* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] I AM GONNA CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24TH TO ORDER. AND WE'RE GONNA START FIRST WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE. OKAY. NEXT. [2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] UH, WE COME TO THE PORTION FOR OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. AND AS YOU KNOW, DURING MY TERM AS MAYOR, I INVITE STUDENTS FROM THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TO LEAD OUR COUNCIL IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THIS MONTH WE WELCOME CHARLES, ROBERT COLEMAN, WHO ACTUALLY GOES BY BOBBY. SO BOBBY, IF YOU WANNA COME FORWARD, AS BOBBY'S COMING FORWARD, I'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT BOBBY IS THE SON OF SHARON AND BILL COLEMAN. BOBBY JUST TURNED 12 YEARS OLD ON THE 16TH OF NOVEMBER. HE IS A SIXTH GRADE HONOR ROLL STUDENT AT WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL. HE ENJOYS BOWLING AND PLAYING SOCCER WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. HE'S WORKING HARD TO TRAIN HIS NEW PUPPY, WINSTON, WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS A FULL-TIME JOB. BOBBY LOVES CHICKEN NUGGETS AND HOT DOGS, AND I BELIEVE THAT WINSTON, THE PUPPY, LIKES TO HELP BOBBY EAT THE NUGGETS AND HOT DOGS . AND WHEN HE GROWS UP, HE WANTS TO BE IN THE ARMY BECAUSE HE LOVES AMERICA. AND BOBBY, UH, I HAD THE PLEASURE. WELL, I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE, BOB, KNOWING BOBBY SINCE BIRTH. AND THEN, UM, HE WAS IN MY FIFTH GRADE CLASS LAST YEAR AS WELL. BOBBY LIKES TO PLAY IN THE ARCADE AT THE BOIL BOWLING ALLEY. SO HE IS GETTING A GIFT CERTIFICATE TO ROYAL FAMILY AMUSEMENT ARCADE FROM ME TONIGHT. HE'S ALSO RECEIVING A CERTIFICATE, THANKING HIM FOR HIS PATRIOTISM AND PARTICIPATION IN THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL MEETING ON NOVEMBER 24TH, 2025. BOBBY, ARE YOU READY? YES. OKAY, EVERYBODY, PLEASE STAND OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WHICH, WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR HONOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HAPPY THANKSGIVING. THANK YOU. WHAT KIND OF PUPPY IS WINSTON? UH, I BELIEVE IT'S A BILL. IS IT A BORDER COP? WHAT'S YOUR PUPPY? UH, HE'S A RESCUE. HE'S PART BORDER. COL PARTY. WOW. TEDDY THERE. . YAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MS. PRESLEY, [3. ROLL CALL] WE'RE READY FOR OUR ROLL CALL. MAYOR RE HERE. VICE MAYOR ENTAL. HERE. COUNCILWOMAN DE DEMON PAYNE. HERE. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? HERE. COUNCILMAN RAPORT? HERE. COUNCILMAN OCK? HERE. COUNCILMAN WOOD HERE. ALRIGHT, NEXT STEP [4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] IS OUR APPROVAL OF MINUTES. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL, APPROVE THE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF OCTOBER 27TH, 2025, REGULAR MEETING. NOVEMBER 3RD, 2025, WORK SESSION. AND NOVEMBER 10TH, 2025. WORK SESSION AS PRESENTED. SECOND. SECOND. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION TO SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY. ROLL CALL. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES, I MAYOR ENTAL? YES. COUNCILMAN OCK? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. OKAY. NEXT UP. ARE THERE ANY ADDITION OR DELETION OF ITEMS FOR THE AGENDA OR ANY REVISION TO THE ORDER OF BUSINESS? OKAY, HEARING NONE. WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, [6. RECOGNITIONS/AWARDS/REPORTS/PRESENTATIONS] OUR, OUR SIXTH SECTION, WHICH IS OUR RECOGNITION AWARDS, REPORTS, AND PRESENTATIONS. AND SO WE'RE GONNA START OFF FIRST TONIGHT WITH A RECOGNITION OF SERVICE ON OUR BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW. AND TONIGHT, LET'S SEE, DEWEY'S GONNA COME FORWARD. CAN YOU COME FORWARD? I'M GONNA READ THIS FOR YOU, UM, FOR EVERYONE. SO THIS IS RECOGNITION OF SERVICE AND APPRECIATION THAT'S PRESENTED TO GARY DWAYNE DEWEY VAUGHN ON THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL [00:05:01] REVIEW, WHO SERVED FROM DECEMBER 21ST, 2009 TO NOVEMBER 13TH, 2025. AND HE'S RECOGNIZED FOR 16 YEARS OF SERVICE AND DEDICATION, ASSISTING AND ADVISING ON THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND SITES WITHIN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT OVERLAY AREAS OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND THIS IS FROM THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL. AND I JUST WANNA MAKE A COUPLE WORDS. WHICH ONE IS THAT? 16 YEARS, HE WOULD STILL BE DOING IT EXCEPT THAT TOWN CODE DOES NOT, DOES NOT ALLOW HIM TO SERVE ANOTHER TERM. UM, BUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT HISTORY, I REALLY WOULD CHALLENGE, SORRY JOSH, BUT I REALLY WOULD CHALLENGE ANYONE TO KNOW, UM, AS MUCH HISTORY ABOUT THIS AREA AS DEWEY. HE HAD A, A GREAT TEACHER AND HIS GRANDMOTHER, AND HE HAS CONTINUED THAT. SO I'M GONNA COME DOWN THERE AND GIVE THIS TO YOU. THE AND THE MAYOR OF MAINSTREAM . WELL, THAT'S RALPH. WE GOOD? ALRIGHT, WE'LL START WITH BRENDAN AND THEN HILLARY. THANK YOU. LITTLE ANGRY SERVICE. WONDER WHEN YOU CAN SILENCE AGAIN. I WONDER IF THERE'S A BREAK. GIVE SIX MORE BREAK. ROYALTY'S A LIFETIME. SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL. THAT'S ONLY OKAY FOR THANK I'M SURE SOME US THAT HAVE HARD TIME STARE. IT'S GONNA STAND HERE, MAYOR. OH YES, THAT'S RIGHT. WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE. THAT'S GREAT. YOU BETTER GET WAYNE. JUST WAIT A SECOND, WAYNE. AND NEXT WE'RE GONNA BE RECOGNIZING ONE OF OUR LONGTIME BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY, ROYAL OAK BOOKSHOP. AND I'M GOING TO READ THE PROCLAMATION AND I BELIEVE ARE YOU, UM, I'M JUST GONNA SAY YOU GUYS WANNA COME FORWARD AND I'LL READ IT AS YOU'RE COMING FORWARD. WHEREAS ROYAL OAK BOOKSHOP CELEBRATED 50 YEARS IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL IN SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2025. IN 1975, NAN HATHAWAY OPENED A NEW BOOKSTORE IN THE FIRST TWO ROOMS OF AN OLD HOUSE LOCATED AT TWO TH 207, UH, SOUTH ROYAL AVENUE, SOON ADDING AN ADDITIONAL ROOM IN THE HOUSE TO CREATE A LARGER RETAIL SPACE. AND WHEREAS IN 1980 SECONDHAND BOOKS WERE ADDED, AND LATER, A ONE LEVEL MASONRY REBUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED NEXT DOOR BY JOINING TWO BUILDINGS AT THE REAR, EXPANDING THE RETAIL SPACE EVEN FURTHER. AND WHEREAS THE RATIO OF NEW AND USED BOOKS GRADUALLY CHANGED, SO THAT PRESENT INVENTORY IS PRE PREDOMINANTLY SECONDHAND, BUT ALWAYS HAVING A LIBERAL SPRINKLING OF SALE BOOKS, NEW BOOKS THAT USE PRO BOOK PRICES THROUGHOUT THE STORE IN ALL SUBJECTS. AND WHEREAS ROYAL OAK BOOKSHOP SECOND OWNER, KEVIN SEABROOK, RAN THE SHOP FOR SEVERAL YEARS UNTIL CURRENT OWNER TAMMY BOLDEN TOOK OVER ALONG WITH A SEVEN MEMBER STAFF WITH A COMBINED TOTAL OF 84 YEARS IN BOOK SELLING WHO ARE CHARACTERIZED AS CARING BOOKSELLERS RATHER THAN CLERKS. AND NOW THEREFORE, THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL RECOGNIZE AND CONGRATULATE THE ROYAL OAK BOOKSHOP ON 50 YEARS IN BUSINESS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU. IT'S BUSINESSES THAT INVEST IN US AND INVEST IN OUR CITIZENS AND THIS AND UM, THIS TOWN THAT MAKE THIS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. SO WE'RE GONNA COME DOWN THERE. WOULD YOU BRING THEM FIRST? THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE VERY WELL. THANK YOU. I JUST HAVE TO SAY, I JUST, I ASKED [00:10:01] ONE THE YESTERDAY MY FATHER BOOKS TO WHEN WE CAME BACK SAID THE, I BOUGHT MOST OF THE PHOTOS, SO THEY TRAVELED. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK WHEN WE GOT BACK YESTERDAY. TAMMY. TAMMY, THIS IS FOR YOU. THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THERE. YES. ENTIRE LUGGAGE CASE WE BROUGHT BACK YESTERDAY. THE STATE TABLE. THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY CRAZY, ISN'T IT? IT'S A VERY THANK YOU LADIES FOR JOINING US. THANK YOU. YEAH. NOW WE COME TO [7.A. Zoning Text Amendments to Chapter 175 to Define Designated Special Circumstance Housing. ] THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF THE AGENDA. PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNSEL TO LEARN OF INFORMATION OF WHICH THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY AWARE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE RECOGNIZED, THEN COME FORWARD TO THE MICROPHONE AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND INDICATE IF YOU'RE A RESIDENT OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL. IF THE COMMENTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE, YOU MAY SIMPLY STATE THAT YOU AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER. THERE IS A THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR SPEAKERS. AFTER THREE MINUTES, THE MICROPHONE WILL CUT OFF. PLEASE REMEMBER, YOU ARE TO ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND TO REFRAIN FROM WORDS OR STATEMENTS WHICH ARE DEFAMATORY TO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS OR DISPLAY OTHER DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT INCLUDING OBSCENITY AND VULGARITY. AND SO OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT IS, UM, SEVEN A ZONING TEXT AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 1 75 TO DEFINE DESIGNATE DESIGNATED SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE HOUSING. SO, MS. PRESLEY, IF YOU CAN READ THE SUMMARY PLEASE. COUNSEL'S REQUESTED TO ADOPT ZONING TEXT AMENDMENTS TO TOWN CODE CHAPTER 1 75 AS FOLLOWS, 1 75 DASH THREE DEFINITIONS TO DEFINE DESIGNATED SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE HOUSING 1 75 12 0.1 A. USES PERMITTED BY SPECIAL PERMIT IN THE R 1 1 75 DASH 20.1 USES PERMITTED BY SPECIAL PERMIT. R DASH 2 1 75 DASH 30 USES PERMITTED BY SPECIAL PERMIT R DASH THREE. AND TO ESTABLISH 1 75 DASH ONE 17 TO ADD DESIGNATED SPECIAL PURPOSE HOUSING PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE AS PRESENTED. OKAY. THANK YOU MS. PRESLEY. SO I'M GONNA START OFF AND JUST SAY STAFF, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO SHARE WITH US BEFORE I OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING? IT'S NOT REQUIRED, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY, UM, FOR THIS ONE, THIS IS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT IN THE R SORRY, R ONE, R TWO AND R THREE. UM, AND THE, UM, THE MAIN THING HERE IS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ADDING THE DEFINITIONS. WE DEFINED THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE HOUSING, AND THEN, UM, WE DEFINE THE, THE PIECES SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY INTERPRET IT AND THEN ENFORCE, UM, OR I GUESS UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS. AND THEN WITH THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, THIS IS JUST SO THAT IT DOES NOT CONFLICT WITH STATE CODE, WHICH IS WHY IT WAS INITIALLY SENT BACK TO P COMMISSION. OKAY. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, MS. KAKI. DID, DOES COUNCIL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF AT THIS TIME BEFORE I OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY. I'M GONNA OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. MS. PRESLEY, HAS ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO ONE HAS SIGNED UP. IS THERE ANYBODY HERE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? YES. OKAY. LOUIS MOTON, NORTH RIVERFORD DISTRICT. DO YOU NEED MY ADDRESS OR IS THAT FINE? UH, I THINK THAT'S OKAY. UH, I DON'T KNOW ACTUALLY, MS. PRESLEY, DO YOU NEED HIS ACTUAL ADDRESS? YES, YES, PLEASE. 1132 KESSLER ROAD. OKAY. I, I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS, UM, FRIDAY NIGHT AND IT WASN'T AVAILABLE ON THE AGENDA, SO I HAVE TO REQUEST IT THE LAST MINUTE. UM, I DO HAVE CONCERNS WHERE IT [00:15:01] SEEMS LIKE WITH THE PROCESS THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP COMING HERE EVERY TIME YOU WANT SOMETHING WITH THIS NEW PERMIT, SPECIAL CASE. UM, I SEE THIS ALL THE TIME WITH SHORT TERM RENTALS WITH, WITH THE OTHER GOVERNMENT BODY THAT COMES HERE. AND I FEEL LIKE IT COULD POTENTIALLY BECOME AN ISSUE WHERE POLITICS GET INVOLVED OR THERE MIGHT BE A FAVORITISM. I, I DON'T KNOW WHICH IS WHICH. AND THERE'S ALSO A CONCERN OF SOME, SOME RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS MIGHT BE NOT IDEAL FOR THIS IF THERE'S, UM, ISSUE WITH PARKING OR NOT. UM, I KNOW I HAVE LIKE THREE EXTRA ROOMS IF I EVER WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, ALLOW VETERANS TO RENT THOSE ROOMS. IT SEEMS LIKE I COULD BRING IN A LOT OF PEOPLE UNDER SPECIAL USE AND JUST HAVE PEOPLE COMING THROUGH MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WEREN'T EXACTLY, UH, INTENDED FOR MY NEIGHBORHOOD. 'CAUSE IT'S LIKE VERY QUIET AND NOT VERY LOW TRAFFIC. SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK REGARDING THIS TOPIC? OKAY. I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, UM, AND OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL AND FURTHERANCE OF THE PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES CONTAINED IN TOWN. CODE 1 75 DASH ONE B. I MOVE THAT COUNSEL ADOPT ZONING TEXT AMENDMENTS TO TOWN CODE 1 75 DASH THREE DEFINITIONS TO DEFINE DESIGNATED SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE HOUSING TO AMEND 1 75 DASH 12 1A. USES PERMITTED BY SPECIAL PERMIT R 1 1 75 DASH 20 USES PERMITTED BY SPECIAL PERMIT R 2 1 75 DASH 30 USES PERMITTED BY SPECIAL PERMIT R THREE. AND TO ESTABLISH 1 75 DASH ONE 17 TO ADD DESIGNATED SPECIAL PURPOSE HOUSING PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AS PRESENTED. SECOND A. ANY DISCUSSION? YES, MADAM E SINCE I MADE THE MOTION, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THE DISCUSSION, UM, TO ADDRESS MR. TON'S POINT, UM, AS THIS BE MY ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. UM, THE STATE CODE ALREADY ALLOWS FOR THE HOUSING FOR DISABILITY IN THE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT. UM, ADMINISTRATIVELY WE LEARNED A FEW MONTHS BACK BECAUSE I NOTICED THERE WAS A HOUSE ON MY STREET THAT LEADS TO A DEAD END CUL-DE-SAC THAT HAD A LOT OF VEHICLES PARKED FACING THE WRONG WAY AND DIFFERENT VEHICLES CHANGING REGULARLY THAT IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS A SHORT TERM RENTAL. UM, AND FOUND OUT, SO THIS IS JUST TO MY KNOWLEDGE, ADDING PERFORMANCE STANDARDS TO AN ALREADY EXISTING CODE. IS THAT CORRECT? IF YOU'RE EXPANDING BEYOND WHAT THE STATE PERMITS BY RIGHT. THAT'S WHERE THIS COMES INTO PLAY. SO TO ADD THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND THE SPECIAL USE ASPECT OF IT, I DO UNDERSTAND AND HEAR YOUR CONCERNS THOUGH. UM, AND I DO WORRY THAT THERE COULD BE CASES OF DISCRIMINATION LATER DOWN THE ROAD AS A RESULT OF THIS. ALSO, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THESE POINTS THAT WHEN WE FIRST ADOPTED, UM, SHORT TERM RENTALS AS A TOWN, UM, AMONGST THIS DIOCESE, WE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT PEOPLE LIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WOULD BE IN SHORT TERM RENTALS, THAT COULD BE, UM, CHILD OFFENDERS, UM, OR VIOLENT CRIMINALS. AND AC ACTUALLY FOUND THIS, UM, APP THAT I WAS ABLE TO DOWNLOAD ON MY PHONE, PUT MY ADDRESS INTO IT, AND I DID IT WITH THE SHORT TERM RENTALS. AND UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MILE RADIUS, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T WANNA SHARE A HOTEL WITH THAT LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND ON THE STREETS THAT YOU'RE JUST UNAWARE OF BECAUSE THEY'RE QUIETLY EXISTING. SO I DO HEAR YOUR CONCERNS, UM, AND THEY ARE VALID, BUT THEY'RE ALREADY LIVING IN A LOT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS OR RENTING ROOMS, UM, ILLEGALLY NOT THROUGH SPECIAL USE PERMIT. UM, SO I THINK CLEANING UP THE CODES AND THE LANGUAGE HELPS TO GIVE US SOME TEETH, AS WE'VE SAID TIMES PRIOR, UM, AND GIVE STANDARDS AND THE ABILITY TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY OR BE, UM, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR? CORRECTED IF YOU'RE NOT DOING IT IN THE RIGHT WAY. ENFORCE OKAY. ENFORCED ANY OTHER CONVERSATION REGARDING THIS? UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I'M SORRY. YES, UH, MADAM MAYOR, UH, I, UNDER, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT BEHIND THIS. UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, THERE'S A, A NEED FOR THIS TYPE OF HOUSING. HOWEVER, IN GENERAL, UH, DESIGNATED SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE HOUSING IS NOT REALLY ACCEPTABLE [00:20:01] IN SINGLE FAMILY RESIDE RESIDENTIAL ZONING IN GENERAL, R ONE ZONING PROHIBITS MULTIFAMILY HOUSING INCLUDES INCLUDING DESIGNATED SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE HOUSING. THE INTENT OF R ONE IS TO CREATE LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE CHARACTER AND STABILITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO THEREFORE, ANY HOUSING THAT DEVIATES FROM THE INTENT LIKE ACRONYM DSCH IS DEEMED, UH, I BELIEVE UNACCEPTABLE AND THE REASONS, ALL OTHER REASONS AGAINST IT. UH, PRESERVATION OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AREAS. R ONE ZONING IS DESIGNED TO PRESERVE AREAS FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, CREATING LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENTS WITH SPACIOUS LOTS AND A QUIET ATMOSPHERE. THE MAINTENANCE OF NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER R ONE ZONING IMPOSES RESTRICTIONS TO UPHOLD ITS SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER, PREVENTING DEVELOPMENT OF MULTIFAMILY DWELLINGS, COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES, AND INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS. MAINTENANCE OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS, R ONE ZONING NAMES TO MAINTAIN COMMUNITY STANDARDS AND STANDARDS OF LIVING, ENSURING THAT RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER OF THE AREA IS PRESERVED. THE PROTECTION OF HOMEOWNERS ARE ONE ZONING NAMES TO MAINTAIN COMMUNITY STANDARDS AND STANDARDS OF LIVING, ENSURING THAT RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER OF THE AREA IS PRESERVED PROTECTION, UM, I'M SORRY, PROTECTION OF HOMEOWNERS. R ONE ZONING PROVIDES PROTECTION FOR HOMEOWNERS BEING, ENSURING THAT DEVELOPMENT DO NOT DISRUPT THE RESIDENTIAL NATURE OF THE AREA. AND THERE COULD BE SOME DISPORT IMPACT, UH, TO SOME MINORITIES. EXCLUSIONARY ZONING CAN DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT RACIAL MINORITIES BY RESTRICTING THE AMOUNT AND TYPE OF HOUSING THAT PROPERTY OWNERS ARE ALLOWED TO CONSTRUCT ON THEIR LAND. NOW THESE REASONS HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF R ONE ZONING, PRESERVING RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND MAINTAINING COMMUNITY STANDARDS DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF HOUSING SHORTAGES AND THE NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS. AND WITH THAT SAID, MADAM MAYOR, I WOULD PROPOSE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION, IF I MAY, UH, TO READ IN FURTHERANCE OF THE PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES CONTAINED IN TOWN CODE 1 75 1 B, A MOVE THAT COUNCIL ADOPT ZONING TAX AMENDMENTS TO TOWN CODE 1 75 3 DEFINITIONS, DEFINED DESIGNATED SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES HOUSING TO AMEND 1 75 DASH 20 USES PERMITTED BY SPECIAL PERMIT. R 2 1 75 30 USES PERMITTED A SPECIAL PERMIT R THREE AND TO ESTABLISH 1 75 DASH ONE 17 TO ADD DESIGNATED SPECIAL PURPOSE HOUSING PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AS PRESENTED. OKAY. THERE'S BASICALLY, I'M ASKING TO REMOVE, HOLD ON. NO, I DON'T, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY YOU MADE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION. SOMEONE'S GOTTA SECOND IT AND THEN YES, MA'AM. AND THEN THE DISCUSSION. YES, MA'AM. WOULD, WOULD FOLLOW. I'LL SECOND. OKAY. UH, COUNCILMAN SEAL, SECONDED IT. NOW THE DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT, WHAT YOUR, I'M SORRY, THAT BEING NOT BEING RUDE, BUT JUST TO EXPLAIN WHAT YOUR PURPOSE IS IN THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION. DIFFERENT THAN WHAT COULD YOU SHARE THAT? YES. THE, UH, THE, AS AS I EXPLAINED, TO PRESERVE THE CHARACTER OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AREAS, UH, THE, I BELIEVE THE REMOVAL, THE REMOVAL OF R ONE, UM, OUT OF THIS MOTION IS, UH, APPROPRIATE, UH, TO PROTECT THE HOMEOWNERS, TO ESTABLISH MAINTENANCE OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS, UH, TO, TO, UH, UH, MAINTAIN THE MAINTENANCE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER AND TO, UH, PREVENT ANY DISPORT PROPORTIONATE IMPACTS, UM, TO OTHER MINORITIES. OKAY. IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, MADAM MAYOR? YES. UM, FIRST OF ALL, BEFORE I START SAYING [00:25:01] THIS, I, I WANT TO, I WANNA RECOGNIZE, I BELIEVE EVERYBODY HERE ON THE DIOCESE ARE CARING INDIVIDUALS AND, AND CARE ABOUT NEIGHBORHOODS AND CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THEM. UM, MY CAREER STARTED IN GROUP HOMES, UM, FOR PEOPLE WHO HAD DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, UM, THAT WENT ON FROM THERE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT CRISIS CENTERS. THEY WERE ALL PLACED IN RESIDENTIAL REGULAR NEIGHBORHOODS. AND I FEEL STRONGLY, I, I ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS WHEN THIS CAME OUT BECAUSE I, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LANGUAGE THAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY EXCLUDE PEOPLE WHO HAD VERY DIFFICULT ISSUES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES, WHICH WE ARE SEEING, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT OUR, UH, THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, UM, VIOLENCE ABUSE, UM, THERE EVEN HAS TO BE A PLACE FOR THE SEX OFFENDERS. UM, AND I THINK THAT WHAT WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IS, IS THAT WHEN THESE FOLKS ARE PLACED IN A COMMUNITY, IT IS A SIMULATED FAMILY. THESE ARE HOMES FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE FAMILIES OFTEN, OR THE FAMILIES THEY HAVE ARE SO DYSFUNCTIONAL THAT THEY CAN'T LIVE WITH THEM. AND SO WHEN WE PUT FOLKS IN AN R ONE, WE ARE CREATING A FAMILY. YES, THEY ARE USUALLY ACQUAINTED PEOPLE. THEY'RE NOT PART OF EACH OTHER'S FAMILY, BUT THEY HAVE STAFFING. THEY'RE NOT ON THE STREET. THEY HAVE, UH, SUPERVISION. NOW, I'M NOT SAYING THAT AT TIMES, YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORHOOD DIDN'T HAVE ISSUES, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD I'VE EVER LIVED IN HAD ISSUES. AND, UM, USUALLY, UH, THE ONLY REASON WHY YOU MIGHT NOT SEE ISSUES IS BECAUSE THEY'RE HIDDEN ALL THE COMMUNITY. EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY IS A PART OF THE COMMUNITY. SOONER OR LATER, WE'RE GONNA TOUCH THEM. SO, TO ME, WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WHERE THESE PEOPLE GO, THEY DESERVE TO GO WHEREVER THEY CAN SO THAT THEY CAN ASSIMILATE. BECAUSE LAST THING WE WANNA DO IS HAVE A GROUP OF REJECTED PEOPLE IN A SPOT WHERE THEY CAN'T BE SUPERVISED AND THEY CAN JUST GO WILLY-NILLY AND CREATE PROBLEMS FOR THE COMMUNITY OR BE ON THE STREET, UM, AGAIN, UNSUPERVISED, DOING WHATEVER WE WANNA HAVE PEOPLE LIVING WHERE THERE CAN BE LIKE A SIMULATED FAMILY WHERE THEY CAN LEARN THE SKILLS THAT THEY NEED TO LEARN TO, UM, CREATE A COMMUNITY LIKE WE WANT. AND SO, YEAH, I'M A LITTLE BIASED ON IT. UM, SOUNDS PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE LIBERAL THAN PEOPLE ARE USED TO HEARING ME. BUT, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE LIBERAL PIECE I'LL NEVER GIVE UP. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE. UM, AND THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT ALLOWS US TO ALSO MAKE DECISIONS. SO, YES, WHEN IT'S, WHEN THEY ARE NOT DESIGNED WITH PEOPLE'S BEST SAFETY OR INTEREST IN IN MIND, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE CAN SEE THAT AND SCREEN THAT WHEN THEY COME TO US. SO, UM, THAT'S WHY I LIKE THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT, UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE CAN SORT OF LOOK AT THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE AND SAY, OKAY, WELL THIS IS SOMEBODY THAT'S NOT, NOT, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE NEFARIOUS ACTORS OUT THERE WHO ALSO CREATE HOMES, UM, FOR PEOPLE TO, TO VICTIMIZE THEM OR WHATEVER. SO ANYWAY, THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT ALLOWS US TO SCREEN THAT. UM, AND I, UM, I DON'T THINK I'M CON I'M QUITE UNDERSTANDING THE MINORITY ASPECT OF IT, BUT, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT ALONE 'CAUSE I'M JUST, I'M JUST NOT SURE WHAT THAT'S WHAT EXACTLY WHAT, WHAT BRUCE IS MEANING BY THAT. BUT ANYWAY, SO THAT'S MY OPINION ON THAT. OKAY. IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, MADAM MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO ASK TO, BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A CONVOLUTED MOTION, SUBSTITUTE MOTION THAT'S BEFORE US AT THE MOMENT, DEFER TO LEGAL COUNSEL, UM, ON WHETHER HE CAN INTERPRET THE DIFFERENCE IN THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION OR IF THIS IS SOMETHING I'M NOT COMFORTABLE. WE'VE HAD THIS AT MULTIPLE WORK SESSIONS, MAKING A DECISION BASED ON NEW LANGUAGE WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH THE PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE HIRED TO WRITE ORDINANCES AND REVIEW THE STATE CODE REFLECTIVE VERSUS THE TOWN CODE. LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE STATE CODE ALREADY ALLOWS FOR DESIGNATED SPECIAL HOUSING IN THE R ONE DISTRICT. SO I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS COUNCIL CAN MAKE A TOWN CODE THAT VIOLATES THE STATE CODE FROM EVERYTHING I'VE LEARNED IN MY TIME ON COUNCIL. SO I DO HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING THAT. AND BEFORE I DEFER TO STAFF TO ANSWER THESE VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS, I JUST WILL REMIND MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC WHO ARE HERE IN THE PRESS, YOU MAY WRITE ABOUT THIS, THAT WHEN WE FIRST BEGAN ALLOWING SPECIAL USE PERMITTED CIRCUMSTANTIAL HOUSING, UM, IT WAS IN THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT AND WE HAD PROBABLY NEARLY A DOZEN BUSINESS OWNERS REACH OUT TO US INDIVIDUALLY. THEY DIDN'T COME AND STAND BEFORE THIS PODIUM AND DO IT PUBLICLY [00:30:01] AND SAY THAT IT WAS GONNA HURT THEIR BUSINESSES. AND THEY DID NOT WANT THEM IN THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT. THEY DID NOT WANT THEM IN THE CORRIDOR WHERE THEY COULD BE SEEN. AND MUCH LIKE COUNCILMAN DE DO PAYNE, I REALIZED HOW LIBERAL I WAS IN THIS REGARD BECAUSE IF A DEVELOPMENTAL DISABLED PERSON DOESN'T BELONG IN RESIDENTIAL HOUSING, WHERE DO THEY BELONG? AND THEN BUSINESS OWNERS DON'T WANT THEM IN THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT. UM, AND I JUST GOT BACK FROM NINE DAYS OF TRAVELING THE WORLD YESTERDAY, AND I TRAVELED THROUGH SOME VERY DANGEROUS COUNTRIES, THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES. AND AT ONE POINT, MY HUSBAND AND I LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND WE THOUGHT TO OURSELVES, WOW, THIS FEELS VERY DANGEROUS TO BE HERE RIGHT NOW. AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I JUST GOT AN EMAIL FROM THE APP I SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER THAT SAID THAT THERE WAS A VIOLENT CRIME REPORTED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, LESS THAN A HALF A MILE AWAY. AND I LIVE IN A VERY NICE R ONE CUL-DE-SAC WITH VERY EXPENSIVE HOUSING AND NOT PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD LOOK AT AND ASSUME ARE VIOLENT CRIMINALS. BUT THAT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT LIKE COUNCILMAN DE DOPA SAID, EVERYBODY DESERVES TO HAVE ACCESS TO HOUSING AND WHO ARE WE TO SAY WHERE PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES BELONG OR DON'T BELONG? SO I WOULD LIKE TO DEFER TO STAFF BEFORE WE MAKE A DECISION ON LANGUAGE THAT WE JUST HEARD FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT WE NEVER HEARD OF ANY OF THE WORK SESSIONS, LEGAL AND PLANNING AND ZONING. PLEASE, WHO WOULD LIKE TO START WITH PERMISSION? I HATE TO PUT PEOPLE ON THE SPOT, MR. WITH PERMISSION OF THE MAYOR? YES. YES. UM, AS I UNDERSTOOD THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION, IT WAS, IT WAS SIMPLY TO STRIKE THE REFERENCE TO, UM, CHAPTER 1 75 DASH 12.1 A, UH, WHICH ACTUALLY COULD HAVE JUST BEEN AN AMENDMENT, UH, UH, AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION SINCE IT WAS SUCH A BASIC CHANGE. SO THAT'S MY ANSWER TO THAT PART. UM, I BELIEVE MR. SAUNA, I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS JUST TO REMOVE R ONE, WHICH WHICH IS, WHICH IS 12.1 A OKAY. WHICH IS CURRENTLY ALLOWED UNDER STATE CODE. SO COULD YOU SPEAK TO THE LEGALITY? YEAH, THANK YOU. AS FAR AS THE PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENT, UM, UH, WITH THE CARVE OUT, I'LL CALL IT THE CARVE OUT, WHICH ADDRESSES, UM, UH, UH, WHICH ADDRESSES, UH, INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, WHICH HAS BEEN ADDRESSED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THAT CARVE OUT. I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING THAT'S NOT IN, IN THIS DRAFT THAT'S NOT ENABLED BY STATE LAW OR IS ILLEGAL OR IS PROHIBITED. THE CARVE OUT, UH, IN MY VIEW, TAKES CARE OF STATE LAW WITH RESPECT TO THE PROHIBITION ON THAT PARTICULAR CLASS. UH, THOSE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. STATE, STATE LAW DOES, UH, UH, DOES NOT WANT, UH, LOCAL CONTROL OVER THAT PORTION. SO TO CLARIFY, THEY'D STILL BE ALLOWED AN R ONE ADMINISTRATIVELY UNDER THE STATE CODE IF THERE'S NO MORE THAN EIGHT OR MORE. SO THAT'S CORRECT. I THINK IT'S 15.2291. AND IT SAYS THAT LOCALITIES MUST MAKE REASONABLE PROVISIONS AND ZONING ORDINANCES FOR RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCY BY, NO, NOT MORE THAN EIGHT PERSONS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY IN A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING. LAUREN, I'M SORRY, THAT WAS STATE CODE 15.2 DASH 2091. 2291 IS THE REFERENCE 15.2 DASH 22 9 91. SO IT WOULD STILL BE ALLOWED TO BE APPROVED ADMINISTRATIVELY IN THE R ONE. SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS IF THEY WANT TO HAVE MORE THAN EIGHT PEOPLE, THAT'S WHEN, IF THEY COME INTO STAFF AND SAY, HEY, WE WANNA DO THIS, AND THERE'S MORE THAN EIGHT PEOPLE, THAT'S WHEN IT WOULD BE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. IT WOULD GO TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND TOWN COUNCIL, AND YOU'RE GONNA MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION. SO IF STAFF IS SITTING THERE SAYING, YES, THEY MEET THE CRITERIA, YOU EVALUATE THAT. IF WE SAY NO, THEY'RE NOT MEETING THE CRITERIA, THIS IS WHAT THE STATE'S REQUIRING AND THEY'RE, AND THEY'RE FALLING SHORT, THEN YOU, YOU WOULD MAKE YOUR DECISIONS ACCORDINGLY. IS THAT EIGHT PEOPLE THAT FALL UNDER THE DSCH OR IS THAT INCLUDING STAFF? THAT IS THE, UNDER THAT MENTAL ILLNESS? INTELLECTUAL. OH, SO EIGHT DISABLED PEOPLE PLUS STAFF, EIGHT STAFF COULD STILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT COUNSEL, BUT THAT WOULD BE REGULATED BY THE STATE, CORRECT? YES. CORRECT. SO I'M JUST SAYING IT WOULD STILL ALLOW FOR THAT. YEP. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? YEAH, MADAM MAYOR, UH, NO ONE IS THE, THE, THE, THE MOTION WA WAS, WAS NOT TO, UH, SINGLE OUT ANY PARTICULAR GROUP. UH, R THREE RIGHT NOW ALLOWS, [00:35:03] ALLOWS FOR ANYTHING IN, IN THAT RESPECT WITH RESIDENTIAL. SO NO ONE IS, NO ONE IS PREVENTING ANYONE FROM LIVING IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL. AND IN ONE OF THESE, UM, DESIGNATED CATEGORIES, UM, THE WHOLE INTENT IS TO MAINTAIN THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. AND WE JUST HEARD THAT SOME OF THESE HOUSES CAN HOUSE UP TO EIGHT INDIVIDUALS. SO HOW MANY PARCELS ARE IN R ONE? IT WAS LIKE OVER 3,400. I BELIEVE IT WAS 3,400 IF I, IF I REMEMBER. UM, SO I HAVE, UH, I HAVE REAL CONCERNS ABOUT PROTECTING THE PRESERVATION OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES BECAUSE THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT BOUGHT THESE HOMES AND THEY WERE EXPECTING LOAD DENSITY, QUAL QUALITY, QUIET LIVING, UH, LIMITED TRAFFIC. UH, AND THIS COUNCIL, UH, DOESN'T IN, IN A SENSE, DOESN'T WANNA REQUIRE ALL STREET PARKING, SO THERE'LL BE MORE PARKING ON THE STREETS. UM, IT'S ALL ABOUT R ONE. IT HAS NOTHING ELSE TO DO WITH ANY OF THESE OTHER, UH, CATEGORIES THAT ARE FALLING UNDER, UH, THE SO-CALLED CONGREGATE LIVING. I BELIEVE THAT'S EVEN MORE, UH, NINE PEOPLE OR GREATER. UH, SO IT'S, IT ONLY, IT ONLY INVOLVES R ONE, R TWO, R THREE IS OPEN. SO, UH, I CAN REMEMBER THAT, UH, THERE WAS A DOMESTIC, UH, A WOMEN'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UM, SHELTER ON VIRGINIA AVENUE. AND, UH, AROUND BETWEEN THIRD AND FOURTH STREET, IF I, I RECALL. AND, UH, UH, UH, MY RECOLLECTION IS, UH, THAT IS R THREE. SO I LIVE IN R THREE. I HAVE AN APARTMENT BUILDING NEXT TO ME. I COULD CONVERT MY HOME INTO, UH, A NONPROFIT. SO, UH, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY RESERVATIONS IN R THREE, UH, PERSONALLY, UH, UH, I'M, I I'M JUST WORRIED THAT THE, THE, THE FOLKS THAT ARE LIVING IN, IN R ONE, THEY MAY OR MAY NOT UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE. SO R TWO AND R THREE IS OPEN FOR BY, RIGHT. THAT'S WHY I HAVE OFFERED THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION. COUNCILMAN INGRAM, I BELIEVE YOU WANTED TO, YEAH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT A LOT OF THESE CONCERNS THAT ARE BEING MENTIONED, UH, WITH THIS R ONE IN PARTICULAR, BUT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE'S ALREADY SPECIAL USE PERMITS ALREADY ALLOWED, UH, THAT ARE ALREADY APPLICABLE TO R ONE. I MEAN, DAYCARE CENTERS AND BED AND BREAKFAST ARE ALREADY UNDER SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR R ONE. SO IF THOSE CONCERNS STAND, THEN WE'RE GONNA SIT HERE AND TRY TO NEGATE THIS MOTION OR, OR MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS MOTION ABOUT NEGATING IT, THEN IT'S LIKE, WELL, THE SAME EFFECT WOULD, TO ME, WOULD BE APPLICABLE TO THESE OTHER TWO PERFORMANCE, I MEAN, TO THESE OTHER TWO, UH, PERFORMANCES UNDER SPECIAL USE, YOU KNOW, WITH DAYCARE CENTERS AND WITH, AND WITH, UH, BED AND BREAKFAST. SO SHOULD WE DO AWAY WITH THEM AS WELL? I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, THE EFFECT AS FAR AS PARKING AND AS FAR AS COMMUNITY SPACING AND PEOPLE LIVING IN R ONE, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S ALREADY, AGAIN, IT'S, THERE ARE ALREADY TWO CIRCUMSTANCES IS IN PLACE FOR, FOR SPECIAL USE PERMIT IN R ONE. SO TO ME IT'S, I JUST, I DON'T SEE THIS HAVING A STRENUOUS IMPACT. NO, YOU KNOW, NO, NOT SO MUCH ANYMORE THAN WHAT THESE OTHER TWO, UH, CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD BE THAT ARE ALREADY UNDER SPECIAL USE. THANK YOU. COUNSEL. OH, THAT'S IT. SORRY. COUNCILMAN WOOD. I GUESS I WOULD DISAGREE COUNCILMAN IN ENGLAND ON THAT BECAUSE, UH, THE BED AND BREAKFAST THAT WE HAVE HERE, THE, THE PARKING IS ON SITE AND THE DAYCARE, UH, ENDS AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE CHILDREN GO HOME. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS AS A COUNCIL, ANYTIME THIS SPECIALIZED HOUSING HAS COME BEFORE US. SINCE I'VE BEEN ON HERE, WE HAVE APPROVED IT AND I BELIEVE UNANIMOUSLY FOR THE REHAB HOUSES [00:40:01] THAT, UM, UH, ARE ALONG, UH, NORTH AND SOUTH ROYAL AVENUE FOR THE ABOVE LIBERATION HOME IN RIVERTON. THAT'S THE ONLY ONES I CAN THINK OF. SO I THINK THAT'S IT. UM, I OBVIOUSLY HAVE SUPPORTED THIS BEFORE, BUT, UM, I DO AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT THAT I DON'T THINK THAT THIS SHOULD BE EXPANDED INTO R ONE. AND IF WE HAVE A MECHANISM THAT THE STATE HAS IN PLACE, THEN LET'S USE THAT. OKAY. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION FOR CALLING FOR A VOTE? IT IS ALLOWED AN R ONE FOR EIGHT DISABLED PEOPLE ALREADY. AND THE REASON WE'RE TITLING THEM DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED IS BECAUSE THAT IS LITERALLY WHAT THE CODE READS. THAT IS THE TITLE THAT IT GIVES FOR THIS HOUSING. AND SO, EIGHT PEOPLE PLUS STAFF, AND I'LL JUST REMIND PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT SINGLE FAMILY R ONE IS QUIET, LITTLE SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOODS I LIVE, I ACTUALLY SEE A NEIGHBOR BACK THERE WHO COULD PROBABLY ATTEST TO THIS, AND AN R ONE QUAINT LITTLE CUL-DE-SAC. AND NINE PEOPLE LIVE IN MY HOME AND FOUR OF THEM DRIVE VEHICLES. AND RIGHT UP THE STREET FROM ME, THAT SAME NEIGHBOR HAS ONE OF THESE HOUSES BESIDE THEM. AND I'M SURE THIS HOUSE HAS A LOT LESS VEHICLES THAN MY NINE, AND I CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT THEY'RE QUIETER AND PLAY OUTSIDE LESS OFTEN. SO WHILE R ONE IS FOR RESIDENTIAL HOUSING, AND WE WANT TO PRESERVE THAT, WE LIVE IN A PREDOMINANTLY CATHOLIC COMMUNITY AS WELL. SO I'M NOT, AND I'M NOT CATHOLIC, BUT I'M NOT THE ONLY FAMILY HOUSEHOLD IN MY CUL-DE-SAC OF NINE PLUS PEOPLE IN THIS R ONE AREA. SO TO SIGNAL THAT AN R ONE DISTRICT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE THESE LITTLE TINY QUAINT QUIET FAMILIES AND HOUSES IS JUST SIMPLY NOT TRUE. AND I'M LIVING PROOF OF THAT. UM, AND I'VE LIVED IN R ONE, I'VE LIVED IN R THREE, AND LIKE I SAID, THE COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES IN FRONT ROYAL WERE NOT PLEASED WITH US. WHEN WE PASSED THE ONES ON SOUTH AND NORTH ROYAL AVENUE, ALL OF EMAIL RECEIVED THE SAME EMAIL SAYING THAT THEY WERE GONNA HURT THEIR BUSINESS. THEY DIDN'T BELONG THERE. SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING IF NOT IN R ONE AND ONLY IN R TWO AND R THREE, BECAUSE THEN YOU HAVE THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT THAT PEOPLE AREN'T HAPPY ABOUT EITHER. AND I JUST FEEL VERY STRONGLY, AND WHO ARE WE TO SAY WHAT ZONING DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED PEOPLE CAN OR CANNOT OCCUPY? EIGHT PLUS STAFF ARE ALREADY ALLOWED IN R ONE, EVEN WITH THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION. OKAY. MADAM MAYOR, ONE LAST COMMENT AND I YEP. I'LL LEAVE THIS ALONE. I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THAT UNDER THE DEFINITIONS WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DESIGNATED SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE HOUSING WOULD INCLUDE EMER, EMERGENCY FAMILY HOUSING, INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, SHELTER, SHELTER FOR AT RISK CHILDREN, SHELTER FOR DOMESTIC ABUSE VICTIMS IN VETERANS HOUSING. SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT THAT THOSE ARE THE DEFINITIONS THAT THIS, UH, UH, AMENDMENT, UH, UH, TEXT AMENDMENT INCLUDES. UH, SO, UH, YOUR R ONE WOULD BE OPEN TO ALL, ALL OF THOSE CATEGORIES. SO IF, UH, IT, IT DOES CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND IF, IF IT IS THIS COUNCIL'S PLEASURE TO CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF R ONE, UM, THEN SO BE IT. BUT THAT'S WHY I HAVE PROPOSED THE MOTION, UH, TO EXCLUDE R ONE TO, TO KEEP ITS CHARACTER. AND, UH, AGAIN, R TWO AND R THREE IN THE PAST AND FOR NOW IN THE FUTURE IS OPEN FOR ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT I JUST DESCRIBED. THANK YOU. STAT, UH, MS. CAPISH, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? WHAT'S ALREADY AN R ONE? I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE ALL KNOW WHAT R ONE IS, BUT WHAT OTHER USES ARE ALLOWED IN R ONE BESIDES SINGLE FAMILY HOMES? UM, BUYRIGHT USES WOULD INCLUDE, UM, YOUR SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING, DETACH. THAT'S THE ONLY RESIDENTIAL USE. BUT THEN WE ALSO PERMIT CHURCHES, PUBLIC LIBRARIES, AND SCHOOLS BY RIGHT. WE PERMIT HOME OCCUPATIONS, BUYRIGHT, UH, PUBLIC FACILITIES, PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS, AND SPECIAL CHILDCARE SERVICES. SO PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS CAN ALSO BE YEP. IN R ONE, SO. OKAY. [00:45:01] ALRIGHT. UM, IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTION, I BELIEVE WE WE'RE GONNA CALL FOR A VOTE. NOW, JUST TO CLARIFY, WHAT WE'LL BE VOTING ON IS THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION FIRST. MM-HMM . CORRECT? MM-HMM . OKAY. DID YOU, UH, UH, DOES ANYBODY NEED ME TO REPEAT THE SUBSTITUTE TO GET MS. PRESLEY TO REPEAT THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION? NO. OKAY. SO, ALRIGHT. OKAY. FOR THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. VICE MAYOR VIAL? NO. COUNCILMAN OCK? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? NO. COUNCILMAN D DEMON PAYNE? NO. HAPPY THANKSGIVING. LORI? UH, . ANYWAY. . YEAH. YEAH, THAT'S IT. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I STRUGGLE WHEN THIS COUNCIL IS DIVIDED BECAUSE WHEN THEY'RE DIVIDED, THAT LEAVES US WITH THE NOTION THAT, THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, THAT EVEN AMONGST US AND AMONGST OUR PEOPLE, THAT, THAT IT IS DIVIDED. HOWEVER, THE EIGHT, THE FACT THAT THE STATE ALLOWS ALREADY THE USE OF, OR THE ALLOWS, UM, THE DESIGNATED SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE HOUSING WITH, UH, EIGHT INDIVIDUALS AND ONE STAFF MEMBER. I DON'T KNOW THAT I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A HUGE STRETCH. I, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT WHERE THEY LIVE. UM, I LIVE, UM, IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, UM, HAS A CHURCH THREE DOORS UP. IT RAN A SCHOOL AND A DAYCARE FOR YEARS. UM, AND, UM, A QUARTER MILE FROM TWO SCHOOLS AND, UM, NOT REALLY THAT FAR AWAY FROM AN APARTMENT COMPLEX TOO. UH, SO I I'M GOING TO VOTE NO. SO THAT'S, THAT MOTION FAILS. IS THERE A DIFFERENT MOTION MADAM MAYOR? UH, IT, IT WOULD GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION. OKAY. BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION. AND I'M GONNA ASSUME THAT WE DON'T NEED, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN SECONDED. OF COURSE. YEAH. BUT I'M SAYING, I'M GONNA ASSUME THERE'S NO NEED FOR MORE CONVERSATION OR DISCUSSION, RIGHT? I HOPE NOT, UNLESS ANYBODY, OKAY. SO WE'RE BACK TO THE ORIGINAL. UM, BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION THAT, UH, VICE MAYOR BETHAL MADE MS. PRESLEY COUNCILMAN WOOD ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION? NO. VICE MAYOR ENTAL? YES. COUNCILMAN OCK? NO. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? NO. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. AND THE MAYORS? YES. MOTION PASSES. OKAY, [7.B. Zoning Text Amendments to Chapter 175 to Define the Use of an Auxiliary Dwelling Unit.] WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO ITEM, UH, SEVEN B, WHICH IS THE ZONING TEXT AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 1 75 TO DEFINE THE USE OF AN AUXILIARY, EACH DWELLING UNIT. AND, UM, MS. PRESLEY, IF YOU CAN READ THE TITLE. THE TITLE, I'M SORRY. I MEAN I READ THE TITLE. CAN YOU READ THE SUMMARY? I'M SORRY. TINA COUNSEL'S REQUESTED TO ADOPT ZONING TEXT AMENDMENTS TO TOWN CODE CHAPTER 1 75 AS FOLLOWS, 1 75 DASH THREE DEFINITIONS TO DEFINE THE USE OF AN AUXILIARY DWELLING UNIT AND REVISE THE OTHER DEFINITIONS. 1 75 DASH 11 STATEMENT OF INTENT FOR R 1 1 75 DASH 12 USES PERMITTED BY RIGHT FOR R 1 1 75 DASH 18.2. USE REGULATIONS FOR R ONE A 1 75 DASH 20 USES PERMITTED BY RIGHT R 2 1 75 DASH 29 USES PERMITTED BY RIGHT R THREE AND 1 75 DASH 37.3 PERMITTED USES P AND D AND TO CREATE 1 75 DASH ONE 15 TO ADD AUXILIARY DWELLING UNIT A DU PERFORMANCE STANDARDS WITHIN THE SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISION OF TOWN CODE. OKAY. UM, I AM GOING TO OPEN IT UP TO STAFF FIRST AND I KNOW I HAVE A QUESTION MYSELF, AND THEN WE'LL OPEN UP THE FOLLOWING HEARING IF NO ONE ELSE HAS ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY. SO THIS IS A, WOULD BE A BUYRIGHT USE. SO THIS WOULD BE ALLOWING AUXILIARY DWELLING UNITS AS A BUYRIGHT USE IN THE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS. UM, AND THEN WE WOULD ALSO BE ADDING IN JUST SOME PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, UH, TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL PROVISIONS THAT WILL ALLOW STAFF TO REGULATE THESE [00:50:01] WELL, WHEN THESE APPLICATIONS COME IN. SO, MS. UM, KAKI, MY QUESTION IS THIS. MM-HMM. UM, IF THIS WERE TO BE BY, RIGHT? MM-HMM . UH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE, UH, WE ALSO HAVE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, CORRECT? MM-HMM . ONE OF WHICH THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS IS TO REQUIRE THAT IT'S OWNER OCCUPIED, CORRECT? CORRECT. AND I KNOW THAT THAT WAS AN ISSUE THAT KEPT BEING BROUGHT UP AT, UM, AT, UM, THE WORK SESSIONS. SO HOW WOULD THAT, HOW, HOW CAN THAT BE ENFORCED IF IT'S GONNA BE BY RIGHT TO ME, BUYRIGHT AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS THERE, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS A CONFLICT THERE TO SAY THAT, THAT YOU CAN AUTOMATICALLY DO IT, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE THESE STANDARDS THAT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW TOO. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AM I ASKING THAT THE RIGHT WAY? I THINK SO. I MEAN, THERE'S, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING IN STATE CODE THAT PROHIBITS US FROM HAVING ADDITIONAL STANDARDS FOR A USE THAT'S BY RIGHT. AS LONG AS WE APPLY IT EVENLY WITHIN THAT ZONE. UM, SO FOR US, IF, I MEAN THE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM THERE WOULD BE TRICKY. UM, MAINLY BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT IT WHEN THE APPLICATION COMES IN. UM, SO I'M LOOKING IT'S LIKE A SNAPSHOT, RIGHT? SO WHEN THEY COME IN, WE'RE LOOKING AT IT, THEY'RE TELLING US THAT THIS IS GONNA BE OWNER OCCUPIED AND THEN UNLESS WE RECEIVE A COMPLAINT OR SOME EVIDENCE, OTHERWISE, UM, WE TAKE 'EM AT THEIR WORK. OKAY. AS I SAID, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE BY RIGHT. AND THEN HAVING OUR PERFORMANCE STANDARDS IN THE PAST, EVEN THE ONE WE JUST WENT OVER, THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS HAD TO DO WITH A, UH, AN SUP. SO, OKAY. I'M GOING TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND MS. PRESLEY, HAS ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO ONE SIGNED UP. IS THERE ANYBODY HERE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LOUIS BUTON AT 1132 KESSLER ROAD IN NORTH RIVER DISTRICT IN FRONT ROYAL. UM, BASICALLY I'M GETTING VERY CONFUSED OVER THE ACCESSORY BUILDING VERSUS, UH, ACCESSORY BUILDING UNIT BECAUSE THE DWELLING UNIT SOUNDS LIKE AN ACCESSORY BUILDING. UM, YET IT SAYS THAT IT'S NO RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCY, BUT IT'S PERMITTED IN ONE DEFINITION. IN THE OTHER. WE SAY THIS IS SPECIFICALLY MEANT FOR RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCY. UM, THERE THERE'S ALSO THIS WEIRDNESS LIKE IT, IT SEEMS LIKE ONCE THIS GOES INTO EFFECT, IF I WANT TO CREATE AN ADDITION, I CAN'T USE THAT ADDITION AS ANY PART OF THE A DU, BUT I COULD USE ANY OTHER PART OF THE HOUSE AS A DU TO, TO SKIRT AROUND THAT ISSUE. IF I WANT TO PURCHASE A HOUSE WITH THIS IN IN MIND, I HAVE TO LOOK UP AND SEE WHAT ADDITIONS WERE MADE AFTER THIS GOES TO AN EFFECT SO I KNOW WHICH PART OF THE HOUSE I CAN USE FOR AN A DU OR NOT. UM, IT'S IS JUST, IT'S JUST WEIRDNESS. AND THEN, UM, MY COMMENT EARLIER, I WASN'T TRYING TO SINGLE OUT THE TYPE OF PEOPLE. I'M JUST MORE FOCUSED ON THE, THE TRAFFIC AND SUCH. UM, SO I'M NOT HERE WITH THIS A DU TRYING TO FOCUS ON, ON THE PEOPLE. I'M JUST FOCUSING ON SOME OF THE LOGISTICS AND WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. IT JUST SEEMS KIND OF, IT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP OR, OR ADDRESSED TO BE A BIT MORE CLEAR. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK AT THIS PUBLIC HEARING ABOUT ITEM SEVEN B? OKAY, I'M GONNA, UM, UH, THE TRAP REPORT, UH, MADAM MAYOR, I, I'M, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED WITH THE, UH, THE LANGUAGE, WITH THE BUYRIGHT WITH REGARD TO THE, UH, SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND ENFORCING THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEND THIS THING BACK TO, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION. OKAY. I THINK THAT, UM, SO WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS, IS THAT YOU, WE WOULD HAVE TO LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN 'CAUSE I DID NOT CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO WE WOULD NEED TO KEEP THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN, UM, AND WITH THE REQUEST THAT, THAT IT'S SENT BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION. CORRECT. MS. PRESLEY, IS THAT THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THAT? OKAY. MR. SONIC. MADAM MAYOR. MADAM MAYOR. SO [00:55:01] WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING CURRENTLY OPEN? YES. I THINK THE ONLY, UH, MOTION AT THIS POINT WOULD BE TO LEAVE IT OPEN. OKAY. UH, AND THAT DOESN'T REFER IT BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION. THAT JUST LEAVES IT OPEN, UH, FOR A, A DATE TO BE BE SET OKAY. FOR CONTINUING THE PUBLIC HEARING WITH THIS BODY. OKAY. CAN, CAN WE, CAN WE PICK THE DATE LIKE THREE MONTHS FROM NOW SO THAT WE DO HAVE TO SPECIFY DATE? RIGHT. NO, I KNEW THAT, BUT I'M SAYING DO WE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AT THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, DOES IT? I DON'T BELIEVE IT DOES, BUT I, BUT I, IT DOESN'T, I I TOOK THE, THE MOTION TO SEEK REFERRING BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. OKAY. WHICH WOULD BE A MOTION AFTER CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. SO WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO DECIDE IF THE BEST THING TO DO WOULD BE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. AND IF WE DID THAT, THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE ACTION ON THE MOTION. MM-HMM . THE AGENDA ITEM REQUIRES ACTION. TECHNICALLY THERE'S NOT A MOTION YET SINCE IT'S STILL OPEN EITHER, RIGHT? THERE IS, BUT THE AGENDA ITEM REQUIRES SOME ACTION BY COUNSEL. OKAY. CORRECT. WHETHER THAT'S CONTINUING THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, CLOSING IT AND MAKING A DECISION OR CLOSING IT AND REFERRING IT BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. MADAM MAYOR, I THINK WE'RE ONLY MEETING ONCE IN DECEMBER. RIGHT. WE HAVE A HEAVY AGENDA. THERE'S A LOT OF TIME BETWEEN FOR STAFF. JANUARY'S BUSY. IF WE'RE GONNA DEFER IT FOR THREE MONTHS, I WOULD APPRECIATE WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, TAKE ACTION AND RE ADVERTISE BECAUSE IN THREE MONTHS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ADVERTISE THAT WE'RE HEARING THIS PUBLIC HEARING AGAIN ANYWAYS, BASED ON THE INFORMATION WE HAVE TONIGHT. AND IT SEEMS THAT THE LANGUAGE MAY CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN. SO I WOULDN'T BE COMFORTABLE KEEPING THIS SPECIFIC LANGUAGE OPEN. IS THAT MR. SONNET? I, UM, LEGAL? IS THAT THE BEST? I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAD A SECOND TO . THERE'S NO MOTION YET BECAUSE THE PUBLIC HEARING'S NOT CLOSED. RIGHT. OKAY. SO I, I UNDERSTOOD THE MOTION TO CAN MR. MAY, MAYBE THE MOVE MOVEMENT WILL RETRACT THAT MOTION IF THE INTENT IS TO SEND IT BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION. OH, THIS IS EASY. OKAY GUYS, WHAT NEED DO, SO I, LET'S CLOSE, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. AND THEN, AND SOMEBODY MAKE A SUBSTITUTE AND THEN AMBER CAN MAKE THE MOTION THAT SHE JUST MENTIONED IT, DEFER IT OR TO DEFER IT BACK TO, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION. AND THEN WE CAN GO FROM THERE. THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY THE EASIEST THING TO DO. I WOULD JUST SUGGEST THAT THE CHAIR MAKE IT, MAKE IT CLEAR WITH THE MOVEMENT THAT THE MOTION IS HE WANTS THE MOTION TO GO FORWARD. OR WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO RETRACT THE MOTION? I WAS GONNA ASK CAN HE JUST, CAN COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT JUST RESEND HIS MOTION, CORRECT? MM-HMM . OKAY. MADAM MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO RESEND MY MOTION TO SEND IT BACK TO, TO KEEP THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN. TO KEEP, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE RESCINDING RESCIND THE MOTION TO KEEP THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO SINCE THERE'S NO SUGGESTION TO KEEP THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN, I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL. MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE SEND THIS ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR FURTHER REVIEW FOR US TO REVIEW AT A LATER DATE. SECOND. OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? VOTE? I'M SORRY. WHO? SECOND? UH, I THINK COUNCILMAN WOOD. I BELIEVE IT WAS GLEN WAYNE DID? NO, WAYNE GLEN GLEN DID IT DOESN'T DO AT THE SAME TIME. YEAH. WE'LL GIVE IT TO GLEN . OKAY. TO REFER THE MOTION BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT A LATER DATE. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. VICE MAYOR VIAL? YES. COUNCILMAN OCK? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. OKAY. ITEM SEVEN. MOTION PASSES. SORRY. ITEM [7.C. An Ordinance to Rescind Town Code §12-6 Pertaining to FOIA Fees ] SEVEN C. THIS IS AN ORDINANCE TO RESCIND TOWN CODE 12 DASH SIX PERTAINING TO FOIA FEES. THE SUMMARY IS COUNSEL HAS REQUESTED TO CONSIDER RESENDING TOWN CODE 12 DASH SIX MISCELLANEOUS FEES PERTAINING TO FOIA FEES. THE VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. FOIA IS THE LAW AND THERE IS NO PURPOSE SERVING SERVED BY RESTATING STATE LAW IN TOWN CODE, WHICH IS FREQUENTLY AMENDED, RISKING VIOLATING THE STATE LAW. THE TOWN POSTS A POLICY STATING THE RIGHTS OF REQUESTERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE LOCALITY UNDER FOIA ON THE TOWN'S WEBSITE AS REQUIRED. SO THAT'S THE SUMMARY. I'M [01:00:01] GOING TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO TALK ABOUT THIS ITEM? SINCE NO ONE WISHES TO SPEAK, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN UP TO COUNSEL. MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNSEL ADOPT AN ORDINANCE THAT RESENDS TOWN CODE 12 DASH SIX MISCELLANEOUS FEES AS PRESENTED. SECOND. OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? I THINK THE ONLY DISCUSSION I WOULD ADD FOR THE PUBLIC WHO ARE WATCHING OR READ ABOUT THIS IS THAT WHEN THAT WAS INITIALLY ADDED, WE HAD DIFFERENT LEGAL AND ALSO WE WERE IN A HEIGHT OF AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF FOIA DURING THE TOWN'S EXISTENCE WHEN THAT PART OF THE CODE BECAME A THING. UM, AND I'M ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF CLEANING UP AND REMOVING ANY UNNECESSARY LANGUAGE TO MAKE THE CODE EASIER. YES. I JUST WANNA SAY THIS ISN'T GONNA CHANGE ANYTHING. THE FOIA FEES WILL STILL BE THERE. PEOPLE CAN STILL REQUEST HAVE FOIA REQUESTS, NOTHING'S GONNA CHANGE. THE ONLY THING THAT COULD HAPPEN IF THIS PASSES IS THAT WE WILL NOW NO LONGER BE IN TOWN CODE, BUT BECAUSE WE STILL ARE REQUIRED TO GO BY STATE CODE, IT STILL EXISTS. ALRIGHT. MS. PRESLEY VOTE. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. VICE MAYOR VIAL? YES. COUNCILMAN LOC? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. OKAY. [7.D. An Ordinance Amendment to Town Code §12-2 to Add Yard Waste Drop-Off Fee for Out-of-Town Residents ] ITEM SEVEN D IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO TOWN CODE 12 DASH TWO TO ADD YARD WASTE DROP OFF FEE FOR OUT OF TOWN RESIDENTS AND THE SUMMARY STATES COUNSEL HAS REQUESTED TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO TOWN CODE 12 DASH TWO PUBLIC WORKS FEES TO ADD A YARD WASTE DROP OFF FEE OF $15 FOR OUTOF TOWN RESIDENCE TO DROP OFF YARD WASTE AT THE TOWN'S MANASSAS AVENUE DISPOSAL SITE AS PRESENTED, THE ORDINANCE SHALL BE EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 1ST, 2026. UM, BEFORE I OPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING, I DID IN GOING THROUGH, UM, THE, UH, 12 DASH TWO PUBLIC WORKS FEES RIGHT ABOVE WHERE THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE ADDED, IT SAYS YARD WASTE DISPOSAL, RESIDENTIAL TOWN, OR COUNTY DECAL REQUIRED. AND THEN IT SAYS NO CHARGE ON THE OTHER SIDE. UM, THAT IS NOT REFERRING TO THIS, THIS IS THE YARD WASTE DISPOSAL RESIDENTIAL. CORRECT. MR. UH, UH, UM, I MEAN I KNOW THE ANSWER TO IT, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WHATEVER WE HAVE THERE IS CLEAR THAT, UM, THAT YES, THERE WILL NEED TO BE PROOF THAT WHERE THEY LIVE FOR YARD WASTE DROP OFF. YEAH. SO WE WILL, THEY'LL BE MONITORED. WE CHECK THEIR TAGS AND THEIR DECALS AS THEY COME IN. RIGHT. THEY'LL BE DROP OFF AND OKAY. ENSURE THAT THEY ARE RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY FIRM. RIGHT. BUT YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT COULD LOOK CONFUSING 'CAUSE IT SAYS NO CHARGE BECAUSE THERE ACTUALLY WILL BE A CHARGE FOR, UH, OUTTA TOWN DROP OFF. OKAY. I'M GOING TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO ONE SIGNED UP. IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? FEEL FREE, COME FORWARD. MY NAME IS JENNIFER THOMAS. MY ADDRESS IS 1 7 5 BEACH ROAD, FRONT ROYAL, AND I'M IN THE COUNTY. UM, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE REASON THIS FEE IS BEING IMPOSED IS BECAUSE THE SHREDDER AT THE YARD WASTE FACILITY EITHER NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED AND THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO PAY FOR THAT. THAT'S ALL I KNOW FROM AN ARTICLE IN THE NEWSPAPER ANYWAY, SO I WANTED TO READ MY STATEMENT. IT SAYS I'M A PROPERTY OWNER AND TAXPAYER IN WARREN COUNTY. I'VE BEEN COMING TO HUN AND DOOR SHORES SINCE MY PARENTS BOUGHT MY HOME IN 19 64, 61 YEARS AGO. MOST YARDS IN THE SHORES ARE FORESTED, MEANING THAT THE YARD WASTE MATERIALS ARE MOSTLY TREE BRANCHES, TWIGS AND LEAVES MORE THAN GRASS CUTTINGS. BEFORE THE YARD WASTE FACILITY BECAME AVAILABLE, HOMEOWNERS USUALLY BURNED BRUSH TAPES, USUALLY NOTIFYING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BEFOREHAND. ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO AND FOR A FEW YEARS, THE SHORES HIRED A CONTRACTOR TO CHIP AND REMOVE FOREST DEBRIS THAT WE AS HOMEOWNERS STACKED ALONG THE ROADSIDES FOR THEM TO TAKE. THIS WAS DONE TO ADDRESS FIRE DEPARTMENT CONCERNS ABOUT THE RISK OF FIRE POSED TO THE ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT. IF EXCESS FOREST LITTER WAS ALLOWED TO ACCUMULATE WITH INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS STORMS COMBINED WITH FREQUENT HIGH FIRE RISK WARNINGS IN THIS AREA DUE TO CURRENT AND MORE FREQUENT DROUGHTS AND HIGH WINDS, NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO DETER PEOPLE FROM USING YOUR FACILITY WITH A CHARGE OF $15 PER VISIT AND THE NEED TO PURCHASE PAYMENT VOUCHERS DURING WORK HOURS. I THINK THAT MANY PEOPLE WHO USE [01:05:01] THE YARD WASTE FACILITY WILL FIND OTHER ALTERNATIVES. THESE ALTERNATIVES ARE INCREASED FREQUENCY TO BURNING BRUSH OF BURNING BRUSH PILES ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY, ALLOWING FOREST WASTE TO ACCUMULATE ON THEIR PROPERTY DUMPING YARD WASTE ALONG ROADSIDES OR IN PLACES WHERE IT'S THOUGHT TO BE UNNOTICED DRIVING THE 40 MILES ROUND TRIP TO DROP OFF THE YARD WASTE AT THE COUNTY'S FACILITY IN BENTONVILLE, BOTH BURNING BRUSH OR ALLOWING FOREST DEBRIS TO ACCUMULATE, POSE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RISK OF POTENTIAL IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY. SHOULD A FIRE SPREAD FROM BURNING OR START FROM OTHER SOURCES SUCH AS LIGHTNING? I AM A REGULAR PATRON OF THE YARD WASTE FACILITY. MAYBE TOO MUCH. I'M ANTICIPATING MY ANNUAL DISPOSAL COSTS WOULD BE UPWARDS OF $200 A YEAR. IF THE TOWN CODE IS AMENDMENT AMENDED TO REQUIRE THE DROP OFF FEE, THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE SERVICE IT PROVIDES. I WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO CONTINUE USING THE FACILITY. THREE YEARS AGO I HAD A TORNADO OR A MICROBURST TAKE DOWN ROUGHLY 30 TREES IN MY FOREST, TWO OF WHICH WERE MORE THAN THREE AND A HALF FEET IN DIAMETER. MY HUSBAND AND I WORKED FOR FOUR MONTHS TO REMOVE THE AND DISPOSE OF THE TREE CROWNS SO THAT A COMPANY COULD COME IN AND CHAINSAW THE REST. I WAS VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE THIS FACILITY SO CLOSE BY TO HANDLE MY DISASTER. I COULD, IT WOULD'VE BEEN DIFFICULT TO PAY FOR EACH LOAD THAT I BROUGHT IN BECAUSE I BROUGHT SO MUCH TO THE FACILITY. SO IN THESE HARD TIMES FOR OUR CITIZENS, AND I THINK YOU MIGHT REALIZE THAT SOME PEOPLE IN SHENANDOAH SHORES ARE A LITTLE HARD PRESSED THESE DAYS. I SUSPECT THAT MANY WILL STOP USING THE TOWN'S YARD WASTE FACILITY BECAUSE OF THE ADDED COST AND INCONVENIENCE. AND THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY. THANK YOU. YOU YOU'RE WELCOME. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK TO THIS? OKAY. UM, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND UM, I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL AND THEN HAVE SOME DISCUSSION. BUT ANYBODY, MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THE COUNCIL ADOPT AN ORDINANCE TO TOWN CODE ONE TWO DASH TWO PUBLIC WORKS FEE TO ADD A YARD WASTE DROP OFF FEE FOR OUT OF TOWN RESIDENCE EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 1ST, 2026 AS PRESENTED. SECOND. SECOND. OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AS SECOND AND UM, NOW IT'S TIME FOR DISCUSSION. AND MR. WOOD, DID YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO, BUT SINCE YOU MADE THE MOTION, I WOULD DEFER TO YOU FIRST, IF NOT, NOPE. I MEAN, I'LL BE GLAD TO COMMENT ON IT. I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND WHERE THIS CAME FROM. UM, THE TOWN IS PROVIDING A SERVICE TO ITS RESIDENTS. UM, HOWEVER WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING THAT FOR COUNTY RESIDENTS AS WELL. AND THE TOWN TAXPAYERS END UP PAYING FOR THE BENEFIT TO OUR, OUR COUNTY CITIZENS. I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT THE YOUNG LADY SAID UP HERE ABOUT FIRE RISK AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, THE, THIS DOES NOT PRECLUDE YOU OBVIOUSLY FROM GOING TO THE TRANSFER STATION AS COUNTY RESIDENCE. WE CAN ALWAYS USE THAT, BUT IT IS TRULY A CONVENIENCE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DRIVE 30 MILES ONE WAY, UM, TO USE OURS. UM, ALSO WE KNOW THAT THE FEE BE PRETTY MINIMUM GENERATED. WE DO HAVE TO BRING IN A CONTRACTOR TO MULCH THIS, TO GRIND IT UP. SO, UM, THE TOWN IN ITS LIAISON MEETING DID TALK WITH THE COUNTY SUPERVISORS ABOUT REDUCING THE TIPPING FEE THAT THE TOWN PAYS WHEN IT GOES, IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY'D BE INTERESTED AND THEY DECLINE. SO, UM, I KNOW IT IS A, A CONVENIENCE, IT'S A NICE THING TO BE ABLE TO DO, BUT, UM, WE'RE ALL TIGHTENING OUR BELTS. WE HAVEN'T RAISED TAXES IN FOUR YEARS AND WE FELT LIKE IT WAS TIME TO REMOVE THIS BURDEN FROM THE TOWN TAXPAYERS. THANK YOU. I WHAT, UM, WHAT WAS THE SPEAKER'S LAST NAME? THOMAS. MS. THOMAS. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO, SO MS. THOMAS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID THAT IS THAT YOU THOUGHT FROM THE ARTICLE THAT IT WAS THE SHREDDER. AND I WILL SAY THAT I DID READ THAT ARTICLE AND I DID THINK IT WAS A LITTLE, UM, IT WAS A LITTLE CONFUSING, UM, BECAUSE THAT WASN'T REALLY IT, IT WASN'T THAT WE NEEDED TO GET A NEW SHREDDER. IT'S THAT WE RENT, UM, WE RENT THE EQUIPMENT TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO, TO TAKE ALL THE, THE YARD WASTE AND TURN IT INTO MULCH. AND WHEN OUR PUBLIC WORKS STAFF LOOKED INTO THE COST OF THAT, I, I MIGHT BE SAYING IT WRONG, BUT I THINK IT WAS LIKE 50,000 AND THEY FIGURED OUT THAT ALMOST HALF OF THAT WERE NOT TOWN CITIZENS, BUT THEY WERE COUNTY [01:10:01] CITIZENS. SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE IT MIGHT'VE BEEN YOU A LITTLE BIT. RIGHT. UM, BUT SO, SO OUR SOLID WASTE, UM, OUR SOLID WASTE BUDGET, WHICH IS OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS, OUR, OUR CUSTOMERS PAY INTO, UM, OUR SOLID WASTE, THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS. AND SO IN THE LAST, UH, COUPLE YEARS WE HAD TO RAISE THOSE FEES. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CONSULTANT WHEN THEY CAME IN, TALKED TO US ABOUT WAS TO LOOK AT ALL THE DIFFERENT SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE AND WAS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO POSSIBLY NO LONGER PROVIDE BECAUSE THAT COULD CUT BACK ON THE COST AND MAYBE WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO RAISE OUR FEES AS MUCH AS WE DID. AND AT THAT TIME, THIS COUNCIL DID NOT WANT TO TAKE AWAY ANY OF THE SERVICES. WE WANTED TO CONTINUE WITH YARD WASTE, WE WANTED TO CONTINUE WITH RECYCLING, WE WANTED TO CONTINUE WITH EVEN, UM, THERE IS DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE FOR THOSE WITH MEDICAL NEEDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THIS COUNCIL DECIDED THEY DIDN'T WANT TO CHANGE ANY OF THOSE SERVICES, BUT IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT, IT CAME WITH A COST. AND SO AS, UM, MR. WOOD ALLUDED TO, UM, AFTER WE HAD SET OUR COSTS FOR, WITH OUR CONSULTANT, THEN THE COUNTY CAME IN AND DECIDED THAT THEY WERE NOW GOING TO CHARGE THE TOWN, UM, TIPPING FEES TO TAKE THE, UH, TRASH FROM THE TOWN CITIZENS TO THE TRANSFER STATION. NOW I MIGHT ADD THAT THAT TRASH IS IN THE HOMES AND BUSINESSES, OR, WELL, NOT BUSINESSES, IT'S RESIDENTIAL TRASH. UH, IT IS IN THE HOMES OF CITIZENS WHO ALSO LIVE IN THE COUNTY, AND THEY PAY THE COUNTY STAFF AT THE TRANSFER STATION AND THEY PAY THE FEES FOR THAT. SO, SO IN ESSENCE, WE'RE PAYING FOR IT TWICE. THE PEOPLE IN THE TOWN ARE, WE'RE PAYING AS TOWN CITIZENS, UH, FOR OUR MONTHLY, UH, SOLID WASTE FEE. AND THEN WE ARE ALSO PAYING INTO OUR TAXES THAT PAY FOR THE TRANSFER STATION STAFF AND, AND SUCH. SO, UM, I, I, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THAT WITH US. IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING TO HEAR THINGS THAT YOU DIDN'T HEAR. UM, MAYBE IF WE WOULD'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER, UM, POINT WE COULD HAVE MADE UP AT THE LIAISON MEETING WITH, UM, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WHEN WE POINTED IT OUT. HOWEVER, I WILL SAY THAT IT WAS THEIR, UM, THEIR COMMENT THAT IT WAS A CONVENIENCE, AND THAT IF PEOPLE WANTED THAT CONVENIENCE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. SO, BUT THAT DOESN'T PRECLUDE YOU FROM GOING TO THEIR MEETING AND SHARING THAT SAME STORY WITH THEM. UM, YOU KNOW, MAY MAYBE THINGS WOULD BE DIFFERENT, BUT AT THIS POINT IT WAS REALLY JUST ABOUT US BEING, UM, RESPONSIBLE TO THE TOWN TAXPAYERS AND, AND IT'S REALLY NOT EVEN THE TAXPAYERS, IT'S THE CUSTOMERS OF OUR SOLID WASTE. I HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE. UM, ANYBODY WHO HAS, UM, A SOLID WASTE ACCOUNT, YOU KNOW, IS PAYING FOR THOSE FEES. SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT WAS ABOUT. IT WASN'T ABOUT NEEDING TO BUY ANOTHER SHREDDER, IT WAS ABOUT THE FEES THAT WE PAY FOR TO RENT THE SHREDDER. SO I JUST WANNA ADD TO THE DISCUSSION, MADAM MAYOR, UM, MS. THOMAS, I APPRECIATED WHAT YOU SHARED AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD TO HEAR THAT THE WARREN COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE AND THE COUNTY HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTING THINGS OVER THE YEARS TO HELP WITH, UM, POTENTIAL BRUSH FIRES. AND, UM, WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR IN THE PACIFIC PALISADES WHEN YOU DON'T TAKE CARE OF THE FORESTRY THAT'S FALLEN DOWN OR DEAD AND YOU DON'T HAVE WATER AVAILABLE TO GET THERE QUICKLY, LIKE IN THE SHENANDOAH SHORES AREA. UM, AND JUST TO REITERATE WHAT THE MAYOR SAID VERY POLITELY, WHEN THE COUNTY NOTIFIED US THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE CHARGING US A TIPPING FEE, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN DONE BEFORE, OR IT WAS INCREASED BY NO, WE HAD NEVER BEEN, WE HAD NEVER, NEVER, WE HAD NEVER PAID. AND THEN, OH, THEY PROPOSED AN INCREASE NEXT YEAR AFTER NEVER CHARGING IT. WHEN THAT HAPPENED, I THINK IT WAS LESS THAN 30 DAYS NOTICE FROM THE COUNTY, AND IT WAS ASTRONOMICAL TO OUR BUDGET AS THE TOWN. AND THE $15 IS NOT, IT'S A PASS THROUGH COST. WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY PROFIT OFF OF THAT. THERE'S NO PROFIT TO BE MADE TO BUY NEW EQUIPMENT, TO LEASE NEW EQUIPMENT, TO HIRE STAFF. UM, IT'S JUST PASSING THROUGH THE COST, UM, AT COST AND POTENTIALLY LOWER THAN COST. UM, SO I WOULD HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU, IF NOT EVEN AT A MEETING, TO EMAIL THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BECAUSE IT WAS JUST, JUST AS MUCH OF, UM, STICKER SHOCK TO THE TOWN STAFF, THE TOWN COUNCIL AND THE TOWN CITIZENS, BECAUSE LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, WE PAY TOWN TAXES AND COUNTY TAXES TO LIVE IN TOWN AND TRASH SERVICE, AND NOW WE'RE PAYING A TIPPING [01:15:01] FEE TO THE COUNTY. UM, AND IT WAS DONE ABRUPTLY AND VERY COSTLY, UM, WITH NO HEADS UP, NO WARNING, NO DISCUSSION. AND WHEN WE BROUGHT IT TO THEIR ATTENTION, THEY DID NOT HAVE MUCH TO ADD TO THE CONVERSATION, AND THEY ARE GOING TO POTENTIALLY INCREASE THOSE COSTS THAT THEY'RE PASSING TO US NEXT YEAR WAS WHAT THEY SAID AT THE LIAISON MEETING BEFORE THE LAST. SO WHILE IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING, IT'S, UM, KIND OF LIKE WE ARE THE MESSENGER IN THIS SITUATION, UM, BUT STILL PROVIDING THE SERVICE EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT AS CONVENIENT. AND I'M SORRY FOR THAT. ONE OTHER THING I JUST WANNA SAY TOO, I ONLY, 'CAUSE I TRY TO BE A, I TRY TO BE A PROBLEM SOLVER IN THIS WORLD AND NOT ALWAYS ABOUT, UM, WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE. BUT YOU KNOW, THE OTHER IDEA IS, IS THAT CHINO SHORES IS A, UM, SANITARY WASTE DISTRICT, RIGHT? AND YOU ALL PAY FEES FOR THAT. MY OTHER THOUGHT WOULD BE IS THAT POSSIBLY THEY WOULD CONSIDER LIKE SETTING SOMETHING UP DOWN THERE FOR YOU ALL WHERE YOU COULD DROP OFF YOUR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BRUSH AND THE YARD WASTE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, MAYBE ONCE A WEEK, AND THEN THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE TO GET IT TO THE TRANSFER STATION BECAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY PAYING A FEE, UH, FOR THAT. IT'S JUST A, IT'S JUST A THOUGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, I, LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT TRYING TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO, BUT, BUT THAT IS ONE THING BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT EVERY SANITARY WASTE DISTRICT PROBABLY HAS THAT SAME, UH, CONCERN AND NOT EVERYBODY IS AS FAR AWAY FROM THE TRANSFER STATION AS YOU ALL ARE TOO. SO THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. BUT IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION FOR THIS? I WAS JUST GONNA ADD, UH, MS. THOMAS, UH, I DO APPRECIATE WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM. UM, YOU KNOW, I WORK DURING THE WEEK OUT OF TOWN, UH, AND I FIND MYSELF, UH, ON SATURDAY MORNINGS ON I'M, UH, CLEARING A BUNCH OF BRUSH AND, UH, WALNUTS AND WHATNOT INTO THE BACK OF MY TRUCK. AND, UH, THEN I TRIED TO MAKE A, A RUN OVER TO THE MANASAS STREET, UH, DEPOT TO DROP IT OFF, ONLY TO FIND OUT IT'S 4 45 AND IT'S CLOSED. SO I FIND MYSELF, UH, RUNNING OUT TO THE, UH, OUT TO THE TRANSFER STATION AS WELL. AND YOU KNOW, THE BEAUTY ABOUT THE TRANSFER STATION IS IT'S OPEN ON SUNDAYS, SO, UM, UP UNTIL SEVEN O'CLOCK. SO, UM, THERE IS A NICE CONVENIENCE THERE. SO, AND THEN ONE OTHER COMMENT TOO, WE SAID THAT MAYBE ONCE WE GOT THE NEW SOFTWARE IN THAT WE MIGHT HAVE A POTENTIAL TO BE ABLE TO HAVE LIKE A QR CODE SO THAT IF FOLKS SHOWED UP AT THE MONAS AVENUE TRANSFER STATION, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO GO DOWN TO TOWN HALL TO PAY THE $15, THERE MAY BE A WAY FOR THEM TO PAY THERE, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT YET. SO THERE, THERE COULD BE, UM, IT DOESN'T HELP YOU FINANCIALLY, BUT THE CONVENIENCE PART OF IT MAY HELP. SO, ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO TO ADD TO THAT. WE DISCUSSED ALSO LIKE HAVING A CLERK THERE TO TAKE PAYMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THAT WAS JUST INCREASING THE TOWN'S COST EVEN MORE TO HIRE EXTRA STAFF TO DO THE ADDITIONAL RIGHT. SITTING THERE AND VERIFYING AND TAKING PAYMENT. RIGHT. YEAH. UM, ALRIGHT, MS. PRESLEY, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. VICE MAYOR VIAL? YES. COUNCILMAN LOC? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. OKAY, NEXT UP IS [7.E. Sale of Approximately .2942 Acres of Public Rights of Way of N. Royal Avenue and the Unimproved Alley Between N. Royal Avenue and Virginia Avenue ] ITEM SEVEN E AND IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING, IT'S A SALE OF APPROXIMATELY 0.2942 ACRES OF PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY OF NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND THE UNIMPROVED ALLEY BETWEEN NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND VIRGINIA AVENUE. THE SUMMARY IS PURSUANT TO 15.2 DASH 1800 COUNCILS REQUESTED TO CONSIDER THE SALE OF APPROXIMATELY 0.2942 ACRE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS AWAY AND A PORTION OF NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND THE UNIMPROVED ALLEY BETWEEN NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND VIRGINIA AVENUE. PREVIOUSLY CONDITIONALLY CLOSED AND VACATE ABOUT ORDINANCE ON AUGUST 25TH, 2025 PRIOR TO WHICH A PUBLIC HEARING WAS HELD TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANYTHING THAT THE STAFF NEEDS TO SHARE ON THAT WITH US, BUT I AM GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. IS THERE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? THERE'S NO ONE SIGNED UP. IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO SPEAK TO THIS AT THIS PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL. MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE. THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE SALE OF PUBLICLY HELD REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS APPROXIMATELY 0.2942 ACRE OF PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY IN A PORTION OF NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AND THE UNIMPROVED ALLEY BETWEEN NORTH ROYAL AVENUE, VIRGINIA AVENUE, PREVIOUSLY CONDITIONED, CLOSED AND VACATED BY ORDINANCE [01:20:01] TO THE ABUTTING PROPERTY OWNERS, A KILL GREEN FOR THE AMOUNT OF $3,268 DOLLARS 99 CENTS, AARON IN A HARMONY HIKE FOR THE AMOUNT OF 27,744, UH, DOLLARS AND 66 CENTS HIKE TRUSTEE FOR THE AMOUNT OF $1,947 AND 22 CENTS, AND JOSEPH MANSON FOR THE AMOUNT OF $3,593 AND 11 CENTS WITH THE SALE BEING SUBJECT TO STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE VACATION ORDINANCE. SECOND. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION. AND SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY. UM, MADAM MAYOR, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION, UH, REGARDING THE, UH, SALE. UH, SO IT IT IS SUBJECT TO ALL PARTIES, UH, CONTRIBUTING TO, TO THE SALE. IS THAT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN WHICH WAS JUST STATED IN THE MOTION? YES. I, I'M ANSWERING FOR YOU MR. SONNET. I HOPE I WAS NOT WRONG. IT'S, UH, NO, THAT IS CORRECT. AND THAT'S IN THE, UH, VACATION ORDINANCE. YEP. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION. I HAVE A COMMENT BEFORE IT COMES TO A ROLL CALL SINCE I WON'T BE ABLE TO SPEAK AT THAT POINT. I NEVER RECUSED MYSELF FROM THIS AGENDA ITEM OR ACTION ITEM. I SIMPLY ABSTAINED FROM VOTES SPECIFIC TO INDIVIDUAL PARTIES. SO I AM LEGALLY ALLOWED TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS ITEM TONIGHT IF I SO CHOOSE. OKAY. UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY, ROLL CALL. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. VICE MAYOR VIAL ABSTAIN. COUNCILMAN OCK? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. ITEM [7.F. FY25-26 Budget Amendment for Outstanding Purchase Orders ] SEVEN F IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE FY 25 26 BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR OUTSTANDING PURCHASE ORDERS. COUNSEL'S REQUESTED TO APPROVE A FY 25 26 BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $17,569,786 AND 47 CENTS TO CARRY FORWARD UNPAID BALANCES ON PURCHASE ORDERS NOT COMPLETED. AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2025 TO FISCAL YEAR 2026, AN INCREASE OF GREATER THAN 1% OF THE ORIGINAL BUDGET REQUIRES A PUBLIC HEARING. SO I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING THERE, ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO SPEAK. OKAY, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND OPEN UP TO COUNCIL I'LL ENTERTAIN MOTION. MADAM MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL TO PROVE A FISCAL YEAR 25 26 BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $17,569,786 AND 47 CENTS TO CARRY FORWARD UNPAID BALANCES ON PURCHASE ORDERS. NOT COMPLETED AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2025 TO FISCAL YEAR 2026. SECOND. OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, ROLL CALL. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. VICE MAYOR VIAL? YES. COUNCILMAN LOC? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. SO, NEXT UP IS OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS PORTION. MS. PRESLEY, IS ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? THERE'S NO ONE SIGNED UP. IF THERE, IS THERE ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK AT THE PUBLIC COMMENTS? OKAY, THEN HOLD ON. I GOTTA READ STUFF, LEWIS. HOLD ON. WE [8. PUBLIC COMMENTS NOT RELATED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS] NOW COME TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PORTION OF THE AGENDA. IT IS THE DUTY OF THE MAYOR TO CONDUCT THIS MEDIA IN ORDERLY MANNER. PERSONS ADDRESSING THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL ARE ASKED TO LIMIT THE REMARKS TO THOSE RELEVANT TO THE BUSINESS OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL. NO PERSONS IN ATTENDANCE SHALL BE ALLOWED TO VOICE REMARKS EXCEPT AS RECOGNIZED BY THE MAYOR OF THE CLERK OF COUNCIL. UPON RECOGNITION BY THE MAYOR OF THE CLERK OF COUNCIL, THE SPEAKER SHALL STATE THEIR NAME, ADDRESS AND INDICATE IF THEY'RE A RESIDENT OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL DIRECT. THEIR COMMENTS TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL SHALL NOT ADDRESS THE SUBJECT MATTER OF A PUBLIC HEARING BEING HELD DURING THE SAME MEETING. STAY WITHIN THE ALLOTTED THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT. AFTER THAT TIME IS EXPIRED, THE MICROPHONE WILL BE CUT OFF. REFRAIN FROM WORDS OR STATEMENTS WHICH ARE DEFAMATORY TO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS OR DISPLAY OTHER DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT INCLUDING OBSCENITY AND VULGARITY GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS IN THE AUDIENCE CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE DETRIMENTAL TO OR DISTURBING. THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING WILL BE WARNED TO REFRAIN FROM SUCH CONDUCT ANY ADDITIONAL DISTURBANCE AFTER THE WARNING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN THE MAYOR WHILE HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO ASK THE CHIEF OF POLICE TO REMOVE THE INDIVIDUAL GROUP OR CLEAR THE ROOM, SAID THAT THE COUNCIL CAN CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THE TOWN. ALRIGHT. AND WE HAVE ONE PERSON WHO WISHES TO SPEAK, COME FORWARD. SORRY, I HAD TO SAY MORE THAN YOU DID. PROBABLY , UH, LOUIS MOTON, 1132 KESSLER ROAD, NORTH RIVER DISTRICT. EXCUSE ME. UM, I JUST WANTED TO COME UP AND SAY, UH, EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR THE SNAT SERVICE THAT YOU'VE INTRODUCED, AS WELL AS HOW THAT HAS MOVED ON [01:25:01] TO THE COUNTY AND THE SCHOOL BOARD. AND I FIND IT EXTREMELY USEFUL BECAUSE I CAN DOWNLOAD THE TEXT FILES AND SEARCH THEM AND I CAN FIND THINGS VERY QUICKLY. UM, I KNOW I HAD SOMETHING ELSE. OH, THE BUDGET. SO I, I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR BUDGET AND COMPARING TO OTHER BUDGETS I'VE SEEN, AND I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT YOU DO. I DON'T SEE MUCH IN THE OTHER CATEGORIES. EVERYTHING IS VERY CLEAR TO ME. I DON'T SEE DUPLICATE ITEMS, SO IT'S LIKE REALLY NICE TO ACTUALLY SEE, SEE AN EXAMPLE OF A REALLY GOOD REPORT. SO THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MR. MOTON, YOU CAN TURN AROUND. THAT GENTLEMAN BACK THERE IN THE WHITE SHIRT, SMILING BACK THERE. HE'S THE ONE THAT YOU, HE'S THE ONE YOU CAN SHARE THE THANKS WITH TOO. NEARLY 30 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE. YES, YES, YES. . IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK IN THE PUBLIC COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT, WE [9.A. Report of Town Manager] ARE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS, OR NO, I'M SORRY. IT'S THE REPORT OF THE TOWN MANAGER FIRST. SORRY, MR. PETTY, I'M GONNA SKIP YOU. NO, THAT'S FINE. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. COUNCIL, JUST A FEW ITEMS. HAPPY TO REPORT THAT NORTH ROYAL AVENUE IS PAVED BETWEEN, UH, SIXTH STREET AND COMMERCE. YAY. UM, YOU KNOW, THANKS TO THE CREW. YEAH, IT'S A BIG DEAL. WE, WE WERE ABLE TO REPLACE THAT 12 INCH WATERLINE UNDERNEATH THERE AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, I KNOW YOU DON'T SEE IT, BUT I KNOW EVERYBODY FELT THAT FOR A WHILE, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE THAT DONE. UH, WORK IS ONGOING. BRENDAN STILL PRINT THAT, PRINT THAT ON 12TH STREET, ON 12TH STREET AND CHERRY STREET, WHERE WE'RE ALSO, UH, REPLACING SOME WATER LINES ON THOSE. UH, EIGHTH STREET BRIDGE IS PROGRESSING. UM, THE COMPLETION DATE'S FEBRUARY, 2026, BUT WE'RE HOPEFUL TO GET THAT WRAPPED UP BEFOREHAND. REMINDER THAT TOWN HALL IS CLOSED THIS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY TRASH, UM, PICKUPS FOR THURSDAY, THE 27TH WILL BE PICKED UP ON WEDNESDAY. AND IF YOUR TRASH AND RECYCLING IS PICKED UP ON FRIDAY, TYPICALLY IT'LL BE PICKED UP TOMORROW ON TUESDAY. SO, AND THEN A REMINDER THAT TOWN COUNCIL WILL BE MEETING ON DECEMBER 1ST AND DECEMBER 8TH NEXT MONTH. THERE ARE ONLY TWO MEETINGS AND JUST WANTED TO WISH COUNCIL AND ALL OF OUR TEAM AT THE TOWN AND THE COMMUNITY HAPPY THANKSGIVING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. ALRIGHT. [9.B. Report of Councilmembers ] UM, ARE THERE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE A REPORT THIS EVENING? UH, CAN I MAKE MADAM REAL QUICK? MADAM MAYOR, TWO THINGS. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. UH, WELL, THREE THINGS ACTUALLY. WELL, ONE, UH, I, UH, GOT TO ATTEND THE VETERAN'S DAY CEREMONY THAT WAS HELD AT THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE THIS YEAR. UM, UH, INVOLVED, UH, UH, DELEGATE OATS. UH, WHO ELSE WAS THERE? UH, SHERIFF, UH, SHERIFF KLE WAS THERE, AND IT WAS HOSTED BY MYSELF. AND YOU THERE? YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY THERE, SAY WE WERE TOGETHER, WERE THERE. YEAH, OF COURSE, MADAM MAYOR WAS THERE. AND, UH, ANYWAYS, IT WAS, IT WAS, UH, UH, UH, HOSTED BY THE AMERICAN LEGION HERE, AND WHICH I HAD THE HONOR OF ATTENDING BREAKFAST HERE WITH A FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBER AND VE VETERAN, UH, UM, WE CALL HIM SANTA CLAUS THIS TIME OF YEAR, BUT SANTA CLA, BUT WE'LL CALL HIM. YEAH, WE'LL CALL HIM, UH, COUNCILMAN WAYNE HERE NOW. ANYWAYS, UH, JUST WANT TO THANK THE AMERICAN LEGION FOR PUTTING THAT ON. UH, AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS, UH, DESPITE THE WIND AND, AND THE, UH, COLD TEMPERATURES THERE, I THINK IT WAS A, IT WAS A GOOD TURNOUT. AND ALSO, OF COURSE, UH, ALSO LIKE SAY, UH, TOWN MANAGER, UH, JOE PETTY WAS THERE AS WELL. UH, SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO, UH, UH, MENTION WAS THE GRAND, I GUESS, REOPENING OF THE NEW LOCATION FOR STATE FARM FOR, UH, AGENT, UH, ELLEN. ELLEN AERS. UH, SHE'S JUST DOWN, DOWN THE STREET FROM ME, SO SHE IS, UM, LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR. YOU KNOW, SHE IS THERE, STATE FARM, UH, JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM ME. SO I GOT TO ATTEND THAT, OF COURSE, COURSE, MADAM MAYOR WAS ALSO THERE. UH, COUNSEL WHEN RAP REPORT WAS THERE AS WELL. UH, THAT WAS REALLY GOOD. I HAD VERY GOOD TURNOUT. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD TO LEAVE EARLY, SO I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO TAKE ANY PART OF ANY DELICIOUS FOOD THAT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS THERE. BUT ANYWAYS, UH, THAT AND THEN ALSO TO WHAT ELSE WAS THERE? OH, I ATTENDED A CIVIL WAR BATTLEFIELD TALK, WHICH I'M GONNA, I PROMISE I'LL KEEP THIS SHORT AND SWEET. UM, I KNOW I'M GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA NERD OUT HERE, BUT ANYWAYS, UH, BUT A FEW WEEKS AGO, THE WARREN RIFLES MUSEUM HOSTED, UH, AARON SEABERT. HE'S A LOCAL HISTORIAN FROM HERE IN SHENANDOAH VALLEY. AND HE ALSO HOSTED, UH, A TOUR OF THE BATTLE OF FRONT ROW, IF YOU HAVE A, ABOUT A MONTH OR SO AGO. ANYWAYS, HE DID A TALK ON THE BATTLE OF WHOPPING HEIGHTS, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN, IN, UH, 64 HERE IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE BATTLE OF MANASSAS GAP. UH, BUT THERE WILL BE ANOTHER EVENT THERE. I THINK IT'S DECEMBER 7TH, I THINK. I THINK HIS MAJESTY LEFT THERE NOW. BUT ANYWAYS, DEWEY WAS THERE AS WELL. SO, UM, BUT I'LL BE THERE FOR THAT. BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYBODY TO, TO SHOW UP FOR THOSE EVENTS. I MEAN, IT'S, I DON'T, I DON'T RECALL THERE BEING ANY CHARGE FOR THAT. [01:30:01] I MEAN, I, WHEN I WALKED IN THERE, I WAS, I WALK IN HERE. BUT ANYWAYS, UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY, MAYOR. AND JUST LIKE, UH, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE AND GOBBLE TO YOU WOBBLE. THAT'S ALL MY REPORT WAS GONNA BE. I SO YOU ALL ? WELL, I DON'T HAVE A LONG REPORT. UH, TWO WEEKS OF PNEUMONIA AND EIGHT DAYS IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY. UM, KEPT ME OUT OF THE TOWN FOR A LOT OF THE VETERANS DAY FESTIVITIES THAT I UNFORTUNATELY MISSED. BUT I JUST, UM, WILL SAY I'M STARTING COOKING AT ONE O'CLOCK TOMORROW FOR SALVATION ARMY'S DINNER, UM, ON WEDNESDAY BEFORE I FEED MY ARMY ON THURSDAY. SO FROM ONE O'CLOCK ONE, I WILL BE COOKING TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND MY FAMILY. AND I HOPE TO SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE ON WEDNESDAY, CONTRIBUTING AND GIVING BACK TO THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND MAKING EVERYBODY THANKFUL AND FEEL THE LOVE THIS THANKSGIVING. GOBBLE TELL YOU WOBBLE. THAT WAS ALL I WAS GONNA SAY, JOSH STOLE. ANYBODY ELSE WISH TO SPEAK MADAM MAYOR? UM, TRY TO BE BRIEF WITH THIS. UH, ON THE 28TH OF LAST MONTH, ATTENDED THE MONTHLY DEVELOPMENT MEETING, AND THAT'S A MEETING OF, UM, OUR PLANNING ZONING, TOWN MANAGER, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, UM, THEIR PLANNING, UH, DEPARTMENT AND VDOT R PUBLIC WORKS. UH, THEY TALK ABOUT, UM, PROJECTS, UH, THAT MAY BE COMING UP OR IN THE MIDST OF, SUCH AS THE EIGHTH STREET BRIDGE AND COUNTY TALKS ABOUT PROJECTS THEY HAVE OUT THERE GOING ON. IT'S, IT'S AN INFORMATIVE MEETING, UM, ON 11 ONE, UH, CARS CHANGING LIVES, HOSTED A CAR SHOW, AND, UH, VERY SUCCESSFUL ONE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS WITH 108 CARS. UH, WE'RE VERY PLEASED ABOUT THAT. OF COURSE, THE CAR CHANGING LIVES IS A 5 0 1 C3, UM, CHARITY THAT PROVIDES CARS FOR PEOPLE IN NEED ELECTION DAY. I JUST WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS AND THE LOSERS BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE TO PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE AND DO THE WORK TO REPRESENT OUR COMMUNITY. SO APPRECIATIVE OF, OF ALL PEOPLE WHO TOOK PLACE IN THAT. UM, WIFE AND I ATTENDED THE HERITAGE SOCIETY BANQUET ON THE 13TH. UM, ON THE 15TH WE HAD THE RED KETTLE, UH, KICKOFF AT RURAL KING. UM, UH, COUNCILWOMAN DEMON PAYNE JOINED US. UM, THAT WAS ALSO THE DAY OF JAMES VAUGHN'S, UM, SERVICE. AND NOT EVERYBODY COULD BE THERE, UH, KICKED THE RED KETTLE OFF. AND, UH, WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO HAVE RURAL KING THIS YEAR AS A PARTNER. UH, AND THE BUCKETS, UH, THE KETTLES PRODUCE, UH, IT'S AMAZING WHAT WE GET AT RURAL KING VERSUS WALMART. YOU WOULD THINK IT'D BE A BIG DIFFERENCE AND THERE ISN'T. SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE HIM BACK ON BOARD AS A PARTNER. UH, THE COUNTY TOURISM MEETING, WHICH I AND LIZZIE LEWIS ARE MEMBERS OF MET ON THE 20TH, UM, BY MY SUGGESTION, THEY MET AT THE FOUR H CONFERENCE CENTER AND AFTERWARDS TOOK A TOUR OF IT. UH, THE BIGGEST THING THERE, STILL WORKING ON NEXT YEAR'S, UH, VIRGINIA TWO 50 IN CELEBRATION OF 250 YEARS OF, OF OUR NATION ON THE, UH, 21ST ATTENDED THE BLUE RIDGE ARTS TREE SALE. THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE VOLUNTEERS AND GROUPS DECORATE TREES, AND IT'S A HUGE FUNDRAISER, TREES AND REEFS FOR THE COMMUNITY HELD THERE AT THE BLUE RIDGE ARTS COUNCIL, RIGHT, RIGHT DOWN ON MAIN STREET. UM, AND COMMENTING, UH, UH, VICE MAYOR, UH, ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THANKSGIVING MEALS COMING UP. JUST A PLUG FOR THAT. IT'S GONNA BE THIS COMING WEDNESDAY, AND IT'S GOING TO BE FROM, UH, SIX TO EIGHT. THERE ARE SOME MEALS BEING DELIVERED THANKS TO PIPES KIDS FOUNDATION, AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING A, A HUGE TURNOUT. THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY. I, I KNOW THAT, UM, VICE MAYOR TALKED ABOUT HER COOKING. OUR FAMILY'S SITTING OUT OF TOWN TOMORROW AFTER DROPPING SEVERAL TRAYS OF FOOD OFF. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS TREMENDOUS, UH, COMMUNITY TURNOUT TO HELP PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER AND HAVE A MEAL. AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO SAY AS OF TONIGHT, ALL 187 ANGELS FROM THE SALVATION ARMY ANGEL TREE HAVE BEEN ADOPTED. THAT'S, THANK YOU. THAT'S GREAT. YEP. DO, YES, MADAM MAYOR. UM, I ATTENDED THE NORTHERN SHENDO VALLEY REGIONAL COMMISSION MEETING, UM, EARLIER, UH, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK. UM, AND THEY'RE DOING SOME INTERESTING PROJECTS ALL ACROSS THE REGION IN TERMS OF BROADBAND. AND THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE WATER ISSUE, WHAT, HOW, WHAT THINGS WE CAN DO TO, YOU KNOW, PULL TOGETHER AND FIND RESOURCES FOR A SECONDARY WATER SOURCE. I, UM, AS, UM, COUNCILMAN WOOD MENTIONED, I WAS, UH, AT THE SALVATION ARMY KICKOFF. UH, I, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE LADY TOLD ME THAT YOU COULD SIGN UP TO RING THE BELL, AND IT'S VERY EASY. [01:35:01] YOU CAN SIGN UP ONLINE. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE ENTER THIS SEASON OF GIVING, THERE ARE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES. YOU DON'T HAVE TO ALWAYS GIVE MONEY OR THINGS YOU CAN GIVE OF YOUR TIME. UM, BUT DON'T OVEREXTEND, YOU KNOW, PICK A COUPLE OF THINGS AND BE IN THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON, YOU KNOW, GIVE TO YOUR FAMILY. TAKE TIME, BE THANKFUL. UM, AND, UH, I WANTED TO SAY, UH, THAT I WILL BE SERV. I PLAN TO BE SERVING, UM, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. BUT I, I PLAN TO BE SERVING AT THE THANKSGIVING DINNER AT THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, AND MY FAMILY WILL BE HAPPY TO TELL YOU THAT I WILL NOT BE COOKING THERE . SO EVERYONE COME ON DOWN. AND NONE OF IT'S MY FOOD, UM, . SO IT OUGHT TO BE GOOD. UM, AND, UH, I WANTED TO THANK MR. MOTEN FOR COMING UP AND SAYING GOOD THINGS. UM, OUR STAFF DOES WORK HARD, AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THEY HEAR THAT THE THINGS THAT THEY PUT IN PLACE ARE, ARE WORKING, UM, BECAUSE IT GIVES INCENTIVE TO CONTINUE THAT. AND WE DO TRY OUR BEST TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS WE CAN AND, AND AS TIGHT AS WE CAN IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING OUT INFORMATION THAT'S ACCURATE AND AND RESPONSIVE TO OUR COMMUNITY. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO EXTEND MY CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE FOR SURVIVING ANOTHER ELECTION. I HOPE THAT THINGS CALM DOWN ONE DAY. UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I LOOK, ANYTIME YOU CHANGE A GROUP, YOU CHANGE THE, THE, UH, GROUP MEMBERS, YOU CHANGE THE DYNAMICS. SO IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT, WHAT NEW AND WONDERFUL THINGS COME OUTTA THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND SCHOOL BOARD WITH OUR RELATIONSHIP. BUT I'M HAPPY THAT WE ARE CONSISTENT, UM, HERE AT THE TOWN COUNCIL. WE'VE BEEN IN PLACE FOR A LITTLE WHILE. AND, UM, THANKFUL FOR ALL MY MEMBERS, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE. YOU KNOW, I, I DO ENJOY BEING ON IT AND, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, GRATEFUL FOR A LOT OF THINGS ABOVE ALL LIFE FOR US ALL. SO YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING. YEAH. I'M GONNA BE NEXT MADAM MAYOR, IF THAT'S OKAY. YOU, YOU'RE ACT. YEP. OKAY. UH, SO DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT TODAY FOR YOU, BUT, UM, UH, COUNCILMAN OCK AND MYSELF ATTENDED THE, UH, THE, UH, NOVEMBER 10TH FINANCE, UH, ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT, UH, ENDING, UH, JUNE 30TH, 2025. AND I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING, UH, THE, UH, THE AUDITORS THAT WERE HERE, THEY WERE REALLY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT YEAH, THEY WERE. THIS TOWN DOES. AND, UH, THE, THE NAME OF THE AUDITOR IS U-H-Y-L-L-P, AND THEY'RE ONE OF THE, UH, MOST PRESTIGIOUS, UH, UH, IN FACT, THEY WON AN AWARD, UH, NAMED THE ACCOUNTING DUE DILIGENCE, UH, FIRM OF THE YEAR AWARD IN 2025, I BELIEVE. UH, AND, UH, THAT SAYS SOMETHING THAT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT OUR, OUR TOWN MANAGER, OUR, UH, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, UH, BJ WILSON IS WHAT HE'S DOING, AND MOST OF ALL HIS STAFF, UH, BECAUSE BJ AND MR. PETTY COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT THE STAFF JUST FOR A SECOND. OKAY. UH, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT IS WHETHER OR NOT WE CONFORM TO THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING STANDARDS BOARD AND GOVERNMENT, UH, FINANCE, UH, OFFICER ASSOCIATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. SO FOR, FOR US TO FALL IN FAVOR AND, AND THEY'RE NOT FINDING ANY MISSTEPS ON OUR, UH, OPERATIONS, IT'S, TO ME, THAT SAYS A HECK OF A LOT AND IT'S IMPRESSIVE. SO, UM, THANK YOU STAFF. THANK YOU, BJ. THANK YOU. TOWN MANAGER. UH, I ALSO ATTENDED THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEETING ON, UH, NOVEMBER 19TH, UH, 2025. UH, UH, I THINK MR. UM, WOOD WAS OUTTA TOWN. UH, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, YES. AND, UM, SO SOME OF THE TOPICS, UH, UH, RUN OVER SOME OF THE TOPICS. NOT ALL OF THEM WERE, WERE THE TOWN, BUT THE, THE COUNTY IS MOVING ALONG WITH THEIR, UH, BROADBAND. UH, THE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT GETTING CONTRACTOR SUPPORT. [01:40:01] UM, UH, THE RESIDENTS IN, UH, ROCKY HOLLOW ROAD PROJECT, UH, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR EPA PERMITS AND THERE LOOKS LIKE THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AROUND DECEMBER, THE FIRST WEEK IN DECEMBER, UH, THERE WAS SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE RAILROAD BRIDGE OVER THE ROCKLAND ROAD, IF HAVEN'T BEEN ACROSS IT, IT'S AN IMPRESSIVE FEATURE. I WISH WE HAD ONE IN TOWN, OVER IN THE SHE NORTH SHORES, UH, ROAD. UH, THEY ALSO BROUGHT UP, UH, WE BROUGHT UP, UH, TRAFFIC CALMING, UH, TOPICS, UH, IN TOWN, UH, UH, NANDO SHORES ROAD WAS, UH, BROUGHT UP. UH, UH, A, UH, RESIDENT WAS THERE, UH, AND, UH, VDOT WAS THERE. V AND VDOT KIND OF THREW OUT SOME IDEAS, UH, THAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT. UH, THE COUNTY. UH, I BROUGHT UP SOME ISSUES WITHIN THE TOWN, UH, BECAUSE, UH, WE SEEM TO BE, OUR ROADS SEEM TO BE KIND OF WIDE. AND, UH, MY CONCERN IS THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE WIDE, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE 'EM LOOK NARROWER? AND HONESTLY, UNLESS I WAS DREAMING, IT LOOKED TO ME LIKE ON WEST MAIN STREET, SOMEONE, UH, RAN SOME YELLOW LINE UP THE ROAD. IS, IS THAT CORRECT? UH, MM-HMM . YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT. UH, OKAY, SO THERE'S A YELLOW LINE RUNNING ALL THE WAY UP THE STREET NOW. SO IF, UH, IF ROBBIE TOOK CARE OF THAT, THEN UH, KUDOS TO ROBBIE. UM, AND THE LAST ITEM WAS, UH, I DID ATTEND AS COUNCILMAN INGRAM INDICATED, THE ELLEN ADDERS GRAND REOPENING. I DID NOT REALIZE IT, BUT SHE, SHE CELEBRATED HER 15TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY THERE. SO SHE'S LIKE AN OLD TIMER HERE, YOU KNOW, 15 OR 20. SO 15, 15 YEARS BEEN LOGAN. HOW ABOUT HIS LIFE INSURANCE POLICY? A BABY? YEAH. AND IT WAS WELL ATTENDED. UM, VERY WELL ATTENDED. UH, THE KING, UH, DEWEY WAS THE BARTENDER AND THEY WEREN'T ALL ALCOHOLIC DRINKS. SO OTHER THAN THAT, UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR YOU TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN OCK. IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, BJ HELPED ME OUT. UH, THE TOWN GOT AN AWARD FOR HOW MANY YEARS? FOR THE, UH, I WANT SAY 42. HOLD ME TO THAT ONE THOUGH. OKAY. YEAH, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S OVER 35. I KNOW THAT WE, THE, THE, THE, THE, HIS DEPARTMENT'S GOT WORK FOR AT LEAST 35 YEARS FOR BEING ONE OF THE BEST ACCOUNTINGS AROUND. SO I WANT TO GET THAT OUT THERE. THANK YOU BJ, FOR WHAT YOU DO. IT HASN'T BEEN ME ALL THAT TIME. . WELL, THANK, THANK YOU. IN YOUR DEPARTMENT. THAT'S WHY I, THE QUESTION. YES. THAT'S ALL I GOT. ALRIGHT, SO [9.C. Report of the Mayor] REPORT OF THE MAYOR. UM, THE LAST MONTH I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIFFER TO ATTEND DIFFERENT MEETINGS OR EVENTS IN MY ROLE AS MAYOR. ON NOVEMBER 6TH, I ATTENDED THE VETERAN DAY EVENT AT E WILSON MORRISON ELEMENTARY, ORGANIZED BY THE SCHOOL'S EARLY ACT CLUB AND THE SCHOOL COURSE. AND WE CONCLUDED THE EVENT BY PLANTING AMERICAN FLAGS ALL AROUND THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL. UM, ON NOVEMBER 11TH, I ATTENDED THE VETERAN'S DAY CEREMONY AT THE WARREN COUNTY COURTHOUSE AS COUNCILMAN, UH, INGRAM MENTIONED. UH, AND THEN LATER THAT EVENING I MET WITH A BOY SCOUT TROOP THAT MEETS AT THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND THE PAC IS WORKING ON EARNING A PATCH REGARDING ELECTED OFFICE. SO THEY HAD WONDERFUL QUESTIONS AND I HOPE I INSPIRED THEM TO WANNA RUN FOR OFFICE ONE DAY. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THEY REALLY JUST LIKED MY GAVEL. THEY THOUGHT THAT WAS THE COOLEST PART. NOVEMBER 19TH WAS A BUSY DAY AFTER WORKING ALL DAY AS A TEACHER, I PARTICIPATED IN THE BOXES OF BASICS DELIVERY HELD AT THE HEIGHT KIDS FOUNDATION IN SHORT BOXES OF BASICS IS A NONPROFIT CENTERED AT MANASAS AND IT'S PARTNERING WITH THE HEIGHT KIDS FOUNDATION TO PROVIDE SEASONAL CLOTHING FOR CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE FIRST 50 BOXES ARRIVED LAST WEEK, AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO PROVIDE GENTLY USED OR NEW CLOTHING FOR THIS INITIATIVE, DROP OFF BOXES ARE AT HEIGHT KIDS ON NORTH ROYAL AVENUE AS WELL AS BRICK HOUSE BAR AND GRILL, AND GOOD LION IN THE ROYAL SHOPPING CENTER, ROYAL PLAZA SHOPPING CENTER. UM, AND THEN AT FIVE THAT DAY, I HAD THE PLEASURE TO PARTICIPATE [01:45:01] IN THE RIBBON CUTTING OF ELLEN ER'S STATE FARM INSURANCES, NEW BUILDING ON CHESTER STREET, UM, AND THE BUILDING. SPEAKING OF THAT, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN INSIDE, YOU REALLY SHOULD BE ON YOUR TO-DO LIST. UM, IT'S JUST AMAZING HOW GEORGE KLEIN AND HIS STAFF HELPED TO BRING ELLEN'S VISION OF THAT BUILDING TO LIFE. UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO LIVED HERE A REALLY LONG TIME AGO, IT WAS THE BREAD STORE FOR A LONG TIME, BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THAT NOW. IT'S GORGEOUS INSIDE. UM, I LEFT THE RIBBON CUTTING TO JOIN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL CITIZEN ACADEMY VISIT TO THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT. I WILL SAY THAT OUR STAFF GAVE A VERY INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION AND TOUR TO THOSE PARTICIPATING. THAT'S OUR THIRD MONTH FOR THE CITIZENS ACADEMY. UM, AND IT SEEMS EVERYONE IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED AND LEARNING ABOUT THE TOWNS DEPARTMENTS. WOULD YOU AGREE? MR. PETTY? UM, A LOOK AHEAD, PLEASE MAKE PLANS TO HEAD DOWNTOWN ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 6TH FOR THE MARY MARKET, WHICH WILL BEGIN AT NOON. AND YOU CAN EXPECT THE MARKET WITH VENDORS, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT, KIDS ACTIVITIES. AND OF COURSE, THE CHRISTMAS PARADE BEGINS AT 4:00 PM FOLLOWED BY THE LIGHTING OF THE TOWN'S CHRISTMAS TREE AT THE GAZEBO. UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL'S. FFA. UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, THEY RECEIVED A GOLD RATING, LIKE A THREE STAR RATING, WHICH IS ACTUALLY THE HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENT IN THE COUNTRY. UH, THEY WERE ACTUALLY RECOGNIZED BY CONGRESSMAN BEN KLEIN NATIONALLY. UM, AND SO I JUST AM EXTREMELY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT THE YOUTH AND THESE ARE MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS AND WHAT THEY WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH. I ALSO WANNA SHOUT A GOOD LUCK TO SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL'S FOOTBALL TEAM WHO AFTER THEIR VICTORY ON FRIDAY NIGHT, EARNED A SPOT TO PLAY IN THE SCHOOL'S FIRST APPEARANCE IN THE REGIONAL, UH, TOURNAMENT, REGIONAL FOOTBALL, UM, CHAMPION, OR THE CHAMPIONSHIP, SORRY. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THESE BOYS AND THEIR COACHES, AND I WISH THEM LUCK ON, UH, THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AS THEY TRAVEL TO CATTLE, RUN TO PLAY, CATTLE RUN. AND THEN LASTLY, WITH THURSDAY COMING UP, I WILL SHARE THAT I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE BLESSINGS IN MY LIFE, WHICH INCLUDE BEING ABLE TO LIVE IN THIS WONDERFUL TOWN AND ALONG WITH OUR STAFF, SERVE ALL OF ITS CITIZENS. I WANNA WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING THAT IS FULL OF SOME RELAXATION, SOME TIME WITH THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE, AND HOPEFULLY A BELLY FULL OF SOME YUMMY FOOD. ALL RIGHT, AND THEN [10. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS] LAST FOR US IS ITEM NUMBER 10, WHICH IS THE CONSENT AGENDA. COUNSEL, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. MADAM MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION THAT COUNSEL APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS AS PRESENTED. SECOND. OKAY. UH, MS. PRESLEY, UH, SINCE THERE'S PROBABLY NO DISCUSSION, I'M GUESSING WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO ROLL CALL. COUNCILMAN WOOD? YES. VICE MAYOR AUGH? YES. COUNCILMAN SEA LOCK? YES. COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES. COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES. COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAYNE? YES. OKAY. MOTION PASSES. THERE ARE NO BUSINESS ITEMS. SO ITEM NUMBER 12 IS ADJOURN. THANK YOU EVERYONE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.