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REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL WORK SESSION[Town Council Work Session on August 4, 2025.]
FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 4TH.TO ORDER MS. PRESS, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? MAYOR
SO FIRST UP IS OUR NEW BUSINESS.
MS. CAMPBELL, YOU'RE GONNA BE UP FOR TWO ITEMS. PURCHASE OF A 20 FOOT TILT TRAILER AND THE PURCHASE OF A 12 FOOT DUMP TRAILER.
I THINK THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE FOR.
SO, BUT, OKAY, I'M GONNA KIND OF COMBINE 'EM.
THEY'RE BOTH FOR THE SAME DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE ONE'S A 20 FOOT TILT TRAILER TILT TRAILER.
THE OTHER IS A, UM, 16 FOOT, 12 FOOT DUMP TRAILER, BOTH FOOT PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE 12 FOOT THUMB TRAILER IS TO REPLACE ASSET 6 0 7, WHICH IS A 2006 EIGHT FOOT UTILITY TRAILER.
AND THE, UM, THE 20 FOOT TILT TRAILER IS REPLACING ASSET NUMBER 7 0 6, WHICH IS A 2004 16 FOOT MANUAL TILT TRAILER.
UM, STAFF IS REQUESTING THAT TOWN COUNCIL APPROVE THE PURCHASE OF BOTH TRAILERS FROM HUFFMAN TRAILER SALES LOCATED IN ROCKINGHAM, VIRGINIA.
UM, A 20 FOOT TILT TRAILER IS $9,278.
A 12 FOOT DUMP TRAILER IS $7,778.
BOTH METHODS, UM, OF PROCUREMENT TO USE FOR INFORMAL AND SOLICITATION, UM, THROUGH WHICH THREE WRITTEN QUOTES WERE OBTAINED.
ALL APPLICABLE GUIDELINES FOR COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT AS OUTLINED IN THE VPPA WERE FOLLOWED.
UM, TOWN COUNCIL IS BEING PRESENTED TOWN COUNCIL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TOWN COURT WATERS PROCUREMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURES MANUAL, WHICH REQUIRES COUNCIL'S APPROVAL FOR ALL ROLLING STOCK PURCHASES.
FUNDING HAS BEEN ENCUMBERED AND IS AVAILABLE IN FISCAL YEAR 26 UNDER WATER SEWER MAINTENANCE, MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT AND HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE, MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT.
SO ONE'S REPLACED AND SOMETHING THAT'S 21 YEARS OLD.
BUT WE WERE WONDERING BUDGET WISE WHERE THEY, IF THEY WERE THE SAME BUDGET.
I THINK THE 20 FOOT IS THAT FOR HORTICULTURE STREETS HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE, GETTING THE SIXTEENS FOR SEW SEWER.
WHAT? OH, SO YOU CARRY THE EQUIPMENT OUT.
16 FOOT, ISN'T IT, IT WAS NICE TO SEE A LOCAL COMPANY PARTICIPATE IN THE BIDDING WHILE THEY DIDN'T WIN IT.
I ALWAYS APPRECIATE WHEN WE SEE LOCAL BUSINESSES.
WHAT, WHAT WAS THE, UH, ON THE 16 FOOT TRAILER, WHAT WAS THE, UH, THE $3 ATTEMPT TANK VERSUS AND VERSUS THE SPARE BAR.
THAT'S WHAT, WHERE THAT AT? SURE.
DO WE NEED 10? I DON'T EVEN, I'M NOT EVEN SURE.
IT WAS NOT EVEN, THERE WAS ONE VENDOR AT 91 95 FOR THE COMMODITY COMMODITY COST.
AND THEN THERE'S 92 75 AND THEN 95 50.
AND THEN THERE'S FREIGHT DELIVERY COSTS.
LOOKS LIKE THREE, $3 FOR A TEMP TAG.
AND THEN THE OTHER GUY WHO WAS LOWER HAD HIS LOOKED LIKE SPARED TIRE FOR 235.
BUT BRUCE, YOU'RE CONFUSES CONFUSING ME, I THINK.
'CAUSE I WAS CONFUSING YOU, BUT ON THE, I I'M CONFUSED.
THE 91 95 AND THE 94, 90 95 AND THE 79 95, THEY WERE THREE DIFFERENT TRAILERS THAT THEY QUOTED.
THE THE OTHER ONE WAS A 20 FOOT TRAILER.
YEAH, I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE 16TH FOOT TRAILERS.
THERE ISN'T A 16 ACCORDING TO, WELL, SIX FOOT 12, WE WERE REPLACING A 16 FOOT TRAILER.
AND ALLS I HAD WAS A 20 FOOT TRAILER.
LEMME, I JUST WANNA SAY, SO THESE ARE CLOSED BIDS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO BASICALLY WHEN YOU, THESE WERE CLOTHES, BUT I'M, SO YOU, YOU ALWAYS GO WITH THE, YOU ALWAYS GO WITH THE CHEAPEST ONE, RIGHT? MM-HMM
BECAUSE I, I WOULD, I WOULD AGREE WITH MR. WOOD.
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IT SEEMS A SHAME THAT ONE OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT'S ONLY OFF BY $262, LIKE, YOU KNOW, TO GO WITHSOME JURISDICTIONS USE THE RULE OF THREE 5%.
IF IT'S WITHIN THAT, THEY'LL GO WITH THE LOCAL.
BUT THAT WOULD BE UP TO, UH, COUNCIL IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT.
UH, WE AND YOU, YOU'RE CORRECT.
WE JUST HAVE TO ADOPT A NEW POLICY.
'CAUSE I'VE ASKED THE SAME QUESTIONS BEFORE.
WE'VE GOT DEALERS AROUND HERE WITH ALL THESE FORD TRUCKS, BUT APPARENTLY NONE OF 'EM ARE AS COMPETITIVE AS OUR STATE OR WHATEVER THAT THING IS THAT YOU COME TO US MM-HMM
AND THEY, THOSE ARE USUALLY A MORE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT THOUGH, CORRECT.
FOR THOSE, LIKE, I GET THAT, BUT I'M JUST, FOR THIS ONE, I WAS JUST SAYING, I THINK IF MY MATH IS RIGHT, IT'S LITERALLY LIKE 260.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU GO AND YOU TALK TO ONE OR 2%, YOU KNOW, ON A COUPLE HUNDRED BUCKS.
IT'S NOT A LOT, BUT YOU GET UP TO THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, IT'S OH, NO, ABSOLUTELY NO, I, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.
I WAS JUST, I WAS JUST SAYING LIKE, I JUST THINK OF IT AS LIKE A LOCAL, AND I DON'T MEAN LOCAL WARREN COUNTY, I MEAN LOCAL IN THE ACTUAL FROM ROYAL.
SO, WHICH I, I TRAILER, MAYBE IT'S IN HERE, MS. CAMPBELL, AND FORGIVE ME IF I HAVE TO SEE IT.
ARE THESE DELIVERED TO US OR DO WE HAVE TO GO GET 'EM? UH, ACTUALLY, I, I HAVE TO GET BACK WITH YOU ON, IT'S EITHER DELIVERED.
ARE THEY USUALLY DELIVERING? IT'S USUALLY DELIVERED TO US.
I MEAN, IF WE HAVE TO RUN AFTER THE ONE DOWN IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, TWO HOURS, IT'S ROCK AND EVERYTHING.
ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT $200 SAVINGS,
THAT'S WHY I WAS SURPRISED THEY DIDN'T PUT A TEMP TAG ON IT BECAUSE THEY DELIVER 'EM TO US.
THEY SIT AT THE SHOP UNTIL WE GO TITLE.
THAT WAS MY ONLY THOUGHT WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IF IT'S NOT DELIVERED, WE'RE GONNA SPEND 200 BUCKS GOING AFTER IT.
I DON'T CARE WHERE IT'S, AND I GUESS THIS ONE'S A 20 FOOT TRAILER VERSUS A 16 FOOT.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING YES.
A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR A LITTLE LESS.
I WAS GETTING READY TO BRING THAT UP.
AND PLUS, UM, THE ONE THAT WE'RE GETTING IS A HYDRAULIC TILT VERSUS A MANUAL TILT.
YEAH, IT MAKES IT EASIER LOAD.
I WAS JUST THINKING LIKE 10 10.
IS EVERYBODY OKAY WITH BOTH OF THESE ITEMS BEING ON CONSENT? YEAH.
SO NEXT UP, MS. OSH, SHE'S GONNA COME AND TALK WITH US ABOUT OUR COUNTER FRONT EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK UPDATE, WHICH IS ON PAID TIME OFF AND OTHER ABSENCES.
SO, UM, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY UPDATING CHAPTER FIVE OF OUR EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK, WHICH IS ALL ABOUT PAID TIME OFF AND OTHER ABSENCES.
UM, I WAS GOING TO READ THE SUMMARY ON THE COVER SHEET.
UM, AND THEN I DO HAVE A PRESENTATION, THE PRESENTATION CENTERS AROUND THE PTO PIECE BECAUSE THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHANGE HERE, THE PRIMARY CHANGE.
UM, AND THEN ONCE I GET THROUGH THAT, UM, THERE'S OTHER SMALLER CHANGES TO SECTION FIVE OF THE HANDBOOK.
UM, I CAN EITHER GO THROUGH EACH OF THOSE OR IF YOU JUST WANNA ASK QUESTIONS AT THAT POINT, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT 'EM, I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO COUNSEL.
SO TOWN COUNSEL IS REQUESTED TO REVIEW AND APPROVE PROPOSED UPDATES TO SECTION FIVE OF THE TOWN OF FARM OIL EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK REGARDING PAID LEAVE AND ABSENCES.
THE PRIMARY CHANGE IS TO FULL-TIME, PAID TIME OFF BENEFITS.
THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES, CONSOLIDATE THE CURRENT SEPARATE AND STICK VACATION LEAVE POLICIES INTO A UNIFIED PAY TIME OFF PTO POLICY.
THE ADOPTION OF THE PTO POLICY OFFERS SEVERAL KEY ADVANTAGES, LONGEVITY INCENTIVES IN CONTRAST TO THE CURRENT POLICY, THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF NORTH EMPLOYEE TENURE, COMPETITIVE ALIGNMENT AND ALIGNS THE TOWN'S LEAVE AND PAYOUT POLICIES WITH THOSE OF NEIGHBORING MENTALITIES, IMPROVING RECRUITMENT RETENTION EFFORTS, ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY.
IT SIMPLIFIES TRACKING AND MANAGEMENT FOR HR AND SUPERVISORS.
EMPLOYEE FLEXIBILITY PROVIDES EMPLOYEES WITH MORE AUTONOMY AND FLEXIBILITY IN MANAGING THOSE TO INVOLVE WORKPLACE CULTURE.
EVERYONE, UM, REINFORCES A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS EMPLOYEE WELLBEING AND WORKLIFE BALANCE.
AS FAR AS THE BUDGET FUNDING, I'M NOT GONNA READ THROUGH THAT.
UM, IF THERE'S NO DIRECT PACK TO THE BUDGET, IT'S ALL AROUND THE LIABILITY PIECE THAT FALLS UNDER
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QUESTIONS AROUND THAT, UM, I'M NOT REAL CONFIDENT IN ANSWERING, BUT WE HAVE BJ HERE, SO HE'LL BE AS FAR AS THE BUDGET GOES, THE, UM, THIS WOULD BE BOOKED AS A LIABILITY ON OUR BOOKS.WE HAVE TO BOOK IT AS A LIABILITY REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY'RE DO TONIGHT.
WE HAVE A LIABILITY ON THE BOOKS RIGHT NOW, AND WHAT'LL HAPPEN IS WHEN SOMEBODY RETIRES, IT WILL OFFSET THAT LIABILITY.
UM, NOW OUR POLICY, UH, DIRECTLY INFLUENCES WHAT THAT LIABILITY LOOKS LIKE IF WE DO NOTHING AS IS.
THE AUDITOR'S RECOMMENDATION IS TO BOOK ALL THE, ALL THE, UH, COMPENSATED ABSENCES THAT ARE ON THE BOOKS, APPROXIMATELY 1.9 MILLION.
IF WE GO WITH THIS PROPOSED, UH, HANDBOOK UPDATE, IT'S RIGHT AROUND 1.3 MILLION, WHICH IS RIGHT AROUND WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW BOOKED.
BUT THAT'S DONE BECAUSE THE AUDITOR SAYS WE NEED TO BOOK THAT A LIABILITY.
UH, YEAH, THERE'S A NEW SHUT DOWN THE TOWN TOMORROW.
WE'D HAVE TO PAY THAT EXACTLY A HUNDRED PERCENT.
UM, IF THERE WAS A NEW GAS BANK, A GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS WILL PRONOUNCEMENT THAT CAME OUT AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S LED US TO WHERE WE'RE AT TO THAT.
SO FOR PRESENTATION, UM, START OUT WITH HOW WE GOT HERE.
UM, LAST YEAR WE DID A REVIEW OF OUR CURRENT LEAVE POLICIES.
THERE WAS NO INCENTIVE FOR RETENTION OR RE RETIREMENT, AND IT ENCOURAGES THE USE OF SICK LEAVE.
UM, OUR CURRENT, YEAH, STRUCTURE, LIKE FOR SICK LEAVE IN PARTICULAR, UM, WE PAY OUT 50% OF YOUR SICK LEAVE, BUT THERE'S A CAP OF $2,000.
UM, AND FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME AND ARE LOOKING TO RETIRE, IF YOU'VE BEEN HERE 20 PLUS YEARS, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE OVER A THOUSAND HOURS OF COMPLETE.
SO WHEN, UM, THEY HAVE THAT THOUSAND HOURS AND THEY RETIRE AND THEY'RE ONLY GETTING PAID $2,000, THAT EQUATES TO SOMEWHERE BETWEEN LIKE 40 AND 80 OF THEIR ACTUAL HOURS AND THEY MOVED OUT ON THE REST OF IT.
UM, AND WE HAVE A USE OR LOSE IT POLICY FOR VACATION LEAVE.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE WAS A PROBLEM UNTIL I DID COMPARISONS TO OTHER LOCALITIES.
BUT MOST OTHER LOCALITIES, WHAT THAT MEANS FOR USER OR LOSE IT, OUR VACATION LEAVE THE MAX IS 160 HOURS AT THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
UM, YOU CAN CARRY OVER 160 IF YOU'RE OVER THAT AND YOU LOSE THE REST OF THE TIME WIPED OUT.
UM, MOST OTHER LOCALITIES DON'T JUST WIPE IT OUT.
THEY ROLL IT INTO A SICK, THE PERSON'S SICK LEAVE THING.
UM, BUT SO WE BENCHMARK TO OTHER SURROUNDING LOCALITIES, UM, OUT OF 12 LOCALITIES OFFERING TRADITIONAL SICK AND VACATION LEAVE, THE TOWN RANKS THE LOWEST OR AMONGST THE LOWEST AND EARNED IN PAYOUT OF LEAVE.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE GOES MORE INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
AND THEN NUMBER THREE, GAS BE 1 0 1.
THE NEW LIABILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPENSATED ABSENCES.
UM, CAN YOU TELL, GIVE US SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT LOCALITIES THAT WE WERE COMPARED TO? YEAH.
IN THE AGENDA PACKET? OH, IT IS, IT'S NEAR THE VERY END.
THEY, THEY'RE ALL LISTED THERE FOR YOU.
THERE'S, UM, TOWN COUPLE SIX AND IT'S, UM, YEAH.
ALL SURROUNDING ONES AROUND US.
WE, UM, YEAH, THERE'S 17 TOTAL OUT OF THE 17.
12 OF THEM OFFER THE TRADITIONAL SICK AND VACATION LEAVE WE DO NOW.
UM, SO WHEN I COMPARE THEM, I'M CONSIDERING ONLY THE 12 THAT OFFER THE SAME THING.
BUT WE, UM, THIS IS SHOWING OUR CURRENT PAYOUT STRUCTURE.
WE, UM, OUR EMPLOYEES EARN 80 HOURS A YEAR OF SICK LEAVE.
AND THEN THE PAYOUT IS THIS 50% MAX 2000 FOR THE SICK LEAVE EARNED.
WE ARE THE LOWEST COMPARED TO ALL 12 COMPARATORS.
AND THEN FOR THE PAYOUT, UM, THE MAJORITY OF THEM HAVE BETTER FAVORED PAYOUT STRUCTURES, STRUCTURES THAT UTILIZE TIERED SYSTEM THAT REWARD LONGEVITY.
SO BASED ON HOW LONG AN EMPLOYEE'S BEEN HERE, UM, THE PAYOUT'S A LITTLE HIGHER.
AND THEN FOR VACATION LEAVE, UM, THIS IS OUR CURRENT VACATION LEAVE STRUCTURE.
DEPENDING ON HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN HERE, UM, YOU EARN MORE TIME.
UM, ANNUAL CAP MAX CARRYOVER, AGAIN, IT'S 160 HOURS.
ANY EMPLOYEE GOES OVER THAT, THEY LOSE THAT TIME AT THE END OF THE YEAR PAYOUT IS THE SAME AS THE ANNUAL CAP AND THEN CONVERT TO SICK LEAVE.
UM, AGAIN, I MENTIONED THIS, BUT, UM, MOST LOCALITIES DO TAKE ANY EXCESS LEAVE FROM THERE AND CONVERT IT TO SICK LEAVE.
SO FOR VACATION LEAVE, AND WE'RE LOWER THAN 11 OF THE 12 COMPARATORS.
WE'RE LOWER THAN 11 OF THE 12.
IF THEY HAVE 160 HOURS OF ANNUAL LEAVE AND THEY MAX OUT BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET THE TIME OFF, THEY STILL LOSE THAT.
YES, THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES, LIKE DEPENDING
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ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES.FOR EXAMPLE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS VERY, THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT SHORT FOR A WHILE.
AND THEY, THEY WERE GUYS I'M SURE THAT WANTED VACATION AND WE LET THEM CARRY OVER THEIR TIME AND THEY OKAY, IT AT THE TIMING IS THERE'S DISCRETION TO APPROVE THIS.
THAT'S NOT FAIR TO THEM OR FAIR TO ANYBODY THAT WORKS FOR THE TOWN.
IF THEY'VE GOT 160 AND THEY CAN'T, THEY CAN'T GET TIME OFF AND THEY LOSE IT, THAT'S YEAH.
IF THEY ABSOLUTELY CAN'T GET THE TIME OFF WORK, THE OVERTIME.
UM, SO THE GOAL IS TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH BENEFITS AND TO RETAIN AND ATTRACT EMPLOYEES.
UH, LESS TURNOVER AND MORE TENURED EMPLOYEES EQUALS MORE EFFICIENT AND EQUITABLE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND ITS CITIZENS.
OUR OPTIONS WERE TO EITHER INCREASE SICK AND VACATION BENEFITS UNDER THE CURRENT SYSTEM OR TO CONVERT TO PTO PLAN.
UM, WHY PTO TO BECOME COMPETITIVE WITH PAID TIME OFF, RETAIN, AND ATTRACT THE GOAL.
PTO PLANS HAVE SHOWN TO REDUCE UNSCHEDULED TIME OFF.
AND THEN THE REST OF THOSE LISTED ARE THE ONES THAT I JUST READ OUT TO YOU FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE AGENDA.
THE LONGEVITY INCENTIVES, ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCIES, EMPLOYEE FLEXIBILITY, AND WORKPLACES CULTURE.
IT, IT SEEMED LIKE WHEN I READ THROUGH ALL THIS THAT YOU, WHEN YOU DIVE IN DEEPER AND YOU LOOK AT IT, OF COURSE THERE'S ALWAYS A CHANCE OF SOMEBODY ABUSING THE SYSTEM.
BUT IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME THAT YOU ADDRESSED IT AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES WITH THE DEPARTMENT MANAGER AND ULTIMATELY WITH THE TOWN MANAGER, OF COURSE HR REVIEWING IT AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT SOMEONE IS, UM, TRYING TO GAIN THE SYSTEM OR WORKING SYSTEM THAT THERE IS SOMETHING IN PLACE FOR MINUTES.
IT MAY NOT BE PERFECT, IT MAY BE A, A LEARN AS YOU GO KIND OF THING.
BUT WE TRY TO DO, NOTHING IS EVER PERFECT, THE BEST
BUT YOU HAVE A LOT OF, UH, LANGUAGE IN THERE TO HELP HER.
SO BASICALLY YOU'RE TALKING 160 HOURS IN THE CURRENT SYSTEM, BUT IT'S SICK AND VACATION AND PTO, IT WOULD STILL BE THE 160 HOURS.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE ANY MORE HOURS.
IT'S LITERALLY JUST GONNA BE THE WAY IN WHICH PEOPLE GET TO USE IT.
IF THEY WANT TO TAKE THREE WEEKS OF VACATION AND THEY'VE ONLY, AND THEY'RE NOT SICK, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT'S JUST, THEY'RE TAKING IT OFF BASICALLY.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST SHOWING YOU WE'RE NOT GIVING ANY MORE HOURS THAN WHAT WE DO NOW.
UM, I HAVE, I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION.
UH, WE HAVE FUNERAL LEAVE 24 HOURS.
UH, I THINK WE NEED TO DO AWAY WITH THE 24 HOURS AND MAKE IT A FLAT THREE DAYS.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TOWN EMPLOYEES THAT WORK 10 HOURS.
WE HAVE TOWN EMPLOYEES THAT WORK 12 HOURS AND THE TOWN EMPLOYEE THAT WORKS 12 HOURS, HE'S ONLY GONNA, THEY'RE ONLY GONNA GET TWO DAYS.
I MEAN, EVERYWHERE YOU GO IT, IT'S A THREE DAY BEREAVEMENT LEAVE.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO DO AWAY WITH THE 24 HOURS BY THE SHIFT HOURS.
I MEAN, GUYS THAT ARE WORKING, AND I'LL USE BRIAN'S DEPARTMENT AS AN EXAMPLE, THEY'RE 12.
THEY CAN'T COME AND SAY, OH, I JUST WANNA WORK EIGHT HOURS.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MANDATED TO WORK 12 HOUR SHIFTS.
SO IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, THEY GET TWO DAYS, THAT'S NOT EVEN TIME TO DO ANYTHING FOR A YEAR.
I WOULD LOVE TO THREE DAYS IS PUSHING IT ANYMORE, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, DOES THAT COME OUT OF THEIR LEAVE? I, IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, OUR, WE GET FIVE DAYS, BUT IT'S NOT, WE GET IT.
NO, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT LIKE THEY DON'T GIVE IT TO US.
IT'S STILL PART OF OUR DAYS OFF.
THIS IS, SO IT IS IN ADDITION TO, IT WOULD BE IN ADDITION TO LIKE EVEN IF THEY USED ALL 160 HOURS AND THEY HAD A DEATH IN THE FAMILY, THEY'D GET THE ADDITIONAL HOURS TOO.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO USE ANY OF, RIGHT.
WOULD THAT BE DEFINED TO IMMEDIATE FAMILY? AND IT IS DEFINED AS WHAT THEY COULD USE IT FOR.
IT'S ALL SPELLED OUT VERY WELL.
COUNCIL MEIDA COPA ACTUALLY BROUGHT THIS CONCERN UP TO COUNCIL VIA EMAIL IN LIGHT OF HER ABSENCE EARLIER OR LATE LAST WEEK.
'CAUSE LAST MONTH WE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED THAT WITH THE DEATH WHERE WE HAD TO TRAVEL OUT OF STATE FOR THE FUNERAL AND JUST, UH, WE USED ALL THREE DAYS UNEXPECTEDLY BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF STATE.
SO TO THAT REGARD, I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT SENTIMENT THAT, UM, COUNCIL M MONICA PAIN BROUGHT UP AND COUNCILMAN
I AGREE WITH DEFINE AS THREE DAYS CHANGE UP TO THREE DAYS AND DAYS WOULD THEN TRANSLATE INTO THE SHIFT THAT YOU WORK.
IF YOU'RE A 12 HOUR EMPLOYEE, A 10 HOUR OR AN EIGHT HOUR EMPLOYEE, IT WOULD BE THREE DAYS.
AND IN THE CURRENT SYSTEM, I'M JUST ASKING BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, THE THREE DAYS, LIKE I, I KNOW UNFORTUNATELY
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IF I, I'VE EXPERIENCED IT IN THE LAST SO MANY YEARS WITH MY ON ANYWAY, IT HIT, SOMETIMES IT'S MORE THAN THREE DAYS.LIKE THE DAY THAT IT'S HAPPENING.
THE NEXT DAY YOU'RE PLANNING IT THE NEXT, SO THEY COULD USE THE THREE DAYS AND THEN THEY COULD ALSO USE THEIR LEAVE TO MAKE IT FIVE DAYS IF THEY WANTED TO.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I CAN TAKE AND UPDATE IN THIS.
IT SHOULD BE, YOU PROBABLY LEAVE 14 DAYS.
HOLIDAYS START, I'D LIKE TO SEE FUNERAL DESCRIBED DAYS.
VOLUNTEER LEVION WOULD LEAVE IT AS IS BECAUSE SOMEBODY COULD VOLUNTEER A HALF A DAY HERE AND ABOUT HALF A DAY THERE.
SO EIGHT HOURS WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE FOR THAT.
AND I GOT ONE OTHER QUESTION ABOUT HOLIDAYS.
IF THEY'RE SCHEDULED TO WORK A HOLIDAYS WITH, SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE MANDATED, THEY'RE GONNA WORK THE HOLIDAY.
IF THEY TAKE OFF THE DAY BEFORE, THE DAY AFTER BECAUSE THEY'VE GOTTA TRAVEL SOMEWHERE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET PAID.
THAT'S NOT FAIR TO THE EMPLOYEE.
UNSCHEDULE LIKE IF YOU CALL IN, WHICH IS REALLY COMMON, I DON'T KNOW ANYWHERE THAT PAY YOU FOR HOLIDAY.
IF I WAS WORK AND I HAD TO WORK CHRISTMAS EVE, CHRISTMAS DAY, THE DAY AFTER, AND I NEED TO GO TO PENNSYLVANIA WITH MY FAMILY, AM I GONNA GET PAID FOR CHRISTMAS DAY TOO? UM, IT WAS PRESCHEDULE IT WAS SCHEDULED.
YOU CAN'T CALL IN THE DAY BEFORE.
THEY SAY, IF THEY DIDN'T TAKE, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THEY TOOK THE HOLIDAY AND THEY DIDN'T GET HOLIDAY PAY AND THEY WOULDN'T GET THE DAY BEFORE AND THE DAY AFTER HONOR.
AS LONG AS IT'S PRESCHEDULED, THEY WOULDN'T OKAY.
IT'S BASICALLY, I'M, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE UPBEAT YET, BUT I THAT'S
LIKE I I PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY I KNOW THAT WORKS FOR SOMEBODY THAT WAY, INCLUDING MYSELF.
IF YOU TAKE THE DAY, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, GOOD FRIDAY, RIGHT? IF WE WERE TO TAKE OFF THE THURSDAY BEFORE GOOD FRIDAY, WELL FIRST OFF, WE DON'T GET PAID FOR GOOD READY, BUT WE AREN'T ALLOWED TO TAKE THE DAY OFF BEFORE A HOLIDAY.
FOR EVEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOESN'T EVEN ALLOW SCHEDULED DAY OFF THE DAY BEFORE AND THE DAY AFTER AND THEN GET PAID FOR THE HOLIDAY.
BUT IF YOU'RE, IF YOU SCHEDULE AND IT'S APPROVED, YEAH, THEY WOULD GET PKO FOR THE DAY BEFORE THEY GET HOLIDAY PAY.
AND IT'S SCHEDULED A THREE DAY HOLIDAY, WHATEVER WITH APPROVAL IT'S PAID.
BUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND UNIONS DON'T EVEN PAY YOU IF IT'S SCHEDULED.
I SAID, IT SAYS, I SAID IT WRONG.
YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED SEE PERSON DAY, MONTHS FOR A HOLIDAY.
IF YOU'RE A TEACHER, THE ONLY, THE SUPERINTENDENT APPROVES IT SICK LEAVE.
IF YOU CALL IN SICK, THERE'S, WHICH HAPPENS OFTEN, YOU KNOW? UM, THAT'S HOW PEOPLE GET AROUND IT.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE AGAIN, HR, THE DEPARTMENT MANAGER, THE TOWN MANAGER.
UH, IF THERE'S QUESTION, SO FIRST OFF IS ANYBODY IS, ARE PEOPLE OKAY WITH THE IDEA OF SWITCHING OVER TO PTO? LIKE, I MEAN, WE WOULDN'T BE DOING THAT UNTIL THE LAST, LAST SWITCHING LAST EMPLOYER.
WE, WE WENT TO THAT AND THAT WAY GIVES THE EMPLOYEE THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THOSE HOURS THE WAY THEY WANT.
AGAIN, IT'S GOTTA BE APPROVED.
I MEAN YEAH, BUT IT SAYS, WELL, YOU KNOW, I WANT MORE THAN, YOU KNOW, KNOW JOE COMES ON BOARD, WE WANT TO LET HIM TAKE HIS TIME OFF, BUT HE DOESN'T HAVE IT.
OR IT, I THINK IT'S A BETTER SYSTEM.
IT'S MORE UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED.
AND UM, AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT APPROVED DIGITAL USAGE.
HR, WE, IS SHE NOT PAYING? THEY EARN PTO.
AND IN, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE PROFIT WORLD, PTO IS IS GENERALLY IS IT WE ACCEPTABLE? YEAH.
AND IF YOU'RE SICK BEYOND 80 HOURS AGAIN, DOES WARREN DO THE SAME THING? THEY'RE SICK ON VACATION.
SO WHEN YOU SAY, 'CAUSE WE COMPARED TO 17 MM-HMM
WHEN YOU CONTINUED TO SAY LIKE, WE'RE BELOW 11 OUT OF THE 12, WHAT, WHAT, WHICH OF THE 12 OUT OF THOSE 17 WERE WE LOOKING AT? THAT'S WHAT I WAS, THAT IS IT.
I'M NOT EVEN SURE I'M SAYING THAT RIGHT.
WHERE IS ATTACHED? UM, COMPARE COMPAR FOUR.
THE, ALL THE COMPARATORS ARE LISTED AT TOP 17 OF THEM, RIGHT? FIVE PPOS ARE BELOW IT.
SO EVERYONE ELSE, OTHER THAN THE FIVE OR THE 12
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I, I DON'T HAVE 'EM SEPARATED AT FIVE.I JUST PUT ALL OF 'EM TOGETHER.
AND THEN SO TAKE OUT THOSE FIVE THAT ARE DOWN THERE.
SO WHO DOESN'T DO YOU SAID 11 OUT OF 12 WERE LESS THAN WE'RE TWO HERE AT THE TOP.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M ASKING.
I'M SAYING IN THE OTHER SLIDE, SHE SAID 11 OUT OF LIKE WE CON IT SEEMED LIKE MORE THAN ONCE.
IT WAS, IT SAID WE WERE BELOW 11 OUT OF THE 12.
I WAS JUST SAYING, AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA TELL US WHO THIS? I DON'T KNOW.
WELL, AFTER THE MEETING I'D APPRECIATE KNOWING BECAUSE WE COMPARE A LOT OF OUR STUFF TO OTHER LOCALITIES CODES, ORDINANCES.
SO, AND WE JUST HAD A WHOLE BLACK MEETING ABOUT HOW BAD OURS IS.
SO, SO I MEAN, WE'RE NOT VOTING HERE ON THIS, BUT IF, BUT IF PEOPLE AREN'T OKAY WITH IT, THEN WE NEED TO AT LEAST GIVE MS. MCINTOSH THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THINGS.
BUT I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE PTO PART.
IF SWITCHING IT TO A PTO SYSTEM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WE'RE CONCERNS? I'M COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
I THINK, UH, BJ AND LAURA AND GEORGE HAS REVIEWED IT.
WE PRESENTED THIS TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AT OUR MEETING.
WE'VE SHARED THAT WITH THEM FOR ANY FEEDBACK THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE.
INITIALLY WHEN THIS WENT OUT TO, UH, COUNSEL, WE SHARED IT AGAIN FOR EVERYBODY TO REVIEW.
UM, I CAN'T SPEAK IF ANYBODY HAS SPOKEN INDEPENDENTLY WITH MS. MCINTOSH, BUT I'M COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
I THINK FOR THE BIG THING, FOR ME, IT REALLY BEGINS TO INCENTIVIZE OUR LONG TENURED EMPLOYEES.
UM, WHICH RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT MAKES US SO PROUD.
LIKE ESPECIALLY FROM OUR LOWER LEVEL EMPLOYEES, THE ONES OUT IN THE FIELD DOING THE REAL WORK.
UM, WITH THAT INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, WE GET TO KEEP THAT AND RETAIN IT AND KEEPS US COMPETITIVE.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE I LOOK AT IT NOW, REWARDING THEM AND KEEPING THEM ON STAFF.
AND OUR LIABILITY IS AN INCREASE.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE NOT INCREASING OUR EXPENSES.
IT'S HOW THE GRANT PAID TO ALL.
SO IF YOU WERE SICK, IF YOU, IF YOU HAD, AND, AND IT'S NOT PROBLEM, YOU BROKE YOUR LEG AND YOU HAD ISSUES AND YOU HAD TO BE OUT LONGER THAN TWO WEEKS, THEN YOU COULD DIP INTO, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD GO BEYOND.
THE SICK LEAVE WOULD BE A ONE LIFETIME EVENT.
FROM MY KNOWLEDGE, THAT'S 40 40.
THAT'S FOUR 40 HOUR WEEKS, RIGHT? IS WHAT IT IS.
LIKE EVERY, ANY SURGERY I'VE EVER HAD, I WAS OUT FOR SIX WEEKS.
SO THEY CAN SAVE SOME OF THAT RIGHT UP TO 160 HOURS.
IT DEPENDS ON HOW LONG IT'S BEEN HERE, BUT YEAH, IT BE 240 HOURS WHEN YOU'RE STARTING OUT.
THEY'LL ALSO HAVE THE SICK BANK.
SO HOW MANY DAYS CAN Y'ALL GET OUTTA YOUR SICK BANK? WE CAN ONLY GET 30.
WE DON'T HAVE ONE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THIS IS TAKING US TO A SICK BANK.
BUT HOW MANY WOULD THAT BE? AND THEY, THE SICK BANK.
I THOUGHT THE NEXT ONE WAS THE SICK BANK.
UM, HOW THE SICK LEAVE RESERVE BANK.
SO LIKE I WAS TALKING EARLIER, IF UM, WHEN THEY REACH THAT CAP EACH YEAR, THAT MAXIMUM 240 HOURS, UM, IF THEY'RE OVER IT, THE EXCESS, WE'LL GO INTO THAT SICKLY RESERVE BANK.
SO EXCESS HOURS CAN ROLL INTO THAT SICKLY RESERVE BANK, UM, AT THE END OF EVERY CALENDAR YEAR.
AND THEN THAT'S THERE FOR, UM, LIKE MEDICAL, LONGER TERM ILLNESS TYPE THING.
THEY CAN USE IT FOR LIKE FMLA RELATED EVENTS AND STUFF.
IT'S THEIR, EACH PERSON HAS THEIR OWN INDIVIDUALISTIC LEAVE.
OURS IS ASKING DIFFERENT, LIKE OURS IS JUST, THERE'S A BANK AND EVERY YEAR WE HAVE TO DONATE ONE OF OUR SICK DAYS.
WE HAVE TO DONATE ONE TO THE BANK.
AND IN A CALENDAR YEAR YOU CAN TAKE UP TO 30 DAYS OUT.
BUT THE NEXT YEAR YOU'RE, YOU HAVE TO DONATE AGAIN.
LIKE FOR THE YEAR OR WHATEVER.
THAT'S WHY I WAS JUST CURIOUS 'CAUSE I WAS JUST THINKING FOUR WEEKS WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH IF YOU HAD A SURGERY.
SO, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE DONATING, YOU HAVE TO, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, HAVE THOSE DAYS ROLL OVER INTO THIS RESERVE SICK BAG.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY HOURS LEFT, YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANY RESERVE OVER IT.
SO THAT KIND OF INCENTIVIZES, THAT INCENTIVIZES YOU TO SAVE SOME SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE SOME OVER THERE.
IS THE CAP IS STILL 2000 OR NO, IT'S DIFFERENT BASED ON HOW MANY YEARS.
UM, 'CAUSE YOURS IS UP THERE, BUT THIS IS FOR THE, DEPENDING WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IT'S PTO VERSUS THE SICK LEAVE RESERVE BANK.
FOR THAT SICK LEAVE RESERVE BANK.
[00:30:01]
NO CAP THAT CAN GO AS HIGH AS YOU WANT.AND THAT, I MEAN, WHEN THEY RETIRE, THERE'S A CAP, 25%, 25% OF WHATEVER.
SHE'S GOT A, I MEAN DO YOU WANT'S YOU GO ON SHOW TAPES ON, GOTCHA.
THIS ONE IS JUST COMPARING, UM, OUR PTO PROPOSED PLAN TO THE OTHER FIVE COMPETITORS THAT HAVE FOR PTO PLANS.
UM, SO IT PLACES FOR OIL AND MS. PIERS NOT THE MOST COMPETITIVE AND NOT THE LEAST.
UM, YOU CAN SEE FOR OIL AT THE TOP, OUR ANNUAL ACCRUAL ONE 60, UM, HORSE COMP ONE IS THE HIGHEST AT 1 92.
UM, TWO AND THREE ACCRUES AN EXTRA DAY ON TOP OF US.
BUT THEN THE BOTTOM TWO ACCRUES 16 HOURS LESS THAN US.
SO WE'RE LIKE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
UM, MAX CARRYOVER, UM, OURS STARTS AT 240 HOURS.
ONE BELOW US, ANOTHER ONE BELOW US, AND THEN THESE ARE ABOVE US.
UM, I, THIS IS A BIG DIFFERENCE AND I BELIEVE THAT THE REASON THERE'S A DIFFERENCE, AND I HAVEN'T BEEN AT THE BOTTOM, IS BECAUSE, UM, THIS IS THE ONLY COMPARED THAT DOESN'T HAVE ONE OF THOSE SICK LEAVE RESERVE BANK.
UM, SO THEY DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE FOR TIME TO ROLL OVER INTO OR PAY IT OUT FROM IT.
SO THEY HAVE A HIGHER CARRYOVER LIMIT.
THEY DO HAVE A SICK LEAVE RESERVE BANK, BUT THEY DON'T PAY OUT OF IT.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE THERE'S LOT HIGHER.
THIS IS WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT THAT SICK LEAVE RESERVE BANK.
UM, THE SEPARATE BANK OF TIME.
AT THE END OF EACH CALENDAR YEAR, EXCESS PTO HOURS, WHICH ARE THE HOURS ABOVE THE MAXIMUM ACCRUALS AUTOMATICALLY CONVERT TO THE EMPLOYEE'S.
SLR HOURS MAY BE USED FOR LONGER TERM SICKNESS OR ILLNESS FOR EMPLOYEES OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS.
AND THEN EMPLOYEES WITH AT LEAST FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE ARE PAID OUT.
MR. MCINTOSH, YOU HAVE IT UP THERE.
UH, FM LS A, UH, SOMEBODY GOES OUT TO, TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR SPOUSE.
UH, THEY CAN THEN DRAW THAT MONEY WHILE THEY'RE OUT, WHICH IS GUARANTEED OFF, BUT IT'S NOT PAID.
THEY HAVE TO USE FROM THEIR LEAD BANKS.
UM, SO THE NEXT TWO SLIDES, I'M GIVING YOU EXAMPLES OF HOW THE PTO SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO REWARD LONGEVITY.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT GOING ON HERE, BUT, UM, THIS FIRST EXAMPLE IS AN EMPLOYEE THAT IS LOOKING TO RETIRE.
THEY HAVE 30 YEARS OF SERVICE AND AN HOURLY RATE OF $25 AN HOUR.
AND IT'S JUST SHOWING WHAT THEY WOULD GET UNDER THE CURRENT POLICY VERSUS THE PROPOSED PTO POLICY.
UM, THE CURRENT POLICY HAS A MAXIMUM OF 160 VACATION HOURS.
UH, WE'RE ASSUMING THAT THIS, THE EMPLOYEE HAS 160 VACATION HOURS AND WE'RE ASSUMING THAT THEY HAVE A THOUSAND HOURS OF SICK LEAVE.
SO FOR THE VACATION PAYOUT, THEY'RE GETTING THAT 160 HOURS TIMES THEIR HOURLY RATE, 4,000.
AND FOR THE SICK PAYOUT IT WAS 50% WITH A CAP OF $2,000.
SO THIS SHOWS HOW THAT 50% WORKS A THOUSAND HOURS TIMES 50% IS 500 HOURS, 500 HOURS TIMES THE HOURLY RATE.
SO THEIR TOTAL PAYOUT IS $6,000.
UM, AND THAT JUST ILLUSTRATES KIND OF WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT BEFORE, HOW UM, OUR EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME HAVE A LOT OF LEAVE, UM, GET REALLY UPSET BECAUSE THEY JUST LOSE OUT ON ALL THAT LEAVE AT THE END OF THE DAY.
SO WE'RE ASSUMING THEY HAVE THE MAX 320 PTO HOURS THAT THEY CAN HAVE.
UM, AND THEN 840 HOURS IN THE SIMPLY LEAVE RESERVE.
UM, THE REASON FOR THE NUMBERS IS TO MATCH 'EM UP SO THAT THEY ARE BOTH EQUAL TO 1,160 HOURS.
BUT YOUR PTO PAYOUT THREE 20 PTO HOURS TIMES THE 25 HOURLY RATE, $8,000.
AND THEN THE SICK LEAVE RESERVE IS THE 840 HOURS TIMES THE 25% THAT WE PAY OUT FOR THAT 210 HOURS TIMES HOURLY RATE.
SO IT SHOWS THAT THE TOTAL PAYOUT FOR THIS EMPLOYEE UNDER THE NEW POLICY VERSUS THE OLD.
SO IT'S GOOD FOR THAT EMPLOYEE.
THEN THE NEXT ONE IS THE OPPOSITE.
IT SHOWS A LESS TENURED EMPLOYEE THAT'S, THAT LEAVES US AFTER THREE YEARS AND HAS THE SAME HOURLY RATE, $25 AN HOUR.
SO THIS IS OUR NEW PTO PAYOUT STRUCTURE.
UM, ZERO TO FOUR YEARS, THEY'RE PAID OUT 50% OF THEIR BALANCE.
UM, SO UNDER THE CURRENT POLICY, WE'RE ASSUMING THEY HAVE THE MAX 160 VACATION HOURS AND THEN 80 HOURS OF SICK LEAVE, WHICH EQUALS TWO 40.
AND THE WHOLE REASON IS SO THAT THE TWO SIDES MATCH UP.
BUT VACATION WE'RE PAYING OUT 160 COMES THE HOURLY RATE 4,000.
THE SICK PAYOUT WOULD BE THAT 80 HOURS TIMES 50%, WHICH IS 40 HOURS TIMES THEIR HOURLY RATE A THOUSAND.
[00:35:01]
THE CURRENT POLICY, THEY'RE GETTING 5,000 PTO UM, MAX.THE 240 HOURS TIMES THIS 50% PAYOUT BALANCE IS 120 HOURS.
AND THEN THAT 120 HOURS TIMES THE RATE 3000.
UM, SLR PAYOUT, WE DON'T PAY OUT SPECIFICALLY RESERVE, UM, FOR LESS THAN FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE.
SO THERE WOULDN'T MATTER IF THEY HAD ANYTHING THERE, THEY WOULDN'T GET PAID OUT.
SO IT'S A LESSER PAYOUT FOR YOUR LESS TENURED EMPLOYEES COMPARED TO THE HIGHER TENURE.
SO WHAT YOU'RE ADVOCATING IS REWARDING LONG ENOUGH.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS YOU, UM, OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, AND I WENT BACK TO UM, THIS IS AUGUST 1ST, 2020 TO AUGUST 1ST, 2025.
THE TOWN HAS HAD 145 EMPLOYEES SEPARATE FROM EMPLOYMENT.
68% OF THOSE SEPARATIONS WERE ALL PEOPLE WITHIN.
THEY'VE ONLY BEEN HERE UNDER FIVE YEARS.
SO, UM, ALL THE EMPLOYEES I'VE SEPARATED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, 99 OF THEM ONLY WORKED HERE ZERO TO FOUR YEARS AND MADE UP 68% OF THAT TOTAL.
UM, UNDER THE PROPOSED PTO PLAN SEPARATIONS, WITHIN FIVE YEARS, THE TOWN WOULD'VE PAID OUT 120 HOURS MAX FOR PTO AS OPPOSED TO THE CURRENT POLICY WHERE WE'RE PAYING OUT 160 MAX IN 2000 SICK LEAVE.
SO JUST KIND SHOW YOU WHAT WE'VE BEEN PAYING OUT FOR EMPLOYEES THAT ARE JUST COMING AND LEAVING AND HAVE THIS KIND OF BACK, UM, WHAT WAS WHERE EVEN, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE BREAKEVEN POINT IS.
SO NOT ALL 145 OF THOSE EMPLOYEES QUIT.
WELL THAT WE LIVED THROUGH A PANDEMIC, RIGHT? A GLOBAL PANDEMIC IN THAT TIME.
SO JUST TO RECAP, UM, JENNIFER ROYAL'S CURRENT PAID LEAVE STRUCTURE IS NOT COMPETITIVE WITH SURROUNDING MENTALITIES.
THIS PTO PROPOSAL CAN CREATE A CULTURE THAT WILL BE COMPETITIVE FOR RETAINING EMPLOYEES, ATTRACTING NEW ONES, AND GIVING EVERYONE MORE FLEXIBILITY WITH THEIR EARNED TIME.
AND PTO EMPOWERS EMPLOYEES TO MANAGE THEIR TIME BASED ON THEIR NEEDS WHILE RETAINING AND REWARDING THEM FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND LONGEVITY.
UM, I JUST, DID YOU WANT ME TO GO THROUGH THE, ANYTHING YOU'VE EXPLAINED YOU WELL, I'M GOOD.
AND YOU HAVE THIS GENTLEMAN REVIEW ALL THE LANGUAGE FOR LEGALITY AND IN THE MODERN PHRASES.
IT IS, UM, I DID RELY QUITE A BIT ON STAFF THAT RIGHT.
FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS POLICY.
AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT.
WELL, KNOWLEDGE, I'LL SAY TRYING TO ENCOURAGE RETENTION AND INCENTIVIZING I THINK IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
I WORK FOR A GOVERNMENT ENTITY AND WE GET $15 A DAY.
SO LIKE A TEACHER I WORKED WITH THAT HAD 200 DAYS, WHICH IS 40 WEEKS, WHICH IS MORE THAN A SCHOOL YEAR.
SHE GOT, AND BY THE TIME THEY TOOK THE TAXES OFF, IT WAS, AND THAT WAS WHEN IT WAS $12 A DAY.
SO BY THE TIME THEY TOOK THE TAXES OFF, SHE GOT $9 A DAY.
BUT WHAT SHE ACTUALLY GOT PAID HER DAY WAS, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANTLY MORE.
UM, AND WHAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT ABOUT OUR, WHEN MR. PETTY TALKED TO ME ABOUT THIS, WHEN WE WERE PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA, ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS SAYING TO HIM IS THAT, IS THAT IN SOME OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, IF SOMEBODY'S NOT HERE, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU HAVE TO HIRE SOMEBODY ELSE TO DO IT.
WHERE LIKE IN MY, IN MY, MY LINE OF WORK, THEY HAVE TO, THEY PAY SOMEBODY $125 TO COME IN AND DO IT.
SO IT'S KINDA LIKE YOU WOULD THINK YOU WOULD, I LIKE THE IDEA OF INCENTIVIZING PEOPLE TO NOT USE THEIR TIME BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BETTER WORK PRODUCT IF PEOPLE ARE THERE AND PEOPLE STAYING TOO.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE OTHER THING.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU'RE THERE 35 YEARS OR WHETHER YOU'RE THERE THREE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COUNTY'S LIKE WHAT'S THE COUNTY LIKE? I'M SORRY, I'M ASKING.
I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT RETIREMENT WHEN I WAS THERE.
NOW OUR PAYOUT THOUGH IS A LUMP SUM.
[00:40:01]
ON THAT.YEAH, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WAS ACTUALLY THINKING WHEN YOU WERE SHOWING THOSE NUMBERS.
YOU IF THEY'RE A 20% TAX BRACKET, NINE MAYBE.
BUT IT'S STILL BETTER THAN THE, THE OTHER AMOUNTS, DEPENDING ON YOUR SITUATION WHEN YOU FILE, YOU MAY GET A STEP BY, BUT IT DOES TAKE A BIG BITE.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS POLICY? IT'S AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION AND THE STAFF'S BUYIN AND APPROVAL.
I MEAN, I AND YOU FEEL LIKE I LIKE IT.
STAFF WOULD, WOULD AGAIN A GREAT PRODUCT TO HAVE A GOOD DEPARTMENT.
IT WOULD BE EASIER TOO FOR STAFF TO BE LIKE BETWEEN VACATION AND SICK.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? PLUS I ALSO THINK TOO, THIS IS MY, THIS IS MY TAKE ON IT TOO,
I MEAN, I MEAN, WE DON'T EITHER.
WE WE HAVE SICK AND YOU HAVE PERSONAL DAYS.
BUT THAT'S WAS THE THING IS THEY WERE SAYING THAT WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS PEOPLE MAYBE AREN'T SICK, BUT THEY HAVE SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF OR THEY HAVE TO DO.
AND I'M, AND EVERYBODY, I'M NOT SAYING THIS TOWN OF FRONT ROW, I'M SAYING I I BET YOU THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ACROSS MANY, MANY, UH, PROFESSIONS WHERE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW IT, SOMETHING HAPPENS AT THE LAST MINUTE OR THERE'S PEOPLE THAT PLAN FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WHEN THEY'RE GONNA USE THEIR SICK DAYS.
I, WHEN I WORKED FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, I PLANNED MY SALARY HOLIDAYS, DIDN'T WE ALL? YEAH, BUT SEE THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
BUT WE DIDN'T, WE ARE, THEY DON'T ALLOW YOU TO TAKE IT OFF THE, EVEN WITH SCHEDULED LEAVE BEFORE OR AFTER A HOLIDAY WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE DID NOT GET PAID FOR THE HOLIDAY.
IF WE HAD SCHEDULED, APPROVED LEAVE OFF THE DAY BEFORE OR AFTER.
YOU'D HAVE TO WORK AT LEAST FOUR HOURS.
ONE OF THE DAYS THAT'S ON MY HUSBAND.
YOU DON'T GET PAID FOR THE HOLIDAY IF YOU DON'T TAKE, IF YOU TAKE THE DAY OFF BEFORE.
BUT ANYWAY, BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE ALREADY PLANNING TO DO IT, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT EIGHT HOUR PAYDAY.
SO THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S A PART OF ME THAT SAYS WE SH IF EVERYBODY'S READY, WE CAN PUT IT ON FOR THE AUGUST MEETING.
BUT I ALSO FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT AREN'T HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANNA, YOU KNOW.
COUNCIL DOMINICAN PAIN, ASKED LOTS OF QUESTIONS.
UM, AND I KNOW, SO WHAT, I MEAN, WHAT ARE, WHAT IS YOUR ALL'S THOUGHTS? WHAT WERE YOU GONNA SAY? SO THE PART OF WHAT, UH, BROUGHT THIS ABOUT WAS GSB 1 0 1.
UH, WHICH IS THE, UH, GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNT STANDARD FOR ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE AUDITORS.
SO IF POSSIBLE, I'D LIKE TO HAVE THIS, IF WE CAN KIND PROVE BY AUGUST SO I CAN INCLUDE IT WITH OUR FINANCIALS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
WE, WE CAN PUSH IT UP TO SEPTEMBER.
BUT, UM, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WEREN'T HERE WERE OFFERED THEIR COMMENTS AND YEAH.
SO I'M GOOD IF, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY, BECAUSE IT'S A BIG CHANGE.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS A LOT TO CHANGE, A GOOD CHANGE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND THEREFORE I BELIEVE FOR OUR ACCOUNT.
SO I CAN THIS GO? I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS CAN GO ON THE CONSENT.
CAN IT GO ON THE CONSENT? I DON'T, I DON'T.
THIS IS ONE THING THAT I DON'T, YOU KNOW, YOU DO BUSINESS, IT DIDN'T MATTER.
I MEAN, I THINK IT CAN, BUT I SUPPOSE IT COULD.
I'VE ALWAYS FELT LIKE THESE LARGER THINGS THAT I JUST FEEL LIKE I DON'T KNOW.
AND YOU HAVE TWO THAT ARE MISSING.
I THINK, I THINK THE POINT, I THINK THE POINT IS, UH, WOULD COUNCIL MEMBERS LIKE TO OFFER DISCUSSION? YEAH.
I DON'T, DON'T OFFER DISCUSSION.
I DON'T THINK THIS SHOULD NOT BE ON CONSENT.
AND LET, LET ME TOUCH BASE ON JUST THE UNDERLYING AUTHORITY HERE, WHICH IS IN THE CHARTER.
TOWN COUNCIL SHALL GRANT AND PAY TO ALL TOWN OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES SUCH SALARIES OR COMPENSATION, IF ANY AS THE SAID COUNCIL MAY FROM TIME TO TIME DEEMED JUST AND PROPER.
SO MS. PRESLEY, THIS WILL GO ON NEW BUSINESS.
UM, SO NEXT UP IS MS. CAPISH GONNA COME WHILE SHE'S WALKING FORWARD THE ZONING TAX AMENDMENTS TOWN CODE 1 75 DASH 84 B TO ADD LANGUAGE RESTRICTING THE REDEVELOPMENT OF HISTORIC RESIDENTIAL SITES TO SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING UNITS IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA OF THE TOWN.
HISTORIC DISTRICT CHAPTER 1 75 29 TO ADD LANGUAGE PREVENTING THE CONVERSION OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES INTO MULTIFAMILY OR TWO FAMILY WELLING.
MADAM MAYOR, BEFORE, BEFORE WE GET INTO THIS TOPIC,
[00:45:01]
I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM FOR THE RECORD THAT, UM, THIS MCINTOSH IS GOING TO CHANGE THE FUNERAL LEAVE TO THREE DAYS FROM CLINICAL HOURS.IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THAT WILL BE REFLECTED IN NORMAL.
ALRIGHT, SO FOR THIS ITEM, THIS BASICALLY CAME ABOUT, UM, AFTER A JOINT MEETING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW.
IN THE PROCESS OF US REVIEWING THE HISTORIC GUIDELINES AND JUST LOOKING AT WHETHER OR NOT, UM, IT'S APPROPRIATE TO HAVE MULTI-FAMILY USES IN THE RESIDENTIAL PORTION OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, THEY MET AND DECIDED THAT THIS WAS POTENTIALLY THE BEST COURSE OF HONOR ACTION.
SO IN OUR THREE DISTRICT ZONE DISTRICT, WHICH THE ENTIRE RESIDENTIAL PORTION OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT IS, SO OUR CREEK, THERE'S TWO DISTRICTS WITHIN THERE, THE COMMERCIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT AND THE RESIDENTIAL.
RESIDENTIAL STARTS AT JACKSON STREET, GOES BACK TOWARDS PROSPECT.
UM, SO WITHIN THIS RESIDENTIAL PORTION, THE USE OF, UM, DUPLEXES, MULTI-FAMILY AND TOWN HOMES WOULD NO LONGER BE PERMITTED.
IT WOULD BE SINGLE FAMILY DESTRUCTION.
THIS WENT TO PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, WORK SESSIONS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? UH, IF, IF THIS WAS ACCEPTED PAST BY COUNSEL, WHAT ABOUT, I'M THINKING THERE IS ONE VACANT LOT THAT WAS A SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE, BUT I THINK THE BAR IS ALREADY APPROVED.
SO THAT APPROVAL'S GONNA STAND.
SO IT WOULD BE MOVING FORWARD THE HOUSE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT PROPERTY IS UNDER SALE.
I THINK IT'S ALL FOR SALE SALE.
BUT I THINK WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS THEY'RE WAITING TO SELL EACH UNIT IT'S MARKETING TO AS TO BE BILL.
SO YOU, YOU LISTEN TO THE APPEAL EARLIER IN THE YEAR.
AND THEN IT WENT BACK TO THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEWS, THE ARCHITECTURE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW.
GRANTED THAT CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR THAT DUPLEX.
UM, SO IT'S GOTTA BE BUILT AS APPROVED.
BUT HERE ON LIKE MOVING FORWARD, THAT DUPLEX ISN'T GONNA BE AN OPTION IF THIS PASSES.
SO MOVING FORWARD, IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE A SINGLE FAMILY HOME THAT POTENTIALLY MEET MATCHES LIKE THE CHARACTER.
IF WE CAN BUILD ON THAT, NOW THEY CAN BUILD ON THAT.
NOW THEY'RE NOT, THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE THEM BUILDING TO APPROVED, BUT THEY APPROVED THE DUPLEX ONE.
THEY DID OKAY TO BE, THIS ISN'T TAKING AWAY THEIR APPROVAL.
THIS IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT IN THE FUTURE, RIGHT.
AND IT ALSO PREVENTS THE CONVERSION OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES.
SO JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, SO DOWN IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, THERE ARE MANY PLACES THAT PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE AND TURNED THEM INTO APARTMENT.
UM, PROBABLY MORE THAN WHAT YOU THINK MORE WE'RE AWARE OF.
UM, SO THAT WOULD NO LONGER BE ALLOWED.
IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT IF IT'S CAUGHT AT THE TIME IT'S HAPPENING, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ENFORCE IT.
THIS WOULD GIVE US AN ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM, UM, CALL.
AND BY MEANING THAT SOMEBODY COULD GO IN AND RENOVATE A HOUSE.
WELL, LIKE RIGHT NOW, SO THE DWELLING UNIT IS 650 SQUARE FEET.
SO THEY COULD TAKE ONE OF THESE HISTORIC HOMES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, 2000, 3000 SQUARE FEET, CHOP IT UP INTO TWO AND THEN IT BECOMES A MULTIFAMILY.
SO THAT'S PERMITTED RIGHT NOW BY RIGHT.
I GOT THAT WOULD NO LONGER BE I GOT YOU ON THAT.
BUT YOU SAY COULD BE PREVENTED.
WHY WOULDN'T IT BE PREVENTED IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T APPLY FOR A PERMIT AND DOESN'T GET CAUGHT CONVERTING IT? RIGHT.
SO IF THEY'RE CAUGHT CONVERTING IT, THEN WE CAN, AT LEAST AN ILLEGAL USE IS AN ILLEGAL USE.
THAT IF CAUGHT DOING THAT, THEN THAT WOULD BE JUST LIKE THE HOUSE BEING BUILT UP ON
BUT RIGHT NOW, IF THEY'RE, THEY'RE CAUGHT DOING IT, LIKE THEY'RE CAUGHT CONVERTING ONE OF THESE HOMES HERE, YOU, WE CAN BRING THEM INTO COMPLIANCE JUST BY APPLYING.
LIKE THEY CAN COME IN AND APPLY FOR THE ZONING PERMIT AND IF THEY MEET SQUARE FOOTAGE REQUIREMENTS AND IT WORKS, WE CAN PROVE IT WITH THIS.
IF THEY STARTED THAT CONVERSION, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO APPROVE IT AS A
I'M SORRY IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY.
[00:50:01]
THE WAY I JUST INTERPRETED WHAT YOU SAID, AND MAYBE I WAS, IS YOU SAID IF THEY COME IN, THEY GET IT, YOU CAN GET THEM INTO COMPLIANCE OR WHATEVER.SO THEY CAN TURN A SINGLE FAMILY HOME INTO A MULTIFAMILY YES.
NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT IF THIS GETS APPROVED.
IF THIS GETS APPROVED, NO, I'M SAYING RIGHT NOW IF THIS GETS APPROVED, NOT LEGAL.
SO IF THIS GETS APPROVED AND THERE'S A LARGE HOME, SAY DOWN ON LIKE CHURCH, CHURCH STREET.
AND SOMEBODY BUYS IT AND WANTS TO TURN IT INTO APARTMENTS, THERE'S NO MECHANISM THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH THIS ORDINANCE IF THIS GOT APPROVED.
IF THEY, THEY'D HAVE TO DO THE SPECIAL USE TO DO APARTMENTS.
THE SPECIAL USE PORTION ISN'T CHANGING.
BUT RIGHT NOW, IF SOMEBODY COMES IN AND THEY'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, A 2000 SQUARE FOOT HOME THAT THEY WANT TO CHOP UP INTO TWO WELDING UNITS, THEY CAN DO THAT WITH ZONING APPROVAL.
UM, WHEREAS IF THIS PASSES, THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT YOU WERE SAYING.
I MEAN, THIS, THIS IS PROBABLY THE WAY, THE WAY IT'S GOING TO GO DOWN.
UM, IF THE PROPERTY SOLD, AND RIGHT NOW IT'S MULTI, MULTI-USE, MULTI-DWELLING, IT FOLLOWS, IT FOLLOWS THE, THE TRANSFER IN THE PROPERTY.
SO IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY GRANDFATHER, IT CHANGES NOTHING AS IF THEY COME IN.
UM, I PREFER LEGALLY NON-CONFORMING RATHER AS OPPOSED TO GRANDFATHER.
IF THE LAW CHANGES, IT WOULD BECOME A LEGALLY NON-CONFORMING USE.
AND IT'S TOUGH TOO BECAUSE LIKE I, I GET WHY THEY WANNA DO THIS IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
BUT ALSO I FEAR THAT SOME OF THOSE OLDER HOMES DOWN THERE, I MEAN, I, I PERSONALLY DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF DRIVE, BUT I KNOW THAT I'VE HAD FRIENDS THAT HAVE BOUGHT OLDER HOMES AND IT TAKES A LOT OF MONEY TO, UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU DO.
BUT YOU KNOW, IT JUST TAKES A LOT OF MONEY TO, TO, THEY'RE GONNA INVEST A LOT OF MONEY TO, TO BRING IT UP TO WHAT THEY WANT IT TO BE.
NOT, AND, AND IT ALMOST HAS TO BE A PASSION.
I FEEL LIKE IT ALMOST HAS TO BE A PASSION TO BUY AN OLDER HOME IN THOSE HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND TO HAVE THE MONEY TO, TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO, TO BRING IT TO WHAT THEY WANT IT TO BE LIKE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN TURNING IT INTO APARTMENTS, YOU KNOW.
SO I AGREE WITH YOUR HESITATION TO BE EXCITED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WHILE I LOVE PRESERVING AND HISTORY, UM, UNFORTUNATELY, LIKE WE SAW WITH THE APPEAL THAT WE HAD FROM THE BAR EARLIER THIS YEAR, THERE'S JUST NOT THE APPETITE IN THE MARKET FOR BUILDING VICTORIAN HOMES OR MAINTAINING VICTORIAN HOMES.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE ACTUALLY TAKE BETTER CARE OF THEIR INVESTMENTS THAN THEY DO IN THEIR OWN HOME.
AND I THINK IF YOU COULD CONVERT IT INTO TWO UNITS, A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET A PIECE, IT DRIVES UP OUR ECOTOURISM AND OUR TOURISM IN GENERAL.
IF I GO SOMEWHERE, WHEN I WENT TO ASHEVILLE, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN I WENT TO MANY OTHER BIG CITIES, I PURPOSELY BOOKED MY AIRBNB OR SHORT TERM RENTAL IN THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN DISTRICT.
SO YOU HAVE WALKABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY AND THEN YOU HAVE THE CHARM.
SO IT'S A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD FOR SURE.
THERE ARE ONES DOWN THERE THAT I WOULD LOVE TO BULLDOZE.
IN ALL HONESTY, THEY'RE A BURDEN TO OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OUR HEALTH IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
BUT, UM, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE A HISTORIC HOME, THEY'RE JUST BEYOND REPAIR IN MY OPINION.
BUT THERE'S ALSO PEOPLE WHO TAKE PRIDE IN THAT WORK AND TAKE CARE OF IT.
AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO'D BE WILLING TO SPEND MONEY TO STAY THERE, BUT NOT LIVE THERE FULL TIME.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THE INTENT OF THIS IS IF I'M WRONG, SOMEONE CORRECT ME, IS TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE HAVE.
I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT'S THE INTENT.
UH, NOW AS VICE MAYOR SAID, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY MAY, THERE MAY NOT BE AN APPETITE FOR IT, BUT THERE MAY BE.
[00:55:01]
AND JUNK THAT'S NOT TAKEN CARE OF AS IT SETS IN OUR BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC DISTRICT.THERE'S NEEDLES IN THE FRONT YARD AND FIGHTS OUT BACK.
I MEAN, THE KIDS AREN'T SAFE TO WALK DOWN SOME OF OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT STREET.
I THINK AS MAYOR COCKRELL ALLUDED TO, LAUREN HAVING, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE IN MAINTAINING ONE OF THOSE HISTORICAL HOMES.
IT'S NOT ALSO THE NICEST AND MOST UPENDED NEIGHBORHOODS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T LET MY CHILDREN WALK THROUGH A LOT OF OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT.
WELL, I WASN'T NECESSARILY SAYING ALL THAT.
I'M JUST SAYING, WHEN YOU SAID MAYOR, I JUST WAS KIND.
WHAT I, I JUST, I JUST WAS ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THOSE OLDER HOMES, SOMETIMES, I MEAN LIKE I HAD A COUPLE FRIENDS, THEY WERE REFERRED TO THEIR HOUSE AS THE MONEY PIT.
BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH THAT THEY HAD TO DO.
BUT AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR IT AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOU, THEN THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THEN THEY WOULD DO THAT.
BUT I KNOW, IT'S FUNNY YOU JUST SAID THAT.
'CAUSE ACTUALLY THAT'S THE SAME THING WHEN WE WENT TO LYNCHBURG LAST YEAR FOR A WEDDING.
WE STAYED IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND IT WAS AN OLDER HOME THAT THEY HAD TURNED INTO TWO AIRBNBS, YOU KNOW, OR WHATEVER.
BUT, UM, BUT ANYWAY, I WILL, WE GO TO VML IN RICHMOND, I BOOK IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND YOU KNOW, IT'S CHARMING AT THE, YOU KNOW, CHRISTMAS TIME VML CONFERENCES.
I JUST THINK THAT THERE'S A WAY TO PRESERVE HISTORY IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND ADD CHARM AL STATUS QUO.
BECAUSE WHILE I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I KNOW THAT WAS THE INTENT OF THE BAR AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I THINK MAINTAINING WHAT WE HAVE IS NOT THE BEST WE CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY.
I'M JUST A LITTLE BIASED 'CAUSE UH, I HAVE A NEARLY A HUNDRED YEAR OLD.
BUT SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO OWN SOME OF THOSE A HUNDRED YEAR OLD HOMES SHOULDN'T.
WELL, AND I THINK ALSO, YOU KNOW, PLANNING ZONINGS WORKING MORE AND MORE TOWARDS ENFORCEMENT.
WE HAD A HOME ON CLOUD STREET, I BELIEVE ACROSS FROM THE SALVATION ARMY THAT OUR ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WENT INTO.
AND LONG AFTER THAT WE HAD A DUMPSTER OUT FRONT AND THEY WERE CLEANING UP THE PLACE.
SO I THINK DANIEL'S BEEN HERE ABOUT A YEAR, OVER A YEAR.
SO I THINK WE ARE SEEING PROGRESS IN ADDRESSING THIS.
I KNOW I PERSONALLY CALLED AND SAID, UH, TRASH IN THIS BACKYARD, THIS, THAT, AND DANIEL'S GONE OUT.
AND THEN, THEN THE LEGALESE OF IT ALL HAS TO BEGIN, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING IT THROUGH THE ATTORNEY OF LETTERS AND SUCH.
BUT, UH, ONE QUESTION I HAD FOR YOU, I WAS UNCLEAR.
HOW FAR DOES THAT GO? WHAT DOES THAT INCLUDE THE OSAGE AREA OR NOT? NO.
WELL, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, BECAUSE THE PLANS ARE, JOE'S GOT, THERE'S A HISTORICAL DISTRICT IN RIVERTON.
WELL, IT IS, BUT THEY HAVE TO COME TO THE BACK.
SO THAT BLUE AREA ON THAT MAP IS THE RESIDENTIAL HISTORIC PORTION.
AND SO IT'S THE FIRST HOUSE ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF PROSPECT STREET THAT'S IN IT.
AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE, EVEN IF THEY WERE BUILT AT THE SAME TIME, ARE NOT IN IT.
SO OSAGE, THERE ARE A LOT OF NICE HOMES IN THAT AREA.
I MEAN, I WALK, WHEN I WALK TO SPELUNKERS, UM, HAVE TO WALK RIGHT THROUGH IT.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY HOME HAS BEEN SHOP UP.
EVERY IS, I'M JUST GONNA SAY, I CAN THINK OF SPECIFIC PEOPLE DOWN THERE THAT THEY, THEY'VE DONE A LOT WITH THEIR HOMES TOO.
INVESTORS, YOU KNOW, ARE GONNA COME IN AND THEY'RE THE HOUSES ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF PROSPECT.
I MEAN, PEOPLE, PEOPLE MAY WANT TO DO, THEY WANT TO BUY HOUSES A LOT, BUY THESE HOMES AND FIX 'EM OFF.
I MEAN, ESPECIALLY WHEN INTEREST RATES COME DOWN, THEY WILL.
SO A LOT OF OUR INVESTORS HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS THE REALLY COOL THING ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
LIKE I WAS LOOKING AT THE GIS OF PEOPLE WHO OWN SPECIFIC BUILDINGS ON MAIN STREET RECENTLY, AND IT'S MORE LOCAL PEOPLE THAT OWN THOSE BUILDINGS THAN NOT.
UM, AND I ACTUALLY JUST SPOKE TO SOMEBODY WHO HAS ONE FOR SALE WHO DOESN'T LIVE HERE.
HE'S NOT LOCAL, HE DOESN'T MAINTAIN IT, BUT HIS FAMILY IS LIKE NINE GENERATIONS OF FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY.
AND SO HE WANTS IT TO GO TO SOMEBODY WHO'S GONNA PRESERVE THAT ASPECT OF IT.
[01:00:01]
INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY.SO I DON'T THINK WE'RE NECESSARILY AS AFFECTED BY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND BUYING 'EM UP LIKE BLACKROCK, BUT, UM, OR THE CHINESE BUYING OUR FARM LAND.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT HERE, BUT IT'S MOSTLY PEOPLE WHO CARE TO SEE THE PRESERVATION AND CHARM OF FRONT ROYAL, WHICH I THINK CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT IT BEING A SINGLE FAMILY.
ROYAL MS.
SO I'M IF EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T CAUGHT AND WE FOUND OUT LATER THAT THEY CHOPPED IT UP, OR ARE YOU SAYING WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I THINK WE WENT, THAT'S GONNA BE A VERY DIFFICULT, WE'RE GONNA MAKE 'EM UNDO IT.
WELL, I UNDERSTAND, BUT THAT WHOLE, THAT'S WHAT WE'D BE DOING.
WELL, THAT WHOLE ROOF, THAT WHOLE ROOF THING WHERE THE PEOPLE PUT ON A ROOF THAT DIDN'T MATCH WHAT WAS TORE DOWN.
AND IT WERE TORE DOWN IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
I KNOW WITH THE ROOF THING THAT CAME BACK AND THEY WEREN'T VERY HAPPY.
BUT IT, I I ONLY SAY THAT 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO GET THE IMPRESSION THAT WE'RE SAYING, WELL, IF WE DON'T CATCH IT, NOTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN.
'CAUSE IF, IF YOU GET CAUGHT, CAUGHT DOING IT, THEN YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, MIGHT JUST LIKE THE PEOPLE WITH THE ROOF, YOU MIGHT HAVE INVESTED A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY, BUT YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T CLAIM CLAIM IGNORANCE LATER.
HEY, I DIDN'T KNOW BECAUSE YOU, IF YOU DO KNOW, I, WE HAVE TO THINK OF NATURAL DISASTERS AND ACTS OF GOD BECAUSE IF ANOTHER ONE BURNS DOWN, HEAVEN FORBID, LIKE WHAT HAPPENED, WE'RE KIND OF RESTRICTING IT TO AGAIN, WHAT WE JUST HEARD IN THE APPEAL, ONLY BUILDING A SPECIFIC TYPE OF DWELLING UNIT THERE.
AND WE SAW SOME REALLY PRETTY COMPARISONS OF WHAT THEY WERE ABLE TO BUILD THAT WERE MULTIFAMILY THAT COULD STILL KEEP AND PRESERVE LIKE THE SCALLOPED WINDOW TRIM AND, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROOFS.
I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE KIND OF PUTTING OURSELF IN A BOX.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE WITH VARIANCES ON MAIN STREET.
IF A FIRE WERE TO HAPPEN, THEN I MEAN WE'RE REALLY DISCOURAGING THE MAINTENANCE AND CHARM OF IT BECAUSE THEN WE'RE RESTRICTING IT TO SOMEBODY WHO HAS A HALF A MILLION PLUS DOLLARS TO BUILD SOMETHING COMPARABLE.
YEAH, BECAUSE I, I, THAT'S THE ONLY THING I CAN, I CAN'T SEE SOMEBODY COMING IN AND IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN, THERE WAS A LOT THERE.
I DON'T WANNA SEE TOWNHOUSES THERE BY ANY MEANS, BUT THEY'RE GONNA PROBABLY BUILD A VICTORIAN HOUSE, I WISH.
I MEAN THAT IS THAT, THAT THAT WOULD BE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
AND THEY DO GUIDE THAT PROCESS.
SO THAT'S NEW, NEW, NOT FOR NEW BILLS.
BUT THOSE GUIDELINES ARE, THEY DON'T ALWAYS SAY, SHALL, OKAY, WELL THIS COULD BE, OR THIS SHOULD BE, THIS SHOULD BE WOOD, THIS SHOULD BE A SLATE ROOF.
WHEN YOU TELL THAT TO A BUILDER, THEY'RE LIKE, WELL HERE, HOW ABOUT THE SHINGLES? SO I'LL JUST SAY, WHEN YESTERDAY YEAR IS GONE, IT'S GONE FOREVER.
SO YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T MAKE SOMETHING TODAY TO LOOK LIKE YESTERDAY YEAR.
I MEAN, YOU CAN TRY, WHICH THIS IS GONNA RESTRICT US IN THAT REGARD IS WHAT MY CONCERN IS.
I WOULD, I WOULD APPRECIATE HAVING ALL OF COUNSEL HERE FOR THIS DISCUSSION.
I DON'T THINK I'M BEING UNDERSTOOD IF ANOTHER HOUSE BURNS DOWN AND WE'RE ONLY ALLOWING SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES, AS MUCH AS I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT, UM, I CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE I'M ABLE TO BUY A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, BUT THERE'S NOT EVERYBODY'S FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO DO THAT.
BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE WE'RE RESTRICTING OURSELVES TO, IF SOMETHING ELSE DEVASTATING HAPPENS IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT ON HOW IT CAN BE REDEVELOPED, I THINK THERE'S A WAY TO REDEVELOP IT WITH PRESERVING THE CHARM.
WELL, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, SO THAT WE DON'T SPEND HOURS ON A TOPIC, BUT THERE'S LOTS OF LOTS OF THOUGHTS GOING ON HERE.
UM, THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE A PUBLIC HEARING ANYWAY 'CAUSE IT'S A, UM, A TEXT AMENDMENT.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE WE NEED TO BRING IT BACK TO ANOTHER WORK SESSION, LET PEOPLE GET SOME OPPORTUNITY.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYTHING'S GONNA CHANGE.
THERE'S NOTHING ELSE WE CAN ASK OF STAFF ABOUT THIS.
IT'S JUST MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE HEARING AND THEN GET THE REST OF THE COUNCILS, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO TAKE SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT.
AND THEN I GUESS I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN, I MEAN, I GREW UP IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT UP HERE.
I WAS ON PROSPECT STREET AND A LOT OF THOSE HOUSES.
YEAH, THEY, THEY WERE, THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR, WHAT'S THIS LATE 18 HUNDREDS I GUESS, YOU KNOW, UH, AND THERE'S ONE LADY THAT I'VE KNOWN FOR YEARS.
SHE'S TO THE POINT THAT SHE CAN'T TAKE CARE OF HER HOUSE ANYMORE.
SHE'S IN A HISTORICAL DISTRICT.
AND SHE CAME TO ME AND SO SHE, I SAW HER AND SHE ASKED ME
[01:05:01]
IF SHE COULD MAKE AN APARTMENT IN THE, SHE CAN'T GO UP THE STEPS, MAKE AN APARTMENT UPSTAIRS SO SHE WON'T LOSE HER HOUSE.YOU KNOW, THAT'S ANOTHER SITUATION.
THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT I THINK IT SOUNDS GREAT.
THIS SOUNDS GREAT IN THEORY, BUT THE BIG PICTURE IS THERE'S SO MANY SCENARIOS THAT WE'RE NOT, I DON'T FEEL LIKE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AS A COUNCIL AS TO WHAT THE REPERCUSSIONS OF PASSING THIS WILL DO.
AND IT JUST REALLY GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING I'VE ALWAYS STOOD FOR ON THIS COUNCIL AND BELIEVED IN, WHICH IS IF YOU OWN YOUR HOME, IT'S NOT MY RIGHT TO COME IN AND TELL YOU HOW TO PAY FOR IT, WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE WITHIN THE, THE HISTORIC DISTRICT'S GUIDELINES AND YOU'RE NOT A SLUMLORD.
'CAUSE I WISH THOSE WOULD ALL GO AWAY AND, BUT YEAH, I MEAN THAT WOMAN CAN'T USE HER UPSTAIRS.
WHY SHOULDN'T SHE BE ABLE TO AIRBNB IT AND MAKE IT SOMETHING THAT'S OF USE TO OTHER PEOPLE? SHE WANTS TO MAKE AN, WHICH WOULD BOOST OUR TOURISM, BOOST OUR TAX REVENUE.
THERE'S SO MANY FACET THEY WANT BUS ABOUT PARKING ALL THOSE HOUSES IN THEIR STORE DISTRICT.
THEY HAVE AN, I COULD BUY ONE AND PARK 10 CARS ON THE ROAD AS LONG AS I FIND THEM.
THEY HAVE ALLEYS BEHIND THE, THERE'S NOW HIGH STREET GOES UP ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH THERE AND ALL THOSE BACK CURBS ON CLOUD.
AND UH, WELL, LIKE I SAID, IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE HEARING ABOUT IT.
SO LOTS OF PEOPLE, THERE'S LOTS TO THINK ABOUT.
OBVIOUSLY THE PUBLIC'S AWARE NOW THAT THIS IS ON COUNCIL'S RADAR, I'M SURE THEY, THOSE THAT HAVE AN A VESTED INTEREST, INCLUDING PEOPLE IN THE BAR OCCASION WILL BE REACHING OUT TO US AND SURE.
UM, I THINK TODAY'S THE FOURTH.
I THINK PUTTING IT ON NEXT WEEK IS TOO SOON.
I THINK THAT WE PROBABLY SHOULD DO IT LIKE THE FIRST WORK SESSION IN SEPTEMBER AND THAT GIVES IT A MONTH FOR IT TO SIT AND STEW AND LET EVERYBODY THINK ABOUT IT.
AND THEN IF COUNCIL WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT AT THAT TIME, THEN WE, THAT WOULD GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO PUT, DO A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE SEPTEMBER MEETING.
IS EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT? THAT WAY, THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, GIVES PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK ANYTIME YOU'RE CHANGING A TOWN TO VOTE, ALL OF COUNCIL SHOULD BE PRESENT.
WELL, I MEAN, THEY WOULD BE PRESENT FOR THE MEETING TO VOTE ON IT, BUT CAN GIVE THEM, I MEAN, TO DISCUSS IT.
UH, I DO WANNA ASK ONE QUESTION THOUGH.
I I'M SURE THAT THE ANSWER TO THIS IS NO, BUT LIKE, SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAT WOULD BE CHANGING THE TOWN CODE AND IT IMPACTS THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
WE DON'T LIKE SEND LETTERS TO THIS, THE, THE, THE PE THE, UH, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
IT'S JUST THAT THEY NEED TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON.
ONE TO KNOW IF IT WOULD IMPACT THEM.
'CAUSE I'M JUST THINKING LIKE THE PERSON YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, LIKE SHE MIGHT HAVE AN OPINION ON THIS, BUT DOES SHE KNOW IT'S COMING? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY SHE WANTS DO THAT.
SHE CAN JUST CALL US AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW SHE PROBABLY COULD CHOP HER HOME OFF OR SHE CAN APPLY FOR A SHORT TERM RENTAL.
SO NEXT UP IS THE TOWN CHARTER AMENDMENT FOR THE TOWN MANAGER RESIDENCY.
UM, AND THE, SORRY GUYS, MY, MY WONDERFUL IPAD.
SO IT SAYS MR. PETTY'S, UM, PRESENTING THIS, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY, I KNOW, I KNOW COUNSEL HAS HEARD US TALK ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
UM, WE, I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THREE, UM, LET'S SEE, 1, 2, 3, 4.
I'VE WORKED, LET'S SEE, 1, 2, 3, 4 TOWN MANAGERS IN MY FIVE YEARS HERE ON SERVING.
UM, AND ONE THING THAT HAS COME UP MORE THAN ONCE IS, UM, THE CHALLENGE IN OUR HOUSING INVENTORY AND HAVING, UM, THE, HAVING THE TOWN MANAGER BE ABLE TO, TO, UM, WHERE THEY HAVE TO LIVE.
AND, UH, CURRENTLY OUR TOWN CHARTER SAYS THAT THE TOWN MANAGER HAS TO RESIDE, RESIDE WITHIN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROW LIMITS, UM, 1937.
I JUST WANNA SAY, AND I WANT PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT LIKE HISTORICALLY IN 1937, LIKE IT MAKES TOTAL SENSE THAT THE PERSON, I MEAN THERE PROBABLY WASN'T, I MEAN BEEN THERE WAS PLENTY OF PLACES THAT THEY COULD HAVE RESIDED IN TOWN FOR THEY COULD LIVED IN, LIVED IN THIS ORCHESTRA.
THEY WOULD'VE PROBABLY LIVED IN BRAND NEW HOUSE.
THEY PROBABLY WOULD'VE LIVED IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO THEN, UM, THEN LATER IN 20 2001, THE TOWN CODE WAS AMENDED ALLOWING TOWN COUNCIL WAIVER MODIFIED THE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
HOWEVER, WE NEVER AMENDED THE CHARTER AND WE HAVE TO, THAT THAT HAD TO BE A HAD TO, THEY BOTH HAD TO BE DONE.
[01:10:01]
I GUESS, YOU KNOW, NOBODY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.SO, UM, WE, TO CHANGE THE TOWN CHARTER, IT ACTUALLY HAS TO BE REQUESTED, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, WE HAVE TO REQUEST IT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, UM, TO CHANGE THE CHARTER.
AND SO THIS IS, UM, THIS IS JUST THE DISCUSSION TONIGHT FOR US TO DO THAT.
AND THE REASON WHY IT IS IN AUGUST AND IT'S JUST COMING SO SOON, IS THAT IF, IF, UM, IF COUNSEL WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, WE'D HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND WE WOULD ALSO HAVE TO HAVE THIS REQUEST IN LIKE IN NOVEMBER TO, UM, OUR REPRESENTATIVES IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO ASK FOR THE, THE, UM, CHARTER CHANGE.
AND WHILE, YEAH, IT'S AUGUST, BUT MAN, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT GOES.
SO WE THOUGHT, I THOUGHT BETTER SOONER TO GET TALKING ABOUT IT NOW 'CAUSE WE'LL NEED TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AND MAYBE WE THEN, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON PAYING ON THE PUBLIC HEARING AND WHAT PEOPLE THINK, WE COULD GET TO DRAFTING THAT AND GET IT TO THE LEGISLATORS IN, IN NOVEMBER AFTER WE KNOW WHO OUR LEGISLATORS ARE.
I I WANT THE PUBLIC AND THE PEOPLE HERE TONIGHT TO KNOW THAT THIS ISN'T BECAUSE OF OUR NEW TOWN MANAGER.
THIS WAS A DISCUSSION THAT WAS HAD BEFORE ANYBODY ELSE SITTING AT THIS TABLE WITH ME ON COUNCIL WAS HAD, IT WAS A CONVERSATION WHEN I CAME ONTO THE COUNCIL AND WE HAVE BEEN CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING INTO THE ISSUE OF A FINDING A TOWN MANAGER OR B UM, HELPING THEM FIND ACCOMMODATIONS OR MAKING EXCEPTIONS FOR THEM FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME UNTIL THEY'RE ABLE TO FIND HOUSING.
THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE SINCE BEFORE EVEN MY TIME WITH COUNSEL.
SO SOMEWHERE, MS. PRESLEY, I WANNA SAY, WAS IT LIKE THREE YEARS AGO? I'M TRYING TO THINK WHEN IT WAS, WE ACTUALLY CHANGED SOME THINGS AND TOOK SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES OF THE TOWN AND CHANGED MM-HMM
LIKE I I THINK AT ONE POINT YOUR POSITION WAS EVEN YEAH.
LIKE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE TOWN.
BUT THE TOWN MANAGER AT THE TIME YOU WANTED TO LEAVE RIGHT.
AND HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE OF THE CHARTER.
YEAH, I, I KNOW HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE OF THE CHARTER.
UM, BUT, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT WAS THE INTENT IN 2001, 24 YEARS AGO THAT THERE WAS, AND AND AS I SAID IN THE LAST, UM, IN MY EXPERIENCE WITH, UM, THIS POSITION, I KNOW ANOTHER TOWN MANAGER THAT WE HAD, UM, COULD NOT FIND HOUSING HERE.
LIKE IT TOOK HIM LIKE OVER A YEAR TO FIND A HOUSE IN THE TOWN LIMITS.
AND MAYBE EVEN WASN'T THE TOWN
SO, UM, LIKE I SAID, I, I THINK THAT I KNOW I CAN UNDERSTAND IN 1937 WHEN VEHICLES
I CAN SEE WHY YOU WANTED SOMEBODY TO BE CLOSE AND IN TOWN.
BUT LET'S BE HONEST, YOU KNOW, YOU SEND IT TO THE COUNTY.
WHAT'S THAT TELEPHONE HOME FOR MY HOUSE? WAS IT, MY HOUSE WAS IN TOWN LIMITS WAS, OH MY GOSH, 19.
YOU FOX DRIVE AND ALL THAT WAS COUNTY TOO.
WELL THEN THERE WERE WHERE I LIVE OUT ON THAT END.
SO IT WAS WHEN THE PLANT CAME HERE IS WHEN REALLY INTERESTING.
WE NEED TO LET YOU WORK ON IT AND GET IT DONE FOR US.
YEAH, WELL WE JUST, LIKE I SAID, WE BROUGHT IT TO THE WORK SESSION.
IF YOU ALL ARE OKAY WITH IT, WE CAN MAKE THIS AUGUST BE THE PUBLIC.
THIS MEETING COULD BE THE PUBLIC HEARING IN AUGUST AND, AND AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING, UM, WE CAN TAKE ACTION AND IF, IF PEOPLE ARE IN FAVOR, IF IT PASSES, THEN WE DID HAVE A MILE RADIUS THAT WE DISCUSSED.
BECAUSE WHILE I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT FEASIBLE FOR THEM TO BE IN TOWN, WHAT WAS ALSO FRUSTRATING WAS HAVING A TOWN MANAGER WHO DIDN'T LIVE IN TOWN.
AND JUST THIS MORNING FOR INSTANCE, I LEARNED ABOUT ALL THE STUFF GOING ON IN TOWN FROM THE TOWN MANAGER AND THEN SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BUT WE HAD INTERIM TOWN MANAGERS AND TOWN MANAGERS PRIOR DURING MY TENURE HERE WHO DID NOT LIVE IN FRONT ROYAL OR WARREN COUNTY AND THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS HAPPENING HERE.
AND PEOPLE WOULD MESSAGE US AND BE LIKE, HEY, THERE'S THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER, THERE'S A MOTORCADE COMING THROUGH WHAT'S GOING ON? OR THERE'S A WATER BREAK.
AND THEY WERE LIKE, OH REALLY? I HAD NO IDEA.
'CAUSE I'M 50 MILES AWAY FROM FRONT ROYAL.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, JUST TO CLARIFY SO THAT THE PUBLIC IS AWARE, LIKE I KNOW ONE IN PARTICULAR,
[01:15:01]
LIKE THEY WERE RENTING IN A LOCALITY, YOU KNOW, JUST A BORDERING LOCALITY BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T FIND A PLACE HERE.THEY RENTED AND THEN THEY FOUND A PLACE HERE.
AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER SITUATION WHERE A PERSON WAS AN ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER AND BECAME THE INTERIM TOWN MANAGER.
AND BECAUSE THE ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER DOES NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL, THAT'S HOW THAT ALL WENT TO BE.
SO ANYWAY, BUT I PERSONALLY THINK THIS IS TO ME LIKE SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED A LONG TIME AGO WHEN TRANSPORTATION BECAME, YOU KNOW, UM, A DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN A DIFFERENT TYPE OF THING.
I'M JUST, I LIKE, I'M JUST SAYING GET AWAY FROM THE HORSE.
I PRETTY SURE CARL WILL GET YOU HERE PRETTY FAST FROM WARREN COUNTY.
UM, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO IT DISCUSSION.
AUGUST, TELL ME WHAT, LET'S SEE, 21, 20 FIFTH, AUGUST 25TH.
SO TO BE CLEAR, THERE'S TWO COMPONENTS TO THAT.
ONE IS CHANGED THE CHARTER ONE IS TO CHANGE TOWN CODE, RIGHT? TO, TO MOVE TOWN MANAGER FROM TOWN ONLY TO COUNTY, TOWN AND COUNTY.
AND WHAT STEP HAS TO GO FIRST? THE CHARTER? THEY CAN CHARTER FIRST.
WELL, I MEAN TELL CODE CHARTER MEETING WHENEVER THERE'S A VOTE, I SUPPOSE THE CHARTER SHOULD GO FIRST.
BUT THEN WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO GET THE CHARTER APPROVED.
THE CHARTER CHANGE APPROVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
AND THEN WE COULD ENTERTAIN THE TOWN CODE CHANGE.
LIKE WE CAN'T, AND YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DOESN'T MEET UNTIL JANUARY NOW, NEXT YEAR THEY'RE IN LONG SESSION I THINK.
RIGHT? SO THEY'RE 12, THEY'RE 12 WEEKS ON THE LONG SESSIONS.
UM, BUT, AND YEAH, AND AT THAT TIME IF, IF THE PUBLIC'S GOOD WITH THIS AND COUNCIL'S GOOD WITH THIS, WE WILL, UM, NEED PEOPLE OTHER THAN MYSELF TO GO TO RICHMOND, UM, TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF THE LEGISLATURE BECAUSE THEY, ANY KIND OF CHARTER CHANGES THEY WANNA HEAR FROM, YOU KNOW, HEAR FROM, HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC IN THAT AREA.
SO IT'S JUST AN INVITATION NOW FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, NEXT UP IS THE ACTION ITEM, THE ZONING TAX AMENDMENT TO TOWN CODE CHAPTER.
AND THAT MS. LAUREN, AGAIN, I COULD READ IT AS YOUR REPORT.
TOWN CODE CHAPTER 1 75 DASH THREE TO DEFINE DESIGNATED SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE HOUSING AND 1 75 DASH 12 1 75 DASH 18.2 1 75 DASH 21 1 75 DASH 30, AND 1 75 37 0.3 TO ADD DESIGNATED SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE HOUSING PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, AND CREATE 1 75 DASH 1 53 TO ADD DESIGNATED SPECIAL PURPOSE HOUSING PERFORMANCE STANDARD.
SORRY, THAT'S A LOT, LOT OF NUMBERS THERE.
UM, BUT FAIRLY DENSE, BUT ESSENTIALLY THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE APPLICATIONS WE'VE BEEN HAVING FOR LODGING HOUSES, AND THAT WAS THE LAST TEXT AMENDMENT FOR, UM, OR THAT PERMITTED CERTAIN TYPES OF LIKE SHELTERS, THINGS LIKE THAT TO HAPPEN IN THE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.
SO THE THOUGHT BEHIND IT BECAME, UM, WE'RE USING A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY FOR THESE LODGING USES.
THERE MAY BE A WAY OR TIMES WHEN THESE ARE APPROPRIATE IN THE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.
SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT, UM, PLANNING COMMISSION DID WAS REACH OUT TO, UM, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS IN TOWN AND CONDUCT INTERVIEWS.
SO THEY REACHED OUT TO THE HAR HARVEST MISSION PROJECT, PHOENIX, UM, DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN SERVICES AND THE VIRGINIA WESTERN CONTINUUM OF CARE.
SO, UM, THEY IDENTIFIED CERTAIN POPULATIONS, SO AT RISK CHILDREN, SPECIAL NEEDS, DOMESTIC ABUSE, TEMPORARY HOUSING ION CRISIS, AND VETERAN SHELTERS.
UM, AND THEN I KIND OF JUST GLOSSED OVER THIS, BUT BASICALLY WHAT THEY CAME BACK WITH IS WE, THEY, OUR PLANNING COMMISSION COMPILED THE REPORT AND BASICALLY STATED THAT IF WE CREATE AND DEFINE THIS DESIGNATED SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE HOUSING DEFINITION, WE CAN THEN ALLOW THEM BY SPECIAL USE PERMITS IN THE R ONE, R TWO AND R THREE DISTRICT WITH PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, WHICH INCLUDE MANAGEMENT PLAN AND, UM,
[01:20:01]
UH, JUST MAKING SURE THAT THEY COMPLY WITH STATE REGULATORY AGENCIES.I ONLY SAW RR TWO AND R THREE.
DID I MISS HER? I SAW R TWO, YOU KNOW, TWO AND THREE.
I BELIEVE IN YOUR, AND THAT SHOULD SAY NOT MORE THAN EIGHT.
BUT WE'RE, THIS ISN'T ACTUALLY AN ACTION ITEM AND I, I THOUGHT WE WERE RECEIVED NOTICE THAT WE'RE NOT.
I THINK THERE WERE LOTS OF QUESTIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF I DON'T, I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING BACK TO LEGAL.
WELL, WE DID ASK, THIS IS WAS PUT ON AS AN ACTION ITEM, UM, ON REVIEW WITH LEGAL, WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS ON WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS COMPLIANT WITH STATE CODE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I ACTUALLY BROUGHT THAT.
IT'S, UH, 15 22, 22 91 IN REGARDS TO RESIDENTIAL HOUSING.
UM, SO THE QUESTION WAS DO WE KICK THIS BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION TO ENSURE THAT IT IS NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE STATE CODE? AND IT WAS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT WE ADD AS AN ACTION ITEM TONIGHT SO WE DON'T LOSE ANY ADDITIONAL TIME.
WE CAN GET IT BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION NOW RATHER THAN WAIT UNTIL ACTION ITEMS TO THE REGULAR MEETING.
SO THIS COUNCIL NEEDS TO DETERMINE, THIS COUNCIL NEEDS TO GIVE DIRECTION WHETHER OR NOT TO SEND IT BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND WE ADDED IN THE COVER SHEET OF MOTION THAT YOU COULD MAKE ACTUALLY IN THE FORM OF A VOTE.
SO, SO THE STATE HAS PREEMPTED I GOTCHA.
PREEMPTED, UM, LOCAL ZONING CONTROL AS TO, UH, CERTAIN GROUP HOMES OF EIGHT OR FEWER.
SO THERE, SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM ANYONE ON THE COVER SHEET.
THERE IS A, THERE IS A MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT TOWN COUNCIL, REFER THE ITEM BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO MAKE POTENTIAL CHANGES IN ACCORDANCE WITH VIRGINIA CODE 15.2 DASH 2 2 9.
THERE'S PROBABLY NO NEED TO DISCUSS SINCE WE JUST DISCUSSED IT, RIGHT.
SO YOU ALL HAVE A MEETING ON WEDNESDAY AT VISIT.
SO IT PROBABLY WON'T BE UNTIL NEXT.
UH, SO NEXT ITEM FOR US IS CLOSED.
UH, IS DO I HEAR A MOTION? MAYOR, GO AHEAD.
MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THE TOWN COUNCIL.
CONVENE A CLOSED MEETING BETWEEN SECTION 2.2 37 11 AND 2.2 37 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSE.
ONE PURSUANT TO 2.2 DASH 37 11 A, ONE OF DAKOTA, VIRGINIA FOR THIS DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION FOR INTERVIEWS, PERSPECTIVE CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE TO MOTION, SALARIES, DISCIPLINING, OR RESIGNATION OF SPECIFIC PUBLIC OFFICERS, APPOINTEES OR EMPLOYEES OF ANY PUBLIC BODY.
MORE SPECIFICALLY, CLERK OF COUNSELING.
COUNCIL ABSENT COUNCILWOMAN PAYNE.
ALRIGHT, SO WE ARE NOW ENCLOSED MS.