* 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. [00:00:05] I AM GONNA CALL [1. MOMENT OF SILENCE ] TO ORDER THE REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING FOR MONDAY, JUNE 23RD TO ORDER, AND WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE. OKAY. NEXT, WE'RE [2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] GONNA HAVE OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. AND, UM, AS YOU KNOW, AS MAYOR, I INVITE STUDENTS FROM THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TO LEAD OUR COUNCIL IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND THIS MONTH WE WELCOME EMMA VIAL. EMMA, CAN YOU COME FORWARD AS EMMA'S? UM, COMING FORWARD, I'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT EMMA IS THE DAUGHTER OF CHRIS BETHAL AND SARAH KERNS. EMMA IS AN UPCOMING SENIOR AT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE SHE IS A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY AND IS ALSO DUAL ENROLLED IN LAUREL RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE. EMMA HAS SERVED ON CLASS COUNCIL EVERY YEAR. SHE'S ATTENDED SKYLINE HIGH AND IS CURRENTLY SERVING AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE KEY CLUB. EMMA PLAYS SECOND BASE AND RIGHT FIELD FOR THE SKYLINE VARSITY SOFTBALL TEAM OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. EMMA PLAYS ON THE SWARM TRAVEL SOFTBALL TEAM WHERE HER TALENT HAS GARNERED INTEREST IN THE LAST YEAR BY COLLEGE RECRUITERS. EMMA ALSO ENJOYS VOLUNTEERING FOR LOCAL WORTHY CAUSES. SHE'S PLANNING TO ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON, WHICH I WILL SAY IS AN EXCELLENT CHOICE SINCE I'M AN ALUMNI OF THAT PHONE INSTITUTION. UM, AND WHEN SHE GROWS UP, SHE WANTS TO BE A DOCTOR. NO LAWYER. WELL, I GOT THAT. I I KNEW IT. I SAID SHE'S PLANNING ON DOING A PRE-LAW TRACK AT, AT MARY WASHINGTON AND THEN ON TO UVA FOR A LAW DEGREE. EMMA LOVES STARBUCKS, SO SHE'S RECEIVING A GIFT CARD FROM ME TONIGHT THAT I PURCHASED AT OUR LOCAL STARBUCKS. SHE'S ALSO RECEIVING A CERTIFICATE THANKING HER FOR HER PATRIOTISM AND PARTICIPATION IN THE FRONT WORLD TOWN COUNCIL MEETING FOR JUNE 23RD. ARE YOU READY? PLEASE STAND EVERYONE. MY PLEDGE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF THE MAYOR, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE. CONGRATULATIONS. I LOST MY MIND. MS. [3. ROLL CALL] PRESLEY, CAN WE DO ROLL CALL? MAYOR COCKRELL. HERE. VICE MAYOR ENTAL. HERE. COUNCILMAN DIAMON PAYNE? HERE. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? HERE. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? HERE. COUNCILMAN LOC? HERE. COUNCILMAN WOOD HERE. OKAY, NEXT UP ON OUR, [4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] OUR AGENDA AS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THE COUNCIL MEETING. MINUTES OF MAY 27TH, 2025. REGULAR MEETING. JUNE 2ND, 2025. WORK SESSION IN JUNE 9TH, 2025. WORK SESSION AS PRESENTED. SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S SUBMISSION. SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY, ROLL CALL. COUNCILMAN WOOD. YES. VICE MAYOR VIAL? YES. COUNCILMAN SEA LOCK? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. ITEM NUMBER FIVE, ARE ANY ADDITION OR DELETIONS OF ITEMS FROM THE AGENDA AND OR REVISION TO THE ORDER OF BUSINESS? DOES ANYBODY, WOULD ANYBODY ENTERTAIN THAT? OKAY. MOVING ON. ITEM NUMBER [6. RECOGNITIONS/AWARDS/REPORTS/PRESENTATIONS ] SIX IS OUR RECOGNITIONS AWARDS, REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS. AND WE'RE GONNA START OFF FIRST TONIGHT WITH A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING OUR TOWN EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION WEEK. SO THE UM, EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION WEEK IS JULY 20TH THROUGH 26TH. AND BECAUSE WE WILL NOT BE BACK TOGETHER AGAIN UNTIL, UNTIL IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND DO OUR PROCLAMATION NOW. WHEREAS TOWN EMPLOYEES ARE PROFESSIONALS WHO PROVIDE QUALITY PUBLIC [00:05:01] SERVICE TO THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL RESIDENTS, CUSTOMERS, AND VISITORS SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 24 HOURS A DAY, AND ALL TYPES OF WEATHER, SOMETIMES WORKING OUTSIDE THEIR NORMAL JOB DUTIES TO ASSIST DURING AN EMERGENCY AND OR DURING UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES. AND WHEREAS DURING THOSE TIMES OF WORKING AFTER HOURS, EMPLOYEES ARE TAKEN AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, WHICH REFLECTS THEIR DEDICATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY DURING TIMES OF SAFETY AND INCONVENIENCE. AND WHEREAS TOWN EMPLOYEES ASSIST IN TURNING CHAOS INTO ORDER AND CONFUSING CONFUSION INTO CLARITY FOR ALL THOSE RESIDING IN AND VISITING THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL. AND WHEREAS THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL HAS 175 FULL AND PART-TIME EMPLOYEES RECOGNIZED IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, TOURISM, ENERGY SERVICES, FINANCE, PURCHASING, FLEET MANAGEMENT, HUMAN RESOURCES AND RISK MANAGEMENT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PLANNING AND ZONING, PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC WORKS TO INCLUDE BUILDING GROUNDS HORTICULTURE, SOLID WASTE, STREET MAINTENANCE, WATER SEWER MAINTENANCE, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN, WATER TREATMENT, PLANT TOWN, ATTORNEY TOWN CLERK OF COUNCIL AND TOWN MANAGER. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL VIRGINIA HEREBY EXPRESS DEEP AND SINCERE GRATITUDE TO ALL THE EMPLOYEES OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL FOR THEIR ULTIMATE SACRIFICES AND VITAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO ALL OUR CITIZENS. AND THAT JULY 20TH THROUGH JULY 26TH, I'M SORRY, 2025, BE PROCLAIMED AS EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION WEEK FOR ALL THE EMPLOYEES OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL MS. PRESLEY, THERE'S NO NEED FOR A VOTE, IS THERE? NO. OKAY. NEXT, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE RECOGNIZING G AND M MOTORS FOR THEIR 70TH ANNIVERSARY, AND I'M GOING TO READ THAT PROCLAMATION AND HOPEFULLY DO A BETTER JOB THAN I DID THE LAST ONE. THANK YOU FOR THE COUGH DROP . IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE, GNM MOTORS IS CELEBRATING THEIR 70TH ANNIVERSARY HERE IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL, WHEREAS GNM AUTO SALES INCORPORATED WAS FOUNDED BY WALTER C BUNCH JR IN 1955 AND WHERE IS CURRENTLY LOCATED AT 1 0 6 WEST 14TH STREET FOR DECADES, GROWING FROM A TWO ROOM OFFICE TO OCCUPYING A FULL BLOCK WITH AN OFFICE BUILDING IN MULTI BAY GARAGE. AND WHEREAS IN 1987, WALTER BUNCH OFFERED HIS SON, GARY, THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE OVER THE BUSINESS AND TWO YEARS LATER FOUND A PARTNER TO ASSIST HIM WIFE TAMMY. AND WHEREAS THE DEALERSHIP RECOGNIZES FOUR GENERATIONS WITH SONS, TROY AND GARRETT BEING PART OWNERS AND MANAGING THE DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS, FOCUSING ON FINDING USED CARS AND BUILDING INVENTORY AND GRANDSON KAYDEN CONTRIBUTING TO THE BUSINESS AS A DETAILER. AND WHEREAS THE FAMILY CREDITS THE LONGEVITY OF THE BUSINESS TO TRANSPARENCY, HONESTY IN TAKING CARE OF CUSTOMERS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A SALE, AS WELL AS THE SUPPORT OF DEVOTED EMPLOYEES, MIKE KAVANAUGH, ROGER RILEY, RONNIE KIDD, DAN WILDMAN AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW DESTINY AS OFFICE MANAGER, AND NOW THEREFORE THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL. THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL RECOGNIZE AND CONGRATULATE FOUR GENERATIONS OF THE BUNCH FAMILY ON THEIR 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF G AND M AUTO SALES IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND BEFORE THEY COME FORWARD, I DID JUST WANNA OFFER A COUPLE REMARKS. ONE ACTUALLY, UM, KNEW GARY'S FATHER THROUGH, UM, MY TIME WORKING AT THE FRONT WORLD COUNTRY CLUB, UM, LONG TIME AGO. AND I'M CURRENTLY DRIVING A VEHICLE FROM G AND M MOTORS THAT I LOVE. UM, AND JUST I FEEL LIKE I'VE KNOWN THE BUNCH OF FAMILY FOR A REALLY LONG TIME AND I THINK IT REALLY IS A TESTAMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO THEM THAT THEY BROUGHT THIS BUSINESS IN AND HAVE STAYED HERE FOR 70 YEARS INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO JUST VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT. AND IF THEY'D LIKE TO COME FORWARD, WE'RE GONNA GRAB A PICTURE, EVERYONE. I LOVE IT. I LOVE IT ALL. YOU LET US KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY. [00:10:13] CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU. ABSOLUTELY. WE HAD A GREAT TIME. DIDN'T GET TO SEE YOU. I SAW SIX OUNCE SHOULDA DONE. WE'VE HAD QUITE A FEW BUSINESSES IN THE LAST YEAR THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CELEBRATE SUCH LONGEVITY AND THAT'S SUCH A TESTAMENT. ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT ITEM [7.A. Special Use Permit for a Private School at 16 N. Royal Avenue for Divinum Auxilium Academy ] ARE OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE FIVE PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT. AND I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND READ, UM, JUST SOME PROTOCOL FOR OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS BEFORE WE GET STARTED. UM, WE COME, WE NOW COME TO THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THE AGENDA. PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNSEL 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 ARE 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. SO OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING IS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR A PRIVATE SCHOOL AT 16 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE FOR DIVIN. I HOPE I'M SAYING THAT RIGHT, AUXILIUM ACADEMY. AND SO, MS. PRESLEY, IF YOU COULD PLEASE READ THE SUMMARY. COUNCIL'S REQUESTED TO CONSIDER A SPECIAL USE PERMIT SUBMITTED BYUM AXILLIUM ACADEMY TO PERMIT A PRIVATE SCHOOL AT 16 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE IDENTIFIED BY TAX MAP 2 0 8 5 SECTION 11 LOT 15. THE PROPERTY IS ZONED C DASH TWO DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DISTRICT AND LOCATED IN THE ENTRANCE CORRIDOR. THE PURPOSE IS TO MOVE THE UPPER SCHOOL CONSISTING OF 25 MALE STUDENTS AGE 13 THROUGH 18 COMPRISING OF SEVENTH THROUGH 12TH GRADES. THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVED THE APPLICATION WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITION FROM TOWN TOWN CODE SECTION 1 4 8 DASH EIGHT 70 A FOUR, THE PROVISION OF OFF STREET PARKING AREAS WHICH SHALL BE ORIENTED TO THE BUILDINGS THEY ARE SERVING, AND WITHIN 300 FEET WALKING DISTANCE WITH A WRITTEN AGREEMENT THERETO ASSURING THEIR RETENTION FOR SUCH PURPOSES SHALL BE PROPERLY DRAWN AND EXECUTED BY THE PARTIES CONCERNED AND APPROVED TO AS FORMED BY THE TOWN ATTORNEY PRIOR TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE USE. AND A VALID WRITTEN OFF STREET PARKING AGREEMENT SHALL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE DURATION OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. ADJOINING PROPERTY OWNERS WERE NOTIFIED OF TONIGHT'S PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, DOES STAFF, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANNA SHARE BEFORE WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING? I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD ADD IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE MOTION IT, IN THEIR APPLICATION THEY DID MENTION THAT IT'S 25 STUDENTS, STAFF WOULD STILL RECOMMEND PLACING A LIMIT ON THAT, BUT GIVING THEM SOME GROWTH ROOM. SO MY, OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE LIKE 35, 40 STUDENTS. UM, AND THEN THAT GIVES AN OPPORTUNITY TO REEVALUATE IF THEY NEED TO GO BEYOND THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . AT THIS TIME, DOES IS THE APPLICANT HERE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK? OKAY, . GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DIANE AND I RESIDE AT THREE 11 LERAY AVENUE IN FRONT ROYAL. UH, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC IN ATTENDANCE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU THIS EVENING. I HAVE LIVED IN FRONT ROYAL FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS. THIS TOWN IS MY FAMILY'S [00:15:01] HOME AND WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE LIVED, WORKED AND RAISED OUR CHILDREN HERE. I'M ALSO THE FOUNDER OF DIVIN AUXILIUM ACADEMY FAMILY OF SCHOOLS. IN 2012, WE OPENED OUR FIRST ACADEMY, UH, IN THE COUNTY AT DR. DANIEL'S FORMER PRACTICE ON BROWNTOWN ROAD AND IT CURRENTLY SERVES STUDENTS PRE-K THROUGH SIXTH GRADE. IN 2018, WE OPENED ST. EDITH STEIN SCHOOL FOR GIRLS. UH, WE WERE BLESSED TWO YEARS AGO TO PURCHASE BON AIR ON LERAY AVENUE, 1 24 LERAY AVENUE, UH, TWO YEARS AGO. AND, UM, WE ARE ENTERING OUR EIGHTH YEAR AT THAT SCHOOL. WE'RE BLESSED TO CALL THAT SCHOOL THAT BUILDING OUR PERMANENT HOME. IN 2022, WE LAUNCHED ST. JOSEPH, THE JUST SCHOOL FOR BOYS. UM, BOTH ST. EDITH'S AND ST. JOSEPH'S SERVE STUDENTS GRADE SEVEN THROUGH 12. IT HAS BEEN OPERATING CURRENTLY OUT OF A LEASED, UH, BUILDING, A LEASED PARISH BUILDING, AND IS SEEKING ITS PERMANENT HOME. UH, WE WILL HAVE OUR FIRST GRADUATING CLASS NEXT YEAR. FOR THE PAST 13 YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN COMMITTED TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. LAST YEAR, OVER 20%, 20% OF OUR FAMILIES RECEIVED TUITION ASSISTANCE AND OF THAT 20% THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME WAS $49,000 STACKED AGAINST OTHER SCHOOL DATA. THIS MAY OR MAY NOT SEEM SIGNIFICANT TO YOU, HOWEVER, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT AS A NON-PROFIT SCHOOL RECEIVING NO GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE, WE ARE IN THE POSITION OF HAVING TO RAISE EVERY PENNY WE GIVE AWAY, AND WE DO GIVE AWAY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE RAISE FOR FINANCIAL AID DIRECTLY TO FAMILIES. THIS YEAR, THE REQUESTS ARE EVEN HIGHER AS MORE AND MORE FAMILIES ARE STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH RISING COSTS AND WE ARE WORKING HARDER THAN EVER TO TRY TO MEET THE NEED. ADDITIONALLY, WE CARE CARE VERY MUCH ABOUT THE PLACES OUR CHILDREN SPEND THE MAJORITY OF THEIR DAYS. AND THESE THREE BUILDINGS, DR. DANIEL'S PRACTICE ON BROWNTOWN ROAD, BON AIR ON LERAY AVENUE AND NOW POTENTIALLY THE OLD TOWN HALL ON NORTH ROYAL AVENUE REPRESENT A RICH TAPESTRY OF THE PEOPLE AND PLACES THAT HAVE MEANT SO MUCH TO OUR TOWN ON SATURDAY EVENING. MANY OF YOU, LIKE ME, PARTICIPATED IN A BENEFIT EVENT THAT WAS MEANT TO HELP US CONTINUE TO TELL THE STORY OF OUR TOWN. AT THE HEART OF THOSE ENDEAVORS IS THE REVITALIZATION OF DOWNTOWN. AND WE SEE THIS PROJECT AS PART OF THAT THROUGH THESE BUILDINGS. WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF THEIR STORY. THE STORY WE WANT TO HELP TELL IS THE ONE THAT PLACES FRONT ROYAL AT THE CENTER OF A NARRATIVE WHICH PRIORITIZES EDUCATION AND FOSTERS A LOVE OF LEARNING IN ITS CHILDREN. AS YOU KNOW, THIS BEAUTIFUL BUILDING BUILT IN THE 1930S AS PART OF A PUBLIC'S WORK PROJECT ALONG WITH THE WARREN COUNTY COURTHOUSE AND WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL WAS PART OF A REVITALIZATION PROJECT FOLLOWING THE GREAT GREAT DEPRESSION. AFTER SITTING VACANT FOR 20 YEARS, WE SEEK TO RETURN THIS BUILDING TO SOME NOBLE PURPOSE. NOT ONLY WILL IT BE USED FOR THE FORMATION OF YOUNG HEARTS AND MINDS, BUT WE PLAN TO CARE FOR IT AND PRESERVE IT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING THE BUILDING'S INTEGRITY AS A HISTORIC SITE AND PLAN TO PURSUE GRANTS AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT WILL ALLOW US TO CARE FOR IT WITH THE DIGNITY IT DESERVES. WE ARE ALSO AWARE OF THE PRECEDENT SET BY THE TOWN'S ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS TO INCLUDE SCHOOLS AS A CENTRAL FEATURE TO ITS CORRIDOR. AND THUS BELIEVE THIS USE ALSO ALIGNS WITH THE ORIGINAL INTENT AND VISION FOR OUR TOWN. SO WITH THIS INTRODUCTION, I'D LIKE TO GET RIGHT TO THE HEART OF COUNCIL'S CONCERNS SURROUNDING SAFETY AND TRAFFIC RAISED IN THE WORK SESSIONS ON MAY 5TH AND JUNE 2ND. I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN, FIRST OF ALL BY THANKING THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WHO ARE WILLING TO SPEAK WITH ME BY EMAIL, PHONE, AND IN PERSON ABOUT THEIR PARTICULAR CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK LAUREN FOR THE GENEROSITY OF OUR TIME AND COUNCIL IN NAVIGATING THE VARIOUS ISSUES AND THE OVERALL PROCESS. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT WE VERY MUCH SHARE YOUR CONCERN FOR THE WELLBEING OF OUR STUDENTS AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY. AND WE HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF WORKING WITH THE TOWN AND WITH OUR NEIGHBORS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER PLAN FOR SAFETY AND TRAFFIC FLOW IS ULTIMATELY IMPLEMENTED. IT WILL BE A PLAN WHICH TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION EVERYONE'S PARTICULAR ORIENTATION TO AND LEVEL OF COMFORT WITH THE PROJECT. I BELIEVE WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED OUR WILLINGNESS TO WORK COOPERATIVELY WITH ALL CONCERNED AND SUCCESSFULLY WORKING OUT TRAFFIC CHALLENGES WITH OUR GIRLS SCHOOL AT 1 24 LERAY AVENUE. IN LIGHT OF THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO RESPECTFULLY ASK COUNSEL AT THIS TIME TO CONSIDER DRAFTING A MOTION THAT THAT DOES NOT PLACE A CAP ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS, AS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED BY SOME MEMBERS DURING THE WORK SESSIONS. FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE VIABILITY OF THE PROJECT AND THE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE TO OUR GOVERNING BOARD, OUR DONORS, TEACHERS, AND TO THE FAMILIES, THOSE CHILDREN WHOSE CHILDREN ATTEND THE SCHOOL, SUCH A RESTRICTION WOULD POSE TO LARGE A RISK FOR US. I ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER THIS FROM [00:20:01] THE PERSPECTIVE OF A RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS AND PROPERTY OWNER WHO SIMPLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MEET THE FINANCIAL DEMANDS OF THIS PROJECT. WERE SUCH LIMITATIONS TO BE PLACED ON OUR OPERATION. IF AN ARBITRARY STUDENT CAP IS PLACED ON OUR OPERATION, UH, ON THIS APPROVAL AS A CONDITION, WE SIMPLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PROCEED WITH THE PURCHASE OF THE OLD TOWN HALL AND WOULD BE FORCED TO SEEK ANOTHER HOME FOR OUR FLEDGLING PROGRAM. WITH THAT SAID, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CAP IDEA HAS EMERGED BECAUSE YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE THIS WORK FOR US AND I TRULY APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS YOU HAVE GONE TO ACCOMMODATE US IN THE INTEREST OF OFFERING COUNCIL SOME REASSURANCE. WE ARE STARTING WITH 25 STUDENTS AND DO NOT SEE THIS PROGRAM EVER GROWING BEYOND 80 STUDENTS. EVEN THIS NUMBER WOULD TAKE US SOME YEARS TO ACHIEVE, ALLOWING US TO GROW ALONGSIDE FRONT ROYALS DOWNTOWN DISTRICT WITH THE TOWN HALL. AGAIN, BEING A CONTRIBUTING PART, BUT WE CAN ONLY DO THIS IF WE ARE ALLOWED TO FIRST BECOME ESTABLISHED. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SHARE A PERSPECTIVE THAT I'M SURE YOU HAVE ALL CONSIDERED, BUT PERHAPS BEARS MENTIONING HERE THAT AFTER STUDYING THE STORY OF THIS BUILDING, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT SEPARATING THE PARKING LOT FROM THE PROPERTY HAS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SELL TO MOST OTHER POTENTIAL BUYERS FOR THE BUILDING. GIVEN THIS, IT IS DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE THE VIABILITY OF THE OLD TOWN HALL FOR VERY MANY USES WITHIN THE CURRENCY C TWO DESIGNATION. IF YOU CONSIDER A FEW OF THE EXISTING PERMITTED USES FOR THE BUILDING, I DO WONDER HOW MANY WOULD RESULT IN LESS TRAFFIC AND LIGHTER PARKING DEMAND THAN OURS WITH OUR SMALL STAFF. NO WEEKEND HOURS, SHORTER WEEKDAY HOURS, AND THREE AND A THREE AND A HALF MONTH LONG SUMMER BREAK. MOREOVER, EVEN IF ANY OF THOSE BUSINESSES COULD ACHIEVE THE TOWN'S PARKING MANDATE WITH THE SIX ONSITE PARKING SPACES, THE OLD TOWN HALL POSSESSES, MOST CLIENTS AND CUSTOMERS WOULD BE RELEGATED TO MUNICIPAL PARKING SPACES THAT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY HAVE THEM CROSSING EITHER UNION STREET OR NORTH ROYAL AVENUE TO ACCESS THE BUILDING FROM EITHER THE FRONT OR THE REAR. NOW I ADMIT THAT I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE INNER POLITICAL WORKINGS OF THESE DECISIONS, BUT FROM A LAYMAN'S PERSPECTIVE, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT THE TOWN HAS TO NOW TAKE A BIG PICTURE AND FUTURE LOOKING APPROACH IN ORDER TO FULLY CONSIDER THE EVENTUAL ROLE OF THIS PROPERTY. IN CONCLUSION AND AFTER REFLECTING ON MY INDIVIDUAL DISCUSSIONS WITH A FEW OF YOU, WE ARE RETHINKING DROP OFF AND PICK UP OPTIONS THAT UTILIZE ONLY DESIGNATED SIDEWALKS, THUS REORIENTING OUR OPERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE AND RESETTING OUR PARENTS' EXPECTATIONS. TO VIEW THE OLD TOWN HALL IN LIGHT OF A SCHOOL IN AN URBAN SETTING, LIKE ANY SCHOOL IN ANY CITY CENTER IN AMERICA, WOULD HAVE TO BE VIEWED ONE THAT OPERATES ASSUMING PEDESTRIAN AND NOT VEHICULAR TRAFFIC TO ITS FRONT DOOR. I REALIZE I'M SHORT ON TIME, BUT IF COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN REVIEWING ONE OF THESE IDEAS, I HAVE DETAILED, I HAVE A DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND MAP FOR YOUR PERUSAL. ULTIMATELY, WE FEEL THIS PROJECT COULD BE CAREFULLY MANAGED AS WE CONSIDER TOGETHER ALL OF THE ISSUES OF SAFETY AND TRAFFIC SURROUNDING A RAPIDLY GROWING DOWNTOWN SO AS TO BRING VALUE TO OUR TOWN IN THE REVITALIZATION OF ONE OF ITS HISTORIC BUILDINGS, AS WELL AS BRING ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO OUR COMMUNITIES', CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITY OF WORKING ALONGSIDE YOU AND OUR NEIGHBORS TO CARRY OUT THIS MISSION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, SORRY. ALL RIGHT, SO AT THIS TIME I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. MS. PRESLEY, HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE YES, WE HAVE 12. OKAY. FIRST ONE'S, AMY WOOD. HELLO, MY NAME IS AMY WOOD. I RESIDE AT 1 2 6 9 KESSLER ROAD. AND FOR THE RECORD, COUNCILMAN WOOD IS MY HUSBAND AND HE HAD NO IDEA I WAS SPEAKING TONIGHT, . SO I CAN TELL FROM THE OOZING OFF AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT HIM BECAUSE I DON'T SPEAK IN PUBLIC, SO THE ONLY TIME I CAN SPEAK IN PUBLIC IS LOOKING AT HIM, SO I'M NOT IGNORING THE REST OF YOU. SO I CAME HERE TONIGHT NOT TO SPEAK AGAINST THE SCHOOL PROPOSING TO GO IN THE FORMER TOWN HALL, BUT FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN THAT WILL BE ATTENDING. WE ALL KNOW THAT THAT ROAD IS A CUT THROUGH AND PEOPLE DO SPEED THROUGH THERE. OBVIOUSLY, THEY SLOW DOWN WHEN YOU HAD THE SPEED LIMIT COUNTER THERE AS WE ALL DO WHEN WE SEE ONE. THEY ALSO, WHEN COMING DOWN FIRST STREET, CUT THROUGH THE CHURCH PARKING LOT WHERE THERE IS A CAR AT THE STOP SIGN TO TURN ONTO NORTH RURAL. I SAT IN THE CAR WHEN COUNCILMAN WOOD MET WITH THE LADY WHO HAS PROPOSED PUTTING THE SCHOOL THERE AND WATCHED THE SPEEDING CARS. ALSO, THEY HAD TO WALK RIGHT THROUGH THE DRIVEWAY PARKING LOT TO GET THROUGH THE, THEIR ASSIGNED PARKING LOT. OUR CAR COULD HAVE BACKED INTO THEM OR WHIZZED THROUGH THERE AND HIT THE THREE OF THEM WALKING THROUGH THERE, PUTTING A SPEED BUMP OF SOME KIND [00:25:01] AND LOOKING INTO MOVING THE CONCRETE PARKING LOT BARRIERS AND TO GIVE THEM A WALK PATH SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO WALK THROUGH THE PARKING LOT IS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD CONSIDER. IT IS, IF IT IS NOT UP TO YOU TO DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO HELP ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN, THEN WHY THE SPEED CAMERAS IN THE SCHOOL ZONES AND THE SIDEWALKS THAT WILL BE PART AND PUT IN FOR SKYLINE CHILDREN TO WALK ON KAISER ROAD. WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR LOOKING AFTER ALL THE CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY YOU MADAM MAYOR, COUNCIL, VICE MAYOR, AND YOU COUNCILMAN SOMETHING AS SMALL AS A SPEED BUMP AND DESIGNATING A WALK PATH COULD AND WOULD HELP ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THESE CHILDREN IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO ONE OF THEM AND YOU DIDN'T TAKE THESE MINOR STEPS TO HELP SHAME ON YOU, WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE A GOOD ARGUMENT FOR NOT DOING EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER FOR THESE CHILDREN OR ANY CHILDREN, PUBLIC SCHOOL OR PRIVATE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. PRESSLEY. WHO'S NEXT? ANDREW HILL. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE TOWN COUNCIL. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ANDREW HILL. I RESIDE AT 1 2 4 5 KENDRICK FORD ROAD IN THE COUNTY. I'M ALSO A PROPERTY AND BUSINESS OWNER HERE IN TOWN AT 25 SOUTH ROYAL AVENUE. I COME BEFORE EACH NIGHT WEARING TWO HATS. THE FIRST IS AS A BUSINESS AND PROPERTY OWNER, UH, BLOCKED DOWN THE STREET FROM THE SITE IN THAT CAPACITY. UM, IN ADDITION TO MANY OF THE OTHER PRACTICAL CONCERNS THAT ARE BEFORE THE THE COUNCIL IN MAKING THIS DECISION, I'M ESPECIALLY CONCERNED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR HISTORIC DOWNTOWN AREA, AS YOU WELL KNOW AND HOPEFULLY WOULD AGREE WITH ME. IT DOES NOT REFLECT WELL ON OUR TOWN WHEN BUILDINGS, ESPECIALLY HISTORIC ONES GO UNUSED FOR YEARS ON END. WHILE NOT AS, UH, BAD RUNDOWN, HOWEVER WE WANT TO DESCRIBE IT FROM THE OUTSIDE OF SOME OF THE OTHER BUILDINGS IN THE AREA THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. UH, I DO HAVE A STRONG INTEREST IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND PUTTING GOOD BUILDINGS TO GOOD USE. UM, AND I THINK THIS, UH, PROPOSAL DOES THAT, AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THIS EFFORT. IT, OF COURSE, WILL BE A HAPPY DAY FOR ALL OF US WHEN ALL OF THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE UNUSED IN OUR DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR, UM, ARE, ARE PUT TO GOOD USE. THE SECOND HAT I WEAR IS AS THE PARENT OF A RISING 12TH GRADER, UH, WHO WILL BE PART OF THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS OF ST. JOSEPH, THE JUST NEXT SPRING FROM READING THE SUMMARIES OF YOUR RECENT WORK SESSIONS. UM, I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE PRIMARY CONCERNS, IF NOT THE PRIMARY CONCERN ON THE COUNCIL'S PLATE IS THE LOGISTICS OF STUDENT DROP-OFF IN PICKUP. I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEMS OF TRAFFIC IN THIS AREA. UM, I HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE LOUD TRAFFIC OUTSIDE MY OFFICE WINDOW ON ROYAL AVENUE ON A DAILY BASIS. I ALSO FREQUENTLY DRIVE DOWN UNION STREET, UM, TO GET TO MY OFFICE AND I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA AS WELL. THIS IS AN URBAN SETTING, OF COURSE, AS MRS. SCHMIDTKE NOTED. UM, AND FOR AS MANY STREETS AND ALLEYWAYS AND PARKING LOTS AS ARE IN THIS AREA OF TOWN, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE PRIMARY METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION IN URBAN AREAS IS, OR AT LEAST SHOULD BE PEDESTRIAN AND WALKING RATHER THAN VEHICULAR TRAFFIC. SO AS YOU CONSIDER A SOLUTION THAT BALANCES SAFETY WITH GOOD PROPERTY USE, I WOULD OFFER A FEW OBSERVATIONS. A FIRST IMPORTANT POINT IS THAT MY SON AND ALL THE OTHER BOYS I KNOW AT THE WELL AT THE SCHOOL ARE MATURE ENOUGH TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS ON THEIR OWN. I KNOW YOU KNOW THIS AND I KNOW MS. PRESLEY UH, INDICATED THIS AT THE BEGINNING, BUT IT BEARS REPEATING. THESE ARE BOYS AGES EIGHT 13 TO 18. THESE ARE NOT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. THESE ARE BOYS WHO GOD WILLING THROUGH THE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE FORMATION FROM THEIR PARENTS, HAVE BEEN FORMED WELL AND CAN, CAN MAKE GOOD DECISIONS ON THEIR OWN, ON THEIR OWN BEHALF. MY SON, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO WILL BE 16 IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, UM, OFTEN WALKS ON HIS OWN, UH, FROM THE CURRENT SCHOOL LOCATION NEXT TO ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, DOWN TO MAIN STREET, UM, SOMETIMES TO GO MEET UP WITH HIS MOM TO GET A RIDE HOME, UM, LET ANY NUMBER OF, OF POTENTIAL, UH, TRIPS DOWN THERE. AND I TRUST HIM TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. I HOPE I PRAY EVERY DAY I RAISE HIM THE RIGHT WAY TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS TO, UH, TO KEEP HIMSELF AND THOSE AROUND HIM SAFE. HE, IN DOING THAT IN, IN HIS, UH, IN HIS WALKING TRIPS LIKE THAT, HE'S NEVER ENCOUNTERED ANY ISSUES, UH, NEVER HAD ANY, ANY PROBLEMS NAVIGATING THAT. I ALSO KNOW, UH, THAT THE SCHOOL WANTS TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND WILL LOOK TO RESOLVE ANY PROBLEMS IN A REASONABLE AND RESPONSIVE FASHION. THE BOTTOM LINE REALLY IS THAT I TRUST MY SON TO FOLLOW THE RULES, TO WALK RESPONSIBLY TO AND FROM THE SCHOOL, FROM THE DESIGNATED DROP OFF AND PICKUP POINT. AND I TRUST THE SCHOOL TO DEVELOP A GOOD PLAN AND WORK ON REASONABLE SOLUTION SETTING PROBLEMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. PRESLEY. SCOTT FARR. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS SCOTT FERRARA. I LIVE AT TWO 50 CATTLE CROSSING ROAD IN FRONT ROYAL IN THE COUNTY. I'M THE FATHER OF TWO SONS AT ST. JOSEPH, THE JUST SCHOOL FOR BOYS AND ONE DAUGHTER AT VINNO. TWO YEARS AGO, OUT OF NEAR DESPERATION, MY FAMILY DECIDED TO SELL OUR HOME IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND TO BEGAN A SEARCH ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR A PLACE TO SETTLE WHERE WE COULD RAISE OUR CHILDREN AND SEND [00:30:01] 'EM TO A SCHOOL WHERE MY KIDS WOULD NOT ONLY GET A QUALITY EDUCATION, ABSENT THE DISTRACTIONS OF THE MODERN WORLD, BUT ALSO DEVELOP IN VIRTUE. OUR SEARCH AND FINISH REALLY BROUGHT US TO FRONT ROYAL AND SJJ, WHERE WE HAD NO FAMILY TIES AND KNEW NO ONE. WE HAD BEEN HERE GOING ON 18 MONTHS NOW AND HAS BEEN LIFE CHANGING FOR MY FAMILY. MY DAUGHTER WHO HATED HER PREVIOUS SCHOOL LOVES DE VENOM AND CANNOT WAIT TO START NEXT YEAR. MY OLDEST, WHO WAS BULLIED AS A STUDENT BY STUDENTS AND A TEACHER IN HIS LAST SCHOOL, IS NOW FINALLY ABLE TO BE HIMSELF, UH, ENOUGH TO FOCUS ON BECOMING EDUCATED. SJJ IS A UNIQUE BOYS SCHOOL IN EXACTLY WHAT MY SONS NEED WITH A ROBUST CURRICULUM FOUNDED IN READING, WRITING RHETORIC, ARITHMETIC, A HEALTH HEALTHY DOSE OF LATIN, A SPLASH OF ETIQUETTE, BUTTRESSED BY BALLROOM, DANCING, BOXING, AND BACKPACKING. WHERE ELSE CAN YOU ASK YOUNG MEN WHAT EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES THEY DO AT SCHOOL? AND THEY WILL TELL YOU SOME ENTHUSIASTICALLY, SOME LESS. SO BALLROOM DANCING AND BOXING, THOUGH SECRETLY THEY ALL LIKE THE SWING DANCING. I'VE ALSO HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO ACCOMPANY THESE YOUNG MEN ON ALL FOUR WEEKEND BACKPACKING TRIPS THIS PACKED ACADEMIC YEAR. AND I'M AMAZED EVERY TIME AT SOME OF THE REFLECTIONS THAT THESE BOYS COME UP WITH, AS WELL AS THE GRIT AND TEAMWORK THEY EXHIBIT, WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES. I SAY ALL THAT TO SAY THIS, I BELIEVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY IN ST. JOSEPH, THE JUST SCHOOL FOR BOYS. I BELIEVE IN ITS MISSION AND ITS VISION TO MOLD VIRTUOUS YOUNG MEN WHOM I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE WILL GO OUT INTO THE WORLD AND MAKE THEMSELVES THEIR FAMILY AND THE COMMUNITY OF FRONT ROYAL PROUD. I'M ALSO VERY GRATEFUL THAT THESE BOYS WILL NOW HAVE PROPER BUILDING FOR THEIR SCHOOL, THAT FOR MANY YEARS TO COME, WILL TAKE ADOLESCENT BOYS AND MOLD THEM INTO RESPONSIBLE YOUNG MEN, ADULTS IN ALL THINGS BUT EXPERIENCE AS THE NEW DEAN OF STUDENTS WOULD SAY. YET, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE REMAINS SOME CONCERNS REGARDING ADMINISTRATIVE PICKUP AND DROP OFF. SAFETY IS OBVIOUSLY CRITICAL IN EVERY ENDEAVOR. AS SOMEONE WHO SPENT 20 YEARS IN THE MARINE CORPS FLYING THE AVIATE B HARRIER OFF OF SHIPS AT NIGHT IN BAD WEATHER IN DANGEROUS PLACES, I UNDERSTAND WELL, THREAT MAN MANAGEMENT AND RISK MITIGATION. NAVIGATING THE PROCESS OF DOING DANGEROUS THINGS SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY HAS BEEN INGRAINED INTO EVERY FACET OF MY PROFESSIONAL ADULT LIFE. REST ASSURED, AS A PARENT AND A MEMBER OF THE SJJ ADVISORY BOARD, I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE IN THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS SCHOOL, THE NEW HEADMASTER AND THE NEW DEAN OF STUDENTS IN REQUISITE PARENTAL BUY-IN AND IN STUDENT COOPERATION, INCLUDING INTERNAL POLICING THAT THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL AND SJJ CAN DEVELOP A SAFE AND EFFICIENT PLAN FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE MORNING DROP-OFF IN AFTERNOON PICKUP OF THE STUDENTS, ONE THAT WILL ENSURE STUDENTS SAFETY, PARENTAL EASE, AND NEGLIGIBLE DISRUPTION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL THIS EVENING. MY FAMILY AND I ARE SO BLESSED TO BE HERE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEGINNING THE NEW YEAR IN A BEAUTIFUL NEW BUILDING, ONE THAT THESE BOYS CAN BE PROUD OF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ROBERT CARNES. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME'S ROBERT CAIRNS. I LIVE IN RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY, BUT ONE WEST MAIN STREET IS MY CHURCH, FRONT ROYAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. I WAS ASKED TO COME AND JUST GIVE YOU MY POINT OF VIEW OF WHAT I SEE HAPPENING. I'M GONNA KEEP IT SHORT. MY MAIN GOAL TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING IS THE PROTECTION OF THESE CHILDREN. I'VE BEEN WATCHING OVER ANYWHERE FROM 50 TO 120 CHILDREN RENTING OUT OUR CHURCH, THE MONTESSORI JOHN PAUL, THE GREAT MONTESSORI SCHOOL. FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, THEY'VE MOVED ON THE UNION STREET BEHIND US. I CALL IT THE ALLEY IS HORRIBLE. OUR NEIGHBOR DOWN AT THE BAPTIST CHURCH, PASTOR CHRISTIE, SHE CALLS IT KILLER CHRISTIAN AVENUE. IT MIGHT SOUND FUNNY, BUT IT IS SO TRUE. THESE PEOPLE FLY UP AND THROUGH HERE. I'VE CALLED THE CITY, THEY PUT UP A SIGN ONE TIME THAT SAYS, SLOW DOWN HOW FAST YOU'RE GOING. ONCE IT WAS GONE RIGHT BACK TO THE NORMAL SPEED, I'D LIKE TO SEE A STOP SIGN PUT IN THERE SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF OF THAT ALLEY SPEED BUMPS. I'VE TOLD DIANE THAT MY CHURCH WOULD BE GLAD TO WORK WITH HER AS FAR AS DROPPING OFF THE CHILDREN, PICKING THE CHILDREN UP. BUT PARKING IS HORRENDOUS. SO, SO WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE PARKING ISSUE? I DON'T KNOW. WHEN MADDOX HAS A FUNERAL, THEY TEAR UP OUR PARKING LOT. ST. JOHN'S ACROSS THE STREET SEEMED THAT THEY COULD USE IT. WELL, MY SCHOOL, THE MONTESSORI HAS BEEN USING IT AND WE'VE BEEN FINE, BUT NOW THAT THEY'RE GONE, I TOLD DIANE I'D BE GLAD TO WORK WITH HER, BUT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT STREET. I'VE TALKED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY'VE BEEN GREAT GETTING RID OF [00:35:01] VAGRANTS THAT ARE SLEEPING ON THE BENCHES, YOU KNOW, WITH THE KIDS COMING AROUND, I DON'T WANNA SEE THAT AROUND. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN WORKING GOOD, SO I WOULD LIKE TO LAY IT ON YOUR SHOULDERS TO DO THE RIGHT THING. AS FAR AS TAKING CARE OF UNION STREET, THAT'S I THINK, OUR BIGGEST CONCERN AT THE CHURCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. PRESLEY. JESSICA HARVEY? YES, I AM JESSICA HARVEY. I RESIDE AT 9 8 1 FIRE TRAIL ROAD IN LINDEN, VIRGINIA IN THE COUNTY. UM, GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU TONIGHT AS YOU CONSIDER THE ZONING PERMIT OF ST. JOSEPH, THE ADJUST SCHOOL FOR BOYS. I'M A PARENT TO A SON WHO HAS ATTENDED ST. JOSEPH, THE ADJUST FOR THREE YEARS, AND IN THREE YEARS I HOPE TO SEE HIM GRADUATE AND ATTEND COLLEGE. I APPRECIATE THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL IS WEIGHING THIS MATTER SERIOUSLY AS WE ARE ALL UNITED AND WANTING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE STUDENTS. AND WE'RE ALSO UNITED IN THE DESIRE TO RAISE OUR SONS TO APPRECIATE BEING A PART OF THE COMMUNITY OF FRONT ROYAL. ONE OF THE MARKS OF THE SCHOOL IS TO DEVELOP IN THE BOYS A SENSE OF CIVIC DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY. PLACING THE SCHOOL IN A HISTORIC BUILDING IS A VISIBLE AND TANGIBLE REMINDER TO THEM OF WHO BUILT THIS COMMUNITY, OF THE, THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT THIS COMMUNITY AND CONTINUE TO GROW THIS TOWN. WE ALSO WANT TO INSTILL IN THEM A DEEP SENSE OF PRIDE, UM, IN CONTINUING TO TRADITIONS AND THE VALUES THAT THIS TOWN EMBODIES. THE SAYING THAT IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD IS ON DISPLAY TONIGHT AS THE SCHOOL AND TOWN WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE A GOOD EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT FOR THESE YOUNG MEN. AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE BEEN WITH THE SCHOOL SINCE ITS OPENING THREE YEARS AGO. I HAVE WORKED IN EDUCATION FOR MANY YEARS AND I HAVE APPRECIATED THE CARE AND PLANNING THAT THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SCHOOL HAS TAKEN AND ENSURING THAT SAFETY OF THE STUDENT BODY, THE PROCEDURES WHICH ENSURE SMOOTH AND EFFECTIVE PICKUP AND DROP OFF FURTHER PARENTS HAVE BEEN CLEARLY COMMUNICATED WITH SO THAT BOTH FACULTY AND PARENTS ARE AWARE OF WHERE STUDENTS AND VEHICLES NEED TO BE AT PARTICULAR TIMES TO ACCOMMODATE BOTH SAFETY AND EASE, BOTH TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY AND TO THE NEIGHBORS AROUND US. WELL, NO SCHOOL IS PERFECT. I HAVE APPRECIATED THE FLEXIBILITY THAT THE SCHOOL HAS SHOWN IF SOMETHING APPEARS NOT TO BE WORKING WELL, I HOPE THAT IN YOUR DISCUSSIONS YOU HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED SUCH FLEXIBILITY AND OPENNESS IN ENSURING SMOOTH TRANSITIONS FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS. I'D ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT WE AS PARENTS CHOOSE ST. JOSEPH ADJUST FOR OUR SONS BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO BE HELD TO A STANDARD THAT ENSURES THAT THEY WILL BE, THAT THEY WILL GROW UP TO BE CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. WE HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. WE AS PARENTS HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR PRIVATE AND PUBLIC INTERACTIONS, AND WE HOPE THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL SUPPORT US IN THIS. OUR SONS THRIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT TRUSTS THEM AND EXPECTS THEM TO RESPECT AUTHORITY AND TO OBEY RULES. FOR THIS REASON, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL WILL BE HAPPY TO HAVE THESE BOYS CLOSE TO TOWN. BEING PART OF THE DOWNTOWN ENVIRONMENT AND PART OF THE VISIBLE COMMUNITY AND HISTORY OF FRONT ROYAL ENGENDERS OF RESPECT AND AN OWNERSHIP FOR THEIR ENVIRONMENT. THESE YOUNG MEN UNDERSTAND THAT THE ADULTS AROUND THEM WANT THE BEST FOR THEM, AND THE SPIRIT OF TRUST AND COOPERATION ALLOWS THEM TO GROW AND ACHIEVE THEIR POTENTIAL. THEY ALSO UNDERSTAND THEIR PART IN THAT AND HOW THEIR ACTIONS AFFECT THE GREATER GOOD AROUND THEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU MS. PRESSLEY. JOSEPH HARVEY. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JOSEPH HARVEY AND I'M A STUDENT AT ST. JOSEPH ADJUST AND I RESIDE AT 9 8 1 FIRE TRAIL ROAD. I'M ENTERING MY SOPHOMORE YEAR. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS YOU TONIGHT ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING THE SCHOOL AT THE OLD DOWN HALL. I LIKE THIS LOCATION BECAUSE IT IS A HISTORIC BUILDING, WHICH IS VERY INTERESTING ALSO BECAUSE IT IS EASILY WALKABLE TO THE CHURCH, TO THE DOWN FRONT, FRONT ROYAL, AND TO THE GYM. I SPEAK FOR MYSELF AND MY FELLOW CLASSMATES AND PLEDGE THAT WE WILL BE GOOD CITIZENS OF THIS TOWN AND BE RESPECTFUL BOTH TO OUR TEACHERS AND TO THE OTHER ADULTS IN CHARGE OF US. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. MARYANNE BIGS. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MARYANNE BIGGS AND I SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, [00:40:01] AND I CAME TONIGHT TO SAY THREE VERY BRIEF THINGS. FIRST, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE BUILDING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAS SERVED THIS COMMUNITY IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS. MY HUSBAND REMEMBERS WALKING UP THE BACK STAIRS TO GO TO THE LIBRARY WITH HIS GRANDMOTHER. I THINK IT SERVED AS A FIRE HALL AND A TOWN HALL, BUT LATELY IT'S SERVED AS A VACANT HALL. AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT A BOYS SCHOOL IS A PERFECT WAY TO BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO THIS HISTORIC BUILDING. SO I'M HERE TO SAY THAT WE AT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH SUPPORT THIS IDEA. WE SUPPORT THIS IDEA STRONGLY. I CAN ALSO TELL YOU THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH THE PEOPLE AT DIVIN, DIANE AND HER CREW. UM, AND THE WAY WE WORKED WITH THEM WAS AS ST. EDITH STEIN SCHOOL WAS BEING BORN, THEY WERE BEING BORN IN SPACE IN OUR FELLOWSHIP HALL AND WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH 'EM. AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS WHEN THEY DO THINGS, THEY DO THEM RIGHT. THEY PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL, BUT THEY PAY ATTENTION TO SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. AND I HOPE TO THIS COMMUNITY. THEY DO IT WITH KINDNESS, THEY DO IT WITH RESPECT, AND THEY CARE ABOUT EVERYBODY. WHETHER YOU ARE THE PERSON SWEEPING THE STREET OR YOU ARE ONE OF THEIR GIRLS, IT, THEY DO THINGS RIGHT. AND, AND I'M VERY, VERY PLEASED TO SAY THAT AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY. THE THIRD THING I WANNA SAY IS THAT WE SHARE THE CONCERN OF A LOT OF PEOPLE ABOUT SAFETY. AND BECAUSE WE ARE ON THAT ALLEY THAT SOME PEOPLE MISTAKE AS A SPEEDWAY, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US THAT WHETHER IT'S OLD LADIES LIKE ME HOBBLING TO CHURCH OR PEOPLE DROPPING OFF THEIR INFANTS AT THE DAYCARE OR YOUNG MEN WALKING TO SCHOOL, THAT EVERYBODY IS SAFE. I DON'T COME HERE WITH THE ANSWER TO HOW TO MAKE THEM SAFE, BUT I WOULD SAY WE WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION AND NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CRAIG. CRAIG S SPEARING. GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR. UH, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS CRAIG SPEARING. I RESIDE AT 3 4 0 AUTUMN HILLS LANE IN THE COUNTY. UH, I'VE LIVED IN THIS TOWN AND OR THE COUNTY FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS. I'VE BEEN ON THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR ST. JOSEPH, THE DUST SCHOOL SINCE ITS INCEPTION. UH, I HAVE HAD ONE SENATE SON ATTENDING THERE FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS AND PLAN TO HAVE TWO SONS THERE IN THE FALL. UM, AND I'VE WORKED WITH THE STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CAPACITIES INCLUDING, UH, ADMINISTERING THEIR CRAFTSMANSHIP PROGRAM THERE AT THE SCHOOL. SO I KNOW THE, KNOW THE SCHOOL WELL AND THE STUDENTS WELL. UM, GIVING THE BUILDING'S PROPOSED LOCATION, MY FIRST CONCERN WAS JUST WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT, TRAFFIC PICK UP AND, AND DROPPING OFF PARKING. UM, THAT SAID, I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN THE SCHOOL'S ADMINISTRATORS, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF THE PLANS THAT I'VE HEARD ALREADY KIND OF TALKED ABOUT, UH, TO COME UP WITH A, A A WORKABLE PLAN FOR THESE THINGS THAT'S SUPPOSED TO SAY FOR THE STUDENTS CONSIDERED OF THE TRAFFIC AND THE NEIGHBORS AROUND THE SCHOOL BUILDING. UM, AND AS A PARENT, UH, OF STUDENTS, I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH WHATEVER PLAN THEY COME UP WITH TO ENSURE A GOOD OUTCOME FOR EVERYONE. UM, ADDITIONALLY, I'M CONFIDENT IN THE STUDENT'S ABILITY, UH, INCLUDING MY OWN SONS TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES SAFELY, RESPECTFULLY. UM, THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF OTHER SCHOOLS IN THE AREA LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, THAT HAVE HAD PLENTY OF FOOT TRAFFIC IN THIS AREA OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, UM, EITHER TO AND FROM SCHOOL OR OTHER LOCATIONS LIKE THE CHURCH, UM, BOWMAN PARK GOING DOWNTOWN. UM, AND, AND THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO HANDLE THIS SAFELY AND CONSIDERABLY. I THINK OUR STUDENTS ARE NO DIFFERENT. UM, ONE MORE THING TO CONSIDER. THERE ARE A GOOD NUMBER OF BUSINESSES ON MAIN STREET THAT HAVE, UM, ENJOYED AN UPTICK IN BUSINESS. I THINK DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF THESE SCHOOLS, THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS BETWEEN THE STUDENTS PARENTS, UM, UH, AND TEACHERS WHO BEFORE, DURING, AFTER THE SCHOOL DAY HAVE DO THAT PROXIMITY. ENJOYED THE COFFEE SHOP BAKERY, SOME OF THE OTHER PLACES AROUND. UM, AND I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT CONTINUE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE LOSS OF ONE SCHOOL IN THE AREA HAS BEEN, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED. UH, I'D HATE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING ELSE. I'D, I'D LOVE TO SEE THESE BUSINESS KEEP BUSINESSES CONTINUE TO THRIVE DUE TO THE PROXIMITY, UH, OF THAT. UM, FINALLY, UM, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THIS BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC BUILDING PUT TO GOOD USE. UM, I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT HERE IN OUR TOWN. UM, AND, UH, IT'S GOT A LOVELY AESTHETIC. I'D LOVE TO PRESERVE THAT. AND, AND THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST SERVE SOME OF THE CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO, UM, FINALLY, I JUST URGE YOU ALL TO, UH, YEAH, CONSIDER THIS, UM, AND, UH, THIS PROPOSED USE TO THE BUILDING AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU, ANNA. I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOW YOUR LAST NAME. HACKEY. HACKEY. HACKEY. OKAY. YOUR NAME. [00:45:05] GOOD EVENING. I AM ANNA HACKEY AND I AM A MEMBER OF THE NORTH FOURTH DISTRICT. UM, I LIVE AT 2 0 3 RICHARDSON ROAD AND HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT OF WARREN COUNTY FOR OVER 25 YEARS. UH, I JUST WANNA SPEAK TO THREE REASONS. I THINK APPROVING THE OLD TOWN HALL FOR THE PROPOSED SCHOOL WOULD BE ROUTE WISE. UM, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING. UM, I THINK IT'S MADE OF NATIVE LIMESTONE. UM, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THOSE WITH A HISTORICAL LEGACY IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, BUT VACANT, AS LONG AS IT'S BEEN, THESE BUILDINGS DO REACH A POINT OF NO RETURN. AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT USES THIS BUILDING COULD HAVE. UH, SCHOOLS ARE ACTUALLY AN IDEAL USE FOR OLDER BUILDINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE OFTEN TOO LARGE TO BE COMFORTABLE, ESPECIALLY FOR OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. UM, AND, UH, IT HAS, THE SCHOOL ALSO HAS POTENTIAL FOR USING SOME OF THAT PARKING, I KNOW BACK WITH ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH. SO IT'S A PRETTY IDEAL SITUATION. UM, I KNOW IN ENGLAND OFTEN REALLY LARGE MANNER HOMES ARE OFTEN CONVERTED FOR THIS SAME REASON. 'CAUSE THEY'RE SORT OF USELESS NOW. PEOPLE DON'T WANNA LIVE IN HOUSES THAT LARGE ANYMORE AND STAFF 'EM, BUT THEY GET CONVERTED INTO SCHOOLS. SO THERE'S THE LONG TRADITION OF THIS SORT OF CONVERSION OF USE. UM, SCHOOLS ALSO TEND TO BUILD LEGACIES OVER TIME, AND THE ALUMNI OFTEN DONATE IN LATER YEARS, THUS PROVIDING FOR LONGEVITY OF CARE. SECOND, DIANE SCHMIDT IS SOMEONE I'VE WORKED WITH FOR THE PAST, AND I CAN JUST VOUCH FOR HER INTEGRITY, HONESTY, AND TRANSPARENCY. HER FIRST CONCERN IS ALWAYS SAFETY. I CAN PERSONALLY VOUCH FOR THIS. HER STUDENTS ARE RAISED TO BE FIRST AND FOREMOST, GOOD MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND HER COMMITMENT TO HAVING HER SCHOOLS IN TOWN SHOWS HER LOVE FOR THIS TOWN AND HER DESIRE TO MAKE IT A VIBRANT COMMUNITY. LASTLY, REGARDING ANY CONCERNS ABOUT PARKING, I WANNA OFFER A PERSPECTIVE FROM A WELL-KNOWN URBAN PLANNER, SOCIOLOGIST AMERICAN JOURNALIST, AND AS SHE IDENTIFIED HOUSEWIFE, THE LATE JANE JACOBS. JACOBS WROTE A FAMOUS BOOK CALLED LIFE AND DEATH OF THE GREAT AMERICAN CITY. SHE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF A NEIGHBORHOOD IN NEW YORK IN THE 1950S, FROM SLUM TO VIBRANT, THRIVING COMMUNITY, AN INSTRUMENTAL IN THE CANCELLATION OF THE, UH, LOWER MANHATTAN EXPRESSWAY, WHICH WOULD'VE PASSED DIRECTLY THROUGH THIS AREA, UM, AND KILLED THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY. ONE OF THE THINGS JACOBS DISCOVERED IN THIS EXPERIENCE WAS THAT WHEN A ROAD WITH TRAFFIC PROBLEMS, SUCH AS ROYAL AVENUE WAS PROPOSED TO BE WIDENED, TO ALLEVIATE TRAFFIC, AND WAS INSTEAD NARROWED, INSTEAD OF THE TRAFFIC, UM, BECOMING WORSE COUNTERINTUITIVELY, IT JUST DISAPPEARED. WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT MORE PEOPLE CHOSE TO WALK AND TO TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, AND THIS IN TURN HELPED LOCAL BUSINESSES. UM, SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE TRAFFIC VANISHED, BUT NOT THE PEOPLE. THIS IN TURN, HELPED LOCAL BUSINESSES AND EASE THE BURDEN ON LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AS HIGH PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ENCOURAGES SELF-POLICING AND CAN OFTEN STOP CRIME BEFORE IT HAPPENS. I WANNA OFFER THE PERSPECTIVE THAT THE PROBLEM HERE IS NOT THE PEDESTRIAN STUDENTS, BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A BETTER CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW OUR TOWN CAN GROW. I WANNA OFFER THE PERSPECTIVE THAT THE, UM, OOPS, SORRY. AS JACOB SAID, LOWLY, UNPURPOSEFUL AND RANDOM, AS THEY MAY APPEAR, SIDEWALK CONTACTS ARE THE SMALL CHANGE FROM WHICH A CITY'S WEALTH OF PUBLIC LIFE MUST GROW. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO MY COMMENTS, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO APPROVE THE USE OF THIS BUILDING AS A SCHOOL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MICHELLE HILL, OUT HILL. SO SORRY. HELLO, MY NAME IS MICHELLE HILLIARD AND I LIVE AT 67 52 BROWNTOWN ROAD. I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF FRONT ROYAL FOR 15 YEARS, AND THREE OF MY CHILDREN HAVE ATTENDED THE DIVIN FAMILY OF SCHOOLS. I'VE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND HOW THE SCHOOL LEADERSHIP WORKS CLOSELY WITH PARENTS, MYSELF INCLUDED, TO ENSURE THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE NOT ONLY LEARNING AND SUCCEEDING ACADEMICALLY, BUT TRULY THRIVING IN LIFE. THIS INCLUDES A STRONG COMMITMENT TO THEIR PHYSICAL SAFETY, WHETHER DURING AN OVERNIGHT BACKPACKING TRIP OR A SCHOOL EVENT. I CAN PERSONALLY ATTEST TO THE LEADERSHIP UNDER DIANE SCH MEDICI THAT THE LEADERSHIP UNDER DIANE SCH MEDICI TAKES STUDENTS, UH, SAFETY VERY SERIOUSLY. THEY LEAD WITH HUMILITY AND ARE WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO PROTECT AND SUPPORT THE STUDENTS IN THEIR CARE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SUSAN SCHWARTZ, NOT HERE. RYAN GARNER. GOOD EVENING MAYOR. COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, MY NAME IS RYAN GORMAN. I AM CURRENTLY A RESIDENT OF STRASSBURG. UH, BUT I PREVIOUSLY LIVE IN DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL AT 28 HIGH STREET. AND, UH, SIMILAR TO MR. FERRA, UH, MY FAMILY MOVED TO FRONT ROYAL SPECIFICALLY SO THAT OUR CHILDREN COULD ATTEND THE DIVIN FAMILY OF SCHOOLS. UM, I, UH, ALL OF MY, UH, FOUR CHILDREN, UH, HAVE ATTENDED EITHER DIVIN. I CURRENTLY HAVE, UH, ONE SON AT ST. [00:50:01] JOSEPH'S. UM, AND I ALSO SERVE ON THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR ST. JOSEPH ST. JOSEPH'S ADJUST. UM, UH, I'LL BE FAIRLY BRIEF 'CAUSE IT ECHOED, UH, REALLY A LOT OF THE POINTS OF, UH, THAT HAD BEEN RAISED ALREADY. BUT, UM, AS, UH, AS A PARENT, I, UH, HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE, UM, IN, UH, DIANE IN THE BOARD, UH, AND THE FACULTY OF, UH, ST. UH, ST. JOSEPH TO ENSURE THAT A PRUDENT AND, UH, SAFE PLAN WILL BE ENACTED, UH, FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE PICKUP AND DROP OFF AT THE SCHOOL. UM, UH, I ALSO HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE IN THE BOYS WHO ATTEND, UH, TO RESPONSIBLY FOLLOW WHATEVER PROTOCOLS ARE PUT IN PLACE, UH, TO ENSURE THEIR SAFETY. UM, THEY ARE REMARKABLE YOUNG MEN, UM, AND, UH, I THINK ARE A GREAT TESTAMENT, UH, TO, UH, TO, UH, THE TOWN AND WILL REPRESENT THE TOWN WELL. UM, AND, UM, YEAH, UH, SO, UH, REALLY JUST, UH, WOULD ECHO A LOT OF THE POINTS. UH, I THINK, UM, IT, IT IS A, A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO REVITALIZE A VERY IMPORTANT HISTORIC, UH, PART OF FRONT ROYAL'S HISTORY, UH, TO BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO IT AND TO PUT IT TO GOOD USE, UH, FOR THESE YOUNG MEN, UM, AS THEY GROW INTO RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. PRESLEY. HAS ANYBODY ELSE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO ONE ELSE ASSIGNED SIGN YOU. WE HAD 11 WITH ONE ABSENT. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK REGARDING THIS, UM, SUP? GOOD MORNING. GOOD EVENING. MAYOR COCKRELL, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. MY NAME'S JOE BROGAN. I LIVE AT 1 43 BROGANS LANE IN THE COUNTY, BUT I OWN LAND HERE ALSO IN THE TOWN. AND I'D LIKE TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT. IT'S A GOOD, UH, REVITALIZATION OF A HISTORIC BUILDING, UH, SITUATED ALONG WITH ONE OF OUR MAJOR THOROUGHFARES. AND I FEEL LIKE THE USE FITS WELL WITH THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JOE. UM, THERE'S NO ONE ELSE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK. I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. I'M GONNA STOP FOR JUST ONE SECOND. UH, THERE IS, AND ASK PEOPLE JUST, OH, YOU DID? I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. MATTER MAYOR. YES. WE NEED TO HAVE A DOOR OPEN. WE NEED TO HAVE THE DOOR OPEN. OKAY. MR. SONNET, I'M GONNA LET HER SPEAK EVEN THOUGH I CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING 'CAUSE NOBODY ELSE HAD RAISED THEIR HAND AT THE TIME. BUT GO AHEAD, IF YOU I WAS SIGNED UP, BUT I JUST GOT OFF WORK. , ARE YOU SUSAN? YES, I'M OKAY. OKAY. I YOU STAND HERE? MM-HMM . ALRIGHT. UM, THANK YOU. YES. DO YOU HAVE HAVE QUESTIONS OR DO YOU WANT ME TO? SORRY. UM, I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ST. JOSEPH, THE JUST SCHOOL. I MAY HAVE FOUND THEM TO BE VERY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN. UM, GOOD NEIGHBORS, UM, RESPECTFUL FOR OTHER PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS FAR AS BEING CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, TRAFFIC AND, UM, NEIGHBORS NEXT TO ST. E STEIN, PARKING IN THOSE TYPES OF SITUATIONS THAT THE BOYS ARE VERY RESPECTFUL AND MATURE AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS VERY WELL. AND, UM, UH, JUST VERY COURTEOUS YOUNG MEN. THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY. . THANK YOU. CAN YOU GET YOUR NAME? YEAH, SUSAN. I'M SUSAN SCHWARTZ. ADDRESS AND THE ADDRESS? 1 38 WENDY PINES ROAD IN FRONT ROYAL. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK TO THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT? OKAY, I'VE ALREADY CLOSED THE HEARING. I'LL JUST PRETEND I CLOSED IT AGAIN. UM, AND I'M SORRY, I'M A LITTLE, I'M REALLY THINKING BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THERE'S, UM, YEAH, A LOT GOING ON. UM, MADAM MAYOR, THE APPLICANT MAY WANT TO ADDRESS COUNCIL AGAIN. YEAH, YEAH, NO, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN THE HALLWAY SAYING A LITTLE PRAYER FOR THEM. BUT YES, IF THE APPLICANT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, UM, DO MS. DIANE, DID YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING ELSE? UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO, BUT USUALLY WE DO WHEN WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD FROM, WELL, I JUST WANTED [00:55:01] TO ADD THAT PHILIP VAUGHT WAS GOING TO SPEAK AND MM-HMM . THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. YEAH. SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO THAT OR ABOUT THAT, BUT HE HAD PREPARED SOME COMMENTS AS WELL. UM, AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS, UM, ANY QUESTIONS IF TECHNICALITY OR CLARIFICATION. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HMM. COULD YOU, COULD YOU STAY? 'CAUSE WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO, IF YOU WANNA COME BACK UP, WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP TO COUNCIL AND THEN COUNCIL MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR, OR ACTUALLY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND WE'RE GONNA ASK YOU NO, RIGHT HERE. WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND ASK HER THE QUESTIONS BEFORE THE MOTION. I HAVE QUESTION PRIOR TO TAKING ACTION, RIGHT. UM, MS. SCHMIDTKE, WHEN YOU SPOKE, YOU, WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING TO THE, UM, CAP ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS YES. YOU SAID YOU EXPECTED 25, BUT DID YOU SAY NO MORE THAN 80? CORRECT. OKAY. UM, AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE CAPACITY FOR THAT BUILDING IS? I DO NOT. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO TELL ME THAT. . YEAH. OKAY. UM, AND I'VE DONE MY OWN RESEARCH, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND HOW THAT IS ACTUALLY SET. I DO KNOW THAT IT'S ABOUT 11,000 SQUARE FEET OF USABLE SPACE AND THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL, DO YOU WANT ME TO KEEP GOING? THERE'S ADDITIONAL UP TO 15,000 IF YOU INCLUDE THE BASEMENT. OKAY. SO IF YOU HAVE SOME MAGIC ALGORITHM, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS. I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO IT. I WAS JUST CURIOUS. THANK YOU. MY, MY NEXT QUESTION. OKAY. I WONDERED, YEAH, UNFORTUNATELY HE'S NOT HERE TONIGHT. UM, MY NEXT QUESTION IS FOR MS. CAPISH FROM PLANNING AND ZONING. UM, AS WE HEARD TONIGHT, IT IS DESIGNATED AS A C TWO CURRENTLY. WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES THAT YOU COULD PROVIDE COUNSEL AND THE PUBLIC WITH THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED BY WRIGHT IN A C TWO DESIGNATION? SO THAT'S PRIMARILY FOR THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN, LIKE RETAIL AREAS. SO COMMERCIAL USES ARE IDEAL. SO THAT'S LIKE YOUR, UM, YOUR BAKERIES, YOUR ASSEMBLY HALLS, UM, BARBER SHOPS, PERSONAL SERVICES, RESTAURANTS, THINGS LIKE THAT. WHAT ARE THE RESTRICTIONS THAT WOULD BE, UM, NOT ALLOWED IN A C TWO THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED IN A TYPICAL COMMERCIAL SPACE THAT'S NOT HISTORIC? UM, WELL, THE VAPE SHOPS BEING THE OBVIOUS ONE, BUT, UM, JUST LARGER. UM, LIKE BIG BOX RETAILERS AREN'T TYPICALLY GONNA FIT DOWN THERE. OKAY. UM, UH, AND THEN MORE OF LIKE YOUR OFFICE, YOUR PROFESSIONAL USES AREN'T GONNA BE PERMITTED IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA AS MUCH AS LIKE IN THIS REGULAR SEA ONE. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? UH, I HAD ONE. UM, HI. HI. UH, WERE THERE GONNA BE ANY DESIGNATED PARKING SPOTS IN THE, I GUESS IT WAS BEHIND ST. JOHN'S PARISH? UH, WERE THERE GONNA BE LIKE DESIGNATED PARKING SPOTS? WELL, WE HAVE THE, WE HAVE THE SIX THAT ARE, THAT COME WITH THE PROPERTY THERE ON THE PLA MM-HMM . AND THEN THERE ARE AN ADDITIONAL 59. I WENT AND COUNTED THEM AGAIN TODAY TO MAKE SURE , UM, THAT ARE WITHIN THE 300 FEET ALLOWED TO US IN THE CODE THAT ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST HAS AGREED TO LEASE TO US. SO THAT LETTER IS IN THE PACKET THAT YOU ALL RECEIVED WITH THEIR, UM, DECISION TO LEASE THAT TO US. SO WE DO HAVE ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL 59 SPACES. OKAY. I I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THERE WAS GONNA BE AN X NUMBER THAT WOULD BE DURING YOUR HOURS OF OPERATION IF, IF THERE WERE GOING TO BE ANY DESIGNATED PARKING SPOTS. THAT'S ALL. UH, I'M NOT SURE I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN BY DESIGNATED. WELL, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, PARKING ONLY FOR I SEE, UH, FOR YOUR SCHOOL DURING CERTAIN HOURS OF THE DAY, DURING THE WEEK. OBVIOUSLY IT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I, I, OTHER THAN THE SIX THAT WE POSSESS WITH WOULD POSSESS WITH THE PROPERTY, UM, I WOULD HAVE TO TALK TO THE PASTOR OF ST. JOHN'S. IF, IF THAT BECAME AN ISSUE, I'M SURE HE'D BE WILLING TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. I JUST DIDN'T KNOW THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING I NEEDED TO ASK HIM FOR. SO I'M SURE THAT COULD BE ARRANGED IF IT NEEDED TO BE. IT'S A BUSY PLACE. IT IS A BUSY PLACE. , WHERE ARE THE SIX PLACES THAT ARE PART OF THE PROPERTY? I APOLOGIZE. UM, DO YOU HAVE THE PLAT, LAUREN? I DO HAVE A COPY OF THE PLA WITH ME. RIGHT. THE THE ONES THAT BACK, THEY'RE ALL IN THE BACK. IF THAT, IF THAT'S ENOUGH. THERE REALLY ARE SIX THERE. MM-HMM . I'M SURPRISED. WELL, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. OKAY. I JUST KNOW MOST PEOPLE NEVER PULLED THERE FOR TOWN HALL. THEY THE PARKING. SO DIANE, WHEN I WAS THERE WITH PHILLIP AND WE WALKED AROUND AND LOOKED AT IT, YES. UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'M VERY EXCITED THE BUILDING COULD BE REPURPOSED. THANK YOU. YOU WANT TO TAKE A WALK BACK IN TIME, GO IN THAT BUILDING. AND I CAN REMEMBER MY GRANDMOTHER WHEN I WAS [01:00:01] A WEE BOY WALKING IN THE FRONT TO THE PLACE AND PAYING THE UTILITY BILL, WHICH CAME OUT ON A CARD SO EVERYBODY SAW , HOW MUCH YOUR UTILITY BILL WAS I IN THE MAIL? BUT ANYWAY, UM, I'M VERY EXCITED AT THE POSSIBILITY OF YOU GUYS RENOVATING AND NOT ONLY RENOVATING THAT, BUT MAINTAINING THAT. MM-HMM . WHEN WE WALKED AROUND ACROSS, UH, WITH PHILLIP, WE LOOKED AT THE FRONT AS WELL AND THE, UM, WHERE THE YELLOW CURB DOES NOT EXIST WITH A, PERHAPS A RIGHT ONLY EXIT OUT OF THE CAR THAT COULD LINE UP THERE. I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS, EXCUSE ME, ARE WORKING ON THAT DILIGENTLY. I I'VE CERTAINLY HEARD FROM THE PARENTS TONIGHT ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S BEHAVIORS AND EXPECTATIONS. SO I, I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE GONNA BE NOTHING BUT UM, UH, SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS. AND I, I DO AGREE WITH YOU AND I THINK WE SPOKE ABOUT THAT, THAT DAY. A LIMITATION. IT WOULD BE LIKE SAYING, UM, YOU'RE OPENING A SUPERMARKET BUT YOU CAN ONLY SELL TO A HUNDRED CUSTOMERS A DAY AND NOT 150 OR 200. UM, WHATEVER THE CAPACITY IS, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THAT, UM, TO THE BEST REGARD. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR WORKING ON THIS. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR COUNSEL FOR THE APPLICANT? NOPE. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL. DO I HEAR A MOTION MADAM MAYOR, IN FURTHERANCE OF THE PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES CONTAINED IN TOWN CODE 1 75 DASH ONE BI MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPROVE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE DIVIN DI VENOM AUXILIUM ACADEMY TO PERMIT A PRIVATE SCHOOL AT 16 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE IDENTIFIED BY TAX MAP 20 A FIVE SECTION 11, LOT 15 SECOND MADAM MAYOR. NOW THAT THERE'S A SECOND AND IT'S OPEN FOR DISCUSSION, I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT ON THE DIES, WHICH IS THAT THAT'S NOT THE PROPOSED MOTION IN OUR PACKET TONIGHT. FOR THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING FROM HOME OR WHO ARE HERE WITH US TONIGHT. I'VE MADE A LOT OF COMMENTS IN OUR WORK SESSIONS REGARDING THE JOB OF THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL AND WHAT THE GOVERNMENT'S ROLE IS IN APPROVING SPECIAL USE PERMITS. UM, ANA MENTIONED JANE JACOBS, WHICH IS IRONIC 'CAUSE I HAD WRITTEN DOWN PRIOR TO TONIGHT'S MEETING TO MENTION LEON KREER, WHO WAS AN ARCHITECT AND URBAN PLANNER THAT MY FORMER COUNCILMAN SCOTT LLOYD BOUGHT US ALL A BOOK ON THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL AND DONATED TO US TO READ ABOUT THE WALKABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF URBAN PLANNING AND, UM, LOCATIONS LIKE OURS. UM, I WAS A PART, UH, BEFORE THIS COUNCIL WAS HERE OF THE REVITALIZE DIE THAT HAPPENED AT THE ROYAL SMI AND DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL, WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT THE PRESERVATION OF OUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS. AND WE ALL PLEDGED, AND SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE SITTING HERE TONIGHT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT HADN'T BEEN ELECTED YET. ALSO WERE INTERESTED IN THE REVITALIZATION OF DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL. WHAT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO LIGHT SINCE THIS APPLICATION HAS COME TO COUNCIL IS THAT WE CLEARLY HAD AN ISSUE WITH SAFETY AND SPEEDING PRIOR TO THIS APPLICATION. AND THE ACTION TAKEN ON THIS APPLICATION HAS TO BE TAKEN NO MATTER WHAT, AND IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY CREATE A PROBLEM OR FIX THE PROBLEM. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED EITHER WAY. UM, SOMEONE MENTIONED THE SPEEDWAY IN THE ALLEY, WHICH IS IRONIC BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE DONE IN MY TIME ON THIS COUNCIL IS ADDRESS LEACH RUN PARKWAY, WHICH IS WHERE ONE OF, WELL NOW TWO OF MY THREE STUDENTS GO TO SCHOOL, WHICH IS A VERY HIGHLY TRAFFICKED SCHOOL ZONE WITH PEOPLE WHO RIDE THEIR BIKES AND STILL WALK TO SCHOOL. AND I TOO, LIKE SOME OF THE PARENTS WHO SPOKE TONIGHT, ENJOY LETTING MY TEENAGERS WALK AND HAVE FREEDOMS AND LEARN RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE WE DO LIVE IN A COMMUNITY THAT AFFORDS US THAT ABILITY. IT IS NOT NECESSARILY THE GOVERNMENT'S JOB TO DECIDE HOW TO PROTECT PEOPLE. SPEEDING IS AN ISSUE, AND WE DO HAVE A RIGHT IN LAW AND ORDER TO ADDRESS THAT. IT'S UNFORTUNATELY NOT SECLUDED TO THIS ONE ALLEY. I DO FEEL LIKE IT IS, UM, EMPHASIZED IN THE ALLEY BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF IT. WE HAVE OTHER SCHOOL ZONES WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT DURING SCHOOL HOURS IS 25 MILES PER HOUR. LEACH RUN TO BE SPECIFIC AS ROADS ON STRASBURG ROAD. IT DROPS FROM 35 TO 25 WITH STUDENTS WALKING FROM THE TRAILER PARK TO THE SCHOOL. AND THOSE ARE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. I SAID AT THE WORK SESSION, AND I KNOW IT SOUNDS HARSH, UM, BUT I SPEAK VERY DIRECT AND ANYONE WHO'S WATCHED ME DURING MY TIME ON COUNCIL KNOWS THAT IT'S MY JOB AS A PARENT TO ENSURE MY CHILDREN'S SAFETY. IT'S NOT THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL, IT'S NOT THE FRONT ROYAL POLICE DEPARTMENT. IT'S NOT ANYBODY ELSE'S JOB, BUT MINE AND I SAT HERE AND VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE BLUE LINE SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR THE SPEED CAMERAS IN [01:05:01] SOME OF THOSE SCHOOL ZONES, BECAUSE MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, BEFORE I WAS A PART OF THIS COUNCIL, ME AND MY CHILDREN WATCHED A YOUNG BOY BE RAN OVER ON A BICYCLE ON SIXTH STREET, AND I WAS THE ONLY PER PERSON TO WITNESS IT, AND I HAD TO GET OUT AND HOLD THAT CHILD UNTIL HE WAS MEDEVACED OUT OF FRONT ROYAL. THANKFULLY, HE'S SAFE AND HE'S GROWING AND HE'S WELL TODAY. HOWEVER, THESE ISSUES ARE ALL OVER OUR COMMUNITY. THEY'RE NOT SPECIFIC TO THIS ONE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S FAIR TO HOLD THE APPLICANT OR THE SCHOOL HOSTAGE UNTIL WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED A LONG TIME AGO. AND AS I ASKED, UM, MS. CAPISH FROM THE PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT, WHAT ELSE THIS BUILDING COULD BE USED FOR, WHICH, LET'S BE HONEST, THERE'S NOT PEOPLE LINING UP TO USE THIS BUILDING. IT'S SAT THERE FOR A DECADE AT LEAST, ROTTING AND DETERIORATING. UM, BUT ANY OF THESE COMMERCIAL SHOPS COULD GO IN THERE AND WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DICTATE OR EVEN HAVE A VOICE OR SAY AS A COUNCIL AND HOW THEY TRAFFIC THEIR TRAFFIC INTO THEIR STORE OR SHOP THAT THEY CHOOSE TO OPEN THERE. UM, I, I HAVE AN OFFICE ON ROYAL AVENUE, UM, NEAR WHERE ONE OF THE APPLICANTS SPOKE. UM, PARKING IS AN ISSUE THERE. WALKING IS AN ISSUE THERE. I, MYSELF, AS A GROWN ADULT, HAVE TO BE SAFE AND AWARE OF MY SURROUNDINGS. UM, AND THERE'S A HAIR SHOP DOWN THE STREET THAT I'VE BEEN FREQUENTING MY ENTIRE LIFE. AND THE TRAFFIC AND THE PARKING THERE ARE DISASTROUS, BUT IT'S THE RISK THAT I TAKE AND IT'S THE CHOICE THAT I MAKE TO FIND MYSELF A PARKING SPOT. AND IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT PARKING IS AN ISSUE FOR EVERY SINGLE PLACE IN FRONT ROYAL. WE'VE HEARD ABOUT PARKING SINCE PROBABLY BEFORE I WAS BORN, AND I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE. I'VE HEARD ABOUT HOW THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PARKING IN DOWNTOWN. THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PARKING FOR AIRBNBS, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PARKING TO ACCOMMODATE THIS AND THAT. AND I JUST FEEL LIKE IF WE'RE HONEST, THERE IS PARKING, THERE'S PUBLIC PARKING, BUT YOU HAVE TO WALK A FEW FEET MORE. AND IF PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO DO THAT, THEN THAT'S UP TO THEM. THAT'S THEIR FREEDOM TO DO SO. AND SO I DON'T SAY THAT IT'S NOT OUR JOB TO ENSURE THE STUDENT'S SAFETY TO NEGLECT THAT OR TO NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT. I DO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT. AND I DO BELIEVE THAT A SPEED TABLE OR AN ELEVATED CROSSWALK WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP DETER SPEEDING THERE. UM, BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE HAVE A LOT OF SCHOOL ZONES AND DANGEROUS AREAS. AND LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, MAYOR LL YOU AND I HAVE GONE BACK AND FORTH ABOUT THERE ARE VERY STRICT DROP-OFF IN PICKUP PROCEDURES AT ALL OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN TOWN. AND MOST OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS, HOWEVER, THERE ARE PARENTS EVERY SINGLE DAY WHEN I DROP OFF AND PICK UP MY KIDS THAT ARE NOT ADHERING TO THOSE SIGNS OR THOSE THINGS. SO WE CAN IMPLEMENT AS MANY SAFETY MEASURES AND RESTRICT THE APPLICANT AND THEIR BUSINESS AS MUCH AS WE WANT. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T GONNA BE OBEDIENT AREN'T GOING TO BE OBEDIENT. AND THERE'S NOTHING NECESSARILY THAT WE CAN DO TO ENSURE THAT. SO THE MOTION THAT I MADE, UM, WAS ABSENT OF THE RESTRICTION OF THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS. AGAIN, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT'S OUR DECISION TO MAKE. I FEEL LIKE THAT'S THE FIRE MARSHAL'S DECISION TO MAKE, WHICH SEVERAL OF MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS CHIMED IN AND REITERATED THAT POINT BEFORE I NEEDED TO. AND ALSO THE PARKING. AS WITH EVERYTHING THAT I'VE TAKEN ACTION ON, ON THIS COUNCIL, I FEEL LIKE PARKING IS JUST AN ISSUE ALL AROUND AND IT CAN'T BE USED AS AN EXCUSE TO PROHIBIT THE GROWTH AND REVITALIZATION OF OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT. DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY, ANY COMMENTS FOR DISCUSSION? YEAH. UH OH. GO AHEAD BRUCE. GO AHEAD. YOU GO. YOU GO. YOU SURE? YEAH. OKAY. I'M MOVING QUICK. UH, MADAM MAYOR, I'D JUST LIKE TO, TO, UH, SAY, UM, MY APPRECIATION FOR THE PARENTS IN PARTICULAR FOR SHOWING UP. UH, I THINK THAT, UH, THE, THE, THEIR, UH, TESTIMONY HERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR, UH, CONCERN, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEY SHARE A CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR, OF THEIR STUDENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN. AND THE FACT THAT THEY FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THEY CAN COME UP WITH THE SOLUTION, I THINK WILL WORK. UH, I DON'T THINK WE CAN SIT UP HERE AND, AND AS A COUNCIL OR AS A GROUP HERE, CAN YOU GET 'EM TO DECIDE EXACTLY WHAT TO DO. IT'S GONNA PLEASE EVERYBODY. UM, I, I SAID IT IN A WORK SESSION. I THINK YOU GUYS ARE GONNA FIGURE IT OUT RATHER QUICKLY WHEN SCHOOL STARTS. UM, WITHIN A FEW, PROBABLY A FEW MEETINGS OF, OF THE PARENTS GETTING TOGETHER SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT? LET'S DO THIS. DO THIS, DO THIS. Y'ALL TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS. I THINK Y'ALL WILL FIGURE IT OUT. SO I HAVE THAT FAITH, THE FACT THAT YOU'RE HERE AND, AND SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF YOUR CHILDREN, UH, THAT SAYS A LOT. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. AND LIKE I SAID, I, I AGREE. I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANY SOLUTION THAT WE COULD COME UP WITH THAT WE SHOULD BE DIRECTING TO, TO TELL YOU TO, TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS. I MEAN, ESPECIALLY SINCE THESE, THESE ARE GONNA BE, UH, CHILDREN OF AGE, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE GOING TO KNOW HOW TO WALK DOWN THE STREET FOR THE MOST PART. [01:10:01] SO, UM, SO AGAIN, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE PARENTS AND THANK YOU FOR THE NEIGHBORING, UH, UH, ENTITIES THAT COME UP HERE AND SPOKE AS WELL. AND I SHARED YOUR CONCERNS. AND, AND, AND LIKE I SAID, I HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU COLLECTIVELY WILL COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT I'M QUITE CERTAIN WILL BE THE BEST SAFETY, YOU KNOW, THE BEST, MOST SAFETY, UH, UH, PRONE SOLUTION THAT YOU CAN COME UP WITH AS A CREW. SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN WRAP UP? YEAH, MADAM MAYOR. UM, SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE, OBVIOUSLY THE CAP WAS ONE OF MY CONCERNS. UM, UH, , I'VE BEEN A RES RESIDENT IN FRONT ROW, UH, MOST OF MY LIFE. UH, I GREW UP HERE. I USED TO WORK, I USED TO WALK TO SCHOOL ALL THE WAY UP TO WHERE I LIVE ON WEST MAIN STREET. I USED TO WALK ALL THE WAY UP TO RESY JEFFRIES TO SCHOOL AND BACK. UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AND, AND AT THAT TIME I WAS, UH, PROBABLY IN SEVENTH, EIGHTH, NINTH GRADE. UH, SO KIDS THAT AGE ARE, ARE RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH. THEY KNOW IN GENERAL, I GUESS, KNOW WHAT TO DO. UM, ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DOES CONCERN ME REGARDING THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS, UM, IS THAT OUR PLANNING COMMISSION PUT IN A LOT OF TIME, UH, TO COME UP WITH SOME SORT OF NUMBER. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, 25 MAY NOT BE THE NUMBER. UM, I CAN SAY THAT, UH, I CAN REMEMBER WHEN TOWN HALL WAS IN THE BUILDING. I CAN REMEMBER WHEN THERE WAS A FIRE POLE DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THAT ROOM WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE FIREMEN LOOKED, SLEPT UPSTAIRS, AND THEN THEY CAME DOWN WHEN THE FIRE SIREN WENT OFF, AND THERE WAS A SIREN RIGHT OUTSIDE THE DOOR. AND I LIVED RIGHT ABOVE CHERRY STREET, AND I COULD HEAR THAT THING. AND IF I WAS SLEEPING, I WAS AWAKE. THE, THE, SO I'M GONNA GET TO THE POINT. UM, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH TELLING STORIES, BUT, UM, GETTING TO THE POINT, MADAM MAYOR, UH, BECAUSE OF ALL THE WORK THAT OUR PLANNING COMMISSION PUT IN, BECAUSE OF ALL THE WORK THAT OUR STAFF PUT IN, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION, IF I MAY. I DON'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE TO, DON'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE TO ASK PERMISSION FOR ME TO MAKE THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION. UM, OKAY. UH, THE MOTION THAT I'M GONNA MAKE IS IN FURTHERANCE OF THE PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES CONTAINED IN TOWN CODE 1 75 DASH ONE BI MOVE THE COUNCIL APPROVE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, SUP FOR THE DIVIN AUXILIARY ACADEMY TO PERMIT A PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR NO MORE THAN 45 STUDENTS AT 16 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE, IDENTIFIED BY TAX MAT 20 A FIVE, SECTION 11, LOT 15 CONDITIONED UPON ONE, THE PROVISION OF THE REQUIRED OFF STREET PARKING AREAS, WHICH SHALL BE ORIENTED TO THE BUILDINGS THEY'RE SERVING. AND WITHIN 300 FEET WALKING DISTANCE WITH A WRITTEN AGREEMENT THERETO ASSURING THEIR RETENTION FOR SUCH PURPOSES SHALL BE PROPERLY DRAWN AND EXECUTED BY THE PARTY'S CONCERN AND APPROVED AS TO THE FORM BY THE TOWN ATTORNEY PRIOR TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE USE, WHICH SHALL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE DURATION OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. SECONDLY, THIS WOULD BE UNDER REVIEW EVERY TWO YEARS. THAT'S MY MOTION. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I CLARIFY FOR EVERYBODY. SO THE MOTION WAS THE FIRST PART THE SAME AS VICE VICE MAYOR ENTAL CHANGING IT TO A CAP OF 45 STUDENTS. MM-HMM . THE PROVISION OF THE REQUIRED OFFICE STREET PARKING. AND THEN YOU ALSO ADDED, UM, A REVIEW AFTER TWO YEARS. YES. BECAUSE EVERY TWO YEARS. YEAH. AFTER TWO YEARS. AND THE REASON FOR THAT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY THE REASON, [01:15:01] I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I KNEW WHAT THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION WAS MM-HMM . TO SEE IF ANYBODY WAS GONNA SECOND IT. 'CAUSE AS I UNDERSTAND MS. PRESLEY, THE SUBSTITUTE MOTIONS ON THE FLOORS, WE HAVE TO SEE IF THERE'S A SECOND FOR THAT FIRST BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD. CORRECT. I WOULD CONFER WITH THE, I LOOK AT IT AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE ORIGINAL, BUT, OKAY. MR. SONIC SON, IS IT A SUBSTITUTE OR IS IT AN AMENDMENT SUBSTITUTE? I THINK IT'S WHAT THE MOVEMENT WANTS IT TO BE, AND IT'S CHARACTERIZED AS A SUBSTITUTE, WHICH, UM, SEEMS TO FIT BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, THERE'S SO MUCH NEW LANGUAGE OVER THE ORIGINAL OKAY. YEAH. NOW, SO THERE MAY, MAY I ADD ONE THING? WE CAN'T HAVE ADDITION UNTIL WE HAVE A SECOND. WE CAN, I THINK WE CAN DISCUSS IT. I WAS GOING TO GIVE YOU REASONING BEHIND THE, THE NUMBER. IT'S OKAY. IT'S, IT'S NOT THAT I'M, I, I'M JUST SAYING UNTIL THERE'S A SECOND, YOUR REASONING WOULD BE SHARED DURING A DISCUSSION. UNDERSTOOD. IS THERE A SECOND TO THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION PUT FORWARD BY COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? OKAY. SINCE THERE'S NO SECOND, THE MOTION DIES. SO WE'RE BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION, WHICH WAS TO APPROVE THE SUP, UM, WITH NO CAP AND NO PARKING REQUIREMENTS. IT WAS JUST TO REPEAT, TO APPROVE THE SUP. RIGHT. MADAM MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT, UM, MANY OF THE PEOPLE SITTING HERE SAW EARLIER TONIGHT WHEN MY BONUS DAUGHTER GOT UP AND LET US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. SHE'S 16 YEARS OLD AND SHE JUST GOT HER DRIVER'S LICENSE NOT TOO LONG AGO. AND I JUST THOUGHT, I WOULD NOTE THAT SHE DRIVES HERSELF AND HER SIBLINGS TO AND FROM SCHOOL, AND SHE'S SAFER THAN MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO WE'VE HAD TO PAY A LOT OF TAXPAYER MONEY TO IMPLEMENT, UM, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ON SOUTH STREET AND SHENANDOAH AVENUE, BECAUSE THEY'RE GROWN ADULTS WHO WEAR BLACK AND CROSS WITH NO CROSSWALK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. UM, ALSO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE TO THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE BY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SO FAR. THE TOWN HALL DID SUCCESSFULLY OPERATE THERE FOR MANY YEARS, AND WE ALLOWED MORE THAN 25 PEOPLE TO, TO BE IN THE TOWN HALL DURING ITS OPERATION. AND UNFORTUNATELY, AS MUCH AS I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE THE VAPE SHOPS IN THIS TOWN AND WISH THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE THEY CAME, AND BEFORE MY TIME ON HERE, I VOTED AGAINST THE ORDINANCE THAT THIS COUNCIL PASSED AS THE LOAN SOLD. NO, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THE FREE MARKET, WHICH IS WHY I REMOVED THE CAP FROM THIS, UM, THE PROVISION IN THIS MOTION, BECAUSE AGAIN, I DO NOT FEEL LIKE IT'S THE GOVERNMENT'S JOB TO SAY HOW MANY STUDENTS YOU CAN TEACH IF YOU'RE WITHIN YOUR RIGHT OF THE OCCUPANCY LOAD OF A BUILDING. AND I DID JUST WANNA LASTLY SAY, AND I KNOW THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE HEARD THIS FROM ME FOR YEARS. I RESPECT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE JOB, AND THE RESEARCH AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO, AND THAT ALL OF YOU DO AS TOWN STAFF. HOWEVER, IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THE TOWN'S PLANNING COMMISSION HAS TO FOLLOW THE TOWN CODE AND THE STATE CODE. THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE DECISIONS OUTSIDE OF THAT. THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY DO. SO THEY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL, AND THEN WE ULTIMATELY ARE THE GOVERNING BODY WHO MAKES A DECISION, THEREFORE, WE'RE ABLE TO DO THINGS THAT THEY'RE NOT. AND SO MY MOTION WAS NOT IN SLIGHT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS OR THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DID, AND THE EFFORT THAT THEY PUT INTO THIS APPLICATION. I JUST KNOW THAT OUR TOWN CODE DOES NOT MATCH WHAT THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL IS LIKE. IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? YES. I JUST WANTED TO ADD, UH, MAYOR, THE, THE 45 NUMBER CAME FROM WHEN, WHEN THE TOWN WAS OPERATING OUT OF THE BUILDING. UH, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM PEOPLE THAT WORKED THERE, THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 45 PEOPLE WORKING IN THE BUILDING, AND THAT'S WHERE THE IDEA OF THE CAP CAME FROM. OKAY. AND THEN, THEN OF COURSE, THEY OUTGREW IT, AND THEN THEY MOVED TO THEIR PRESENT LOCATION. RIGHT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I I HAVE A QUESTION. MS. CAPISH. AN SUP IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE REVISITED ANYWAY, CORRECT? IT CAN BE AMENDED AND IT CAN BE REVOKED. RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I, I WAS JUST SAYING FROM SHORT TERM RENTALS. SO WE HEARD LOTS OF CONVERSATION TONIGHT ABOUT, UM, THE SAFETY CONCERNS. AND MOST PEOPLE FEELING LIKE THE KIDS AND THE AGES IN THE SCHOOL, THEY FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE SCHOOL WILL FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO MAKE, TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE, WHICH I'M SURE THEY WILL. 'CAUSE WHY WOULDN'T THEY? WHY WOULDN'T A SCHOOL WANT [01:20:01] THEIR STUDENTS TO BE SAFE AND THEIR PARENTS AS WELL? UM, I JUST ONLY ASK THOUGH, IF FOR SOME REASON THERE IS A CONCERN IN THE FUTURE. THERE COULD BE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO, WELL, MADAM MAYOR MM-HMM . THERE SHOULD BE A SPEED TABLE PUT AT THE CROSSWALK, THE EXISTING CROSSWALK, SO THAT PEOPLE WILL SLOW DOWN SO THE STUDENTS CAN WALK ACROSS SAFELY. I DON'T THINK THAT DECISION WILL BE MADE HERE TONIGHT, BUT I'M SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND JUST TAKES THAT. I, I WANT, I WANNA MAKE THAT COMMENT BECAUSE THAT I UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT KIDS SAFETY, RIGHT? MADAM MAYOR? YES. I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS WHAT COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT JUST SAID. WE HAVE MANY INSTANCES THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY WHERE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IS NOT, IS NOT A PRIORITY, AND THE LACK OF SIDEWALKS, THE LACK OF SPEED BUMPS, THE LACK OF SIGNAGE CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE TOWN. AND I THINK THE SCHOOL GOING IN JUST HIGHLIGHTS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY WHERE I WOULD SUGGEST THE SPEED BUMP WINCHESTER HAS PUT IN NUMEROUS ONES THROUGHOUT THEIR COMMUNITY. WELL, THEY CALL 'EM SPEED BUMPS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT LIKE THE TABLES ON CURB FRONT, BUT, UM, WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO SLOW DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES AN HOUR TO CROSS OVER 'EM WITHOUT GOING AIRBORNE. SO I DO WISH THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD PUT THIS ON A FUTURE, UM, WORK SESSION AGENDA TO ADDRESS THIS AND PRIORITIZE THIS WITH PUBLIC WORKS IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET YEAR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN WOOD. I KNOW THAT THIS WAS SOME, A CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH THE, UM, FORMER TOWN MANAGER, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT STAFF GETTING TOGETHER INFORMATION AND WHAT OUR OPTIONS WOULD BE AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE EFFECTS OF THAT, THE PROS, THE CONS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, SNOW REMOVAL AND SOME OF THE STUFF THAT PUBLIC WORKS HAD SHARED THAT, UM, THAT IS MADE COMPLICATED, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT WARRANTS A FURTHER DISCUSSION. SO, ALRIGHT. AT THIS POINT, THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE, IF THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION, WE'RE READY FOR A VOTE. THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS IN FURTHERANCE OF THE PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES CONTAINED IN TOWN CODE 1 75 DASH ONE B. DID COUNSEL APPROVE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE DIVINE AXILLIUM ACADEMY TO PERMIT A PRIVATE SCHOOL AT 16 NORTH ROYAL AVENUE IDENTIFIED BY TAX MAP 2 0 8 5 SECTION 11, LOT 15. OKAY. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. VICE MAYOR VIAL? YES. COUNCILMAN OCK? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCIL ME. DAMON PAYNE? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. COUNSEL, WE ARE IN A POSITION FOR ITEM SEVEN B THAT, THAT WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION, UM, THERE THE APPLICANT IS NOT AVAILABLE, UM, ANY LONGER FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO WE HAVE SOME, WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE THE OPTION TO POST, TO TRY TO POSTPONE THE PUBLIC HEARING, ALTHOUGH WE, IT'S STILL ON THE AGENDA, SO WE DIDN'T CHANGE THE AGENDA, WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING AND LEAVE IT OPEN SO THAT WE CAN GET OTHER PEOPLE. IF COUNSEL DOESN'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE APPLICANT WOULD NEED TO BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. UM, I, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF MADAM MAYOR, JUST WONDERING, YES, I, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR COUNCIL, BUT I CAN SAY THAT I WAS SATISFIED WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE LEARNED IN THE WORK SESSION WHEN THE APPLICANT WAS THERE AND PRESENT IT AND ANSWERED QUESTIONS. SO I'M PREPARED TO MOVE FORWARD AND VOTE ON THIS TONIGHT. MADAM MAYOR, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE REMOVE THIS PUBLIC HEARING. UM, WHILE I DON'T NEED ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, AND I AM, UM, I HAVE EXPRESSED MY REMARKS IN REGARDS TO THIS. I BELIEVE IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE APPLICANT WANTED TO BE PRESENT FOR IT. I THINK THE APPLICANT WANTED TO BE PRESENT BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE IF EVERYBODY HAS ALREADY ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS. MAD. SORRY MADAM. MAY I WEIGH IN ON THIS? YES. I, I THINK GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE REQUEST FROM THE APPLICANT TO POSTPONE AND, AND THE PARENT FAMILY EMERGENCY, UM, I ADVISE COUNSEL TO TAKE UP A MOTION TO [01:25:01] POSTPONE THAT'S MOTION TO A DATE, C TO A DATE CERTAIN I MOVED POSTPONE THE PUBLIC HEARING TO A DATE CERTAIN. OKAY. I JUST THOUGHT EVERYBODY WAS OKAY WITH IT AT THAT POINT. I AM. OKAY. BUT I THOUGHT THE REQUEST WAS TO POSTPONE. OKAY. SO I GUESS SOMEBODY NEEDS TO MAKE THE MOTION TO MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE POSTPONE PUBLIC HEARING ITEM NUMBER TWO TO JULY 25TH, 2025. COUNCIL MEETING. I'M SORRY. WE MEET THE 28TH, JULY 28TH. IS THERE A, A SECOND ON THAT? SECOND. OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. SO WE WILL MOVE THIS PUBLIC HEARING TO JULY 20. WELL, WE, I'M SORRY, WE HAVE TO, SORRY. WE HAVE TO VOTE. SORRY. I APOLOGIZE. I'M COUNCILMAN WOOD. NO. VICE MAYOR VIAL. I WAS TOLD THE REQUEST FROM THE APPLICANT WAS TO POSTPONE, THEREFORE YES. COUNCILMAN C LOCK I HAVE TO ABSTAIN THIS FAMILY. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM Y YES. COUNCILWOMAN D PAYNE? YES. OKAY. WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE THIS UP AGAIN THEN AT THE JULY MEETING. MADAM MAYOR, MADAM MAYOR, JUST YES. UH, POINT OUT THE OBVIOUS THAT TO, TO THE EXTENT THAT ANYONE'S INCONVENIENCED ANY OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INCONVENIENCED, IT'S JUST UNFORTUNATE. YEAH, IT'S OKAY. UM, ALL RIGHT. UM, SO [7.C.Special Use Permit to Allow a Short-Term Rental at 66 W. Strasburg Road for Home Base Holdings Inc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n Ordinance Amending and Re-Ordaining a Franchise Granted to Brightspeed of Virginia LLC. Formerly Known as The Central Telephone Company of Virginia] D'S PUBLIC HEARING IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING A RE ORDAINING A FRANCHISE GRANTED TO BRIGHT SPEED OF VIRGINIA LLC, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE CENTRAL TELEPHONE COMPANY OF VIRGINIA. THE SUMMARY IS COUNSEL HAS REQUESTED TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO EXTEND FOR A PERIOD OF 15 YEARS OF FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH BRIGHT SPEEDED, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE CENTRAL TELEPHONE COMPANY IN VIRGINIA TO CONSTRUCT, INSTALL, MAINTAIN, OPERATE, UPGRADE, REPLACE, RENOVATE, ADJUST, PROTECT, SUPPORT, RAISE LOWER DISCONNECT, REMOVE AND RELOCATE ITS CABLES, POLES, PEDESTALS BOXES, WIRES, CONDUITS, CONDUCTORS, PIPES, AND RELATED A, IT'S AUNE, WHICH IS FACILITIES FOR ITS SYSTEM IN UNDER, ALONG, OVER AND ACROSS THE PRESENT AND FUTURE STREETS, ALLEYS AND PUBLIC WAYS, THE TOWN PUBLIC WAYS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING LOCAL EXCHANGE, TELEPHONE SERVICE, AND TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES TO THE TOWN'S, INHABITANTS, AND BUSINESSES. AND BEFORE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. MR. SONNET, HOW DO YOU SAY THAT? A-P-P-U-R-T-E-N-A. NTEN. ATTEN. ALRIGHT. YOU LEARNED ME A NEW WORD TONIGHT. A ATTEN, WHICH MEANS FACILITIES. RIGHT. ALRIGHT, SO I'M GOING TO, IS THERE, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING STAFF NEEDS TO PRESENT ON THIS. COUNSEL HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE AGREEMENT AND ASK ANY QUESTIONS LEADING UP TO THIS. SO I'M GONNA ACTUALLY, UH, MADAM MAYOR, I CAN PROVIDE A VERY BRIEF ADDITIONAL SUMMARY. SURE. OKAY, THANK YOU. UM, SO THE CURRENT, UM, LOCAL EXCHANGE SERVICE BEING PROVIDED CURRENTLY BY BRIGHT SPEEDED, FORMERLY CENTRAL TELEPHONE, AND THEN IT WAS, UM, SPRINT, AND THEN IT WAS CENTURYTEL AND CURRENTLY BRIGHT SPEEDED. ALL OF THAT WAS BY MERGER OR ACQUISITION APPROVED BY THE STATE. UM, SO IT'S CURRENTLY BRIGHT SPEEDED THAT 20 YEAR FRANCHISE IS COMING TO AN END. THIS IS TO, UM, EXTEND THE CURRENT FRANCHISE. SO IT'S NOT BEING PUT OUT FOR BID. IT'S AN EXTENSION OF THE EXISTING, UM, UH, FOR 15 YEARS, WHICH WILL GET THE TOWN TO, UH, 2040. UM, THE, UM, THERE'S THE OTHER SIGNIFICANT PROVISION IS THERE'S, [01:40:01] THERE'S A 3% FRANCHISE FEE. UM, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, UM, IT WAS MY OWN INITIATIVE TO PUT A BONDING AMOUNT IN THE AGREEMENT. THE CURRENT ONE HAS NO, NO BONDING AMOUNT. UM, I PROPOSED TO BRIGHT SPEED A HUNDRED THOUSAND. THEY CAME BACK WITH, WELL, THAT'S WEIGHT. THAT'S MUCH MORE THAN, UM, THAN ANY OF OUR OTHER AGREEMENTS. I DID LOOK AT THE AGREEMENT RECENTLY SIGNED, UM, UH, SIGNED BETWEEN BRIGHT SPEEDED AND, AND THE CITY OF LEXINGTON. IT HAS NO BONDING PROVISION. ANYWAY, THE POINT OF THIS IS WHERE WE LANDED IS THEY SIGNED, UM, AS PUBLISHED WITH A $25,000 PERFORMANCE BOND. UM, WHEN DOES THAT COME INTO PLAY? WELL, UM, THE ONLY TIME I CAN SEE IT COMING INTO PLAY IS, IS IF THEY ABANDONED THE SYSTEM AND THE TOWN HAS TO TAKE THE WIRES OFF THE POLES. UM, BUT THAT ISSUE'S COVERED IN THE POLE ATTACHMENT AGREEMENT THAT WE'VE ALREADY EXECUTED WITH BRIGHT SPEED, UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO. SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S MY SUMMARY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UM, OPENING UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO ONE SIGNED UP. IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON THIS? I, OKAY. I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL. I MOVE THAT COUNSEL ADOPT AN ORDINANCE EFFECTIVE JUNE 23RD, 2025, AMENDING AND REORDERING EXTENDING FOR A PERIOD OF 15 YEARS OF FRANCHISE AGREEMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING LOCAL EXCHANGE TELEPHONE SERVICE, TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES WITH BRIGHT SPEED AND VIRGINIA LLC FOR ITS SYSTEM IN THE PRESENT AND FUTURE STREETS, ALLEYS, AND PUBLIC WAYS OF THE TOWN AS PRESENTED WITH THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN. SECOND. OKAY. MOTION TO SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY. LET'S DO, UH, VOTE ROLL CALL MS. PRESLEY. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. VICE MAYOR VIAL? YES. COUNCILMAN LOC? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN D DAMCO PAYNE? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. OUR [7.E.An Ordinance to Amend and Re-enact Town Code Sections 158-6 and 158-6.1 for the Re-adoption by Reference of the State Vehicular Laws and for Revision of Penalties for Violations of Laws.] LAST PUBLIC HEARING FOR TONIGHT FOR 70 E IS AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND REENACT TOWN CODE SECTIONS 1 58 DASH SIX AND 1 58 DASH 6.1 FOR THE ADOPTION BY REFERENCE OF THE STATE VEHICULAR LAWS AND FOR REVISION OF PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF LAW. THE SUMMARY IS COUNSEL'S REQUESTED TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO TOWN CODE 1 58 DASH SIX AND 1 58 DASH 6.1 FOR THE ADOPTION BY REFERENCE OF THE STATE VEHICULAR LAWS AND FOR REVISION OF PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION OF LAWS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO 1 58 DASH SIX AS PRESENTED. AND, UM, BEFORE I OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, THAT, THAT I WOULD CONSIDER THIS MORE A HOUSEKEEPING THING. THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO EACH YEAR. ONCE THE LEGISLATURE UPDATES THE VEHICULAR, UH, CHANGES, THEN THE COUN COUNCIL NEEDS TO ADOPT IT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ENFORCE THAT. SO, UM, I'M OPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO SPEAK REGARDING THIS ITEM? THOSE IN THE PUBLIC HEARING? AND I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL WILL ADOPT AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND REELECT TOWN CODE SECTIONS 1 5 8 DASH SIX AND 1 5 8 DASH 6.1 FOR THE ADOPTION BY REFERENCE OF THE STATE VE VEHICULAR LAWS AND FOR THE REVISION OF PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS OF LAWS AS PRESENTED. SECOND. OKAY. A MOTION. AND SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO A ROLL CALL. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. VICE MAYOR AL? YES. COUNCILMAN OCK? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. OKAY. AT THIS TIME [8. PUBLIC COMMENTS NOT RELATED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS ] WE HAVE MOVED ON TO OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT ARE NOT RELATED TO, UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS. MS. PRESLEY, HAS ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE DO. WE HAVE ONE. ROGER. I AM NOT EVEN GONNA ATTEMPT YOUR LAST NAME 'CAUSE I'LL PROBABLY NOT GET IT RIGHT. SO I APOLOGIZE. I GOT CLOSE TO MOST PEOPLE. . UH, MY NAME IS GOOD EVENING COUNCIL AND, UH, MAYOR, MY WIFE. AND I APPRECIATE YOUR LONG, HARD WORK. WE REALLY DO. ROGER, COULD YOU STAY HERE? WE HERE WE CAME HERE SIX YEARS AGO AND WE LOVE IT HERE. AND AS A RESULT OF LOVING IT HERE, UH, MY WIFE AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF, UH, SOMETHING [01:45:01] COULD BE DONE ABOUT THE PROPERTY. THE ACRE AT THE CORNER OF, UH, 14TH AND, UH, SHENANDOAH AVENUE. IT'S AN OVERGROWN, UH, PROPERTY OF AN ACRE. THE BB UH, T BANK BUILDING, IT'S, UH, TOTALLY OVERGROWN. UH, AND IT JUST, UH, IT IS AN EYESORE. IT'S THE FIRST THING YOU SEE WHEN YOU COME INTO TOWN AND IT HITS YOUR HEAD ON. AND IT'S, UH, HOPEFULLY NOT A PREVIEW OF THINGS TO COME. I MEAN, UH, I HOPE THAT, UH, THE OWNER CAN BE HELD RESPONSIBLE. I, UH, CONTACTED THE REAL ESTATE AGENT AND SHE ASSURED ME THAT SHE WOULD RELAY MY MESSAGE TO THE, UH, OWNER WHO I DON'T KNOW WHO IT IS, AND MAYBE YOU DO. AND HOPEFULLY HOLD THEM RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. COULD YOU TELL US YOUR LAST NAME? ESKI WHAT? ISKY. OKAY. AND YOUR A I THINK HE GAVE HIS ADDRESS. YEAH, I HAVE HIS NAME AND ADDRESS. OKAY. GOTCHA. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PORTION? DID YOU PLEASE SAY THAT AGAIN? NO, NO, NO. I WAS ASKING IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTED TO SPEAK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT. ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? OKAY, THEN WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND WE'RE GONNA START NEXT [9.A. Report of Town Manager] WITH THE REPORT OF THE TOWN MANAGER. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. UH, JUST A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS THIS EVENING. UH, JUST A REMINDER THAT THE EIGHTH STREET BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION IS STILL ONGOING. AND SO WITH FESTIVITIES HAPPENING DOWN THERE SOON, JUST MAKING EVERYBODY AWARE, REMEMBER THERE'LL BE SOME DETOURS. NORTH ROYAL FROM COMMERCE TO SIXTH STREET THERE, STARTED THE WORK THERE ON REPLACING THAT WATER LINE, AND THAT SHOULD EXTEND THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST. AND A REMINDER THAT JULY 3RD WILL BE THE ROYAL INDEPENDENCE FIREWORKS DOWNTOWN. SO WE HOPE EVERYBODY WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN US DOWNTOWN FOR THAT. AND I DON'T HAVE TO REMIND EVERYBODY IT IS HOT OUTSIDE. SO, UM, WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE SHARING SOME HELPFUL TIPS ON FACEBOOK AND THROUGH THE NEWSLETTER ON WATER AND ENERGY SAVING TIPS. SO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THOSE. AND SIMILAR TO THE PROCLAMATION THAT WENT OUT TODAY, WE APPRECIATE THAT. I ALSO JUST WANTED TO GIVE MY THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF, UM, WHETHER IT'S PLANNING, ZONING AND FINANCE, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THEY'RE TAKING IN A LOT OF RECEIPTS. UM, PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN BUSY WITH WATER MAIN BREAKS, AND OUR ENERGY SERVICES HAD A PRETTY BUSY WEEK LAST, UH, WEEK WITH A LOT OF OUTAGES. SO, UM, AMONG THE, AMONGST THOSE 175, UH, TEAM MEMBERS THERE AT THE TOWN, I, I TRULY DO THANK THEM EVERY DAY SHOWING UP. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANY COUNCIL [ 9.B. Report of Councilmembers] MEMBERS THAT WISH TO SPEAK? I'LL, I'LL LET YOU ALL, WHOEVER WANTS TO GO FIRST, GO FIRST. I'D JUST LIKE, TWO THINGS I'D LIKE TO SAY REAL QUICK, UH, MADAM MAYOR ONE, UM, JUST THIS WEEK BEFORE LAST, I ATTENDED THE SALVATION ARMY DINNER WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN WOOD, UH, HELD AT THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. UM, I'D LIKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THANKS FOR COUNCIL WOOD IN PARTICULAR FOR, UH, FACILITATING THAT AND PUTTING THAT TOGETHER. UH, THAT WAS, UH, REALLY GOOD FOOD. UM, REALLY GOOD TO SEE THAT THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT SALVATION ARMY, UH, HOW TRULY INVOLVED THEY ARE WITH, WITH NOT JUST, UM, NOT JUST A COMMUNITY IN GENERAL FOR, FOR HELPING PEOPLE, BUT WITH ALL THE, WITH THE OTHER, UH, UH, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL. UH, PARTICULARLY, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH, UH, CONGRATULATING NINA AND, AND, UH, WILL HOOK WITH FOR THEIR, UH, UH, HELP FOR THE RECOGNITION OF, OF WHAT THEY'VE, HOW THEY'VE SUPPORTED THE SALVATION ARMY IN THE PAST YEAR. UH, SECOND OF ALL, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY, UH, IT IS FINALLY, UH, FRONT ROW CARDINALS BASEBALL SEASON AGAIN. UH, I ATTENDED A GAMER, UH, LAST NIGHT BRIEFLY, UH, WILL SAY THAT I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THEY SEEM LIKE THEY'VE EXTENDED THEIR OFFERINGS AT THE, YOU KNOW, AT THE, UH, CONCESSION STAND. UH, BUT ANYWAYS, UH, GREAT BALL FIELD, UH, GREAT TEAM, UH, FROM WHAT I, YOU KNOW, FROM WHAT I COULD SEE YESTERDAY, THE PITCHING SEEMED LIKE IT WAS PRETTY GOOD. ACTUALLY. THE PLAY SEEMED LIKE IT WAS EVEN BETTER THAN I'VE SEEN RECENTLY IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. BUT ANYWAYS, UH, GO CARDS AND COME OUT TO THE, TO THE GAME. SO THAT'S ALL. WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LOCAL YOUNG MAN THAT'S PITCHING FOR THE CARDINALS THIS YEAR, RYAN GOODNESS, WHO GRADUATED FROM SKYLINE LAST YEAR. SO THAT ALONE MAKES IT EVEN BETTER REASON TO COME OUT. RIGHT. ALRIGHT. WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK NEXT? AND IF ANYONE WOULD NO PRESSURE. GO AHEAD. YES. I, SO, UM, SINCE THE LAST MEETING I'VE ATTENDED TWO THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEES ALONG WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT [01:50:01] ON 5 25 AND 6 18, 5 25. VDOT DID NOT SEND A REPRESENTATIVE, SO WE SAT AROUND AND TALKED A LITTLE BIT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND US AND LOCAL OFFICIALS. UM, MY GOSH, ON THE 18TH, THEY DID SHOW UP, UM, THING THAT I CAME AWAY WITH AND I ASKED MR. RAPPAPORT TO ADD TO ANYTHING I MIGHT MOST APPROVED VDOT PROJECTS LIKE SOUTH STREET AND THE WIDENING OF 55 OUT AT HOW IS STILL IN THE PLANNING STAGES AND UNFORTUNATELY STILL YEARS OFF FROM BEING IMPLEMENTED. SO WHEN CONSTITUENTS SAY, WHEN, WHEN ARE THEY GONNA DO SOUTH STREET OR WIDENING OUT THERE? WE DON'T KNOW INTENDED MEMORIAL DAY SERVICES UPTOWN, WE HAD THE DOGS OF WAR AND THEN ABLE, UH, FORCES PUT ON A NICE MEMORIAL SERVICE, UH, IN THE TOWN COMMONS. AND THEN ON THE 26TH, ALONG WITH OTHERS, UM, WE, UM, ATTENDED THE DEDICATION OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR BENCH HONORING DR. WARREN, WHICH OUR COUNTY IS NAMED AFTER. UH, MANY OF US ENJOYED, AND I HAVE TO SAY ENJOYED OTHER THAN EAT GRAND OPENING OF CLEAR HORIZONS, UH, THEY ARE ANOTHER MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE FOR OUR AREA. UH, VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THEM JOIN AND WHAT AN OPEN HOUSE THEY PUT ON. UM, AS COUNCILMAN INGRAM ALREADY SAID, ATTENDING THE SALVATION ARMY BANQUET, UH, WILLIAM AND NINA HAWK RECEIVED THE ANN CREME CHRISTMAS AWARD AND CHRISTIE MCMILLAN, GODWIN MINISTER FIRST BAPTIST WON THE LUCY KEPHART AWARD, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST AWARD THE SUPER, UM, SALVATION ARMY GIVES HERE LOCALLY. ALSO, UH, KUDOS TO EVERYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED, WHETHER YOU ATTENDED OR YOU BOUGHT RAFFLE TICKETS. THE SALVATION ARMY NETTED OVER FIVE, I'M SORRY, OVER $9,000. THAT MONEY GOES BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY. EVERY DOLLAR RAISED HERE GOES HERE. ATTENDANT G AND M, 70TH BIRTHDAY PARTY. THEY HAD A CAR SHOW, FABULOUS EVENT UP THERE. UM, ALSO THE SECOND ANNUAL JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION, DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL. AND IT WAS A NICE CELEBRATION UNTIL IT RAINED. AND ONCE THE RAIN WENT, THEY WERE ABLE TO COME BACK WITH THE MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT AND PEOPLE CAME BACK OUT FOR THAT. UM, ATTENDED THE DOWNTOWN FRONT ROW INCORPORATED GARDEN PARTY FUNDRAISER THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND THAT'S TO RAISE MONEY FOR AN ENTRANCE SUN, UM, ON EAST MAIN STREET AT THE CONNECTION WITH COMMERCE. A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I JUST WANT TO MENTION IN A COMMUNITY WHERE SOMETIMES WE MIGHT FEEL DIVIDED, IT WAS WONDERFUL SEEING CITIZENS COME TOGETHER TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR OUR COUNTRY. RECOGNIZED JUNETEENTH, WELCOMING A NEW BUSINESS, CELEBRATING AN OLDER BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY FUNDRAISERS THAT POSITIVELY IMPACT OUR TOWN AND COUNTY CITIZENS. AND COMING UP, WE HAVE JULY 3RD, UH, TOWN MANAGERS ALREADY MENTIONED ABOUT THE FREE FIREWORKS. AND THANKS TO OUR TWO ROTARY CLUBS, UH, THAT WILL BE A FREE GAME AT THE CARDINALS BASEBALL FIELD ON THE THIRD THAT NIGHT. THANK YOU. AND GET THERE EARLY FOR THAT GAME. YEAH. TWO YEARS AGO I DID NOT GET IN AND PEOPLE KEPT SAYING, OH, THERE'S A LINE. AREN'T YOU ALLOWED TO GO? YOU ARE THE MAYOR. I SAID, NO, I STOOD IN MY LINE JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE WHEN THEY TURN. IF YOU WANNA SING THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER, WE'LL GET YOU IN THE FRONT SEAT. . I DON'T WANNA RUN PEOPLE OFF WITH MY SINGING, BUT THANK YOU THOUGH. THANKS FOR THE HUMOR TOO. ALRIGHT, WHO ELSE? ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? NO PRESSURE. I'M JUST OFFERING. YES, JUST BRIEFLY. I I ALSO ATTENDED THE CLEAR HORIZON FORENSIC AND COUNSELING GROUP. UM, THEY CALLED IT A RIBBON CUTTING, BUT IT REALLY WAS, UH, QUITE A CELEBRATION AND DEDICATION AND IT SHOWED SO MANY COMMUNITY GROUPS ARE DEDICATED NOW TO MENTAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY IN RECOGNIZING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY HAS A PROBLEM. AND THAT'S THE BEST PLACE TO START, IS THE RECOGNITION AND THE, YOU KNOW, PURSUIT AND THE PURSUANT PURSUIT, THE PURSUIT OF, UM, THE PURSUIT OF, YOU KNOW, SERVICES AND, AND HELP FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO NOTE THAT I AM VERY APPRECIATIVE OF TOWN STAFF, EVEN THOUGH WE DID A, A DEDICATION TO THEM EARLIER IN THE, IN THE MEETING. UM, THEY HAVE BEEN, UH, INCREDIBLY RESPONSIVE AND COMMUNICATIVE, UM, OVER A LOT OF DIFFERENT ISSUES. AND I NOTICE IT AND I APPRECIATE IT, AND I LOVE TO, TO [01:55:01] BE ABLE TO GET ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS AND, UM, PROMPTLY AND THOROUGHLY. AND IT JUST, IT, I THINK IT MAKES A VERY GOOD, TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT SERVICE, SO I APPRECIATE IT. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO NOTE, UM, THAT I, I HEAR FOLKS TALK ABOUT STILL, YOU KNOW, THE DILAPIDATED BUILDINGS, THE VAPE SHOPS, AND VARIOUS THINGS THAT ARE UNSIGHTLY IN THE COMMUNITY. BUT I WILL SAY THAT AGAIN, THIS YEAR I TOOK A, A LONG ROAD TRIP ACROSS MANY, MANY STATES, AND I ALWAYS LOOK AT THE MAIN STREETS AND I LOOK AROUND TO SEE HOW MANY, UM, VAPE SHOPS OR, YOU KNOW, MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES ARE GOING UP AND HOW MANY VAGRANTS ARE ON THE STREET. UM, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. AND I WILL SAY I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME PROBLEMS, BUT I WILL SAY THAT WE, WE REALLY STAND OUT. WE'RE DOING PRETTY WELL. AND I'M TALKING ABOUT, I VISITED A LOT OF STATES, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WERE SOME, I SAW SEDONA THIS YEAR, BRUCE . AND, UM, AND IT, IT IS LOVELY, BUT I WILL SAY THAT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE'RE DOING GOOD. AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE ON THE PATH FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE REALLY SOMETHING QUITE SPECIAL AND, AND CONTINUE TO BE PROUD OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . ANYBODY ELSE? UM, IRONICALLY BIG CHOPS IS WHAT I WAS GONNA USE MY COUNCIL REPORT TO, ONCE AGAIN, ADDRESS. I ADDRESSED IT LAST MONTH. UM, AND I GUESS THERE WAS AN ELECTION SINCE THEN, SO THAT IS STILL THE TALK OF THE TOWN. SO I HAVE BEEN TOLD, AND I JUST WANT TO, UM, PROVIDE FACTUAL INFORMATION INSTEAD OF MISINFORMATION, WHICH I HAVE REACHED OUT TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE SPREADING IT TO ADDRESS IT DIRECTLY. BUT I THINK IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS THING FOR A SMALL COMMUNITY LIKE THIS. AND, UM, AS COUNCILMAN WOOD TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, IT JUST DRIVES DIVISIVENESS AND IT'S REALLY UNNECESSARY. SO I SAW THAT THIS CURRENT ELECTED BODY TENDS TO BE REACTIVE INSTEAD OF PROACTIVE, WHICH IS IRONIC BECAUSE IT'S COULDN'T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN CLEANING UP FOUR DECADE OLD MESSES, THREE DECADE OLD MESSES TWO, ONE, AND LOOKING TOWARDS THE NEXT YEAR. AND WE SET GOALS AND WE ACCOMPLISH THEM AND WE SHARE THOSE WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WE DO IT. UM, BUT I SAW THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE, THE FORESIGHT TO SEE THE VAPE SHOPS COMING UNTIL THEY WERE HERE. AND IT'S THE SAME AS DATA CENTERS. AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT FIRST OF ALL, THE VAPE SHOPS WERE HERE BEFORE ANY OF US SITTING ON THIS DICE. UM, TOOK OUR SEATS. AND, UM, IT'S NOT COMPARABLE TO DATA CENTERS WHATSOEVER. SO IT'S JUST VERY FACTUALLY MISTRUTHS BEING SPREAD BECAUSE VAPE SHOPS HAD A BUY RIGHT USE AND THE BUILDINGS THAT THEY OCCUPY. AND CURRENTLY DATA CENTERS HAVE NO USE IN OUR CODE WHATSOEVER. IT'S NON-EXISTENT. UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE. MAYBE NOW THAT ONE ELECTION'S OVER THE MISINFORMATION WILL DIE DOWN, BUT I'M DOUBTFUL UNTIL NOVEMBER. JUST BE MINDFUL THAT YOU CAN USE, UM, YOUR ABILITIES AND YOUR COMMON SENSE TO CONTACT ANY OF US OR THE TOWN STAFF TO FIND OUT WHAT THE CODE SAYS IN THE ZONING ORDINANCES. UM, AND IT'S EASILY AVAILABLE ONLINE AS WELL. WITH THAT, I WILL JUST SAY THAT I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS A SAFE AND HAPPY 4TH OF JULY, UM, AND KEEP OUR TROOPS AND YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. UM, AND THERE ARE NO PEACEFUL NUCLEAR FACILITIES IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES. THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S ME, RIGHT? OH, OH, I'M SO SORRY. NOPE, IT'S YOU. OH, IF I PICK YOU FIRST, YOU SAY , IF I PICK YOU LAST, GO AHEAD. YEAH, I'M GONNA START MAKING YOU GO FIRST. OKAY. UM, FIRST OF ALL, I, I RECEIVED A COMPLAINT FROM A, UH, RESIDENT, UH, AT 17TH, AROUND THE 17TH IN BELMONT. UH, I THINK THEY, THEY DON'T CALL IT BELMONT ANYMORE. IT'S STILL BELMONT. IT'S STILL BELMONT, OKAY. BOULEVARD. OKAY. 17TH AND BELMONT. UH, THERE WAS A, A DEAD TREE THERE AND THEY'VE CUT THE TREE KIND OF LIGHT IN HALF, UH, RATHER THAN TAKING IT ALL THE WAY DOWN. SO, UM, THE RESIDENT REQUESTED THAT THIS IS PROBABLY ON FOR YOU, JOE. THE RESIDENT HAS REQUESTED THAT THERE, THERE IS A, A ANOTHER TREE THAT WAS THERE BEFORE THAT THEY TOOK THE CHAINSAW DOWN AS FAR TO THE GROUND AS POSSIBLE. AND, UH, THEY WOULD APPRECIATE IT SINCE IT'S IN THE SO-CALLED RIGHT AWAY. OKAY. OKAY. , UH, I'M GONNA ADD ON TO A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, UM, [02:00:01] COUNCILMAN WOOD. UM, BY THE WAY, I LOST A BIG LIMB FROM YOUR ALLEY, FROM OUR ALLEY INTO MY BACKYARD, WHICH I'VE BEEN CUTTING UP, BUT I BURNED UP MY CHAINSAW, SO I NEED ANOTHER ONE. UM, THE, UH, A FEW THINGS THAT COUNCILMAN WOOD BROUGHT UP AT OUR TRANSPORTATION MEETING, UH, THAT I'LL ADD ON TO, UH, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM VDOT WAS SOUTH STREET PROJECT. THERE'S GONNA BE A SOUTH STREET PROJECT MEETING, A KICKOFF MEETING, UH, SUPPOSEDLY IN MID-JUNE. UM, I THINK WE'RE PAST THAT OR RIGHT THERE. UM, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AN ADVERTISEMENT IN DECEMBER OF 2026 WITH, UH, AWARDS GOING OUT, UH, POTENTIALLY IN FEBRUARY OF 2027. UH, SO WE'LL SEE HOW THAT WORKS OUT. UM, I ONLY HAVE SEEN, SEEN RENDITIONS OF WHAT IT MIGHT BE, NOT WHAT IT REALLY IS GOING TO BE. UM, THE, UH, COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO THE PUBLIC. I UNDERSTAND THE RAILROAD BRIDGE, UH, IT'S NOT IN TOWN, BUT IT DOES AFFECT US ALL. THE RAILROAD BRIDGE OVER ROCKLAND ROAD IS GOING TO OPEN IN MID JULY, UM, WITH THE IDEA OF THE PROJECT BEING CLOSED OUT BY YEARS IN, UM, MATT WIN LANE, UH, REQUESTED, IF IT'S A POSSIBILITY TO HAVE SOME SORT OF TRAFFIC COUNT DONE ON IT. UM, ANYTHING ELSE MAJOR THAT, UH, PEOPLE MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN? THERE WAS A TALK ABOUT A SMART SKILL PROJECT OUT ON ROUTE THREE 40, UM, FROM SIX 19 TO ROCKY LANE. UH, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT ADVERTISING IT IN SEPTEMBER OF 2026. UM, A FEW OTHER THINGS, UM, IN TOWN. UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THE TRAFFIC, UH, TRAFFIC, POTENTIALLY A TRAFFIC STUDY FOR LEFT TURN LANES FROM, UH, COMMERCE, UH, TO SECOND AND THIRD STREETS. UM, V VDOT SAID THAT THEY WOULD LOOK AT POTENTIALLY, UH, LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE WAS ROOM, UH, IN ORDER TO PUT IN THE LANE, UH, THE OLD, IT'S NOW THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UH, I THINK IT WAS A CLIFTON GOOD INSURANCE BUILDING AT ONE TIME, UM, PRESENTS SOME CHALLENGES. UM, HOWEVER, THEY'RE GONNA LOOK TO SEE, UH, IF THERE'S ANY ROOM IN ORDER, MAYBE WE COULD SLIDE IN, UH, SOME, SOME ROOM TO ADD A LANE AND THEN, UH, KIND OF REPOSITION THE ROAD. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THERE ARE, I THINK SOME UTILITY POLES THERE. UH, UM, THE OTHER THING WE TALKED ABOUT WAS, UH, POTENTIAL FUNDING FOR EITHER A MULTI-USE OR, UH, SIDEWALKS. UH, RUNNING FROM VIS O'S, UM, UH, ON WEST MAIN INTERSECTION ALL THE WAY DOWN TO CURVE FOOT, UH, I ASKED ABOUT, UH, A COUPLE OF PROGRAMS. UH, THE TAPS PROGRAM, UH, SHUT DOWN, UH, EARLIER, I THINK IT WAS IN SEPTEMBER. SO WE MISSED THAT OPPORTUNITY. HOWEVER, UH, VDOT SUGGESTED THAT, THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO GET ON BOARD AND, AND A A PLOT, PUT AN APPLICATION IN FOR THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY, UH, IN TWO YEARS. UH, SO, UH, IT DOESN'T HURT TO PUT AN APPLICATION IN. UH, THE IDEA BEHIND THAT IS [02:05:01] OBVIOUSLY THE SAFETY FOR ALL THESE, UH, KIDS TR GOING TO THE SKATE PARK, UH, HAVING TO WALK IN THE ROAD, ALSO HAVING TO DEAL WITH THAT BLIND, UH, THE BLIND HILL. UH, OF COURSE, UH, IF THE, UH, SQUIRRELS, IS IT THE SQUIRREL? UH, SQUIRREL, YEAH. YEAH. SQUIRREL, UH, PROJECT, UH, THE MCCARTY PROJECT, UH, IF THAT KICKS IN THE, YEAH. SQUIRREL HILL, IF THAT KICKS IN, THEN UM, THEY'LL HAVE TO PUT IN, UH, SIDEWALKS. SO THEN WE WOULD ONLY HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE REST OF IT. AND NOT, NOT ALL OF IT. IN FACT, I BELIEVE, UH, UH, BETWEEN, UH, I THINK IT'S SHEOR AVENUE, THERE'S A SOUTH SHENNAN DOOR, THERE'S A SMALL STRIP OF SIDEWALK THERE. SO, UM, IN FRONT OF A HOUSE, A NEW HOUSE THAT WAS BUILT THERE. UH, LET'S SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE, UM, THAT I MIGHT MISS. UH, THE WIDENING OF, UH, NET WE'RE BACK OUT IN THE COUNTY, BUT BECAUSE IT'S A BUSY HIGHWAY THAT TOWN RESIDENTS USE THE WIDENING OF ROUTE 55 AT HIGH KNOB. THE ADVERTISE ADVERTISEMENTS FOR BIDS ARE SO SUPPOSED TO BE GOING OUT IN MARCH OF 2027. UH, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL I HAVE, MAYOR. THANK YOU. FALL 26, I THINK I WAS TELLING THE DATE I BELIEVE THAT HA IS GONNA START THERE, BUT I, SO MY REPORT, [ 9.C. Report of the Mayor] SO FIRST I JUST WANTED TO START BY STATING MY SINCERE APPRECIATION TO OUR ENERGY SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR QUICK RESPONSE LAST WEEK WITH THE POWER OUTAGES. I WAS NOT IN TOWN LAST WEEK. UM, I WAS ON VACATION WITH MY FAMILY AND WE HAD SOME OF THE SAME STORMS IN VIRGINIA BEACH CAUSING POWER OUTAGES. HOWEVER, DOMINION POWER ALSO HAD TO SET UP SERVICE AT THE HOUSE THAT WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION ACROSS FROM US ONE WHOLE MORNING THEY WORKED TO SET THE ACTUAL POLE BEFORE THEY WERE CALLED AWAY FOR EMERGENCIES. THE NEXT DAY THEY CAME BACK TO PUT THE TRANSFORMER UP. AND, UM, THO I JUST, THOSE POOR GUYS WORKED FOR OVER SIX HOURS IN THE HEAT. THEY WERE DRESSED HEAD TO TOE WITH THOSE BIG RUBBER GLOVES ON. UM, YES, THEY DID CUT OFF THE POWER TO OUR BEACH HOUSE FOR THOSE SIX HOURS ON WHAT WAS AN EXTREMELY HOT DAY WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING. AND WHILE IT CAN BE FRUSTRATING, WATCHING THEM WORK IN SUCH EXTREME CONDITIONS REMINDED ME OF THE EFFORT THAT OUR ENERGY SERVICES DEPARTMENT PUTS IN TO MAKE SURE THE TOWN CITIZENS HAVE POWER. AND, UH, SPEAKING OF POWER WITH THE HEAT WAVE WE ARE UNDER TODAY, IN THE NEXT TWO DAYS, SOMETHING THAT, UM, MR. PETTY SAID, I ACTUALLY HAVE IT HERE. SO IT'S THE TOWN OF FRONT ROW POSTED ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE ABOUT COMMUNITY ENERGY SAVINGS DAYS ON MONDAY, TUESDAY, AND WEDNESDAY BY USING LESS, LESS ELECTRICITY FROM FOUR TO SEVEN. AND SOME OF THOSE SUGGESTIONS THEY MADE TO HELP WERE TO UNPLUG STUFF THAT'S NOT BEING USED, SKIP THE LAUNDRY AND DISHES DURING PEAK HOURS, CLOSE THE BLINDS AND SET THE THERMOSTAT TO 78. AND THEY DID ADD THAT, THAT WAS THAT SUGGESTION WAS STRAIGHT FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY. TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND ELECTRONICS YOU'RE NOT USING. UM, AND A FEW SMALL CHANGES CAN MAKE A BIG IMPACT. AND IF WE ALL PITCH IN, WE SAVE MONEY AND REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASES, WHICH IS A WIN-WIN. AND I DO WANNA SAY THAT BACK HERE IN THE WINTER, OUR ENERGY SERVICES ALSO POSTED ABOUT WHEN IT WAS REALLY, REALLY COLD. AND, UM, THEY TALKED ABOUT WAYS THAT WE COULD LIKE REDUCE OUR CONSUMPTION AT THAT TIME. AND, AND PEOPLE MADE COMMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA CRITICIZING IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT WHEN THE COST, UH, OF SERVICE STUDY CAME IN AND TALKED TO US ABOUT ELECTRIC, THEY TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS PAST WINTER, UM, CREATED MORE USAGE AND HOW IT AFFECTED OUR RATES. SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, NOBODY FROM THE TOWN IS TELLING YOU TO TURN OFF YOUR, YOU KNOW, CELL PHONE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, IF EVERYBODY DOES JUST A LITTLE BIT, THEN WE CAN, UM, WE CAN AFFECT OUR RATES. SO, ALL RIGHT, SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, I PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL EVENTS. THE FIRST ONE, UM, WHICH COUNCILMAN WOOD REMINDED ME OF, I FORGOT ABOUT THAT ON MY LIST, BUT MAY 26TH, THE GENERAL JOSEPH WARREN, UH, BENCH, THAT WAS COM UM, COM, UH, OPEN CELEBRATED, IT'S THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY, AND IT WAS ACTUALLY HIS BIRTHDAY ON THAT DATE, WHICH IS THE REASON WHY THEY CHOSE THAT. UM, AND [02:10:01] THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE THERE FROM OTHER, UM, LOCALITIES, NOT JUST HERE. AND I, I USED TO HAVE TO TEACH, UM, JOSEPH WARREN DURING MY VIRGINIA STUDIES, UM, LESSONS, BUT I EVEN LEARNED MORE ABOUT HIM THAT DAY. TEACH THE SUBJECTS, NOT HIM. TEACH ABOUT HIM. NO, WE HAD TO TEACH ABOUT YOU TEACH. YEAH. WELL, THAT'S HOW YOU SAY IT. I TEACH, I, YOU KNOW, ANYWAY, DIDN'T THEY SAY THIS WAS THE FIRST BENCH? YES. YES. THIS WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST BENCH THAT WAS FOR SURE IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, BUT I THINK THEY SAID IN OTHER PLACES AS WELL. SO, SO MAY 29TH, THE STATE OF VIRGINIA'S GLOBAL METHODIST CONFERENCE WAS HELD AT RIVERTON CHURCH, AND OVER 300 PEOPLE CAME TO FRONT ROYAL FOR SEVERAL DAYS. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF GIVING THE OPENING WELCOME TO ALL OF THOSE VISITORS. UM, I JUST WANNA ALSO SAY THANKS TO THE VISITOR CENTER WHO GAVE ME VISITORS GUIDES THAT THEY COULD PASS OUT DURING THE REGISTRATION SO THAT THEY'D KNOW ALL ABOUT OUR AREA, WHERE TO VISIT AND WHERE TO EAT. UM, AND AT THAT WELCOME, UM, THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT CAME UP TO ME AND TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT, UM, HOW MUCH THEY WERE ENJOYING FRONT ROW ALREADY. AND I, I TOLD THEM, BE SURE TO COME BACK WHEN YOU HAVE MORE TIME. UH, JUNE 7TH, I, ALONG WITH SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS, ATTENDED THE CLEAR HORIZON FORENSIC AND COUNSELING GROUP, RIBBON CUTTING AND GRAND OPENING. AND I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU, IT WAS DEFINITELY MORE THAN A RIBBON CUTTING. DR. ROSARIO AND HIS STAFF ENSURED IT WAS, UH, RE UH, A VERY NICE EVENT. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I LEARNED EVEN MORE ABOUT THE CRITICAL NEEDS IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR COUNSELING SERVICES, FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION. SO THEY ARE A WELCOME ADDITION TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW HAS A NEED FOR COUNSELING SERVICES, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHECK THEM OUT. I BELIEVE WHEN WE HAD THE RIBBON CUTTING ON THAT SATURDAY, THEY WERE OPENING ON MONDAY, AND THEY ALREADY HAD TWO CLIENTS. I THINK THEY SEE 15. OH, I'M SORRY. 15. 15, OKAY. WOW. JUNE 10TH, I ATTENDED THE SHENANDOAH RAIL TRAIL EXPLORATORY PARTNERSHIP MEETING, ALONG WITH, UM, TOWN MANAGER PETTY, ALL THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS WERE PRESENT AND WERE PROVIDED AN UPDATE FROM VDOT, UM, ABOUT THE FEASIBILITY STUDY THEY'VE CONDUCTED REGARDING A RAIL WITH TRAILS OR JUST A TRAIL ON THAT 50 MILE CORRIDOR FROM BROADWAY TO FRONT ROYAL. THEY'RE CURRENTLY WRAPPING UP THE STUDY, AND I BELIEVE AUGUST IS WHEN THEY SAID THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY WILL BE PUBLISHED. AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE STATE OF VIRGINIA WILL ACTUALLY MAKE THE FINAL CALL ABOUT THE CORRIDOR, IS WHAT, UM, WAS SHARED WITH US. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO, UM, HIM. JUNE 11TH, I ATTENDED THE ANNUAL REACHING OUT NOW AS LEADERSHIP GALA. UM, AND THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE RECOGNIZED THERE THAT EVENING FOR THEIR EFFORTS AND SUPPORTING THE MISSION OF REACHING OUT NOW. UM, ESPECIALLY THE STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN RON'S ACTIVITIES AND LEADERSHIP TRAININGS. UM, I DID WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR OWN COMMUNITY RESOURCE OFFICER, LANNY WALLER, FOR HIS AWARD THAT EVENING. THEY ACTUALLY AWARDED, UM, THERE WERE LIKE THREE AWARDS FOR ORGANIZATIONS BUSINESSES, AND OQ RECEIVED ONE OF THE WARDS, AND OFFICER LANNY WALLER RECEIVED ONE OF THE WARDS, UM, CHIEF OF POLICE, UM, WHITE WAS ALSO THERE THAT EVENING. AND I JUST WANNA SAY WE'RE SO BLESSED TO LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE IT AN EVEN BETTER PLACE TO LIVE, UM, WHERE PEOPLE CAN WORK TOGETHER AND WHERE WE LIVE, WORK, AND RAISE OUR FAMILIES. JUNE 12TH, I ATTENDED THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR SAMSON PROPERTIES. THEY'RE LOCATED IN THE BUILDING THAT WAS FORMERLY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT BESIDE FANTASY LAND. UM, AS I SAID AT THE RIBBON CUTTING, I'M ALWAYS EXCITED TO WELCOME NEW BUSINESSES BECAUSE IT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE INVESTMENT THAT THEY'RE MAKING IN OUR COMMUNITY. MY FRIENDS, UM, ACTUALLY ALWAYS KID ME ABOUT ALL THE RIBBON CUTTINGS THAT I HAVE TO GO TO, BUT I, I, I'LL, I'LL ALWAYS TELL THEM THAT THE RIBBON CUTTINGS TO ME SIGNIFY AN INVESTMENT AND A GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO ATTEND THEM ALL. LASTLY, I DID WANNA SAY THAT BECAUSE OF BEING AWAY ON VACATION LAST WEEK AND AGAIN THIS WEEK FOR A WEDDING OUTTA STATE, THAT I MISSED A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT EVENTS THAT I WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE ATTENDED. THANK YOU TO COUNCILMAN WOOD FOR REPRESENTING THE TOWN AT THE SECOND ANNUAL JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION. UH, THE DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL INC. UM, ALSO HAD A SUCCESSFUL GALA ON SATURDAY THAT I HAD TO MISS. UM, THAT EVENT WAS HELD TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE NEW SIGN TO BE ERECTED AT THE END OF MAIN STREET BY COMMERCE AVENUE. ELLEN AERS WITH DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL WILL BE APPEARING BEFORE COUNCIL SOON TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL. UM, AND THIS THURSDAY, I'M SAD TO MISS THE DUELING DISCO DANCE OFF BEING PUT ON BY THE HIGH KIDS [02:15:01] FOUND FOUNDATION TO RAISE MONEY TO CLOSE CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, OUR VERY OWN TOWN MANAGER, JOE PETTY, IS IN THE DANCE OFF, UH, COMPETITION REPRESENTING THE TOWN. UM, AND, UM, COMMUNITY RESOURCE OFFICER LANNY WALLER IS ALSO IN THE DANCE OFF REPRESENTING THE FRONT ROW POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE HEIGHT KIDS FOUNDATION IS TRYING TO RAISE $70,000 TO CLOTHE 200 CHILDREN, UM, IN NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I AM HONORED TO BE SHOPPING WITH AN ELEMENTARY, UM, YOUNG LADY IN A COUPLE WEEKS. UM, WHO'S GONNA BENEFIT FROM THE FUNDS RAISED AT THE EVENT. SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE, THERE IS STILL TIME LEFT TILL HOW LONG? IT'S ON FRIDAY. I'M SORRY, DID I SAY THURSDAY? I DON'T KNOW. I GOT, I GOT MY DATES MIXED UP WITH THE WEDDING, BUT ANYWAY, IT'S ON FRIDAY. IT'LL ALSO BE LIVE ON FACEBOOK. SO IF YOU WANNA SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, FAMILIAR FACES THAT ARE GONNA BE IN THAT COMPETITION. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WATCHING IT ONLINE. SO, UH, NEXT [10. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS] UP IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA. DO I HEAR A MOTION, MADAM MAYOR? I MOVE THAT TOWN COUNCIL APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS AS PRESENTED. SECOND. OKAY. A MOTION SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? YES. SO, SORRY, MADAM, MADAM MAYOR. UM, NOW CHECKED WITH OUR ATTORNEY ABOUT THIS EARLIER. UM, ON ITEM 10 C, THE MOTION WOULD BE TO APPROVE THE BUDGET AMENDMENT, UH, FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES INCURED BY THE TOWN FOR MARKINGS AND SIGNAGE FOR ROYAL LANE. IT'S NOT JUST FOR ROYAL LANE. THE SUP ON THERE TALKS ABOUT JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY AND THE SKETCH, WHICH BY THE WAY, FROM THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, VDOT, IS NOT GOING TO DO A DRAWING FOR US. SO THAT WAS MAYBE MISINFORMATION ON OUR SIDE. WE GOT A SKETCH, THE GUY DID. THE SKETCH SAYS, NOPE, THAT'S ALL WE'RE DOING. BUT I DID WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE MONEY THE APPLICANT PAID THE 34,000 WAS TO GO FORTH, NOT ONLY MARKING OF ROW LANE, BUT THE, ANY TYPE OF MARKING AND CHANGES WE DO TO JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY, MS. PRESLEY, DO ROLL CALL. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. VICE MAYOR VIAL? YES. COUNCILMAN ? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN D DAMCO PAYNE? YES. OKAY. THERE ARE NO BUSINESS ITEMS, UH, FOR THIS EVENING, BUT WE [12. CLOSED MEETING] ARE GOING TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER 12 AS A CLOSED MEETING COUNCIL, DO I HEAR A MOTION, MADAM MAYOR? I MOVE THAT TOWN COUNCIL CONVENE A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 2.2 37 11 AND 2.2 DASH 37 12, THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSE, PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 37 11 A EIGHT OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL EMPLOYED OR RETAINED BY PUBLIC BODY REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS REQUIRING THE PROVISION OF LEGAL ADVICE BY SUCH COUNSEL. MORE SPECIFICALLY, A, THE INSOLVENCY AND DISPOSITION OF ASSETS OF THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL AND THE COUNTY OF WARREN, VIRGINIA, AND B, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY GRANT FOR IT. FEDERAL SECOND. OKAY. ROLL CALL. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. VICE MAYOR ENTAL? YES. COUNCILMAN LOC? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. OKAY. WE ARE NOW GOING INTO CLOSED AND FOR DWAYNE'S PURPOSES, I DON'T ANTICIPATE WE'LL BE COMING OUT, TAKING ANY ACTION AFTERWARDS. SO, AND, AND FOR YOUR ALL'S PURPOSES TOO. I'M SORRY, MR. BRIDGES, IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU HERE THIS EVENING. WELCOME, . * 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.