* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:04] OKAY. I AM [1. MOMENT OF SILENCE] GONNA, CAN YOU GUYS, I'M GONNA CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING FOR OCTOBER 28TH, AND WE'RE GONNA BEGIN WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE. OKAY? [2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ] NEXT UP IS OUR PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE. UH, JUST HOLD ON ONE SECOND. SO, AS YOU KNOW, DURING MY TERM AS MAYOR INVITES STUDENTS FROM THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TO LEAD OUR COUNCIL IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND THIS MONTH WE WELCOME THEODORE TEDDY, GUNN. TEDDY, CAN YOU COME FORWARD? I THINK IT, SO AS TEDDY'S COMING FORWARD, I'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT TEDDY IS THE SON OF AL AND KAY GUNN. TEDDY ATTENDS CHELSEA ACADEMY WHERE HE IS IN FOURTH GRADE. HE ENJOYS BASEBALL, SOCCER, AND BASKETBALL. HE REPRESENTED FRONT ROYAL ON HIS LITTLE LEAGUE, ALL-STAR BASEBALL TEAM FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS WHERE THEY WENT TO THE DISTRICT THREE CHAMPIONSHIP. HE ALSO PLAYS TRAVEL BASEBALL ON THE FRONT ROYAL WILD HAWKS TEAM. HE PLAYS BASKETBALL IN THE LOCAL WARREN COUNTY PARKS AND REC LEAGUE. HE REPRESENTS HIS SCHOOL, CHELSEA ACADEMY, ON THE MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCCER AND CHESS TEAM. HE IS, UH, NOT JUST A SPORTS GUY, HE ALSO PLAYS PIANO AND RECENTLY DID A RECITAL FOR THE RESIDENTS OF LYNN CARE. HIS FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL IS MATH. YAY MATH. HE COLLECTS BASEBALL AND FOOTBALL TRADING CARDS. HE HAS A TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AND RAYS VAN, UNLESS HIS DAD IS NEAR, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT IT MIGHT INCLUDE THE ASTROS AND TEXANS. HE LIKES TO BUILD WITH LEGOS AND SNAP CIRCUITS. UM, HIS DAD'S THINKING THAT MAYBE THAT LOVE FOR WORKING WITH CIRCUITS AND MECHANICAL DEVICES MIGHT LEAD TO A CAREER AS AN ENGINEER. HIS FAVORITE FOOD IS PIZZA. AND LASTLY, TEDDY WON THE CHARACTER AWARD AT CHELSEA ACADEMY, WHICH IS GIVEN TO A STUDENT WITH EXEMPLARY CHARACTER AND CONDUCT. WHAT AN HONOR. TEDDY, I'M SURE YOUR TEACHERS AND COACHES LOVE WORKING WITH YOU. SO, TEDDY, BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO ASK YOU RIGHT BEFORE THE MEETING BEGAN, YOU GET TO CHOOSE A GIFT CERTIFICATE, UM, FROM ONE OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES. SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A CHOICE AND YOU CAN LET ME KNOW WHEN I COME DOWN THERE. SO WE HAVE DOWN HOME COMFORT BAKERY, DNL, SPLUNKERS, OR GARCIA AND COVINO. WHICH ONE OF THOSE SOUNDS INTERESTING TO YOU? SPLUNKERS? IT IS. I GOTCHA. SO . SO, UH, HE'S ALSO RECEIVING A CERTIFICATE THANKING HIM FOR HIS PATRIOTISM AND PARTICIPATION IN THE FRONT WORLD TOWN COUNCIL MEETING FOR OCTOBER 28TH. SO, TEDDY, WE'RE GONNA ASK EVERYBODY TO STAND AND HOLD ON ONE SECOND WHEN YOU'RE READY. WHICH ALLEGIANCE TO THE FATHER OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN THE VISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. I'LL BE RIGHT THERE. OKAY, SO [3. ROLL CALL] NEXT UP, MS. PRESLEY, CAN WE DO OUR ROLL CALL? MAYOR COCKRELL. HERE. VICE MAYOR SELO. HERE. [00:05:01] COUNCILMAN INGRAM? HERE. COUNCILMAN MORRIS? HERE. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? HERE. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE. HERE. COUNCILMAN WOOD HERE. [4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] OKAY. ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS OUR APPROVAL OF MINUTES. DO I HEAR A MOTION? MADAM MAYOR? I MOVE THAT. COUNCIL APPROVED THE 2024 COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF THE SEPTEMBER 23RD REGULAR MEETING AND OCTOBER 7TH WORK SESSION AS PRESENTED. SECOND. OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, MS. PRESLEY, CAN WE DO ROLL CALL VICE MAYOR OCK? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN D DAMCO PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. ALL RIGHT. RICHMOND PASSES. SO NEXT UP ARE, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS OF ITEMS FROM THE AGENDA OR ANY REVISION OF ORDER OF BUSINESS? OKAY, SINCE WE'VE HEARD NONE, OUR NEXT SECTION [6. RECOGNITIONS/AWARDS/REPORTS/PRESENTATIONS] IN OUR AGENDA IS OUR RECOGNITION AWARDS, REPORTS, AND PRESENTATIONS. AND SO THE FIRST ONE TONIGHT IS OUR RECOGNITION OF THE RETIREMENT OF POLICE CHIEF CARRIE ALE, KALE MCGILLIS. SO KALE, IF YOU'LL COME FORWARD, WE HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU. UM, I'M GONNA READ IT FOR EVERYBODY, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA COME FORWARD. UM, WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS TONIGHT, I, IN MY MIND, I KEPT SAYING THIS IS BITTERSWEET. 'CAUSE I'M REALLY HAPPY FOR YOU TO GET TO, UH, CROSS OVER INTO THAT NEXT ADVENTURE CALLED RETIREMENT LIFE, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE. BUT I'M, BUT I'M NOT GONNA LIE, I'M GONNA MISS YOU. YOU WERE, YOU WERE HERE WHEN, UH, WHEN I STARTED, AND YOU'VE GIVEN ME LOTS OF GUIDANCE AND, AND ADVICE WHEN NEEDED, AND PROTECTION AND ALL THOSE THINGS. SO, UM, I'M GONNA READ THIS AND WE'RE GONNA COME DOWN. SO, CHIEF KERRY ELIS II WITH GREAT HONOR AND RECOGNITION OF YOUR SERVICE, LEADERSHIP, AND DEDICATION TO THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WELL-DESERVED RETIREMENT. MAY YOU BE PROUD OF THE PERSON YOU ARE, THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE, AND THE DIFFERENCE YOU HAVE MADE WITH SINCERE GRATITUDE FROM FELLOW EMPLOYEE, TOWN MANAGER, MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL. AND KAYLA, I JUST WANNA SAY ONE OTHER THING. I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING DOWN TONIGHT, AND THEY'RE VERY PROUD OF THIS MOMENT FOR YOU TOO. CAN WE ALL SCOOT IN? OKAY. THANK YOU. I THANK YOU. WE WILL TRY TO KEEP IT CALM TONIGHT, KALE, SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DO SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER HAD TO DO QUITE YET. WHAT I GOT BACK UP THERE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO NEXT UP, UM, IS OUR RECOGNITION OF EMPLOYEES AND ENERGY SERVICES, UH, RESPONDING TO MUTUAL AID FOR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES. AND MR. WALTZ, I BELIEVE YOU'RE GONNA TAKE THIS ONE, RIGHT? OR DO YOU WANT ME TO? I, I DON'T MIND AT ALL. I JUST DIDN'T, UM, YEAH, IF YOU DON'T MIND, MAYOR, I THINK WE DID PUT SOMETHING IN THE PACKET FOR YOU TO READ. YEP. NO, I KNOW YOU DID. I IT HAD YOUR NAME BESIDE OF IT, BUT I'LL BE GLAD TO DO THIS. SO TONIGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE EXTRAORDINARY EFFORTS OF OUR DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SERVICES IN THE WAKE OF HURRICANE HELENE'S DEVASTATION, AND THE SPIRIT OF MUTUAL AID, A FOUR MAN CREW, LINE CREW SUPERVISOR ALAN BELL, [00:10:01] A CLASS LINEMAN, JOE ROBERTS AND CODY LOWMAN AND C CLASS LINEMAN TREVOR GRIFFITH. AND I'M ASSUMING THOSE GENTLEMEN ARE HERE. YES, THEY'RE OKAY. IN THE BACK. WOULD YOU ALL MIND COMING FORWARD SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT, AND, AND CARRIE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN THEM UP HERE IS WHY I KNOW YOU'RE PROUD OF THEM. SORRY, DID YOU GUYS KNOW WE WERE GONNA CALL YOU FORWARD? YEAH. OKAY, GOOD. I HATE, I HATE TO THROW THAT ONE ON YOU. RIGHT. SO THESE FOUR MEN, ALONG WITH FOUR SUPPORT VEHICLES, UH, WERE DISPATCHED TO ASSIST OUR SISTER MUNICIPAL MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITIES IN THEIR RECOVERY EFFORTS FOR NINE DAYS, THEY WORKED 16 HOUR SHIFTS, BEGINNING WITH FOUR DAYS IN BRISTOL, VIRGINIA, FOLLOWED BY FIVE MORE IN CLINTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, HELPING TO RESTORE POWER IN THESE HARDHEAD AREAS. THE CONDITIONS THEY FACED WERE SEVERE DOWNED POWER LINES, UPROOTED TREES, BROKEN INFRASTRUCTURE, AND WIDESPREAD OUTAGES, WHICH LEFT MANY RESIDENTS WITHOUT POWER FOR DAYS. STORM RESTORATION IS AMONG THE MOST DANGEROUS WORK A LINEMAN CAN DO, ESPECIALLY IN THESE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. AND IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THE COURAGE AND COMMITMENT THESE MEN HAVE SHOWN. THIS DEPLOYMENT IS PART OF A LONGSTANDING TRADITION OF MUNI MUTUAL AID BETWEEN MUNICIPALITIES DURING TIMES OF CRISIS MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS WITH THE AMERICAN PUBLIC POWER ASSOCIATION AND THE MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC POWER ASSOCIATION OF VIRGINIA. AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE REST OF OUR LINE CREW, BECAUSE OUR TEAM CONSISTS OF ONLY EIGHT LINEMEN. SO THOSE WHO STAYED BEHIND HAD THE CRUCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF ENSURING OUR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HERE AT HOME REMAINED FULLY OPERATIONAL. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR HARD WORK, DEDICATION AND SELFLESSNESS, AND WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE SUCH AN OUTSTANDING TEAM REPRESENTING OUR TOWN. UM, AND I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, UM, WE ACTUALLY, UM, HAD, UH, WE COUNCIL ACTUALLY RECEIVED EMAILS FROM, UH, CITIZENS IN THOSE JURISDICTIONS THANKING, UH, THANKING US FOR SENDING THEM AND THANKING THEM FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK. SO, CARRIE, DID YOU WANNA OFFER ANYTHING? ARE YOU GOOD OR YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? NO, I'M PROUD OF THESE GUYS. I MEAN, I'VE HAD CALLS FROM BRISTOL AND SOUTH CAROLINA AS WELL, JUST EXPRESSING HOW PROFESSIONAL AND HOW GOOD WORK THEY DID. YES. SO, ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US HERE AND, AND THOSE THAT YOU HELPED, THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'RE GONNA COME DOWN THERE. I'M JUST GONNA READ THIS. DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? WE GOT, YOU GOT ONE MORE? WE GOT ONE MORE GO. YEAH, WE GOT ONE MORE TO GO. STAY DOWN THERE. OKAY. SO THE NEXT ITEM TONIGHT THAT WE WANNA RECOGNIZE IS ACTUALLY THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYALS COMMUNITY SERVICE DURING THE WILDFIRE EVENTS IN MARCH OF 2024. UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT ON OCTOBER 3RD, UM, I HAD THE PLEASURE TO ATTEND THE VALOR AWARDS ALONG WITH MANY OF THE PEOPLE SITTING UP HERE ON THE DIOCESE. AND WHILE THIS IS MY FOURTH VALOR AWARDS I'VE ATTENDED, AND THEY'RE ALWAYS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THE MEN AND WOMEN IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO PUT THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS OR SAFETY AND THEIR NEEDS FIRST THIS YEAR. UM, ACCEPTING AN AWARD ON BEHALF OF OUR TOWN MANAGER AND OUR TOWN STAFF WAS EXTREMELY HUMBLING. UM, SO I, I KNOW WE CAN ALL NEVER SAY IT ENOUGH, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE OUR TOWN STAFF. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC HAD AN OPPORTUNITY [00:15:01] TO, UM, SEE THIS AWARD. UM, AND I'M ACTUALLY GONNA READ IT OUT LOUD, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY SAW THIS. AND SO IT SAYS, UH, THE GOLD VALOR AWARD AND AT THE VALOR AWARDS THERE WERE DIFFERENT LEVELS, UM, GIVEN, AND THIS ONE WAS THE GOLD. SO, AND IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL, AND IT WAS AWARDED IN RECOGNITION OF OUTSTANDING BRAVERY AND HEROISM AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY FOR THE SYSTEM-WIDE RESPONSE TO THE WILDFIRE EVENTS ON MARCH 20TH. SO JUST WANTED TO SAY KUDOS TO ALL OF OUR TOWN STAFF. UM, AND I, I DON'T KNOW, I KNOW I TOLD YOU ALL TO STAY DOWN THERE, BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY TOWN STAFF COMING UP HERE TO RECEIVE THIS. WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY, UM, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ABOUT THIS AND SEE IT. SO WE ARE, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF OUR STAFF. AND, UM, THAT NIGHT, NOT EVERYBODY WAS AT THE AWARD CEREMONY, SO WE WANTED MAKE SURE EVERYBODY SAW THAT. SORRY, GUYS. , YOU JUST DIDN'T WANT US UP HERE. YOU'RE GOOD. ALL RIGHT. [7.A. Special Use Permit (SUP) for a Mural at 296 South Street for The Salvation Army] SO NEXT UP IS OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS. AND SO, UM, ITEM SEVEN A, UH, I'M SORRY, SEVEN A IS THE SPECIAL USE, UM, PERMIT, SUP FOR A MURAL AT 2 96 SOUTH STREET FOR THE SALVATION ARMY. AND I'M GONNA ASSUME THAT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE SIGNED UP. AND SO SINCE THEY ARE, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UM, READ, READ OUR COMMENTS ON THAT. SO WE NOW COME TO THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THE AGENDA, PUBLIC HEARINGS, OR AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL TO LEARN OF INFORMATION OF WHICH THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY AWARE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE RECOGNIZED AND THEN COME FORWARD TO THE MICROPHONE AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND INDICATE IF YOU'RE A RESIDENT OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL. IF THE COMMENTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE, YOU MAY SIMPLY STATE THAT YOU AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER. THERE IS A THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR SPEAKERS, AND AFTER THREE MINUTES, THE MICROPHONE WILL CUT OFF. PLEASE REMEMBER, YOU ARE TO ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND TO REFRAIN FROM WORDS OR STATEMENTS WHICH ARE DEFAMATORY TO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS OR DISPLAY OTHER DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT INCLUDING OBSCENITY AND VULGARITY. AND SO I'VE READ THE TITLE AND MS. PRESLEY, IF YOU COULD, UM, READ THE SUMMARY FOR ITEM SEVEN, A COUNSEL'S REQUESTED TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY THE SALVATION ARMY FOR AN ARTISTIC MURAL EXCEEDING 60 SQUARE FEET IN SIZE TO BE PLACED ON THE WEST SIDE OF THEIR BUILDING LOCATED AT 2 96 SOUTH STREET. THE PROPERTY IS IDENTIFIED BY TAX MAP TWO OH A EIGHT DASH 16 DASH B AND ZONED C DASH ONE COMMUNITY BUSINESS DISTRICT. THE SUP IS REQUIRED BECAUSE THE SYMBOLOGY CONTAINED WITHIN AN ARTISTIC MURAL. CONS CONSTITUTES A SIGN AND ITS PROPOSED SIZE EXCEEDS 60 SQUARE FEET. OKAY, SO AT THIS TIME, I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING THIS PRESLEY. HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK FOR THIS ITEM? NO, WE HAVE NO ONE SIGNED UP. WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO SPEAK REGARDING THIS, UM, THIS APPLICATION? OKAY. I'M GONNA LET YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, ALTHOUGH I THINK WE ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE, BUT GO AHEAD. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I'M JUSTIN PROCTOR, UM, AT 1155 FOX DRIVE HERE IN FRONT ROYAL. UH, YEAH, I JUST WANNA SAY A COUPLE WORDS. WE ALSO HAVE CAPTAIN ANNE HAWK HERE TONIGHT FROM THE SALVATION ARMY. UM, AND SO THIS IS A MURAL THAT ACE IS YOUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY HAS BEEN WORKING ON FOR ABOUT THE LAST YEAR. WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED. WE'VE GOT A REALLY GOOD MOCKUP FOR YOU THAT I THINK YOU ALL HAVE OF WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE. IT'S A MOTHER BLACK BEAR WITH HER CUB AND THEN SURROUNDED BY VIRGINIA BLUEBELL. SO WE THINK IT REALLY CAPTURES A LOT OF OUR LOCAL WILDLIFE. UM, IT'S RIGHT ON SOUTH STREET WITH REALLY GOOD VISIBILITY, SO I KNOW THAT'S A STREET WE'RE WORKING HARD ON MAKING LOOK REALLY GOOD. WE GET A LOT OF VISITATION ACROSS IT AS WE'VE SEEN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKENDS. UM, AND THIS, THE SIDE OF THE SALVATION ARMY IS, IS JUST A, A BEAUTIFUL PALETTE TO PUT SOME GOOD LOCAL ARTWORK ON. OF COURSE, THIS IS GONNA BE DONE BY WHITNEY WALLER, WHO I THINK THE MAJORITY OF YOU KNOW, FROM SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY OR A FANTASTIC ARTIST WHO'S DONE A LOT OF OTHER WORK AROUND TOWN, A LOT OF OTHER GOOD EXAMPLES TO LOOK AT. UM, IT'S BEEN VERY WELL PLANNED OUT AND WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT IT. SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. UH, SO I WAS GONNA SAY, SO AT THIS POINT, THESE ARE COMMENTS, BUT IF, UM, AFTER WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU'LL, OH, OKAY. SURE. WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE YOU DO THAT THEN. ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK TO THIS TOPIC? NO. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL CLOSE THE, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. HAWK OR, OR ACE? ANY [00:20:01] QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, WELL THEN I WILL OPEN IT UP TO, GO AHEAD. THIS WAS TO BE FUNDED BY DONORS, RIGHT? IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. HUNDRED PERCENT DONOR FUNDED. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO MS. PRESLEY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, AND, UH, DO A ROLL CALL. WE NEED A MOTION, OR I'M SORRY, A MOTION. I SAID DON'T COUNSEL. AND THEN MADAM MAYOR MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNSEL, APPROVE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR AN ARTISTIC MURAL EXCEEDING 60 SQUARE FEET SIZE TO BE PLACED ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE SALVATION ARMY BUILDING LOCATED AT 2 96 SOUTH STREET. SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION FROM COUNSEL? I'LL JUST SAY THAT, UH, I THINK IT'S, UH, UH, WELL, WELL DONE. AND, UH, IT'S REFLECTIVE OF OUR, OF OUR, UH, OF THE THEME OF THE THEME OF THE, OF OUR, OUR COMMUNITY IN THE SENSE OF NATURE AND WHATNOT. SO, UH, AND THAT WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE FOR IT ANYWAY, ON THE WAY TO THE SKYLINE DRIVE OR LEAVING THE DRIVE AS WELL. ANYONE ELSE? MADAM MAYOR? UH, FULL DISCLOSURE, I SET ON THE SALVATION ARMY ADVISORY BOARD, SO I WANT TO GET THAT OUT THERE BEFORE I MAKE THIS COMMENT. UM, THE SALVATION ARMY, UH, HAS WORKED VERY HARD AT CLEANING UP THIS PROPERTY. UH, WE HAVE PUT IN AN EXCESS OF $30,000, I BELIEVE, IN RENOVATIONS TO THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING, THE SIDE OF IT, IT DOES FRONT AND SOUTH STREET. AND, UM, AS MR. PROCTOR SAID, WE CERTAINLY GET A LOT OF TRAFFIC THERE, ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR. I THINK THAT THIS WILL ENHANCE THE AREA AS SOME OF OUR OTHER MURALS HAVE DONE SO, AND I THINK THAT WE WILL PROBABLY FIND PEOPLE STOMPING AND HAVING THEIR CHILDREN, UH, POSE AND TAKING PICTURES WITH THIS. BUT, UM, ON BEHALF OF SALVATION ARMY, I WANT TO THANK ACES BECAUSE THEY HAVE PUT LARGE PLANTERS OUT THERE AND THEY HAVE A LANDSCAPING PLAN AS MORE WORK OCCURS ON THE SOUTH STREET. AND THIS IS TRULY A COLLABORATED AFFAIR. AND I WANT TO THANK JUSTIN AND HIS GROUP. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY, NOW, MS. PRESLEY, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? VICE MAYOR OCK? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. SO [7.B. Rezoning Application to Reclassify a Vacant Parcel on W Strasburg Road from C-1 to R-3 from Karen Alexander] ITEM SEVEN B. UM, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS FOR A REZONING APPLICATION TO RECLASSIFY A VACANT PARCEL ON WEST CHARLESBURG ROAD FROM C ONE TO R THREE FROM KAREN ALEXANDER. MS. PRESLEY, CAN YOU READ THE SUMMARY FOR US COUNSEL'S REQUESTED TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A REZONING APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY KAREN ALEXANDER REQUESTING A ZONING MAP AMENDMENT TO RECLASSIFY A VACANT PARCEL TAX MAP. 20 A 12 DASH THREE DASH 27 LOCATED ON WEST STRASBURG ROAD FROM C ONE COMMUNITY BUSINESS DISTRICT TO R THREE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT. THE VACANT PARCEL SITUATED BETWEEN 44 AND 52 WEST STRASSBURG ROAD. THE PARCEL WAS REZONED ON JULY 28TH, 1980 FROM R TWO RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT TO SEE ONE COMMUNITY BUSINESS DISTRICT. THE USES ALONG THIS SECTION OF WEST STRASSBURG ROAD HAVE CONTINUED TO BE UTILIZED AS RESIDENTIAL STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION THAT AN AMENDMENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BE INITIATED TO SHOW THIS PORTION OF WEST STRASBURG ROAD AS NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTIAL. OKAY. AT THIS TIME I'M GONNA OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. MS. PRESLEY, HAS ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE ONE. THE APPLICANT, KAREN ALEXANDER. SURE. HI. UM, CURRENTLY MY HUSBAND AND I OWN THAT LOT. WE'VE OWNED THAT LOT SINCE, UM, 1987. WE USED TO OWN A BUNCH OF PROPERTY UP THERE. WE TRIED TO SELL IT IN CONJUNCTION, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WHAT IT IS AS C ONE WITH THE ADJOINING PROPERTY. UH, WE'VE TRIED TO SELL IT, MARKET IT SEPARATELY. WE'VE HAD PEOPLE INTERESTED, BUT THERE'S NO ACCESS. YOU, IT'S A QUADRANT RESTRICTED. YOU KNOW, THEY MOVED IN, THEY PUT, PUT US IN A QUADRANT, AND THEN THEY DID NOT CHANGE THE ZONING. SO WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY ASKING IS THAT THERE BE A USE FOR THIS PROPERTY AT THIS POINT. UM, THE, THE HOUSES HAVE ALL SOLD NOW. THEY'RE ALL BEING REFURBISHED. THERE'S A LOT OF WORK GOING ON UP THERE, BUT LIKE I SAID, THERE'S NO WAY IT'S A HAMMERHEAD. THE HAMMERHEAD IS LONGER THAN REALLY WHAT IT SHOULD BE, AND THERE'S NO TURNAROUND. SO IT'S REALLY NOT GOT A GOOD COMMERCIAL USE AT THIS POINT. UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. WE'VE OWNED THE PROPERTY SINCE 1987. WE WENT THROUGH [00:25:01] THE BRIDGE THING, WE WENT THROUGH THE VDOT THING, THEY WERE PRACTICALLY UNWINNABLE. AND NOW, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF LIKE TO GET OUTTA THERE. WE'RE BOTH GETTING OLDER TIME FOR US TO, TO, TO, TO, TO GO. BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO, I'M ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER AND, UM, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER 'EM. OKAY. THANK YOU. DOES ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS TOPIC? ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY. UM, THEN I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL, MADAM MAYOR, MAYOR AND FURTHERANCE OF THE PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES CONTAINED IN TOWN CODE 1 75 DASH ONE BI MOVE THAT COUNSEL APPROVE A REZONING APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY KAREN ALEXANDER TO RECLASSIFY A VACANT PARCEL LOCATED ON WEST STRASBURG ROAD FROM C ONE COMMUNITY BUSINESS DISTRICT TO R THREE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT TAX MAP, 20 A 12 DASH THREE DASH 27 SECOND. OKAY. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? UM, I'LL JUST SAY, UH, MAYOR, I WAS UP THERE YESTERDAY LOOKING AT THE PROPERTY AND, UH, YOU'RE KINDA WEDGED IN THERE. I MEAN, THERE'S REALLY, THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH MORE THAT COULD, UH, THAT I COULD SEE THAT COULD BE DONE WITH IT. EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND IT SEEMS TO BE RESIDENTIAL. UM, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE DEAD END DOWN AT, YOU KNOW, I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW AM I GONNA GET MY TRUCK OUTTA HERE, YOU KNOW, SO, 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T PARK ON THE RIGHT, YOU, YOU HAVE TO PARK ON THE LEFT. SO, UH, UM, UH, I CAN SEE YOUR, YOUR CONCERNS. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? VICE MAYOR LOC? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. OUR NEXT ITEM [8. PUBLIC COMMENTS NOT RELATED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS ] TONIGHT ARE OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT ARE NOT RELATED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS. AND SO, UM, WE NOW COME TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PORTION OF THE AGENDA. IT'S THE DUTY OF THE MAYOR TO CONDUCT THIS MEETING IN AN ORDERLY MANNER. PERSONS ADDRESSING THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL ARE ASKED TO LIMIT THE REMARKS TO THOSE RELEVANT TO THE BUSINESS OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL. NO PERSONS AND ATTENDANCE SHALL BE ALLOWED TO VOICE REMARKS EXCEPT AS RECOGNIZED BY THE MAYOR OR THE CLERK OF COUNCIL. UPON RECOGNITION BY THE MAYOR OR THE CLERK OF COUNCIL, THE SPEAKER SHALL STATE THEIR NAME, ADDRESS AND INDICATE IF THEY'RE A RESIDENT OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL DIRECT. THEIR COMMENTS TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL SHALL NOT ADDRESS THE SUBJECT MATTER OF A PUBLIC HEARING BEING HELD DURING THE SAME MEETING. STAY WITHIN THE ALLOTTED THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT, AND AFTER THAT TIME HAS EXPIRED, THE MICROPHONE WILL BE CUT OFF. REFRAIN FROM WORDS OR STATEMENTS WHICH ARE DEFAMATORY TO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS OR DISPLAY OTHER DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT INCLUDING OBSCENITY AND VULGARITY GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS IN THE AUDIENCE CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE DETRIMENTAL TO OR DISTURBING. THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING WILL BE WORN TO REFRAIN FROM SUCH CONDUCT ANY ADDITIONAL DISTURBANCE AFTER THE WARNING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN THE MAYOR WHILE I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO ASK THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FRONT ROW POLICE DEPARTMENT TO REMOVE THE INDIVIDUAL GROUP OR CLEAR THE ROOMS SO THAT THE COUNCIL CAN CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THE TOWN. MS. PRESLEY, HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE TWO. OKAY. FIRST ONE'S. DAVID EDNEY, IT'S THREE MINUTES, CORRECT? YES. YES. FORGIVE ME, I HAVE TO PRETTY MUCH READ THIS TO GET THIS DONE. OKAY. UM, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COCKRELL AND DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. I COME BEFORE YOU AS A CONCERNED RESIDENT AND A MAIN STREET BUSINESS OWNER, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOUR CONSIDERATION TO ELIMINATE OR REDRAFT THE CREATION OF THE MAIN STREET SOLID WASTE SERVICE AREA I AM AWARE OF. THE LEGAL REQUIREMENT WAS MET WHEN ANNOUNCING PUBLIC HEARINGS REGARDING SOLID WASTE. I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS ISSUE UNTIL DAYS AFTER THE LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 24TH WAS RECEIVED. ON JANUARY 28TH, YOU WERE GIVEN A PRESENTATION BY JOHN COLBERTSON OF MSW CONSULTANTS. I WATCHED THE VIDEO AND LISTENED AS EACH ONE OF YOU ASKED QUESTIONS. MAYBE AM I, MAYBE I AM DIFFERENT, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE ANY OF YOU ASKED. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? IF I HAD SOMEONE TELL ME I LOST OR WILL LOSE ROUGHLY $380,000, I WOULD BE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE. JOHN CULBERTSON STATED DURING HIS DEMONSTRATION OR PRESENTATION THAT FRONT ROYAL HAS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, ESPECIALLY IN THE MAIN STREET AREA. HIS TIMESTAMP SIX MINUTES, 26 SECONDS. IT IS PREDOMINANTLY [00:30:01] A RESIDENTIAL SYSTEM TIMESTAMP, 10 MINUTES, 59 SECONDS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE YOUR RATES PERFECTLY DOWN TO THE POUND. THEY JUST HAVE TO BE RATIONAL TIMESTAMP. 44 MINUTES, THREE SECONDS. AT ONE POINT HE EVEN SAID, RAISING RATES OVER 26% WOULD COME AS A SHOCK. THE INCREASES ARE AS FOLLOWS, A DUMPSTER IN GENERAL FRONT ROYAL 27.9% INCREASE A 96 GALLON TRASH CAN. 56.38% INCREASE A 32 GALLON TRASH CAN. 66.33% INCREASE IN THE NEW ENCAPSULATED MAIN STREET DUMPSTER OR MAIN STREET DUMPSTERS ARE NOW 97.7% HIGHER. YOUR ARBITRARY BUSINESS CATEGORIES, LARGE RESTAURANT WOULD BE O AT LEAST IF NOT MORE THAN 400%, A MEDIUM BUSINESS OR SMALL RESTAURANT WOULD INCREASE 131% SMALL BUSINESS, 76.9%, AND RESIDENT RATES WOULD BE THE SAME AS IN TOWN AT 56.38%. YOUR MESSAGE IS CLEAR. YOU DO NOT WANT RESTAURANTS ON MAIN STREET. HOWEVER, YOUR CATEGORIAL CRITERIA IS AS FOGGY AS IT COULD BE. I AM AWARE OF THE DISCOVERY THAT HAS BEEN MADE AND THE WORK BEING DONE TO CORRECT IT. HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ALL OVER THE TOWN AND IT WAS ALLOWED BY YOURSELVES AND PAST COUNCILS. THE CREATION OF THIS DISTRICT AND THE POACHING OF ITS OCCUPANTS IS GROSSLY DISCRIMINATORY UNLESS YOU CAN GIVE A SCIENTIFIC BASIS OF HOW TRASH ON MAIN STREET ONLY WITHIN THIS AREA. MIND YOU WEIGHS MORE THAN TRASH IN ANY OTHER PART OF TOWN. A TONGUE WEIGHS A TON. I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE MATERIALS I HAVE PROVIDED EACH OF YOU, BUT I FEAR I'M OUT OF TIME. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU MR. NEY. MS. PRESLEY, WHO ELSE HAS SIGNED UP? CHERYL MERCHANT, HOW ARE YOU? I'M HERE BECAUSE OF THE TRELLIS. CAN CAN WE START OFF WITH NAME, ADDRESS? OH, SORRY. YEAH, THAT'S OKAY. CHERYL MERCHANT 1154 ELM STREET AND I'M A TOWN RESIDENT. GO AHEAD, SORRY. OKAY. I'M HERE BECAUSE OF THE TRELLIS. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE TRELLIS BEING THERE AND IT HAVING OCCUPANTS AND STUFF. I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE MUSIC. THE MUSIC IS EXTREMELY LOUD. IT VIBRATES THE INSIDE OF MY HOUSE. YOU CAN WALK OUTTA MY DECK AND IT VIBRATES YOUR FEET. IT IS RIDICULOUS HOW LOUD IT IS AND SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE. THAT'S IT. THAT'S MY ONLY COMPLAINT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SORRY, MS. PRESLEY. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO ONE ELSE? NO. IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? NO. [9.A. Report of Town Manager] OKAY. ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON THEN TO, UH, NUMBER NINE, WHICH IS OUR REPORT OF TOWN MANAGER. YES. UH, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR. UH, I WANTED TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO INFORM THE CITIZENS THAT WE WILL BE FLUSHING FIRE HYDRANTS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS. THIS ESSENTIAL PROCESS HELPS US CLEAR SEDIMENTS FROM OUR WATER LINES AND ALSO GREATLY ENHANCES OUR WATER QUALITY. ADDITIONALLY, THIS IS, THIS ALLOWS US TO TEST ALL THE FIRE HYDRANTS AND VALVES THAT ARE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, GUARANTEEING THAT WE HAVE ADEQUATE WATER FLOW AVAILABLE FOR FIREFIGHTER NEEDS. ALSO, I WANTED TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE GRATITUDE TO ALL OUR STAFF FROM PUBLIC WORKS, UH, SOLID WAYS, ENERGY SERVICES TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR INCREDIBLE SUPPORT OVER THE PAST MONTH, FROM THE FESTIVAL OF LEAVES TO SPOOKY SATURDAY, THROUGH THE RECENT INFLUX OF TRAFFIC, THE LEAF BEERS, YOUR DEDICATION HAS BEEN ON FULL DISPLAY. YOU'VE MANAGED THESE EVENTS SEAMLESSLY, AND I TRUST I COMMEND YOU ON YOUR HARD WORK AND COMMITMENT. SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING OUR COMMUNITY VIBRANT AND SAFE. AND THAT INCLUDES MY REPORT TONIGHT, MAYOR. THANK YOU. MR. WALTZ. [9.B. Report of Council members] AT THIS TIME WE HAVE A REPORT OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO GO FIRST? SURE. OKAY. I WANT, AGAIN, THANK THE ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT FOR WHAT THEY DID. UM, THIS ONE'S STILL BITTERSWEET TO ME. CHIEF MCGILLIS, I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR RETIREMENT. YOU'RE GONNA LEAVE US HERE. OKAY. I WANNA WELCOME THE NEW CHIEF, CHIEF WHITEHEAD. UM, BUT AGAIN, UM, [00:35:01] I WATCHED OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKENDS. I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY GONNA BE MORE THIS WEEKEND. I THINK OUR TOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS SPENT MORE TIME IN THE ROADWAY ALONG WITH THE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. AND I THANK YOU ALL. YOU'VE FINALLY GOT SOMETHING DOWN. IT'S ALMOST PACKED TO GET THE TRAFFIC THROUGH. IT'S BEEN A LOT BETTER THAN IT HAS IN YEARS PAST, SO THANK YOU ALL. UM, OH, I, I'D BE REMORSE NOT TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE FESTIVAL LEAVES. UH, LIZZIE REALLY WORKED WELL WITH THE VOLUNTEERS. UH, I THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST FESTIVAL WE'VE HAD IN THE, WAS IT 51 YEARS? AM I RIGHT WITH THE 51 YEARS THAT WE'VE HAD IT? A LOT OF LOCAL PEOPLE SPOKE UP, STOOD UP, WORKED TIRELESS HOURS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. I WANNA THANK HIM FOR THAT. THAT'S ALL I GOT. OKAY, THANK YOU. ANY ANYONE ELSE WISH TO SPEAK MADAM MAYOR, I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND GET IT OUTTA THE WAY. I DON'T NEED TO BE LAST, UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RETIREMENT CHIEF. UH, WHEN ONE OF MY INTRODUCTIONS TO COUNCIL WAS, I GOT IT SET UP, GOT A TOWN EMAIL, UH, WOKE UP EARLY ONE MORNING TO GET MY KIDS READY FOR SCHOOL. AND I HAD RECEIVED AN EMAIL WITH A POTENTIAL THREAT, UH, THAT WAS NOT TAKEN LIGHTLY. I DIDN'T KNOW IF I SHOULD TAKE MY KIDS TO SCHOOL. I DIDN'T KNOW IF I SHOULD LEAVE MY HOUSE. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. SO I CALLED THE CHIEF ON HIS CELL PHONE NOT RECOMMENDING PEOPLE DO THIS TO THE CHIEF OR THE NEW CHIEF. BUT, UM, AND IT WAS ALREADY BEING WORKED ON. THE EMAIL HAD ALREADY BEEN INTERCEPTED BY THE TOWN STAFF AND THE TOWN POLICE, AND IT WAS HANDLED AND ALL WAS SAFE. AND I DON'T EVEN THINK THE COMMUNITY KNEW ABOUT THIS THREATENED ATTACK. SO THAT JUST GOES TO SPEAK TO THE CHARACTER OF KALE AND THE TYPE OF PERSON HE IS. UM, APPRECIATE YOU ALWAYS ANSWERING THE CALL, EVEN IF IT'S AT 6:00 AM FRANTIC. UM, AND THEN IT'S BEEN A BUSY MONTH FOR THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL. IT'S BEEN A FANTASTIC MONTH. AS A REMINDER, WHILE THE TRAFFIC IS FRUSTRATING AND THE LEAF KEEPERS ARE BOGGING DOWN OUR ROADS, THIS IS WHAT KEEPS MOST OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN FRONT ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY RUNNING FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR. SO I HOPE IT'S BEEN A FANTASTIC SEASON. I LOVE BEING A TOURIST IN MY OWN TOWN. UM, I'VE BEEN UP ON THE DRIVE IN THE LAST MONTH MYSELF, DESPITE THE CRAZINESS, AND IT'S GORGEOUS. UM, AND I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO ADD. I WILL SAY I HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF CALLS AND TEXT MESSAGES FOR A LOT OF VARIOUS REASONS FROM BUSINESS OWNERS, CONSTITUENTS, COUNTY RESIDENTS, WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE TOWN. OVER THE LAST WEEK, UNFORTUNATELY, MY CHILDREN DID FALL VICTIM TO THE NEW PANDEMIC, WHICH IS PNEUMONIA LAST WEEK. SO I HAVE SOME PEOPLE TO GET BACK TO. HOWEVER, I DID JUST WANNA NOTE, UM, REGARDING THE MAIN STREET SERVICE AND SOLID WASTE ISSUE, UM, FOR A POINT OF INFORMATION, UH, I SAW, I DON'T, THIS IS SOMEBODY LEFT A PACKET FOR US. IT'S NOT SIGNED. OKAY, I'M SORRY. I ADDRESSED IT IN MY SPEECH. IT WAS ME. IT WASN'T VERBATIM. SO I WAS READING AND I WAS LIKE, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M READING. BUT, UM, AND I LISTENED TO YOUR COMMENTS. UM, I DID NOT ASK ON JANUARY 8TH OR 20, THE OTHER DATE THAT WE HAD A WORK SESSION. HOW THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE, UH, THIS IS MY SECOND TERM ON COUNCIL, AND I KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED. UNFORTUNATELY, WATER, SEWER WASTE SERVICES, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, ROADS, SIDEWALKS HAVE ALL BEEN NEGLECTED FOR DECADES AND DECADES. SO NOW THERE'S MASSIVE OVERCORRECTION IN EVERY ASPECT OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL. I THINK IT OFTEN GOES FORGOTTEN BY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND FORMER COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE COMMUNITY. WHAT THE JOB OF THE TOWN COUNCIL TRULY IS. THE JOB OF THE TOWN COUNCIL IS TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON THE TOILETS FLUSHING THE WATER RUNNING, UM, IN A CLEAN AND ACCESSIBLE TOWN. AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE CAMPAIGN ON ARE THINGS THAT ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL. AND IT'S JUST TRULY NOT WHAT THE PURPOSE OF COUNCIL IS. WE CAN ESCALATE THESE ISSUES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. BUT I DID NOT SIT THERE IGNORANTLY NOT KNOWING HOW THIS CAME ABOUT. UH, FOR YEARS AND PRIOR TO ME COMING ON COUNCIL, I KNEW THAT THESE CONSULTANTS WERE LINED UP AND BEING BUDGETED FOR, FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS PRIOR TO ME JOINING COUNCIL FOR THE WATER SYSTEM, THE WASTEWATER SYSTEM, AND THE WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES. UM, AND I KNOW ONE OF MY FIRST COUNCIL WORK SESSIONS, WE WERE BRIEFED BY A WASTE SERVICE ISSUE WITH A COMMERCIAL PLACE IN TOWN, UM, WHO HAD A RODENT INFESTATION RATS. AND IF YOU'VE BEEN TO WASHINGTON, DC OR ANY OF THOSE OTHER CITIES, UH, THAT I OFTEN SAY I DON'T WANNA BE LIKE, THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COME WITH WASTE SERVICE ISSUES. UM, THE COMMENTS THAT I'VE RECEIVED TO, YOU KNOW, MY EMAILS, MY PERSONAL TEXT MESSAGES, ET CETERA, HAVE NOT GONE UNNOTICED. AND I THINK THAT THE TOWN MANAGER [00:40:01] HAS RESPONDED. THE MAYOR HAS RESPONDED. UM, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REEVALUATING. UM, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THE COMPLAINTS AND THE CONCERNS ARE NOT FALLING ON DEAF EARS. AND, UH, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT TO ADD TO THAT. THANK YOU. NEXT, UH, MADAM MAYOR, I'LL TRY TO BRIEF, UH, BE BRIEF ON THIS. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'D JUST LIKE TO, UH, MIRROR WHAT MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE SAYING ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, CHIEF MIGUEL'S RETIREMENT. UH, DEFINITELY GONNA BE, GONNA BE MISSED AT THE SAME TIME. UH, GLAD TO SEE WE HAVE, UH, SOMEONE IN HOUSE, YOU KNOW, TAKING, UH, FILLING HIS SHOES. SO I THINK THE TOWN'S GONNA BE IN GOOD SHAPE AS FAR AS OUR, UH, CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT. UH, TWO THINGS, TWO THINGS I'D LIKE TO REPORT THOUGH. UM, FIRST THING IS THE TRIP THAT WE HAD FOR OUR, UH, OUR ANNUAL VML CONFERENCE, WHICH IS THE VIRGINIA MIN VIRGINIA MUNICIPAL LEAGUE CONFERENCE. UH, ESSENTIALLY IT'S, IT'S, UH, AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD EVERY YEAR, UH, WITH, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR LOCALLY, LOCALLY ELECTED OFFICIALS THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA. UH, I ATTENDED WITH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, DEAN, UH, DEAN MONICA PAYNE. AND IT CONSISTED OF, OF A COUPLE DAYS OF CLASSES AND SESSIONS AND LUNCHES. AND, UH, IN A NUTSHELL, THE THE TWO SESSIONS THAT I ATTENDED WERE, UH, AIRPORT, UH, DEVELOPMENT AND, AND ALSO, UH, UH, IT CYBERSECURITY, UH, MENT MUNICIPALITIES. UH, THE, OF COURSE, THE AIRPORT REASONING BEING, OF COURSE, I'M A, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE PILOT I, ME THAT WANT THAT, THAT TOOK THAT. BUT, UH, COUNCIL MEDINA, MONICA PAYNE TOOK, UH, THE OTHER, OTHER COURSES. SO WE KIND OF DIVIDE AND CONQUERED THERE FOR WHAT WE COULD, UH, FOR WHAT WE COVER FOR WHO WAS THERE. UM, THE OTHER REPORT I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS FOR THE AUDIT REPORT, UH, AGAIN, UH, COUNCILWOMAN DEAN OF MONICA AND PAIN, AND I, UH, JUST THIS PAST FRIDAY, SAT DOWN WITH OUR, WITH OUR, UH, FINANCE DIRECTOR AND, UH, WENT THROUGH OUR TOWN'S AUDIT, UH, FINANCIALLY, UH, TOWN. JUST IN GENERIC TERMS. TOWN TOWN'S, VERY TOWN IS VERY, UH, SOLVENT AT THIS POINT. UH, HATS OFF TO BJ, UH, AND HIS TEAM AND TOWN MANAGER AND STAFF FOR, FOR, UH, KEEPING OUR BUDGET THE WAY IT IS. WE WERE TOLD THAT, UH, FOR A TOWN OF OUR SIZE AND FOR OUR OPERATIONS, WE'RE, UH, WERE REALLY GOOD. THE ONLY RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY HAD, AND OF COURSE, UH, THE TOWN MANAGER AND, AND, AND, UH, BJ ARE WORKING ON IT, IS JUST, UH, UPDATING SOME OF OUR, OUR, UH, OUR SYSTEMS. UH, BUT THAT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR A WHILE, AND HOPEFULLY THAT'LL BE RESOLVED HERE SOON. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I WAS PROUD TO SEE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, THAT OUR, OUR FINANCIAL OPERATIONS ARE, ARE VERY SOUND FOR OUR TOWN. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU. DOES ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? MADAM MAYOR? UM, JUST WANT TO SAY AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS ON A VERY SUCCESSFUL FESTIVAL OF LEAVES. UM, THIS COULD NOT HAPPEN. THE DANCING DOWNTOWN AND NEXT DAY FESTIVAL. THIS COULD NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT MANY OF OUR, UH, BUSINESSES AND VOLUNTEERS. AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT WE ARE THANKS TO FOR MAKING OUR COMMUNITY THE GREAT COMMUNITY THAT IT IS. UM, THE HALLOWEEN, UM, CANDY DISTRIBUTION ON SATURDAY NIGHT, UM, AGAIN, KUDOS TO, UH, LIZZIE LEWIS AND, UH, FOR GETTING THAT TOGETHER. AND I HAD THE PLEASURE WITH THE MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT AND GIVING OUT CANDY TO A BUNCH OF LITTLE KIDS. I'M GLAD I WASN'T INVOLVED IN ANY KIND OF JUDGING BECAUSE I WAS, JUST HAD TO THROW MY HANDS UP. THEY WERE, THEY WERE WONDERFUL. AND I'M, I'M VERY HAPPY AND VERY PROUD OF OUR TOWN FOR BEING INVOLVED IN THAT, UH, TO MRS. UH, MERCHANT. AND MR. GETTY, THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE, UM, FORTITUDE TO STAND UP AT A PUBLIC HEARING AND EXPRESS YOURSELVES. I KNOW IT CAN BE VERY INTIMIDATING AND VERY DIFFICULT, AND I HOPE THAT WE, AS COUNSEL, TAKE YOUR WORDS AND YOUR, UH, CONCERN SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE WE NEED TO DO THAT TO BE A FUNCTIONAL COUNCIL. REMIND EVERYBODY EARLY VOTING IS THROUGH THE SANITY. ON 11 TWO, UH, NINE TO FIVE, THERE IS PARKING OUTSIDE OF THE, UM, UH, REGISTRAR'S OFFICE ALONG THE STREET. PLUS, IF YOU HAVE ELDERLY OR DISABLED FOLKS, YOU CAN VOTE BY A CAR. YOU SIMPLY PULL IN PASSIVE REGISTER'S OFFICE PARK, CALL THE PHONE NUMBER, THEY'LL BRING A BALLOT OUT. UM, GET OUT AND VOTE [00:45:01] TAXES. I JUST WANT TO THANK OUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES. THEIR EXPANSION, THEIR SUCCESS IN NO SMALL PART HELPS THE TOWN KEEP THE TAXES TO ITS CITIZENS LOWER. SO WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS, OR AN EXPANSION OF A BUSINESS OR A NEW BUSINESS, IT BENEFITS EVERYONE. AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT WE ALL COME OUT AND SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR COMMUNITY. THEY'RE THE ONES HELPING US PUT ON THE FESTIVALS, DONATING THEIR TIME, DONATING THEIR SPACES. UM, ON Q FOR INSTANCE, HAS BEEN A MARVELOUS HOST. I FORGET THE PROPER NAME FOR IT, BUT THE, UH, FIRST FRIDAY DISCUSSION, HOSTING THAT. SO AS COMMUNITY, WE CAN GO LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS. UM, I, I SINCERELY HOPE THAT WE'LL ADDRESS THE TRASH ISSUE AND BE ABLE TO COME OUT OF THAT WITH A, UM, A WIN-WIN SITUATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? I GUESS, UH, I GUESS IT'S ME. IT CAN BE . AM I THE LAST ONE? NOPE, YOU'RE SECOND TO LAST. BUT YOU'RE GOING, BRUCE. YOU'RE GOING, YOU'RE GOING . ALRIGHT, YOU'RE UP. SO, UM, UH, FIR FIRST OF ALL, UH, I JUST WANT TO SAY TO CHIEF MCGILLIS, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR, THE GIFTS OF YOUR HARD WORK AND, UH, YOU KNOW, CARING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, MAKING OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. ONE OF THE TOP, IN MY OPINION, ONE OF THE TOP POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATE, UM, IS SOMEONE HAS ALREADY MENTIONED YOU WILL BE MISSED. UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD'VE TRIED TO HAVE KEPT YOU, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU HAD YOUR MIND MADE UP, RIGHT? ANYWAY, UM, AS, UH, COUNCIL COUNCILMAN WOOD INDICATED I, I DID ATTEND, UH, THE SPOOKY SATURDAY HANDED OUT CANDY. UM, I COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH THEM ALL. THEY WERE COMING THROUGH LIKE CATTLE . I MEAN, IT WAS LIKE WILD. AND ONE LITTLE GIRL, YOU KNOW, GOSH, UH, HER BROTHER WAS THERE. SHE MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE MAYBE SEVEN, SEVEN YEARS OLD. AND I GAVE HER A KIT CAT AND, AND A REESE CUP. AND THEN SHE HANDED ME THIS FLOWER, YOU KNOW, SHE GIVES ME A FLOWER. AND, UH, SO I TOOK THE CAT, THE FLOWER FROM HER, AND I SAID, THANK YOU. THAT'S SO NICE OF YOU. AND HER BROTHER SAID, HE GRABS THE FLOWER. HE SAYS, I'LL GIVE IT BACK TO HER GOOD BROTHER. AND HER FACE HER, HE GAVE IT BACK TO HER. AND SHE LOOKED AT ME, HER FACE WENT FROW LIKE THAT. SO I SAID, NO, NO, NO, NO. I WANT THE FLOWER. GIVE ME THE FLOWER. SO SHE GIVES ME THE FLOWER IN HER FACES, SHE LIGHTS UP AGAIN. SO SHE WANTED TO GIMME THE FLOWER. SO GREAT. THAT MADE ME FEEL GOOD. UH, LIKE I DID SOMETHING RIGHT. UM, I WANT TO, UH, ALSO, UH, THANK THE, UH, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S THE, UH, IT WAS PUT ON BY THE INDEPENDENT, UH, BUSINESS GROUP, FREE REBA, UH, THAT THIS WAS THE, UM, FESTIVAL. MM-HMM, OF LEE'S, UH, FANTASTIC JOB. UH, THE OTHER THING IS, UH, I WANT TO, UH, THANK TOWN PUBLIC WORKS FOR THE CLEANING UP OF, UH, WHAT I CALL THE NORTHERN WALL ON WEST MAIN STREET. UH, THERE'S A BIG WALL THERE HOLDING THIS RETAINING WALL. AND, UH, THEY, THEY CLEANED IT UP, BUT IT WAS GROWING OUT INTO THE STREET AND IT JUST LOOKED SO MUCH BETTER. UM, ALSO, THOSE TWO UGLY BUSHES ON NORTH ROYAL AVENUE WERE REMOVED, UH, DOWN IN FRONT OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH. AND, UM, THE MEN'S, UH, UH, HOME THERE, UM, NEXT DOOR. UH, WHAT ELSE, UH, REGARDING THE, THE, UH, THE, UH, THE TRASH ISSUE. UH, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS, I THINK I LOOK AT IT AS A FIRST PASS. AND ANYTIME YOU'RE, [00:50:01] YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU TAKE A FIRST SHOT AT IT. AND, UH, I THINK MAYBE, UM, IF WE, WE CAN LOOK AT A LITTLE BIT HARDER, UH, THERE, MAYBE THERE'S SOME WAYS THAT, UM, WE CAN MAKE SOME SENSE OUT OF ALL OF THIS. UM, AND I DO WANT TO, I DO, I, I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO THANK THE, UH, INVESTORS INTO OUR MAIN STREET. I MEAN, UH, UH, I'M NOT GONNA NAME 'EM ALL. AND I, THEY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IF I, IF I START NAMING OUT ONE, UH, THEN, AND, AND I MISS SOMEBODY, BUT THERE'S SO MANY IMPROVEMENTS. AND I WALK, I WALK TO TOWN, I WALK MAIN STREET, AND I HEAR VISITORS SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT A FANTASTIC JOB, UM, THAT THEY, THEY'VE DONE WHEN THEY, ON THE FACADES ON THE FRONT, WHEN YOU, UM, I LOOK AT THE FRANK'S BUILDING AND I LOOK AT THE WEAVER BUILDING, OR THEY LOOK AT THE TENANT BUILDING OR THE, THE OLD TENANT BUILDING. UH, THEY, THEY, THEY LOOK AT, UM, IN THE MIDDLE OF MAIN, UH, THE ARCHITECTURE, UH, ON THE OLD RAMSEY BUILDING AND THE ARCHITECTURE ON THE, UM, WHAT USED TO BE THE MURPHY, WHICH IS NOW DL CAMPUS. BUT I MEAN, IT'S JUST, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, TAKING YOUR MONEY, TAKING THE RISK, YOU KNOW, IS JUST, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW, HOW THAT INVESTMENT, WHAT IT DOES FOR TOURISM IN THIS COMMUNITY CANNOT BE, UH, YOU, YOU, YOU JUST CAN'T, YOU CAN'T, UH, BYPASS IT BECAUSE PEOPLE, PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE AND THEY COME BACK HERE BECAUSE THEY LIKE STROLLING UP MAIN STREET. THEY LIKE STROLLING UP AND REMINISCE ABOUT MAYBE WHERE THEY GREW UP. AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, PEOPLE THAT, SO SELFISH PEOPLE, UH, HAVE TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE, UH, MAKE, MAKE A LIVING, BUT AT THE SAME TIME BRING A MAIN STREET BACK FROM WHAT WAS, UH, SOMEWHAT OF A DISASTER BACK IN THE, IN THE EIGHTIES. UM, SO, UM, UH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT AND THANK, THANK YOU FOLKS THAT ARE INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, ONE, ONE OTHER THING, UH, AND I, I NEED, I NEED TO SAY THIS, UM, I WOULD NOT NORMALLY, UH, HOWEVER, UH, IT WAS BROUGHT UP TONIGHT AND, UM, ON SATURDAY NIGHT, I WAS DRIVING, UH, ALONG, UH, 55 EAST. I WAS GOING, UH, DOWN TO NORTHERN VIRGINIA. AND, UM, SO I SAW ALL THE CARS, UH, PARKED AT, UH, THE TRELLIS. AND I'M NOT PICKING ON THE TRELLIS, BUT I WILL SAY I STOPPED THE CAR AND I COULD TO, UH, THE RESIDENT THAT SPOKE TONIGHT. UH, I, I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UH, THE MUSIC WAS RATHER LOUD. AND, UM, IF I'M LIVING IN THAT SECTION, UH, IT, IT WOULD BOTHER ME AS WELL. AND I'M JUST, JUST BEING HONEST. I'M HERE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY, ALL RESIDENTS. AND, UM, UH, I, I, I HOPE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT ISSUE. ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN, UH, EVERYONE, I, UM, SO THE THINGS THAT I ATTENDED AS, UM, COUNCILMAN INGRAM MENTIONED, WE WENT TO THE VML CONFERENCE, UM, AND THE SESSIONS I ATTENDED INCLUDED, UH, THE LOUDOUN COUNTY STORY, UH, ABOUT DATA CENTERS. DON'T LET ANYBODY GET NERVOUS. I'M NOT STARTING A DATA CENTER HERE, BUT I ALWAYS WANNA LEARN ABOUT WHAT THE PROS AND CONS ARE OR OF ANY KIND OF, UM, SITUATION. SO IN CASE IT DOES PRESENT AT ONE POINT. UM, AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING, THEY HAD, THE PERSON WHO WAS FACILITATING HAD SOME VERY INTERESTING INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THE RECYCLING THAT MAY NOT BE AS, UM, EFFECTIVE AS WE ALL THINK IT IS REGARDING PLASTIC AND SOLAR POWER. SO THAT WAS INTERESTING. I'VE GOTTA RESEARCH IT MORE THOUGH, THAT'S NOT MY WHEELHOUSE. [00:55:01] UM, ALSO TALKED ABOUT PFAS, THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, FEDERALLY APPROVED LETTER LEVELS OF PFAS, THAT I THINK IT'S PFAS IN YOUR WATER, RIGHT? P UM, THAT, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY AMOUNT OF PFA, THAT YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY BE A COMMUNITY THAT'S ELIGIBLE FOR GRANT FUNDING. SO THAT'LL BE HALF OF SOMETHING THAT I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH JOE ABOUT. UM, THEY, WE ARE ALSO TALKING ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA AND THAT AS PUBLIC OFFICIALS, REALLY TO KEEP THINGS CLEAN, WE SHOULD DO, UM, IF WE HAVE LIKE FACEBOOK, WE SHOULD HAVE A PERSONAL AND A, UM, WHY WE'RE RUNNING IN THE CAMPAIGN. AND THEN ONCE WE ARE AN ELECTED PROFE, UH, OFFICIAL, HAVE ONE EVEN SEPARATE FROM THAT BECAUSE SOME THINGS ARE FOIBLE. SO THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING. 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I MIX AND MATCH BOTH ALL THE TIME. SO I'LL CHANGE LATER, BUT, UM, I'LL GET IT STRAIGHTENED OUT. UM, I, UM, SO IT WAS A VERY, VERY INTERESTING CONFERENCE. AND THEY ALSO HAD US LOOK AT WHAT WOULD YOU GO BACK AND TELL YOUR, YOUR PER YOURSELF, UM, 10 YEARS AGO, AND THEN THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU COULD ENVISION FOR THE, UM, FOR 10 YEARS FROM NOW. AND OF COURSE, EVERYBODY HAS AI ON THEIR MIND. UM, AND SO I'LL BE LEARNING MORE ABOUT AI EVEN THOUGH RIGHT NOW I'LL GO ON RECORD SAYING I DESPISE IT. UM, BUT, UM, , BUT I WILL LEARN MORE ABOUT IT JUST TO SEE. UM, BUT, UM, I ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, CONGRESSMAN BEN KLEIN VISITED THE COMMUNITY AND WE, UM, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO INTO A COUPLE OF MAIN STREET BUSINESSES AND ENJOY SOME COFFEE AND OTHER REFRESHMENTS. I ATTENDED THE ROYAL ZIKA RIBBON CUTTING. AND THOSE GUYS WERE SO WONDERFUL. THEY, UM, FIRST OF ALL, THEY HAD WONDERFUL FOOD, BUT SECOND OF ALL, THEY WERE SO WELCOMING AND THEY LOVED THEIR COMMUNITY AND SAID HOW MUCH IT REMINDED THEM OF THEIR HOME IN INDIA, WHICH I, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST FIND THAT AMAZING. BUT HOW EVERYBODY KNEW EVERYBODY AND THEY JUST FELT LIKE MAKING YOU FAMILY AS SOON AS YOU COME IN. SO PEOPLE HAVE TO GO CHECK THEM OUT. THAT'S MY COMMERCIAL FOR THEM. UM, I ALSO ATTENDED THE VALOR AWARDS. AND AGAIN, I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT. I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WANT TO COMPLAIN. OF COURSE, WE, YOU KNOW, WANNA WANNA DO OUR OWN THING AND, AND KEEP LAW ENFORCEMENT AT A DISTANCE. UM, BUT WE, WE LOVE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ALL THEY DO. AND, AND, UM, THANK YOU CHIEF FOR YOUR SERVICE. AND, AND, UM, KUDOS TO THE NEW CHIEF FOR COMING IN AND PICKING UP THINGS RIGHT AWAY. UM, I WANTED TO THANK TOWN STAFF. I GIVE THEM A LAUNDRY LIST PERIODICALLY OF THINGS THAT I HEAR FROM FOLKS, AND I ALWAYS APPRECIATE THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIVE AND THEY REALLY ARE RESPONSIVE. SOMEBODY'S RESPONSIVE 24 HOURS. SO, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DO A WONDERFUL JOB. AND I NOTICED HOW BEAUTIFUL SOUTH STREET WAS. THEY CLEANED UP SOME MESS AROUND THERE, AND THE FLOWERS WERE BEAUTIFUL AND REALLY CLEANED UP THE TOWN FOR OUR PRESENTATION TO THE TOURISTS TO COME IN. AND SO IT MEANS A LOT. UM, AND, UH, AS COUNCILMAN INGRAM SAID, THE AUDIT LOOKS GOOD, IT'LL GO ON TO A FEW MORE STAGES WHERE WE WILL GET, UM, CERTIFIED AND RECOGNIZED FOR THE GOOD WORK THAT BJ AND, AND THE TOWN MANAGER AND ALL THOSE WHO THEY DEAL WITH, UM, TO KEEP THE FINANCES STRAIGHT. AND AGAIN, IT, IT'S, UM, THE WORK THAT YOU ALL IS, IS VERY APPRECIATED. AS IS EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY WHEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE ABLE TO WALK WITH PRIDE, UH, DOWN OUR MAIN STREET OR REALLY ANYWHERE IN THE COMMUNITY. I'VE BEEN WALKING AROUND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE CAN SEE THAT THINGS NEED TO BE DONE. SOME THINGS HAVE BEEN IN DISREPAIR. SOME THINGS HAVE NOT BEEN TAKEN CARE OF FOR YEARS, AND IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME TO MAKE IT WONDERFUL. BUT WE CAN SEE SOME WONDERFUL STEPS. AND I THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS. THANK YOU. SO [9.C. Report of the Mayor] NEXT UP IS THE REPORT OF THE MAYOR. UM, I JUST ALWAYS WANNA SAY, I KNOW, I KNOW I TRY TO HIT EVERYTHING 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA LEAVE A PARTICULAR EVENT OR THING THAT I'VE ATTENDED OUT. UM, SO SEPTEMBER 28TH I DID, CAN I JUST SAY ONE MORE? GO AHEAD. HELP YOURSELF. I TOTALLY FORGOT. SO SORRY. HABITAT FOR HUMANITY IS OPENING UP A, UM, I WENT TO THEIR GROUNDBREAKING AND YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'RE BUILDING ON OSAGE STREET COMING UP, AND I HAVE TO, TO JUST SAY, FAITH, LOVE HARD WORK IS WHAT THAT ORGANIZATION IS ABOUT, AND THE STUFF THAT THEY DO IS SO ENDEARING AND I REALLY APPRECIATED SEEING THE COMMUNITY COME OUT FOR THAT. SO, SORRY LORI . OH, YOU'RE FINE. AND I'M SORRY I MISSED THAT. I, I, UH, THAT EVENT, I, UM, HAVE BEEN BATTLING, UM, COLD FOR A WHILE NOW. SO SEPTEMBER 28TH, WE WELCOMED REBEL HEART BEAUTY COMPANY TO OUR DOWNTOWN MAIN STREET AREA. UM, YOU CAN FIND THEM IN THE ALLEY RIGHT BESIDE DOWNTOWN BLENDS. AND THEY DID AN AMAZING JOB TRANSFORMING THAT SPACE INTO A SPA. THEY HAD A VISION AND MADE IT COME TO LIFE. COUNCILWOMAN, UH, MORRISS AND DE DOMINICAN PAIN JOINED ME IN [01:00:01] THE RIBBON CUTTING THAT DAY. LAUREN AND JESS ARE READY FOR ALL OF YOUR AESTHETICS AND HAIR NEEDS. SO GO SEE THEM. SEPTEMBER 29TH, I ATTENDED THE WARRING COALITION COMMUNITY FUN DAY. AND IT WAS SPECTACULAR IF YOU DIDN'T, DID NOT GET TO GO, WHICH WAS BUSY. THE WEATHER WAS GREAT. KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES WERE ALL OVER ENJOYING ACTIVITIES, GAMES, PRIZES. UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE $525 TOWARDS THE WARREN COALITION BUS SITTING IN THEIR PITCH FIRST, AND THAT WAS INTERESTING, HAVING GIGANTIC WATER BOTTLE, WATER BALLOONS DROP ON YOUR HEAD. UM, OCTOBER 3RD, I HAD THE PLEASURE TO ATTEND THE VALOR AWARDS, AND I, I, I WON'T BE REDUNDANT, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S BEEN SAID ENOUGH, BUT, UM, UH, JUST THAT WAS A REALLY SPECIAL EVENING. THAT WAS ACTUALLY, I BELIEVE, UM, THE FOURTH VALOR AWARD THAT I HAD ATTENDED. UM, UH, THE WEEKEND OF OCTOBER 4TH AND FIFTH. UM, AS, AS A CO-SPONSOR OF THE HJB EARLY ACT CLUB, WE ACTUALLY HAD TWO DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE OUR ELEMENTARY, UH, CLUB MEMBERS SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. AND FIRST THEY SERVED AT THE WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME CONCESSION STAND. UM, UH, PEOPLE REALLY LOVE NACHOS, PIZZA AND PRETZELS IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND I LEARNED ABOUT A NEW TOPPING FOR NACHOS THAT I'D NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE. IT WAS PORK BARBECUE. MM-HMM, INTERESTING. UH, THAT WAS A NEW ONE FOR ME, BUT PEOPLE ABSOLUTELY ORDERED IT LEFT AND RIGHT. SO, UM, ALSO THAT WEEKEND I ACCOMPANIED THE CLUB MEMBERS TO DO A TRASH CLEANUP FROM COMMERCE AVENUE TO WESTMINSTER DRIVE. UM, AND IT IS REWARDING WHEN WE CAN TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE A SERVICE HEART. UM, AND WHILE I'M AT IT, ALL THE DIFFERENT GROUPS, UH, WE SEE THESE ALL THE TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT THERE'S JUST SO MANY PEOPLE AND GROUPS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE DOING CLEANUPS ALL OVER FRONT ROYAL. UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, WHILE I ALWAYS WANT OUR TOWN TO LOOK BEAUTIFUL AND WELCOMING ALL THE LEAF PEOPLES INTO TOWN, IT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO LOOK OUR BEST. AND I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO VOLUNTEER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. I APPRECIATE THAT. HAVING SPENT THE MORNING DOING THAT, UH, I HAVE A GREATER APPRECIATION FOR THAT. OCTOBER 7TH I PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDIO THREE 30 RIBBON CUTTING AT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY. UM, I WILL TELL YOU ALL IT, IT WAS SO COOL, UM, THAT ADDITION TO THE LIBRARY AND OUR COMMUNITY, IT'S A CRAFT PERSON'S DREAM. BUT ALSO, UM, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT THEIR PATRONS CAN USE. THEY HAVE MEDIA EQUIPMENT, UM, NOT JUST CRAFT STUFF, BUT WHERE YOU CAN TRANSFER YOUR PICTURES, UM, OR OLD MOVIES ONTO DVDS TO DIGITAL MEDIA. UM, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO AND CHECK IT OUT. UH, I THINK THEY'RE GONNA BE PROVIDING TRAINING TO ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO USE THE ROOM. SO IF YOU'RE SAYING, WELL, I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO USE THAT, THEY'RE GONNA TRAIN YOU. SIDE NOTE, THAT ENTIRE ROOM WAS EQUIPPED AND PROVIDED THROUGH A GRANT FROM MELLON, THE MELLON, UH, FOUNDATION. SO KUDOS TO THE LIBRARY STAFF FOR PURSUING A GRANT THAT BENEFITS SOLE COMMUNITY. OCTOBER 9TH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVI PROVIDE DESSERT TO THOSE CITIZENS WHO COME TO DINNER TOGETHER. UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, UH, SHE, UH, LYNN DOWNS, I BELIEVE SPOKE TO COUNCIL BACK IN SEPTEMBER. AND SO IF YOU'RE ABLE, PLEASE REACH OUT AND ASK HOW YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP PROVIDE A FOOD ITEM OR HELP TO SERVE AT DINNER TOGETHER, BECAUSE IT, IT REALLY DOES PROVIDE A SERVICE TO THE ADULTS AND CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO HAVE FOOD INSECURITIES. THE WEEKEND OF OCTOBER 12TH AND 13 WERE JUST INCREDIBLE. UH, I WENT TO DANCING DOWNTOWN ON FRIDAY NIGHT AFTER BUYING THIS CUTE NEW DRESS, A BUCK BELL. I JUST WANNA SAY IT'S COMFORTABLE AND IT HAS POCKETS. AND ANYBODY WHO LIKES POCKETS KNOWS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. IT'S SO SOFT. UM, BUT SOLD, SOLD OUT, PLAYED THAT NIGHT, AND THAT, THAT MUSIC WAS JUST RIGHT UP MY ALLEY AND APPARENTLY RIGHT UP EVERYBODY ELSE'S ALLEY 'CAUSE PEOPLE WERE DANCING. UM, SATURDAY'S FESTIVAL LEAVES WAS NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING. UM, I'VE BEEN GOING TO THE FESTIVAL LEAVES SINCE I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MYSELF, AND I BELIEVE THIS WAS UNDOUBTEDLY THE BIGGEST CROWD I'VE EVER SEEN. UM, I WANNA THANK OUR REBA AND ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO MADE THAT WEEKEND SUCH A SUCCESS. I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT EVENTS OF THAT SIZE DO NOT JUST HAPPEN, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE DEDICATED PEOPLE AND GREAT STAFF, LIKE, UM, OUR TOWN STAFF, LIZZIE LEWIS AND OUR VERY, AND MIKE AND PHIL FROM THE SIGN SHOP, AND THEY WERE THERE ALL DAY READY TO LEAP INTO ACTION. AND ALSO THANKS TO OUR PD WHO KEPT EVERYTHING GOING SMOOTHLY. SINCE OUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING, MAIN STREET HAS ACTUALLY GROWN BY TWO BUSINESSES, REBEL HEART, BUT ALSO ON OCTOBER 19TH AS, UH, COUNCILWOMAN DE DOMINICO PAYNE SHARED, WE WELCOMED ROYAL, I BELIEVE IT'S, THEY SAID ZIKA, UM, WITH THE RIBBON CUTTING. [01:05:01] UM, UH, ALSO JOINING US WAS, UH, CHAIRMAN CALLERS, THE WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. AND AS SHE SAID, THEY WERE SO EXCITED. THEY WANTED US TO TRY THEIR CUISINE. IT WAS DELICIOUS. UM, THEY SAID THEY HAD VISITED FRONT ROW MANY TIMES AND THEY LOVED IT HERE. SO WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY CAME UP FOR THEM TO START THEIR OWN RESTAURANT, THEY JUMPED AT THE CHANCE. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IT, THEY'RE IN THE OLD ROYAL SPICE LOCATION, BUT THEY HAVE FOCUSED ON CREATING THEIR OWN DISHES TO ADD VARIETY TO THEIR MENU. THEY SEEM SO HAPPY TO BE A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. I'M GLAD YOU PICKED UP ON THAT 'CAUSE THAT WAS THE SAME VIBE I GOT. SO PLEASE GO AND ENJOY A MEAL WITH THEM. LAST THURSDAY, I HAD THE PLEASURE TO ATTEND CHIEF MIGUEL'S RETIREMENT PARTY. I FEEL LIKE WE'VE ALL SAID THAT ENOUGH, BUT IT, IT WAS A NICE EVENING, UM, OR AFTERNOON, EVENING, UM, JUST BEING ABLE TO, UM, TELL KALE HOW MUCH, UH, WE APPRECIATED HIM. BUT, UH, PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY WERE IN AND OUT THE WHOLE TIME. UM, I THINK I SAID THIS EARLIER, BUT YOU KNOW, I I, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO CALL OR TEXT YOU IF I HAD TO, SO DON'T BLOCK MY NUMBER. UM, BUT, UH, SO, UH, SATURDAY AFTERNOON, COUNCILMAN REPPORT AND WOOD, AND I GOT TO TREAT ALL THE LITTLE GHOSTS AND GOBLINS AND PRINCESSES AND PAW PATROL DOGS AND DINOSAURS AND ALL THE OTHER COSTUMED KIDDOS. AND YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT JUDGING A, A CONTEST. I WILL SAY THAT THE, THE GUY THAT CAME DOWN WITH WHO HAD A, CREATED A SHOWER AND ACTUALLY A SHOWER, AND HE ROLLED ON WHEELS, THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY, UM, PRETTY, PRETTY INGENIOUS THERE. BUT, UM, I, THIS IS MY FIFTH YEAR THAT I'VE PARTICIPATED IN THAT SINCE SERVING IN OFFICE. AND IT TOO WAS ALSO, UM, THE BIGGEST, UM, AGAIN, THAT TAKES PLANNING AND, AND PARTICIPATION FROM NOT JUST STAFF, BUT ALL THE BUSINESSES. THERE WERE CLUBS, THERE WERE CHURCHES, THERE WERE ORGANIZATIONS, ALL OF THAT DOWN THERE. UM, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FROM FOUR TO SIX. I KNOW AT SIX 20, I BELIEVE WE WERE STILL PASSING OUT CANDY. UM, AND SO IT, IT WAS REALLY, UM, GREAT. UH, SO, AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S A TIME, IT'S AN AFTERNOON OF YOUR TIME AND YOUR MONEY TO PURCHASE CANDY, I TRULY BELIEVE IT'S MORE TO THOSE KIDS THAT WE CAN COMPREHEND BECAUSE THEY'RE MAKING CHILDHOOD MEMORIES ON DAYS LIKE THAT. AND THEY'RE GONNA LAST A LIFETIME, AND THEY ARE GONNA REMEMBER HOW THEIR COMMUNITY MADE THOSE MEMORIES HAPPEN. SO THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY THAT WAS A PART OF THAT. UM, [10. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS ] OUR NEXT ITEM ARE THE CONSENT AGENDA. AND BEFORE ANYBODY MAKES THE MOTION, I DO WANNA DRAW ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT ON ITEM 10 E, UM, IN OUR, UM, THERE WAS A CORRECTION MADE TO THAT AND SO I JUST WANTED, IF THERE WAS A REVISED MOTION AND, AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S GONNA BE DONE AS A, AS A CONSENT AGENDA, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC WAS AWARE OF THAT. SO DOES, DO I HEAR A MOTION FROM COUNCIL REGARDING THE CONSENT AGENDA? MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED SECOND. OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? I JUST WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THERE'S APPOINTMENTS AND REAPPOINTMENTS TO THE BOARDS. THAT'S, THAT'S I WAS GONNA, YEAH. THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO SERVE. WE HAD INTERVIEWS THIS EVENING, AND IT'S REFRESHING TO SEE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO SACRIFICE THEIR TIME AND VOLUNTEER TO GET INVOLVED FOR NO FINANCIAL GAIN, NO BUSINESS INSIGHT, BUT FOR THE LOVE OF COMMUNITY. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT. AND I JUST, MY DISCUSSION WAS GONNA BE THAT, UM, THAT COLIN WATERS FROM THE BAR IS HERE TONIGHT AND HIS REAPPOINTMENTS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. AND MR. KLINE'S REAPPOINTMENT IS ON THE AGENDA FOR THE L-B-B-C-A. UM, I DON'T BELIEVE MR. MILLER'S HERE, BUT WE WANNA THANK HIM AS WELL. SO, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CONSENT AGENDA? THANK YOU. I DO WANNA ADD ONE LAST POINT TO SPEAK TO WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT IN MY COUNCIL MEMBER REPORT. AND I'M HAPPY TO SPEAK WITH ANYBODY REGARDING WHAT I SAID REGARDING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND FORMER COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE JOB OF THE COUNCIL. ITEM NUMBER 10 C ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM IS THE PURCHASE AND REPLACEMENT OF THREE POLICE DEPARTMENT VEHICLES. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN IN NEED OF MORE THAN SIX VEHICLES SINCE I INITIALLY GOT ON COUNCIL. AND DUE TO LACK OF VISION AND, UM, FORWARD THINKING, UH, FROM CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS, NOT FROM THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. NOBODY'S SITTING UP HERE WITH ME TODAY. UM, WE'RE HAVING TO BUY THREE AT A TIME NOW TO CATCH UP TO WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A PRIORITY ALL ALONG, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. WE'RE JUST, WE'VE BEEN IN A CONSTANT STATE OF CATCH UP, UH, IN MY TIME ON COUNCIL, SO IT'S UNFORTUNATE. I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET 'EM THREE. I THINK THEY STILL NEED [01:10:01] ABOUT THREE MORE, UNFORTUNATELY. UM, SO THANKS TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT FOR MAKING THAT HAPPEN. I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE A MONEY TREE, BUT THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. WE'RE PLAYING CONSTANT CATCH UP FROM YEARS AND DECADES PRIOR, UNFORTUNATELY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION REGARDING THE CONSENT AGENDA? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, ROLL CALL. FACE. MAYOR CLOC? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. OKAY. [11.A. BAR Appeal from Teddy Stout Construction, Inc. for a Certificate of Appropriateness for 240 Blue Ridge Avenue] NEXT ITEM, UH, IS OUR BUSINESS ITEMS, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE SIX DIFFERENT BUSINESS ITEMS TONIGHT. AND SO THE FIRST ONE IS OUR, UM, OH BAR APPEAL. UM, AND, SORRY, I LITERALLY JUST HIT THE, UH, THING THAT TOOK ME OUT OF IT HERE. BUT MS. PRESLEY, DO YOU WANNA READ THE SUMMARY FOR ITEM 11 A FOR THE PUBLIC APPLICANT? TEDDY STOUT CONSTRUCTION IS APPEALING. THE DENIAL OF A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FROM THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW MADE SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2024 TO CONSTRUCT DUPLEXES OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT LOCATED AT TWO 40 BLUE RIDGE AVENUE PURSUANT TO TOWN CODE 1 75 DASH 94. COUNSEL HEARD THIS MATTER AT THEIR REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING HELD SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2024, AND WILL RENDER A DECISION ON THE APPEAL AT TONIGHT'S MEETING. COUNSEL HAS RECEIVED ADDITIONAL SUBMISSIONS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THIS APPEAL SINCE SEPTEMBER 23RD, AND THEY'VE BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS AGENDA. THANK YOU, MS. PRESLEY. UM, MR. UM, SONNET, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING, SO THIS IS JUST COUNCILS NEEDING TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS ITEM, CORRECT? MADAM MAYOR? THAT'S CORRECT. IF I MAY BRIEFLY READ FROM TOWN CODE SURE. UM, WHICH OUTLINES THE PROCESS MM-HMM. , THE TOWN COUNCIL WILL HEAR THE MATTER AT, AT ITS NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING, WHICH WAS SEPTEMBER 23RD, AND WILL RENDER ITS DECISION ON THE APPEAL AT THE FOLLOWING REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING. THE COUNCIL IN ITS DISCRETION MAY CONSIDER ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE AND SUBMISSIONS DURING THE PERIOD BETWEEN MEETINGS AND AT THE SECOND REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING PRIOR TO RENDERING ITS DECISION. UM, I THINK IT'S IMPLIED THAT, UH, WHATEVER IS, UM, WHATEVER ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE OR SUBMISSIONS, UM, MAY COME AT THIS MEETING, UM, IT'S IMPLIED THAT THEY ARE RELEVANT TO THE CASE. AND AS PRESIDING OFFICER, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE THE ROLE IN, IN DECIDING THE RELEVANCE OF ANY SUBMISSIONS THAT THAT MIGHT COME TONIGHT. OKAY. UM, THAT SAID, I, I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT OR THE APPELLANT IN THIS CASE SHOULD BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS COUNSEL, UH, AGAIN. RIGHT. UM, AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. OKAY. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I WAS ASKING. I JUST WANNA MAKE CLEAR, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANYBODY HERE FROM STAFF TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THE APP, THE APPELLANT IS HERE, RIGHT? OH, SORRY, LAUREN. I'M SO SORRY. SORRY. UM, SO MAYBE IT WOULD BE BEST TO LET THE, LET MS. STOUT SPEAK FIRST. DO YOU WANNA SPEAK? DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK? YOU DON'T. THAT'S NOT A PRESSURE AT ALL. I JUST WANNA GIVE ANYBODY ANY OPPORTUNITY. WELL, I KIND OF WAS UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME QUESTIONS OR COULD WE DO SOME KIND OF DIFFERENT, WE, WE, I HAD SENT IN A REVISED MM-HMM. LIST AND I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, FROM HIS CONVERSATION NOW, AM I ALLOWED TO SUBMIT THAT OR NOT? BECAUSE I WAS TOLD EARLIER I WAS NOT. SO MADAM MAYOR, MAY I ADDRESS THAT? ABSOLUTELY. HAVING SAID WHAT I SAID A FEW MOMENTS AGO ABOUT THE PRESIDING OFFICER DETERMINING RELEVANCE, UM, TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO THE PRESIDING OFFICER, I, I THINK WHAT, UH, THE APPELLANT IS SUGGESTING IS REVISING THE APPLICATION, UH, SUCH IN A MANNER THAT WAS NEVER BEFORE THE BAR. OKAY. AND IF I'M ASKED TO ADVISE THE PRE PRESIDING OFFICER, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S NOT RELEVANT TO THE APPEAL. RIGHT. THAT WOULD BE, THAT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE B THOSE ITEMS THAT WE WROTE BACK. OKAY. I DON'T WANNA RESPOND TO THE YEP. OKAY. BUT, BUT I'LL RESPOND TO THE CHAIR. YEAH. WHICH IS, WHICH IS THAT, UM, [01:15:01] MY UNDERSTANDING IS, AND, AND THE PLANNING DIRECTOR'S PRESENT, THE RECORD DOESN'T REFLECT THAT. IN OTHER WORDS, THE BAR TO MY UNDERSTANDING DID NOT ACCEPT REVISIONS TO THE APPLICATION. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE BAR OFFERED TO POSTPONE, UM, BUT THAT DID NOT OCCUR. OKAY. YES. ALRIGHT. SO, UM, IT, AND PLEASE, MR. SONNET, IF I'M MISINTERPRETING SOMETHING, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT IS BEFORE US WAS THE APPLICATION AND, AND THE DENIAL AT THE BAR MEETING. CORRECT. SO ANY, WELL, ALONG WITH EVERYTHING IN THE AGENDA PACKET. RIGHT? RIGHT. NOT AND THE SUPPLEMENTAL SUBMISSIONS THAT THE, THAT THE CLERK OF COUNSEL REFERRED TO. RIGHT. AND, AND WHICH INCLUDES THE GUIDELINES. RIGHT. WHAT I'M SAYING IS, SO ANY REVISIONS TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED OR WHAT WAS OFFERED FROM THE BAR DENIAL WOULD BE SEPARATE THAN WHAT WE'RE ACT WHAT COUNSEL'S TAKING ACTION ON TONIGHT. IS THAT HOW YES. UH, I WAS REFERRING TO AMENDING THE APPLICATION AT THIS STAGE. RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I'M IN, IN MY VIEW, THAT WOULD NOT BE RELEVANT, WOULD NOT BE PERMISSIBLE. RIGHT. THE BAR HAD NO OPPORTUNITY TO RIGHT. CONSIDER THOSE THINGS. RIGHT. I UNDERSTAND. THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY. SO WHAT'S IN FRONT OF COUNSEL TONIGHT IS WHAT WAS IN FRONT OF THE BAR PRIOR TO ANY REVISIONS PRIOR. YES. WHAT WAS IN FRONT OF THE BAR AND WHAT THEY TOOK ACTION ON. COUNSEL CANNOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE REVISIONS TONIGHT. RIGHT. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO CONFIRM WITH MR. SONET. CORRECT. SO WHAT WE ARE REF WHAT COUNSEL IS CONSIDERING TONIGHT WAS THE APPLICATION THAT WENT BEFORE THE BAR. THAT'S MY, UM, THAT'S MY ADVICE TO THE PRESIDING OFFICER. YES. OKAY. MAY ALL RIGHT. MAY, MAY I ASK SOME SOMETHING? UH, MAYOR YES, I, UM, OR NO? ARE YOU ASKING IT OF, I JUST WANT TO KNOW, ARE ARE WE WEIGHING ON, ON THE, ON THE APPLICANT'S SCOPE OF WORK? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE WEIGHING ON? NO, WE'RE WEIGHING ON WELL, I'M THE, THE SCOPE, THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE BAR, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE WEIGHING IN ON, MR. SONNET? WE ARE, WE, WHAT IS BEFORE THE COUNCIL IS AN APPEAL OF THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEWS. DENIAL OF CORRECT. OF THEIR APPLICATION. CORRECT. CORRECT. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION OR NOT, MR. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT, BUT THAT'S WHAT I THINK. I THINK IT DOES. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO MADAM MAYOR, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION AND, AND I'LL DIRECT IT I GUESS TO MR. SONNET. SO IF THE APPLICANT HAS MADE, UH, REVISIONS TO THEIR APPLICATION OR PROPOSED REVISIONS, THE COUNCIL DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO SEND THIS BACK, UH, FOR A DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE APPLICANT AND THE BAR TO SEE IF IT CAN BE RESOLVED. I BELIEVE IT, I BELIEVE, WELL, MR. SONIC CAN ANSWER, BUT I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE, IF YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD BE, WHETHER OR NOT YOU UPHOLD THIS, UM, AFFIRM THE DECISION OF THE BAR AND THEN THE APPLICANT WOULD GO BACK TO THE BAR, THE DECISION OF THE BAR ON THE ORIGINAL APPLICATION PRIOR TO ANY REVISIONS. IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A NEW APPLICATION. WE, WE CAN'T CHANGE IT AFTER THE BAR HAS TAKEN ACTION, MR. SON. RIGHT. I'M DIRECTING MY COMMENTS TO THE PRESIDING OFFICER, MADAM MAYOR. RIGHT? YES. UM, THERE, THERE IS NO AVENUE FOR REFERRING IT BACK TO THE BAR. SO IT'S, IT'S A FIRM OR A REVERSE, UH, THE B'S, UM, DECISION, WHICH IS MEMORIALIZED IN THEIR DECISION LETTER, WHICH IS IN THE PACKET. UM, IF THAT, I HOPE THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTIONS. NO, I, I, I BELIEVE THAT ANSWERS COUNCILMAN WOOD'S QUESTION, BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE, DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES, OF COURSE. OKAY. WELL, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR, LORD, AM I ALLOWED TO ASK LAUREN A QUESTION? YES. CAN I, BEFORE YOU DO THAT, CAN I JUST SAY, SO THIS IS AN AFFIRM OR REVERSE, BUT I THINK THIS MIGHT HELP COUNCILMAN WOOD'S QUESTION. BUT IF COUNCIL WERE TO, UH, AFFIRM THE, THE, THE, UH, THE BARD'S DENIAL, THEN THE APPLICANT CAN COME BACK TO THE BAR [01:20:01] WITH AN APP, ANYTHING, SAME APPLICATION, REVER, YOU KNOW, REVISED APPLICATION. IS THAT CORRECT, MR. SONIC? UM, THANK YOU. UM, MY OPINION ON THAT IS IF, IF COUNSEL, UH, AFFIRMS THE DECISION OF THE BAR, THEN THE, UM, THAT APPLICANT WOULD THEN HAVE THE OPTION OF SUBMITTING A SIGNIFICANT, A MATERIALLY DIFFERENT APPLICATION TO THE BAR FOR CONSIDERATION. OKAY. NOT THE SAME APPLICATION, BUT A MATERIALLY DIFFERENT APPLICATION. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN DE DOMINICAN PAIN. AND THEN MY QUESTION FOR LAURA, AND THEN FOLLOWING UP ON THAT IS, IS THERE A WAITING PERIOD FOR THAT? IF THEY DECIDED TO, IS THERE ANY, YOU KNOW, MORATORIUM ON WHEN THEY CAN COME OR CAN THEY COME ANYTIME WITH THEIR REVISIONS WITH A NEW APPLICATION? SORRY, NEW APPLICATION? NO. WAS THE APPLICATION BEING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED? THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT AND THEN IT WOULD GO TO OUR NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED BAR MEETING. SO I BELIEVE YOU'VE MISSED THE DEADLINE FOR NOVEMBER. WE'D BE AT THE DECEMBER BAR MEETING. THANK YOU. AND WOULD THAT INCLUDE A NEW APPLICATION FEE AS WELL? YES. AND CAN YOU, I KNOW THIS MAY BE VERY DIFFICULT, BUT CAN YOU GIVE, GIVE THEM ANY GUIDANCE ON WHAT IS MATERIALLY DIFFERENT SO THAT THEY HAVE THAT IN ADVANCE? YES. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL FOR STAFF? OR GIVE THE, HOW IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SPEAK NOW IF YOU WANT TO OR IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS? UM, I MEAN, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT NEW INFORMATION, WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT WHAT WAS HERE FOR THIS. UM, COUNSEL, DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR, FOR ANYONE? ? I DON'T. YOU DON'T? OKAY. ANYBODY? SO THEN, UM, MY ASSUMPTION IS I'M OPENING IT UP TO COUNSEL FOR A MOTION. MAD, MAD. MAYOR, MAYOR, MAYOR. OH, GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD. WELL, MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNSEL AFFIRMED THE DECISION OF THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW AND DENY A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR TWO 40 BLUE RIDGE AVENUE FROM TEDDY STOUT CONSTRUCTION INCORPORATED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, MADAM MAYOR? I'LL JUST, UM, ADD TO THE DISCUSSION OR START THE DISCUSSION RATHER THAT THE APPLICANT CAME BEFORE US AT OUR LAST REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING. UM, I HOPE, I KNOW I DID WENT BACK AND WATCHED AND GOT CAUGHT UP, UM, FROM THAT BAR MEETING AND THE APPLICANT IS, AND WAS WILLING TO MAKE REVISIONS. HOWEVER, AS MR. SONNET HINTED OR ALLUDED INDICATED, WE CANNOT MAKE REVISIONS. WE CANNOT TAKE ACTION ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE ORIGINAL APPLICATION, NOT THE CIRCUITOUS CONVERSATION THAT WAS HAD BETWEEN THE APPLICANT AND THE BAR THAT NIGHT REGARDING ANY POTENTIAL REVISIONS. AND IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THE APPLICANT IS WILLING TO MAKE REVISIONS. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THINK THIS WAS OUR ONLY PATH FORWARD, UNFORTUNATELY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? UM, MADAM MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THOUGH, UH, IN ALL FAIRNESS TO THE APPLICANT, I MEAN, IF, IF THIS DECISION IS AFFIRMED WITH THE COUNTY, UH, GIVEN THAT IT WAS JUST MENTIONED ABOUT THE APPLICATION FEE, I MEAN, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THEM. I MEAN, THAT IF, IF THE APPLICANT DOES REAPPLY THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HOLD, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T CHARGE ANOTHER APPLICATION FEE IN THIS CASE SINCE IT WAS, SINCE IT WAS BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, AND I I I'M JUST ASKING, I I JUST THINK THAT WOULD BE A FAIR EXCEPTION IN THIS CASE. THAT'S ALL. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? YEAH, AND I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER DISCUSSION THEN WE CAN ASK HIM ABOUT THAT. OH, I WAS JUST GONNA ADD THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SCOPE OF WORK AND YOU, YOU BOUNCE IT AGAINST THE, THE BAR, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE STATE, THE, THE STATE CODE OF THE BAR, UM, THE LEGAL AUTHORITY OF, OF, OF THE BAR WITHIN THE CODE. IT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A HISTORICAL DISTRICT, UH, BASED ON, ON [01:25:01] ON THAT, HAVING, HAVING THE, THE FACT THAT THE, THE CONCESSIONS AFTER THE FACT THAT CAME INTO PLAY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T REALLY MOVE ON THAT. AND THAT'S WHY I, I, THAT'S WHY I HAVE TO FEEL THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO VOTE TO DENY THIS TONIGHT. UH, IT'S JUST A, IT'S A DIFFICULT SITUATION AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I I I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE APPLICANT, UH, THEIR, THEIR GOOD INTENTIONS. IT'S, IT'S JUST, UH, UNDER, UNDER THE, THE TIMING OF IT WASN'T QUITE RIGHT IF YOU HAD KNOWN A LITTLE MORE, MAYBE YOU, YOU COULD HAVE COME IN, IN THE GATE, IN THE, IN THE BEGINNING AND, UH, MADE, MADE THAT, UM, SUBMISSION, IF YOU WILL, UM, TO COUNTER, UH, OR TACK ONTO, UH, COUNCILMAN INGRAM'S COMMENT. UM, I WOULD LIKE, I I HOPE TO SEE THAT, THAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER COMING BACK WITH SOMETHING DOWN THE ROAD. THAT'S, THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE. MAYOR, THIS IS, IS, YES. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL? I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT I BELIEVE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT ANYBODY ON THIS COUNCIL OR THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW HAS SAW OR HEARD NEW CONSTRUCTION IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT. SO I THINK THIS POSED A UNIQUE PRECEDENCE FOR BOTH THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD AS WELL AS THE COUNCIL. AND IT HAS OBVIOUSLY, UH, MAGNIFIED, UM, SOME ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED ADMINISTRATIVELY ON EACH SIDE. AND UNFORTUNATELY REGARDING THE APPLICATION FEE, WHILE I AGREE WITH THAT SENTIMENT, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN OR ARE VOTING ON CURRENTLY. WE JUST NEED TO VOTE ON THIS. YEAH. THE APPLICANT HAS GOOD INTENTIONS. THEY DO, I THINK THE MAJORITY OF THEIR WORK HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIND A RESOLUTION FORWARD ONCE WE GET THROUGH THIS. IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? NO, I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO THAT. I, I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE, OUR COMMUNITY A LONG TIME. THEY ARE, WELL-KNOWN, WELL-RESPECTED COMMUNITY BUILDERS. SO I'M, I HAVE EVERY FAITH AND CONFIDENCE THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO, TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING, UM, IF IT'S, IF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT IS THE RIGHT FIT FOR THEM. SO, OKAY. MR. SAUNA, I JUST WANNA SAY WE ARE, WE ARE ACTUALLY TAKING ACTION ON THE MOTION THAT WAS IN FRONT OF US. UM, I BELIEVE THERE ARE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO WEIGH IN ON WHETHER OR NOT A FEE COULD BE WAIVED. UH, I THINK WITH OUR ORDINANCES THAT, I DON'T KNOW THE FEES, UM, UH, ANYWAY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO WEIGH ON THAT? IN, IN MY OPINION, THAT'S NOT BEFORE COUNCIL TONIGHT. THAT WOULD BE A SEPARATE, THERE IS NO NEW APPLICATION FOR A FEE TO BE CONSIDERED AT THIS TIME. THAT WOULD BE A SEPARATE AGENDA ITEM. YEP. WHICH REQUIRES IT, YOU KNOW, ITS OWN REVIEW OUT THERE. RIGHT. I UNDERSTAND. I JUST WANTED TO, PEOPLE WERE WANTING ME TO ASK HIM, SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT. SO, UH, RIGHT NOW THE MOTION IN FRONT OF COUNSEL IS TO AFFIRM THE DECISION OF THE BAR. SO, UM, MS. PRESLEY, GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL. VICE MAYOR SEA LOT. YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. OKAY. SO MOTION PASSES. UM, [11.B. Resolution Authorizing the Execution of Blue Creek Wind Schedule with American Municipal Power, Inc (AMP)] 11 B IS THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF THE BLUE CREEK WIND SCHEDULE WITH ME WITH AMP. UM, AND SO COUNCIL HAS REQUESTED CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF BLUE CREEK WIND SCHEDULED WITH AMERICAN MUNICIPAL POWER AMP FOR SIX MEGAWATTS OF POWER, BEGINNING IN JANUARY, 2025 FOR A TERM OF FIVE YEARS, UH, 2025 TO 2029 AS PRESENTED. UM, AND THE WHAT HAS BEEN IN OUR BUDGET, OUR PRICING IS NOT TO, TO EXCEED $59, UH, WITH 0% ESCALATION FOR TERM. SO COUNCIL, UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION MADAM MAYOR, MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPROVE A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF BLUE CREEK WIND SCHEDULE WITH AMERICAN MUNICIPAL POWER, INC. A MP FOR SIX MEGAWATTS OF POWER, BEGINNING IN JANUARY, 2025 [01:30:01] FOR A TERM OF FIVE YEARS, 2025 THROUGH 2029 AS PRESENTED. SECOND. SECOND. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION TO SECOND ANY DISCUSSION? I'LL JUST SAY THAT A'S BEEN VERY INFORMATIVE. THEY'VE BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH THROUGHOUT THE TIME THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, SOME POWER BLOCKS COME UP FROM THE ENERGY DEPARTMENT. UM, AND I WILL SAY IF YOU HAVEN'T LISTENED TO JOE ROGAN'S PODCAST WITH DONALD TRUMP, THEY HAVE A LOT OF USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT WINDMILLS AND THE POWER AND THE LIFESPAN OF THOSE, UH, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON. SO CHECK THAT OUT. YEAH, I'D, I'D LIKE TO ADD, MAYOR, THAT, UM, WITH THE WORLD SITUATION RIGHT NOW, UH, LOCKING IN, UH, A PRICE OF, UH, 59 PER MEGAWATT HOURS FOR FOUR YEARS MAY NOT BE A BAD THING. UH, BECAUSE, UH, IF, UH, UH, ENERGY HAS BEEN ALL OVER THE PLACE, YOU DON'T WANNA BE OUT THERE IN THE MARKET, UH, IF YOU'RE AT THE WRONG TIME. , IF THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION, IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, ROLL CALL. VICE MAYOR OCK? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. [11.C. Direct Planning Commission to Draft a Proposed Vape Ordinance] NEXT UP IS ITEM 11 C. UM, THIS IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT QUITE A BIT. THE SUMMARY IS COUNCIL IS REQUESTED TO CONSIDER DIRECTING THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO DRAFT A PROPOSED VAPE ORDINANCE FOR THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL WITH A PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION TO TOWN COUNCIL WHEN COMPLETE. UM, AND WE HAD, WE, AS I SAID, THERE'S BEEN MULTIPLE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS, BUT THE MOST RECENT ONE WAS OUR WORK SESSION HELD ON OCTOBER 7TH. SO, DO I HEAR A MOTION, MADAM MAYOR? I MOVE THE COUNCIL DIRECT THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO DRAFT A PROPOSED VAPE ORDINANCE FOR THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL WITH A PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION FOR TO TOWN COUNCIL WHEN A COMPLETE SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? UNFORTUNATELY, I DO HAVE DISCUSSION TO ADD TO THIS. I SET IT AT THE WORK SESSION. I WANNA SAY IT AGAIN TONIGHT FOR THOSE IN ATTENDANCE AND THOSE WHO WILL WATCH OR HOWEVER IT'S REPORTED OR INTERPRETED IN THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING. UM, WHILE I HAVE OPPOSED VAPE SHOPS SINCE DAY ONE AND THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THEM IN SOME STANDARD SET, UM, SINCE WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS WITH THIS COUNCIL, WE DISCUSSED IT WITH COUNCILS BEFORE THIS COUNCIL, IT JUST DIDN'T MAKE IT THIS FAR. UM, SEVERAL OF THEM HAVE CLOSED, AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE FREE MARKET CORRECTING ITSELF. WE ALL KNOW WHY THERE WERE 17 OF 'EM IN FRONT ROYAL, THEY WERE ALL IN LINE WAITING FOR THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA AND TO APPLY FOR THE LOTTERY TO BE CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE ONES IN THE LOCALITY THAT COULD BE APPROVED FOR THAT. AND THAT MARKET IS NOT HAPPENING. UM, AND I DID SAY THIS GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING I STAND FOR POLITICALLY TO REGULATE SOMEBODY WHO HAS A BUSINESS LICENSE. THOSE COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE, THE ARGUMENT FOR THAT, THOSE BUILDINGS SAT VACANT FOR YEARS. UM, UNFORTUNATELY WHERE BIG LOTS IS NOW, WHEN I WORKED AT FOOD LION, YOU KNOW, THAT SHOPPING CENTER HAS NOT EVER BEEN THE SAME SINCE WE LOST THE GROCERY STORE. AND IF RETAILERS WANTED TO MOVE IN THERE, THEY WOULD HAVE. THE VAPE SHOPS AREN'T HOARDING THE BUILDING FROM BUSINESSES THAT ARE KNOCKING DOWN OUR DOOR TO COME HERE. BUSINESSES AREN'T DOING THAT. SO I WILL JUST REITERATE MY CONCERN WITH WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD ON THIS ORDINANCE, THAT AT WHAT POINT DO WE OR FUTURE COUNCILS GET TO SAY, TO SAY, OKAY, THERE'S ENOUGH GAS STATIONS, LET'S PUT AN ORDINANCE ON 'EM. OKAY, THERE'S ENOUGH BANKS, LET'S PUT AN ORDINANCE ON 'EM. UM, THIS IS REALLY A DISRUPTION OF THE FREE MARKET THAT DOES CORRECT ITSELF IN DUE TIME, AND WE'RE WATCHING IT UN PLAY WHILE WE GET AROUND TO ADOPTING THE ORDINANCE. TWO OF 'EM HAVE CLOSED IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS WHILE WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS MOVED FORWARD. SO I WILL JUST CAUTION MY COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THE FUTURE COUNCILS THAT WILL SIT HERE, WHO GETS TO DECIDE WHAT'S ENOUGH OF WHAT AND WHEN TO DRAW THE REINS IN AT THE SCHOOL. YEAH, I'D, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY MAYOR, THAT, UH, SO AT ONE POINT WE, I THINK WE HAD 17 HERE. UH, SO NOW WE HAVE 15. SO, UM, I STILL THINK THAT WE SHOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, GO FORWARD WITH THIS AND, UH, OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING IT. STRASBURG'S DOING IT. UH, UH, DUMP FREEZE. TOWN OF DUMP FREEZE HAS DONE IT. UH, THEY HAVE A VERY STRICT ORDINANCE. [01:35:01] UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY THRO ANYTHING WRONG AND I HAVE BEEN A PROPONENT ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THIS FROM DAY ONE. UM, AND YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHO YOUR GOVERNOR IS, AT SOME POINT, UH, THE MARIJUANA, UH, ISSUE MAY COME BACK, UH, IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. SO, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL. VICE MAYOR SEELO? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. [11.D. Amendment to the Town Attorney’s Contract] SO THE NEXT ITEM IS 11 D AND THAT, UM, ITEM IS, UH, AN AMENDMENT TO THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S CONTRACT COUNCIL'S REQUESTED TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S CONTRACT AS PRESENTED. DO I HEAR A MOTION, MADAM MAYOR? I MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S CONTRACT AS PRESENTED WITH THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE THE AMENDMENT ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN. SECOND. OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, ROLL CALL. VICE MAYOR SELO? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. OKAY. [11.E. Request for Town Public Water and Sewer for Industrial Use – Plien-Smith, LLC (Baugh Drive LLC)] ITEM 11 E IS A REQUEST FOR TOWN PUBLIC WATER AND SEWER FOR THE INDUSTRIAL USE. UM, I THINK IT'S, WE PRONOUNCED IT AS PLY SMITH. IT'S UM, LLC ON BALL DRIVE. UH, THE SUMMARY IS COUNSEL HAS RECEIVED A JOINT REQUEST FROM WARREN COUNTY IMPLY SMITH FOR WATER AND SEWER SERVICE ON BALL DRIVE TAX MAP FIVE C AS PARCEL SIX FOR A CONTRACTOR STORAGE YARD FOR LANDSCAPING AND HORTICULTURAL SERVICES. THE LANDSCAPING STORAGE AREA WILL BE SERVED BY A PRIVATE WELL, BUT THE BUILDINGS IF APPROVED, WILL BE SERVED BY TOWN WATER AND SEWER. THE APPLICANT ESTIMATES 611 GALLONS OF WATER USE PER DAY. NO AMENDMENT TO THE EXTENSION MORATORIUM AREA. TOWN CODE IS REQUIRED. UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION? I MOVE THE COUNSEL BASED UPON A FINDING OF SUFFICIENT EXCESS CAPACITY, APPROVE A JOINT REQUEST FOR WARREN COUNTY AND PLY SMITH, LLC BOG DRIVE, LLC FOR WATER AND SEWER SERVICE ON BOG DRIVE TAX MAP FIVE C IS PARCEL SIX FOR AN INDUSTRIAL CONTRACTOR STORAGE YARD FOR LANDSCAPING AND HORTICULTURE SERVICES. AND I FURTHER MOVE THAT COUNCIL DIRECT THE TOWN MANAGER AND TOWN ATTORNEY TO EXECUTE THE NECESSARY AGREEMENT WITH THE APPLICANT IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL TOWN CODE REQUIREMENTS AND WITH RATES AND CHARGES AT 100% MORE THAN THE IN TOWN RATES. SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION. AND SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? WE JUST PAID FOR INFRASTRUCTURE TO CONTINUE THE SUPPLY OF WATER AS AGREED IN THE CORRIDOR. UM, WHILE WE ARE ADDRESSING THE WATER CRISIS IN OUR AREA, CHARGING 100% MORE THAN IN TOWN RATES, UM, HELPS US TO PAY FOR THAT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'VE ALREADY ACCRUED THE DEBT FOR. YEAH, I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD TO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS JUST SAID. UH, UH, THIS ALSO TOO WAS THOUGHT UPON OF THE, UH, OF THE JOBS THAT'S GONNA CREATE. AND EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE GONNA BE IN THE COUNTY, UH, IT'S STILL GOING TO HAVE A, A POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT, WE BELIEVE TO OUR COMMUNITY. SO, AND I, THERE'S TWO OF THESE ITEMS ON HERE TONIGHT AND I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT ONE WAS 110 JOBS, I THINK, OR 130 JOBS AND ONE WAS 70. 'CAUSE I REMEMBER THINKING THAT'S 200 JOBS, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, FROM, FROM THE TWO APPLICATIONS THAT ARE HERE IF, IF IF APPROVED. SO, UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? THIS THIS ONE'S 72. IS THIS THE 72 1? OKAY. THIS 72, MADAM MAYOR, I, UM, I AM CONCERNED OVER OUR INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES AT RIVERTON WITH OUR WATER AND SEWER THAT OUR, UH, WATER STUDY DID SHOW THAT WE HAD IN, UH, DEFICIENCIES THERE. SO I'M HOPING THAT, UM, THE CONNECTION FEES AND THE OTHER FEES FOR THIS WILL GO TO TOWARDS REMEDYING THAT PROBLEM TO ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? THANKS. MAYOR SELO? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. OKAY. [11.F. Request for Town Public Wate and Sewer for Industrial Use – Rory Byrnes Rushmark Properties (Rushmark Rockland Road LLC)] ITEM 11 F IS A REQUEST FOR TOWN PUBLIC WATER AND SEWER FOR INDUSTRIAL USE. UM, AND THIS IS THE RUSH MARK. [01:40:01] UM, AND THE SUMMARY IS COUNCIL'S RECEIVED A JOINT REQUEST FROM WARREN COUNTY, RORY BURNS OF RUSH MARK PROPERTIES, SORRY, RUSH MARK ROCKLAND ROAD, LLC FOR WATER AND SEWER SERVICE AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF ROCKLAND ROAD IN WINCHESTER ROAD INTERSECTION TAX MAP 12 A SECTION ONE BLOCK 16 AS PARCELS A ONE AND A THREE FOR WAREHOUSE AND DISTRIBUTION CENTER. THE APPLICANT ESTIMATES 675 GALLONS OF WATER USE PER DAY, NO AMENDMENT TO THE EXTENSION MORATORIUM AREA. TOWN CODE 1 34 DASH 1D IS REQUIRED. UM, AND AGAIN, THERE WAS A WORK SESSION HELD ON OCTOBER 7TH WHERE COUNSEL HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS REGARDING THAT. SO DO I HEAR A MOTION MADAM MAYOR? I MOVE THAT COUNCIL BASED UPON A FINDING OF SUFFICIENT EXCESS CA CAPACITY, PROVE A JOINT REQUEST FROM WARREN COUNTY AND RORY BURNS OF RUSH MARK PROPERTIES. RUSH MARK ROCKLAND ROAD LLC FOR WATER AND SEWER SERVICE AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF ROCKLAND ROAD AND WINCHESTER ROAD INTERSECTION TAX MAP 12 A SECTION ONE BLOCK 16 AS PARCELS A ONE AND A THREE FOR AN INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSE AND DISTRIBUTION CENTER. AND A FURTHER MOVE THAT COUNSEL DIRECT THE TOWN MANAGER, TOWN ATTORNEY TO EXECUTE THE NECESSARY AGREEMENT WITH THE APPLICANT AND COMPLIANCE WITH ALL TOWN CODE REQUIREMENTS AND WITH RATES AND CHARGES AT 100% MORE THAN THE IN TOWN RATES. I HEAR A SECOND. SECOND. OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? I'D JUST LIKE TO, UH, REPEAT THE SAME REASONS FOR THE LAST, UH, ACTION ITEM ARE THE SAME REASONS I'M VOTING FOR THIS ACTION ITEM, RIGHT? I AND 136 EMPLOYEES . NICE. I I'M SORRY THAT I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER MEMORIZED. I WISH I DID, BUT I KNOW THAT AT THE WORK SESSION WE TALKED ABOUT LIKE, UM, WHAT, LIKE GALLONS OF WATER USE WOULD BE FOR A HOME. MADAM MAYOR, IT'S 1 36 IN THE APPLICATION. OKAY, SO 1 36, THAT'S JOBS, ISN'T IT? NO, THAT'S 136 JOBS. NO, BRI SHE SAID 1 36 WAS A HUNDRED. IT SAYS 136 EMPLOYEES. THAT'S EMPLOYEES. YEAH. WHAT I, WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO IS WHEN WE DISCUSSED AT THE WORK SESSION, JUST TO GIVE PEOPLE A PERSPECTIVE OF LIKE, THAT ISSUES WAS 6 75. RIGHT? WHAT I WAS THAT'S NOT WHAT SHE WAS SAYING. YEAH, SHE WAS, HOLD ON, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME GET BACK TO WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY IS AT THE WORK SESSION WE DISCUSSED HOW MUCH WATER, A APPROXIMATELY HOW MUCH WATER WOULD BE USED IN LIKE A HOME. AND WE WERE RELATING IT TO WHAT THIS WATER USAGE WOULD BE. MR. WALTZ, DO YOU BY ANY CHANCE? YES. SO, UH, NORMAL HOUSE USES 260 GALLONS OF WATER A DAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT. SO WHAT THIS WOULD BE IS LIKE LESS THAN THREE HOMES IS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET ACROSS TO THE PUBLIC. AND, AND MAINLY THAT WAS JUST SO THAT PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WATER. UM, AND SO JUST BEING ABLE TO SAY THAT THIS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN THREE HOMES AND SO WOULD THE OTHER ONE. SO SORRY IF THAT, THAT TAKEN ME A WHILE TO GET THAT QUESTION OUT, BUT THAT OR COMMENT OUT. BUT ANYWAY, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? VICE SPEAKER C LOT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN MORRIS? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. AND AT THIS TIME WE HAVE NO OTHER ITEMS TO DISCUSS, SO MEETING ADJOURNED. RARELY DO I EVER GET. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.