[00:00:01]
THE, UH, TOWN COUNCIL REGULAR[Town Council Work Session on November 3, 2025.]
WORK SESSION FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD.TO ORDER MS. PRESS, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? MAYOR COCKRELL HERE.
SO OUR FIRST ITEM IS, UM, AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO RESCIND TOWN CODE 12 DASH SIX MISCELLANEOUS FEES.
AND MS. PRESLEY, THAT'S, ITS YOU
UM, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW WHAT? OH NO, NO.
I KNEW WE HAD A CHANGE TO CLOSE, BUT WE CAN DO THAT IF YOU END.
DO WE NEED TO ADD THAT NOW? WE CAN DO IT.
UM, THIS IS JUST A HOUSEKEEPING, MORE OR LESS ITEM.
UM, THERE'S NO PURPOSE FOR THIS TO BE SERVED IN THE TOWN CODE BY RESTATING STATE LOSS.
WE HAS HIS OWN LAW, SO WE DON'T NEED TO PUT IT IN TELCO.
AND IT CHANGES QUITE A BIT ANYWAY.
SO DO WE NEED TO PUT THOUGH A STATEMENT THAT SAYS THAT, TO REFER THEM TO, THAT WE HAVE A POLICY THAT BY STATE LAW I HAVE TO HAVE A POLICY AND IT'S ONLINE AND WE HAVE TO HAVE IT ONLINE? EXACTLY.
SO UNLESS ANYBODY IS AGAINST THIS, I WOULD SAY THIS WOULD JUST GO TO, UM, WELL, NO HEARING.
WELL, PUBLIC HEARING IN NOVEMBER OR NO, IT'S TOO LATE.
BECAUSE WE CAN STILL DO ANYTHING TONIGHT.
WE CAN HAVE IN NOVEMBER, BUT NOT NEXT WEEK.
THAT'S GONNA BE THE NOVEMBER 27TH.
UH, BRINGING THE OUTSTANDING CARRYABLE PURCHASE ORDERS TO COUNCIL, AS WE'VE DONE, UH, HERE IN THE PAST.
UH, WHAT THESE ARE IS A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT, UH, ARE STILL ONGOING THAT WE'VE NOT FINISHED.
UM, AND THE FUNDS, UH, WE NOT USED UP IN FISCAL YEAR.
UH, 25 FOR MINUTES OVER TO FISCAL YEAR 26, SORRY.
THE AGENDA ITEM DOES SAY FISCAL YEAR 25, I SHOULD SAY FISCAL YEAR 26.
UH, BUT IT IS THE FISCAL YEAR 26 P AMENDMENT.
UM, AND WHAT THESE ARE, IT'S THE, UH, WE'VE ACCOUNTED FOR THEM IN THE AUDIT.
WE'VE ACCOUNTED FOR THEM, UH, FOR THE PAYABLES, UH, THAT EXCEED OR FOR 45 DAYS AFTER THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR ENDS, UH, WE'RE OCCURRING.
THOSE PAYMENTS, UH, THAT WILL THEN BE, UH, RECORDED IN FISCAL YEAR 25.
AND THEN PAYMENTS ON THESE AFTER, UH, AUGUST 15TH ARE THE ONES THAT YOU'LL SEE, UH, LISTED AS FISCAL YEAR PAYMENT IS OF, UH, OCTOBER 10TH, 25.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE, BUT I'LL, UH, KIND OF TOUCH ON SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.
UH, THESE ARE BROKEN DOWN, UH, BY FUND, UH, BECAUSE THE AMOUNT EXCEEDS 1% OF THE BUDGET.
WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS, UH, FOR THE BUDGET AMENDMENT.
UH, BUT, UH, KIND OF STARTING HERE, UH, AT THE TOP HERE, THE DEBT SERVICE FUND THAT SAYS, UH, FOR $40,000 FUNDS TO BE USED FOR, UH, LAND HAPPY CREEK, PHASE TWO AND THREE.
UM, BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO MAYBE DISCUSS, MAYBE REALLOCATING THAT.
UM, HAPPY CREEK PHASE TWO OR THREE IS GONNA BE A HUGE, HUGE PROJECT.
UH, THESE FUNDS WERE SET ASIDE WITH THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND START MAYBE, UM, LOOKING INTO MAYBE GETTING SOME EASEMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, WITHOUT HAVING THE, UH, THE PLAN, UH, KNOW TO WHAT EASEMENTS WE NEED, WHICH IS NOT THERE YET.
BUT, UH, P BRINGING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, SPECIAL PROJECT FUND, THERE'S THREE THAT ARE UNDER THERE.
SO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CONSTRUCTION, THE $466,000, UH, THAT WAS THE MONEY THAT WE HAD, UH, EARMARKED FOR THE INTEREST PAYMENTS, UH, FOR, UH, FOR THE WARREN COUNTY EBA YEARS AGO.
UM, WE DID USE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS AND, UH, FOR, UH, THE PAVING PROJECT FOR FLEET MAINTENANCE.
UH, LIKELY TO BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL AND MAYBE REQUEST TO MOVE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS TO OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE COMING DOWN THE PIPE.
ONCE WE, UM, GET FURTHER ALONG WITH THE PROJECTS.
UH, THE WEST MAIN EXTENSION, THE $96,000 THERE, UH, WAS FOR THE RETENTION POND FOR THE WEST MAIN, UH, CONNECTOR ROAD.
UH, WE WERE UNABLE TO COMPLETE THAT.
SO DO SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE ADJACENT PROPERTY.
AND THEN THE, UH, FINAL ONE THERE, WEST MAIN CONNECTOR TO GRAND GREEN PAYMENT IS EXACTLY THAT.
UH, SEE WHERE WE PAID OUT THE $426,000.
UH, THE COUNCIL APPROVED THERE, UH, JUST A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE REMAINING 229,000, UH, THERE, OF WHICH I THINK, UH, WE ARE ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING 113,000.
[00:05:01]
BACK TO COUNCIL UNION IN THE FUTURE.WHAT THAT IS, IS WE HAD ACCOUNTED FOR THE FULL GRANT AMOUNT.
UH, BUT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T FINISH THE PROJECT, WE DIDN'T GET ALL THE GRANT FUNDING FROM IT.
OH, I WAS JUST GETTING READY TO SAY, UM, THAT THAT WAS THE ONE THAT WE WENT TO TRANSPORTATION MEETING THIS SUMMER ABOUT TO TRY TO SEE IF THEY'D CUT US A BREAK ON IT.
SO THEY DIDN'T REALLY CUT US A BREAK, IT'S JUST THAT WE DIDN'T SPEND, WE DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING.
SO, SO WE THOUGHT WE NEED TO PAY BACK 650, BUT WE REALLY ONLY GOT 500 AND SOMETHING THOUSAND.
HAD WE BEEN ABLE TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT, UM, WE WOULD'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD'VE BEEN 650, BUT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT.
AND IS THERE NO, THERE NO INTENTION OF US TO EVER COMPLETE THE PROJECT.
UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO COMPLETE IT, BUT THE ADJACENT PROPERTY NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT IN IN COMPLIANCE BEFORE WE CAN COMPLETE THAT.
UM, OTHER THAN, BUT, BUT IF, BUT IF, BUT IF THE, IF THE REMAINING FUNDS DON'T, DON'T, IF THEY DON'T STAY IN, UH, FOR THE SAKE OF A BETTER WORD, ESCROW, UH, THEN WE'RE, WE WILL BE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL, MOST LIKELY ALREADY BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL ON IT.
UH, FIGURED THAT, UH, WHEN WE BID THAT PROJECT OUT, IT WAS 2016.
UM, SO I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE COST WOULD BE IN TODAY'S DOLLARS TO FINISH THAT.
SO WE WOULD KIND OF NEED TO START A NEW, UH, WHEN, UH, WHEN THAT COMES TO FRUITION.
AND WHEN YOU SAY IN COMPLIANCE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHAT IT WAS? I'M NOT RECALLING WHAT NEEDED TO BE THE ADJACENT PROPERTY.
WHAT, HOW WOULD THEY NEED TO BE IN COMPLIANCE? MAYBE IN THE NEXT SLIDE, GEORGE? UH, IF WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DISCUSS IT, IT'S OKAY.
OH, SHE ASKED WHAT THE OTHER PROPERTY AND WHY, WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT IT'S NOT IN COMPLIANCE? ARE WE ALLOWED TO DISCUSS THAT? SURE.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S THE, IT'S THE IT FEDERAL PARCEL.
AND THERE'S SOME DEQ ISSUES AS I RECALL.
THERE'S A, THERE'S, UM, A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN APPROVED PLANS.
WE'VE MET WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND BUILDING INSPECTIONS, AND THERE'S SOME DIFFERENT SIZE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S INSTALLED, UH, THAT'S COUNTER TO DIFFERENT APPROVED PLANS.
THERE'S JUST A LOT OF DISCREPANCIES DOWN THERE THAT WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH IN ORDER TO GET FINAL COMPLIANCE FOR THAT PROPERTY.
WE DON'T, WE DO NOT HAVE THAT.
UH, ANOTHER ONE I WAS GONNA POINT OUT HERE IS UNDER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, THE E SUMMON, UH, FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAVE $62,498 AND 75 CENTS UNDER THERE.
UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY AN AGREEMENT WITH THE COMMONWEALTH.
UH, IT'S TO OBTAIN SOME SOFTWARE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I KNOW CHIEF'S BEEN LOOKING INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT.
I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING YET, BUT THAT'LL JUST CONTINUE TO ACCRUE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
WHAT DOES THE EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT FOR THE GOVERNMENT CENTER, DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH SWAG OR MICROPHONES? UH, ALL RIGHT.
THEY GONNA REPLACE THE MICROPHONES OR NOT? THEY ASKED US FOR THAT.
SO THEY DID REPLACE THEM, BUT AS YOU KNOW, WELL, THEY WORK.
THEY'RE JUST MISSING ONE, SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO PAY ANYTHING UNTIL IT'S FIXED.
WE'RE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THAT.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE, ALL THOSE YEARS AGO WE HAD TO TAKE.
AND I DO HAVE THE, WE HAVE THE MAJORITY OF OUR STAFF HERE, THE DIRECTORS, TO HELP ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS WE MOVE ALONG THROUGH HERE.
MOVING ALONG, UH, WHAT ELSE DID I TAKE UP HERE? THE BANNER.
SINCE YOU SAID PEOPLE WERE HERE,
SO UNDER THE TOURISM THING, LIKE THE BANNERS, WE SUB LIKE 2390, 2392, ALMOST $2,400 LEFT OVER FOR THAT.
SO I, I AM TAKING THIS AS THE THINGS THAT WE HAVEN'T SPENT THAT WE MIGHT ALLOCATE 'EM INTO SOMETHING ELSE.
IS THAT THE IDEA? BECAUSE I KIND OF WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE MONEY STAY IN THE BANNERS THING BECAUSE, WELL, SOME OF THE PROJECTS, YES, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO REALLOCATE, BUT OTHERS, UH, THE MONEY'S ACTUALLY IS, IS BEING USED OR SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL'S ALREADY AWARDED.
I BELIEVE THE BANNERS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK ON.
UH, WITH THE HARDWARE, I KNOW THAT, UH, UM, WELL, WE'VE GOT ROUGHLY 50% OF THEM UP.
UM, WE'VE GOT, UH, UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WORKING DOWN THAT.
UM, AND WE MAY NOT HAVE PAID THE BILL YET.
YEAH, I THINK WE'LL STILL GET ANOTHER FINAL BILL ON THAT.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, I THINK ONCE THEY'RE UP, WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED WITH SOME PARTNER
[00:10:01]
AGENCIES ABOUT POTENTIAL EXPANSION IN THE FUTURE.SO WE'LL DISCUSS HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE LEFT OVER, IF THAT.
THAT'S ALL I WAS THINKING IS WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IDENTIFYING SOME MORE POLES SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME MORE UP.
AND I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO, TO, UM, REALLOCATE ANY MONEY THAT COULD PAY FOR SOME OF THE HARDWARE.
'CAUSE THE COUNTY HELPED US WITH THE FIRST PART OF IT, BUT I DON'T, THE COUNTY ALREADY, EVERY TIME THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO DISCUSS EXPANSION TOWARDS THAT POINT.
BUT WE, LET'S GET THESE DONE FIRST.
AND THE RENOVATION IS NOT DONE, DONE, OR JUST NOT, WE'RE JUST NOT PAID WHOLE SPRING.
UM, I BELIEVE IT'S A NEXT SPRING PROJECT.
WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY RENOVATIONS ON THAT.
UH, UNDER THE NEXT PAGE FOR HORTICULTURE, WE HAVE A COUPLE ACES PROJECTS THERE.
THE TREES FOR THE, UH, TREES FOR TREE CANOPY AND MAIN STREET GAZEBO.
UM, THEN THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL, UH, CONNECTOR FEASIBILITY, I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE COMING HERE SOON, UH, FOR US TO PAY OUT.
UM, THERE'S THE, UH, UNDER FRIDA, WE HAVE, UH, THE TOWN HAS BUDGETED $131,000 FOR FRIDA THERE.
WELL, THAT'S A, IT WAS 50,000 EVERY YEAR.
WE JUST HAVEN'T USED IT ALL, SO.
YES, THERE'S 131,000 IN THE BUDGET, BUT WE DIDN'T BUDGET 131,000.
I THINK EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT, RIGHT? LIKE IT'S LEFTOVER, LEFTOVER, LEFTOVER.
AND IT'S ALL STILL CARRYING IT FORWARD.
AND, UH, WHAT'S INCLUDED ON HERE DOES NOT, UH, REFLECT, UH, THE CURRENT BUDGET NUMBERS, WHAT WE HAVE IN THE CURRENT BUDGET FOR IT.
SO IT SHOULD BE ANOTHER 50,000 IN THERE.
AND THAT'S AFTER PAYING FOR RETAIL STRATEGIES TWICE.
UM, I KNOW WE PAID RETAIL STRATEGIES.
DID WE DO IT ONCE OR TWICE? I THINK.
AND THAT WAS 50,000 OR 65? I SAY IT WAS LIKE 54.
UM, LOOKING HERE AT THE NEXT PAGE.
SO WE HAVE THE ENERGY SERVICES, WE HAVE THE EN, UH, COST OF SERVICE STUDY, WHICH IS ONGOING.
SHOULD HAVE SOME INFORMATION ON THAT HERE VERY SHORTLY.
UNDER THE MEDIA READING, YOU'LL SEE THE ITEMS THAT, UH, WE'VE JUST RECENTLY AWARDED.
UH, THE ERP SOFTWARE FOR VARUS PROJECT MANAGEMENT, UH, FOR THE VARUS, THE $686,000 PROJECT MANAGEMENT, UH, $212,000.
UH, GOING DOWN TO THE WASTE, UH, WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
UH, ONE THING I WAS GONNA POINT OUT HERE IS, UH, IT'S A SMALL AMOUNT, $3,750 FROM MUNICIPAL ADVISORY SERVICE.
UH, THAT IS THE, UM, UH, VML VACO IS GOING TO ASSIST US IN THE BOND, UH, FOR THE, UH, CENTRIFUSION RIVERTON PUMP STATION.
I ACTUALLY HAVE A MEETING ON THAT HERE, UH, THIS FRIDAY, UH, TO DISCUSS THAT.
UH, WE HAVE A, UM, TENTATIVE APPROVAL.
HOPEFULLY FINAL APPROVAL WILL COME IN IN NOVEMBER HERE AT THE LATE OF NOVEMBER.
UH, BUT THAT IS, UH, INDEED MOVING FORWARD.
AND THAT IS JUST 50% OF THE, UM, UH, ADVISORY SERVICES.
THE OTHER, UH, 50% IS IN UNDER THE WATER, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE ALSO GONNA PROVIDE SERVICES FOR THE HOPEFULLY, UH, PUMP STATION OR FOUR H AND THE, UH, JAMESTOWN PUMP STATIONS.
WHEN I LOOK HERE AND YOU AT RIVERTON PUMP STATION, 450,000
SO YEAH, THE RIVER, UH, RIVERTON PUMP STATION, THE 450,000 THAT WE HAVE THERE, WE BE USED TO HELP OFFSET THE BOND, UM, THE, UH, THE BOND AMOUNT.
SO WE'LL JUST LOWER THAT BOND MOST LIKELY.
UH, AND HAVE WE APPLIED FOR THAT? YEAH, THE BOND WAS APPLIED FOR IN MAY.
ROB, WE APPLIED FOR IT IN MAY.
UM, IT IS A QUITE A LONG PROCESS, AND LIKE I SAID, WE JUST GOT THE TENTATIVE APPROVAL JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BE GOING DOWN TO MEET WITH THEM ON FRIDAY, UM, UH, TO DISCUSS IT, AND THEN HOPEFULLY IN HERE IN A COUPLE WEEKS, THEY WILL FINALIZE IT AND WE'LL GET MOVING.
AND THAT INCLUDES OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
THE WHOLE, THE BOND OR, UM, SO THIS ONE IS ONLY FOR THE, UH, CENTRIFUGE AND THE, OKAY.
WE DID APPLY FOR ANOTHER BOND FOR ANOTHER PROGRAM ON THE WATER SIDE FOR THE, UM, CLEARWELL, CLEAR WELLS AND MENTATION BASIN, SEDIMENTATION BASIN, FOUR H AND JAMESTOWN.
UH, WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANY WORD ON THAT, AND I'M HOPING TO, UH, ASK AROUND ON FRIDAY AND, AND GET SOME INFORMATION.
UH, THERE WERE TWO SEPARATE DEADLINES ON THAT, SO THAT ONE MIGHT HOPEFULLY
[00:15:01]
WILL JUST BE COMING LATER.SO, UM, THE, UM, LET'S SEE HERE.
UH, MOVING ON, LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE WE'VE GOT.
GOOD TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE MONEY THAT'S STILL LEFT OVER IN THE REDUNDANT WATER LINE.
DO WE EXPECT THAT THAT'S ALL GONNA BE EVENTUALLY SPENT? YEAH.
IT WAS MORE THAN WHAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE, SO I JUST, UM, YEAH, UH, NO, THAT'S FINE.
I IMAGINE WE'LL BE HAVING SOME DISCUSSIONS ON THAT HERE IN THE FUTURE, BUT, UH, I'M, I'M HOPEFUL THAT ALL WILL BE WELL,
I'M TRYING TO COVER ALL YOUR BASES.
WELL, IT'S NOT DONE YET, SO I DON'T KNOW.
GOING OVER, LET'S SEE WHAT ELSE WE GOT HERE.
THE, UM, WE HAVE THE MONEY SITTING UNDER SOLID WASTE FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE TRUCK, UH, THAT WE'RE, UM, WAITING ON.
UH, THE, UH, UNDER HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE.
WE GOT ALL KINDS OF GOOD STUFF.
SO WE HAVE THE $200,000 UNDER THERE FOR THE, UH, FREIGHT LINER DUMP TRUCK CHASSIS, UH, THAT THEY'RE ON ORDER.
SO IS THE STAINLESS STEEL DUMP BED TO GO ALONG WITH THOSE FOR $106,000.
UH, THE CHRYSLER ROAD SIDEWALK PROJECT YOU SEE UNDER THERE FOR 532,000.
UM, UH, WE NEED TO, BY FISCAL YEAR 27, WE NEED TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL $116,000 TO THAT.
SO LIKELY WE'LL BE SEEING THAT IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET.
UH, MOVING ON DOWN HERE, UM, AT SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION FOR LERAY AVENUE.
OVERLOOKED TO ER, UH, PART OF THE, UH, UM, UM, BUDGET, THEN INCORPORATED INTO THE PING PLAN PROSPECT STREET BRIDGE.
WE HAVE ROUGHLY A MILLION DOLLARS IN THERE.
THAT IS FOR THE TOWNS PORTION.
THAT IS AN ESTIMATED $1.9 MILLION PROJECT.
UM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE GETTING THE PLANS BACK ON THAT ANY DAY NOW.
AND, AND WE GOT TO GET THAT BACK OUT TO BID.
UH, EIGHTH STREET BRIDGE REPLACEMENTS, OBVIOUSLY THAT IS, UH, ONGOING.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE $866,000 OUT OF THE 1.4 MILLION THAT WE'VE USED.
UH, WE STILL DO OVER THE CONTRACTOR $593,000 THERE.
UM, THAT SHOULD BE COMPLETED HERE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UM, THE, UH, WE GOT THE, UH, SHENANDOAH AVENUE STREET LIGHTS THERE, 244,000, AND THAT'S KIND OF ALL THE HIDES THAT I HAVE.
I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, UH, COUNSEL MAY HAVE.
WE'RE GOING INTO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
BJ, WHAT IS THE, UH, YOU MAY KNOW NAME CHIEF, I'M NOT SURE WHO THE FALLS UNDER A GPS FOR TOWN VEHICLES.
UH, THAT IS, UH, ACTUALLY UNDER FLEET MAINTENANCE THERE.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, INSTALLING, UH, GPS ON LIKE ALL TOWN VEHICLES.
UH, USE IT FOR LIKE, WE'RE PLOWING ROADS.
WE CAN TELL WHERE THE PLOW TRUCKS ARE, UM, IF WE'RE, SO THIS IS FOR TRACKING, NOT FOR DIRECTIONAL, CORRECT? CORRECT, CORRECT.
UM, IT CAN, UH, TRACK THE, UM, THE MAINTENANCE, UH, ON VEHICLES.
IF A SERVICE LIGHT COMES ON, YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT.
UM, HEAVEN FORBID, YOU KNOW, AN ACCIDENT OCCURS, IT WILL NOTIFY US OF THE, YOU KNOW, IF THE AIRBAG'S BEEN DEPLOYED, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT YEAH, JUST OVERALL, UH, TRACKING OF THE VEHICLES LOCATION.
ANYBODY ELSE? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE A, UM, BROAD, KIND OF BROAD QUESTION FOR ONCE.
UM, WHICH IS, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I MEAN, THERE'S A DOZEN REASONS WHY THINGS HAVE NOT GOTTEN DONE.
BILLING AND SUPPLY CHAIN, I WOULD IMAGINE AND STAGE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT.
UM, HOW DID, JUST OVERALL, 'CAUSE IT SEEMS, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT, UM, BUT IT COMPARABLY TO LAST YEAR, IT'S A WHOLE LOT LOWER IS LOWER THAN LAST YEAR.
UM, THE, UH, I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD LAST YEAR, BUT IF YOU FIGURE LAST YEAR WE WERE STILL CARRYING OVER A LOT OF THE FUNDS FOR THE REDUNDANT WATER LINE.
A LOT OF THE FUNDS FOR THE, UH, SEWER, UH, I I ABATEMENT WORK.
UM, YEAH, THE BRIDGE, WE HAD FOUR.
WELL, FINANCIALLY, YEAH, THE NUMBER MIGHT BE, BUT I MEAN THE LINE ITEMS, IN OTHER WORDS, THE PROJECTS, THE LINE ITEMS, IS THAT, IS THAT LESS, OR, UM, IT IS, IT IS LESS.
THAT'S A HARD ONE TO GAUGE BECAUSE SOME OF THESE, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, WE'RE ACTUALLY, UM, THESE ARE FUND SEED MONEY THAT WE'RE CARRYING, YOU KNOW, SO YOU'RE ONE OF TWO.
SO WE'RE CARRYING THIS FORWARD TO NEXT BUDGET CYCLE.
SO WE'LL EVENTUALLY HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS.
UM, OVERALL I THINK THERE ARE LESS PROJECTS, UH, AS
[00:20:01]
A TOTAL THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON.UH, BUT THERE'S A, A GOOD NUMBER OF 'EM ON HERE THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED YET BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE FUNDS AVAILABLE.
SO ONCE THIS IS TRANSFERRED, WE'LL HAVE AN ACTUAL, UH, FINAL NUMBER OF WHERE WE ENDED UP LAST YEAR.
SO THIS, THIS IS GOING TO BE THE FINAL NUMBER.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BRING THOSE, UH, FUNDS FORWARD TO THE CURRENT YEAR SO WE CAN CONTINUE ON, UH, THESE PROJECTS OR, UH, ALLOW THE FUNDS TO REMAIN AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE YEARS.
SO WHAT'S, UM, I, FORGIVE ME FOR NOT LOOKING.
THIS STUFF WE COULDN'T FIND OFF THE HEAD, BUT, UM, THE COMMERCE AVENUE BRIDGE, WHAT WOULD BE THE TOTAL C AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE LOOKING TO PUT ON THAT? I KNOW WE GOT 72,000 IN THERE, BUT, UM, YEAH, THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE A DROP IN THE BUCKET.
YEAH, WE JUST PUT SOMETHING IN TO START PUTTING SOMETHING BACK, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO APPLY.
MOST LIKELY THAT'S GONNA BE FOR ENGINEERING USED FOR.
AND MIGHT MIGHT EVEN JUST BE MAYBE PUT A PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, BUT YEAH, THAT'S GONNA BE A, A, THAT A BIGGER PROJECT.
YEAH, THAT'S PROBABLY, I MEAN, OUR INSPECTIONS, THAT'S GONNA BE THE NEXT, NEXT ONES NEXT.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING IS THAT, IS THAT A PROJECT THAT WE COULD APPLY FOR REVENUE SHARING? LIKE WE DID THE EIGHTH STREET BRIDGE MM-HMM
AND IF WE HAVE THE, UH, SOME OF THE ENGINEERING ON THOSE, I BELIEVE IT HELPS US SCORE BETTER.
WASN'T THERE, WOULD THERE BE ANY FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THAT? SINCE IT'S 22? THEY HAVE SOME OTHER PROGRAMS LIKE THE STAY GOOD REPAIR, BUT IT HAS TO BE, UH, STRUCTURE CRITICAL IN ORDER.
SOME OF 'EM, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS.
SO REVENUE SHARING'S PRETTY OPEN, UM, YOU KNOW, STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND REVENUE SHARING'S NOT FEDERAL.
I WAS JUST THINKING, I KNOW THAT A LOT OF TIMES THOSE THINGS YOU HAVE TO APPLY PRETTY FAR IN ADVANCE TO WHEN YOU NEED IT.
BUT I GUESS IF YOU'VE GOTTA PROVE THERE'S A NEED FIRST, THEN YOU'RE ALREADY YEARS INTO IT BY THEN TOO.
SO JUST AS DETOUR THERE IS GONNA BE A
WHAT DID YOU SAY? WELL, YOU DETOUR OVER THE ITSELF.
AND, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING OF DETOURS, UM, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR WHEN THEY MAKE ALL THOSE CHANGES TO
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING LIKE THERE'S GONNA BE PARTS OF THAT ROAD.
LIKE THERE'S GONNA BE A TIME WHERE IT WON'T EVEN GO TO ONE LANE.
IT WILL LITERALLY BE LIKE NOT OPEN AT ALL POSSIBLY.
AND IT'S GONNA BE GOING ON DURING LEAF PEOPLE SEASON.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I, UH, DOUG OS NOT, SHE HAD TALKED TO ME ABOUT THAT MONTHS AGO AND WE SAID, YEAH, WE NEED TO HAVE SOME PLANS OF HOW TRAFFIC WILL BE ROUTED AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I JUST WONDER IF, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN THERE, BUT I THINK, I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE WILL GO DOWN DISMAL HOLLOW, GET ON HAPPY CREEK TO COME INTO TOWN.
ANYWAY, YOU DETOUR MADE ME THINK ABOUT THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD SO THAT IT'S ON EVERYBODY'S RADAR THAT THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT BECAUSE IT COULD BE OUT OF COMMISSION FOR QUITE A WHILE WHILE THEY BUILD.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE A MISSION FOR OUR, UH, PUBLIC OR, UH, ELECTED FISHERS DAY DOWN AT, UH, RICHMOND.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT.
I, THOSE FOLKS, BUT IT'S BEEN NEEDED FOR SO LONG AND I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL THEY FINALLY CAME UP WITH THE MONEY TO DO IT.
I MEAN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SCORES AND SAFETY, THAT'S WHY HIGH NOOB IS GOT THE MONEY, BECAUSE THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF WRECKS AND FATALITIES THERE.
SO ANYWAY, SORRY, I DIGRESS, BUT I DETOUR MADE ME THINK OF IT.
THAT BRIDGE MIGHT BE GETTING MORE USE IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
'CAUSE IF THEY COME OFF ABBEY CREEK, THEY'RE GONNA GO OVER COMMERCE AVENUE BRIDGE.
WELL, IS THIS CHERRY STREET PROJECT THAT'S GOING ON UP THERE, IS THAT, IS THAT FULLY FUNDED IN HERE? HMM, YEAH.
WATER, WATER LINE AND THE, UM, THE SEWER.
UM, UH, THEY'RE, I BELIEVE THE CONTRACTORS UP THERE WORKING NOW, CORRECT? YEAH.
AND THEN ONCE THE STORMS IN, WE GOT CURB AND GUTTER.
YEAH, I CAN SEE THE CURB AND GUTTER IN HERE.
WHAT'S THE TOTAL COST? I, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, ROBBIE, YOU HAVE YOUR HONOR.
I JUST DON'T KNOW IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD BECAUSE IT'S, UH, WE HAVE SOME UNDER CURB AND GUTTER, SOME UNDER WATER LINES AND SOME UNDER
BUT I CAN, I CAN FIGURE THAT UP AND SEND IT TO YOU.
[00:25:02]
HAS GOTTA BE PUBLIC HEARING.THERE'S ANOTHER ONE FOR NOVEMBER.
ITEM TWO C IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACCESS GRANT.
AND MR. WILSON, THAT'S YOU AGAIN.
SO THE, UM, SHOULD BE SHORTER, SHOULD BE THE, UM, PART OF THE TERMS, UH, FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACCESS GRANT, UH, THAT WE HAVE FOR WEST MAINE, UH, REQUIRES THE TOWN TO HOLD A CASH SURETY BOND, UH, FOR THE AMOUNT OF THE GRANT, WHICH WAS, UH, $650,000.
UH, THE TOWN DID REPAY, UM, 452,000, UH, THERE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
AND THE REMAINING BALANCES WE NEED TO HOLD, UH, PER VDOT IS $106,558 AND 28 CENTS.
UH, ATLANTIC UNION BANK, WHO HOLDS THE LETTER OF CREDIT FOR US, HAS REQUESTED COUNSEL'S, UM, APPROVAL, UH, TO REDUCE THE BOND AMOUNT AND TO, UH, CONTINUE THE BOND.
UH, THE COST OF THE BOND WILL BE $1,500, UH, $1,500 AT BOND MEANT LETTER OF CREDIT.
UM, BUT THE COST WILL BE $1,500.
UH, SO WE'RE JUST BRINGING THIS TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
UM, AND THEN LIKELY WE COME BACK HERE IN DECEMBER OR JANUARY FOR REQUEST COUNSEL TO REPAY THE REMAINING DENIED AGREEMENT.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT CAN BE ON, THAT CAN BE ON CONSENT.
THAT CAN BE ON CONSENT UNLESS ANYBODY'S, I, I I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND.
SO WE REPAID FOUR 52,000 SOME CHANGE, RIGHT? YES SIR.
AND THIS IS MONEY THAT'S WAS LEFT OVER THAT WE SAW IN THE BUDGET, CORRECT? MM-HMM
AND NOW WE THINK THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY THAT AS WELL.
'CAUSE IF YOU REMEMBER, UH, WE HAD THE OPTION OF REPAYING IT ALL IN JULY, OR WE'RE PAYING A PORTION OF IT IN JULY AND THEN A PORTION OF IT IN DECEMBER.
AND WE, WE PAID THE PORTION IN JULY.
SO THEN NOW WE CAN REDUCE THAT BOND OR THE CASH SURETY.
BUT IT'S STILL THE, THE AMOUNT WE'RE GONNA REPAY IS STILL LESS THAN THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT.
WELL YOU WOULD SAY YOU HAD PUT ASIDE SIX OH, LESS THAN THE 650,000.
AND THAT'S, I THINK WHERE I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED THAT WE HAVE THIS MONEY LEFT.
I, I THINK OUR THEORY WAS TO TRY TO CONTINUE TO SEE, WE WHITTLE IT DOWN.
BUT YOU'RE THINKING WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO WIN IT DOWN.
BUT WORST CASE SCENARIO, IT TIES BACK TO THE, UH, ISSUE WITH THE IT FEDERAL PROPERTY.
AND ULTIMATELY, UH, HOWEVER, OWNERSHIP OF THAT PROPERTY, UM, RESOLVES, UH, A CO GETTING A CERTIFICATE OCCUPANCY SEEMS TO BE THE, THAT'S THE WHOLE ROUTE SEEMS TO BE PIVOTAL ISSUE FOR VDO TO, TO, TO REVISIT THAT GRANT MONEY.
IS EVERYBODY OKAY WITH PUTTING THIS ON CONSENT? YES.
BUT I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHY THEY, UM, HAD REQUESTED, WHAT DIDN'T THEY REQUEST, LIKE THE FRONT VIEWERS FINANCE DIRECTOR TO BE THE PERSON? I DON'T KNOW.
I WISH I COULD ANSWER THAT
UM, IT WAS ONE OF THE, UH, STIPULATIONS FROM THE BANK.
UM, IT MIGHT BE BECAUSE, UH, I THINK IN THE, I THINK IN OUR, UH, ORDINANCE OR CHARTER, IT, IT, UH, UH, IT DEFINES THE TOWN MANAGER AS THE TREASURER.
'CAUSE WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE A TREASURER, SO TELL ME IT'S A TREASURE.
SO EVERYBODY GOOD WITH THAT? ALRIGHT, NEXT UP IS OUR UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
THERE'S FIRST ONE, MS. PEACH IS UP.
ZONING TAX AMENDMENTS, TOWN CODE 1 75 DASH THREE DEFINITIONS TO DEFINE THE USE OF AN AUXILIARY DWELLING UNIT TO AMEND THE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS IN WHICH IT WOULD BE PERMITTED BY.
AND TO ESTABLISH 1 75 DASH ONE 15 AUXILIARY DWELLING UNIT PERFORMANCE STANDARDS WITHIN THE SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS OF TOWN CODE.
JUST WHAT YOU REMEMBER CAME TO YOU ALL.
AND THEN THERE WERE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, THE, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE INTERNAL ADUS REQUESTED SOME CHANGES.
SO IT WENT BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO THIS WILL PERMIT AUXILIARY DWELLING UNITS, UM, IN ALL THE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS.
SO R ONE, R ONE, A R TWO, OR THREE HANDY.
THEY ARE CURRENTLY PERMITTED BY RIGHT IN THE R
[00:30:01]
ONE DISTRICT AS ACCESSORY.UM, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST 4,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO WHAT THIS WOULD DO IS KIND OF MAKE IT EASIER TO HAVE IT IN OTHER, UM, UH, RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS.
AND IT'S A LOT SIZE WOULD BE THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE FOR THAT ZONE.
UM, AND THEN WE DID MAKE THE CHANGE THAT THEY CANNOT EXTEND BEYOND THE EXISTING FOOTPRINT.
UM, SO THAT MEANS THAT THE INTERNAL DWELLING UNITS CAN TAKE UP A WHOLE BASEMENT OR A LIVING LEVEL.
UM, BUT THEY DO NEED TO BE A MINIMUM OF 600 SQUARE FEET.
THAT IS OUR MINIMUM REQUIREMENT THROUGHOUT THE CODE FOR DWELLING UNITS.
UM, AND THAT THE DETACHED EXTERNAL CANNOT EXCEED 1000 FEET.
UM, AND SO THIS WENT BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 1ST AND WAS APPROVED ON OCTOBER.
SO THIS TIME COUNSEL, THE IDEA IS THEY, WE SENT IT BACK TO THEM.
THEY'VE UPDATED, WHERE ARE YOU ALL IN THIS? DO THEY HAVE ANY SPEAKERS AT THE PUBLIC HEARING? DO YOU KNOW? NO.
DO YOU KNOW IF IT WAS UNANIMOUS AT ALL? I THINK SO, YEAH.
ANY S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ITEM? CINDY? CAN, DENISE CAN BECOME, UH, REAL, WE SAID THAT IT NEEDS TO BE UNOCCUPIED.
UM, BUT AN AREA, I GUESS YOU PUT RENT, BUT YOU COULD CHARGE KIDS RENT.
ONE OF THE TWO HAS TO BE OWNER OCCUPIED.
THE PRIMARY HAS TO BE OWNER-OCCUPIED.
THE ACCESSORY OR AUXILIARY JUST START CHARGING.
MY FATHER-IN-LAW HOMES, SHE VOTED FOR, I THINK I ASKED THIS QUESTION LAST TIME, HOW, HOW CAN, HOW CAN, HOW CAN WE KNOW WHETHER IT'S A, YOU KNOW, LIKE A GRANNY FLAT OR WHERE IT'S BEING RENTED OUT JUST TO MAKE MONEY? IT WOULD JUST BE A COMPLAINT BASED OPERATION, JUST LIKE IT IS NOW
SO WE GOT A COMPLAINT AND THEY COULD SOMEHOW SHOW US THAT IT WASN'T RELATED.
OUR DEFINITION OF ONE OF OUR DEFINITIONS IN THE CODE IS NO MORE THAN FOUR UNRELATED PEOPLE.
SO THERE'S SOME WAY WE CAN ENFORCE THAT AND THAT STILL STANDS.
SO WHAT QUESTION THAT I HAVE, AND I THINK I ALREADY HAVE AN ANSWER FOR IT, UH, LAUREN IS, I THINK WE, I THINK WE ANSWERED THIS LAST TIME, BUT, UH, DETACHED CAN BE, YOU KNOW, 600 SQUARE FEET TO 2000 SQUARE FEET, BUT MORE THAN 80% 12 SQUARE FEET, IT'S 12 SQUARE FEET OF PRIMARY.
DO WE KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE OF, UH, ZONING, UH, THAT IS CURRENTLY IN RESIDENTIAL ZONING? THAT IS CURRENTLY R ONE
SO THE QUESTION IS, ARE YOU ALL READY TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS AT THE NOVEMBER COUNCIL MEETING? YES.
YEAH, IT'S GONNA BE PUBLIC HEARING.
I THINK IT WILL HELP PART OF OUR HOUSING CRISIS IN THE IMMEDIATE MEAN, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, ARE Y'ALL OKAY WITH PUTTING THIS ON THE NOVEMBER ONE? YEAH, I'M, I'M NOT, I'M NOT HAPPY BECAUSE, UH, OF THE ZONING, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE OF R ONE IS BEING AFFECTED.
SO I THINK IT'S A RUSH TO THE BUS, IN MY OPINION.
DO YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE OF PARCELS IN TOWN LIMITS ARE ZONE R ONE? UH, I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, THE INCREASED DENSITY THAT THIS COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BECAUSE R ONE IS DESIGNATED AS LOAD DESIGNATED IN GENERAL AND FAMILY ORIENTED AND FAMILY ORIENTED.
SO THIS COULD, THIS COULD SERIOUSLY AFFECT THAT, THOSE AREAS.
THE LOTS MUST BE LARGER THAN 12,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO RIGHT NOW, IF THE LOT IS LARGER THAN 12,000 SQUARE FEET, MID ZONE R ONE, WE CAN PERMIT AN ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT,
[00:35:01]
DOWN.RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST GONNA TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO THE OTHER ZONES.
BUT THERE, THERE AREN'T THAT MANY.
I MEAN, THERE ARE A LOT, THERE'S NOT A LOT 12,000 SQUARE FEET.
THAT'S, THAT'S A PRETTY LARGE LOT.
THAT'S WHAT QUARTER ACRES JUST ABOUT GIVE OR TAKE.
AND YOU KNOW, MY LOT'S ONLY 4,500 SQUARE FEET OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, A 10TH OF AN ACRE OF THAT.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I'M MEAN, BUT I'M IN SEE ONE, BUT MOST OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, THE LOTS ARE BETWEEN LIKE 7,000 SQUARE FEET AND 9,000 SQUARE FEET.
AND I THINK, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THAT WAS WHY WE UP UPPED THAT OR THAT WAS PUT TO 12,000 SQUARE FEET BECAUSE THERE SIMPLY AREN'T THAT MANY R ONE LOTS ARE 12,000 SQUARE FEET.
YEAH, I'D BE IN FAVOR OF LESS SQUARE FEET.
I MEAN, WE LIVE IN A PREDOMINANTLY CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY.
AND I MEAN, MY CUL-DE-SAC JUST TO SPEAK, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST TIME IT CAME UP, I DON'T KNOW MANY PEOPLE IN MY CUL-DE-SAC WITH LESS THAN 10 PEOPLE LIVING IN THERE ARE ONE HOUSE.
SO I MEAN, THEY'RE ALREADY HIGH DENSITY ONCE THEY START DRIVING.
UM, AND IT JUST GIVES SOME FREEDOM AND FLEXIBILITY TO THE PROPERTY OWNER.
DO YOU, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE PROOF THAT THEY GOT YOU THAT ANSWER BEFORE, UM, BEFORE THE MEETING, LIKE YOU NEED, I MEAN, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO, 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD IMPACT THE WORK SESSION.
IT'S JUST LOOK AT, LOOK AT IT, THIS
WHAT I DON'T KNOW IS, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THE, I DON'T HAVE THE FACTS OF THE LOTS THAT ARE LARGER THAN 12,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY LOTS I'M THINKING OF.
UM, LOTS ON GRAND AVENUE, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, THERE'S SOME LOTS UP THERE THAT ARE, ARE PRETTY LARGE.
UH, I THINK THERE'S SOME PRETTY LARGE LOTS UP ON, UH, UH, NORTH ROYAL AVENUE EXTENDED.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW A GENERALIZED STATEMENT OF, UH, 12,000.
WELL, I CAN GET YOU THE NUMBER OF BLOCKS AND THEN, AND THEN ANY NEWER DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE COMING DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, THE BULK OF THOSE ARE DUPLEXES, BUT AT LEAST THESE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND THEN THE ONES OVER ON HAPPY CREEK, THOSE ARE, UM, I THINK BETWEEN 9,000 AND UM, 12,000 SQUARE FEET.
IS THAT GI GIS SOFTWARE, IS THAT SEARCHABLE? LIKE CAN YOU PUT IN, LIKE, SAY, CAN YOU PUT IN YEAH, SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS NOW THAT WE'VE GOT OUR GIS PERSON, I CAN HAVE HIM QUERY ALL OF THE, UM, PARCELS AND WE CAN GO THROUGH AND ACTUALLY SEARCH OUT AND WE CAN SORT IT BY SIZE OF PARCEL SO WE CAN GET THIS SQUARE FOOTAGE AND I CAN PULL OUT THE, PULL IT OUT BY ZONING AND BY PARCEL SIZE.
SO AT THIS POINT, THE QUESTION IS NOT REALLY THIS, THE WORK SESSION REALLY ISN'T THE PLACE WHERE WE'RE DISCUSSING WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT IT OR NOT.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE READY TO, WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE READY TO PUT THIS ON, UM, FOR THIS MONTH.
SO, SO ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN WE PUT IT ON FOR ACTION, COUNSEL COULD ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU COULD GET IT.
OF COURSE YOU CAN ALSO BRING IT TO THE PUBLIC MEETING TOO.
BUT, BUT THAT WAY YOU ANSWER WHAT COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT'S QUESTION.
SO, UM, ARE, ARE, IS ANY, ARE THERE, IS THERE A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT READY TO PUT THIS ON THE NOVEMBER? I GUESS I WOULD.
I KNOW COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT WANTS MORE INFORMATION.
EVERYBODY ELSE GOOD WITH PUTTING IT ON THE NOVEMBER MEETING.
AND THAT IS ALSO A PUBLIC HEARING, CORRECT? MM-HMM
AND THEN ITEM THREE B IS THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR PUBLIC WORKS FEE.
SO IN MAY WE SPOKE ABOUT THE FARM PROPERTY AND HOW THE COUNTY OR OUT OF TOWN, UH, RESIDENCE WILL TAKE YARD WASTE THERE.
AND THAT'S SUPPLEMENTED BY THE TOWN RESIDENCE.
SO WE CAME WITH TWO POTENTIAL OPTIONS.
ONE, YOU KNOW, GOING TO THE COUNTY AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT REDUCING THE TIPPING FEES OR JUST NOTIFYING THEM OF THAT.
WE WILL IMPLEMENT A FEE, UM, AT THE, WE WERE GONNA DO IT THE JULY LIAISON THAT WAS COUNSEL.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT IN OCTOBER.
AND JUST LET YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY THE TIPPING FEE WAS A NO GO.
SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK TO IMPLEMENT A $15 FEE AND SIMILAR TO LIKE, KIND OF THE FREON TICKETS, BUT IF YOU ARE AN OUT OF TOWN, UH, YARD WASTE
[00:40:01]
FOLKS AND YOU WANNA DROP IT OFF TOWN FARM, YOU WOULD COME HERE AND GET A $15 TICKET AND THEN TAKE IT UP THERE.UM, I THINK THAT'S A CONVENIENCE FEE.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY ANYBODY CAN TAKE IT TO BENTONVILLE AND IT'S FREE, BUT IF, IF YOU WANNA SHORTEN YOUR TRIP, IF YOU'RE TRAVELING THROUGH TOWN, YOU CAN PAY 15 BUCKS AND JUST DROP IT HERE.
WE DO HAVE TO PAY A CONTRACTOR TO MULCH THAT UP.
SO, UM, WE HAVE THE, IT WOULD BE ADDED TO THE PUBLIC WORKS FEES AND THIS WOULD REQUIRE A PUBLIC HEARING.
NOW, HOW WOULD THAT WORK? WOULD THEY, SO THEY COME, THEY WOULD COME DOWN TO THE TOWN HALL AND PROVIDE YOUR REGISTRATION OR DRIVER? UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT, I MEAN IT'S A HOING WAY.
THE WAY WE'VE WRITTEN THIS UP, IT WOULD BE FOR OUT OF TOWN RESIDENTS.
YOU COULD CONSIDER, AND IT COULD BE WARREN COUNTY, IT COULD BE SOMETHING ELSE FROM OUT TOWN.
MOST LIKELY IT'S GONNA BE FROM WARREN COUNTY.
UH, BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A COMMERCIAL, UH, FEE THAT COMMERCIALIZE AND COME DOWN ROAD WHEN THEY COME GET INTO TOWN HALL, GET A LITTLE TICKET, UH, FROM US AND TAKE IT TO PUBLIC WORKS.
AND THEN THEY COLLECTED A PUBLIC WORKS BEFORE WE DONE.
UH, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU CAN, IF, IF THE REGISTRATION WOULD MATCH THE, THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD BE WRITTEN DOWN ON IT.
YEAH, I MEAN, I DON'T, THE DOCUMENT AND THEN, AND THEN WHEN THEY TAKE THAT DOCUMENT DOWN TO DUMP, YOU COULD JUST MAKE SURE, JUST TRYING TO KEEP PEOPLE HONEST, I GUESS.
UH, I MEAN, I GUESS THAT, AND SOMEBODY MIGHT GET THEIR TICKET COMING THROUGH TOWN AND HEADING TO SOMEBODY'S HOUSE AND DRIVING THEIR BUDDY'S TRUCK OR YOU KNOW, PEOPLE BORROW VEHICLES TO HAUL YARD.
I DON'T THINK WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF, YEAH.
THE OTHER THING WE TALKED ABOUT THIS MORNING IS IF THIS MOVES FORWARD AND IT GOES TO A PUBLIC HEARING, UM, TYPICALLY WHEN THESE FEES ARE ADOPTED, THEY'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BECOME EFFECTIVE ON THAT ADOPTION DATE.
WE WERE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT PUTTING A DATE TO IT, POTENTIALLY LIKE FEBRUARY 1ST.
THAT WOULD ALLOW US TIME TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY OF THIS FEE CHANGE BECAUSE THERE'S JUST BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST PEOPLE, SO MANY PEOPLE JUST USED TO GOING THROUGH THERE.
SO THAT'LL ALLOW US TO GET OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOME SIGNAGE AND JUST LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT EFFECT, HAVING AN EFFECTIVE DATE GIVES US THAT TIME TO JUST LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA BE IMPLEMENTING THIS FEE.
AND I ALSO SAY WE DO KEEP TRACK.
ANYBODY COMES IN, WE WRITE DOWN ALL THE TAG NUMBERS AND THEN CHECK THEIR LICENSE REGISTRATION SO WE KNOW THEY'RE TOWN OR COUNTY.
I'VE SEEN THAT YOU GUYS ARE GIVING PEOPLE IDEAS, TALKING
ALSO, I MEAN, I APPRECIATE THE NOTICE FOR THE EFFECTIVE DATE, BUT THEY'RE ALL STILL GONNA SAY THEY HAD NO IDEA WHEN IT COMES TIME.
THIS WAS, THIS WAS DISCUSSED, I WOULDN'T SAY IN IN EXTENSIVE DETAIL A LIAISON MEETING, BUT WHAT WHAT JOEY JUST MENTIONED WAS, WAS DISCUSSED LIKE FAIRLY THOROUGHLY.
AND, AND WE BOTH AGREED, UM, THAT THE TIPPING FEE OPTION WAS PROBABLY GONNA BE OFF THE TABLE.
AND WE'VE MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE WERE THE OPTIONS THAT WE CAME UP WITH, BUT WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING HERE.
AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISOR REPRESENTATIVES IN THAT MEETING, THEY DIDN'T OFFER ANY PUSHBACK.
OF COURSE THEY'RE NOT SPEAKING FOR THEIR WHOLE BOARD, BUT THEY SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND LIKE OUR SITUATION.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, THE TIPPING FEE WAS AGAINST, YOU KNOW, AS IT GOING AGAIN FROM YOU POINT, BUT, AND ACTUALLY THE CHAIRMAN THAT NIGHT LIVES IN TOWN, SO HE, AND HE SAID, YEAH, I, HE SAID I THINK IT IS CONVENIENCE THAT THEY USE IT, USE IT.
AND THE OTHER REPRESENTATIVE IS NORTH RIVER REPRESENTATIVE.
AND WE ALL HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE AREA THAT MM-HMM
WOULD WANT TO USE THE TOWN SITE THE MOST BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE, THEY GOTTA DRIVE THROUGH TOWN TO GET TO, UM, TRANSFER STATION.
SO, AND LIKE, UH, COUNCILMAN GRAM SAID BOTH OF 'EM WERE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN I, I TRIED TO GIVE A LITTLE PLEA AGAIN ABOUT THE TIPPING KEYS, BUT IT DIDN'T GO, IT DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE.
THEY EVEN QUOTED IT IN THE NEWSPAPER.
ME SAYING THAT I STILL THINK IT'S WRONG AND I WANT SAY YES.
I STILL THINK IT'S WRONG, BUT, UM, BUT ANYWAY.
SO ARE YOU GUYS GOOD WITH THIS? WE CAN PUT THIS ON THE NOVEMBER
WELL, I I HAVE ONE QUESTION 'CAUSE I'M, MAYBE I'VE LOOKED AT THIS BEFORE.
DON'T REMEMBER SAYING LIKE, WE'RE TAKING TIRES WITH OR WITHOUT A REM FOR FIVE BUCKS UP.
THAT'S WHAT THEY CHARGE AT COUNTY.
[00:45:01]
I HAVE TO DO, WE UH, WE CHARGE EM FOR COUNTY CHARGES US.WE TAKE IT TO THE, OH, IN OTHER WORDS, OKAY.
YEAH, BUT WE HAVE TO TRANSPORT IT TO THEM.
AND THEN WE, THAT SEEMS THEN WE GET THE POCO.
THAT'S OKAY, I'M GONNA GO WITH WHAT GLEN, BUT YOU CAN'T DROP THOSE OFF.
THAT'S JUST WHAT WE PICK UP IN TOWN FOR, FOR TOWN RESIDENCE.
YOU CAN'T DROP THOSE OFF AT THE FARM.
WELL WE'RE ALREADY PICKING THEM UP.
YOU'RE PICKING THEM UP OFF THE CURB.
WHEN YOU MAKE A LARGE ITEM PICKUP OR SOMETHING.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE 'EM IN THE WAIST DROP, YOU HAVE 'EM IN A DIFFERENT SAME WAY WITH THE METAL.
WE PICK IT UP SEPARATELY, BUT THEY'RE NOT IN ENOUGH AN ALLEY.
WE WERE, WE WERE SAYING WHEN COUNCIL WOOD WAS SPRAYING UP, I WAS SAYING, BUT WE ARE TRANSPORTING THEM SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S COSTING US MONEY.
BUT THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS, BUT THEN THEY'RE NOT LAYING ALL OVER CHECK.
YOU KNOW, AND DEPENDING ON HOW MANY PICKUPS THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR ADDITIONAL PICKUPS, FIRST ONE'S FOR, AND THEN AFTER THAT THEY ARE CHARGED.
SO, AND YOU GET MONEY BACK FOR THE SCRAP METAL THAT WE DROP OFF.
UM, I WOULD LIKE FOR TO, UM, TO SEE, STILL EXPLORE WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY OR THE QR CODE SIGNS OR WHATEVER, SO THAT PEOPLE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO COME DOWN TO TOWN HALL TO PICK UP THEIR STUFF IF THERE WAS A WAY TO FOR THEM TO PAY ON THE SPOT.
I WOULD LIKE TO GO SEE IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
AND I KNOW THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD THAT OPTION, BUT I THINK THAT'D BE NICE.
UM, IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN REVIEW ONCE WE GET THE NEW SOFTWARE MM-HMM
THAT IT MIGHT BE A ONE LINE OPTION THAT WE CAN DO, BUT STILL A LITTLE BIT OUT FROM ENFORCEMENT.
I'D BE LIKE, BY THE TIME I GO PARK AT TOWN HALL, I'LL JUST TAKE IT BACK HOME.
LIKE, I GO TO THE DUMP EVERY WEDNESDAY WHEN IT, LIKE THE ONE UP THERE ON THE OFFICE.
THAT'S WHAT I SAID, IT'S BOTH IN THE TIRES IN THE ALLEY, EVEN UP BY MY HOUSE OFF JAMESTOWN.
THERE'S A LITTLE AREA WHERE TIRES KEPT POPPING UP AND THERE'S A SIGN NOW AND THERE'S A HOUSE BY THERE.
I LOOKED DOWN OVER THERE WAITING FOR THE BUS ONE DAY AND I WAS LIKE, THIS HAS TO BE A PUBLIC HEARING AS WELL, DOESN'T IT? CORRECT.
ALL RIGHT, SO NOW WE'RE UP TO 1, 2, 3, 4, 8.
YEAH, THEY 5 5 1 FROM LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD TO REVIS.
SO FIVE, UNFORTUNATELY PEOPLE DON'T TYPICALLY TEND TO, RIGHT? I I WAS GONNA SAY MOST OF THESE THEY SHOULDN'T BE.
YEAH, I, I CAN'T IMAGINE ANYBODY SPEAKING ON, I DON'T SEE, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY THE TIME TO READ THEM.
MENTION MAYBE THE, MAYBE THE, UM, THE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS FEES, BUT IT'S NOT BEING FROM THE TOWN THAT'S GONNA BE UPSET ABOUT IT.
I DON'T SEE THOSE PEOPLE COMING.
YEAH, THEY WON'T BE WATCHING THE MEETING OR LOOKING IN THE PAPER.
YEAH, I'M JUST GONNA DROP MY TIRES OFF.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE UPDATE ON THE LIAISON COMMITTEE ITEMS. SO THIS IN OCTOBER, UM, UH, COUNCILMAN INGRAM AND MYSELF WENT TO THE LIAISON MEETING.
WE REPRESENTED THE TOWN AND THERE WERE THINGS THAT CAME UP THAT THEY WANTED, UM, COUNCIL'S INPUT ON.
OKAY, SO, UM, I'LL JUST START WITH THE FIRST ONE.
SO THAT CAME UP, UM, AND THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT AND THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, UM, SHOULD WE GO BACK TO THE WAY WE WERE DOING THINGS BEFORE? UM, THEY HIT LITTLE HISTORY LESSON.
EVERYBODY ON COUNCIL KNOWS THIS, BUT, UM, WE WERE COLLABORATING, UM, MORE SO, AND THEN WHEN, UH, THE JLL WHEN WE DIDN'T RENEW ALL THAT, THAT'S WHEN THEY STARTED DOING THEIR OWN THING AND WE STARTED DOING OUR OWN THING.
HOWEVER, THEY'RE REALLY NOT DOING THEIR OWN THING MUCH, RIGHT? LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND OUR, UM, UH, THE TOWN IS PROMOTING BOTH TOWN AND COUNTY.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT MR. WOOD, YOU ARE IN THE JOINT TOURISM COMMITTEE, SO WANTED TO GET YOUR WHAT, WANTED TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHAT WE ASKED THEM FROM THIS GROUP, WE ASKED THEM IS, IS THERE INTEREST BY THE TOWN AND COUNTY TO IDENTIFY WAYS TO COLLABORATE ONCE AGAIN ON A JOINT TOURISM PROGRAM TO PROMOTE OUR COMMUNITY AS
[00:50:01]
A DESTINATION? AND THOSE TWO SUPERVISORS THAT WERE THERE SAID, YES, I'M NOT, I'M OBVIOUSLY IT, IT INVOLVES MORE THAN JUST TWO SUPERVISORS.UM, BUT THEY TALKED ABOUT, UM, ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE WANTED TO COLLABORATE.
GO AHEAD AND, AND SAY WHAT YOU WERE GONNA SAY.
AND THEN I WANTED TO TELL YOU GUYS THE NEXT PART.
WELL, IT, IT, IT'S NOT EASY TALKING ABOUT THIS.
I'M GONNA SEND AROUND TO YOU ALL, UM, SOME THINGS FROM THE MEETING.
THIS WILL INCLUDE, UM, VIRGINIA TWO 50 ANNIVERSARY AND EXTRA EVENTS THAT ARE PLANNED.
UM, IT'S A COPY OF A PROPOSED CHALLENGE COIN IN HERE YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT WOULD RECOGNIZE BOTH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY.
IT WOULD BE TIED TO THERE, COULD BE SOLD AT THE, UM, VISTA CENTER, BUT THEY COULD ALSO BE A REWARD FOR SCAVENGER HUNT.
I, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING AND DOING.
AND PERHAPS TINA CAN MAKE COPIES IS WHAT THE COUNTY'S PROPOSING.
WE'RE SITTING THERE MAINLY LISTENING.
WAS THIS FROM A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION PREPARED FOR THEM? I'M SORRY.
WELL, THE, THE VIRGINIA TWO 50, I, I GOT A GRANT FOR THEM LIKE LAST YEAR.
IS IT STILL GOING ON? WELL, NEXT YEAR IS THE YEAR.
THESE ARE EVENTS NEXT YEAR IN RECOGNITION OF THE US 250 US TWO 50, NOT VIRGINIA TWO 50.
SO MORE FOCUSED ON REVOLUTIONARY THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND USING, UM, ITEMS LIKE THE TRACK WARN OR HAT AND THE CHALLENGE COINS AND OTHER THINGS AS REWARD RECOGNITION, UH, WITH THE EVENTS, THE IDEA OF, OF THE COMMUNITY CELEBRATING THROUGH THOSE EVENTS.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE A ONE SHOT DEAL VERSUS A FESTIVAL LEAVES EVERY YEAR OR WINE FESTIVAL, STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, SO, AND, AND YOU HAVE THE AGENDA THAT WAS THERE THAT WHAT WE DISCUSSED ABOUT.
NOW, I ALSO HAVE A 14 PAGE TOURISM STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, I THINK THE AUTHOR WAS, UH, DR.
AND, UM, AGAIN, I'LL PASS THIS AROUND SO YOU CAN SEE IT.
AND, UM, IT, THIS IN MY, MY HUMBLE OPINION, REALLY TALKS ABOUT PROMOTING THINGS IN THE COUNTY, UM, WITH WARREN COUNTY AS THE DESTINATION.
UM, WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THIS A WHOLE LOT.
AGAIN, LUCY AND I WERE INVITED AND, UM, WE'VE BEEN LISTENING AND UM, LIZ HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL WHEN THEY SAID, WELL, CAN YOU HANDLE THE CHALLENGE COINS AND CAN YOU PROMOTE THIS THROUGH OUR DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL? BUT, UM, LET ME, LET ME, DIVERSITY DIVERSIFY MARKETING AND BRANDING POSITION THE COUNTY AS A NATURE FOR FOUR SEASON DESTINATION.
CREATE SEASONAL CAMPAIGNS TIED TO THE NATURAL, NATURAL RESOURCES WINTER ON THE RIVER, SPRING AND BLOOM.
SOME ARE UNDER THE STARS, UH, FALL FOLIAGE ADVENTURES, EXPAND SOCIAL MEDIA, WEBSITE RESOURCES TO FEATURE SEASONAL ITINERARIES, FAMILY FRIENDLY GUIDES, ECHO TRIP TIPS, DIGITAL, UH, DEVELOP DIGITAL STORYTELLING AROUND NATURAL RESOURCES, RIVERS, MOUNTAINS, WILDLIFE TO DIFFERENTIATE THE COUNTY BRAND, PARTNER WITH INFLUENCERS, OUTDOOR RECREATION GROUPS, TRAVEL RIDER TO INCREASE OFF SEASON VISIBILITY.
SO, AND AND I, I CERTAINLY WOULD INVITE LIZZIE TO COME UP AND, AND SPEAK TO COUNCIL WHEN I, WHEN I THINK OF MARKETING, WE HAVE A LOT HERE NOW.
AND, AND I HOPE THAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN IN OUR VISTA CENTER AND YOU'VE LOOKED AT WHAT WE PRODUCE THE TOWN PRODUCES WITH ITS OWN TOURISM DOLLARS TO PROMOTE OUR AREA.
AND WHEN I SAY OUR AREA, I MEAN NOT JUST THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF FRONT ROYAL, BUT BEING AGAINST STATE PARK, SKYLINE, DRIVE, TONDO, UM, ALL THE ATTRIBUTES WE HAVE, AND WE EVEN HAVE SOME ON THE FRINGE, MAYBE IN NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.
BUT AGAIN, SOMEBODY COMES OUT TO DRINK A
[00:55:01]
GLASS OF WINE AT CHESTER GAP.MAYBE THEY'LL HAVE DINNER IN TOWN, WHO KNOWS? BUT IT'S ALL IN CLOSE PROXIMITY.
SO FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE SPENDING THE MONEY.
WE HAVE THE WARREN COUNTY WATERING HOLES.
MOST OF THEM ARE IN TOWN, BUT BACK WHEN BREWERY AND A FEW OTHER PLACES ARE ON THAT, BUT OUR, WHAT'S IT CALLED? THE WINE PROGRAM.
OUR WINE, UH, FRONT ROW WINES.
SO AGAIN, OUR TAX DOLLARS, OUR MARKETING, OUR GROUPS DOING THIS ALREADY.
TO ME, MARKETING SAYS, OKAY, WITH OUR LIMITED DOLLARS, HOW DO WE GET THE MESSAGE OUT AND GET PEOPLE TO COME HERE? BECAUSE WHAT ABOUT TOURISM MINUTES? WE HAVE THE DRAW, WE HAVE THESE UNIQUE THINGS HERE, BUT HOW TO GET PEOPLE TO COME HERE AND EVERY NIGHT IT SEEMS LIKE IT, WE COULD SIT DOWN AND WATCH TV.
MY WIFE'S TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT IT.
THEY HAVE A TRAIN, THEY HAVE A BRIDGE.
AND WE DON'T HAVE UNTIL WE GET THIS TRAIL.
BUT MY POINT IS, WE LIVE WITHIN, UM, 60 TO 90 MILES OF A MILLION PLUS PEOPLE.
AND WE DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET, WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS IN OUR TOURISM BUDGET TO, TO MARKET EXTENSIVELY.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, LIZ CAN SPEAK TO YOU, UH, VIRGINIA TRAVEL GUIDE, THE VIRGINIA MAGAZINE, ALL ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DO PARTICIPATE IN.
SO FIRST OF ALL, I THINK THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES, AND THIS IS WHERE CLARITY NEEDS TO BE SET, BUT FRONT ROYAL IS A DESTINATION.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE SIGNAGE ON THE 66, 4 9 5, THE NAME FRONT ROYAL, YOU CAN GOOGLE IT AND GET DIRECTIONS TO IT.
WARREN COUNTY IS ONE OF SEVERAL WARREN COUNTIES IN THE UNITED STATES, AND MOST OF THE TIME COUNTIES ARE NOT CONSIDERED.
IF I TOLD YOU, UH, MELISSA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO HIGHLAND COUNTY THIS WEEKEND FOR A, A PIPER'S AFFAIR? YOU KNOW, WHERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, HIGHLAND COUNTY WOULD BE ORCO OR, OR SOME OF THESE OTHERS? WELL, THAT, UH, APPT WOULD BE KIND OF OBVIOUS WHAT, UH, CALL PREP COUNTY, KIND OF OBVIOUS, BUT HOW DO WE GET OUR PARTNERS TO LOOK AT MARKETING, UH, THAT WE'RE NOT SPENDING ALL OF OUR DOLLARS.
WE HAVE THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE, AND I'M TELLING YOU WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW, BUT I'M REPEATING IT PROBABLY FOR THE DEPARTMENT, BUT THE PHYSICAL INVESTMENT WITH THE DISTRICT CENTER, WE HAVE THE STAFFS AND OUR STAFF TO OPERATE IT.
YOU GO IN THERE AND ASK THEM ANYTHING, IT'S NEVER TOWN FIRST.
WHAT DO YOU HEAR YOU LIKE? WATERS? WELL, THEY'RE GONNA BE HERE, HERE, HERE.
HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE WINE SHOPS DOWNTOWN.
SO WE HAVE THE, WE HAVE THE, UH, PHYSICAL, WE HAVE THE STAFFING.
UH, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF MARKETING.
OUR TOURISM DIRECTOR GOES TO EVENTS.
WE PARTNER WITH THE, AND AGAIN, SHE COULD TELL YOU ALL THE ONES THAT I FORGET.
TO ME THE OPPORTUNITY HERE WOULD BE TO HAVE THEM COME ON BOARD WITH MARKETING AND IF THEY HAVE SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN USE OUR RESOURCES BETTER, UM, THAT'S WHERE WE COULD USE MONEY TODAY TO DRIVE TOURS HERE.
A LOT OF THINGS THEY SPEAK ABOUT IN THIS, UM, THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, IS AGAIN, RIVERS, FOREST TRAILS, MOUNTAINS, WILDLIFE, UH, STRONG OUTDOOR RECREATION.
UH, IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T ACKNOWLEDGE OUR WHOLE AREA THAT WE HAVE A, UH, THE WARREN HERITAGE SOCIETY.
WE HAVE A COUPLE MUSEUMS HERE.
UM, BUILDING A BALL FIELD OF A SPORTS COMPLEX IS IN HERE AS A PROPOSAL.
AGAIN, THE CONFERENCE CENTER IS BEING MENTIONED NOW.
I TOLD YOU GUYS, WE WENT TO THE FOUR EIGHT CENTER THAT NIGHT.
WHAT, WHAT A GREAT UNDERUTILIZED, UH, RESOURCE WE HAVE HERE.
UM, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS, I'M INCLINED TO BELIEVE THAT THE BEST PARTNERSHIP WOULD BE MARKETING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
NOW WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, BUILDING THE BULK, TO ME, THAT'S A COUNTY.
YOU WANT TO BUILD A BALL FIELD, YOU
[01:00:01]
WANT TO DO THIS, DO THAT.THAT'S REALLY UP TO YOU AS A COUNTY CITIZEN.
I DON'T SEE US PUTTING MONEY INTO A CONFERENCE CENTER.
TO ME, THAT'S A PRIVATE ENTITY.
WE KNOW THAT SPORTING COMPLEXES ARE, ARE PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY AND MATT AND MAINTAINED BY THE PARKS AND REC.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE MORE OF A COME TOGETHER ON HOW CAN WE GET THE MOST BANG FOR OUR BUCK.
THEY'RE LOOKING TO DEVELOP THOSE.
DID YOU SHARE THAT BY THE WAY? DID YOU SHARE, I MEAN, WHEN DID THEY GIVE THIS TO THAT? THAT'S NOT, WELL, IT WASN'T AT THE LAST MEETING.
LIZZIE AND I MISSED, UH, THE PREVIOUS MEETING.
WE WENT TO THE ONE LAST WEEK WHEN I GOT THIS DOCUMENT.
BUT THAT, THAT'S LIKE YOU SAID WHEN YOU SAID THEY, I THINK, WELL, I MEAN THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE SUPERVISOR'S PROPOSAL, RIGHT? RIGHT.
JAMESON WROTE THIS DOCUMENT, THIS 14 PAGE DOCUMENT.
AND, AND AGAIN, LET ME PASS IT AROUND.
IF YOU WANT A COPY, WE'LL LEAVE IT WITH TINA.
SO YOU, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'VE NOT HAD REALLY HAD TIME TO WELL, NO, I MEAN TO GIVE FEEDBACK ON IT OR WHATEVER.
AND LUCY, LUCY AND I TALKED ABOUT IT BRIEFLY AND MAYBE I, I KNOW TALKING TO SUPERVISORS COLORS, SUPERVISOR COLORS, SHE'S EMPHATIC THAT WHATEVER WE'VE DONE, THE MONEY IS KEPT SEPARATE.
UM, SO I I I, THERE NEEDS TO BE A DEEPER, IN MY OPINION, DEEPER DISCUSSION.
WE WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, BUDGETING MONEY FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR VISITOR CENTER FISCAL IMPROVEMENT'S, 80 SOME THOUSAND.
WELL, THAT SCIENCE IS FROM RURAL WARREN COUNTY.
COULD THEY, WOULD THEY CONTRIBUTE THAT? SINCE IT'S THE ONLY AREA OF TOURISM? I DON'T KNOW.
WHAT IF OUR ADVERTISING BUDGET IS 27, CURRENTLY $27,000.
WHAT IF WE SAID TO THE COUNTY FOR $27,000, WE'RE DOING THIS, THIS, THIS, WE WE'RE AN OPEN BOOK.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE A PUBLIC BODY.
YOU CAN LOOK AT HER BUDGET ANY TIME.
WHAT IF YOU MATCH THAT MONEY AND SAID, OKAY, WHEN WE PUT AN AD IN THE VIRGINIA TOURISM MAGAZINE, WE'LL PAY FOR HALF AND WE'LL PAY FOR IT.
THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAVE MONEY PERHAPS TO GO MARKET.
AND I'M NOT A, I'M NOT A MARKETING PROFESSIONAL, SO I CAN ONLY TELL YOU WHAT I, I THINK, AND THAT'S A TV AD, MAYBE A A 15 MINUTE OR 15 SECOND SPOT ON THE WASHINGTON DC BALTIMORE RADIO STATION.
I CAN'T EVEN PRETEND TO TELL YOU WHAT WE ALL DO.
AND WE COULD SHOW THEM EACH TIME AN INVOICE CAME IN THAT WE SPENT MONEY WITH WTTG CHANNEL FIVE OR, UH, WHATEVER THE TV STATIONS ARE.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO EXPLORE THIS.
I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME MORE IN DEPTH CONVERSATION, UH, DIVISION OUTLINING THIS COST FOR THEM.
HIRING A TOURISM DIRECTOR I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU, THAT'S GONNA COST SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 60 AND A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WAGE AND BENEFITS.
AND DO WE NEED THAT DUPLICATION? THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION I WOULD SAY.
UM, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO SIT AND TALK ABOUT THIS FURTHER.
WE'RE NOT JUST GONNA COME TOGETHER AND SAY, OH YEAH, YOU DO THIS.
I'LL DO THAT'D NICE IF IT WAS THAT SIMPLE.
BUT, UM, I THINK WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S ONE OF MANY OPPORTUNITIES.
I KNOW YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT IN THE LIAISON COMMITTEE, UH, DUPLICATION OF EFFORT.
UM, I CAN'T EVEN PROPOSE TO YOU AN IDEA OF HOW THEY CAN PARTICIPATE AND HAVE A SAY.
I THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE A MORE IN DEPTH DISCUSSION.
BUT WE HAVE A, A GREAT ENTITY HERE.
AND WHAT WE COULD DO WITH MORE FUNDING, I THINK FOR WHATEVER MONEY WE SPEND IN, IF WE DROVE ANOTHER 10,000 PEOPLE OUT HERE, WE WOULD REAP THE REWARDS OF THAT.
AND AGAIN, MAKE SURE I'M BEING EXPLICIT ABOUT THIS FOR OUR COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THE TOWN, NOT JUST THE COUNTY, BUT YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY, THE TOWN WHICH IS PART OF THE COUNTY.
SO WHEN, AT THE LIAISON MEETING, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN I, WHEN I POSED THE QUESTION AND, AND, AND THEY SAID YES ABOUT COLLABORATING, THEN I THINK WE SAID, WE WERE LIKE, OKAY, WELL WHY DON'T WE LET OUR STAFF GET WITH YOUR STAFF? LIKE THAT'S, THAT WAS THE NEXT PHASE TO THAT.
'CAUSE I WAS LIKE, OKAY, IF EVERYBODY AGREES, INSTEAD OF US SITTING UP HERE RIGHT NOW TRYING TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE DO, HOW ABOUT WE DO THAT? MM-HMM
AND THAT WAS NOT MET WITH FAVOR
[01:05:01]
TO THEM OR FAVORABLE.THEY SAID BASICALLY, UM, UM, UH, SUPERVISOR JAMESON SAID, WELL, I THINK YOU, INSTEAD OF HAVING OUR STAFF DO IT, WE NEED TO DIRECT THEM WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO.
THAT WAS NOT REALLY WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THAT.
I WAS THINKING MORE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS, THERE'S NO WAY TO PUT ALL OF US AND ALL OF THEM IN A ROOM AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT DO WE WANNA DO WITH THAT? AND COME UP WITH ANY KIND OF SEMBLANCE OF SUGGESTIONS OR PROPOSAL, I THINK.
AND I STILL FEEL THAT OUR STAFF COULD GET WITH THEIR STAFF TO SAY, WHAT WOULD THIS COLLABORATION LOOK LIKE? I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID.
AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE REASON WHY THAT THIS ALL CAME TO BE AT THE LIAISON MEETING THAT WE WANTED TO DO IN JULY.
AND THAT IS THAT ONE, WE ARE ALREADY DOING IT.
WE ARE ALREADY, WE ALREADY HAVE IT GOING ON.
WE'RE, THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE POINT THAT WAS MADE.
THAT I, I THINK I MENTIONED THAT.
WE'RE ALREADY DOING IT WORKING.
WE HAVE STAFF THAT ARE DOING IT.
WE'RE NOT JUST PROMOTING THE TOWN.
WE'RE PROMOTING THE COUNTY AS WELL.
AND YOU KNOW, BASICALLY LIKE, IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO COME TOGETHER? HERE'S THE THING.
I THINK ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO US WOULD BE WISE BECAUSE THEY COULD GET A BIGGER BANG FOR THEIR BUCK BY FUNDING SOME THINGS WITH US INSTEAD OF THEM HIRING A PERSON.
THAT'S HOW GOVERNMENT GROWS ONE JOB AT A TIME, OR ONE POSITION AT A TIME.
SO I THINK THAT THEY WOULD BE BETTER OFF.
THE OTHER THING IS THE COUNTY HAS TO, THEY HAVE TO SPEND, SO BECAUSE, AND YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS, THIS IS AGAIN, MORE FOR THE PUBLIC, BUT IS IT 3 CENTS, 3%, 5% PER TOT? ANYTHING OVER 2% HAS TO GO TO TOURISM.
SO 3% OF THEIR TOT GOES TO TOURISM.
SO THE TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX, AND BECAUSE THE STATE ALLOWS THEM TO CHARGE 5%, ANYTHING OVER 2% HAS TO BE SET ASIDE FOR TOURISM.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT THE STATE WANTS 'EM TO DO, RIGHT? THEY WANT TO, THEY WANT US TO PROMOTE VIRGINIA AND GET, GET PEOPLE TO COME HERE.
SO THEY, THEY 3% THERE, THEY HAVE TO SPEND IT ON TOURISM.
WE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DO THAT.
AND WE ARE ALREADY SPENDING, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO, AND YET WE'RE ALREADY SPENDING MONEY ON TOURISM.
AND AS YOU SAID, COUNCILMAN WOOD, WE DON'T JUST PROMOTE THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE TOWN.
WE PROMOTE EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THE TOWN AND COUNTY.
SO I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS.
I STILL FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE BETTER IF OUR STAFF GOT WITH THEIR STAFF OR, YOU KNOW, OR MAYBE WE PROPOSE WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.
THERE'S GONNA BE A JANUARY, UH, LIAISON MEETING AGAIN AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO.
MY ONLY THOUGHT, MY ONLY HESITATION IS I, I HOPE BEFORE WE CAN PROPOSE SOMETHING THAT THEY DON'T GO AND HIRE A POSITION FOR THAT ACCORDING TO THIS DOCUMENT THEY'RE PROPOSING, AND YOU'VE LOOKED THROUGH IT A LITTLE BIT OF HIRING THIS CONSULTANT, GIVEN 'EM THESE GUIDELINES, AND THEN LATER DOWN HIRING SOMEONE SPECIFICALLY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND UNLESS I MISREAD THAT, SOMEBODY AS THE TOURISM MANAGER MM-HMM
AND THAT'S ANOTHER ITEM ON THAT WE GOT.
UH, I READ THAT AS TWO SEPARATE POSITIONS.
UH, WHEN YOU SAY OUR STAFF TALK TO THEIR STAFF, WELL, RIGHT NOW, THE, UH, WHAT IS MS. MEADOW? IS SHE THE COUNTY? UH, DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, DEPUTY ACCOUNT.
SHE'S CARRYING THE BALL RIGHT ON THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, SHE'S GATHERING THE IDEAS AND I GUESS COMMUNICATING TO THE BOARD ABOUT THE VARIOUS THINGS.
I THINK I MENTIONED YOU ALL THE BEAR PROGRAM.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANY MORE ABOUT THAT.
BUT, UM, AND, AND OF COURSE THE DRIVING FORCE FOR HER IS GETTING READY FOR NEXT YEAR AND COORDINATING THIS AND HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
UM, YOU'VE GOT A NEW COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR WHO'S, YOU KNOW, STILL TRYING TO GET HIS FEET WET AND FIGURE OUT THINGS.
I I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, UH, HE WOULD COME INTO THE PICTURE AND, UH, THERE'S THE LEARNING CURVE AND A LOT OF OTHER LEARNING CURVES FOR HIM GOING ON.
SO, AND HE, HE WAS ALSO THERE AT THE MEETING WHEN I INITIALLY SAID, WELL, WE CAN GET OUR STAFF WITH YOUR STAFF.
AND THEN, UM, THE SUPERVISOR, THE SUPERVISOR SAID, YOU KNOW, HE
[01:10:01]
WAS THE ONE WHO SAID THAT HE FELT THAT WE NEEDED TO GIVE OUR STAFF THE DIRECT LIKE VISION.WHAT IS IT THAT WE VISUALIZE? AND FOR ME, WHAT I VISUALIZE IS, LET US KEEP PROMOTING YOU ALL AND, AND FUND US FUND GIVE US SOME OF THOSE FUNDS FOR US TO CONTINUE TO DO IT.
THEY'RE GONNA SAVE MONEY ON STAFF AND, AND THEY STILL WILL HAVE MONEY IN THEIR TOURISM BUDGET TO DO ALL THE OTHER THINGS LIKE THIS.
SPORTS TOURISM AND AGRITOURISM AND HISTORICAL TOURISM, ALL THE THINGS THAT I'M ASSUMING ARE IN THERE.
'CAUSE I GOT OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT NIGHT GIVEN TO ME OR WE DID, UM MM-HMM
SO I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT I ENVISION MR. PETTY.
I WOULD PROPOSE THIS, THAT STAFF, WE BRING A PROPOSAL, WE CAN GIVE IT TO COUNCIL THAT COUNCIL CAN SEND TO THEM.
I THINK, AND PERSONALLY, I THINK TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.
WE HIRE A CONSULTANT AND THAT CONSULTANT COMES IN AND GETS THEIR FEET UNDER THEM.
WE'RE ALREADY BEHIND AND MARKETING NEXT YEAR.
IT'S, YOU DON'T MARKET SPRING.
IN THE SPRING, YOU'RE MARKETING IT WELL AHEAD OF TIME.
AND IF WE WAIT FOR THIS CONSULTANT, WE'RE BEHIND.
I MEAN, YOU SAID VA TWO 50 GRANTS WERE TWO YEARS AGO AND YOU KNOW, THE TWO 50TH IS NEXT YEAR.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR YEARS.
LIZZIE'S OUR LIZZIE'S DOING IT RIGHT.
AND WE JUST NEED ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE MARKETING.
THE COUNTY WILL STILL HAVE PLENTY OF MONEY TO DO WHATEVER TOURISM CAPITAL PROJECTS THEY, THE JOINT TOURISM COMMITTEE DECIDES TO DO.
BUT THERE IS NO JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARY WHEN IT COMES TO TOURISM.
THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN COMING HERE EVERY WEEKEND DON'T CARE.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T LOOK FOR SIGN THAT SAYS ENTERING WARREN COUNTY OR HANNAN COUNTY.
THEY KNOW THEY'RE OUT HERE AND ENJOYING NATURE AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE HERE.
WE COULD JUST USE THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR MARKETING.
AND I THINK THIS HAS BEEN EXPRESSED, LIKE JOSH SAID, AND UH, AND MARY SAID AT THE LAST LIAISON MEETING, WE CAN SUBMIT A PLAN, YOU KNOW, AND HAVE A DETAILED WHAT WE'RE SPENDING ON ADVERTISING NOW AND HOW ADDITIONAL FUNDS GO MUCH FURTHER.
THIS ISN'T JUST ON THE RIVER HERE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE DC METROPOLITAN AREA, THE PITTSBURGH, ALL THESE DIFFERENT AREAS IN WHICH WE'RE TRYING TO TRACK PEOPLE.
WE GET A BROADER REACH IF WE JUST HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL MARKETING DOLLARS AND WE'RE ALREADY DOING IT.
WELL, IT'S, IT'S, TO ME, IT'S, IT'S RATHER SIMPLE.
I MEAN THE, THE COMPLEXITY, WELL, THE IDEA OF AT LEAST WHAT, WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY WOULD BE SIMPLE IS IN THE SENSE THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGET IS PRETTY DETAILED FOR TOURISM.
AND TO ME IT'S JUST LIKE, WELL, WE SHOULD JUST ASK THE COUNTY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING AND THIS IS WORKING.
WE HAVE $27,000 HERE FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR ADVERTISING AND OUR MARKETING.
YOU KNOW, AND THAT SEEMS
YOU KNOW? BUT, WELL, YEAH, I MEAN, BUT I MEAN, I'M JUST, I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S JUST, OR ONE OF THE POINTS WE SHOULD SAY, BUT RIGHT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH OUR ENTIRE BUDGET, UH, BECAUSE IF WE'RE LOOKING TO GET MATCHING FUNDS FROM THE COUNTY, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO, IF WE DO THAT EVERY YEAR, I MEAN, IT'S GONNA BE LIKE, OKAY, IF WE COME UP WITH OUR BUDGET, ARE WE GONNA EXPECT THE COUNTY TO COME UP WITH X AMOUNT, YOU KNOW, TO MATCH IT CERTAIN AMOUNT OR SOMETHING.
BUT, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S THE CASE OF WHAT I'M JUST SAYING THOUGH.
WELL, AND THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA CHANGE EVERY YEAR THOUGH.
I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
YOU KNOW, SO ARE WE GOING TO LIKE JUST SAY, HEY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE BUDGETING, YOU KNOW, AND YOU GUYS CAN CONTRIBUTE WHAT YOU FEEL THAT YOU WANNA CONTRIBUTE OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, OR LEVERAGE TOMORROW'S ELECTION DAY.
SO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THAT WE SEE TODAY ARE NOT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE A LIAISON MEETING IN JANUARY.
ALSO, THIS PACKET IS FILLED WITH A LOT OF NOT ORIGINAL IDEAS.
THERE'S SOME STUFF IN HERE THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR FIVE YEARS ON COUNCIL AND FOR FIVE YEARS PRIOR TO MY TIME ON COUNCIL.
UM, NOT TO DISCREDIT THE WORK THAT'S PUT INTO THIS 15 PAGE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.
BUT I WILL SAY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAD WRITTEN DOWN WHEN COUNCILMAN WOOD WAS GIVING HIS PRESENTATION WAS THE BIGGEST ISSUE WITH A JOINT TOURISM EFFORT IS DEFINING TOURISM.
BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU WHAT MM-HMM
SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE LISTENED TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CALL TOURISM IS NOT TOURISM.
IT'S A WAY FOR THEM TO FUND SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT OR THAT THEY WANNA SEE, BUT IT DOES NOT INCREASE THE TOURISM FOR FRONT ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY.
I SPENT YESTERDAY EVENING HAVING DINNER AT BEAR CHASE BREWERY OVER ON MOUNT WEATHER ALL OVER BEAR CHASE BREWERY.
THERE ARE SIGNS POSTED THAT SAY THIS WAS CREATED OUT OF AN AGRITOURISM PROJECT.
A BREWERY THAT PROVIDES LODGING TAX.
THEY HAVE A LODGING HOUSE THERE.
[01:15:01]
TAX.THEY HAVE AWESOME SHOPS SET UP THERE.
YOU CAN HIKE THE TRAIL ON MOUNT WEATHER BEFORE STOPPING BY.
UM, THEY PLAY THE SPORTS, UH, ON THE BIG SCREEN TVS.
THAT'S WHAT I CALL AGRITOURISM.
UM, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP RECENTLY BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THAT I WOULD CONSIDER HOBBIES THAT AREN'T TOURISM RELATED.
UM, AND THERE THEY'RE THINGS THAT SHOULD BE PRIVATE ENDEAVORS, NOT ON THE TAXPAYER'S BACKS.
UM, AND WHICH BRINGS ME TO, ON PAGE 13 OF THIS PRESENTATION, THIS PERSON PUT DEVELOP ECOTOURISM GUIDELINES.
SO I THINK DEFINING IT'S GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT I JUST THINK THAT FUNDAMENTALLY WE HAVE A, WE ARE IN IT.
WE DO HAVE STAFF WHO DOES IT EVERY DAY.
WE ARE SUCCESSFULLY CONTINUING TO DO IT.
THE FESTIVAL, AT LEAST WE JUST HAD WAS FANTASTIC.
UM, WE HAVE A WEBSITE AND WE HAVE RECOGNITION.
AND SO I THINK TO TRY TO REINVENT THE WHEEL IS THE WRONG WAY TO GO ABOUT THIS.
BUT I WILL ALSO SAY SOME OTHER THINGS THAT I WROTE DOWN BASED OFF OF WHAT I'VE GLANCED THROUGH HERE, IS TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE, NOT ONLY IN THE TOWN BUT THE COUNTY.
SO IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT I SENT ON THE WARREN COUNTY GIRLS LITTLE LEAGUE SOFTBALL BOARD.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THOSE BOARD, THEY DO NOT PROVIDE THE MAINTENANCE AND THE CARE FOR THESE FACILITIES FOR OUR COUNTY SPORTS AT NO COST.
AND WE HONESTLY HAVE TO DO MOST OF THE UPKEEP OURSELF BECAUSE IT'S NOT DONE.
UM, THE ROAD, I IMPLORE YOU ALL TO DRIVE DOWN TO THE BACK FIELD OF THE SOFTBALL FIELDS, UNLESS YOU HAVE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE, DON'T DO IT ACTUALLY.
UM, SO WE TALK ABOUT THESE, YOU KNOW, BEING A SPORTS DESTINATION, WHICH I AGREE OUT OF SIX OF MY KIDS, FIVE OF THEM PLAY SPORTS.
UM, BUT YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU CAN START BUILDING NEW STUFF.
I MEAN, THAT'S STUFF THAT I'M TEACHING MY 10-YEAR-OLD, IF YOU DON'T TAKE CARE OF THE TOYS YOU HAVE NOW, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET NEW ONES.
SO, AND I ALSO AGREE THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE TAXPAYERS SHOULD PAY FOR IF THERE IS A, OR IT COULD BE A PUBLIC PARTNER PRIVATE SHIP, WHICH WE'VE SEEN ALSO NOT GO VERY WELL, BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE ON THE BACKS OF US.
AND THOSE THINGS DO INCREASE REVENUES.
I MEAN, WE GO SPEND A WEEKEND AT, UH, A SPORTS TOURNAMENT AND WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY FOR LODGING OR FOOD OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING OUR TAX DOLLARS ON RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND I THINK THAT SOME OF THIS STUFF IS ALREADY IN EXISTENCE AND THAT'S JUST IT.
LIKE YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY IMMERSE YOURSELF IN.
THERE'S LIKE A LITTLE BLURB IN HERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BEING THE ONES WHO LIVE TRUST US, WE LIVE HERE.
WELL, YOU MUST NOT HAVE DONE SOME, SOME OF THESE THINGS 'CAUSE THEY ALREADY EXIST.
UM, SO I JUST I'S A NEW BOARD COMING IN.
WE'VE TRIED TO DO IT BEFORE IT DIDN'T WORK.
EVERYBODY THAT RUNS FOR OFFICE IS A TOURISM GURU.
UM, AND HONESTLY, WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED HERE.
AND COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION ARE THE TWO BIGGEST THINGS.
AND IF NOT POINTING SOMEBODY TO SOMEBODY WHO DOES IT FULL-TIME IS THE BEST ANSWER.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BEST ANSWER WOULD BE.
SO I THINK WHAT MR. PETTY SAID ABOUT LIKE, MAYBE WE COME UP WITH, HERE'S WHAT WE ARE THINKING.
AND THEN IN JANUARY AT THAT LIAISON MEETING, WHEN THE NEW, WHOEVER, WHOEVER'S THERE IS IN THE SEATS THAT NIGHT, AND WE CAN ALWAYS SEND IT OVER TO THEM SOONER THAN THAT SO THAT THEY HAVE A CONVERSATION.
LIKE I SAID, I JUST THINK SOMEBODY, MEN, UH, GLEN MENTIONED THIS EARLIER AS A CITIZEN MYSELF, LIKE RIGHT, WE'RE ALL CITIZENS OF THE TOWN IN THE COUNTY HERE.
LIKE, WHY WOULD YOU HIRE ANOTHER POSITION WITH A SALARY AND BENEFITS WHEN YOU COULD, YOU COULD CAPITALIZE ON THE EXPERIENCE AND TALENT AND, AND THE GROUP THAT'S ALREADY DOING IT, I THINK THEY'D BE BETTER OFF TO PUT SOME OF THEIR MONEY TOWARDS THAT.
AND, AND THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS DISCUSSED YEARS AGO.
YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE GONNA HIRE A CONSULTANT, WE WERE GONNA SHIP IT OUT AND DO IT.
THAT WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY WERE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON THAT COMPANY.
AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T LIVE HERE DON'T KNOW IT, WEREN'T LIVING IT.
UM, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT MAKES MORE SENSE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ONLY PROPOSE IT AND, AND WE CAN ONLY PROPOSE IT AND SEE, BUT I'M LIKE YOU ALL THE REST OF THAT STUFF, I DON'T WANNA GET BOGGED DOWN WITH ALL THAT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MARKETING OF THIS AREA.
AND HOW WE ARE ALREADY DOING IT.
MADAM MAYOR, I THINK IT SHOULD JUST BE SIMPLE.
IT'S LIKE, LOOK, WE'RE, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING ALREADY.
IF YOU GUYS WANT TO ADD TO IT, PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT
[01:20:01]
YOU WANT TO ADD.OR JUST LET US KNOW, HEY, WE'D LIKE TO ADD TO YOUR MARKETING BUDGET.
WELL, HOW MUCH YOU GONNA GIVE US? WE'LL GIVE YOU, YOU KNOW, $20,000.
WELL THIS YEAR WE CAN, YOU KNOW, AND WE CAN PROVIDE FULL TRANSPARENCY OF WHERE EVERY DOLLAR IS SPENT.
AND THAT, THAT SEEMS TO BE A STICKING POINT.
WE'RE STEWARDS OF THE MONEY IN OUR BUDGET JUST LIKE THEY ARE.
SO I THINK SOMETHING CLEAR CUT WHERE, OKAY, HERE'S THE 10 INVOICES THAT WE SPENT YOUR MONEY ON.
I, AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT I THINK THAT WE COULD PROPOSE TO START MOVING IN THAT WAY BECAUSE THE IMMEDIATE EFFECT WILL BE TO GROW OUR TOURISM A GROWN OR VISITOR BY MARKETING.
WELL, WE MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT HERE BECAUSE, UH, I READ SOMEWHERE, UH, IN 2024 VISITORS SPENT $928 MILLION IN MOTOWN.
ALSO 2 MILLION, I THINK IT WAS IF 92 MILLION, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T CRACK A HUNDRED MILLION.
BUT THAT'S STILL A LOT OF MONEY.
THAT'S STILL, IT WAS A HIGH WATERMARK FOR US.
WE'VE NEVER HAD THAT KIND OF SPENDING.
STILL ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESSES BRINGING, UM, INFLUENCERS HERE.
ACTUALLY, JUST THIS WEEKEND, MY DAUGHTER SENT ME A TIKTOK OF AN INFLUENCER THAT A LOCAL BUSINESS PAID TO COME HERE AND PROMOTE THEIR BUSINESS.
AND THEY PROMOTED FRONT ROYAL AS STARS, HOLLOW
OH, I, AND I'LL SEND IT TO YOU.
LIKE WE ARE LIKE, UM, I'VE ASKED LIZZIE TO SEND YOU ALL A VIDEO OF THE TOWN OF CALL PEPPER, YOU KNOW, CALL PEPPER'S ABOUT THE SAME SIZE.
THEY HAD AN AGREEMENT AND MAYBE MR. PETTY CAN FOLLOW UP AND LIZZIE WITH THEIR FOLKS, THEIR COUNTY DOES NOT DO TOURISM.
THEY HAND IT OFF TO THEIR TOWN.
BUT THEY HAVE A WONDERFUL LITTLE COMMERCIAL.
I I, WE GO TO, UH, BREWERIES THERE AND WE EAT OUT THERE AND CALL PEPPER NICE LITTLE TOWN JUST LIKE WE ARE.
BUT THERE ARE THINGS IN A COMMERCIAL I NEVER KNEW.
IT, IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S UPBEAT.
AND THAT, JUST SEEING THAT MAKES ME THINK, WHY DON'T WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, ON THE NEWS W FOUR OR CHANNEL FIVE OR OR WHOMEVER ELSE PUTTING IT ON OUR LOCAL RADIO STATION.
I MEAN, I, I LOVE THE FACT THEY'RE SUPPORTING A LOCAL RADIO STATION, BUT WITH A 30 MILE RADIUS OR WHATEVER, THE RIVER, YOU'RE ONLY GONNA REACH A VERY LIMITED MARKET.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU TELL SOMEBODY, MARTINVILLE, COME TO WARREN COUNTY, NOW I GOTTA GET ON MY PHONE.
WHERE IS WARREN COUNTY? RIGHT.
BUT I BET YOU IF YOU TOLD MOST PEOPLE IN MARTINSBURG WILL COME TO FRONT ROYAL DISCOVER FRONT ROYAL, WHICH INCLUDES WARREN COUNTY.
WE SAID IN WARREN COUNTY INCLUDES ALL OF IT.
I MET SOMEBODY FROM, UH, A COUPLE FROM, UH, MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN ON SATURDAY IN THE VISITOR CENTER.
I THINK, I THINK THE, UM, A PIECE OF IT IS, IS DEEPER.
I'M NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY'S JUST, THEY'RE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE.
THEY, UM, I, WE ALL NEED MONEY, BUT THEY'RE IN A WORSE POSITION.
I ALSO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH THEIR STAFF BEING NEW, THEY MADE IT NOT HAVE THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CONFIDENCE YET.
WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN OUR STAFF AND OUR STAFF HAS BEEN DOING IT.
SO I FEEL LIKE, AND WHEN I HEAR THEY'RE GONNA SPEND MONEY ON A CONSULTANT, I JUST CRINGE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS A COUNTY RESIDENT, I JUST FEEL LIKE THAT'S JUST NOT A, NOT IN THIS CASE, IT'S NOT A GOOD GOOD.
UM, AND I DO RESPECT, I DO RESPECT THE WORK THAT DR.
JAMESON PUT INTO HIS, YOU KNOW, RESEARCH.
UM, BUT I ALSO THINK, AND, AND THAT SAID, I ALSO THINK THAT, UM, THAT AS AMBER POINTED OUT, UM, A LOT OF THOSE IDEAS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE.
AS YOU KNOW, PART OF MY JOB A LOT OF TIMES IS COLLABORATING ACROSS A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE.
AND IT IS, IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE STRATEGY SHOULD ALWAYS START WITH STAFF CREATING STUFF.
SO YOUR PAID PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE ALREADY GOT IN PLACE, CREATING SOMETHING SO THAT YOU DON'T START WITH THE BLANK PAGE.
UM, WE'VE GOT STAFF WE WE'RE PAYING HERE.
THERE'S NO REASON WHY, AS HE POINTED OUT, THEY CAN'T GIVE US SOMETHING THAT THEN WE CAN BOUNCE IDEAS OFF OF.
BECAUSE AS, AS YOU ALL WERE SAYING, WE'VE HAD A TERRIBLE TIME,
[01:25:01]
YOU KNOW, CONNECTING AND AGREEING AND COMMUNICATING AND, AND THE THOUGHT OF US GETTING IN A ROOM AND COMING UP WITH A CONSOLIDATED VISION TO DIRECT OUR STAFF.UM, I THINK WE'D TAKE, WE'D TAKE A YEAR AND WOULDN'T BE, I DON'T THINK THEY'D EVER COME TO AN AGREEMENT.
THE ONE, THE ONE FORM BEING PASSED AROUND TALKS ABOUT PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES AND TRAILS TO COLLECT THE COIN.
AND THE OTHER ONE TALKS ABOUT THE VISION AND WHAT THOSE TRAILS SHOULD LOOK LIKE AND STOP ONE FOR THE PHOTO OPPORTUNITY.
AND THAT, UM, SUGGESTED THING IS JOIN THE MILITIA, STOP, TAKE YOUR PICTURE IN FRONT ROYAL.
AND THE THEME IS JOIN THE MILITIA
SO I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, INFLUENCERS ARE GONNA NECESSARILY PROMOTE THAT.
BUT ANYWAY, I I THINK WE SHOULD SAY WE HAVE DIRECTION, I THINK WE SAY LEVERAGE.
LET'S OFFER THEM LEVERAGE OPPORTUNITIES.
I DON'T THINK WE NECESSARILY HAVE TO COMMINGLE THE MONEY.
I THINK THAT WHAT WE COULD SAY IS, AS AN APP, THE EXAMPLE OF THE ADVERTISING, WE SAY, HEY, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO X, Y, Z.
UM, IF YOU WISH TO CONTRIBUTE AND LEVERAGE THAT TO DO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE ENVISIONING RATHER THAN, 'CAUSE YEAH, COMMINGLING THE MONEY ISN'T GONNA WORK FOR US RIGHT NOW.
BUT I DOCUMENT, I DON'T KNOW IF DR.
JAMESON WROTE IT, IT CAME TO THE COMMITTEE.
I DON'T KNOW WHO THE AUTHOR WROTE.
YEAH, IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS DR.
WE THE SAME ONE WE HAD IN THE LADIES LIAISON MEETING.
I, I JUST WANNA SAY LIKE, I AGREE ABOUT THE COMMINGLING, BUT IF THE SMARTEST THING, SMARTEST THING WOULD BE FOR THEM TO GIVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY TO THE TOWN AND LET US USE IT FOR MARKETING AND POSSIBLY ADDITIONAL STAFF.
I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA NO, I KNOW.
BUT THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE THE SMARTEST THING TO DO BECAUSE THAT'S SAYING INSTEAD OF HIRING A WHOLE NOTHER PERSON AND BENEFITS FOR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PART-TIME PERSONS FOR THIS SUPPORT, BUT ANYWAY, REGARDLESS.
IT'S JUST LIKE, I DON'T WANT PAY FOR THE, I DON'T WANNA PAY FOR A CONSULTANT THAT THEY PICK.
YOU KNOW, SO BEFORE I GO TO THE NEXT ITEM, CAN SOME, CARRIE, CAN SOMEBODY TURN THE HEAT DOWN FOR LIKE 20 MINUTES? I WAS WAITING FOR THE CONVERSATION, CARRIE.
LIKE, I REALLY GETTING, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE HOT.
CAN SOMEBODY, DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY ALLOCATING THEIR TOURISM FUNDS FOR? SINCE THEY DON'T HAVE A TOURISM DIRECTOR AND THEY DON'T HAVE A I'VE WONDERED MYSELF AS THREE.
'CAUSE THEY'RE REQUIRED TO USE FUNDS FOR TOURISM, BUT WHAT ARE THEY? I DON'T, I HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO.
WE'RE ALL ABOUT TRANSPARENCY IN THIS.
WE'LL ADD THAT TO OUR YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I'M GONNA JUMP TO THE NEXT ITEM BEFORE WE GO TO THE ONE THAT'S GONNA TAKE EVEN LONGER.
THE NEXT ONE IS THE K SPRINGS TOURISM AFTER TOURISM.
TH THIS IS WHAT THEY, UM, TALKED ABOUT.
UM, BASICALLY THE, THE TOWN WANNA SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH THE, UM, THE BATTLEFIELD ASSOCIATION ABOUT, UM, THE CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELD ASSOCIATION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SELLING THE CASE SPRINGS.
I, I, I'M NOT, IT'S THE, IT'S THE EASIEST WAY I COULD EXPLAIN IT, JOE.
INSTEAD OF GOING, I'M SURE Y'ALL FOLLOW THINGS IN THE NEWSPAPER AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, ABOUT THE LIAISON MAYBE? YEAH.
WE, WE WERE THE ONES THAT BROUGHT UP, WE BROUGHT UP ABOUT MCKAY SPRINGS AND WHAT WAS GOING ON, ON, 'CAUSE REMEMBER WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IT IN JANUARY BEFORE THE FARM STAMP THING HAPPENED.
UM, AND THEN, UM, BUT FAST FORWARD, 'CAUSE I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT.
FAST FORWARD WAS, UM, I CAN TELL YOU ENOUGH, RIGHT.
WE, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TELL ALL OF COUNSEL 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO COMMUNICATE IN A GROUP THREAD.
BUT THE BATTLEFIELD, UM, APPROACHED ME AT AN EVENT RECENTLY TO TELL ME THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW, THE TOWN WASN'T TOLD OF THAT MEETING, UM, PRIOR TO THAT MEETING.
AND THAT THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN PURCHASING OR LOOKING AT THAT PROPERTY IF THE TOWN AND COUNTY WEREN'T IN AGREEMENT PRIOR TO ANY DISCUSSIONS PROGRESSING.
I JUST TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD NO IDEA THAT THAT WAS A CONVERSATION THAT WAS HAPPENING.
AND I ASKED WHY THEY WERE APPROACHED ABOUT BEING SOLD IT.
AND THEY WERE APPROACHED ABOUT ALLOWING A FARM STAND TO BE ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
SO IT'S A JOINT EFFORT IS WHAT THEY TOLD ME.
AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WEREN'T INTERESTED IN ANY FURTHER CONVERSATIONS UNTIL
[01:30:01]
THE TOWN AND COUNTY HAD COME TO AN AGREEMENT TOGETHER.AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHEN ALL THIS CAME UP WITH THE LIAISON MEETING, IT WAS JUST WHETHER OR NOT IT, IT BOILED DOWN TO THE COUNTY HAD TALKED TO THEM.
RICH, UH, SUPERVISOR JAMESON EXPLAINED HOW IT ALL CAME TO BE.
BUT THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT IS DO YOU ALL DOES I WROTE IT DOWN.
THIS WAS QUESTION, DOES THE TOWN WANT TO SIT DOWN AND TALK AT THE BATTLEFIELD ASSOCIATION ABOUT THE SALE, ABOUT US SELLING, UM, MCKAY SPRINGS AND IT WOULD NOT BE.
SEE AND THIS IS WHERE IT GOT TRICKY IN THE LIAISON MEETING IS, IS BECAUSE THIS IS OURS.
THIS IS OURS WITH THEM, WITH THE COUNTY.
THIS IS THE COUNTY AND ALL THE REST OF THIS IS THE TOWN COUNTY.
BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THE EDA OWNED ALL OF THAT AND THEY GAVE THAT.
NOW WHICH PART DID THE EDA OWN? EDA ONLY OWNED THE ONE THAT'S MADE THE BLUE BY THE COUNTY.
SO WE'VE ALWAYS OWNED THIS WITH THE COUNTY.
WE'VE ALWAYS OWNED THIS BY OURSELVES.
THE WARREN COUNTY EDA OWNS THAT AND THEY GAVE THAT TO THE COUNTY.
SO, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS WHERE THE FARM STAND WAS BEING PROPOSED ON THE COUNTY'S PROPERTY.
YOU THINK? BUT ANYWAY, SO WE JUST, WE NEED TO KNOW, I NEED TO KNOW, DO YOU ALL WANNA SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH THE BATTLEFIELD ASSOCIATION ABOUT THE SALE OF IT? WHEN I SAID WHAT WAS CONFUSING IS SOMEWHERE IN ONE OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS, THEY MADE IT SOUND LIKE THAT THEY WERE GONNA GIVE THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR ALL OF IT.
AND I THINK I WAS PRETTY CLEAR AT THE MEETING THAT I SAID THAT WE, WE AREN'T GONNA BE SELLING, I MEAN, WE WON'T BE SELLING THIS.
AND EVEN IF I'M NOT SITTING IN THIS SEAT, I WILL HAUNT WHOEVER IS SITTING HERE THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SELL THE SPRINGS.
THAT THERE WAS TOO MUCH, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, ANYWAY, YOU ALL WANNA SIT DOWN WITH THEM.
THAT'S REALLY THE, THAT'S THE LONG SHORT OF IT.
AND WE WON'T, I WANT TO BUY IT ALL.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO.
NO, I, THE TOWN THAT'S BEEN MY POSITION FOR FIVE YEARS.
I'M VERY INTERESTED IN BUYING IT ALL.
I WANT THE TOWN TO BUY IT ALL.
THAT COULD BE OUR AGRI TOURISM.
WE COULD BOTTLE AND SELL OUR OWN STRING WATER FOR MCKAY.
WE COULD USE IT TO BREW OUR OWN BEER AND WE COULD HAVE BEAR CHASE RIGHT THERE.
SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE SHARED THE IDEA
I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT, THAT I'VE BEEN SAYING IT.
WELL, WE'VE NOW BEEN MORE CLEAR.
I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT SINCE, SINCE DOLORES O SAID, I WANNA USE THE WATER TO BREW OUR OWN BEER.
I DON'T THINK MOONSHINE LEGAL STILL IS.
NO, I THINK I WANT THE ROAD WATER AND MARK, AND THE QUESTION, THE QUESTION IS THE TOWN SHINE? I JUST NEED A YES OR NO.
YOU ALL WANNA SIT DOWN WITH THE BATTLEFIELD ASSOCIATION AND LET THEM TELL US WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO, WHAT THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO PURCHASE THIS LAND FROM.
I WAS VERBALLY TOLD PRICE TOO.
I THINK THEY SAID IT THAT NIGHT.
I THOUGHT THEY ABOUT 3.5 MILLION.
THAT'S THE APPRAISED VALUE PURCHASE WAS ONE POINT OF POWER.
WELL, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD SAID THAT WITH, IF THEY GO IN FOR HALF, IT'S OBVIOUSLY MUCH EASIER FOR THEM TO GET THE FUNDING FOR.
'CAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT, IT'S A, IT'S A STATE AND FEDERAL, UH, FUNDING PROJECT FOR THEM.
BUT THEY SAID WITH WITH THE FULL AMOUNT, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD, UH, THERE WOULD, IT WOULD BE WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
AND IF THAT'S IT WITH, WITH THE 50% AMOUNT, THEY COULD WORK WITH EASEMENTS.
THEY COULD SAY, HEY, IF YOU WANNA KEEP THE SPRINGS AS AN OPTION, YOU COULD DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN WORK, FILL ON THAT.
THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS WE CAN DO ABOUT, OR WE CAN COME IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT PORTION.
NOW WE UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, RICH AND I BO TOLD, SO THIS IS, THIS IS A POINT OF CONTENTION FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
YOU KNOW, SO THAT WOULD BE A KEY POINT OF THE DISCUSSION IF THERE WAS TO BE ONE.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR.
SO THERE ARE WAYS FOR THEM TO, FOR PURCHASE PART OF IT AND NOT ALL OF IT.
WELL, NO, NO PURCHASE ALL OF IT.
THEY WOULD BE PURCHASING ALL OF IT.
THEY WEREN'T INTERESTED IN PART.
THEY'RE NOT PURCHAS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING PARTS.
BUT AGAIN, WITH THE HALF, THE 50% AMOUNT, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ALLOW LIKE EASEMENTS OR RIGHTS.
YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T PUT IN ANY SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT IT, BUT AGAIN, STRINGS WERE THE, WERE THE MAIN POINT.
BUT, UM, BUT AGAIN, THAT WOULD, I GUESS THAT'S JUST A HIGH LEVEL DISCUSSION.
JOSH, YOU'RE WILLING TO SIT DOWN WITH THEM? ABSOLUTELY.
YOU'RE WILLING TO SIT DOWN WITH THEM, GLEN? I, I'M WILLING TO LISTEN TO ANYBODY.
I, I DON'T WANT TO JUST PPO AN IDEA WITHOUT LISTENING.
UM, BUT WE ALSO KNOW WHAT THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, UH, SAYS FROM 2014.
WHENEVER, WELL, WHENEVER I'M WEARING THE EARLY 2010S,
[01:35:01]
IT SHOULD BE.UM, I MEAN, KEEPING, KEEPING THAT IN MIND, IT'S GOTTA BE A JOINT DECISION.
AND, UM, I, I ATTENDED THE LIAISON MEETING, LISTEN TO THE DISCUSSIONS, AND I THINK THE CART WAS PUT BEFORE THE HORSE WITH THE IDEA AND, AND SET UP OUR HOMESTEADER COMMUNITY FOR A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT WHEN THEY COULDN'T GO THERE BECAUSE OF VDOT REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO, AM I WILLING, THAT'S NOT A DEAD DEAL.
IS IT A DONE DEAL? I'M TOLD THAT'S PART OF THEIR AGRITOURISM BUDGET TO ALLOCATE VO FUNDS.
I, I TOOK AWAY, DR. RICHARDSON SAID DDOT WANTS 'EM TO MOVE THE ENTRANCE WAY DOWN AND IT'S NOT GONNA WORK.
I WAS TOLD THE COUNTY WAS WORKING ON ASSISTING WITH THAT, BUT I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE BATTLEFIELD WOULD ALLOW THEM TO OPERATE THERE AS WELL.
SO THAT WAS THE NEXT I I DON'T YEAH, SO YOU'RE WILLING, YOU'RE, I I'M WILLING, YOU'RE WILLING, WILLING, LISTEN, UNDER ONE CONDITION THAT THE TOWN WILL RETAIN THE RIGHTS TO THE STORE.
IF THEY SAY THAT'S THE DEAL BREAKER, THAT I DON'T WANT TO SPEND WHATEVER AMOUNT OF OUR TIME.
LISTEN, AND I DON'T, HONESTLY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW LIKE AN EASEMENT.
LIKE I GET THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
AND THEN JUST GIVE AN EASEMENT TO ADD THAT.
I DON'T WANNA GET INTO ALL THAT BUSINESS.
WE HAD, WE WORKED TOO HARD TO GET IT TO BUY, TO RETAIN.
I SAY WE, BUT THE PEOPLE BACK IN THE NINETIES, I BELIEVE, WAS IT THE NINETIES? THAT THE NINETIES WHEN THEY SECURED LIKE EARLY 2000, LIKE TWO, I JUST GONNA MAKE ONE MORE POINT.
THEY STARTED FIGHTING IN THE NINETIES ABOUT IT, FOLKS.
THIS, THIS IS GONNA TICK A LOT OF PEOPLE OFF.
I KNOW THAT BECAUSE I, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE IN HISTORY NERDS LIKE ME.
BUT KEEP IN MIND, I, I'M JUST SAYING THIS FROM A PRACTICALITY STANDPOINT.
THIS IS THE ONE WAY, 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT THE TOWN COUNTY WILL NEVER EVER AGREE IT'S BEEN 30 PLUS YEARS.
REMEMBER HOW LONG IT'S BEEN, UH, THAT, THAT THE USE OF THAT WILL NEVER BE AGREED PROBABLY AT LEAST DURING OUR LIFETIME.
SO THIS, THIS, WITH THIS SOLUTION, IT DOES PRESERVE IT AND IT KEEPS IT, IT'S LIKE, OKAY, IT MIGHT NOT BE WHAT SOME PEOPLE WANT TO USE IT FOR, BUT IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WELL IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING, THEN IS THERE GONNA BE A DATA CENTER THERE IN 10 YEARS? OR IS THERE GONNA BE A HARDEE'S, YOU KNOW, A HARDY'S THERE SOMEWHERE IN 10 YEARS? HARDEE'S ALREADY TRIED.
THIS GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA BE USED BY THEN.
WHICH, WHICH WAY DO YOU WANNA BE TICKED OFF? DO YOU WANNA BE TICKED OFF WITH SOMETHING THERE THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA LIKE, OR YOU WANNA BE TICKED OFF WITH SOMETHING AS IT IS RIGHT NOW WITH TRAILS OR SOMETHING THAT CAN ACTUALLY BE USED AND BE PART OF A TOURISM AND AN INFORMATION RESOURCE? THAT'S, THAT'S THAT I'M SAYING THAT FROM.
THAT'S WHY YOU LISTEN AGAIN, I, I DIDN'T GO INTO ANY SPECIFIC DETAILS.
THEY DIDN'T TELL US ANYTHING WHAT THEY HAD PLANNED, ANY DEPTH, YOU KNOW, WITH, UM, I'M JUST MAKING THAT, I THINK THERE'S A WAY TO PRESERVE IT WITHOUT HAVING A BATTLEFIELD PRESERVE IT AS WELL.
THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT SHENANDOAH VALLEY BATTLEFIELD IS GONNA DO WHAT WE WANT WITH THEM ONCE WE HAND OVER THE TITLE EITHER.
UM, AND I SAID THAT IN MY CONVERSATION WITH THEM.
UM, WHICH IS FINE, BUT ALSO I WOULD IMPLORE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GO OVER TO STRASBURG.
THEY HAVE A, UH, YEAR ROUND HOMESTEADERS FARMER'S MARKET TYPE THING GOING ON WHERE IT'S LIKE DOORS THAT OPEN UP THE TOWN ASSIST ASSISTED IN SOME OF THE, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE INS AND OUTS OF IT.
I JUST ENJOYED SHOPPING THERE.
UM, BUT IT'S PRIVATE CITIZENS THAT, UM, JUST GO CHECK OUT.
C CHARLESBURG IS DOING A LOT OF REALLY COOL STUFF RIGHT NOW.
TELL YOU THAT THE TOWN OF CHARLESBURG LOOKS REALLY NICE.
THEY'RE DOING REALLY NICE STUFF.
YOU WANNA MEET WITH EM? I'LL LISTEN TO 'EM.
BUT IF THEY WANNA BUY IT ALL, NO, BRUCE, IT'S WASTE TIME.
I, I MEAN I, I'LL LISTEN TO 'EM, BUT I'M WITH FOLKS THAT WANT TO RETAIN THE RIGHT STUDENT SPRING.
WHAT'S AN EASEMENT TO SPRING DO FOR US? JANUARY THAT'S NOT BEEN DEFINED YET.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S, BUT WHAT WOULD AN EASEMENT DO? OKAY, THE INTERESTING, THE INTERESTING THING IS, IS HOW I'LL WATCHED THE MEETING TWICE AND, AND HOW THEY, THESE THREE TOPICS THAT ARE ON HERE, HOW THEY LINKED, HOW THEY WERE ALL LINKED IN RIGHT.
THAT'S WHY IT WAS HARD TO KIND OF SEPARATE THEM OUT.
I'M TRYING TO BE, IT WAS HARD.
AND, AND, AND I SEE THE, THE BATTLEFIELD PERSPECTIVE AS A WAY FOR A VISITOR CENTER TO BE TREATED.
SO THE ANSWER IS YES, THAT THEY WOULD ENTERTAIN, HERE'S WHAT WILL HAVE TO HAPPEN, IS IT'LL HAVE TO BE A A EITHER LIKE AN HOUR BEFORE A WORK SESSION WHERE THEY COME IN AND MEET WITH US, OR WE HAVE TO CALL A SPECIAL MEETING BECAUSE TO PUT ALL OF US IN THE SAME ROOM WITH ANYBODY.
IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE, UM, 'CAUSE I, I DON'T, WE DON'T WANT TO DO 2 2, 2, 2.
[01:40:01]
YEAH.AND THEY WON'T WANNA DO THAT EITHER.
SO MR. PETTY, IF YOU WANNA REACH OUT TO, I BELIEVE HIS NAME IS KEVIN WALKER, AND SEE IF HE CAN COME BEFORE A WORK SESSION.
DIDN'T, MAYBE IT WAS IMPLIED, MAYBE IT WASN'T.
OR I IMAGINE, WEREN'T THEY TALKING ABOUT THEIR BOARD BEING UNDER LISTEN THIS TO LIKE YES, THEY WANTED TO TWO BOYS.
IS THIS LIKE A JOINT? THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.
YEAH, THEY, THEY WANT, YEAH, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA WANT, THEY WANT ALL THIS TOGETHER TWICE AND GET, GET, IN OTHER WORDS, COUNCIL AND THE BOARD MEET TOGETHER AND HAVE A PRESENTATION.
THAT'S WHY WE ASKED FOR WORK COUNCIL AL'S COMMENT EARLIER, LAST ITEM.
THERE COULD BE OBVIOUSLY POTENTIAL BEFORE A SUPERVISOR IN THIS DISCUSSION.
THAT'S WHY I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA DOUBT SUGGEST WELL DOUBT IF ANYTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN BETWEEN NOW AND THE FIRST, WE, I WOULD SAY WE WON'T MEET UNTIL NEXT YEAR.
WELL, WHY COULDN'T WE, WHY COULDN'T WE JOIN THIS THING ALL TOGETHER WITH THE JANUARY LIAISON MEETING AND LIKE THE FIRST HOUR BE THE FIRST, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE, THE FIRST HOUR BE THEM OR WHATEVER, NOT AN HOUR, A HALF HOUR PRESENTATION AND THEN THE LIAISON MEETING, AND THEN THAT WAY EVERYBODY COULD BE THERE AND THEN WHOEVER DOESN'T NEED TO BE THERE FOR THE SECOND PART OF IT AND THEN WOULD BE THE SAME THING FOR BOTH OF THEM.
SO I'D SAY WAIT UNTIL AFTER TOMORROW, WE'LL SEE WHO'S GONNA BE IN THOSE SEATS AND THEN REACH OUT.
AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE TAKING THE CAM BECAUSE WE ASKED TO TALK ABOUT MCKAY SPRINGS AT THE CANCELED LIAISON MEETING THAT WE GOT NO EXPLANATION FOR.
SO WE ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGING THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE JUST NOW HURRY UP AND WAIT.
ALL RIGHT, SO THE LAST ITEM IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO THAT WAS AGAIN, UM, THERE WAS, SOMEONE PASSED OUT A STATEMENT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLANNING CONSULTANT.
SUPERVISOR COLORS AT THE, UH, ONE OF THE BOARD SUPERVISORS MEETING WHERE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HIRING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT, RIGHT? UM, SHE BROUGHT UP THAT SHE FELT LIKE THAT, THAT THE TOWN AND COUNTY OUGHT TO TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE THEY, IT SEEMED LIKE THE WARREN COUNTY EDA WAS KIND OF STAGNANT AND THAT FRIGO WAS KIND OF STAGNANT, RIGHT? SO THAT, AND SHE SAID MAYBE WE SHOULD COLLABORATE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE TOWN AND COUNTY AND TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOW WE COULD WORK TOGETHER ON IT.
AND SO AT THAT TIME, BECAUSE THE CONVERSATION BEFORE THEM WAS TO FUND, LIKE, IT WAS LIKE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, WASN'T IT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS MR. PETTY? I DON'T KNOW.
ANYWAY, IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE THAT ABOUT THEM HIRING A, A, A PERSON TO, TO HANDLE THAT POSITION.
AND SO SHE WAS ABLE HER, SHE BROUGHT IT UP.
THERE WAS MUCH DISCUSSION, UM, AND THEY SAID, OKAY, WE COULD, THEY COULD TABLE IT, UM, FOR A MONTH TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, GET WITH THE TOWN.
AND THEY DID ASK, WELL, WHAT'S THAT GONNA LOOK LIKE? YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU GONNA GET WITH THE TOWN? AND THEN I BELIEVE AT THAT MEETING, CHAIRMAN BUTLER SAID HE WOULD REACH OUT TO THE TOWN AND THAT THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED.
SO THEN I BROUGHT IT UP AT THE LEE LIAISON MEETING, YOU KNOW, OR DID THEY BRING UP, I CAN'T REMEMBER.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT IT THERE THAT NIGHT AND THEY KIND OF ASKED, UM, UM, OH GOSH, WHERE, ANYWAY, I DON'T EVEN, YOU, YOU GET THE IDEA, RIGHT? THEY ASKED, DID WE, YOU KNOW, DID WE WANNA COLLABORATE WITH THEM? BUT AT THAT TIME, SUPERVISOR JAMESON KIND OF SAID LIKE, WE NEED AN ANSWER LIKE QUICKLY.
AND I SAID, WELL, I CAN CERTAINLY TALK, BUT I KNEW WE WEREN'T GONNA BE, I MEAN THIS WAS OCTOBER 17 AND I KNEW WE HAD A COUNCIL MEETING AND THAT WASN'T, COULDN'T BE ON THE AGENDA FOR THAT.
IT'S MORE OF A WORK SESSION THING.
THIS WAS THE FIRST WORK SESSION THAT WE COULD BRING MM-HMM
TO ASK YOU ALL WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS WERE.
NOW I WILL, FULL DISCLOSURE, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING AGENDA FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO HIRE THIS POSITION.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF US TALKING ABOUT IT IS REALLY A MOOT POINT BECAUSE THEY MAY ALREADY BE DECIDING TO DO IT OR NOT DO IT.
MR. IT'S SO, SO WEDNESDAY IS, IS ON THEIR UNFINISHED BUSINESS TO APPROVE THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO PROCEED WITH PROCUREMENT PROCESS TO SOLICIT A CONSULTANT SERVICES.
THEY'RE NOT HIRING ANYBODY YET.
BUT, BUT I BELIEVE THEY WERE TAKING
[01:45:01]
MONEY FROM THE LIBRARY BUDGET AND THEY NEEDED IT TO BE, TRYING TO THINK FROM WHEN I WATCHED THE MEETING, THEY WERE GONNA TAKE LIKE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OUT OF THE LIBRARY.WHAT, WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN WORTH THE LIBRARY'S BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO HIRE THIS POSITION? SO AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS POINTLESS OR NOT POINTLESS, BUT I DO BELIEVE WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE WE ARE WITH FREDA AND WHAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
MR. PETTY, YOU WANNA ADD TO ANY OF THAT?
AND YOU KNOW, WE HEARD EARLIER TONIGHT THAT THERE'S $131,000 IN THE BUDGET FOR FREEDA, BUT THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE WE WERE FUNDING $50,000 EACH YEAR.
AND WHEN WE TOOK THAT HIATUS WHERE NOBODY WAS MEETING, THEY WEREN'T GETTING PAID TO BE AT THEIR MEETINGS.
AND SO SOME OF THE MONEY STARTED TO, YOU KNOW, TO ACCUMULATE.
UM, WE DID PAY $50,000 FOR RETAIL STRATEGIES, BUT AS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE NEXT PHASE OF THAT, THAT WAS ONLY FOR ONE PHASE OF WHAT THEY WERE GONNA FIND OUT.
THE NEXT PHASE OF IT WOULD BE ADDITIONAL MONEY.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S A, A PRETTY BIG DISCUSSION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS HAPPENED TONIGHT, BUT OBVIOUSLY, ESPECIALLY AS WE ENTER INTO THESE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, $50,000, LET'S BE HONEST, FOR AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO START, IT IS JUST NOT ENOUGH.
I MEAN, UM, IT'S GONNA TAKE MORE THAN THAT TO ESTABLISH, YOU KNOW, THAT DEPARTMENT IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT THE TOWN WANTS TO GO.
UM, YOU KNOW, YES, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH RETAIL STRATEGIES, THEY'RE DOING WORK, I BELIEVE THEY MAY BE OR DECEMBER FOR AN UPDATE.
UM, AND THEN TALK ABOUT OBVIOUSLY MOVING FORWARD WITH THEM.
BUT AS WE GET INTO THIS BUDGET, IT IS SOMETHING TO DISCUSS.
BUT SIMILAR TO TOURISM, IF THE COUNTY HAD A SUCCESSFUL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE TOWN HAS SUCCESSFUL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ARE WE JUST BEING REDUNDANT WITH TOWN WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS? AND I THINK THAT'S AN ALSO ANOTHER DISCUSSION, BUT WE MAYBE WE HAVE A BIGGER DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THEIR CONSULTANT WOULD LOOK TO SEE WHAT THE END RESULT, TRY TO FORECAST WHAT THE FRONT ROW WARREN COUNTY EDA IS GONNA LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
WE, WE OBVIOUSLY KNOW THAT THERE ARE TOUGH TIMES THERE.
UM, I I, BUT I THINK FROM US, WE NEED TO LOOK STRATEGICALLY AT WHAT WE EXPECT FOR, TO, TO LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
I THINK WE OWE IT TO THE BOARD THAT'S BEEN WORKING THERE AND TRYING TO GET THAT GOING.
UM, BUT TO FIGURE OUT LONG TERM WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH THEM.
AND I THINK IT COMES DOWN TO BUDGET.
I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY IT'S ABOUT THE BUDGET.
AND I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY, FREDA, WHEN IT WAS, UM, ESTABLISHED OR WHEN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, WHEN DE THE FORMER DELEGATE, CHRIS COLLINS TOOK THIS TO, UM, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO GET APPROVAL BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T HAVE TWO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES WITHIN THE SAME JURISDICTION.
BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE WARREN COUNTY EDA AT THE TIME, UM, THE LEGISLATURE GAVE US PERMISSION TO START OUR OWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
I WAS, I WAS NOT THERE WHEN IT, I, I WAS THERE AT THE BEGINNING OF IT, BUT IT WASN'T LIKE, I WASN'T PART OF THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ESTABLISHING IT AS MUCH.
BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, THE WHOLE PURPOSE BEHIND IT AT THE TIME WAS PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GONNA GO ON WITH THE WARREN COUNTY EDA AND THEY ASSUMED THAT IT WAS BASICALLY GONNA GO UNDER.
AND IF FRONT ROYAL HAD AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, THEN WARREN COUNTY COULD JOIN IN WITH US AND BASICALLY HAVE A FRESH START OF WITH THIS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING OVER TIME AS MORE AND MORE INFORMATION CAME AVAILABLE IS, IS THAT THE WARREN COUNTY EDA REALLY CAN'T JUST DISSOLVE.
THEY, THEY CAN'T DISSOLVE IF THEY WANTED TO UNTIL ALL THEIR DEBTS ARE PAID, ARE RESOLVED.
TO NOT NECESSARILY YEAH, WELL, UNTIL ALL THEIR DEBTS RESOLVED, THEY COULDN'T DISSOLVE.
SO THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THEM LETTING THAT ONE GO AND COMING ON WITH US, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WAS REALLY EVER GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WAS, COULD LOGICALLY HAPPEN, BUT THAT WAS THE IDEA IS THAT WE COULD HELP THEM.
[01:50:01]
TO WORK IN THE COUNTY.AND AS OF LAST, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLIES VOTE AT SPRING, UM, WE THAT SUNSETTED RIGHT? AND SO CUT OFF THE ABILITY TO DO PROJECTS OUTSIDE OF TOWN LIMITS.
SO WE JUST KINDA NEED TO THINK ABOUT LIKE, DO WHAT, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? WHAT DO WE WANNA DO? AND AS MR. PETTY SAID, UM, WHERE'S THE MONEY GONNA COME FROM AND IF, DEPENDING ON WHAT WE WANNA DO OR WHAT WE WANNA ACCOMPLISH.
SO AS, AS JOE SAID, IT'S A MUCH BIGGER CONVERSATION THAN A WORK SESSION ITEM, BUT, BUT WE HAVE TO AT LEAST BRING IT UP IN PUBLIC.
AND WE ALSO NEEDED TO, I NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL WERE AWARE THAT THE COUNTY ASKED US AT THE LIAISON MEETING, LIKE, IS THIS SOMETHING WE WANT TO COLLABORATE ON? I'M NOT SURE THAT I FELT LIKE SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SITTING THERE THAT NIGHT NECESSARILY SAW THE BENEFIT OF COLLABORATING WITH US OR NOT.
UM, BUT I, I AM GONNA SAY THIS THOUGH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE TOWN IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I ALMOST FEEL LIKE THAT IS THEIR, THAT IS THEIR, UM, RESPONSIBILITY TOO.
THAT IT'S NOT JUST US BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTY ALONE WITHOUT THE TOWN, WE DON'T REALLY BENEFIT FROM THAT ANYWAY.
BUT THEY WOULD BENEFIT FROM ANY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE TOWN.
SO AGAIN, I JUST WISH THEY LET US HANDLE TOURISM AND THEY HANDLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND EVERY, YOU KNOW, YOU DO THIS LANE, WE'LL DO THAT LANE, WE'RE DOING THIS.
WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE DOING THAT WELL, BUT AT LEAST IT'S, YOU KNOW, UH, WE, WE, WHAT ARE YOU ALL, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS OR DO YOU WANNA SIT ON A LITTLE BIT AND THINK ABOUT IT LATER? BECAUSE IF THEY HIRE, IF THEY VOTE TO PRO PRORATE THE MONEY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, THEN THIS MIGHT BE A MOOT POINT ANYWAY.
DO YOU THINK THAT THEY COULD GET THAT PERSON HIRED BEFORE THE FIRST THING? I MEAN, I, I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN THEIR PROCUREMENT POLICY ANYMORE, BUT THAT'S THE THING, THEY HAVE TO GET THE PROCUREMENT, PUT THAT OUT, THEN GET SOMEBODY IN.
AND THAT'S KIND OF SIMILAR TO THE TOURISM THING.
I MEAN, YOU CAN GO THROUGH THE SCOPE OF WORK MM-HMM
I MEAN, NUMBER ONE IS EVALUATION OF THE EDA LEGAL STATUS.
I MEAN, SO THAT'S NOT A, AS SOMEBODY WHO WAS THERE, I MEAN THAT, THAT'S, THAT IS PRETTY BIG BURDEN ON A CONSULTANT.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE A VERY TOUGH TASK, NUMBER ONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A BOARD OVER THERE THAT WORKS AND SO, SO YEAH.
I I, I HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT IT.
I THINK SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS REGARDLESS OF, YOU KNOW, OUR DIRECTION.
UM, OR AT LEAST WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SITTING THERE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEY'RE, LIKE I SAID, THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE HIRING SOMEBODY TOMORROW.
UM, THEY'LL GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, BUT THERE'S STILL ROOM FOR JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT DISCUSSION TO TAKE PLACE.
BUT, UM, YEAH, IT'S A PRETTY ROBUST SCOPE OF WORK THAT THEY'RE GONNA ASK THE CONSULTANT TO DO.
AND, AND I WILL SAY THIS, I THINK ON JANUARY ONE, THAT WILL, THE WHOLE THOUGHT PROCESS AND HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT IT, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WILL CHANGE.
I DON'T WANNA MAKE ANY DECISIONS OR, AND NOT EVEN DECISIONS CONSENSUS SAYS TONIGHT ON THIS, IT'S, THIS IS A MINDBOGGLING LIKE, AND TOURISM AND A DA, IT'S THE SAME LIKE YOU'VE SAID, LIKE WE'VE DONE THIS SONG AND DANCE SO MANY TIMES WITH THE COUNTY AND ALSO WHEN YOU PUT SOMETHING IN FRONT OF A GOVERNING BODY WITH PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES LIKE THIS AND THEN SAY, BUT PLEASE RESPOND BY TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, IT'S UNREALISTIC.
AND IT FEELS LIKE DISINGENUOUS IF I'M BEING HONEST.
THEY KNOW THE RULES AND THE REGULATIONS AND WE COULDN'T MEET AND DISCUSS IT.
AND MEETING AND COMING UP WITH A CONSENSUS ON THE SPOT, LIKE, THIS FEELS IRRESPONSIBLE IN MY ROLE.
WELL, I THINK TOO, PART OF IT WAS, IT WAS PROBABLY TO APPEASE SUPERVISOR COLORS BECAUSE SHE BROUGHT IT UP AND SHE HAD VALID POINTS.
AND, UM, AND SO IT WAS LIKE, OKAY, FINE, WE CAN ASK THE TOWN, YOU KNOW, AND SO, BUT HERE'S THEIR DEADLINE.
WELL, YEAH, NO, AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND 'CAUSE BASICALLY WHAT THEY, WHAT, UM, WHAT HE SAID THAT NIGHT WAS, IS LIKE, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN GO ON FOREVER.
WASN'T THAT PRETTY MUCH THE YEAH, IT WAS KINDA LIKE A WE CAN'T WAIT FOREVER.
THIS WE NEEDED, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANNA MOVE ON WITH THIS.
IT WAS, IT WAS ALMOST AS I I ALMOST INTERPRETED IT AS A SENSE OF LIKE, WELL, THE TOWN CAN
[01:55:01]
DO WHETHER YOU GUYS LIKE IT OR NOT, OR SUCH SITUATIONS LIKE, WELL, AND I, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WHAT YOUR SENSE OF MADAM MAYOR WAS, I JUST, MY REACTION WAS LIKE, I, THIS IS IS, I MEAN, TO THIS SPECIFIC TOPIC, YOU KNOW, LIKE AMBER JUST SAID THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET ANY DEPTH ON THIS EVENING.YOU KNOW, SO I I, TO ME IT'S, I JUST KIND OF LIKE, OH, WELL, OKAY, MENTIONED, BUT I DON'T, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO DO TO BE HERE? AND AGAIN, IT'S REDUNDANCY OF SERVICES.
AND I THINK THAT BOTH OF THESE TOPICS, TOURISM AND EDA AND, AND I WILL SAY THAT I, I EVEN WHEN WE INITIALLY SET UP THE FREE, I WAS, I WAS, I THINK I WAS THE ONLY ONE ON THE COUNCIL THAT WAS HERE AT THAT TIME THAT WAS, WAS MAKING THAT VOTE.
AND I WILL, YEAH, I SAID IT THEN I'LL SAY IT AGAIN.
I DID HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.
THEY'RE, THAT IT, THAT WAS REDUNDANCY.
LIKE WE ARE DOING IT, THEY'RE DOING IT.
BUT THE PROBLEM WAS AT THAT TIME, AND WE HAD JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THAT CONFESSED JUDGMENT AND IT WAS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY, WERE THEY, WHAT THEY WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO ANYWAY, THEY WEREN'T OPEN FOR BUSINESS FOR SURE.
SO IT WAS KIND OF LIKE TRICK TRICKY ANSWER'S.
A IS A GOOD POINT FOR ME TO JUMP IN AND REMIND COUNSEL OF THE DISILLUSION DISILLUSION RESOLUTION.
IN WHICH COUNSEL STATED, UH, THAT FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY EDA IS IN DEFAULT OF ITS OBLIGATIONS, IT'S INSOLVENT, IT'S UNABLE TO CARRY OUT ITS STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS OR PURPOSE IN PURSUING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND THAT I THINK IT ALSO ADDRESSES THAT THEY'VE NOT HAD AN AUDIT TO MEET STATE CODE.
THAT'S, THAT'S INCLUDED IN THAT GENERAL STATE AND EDA AND I HEAR ALL THAT, AND I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO AN EDA DISCUSSION, BUT I MEAN, I, I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE LOOKING LIKE THERE MIGHT BE HOPE TO REVAMP IT.
UM, I MEAN, I THINK THAT THEY'VE HAD FALSE HOPE, BUT NOW THAT THEY MAYBE HAVE A SALE ON THE TABLE, THEY MIGHT BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING TRYING TO BRING IT BACK.
AND SALE DOESN'T COVER THE BACK THAT, BUT, BUT REGARDLESS, UM, I, UH, I AM AGAINST, UM, GIVING THEM MONEY FOR A CONSULTANT FOR THIS PURPOSE AT THIS POINT.
THAT WAS NO, AS A, AS A RESIDENT OF THE COUNTY, I THINK I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO POTENTIALLY REACH OUT TO YOUR SUPERVISOR ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE THAT IS, IT FEELS LIKE A, IT FEELS LIKE A SLAP.
AND I KNOW THIS POINT BROUGHT UP EARLIER, YOU KNOW, UM, A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN HOLDING BACK WITH RDA HAS BEEN BECAUSE OF THE LITIGATION THAT WAS CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE WITH E-E-D-E-D-A.
I THINK THAT WE, AS A COUNCIL, I THINK IT WOULD BE THAT WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH FRIDA, IF WE'RE GONNA DO ANYTHING AT ALL.
AND, AND, AND JUST STAY IN OUR SWIM LANE WITH THAT FOR NOW.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO NOW.
AND, AND LET LET THAT TAKE ITS COURSE BECAUSE I I THINK MOST UPSET IT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE CONSENSUS HERE THAT IT'S, IT'S ONE, IT'S KIND OF REDUNDANT AND TWO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY AMBIGUOUS ON WHAT, ON WHAT CAN BE DONE TO, YOU KNOW, TO I GUESS THE PERSPECTIVE OF THEIR, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE THEY NEED TO STABILIZE WHERE THEY BLOSSOM WITH THEIR, WELL, I THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE A STATEMENT TOO, IS, IS IS MAYBE REACHING OUT TO THE, TO THE TOWN.
I HOPE THIS ISN'T, I HOPE THIS WASN'T THE TAKE ON IT.
IT'S LIKE, WELL WE, WE, WE DID MENTION, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT WITH THE TOWN, BUT THEY DON'T WANNA DO ANYTHING WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, OR JOE, CAN YOU REMIND US, THEY DIDN'T FUND THEIR PORTION THAT WAS ALLOCATED IN THE BUDGET FOR THE EDA, THE COUNTY THIS YEAR CORRECT.
UH, THEY CUT THEIR FUNDING DRASTICALLY.
I, I CAN'T SPEAK IN THIS YEAR.
I THINK ONE OF THE LAST YEARS I WAS THERE, THEY HAD CUT A LOT OF THEIR DEBT SERVICE YEAH.
WITH THE LOANS, BUT THEY WERE STILL COVERING, I BELIEVE THEY'RE OPERATIONAL, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW FOR A FACT, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE DIRECTION IT WAS GOING IS MORE OF JUST THEIR TRUE OPERATIONAL BUDGET VERSUS ANY DEBT.
A HUNDRED THOUSAND PLUS DOLLARS JUST SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY TO GET TO A CONSULTANT WHEN YOU OWE PEOPLE A LOT OF MONEY.
BUT IT COULD GO TOWARDS YOUR BAD DEBT.
WELL, ONE THING I WOULD SAY, THERE'S NOT A COHESIVE VISION HERE FOR ECONOMIC THOUGHT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD MANY DISCUSSIONS AROUND HERE ABOUT WATER TO A BUILDING.
WHAT'S A BUILDING? I BE THERE IN THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT BUILDING HASN'T BEEN REZONED LAND.
I I THINK IT'S BAD MONEY BEING SPENT RIGHT NOW UNTIL THERE'S A UNIFIED, OR AT LEAST A MAJORITY VISION.
FOR INSTANCE, THE 5 22 QUARTER HAS BEEN VIEWED AS AN INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT QUARTER SINCE IT WAS CREATED 20 SOME YEARS AGO.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE, AND IT WENT ALONG WITH OUR WATER LINES OUT TO FAIRGROUNDS ROAD.
AND NOW WE GET INTO, WELL, OKAY, WE WANT TO REZONE THIS AND DO WE WANT TO, AND I LIKE IT BEING AGRICULTURAL.
DON'T TAKE UP THAT SPACE, WON'T THE COMPREHENSIVE
[02:00:01]
PLAN THAT WE ALL PARTICIPATE IN THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY ALL FOR IT TO BE THAT.BUT THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY MAKING THAT DECISION.
I THINK IT'S A WASTE OF TIME, EFFORT, AND MONEY UNTIL THEY HAVE A COMMON VISION OF WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOOKS LIKE TO THEM.
I, I JUST, AND, AND I, I THINK OUR LITTLE OLD FREEDOM CAN KEEP WORKING ON SOME PROJECTS HERE AND LOOKING AT SOME THINGS FOR NOW AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING SOMETHING TO TRY TO INFILL AND FILL SOME OF THE EMPTY BUILDINGS AND WHATEVER.
BUT UNTIL THAT'S RESOLVED, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE LOOKED AT IT PRETTY PRAGMATICALLY AND WE SAID, OKAY, WHAT'S OUR RESOURCES? DO WE HAVE IT? WE DO HAVE IT.
AND OKAY, WE'LL DO THIS BECAUSE OF THE TAX BASE.
THEY, THEY'RE ALL, IF YOU'VE WATCHED THE MEETINGS, HEARD THE DISCUSSIONS, READ THE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, DON'T DO THIS, DON'T DO THAT.
AND A LOT OF THIS, QUITE FRANKLY, IS PEOPLE WHO HAVE MOVED YOU 11, SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS, WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR THE MOST PART ALL OF OUR LIVES.
AND WE, AFTER AVT TECHS CLOSED, WE SAW THE NEED FOR OTHER DEVELOPMENT.
SO 70% OF OUR RESIDENTS AREN'T GOING DOWN THE ROAD.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT, THAT FAULT AND ENVISIONED IT'S BY THE COUNTY BOARD.
SO IT'S PARTIALLY THE DUTY OF, THEY NEED TO BE WORKING WITH OUR CONGRESSMEN.
'CAUSE I'VE SAID IT SO MANY TIMES, I'M OUT OF BREATH.
BUT THE FREDERICK COUNTY HAS THE FBI, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEER FEMA.
THEY NEED TO BE WORKING WITH THE CONGRESSMAN TO BRING THOSE.
BUT YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE NOBODY THERE TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK THE AVTEC SHOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE PLACES THAT ONE OF THOSE FEDERAL FACILITIES SHOULD HAVE WENT.
THE EPA PLAYED A HAND IN DESTROYING THAT LAND THAT WAS OURS.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE NOT LIKE THAT PART, WE'RE NOT REALLY CONFIDENT THAT RIGHT NOW THAT WE WOULD WANT TO WORK NECESSARILY.
WELL, WHAT WE SAID IS WE DEFINITELY AREN'T, DON'T WANNA FUND ANY, YOU KNOW, FUND THAT POSITION OVER THERE.
UM, THAT WAS THE ASK WAS FOR US TO NO, NO, NO.
DO WE WANNA COLLABORATE WITH THE COUNTY? DO WE WANNA COLLABORATE WITH THE COUNTY ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONSULT? YEAH.
SO, SO WE DIDN'T GET A DIME FOR ANY OF THE MONEY FOR THE PROPERTY SOLD.
I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT, THAT WE PAID ON FOR ALL THOSE YEARS, THE PROPERTY THAT THEY HAVE CONTRACTS ON.
THE TOWN'S NOT GETTING PAID FOR THOSE.
EVEN THOUGH THE TOWN PAID 30 SOME PERCENT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GIVEN FOR ALL THOSE OVER 33%.
THEY CAN TAKE IT OFF OF OUR PORTION OF PROCEEDS WERE NOT BEING GIVEN.
THEY WOULD BE BETTER SERVED MAYBE, I MEAN, I WOULD THINK TO HAVE A FACILITATOR, BUT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN, WE'VE EACH DONE OUR LONG-TERM PLANNING WITH, WITH, YOU KNOW, A PROCESS.
SO, SO, SO THE LAST THING I'M GONNA SAY ABOUT THAT, THAT JUST PUT IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD IS WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT A BUDGET, WE NEED TO DECIDE ABOUT FRIDA.
YOU KNOW, ARE WE, ARE WE, ARE WE GOING TO INVEST MORE TO GET MORE? ARE WE JUST GONNA BE STATUS QUO? AND I'LL END WITH THAT.
SO, SO, UM, THE NEXT THING, I THINK THE DECEMBER MEETING YEAH.
WILL HELP WITH THAT WHEN WE, THE OUTCOMES, THE OUTCOMES WITH RETAIL STRATEGIES.
WELL TO THAT POINT TOO, BRUCE, DECEMBER MEETING, WE'LL KNOW THE ELECTION RESULTS BY THEN TOO.
WE'RE GONNA KNOW RESULTS BY TOMORROW NIGHT.
SO AT THIS POINT, NUMBER FIVE IS TO GO INTO CLOSED AND, AND WE HAVE A REVISED MOTION.
I MOVE THAT TOWN COUNCIL, CONVENE A CLOSED MEETING TO SHOW SECTION 2.271 AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 2 AND THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES.
ONE, PURSUANT TO CODE 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 A, ONE OF THE
MORE SPECIFICALLY THE FRONT ROYAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, FRIDA.
AND TWO, PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 180 3 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE DISCUSSION OR CONSIDERATION OF THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY FOR A PURPOSE OR THE DISPOSITION OF PUBLICLY HELD REAL PROPERTY, WHERE DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY.
MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE SALE OF VACATED 13,324 SQUARE FEET OF NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND THE UNIMPROVED ALLEY BETWEEN NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND VIRGINIA AVENUE.
OKAY, WE'RE ENCLOSED EVERYBODY HAVE A EVENING WAIT.
[02:05:01]
OH, SORRY, I TAKE THAT BACK.THE FIRST COMMENT, COUNCILWOMAN DEAN MONICA.