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COUNCIL REGULAR WORK SESSION FOR TUESDAY,[Town Council Work Session on September 3, 2024.]
SEPTEMBER 3RD TO ORDER, UH, MS. PRESLEY, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? MAYOR COCHRAN.OKAY, SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, SIX ITEMS OF NEW BUSINESS TONIGHT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE ALL GONNA BE SUPER LONG.
BUT WE'LL START OFF WITH, UM, MS. CAMPBELL AND MICHELLE.
I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY ONE YOU GOT TONIGHT.
OH, YOU'RE GONNA BE IN, OUT, RIGHT? YEAH.
NO, WE'RE GONNA HOLD HER OVER UNTIL THE END OF THE MEETING.
SO, UM, MS. CAMPBELL IS HERE FOR THE BID WORK FOR DEICING ROAD SALT, WHICH LORD
UH, SO PURCHASING ISSUED AND SOLICITATION FOR BULK PURCHASING OF DEICING ROAD SALT.
THE METHOD OF PROCUREMENT IS COMPETITIVE SEALED BIDDING ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 9TH, PURCHASING OUT A PUBLIC BID OPENING AND RECEIVED SEVEN BIDS.
COUNSEL HAS REQUESTED TO APPROVE THE BID FOR DEICING ROAD SALT TO THE LOWEST RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE BIDDER MORTON SALT INCORPORATED AT FIRM FIXED PRICING OF $88 20 CENTS.
PART TIME FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET LINE ITEM FOR STREET DEPARTMENT SNOW REMOVAL.
I THINK MORTON IS THE SAME COMPANY WE'VE USED FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS ACTUALLY.
UM, DOES COUNCIL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ITEM? NO.
SO JUST REAL QUICKLY, EVERYBODY'S OKAY FOR THIS TO GO ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? IT'LL BE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? ABSOLUTELY.
ALRIGHT, SO THE NEXT ITEM IS, UM, THE FISCAL YEAR, 20, 25, 26.
I SHOULD SEE SO CRAZY TO SEE THOSE DATES.
LIKE I'M, I FEEL LIKE I'M, YEAH, 2025.
SO THE, UH, WHAT WE BROUGHT FORWARD IS THE, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET CALENDAR, UH, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 25, 26 BUDGET.
UH, IT'S KIND OF THE SAME FORMAT THAT WE'VE USED FOR THE LAST, UH, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
IT SEEMS TO WORK PRETTY GOOD FOR US.
UH, USUALLY WHEN WE GET INTO FEBRUARY, WE HAVE TO DO A LITTLE TWEAKING EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE BECAUSE OF THE INSURANCE RATES COMING IN RIGHT ABOUT THAT TIME.
BUT WE TRY TO GET EVERYTHING, LITTLE MORE COUNSEL, UH, SO THAT WAY, UH, VOTING ON TAX RATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT SO YOU BETTER EDUCATED BEFORE, UH, ACTUALLY SETTING THE TAX RATES.
UM, THIS, UH, SCHEDULE HERE HAS US IN JANUARY BRINGING THE MAJOR ITEMS INCLUDED TO COUNCIL.
UH, SO THERE'S NO SURPRISES, UH, COMING IN THE BUDGET.
AND THEN HAVE MULTIPLE WORK SESSIONS, UH, BEFORE ACTUALLY VOTING ON THE TAX RATES, AND THEN MULTIPLE WORK SESSIONS AS WELL BEFORE, UH, APPROVING THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
UM, I HAVE AN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSS FURTHER IF YOU'D LIKE.
THIS DOESN'T ACTUALLY RELATE TO US, BUT IT KIND OF RELATES TO US.
UH, I'VE HAD SOME PEOPLE ASKING ME THIS AS I'VE BEEN, UM, AROUND TOWN.
SO THEY'RE DOING REASSESSMENTS.
SO WE WILL HAVE TO GET THAT INFORMATION FROM THEM.
THE, UH, THE WAY THIS IS BILLED IS, IS, UH, WE WOULD, UM, HAVE THE, UH, TAX RATES APPROVED, UH, IN, UH, MARCH, BUT WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO DO IT IN MARCH.
IT DEPENDS ON WHEN THE ASSESSMENT INFORMATION COMES IN.
UH, WE COULD, THAT COULD END UP BEING PUSHED TO APRIL AND THEN THE BUDGET COULD BE PUSHED TO MAY.
UH, BUT THIS IS GENERALLY WHAT WE WOULD WORK OFF OF.
AS THINGS ARISE, WE, WE COME BACK TO COUNSEL TO BRIEF YOU AND LET YOU KNOW WHERE WE STAND.
I JUST KNOW THAT WHEN THEY DID THE REASSESSMENTS, LIKE, LIKE THAT WAS A, THAT WAS, IT TOOK A, A WHILE BECAUSE THEN THEY HAD APPEALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND I KNEW IT TOOK US A WHILE TO GET IT.
WE BACKED IT UP ABOUT AS FAR AS WE CAN BACK IT UP.
DO YOU, DOES ANYBODY, ANYBODY, DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHAT THE REASONING WAS TO GO FROM A FOUR YEAR REASSESSMENT TO A TWO YEAR? WHAT IS REASONING? THE MAJOR? THE MAJOR CHANGES IN VALUES.
DEPRECIATION HAPPENS IN FOUR YEARS AND IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT JUMP ACROSS THE BOARD MORE SO TO TRY TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT, THEY, SO TWO YEARS INSTEAD OF FOUR BECAUSE IT'LL, THEY'LL SPEND MONEY BECAUSE THEN THEY'RE PAYING THE REASSESS THAT, THAT'S WHY I WAS WONDERING.
SOME PEOPLE WERE, IF YOU'RE EQUALIZING, IT'S NOT REALLY THAT, YOU KNOW,
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IT DOESN'T CHANGE IT ULTIMATE BILL THAT MUCH IF YOU'RE EQUALIZING THE RIGHT.BUT I WAS JUST SAYING THOUGH, THAT THE EXPENSE TO THE TAXPAYER TO PAY THE ASSESSORS NOW IS TO PAY THE ASSESSORS EVERY TWO YEARS VERSUS FOUR.
I JUST, I WAS TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THE BENEFIT OF IT OTHER THAN JUST THAT.
SO THERE WASN'T THIS MAJOR YEAH.
MAJOR JUMP, BUT, AND MAYBE SO THAT WHEN THE HOUSING MARKETS FLUCTUATE OR WHATEVER, SO THAT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE TO DO WITH YOU, BUT I, WHAT WAS ON MY MIND, UM, YOU HAPPY THAT IT'S NOT EVERY YEAR? NO, I KNOW.
NO, NO, I JUST WAS, NO, I'M HAPPY WITH TWO INSTEAD OF FOUR BECAUSE MINE WAS A MAJOR.
AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT THE CHANGE WAS EVEN AFTER THE APPEAL.
SO I WOULD SAY PROBABLY, UM, IN JANUARY YOU'RE GONNA REVIEW MAJOR ITEMS AND I, UM, I'M THINKING MAYBE, YOU KNOW, COUNSEL IN DECEMBER, UM, IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU FEEL WEDDED TO ABOUT BEING IN OUR BUDGET THAT I WOULD SAY IN DECEMBER, MAYBE THAT WORK SESSION BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT FOR THE YEAR.
UM, OR NO, CLOSE OUT FOR THE YEAR.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT FOR NEW YEARS.
UM, IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU FEEL LIKE THAT, UM, WE, WE NEED TO INCLUDE, LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT MAYBE IN DECEMBER SO WE CAN, SO, SO THE 'CAUSE YOU'RE GONNA NEED, YOU KNOW, YEAH.
IN JANUARY WE'LL BE BALANCING AFTER WE GET THE MAJOR ITEMS BEFORE WE WILL BE STARTING TO BALANCE THE BUDGET, RIGHT.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET? CAL, CAL CALENDAR? GOSH, IT SEEMS CHRIST BECAUSE JULY 1ST, WE JUST STARTED THIS NEW BUDGET CALENDAR.
SO, UM, NEXT UP IS A REQUEST TO RENEW A LEASE AGREEMENT FOR PARKING SPACES OR RPS COMPOSITES AT TWO 11 EAST FOURTH STREET.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING IN, UM, NO.
UM, I DID RECEIVE A, UM, THE TOWN DID RECEIVE A REQUEST FROM RPS COMPOSITES LOCATED AT TWO 11 EAST FOURTH STREET.
UH, THEY CURRENTLY HAVE A LEASE, UH, PART OF EAST FOURTH STREET FOR 10 PARKING SPOTS, UH, FOR A FIVE YEAR.
AND THEY ARE REQUESTING TO RENEW THAT LEASE.
AND, UM, SO WE'RE GONNA START THAT CONVERSATION RIGHT THERE.
GEORGE HAS TO, GEORGE HAS TO WEIGH IN ON THIS.
UH, SO I'LL LET GEORGE TAKE OVER FROM HERE.
HOW LONG HAS THE, SO THEY WENT IT FOR A FIVE YEAR TERM.
DID YOU JUST SAY HOW LONG IT HAD BEEN? YEAH, IT WAS ORIGINAL WAS IN 2019.
FOR FIVE YEARS, WHICH EXPIRES AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.
SO COUNSEL WILL RECALL THAT, UH, UM, I HAD AN OPINION, EXPRESSED AN OPINION PREVIOUSLY WITH RESPECT TO THE ALLEY, ADJACENT TO THE HEIGHT PROPERTY, THAT PUBLIC WAYS CANNOT BE LEASED.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE TOWN DOESN'T HOLD THE ENTIRE BUNDLE OF RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPERTY.
THE PUBLIC HAS RIGHTS OF INGRESS AND EGRESS.
IT'S MY OPINION THAT THE TOWN CANNOT ENTERTAIN A LEASE INVOLVING A PUBLIC WAY.
NOW, UM, A LICENSE, I'VE TAKEN THE POSITION ON THAT WITH RESPECT TO ENCUMBRANCES IN TOWN RIGHTS AWAY FOR MANY YEARS, AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN WITH THE TOWN THAT A LICENSE IS, IS A VEHICLE TO ADDRESS SITUATIONS SUCH AS AN ENCUMBRANCE, IT COULD BE USED HERE.
IT'S STILL, IN MY OPINION, AWKWARD TO, I MEAN, THIS ISN'T ADDRESS, THIS IS NOT ADDRESSING AN ENCUMBRANCE, UM, I'M SORRY I'M USING THE WRONG WORD.
THIS IS NOT ADDRESSING AN ENCROACHMENT WHERE WE HAVE OVER THE YEARS USED LICENSES TO TEMPORARILY GIVE RIGHTS TO, YOU KNOW, MAINTAIN, UM, THE ENCROACHMENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, IS, IS A LICENSE DOABLE IN THIS SITUATION? I'LL SAY YES.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE LICENSE? WELL, LICENSE IS, IS, IS PER IS PERMISSION.
IT'S JUST, IT IS JUST PERMISSION.
IT'S LIKE, UM, I USE THE EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, GOING, GOING TO AN, UH, A SPORTING EVENT.
YOU BUY A TICKET THAT'S A LICENSE.
THAT'S A LICENSE TO ATTEND WITH CONDITIONS.
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SO IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A REVOCABLE PERMISSION TO DO SOMETHING.I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, I WOULD WANT IT TO BE REVOCABLE AT THE WILL OF THE TOWN IF COUNSEL WANTS TO PROCEED WITH A LICENSE.
BUT AGAIN, ELISE, I THINK IS, IS INAPPROPRIATE, UH, GIVEN, GIVEN A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY VACATION.
DOES HE HAVE, UH, ANY ON, ON SITE PARKING, JOE AT ALL, DO YOU KNOW? SHE, UM, IT ALL DEPENDS WHAT YOU, HOW YOU DEFINE 'EM.
THEY HAVE PARKING, UM, BUT IT'S ON THE SIDE OF THEIR BUILDINGS.
UH, IT'S ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BUILDING.
IT'S BOTH SIDES OF REAR BUILDING.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT MIGHT BE FENCED OFF WHAT'S SAYS.
YEAH, IT SAYS THERE'S A GATE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BUILDING, THE DRAWING THAT WE HAVE HERE.
AND I DON'T, AND HONESTLY, THIS CAME UP DURING MY FIRST TENURE AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT SPURRED THIS AND WHY THEY REQUESTED IT.
AND SO, UM, THIS ONLY CAME UP ON A FIVE YEAR PARTICULAR ON, ON OUR FILE TO SAY THIS WAS, UH, UP FOR, UH, THE, UH, EAGLES LODGE WAS IN THE BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET.
AND I'M NOT FOR SURE, I DON'T REMEMBER THE CONTEXT OF WHY WE LEASED IT IN THE BEGINNING, BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT'S, ISN'T THAT RIGHT WHERE THE OLD BOWLING ALLEY USED TO BE BEFORE IT BURNED DOWN? RIGHT? LIKE IT IS THAT I THOUGHT THAT'S, ISN'T THAT WHERE THE OLD BOWLING ALLEY WAS RIGHT THERE? YEAH.
THE BULL THAT WAS BEHIND THE OLD, THE OLD SHA YEAH.
I KNOW AT ONE OF OUR LIAISON MEETINGS, UM, UNDER OUR PREVIOUS MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE HAD DISCUSSED, UM, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE CAMPERS THAT WERE PARKED THERE, AND WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS, SIR, ON THAT.
I KNOW THEY LEASE THE SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT ALONGSIDE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I KNOW THAT'S THE COUNTY'S PROPERTY.
THAT'S PUBLIC LAND, RIGHT? THAT'S TAXPAYER PROPERTY.
AND I BELIEVE THEY SAID THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HANDLES THE LEASES.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIFIC WITHIN THE COUNTY OR THE COUNTY ATTORNEY REVIEWS THOSE LEASES OR HOW THAT WORKS.
THEY LEASE TO MULTIPLE DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
BUT I'M WONDERING HOW THE COUNTY HANDLES LEASING PUBLICLY.
ARE WE SURE THE OWNS THE COUNTY OWNS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT? LEASING PUBLIC DEMAND IS, IS A DIFFERENT, DO NOT OWN THE BUILDING.
LEASING, LEASING TOWN OWNED PROPERTY THAT'S NOT RIGHT OF WAY IS A DIFFERENT ISSUE.
THAT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE THAN, THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
THAN ATTEMPTING TO LEASE RIGHT OF WAY.
IT SAYS RIGHT OF THE PUB, THE PUBLIC HAS RIGHTS AND SO THE TOWN DOESN'T HOLD THE ENTIRE BUNDLE OF RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO THAT LAND, YOU'RE SAYING BECAUSE NO.
AND SO YOU CAN'T CONVEY AN INTEREST, A POSSESSORY INTEREST, WHICH IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH A LEASE.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE PLACING ENTIRE POSSESSORY, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
THE TOWN DOESN'T HAVE THOSE RIGHTS TO CONVEY BECAUSE THE PUBLIC HAS RIGHTS.
SO, WELL, MY MY QUESTION IS THIS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S EAST FOURTH STREET, RIGHT? OBVIOUSLY.
AND YOU KNOW HOW, I MEAN, I'M JUST WONDERING HOW'S IT ANY DIFFERENT AS FAR AS THE SETTING GOES THAN SAY THE CAR, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER CAR PARKING ALONG PARALLEL WITH THE STREET, YOU KNOW, JUST THEY'RE PARKING LOT THIS WAY INSTEAD OF THIS WAY BECAUSE IT'S FURTHER OUT.
I MEAN THAT'S, I MEAN, I CAN SAY THAT, I MEAN THAT'S WHAT BRINGS, LIKE JOE WAS ASKING, YOU KNOW, I DON'T EVEN, WHY WOULD THIS EVEN NEED TO BE LEASED? YEAH, I'M NOT FOR SURE.
BUT DOES IT GUARANTEE THEM, IT GUARANTEES THEM THE SPOT? IS THAT WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT? I MEAN, EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS, I MEAN, SO THE ISSUE I THINK YOU'RE RAISING IS ARE THEY OBSTRUCTING, OBSTRUCTING TRAVEL? OF COURSE IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THERE'S NO TRAVEL RIGHT GOING ANYWHERE.
BUT THAT'S THE ISSUE WITH RESPECT TO PARKING IS THE, IS THE, UM, IS IT IMPEDING TRAVEL, RIGHT? SO AS LONG AS YOU PARK LEGALLY AND DON'T IMPEDE TRAVEL, YOU CAN PARK ALONG PUBLIC STREET.
RIGHT? SO I'M SORT OF ADDRESSING YOUR ISSUE, WHICH IS WHY EVEN, WHY IS IT EVEN NECESSARY? YEAH, THAT WAS, THAT WAS MY MAIN QUESTION.
AND I'M ASSUMING THE FIRST QUESTION ABOUT LEASE ONLY, FIRST THING I TALKED
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ABOUT TOO, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE ALLEY VACATIONS SO THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO LEASE IT, IS TO GUARANTEE THEIR EMPLOYEES THEY GOT A PLACE TO PARK.THAT'S WHAT I'M, THEY SAID IN THEIR, THEY SAID IN THEIR LITTLE THING THAT IN 2019 IT'S INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FOR VENDORS, CUSTOMERS, AND EMPLOYEES TO FIND SPACES TO PARK.
SO, AND THEY CAN'T, THEY'RE JUST HAVING CONFLICTS WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS.
YOU'RE HAVING CONFLICTS WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS IS CORRECT.
AND SO, AND, AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE IT'S BECAUSE IT'S A RIGHT OF WAY.
IT'S, IT'S NOT POSITIONED FOR VACATION IN ANY WAY.
CORRECT? I MEAN, WE CAN'T VACATE IT OR CAN'T GO NO, NO, BECAUSE IT'S NO, IT IS ACTUALLY PART OF THE STREET.
YEAH, WELL IT IS LIKE ALL OF THE VACATIONS THAT, THAT PURSUANT TO A REQUEST.
THE TOWN, WELL, I MEAN THE TOWN CAN ACT ON ITS OWN TO VACATE A STREET, BUT THE PRACTICE HAS BEEN THAT THE TOWN HAS NOT INITIATED VACATIONS OF RIGHTS OF WAY.
AND THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN WHEN WE VACATED EIGHTH STREET BECAUSE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT BACK THERE AND NOBODY WAS GOING BACK INTO IT.
AND I'M TALKING, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL REMEMBER WHAT I'M SAYING? BUT IN THIS CASE, I'M ASSUMING THEY'RE GOING TO GO OR PEOPLE ARE GOING DOWN THERE AND AROUND THE OTHER THING THAT'S TWO 18.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO YOU COULD REALLY VACATE THAT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, GLAD TO ACCESS TO PEOPLE.
WELL, THAT'S THEIRS, ISN'T IT? BOTH THOSE BUILDINGS ARE, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY GOT BOTH OF THOSE BUILDINGS.
IT'S TWO 18 LETTERS, SAID, SORRY, TWO 18.
THE GARAGE AT THE FAR END OF FOURTH STREET IS A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP.
IS IT THAT FAR END OR THE OTHER FAR END? WELL, IT GUY PUT THE OTHER END.
THIS IS A CAR DEALERSHIP UP HERE.
THE ONE IN FRONT, UM, CONNOR, HE WAS ONE UP.
BUT THE NEXT ONE IS A TOWING COMPANY, BUT AT 2 0 1 0 6, HE WAS COMPLAINING THAT THERE WAS USED VEHICLES BEING PARKED BACK THERE.
AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S WHERE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF YEAH.
AND SO HIS EMPLOYEES DOESN'T HAVE, THEY DON'T HAVE ADEQUATE PARKING.
WHAT'S TRICKY ABOUT THIS IS THAT PUBLIC STREET'S A PUBLIC STREET.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT WE ALWAYS SAY.
LIKE, AND WE ALWAYS SAY, BUT I KNOW WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, PEOPLE CALLED ME BECAUSE THEY WERE FRUSTRATED THAT PEOPLE WERE PARKING IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE BECAUSE THEY WANTED THEIR CHILDREN WHEN THEY CAME TO VISIT TO BE ABLE TO PARK IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE.
AND IT SOUNDED REASONABLE TO ME.
AND THEN WHEN I CALLED 'EM PLANNING AND ZONING, THEY WERE LIKE, IT'S A PUBLIC STREET AND ANYBODY CAN PARK THERE AT ANY TIME.
UM, WHICH IS WHY OBVIOUSLY THEY WANTED THIS LEASE.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE JUST LIKE WE LEASED THAT OTHER THING, WHEN YOUR OPINION WOULD'VE BEEN, THAT WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA.
SO LET ME RESTATE THAT VERY BRIEFLY.
THE TOWN DOESN'T HAVE THOSE RIGHTS.
IT SHARES, IT'S SHARED WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC, RIGHT? THE GENERAL PUBLIC'S RIGHT.
SO AS FAR AS A LEASE, UH, MY LEGAL OPINION IS YOU CAN'T DO IT.
'CAUSE IF WE COULD DO IT THERE, WE CAN DO IT ANYWHERE.
WE JUST, YOU KNOW, I COULD LEASE THE STREET IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.
SO NOBODY COULD PARK IN FRONT OF RIGHT.
I MEAN, IT'S KIND LIKE IT DOESN'T HOLD PUBLIC MEMORY.
FIRST PERSON THERE GETS THE PARKING SPACE, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T, THE FOUND DOESN'T HOLD THE PROPERTY.
SUCH THAT, SO IT CAN BE CONVEYED.
WE, WE LEASE IT, WE CAN OFFER A LICENSE.
SO WHAT IS THE ANSWER? WELL, A LICENSE OR THEY, THEY FIND PARKING, UH, WHEREVER AVAILABLE IN THE PUBLIC WAYS WITHOUT OBSTRUCTING TRAVEL.
I'D BE IN FAVOR OF THE LICENSE.
YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T OBSTRUCT TRAVEL ADDING LANGUAGE OF
BRUCE, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE USED CARS.
NO, WHAT I'M SAYING THOUGH IS, BUT A USED CAR WOULD HAVE TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO, TO BE ABLE TO BE ON A TOWN STREET, IT HAS TO HAVE, UM, TAGS, RIGHT? LICENSE.
WELL, LICENSE INSPECTION, BUT TAGS TAGS, THEY HAVE TO BE TAGGED.
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WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY IS, IS THAT IF ANYBODY WAS TAKING THOSE SPOTS FOR A USED VEHICLE THAT WAS GONNA BE SOLD, IF IT DIDN'T HAVE TAGS ON IT, IT WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE THERE.RIGHT? IT WOULD, AM I WRONG? ISN'T THAT THE RULE IN TOWN? YES.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO, IT'S A PARKING, PARKING VIOLATION TO HAVE.
IT'S GONNA HAVE A VALID REGISTRATION.
10 DAYS IN 10 DAYS CAN BE, AND THERE'S NO, UM, ORDINANCE AGAINST, IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS THAT YOU CONTAIN YOUR BUSINESS IN A CERTAIN SPOT SO THAT, LIKE RIGHT NOW, BASICALLY THEY, THEY HAVE THEIR SPOT FOR THE USED CAR LOT IF THEY'RE TAKING THEIR VEHICLES AND EXTENDING IT TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION.
IS THERE ANY SORT OF ORDINANCE THAT ADDRESSES THAT? YEAH, WE DON'T KNOW IF PARKING, THAT'S UH, I MEAN I THINK IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, THAT'S A ZONING QUESTION.
BUT THEY'RE OPERATING THEIR BUSINESS OUTSIDE OF THEIR AREA OF BUSINESS.
WHAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT HERE IS THE PUBLIC WAY.
WELL, I THINK SO THIS IS NOT A ZONING ISSUE THAT'S IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WHAT SHE'S TRYING TO DO IS WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO HELP THIS BUSINESS.
YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA IMPEDE ANY OF OUR BUSINESSES.
I THINK YOU WERE JUST TRYING TO SAY IF THE PROBLEM IS OVERFLOW, THAT OVERFLOW FROM ANOTHER BUSINESS WITH THEIR CAR INVENTORY, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THEN THAT'S A ZONING.
POTENTIALLY THEY CAN LEASE RIGHT.
LEASE SPACE FROM ANOTHER PRIVATE OWNER.
BUT, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET CROSSED UP WITH THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
WHAT WERE YOU SAYING? YOU CAN'T PARK A, AN UNREGISTERED VEHICLE ON A PUBLIC TREE.
RIGHT? THEY JUST GOT DEALER TAG UP THERE.
SO THEY'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 28 YEARS IN THE SAME LOCATION IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS HARD TO REEL SOMETHING BACK IN ONCE YOU'VE ALLOWED IT.
SO I'M IN FAVOR OF OFFERING THEM A LICENSE FOR IT.
AND I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY WE WOULDN'T HAVE REVOCABLE, I MEAN IN ANYTHING THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, GIVING TO SOMEBODY.
SO AT ANY TIME, IF THERE'S AN ISSUE OR CONCERN OR A LIABILITY TO THE TOWN, WE CAN JUST BE A CHARGE FOR BILL LICENSE.
IF $1 IS THAT THEY PAID FOR THIS LEASE DOLLAR A YEAR, GEORGE, WHAT DO YOU NOT NOMINAL CONSIDERATION? IT'S A DOLLAR.
RIGHT? UM, BUT WE'D HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING, RIGHT? NO, NOT THE LICENSE.
AND I'VE NEVER HEARD OF MYSELF PERSONALLY.
ANY COMPLAINTS? UM, FOR PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND PARKING AT THAT END OF FOURTH STREET? I DON'T THINK.
SINCE I STARTED DRIVING, I'VE EVER DRIVEN THAT PART ON FOURTH STREET.
SO I'M IN FAVOR OF A LICENSE TO FIX AND REMEDY THIS CONCERN.
I KNOW THAT CAR LOT, THAT PICTURE RIGHT THERE SHOWS ALL MY CARS.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF CARS IN THAT CAR LOT NOW.
SEE THAT SECOND BUILDING BACK, I'LL LIVE JUST OUT OF YOU.
THEY DO IT, THEY DO THAT BUILDING.
I SEE THIS WHEN LOOK OUT DOOR.
SO WHAT IS 2 0 6? YEAH, LAUREN, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I KNOW.
I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO HAVE EVERYTHING MEMORIZED.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT 2 0 6 IS? TWO? THE BUILDING THAT SAYS 2 0 6.
THAT'S A WHAT? IT'S A MECHANIC SHOP.
BY ITSELF INDEPENDENT BUSINESS.
AND THEN TWO 18 IS I NUMBERS, I GUESS THE GARAGE TAIL LEASE THE CAR, IT'S A DIFFERENT, ANOTHER DIFFERENT BUSINESS.
I, I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.
SO IF THE LICENSE IS, THAT'S WHAT I'M IN FAVOR OF, JUST TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE AND MOVE FORWARD.
NOBODY, NO OTHER BUSINESSES IN THE AREA HAVE ASKED FOR IT.
AND WOULD A LICENSE BE A ONE YEAR THING? UM, MY ADVICE IS IT'S REVOCABLE.
SO IT WOULD JUST BE ONGOING AS LONG AS, UNLESS THERE IS AN ISSUE.
YOU NEED A CONSENSUS TO MOVE FORWARD.
IS IT, IS THERE ANYBODY THAT, THAT WOULD BE OPPOSED TO DOING THIS, DOING IT THIS WAY? SORRY, MAY, MAYBE I MISSPOKE.
THERE COULD BE A TERM, BUT IT'S REVOCABLE.
IT WILL, I'M IN FAVOR OF, UH, NO TERM.
IT WILL, I MEAN, IF IT BECOMES AN ISSUE OR SOMEBODY ASKED ABOUT IT, WOULD YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE TERM THEY ONLY REQUESTED FIVE YEARS? IF YOU COULD DO A FIVE YEAR LICENSE? I THINK I NEED TO PUT SOMETHING IN.
FIVE, FIVE YEARS IS WHAT THEY REQUESTED.
WE CONSENSUS OF A FIVE YEAR LICENSE, YOUR HONOR, AT ANY TIME.
SO MR. SONNET, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, IT SOUNDS LIKE SINCE THIS LEASE ENDS ON OCTOBER 1ST, WE SHOULD PROBABLY
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BE, UM, WE SHOULD, WELL WE DON'T HAVE TO BRING IT TO COUNCIL FOR A VOTE, SO JUST WHEN YOU GET IT DONE WE WILL, WE'LL SIGN IT AND MOVE ON.I DON'T, I THINK THAT'S CORRECT.
THANK YOU OWEN'S NICE ABOUT BUSINESSES.
THE NEXT ITEM IS A WAIVER OF SPECIAL USE PERMIT, APPLICATION FEE FOR THE SALVATION ARMY'S REQUESTED MURAL LOCATED 2 96 SOUTH STREET.
UM, AND MR. WALTZ, I BELIEVE THAT, UM, YOU'RE GONNA YEAH.
SO, UM, WE, THE, THE TOWN MANAGER'S OFFICE RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE SALVATION ARMY TO WAIVE, UH, I'M TRYING TO PULL UP IT HERE RIGHT NOW.
UH, TO WA FOR THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO PAINT A MURAL ON THE SIDE OF THEIR BUILDING THERE LOCATED ON SOUTH STREET.
IT IS A $400 SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND THEY ARE REQUESTING COUNSEL TO WAIVE THAT FEE.
IT IS CURRENTLY GONNA BE DISCUSSED AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION TOMORROW NIGHT.
THEY WENT AHEAD AND PAID THE FEE, BUT REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT.
JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT COUNCIL'S PLEASURE IS ON THIS.
I PERSONALLY DON'T, I PERSONALLY DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH IT.
FROM THE LAST MURAL DISCUSSION WE HAD, I'M IN FAVOR OF BEAUTIFYING THE TOWN IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN.
SOUTH STREET CAN USE ALL THE HELP THAT IT CAN.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, SALVATION ARMY IS A NONPROFIT, SO I'M IN FAVOR OF WAIVING THAT WHILE THEY'RE ALSO MAKING IT LOOK BETTER.
INSTEAD OF THIS ACES JUSTIN PRO, HE DOES A LOT OF GOOD WORK.
MEANING ACE IS IS DOING WHAT FOR THIS PROJECT? JUSTIN ACES IS A SPEARHEAD IN THIS PROJECT? YES.
BECAUSE THEY DID SOME PLANNERS AS WELL ON SOUTH STREET.
SO YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO BEAUTIFY THAT AREA.
THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANTED WHEN YOU SAID ACES, I KNEW THAT ACES HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH A MURAL, BUT NO JUSTIN PRO ON HERE, RIGHT? IN THE LETTER FOR CONSIDER.
NO, NO, I WAS JUST SAYING, I JUST WANTED TO CLEAR THAT, THAT, UM, SINCE THEY ARE A TOWNS COMMITTEE FOR LIKE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, THAT IT DIDN'T REALLY, UM, IT WASN'T ABOUT THE MURAL, SO TO SPEAK.
'CAUSE HE JUST SAID HE ISN'T GETTING ASKED TO DO THAT STUFF FOR EVERYTHING.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT THEN? NO, I'M, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THEY'RE FIXING IT UP.
I'M TOO, IT'S BEEN A DUMP FOR YEARS.
I, I WILL SAY THEY PUT SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS INTO THE BUILDING, UH, FRONT OF THE BUILDING, REMODELING IT TORE DOWN THAT DECKING ON THE SIDE.
UH, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FINAL NUMBER WAS FROM.
SEE
UM, AND THIS IS ORDINANCE TO, OH, I'M SORRY OR ORDINANCES TO ADOPT AND REENACT A REPUBLISHED
AND REENACT, REENACT CHAPTER ONE AND REPEAL CHAPTERS 43 AND 180.
AND MS. PRESLEY IS GONNA BE DOING THAT, RIGHT? CAN WE COMMIT TO SALVATION ARMY? ARE WE DOING THIS ON CONSENT? DOES THIS NEED TO BE APPROVED? WE WILL NEED TO BE APPROVED AND THEN WE'LL HAVE MAYOR WILL DO YOU WANT THAT TO BE ON CONSENT ON THE 23RD OR DO YOU WANT IT A SEPARATE BUSINESS ITEM? WELL, I WOULD SUGGEST IT BE ON CONSENT, BUT I CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, I'D RATHER HAVE COUNSEL'S.
I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE ON CONSENT.
I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION.
I MEAN, IF WE'RE ALL ON AGREEANCE RIGHT NOW, I AGREE.
WE JUST WANT SPECIFIC DIRECTION.
IF I MAY WITH ONE OF THE BASES BEING THE NONPROFIT.
MS. PRESLEY, YOU'RE UP FOR THIS ONE.
UM, IN PC, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SCREENS, THIS IS OUR NEW TOWN CODE.
NEW MEANING IT'S JUST REPUBLISHED.
IT'S JUST BEEN FORMATTED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE USER FRIENDLY.
UM, CHARLES, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND GOING TO JUST GO TO CHAPTER ONE.
IF YOU LOOK OVER TO THE SIDE, GO SEE THE ICONS ON THE RIGHT.
CHARLES, IF YOU DON'T MIND IS ALRIGHT OVER HERE? YEAH.
THESE ICONS HERE, IF YOU NOTICE WHEN HE GOES ACROSS, YOU CAN SHARE LIKE IF, IF YOU WANT, IF YOU WANT THIS ONE DASH TWO TO BE SHARED WITH SOMEONE, YOU CAN DO THAT.
[00:30:01]
PRINT IT.THIS ONE IF YOU WANNA DOWNLOAD IT INTO WORD, WHICH A LOT OF STAFF I THINK IS, IS GONNA BE DOING A LOT OF THIS.
IF YOU NEED TO CHANGE SOMETHING, IT HELPS WITH THAT.
AND THE LAST ONE IS COMPARE VERSIONS.
THERE'LL BE VERSIONS EVENTUALLY OF DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF HOW THIS PARTICULAR SECTION WAS CHANGED.
UM, BUT WE DID THIS BECAUSE IT WAS BEING DONE IN-HOUSE SINCE THE EARLY NINETIES.
SO HAVING A PUBLISHING COMPANY DO, THIS IS SOMETHING I I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO DO.
WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE, THE, UM, STAFF TO DO IT.
PART OF THIS STATE CODE REQUIRES THAT COUNCILS, WHEN THEY REPUBLISH THEIR CODES, THAT'S WHAT THE FIRST ORDINANCE IS SHOWING THAT WE REPUBLISHED.
IT'LL BE ON THE 23RD IF YOU ALL AGREE.
THE SECOND ONE IS DIFFERENT AREAS AND I'VE LISTED 'EM HERE.
CHAPTER ONE BEING ONE OF THEM IS COMPLETELY, UM, I THINK THE WORDING YOU SEE HERE IS 1985.
SO I HAVE IT GEORGE'S HELP HAVE RE PRETTY MUCH REVISED CHAPTER ONE.
SO THAT'LL BE PART OF THE ONE ORDINANCE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON.
AND THEN CHAPTER 43 IS AIR POLLUTION.
IN 1985, THEY REPEALED THAT SECTION, BUT IT WAS NEVER TAKEN OUTTA CODE.
AND I PUT THAT IN YOUR PACKET SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IT WAS REPEALED.
AIR POLLUTION, I BELIEVE IS A FEDERAL REGULATION IN THE SEVENTIES.
SO WE NO LONGER HAVE TO DO THAT.
AND IN CHAPTER 180, I, I WOULD SUGGEST OR PROPOSE THAT WE JUST TAKE IT OUT COMPLETELY THEIR FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS.
MOST LOCALITIES DO NOT HAVE THEM IN THEIR CODES.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT GONNA HURT ANYTHING TO JUST TAKE THOSE OUT.
AND ANY CITIZEN WHO WOULD WANT TO SEE THAT CAN IT'S PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
AND THEY CAN CALL THE TOWN HALL AND GET ACCESS.
I'M NOT EVEN SURE IT'S THE MOST RECENT ONE TO BE PERSONALLY HONEST.
SO THAT SAVES A LOT OF THAT TRYING TO GET, AND WE HAVE SOME FRANCHISES THAT AREN'T EVEN IN IN IT YET.
SO IT KIND OF HELPS WITH THAT, KEEPING EVERYTHING UP TO DATE.
BUT WE NEED TO DO AN ORDINANCE TO DO THOSE THREE.
AND WE ALSO DO, WE NEED TO DO ANOTHER ORDINANCE TO REPUBLISH, BUT WE NEED TO DO PUBLIC HEARINGS.
I JUST NEED DIRECTION AND TO GET THOSE ADVERTISED FOR THE 23RD.
I'M ALMOST POSITIVE WE UPDATED THAT ONE AFTER
SO THIS PUBLIC HEARING, I'M SORRY, YOU SAID PUBLIC HEARING, WE HAVE TO DO A PUBLIC HEARING WITHIN THE ORDINANCE CHANGES.
SO DOES COUNSEL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS? 'CAUSE THIS WOULD BE THE TIME FOR US TO ASK QUESTIONS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE READY TO GO TO TO THERE.
IF YOU DO THE SEARCH, UM, WOULD YOU MIND DOING THE SEARCH? OR YOU COULD DO IT OUT THERE TOO.
IT'S IN EVERY CODE IN THE PALLET.
IT SHOULD HAVE COME UP IN HIGHLIGHT.
DID IT NOT SHOW THE CHANGES? IT CAME UP INSTALLED? NO.
IT, SHE, I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER SEARCH OVER HERE.
I IT'S SUPPOSED TO HIGHLIGHT IT.
I THOUGHT, IS IT THAT ONE THERE? I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE OH NO, I THINK YOU CLICK SHOW CHANGES.
TINA UP THERE WHERE THE, BESIDE THE MAGNIFYING GLASS ABOVE WHERE THE MOUSE IS NOW.
WOULD YOU HAVE TO, WOULD YOU HAVE TO CLICK THAT SAFE CHANGE SHOWCASE? THERE WE GO.
THERE'S DOGS IN THE ENTIRE CO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FIND IT.
SO IT IT IS A LOT MORE USER FRIENDLY.
I'M ACTUALLY GRATEFUL FOR THIS MYSELF.
'CAUSE THERE'S MANY TIMES WHERE I'VE, YOU KNOW, WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SOMETHING AND YOU WERE LITERALLY LIKE I, WHEN I RAN, I, I WAS GONNA SAY I, I ASKED FOR A COPY OF IT ONE TIME.
I, TINA SAID, ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT THE WHOLE THING? I, AND IT WAS LIKE, AND NOW YOU CAN DO SECTIONS.
SO IF YOU WON'T NEED THE ENTIRE CHAPTER, WE ARE GONNA BE ADDING SOMETHING WHILE I'LL BE ADDING MINUTES.
SO WHEN YOU SAY DOGS, YOU'LL GET IT IN THAT AS WELL.
YOURS OR RESOLUTIONS? YOUR, I'VE GOTTA PUT THOSE IN MANUALLY, BUT THAT SHOULDN'T TAKE TOO LONG.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. PRESLEY ABOUT THIS? NO.
IT'S VERY DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, EVERYBODY'S OKAY WITH DOING THE PUBLIC HEARING
[00:35:01]
ON THE 23RD? YEAH, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS A WHOLE LOT OF WORK AND I, THIS IS GONNA BE SO USER FRIENDLY AND ANYTIME WE CAN MAKE SOMETHING USER FRIENDLY FOR OUR CITIZENS AND ACTUALLY FOR COUNCIL AND STAFF AND STAFF.STAFF HAS BEEN ASKING FOR IT FOR A WHILE.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY, AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GO TO THIS AND DO IT ON THEIR OWN.
THEY WON'T NEED TO BE, I DIDN'T MIND HELPING
THIS IS GONNA MAKE, UM MM-HMM,
SO WE'LL DO A PUBLIC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 23RD.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS, ONE TO REPUBLISH AND THE OTHER TO TAKE THESE THREE SECTIONS OUT OR REVISE ONE AND TAKE TWO OUT.
IT'S A WEIRD QUESTION, BUT, SO WHEN YOU TAKE OUT 1 43 OR 43, EVERYTHING ELSE, SO BASICALLY 43 IS GONE.
GONE AND IT'S SO WE'LL JUST JUMP FROM 42 TO 44.
WELL I'M NOT EVEN SURE IT EVEN GOES IN THAT KIND OF ORDER, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING THOUGH, IT'S NOT LIKE WE, IT'S NOT LIKE ANYTHING REACHED SHUFFLES.
IT'S JUST GONE KIND LIKE A CHECKBOOK.
BOY IS THAT PARTICULAR ORDINANCE THAT WHEN YOU, ON THE 23RD, WHEN YOU APPROVE IT, IT'LL SHOW UP ON HERE.
YOU'LL ALSO HAVE, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING? IT'LL SHOW YOU THE ORDINANCES THAT YOU APPROVED WITHIN 24 HOURS.
SO RIGHT HERE VIEW WHAT'S CHANGED, YOU'LL HAVE THE ORDINANCE FROM THE 23RD LISTED HERE.
THEY ACTUALLY CHANGE THE CODE FOR YOU.
IT WON'T HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY, BUT HERE YOU'LL SEE WHAT YOU DID.
YOUR ORDINANCE WILL BE UP THERE SIGNATURE.
EVERYTHING I THINK IN THE STATE, I THINK WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT STATE STUFF THAT I'VE SEEN WHERE THEY, IF THEY'VE REMOVED A SECTION, IT WILL SAY THIS WAS REMOVED BY WHATEVER.
ARE WE GONNA DO THAT THEN? YES.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY.
SO IF IT'S A VIEW, IT'S CHANGED AFTER A YEAR IT'LL BE GONE.
BUT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE PEOPLE, IT'S BEEN PLACED IN THE CODE.
I JUST KNOW SOMETIMES PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO ME BEFORE, WELL THAT'S THE WAY IT USED TO BE.
AND I'M LIKE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP TRACK OF THAT.
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SAY, OKAY, WELL IT WAS REMOVED IN 2012.
I'M JUST, SORRY WE DIDN'T ADD IT.
JUST ONE OF OUR GOALS SO WE CAN BE LIKE, WOW.
BUT IT IS PART OF, I MEAN, OVERALL IT IS ABOUT GOOD GOVERNANCE, WHICH WAS ONE OF OUR GOALS FOR THIS YEAR BECAUSE IT MAKES, YOU KNOW, MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR THE CITIZENS.
ALRIGHT, SO THE NEXT ITEM IS ME.
ONE, SO WE WOULD HAVE A, UM, SO IN OCTOBER WE HAVE, NORMALLY WE HAVE TWO WORK SESSIONS, RIGHT? WELL, UM, THE SECOND WORK SESSION WOULD FALL ON THE, UM, SORRY, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M SAYING THIS RIGHT.
SO OUR SECOND WORK SESSION WOULD FALL ON THE 14TH, BUT THAT'S A HOLIDAY.
SO THEN WE WOULD DO IT ON THE 15TH.
I MEAN, JUST LIKE WE DID TODAY, RIGHT? BUT IT'S ALSO THE VML CONFERENCE AND SOME OF YOU ALL ARE ATTENDING THAT.
SO WE THOUGHT THAT, UM, RATHER THAN TRY TO MAKE, I KNOW WE'VE HAD YEARS WHERE PEOPLE RUSHED TO GET HERE, UM, TO GET BACK FROM THE CONFERENCE OR LEFT EARLY THAT MORNING OR DIDN'T STAY FOR THE WHOLE THING.
AND SO RATHER THAN CREATING, YOU KNOW, ADDED STRESS FOR PEOPLE, WE THOUGHT WE, UM, COULD JUST CANCEL THE OCTOBER 15TH WORK SESSION.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, UM, ANY OPPOSITION TO THAT? OKAY.
AND, AND THE ONLY QUESTION THAT I WOULD HAVE WOULD, DO WE HAVE ANY FORESIGHT OF WHAT THE LOAD'S GONNA BE ON? WELL, JONAH, OR EVEN WHEN, WHEN WE KNEW WE WERE GONNA BRING THIS UP, WE'D BEEN TALKING ABOUT MAKING SURE WE CAN GET, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN THINGS IN TO MAKE SURE, BECAUSE SAME STORY FOR NOVEMBER.
SO NOVEMBER 5TH IS ELECTION DAY.
AND I KNOW, UM, SOME PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE BUSY THE EVENING BEFORE AND WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE EVERYBODY HERE AND BE ABLE TO HAVE A QUORUM.
WE THOUGHT WE WOULD REMOVE THE NOVEMBER WORK SESSION SOME YEAR.
I MEAN, HONESTLY, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL SOME YEARS, WE HAVE, SOME YEARS WE HAVEN'T.
SO I, SO WE WERE THINKING, WE'VE BEEN ON MY FIRST YEAR AND AFTER THE ELECTION THERE WERE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO DIDN'T SHOW UP.
[00:40:01]
I THINK JUST RATHER THAN DOING THAT, SO THAT, JUST SO THAT EVERYBODY'S AWARE, THAT WOULD MEAN WE WOULD HAVE ONE WORK SESSION IN OCTOBER, ONE WORK SESSION IN NOVEMBER AND ONE WORK SESSION IN DECEMBER.BECAUSE WE ALWAYS, UM, HAVE JUST ONE WORK SESSION IN DECEMBER.
EVEN, YOU KNOW, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, WE ONLY EVER HAD ONE.
UM, WE HAVE THE FIRST MONDAY IS OUR WORK SESSION IN THE SECOND MONDAY IS OUR REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
BUT, UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH THAT? ANYBODY? OKAY.
SO IF NO ONE IS OPPOSED, WE WILL HAVE TO VOTE ON THAT ON SEPTEMBER 23RD.
YOU WANT CONSENT OR YOU NOT CONSENT? NOT CONSENT.
IS THAT WHY IT'S NOT GONNA BE ON CONSENT, IT'S RESOLUTION, RIGHT? RIGHT.
UNDER RESOLUTIONS, AWARDS AND PROCLAMATIONS I GUESS.
BUT ANYWAY, IT WOULD'VE BEEN NEW.
SO, BUT EVERYBODY'S GOOD WITH THAT.
AND, AND SINCE YOU SAID THAT, BRUCE, YOU'RE RIGHT.
BE PREPARED OCTOBER, NOVEMBER.
UM, MIGHT HAVE MORE ITEMS, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY BEEN TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THINGS.
SO, UH, WE ARE NOW INTO OLD BUSINESS AND WE ARE FOUR MINUTES AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
UM, THREE, A PROPERTY MAINTENANCE UPDATE.
AND MS.
SO NOW I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS, SO YET AGAIN, ANOTHER GOAL WE HAVE, UH, BEEN ABLE TO, UM, TO, UH, IT IS GOOD.
I MEAN, I'M LAUGHING 'CAUSE Y'ALL ARE ALL LOOKING AT THAT WAY AND I'M LOOKING AT THAT WAY.
I'M MY BACK TO THE CONVERSATION TO LOOK AT THAT.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A WHITEBOARD.
WE, WE REALLY DIDN'T USE THE WHITEBOARD THAT OFTEN.
I KNOW THIS IS A SCREEN, BUT IT'S NOT A INTERACTIVE SCREEN, IS IT? NO.
WELL, I, I KNOW MYSELF WHEN YEAH, I KNOW MYSELF.
WELL THE COUNTY, WHEN THEY HAVE THEIRS, IT'LL, IT'LL GO OVER TO THAT.
SO CHARLES, DOES IT MAKE MORE WORK FOR YOU THOUGH? NOPE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE MOVE THE SCREEN OR ANYTHING? NOPE, NOT.
SO FROM MY PORTION TONIGHT, IT'S GONNA BE VERY, VERY BRIEF BECAUSE DANIEL'S GONNA TOUCH ON MOST OF IT.
UM, BUT THIS IS TO JUST PROVIDE AN UPDATE FROM OUR PRESENTATION FROM MARCH 4TH.
THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'LL RECALL.
UM, PLANNING AND ZONING STAFF.
UM, SO BACK IN MARCH WE PROVIDED YOU BASICALLY WITH THE DIFFERENT MECHANISMS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAD IN TOWN AND STATE CODE TO DEAL WITH DERELICT STRUCTURES, UH, BY STRUCTURES.
UM, AND TONIGHT DANIEL'S GONNA TOUCH ON, BUT BASICALLY THE THREE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO USE.
SO THAT IS OUR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, OUR PUBLIC NUISANCE, AND THEN THE ABATEMENT OF NUISANCE, THE DANGER STRUCTURES AND DRUG FLIGHT SECTION.
AND THEN THE SPOT FLIGHT ABATEMENT.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, UM, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT THESE BE FULFILLED FROM THE CODE TO SAY DO NOT ALIGN WITH STATE CODE.
UM, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE YOU'RE GONNA KEEP GOING, RIGHT? SO IF WE ARE REMOVING THEM, WHAT WILL BE IN THEIR PLACE TO ADDRESS THOSE? WE WON'T.
WE WENT, SO THE, UM, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, SPOTLIGHT ABATEMENT THAT WAS NOT ADOPTED IN ITS ENTIRETY.
AND SO THAT WAS LIKE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT, UM, YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD REDEVELOP ENTIRE BLOCKS SO THAT THAT PORTION IS FOR REDEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND THE TOWN WOULD TAKE OWNERSHIP, THE TOWN WOULD ESSENTIALLY BECOME THE DEVELOPER.
UM, AND THEN WITH THE DANGER STRUCTURES, DRUG LIGHT, THAT'S JUST NOT CURRENT WITH STATE CODE.
UH, SO THAT WOULD BE ENACTED BY THE PD.
IF THERE'S SITUATION WHERE THERE'S CONSTANTLY A, A DRUG ISSUE HAPPENING OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, UM, AND EXPLAIN TO YOU OBSERVATION AND IT POTENTIALLY IN DANGER THE PUBLIC, THAT'S WHEN WE COULD USE THAT MECHANISM.
SO THAT'S ENABLED IN TOWN CODE AND
[00:45:01]
STATE CODE.UM, BUT CURRENTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING, THIS IS WHAT HE'S GOING TO GO INTO DETAIL ON IS, IS, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY MAINTENANCE AND HE'S PROPERTY MAINTENANCE OFFICIAL.
AND THEN WHEN THAT FAILS, PUBLIC NUISANCE KICKS IN AFTER ABOUT A YEAR OR SO AND THEN THE ABATEMENT OF NUISANCE IS WHAT WE'RE REALLY GONNA THAT TURN OVER AGAIN.
SO I'M DANIEL WELLS ON PROPERTY MAINTENANCE AND CODE ENFORCEMENT.
I THINK MOST OF Y'ALL KNOW THAT BY NOW.
SO I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS, UM, AN UPDATE IN MARCH AS TO WHERE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE WANTED TO GO AND WHERE THE TOWN WANTED TO SEE IT GO.
UM, WITH, UH, UNSAFE STRUCTURES AND PUBLIC NUISANCES AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.
UH, CAME ON IN APRIL, UH, STARTED IT RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
WE DIDN'T, LAUREN DIDN'T LET ME SLOW DOWN ANY.
UH, SHE DIDN'T MAKE ANY EXCUSES FOR, FOR LOSING THE LAST ONE.
UH, HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, WENT TO ALL MY TRAINING.
UM, SO ONE THING I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT FIRST IS THAT I WEAR TWO HATS.
THERE'S CODE ENFORCEMENT AND THERE'S PROPERTY MAINTENANCE.
UH, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT.
AND THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CODE ENFORCEMENT, THAT'S ZONING, THAT'S THE GRASS, THAT'S A, AN RV PARKED IN SOMEBODY'S DRIVEWAY OR FRONT YARD, THAT SORT OF THING.
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE IS THE UNSAFE STRUCTURES, IS THE, THE TENANT THAT DOESN'T HAVE A WORKING STOVE OR THEIR CEILING CLIPS, UH, FOR, FOR THE HURRICANE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, THAT SORT OF THING.
SO THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN, IN THE TWO, BUT I DO IT ALL.
SO I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S ALL THE SAME, IT'S ALL THE SAME PROCESS NOW IT'S JUST THE SAME GUY DOING BOTH, WHICH IS WHY, IF YOU RECALL, A FEW WEEKS AGO I SENT A LETTER TO THE BUILDING NEXT DOOR AND THERE WERE ACTUALLY TWO LETTERS THAT ADDRESSED TWO DIFFERENT THINGS BECAUSE SOME WERE ZONING VIOLATIONS, SOME WERE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE.
UH, SO I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE DIFFERENCE.
UH, THE TOWN MANAGERS TALKED TO US ABOUT DOING ANOTHER PRESENTATION LATER ON IN THE YEAR TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE DIFFERENCES MORE AND THEN TO EXPAND ON EACH ONE AND WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THEM.
BUT TONIGHT'S JUST KIND OF A PROPERTY MAINTENANCE UPDATE FROM WHAT YOU HEARD IN MARCH.
UM, SO WE USE THE PART THREE OF THE UNI UNIFORM STATEWIDE BUILDING CODE.
UH, ANY ANY COMPLAINT OR APPEAL DECISION WOULD GO TO THE L-B-B-C-A, WHICH I'M SURE YOU'RE FAMILIAR.
UH, WE CANNOT REALLY ENFORCE IF WE'RE SHORT ON YEAH, CORRECT.
SO WE CAN'T REALLY ENFORCE ANYTHING IF THERE'S NO WAY TO, FOR THEM TO APPEAL THE DECISION.
UM, SO AT, AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE, IF YOU COULD
UH, SO THE PURPOSE OF COURSE IS PROTECT HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL.
UM, MAINTAIN THE BUILDING, UM, THAT SORT OF THING.
PREVENT OVERCROWDING, RODENT AND INSECT INFESTATION, GARBAGE ACCUMULATION.
SO AGAIN, KIND OF HIGHLIGHT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE ZONING VERSUS PROPERTY MAINTENANCE.
SOMEONE HAS A BIG PILE OF TRASH OR JUNK IN THEIR YARD, THAT'S A ZONING PROBLEM.
IF IT'S INSIDE, THAT'S A PROPERTY MAINTENANCE PROBLEM.
SO AGAIN, SAME PERSON, TWO DIFFERENT RULES, REGULATIONS, CODES, HOWEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT.
UM, PROPERTY MAINTENANCE IS COMPLAINT DRIVEN ONLY.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S ANOTHER POINT THAT I WANNA MAKE.
ZONING, I CAN DRIVE AROUND ALL DAY IF I WANTED TO AND LOOK, FIND THINGS, MAKE WORK FOR MYSELF.
UM, PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CAN'T REALLY DO THAT.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT THAT POINT TOO SO THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT.
UM, AND I ADDRESS THE COMPLAINTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IF I CAN.
UM, AND THAT CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE, RIGHT? A CITIZEN CAN NO, I THOUGHT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
THEY CAN SUBMIT ONLINE COMPLAIN.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I MEANT IN ONLINE.
I SAID WEBSITE, BUT I MEANT THEY CAN SUBMIT IT ONLINE.
USUALLY WITH THESE, THEY TYPICALLY COME IN OR THEY CALL CALL.
MOST OF THEM WERE CALLED, BUT THEY COULD.
AND, AND THE OTHER THING JUST TO TOUCH ON WITH PROPERTY MAINTENANCE BEING COMPLAINT DRIVEN AND MOSTLY INDOOR IS I HAVE TO BE ALLOWED ACCESS BY SOMEBODY TO THE PROPERTY.
SO IF IT'S A TENANT, MAKE IT A COMPLAINT AGAINST A LANDLORD, THE TENANT CAN GIVE ME PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, PERMISSION TO BE THERE.
THE TENANT MAY BE THE ONE TRASHING THE JOINT AND THE PROPERTY OWNER GIVES ME THE PERMISSION, BUT I CANNOT JUST GO INTO SOMEBODY'S RESIDENCE BECAUSE THERE'S A COMPLAINT AND THERE'S A FORM THAT THEY SIGN AND SO FORTH.
UM, SO I JUST WANT TO EXPAND ON THAT.
THIS IS WHERE, UM, RENTAL PROPERTIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT WOULD FALL UNDER
[00:50:01]
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, CORRECT? RIGHT.UH, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT ONE? MM-HMM.
THIS IS THE ONE YOU YOU'VE SEEN THE MOST AND THAT I PROBABLY GET THE MOST, UH, CALLS AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT OR UNSAFE STRUCTURES.
SOME PEOPLE SAY, UH, CONDEMN THE BUILDING OR, OR A NUISANCE OR A BLIGHT, THAT SORT OF THING.
WE USE UNSAFE STRUCTURE AND PROPERTY MAINTENANCE.
THERE HAS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE OR CONCERN.
UH, THOSE ARE THE THREE OR FIVE THINGS THAT WOULD MAKE IT CONSIDERED UNSAFE.
UM, AND IT, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE, UH, JUST ONE OF 'EM.
NOW WE HAVE VACANT STRUCTURES THAT MAINTAIN CLEAN, SAFE, SECURE, THAT, THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, SO WHEN I STARTED AGAIN, I WAS BROUGHT UP TO SPEED AS, AS TO WHERE THE TOWN WANTED TO BE, WHERE THEY WANTED TO PLACE EMPHASIS IN THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, SO WE PICKED OUT THE, THE UNSAFE STRUCTURES THAT HAD HAD BURNT A FEW YEARS BACK AND, AND I HIT THOSE FIRST.
RIGHT? SO, UM, ONE THING I'LL KIND OF EXPAND ON IN A LITTLE BIT IS THE PROCESS FOR ABATEMENT AND THE COST AND THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, BUT THE REASON WE DIDN'T JUST TACKLE EVERY CONCERN OR EVERY LIST IS BECAUSE EVENTUALLY, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE PROPERTY OWNER DOES OR DOESN'T DO, THERE CAN BE A COST TO THE TOWN AND TO THE CITIZENS.
AND SO YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO GO HIT 10 OR 20 PROPERTIES AT ONE TIME AND THEN HAVE TO SHELL OUT THE MONEY TO ABATE 10 OR 20 PROPERTIES AT ONE TIME.
SO IF YOU TAKE A HANDFUL AND JUST KEEP WORKING AT IT AND, AND TRY TO WORK ONE PIECE AT A TIME, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO, UM, DANIEL? YES MA'AM.
JUST A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, UH, SO IF IT ENDS UP BEING A COST TO THE TOWN TO, TO FIX OR BAIT, WHATEVER IT IS, WE DON'T THEN TELL ME IF I'M, WE DON'T THEN HAVE THE ABILITY TO, LIKE, WE, WE DON'T, CAN'T TAKE OVER THAT PROPERTY THEN, RIGHT? I MEAN I'M NOT SAYING THAT I WANT TO, BUT I'M SAYING IF WE END UP HAVING TO, IF IT COSTS US MONEY TO REPAIR IT, IT, IT BECOMES A LIEN AGAINST THE PROPERTY.
YEAH, SO I, I'LL GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER AS THE COST.
UM, THERE'S KIND OF TWO MECHANISMS FOR THAT.
UM, SO WE'LL KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
ALRIGHT, SO PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, UH, CODE CASES, AGAIN DIFFERENT FROM ZONING.
SO, UM, IN 2023 THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 22 UH, CASES IN COMPLIANCE.
RIGHT NOW THERE ARE 19 OF THOSE THREE OF 'EM ARE STILL WORKING ON, ON COMPLIANCE.
WHERE I KIND OF PICKED UP IN THE MIDDLE THERE WAS 13.
SO I'VE GOTTEN 10 OF THOSE CLOSED UP AND, AND CORRECTED OR IN COMPLIANCE, UM, SINCE APRIL.
SO FOR 2024 AND PROPERTY MAINTENANCE WE'VE GOT 10 AND ABOUT AND HALF OF THOSE ARE, ARE COMPLIANT NOW AND CLOSED AND, AND THE OTHER HALF ARE, ARE STILL OPEN AND WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS COMPLIANCE.
AND AGAIN, THE TIMELINE OF CORRECTION IS LONGER WITH PROPERTY MAINTENANCE THAN CODE ENFORCEMENT.
SO YOU THINK CODE ENFORCEMENT GRASS OR UNPERMITTED STRUCTURE, THAT SORT OF THING.
THERE'S A 10 DAY ABATEMENT PERIOD.
10 DAYS ISN'T REALLY, UM, WELL IT'S NOT ACHIEVABLE IF YOU'RE TRYING TO BRING CERTAIN BUILDINGS INTO COMPLIANCE AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO THERE'S A LONGER PROCESS PLUS AGAIN, THERE'S THE PIECE AT THE END WHERE THE TOWN MAY GET INVOLVED AND SO YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO ONLY GIVE SOMEBODY 10 DAYS TO KIND OF KNOCK YOUR BUILDING DOWN OR THAT SORT OF THING.
WELL, ESPECIALLY IF IT HAD JUST THROWN UM, CORRECT.
AND THERE AND YOU KNOW, TIME 'CAUSE YOU'VE HAD A TRAUMATIC EVENT.
WELL, NOT ONLY THAT, WE ALSO HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE INVESTIGATION BEFORE YOU CAN DO ANYTHING ON THAT, ON THAT FRONT.
SO WE'RE TRACKING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABOUT HALF WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR.
CAN I ASK ABOUT THE, UM, SO I'M OUT AND ABOUT TO, AND UM, DO YOU SEE, UH, I KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T GO IN FOR THE, FOR THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE.
SO WHAT ABOUT THE HOARDING? IF YOU SEE, IF YOU, IF YOU CAN SEE AT, AT A WINDOW, YOU KNOW, FLOOR TO CEILING STUFF AND YOU KNOW IT'S A HOARDING SITUATION, RIGHT? WHAT DO YOU, UH, YOU CAN'T E EVEN INTER YOU CAN'T USE THAT AS EVIDENCE TO PROCEED WITH THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE ISSUE.
WELL, YOU, YOU SHOULDN'T 'CAUSE YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE INSIDE.
I MEAN, THEY COULD JUST HAVE THE WINDOWS BLOCKED J JUST FROM A YEAH.
14 YEARS OF INVESTIGATIVE EXPERIENCE.
THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
UM, YOU HAD SOMEBODY THAT CALLED, YOU KNOW, A WELFARE CHECK, MY MOTHER HOARDS OR MY GRANDMOTHER OR MY SICK, THAT SORT OF THING.
I'VE HAD THAT BEFORE WHERE THEY'VE BEEN IN AND CAN
[00:55:01]
GRANT YOU ACCESS OR CAN TAKE YOU PICTURES OR THAT SORT OF THING.BUT JUST TO KIND OF OBSERVE THIS FROM THE, FROM THE OUTSIDE.
WELL USUALLY IT BLEEDS OVER TO THE OUTSIDE.
I MEAN, USUALLY IT STARTS ON THE PORCH, BUT I MEAN, BUT IF YOU CAN SEE A A, AN OUTRIGHT SAFETY CONCERN, THEN YES, I CAN ADDRESS IT.
BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN GET INTO INTO TROUBLE THAT WAY.
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, A LOT OF THESE ARE OCCUPIED, SO, AND MAY THAT'LL LET US IN.
SO ONE WAY OF TO T BRAKE
I THINK WITH THE AWARDING, I THINK THAT, UM, SOMETHING I NEVER THOUGHT OF UNTIL IT HAPPENED LOCALLY AS SOMEBODY DIED IN A FIRE BECAUSE THE FIRE AND RESCUE COULD NOT GET TO THE PERSON BECAUSE OF THE WARNINGS.
THAT ONE WOULD HOPE WHOEVER THE FAMILY OR SOMEBODY THAT'S VISITING MAKES THAT CALL OR THAT SUGGESTION BECAUSE IT'S TOO LATE AFTER IT'S, IT'S THAT, YOU KNOW, UNTIL IT HAPPENS.
OR, OR PD OR FIRE CAN MAKE A REFERRAL.
AND DANIEL, UH, JUST ARE, ARE YOU FINDING THAT, THAT YOU'RE GETTING COOPERATION WITH YEP.
THE MAJORITY, THERE ARE A FEW THAT ARE OKAY.
BUT YEAH, FROM, FROM THE, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE CODE ENFORCEMENT AND PROPERTY MAINTENANCE ARE, ARE RESPONSIVE.
BUT, UM, IT, IT WON'T ALWAYS BE THAT ALWAYS WON'T BE INVOLVED.
SO THIS IS KIND OF THE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE.
UH, WE RECEIVED THE COMPLAINT.
I GO DO THE INSPECTION, UH, GENERATE A REPORT, THEN THERE'S A CORRECTION NOTICE OR VIOLATION NOTICE REINSPECTION ISSUE, A VIOLATION.
UM, WITH THERE BEING NO FULL L-B-B-C-A RIGHT NOW IN BETWEEN THIS GENERATE REPORT AND CORRECT CORRECTION.
NOTICE I'M STARTING WITH A WARNING.
SOME TYPE OF WARNING NOTICE OR LETTER.
SO THAT WAS A RECOMMENDATION OF THE STATE WHERE I WENT TO TRAINING IS THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, YOUR STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS IS FROM HERE TO HERE FROM THE TIME THEY KNOW ABOUT A VIOLATION UNTIL YOUR STATUTE RUNS OUT.
IF YOU HIT 'EM WITH A WARNING FIRST, I SHOULDN'T SAY HIT.
IF YOU SEND THEM A WARNING FIRST, YOU'RE ABOUT REALLY STARTED THE PROCESS.
AND AGAIN, WITH NO METHOD TO APPEAL, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SENDING A VIOLATION TO SOMEBODY THAT CAN'T APPEAL.
SO IF YOU'RE MAKING THEM AWARE AND, AND LET THEM DO IT ON THEIR OWN AND AND HOPEFUL THAT THE LETTER FROM THE TOWN IS ENOUGH WEIGHT TO, AND FOR SOME PEOPLE I BETTED IT FOR SOME PEOPLE, I'M SURE THE WARNING IS LIKE, OH WAIT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? RIGHT THERE ARE, YOU START TO CORRECT IT.
RIGHT? THERE'S SEVERAL, SEVERAL CASES OF, YOU KNOW, ONE LETTER, ONE TIME, NEVER.
IT'S NEVER GONNA BE A PROBLEM AGAIN.
AND THEN THERE'S THE OTHER ONES.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO WORK ON FILLING OUR L-B-B-C-A, NOT TO SAY THAT WE AREN'T.
'CAUSE WE CERTAINLY HAVE ASKED.
I'M BEGGING AGAIN, BEGGING AGAIN
SO, ALRIGHT, I MOVE THE FIRST SLIDE.
OKAY, SO GOING BACK TO HER FIRST SLIDE THAT SHOWED THE, THE THREE MECHANISMS. HERE ARE THE VEHICLES WE USE, UM, MINUS THE, THE BACK TWO.
SO THE FIRST ONE WE HAVE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE.
IF WE CAN'T GET COMPLIANCE THROUGH THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE AVENUE, WE HAVE PUBLIC NUISANCE.
AND THAT IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE.
WHEN ADMINISTRATIVE REMEDIES FAIL, UM, THAT'S WHEN YOU GO, UM, THROUGH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
WE FILE IT IN COURT AND THE COURT CAN ORDER A REMEDY OF A PROPERTY OWNER, HOMEOWNER, SO FORTH.
WE HAVE ABATEMENT OF A NUISANCE, WHICH IS 15.2 1, 1 1 5, WHICH IS WHERE WE SELF EXECUTE THE, THE METHOD OF ABATEMENT.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO IN AND BOARD UP THE PROPERTY OR DEMO IT, GET BIDS, THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, SO THIS IS WHERE I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
IT CAN BECOME COSTLY, UH, FOR THE TOWN.
SO AGAIN, I SENT FIVE UNSAFE NOTICES, FIVE PROPERTIES.
THE BIDS WERE ROUGHLY AROUND 20 OR 30,000 PER PROPERTY TO DEMO ON TOWNS TIME AND THEN HIT AND THEN PUT IT ON A TAX LIEN LATER.
SO THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO JUST SPREAD OUT THESE CASES AND NOT TRY TO DO IT ALL AT ONE TIME.
UM, LUCKILY THOUGH NONE OF THE PROPERTIES HAVE, HAVE HAD TO GO AS FAR AS
[01:00:01]
YOU ALL JUST HEARING ABOUT IT.WE WERE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE MAY HAVE TO COME HERE AND ASK FOR RESOURCES TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT I'VE GOTTEN LUCKY IN THE SENSE THAT EVERY, EVERY PROPERTY THAT I'VE ATTACKED SO FAR HAS, HAS COMPLIED IN SOME WAY AND SUBMITTED SOME TYPE OF ABATEMENT PLAN.
AND BY THE END OF THE MONTH, IF EVERYTHING MOVES RIGHT, THEY'LL BE DOWN AND AND CLEARED OUT.
SO, UH, BUT I, WE JUST WANT TO ADD THAT IN THERE SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE COST IS TO THE TOWN POTENTIALLY.
UH, OF COURSE THERE'S INFLATION, THINGS LIKE THAT A BIT TODAY AND WHAT IT WAS IN MARCH.
SO, UM, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THIS UP TOO BECAUSE WE DO GET THAT A LOT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT WHY ISN'T ANYBODY DOING ANYTHING ABOUT SUCH AND SUCH ON THIS STREET OR THIS CORNER OR WHATEVER.
AND, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, THAT YOU'RE POINTING OUT THAT, THAT YOU KNOW, THAT THAT COULD BE ON THE TAXPAYER'S TIME, WHICH I WOULD IMAGINE A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD NOT BELIEVE LIKE THEY WOULD.
THEY WOULD THINK, WELL THEN WHY ISN'T THE PROPERTY OWNER PAYING FOR IT? WELL, RIGHT.
IF THEY DON'T OR, OR THEY THINK WE HAVE THE EQUIPMENT, WE JUST DRIVE IT DOWN THERE AND RIGHT.
BUT, BUT WE DO HAVE THE AVENUES AND THE PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES, AND WE DO NEED TO FOLLOW, UH, CONSISTENTLY ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
UM, AND AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE PROCESS AND THE PROCEDURES AND THE CODES, UH, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, PEOPLE COMPLAIN OR THEY, OR BRING CERTAIN PROPERTIES UP JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIKE TO LOOK AT IT, DOESN'T MAKE IT A VIOLATION OR DOESN'T MAKE IT, UH, A NUISANCE.
UH, JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, GRASS, IT'S PROBABLY THE EASIEST ONE TO SAY ON THE CO ENFORCEMENT SIDE IS, UH, THEIR GRASS IS TOO LONG.
YOU NEED TO COME OUT HERE AND WRITE A VIOLATION.
AND IT'S, WELL, THERE'S A LIMIT.
I CAN'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL IT'S 10 INCHES.
WELL, NINE INCHES IS PROBABLY UGLY TO ME, BUT THAT'S, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING, SO, AND YOU HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND MOW IT.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE THAT SHOW.
UM, SO LAST, WERE JUST, THIS IS A LIST OF THE PROPERTIES I SENT UNSAFE NOTICES TO.
UM, AND THEN, SO AGAIN, THE FIRST PROPERTY, UH, THAT WAS THE ONE WITH TWO DIFFERENT LETTERS.
THERE WAS AN UNSAFE STRUCTURE, AND THEN THERE WERE THE, THE ZONING VIOLATIONS.
SO TO DATE, THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH BOTH.
ALL THE ZONING VIOLATIONS WERE CORRECTED.
UH, THE UNSAFE STRUCTURE, BY DEFINITION IS NOW CONSIDERED SAFE, EVEN THOUGH, AGAIN, PUBLIC OPINION SAYS OTHERWISE.
UM, THE PERMITS HAVE BEEN RENEWED AND BIDS AND CONTRACTS WERE OBTAINED IN THEIR ABATEMENT PLAN AS IT WAS PORTRAYED TO ME FOR ROOF WORK TO BEGIN WITHIN IN THE NEXT 30 TO 60 DAYS.
SO AGAIN, IF, IF THINGS MOVE FORWARD, THERE'S PROGRESS.
UM, THE NEXT PROPERTY, WEST 18TH STREET WAS A BURNT PROPERTY THAT'S SET FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, IT HAS GONE THROUGH FORECLOSURE.
UH, THE NEW MORTGAGE COMPANY HAS, UH, OBTAINED BIDS FOR DEMOLITION.
THEY'VE PUT A FENCE UP AROUND THE PROPERTY AND ONCE THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS IS COMPLETE, THEY WILL BE DEMOING THE PROPERTY AND IT WILL BE A LOT, UM, BLUE RIDGE AVENUE, A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THE SENSE IT IS A, A, AGAIN, IT'S A BURNT STRUCTURE.
IT WAS CONSIDERED UNSAFE, UH, LONGER PROCESS 'CAUSE IT'S IN THE TOWN'S HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UM, SO YOU HAVE TO GET BAR APPROVAL TO DEMO, THEN YOU HAVE TO GET BAR APPROVAL FOR WHAT YOU'RE GONNA CONSTRUCT THERE.
UH, PROPERTY OWNER PUT IT UP FOR SALE.
IT'S BEEN PURCHASED, CLOSED ON, UH, DEMO PERMIT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE BAR.
UH, JUST WAITING ON APPROVAL OR FOR THEM TO SUBMIT THEIR PLANS, I GUESS, OF WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO THERE.
AND THEN THEY CAN DEMO IT BEFORE THEY, THEY CAN DEMO, DECIDE WHAT THEY'RE GONNA YEAH.
AND THEY NEEDED A PER A DEMO PERMIT FROM THE COUNTY AS WELL.
SO THEY HAD TO WORK THROUGH OUR ZONING OR BAR AND THEN THE COUNTY AS WELL.
UM, THAT'S, LET'S SEE, BLUE RIDGE.
SO OSAGE STREET, THERE WERE TWO PROPERTIES THERE.
UM, THEY ARE BOTH NOW UNDER THE OWNERSHIP OF HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
THEY'VE MET WITH THE TOWN MANAGER AND A COUPLE OTHER FOLKS IN THE TOWN, UH, TO DISCUSS WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO THERE.
THEY HAVE SUBMITTED THEIR ABATEMENT PLAN TWO WEEKS AGO.
THEY, THEY'VE RECENTLY RECEIVED BIDS FOR DEMO AND REMOVAL OF, OF EVERYTHING, OF THE DEBRIS AND THE TRASH.
AND SO AGAIN, WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS OR SO, THAT SHOULD BE FLATTENED OUT AND, AND CLEANED UP.
UH, LAST PROPERTY, WEST CHARLESBURG ROAD, UH, WAS ANOTHER BURNT PROPERTY, UH, THAT SAT THERE FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS.
UH, THAT WENT RIGHT ON THE CORNER.
[01:05:01]
IT WAS TOO BAD.NO, NO, IT'S, NO, IT'S UP ON CHARLESBURG ON MY RIGHT.
I FEEL LIKE I WENT, I THINK WHEN I WAS BORN AND I PASSED IT, BUT YEAH, IT'S CLOSER UP TO THE SCHOOL THEN.
YEAH, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THOUGH.
UM, SO AGAIN, SENT THE LETTER, PROPERTY OWNER SOLD THE PROPERTY.
IT WILL BE CLOSED ON WITHIN 15 DAYS, 30 DAYS.
AND THE NEW PROPERTY OWNER HAS ALREADY OBTAINED A BID TO DEMO, AND THE DAY THAT HE, HE CLOSES IT WILL BE ON THE GROUND.
SO THAT IS THE STATUS OF THOSE, WHICH WERE THE FIRST GROUP WE ATTACKED, UM, IN JUNE.
UM, THAT'S START WITH THE POSITIVES.
AND THOSE ARE NOT, AND AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT COMPLAINT DRIVEN.
YOU, THESE ARE ONES THAT YOU ALSO OBSERVE.
SO LIKE WITH THE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST IN THE LAST WEEK OR SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'VE HAD, UH, I THINK A COUPLE MORE FIRES, RIGHT? YEAH.
UM, SO DO YOU KEEP LIKE A RUNNING LIST OF YES.
OF THOSE AND YEAH, THERE WAS A LIST GIVEN TO ME THAT WAS IDENTIFIED YEAH.
PROPERTIES IDENTIFIED PRIOR TO ME STARTING.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THE EVERY TIME I HEAR THERE'S ANOTHER ONE.
I'LL CHECK, I'LL CHECK ON IT WHEN I GET OUT AND ABOUT.
WELL, LIKE YOU SAID THOUGH, YOU ALMOST HAVE TO GIVE PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT, WELL, IT STARTS WITH THE COUNTY FIRE MARSHAL TO TELL US IT'S, IT'S CLOSED AND THEY'VE DONE THEIR INVESTIGATION, AND THEN THEIR INSURANCE HAS TO COME IN.
I'M SURE WE DO ALL THAT STUFF.
AND, UH, BUT EVEN AS IT SITS PRIOR TO THAT, WE CAN ADDRESS IF IT'S CONSIDERED UNSAFE AND, AND IN RESPECT TO THE ACCESS AND, AND THE PROPERTY AND THAT SORT OF THING, IF THEY NEED TO PUT UP A FENCE, IF THEY NEED TO BORE UP SOME HOLES.
UM, SO MOVING FORWARD WHERE WE GO FROM HERE, WE'RE JUST GONNA GO, YOU KNOW, KEEP GOING, DOING WHAT I'M DOING AND FIND SOME MORE PROPERTIES ON THAT LIST THAT HOPEFULLY DON'T COST US MONEY.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANNA MAKE THE POINT THAT THERE IS A LIST.
WE HAVE COMPLAINTS, BUT IT IS NOT BENEFICIAL TO THE TOWN OR THE CITIZENS TO, TO GO AFTER EVERY PROPERTY AT ONE TIME.
AND SO, AGAIN, ONE PIECE AT A TIME, ANY PROGRESS FORWARD IS PROGRESS.
THIS IS A QUESTION IF SOMEBODY CALLS IN TO COMPLAINT.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE TO CALL THEM BACK THOUGH, RIGHT? TO SAY THIS HAS BEEN DONE.
OR, OR DO WE, I I'M THINKING LIKE IN MY LINE OF WORK, RIGHT,
I DON'T KNOW THAT IF THEY'RE, WAIT, ARE THEY WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO CALL BACK? WE DON'T DO THAT.
THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WOULD BE TOO BUSY TO BE DOING THAT, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE NOTED IT, IT'S NOTED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ACTING ON IT, BUT DON'T EXPECT FOR THE TOWN STAFF TO CALL YOU BACK AND SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HAPPENING.
I MEAN, DO WE ALL UNDERSTAND? WELL, I MEAN, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I TRY TO MAKE CONTACT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
BUT SOMETIMES IT'S ANONYMOUS OR THEY DON'T WANT TO CALL BACK.
OR IF I TALK TO 'EM LIVE, I'LL TELL 'EM WHAT I CAN TELL 'EM.
BUT THEY DON'T HAVE TO EXPECT IT, IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
THEY SHOULDN'T NECESSARILY EXPECT YOU TO CALL BACK AND GIVE THEM THE RESOLUTION TO IT.
THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO, BUT I TRY TO AS MUCH AS I CAN.
WELL, AND A LOT OF TIMES TOO, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND, RIGHT.
THE, THE PROCESS OR THE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ZONING AND THE MAINTENANCE.
BECAUSE FOR INSTANCE, RECENTLY THERE WAS A PROPERTY WHERE THIS CALL REPEATEDLY CALLS ABOUT GRASS AND SO FORTH, AND THAT'S A ZONING VIOLATION.
NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE CALLING IT, IT NEEDS CONDEMNED, THEN I WANNA BUY THE PROPERTY AND SO FORTH.
WELL, AFTER 10 DAYS WANTS TO KNOW WHY.
HAD, YOU KNOW, WHY AND THE TOWN DONE ANYTHING? WELL, DIFFERENT PROCESS, DIFFERENT SET OF RULES AND REGULATIONS.
AND SO THERE IS THAT DIFFERENCE THERE.
AND THEN SOMETIMES I'M JUST OUT AND ABOUT AND I WILL GET A VOICEMAIL ON MY PHONE OR AN EMAIL AND I'LL JUST GO THERE AND TAKE CARE OF IT.
AND THEN THE PERSON'S LIKE, WELL, YOU DIDN'T EVEN TALK TO ME AND YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN THERE.
SO, BUT THAT JUST GET WHILE I'M OUT THERE.
SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THAT, THAT CONCLUDES EVERYTHING I HAVE.
[01:10:01]
YOU ALL.SO THREE B, OUR SUGGESTIONS FOR RECOGNIZING JOHN MARLOW IN THE GAZEBO AREA LOCATED ON MAIN STREET.
AS YOU GUYS RECALL, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, UM, WE HAD MUCH DISCUSSION ON IT, BUT TWO OF THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WEREN'T THERE THAT NIGHT.
AND WE ALSO THOUGHT THAT GIVE EVERYBODY A LITTLE BIT OF A CHANCE TO PERCOLATE THE IDEAS AND, AND TALK ABOUT IT.
UM, AND I WILL SAY, I DID TALK ABOUT THIS WITH PEOPLE NOT, UM, AND I STILL THINK THAT IF WHATEVER WE DECIDE, I DON'T, I THINK BIG LONG NAMES WOULD BE, I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE AS EFFECTIVE.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME BIG LONG THING PEOPLE MAY NOT USE IT VERSUS SOMETHING SHORTER.
I THINK LIKE SOMEBODY MENTIONED LIKE THE JOHN MARLOWE GAZEBO AND MEMORIAL PLAZA, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
AND I JUST THINK, WHO'S GONNA SAY ALL THAT?
THE JOHN MARLOW MORAL PAVILION.
THE PAVILION WHERE THEY GET PAVILION.
THE ONLY THING ABOUT THAT IS, IS THAT THE, AND THIS IS JUST NOT HIS.
WHAT PEOPLE REMEMBER MR. MARLOWE FOR WAS THE GAZEBO.
AND I MEAN, THE PAVILION ACTUALLY HAPPENED WHILE I WAS ON COUNCIL.
SO IT'S NOT THAT, THAT OLD, I'M NOT AGAINST IT, I'M JUST, THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY THING IS, IS THAT IT, IT FELT LIKE PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PLACEBO, BUT, BUT WE COULD DO IT ON THE PAVILION TOO.
I STILL WANT THE WHOLE AREA TO BE RENAMED.
IT COULD JUST BE MARLOW PLAZA.
I WOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
BECAUSE HIS DOWNTOWN EFFORTS AS A WHOLE, AS WELL AS THE GAZEBO.
SO I THINK MARLOW PLAZA IS SHORT ENOUGH TO BE MADE ON SIGN.
WHAT DO WE, WHAT IS IT CALLED NOW? VILLAGE COMMON? IT'S CALLED COMMON VILLAGE COM.
I THINK IT'S CALLED VILLAGE COMMONS.
SOMEBODY RECENTLY SAID TO ME, THIS SAYS GERTRUDE MILLER PARK.
THEY WERE LIKE, WHERE IN THE WORLD IS GERTIE MILLER PARK? AND I THOUGHT IT'S BEEN CALLED TUDE MILLER PARK FOR YEARS, BUT IT DIDN'T STICK WITH PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHY I, I JUST FEEL LIKE IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, YOU THINK THE AREA SEEMS LIKE A PLAZA TO ME.
YEAH, THE SQUARE'S NOT BAD EITHER.
MARLOW PLAZA, MARLOW SQUARE, SHORT, SIMPLE.
IT'S THE ENTIRE AREA ENCOMPASSES ALL THAT'S FINE.
SO THAT PEOPLE CAN, I'M NOT, I DON'T WANT THE REAL WORLD LONG NAME.
YEAH, THAT'S ALL I THINK, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE THE UM, WELL, I'M ON THE FENCE.
I COULD GO EITHER WAY, BUT I THINK JOHN SHOULD GO IN THERE.
UM, AND UM, YOU KNOW, I'M GOOD WITH THAT TOO.
BUT THERE'S ONLY ONE MARLOW THAT'S SERVED
SO, I MEAN, I THINK OF EVERYONE WOULD KNOW AS A LOCAL.
I KNOW THAT IT'S JOHN MARLOWE, HE'S THE ONLY MARLOW THAT'S SERVED A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW.
SOMEBODY WILL ASK PICTURE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I THINK WE COULD HAVE A LONGER SIGN ON THE GAZEBO NAME, THE WHOLE SQUARE, BUT PUT A LONGER SIGN WITH HIS FULL NAME ON THE GAZEBO.
WHERE ON THE GAZEBO, BECAUSE IT'S ROUNDED, WE COULDN'T PUT A PLACARD UP TOP OR INSIDE OR INSIDE.
I THINK WE COULD HAVE AN INFORMATIVE, AN INFORMATIVE SIGN THAT WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, HE SERVED HIS MAYOR, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
YOU KNOW, LIKE A, UM, A SNAPSHOT OF HIS SERVICE.
NOT, YOU KNOW, JUST TO, TO INFORM THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD BE INTEREST.
LIKE
IN THE AREA WHERE THEY COULD READ ABOUT HIM.
JOSH, ANY THOUGHTS? UH, I'M, I'M, I'M OKAY WITH, UH, THE MARLOW PLAZA.
I THINK IT'S YOU TO KEEP IT SHORT.
SO I, I NEVER REFER IT TO AS THE COMMONS OR ANYTHING, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF USED UP IN MORRIS HERE.
THAT'S KIND OF LIKE AN ENGLISH KIND OF THING.
YOU GO UP TO MASSACHUSETTS OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW,
[01:15:03]
SO GOOD AROUND, I'M LAUGHING 'CAUSE I SAID WE WERE GONNA COME BACK AND COME BACK IN SEPTEMBER AND EVERYBODY WOULD HAVE THEIR THOUGHTS.WELL, THERE'S THREE OF US THAT WERE GOOD WITH.
MARLOW PLAZA MAKE THE LONG PORTION IN THE GAZEBO.
THE DEDICATION OF THE FULL NIGHT SAID MAR MARLOW PLAZA.
AND THEN, BUT I DO THINK THAT SOME KIND OF SOMETHING, UM, I THINK ABOUT LIKE IN BING CROSS, AND I CALL IT B CROSBY, BUT YOU KNOW, BEAN CROSBY, THEY HAVE THAT BIG THING THAT'S ON LIKE THE GROUND THERE WITH HUG TOWN, THE ROCK.
WE COULD JUST PUT, SO MAYBE SOMETHING LIKE RIGHT BESIDE THE, THE ONE LITTLE, OR THAT'S RIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF THE VISTA CENTER, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A PLAQUE THERE.
PUT SPLIT NOTE ON BESIDE IT WITH HIS PICTURE OF WHAT HE DID.
IF WE COULD FIND THE SPOT THAT WOULD, I MEAN, JUST SOMETHING SO IT BLENDS IN THE OTHER PLAQUE.
UM, SO WE CAN, UM, AND MAYBE IF WE WANTED TO DO THIS PLAQUE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, MAYBE WE, I UM, I GUESS WE SHOULD PROBABLY FIND OUT WHAT THE COSTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT ARE JUST TO WELL, THAT'S WHY I SAID FOR NOW, JOHN.
JOE, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? DO YOU WANT US, DO YOU WANT SETH TO COME BACK WITH A SIGN? I MEAN, S CAN HANDLE THE SIGN THING IF WE GET SOME DIRECTION, BUT DO YOU REALLY WANT ME TO COME BACK FOR A PROOF ON A SIGN? NOT A PROOF.
I DON'T THINK SO, BUT MAKE SURE, GET ALL THE INFORMATION THOUGH FROM SOMEBODY.
MORE SOMEBODY, I THINK HE'S TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
SIGN FOR THE MARLOW PLAZA OR SIGN FOR THE INFORMATION.
OH, IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT YOU WAS SAYING? WELL, I NEED MORE DIRECTION BECAUSE I, I HEARING MULTIPLE THINGS CROSS THE, I THINK ONE OR LIKE IS DOWN THERE IN FRONT OF THE GAZEBO BETWEEN THE GAZEBO AND THE VISTA CENTER WITH ALL THE INFORMATION ON IT.
IT'S TILTED SO YOU CAN STAY IN THERE AND READ IT.
I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S AS EASILY ATTAINABLE.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THE TOWN SIGN SHOP CAN JUST PRINT ON THE SIDE AND PUT UP.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D HAVE TO OUTSOURCE.
WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING INTERNALLY, BUT LIKE I SAID, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE VISION IS.
I PERSONALLY ENJOY, THERE ARE THINGS DOWN THERE THAT ARE ENGRAVED.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.
THEY EVEN, YOU CAN PUT LIKE THE SPOTLIGHT ON 'EM, LIKE, NOT THE BRICKS, BUT IT'S, I'M PRETTY SURE THE TOWN MADE THEM.
THEY'RE JUST LIKE ENGRAVED SIGNS AND IT'S NOT LIKE HEIGHT, STANDING HEIGHT, THEY'RE JUST DOWN THERE ON THE GROUND.
I JUST SAY WE RENAME IT WITH STREET SIGNS, MARLOW PLAZA.
AND THEN, I MEAN, I, WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK WITH, WITH THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A BUS.
BUT THE, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
BUT WHERE WOULD WE PUT A BUS? I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S THE OTHER THING IS, IS JOE'S LIKE, COME ON GUYS, I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA PUT STUFF LIKE THAT.
WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT DIRECTION.
SO WHAT DO WE WANNA, WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO TO HONOR HIS MEMORIAL NOW? YOU KNOW, I I I, I WOULD LIKE TO GO FORWARD WITH, UH, NAMING MARLOW PLAZA AND MAYBE WE CAN ADDRESS THE SIGN AT ANOTHER TIME, THE MEMORIAL SIGN, IF EVERYBODY'S OKAY WITH THAT.
I WOULD SAY THAT WE SAY MARLOW PLAZA, WE ASK JOE TO, UH, GET WITH STAFF AND SEE WHAT IS A FEASIBLE WAY FOR US TO DO THAT AND COME BACK TO LET US KNOW.
I MEAN, IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE A WORK SESSION.
YOU COULD JUST FORWARD OUT AN EMAIL AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WERE THINKING.
AND MAYBE, I MEAN, UNLESS, OR IS THAT NOT ENOUGH DIRECTION, MR. WALTZ, IF WE DID IT THAT WAY, OR? NO, THAT'S FINE.
AND THEN THAT WAY WE, UM, JUST KIND OF GET, BUT ONCE WE DECIDE WHAT IT IS, THEN WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, PICK THE TIME.
UM, WHERE WE COULD UNVEIL THE NAME AND INVITE THE FAMILY.
UM, THAT WOULD BE JUST LIKE THE BRIDGE DEDICATION.
YEAH, JUST LIKE THE BRIDGE DEDICATIONS.
SO CERTAINLY DID LIKE WAYNE'S ON THE PAVILION.
NO, ON THE, OH YEAH, YEAH, I DO TOO.
STAFF CAN'T DO THAT THEMSELVES.
WELL, I THINK IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE ARE VISITING, THEY'RE WONDERING LIKE, WHERE DID THIS GET THE NAME FROM? YOU KNOW.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF FINDING A PLACE FOR IT AND WHERE'S THE BEST PLACE FOR IT.
SO ENOUGH DIRECTION, YES OR NO? YES.
AND, UM, IT ASKED BY A COUPLE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BRING, UM, THIS TOPIC UP TO COUNCIL.
[01:20:04]
UH, I GUESS I'LL, UH, LEAD OFF ON THAT.UH, SINCE, UH, I, AS OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I THINK IN THE BEGINNING WE ALL WANTED, WE ALL THOUGHT REACHING OUT NOW, BRINGING BACK THE, UH, ST.
MYERS STUDENT UNION AS IT IS, WAS A, WAS A VISION, AN IDEA? UM, I HAVE A, I HAVE A PASSION, A STRONG PASSION ABOUT IT, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, AND COUNCILMAN MORRIS WAS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
BACK ON JUNE 3RD, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, EXTRA MONEY THAT CAME INTO PLAY.
OUR GENERAL FUND, I THINK IT WAS 535,000, AND NOBODY HAD ANY OBJECTIONS TO IT, UH, GOING TOWARD THE, UH,
UM, BUT AS THE, UH, TOWN MANAGER ALLUDED TO WAS, UM, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA TAKE AT LEAST THREE YEARS, UH, BEFORE, BEFORE YOU KNOW, WE'LL KNOW WHEN THE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE.
UM, UH, THAT WAS, THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE THREE YEARS IS THE CONSTRUCTION.
AND IT'S MATCHED AND, AND IT'S MATCHED.
RECEIVED IT LIKE IT'S, BUT RIGHT.
AND YEAH, THE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE.
THE CONSTRUCTION COULD BE THREE YEARS OUT.
UM, BUT, UH, WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS IS I'M, I'M, WE'RE DOING THAT FOR THE KIDS.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT NOW HAS A LOT OF GOOD QUALITIES, QUALITIES TO IT.
AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE VSA VOLUNTARY SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT CAME INTO PLAY AND, UH, UH, THE COUNTY OWNS THE BUILDING AND WHATNOT.
BUT THIS IS A, THIS IS A COMMUNITY AFFAIR.
AND IF THERE'S ONE, IF WE, IF WE CAN, CAN HELP SAVE ONE KID FROM GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION OR BE THINKING ABOUT SUICIDE, BE THINKING ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKING RISKY BEHAVIORS WITH DRUGS, UM, WHATNOT.
AND THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT REACHING OUT NOW IS ALL ABOUT.
I MEAN, THEY'RE PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE YOUTH TO TAKE PART IN REC PART IN RECREATIONAL, CULTURAL, AND VOCATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
HELPS DEVELOP PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND COGNITIVE ABILITIES.
UH, FOSTER POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND PREVENT RISKY BEHAVIORS.
OFFER SAFE PLACES, SPACES FOR YOUTH CON TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS AND LEARN NEW SKILLS.
I MEAN, IN 1997, UH, AMERICA PROMISE ALLIANCE WAS A PA WAS, UH, DESIGNED BY FIVE PRESIDENTS, UH, REAGAN BUSH FOR CARTER AND CLINTON.
AND THEY HAD THE FIVE PROMISES THAT CHANGED KIDS' LIVES THROUGH YOUTH PROGRAMS. ONE WAS SAFE, UH, PLACES DURING ADULTS, HEALTHY START EFFECTIVE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP OTHERS.
THESE ALIGN WITH WHAT REACHING OUT NOW IS DOING.
AND A LITTLE BIT TO OUR SOUTH.
UH, MOUNT JACKSON, WHICH IS A COMMUNITY OF, UH, 2000, IS, UH, THEY'RE WORKING ON BRINGING BACK THE TRIPLET, UH, BUILDING, UH, AND TURNING IT INTO A, UH, SORT OF A COMMUNITY CENTER.
I THINK IT'S CALLED, UH, CREW.
AND THEY'RE GONNA, THEY WANT TO RENOVATE THAT OLD SCHOOL AND, UH, INTO A COMMUNITY RESOURCE FOR EDUCATION AND WELLNESS.
UH, THEY WANTED TO COLLABORATE WITH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT THE CALL ADVANCING EDUCATION, WELLNESS, HEALTHY MINDS, BODIES
[01:25:01]
AND SPIRITS, WORKSHOP LABS, ART CLASSES, COOKING, CONSTRUCTION, YOGA.THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT REACHING OUT NOW IS DOING.
AND BECAUSE THE CONSTRUCTION IS GONNA BE STARTING IN, UM, THREE YEARS, MAYBE FOUR, I DON'T KNOW.
UH, NO ONE HAS A CRYSTAL BALL, BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS A WORTHY ENOUGH PROJECT AS A, THAT WOULD BE WORTHY OF A DONATION TO MOVE THE 6.6% OF THE MONEY THAT WAS FREE THAT I COULD HAVE BROUGHT UP.
AND I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT SO THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS, UH, I JUST BLANKED OUT.
BUT IT'S, IT, IT WAS THERE, BUT I MISSED IT.
BUT 'CAUSE IT'S IN THE GENERAL FUND AND WE'RE NOT USING IT RIGHT AWAY, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE 50,000 WITH COUNSEL'S APPROVAL OUT AND MOVE IT TOWARD, UH, I THINK THE ACCOUNT IS 4,500 DASH 47 9 0 9 AND, UH, MOVE IT INTO A DONATION FOR REACHING OUT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WOULD REQUIRE, THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING FOR AN ATTORNEY IF IT WOULD REQUIRE AN MOU.
UM, BUT WE HAD THE MOU WITH THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY DIDN'T WANT TO SIGN, SIGN IT BACK IN THE DAY.
AND I'LL MAKE A, I'LL MAKE A NOTE THAT THE $25,000 THAT WE DID DONATE TO THEM, UH, THEY HAVE SPENT ON FURNITURE AND ON COMPUTERS AND THAT TYPE OF THING, THAT WE EXPECTED THAT THEY WOULD DO IT WITH THAT MONEY.
AND WITH THIS 50,000, THEY, THEY WOULD LIKE TO DIRECT IT TOWARD THEIR, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WHICH IS WHAT THEY HAD PLANNED FOR THAT MONEY, UH, ALL ALONG.
UM, THEY HAD A DIFFERENT TITLE.
I THINK IT, UH, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, UH, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
SO WE'RE DOING IT FOR THE KIDS.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO DO, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT IT IS JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND MY POINT AGAIN IS IF WE CAN, WE CAN DIRECT A HANDFUL OF KIDS TO NOT TAKE THAT PLUNGE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
UH, TO ME, $50,000 IS NOT A LOT TO ASK FOR.
I DISCUSS ANYTHING ELSE, BUT SURE.
BUT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SO SAM IS NOT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR? SHE IS NOT, SHE'S THE PRESIDENT.
ALONG WITH HER, HER, UH, HUSBAND, UH, I THINK IT'S, HE HAS A TITLE.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE TITLE.
AND STRUCTURALLY, STRUCTURALLY, THEY'RE NOT A PART OF THE, THE 'CAUSE SHE HAD A, A LARGER ORGANIZATION.
SHE, SHE, WELL, SHE HAS REACHING OUT NOW IS THE LARGER, NOW IS A LARGER ORGANIZATION.
THIS IS A SUBSET OF REACHING OUT NOW, WHICH IS THE ST.
SO REACHING OUT NOW HAS NEVER HAD AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HAS ONLY HAD THE PRESIDENT AND SHE'S PRESIDENT.
I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR MR. RAPPAPORT.
UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS.
YOU SAID THAT THEY ALLOCATED THE FIRST INITIAL $25,000 TOWARDS EQUIPMENT, FURNITURE, ET CETERA.
SO YOU HAVE SEEN THEIR BOOKS AND ACCOUNTING, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.
I, I SPOKE WITH, UH, WITH UH, UH, SAMANTHA BARBER AND, UH, IN FACT SHE SENT US PICTURES OF, OF, UH, OF THAT FURNITURE THAT THEY PURCHASED $25,000 WORTH OF FURNITURE YOU HAVE PICTURES OF? I'M ASKING 'CAUSE THE PUBLIC HAS ASKED ME QUESTIONS AND I JUST, I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT ME ASKING QUESTIONS IS NOT MY DENIAL OF WANTING TO PROTECT AND SAVE THE YOUTH.
UM, I'M ASKING GENUINE QUESTIONS THAT I'VE BEEN ASKED.
UM, 'CAUSE WE HAVE SEVERAL NON-PROFITS IN TOWN.
I'M SURE SHE WOULD, SHE WOULD BE WILLING TO, TO OPEN THE BOOK TO THE TOWN COUNCIL.
I, I, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR HER, BUT I CAN,
[01:30:01]
I CAN SAY WE DID ASK THAT LAST TIME.THAT'S WHY I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW IF SOMETHING CHANGED THERE.
SHE MAY BE ABLE TO SHOW RECEIPTS IF COUNCIL, UH, COUNCIL DESIRES SEE THE RECEIPTS.
WE HAVE TO ASK, UH, MADAM MAYOR, I JUST WANT IT TO BE CLEAR TO THIS COUNCIL THAT THIS IS A NONPROFIT.
THEY DO DO WORK FOR THE YOUTH AS WELL AS OTHER NONPROFITS THAT HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE LONGER IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL, WHICH WE HAVE NEVER FUNDED.
FOR INSTANCE, THE SALVATION ARMY, UM, DOES A LOT FOR THE YOUTH.
AND I BELIEVE THEY RECEIVED, I THINK MAYBE COUNCILMAN WOODS ON THEIR BOARD OR SOMETHING.
I WAS TOLD THEY RECEIVED A GRANT FOR ABOUT $200,000.
FOUR GOOD GIRLS AND BOYS CLUB.
AND SO THAT'S FOR THE YOUTH UP FRONT, ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY, UM, THROUGH THE SALVATION ARMY.
ALSO, I KNOW THAT THE HOUSE OF HOPE, UM, HAD A CELEBRATION.
THEY ACTUALLY HOUSED AN UNDERAGE STUDENT FOR WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THE TOWN GAVE THEM NO MONEY FOR THAT.
AND ALSO THERE IS, YOU KNOW, THE CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC THAT WE WANNA AVOID, BUT WE HAVE TO DO THE HARD THINGS HERE.
THE PREGNANCY CENTER IS A NONPROFIT IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL WHO DOES STUFF FOR THE YOUTH OF FRONT ROYAL.
THEY GIVE OUT CAR SEATS, THEY GIVE OUT TROLLERS, THEY GIVE OUT FOOD, THEY GIVE OUT CLOTHES FOR MOTHERS.
UM, THEY TEACH LESSONS FOR FAMILIES.
UM, AND WE'VE NEVER GIVEN THEM MONEY EITHER.
WITH ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, BRUCE DID TOUCH ON THE, UH, AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE IN 1997 WITH THE COUNTY.
THE COUNTY HAS A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO HAVE YOUTH SERVICES IN THE COUNTY.
AND ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE GIVEN HAS BEEN VERY GENEROUS OF US TO DO, CONSIDERING WE'VE NEVER DONE THAT IN THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF FORT ROYAL UNTIL THAT POINT.
UM, AND I BELIEVE MAYBE THE TOWN MANAGER OR ATTORNEY COULD CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
WE'VE ALREADY MADE THE BUDGET ALLOCATION AND SUBMITTED THE APPLICATION FOR THE SIDEWALK, WHICH YES.
IS ALSO FOR THE SAFETY OF THE YOUTH.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE OWE TO THE PEOPLE OF FRONT ROYAL FOR TAXPAYER DOLLARS IS INFRASTRUCTURE SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH AND HAZARD STUFF.
BUT DIDN'T WE ALREADY VOTE AND MAKE THAT ALLOCATION? AND HAS THAT ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED FOR THE SIDEWALK APPLICATION? UH, IT'S IN AN ACCOUNT READY FOR THE SIDEWALK.
JUST TO BE CLEAR ON THE CHRYSLER ROAD SIDEWALK, WE ARE THREE YEARS OUT TO CONSTRUCTION, BUT VDOT WILL BE STARTING THIS FALL WITH LAND ACQUISITION AND GETTING EASEMENTS FOR THAT AND, AND DOING THE FINAL DESIGN AND REVIEW OF THAT.
SO WELL REMIND EVERYONE TOO THAT THAT FUNDING GOT AS CLOSE TO IT, BUT THERE'S STILL SOME ADDITIONAL FUND FUNDING WE'RE GOING HAVE TO ADD.
IT'S A $600,000 MATCH, WASN'T IT? RIGHT, RIGHT.
SO PULLING ANY MONEY FROM THAT'S GONNA GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SHORTFALL, BUT WE, WE, WE HAVE THREE YEARS TO MAKE UP THAT SHORTFALL.
WE JUST SAID YOU GOTTA KEEP NO, WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT MONEY UP FRONT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE MATCHING FOR, FOR THE MATCHING FUND, BRUCE.
AND THE THING THAT I HEARD FROM, FROM SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS WHEN THEY RAN FOR ELECTION, GOT ELECTED.
WHAT I'M HEARING FROM THIS COUNCIL IS YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT.
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO IT, THAT'S FINE.
BUT LET ME JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SAID MAJOR CHALLENGES, WHEN I SAY MAJOR CHALLENGES IS TO PREVENT RISKY BEHAVIOR, THIS CAME DIRECTLY FROM THE A PA THAT FIVE US PRESIDENTS SIGNED UP FOR 1990 AS A MOTHER OF TEENAGER.
UM, OKAY, COUNSEL, I HAVE THE FLOOR.
OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD, THIS IS DATA FROM 2013 TO 2023.
MYERS STUDENT UNION PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE CHANGE IN A KID'S LIFE.
OKAY? FROM 2013 TO 20 23, 53 PER PERCENT FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS EXPERIENCED HOPELESSNESS IN 2023 COMPARED TO 39% IN 2013.
28% OF THE MALES IN 2023 TO 20 20 13, UH, EXPERIENCED HOPELESSNESS IN 20 13, 20 1%, 27% OF THE FEMALES CONSIDERED SUICIDE IN 2023 COMPARED TO 22% IN 2013 MALES.
THIS IS WAS A 14.5% IN 2023 COMPARED TO 12%.
[01:35:01]
IS, IS THIS IS A UNITY A COMMUNITY.AND YES, I WILL AGREE THAT THERE'S ALL KINDS OF NONPROFITS THAT NEED MONEY.
AND ONE YEAR WE CAN PICK, WE CAN PICK THIS ONE ANOTHER YEAR, WE CAN PICK ANOTHER ONE.
BUT THE BOTTOM, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE PAYBACK, THE PAYBACK WILL AFFECT EVERYTHING THAT EVERY OTHER NON-PROFIT THAT YOU JUST, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO POINT THAT YOU, THAT YOU SUGGESTED THAT YOU SUGGESTED COUNCILMAN MORRIS, UH, WILL, WILL BE AFFECTED BY REACHING OUT NOW PREGNANCY, UH, DRUGS, UH, SUICIDE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A WIN-WIN.
BUT COUNCIL CAN DO WHAT THEY
I THINK WE'VE ALREADY PICKED A YEAR AND GAVE A CONTRIBUTION TO THEM.
I'M NOT CRITICIZING REACHING OUT NOW, I KNOW THAT THIS IS VERY POLITICAL.
IT'S JUST LIKE WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDS NEW EQUIPMENT, OR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS NEW CARS.
IF YOU DON'T VOTE IN FAVOR, IF YOU DON'T ALL SIT HERE IN CONSENSUS, THEN YOU'RE ANTI LAW ENFORCEMENT.
I'M A MOTHER OF THREE TEENAGERS.
I KNOW I DON'T NEED YOU TO READ ME STATISTICS FROM FIVE PRESIDENTS.
THAT COULD BE MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER.
I SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THEIR MENTAL HEALTH DAILY.
IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T BELIEVE IN REACHING OUT NOW, THE PRESENTATION YOU JUST GAVE THIS COUNCIL, YOU SHOULD BE GOING TO FUNDRAISERS ON BEHALF OF REACHING OUT NOW AND GIVING THE PRIVATE DONORS.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, WE CHANGED THE PRECEDENT OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL WHEN WE GAVE OUR FIRST YEAR CONTRIBUTION.
AND WE HAVE NOT GIVEN THAT TO ANYONE ELSE SINCE THEN.
AT WHAT POINT DO WE SAY THAT IT'S NOT BEING BIASED TO THAT? AND AT WHAT POINT DO WE HOLD THE COUNTY ACCOUNTABLE AND ALSO GO, I AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS REACHING OUT NOW ARE NOT PREGNANCY CENTER, HOUSE OF HOPE, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, SALVATION ARMY.
I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL WRITING A CHECK FOR THE AMOUNT OF ANY AMOUNT, 25,000, 50,000, A HUNDRED THOUSAND, HANDING IT TO AN ORGANIZATION AND EXPECTING THAT THEY'LL DO GOOD WHEN IT'S AN ENTIRE BOARD.
AND WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY, IT IS A DONATION.
WE CANNOT ASK FOR ANY ACCOUNTABILITY.
WE CANNOT SEE ANY BOOKKEEPING.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, WHEN WE GAVE $25,000, IT WAS TO BE UNIFIED AND TO GET THEM UP AND RUNNING FOR THEM TO GO THEN SEEK PRIVATE DONATIONS AND TO CONTINUE THEIR FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY, WHICH THE COUNTY HAS A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SO.
NOW, WITH ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, I AM DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE AND WHAT I WAS SAT AT THIS TABLE TO DO AND ASKING THESE QUESTIONS AND BRINGING THE POINTS THAT AREN'T AS PLEASURABLE TO TALK ABOUT AND DON'T GET YOU AS MUCH, YOU KNOW, LIKABILITY FROM PEOPLE TO DISCUSS.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, $25,000, $50,000 IS THE ENTIRE OPERATING BUDGET FOR CERTAIN NON-PROFITS IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL.
I DO NOT THINK IT'S FAIR THAT THIS HAS NOW COME TO REVERSE DECISIONS THAT THE TOWN HAS A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE, LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SIDEWALKS TO REALLOCATE THE MONEY THAT WE ALREADY ALL AGREED ON UNANIMOUSLY TO ALLOCATE TOWARDS THE SIDEWALKS BECAUSE IT'S BECOME AN EMOTIONAL VOTE.
AND I'M SORRY, BUT THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.
IF PEOPLE WANNA MAKE THEIR OWN PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS, OR IF YOU WANNA GO OUT AND SHARE THE STATISTICS AND THE DATA THAT YOU JUST SHARED AT THE GAZEBO WITH A MICROPHONE AND RAISE FUNDS FOR THEM, $50,000 ISN'T MUCH TO YOU.
IT SHOULDN'T BE HARD TO COLLECT THAT.
THE COUNTY HAS GIVEN THEM MONEY.
THEY SHOULD BE UP AND RUNNING AND OPERATING AND GETTING IN THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS THAT THEY EXPECTED BY NOW.
I WAS JUST POINTING TO HIM THAT I'M GONNA CALL ON HIM.
I CAN DEBATE UNTIL I'M THE, I'M GONNA CALL ON EVERYTHING.
IT'S A MATTER OF WHAT IS THE JOB OF THE COUNCIL, WHAT IS THE JOB OF THE TOWN? WHAT IS THE JOB OF THE COUNTY AND WHAT WE DO AS ADVOCATES SHOULD BE IN OUR PERSONAL LIFE.
IT SHOULDN'T BE AT THE EXPENSE OF TAXPAYERS.
SO, WELL, ALL I WANTED TO DO IS TO JUST GO AROUND THE TABLE.
HAS ANYBODY'S POSITION CHANGED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY, UM, TO FUND A NONPROFIT? THAT'S ALL I WAS GOING TO DO, BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY FUNDED THE NONPROFIT ONCE.
CAN WE PREFACE IT WITH THIS AS A SECOND CONTRIBUTION, NOT A FIRST.
I, WELL, YEAH, I, I JUST WAS SO VICE MAYOR
[01:40:01]
OKAY.BUT IT, LIKE WE SAID IN NINE SEVEN, IN, IN THAT AGREEMENT, AND YOU CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, GEORGE, IN THAT AGREEMENT, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO RUN IT AS A YOUTH CENTER FOR THE WHOLE TIME.
AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN TO OUR RECREATION.
UM, I MEAN, I, I'M VI I I I WAS RAISED IN THAT PLACE.
I WAS GONNA SAY YOU WERE IN IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NO, I WAS COUNTY KID.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO ADDRESS THIS KIND OF, YEAH, PLEASE.
SO, UM, THE VOLUNTARY SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, UM,
UH, IN FY 2000, 2001, THE COUNTY SHALL ASSUME FULL FUNDING AND OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR A COUNTYWIDE PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAM.
AND THEN, UH, CERTAIN PROPERTIES WERE IDENTIFIED TO BE CONVEYED BY THE TOWN TO THE COUNTY.
AND THIS PROPERTY, UH, THE YOUTH CENTER PROPERTY, I'LL CALL IT, WAS ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES, WHICH THE TOWN WITHIN A YEAR, I BELIEVE, CONVEYED TO THE COUNTY.
UM, ASSUME FULL FUNDING AND OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR A COUNTYWIDE PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAM.
SO, UM, SO I WAS JUST GONNA GO BACK TO, AND, AND THE ONLY OTHER THING I WAS GONNA ADD IS THERE, UH, COUNCIL, UH, PASSED A RESOLUTION THE FIRST TIME AROUND, AND IT CONTAINED 12 RECITALS TO SET THE TABLE, SO TO SPEAK, TO AUTHORIZE COUNSEL TO EVEN ACT.
AND, AND THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THAT IS, WELL, THE RECITAL CONTAINS CONSTITUTION OF VIRGINIA, UM, UH, ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION, BUT, UH, MOST SPECIFICALLY 15.2 9 53, THAT IS THE KEY STATUTE TO GIVE COUNSEL THE AUTHORITY TO GIVE MONEY AWAY.
AND, UM, AND THAT ENABLES, UM, UM, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING RECREATIONAL SERVICES TO RESIDENTS OF THE LOCALITY.
OKAY, SO WHAT'S MY POINT? MY POINT IS THAT NOT ALL NONPROFITS ARE OPEN TO GETTING MONEY.
THE AUTHORITY HAS TO BE FOUND IN THAT STATUTE.
IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, UH, THERE WAS SUFFICIENT AUTHORITY TO DO IT.
THAT SAID, OKAY, I COME BACK TO WHAT I READ ABOUT THE VOLUNTARY SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT.
IT SAYS WHAT IT SAYS, THE COUNTY OPERATES THE PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.
ALL RIGHT, SO VICE MAYOR ECK, I'M JUST TRYING TO CLARIFY, SORRY.
UM, YOUR POSITION HAS NOT CHANGED ABOUT FUNDING A NONPROFIT.
COUNCILMAN WOOD, DID YOU HAVE A SO I TRIED TO GO BACK AND UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE I WAS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT NIGHT ON AUGUST 28TH, 2023, AND I WAS AMONGST 10 PEOPLE.
THE COUNCIL HELD A MEETING TO GET PUBLIC INPUT FOR THIS, AND THERE WERE GEN SPEAKERS IN FAVOR OF IT.
I KNOW THAT THERE IS NO MOU OF COURSE, I WASN'T ON THE COUNCIL, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT WAS IMPLIED FROM WHAT WAS PROMISED OR ALLEGEDLY PROMISED.
I WILL SAY, THOUGH, AND, AND I WANT TO TAKE, UM, I WANT TO, UH, SAY THAT I'M AS GUILTY AS ANYONE.
AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT TRANSFERRING MONEY SHOULDN'T BE A CONSENT ITEM.
I ZOOMED IN ON THE CALL OF THE WORK SESSION THE NIGHT, AND I DROPPED OUT THE LAST 10 MINUTES, WHICH THE DISCUSSION WAS APPARENTLY TO FUND, UH, PUT ALL THAT MONEY, THE EXCESS MONEY, THE FIVE, 500,000 PLUS DOLLARS EXTRA INTO THE SIDEWALK FUND.
SO NO, YOU DIDN'T HEAR A COMMENT FROM ME AND MY NAIVENESS OR WHATEVER IN THE TRANSFER OF THE MONEY IN
[01:45:01]
THE RECENT, UH, CONSENT AGREEMENT.I, I CAN ONLY BLAME MYSELF FOR NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT AND VOTING, UH, FOR THAT.
SO, UH, MINIMALLY, I'M, I'M GUILTY OF IT.
I'VE BEEN ON COUNSEL A SHORT TIME OF WATCHING YOU FOLKS BEFORE I JOINED YOU.
AND I SAW YOU GO THROUGH THE SPEED CAMERAS, THE DEBATE ON THAT.
AND, AND I REMEMBER IF WE COULD SAVE ONE CHILD THAT'S WORTH IT, UH, THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN ARE PARAMOUNT TO ME.
UH, EVERYONE SITTING HERE, MAYBE IT'S EXCEPTION AS JOSH, I DON'T KNOW JOSH WELL, OUR PARENTS AND WE UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN OF, OF KIDS AND, AND GRANDCHILDREN AND KIDS AT LARGE.
IF IT TOOK $50,000 TO GET THIS UP AND RUNNING, WHAT WOULD THAT BUY US AS A COUNT? WELL, WE COULD SAY MAYBE ONE CHILD.
UH, WE'VE HEARD THE STATISTICS FROM, UH, COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT.
I KNOW, AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE WAYNE OR BRUCE HAD OR, OR EVEN AMBER LATER, YOU KNOW, LATER ON ONLINE THERE.
I KNOW THAT THE CREATION AT THAT YOUTH CENTER DID SAVE LIVES.
'CAUSE THERE WERE KIDS HANGING OUT THERE DOING GOOD THINGS INSTEAD OF OUT DRINKING AND DRIVING AND HAVING WHATEVER TYPE OF BEHAVIOR.
I THINK MOST OF THESE TWO, IF NOT ALL OF 'EM, WILL BECOME CITIZENS.
I LIKE, I THINK MELISSA SAID YOU GREW UP IN THE COUNTY, SO YOU DIDN'T GO TO IT.
I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH THAT THERE WAS A GROUP OF US AND THE PARENTS WOULD CARPOOL US IN.
THERE WERE THREE FAMILIES OUT STRAWS, BURG ROAD, AND THEY WOULD TAKE TURNS, OR I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE UNTIL I WAS DRIVING AGE.
SO WE, WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THAT.
BUT MOST OF THE KIDS ATTENDED BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS COULD RUN 'EM DOWN AND THEY COULD WALK TO IT.
THIS IS OFFERING, UM, AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, THIS IS OFFERING, UH, TO HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL, NOT ONLY IN SCHOOL THROUGH TUTORING, BUT ALSO IN LIFE.
AND I, I JUST SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, ESPECIALLY SINCE COVID, WE SEE THE DISCIPLINE, UH, ISSUES IN THE SCHOOL AND THE, THE FACTOR THAT THIS HAS HONOR YOU TODAY.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A, A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN TO BE GATHERED, UH, TO GATHER, TO BE LOVED.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S ACCOUNTABILITY, AND AGAIN, I WASN'T PRIVY TO ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS.
IF WE SAID TO SAMANTHA BARBER, COME IN HERE, LAY YOUR BOOKS OPEN.
I BELIEVE THAT SHE WOULD DO THAT.
I TOO BELIEVE IN SPENDING THIS TOWN'S MONEY WISELY, THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY.
UH, BUT IF WE PREVENTED ONE STUDENT FROM DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL OR COMMITTING OR SIN, I THINK IT'S INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S NOT SPEED CAMERAS IN THE SCHOOL ZONE.
BUT IT COULD HAVE A HUGE IMPACT.
AND THEREFORE I WOULD BE VERY IN FAVOR OF REVERSING OUR DECISION, OR AT LEAST HAVING ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING ON IT TO SUPPORT THE YOU SIR, HAVE IN INGRAM.
I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE PATIENT, I WAS JUST KIND OF GOING BACK FORTH, BACK FORTH BACK.
I TRY TO, EVERYBODY I TRY TO, EVERY TIME I TRY TO SAY SOMETHING, SOMEBODY CHIMES IN.
NO, HE SAID HE WANTED YOU TO GO FIRST.
NO, I WANT EVERYBODY TO GO FIRST.
'CAUSE EVERYBODY'S HAD A CHANCE NOW AFTER HER.
SO I WILL SAY WHEN I WAS A NON-PROFIT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, I WOULD TAKE MONEY FROM WHOEVER GAVE IT, YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD, I DEFINITELY SOLICITED THE GOVERNMENT AND ALL THAT.
BUT OVER THE YEARS, MANY YEARS, I HAVE SEEN HOW DETRIMENTAL GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT WITH NONPROFITS CAN BE.
SO WE COULD, WE COULD VOTE IN A DONATION TODAY.
THEY COULD BE EXPECTING THEIR DONATION THE NEXT YEAR AND A NEW GROUP WOULD COME IN AND TURN IT RIGHT.
AND ALL THAT DOES IS MAKE, UH, HARD FEELINGS BETWEEN THE NONPROFIT AND THE GOVERNMENT.
UM, FOR THIS NONPROFIT, I ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR, WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE THEY WERE BUILDING, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A BOARD AND THEY HAVE, UM, THINGS.
IT TAKES A LONG TIME FOR A NONPROFIT TO GET UP AND RUNNING INSURANCE.
[01:50:01]
CAN JUST GET A $50,000 GRANT TO START YOU OUT AND THERE YOU GO.BUT, UM, A MORE SUSTAINABLE NONPROFIT STARTS WITH A BOARD AND BUILDS IN THE COMMUNITY'S ENGAGEMENT IN SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, NOW THERE'S JUST A COUPLE POINTS I WANNA MAKE.
ONE IS, THERE REALLY IS NO EXTRA MONEY.
I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT, WE QUIT SAYING EXTRA MONEY BECAUSE REALLY WHAT IT IS, IS PRIORITIES.
WE HAVE, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT AMOUNT OF MONEY WE HAVE, THERE'S ALWAYS A LIST OF PRIORITIES.
IS THIS A PRIORITY? I THINK THAT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN, UM, BECAUSE I, I WOULD LIKE, I THINK IN DIFFERENT WAYS WE DO SUPPORT NONPROFITS, BUT I THINK WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, ANOTHER POINT TOO.
I KNOW, BUT I DON'T WANNA SEE THEIR BOOKS.
I DON'T WANNA BE IN THEIR WEEDS AT ALL.
I WANT THEM TO HAVE AUTONOMY AND WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
AND THAT AUTONOMY WILL COME MORE FROM THEM, HAVING THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT THEM OUTSIDE OF THE GOVERNMENT.
'CAUSE THE MINUTE YOU INVOLVE THE GOVERNMENT, YOU'VE INVOLVED THE GOVERNMENT'S PRIORITIES.
SO, UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN, I HAD ASKED ABOUT THIS AND I KNOW THAT JOE'S GOT ON LIST TO DO, I WANNA SEE IF THERE IS ANY WAY THAT WE CAN DO MODIFY MODIFIED ROUNDUP PROGRAM OR A MODIFIED PROGRAM, OR MAYBE BY LOTTERY WE COULD GIVE OUT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY, A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY EACH YEAR.
AND THAT WAY IT'S, IT'S CITIZENS GIVING EXTRA.
AND THEN WE, BY LOTTERY, WE CAN NOMINATE WHOEVER WE WANT, NOMINATE TO BE PUT IN THE POT.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN PET NONPROFITS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALL HAVE PASSION, UM, FOR DIFFERENT THINGS.
YOU KNOW, UM, MINE IS DISABILITY MENTAL HEALTH.
YOU KNOW, MY, I WANNA HELP THOSE FOLKS.
SO HOW DO I HELP THEM? WELL, I DIDN'T ASK TO OFFER A DONATION FOR IT.
I ASKED, YOU KNOW, I WANT YOU TO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE RECOVERY CENTERS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN STILL BE SUPPORTING THEM, UM, INDIVIDUALLY AND EVEN AS A GROUP WITHOUT PASSING OVER CASH.
AND, UH, AND THAT FOLKS MAY NOT BE IN AGREEMENT WITH BECAUSE THEY AGAIN, HAVE THEIR OWN THEIR OWN PREFERENCES AND PRIORITIES.
BUT ANYWAY, SO BOTTOM LINE IS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN DO SOME SORT OF, UM, NOT AN OUTRIGHT DONATION TO JUST REACHING OUT NOW.
I WANNA SEE IF WE CAN ESTABLISH SOME SORT OF MECHANISM TO GIVE OUT A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY EACH YEAR UP FOR GRABS, LOTTERY STYLES BY NONPROFITS, UM, ONE NONPROFIT A YEAR.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN.
SO THAT THEN IT'S, IT'S UM, MORE FAIRLY DISPERSED, UM, AMONG THE COMMUNITY.
SO I MEAN, I WANT TO CLARIFY, 'CAUSE MELISSA HAD TALKED TO ME ABOUT THIS.
SHE TAUGHT, AND FOR THOSE YOU, I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY IN HERE WOULD BE FAMILIAR BECAUSE NONE OF US ARE ON RAPPAHANNOCK ELECTRIC.
BUT RAPPAHANNOCK ELECTRIC HAS THIS THING CALLED, UM, POWER OF CHANGE CALLED POWER OF CHANGE.
AND THE HANOCK ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS CAN ROUND UP THEIR ELECTRIC BILL.
SO LET'S JUST SAY THEIR ELECTRIC BILL IS $132 AND 68 CENTS.
THEY CAN ELECT TO HAVE IT ROUNDED UP.
AND SO THAT'S 32 CENTS, JENNIFER, EACH ONE OR WHATEVER THAT I'M JUST SAYING.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHE HAD MENTIONED AND I KNOW THAT, UM, AND THEN RAPID HAND ELECTRIC COLLECTS APPLICATIONS FOR ANYBODY AND THEN THEY CHOOSE WHICH, UH, ORGANIZATION THEY GIVE THE MONEY TO.
I WILL SAY THIS, I, AFTER TALKING TO YOU ABOUT THAT, I THINK I ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS.
'CAUSE I THOUGHT THAT ONLY BECAUSE I WAS FAMILIAR WITH RAPPA HAND ELECTRIC.
I'M NOT SURE WE COULD DO THAT BECAUSE OURS THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.
I ALREADY TALKED TO YOU BECAUSE YOU SAID THEY'RE NOT AT ALL BECAUSE IT'S ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND THAT'S SO, SO SO YOU'RE COLLECTING IT FROM YOUR CUSTOMERS.
DON'T ASK ME HOW RAP HAND COLLECTOR DOES IT.
BUT I KNOW WE TALK, I I TALKED TO BJ ABOUT IT.
WELL, NON THERE DIFFERENT, YEAH, IT'S A DIFFERENT THING.
SO IT'S CALLED, BUT ANYWAYS, SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT MELISSA WAS TALKING ABOUT, BUT UM, I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO JOSH 'CAUSE WE STILL HAVE CLOSE.
NO, I MEAN, MY, MY POSITION HASN'T CHANGED.
I, I I, I, I MEAN I I'M STILL IN THE SAME SPOT.
I MEAN, WE, WE WENT OUT OF OUR WAY LAST YEAR.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE FACT IS, IS THAT WHEN WE WERE ASKED FOR THIS MONEY LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, THE THOUGHT WAS THAT IT WAS GONNA BE UP AND RUNNING AND STILL NOT, IT'S NOT UP AND RUNNING.
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I DON'T, IS THE $50,000 THAT, IF WE WERE TO GIVE 'EM, IS THAT STILL GOING TO HELP? 'CAUSE I MEAN, LOOKING FOR A STAFFING POSITION, IS THAT ONLY ONE YEAR WHERE THE
[01:55:01]
PERSON, THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK AND ASK FOR ANOTHER? I DON'T KNOW.I MEAN, WE WENT OUT OF OUR WAY.
I THINK WE WENT THROUGH GROUPS COMFORTABLE REMORSE, AND THAT WAS AN UNPRECEDENTED MOVE THAT WE WENT OUT OF OUR WAY TO GET THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO, TO GET SOMETHING STARTED BEYOND OUR BUDGET, UH, APPROVAL, UM, UH, TIME SPAN.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND FOLKS AROUND HERE KNOW WHAT OUR BUDGET SEASON IS.
AND THEN THIS YEAR ALONE, I MEAN, I, I DON'T RECALL SEEING ANY FORMAL REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING UP THROUGH OUR FISCAL YEAR.
AGAIN, WE FOUND OUT ABOUT, WHICH I WAS UTTERLY SHOCKED AT HOW WE WERE BASICALLY THROWN UNDER THE BUS WAY, I FEEL, UM, PUBLICLY OVER IT.
AND I JUST, I'M LIKE, WELL, OBVIOUSLY WHY ARE WE HEARING THIS NOW? BECAUSE I DON'T RECALL THEM SAYING, HEY, WE NEED ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, BEFORE OUR BUDGET, AFTER THEY WERE TOLD LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR BUDGET SEASON IS, YOU KNOW, JUST SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, TOWN OF FRONT WORLD, CAN YOU ADD THIS TO YOUR BUDGET LINE? I DON'T RECALL SEEING THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE MADE IT QUITE CLEAR IT WAS A 1 21 TIME DONATION WITH NO OTHER OBLIGATIONS.
AND AS GEORGIA ALLUDED TO, THE VEHICLE'S ALREADY THERE FOR THE USE CENTER THROUGH THE COUNTY.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S MY STANCE ON IT.
I MEAN, IF, IF WE GIVE MONEY TO ONE, UM, THEN, YOU KNOW, THEN IT CREATES, IT CREATES CONFUSION FOR, FOR OTHER NONPROFITS OUT THERE.
AND AGAIN, AS, AS COUNCILWOMAN MONICA PAYNE SAID, YOU KNOW, EVERY, EVERY ONE OF US HERE HAS, YOU KNOW, HAS SOMETHING WE'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT.
I MEAN, WE'RE ALL, I MEAN, AS YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND, AND COUNCIL, WHAT'S RIGHT, I, I DON'T HAVE KIDS, BUT, BUT I MEAN, I VOTED AGAINST HIM FAVOR OF, OF, OR I VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE, OF THE, OF THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS AT, AT THE SCHOOL ZONES, WHICH WE OBVIOUSLY CAUSED A LOT OF CONTROVERSY ABOUT, BUT I HONESTLY HAVEN'T HEARD ANY COMPLAINTS RECENTLY ABOUT THEM.
SO I GUESS THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING FINE.
UM, AND IN FACT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE JUST APPROVED, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UM, YOU, THE SIDEWALK ONE WHATNOT.
I MEAN, UH, BUT I WANT, YOU KNOW, BUT ALSO THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE GOTTA MAINTAIN.
SO I THINK THIS COUNCIL IS, HAS DONE GOOD IN, IN, IN, IN THAT SENSE, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, GET, TO BE, YOU KNOW, TO BE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE WITH, WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT.
AND AGAIN, WE, YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL FOR, FOR WHAT COUNCILMAN WOOD AND COUNCILMAN REPPORT ARE SAYING, BUT YOU KNOW, WE, WE DID, YOU KNOW, WE DID HAVE A CONSENSUS ABOUT THAT FUNDING.
AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, AS SHE SAID, IT'S, IT'S NOT ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
IT WAS BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, IT DE OBLIGATED FUNDS IN A WAY.
SO IT WAS MONEY THAT WAS ALREADY IN OUR BUDGET, BUT IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THE BEING IN BUSINESS THAT I'VE BEEN IN, YOU KNOW, EVERY, EVERY YEAR YOU GET THE GOVERNMENT THAT SAYS, OH, WELL WE GOTTA HURRY UP, SPEND OUR FUNDING BECAUSE IT DOESN'T CARRY IN THE NEXT YEAR.
YOU KNOW, IT SAYS THERE'S A RUSH CONTRACT, IT'S JUST FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO SPEND MONEY SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW? AND, AND THEN IF A CONTRACT'S SUCCEEDED OR CONTRACT'S COMPLETED, THEN THE CON YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT WILL COME BACK AND SAY, OKAY, WELL YOU DIDN'T USE ALL YOUR TRAVEL BUDGET.
CAN YOU DELIGATE THESE FUNDS? THEN THEY'RE QUOTE UNQUOTE DE IT'S NOT A BUDGET AND OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S JUST DE OBLIGATED FUNDS IN A WAY.
SO ANYWAYS, BUT THAT'S MY STANCE FOR IT.
MAYOR, BEFORE, BEFORE YOU SPEAK, CAN I MAKE JUST ONE COMMENT? SURE.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY, UH, THAT INITIALLY WHEN THEY CAME BEFORE US, THEY ASKED FOR 20 5K AND THEN, UH, UH, OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD, THEY ASKED FOR 50 K IN THE SECOND YEAR, 50 K.
THAT'S, BUT DID THEY ASK THAT? DID THEY ASK? IT WAS IN, IT WAS IN THE, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS THE POINT OF INFORMATION.
ALRIGHT, SO, SO I I I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY AND I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THE ACTUAL FACTS.
THE OTHER THING, AND THE OTHER THING WAS, UH, THAT THE, THE COUNTY GAVE US THE BUILDING, GAVE THEM THE BUILDING IN KIND AND THAT, AND THAT'S HOW THEY CAME UP WITH 50 K.
SO ACTUALLY, JUST TO LET YOU GO, JUST TO CLARIFY.
THE ACTUAL INITIAL ASK WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE THAT, THAT, THAT YOU HAD JUST QUOTED.
AND THEN WITHIN SO MANY MONTHS IT WAS 125.
I, I'M JUST MAKING SURE THAT I, I ONLY SAY THAT.
'CAUSE THE INITIAL, I MEAN, I WAS AT THE INITIAL MEETING, SO NOT A MAYOR.
I JUST WANNA ADD A POINT OF INFORMATION.
FOR THE MISINFORMATION, FOR THE PUBLIC WATCHING, FOR THE PRESS, SITTING HERE LISTENING AND FOR THE INTEGRITY OF THIS COUNCIL AND THE TOWN STAFF, THERE WAS NOT ONE WORK SESSION BASED ON THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS OR REALLOCATED FUNDS.
THERE WERE TWO WORK SESSIONS, ONE WHICH COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE PRESENT AT, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHERE COUNCILMAN WOOD SUGGESTED A TOWN ENGINEER IN PERSON.
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SAT AT THAT WORK SESSION.SO THE SECOND ONE WAS THE ONE YOU ZOOM INTO THE FIRST ONE, WE DID HAVE AN IN PERSON CONVERSATION, SO THERE WERE TWO.
SO IT SOUNDS, UM, AT THIS POINT IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE, UM, THAT THERE IS, UM, A CONSENSUS RIGHT NOW TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
I, I DO WANNA OFFER MY, A COUPLE THOUGHTS SINCE EVERYBODY GOT A CHANCE TO, I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT THE YOUTH.
I'VE SPENT 35 YEARS BEING PASSIONATE ABOUT THE YOUTH.
SO ANY SUGGESTION THAT, THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE, WHICH I KNOW NOBODY HERE MADE THAT.
I'M JUST SAYING, UM, I DO CARE ABOUT THE U UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE, JUST LIKE I DID THAT NIGHT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, DONATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC.
SADLY, I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN OUR COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE STRAPPED FOR MONEY AND, UM, I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE ONLY NONPROFIT.
I ACTUALLY THINK THERE ARE MULTIPLE NONPROFITS THAT I WON'T SAY ARE HURTING, BUT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAD MORE TO DONATE.
THEY DON'T HAVE AS MUCH TO DONATE.
AND MAYBE THAT'S WHY IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF IT DIDN'T GET OFF THE GROUND.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT I THINK CHURCHES, THERE'S LOTS OF PLACES THAT ARE, UM, HAVING A ROUGHER TIME BECAUSE, UM, BECAUSE PEOPLE, I WON'T SAY EXPENDABLE INCOME, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT, WHAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO DONATE TO.
UM, I AM GONNA, UM, MAKE ONE OTHER, UH, UH, COMMENT.
AND THIS IS ACTUALLY FOR REACHING OUT NOW.
UM, IN TALKING, YOU GUYS KNOW, I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE ABOUT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND HOW DIFFERENT CORPORATIONS IN WARREN COUNTY OR COMPANIES, UH, DO PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS WHERE PEOPLE CAN HAVE MONEY TAKEN FROM THEIR PAYROLL.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE EDUCATIONAL ENDOWMENT DOES THAT WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AFTER THAT MEETING, I REACHED OUT TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AGAIN AND ASKED, WAS THERE ANY WAY THAT THAT COULD BE SOMETHING REACHING OUT NOW, COULD POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, UM, ASK FOR, UM, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, DO PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS.
I KNOW EXALTA WENT, IT USED TO BE DUPONT DID IT.
I KNOW VIRGINIA LAPORT, A LOT OF PLACES WILL ALLOW THEIR EMPLOYEES TO, UM, HAVE IT PRE PROTECT AND UH, DESIGNATE WHERE IT'S GONNA GO TO.
UM, AND SOMEONE MADE THE SUGGESTION TO ME THAT 'CAUSE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ALLOWS UNITED WAY AND THAT EDUCATIONAL ENDOWMENT, AND SOMEBODY SUGGESTED THAT UNITED WAY ACTUALLY HAS UNDERNEATH OF THEM NONPROFITS.
AND SO IT COULD BE, IF REACHING OUT NOW WAS INTEREST AND MAYBE THEY COULD GO TO UNITED WAY AND SEE IF THEIRS COULD BE ONE OF THE AREAS TO DESIGNATE, UH, LIKE FOR ME, I DO EDUCATIONAL ENDOWMENT, MY HUSBAND DID BLUERIDGE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO YOU CAN SAY WHICH AREAS THAT YOU WOULD WANT IT TO.
THAT'S ANOTHER FUNDING MECHANISM.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.
I JUST, THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT I, JUST TRYING TO THINK OF WAYS THAT THEY COULD, UM, RAISE FUNDS.
UM, AND, AND I WILL SAY TOO TOWN BEFORE ANYBODY IN THE TOWN OR TOWN CITIZENS FEEL IN ANY WAY, I, I DO WANNA REMIND THEM THAT YOU ARE, THEY ARE ALREADY PARTICIPATING IN THIS THROUGH THEIR COUNTY TAX DOLLARS BECAUSE THE COUNTY IS, I KNOW LIKE YOU SAID, IN KIND, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING THEM TO USE THE BUILDING.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, SO, SO THEY ARE, THEY ARE PARTICIPATING, UM, AS COUNTY CITIZENS, AS COUNTY TAXPAYERS.
UM, AND, AND, AND REACHING OUT NOW IS ACTUALLY HELPING THE COUNTY IN MY OPINION, BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUALLY PERFORMING, UM, A SERVICE, A FUNCTION THAT REALLY COULD BE LEFT UP TO THE COUNTY TO DO, UM, TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT BUILDING AS RECREATIONAL.
SO REACHING OUT NOW IS ACTUALLY, UM, UM, HELPING WITH THAT IN THEMSELVES.
SO AT THIS TIME IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THERE WAS A CONSENSUS.
SO, WAYNE, DID YOU WANNA ADD, DID YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND? NO, I, I JUST WANNA ASK THE QUESTION.
WHAT HAS REACHING OUT NOW DONE FOR THEIR SELF TO RAISE MONEY? I HAVE NO IDEA.
THERE, THERE ARE 14 OR 15 SPONSORS THAT THEY, UH, YOU DOING HOW MUCH THEY RAISED? ARE THEY? WELL, CISCO SYSTEMS IS ONE OF 'EM.
UH, SHEOR UNIVERSITY IS, UH, IS ONE OF 'EM.
THEY'RE, I GOT A LIST OF THEM.
UH, AND UH, IN FACT, I THINK IT WAS ALL, IT WAS ALL SHARED WITH US IN SOME OF THE PAMPHLET.
BUT IT'S GOING TO THE LARGER ONE THOUGH.
I MEAN, IS THAT WHAT THE ISSUE IS? NO, NO, NO.
I'M THINK CISCO WAS DEFINITELY USED.
I MEAN, YOU GOT THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE INVOLVED.
MADAM MAYOR, THIS IS JUST A CONTINUED DEBATE.
CAN WE PLEASE MOVE THE AGENDA FORWARD? WE'VE
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ALREADY TAKEN THE BLAME ON A PRESS TOUR THAT WAS TAKEN, THAT THE TOWN IS THE REASON THAT IT'S NOT OPEN AND RUNNING, WHICH IS COMPLETELY UNFAIR.AND WE HAVE THE CONSENSUS OF THE COUNCIL GRANDSTANDING.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE THE LA VERY LAST ITEM IS CLOSED MEETING.
UM, IF ANYBODY, UM, WOULD LIKE MAYOR TO SENTENCE, MAYOR, I MOVE THAT THE TOWN CONVENE A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 2 OF CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES.
AND THAT COUNCIL CONSIDER TAKING ACTION ON THESE MATTERS AND AN OPEN SESSION ONE PURSUANT TO 2.2371 A, ONE OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION, ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE, DEMOTION, SALARIES, DISCIPLINING, OR RESIGNATION OF SPECIFIC PUBLIC OFFICERS, APPOINTEES OR EMPLOYEES OF ANY PUBLIC BODY, FOR SPECIFICALLY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
COUNCILMAN OF KING COUNCIL MOORE? YES.
I'M GONNA RECOMMEND EVERYBODY TAKE A TWO SECONDS.