATE LAW AND SOME OTHER THINGS, WE NEED TO FIX THAT.
SO INSTEAD OF RUSHING THAT PROCESS, WHAT MY HOPE IS TO HAVE YOU A ROUGH DRAFT OF THE BYLAWS, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE WEEKS AND GIVE YOU, AT LEAST TRY TO GIVE YOU A WEEK BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING TO REVIEW AND, AND PROVIDE COMMENTS.
THE BYLAWS FOR THIS GROUP? CORRECT.
AND HOW THEY CONNECT TO TOWN CODE, RIGHT.
AND HOW THEY CONNECT TO TOWN CODE.
AND THEN ALSO, I NEED TO DO SOME, THERE'S NO CONCERN OF FRIDA, BUT I NEED TO CHANGE SOME OF THE CODE SECTION IN CHAPTER 16 FOR FRIDA.
SO IT'S JUST A LITTLE CLEANUP ON BOTH ENDS, UH, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY MOVING FORWARD, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO, UH, ITEM C, CONTINUED GOAL SETTING.
SO IN OUR WORK SESSION MEETING, WE HAD THE CONVERSATION OF WHERE WE KIND OF STACK RANKED THE GOALS THAT HAD COME OUT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, WE TALKED ABOUT ADDING GOALS TO THOSE BUCKETS.
UM, WE HAD ALSO DISCUSSED WHERE YOU GUYS, THE GROUP WAS WELCOME TO SEND ME ANYTHING THAT THEY WANTED TO ADD.
UM, AND I DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY FEEDBACK ON ANY OF THAT, SO LET'S DO IT IN THE ROOM.
SO, UM,
UH, IF THERE'S ONE THAT'S JUMPING AT YOU REAL QUICKLY THAT YOU WANNA ADD, I'M PREPARED TO TAKE NOTES.
AND OF COURSE, HILLARY IS, IS TAKING AWESOME MINUTES FOR US, SO, UM, DON'T BE SHY.
WE KNEW THAT THE THING FROM, IT'S ESSENTIALLY PAGE THREE HERE.
IT'S RIGHT BEFORE THE SAID STUFF.
HEY, TOM, IT'S GOT A TREE AT THE TOP,
UM, SO WE KNEW THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WAS NOT GONNA BE COMPREHENSIVE WHEN IT CAME TO OUR GOALS.
WE JUST KNEW THAT IT WAS GONNA BE A PIECE OF IT.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW WE FILL IN THOSE GAPS.
UM, WHAT WE MIGHT AS WELL JUST GO DOWN THE LIST SINCE NO ONE SEEMS MM-HMM,
UH, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THE ONE THAT CAME OUT OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WAS CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF THE INLAND COURT AS IT RELATES TO THE TOWN.
LET'S TALK ABOUT OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE GOALS.
SO, UH, PARKING IS ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT, SO I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT AND, AND COME UP WITH SOME SORT OF RECOMMENDATION MOVING FORWARD AFTER WE STUDY IT.
[00:05:01]
IS THAT, I MEAN, SO WE LOOKING, I KNOW THAT THERE IS A 2019 PARKING STUDY THAT EXISTS, CORRECT? SO WE ARE, LOOK, WHEN YOU SAY PARKING, YOU ARE SAYING PARKING IN THE DOWNTOWN.YES, I SHOULD HAVE DEFINED THAT.
I THINK THAT OUR FIRST STEP WOULD BE TO PUSH THE BOARD A STUDY THAT WAS DONE IN 2019 THAT WAS A PRELIMINARY COUNT OF WHAT PARKING DEMAND WAS IN THE AREA, AS WELL AS THE, THE VISION OF RECREATING WHAT'S OVER ON THIS SIDE OF MAIN STREET OVER ON THE JACKSON SIDE, WHICH I THINK IS TRULY WHERE THE REALITY SHOULD BE.
SO YEAH, WE CAN, AS A FOLLOW-UP FROM THIS MEETING, WE CAN SEND THE 2019 PARKING
DO YOU KNOW, IT SUMMARIZED WHAT IT SAID, LIKE, IS THERE ANY PARKING GARAGE DOWNTOWN, OR DO WE HOLD CAPACITY OR THE, THE TRAFFIC COUNCILS.
AND I, I HADN'T BEEN A WHILE SINCE I READ THE REPORT, BUT IT DIDN'T SHOW THE DEMAND THAT WHAT THE CITIZENS SAY THERE IS, BUT IT DID SHOW THE DIVISION SHOULD BE TO REPLICATE WHAT YOU HAVE ON THIS SIDE OVER ON THE JACKSON, JACKSON SIDE.
I MEAN, I THINK A LOT OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE 2019.
AND SO, UH, IT WILL GIVE US A BENCHMARK FROM 2019 THAT WE CAN MAYBE READ INTO, YOU KNOW, THE THING, THE, YOU KNOW, UH, IMPROVEMENTS IF YOU SEE 'EM THAT WAY TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, A HIGHER DEMAND FOR PARKING.
I MEAN, LATER ON TODAY WE'LL GET INTO, UM, UH, A THING THAT WE PARTICIPATED IN ACROSS THE STREET THAT I MENTIONED TO YOU GUYS ABOUT THE MURPHY THEATER.
UM, BUT, BUT ANYWAY, THERE I, IN MY OPINION, I THINK THAT, UM, OUR COMMUNITY IS POISED TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN BEING HERE AND, AND WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT.
ANY OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE GOALS OR COMMENTS? I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME ANALYSIS ON TRAFFIC FLOW AS TO DO WE HAVE THE ADEQUATE TURNING LANES TO ACCOMMODATE VEHICLES COMING FROM OUR INDUSTRIAL PARK OUT ON HAPPY CREEK ROAD? DO WE HAVE THE KIND OF ANALYZING THE TRAFFIC FLOW OF THE, THE 18 WHEELERS AND HOW IT'S IMPACTING US? I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES IT CAN BE A LITTLE STRENUOUS ON THE TURNING LANES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST LOOK AT IT, SEE IF THERE'S A WAY WE CAN IMPROVE UPON 'EM, EITHER THROUGH LAND ACQUISITION OR MAKING TURNING LANES BACK FURTHER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO I BELIEVE THE SOUTH STREET, THE ENTRANCE THAT CORRIDOR WORK FROM JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY ALL THE WAY OVER TO, UH, ROYAL AVENUE, ANY IMPROVEMENTS THAT COULD BE DONE THERE? SO ANECDOTAL, UH, ANECDOTALLY IDENTIFY TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS IN TOWN THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED.
WELL, FROM THE TOP OF THE HILL AT THE TOWN LIMITS ON 55 AT ANY GIVEN 90 MINUTE WINDOW DURING THE AFTERNOON, UH, IT CAN, YOU CAN SIT THROUGH THAT LEACH'S, RUN STOPLIGHT THREE OR FOUR TIMES.
IT, IT CAN TAKE AS ALMOST 20 MINUTES JUST TO GET DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL AT JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY.
WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM THERE THAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT, BUT BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON ANYBODY'S PLAN OR ANYBODY'S AGENDA, BUT ACTUALLY FILMED IT AND AFTER ABOUT 16 MINUTES, I STILL HAD NOT MADE IT TO THE RADIO STATION YET.
AND THAT'S PRETTY TYPICAL ANY AFTERNOON AT AROUND THE QUARTER TO FOUR DURING PEAK DEMAND OR WHATEVER.
ANYWAY, I, I, I THINK THAT WE, WE ARE A BODY THAT NEEDS TO HELP IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, SHORTCOMINGS IN OUR TOWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS AND, UH, ANYWAY.
TOM, WOULD YOU SAY, EXCUSE ME, I'M, MY VOICE IS A LITTLE SORE, SO FORGIVE MY RASPY SPEECH.
WHO WERE YOU ROOTING FOR THIS WEEKEND? WERE YOU AT A CONFERENCE? THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
UM, NOW I JUST WANT TO ASK, SO WOULD YOU SAY SPECIFICALLY A COMMERCIAL TRUCK ROUTE ISSUE OR JUST A, A RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ISSUE? I THINK WE'VE GOT AN INDUSTRIAL PARK OUT AT HAPPY CREEK.
THAT'S A LITTLE EMPTY RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY FACILITIES AND BUILDINGS, BUT IF, IF THE RIGHT KIND OF COMPANY COMES IN THAT COULD GENERATE ADDITIONAL TRUCK TRAFFIC, I'M NOT SURE.
OUR HAPPY CREEK CORRIDOR, I KNOW THERE'S PLANS DOWN THE ROAD TO DO SOME SORT OF A CONNECTOR ROAD, UM, OVER INTO THE BEAN CROSBY AREA,
[00:10:01]
THE OLD STADIUM.BUT ULTIMATELY, RIGHT NOW, I JUST DON'T THINK HAPPY CREEK ROAD IS VERY ACCOMMODATING TO THE RESIDENTIAL TRAFFIC AS WELL AS TRACTOR TRAILER.
IT'S NOT HEAVY NOW, BUT I'M JUST LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD AS OBVIOUSLY HAPPY CREEK INDUSTRIAL PARK AT ONE POINT IN TIME IS GONNA GET FULL AGAIN.
AND, UM, IT'S OBVIOUSLY AN INDUSTRIAL PARK.
SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE FIND FUTURE FOLKS TO OCCUPY SOME OF THOSE FACILITIES, SOME OF THOSE COMPANIES COULD BE GENERATING QUITE A BIT OF TRUCK TRAFFIC.
AND I'M NOT SURE WE ACCOMMODATE IT VERY EFFECTIVELY.
SOME PRETTY, THERE'S SOME PRETTY TOUGH TURNS ON HAPPY CREEK ROAD FROM WHERE WE STOPPED THE WIDENING PROCESS UP TO THE LEACHES RUN PARKWAY, UM, VERY TIGHT ROAD.
AND NOW, I DON'T KNOW, IF YOU DON'T TRAVEL AT A LOT, UM, IT, YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE CONCERNING.
AND THEN EVEN OUR TURNING LANES DOWN ON WHERE SIXTH STREET, UH, MATT RUNS UP TO ROYAL AVENUE, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACCOMMODATE A TRACTOR TRAILER OR MAKE A TURN THERE.
I'VE SEEN IT BE COMMERCE AVENUE.
COMMERCE, I'M SORRY, SAID WRONG.
SO THERE, THERE'S JUST, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IS IT A MAJOR, MAJOR PROBLEM? NO, BUT IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR FUTURE GROWTH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, DOWN THE ROAD AND THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY OR MAKE ADJUSTMENTS OR SOMETHING IN A FIVE OR 10 YEAR PLAN, I THINK WE OUGHT BE ADDRESSING THAT.
JUST LIKE, LIKE I SAID, THE, THE SOUTH, THE, THE CORRIDOR FROM THE TOP OF TOWN LIMITS THERE, ABOVE LEACH'S RUN PARKWAY INTO TOWN.
THERE'S NOTHING ON THE PLAN RIGHT NOW TO ACCOMMODATE THAT YET.
ANY WEEKEND IN OCTOBER IS A MESS.
AND THEN ANY GIVEN AFTERNOON, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY WHEN SCHOOL WAS IN SESSION, UM, OR GOSH FORGET, THERE'S A MAJOR SPORTING ACTIVITY RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL OR SOMETHING INTERMIXED WITH THE DC COMMUNITY TRAFFIC.
I MEAN, NOT TO MENTION THE JACKSON FURNITURE TRUCK DRIVERS WOULD PROBABLY LOVE CORRECT.
TO, UH, HAVE A BETTER TURN AT RADIUS AT SIXTH STREET OR YEAH, THAT'S SIXTH STREET.
BUT DEFINITELY ROYAL WOULD BE A DEF NO, YOU, YOU GOTTA BE THERE AND WITNESS IT, DAVID.
SIX OH COMMERCE IS, IS NOT OKAY.
THEY, THEY, THEY GO WAY OUT AND YEAH, THERE'S PROPERTIES THERE FOR SALE RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S AN OFFER ON 'EM YET, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE REASONABLY PRICED PROPERTY, MAINLY BECAUSE THEY REQUIRE SO MUCH REPAIR, BUT A TRACTOR TRAILER TO MAKE THAT RIGHT HAND TURN HAS TO TAKE UP TWO WHOLE LANES.
THERE'S A, A LEFT HAND TURNING LANE THAT THEY CAN'T MAKE THE TURN UNLESS THEY'RE ABLE TO TAKE UP THE LEFT HAND TURNING LANE.
IF YOU WERE IN A DRIVER'S ED CAR A LOT, YOU'D LIST THE WITNESS
SO THERE, THERE ARE SOME TOUGH MOMENTS.
I MEAN, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, WE'RE GETTING TOO, TOO, YEAH.
ANY OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE THOUGHTS? I WILL, I JUST WANTED TO INTERJECT A FEW LITTLE THINGS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THE SIXTH STREET COMMERCE, UM, INTERSECTION, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL HAS DISCUSSED THAT IS POSSIBLY ADDING A THIRD LANE BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF, IF WE BUILD A EAST WEST CONNECTOR THAT'S GONNA CONNECT FROM CHAND SHORE ROAD OVER TO MANASSAS, ALL THAT'S GONNA DO IS FLOOD MORE TRAFFIC INTO THAT INTERSECTION AT SIX AND COMMERCE.
SO I THINK THESE ARE ALL RELEVANT OF TRANSPORTATION STUDIES.
I THINK OVERALL THE TOWN NEEDS TO DO AN OVERALL TRANSPORTATION PLAN TO LOOK AT THOSE CHOKE POINTS SUCH AS JOHN MARSHALL, UH, SOUTH STREET AS WELL DURING, UH, DURING THE LEAF PEAKERS.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, WE DO HAVE SOME CHOKE POINTS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AND PRIORITIZE AND START WORKING.
I WILL TELL YOU THE HAPPY CREEK WE DID HAPPY CREEK PHASE ONE BACK IN, UM, I WANNA SAY EARLY 2002, TWO 2005, 2006, UH, WE STILL HAVE PHASE TWO TO DO, WHICH IS THAT S CURVE THAT COMES UP TO LEACH RUN.
AND THEN WE HAVE PHASE THREE THAT GOES BEYOND THAT TO THE CORPORATE LIMITS.
AND THEN PHASE FOUR, WHICH WAS ALREADY COMPLETED ON THE COUNTY SIDE.
SO WE'RE STILL GOING AFTER THAT PHASE TWO AND THREE.
BUT IT IS CRITICAL, UM, TO GET DONE BEFORE ANY, ANY MORE MAJOR DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS OUT THERE NEXT
SO WHAT WE CAME OUT, I MEAN, THERE'S THREE OTHERS TOO THAT I GUESS AT LEAST NEED TO BE, AND WE LEARNED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF IT.
BUT OBVIOUSLY ANYTHING COMING IN HERE, INTERNET, WATER, ELECTRICITY, YOU KNOW, AND WHETHER WE HAVE, I, I REMEMBER, UH, THE GENTLEMAN FROM WATER SAYING THAT THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE CAPACITY TO TAKE ON THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER.
BUT THEN THERE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PEOPLE THAT SORT OF CONCERNS ABOUT, UM,
[00:15:01]
THE DOMINION POWER PLANT THEY NEED THERE, THERE'S SOMETHING IN THEIR CONTRACT, I GUESS THAT THEY NEED PREVENT WATER SUPPLY AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.SO THERE'S, WHEN'S THAT GONNA BE FINISHED? RIGHT? THE REDUNDANT WATER SUPPLY, THE REDUNDANT WATER LINE RIGHT NOW, WE'VE HIT A FEW DELAYS.
WE'RE EXPECTING THAT TO BE DONE HOPEFULLY BY JUNE OF THIS YEAR.
UM, I WILL SAY THERE'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT WE WILL BE BRIEFING COUNSEL ON IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS, WHICH IS A WATER, ANNUAL WATER SUPPLY PLAN THAT BASICALLY TALKS ABOUT HOW MUCH AVAILABILITY WATER WE HAVE IN THE TOWN AND IN THE OTHER AREAS THAT MAY HAVE RESTRICTIONS SUCH AS PUMPS AND OTHER, UH, THINGS.
SO THAT WILL BE IN THE FOREFRONT IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS AS WELL.
SO WILL, WILL YOU SHARE THAT WITH US AFTER YOU SHARE IT WITH YOUR TOWN? YEAH, I WILL.
I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK IT WOULD HELP US.
I MEAN, HECK, I PUT, I SAW THESE DOWNSTAIRS ON, I MEAN, I THINK THIS BOARD, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO BE EDUCATED ON ALL EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN THE TOWN, WHETHER IT'S IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPHERE OR NOT, BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD KNOW, RIGHT? WE'RE IN THIS BUILDING AND YOU CAN STRAIGHTEN SOMEBODY OUT ON, YOU KNOW, I'LL BE BIASED HERE, WINNING THE FESTIVAL LEAVES IS THIS YEAR, UH,
UM, YEAH, BECAUSE ANY ASK ANY, THAT'S GONNA CREATE A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF LIABILITY AS WELL.
SO IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE IT'S, YOU KNOW, CONSTANT GIVE AND TAKE.
SO JUST HAVE TO BE MINDFUL SINCE WE'RE IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
I WAS JUST WANTING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE ALSO NEED TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, IN THE SPHERE OF CONSIDERATION ANYWAY AND, AND MAYBE HAVE SOME FACTS AND FIGURES, UM, WHICH MAY COME ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, WHAT
IT WAS LIKE, WHAT IS THAT GONNA DO TO OUR RESOURCE? YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO, AND I, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, TO THOMAS'S THING IS, IS, YOU KNOW, WE GOT THE TRANSPORTATION ASPECT OF IT.
HOW DO THEY COME IN? BUT DO WE HAVE ENOUGH TO PROVIDE THEM WHAT THEY NEED? MM-HMM.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, IS THAT SOMETHING WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THAT UNITY, LIKE A CAPACITY CHART OF SOME SORT.
UM, SO I'M NOT CERTAIN ON A CAPACITY CHART, BUT I DO KNOW THAT PART OF THE PROCESS WHEN SOMETHING IS SOMETHING NEW IS COMING, IS THAT THE PART OF THAT INITIATION IT GOES TO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS FOR COMMENTS SPECIFICALLY WHERE THEY HAVE QUESTIONS AROUND WHAT THE CAPACITY NEEDS ARE, UM, QUESTIONS AROUND WHAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE HAS TO COME FROM EACH DEPARTMENT, HOW THEY'RE GONNA MEET THOSE NEEDS.
I'M NOT CERTAIN IF THERE'S SOMETHING AHEAD OF TIME, IT'S LIKE A REFERENCE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE CHECKS ON THAT AS AS THE PROCESS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF, OF BRINGING SOMETHING IN.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY EVEN HAVE A JOINT TOWN AND COUNTY COMMITTEE THAT MEETS ONCE A MONTH WITH THE HEADS OF ALL OF THOSE PERTINENT DEPARTMENTS.
IS THAT HAPPENING AFTER WE GET AN INQUIRY THEN PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE, YES.
SO WE GET AN INQUIRY AND THEN IT COULD GO MONTHS AND THEN SUDDENLY THERE'S A, THERE'S A RED BALL.
I MEAN, LIKE WE'RE THINKING ABOUT A FOOD PROCESSING PLANT IN YOUR AREA.
DO YOU HAVE WATER CAPACITY? THAT'S WHEN WE START ASKING THOSE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
ABOUT WHAT, AND A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THEY'RE MAKING THOSE INQUIRIES, THEY ALREADY KNOW WHAT THOSE NEEDS ARE.
SO IT'S A LOT EASIER TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY'RE PROVIDING, UM, AND SAY, YES, WE CAN MEET THAT, OR YES, WE CAN WITH CONDITIONS.
UM, IT, IT'S A LITTLE MORE CHALLENGING BECAUSE THERE'S NEVER A ONE SIZE FITS ALL FOR ANY OF THESE THINGS.
AM I CLOSE? YEAH, YOU'RE VERY CLOSE.
I WENT TO THAT DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE LAST WEEK AND I DID PAY ATTENTION.
I DIDN'T TALK, BUT I DID PAY ATTENTION.
ANYTHING ELSE REGARDING INFRASTRUCTURE? WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK TO IT IF WE FEEL WE NEED TO.
LET'S TALK ABOUT EXISTING BUSINESSES.
SO WE HAD THE CONVERSATION LAST WEEK ABOUT STARTING THAT DIALOGUE AND CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS WITH EXISTING BUSINESSES.
IE HAVING A SURVEY WAS PART OF THAT.
UM, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT SENDING SURVEY QUESTIONS.
UM, I DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY OF THOSE EITHER, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
UH, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE ROOM OR WE CAN GENERATE A LIST AND TALK ABOUT IT OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING.
ANY OTHER EXISTING BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, CREATING A DIRECTORY OF INCENTIVE RESOURCES AND I WANNA COME BACK TO THAT ONE LATER.
UM, AND THEN PARTNERING WITH A BUY LOCAL CAMPAIGN THAT ENCOURAGES RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO SHOP LOCALLY.
[00:20:01]
THAT THAT WAS NOT NECESSARILY IN OUR WHEELHOUSE, BUT JUST SUPPORT IT, UM, IN ANY WAY THAT WE COULD PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY DO.DO YOU THINK WE COULD FIND SOMEBODY ELSE'S SURVEY THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, TAILOR TO OUR NEEDS? RIGHT.
I MEAN RATHER THAN TRY AND BUILD IT FROM THE BEGINNING OR FROM THE GROUND UP, LET'S, YES, LET'S TRY AND FIND SOMEBODY'S SURVEY AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ADD QUESTIONS OR PULL OUT QUESTIONS THAT DON'T APPLY TO OUR COMMUNITY.
I DID SEE WHERE A MUNICIPALITY, TWO YEARS AGO, WE DID SOMETHING VERY, VERY SIMILAR NEAR US.
UM, I'LL REACH OUT TO THEM AND SEE IF THEY'RE WILLING TO SHARE IT.
'CAUSE I DID CHECK AND IT WASN'T LIVE ANYMORE, SO I COULDN'T DO IT.
THAT YORK PLACE THAT DID THAT THING WAS, I'M NOT SURE.
BUT ANYWAY, I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK JUST, I MEAN, AND WE ARE ALL FREE TO LOOK FOR THIS INFORMATION AND BRING IT TO THE BOARD AS WELL.
SO THIS DOESN'T ALL FALL ON STAFF.
SO ONE THING THAT WAS KIND OF ENLIGHTENING, I MISSED THE LAST MEETING, BUT MEETING BEFORE THAT WAS WHEN WE DISCUSSED, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY WE GO TO THE 66 CORRIDOR FROM A TOWN RESPONSIBILITY STANDPOINT.
SO OUR FOCUS IS NOT REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF 66.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IF WE'RE TRYING TO ACQUIRE A FRANCHISED OPPORTUNITY, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT THE RELATIONSHIP OF, WELL WHAT, HOW MUCH TRAFFIC IS AVAILABLE ON THIS SIDE OF TOWN VERSUS THAT SIDE OF TOWN.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T OFFER THE 66 INTERCHANGE, BUT YOU KNOW, IF I AM TRYING TO ACQUIRE A FRANCHISEE AND WE HAVE EMPTY SPACE HERE ON SOUTH STREET OR WHEREVER THE CASE MAY BE, FIRST THING YOU'RE GONNA LOOK AT IS THAT TRAFFIC.
SO WHY SHOULD I FOCUS HERE WHEN THAT OPPORTUNITY OUT THERE, DO WE HAVE ANY KIND OF A COMPARISON AS TO WHAT WE COMPETE AGAINST FROM THE LAND VALUE OUT THERE OR THE OPPORTUNITY? UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S EVEN EXISTING OUT THERE, HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE? SO I KNOW THAT ALL THE PROJECTS THAT I'M INVOLVED IN ON THE QUARTER, THEY ARE, THEY NORMALLY DO WHAT THEY CALL TIA TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS.
AND, AND, AND TO ME THAT IS WHAT YOU USE YOUR BASIS GOING FORWARD AS YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER, LIKE THEY'RE BUILDING A NEW HOTEL UP THERE AND THEY HAD TO DO A TIA.
AND SO I THINK FOR ME, I LOOK BACK ON PAST ANALYSIS TO SEE WHAT THE FUTURE CAN HOLD AND WHAT THAT IMPACT IS.
UM, BUT A LOT OF TIMES YOU NEED INVOLVEMENT REQUIRED TO DO THAT OR BDOT WILL REQUIRE THEM TO DO THAT TO DETERMINE THE TRIP COUNT AND CAN THOSE ROADS HANDLE AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED.
UM, BUT FAR WISE THERE'S AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT'S INSIDE THE CORPORATE LIMIT.
AND OUT THERE I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THAT AVAILABLE, BUT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TO PROVIDE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WELL, I, I JUST DIDN'T THINK IF WE ARE GONNA ATTRACT SOMEONE, THEY'RE GONNA WANNA KNOW HOW MANY FOLKS ARE COMING IN ON THE 55 CORRIDOR INTO TOWN.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S AT A GREAT HIGH IN LATE SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, BUT, UH, JUST CURIOUS.
WE CAN SIT THERE AND RECRUIT AS MUCH AS WE WANT AND TALK, BUT IF WE CAN'T PROVIDE THEM WITH THE, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE AVAILABLE INFORMATION, WELL WHY SHOULD I COME HERE IF THAT OPPORTUNITY IS OUT THERE? YOU KNOW? BUT JUST THINKING OUT LOUD.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY, UM, SOUNDS LIKE WE NEED TO PUT TOGETHER A SURVEY THAT HAS QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN ASK THESE DIFFERENT COMPANIES THAT ARE HERE.
AND I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WOULD RELATE TO OTHER THAN ARE YOU GETTING WATER, INTERNET, ELECTRICITY, JUST ARE YOUR BASIC NEEDS MET? WHAT ARE YOU DISSATISFIED WITH? YEAH.
WHAT ARE YOU DISSATISFIED? I MEAN, HOW COULD, HOW COULD THINGS BE? HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE? WHAT, ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS? RIGHT? YEAH.
WHAT ARE YOU HAPPY WITH? WERE YOU DISSATISFIED WITH WHAT ELSE? YEAH, I MEAN, HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT EXPANDING IN THE LAST YEAR? YEAH.
IF YOU HAVEN'T, WHY NOT? IF YOU HAVE BUT YOU HAVEN'T ACTUALLY EXPANDED, WHAT STOPPED YOU? I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS BEFORE WE HAD, I THINK YOU CAN BROADEN IT TO, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF GENERAL STAKEHOLDER QUESTIONS AS WELL.
LIKE HOW LONG, HOW LONG HAVE YOU DONE BUSINESS IN FRONT ROYAL? WHAT INITIALLY DROVE YOU TO DO BUSINESS IN FRONT ROYAL? IF YOU WERE TO MAKE THAT, WOULD YOU MAKE THAT SAME CHOICE AGAIN TODAY? UM, BACKGROUND QUESTIONS LIKE THAT I THINK CAN BE GOOD AS WELL.
WE'VE GOT NUMEROUS NEW BUSINESSES THAT HAVE RECENTLY OPENED UP.
WHY DID THEY CHOOSE WHAT THEY CHOSE? YEAH.
WAS IT THE RENT, WAS IT THE LOCATION? WAS IT, YOU KNOW, ACCESSIBILITY TO NORTHERN VIRGINIA? I DUNNO, I'D BE KIND OF CURIOUS.
I WON'T, I WON'T PLUG THEM, BUT I, I CAN THINK OF THREE DIFFERENT PLACES THAT HAVE RECENTLY OPENED UP THE PAST SIX MONTHS.
UM, I'D BE CURIOUS AS TO WHY THEY SELECTED WHAT THEY SELECTED.
[00:25:01]
THE OTHER DAY THAT PLANNING AND ZONING HELPED FACILITATE OVER 130 NEW BUSINESS LICENSES LAST YEAR.SOME OF THOSE ARE HOME OCCUPATIONS OF COURSE, BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE NOT.
I I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU COMPARE IT TO, BUT IF WE COULD KNOW WHAT THE FIVE YEAR TREND WAS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE MIGHT BE TO GET THAT.
SO YEAH, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THAT.
'CAUSE WE'RE AVERAGING ABOUT 10 TO 12 BUSINESS LICENSE A MONTH, SO YEAH, WE CAN GET THAT DATA FOR YOU AS WELL.
SO IF I, SO JUST AS A THOUGHT, IF I WAS A NEW BUSINESS, I WAS COMING TO TOWN AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOMETHING THERE THAT DETERRED ME.
IS THERE, IS THERE LIKE A RECORD OR ANY SORT OF, YOU KNOW, KEEPING OF THOSE REASONS WHY MAYBE BUSINESSES THEN, YOU KNOW, LIKE I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT A MAJOR FOOD CHAIN ONCE THAT WAS TRYING TO COME AND THEY, THEY HAD A COMPLICATION BASED ON A WATER RESOURCE OR SOMETHING, OR I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE REAL STORY WAS THERE.
UM, BUT LIKE, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WOULD GIVE US SOME OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, MICRO DETAILS OF LIKE WHY PEOPLE SAID NO.
LIKE, OH HEY, YOU KNOW, I'M BRINGING IN THIS, THIS NEW THING, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO, THEY DIDN'T ALLOW ME TO DO X, Y, AND Z.
LIKE, IS THERE ANY, BECAUSE LIKE IF I HAD SOMETHING THAT, LIKE AS A BUSINESS THAT I WOULD COMPARE THAT TO, WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS THAT YEAH, LIKE WHAT'S A BARRIER? 'CAUSE I WOULDN'T WANT TO GO TO SOMEBODY AND GET 'EM ABOUT 60% OF THE WAY INTO REALLY THINKING THAT THIS IS A GOOD IDEA AND THEN GO, WELL X, Y AND Z ARE GONNA PREVENT YOU.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, IS THERE ANY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE ONLY GETTING, YOU KNOW, THIS 15 OR 12 A MONTH, YOU KNOW, WHAT ABOUT THE ONES YOU'RE NOT THAT, THAT DON'T, THAT DON'T GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS? LIKE THEY DON'T FINALIZE IT OR YOU THINK OF LIKE A LIST OF PREVIOUS PITFALLS THAT OTHER COMPANIES HAVE YEAH.
HAND COME ACROSS THAT IF PEOPLE COME IN AND THEN THEY SAY, HEY, I'M, I'M, YOU KNOW, IT DIDN'T WORK.
SO WE WOULD KNOW, HEY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO REASON TO.
THAT'S A PRETTY SIMPLE BEAT UP AGAINST SLOPE THOUGH, TOO.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT JUST RUSH IN NO PLAN, NO, NO CAPITAL, NO, LOTS OF THINGS.
AND THEN THEY FALL APART BECAUSE THEY, THEY JUST WEREN'T REALLY PUT TOGETHER RIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO, I MEAN, IT IS, IT IS KIND OF, IT'S HARD.
I MEAN, I KNOW FROM, FROM ON THE FOOD SIDE OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT I'VE RUN INTO SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT HIT STUMBLING BLOCKS HERE OR THERE, WHATEVER.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UM, NOT RESTAURANTS.
THESE PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE FOOD.
WELL, IT'S A, IT YOU, YOU DON'T GO DOWN THE SAME AVENUE THAT I TOOK.
IT'S A DIFFERENT, IT'S A DIFFERENT ROAD.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IS SORT OF THIS BIG OVERLYING THING, BUT WITHIN THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THEN THERE'S USTA AND THEN ALL THESE OTHER THINGS.
AND SO THESE FOLKS NEED TO KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO.
AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY JUST DON'T BECAUSE THEY, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A YOUNG STARTUP, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT PANERA, YOU KNOW, BUT IF IT'S A YOUNG STARTUP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEY'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE A LOT OF THIS STUFF OUT AND THERE, THERE ISN'T ANSWERS.
AND YEARS AGO WE DID PUT TOGETHER A KIND OF A SMALL ROADMAP TO GET PEOPLE KIND OF THROUGH, YOU KNOW, UM, AT LEAST TO BE ABLE TO CLEAR THE FIRST COUPLE HURDLES, LIZ, IS THAT WHAT, UM, THE DIRECTORY OF INCENTIVE RESOURCES IS? OR IS THAT MORE ABOUT TAX REBATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT? UH, HELPFUL.
WELL, IT SAYS, AND IT GOES ON TO SAY, AND OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES.
I MEAN, WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION HERE ABOUT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL CALL IT A NEW BUSINESS STARTUP TOOLBOX.
RIGHT? AND WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS? YOU KNOW, LIKE, HEY, I WANNA START A NEW BUSINESS.
MY PERSONAL BELIEF IS THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE, UH, UH, VERY EARLY ON FOR US.
I THINK THAT IS A TOOL THAT YOU BILL ONCE REVISIT OFTEN TO ENSURE ITS ACCURACY AND THEN LET IT RUN.
I ACTUALLY SAW A REALLY GREAT EXAMPLE OF ONE THAT I WANT TO BUILD FOR US.
UM, BUT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT ANOTHER TIME.
NO, WHAT, BUT, BUT TO YOUR POINT, YOU'RE GETTING 15 APPLICATIONS A MONTH, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO LET'S START TRYING TO SERVICE THOSE FOLKS BY DIRECTING THEM TO THIS MM-HMM.
THAT, AND IT'LL MAKE STAFF'S JOB EASIER BECAUSE HOPEFULLY THE THE PEOPLE WILL COME IN BETTER PREPARED.
WE HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE DOING A FAVOR TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT PREPARED BY, YOU KNOW, SAYING, HEY, DO YOU HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN? DO YOU HAVE
I THINK SO OFTEN THERE'S A LOT OF RESOURCES OUT THERE THAT DON'T EVEN COST THEM ANYTHING, BUT FOLKS DON'T KNOW THEY EXIST.
SO IF WE CAN HELP CONNECT THAT, THAT'S KIND OF BIG.
AND JUST ESPECIALLY FOR A YOUNG, YOUNG BUSINESS PERSON ABSOLUTELY.
[00:30:01]
AND DO THAT.I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SPA IS A WONDERFUL RESOURCES.
I LIKE THE IDEA WHAT NICK SAID ABOUT THE SURVEY, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT THAT WOULD WEED OUT SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE ONES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, HEY, IT'S THIS OR THAT, BUT IT'S THE ONES THAT ANSWER THE SURVEY WITH, HEY, THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS INFRASTRUCTURE OR THIS PURPOSE, OR THOSE WOULD BE WHERE WE'D CATCH SOME OF THAT GOLD.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I LIKE A, YOU KNOW, HEY, A FOLLOW UP SURVEY AFTER YOU DO INTERACTION OR SOMETHING.
THE MERIT OF THAT SURVEY EXACTLY.
IS THAT IT'S, YOU'RE, WE'RE GONNA GET, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA GET A LOT OF CRITICISM, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHY I'M FAILING THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER.
UM, BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE GONNA GET SOME, SOME STUFF TOO THAT WILL HELP US, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THOSE NUGGETS OF, OF GOLD THAT'LL BE LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS GREAT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I, I COULD, I COULD TALK FOR DAYS ABOUT THE, THE CYCLICAL NATURE OF MY INDUSTRY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YOU KNOW, YOU'VE SAID, OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S LABOR DAY.
WHY IS EVERYBODY CLOSED? YOU KNOW? WELL, YOU'RE NOT IN MY INDUSTRY.
YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST LIKE, THERE'S A BUNCH OF PEOPLE HERE.
WHY CAN'T, WHY ISN'T EVERY RESTAURANT OPEN? YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, I GET THAT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M IN THE SAME POSITION.
I'M DOWN THERE AND I'M, I'M NOT SEEING THE TRAFFIC THAT YOU'RE SEEING.
YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN ANOTHER PART OF TOWN, WHATEVER, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW.
SO THE MORE WE HEAR BACK FROM PEOPLE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME USEFUL KNOWLEDGE IN TERMS OF, UH, THINGS.
AND THEN WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SAY, OKAY, HOW DO WE TURN THE CLOCK BACK? HOW DO WE GET SOME INTEREST IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY AND MARCH IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT WILL BENEFIT EVERYBODY, NOT JUST A RESTAURANT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT, EVERYONE KIND OF HUNKER DOWN IN THE WINTER.
IT IS, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT SINCE WE WERE NOMADS, YOU KNOW,
UM, AND, AND SO IT, IT'S, IT, IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TRYING TO CREATE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT THAT WILL BRING SOMEBODY OUT? WHAT CAN WE DO, YOU KNOW, UM, TO MAKE THIS, YOU KNOW, TOM POINTED OUT, I, I THINK THE SUCCESS OF THE, UH, THE, THE CHRISTMAS, YOU KNOW, THING WE HAD DOWNTOWN, UM, AND I KNOW YOU DID A LOT OF THAT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ALREADY.
RIGHT? I MEAN, A LOT OF THAT KIND OF STUFF WAS INVOLVED IN THAT, LIKE THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO WHEN WE HAVE THOSE ANSWERS, I THINK IT'S MORE ON THE BUSINESS ASPECT OF IT, RIGHT? YEAH.
I THINK WE WANNA BE MORE TARGETED YEAH.
UH, WITH OUR QUESTIONS AND WITH OUR AUDIENCE TOO.
AND MAYBE LIKE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS THROW THAT IN THERE, LIKE THE THREE OR FOUR ON EACH TOPIC, AND JUST GET THEM TO KNOCK THE BOX AND THEN YEAH.
KEEP US WITHIN A ORGANIZED FRAME.
I MEAN, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN JUST TO, YOU KNOW, GO BACK.
IT'S OPINIONS OF, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS.
UM, IT'S A RESOURCE, BUT NOT A ROADMAP.
BUT ON THIS, ON THIS THOUGHT, IT WOULD JUST BE MORE TARGETED TOWARDS, HEY, YOU KNOW, YOU INTERACTED ABOUT OWNING A BUSINESS OR STARTING A BUSINESS.
WE HAVE A FEW THINGS IN HERE THAT WE'D LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR SITUATION.
WE'D LIKE TO JUST HAVE THESE UNDERSTANDINGS SO THAT WE COULD COME BACK TO KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO AS A GROUP.
AND I THINK IT WOULD HELP US FORMULATE SOME OF THIS.
ANY OTHER EXISTING BUSINESS PIECES.
I MEAN, THAT'S A BIG ONE, BUT I THINK IT'S A GOOD ONE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT NEW BUSINESS.
SO NEW BUSINESS, WE TALKED ABOUT THE NAVIGATOR TOOL.
TARGET SECTORS IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
IDENTIFYING INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, WHICH INFRASTRUCTURE'S KIND OF IN ITS OWN BUCKET NOW.
UM, ATTRACTING BUSINESSES THAT SUPPORT BUSINESSES.
FINDING HOLES RIGHT IN THE SECTOR.
OUTSIDE OF THOSE TWO PIECES, ANYTHING THAT WE WANNA ADD TO THAT FOR THE MOMENT? NO, I MEAN, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO DO SOME OF THAT OURSELVES POTENTIALLY.
AND, AND SO I, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO START.
WORKFORCE PARTNERING WITH LOCAL EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL RESOURCES TO PROVIDE A SKILLED LABOR FORCE.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR THAT'S SHINY OR DAZZLING OR BUMP JUMPING OUT AT YOU WHEN IT COMES TO WORKFORCE? IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO THE HARD WORK OF HAVING EITHER
[00:35:02]
SOMEBODY THAT REPRESENTS A CERTAIN TRADE OR A CERTAIN COMPANY THAT'S HERE IN TOWN.GOING TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AND BEING ABLE TO RECRUIT KIDS.
I KNOW WHEN I HAVE TO RECRUIT PEOPLE FOR MY BUSINESS, I GO TO THE COLLEGE, GIVE A PRESENTATION, TELL 'EM, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO.
SO THEY'RE ALREADY DOING THAT.
ENCOURAGE MORE OF THE BUSINESS.
SAY THAT, THAT MAYBE COULD BE SOMETHING EASILY DONE.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY WERE HAVING A RECRUITING EVENT AT BLUE RIDGE TECH, UM, UNTIL FRIDAY WHEN I WAS IN A DIFFERENT ROOM AND THERE WAS A PRESENTATION AND THEY BROUGHT IT UP.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF A MISS ON THEIR END, THAT THEY SHOULD BE TELLING EVERYBODY ABOUT THAT.
SO MAYBE WE CAN HELP THEM AMPLIFY SOMETHING LIKE, I MEAN, THE TOWN IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE AT THAT RECRUITING EVENT, AND I, I, IT'S NOT MY AREA, SO I DIDN'T KNOW.
BUT, UH, IT'S A FEW WEEKS FROM NOW, I BELIEVE.
UM, BUT PERHAPS THAT'S A GAP THAT WE CAN HELP THEM BUILD TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT A RECRUITING EVENT LIKE THAT.
MAYBE OUR SURVEY COULD INCORPORATE.
'CAUSE I THINK YOUR ELECTRICAL FIRM OR YOUR PLUMBING FIRM OR YOUR CONTRACTOR, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE AS APT TO REPLY TO THE SURVEY AS HOW YOU CAN GET MORE CUSTOMERS.
BUT I THINK MAYBE IF WE INCORPORATE A LABOR ISSUE, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU HAD DIFFICULTY HIRING TRAINED ELECTRICIANS? ARE YOU HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING TRAINED LABOR RIGHT NOW? OR, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU OPEN TO TAKING UNTRAINED? YOU KNOW, UH, I, I THINK WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT TO WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE GONNA ANSWER OUR SURVEY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF MARKETING OR, UH, TOWN NEEDS, BUT THEY'VE GOT OTHER NEEDS THAT WE KIND OF NEED TO BE ABLE YEAH.
WE WANNA MEET THEIR NEEDS, NOT JUST OUR OWN.
I, I KNOW, I KNOW A GREAT PLUMBING COMPANY, AND I SAID, HOW MANY YOU GOT? HE'S DOWN TO TWO.
HE SAID, I JUST CAN'T FIND ANY HELP.
AND, UH, THAT'S A STORY EVERYWHERE.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, IF IT TAKES THREE DAYS TO GET AN HVAC APPOINTMENT FILLED AT YOUR HOUSE, AND YOU MIGHT SHOOT THE BULL WITH 'EM, MAN, I MEAN, YOU ALL MUST BE REALLY SWAMPSON.
AND I THINK THAT'S A SERVICE WE COULD PROVIDE TO OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AS TO POSSIBLY TARGETING WHAT IT IS THEY NEED.
AND, UH, MAYBE BEING EDUCATED, YOU KNOW, GETTING BLUE RIDGE TECHNICAL.
I KNOW THEY'RE HAVING SOME CHALLENGES WITH, THEY'VE GOT STUDENTS WHO WANT TO TAKE THESE CLASSES, BUT THEY'RE FULL.
THEY DON'T HAVE, THEY, THEY CAN'T GET ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR OR THEY DON'T PHYSICALLY HAVE THE SPACE TO PUT ANOTHER DESK INTO A ROOM.
UM, AND THOSE ARE TECH RIDGE, RIGHT? UH, NO, BLUE RIDGE TECH.
UM, THERE, THEY'RE SPACE CONSTRAINTS AND TRAINING CONSTRAINTS AND, YOU KNOW, FINDING THE RIGHT EDUCATORS.
AND SO HOW DO WE, IF THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO SUPPORT THAT, HOW DO WE DO THAT? I WONDER IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE THINK ABOUT DOWN THE ROAD.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE I THINK THERE'S A SEA CHANGE COMING OR TECH TRAINING VERSUS COLLEGE.
AND SO WE NEED TO GET IN FRONT OF IT AS A COMMUNITY, AS A EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S A COMMUNITY.
THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE THAT WE OH, CERTAINLY ARE GONNA TAKE ON BY OURSELVES, BUT PERHAPS WE CAN BE, AS, YOU KNOW, CAN ASSIST AND START A CONVERSATION WITH, UM, YEAH.
I KNOW THE LAST I SPOKE WITH THE LEADERSHIP AT BLUE RIDGE TECH IN PARTICULAR, UM, ALMOST EVERY PROGRAM HAD A WAIT LIST OF STUDENTS.
I MEAN, THEY'RE HANDPICKING THE STUDENTS THAT GET TO TAKE THESE BECAUSE THEY CAN, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO.
IT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOTTA MEET THE EDUCATION CRITERIA AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF, BUT THEY WANNA TRAIN EVERYBODY, BUT THEY CAN'T.
WE GOTTA TRY AND HELP THOSE STUDENTS.
HOW CAN WE HELP FACILITATE THAT, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT MAYBE DON'T HAVE OR DON'T WANT A PATH TO COLLEGE, BUT THEY NEED A CAREER.
WELL, IT MIGHT BE ASSISTING, YOU KNOW, HOW HOW CAN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM BE ASSISTED TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES? I MEAN, ULTIMATELY, IF THEY'VE GOT CLASSES WITH A WAITING LIST, UM, I MEAN, IT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO LEARN MATH AND, YOU KNOW, IN ENGLISH HISTORY AND ALL.
BUT AT THE SAME POINT IN TIME WHEN YOU'RE GETTING TO 11TH AND 12TH GRADE AND YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, UM, A LOT OF TIMES BEING AN ACADEMIC IS NOT AS MUCH AS BEING A TECHNICAL PERSON AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE A TRADE.
AND WHAT ABOUT THAT'S A WEAKNESS IN THIS COMMUNITY? I MEAN, YOU'RE OUT AND ABOUT TALKING.
IT IS, WHAT'D YOU SAY? THE YOUTH CENTER, THE, THAT GROUP THAT'S TRYING TO GET THAT UP AND RUNNING AGAIN.
I MEAN, IF, IF THAT CAN KIND OF ALSO CONNECT SOME OF THOSE DOTS WITH, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE LOT.
THERE'S, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY POSSIBILITIES THAT RIGHT NOW YEAH.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST LIMITLESS.
UM, BUT WE'VE GOTTA START, IS THAT SOMETHING WE WANNA TRY
[00:40:01]
TO INITIATE A CONVERSATION WITH THIS SCHOOL? I THINK IT'S PART OF, I MEAN, I'M, I'M GONNA THROW FRANK UNDER THE BUS HERE AND SAY, YOU KNOW,I MEAN, I'M JUST GONNA SAY, FRANK, YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TRAINING SINCE THE FIRST TIME WE MET, I THINK.
AND, UH, HERE WE ARE AND, AND, AND, AND TRAINING.
NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, IN, YOU KNOW, WELL I, I'D LOVE TO MECHANICAL TRADES, BUT YOU KNOW, I MEAN, DAVID, YOU KNOW, HE, HE CAN'T OPEN HIS RESTAURANT ALL THE TIME BECAUSE HE CAN'T FIND TRAINED STAFF TO WORK IN IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I SOMETIMES I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? OH, IT'S, IT'S, IT, IT, THERE IS A WORKFORCE PROBLEM OUT THERE RIGHT NOW AND IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S BEYOND FRONT ROYAL TOO.
SO, SOMETHING THAT I KNOW OF AS A TRADESMAN IS, I WAS TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING THAT I COULD REALLY BRING OF VALUE TO THIS COMMENT IS, IS THAT THE ONE THING THAT I KNOW IS, IS THE MOST COMMON OUTTA ALL TRADESMEN RIGHT NOW IS THEIR CONTINUING EDUCATION.
YOU KNOW, THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO LEARN THEIR, CONTINUE TO EXPAND.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT KNOWING THE BLUE RIDGE WHAT THEY ACTUALLY OFFER COMPLETELY YET, 'CAUSE I HAVEN'T HAD A REAL GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO BE IMMERSED IN IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT LEVEL IS REALLY WHERE IT'S AT.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, FROM WHEN YOU GO FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND, AND THAT TRANSITIONAL MOMENT OF WHAT KIDS ARE GOING SUPPOSED TO BE GOING TO COLLEGE.
UM, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE, WHEN I WAS A YOUTH, THERE WAS SOMETHING IN, IN, UH, ANOTHER JURISDICTION, UM, THAT THEY WOULD PARTNER WITH THE SCHOOLS AND THEY WERE ABLE TO, THEY WERE ABLE TO CREATE THAT WORKFORCE THROUGH THE HIGH SCHOOL OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM.
UH, IT WAS CALLED ADULT CONTINUING EDUCATION AND ACE WAS THE PROGRAM NAME.
AND UM, AND IT WAS THROUGH THE, IT WAS THROUGH THE LOCAL SCHOOLS, BUT IT GAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT TRANSITIONAL MOMENT SERVED BY, YOU KNOW, BY HAVING MECHANICAL, PLUMBING, ELECTRICAL TRADES THERE SO THAT THEY COULD START WORKING ON THEIR APPRENTICESHIPS RIGHT AWAY.
YOU KNOW, THEY COULD START MOVING TOWARDS GETTING THEIR LICENSES BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU REALLY LOSE THE WORKFORCE BECAUSE YOU GO FROM SOMETHING STRUCTURED TO NOTHING.
YOU KNOW? SO IF THERE WAS A WAY, IF THERE'S ALREADY STUFF HAPPENING HERE, AND THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE DO AS A PROGRAM OVER, YOU KNOW, NIGHT PRO NIGHT CLASSES OR, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING, THAT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY THEN FINDING THE EDUCATORS TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND DO, THAT'S THE SECOND PART TO THAT THAT I SEE IS JUST THE BIG STRUGGLE IN THAT AREA BASED ON A TRADES PERSPECTIVE, IS ALL I WANT TO GET.
WOULD THIS GROUP LIKE TO GO AND DO A TOUR OF BLUE RIDGE TECH AND YES.
UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE PROGRAMS ARE.
AND I MEAN, I, I I, I JUST MADE A NOTE TO MYSELF ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE AND WE CAN WHAT THE CAPACITY ISSUES AND YEAH.
AND LAUREL RIDGE AND BLUE RIDGE TECH ARE THE TO THAT ARE, IS THERE A CULINARY PROGRAM ANYWHERE AROUND HERE? YES.
SO THAT WAS PART OF MY NOTE AS WELL, THAT I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS UNDERSTAND WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, WHAT'S AVAILABLE AT BLUE RIDGE AS WELL AS LAUREL RIDGE.
BUT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
'CAUSE ONCE WE START ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS TO OUR BUSINESS OWNERS, WHAT SKILLS THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DO OR WHATEVER THEY CAN GET FROM HERE, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT THOSE DOTS TO FILL THOSE HOLES, CONNECT 'EM TO THE ONES THAT EXIST AND FIGURE OUT THE ONES THAT ARE MISSING.
THAT'S GONNA END UP BEING PART OF THE SURVEY.
AND THEN WE CAN CONNECT BUSINESSES AND I'M HAPPY TO FACILITATE THOSE SCORES FOR BOTH PLACES.
I HAVE THOSE CONNECTIONS FOR BOTH.
SO LET'S TRY, LET'S SET 'EM UP.
WHOEVER CAN BE THERE WILL BE THERE.
I MEAN, I HAD, I MEAN, NOT, NOT TO SOUND CLICHE HAD, I ACTUALLY HAD SOMEBODY WALK IN MY DOOR THIS MORNING THAT WAS LIKE, HEY, MY SON IS INTERESTED IN CONSTRUCTION, WHAT IS AVAILABLE FOR THEM FOR ELECTRICAL? AND I SAID TO HER, I SAID, I ONLY KNOW OF ONE THING AT LAUREL RIDGE.
YOU KNOW, AND I SAID, I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THE QUALITY OR WHATEVER THAT IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT IS WHERE I SEND MY GUYS.
YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY GET EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, SO MAYBE JUST HONING IN ON THAT WOULD JUST BA BE THAT PIVOTAL MOMENT, YOU KNOW.
AND IT MIGHT ALSO BRING RESOURCES TO OUR, OUR TOWN, BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE THAT ESTABLISHED LOCATION OF BLUE RIDGE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THERE IS ANOTHER ASSET, BUT IT, IT'S A LITTLE FURTHER AWAY.
IT'S, AND I THINK THEY CHANGED THEIR NAME, TRIPLET TECH IN MOUNT JACKSON.
I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'RE CALLED THE SAME THING.
BUT A LOT OF GRADUATES OUT OF THERE IN TRADES.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON WORKFORCE? THAT'S A LOT OF THOUGHT.
BUT A LOT OF TIME, I THINK A LOT OF IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST SERVING THAT TRANSITIONAL MOMENT, RIGHT? I MEAN, FOR THE LAST FIVE TO 10 YEARS EVERYBODY'S PUSHED HARD ON THE COLLEGE.
AND WE REALLY, I MEAN, AS A TRADESMAN I'VE WATCHED, I'VE WATCHED IT DECREASE.
YOU KNOW, SO NOW IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WELL MAYBE PEOPLE WANT TO DO THE TRADES.
SO WE JUST HAVE TO GIVE THEM AN AVENUE THE SAME WAY WE GAVE THEM THE AVENUE.
GIVE 'EM A PATH, YOU KNOW? UM, ALRIGHT.
A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS COLLEGE EDUCATION IS, ISN'T
[00:45:01]
AS OBTAINABLE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, THEY'RE, THEY'RE KIND OF DRIVING THAT, THAT THAT DECISION, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? A LOT BECAUSE THEY'RE RAISING THEIR, THEY'RE, THEY KEEP RAISING AND RAISING AND RAISING.I REMEMBER WHEN I HAD A KID AND I WENT TO SPEAK WITH BRETT AND HE HAD A PROJECTION OF WHAT COLLEGE WOULD COST BACK THEN.
AND I WAS LIKE, HOW ON EARTH, HOW ON EARTH AM I GONNA, YOU KNOW, DO THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A THING.
AND IT, IT, IT'S, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S AMAZING WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW.
AND, UH, AGAIN, THE, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF THAT WANT TO TAKE IN PEOPLE WILLING TO TRAIN THEM AND OFFER THEM A CAREER.
IT'S JUST THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW.
BUT AS YOU KNOW TOO, THERE'S PEOPLE THAT CAN'T WAIT TO SIGN UP AND THEN THEY JUST DON'T PUT EITHER THE EFFORT OR THE TIME OR CORRECT.
AND MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T SEE THE REWARD FAST ENOUGH.
I MEAN I'VE, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE SEEN IT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, BUT I LOOK AT WHERE I'M AT OR MY INDUSTRY AS AT, AT A DIFFERENT RUNG.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE A LITTLE LOWER BECAUSE THE, YOU KNOW, THE ANTICIPATED, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, SALARY OR, OR YOU KNOW, WHATEVER ISN'T, ISN'T AS HIGH AS SAY MAYBE ANNUALS.
ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE WE LOOK AT TECHNOLOGY THINGS TOO.
I KNOW A LOT OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE LIKE THE C-I-S-S-P PROGRAMS, LIKE THE CISCO ENGINEERING AND NETWORKING PROGRAMS AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AT LEAST YOU COULD BACK WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
I ASSUME THOSE PROGRAMS STILL EXIST, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET KIND OF A FEEL FOR THAT TOO BECAUSE THOSE NETWORKING AND TECHNOLOGY JOBS ARE COMING HERE AS WELL.
UH, EXCUSE ME, ASSET DEVELOPMENT, MUSIC SCENE BUILDING, OUTDOOR AMENITIES, ANY MARKETING BRANDING EFFORTS AROUND OUTDOORS, THOSE ARE KIND OF SUPPORT RULES FOR US.
STUDYING THE VARIOUS CHAINS OF ACTIVITY.
I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE KNOWING WHAT THOSE ARE, IDENTIFYING THOSE BASED ON, YOU KNOW, NEW BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY OF KNOWING HOW TO SUPPORT.
I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A BUNCH OF PEOPLE TRYING TO DO A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE TOWN RIGHT NOW TO SERVE ALL THIS, YOU KNOW? UM, I JUST DUNNO HOW WE WOULD COME IN TO SUPPORT THEM WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE, RIGHT.
OF WHAT THEY NEED OR, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE, THAT SURVEY I THINK WOULD GIVE US, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S A, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S A RANT AND WHAT'S A YEAH.
A VIABLE, IT'S ALMOST LIKE OUR SURVEY, OUR SURVEY AUDIENCE CONTINUES TO EXPAND, RIGHT.
BECAUSE WE NOW, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING FOLKS LIKE THE MURPHY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER GROUP.
WE WANNA KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO BRING.
WE WANNA KNOW WHAT BLUE RIDGE ARTS COUNCIL'S TRYING TO DO, YOU KNOW, EXISTING AND IMAGINED.
AGAIN, THAT IN, WELL MAYBE START, I MEAN, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH A JUMPING OFF POINT AND YOU KNOW.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, BABY STEPS KIND OF A THING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, EITHER WE, I GUESS WE START WITH EXISTING BUSINESSES AND THEN, AND THEN THERE'S THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST OUTSIDE OF THAT FRAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK TOM'S POINT WAS A GREAT ONE WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SOME QUESTIONS THAT, THAT COULD BE INCORPORATED.
UM, THAT WHEN I SORT OF STARTED THINKING ABOUT THE SURVEY, I WAS, YOU KNOW, A HOW'S BUSINESS? YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE NATURE? IS THERE A CYCLE IS, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THE STRUGGLES.
I MEAN, AND I THINK BOTH FRANK AND I, YOU KNOW, HAVE BOTH SAID, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A HARD TIME NICK
SO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S FINDING PEOPLE, BUT YOU KNOW, THE TOWN CAN'T FIND THERE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, EVERYBODY CAN'T FIND PEOPLE.
UM, SO I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, I THINK, UNIQUE IN THAT, BUT I, I DO THINK, UM, AND IT'S ALSO TOUGH BECAUSE YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE COMPETING WITH A 45 MINUTE COMMUTE TO MAKE TWICE AS MUCH MONEY, UM, ON A GOOD DAY.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, WILL HOPEFULLY LEARN ON THIS JOURNEY IS, IS IT REALLY TWICE AS MUCH MONEY AND WHAT'S THAT QUALITY OF LIFE LIFE WORK WORTH TO YOU? THAT IS A GOOD POINT.
IT'S LIKE, WHAT IS IT NECESSARY TO TRAVEL THAT FAR AND LIKE, ARE THERE GOOD PAYING JOBS THAT ARE RIGHT HERE? AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD GIVE A VOICE TO.
I MEAN, SOMEBODY WHO'S GONNA SPEND THREE HOURS OR FOUR HOURS ON THE ROAD GOING TO A JOB THAT PAYS TWICE AS MUCH, WHAT'S IT WORTH TO 'EM TO GET OFF THAT ROAD AND ONLY DRIVE 15 OR 30 MINUTES? EASY COMMUTE NOW THEY CAN COACH THEIR KIDS' SOCCER OR BASEBALL
[00:50:01]
TEAM OR GO TO A BASEBALL GAME OR A SOCCER GAME.YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, JUST BE MORE INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK WE'RE ALL BETTER OFF IF OUR CITIZENS ARE INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT WE'RE KIND OF OUT OF THE PARKS AND REC BUSINESS.
I MEAN THAT'S A, THAT'S A CORRECT.
ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, WE DO, WE HAVE ASSETS.
THAT'S WHERE I WAS KIND OF THINKING THE BASELINE FOR ASSET DEVELOPMENT IS TO LOOK, LOOK AT WHAT OUR INVENTORY OF THE LAND'S AVAILABLE IN THE TOWN.
BECAUSE I KNOW WE, WE TALK ABOUT RECRUITING ANOTHER GROCERY STORE AND ANOTHER HOTEL, BUT IF THOSE ARE THE CASE, WHERE ARE WE GONNA PUT 'EM? SO I THINK THAT IS WHERE WE'VE KIND OF GOTTA START THAT BASELINE, LOOKING AT AVAILABLE LAND, WHAT'S AVAILABLE BY LAND USE RIGHT NOW, WHAT CAN ACTUALLY BE BUILT THERE, AND THEN FIND OUT WHAT THE NEED IS.
BUT I THINK JUST LIKE WITH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WE JUST GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR BASELINE IS AND WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO MARKET OUT THERE.
WELL, WE MIGHT HAVE SOME ASSETS THAT WOULD BENEFIT ALL COUNTY AND TOWN RESIDENCE.
I MEAN, UM, I THINK OF THE, THE RAILROAD CORRIDOR BETWEEN COMMERCE AND BEN CROSBY.
I KNOW THEY USE THAT EVERY COUPLE YEARS AS A PLACE TO CABIN THEIR WORKERS TO REPAIR, BUT THAT'S ABOUT ALL THEY EVER USE IT FOR, RIGHT? CORRECT.
IS THAT PART OF THE SHENANDOAH RAILS TRAILS? NO, NO, NO DIFFERENT LINE.
BUT IT'S, IT'S A GREAT, YOU KNOW, OUR WALKING TRAIL ENDS AT BASICALLY MAIN STREET RIGHT NOW.
AND ULTIMATELY, WELL AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I THINK, BUT ULTIMATELY FROM, IF YOU HAD THAT RAIL CORRIDOR DOWN TO THE OLD JACKSON FURNITURE COMPANY WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RAILROAD KEEPS AFTER, UH, SIXTH STREET, BUT PEOPLE CAN BAIL OFF AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT SIDE STREET GOES DOWN BIG CROSBY STADIUM AND HAS A SIDEWALK OR A CARIBBEAN.
I MEAN, IT'S A WAY TO CONTINUE THE WALKING TRAIL.
I MEAN, THEY'RE POPULAR, THEY'RE VERY POPULAR IN TOWNS.
THAT'S ANOTHER ASSET DEVELOPMENT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU LOOK AT THAT, BUT, UM, THAT SECTION OF TRACK IS ONLY USED BY NORFOLK AND SOUTHERN TO HOUSE EMPLOYEES IN CABIN CARS ABOUT EVERY, I DON'T FIVE, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, I GUESS.
AND HE MAY NOT BE WILLING TO GIVE IT UP, BUT I'M WONDERING IF ANYBODY'S EVER HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HIM.
SO IT'S A HECK OF A WALKING TRAIL.
UM, WELL IF WE EVER BUILD THE EAST WEST CONNECTOR THAT'S GONNA CONNECT FROM CHAND SHORES ROAD TO COME OUT THERE BY MANASSAS AVENUE, WHICH WE'LL HAVE TO CROSS THE RAILROAD TRACKS AGAIN, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT TIME TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT THEM MAYBE DISCONTINUING THAT PIECE TO ALLOW A WALKING TRAIL, UH, TO CONNECT.
SO THIS, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS OR, I MEAN, SO HERE'S THE THING.
WE'RE A BRAND NEW GROUP, RIGHT? SO WE GOTTA PICK SOME BATTLES AND, AND, AND I MEAN, I'D STILL WANT TO CONTINUE IF WITH YOU ALL'S, YOU KNOW, UH, IF IT'S AT YOUR PLEASURE OR WHATEVER, I THINK WE NEED TO MEET EVERY TWO WEEKS, YOU KNOW? UM, AND YOU KNOW, SO IN, IN TWO WEEKS, I THINK WE SHOULD MEET AND TALK ABOUT WHATEVER HOT BUTTON ISSUE YOU THINK IS, YOU KNOW, IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD.
I, I MEAN, AND I THINK NOW I THINK, YOU KNOW, LIZ SAID SHE COULD SET UP SOME TOURS FOR US, AND, AND SO SHE NEED, WE NEED TO LET HER SET THOSE TOURS UP AND WHOEVER CAN MAKE IT, MAKES IT, UM, YOU KNOW, I I, BECAUSE IT'S AROUND THEIR SCHEDULE, YOU KNOW, NOT OURS.
BUT, UM, AND THAT'S SORT OF HOW I SEE US MOVING FORWARD THIS MONTH.
BUT IF WE WERE AN EXISTING ORGANIZATION, WE'D HAVE THIS WHOLE PROGRAM OF WORK, BUT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO, BUT WE DON'T RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT OUR PROGRAM OF WORK IS.
SO WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? YOU FIRST, JEFF FIRST.
UM, I THINK ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE NEED TO WORK ON IS THE SURVEY FOR THE EXISTING BUSINESS OWNERS.
I DO BELIEVE THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN GET DONE AND IT WOULD REAP GOOD BENEFITS FROM THAT.
SO I THINK THAT TO ME IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO WORK OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS TO START DEVELOPING DRAFT QUESTIONS SO THAT WE AS A GROUP COLLECTIVELY SAY THIS IS HITTING A MARK OR NOT.
UM, AND I THINK THE CRITICAL PIECE ON THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS GETTING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE OUT HERE BY GETTING THESE, UM, TOURS FOR BLUE RIDGE TECHNICAL AS WELL AS LAUREL RIDGE.
UM, YEAH, SO I THINK THOSE ARE REALLY GOOD STARTS AND THEN I THINK WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, I THINK A TAKEAWAY FOR ME IS TO PROVIDE THE BOARD THE
[00:55:01]
2019 PARKING STUDY FOR YOU TO REVIEW SO THAT WE CAN THEN RE ENTERTAIN HOW WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT.UH, AND THEN I THINK, UH, SOMETHING THAT, THAT I'VE TALKED WITH MS. LEWIS ABOUT IS TRYING TO CREATE AN INVENTORY OF AVAILABLE LAND THAT'S IN, IN THE CORPORATE LIMITS THAT'S BEING MARKETED NOW FOR WHATEVER REUSE.
UM, SHE'S GOT A LIST HERE OR SOMETHING.
I MADE THE WORLD'S STARTED MOST RUDIMENTARY INVENTORY.
WHERE IS THAT AT? I YOUR SEE THAT RED? SEE THAT RED? SO KEEP LOOKING AT GOTCHA.
I'M GONNA TALK REAL FAST, I PROMISE.
IT MIGHT BE IN THOSE OTHER PAPERS STACK.
THERE'S THE LAST PAGE OF THAT ONE RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARRIVE LATE.
SO THIS, THIS IS THE WORLD'S MOST RUDIMENTARY INVENTORY.
THIS IS ME AND MY BETTER HALF DRIVE AROUND TOWN SATURDAY NIGHT.
UM, THAT'S WHAT DOES ON A SATURDAY.
SOUNDS LIKE A NICE DATE NIGHT.
UM, SO THIS IS THIS, THIS IS ADDRESSES AND SOME DESCRIPTIONS WHEN I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT THE ADDRESS WAS.
UM, OF PLACES THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING MARKETED RIGHT NOW.
SOME OF THESE ARE OLD LOTS, SOME OF THESE ARE VACANT STRUCTURES.
I ALSO HAVE A LIST OF STRUCTURES THAT I WISH WE COULD GO AFTER THAT AREN'T ACTUALLY ON THE MARKET YET.
UM, OR SOME THAT SHOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT USE.
SO THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF RIGHT NOW, AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT FANCY BY ANY MEANS, BUT IT IS SOMETHING TO DRIVE AROUND TOWN AND TAKE A LOOK AT.
I ALSO INCLUDED A COUPLE OF THINGS.
SO THIS IS, UM, GATEWAY PLAZA BIG LOT.
SO THE AVAILABLE ONES AND THE SQUARE FOOTAGE IS ON THIS DOCUMENT OF THERE ARE SEVERAL IN THAT PLAZA AND THE RED ONE IS OF COURSE THE MARTINS PLAZA.
IS ALL OF THE AVAILABLE ONES INSIDE THAT PLAZA AS WELL.
THERE WERE MORE THAN I REALIZED.
UM, AND THEN I INCLUDED, THIS IS NOT IN TOWN LIMIT, BUT I REALLY LIKED THE WAY THEY DID THIS PACKET FOR CROOKED RUN.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL KNOW THIS OR NOT, BUT TRUIST IS VACATING THAT.
SO WE WILL HAVE YET ANOTHER MT, BB AND T, UM, BECAUSE OF COURSE WE STILL HAVE ONE RIGHT BY MELTING POT.
BUT I THOUGHT THEY DID A NICE JOB WITH THIS PACKET.
'CAUSE OF COURSE THEY'RE VERY FANCY.
BUT I REALLY LIKED THE FOURTH PAGE OR THIS PAGE.
THEY GAVE A LITTLE POPULATION DATA WITHIN THREE MILES, FIVE MILES, 10 MILES.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING.
SO Y'ALL CAN JUST TAKE A PEEK AT THIS.
THE ASTON PROPERTIES, THOUGH YOU MIGHT KNOW THIS FROM THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, LIZZIE, YOU MIGHT KNOW IT.
UM, THE BIG LOTS, UM, THERE, BESIDES STARBUCKS, I MEAN THERE'S A LOT OF PARKING THERE.
IS IT POSSIBLY THAT THAT IS A POTENTIAL PAD SITE THAT WAS JUST MADE INTO PARKING OR NO, UM, IMMEDIATELY TO THE RIGHT OF STARBUCKS? I MEAN, I KNOW IT HAS TO HAVE SO MANY INCORPORATED PARKING SPOTS IN, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE INTENT.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT'S NOT AN AVAILABLE PAD SITE BESIDES STARBUCKS.
I THINK, I THINK ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE.
AND I WOULD, STARBUCKS WAS SUPPOSED TO GO INTO WHERE THE RITE AID WAS, WASN'T IT? MAN, THEIR DRIVE THROUGH.
TRICKY WITH THE DRIVE THROUGH.
OH, RITE AID IS WHERE CVS WAS.
THE CVS OR WHATEVER, WHATEVER THE, I THOUGHT THEY WERE GO IN THERE.
I SHOP IN THAT CENTER 'CAUSE IT'S ON MY SIDE OF TOWN.
AND TO ME, LOOKING AT PAD SITES FOR SURE, THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING.
AND YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S NOT ON OUR RADAR.
AND TO ME, IF SOMEBODY'S INQUIRING ABOUT A PAD SITE, UM, IT'S A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY THAT, YOU KNOW, I I THINK THE ROYAL PLAZA SHOPPING CENTER IS MAXED.
UM, I MEAN ULTIMATELY WHERE ROYAL FARMS IS, WE NEED A BRIDGE ACROSS HALF CREEK ROAD OVER TO TO TO RURAL KING.
HUH? WHAT DID I SAY? ROYAL ROYAL FARMS. DID I? YEAH.
WE NEED A BRIDGE FROM ROYAL KING EXIT STRAIGHT OUT OVER AND GET OVER TO COMMERCE.
AND THAT WILL ALLEVIATE SO MUCH TRAFFIC OUT FRONT.
BUT WHO'S GONNA BUILD THAT? I MEAN, THAT'S GEORGE STUCKEY'S PROPERTY, BUT, UM, DO Y'ALL, DO Y'ALL REALIZE HOW MANY CARS YOU WOULD TAKE OFF THE SOUTH STREET? I GO OUT BACK TO CHRYSLER.
YOU MEAN OUT ON YOU? YOU MEAN A BRIDGE FROM THE RURAL KING SIDE OF THE LOT OVER ONTO 5 22.
AND THAT AT ONE POINT IN TIME THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT A REAR EXIT BACK TO THE PARK ON UH, RYER ROAD, BUT I THINK THAT GOT ABANDONED.
BUT I'M TELLING YOU WHAT, SOUTH STREET'S A NIGHTMARE.
AND IF YOU COULD, YOU COULD LITERALLY TAKE 50% OF THE TRAFFIC OFF SOUTH STREET IN A HEARTBEAT.
BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO WOULD, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK GEORGE STUCKEY'S GONNA BE MOTIVATED TO BUILD THE BRIDGE.
WELL, IF THEY EVER DEVELOP THAT LAND BEHIND ROYAL KING, THAT MAY FACILITATE
[01:00:02]
A CONVERSATION.SO WHO OWNS THAT? DOES THE SHOPPING CENTER OWN THAT? THIS ONE BEHIND THE IT'S OWNED BY THE SAME PERSON IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
BUT IT'S NOT PART OF THE SHOPPING.
NOT MANAGED BY IT'S HEIMER MAYBE.
I THINK THAT'S CORRECT, BUT I'M NOT CERTAIN.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE IS TALKS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAND BEHIND IT.
IT'S POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL LAND.
THERE'S JUST NO EASY WAY TO GET TO IT RIGHT NOW I DID NOTICE IN THIS WHERE THEY HAVE THE LIST OF THE AVAILABLE ONES AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE LIST, IT DOES SAY LAND AVAILABLE, BUT IT'S NOT MARKED ON THE MAP AS TO WHAT THAT IS.
'CAUSE THEY'RE TECHNICALLY MARKETING THAT THERE'S LAND AVAILABLE, IT JUST DOESN'T DICTATE WHERE MM-HMM.
SO I WONDER IF THEY'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE LAND BEHIND IT.
AND ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
SO YEAH, THE AVENUE THAT'S IN FRONT OF ROYAL KING, THE, THE, THE FRONTS THE STORE YOU CAN DRIVE STRAIGHT AND IF THERE WAS A BRIDGE ACROSS THERE AND YOU'RE EXITING THAT PROPERTY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL HAS MADE ACCESS ON THE SOUTH STREET INCREDIBLY IMPROVED.
I MEAN, TO YOUR, TO YOUR POINT ACROSS FROM UPS, THAT IS A, THAT IS A, ACTUALLY, IT'S, THAT IS A DIFFICULT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU'RE TURNING IN OR COMING OUT.
SO IF WE COULD TAKE 25% OF THE TRAFFIC AND DUMP IT OUT ONTO 5 22 OVER THERE, WELL GOD FORBID YOU LEAVING THERE FROM TRUIST BANK TO TURN LEFT, YOU'RE GONNA BE THERE FOR A WHILE.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T TURN LEFT THERE.
IT'S JUST, SO YOU GOT PEOPLE COMING IN TO TURN LEFT INTO THE SHOPPING CENTER.
YOU GOT PEOPLE GOING STRAIGHT.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S AGAIN, WE'LL KIND OF TACKLE THAT.
FINALIZING THAT A LITTLE TOO SIMPLE.
UM, AND TALKING ABOUT PAD SITES, I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THE ONE BETWEEN AUTOZONE AND THE BAYMONT.
IT'S BEEN A SIGN THERE FOREVER.
BUT I DROVE PAST IT FOR SO MANY YEARS AND I DIDN'T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO IT.
SO I DID INCLUDE IT ON THE LIST.
UM, BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF AN INTERESTING, ALMOST OVERLOOKED TOO.
'CAUSE YOU DRIVE BY IT SO OFTEN THAT YOU DON'T REALLY THINK ABOUT IT EXISTS, BUT IT'S THERE.
SO, WELL, I HAVE TO ASSUME IT'S THE FLEA MARKET THAT'S ON COMMERCE AVENUE WANTS TO REMAIN ALEA MARKET.
I MEAN, HE'S GOT SOME VERY NICE PAD SITES THERE.
PROBABLY AT LEAST FOUR OF THEM.
THREE, THREE OR FOUR DEPENDING.
WELL MAYBE ONE IF CHICK-FIL-A'S IN THERE.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S EVER BEEN ENCOURAGED TO MARKET HIS PROPERTY AS PAD SITES.
MR. DREMAN OUT HERE SAYING WORDS THAT ARE GONNA GET PRINTED SOMEWHERE.
I I PROBABLY, YEAH, I SHOULDN'T, I SHOULDN'T USE BRAND NAMES, BUT WE'VE USED THAT PARTICULAR BRAND NAME BEFORE, SO YEAH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE USED THAT ONE BEFORE.
I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT ACCURATE TOO, BUT I HAD HEARD THAT WITH THE FLEA MARKET SITE, THERE WAS SOME ISSUES WITH MAYBE LIKE THE FLOODPLAIN OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE YEAH, THERE WILL BE SOME RESTRICTIONS ON THAT.
IS IT WHEREVER TO BE DEVELOPED.
SO IF, IF IT WAS TO BE DEVELOPED BUT'S STILL THOUGH, I THINK IT KEY PIECE OF PROPERTY IN OUR COURT.
WELL, AND JUST SO A POINT OF REFERENCE FOR YOU, MOST OF MAIN STREET IS IN A FLOOD PLAN.
SO YEAH, HOW DOES THAT EVER GET REASSESSED IN THE THOUGHT OF LIKE THE LAST 20 YEARS? IT'S A BIG CHALLENGE.
WELL THAT JUST BECAUSE I HEAR ABOUT THAT A LOT AND I JUST DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT.
SO I ASK THE QUESTION LIKE, DO THEY EVER HAVE A REASSESSMENT WHERE THEY CAN SAY 20 YEARS THE LAST, THIS PAST 20 YEARS, IT'S ONLY DONE IT ONCE OR, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A REEVALUATION, BUT I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE WHAT THAT INTERVAL IS AND HOW OFTEN THEY ADJUST THOSE LINES.
BUT I CAN FOLLOW UP BECAUSE THAT'S A HUGE PIECE TO BRING ANYBODY IN HERE.
IF THEY WANNA BUY A PROPERTY AND LIKE, OH, IT'S IN A FLOOD PLAIN, THEN YOU'VE GOTTA BUY THAT TYPE OF INSURANCE AND WELL, DOESN'T, THERE'S ENGINEERING TO DEAL WITH IT.
I MEAN, LIKE, SO THE, THE, UH, VALLEY HEALTH THAT I, I BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A HUGE RESERVOIR TO DEAL WITH STORM WATER ON A RESERVOIR MIGHT BE THE WRONG TERM, BUT IT'S LIKE THEY HAD TO BUILD A DETENTION POND UNDERNEATH THEIR PARKING LOT TO, TO DEAL WITH.
I I, I, AGAIN, I, I MIGHT, I MIGHT NOT BE SAYING THE RIGHT WORDS, BUT THEY DID ENGINEERING TO LIFT THAT BUILDING OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN BECAUSE THAT IS FLOODPLAIN THERE TOO, I BELIEVE, TO MY KNOWLEDGE OF IT.
UM, TRYING TO HAVE ALL THE RIGHT DISQUALIFYING SORT OF STATEMENTS HERE, BUT ANYWAY.
YOU GOTTA PUT THAT MUCH MONEY OUT THERE TO START A BUSINESS THAT WOULD DETERMINE OF COURSE, OF COURSE.
BUT, BUT IF, IF THE VALUE OF THE LAND IS, IS, YOU KNOW, WORTH MORE, IF WE DO ENGINEERING TO DEAL WITH A HILLSIDE OR, OR, OR, OR A A FLOODPLAIN, THEN WE CAN FIX
[01:05:01]
PROBLEMS THAT ARE OBSTACLES TO SAY A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER LIKE ME, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA SPEND THAT KIND OF MONEY BEFORE I EVEN TAKE THE FIRST CUSTOMER.BUT A BIGGER USER, YOU KNOW, AND BIG MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE NAMES THAT WE'VE THROWN AROUND IN THE ROOM, THEY GO, AH, NO, WE'VE DEALT WITH THAT BEFORE.
SO CAN WE MOVE ON TO SOME OF THESE OTHER SUBJECTS? BECAUSE I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE GONNA RUN LONG HERE.
UM, AND, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR NEXT MEETING DATE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.
UM, UM, LIZ, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, THE NORTHERN ANOVA VALLEY REGIONAL COMMISSION ED'S DISCUSSION THAT WE PARTICIPATED IN ABSOLUTELY.
SO THEY COLLOQUIALLY REFER TO THIS AS ED'S, UH, THE LAST ONE OF THESE DEVELOPMENT PLANS WAS DONE IN 20 19 18.
IS THAT THIS ONE, LIZ? CORRECT.
SO HILLARY INCLUDED THE ENTIRE PREVIOUS ONE IN YOUR PACKET FOR YOU TO REVIEW.
UM, MYSELF, JOE AND RICK ALL WENT TO THEIR, UM, STAKEHOLDER MEETING A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
US AS WELL AS FOLKS FROM WARREN COUNTY.
UM, THEY ARE STARTING THE PROCESS OF RETOOLING THEIR DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.
SO THEY WERE LOOKING FOR INPUT FROM US AS WELL AS VOLUME, SOME QUESTIONS OUR WAY.
UM, WHEN I HAVE MORE OUTPUTS FROM THAT PLANNING PROCESS, I WILL ABSOLUTELY SHARE THEM WITH YOU AT THIS MOMENT.
UH, WE DIDN'T WALK AWAY FROM THAT WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE PREVIOUS, UM, ONE AND SOME QUESTIONS.
WELL, I WANTED TO POINT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
THIS IS ON PAGE SIX, BUT THEIR GOAL AREA I THINK WAS, IS QUITE INTERESTING.
IT REALLY ALIGNS WITH WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH WORKFORCE VISITATION, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT SITE READINESS.
I THINK THESE REALLY KEY INTO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
EVEN WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT.
WE'LL, A CLOCK ON IT IN CASE YOU'RE NOT SURE WHAT PAGE IT'S SORRY, GO AHEAD.
BUT OVERALL THOUGH, I THINK WHAT, WHAT YOU WILL GLEAN FROM THIS STUDY IS THERE'S A LOT OF METRICS IN THE BACK WITH SOME STATS ON POPULATION AND STUFF THAT WILL BE UPDATED WITH THIS NEW STUDY THAT WILL PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, SO WE WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT TO YOU AND JUST GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE THAT THERE ISN'T MUCH OF AN UPDATE UNTIL I KNOW MORE FROM NSCC.
THERE'S SOME OTHER FRONT RURAL WARREN COUNTY GROUPS THERE JUST BE BESIDES US, BESIDES GOVERNMENT.
UM, THERE WAS ONE BUSINESS, THERE WAS ONE BUSINESS OWNER CHAMBER WASN'T THERE? CHAMBER WAS NOT THERE.
I MEAN, I THINK THEY INVITED LOTS OF PEOPLE, BUT I THINK, I'M NOT SURE.
I DON'T THINK THE INVITE LIST WAS TOO LARGE.
I MEAN, WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY DONE, I DON'T KNOW.
IT HAD A HUGE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THE BEFORE YEAH, THE PREVIOUS ITERATION.
YEAH, THE PREVIOUS, YOU KNOW, SO THIS IS A, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, UPDATING IT.
SO I THINK THEY WERE TRYING TO KEEP IT A LITTLE BIT TIGHTER.
WELL, THE GOAL AREA BEING VISITATION, I MEAN, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THAT'S A HUGE TOPIC.
AND CANDIDLY, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TIME SPENT TALKING ABOUT THAT WHEN WE HAD THAT MEETING.
SO, UM, BUT I, I, I VIEW THAT MEETING AS A POSSIBLE RESOURCE FOR SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND YOU MAY HAVE SAID THAT WHILE AGO, I HAVE ASKED TO GRAB SOME OF THE, UM, DATA THAT THEY HAD USED IN THAT MEETING.
THEY HAD A LOT OF POPULATION DATA, A LOT OF WORKFORCE DATA, A LOT OF, UH, UH, DEMOGRAPHIC DATA THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE.
UM, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA SHARE THOSE RESOURCES WITH ME, BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU.
YEAH, I, AND I MEAN, I I, THEY PROBABLY CITE THEIR SOURCES IN HERE.
I, I ASKED, YOU KNOW, BUT IT, IT WASN'T LIKE THEY GOT ALL THE INFORMATION FROM ONE SOURCE.
NO, IT CAME FROM A VARIETY OF A VARIETY OF SOURCES.
SO I THINK WHEN WE USE THEIR DATA, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT THE SOURCE IS.
EVEN THESE PROCESS, I MEAN, THE PROCESSES ARE GRADE TWO.
IF YOU LOOK UNDER EACH ONE, YOU'VE GOT OBJECTIVE 1, 2, 3.
AND I MEAN, THESE ARE THE SAME STEPS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, THAT'S WHY JOE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE INCLUDED IT IN YOUR PACKET.
SO I MEAN, INSTEAD OF MAYBE REINVENTING THE WHEEL, WE JUST KIND OF LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT'S HERE AND, AND, UM, GO THROUGH IT.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS GONNA ASK RICK, BEFORE YOU GET TO SETTING A MEETING DATE IS MAYBE ASSIGN SOME HOMEWORK.
WE COME UP WITH SOME QUESTIONS.
IT'S JUST TWO OR THREE MM-HMM.
[01:10:01]
LOVE TO HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS BY FRIDAY.CAN YOU DO THAT? YOU DO BY MONDAY? SURVEY QUESTION.
JUST SOME, I MEAN, EACH OF YOU, IF WE'RE ALL, WE ALL GO TO WORK, SO EACH OF US UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, THERE'S AN ISSUE GOING TO WORK WHAT IT IS.
AND THEN WHEN WE'RE AT WORK, WHAT ARE THE ISSUES WE'RE DEALING WITH THERE? I MEAN, BECAUSE NOT ALL OF US WORK HERE IN FRONT ROYAL, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO GET TO WORK.
SO WHY, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S PART OF IT TOO IS, YOU KNOW, WHY DO YOU, WHY ARE YOU CHOOSING TO LEAVE? YOU KNOW, THAT WAS PART OF THE DISCUSSION EARLIER.
WHY ARE YOU CHOOSING TO DRIVE THE 40 MINUTES OR THE DON'T TAKE MY LABOR QUESTIONS ON
YEAH, YOU GOT SO, SO, AND I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF REPETITION WITH THE QUESTIONS, WHICH WOULD BE A GOOD THING.
THAT WOULD MEAN WE'RE, WE'RE ZEROING IN ON WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.
BUT, UM, FRIDAY, CAN YOU DO FRIDAY? SO, ALL RIGHT.
SO LIZ, I'M GONNA ASK THAT YOU SEND OUT A REMINDER ON THURSDAY.
IT SAYS, I'M LOOKING FOR YOUR QUESTIONS, YOUR QUESTIONS TOMORROW.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS.
BUT WE NEED TO BE PRODDED SOMETIMES.
IF, IF THAT'S NOT TOO MUCH, I CAN DO THAT.
IT MIGHT COME FROM HILLARY, BUT WE CAN DO IT.
I, I DON'T CARE WHERE, I DON'T CARE WHERE IT COMES FROM
AS LONG AS IT, WE CAN SEND OUT THAT REMINDER ON THURSDAY OR WHEREVER IT COMES, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
DO WE NEED TO SPEND ANY MORE TIME ON THAT RIGHT NOW? IT'S ALL KIND OF OLD INFORMATION, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE TO LISTEN YOU GUYS, A LOT OF IT IS REALLY, REALLY DRY.
BUT I READ IT LEADING UP TO THAT MEETING 'CAUSE I WANTED TO KIND OF HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT WE WERE THERE TO DO.
AND, UM, THERE'S LOTS OF GREAT INFORMATION IN THERE THAT WE HAVE BEEN ASKING IN THIS ROOM.
SO LOOK AT THE 2019 INFORMATION AND THEN LET'S SEE WHAT COMES BACK WHEN THEY REVISE IT THIS TIME AROUND.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S GONNA INFORM SOME OF OUR QUESTIONS MOVING FORWARD.
MAYBE NOT NECESSARILY SURVEY QUESTIONS, BUT SOME QUESTIONS.
GROUP ONE, WE'LL NEED TO SEE HOW MUCH, HOW MANY OF THE ANSWERS NOT MANY OF 'EM WILL, BUT HOW MANY OF 'EM CHANGE SINCE COVID IN 2019? YOU KNOW, WORKING FROM HOME SELF-EMPLOYMENT.
IT'S GONNA BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THERE'S PERCENTAGE CHANGES THERE.
A LOT MORE PEOPLE ARE WORKING FROM HOME.
YOU WENT OVER THE, UH, STUDY AREA.
OH, I DIDN'T DO THE STUDY AREA.
ALL I DID WAS, YEAH, SO, SO THIS, THE NORTHERN CHATO VALLEY REGION CONSISTS OF FREDERICK COUNTY, WINCHESTER CLARK, WARREN PAGE, AND CDO COUNTY.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS GEARED TOWARD.
THESE ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
AND YOU'LL, YOU'LL FIND IF YOU READ THIS, THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CERTAIN PLACES, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE CITY OF WINCHESTER SKEWS THE DATA IN CERTAIN DIRECTIONS BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR, THE POPULATION MIX, POPULATION MIX IS.
ANYWAY, IT'S JUST REALLY GOOD INFORMATION FOR THAT REGION.
SO WE CAN MOVE ON, UH, TO A LITTLE OPEN DISCUSSION OR CAN WE MOVE AWAY FROM THAT? ARE YOU OKAY? YES.
UM, SO, UM, WE, UH, ATTENDED, SOME OF US ATTENDED, UH, A PRESENTATION ACROSS THE STREET AT, AT, UM, AT THE MOVIE THEATER FROM, UH, TRANSFORM DEVELOPMENT.
ROB MCDOUGALL ARRANGED FOR IT.
AND, UM, HE SHOWED US HIS VISION FOR, UM, HE'S HIRED AN ARCHITECT.
THEY'VE DONE LOTS OF, YOU KNOW, HE'S INVESTED A LOT OF MONEY AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A, A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, UH, IN THE MURPHY THEATER.
AIDEN, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO I ATTENDED, UM, I ATTENDED THE, THAT MEETING.
AND, UM, IN TERMS, IN TERMS OF INITIAL, UM, INITIAL THOUGHTS THAT I HAD AFTER DOING THAT, I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT BUILDING PLAN LOOKS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE VERY COOL, UH, FROM ART CENTER WITH LIKE A LITTLE GALLERY, A LOUNGE, AND THEY'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE A LOT OF OFFICES ABOVE IT, KIND OF WHERE IT CURRENTLY IS.
THEY'RE GONNA DO SOME RESTORATIONS AROUND THE SIDES.
UM, SO I THINK, I THINK THAT THAT SEEMS FANTASTIC SO FAR IN TERMS OF THE, UM, IN TERMS OF THE ART CENTER, I THINK IT'S VERY EARLY STAGES AND IT'S EXCITING.
I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT UNCLEAR TO EVERYONE EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING, LIKE SUPER NAILED DOWN YET.
BUT IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S GONNA BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UM, PLAYS PROBABLY LIMITED MUSICAL THEATER, LIVE CONCERTS, WHICH I, I THINK ESPECIALLY WOULD BE GOOD BECAUSE IN TERMS, I MEAN, IF WE GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING THAT, I THINK, I THINK WE DO HAVE GOOD SMALL VENUES HERE ON MAIN STREET.
I'VE BEEN TO A COUPLE OF THE SHOWS WITH LOCAL BANDS OR EVEN BANDS COMING
[01:15:01]
AND AT THE ON QUEUE OR, UM, STUFF LIKE THAT HAVE BEEN GOOD.BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE REALLY LIKE LARGER INDOOR VENUE SPACE.
UM, LIKE A BRIGHT BOX OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
LIKE THAT SORT OF THING THAT, THAT IT VERY MUCH SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A BRIGHT BOX SORT OF THING IF THEY HAD, I THINK IT WAS 160 SEATS OR SOMETHING.
AND THEY, SO IT WOULD BE LIKE A HYBRID MODEL WHERE THEY HAVE LIKE A BALCONY SORT OF IN THE BACK AND THEN THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE ROW SEATS THEY CAN TAKE UP FOR MORE STANDING SPACE, AND THAT ADDS ABOUT 20 OR 30 IN CAPACITY, I BELIEVE WHEN THEY DO THAT OR MORE 208 0 2 8 ON THE FLOOR SEATING THERE.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT ONE MORE.
ANYWAY, I, I I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY EXCITING.
YEAH, I MEAN, WE WERE THERE FOR WHAT, TWO AND A HALF, THREE HOURS? YEAH.
AND, UH, SO THE, YOU KNOW, THE COFFEE SHOP IS STAYING, UM, BUT THE WHOLE REST OF THE MIX IS GONNA CHANGE UP.
BUT I THINK, I THINK IT'D BE VERY COOL ONCE IT'S DONE.
I THINK IT'S A HUGE UNDERTAKING AND I APPLAUD THEM FOR BEING WILLING TO DO IT.
UM, BUT IT, IT'S NOT GONNA, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE THE LANDSCAPE OF, OF MAIN STREET, BUT WHAT IT WILL DO IS PROVIDE A REALLY COOL, VIBRANT ANCHOR IN THE MIDDLE OF MAIN STREET, WHICH WILL BE REALLY NEAT.
IS THE, IS THAT AN ALLEY REQUEST POSSIBLY TO REDO THAT ALLEY? IS THAT ON CHURCH STREET, THE ONE THAT CORNERS OUT WITH THAT BUILDING? THERE'S THERE A VARIETY OF CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING ABOUT, ABOUT THAT STREET, AND IT'S A BAD ALLEY RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S A REAL, IT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST ON MAIN STREET TYPE ONE.
IT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST OSO ON MAIN STREET.
I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF IDEAS.
UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DEFINITELY TALKING ABOUT REIMAGINING WHAT THAT LOOKS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE EXPLORING THOSE.
AND, AND TO AIDAN'S POINT, I MEAN, I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY BRAVE THAT ROB BROUGHT THESE DRAWINGS OUT INTO THE PUBLIC.
HE COULDN'T TAKE EVERYONE'S PHONES.
WELL, I MEAN, I THINK HE WANTS PEOPLE TO, TO KNOW ABOUT IT AT THIS POINT, BUT, AND AGAIN, TO YOUR POINT, HE HAS THIS VISION FOR THE BUILDING AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF IT THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE HIGH CEILING, I FORGET WHAT THEY CALL IT.
BUT ANYWAY, THERE'S A LOT OF IT.
HE REALLY, HE COULD TRY AND DO SOMETHING ELSE WITH IT, BUT I THINK THE VISION IS TO BRING BACK THE THEATER, UM, THE REVITALIZATION ASPECT OF IT'S VERY EXCITING.
WELL, AGAIN, FROM OUR STANDPOINT, I MEAN, ALL OF A SUDDEN 160 PEOPLE ATTENDING A SHOW EVERY 10 DAYS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S 80 CARS.
AND I MEAN, WHERE, WHERE ARE YOU GONNA PUT, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE GONNA BE STAYING THERE FOR TWO OR THREE HOURS.
SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING ELSE WE'VE GOTTA BE THINKING REAL HARD ABOUT.
ANYWAY, I CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU GUYS TO SEE THE DRAWINGS.
I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY EXCITING AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT AN ARCHITECT COSTS TO DO TO GET THESE DRAWINGS TO WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, I, IT'S, I THINK HE'S COMMITTED SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES.
UH, AND JUST TO BACK UP A LITTLE BIT, JUST SO YOU KNOW, UH, TRANSFORM IS NOT, TRANSFORM DEVELOPMENT IS NOT THE COMPANY THAT WAS TRYING TO, UM, GET APPROVAL FOR APARTMENTS.
THE, THE PREVIOUS OWNER, I MEAN, THE PREVIOUS PERSON SOLD IT.
AND APPARENTLY THEY WERE HAVING NEGOTIATIONS BACK IN 2018 THAT FELL THROUGH.
UM, BUT THEN THEY REVISITED IT AFTER THAT, THAT PROJECT KIND OF FELL APART.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S PROBABLY ALL WE CAN REALLY SAY AT THIS POINT.
BUT THERE WAS, ANYWAY, THIS WAS ALL OUT IN THE PUBLIC OR WHATEVER, SO, YOU KNOW, BUT ANYWAY, IT WAS, IT WAS COOL.
SO, UH, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ONE QUICK QUESTION.
THE PARKING STUDY THAT YOU'RE GONNA GO OVER WITH US AT THE NEXT MEETING, WAS THAT A SURVEY OR WAS THAT A COMPANY HIRED? WHERE DID THE INPUT COME FOR THAT? OR DO YOU REMEMBER? IT WAS ACTUALLY TOWN'S STAFF, AND IT SAYS IN THE REPORT HOW THEY COUNTED IT, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY TOWN'S STAFF THAT ALONG WITH THE COMMISSION THAT WOULD SET OUT AND ACTUALLY COUNTED VEHICLES IN AND OUT OF THE PARKING LOT ON A COUPLE SAMPLE DAYS.
SO IT'S A VERY PRIMITIVE, BUT IT IS ACTUAL REAL TOUCH POINTS OF, UH, I ACTUALLY LIKE THAT BETTER THAN HAD SOMEBODY COME IN AND RIGHT.
UM, SO OUR, OUR NEXT OFFICIAL MEETING IS APRIL 1ST, BUT I WAS KIND OF HOPING WE COULD SCHEDULE ONE FOR MAYBE MARCH 18TH TO WORK ON ONE OF THESE ISSUES.
I MEAN, HOW'S EVERYBODY FEEL ABOUT THAT? IS APRIL 1ST THE EASTER WEEKEND? IT IS, YES.
SO APRIL ONE IS EASTER MONDAY, YEP.
I JUST WAS PUTTING IN MY, YEAH.
[01:20:01]
IT HERE IN TWO WEEKS.I MISSED THE LAST ONE, BUT, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK I'LL BE HERE FOR APRIL FOR A SECOND.
BUT THAT, BUT THAT'S OUR OFFICIAL MEETING.
HOW ABOUT, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ONE I'M CALLING FOR A WORK SESSION ON THE 18TH.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AMENDING THE START TIME TO 1230.
ALL AND WHAT ITEMS DO YOU GUYS WANT TO DISCUSS THERE? YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY LIMITED IT TO TWO.
WE BE READY TO START PUTTING TOGETHER A SURVEY IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON MONDAY OR ON FRIDAY, IF QUESTION THAT WE CAN START TO BRING A DRAFT SET OF QUESTIONS THAT, THAT EVERYBODY POPULATED AND DISCUSS AT THAT MEETING.
IF WE NARROW THIS DOWN TO THE TOP THREE, I MEAN, I THINK GETTING A HANDLE ON THE WORKFORCE NEEDS, WHICH HOPEFULLY THE SURVEY WILL ADDRESS SOME OF THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK WE ALL HAVE A HOT BUTTON FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
HOPEFULLY BY THEN OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR LIST OF PROPERTIES THAT THE TOWN ASSETS ARE, THEY WILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT BETTER IDEA.
IT SEEMS LIKE WORKFORCE IS PRETTY HOT.
SURVEY WOULD PROBABLY GET US GOING ON THAT.
I DON'T, JUST TRYING TO PINPOINT A DIRECTION.
WELL, IN THE MEANTIME, I'M HOPING LIZ WILL SCHEDULE MEETINGS IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS.
OR IS THAT TOO MUCH FOR A FIELD TRIP? OH, FIELD TRIPS.
SO THERE'S, SO, I MEAN, SO THIS COULD BE A BUSY MONTH.
UM, UM, I DO HAVE A SMALL HOLE IN MY, WELL, IT'S NOT A HOLE.
OH, I JUST WON'T BE HERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, SO I'M GOING TO THE VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE IN TWO, IT'S RIGHT BEFORE ROTARY.
I'LL LEAVE FROM THEIR CONFERENCE TO COME TO THE ROTARY DISTRICT CONFERENCE.
SO NOT THIS WEEK, BUT NEXT WEEK.
UM, SO I CAN'T DO OUR TOURS NEXT WEEK, BUT I'LL, I'LL TRY TO SHOOT FOR THOSE LAST TWO WEEKS OF, OF MARCH.
UM, IS APRIL BETTER FOR EVERYBODY FOR THE TOURS? MAYBE FOR ME IT IS.
I'M GONNA, I, UH, LET ME REACH OUT TO THOSE FOLKS.
UM, LET ME REACH OUT TO THOSE FOLKS AND SEE WHAT MAKES SENSE.
I THINK, I MEAN, BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU MY, MARK, MY MARCH SCHEDULE IS VERY, VERY FULL.
I THINK BLUE RIDGE TECH'S GONNA BE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBLE THAN GETTING INTO LAUREL RIDGE.
I, I THINK THEY'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HAVE US.
UM, BUT I JUST, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEIR SCHEDULE LOOKS LIKE.
AND I WILL SEND AN EMAIL OUT WITH BETTER INFORMATION ONCE I HAVE IT.
I MEAN, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT ON THE 18TH AS WELL, OR, BUT YES, I, I WILL NOT BE HERE THE LATTER HALF OF NEXT WEEK BECAUSE OF THAT CONFERENCE.
AND WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, THE, WHAT'D YOU CALL IT, UH, THE NEW BUSINESS NAVIGATOR, THE NEW BUSINESS NAVIGATOR LINK ON THE TOWN WEBSITE? YOU KNOW, IS THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE WE THINK IT MIGHT RESIDE, AND WHAT ASSETS CAN WE START DEVELOPING THOSE? YES, WE CAN.
UM, I ACTUALLY THINK YOU GUYS NEED YOUR OWN WEBSITE.
THAT WOULD JUST BE LINKED OFF OF THE TOWN.
BUT WE CAN START, WE COULD START WITH, WITH POPULATING THINGS ONTO THE TOWN WEBSITE ON THE EDA PAGE.
UM, THAT I CAN SEND OUT VIA EMAIL AS WELL, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A LOOK AT THAT AND MAYBE DISCUSS IT ON THE 18TH IF THAT'S, I MEAN, THE ASK JOE PETTY, IF HE CAN PUT HIS HANDS ON WHAT THEY HAD BACK IN THE DAY, MARLA, MARLA PUT IT TOGETHER.
UM, AND IT MIGHT BE A GOOD PLACE TO START TO, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN FIND IT.
I MEAN, I HAD IT ON A THUMB DRIVE.
I'LL TRY AND SEE IF I CAN FIND IT.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, TO UPDATE IT AND, YOU KNOW MM-HMM.
SO WE GOOD WITH MARCH 18TH AT 1230 FOR MOST OF US? MM-HMM.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? RIGHT.