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[Town Council Work Session on March 11, 2024.]
THE, UH, TOWN COUNCIL REGULAR WORK SESSION FOR MONDAY, MARCH 11TH TO ORDER.MS. PRESLEY, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? MAYOR
DO I HEAR ANY, UH, CHANGES TO THE AGENDA? ANY MOTIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE AGENDA? UH, MADAM MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE REMOVE, UM, UNDER OLD BUSINESS ITEM C ALLIE VACATION ON SEVENTH STREET HEARING COMMITTEE REPORT.
WE'RE NOT READY TO DISCUSS THAT TONIGHT.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
MS. PRESSLEY, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? VICE MAYOR
SO WE ARE MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS FOR MARCH 25TH.
AND FIRST UP IS MS. CAMPBELL WITH OUR UNIFORM CONTRACT IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE MR. WILSON.
UH, THE, UM, UH, SO BASICALLY WE'RE BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO COUNCIL BECAUSE THE AMOUNT DOES EXCEED $50,000 AND IT'S ALSO A FIVE YEAR, UH, CONTRACT, UH, WITH UNI FIRST.
UM, IT WAS, UH, SECURED THROUGH SOURCE WELL FOR THE, UH, FOR THE CONTRACT.
AND THIS WOULD ALSO ALLOW US TO TAKE MULTIPLE CONTRACTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AND BRING THEM ALL UNDER ONE, UH, LUMP SUM AND GET US BETTER PRICING AND SAVE US APPROXIMATELY $13,800.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT, ALWAYS ABOUT SAVING MONEY.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT ONE? PRETTY, PRETTY SIMPLE.
WE LOVE THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE SIMPLE, RIGHT? OKAY.
SO, UM, NEXT UP IS, UM, ITEM THREE A, UH, JUSTIN PROCTOR'S HERE FROM ACES, UM, TO TALK ABOUT THE APPALACHIAN TRAILHEAD PROJECT.
AND YOU GUYS WILL NOTICE OUR NEW BUSINESS.
WE'VE ALLOTTED LIKE AN HOUR FOR THAT.
SO THIS PRESENTATION WOULD BE 15 MINUTES AND THEN YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE HAVE IT ON THE TIMELINE.
DO I HAVE CLICKING POWERS OR THE SOMEBODY ELSE'S? I THINK SO.
NO, I THINK THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S LIKE A, THERE THERE IS.
YEAH, LOOK AT, THANK YOU GUYS.
ALRIGHT, WELL IT'S GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY AGAIN.
I THINK ALL OF YOU SHOULD REMEMBER ME.
I'M ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.
I PRESENTED YOU GUYS A COUPLE MONTHS AGO ABOUT A, A BUNCH OF PROJECTS WE HAD GOING ON AND ALSO THE AT CONNECTOR TRAIL THAT WE'VE BEEN PUSHING FORWARD ON, WHICH IS GREAT.
AND I WILL JUST SAY THERE'S BEEN A TON OF MOMENTUM AND A LOT OF NEW COOL THINGS HAPPENING.
SO TONIGHT I WANT TO GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW, UH, OF WHERE WE'RE AT AND THEN TALK TO YOU ABOUT A FEASIBILITY STUDY, WHICH IS OUR NEXT STEP WITH THIS TRAIL.
SO, AS A REMINDER, THIS IS A TRAIL THAT WOULD BE GOING FROM THE AT CROSSING ON ROUTE 5 22 ALL THE WAY INTO TOWN.
SO IT'S ABOUT A THREE MILE TRAIL.
IT'D BE ON THE WEST SIDE OF 5 22 DIFFERENT FROM THE TRAIL THAT WAS PROPOSED SIX, SEVEN YEARS AGO.
AND THAT THIS WOULD BE A MULCHED PATH BASICALLY FOR THE MAJORITY OF IT.
THIS WOULD BE A FOOT TRAFFIC TRAIL, NO BICYCLES, NO HORSES, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT WOULD NOT BE A MULTI-USE TRAIL TO START.
IT WOULD BE VERY MUCH PEDESTRIAN TRAIL.
SO EASIER CONCEPT, UM, LESS TERRAFORMING NEEDED, ALL THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO THINK A LOT ABOUT.
HOW TO GET HIKERS SAFELY INTO OUR TOWN, UH, WHICH IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE OF AN ISSUE AS TRAFFIC INCREASES ON ROUTE 5 22.
SO A LOT OF WHAT THIS TRAIL IS SHAPED ON IS SAFETY, SAFETY FOR EVERYONE USING THAT CORRIDOR.
IT WOULD ALSO SERVE AS LAKEFRONT, ROYAL HARMONY HOLLOW RESIDENTS IN THE FOUR H CENTER, THE SMITHSONIAN CONSERVATION BIOLOGY INSTITUTE, WHICH IS WHERE I WORK.
AND SO ALL THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS WOULD, WOULD, UM, WOULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING A WALKING TRAIL, UH, THAT WOULD BE THREE MILES OUT TO THE AT CROSSING.
SO HERE YOU ARE AS YOU WALK OFF THE, THE AT, UM, AND YOU TURN AND LOOK TOWARDS TOWN.
IF YOU SURVIVE THE NEXT THREE MILES, RIGHT, YOU ARE WALKING A GAUNTLET ALONGSIDE A ROAD THAT IS MARKED AT 55 MILES AN HOUR, WHICH MEANS PEOPLE ARE DOING 65 MILES PER HOUR.
YOU'VE JUST HIKED A THOUSAND MILES FROM GEORGIA, YOU HAVE A 40 POUND PACK ON, AND THEN YOU'RE WALKING ALONGSIDE TRAFFIC DOING 65 MILES PER HOUR.
THIS ENTIRE PROJECT IS THE ABILITY FOR US TO BE PROACTIVE, RIGHT? VERSUS REACTIVE.
IT'S A, IT IS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE WE GET THE CALL THAT SOMETHING HAS HAPPENING, RIGHT? SO
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INSTEAD OF LETTING IT GET TO THAT POINT, WE HAVE A PLAN.THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEVELOPING HERE AND I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU GUYS MORE ABOUT TO GET PEOPLE SAFELY INTO OUR TOWN AND BACK OUT AGAIN.
RIGHT? SO, UM, AS A REMINDER, I, I TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST TIME.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE A, A REALLY SCARY PEDESTRIAN FATALITY RATE WHEN IT COMES TO ROADWAYS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS PREVENTABLE, WHICH IS EXCITING.
UM, THIS IS ALSO A PORTION OF WHAT WE, WHERE THIS, WHERE PEOPLE ARE WALKING ALONGSIDE 5 22.
OF COURSE THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY NEAT THINGS WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THIS TRAIL AS FAR AS BEAUTIFICATION, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S ALWAYS GONNA STAY OUTSIDE THE SMITHSONIAN FENCING FOR ABOUT TWO MILES.
THEN IT'S GONNA CURVE INTO THE FOREST AND LOOK A LOT LIKE THIS, UM, BEAUTIFUL TRAIL THROUGH THE WOODS.
AND THEN THERE'S ACTUALLY A SECTION OF IT THAT LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE THIS.
THIS IS WHERE HAPPY CREEK CONNECTS WITH SLOAN CREEK, RIGHT? THEREBY HARMONY HOLLOW ROAD.
SO WE'D HAVE SOME SMALL LITTLE STREAM CROSSINGS, UM, THEN WORK OUR WAY ALONG THE FLOODPLAIN AND GET PEOPLE SAFELY INTO TOWN.
AND, AND NOT ONLY DO THAT, BUT AGAIN, ALSO TRYING TO BEAUTIFY OUR CORRIDOR.
ALSO TRYING TO CONNECT COMMUNITIES.
UM, ALL OF THIS, OF COURSE IS WITHIN THE COMP PLAN FOR THE TOWN, WHICH IS EXCITING.
WE EVEN HAVE A DIRECT LANGUAGE IN THE COMP PLAN TALKING ABOUT THIS TRAIL.
AND, UM, AND PEOPLE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT BECAUSE THIS IS ALL OF COURSE JUST A BIG WIN WIN-WIN FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS, A LOT OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS ALONG THE WAY.
THE BIG ONES BEING OF COURSE, YOU GUYS, UM, WARREN COUNTY VDOT AND THE SMITHSONIAN AND SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK.
AND THEN ALL THESE DIFFERENT APPALACHIAN TRAIL CLUBS ARE INVOLVED AS WELL.
BUT THE BIG LAND OWNERS ALONG THE WAY ARE THE SMITHSONIAN WARREN COUNTY.
AND YOU GUYS HAVE A SMALL PIECE, UH, KIND OF ENCLAVED BY THE SMITHSONIAN, WHICH IS AN INTERESTING LITTLE PIECE OF, OF PROPERTY.
UM, SO WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING IS WE HAVE A BIG STAKEHOLDER MEETING COMING UP ON TUESDAY, APRIL 16TH AT SAMUELS PUBLIC LIBRARY.
I DO BELIEVE THAT LIZZIE AND LAUREN WILL BE THERE ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN.
WE'VE GOT JOE PETTY ON, ON, ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY.
AND THEN WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL THESE OTHER GROUPS WHO WILL BE THERE AS WELL.
AND BASICALLY AT THAT POINT, IT'S NOT SO MUCH A MATTER OF DO WE WANT TO DO THIS? IT'S HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THIS? SO LET'S MOVE FORWARD.
UM, I HAVE MET WITH EVERY ONE OF THESE GROUPS SO FAR AND PITCHED THIS CONCEPT AND EVERYONE IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT PEOPLE WANNA CHAMPION THIS TRAIL.
UM, SO WHERE ARE WE AT THIS POINT? I HAVE WALKED THIS ENTIRE TRAIL.
I'M PRETTY SURE I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE WANT THIS TRAIL TO BE.
THE CLOSER YOU, WE HAVE A LOT OF CONSTRAINTS ON WHERE IT CAN GO.
SO THERE AREN'T A LOT OF OPTIONS.
IT'S A MATTER OF HOW TO SAFELY GET IT DOWN THAT THREE MILES.
AND THEN AS WE GET TOWARDS TOWN, YOU GET INTO KIND OF A PINCH POINT, UH, POINT BEHIND RAPOON.
IF YOU KNOW THAT AREAS ARE COMING RIGHT IN CLOSE TO CHRYSLER ROAD, WE GET KIND OF INTO A PINCH.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE A LITTLE CREATIVE ON HOW WE MAYBE MOVE PEOPLE THROUGH.
PROBABLY A SERIES OF BRIDGES, WHICH WOULD BE REALLY PRETTY GOING OVER HAPPY CREEK AS YOU ENTER TOWN.
UM, SO WE REACHED OUT TO BROCK LOWRY AND MATT WHITE AT IRONWOOD OUTDOORS.
YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE THESE GUYS ARE THE ONES WHO DID, UH, THE TRAILS BEHIND THE HOSPITAL.
IF YOU HIKED THOSE BEFORE, THEY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB.
THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, UH, TRAILS AROUND IT.
THEY HAVE 35 YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE.
THEY'VE WORKED ON ALL THESE DIFFERENT, UH, AREAS AROUND VIRGINIA, SKY, MEADOW STATE PARK.
OF COURSE, EVERYBODY KNOWS THEIR MASS OUT AND RESORT.
AND THE ONE CLOSEST TO HOME, OF COURSE, IS THE ANDRE FAMILY WELLNESS AND RECREATION TRAIL BEHIND THE HOSPITAL.
THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GREAT PEOPLE.
AND WE'RE NOW AT THE POINT WHERE WE NEED A TRAIL BUILDING COMPANY TO COME IN AND HELP US WITH A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON, ON WHAT'S NEXT, WHAT, WHAT ACTUALLY ARE WE UP AGAINST WITH THIS TRAIL.
SO, UM, AND OF COURSE THIS IS SOME OF THE WORK THEY DO.
I JUST WANNA SPOTLIGHT THAT, THAT OF COURSE IS THE TOP OF THE ANDRE FAMILY TRAIL UP TOP OF THE HOSPITAL.
AND THAT'S THAT COMPLEX THAT THEY PUT TOGETHER A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT THE TRAIL IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE CONCEIVING WHAT OURS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE AS WELL, WHETHER IT'S SAND OR MULCH OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
BUT VERY SMALL, MINIMAL IMPACT, 3, 4, 5 FEET WIDE.
UM, THE, THESE ARE SOME MORE TRAILS THAT IRONWOOD OUTDOORS HAVE COMPLETED.
THEY DO A GREAT JOB, VERY LOW IMPACT.
THEY THINK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY OF, OF TRAILS ALL THE TIME THAT'S IN THEIR MISSION.
SO I FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT HAVING THEM INVOLVED IN THIS GAME.
UM, THEY DO A LOT OF BRIDGE WORK, WHICH IS GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE PLAYING DOWN BY HAPPY CREEK.
UM, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE DO THAT CORRECTLY AND PULL ALL THE RIGHT PERMITS AND, AND DO EVERYTHING THAT YOU KNOW.
SO MAKE SURE THAT WATER IS STILL FLOWING REALLY WELL.
WE'RE NOT IMPEDING ANY WILDLIFE HABITAT.
SO WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THEM.
THEY'VE, THEY'VE COME BACK TO US WITH A PROPOSAL ON THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY AND THAT'S WHAT I'M PUTTING, UH, I THINK ALL OF YOU HAVE A COPY OF THAT, WHICH IS GREAT.
SO THEY TALK ABOUT ALL THE SERVICES THEY'LL, THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR WHAT THEY'RE GONNA OFFER US.
UM, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE ASKING FOR $8,000 TO DO THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A VERY FAIR PRICE FOR A THREE MILE TRAIL THAT'S GONNA HAVE A LOT OF LITTLE PIECES TO IT ACROSS A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, TYPES OF LANDSCAPES.
SO, UM, THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE OFFERING THIS STUFF DOWN HERE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS THAT IS, THAT ARE ON THE ACES COMMITTEE TO TAKE BOARD ARE A LOT OF THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING AT THE NEXT STAKEHOLDER MEETING.
THINGS LIKE PULLING PERMITS, THINGS LIKE GETTING SOME SURVEY WORK DONE EVENTUALLY TO SEE WHERE PRIVATE PROPERTY ENDS AND WHERE WE'RE IN FLOOD PLAIN, THINGS LIKE THAT.
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GONNA TAKE ON WITH ALL THESE OTHER GROUPS.SO, UM, THE ASK FOR ALL OF YOU TONIGHT IS TO SEE IF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL WOULD BE WILLING TO COVER THE COST OF THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY.
SO THIS IS A CHANCE FOR THE TOWN, OF COURSE, TO INVEST IN THE NEXT PHASE OF THIS PROJECT, WHICH WE NEED TO GET THROUGH TO MOVE FORWARD OF COURSE.
AND THIS IS GONNA GIVE US ALL THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS TRAIL, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.
OF COURSE, THIS KIND OF HELPS SHOW THE TOWN'S COMMITMENT TO, TO SAFE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF TOWN AND, AND OBVIOUSLY FOLLOW SUIT WITH EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN WRITING UP IN THE COMP PLAN, WHICH IS EXCITING.
THE OTHER THING THERE IS, YOU KNOW, $8,000 IS GONNA KICK OFF A LOT OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO AND ALL ADDITIONAL FUNDRAISING IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AND THEN NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, WITH ALL THE PERMITS AND WITH, WITH EVENTUALLY BREAKING GROUND, WE'RE GONNA GO TO BIGGER FUNDING SOURCES FOR THAT.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA BE COMING BACK TO THE TOWN FOR FUNDING FOR.
WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY BE LOOKING AT TAP FUNDING, WHICH I THINK MOST OF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, WHICH HAS A REALLY GOOD POCKET OF MONEY, UM, SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO GETTING PEDESTRIANS OFF OF ROADWAYS AND ONTO SAY TRAILS.
SO WE THINK TAP FUNDING AND I'VE ACTUALLY SPOKEN WITH A FEW PEOPLE ON THE VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION BOARD ABOUT THIS TRAIL ALREADY AND THEY'VE KIND OF GIVEN ME A VERY QUIET THUMBS UP BEHIND THE SCENE THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THEY WOULD FUND.
UM, 'CAUSE IT GIVES COMMUNITY ACCESS TO AND FROM THE TRAIL IN ALL THESE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS OUTSIDE OF TOWN.
SO, UM, YEAH, SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
AND I WON'T TAKE UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME, BUT I WANTED TO PUT THAT BEFORE YOU, THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE $8,000 TO ACTUALLY GET THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY UNDERWAY.
AS SOON AS WE HAVE THAT 8,000, BROCK AND HIS TEAM WILL, WILL, WILL START GOING.
THEY, THEY THINK IT'LL TAKE ABOUT A MONTH, MONTH AND A HALF TO ACTUALLY DEVELOP THAT STUDY, THEN COME BACK TO US AND THEN WE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
ALRIGHT, SO THIS IS A TIME WHERE PEOPLE CAN ASK QUESTIONS AND I'M GONNA START
SO THE SLIDE WHERE IT SAID ALL THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS SURE.
I'M JUST CURIOUS 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IT ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO MONEY AND TRYING TO FIND MONEY.
SO LIKE ALL OF THOSE GROUPS ARE PART OF BENEFITING, RIGHT? UM, YEP.
BUT THE TOWN'S THE ONLY ONE BEING ASKED TO FUND THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE WE ARE YOUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND WE'RE LEADING THIS ENTIRE PROCESS.
WE ARE THE TOP OF THIS UMBRELLA.
WE'RE LEADING THIS ENTIRE EFFORT.
WE ARE COMING TO YOU FIRST FOR THE OPTION TO BASICALLY SAY, YES, YOU'D BE WILLING TO HELP KICKSTART THIS PIECE.
THE IDEA HERE IS THAT IF I HAVE TO HOLD 14 MORE MEETINGS AND VISIT EVERY ONE OF THESE GROUPS TO EACH ASK FOR $500, THAT'S A LOT OF MY TIME AND ENERGY THAT COULD HAVE GONE INTO ACTUALLY MOVING THIS PROJECT FORWARD, RIGHT? SO THE IDEA IS THAT IT'S 8,000, SO IT'S A VERY SMALL PIECE OF MONEY.
THE IDEA IS THAT THIS, BECAUSE WE ARE YOUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT RESONATES WELL WITH, WITH OBVIOUSLY WHY YOU CREATED US.
UM, AND I THINK IT JUST SHOWS A COMMITMENT TO THIS PROJECT.
AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE YOUR INVESTMENT INTO THE FUTURE OF THIS TRAIL.
UM, UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE'RE GONNA GO FOR BIG TAP FUNDING AND ALSO, UM, PROBABLY VIRGINIA OUTDOOR FOUNDATION FUNDING IN THE FUTURE TO ACTUALLY MAKE THE TRAIL HAPPEN.
I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF JUSTIFICATION, ALSO ADDITIONAL JUSTIFICATION FOR COMING TO THE TOWN, I CAN ALSO JUST KIND OF STAND BACK AND SAY THAT OUR ACES UH, COMMITTEE HAS ACTUALLY BROUGHT IN CLOSE TO 60, $65,000 TO THE TOWN OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS IN, IN GRANTS.
SO IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR MONEY AND NOT BRINGING IT IN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE IT'S A SMALL ENOUGH POT OF MONEY THAT IT'S VERY CHALLENGING FOR ME TO GO AND WRITE A GRANT FOR 8,000 FOR A FEASIBILITY STUDY.
IN FACT, MOST GRANT, I, I'VE LOOKED INTO THIS, UM, MOST OF THESE GRANTING ORGANIZATIONS WANT TO FUND BREAKING GROUND, RIGHT? THE FEASIBILITY STUDIES THAT KIND OF IN BETWEEN PIECE THAT THEY'RE LIKE, UH, IT DOESN'T QUITE FIT INTO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR HERE AND THEIR RFP.
SO IT'S, IT'S A CHALLENGING LITTLE PIECE OF MONEY TO BASICALLY GET US TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE TO THEN START FUNDRAISING AT A BIGGER LEVEL.
JUSTIN, UH, A QUESTION, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MANY PEOPLE COME OFF THE TRAIL NOW INTO TOWN, WHICH HELPS OUR ECONOMY? YEAH, WHICH IS GREAT.
WE CAN PULL A LOT OF THOSE NUMBERS ACTUALLY FROM, FROM THE, OUR BASE CAMP FROM BARA, CARRIE BARNHART HAS ALL THOSE NUMBERS, WHICH IS GREAT.
IZZY'S GOT A LOT OF THOSE NUMBERS TOO.
I THINK WE HAD JUST OVER A THOUSAND CHECK IN AT BASE CAMP LAST YEAR.
COMING FROM THAT, FROM, FROM THE TRAIL.
NOW WE DO RUN THE TROLLEY OUT THERE DURING THE, AT SEASON FOUR TIMES A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
UM, I THINK THAT'S YES TO THAT LOCATION, RIGHT? TO TO THE TRAIL HEAD LINDEN, TO WE GO TO THE TRAIL HEAD TO THIS ONE TO EXACTLY.
SO THIS THIS TRAIL WOULD COMPLIMENT THE TROLLEY.
THAT'S THE IDEA THAT IF WE'VE GOT A HIKER COMING OFF THE TRAIL AT FIVE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, TIRED TRYING TO GET INTO TOWN, HE'S NOT WALKING ALONG THE SIDE OF OUR ROAD IN THE DARK.
RIGHT? BECAUSE THE TROLLEYS STOP SERGEANT, THE TROLLEY'S AWESOME, BUT HE HAS LIMITATIONS OF COURSE.
HOW LONG DID HE, BUT I'M SAYING LIKE THE TIME, LIKE AT 5:00 PM IF THERE'S NO TROLLEY GOING OUT THERE, THEN THEY'RE EXACTLY, THEY'RE THERE AND YEAH.
THEY'RE EITHER THUMBING YOU DOWN THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND I'M SURE WE'VE ALL PICKED PEOPLE UP AT THAT TIME OF DAY, RIGHT? OR THEY'RE WALKING ALONG THE SIDE, NEVER HAVING BEEN HERE, NOT KNOWING WHAT THEY'RE NAVIGATING.
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A RECIPE FOR DISASTER, RIGHT? SO IF WE CAN CREATE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S A COMPLIMENT TO THE T TRIALING THESE OTHER SERVICES, PAIR ALL THESE THINGS TOGETHER, THAT'S WHERE WE REALLY BUMP UP THE SAFETY OF THAT CORRIDOR.UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT THE AT HIKERS ARE FANTASTIC.
WE WANT TO GET THEM ALL IN THE TOWN.
TO BE HONEST, THIS TRAIL SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUILT 80 YEARS AGO, RIGHT? WHY? WHY DID WE LET THE MOST AMAZING TRAIL EVER BUILT IN THIS COUNTRY, UH, PASS US BY RIGHT? THREE MILES FROM US.
SO, UH, IT MAKES SENSE LOGISTICALLY IN EVERY WAY.
AND OF COURSE WE WANT THOSE HIKERS COMING INTO TOWN, SPENDING SOME MONEY, SPENDING THE NIGHT MEETING THEIR FAMILIES HERE, HERE WHO ARE COMING FOR THE WEEKEND TO INVEST IN THIS TOWN.
UM, WE WANT THEIR, THEIR STORIES, THEIR ADVENTURES TO COME HERE TO FRONT ROYAL.
SO THE EASIER WE CAN MAKE IT ON THEM.
AND OF COURSE, WHAT'S REALLY NICE ABOUT THIS, THIS, UH, THE PLANET WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE CHARTING THIS TRAIL RIGHT NOW IS IT REMAINS PRETTY MUCH FLAT THE ENTIRE WAY INTO AN AT HIKER.
THAT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST ASSETS OF ANY TRAIL, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO CONNECT INTO A TOWN, IS THAT IT'S EASY.
AND SO OVER TIME WE'D HAVE SIGNAGE, IT'D BE A QUARTER YOU'RE SHOVING DOWN LIKE TWO MILES MORE TO GO TO FRONT ROYAL, CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE YOU, YOU KNOW, IT BECOMES VERY WELCOMING.
WE CAN ALSO DO A LOT OF HISTORY AND THAT STRETCH, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY WHERE WE USED TO MOVE ALL THE HORSES OUT TO THE SMITHSONIAN, THE OLD REMOUNT CENTER.
THERE'S A LOT OF COOL HISTORY.
WE'D BE WALKING THE EXACT SAME TRAILS THAT ALL THOSE HORSES USED TO BE MARCHED ALONG.
UM, SO GETTING THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY INVOLVED EVENTUALLY WITH EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE WOULD BE REALLY NEAT.
SO YOU'RE LEARNING ABOUT FRONT ROYAL AS YOU'RE ARRIVING TO THE TOWN.
UM, THERE'S SO MANY GREAT THINGS WE CAN DO WITH IT.
UM, SO WHEN, ONCE IT HAVE, LIKE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY IS TO TELL US THAT IT'S FEASIBLE OR NOT, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND ALL THE LITTLE CAVEATS OF THAT.
AND IT ALSO GIVE YOU THE, DOES IT ALSO GIVE YOU, UM, UM, WOULD IT ALSO GIVE YOU LIKE A AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT IT WOULD COST TO MAKE IT HAPPEN? EXACTLY.
AND THEN AT THAT POINT, MORE THAN JUST US WOULD BE LIKE, WE, WE WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, I, I'M, I'M JUST ALWAYS CAUTIOUS, LIKE SURE, I DON'T WANT THIS.
I WOULD BE NERVOUS IF WE WERE LIKE, YEAH, IT'S A GREAT IDEA.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY COME BACK AND WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, AND NOW IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THE TOWN, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE GONNA DO IT.
'CAUSE HOW MUCH OF THAT, HOW MUCH OF THIS TRAIL? I KNOW IT BRINGS US INTO TOWN, BUT HOW MUCH OF IT IS IN THE TOWN? THE RP THE PIECE IS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, LIKE, IS A LOT OF IT IN WARREN AND THERE'S JUST LIKE A MILE IN, IT'S A THREE MILE STRETCH.
YEAH, IT'S A THREE MILE STRETCH.
AND WHAT'S INTERESTING IS IT PASSES A LITTLE RESERVOIR THAT'S ACTUALLY OWNED BY THE TOWN AS WELL.
SO THERE'S A PIECE OF IT THAT WE'D ACTUALLY BE ROUTING THROUGH THAT, UM, ACTUALLY ALONGSIDE THAT LITTLE RESERVOIR.
AND THEN WE'RE IN, WHERE DO WE ENTER TOWN? PROBABLY, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
I, I WOULD GUESS ABOUT A MILE MILE ROBBIE ON THEM.
RIGHT? RIGHT UP FROM AQUAD DUCK LANE.
PRETTY CLOSE TO APPLE ONES WHERE WE TURN AROUND PRETTY CLOSE.
SO WE'VE GOT YOUR LITTLE PIECE OF TOWN PROPERTY WOULD BE COMING ACROSS FURTHER UP WHERE YOU'VE GOT THE RESERVOIR.
AND THEN AS WE GET CLOSER TO TOWN, WE'D BE CONNECTING INTO THE ROYAL SHAND GREENWAY.
YOU GUYS ARE A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
YOU, YOU KNOW, COLLECTIVELY A LOT OF THE TRAILS 55 FEET FROM THE CENTER LINE, WHICH MEANS IT'S KIND OF IN THAT VDOT RIGHT AWAY THEN KIND OF RIGHT OUTSIDE THE SMITHSONIAN FENCE.
SO IT'S KIND OF IN THAT NEBULOUS AREA RIGHT THERE.
THEN WE DIP INTO THE NATIONAL PARK FOR WHAT'S GONNA BE ABOUT A HALF MILE, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.
UM, I THINK THIS IS A, A, A RELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO SHOW THE TOWN'S COMMITMENT TO THE FUTURE OF THIS TRAIL KNOWING THAT WE'RE NOT COMING BACK TO YOU FOR MORE, ALL THE PLAYERS ARE IN THE GAME.
THIS IS FOR US TO SAY THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL GOT US KICKED OFF WITH THIS.
WE'RE GONNA RUN WITH THIS NOW THAT WE HAVE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, THEN EVERYTHING ELSE CAN GET SET IN MOTION.
I CAN'T APPLY TO THOSE BIGGER GRANTS, THE TAP FUNDING, UNLESS WE HAVE THE FEASIBILITY, UNLESS WE HAVE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY.
BUT IT'S SUCH A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY COMPARATIVELY THAT IT'S AWKWARD TO FIND ANY, ANY OTHER ENTITY TO PAY FOR IT.
THAT IS A GRANT FUNDING GROUP.
THIS IS KIND OF THE, THE MIDDLE GROUND WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA BECOME PART OF THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY.
SO, UM, WE HAVE TO BUY IT FROM THEM.
WELL, THERE'S A COUPLE SCENARIOS THAT COULD PLAY OUT HERE.
THE GOOD NEWS IS IF WE END UP HAVING TO PUT A TRAIL EASEMENT TO THE BACK PART OF ANYBODY'S PROPERTY, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT RAPON AND YOU LOOK BEHIND THERE, IT'S A CLIFF FACE THAT GOES UP TO FOX DRIVE.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A COUPLE AND THAT'S ACTUALLY WHERE I LIVE, JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FOX DRIVE.
SO I KNOW ALL THESE FOLKS THAT LIVE THERE, IT'S KIND OF THE BACKSIDE OF THEIR PROPERTY THAT THE MAJORITY CAN'T EVEN ACCESS 'CAUSE IT'S A CLIFF FACE AND IT ENDS RIGHT IN THE CREEK.
SO IF WE HAD, AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY IS GONNA SHOW US, IS WHICH OF THESE LAND OWNERS WE'RE GONNA NEED TO START TALKING TO BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA NEED TO BE MOUNTING A PIECE OF A BRIDGE AGAINST THAT CLIFF.
AND THEN OVER THE NICE THING IS IF WE NEED TO FUND TRAIL EASEMENTS, IN OTHER WORDS, IF I NEEDED TO OFFER ONE OF THESE FOLKS $10,000 FOR A TRAIL EASEMENT ON THEIR PROPERTY, UM, THERE'S REALLY GOOD GRANT FUNDING FOR EXACTLY THAT THROUGH THE VIRGINIA OUTDOOR FOUNDATION.
THEIR PRESERVATION TRUST FUND ACTUALLY FUNDS EXACTLY THAT, WHICH IS EXCITING.
SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA TRY NOT TO HAVE TO INTERFACE TOO MUCH WITH PRIVATE PROPERTY.
'CAUSE OF COURSE THAT JUST BRINGS IN MORE COMPLEXITIES.
BUT, UM, IF WE HAVE TO, THERE'S FUNDING THAT WILL HELP WITH THAT IS GREAT.
I MISSED YOUR UH, UM, MEETING AT THE ROTARY
[00:20:01]
CLUB THE OTHER NIGHT, BUT YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT COLLECTIVELY ALONG 5 22 AND THE CROSSING HAS V NOT DONE ANYTHING OR OFFERED ANYTHING AS FAR AS MARKING THAT CROSSING, MAYBE GET THE, YOU YOU PUSH THE BUTTON AND THINGS FLASHING TO TELL PEOPLE WE'RE THINKING THE SAME PAGE? YES.WE STARTED CONVERSATIONS WITH VDOT ABOUT THAT.
AND I'LL SAY THAT, UH, UM, MOUNTAIN HOME B AND B, ELISA JENKINS AND THAT, AND, AND THAT CREW HAS BEEN A, A BIG CHAMPION FOR THAT KIND OF THING AS WELL.
AND OUR LOCAL APPALACHIAN TRAIL CLUB TOO.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FEW THINGS.
UM, THIS TRAIL WOULD ACTUALLY HELP WITH A PIECE OF THAT THAT TR THE, THE CROSSING, THE AT CROSSING IS ACTUALLY ON A CURB, WHICH MAKES IT VERY DANGEROUS.
SO THIS TRAIL WOULD ACTUALLY PUSH BACK SOME OF THE BRUSH THAT IS CAUSING SOME OF THAT INABILITY TO SEE WITH A CAR, GIVING PEOPLE MORE, MORE VISION FARTHER DOWN THE ROAD.
WE WANT FLASHING LIGHTS ON BOTH SIDES JUST TO WARN PEOPLE TO SLOW THEM.
THERE'S ALSO, WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT GETTING A, UM, I KNOW I'M BEING FILMED SO I GOTTA BE CAREFUL.
THERE IS SO MUCH ACTIVITY ON THAT SECTION RIGHT NOW.
LIKE I SAID, YOU HAVE PEOPLE COMING OFF THE AT WHO ARE EXHAUSTED WEARING A 40 POUND PACK WHO ARE SPRINTING ACROSS THE ROAD WHERE PEOPLE ARE DOING 65 MILES AN HOUR.
WE CAN DO BETTER, RIGHT? IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO END TRAGICALLY LIKE THAT.
THAT'S JUST A RECIPE FOR DISASTER.
SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO SLOW TRAFFIC.
AND I WILL SAY WE HAVE TALKED TO VDOT AND THEY HAVEN'T OPEN TO THE CONVERSATION.
WE JUST HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS YET.
UM, BUT THAT'S ALL PART OF THIS.
I THINK THE MORE ATTENTION WE BRING ON THIS TRAIL AND THAT CROSSING, THE MORE THESE GROUPS WE START BRINGING INTO THE CONVERSATION AROUND THIS TRAIL, THE MORE WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THE CROSSING ITSELF.
WHAT'S YOUR TIMELINE? UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GRANT CYCLES ARE COMING UP RIGHT? FOR VDOT.
SO LIKE ARE YOU TRYING TO HIT THEM THIS YEAR? ARE YOU TRYING TO PUT 'EM NEXT YEAR? I'D LOVE TO.
I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO JUST MOVE AT A PACE THAT WORKS, YOU KNOW, AND IF, IF WE DON'T ALIGN FOR THIS YEAR, WE, I, I'M, I'M TRYING NOT TO PUSH TOO HARD ON THIS.
LIKE I SAID, WE'VE GOT THE STAKEHOLDER MEETING COMING UP FROM THE 16TH.
IF BY THEN I KNEW ABOUT THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AND WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE FUNDING, THAT WOULD BE A HUGE PART OF THAT MEETING.
I'D HAVE A LOT MORE ANSWERS IF WE WERE TO HAVE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY EVEN UNDERWAY BY THAT MEETING.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE BROCK AND HIS PARTNER MATT, AT THAT MEETING AS WELL REPRESENTING IRON WITH OUTDOORS.
SO WE'D BE ABLE TO DO A LOT MORE AT THAT MEETING WITH THESE PARTNERS KNOWING THERE'S FORWARD MOVEMENT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WORKS FOR OUR TIMELINE 'CAUSE WE, WE'D HAVE TO DISCUSS IT PROBABLY AT THE WORK SESSION IN OUR NEXT MEETING AT THE END OF MARCH.
SO YEAH, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING THINGS ONE STEP AT A TIME.
THERE'S A LOT OF PIECES HERE AND WE DON'T WANT RUSH ANYONE.
SO WE WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY THE TIME THEY NEED TO, TO THINK THESE THINGS OVER.
AND IF IT'S SOMETHING WHERE, LET'S JUST SAY THAT VDOT FUNDING DOESN'T ALIGN FOR US THIS YEAR.
I THINK THAT, UM, THE VIRGINIA OUTDOOR FOUNDATION FUNDING MIGHT, I THINK THEY HAVE, IT'S NOT A ROLLING DEADLINE, BUT I THINK THEY HAVE TWO DEADLINES A YEAR.
UM, AND, UH, WE CAN START LOOKING AT TRAIL EASEMENT MONEY AND THINGS LIKE THAT IF NEED BE IN THE MEANTIME.
SO THERE'S DEFINITELY LITTLE POCKETS WE CAN START GOING FOR THAT'LL HELP MOVE IT FORWARD IN THE MEANTIME.
YOU ACTED LIKE YOU HAD A QUESTION.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, NO, NOT REALLY.
UH, I, YOU KNOW, THE CONCEPTUALLY IT, IT, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN, UH, WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST, UH, IT'S A WIN-WIN.
I, I THINK, UH, SOMETHING THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE DONE.
LET'S JUST SEE WHAT, HOW THINGS SHAKE OUT.
SO JUSTIN, YOU SAID THAT IT WAS INTENDED TO TIE INTO THE GREENWAY HERE.
SO IT WOULD, IF YOU'RE TURNING ONTO CHRYSLER ROAD, UM, AFTER YOU GO OVER HAPPY CREEK, RIGHT THERE ON THE LEFT, THERE'S ACTUALLY ALREADY A TRAIL BEHIND THE, UM, BEHIND THE LOCKHARTS THERE.
UM, AND THAT WE'D ACTUALLY BE POPPING OUT RIGHT THERE, THERE, THERE'S ACTUALLY SO MANY DISTURBED TRAIL AREAS ALREADY THAT MOST OF THIS TRAIL IS GONNA BE CREATED WITHOUT EVEN TAKING DOWN A TREE.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO TAKE DOWN A SINGLE TREE TO MAKE THIS TRAIL.
I'VE, I'VE BLOCKED THE ENTIRE THING.
UM, THERE'S THE LODGE DISTURB THERE.
SO WE POP OUT RIGHT THERE AND THEN YOU'D WALK RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET AND YOU RIGHT DOWN OUR GREENWAY HEAD RIGHT TO MAIN STREET.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GOT A GOOD SHAPE TO IT.
THE ONLY, THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD IS, UH, THE UP AND ABOVE THE 8,200 THERE'S, UH, A RETAINER, A $1,500 RETAINER.
AND, UH, THE STATES, UH, UPON EXECUTION OF THE AGREEMENT IS DUE UPON EXECUTION OF AGREEMENT.
IT'LL BE REFLECTED AS A CREDIT ON THE FINAL BILLING, UH, STATEMENT.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAT DOWN WITH BROCK AND MATT AND I'M PRETTY SURE THEY'RE WILLING TO WORK ON THIS.
THIS IS A VERY FORMAL WHAT THEY'RE USED TO GIVING A GROUP LIKE THIS.
AND, AND I'VE TALKED TO THEM AND THEY'RE LIKE, WE'RE, WE WANT THIS TRAIL TOO.
WE'RE EXCITED TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS AND WHAT YOU CAN OFFER AND WHAT YOU CAN DO.
SO IF WE NEED TO AMEND A TIMELINE
[00:25:01]
OR SOME PIECE OF THAT DOESN'T EXACTLY FIT WHAT'S GONNA, WHAT WOULD WORK FOR THE TOWN, I'M, I'M SURE WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WITH THAT.WELL, AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS A THROUGH F IS SAYING THAT'S WHAT YOUR GROUP WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
SO A THROUGH F IS GONNA BE VERY MUCH THE, THE TOPICS OF THIS NEXT MEETING, UM, WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS.
WE'LL HAVE OUR WORK TO DO AS WELL.
DOES, DOES AIS HAVE ANY FUNDING AVAILABLE RIGHT THIS MINUTE? DO YOU HAVE, DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF MONEY WE YOU'RE OPERATING OFF ON FOR THIS? WE DO.
UH, WE'VE BEEN RUNNING ON ZERO.
WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT ON ZERO, WHICH IS PRETTY COOL.
WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN WRITING ALL OF OUR OWN GRANTS.
WE ACTUALLY JUST SUBMITTED ANOTHER GRANT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY FOR $7,000 FOR EARTH DAY, WHICH IS EXCITING.
SO WE'VE BEEN REALLY TRYING TO BRING MONEY IN VERSUS ASK FOR MONEY.
UM, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I THINK WE'VE ACTUALLY MADE AN ASK TO THE TOWN IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
SO, LIKE I SAID, IT, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S AN AWKWARD AMOUNT FOR US TO GO FOR.
I, I LOOKED INTO EVERY GRANT I COULD FIND THAT WOULD TRY TO FUND SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
AND IT'S JUST AGAIN, THAT, THAT IN-BETWEEN AREA THAT THAT'S AWKWARD.
SO IF I MAY, COUNSEL AND MAYOR, UH, OF COURSE THIS IS A GROUP THAT, UH, OUR ROTARY CLUB'S PARTNERING WITH FOR THE BEAUTIFICATION ON THE BYPASS AND UP JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY.
SO THE TOWN AND THE CITIZENS GONNA GET A LOT OF VALUE OUT OF THAT.
AND, AND JOE AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS GONE AND CLEANED THAT CORNER UP.
AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE A VERY MUCH NICER LOOK COMING INTO OUR COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S THANKS TO THESE GUYS THAT REALLY, THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH AND THEN GET THE, UH, THE OTHER GRANT FOR ANOTHER FIVE, FOUR OR 5,000.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF GOOD COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS.
I THINK THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHAT THE, WHAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO AS ACES IS LOOK AT ALL THESE OTHER GROUPS IN TOWN, ALL THESE OTHER CIVIC GROUPS AND SAY IF WE CAN COMBINE FORCES HERE, WE CAN GET SOME REALLY COOL BIG PROJECTS DONE.
SO THAT'S BEEN A REALLY, THAT'S BEEN A GREAT MODEL.
SO THE $8,200, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
$8,200 IS WHAT WE WOULD BE, WHAT WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO PAY TO IRONWOOD OUTDOORS.
BUT THE OTHER THINGS A THROUGH F UM, LIKE THE SERVICES OF GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER AND TEST BORINGS AND ALL, YOU KNOW, RIGHTS AWAY AND ALL THAT STUFF.
THAT WOULD BE THE, AFTER THE FEASIBILITY STUDY IS DONE, THEY IT WOULD TELL YOU ABOUT ALL THE OTHER THINGS YOU NEED A THROUGH F.
AND WHEN WE GET TO A THROUGH F, THAT'S ALL THE OTHER PARTIES WE'RE GONNA GET.
EVERYBODY AND ALL THOSE OTHER PARTNER, EVERYBODY ELSE WILL MAKE APPALACHIAN TRAIL CLUB.
ALL THESE GROUPS HAVE A LOT OF EXPERTISE WITH THIS.
EVEN HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH PRIVATE LAND OWNERS ABOUT EASEMENTS, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.
SO WE ARE GETTING ALL THE RIGHT GROUPS TOGETHER WHO WE CAN THEN LEAN ON AND BE LIKE, TIME TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER.
THIS IS IN YOUR WHEELHOUSE, TAKE IT, RUN WITH IT.
I I'M JUST ASKING 'CAUSE NO, THAT'S GOOD TO CLARIFY THAT.
IT'S A CONTRACT AND THERE'S ALWAYS THAT FINE PRINT IN THE CONTRACT AND I JUST, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WHAT WE'RE, IF COUNSEL DECIDES TO DO THAT, WHAT WE'RE SIGNING ON FOR AND WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T WANNA FIND OUT LATER, OH IT WAS $8,200 AND THEN THAT PART DOWN THERE IS ANOTHER 25,000 BLAH BLAH BLAH.
YEAH, WE WOULD AND THAT'S BEFORE WE EVEN AGREED TURN THE FIRST PIECE OF DIRT.
YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT I MEAN THIS IS, THIS IS ALL INCLUSIVE FEASIBILITY PLAN.
WE GET THAT PLAN BACK AND THAT IS OUR MANUAL AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO NEXT.
OUR PARTNERS BACK OF HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
AND HE'S ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER
ALRIGHT, MR. WALTZ, YOU ARE UP FOR THE, UM, AND I, I MEAN I COULD HAVE, I DIDN'T KNOW IF COUNSEL WANTED TO DISCUSS IT ANY FURTHER.
UM, AS I, I'M SORRY, THE, THE ABOUT THE TRAILHEAD PROJECT.
I DON'T KNOW, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS TONIGHT ABOUT, UH, DISCUSSING IT FURTHER? IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO PUT ON AGENDA OR, OR, SO YEAH, IF YOU WANTED ACTION, UH, THE NEXT TIME COUNSEL TAKES ACTION WILL BE MARCH 25TH.
SO THE NEXT AVAILABLE WORK SESSION TO DISCUSS, UM, THE ALLOCATION WOULD BE APRIL 1ST.
BUT THEN YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO APPROVE ANY APPROPRIATIONS UNTIL THE END OF APRIL.
UNLESS YOU DID A SPECIAL MEETING.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT ON THE WORK SESSION, UM, APRIL 1ST.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE TIMELINES ARE ALWAYS GOOD TO KNOW.
SO IF IT WAS ON THE APRIL 1ST MEETING TO DISCUSS IT AT THE WORK SESSION AND AT THAT TIME COUNSEL MADE THE DECISION THAT THEY DID WANNA, UM, ALLOCATE THE MONEY FOR IT AND THE BUDGET, WOULD THAT BE ENOUGH TIME TO
[00:30:01]
GET IN ON THE END OF THE APRIL? UH, FIRST WE'D HAVE TO FIND THE MONEY 'CAUSE WE'RE TALKING THIS YEAR, I KNOW PRIOR BUDGET, SO I HAVEN'T HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. WILSON ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.BUT THAT'S WHAT, IF COUNSEL WANTED TO PURSUE THAT, THEN WE WOULD COME BACK ON THE FIRST WITH SOME ALTERNATIVES ON FUNDING THAT.
DOING, DOING AWAY WITH SOMETHING ELSE.
AND SO IT WOULD STILL INVOLVE THE END OF APRIL FOR COUNCIL TO TAKE ACTION ON IT BECAUSE IT'S A CHANGE IN THE BUDGET.
ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT A LARGE, IT'S NOT A LARGE AMOUNT.
IF, IF WE COULD FIND THE FUNDS AND LIKE I SAID, I'M SPEAKING, I, I HAVEN'T REALLY WENT ON, THIS WOULD BE UNDER MY AUTHORITY.
SO IF IT'S UNDER A CERTAIN AMOUNT, TOWN MANAGER CAN ALLOCATE FOR IT.
SO APRIL 1ST WE'LL ADD IT TO THE AGENDA THEN.
BUT THIS, IF, IF COUNSEL HAS ANY QUESTIONS, THIS WOULD BE BETWEEN NOW AND APRIL 1ST.
YOU GOT PLENTY OF TIME TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS WHEN YOU LEAVE HERE.
UM, THANK COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT SAID IT'S A WIN-WIN WIN FOR THE HIKERS AND WIND FOR THE TESTS AND THE ECONOMY.
AND, AND LIKE I SAID, WE CAN'T REALLY TAKE ACTION AT THIS TIME, BUT I WILL SAY THAT PROBABLY IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR, UM, FOR US TO GO AHEAD AND EXPLORE IF THERE'S ITEM, IF THERE'S ANY FUNDING IN THE BUDGET FOR IT OR NO, I MEAN, IS THAT WHAT COUNSEL'S SAYING TO GO? I'M NOT SAYING YOU'RE AGREEING TO IT.
I'M SAYING DO YOU WANT MR. WA AND MR. WILSON TO LOOK AT THE BUDGET? YES.
IS THAT, IS THERE A CONSENSUS FOR THAT PART? YES.
PRIOR TO, PRIOR TO APRIL ONE? YEAH.
JUST, YEAH, SO THAT WHEN YOU COME BACK WE HAVE AN IDEA IF IT'S A THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR OR WHICHEVER ENDS UP BEING SO, ALRIGHT NOW MR. WA SORRY THOUGH, UM, I KEEP HITTING THREE B AND IT KEEPS COMING UP THREE A.
IS ANYBODY ELSE EXPERIENCING THAT? IT'S, IT'S A LINK.
UM, IS WHAT PART OF OUR CODE SECTION, IT SAYS THAT WE NEED TO DO A WATER CAPACITY STUDY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
SO I INSTRUCTED ROBBIE AND ROBBIE ENGAGED OUR ENGINEER CHA TO DO THIS ANNUAL WATER CAPACITY STUDY.
AND WE HAVE STEVEN SEALE FROM CHA WHO'S GOING TO PRESENT THE, THE STUDY IN ITSELF AND BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
WE HAVE A LONG RELATIONSHIP WITH CHA, UH, AND A LONG RELATIONSHIP WITH MR. SEALE HERE.
HE'S BEEN, UH, SPEARHEADING A LOT OF OF PROJECTS WITH THE TOWN AND UH, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
AREN'T YOU ALL PART OF THE, UM, REDUNDANT WATER LINE TOO? YES.
I PRESENTED THAT TO COUNCIL I THINK 15 AND A HALF TIMES.
APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT.
I'M GONNA TRY NOT TO GET IN THE WEEDS ANY MORE THAN COUNCIL PREFERS.
I'LL GO THROUGH AND JUST HIT THE HIGH LEVEL ITEMS AND THEN IF YOU WANT ME TO DIG IN AND GET SUPER NERDY ENGINEERING, WE CAN DO THAT.
SO AS MR. WALTZ MENTIONED, SECTION 1 34 1 C, THIS IS JUST WHAT WE ASSUMED WHEN WE WERE COMMISSIONED TO DO THIS WORK.
IT STATES THAT THE TOWN WILL ANNUALLY DETERMINE THE ANTICIPATED EXCESS VOLUME OF WATER AND SEWER THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, OR INDUSTRIAL USE.
SO THE REPORT TASKED US WITH LOOKING AT ALL OF YOUR ASSETS ON BOTH THE WATER AND THE SEWER SIDE, PUMP STATIONS, TREATMENT PLANTS, AND ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT WOULD BE RESTRICTIVE AS TO HOW MUCH AVAILABLE CAPACITY THAT THE TOWN HAS THAT ANTICIPATED EXCESS VOLUME.
WE'RE ASSUMING THAT TO BE EXCESS WATER AND SEWER CAPACITY.
IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT WAY THAT IT IS WORDED IN THE CODE.
SO STRAIGHT TO IT, WE EVALUATED EACH OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE CRITICAL TO PRODUCING WATER IN THE SYSTEM.
AND TO BOIL THIS ALL DOWN, WHAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE IS 870,000 GALLONS A DAY IN THE WATER SYSTEM.
SO I DO THESE ALL OVER THE, THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
AND ESSENTIALLY THIS IS A TOOL THAT COUNCIL PLANNING, EVERYBODY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CAN GAUGE THE HEALTH OF YOUR SYSTEM AND WHAT YOU COULD SUPPORT IF A BUSINESS WAS INTERESTED IN COMING INTO TOWN.
AND SO THIS JUST KEEPS YOUR FINGER ON THE PULSE.
DO YOU WANT TO BUILD IN MORE CAPACITY OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS TO GET THAT A LITTLE MORE ROBUST BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN TOWN FRONT.
FOR FRONT ROYAL TYPICALLY ARE LOOKING FOR MAYBE MORE THAN 870,000 GALLONS A DAY? OR
[00:35:01]
IS THAT ENOUGH OF A BUFFER FOR YOU RIGHT NOW THAT YOU STAY IN OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MODE AND THAT'S THAT'S ENOUGH.'CAUSE IT'S, IT IS ALWAYS THE QUESTION, DO YOU, DO YOU BUILD MORE CAPACITY IN AT MAYBE THE PRICE OF A HIGHER RATE, BUT THEN YOU SIT ON THAT FOR EVER AND EVER AND EVER.
OR DO YOU NEED MORE TO ATTRACT THE TYPE OF BUSINESSES THAT, THAT YOU WANT TO COME IN AND THAT THAT RETURN IS IMMEDIATELY REALIZED BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT IT READY TO PLUG IN WHEN SOMEBODY WANTS TO, TO COME INTO TOWN.
SO THIS JUST LETS YOU KNOW YOU'VE GOT 870,000 GALLONS A DAY IN THE WATER SYSTEM.
AND SO WE'VE WENT THROUGH EACH PART OF THE, THE PROCESS TO LOOK AND I THINK SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND, THE, ALTHOUGH THE PLANT IS PERMITTED AT FOUR, IT COULD BE EXPANDED TO 5.94.
BUT THE, THE LIMITING FACTOR IS THE RAW WATER INTAKE IN THE PUMP STATION AT THAT FACILITY.
AND IF YOU WANTED TO EXPAND THAT, THE PERMIT WOULD REQUIRE MUCH SMALLER SCREENS.
I SAID IT WASN'T GONNA DO THIS MUCH SMALLER SCREENS AND, AND IT AT A CONSIDERABLE COST.
SO WE, WE KNOW WHAT COSTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SOME OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS.
SHOULD COUNCIL DECIDE THEY WANTED TO LOOK INTO THAT.
WE'VE ALREADY PROACTIVELY LOOKED TO SEE WHAT ELEMENTS WOULD NEED TO BE UPGRADED TO GET EXPANDED CAPACITY.
FOUR 5.94 OR 4.94 THAT SAYS 5.94 DESIGN CAPACITY.
5.94 IS WHAT IT COULD TREAT RIGHT NOW.
IF YOU GOT MORE WATER AND YOU HAD THE DEQ FOLKS ALLOW YOUR PERMIT OR I THOUGHT YOU SAID FOUR AND THEN I THOUGHT YOU SAID 4.94 AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.
SO WE COULD HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO 5.94.
IF WE DID THE, THE LIMITING FACILITY PERMIT, LIKE BASICALLY MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO IT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO REQUEST AN, AN EXPANSION OF YOUR EXISTING WITHDRAWAL PERMIT, WHICH IS NOT A SMALL FEAT.
IT DIDN'T SOUND LIKE A SMALL FEED
I'M SAYING THERE'S, I KNOW YOU SAID IT
IS THAT AN AVERAGE THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OR SO WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO WORK OUT IN THE LAST V-P-D-E-S PERMIT WAS TO TRY TO GET A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY.
VDH GAVE US A MAX DAY NUMBER AND A MAXIMUM MONTH NUMBER.
YOUR AVERAGE OVER THE ENTIRE YEAR CANNOT EXCEED THE UH, FOUR MGD ON THE AVERAGE.
BUT IF YOU HAD AN EVENT THAT REQUIRED YOU TO PUSH TO THE MAXIMUM 5.94 MILLION GALLONS A DAY TO THE PLANT, YOU COULD DO THAT PER DAY IF YOU NEEDED TO, BUT YOU COULDN'T DO IT ENOUGH THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT IT ACTUALLY RAISED YOUR AVERAGE ABOVE THE PERMITTED FOUR MGD IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
THAT JUST GIVES THE TOWN FLEXIBILITY IN THE EVENT THAT YOU DO NEED TO MAX OUT WHAT THAT PLANT TREATS FOR WHATEVER REASON, EXTENDED FIRE EVENT OR YOU HAVE A MASSIVE BREAK AND YOU GOTTA RUN THE PLANT AS HARD AS YOU CAN WHILE YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW TO FIX IT.
IT GIVES THE TOWN A LITTLE FLEXIBILITY TO FLEX ALL THE WAY IN INTO WHAT THE PLANT CAN DO FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
SO THE EIGHT POINT OF THE 0.87 THAT, THAT EXCEEDS THE CAPACITY.
IS THAT HAPPENING NOW OR WHAT? THAT IS WHAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE THAT NO ONE IS USING RIGHT NOW.
WHICH SOUNDS LIKE AN AWFUL LOT, BUT I'M GONNA ASK A QUESTION LATER ABOUT LIKE WHAT IS AN AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD OR AN AVERAGE BUSINESS USE.
BUT ANYWAY, MR. WA HAD A A DOES THAT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE BUY RIGHT HOMES OUT IN THE HAPPY CREEK AREA, THE 1300 BUY RIGHT HOMES OR, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS DONE BASED ON ACTUAL METERED FLOW THAT LEAVES THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT NOW.
SO EVERYWHERE THAT YOU ARE SERVICING CURRENTLY IS ACCOUNTED FOR IN THIS CALCULATION BUT NOT ANTICIPATED, NOT ANTICIPATED DEVELOPMENT.
YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THE WAY IT WAS THE ONE TIME YEARS AGO? YES.
IT'S ACTUALLY WHAT IS BEING USED NOW.
THIS WAS NOT A A, A FUTURE DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE.
WHAT, WHAT LITERALLY WAS, WAS READ AT THE METER THAT LEFT THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT OVER THE PAST LIKE THREE YEARS.
[00:40:01]
THAT'S WHAT WE USED TO DETERMINE WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY SENDING INTO YOUR SYSTEM.I'M GONNA ASK ONE MORE QUESTION.
YOU SAY OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, THIS WAS IN FOR THE LAST, DID YOU JUST SAY YEARS? YEAH.
I WAS UM, 'CAUSE SOME CUSTOMERS, TOWN CUSTOMERS CHANGED AND DROPPED OFF.
SO IS THAT YEAH, I, I KNOW WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IN MY HEAD.
LIKE THIS IS, THIS IS OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE TRIED TO GET A GOOD YEAH, YEAH.
THAT WOULD, WOULD REPRESENT THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS AND NOT JUST ONE YEAR IF THERE'S AN OUTLYING YEAR.
SO THAT, THAT THAT'S THE REASON WE TRIED TO LIKE COVID, WE USED MORE WA EVERYBODY WAS USING MORE WATER AT THAT TIME.
SAME TYPE OF ACTIVITY FOR THE SEWER SYSTEM.
UM, ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS ALL OF THE PUMP STATIONS ARE TO YOUR LIMITING FACTOR FOR OUT IN THE CORRIDOR.
NOW WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT THOSE PUMP STATIONS GETTING UPGRADED.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, THE 0.48, THAT IS WHAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE IF THE PUMP STATIONS COULD PUMP IT TO THE SYSTEM.
SO WE'VE ALREADY GOT SEVERAL OF THESE THAT HAVE BEEN STUDIED.
WE'VE GOT SOME CAPITAL PLANNING TO DO IMPROVEMENTS AT SEVERAL OF THOSE PUMP STATIONS.
AND RIVERTON ESSENTIALLY IS WHAT IS LIMITING FACTOR FOR OUT IN THE CORRIDOR.
BUT IF AND WHEN YOU WANTED TO EXPAND THAT, YOU HAVE 480,000 GALLONS A DAY OF SEWER CAPACITY THAT WOULD RECEIVE IT.
SO YOU'RE AT 890,000 ON THE WATER SIDE.
NOW THE, THE, THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE SEWER SYSTEM, AS YOU ALL ARE WELL AWARE, YOU HAVE THROWN A LOT OF ENERGY AND FUNDING INTO REHABILITATING THE SEWER SYSTEM.
YOU SEE 'EM OUT THERE WORKING ALL THE TIME.
WE HAVE GONE FROM HAVING MULTIPLE OVERFLOWS EVERY TIME IT RAINS OF THE LAST TWO YEARS YOU HAVE NOT HAD A SINGLE OVERFLOW.
TWO YEARS IS A PRETTY GOOD TRACK.
AND WE JUST CAME OFF OF THE WET CAPITAL.
WE CAME OFF ONE OF THE WETTEST RAINY YEARS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.
WITH THAT SAYS THE HEALTH OF YOUR SEWER SYSTEM IS GETTING MUCH BETTER.
YOU'VE PUT A LOT OF ENERGY AND FINANCING INTO IT.
BUT THE PROOF'S IN THE PUDDING.
WHEN WE GET DONE WITH THIS, WE WILL BE DOING POST FLOW MONITORING, WHICH WILL ACTUALLY TELL YOU HOW MUCH IMPROVEMENTS YOU MADE BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA MEASURE FLOW IN THOSE PIPES DURING RAINY EVENTS THE SAME AS WE MEASURED BEFORE WE DID ANY WORK.
SO IF A PIPE WAS CARRYING AN EXTRA 1300 GALLONS A MINUTE AFTER A TWO YEAR RAIN EVENT, YOU INVESTED MONEY AND FIXED THAT.
WHEN WE MEET, WHEN WE MEASURE THAT FLOW AGAIN, YOU'RE GONNA SEE 70% REDUCTION.
AND THAT WON'T BE ME JUST TELLING YOU THAT I THINK YOU GOT IMPROVEMENT.
I WILL HAVE THE NUMBERS TO SHOW YOU THAT YOU ACTUALLY DID REMOVE 70% OF RAINWATER THAT YOU WERE PREVIOUSLY TREATING AT YOUR SEWER PLANT.
THAT IS THE MAGIC WITH THE SSES ABATEMENT PROGRAM THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IN THE TOWN.
BUT YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE, UH, A COUNCIL IN A PUBLIC WORKS THAT BELIEVES IN THE PROCESS AND PUTS SOME MONEY IN AND PUTS IT IN IN THE GROUND.
NOT IN A TRAIL
YOU JUST JUST KNOW WHEN YOU FLUSH THE TOILET LEAVES AND WHEN YOU TURN THE WATER ON, IT COMES OUT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE DO
SO KUDOS TO THE TOWN 'CAUSE YOU'VE MADE A LOT OF HEADWAY AND WHEN YOU DO THIS, I AND I, YOU SEE THAT 0.48 WHEN WE START GETTING SOME REAL RESULTS, THEN YOU'RE HARVESTING CAPACITY OUT OF YOUR EXISTING SYSTEM BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE FREEING UP THAT CAPACITY THAT'S BEEN USED TO CONVEY RAINWATER.
NOW ANOTHER BUSINESS CAN USE THE CAPACITY THAT WAS BEING FILLED WITH RAINWATER EVERY TIME IT RAINED.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO, IT'S HARD TO SEE PROGRESS YOU'VE MADE WHEN YOU'RE MAKING IT.
UM, AND WHEN YOU'RE SPENDING THE MONEY AND PEOPLE ARE QUESTIONING WHY YOU'RE SPENDING THE MONEY AND WHY THEIR STREETS ARE GETTING TORN UP AND ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, ALMOST INCONVENIENCING OUR CITIZENS, UH, IT'S NICE TO HEAR THAT
[00:45:01]
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A PO IT'S FOR A POSITIVE PURPOSE, BUT YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN RESULTS.NO OVERFLOWS IN TWO YEARS IS YOU CAN LOOK ON THE BYPASS ON COMMERCE AND ON RAW AVENUE BOTH TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO WHEN YOU WENT DOWN AFTER HEAVY RAIN, THERE WAS WATER COMING OUTTA THE HOLES IN THE MANHOLE COVERAGE.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAD TO COME UP IN, INTO THE FIRE STATION DOWN HERE.
AND THE FINES WE WERE PAYING TO HAVEN'T SEEN NOTHING.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT AS WE KEEP KNOCKING OFF AREAS, WE'LL POST FLOW MONITOR AND SAY THESE ARE DONE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK TO THESE AND SPEND MONEY FOR A VERY, VERY, VERY LONG TIME.
WE WALK AWAY FROM THOSE WORK AREAS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CONFIDENTLY PUT PAVEMENT DOWN SIDEWALKS WITHOUT THE THREAD OF HAVING TO TEAR 'EM BACK UP.
NOTHING'S WORSE THAN HAVING A NICE HEALTHY PAVING BUDGET.
AND THEN YOU PUT IT DOWN AND THE NEXT WEEK ROBBIE'S GUYS ARE OUT THERE
THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S BRUTAL TO TRY TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHY, HOW, HOW DO WE DO THAT? SO EACH TIME WE LEAVE ONE OF THESE AREAS, WE'RE GONNA FULLY REPAIR 'EM, SHUT THAT DOOR BEHIND US, GO TO THE NEXT SPOT AND DO OUR THING WITH WHATEVER YOU GUYS WILL SUPPORT.
SO THAT IP FEDERAL 0.18 RIGHT.
THAT, THAT IS THE ONLY PUMP STATION OUT OF ALL OF THEM THAT HAS ANY EXCESS TO GO INTO THE, UM, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IS, AM I READING THAT RIGHT? YES, YOU ARE CORRECT.
OKAY, SO IT'S NOT ADDED TO IT IN OTHER WORDS.
AND DO WE REALLY HAVE ACCESS TO THAT PUMP STATION? I I MEAN I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T GET IT.
I APOLOGIZE IF IT'S IN THE INFORMATION AND I MISSED IT UP AND RUNNING THE IT, YEAH, IT'S NOT REALLY DOESN'T KICK ON BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING ON IT, BUT IT'S, I MEAN IT'S, AND SOME OF THESE PUMP STATION THAT DON'T HAVE CAPACITY DON'T HAVE ANY GROWTH AND YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT LOOKING TO HAVE TO DO ANYTHING TO THOSE PUMP STATIONS.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS THE MAP THAT TELLS THE STORY ABOUT WHERE YOUR BOTTLENECKS ARE.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE WHOLE CORRIDOR DEPENDS ON THAT PUMP STATION TO GET THROUGH A SMALL BIT OF FORCE MAIN.
AND THEN ONCE IT GETS HERE, YOU'VE GOT 480,000 GALLONS OF, OF CAPACITY TO ACCEPT IT.
CROOKED ROD IS STILL THE PUMP STATION TOO, RIGHT? IT IS, IT IS.
UM, AND I'M, UH, AGAIN, BOTH OF THOSE PUMP STATIONS, WE NEED TO LOOK THIS AREA RIGHT HERE, WHICH IS THE RIVERTON AREA.
THAT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE HIGHEST SOURCES OF I EYE RIGHT NOW.
WE JUST HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO GET TO IT YET.
THAT IT'S ACTUALLY A NEWER, SO THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT FEEDS RIVERTON AND I TALK ABOUT HARVESTING CAPACITY.
SO WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT, YOU MAY WANNA LOOK AT WHAT IS THE COST OF FIXING THE PIPES THAT WE HAVE IN THE RIVERTON AREA VERSUS MAKING BIGGER PUMPS TO PUMP THE RAINWATER AND GIVE US MORE CAPACITY.
AND MAYBE IT'S A, A COMBINATION OF BOTH.
A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPGRADE TO RIVERTON AND GET THE RAINWATER OUT OF THAT COMMUNITY.
AND THEN NOW YOU'VE, YOU'VE DOUBLED DIPPED ON BUILDING SOME ADDITIONAL CAPACITY FOR THE CORRIDOR.
IS THAT, IS THAT MORE ON THE EAST, THE EAST SIDE OF, UH, 5, 5 22.
I MEAN WHAT, WHAT YOU SPEAK OF BECAUSE ON THE WEST SIDE THAT'S DUCK STREET, WHICH IS UH, THE ONE YOU JUST KNOW RIGHT? RIVERTON? YEAH.
THAT'S DUCK 3 55, ISN'T IT? YEAH.
SO WE'VE HOOKED, I MEAN WE DID FLOW MONITORING RIGHT WHERE IT COMES OUT OF THERE AND THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF FLOW AFTER A RAIN EVENT BASED ON DRY WEATHER.
SO DRY WEATHER FLOW IS WHEN THERE'S NO RAIN.
THE WATER TABLE'S LOW AND EVEN IF YOU HAVE HOLES IN YOUR PIPE, THERE'S NOTHING FOR 'EM TO GO INTO EXCEPT WHAT'S GETTING FLUSHED SAYS THAT'S DRY WATER FLOW OR DRY WEATHER FLOW.
THAT AREA WAS UH, THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF WATER AFTER A RAIN EVENT.
WELL, I SAY JUST TO MENTION TOO, BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S KINDA TALKING ABOUT THAT AREA.
SO PART OF VISCO CITY AND ALL OF CAT MOUNTAIN IS ALSO CONSIDERED RIVERTON BECAUSE THE WAY IT COMES DOWN.
I MEAN IT'S A PRETTY BIG AREA.
SOME OF THAT IS NEWER DEVELOPMENT, BUT NOT IN VISCO CITY.
WE HAVE PIPE ACROSS THE RIVER, THE BOW AVENUE YES, SIR.
THEY'RE IN THE WOODS WHERE THAT THE POST ARE.
BUT YEAH, JUST EVERYTHING FROM CHANDLE AVENUE, UH, SOUTH CHAND AVENUE KIND OF SHEDS DOWN.
AND SO ALL OF THAT IS PART OF RIVERTON RIVER AND THEN ALL CROOKED RUN COMES
[00:50:01]
TO RIVERTON.THAT'S WHY HE WAS TALKING ABOUT IT.
AND THE PUMP STATION, IS THAT THE ONE, WELL THAT PUMP STATION IS THE ONE I'M THINKING IS PUTTING WATER BACK IN RIVER.
THIS RIVER RIVERTON IS PUMPS IT UNDER THE CREEK TO GET TO THE, THE GRAVITY SYSTEM.
WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON ENGINEERING FOR IT FOR PROBABLY THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
DESIGN AND STUFF FOR IF WE'RE GETTING CLOSE ON THE RIVERTON, THIS IS PROBABLY NOT PART OF THE QUESTION THAT I'M JUST ASKING.
SO THE HAPPY CREEK AREA OUT THERE, RIGHT.
SO IF DEVELOPMENT WENT OUT THERE, THOSE PUMP STATIONS WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT? OR, OR IS THAT KIND OF WHAT YOU WERE, I DON'T KNOW, TRYING TO ASK.
THEY DON'T HAVE CAPACITY RIGHT NOW.
UH, BECAUSE THAT'S AN, THAT'S AN AREA WHERE WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN, WELL, NOT MORE PEOPLE.
THERE'S MORE DEVELOPMENTS, MORE ZONING.
AND THAT'S WHERE BLOCKS OF LAND ARE PROPOSED.
SO YOU'RE, AND THAT'S WHY WE DO THIS.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS STUDY EVERY YEAR.
WHO, WHOEVER IS ENGAGED TO DO IT, IT IS DONE EVERY YEAR BECAUSE COUNCIL NEEDS TO KNOW THE HEALTH.
AND PLANNING FOLKS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THIS LETS YOU TELL YOU WHERE IF YOU'VE GOT THE MONEY OR YOU WANT TO ENDEAVOR UPON EXPANDING CAPACITY, 'CAUSE YOU SEE SOMETHING COMING DOWN THE ROAD.
IT'S NOT WHERE A LOT OF PLACES WHEN I START THIS PROCESS, IT'S THE CHICKEN BEFORE THE EGG.
I'M STANDING HERE EXPLAINING TO A COUNCIL WHILE THEY HAVE TO TELL A DEVELOPER NO, OR COME UP WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IMMEDIATELY.
AND THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
TO BE AHEAD OF IT AND BE ABLE TO COMFORTABLY PLAN FOR WHERE YOU WANT DEVELOPMENT AND PUT THOSE DOLLARS SPECIFICALLY WHERE THEY NEED TO GO TO FOSTER THAT DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S REALLY WHY THE, THE BASIS OF THIS STUDY IS CREATED.
NOW, YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR WEAK POINTS ARE.
NOW YOU KNOW WHERE YOU NEED TO INVEST IF OPPORTUNITY IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO FOSTER.
MADAM MAYOR, IN, IN 2009 WHEN, UH, WE WENT THROUGH THE FRONT ROW LIMITED PARTNERSHIP REZONING OF 300 SOME HOMES OUT THERE, WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION COMP PLAN JUST IDENTIFIED THAT LARGE AREA OUT THERE AND SAY, THAT'S THE ONLY PLACE WE CAN REALLY GROW.
AND THERE, THERE WASN'T THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION.
SO PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVED IT, COUNCIL APPROVED IT, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE YEARS, PROFITS GOT NEGOTIATED.
BUT THAT SETS OUT THERE LIKE AT BIG ELK, SOMETHING I KEEP TALKING ABOUT.
UH, AND WE ALREADY HAVE ISSUES.
SO, AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, THAT JUST LIKE THE COMP PLAN THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE EVERY SO MANY YEARS, WE DIDN'T DO IT RIGHT.
AND THIS MARY, UNLESS HE, THIS INFORMATION CAME AND I WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION.
WHICH I'M NOT SAYING IT COULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE I'D HAVE PAID ATTENTION TO THIS SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNSEL.
I DON'T BELIEVE ANYBODY'S EVER SHARED THIS.
MAYBE, AM I WRONG? SOMEBODY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN, I, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU.
YOU'VE BEEN HERE WITH ME THIS LONG.
RIGHT? I, I, SO I'M JUST VERY, I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THIS INFORMATION.
LIKE YEAH, THIS IS GOOD INFORMATION.
IT WOULD BE THE CHICKEN FOR THE EGG.
I, I I COULD, THAT'S A GREAT ANALOGY TO SAY IF DOLLARS WERE NOT A CHALLENGE, THEN YOU COULD JUST MAKE EVERY DRAINAGE SHED YOU HAVE ROBUST AND SAY NO MATTER WHERE SOMEBODY'S INTERESTED, WE GOT YOU.
BUT THAT'S NOT HOW REALISTIC NO, IT'S NOT REALISTIC.
SO THIS LETS YOU VERY, LETS YOU ZERO IN ON THE AREAS THAT YOU WANT TO FOSTER FOR DEVELOPMENT AND PUT THAT MONEY SPECIFICALLY WHERE IT'S GONNA MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT.
WE'VE SEEN, HAVEN'T, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE SEEN PRIORITIES OF WHICH PUMP STATIONS WE WANTED TO TAKE WHEN ORDERED.
SO WHAT I, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES WERE.
ONE IS WE MIGHT HAVE A PUMP STATION THAT'S WORSE AT RIVERTON, BUT THE DEVELOPMENT WANTS TO GO TO HAPPY CREEK.
SO WHICH ONE ARE WE GONNA DO FIRST? WE GOTTA DO THE ONE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, MUCH WORSE.
OR ARE WE GONNA HANDLE THE ONE WHERE WE THINK WE MIGHT GET SOME REVENUE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE GROWTH IS OUT, IS OUT ON THE CORRIDOR DOOR.
DID YOU ALL JUST PUT SOME PUMPS IN AT ONE OF THE PUMPING STATIONS? ARE YOU GETTING READY TO WE WE'RE FINISHING UP THE INFLUENCE PUMP STATION, WHICH IS WHERE EVERYTHING COMES INTO THE, THE SYSTEM.
UM, NOW RIVERTON, UM, IT'S LIKE 81, 82.
UM, NOW THEY'RE STILL ROUGH, HAPPY CREEK ARE BOTH SMALL PACKAGE PUMP STATIONS.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY, WHEN THEY WERE SIZE YEARS AGO, YEAH.
YOU KNOW, THEY WERE SMALL PACKAGE PUMP STATIONS FOR WHAT THE DEMAND WAS THEN AND PLACE SOME FUTURE GROWTH.
[00:55:01]
OKAY.SO I APPRECIATE THIS CONVERSATION AND I REALIZE THAT WE PROBABLY HAVE GONE OFF TOPIC A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT, BUT THESE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS WE NEED TO HAVE AFTER GETTING ALL THIS INFORMATION FROM YOU.
AND I, I WORK WITH, WITH ROBBIE AND HIS TEAM AND MR. WALTZ ON, WE HAVE A 10 YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT IS A LIVING, BREATHING DOCUMENT.
AND I THINK JUST MAKING SURE THAT AS THINGS COME UP THROUGH THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE IN ALL YOUR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, IF, IF THAT NEEDS TO BE REVISITED AND I CAN, AND WE CAN QUICKLY TELL YOU BASED ON THE METRICS YOU CHOOSE, WHICH PUMP STATIONS SCORE THE HIGHEST TO GIVE COUNSEL SOME GUIDANCE ON WHICH PROJECT IS NEXT.
THAT'S ALL THIS STUFF IS DESIGNED TO GIVE YOU INFORMATION TO TAKE CARE OF THE RATE MEASURE AND, AND THE TAXPAYER WORTH A THOUSAND.
THAT REALLY, I THINK COUNCILMAN LOP SAID IT BEST.
I MEAN THE, THE AREA GROWTH AND YOU TALK TO THE COUNTY IN THERE, ALL THESE LIAISON, MANY WATER, WATER AND SEWER IS RIGHT ALONG THE NORTH QUARTER.
UH, YOU KNOW, OUR ZONING AND EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW ISN'T, IT MIGHT BE, UH, SUGGESTING HAPPY CREEK, BUT THE INDUSTRIAL GROWTH, IF, IF I'VE GOT THIS RIGHT, THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE'RE ALLOWING ALONG THE QUARTER.
WE NEVER KNOW WHAT THE COUNTY COULD COME TO THE TABLE AND SAY, HEY, WE WANT TO PUT A BREWERY OUT HERE.
WE NEED 500,000 GALLONS A DAY.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE RELYING ON US.
WE'RE RELYING ON GROWTH, THE REVENUE BUSINESS, CHICKEN AND EGG.
WELL, IF YOU HAVE THESE TOOLS, IT ALSO GIVES YOU A CHANCE TO TELL A PARTNER, WHETHER THAT'S THE COUNTY OR DEVELOPER.
IT GIVES YOU SOMETHING TO IMMEDIATELY SAY, THIS IS THE COST.
ARE WE GONNA SHARE THAT SOMEHOW INSTEAD OF SAYING WE WANT YOU, BUT NOW WE GOTTA GO BACK AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO AND HOW MUCH THAT'S GONNA COST.
SO DON'T GO ANYWHERE ELSE YET.
GIVE US A CHANCE TO GET OUR, OUR DUCKS IN A ROW AND DON'T GO INTERVIEW WITH ANY OTHER TOWNS.
THE OTHER TOWN SAYS, UH, WE'VE GOT THIS MAP, WE KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO INVEST YOU COME HERE TOMORROW, WE'LL START TALKING.
SO, WELL THIS, THIS WOULD BE GOOD TO SHARE WITH THE TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE AS WELL, THAT WE GOT COVERED UP A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION HERE.
I'M GLAD THIS IS BEING VIDEOED.
THE ONLY SAD PART IS WORK ON THAT.
THE CAMERA'S NOT SHOWING THAT.
'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THIS PRESENTATION IN OUR, SO SOMETHING ELSE, THE LAST THING I, THE LAST THING I'LL LEAVE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW.
SO RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE INVESTED IN A HYDRAULIC WATER MODEL THAT HAS EVERY SINGLE PIPE THAT YOU SEE ON THAT MAP.
WE CAN TELL YOU TO WITHIN A COUPLE OF OF 10 GALLONS, WHETHER WE COULD SUPPLY ANY TYPE OF BUSINESS ANYWHERE IN YOUR SYSTEM BASED ON THE WATER THAT THAT'S, THAT'S READY.
THAT, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET A BIG FIRE, YOU GOTTA WORRY ABOUT WHAT HYDROGEN YOU'RE GOING TO.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, MOST OF OURS ARE COLOR CODED ANYWAY, BUT KNOWING WHAT, WHAT, HOW BIG THE MAIN IS UNDER THERE IS A GOOD THING FOR THE GUYS DRIVING THE ENGINE.
JUST TO KNOW ON THE SEWER SIDE, WE DO NOT HAVE A MODEL FOR THE INDIVIDUAL PIPES YET.
BUT WE'RE, WE'VE GOT THAT IN THE BUDGET.
I THINK I GAVE A NUMBER FOR THAT.
ONCE WE DO ALL THE WORK ON THE I I SYSTEM AND DO THE POST FLOW MONITORING, WE'LL BE ABLE TO CALIBRATE A MODEL.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TELL YOU, IF YOU DROP THIS BUSINESS ON THIS CORNER, CAN THE PIPES THAT ARE IN THE GROUND RIGHT NOW HANDLE THE FLOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA PUT IN THOSE PIPES, THE PLANTS AND OTHER ANIMAL.
WE KNOW THAT IF YOU CAN GET IT THERE, YOU GOT 408,000 GALLONS OF CAPACITY.
BUT THE PIPES THEMSELVES, THAT MODEL WILL TELL YOU, AND THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT YOU ASK WHEN SOMEBODY CALLS AND SAYS, HEY, WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS ON THIS CORNER.
CALL THE ENGINEER, RUN THE MODEL.
CAN THE PIPES HANDLE IT JUST LIKE THEY ARE? YES.
NOW YOU CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT CONVERSATION WITH THAT DEVELOPER OR NO, IT'S ALL SIX INCH AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO A MAJOR PIPE UPGRADE FOR THAT LOCATION AND THEN, THEN YOU KNOW THE, YOU KNOW THE STORY THEN TOO.
IT'S A GREAT TOOL THANKS TO THE TOWN FOR ALL THAT YOU TRUST CHA WITH.
WE WORK REALLY HARD TO DO A GREAT JOB ON ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GIVEN AND LOVE THE COMMUNITY AND THE SEVERAL DECADES OF TIME THAT WE'VE SPENT HERE.
SO THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES AND WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP WORKING HARD TO, TO HELP YOU GUYS HAVE ANSWERS.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING US INFORMATION.
YOU'VE BEEN WANTING FOR 10 YEARS OR MORE.
[01:00:03]
WITHER CORNER OFER AND WE STATION THE PUMP STATION WITH THE CORNER OF ER AND WHICH IS THE ONE HE'S SAYING IS SLACKING.WELL, GOOD KNOW, THESE ARE ALL PERFECT.
MS. LIZZIE LEWIS IS GONNA DO OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT UPDATE.
LIZZIE, BEFORE YOU GET STARTED.
AS A COMPLIMENT, THE OTHER DAY FROM THE PEOPLE WENT INTO THE VISTA CENTER, IN PART TOOK HER DEATH TO SEE SOME OF THE MERCHANDISE IN THERE.
LADY SAID SHE SHOPPED FOR FOUR OF HER KIDS FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR SHORT BIRTHDAYS.
UM, I DID BRING SOME GOODIES FOR Y'ALL TO SEE IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE SHOP.
SO THERE'S PLENTY OF THINGS IN THE BAG.
I ALSO BROUGHT A VISITOR GUIDE FOR EVERYBODY.
I WANNA JUST SEND YOU HOME WITH SOMETHING NOW YOU CAN'T TAKE THE MERCHANDISE NOW.
IT'S STILL, I'LL TAKE OUT ONE THING AT A TIME AND CERTAIN AROUND I'VE BEEN, I'VE SEEN, I BOUGHT ONE OF THESE, OF THIS RACK CARDS.
AND, UM, OUR LITTLE RACK CARD THAT WE USE IN HOTELS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO Y'ALL FEEL FREE TO PASS THINGS AROUND.
I LIKE TO SEE IT, FEEL IT, TOUCH IT.
SO I THOUGHT I'D BRING NICE, IT LOOKS NICER THAN IT'S PRETTY GOOD.
IT, THAT'S A NEW, UH, AND THAT'S, I THINK THAT LOGO IS DIFFERENT THAN THIS LOGO.
RIGHT? LIKE, I JUST PASSING AROUND, EVERYBODY'S HAPPY.
YOU KNOW, I WAS REALLY WORRIED I WAS GONNA HAVE TO FOLLOW CHICKEN TONIGHT.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT FOLLOWING THE, THE SEWER LINE GUY WAS GONNA BE SO EXCITING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I UNDERESTIMATED YOU AND I THAT'S ON ME.
SO, ALL RIGHT GUYS, SO WE'VE GOT SOME REALLY FUN STUFF FOR YOU ALL TO PASS AROUND AND SEE.
UM, AGAIN, ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE FOR SALE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK IN YOUR VISITOR CENTER AND THIS NICE TOTE.
THERE'S WINE GLASSES THERE TOO.
I'M JUST SAYING I DIDN'T BRING ANY WINE GLASSES.
I DID BRING SHOT GLASSES, BUT THERE'S GLASSES.
THERE ARE GLASSES THAT, THAT WOULD BE SHOT.
IS THAT WHAT IT'S CALLED? YEAH, I GOT A T TOWEL.
YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO PUT ON? YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY, I REALLY FELL DOWN ON JOB TODAY.
I I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THINGS SO YOU COULD TEST THIS SORT OF THING.
SO WE REALLY STRUGGLED WITH HOW, WITH WHAT TO CALL MY PRESENTATION BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE IF Y'ALL KNOW, BUT I'M IN CHARGE OF A FEW THINGS AROUND HERE.
SO WE JUST CALLED IT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT UPDATE.
SO I'M GONNA COVER TOURISM AND EVENTS AND THE TROLLEY AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FRIDA TOO.
AND I APOLOGIZE THAT THE POWERPOINT IS NOT IN YOUR IPAD.
UM, IT IS HOWEVER, ON PAPER IN YOUR HANDS AND I'M GLAD TO SHARE THE PDF WITH YOU GUYS IN CASE YOU NEED IT.
UM, AND THAT'S ME OVER THERE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IN CASE YOU WEREN'T SURE.
GUYS HAVE A REALLY GOOD HAIR DAY.
SO I WANTED TO REFLECT A LITTLE BIT ON 2023.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE DID REBRAND WITH OUR NEW TAGLINE AND OUR NEW LOGO.
WHICH WAS DESIGNED BY AN ARTIST WHO LIVES RIGHT HERE IN BROWNTOWN.
UM, MIKE SHOTTEN, I'M SURE YOU GUYS MAYBE HAVE CROSSED PATHS WITH HIM.
YOU, I'M SURE YOU ALL NOTICED THE ACES LOGO.
THAT WAS IN JUSTIN'S PRESENTATION.
UM, HE IS A TRULY TALENTED GRAPHIC ARTIST.
HE WORKS A LOT WITH SOME OF THE CHAMBER EVENTS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THIS WAS, AS WE TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY, THIS WAS A DESIGN THAT WAS BROUGHT FORTH ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO MAYBE, AND PUT ON A SHELF.
AND SO WE BROUGHT IT BACK TO LIFE AND I'M GLAD WE DID.
UM, WE RESUMED SEVEN DAY A WEEK OPERATION WITH A TEAM OF TWO PAID STAFF BEHIND THAT COUNTER EVERY DAY.
UM, I HAVE A REALLY AWESOME TEAM WHO WORK REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE HAVING A GREAT TIME WHEN THEY COME INTO THE VISITOR CENTER.
AND OF COURSE WE RELAUNCHED OUR SMALL GIFT SHOP IN DECEMBER OF 2023.
YOU GOT SOME ITEMS THERE WHILE YOU DID.
NOW THE MAYOR'S GONNA TAKE 'EM HOME WITH HER.
[01:05:01]
DONE ABOUT $4,200 IN GROSS SALES TO DATE.IT'S NOT A MAGICAL NUMBER, BUT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO BE A GIFT SHOP.
WE'RE TRYING TO BE AN INFORMATION CENTER THAT HAPPENS TO HAVE GIFTS FOR FOLKS WHEN THEY WANT IT.
YOU KNOW, JOE MADE A GREAT POINT THE OTHER DAY.
HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THAT GREAT BRAND RECOGNITION.
SO FOLKS TAKE A LITTLE PIECE HOME OF FRONT ROYAL AND MAYBE WANNA COME BACK OR MAYBE BUY IT AS A GIFT FOR SOMEBODY.
WE ACTUALLY DID A LOT OF GIFTS THIS YEAR, AMBER AND I CHRISTMAS SHOPPING, REMEMBER? YES, YOU DID.
AND THEN AS THOSE PEOPLE GO BACK INTO THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THEY DRINK FROM THEIR SHOT GLASS OR THEIR COFFEE MUG OR THEIR WATER BOTTLE AND THEY SAY, WHERE'S THE PLACE, THAT'S THE PLAN.
SO WE, WE STARTED OUT, WE'VE GOT A GOOD MIX OF PRODUCTS RIGHT NOW.
UM, I ACTUALLY HAVE SPENT A LITTLE MORE RECENTLY AND GOT SOME STUFF EARLIER THIS WEEK.
SO WE'LL SEE HOW ALL THAT PLAYS OUT.
IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THOSE THINGS IN THE VISITOR CENTER.
I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT OUR RENEWED PARTNERSHIPS.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE IF APPALACHIAN TRAIL NIGHT TONIGHT, SORRY, THAT WAS NOT PLANNED.
UM, WE ARE AN AT COMMUNITY AS YOU WERE REMINDED EARLIER TODAY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANNA MAKE SURE IS THAT WE'RE SERVING THOSE VISITORS.
I I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER A TRAIL, BUT I CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE TROLLEY GOES OUT THERE FOUR, FOUR TIMES A DAY.
DURING THAT HIGH PEAK SEASON OF APRIL THROUGH THE END OF OCTOBER.
I CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE HIKER GUIDE, WHICH HAD BEEN DORMANT FOR A LITTLE, THE ONE SHEET OF PAPER THAT'S GOT ALL THEIR RESOURCES ON IT THAT WE OFFER HERE IN TOWN, UM, THAT'S BEEN, IT NEEDED SOME LOAD.
I ACTUALLY HAD A MEETING WITH SOME FOLKS FROM OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY CHAPTER HERE ON FRIDAY.
UM, WE'RE GETTING THAT UPDATED AND GETTING THAT BACK IN THE RESOURCES WHERE THEY NEED IT.
I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE AWARE THAT WE'VE GOT A GREAT DRIVING TOUR ALONG WITH SOME REALLY AWESOME INFOGRAPHICS.
WE'VE CONTINUED TO RENEW THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH CIVIL WAR TRAILS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE GET A LOT OF HISTORY TRAVELERS AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP THOSE THINGS PRETTY AND ACCURATE AND ENGAGING.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HELP THEM DO THAT.
THIS ISAU VALLEY TOURISM PARTNERSHIP AND ALL OF THEM ARE CALLED CHANO VALLEY AND ALL OF THEM ARE BLUE AND GREEN.
AND I REALLY WISH THAT THEY WOULD'VE COORDINATED SO THAT THEY WERE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
BUT THE PARTNERSHIP, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING A PART OF THE PARTNERSHIP.
SO WE ACTUALLY BUY INTO THAT AS A DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION ALONG WITH ALL OF THE OTHER DMO IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.
SO WE GET TOGETHER ONCE A MONTH.
WE PUT ALL, WE PUT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MARKETING DOLLARS TOGETHER TO PULL THOSE RESOURCES TO MARKET IN PLACES THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ON OUR OWN.
UM, I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT LATER ABOUT ONE OF OUR PROJECTS WE'VE GOT COMING UP THE CHINO VALLEY TRAVEL ASSOCIATION.
SO THOSE GUYS ARE REALLY GREAT WITH GETTING IN FRONT OF TOUR BUS GROUPS AND, UM, THE BIG VACATION PLANNER COMPANIES.
SO YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY PAY, YOU HAVE TO BUY AN APPOINTMENT IN FRONT OF THOSE PLACES.
SO INSTEAD OF US DOING THAT, WE ARE MEMBERS OF SDTA AND THEY LOBBY ON OUR BEHALF TO THOSE PLACES.
SO WE PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION.
WE, WE GIVE 'EM LITTLE UPDATES ON WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
WE HELP THEM FACILITATE WHEN WE HAVE BUSES COMING THROUGH DURING THAT PEAK SEASON, WE'LL SEE TWO TO THREE BUSES A MONTH THAT COME THROUGH THE VISITOR CENTER.
UM, THEIR FOLKS TYPICALLY COMING FROM DC AND HEADING DOWN SKYLINE DRIVE.
SO WE ARM 'EM WITH INFORMATION ABOUT CHARLOTTESVILLE AS WELL WHILE THEY'RE HERE HAVING LUNCH, GRABBING A, UM, A LITTLE GIFT OR TWO, UM, WHICH I'M EXCITED THEY'LL BE ABLE TO DO FROM OUR CENTER SHOULD THEY CHOOSE TO THIS YEAR.
AND THEN OF COURSE, VIRGINIA TOURISM CORPORATION, THEY'VE BEEN OUR FRIENDS FOR A LONG TIME.
WE CONTINUE TO BE FRIENDS WITH THEM.
WE'LL TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT PARTNERSHIP.
I'M REALLY PROUD OF THIS NUMBER.
SO EVERY DAY IN THE VISITOR CENTER, WE COUNT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT COME IN AND WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE'RE BUSY, WE MISS ANYWHERE FROM EIGHT TO 10% OF THOSE PEOPLE.
BECAUSE AS COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT CAN ATTEST, SOMETIMES HE HAS TO HELP MY VISITORS TOO.
'CAUSE WE GET A LITTLE CRAZY IN THERE ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
SO 20,810 VISITORS THROUGH THE VISITOR CENTER.
AND THAT'S JUST THROUGH MARCH, THROUGH DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
I HAVE NO DATA FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.
'CAUSE THAT WAS PRIOR TO US TAKING BACK OVER THE OPERATIONS.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT NOT EVERY VISITOR COMES TO THE VISITOR CENTER.
WELL, WE GET IT, BUT THEY DON'T.
23 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED IN 47 STATES.
NOW WE GET THAT NUMBER BECAUSE WE HAVE A PAPER LORD, BUT PEOPLE LIKE IT.
WE HAVE A PAPER VISITOR LOG THAT FOLKS WILL SIGN IN ON, AND NOT EVERYBODY SIGNS IN ON THE LOG AND NOT EVERYBODY FILLS OUT THE WHOLE THING AND NOT EVERYBODY'S WILLING TO GIVE US THAT INFORMATION.
BUT OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE 23 COUNTRIES AND 47 STATES, I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY COOL
[01:10:01]
IN JUST ONE YEAR.NOW THIS NUMBER HERE LOOKS A LITTLE CRAZY.
AND ESTIMATED 83,000 VISITORS CAME THROUGH FRONT ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY.
WHERE DID THIS NUMBER COME FROM? YOU ASKED? YES.
SO I HAD A CALL WITH ONE OF THOSE DATA COMPANIES EARLIER THIS WEEK.
AND HE SHARED SOME DATA WITH ME.
AND THAT NUMBER REALLY STUCK OUT TO ME THAT BETWEEN ALL OF THE CELL PHONE DATA THAT THEY COLLECT, NOT US THAT THEY COLLECT, AND WE ARE NOT A PART OF THAT, BUT THEY SHARED THIS NUMBER WITH ME THAT IN 2023, THEY ESTIMATE APPROXIMATELY 83,000 PEOPLE CAME THROUGH FRONT ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY.
NOW, SOME OF THOSE FOLKS STATES, SOME OF THOSE FOLKS WERE PASSING THROUGH, BUT WOW, WHAT A, WHAT A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE THAT MUST HAVE BEEN, AND THE ORIGIN CITIES THAT THEY CAME FROM WASHINGTON, DC METRO AREA, OF COURSE, WINCHESTER.
I WOULDN'T REALLY CALL THEM VISITORS, BUT I GUESS THEY COULD BE RICHMOND, VIRGINIA BEACH, HARRISONBURG AND PHILADELPHIA.
PHILADELPHIA BECOMES RELEVANT HERE IN A MINUTE.
THAT'S WHERE THEY THINK THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS.
THAT'S WHERE THEY KNOW THOSE FOLKS WERE COMING FROM.
SO THOSE TYPES OF COMPANIES PURCHASE THAT DATA.
AND SO THEY KNOW A GOOD BIT ABOUT THE PERSON WHO OWNS THE CELL PHONE THAT THEY'RE GATHERING THAT DATA FROM.
OKAY, SO OUR FRIENDS OF VIRGINIA TOURISM PULLED THIS FROM ME, FROM THEIR DATA MINING COMPANY, SYNCHRONICITY.
SO THIS IS DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL EAST MAIN STREET SPECIFICALLY, I WANNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE INSIGHT INTO THIS IS JANUARY, 2023 THROUGH JANUARY 31ST, 2024.
SO WE HAVE HEARD FROM TIME TO TIME, I HEAR AS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT LADY THAT PEOPLE DON'T COME DOWNTOWN WHO LIVE HERE.
THAT'S BALONEY BECAUSE 81.5% OF THE VISITS WERE FROM RESIDENTS.
OKAY? NOW, 9.2% OF THE ONES THAT THEY COLLECTED IN THEIR SAMPLE SIZE IS ABOUT 45,000.
UM, 9.2% FROM VIRGINIA, ANOTHER 9.2% FROM OTHER STATES IN THE UNITED STATES.
TOP 10 COUNTIES IN VIRGINIA WERE EXACTLY WHAT WE EXPECTED THEM TO BE.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, LOUDOUN COUNTY, FER, SPOTSYLVANIA FA HERE, ARLINGTON, STAFFORD.
YOU GET THE IDEA AS FAR AS METRO SERVICE AREAS, WHICH I WOULD HAVE COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS EXPLAINED TO US IN MSA, UM, I KNOW SHE WORKS WITH THAT IN HER, HER LOAN ORIGINATION WORLD.
UM, SO THESE METRO SERVICE AREAS WERE OUR MOST SEEN DOMESTIC VISITORS.
SO WASHINGTON, ARLINGTON, ALEXANDRIA, WE KIND OF EXPECTED THOSE NORTHERN VIRGINIA FOLKS, HAGERSTOWN AND MARTINSBURG, UH, COMING IN AT 8.8%.
BALTIMORE, UH, COMING IN AT 8.5% AND THEN PHILADELPHIA HIT 4% THAT PHILLY KEEPS POPPING BACK UP.
THIS IS WHO'S COMING TO DOWNTOWN EAST MAIN STREET SPECIFICALLY AS WELL AS GOING TO OTHER PLACES IN OUR REGION.
THE APPLE HOUSE, NUMBER ONE WITH A BULLET.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING.
A LOT OF FOLKS STAYING IN WINCHESTER, BUT COMING TO SEE US IN FRONT ROYAL, UH, THAT WAS 6.5% OF THOSE TOP 10 CROSS VISITS DULLES AIRPORT, WHICH EXPLAINS A GOOD CHUNK OF MY 23 COUNTRIES THAT WE'VE SEEN.
THEY WANNA SEE NOT JUST OUR HISTORY, BUT OTHER PEOPLE'S HISTORY TOO.
NANDO UNIVERSITY, SKY MEADOW STATE PARK, REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT, THE DICKEY RIDGE VISITOR CENTER, DINOSAUR LAND, AND JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY.
SO AGAIN, THAT HARRISONBURG CITY DOWN HERE IN OUR TOP 10 COUNTIES, ALONG WITH BEING SUPPORTED BY JMU, THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING.
SO I SAID, JUST FOR FUN, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK AND WE KNOW THAT DICKEY RIDGE VISITOR CENTER WAS IN OUR TOP 10 CROSS VISIT.
I'M SURPRISED THAT'S NOT HIGHER.
LIKE I DOESN'T, THAT ISN'T THAT A LITTLE SURPRISING? IT IT BEARS THE QUESTION, ARE THEY PROMOTING IT ENOUGH? ARE THEY, IF THEY'RE GOING TO DICKIE RIDGE, WHICH FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR, THAT IS THE FIRST VISITOR CENTER.
YOU GET TO ABOUT FIVE MILES IN ON SKYLINE DRIVE, IF THEY'RE HEADED THAT WAY, WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO BRING 'EM THIS WAY? BECAUSE THEY'RE COMING IN POSSIBLY DOWN SOUTH STREET AND HANGING A LEFT AND MAYBE NOT NECESSARILY COMING INTO TOWN.
RIGHT? SO WE'RE, WE'RE MITIGATING SOME OF THAT WITH OUR WAYFINDING SIGN PROJECT THAT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS SPEARHEADING.
UM, BUT ARE THERE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO? AND WE'VE GOT SOME IDEAS.
SO I ASKED THEM TO PULL, EXCUSE ME, I ASKED THEM TO PULL THE DICKEY RIDGE VISITOR CENTER.
THEIR TOP 10 COUNTIES ARE ALMOST IDENTICAL TO OURS.
THEY'RE IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ORDER, BUT IT'S ALMOST THE SAME.
THEIR, UM, METRO SERVICE AREAS, WASHINGTON, BALTIMORE, PHILADELPHIA, AND NEW YORK.
[01:15:01]
THEN HAGERSTOWN DOWN HERE IN PLOT NUMBER FOUR.THIS IS WHERE I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING.
SO THEIR TOP 10 CROSS VISITS DALLAS AIRPORT.
SO THEY'RE GETTING A GOOD CHUNK OF INTERNATIONAL VISITORS THERE.
DOWNTOWN MAIN STREET WAS NUMBER TWO.
NUMBER THREE WAS THE SWIFT RUN GAP ENTRANCE OF SKYLINE DRIVE.
NUMBER FOUR WAS THE THORNTON GAP ENTRANCE OF SKYLINE DRIVE.
AND NUMBER FIVE WAS THE MANASAS NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD PARK.
AND THEN OF COURSE, REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT, LORAY CAVERNS, THE APPLE HOUSE, POTOMAC MILLS, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS KIND OF ODD, BUT ALRIGHT.
AND THEN BIG RUN LOOP AND DOYLES RIVER.
SO WITH DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL BEING NUMBER TWO ON THEIR TOP 10 CROSS VISITS.
THAT MADE ME HAPPY, I WOULD SAY.
SO THEY'RE NOT COMING HERE AS MUCH AS I'D LIKE, BUT THEY ARE COMING AND WE'LL TAKE THAT.
I WOULD ALSO NOTE THAT Y'ALL HAVE THIS ON PAPER AND WE'LL GET IT TO YOU IN A PDF, BUT THEIR HEAT MAP, SO THE VISITORS WHERE THEY CAME FROM THAT WENT TO DICKEY RIDGE IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO OURS.
SO WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK, CONTINUING TO SHARE BEAUTIFUL PICTURES OF NANDO NATIONAL PARK, CONTINUING TO BE A GATEWAY COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO A DESTINATION.
WE'RE DOING, WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND THE NUMBERS, BEAR THAT OUT.
I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF DATA.
I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN NOTHING BUT DATA TONIGHT.
UM, BUT I GOT A LITTLE MORE FOR YOU, SO HANG IN.
ALL SOCIAL MEDIA, WE ARE ON NEARLY ALL THE PLATFORMS. UM, BUT WE ARE MOST ACTIVE ON FACEBOOK AND ON INSTAGRAM.
SO CURRENTLY OUR FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS ARE 23,000, JUST OVER 23,000.
UH, WE'VE GAINED ABOUT 800 OR SO IN THE LAST YEAR.
UM, INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS, WE JUST CRACKED 3000 LAST WEEK, SO I WAS PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
I MAY HAVE MADE A SILLY STORY POST ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
NOBODY CARED ABOUT ME, BUT I CARE.
UM, OUR AGE AND GENDER MIX IS ALMOST IDENTICAL ON BOTH PLATFORMS. WE'RE 70 ISH PERCENT WOMEN, 30% MEN ON BOTH PLATFORMS. WE DO KIND OF RUN THE AGE GAMBIT ON FACEBOOK.
UM, PRIMARILY OUR VIEW, OUR USERS 35 TO 45, 45 TO REALLY 65 PLUS.
UM, LATE THIRTIES TO EARLY FORTIES IS OUR PRIMARY TARGET ON INSTAGRAM.
NOW, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN REALLY INTENTIONAL ABOUT THIS YEAR WITH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA IS SHARING NOT ONLY OUR CONTENT THAT WE CREATED, BUT CONTENT THAT OTHER FOLKS ARE CREATING AND THEY'RE TAGGING US IN IT.
SO LIKE THIS GREAT PICTURE OF CLOUDSTREET FROM A LOCAL CREATOR OF BLACK VALLEY CREATIVE IS HER NAME, UH, HER COMPANY NAME.
AND SHE'S OUT OF SOMEWHERE IN SHENANDOAH COUNTY.
UM, SO SHE HAS A PRETTY SIZABLE FOLLOWING AND SHE, SHE FREQUENTS FRONT ROYAL.
AND SO SHE TAKES THESE GREAT PHOTOS AND WE LOVE TO SHARE THOSE.
UM, THIS WAS A REALLY AWESOME PICTURE OF SOMEBODY TAKING A SELFIE ON THE DRIVE LAST FALL.
UM, THAT GOT AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF, UM, ACTION AND THEY TAGGED US IN IT.
SO WE SHARED IT AND THEY WERE SUPER HAPPY THAT WE INCLUDED THEM.
AND THEN VIRGINIA CITIES, THE ACCOUNT FOR VIRGINIA CITIES ON INSTAGRAM SHARED THIS PHOTO OF MAIN STREET AT NIGHT JUST ACROSS FROM THE BLUE RIDGE ARTS COUNCIL.
UM, AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY TAKEN BY A LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER, ASHLEY MILLER.
SO WE'RE FINDING THAT THE MORE WE ENGAGE, THE MORE WE ENGAGE.
SPEAKING OF ENGAGEMENT, SO THESE ARE OUR TOP EIGHT FACEBOOK POSTS FROM 2020 FROM MARCH 1ST, 2023 UNTIL MARCH 10TH, 2024.
SO I DECIDED THERE WAS NO BETTER WAY TO SHOW THIS TO YOU THAN TO LITERALLY SHOW YOU WHAT THE DASHBOARD LOOKS LIKE ON MY END OF THE BUSINESS SUITE OF FACEBOOK.
SO BELIEVE IT OR NOT, OUR NUMBER ONE REACH POST WITH 112,000 ACCOUNTS SEEN WAS A POST WITH A BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL SIGN TALKING ABOUT THERE'S MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE IN FRONT ROYAL.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE THE NAME CAME FROM OF FRONT ROYAL AND SOME OF THOSE 533 REACTIONS.
THEY WERE POSITIVE, SOME OF THOSE 78 COMMENTS, BUT NO INTERACTION IS BAD INTERACTION.
WE HAD NO IDEA THAT THAT WAS GONNA TAKE OFF LIKE THAT, BUT IT DID.
BUT WHAT THIS TELLS ME IS THAT OUT OF THE 8 1, 2, 3, 4, 4 OF THEM WERE EITHER LOCAL ATTRACTIONS LIKE THE SKATE PARK, THAT'S
[01:20:01]
A RECENT POST OR THE ANDREA TRAIL, WHICH ALSO CAME UP TO I, I SWEAR WE DIDN'T PLAN THIS.UM, OR EVEN TALKING ABOUT OUR STATE PARK.
AND THEN THREE OF THEM WERE EVENTS, FESTIVAL OF LEAVES, FESTIVAL OF LEAVES, HOLLY JOLLY TROLLEY TOUR.
AND THEN ONE OF THEM WAS OF COURSE TALKING ABOUT OUR FALL FOLIAGE.
SO NOTHING ABOUT THIS WAS SURPRISING, BUT IT WAS REAFFIRMING THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHO WE ARE, WHO WE REALLY ARE, IT DOESN'T TAKE A WHOLE LOT OF POLISH.
IT DOESN'T TAKE AN EXTRAORDINARILY CRAFTED POST.
IT'S JUST REMINDING PEOPLE OF WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER AND SHOWING IT IN A WAY THAT'S ENGAGING AND INVITING.
IF WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT, IT WILL CONTINUE TO PAY DIVIDENDS.
THIS WAS VERY AFFIRMING FOR ME.
I THINK THE SHARES IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW TOO BECAUSE, UM, BECAUSE ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE SHARING SOMETHING 'CAUSE THEY'RE PROUD OF THEIR TOWN OR PROUD OF WHERE THEY COME FROM, THEN ALL OF THEIR FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK WHO MAY NOT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T, YOU DON'T ASSUME THAT EVERYBODY ONLY KNOWS PEOPLE THAT ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THEN THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE SEEING IT AND YOU KNOW, IT SHOWS UP ON THEIR PAGE.
YOU GOT A FRIEND WHO LIVES IN PHILLY
AND THEY SAY, OH, THAT LOOKS LIKE A COOL PLACE.
ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? NO, I KNOW IT'S JUST A LOT OF REALLY TINY NUMBERS, BUT, AND EVERYTHING THAT'S ONE DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL ALSO THEN A LOT OF THE POSTS THEN WILL SHOW UP ON TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TOO, RIGHT? FROM TIME TO TIME.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, WE DO RUN THOSE SEPARATELY INTENTIONALLY.
UM, IF IT, IF IT MAKES SENSE, WE DO IT.
IF IT, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY GONNA SPEAK TO OUR CITIZEN BUT IS MORE FOR THE TRAVEL AUDIENCE.
WE DON'T, AND THE THAT'S GOES BOTH DIRECTIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, A TRAFFIC ALERT DURING A BIG EVENT THAT WOULD BE ON BOTH KIND OF THINGS.
SO YEAH, WE HAVE TO KIND OF PLAY IT EAR, EAR CASE BY CASE.
I WANTED TO LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE REAL QUICK.
SO I PULLED THE GOOGLE ANALYTICS THIS MORNING FOR 2023 58,000 VISITS TO DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL.COM.
WHILE WE DON'T NECESSARILY UTILIZE THE DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL BRAND, WE DON'T USE THAT LOGO ANYMORE.
UM, WE DO USE THE WEBSITE AND WE DO CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA BRANDED THAT WAY.
IT'S A BRAND THAT WAS BUILT BEFORE ME AND BUILT WELL.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S NO BUSINESS CASE TO CHANGE IT.
UM, IT, IT DOESN'T NEGATIVELY IMPACT US IN ANY WAY TO KEEP IT.
SO WE SHALL, UM, OUR MOST VISITED PAGES WERE OF COURSE OUR HOMEPAGE.
OUR EVENT CALENDAR AND OUR FOOD AND BEVERAGE PAGE.
SO, UM, IT WAS REAFFIRMING THAT, YOU KNOW, I, MY TEAM, WE HAVE TO DO A GOOD JOB OF MAKING SURE THE EVENTS CALENDAR IS CURRENT.
WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD TO KEEP UP WITH THAT.
AND WE'VE BUILT A NEW TOOL ON THE WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS TO US.
SO YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO WAIT FOR ME TO FIND IT.
ACTUALLY, YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T WAIT FOR ME TO FIND IT.
YOU SHOULD GO AND CLICK THE SUBMIT BUTTON AND IT COMES RIGHT TO US AND WE APPROVE IT AND IT GOES ON THE TOWN ON THE TOURISM CALENDAR.
WE ALSO HAVE THE SAME MECHANISM ON THE TOWN'S CALENDAR, WHICH I OVERSEE AS WELL.
WHERE IS THAT AT LIZZIE? I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
WHERE IS THAT? ON THE, ON THE WEBPAGE ON UH, DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL'S WEBPAGE.
YOU CLICK ON EVENTS' CALENDAR AND THERE'S A LITTLE BANNER AND YOU CAN SUBMIT THE EVENTS.
FOR OUR RIDE WITH ROTARY NOW IS GONNA BE MARRIED TO THE WINE FESTIVAL.
YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY SUBMIT THAT EVENT.
AND THAT GOES TO MY SAME STAFF PERSON.
I HAVE, I, I TASKED ONE OF MY VISITOR CENTER REPS WITH HELPING ME WITH THE CALENDARS.
AND SO SHE, SHE HELPS ME MANAGE BOTH THE TOURISM CALENDAR AND THE TOWN CALENDAR.
SO WHEN IT'S SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE FOR BOTH, WE PUT 'EM ON BOTH.
I WAS GONNA JUST ASK, ARE THERE ANY, I KNOW I'M GETTING DOWN IN THE WEEDS A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE ANALYTICS OF ACTUALLY OF THESE 58,000 VISITORS TO DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL, UH, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE THESE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM.
I MEAN, LIKE IN THE WORLD? YEAH.
LIKE, LIKE LOCALITIES OF ABSOLUTELY.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO GET YOU THAT DATA.
I DON'T HAVE IT IN THIS PRESENTATION, BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO GET THAT FOR YOU.
CAN YOU GET THAT? CAN YOU GET THAT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT? YES.
BECAUSE I WAS GONNA SEE, BECAUSE DOESN'T IT, AND THEN IT DOESN'T DRILL GET THEIR IP ADDRESS AND THEIR PEOPLE LIKE, SO IT'S ONLY GONNA SHOW ME WHAT IT WANTS US, WHAT THAT PERSON WANTS US TO KNOW.
LIKE IF THEY HAVE A VPN ON AND THEY'RE COMING FROM AUSTRALIA, BUT THEY'RE REALLY IN CHESTER GAP, WELL IT'S GONNA SAY THEY CAME FROM AUSTRALIA.
UM, SO, BUT WE CAN, AS MUCH INSIGHT AS I HAVE, I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD DATA.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TO UPDATE OUR INFORMATION
[01:25:01]
AND THE DIRECTORY APP THAT'S EMBEDDED INSIDE THE WEBSITE.UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU WHEN YOU'RE BORED THE, THE QR CODE THAT'S ON THE BACK OF THE RACK CARD, THE ONE WITH THE PRETTY PICTURES ON THE ONE SIDE.
UM, IF YOU SCAN THAT, YOU CAN CLICK ON OUR, UM, WHAT DID WE CALL IT? THERE'S A BUTTON THERE, IT'LL COME TO ME IN A SECOND.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE, I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN NAVIGATE TO IT FROM HERE.
Y'ALL BEAR WITH ME JUST A SECOND HERE.
SO WHEN YOU SCAN THAT QR CODE, IT BRINGS YOU TO THIS PAGE.
THIS WASN'T IN MY PRESENTATION, BUT WE UTILIZE THIS QR CODE ON A LOT OF THINGS.
UM, WE MADE THEM UNIQUE SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT DOCUMENTS YOU'RE SCANNING THEM FROM SO THAT I KNOW WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT'S NOT WHEN IT COMES TO PRINT ADS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU COME TO THE VISITOR CENTER, YOU CAN SEE ON OUR HOURS SHEET WE'VE GOT THIS QR CODE.
IN CASE YOU MISSED US, UM, YOU CAN CHECK OUT OUR VISITOR GUIDE, THE ONE THAT'S IN YOUR HANDS.
THERE'S A MAP OF FRONT ROYAL, THE AMENITIES DIRECTORY, THAT'S IT.
UM, AND OUR TOURISM WEBSITE TOO.
SO THIS IS JUST LIKE, IT WOULD BE ON OUR WEBSITE.
SO WHEN YOU CLICK HERE, YOU CAN CLICK ON ANY ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES.
NOW WE HAD TO ALLOW AT OUR LOCATION, RIGHT? SO NOW IT KNOWS WE WERE HERE.
SO IT'S GOT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT, THE FOLKS, THE AMENITIES THAT REACH OUT TO US THAT WE HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH, AND WE TRY TO CAPTURE THEM ALL, EVEN IF THEY DON'T REACH OUT TO US FIRST.
UM, AND WE CAN PULL 'EM UP RIGHT ON THE MAP.
WE GET ACCESS TO THEIR, CONNECTS TO THEIR WEBSITE, THEIR PHONE NUMBER.
YOU CAN SEND 'EM AN EMAIL, GET DIRECTIONS, THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, SO WE'VE GOT ALL OF THIS GOING ON TOO.
DO YOU REACH OUT AT ALL LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO SORT OF BAIT FOLKS OR I MEAN OTHER THAN LIKE PAYING FOR ADVERTISING AND MAGAZINES, LIKE DO YOU REACH OUT AND AND SEND THESE TO ANYONE OUTSIDE OF THE COMMUNITY TO I GUESS THE NEXT SLIDE? YEAH.
OH, OH, LIKE OUR, OUR PRINTED MATERIALS? YEAH.
UM, SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND IF YOU SEE ANY ERRORS, LET ME KNOW SO WE CAN GET FIXED.
AND WE ARE LOOKING TO REFRESH THE DESIGN IN 2024, SPEAKING OF WHICH, SO I BEGGED OUR WEB PERSON TO GIVE ME A LITTLE SOMETHING THAT I COULD SHOW YOU.
SO WE ARE GONNA HAVE NEW MAPPING, SO THAT DIRECTORY I JUST SHOWED YOU, WE'RE GONNA UPGRADE THAT AND MAKE IT MUCH BETTER.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA GIVE OUR CALENDAR A FRESH LOOK.
AND WE KNOW THAT THAT IS THE MOST VISITED PAGE WHEN THEY'RE CLICKING AROUND ON OUR WEBSITE.
SO WE KNOW THAT THOSE ARE THE FEATURES THAT PEOPLE WANT THE MOST.
UM, THEY WANT TO BE ACCURATE, THEY WANT IT TO LOOK NICE, THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE IT.
SO WE'VE REFLECTED, NOW LET'S PICK OUR DIRECTION.
SO OUR UPDATED VISITOR GUIDE, THAT'S THE PRETTY PURPLE ONE IN ALL VIRGINIA CERTIFIED TOURIST INFORMATION CENTERS.
THERE ARE 76 IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE 12 STATE WELCOME CENTERS.
UM, WE HAVE HAD OUR CERTIFICATIONS SINCE 2008.
WE THOUGHT WE LOST IT TURNS OUT WE DIDN'T.
WE WERE JUST A LITTLE BIT OUT OF COMPLIANCE, BUT WE FIXED IT.
SORRY, BJ, UM, A LOT MORE VISITOR GOT LIKE A LOT MORE.
BUT WE'RE GONNA FULFILL OUR ORDERS AND WE'RE GONNA FULFILL OUR OBLIGATION TO THE CERTIFIED VISITOR CENTERS, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE GOT OUR LATEST AND GREATEST INFORMATION IN THEIR HANDS.
OF COURSE, REFRESHING THE WEBSITE.
WE JUST TALKED ABOUT EXPLORING TECHNOLOGY TOOLS FOR DATA.
WE TOUCHED ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PLENTY OF DA DATA MINING WEBSITES AND TOOLS OUT THERE THAT WE CAN ENGAGE WITH.
I'LL BE CANDID WITH YOU, THEY'RE NOT CHEAP AND I'M NOT SURE THAT IT'S THE BEST USE OF OUR FUNDS.
SO THAT'S WHY I HAVEN'T COME TO YOU AND ASKED FOR THAT BECAUSE IT'S A LOT.
AND, AND I'M, I'M NOT SURE I, I'D RATHER COMMIT OUR FUNDS TO MORE MARKETING CAMPAIGN SPEND THAN, THAN THAT DATA.
BUT, UM, AT THIS POINT IN OUR, IN OUR PLAN, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
UM, UPGRADING TECHNOLOGY INSIDE THE VISITOR CENTER.
WE'LL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND, UH, FIRST PERSON VIDEO PROJECT.
I'VE GOT SOME FOLKS WHO ARE GONNA TAKE SOME VIDEO FROM ACTIVITIES THAT THEY'RE ENGAGING IN HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IT'LL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT ON ALL SOCIAL PLATFORMS AND ON OUR WEBSITE TO GIVE PEOPLE A FEEL FOR WHAT IT'S LIKE TO PADDLE ON THE SHENANDOAH OR HIKE ON THE ANDREA TRAIL OR ANY NUMBER
[01:30:01]
OF THINGS.WE'VE GOT A WHOLE LIST, FESTIVAL, WINGS,
SO IT'LL TAKE US A WHILE TO CAPTURE ALL OF THAT, UM, OF FULL CALENDAR YEAR TO BE HONEST.
BUT, UM, BEING ABLE TO UTILIZE ALL OF THAT MATERIAL WILL BE INVALUABLE FOR US.
UM, OUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PHILADELPHIA, I SAID IT WAS COMING BACK AND I MEANT IT.
SO I WANNA FOCUS ON WASHINGTON DC METRO AREA ON RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.
UM, WE'RE SEEING A GOOD BIT OF FOLKS COMING OUTTA RICHMOND AND THEN PHILADELPHIA.
SO NOT ONLY IS OUR DATA SUPPORTING THIS, BUT THE STATE OF VIRGINIA'S DATA SUPPORTING THIS TOO, THAT PHILADELPHIA TRAVELERS ARE COMING TO VIRGINIA AND WE ARE CLOSER THAN A HECK OF A LOT OF THE REST OF VIRGINIA TO PHILADELPHIA.
SO I WANNA SUCK THEM IN HERE FIRST.
UM, I HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION WITH THE COMPANY THAT DOES ALL OF THE METRO TRAIN AND BUS ADS.
UM, THEY ALSO HAVE A GOOD CHUNK OF THE MARKET IN PHILADELPHIA.
SO IF WE ARE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THEM, THEY CAN HELP US IN BOTH MARKETS, WHICH WOULD BE VERY COOL.
WE'RE DOING SOME WELCOME CENTER TAKEOVERS AND THERE IS A SLIDE IN YOUR PAPER ABOUT THAT.
WE'LL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND IN MARCH, APRIL AND OCTOBER.
AND THEN THE GROUP MARKETING CAMPAIGN WITH THE NANDO VALLEY TOURISM PARTNERSHIP FOR CANADIAN TRAVELERS.
UM, BUT WE, WE KNOW THAT VIRGINIA TOURISM HAS AN ENTIRE TEAM DEDICATED TO GRABBING A CANADIAN TRAVELER WHO KNEW? AND WE WANNA BE A PART OF THAT.
SO THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY TOURISM PARTNERSHIP HAS AGREED THAT OUR FALL CAMPAIGN PROJECT WILL BE AIMED AT GRABBING THOSE, THOSE AWESOME CANADIANS TO COME DOWN HERE AND SEE US.
SO I'LL HAVE MORE ON THAT AS TIME WEARS ON.
DO YOU SHOUT OUT HIM TO COME TO FRONT ROYAL? I DO.
I APPRECIATE THAT CAMP FROM REPPORT.
ALRIGHT, SO REMEMBER I SAID THAT WE WERE GONNA UPGRADE TECHNOLOGY INSIDE THE VISITOR CENTER.
WELL, CHARLES AND I ARE WORKING ON A LITTLE SOMETHING.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ARPA GRANT FUNDING A LONG TIME AGO, AND THAT $170,000, THAT'S THE TOTAL AWARD.
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T REALLY GET TO PLAY WITH 'CAUSE THEY ARE FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
BUT OUR AWARD INCREASED TO $42,500 BECAUSE SADLY BECAUSE THE ABT TEXT TRAIL PLANNING WAS NOT TO COME TO BE.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE VISITOR CENTER MONEY IS I'M NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE LIKE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
I CAN'T UPGRADE MY BATHROOMS EVEN THOUGH I WANTED TO AND I TRIED.
UM, WHAT WE CAN DO IS INCREASE THE TECHNOLOGY AND PROVIDE MORE ACTIVATIONS INSIDE THE VISITOR CENTER.
SO WE'RE GONNA DO THAT THROUGH A COUPLE OF THINGS.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COMPANY TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP NOT ONLY AN APP FOR YOUR PHONE THAT'S AN ITINERARY BUILDER ON OUR WEBSITE.
BUT WE ALSO, WE'RE GONNA KEEP THE PAPER VISITOR GUIDE.
I KNOW I CAN'T GET RID OF THE VISITOR LOG.
BUT WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING THAT NOBODY ELSE HAS DONE YET.
AND I'M REALLY HOPING IT'S NOT BECAUSE IT'S A BAD IDEA, BUT WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT.
SO I WANNA SEE THE AWESOME FACES OF THE PEOPLE WHO COME TO SEE US.
AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO THAT.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA DO ONE OF THOSE DIGITAL PHOTO BOOTHS AND THEY'RE GONNA, IN ORDER TO GET THEIR PHOTO, THEY HAVE TO GIMME A LITTLE INFORMATION.
YOU HAVE TO ANYWAY, NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO, WHATEVER EVENTS YOU DO, AND YOU USE A PHOTO BOOTH.
SO YOU GOTTA GIMME AN EMAIL ADDRESS OR YOU GOTTA GIMME A PHONE NUMBER.
THEY'RE GONNA GIMME THAT AND I'LL USE IT IN OUR MARKETING.
AND THEN I GET THEIR FACE, I GET THEIR HAPPY FACE, AND THEY CAN PICK FROM A DIFFERENT DIGITAL BACKGROUND.
WE CAN UTILIZE THIS DURING OUR HUGE EVENTS WE HAVE ON MAIN STREET.
THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR US TO CAPTURE THE HAPPY FACES THAT HAVE COME TO VISIT FRONT ROYAL.
AND IN EXCHANGE FOR THAT, I'M GONNA BUY A PHOTO PRINTER THAT'LL PRINT IT AS A POSTCARD AND THEY CAN TAKE IT WITH THEM.
OUR POSTCARDS ARE VERY POPULAR.
I WOULD'VE NEVER THOUGHT, BUT THEY'RE EXTREMELY POPULAR.
AND WE'RE GONNA DO A REDESIGN THIS YEAR TOO.
WE'VE BEEN USING THIS DESIGN FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA DO IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA WORK, BUT WE'RE GONNA TRY.
I HAVE A FEELING YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SUCH A LONG LINE IN THOSE BUSY EVENTS.
MY MAMA WOULD CALL THAT A CHAMPAGNE PROBLEM.
SO I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BUT WE'RE GONNA GIVE IT A GO AND WE'RE USING GRANT MONEY FOR IT, SO WHY NOT? THAT WAS ALL RIGHT.
[01:35:01]
STILL DOING PRINT MEDIA JUST AS MUCH AS WE'RE DOING SOCIAL MEDIA.WE'RE STILL PREVALENT IN PRINT MEDIA, BUT WE'RE VERY INTENTIONAL AS TO WHERE WE DO IT.
SO WE REACH OUT OUTDOOR MAGAZINE, THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT FLIES OUT MY VISITOR CENTER, I CAN'T KEEP 'EM.
SO WE'RE DOING ADS IN APRIL, MAY, JUNE AND OCTOBER.
WE PICKED THOSE BASED ON THE THEME OF THE MONTH THAT THEY WERE WRITING ABOUT.
SO THERE'S LIKE THE PADDLING ISSUE, THERE'S THE FAMILY AND OUTDOOR EVENT ISSUE.
THERE'S A FALL, OBVIOUSLY THE OCTOBER ISSUE AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE OTHER ONE WAS, BUT IT WAS RELEVANT.
SO WE'RE DOING ADS IN THOSE AND I TOTALLY BUSTED MY OWN.
SO THE OTHER ONE WE DO IS THE VIRGINIA TRAVEL GUIDE.
THIS IS PUT TOGETHER BY VIRGINIA TOURISM CORPORATION.
THIS IS A VERY WELL USED GUIDE.
THIS IS THE SECOND MOST POPULAR THING IN MY VISITOR CENTER.
SO WE ARE DOING ADS IN THOSE AS WELL.
WE'LL BE, THERE ARE THREE ISSUES EACH YEAR.
WE WILL BE IN ALL THREE OF THEM.
LISTEN, ARE ARE THOSE FREE TO US FROM YES.
NOW THE ADS NOT FREE, NOT THE A BUT THE DISTRIBUTION.
UM, AND THESE TWO ARE IN ALL OF THOSE VISITOR CENTERS THAT WE'RE PARTNERED IN AS WELL.
SO NOT ONLY ARE YOU GRABBING OUR VISITOR GUIDE, HOPEFULLY THAT'S WHY WE MADE IT PRETTY, BUT YOU'RE ALSO GRABBING ONE OF THESE 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.
AND THEN YOU'RE SEEING US AGAIN.
AND IT'S THAT, THAT RECOGNITION AGAIN, WE TALKED TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WELCOME CENTER TAKEOVERS.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS, IN ANY ONE OF THE 12 STATE WELCOME CENTERS THAT VIRGINIA TOURISM CORPORATION, UM, OPERATES, YOU CAN RESERVE THAT MONTH AND B THE LO THE HOST LOCALITY.
SO FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH, WE GOT A LITTLE TASTE OF THAT AT THE CLEARBROOK WELCOME CENTER BECAUSE WE WERE A PART OF THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY TRAVEL ASSOCIATION TAKEOVER IN MARCH AT THE CLEARBROOK WELCOME CENTER.
SO WE GOT A TABLE AND YES, THAT IS AN INFLATABLE CANOE.
UM, AND IT'S GOTTEN AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF ATTENTION.
'CAUSE THEIR DIRECTOR KEEPS TEXTING ME AND SAYING, PEOPLE ARE TAKING PICTURES WITH OUR CANOE.
THERE'S KIDS COLORING PAGES, THERE'S FREE STICKERS.
UM, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, PLENTY OF RAT CARDS WITH DIFFERENT BEAM, OUR SPELUNKING HAT WITH SKYLINE CAVERN, THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK AND THE STATE PARK WITH THE TRAIL SIGN, ALL THAT GOOD STUFF.
UM, SO THIS WAS KIND OF OUR WARMUP.
SO THEN IN APRIL AND IN OCTOBER, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH WARREN COUNTY AND DOING A TAKEOVER FOR THE BUSIEST STATE WELCOME CENTER IN VIRGINIA, IN RUTHER GLEN, JUST SOUTH OF FREDERICKSBURG ON 95 NORTH.
UM, THEY'RE VERY BUSY BECAUSE PEOPLE GET TRAPPED ON NINE FIVE AND THEY REALLY WANNA GET OFF.
SO THEY GO IN THERE AND SAY, HOW DO I GET OUT OF HERE? UM, SO WE THOUGHT WHAT BETTER PLACE TO DO IT THAN SOMEWHERE PEOPLE ARE GONNA SEND THEM RIGHT ON OUR WAY.
SO WE WILL BE DOING EVEN MORE THAN JUST THIS ONE FOUR FOOT TABLE IN THERE.
UM, I'LL HAVE, I'LL SEND YOU GUYS SOME INFORMATION ONCE WE'RE FI WE FINALIZED OUR PLANS.
WE'RE STILL WAITING ON A FEW THINGS TO BE CREATED.
UM, BUT IT'S JUST US AND WARREN COUNTY.
SO WHEREAS THIS IS JUST EVERYBODY THAT'S PART OF THE STC.
SO THAT, SO IN APRIL AND OCTOBER AT THAT WELCOME CENTER SOUTH OF FREDERICKSBURG, IT'LL BE JUST US, WHICH WILL BE COOL.
WE'RE TRADING EVERY OTHER FRIDAY.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO DOWN AND, UM, THE APPLE HOUSE IS PARTNERING WITH US.
WE'RE TAKING DONUT SAMPLES AND, UM, WE'VE GOT SOME OTHER PLANS.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY FLEXIBLE ABOUT LETTING US DO THINGS.
UM, I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF FUNKY.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'VE EVER DONE BEFORE THAT I'M AWARE OF, UM, THAT I CAN FIND ANY RECORD OF.
BUT, UH, YOU GOTTA, YOU WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
YOU GOTTA DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SO WE'RE GONNA GIVE THAT A GO.
JUST GET THE PRESS TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING TOO.
THAT'D BE A GOOD THING TO TELL SINCE IT'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND INNOVATIVE.
SHOW SHOW PEOPLE HOW DOWN AND THE COUNTY YOU'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO PROMOTE TOURISM.
MIGHT MIKE MIGHT SHOW UP AND DO A VIDEO.
YEAH, THEY MIGHT, THEY MIGHT WOULD BE GREAT.
I'M GONNA GO FAST TOWN EVENTS, YOU'VE GOT A CALENDAR IN FRONT OF YOU.
THESE ARE, THESE ARE HEAVY HITTERS.
MAY 18TH, APPALOOSA, AUGUST 31ST AND SEPTEMBER 1ST.
SOMETHING'S BREWING BEER FESTIVAL.
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS BRINGING THE BEER FESTIVAL BACK.
IT'S NO LONGER CALLED RIVER AND BRUISE OR BRUISE AND BLUES OR WHATEVER ITERATION IT WAS AT THAT POINT, SEPTEMBER 21ST, 52ND ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF LEAVES.
WE GOT DANCING DOWNTOWN FRIDAY NIGHT ON OCTOBER 11TH.
AND OF COURSE THE BIG FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12TH.
[01:40:01]
CHRISTMAS ON MAIN ON THE SEVENTH.AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE RUNNING OUT OF OTHER EVENTS OUTSIDE OF THIS.
AND AS A REMINDER ON OUR RACK CARD, THOSE ARE JUST OUR EVENTS.
IF I HAVE TO WORK IT, IT GOES ON THE RACK CARD.
IF I DON'T HAVE TO WORK IT, IT DOESN'T GO ON THE RACK CARD.
BUT WE STILL PROMOTE ALL THOSE OTHER EVENTS TOO.
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY LOAN PINE DAY, APRIL 21ST, ONCE UPON A TIME, THAT WAS OUR DAY.
NOW IT PAYS HOMAGE TO THE LONE PINE PATRIOT DAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH.
THAT'S HOSTED BY FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER SKIP RIDERS.
WE'LL BE ASSISTING HIM WITH THAT FAMILY FUN DAY ON MAY 11TH.
AND THERE WILL BE A PARADE AGAIN THIS YEAR.
AND THEN THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER LATE SUMMER EDITION COMING SOON, BUT I'M NOT READY TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT YET.
WE'RE ADDING THE SMITHSONIAN AS A STOP DURING THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL CROSSING SEASON.
YOUR OCTOBER 31ST BECAUSE OF JUSTIN PROCTOR.
IT'S ON OUR WAY BACK FROM THE AT CROSSING.
WE HAVE A NEW TROLLEY TRACKER WEBSITE.
IF YOU SCAN THAT QR CODE, NOT JUST THIS ONE, IT'S THE SAME ONE THAT'S OUT THERE.
YOU CAN LIVE TRACK WHERE THE TROLLEY IS DURING ITS ROUTE.
I'M NOT SURE WHY YOU'D EVER NEED TO DO THAT, BUT YOU MIGHT NEED TO.
TROLLEY RIDERSHIP IN 2023 WAS 16,799 RIDERS.
JUST FOR COMPARISON, IN 2022 WE HAD 12,148 MM-HMM.
YOU ARE SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY BY KEEPING THE TROLLEY RUNNING.
LIZZIE BEING YOU, MYSELF, IS THIS A FRONT ROYAL THING ONLY OR IS IT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WARREN COUNTY? OH, THIS IS JUST OURS.
SO THE COUNTY HAS THE CORRIDOR CONNECTOR WHITE BOXES.
WE, WE BOTH USE VIRGINIA REGIONAL TRANSIT, UM, DIFFERENT CONTRACTS AND THAT SORT OF THING, BUT WE HAVE THE SAME PEOPLE AND ALL THAT.
I I'VE SEEN BOTH AND I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED BY THAT, THAT WELL, MAYBE THAT WAS BROKEN DOWN.
WELL THEY, I I THINK THEY HIT SOME OF THE SAME PLACES.
SO THAT YOU CAN GET OFF OF ONE AND GO ONTO THE OTHER IF YOU NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE NORTH, PERHAPS I'VE SEEN ON SOCIAL SERVICES.
AND AS A REMINDER, IT'S STILL FREE.
THAT WAS COOL FOR THE, UH, CHRISTMAS LATELY TOO.
AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING MORE CREATIVE AND LETTING US DO SOME FUN THINGS LIKE THE HOLLY JOLLY TROLLEY TOUR AND ALL THAT STUFF.
THAT SOLD OUT RATHER QUICKLY TOO, DIDN'T IT? IT DID.
I'M PRETTY SURE I HAVE TO BRING THAT BACK BECAUSE IF I DON'T YEAH, I THINK I MIGHT BE IN TROUBLE.
IF Y'ALL ARE REAL GOOD, WE'LL DO IT AGAIN.
BUT IT WAS FREE, RIGHT? IT WAS, I THINK WE, YEAH, IT WE ARE.
BECAUSE I KNOW OTHER LOCALITIES DO LIKE A GHOST TOUR AND DIFFERENT LITTLE THINGS AROUND CERTAIN AND THEY CHARGE OR, SO I'VE BEEN TOLD BY THEY NO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT SAYING, HEY, I WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE AND I PAID LIKE, YOU KNOW, $40 FOR MY WHOLE FAMILY TO TAKE THIS GHOST TOUR OR WHATEVER.
AND I WAS LIKE, YEAH, WE'RE MISSING THE GHOST TOUR.
UM, AND JUST AS A QUICK ASIDE, WE WE'RE HAPPY TO DO IT FOR FREE, HOWEVER, WE HAD TO DO IT FOR FREE BECAUSE OF THE GRANT FUNDING THAT HELPED SUBSIDIZE OUR COST OF RUNNING THE TROLLEY.
SO THEY COULD NOT CHARGE A FAIR, A FAIR COULD NOT BE CHARGED FOR PEOPLE TO BE ON IT.
THEY WOULD'VE HAD TO USE LIKE A CHARTER BUS COMPANY, WHICH IS NOT THE SAME VIBE FIVE.
SO YES, NOW WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT COULD IT BE A FUNDRAISER FOR SOMEBODY OR SOMETHING.
SO WE ARE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT THAT WAS OUR PRIMARY REASON WAS 'CAUSE WE DON'T LIKE TO CHARGE FOR THINGS IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
UM, BUT SECONDARILY TO THAT, WE, WE COULDN'T, THEY WOULDN'T ALLOW US TO.
BUT LIKE YOU SAID, EVEN IF IT WAS SOMETHING FOR A SALVATION ARMY THAT MIGHT BE DIFFERENT FOR CCAP OR THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THAT'S OPTION HEART, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WHERE YES.
EVEN IF IT WAS THE DONATION ONLY.
ALL RIGHT, RDA, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU THE WORLD'S MOST BRIEF UPDATE.
THE FRONT ROYAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IS AVERAGING TWO MEETINGS A MONTH SINCE DECEMBER.
WE'RE HAVING WORK SESSIONS AND REGULAR MEETINGS AND WE'RE JUST HANGING OUT BASICALLY ALL THE TIME.
THEY'VE ADOPTED THEIR VISION STATEMENT, THEY ADOPTED THEIR MISSION STATEMENT.
THEY SETTLED ON FIVE AWESOME GOAL THEMES, AND THEY'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON SETTING THOSE GOALS UNDERNEATH THOSE THEMES.
UM, WE'VE HAD SOME GOOD MOVEMENT ON THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO AT OUR NEXT WORK SESSION.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE THE SIGNED MOU Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT THAT.
YOU SIGNED IT YOURSELF NOW WHAT'S NEXT? I DON'T KNOW.
Y'ALL LIKE TO THROW NEW STUFF AT ME ALL THE TIME.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I HAVE NOT ANSWERED.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THINGS BACK AND GET YOU OTHER INFORMATION IF I DON'T HAVE IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
[01:45:01]
KEEP, I WOULD KEEP UP ON THAT BOOST TO OUR IDEA, SO, OKAY.YEAH, I DEFINITELY HAVE IN THERE MYSELF.
I TRIED TO DO ONE FOR HALLOWEEN TWO YEARS AGO.
I TRIED, THEY DID SOMETHING THESE OTHER PLACES.
PEOPLE JUST SAID IT, IT WAS IN OCTOBER.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE ALL THE GHOSTS ARE LOCATED? YEAH, ACTUALLY I DO SOME OF 'EM.
WHAT, WHERE SOMEBODY, THERE'S A VOLUNTEER USED TO DO THE TOUR ON MAIN STREET.
EVEN IF YOU GET THE WORN HERITAGE SOCIETY AND YES.
I, I'M THINKING DEWEY WOULD BE TOTALLY, WELL, DEWEY AND I USED TO DO IT TOGETHER.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THE MOTORCYCLE? I HAVEN'T TALKED TO ANYBODY ABOUT IT.
UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING ON FINALIZING THE ROUTES FOR ME SO THAT WE CAN GET THOSE MATERIALS PRINTED WELL CREATED AND PRINTED.
AND THAT'LL ALSO BE A LANDING PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE TOO.
SO, YES, LUCY, I, AS WE SET AND WE'RE WORKING ON OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE, UH, NEXT FISCAL YEAR, STARTING JULY, IS THERE ANYTHING WE'RE TRYING TO DO TO MAKE THE TOWN, UH, ATTRACTIVE, MORE OF A WALKING BIKING? OR IS THERE ANYTHING WE'RE PROMOTING IN THAT REGARD? AND WE HAVE THE GREENWAY TRAIL, CORRECT? UM, NOT NECESSARILY.
I MEAN, WE, YOU KNOW, THE MOST, PROBABLY THE, I SHOULD SAY THE SECOND MOST PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT'S HANDED OUT IN MY VISITOR CENTER IS OUR HISTORIC WALKING STORE.
UM, BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, BIKE PATHS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO I'M, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE IF I CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
UM, THERE'S A SUGGESTION FROM THE AUDIENCE.
I WAS, WAS JUST SAYING, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW IF JIM'S GONNA BE TALKING TONIGHT, BUT WE ARE DOING A LOT OF GREENING UP AROUND THE EXISTING GREENWAY.
SO WE ARE DOING A LOT OF BEAUTIFICATION, WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE TO MAKE IT MORE OF A GREEN TUNNEL AND A BETTER EXPERIENCE.
SO THAT IS, THAT'S A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
I THINK ANOTHER, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR CONTENT, UH, TO ME, THIS IS INTERESTING.
IT MAY NOT BE INTERESTING TO OTHERS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY CELEBRITIES THAT HAVE COME THROUGH FRONT ROYAL THAT ARE JUST, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE POSTING ON FACEBOOK, LIKE WHEN TINA TURNER DIED AND WE FOUND OUT, YOU KNOW, SHE HAD BEEN HERE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD BEN CROSBY HERE.
WHAT? YES, WE HAVE WARREN BEATTY, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S BEEN ALL KINDS OF, SO I FEEL LIKE, UM, SOMEBODY WRITE THIS DOWN.
UM, OH NO, THAT, THAT'S ACTUALLY, HERE'S THE OTHER WE'LL GET WITH YOU BECAUSE THAT'S ACTUALLY, THAT WAS THE HIPPIE, THE HIPPIE FAMILY.
THE, OUR CATS, THE, THE AR CATS USED TO LIVE OUTSIDE OF FRONT ROYAL.
SO THAT, I FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD BE, LIKE, THOSE ARE JUST LIKE LITTLE INTERESTING THINGS TO RUN OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
YOU KNOW, OUR CAT WORKED MELT POT.
THEY'VE HAD DAVID, OUR SIGNING.
ALL RIGHT, WELL WE'LL GET, WRITE ALL THIS STUFF DOWN.
ANYTHING ELSE? I KNOW I'M WAY OVER MY TIME.
THANKS FOR ALL THE INFORMATION TOO.
SO OUR OLD, JUST BRAINSTORM, OKAY.
WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW UP TO THE REVIEW OF THE FY 25 PROPOSED BUDGET.
YOU GUYS KNOW THAT LAST WEEK, MR. WILSON, YOU KNOW, WENT OVER EVERYTHING, GAVE EVERY, GAVE EVERYBODY A COPY.
I'M ASSUMING IF ANYBODY HAD ANY QUESTIONS, THEY REACHED OUT TO HIM THIS WEEK, OR MAYBE THEY WANT TO ASK IT RIGHT NOW.
SO, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. WILSON ABOUT THE PROVO BUDGET? THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION.
I DID NOT MEET WITH YOU FOR THREE HOURS THIS YEAR.
I I ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE I FINALLY UNDERSTAND IT WELL ENOUGH THAT NOT HAVE TO ASK.
SO I, I HAD A COUPLE, UH, BJ WAS KIND ENOUGH TO EMAIL ME BACK AND I GOT, I GUESS A COUPLE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, BJ, THAT I WAS A LITTLE, UH, PERHAPS CONFUSED OVER.
UH, THE INSURANCE, THE HEALTH INSURANCE IS INCREASING 8.7% YOU SAID FOR BOTH THE TOWN'S CONTRIBUTION AND EMPLOYEE'S CONTRIBUTION, AND I KNOW THAT IT VARIES.
UM, IF JOSH HAS SINGLE, UM, MELISSA HAS FAMILY COVERAGE, THEY PAY DIFFERENT AMOUNTS, UM, BUT THE OVERALL INCREASE TO THEM IS ABOUT AN 8.7%.
[01:50:01]
IS MELISSA, BECAUSE SHE'S GOT A FAMILY PLAN, IS IT GONNA BE A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN JOSH OR MAYBE WE PAY OFF? NO, IT'S, UM, IT'S, IT'S 8.7% ACROSS THE BOARD.I'M SORRY, SOMETHING, UH, 8.7% ACROSS THE BOARD.
UH, THE ONLY INSURANCE THAT WE PAY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF IS, IS FOR A SINGLE, UH, A SINGLE EMPLOYEE, UH, THAT IS HIGH DEDUCTIBLE.
UM, SO WE HAVE A HIGH LOW DEDUCTIBLE.
UM, ALL THE OTHER INSURANCE PLANS ARE GOING UP 8.7%.
SO IF YOU HAVE A DUAL COVERAGE, IF YOU'RE IN A FAMILY HIGH DEDUCTIBLE, IF YOU'RE IN, UM, UH, THE, UH, UH, KEY ADVANTAGE, UH, 500 PLAN FOR FAMILY, THEY'RE ALL GOING UP 8.7%.
UH, AND, AND THE REASON WHY I ASK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EMPLOYEE RETENTION, WE TALKED ABOUT SALARIES AND, YOU KNOW, ARE WE COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER COMPETING AREAS? WE FOUND OUT, FOR INSTANCE, ON OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE'RE NOT, UM, I, I DON'T WANNA SEE SOMEBODY SNATCH AWAY A WATER PLANT OPERATOR, UH, TO GO OVER TO STRS, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YEAH, THEY GOT A 3% INCREASE, BUT THEIR INSURANCE WENT UP.
UM, BUT NOW I GOTTA PAY EVEN MORE.
AND THAT SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, DEPEND ON THE STOMACH OF THE, UH, AND BJ CAN ANSWER THIS, BUT I WILL JUST SAY IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
WE GET A RAISE, BUT THE INSURANCE IS MORE, UM, BUT, BUT NOT EVERYBODY TAKES THE INSURANCE FOR, SO FOR SOME EMPLOYEES, A RAISE IS A TRUE RAISE.
AND FOR SOME, LIKE YOU SAID, SO ANYWAY, I DON'T KNOW.
YEAH, NO, THAT'S, I GET IS THAT, AND THEY ON THE HEAD.
YEAH, THAT'S, UH, UM, THE, THE INSURANCE IS, IS INDEED, YOU KNOW, AN ELECTIVE.
UM, WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE RANK AS FAR AS THE SURROUNDING MODALITIES.
I DON'T KNOW WE'VE EVER, UH, DONE THAT.
I WOULD, I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT WE'RE FAIRLY CLOSE.
UM, IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT, UH, SINCE, SINCE WE DID IT.
I THINK WE DID IT, UH, YEARS AGO WHEN OUR INSURANCE CONSULTANT FIRST CAME ON.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE CURRENTLY STAND.
IS IT, UM, IS IT, WHEN YOU SAY 8.7 FOR THE EMPLOYEE? MM-HMM.
SO DOES THAT MEAN IT'S LIKE, IT'S IT'S LITERALLY LIKE 17.4%
UH, IT'S UP TO US HOW WE'RE GONNA DISTRIBUTE IT, UH, BETWEEN THE, UH, THE EMPLOYER OR EMPLOYEE OVERALL, IT'S GOING UP 8.7%.
WE'RE SHARING THAT COST 8.7 FOR US, 8.7.
UM, AND THEY'RE PAYING 8% AND WE'RE PAYING 8%.
WELL, WE ARE, BUT IT'S THE SAME 8%.
YOU KNOW, IF, UH, IT'S, LET'S SAY FOR SIMPLISTIC REASONS, INSURANCE WAS A HUNDRED DOLLARS A MONTH.
UM, SO IT'S GOING UP, UH, $8 AND 70 CENTS.
THAT'S THE TOTAL IT'S GOING UP.
THE SPLIT WOULD BE, UM, $6 FOR THE EMPLOYEE, $2 AND 70 CENTS, OR I'M SORRY, $2 AND 70 CENTS FOR THE EMPLOYEE AND $6 FOR THE TOWN.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO, BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN, THEY'VE BEEN FLOATING AROUND 15% FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I, I'M SURE THAT IT'S NOT THAT, BUT THOSE WERE THE, THE, UM, THOSE WERE THE FEAR FACTOR.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S LIKE, OH, IT'S GONNA GO UP TO 15%.
YOU KNOW WHAT, I, I JUST WANNA SAY WE HAVE THAT AT 15%.
BUT YAY FOR US THAT WE GIVE THIS SINGLE FOR FREE, BECAUSE I GOTTA TELL YOU, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITH US EITHER.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO, AND IT'S TIER.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S, I MEAN, THAT'S A, THAT'S A COMPLIMENT FOR I'M NOT, I'M JUST SAYING I'M GLAD THAT WE DO PROVIDE THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SO FOR SOMEBODY THAT'S NOT MARRIED AND DOESN'T HAVE A FAMILY.
ALTHOUGH THAT NEVER REALLY HAPPENED FOR ME ALSO, BUT, BUT IT'S, WELL, AND THE OTHER THING, WHEN YOU PROVIDE THAT, THAT'S ACTUALLY CHEAPER TO THE EMPLOYER BECAUSE YOU'RE, IF I GIVE YOU A DOLLAR, THEN I GOTTA PAY PSTA FOOD AND PYTHON ON THAT RIGHT.
BUT IF I GIVE YOU A DOLLAR IN HEALTHCARE COVERAGE RIGHT.
PJ, I I SENT YOU SOME OTHER QUESTIONS LATE AND I APOLOGIZE.
UM, DOES THE BUDGET AS IT'S WRITTEN, INCLUDE ANY SEED MONEY FOR FREEDOM? WE WERE JUST TALKING YES.
UM, THERE'S, UH, $50,000 IN THERE IN THE, IN THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET.
UH, THAT'S, UH, UH, ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE SET ASIDE FOR THEM, WHICH IS ROUGHLY $80,000.
UM, IS LIZZIE STILL HERE? MM-HMM.
SO IT'LL BE ABOUT 130,000 FOR THE, AROUND THAT.
THAT'S IN OUR CURRENT BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
UH, WE'VE BEEN CARRYING FUNDS FORWARD FOR FRIDA FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND THAT'S, UM, EXCLUSIVE OF THE SALARIES AND STIPENDS FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, THAT'S ENTIRELY SEPARATE LAW OR LEGAL OR ANY OTHER EXPENSES.
[01:55:01]
SO, UH, UH, THAT'S EXCLUSIVE OF ANY STIPPEN THAT YOU GIVE THE BOARD MEMBERS.NOW OUT OF THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO FIND, FOR INSTANCE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT LEGAL AND THINGS LIKE THAT, SO.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY TO, ACTUALLY, THE STIPEND FOR THE MEETINGS IS $200 A MONTH PER PERSON.
READ IS MORE THAN ANY OF THE OTHER BOARDS.
IT'S $200 A MONTH PER PERSON, NOT PER MEETING, PER PER MONTH.
YOU HAD ANSWERED EARLIER, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU.
BUT I'M, I WANT TO SHARE IT WITH EVERYBODY WHEN I ASK YOU ABOUT, UM, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THE PRESENTATION WITH PLANNING AND ZONING, UH, ADDING AN ADDITIONAL CODE OFFICER, I BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT SALARY WAS NOT INCLUDED.
NOR ANY OTHER TYPE OF EXTRA POSITION THAT DOESN'T EXIST TODAY.
WE, WE DID HAVE REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, BUT WE DID NOT BRING ANY POSITIONS FORWARD OTHER THAN I THINK TWO ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS.
THERE, NO, THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBERS IN THIS BUDGET.
AND I THINK THE LAST QUESTION THAT I SENT LATE IN THE DAY, AND AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE.
UM, AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO GET THIS, UH, DID WE BUDGET ANY MONEY IN, UM, PUBLIC WORKS FOR A SIDEWALK MASTER PLAN? UH, SO
UH, THAT WE DID NOT, UH, BUDGET FOR A SIDEWALK MASTER PLAN.
WE DID BUDGET FOR WHAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UH, STORM SEW, STORM SEWER MAPPING.
UM, LET'S TRY TO GET THAT DONE.
THAT'S GONNA BE PROBABLY A FOUR YEAR PROJECT, BUT NOT THIS.
WHY WOULD THAT COME OUT OF OUR, UM, GENERAL FUND INSTEAD OF THE, UH, WATER OR RATHER THE SEWER FUND? 'CAUSE STORM WATER IS STORM PUMP.
BUT IT'S TREATMENT OF IT, ISN'T IT? NO, NO, NO.
SO WE DON'T CONSIDER THAT PART OF SOLAR.
I'LL GIVE SOMEBODY, OFFICER, TRY TO FIND QUESTION.
UH, I'M GONNA PUT NOTICE OFF YOUR HEAD OR NOT.
REGINA, THERE'S A, I'M BRING UP A PROSPECT, PROSPECT BRIDGE AGAIN.
UH, I KNOW WE HAD OF COURSE, SOME REALLY GOOD REPAIRS TO IT THIS PAST YEAR WHEN WE'RE BUDGETING 3 50, 300 15,000 FOR ITS REPLACEMENT.
HOW, CAN YOU REMIND ME HOW CLOSE WE ARE TO, TO GETTING TO THAT FULL AMOUNT? 27.
SO THE, UM, UH, AFTER, AFTER FISCAL YEAR 25, BASED ON THE, THE MOST RECENT ESTIMATE FOR THE PROSPECT BRIDGE, AND WE GET THE V, IF WE GET THE 50% VDOT REVENUE SHARING, WE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS, UH, WITH THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET.
UM, IF WE DON'T GET VDOT FUNDING, THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO RETHINK THAT.
UH, OR IF THE ESTIMATE GOES UP DRASTICALLY, WE MAY HAVE TO RETHINK IT, BUT, UM, I KNEW WE WERE GETTING CLOSE TO IT.
BASED ON THE BEST INFORMATION WE HAVE, IF WE GET THE REVENUE SHARING, WE WOULD'VE ENOUGH FUNDS.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S KEEP THAT IN MIND.
WHAT YEAR IS THAT? 27, RIGHT? 27.
AND HOW ABOUT THE EIGHTH STREET BRIDGE? UM, WE HAVE THE FUNDING SET ASIDE FOR THAT.
WE'RE JUST WAITING ON THE PLANS TO BE DONE.
WE, WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY HOPEFULLY GO OUT FOR CONSTRUCTION BIDS IN THE NEXT 30, 60 DAYS.
MAYBE IT GOT PUSHED OUT A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE PUSHED A LITTLE FURTHER, BUT WE, YEAH.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY WAITING ON, ON THE FEE SCHEDULE NOW.
WE DO HAVE THE FUNDING SET ASIDE FOR THE
WELL, AGAIN, UNLESS THE BIDS COME BACK AND THEY'RE BASICALLY, THAT'S THE RISK.
BUT TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, WE HAVE THE IT HARD BEEN ACCEPTED BY V.
RIGHT? THAT IS GONNA BE THIS FALL.
ISN'T THAT, WHAT'S THAT? THAT, WELL, YOU'RE, YOU'RE PUTTING THAT OUT, RIGHT? IT'LL BE OUT FORBID, PROBABLY BY SUMMER.
WE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH THE GRADES.
SO WE HAD TO CHANGE SOME STUFF SO WE WOULDN'T PUSH WATER ON THEM OR BACK TO THE BYPASS, THAT KIND OF RIGHT.
BECAUSE YOU GOTTA GET THE ELEVATION OVER SO IT DOESN'T FLOOD AND, AND KEEP THE BRIDGE UP.
AND WE HAD EATEN FRIDAY, SO IT'S BEEN RECENT.
THE OTHER QUESTION, AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE, I FOUND THE EMAIL TOO.
DO WE HAVE ANY FUNDS SET ASIDE FOR DERELICT PROPERTY MANAGEMENT? AND THAT'S PRETTY A GENERAL, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND FOLLOW UP AGAIN TO OUR MEETING WITH ENFORCEMENT AND PLANNING AND ZONING AND, UM, JUST OUTSIDE OF THE, UH, NORMAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR PLANNING AND ZONING THAT THIS IS LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SIDEWALK PLAN THAT CAME UP OUT OF OUR RETREAT LAST WEEK.
[02:00:01]
SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT SOME OF THOSE EFFORTS THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE RETREAT WE'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO, TO FUND IN, IN THE UPCOMING THE, THE NEXT BUDGET OR TRY TO FIND FUNDS MIDWAY THROUGH THE YEAR TO FUND THOSE.
SO I WILL SAY THAT WE DID HAVE FUNDS SET ASIDE FOR BLIGHTED BUILDINGS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS THAT WE CARRIED FORWARD, UH, OVER AND OVER.
AND THEN I THINK AT THE BEGINNING OF, OR IN 2023, WE, UM, MOVED SOME OF THOSE FUNDS OVER TO PAVINGS.
I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT FIRST CAME ON COUNCIL THAT THERE WAS, I I'M GONNA SAY ABOUT $150,000, BUT TO MY RECOLLECTION, WE NEVER VOTED TO MOVE IT ANYWHERE.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS ONCE HE WAS ON, 'CAUSE THAT WAS NOVEMBER.
I WANNA SAY IT WAS BEFORE THAT IT WAS REALLY CLOSE.
YOU MAY HAVE ATTENDED IT, BUT I THINK IT WAS BEFORE NOVEMBER.
I MEAN, IT WAS BEFORE YOU WERE ELECTED.
I'M JUST CURIOUS, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OFF OF IT, BUT, UM, FOR YOUR PERSONNEL, WHEN YOU COMMUNICATE TO THEM, DO YOU GIVE THEM LIKE THEIR WHOLE PACKAGE? I MAY HAVE ASKED THIS EVEN LAST YEAR.
DO YOU, DO YOU GIVE THEM THEIR, THE VALUE OF THEIR WHOLE PACKAGE AT ANY POINT? LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOUR RAISE IS THIS MUCH, YOU MAKE THIS MUCH, AND YOUR, YOUR BENEFITS ARE WORTH THIS MUCH SO THAT THEY CAN SEE THE FULL VALUE OF WELL, WHAT YOU'RE GIVING THEM.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE HR IS WORKING, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD JEFF.
YEAH, THAT WAS SOMETHING WE WERE TRYING TO ACHIEVE THIS YEAR WITH OUR BENEFITS, HAVING A BENEFIT PACKAGE, LAYING OUT THOSE BENEFITS AND PUTTING DOLLARS VALUES.
UNFORTUNATELY WE JUST DIDN'T GET IT DONE FOR THIS YEAR, BUT IT IS STILL ON OUR RADAR TO GET THAT DONE.
'CAUSE THAT IS A VALUE THAT WE CAN HAVE TO SHOW THE EMPLOYEES OF WHAT THEIR BENEFITS ARE.
ACTUALLY WAS A FOLLOW UP TO WHAT MELISSA ASKED ANNUALLY.
USUALLY YOU HAVE TO GET PEOPLE TO SIGN UP.
AGAIN, THERE'S A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY.
DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE? RIGHT.
PICK A VOLUNTARY ENROLLMENT PERIOD.
THAT IS A GOOD, THAT IS A GOOD POINT THOUGH BECAUSE LIKE I KNOW BEFORE WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT LIKE WHEN WE MADE THE CUSTODIAL POSITION PART-TIME TO FULL-TIME OR SOME OF THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS, AND WE SAID, WELL, IT COSTS THIS IN THE BUDGET.
AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE, OH MY GOODNESS.
THAT'S THEIR SALARY PLUS THEIR RETIREMENT, PLUS THEIR, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE FULL, ALL THOSE THINGS.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THOUGH, UM, IT IS IMPORTANT TO POINT THAT OUT TO PEOPLE DOESN'T RECOGNIZE IT.
IT'S GOOD FOR RETENTION TO SAY, WOW, I'M GETTING THIS.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T EVEN, I MEAN MM-HMM.
WHEN YOU GET TO MY AGE, YOU START THINKING, I'M REALLY, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY GLAD I PUT THIS ASIDE OR WHY DIDN'T I GET, WHY DIDN'T I GET A JOB WITH BENEFITS? RETIREMENT PLANS THEMSELVES ARE GOING BY THE WAY.
SO, AND THAT, THAT'S IMPORTANT.
PRIVATE EMPLOYERS HAVE ALREADY GONE GRETA FOR MEDICAL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR BJ ABOUT THE BUDGET? SO, AND WE HAVE BJ WE HAVE, UM, WE'LL BE COMING BACK, UH, HERE.
I THINK IT'S FIRST WITH THE, UH, TO, UH, GET A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW TO, UH, FOR THE, WHAT TO PUBLICIZE FOR ADVERTISEMENT ON TAX RATES.
UH, AS WELL AS THE, I'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD THE, UH, ORDINANCE FOR, UH, SEWER FOR THAT INCREASE.
AND, UM, OF COURSE THE, UH, BUDGET ORDINANCE ITSELF OR THE, UH, UH, APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE, UH, FOR THE BUDGET.
WE'LL BE, UH, COMING BACK IN APRIL, UH, APRIL 1ST.
AND WE CAN ALSO ANSWER ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
BUT, BUT WE WOULDN'T, ALL THE TAKING ACTION WHEN IT WON'T BE UNTIL APRIL 22ND.
SO YOU STILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU THINK OF SOME.
UM, SO YEP, BJ, YOUR ITEM FOUR B, SOLID WASTE COLLECTION.
SOLID WASTE COLLECTION, UH, BRINGING THIS FORWARD, UH, BECAUSE OF, UH, AFTER UPON REVIEW OF OUR ORDINANCES THERE, UH, WE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SOME, UH, CONCERNS REGARDING THE, UM, UH, UH, PICKUPS WHERE WE HAD SOME OPERATIONAL ISSUES, UM, TRYING TO GET OVER THOSE HUMPS.
AND WHAT WE'RE, UM, WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING IS, UH, TO, UH, UPDATE THE ORDINANCE, UH, TO THE, WHAT WE HAVE HERE PROPOSED AND THEN ALSO GIVE US, UH, WHICH WILL GIVE US TIME TO GO AHEAD AND START COORDINATING WITH SOME OF THE, UM, ACCOUNTS THAT'LL BE IMPACTED.
UM, IN TOTAL, WE HAVE 63 ACCOUNTS, UH, FOR THE PRIVATE PICKUP.
[02:05:01]
THE 63 ARE, ARE ACTUALLY BEING PICKED UP DUE TO MEDICAL REASONS.UH, THE OTHERS ARE KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD, UH, FROM WHAT WE FIGURED OUT.
UH, BUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WANTING TO DO IS UPDATE THIS ORDINANCE AND, AND, UH, WORK WITH THOSE CUSTOMERS WITH PLENTY OF TIME IN ADVANCE SO WE CAN ALLEVIATE ANY KIND OF CONCERNS.
SO THIS ORDINANCE WOULD COME BEFORE US APRIL 22ND, OR THAT'S THE NEXT PART.
I THE, UH, SO, UM, WE WOULD BRING THIS OR ORDINANCE BACK WITH THE TOTAL PACKAGE, UH, FOR SOLID WASTE.
UH, THE NEXT COMPONENT OF THIS IS, UH, MAIN STREET.
SO WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN MEETING PRETTY MUCH WEEKLY WITH, UM, UH, INTERNALLY AND WITH THE CONSULTANTS, UH, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, UH, DIVVY UP MAIN STREET.
WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS, IS TO BRING THE CONSULTANTS IN AND HAVE THEM DO STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS WITH THOSE ON MAIN STREET THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED.
UM, AND ACTUALLY HAVE LIKE A TOWN HALL MEETING WITH THE, UH, UH, BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS ON MAIN STREET.
UM, PROBABLY A YEAR WITHIN THE NEXT A MONTH OR TWO.
AND THEN COME BACK TO COUNCIL WITH A RECOMMENDATION AND THEN ROLL OUT A, UH, A FULL, YOU KNOW, ORDINANCE, UH, AT A LATER DATE.
SO THE CONSULTANTS WOULD BE PART OF THE TOWN HALL MEETING, RIGHT? YES.
THOSE LIVING ON MAIN STREET, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT AND YEAH.
AND HOW IT CAME TO BE AND WHAT THEY FOUND OUT WHEN THEY LOOKED AT IT.
SO, AND A NON-BIASED THIRD PARTY.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGER, UH, ISSUE.
UM, AND THEY CAN ASK QUESTIONS EXACTLY.
AND THEY CAN GIVE FEEDBACK ON WHAT THEY'VE SEEN IN OTHER COMMUNITIES AND IDEAS AND UM, JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GO THROUGH, UH, EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE SEEN.
UM, THE, THE 20 OF THE 63 DUE TO MEDICAL REASONS.
UM, WOULD THEIRS GO FROM $5 TO 2350? YES.
SO BASICALLY EVERYBODY WOULD, WHICH REALLY TWO THIRDS OF IT DOESN'T HAVE TO DO WITH MEDICAL REASONS.
IT'S JUST THAT SOMEBODY'S GOING DOOR, DOOR TO DOOR PICKUP.
ARE YOU GONNA RECORD THE, UM, THE TOWN HALLS? I WOULD ANTICIPATE, UM, WE'RE STILL IN PRELIMINARY, BUT I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT WE WOULD, WELL THEY'D HAVE TO BE HELD SOMEWHERE WHERE WE COULD RECORD THEM, WHICH WOULD HAVE TO BE HERE OR THE GOVERNMENT CENTER.
'CAUSE THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO PLACES THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO REPORT IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK WE WOULD DO IT HERE JUST DUE THE PROXIMITY OF WHO WE'RE TRYING TO REACH.
PLUS WE'D HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE INFORMATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR BJ ABOUT THIS? YES.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, BJ'S RIGHT.
STAFF'S BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD AT THIS.
AND WHEN WE STARTED DOWN THIS ROAD ON PRIVATE COLLECTIONS, WE THOUGHT WE HAD MORE OF AN ISSUE, BUT ONCE WE STARTED LOOKING AT IT, WE HAD MORE OF AN OPERATIONAL ISSUE AND ONLY ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THAT.
SO WE BELIEVE WITH CHANGING THE CODE AND MAKING, MAKING THESE, UM, UM, THE APPLICANTS OR THE, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ON THIS REAPPLY SO THAT WE CAN REAFFIRM THAT THEY'RE, THIS IS A NECESSITY, BUT THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY GOOD JOURNEY FOR ALL THE STAFF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE'RE AT OPERATIONAL.
THEY'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB.
UM, BUT IF COUNCIL'S IN AGREEMENT, LIKE I SAID, THE NEXT STEP IS WE WOULD HOLD THEM, UM, DEAL WITH THE CONSULTANT TOLD THE PUBLIC MEETINGS FOR MAIN STREET AS WELL AS START OUR NOTIFICATION PERIOD AND GET WITH, UH, UH, THE ACCOUNTS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED BY THIS UPCOMING ORDINANCE.
UM, I THINK JUST TO GIVE PLENTY, PLENTY OF TIME, I, I THINK SOONER RATHER THAN LATER TO GIVE PEOPLE A HEADS UP.
AND DEFINITELY FOR THOSE THAT, THAT THEIR MONTHLY FEE IS GONNA CHANGE BY ABOUT $18.
WHAT TIME IS, LET'S SEE, 10, 180, A HUNDRED.
SHE COULDN'T GET A KID TO COME OVER IT.
IT'S A LITTLE OVER $200 IN THE YEAR.
I, I, I THINK, I THINK OF, I'M DOING MY MATH RATE, WHICH DON'T GET ME WRONG, THAT'S, THAT COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT, BUT IF TWO THIRDS OF THOSE FOLKS, IT'S NOT DUE TO A MEDICAL REASON.
I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT OTHER KIND OF REASON IT WOULD BE.
WELL, IT'S AGE OR MEDICAL RIGHT? OVER 65.
IF YOU'RE OVER 65, YOU CAN STILL DO THE, UM, UNDER I THINK OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE YOU CAN, BUT THE, UM, BUT THERE'S SOME, UH, THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF DISCRETION INVOLVED IN OUR COURT CURRENT ORDINANCE, WHICH I'M TRYING TO ALLEVIATE
I MEAN, IT ALWAYS GOES BACK TO, IT ALWAYS GOES BACK TO WOULDN'T EVERYBODY LIKE FOR IT TO BE PICKED UP AT THEIR DOOR? UNLESS IT'S A MEDICAL REASON.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S FIVE HOURS.
I'D HAD SOMEBODY PICK MY TRASH SHIRT.
I BET MY HUSBAND WOULD EVEN LIKE, I'LL GIVE YOU A 10
I, IF THERE'S OTHER QUESTIONS OR, OR IS THAT, IS COUNCIL IN AGREEMENT THAT UM, STAFF COULD GO AHEAD AND START TALKING TO THE RESIDENTS THAT THIS WILL IMPACT AND START,
[02:10:01]
UM, WITH THE TOWN HALL MEETING WITH MAIN STREET RESIDENCE? THAT IS CORRECT.AND YOU'LL LET US KNOW WHEN THOSE MIGHT BE HAPPENING? ABSOLUTELY.
SO WE COULD ATTEND IF WE WANTED TO.
ALRIGHT, SO OUR NEXT THANK OUR NEXT ITEM WAS CLOSED AND MS. COUNCILWOMAN DE DOMINICAN PAIN IS GONNA READ THAT MOTION.
I MOVE THAT TOWN COUNCIL CONVENE A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 2 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSE, PURSUANT TO 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 A1 CODE VIRGINIA.
FOR DISCUSSION, CONSIDER CONSIDERATION OF FINDING APPOINTMENT RELATION, PERFORMANCE, MOTION, SALARIES, DISCIPLINE, OR RESIGNATION OF SPECIFIC PUBLIC OFFICERS, APPOINTEES OR EMPLOYEES OF ANY PUBLIC BODY, MORE SPECIFICALLY THE TOWN MANAGER AND THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
AND PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 A SEVEN OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL AND BRIEFINGS BY STAFF MEMBERS OR CONSULTANTS PERTAINING TO ACTUAL OR PROBABLE LITIGATION WHERE SUCH CONSULTATION OR BRIEFING AND OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE NEGOTIATING OR LITIGATING POSTURE OF THE PUBLIC BODY.
MORE SPECIFICALLY, TOWN AND FRONT ROW RAIL VERSUS FRONT ROYAL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP SA OKAY.
COUNCILMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES.