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CHARLES, I'M READY IF YOU ARE.[Town Council Work Session on January 12, 2026.]
ON.I AM GONNA CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL WORK SESSION OF MONDAY, JANUARY 12TH.
TO ORDER MS. ETT, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? MAYOR RO HERE.
OKAY, SO OUR FIRST ITEM IS A PRESENTATION FROM, I ALWAYS WANT CHA, I KNOW EVERYBODY WANTS TO SAY LIKE JJ, BUT IT'S CHA, UM, ONE FLOW METERING.
AND I KNOW THAT IN OUR AGENDA IT SAYS NO COVER SHEET, BUT WE, UM, TONIGHT WHEN WE GOT HERE, WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION, SO HOPEFULLY THE PUBLIC CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
BUT WE FEEL LIKE IT'S BEEN A WHILE, BUT MAYBE NOT, MAYBE NOT TO HIM.
IT PROBABLY DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT'S BEEN A WHILE AT ALL.
IS IS THAT OKAY FOR EVERYBODY? YEAH.
CAN THE FOLKS IN FROM HERE? YEP.
SO, OF APPRECIATE COUNSEL LETTING ME COME PRESENT AGAIN TONIGHT.
I WANTED TO UPDATE COUNSEL ON NOT JUST WHAT IS CLOSELY IN FRONT OF US MOVING FORWARD, BUT ALSO WHERE WE HAVE BEEN AND WHAT WE'VE DONE TO GET WHERE WE ARE NOW RELATED TO THE INI WORK IN THE SEW SYSTEM.
SO FIRST JUST A, AN IMAGE THAT MAYBE WILL HELP EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS INFLOW AND INFILTRATION.
WE DO NOT WANT TO COLLECT IN OUR SEWER SYSTEM AND WE DON'T, WE DO NOT WANT TO TREAT WATER THAT IS NOT ACTUALLY SEWER.
IT COSTS MORE TO TREAT RUNOFF WATER.
IT ALSO TAKES UP CAPACITY THAT YOU WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO USE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH WITHIN THE TOWN.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS ON THIS SCREEN, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES.
SO IF YOU HAVE A A, A DROP INLET IN THE VDOT ROAD THAT HAPPENS TO BE TIED INTO A SEWER PIPE, YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY GONNA COLLECT AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF INFLOW.
INFILTRATION IS WHEN PIPES ARE BURIED, THEY HAVE CRACKS OR DEFECTS IN THE MANHOLES, THE WATER TABLE GETS UP DURING A RAIN EVENT.
OBVIOUSLY WATER CAN INFILTRATE INTO THOSE PIPES.
SO A LOT OF OTHER EXAMPLES WE COULD HAVE ROOT INTRUSION, WHICH IS FAILURES.
ONE THAT FOLKS DO NOT THINK A LOT ABOUT ARE EITHER ROOF DRAIN CONNECTIONS OR SUMP PUMPS.
SO IF YOU HAVE A ROOF DRAIN AND FOR SOME REASON THAT HOMEOWNER WAS ABLE TO TIE IT INTO THE SEWER SYSTEM INSTEAD OF THE STORM WATER SYSTEM, EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE COLLECTING IN THOSE GUTTERS GOES INTO YOUR SEWER INSTEAD OF INTO THE STORMWATER.
WHO WOULD, WHO WOULD'VE DONE THAT? I I WOULDN'T.
I'M JUST SAYING WHEN IT WAS BUILT.
WHAT, I'M SORRY, WHAT? JUST A LOT OF FOLKS, A LOT OF FOLKS DO IT, DO IT WITHOUT US KNOWING.
YOU MEAN I DON'T GUESS THEY HAVE THAT DOGS ARE DOING IT OR IF THEY, WELL, 'CAUSE I WOULD THINK THE CONTRACTOR WOULD KNOW THAT'S NOT ALLOWED.
AND SOMETIMES THEY MAY INADVERTENTLY TIE IT INTO THE SEWER AND THINK THEY'RE TYING INTO THE STORM SEWER PIPE.
OR SOME PLACES THERE MAY NOT BE A STORM PIPE READILY AVAILABLE.
AND SO INSTEAD OF HAVING TO GO TO, TO PROPERTIES NOW AND GET EASEMENTS, THE EASIEST THING TO DO IS, WELL, HERE'S A PIPE RIGHT HERE, WE'LL JUST TIE IT IN.
SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE, ARE ALL WITHIN EVERY SYSTEM.
IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR ANY TOWN MUNICIPALITY TO HAVE ALL OF THESE THINGS.
MOVING ON TO SOME MORE, AND I'M, I'M, I'M TRYING TO, TO EDUCATE SO THAT WHEN I SPEAK ABOUT THIS, MOVING THROUGH THE ENTIRE PRESENTATION, EVERYBODY AT LEAST HAS A CHANCE TO KNOW WHAT SOME OF THESE ACRONYMS MEAN.
SO WE, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT INFILTRATION.
SO INFILTRATION IS ONE OF THE EYE AND EYE THAT YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT.
THAT IS WHEN GROUNDWATER SEEPS INTO PIPES THROUGH CRACKS, LEAKY JOINTS OR DETERIORATED MANHOLES.
SO THAT IS NOT FROM A ROOF DRAIN FROM A HOUSE OR A DIRECT CONNECTION TO A DROP LINE IN THE ROAD THAT IS, YOUR PIPE IS BURIED 42 INCHES DEEP AND THE WATER TABLE COMES UP AND IT MAKES ITS WAY INTO THAT SYSTEM EITHER THROUGH A MANHOLE OR A PIPE THAT'S GOT A DEFECT IN IT.
INFLOW IS STORM WATER, SO THAT'S WATER THAT'S COMING RUNNING OFF OF ROOFS.
IT'S GETTING COLLECTED ON SIDEWALKS AND ROADS AND THAT WATER IS MAKING IT INTO YOUR, YOUR SYSTEM.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S A LITTLE EASIER FOR US TO IDENTIFY AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THIS LATER.
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SMOKE TEST.SO WE PUSH SMOKE INTO THOSE LINES.
AND I ALWAYS HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE TELL ALL OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOLKS RESCUE BECAUSE ANYBODY WHO HAS A ROOF LEADER TIED ON IT LOOKS LIKE THEIR HOUSE HAS GOT SMOKE COMING OUT OF THEIR, THEIR ROOF LEADER BECAUSE IT'S, THEY'RE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE SEWER.
SO, SO DRY WEATHER FLOWS, THOSE ARE IMPORTANT.
AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT THOSE SOME AS WE TALKED ABOUT YOUR CAPACITY, DRYWALL, DRY WEATHER FLOWS OR WHAT'S NORMALLY FLOWING THROUGH YOUR SEWER PIPES WHEN THERE HASN'T BEEN A RAIN EVENT.
SO YOUR GROUND'S NOT SUPER SATURATED.
YOU'RE NOT COLLECTING WATER THROUGH DROP INLETS OR ROOF LITERS.
THIS IS JUST ABOUT AS BASE AS YOUR ACTUAL SEWER FLOW THAT SHOULD BE COMING THROUGH THE PIPES.
WET WEATHER FLOWS ARE THE FLOWS YOU READ IN THOSE PIPES RIGHT AFTER IT RAINS.
SO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO IDENTIFIES THE AMOUNT OF ISSUE THAT YOU HAVE.
SO IF DRY WEATHER, YOU'RE ONLY FLOWING 3 MILLION GALLONS A DAY THROUGH YOUR SYSTEM AND WHEN IT RAINS, YOU'RE FLOWING SIX, THEN YOU ARE AT THAT TIME YOU HAVE TWICE AS MUCH WATER IN YOUR PIPES AS YOU SHOULD.
AND HALF OF THAT IS, IS WHAT YOU DON'T WANT IN THE SYSTEM.
TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER ACRONYMS THAT YOU MAY HEAR HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS TOPIC IN SSO IS A SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOW.
SO THAT IS WHEN WATER ACTUALLY COMES OUT THE TOP OF A MANHOLE ONTO THE GROUND.
THAT IS AN OVERFLOW, NOT THE SAME AS A SURCHARGE.
THE SURCHARGE IS JUST WHEN YOUR PIPES ARE FULLY FULL.
AND IT MAY EVEN BE GROWING INTO THE MANHOLE, BUT IT DOESN'T COME OUT ONTO THE GROUND.
AND SSES IS A SANITARY SEWER EVALUATION STUDY.
THAT IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT CONTINUING.
AND THAT HAS MULTIPLE COMPONENTS, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER.
SANITARY SEWER CONSENT ORDER, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY'S FAMILIAR WITH THAT, BUT MOST OF THE PLACES THAT I WORK ARE UNDER A CONSENT ORDER.
THAT IS, THAT IS ACTUALLY IN PLACE TO PROTECT THE MUNICIPALITY WHILE YOU'RE DOING THE WORK YOU NEED TO DO TO GET OUT FROM UNDER IT.
IF YOU ARE UNDER CONSENT ORDER, YOU'VE AGREED TO DO CERTAIN ACTIVITIES UNTIL WHICH TIME YOU HAVE SATISFIED MAKING THE SYSTEM BETTER.
AND THEY ALSO ARE NOT ABLE TO GET TO YOU WITH FINES AND LEGAL PENALTIES WHILE YOU WERE IN THE ORDER WITH DEQ.
SO IT'S ESSENTIALLY AN AGREEMENT THAT SAYS, WE REALIZE WE'VE GOT TROUBLE, WE REALIZE WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME STAYING COMPLIANT, BUT WE WANT TO DILIGENTLY FIX THIS PROBLEM.
SO WE'RE GONNA AGREE WITH YOU AS A PARTNER TO DO WORK ON THESE ACTIVITIES.
BUT THE TRADE OFF ON THAT IS YOU ALSO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF WIGGLE ROOM TO, TO CONTINUE WORKING DILIGENTLY AND DON'T CONTINUE HITTING US WITH FINES WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE SYSTEM IN BETTER SHAPE.
AND THEN CCTV IS CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION IN THE PIPES, SO WE'LL ACTUALLY PUSH A CAMERA THROUGH THE PIPES TO SEE WHAT THOSE PIPES LOOK LIKE.
THAT IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN TELL WHETHER THERE'S A DEFICIENCY UNLESS WE DIG IT ALL UP.
AND ANYBODY WHO LIVES AND TRIES TO EXIST IN A TOWN, DIGGING ALL OF YOUR STREETS AND SIDEWALKS UP IS ABSOLUTELY NOT AN OPTION.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT'S HELPFUL AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
I WANTED TO TRY TO GET SOME OF THOSE DEFINITIONS IN PLACE SO THAT IT MADE SENSE WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT IT LATER.
SO LEMME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, I I HISTORY IN THE TOWN FROM 2009 TO PRESENT.
SO THE TOWN'S BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY ON THEIR, I I SINCE 2009.
THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT IS DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED EACH YEAR DEPENDS ON A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, THE AMOUNT OF CAPITAL THAT IS AVAILABLE BASED ON THE BUDGET YEAR AND THE OTHER IS WHETHER OR NOT WE FINISHED THE PREVIOUS WORK ENABLE US TO MOVE TO THE NEXT PROJECT OR NOT.
SO THOSE, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT KIND OF DEPEND ON HOW MUCH WORK.
SO WHEN WE STARTED THIS WORK, WE PUT METERS IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS TO TRACK HOW MUCH WATER'S ACTUALLY COMING IN TO A DRAINAGE BASIN.
AND WHEN WE DID THAT, WE IDENTIFIED, WE'VE GOT MAPPING SHOWING THAT WE'VE, WE'VE BROKEN ALL THESE UP INTO THINGS WE'VE LABELED AS, AS FR ONE THROUGH FR SEVEN.
SO IT'S FRONT ROYAL DRAINAGE BASIN ONE THROUGH SEVEN.
THERE'S LIKE SEVEN DRAINAGE BASINS.
AND AS YOU CAN TELL THESE, THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT WE IDENTIFIED EARLY ON IN THIS PROJECT.
SO THIS IS THE PIPES AND ALL OF THOSE RED OH WOW, OKAY.
ALL OF THOSE RED LINES REPRESENT PIPES THAT HAVE BEEN REHABILITATED AND REPAIRED.
SO THAT GIVES YOU THE MAGNITUDE OF PIPING THAT WE FIXED IN THE AREAS THAT WE IDENTIFIED AS HAVING TROUBLE.
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OF THE MANHOLES IN THAT SAME CORRESPONDING AREA THAT WE'RE ALSO REPAIRED.THERE'S SEVERAL WAYS FOR US TO FIX IT.
IF IT REQUIRES A POINT REPAIR, MEANING THAT THE PIPE IS ACTUALLY NOT CONNECTED ANYMORE AND IS NOT ALIGNED, WE'VE GOTTA DIG THAT UP.
THAT'S MY LEAST FAVORITE WAY TO FIX IT BECAUSE IT IS VERY DISRUPTIVE AND COSTLY.
SO WE BLOW A LINER IN IT AND IT TAKES THE SHAPE OF THE INSIDE OF THAT PIPE AND THEN YOU CURE IT SO THAT IT'S JUST AS HARD AS THE PIPE THAT'S ON THE OUTSIDE.
ESSENTIALLY YOU'VE CREATED A PIPE INSIDE OF A PIPE.
UH, THE MANHOLES, WE, WE ALSO BURSTED IN THAT CASE, WE WOULD PULL, UH, A HEAD THROUGH THE PIPE AND IT WOULD BURST THE PIPE AND ALLOW US TO REPLACE IT WITH A PIPE THAT'S EITHER EQUAL TO OR LARGER IN DIAMETER THAN THE ONE THAT'S THERE.
MANY TIMES THAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE DON'T THINK WE'VE GOT ENOUGH CAPACITY IN THAT PIPE.
AND BLOWING A LINER IN ONLY GIVES US THAT SAME DIAMETER A LITTLE BIT SMALLER.
IF YOU BURST IT, YOU PULL A BIGGER PIPE IN BEHIND IT, YOU'RE CREATING MORE CAPACITY, BUT YOU'RE ALSO NOT TEARING UP ASPHALT AND CONCRETE.
SO THE, THE ENTRY AND RECEIVING PITS ARE A LITTLE BIT INTRUSIVE, BUT WAY OUTWEIGHS DIGGING UP WHAT I CALL BLACK GOLD AND SIDEWALKS, WHICH THAT TRIGGERS CAPITAL PROJECTS, INCURRING COSTS THAT RESULT IN YOU SPENDING MONEY ON ASPHALT AND SIDEWALKS, NOT ON REDUCTION OF I AND I.
AND SO WE WANT TO AVOID THAT AT, AT, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
THIS IS JUST A LIST FOR, FOR COUNCIL TO SEE THE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES, THE CONTRACTORS THAT WE INCLUDED AND GENERAL COST OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE HAPPENED FROM 2009 THROUGH 2020.
AND YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A HOST OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
THIS IS THE LINING I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT.
SO CIPP LINING IS WHEN WE BLOW THAT LINER IN, WE'VE GOT FIELD INVESTIGATION, SMOKE TESTING, MANHOLE REHABILITATION, ET CETERA.
AND I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THIS SLIDE TO REPRESENT THE DEDICATION THAT TOWNS STAFF HAS HAD TO STAYING ON TOP OF THE AGREEMENT THEY HAVE WITH DEQ AND DILIGENTLY TRYING TO GET THE SEWER SYSTEM IN A BETTER SPOT.
THERE'S NOT ONE YEAR YOU CAN SEE FROM NOW FROM THEN TILL NOW WHERE SOME KIND OF ACTIVITY HAS NOT OCCURRED.
SOME WERE BIGGER SPINS THAN OTHER YEARS, BUT EVERY BUDGET YEAR IS DIFFERENT.
YOU HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS TUGGING AT WHAT YOU NEED TO GET DONE.
BUT ALL IN ALL, SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED EVERY YEAR FROM SINCE 2009.
YOU ALSO ADDED IN THERE THE LINE THAT SAYS THIS WORK WAS PERFORMED BY TOWN STAFF AND A COST BASED UPON STAFF AND EQUIPMENT USE HAS NOT BEEN CALCULATED.
SO, SO THAT'S THE MONEY SPENT.
BUT THAT ALSO DOESN'T OBVIOUSLY COUNT LIKE THE TOWN STAFF HOURS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT TOWN STAFF.
BUT SAYING, SO THE SPEND IS REALLY MORE THAN THAT.
IF YOU WERE LOOKING AT THEIR HOURS AND THE EQUIPMENT USED IT IS WE OWN OURSELVES AND WE PAY THEM, BUT, AND WE COULD BACK INTO THAT USING THE APPROPRIATE PER HOUR NUMBER FOR IT'S OKAY.
NO, I WAS JUST GLAD YOU PUT IT IN THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE PUBLIC WOULD SEE THAT PART, BUT I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU ADDED IN ADDITION TO $2 MILLION, $2 MILLION, IT ALSO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF MAN HOURS, STAFF MAN HOURS AND USE OF EQUIPMENT THAT ALSO IS PART OF ABSOLUTELY THE TAX DOLLARS.
SO MORE RECENTLY, THIS IS A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED FROM 2021 ALL THE WAY THROUGH WHAT IS PLANNED FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR, 2026.
SO AGAIN, THERE ARE SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS IN THAT LIST, WHICH REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK DONE BY THE TANK.
SO I ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS CLEAR ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT I I HAS ON THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
AND THESE IMAGES I THINK ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE GETTING FROM YOUR FLOW MONITORING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE TOWN.
SO EACH LOCATION, WE HAVE ONE OF THESE METERS EVERY TIME IT RAINS.
SO THIS REPRESENTS YOUR RAIN EVENT AND YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH, HOW MANY INCHES YOU HAD AND, AND WHAT MAGNITUDE OF EVENT THAT WAS.
THIS RED LINE IS THE FLOW IN THE ACTUAL SYSTEM AGAINST THE BLUE LINE OF WHAT YOUR DRY WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE.
SO THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT DOESN'T RAIN FLUCTUATES A LITTLE BIT BASED ON WHEN PEOPLE ARE WAKING UP, WHEN THEY'RE SHOWERING, WHEN THEY'RE GETTING HOME, ET CETERA.
THIS SHOWS YOU AND WHEN THAT SPIKE IS STEEP AND FAST AND
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COMES RIGHT BACK DOWN, THAT'S INFILTRATION.NO, I'M SORRY, THAT'S IN FLOW BECAUSE IT'S FAST.
WHEN THE RAIN STOPS, THE FLOW GOES AWAY.
IF YOU SEE A DIURNAL LIKE THIS WHERE IT COMES UP AND THEN IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO COME BACK DOWN TO NORMAL MM-HMM
SO THE GROUNDWATER STAYS UP LONGER THAN THE WATER THAT ONCE IT RUNS OFF THE ASPHALT IS GONE.
THAT GROUNDWATER, DEPENDING ON HOW, HOW MUCH RAIN YOU'VE HAD, IF IT STAYS UP A LONG TIME, THAT RED LINE COULD CONTINUE TO STAY UP UNTIL THE GROUNDWATER COMES BACK DOWN AND IT'S NOT COMING INTO THOSE PIPES.
ALL THAT DATA CAN TELL US A WHOLE LOT OF INFORMATION.
AND I SAY THAT TO TELL COUNSEL THAT SUPPORT OF THE METERING IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO NOT JUST THIS EFFORT, BUT IF YOU RECALL WHEN I PRESENTED THE CAPACITY AVAILABILITY INFORMATION TO YOU, ALL OF THIS METERING TELLS ME EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE GETTING WHEN I GIVE YOU THAT REPORT FOR EVERY AREA, WE KNOW HOW MUCH CAPACITY YOU'VE GOT.
AND QUITE HONESTLY, IF YOU WANT TO INCREASE CAPACITY MINING THAT OUT OF YOUR I AND I ISSUES IS THE CHEAPEST, MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO INCREASE CAPACITY IN YOUR TOWN WITHOUT QUESTION.
THE OTHER OPTIONS ARE PUT BIGGER PIPES IN THE GROUND SO YOU CAN CONVEY RAINWATER AND INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF YOUR TREATMENT PLANT.
ALL MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THAN THAN THIS ACTIVITY.
SO WHILE I TALKING ABOUT THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
SO THERE IS A RULE WITH WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS THAT IF YOU EXCEED 95% OF THE PLANT CAPACITY IN THREE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS, YOU HAVE TO NOTIFY DEQ IN 30 DAYS AND THEN YOU HAVE TO DEVELOP A PLAN OF ACTION.
SO THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST TWO YEARS DURING THE RAINY STORM MONTHS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU HAVE VIOLATED ANYTHING.
THAT'S A WAY TO PROTECT MUNICIPALITIES TO SAY, IF WE SEE THIS AND YOU'VE DIPPED INTO ALMOST 95% OF YOUR CAPACITY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU REALIZE THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE GETTING IN FRONT OF THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO EXCEED A HUNDRED PERCENT, WE JUST DON'T WANT IT TO SNEAK UP ON YOU.
SO THIS IS A WAY FOR THEM TO SAY, NOT SURE IF THERE'S A MAJOR PROBLEM HERE, BUT WE WANT TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND, AND PUT A PLAN OF ACTION TOGETHER.
SO WHEN WE DID THAT LAST YEAR, WHAT WE AGREED TO WAS REDUCING FLOW TO THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT THROUGH INFLOW AND INFILTRATION REDUCTION.
WE DID NOT AGREE TO INCREASING WASTEWATER TREATMENT.
PLANT DESIGN CAPACITY, AS I JUST MENTIONED, THAT IS EXTREMELY COSTLY.
AND WE DID AGREE THAT ALL MANHOLES WITHIN THE AREAS OF THE HAPPY CREEK A HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD PLAIN BE INSPECTED FOR DEFECTS.
AND I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY I'M, I'M RECOMMENDING WE FOCUS OUR NEXT PROJECT IN THAT AREA.
SO A LITTLE MORE HISTORY ABOUT THE TREATMENT PLANT.
THE PLANTS GOT A CAPACITY OF 5.3 MILLION GALLONS A DAY IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY AND MARCH OF 2024.
AND THEN AGAIN JANUARY AND JUNE OF 25 OF THIS PAST YEAR, WE DIPPED INTO THAT 95% OF CAPACITY.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WE STILL GOT SOME WORK TO DO.
WE'RE NOT OVERFLOWING ONTO THE GROUND ANYMORE.
SO THAT IS PROOF THAT WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS, BUT THIS STILL SHOWS THAT WE STILL NEED TO, TO KEEP GOING UNTIL THAT IS NOT HAPPENING EACH SUMMER DURING THE HEAVY RAIN EVENTS.
AND SO, UH, SO WHAT OPTIONS DO WE HAVE? AND I THINK THERE HAD BEEN SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT AN EQ BASIN FOR A LAGOON SOMEWHERE TO CAPTURE THAT SPIKE FLOW AND PROTECT THE PLANT FROM GETTING THAT ALL AT ONCE.
AND SO I GUESS I WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT ON WHAT AN EQ BASIN IS TYPICALLY USED FOR AND EXPLAIN WHY THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL IN CERTAIN APPLICATIONS BUT NOT SO MUCH IN OTHERS.
SO AN EQUALIZATION BASIN OR LAGOON ALLOWS YOU TO MANAGE THOSE FLOWS.
SO JUST WHEN I SAW THAT RED SPIKE IN THE, IN THE, THE PICTURE EARLIER, IT SHOWED ALL THAT FLOW.
THE IDEA WOULD BE TO CAPTURE THAT IN A BIG TANK AND THEN RELEASE IT BACK INTO THE SYSTEM SO THAT YOU PRETTY MUCH SEE THAT DRY WEATHER BAR ALL THE TIME.
SO YOU'RE TRYING TO NOT TAX THE SYSTEM DURING THOSE RAIN EVENTS.
TYPICAL CONDITIONS THAT MERIT AN EQ.
IF YOU HAVE OVERFLOWS IN THE COLLECTION SYSTEM, WHICH MEANS YOU'RE PUTTING SEWER OUT ONTO THE GROUND THROUGH YOUR MANHOLES AND YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO RE REMOVE THAT QUICKLY ENOUGH, YOU CAN PICK A SPOT FORWARD, CAPTURE IT,
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PROTECT THOSE MANHOLES FROM OVERFLOWING AND THEN LET IT COME BACK IN SLOWLY LATER.IF YOU WERE HAVING BYPASSES AT YOUR TREATMENT FACILITY WHERE YOU'RE LITERALLY TURNING A VALVE AND YOU HAVE TO LET THAT WASTEWATER GO PAST YOUR TREATMENT BECAUSE IT IS OVERWHELMED, YOU CAN CAPTURE IT AND, AND NOT DO THAT, WAIT TILL THE RAIN STOPS, EXTEND IT BACK INTO THE PLANT SLOWLY AND YOU DON'T HAVE BYPASSES AT YOUR PLANT.
OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE A LOT OF BIG CHEMICAL PLANTS THAT, UH, THE WASTEWATER IS VERY STRONG ON SOME DAYS NOT STRONG ON THE OTHERS.
IF YOU WANT TO CAPTURE THAT AND LET IT EQUALIZE SO THAT IT'S THE SAME TYPE OF CHEMICAL MAKEUP THAT HELPS YOUR OPERATORS TREAT SOMETHING THAT OTHERWISE COULD SPIKE IN PH LEVELS AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS, THAT'S NOT REALLY A A, A SITUATION SO MUCH HERE.
SO WHAT I WANTED TO MAKE CLEAR TO COUNCIL IS A COUPLE OF THINGS.
EQ WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM THAT YOU HAVE NOW OF SOMETIMES BEING 95% OF CAPACITY BECAUSE YOU DON'T GET RID OF IT.
SO YOU'RE CATCHING IT GUESS WHERE IT'S ULTIMATELY GOING TO GO TO THE TREATMENT PLANT.
SO DQ DOESN'T CARE WHEN IT GETS THERE AT ANY TIME DURING THOSE 30 DAYS.
IF IT GOES TO THE PLANT, THEY'RE GONNA SAY IT MADE IT TO THE PLANT.
SO UNLESS YOU WANNA HOLD THOSE RAIN FLOWS FOR THREE SOLID MONTHS SO THAT YOU'RE NOT LETTING IT GET THERE IN THOSE THREE MONTHS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AN EQ BASIN FULL OF, OF WASTEWATER THAT YOU HAVE TO MANAGE FOR THREE SOLID MONTHS IF YOU WANT TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE 95%.
SO THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT FIX FOR THAT.
ALSO EQ DOES NOT INCREASE SYSTEM FLOW CAPACITY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND.
THEY'RE LIKE, OKAY, WE GOT A DEVELOPMENT COMING IN THIS AREA AND STEVIE TOLD US AT THE LAST MEETING THAT WE'RE A HUNDRED THOUSAND GALLONS A DAY SHORT WHEN IT RAINS.
SO WHY DON'T WE JUST PUT AN EQ TANK IN AND THAT FIXES THAT? NO, YOU'RE STILL GETTING THAT SAME AMOUNT OF WATER IN THAT SYSTEM.
SO THE ONLY WAY I CAN EXPLAIN IT IS IF FOR ANY OF THESE TO WORK, YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THAT WASTEWATER YOU COLLECTED AND MAGICALLY EVAPORATE OR JUST GO AWAY.
YOU STILL HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
SO LITERALLY YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO BALANCE THOSE HIGH FLOWS SO THAT THEY'RE NOT SPIKING AND OVERWHELMING THE SYSTEM.
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
THE PLAN OF ACTION THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE WITH DEQ MANDATES THAT, THAT WE CONTINUE DOING WORK IN THE INI SYSTEM.
THERE IS NO REALLY QUANTIFICATION ON HOW MUCH IT'S MORE DUE DILIGENCE AND WE PROVIDE QUARTERLY REPORTING TO DEQ TO OVER COMMUNICATE ALL THAT THE TOWN IS DOING ON THIS FRONT.
DEQ IS VERY SATISFIED WITH THE REPORTS WE PROVIDE ALL THAT TO SAY I'M CERTAIN THAT EACH ONE OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS WERE AT SOME POINT GONNA SAY, WHY IN THE WORLD ARE WE SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY ON I AND I ABATE.
AND SO I'M HOPING OUT OF THESE TYPES OF PRESENTATIONS, YOU HAVE SOME AMOUNT OF INFORMATION TO GO BACK AND SAY THIS IS, THIS IS WHY.
SO WHAT ARE OUR NEXT STEPS? SO THESE, AS I SAID, WE'RE MONITORING FLOWS EVERY SINGLE SPRING BASED ON LAST SPRING'S FLOWS.
THE AREAS YOU SEE THERE IN RED ARE THE AREAS THAT RANKED THE HIGHEST FOR WHERE WE CAN REMOVE I AND I FROM THE SYSTEM.
NOW THAT DOESN'T TELL US WHETHER IT'S BROKEN PIPES OR MANHOLES OR ROOF LEADERS.
IT JUST TELLS US IN GENERAL THOSE RED AREAS ARE GENERATING THE MOST EYE EYE DURING A RAIN EVENT.
SO THE PLAN, AND YOU CAN SEE THESE RED DOTS OR MANHOLES AND THIS PURPLE IS THE HAPPY CREEK 100 YEAR FLOOD PLAN.
SO BASED ON I'M NOT GONNA DO IT GONNA TEST, BUT BASED ON WHAT I SAID EARLIER, WHY WOULD WORK IN THE 100 YEAR FLOODPLAIN PRODUCE THE MOST BENEFIT IF YOU'RE HAVING I I ISSUES.
SO IN THE HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN, WHEN IT RAINS, THAT ENTIRE AREA IS GONNA BE INUNDATED WITH GROUNDWATER AND EVERYTHING MANHOLES AND PIPES ARE GONNA BE BURIED IN THAT GROUNDWATER.
SO FOR THAT REASON, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS THE NEXT EFFORT ON THAT AREA BECAUSE THAT'S THE AREA THAT GETS SUPER SATURATED WITH GROUNDWATER EVERY TIME THE HAPPY CREEK IS UP EVEN A LITTLE BIT.
SO THAT'S THE PRO, THAT'S THE PLAN.
SO THE NEXT STEP WE WOULD INVESTIGATE EVERY MANHOLE IN THAT AREA AND THAT WE DO AN EVALUATION OF THE GASKETS, THE MANHOLE LIDS.
WE LOOK TO SEE IF THERE'S ROOT INTRUSION, ANYTHING THAT WOULD LET THAT WATER GET INTO THAT MANHOLE WHEN IT'S ESSENTIALLY
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BURIED IN THAT FLOOD LANE THAT WOULD BE FOLLOWED UP WITH SMOKE TESTING.WHICH AGAIN, ANYWHERE THAT THE SMOKE CAN GET OUT OF THOSE PIPES, ANYWHERE THAT THAT MAY BE CONNECTED TO A, A DIRECT INLET OF, OF ANY KIND WILL BE IDENTIFIED.
AND THEN WE DECIDE BASED ON THAT INFORMATION WHERE WE'RE GONNA DO CCTV, WHICH IS WHEN WE PUSH THE CAMERAS THROUGH THOSE PIPES AND IT ACTUALLY TELLS US WHAT SHAPE THEY'RE IN.
SO IF SOME WERE TO ASK WHY WOULDN'T WE CC TT V ALL THE PIPES AND THEN WE WOULD JUST KNOW, UH, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
IT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITY THAT YOU HAVE DURING I I, SO CCTV IS BETWEEN FOUR AND $5 A FOOT.
SO YOU START DOING THE MATH WHEN I-C-C-T-V-A PIPE, I BETTER BE PRETTY SURE THAT THERE'S A REASON THAT I'M PUSHING THAT CAMERA THROUGH NOT JUST TO, TO SAY WE DID IT.
SO VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE WORK WE DO FOCUSES ON EXACTLY WHERE THAT CCTV WILL MAKE THE MOST IMPACT.
I KNOW THE AREA OF THE HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD PLAIN THAT THAT'S GENERALLY OUR, SOME OF OUR OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS.
I MEAN, I MEAN, I MEAN I'M JUST LOOKING YEAH, I'M JUST STAYING ALONG OVER WHERE I'M THINKING THERE.
THE POST OFFICE ALL THE WAY UP TO RIGHT.
I MEAN I KNOW WHERE SOME OF THOSE ARE BUT I'M JUST SAYING LIKE ANY, I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT THE PIPES, LIKE THE SMOKE TESTING BECAUSE THAT WAS LIKE, I REMEMBER WHEN WE DID THAT BEFORE, THAT WAS LIKE A THING LIKE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WANTED TO KNOW AHEAD OF TIME, NOT JUST THE NIGHT BEFORE.
AND I'M THINKING THE CITIZEN IMPACT ABOUT RIGHT.
WELL AND I THINK WHAT WE DO IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TOWN IS PROVIDE A PAMPHLET ON A DOOR HANGER, NOT IN A MAILBOX ON A DOOR HANGER WHERE THEY HAVE TO SEE IT.
THAT EDUCATES WHAT IS SMOKE TESTING? IS IT DANGEROUS FOR MY PETS? RIGHT.
DOES IT MEAN THAT MY HOUSE IS NOT SAFE? RIGHT.
ALL THE TYPICAL QUESTIONS THAT SOMEBODY WOULD ASK.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, GIVING THEM FAR ENOUGH NOTICE, IT'S OF WHEN THEY'RE GONNA BE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD SO THAT THEY YEAH.
IT'S THE FAR ENOUGH NOTICE THAT I, I KNOW THAT WAS ONE THING THAT PEOPLE, UH, UH, ME PERSONALLY, RIGHT AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS HAPPENING, MY FATHER WAS GOING THROUGH DEMENTIA AND UM, AND SO WE, AND WE HAD HIM HEALTHCARE SO IMMEDIATELY WE WERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WITHIN HOURS, OKAY, WELL WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TOMORROW? 'CAUSE HE'S NOT GONNA UNDERSTAND IF SMOKE STARTS COMING UP.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT FOR OUR CITIZENS? SO, AND WE, WE CAN START MAKING SURE THEY KNOW NOW TOO THAT RIGHT.
THIS COULD BE A THING THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE NEXT SO MANY MONTHS OR WHATEVER.
THE MORE EDUCATED THEY ARE, THE BETTER OFF WE ARE.
THAT'S SO WE, AND WE WOULD HOPE THAT IN, IN THOSE PARTICULAR SITUATIONS LIKE YOUR FATHER, THAT IF THE HOMEOWNER CHOSE TO REACH OUT TO US, WE WOULD CERTAINLY MAKE PROVISIONS TO EITHER HAVE A BETTER EXPLANATION IN PERSON, BE THERE, ONE OF OUR STAFF COULD BE THERE WHEN IT STARTS HAPPENING AND THEY'RE LIKE, SEE YA THERE, SEE THE SMOKE COME OUTTA THE ROOF LATER.
THEN WE TELL YOU WHY THAT'S HAPPENING KIND OF THING.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S JUST BEING GOOD SEWERS NOT, IT'S USUALLY THE 10% RULE, RIGHT? THAT 10% OF THE PEOPLE MAKE 90% OF THE NOISE.
SO THAT, AND IT'S NOT JUST OLDER FOLKS.
I MEAN ANYBODY STARTS TO BE NERVOUS ABOUT WHAT ALL THAT MEANS.
SMOKE COMING OUT OF A BASEMENT DRAIN IS A LITTLE BIT CONCERNING IF, IF YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
SO ABSOLUTELY COMMUNICATION IS PETE, WHAT ARE AUTHORITIES TEND TO, UH, CONTACT YOU VIA YOUR MOBILE PHONE? UH, WITH MESSAGES AND UH, MOST OF THEM, THE EMAILS, MOST OF THEM HAVE AN OPTION FOR CUSTOMERS TO SIGN UP TO EITHER AN E-BLAST ACCOUNT OR PROVIDE THEIR EMAIL.
WELL ACTUALLY I TAKE THAT BACK.
IT'S TEXTING MORE THAN ANYTHING NOW.
SO THEY HAVE IT SET UP THROUGH THE BILLING THAT IF YOU WANNA GET A MESSAGE OUT, IN THIS CASE WE COULD ACTUALLY GO, WE COULD TAKE THE GIS NO I WAS ON MY LAST SIDE.
WE COULD TAKE THE GIS THAT WE HAVE AND SAY, HERE'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA DO THE WORK AND WE CAN PICK OFF THOSE ADDRESSES INSTEAD OF SENDING A BLAST OUT TO THE WHOLE TOWN, YOU CAN ISOLATE WHO YOU MESSAGE TO SO YOU DON'T GET EVERYBODY WORKED UP.
'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT EVEN GONNA SEE THE SMOKE TESTING, BUT THEY WON'T REALLY REMEMBER THAT.
THEY'LL JUST KNOW THEY GOT THE MESSAGE.
AND SO HALF THE TIME THAT'S BAD.
'CAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, WELL I HAVEN'T SEEN 'EM IN
[00:30:01]
MY AREA.SO BEING SPECIFIC ABOUT HOW WE COMMUNICATE SO THAT WE DON'T CREATE MORE ISSUES THAN, THAN WE NEED TO IS PRETTY IMPORTANT TO EITHER MONITOR.
WELL YOU HAVE, YOU DO HAVE TO COMMUNICATE THOUGH EVEN MORE THAN TEXT OR EMAIL.
I MEAN, SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN BROADCAST ON, I DON'T, DO WE HAVE A LIVE TV ANYMORE THAT DOES THE ROLLING ANNOUNCEMENTS OR WE DO, BUT IF PEOPLE DON'T HAVE CABLE, THEY DON'T GET IT.
YOU'D BE BETTER OFF TO DO LIKE A RADIO.
THE RADIO, WE DO THE TEXT, WE HAVE ALL THAT ABILITY, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY BY SECTIONS.
IT COMES ON A NEWSLETTER, DOESN'T IT? WELL WE SEND THE BLAST TEXT TOO.
WE THAT'S THE PART WHEN HE WAS, BUT THE NEWSLETTER ONLY COMES OUT QUARTERLY.
UM, SO DEPENDING ON WHEN WE KNOW, IF IT SOONER, SOONER WE KNOW THE BETTER OFF WE'LL BE THAT WE CAN PUT IT IN THE NEWSLETTER.
BUT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY RIGHT NOW TO SEND IT TO JUST AREAS, WHICH IS WHAT YOU WERE, I MEAN, MAYBE EVENTUALLY.
NO, YOU HAVE THE NEW GII WAS JUST SPEAKING OF THE EXPERIENCE THAT I, THAT I HAD WITH, UH, PRINCE WILLIAM, UH, SERVICE AUTHORITY MM-HMM
IS THEY, THEY WOULD TELL YOU THAT YOU WE'RE GOING TO, THEY'LL SEND YOU A MESSAGE OR CONTACT YOU ON YOUR MOBILE PHONE THAT UH, THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING SMOKE TESTING IN YOUR AREA RIGHT.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT THE TEXT BLAST COULD SAY THE FOLLOWING STREETS YEAH.
OR THE FOLLOWING AREAS NEIGHBORHOOD THAT COULD RIGHT.
WE, WE CAN MAKE IT AT LEAST BE SOMEWHAT OUT.
AND TO THAT END, THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL DOOR HANGERS THAT'LL BE PUT ON BY HER STAFF.
MOST EFFECTIVE WILL ONLY BE IN THE AREAS WHERE IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
THAT'D BE BUT HOW SOON DO THEY COME OUT THAT AT THE DISCRETION OF STAFF AND COUNCIL.
DO YOU GUYS WANT TO GIVE 'EM A MONTH OR LONGER? I WOULDN'T THINK THINK A WEEK, BUT A DAY BEFORE IS NOT GOOD.
I TELL YOU THAT THAT DIDN'T, THAT DIDN'T GO WELL FOR US.
I I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE, THE PIPE INSIDE A PIPE MM-HMM.
SO HOW MUCH PERCENTAGE DOES THAT LIKE KNOCK DOWN YOUR CAPACITY THOUGH? LIKE IF YOU FILL ALL THOSE PIPES WITH LINERS AND THEN HARDEN 'EM AND THAT TAKE OUT A PERCENTAGE OF YOUR CAPACITY? IT DOES.
IS IT? WE DO THE, WE DO THE MATH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING AS MUCH OF THE CAPACITY AS WE CAN WHERE THAT DOES HAVE AN IMPACT.
THE MAJORITY OF TIME WHEN WE BURST A PIPE AND PUT A BIGGER DIAMETER IN BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE MATERIAL.
IT'S HDPE, IT HAS THICKER WALLS.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE PAY ATTENTION.
SO THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF A EIGHT INCH PDC PIPE IS NOT THE SAME AS THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF AN HDPE PIPE.
IT'S LESS GONNA BE ON MY WHEEL
SO ALL HAVE TO SAY WHETHER WE SLIP ON, WHETHER WE SLIP ON OR BURST, THE NUMBER ONE THING WE DO IS ARE WE GOING TO REDUCE CAPACITY TO A POINT THAT THIS IS NO LONGER ABLE TO CONVEY THIS, THE FLOW THAT IT NEEDS TO.
AND SOMETIMES THAT MEANS SLIP LINING IS NOT AN OPTION.
BURSTING MAY HAVE TO BE THE CASE IF WE NEED TO GO FROM A SIX TO AN EIGHT OR 10 INCH PIPE.
SO THAT'S WHAT MAKES YOUR DECISION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YEAH.
'CAUSE THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION ABOUT THE CAPACITY WASN'T, I WOULD SLIP ON ALL DAY IF WE COULD GET AWAY WITH IT.
IT'S THE CLEANEST, MOST EFFECTIVE WAY.
YOU'RE LITERALLY PUTTING A PIPE INSIDE OF A PIPE.
YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO GET EASEMENTS.
YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO CUT THROUGH YARDS.
BUT IF WE LOSE CAPACITY THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S RIGHT.
SO THAT'S THE PRESENTATION I HAVE THIS EVENING THAT IS ALWAYS IS A LOT OF INFORMATION.
I I'M TRYING TO FIND THE SWEET SPOT ON WHAT IS HELPFUL TO COUNSEL AS THEY MAKE DECISIONS AND PRESENT INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
SO ANY FEEDBACK YOU HAVE THROUGH JOE WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO ME IF THESE ARE WAY TOO TECHNICAL OR IF YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME MORE LIKE EXAMPLES.
ANYTHING I CAN DO TO MAKE THIS A LITTLE MORE EXCITING? WELL MY FEEDBACK IS I'VE BEEN, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I'VE BEEN HERE AND I, AND I, I MIGHT UNDERSTAND IT BETTER NOW THAN I EVER HAVE.
SO I MEAN, I'M JUST GONNA, LIKE, I LITERALLY WAS LIKE, IF I HAD THAT LITTLE DEFINITION SIX YEARS AGO, I MAYBE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SAYING I I I, I LIKE AS IF I KNEW EVERYTHING I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD PRESENTATION.
I WISH THE PUBLIC CAN CAN UH, CAN SEE IT AS WELL TOO.
[00:35:01]
UM, SO AND THE APPROACH IS ALWAYS WHAT'S GONNA BE BEST IF WE'RE ALMOST DEFICIENT AND CHEAPEST.BUT, BUT WE ARE MAKING OBVIOUSLY WE'VE MADE STRIDES.
AND YOU'VE ALREADY GOT BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR TO DO THE WORK THAT I NEED TO DO.
SO IT'S ALREADY IN THIS YEAR'S 24, 25.
SO ARE YOU SAYING THERE'S GONNA BE SMOKE TESTING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN NOW AND JULY? POSSIBLY SO SOONER WE KNOW THAT OUR OFF WILL BE THE NEXT QUARTER NEWSLETTER
WE KNOW WHICH AREAS WE CAN STAY ON TOP OF IT.
NOT THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER 'CAUSE SOMEBODY WILL STILL SAY, YOU DIDN'T TELL ME AND WE CAN SAY, WELL IT WAS HERE AND IT WAS HERE, IT WAS HERE, IT WAS HERE BUT WE CAN LEAVE SAFE.
BUT IT WAS HERE, IT WAS HERE AS A TEACHER, I CAN TELL YOU THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
CAN SHARE ALL THE INFORMATION YOU WANT.
THEY STILL TELL YOU THEY DIDN'T TELL US.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND ON BEHALF OF CHA, WE ARE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME HERE AND EVERY TIME I COME UP HERE YOU SEE MONEY.
I APPRECIATE THE TRUST THAT YOU ARE GIVING MY COMPANY TO CONTINUE HELPING YOU GUYS ON YOUR JOURNEY TO BE THE BEST TOWN THAT YOU CAN BE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND WE'LL KEEP WORKING AS HARD AS WE CAN.
UM, ALRIGHT, WE HAVE TWO ACTION ITEMS, WHICH IS RARE FOR US, STEVE TO ACTUALLY DO THIS ON A UM SURE.
WE ONLY DO THIS WHEN WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO.
SO, UM, THE THREE A IS THE REPAYMENT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACCESS GRANT.
OUR NORMAL ROUTINE IS TO READ THE SUMMARY AND THEN TAKE A MOTION.
DO YOU ALL NEED ME TO READ THE WE LAST TIME? WELL, YEAH AND IT'S NOT LIKE WE HAVEN'T BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT SINCE YOU'VE BEEN ON COUNSEL, BUT I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF, UM, GEORGE, SHOULD I READ THE SUMMARY SINCE THAT'S THE STANDARD OR THAT WELL FOR ACTION ITEM.
ON DECEMBER 7TH, 2016, THE COMMONWEALTH TRANSPORTATION BOARD APPROVED AT 650,000 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACCESS GRANT TO ASSIST THE TOWN FRONT OR WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A PORTION OF THE WEST MAIN STREET CONNECTOR FOR THE IT FEDERAL LLC DEVELOPMENT.
COMMONWEALTH, THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS REQUESTED THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL TO REPAY $565,582 AND 56 CENTS FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACCESS GRANT.
THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL WAS UNABLE TO REQUISITION THE FULL AMOUNT OF $650,000 BECAUSE THE PROJECT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE COMPLETED DUE TO ISSUES CAUSED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE IT FEDERAL LLC PROPERTY.
TERMS OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACCESS GRANT REQUIRED THE TOWN TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION FOR AT LEAST $3,250,000 OF ELIGIBLE CAPITAL OUTLAY.
IN JUNE, 2016, THE TOWN WAS LED TO BELIEVE BY JENNIFER MCDONALD, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY EDA, THAT IT FEDERAL LC WOULD INVEST IN A NEW FACILITY, LAND AND EQUIPMENT TOTALING APPROXIMATELY 40 MILLION AND BRING 600 NEW JOBS TO THE AREA WITHOUT HAVING THE CONSENT OF THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL.
ON FEBRUARY 27TH, 2017, JENNIFER MCDONALD REPRESENTING THE EDA, SIGNED A FIRST AMENDMENT TO DEED OF TRUST FOR IT FEDERAL LLC TO REDUCE THE CONSTRUCTION TARGET FROM 5 MILLION TO 2 MILLION RESULTING IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACCESS GRANT CAPITAL OUTLAY REQUIREMENTS NOT BEING ABLE TO BE MET.
THE TOWN HAS BUDGETED $216,665 ANNUALLY FOR FISCAL YEARS 2023 THROUGH 2025 TO SET ASIDE FUNDS TOTALING APPROXIMATELY $650,000 IN ANTICIPATION OF REPAYMENT OF THE GRANT FUNDING.
IN ADDITION, THE TOWN HAS PAID APPROXIMATELY $5,000 ANNUALLY SINCE FISCAL YEAR 20 17 20 18 FOR A LETTER OF CREDIT AS REQUIRED BY THE TERMS OF THE GRANT TO ENSURE THAT THE TOWN MEETS ITS OBLIGATIONS FOR THE GRANT FUNDING.
IN JULY, 2025, THE TOWN PAID THE FIRST PORTION OF THE REIMBURSEMENT TOTALING $426,233 AND 4 CENTS ON DECEMBER 16TH, 2025 EO PROVIDED WRITTEN NOTICE FOR THE REMAINING BALANCE.
SO THAT IS THE SUMMARY AND I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNSEL APPROVE REPAYMENT TO THE COMMONWEALTH VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE ECONOMIC ECONOMIC ACCESS GRANT AND THE AMOUNT OF $106,558 AND 26 CENTS.
[00:40:03]
OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION TO SECOND AND DISCUSSION AND I JUST WANNA SAY THE REASON WHY I DIDN'T WANNA READ THE SUMMARY IS 'CAUSE IT MAKES ME SICK JUST SAYING FOR THE DISCUSSION.I'LL JUST ADD, I HAD SOME CONSTITUENTS REACH OUT TO ME AFTER LAST WEEK'S MEETING WHERE WE DISCUSSED THIS AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE STILL RIGHTFULLY OUTRAGED OVER THIS.
UM, AND SO FOR THE PUBLIC WHO TAKES THE TIME TO WATCH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT NOBODY THAT SITS HERE TODAY WAS A PART OF THAT GOVERNING BODY.
UM, AND THIS IS AT NO FAULT OF THE TOWN STAFF OR ANY OF THIS COUNCIL.
UM, HOPEFULLY IT'S ANOTHER PIECE THAT ONCE WE GET IT BEHIND US, THIS TOWN AND COMMUNITY CAN START TO RECOVER AND HEAL AND MOVE FORWARD FROM WHAT TOOK PLACE HERE.
AND FOR THE RECORD, NOBODY THAT'S CURRENTLY SITTING ON THE WARREN COUNTY E ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY WERE THERE WHEN THIS HAPPENED EITHER.
SO THERE'S A MOTION TO SECOND.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? OKAY.
COUNCILWOMAN D DEMON PAIN? YES.
OKAY, SO NEXT UP IS, ALRIGHT, YOU GUYS ALRIGHT IS THREE B AND THAT'S ALSO AN ACTION ITEM.
STAFF HAS BEEN REVIEWING TOWN CODE CHAPTER FOUR FOR COMPLIANCE AND UPDATES AS NEEDED.
AFTER RESEARCH OF THE STATE CODE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT FOUR DASH ONE TIME OF MEETINGS WAS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE ARTICLE.
TWO MEETINGS OF GOVERNING BODIES.
15.2 DASH 1416 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA REQUIRING LEGALITIES, STABLISH DAYS, TIMES, AND PLACE THE REG MEETINGS THAT THEIR FIRST ORGANIZATION MEETING EACH YEAR.
COUNCILORS REQUESTED TO APPROVE THE ATTACHED RESOLUTION TONIGHT FOR 2026 PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO TOWN CODE CHAPTER FOUR, ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNMENT WILL BE ON THE FEBRUARY 2ND WORKS SESSION AGAIN FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION.
SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO TAKE, WE HAVE TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS TONIGHT TOO.
DO SOMETHING AND SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAS GONNA BE ON THE ADMINISTRATION GOVERNOR.
THIS WAS JUST ABOUT TIME OF MEETINGS AND I BELIEVE THAT WE STATED WHEN WE WERE GONNA MEET.
OURS ARE ALL THE SAME BECAUSE THOSE, THE REGULAR MEETINGS, UM, YEAH, MAYBE I CAN ADD SOME CLARITY.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S ALL STATED IN TOWN CODE MM-HMM
STATE LAW SAYS YOU HAVE TO AFFIRMATIVELY DO IT EVERY YEAR ANYWAY, SO MM-HMM
WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY IS OCTOBER, LIKE WE HAVE OFTEN ONLY HAD ONE WORK SESSION IN OCTOBER BECAUSE OF THE VML CONFERENCE.
'CAUSE THERE WOULD BE SO MANY PEOPLE OUT.
BUT I THINK THAT WHAT WE'LL HAVE TO DO IS APPROVE THIS AND, AND WHEN WE GET TO SEPTEMBER, WE WILL KNOW WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO, UM, BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU MAY NOT NEED TO.
I I WATCHED THE COUNTY'S MEETING THE OTHER NIGHT AND THEY WERE LIKE, UH, THEY WERE, THERE WERE WAS MORE THAN ONE MONTH WHERE THEY WERE LIKE, WELL WE'RE ONLY GONNA DO ONE MEETING THIS MONTH AND ONE MEETING THAT MONTH.
AND I WAS LIKE, WE DON'T, WE WE HOLD A MEETING EVERY MONTH.
WE ONLY HOLD ONE IN DECEMBER AND SOMETIMES, UH, ONE IN UM, ONE IN OCTOBER.
AND ACTUALLY THERE HAD EVEN BEEN SOMETIMES WHERE IN NOVEMBER WE DIDN'T HOLD A WORK SESSION BECAUSE OF ELECTION DAY BEING THE NEXT DAY AND SO MANY PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO BE AVAILABLE.
SO MADAM MAYOR, THE RESOLUTION NEEDS TO BE UPDATED TO REFLECT MY LEGAL NAME.
AND THEN SCROLL TO THE SECOND
WE CAN VOID THE WHOLE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE
SAVE IT, SAVE IT OUT YOUR POCKET, DEAR.
SO IF SOMEBODY MAKES THE RE MAKES THE MOTION, CAN CAN THEY JUST ADD THAT WITH THE CORRECTION TO THE NAME? WELL, WE'RE NOT SIGNING THE RESOLUTION TONIGHT.
YEAH, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SIGN IT TONIGHT.
THE COUNCIL APPROVE A, A RESOLUTION FOR THE 2026 SCHEDULE OF REGULAR MEETINGS OF TOWN COUNCIL AS PRESENTED.
COUNCILMAN WOODS AB ABSENT VICE SM MAYOR AL.
UM, SO NOW WE'RE ON TO NEW BUSINESS.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS THE TOWN OF FRONT WHILE SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS, SUAS, OPERATIONS POLICY.
[00:45:01]
AND THAT'S WITH JOSE.I AM THE RISK AND SAFETY COORDINATOR FOR THE TOWN OF FOR ROYAL.
ESSENTIALLY MY JOB IS TO HELP RAISE SAFETY AND LOWER RISK.
IF YOU DON'T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEES GETTING HURT ON THE JOB CONSTANTLY OR WE'RE NOT INUNDATED IN LIABILITY OR IF THE FEDS HAVE KNOCKED ON OUR DOOR FOR LACK OF OATH AND COMPLIANCE, HOPEFULLY I'M DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.
UM, PART OF MY TASK AS A RISK AND SAFETY COORDINATOR FOR THE TOWN IS TO SEEK OUT BEST PRACTICES AND TOOLS THAT WILL HELP US CONTINUE TO KEEP THE TOWN OPERATING SAFELY, EFFICIENTLY, AND IN LINE WITH MODERN STANDARDS.
OVER THE PAST NEAR YEAR, SINCE WE STARTED WORKING ON THIS BACK IN APRIL OF 2025, I'VE UNDERTAKEN A VERY DETAILED RESEARCH EFFORT TO DESIGN A COMPLETE SJS POLICY.
SJS REALLY BRIEFLY 'CAUSE I'LL TOUCH ON THIS STANDS FOR SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM.
UM, BEFORE I GET INTO IT, I JUST WANNA GET BACKGROUND WHAT'S GONE INTO CREATING ALL THIS, THIS WORK INVOLVED REVIEWING ESTABLISHED OPERATIONAL MODELS, EVALUATING REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS AND CONSULTING WITH AGENCIES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH THAT ARE ALREADY EMPLOYING THEIR OWN SUAS PROGRAMS, UH, IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY SERVICES.
I WANTED TO RUN THE GAMUT AND GIVE Y'ALL LIKE, INCLUDE AN ENTIRE RANGE.
SO I'VE REACHED OUT TO TOWNS THAT ARE SMALLER DENTISTS THAT HAVE OPERATIONAL SUAS PROGRAMS, ONE OF WHICH HAS FEWER THAN A THOUSAND RESIDENTS, UH, TO OTHER LOCALITIES IN SURROUNDING COUNTIES OR NOVA, WHICH I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE WERE CONSIDERED PART OF THAT BY THE, UH, BY THE US CENSUS.
AND I'VE EVEN HAD THE PLEASURE TO SIT AND DISCUSS THIS AT LENGTH WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO'VE ACTUALLY LOANED COUNTER SUAS OPERATIONS FOR THE RECENT PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION.
SPOKEN TO A REMOTE PILOT IN WHO WORKS FOR THE PENTAGON.
AND I GOT A CHANCE TO SEE THE INNER SUAS WORKINGS FOR A COMPANY WITH NEARLY $8 BILLION ASSETS IN SERVICE.
I'LL GIVE YOU A HINT, WHICH ONE THAT IS.
SO LIKE I SAID, A WIDE RANGE FOR THIS.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, SHARE THIS AND THANK ALL OF THE AGENCIES ON SCREEN THAT GENEROUSLY SHARE THEIR TIME, THEIR EXPERTISE, EVEN THEIR ESTABLISHED SEOS POLICIES, IN PARTICULAR THE CITY OF WINCHESTER.
THEIR POLICY HELPED TO SERVE AS THE FOUNDATION FOR OURS AND THE OFFICERS OF GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE THE WEALTH OF LIKE, INFORMATION THAT THEY'VE SHARED WITH US.
SO THEY'RE THE ONES WHO FLEW THE CONCERT SOS OPERATIONS FOR THE RECENT PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION.
SO MY JOB TODAY IS TO PRESENT THE FIVE W'S AND THE ONE H, THE WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, AND HOW, UH, WHY THE TOWN SHOULD ESTABLISH AN SEOS POLICY.
IT'S OUR FIRST STEP IN ALL OF THAT THAT I HAVE TO OBVIOUSLY ANSWERS.
WHAT IS AN SUAS? OH NO, MY PAGES
UM, SO SUAS STANDS FOR SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM.
THE MORE COMMON TERM THAT WE MIGHT BE MORE FAMILIAR WITH IS DRONES.
BUT THE DRONE ITSELF IS JUST A COMPONENT OF THE SUOS.
UH, THE SUAS IS THE COMPLETE PACKAGE.
THIS IS WHAT THE OFFICIAL TERMINOLOGY USED BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, THE FAA.
AND THAT IS WHAT DEFINED AS IN THE CODE THERE UNDER PART 1 0 7.
AND ALL THAT BOILS DOWN TO IS AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT IN OUR CASE IS SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT AND THE ASSOCIATED ELEMENTS THAT ENSURE A SAFE AND EFFICIENT OPERATION.
SO YOU GOT THE SUA, THAT'S THE ACTUAL DRONE, WHICH MUST WEIGH LESS THAN 55 POUNDS ON TAKEOFF.
THAT INCLUDES ANY CAMERAS, SENSORS, PAYLOADS, ANYTHING ON THAT.
IT HAS TO WEIGH LESS THAN 55 POUNDS ON TAKEOFF.
THEN YOU GOT THE CONTROL STATION.
THAT'S THE HUMAN OPERATED INTERFACE, BASICALLY LIKE THE HANDHELD CONTROLLER.
IT COULD BE MULTIPLE LAPTOPS DEPENDING ON THE SOPHISTICATED DEVICE.
SO IT'S BASICALLY WHAT'S CONTROLLING THE FLIGHT PACK OF THE SMALLER MAN AIRCRAFT.
NOW LASTLY, YOU HAVE YOUR ASSOCIATED ELEMENTS, WHICH IS ALL THE FUN THINGS THAT ARE NOT LISTED, BUT YOU GOTTA BELIEVE THAT THE FAA IS GONNA ASK IF YOU HAVE THESE IN PLACE.
ARE YOUR REMOTE PILOTS PART 1 0 7 CERTIFIED? IS THAT CERTIFICATION CURRENT? ARE YOUR PILOTS CONDUCTING PRE AND POST FLIGHT CHECKLISTS? AND HOW CAN YOU PROVE THAT? IN HR WE LIKE TO SAY, DID YOU DOCUMENT IT? SO THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG THINGS.
THAT'S WHY WE ARE FORMING HOPEFULLY.
AND IT'S CRUCIAL TO HAVE THIS WRITTEN POLICY IN PLACE.
YOU KNOW, I APOLOGIZE BECAUSE SOMEWHERE IN THERE I LOST MY PAGE, BUT I FOUND IT.
YOU PUT ALL THOSE COMPONENTS TOGETHER AND YOU HAVE YOUR SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM.
NOW WE GOT WHAT THAT SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM IS, AND WE'RE ABOUT TO GET INTO WHYS AND
[00:50:01]
THE HOW OF THIS PROGRAM.BEFORE THAT, I WANT TO TOUCH ON ANOTHER SET OF WHATS, WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS POLICY DESIGNED AND AIMED TO ACCOMPLISH? AND EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT IS OUR SUAS PROGRAM NOT DESIGNED TO DO? SO WHAT THIS POLICY IS PROGRAMMED TO DES UH, WHAT THIS POLICY IS DESIGNED TO DO IS PROVIDE THE TOWN WITH A MEANS TO HAVE AN SJS PROGRAM WITH CLEAR OBJECTIVES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SPECIFIC AND PRE-APPROVED OPERATIONAL USE CASE SCENARIOS THAT CLEARLY DEFINE WHEN OUR AIRCRAFT CAN BE DEPLOYED, WHO CAN DEPLOY THEM, WHERE, UM, IS DESIGNED TO STATE THAT CLEAR AUTHORITY, AGAIN, HOW THE PROGRAM'S GONNA BE STRUCTURED, WHO CAN REQUEST A DEPLOYMENT, WHO'S OPERATING IT.
AND LASTLY, IT'S DESIGNED TO HAVE CLEAR ACCOUNTABILITY.
THERE'S GONNA BE BUILT IN OVERSIGHT DOCUMENTATION AND PUBLIC REPORTING.
THAT INSURANCE, THIS PROGRAM IS BEING USED APPROPRIATELY.
AND WHAT WE'RE NOT GONNA DO WITH THIS PROGRAM IS WE'RE NOT GONNA BRUSH OFF ANYONE'S CONCERNS THAT DRONES ARE INTRUSIVE BECAUSE PART OF DOING THIS RESPONSIBLY IS ME NOT JUST COMING BACK.
IT THIS IS HOW NO, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE BUILDING IT IN.
WE'RE LAYING OUT FRONT WHAT MISSIONS ARE APPROVED, WHAT FLIGHTS ARE DOCUMENTED, WHO'S OPERATING THESE AIRCRAFT, WHAT WE'LL BE DOING TO KEEP THAT WHOLE PROGRAM STAYING TRANSPARENT.
TRANSPARENT TO COUNCIL, TRANSPARENT TO OUR CITIZENS, TRANSPARENT TO OUR STAFF.
AND YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ME USE THAT WORD A LOT TRANSPARENT.
'CAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE PILLARS OF THIS POLICY.
AND WHAT WE'RE ALSO NOT GONNA DO IS WE'RE NOT GONNA BRUSH AWAY ANY CONCERNS THAT EMPLOYEES MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THEIR JOBS.
WHAT DO YOU NEED ME FOR? IF YOU CAN FLY THIS? YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT PEOPLE MIGHT ASK.
AND WHAT WE'RE AIMING TO DO WITH THIS POLICY IS GIVE THE TOWN STRUCTURED AND AGAIN, FULLY ACCOUNTABLE WAY TO USE SAS AS RESPONSIBLE TOOLS TO SUPPORT THE TOWN.
THEY'RE TOOLS, THEY'RE FORCE MULTIPLIERS.
THEY DON'T, THEY, THEY DON'T REPLACE BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
THEY CAN'T, YOU KNOW, EVEN THE MOST ADVANCED DFR PROGRAMS OUT THERE.
AND DFR STANDS FOR DRONE AS FIRST RESPONDER.
GENERALLY IT'S, UM, YOU'LL SEE IN SOMETIMES IN ACTUALLY DOMINION ENERGY IS USING IT.
THEY'LL PUT LIKE A CASE, A BOX THAT HAS A DRONE IN A CENTRAL LOCATION, A 9 1 1 CALL.
THIS DRONE WILL SET OUT FIRST BEFORE POLICE ARE EVEN ON THE SCENE.
AND THAT STILL CANNOT REPLACE BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
IT'S GONNA GIVE OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, YOU KNOW, INTELLIGENCE AND AWARENESS AND A BETTER PICTURE OF WHAT THEY'RE WALKING INTO.
BUT IT'S NOT GONNA REPLACE A POLICE OFFICER.
IT CAN'T REPLACE A WATER SEWER OPERATOR WHO'S OUT THERE AT TWO IN THE MORNING WITH A WATER MAIN BREAK.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GONNA, IT'S NOT GONNA REPLACE AN ENERGY SERVICES TECHNICIAN THAT'S REPLACING A LINE THAT'S BEEN DOWN DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER KEY PART OF THIS POLICY.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS JUST, AGAIN, GIVING THEM THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO DO THAT, HAVE A SAFER OR OFFICIAL WAY TO DO THEIR JOBS.
SO NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT AN SUAS IS, WHAT IS THIS PROGRAM AIMING FOR? WHAT IT'S NOT AIMING FOR? THE NEXT BIG THING I NEED TO ANSWER IS WHY, WHY SHOULD THE TOWN ADOPT AN SUAS PROGRAM? NOW, OVER THE PAST YEAR ALONE, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL INCIDENTS THAT HIGHLIGHT WHY HAVING AN IN-HOUSE SUAS CAPABILITY IS NO LONGER A LUXURY.
IT'S A PRACTICAL TOOL FOR SAFETY, SPEED AND OPERATIONAL READINESS.
ONE OF THE CLEAREST EXAMPLES OCCURRED ON AUGUST 4TH, 2025 WHEN HIGH SPEED PURSUIT ENTERED OUR JURISDICTION FROM A SURROUNDING COUNTY.
AFTER A TIRE DEFLATION DEVICES WERE DEPLOYED AND THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, BOTH THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER FLED ON FOOT.
OFFICERS WERE ABLE TO APPREHEND THE PASSENGER, BUT THE DRIVER ESCAPED INTO THE WOODED TERRAIN ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN.
AND TO CONTINUE THAT SEARCH SAFELY, WE HAD TO REQUEST FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE AVIATION TO LAUNCH THEIR HELICOPTER.
NOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FAIRFAX ONE, THE HELICOPTER.
IT'S EXTRAORDINARY, BUT IT ALSO, IT ALSO COSTS $2,500 AN HOUR TO OPERATE THAT ASSET.
UM, AND IT'S NO ONE PRIORITY IS AERO MEDICAL EVACUATION.
SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT IS HAPPENING, WHAT OUR INCIDENT IS, IF THERE IS A AN EMERGENCY, IT'S BREAKING OFF PURSUIT.
IT, IT COULD BE A GUN FIGHT OR D OKAY CORRAL, IT'S GONE AS IT SHOULD BE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
BUT, AND IT ALSO HAS A 50% FUEL RESERVE.
SO IF THAT HELICOPTER IS STARTING TO APPROACH 50% FUEL, IT WILL ALSO RETURN BACK TO BASE.
SO IT'S, AND AND AGAIN, DESPITE FAIRFAX COUNTY'S RAPID RESPONSE THAT DAY, AN IN-HOUSE SUS COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE AIR WITHIN MINUTES OF THAT, OF THAT INITIAL PURSUIT NOTIFICATION.
AND THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED EVENT.
FROM MAY, 2024 TO MAY, 2025, THE TOWN HAS RESPONDED TO AT LEAST 10 CALLS WHERE AN SJAS REQUEST WAS PUT IN.
UH, WE HAD TO GET UNMANNED AIRCRAFT FROM SURROUNDING COUNTIES.
WARREN COUNTY HAS ALSO EXPERIENCED AT LEAST 18 SIMILAR SITUATIONS IN THE PAST HERE.
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CALLS RANGE ANYWHERE FROM SEARCH AND RESCUE CALLS WHERE AN AIRCRAFT WITH THERMAL IMAGING COULD COVER ROUGH TERRAIN IN MINUTES.THAT WOULD TAKE HOURS ON FOOT TO AERIAL SUPPORT, PURSUIT PURSUITS, EVEN VEHICULAR ONES.
AND THEN OF COURSE THERE'S THE HIGHER RISK SITUATIONS, SUCH AS WHEN OFFICERS MUST ENTER A HOME WITH POSSIBLY HOSTILE OCCUPANTS.
YOU SEE THERE, IN FACT, ONE OF THESE 10 CALLS IN TOWN WAS OFFICERS RESPONDING TO A GUNSHOT THAT WAS AIMED AT THEM FROM INSIDE A HOUSE.
AND A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS NOW ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BEFORE ANYONE EVEN STEPS THROUGH THE DOORWAY, AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT IS DEPLOYED TO MAKE SURE THE INTERIOR IS SAFE.
THAT'S BECOMING THE MODERN STANDARD FOR SWAT AND TACTICAL TEAMS. 'CAUSE IT KEEPS PEOPLE OUT OF HARM'S WAY.
I KNOW ALL OF US HERE WOULD MUCH RATHER THEM SWING A BAT AT A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAN ANY OF OUR OFFICERS.
I, I'D RATHER THEY NOT SWING IT AT THE EQUIPMENT EITHER, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'D RATHER THE EQUIPMENT IF THEY'RE GONNA SWING IT AT ANYTHING.
UM, BUT IN EACH OF THESE SCENARIOS, HAVING A TOWN OPERATED AIRCRAFT READY TO LAUNCH IMMEDIATELY WOULD PROVIDE FASTER INTELLIGENCE, IMPROVED OFFICER SAFETY, AND REDUCE THE NEED TO RELY ON RESOURCES FROM OUTSIDE JURISDICTIONS.
AND ALL OF THIS IS ONLY REPRESENTING THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE OF THAT Y EQUATION.
WHY ARE SGIS SUCH A VALUABLE TOOL IN TODAY'S DAY AND AGE? THE VALUE THAT WOULD BE GAINED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT EQUATION, THE MUNICIPAL SIDE IS EVEN BIGGER FOR US.
UM, STATISTICALLY CIVILIANS DEPLOY SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS FAR MORE THAN OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UM, AND SUAS WOULD GIVE PUBLIC WORKS THE ABILITY TO ASSESS STORM DEBRIS OR ENTER PERMIT REQUIRED CONFINED SPACES REMOTELY WITHOUT SENDING EMPLOYEES INTO A POSITIVELY HAZARDOUS AREA.
AS YOUR RISK AND SAFETY COORDINATOR, I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH OSHA LIKES WHEN YOU REMOVE EMPLOYEES FROM THE HAZARDS AND YOU SEND IN A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT INSTEAD, UM, ENERGY SERVICES CAN POSSIBLY INSPECT LINE DAMAGE WITH THE THERMAL IMAGING AND PROACTIVELY DEAL WITH PROBLEMS NOT REACTIVELY.
THEY CAN START SEEING WHEN THE HOTSPOTS ARE THERE.
IMAGINE HOW MUCH FASTER IT'LL ALSO BE WHEN YOU'RE SENDING IN THESE DRONES UP AND IT'S DOING IN THE SPAN OF A COUPLE DAYS WHEN IT WOULD TAKE WEEKS IF NOT MONTHS, TO CHECK THE GRID.
AND AGAIN, IT WILL KEEP EMPLOYEES FROM ELEVATED OR ENERGIZED ENVIRONMENTS.
ANOTHER PLUS FOR OSHA, THE INCREDIBLE MAPPING APPLICATIONS OUT THERE FOR SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT, BUT ALSO CONTINUE TO MAKE HIGH IMPROVEMENTS.
OUR GROWING JIS CAPABILITIES FOR OUR PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT.
AND OF COURSE FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM, WE CAN TAKE INCREDIBLE PHOTOGRAPHS OR CAPTURE VIDEO OF OUR TOWN EVENTS.
I YA THIS PICTURE FROM THE ROYAL EXAMINER, ANYONE KNOWS ME KNOWS I LOVE CHRISTMAS, SO I'M GONNA SPRINKLE IN HOLIDAYS ANY CHANCE I GET
UM, BUT AGAIN, THESE, THESE AIRCRAFT, THESE TOOLS WILL ENHANCE SAFETY EFFICIENCY AND THE QUALITY OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO EVERY DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE, WHAT'S THE WHY'S? THAT'S WHEN WE'RE GONNA START GETTING INTO THE HOW.
'CAUSE AFTER YOU IDENTIFY THE NEEDS AND THE BENEFITS, YOU GOTTA TALK ABOUT HOW, AND YOU GOTTA LAY DOWN HOW WE'RE GONNA GET FROM WHERE WE ARE TO WHERE WE WANNA BE.
SO, AND ONCE YOU START GOING INTO THE HOW MISSIONS WILL BE AUTHORIZED ACROSS TOWN, HOW DEPLOYMENTS ACTUALLY WORK, HOW'S THIS PROGRAM STRUCTURED? YOU'RE STARTING TO LAY DOWN THE BRICKS OF WHO CAN FLY, WHEN THEY CAN FLY, WHERE THEY COMPLY.
ALL THAT TOGETHER IS IN THE HOW THIS PROGRAM OPERATES.
SO FIRST OFF, EVERYTHING IN OUR PROGRAM, EVERY SUAS DEPLOYMENT OPERATES UNDER A STRICT HIERARCHY OF AUTHORITY.
NOTHING GETS OFF THE GROUND UNLESS IT'S CLEAR.
THESE THREE GATES, AND THE FIRST ONE I HAVE LISTED THERE ON TOP OF IT ALL IS THE FAA SPECIFICALLY.
THAT MEANS FOLLOWING EVERYTHING THEY'VE PUT TOGETHER IN PART 1 0 7.
THAT MEANS EVERY SINGLE PILOT THAT WOULD BE OPERATING UNDER THIS POLICY HAS PASSED THE AERONAUTICAL KNOWLEDGE TEST TO GAIN THEIR REMOTE PILOT CERTIFICATION.
THAT MEANS BEFORE EVERY SINGLE FLIGHT, THEY'RE GETTING THEIR UP TO DATE METEOR READINGS.
YOU KNOW, UH, THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, THAT'S METEOROLOGICAL AERODROME REPORTS.
THEY'RE CHECKING IF THERE'S ANY TFR WITH THE FAA.
THERE'S ANY TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS IF THEY NEED TO GET ANY WAIVERS.
THIS IS ALL JUST THE FIRST GATE BEFORE THEY DEPLOY.
THE SECOND GATE IS ANY OTHER APPLICABLE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAWS.
I'LL TOUCH A LITTLE MORE ON THE LAWS AND I DO MEAN A LITTLE, UH, IN THE NEXT SECTION, BUT IF WE'RE NOT CLEAR UNDER THESE THREE, WE'RE NOT GOING UP IN THERE.
BUT FINALLY THE THIRD GATE IS POLICY RULES.
DID YOU COMPLETE YOUR PRE AND POST FLIGHT CHECKLIST? DID YOU SHAKE AND MAKE YOUR AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO FLIGHT? MEANING DID YOU LIFT UP YOUR DRONE IN A CONTROLLED HEIGHT ABOUT FIVE FEET? DID YOU MOVE IT FORWARD, BACK OR LEFT? RIGHT? MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S OPERATIONAL BEFORE YOU SEND THIS THING A HUNDRED FEET TODAY OR A HIGHER, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE DOING IT IN A CONTROLLED HEIGHT.
DID YOU DOCUMENT THE FLIGHT ACCORDINGLY? MORE IMPORTANTLY, UNDER WHAT OPERATIONAL USE CASE SCENARIO IS THIS FLIGHT GOING UNDER? 'CAUSE OUR POLICY WILL BE MAKING SURE THAT EVERY DEPLOYMENT TYPE FALLS INTO ONE OF THE EIGHT APPROVED OPERATIONAL USE CASE SCENARIOS.
ALSO TO AS MISSION TYPES AND THE PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY
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SEARCH AND RESCUE, TACTICAL AND SCENE SUPPORT, FLOOD AND STORM RESPONSE, UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE INSPECTION, POWER LINE ASSESSMENT, OUTAGE AND OBSTRUCTION, SUITE DEVELOPMENT AND MAPPING OPERATIONS AND TOURISM AND SPECIAL EVENTS.THESE ARE THE EIGHT APPROVED MISSION TYPES THAT EVERY SINGLE SUS DEPLOYMENT IN TOWN WOULD HAVE TO FALL UNDER.
IT HAS TO, THE ONLY TWO THAT AREN'T LISTED HERE ARE MAINTENANCE AND TRAINING.
NOW THAT WE'VE, UH, LAID OUT A LITTLE BIT OF THE SUM AND THE WHEN AND WHERE A FLIGHT CAN BE DEPLOYED, THAT TO ALSO ADD UP TO THE HOW IS, HOW'S THIS PROGRAM GONNA OPERATE? WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT HOW IT'S STRUCTURED IN TERMS OF PERSONNEL WHO IS FLYING, WHO CAN REQUEST FOR AN SUAS DEPLOYMENT.
NOT EVERYONE CAN REQUEST ONE, UH, ONLY SUPERVISORY STAFF CAN REQUEST A FLIGHT AND THAT WILL FUNNEL TO A CENTRALIZED ROLE.
THE SUAS ADMINISTRATOR AT THE CENTER OF OUR OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE IS THE ROLE OF THE SUAS ADMINISTRATOR.
THAT THE HOUSE WITHIN THE RISK MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, THIS WAS SOMETHING THE TOWN MANAGER, THE ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER, THE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND RISK MANAGEMENT AND MYSELF HAVE DISCUSSED THAT LENGTH.
BECAUSE FOR A PROGRAM LIKE THIS TO WORK AND TO KEEP THINGS STRUCTURED AND TO MEET THAT LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WE'RE AIMING FOR YOU, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CENTRALIZED POINT.
YOU CAN'T HAVE EVERY DEPARTMENT JUST LAUNCHING AIRCRAFT WHEN THEY WANT IT BE CHAOS.
AND THE FAA WILL SHUT IT RIGHT DOWN.
THE SUAS ADMINISTRATOR SERVES EXACTLY AS THAT ROLE.
THEY'LL OVERSEE THE ENTIRE PROGRAM SAFELY STORING THE NON-LAW ENFORCEMENT EQUIPMENT, ASSIGNING MUNICIPAL MISSIONS TO MUNICIPAL PILOTS, CONFIRMING THAT EVERY PILOT, BOTH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MUNICIPAL, 'CAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE TWO TYPES OF PILOTS ARE PROPERLY CERTIFIED AND TRAINED.
THEY'LL BE REVIEWING ALL FLIGHT DOCUMENTATION AND MAINTAINING THE EQUIPMENT AND RECORDS.
THIS IS GOING TO CREATE ONE CONSISTENT STANDARD ACROSS THE TOWN AND ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS.
AND IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE WHO HANDLES THE APPOINTMENT OF THEIR POLICE REMOTE PILOTS.
NOTICE THAT SAID, MUNICIPAL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO THE CHIEF OF POLICE WILL BE HANDLING THE POLICE SIDE.
UH, THIS WILL ALLOW FOR THE DEPLOYMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT MISSION SO THE POLICE CAN RESPOND QUICKLY WHEN THEY NEED TO, WHILE STILL KEEPING THE BROADER PROGRAM UNDER THE SINGLE ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK AND UNDER THAT UMBRELLA.
AND I SAID WE'RE GONNA DIVIDE PILOTS INTO TWO GROUPS, EACH SERVING VERY DIFFERENT NEEDS ON THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE OF THE PROGRAM.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR POLICE REMOTE PILOTS, SWORN OFFICERS WHO ARE CERTIFIED AND EVERYTHING ON THE PART 1 0 7, AND THEY'RE AUTHORIZED TO CONDUCT SJS MISSIONS THAT SUPPORT POLICE OPERATIONS.
POLICE USAGE IS ACTUALLY GOVERNED UNDER MUCH STRICTER LEGAL STANDARD THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER TOWN DEPARTMENT.
AND ONCE WE GO INTO THE LEGAL SECTION, I'LL TOUCH THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BUT FOR NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PROGRAM STRUCTURE.
BUT THIS WILL ALLOW OUR POLICE REMOTE PILOTS FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENTS TO DEPLOY MISSIONS WHEN THEY NEED TO, WHETHER TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES OR TO EXECUTE WARRANTS.
AND THE SECOND GROUP IS THE MUNICIPAL REMOTE PILOTS.
THESE ARE THE CERTIFIED PILOTS WHO SUPPORT OUR OTHER TOWN DEPARTMENTS.
THEIR MISSIONS ARE GONNA LOOK VERY DIFFERENT FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SOMETIMES THEY'RE SCHEDULED LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE ASSESSMENTS AND MAPPING OR UTILITY INSPECTIONS.
SOMETIMES THEY MIGHT INVOLVE URGENT OPERATIONAL NEEDS SUCH AS STORM DAMAGE FLOODING, OR THAT WATER MAY BREAK AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING THAT I MENTIONED AT.
THE KEY DIFFERENCE IS THAT MUNICIPAL DEPLOYMENTS AREN'T GOVERNED BY THE SAME WARRANT RESTRICTIONS THAT APPLY TO POLICE AND REGULATORY BODIES AND THE STATE CODE.
ALL MUNICIPAL FLIGHT REQUESTS GO DIRECTLY TO THE SUAS ADMINISTRATOR, NOT TO THE PILOT THEMSELVES.
THE ADMINISTRATOR ENSURES THAT THE SCOPE FALLS WITHIN OUR AUTHORIZED USE CASES AND THEN ASSIGNS A MISSION TO AN AVAILABLE MUNICIPAL PILOT.
THAT DISTINCTION BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS IS GONNA BE ONE OF THE FOUNDATIONAL PILLARS OF THIS PROGRAM STRUCTURE BECAUSE IT GIVES THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THE FLEXIBILITY THAT THEY NEED TO ACT IMMEDIATELY WHEN THERE'S AN URGENT THREAT TO SAFETY WHILE ALSO GIVEN THE TOWNS, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT CENTRALIZED REQUEST AND ASSIGNED STRUCTURE.
UM, SO HERE'S THE NEXT SECTION, AND I'M SURE THIS IS GONNA BE EVERYONE'S FAVORITE SECTION 'CAUSE IT'S THE LEGAL PART.
SO HOW DO WE STAY COMPLIANT? THIS IS ALSO PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART 'CAUSE IT MEANS WE'RE HOW WE STAY OUTTA TROUBLE.
I WANT TO HAMMER HOME THAT EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING HERE WITH OUR FLIGHTS LEGALLY IS ON THE UP AND UP PUN INTENDED.
EVERY SINGLE PRESENT, EVERY SINGLE PUNT OF MY PRESENTATION IS COMPLETELY INTENDED.
SO IF YOU HEAR UPON IT'S INTENDED, UM, THIS OF COURSE IS A VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW.
I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO EVERY SINGLE ONE.
WE HAVE OUR FEDERAL REGULATION THAT I'M HIGHLIGHTING HERE, THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, AND ONCE MOST APPLICABLE IN OUR TOWN CODE.
WHEN I WAS CREATING THIS POLICY, I DID A PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE DIVE INTO THESE, AND I'LL GIVE THANKS FOR WORKING OVER A DECADE OF THE KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE FOR BEING ABLE TO GET THROUGH THOSE WEEDS.
BUT AFTERWARDS, I PRESENTED IT TO THE
[01:05:01]
TOWN ATTORNEY TO GET HIS FEEDBACK.AND MR. SONNET FOUND THE POLICY TO BE, AND I QUOTE, VERY COMPREHENSIVE, WHICH I TAKE THAT AS A COMPLIMENT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, AFTER, AND THAT WAS AFTER ATTENDING THE GO LOCAL GOVERNMENT ATTORNEYS OF VIRGINIA FALL CONFERENCE IN OCTOBER, 2025.
UH, HE CONCURRED THAT OUR POLICY IS IN LEGAL COMPLIANCE TO MEET OUR NEEDS.
THAT CONFERENCE, BY THE WAY, WAS HAVING A LEGISLATIVE SESSION ON SUVS BECAUSE IT JUST BECOMES SO MUCH MORE COMMONPLACE ACROSS VIRGINIA, ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THE ONLY ONE THAT I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, AND I PROMISE WE'LL BE BRIEF, UH, IS CODE OF VIRGINIA 19.2 DASH 60.1, MAINLY SECTIONS B, C AND D.
THIS IS JUST DEFINING UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.
BUT THAT SECTION RIGHT THERE, IT'S JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW ALL AGENCY WITH JURISDICTION OVER CRIMINAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR REGULATORY VIOLATIONS WILL UTILIZE AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT UNLESS THEY HAVE A SEARCH WARRANT OR AN ADMINISTRATIVE INSPECTION WARRANT.
THIS IS WHAT I WAS TOUCHING ON EARLIER, THAT USAGE FOR OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IS ALREADY GOVERNED UNDER A MUCH STRICTER LEGAL STANDARD, UH, THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER TOWN DEPARTMENT EXCEPT FOR PLANNING AND ZONING, BECAUSE THEY FALL UNDER AN AGENCY THAT MIGHT IMPOSE REGULATORY VIOLATIONS.
SECTION C, THESE ARE THE EMERGENCY EXEMPTIONS LISTED HERE WHERE LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN DEPLOY AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT WITHOUT THE NEED OF A WARRANT.
THEN AMBER ALERTS, BLUE ALERTS, SENIOR ALERTS.
SO IF LAW ENFORCEMENT DOES NEED TO DEPLOY IN WHAT IS DEEMED HERE AS AN EMERGENCY, THEY CAN DO SO.
AND THE LAST SECTION HERE, I'LL JUST BRING YOUR SECTION UP HERE, YOUR EYES UP HERE TO BE IS THIS IS FOR OUR MUNICIPAL MISSIONS, AND IT JUST STATES HERE THAT THE WARRANT REQUIREMENTS SHALL NOT APPLY WHEN THESE SYSTEMS ARE UTILIZED TO SUPPORT OUR LOCALITY FOR THE PURPOSES OF OTHER THAN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THAT INCLUDES PLANNING AND ZONING IF THE FIGHT IS NOT IN SERVICE OF IMPOSING ANY TYPE OF REGULATORY VIOLATION.
SO OUR GIS WE WANTED TO DO OUR MAPPING.
SO REMEMBER WHEN I SAID THAT WORD TRANSPARENT IS GONNA BE ONE OF THE PILLARS.
THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA HYPERFOCUS ON IT.
THIS IS THE SKELETON OF WHAT OUR STRUCTURED FRAMEWORK IS GONNA BE BUILT AROUND.
IT'S THE CLEAR PACKAGE WE CALL THE STORE INITIATIVE.
IT STANDS FOR SQAS, OPERATIONAL AWARENESS AND REVIEW.
THIS WILL BE THE TOWN'S COMMITMENT TO MAKING THIS PROGRAM AS OPEN AND ACCOUNTABLE AS POSSIBLE.
WHEN I, WHEN I WAS CREATING THIS INITIATIVE, I WAS CONSTANTLY TRYING TO PROACTIVELY ANSWER ONE QUESTION.
HOW DO WE KNOW THESE DRONES ARE BEING USED APPROPRIATELY? I NEVER WANT OUR CITIZENS, I NEVER WANT COUNSEL, I NEVER WANT STAFF TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S IN OUR SKIES.
OKAY? I NOT SURE IF Y'ALL REMEMBER, BUT BACK IN 2024, WE HAD THOSE WIDESPREAD REPORTS, DRONES IN THE SKY.
PEOPLE WEREN'T GETTING ANSWERS AND THEY'RE UN, YOU KNOW, JUSTIFIABLY CONCERNED.
I REMEMBER I'M AN EIGHTIES BABY, SO I REMEMBER THIS MOVIE CALLED BATTERY'S NOT INCLUDED IN THAT MOVIE.
ALL LITTLE DRAWINGS WERE NICE, BUT PEOPLE HAVE JUSTIFIABLE CONCERNS THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE ONES IN THE SKY WEREN'T
SO THIS POLICY'S JOB, IT SOARS RESPONSIBILITY TO REASSURE AND REAFFIRM THAT WE ARE USING OUR UNMET AIRCRAFT RESPONSIBLY.
SO WE'RE GONNA NIP IT IN THE BUD IN THREE WAYS.
WE'RE GONNA REAL TIME TRANSPARENCY.
ALL NON-SENSITIVE SUIS DEPLOYMENTS SHALL BE ANNOUNCED AND SUMMARIZED IN REAL TIME THROUGH THE TOWN'S OFFICIAL STORE MEDIA FEED.
THAT MEANS MAKING A DEDICATED FACEBOOK PAGE FOR IT.
WE'RE GONNA, UM, JUST FOR ANY NON-EMERGENCY DEPLOYMENT, WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE THE A ADDING TO OUR PAGE OR WEBSITE.
IT'S GONNA HAVE THE POLICY THERE.
AND ALL IT'S GONNA HAVE IN THESE NOTIFICATIONS ON FACEBOOK IS DATE, TIME, GENERAL LOCATION, AND WHAT THE MISSION DEPLOYMENT, WHAT THOSE OPERATIONAL CASE IS.
SO THIS WAY, IF ANYONE SEES IT, WHAT'S THAT? THEY CAN LOOK ON THE FACEBOOK PAGE, THEY CAN LOOK ON, THEY CAN LOOK ON THE WEBSITE.
THEY'RE DOING A INFRASTRUCTURE OUTAGE SWEEP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEY'RE GONNA GET REAL TIME NOTIFICATION FOR IT.
THAT CAN THEY CALL THE PD TABLE? WHAT IS THAT OUT THERE?
EVERY SINGLE MISSION, BOTH POLICE AND MUNICIPAL WILL BE AUDITED BY THE SUS ADMINISTRATOR.
THEY'LL BE REVIEWING THE FLIGHT LOGS DOCUMENTATION, CONFIRMING THAT THAT JUSTIFICATION IS FOR OUR, UM, IS JUSTIFIED FOR EACH MISSION DEPLOYMENT, ENSURING THAT EVERY FLIGHT IS COMPLYING WITH THOSE HIERARCHY OF RULES, THE FA REGULATIONS, LAWS POLICY, AND OF COURSE DOCUMENTING ANY CORRECTIONS THAT
[01:10:01]
IN THE OFFICIAL PROGRAM LAWS, THIS IS NOT A ONCE IN A YEAR CHECK.THIS IS BUILT INTO EVERY SINGLE MISSION THAT DEPLOYS.
SO, UH, SO REPORT WILL BE PRESENTED TO PUBLIC BEYOND WHAT WE PUT ON THE WEBSITE WITH THOSE FOUR THINGS.
WE'LL SUMMARIZE THE PROGRAM ACTIVITY WITH TOTAL NUMBER MISSIONS, MISSION TYPES, DEPARTMENTS SUPPORTED GENERAL DEPLOYMENT AREAS, ANY NOTABLE OPERATIONAL TRENDS.
AND WE'RE GONNA KEEP THIS REPORT ON THE TOWN WEBSITE, MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, LET THEM SEE THE BENEFIT THAT THESE TOOLS ARE PROVIDING TO THEM, UM, AND ADD TO THAT AN ANNUAL BRIEFING TO TOWN COUNCIL WHERE WE GO MORE IN DEPTH AND PRESENT THE ENTIRE YEAR AS SUS ACTIVITY.
SO I AM HOPING I HAVE COVERED THE FIVE W'S, THE ONE H, THE WHO, WHERE, AND THE WHY AND HOW.
THAT'S OUR NEED FOR THIS POLICY AND THE BENEFITS IT'LL PROVIDE THE TOWN, THE LEGAL GUARDRAILS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE IN PLACE, THE TRANSPARENCY THAT TIES THIS PROGRAM TOGETHER.
I JUST NEED TO ANSWER ONE FINAL W QUESTION.
AND THAT IS, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? IT'S ALL DONE IN PHASES.
WE'RE GONNA DO IT ALL DELIBERATE, SLOW ROLLOUT.
I SAID THAT'S A SONG WHEREVER WE GO.
THE FIRST IS THE POLICY ADOPTION PHASE.
HOPEFULLY WE REVIEW THE POLICY, ADOPT IT, BECAUSE EVERYTHING YOU'VE SEEN TODAY, THE STRUCTURE OF THE OPERATIONAL CONTROLS, THE LEGAL BINDINGS, NONE OF THAT GOES IN PLACE WITHOUT THIS POLICY BEING APPROVED.
NEXT IS OUR QUALIFICATION PHASE.
EVERY REMOTE PILOT IN COMMAND HAS THAT, THAT PART 1 0 7 CERTIFICATE.
WELL, THIS IS WHERE WE START GETTING OUR PILOTS TO TAKE THOSE EXAMS. UM, WE'RE, WE WERE, I WAS SPEAKING WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THREE, THREE OR FOUR FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MAYBE ONE OR TWO PILOTS FOR MUNICIPAL SIDE.
AFTER THAT IS WHEN WE BEGIN OUR INTEGRATION PHASE.
THIS IS OUR LARGEST MULTI-TIER PHASE.
IT'S GONNA BE IN THREE PHASES.
WITHIN THE PHASE, UH, THIS IS WHERE WE BEGIN THE RESEARCH AND THE PURCHASING OF THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT, THE ACTUAL UAVS, THE ACCESSORIES, THE PERIPHERALS, BATTERIES, CARRYING CASES.
UH, IT'S ALSO PREFERABLE TO HAVE A SPECIALIZED MEANS OF TRANSPORT FOR YOUR DRONES BECAUSE THIS WAY YOU JUST CAN CHARGE 'EM IN ROUTE.
YOU NEVER WANNA JUST CHARGE 'EM AHEAD OF TIME.
YOU DON'T WANNA KEEP THAT BATTERY CHARGING CONSTANTLY.
WE CAN BYPASS THAT WITH JUST GETTING JACK RAY POWER STATIONS.
WE'LL KEEP 'EM EN ROUTE BEFORE GOING TO THE SCENE.
MICKEY AGREES,
I WAS LIKE, DO WE ALREADY OWN THE EQUIPMENT TO DO THIS?
WHEN I SAW THE POLICY, I WAS LIKE, DO WE HAVE AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS ALREADY? NO.
NO, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY AIRCRAFT.
UM, OUR MORE IMMEDIATE GOAL ALSO IN THIS, OBVIOUSLY, OTHER THAN GETTING THE AIRCRAFT, IS THE IN, IN THE INTEGRATION PHASE, IS THE MANAGEMENT PLATFORM.
IT IS VERY CRUCIAL THAT WE HAVE A MANAGEMENT PLATFORM, UH, WHETHER THAT'S DRONE SENSE, DRONE DEPLOY, OR A LOFT OR SOMETHING SIMILAR.
IT'S A LINCHPIN TO THE ENTIRE SOAR INITIATIVE BECAUSE IF THEY'RE SO ADVANCED NOW THIS KEEPS THE FLIGHTS LOGGED AND AUDITED.
SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE, LIKE IF THE DRONE, IT'LL REPLAY THE TELEMATICS PATH OF THE DRONE.
SO IF IT'S IN THE AIR, IT'LL SHOW YOU THE FIELD OF VIEW ALSO THAT THE CAMERA WAS FACING.
SO IF THE DRONE'S FLYING LIKE THIS ACROSS THE STREET, THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S TAKING EVERYTHING 360, THE CAMERA'S FACING THIS WAY.
AND WITH THOSE DRONE MANAGEMENT PLATFORMS, YOU CAN ACTUALLY REPLAY THAT AND THAT CAN ALSO BE PART OF THE SO INITIATIVE AS WELL.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE START CREATING THE FRAMEWORK FOR.
SO THE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS WEBSITE UPDATED ACCORDINGLY.
THE LAST PART OF THE INTEGRATION PHASE IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR PILOTS START WORKING ON THE PRACTICAL HANDS-ON TRAINING THROUGH THE FREELY AVAILABLE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY COURSES.
UH, IF ANYONE'S FAMILIAR WITH UNMANNED AIRCRAFT, IT'S THE BUCKET TEST AND IT'S JUST WHERE THEY PUT BUCKETS AROUND A CERTAIN AREA.
AND OUR PILOTS START MOVING THE DRONE UP IN THE AIR.
THEY MOVE THE CAMERA TO A CERTAIN LOCATION TO TRY TO CAPTURE THE TARGET THAT'S WITHIN THE BUCKET.
AND IT'S JUST SO THAT WE CAN GET OUR PILOTS PRACTICAL HANDS-ON TRAINING BEFORE THEY'RE EVEN DEPLOYING ANYWHERE THEY HAVEN'T EVEN DEPLOYED YET.
AND WHERE THIS IS THE LAYERS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT ON OUR PILOTS.
THE NEXT PHASE IS ONCE OUR PILOTS ARE TRAINED AND THE EQUIPMENT IS ONLINE, IS WHEN WE DO START GETTING INTO THE EARLY OPERATIONS PHASE.
THAT MEANS STARTING WITH LOW RISK MUNICIPAL MISSIONS, MAPPING INSPECTIONS.
UH, WHILE LAW ENFORCEMENT PILOTS, I'M SURE ARE GOING TO BE COMPLETING SCENARIO TRAINING, INTEGRATING IT WITH THEIR DISPATCHING COMMAND.
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IS A CONTROLLED DELIBERATE ROLLOUT.WE'RE NOT FLIPPING A SWITCH OVERNIGHT.
WE'RE NOT BLANKETING THE SKIES AND UAVS.
WE ARE JUST DOING EVERYTHING SLOW, METHODICAL, PLANNED.
AND THE LAST PHASE IS OUR FULLY OPERATIONAL PHASE.
THIS IS WHERE ALL DIVISIONS ARE TRAINED.
THEY'RE EQUIPPED, FULLY ALIGNED WITH TALENT POLICY, CARRYING OUT THE USE CASE SCENARIOS I'VE DESCRIBED HERE.
AND AT THIS POINT, THE SUAS STOPS BEING A NEW PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SIMPLY ANOTHER EVERYDAY TOOL THAT WE USE STILL GIVING THE RESPECT TO DESERVES.
BECAUSE COMPLACENCY BREEDS CONTEMPT.
YOU GOTTA STILL TREAT IT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE RESPECT THAT YOU WOULD TREAT ANY OTHER TOOL CHANGE OR DRILL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT IT'S JUST AS COMMONPLACE NOW.
AS SEEN AS SENDING OUT A BUCKET TRUCK, THOUGH TODAY IS JUST ABOUT THE POLICY.
EVERY STEP, HOPEFULLY AFTER TODAY IS ONE THAT ADVANCES US PULL THE PROGRAM AND A VISION FOR THE TOWN THAT IS SAFER, FASTER, MORE INFORMED AND FULLY TRANSPARENT TO BOTH COUNSEL AND TO OUR CITIZENS.
HOPEFULLY HAVING BOARD Y'ALL TOO MUCH.
AND THANK YOU FOR VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO ME DRONE ON.
AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
YOU'RE VERY ENERGETIC WITH YOUR, ARE YOU AS ENERGETIC WITH ALL OF YOUR PRESENTATIONS? YES, YES.
LIKE YOU TOOK SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN BLASE AND YOU MAY, I WAS LIKE, OKAY, WHAT'S NEXT? YEAH.
IF YOU, IF YOU COULD, UH, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, JURISDICTIONS THAT YOU, YOU HAD DEALT WITH, WHAT, WHAT WAS THEIR BASIC LIFE CYCLE FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END IN TERMS OF THEIR, UH, IN TERMS OF TIME FROM POLICY TO, TO FULLY OPERATE? TO FULLY OPERATE, TO FULLY OPERATE.
UM, I MEAN DID THEY, WERE, WERE THEY FULLY OPERATIONAL? WAS THAT YEAH.
ALL ALL OF THOSE LOCATIONS THAT I SAID THEY ARE ALL FULLY OPERATIONAL MM-HMM
UM, IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE LOCATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, UM, EVANS, IF I WENT BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE TOWN OF SCENE WISE, THAT'S THE LOCATION THAT HAS LESS THAN A THOUSAND RESIDENTS.
I WAS LIKE, DID I PRESS SOMETHING? AND IT'S GOING WILD.
I WAS, I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED THERE.
UM, THEY'VE GOT THEIRS OPERATIONAL VERY QUICKLY.
IT'S A LITTLE EASIER FOR THEM TO NOT AS LARGE OF A TOWN AS WE ARE.
UM, CITY OF WIN, UH, ACTUALLY GMU THANK YOU, UH, COUNTY ST.
I SAY WISE, THEY'RE LOCATED IN WISE COUNTY.
UM, GMU IS CONSTANTLY CYCLING THROUGH THEIRS.
THEY'RE PROBABLY THE MOST ADVANCED FLEET IN IF, I DON'T WANNA SAY ALL OF VIRGINIA, BUT IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA, EASILY THEY HAVE OVER 50, UH, 40 SOMETHING WOW.
UM, THEY'RE OPERATIONAL CONSTANTLY.
UM, CITY OF WINCHESTER, THE ORGANIZED RATHER QUICKLY AS WELL.
IT'S ALL ABOUT JUST KIND OF THE ACT LIKE THE POLICIES.
HYPOTHETICALLY, LET'S SAY MAYBE WHAT WENT WELL? UM, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY FEBRUARY, END OF FEBRUARY WE COULD EASILY GET OUR PILOTS QUALIFIED AND THEN YOU WOULD STILL TAKE LIKE THREE, FOUR MONTHS TO GET THE EQUIPMENT.
'CAUSE EVERYTHING HAS TO COME IN.
UM, RIGHT NOW THE WORLD OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFT IS IN A LITTLE BIT OF UPHEAVAL.
'CAUSE THE LARGER, UH, THE LARGEST MARKET RIGHT NOW, DJI IS NO LONGER ABLE TO SELL WITHIN THE US RIGHT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING IN KIND OF TRYING TO FILL IN THE HOLES WHILE SOME PEOPLE ARE STILL TRYING TO GET SOME OF THE OLDER ONES THERE.
'CAUSE DJI IS THE TOP FOR A REASON.
THERE PRODUCTS ARE FANTASTIC AND IT'S MONTHS.
IT'S MONTHS RATHER THAN YEARS.
THAT BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT QUESTION.
WHAT COST ASSOCIATION WITH THIS BETWEEN TRAINING THE PILOTS BUYING THE AIRCRAFT? UM, DO WE, DO WE HAVE FUNDS BUDGETED FOR THIS? AND WHAT, WHAT IS THE COST ASSOCIATED? YEAH, SO FOR OUR, FOR THE QUALIFICATION, I'LL START WITH THE PILOTS FIRST.
IT'S $175 FOR THE TEST ITSELF.
THE TRAINING, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A CLASS, YOU CAN EITHER GET A BOOK, WHICH IS LIKE 40 BUCKS.
I WOULD SAY TAKE THE GMU COURSE, WHICH I DID.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT 350 PER PILOT.
IF WE DID, UM, THE FIVE THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT TO FOR MUNICIPAL THREE FOR THREE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 10 50 TOTAL
[01:20:01]
AROUND THERE, GIVE OR TAKE, UM, NO, I'M SORRY.UM, 700 FOR TWO MUNICIPAL AND 10 50 FOR THREE LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THAT WOULD BE 1800 FOR PHASE TWO.
THAT WOULD BE FOR THE QUALIFICATION FOR ALL PILOTS.
AS FOR THE EQUIPMENT, THE UAVS, WE HAVE A FEW ROUTES THAT WE COULD GO WITH JUST 'CAUSE DJI IS NOT AVAILABLE.
THERE STILL ARE VIABLE OPTIONS FOR ONE.
THERE'S STILL THE REFURBISHED DJS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE STARTED GETTING THE DJI GENERATION FOUR, WHICH IS WHAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY ON.
GENERATION THREE IS STILL AMAZING.
IT IS LIGHT YEARS ABOVE WHAT IS GENERALLY OFFERED IN AMERICA.
UM, WE CAN START REACHING OUT TO SOME OF THESE LAW ENFORCEMENT, SEE IF THEY HAVE REFURBISHED ONES.
IF THEY'RE JUST PHASING OUT SOME OF THEIR OLDER ONES, WE CAN START USING THAT FOR OUR PURPOSES.
THERE'S ALSO, UH, ANDREW ROBOTICS, THEY'RE AN AMERICAN BASED COMPANY.
THEY'VE STARTED TAKING, THEY'VE TAKEN DJ I THREE MODELS, REMODELED THEM UP FOR THEIR PURPOSES, CHANGED THE COLOR, MADE 'EM GREEN, AND THOSE ARE ABOUT 8,000 FOR THE AIRCRAFT.
AND UM, ACTUALLY IT'S 7,700 FOR THE AIRCRAFT AND 400 FOR THE SPARE BATTERIES.
AND THEN FOR THE DRONE, FOR THE ALLAH, FOR THE PILOT, FOR THE LICENSE, FOR THE MANAGEMENT PLATFORM, IT'S 600 PER DRONE.
SO YOU CAN GO ABOUT 86 9,000 PER UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.
SO I THINK, UM, WHAT I THINK WOULD BE INTERESTING INFORMATION THAT IS NOT FOR TONIGHT, BUT FOR THE FUTURE IS, UM, YEAH, I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT THE 10 INCIDENTS WHERE WE, WHERE WE BROUGHT IN, UM, FROM OTHER LOCALITIES MM-HMM
I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD INFORMATION TO KNOW LIKE HOW MANY OTHER INCIDENTS WE COULD HAVE USED DRONES FOR AND WHY THAT WOULD'VE MADE A DIFFERENCE.
UM, AS FAR AS WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY'RE GONNA PUT MONEY TOWARD THIS PROGRAM.
UM, I MEAN, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU MADE A GOOD POINT ABOUT, UM, ON THE, ON THE MUNICIPAL SIDE, FOR INSTANCE, SAVING MONEY OR SAVING SAFETY ISSUES BY, YOU KNOW, PUTTING A DRONE IN PLACE VERSUS HAVING A PERSON IN PLACE.
BUT I THINK ALL THOSE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO, UM, HAVE IT MAPPED OUT.
BECAUSE IF YOU JUST SAY WE HAD 10 INCIDENTS, LIKE THAT DOESN'T TO ME SAY IMMEDIATELY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, 40 DRONE.
BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, SO ALONG THAT LINE, WE HAVE SOMETHING COMING UP, I BELIEVE SOON CARRIE WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT THEY'RE DOING THERMAL IMAGING FOR THEIR, THEY'RE DOING SOME TYPE OF THERMAL IMAGING RUN AND WE'VE MENTIONED IT.
SO THAT WE WILL HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN JOT DOWN AND START PREPARING FOR THE NEXT STEP OF LIKE, LOOK AT THIS, THIS IS THE TIME AND THE COST THAT MIGHT HAVE GONE INTO THAT, THAT WE COULD HAVE, MIGHT HAVE BEEN FUNNELED INTO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
AND I MEAN, I WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE TOO.
THEY, THEY HAVE BOTH
UM, HOW DO OTHER JURISDICTIONS OR LOCALITIES, IF IN ALL THE RESEARCH THAT YOU'VE DONE, I THOUGHT MAYBE YOU'D BE FAMILIAR WITH IT HANDLE, IF THEY USE THEIR EQUIPMENT TO ASSIST OTHER PEOPLE.
LIKE I KNOW WE JUST TALKED ABOUT IT'S $2,500 AN HOUR FOR US TO REQUIRE THE ASSIST FROM FAIRFAX WITH THEIR HELICOPTER.
IS IT THE SAME WITH THESE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT? DO THEY LIKE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT WHEN WE LEAVE? MM-HMM
I'LL REFER TO OUR CHIEF POLICE.
SO WE ALL HAVE AN AGREEMENT THROUGHOUT THE, THE AREA.
THEY'RE GONNA ASSIST US, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE WITH THE, THE AIRCRAFT OR THE DOGS.
WE RELY ON A LOT OF OUTSIDE JURISDICTIONS FOR THEIR BLOODHOUNDS.
BUT THAT'S MORE THAN JUST A GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT.
BECAUSE I CAN RECALL THERE'S NO USE IN PLACE.
MY MOM'S BEEN A DEPUTY MOST OF MY LIFE USE, I RECALL THE TIME WHERE WARREN COUNTY WASN'T A PART OF THAT ANYMORE.
ON SOME OF OUR HIGH RISK STUFF, COMPLEX STUFF THAT WE USE, WE USE SP HERE.
UM, WINCHESTER AND WE HAD STATE POLICE, WE HAD ALL FOUR OF THEM IN OUR AREA BEFORE.
UM, SO THEY'RE MORE THAN WILLING TO COME HERE AND HELP OUT.
UM, IF WE DO GO THIS ROUTE, THERE'S A CHANCE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NOT NEED THEM OR WE COULD NEED THEM.
DEPENDS ON STAFF AND YOU KNOW, HOW THAT WORKS OUT AND STUFF.
I KNOW THERE WAS A TIME WHERE THE COUNTY WAS NOT A PART OF THAT MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL ASSIST.
WELL, THE DRUG THING OUT FOR A WHILE.
I BELIEVE YOU WERE, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THERE WAS ANY TYPE OF MONETARY OR FISCAL AID THAT GOES OUT TO US LAUNCHING THESE AND ASSIST CASES, LIKE WITH THE HELICOPTER FROM FAIRFAX.
I MEAN, IF SOMEBODY SHOOTS OUR DRONE PIECES, I MEAN, THAT'S THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD.
ESPECIALLY IN THE, IN THE POLICE.
[01:25:01]
I MEAN, YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME CRAZY CONSTITUENT WHO SEES A DRONE OVER THE POWER LINES IN HIS BACKYARD.THAT'S A GOOD, THAT'S A GOOD, WELL THERE'S LIABILITY TO IT.
SO, UM, VERSA DOES COVER OUR WOOD COVER DRONES.
THEY WOULD COVER THEM ON THE, THEY CURRENTLY DO.
UM, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE ARE, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, ST.
PAUL, UM, WINCHESTER, THEY'RE ALL COVERED ON THE VERS.
UH, THEY COVER THEM ON LIKE VEHICLES, BUT THEY, I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE USE IT IN AN ASSIST, IS IT STILL COVERED IF WE SEND IT OVER TO WINCHESTER, IF WE SEND IT OVER TO RAPPAHANNOCK OR IF WE SEND IT OVER TO PAIGE, DO WE HAVE THE COVERAGE FOR A LIABILITY OF SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN OUR JURISDICTION? I WOULD IMAGINE SO.
HAVING A COP CARD OR ANYTHING ELSE.
BECAUSE IT'S, IT IS STILL HARASS FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ASKED TO ASK, UH, ASSETS.
I THINK IT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
OUR CARS AREN'T FEDERALLY REGULATED, SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING.
THERE'S A LOT WHEN YOU HAVE THE FAA AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACETS TO, BUT THAT DOESN'T AIRCRAFT.
YEAH, BUT THAT DOESN'T, GEORGE IS NODDING.
WELL, IT'S NOT THE SAME SITUATION.
CIRCUM, I CERTAIN THINK THE MOU BUT THE, SOME OF THE YEAH.
AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T GET IN.
THEY WON'T, THEY'RE ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO AS FAR AS MOU STUFF THERE, THEY WON'T HAVE INVOLVEMENT IN THAT.
SO, UM, WHAT, WHERE ARE WE AT WITH THIS? YOU PRE PRESENTED TONIGHT.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU UM, THAT WE ARE, THAT WE WANNA SEE IF COUNCIL WANTS TO PUT THIS ON THE NEXT WORK? UH, THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING.
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF IT.
AND APPROVAL OF THE POLICY IS LITERALLY JUST APPROVING WHAT'S, WHAT'S IN OUR AGENDA.
AS FAR AS LIKE WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? MM-HMM
UM, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE ABOUT THE MONEY AND THE FUNDING AND THE WHO AND THE, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
BUT, UM, THAT COULD BE SOMETHING WE TALK ABOUT LATER OR, BUT JUST WHETHER OR NOT COUNSEL HAS AS, UH, AN APPETITE TO APPROVE THE POLICY.
THE QUESTION IS, CAN WE PUT IT ON THE CONSENT? ARE Y'ALL OKAY WITH PUTTING OKAY.
THERE'S NO MONEY INVOLVED WITH IT AT THIS POINT.
WHAT MEETING IS THAT, TINA? 26.
I WANTED TO SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, UM, THE COMMUNICATIONS ASPECT OF IT.
'CAUSE THAT WAS THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT OF WAS THE DRONES IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WHERE EVERYBODY'S WONDERING, AND I WONDERED, UM, CAN THEY PUT, I MEAN, I GUESS YOU CAN'T SEE ALL OF THEM, BUT YOU, I CERTAINLY SAW THE ONE LIKE AT THE PARADE.
SO IS THERE A WAY TO PUT MARKINGS ON THEM OTHERWISE TOO? YES.
AND, AND, AND DEPENDING ON, 'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE IDENTITY OF THE, EACH DRONE HAS TO BE REGISTERED WITH THE FA, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT ON THE OUTER PORTION OF THE, JUST LIKE A PLANE.
AND EVEN IF YOU, IF YOU'RE FLYING IT AT, UH, WHAT THEY COULD, WHAT THEY CONSIDER CIVIL TWILIGHT OR AFTER, UM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UM, LIGHTING ON IT AS WELL.
SO EVEN IF IT'S IN DAYTIME AS WELL.
THINGS THAT COULD STAND OUT FOR.
SO BASICALLY ANYBODY ELSE, UH, JUST AS NOT OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, NOT OUR MUNICIPALITY, BUT ANYONE WHO'S USING A DRONE OR YOU, WHATEVER THE INITIALS ARE, ANYBODY WHO'S USING A DRONE IN THE TOWN FRONT RULE HAS TO FOLLOW THE SAME RULES AS WHAT WE WILL EXPECT OUR PILOTS TO.
LIKE FFA, THE FA, THEY HAVE TO HAVE, THEY HAVE GOT HAVE TO HAVE BASICALLY A LICENSE TO FLY THERE.
IT'S JUST LIKE OUR PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED TOO, RIGHT? YES.
IF THEY ARE FLYING, IT, IT FOR HIRE IN TERMS, IF THEY'RE FLYING IT FOR ANY TYPE OF SALARY OR MONETARY RE COMPENSATION, THEN THEY HAVE TO ADHERE TO A PART 1 0 7.
IF THEY'RE FLYING IT RECREATIONALLY, THAT'S OTHER, UM, DFA IS A LITTLE BIT MORE LENIENT WITH THAT, BUT THERE ARE STILL RESTRICTIONS WITHIN THERE THAT THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW.
AND NOBODY REALLY KNOWS IF IT'S RECREATIONAL OR IF IT'S SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE PICTURES AND SELL IT.
WE DON'T REALLY KNOW THAT AND WE DON'T HAVE IT.
THERE ARE WAYS TO, UM, AND THEY ARE IMPLEMENTING NEW COUNTER SUS TECHNOLOGY, BUT THAT'S A BETTER TOPIC.
WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE THIS FORWARD THEN FOR THE CONSENT.
APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR EXTRA WORK ON THAT.
MS. TINA, YOU ARE THE RIGHTS OF REQUESTERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF TOWN FRONT OR EMPLOYEE POLICY REVISIONS, WHICH I SAY BEFORE WE EVEN TALK ABOUT THIS, APPARENTLY THAT'S GONNA BE A POSSIBLE
[01:30:01]
HOT TOPIC.JUST READ ABOUT IN THE PAPER ABOUT, UM, CHARGES.
ABOUT THE CHARGES ABOUT NOT WANTING TO BASICALLY NOT, NOT BASICALLY NOT CHARGED WELL, THE LEAST AMOUNT OF CHARGES IS POSSIBLE.
AND YEAH, YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T SEE ALL THE FOIA REQUESTS WE HAD A FEW YEARS AGO.
TOOK FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES
SO WE WON'T SO BRING IT ON THEN, IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING
UM, THIS IS JUST FAIRLY SIMPLE AND JUST UPDATING THE CONTACT INFORMATION.
WE HAVE TWO FOIA OFFICERS, SO I'M ADDING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S FOIA OFFICER ON THERE ALONG WITH YOU.
AND THERE IS NO CHARGE TO FULFILL A REQUEST IF COULD TAKE AN HOUR OR LESS.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES AS WELL.
AND THERE'S ALSO, WE HAVE TO PUT A PUBLIC COMMENT FORM ON THE WEBSITE SO THEY CAN GO AND LET US, LET THE, UM, FOIA COUNCIL KNOW THE QUALITY ABOUT THE ASSISTANCE THAT THEY GOT FROM US.
NOT, SO THEY'RE GETTING THE, BASICALLY THEY GET TOVO EVALUATE, THEY GET TO EVALUATE THE EXPERIENCE THEY HAVE WITH OUR FOIA REQUEST ONE NOW.
AND THAT COULD BE A, WHO'S GETTING THAT? A FOIA ACCOUNT? THE FOIA ACCOUNT.
WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO WITH IT? THEY, INTO GENERAL ASSEMBLY, I GUESS.
GIVE YOU AN EMAIL THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO, TO FO ANSWER TO.
THAT'S, IS GETTING PAID FOR THAT JOB TO COLLECT.
UH, THERE'S ANOTHER BIG STATE SALARY.
SO ONCE APPROVED, IT'LL, IT'LL GO ON THE WEBSITE, THE NEW, UM, AND IT'S A TEMPLATE, BASICALLY WHAT FOYLE COUNSEL GAVE YOU.
I FEEL LIKE OURS HAS SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE.
AS AMBER SAID, THERE WAS A TIME WHERE IT WAS ALMOST A FULL-TIME JOB FOR THE, THE ONE THING TOO THAT, WELL, I KNOW WELL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE STATE, BUT I JUST WANNA COMMENT 'CAUSE THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S WATCHING TOO, IS THAT YES, STAFF MEMBERS ARE GETTING THE INFORMATION, BUT THEN LEGAL SOMETIMES HAS TO GO IN AND REDACT, LIKE THEY HAVE TO GO IN AND CERTAIN THINGS.
SO IT'S, THERE, THERE IS STAFF, UM, WORK AND EFFORT.
NOT THAT ANYBODY'S TRYING TO HIDE ANYTHING FROM THE PUBLIC, BUT JUST THAT IT'S A LOT OF EXTRA WORK.
AND, AND SOME THINGS ARE TOTALLY UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT SOME OF THEM, IT JUST FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS AGO IT WAS LIKE A FISHING EXPEDITION, LIKE ONE AFTER ANOTHER TO FIND SOMETHING WHERE IT WAS LIKE IT WAS TAKEN HOURS UPON HOURS AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, BUT AGAIN, IF, IF, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THE STATE WANTS TO DO AWAY WITH THOSE CHARGES, THEN IT'LL STILL COME BACK TO THE TAXPAYERS.
'CAUSE YOU'LL HAVE, STILL HAVE TO HAVE THE PEOPLE TO DO IT.
SO, COUNSEL, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. PRESLEY OR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? AND THEN IF NOT, LET ME KNOW IF YOU'RE READY TO APPROVE IT AS WRITTEN AT THE JANUARY 26TH MEETING.
SO NEXT IS THE REQUEST THREE, SAY TWO READS,
SO YOU ALL KNOW WHERE THIS CAME FROM LAST WEEK WHEN WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST THE HISTORY OF WHERE WE WERE.
THERE WAS A TIME WHERE WE HAD TWO REGULAR MEETINGS AND TWO WORK SESSIONS.
AND THEN WE, WE DID, THEN IT WENT TO ONE REGULAR MEETING, ONE WORK SESSION, WHICH I AND AMBER CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT THE WORK SESSIONS SOMETIMES WE WERE LITERALLY, I'M NOT EXAGGERATING, WE'D BE HERE UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT.
IT WAS ONE 30 IN THE MORNING, RIGHT? YES, EXACTLY.
BECAUSE IT WAS THERE AND THAT, SO, SO WE DID GO TO WORK SESSIONS.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE SCHEDULED FOR THE FIRST MEETING IN THE MONTH WHERE OUR FIRST READING WAS ACTED ON.
SECOND READING WAS HELD TWO WEEKS LATER AT A SECOND REGULAR MEETING.
SO, SO WHEN WE HAD TWO REGULAR MEETINGS, IT WENT A LITTLE FASTER BECAUSE YOU COULD DO THE FIRST READING AT THE FIRST MEETING
[01:35:01]
OF THE MONTH AND THE SECOND READING THE SECOND MEETING OF THE MONTH.AND SO IT WASN'T AS SLOW WHEN WE WENT TO TWO, WHEN WE COME BACK TO ONE REGULAR READING, THE IDEA IS THAT, THAT THAT READING IT WOULD BE AT LEAST TWO MONTHS.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE, LET'S SAY THAT WE HAD A FIRST READING THIS JANUARY 26TH.
YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THE SECOND READING UNTIL THE FEBRUARY.
I'M GONNA MAKE UP THE DATE WITH THE, YOU KNOW, FOURTH MONDAY AND FEBRUARY.
AND SO THE CONCERN THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT BROUGHT THIS UP TO CHANGE IT WHEN AMBER AND I WERE HERE, UM, WAS THAT, UM, THAT IT WAS, IT WAS TAKING TOO LONG BECAUSE SOMEBODY THAT WANTED SOMETHING TO BE ACCOMPLISHED QUICKLY.
AND I DON'T MEAN COUNCIL, BUT I MEAN OTHER ISSUES LIKE ZONING TYPE THINGS AND EVERYTHING IS THAT IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME THEY PUT IN THE APPLICATION AND IT GOES TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND IT GETS SENT TO US TWO OR THREE MONTHS.
THAT COULD BE TWO OR THREE MONTHS.
AND, AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE PREMISE BEHIND MOVING IT TO JUST ONE READING.
NOW THAT EVERYBODY THAT IS SITTING HERE HAS BEEN ON COUNCIL, AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, FOR TWO YEARS, EVERYBODY HERE HAS BEEN HERE FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS.
YOU RECOGNIZE THAT THE CONCERN THAT VICE MAYOR AL BROUGHT UP LAST WEEK WAS THAT SOMETIMES WE ARE HAVING THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THE FIRST READING AND, AND WE'RE VOTING AS SOON AS, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC SPEAKS.
THEY GIVE US OUR, THEIR INPUT.
WE ASK QUESTIONS OF STAFF OR WHATEVER, WE DISCUSS IT AND THEN WE GOTTA TAKE ACTION.
AND SOMETIMES THE THINGS THAT THE PEOPLE, SOMETIMES THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE BRING UP IN THE PUBLIC HEARING, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A CHANCE TO, LIKE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, FACT CHECK IT OR, YOU KNOW, TO GO BACK IN AND BE LIKE, WELL, LET ME, LET ME THINK ABOUT THIS.
OR SOMETIMES THAT FIRST READING IS WHEN THE PRESS REPORTS ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THAT HAPPENED RECENTLY.
I GOT AN EMAIL FROM A CITIZEN WHO WAS UPSET ABOUT A VOTE AND WAS OBVIOUSLY UPSET ABOUT IT BEFORE IT WE VOTED, BUT THEY NEVER SENT ANY KIND OF EMAIL ABOUT IT.
AND THEN AFTER THE MEETING WAS OVER WITH, WE'D ALREADY VOTED.
AND SO SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE THAT THAT'S TOUGH TOO, IS THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW IT'S AN ISSUE
SO I DID THINK THAT WAS, 'CAUSE AS I SAID, I HAD SAID THAT BEFORE, UM, WHEN, UM, SOME OF YOU WERE NEWLY ELECTED TO COUNCIL, I I, WHEN I NEWLY BECAME THE MAYOR, AND I SAID, I REALLY WISH WE COULD GO BACK TO, YOU KNOW, TWO WORK SESSIONS.
AND I BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEARING ABOUT THE, I'M SORRY, HAVING TWO READINGS FOR A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, STILL KIND OF NEW.
SO, BUT IT IS MS PRE AND I DISCUSSED BEFORE, NOT EVERY ISSUE DOES NEED TWO READINGS, BUT FOR THE ONES THAT DO, MAN, IT'S TOUGH TO VOTE AS SOON AS YOU'RE HEARING STUFF.
IT DEFINITELY SLOWS DOWN THE HOUSEKEEPING WORK.
LIKE FOR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
UM, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR TWO READINGS AND THE SINGULAR READING, I THINK IN THE SAKE OF BEING TRANSPARENT, UM, I KNOW TRANSPARENCY'S A BIG BUZZ WORD AND THE MEDIA RIGHT NOW, SOME OF THE GOVERNING BODIES.
BUT YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO HAVE MADE UP YOUR MIND IN A PREDISPOSITION TO VOTE BEFORE YOU EVEN SHOW UP TO A PUBLIC HEARING.
BECAUSE OTHERWISE, HOW CAN YOU SIT THERE, LISTEN TO ALL THE FEEDBACK YOU GET FROM THE PUBLIC, WHICH I WENT BACK THROUGH SOME OF OUR MEETINGS OVER THE WEEKEND AND WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, 20 PLUS SPEAKERS ON A TOPIC DISSECT ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
THEY'VE PROVIDED A FEW EXAMPLES OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
THE SCHOOL THAT WANTED THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT OR THE PARKING EXEMPTION IN THE ALLEY BEHIND FIRST STREET IN MADDOX WAY.
YOU LEARNED THIS INFORMATION FROM PARENTS, FROM THE OWNERS, FROM ALL THESE DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
YOU CAN'T GO OUTSIDE AND LOOK AT IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEETING.
WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE DIALOGUE WITH THE SPEAKERS.
UM, YOU'RE PRESENTED WITH NEW INFORMATION.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S A DISSERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY TO TAKE ACTION ON SOMETHING.
WE'VE HAD COUNCIL MEMBERS ADMIT THAT THEY'RE NOT LIKE QUICK TO RESPOND.
SO THE FACT THAT, AND I THINK IT HAS ABSOLUTELY AFFECTED THE WAY THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS GOVERNED, BECAUSE YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO READ THE AGENDA, THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN UNTIL THAT POINT.
IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT YOU GET FEEDBACK ON THE, AND THEN CHANGE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE PROCESSED THE THREE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THAT REGULAR MEETING.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S A DISSERVICE.
AND UM, I THINK IT BRINGS AWARENESS.
IT ALLOWS FOR US TO GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE SOME
[01:40:01]
DIALOGUE WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS ABOUT WHAT THE MATTERS ARE.AND I KNOW IT'S REALLY INCONVENIENT FOR THINGS THAT THE TOWN JUST NEEDS TO DO FOR HOUSEKEEPING, BUT WE HAVE MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS ABOUT GREATER IMPACTS THAN THE HOUSEKEEPING THINGS THAN I THINK VICE VERSA.
I'M JUST GONNA USE THE WATER AND DARE I SAY LIKE THE DATA CENTER TALK THAT I KEEP HEARING ABOUT WHERE WE'RE ALL LIARS.
WE HAVE THESE MEETINGS OR WE TALK ABOUT PROVIDING WATER TO THE COURT OR, AND THEN WE HAVE QUESTIONS.
I CAN'T, I CAN'T TELL YOU, I THINK IT WAS MORE THAN FIVE TIMES I'VE COUNTED IN MY TIME ON COUNSEL SINCE WE WENT TO ONE PUBLIC HEARING THAT I PERSONALLY HAVE MOTIONED TO LEAVE A PUBLIC HEARING OPEN UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MONTH, WHICH WOULD BE THE SAME AS HAVING TWO READINGS OR SHUT DOWN THE MOTION TO BRING IT BACK TO A WORK SESSION THAT TO THEN HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING.
I'VE DONE THAT MORE THAN FIVE TIMES SINCE THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
WELL, AND I THINK THAT WAS, QUITE FRANKLY, IT WAS, IT'S KIND OF A BANDAID.
THAT'S HOW WE, THAT WAS THE ONLY OPTION.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE YEAH, THAT WAS, I MEAN, IT WAS, IT WAS IT IT WAS SUCCESSFUL.
BUT, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY, I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT'S WHAT THAT IS INTENDED FOR.
UM, SO I WAS READING BACK, I WAS READING BACK THROUGH LIKE THE MINUTES THAT MS. PRESLEY HAS IN HERE ABOUT WHEN THE CHANGE HAPPENED IN 21 AND MM-HMM
AND I, I JUST THINK IT'S INTERESTING.
AND MY TAKE ON IT'S RATHER SIMPLE.
IIII WOULD ENTRUST THAT WITH YOU MADAM MAYOR, TO MAKE THAT DECISION WITH THE AGENDA FOR WHEN THESE NEED TO BE PUBLIC.
MAYBE SOME OF THESE INSTANCES THAT NEED TO BE IN PUBLIC, UH, TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS OR TWO NOT CAN'T SPEAK, UH, TWO READINGS.
UH, JUST FOR THE SENSE THAT UNLESS THERE'S A WAY WE CAN ALL AGREE FOR EACH CASE OR IT'S ACROSS THE BOARD, IF IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING, IT HAS TO ALL BE THE SAME.
IT HAS TO BE DONE LEGALLY ON THE SAME.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN CHOOSE WHICH ONES YOU HAVE.
WELL, LIKE I SAID, I'M JUST NO, I SAYING IS THAT I KNOW AND SOME OF THE STUFF THAT MICHELLE COMES UP AND PRESENTS TO BUY A TRUCK OR SOMETHING, THOSE DON'T REQUIRE PUBLIC HEARING.
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT I, ITS DOLLARS SECOND READING COULD BE DISPENSED WITH, IF IT'S UNANIMOUS OR SOMETHING, IT'S POSSIBLE.
I WOULDN'T TRUST THAT I'VE SEEN THIS COUNSEL GO UNANIMOUS ON SOMETHING AND THEN KILL IT THE NEXT MONTH.
I MEAN, I, NO, JOSH, I, I HEARD COUNCILMAN INGRAM.
I TOTALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
LIKE, LIKE I SAID, MS. PRESLEY AND I ONLY 'CAUSE WE HAD HAD THAT CONVERSATION BEFORE, LAMENTING THAT SOME ITEMS REALLY NEEDED, NEEDED A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO DIGEST EVERYTHING.
AND 'CAUSE AS A CITIZEN BRINGS UP A CONCERN OR A QUESTION DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET THE AN YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET THE ANSWER OR YOU CAN'T GET THE INFORMATION RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT TO DISSUADE THEIR CONCERN OR TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERN.
YEAH, WE'RE NOT, BUT I'M, I MEAN, WE TRY SOMETIMES WHEN THEY SAY THAT, WE'LL ASK STAFF, WELL WHAT ABOUT THIS, WHAT ABOUT THAT? BUT THAT KIND OF SOMETIMES PUTS THE STAFF IN A POSITION TO KNOW THE ANSWER AND THEY MAY NOT KNOW IT RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT EITHER.
SO I WISH THERE WAS A WAY TO SAY THAT.
LIKE I COULD, YOU KNOW, THAT THE MAYOR COULD DETERMINE IF IT WAS A, A ONE READING ISSUE OR A TWO READING ISSUE.
BUT I DON'T, I THINK THEN I WOULDN'T WANT ANYBODY TO THINK THAT I WAS BEING, UM, OBJECTIVE OR SUBJECTIVE OR, OR WHATEVER IT IS.
LIKE FOR ME TO BE LIKE, 'CAUSE HONESTLY, YOU ALL KNOW YOU'RE ALL SITTING HERE.
THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE I'VE WALKED INTO MEETINGS AND I'VE LOOKED OUT AND THOUGHT, WHAT ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE HERE FOR? WE'VE SAID IT TO EACH OTHER.
WE'RE LIKE, WHAT ARE THEY HERE FOR? BECAUSE WE DIDN'T, WE THOUGHT WHAT WAS GONNA BE ON THE AGENDA WAS INNOCUOUS AND ALL THIS IS GONNA BE EASY.
EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE OKAY WITH IT.
AND THEN YOU, YOU REALIZE THAT, WAIT, NO, THAT THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A CONCERN THAT WE DIDN'T SEE COMING.
I MEAN, WE CAN DISCUSS THIS AGAIN AT A WORK, ANOTHER WORK SESSION.
I'M NOT SAYING WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION HERE TONIGHT, BUT WHEN WE BROUGHT IT UP LAST, WHEN, WHEN VICE MAYORAL BROUGHT IT UP LAST WEEK, WE SAID, WELL, WE'LL PUT IT ON A WORK SESSION.
I MEAN, IS THIS SOMETHING YOU ALL WANNA LIKE, COME BACK TO AND DISCUSS IT AGAIN OR THE OTHER, I'M I'M FORWARD IT, I JUST DIDN'T, I'M FORWARD.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A WAY TO MAKE IT NOT AS RIGHT.
SO, UH, THE LITTLE RESEARCH THAT I DID ON IT, I FOUND THAT MOST JURISDICTIONS AROUND AROUND US ARE HAVING TWO, UH, PUBLIC TWO HEARINGS AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR SCANDAL.
[01:45:01]
AND TEXT AMENDMENTS.I MEAN YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT, THAT I THINK REALLY DESERVE THEM.
BUT YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, I I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT, HOW OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE DEALING WITH THEM.
BUT I DID FIND THAT, UH, LIKE WINCHESTER, STRASBURG, WOODSTOCK, UM, THEY ALL, WELL I KNOW THE COUNTY SO IT'S NOT TWO READINGS.
IT YEAH, IT'S NOT TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS.
THAT'S JUST HEARING TWO READINGS.
AND DURING THE PUBLIC VOTES, I'M SORRY.
SO WHAT YOU'RE OPENING UP THE PUBLIC IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE YOUR VOTE FOR THE SECOND ONE, YOU MEAN? RIGHT.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT TINA CAN ATTEST TO IS I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES A SPEAKER BE LINES AT TO TINA BEFORE THE PODIUM TO HAND HER PICTURES AND PACKETS AND PREPARED STATEMENTS.
WE'VE EVEN GOTTEN PETITIONS FILLED WITH SIGNATURES THAT THEN SHE HAS TO DISPERSE AFTER THE MEETING.
SHE CAN PASS 'EM DOWN THE DAIS.
BUT HOW DO WE LISTEN TO THE SPEAKERS OF THE PUBLIC HEARING WHILE TRYING TO DISSEMINATE THIS INFORMATION IN FRONT OF US AND OFFER THEM OUR FULL ATTENTION? AND I JUST, WE'VE BEEN TOLD BY LEGAL BEFORE, YOU CAN'T PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH ITEM.
AND ALSO WE ALL TRUST AND LOVE LORI.
SHE'S BEEN DULY ELECTED TWICE.
BUT LORI'S NOT ALWAYS GONNA BE THE MAYOR.
AND AT WHAT POINT DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S THE MAYOR FOR OR WHERE WE ALL EQUALLY AGREE, LET'S LET THEM PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH ONES DESERVE TWO READINGS.
WHICH IS WHY WE HAD TO SWITCH IT TO ONE FOR EVERYTHING VERSUS PICKING AND CHOOSING AND THE READING OF THE WORK SESSION ITSELF CANNOT BE CONSIDERED.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC, NOBODY TO SPEAK HERE.
SO THE TWO READINGS ARE FOR FEEDBACK.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE FOUR MEETINGS A MONTH NOW.
WHAT I'M ASKING IS, IS IF, SO WE USED TO, WHEN I STARTED, WHEN YOU SAY TWO, TWO READINGS, YOU'RE MEANING THE FIRST READING IS PUBLIC HEARING OPENS, THEN CLOSED, THEN THE NEXT MONTH THE PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN AND CLOSED.
AND THEN THERE'S A VOTE, AND THEN THERE'S HAS TO BE A SECOND VOTE, TAKE ACTION ON THE ITEM, THE FOLLOWING TO, TO MAKE IT A FINAL ACTION.
SO NEITHER ONE, IN OTHER WORDS, NEITHER ONE OF THOSE DECISIONS CAN HAPPEN IN A WORK SESSION.
NEITHER ONE OF THE, WELL ARGUABLY YOU'D THEN TURN A WORK SESSION INTO A REGULAR MEETING.
SO WE DON'T, WHICH WE HAD FOUR MEETINGS ONCE ROUTINE IN A WORK SESSION, YOU'RE TURNING IT INTO A REGULAR MEETING.
WELL, I MEAN, THE OTHER THING IS, I THINK, I DON'T, I DON'T MIND EITHER WAY, BUT I THINK THAT, I THINK WE HAVE TO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THE REALITY THAT IF WE HAD 16 PUBLIC MEETINGS OR HEARINGS OR UH, READINGS, UM, THERE WOULD STILL ALWAYS BE A POTENTIAL FOR US TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW AFTER WE VOTED.
I MEAN, THAT'LL HAPPEN REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY TIMES YOU, BUT HOW MANY TIMES IS THERE A REZONING? YOU'RE LIKE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I SHOULD GO LOOK AT THAT BEFORE I MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION ON IT.
'CAUSE I'VE BEEN BORN AND RAISED HERE MY ENTIRE LIFE.
MAYBE YOU HAVE GONE AND LOOKED AT IT, BUT SOMEBODY BRINGS UP, THERE'S ONE PARTICULAR THING I'M JUST GONNA, Y'ALL KNOW NOBODY WAS ON THIS COUNCILING, BUT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY'S LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS GONNA BE EASY.
AND A CITIZEN SHOWED UP AND SAID, THERE'S A GRAVEYARD BACK THERE, WHAT Y'ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT.
AND IT HAPPENED TO BE A LADY THAT I KNOW MY ENTIRE LIFE AND I WAS LIKE, AND, AND WHERE THEY WERE GONNA BE ALLOWING SOMETHING TO BE BUILT THERE ANYWAY.
AND I WAS JUST LIKE, AND WE HAVE TO VOTE THAT NIGHT.
AND I WAS JUST LIKE, OKAY, HOLD ON.
UM, I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT DIDN'T.
BUT THAT WAS INFORMATION THAT I WISH THERE HAD BEEN, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN HERE'S, UH, JUST BECAUSE I, UH, PROS AND CONS.
WELL THAT'S MY DAD ALWAYS SAY PROS AND CONS.
THE PROS WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD'VE THE OPPORTUNITY TO NOT BE, YOU WOULD MAKE A VOTE AFTER THE FIRST READING, BUT YOU WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY IF BETWEEN THAT FIRST READING AND THE SECOND READING TO, TO LOOK INTO THAT INFORMATION, UM, BEFORE THE SECOND READ, BEFORE IT'S FINAL.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, WHY WE HAVE TO VOTE THOUGH AT THAT POINT.
THAT THAT DOESN'T, I MEAN, WHY NOT? BECAUSE IT'S THE FIRST READING.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT I'M SAYING, WHY CAN'T YOU GONNA READ IT TODAY? WELL, THE ALTERNA, SORRY.
THE ALTERNATIVE IS, PROCEDURALLY YOU CAN DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN AS WE'VE DONE, UH, POSTPONE THE VOTE.
THAT'S ALSO IN, I JUST FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO HAVE COUNSELS NOW AND FOREVERMORE THAT ARE WELL VERSED IN ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THEIR RIGHTS AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, WHICH IS NOT THE CASE.
[01:50:01]
SO THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE IT'S LIKE WE SET UP HERE AND WE GO AROUND AND AROUND AND AROUND ON THE DIETS, NEVER BEING ALLOWED TO TALK TO EITHER THE APPLICANT FOR WHATEVER THIS PUBLIC HEARING'S FOR OR THE SPEAKERS WHO COME FORWARD, WHICH IS A BRAVE AND BOLD THING TO DO.COME AND STAND AT A PODIUM AND SPEAK NO MATTER IF IT'S CONTROVERSIAL OR NOT.
LIKE NOBODY WANTS TO SPEND THEIR MONDAY NIGHT COMING TO STAND AND TALK BEFORE COUNSEL.
SO THEN I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM OR LIKE ACTUALLY CONVERSE.
IT'S, I FEEL LIKE IT'S A DISSERVICE TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
I'VE BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF IT.
IT'S NOT FUN HAVING TO DEAL WITH IT TWICE.
BUT HOW MANY PUBLIC HEARINGS HAVE WE LEFT OPEN WITH THIS SPECIFIC COUNSEL SITTING AT THIS TABLE TONIGHT? BECAUSE WE WERE LIKE, WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
AND THEN GEORGE IS ON THE DIOCESE AND HIM AND JOE ARE OVER THERE LIKE TRYING TO LOOK UP STATE AND TOWN CODE.
AND IT'S JUST NOT FAIR TO STAFF.
IT'S NOT FAIR TO THE CONSTITUENTS.
IT'S NOT, IT'S A DISTURB COMMUNITY.
WELL, I JUST THINK MAKES SENSE OF FLIP FLOOPY IF WE VOTE, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE DONE THAT? WELL,
BUT ANYWAY, IF YOU KNOW, TO ME IT WOULD BE BETTER TO DO THE HEARING AND, AND KEEP IT OPEN FOR THE VOTE THE BY THE SECOND READING VERSUS MAKE ME VOTE NOW AND THEN MAKE ME FLIP MY VOTE LATER.
TO ME IT WOULD BE BETTER TO JUST WAIT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
THE PRO, THE PRO IS WHAT WAS JUST STATED.
SO THAT'S THE PRO, THE CON IS THAT THE CON IS THE PUBLIC THAT MAYBE CAME TO SPEAK AND WANTED TO, TO FIND OUT RIGHT THEN WHAT, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE OUTCOME OF THIS? THAT THAT'S A CON, THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT THE OUTCOME IS IF THEY SHOWED UP FOR THE, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC HEARING FIRST THREE.
AND IF YOU GO BACK IN THE 2021, THE WHOLE REASON WHY THE PEOPLE THERE ADVOCATED FOR IT WAS, WELL FOR ONE, QUITE FRANKLY, IT WAS TO HAVE LESS MEETINGS.
UM, AND TWO, IT WAS THE, IS THAT BECAUSE WE WERE GOING FROM TWO MEETINGS TO ONE, IT MEANT IT WAS GONNA ABSOLUTELY BE TWO MONTHS.
LIKE IT, I THINK YOU'RE BEING FAR TOO KIND.
I THINK THERE WERE, WELL THAT'S ME.
I THINK THERE, I GOT, THERE WERE STILL INTENTIONS IN CHANGING AND I SAT HERE.
SO ANYWAY, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY IT'S LIKE THERE ARE, THAT IS THE PRO AND THAT IS THE CONS.
AND MAYBE SINCE WE'VE NOW BROUGHT IT UP AND HAD A LARGER DISCUSSION ABOUT IT THAN LAST WEEK, MAYBE WE JUST LET IT PERCOLATE A LITTLE BIT AND WE BRING IT UP AT ANOTHER WORK SESSION AND MAYBE CITIZENS WILL REACH OUT TO US AND GIVE US THOUGHTS ON IT OR, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T, IT WAS A HOT TOPIC WHEN YOU AND I RAN FOR REELECTION.
IT THE SAME TIME A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
THERE WERE PEOPLE IN COUNCIL AT THAT TIME THAT DIDN'T WANNA DO IT.
UM, BUT THEY WERE IN THE MINORITY.
BUT, AND, AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I SUPPORTED IT AT THE TIME BECAUSE I, IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF 2021.
I HAD BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR 12 MONTHS AND THREE OF THOSE MONTHS WE WERE IN VIRTUAL MEETINGS.
AND SO IT REALLY WAS, FOR ME, IT'S JUST BEEN OVER TIME, MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN WHERE THERE WERE TIMES WHERE LIKE, LIKE I MAYOR BY AND ALL SAID, AND EVEN WHEN I WAS COUNCIL MAKING A VOTE, OR EVEN AS MAYOR WHEN I'VE HAD TO BREAK A TIE, IS THAT FEELING OF LIKE, HERE'S THE INFORMATION WE'VE DISCUSSED IT AT.
WE'VE DISCUSSED IT AT THE WORK SESSION.
WE'VE ASKED STAFF, WE PASSED STAFF, WE, WE HEARD THE APPLICANT OR WHATEVER.
AND IT WAS JUST THAT IDEA OF THAT, YOU KNOW HOW THEY SAY YOU SHOULD BE LISTENING, YOU SHOULD BE LISTENING TO HEAR, NOT LISTENING TO RESPOND.
AND THEN MAYBE THIS HASN'T HAPPENED TO Y'ALL, BUT I KNOW MYSELF, WHEN I WAS ON COUNCIL, WHEN PEOPLE WERE TALKING AT THE PUBLIC HEARING, SOMETIMES I WAS LISTENING TO THINK, HOW AM I GONNA VOTE? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I MEAN, I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE, BUT IT'S OKAY.
RIGHT? LIKE I KNOW THAT'S, THAT HAPPENS EVERY DAY.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS SAYING IS IF YOU COULD JUST LISTEN AND BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE IT ALL IN AND THINK ABOUT IT, INSTEAD OF FEELING LIKE IN FIVE MINUTES THEY'RE GONNA CALL, TEAM'S GONNA CALL ME AND I'VE GOTTA SAY YES OR NO OR MAKE A MOTION OR ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL TO ADD TO YOUR SECOND CON THAT PEOPLE COME TO SHOW UP FOR THE DECISION.
PEOPLE ALSO FIND OUT ABOUT IT BASED ON THE DECISION THAT WAS MADE AFTER THE FACT.
AND TO ADD TO YOU ABOUT FLIP-FLOPPING, MY SECOND CAMPAIGN, I RAN ON THE FACT THAT I HAD CHANGED MY VOTE AFTER TWO READINGS BECAUSE I THINK IT SHOWS THAT DESPITE BEING LABELED A POLITICAL FIGURE WHO WAS ONLY HERE TO PUSH A REPUBLICAN AGENDA IN MY INITIAL YEAR, IT SHOWS THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY OPEN-MINDED IN, YOU'RE DOING WHAT'S BEST FOR THE TOWN, AS JOHN
[01:55:01]
MARLOW SAID.SO YOU GO, YOU HEAR PEOPLE SPEAK, YOU LEARN NEW THINGS, YOU REVISIT A SITE.
THIS PARTICULAR YEAR IN 2021, I CLIMBED DOWN IN A MANHOLE AND WAS THINKING TO MYSELF, I HAD TO LOOK AT IT.
THERE WAS A DISPUTE, THERE WAS THIS WHOLE THING GOING ON WITH THE TOWN AND COUNCIL HAVING TO TAKE ACTION ON IT.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
I WASN'T A, BUT I FELT LIKE I NEEDED TO GO VISIT THE SITE AFTER THIS HAD CAME UP AT A COUNCIL MEETING.
AND I CAN VERY SPECIFICALLY REMEMBER THE PROPERTY, THE MANHOLE, THE PEOPLE I CONTACTED.
AND SO I JUST FEEL LIKE TO MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS ALL THE FACTS.
JUST LIKE THE CHA, LIKE IF HE WOULD'VE ASKED US FOR OUR DECISION ON DOING SOMETHING WITH SMOKE TONIGHT, LIKE AFTER WE JUST WATCHED THAT 15 PAGE PRESENTATION ON SOMETHING WE WERE NOT EXPERTS ON, IT WAS A DISSERVICE.
AND I, AND I KNOW WE DON'T WANNA HAVE TWO PUBLIC, I'M NOT SUGGESTING TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS.
NOT THAT WE COULDN'T, AND I, THE OTHER CON MIGHT BE THE EXPENSE, BUT NO, BECAUSE YOU'RE ONLY ADVERTISING THE ONE PUBLIC HEARING.
YOU'RE NOT ADVERTISING TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS.
SO, UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS BACK IN 2021, THE TOWN MANAGER AT THE TIME SUGGESTED THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, FOR LIKE, YOU COULD ALWAYS DEFER THE ITEMS BACK TO A WORK SESSION IF THERE ARE CONCERNED BEFORE A VOTE.
AND I THINK WE MAYBE HAVE DONE THAT ONCE.
UM, BUT THAT REALLY DRAGS IT OUT TOO, ESPECIALLY, 'CAUSE THERE WERE TIMES WE SENT IT BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION MM-HMM
SO THEN IT HAD TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK THROUGH THEM AND ALL THE WAY BACK THROUGH US.
SO THAT WAS EVEN LONGER THAN IT JUSTICE.
I'M OKAY WITH BRINGING THIS UP AGAIN AT THE FEBRUARY MEETING SO EVERYBODY CAN THINK ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, I, I JUST, COUNSEL'S NOT HERE, I DON'T WANT, I JUST DON'T WANT ROUTINE THINGS TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THIS.
AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE COULD BRING UP A, A MURAL THAT MEETS THE CODE AND, AND THEY, THEY CAN SPECIFICALLY WOULD, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE MURAL WOULD, WOULD, WOULD FALL IN AND NORMALLY BE APPROVED BECAUSE IT NEEDS, WE DON'T HAVE MURALS IN OUR TOWN CODE.
WE HAD A SPECIAL USE PUBLIC HEARING ROOM.
BUT I, I'VE GOT WHAT YOU'RE, I I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THOUGH.
IS THERE A WAY TO, MR. SAUNA, IS THERE A WAY TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL TO VOTE TO FOREGO A SECOND READING? WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GETTING AT EARLIER.
SO LIKE, IF IT IS A, PROBABLY CRAFT SOMETHING THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, UPON UNANIMOUS VOTE, THE SECOND READING IS DISPENSED WITH THEY'VE DONE THE BEFORE.
BECAUSE THAT COULD BE LIKE SOMETHING COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT SAYING, LIKE, IT IS SOMETHING, NOT THE MURAL, BUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT, AS YOU SAID, IT'S REALLY ISN'T SOMETHING THAT, THAT IT IS PRETTY, YOU KNOW, PRETTY, PRETTY EASY THING FOR IT TO FLOW THROUGH.
AND WE DON'T WANNA DRAG IT OUT FOR TWO MONTHS, MS. PRESLEY.
BUT I THINK YOU HAVE THE LONGEST TENURE IN THIS ROOM.
HOW LONG DID THE TOWN OF FOR ROYAL OPERATE WITH TWO READINGS BEFORE THAT WAS CHANGED? WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT WHEN I CAME IN.
SO FROM BEFORE 1993 UNTIL 2021.
THIS WAS THE STANDARD BUSINESS.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW HOW, WHAT STARTED THE TWO READING IS WHAT I WAS TAUGHT ON.
THROW OUT AN IDEA, WHICH IS MAYBE A STICKING POINT HERE ARE LAND USE ISSUES, MAYBE FOR LAND USE ISSUES.
TWO READINGS, BUT OTHER CODE AMENDMENTS.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA DECIDE IT HERE TONIGHT, BUT I THINK WE, WE HAVE ENOUGH OPPORTUNITY.
WE'VE DISCUSSED IT THAT I'M GONNA PUT THIS BACK ON THE FIRST MEETING IN FEBRUARY, THE FIRST WORK SESSION IN FEBRUARY.
AND MAYBE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, MR. SONIC, YOU CAN MAYBE LOOK AROUND AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT HAS A CREATIVE WAY OF DOING IT.
AGAIN, I JUST WANNA SAY IT CHANGED BECAUSE WHEN WE WENT FROM TWO MEETINGS A MONTH TO ONE MEETING A MONTH, AND I DON'T THINK THIS COUNCIL IS, WANTS TO GO BACK TO TWO REGULAR MEETINGS AND TWO WORK SESSIONS.
AND NOT QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T EITHER.
I MEAN, I WILL IF I HAVE TO, BUT I, SO I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I I THINK IT WAS REALLY ABOUT THAT.
DID YOU KNOW WE, SO WE MET EVERY MONDAY WHEN I WAS ON YEARS AGO.
UNTIL WE WERE, WE WERE DOING IT UNTIL 2021.
THAT'S WHEN WE WENT TO ONE REGULAR MEETING AND ONE WORK SESSION.
AND THEN WHEN I GOT ELECTED AS MAYOR THE FIRST TIME AROUND, WE WENT TO TWO WORK SESSIONS AND ONE REGULAR MEETING, WHICH I
[02:00:01]
STILL THINK WAS THE WAY TO GO.BUT, BUT JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, SO THE PEOPLE DON'T GET, THE, PEOPLE ONLY GET THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY, THAT FIRST PUBLIC HEARING TO COME FORTH AND SPEAK TO THOSE ON THE D SO WHEN WE HAVE THAT SECOND READING, THAT'S REALLY FOR OUR BENEFIT OF HEARING BEHIND THE SCENES, NOT TO DIGEST EVERYTHING YOU'VE HEARD.
FROM THE FIRST READ, THAT'S WHAT YOU HEARD.
NOT JUST HEARING, BUT GOING AND VISITING SITES, DOING YOUR RESEARCH, CALLING, CALLING LEGAL, OR READING MORE EMAILS IF PEOPLE SAY, AND PEOPLE CAN SPEAK AT THE SECOND MEETING DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, WHICH IS
BUT I WILL SAY THIS THOUGH, THAT BY THEN THE PUBLIC COMMENTS COMES AFTER THE READING.
YEAH, WE CHANGED THE ORDER OF THE AGENDA TOO.
SO IT USED BE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS WERE EARLIER IN THE MEETING AND, AND IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO, THEY COULD SECOND RATING.
YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT WILL COME BEFORE BECAUSE YOUR BUSINESS.
AND IT'S NOT A PUBLIC HEARING THE SECOND TIME.
SO PUBLIC COMMENTS AREN'T RELATED TO THE PUBLIC.
SO SOMEBODY COULD SAY DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT TONIGHT, YOU'RE GONNA BE TAKING A VOTE ON THIS AND BLAH BLAH.
ALRIGHT, SO FEBRUARY I'LL BRING IT BACK.
SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S, IT SOUNDS LIKE A LITTLE HOMEWORK, BUT IT ALSO SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS, UM, THERE IS SOME WASN'T IN FAVOR OF CHANGING IT.
I THINK I PROBABLY ALSO VOTED IN FAVOR OF THAT.
SO THIS IS, UM, SO AT LEAST WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE, UM, THERE IS SOME INTEREST IN NO GIVE COUNCILMAN GOOD OPPORTUNITY.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT ONE IS MR. PETTY AND IT'S ON CHAPTER SEVEN, TWO SPECIAL EVENTS HELD ON TOWN STREETS AND PUBLIC PROPERTY.
UM, SO YEAH, THE CURRENT POLICY THAT WE HAVE FOR SPECIAL EVENTS WAS THE LAST ADOPTED IN 2021.
UM, AS EVERYBODY'S AWARE, LOTS OF NICE EVENTS HAVE HAPPENED SINCE THEN.
AND DURING THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN REVIEWING AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF STRATEGIZING ON THAT PROCESS, WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S NOT, AND UH, LOOKING AT GOING A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
SO CURRENTLY IT'S WRITTEN AS A POLICY.
THERE IS A CHAPTER IN THE CODE THAT TALKS ABOUT SPECIAL EVENTS BEING HELD ON TOWN STREETS.
BUT WE HAVE TAKEN THAT POLICY AND MO MORPHED IT INTO A CODE SECTION, BUT WE'VE ADDED QUITE A BIT.
UM, YOU KNOW, TONIGHT'S GOAL IS TO REALLY JUST PRESENT THIS DRAFT TO YOU.
UH, THERE IT IS A CODE CHANGE, SO IT REQUIRES A PUBLIC HEARING, ET CETERA.
BUT REALLY JUST THIS TIME IS YOUR FIRST TIME SEEING IT REALLY THE DIGEST ALSO ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO SEE IT.
AND SO WE CAN BRING THIS BACK TO YOU AT THE SECOND WITH MORE ROBUST PROBABLY PLAN OF ACTION IF WE GET ANY FEEDBACK.
'CAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THERE WILL BE FEEDBACK LIKELY FOR THIS.
UM, I HAVE PRESENTED, NOT THE DOCUMENT ITSELF, BUT, UH, MONTHS AGO, TALKED TO THE CHAMBER BOARD, UH, LET THEM KNOW THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT THIS.
I'VE, I'VE SHARED THIS WITH THEM, OBVIOUSLY STAFF.
UH, BOTH LEWIS, HILLARY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SHARED IT WITH ALL THE STAFF AROUND WE, WE'VE LOOKED AT IT.
UM, BUT REALLY IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
A LOT OF THE EVENTS HAVE BEEN EVENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED, UH, IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, FESTIVAL LEAVES, YOU KNOW, ONGOING 53 YEARS, UH, WINE AND CRAFT FESTIVAL.
THESE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED FOR MANY YEARS.
UH, SOME PROCESSIONAL WALKS AND SOME SMALLER EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED YEAR OVER YEAR.
UM, WHAT WE'RE TRYING NOT TO DO IS ALSO TO BECOME JUST COMPLACENT THAT JUST 'CAUSE THEY HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, THAT WE'RE NOT ADAPTING OUR POLICIES AND CHANGES.
SO THERE'S A FEW BIG HIGHLIGHTS, UM, THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT IN THIS.
UM, ONE, WE WANNA ENSURE THAT ALL OUR EVENTS ARE SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL.
AND, AND PART OF DOING THAT IS TO ESTABLISH A MORE SPECIAL EVENT COMMITTEE RATHER THAN THE TOWN MANAGER OR THE DESIGNEE REVIEWING.
THESE ACTUALLY HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT WILL MEET MONTHLY AT A A, WE WANNA SET A TIME EVERY MONTH THAT APPLICATION, KINDA LIKE A PLANNING COMMISSION WHERE YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR APPLICATION IN SO THEY CAN GET TO THAT BODY.
AND THAT BODY COULD BE MADE UP OF STAFF, WHICH IS PUBLIC WORKS, ENERGY SERVICES, PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, UH, VIRGINIA, A, B, C, ALL THESE ENTITIES AT THE TABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.
UM, EVEN DURING THE TIME WE'VE SEEN WHERE THE EVENT ORGANIZER THINKS, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY ASSUME EVERYTHING'S STARTING AT EIGHT OR, BUT MAYBE STAFF'S NOT THERE YET, OR, OR WHAT SOME OF THOSE ROAD CLOSURES WERE THIS WAY WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
AND AGAIN, THERE'S JUST 'CAUSE YOUR EVENTS HAPPENED 50 YEARS DOESN'T MEAN THINGS CHANGE.
UM, ESPECIALLY FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT.
WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO BE AWARE OF
[02:05:01]
WHAT IS HAPPENING ALL AROUND THE WORLD AND MAKE SURE OUR SAFETY PROTOCOLS ARE UP TO SPEED OF WHATEVER TYPE OF EVENT'S GOING ON.UM, WE, UH, IN THIS POLICY, WE'RE LOOKING AT A PUBLIC SAFETY PLAN THAT THEY WOULD'VE TO FILL OUT.
OUR IDEA IS TO CREATE LIKE A FORM THAT WOULD, THEY WOULD FILL OUT.
THEY'RE NOT CREATING THIS ON THEIR OWN, BUT WE'RE KIND OF HELPING COACH THEM ALONG.
UM, WE'RE ALSO IDENTIFYING LIKE REOCCURRING EVENTS, WHICH REALLY WEREN'T WELL DEFINED.
NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK PARTIES WEREN'T WELL DEFINED, BUT WE HAVE SEEN A FEW OF THOSE, UM, EVENT NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS BEING A LOT MORE CLEAR IN HOW THOSE ARE GONNA HAPPEN AND WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE.
AND CREATING, AGAIN, ALMOST A FORM LETTER THAT THEY CAN PRESENT.
SO IF THE EVENT ORGANIZERS MAILING THEM OUT OR DROPPING THEM OFF, IF THEY LOOK CONSISTENT, THEN THE BUSINESS OWNERS WILL KNOW WHAT THEY ARE OR THE RESIDENTS WILL KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.
SO THE COMMITTEE WOULD ALSO BE REVIEWING EVENTS AFTER THEY'VE HAPPENED TO JUST TALK ABOUT, UH, WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T, ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO THIS NEXT YEAR? AND THEN ALSO A FEE SCHEDULE.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE, OUR FEE SCHEDULE IS PRETTY LIMITED.
UM, AND RIGHT NOW THE TOWN IS SUBSIDIZING EVENTS.
UM, IF YOU HAVE A FULL DAY EVENT AND YOU'VE CLOSED ALL OF MAIN STREET, YOU'RE PAYING $250.
UM, AND IT COULD COST THE TOWN OVER $5,000 TO PUT THAT EVENT ON.
UM, IT'S NOT THAT THAT'S NOT AN ACCE A SUCCESSFUL EVENT FOR OUR DOWNTOWN AND OUR BUSINESSES HELP, BUT ACROSS THE BOARD, SOME EVENTS MAY HAVE A, A LARGER IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITIES THAN THOSE BIG BENEFITS THAT CLOSE THE ROAD FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME DURING CERTAIN BUSINESS HOURS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST ME PAYING A POLICE OFFICER OVERTIME.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT OCTOBER, THOSE GUYS ARE WORKING PRETTY HARD, NOT ON THEIR DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF EVENTS IN OCTOBER, THEN WE ALSO GET A LOT OF TRAFFIC AND THEY'RE ALSO DOING THAT DOUBLE DUTY.
AND AS CHIEF ALLUDED TO LAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA BE COGNIZANT OF BURNOUT ON OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND SO IT'S NOT JUST A FINANCIAL SIDE OF THINGS, IT'S ABOUT OUR EMPLOYEES QUALITY OF LIFE AND CONSISTENTLY DOING A LOT OF THESE EVENTS AND A LOT OF THAT OVER TIME.
AND SO WE WANT TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THOSE FINANCIALS.
SO WE HAVE, UH, BUILT THAT INTO THIS POLICY AS WELL.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THIS COMMITTEE'S GONNA BE LOOKING AT ITS IMPACT ON THE TOWN, BOTH FROM A TRAFFIC AND SAFETY STANDPOINT.
UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE CLOSING A PARKING LOT, I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD IT, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PARKING DOWNTOWN.
A LOT OF PEOPLE SAID, SO IF THEY'RE CLOSING THE PARKING LOT FOR A WHOLE DAY ON A SATURDAY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THAT GREATER IMPACT? AND IF RIGHT NOW COST THEM $50, CLOSED A LOT FOR THE WHOLE DAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN ACCOUNTABILITY TO THAT.
UM, YOU'RE MAYBE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THEY ARE MARKETING THEIR EVENT, PUTTING YOU ON A SUCCESSFUL EVENT.
BUT IF IT IS A, THERE'S NO FINANCIAL BARRIER THERE, THEY'RE, THERE MAY BE NOT QUESTIONING HOW MANY HOURS DO THEY ACTUALLY NEED TO CLOSE OR DO SET UP.
SO IT MIGHT BE CONDENSING THAT.
UM, BUT REALLY WE'RE LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL TO READ THROUGH THIS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT IMPACTS DOES THIS PLACE ON TOWN GOVERNMENT, THE EVENT ORGANIZERS, YOU KNOW, OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR BUSINESSES, WE DO HEAR ABOUT WHAT SOME OF THESE EVENTS DO.
UM, WE WANT TO FOCUS ON EVENTS THAT HAPPEN ALL THROUGHOUT TOWN.
THIS ISN'T JUST DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW, WE OWN OTHER PROPERTIES.
WE HAVE A LITTLE PROPERTY BY THE BOAT LANDING.
LIKE I SAID, NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK PARTIES ARE A HUGE COMMUNITY BENEFIT, BUT, AND WE'VE SEEN A FEW OF THOSE.
UM, BUT THEN WE ALSO, HONESTLY, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE FEES CAN BECOME A BARRIER FOR SOME.
UM, WE MIGHT WANNA LOOK AT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS FOR LONGSTANDING EVENTS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A KNOWN, WE KNOW THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA COME TO THE FESTIVAL LEAST UH, WE MARKET IT, WE PROMOTE IT.
UM, SO WE CAN CREATE MAYBE A SIDE AND SCALE THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY YEARS YOU'VE BEEN IN, UM, HOSTING THE EVENT, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED, ET CETERA.
BUT A FIRST TIME EVENT TO CLOSE THE STREET ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON FROM 1:00 PM TO 9:00 PM WE MAY HAVE TO REALLY TRULY EVALUATE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND, UNLESS THEIR MARKETING BUDGET'S 25,000 AND THEY'RE BRINGING ALL THESE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAVE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT COMMITTEE CAN HELP DISCUSS THOSE IDEAS AND HELP TIGHTEN UP SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
YOU KNOW, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS WITH TRULY, WE UN I, I REMEMBER I WASN'T HERE, I REMEMBER HOW THIS WENT LAST TIME,
[02:10:01]
I UNDERSTAND THAT.BUT YOU KNOW, WE AS TOWN ALSO JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF OUR RESOURCES AS WELL AND WHAT THESE LOOK LIKE.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE, YOU LOOK AROUND AND THIS POLICY'S JUST NOT PICKED OUTTA THE AIR.
OBVIOUSLY WE USED OUR CURRENT POLICY, BUT THEN WE ALSO LOOKED AT WHAT OTHER LOCALITIES DO.
SOME ARE A LOT MORE THAN US AND SOME ARE LESS THAN US.
UM, BUT IT, LIKE I SAID, IT DOES PROVIDE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE TOWN AND THE EVENT ORGANIZERS IN THAT SENSE.
SO LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, FESTIVAL LEASE FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 10 PD STAFF, FIVE VEHICLES DOWN HERE.
UM, THEY PUT UP NO PARKING SIGNS.
OUR EMPLOYEES ARE SETTING OUT BARRICADES, HAULING SOLID WASTE ENERGY SERVICES ARE ON SITE.
AND THEN AGAIN, VESSEL LEAVES TIME IS OUR BUSIEST TOURISM TIME.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT HERE, THEY'RE DIRECTING TRAFFIC.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF OUR RESOURCES AND DOING THIS.
SO, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER 'EM.
BUT LIKE I SAID, WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED THROUGH THIS AND WE UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS.
SO I JUST WANNA PUT IT OUT THERE AND, AND SEE IF WE CAN BRING THIS BACK ON THE SECOND WITH ANY FEEDBACK THAT WE GET.
WE, WE ENCOURAGE THE, THE PUBLIC TO REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE, UM, BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH THEM, DISCUSS WITH THEM.
I'VE AL YOU KNOW, I'VE SHARED THIS WITH THE CHAMBER.
OBVIOUSLY THE CHAMBER'S NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO DOES EVENTS, BUT BETWEEN THEM AND A LOT OF THEIR MEMBERS, THEY'RE TO, THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF THE PROGRAMMING.
SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT THAT THIS IS COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE.
SO IN 2021, BECAUSE I WAS AROUND FOR THAT AND IT, BOY, THAT THING DRUG ON AND DRUG ON AND DRUG ON
UM, AND, AND I MEAN IT'S JUST LIKE ANYTHING ELSE IN THIS WORLD.
YOU CAN'T MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY.
BUT, BUT AT THAT TIME, THINGS THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT, WELL MAINLY WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM WAS THAT THERE WERE SITUATIONS WHERE WE WERE CLOSING STREETS AND BUSINESSES WERE SAYING LIKE IT, THERE WAS NO FINANCIAL BENEFIT TO THEM.
AND I RECOGNIZE THAT THAT MAY NOT HAPPEN OR MAY HAPPEN, RIGHT? MM-HMM
BUT, BUT WE, BUT WE, AT THAT TIME WE WERE SAYING, LOOK, WE JUST CAN'T CLOSE THE, THE VILLAGE COMMONS, WHICH IS NOW THE JOHN MARLOW PLAZA.
WE YOU UPDATED THAT IN THE POLICY.
BUT LIKE, WE CAN'T CLOSE THAT DOWN EVERY WEEKEND BECAUSE SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, WANTS TO HOLD AN EVENT WITH 30 PEOPLE MIGHT SHOW UP.
AND SO THERE WAS LIKE THESE PARAMETERS OF LIKE, HOW MANY PEOPLE FOR THIS AND, AND WHEN YOU'D CLOSE THE, THE, THE, THE JOHN MARLOW PLAZA DOWN VERSUS WHEN YOU WOULD CLOSE DOWN MAIN STREET OR WHEN YOU'D CLOSE DOWN MAIN AND CHESTER AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
UM, AND, AND I DO THINK AS, AS THINGS DO CAUSE MORE, AND I KNOW THAT WE REALLY STRUGGLED WITH THAT AT THE TIME WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT FEES AND REGISTRATION AND STUFF BECAUSE WE WERE LIKE, WE DIDN'T WANT IT TO, WE DON'T WANT TO DISCOURAGE ANYONE, BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO WANTED AT THAT TIME IN 2021, BUT YOU WANTED TO, TO HAVE A FINANCIAL, UM, INVESTMENT OF THE GROUP ENOUGH SO THAT THEY WANT TO WORK REALLY HARD TO MAKE IT A SUCCESSFUL EVENT TO BRING PEOPLE DOWN THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, IF YOU'RE PAYING 50 BUCKS TO, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT THAT BAD, YOU KNOW, 50 BUCKS TO CLOSE DOWN THE JOHN MARLOW PLAZA, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THEN, THEN YOU KNOW, TWO DAYS BEFORE YOU'RE LIKE, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S GONNA TURN OUT TOO MUCH.
ONE THING I WAS GONNA SAY, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU SHARED THIS WITH CHAMBER.
DO YOU, UM, DO YOU ALL HAVE ACCESS TO ANYBODY THAT'S APPLIED FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO CLOSE DOWN IN JOHN PLAZA, CLOSE DOWN MAIN STREET, CLOSE DOWN ON CHESTER STREET, ANYTHING THAT HAS ANY, ANY APPLICATION THAT DID ANY OF THOSE THINGS OVER THE LAST YEAR? BECAUSE I'M THINKING THAT, THAT THEY MIGHT ALSO BE A, YOU KNOW, TO MAIL OUT THE MAIL OUT THIS POLICY JUST TO SAY, JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE'RE, 'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT JUST GROUPS LIKE WE, THEY CLOSE DOWN MAIN STREET FOR A WALK AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND WHEN I SAY CLOSE DOWN, I DON'T MEAN CLOSING DOWN THE SIDEWALKS, WE DON'T CLOSE IT ON THE SIDEWALKS, BUT TO ACTUALLY USE MAIN STREET, I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF IT.
'CAUSE AGAIN, YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO COME BACK LATER AND SAY, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED WITH THIS, THIS ORIGINALLY THE 2021 IS
[02:15:01]
BJ SHAKING THEIR HEAD LIKE TRAUMA LATER.I REMEMBER WE HAVE PTSD, TD FROM IT EVERY MEETING THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WOULD, SO I JUST FOUND OUT YOU'RE DOING THIS AND THIS IS WHY I DON'T LIKE IT.
AND THEN TWO PEOPLE LATER WAS, THIS IS A GREAT IDEA.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS, UM, HAS AN OPPORTUNITY AND THAT THEY DON'T SAY SIX MONTHS FROM NOW WHEN THEY GO TO FILE AN APPLICATION AND THEY SAY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S GONNA COST ME THIS? THIS IS RIDICULOUS.
UNLESS THERE'S A PANDEMIC AGAIN.
THE ONE REALLY COOL THING ABOUT LACKING LAW AND ORDER DURING COVID WAS ANYBODY COULD USE IT FOR ANYTHING BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WAY TO PULL PERMITS AND THE POLICE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
SO MY FRIEND AND I HOSTED A REGGAE BAND UNDERNEATH THE GAZEBO AND DID A POP-UP FOR SMALL BUSINESSES ON MAIN STREET.
AND WE HAD LEGAL SIGNS POSTED ALL AROUND THE COMMONS THAT SAID SOCIAL DISTANCE IF YOU'D LIKE, WEAR MASKS IF YOU'D LIKE, UM, SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES, SOME CLOSED DOWN AND PROTESTS AND SOME STAYED OPEN BECAUSE OF IT.
BUT YOU DEFINITELY HAVE TO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF, AND I WILL SAY THAT IN 2021 IT DID FOLLOW 2020 WHERE WE CLOSED MAIN STREET A LOT LIKE ON THE WEEKENDS.
AND AS I SAID, ONE WEEK WE COME TO THE MEETING AND WE WERE THE HEROES.
AND THEN THE NEXT WEEK WE WERE THE VILLAINS.
HOW DARE YOU CLOSE MAIN STREET, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CLOSING MAIN STREET.
OUR, WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, SO YOU HAD THAT AND THEN THIS FOLLOWED THAT MM-HMM
SO, SO THERE WAS MORE OPINIONS, YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME.
WE WANT TO HEAR THE PUBLIC 'CAUSE 'CAUSE PEOPLE LOVE OUR EVENTS DOWN ON MAIN STREET.
AND THIS ISN'T MEANT TO DISCOURAGE ANYBODY FROM IT.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE IT, BUT, BUT IT, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK FIVE YEARS IS, THAT'S GOOD TO COME BACK AND REVIEW SOMETHING IN FIVE YEARS.
YOU KNOW, AND UH, FAKE EVENTS PLAY A ROLE IN CREATING THAT DESTINATION.
AND BUT WITH THAT ALSO, WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF DIVERSE BUSINESSES DOWN THERE, YOU KNOW, ROAD CLOSURES AND EVENTS CAN, LIKE YOU SAID, CAN ALSO IMPACT THEIR, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE MOVED OFF OF MAIN STREET, THEIR BUSINESS
WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING, LIKE I SAID, WE, THE NOTIFICATION AND THE EXTENDED, YOU KNOW, WE'VE UH, I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN, I'VE HELD TRUE TO THE 30 DAY LIMIT NOW FOR THESE APPLICATIONS MAKING SURE BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST, WE WANNA REVIEW IT AND WANNA CHECK IT, BUT UM, WE WANNA ENSURE THAT IT'S SAFE.
AND IF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE AND RESCUE DON'T KNOW THAT AN EVENT'S HAPPENING AND THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO PLAN AND PREPARE, I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING.
A ROAD IS CLOSED AND THERE'S HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE DOWN HERE AND WE WERE NOT AWARE.
AND WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK OF HOW, HOW DO WE BETTER LET THE BUSINESSES KNOW THAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING DOWNTOWN.
AND SO BY ADDING A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO THAT WINDOW, WHILE YES, LIKE WE JUST TALKED WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING, IT ALLOWS THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND FRANKLY IF YOU'RE PROMOTING AN EVENT, YOU KNOW, 45 DAYS TO PROMOTE AN EVENT, YOU KNOW ANY LESS THAN THAT, WE'RE WONDERING WHAT REALLY KIND OF EVENT ARE WE GONNA EXPECT TO GET DOWNTOWN.
SO WE WANT THAT LITTLE BIT MORE LEAD ON TO ALLOW SOME PUBLIC VERIFICATION.
WHO WILL THIS COMMITTEE EVENTS COMMITTEE BE COMPROMISED PROMISED OF? LIKE WHO IS IT GONNA BE? STAFF AND STAFF? YEAH, SO WE WOULD HAVE, I HAVE IT SLIGHTLY LISTED IN THE DEFINITION, BUT IT WOULD BE LIKE OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC WORKS, STAFF ENERGY SERVICES.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T GONNA BE REINVENTING THE WHEEL.
ONE OF THE OTHER 500 ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NO, UH, LIKE I SAID, MAYBE EVEN THE A FIRE AND RESCUE, WE, I'VE TALKED TO THEM BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE THE COUNTY, THEY ARE HERE.
AND SO WE TALKED ABOUT IF IT'S MAYBE A DOWNTOWN EVENT THAT FOR, YOU KNOW, FRIDA DOES ALL THE FRONT ROYAL, NO, I SAID FRIDA, BUT FRIDA, YEAH.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL IS ESTABLISHED AS A MAIN STREET, YOU KNOW, MET THAT DOWNTOWN.
BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THOUGH THAT WE KNOW AND CHIEF, UH, BONNO AND I TALKED ABOUT IT.
'CAUSE DURING OUR TIME IN ARLINGTON I DID A LOT OF EVENTS AND THIS WAS PART OF THE PROCESS AND IT WAS VERY VALUABLE DURING THAT, UM, IF YOU HAVE A FOOD EVENT TO HAVE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT THERE TO BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP AND THAT THEY KNOW.
UM, AND THAT WAY NOBODY'S CAUGHT OFF GUARD.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I NEEDED THAT PERMIT OR I DIDN'T KNOW I NEEDED TO DO THAT.
UM, IT, IT WAS BENEFICIAL TO ME AS THE EVENT ORGANIZER TO MAKE SURE I HAD ALL MY STUFF IN LINE BEFORE I GOT THERE.
AND THEN LAST MINUTE TELL ME I CAN'T LIKE THE FIRE MARSHAL'S GIVING YOU ADVICE.
SO THAT, THAT KIND OF LEADS TO MY, MY QUESTION.
I MEAN, UH, YOU KNOW, IF I, IF I WERE ONE TO, TO COME IN AND WANT TO DO AN EVENT, YOU KNOW, UM, READING THROUGH THROUGH
[02:20:01]
IT THERE, THERE'S A LOT COMMONALITY BETWEEN THE, THE POLICIES AND I REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF, A LOT OF DATA THERE IF YOU WILL.BUT IS THERE ANY WAY THAT SOME OF THIS COULD BE FLOW CHART? UH, WELL YEAH, WE'RE WORKING ON THE APPLICATION.
WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT IT IS A LOT MORE USER FRIENDLY AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHY WE ALSO HAVE STAFF, YOU KNOW, TO ASSIST PEOPLE IN THAT PROCESS.
SO THE, THE YEAH, CODE IS CODE, RIGHT? BUT LIKE ZONING THE APPLICATIONS AND THE, AND THE DESCRIPTIONS ARE A LITTLE BIT EASIER ON THE EYES AND THEN ALSO A LITTLE BIT, UH, BETTER TO WORK THROUGH.
AND I SAID FORTUNATELY, MOST OF OUR EVENTS, IT'S GONNA TAKE A YEAR OR TWO TO ADJUST, BUT MOST OF 'EM HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED AND WE, WE ANTICIPATE YOGURT, WE'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF REPEAT CUSTOMERS.
HEY JOE, ONE OF THE FEEDBACK THAT, OR SORRY, WE'VE GOTTEN FEEDBACK.
I KNOW MYSELF AND LORI I THINK HAVE BOTH GOTTEN FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE ABOUT LIKE, IS THERE A CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR PERMITS, BLAH, BLAH BLAH.
LIKE KIND OF FRUSTRATED PEOPLE, NOT BUSINESSES AND STUFF, BUT THEY JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.
SO THIS WOULD ALSO PROBABLY STREAMLINE THE PROCESS OF US BEING ABLE TO ADD IT TO THE FRONT ROYAL WEBSITE.
THEY NOT FACEBOOK PAGE, THE ACTUAL TOWN WEBSITE, THE CALENDAR OF EVENTS.
WE WOULD ADD EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN APPROVED BY US UNDER THAT, I ASSUME.
AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO NICE ABOUT THE COMMITTEE IS WE WILL HAVE US SAY, HAVE OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THERE.
AND THAT'S, I FEEL ANOTHER KEY COMPONENT OF THAT.
IT'S NOT JUST THE SAFETY AND WHAT DO YOU, HOW ARE YOU, HOW ARE YOU MARKETING IT? HOW CAN WE MARKET YOUR EVENT, MAKE SURE WE HAVE IT ON OUR CALENDAR AND YEAH.
SO IT'S JUST PART OF THE PROCESS.
'CAUSE THAT'S ALSO WHAT WE WANT, RIGHT? WE WANT THESE TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND THE FRONT ROLE IS BEING TALKED ABOUT.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE PART OF OUR EVENT COMMITTEE CONVERSATIONS TOO, JUST SO WE'RE AWARE OF WHAT THEY'RE PROMOTING AND HOW CAN WE ASSIST.
SO YOU'RE GONNA BRING US BACK BACK? YEAH.
AND ALONG WITH THAT OTHER THING WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, READ IT AND CHAIR.
AND SO WE'RE READY FOR, WE KNOW WHAT'S ON OUR, HOW MANY PUBLIC HEARINGS WE GONNA HAVE ON JANUARY 26TH, SIX.
I HAVE A COUPLE, JUST A COUPLE ITEMS THAT I JUST WANTED TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, ONE IS, I, I SAW IN THERE WHERE YOU WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS THE WHOLE FINES THING AND YOU WERE JUST NOW TALKING ABOUT IT.
SO I KNOW THAT IN YOUR BUDGET, YOU BUDGET FOR FESTIVAL BELIEVE AND BUDGET AND, AND OBVIOUSLY YOUR, YOUR UM, AS YOU SAID, UNDERWRITING A LOT OF THE EVENTS.
I THINK, UM, YOU'LL WANNA DIVE DEEPER IF YOU CAN, OBVIOUSLY INTO WHAT YOU'RE INTO LOOKING AT THOSE BECAUSE YOU'VE, YOU'VE CREATED A STRUCTURE HERE WHERE YOU'RE GOING HAVE A LOT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY PLANNING THAT I THINK IS GONNA BE COSTLY.
AND SOME OF THAT ALREADY IS THEY'RE ALREADY DOING IT NOW.
THAT'S THE REASON WHY PART OF THAT'S COMING UP HERE.
WE'RE KIND OF DOING IT NOW BEHIND THE SCENES, LIKE THROUGH EMAIL AND MEETINGS AND SO YEAH, JUST ALL I'M SAYING IS JUST LOOK HARD AT WHAT IS REASON A LITTLE BIT MORE REASONABLE TO TAKE.
AND THEN THE OTHER, THE, UM, UNDER PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES MM-HMM
YOU HAD 11, NO PERSON MAY COERCE, INTIMIDATE OR HARASS WITH PHYSICAL CONTACT LIGHTS OR NOISE.
AND MY QUESTION IS, DOES NOISE INCLUDE VERBAL THREATS? IF I'M, IF I'M, I JUST WANT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER TODAY MM-HMM
BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THIS.
IF WE'VE GOT, IF WE HAVE CONTROVERSIAL GROUPS AND SOMEBODY IS SAYING I'M GONNA KILL YOU OR WHATEVER, UM, WELL THAT'S NOT GOOD.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT LEWD AND LASCIVIOUS BEHAVIOR.
AND I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND, AND DESCRIBE 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA GIVE ANYBODY IDEAS
UM, BUT I GENERALLY, I'M NOT AFRAID OF PEOPLE BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE IN THEIR PRESENCE, BUT SOMETIMES THE ACTIONS THAT THEY CAN DO CAN BE PRETTY DARN SCARY.
AND SO I WANT, I WANNA KNOW, UM, WHAT WE DO.
I LIKE HOW CAN WE, HOW CAN WE PUT A LIMIT ON ON THAT? YEAH.
HOW IS IT DEFINED AND WHO DEFINES IT? WELL I THINK THE LAW, THE LAW, THE LAW, YOU ALL HAVE, YOU ALL HAVE PARAMETERS FOR THOSE ACTIVITIES.
THAT'S A LAW THING, RIGHT? RIGHT.
I THINK WE'RE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE THE CHALLENGE IS TO FIND, YOU KNOW, THE LAW AND, AND MAKING SURE WE'RE HITTING ON THE DETAILS OF SAFETY AND IMPACTS AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE GONNA BE PROHIBITED ACTS, BUT THE OVERALL SUBJECT MATTER OF THEM, WE, WE ARE NOT GONNA ENFORCE NO THAT, BUT OBVIOUSLY IF THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT'S AGAINST THE LAW, THEN PD WILL BE AWARE.
AND, AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THOSE LINES
[02:25:01]
IN THERE ABOUT, UH, VIOLATING STATE, LOCAL AND FEDERAL LAWS.AND, AND I CAN GO BACK TO MY APPLICATION, BUT I THINK IT WAS 2018, ME AND A FORMER BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AT A SECOND AMENDMENT RALLY DOWN THERE AND WE HAD TO APPLY FOR IT IN MURRAY AND WE HAD TO, I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE TOWN'S POLICY, HOW IT PANNED OUT.
WE HAD TO BUY A COUNTER TERRORIST INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR THAT DAY EVENT BECAUSE IT WAS THE SECOND AMENDMENT EVENT.
THE COI, YEAH, IT HAD TO COVER THAT.
AND I HAVE THE COPIES OF ALL THAT STILL.
SO I'LL GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT.
IT WAS ON, WELL, WE'LL BRING THIS BACK UP ON FEBRUARY 2ND AND NOW I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSE.
I MOVE TO COUNSEL, CONVENE A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1 AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 2 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES.
ONE, PURSUANT TO CODE 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 A, ONE OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION, OR INTERVIEWS OF PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE, DEMOTION, SALARIES, DISCIPLINING OR RESIGNATION OF SPECIFIC PUBLIC OFFICERS, APPOINTEES OR EMPLOYEES OF ANY PUBLIC BODY.
MORE SPECIFICALLY A, THE CLERK OF COUNSEL AND B, DIRECTORS OF THE FRONT ROYAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, FREDDA.
AND TWO, PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 A EIGHT OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL EMPLOYED OR RETAINED BY A PUBLIC BODY REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS REQUIRING THE PROVISION OF LEGAL ADVICE BY SUCH COUNSEL.
MORE SPECIFICALLY, A, THE INSOLVENCY AND DISPOSITION OF ASSETS OF THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTERPART ROYAL AND THE COUNTY OF WARREN, VIRGINIA, AND B, THE AMENDMENT TO VOLUNTARY SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COUNTY OF WARREN, VIRGINIA AND THE TOWN OF ROYAL VIRGINIA REGARDING THE COMPROMISE FOR PILOT MEALS AND LODGING TAXES ENTERED INTO APRIL 11TH, 2018.
SECOND, SIR, A MOTION AND SECOND ROLL CALL VICE.