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GREAT.[Economic Development Authority on July 7, 2025.]
CALL OUR JULY 7TH MEETING OF THE, UH, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BOARD TO ORDER.AND, UH, HILLARY, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? SURE.
UM, CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE MAY 5TH MEETING? A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MAY 5TH MINUTES SECOND.
AND SO NOW, UH, ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THOSE MINUTES? DO YOU WANT A MINUTE TO LOOK AT 'EM A LITTLE BIT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.
ALL ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
EXISTING BUSINESS RETAIL STRATEGIES.
SO IN YOUR PACKET HERE, THIS IS THE SLIDE DECK THAT OUR ACCOUNT MANAGER FROM RETAIL STRATEGY SHOWED US BACK IN MAY.
UM, IT WAS EMAILED TO YOU AS WELL, AND HILLARY WAS REAL COOL AND PRINTED YOU A HARD COPY.
NOT REALIZING HOW MANY FORESTS WE FILLED WHEN WE DID THAT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
UM, SO YOU HAVE THAT FOR REFERENCE AS WELL.
UM, I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL LAST WEEK FROM RETAIL STRATEGIES TO GET KIND OF A BRIEF UPDATE ON HOW THINGS WENT IN VEGAS AT THEIR TRADE SHOW.
AND HE SAID THAT THEY HAD SIX MEETINGS ON OUR BEHALF WITH DIFFERENT RETAILERS, THREE OF WHICH WERE HOTEL, THE OTHER THREE WERE FOOD.
UM, FELT POSITIVE ABOUT ALL OF THOSE.
THERE WAS A SEVENTH CALL WITH A GROCERY CHAIN RETAIL, UM, OUTSIDE OF THE VEGAS MEETING.
THEY, UM, ARE FAMILIAR WITH OUR AREA.
THEY SAID, HOW DID HE PUT IT? UM, THAT WE WEREN'T IN NEED YET, BUT THAT THEY HAD THEIR EYE ON US FOR THE FUTURE.
SO THEY'RE WAITING ON SOMETHING ELSE TO PLAY OUT.
NOW YOU CHOOSE TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES ABOUT ANY REGIONAL GROCERY CHAIN CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS, UM, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO ASCERTAIN WHAT CHAIN THAT WAS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, HE SAID THAT THEY WERE PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON HOTEL BECAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT, UH, A SIZEABLE ECONOMIC DRIVER THAT THAT HELPS TOURISM.
THERE'S A GOOD NUMBER OF JOBS THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, AND THAT'S FRANKLY SOMETHING THAT WE, WE LACK, UH, LODGING INSIDE THE TOWN LIMITS.
SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE FOCUSED ON.
UM, HE HAD TWO CHAINS IN PARTICULAR THAT ARE NOT REPRESENTED IN OUR NECK OF THE WOODS YET, BUT WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN US.
SO THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE ONGOING.
UM, AND OF COURSE, RESTAURANTS, RESTAURANTS, RESTAURANTS.
SO, UM, WE PEOPLE LIKE TO EAT HERE AS THEY DO EVERYWHERE ELSE.
SO WE ARE AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE FOR A NUMBER OF THESE RESTAURANT CHAINS AS WELL.
UM, RESTAURANTS WERE, WERE SECONDARY TO THAT.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE ALSO THE EMPLOYERS AS WELL.
SO, UM, I KNOW THAT I, I ALSO BRIEFED HIM ON A COUPLE OF THE LATEST REAL ESTATE OPPORTUNITY CHANGES.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME CHANGES WITH SOME OF THESE THAT WEREN'T FOR SALE WHEN THEY CAME TO SEE US, BUT ARE NOW, UM, LIKE THE CORNER OF 14TH AND SHENANDOAH, THE OLD BB AND T, THE OLD TRUIST, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S NOW COME UP FOR SALE.
UM, THERE'S A COMMERCIAL PARCEL THAT'S ON JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY THAT HAS COME UP FOR SALE SINCE THEY WERE HERE.
SO JUST KIND OF GAVE HIM A LITTLE RUNDOWN ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS AS WELL.
UM, BUT THINGS ARE STILL MOVING ALONG.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT, HE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING CONCRETE.
HE DID WANT TO ASK IF WE HAD ANY TYPE OF INCENTIVES AS A COMMUNITY THAT WE WANTED TO SHARE WITH ANY OF THESE POTENTIAL PARTNERS.
AND I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD BRING THAT TO THE GROUP FOR US TO DISCUSS WHAT WE MAY WANNA ASK FOR.
UM, WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION OURSELVES AS THIS BODY TO OFFER AN INCENTIVE OTHER THAN HOW AWESOME WE ARE.
UM, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE COULDN'T ASK FOR SOME IDEAS OR INPUT ON THAT SORT OF THING.
SO I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE SOME EXISTING INCENTIVES THAT WERE ADOPTED 20 OR 25 YEARS AGO, AND MAYBE WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT THOSE ARE.
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HOW THAT COOKIE CRUMBLES AT THIS MOMENT, BUT YES.THERE, THERE WERE SOME PREVIOUSLY THAT EXISTED.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE TOURISM INCENTIVE AREA SURE, SURE.
UM, BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY WHAT HE'S LOOKING FOR.
UM, SO I'M, I'M HAPPY TO, TO DO A LITTLE DIGGING ON THAT AND SEND THAT OUT TO SEE WHAT'S STILL AVAILABLE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE THAT'S BEEN ADOPTED.
I I, IT ESCAPES ME RIGHT NOW, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE WERE SOME INCENTIVES TAX OR UTILITY INCENTIVES MORE ALONG THAT, THOSE LINES.
NO, NOT UTILITY, BUT IT WAS, I THINK IT WAS MORE ABOUT IF YOU, YOU KNOW, DID A BUSINESS WITH X NUMBER OF JOBS, X NUMBER OF, YOU KNOW, THAT ECONOMIC INCENTIVES.
THEY WERE AN ECONOMIC INCENTIVE.
UM, AND IT WAS MAYBE TAX REBATE OR DISCOUNT, OR, BUT I KNOW LIKE IN THE TOURISM INCENTIVE DISTRICT, OR ACTUALLY IT'S A ZONE, WE'RE NOT A DISTRICT.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU GET A DISCOUNT ON YOUR PEOPLE, UM, HERE AT THE TOWN IF YOU QUALIFY WITH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU MAKE A CERTAIN INVESTMENT DOLLAR AMOUNT AND YOU HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES.
AND, UM, WITHIN THE, THE TOURISM SPECIFIC ZONE, THERE, THERE ARE INCENTIVES WITH THAT.
SO, UM, I THINK IT'S STRUCTURED SIMILARLY, WOULD BE MY GUESS.
BUT I'M, I'M HAPPY TO DIG INTO THAT.
COULD I ASK A FAVOR? COULD WE GO BACK TO HIM AND ASK HIM FOR TYPICAL EXAMPLES? I DID.
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET ME SOME.
I HAVEN'T RECEIVED THEM YET, BUT I DID ASK, I KNOW.
WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE?
WHAT WOULD BE ATTRACTED TO THIS CLIENT SURE.
TELL ME, YOU KNOW, OR SOMETHING TO THAT EXTENT.
UM, I, I KNOW WHAT I WOULD PROBABLY BE INCENTIVIZED BY, BUT I, I WOULDN'T, I DON'T HAVE THE EXPOSURE THAT THIS GENTLEMAN DOES, SO, UM, YEAH, I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT HE COMES BACK WITH.
BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THINGS THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY OFFER, THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN OUR CONTROL, OBVIOUSLY, OR IN THE COUNCIL'S CONTROL.
THINGS THAT WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ABSOLUTELY.
FREE POLLING ON TUESDAYS, NOT LEAVING.
THAT
UM, SO WHEN DO
UM, SO MY THOUGHT WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE EVERY TWO WEEKS OR SO, WE JUST SCHEDULE A, A CHECK-IN THE OFFICE ARE MM-HMM
UM, I DON'T WANNA BE A THORN IN THEIR SIDE MM-HMM
BUT I DON'T WANT THEM TO FORGET US EITHER.
SO, UM, WE'LL, OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY VIEW IS, OH, WE DIDN'T EVEN START WITH THEM UNTIL JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.
I I THINK THAT AGREEMENT WAS EXECUTED AT THE END OF NOVEMBER, MAYBE, BUT THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH US UNTIL JANUARY.
I KNOW WE DID LONG TERM, BUT WE COULD LOOK AT IT EACH YEAR.
AND WE'VE BEEN, THEY'VE BEEN INVOICING US KIND OF AS THEY GO, LIKE PER DELIVERABLE.
SO THE, THIS AGREEMENT WAS STRUCTURED THE SAME WAY.
WE USED COOPERATIVE CONTRACTING.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHO IT WAS THAT WE MODELED THE CONTRACT AFTER? I DON'T REMEMBER.
BUT THEY HAD STRUCTURED A REALLY NICE WAY OF KIND OF PAYING DRAWS EACH DELIVERABLE WIN AS OPPOSED TO A CHUNK OF TIME.
UM, SO THEY'VE BEEN INVOICING US KIND OF AS THEY GO.
WE HAVEN'T HAD AN INVOICE IN A WHILE, BUT, UM, BUT YEAH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE CURRENT WITH THEM, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY STILL ACTIVELY WORKING FOR US, DOING WHAT THEY DO.
SO, UM, WELL, THAT'S KIND OF ALL I'VE GOT ON THAT ONE.
THANKS YOU FOR THE, THE REPORT ON THAT.
SO I WANNA ASK YOU GUYS ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UM, SOMETHING THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT A HUNDRED YEARS AGO WAS KIND OF WHAT THE, WHAT'S A DELIVERABLE, WHAT'S A VALUE ADD THAT WE CAN GIVE TO, UM, NEW BUSINESSES COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY? LIKE A WELCOME PACKET OR A, A ONE SHEETER WITH THE CONTACT INFORMATION, WITH THE THINGS THEY NEED TO KNOW, UM, WITH WHO TO ASK CERTAIN QUESTIONS.
UM, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME OUT OF OUR GOALS CONVERSATION A FEW MONTHS BACK.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAVEN'T REALLY CIRCLED BACK TO IT.
SO I WANTED TO SEE IF THERE WAS AN APPETITE TO REVIVE THAT PROJECT.
UM, AND, AND IF SO, WHO WANTED TO WORK ON THAT WITH ME? CAN I, CAN I ASK WHAT'S GOING ON NOW? FROM A STANDPOINT, UM, IF SOMEONE SAYS THEY'RE INTERESTED IN, UM, POSSIBLY LOOKING AT PLACING A BUSINESS HERE IN FRONT ROYAL MM-HMM
WHERE ARE THEY? WHERE ARE WE SENDING THEM? ARE WE SENDING
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'EM TO YOU? ARE WE SENDING 'EM TO THE CHAMBER? WHERE, WHERE, HOW IS THAT ADDRESSED? OR DOES IT NOT HAPPEN VERY OFTEN? OR? SO TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS, IF THAT'S A QUESTION THAT COMES THROUGH PLANNING AND ZONING, AND THEY FEEL LIKE THEY NEED SOME COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT, THAT PERSON GETS REFERRED TO ME.UM, MOST OF THE TIME FOLKS FEEL AT LEAST SOMEWHAT COMFORTABLE FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, UM, NAVIGATING ON THEIR OWN.
SO I, I ONLY GET ONE OR TWO OF THOSE EMAILS A YEAR.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES FOLKS GO THROUGH THE CHAMBER, AND SO OF COURSE THE CHAMBER IS FAMILIAR WITH US AND, AND HOW WE CAN HELP IF WE CAN HELP.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, SHE'S TYP, NIKKI FOSTER IS TYPICALLY NAVIGATING THOSE PEOPLE THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE DAY, THERE USED TO BE A, A ONE SHEETER THAT EXISTED THAT HAD, AT A MINIMUM THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE DIFFERENT, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, THE DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT OFFICES, WHO TO CALL, WHAT YOU NEED, UM, THAT KIND OF THING.
AND I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S BEEN REVISITED IN A LONG TIME.
UM, HECK, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT.
YEAH, I HAVE, I HAVE AN OLD COPY.
THERE'S SOME THROWBACK NAMES ON THERE FOR SURE.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING A RESOURCE TO BE ABLE TO, TO PUT IN SOMEONE'S HAND, TO TRY TO NAVIGATE THE, THE WATERS OF, OF THIS PROCESS, I THINK COULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, AND COULD BE SOMETHING WE CAN PUT OUR NAME ON.
SO IT FEELS LIKE A LOW HANGING FRUIT, BUT IT'S A SHORT TERM PROJECT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR SOMEBODY.
IS THAT A DIRECTIVE YOU'RE NEEDING FROM? NO, I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT YOU ALL THINK.
I MEAN, I'M HAPPY TO DO IT IF, IF THE, IF NO, NO, I THINK I LISTEN, LET'S HAVE A A WORK SESSION WORK ON IT.
I WANNA TALK ABOUT LIKE WHAT SHOULD GO ON THAT.
YOU CAN BRING THE OLD ONE AS A FOUNDATION OF COURSE.
I MEAN, SOMEBODY'S THINKING ABOUT COMING HERE.
UM, THE BIGGEST CONCERN THAT I WOULD HAVE IS THEY DON'T KNOW WHO THEY'VE GOTTA TALK WITH WITHIN THE TOWN AND WHO THEY GOTTA TALK WITH IN THE COUNTY.
UM, THAT'S THE MOST ABSOLUTELY CONFUSING ASPECT OF DOING BUSINESS IN THIS COMMUNITY IS, UH, YOU WALK IN THE DOOR AND YOU SAY, YOU GOTTA DO THIS, AND THEN YOU'RE SENT ELSEWHERE.
SO I THINK ULTIMATELY THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF DISGRUNTLEMENT COULD BE A LITIGATED, JUST THEY NOWHERE TO GO.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHY I STARTED WORKING HERE.
MY JOB, MY OFFICE WAS ORIGINALLY IN PLANNING AND ZONING, SO I JUST HEARD A LOT AND STUFF.
AND THAT, THAT'S WHERE I GOT A LOT OF SOME OF THAT KNOWLEDGE BASE.
BUT YEAH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON THAT IF, IF THE BOARD IS AMENABLE FOR THAT, SCHEDULE A MEETING AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL COME TO SWEET.
UM, I WANNA TALK A BIT ABOUT BUSINESS RETENTION.
IT'S NOT THE SHINY AND NEW, BUT I THINK BUSINESS RETENTION, IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, IS JUST AS IMPORTANT.
MAYBE EVEN A LITTLE MORE IMPORTANT THAN BRINGING IN NEW BUSINESS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE I WANT THE BUSINESSES THAT EXIST HERE TO FEEL SUPPORTED AND SEEN AND HEARD.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO START DOING SOME BUSINESS VISITATION, UM, AS THE BOARD, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD.
I'M GOING BEHALF OF THE TOWN AS MYSELF.
UM, BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE, WHAT THOSE VISITS SHOULD CONSIST OF.
UM, AND ALSO DEVELOPING KIND A ROLODEX, BECAUSE FRANKLY WE DON'T HAVE ONE OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS OF KIND OF WHAT THEIR STATS ARE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FOLKS WHO TOOK THE SURVEY, SO THERE'S 70 COUPLE, UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A HECK OF A LOT MORE THAN THE FOLKS THAT DID OUR SURVEY THAT EXIST HERE.
I REACHED OUT TO THE CHAMBER TO SEE JUST HOW MANY SHE HAS IN HER MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY.
AND IT'S, IT'S BETWEEN THREE 50 AND 400.
SO THAT'S JUST PEOPLE WHO ARE CHOOSING TO, TO PAY TO BE CHAMBER MEMBERS.
AND WE KNOW THERE'S SOME WHO DON'T DO THAT AS WELL.
SO I THINK THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PROVIDE VALUE.
AND I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IF WE HAD AN APPETITE FOR IT.
THAT'S A BIG PART OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU JUST NEED TO MAKE IT ACHIEVABLE.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE WE, WE DO.
I MEAN, 2, 4, 8, YOU KNOW, AND YOU, AND YOU CAN INVITE, YOU COULD INVITE US TO GO ALONG.
YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO ALWAYS GO.
LIKE, I, I THINK THAT THIS COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, UM, WE'RE BEING GOOD NEIGHBORS AND, AND TRYING TO FIND A BEST WAY TO ADD VALUE.
THAT'S WHEN MY CHALLENGE THINKING ABOUT THIS QUESTION IS, OKAY, IT'S GREAT FOR US TO GO AND SHAKE HANDS AND WE SEE YOU AND WE APPRECIATE
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YOUR CONTRIBUTION, BUT HOW CAN WE ADD VALUE TO YOU? AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION YET.AND SO I, I WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE AND SEE IF ANYBODY HAD ANY THOUGHTS.
WELL, ONE THING I'M CURIOUS ABOUT IS WHY PEOPLE DO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY OR, OR THEY BUY A A PROPERTY AND IT DOESN'T COME TO FRUITION.
UM, A GREAT EXAMPLE IS THE OLD BB T BUILDING, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WAS ACQUIRED RUMOR MILL ACROSS FRONT ROYAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA WAS, IT'S GONNA BE EVERYTHING FROM, WELL, WE'LL JUST LEAVE THAT ALONE, BUT IT WAS GONNA BE EVERY TYPE OF BUSINESS IN THE WORLD.
UM, AND ALL THE DEMOLITION IS DONE TO A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE OWNER HAD A PURPOSE IN THE DIRECTIVE.
THAT HE WAS NO LONGER, HE OR SHE, WHOEVER THE OWNER WAS, WAS NO LONGER GONNA MARKET IT WHAT IT WAS GONNA BE.
THEY DEVALUED AN INCREDIBLE PROPERTY.
IT WAS MUCH MORE VALUABLE TO TRY AND RESELL, OBVIOUSLY, WITH THE DRIVE THROUGH AND ALL THE WINDOWS IN PLACE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND I KNOW THERE'S RUMOR MILLS AND I UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT CAN'T BE DISPOSED PUBLICLY.
AND THERE COULD BE PERSONAL THINGS YOU JUST NEVER KNOW.
BUT I THINK TO YOUR POINT, I THINK THAT WE, WE SEE THAT HAPPEN SOMETIMES.
IT'S ONE OF THE BUSIEST INTERSECTIONS IN TOWN.
IT USED TO BE THE BUSIEST AT ONE TIME.
UM, AND THERE'S JUST ALL KINDS OF SPECULATION.
'CAUSE WE ALL SAW THE FOR SALE SIGNS GO BACK UP.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE OLD PIZZA HUT INCREDIBLE BUILDING WITH AN INCREDIBLE PARKING LOT.
YOU KNOW, WHY ISN'T THAT MORE ATTRACTIVE TO SOMEBODY'S POTENTIAL? YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY RETAIL STRATEGIES, MAYBE ONE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS MM-HMM
UH, MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THAT FACILITY.
SO, I MEAN, IT, IT JUST, IT IT DRIVES ME TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR AND WHY DID THAT HAPPEN? YEAH.
AND HOW COULD WE HELP KEEPING THAT FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE? I DUNNO.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE COULD HAVE DONE, BUT GETTING BACK TO THE INCENTIVES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO, LIZ, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU, HOW DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS ACHIEVABLE? JUST A MODEST GOAL, RIGHT? SO WE COME BACK AND AS PART OF OUR AGENDA IS, HEY, WE SAW TWO BUSINESSES THIS LAST MONTH.
AND, AND, AND WE ASK THEM THESE FIVE SIMPLE QUESTIONS.
AND HERE WERE, HERE'S WHAT THEY RESPONDED, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE OKAY WITH US DISCLOSING THAT IN THIS MEETING.
YOU KNOW? SO I THINK IT'S NOT TERRIBLY DISSIMILAR TO WHAT WE ATTEMPTED WITH THE, WHAT WE ACHIEVED WITH THE SURVEY.
SO, YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONE, INTRODUCING OURSELVES AND RECOGNIZING THAT THEY'RE THERE.
NUMBER TWO, UM, WHAT, WHAT'S THEIR LONG-TERM VISION? ARE THEY, ARE THEY LOOKING TO EXPAND? ARE THEY HAPPY WHERE THEY ARE? OR, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT SOME OF THESE LIKE CASTILLAS, SO, OR CASTIAS, HOWEVER YOU CHOOSE TO PRONOUNCE IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY DOUBLED THEIR DINING ROOM AND SIZE, AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT WAS HAPPENING UNTIL I SHOWED UP TO, YOU KNOW, ORDER FOOD.
I WENT IN THERE THE OTHER DAY.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO TOO, AND YES, ABSOLUTELY.
AND SO THINGS LIKE THAT, LIKE, OKAY, WE'VE, WE'VE SAT IN THIS SPACE FOR X AMOUNT OF YEARS AND IT'S TIME TO EXPAND.
DO WE MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE? DO WE JUST BUY THE PLACE NEXT DOOR? WHAT DO WE DO? HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THOSE, THOSE NEEDS ARE DOWN THE ROAD FOR THOSE EXISTING BUSINESSES, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
I ALSO THINK HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT ARE YOUR PAIN POINTS.
UM, I, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO.
YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO TAKE IT ON THE CHIN SOMETIMES WITH THAT KIND OF CONVERSATION.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE HELPFUL.
IT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU DON'T TELL ME, THAT'S WHAT MY MOTHER ALWAYS SAYS.
SO I, I THINK THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE VALUABLE AND, AND TRULY, I THINK IT'S JUST A REMINDER THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS BODY EXISTS AND THAT THIS BODY IS ENGAGED IN HOW TO GROW OUR COMMUNITY FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE.
SO HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, I MEAN, THEY MAY BE TALKING ABOUT A NEED FOR LABOR FORCE TRAINING THAT YOU GUYS ARE AWARE OF BECAUSE WE WENT ON THESE TOURS OR CONNECTING THEM WITH SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING THOSE CONNECTIONS CAN BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR THOSE BUSINESSES TOO.
UM, I THINK A LOT OF THEM HAVE NO INTERACTION WITH OUR, I'M PAINTING WITH A BROAD BRUSH AND I SHOULDN'T, UM, I THINK SOME OF THEM HAVE LIMITED INTERACTION WITH THE GOVERNMENT OR AN ENTITY LIKE THIS.
ONCE THEY GET STARTED, THEY GET STARTED, THEY GO THROUGH ALL THEIR PERMITS AND THEN THEY, THAT'S IT.
THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY PAY THEIR, THEY WRITE THEIR CHECK TO THE BILL THAT COMES IN THE MAIL, AND, AND THAT'S ALL THE INTERACTION THEY EVER HAVE.
AND MAYBE THEY WOULD BENEFIT FROM SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN HELP THEM FACILITATE.
UM, SO I REALLY THINK IT'S JUST ABOUT CONVERSATION AND CONNECTION.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR ANYTHING SUPER TANGIBLE FROM
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THESE CONVERSATIONS.I THINK THAT'LL KIND OF FLUSH OUT AS WE GO.
UM, BUT THAT'S, TO ME, THAT'S THE ACHIEVABLE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, WE CAN SET A NUMBER TO IT, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA DO FOUR IN THE NEXT MONTH.
WE WANNA TALK TO THOSE PEOPLE AND WE COORDINATE WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE.
AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S A JACKSON'S FURNITURE CONVERSATION AND THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR A REALLY LONG TIME AND PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW THEY'RE THERE.
AND YOU KNOW, UNLESS YOU WORK THERE OR YOU GOT SOMETHING FROM BOB'S AND IT CAME RIGHT DOWN THE STREET TO YOUR HOUSE TO BE DELIVERED, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK EVEN JUST BUILDING THAT FAMILIARITY, I THINK THAT HAS VALUE.
NO, I FIND THE PROPERTY MANAGERS, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE REPRESENTING THE PROPERTIES ARE VERY WILLING.
THEY MIGHT NOT TALK TO YOU THAT DAY.
THEY'RE WILLING TO ENGAGE WHEN YOU, YOU TELL THEM YOU'RE A MEMBER.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I ENGAGED THE ONE WHEN BIG LOTS LEFT MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, MY FIRST THOUGHTS IN MY MIND WAS, LET'S TRY TO FIND A GROCERY STORE AND, AND ENGAGING WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER SHE HAD TO OR NOT.
SHE SAYS, WELL, KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED.
THERE'S A CHANCE THAT BIG LICENSE IS PLANNING ON RETURNING.
AND SHE WAS, YOU KNOW, RIGHT UP THAT ALLEY.
AND OBVIOUSLY IT DID REAL OPEN.
BUT THE PROPERTY MANAGERS ARE VERY WILLING TO ENGAGE WITH YOU AND TALK TO YOU.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE REACHING OUT TO 'EM JUST AS WELL.
JUST IF WE JUST BRING INFORMATION BACK TO THE TABLE.
WHAT ARE OUR OTHER THOUGHTS? SOMETHING THAT WE JUST DO ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, OR WHAT WE NEED TO COME THERE AS A GROUP? NO, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO GO AS A GROUP.
IN FACT, IF MORE THAN TWO OF YOU GO, THEN IT'S A MEETING.
UM, BUT I THINK COORDINATING TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOUR OF YOU DON'T ALL GO TO TEXAS FURNITURE.
UM, I THINK MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE COORDINATING KIND OF WHERE WE'RE GOING.
EVEN JUST CHECKING IN WITH ME FOR HILLARY ON THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S USEFUL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE SOMETHING SUPER STRUCTURED.
I, I THINK IT'S BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND I, I JUST, I ALWAYS COME BACK TO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DON'T KNOW.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY BUSINESSES ARE OUT THERE THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THIS, UM, BUT MAYBE THEY WOULD FIND US DELIGHTFUL, WOULD WANNA WORK WITH US OR, OR HAVE AN IDEA THAT SPRINGS INTO SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE CAN HELP THEM WITH.
OR, UM, EVEN JUST MAKING SURE THEY KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE THAT THEY'RE HERE.
I THINK THAT HAS VALUE COME UP WITH AT LEAST A FEW BUSINESSES THAT WE WOULD SEND TO YOU ALL.
HEY, THESE ARE POTENTIAL VISITS THAT WE COULD MAKE.
AND I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY NEED TO BUILD OUR ROLODEX OF CONTACTS.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S, THIS WOULD INCLUDE, UH, POSSIBLE SMALL MANUFACTURING OPPORTUNITIES, BUT HAPPY CREEK INDUSTRIAL PARK.
I ASSUME THERE'S STILL SOME EMPTY BUILDINGS OUT THERE.
I HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE IN A LONG TIME.
I DON'T KNOW HOW BAD HUMAN MADE SOCIETY AND SOME POSSIBLE POTENTIALS OUT THERE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO ARE IN SMALLER SPACE NOW, BUT TO REALLY USE SOMETHING BIGGER AND MAYBE DON'T EVEN REALIZE WHAT, WHAT'S AVAILABLE UNTIL WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
SO, SO HOW DO WE PUSH THIS FORWARD? UH, I THINK OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS YOU BRAINSTORM AND JOT DOWN A LIST OF THE PLACES THAT YOU WANNA START WITH AND THEN SEND THEM TO US.
AND WE'LL SEND YOURSELF AND HILLARY AND WE'LL COMPILE A LIST.
AND THEN YOU CAN RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY, I WANNA GO TO THIS ONE.
THIS, THIS ONE'S MY POKER BUDDY.
AND THEN DO WE KNOW IT? IT WAS, MIGHT HAVE BEEN, I KNOW.
WAS THE SURVEY ANONYMOUS? OR COULD IT COULD BE IF YOU CHOSE TO.
UH, MOST PEOPLE PUT THEIR NAME, BUT YEAH.
SO YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO, LIKE, I WOULD SUGGEST, WHY DON'T WE, WHY DON'T WE GO TO A COMPANY WHO FILLED OUT A SURVEY MM-HMM
FOLLOW UP AND COMPANIES THAT DIDN'T RIGHT.
JUST INTRODUCE OURSELVES AND ABSOLUTELY.
SO YEAH, I THINK THAT'S GREAT.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT PLACE TO START.
WE CAN EVEN PUT TOGETHER A ONE SHEETER OF THE SURVEY RESULTS, BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
I MEAN A LEAVE BEHIND, YOU KNOW.
MAYBE WHEN WE GET THAT ONE SHEET THAT WE'RE GONNA GIVE NEW PEOPLE.
MAYBE WE HAVE A UPDATED ONE SHEET TO LEAVE WITH THEM.
I MEAN, JUST SOMETHING THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE WERE HERE, THERE'S SOME RESOURCES WE WERE HERE.
UM, I WANTED TO BRING UP THE WORLDS OF WORK PROGRAM.
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FAMILIAR WITH THIS.WE MAY TAG IN THE TOWN MANAGER JOE PETTY, TO EXPLAIN THIS A LITTLE BETTER.
'CAUSE HE'S ACTUALLY BEEN THERE AND I HAVE NOT.
UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY IT'S A FIELD TRIP FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS IN WINCHESTER TO THE SHOCKEY EVENT CENTER, UM, ON THE CAMPUS.
THEY, ALL OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR REGION SUPPORT THIS, UM, ALONG WITH A WHOLE HOST OF EMPLOYERS.
AND THE KIDS COME AND THEY GET TO EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT CAREERS.
UM, SOME, YOU KNOW, HANDS-ON KIND OF FUN THINGS THAT THEY GET TO DO TO NAVIGATE ALL THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT CAN BE OUT THERE FOR THEIR JOB WHEN THEY GROW UP.
UM, I WILL BE VOLUNTEERING THERE ON OUR BEHALF.
I KNOW THEY'RE LOOKING FOR MORE VOLUNTEERS.
I HAVE THE LINK TO SIGN UP IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING.
EVEN JUST A FEW HOURS ON, UM, THERE'S A DAY FOR SETUP AND THEN A FULL DAY OF THE EVENT.
UM, I'M GONNA SHARE THAT WITH YOU ALL VIA EMAIL.
SO, UM, JOE, DO YOU WANNA PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL CONTEXT ON THAT? IT'S FOR EIGHTH GRADERS.
AND SO IT CONSISTS OF SCHOOLS FROM SHENANDOAH, LARAY, WARREN FREDERICK, AND WINCHESTER CITY AND CLARK COUNTY.
EIGHTH GRADERS GO, THEY ALL GO FOR ONE DAY.
AND THIS IS INTEGRAL 'CAUSE EIGHTH GRADERS THAT ARE THEN GONNA BE TRANSITIONING INTO HIGH SCHOOLS NEXT YEAR.
SO THIS ALLOWS 'EM TO START SETTING THEIR CURRICULUM UP WHEN THEY GO INTO HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, IT IS A LOT OF HERDING CATS.
UM, BUT THE TEAM THAT'S BEEN DOING IT ALL THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT OUR REGION HAVE BEEN HOSTING THIS FOR YEARS.
AND IT DOES PROVIDE A GREAT, UH, SERVICE TO THESE KIDS TO GET OUT AND REALLY GET A HANDS ON EXPERIENCE.
AND I KNOW THE TOWN HAS PARTICIPATED WITH, LIKE, I THINK PDS BEEN THERE BEFORE PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, SO IT'S, IT IS A WONDERFUL PROGRAM FOR THESE KIDS TO GET OUT AND DO SEE.
AND VALLEY HEALTH TAKES OVER HALF THE EVENT CENTER PER MEDICAL SIDE TOO.
SO IF YOU CAN VOLUNTEER OR IF YOU KNOW OF AN ORGANIZATION, ESPECIALLY IN THE TRADES ARE ALWAYS BIG, UM, PLEASE LET THEM KNOW AS WELL THAT THEY'D BE GREAT TO HAVE THEM PARTICIPATE AND GOOD FOR US TO MEET OTHER PEOPLE THAT DO THIS IN OUR REGION.
SO I'M GONNA SEND OUT THE LINK.
SO YOU'LL, YOU'RE, I'M, I'M CORDIALLY INVITING YOU TO VOLUNTEER IF YOU'D LIKE TO DATE.
WHAT DAY IS THAT? OCTOBER 1ST AND SECOND.
THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
SO THE FIRST IS SET UP, THE SECOND IS THE EVENT.
IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE FESTIVAL LEAVE.
SO I DID NOT PARTICIPATE BUT HAVE SPACE THIS TIME, BE ABLE TO MAKE IT WORK.
UM, THE LAST THING I WANTED TO BRING UP QUICKLY, UM, IS POTENTIAL SPEAKERS.
SO, UM, WE HAD TALKED SEVERAL MONTHS BACK.
THERE WAS, UM, A QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANTED TO HAVE ROBBIE BOYER, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR COME IN.
HE'D JUST LIKE TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU WANNA HEAR FROM HIM IF YOU, IF YOU WANNA HEAR FROM HIM.
UM, AND THEN I HAVE ANOTHER, UM, SUGGESTION.
THE NEW DIRECTOR FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER, ANDY IERSON.
UM, I THINK HE WOULD BE A GREAT FIT TO COME IN AND CHAT AS WELL.
SO I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE WHERE THE PUBLIC WORKS SIDE OF THINGS WOULD FIT IN AT THIS MOMENT.
SO I, I THINK UNLESS SOMEBODY HAS SOME BRAIN TORNADO, I THINK WE PUSH THAT ONE OUT.
AND I THINK WE INVITE ANDY TO COME MAYBE TO OUR NEXT MEETING IF HE'S AVAILABLE.
YEAH, HE'S NEW-ISH IN THE ROLE, SO, UM, BUT NOT NEW TO, NOT NEW TO WHAT HE DOES.
SO, UH, HER NAME ESCAPES ME, BUT, UH, FROM THE SCHOOL, TECH SCHOOL YEP.
WE SAID WE WOULD HAVE HER BACK.
AND WE CAN ABSOLUTELY SCHEDULE THAT.
LIZ, ARE YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, I SENT YOU A TEXT THE OTHER DAY 'CAUSE I, I WAS ADMIRING YOUR WORK, UH, ON A QR CODE, A FLOW CODE.
ARE YOU ABLE TO SHOW US THAT TODAY? AND IF NOT, WE CAN.
I JUST THOUGHT, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING FOR THE GROUP TO SEE.
YOU, I KNOW YOU HAD ASKED ME ABOUT FESTIVAL BELIEFS.
JUST CARRY ON SO YOU GUYS HAVE A CONVERSATION.
UM, YES, WE CAN, WE CAN DO THAT.
UH, SAW THE, A ADD IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA DAILY DAY TRIPPER WITH QR FLOW CODE MM-HMM
AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ON, IT WAS ABOUT TOURISM AND TOURISM IS MM-HMM
[00:30:01]
YOU KNOW MM-HMMLEGS ON OUR THREE LEGGED STOOL OR WHATEVER.
UM, ANYWAY, IF YOU'RE NOT PREPARED TO DO IT TODAY, THAT'S FINE.
BUT I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE, I, LIKE, I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION ABOUT, WELL, WHAT CAN WE, WHAT CAN WE GIVE TO COMPANIES, YOU KNOW, THAT COME VISIT OUR COMMUNITY? AND, AND, AND, UH, IN PREHISTORIC DAYS, WE WOULD PUT A, WE WOULD PUT, UH, A BUNCH OF GLOSSY PAPERS INSIDE A FOLDER AND THIS FOLDER AND, BUT NOW WITH THE INTERNET AND EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, I THINK THINGS LIKE YOUR FLOW CODE, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THAT INFORMATION IS, IS PROBABLY MORE WHAT THEY WANT RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF, UH, GLOSSY PAPERS.
UM, BUT IT HAS TO HAVE THAT SAME KIND OF INFORMATION ON IT.
I GUESS IF YOU, UM, OPEN UP TO, I'M, I'M ALL SET ON MY UPDATE.
IF YOU WANNA OPEN UP TO OPEN DISCUSSION, I'M JUST GONNA FIND THE RIGHT URL AND THEN WE CAN PASS AROUND MY PHONE AND YOU ALL CAN OH, OKAY.
SO, SO NO BIG TV PRESENTATION.
UM, WE CAN PROBABLY MAKE THAT WORK.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO CALL IN A FAVOR ON THAT ONE THOUGH.
DO YOU HAVE A, I WILL IN A SECOND.
SO YOU GUYS, UM, SO, UH, OPEN DISCUSSION.
WHAT DO YOU GUYS WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT ISN'T ON THE AGENDA TODAY? HOW WAS THE, UH, DATA CENTER PRESENTATION? IT WAS GOOD.
UH, I WAS WELL ATTENDED AND, UM, SPEAKERS WERE GOOD.
I ACTUALLY, I THINK YOU'RE THE PERSON WHO JUMPED UP THERE AND SPOKE.
I FORGET HIS NAME NOW, BUT, UH, HE, BOB? YEAH.
AND I FELT LIKE HE IS SOMEBODY THAT WE SHOULD INVITE TO, TO HEAR.
I MEAN, BECAUSE HE, I FELT LIKE HE HAD A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION, UM, AND DEFINITELY SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN IN THE TRENCHES WHERE THE OTHER TWO WERE MORE KIND OF REACTIVE TO, YOU KNOW, PARTICULAR SITUATIONS.
I MEAN, I DON'T, THIS IS MORE OF LIKE AN INFORMATIVE DISCUSSION.
I BASICALLY, HE JUST HAD REAL WORLD EXAMPLES OF, I EMAILED YOU LINK, I THINK CHARLES YEAH.
THIS, THESE WERE ALL, UM, ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO, UM, IT'S ERIC IAN OUT OF, UM, WARRENTON.
HE'S ON THE WARRENTON TIME COUNCIL.
AND THEN BOB, WE IS ON THE PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
WAS IT ALL, AND THEN IT WAS, UM, WAS IT BOTH SIDES? WAS IT PRO AND CON OR JUST ON A T-MOBILE YOU GOT AWAY AGAINST OR FOR YEAH, IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS PROBABLY MORE AGAINST, BUT IT WAS FROM THE T PERSPECTIVE OF THE OFFICIALS AND THEN WORKING DIRECTLY IN THE GOVERNMENT WITH THEM.
AND THEN BOB HAD A LOT OF OTHER THOUGHTS ABOUT BROADER TRENDS, UM, IN THE INDUSTRY AND WHERE IS IT GONNA GO AND THEN, AND ACTUALLY PROVIDING THEM, 'CAUSE YOU NEED TO PUT THEM SOMEWHERE IS KIND OF WHAT I MEAN IS THE, IS THAT LADY THAT'S SPOKE, IS SHE, IS SHE AN ELECTED PERSON OR NO, SHE, SHE HAS ADVOCACY.
SO, SO, BUT, BUT THE PRINCE WITH BOB WEIR, HE, HE BASICALLY, HE JUST SEEMED VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE.
WHY? I THINK HE, I'M IGNORING YOUR FILTER.
I THOUGHT THE MEETING GOT WAY MORE INTERESTING WHEN HE STARTED TALKING.
SO IT WAS NICE THAT HE CAME OUT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WAS YEAH, I CAN TRY TO GET HIM TO COME OUT TO SPEAK TO US.
ANOTHER, SOMEONE I WAS SAYING ABOUT WAS MAYBE SOMEONE FROM THE WARREN COUNTY EDA.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT CAN HAPPEN TO FIND OUT, BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT.
I KNOW THEY COULD PUT SOME PROPERTIES UP FOR SALE.
I KNOW THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT CAN GO AT ROYAL PHOENIX AND WHAT CAN AND WHAT CAN'T.
AND I'D LIKE TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THAT.
I THINK ROB MCDOUGALL IS PROBABLY THE RIGHT GUY FOR THAT.
CAN YOU JUST HOLD, I, I WOULD FIND THAT WE HAVE THIS HUGE PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN'T DO, BUT YOU CAN'T DO ON IT.
AND I TEND TO THINK THEY'RE GONNA BE MORE FACTUAL ABOUT WHAT CAN AND WHAT CAN'T HAPPEN THERE.
SO I WOULD, IF SO, IF IT'S PERMISSIBLE TO HAVE ANOTHER GOVERNMENT BODY COME AND TALK TO US, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE ROB MCDOUGLE THEN TO COME AND SPEAK TO US ABOUT THEIR CURRENT SITUATION.
I UNDERSTAND THE LAND ACROSS FROM ROYAL PHOENIX IS UP FOR SALE NOW ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT IN TOWN PROPERTY.
UM, BUT IS IT SOMETHING THE TOWN SHOULD BE LOOKING AT FOR, FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE ROYAL PHOENIX PROJECT? YOU KNOW, I DUNNO MM-HMM
IT'D JUST BE NICE TO, TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATIVE.
IT'D BE NICE TO GET AN UPDATE ON, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY
[00:35:01]
ARE RIGHT NOW.UM, AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALWAYS A MOVING TARGET, BUT ASK MICROSOFT, HEY LIZZIE, I HATE SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD.
THE FI A FINAL BUDGET NUMBER, 50,000.
SO THERE'S NO MONEY CARRIED OVER FOR THERE IS, THERE IS, THERE'S BUT RIGHT NOW THAT'S ENCUMBERED FOR YOUR RETAIL STRATEGIES CONTRACT.
NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT HAS TO STAY THAT WAY.
IF THE RETAIL STRATEGIES CONTRACT DIDN'T CONTINUE FOR THREE YEARS.
WELL, I KNOW WE RE IT WAS DISCUSSED IN OUR MINUTES.
WE HAD 50,000 COMING UP IN OUR BUDGET.
I GUESS THE FINAL NUMBER WAS WHAT IS FROM THE PAST, THE ACTUAL FINAL NUMBER? LIKE TWO YEARS OF CARRY OVER? I BELIEVE IT'S THREE.
I BELIEVE IT'S THREE YEARS AS WELL.
SO 150 PLUS 50 THIS YEAR? YES, CORRECT.
I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION IT WAS THREE YEARS AND THERE WAS A LOT OF SPECULATION.
SO MAYBE OUR NEXT MEETING WE COULD SEE THAT LOCKED IN INSTEAD OF OUR, OR IS THAT A, IS THAT A REAL NUMBER? THAT'S A REAL NUMBER.
1 53 IS A REAL NUMBER PLUS THE UPCOMING 50 FOR THE UPCOMING BUDGET.
SO WHAT RICK IS REFERRING TO, WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW WELL MY BRAIN CAN WORK AT THE SAME TIME.
UH, WHAT RICK WAS REFERRING TO IS I HAVE A QR CODE THAT WE USE ON ADVERTISING FOR TOURISM.
UM, WE USE THIS ON ALL PRINT ADS THAT WE DO, AND WE'LL ACTUALLY USE UNIQUE CODES SO THAT WE KNOW WHICH ADS ARE GETTING SCANNED.
UM, BUT THEY ALL COME TO THE SAME DESTINATION.
SO WE HAVE, THIS IS A, IT'S CALLED A FLOW PAGE.
IT LOOKS A LITTLE BETTER ON A MOBILE DEVICE, BUT THE, ALL OF THESE BUTTONS ARE CLICKABLE.
SO LIKE THIS OPENS OUR LATEST VERSION OF OUR VISITOR GUIDE, OUR LATEST MAP.
UM, THIS DIRECTORY TAKES YOU TO THE TOWNS.
UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY OUR TOURISM DIRECTORY.
THIS WILL LOOK DIFFERENTLY WHEN WE UPDATE OUR WEBSITE, BUT RIGHT NOW, SO RIGHT NOW THERE'S THE DIRECTORY OF FOOD BEVERAGE.
UM, YOU CAN LOOK AT ALL THE DIFFERENT, THE THING.
SO ON THIS PAGE THERE'S ALSO, UM, THE TROLLEY MAP, A LINK TO OUR WEBSITE.
YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND SO WE USE THESE PAGES BECAUSE THEY'RE COMPLETELY DYNAMIC.
SO WE CAN CHANGE 'EM AT ANY TIME.
WE CAN CHANGE THE LINKS AT ANY TIME, BUT THE DESTINATION CAN STILL BE THE SAME.
SO WE CAN KEEP THIS PAGE AND THREE MONTHS FROM NOW IT LOOKS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
BUT THOSE OLD QR CODES, SOMEONE GRABS AN OLD MAGAZINE AND IT'S STILL THE SAME.
UM, IT'S A WAY TO KIND OF HUB ALL OF THE INFORMATION WITHOUT NECESSARILY HAVING YET ANOTHER WEBSITE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S A LOT LESS CLICKS.
IT'S MORE USER DRIVEN FOR SURE.
SO THAT'S WHAT RICK WAS REFERRING TO.
I, I CLICKED ON SOME OF THOSE.
YOU KNOW, I SAW THE AD AND I WAS LIKE, OH, LET ME CHECK OUT THE QR CODE.
AND I JUST WAS, YOU KNOW, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY GREAT TOOL THAT YOU WERE, THEY WERE, YOU WERE USING, I MEAN, HONESTLY, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IF I HAVE A QUESTION, IT MIGHT BE NICE MM-HMM
TO KEEP THAT QR CODE HANDY OR WHATEVER.
AND WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE ONE FOR US.
WE JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT RESOURCES YOU'D LIKE TO INCLUDED.
IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU ALL WANT, WE'RE HAPPY TO MAKE ONE.
AS OPPOSED TO MAYBE DOING A, A FULL WEBSITE, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD INCLUDE ON THAT.
UM, I THINK WHEN YOU GET YOUR DIRECTORY THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, WHEN A SMALL BUSINESS IS MAKING INQUIRIES, THERE COULD BE A TAB ON THIS SITE THAT JUST SAYS, THINKING ABOUT DOING BUSINESS HERE.
I I, EXACTLY WHAT TOM SAID WAS WHAT I WAS JUST THINKING.
I DON'T THINK YOU NEED A WHOLE NOTHER SITE.
I THINK THAT'S JUST ANOTHER TAB ON THIS WEBSITE.
DID YOU LIKE THIS COMMUNITY HERE, MOVE HERE, YOU KNOW, START A BUSINESS HERE.
IT COULD BE ITS OWN TAB ON YOUR TOURISM TAB.
YOU'RE DOING GREAT MULTITASKING DOWN THERE.
SO ONE OTHER THING JUST TO DISCUSS WAS THE, UH, GARDEN OF DREAMS GA, YOU PRESENTED THAT INFORMATION.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO ATTEND LIZZIE, I GUESS WAS A WORKER BE, I DON'T KNOW.
DID YOU REPRESENT YOURSELF OR WERE YOU REPRESENTING THE TOWN? UH, I WAS REPRESENTING THE TOWN I SERVE ON THAT BOARD AND FACULTY.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY WAS PART, OBVIOUSLY RICK, YOU WERE THERE, BUT IT WAS A VERY WELL ATTENDED EVENT.
[00:40:01]
QUITE A BIT OF MONEY.THE FUTURE GOAL WAS DISPLAYED TO FOLKS AND, UH, FOR A FIRST TIME EVENT, IT WAS A, A HUGE SUCCESS.
UM, WAS ELLEN AND HER TEAM DID A FABULOUS JOB OF PUTTING IT TOGETHER AND JUST, UM, I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO COMMENT, COMMENT ABOUT IT SINCE IT WAS DISCUSSED THERE LAST.
I THINK ANYONE WHO WAS THERE, UH, REALLY APPRECIATED IT AND, UH, WAS WELL EXECUTED AND, UM, ANYWAY, IT WAS DOWN TO HERITAGE SOCIETY.
IT WAS, IT, IT WAS JUST A REALLY NICE THING TO BE A PART OF.
I CAN LIKE IN JAWS WHERE THEY SAID NEED A BIGGER BOAT.
THEY, THEY NEED A BIGGER TENT.
BUT ANYWAY, THEY DO IT NEXT YEAR.
I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO GO AND THEY WERE WORKING ON THEIR, THEIR, UH, RAISING FUNDS FOR A SIGN AT THE END OF MAIN STREET.
THAT'S WHAT THAT EVENT WAS FOR.
AND THE TOWN MANAGER ACTUALLY ASSISTED, I THINK HE DID THE HEAVY LIFTING ON THE INITIAL DESIGN FOR THAT SIGN.
SMILE, SMILE EAR TO EAR THERE.
131,000, $41, 1 31 40, 41 AND THEN A 50 COMING.
SO THE, IF YOU COULD PUT THAT IN OUR MINUTES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
SOME OF THAT HAS BEEN SPENT FOR THE RETAIL STRATEGIES.
SO THERE WAS MORE, BUT THERE WAS MORE, BUT IT SOUGHT OUT.
AND WHERE TO PAPER AS OF RIGHT THIS MINUTE, AS OF AS OF, WELL TECHNICALLY WHEN THIS WAS PRINTED ON JUNE 30TH MM-HMM
UM, AND YOU HAVEN'T SPENT ANY MONEY.
SO $50,000 IN YOUR GENERAL EDA BUDGET.
I WANNA CIRCLE BACK TO THE DATA CENTERS TOPIC.
UM, SO THE SENTIMENT WAS PRETTY CLEAR, THE MEETING WHERE A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE STOOD IN REGARD TO DATA CENTERS.
WHAT'S LIKE THE, THE FOLLOW UP? UH, IS THERE, LIKE IS THERE A SPECIFIC GOVERNING BODY THAT'S GONNA BE CHARGED OF MAKING THAT DECISION? OR IS IT GONNA BE, ARE YOU REFERRING TO AIDEN'S, UH, KIND OF MEETING THAT WE HAD, THAT HE HAD AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER? YEAH.
WELL, WELL IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, WE'RE AT A TIPPING POINT, SO TO SPEAK FOR DATA CENTERS WANT TO COME HERE AND, UH, THE DOMINION OR, OR, OR I CAN'T REMEMBER THE, THE, THE GENTLEMAN WHO CAME AND SPOKE WITH US WHO HERE'S THE TOWN FOR ROYAL.
SO, AND HE, HE SAID IT'S PROBABLY KIND OF AN UNDENIABLE THING THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN EVENTUALLY WAS KIND OF THE, THE ALL AROUND US.
IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE, IT'S HAPPENING ALL AROUND US.
I THINK, I THINK THAT'S WHAT HE SAID.
SO I GUESS FOR WHAT SHOULD, LIKE THAT WAS CARRIE FEL.
AND HE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T HAVE SPOKEN TO THE PROBABILITY OF HAVING A DATA CENTER.
HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE, THE INCREASE IN RATES.
AS AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OR, OR OR COST FOR A COMMUNITY LIKE OURS.
IF WE DON'T GET IN ON DATA CENTERS, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM THROUGH HIGHER UTILITY RATES.
IS THAT FAIR? IS THAT WHAT YOU ALL TOOK AWAY FROM IT? CLOSE? YEAH.
THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT DON'T SHINE AS BAD A LIGHT ON 'EM SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE, WE PROBABLY OUGHT TO GET OUR PIECE OF THE PIE TOO, SINCE WE'RE ALREADY PAYING FOR ALL THE ONES AROUND.
UM, USED TO BE A BIG FACTORY HERE.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU DON'T REMEMBER THIS TOWN USED TO, WHEN FMC WAS GOING ON, IT WAS PRETTY SMELLY IN THIS TOWN.
UM, PEOPLE USED TO, IT WAS THE GOING JOKE WHEN I WAS A KID OF GOING TO OTHER COMMUNITIES AND OTHER SCHOOLS TO PLAY SPORTS AND OH YEAH, Y'ALL THE TOWN, IT STINKS REALLY BAD.
'CAUSE IT USED TO REALLY SMELL BAD.
AND WHEN THAT FLAT FACTORY WAS FLATTENED, IT WAS PRETTY NICE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE GOT RID OF A HUGE EYESORE AND EVERYTHING, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA SAY PRO DATA CENTER.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FACTS AND, AND THERE HASN'T BEEN A MEETING LIKE THAT YET.
I, I MEAN I, I THINK THAT IT WOULD, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE OR HOST A MEETING THAT, THAT DISCUSSES THE PROS AND CONS OF DATA CENTERS AND HAVE BOTH SIDES, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE REPRESENTED.
I MEAN, I THINK ROB, ROB MCDOUGAL DID THAT BECAUSE HERE'S A CHALLENGE.
HERE'S OUR CHALLENGE, RIGHT? SO WE NEED TO CREATE TAX BASE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
[00:45:01]
ARE NOT BEING ADDRESSED.THE, THE, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE NOT, THEY, THEY DON'T WANNA RAISE TAXES ON US AND I DON'T WANT 'EM TO RAISE TAXES ON US EITHER.
BUT THEN THE ALTERNATIVE IS HOW DO WE BRING IN ADDITIONAL TAX BASE AND, AND IS IT DATA CENTERS OR IS IT SOMETHING ELSE? AND WE, WE NEED TO, WE HAVE SOME DIRECTION BECAUSE DATA CENTERS POTENTIALLY ARE A GOLDEN GOOSE.
BUT AT THAT MEETING THERE WERE, I MEAN THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT ONE DOWN THERE THAT, UH, THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA GET ALL SORTS OF TAXES ON, BUT BECAUSE IT WAS OWNED BY A BANK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT WASN'T TAXABLE.
AND SOMETHING THAT BOB SAID TOO, YOU DON'T KNOW THE BACKEND USER A LOT OF THE TIME, AND IF IT'S FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, YOU CAN'T DO ANY OF THE TIME.
SO THEN IT JUST GOES DOWN TO LAND USE, WHICH OUT HERE, IT'S BASICALLY THE SAME AS JUST DOING LIGHT MANUFACTURING.
SO, SO IF WE ARE GONNA DO THOSE SORT OF THINGS OR, OR IF WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT DATA CENTERS AT ALL SAFEGUARDS, WE NEED TO HAVE SAFEGUARDS.
WE NEED TO HAVE LEGISLATION AND RULES THAT SAY, HEY LOOK, YOU CAN SELL YOUR DATA CENTER TO THE FEDS OR WHOEVER, BUT WE EXPECT WE DEMAND TO BE PAID ON ON IT AS IF IT WAS NOT THE FEDS.
AND, BUT YOU KNOW, I NEVER EVEN, THAT WAS NEVER ON MY RADAR.
BUT IF WE DON'T, IF WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT, IF WE DON'T HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT, WE'RE GONNA MAKE BAD DECISIONS GOING FORWARD ABOUT DATA CENTERS, WHETHER WE'RE PRO OR CON ON IT.
BUT THERE'S NO QUESTION THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY NEED ADDITIONAL TAX BASE SO THAT THEY CAN DO PROJECTS THAT NEED TO GET DONE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE'S, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE BEING PUT OFF BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO RAISE TAXES AND I'M GOOD NOT RAISING TAXES, BUT THEN WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO HAVE ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, FOR OUR TOWN AND OUR COUNTY.
I WASN'T REALLY SURE WHAT I WAS, WHAT TO EXPECT GOING INTO IT, BUT I GUESS I WAS KIND OF EXPECTING MORE OF A ONE SIDE SPEAKS THERE.
IT WAS, IT WAS DEFINITELY, IT FELT, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT WAS WRONG OR RIGHT, OR ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT IT WAS VERY, UH, ONE SIDED SENTIMENT OF THE, SO I GUESS LIKE, UH, SEEING SOMEONE WHO WOULD, WHO WHO IS ADVOCATING FOR THE DATA CENTER HERE OR HERE TO HEAR THEM OUT.
'CAUSE IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WANT TO, UH, EXPLORE INVESTATE, EXPLORE, EXPLORE, YOU KNOW, THE OPTION OF THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT, YOU KNOW, THEN WE WANNA HEAR SOMEONE ADVOCATING FOR, OTHER THAN THE, THE COMPANY ITSELF IS TRYING TO PUT A DATA CENTER IN WHO OBVIOUSLY IS GONNA SAY, PROBABLY SAY WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, TO GET TO GET IT IN THERE, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
THEY'RE NOT, THEY, THEY, AS THEY SAID IN THAT MEETING, WE MIGHT NOT ALWAYS GET THE TRUTH TRYING OUT OF THE COMPANY THAT'S TRYING TO DO THE DATA CENTER WHO WOULD BE ADVOCATING FOR THEM.
THAT WE COULD HEAR OUT THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, TRUST WE'RE GETTING A RELIABLE, SO WHEN I, UM, WENT THROUGH PLANNING FOR SHARE TRAINING EARLIER THIS YEAR, THEY HAD BROUGHT IN TWO FOLKS, UM, FROM AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS VERY MUCH, THEY WERE GOOD ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
THEY, THEY WERE NOT ADVOCATING FOR, FOR HAVING THEM OR NOT HAVING THEM, OR IT WAS TRULY JUST SHARING WHAT THOSE FACTS WERE AND THINGS THAT YOU NEEDED TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO ASK THEM TO COME TO THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
AND, AND THEY WERE, IT WAS, THEY WERE COMING FROM AN ENERGY BACKGROUND, COMING FROM A DEVELOPMENT BACKGROUND.
THEY, THEY HAD, UM, THEY HAD A, A, I FELT LIKE A REALLY FAIR IMBALANCED PERSPECTIVE.
UM, I PERSONALLY DON'T HAVE AN OPINION ON THESE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
SO I AGREE THAT ANY DECISION WE MAKE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT INDUSTRY IT IS, WE NEED TO LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BEFORE WE ENGAGE IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO I, I'M, I'M ALL FOR YEAH, WE NEED TO COLLECT INFORMATION.
LIKE TO ME, THIS IS LIKE, IF, IF IT WERE, UH, IF, IF I WERE TRYING TO DO A BOWLING CENTER, I AM GONNA ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS AND, AND COLLECT ALL SORTS OF INFORMATION AND THEN I'M GONNA THROW IT IN THE POT AND FIGURE OUT DO I NEED TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO I HAVE? WHAT'S MISSING? I NEED YOUR NEXT PROJECT TO BE MINI GOLF FOR THE RECORD.
BUT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT LATER.
I, I ACTUALLY IT MIGHT BE COMING THOUGH.
THE TOURISM LADY WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
INSIDE THOUGH, PREFERABLY, YEAH.
WE'RE ALREADY GETTING STUFF DONE.
UM, SO, SO WHILE YOU WERE TRYING TO PUT THAT UP, UM, HE, UH, TOM MENTIONED, UH, HAVING MAYBE ROB MCDOUGALL COME, UM, TO TALK TO US, UH, GIVE US AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
[00:50:01]
HIM.SO NOW YOU HAVE, I'VE GOT A WHOLE LIST, WHOLE LIST OF YES.
UM, ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT? DATA CENTERS OR ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY.
JUST IS THERE, LIKE, ARE THERE PEOPLE LIKE WE HAD, UH, LIKE WITH ELECTIONS OR STUFF, ARE THERE PEOPLE RUNNING ON LIKE PRO OR ANTI-D DATA CENTERS? IS THAT A THING? I'M JUST, WELL, IF YOU SEE PENILE, THERE'S, UH, POSTER OR BANNERS, THEY DEFINITELY SAID NO DATA CENTERS.
I, I THINK DURING THE PRIMARY, I THINK THERE WAS A, A BIT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT IN THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF IT, 'CAUSE I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE EVENT WAS INSPIRED, YOU KNOW, BY, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, LOCAL ELECTIONS OR, OR YOU KNOW, YEAH.
I WANTED TO PUT IT ON, GONNA BE UP FOR VOTE OR, OR YOU KNOW.
I MEAN I WANTED TO PUT IT ON, I'M TRYING TO UNDERST IN THE CONTEXT A LITTLE MORE AND, AND MAKE SURE WE'RE AHEAD OF IT AND WE UNDERSTAND IT, YOU KNOW.
I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OPEN APPLICATIONS RIGHT NOW IN TOWN OR IN COUNTY, BUT, UM, KIND OF COMING OUTTA DISCUSSION WE HAD HERE AND KIND OF THE GENERAL CHATTER WITH THE, UH, WITH THAT REPUBLICAN PRIMARY TOO.
I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE THERE WAS A LOT OF BUZZ ABOUT IT.
AND THEN THERE WAS THE, UM, AND OF STRASBURG, I THINK IN THE APPLICATION STAGE FOR A SECOND ONE DOWN THERE, OR THE MATTER TO BE, I, I'M NOT, I'M NOT QUITE POSITIVE.
AND I THINK RIGHT NORTH MOST TWO, THEY'RE AN APPLICATION STAGE TWO FOR ONE.
SO LIKE IT IS, IT'S AROUND, RIGHT.
UM, BUT I'M, I MEAN, I DON'T, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING CURRENTLY.
THERE ARE COMPANIES THAT HAVE INQUIRED OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS ABOUT PROPERTIES AND TRUTH BE TOLD, I'VE IGNORED THEM BECAUSE THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE AN APPETITE, UM, UH, TOWN COUNCIL OR BY THE COUNTY TO DO ANY OF THAT.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO COLLECT MORE INFORMATION BEFORE WE START TALKING TO ANY DATA CENTER GROUP ABOUT LAND AND THAT, THAT THAT COULD, THEY MIGHT GO ON AND, YOU KNOW, DO IT THEMSELVES.
BUT IF WE'RE GONNA BE INVOLVED, WE NEED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DATA CENTERS.
AND THE PROS AND CONS OF, TO THE BEST OF MY UNDERSTANDING, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE'S ANY TOWN ZONING THAT ALLOWS DATA CENTER.
SO IT WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL DON SPECIAL USE PERMIT, CORRECT.
SO IT WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THE USUAL APPROVALS THAT YOU SEE WITH ANY OTHER SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY BEST UNDERSTANDING.
SO I DON'T THINK THIS IS AN IMMINENT DANGER TYPE OF SUGGESTION AT THE MOMENT.
BUT IT'S GOOD TO ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS, BUT IT'S A HOT TOPIC AND SO WE CAN'T STICK OUR HEADS IN THE SAND.
CERTAINLY MAKE SURE WE'RE TALK ABOUT IT.
WE TALK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, WELL, WE'RE NOT UP ON THE SCIENCE.
IT CHANGES LIKE OUR CELL PHONES AND OUR COMPUTERS, THERE'S AN UPGRADE.
UH, THERE'S A NEW WAY TO DO THINGS EVERY YEAR.
I, I WAS MYSTIFIED WHEN JUST OUR TOWN EMPLOYEES SPOKE, YOU KNOW, I HAD NO IDEA WE WERE PAYING OUR ELECTRIC BILL.
WE'RE ALREADY PAYING FOR DATA CENTERS EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE NONE IN THE TOWN.
JUST 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH DEMAND FOR POWER BECAUSE WE'RE PART OF THE PUBLIC ELECTRIC GRID.
AND, UH, SO I SPOKE TO SOMEONE, I MEAN, SOMEONE SAID, WELL, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH WATER.
AND I SAID, WELL, I JUST KEEPING AN OPEN MIND.
WHAT IF THE TAX BASE FROM THE DATA CENTER HELPED US SECURE A, A PERMANENT SECOND SOURCE OF WATER? YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S TAP INTO QUARRIES, BUILDING A RESERVOIR, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
BUT, AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND NOW, YOU KNOW, A HIGHER RATE OF THAT IS RECLAIMED THROUGH RECYCLING.
NOW IT'S, YOU KNOW, PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL.
BUT UNTIL WE TALK TO THE SCIENCE, IT'S A CONSTANT MOVING TARGET.
THE PEOPLE, I THINK, I THINK IT GETS BETTER.
IT'S ALL SPECULATION, IN MY OPINION.
BUT DATA CENTERS FROM 10 YEARS AGO ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM DATA CENTERS TODAY.
YOU KNOW, THE TECHNOLOGY DATA CENTERS FROM 10 YEARS AGO ARE NOW CURRENTLY BEING DEMOLISHED.
EQU FOR THREE STORY DATA CENTERS.
WITH MORE, WITH BETTER EFFICIENCY, BETTER USE OF REUSED WATER LINES, WATER STORAGE, COOLING.
SO YEAH, THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING UPGRADED ALL THE TIME.
YOU SOUND LIKE YOU'RE A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXPERT.
WELL, SO DON'T BE QUIET OVER THERE.
I MEAN, THERE'S ESSENTIALLY A CONCRETE BOX WITH A LOT OF COMPUTERS ADVOCATE.
I'M NOT ADVOCATING FOR OR AGAINST THEM.
UM, I KNOW THE EYESORE THAT THEY CAN BE BEING A LARGE CONCRETE BOX, AND I'M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULDN'T WANT TO HAVE THAT.
UM, IT'S PART OF THEIR VIEW OFF OF SKYLINE DRIVE.
[00:55:02]
UM, SO I UNDERSTAND THE AGAINST, UH, ALSO THE DEMAND FOR UTILITIES AND POWER AND WATER THAT THEY HAVE.UM, BUT LOUDOUN COUNTY'S BEEN ABLE TO WORK OUT TO HAVE AN ENTIRE ALLEY OF ALMOST HUNDREDS OF THEM AND PROVIDE UTILITY FOR THEM, ALBEIT WITH MULTIPLE TRANSMISSION LINES.
SO A LOT OF SUBSTATIONS, DOMINION ENERGY'S WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THESE DATA CENTERS IN ORDER TO GET THEM UP AND RUNNING AND THEY GET PUT TOGETHER QUICKLY.
SO IF IT'S A CONSTRUCTION JOB, I MEAN 18 MONTHS, YOU'RE GOING FROM BREAKING GROUND TO HAVING A BUILDING THAT'S PRETTY MUCH FULL OF THESE STACKS OF COMPUTERS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE INDUSTRIAL AREAS IN THE TOWN WHICH WOULD BE BETTER SUITED FOR THESE DATA CENTERS.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS PEOPLE'S APPETITE FOR THEM, I THINK LEARNING MORE ABOUT THEM AND SEEING, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, WHAT UTILITIES WE CAN PROVIDE VERSUS WHAT THEIR DEMAND WOULD BE AND WHAT, HOW TAXING THAT WOULD BE EITHER ON OUR GRID OR ON OUR FRESH WATER SUPPLY.
AND LIKE POLLUTION WOULD BE ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER AS WELL.
AND OF COURSE, CONSTRUCTION TRAFFIC, THE LOGISTICS OF GETTING THESE LARGE, EITHER PRECAST PANELS OR, OR HOWEVER YOU WANNA BUILD THEM, 'EM, UM, GETTING THAT TO WHATEVER PROJECT SITE EVENTUALLY, OR MAYBE NOT EVEN EVENTUALLY IT CHOSEN.
SO IT JUST BEING INFORMED AND HAVING INFORMED CITIZENS AND INFORMED COUNSEL THAT KNOWS, HEY, HERE'S SORT OF GUARDRAILS WE CAN SET UP.
SO THAT WAY WE'RE AT LEAST NOT GETTING A, A, A SHADY DEAL.
THEY WERE THE DATA CENTER COMPANY OR WHOEVER'S BUILDING IT IS GETTING EVERYTHING THEY WANT, AND THE TOWN'S NOT GETTING WHAT THEY WANT, THEIR EXPECTATIONS ARE.
AND NOW THAT, THAT LEGISLATIVE SIDE OF IT, I DON'T KNOW VERY MUCH ABOUT.
I KNOW HOW THEY'RE BUILT, BUT ALL THE PROPERTIES AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES IN AHEAD OF TIME AND WHAT THE MUNICIPALITY GETS OUT OF THEM, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I'D BE INTERESTED IN, IN LEARNING A LOT MORE ABOUT IT'S PASSIONATE SUBJECT IN FRONT ROW.
BUT I THINK A LOT OF IT IS JUST GETTING EDUCATED.
I, I HAVEN'T FORMED MY OPINION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
I JUST KNOW THAT I'M OPEN TO HEAR THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY.
IT SEEMS LIKE ALL YOU HEAR RIGHT NOW ARE THE NEGATIVES.
AND I'M LIKE, JUST HEARING ONE GUY SPEAK, YOU KNOW, KILLED A MISNOMER THAT IT'S GONNA COST US A FORTUNE IN ELECTRICITY.
WE'RE SUBSIDIZING EVERY DATA CENTER IN LOUDOUN COUNTY, PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, OHIO.
'CAUSE THEY ALL COME OFF OF THE GRID.
AND YOU KNOW, JUST THAT ALONE WAS VERY GOOD EDUCATIONAL.
LIKE, WHAT ELSE ARE WE GOING TO LEARN? YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, I KNOW VIRGINIA'S MOVING TO CHARGE THEM AT A DIFFERENT RATE THAN THE REST OF MUNICIPALITIES, BUT THAT WORKS DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE AS YOU MENTIONED, IT'S MULTI-STATE.
SO, UM, BUT BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE SUCH A DRAW, THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH, UM, I'LL FIND LEGISLATION AND PASS ALONG.
BUT
OUR NEXT MEETING IS, UH, AUGUST THE FOURTH.
FOURTH, UM, THE MOTION TO ADJOURN.