[Economic Development Authority on August 3, 2026.]
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AUGUST MEETING OF THE FRONT ROW ECONOMIC HEALTH AUTHORITY TO ORDER.UH, THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UH, CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING SO WE CAN DISCUSS THEM? SO MOVE.
UH, SO ALL IN FAVOR OF, UH, APPROVING THE MINUTES.
YEAH, SO I WAS HOPING TO HAVE THE QUARTERLY REPORT TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU.
I DO NOT YET, BUT I BELIEVE I WILL THIS WEEK.
SO WHEN I HAVE IT, I'LL JUST EMAIL IT OUT TO YOU GUYS.
UM, THEY ARE AT A RETREAT SOMEWHERE, I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE.
UM, SO THEY HAVE LIMITED COVERAGE, BUT I WAS TOLD THEY COULD GET THAT
IT'S GONNA BE REAL SHORT MEETING.
IN THE, UH, PARKING STUDY, THEY'RE COMING TO DO A TRAFFIC COUNT THE 14TH, I THINK OF AUGUST.
THE CONSULTANT THAT AUGUST 14TH I BELIEVE.
SO 13TH, 14TH, SOMETHING LIKE IT.
AND THEY, UH, THEY HAVE A TIMELINE FOR THEIR FINAL FINDINGS.
SO, UH, JUST TO CATCH UP, RETAIL STRATEGIES, REPORT WASN'T, DIDN'T COME IN, BUT, UH, WE WERE WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH THE ONGOING BUSINESS TOPICS.
EXISTING BUSINESS, BUT HE CHIMED IN ABOUT
THAT'S GONNA BE AUGUST 14TH, I THINK.
THEY'RE GONNA COME IN AND DO A TRAFFIC COUNT.
THEY'RE WORKING ON OTHER STUFF, OF COURSE, BUT I KNOW THAT THAT'S AN ACTIVE DAY FOR THEM IN THE SPACE.
HEY, UH, WORKFORCE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE UPDATE ON THE SOUTH STREET, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY MOVEMENT ON THAT PROJECT.
SO THEY ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH PRELIMINARY PLANNING.
THEY ARE, WE HAD A CALL, THEY, ENGINEERING IS GOING BACK AND REVIEWING SOME FINAL THINGS ABOUT SOME OF THE SIGNALIZATION.
WE'RE ALSO DOING A SIDEWALK ON REISER ROAD, UH, AS PART OF A TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM.
SO VDOT IS LOOKING TO, IN SOME WAY, WHEN BIDDING GOES OUT, DO THOSE SIMULTANEOUSLY.
SO WE CAN PROBABLY GET SOME BETTER PRICING ON BOTH PROJECTS SINCE THEY'RE TIED AROUND THE SAME TIME.
BUT THAT THEY STILL HAVEN'T ANNOUNCED ANY BIDS YET ON THAT.
SO, UM, THERE'S STILL, WE HAVE NOT SEEN FINAL DRAWINGS FROM SOUTH STREET AT THIS TIME.
UM, MENTION CHURCH STREET? NOT YET.
CAN WE STEP BACK TO INFRASTRUCTURE REAL QUICK? SURE.
UM, I WOULD IMAGINE MOST OF YOU ARE AWARE OF THE CHURCH STREET.
CHURCH STREET IS CURRENTLY CLOSED DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, BUT THERE'S, UM, A REQUEST ON THE TABLE TO, I DON'T WANNA USE, UM,
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TO DISCONTINUE THE USE OF THAT STREET FOR, OF THAT SECTION OF THE STREET FROM MAINE TO JACKSON, UM, FOR CAR TRAFFIC OR VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ONLY FOR PEDESTRIANS.ARE YOU GUYS AWARE OF THAT? OKAY.
UM, SO THE REQUEST HAS BEEN MADE, UM, IT WENT BEFORE COUNCIL A WEEK AGO.
UM, THERE WAS A, A LOT OF OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT THE, UM, USE OF THAT SPACE AND WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE IF IT WAS DISCONTINUED TO
AND, UM, THAT DISCUSSION IS STILL SORT OF ONGOING.
UM, THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPENED AND CLOSED.
HOWEVER, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO HEARING, UH, FEEDBACK FROM THE CONSTITUENTS ABOUT HOW THEY MAY FEEL POSITIVELY OR, OR HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE CHURCH STREET PROJECT.
SO I BELIEVE AT THIS POINT THE OVERALL VISION IS THAT IT WOULD BE SIMILAR TO KID LANE, UM, OR SOME OF OUR OTHER, UH, WHAT IS IT? FOSTERS ALLEY, I THINK.
I'M JUST TRYING TO REMEMBER ALL THE LITTLE NAMES.
UM, SO SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO BE A PUBLIC GATHERING SPACE, UM, IF NOT A PARTICULARLY BUSY STREET IN OUR TOWN.
UM, BUT THERE'S BEEN SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE OF THAT SPACE.
SO, UM, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT SOME OF YOU AS DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE JOE ICK COULD CALL, UM, THAT YOU GUYS WERE AWARE OF THAT QUESTION AS WELL.
COUNSEL HAS NOT MADE ANY DECISIONS ON IT, UM, AT THIS POINT, BUT I BELIEVE THEY LIKELY WILL, UM, LATER THIS MONTH.
CAN YOU GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT? SO THERE WERE ONLY A HANDFUL OF FOLKS WHO SIGNED UP AND MY HANDFUL, I THINK TWO.
UH, I GUESS I COULD ASK THE CLERK COUNSEL.
UM, BUT BOTH WERE IN FAVOR OF THE PROJECT.
WAS THERE, I DON'T RECALL THERE BEING ANY SORT OF, WAS THERE NOTICE AND WAS THERE A SIGN PUT UP REGARDING THAT? BECAUSE TYPICALLY I, THEY DO THAT AND I'VE OVERHEARD AT LEAST THREE TIMES THAT ABOUT PEOPLE THAT WERE, THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
SO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PART, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE LIKE, WELL, WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I'M A PROPERTY OWNER AND I DIDN'T GET ANYTHING.
I JUST GAVE THAT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE.
YEAH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO TAKE THAT ONE.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC NOTICE, WE FOLLOW THE STATE CODE.
WE DON'T TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, LAND USE DECISION.
SO WHEN YOU VACATE THE USE OF A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, IT'S ADVERTISED IN THE NEWSPAPER AND ON THE AGENDA AND STUFF.
UM, IF YOU ARE VACATING AND ALLIE, UM, BASED OFF OF OUR OTHER POLICY, WHEN WE ARE VACATING TO SELL, UH, WE HAVE AN INTERNAL POLICY WHERE WE WILL NOTIFY THE BUDDY PROPERTY OWNERS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO PURCHASE THE LAND.
UH, IN THIS CASE, WE'RE NOT SELLING IT, WE'RE JUST DISCONTINUING THE USE TO MOTOR VEHICLES.
BUT WE FOLLOW THE STATE STATUTE IN THAT.
AND WE DON'T TRADITIONALLY DEVIATE THAT FOR MANY REASONS, BECAUSE THEN YOU OPEN THE DOOR OF, YOU KNOW, WHO DID YOU NOTIFY AND HOW.
SO ANY LAND USE, YOU KNOW, ZONING IS A BUDDING PROPERTY OWNERS, IF YOU START TO STRAY FROM THAT, THEN YOU OPEN YOURSELF UP TO THE NOTIFYING MASSIVE AMOUNT.
SO WE, WE DID IT THROUGH THAT POLICY.
WE HAD A WORK SESSION, COUNSEL DID DO THE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT THEY DID NOT TAKE ACTION TO THEN ALSO ALLOW THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AGAIN, YOU, YOU'D BE ABLE TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AT THE NEXT MEETING.
BUT JUST ALSO THAT DUE DILIGENCE FOR, THEY, THEY HAVE IT OUT FOR ANOTHER MONTH THAT YOU CAN SPEAK FREELY WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AS NEEDED.
AND SO TO SIGN UP FOR NOTIFICATION MM-HMM
ALL THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT, AND I KNOW DAD ROYAL DID DO AN EMAIL BLAST TO ALL OF THE, THE CONTACTS THAT THEY HAD IN THE HISTORIC HISTORY.
THE NEXT MEETING OR WHATEVER MM-HMM
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, I WAS THERE AT THAT MEETING TO LISTEN AND BECAUSE REALLY I, I HAD NOT, I DIDN'T SIGN UP TO SPEAK 'CAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS SPEAKING FOR OR AGAINST, SO I WANTED TO LISTEN.
SO, UM, SO ANYWAY, I LISTENED AND UM, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN OPPOSED TO IT IF THEY HAD VOTED FOR IT THAT NIGHT, BUT THERE APPEARED TO BE A SPLIT OF, YOU KNOW, WELL, AND THE MAYOR HAD TO VOTE, UM,
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FOR, UH, CONTINUING IT ON TO THE AUGUST MEETING SO THAT, UM, THE COUNCIL PEOPLE COULD GET INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THEN TAKE THE VOTE.BUT AS YOU SAID, THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS CLOSED.
SO YOU JUST SAID YOU, YOU COULD COME AND TALK AT THE NEXT ONE.
DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, CORRECT.
SO, SO YOU CAN ALSO SEND 'EM A NOTE AHEAD OF TIME.
IS THERE A THOUGHT AS TO WHETHER THE ALLEY WOULD STOP AT THE END OF THE TROUT BUILDING TO ALLOW ACCESS TO THE PARKING LOT? CORRECT.
THAT, SO IT ONLY GOES FROM MAIN TO THE END OF THE TROUT BUILDING, SO YOU'D STILL BE ABLE TO CIRCLE AROUND THAT PARKING LOT.
PARKING PARKING LOT IS STILL FULLY ATED.
SO WE, IT'S ONLY THAT NARROW PORTION BETWEEN THE END OF THE TROUT BUILDING AND MAIN STREET.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? THERE A DIAGRAM OF THAT IN THE PACKET? YEAH, THERE'S A, LIKE GIS THAT DESCRIBES, YOU WANNA DIVE ON THAT MORE FOOTAGE AND THERE WAS A, UM, A KIND OF A CONCEPTUAL LAYOUT.
THERE IS NO PLAN, IT'S JUST TO CLOSE IT.
AND THAT'LL BE MONDAY, AUGUST 24TH AND THE MEETING MAY, WE'RE STILL FINALIZING DETAILS BE AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, UM, WILL NOT BE AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTER DUE TO SOME, UM, MAINTENANCE WORK GOING ON IN THE BUILDINGS.
UM, ASSET DEVELOPMENT, DO THEY HAVE ANYTHING ON THAT? ALL RIGHT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME PATRICK PARKER HERE WHO IS COUNTY'S EDA EXEC.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE COUNTY FIRM OF, OF WARREN COUNTY.
SO PATRICK, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THE GROUP FOR A FEW MINUTES? I SURELY CAN.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE WARM WELCOME THAT I'VE RECEIVED HERE.
IT'S BEEN A LOT OF FUN AND ENJOYABLE.
UH, I'M CURRENTLY KIND OF IN THE INFORMATION ASSEMBLY MODE RIGHT NOW, UH, DOING A LOT OF, OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF STUFF ON THE DATA SIDE THAT I CAN DO FROM THE COMPUTER, BUT HOLDING A LOT OF CONVERSATION THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHO THE COMMUNITY IS.
I MEAN, I'VE DONE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR 26 YEARS AND SUCH, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEED NEEDS TO BE AND NEEDS TO BE MORE REFLECTIVE, WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS NOT JUST WHAT'S IN, IN A TEXTBOOK AND WHAT YOU READ ABOUT.
SO, UM, THE FIRST TWO BIG, UH, ITEMS THAT DROP ON MY SIDE AT THE MOMENT, UM, THE, THE TARGET INDUSTRY ANALYSIS THAT I, THAT AS PART OF MY WORK PLAN SHOULD COME TO COUNCIL AND BOARD.
IT'S PROBABLY END OF, END OF THIS MONTH AND THEN THE STRATEGIC PLAN WILL COME TIME, UH, SOMETIME BEFORE THE END OF NOVEMBER.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE ALL ITEMS THAT WE'LL, WE'LL KIND OF, KIND OF SET THE, HOPEFULLY THE SHORT TERM DIRECTION FOR THE COUNTY AND TOWN.
BUT, UM, SO THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER ABOUT MYSELF OR WHAT I'VE DONE SO FAR.
BUT JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY.
IT'S BEEN BEEN A LOT OF FUN SO FAR.
AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE SO FAR? THIS IS WEEK SEVEN, I THINK
SO IT'S STILL EARLY, STILL EARLY DAY 52
I'M A BUT IT'S BEEN, IT IS BEEN A LOT OF FUN.
WE'RE IN IN THAT, UH, AS I, AS I TOLD MR. NOVAK, WE'RE IN THAT PERIOD WHERE WE'RE, UH, PUTTING TOGETHER THE OUTSIDE THE PUZZLE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S GENERALLY THE EASIEST PART TO DO IS JUST THEN TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT THE REST OF THE PIECES FIT INSIDE.
THAT IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK ON.
SO, UM, YOU HAVE A LOT OF ASSETS TO BE PROUD OF.
UM, A LOT OF IT NOW IS JUST TRYING TO FIND WHAT THE BEST DIRECTION THAT WE COULD PROPERLY HARNESS THOSE ASSETS FOR THE BETTER OF THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO
OUR, OUR GROUP AND YOUR GROUP AND, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR PATRICK THAT YOU WANT KNOW? YEAH, I MEAN, THANKS FOR BEING HERE AND LIKE YOU SAID, THIS IS ALL VERY NEW.
I'M JUST CURIOUS IN TERMS OF BEING IN THIS, UH, INFORMATION GATHERING STAGE, WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS SURPRISED YOU THE MOST WITH YOUR, UH, CONCEPTIONS COMING INTO THE ROLE? LIKE WHAT, WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND IN THE DATA PROJECT? UH, I THINK, UH, IT IS CLEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, BUT I'M NOT SURE THEY KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S A ANYTHING DONE WITH ANY INTENTION.
I JUST THINK BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN THE ABSENCE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INSIDE THE AREA THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW.
SO I THINK PART OF MY JOB IS TO DO THAT, IS TO HELP PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THERE ARE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND, AND JOBS AND REVENUE AND WHAT FITS.
AND THEN IT'S UP FOR THE ELECTED OFFICIALS TO KIND OF SET THAT PATH AS FAR AS WHAT, WHAT IS THAT GOING TO BE? AND THEN DO WHAT WE CAN WITH THE RESOURCES AND ASSET YOU ALL HAVE TO IMPLEMENT THAT VISION.
SO, UM, SO THAT'S BEEN PROBABLY THE, THE, THE, JUST THE JUST, AGAIN, JUST NOT REALLY
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KNOWING WHAT ECONOMIC ELEMENT TRULY IS, UH, WHICH IS AGAIN, NOTHING WAS OVERLY SURPRISING, UH, FROM THAT STANDPOINT.BUT PROBABLY JUST THE DEPTH OF WHEN, I MEAN I'M DOING A LOT OF LISTENING TOURS AND JUST BEEN THAT THE REPEATED NATURE OF THAT, IT'S JUST WHERE YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A DISCONNECT AND UH, IT MAKES SENSE.
SO, BUT MY HOPE IS TO HOPE THAT THAT BRIDGE, THAT IT WON'T BE QUICK, UH, BUT TO HOPE KIND OF BRIDGE THAT INFORMATION GAP AND GET THAT DIRECTION GOING THE RIGHT WAY.
PATRICK, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING? YOU HAVE SHORTEST MEETING EVER? I THINK ANY MORE MOVEMENT, JOE, ANY MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FRONT ROW EDA STILL KIND OF IN A HOLDING PATTERN RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN A HOLDING PATTERN RIGHT NOW.
WE HAD OUR JOINT MEETING WITH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY.
UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF RICK MAY HAVE BEEN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WENT TO THAT MEETING OR NOT, WHERE WE HAD THE ENTIRE COUNTY BOARD AND UM, YEAH I WAS THERE SINCE THAT TIME.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING A FEW OF THOSE ITEMS. UM, BUT AS YOU'RE AWARE, EVEN SINCE THAT TIME NOW, THE COUNTY'S LOST LEADERSHIP ONCE AGAIN, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF HIT THAT RESET A LITTLE BIT ON A LOT OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
UM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE ELECTED BODIES HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING THESE THINGS AS WELL, UM, TO JUST TRYING TO KEEP SOMETHING MOVING FORWARD.
BUT THERE IS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE JOINTLY DO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY, IF YOU WATCH THE MEETING AND IT TALKS THAT VERY HAPPY PATRICK'S HERE TO KIND OF HELP GUIDE BOTH FRONT ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY IN THAT DIRECTION.
ALRIGHT, WELL IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, UH, ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
ALL FAVOR SIGNIFY WITH SAYING AYE A.