* 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. [00:00:01] I AM GONNA [1. MOMENT OF SILENCE] CALL TO ORDER THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING FOR FEBRUARY 24TH TO ORDER. AND WE'RE GONNA START FIRST WITH OUR MOMENT OF SILENCE. OKAY. [2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ] NEXT UP WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. AND AS YOU KNOW, I INVITE STUDENTS FROM THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TO LEAD OUR COUNCIL IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. AND THIS MONTH WE WELCOME EMLYN WINES. ASLIN IS, THAT'S ALL GOOD AS LYN'S COMING FORWARD, SHE'S ALREADY WITH US HERE. I'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT LIN IS THE DAUGHTER OF CANDACE AND CLINT WINES. EMLYN IS A SECOND GRADER ATTENDING E WILSON MORRISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHERE SHE IS AN HONOR ROLL STUDENT. LYN'S FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL IS READING OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. EMLYN ENJOYS PLAYING SOFTBALL, BASKETBALL, AND SHE'S GONNA TRY SOCCER THIS YEAR. SHE ENJOYS RIDING HER BIKE AND DOING GYMNASTICS AND PLAYING WITH HER FRIEND COURTNEY. SHE LOVES HANGING OUT ON HER GRANDFATHER'S FARM IN BENTONVILLE. HER FAVORITE MEAL IN THE UNIVERSE IS THE CHICKEN SANDWICH FROM BURGER KING. AND SHE ALSO PARTICIPATES IN THE YOUTH PROGRAM AT HER AT, UH, LIFEPOINT CHURCH HERE IN FRONT ROYAL. AND WHEN SHE GROWS UP, SHE WANTS TO BE A DOCTOR. SO TONIGHT EMILY IS RECEIVING A CERTIFICATE THANKING HER FOR HER PATRIOTISM AND PARTICIPATION IN THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL MEETING ON FEBRUARY 20TH, 24TH, SORRY, 2025. AND SHE CHOSE HER GIFT CARD FROM ME TO SPLUNK'S. AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T OFFER BURGER KING BECAUSE I CHOOSE, UM, THE SMALL BUSINESSES AROUND TOWN. SO MAYBE YOU'LL FIND SOMETHING AT SPLUNK'S YOU LIKE TO, RIGHT? ALRIGHT. IF EVERYBODY WILL STAND, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FLAG PUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL WE GO. THANK. OKAY, [3. ROLL CALL ] MS. PRESLEY, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? MAYOR . HERE. VICE HERE. COUNCIL. HERE. COUNCIL . HERE. COUNCIL HERE. COUNCIL. HERE. HERE. OKAY. [4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] NEXT UP IS OUR APPROVAL OF MINUTES. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THE COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 27TH, 2025 REGULAR MEETING. FEBRUARY 3RD, 2025. WORK SESSION IN FEBRUARY 10TH, 2025. WORK SESSION AS PRESENTED. SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. VICE? YES. YES, YES. YES. COUNSEL ? YES. OKAY. OUR NEXT ITEM WOULD BE ANY ADDITION OR DELETION OF ITEMS FROM THE AGENDA AND OR ANY REVISION TO THE ORDER OF BUSINESS. IS, DO I HEAR ANY? OKAY. OKAY. [6. RECOGNITIONS/AWARDS/REPORTS/PRESENTATIONS ] MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER SIX IS OUR RECOGNITIONS AWARDS, REPORTS, PRESENTATIONS. AND TONIGHT, UM, WE ARE GOING TO BE SHARING A PROCLAMATION ABOUT THE GLOBAL DAY OF UNPLUGGING. [00:05:01] UM, I'M, I'M JUST GONNA READ THE PROCLAMATION AND THEN MS. BROOKS IS GONNA COME FORWARD AND ACCEPT THIS. SO, WHEREAS THE HEALTH AND CONNECTION BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF WARREN COUNTY AND FRONT RURAL VIRGINIA HAVE BEEN ADVERSELY IMPACTED BY THE OVERUSE OF TECHNOLOGY. AND WHEREAS GLOBAL DAY OF UNPLUGGING WAS ESTABLISHED WITH THE MISSION TO PROMOTE DIGITAL WELLBEING AND HELP PEOPLE POWER DOWN DEVICES REDUCE SCREEN TIME AND POWER UP REAL CONNECTIONS WITH THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, AND TO TEACH PEOPLE OF ALL AGES THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING TIME FROM SCREENS AND EMBRACING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. AND WHEREAS GLOBAL DAY OF UNPLUGGING IS A WORLDWIDE EVENT TO BE HELD FROM SUNDOWN MARCH 7TH TO SUNDOWN MARCH 8TH, 2025. AND WARREN COUNTY HAS BEEN NAMED AN UNPLUGGED VILLAGE. AND WHEREAS THE US SURGEON GENERAL, DR. VIVIC MURTHY, RELEASED AN ADVISORY IN MAY, 2023 HIGHLIGHTING THE EPIDEMIC OF LONELINESS AND ISOLATION. AND WHEREAS THE AVERAGE AMERICAN SPENDS FIVE HOURS PER DAY, OR 76.3 DAYS PER YEAR ON THEIR PHONES AND CHECKS THEIR PHONES 205 TIMES PER DAY. AND WHEREAS 43% OF PEOPLE CONSIDER THEMSELVES ADDICTED TO THEIR PHONES, AND WHEREAS ON AVERAGE, GENERATION Z SPENDS OVER SIX HOURS ON THEIR PHONE EVERY DAY, AND TWO OUT OF THREE DO NOT GET ENOUGH SLEEP. AND WHEREAS EXCESSIVE SCREEN TIME HAS MEANT TRUST IN THE MEDIA, OUR NEIGHBORS AND THE WORLD AROUND US IS AT AN ALL TIME LOW, WHILE POLARIZATION IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH. AND WHEREAS REDUCTIONS IN SMARTPHONE USAGE, EVEN AS LITTLE AS ONE HOUR PER DAY, CAN MAKE A NOTICEABLE POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN THE MENTAL HEALTH OF SMARTPHONE USERS. AND WHEREAS VARIOUS BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS IN WARREN COUNTY ARE JOINING TOGETHER WITH WARREN COALITION TO PROVIDE ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE PERSONAL CONNECTIONS AND ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS TO TAKE A BREAK FROM TECHNOLOGY. AND WHEREAS CONNECTION AND UNDERSTANDING HAPPEN WHEN PEOPLE PHYSICALLY SPEND TIME TOGETHER, THEREFORE, THE FRONT WORLD TOWN COUNCIL DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM SUNDOWN MARCH 7TH, 2025 TO SUNDOWN MARCH 8TH, 2025 IS WARREN COUNTY UNPLUGGED A GLOBAL DAY OF UNPLUGGING EVENT AND CALLS UPON OUR RESIDENTS TO OBSERVE THIS OCCASION, DISCONNECT FROM THEIR PHONES AND PARTICIPATE IN EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES DURING THESE 24 HOURS. AND IT'S SIGNED BY ME AND LES IS GONNA COME FORWARD. LES, I BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE, I'VE ALREADY STARTED TO SEE THINGS, BUT THERE'S GONNA BE, UM, UH, INFORMATION IN THE NEWSPAPER AND ONLINE ABOUT THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT ARE GONNA BE HAPPENING AROUND OUR COMMUNITY THAT DAY. IT'S ACTUALLY A FRIDAY NIGHT, RIGHT? SO, ALL RIGHT. I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT I BELIEVE THE SCHOOLS WERE DOING SOMETHING. THE SCHOOLS ARE YES. YES. YOUTH UNPLUGGED PARTY FRIDAY. YES. YES. LIKE A TWO HOUR PARTY FOR THE YOUTH. RIGHT. LONG THE THAT, OH, IS IT? RIGHT? WE'RE GOING SIX TO 10 PARTY THAT KIDS. RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [7.A. Continued - Zoning Text Amendment to Town Code Chapter 175 Pertaining to Tobacco, Smoke or Vape Shops] SO NEXT UP STARTS OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS. UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE FOUR TONIGHT. SO THE FIRST ONE, UM, IS A PUBLIC HEARING THAT'S ACTUALLY WAS CONTINUED FROM OUR LAST MEETING, UM, FOR OUR ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT TO TOWN CODE CHAPTER 1 75, PERTAINING TO TOBACCO, SMOKE OR VAPE SHOPS. UM, SO I AM GONNA READ, UH, WHAT, UM, JUST THE PROCEDURES FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE ALL OF THEM, AND THEN WE'LL OPEN UP THAT ONE. AND SPECIFICALLY, SO WE NOW COME TO THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THE AGENDA. PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE 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 ARE RECOGNIZED, 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. 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 I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT I'M, UM, GONNA BE REALLY TIGHT WITH THE THREE MINUTE TIMEFRAME. IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW. SO [00:10:01] WHEN MS. PRESLEY'S, UM, TIMER GOES OFF, UH, THE MICROPHONE WILL GO OFF AND THEN THAT'LL BE THE END. OKAY? THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING IS ACTUALLY A CONTINUATION, AND I KNOW OTHERS ALREADY SPOKE, UM, AT THAT PUBLIC HEARING, BUT I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THAT PUBLIC, KEEP THAT OPEN. IS THERE ANYBODY THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK FOR THIS ONE TONIGHT? NO. IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO SPEAK FOR SEVEN A? NO. ALRIGHT. WELL THEN I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL FOR A MOTION. MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNSEL FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROMOTING THE GENERAL WELFARE OF THE PUBLIC, ADOPT AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 1 75, DEFINING AND PERMITTING TOBACCO, SMOKE, OR VAPE SHOPS WITH CONDITION CONDITIONS AS PRESENTED. SECOND. SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION. AND SECOND, IS THERE ANY, UH, ANY DISCUSSION FROM COUNSEL ON THIS ITEM? MADAM MAYOR, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO REITERATE FOR THE PUBLIC AND THOSE WHO MAY BE WATCHING FROM HOME TONIGHT, UM, OR WHO MAY READ THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING AT A LATER DATE. WHILE I AGREE THAT VAPE SHOPS ARE, UM, NOT APPEALING TO OUR COMMUNITY, THEY HAVE OVERTAKEN OUR COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AND THEY ARE A DETRIMENT TO THE WELLBEING AND THE SOCIETY OF THE YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS, UM, STUDYING THE PRECEDENCE FOR FUTURE COUNCILS GOING FORWARD TO DETERMINE AND DICTATE, UH, THE GROWTH AND EXPANSION OF THE FREE MARKET. UM, THIS IS FOR ANY COUNCIL GOING FORWARD TO DECIDE THAT THERE'S TOO MANY BOOKSTORES IN FRONT ROYAL AND THEY WANT TO ADD CONDITIONS OR USE SPECIAL USE PERMITS TO OPERATE AND OWN THOSE, UM, IN THOSE AREAS. SO, UM, I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, PREVIOUSLY HAD EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERNS TO THE PUBLIC AND TO ME WITH THIS. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE'VE MOVED FORWARD, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY SLOW PROCESS. UM, I THINK I'VE DISCUSSED THIS WITH TWO OTHER COUNCILS THAN THE ONE SITTING HERE TONIGHT TAKING ACTION ON THIS. UM, AND WE'VE SEEN WHAT THE FREE MARKET DOES. UH, YOU DRIVE DOWN SHENANDOAH AVENUE AND TURN LEFT NOW, AND I THINK THREE OF 'EM HAVE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS IN THE SIX MONTHS THAT WE'VE BEEN WRITING THESE ORDINANCES. SO THE MARKET IS MAKING A CORRECTION. AND ALSO WE SAW IN THE NEWS LATELY THAT, UM, THE DRUG TASK FORCE AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVE BEEN CRACKING DOWN ON THESE PLACES. AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE SOME MORE GO WHEN, UM, THAT CONTINUES TO UNFOLD. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I'LL JUST ADD, MAYOR, THAT, UH, GUESS FOR AN OVER, OVER A YEAR I'VE BEEN A PROPONENT OF, UH, OF, OF THIS, UH, ORDINANCE. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD TO SEE IT COME TO THIS DAY AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID WITH, UH, BRINGING IT TOGETHER. THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE IN THERE, MADAM MAYOR. I WOULD, UM, SECOND WHAT, UM, COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT SAID. UM, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A LONG, UH, ROAD AND A TASK AND, UM, AGAIN, THANKING THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THANKING OUR DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ZONING OUR TOWN ATTORNEY. IT WAS A, A TEAM EFFORT TO GET THIS ACCOMPLISHED. AND, UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR EFFORTS IN DOING IT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, LET'S DO ROLL CALL. YES. VICE ? NO. COUNCIL? YES. COUNCILMAN? YES. COUNCIL? YES. COUNCIL? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. [7.B. Rezoning Application Submitted by Skyline Realty Investment LLC to Reclassify Property on W. Strasburg Road from C-1 to R-3] ITEM B IS THE REZONING APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY SKYLINE REALTY INVESTMENT TO RECLASSIFY PROPERTY ON WEST ROSEBURG ROAD FROM C ONE TO R THREE. COUNCIL'S REQUESTED TO CONSIDER A REZONING APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY SKYLINE REALTY INVESTMENT LLC REQUESTING AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING MAP OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TO RECLASSIFY ADDRESSES 10 30 44 52 60, AND A VACANT LOT ON WEST ROSEBURG ROAD IDENTIFIED BY TAX MAP 20 A 12 SECTION THREE PARCELS, 22 26, 27, A 31 [00:15:01] C 31, AND 23 FROM C ONE COMMUNITY BUS BUSINESS DISTRICT TO R THREE RESIDENTIAL, UH, DISTRICT. AND AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND MS. PRESLEY, HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO, I CAN HEAR YOU, BUT I FEEL LIKE I'M LOUDER THAN YOU ARE. SO, IS IT WORKING? CAN YOU ALL HEAR HER? HEAR HER? OKAY. IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO SPEAK TO THIS ITEM? GO AHEAD. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR CARPEL, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. I'M JOE BROGAN WITH BROGAN BAN. MY OFFICE PREPARED THE, UM, REZONING, UH, APPLICATION. AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. ARE, UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THIS IS, THIS WOULD NORMALLY, SO HERE'S ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION FOR JOE? ANYBODY? NOPE, I THINK WE'RE GOOD. IF SOMETHING COMES UP DURING THE DISCUSSION, YOU'RE GONNA BE HERE, RIGHT? YEP, I'LL BE RIGHT HERE. OKAY. AND JUST REAL QUICKLY, CAN YOU TELL MS. MELEY THE ADDRESS? I THINK, UH, 1 5 2 KINS LANE, BROWNTOWN, VIRGINIA. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK REGARDING THIS PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY. I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL MADAM MAYOR AND FURTHERANCE OF THE, UH, PURPOSES. OBJECTIVES CA UH, CONTAINED IN TOWN CODE 1 75 DASH ONE BI MOVE THE COUNCIL APPROVE A REZONING APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY SKYLINE REALTY INVESTMENT LLC REQUESTING AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING MAP OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TO RECLASSIFY ADDRESSES 10 30 44 52 60 AND A VACANT, UH, LOT ON WEST CHARLESBURG ROAD IDENTIFIED BY TAX MAP TWO ZERO A ONE TWO, SECTION THREE PARTIALS 22 26 27, A 31 C 31, AND 23 FROM C ONE COMMUNITY BUSINESS DISTRICT TO R THREE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT, ZACH. OKAY. NOW IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL OR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR, I I ONLY HAVE ONE. I ONLY HAVE ONE MAYOR. UM, IT WAS IN REGARD TO, AND I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER, UH, AND MAYBE I'M MOVING A LITTLE BIT TOO FAST THROUGH THE PROCESS. UH, IT'S IN RESPECT TO STORM WATER MANAGEMENT. UH, THE, UH, I DROVE UP THERE. I CAN SEE THAT THEY'RE HOOKED ONTO THE SYSTEM. IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S PLENTY OF CATCHES OUT FRONT ON THE, ON THE HAMMERHEAD ROAD. UH, I'M MORE INTERESTED IN, UH, HOW WE WILL DEAL WITH WHAT'S IN BACK OF IT, BECAUSE THAT'S A HILL, IT'S A DROP OFF BACK THERE. SO AS THE 24 UNITS GO UP, UH, CAN STAFF OR OR THE APPLICANT ADDRESS THAT? AND WHILE YOU'RE WALKING UP THERE, MS. PRESLEY, YOUR MICROPHONE IS NOT WORKING. IT IS NOT. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANNA TAKE THE ACTUAL ONE FROM OVER THERE. OH NO CHARLES, I'M JUST THROWING OUT THERE 'CAUSE THEY CAN'T HEAR IT ON LINE. SO CAN'T HEAR IT. GO AHEAD. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO THE PROPOSED PLAN, YOU SEE THE 24, THIS WILL REQUIRE MAJOR SUBDIVISION PLA PLAN. IT'LL REQUIRE, UM, SITE PLAN REVIEW ESSENTIALLY. SO THE STORMWATER CALCULATIONS WILL BE CALCULATED AT THAT POINT, BUT THE GROUND DOES SLOPE BACKWARDS. UH, THE CREST IS UP AT THE TOP, IT WILL RUN TOWARDS THE BACK. SO I WOULD IMAGINE YOUR STORM WATER MANAGEMENT FACILITIES WOULD BE AT THE LOW SPOT OF THE PROPERTY, BUT THEY JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET. OKAY. SO THERE, THERE, THERE WILL BE PROBABLY A DRY POND INSTALLED. THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE SOMETHING. SO ANYTIME, UM, THERE ARE MORE THAN EIGHT UNITS, IT'S ESSENTIALLY IT'S A MAJOR SUBDIVISION. AT THAT POINT, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS THAT YOU'VE BEEN SEEING WITH, UM, LIKE SQUIRREL HILL OR SOME OF THE OTHER SUBDIVISIONS COMING BEFORE YOU. SO ULTIMATELY THE PLAN MAY BE FOR AN HOA TO BE DEVELOPED MM-HMM . [00:20:01] AND TO MAINTAIN THAT SWIM WATER MANAGEMENT POND. YEP. I SEE. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, LAUREN? JUST TO CLARIFY FOR COUNSEL AND FOR THE PUBLIC, THIS REZONING APPLICATION FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT COMES WITH NO TRAFFIC STUDY AND NO PROFFERS AT ALL, CORRECT? CORRECT. OKAY. AND THIS IS ONLY FOR, UH, THE ONLY THING THAT COUNSEL'S TAKEN ACTION ON TONIGHT IS TO REZONE IT FROM C ONE TO R THREE, CORRECT? CORRECT. TO BE DEVELOPED. RIGHT. SO NO OTHER APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED. JUST THE REZONING PORTION. THEY HAVEN'T STARTED THE PROCESS FOR ANYTHING ELSE, MS. KAMINSKY? UM, IT, IT'S MY MEMORY THAT THIS WAS REZONED COMMERCIAL, UM, AT A TIME, THE WHOLE, UH, THE WHOLE AREA INCLUDING DUCK STREET UP TO, UH, I FORGET THE NAME OF THE CROSSOVER, BUT WAS REZONED COMMERCIAL WITH THE IDEA OF DEVELOPING THAT COMMERCIALLY BEFORE THE NEW HIGHWAY, UM, INTERCHANGE WAS PUT IN THERE. AND, UH, THESE LOTS WERE, I I'LL SAY LOCKED IN BY THE HAMMERHEAD AT, AT THE END IF YOU GO BACK THERE. THANK YOU. I THINK, UM, THE ROAD COMING DOWN IN FRONT OF THESE LOTS END AND NOT IN A CUL-DE-SAC, SO IT'S NOT ADVANTAGEOUS TO ENVISION COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, THE ACCESS TO THEM, NOR THE TURNAROUND FOR VEHICLES THERE. UH, FURTHER UP, UH, BECAUSE I LIVE ON STRASSBURG ROAD, I'M FAMILIAR WITH, UH, THERE'S A COUPLE MORE TOWNHOUSE UNITS BETWEEN THERE AND AS ROADS. UH, MOST RECENTLY WE HAD A BURNED OUT, UM, HOUSE DEMOLISHED BY THE BUILDER AND THERE'S TWO VERY NICE LOOKING TOWNHOUSES GOING IN. AND SO THIS REZONING AND ALLOWING THE FUTURE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE IN KEEPING WITH, UM, WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON UP AS ROADS. MM-HMM . AND, UM, I BELIEVE WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT CHANGING THE COMP PLAN WITH THE IDEA. THIS IS IN THE COMP PLAN FOR C ONE DEVELOPMENT. SO OUR COMP PLAN WOULD MATCH ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING. SO YOU'VE ALREADY CHANGED THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. OKAY. SO THIS FOLLOWED. ALRIGHT. SO IT DOES FOLLOW THE COMP PLAN. YES. THANK YOU. I BELIEVE THAT CAME OUT OF PLANNING COMMISSION IS TO CHANGE IT FIRST. THAT'S ABOUT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? OKAY. I THINK IT'S TIME FOR A VOTE. MS. PRESLEY. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. ICE MAYOR VIAL? YES. COUNCILMAN SELO? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. . I'M SORRY. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN DE DAMON PAYNE? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. MAYBE COUNCILMAN INGRAM COULD PUT THAT BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU. THAT MIGHT BE EASIER THAN YOU HAVING TO GET UP AND CROSS OVER. THANKS JOE. THANK YOU ALL FOR SHARING. THANK YOU FOR SHARING. . OKAY. UM, SEVEN [7.C. Ordinance Amendment to Town Code Chapter 4 Pertaining to the FOIA Policy for Remote Participation by Electronic Means and Clarify Procedure to Remove Items from Council Agendas] C IS THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO TOWN CODE CHAPTER FOUR PERTAINING TO THE FOIA POLICY FOR REMOTE PARTICIPATION BY ELECTRONIC MEANS. AND CLARIFY PROCEDURE TO REMOVE ITEMS FROM COUNCIL AGENDAS. I UNDERSTAND MS. PRESLEY, IT'S FIXED. IS IT FIXED? OH, MINE'S FIXED. THEY SAID. IS IT FIXED? YEAH. OH YEAH, IT'S FIXED. LITTLE REVERB . SO SINCE IT'S FIXED, DO YOU MIND READING THE SUMMARY NOW? SURE. OKAY. WHOA, IT'S REALLY, YEAH, IT'S LONG. THAT'S, SORRY. NO, I MEAN, THE MICROPHONE'S, IT'S LONG COUNCIL'S REQUESTED TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO TOWN CODE CHAPTER FOUR PERTAINING TO FOIA POLICY, ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNMENT TO REFLECT CHANGES ADOPTED, I DON'T KNOW. IS THAT GONNA WORK TO STATE CODE JULY 1ST, 2024 TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT AND CLEARLY DEFINE THE PROCEDURES FOR REMOVAL OF ITEMS FROM COUNCIL AGENDA AS PRESENTED. I JUST READ, DID YOU WANT ME TO READ THE CHANGES? UM, HERE, I'LL READ THEM 'CAUSE IT'S WRONG. IT'S NOT DOING FOUR DASH 1.1 INDIVIDUAL MEMBER REMOTE PARTICIPATION BY ELECTRONIC MEANS REFLECTS CHANGES ADOPTED BY STATE CODE JULY 1ST, 2024. AND UPDATES THE TOWN'S POLICY. FOUR DASH 1.1 A ONE AND TWO ADDED NEW LANGUAGE TO CLARIFY, REMOTE PARTICIPATION WILL COUNT TOWARDS THE QUORUM WHEN USING REASONS ONE AND TWO AS REASONS FOR THE REMOTE PARTICIPATION. 4.1 OR FOUR DASH ONE 1A THREE REWORDED TO ME STATE CODE AND THEN 4.1 0.1 B AND C REMOVED REFERENCE TO ALL VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND STATE OF EMERGENCY SINCE THEY'RE REFERENCED IN THE STATE CODE AND [00:25:01] NOT NEEDED IN THE TOWN'S POLICY. FOUR 1D ADDED LANGUAGE THAT THE POLICY BE ADOPTED ANNUALLY PURSUANT TO STATE CODE. AND THEN FOUR DASH 19 THE ORDER OF BUSINESS, THE PLACEMENT AND APPROVAL OF ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. FOUR DASH 19 A THREE. IT'S REVISED TO REFLECT THE CURRENT PROCESS OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS AND THEN FOUR DASH 19 C TWO CLARIFY THE PROCEDURE TO REMOVE ITEMS FROM THE COUNCIL AGENDAS. AND SO AT THIS TIME I'M GONNA OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO, IT'S NOT. IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO SPEAK AT FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL. MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL ADOPT ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS TO TOWN CODE CHAPTER FOUR, ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNMENT AS PRESENTED. SECOND. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION A SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY. I I JUST WANTED TO THANK, UH, I DON'T THINK IT'S FOR ALL HARD WORK. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, THEN MS. PRESBY , TAKE A VOTE. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. P VICE? YES. COUNCILMAN ? YES. YES, YES. BE DEMON. YES. [7.D. FY25 Budget Amendment to Accept Funds from VDOT for the 8th Street Bridge Replacement Program and Award a Contract for the Project] SO ITEM 70 IS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE FY 25 BUDGET AMENDMENT TO ACCEPT FUNDS FROM VDOT FOR THE EIGHTH STREET BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM AND AWARD A CONTRACT FOR THE PROJECT COUNCIL HAS REQUESTED TO PROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE FY 25 BUDGET IN THE AMOUNT OF $909,999 AND 25 CENTS TO ALLOW THE TOWN TO RECEIVE FUNDS FROM V VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S VDOT REVENUE SHARING PROGRAM FOR THE EIGHTH STREET BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT AND AWARD A CONTRACT TO WG CONSTRUCTION COMPANY OF FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,819,998 AND 50 CENTS. UM, AND JUST FOR THE PUBLIC'S AWARENESS, UH, WE ARE HOLDING THIS PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE ANYTIME THERE'S AN INCREASE OF GREATER THAN 1% OF THE ORIGINAL BUDGET, IT REQUIRES A PUBLIC HEARING. SO I'M GONNA OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. MS. PRESLEY, HAS ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO. IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO, TO SPEAK? OKAY, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL, APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE FY 25 BUDGET IN THE AMOUNT OF $909,999 AND 25 CENTS TO RECEIVE FUNDS FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S REVENUE SHARING PROGRAM FOR THE EIGHTH STREET BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT AND AWARD A CONTRACT TO WDG CONSTRUCTION COMPANY OF FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA AND THE AMOUNT OF $1,819,000 $998 AND 50 CENTS. SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? THIS IS THE MILLION DOLLARS IN PAVING THAT WE HAD TO REALLOCATE PRIOR TO THIS COUNCIL'S TIME HERE. UM, AND THIS IS JUST SHOWING THAT INFRASTRUCTURE AND UPGRADES AND IMPROVEMENTS ARE SLOW MOVING AND EXPENSIVE, AND WE HAVE TO PICK AND CHOOSE, UM, WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES, I BELIEVE YOU ASKED FOR THE MIC. UM, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING EARLIER. UH, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THEY HAVE A MANASAS ADDRESS, MANASSAS, VIRGINIA. UH, YOU, UH, BECAUSE OF WHAT'S ON THE, UH, WHERE IT SAYS THE BID TABULATION ON THE BID. OKAY. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. ADDRESS. ALL RIGHT. IT ISN'T EVEN, I'M SORRY. IT DOESN'T EVEN ADDRESS. OKAY. DOES, UM, WE DO, DO WE NEED TO, UH, AMEND THE MOTION, MS. PRESLEY FOR IT TO SAY MANASSAS? OR IS IT OKAY TO HAVE A FAIRFAX? OBVIOUS NOT. WE'LL JUST CHANGE IT TO MANASSAS. OKAY. SO EVERYBODY ON COUNCIL'S AWARE THAT THE MOTION WILL NOW REFLECT THAT IT'S MANASAS. ALRIGHT. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? UH, MADAM MAYOR, THIS IS AS, UH, VICE MAYOR AL SAID, UM, A MUCH NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT. AND THE SHORT TIME I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, I'VE LEARNED AND BEEN FRUSTRATED BY IT. BUT, UH, THE TOWN MOVES, UM, ALONG WITH THE STATE IN SOME OF THESE JOINT PROJECTS, UH, THE TOWN HAS BEEN SETTING ASIDE MONEY. SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING [00:30:01] THAT, OH MY GOD, WE GOTTA PAY FOR NEXT YEAR IN TAXES. THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN BUDGETED OR, UM, UH, ACTING TOWN MANAGER AND FINANCE DIRECTOR DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB IN, UM, FIGURING OUT HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO TAKE AND SETTING ASIDE THE APPROPRIATE MONEY, WHETHER IT BE OVER FIVE YEARS, FOUR YEARS, ET CETERA. AND KUDOS TO HIM FOR THAT. UM, WE ARE GOING TO SEE A DIFFERENT BRIDGE STRUCTURE THERE. THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO PREVENT THE FLOODING EN CLOSURE OF THAT ROAD. UM, AND IT WILL CHANGE, UM, THE APPROACH FROM COMMERCE AVENUE TO IT. THERE WOULD BE SOME OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT GO ALONG WITH THIS WITH SOME SIDEWALL, CURB AND GUTTER, UH, REALIGNMENT OF, UM, THE, UM, STUDENT UNION PROPERTY AND A LITTLE BIT ON MARLOW MOTORS. SO LONG TIME COMING, BUT, UH, A LOT OF HARD WORK TO GET US THERE. I APPRECIATE STAFF'S WORK ON THAT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? SO I WILL SAY AS, AS, UH, VICE MAYOR BETHAL AND COUNCILMAN WOODS SAID, THIS ACTUALLY WAS SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE I, I'M GONNA QUOTE THE WRONG YEAR, BUT IT'S WHEN I WAS SERVING AS VICE MAYOR, UH, THIS PROJECT CAME BEFORE US AND, UH, WE THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD. AND THEN, UM, WHEN WE FOUND OUT WE WERE GONNA GET REVENUE SHARING AS, AS VICE MAYOR VITON THOUGHT, SO WE ACTUALLY HAD SET ASIDE A MILLION DOLLARS FOR PAVING. UM, AND, UH, THE TOWN MANAGER AT THE TIME CAME BACK AND SAID, UM, TO GET THIS REVENUE SHARING, WE HAD TO AGREE AND, AND SET ASIDE THE MONEY FOR THAT. AND SO IT TOOK, TOOK THAT MILLION DOLLARS OUTTA THE PAVING BUDGET, BUT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, WE WERE GONNA GET THIS 909,000. SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THOSE PRIORITIES GO. WE'RE LIKE, WE DIDN'T WANNA GIVE UP THE MONEY FOR THAT. SO, UH, IT IS A LONG TIME COMING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, THE COMPLETION OF THAT. SO, MS. PRESLEY, YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL? COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. ? YES. COUNCIL ? YES. COUNCIL ? YES. COUNCIL ? YES. COUNSEL MAY? YES. OKAY. [8. PUBLIC COMMENTS NOT RELATED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS] NEXT UP IN OUR, UM, IS OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS NOT RELATED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS. AND SO I'M GONNA GIVE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT. FOR ANYBODY WHO'S WISHING TO SPEAK. WE NOW COME TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PORTION OF THE AGENDA. IT IS THE DUTY OF THE MAYOR TO CONDUCT THIS MEETING IN AN ORDERLY MANNER. PERSONS ADDRESSING THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL ARE ASKED TO LIMIT THEIR REMARKS TO THOSE RELEVANT TO THE BUSINESS OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL. NO PERSONS IN ATTENDANCE SHALL BE ALLOWED TO VOICE REMARKS EXCEPT AS RECOGNIZED BY THE MAYOR OR THE CLERK OF COUNCIL. UPON RECOGNITION BY THE MAYOR, THE CLERK OF COUNCIL, THE SPEAKER SHALL STATE THEIR NAME, ADDRESS, AND INDICATE IF THEY ARE 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. AFTER THAT TIME IS 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 WARNED TO REFRAIN FROM SUCH CONDUCT ANY ADDITIONAL DISTURBANCE AFTER THE WARNING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. AND THE MAYOR WILL HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO ASK, UH, THE CHIEF OF POLICE TO REMOVE THE INDIVIDUAL GROUP OR CLEAR THE ROOM SO THAT THE COUNCIL CAN CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THE TOWN. MRS. PRESLEY, HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE TWO. OKAY. ANY HUDSON? OKAY. FIRST THERE? YES. BETTY HUDSON. MY NAME IS BETTY HUDSON. UH, MY ADDRESS IS 3 77 WEST DUCK STREET, FRONT ROYAL. UM, I AM A CITIZEN, UH, FRONT ROW CITIZEN. UM, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE, UM, STORM WATER DRAIN DRAINING OFF FROM THE, UM, PROPOSED TOWNHOUSES AT 3 36 CHARLESBURG ROAD. I ALREADY GET ALL THIS WATER FROM, UH, FROM HERITAGE HALL NURSING HOME FROM THEIR PARKING LOT AND EVERYTHING. AND, UH, IT FLOODS MY PROPERTY THREE OR FOUR TIMES A YEAR. AND IF I GET ANY MORE WATER THROUGH THERE, IT'S GONNA BE UP IN MY HOUSE. AND LAST SUMMER IT WASHED THE ROAD OUT AT DUCK STREET. THE TOWN HAD TO REBUILD IT. MM-HMM . NOW I JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE [00:35:01] RUNOFF FROM THAT, FROM THOSE TOWNHOUSES. THANK YOU. ARE YOU, I ARE YOU GOOD? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MS. HUDSON AND MAYOR. YES. 3, 7 7. I THOUGHT SHE SAID THREE 30. SIX. THREE SEVEN. 7 3 7. OH YEAH. THREE SEVEN. OKAY. THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY SAID, BUT I GOT JOHN 3 77. NO, BUT SHE WAS REFERRING TO PROPERTY ON STRASSBURG ROAD. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT WAS CONFUSING ME. YOU ALL ARE SAYING 3 77. IT'S 360 6. 3 36 STRASSBURG ROAD. MM-HMM . OKAY. WEST? YEP. WEST. MS. PRESLEY, I BELIEVE YOU SAID THERE WAS THE SECOND PERSON. OKAY. I THINK ONE IS. HELLO. THANKS FOR LETTING ME SPEAK. YES. UM, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE DEPARTS THERE. COINING, MR. NORTH, CAN WE GET YOU TO STATE YOUR ADDRESS AND START 1 24 ROBINSON ROAD, WHICH IS IN WARREN COUNTY. KEEP GOING. YOU'RE GOOD. UM, THE ROYAL, THE APARTMENTS THAT ARE ABOUT TO BE BUILT. ROYAL LANE, UH, FRONT ROYAL. I LISTENED TO YOUR LAST MEETING. I HEARD SOME REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP. I UNDERSTAND THAT AT THE NEXT MEETING, THE TOWN HALL MEETING, THAT YOU'RE GOING TO TRY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE. UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU ARE GOING TO ASK ENOUGH QUESTIONS. UM, I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT IN THAT MEETING THAT, UH, TALKED ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION. THERE'S A LOT OF DIRT THAT HAS TO COME OUT OF THAT PROPERTY TO GET IT DOWN TO A LEVEL SPOT. UM, THOUSANDS OF CUBIC YARDS. A DUMP TRUCK CAN HAUL 10 CUBIC YARDS AT A TIME. YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW MANY HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF DUMP TRUCKS JUST DUMP TRUCKS. THEY HAVE TO MOVE THAT DIRT OUT OF THAT BANK, NOT COUNTING TRACTOR AND TRAILERS THAT BRING THAT HEAVY EQUIPMENT IN TO DO THAT WORK. THE CONCRETE TRUCKS, THE TRACTOR TRAILERS THAT BRING THE EQUIPMENT. I HEARD A STATEMENT ABOUT A RIGHT TURN LANE AS YOU COME OUT RURAL LANE TO DIVERT EVERYBODY TO THE RIGHT. AND THAT'S, THAT'S BAD EVEN FOR THE VEHICLES, THE CARS, THE SMALL CARS, BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO CREATE MORE CONGESTION AS THEY GET TO THE TOP OF THE HILL AND TRY TO TURN LEFT TO COME BACK THROUGH THAT RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. WHAT'S THAT GONNA BE LIKE WITH DUMP TRUCKS LINED UP THREE AND FOUR DUMP TRUCKS, TRACTOR AND TRAILERS LINED UP THROUGH THERE. RIGHT NOW, CARS SET THERE AT THAT INTERSECTION WITH ONE FOOT ON THE BRAKE, ONE ON THE GAS, TRYING TO FIND A HOLE TO SHOOT THROUGH. WHAT'S THAT GONNA LOOK LIKE WITH A 75,000 POUND TONGUE TRUCKER AND KIDS RUNNING ACROSS THE ROAD? I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT THOSE QUESTIONS, SEE IF YOU CAN DO SOME KIND OF STUDIES AS TO WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MONITOR THAT TRAFFIC. I ALSO HEARD THAT THERE WAS NOT A ROAD THAT ACCESSES THIS PROPERTY. AND ACTUALLY, ACCORDING TO, UH, PEN, WHO DID AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH, THERE IS A ROAD THAT COMES FROM, UH, OUN ROAD UP TO THIS PROPERTY. IT SHOWS RIGHT ON THEIR AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH. UH, GOOGLE MAPS HAD EVEN HAS A NAME FOR IT. IT'S CALLED REMOUNT DRIVE. AND IT'S THERE, YOU CAN WALK UP THROUGH IT, YOU CAN SEE IT. IT'S BEEN OVERGROWN. HAS IT BEEN USED FOR A FEW YEARS? IT COMES UP TO THIS PROPERTY EXACTLY WHERE THE CUL-DE-SAC THAT THE PROPOSED CUL-DE-SAC, WHERE THIS PROPERTY IS. AND IT SHOWS AN EXTENSION OFF THAT CUL-DE-SAC. THE ENGINEER SAID THAT WAS FOR CONVENIENCE, FOR WHOEVER WOULD WANT TO DEVELOP THE PROPERTY AT A LATER DATE, BUT IT, IT RUNS RIGHT INTO THIS ROAD. THIS REMOUNT DRIVE THAT COMES UP THERE, THAT, THAT IS NOT, HAS NOT THAT RIGHT OF WAY WAS NOT PUT IN THERE FOR A CONVENIENCE DOWN THE ROAD. IT WAS PUT IN THERE BECAUSE IT CONNECTS RIGHT TO THIS OTHER ROAD. IT COMES DOWN 5 22. THAT'S A LOT LESS USED. UH, ROAD 5 22 IS A LOT LESS TRAFFIC. I WOULD THINK THAT YOU WOULD AT LEAST ENTERTAIN IT. THANK YOU MR. NORTH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MS. PRESLEY. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE? IS THERE ANYBODY HERE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO. NO. ALRIGHT. UM, NEXT UP IS [9.A. Report of Interim Town Manager] OUR REPORT. SO THE REPORT OF THE INTERIM TOWN MANAGER IS FIRST. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. CAN WE HEAR HIM AT ALL BETTER NOW? [00:40:02] OKAY. SORRY. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. UH, MADAM MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO REMIND THE, UH, BUSINESSES AND TAXPAYERS THAT, UH, UH, BUSINESS LICENSE RENEWALS ARE DUE MARCH 1ST, UH, COMING UP HERE. UH, THE, UM, SINCE THE MARCH 1ST FELLS ON A SATURDAY, WE WILL ROLL THAT OVER TO THEM FOLLOWING MONDAY OF MARCH 3RD. UH, THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. THANK YOU. UH, REPORT OF [9.B. Report of Councilmembers] COUNCIL MEMBERS. OH, HAVE, HAVE, EVERYTHING IS DONE. OKAY. ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANNA SHARE? OKAY. I'M ASSUMING YES, I'LL SHARE. OKAY. I'LL SHARE SOMETHING. OKAY. , I CAN'T STAND SILENCE, MAN. . UH, SO, UH, I, UM, ON SATURDAY, I BELIEVE IT WAS SATURDAY, UM, I HEARD THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A WALL AND, UH, IT WAS CALLED THE ES THE COL ES NIGHT. COES NIGHT OF THE YEAR WALL. AND, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I, IT, IT STARTED AT THE, UH, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT MAYBE 200 PEOPLE. UM, THEY HAD A GOAL OF, UH, 20 OU RAISING $20,000. AND THEY SURPASSED THAT GOAL THAT I THINK IT WAS AROUND 22 5. I MEAN, THAT'S, I'M SEEING YES. AS IN, THAT'S WHAT I READ. SO, OH, IT WAS IN THE PAPER? UH, NO, IT WAS ON ROLE EXAMINER EXAMINE . OKAY. UH, AND, UM, SEE, I READ IT. UH, THE ONE THING THAT REALLY TOUCHED ME OR STOOD OUT TO ME WAS THEY READ 25 NAMES OF PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE LAST YEAR, BUT WERE NOT THERE THIS YEAR BECAUSE THEY PASSED AWAY. AND IT REINFORCES IN MY MIND THE, THE NEED IN THIS COMMUNITY, UH, FOR HOUSING, LOW INCOME TO MODERATE INCOME HOUSING. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, I'M NOT SAYING THAT ALL OF THESE FOLKS COULD QUALIFY FOR THAT, BUT THE REALITY IS THIS, SOME OF THEM PROBABLY COULD. UM, AND ESPECIALLY ON THE LOWER END, UH, WITH SOME ASSISTANCE. SO I WANTED, UH, I, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO TELL, TO SAY THAT. AND ALSO THANK, UH, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT. ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO ADD ANYTHING THIS EVENING? I DO. UM, SOME OF MY ACTIVITIES THAT I HAD, I COMPLETED OUR ANNUAL TRAINING OR BIANNUAL TRAINING THAT WE HAVE FOR FOIA AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST. UM, ATTENDED A RIBBON CUTTING AT THE DANCE AND ARTS, WHICH IS ABOVE THE, UM, USED BRIDAL STORES AT RE RE IT'S RE WOOD BRI. THANKS. I CAN'T, I CAN'T SAY THAT WELL. SO, UM, BUT IT'S A BEAU, ALL THOSE SHOPS, THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL. UM, AND PLEASE CHECK THEM OUT. IT'S, IT'S LOVELY TO HAVE THOSE KIND OF ASSETS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY. UM, I ALSO ATTENDED THE COUNCIL RETREAT WITH MY FELLOW COUNCIL PEOPLE, AND, UM, FOR, I ATTENDED MY FIRST MEETING OF THE NORTHERN SHENDO VALLEY REGIONAL COMMISSION AS, UM, I'VE BEEN APPOINTED TO BE A MEMBER OF THAT AS PART OF THE TOWN COUNCIL. SO THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF NICE REGIONAL PROJECTS GOING ON AROUND WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WILL BE WATCHING, UM, THAT HOPEFULLY WILL BENEFIT WARREN COUNTY. SO THANK YOU. MM-HMM . ANY, ANY? YES, MADAM MAYOR. UM, I WANT TO THANK, UH, COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT FOR BRINGING THAT UP ABOUT THE COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR. UM, THAT'S A, UM, NORTH AMERICAN, I GUESS, CHARITY FUNDRAISER FOR SHELTERS IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. UH, ONCE YOU GO ON THEIR SITE, YOU FIND, YOU PUT IN THE CITY IN FRONT ROYAL'S CASE YOU GOT THE HEART SHELTER. BUT, BUT I MEAN, IT, IT'S NUMEROUS CITIES THROUGHOUT CANADA AND NORTH AMER, UM, UNITED STATES, AND THEY DID EXCEED IT. UM, THEIR GOAL, OUR SHELTER DOES, UH, UM, A WONDERFUL JOB. AND IT'S, IT'S MANNED BY PAID STAFF. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FUNDRAISING, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SPEND THE NIGHT THERE, UM, TO CONTROL THE SHELTER, MAKE SURE THAT IT OPERATES. UM, THE, UH, GUESTS GET A MEAL THAT NIGHT. UM, THEY GET A [00:45:01] MEAL IN THE MORNING, THEN A KIND OF A PACKED MEAL TO GO OUT DURING THE DAY. AND THE FOUR H, UM, CENTER, R FOUR H CENTER ALSO PROVIDES SHOWERS FOR THESE, UM, GUESTS. UM, I BELIEVE THEY'RE BUST UP AIR EVERY WEDNESDAY. SO IT, IT'S TRULY A COMMUNITY, UM, TYPE EVENT. UH, NUMEROUS TEAMS, UH, AMY AND I WALKED ON THAT, UH, WALKED FOR THE ROTARY CLUB. WE RAISED SOMEWHERE NORTH OF $2,300 OURSELVES, BUT THERE WERE OTHER GROUPS THERE, YOUNG PEOPLE, OLDER PEOPLE, AND YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO WALK THAT NIGHT. YOU COULD HAVE WALKED ON YOUR TREADMILL AND PEOPLE GIVING YOU MONEY. AND SO IT WASN'T, YOU HAD TO SHOW UP AT NIGHT, YOU COULDN'T DO IT. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND I WANT TO THANK ALL THE CITIZENS OUT THERE THAT DID CONTRIBUTE TO MY WIFE BEATING ME. BUT, UM, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR DONATIONS FOR THAT. UM, ALSO, I ATTENDED THE KNOCKING DOWN WALLS PRESENTATION, UH, MOVIE PRESENTATION SPONSORED BY THE NAACP. I BELIEVE IT WAS THURSDAY NIGHT. THURSDAY NIGHT, YES. AND, UM, GROWING UP HERE, UH, MY, SOME OF OUR LIFESPANS AND SUCH, WE ATTENDED PUBLIC SCHOOL AFTER ALL THIS HAPPENED. UM, I WENT TO WHAT WAS CHRYSLER HIGH SCHOOL, UH, FOR SEVENTH GRADE. AND I WAS THE FIRST CLASS THERE OF THE RENAMED WARREN COUNTY INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL, WHICH LATER HAS BEEN, UM, MADE OVER AGAIN INTO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. TODAY, IT'S RUSTY JEFFRIES. BUT MY POINT IS, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED SIMPLY SEVEN YEARS BEFORE I ENTERED THAT SCHOOL. AND, UM, THIS FILM WAS MADE BY STUDENTS IN SPOTSWOOD HIGH SCHOOL OUTSIDE OF HARRISONBURG. AND THEY WERE FORTUNATE, WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH AS COMMUNITIES STILL TO HAVE SOME OF THESE STUDENTS ALIVE THAT PARTICIPATED AT, WALKED UP THAT HILL IN 1959 AND ENTERED WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL AS THE FIRST BLACK STUDENTS. AND, UM, THE, THE FILM, WHILE IT WAS VERY, UH, INTERESTING AND INSPIRING, UM, THE AFTERWARDS, THE PANEL DISCUSSION WITH THESE, AND IT WAS ALL LADIES. SO I CAN SAY WITH THESE LADIES, WAS JUST FASCINATING, INTERESTING. AND I THINK ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY DAY, AND IT'S HARD FOR ME TO THINK BACK WHEN I WAS A CHILD. THIS WAS GOING ON. BUT SO FAR OUR COMMUNITY HAS COME SO FAR BECAUSE, UM, THESE EVENTS AND SOME OTHER EVENTS HAVE TAKEN CARE, HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THIS TIME. AND I, I, I JUST WANT TO SALUTE THESE PEOPLE WHO WENT THROUGH THIS, AND THE PARENTS WHO PUT THEIR CHILDREN THROUGH IT TO GET A BETTER EDUCATION INSTEAD OF RIDING A BUS DOWN TO MANASSAS OR INTO DC. UM, I WANT TO THANK THE NAACP FOR PUTTING US ON. IT WAS WELL ATTENDED, PROBABLY, I THINK OUR, OUR NEWS REPORTER WAS THERE, AND IT WAS 75%, 80% FULL. AND, UM, NOT ONLY THAT, UH, THE PARTICIPATION OF RURAL CINEMAS, RICK NOVAK'S GENEROSITY IN TURNING THE THEATER OVER THAT TONIGHT, THAT NIGHT FOR THE USE OF THAT. AND IT, IT HEARTENS BACK TO ALSO, UH, THE COLDEST NIGHT WALK ON CUBE SUPPLIED FOOD FOR THE WALKERS THAT NIGHT. UM, FOOD TO GO, UM, UM, FOOD AND CONTAINER SOUPS AND WATER. AND I'D BE REMISS WITHOUT THANKING THEM. AND THE ENDLESS OTHER BUSINESSES THAT WE HAVE OUT HERE THAT TRULY GIVE BACK DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND I'M, I'M JUST IN AWE OF AND THANK 'EM ALL. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY. SO I'LL COME TO MY MAYOR'S REPORT. I WANT, I'M GONNA TAG OFF OF A COUPLE THINGS THAT Y'ALL SAID. HEARTS IS STILL COLLECTING. SO IF YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO DONATE TOWARDS THE, UM, ES NIGHT OF THE YEAR, I'M SURE THEY WOULD TAKE YOUR DONATIONS NOW. AND, AND, AND, UM, THEY, THEY WILL STAY OPEN UNTIL, I BELIEVE IT'S THE FIRST WEEKEND IN MARCH, I THINK, OR MAYBE IT'S THE END OF MARCH. UM, AND I ALSO, WHEN YOU WERE MENTIONING ABOUT ONE Q, UM, EACH NIGHT AT THE, UM, HEARTS, WHICH IS THE THERMAL SHELTER, UM, THEY'RE DON DIFFERENT CHURCHES, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TAKE A WEEK AT A TIME TO SPONSOR THOSE MEALS. AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IF THERE EVER BECOMES A NIGHT WHERE SOME THEY DIDN'T GET THE MEALS, THEN ON QUEUE WILL PROVIDE THEIR MEALS. SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'LL STEP IN [00:50:01] AND DO THAT. SO THAT'S WONDERFUL. AND I ALSO JUST WANTED TO MENTION, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE, UH, DOCUMENTARY OR WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, UH, KNOCKING DOWN WALLS, STUDENTS AT THE, UM, GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL IN THAT AREA, WHERE THE ONES THAT PUT THAT TOGETHER WITH THEIR TEACHER MM-HMM . UM, IT IS ACTUALLY AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE. I WASN'T ABLE TO GO ON THURSDAY NIGHT, BUT, UM, I SAW A LINK FOR IT AND I, I, UH, WATCHED IT. IT'S VERY INFORMATIVE. I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THAT. I KNOW. UM, I MEAN, THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT ARE PART OF THE PANEL DISCUSSION. I, MRS. BALTIMORE, ANN BALTIMORE, ANN RHODES BALTIMORE WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO GRADUATE. UM, I KNOW SHE WAS THERE THAT NIGHT. SHE'S A FRIEND OF MINE. YEAH. SHE'S THE ONLY PERSON IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA THAT GRADUATED THAT YEAR, UH, IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY THAT INTEGRATED. YES. AND THEY MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT, UM, IN THE ARTICLE, BUT I JUST KNOW FROM MS. BMORE TIME THAT SHE, UM, RECEIVED HER DIPLOMA IN HARLEM. UM, THEY INVITED HER TO HARLEM, HER MOTHER, AND SHE WERE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE THAT WERE ABLE TO GO. UM, AND, UM, 19 THURGOOD MARSHALL. YEAH. TH NO, WELL, THAT YEAR SHE RECEIVED THE DIPLOMA IN HAR. I MEAN, SHE, IN HARLEM, THEY WERE VOTED THERE, INVITED THERE BECAUSE SHE, ANY OF THE PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THURGOOD MARSHALL WAS THERE. UM, JACKIE ROBINSON WAS THERE, SAMMY DAVIS JR. WAS THERE. OF COURSE, MRS. BALTIMORE SAID THAT SHE, IT, SHE WISHED TO HER FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN THERE. AND THAT WAS ALL. SO, BUT ANYWAY, IT IS AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE. SO IF YOU, IF ANYBODY IS LIKE, WOW, I REALLY FIND THAT INTERESTING, UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE IT. IT IS AVAILABLE OUT THERE. SO I WOULD, UM, JUST, MAYBE THEY DID ADD, IF YOU WANT TO WATCH IT, IF YOU WANT TO WATCH IT, UH, YOU GO TO YOUTUBE, KNOCKING DOWN WALLS, ROCK TOWN, BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU'RE GONNA SEE VIDEOS ABOUT KNOCKING DOWN WALLS IN YOUR HOUSE. UM, ADD ROCK TOWN BEHIND THAT, AND IT SHOULD GUIDE YOU RIGHT TO THAT MOVIE. THANK YOU. UM, AND I, UH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF TEACHING VIRGINIA STUDIES FOR I GUESS 19 OUT OF MY YEARS. AND THIS WAS A, THIS TOPIC WAS THEN. AND, UM, SO WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT IT AND I TAUGHT IT. BUT THAT MOVIE PUT IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE JUST TO HEAR THE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THAT WERE ACTUALLY THERE. SO, UM, [9.C. Report of the Mayor] THE REPORT OF THE MAYOR, I, I WANNA FIRST START OFF BY SAYING THAT THIS WINTER HAS BEEN A DOOZY . WE HAVE HAD FREEZING TEMPERATURES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY SNOW OR FREEZING RAIN AND SOME PRETTY INTENSE WINDY DAYS. OUR STAFF HAS RESPONDED TO NOT ONLY ROAD SAFETY BY PROACTIVELY GETTING OUT THERE AND SALTING AND THEN CLEARING OUR ROADS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THEY'VE ALSO MADE SURE TO GET FOLKS ELECTRIC BACK ON WHEN POWER LINES WERE AFFECTED BY THE WEATHER. AND, UH, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THEY WERE ALSO TAKING CARE OF WATERLINE BREAKS AND TEMPERATURES THAT NONE OF THE REST OF US WOULD WANNA BE OUTSIDE IN. THEY DO ALL OF THIS EFFICIENTLY AND POSITIVELY. UM, I'VE NOT ONLY SEEN THE PRAISING COMMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT I'VE RECEIVED PERSONAL EMAILS FROM CITIZENS WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT I KNEW HOW WELL OUR STAFF IS TAKING CARE OF OUR CITIZENS. I ACTUALLY PASSED THAT ALONG TO STAFF TODAY AND SAID, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CREWS, UM, SAW, UH, THIS PRAISE. UM, A CITIZEN WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND TO, TO TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, I KNEW HOW THEIR ELECTRIC HAD A TRANSFORMER HAD BLOWN AND WITHIN AN HOUR THEY WERE BACK UP AND, AND HAD ELECTRICITY ON ONE OF THOSE COLD DAYS. UM, SO WE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR THE CITIZENS OF FRONT ROYAL. NOT SURE IF WINNER IS QUITE OVER YET, BUT I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT OUR STAFF, UM, WILL TACKLE ANY PROBLEMS THAT MIGHT OCCUR. I DID ATTEND THE RIBBON CUTTING WITH COUNCILMAN DE DOMENICO PAYNE ON FEBRUARY 8TH AT DANCE AND ARTS. UH, THE STUDIO IS UPSTAIRS ABOVE RE BRIDAL ON RURAL AVENUE RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE COURTHOUSE. THEY HAVE CLASSES FOR NOT ONLY YOUNG PEOPLE, BUT ALSO ADULTS. UH, THEY'VE WORKED HARD TO GET THEIR STUDIO READY AND THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT THEIR FUTURE. AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU TO THE BUSINESSES THAT INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY. FEBRUARY 18TH, THIS COUNCIL HELD THE FIRST OF TWO RETREATS. UH, THIS IS A YEARLY GOAL OF OURS TO COME TOGETHER AND DISCUSS OUR VISION AND WHAT WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH. SO STAY TUNED TO HEAR, UM, MORE ABOUT, UM, THAT WE HAD TO RESCHEDULE OUR FIRST ONE. AND SO, UM, AFTER THE MIDDLE OF MARCH, WE HOPEFULLY WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE HAD OUR SECOND ONE. UM, I LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I WISH EVERYONE A HEALTHY REST OF THE WINTER. AND I SAY THAT 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF GERMS FLOATING AROUND OUT THERE. I MYSELF BATTLED FLU A A FEW WEEKS AGO AND IT WAS NO JOKE. I'M GLAD I'M FINALLY GETTING MY ENERGY BACK, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME I TURN AROUND, UM, [00:55:01] MORE PEOPLE ARE SICK, MORE PEOPLE ARE MISSING WORK AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SPRING. SO THAT'S ALL LAST ITEM FOR, UH, OR WE HAVE TWO ITEMS LEFT. IT'S OUR CONSENT AGENDA. [10. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS ] UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION, MADAM MAYOR? I MOVE THAT THE CON UH, TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS AS PRESENTED. SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION, UM, I ALWAYS LIKE TO POINT OUT FOR, TO, UM, WHEN WE APPOINT PEOPLE TO OUR DIFFERENT BOARDS. 'CAUSE WE CANNOT DO THIS WORK WITHOUT THE VOLUNTEERS OF OUR CITIZENS. SO IN THIS CONSENT AGENDA OF PASSED TONIGHT, UH, THERESA FEDERICA IS GONNA BE JOINING OUR PLANNING COMMISSION AND STERLING WHITEHEAD IS GOING TO BE JOINING OUR LOCAL BOARD OF BUILDING CODE APPEALS. AND I WILL SAY THAT AFTER TONIGHT, ASSUMING THAT EVERYBODY VOTES, UH, I FOR THIS, OUR BOARDS WILL BE FULL. UM, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SAY THAT FOR A REALLY LONG TIME. SO THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO'S, UH, WILLING TO HELP US OUT WITH, UH, WITH THE BUSINESS OF THE TOWN. ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION. IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? COUNCILMAN WOODS? YES. VICE MAYOR? YES. YES. COUNCILMAN? YES. COUNCILMAN YES. YES. ALRIGHT, SO WE ARE FULL. ALL OF OUR BOARDS ARE FULL FOR NOW. . UH, NEXT [11.A. Adopt an Ordinance Conditionally Approving a Vacation and Sale of a Portion of Kibler Street] UP IS 11 A AND THAT'S TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE CONDITIONALLY APPROVING A VACATION AND SALE OF A PORTION OF KIBBLER STREET COUNCIL'S REQUEST TO CONSIDER ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE CONDITIONALLY APPROVING THE VACATION SALE OF A 180 SQUARE FOOT PORTION OF KIBBLER STREET ABUTTING TWO 19 EAST SEVENTH STREET, PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE 15.2 DASH 2006. COUNSEL RECEIVED PUBLIC INPUT ON THIS REQUEST ON JANUARY 27TH, 2025, AND APPOINTED VIEWERS TO VIEW THE REQUEST AND REPORT IN WRITING ANY INCONVENIENCE TO THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD RESULT FROM DISCONTINUANCE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY. AND THE VIEWER'S REPORT WAS ATTACHED TO OUR AGENDA. UM, AND I JUST FOR THOSE WATCHING THAT, DON'T HAVE A COPY OF THE AGENDA. UH, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE VIEWING COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE VACATION AS REQUESTED BY THE APPLICANT. UM, AND YEAH, SO, UH, WE DISCUSSED IT AT A WORK SESSION AND THEN WE HAD A PUBLIC HEARING. SO OPEN UP TO COUNSEL. MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNSEL ADOPT AN ORDINANCE AS PRESENTED CONDITIONALLY APPROVING THE VACATION AND SALE REQUEST FROM THE APPLICANT. SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION I DID DRIVE BY AFTER, UH, WE LISTENED TO THE CONCERNS DURING THE PUBLIC INPUT PORTION OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING LAST MONTH. UM, I AM GRATEFUL THAT THIS APPLICANT TOOK A DILAPIDATED PROPERTY AND, UM, IMPROVED IT. UM, THEY'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB DOING SO, AND, UM, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD'VE EVER BEEN USED FOR COMMERCIAL USE AGAIN, UNFORTUNATELY. SO THE NEXT BEST THING WOULD BE TO IMPROVE THE PROPERTY, UM, NOT ONLY FOR THAT AREA, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY. UM, AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE VACATING THIS SMALL PORTION TO CORRECT THIS ERROR, UM, IS GOING TO CAUSE ANY HARM TO IMPROVEMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN AND THE FUTURE. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? MADAM MAYOR, I JUST, I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE KIND OF BATTLED WITH THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING THE LAST PUBLIC SESSION WE HAD ON THIS, ON THIS DECISION, ON THIS, UH, VOTE WE'RE ABOUT TO MAKE, UH, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, THE MISTAKES WERE MADE BY THE APPLICANT, UM, IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE VICE MAYOR ENTAL SAID THAT THE APPLICANT DID IMPROVE, UH, AN EXISTING PROPERTY THAT WAS THERE, YOU KNOW, IMPROVED A LOT, UH, SITUATION THAT WAS THERE PRIOR. UM, YOU KNOW, BY ANY MEANS, DO I CONDONE THAT WE GIVE SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, A, A FREE PASS WHENEVER MISTAKES LIKE THIS ARE MADE? NO, I DON'T WANT THAT. I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE INTERPRETED AS A PRECEDENCE. I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING WE TAKE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, UM, BUT IT'S FOR THE SHEER FACT THAT THE APPLICANT DID, YOU KNOW, ADMIT THAT THERE WAS A MISTAKE MADE AND HE AND HE IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, TRIED, TRIED TO FIX IT AND HE DID THE BEST OF WHAT HE CAN. I MEAN, I, I FEEL FOR THE APPLICANT IN THE SENSE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE OUTFIT THAT HE HIRED MADE THE MISTAKE. UM, I I, IF I WAS IN HIS SHOES, I'D BE VERY, VERY UPSET. UH, AND FOR THAT REASON, AND GIVEN THAT KNOWING THE AREA MYSELF, THAT REALLY, THERE'S NOTHING THERE THAT I'M AWARE OF THAT I DON'T THINK THIS COUNCIL'S AWARE OF, THAT I'M AWARE OF, I SHOULD SAY. UM, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD NEGATE [01:00:01] THE REASONING OF, OF, UH, KEEPING THAT HELD BACK. YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, UM, I'M OKAY WITH THIS. SO THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY OUT LOUD MATTER. MAYOR, I, I JUST WANT MAYBE CLARIFYING, UH, CLARIFICATION FROM OUR ATTORNEY THAT IN THE, UM, ORDINANCE APPROVING THAT NUMBER ONE, WE WILL GO THROUGH A SECOND DULY ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THIS CAN BE SOLD. IS THAT MY UNDERSTANDING, MR. SONNET? YES, THAT'S CORRECT. IF, IF THIS, UH, CONDITIONAL ORDINANCE IS ADOPTED TONIGHT, THEN THE NEXT PHASE IS NEGOTIATION, UH, WITH THE LANDOWNER, THE, A BUDDING LANDOWNER. UM, AND THAT IF THAT COMES TO FRUITION, THAT WILL HAVE TO COME BACK TO COUNSEL FOR APPROVAL, UH, PURSUANT TO ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING UNDER STATE LAW BECAUSE IT'S A DISPOSITION OF REAL PROPERTY OWNED BY THE, THE TOWN, RIGHT? AND THAT PRICE TO BE NEGOTIATED BY OUR TOWN MANAGER, UH, WITH THE BUDDING PROPERTY OWNERS, ALONG WITH THE PAYMENT STATUTORY PRESCRIBED COST AND FEES OF PUBLICATION. AND I BRING THIS UP ONLY BECAUSE I REMEMBER IN OUR WORK SESSION THAT, UM, THE VALUE OF THE LAND AS IT WAS VALUED, I, I FORGET WHAT IT WAS SO MUCH A SQUARE FOOT AND THEY WERE SELLING THEM SO MANY SQUARE FEET. BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT THIS HAS CAUSED AN ORDINATE AMOUNT OF EXTRA WORK ON, ON TOWN STAFF. AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE SELL THIS, WE RECOVER THE COSTS. FOR INSTANCE, HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO ADVERTISE AS STAFF'S TIME THEIR INVOLVEMENT, THE MEETINGS? I DON'T THINK IT'S A, A, A SIMPLE SALE OF, WELL IF IT'S $700 AT $700, UM, I HOPE THAT WE WILL INCLUDE THE COSTS THAT WE'RE INCURRING AS A TOWN TO DO SOMETHING, UM, THAT THE APPLICANT NEEDS DESPERATELY TO MAKE THAT HOUSE, UM, COME INTO COMPLIANCE. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? THE ONLY THING THAT I'LL ADD, MAYOR, IS, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS AN INNOCENT, UH, ERROR, UH, TO GIVE UP HUNDRED 80 SQUARE FEET. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE RIGHT THING TO DO. UM, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I WOULD LIKE TO ADD JUST FOR CLARIFICATION FOR MAYBE PERHAPS EVEN THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THE PUBLIC, UM, FOR THOSE HERE TONIGHT, THIS WASN'T ENTIRELY A MISTAKE ON THE APPLICANT'S FAULT. THERE WERE INSPECTIONS THAT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE, BUT DID NOT TAKE PLACE FROM THE COUNTY LEVEL. SO THIS WASN'T, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST INNOCENT ERROR OF THE EXCAVATOR MOVING THE PIN. THIS WAS ALSO THAT THE GOVERNMENTAL PROCEDURES WERE NOT FOLLOWED AS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN. SO WHILE I UNDERSTAND IT'S BEEN BURDENSOME TO THE TOWN STAFF, IT DOESN'T ALL FALL ON THE PROPERTY OWNER AND THE APPLICANT. OKAY. IF, UM, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, BUT I, I DID, I WAS GONNA MENTION, UM, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE SAME LINES THAT THE VICE MAYOR SAID, WHICH IS JUST THAT I'VE ALWAYS PRACTICED WHEN THERE'S A MISTAKE MADE THAT I DON'T CALL IT A MISTAKE IF YOU CAN LEARN SOMETHING FROM IT. I CALL IT A LESSON. I PRACTICE THAT WITH MY CHILDREN AND, AND MY STUDENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND I WOULD SAY THAT I HOPE THAT THE LESSON THAT WAS LEARNED HERE IS, UM, BY OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES THAT WORK WITH US, UM, TO, UH, TO CORRECT THEIR PRACTICES AND MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT, THAT IT DIDN'T HAVE TO GET TO THIS LEVEL, THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT WAS, UM, CORRECTED EARLY ON. SO, LIKE I SAID, IF WE, IF PEOPLE LEARN FROM IT, THEN IT WILL BE SOMETHING AS, AS COUNCILMAN, UH, INGRAM SAID ABOUT LIKE, GIVING PEOPLE A PASS. I AGREE WITH YOU. LIKE IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SAY, OKAY, YOU MADE A MISTAKE WHEN YOU'RE STILL GONNA GET YOUR WAY. BUT I DON'T REALLY THINK IT WAS QUITE LIKE THAT. UM, IT'S NOT QUITE LIKE THAT, BUT HOPEFULLY, UM, THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, WILL, THAT WE, WE WON'T MAKE THESE MISTAKES IN THE FUTURE AS THE GOAL THAT I'M LOOKING FOR. ALRIGHT, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? A YES. MAYOR AL? YES. YES. FROM ? YES. COUNCIL ? YES. COUNCIL ? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. SO ITEM NUMBER 12 [12. CLOSED MEETING] IS CLOSED MEETING. SO IF, UH, ONE OF MY COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD GO AHEAD AND READ THE MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL CONVENE A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 AND [01:05:01] SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 2 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSE. ONE, PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 A, ONE OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION, OR INTERVIEWS OF PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE, DEMOTION, SALARIES, DISCIPLINING, OR RESIGNATION OF SPECIFIC PUBLIC OFFICE OFFICERS, APPOINTEES OR EMPLOYEES OF ANY PUBLIC BODY HOME, OR MORE SPECIFICALLY THE TOWN MANAGER POSITION. AND TO PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 A EIGHT OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL CO LEGAL COUNSEL EMPLOYED OR RETAINED BY A PUBLIC BODY REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS REQUIRING THE PROVISION, PROVISION OF LEGAL ADVICE BY SUCH COUNSEL, MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE INSOLVENCY AND DISPOSITION OF ASSETS OF THE INDUSTRIAL AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL AND THE COUNTY OF WARREN IN VIRGINIA. AND THREE, PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 A SEVEN OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL AND BRIEFINGS BY STAFF MEMBERS OR CONSULTANTS PERTAINING TO ACTUAL OR PROBABLE LITIGATION WHERE, WHERE SUCH CONSULTATION OR BRIEFING AND OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE NEGOTIATING OR LITIG LITIGATING POSTURE OF THE PUBLIC BODY. MORE SPECIFICALLY HEIDE, LLC VERSUS TOWN SECOND. OKAY. MOTION SECOND. UH, LET'S GO IN. GO AHEAD MS. PRESLEY, YOU NEED CPR . KEEP GOING. YES. VICE MAYOR ? YES. C HALL? YES. COUNCIL REPPORT? YES. COUNCIL INGRAM? YES. YES. , THANK YOU TO EVERYONE. WE, WE WON'T BE TAKING ANY ACTION COMING OUT OF OUR CLOSED MEETING. SO THANKS TO EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT. I'LL SHUT TO. * 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.