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[Town Council Work Session on October 5, 2026.]
CALL TO ORDER THE TOWN COUNCIL WORK SESSION FOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 5TH.UM, MS. WILFON, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? MAYOR? HERE.
SO OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS TONIGHT IS A CLOSED MEETING.
SO I WILL ENTERTAIN IF SOMEONE CAN BRING US INTO CLOSE.
ANYBODY HAVE THEIRS PULLED UP? MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT TOWN COUNCIL CONVENE A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 2.2 - 3711 AND 2.2 - 3712 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES.
ONE PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 - 3711A8 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 COUNCIL, MORE SPECIFICALLY AMENDMENT OF THE TOWN ZONING ORDINANCE TO DEFINE AND REGULATE DATA CENTERS.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND.
CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT? YES.
CAN WE ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO BRING US OUT OF CLOSE, COUNCILMAN INGRAM? MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL SERVE OUT TO THE BEST OF EACH MEMBER'S KNOWLEDGE AS RECOGNIZED BY EACH COUNCIL MEMBER'S AFFIRMATIVE VOTE THAT ONLY SUCH PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT AS WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE MOTION IN WHICH THE CLOSED MEETING WAS CONVENED WERE HEARD, DISCUSSED, OR CONSIDERED IN THE CLOSED MEETING BY COUNCIL, AND THAT THE VOTE OF EACH INDIVIDUAL MEMBER OF COUNCIL BE TAKEN BY ROLL CALL AND RECORDED AND INCLUDED IN THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF TOWN COUNCIL.
MS. ARE YOU TRYING TO KEEP US ON OUR TOES? I NOTICED IT CHANGES WITH EACH ROLL CALL.
UM, SO 3A IS A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL INC'S APPLICATION FOR ADVANCING VIRGINIA MAIN STREET, UM, WHICH IS AN ADMS DESIGNATION.
UM, IS THERE A PARTICULAR STAFF MEMBER THAT'S GONNA BE PRESENTING THAT? OKAY, I THOUGH SO, BUT I DIDN'T WANNA...
I DIDN'T WANT TO PUT ANYBODY ON THE SPOT.
I HOPE YOU DIDN'T WANT TO USE THAT BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON OUR TECHNOLOGY'S NOT FUN TODAY.
UM, JUST GONNA TALK FOR A SECOND.
UH, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THIS EVENING.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL ORGANIZATION.
I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD FROM THEM BEFORE ABOUT SOME OF THEIR WORK IN ORDER FOR US TO RECEIVE MAIN STREET ACCREDITATION.
UM, THEY HAVE NOW REACHED THE THIRD AND FINAL PHASE OF THAT.
UM, THEY CAN NOW APPLY FOR WHAT WE REFER TO AS ADVANCING VIRGINIA MAIN STREET, THE ABMS. BUT AS PART OF THAT ROUGHLY 13 PAGE APPLICATION, UM, THAT HAS 17 ATTACHMENTS IN ADDITION TO ALL THE OTHER QUESTIONS WE HAVE TO DO, UH, ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS THAT THEY REQUIRE AN UPDATED RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FROM THIS BODY.
UM, SO THERE'S A DRAFT IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET, UM, BASICALLY STATING THAT YOU CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEIR WORK IN DOING THAT.
AND FRANKLY, I THINK IT ALSO WORKS AS KIND OF A REMINDER THAT THEY, AS THE ADMINISTRATOR ORGANIZATION, NEED TO CHECK IN WITH THE GOVERNING BODY HERE AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE UP TO.
SO YOU GUYS ARE ALL VERY AWARE OF WHAT DOWNTOWN FRONT ROYAL DOES, UM, BUT THIS IS A GOOD REMINDER.
SO DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I, I, I'LL JUST SAY THAT I THINK IT'S HUGE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, UM, IT GIVES, UH, UH, THE TOWN, UM, MAKES THEM VIABLE TO COMPETE, UH, UM, STATE, UM, OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE AND EVEN NATIONALLY AND TO GET, UH, GRANT MONEY.
YEAH, SO I DO WANT TO CLARIFY, THIS IS JUST THE APPLICATION.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE WILL GET APPROVED, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TRY REALLY, REALLY HARD.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS.
WE HAVE A WEEKLY WORK SESSION FOR THE LAST SIX WEEKS AND CONTINUE TO UNTIL EVERYTHING GETS SUBMITTED IN ABOUT 10 DAYS.
AND, UM, I RECENTLY PARTICIPATED
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IN A, UM, BRANDING EXERCISE, UM, WITH SOME STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AND SOME CONSULTANTS THAT WERE GOING IN.AND THEY ASKED THE QUESTION, "SO ARE YOU GUYS A, A, YOU KNOW, A MAIN STREET, YOU KNOW?" AND I WAS LIKE, "NO, BUT LIKE THEY'RE WORKING ON IT AND THAT WAS SOMETHING." SO I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, SO.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? SO, UM, THIS WOULD, COULD BE ON CONSENT, RIGHT? OR NO? THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM FOR TONIGHT.
OH RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE SHORTENED TIMELINE.
I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU KNEW WHEN YOU GUYS SUBMITTED IN 10 DAYS, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE FOR YOU GUYS TO GET A RESPONSE? DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU COULD EXPECT THE TIMEFRAME? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TIMELINE IS FOR THIS SPECIFICALLY.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHEN WE DID THIS THE LAST TIME TO KIND OF MOVE ON, IT WAS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MONTHS BEFORE WE KNEW KIND OF WHERE WE STOOD.
AND LAST FALL WAS WHEN THEY CAME - THAT'S CORRECT.
WHEN WE PARTICIPATED IN THAT PART OF THAT DATA IS ALSO DRIVING SOME OF THOSE ANSWERS THAT WE GET IN THOSE QUESTIONS.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? GLEN, DID YOU - I'D LIKE TO OFFER A PROPOSED MOTION, MADAM MAYOR.
I MOVE THAT THE COUNCIL ADOPT THE RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF DOWNTOWN APPLICATION FOR TIER THREE, ADVANCING VIRGINIA MAIN STREET DESTINATION, DESIGNATION THROUGH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTS, VIRGINIA MAIN STREET COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION PROGRAM AS PRESENTED.
NEITHER'S MOTION TO SECOND ANY DISCUSSION.
OKAY, UM, NOW MR. SONNET, THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE WHEN I WAS ASKING BEFORE, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT I COULD SAY? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA LET ME KNOW WHEN THERE'S, YOU'RE GONNA LET ME KNOW WHEN THERE'S A TIME WHEN WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT, RIGHT? 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S GOTTA BE A CHANCE, RIGHT? OKAY, MS. SPOKE ON ROLL CALL.
COUNCILWOMAN DOMINICA JAMES? YES.
SO IF YOU RECALL, SO DOWNTOWN BEEN WORKING ON A SIGN THE LAST TIME THAT WE SPOKE, COUNCIL WANTED TO SEE A COPY OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
THEY'VE GOTTEN UPDATED RENDERINGS FROM THEIR ARCHITECT.
I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE THESE WITH THE GROUP LATER THIS EVENING TO DISCUSS AND, UM, AND BE HAPPY TO SHARE UPDATES ON THAT PROCESS.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S A FORMAL VOTE NEEDED FOR THE DESIGN EVENTUALLY, BUT I KNOW THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL WERE HAPPY WITH IT.
I'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT LATER.
BUT I HAVE THOSE FOR Y'ALL TO LOOK AT.
SO ITEM 4A IS THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT FOR THE CANNABIS RETAIL AND CANNABIS PROCESSOR MANUFACTURER USES AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
AND I AM ASSUMING STAFF, IT'S GONNA BE MR. WARE, RIGHT? AND JUST FOR THE PUBLIC'S KNOWLEDGE, AND I'M SURE HE'S GONNA SHARE THIS TOO, THIS IS REALLY LIKE, THIS IS, WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT GETTING A CHOICE ON THE FACT THAT THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, RIGHT? SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T GET ANY KIND OF PERCEPTION THAT COUNCIL ASKED FOR THIS.
UH, SO YOU GOTTA INCLUDE IN YOUR PACKET IS THIS, UH, PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENT TOWN CODE RELATING TO MARIJUANA AND CANNABIS.
UH, IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT AND WE GOT THIS SLIDE TOGETHER AND HOWEVER YOU WANNA WORK IT, MADAM MAYOR, WE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS AS WE GO THROUGH THE SLIDES OR WAIT TILL THE END.
I TRY TO PUT THIS TOGETHER SO IT ANSWERS THE NORMAL QUESTIONS AS WE GO THROUGH IT.
SO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSED THE RETAIL CANNABIS FRAMEWORK, UH, THIS YEAR.
UH, THE FINAL COMPROMISE CAME IN JUNE.
AND WITH THAT, THEY MADE THE, UH, LEGISLATIVE WHERE WE CANNOT LOCALIES, LOCALITIES, TOWNS AND COUNTIES, CITIES CANNOT OPT OUT.
UH, YOU CANNOT BAN THEM, YOU CANNOT PROHIBIT THEM, AND YOU CANNOT IMPOSE A MORATORIUM ON THEM.
UH, SO, UH, YOU CANNOT COUNT THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES LOCATED IN THE JURISDICTION,
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AND YOU CANNOT INCREASE THE DISTANCE BUFFER THAT THE STATE SET AT 1,000 FEET.YOU CAN DECREASE IT, BUT YOU CANNOT INCREASE IT.
UH, WE'LL TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
THE TAX WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ONE AND THREE AND A HALF PERCENT.
SO YOU'LL HAVE A, UH, ZONING TAX AMENDMENT TO DEAL WITH THIS PLUS A TAX ON, UH, RETAIL CANNABIS.
WE CAN REGULATE IT AND, UH, THROUGH THE ZONING RESTRICTED, UH, FOR ZONING AND LAND USE REGULATIONS, UH, BUT WE CANNOT PROHIBIT THEM OR BAN THEM REGARDLESS.
I WAS GONNA SAY, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE THE KIND OF GROUP THAT'S GONNA ASK QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY AND SAY IT AT THE END.
SO MY QUESTION IS WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED BEING TALKED ABOUT, IT WAS LIKE IN 2020, I THINK.
2020, 2021 WHEN I WAS FIRST ON COUNCIL.
AND AT THAT TIME, THEY WERE ACTING AS THOUGH THE STATE WAS ONLY GONNA GIVE SO MANY PERMITS IN A JURISDICTION.
LIKE MAYBE THERE WOULD ONLY BE TWO OR THREE OR WHATEVER.
ARE YOU SAYING FROM WHAT I JUST INTERPRETED WHAT YOU JUST SAID IS YOU SAID LIKE WE COULDN'T LIMIT THE RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS.
IS THE STATE PLANNING TO? UH, THE STATE WILL SET A CAP, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING WHERE SOME OF THIS IS IN THE WORKS, THEY'RE GONNA SET THE, A CAP AT 350 STATEWIDE.
SO TO GIVE YOU A REFERENCE, THERE'S LIKE 400 STATE ABC STORES.
SO AS OF NOW, THEY'RE GONNA CAP THOSE AT 350 STATEWIDE.
SO IF YOU KINDA GET A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE ABC STORES BASED IN LOCALITIES, YOU CAN PROBABLY KINDA GIVE A, AN IDEA, UH, HOW MANY COULD COME TO A LOCAL JURISDICTION.
SO JUST KINDA, UH, KEEP THAT IN MIND.
SO ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, IF YOU COULD GO BACK FOR COUNSEL AND THE PUBLIC'S REFERENCE.
I LOVE WHEN THE STATE TELLS US WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO IN OUR PRECIOUS TOWN.
LOCALITIES CANNOT OPT OUT OF ALLOWING CANNABIS BUSINESS EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN 4.1 - 630.
WHEN YOU HAVE TIME, CAN YOU LET THE TOWN COUNCIL KNOW YOUR INTERPRETATION OF THAT STATE CODE? 6:30 WOULD BE THE - BUT IS IT PART OF YOUR PRESENTATION? UH, 6:30 IS THE TIME WE CAN RESTRICT THE TIMES THEY ARE OPEN.
UH, 6:29 IS THIS REGULATIONS HERE.
SO 4.1, THE ENTIRE CODE IS ABOUT THE TIME? UH, SIX, 6.30 IS ABOUT THE TIME.
ONLY BUT YOU CAN REGULATE THE TIME THEY'RE OPEN.
AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION WAS, SINCE WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS TIED UP WITH A BOW BEFORE, AND ADOPTED BEFORE FEBRUARY, WHEN CAN WE EXPECT TO HAVE THE ANSWERS FROM THE STATE? IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OR IF THEY'RE GOING TO...
IT WAS ORIGINALLY ONE PER LOCALITY IS WHAT THEY DISCUSSED.
NO, I WENT TO VML AND TOURED A CANNABIS DISPENSARY IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
THERE WERE FOUR THAT WON THE LOTTERY FOR IT.
THERE'S ONLY TWO OPERATING THE LAST I DID THE TOUR ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN OF FORT ROYAL.
AND THEY HAD SAID THAT THE LEGISLATION THEN, THE LANGUAGE WAS THERE WOULD BE ONE PER LOCALITY, WHICH IS WHY THEY THOUGH WE HAD SUCH AN INFLUX IN THE VAPE SHOPS.
THEY HAD TO HAVE AN ESTABLISHED BUSINESS TO QUALIFY.
SO THEY WERE ALL GETTING IN LINE AND IT WAS GONNA BE LIKE A LOTTERY DECISION.
SO DO YOU KNOW WHEN WE CAN EXPECT TO KNOW FROM THE STATE HOW MANY THEY'RE GONNA PUT ON THE NUMBER? THAT'S GONNA BE CONTROLLED THROUGH THE VIRGINIA CANNABIS CONTROL AUTHORITY.
THEY WILL, THEY WILL SUBMIT, THE APPLICANTS WILL SUBMIT APPLICATIONS TO THEM.
ESSENTIALLY HOW THIS WAS, IF YOU'RE TALKING JUST RETAIL, THEY WILL SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO THEM, WHICH THE STATE IS SAYING THEY'LL START ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FEBRUARY ONE.
THEY WILL INFORM THAT LOCALITY THAT THEY RECEIVED AN APPLICATION.
THE LOCALITY HAS 30 DAYS TO OBJECT AT THAT LOCATION IN THE LOCALITY.
IF THE LOCALITY DOES NOT OBJECT WITHIN 30 DAYS, THEN THE STATE WILL GO AHEAD WITH THE PROCESSING OF THE APPLICATION.
SO IT COMES TO COUNCIL BEFORE WE HAVE 30 DAYS TO RESPOND TO THE STATE? UH, THE TOWN DOES, TOWN MANAGERS OR THE, UH, COUNCIL - BASED OFF OF THE ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT THAT COUNCIL ADOPTS.
IF YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING, WE STILL HAVE 30 DAYS TO OBJECT.
WHEN THEY GET THE FIRST APPLICATION, YOU HAVE 30 DAYS TO OBJECT BASED ON YOUR ZONING.
IF YOU HAVE ZONING REGULATIONS OR AMENDMENTS IN PLACE TO OBJECT FOR THE LOCATION.
GEORGE, I'M GONNA HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
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I'M SORRY.IF WE DON'T ADOPT A ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT TO ALLOW THEM, BUT WE ALSO DON'T BAN THEM AND WE JUST RESPOND ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS AND THEY'RE NOT IN THE ZONING, HOW IS THAT ANY DIFFERENT? YEAH, IT'S NOT BANNING THEM, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A ZONING TEXT THAT ALLOWS THEM AS A PERMISSIBLE USE, BUT THEN YOU RESPOND WITHIN 30 DAYS REGARDING THEIR REQUEST.
WE, WE, THEY WOULD BE TREATED AS RETAIL.
THE STATE'S GONNA RE - UH, TREAT THOSE AS RETAIL, SO WHATEVER DISTRICT YOU ALLOW RETAIL BUSINESSES IN.
SO C1, C2, C3, I1, I2, IF WE ALLOW RETAIL BUSINESSES, THEN THE STATE IS SAYING IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING IN PLACE, THEY ARE PERMITTED WHERE YOU ALLOW RETAIL BUSINESSES.
THEY'RE TREATING THESE JUST AS A RETAIL BUSINESS.
UM, WE'RE JUST FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO IS, IS RICHMOND GOING TO...
OBVIOUSLY RICHMOND, I DON'T WANT TO SAY ABOUT VIRGINIA ANYWAYS, BUT ARE THEY GONNA KNOW EACH LOCALITY'S ZONING WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY DO THAT? OR DO YOU HAVE...
SO IT BASICALLY HAS TO GO TO THEM AND THEY'RE JUST GONNA SPIT IT BACK OUT, WHICH AGAIN, IT'S, TO ME, IT'S COMPLETELY INEPT AS TO WHY THAT WOULD, PROCESS WOULD BE THAT WAY.
IF THEY'RE GONNA DO THAT, THEN AT LEAST TO HAVE THE GUMPTION TO KNOW LOCALITY ZONING AND SAY, OKAY, WE GOT ABC WAS PLANNED FOR THIS.
OKAY, LET'S, LET'S LOOK AT A FRONT ROW ZONING MAP.
OKAY, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE APPLYING AT THIS LOCATION, LOOKS LIKE THIS LOCATION IS C1.
THEY'RE GONNA LEAVE IT UP TO US.
IN THE, IN THE 30, I FEEL LIKE I'M GONNA ASK QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA GET TO.
I FEEL BAD BECAUSE I'M LIKE QUESTIONS NOW, BUT THIS IS POPPING IN MY HEAD AND I BET YOU'RE GONNA ALREADY ANSWER IT.
SO LIKE IN THAT 30 DAYS, I'M JUST GONNA SAY, THEY SAY, "OH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ONE ON NORTH DOOR AVENUE AT THIS ADDRESS," RIGHT? AND THEN WE LOOK AT IT AND WE SAY, "NO, IT'S WITHIN SO MANY FEET OF A SCHOOL OR A DAYCARE OR CHURCH OR WHEREVER." THAT'S WHAT THEY MEAN BY WE, IN THOSE 30 DAYS, OUR RESPONSE COULD BE...
ONE, WE REQUIRE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
TWO, OR IT'S IN, WITHIN AN INCLU - EXCLUSION ZONE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ORDINANCE.
SO THIS LOCATION WOULD BE PROHIBITED BASED ON THE EXCLUSION ZONE OF A SCHOOL OR A DAYCARE.
AND WE WOULD REPLY BACK TO THE STATE AND SAY THIS LOCATION - OKAY.
WOULD NOT BE PERMITTED, FOR EXAMPLE, BY THE TOWN, UH, ZONING ORDINANCE.
AND WE HAVE SOME THINGS LIKE THAT ALREADY IN OUR VAPE SHOP STUFF, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO MAYBE SOME, MAYBE WE WON'T HAVE TO TOTALLY REINVENT THE WHEEL, MAYBE.
SO -
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE VAPE SHOP DOES NOT MEAN THEY HAVE THEIR LICENSE FOR THE VAPE.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO APPLY FOR A LICENSE TO DO CANNABIS.
IT COULD BE OUT OF THE SAME STOREFRONT.
WHAT I MEANT THOUGH IS WHEN WE HANDLED VAPE SHOPS - UH-HUH.
WE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE, LIKE, IT COULDN'T BE NEAR THIS AND IT COULDN'T BE THAT, AND THAT...
I, I JUST MEANT MAYBE SOME OF THAT STUFF COULD BE HELPFUL TO US TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WE'VE BEEN TRACKING THIS SINCE, LIKE, FEBRUARY.
BUT WE UNDERSTOOD - IT WAS COMING.
AND I WON'T SAY THE STATE GOT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, BUT THEY ANNOUNCED THIS IN...
IT CAME ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 1ST OF JULY.
SOME LOCALITIES WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
SO OUR PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, REALIZED BY WHAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING AND TRACKING THE BILLS THROUGH THE STATE SENATE, THAT IT WAS...
I DON'T WANNA USE THE WORD FAST TRACKED, BUT FROM SEPTEMBER TO FEBRUARY IS ALL LOCALITIES ARE DEALING WITH THIS.
THOSE THAT FAIL TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE BY FEBRUARY ONE, THEN THOSE LOCALITIES WILL HAVE TO JUST TREAT THAT AS RETAIL.
SO JUST THESE DATES, UH - I'M NOT ASKING MORE QUESTIONS.
YEAH, I CAN TOUCH ON THAT FOR US.
SO, SO THE THING IS THE ORDINANCE FOR Y'ALL TO DECIDE, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS.
WE AL- ALREADY HAVE A DRAFT ORDINANCE IN PLACE.
WE WILL HAVE A WORK SESSION WEDNESDAY WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO WORK ON THIS AGAIN.
UH, BUT WE'RE ASKING FOR SOME DIRECTION FROM TOWN COUNCIL.
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SO IF YOU DON'T TAKE ANY ACTION, UH, THE CON - THE CANNABIS AUTHORITY, THEY MAY ISSUE THE LICENSE OF ZONING PERMITS AND RETAIL.UH, WE DON'T COLLECT ANY EXCISE TAX ON THAT.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY WHERE THESE WOULD GO IN.
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW? WELL, WE STILL RETAIN FULL ZONING AUTHORITY, LAND USE AND BUFFER AUTHORITY.
WE CAN'T PROHIBIT THEM, BUT WE CAN DETERMINE WHERE THEY GO AT.
UH, AGAIN, THE TAX, THAT'LL COME LATER IN, UH, 2027.
SO NO LESS THAN 1% AND NO MORE THAN THREE AND A HALF PERCENT.
SO THE STATE HAS SET A THOUSAND FOOT BUFFER FROM SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, AND CHILD THERE OR CHILD DAY PROGRAMS. AND ALSO BETWEEN, UH, THE RETAIL MARIJUANA STORES AND THE MICRO BUSINESSES.
THEY ALSO INCLUDED THIS TERMINOLOGY AS SENSITIVE AREAS.
AND YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA ASK WHAT IS DEFINED AS A SENSITIVE AREA.
THE STATE DID NOT DEFINE THAT.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD WE CONSIDER A SENSITIVE AREA IN TOWN BASED ON, UH, RETAIL MARIJUANA STORES AND THESE MICRO BUSINESSES? SO WE FELT, UH, PER SE LIKE THE LODGING HOUSES THAT YOU ALL HAVE APPROVED WITH SPECIAL USE PERMITS, LIKE THE WARREN COALITION, WE WOULD CONSIDER THOSE SENSITIVE AREAS.
UH, SO THAT'S HOW WE PUT THIS MAP TOGETHER FOR YOU BASED ON THAT, BASED ON THE SCHOOLS, BASED ON THE DAYCARE, AND ALSO SENSITIVE AREAS.
THAT'S WHAT WE DEFINED AS SENSITIVE AREAS BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, AGAIN, NO LESS THAN 1% ON THE TAX, NOT MORE THAN THREE AND A HALF.
THESE ARE SOME DATES YOU NEED TO REMEMBER.
THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF SUCH ORDINANCE IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE SECOND MONTH FOLLOWING THE ORDINANCE ENACTMENT.
YOU GOT THAT, BJ? DATA CENTERS WERE NOT GONNA MAKE US ANY MONEY.
WE HAVE CANNABIS TAX TO SAVE THE DAY.
UH, ONCE SET, THE RATE IS IN PLACE FOR THREE YEARS.
UH, SO THE DEADLINE FOR THE LOCALITY TO FIX THE DE - UH, ON THE JULY 1ST.
SO COUNTY TAX RATES DO NOT APPLY.
SO THE JURISDICTION, IF YOU'RE IN A CITY AND TOWN, YOU NEED TO PASS YOUR OWN.
AND YOU - I WAS GONNA ASK THAT QUESTION.
AND YOU WOULD GET THE MONEY BACK FROM THE STATE LATER ON.
SO IF THE TOWN FAILS TO ACT, NO LOCAL TAX WILL BE COLLECTED.
UH, SO THAT'S NOT PART OF OUR ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT.
JUST MAKE YOU AWARE YOU'RE GONNA BE ADDRESSING THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
UH, WE BELIEVE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION LOOKED THIS OVER.
UH, CANNABIS, UH, BE PRIMARY LIMITED TO THE COMMERCIAL AND ZONING, INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICTS, AND ALSO FOR AGRICULTURE.
AGAIN, STATE MANDATES, UH, SUPPOSEDLY THEY'RE GONNA CAP THESE AT 350.
THERE'S BASICALLY 400 STATE ABC STORES IN THE COMMONWEALTH.
SO IT KINDA GIVES YOU A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM.
YEAH, LIKE FRONT ROW MOORE COUNTY IS TOO ABC STORES.
IF YOU'RE JUST KINDA TRYING TO...
A RULE OF THUMB TO TRY TO GET A GAUGE.
I'D SAY TWO OR LESS IS PROBABLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UH, SO THE THING IS, THEY WILL START ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FEBRUARY ONE.
AND THEY'LL START ISSUING LICENSE THAT GEARING UP FOR MAY 1ST FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS OR COMPANIES THAT APPLY FOR A LICENSE.
THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT LICENSES THEY CAN ISSUE.
AND OF COURSE THE STATE COLLECTS FEES ON THESE LICENSES.
UH, THEY'LL START ISSUING THOSE THEIR, UH, THEY'RE HOPING MAY 1ST AND THE STORES AND BUSINESSES CAN START OPERATING JULY 1ST.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT APRIL DAY IS IT? THERE'S SOME DAY IN APRIL THAT - 420? 420.
IS THAT WHAT IT IS? 420? MM-HMM.
I'M SURPRISED THEY DIDN'T TRY TO OPEN IT UP ON THAT DATE.
SO WHAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS ASKING FOR THE TOWN COUNCIL GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF A LITTLE BIT DIRECTION, UM, HOW WE SHOULD DEVELOP THE ORDINANCE.
SO THE STATE'S BASICALLY SAID YOU HAVE AN OVERLY RESTRICTIVE ZONING AND BUFFERS OR USE PERMIT DENIALS THAT MAY BE CHALLENGED, IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE STATEWIDE MARKETPLACE.
UH, SO THE MOST DEFENSIBLE ORDINANCE GENERALLY IDENTIFIED DISTRICTS WHERE CANNABIS COULD BE PERMITTED,
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UH, MAINTAIN OBJECTIVE APPROVAL CRITERIA, USE TRADITIONAL ZONING STANDARDS, AND CREATE A RECORD DEMONSTRATING REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR LICENSED CANNIBAL BUSINESS.UH, SO I KNOW WE HAD CONVERSATIONS, UH, ABOUT THIS.
SO ARE WE GONNA DO IT BY RIGHT? ARE YOU GONNA DO SOME OF THEM BY RIGHT? SOME OF THEM A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
SO IF YOU REQUIRE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR EACH OF THESE, IT HAS ITS OWN RISK.
BASICALLY, WHAT IT'S SAYING IS IF YOU DESIGNATE AN AREA, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'LL JUST SAY THE C1 COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICT ONLY, THEN YOU PUT THE THOUSAND FOOT BUFFERS FOR THE SCHOOLS IN THE DAYCARES AND THE SENSITIVE AREAS, AND BASICALLY YOU ELIMINATE THOSE BECAUSE OF THAT, THE STATE SAYS NO.
SO YOU, SO YOU EITHER GOT TO REDUCE YOUR CIRCLE OR FIND ANOTHER ZONING DISTRICT IT COULD BE PERMITTED IN.
DO THEY JUST WANT TO PUT ALL 350 HERE AND TELL US WHAT THEY CAN DO? WELL, WE...
WE HAVE 10 SQUARE MILES NOW, RIGHT? AND, AND WE ARE ALLOWED BY THE STATE TO HAVE THOUSAND FOOT DISTANCE - BUFFERS, YEAH.
FROM, FROM, FROM SCHOOLS AND DAYCARES AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
THERE'S NOT GONNA BE THAT MANY PLACES NATURALLY.
NOT, NOT, WITH US NOT DOING ANYTHING.
WE'LL GET, WE'LL GET TO THAT HERE IN A FEW MINUTES.
I MEAN, SO THEY, THEY CAN'T LOOK AT THAT AND SAY...
I MEAN, AGAIN, WE'RE 10 SQUARE MILES.
I MEAN - NO, I'M JUST SAYING IF YOU, IF WE JUST LIMIT, IF YOU JUST LIMIT IT, FOR EXAMPLE, TO THE C1 ZONING DISTRICT ONLY.
SAY WE'RE GONNA PERMIT IT IN THE C1, THEN YOU PLACE THESE EXCLUSION ZONES OVER TOP OF IT AND YOU BASICALLY ELIMINATE ANY AREA FOR THEM TO GO INTO, THE STATE SAYS, NO, YOU'RE TRYING TO PROHIBIT THEM.
SO, UH - BUT I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I MEAN, WE HAVE SCHOOLS, EVERY SCHOOL EXCEPT FOR SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL IS IN THE TOWN OF WARREN COUNTY.
SO THAT'S OUT OF WARREN COUNTY.
SO, SO WHAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS ASKING WHEN WE LOOKED AT THIS, WE'RE ASKING, WE THOUGH THE THOUSAND FOOT BUFFER SHOULD REMAIN IN PLACE.
UH, WE IDENTIFIED THE SENSITIVE AREAS.
SO, UH, GENERAL QUESTION EVERYBODY ASKS, HOW MUCH ZONING IS TOO MUCH ZONING? SO LOW RISK FOR THE EVERY COMMUNITY.
IF YOU JUST DO A TAX ORDINANCE, YOU ELIMINATE THEIR A - OR SPECIFY THE HOURS THEY CAN BE IN OPERATION.
YOU SET SOME STANDARDS, UH, BASED ON THE, WHERE THEY COULD GO AT AND JUST ADMINISTRATIVE LOW RISK.
MEDIUM RISK IS REQUIRING SUPS.
UH, AND IF YOU LIMIT THEIR ZONING DISTRICTS AND YOU PUT IN SOME OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS, THAT'S PROBABLY AT THE MEDIUM OF THE NEEDLE.
LOCALITIES THAT DON'T PROVIDE A ZONING DISTRICT HAVE EXCESSIVE SETBACKS, REPEATED PERMIT DENIALS, REGS THAT OFFICIALLY, EFFICIENTLY PROHIBIT LICENSING.
YOU HAVE RUN A HIGH RISK OF NOT COMPLYING WITH THE STATE, UH, LEGISLATION.
WHEN YOU SAY LIKE THE MODERATE, I'M JUST ASKING, IT WOULD BE THOSE AND WHAT'S ON THE LEFT, THOSE AND THE LOW RISK, RIGHT? YOU'D BE DOING BOTH.
I MEAN, WELL YOU WOULDN'T BE...
SOME LOCALITIES MAY GO HIGH RISK.
FOR BEING IN, UH, NOT ALIGNED WITH STATE CODE.
UH, THOSE ARE THE RISKS THAT WE RUN INTO.
SO WE DID THIS, UH, THROUGH OUR GIS DEPARTMENT.
WE PUT TOGETHER THIS MAP, UH, SHOWING THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS, UH, THE C1 HERE IN RED, THROUGH TOWN, C3 UP HERE, THE I1 AND I2 IN THE LIGHT BLUE AND DARK BLUE AND THE AGRICULTURAL ZONES HERE.
SO THESE HERE ARE THE SCHOOLS, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC, 15 OF THEM.
SO WE PLACED A THOUSAND FOOT BUFFERS AROUND THE SCHOOLS.
WE ALSO SELECTED THE DAYCARES HERE AND PUT THOSE BUFFERS IN.
AND WE ALSO SELECTED THESE SENSITIVE AREAS.
AGAIN, WE THOUGHT THOSE WOULD BE THE LODGING HOUSES.
UH, WARREN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, UH, THE LIBRARY.
WE CONSIDER THOSE SENSITIVE AREAS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
SO WE PLACED THESE THOUSAND FOOT BUFFERS AROUND THAT BASED WHAT THE STATE SAYS WE COULD DO.
UH, SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DO THAT, BECAUSE THIS IS PRIMARILY WHERE YOUR COMMERCIAL DISTRICT IS IN, EXCEPT FOR UP HERE.
WE SEE THERE IS COMMERCIAL C1 LOCATED HERE.
WE DO HAVE A DAYCARE HERE, BUT WE HAVE AN AREA HERE AND AN AREA HERE, SOME THERE AND A COUPLE PLACES HERE AND A LITTLE BIT HERE ON SOUTH STREET WHERE THOSE WOULD NOT BE...
[00:30:01]
JOHN, I JUST WANTED TO TYPE, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SCHOOL.THERE'S A SCHOOL, I DON'T SEE THE NAME OF IT.
THERE'S A SCHOOL THAT IS NOW HOUSED AT RIVERTON CHURCH.
I THINK WE HAVE THAT AS, UH, LET ME SEE HERE.
IT USED TO BE DOMINION RIDGE, BUT THEN THEY CHANGED IT BACK.
AND THEN ALSO, I ALSO THOUGH THAT NEW HOPE BIBLE CHURCH HAS A DAYCARE.
AND SO DOES, UM - WE LOOK THROUGH BUSINESS LICENSES.
I, I DON'T, HUH? YOU SAID YOU LOOKED AT BUSINESS LICENSES.
SO ARE YOU GONNA GO OVER THAT LITTLE BLURB IN THE BOTTOM BOX LATER IN IT? NO.
ANY - YEAH, SO THEY'RE, THEY HAVE AN I1 AND I2, BUT I THINK THEY CAN'T HAVE A RETAIL STORE OUT OF THESE OTHER FACILITIES.
AND WE'LL TOUCH ON - NO, IT SAYS THEY ARE PERMITTED TO HAVE A RETAIL STOREFRONT BY RIGHT.
SO IF THESE, IF YOU ALLOW ONE OF THESE, UH, DIFFERENT TYPE OF FACILITIES IN THE I1 OR I2, THEY CAN ALSO HAVE A RETAIL STORE WITH THAT, INSIDE THAT COMPLEX.
BUT NOT A DIFFERENT SPOT IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
NOT A DIFFERENT SPOT WITHIN THAT.
THAT GOES WITH, THERE'S LIKE 13 DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND WE'LL GET TO THAT HERE IN A MOMENT.
SO IF WE BLOW THIS AREA UP, IT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA.
UH, WHAT WE WAS THINKING, PLANNING COMMISSION AND STAFF - I'M SORRY, STOP.
I JUST CAUGHT SOMETHING AND I WAS, I WAS PONDERING WHAT THE MAYOR JUST SAID.
I THINK THERE WAS A SCHOOL MISSING.
IS MORRISON LISTED UP THERE? I'M SURE THEY ARE.
AND THAT'S RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN, CORRECT? SO THAT'S RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN SO THAT'S GOING TO PLAY A BIG ROLE.
AND - I WOULDN'T HAVE CONTACTED THE MAYOR.
SO THIS IS KIND OF A BLOW UP OF THE AREA, SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE THESE COULD BE PERMITTED IN THE RED.
UH, WHERE WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT IN THAT BUBBLE OR THAT EXCLUSION ZONE.
SO BASED ON THIS, WE ARE NOT PROHIBITING OR ELIMINATING WHERE THEY COULD GO.
SO WE'RE NOT DOING A, A COMPLETE BAN.
WE'RE JUST USING WHAT THE STATE ALLOWS US TO DO, ESTABLISHING THE C1 THAT THEY COULD BE IN THESE AREAS THAT ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THESE EXCLUSION ZONES.
SO THAT'S THE, BASICALLY THOSE WHERE THOSE COULD BE PERMITTED AT.
UH, THEN IF ONE - THE LIGHT, LIGHT PURPLE IS - WOULD THOSE BE IN THE RED AND NOT IN ONE OF THESE CIRCLES.
SO IT CAN BE IN THE RED, BUT NOT IN THE PURPLE.
IT DOESN'T LEAVE A LOT OF SPACES, BUT - WELL, THE WHOLE SHOPPING CENTER ON BOTH SIDES OF.
WELL JUST BE THIS - STARBUCKS.
LIKE MCDONALD'S CAN - OH THAT CORNER ISN'T RIGHT THERE IN BETWEEN THE PURPLE ON JOHN MARSHALL.
IT'S IN BETWEEN THE TWO PURPLE.
NEARBY - IT'S LIKE WHERE THE JUDGE - STARBUCKS? STARBUCKS WOULD BE - AND THEN UP AT THE GUN.
UM, I NEED TO MAKE A SUGGESTION THAT FOR THE SENSITIVE AREA YOU NEED TO INCLUDE A NORTHWESTERN COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARD ON KAISER ROAD.
AND ALSO, UM, I DON'T, I, WHERE DOES LIKE ASAP MEET? WHERE, WHERE DO THEY - ACROSS THE STREET.
SO THAT THEY WOULD BE A SENSITIVE AREA TOO.
WHERE, WHERE ASAP AND WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO GO.
OH, THAT'S ON MAIN STREET THOUGH.
IT PROBABLY WILL BE IN A CIRCLE.
SO WE, WE'LL, WE'LL PROBABLY DEFINE WHAT SENSITIVE AREAS ARE.
OUR WORKING DRAFT IS, SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
SO THAT THEY KNOW IT'S NOT JUST, IT'S JUST NOT, YOU KNOW - IF YOU'RE DOING SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING OR, OR RECOVERY, I MEAN, YOU KNOW.
BUT THAT'S ALREADY NOT, THAT'S ALREADY IN A FLU ANYWAY.
UH, SO MUST CANNABIS USES BE PERMITTED BY RIGHT? UH, THE CODE DOES NOT EXPRESSLY GUARANTEE THAT YOU CAN HAVE TO PERMIT THEM BY RIGHT.
YOU CAN DO ALL OR SOME BY SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
YOU CAN'T ALLOW SOME BY RIGHT.
[00:35:01]
REQUIRING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPROVAL FOR EVERY CANNABIS USE MAY CREATE GREATER LITIGATION RISKS.SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL USE PERMIT, WE'LL JUST SAY RETAIL CANNABIS.
IF IT MEETS ALL THE ZONING CRITERIA AND WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AND 100 PEOPLE COME UP AND SAY WE DON'T WANT IT HERE, THAT IS NOT A REASON TO DENY THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
IF IT MEETS ALL THE CRITERIA IN OUR ZONE, EVEN IF A HUNDRED PEOPLE SAY, I DON'T WANT IT HERE, WE DON'T LIKE IT.
THAT'S WHAT RUNS THE RISK WHEN YOU DO SPECIAL USE PERMIT BECAUSE YOU, THE, THE, THE GOVERNING BODY HAS TO VOTE ON THESE.
UH, SO YOU, YOU, IF YOU'RE DOING THESE SPECIAL USE PERMITS, SO YOU CAN DO THEM BY RIGHT, UH, OR YOU CAN DO SOME BY RIGHT, SOME BY SPECIAL USE PERMIT, ALL BY RIGHT.
UH, A LITTLE BIT OF DIRECTION.
UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION LOOKED THIS OVER AND WE HAVE THESE CATEGORIES AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WE LOOKED AT THIS.
WE FELT THAT A SPECIAL USE PERMIT SHOULD BE REQUIRED FOR ALL THE CATEGORIES.
UH, BUT THAT'S - WAIT, PLANNING COMMISSION OR STAFF? I DON'T - PLANNING COMMISSION, WE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A COUPLE MONTHS.
SO WE DISCUSSED THIS AND WE LOOKED AT THESE AREAS, EXCLUSION ZONES.
SO WE THOUGH WE'D BE THE BEST INTEREST OF TOWN WE REQUIRE SPECIAL USE PERMITS.
IF, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE REALLY TONIGHT.
IF YOU THINK SOME OF THESE CATEGORIES SHOULD BE MOVED OVER TO BY RIGHT, UH, BY ALL, LET US KNOW.
YOU TRY TO DO REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY.
MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS WHEN YOU, MY FIRST THOUGH WHEN YOU SAID IT WAS THAT IF WE DO AN SUP AND THERE'S GONNA BE LIKE A PUBLIC HEARING, PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION WILL BE THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, IF 100 PEOPLE SHOW UP TO THE SUP AND SAY, WE DON'T WANT IT.
AND THEN IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY CHOICE BUT TO APPROVE IT BECAUSE IT MEETS ALL THOSE CATEGORIES, THEN, THEN PEOPLE WILL BE ANGRY WITH US SAYING, WELL, YOU ALL DIDN'T LISTEN TO WHAT WE SAID.
WELL, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PLACE SOME CONDITIONS ON IT.
SPECIAL USE PERMITS, RIGHT? YEAH.
YOU CAN PLACE CONDITIONS ON IT.
YOU COULD DO SCREENING, YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY ADVERTISE THE STOREFRONT, YOU COULD - THERE'S GONNA BE NO FLASHING LIGHTS.
YOU KNOW, STUFF LIKE THAT IS PART OF THE SPECIAL USE.
YOU CAN PLACE SPECIAL CONDITIONS ON IT IF YOU'D LIKE.
YOU CAN DO - HOW ABOUT A GREEN CROSS? RIGHT.
SO YOU CAN REGULATE THAT WITH SPECIAL USE PERMIT, RIGHT? YOU CAN PLACE CONDITIONS ON THAT.
BUT DOES THE STATE GET TO TELL US WHETHER OR NOT OUR CONDITIONS ARE, ARE WONKY OR NOT? OR, I MEAN, ARE THEY - AS LONG AS YOU FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES OF - OKAY.
IT'S BASED ON - THERE'S NO APPELLATE GUIDANCE.
YOU KNOW, THE THING, THE THING IT IS, I MEAN, I, I HEAR AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY THINKING ABOUT DATA CENTERS TOO, YOU KNOW, WHY DO WE, WHY DO WE DO THIS? BUT I MEAN, TO ME, THIS IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO - CANNABIS IS HEALTHIER THAN DATA CENTERS.
YES, THAT DO, THAT DO THIS AND MAY NOT, AND MAY NOT IMPACT OTHER PEOPLE BY THIS.
SO WHAT YOU'VE GOT IS TWO CONFLICTING VALUES WHEREAS THE DATA CENTER WE FELT COULD HAVE A WIDESPREAD NEGATIVE IMPACT WHETHER YOU LIKE THEM OR NOT.
UM, SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST - RIGHT.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT THAT'S HOW I SEE THAT.
I'M PLEADING MY CASE OF WHY, YOU KNOW - SO THEY'RE GOING SEVERAL CATEGORIES.
SO THE STATE IS GOING TO PERMIT CULTIVATION IN THESE FIVE DIFFERENT TIERS.
SO UP TO 5,000 SQUARE FOOT, THAT COULD BE AN INDOOR OUTDOOR GREENHOUSE.
TIER TWO UP TO 10,000 INDOOR OUTDOOR.
ANYTHING OVER 10,000 IN THOSE CATEGORIES REQUIRE THE GREENHOUSE TO BE INDOORS.
EVERYTHING INDOOR FOR THE GREENHOUSE TO DO THE CULTIVATION.
FIVE CATEGORIES OF THE CULTIVATION.
THE LICENSING IS ONLY FOR THE RETAIL.
EACH, EACH OF THOSE CATEGORIES I GET TO, THE STATE IS GOING TO REQUIRE A LICENSE FOR EVERY ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES AND THEY WILL CHARGE A FEE AND THEY'RE GOING TO RE - UH, DO AN ANNUAL, UH, DO A INITIAL APPLICATION FEE, A PERMIT APPLICATION FEE, AND AN ANNUAL RENEWAL FEE ON THESE.
BUT THE STATE COLLECTS THAT MONEY.
SO YOU HAVE ALL THESE CATEGORIES THAT COULD COME HERE IN THE TOWN OF FRONT ROW.
BUT IS 350 STILL THE CAP? 350 IS THE CAP FOR THE RETAIL CANNABIS.
[00:40:01]
ALL OF THOSE OTHER THINGS.THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS, I WAS - TO, TO, MAYBE TO - I HOPE THAT WAS WRONG.
UH, TO HELP YOU ON THE TIER FIVE, THE STATE NOW HAS, UH, DECIDED THAT THEY'LL CAP THOSE AT FIVE TOTAL THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
THESE OTHER ONES, UH, THEY'RE WORKING ON, UM, LEGISLATION TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY OF THESE OTHERS THEY SHOULD PERMIT.
BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE CAPPING THE, THE GREAT BIG GREENHOUSES, UH, UP TO FIVE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE STATE.
UH, RETAIL CANNABIS, THAT'S THE ONLY OTHER ONE THEY PUT A CAP ON.
THESE OTHER ONES, UH, THEY HAVE NOT SET A CAP ON THERE.
SO STAFF AND PLANNING COMMISSION, WE THOUGHT EVERY ONE OF THEM SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
SO YOU COULD HAVE A CANNABIS DISPENSING FACILITY.
THAT ONE IS A PRODUCT THAT IT'S A DUAL USE.
IT DISPENSES PRODUCTS PRODUCED BY A PROCESSOR AND GIVES THOSE TO PATIENTS.
WE THOUGH THOSE WOULD BE IN THE C1 AND C3 DISTRICT.
UH, THE TIER ONE AND TIER TWO FOR THE GREENHOUSES INDOOR, C1 AND C3.
UH, THE GREENHOUSE TIER THREE, THE I1, THE I2 AND THE A1.
UH, TIER FOUR IN THE I2 AND A1 IN THE LARGE, UH, 35,000, UH, GREENHOUSES WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE IN THE AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT, THE A1 DISTRICT.
THEN YOU HAVE THIS MARIJUANA DELIVERY OPERATOR.
NOT LIKE AN UBER DRIVER OR A DOORDASH DRIVER.
BUT THIS PERSON OR INDIVIDUAL OR COMPANY HAS TO BE LICENSED BY THE STATE.
SO THEY WOULD PICK UP THE PRODUCT FROM THE RETAIL STORE AND COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT, DELIVER IT RIGHT TO YOUR HOUSE.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU INSINUATING? NO.
IT ONLY TOOK THEM 50 SOME YEARS TO GET TO THIS POINT.
SO THEY'RE, THEY CAN PICK THE PRODUCT UP AT THE RETAIL STORE AND DELIVER IT TO PEOPLE'S HOUSES RIGHT TO THE CONSUMER.
BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE A LICENSE.
SO, SO THIS MARIJUANA MICRO BUSINESS, THIS IS ONE THAT IS A THREE AND ONE THING.
THEY CAN CULTIVATE THE PLANT, THEY CAN PROCESS THE PLANT AND THEY CAN HAVE A RETAIL STORE AT THAT POSITION.
THAT'S THE ONE WHERE YOU ASKED ABOUT DOWN THE FOOTNOTE.
SO IF THAT WENT INTO AISLE ONE OR THE I2 OR THE A1 ZONING DISTRICT, THEY CAN RAISE PLANTS, THEY CAN PROCESS IT AND THEY CAN HAVE A RETAIL STORE THERE.
UH, THEN WE HAVE THIS MARIJUANA PROCESSING FACILITY.
THEY PROCESS LABEL, THEY PACK IT AND THEY SEND IT TO THE RETAIL STORE.
WE THOUGH PROCESSING THAT OUGHT TO GO IN THE I1 OR I2.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE ONE THAT EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT IS THIS RETAIL STORE WHERE C1 AND THE C3 DISTRICTS, BECAUSE IT IS RETAIL, YOU CAN WALK OFF THE STREET AND BUY YOUR PRODUCT.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE GREENHOUSES.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT THE, THAT, THAT SQUARE FOOTAGE IS, YOU KNOW, REALLY BIG, BUT STILL, IF YOU HAD A HUGE FARM, I MEAN, WHY WOULDN'T YOU PUT THAT IN AGRICULTURE? WELL THIS ONE, THE TIER FIVE WE WOULD.
BUT WHY NOT? UM - I MEAN, I'M JUST ASKING.
WE THOUGH CULTIVATION AND THOSE WOULD BE IN, ALL THREE OF THOSE COULD GO IN THE A1.
THESE ARE INDOOR OR THESE COULD BE OUTDOOR, SMALL, 5000 SQUARE FOOT.
UH, THAT'S NOT A VERY BIG AREA.
THE LARGEST AREA I SEE A LOT OF THAT GOING IS 606.
MAYBE THOSE TAXES COULD BUILD THE CONNECTOR ROAD, BUT DOES CHRISTENDOM COUNT AS A SCHOOL? YES.
I DON'T RECALL SEEING IT ON THE LIST.
UH, BUT THAT IS NOT WITHIN THE - OH, BUT THE REST OF ALL THAT FARMLAND BESIDE IT IS TOWN.
NONE OF THE FARMS I'M TALKING ABOUT.
WHAT ABOUT THE CHELSEA ACADEMY? LIKE HOW DOES THAT - THEY ALREADY, THEY HAVE CHELSEA ACADEMY.
ALL THAT, ALL THAT FARMLAND - ACTUALLY, YEAH, THEY DO.
CHELSEA ACADEMY IS IN I2, IS IN I2.
UH, SO WE DO HAVE, THEN THEY HAVE THIS TESTING FACILITY WHERE THEY DO RE-
[00:45:01]
RESEARCH, THEY TRANSPORT AND TEST PRODUCTS.THEN YOU HAVE THIS MARIJUANA TRANSPORTER.
THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE DELIVERY OPERATOR.
UH, SO THIS, THIS INDIVIDUAL COMPANY, UH, THE PRODUCTS, THEY TRANSPORT, UH, FOR THE PRODUCTS IN BETWEEN BUSINESSES.
SO THEY, THEY CAN PICK UP PLANTS FROM THE CULTIVATOR, FOR EXAMPLE, TAKE IT TO THE PROCESSOR.
THIS TRANSPORTER IS DIFFERENT THAN THE DELIVERY OPERATOR.
AGAIN, LICENSED BY THE STATE AND WE COULD HAVE A PHARMACEUTICAL PROCESSOR.
THAT'S A DUAL, AGAIN, A DUAL USE FACILITY.
THEY CULTIVATE THE PLANTS THERE, THEY GROW IT, THEY PRODUCE SOME TYPE OF CANNABIS PRODUCT FROM IT, AND THEY DISPENSE THAT ONLY TO QUALIFIED PATIENTS.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? LIKE, LIKE THESE HEMP MANU - HEMP FARMS. MM-HMM.
WOULD THEY, WOULD THEY FALL UNDER THE MARIJUANA MICRO BUSINESS? UH, THE HEMP IS A DIFFERENT CATEGORY.
IT HAS A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF, UH - BUT THEY'RE ALREADY IN THE BUSINESS, SO IT'S JUST MISSING THE THC.
YOU SHOULD ADD SOME, UH, GREEN LEAVES.
SO THOSE ARE THE POSSIBLE USES THAT THE STATE IS GOING TO PERMIT AND ISSUE LICENSE FOR.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING TO HAVE, UH, BECAUSE ONE, THE TEXT AMENDMENT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, SO WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT ON THE AGENDA, HAVE TO HAVE THAT, UH, READY TO GO, HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
IF YOU KIND OF GIVE US THE GREEN LIGHT, THIS IS WHAT WE WERE THINKING.
GREEN LIGHT, IF YOU NEED TO CHANGE SOME OF THIS, FEEL FREE TO LET US KNOW.
WE'LL HAVE A WORK SESSION THIS WEDNESDAY.
WE'LL HAVE A WORK SESSION THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF THIS MONTH WHERE WE'D LIKE TO FINALIZE THE ORDIN - UH, AMENDMENT THAT GIVES PUBLIC HEARING IN NOVEMBER.
SO THAT ONLY GIVES YOU AS TOWN COUNCIL DECEMBER AND JANUARY TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AND TO VOTE ON IT.
WE ONLY HAVE ONE MEETING IN DECEMBER, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW - YEAH.
IT'S NOT LIKE WHEN YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ON A TRIP TO THE AIRPORT AND YOU GET OFF AND YOU GOTTA HIT, HIT YOUR CONNECTING FLIGHT.
IT'S ALL GOTTA, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY GOT 30 MINUTES TO GET DOWN THERE IF YOU DON'T MAKE IT - WE CAN ALWAYS CALL ANOTHER MEETING, BUT I WOULD PREFER - SO THAT'S WHAT WE, THAT WAS OUR TIMELINE.
WE HAD A MEETING, UH, MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER, UH, WITH SANDS ANDERSON, A LAW GROUP THAT INVITED LOCALITIES TO GO WITH IT AND THEY KIND OF WENT THROUGH ALL THIS LEGISLATION WITH US.
SO WE STARTED WORKING ON THIS DILIGENTLY THERE MID-SEPTEMBER.
WE'VE BEEN PROCESSING THIS ALL SUMMER WHEN WE'VE HAD TIME.
DIDN'T KNOW THE DEADLINES, SO THEY COME OUT.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE WAS LOOKING AT.
SO WITH THE NEW STATE LAW THAT CAN'T, THE TOWN CAN'T PROTECT AND BENEFIT, UH, STATE LAW REQUIRES RETAIL CANNABIS.
UH, WE PROBABLY SHOULD EXERCISE OUR ZONING AUTHORITY.
UH, WE, WE THOUGH, YOU KNOW, PROTECT THE NEIGHBORHOODS, SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY CHARACTER.
UH, I'LL JUST SAY WE'VE ALREADY BEEN CONTACTED BY FIRMS ASKING IF WE HAD A ZONING ORDINANCE IN PLACE.
FIRMS THAT WANNA COME HERE? UH - OR INQUIRING ABOUT COMING HERE? INQUIRING, SO WHAT, UH, THE FEEDBACK THAT I GOT HERE LAST WEEK FROM OUR, UH, ANNUAL MEETING AT THE VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF ZONING OFFICIALS.
THEY, THESE OUT-OF-STATE FIRMS MAY BE LOOKING AT LOCALITIES THAT FAIL TO ACT PRIOR TO FEBRUARY 1ST.
THAT, THAT WAS THE FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM OTHER LOCALITIES.
UH, SO I'LL JUST THROW THIS OUT HERE, UH, JUST SO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THIS IS GONNA WORK.
SO - I NOTICED THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE MCD.
YEAH, WE DID NOT LIST THE MCD AS, AS A VIABLE OPTION.
WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? I'M SORRY.
MCD, IF WE SELECTED MCD AS A ZONING DISTRICT THAT WOULD PERMIT SOME OF THIS.
WE KIND OF FELT THAT, BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF LIKE INDUSTRY, UH, THE I1 AND THE I2 WHERE YOU'RE PROCESSING AND DOING EVERYTHING MORE SUITED FOR LIKE MANUFACTURING AND THE CULTIVATION WOULD BE RESERVED FOR THE AGRICULTURAL ZONES OR SOME IN THE I1 OR I2 AND ONLY THE RETAIL
[00:50:01]
CANNABIS.PLUS THESE OTHER ONES, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DRIVERS AND TRANSPORTERS COULD BE IN THE C1 OR C3 DISTRICT.
YEAH, I OBVIOUSLY WAS THINKING ABOUT THE.
UH, IF, IF Y'ALL WOULD CONSIDER THAT, YEP, WE COULD ADD THAT CATEGORY.
SO, SO THE, AS OF NOW, LIKE A, A MARIJUANA RETAIL STORE, SO THEY WOULD PUT AN APPLICATION IN FOR THE RETAIL STORE ADVERTISE THAT.
THEIR APPLICATION FEE FROM THE STATE IS $4000.
IF THEY GET AUTHORIZATION, THAT'S ANOTHER $20,000 STATE WILL COLLECT.
WAIT, FOR THE, SO THE WHITE, THE APPLICATION FEE WAS 4,000? MM-HMM.
AND THEN IF THEY GET SELECTED, THEIR PERMIT FEE IS 20,000? YES.
AND THEY DO AN ANNUAL RENEWAL OF 15,000.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE, SO THE CULTIVATION TIER FIVE, UH, THEIR FEE IS $50,000.
WE MIGHT NOT GET - I GUESS 7,500, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE APPLICATION.
IF THEY GET AUTHORIZATION, IT IS 50,000.
SO THE MICRO BUSINESSES, THEY HAVE FEES FOR THEM.
THE TRANSPORTER, HE WOULD, THAT PERSON WOULD BE A $500 APPLICATION, FOR EXAMPLE, AND 2,500 FOR AUTHORIZATION.
AND THEIR ANNUAL RENEWAL IS 5,000 A YEAR.
I'M NOT SAYING THIS BECAUSE I WANT TO, BUT I'M, BUT I'M BEING REALISTIC.
WHAT DO WE GET? ONE TO THREE AND A HALF PERCENT.
DO WE SET THAT OR IS IT JUST LIKE ANY OTHER SUP? IT WOULD BE IN OUR ORDINANCE.
YOU COULD SET A FEE IF YOU'RE DOING THOSE BY S - UH, SPECIAL USE PERMITS LIKE YOU DID FOR SHORT TERM RENTAL.
YOU INCREASE THE FEE ON SHORT TERM RENTAL MORE SO THAN THE OTHER APPLICATIONS.
YOU COULD - AND IF THEY SET UP FOR RETAIL, THEY HAVE TO BUY A BUSINESS LICENSE.
THE LICENSE ARE THOSE TAXES AS FOR ANY RETAIL BUSINESS.
AND THERE'S NO RESTRICTION ON THE AMOUNT THAT WE CAN CHARGE FOR A LICENSE, A BUSINESS LICENSE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE UPDATED.
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY, UH, WORD IF THEY'RE UPDATING THE, UH, PEOPLE SECTION OF THE STATE CODE.
WELL, WAIT, WE HAVE DIFFERENT BUSINESS LICENSE.
NOW, SOME OF THESE NUMBERS I GAVE YOU MAY CHANGE BECAUSE THE STATE HAS NOT.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE A WORK IN PROGRESS, UH, FOR THEM.
UH, THEY'LL PROBABLY GET SOME REVIEWS FROM THEIR, WHAT THEY HAVE PASSED THEIR, WENT IN EFFECT JULY 1ST OF THIS YEAR.
UM, BECAUSE IT WAS INTERESTING FOR THAT BILL.
USUALLY WHEN YOU INTRODUCE A BILL, IT GOES, YOU KNOW, SENATE AND HOUSE BILL GOES BACK BEFORE COMMITTEES AND SUBCOMMITTEES.
THIS ENDED, UH, THIS BILL WENT WITH THE BUDGET BILL.
THAT'S HOW THEY GOT THE BUDGET PASSED.
UM, SO IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE NORMAL PROCESS OF GOING FROM ONE COMMITTEE BACK TO SUBCOMMITTEE TO WORK ON IT BACK TO, BACK TO THE COMMITTEE.
UH, IT GOT ATTACHED TO THE BUDGET BILL.
WHEN WILL THEY BE APPOINTING THESE, LIKE, THIS BOARD, LIKE THE - THAT'S ALREADY IN, THE, THE CANNABIS CONTROL AUTHORITY IS ALREADY IN PLACE.
AND WE PROBABLY, THE STATE PROBABLY PAYS FOR THEM TOO, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND THEY'RE BASICALLY LIKE, UH, THEY'LL HAVE A REGION, UH, THROUGHOUT THE STATE THAT THEY'LL HAVE INSPECTORS WITH THAT.
WELL, THAT'S WHERE ALL THIS MONEY WENT.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE THE, THE 40 AND 50,000.
RIGHT, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING THOUGH.
THAT, THAT'S A JOB TOO, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO WE WORKED ON THE DRAFT ORDINANCE.
WE TOOK THE LEGISLATION FROM THEM.
WE, WE TOOK THEIR DEFINITIONS.
WE DEVELOPED WHAT DISTRICTS WE THOUGH THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL WOULD LIKE THESE TO GO INTO C1, C3 IN AGRICULTURE TO I1, I2.
UM, AND WHERE WE, WE GOT EVERYTHING WITH THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, UM, WE CAN PIVOT AND WORK ON THE, UH, THE TEXT AMENDMENT THIS MONTH OF OCTOBER,
[00:55:01]
BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT FINALIZED BY THE THIRD WEEK BECAUSE THEN WE HAVE TO ADVERTISE THAT IN FULL DRAFT FORM FOR THE NOVEMBER PUBLIC HEARING.IF YOU WANT TO MAKE DRASTIC CHANGES OR BASICALLY WE HAVE EVERYTHING IN ORDER, WE'RE JUST ASKING ON WHAT DISTRICTS YOU WOULD LIKE THESE TO GO IN AND IF YOU WANT TO DO THESE SOME BY RIGHT OR SPECIAL USE PERMIT OR OTHER FEEDBACK.
AND WE'D HAVE TO, WE'D HAVE TO THEN DO IT IN DECEMBER, JANUARY AT THE LATEST BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE TO BE IN PLACE.
AND YOU, AND YOU CAN CHANGE, YOU KNOW, ONCE IT GOES TO THE PLAN COMMISSION, IF YOU'RE DOING MINOR CHANGES TO IT, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TWEAK SOME OF THAT.
AND I THINK MR. SONNET PROBABLY WANTS TO WEIGH IN.
AND, UM, SO THE TASK TONIGHT WAS TO OFFER INFORMATION, EDUCATE COUNCIL, AND TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMAL DIRECTION TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON THE BUY RIGHT VERSUS, UM, SUP.
AND THAT PRIMARILY ON THE RETAIL, RIGHT? THAT SAID, PLANNING COMMISSION WILL INITIATE THE TEXT AMENDMENT, NOT COUNCIL FOR LACK OF, PROBABLY FOR LACK OF TIME, IF NO OTHER REASON.
SO INFORMAL CONSENSUS ON THAT ONE THING TONIGHT, IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT AN ACTION ITEM.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, UM, OBJECTIONS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION OF HAVING ALL OF THEM BE AN SUP? I DON'T, BUT, WELL, I DON'T VOTE, BUT I DON'T, BUT IS THERE ANY - SO FAR.
I FEEL LIKE DOING THE SUP TO ME WOULD GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE EYES ON IT.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO THAT WE HAVE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO GO IN AND REALLY LOOK LIKE WHERE IS IT AND, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND, AND THE WAY WE WAS THINKING LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE AN, A DAYCARE PROGRAM COME IN.
WE'LL JUST SAY SIX MONTHS, SIX MONTHS FROM NOW OR WHATEVER NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE AN EXCLUSION ZONE ALSO.
BUT THAT MAY, I'M SORRY, THAT MAKES ME THINK OF ANOTHER QUESTION.
BUT LET'S JUST SAY THAT THERE IS A BUSINESS THAT ESTABLISHES AND IT'S THERE, LIKE A YEAR FROM NOW.
RIGHT? LIKE THEY'RE ALREADY THERE, THEY'RE ESTABLISHED.
THE DAYCARE WOULD, COULD BE OBVIOUSLY ALERTED TO THE FACT THAT YOU ARE NOW IN THIS ZONE, BUT WE CANNOT LIKE RETROACTIVELY PULL THEIR PERMITS.
SUPS, BUT I THOUGH SUPS COULD BE REVISITED EACH YEAR.
I KNOW - YOU CAN, SUPS, YOU CAN REVOKE THE LICENSE IF IT HAS A REASON OR A CRITERIA TO REVOKE AN SUP.
IF IT FALLS UNDER SOME THINGS WHERE COULD BE - DO YOU NEED TO KNOW COUNCIL'S THOUGHTS ON THE TAX, THE TAX SITE? OKAY.
I JUST BROUGHT THAT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT'LL BE COMING UP.
UM - WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE CIGARETTE? WHAT IS THE COUNTY, WHAT IS THE CIGARETTE TAX RIGHT NOW FOR THE COUNTY? THEY DO.
YEAH, DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHAT THE PERCENT.
BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GETTING A WHOLE LOT OF CHOICE ON THIS.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT GOING HIGH? DID YOU HEAR ME? SO JOHN, ONE QUESTION.
WE KNOW IN TOWN AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES THERE ARE, UH, FRANCHISES.
UH, THESE VAPE SHOPS THAT HAVE THE SAME NAME.
BUT EACH OF THEIR STORES WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A LICENSE.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF I'M, UH, CANNABIS ONE AND I HAVE STORES EVERYWHERE, MY LICENSE IS ONLY FOR THE ONE STORE.
AND I KNOW ORIGINALLY WHEN ALL THE VAPE SHOPS WERE POPPING UP, BUT THAT WAS ONE OF THE THOUGHTS WAS, IS THAT BECAUSE SOME PLACES WERE BUYING TWO LOCATIONS IN TOWN AND SUPPOSEDLY AT THAT TIME, THE IDEA WAS THEY WERE GOING TO INCREASE THEIR ODDS OF BEING THIS LOTTERY.
'CAUSE THEY MADE IT AT THE TIME SOUND LIKE IT WAS GONNA BE LIKE A LOTTERY.
UM, SO THEY WERE INCREASING THEIR ODDS, BUT THAT ONE OF THE LOCATIONS WOULD GET PICKED OR WHATEVER, BUT - YEAH.
YOU KNOW, THANKFUL FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TRACKING THIS BILL SINCE FEBRUARY BECAUSE WE KNEW IT WAS COMING, PAYING ATTENTION TO THESE BILLS THAT GOT CHANGED AND THEY CHANGED A LOT OF THEM IN JUNE.
I KNOW MAYBE YOU DON'T PARTICULARLY LIKE DOING TEXT AMENDMENTS, BUT SOME OF THE CODE, OTHER CODES WE HAVE, HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY IT, UH, IN DIFFERENT AREAS.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING OVERHAUL THE ZONING ORDINANCE...
[01:00:01]
UH, WE'RE KIND OF CLOSE WITH THAT, BUT NOW THE STATE HAS MADE MORE CHANGES.UM, SO I'LL JUST BRING YOU BACK.
WE MAY HAVE TO, IF WHATEVER YOU ADOPT, WE WILL PROBABLY, I'LL JUST TELL YOU, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO AMEND THAT AT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE.
IT'S JUST THE WAY THE STATE IS WORKING WITH THIS LEGISLATION.
WELL, THEY'RE KIND OF SHOOTING FROM THE HIP.
UM, BECAUSE THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW - I MEAN, BUT SOME LOCALITIES, THE FIRST WORD THEY GOT ON THIS WAS IN SEPTEMBER.
I KNOW SOMETIMES WE CONSULT WITH SURROUNDING LOCALITIES TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING OR WHAT PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND WHAT THEIR ZONING ORDINANCES SAY.
DO YOU KNOW IF ANY SURROUNDING LOCALITIES HAVE - AT OUR CONFERENCE, UH, LAST WEEK, I GUESS IT WAS, UH, IN HARRISONBURG.
I BELIEVE WITHIN THE VALLEY REGION, UH, WE WAS THE FIRST COMMUNITY OR LOCALITY THAT HAS A DRAFT ORDINANCE IN PLACE.
WHEN WE ANNOUNCED THAT, I'VE BEEN CONTACTED BY OTHER LOCALITIES AND SAID, UH, PLEASE SEND US YOUR DRAFT AS SOON AS YOU CAN.
UH, SO, UH, BASICALLY A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORING AREAS CONTACTED US AT THE, AT THE CONFERENCE AND WITH EMAILS LAST WEEK SAYING WE WAS UNAWARE OF THIS.
UM - KUDOS TO YOU ON THE PLANNING.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT I WAS, WHAT I WAS SAYING BEFORE.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION REALLY REALLY CRACKING THESE BILLS.
IT WOULD BE REALLY HARD IF WE WERE JUST LITERALLY LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE BY FEBRUARY 1ST.
AND I'M SURE THAT SOME PEOPLE WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
AND THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME LOCALITIES, UH, AND YOU HAVE, I DIDN'T REALIZE THERE IS SOME LOCALITIES HERE IN THE STATE THAT DOES NOT HAVE ZONING.
SO THEY WOULD TREAT THOSE AS RETAIL STORES OR WHATEVER AND, BUT I, MAYBE THEY'RE IN RURAL AREAS WHERE YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, SINCE THEY'RE LIMITED ON RETAIL STORES, I WOULD THINK THEY WOULD PROBABLY POSITION THEMSELVES MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK, YOU KNOW, THE TRAFFIC, UH, CONSUMER.
IT SOUNDS LIKE, UM, MR. WARE THAT NO ONE IS AGAINST AN SUP IN ALL THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT, THAT YOU NEED, YOU NEEDED THAT DIRECTION FROM US, SUP, AND WAS THERE ANOTHER DIRECTION? UH, JUST ON THE SENSITIVE AREAS WE KIND OF DEFINE THOSE AS LIKE THE LODGING HOUSES AND THOSE, UH - I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE ADDED CHURCHES, BUT I FEEL LIKE IF WE DID THAT, WELL, THERE WON'T BE A SPOT.
I MEAN, YOU COULD ARGUE BECAUSE THEY, THEY HAVE AA MEETINGS THERE.
UM, BUT I, I, YEAH, WITH THE SUPS, MY, MY THOUGHT PROCESS IS A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE IS, UM, JUST LIKE WE DO, UH, THE SHORT TERM RENTALS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT EACH ONE, MAKING SURE THAT THEY MEET THE CONDITIONS, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO DO A LITTLE PR EACH TIME ONE OF THOSE COMES BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE EVERY TIME WE'RE VOTING ON ONE OF THESE, WE'RE VOTING IN MARIJUANA.
SO WE NEED TO CONSISTENTLY HAVE THAT MESSAGE OF LOOK, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT THE STATE HAS MANDATED AND THEN WE ARE DOING OUR, YOU KNOW, DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT MEETS OUR CONDITIONS.
BUT THE OTHER, UM, THE OTHER PIECES I DO, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO LOOK BACK AGAIN AT THE, UM, AT THE MARIJUANA CULTIVATION TIER ONE AND TWO, TIER TWO.
I FEEL LIKE THAT THEY COULD BE ALSO AGRICULTURE.
I'M JUST THINKING, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO IMPACT GROUPS IN TOWN PER SE, BUT I'M THINKING IN TERMS OF YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT BE GREENHOUSE OF FLOWERS AND THEN YOU MIGHT HAVE YOUR LITTLE GREENHOUSE OF WEED AND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
YEAH, NOT THE DISPENSING FACILITY BECAUSE TO ME THAT'S, THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE REALLY GETTING INTO - BUT THE THING IS YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, BY THE STATE, WHEN, WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT THESE, THEY'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE FOR THEM CULTIVATING, UH, MARIJUANA PRODUCTS AND YOU CULTIVATING ANOTHER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT OR ANY TYPE OF FLOWERS OR EVERYTHING ELSE.
ARE YOU SINGLING OUT THIS USE AND BEING PREJUDICED AGAINST THEM? WELL SHE WAS ACTUALLY OPENING IT.
NO, I'M SAYING SHE WAS ACTUALLY EXPANDING IT BY SAYING - YOU WANT THIS OPTION.
I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A1 ADDED TO PHARMACEUTICAL PROCESSOR BEINGS I TOURED ONE OF THE LARGEST IN VIRGINIA.
IT'S, IT, I'M TELLING YOU GUYS, IF YOU GO TO VML IN NORFOLK THIS YEAR AND YOU GUYS GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TOUR THAT FACILITY, I MEAN THERE'S DOCTORS ON SITE.
[01:05:01]
I DIDN'T SEE YOU AFTERWARDS BUT THERE WERE PEOPLE COME BACK FOR LIKE MONTHS.THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE I SAW AFTERWARDS THAT WENT ON THAT AND YOU COULD TELL THEY WERE LIKE, I WAS LIKE - OH YEAH.
EVEN WEARING THE FULL SUIT AND HAIRDRESSER AND STUFF BUT I'LL JUST SAY IF THAT'S GOING TO COME TO FRONT ROYAL, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT A, PEOPLE WOULD TRAVEL HERE AND SPEND MONEY FOR.
WE COULD MAKE A LOT OF MONEY OFF OF.
AND I KNOW OF SOME, SOME PARTICULAR AREAS WHERE IT WOULD BE POSSIBLY SUITABLE.
I MEAN IF IT'S COMING, WE NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF - IS THE COUNT, DOES THE COUNTY HAVE TO DO THIS TOO? OBVIOUSLY.
THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO, THEY PROBABLY SHOULD.
SO IF THEY HAVE IT BY FEBRUARY 1ST THEN THEY ARE GOING TO EXPERIENCE WHAT WE - THEY'LL BE LIKE, HEY JOHN, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR THE TOWN? THEY PROBABLY DON'T KNOW.
EVERYBODY HAS BEEN, EVERYBODY HAS BEEN TOLD THE SAME THING.
IT'S JUST WHETHER OR NOT - I WOULDN'T SAY EVERYBODY'S BEEN TOLD.
WELL I'M SAYING - IF YOU, IF YOU'RE NOT INFORMED OR KEPT TRACK OF THESE DEALS, THERE'S PROBABLY SOME LOCALITIES IN THE STATE THAT IT MAY BE A SURPRISE TO THEM.
AND YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, AND JUST FROM A PERSONAL LEVEL WHEN I, WHEN I TRAVELED THIS SUMMER AND YOU GO THROUGH THESE TOWNS WHERE THEY HAVE, UM, WHERE THEY EITHER HAVE THE CONSTANT GAMBLING JUST WHEREVER YOU WANT TO HAVE IT OR THE WEED WHEREVER YOU WANT TO HAVE IT AND THEY ARE DOWNTRODDEN.
I MEAN THEY LOOK LIKE HORRIBLE PLACES AND THERE'S OTHERS THAT DON'T, BUT OBVIOUSLY, BUT I JUST, YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL IF THIS IS COMING TO YOUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE IF IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE THE COUNTY IS WILLY NILLY AND PEOPLE JUST START SETTING UP SHOP, OKAY.
THE PHONE CALLS WE RECEIVED ARE FROM COMPANIES NOT IN THIS AREA, PROBABLY ON THE WEST COAST THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THOSE STATES AND THEY'RE INQUIRING.
UM, SO THEY'RE PROBABLY FAR AHEAD OF THE GAME THAN A STARTUP BUSINESS PER SE.
DO YOU THINK WHAT ELSE, DO YOU THINK FROM YOUR SLIDE THAT TALKED ABOUT LIKE RESTRICTIVE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE MIDDLE, THE LOW, THE HIGH, DO YOU THINK THAT SOMEBODY'S GONNA ARGUE WITH US THAT WE'RE MAKING IT TOO HIGHER, THE, THE HIGHER RISK? I DON'T THINK SO BECAUSE WE'RE, WE WOULD HAVE A TAX ORDINANCE, WE CAN DO AN HOUR, HOURS.
WE'RE SAYING WHICH AREAS, LIMITED ZONING DISTRICTS, WE CAN PUT CONDITIONS ON IT BASED ON THE SUP, BUT WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT DOING THE HIGHER RISK THAT NO ZONING DISTRICT AVAILABLE, WE'RE NOT GONNA SAY THAT.
EXCESSIVE SETBACKS, I DIDN'T HEAR YOU SAY ANYTHING ABOUT SETBACKS.
REPEATED PERMIT DENIALS, WELL WE WON'T KNOW TILL THAT HAPPENS AND THEN REGS THAT EFFECTIVELY PROHIBIT LICENSING.
SO WE'RE KIND OF MIDDLE TO LOW.
WE, WE KIND OF - SUCH A SHAME THIS COULDN'T HAVE BEEN A REFERENDUM ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT.
IT WOULDN'T MAKE TOO MUCH SENSE.
I, I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY NEGATIVE FEEDBACK YET, I'M SURE AFTER TONIGHT.
BUT AGAIN, FOR THE PUBLIC - YEAH.
WE CANNOT, YOU CANNOT DENY THESE.
YOU CAN'T PUT A MORATORIUM ON THEM.
BUT IN ALL HONESTY FOR THE PUBLIC, LIKE THEY'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR SO LONG AND NOTHING CAME OUT.
IT MIGHT JUST BE THAT PEOPLE WERE LIKE, OH, THAT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN AND NOW IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WELL EVEN IN JUNE THEY - YEAH.
GOVERNOR SANDBERGER HAD BAILED ON IT AND THEN THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY THEY PASSED THE BUDGET WAS TO BRING IT BACK.
IT COULD BE A SURPRISE TO LOTS OF PEOPLE.
UH, I BELIEVE - ID SAY YES, BUT IF THAT'S THE MAJORITY CONS - I DON'T KNOW YET HONESTLY AND I'M NOT GOING TO KNOW TONIGHT BUT IF THAT'S THE CONSENSUS OF COUNCIL FOR AN SUP.
BUT AGAIN, WE, WE, IF YOU, IF THE CONSENSUS IS TO PUT THESE SUPS, WE CAN.
UH, AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE THE TEXT AMENDMENT READY, DRAFT READY, GO TO PUBLIC HEARING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION NOVEMBER.
IF YOU GET TO AND YOU DO SOME MORE RESEARCH, YOU LOOK AT IT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ONE BY RIGHT OUT OF THESE INSTEAD OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
IF IT'S - AND THEN PEOPLE WILL SPEAK.
IF IT'S LESS, LESS RESTRICTIVE.
BUT DO, BUT DO YOU ALSO WANT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT COUNCILWOMAN DIDOMENICO PAINE SAID AND, AND VICE MAYOR ABOUT ADDING PHARMACEUTICAL PROCESSOR IS IN AG AND THEN YOU WERE SAYING AG FOR TIER ONE AND TIER TWO.
'CAUSE THAT, THAT'S NOT RES - THAT'S NOT RESTRICTING MORE, THAT'S ACTUALLY OPENING UP MORE.
WHY WOULDN'T YOU DO IT FOR ALL THREE TIERS? WHY WOULDN'T YOU JUST BE CONSISTENT A1? THAT DOES ADD IT TO THE OTHER TIER.
WELL, TIER THREE'S ALREADY GOT A1 AND TIER FOUR HAS A1 AND TIER FIVE.
I JUST NEEDED THE DISPENSING FACILITY BECAUSE I FELT LIKE THAT WAS TOO COMMERCIAL, BUT I COULD
[01:10:01]
BE WRONG ABOUT THAT.BASICALLY ALL THE TIERS, TIER ONE, TIER TWO, TIER THREE, TIER FOUR, TIER FIVE COULD ALL BE AG.
IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU SAID.
YEAH, BECAUSE THE PROCESS, THE PHARMACEUTICAL PROCESSOR, THAT TAKES UP A LOT OF GROUND.
NOT THAT IT'S OUTDOORS, IT WAS ALL INDOORS AND A CONTROLLED FARM.
THE ONLY THING WE WAS THINKING ABOUT ON THE AGRICULTURAL ZONES, THOSE ARE BIG TRACKS OF LAND.
I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEONE WOULD WANT TO COME IN WITH ABOUT 5,000 FOOT SQUARE HOU - GREENHOUSE.
THEY MAY DO, DO DIFFERENT GREENHOUSES.
YEAH, THEY MIGHT HAVE A CANNABIS 5,000 SQUARE FOOT OF TOMATO, 5000 SQUARE FOOT OF ICEBERG LETTUCE.
WE CAN ADD, YOU WOULD LIKE THE CULTIVATION TIERS ONE THROUGH FIVE IN THE A1, WE COULD DO THAT.
I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF AG LAND IN THE TOWN OF ANYWAY, SO, YOU KNOW.
YOU STILL MAY WANT TO CONSIDER MCD BECAUSE YOU MAY, SOMEONE MAY SAY YOU'RE DENYING ME.
IT'S NOT IN ANY ZONING? IT'S NOT IN ANY ZONING.
WELL, I THINK WE'VE GIVEN QUITE A BIT OF FLEXIBILITY TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
I MEAN, THAT'S FOR THEIR DISCUSSION.
YOU THINK IT'S NOT LISTED AT ALL? BUT AGAIN, ALL THESE ARE LICENSED BY THE STATE.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO BUY, GET APPROVED BY THE STATE, UH, WITH THAT.
OTHER THAN AVTECH'S AREA, WHAT'S MCD, DO YOU GUYS KNOW? THAT'S WHAT I WAS JUST ASKING.
JOHN, ISN'T THAT IT? I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY THING I HAVE.
THE NEW HOSPITAL THAT'S ZONED MCD.
OH, I HEARD THEY HAVE AN EMPTY PHARMACY.
BUT IS THE LAND AROUND THE HOSPITAL LIKE WHERE THE TRAILS AND LIKE ACROSS THE STREET WHERE IT HAVE TO HAVE BONES AND ALL THAT STUFF? THAT'S ALL MCD? YOU CAN HAVE CANNABIS OR YOU CAN HAVE HIGH DENSITY.
YEAH, THE TRACK KIND OF, THIS TRACK BACK IN HERE AT THE TOWN CORPORATE BOUNDARY, THAT'S MCD, THIS WHOLE KIND OF AREA IN THERE.
ANY OTHER, I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION TO TAKE IN.
THANKS FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON IT.
THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR BEING ON, BEING ON TOP OF IT.
DO YOU HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS THAT YOU NEED THOUGH BEFORE YOU ALL MEET ON WEDNESDAY OR AT LEAST NOT ANSWERS, BUT - WE HAD TO GO GET MORE DETAILS.
WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT AND WORK ON, WORK ON LEGISLATIVE UPDATES ON WEDNESDAY.
AND NOTHING'S SET IN STONE BECAUSE WE HAVE LOTS OF MONTHS TO GO GENERAL DIRECTION TO INFORM YOU WHAT'S, UH, WHAT'S AT THE TASK AT HAND.
NO, BUT I MEAN, THE PEOPLE, LIKE, HOPEFULLY IF THEY LISTEN TO THIS AND THEY START REACHING OUT TO US, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT, A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT SAY, "WHY AREN'T YOU MAKING IT BY RATE?" YOU KNOW, WHO KNOWS? AND THAT'S.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE THEIR LUNCHES IS THE BUDGET AMENDMENT.
MR. WILSON, I BELIEVE THAT'S YOU, RIGHT? ARE YOU GONNA BE UP, YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE THE - I GOT A FEW OF THEM HERE.
SO, UH, HERE TO BRING, UH, THE COUNCIL A BUDGET, REQUEST A BUDGET AMENDMENT, UH, FOR THE, UH, CARRYOVER PURCHASE ORDERS FROM FISCAL YEAR 26 TO FISCAL YEAR 27.
UM, INCLUDED IN THE, UH, PACKET IS A LIST OF THE PURCHASE ORDERS THAT WERE REQUESTED TO CARRY FORWARD.
WHAT THESE ARE, IT'S, UH, UH, PROJECTS THAT WE HAD BUDGETED FOR IN PRIOR FISCAL YEARS, UH, AND SOME OF THE, UH, PROJECTS ARE IN PROGRESS OR SOME OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY IN THE CONTRACT ALREADY.
UH, SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD ARE TO FUND, UH, FUTURE PROJECTS ONCE WE, UH, ENCUMBER ENOUGH FUNDS.
UH, THE POS THAT, UH, HAVE A STRIKE THROUGH HAVE ALREADY BEEN PAID IN FISCAL YEAR 27.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE MAYBE ALREADY CONTRACTED FOR, SOMETHING THAT WAS IN PROGRESS IN THE 45 DAY PERIOD WITH THE AUDITORS.
UH, BUT, UH, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE HAD PAID FOR.
UM, ALL OF THESE ITEMS WERE, UH, PREVIOUSLY FUNDED IN OTHER BUDGETS, IN PRIOR BUDGETS.
WE'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO REALLOCATE FUNDS, UH, FOR THE SHENANDOAH AVENUE STREET WAY PROJECT OF $244,500, UH, TO THE CROWSROAD SIDEWALK PROJECT, UH, WHICH WILL BRING THAT TOTAL, UM, UH, FROM 532,000 TO 776,000.
UH, THE SIDEWALK IS ESTIMATED AT THREE, AS OF 2024, WAS ESTIMATED AT 3.715 MILLION, UH, WITH THE TOWN'S PORTION ESTIMATED
[01:15:01]
AT THAT POINT IN TIME OF 648,000.UH, SO WOULD, UH, GIVE US A LITTLE BIT EXTRA FUNDS THERE FOR BREATHING ROOM, UH, FOR WHEN THAT PROJECT COMES TO FRUITION.
ALSO, WE'D LIKE TO, UH, REQUEST A REALLOCATION OF $182,000, UH, FROM THE DEWATERING, UM, PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT, UH, TO THE FINAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE CENTRIFUGE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UH, WE'LL BE RETURNING TO COUNCIL ONCE WE GET MORE INFORMATION ON THE CENTRIFUGE, WHICH ACTUALLY CLOSES THIS WEEK.
UH, THE INVITATION FROM BASE CLOSES THIS WEEK.
UM, WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL, UH, TO, UH, MOST LIKELY, UH, REALLOCATE THE FUNDS THAT WERE SET ASIDE FOR THE RIVERTON PUMP STATION.
WE PUT TOWARD, UH, THE CENTRIFUGE AND HOPEFULLY REDUCE THE FINANCING.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT I JUST PROVIDED.
UH, WE DO HAVE STAFF HERE TO HELP ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MAY HAVE REGARDING, UH, ORDERS OR CERTAIN ONES WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT MORE.
I'M HAPPY TO, UH, DISCUSS THOSE.
UH, THIS WILL REQUIRE A PUBLIC HEARING, UH, BECAUSE IT DOES EXCEED 1% OF THE BUDGET, UH, SO WE LEFT ALL THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
BJ, THE ONE THING THAT REALLOCATE TO CENTRIFUGE, UM, AND THEN THE RIVERTON PUMP STATION, THAT ALSO SAYS REALLOCATE TO CENTRAL.
YES, ONCE, UH, FOR THE FINAL CONSTRUCTION, THAT IS CORRECT.
ONCE WE GET THE FINAL NUMBERS, UH, FOR THE CENTRIFUGE, WE'RE JUST GONNA TAKE ALL THAT AND ALLOCATE IT TO THE FINANCING OF THAT.
UM, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS WITH THE CENTRIFUGE, UH, LOOKING AT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES THAT WE BID OUT ON THAT AS, AS WELL AS MAGNETITE REMOVAL.
UM, SO THERE'LL BE MORE INFORMATION TO COME ON THAT.
UM, MOST LIKELY, UH, WE HAVE A MEETING ONE NEXT, A COUPLE MEETINGS THIS WEEK.
SO IT'D BE COMING UP IN COUNCIL OBJECTS TO, UM, THIS, WE COULD PUT THIS ON, WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN OCTOBER 26TH, I THINK WOULD BE, SO WE DO A PUBLIC HEARING.
SO 5B, WE'LL DO THE NEXT ONE, THE BUDGET AMENDMENT TO RECEIVE FUNDS FROM HARRISBURG ELECTRIC COMMISSION.
SO, UH, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SERVICES WENT DOWN AND HELPED OUT, UH, UH, HARRISONBURG ELECTRIC COMMISSION THERE A LITTLE BIT AGO.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, IS WE'RE, UH, REQUESTING TO BRING THOSE FUNDS IN, UM, AND COVER OUR EXPENDITURES, A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $10,600.15.
AND THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE BY, UH, PUBLIC HEARING? NO, THAT CAN GO UNDER CONSENT IF YOU'D LIKE.
EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THE MADAM CENT? YEAH.
THAT'S, UH, FY27 BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE RIVERTON SEWER LIFT STATION.
SO, UH, THIS KIND OF, UH, GOES IN LINE WITH THE NEXT, UH, COUPLE OF ITEMS THERE.
SO IT'S THE, UH, RIVERTON SEWER LIFT STATION, AKA SEWER PUMP STATION.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO HERE IS, UH, THIS IS THE BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR, SO WE CAN BRING IN THE FUNDS IF COUNCIL APPROVES THE FINANCING OF THE LIFT STATION, WHICH IS THE NEXT ITEM, AND THE AWARD, WHICH IS THE THIRD ITEM.
THESE ALL HAVE TO BE DONE SEPARATELY, UH, BECAUSE OF THE, UH, FUNDING, UH, THAT WE'RE OBTAINING FROM THE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.
UH, SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S THREE SEPARATE ITEMS ORIGINALLY.
UM, BUT WE'LL, UH, THE BUDGET AMENDMENT, UH, WOULD BE FOR 1.8, UH, MILLION AS WELL.
AND, UM, UH, BRING IN THE REVENUE AND THEN OFFSET IT WITH THE EXPENDITURES TO BE APPROVED.
UH, THE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE, UM, BID IS, UH, SUGGESTED TO BE AWARDED FOR THE AMOUNT OF $1,694,000.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING TO BRING IN THE FULL, UH, 1.8 MILLION, UH, SO THE $106,000 WOULD BE THERE FOR CONTINGENCY ON THE PROJECT, UH, IF SOMETHING DOESN'T GO ACCORDING TO THE PLAN, WHICH WILL, UM, BUT, UH, YES, AND THIS, UH, AS WELL REQUIRES A, UH, PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE IT EXCEEDS 10% OF THE BUDGET.
ANYBODY HAVE AN OBJECTION TO THAT? OKAY.
PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER TWO, RIGHT? DEF.
YEAH, BUT HE SAID IT GOES TO THE NEXT PAGE.
I WAS WRITING WHILE YOU WERE TYPING TALKING AND I WROTE DEF.
ARE WE READY TO MOVE ON TO D? I'M SORRY.
D IS THE ACTUAL FINANCING, UM, UH, FOR THE, UH, LIFT, UH, SEWER LIFT STATION.
AND AGAIN, IT'S 1.8 MILLION DOLLARS, UH, WHICH DOES MATCH THE, UH, BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE REQUESTING TO BE APPROVED.
UH, THIS RESOLUTION WOULD NOT, UH, WOULD ALLOW US TO SEEK FINANCING, NOT TO EXCEED THE 1.8 MILLION DOLLARS.
UH, TERMS WOULD BE FOR 25 YEARS OF ESTIMATED INTEREST RATE OF 3.3%, UH, FOR THE 25 YEARS.
[01:20:01]
RATE IS SET APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH BEFORE LOAN CLOSING.UM, THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION REQUIRES THAT THE BOND SHOULD BEAR THE INTEREST RATE NOT TO EXCEED 5%.
SO IF SOMETHING HAPPENED, WE WENT TO CLOSING AND EXCEEDED 5%, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO, UH, TO CLOSE ON IT.
THERE'S NO, UH, REASON, UM, GIVEN THAT IT SHOULD, UH, COME IN, IT SHOULD COME IN RIGHT AROUND 3.3%.
I JUST, UH, SPOKE WITH BML BACO ON THIS LAST WEEK.
UM, BUT, UH, THIS IS REQUIRED FOR US TO CLOSE ON BY NOVEMBER 30TH IN ORDER FOR US TO RECEIVE THE FUNDS AND TERMS. SO IT'S JUST A RESOLUTION, UH, FOR COUNCIL TO APPROVE BID AWARD.
UM, I'LL ROLL RIGHT ALONG WITH THIS ONE TOO.
A BID AWARD FOR THE, UH, SEWER LIFT STA - OR, UH, UH, SEWER LIFT STATION PROJECT.
UM, COUNCIL'S OFFERED, UH, REQUESTED TO AWARD THE, UH, BID FOR, UH, $1,694,000 TO CPP CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, UH, OF GAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND.
UH, WE DID HOLD A BID OPENING ON THIS THERE BACK ON AUGUST 19TH.
UH, DEQ DID RE- REVIEW THE RESPONSES AS WELL AS THE TOWN'S ENGINEER ENGINEERING.
UM, EVERYONE IS IN AGREEMENT, UH, TO AWARD THIS.
WE'VE NOT DONE BUSINESS WITH, UH, CPP CONSTRUCTION IN THE PAST, BUT WE DID DO, UH, UH, AN EXTENSIVE REFERENCE CHECK.
UH, SO WE'RE REQUESTING AWARD.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, COMMENTS? DOES IT HAVE TO BE A PUBLIC HEARING?
UH, UH, THIS WAS JUST A BUSINESS ITEM, UM, BUT WE DO REQUEST THIS BE A BUSINESS ITEM JUST SO WE, FOR THE FINANCING PURPOSES, ALL THREE OF THOSE ITEMS. SO IT WOULDN'T BE ON CONSENT.
SO WE SHOULD NOT PUT THIS ON CONSENT.
IT SHOULD BE A BUSINESS ITEM, UH, ITEM FOR THE, UH, REQUEST TO FIND COUNSEL.
DO WE, CAN WE DO THEM ALL THE SAME NIGHT OR DO WE HAVE TO HAVE THE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS AND THEN WAIT ON THE BID AWARD FOR THE NEXT MONTH? WE CAN ALL BE ON THE SAME NIGHT.
WE HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE FINANCING LAST MONTH.
AND NOW IS ACTUALLY THE RESOLUTION, UH, TO, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FINANCING, UH, APPROVED TO ALLOW, UH, THE TOWN CLOSING.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT? MOVING ON TO F, FYI 27 BUDGET AMENDMENT TO RECEIVE DMV ALCOHOL AND POLICE TRAFFIC SERVICES GRANT FUNDS.
SO THIS IS THE SAME DMV GRANT THAT WE APPLY FOR EVERY YEAR.
UM, THIS IS GONNA, THIS ASKING FOR.
YEAH, SO THAT'S GONNA BE THE OVERTIME ALONG WITH THE, UH, RADAR AND, UM, THE DUI ENFORCEMENT THAT WE DO, UH, WITH THE SPEED AND ALCOHOL GRANTS.
AND THEN ALSO WE'RE ASKING FOR EQUIPMENT, THE EQUIPMENT COSTS AND THERE'S GONNA BE ABOUT 10,920 DOLLARS.
ONE OF THOSE IS GONNA BE A, UM, SPEED COUNTER AND LIKE TRAFFIC COUNTER DEVICE THAT WE'RE GONNA USE.
UM, GOING AWAY FROM THE OLD SYSTEM THAT HAS THE FEEDBACK ON IT, THIS ONE WILL GIVE US THAT REAL DATA THAT WE NEED AND WE'RE PUTTING IT UP ON THE POLE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T DISPLAY THE SPEED, THAT WAY IT'S UNKNOWN IN THE AREA THAT WE'RE PUTTING IT IN AND IT HAS A BATTERY LIFE FOR LIKE A WEEK, SEVEN DAYS.
SO THAT WAY WE'LL HAVE THAT REAL TIME BECAUSE MOST TIMES PEOPLE SEE THE FEEDBACK, THEY'RE SLOWING DOWN.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GET THAT AND ALSO, UM, TRAFFIC COUNTING, UH, WITH THAT AS WELL.
AND IT'S GONNA BE REPLACING, UH, SOME PBTS, WHICH IS THE, THE MACHINE THAT WE USE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO HAVE A CLUES FOR IMPAIRMENT.
SOME OF THOSE MACHINES ARE JUST OUTDATED.
UM, I THINK WE'RE ALMOST LIKE 19 YEARS OLD AND JUST THE REPLACEMENT OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN'T DO ANYMORE, THAT'S CHEAPER TO BUY NEW FOR YOU.
AND THEN ALSO ALONG WITH THAT IS GONNA BE, UH, TWO RADAR UNITS.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, SOME OF THEM ARE LIKE 2014, THEY JUST FAILED.
SO WE'RE REPLACING SOME OF THOSE THAT WAY WE GIVE OUR RADAR UNITS UP.
SO THIS SAYS THESE GRANTS REQUIRE A 50% MATCH.
HOWEVER, IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE PERMITTED.
SO ARE WE, ARE WE MATCHING THAT YES OR NO? I, I, IT JUST SAYS BUDGET.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, SO, SO WE'RE GETTING $36,849.60
[01:25:04]
AND WE'RE SPENDING THAT.SO BETWEEN THE TWO OF THOSE, IT'LL BE LIKE SEVEN, YOU KNOW, $73,000 THAT'S GONNA BE SPENT ON THIS NEW EQUIPMENT.
DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? NO? NO.
HOW DOES IT WORK THEN? 'CAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S OVERTIME THAT'S, THAT'S BEING REIMBURSED ON THAT, ON THAT END.
UM, AND THEN THE EQUIPMENT COSTS WOULD BE, THEY WOULD COVER THE EQUIPMENT.
THAT WOULD BE THE REIMBURSEMENT.
CORRECT ME IF I' WRONG HERE, BJ, BUT THAT 50% WOULD BE ON THE OVERTIME COST.
YEAH, IT'S USUALLY, THAT'S USUALLY WHAT THEY SUBMIT IS WHAT THEIR OVERTIME COST IS FOR THE, UH, UH, FOR THE GRANT.
SO WHEN THE OFFICERS ARE WORKING ON THE PROJECT, THAT'S WHAT'S SUBMITTED.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN BUDGETED, SO WE'RE NOT ADDING ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO IT.
UM, SO, UH, BUT WE'LL BE RECEIVING 36,000.
IT'S ALREADY THE BUDGET IS THE WAY IT IS.
I CAN'T TELL WHAT PAGE THAT IS.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THAT? CAN, CAN THAT BE ON CONSENT?
SO NEXT UP IS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT APPLICATION TO ALLOW SHORT TERM RENTAL AT 35 NORTH MARSHALL STREET.
ACTUALLY WENT OUT THERE THE OTHER DAY.
SO DEFINITE USE PERMIT, SHORT TERM RENTAL AT 35 NORTH MARSHALL STREET.
UH, THERE'S A PROPERTY IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT THERE AT THE, UH, HAS THE, UH, ALLEYWAY THERE ON THE SIDE OF IT, FACES ON NORTH MARSHALL.
WE PUT OUT SOME PUBLIC TRAINING SIGNS AND THEY DO HAVE A GOOD BIT OF PARKING THERE ON THE SIDE THERE ON THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY OFF THAT ALLEY.
UH, BASICALLY THE PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEWED THIS.
THEY DID NOT PLACE ANY CONDITIONS ON THIS SHORT TERM RENTAL.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE DO GET A COUPLE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THE HOUSE OR THE PEOPLE.
UH, IT WILL NOT BE OWNER OCCUPIED.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING WHEN WE TALKED TO THE RE - UH, THE OWNERS, UH, WHETHER THAT PLAYS INTO ANY FACTOR, UH, A YOUNG MARRIED COUPLE, THEY HAVE TWO HOUSES, SCHOOL TEACHER.
UH, THEY DIDN'T KNOW, TRYING TO MAKE DECISION WHAT TO DO WITH THE ONE HOUSE.
SO THEY THOUGH, WELL, WE JUST FOR RIGHT NOW DO A SHORT TERM RENTAL ON IT.
UH, THEY'RE LIVING IN THE AREA.
'CAUSE THE PROPERTY MANAGER HAS THE SAME LAST NAME, SO I, I WOULD ASSUME THAT'S THE - SO THAT BASICALLY WHY IT'S NOT GONNA BE OWNER OCCUPIED.
THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, GOT MARRIED THERE IN JUNE AND GOT TWO HOUSES AND TRYING TO MAKE A BUSINESS DECISION.
I WILL SAY THAT THE APPLICATION THING - YEAH, THE PRIMARY, THEY CHECK PRIMARY.
NO, THAT, WELL, NO, WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY IS LIKE, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT ANYBODY'S EVER GIVEN US THAT MUCH INFORMATION ON IT.
IT'S A LITTLE TOO MUCH.H I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING IN THE FUTURE, WE SHOULD PROBABLY TELL THEM LIKE YOU DON'T, YOU CAN, YOU CAN SAY THERE'S GONNA BE A WIFI.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT THE PASSWORD THERE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE THAT, I MEAN, I, I KNOW THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER, BUT, UM, ESPECIALLY THE STREAMING CAPABILITIES YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO SNATCH IN THEIR...
THEY MIGHT WANNA CHANGE THEIR PASSWORD AFTER THIS GOES PUBLIC.
USUALLY THAT'S REQUIRED TO BE IN THE, UH, MANAGEMENT PLAN, SO ANY GUEST THAT COMES THERE CAN LOG ON.
YEAH, BUT I, BUT I'M SAYING - YEAH, I UNDERSTAND.
FOR ME, FROM, FOR THIS COUNCIL, LIKE WE JUST NEED TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A MANAGEMENT PLAN.
WE DON'T NEED TO ACTUALLY - THE DETAILS OF IT.
LIKE I DON'T CARE IF THEY PUT THE REST OF THE STUFF.
I JUST WOULDN'T WANT, I WOULDN'T - YEAH, USUALLY.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS OR...
I'VE ALWAYS FOUND THOSE HOUSES ON MARSHALL STREET.
THEY'RE ALWAYS SO INTERESTING TO ME BECAUSE LIKE THAT HOUSE, IT, IT DOESN'T REALLY FACE MARSHALL.
LIKE THE FRONT OF IT FACES LIVES UP THERE AND IT'S LIKE, I JUST FEEL LIKE...
I MEAN, I, I GREW UP IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND I'VE ALWAYS THOUGH IT WAS INTERESTING HOW SOME OF THE HOUSES FACE THIS WAY AND THEY FACE THAT WAY AND THEY FACE THIS WAY.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S PROBABLY JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT UNTIL THEY DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GONNA SELL IT OR, YOU KNOW, RENT - THEY GET RENOVATED AND MOVE IT AS A PERMANENT RESIDENCE.
YEAH, YEAH BECAUSE THEY JUST GOT MARRIED IN JUNE.
BUT ANYBODY HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT ONE? NO.
UM, THAT ONE HAS TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING THOUGH, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
[01:30:01]
MANY PUBLIC HEARINGS WE AT NOW FOR THE END OF OCTOBER? THREE SO FAR.'CAUSE YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY HAD THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, DO YOU REMEMBER IF ANYBODY CAME AND SPOKE? UH, NO ONE.
THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD SIGN TOO.
SO WE'RE AT THREE OR FOUR, MR. MR. BETTY? THREE.
NO FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME UNLESS COUNSEL.
SO NEXT UP IS H, WHICH IS AN ORDINANCE TO REPEAL AND READOPT TOWN CODE 156-3, THE ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ACES.
AND I BELIEVE THAT MR. PETTY'S GONNA TAKE THIS PETTY AND MS. LEWIS WHEN MAYBE - MS. LEWIS, SHE'S GONNA BE BACK UP IF I NEED SOME HELP.
UM - SHE'S THE SECOND STRING QUARTERBACK FOR TODAY.
IS THERE A THIRD STRING IN THE ROOM? 'CAUSE YOU KNOW THE COMMANDER, YOU NEVER KNOW.
UM, I, I HAVE A COPY HERE, JUST A QUICK UPDATE, UM, IN SPEAKING WITH MEMBERS OF UM, IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S IN YOUR PACKET FOR THE READOPTION.
SO IN TALKING WITH THEM, WE WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT THE IDEA IS WHAT WE'RE ASKED FOR SEVEN MEMBERS, SIX OF WHICH WOULD BE APPOINTED BY COUNCIL.
UM, AND SO WE WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT HALF OF THOSE HAVE TO RESIDE.
THEY ALL HAVE TO BE IN WARREN COUNTY.
AT LEAST HALF OF THOSE OWN PROPERTY IN FRONT ROYAL.
UM, AND IT'S A VERY SPECIFIC GROUP OF THEIR EXPERTISE, SO WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THAT WAS OPEN UP A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO IT, IT CLEARLY SAYS ONE HALF IS THE COUNCIL APPOINTED BECAUSE THE OTHER ONE IS A HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR AND THEY DON'T OWN REAL PROPERTY LIKE THIS.
SO THEY ALSO JUST REQUESTED THAT THEY WOULD BE TWO YEAR TERMS VERSUS FOUR.
AS WE ALL KNOW, I MEAN, FOUR YEAR TERMS FOR A VOLUNTEER BOARD CAN BE A LONG TIME.
SO THIS KEEPS IT A LITTLE FRESH, KEEPS IT GOING.
UM, YOU KNOW, BIG, AND THEN IF YOU LOOK ON THE THIRD PAGE ON 8B, UM, IT WOULD TO BE RE - JUST REMOVE THAT SECTION.
UM, IT KIND OF WAS REDUNDANT IN THE SENSE OF THEIR PURPOSE AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'RE ESTABLISHED TO DO IS ALREADY, I HIGHLIGHTED THE SECTIONS OF WHICH KIND OF ALREADY ADDRESSES THAT.
UM, AND SO I SHARED THIS, UH, WITH THEIR GROUP.
YOU KNOW, THE, A BIG PART OF THIS, IT CAME TO US, YOU KNOW, ACES OBVIOUSLY WANTED TO EXPAND THEIR MEMBERSHIP WAS A BIG PART.
UH, IN RECENT ACTIVITY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SOUGHT SOME GUIDANCE FROM THEM DURING RECENT APPLICATIONS.
BUT I THINK WHAT THIS DOES IS IT HELPS, YOU KNOW, STRENGTHEN THE ACES GROUP.
IT GIVES IT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE, I THINK WHEN THEY WERE CREATED AS A LITTLE REACTIONARY, YOU KNOW, THEY HELPED WITH SOME GRANTS.
LONE PINE DAY, WHICH WE KNOW IS A GREAT SUCCESS FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
THIS BEGINS TO ESTABLISH THEM MORE, YOU KNOW, IN A FORMAL MANNER.
UM, WE'LL SEEK TO, YOU KNOW, GET THEIR INPUT AS WE DO.
I LOOK AT IT AS, AS PLANNING AND ZONING SPECIFICALLY WHEN THEY HAVE A SITE PLAN OR SPECIFIC PROJECTS, THEY MAY SEEK GUIDANCE FROM ACES AS THEY WOULD FROM VDOT OR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, OUR INTERNAL AGENCIES, THE BUILDING OFFICIAL, AND THEY PROVIDE THEIR PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE ON THAT PARTICULAR SUBJECT.
YOU KNOW, THE BUILDING OFFICIAL IS GOING TO TELL YOU, MAKE SURE YOU, BECAUSE OF THAT USE, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THEY NEED BUILDING PERMITS, EROSION, SEDIMENT CONTROL.
IF IT WERE VDOT OR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THEY MAY NEED A SPECIFIC TYPE OF PERMIT TO, TO OPERATE THAT.
SO ACES COULD HELP ASSIST IN A SITE PLAN REVIEW, MAYBE REGARDING THEIR LANDSCAPING, WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
GIVE, GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS, NOT PARTICULAR TO APPROVE OR DENY THAT PARTICULAR APPLICATION, BUT OF THAT USE, WHAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE THEIR PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE FOR, YOU KNOW, RAIN, GARDENS, STORM WATER, UH, NATIVE SPECIES, UM, IN THAT INSTANCE.
AND TO MAKE SURE IT'S FOLLOWING ANY ORDINANCE OR POLICIES WE HAVE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, IT DOES, YOU KNOW, THIS CODE DOES ALLOW THAT.
I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE TWO, THERE'S SOME SECTIONS THAT ARE NOT THERE ANYMORE.
IF YOU GO THROUGH THEM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S VERY SPECIFIC INITIATIVES IN THE ORIGINAL CODE THAT AREN'T IN THIS, YOU KNOW, READOPTION, UM, SECTION.
SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, IT TALKS ABOUT FARMER'S MARKET AND GOALS FOR TREE CANOPY, THE ARTS.
[01:35:01]
AND ONE OF THEIR BIG PROJECTS IS THE AT CONNECTOR TRAIL THAT JUSTIN CAME IN.THERE'S NOTHING EVEN ABOUT TRAILS IN THE CURRENT CODE.
SO I THINK BY NOT BEING SO SPECIFIC, IT OPENS THE, THAT DOOR FOR THEM TO, YOU KNOW, BE MORE STRATEGIC.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO DO THAT.
SPECIFICALLY, ONE OF THEIR GOALS SHOULD BE A STRATEGIC PLAN FROM ACES TO DEFINE WHAT THEIR GOALS ARE OVER THIS NEXT YEAR VERSUS BEING IN THE CODE SO THEY CAN REMAIN FLUID WITH THAT.
SO THIS NEW ACES EXPANDED GROUP CAN CREATE STRATEGIC PLANS AND BRING IN, IS IT TRAILS, IS IT ARTS? AND THAT FARM TO TABLE WAS MENTIONED IN THE, WHAT ARE THEIR TREE CANOPY GOALS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IN THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN VERSUS CODIFYING IT AND SAYING SO SPECIFIC BECAUSE THAT, THOSE THINGS THEY MIGHT HAVE TO ADAPT OVER TIME.
SO I THINK, UM, THIS GIVES THEM THE, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL'S DIRECTION, STAFF'S DIRECTION.
IT'S STILL ALL IN THERE TO SEEK RECOMMENDATIONS.
I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE AN INTERNAL PROCESS OF HOW WE COMMUNICATE WITH THEM.
IT SAYS SPECIFICALLY AS WELL THAT IT WOULDN'T, UM, HIN - APPROVE OR DENY DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS.
IT WON'T, YOU KNOW, DELAY ZONING APPLICATIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE CAN'T HOLD UP ZONING APPLICATIONS.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO'S GIVING THE COMMENTS BECAUSE SOMETIMES THERE'S SPECIFIC LAWS THAT THERE'S TIMELINES THAT PLANNING COMMISSION CAN ACT OR STAFF CAN ACT ON SOME OF THESE OR IT MOVES ON.
WE DEFINITELY WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT IT'S NOT TO BE THAT THEY'RE ON THE TIMELINE, BUT ALSO ZONING REQUIREMENTS SOMETIMES HAVE TIMELINES.
AND THEY, THEY HAVE BEEN WANTING TO HAVE MORE MEMBER.
LIKE I, I FEEL LIKE THIS HAS BEEN LIKE SEVERAL YEARS.
I KNOW JUSTIN HAD TALKED TO ME ABOUT THAT BEFORE THAT THEY'D LIKE TO GET MORE.
AND I ORIGINALLY WAS LIKE, YEAH, SURE.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S A PROBLEM.
WELL, BECAUSE THE, THIS SAID THAT IT WAS ONLY THREE WITH A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR THEN, YOU KNOW, AND I WILL SAY WHEN THIS WAS ORIGINALLY ENACTED OR WHATEVER, IT WAS, I MEAN, IT WAS NEW.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT WAS NEW.
AND SO IT'S JUST LIKE ANYTHING.
NOW THAT IT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS IN THE MAKING, WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, THREE WASN'T PROBABLY ENOUGH.
A JUNIOR INSTEAD OF A SENIOR BECAUSE LET'S BE HONEST, SENIORS ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY GOT OTHER THINGS GOING ON.
AND THIS ALSO GIVES WHOEVER THAT HIGH SCHOOL PERSON IS TWO YEARS TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BE IMPACTFUL.
UM, AND I KNOW THE TEAM, I KNOW THE, THE YOUNG LADY THAT WAS A FEW, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, SHE HAD A HUGE, A HUGE PROJECT OUT BY AND I BELIEVE SHE USED THAT IN HER APPLICATION FOR UVA AND IT WAS A, I THINK IT WAS, IT, IT, IT HELPED HER IN, IN SECURING ADMISSION.
UM, SO, BUT ANYWAY, I, AND I LIKE THE FACT THAT IT'S STAGGERED TOO BECAUSE THEN YOU'RE NEVER GONNA END UP WITH ALL SIX PEOPLE GOING OUT AT THE SAME TIME.
WE'VE ALSO MOVED THEIR MEETINGS TO TOWN HALL.
UM, WE DON'T, WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO USE THE TECHNOLOGY FOR TEAMS. WE DON'T USE THE SAME TECHNOLOGY WE DO FOR OUR MEETINGS BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT EXPENSE AND TECHNOLOGY, BUT, SO WE'VE BEEN USING TEAMS FOR THEIR MEETINGS, HAVING THEM HERE AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY IN THERE THEY'RE CHANGING THEM TO SEVEN PM AND IT OPENS UP THE, AS WE ALL KNOW, IT OPENS THAT DOOR FOR PEOPLE WHO GET HERE FROM WORK AND SO, BUT THEY DO HAVE GOOD PARTICIPATION.
UM, SO - AND THEY HAVE VOLUNTEERS LIKE THEY HAVE THIS, BUT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE OTHER PEOPLE COMING TOO THERE.
I WONDERED ABOUT YOU CODIFYING THAT.
I MEAN, CAN YOU, CAN, COULD YOU LIKE MAYBE ADD WHETHER IT'S LESS CANCELED OR RESCHEDULED MAYBE? I MEAN, BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE BOXING THEM IN.
WE TALK, WELL, SIMILAR TO OUR CODE, WHEN WE SHALL MEET, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE A PUBLIC BODY DEFINING THAT WE LOOKED AT CANCELING OR RESCHEDULING, UM, AND DORIS MAY BE ABLE TO HELP ME CHIME IN ON THE LEGAL ASPECTS AS LIKE CURRENTLY THEY DON'T, I'M AWARE OF BYLAWS, ET CETERA.
I MEAN, THEY ESTABLISH BYLAWS AND STUFF THAT MIGHT CHANGE HOW, REALLY ABOUT HOW YOU RESCHEDULE, HOW YOU PROVIDE THAT NOTICE.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW WE JUST SAID THAT IF IT DIDN'T MEET THAT TIME, THEY WOULD JUST MEET THE FOLLOWING WEEK RATHER THAN TRYING TO RESCHEDULE AND COORDINATE, BUT - THEY DON'T, DO THEY HAVE TO HAVE A QUORUM TO MEET? CONDUCT BUSINESS.
BUT ARE THEY CONDUCTING BUSINESS? WELL, THEY'RE CONDUCTING - I MEAN, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT TAKING ACTION.
THEY'RE CONDUCTING THE BUSINESS THAT COUNCIL - OKAY.
BUT YOU DO UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING THOUGH.
IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE TAKING ACTION VOTING OR DO THEY? THEY HAVE TO HAVE A CONSENSUS TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.
AND I, I, I JUST - I'D LIKE IT TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL TOO, IS THAT THEY CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD
[01:40:01]
AND HOPEFULLY IT IS MORE, IT'S THAT ADVISOR ROLE, BUT YES, LIKE YOU SAID, THEY'RE TAKING ACTION TO GIVE - YEAH.MAYBE RECOMMENDATIONS TO GO AFTER, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT GRANTS LIKE THEY'VE DONE AND - I JUST MEANT, I JUST MEANT IF LIKE, IF, YOU KNOW, IF THREE OF THE SIX CAN'T SHOW UP THAT THURSDAY NIGHT, DOES THAT MEAN THEY CAN'T, THEN THEY'VE GOT TO RESCHEDULE.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS, THAT'S WHAT I MEANT BY, IS THERE AN ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT LIKE TO BE A QUORUM? YES, GEORGE? OKAY, BECAUSE IT'S A PUBLIC BODY.
SO DOES THAT MEAN THEY HAVE TO HAVE THREE OR FOUR OUT OF THE SIX? WELL, IT'S SEVEN, SO.
I WILL JUST SAY THERE, NOBODY WANTS TO BE APPOINTED TO A BOARD.
THEY'RE NOT ACTIVE IN PARTICIPATING ONE.
SO I DO THINK THAT A LOT OF THEM ARE VERY ENGAGED AND COMMITTED TO THIS ROLE.
UM, WHO WROTE THIS DRAFT? SO THERE WAS A DRAFT PROVIDED TO MYSELF AND THEN I WORKED ON REDRAFTING IT AND IT HAS BEEN SHARED WITH THE GROUP.
WE'VE EVEN BEEN GOING BACK AS CLOSE AS TODAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOME, I THINK SOME ARE IN FAVOR AND SOME AREN'T, BUT ONE WAS JUST KEEP THE ORIGINAL AND JUST CHANGE THE MEMBERSHIP.
I HAVE TWO CONCERNS WITH THAT.
ONE IS THE SAME ISSUE THAT WAS WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION WHEN I CAME ONTO THIS COUNCIL AS A PUBLIC BODY THAT THEY, OR BUSINESS MUST BE CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH FOIA, VIRGINIA FOIA.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE TOWN EMAIL ADDRESSES.
I BELIEVE THEY HAVE TO USE THEIR PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESSES.
IS THAT CORRECT? WE ARE, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED WITH CHARLES.
THAT'S ONE THING WE'RE WORKING ON IS DEFINITELY MAKING SURE THAT ALL MEMBERS HAVE EMAIL, TOWN EMAIL ADDRESSES.
WHEN I JOINED COUNCIL, EVERY PLANNING COMMISSIONER HAD THEIR PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS ON THE TOWN'S WEBSITE AND I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER.
WELL, I HAD ASKED ABOUT IT BACK OVER THE SUMMER TOO WHEN THEY WERE DOING WITH THEIR...
THE NAME OF THIS COMMITTEE IS AN ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.
THESE PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP AND VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME AS CONSERVATION BIOLOGISTS, ENVIRONMENTALISTS, PUBLISHED AUTHORS, VERY HIGHLY EDUCATED, RESPECTABLE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND THEIR ENTIRE JOB IS TO ADVISE THE COUNCIL ON THINGS PERTAINING TO ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULD HAVE A COMMITTEE NAMED THAT.
AND WE, THIS COUNCIL SITTING HERE TODAY RENAMED THEM THAT TO MAKE THEIR ACRONYM AND THEIR NAME MORE CLEAR AND WHAT THEIR ROLE WAS.
IF WE DON'T WANT THEM TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING THE MERITS OF ANY OF THESE THINGS IN HERE, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE WANT THEM TO REVIEW, DENY, OR CONDITION, BUT IT'S, THE PLANNING COMMISSION DOES MORE THAN THAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW OF HALF OF THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE THE QUALIFICATIONS THAT ALL OF THE ACES COMMITTEE DOES TO TELL US THEIR RECOMMENDATION ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE TOWN OF FORT ROYAL AND HOW SOMETHING PERTAINS TO THAT.
AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU GUYS JUST STICK TO YOUR TREES BECAUSE YOU'VE DONE THAT WELL.
BUT IF WE HAVE PEOPLE WILLING TO SERVE AND SHARE THAT KNOWLEDGE, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE RESTRICTING THAT.
JUST BECAUSE IF AT ONE POINT STAFF DIDN'T AGREE WITH IT.
AND I THINK THAT IS EXACTLY WHEN THIS DOCUMENT CAME ABOUT.
SO IN THE COPY I SHARED TODAY THAT WE'VE ALREADY COMMUNICATED WITH SOME OF THEIR BOARD MEMBERS, 8B HAS ALREADY BEEN STRUCK OUT.
WELL, THAT'S WHY I ASKED WHO WROTE THAT.
LIKE WHY WAS IT PUT IN THERE? IF THEY'RE, THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THEM, WHICH IS OFFENSIVE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND PLEASE, THIS ISN'T TOWARDS YOU, JOE, BUT I FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE PEOPLE WILLING TO SERVE AND VERY CAPABLE AND ABLE AND ENERGETIC AND ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT DOING SO.
AND IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE A SLAP ON THE WRIST TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR TIME AND THEIR KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE IT'S NOT PERCEIVED AS QUALIFIED OR APPRECIATED OR RESPECTED AS MUCH AS SOMEBODY WITH A TITLE WITHIN TOWN HALL.
SO I'M JUST SAYING THIS ALREADY WENT OUT BEFORE IT WAS STRUCK.
AND SO I HAD ALREADY BEEN, BEING QUESTIONED ABOUT IT BY MULTIPLE PEOPLE, BUT I JUST WANT, I WANT, JUST LIKE WITH STAFF, I, ON THIS COUNCIL, HAVE LIKE BEEN A VERY BIG PROPONENT OF PRAISING OUR STAFF AND PROTECTING THEIR ROLES WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT STAFF DID THINGS THAT THEY DIDN'T.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT'S FOR APPOINTED COMMITTEES AS WELL BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET THIS, THIS REPUTATION AS
[01:45:01]
A COUNCIL OR AS A TOWN OF WE JUST DO THINGS FOR THE APPEARANCE.AND I, I THINK WE NEED TO BE TRANSPARENT IN THAT BECAUSE I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, EVERYBODY THAT I KNOW AND HAVE READ'S BACKGROUND IN ACES IS FAR MORE QUALIFIED TO TALK ABOUT ANY OF THESE THINGS THAN I EVER HAVE BEEN OR WILL BE, EVEN WITH GOING BACK TO SCHOOL.
SO I JUST FEEL LIKE IT IS SO OFFENSIVE.
NO, I, I RESPECT, RESPECT THAT IT, THAT IT WAS, UH, RECOGNIZED THAT, UM, THAT IT, THAT IT, AND, AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS STRUCK AND REPLACED BY, UM, DELAY OR INTERFERE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.
AND JOE, YOU'VE STRUCK THAT? WHICH ONE? AB? MM-HMM.
IT'S IN THE DRAFT THAT YOU HAVE TODAY.
I THINK THAT - BUT ACES HAS, ACES HAS SEEN THIS THOUGH.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT SHE'S SAYING.
THIS ORIGINAL DRAFT WAS SHARED WITH THEM FOR THEIR FEEDBACK.
THEY CAME BACK AND I THINK THERE'S A CLEAR, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC THING ABOUT ZONING PERMITS AND WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO REVIEW AND MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS BY LAW.
I DON'T THINK THERE, IT'S, THERE'S NO ILL INTENT TO SAY THAT THEY CAN'T REVIEW A ZONING PERMIT TO, BUT TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON ZONING PERMIT AS WELL IS ALSO WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO SO.
IT, WELL, OR THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR.
I DON'T WANT IT TO BE MISCONSTRUED AS NOW WE'VE TAKEN AWAY THE AUTHORITY OF THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR.
WITH CONVERSATIONS WITH ACES, THAT'S WHY WE STRUCK IT.
THERE'S OTHER LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR PURPOSE IS, THAT THEY ARE ADVISORY, BUT THEY, AGAIN, AS IT SAYS, THEY DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY DELEGATED BY VIRGINIA OR COUNCIL TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, THESE DECISIONS.
THEY CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND AGAIN, IT'S, MAYBE IT'S SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS LIKE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNERS, THAT'S LISTED SOMEWHERE ELSE.
I THINK THAT THAT WAS IN THERE, BUT I DON'T, I MEAN, THAT'S - THEY DID WORK WITH US ON OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I GUESS JUST TO DUMB IT DOWN, WHO DOES ACES ADVISE? BECAUSE I'VE BEEN UNDER THE IMPRESSION SINCE BEFORE I SAT IN THE SEAT, ACES ADVISES COUNCIL.
SO THEM MAKING THEIR RECOMMENDATION BASED ON AN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IS NOT AUTHORITY.
IT'S JUST LIKE A PRIVATE CITIZEN OR A POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE GETTING THEIR GROUP TOGETHER AND COMING TO A CONSENSUS AND SAYING, "HEY COUNCIL, THIS IS OUR RECOMMENDATION AND OUR CONSENSUS COLLECTIVELY." IF THEY'RE MADE TO ADVISE US ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, I DON'T SEE HOW THE WORD RECOMMENDATION COULD IMPLY THAT THEY HAVE AUTHORITY.
ANYBODY CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.
I JUST, TO ME, THIS HAS GOTTEN TOO MUCH BIG BROTHER AND IN A SENSE THAT, THAT, WELL, IT'S A BIG BROTHER.
I MEAN, IT'S, TO ME IT'S BECOME A LITTLE BIT TOO BUREAU- BUREAUCRATIC IN THE SENSE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE STAFF MEMBERS COLLABORATING WITH ACES THAT WE NOW KNOW.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I HAVEN'T TALKED TO EVERY MEMBER OF ACE, ACES ON IT.
I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR TAKE IS ON INDIVIDUALLY.
BUT AS YOU JUST ACKNOWLEDGED, YOU KNOW, JUST, I WAS JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THERE'S MIXED VIEWS ON THIS RIGHT NOW, UH, WITH THESE AMENDMENTS.
AGAIN, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT BROUGHT ABOUT THIS OTHER THAN THE RECENT INTERACTIONS BETWEEN SOME STAFF MAYBE WITH, WITH ACES.
I THOUGH ACES WAS, WAS FINE THE WAY IT WAS.
I AGREE WITH WHAT THE VICE MAYOR JUST SAID.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY WERE ADVISORY COUNCIL TO, ADVISORY, UH, FOR COUNCIL.
UH, I DON'T SEE HOW THEY SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE KEPT, YOU KNOW, KEPT TOLD WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T, OR TOLD WHAT THEY CAN'T DO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE TIME BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT TO ME WOULD BE VERY FRUSTRATING.
UH, IF I, YOU KNOW, AS, IF I WAS ON THE BOARD MAKING A, WHEN I WAS ON PLANNING COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, IT JUST, SAME THING.
IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE OPERATE IN OUR SWIM LANE AND WE KNEW THAT WE, YOU KNOW, REPORT TO THE, REPORTED TO COUNCIL.
AND THAT'S WHAT I SEE ACES DOING.
I MEAN, ACES SHOULD REPORT TO US AS AN ADVISORY COUNCIL.
THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE, UM, BOMBARDED WITH, YOU KNOW, ZONING AND, AND PLANNING INFORMATION ALL THE TIME.
THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY KNOW HOW TO LOOK INTO THAT.
BUT AGAIN, THEY'RE JUST, ALL THEY ARE IS JUST AN ADVISORY COUNCIL.
I MEAN, FROM WHAT THE MEMBERSHIP STUFF CHANGES, I, I, I CAN SEE THAT, BUT I DON'T, I PERSONALLY DON'T SEE AFTER READING THROUGH ALL THIS AND WHAT WAS JUST GIVEN TO US JUST MOMENTS AGO, WHAT THE NEED FOR THE CHANGE, CHANGES REALLY ARE TO BEGIN WITH.
I MEAN, WHAT JUSTIFIES THOSE TO BE BROUGHT FORTH? I WILL ADD SOME OF THE CHANGES I DO THINK ARE
[01:50:01]
GREAT.SOME OF THE THINGS THAT IT OUTLINES IN THE ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION.
AND THIS IS NOT TOWARDS ANY OF THE STAFF SITTING HERE AT THIS TABLE AT THIS MOMENT, BUT I WILL SAY BEFORE THEY WERE CONSISTENTLY MEETING HERE AND THEY WERE BEING RECORDED, THEY WERE NOT.
AND SO IT WAS UP TO YOU TO ATTEND, YOU TO GET FEEDBACK FROM SOMEBODY WHO ATTENDED OR TO LISTEN TO AN AUDIO RECORDING OF A MEETING THAT I HEARD A FEW MONTHS AGO WHERE I JUST FEEL LIKE THESE VOLUNTEERS WERE SPOKE TO VERY POORLY.
AND I THINK WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THE MORE THE MERRIER.
HOW MANY PUBLIC HEARINGS REGARDING ANY TOPIC HAVE WE SAT ON THAT DAIS AND HAD ZERO SPEAKERS COME OUT AND WE SAY, "MAN, WE WISH WE WOULD HAVE HAD SOME PUBLIC COMMENT OR SOME FEEDBACK." SO WE, WE'RE MAKING THIS DECISION JUST AND WE HAVE VALIDATION.
SO IF AN ADVISORY COMMISSION WANTS TO GET TOGETHER AND PUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE TOGETHER AND GIVE IT AS A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL TO TAKE UNDER ADVISEMENT, I ABSOLUTELY WELCOME ANY AND ALL.
I, I'VE SPECIFICALLY, WHEN IT CAME TO THE JUNKYARD, EVERY NAME IN THEIR ACRONYM WAS MENTIONED IN THAT APPLICATION.
I SAID I WANTED THEIR OPINION ON IT.
THEY KNOW MORE THAN MYSELF OR BASED ON THE PEOPLE SITTING AROUND THIS TABLE WITH ME MORE THAN ANYBODY'S QUALIFICATIONS HERE.
SO I'M JUST, I WAS ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC AND THE ACES MEMBERS TRANSPARENCY HOW THIS TRANSPIRED AND CAME ABOUT AND WHO MADE THE CHANGES.
BUT WITH THAT BEING STRUCK, THERE ARE SOME OTHER LANGUAGES IN THIS UPDATED DRAFT THAT IS NOT THE ONE IN OUR PACKET THAT I DO APPRECIATE.
SO MY, SO THE PART THAT IT LOOKS LIKE THERE, THAT GOT STRUCK, LIKE TALKING ABOUT LAND USE APPLICATIONS AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING IN STATE, THERE'S NOTHING IN A CODE THAT SAYS IN AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, LIKE PLANNING COMMISSION, THEY CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, DENIAL, APPROVAL, BUT THIS GROUP WOULDN'T BE DOING THAT ANYWAY BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT AUTHORITY TO DO IT, RIGHT? AUTHORITY ISN'T WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS TO THE TOWN OF FORT ROYAL BASED OFF THIS? WE'RE NOT ASKING THEM TO VOTE OR MAKE A DECISION.
WE'RE ASKING IN YOUR EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE, WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND COUNCIL TAKE UNDER CONSIDERATION ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND WHAT IS THE SUSTAINABILITY? BUT THIS IS, BUT THIS IS WAY MORE THAN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS THAT THEN BE - YOU HAVE ENERGY CONCERNS.
I KNOW, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO ADVISE US ON - YEAH.
THAT ZONING GOES INTO THOSE THINGS, THE NATURAL RESOURCES, THE WATER RESOURCES.
BUT VARIANCE, UH, SPECIAL EXCEPTION - YEAH, WE WERE GONNA MAKE A SPECIAL EXCEPTION FOR THE JUNKYARD AND IT HAD ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
I'M JUST THINKING, I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT EVERY, I, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ENOUGH, THIS IS JUST MY OPINION.
WE ALREADY GOT THE PLANNING COMMISSION ADVISING US.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
SO I'M JUST SAYING IF WE'VE GOTTA TAKE EVERY APPLICATION AND HAVE A WHOLE NOTHER EXTRA BODY THAT'S GOTTA COME IN AND ADVISE US, THEN THAT, THAT ADDS A WHOLE LOT.
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ADVISING US ALL ALONG.
THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF WHAT THEIR DUTIES ENTAILED.
SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE SEND EVERYTHING TO ACES BEFORE OUR MEETING AND HAVE TO HAVE THEIR FEEDBACK.
I'M SAYING IF ACES VOLUNTEERS AND SAYS, "HEY, WE SAW THIS ON THE UPCOMING TOWN COUNCIL MEETING OR THIS IS COMING BEFORE THE TOWN," AND THEY CHOOSE TO INDEPENDENTLY WRITE US AS A GROUP THEIR RECOMMENDATION, THEY SHOULD NOT GET IN TROUBLE BY STAFF MEMBERS FOR DOING SO.
I, I, I, I - THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
I WILL SAY THIS THOUGH, AND NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SIX PEOPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THERE'S A RECORD, THERE'S A RECORDED VOTE.
THIS IS NOT, THEY'RE NOT A LEGISLATIVE BODY, SO THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE TAKING A RECORDED VOTE.
SO TO, LIKE, YES, IF IT'S UNANIMOUS THAT THEY ALL AGREE WITH THAT, THEN A RECOMMENDATION, THEY MAY SEND SOMETHING, BUT UNLESS IT'S UNANIMOUS, THEN I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S, IT'S, I DON'T KNOW THAT I THINK THAT IT'S - WE TAKE LEGISLATIVE ACTION HERE WHEN ONLY FIVE OUT OF SIX AGREE.
WELL THEY CAN TELL THEIR OWN BYLAWS, THEY DON'T, THEY'RE, THAT GROUP - WHAT'S THE POINT OF HAVING AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE IF YOU DON'T WANT THEIR ADVICE? THAT'S MY ONLY QUALM THAT I'VE HAD FOUR MONTHS DOESN'T WANT THEIR ADVICE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT I THINK IT'S, I DON'T KNOW THAT I THINK THAT IT'S THE SAME AS THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
I DON'T THINK THIS WAS WRITTEN ANALYSIS.
I MEAN, I, THEY, NO ONE'S PREVENTING
[01:55:01]
ACES FROM OFFERING.THEN YOU DID NOT HEAR THE MEETING THAT IS RECORDED AND I WILL SHARE IT WITH YOU.
THEY WERE TOLD THEY WERE - I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T HEAR THE MEETING.
THEY WERE TOLD THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO OFFER THEIR ADVICE TO COUNCIL AND THEY WERE OUT OF BOND.
THEN WHICH MEETING WAS THIS? WELL, THEY - I'LL GIVE YOU THE RECORDING.
WELL, THE OTHER THING IS THOUGH, THEY'RE EACH PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN SPEAK THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE EACH...
THE ONLY THING ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS, IS THAT IF THEY ARE REPRESENTED, IF THEY ARE ACTING AS THOUGH THEY'RE REPRESENTING THE TOWN, I THINK THAT'S DIFFERENT.
I THINK THAT I CAN SAY TO ANYBODY IN THE COUNTRY, ANYBODY IN THE WORLD, I'M AMBER VEITENTHAL AND I WAS ELECTED VICE MAYOR OF THE FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL.
SO IF THEY WANT TO ADD IN A SPEECH OR IN THEIR BIOGRAPHY ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE OR THEIR WEBSITE OR THEIR COLLEGE APPLICATION THAT THEY ALSO SAT ON THE ACES ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE FOR THE TOWN OF FORT ROYAL, THAT IS THEIR RIGHT.
THAT IS THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT BECAUSE THEY WERE APPOINTED TO SOMEONE.
SO SOME OF US HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY CANNOT SAY THAT THEY SAT ON ACES DURING SPEAKING OR REPRESENTED.
I DON'T REPRESENT FRONT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL WHEN I GAVE AN INTERVIEW TO THE ROYAL EXAMINER YESTERDAY.
DID IT GET MENTIONED THAT I'M ON THE FORT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL? YES, THAT IS MY RIGHT.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS THEY DO HAVE AUTONOMY AS INDIVIDUALS.
HOWEVER, THEY'RE PROBABLY SOME OF THEM NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY WITH ME BRINGING THIS UP TONIGHT BECAUSE THEY ARE A HUMBLE GROUP.
THEY DO VERY GOOD WORK AND THEY DO NOT EVER FIND THEMSELVES IN THE MIDST OF CONTENTION OR POLITICS.
BUT I FEEL LIKE THEY ARE IN A VERY PECULIAR POSITION RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD TO REIGN IT IN SOME ASPECTS AND NOW THEY'RE LIKE, "ARE WE ALLOWED AND WAITING FOR PERMISSION?" AND MY MESSAGE WILL CONTINUE TO BE CLEAR.
I WELCOME ANY AND ALL FEEDBACK.
AND IF THEY HAVE FIVE OUT OF SIX THAT WANNA WRITE A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR COUNCIL TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, IT'S NOT THEM HAVING AUTHORITY.
IT'S NOT THEM TELLING US HOW TO ZONE SOMETHING.
IT'S THEM SAYING, "AND MY MASTER'S DEGREE IN THE EDUCATION BASED ON THIS APPLICATION, HERE IS MY ADVICE TO YOU." AND I THINK THAT IS ABSOLUTELY APPROPRIATE.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE, WHEN WE CLARIFY THEIR NAMES - MR. PETTY WANTS TO - YEAH, GO AHEAD.
UH, UM, SO AGAIN, AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PURPOSE OF WHO DO THEY ADVISE, THE PURPOSE OF THE ADVISORY COMMISSION IS TO ADVISE COUNCIL, PLANNING COMMISSION, TOWN MANAGER AND TOWN STAFF.
UM, I MENTIONED IN MY COMMENTS BEFORE AND I'VE WRITTEN DOWN, I WOULD LOOK AT THEM AGAIN, IT'S NOT, I, I WOULDN'T, PERSONALLY, I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD GET TO COUNCIL LEVEL TO THAT POINT.
IT SHOULD BE THE STA - LIKE I SAID, STAFF, AND SO THIS MIGHT BE AN INTERNAL PROCESS WE'RE WORKING ON.
THIS IS KIND OF NEW THAT WE'RE DOING WITH ACES AS THEY'VE STRENGTHENED.
WHEN WE HAVE SITE PLANS OR THERE'S BIG APPLICATION, I'M NOT GONNA SAY A SHORT TERM RENTAL ON MARSHALL STREET IS NOT A GOOD EXAMPLE, BUT A SITE PLAN OR A LARGE REZONING, A JUNKYARD, SOMETHING THAT MIGHT HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
WHEN THEY RECEIVE AN APPLICATION AT THE PLANNING LEVEL, THERE MAY BE CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY REACH OUT TO FOR COMMENTS.
THEY SHOULD COMMENT, "HERE'S THE APPLICATION.
SEND US YOUR COMMENTS FROM YOUR ORGANIZATION." WHETHER THAT BE VDOT, THE BUILDING OFFICIAL, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ENERGY SERVICES, PUBLIC WORKS, WHAT ARE YOUR COMMENTS ON THIS APPLICATION AT THE PLANNING LEVEL? IF THEY GET THAT COMMENTS INTO YOU ALL, IT'S IN THE PACKET.
YOU SEE WHAT THEIR ADVISEMENT IS, THAT SHOULD BE OUR PROCESS.
AGAIN, IT'S NOT GONNA BE EVERY APPLICATION BECAUSE IT'S NOT REALLY FOR EVERY APPLICATION.
AND THEY SHOULD BE ADVISING ON WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE ON THAT APPLICATION.
LIKE THIS HAS NOT BEEN THEIR ROLE FOR THE LAST, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG HAVE THEY BEEN AROUND.
LIKE, LIKE I SAID, CREATING A STRATEGIC PLAN, DECIDING WHAT THEIR GOALS ARE IS A BIG DEAL.
'CAUSE AGAIN, I THINK BEFORE READING IT, IT WAS TREE CITY USA ARBOR DAY EVENT, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS.
I THINK THEY'VE EVOLVED INTO MORE THAN THAT.
AND THERE'S AN INTERNAL PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO DETERMINE BECAUSE IT'S BEEN THREE OR FOUR MONTHS THAT WE'VE REALLY DEFINED THAT STARTING TO ASK THEM FOR THIS ADVICE.
BUT THAT IS THE GOAL, UM, IS TO DEFINE THAT.
AND I THINK BY HAVING MULTIPLE MEMBERS HAVING, AND THEN IT SAYS THAT I THINK ONE OF THEIR GUIDANCE, THERE'S MULTIPLE TIMES WHERE ADVICE STAFF WITH PUBLIC EDUCATION, UM, UPON REQUEST, PROVIDE TECHNICAL AND EDUCATIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL PLANNING COMMISSION MANAGER AND STAFF ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.
[02:00:01]
SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS COME IN AND WE'LL DEFINE WHAT THAT INTERNAL PROCESS IS KIND OF SPECIFIC TO PLANNING.YEAH, IT CREATES A CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM AND GIVES OPPORTUNITY FOR FEEDBACK.
MAYBE THE PEOPLE, AND I'M NOT SURE JOE, MAYBE EVEN IT'S NEW TO YOU, BUT ON PAGE 161, BEFORE WE CHANGED THE NAME OF ASIS AND CODIFIED THE NEW NAME, THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN THEIR PURVIEW.
PAGE 161C2, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY SHALL BE ESTABLISHED TO PERFORM THE FOLLOWING DUTIES.
PROVIDE ADVISORY RECOMMENDATIONS ON MATTERS RELATED TO THE PRESERVATION, ENHANCEMENT, MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION OF THE TOWN'S ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES THROUGH EDUCATION, OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATION.
SO THIS IS NOT NEW, THEY JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ALL THEY WERE ALLOWED TO DO.
AND THEN IT GOES ON TO TELL THAT THEY PROVIDE ADVISORY RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND VARIATIONS TO ENVIRONMENTAL, NATURAL, NATURAL RELATED, RESOURCES RELATED POLICIES, REGULATIONS, ORDINANCES AND PLANS.
THAT WAS EXISTING LANGUAGE BEFORE THIS DRAFT EVER CAME ABOUT.
THEY JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE ALLOWED TO DO OR WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
SO I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE WITH THAT, THAT IT'S NEW.
I THINK IT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP BECAUSE THEY'VE REALIZED WHAT THEIR ROLE IS AND THEY'VE BECOME EMPOWERED IN THAT, WHICH I'M PROUD OF AND I HOPE THEY'LL CONTINUE AND THAT ALL THAT'S TRANSPIRED DOESN'T DISCOURAGE THEM GOING FORWARD.
SO JOE, UH, LOOK, LOOKING AT THIS LIST OF, UH, APPOINTED INDIVIDUALS HAVING, UH, EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE VOLUNTEER AND FOLLOWING THIS AGRICULTURE.
UM, THROUGH ENERGY CONSERVATION, UH, IS IT TRUE THAT ASIS WAS INVOLVED IN A STUDY FOR US ON THE NIGHT SKY, UM, PROJECT WHICH WE CHANGED OUT STREET LIGHTS, UH, NOT TO HAVE LIGHT POLLUTION GOING FORWARD? THOSE ARE FOR MY TIME, BUT I DO BELIEVE LIKE JUSTIN PROCTOR WHO'S JUSTIN IS, UM, WORKED WITH OUR ENERGY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
BUT YEAH, THEY WORK TOGETHER ON THAT.
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, LON PONDE COMES TO MY MIND.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, I, I BELIEVE THEY WEIGHED INTO THE AT THE TIME IT WAS CLEAR CUT.
LANDSCAPING, THE TYPE OF SPECIES.
ARE THEY INVOLVED IN THE, UH, MARLOW PLAZA TREE CANOPY REPLACEMENT? THEY'VE BEEN INVOLVED, THEY, THEY'VE BEEN INVOLVED LIKE MR. PACK FROM OUR TEAM AND ROBBIE AND LIZZIE, THEY ALL WORK TOGETHER VERY MUCH AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
WELL, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THEN THEY SEEM TO BE DOING WHAT WE'D LIKE FOR THEM TO DO AND THE, MAYBE THE, THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE WANT THEM REPORTING BACK TO US OR DO WE WANT THEM TO REPORT TO STAFF FINDINGS, CONCERNS ABOUT FUTURE ISSUES? I THINK IT SAYS BOTH.
IF YOU LOOK IN THE PURPOSE, PURPOSE, UH, AND THE VERY FIRST PART IT SAYS PURPOSE ADVISORY COMMISSION OR PURPOSE BASIS IS TO ADVISE THE TOWN COUNCIL PLANNING COMMISSION, TOWN MANAGER AND TOWN STAFF ON MATTERS RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, SUSTAINABILITY, URBAN FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION.
THE COMMISSION SHALL SERVE IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY ONLY AND SHALL NOT EXERCISE ADMINISTRATIVE OR REGULATORY AUTHORITY.
SO I THINK THEY, I THINK THEY'RE ADVISING ALL, THEY'RE ADVISING TOWN COUNCIL TOWN MANAGER, TOWN STAFF.
I DO NOT WANT IT TO STOP IT TOWN STAFF.
I DO WANT IT TO CONTINUE TO BE WELCOMED TOWARDS COUNCIL, WHICH IS ONE OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT'S BEEN BEING HAD.
I WELCOME ACES FEEDBACK AND ADVISORY TO THIS COUNCIL DIRECTLY.
DO YOU THINK THERE'S ANYTHING IN THIS DRAFT THAT TAKES THAT AWAY? 'CAUSE IT SAYS IT RIGHT THERE THAT THEY CAN - THE DRAFT THAT WE'RE HOLDING BEFORE US IS NOT THE DRAFT THAT'S IN OUR AGENDA ONCE AGAIN TONIGHT.
BUT I'M SAYING THOUGH - SO THIS IS NOT WHAT WENT OUT TO THE PUBLIC TODAY.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS AN ONGOING ISSUE.
THE PUBLIC SAW AND HAS REVIEWED WHAT IS IN OUR AGENDA PACKET.
WHICH IS NOT WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US.
THIS IS TWO WEEKS IN A ROW THAT WHAT'S IN THE AGENDA PACKET FOR THE PUBLIC TO VIEW IS NOT WHAT WE'RE HOLDING IN FRONT OF US.
SO THIS IS NOT WHAT THE TOWN AND ACES, ACES HAS SINCE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THIS AND DECIPHER THIS.
BUT WHAT WAS IN THIS PACKET IS INITIALLY THE
[02:05:01]
CONVERSATION AT HAND.AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO READ OUR AGENDAS AND LOOK OVER THE CONTEXT BEFORE WE GET HERE, THAT IS WHAT WE CAME HERE PREPARED TO SPEAK ABOUT, NOT WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS PASSED OUT DURING IT.
I THINK, ISN'T THIS JUST, IT TOOK EVERYTHING THAT GOT CROSSED OFF AND PUT IT INTO IT OR NO? IT, NO.
THINGS IN THIS HAVE BEEN CROSSED OFF.
RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO IN THE WEEDS OF HOW YOU DO IT, BUT WHAT I, WHAT I WOULD THINK IS THAT YOU WOULD, UM, THAT WHEN WE'RE, UH, WHEN WE HAVE OUR LIST OF ITEMS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WHAT, WHATEVER, WHATEVER PROJECTS THAT COUNCIL IS GONNA BE REVIEWING, UM, THAT WE, UH, STAFF CAN IDENTIFY INITIALLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT MIGHT HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND COMMUNICATE THAT TO ACES, BUT ALSO GIVE ACES THE LIST OF WHAT'S COMING UP AND LET THEM AS A GROUP DECIDE IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE MISSED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST SAY THAT YOU DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THE JUNKYARD HAVING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, BUT THEY SEE JUNKYARD AND THEY'RE GOING TO, THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IT AND THEY HAVE THAT FREEDOM TO LOOK AT IT.
SO THEY CAN, THEY HAVE THE POWER TO SET THEIR OWN AGENDA, RIGHT, FOR THEIR MEETINGS.
BUT I WOULD, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE EASIEST ADMINISTRATIVELY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE JUST WELCOMED THAT WE'RE, HEY, WE'RE GONNA IDENTIFY SOME THINGS FOR YOU THAT MAY HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE THE FREEDOM, OF COURSE, TO LOOK AT ANY OF THESE PROJECTS AND THEN - THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING FOR.
AND, AND THEN, AND THEN AS YOU MENTIONED, HAVE THEM, IF THEY WISH TO SUBMIT COMMENTS, THAT WOULD BE PART OF OUR PACKET, UM, BEFORE WE VOTE.
NOT, YOU KNOW, NOT - IS IT PART OF THE PLANNING? PLANNING COMMISSION IS NOT ON HERE.
I'M SORRY PLANNING COMMISSION.
IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THEM ADVISE ALL OF THESE ENTITIES, WE OWE IT TO THEM TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.
YOU KNOW, AND I THINK IT'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME IS THAT THEY WERE GETTING SOME MIXED INSTRUCTIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT WERE NOT ACROSS THE BOARD WITH THESE CURRENT ENTITIES THAT ARE LISTED, YOU KNOW, UM, I DARE SAY.
SO THAT'S GOING TO BE, UH, SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT MAYBE CALLED OUT FOR WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT.
I THINK IT'S WHAT, LIKE, LIKE COUNCILMAN WOOD JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO FIGURE, FIGURE THAT PART OUT, BUT, UH - KEEP DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING, BUT WELCOME IT.
I LEARNED SO MUCH DURING THAT PRESENTATION.
I DON'T KNOW - YEAH, WE JUST, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY GOT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, CONSISTENT INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEIR, WHAT THEIR ROLE IS AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO.
THEY CAN'T HEAR SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM COUNCIL, SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM PLANNING COMMISSION, SOMETHING FROM TOWN MANAGER, SOMETHING FROM STAFF, YOU KNOW, IT, IT JUST, NO, THAT'S BUREAUCRATIC BS, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT GETS TO THAT POINT.
SO, UM, LIKE I SAID, WE JUST OWE IT TO THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, I, AS, AS THE MAYOR SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS I THINK BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN OUR PACKET, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST, WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT THIS FOR, YOU KNOW - MORE CONCISE.
MORE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS MEETING IS, BUT, UM, BUT, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF I'M, IF I'M ON, IF I'M A MEMBER OF ACES, I WOULD WANT TO KNOW, OKAY, WHO, OKAY, WHO AM I REPORTING TO AND IS THE, IS THE, IS THE MESSAGE GONNA BE THE SAME FROM, FROM ALL OF THEM? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, HOPEFULLY IT'LL START WITH US AS TOWN COUNCIL AND TRICKLE DOWN THROUGH THIS, I WOULD THINK.
BUT AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE COME UP WITH THAT PROCESS, IF WE COME UP WITH A PROCESS FOR THEM TO HOW THEY SHOULD ADVISE, YOU KNOW, THEN MAYBE THAT'LL SOLVE ITSELF.
SO, BUT I'M, AGAIN, I'M JUST LOOKING AT FROM, FROM MEMBERSHIP BECAUSE I'M ON PLANNING COMMISSION.
AGAIN, I KEEP, I KEEP MENTIONING THAT, BUT OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN WOOD WAS AS WELL, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALL AGREED AND WE, WE SERVED AT THE, AT THE, UH, WILL OF THE, OF THE, OF THE TOWN COUNCIL, AND THAT'S WHO WE, THAT'S WHO WE ANSWERED TO.
SO, UH, NOW OBVIOUSLY WITH STAFF AND, AND TOWN MANAGERS, YEAH, OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS PART OF IT, BUT ULTIMATELY WE REPORTED TO COUNCIL.
SO AGAIN, LET'S JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE THEM CLEAR INSTRUCTION, YOU KNOW, FOR WHATEVER THEY DO REVIEW THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GETTING MIXED, MIXED SIGNALS FROM, FROM US, YOU KNOW, ABOUT WHAT TO DO, SO.
UM, DO WE, IS THE, DOES THIS COUNCIL, WOULD YOU ALL PREFER TO JUST ADD THIS TO NEXT WEEK'S WORK SESSION AND TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN AND GIVE EVERYBODY A CHANCE TO LOOK IT OVER AND THEN IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THEN THAT, THIS WOULD BE THE THING THAT WAS IN - AND THIS WILL BE INCLUDED IN NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA VERSUS THE ONE THAT THE PUBLIC - THAT'S WHAT I WOULD - I'LL BE REMOTE NEXT WEEK BECAUSE I'LL BE IN - OKAY.
UM, IT WON'T BE ON MONDAY, IT'LL BE ON TUESDAY NIGHT.
[02:10:01]
WE'LL JUST, WE'LL EXTEND THIS TO NEXT WEEK AND IT'LL GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT AND, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE GET MORE INFO.UH, NEXT IS THE LIAISON COMMITTEE MEETING ITEMS FOR OCTOBER 15TH AND THAT WILL ACTUALLY BE HELD HERE BECAUSE AS MR. PETTY ALLUDED TO EARLIER, UM, THE GOVERNMENT CENTER IS HAVING, UH, RAN - THEY'RE HAVING WORK DONE OVER THERE AND NORMALLY WE'D BE GOING TO THEM FOR THIS OCTOBER MEETING, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT HERE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T, WE CAN'T HAVE IT THERE.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT.
THERE ARE SUGGESTED ITEMS THAT ARE ON THERE, WHICH IS TOURISM, KAY SPRINGS, REASSESSMENT UPDATE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATE.
AND, AND I'M ASSUMING THAT THESE ARE THINGS, WELL FIRST OFF, TOURISM, UH, NEXT TUESDAY NIGHT, UM, EVERYBODY WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE TOURISM MOU, UH, THAT THE COUNTY HAS, UM, SENT OVER.
IT'S A GROUP, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT.
UM, SO BY THE TIME WE MEET WITH THEM ON THURSDAY, THIS GROUP WILL HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE TOURISM MOU.
UM, AND I, I BELIEVE MR. PETTY SENT THAT OUT TO EVERYBODY.
UM, I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK OVER ALL OF IT SO THAT WHEN WE MEET NEXT TUESDAY NIGHT, I KNOW I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ALREADY ON IT, UM, SO, BUT, UM, YES.
I WAS GONNA ASK FOR CLARIFICATION.
MADAM MAYOR, ARE WE MEETING AS A COUNCIL WITH THE FULL BOARD OR BACK TO THE TWO AND TWO? I THINK IT'S THE TWO AND TWO, I THINK.
I THINK THE ONLY REASON WHY WE MET LIKE THAT IN JUNE WAS BECAUSE, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, DO YOU ALL WANT TO MEET AS A FULL COUNCIL WITH THEM ON THURSDAY NIGHT? IF SO, WE, I DON'T KNOW.
OR THIS LOCATION, THAT'S WHY WE DID IT IN JUNE AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTERS TO GET EVERYBODY BOTH - YEAH.
YEAH, BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WE'RE ALL SITTING HERE AND YOU ADD FIVE MORE OF THEM IN.
THIS IS WHAT WE DID YEARS AGO.
WE, LIAISON COMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE ONLY TWO BY TWO, BUT LIKE ONCE A YEAR WE ALL GOT TOGETHER.
UM, THE LIAISONS ARE AT SIX O'CLOCK.
UM, THE CASE SPRINGS IS ON THERE AND I'M ASSUMING THAT IS - IT'S BEEN ON THERE FOR FIVE YEARS.
NO, HONESTLY, I, IT'S THE, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, I GUESS THE REASON - SO - GO AHEAD.
SO THE, UH, THE BATTLEFIELD FOUNDATION CAME TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, I WANNA SAY TWO MONTHS, THREE MONTHS AGO.
IT WAS VERY BASIC, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE, A BIG OVERVIEW, BUT DIDN'T TAKE A SIDE OR ANYTHING.
AND I THINK THIS IS JUST GET FEEDBACK FROM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY ON THEIR RECEPTION OF THE PRESENTATION AND TO SEE IF THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY ARE INTERESTED IN CONTINUING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CIVIL WAR, UM BATTLEFIELD FOUNDATION.
I, I THOUGH COUNCIL RESPONDED TO THAT AND SAID WE'RE WILLING TO MEET WITH THE BATTLEFIELD FOUNDATION.
SO IT'S LIKE WE'RE GONNA TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT, BUT WE HAVEN'T HEARD THE PRESENTATION.
YEAH, HONESTLY, I, I KIND OF THOUGHT THAT TOO.
IT'S LIKE, UH, NO OFFENSE, BUT HEARING WHAT THEIR THOUGHT IS, WHAT THE COUNTY'S THOUGH WAS AFTER LISTENING TO IT DOESN'T REALLY...
I MEAN, WE CAN HEAR WHAT THEY A - WE CAN HEAR WHAT THE COUNTY'S PERCEPTION WAS, BUT UNTIL THIS COUNCIL HEARS, MEETS WITH THE BATTLEFIELD, I DON'T KNOW THAT, I MEAN, I GUESS WE COULD, WE COULD JUST ASK THEM WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? BUT I'M, I...
YEAH, BUT IT, I WOULDN'T SAY IT WOULD BE A LONG CONVERSATION UNTIL THEY MEET WITH US BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE OWN A PORTION OF IT TOO.
SO, UM, AND THEN THE REASSESSMENT UPDATE, I'M, I'M ASSUMING THAT WE WOULD BE ASKING MS. SOWERS.
AND MS. SOWERS CAME AND SPOKE AT A DIFFERENT LIAISON.
IT JUST, I THINK IT ISN'T A, YOU ALREADY GOT THEM.
IT'S CALLED A DESK REASSESSMENT.
UM, THIS YEAR, SO - THAT SHE'S CALLED IT.
JUST GET AN UPDATE ON WHERE THEY ARE WITH EVERYTHING.
AND THEN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATE, I'M ASSUMING THAT WE WOULD ASK MR. BARKER TO COME.
MR. BARKER WILL BE THERE TO PRESENT.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT THIS COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO BE ON THE AGENDA TO DISCUSS WITH THE COUNTY? 'CAUSE WE WON'T BE HAVING ANOTHER...
THIS COUN- COUN - TOWN COUNCIL WILL NOT HAVE ANY OTHER MEETING WITH THEM UNTIL JANUARY.
SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU ALL THINK WE NEED TO BE DISCUSSING...
I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT TOURISM WILL PROBABLY BE THE LONGEST CONVERSATION,
[02:15:01]
UM, WITH THE MOU, AND BECAUSE THEY ARE, UH, THEY WANT A RESPONSE FROM THIS COUNCIL BY NOVEMBER 1ST.SO WHEN WE TALK NEXT WEEK, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL TALK AS A GROUP AND WE'LL TALK WITH THEM AT LIAISON AND GIVE THEM WHATEVER OUR THOUGHTS ARE.
AND THEN I'M ASSUMING THAT I, I, I, I, WE'RE GONNA ALMOST HAVE TO HAVE LIKE A LITTLE MINI WORK SESSION ON OCTOBER 26TH, EITHER AT THE BEGINNING OR AT THE END, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA...
I'M JUST SAYING WE MAY HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER CONVERSATION BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GONNA GET, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GONNA GET TO THE FINISH LINE BY NOVEMBER 1ST ON THAT.
UM, BUT IS THERE ANOTHER TOPIC THAT YOU ALL WANNA ADD TO LIAISON? ARE WE, ARE YOU AND MR. PETTY GONNA BE MEETING WITH, UH, SUPERVISORS COLORS OVER THE AGREEMENT? UM, THAT, THAT WOULD PROBABLY, BECAUSE THAT'S A, THAT'S A LEGAL THING.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD HAVE THAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD BE WITH LIAISON ANYWAY.
NO, I WOULDN'T THINK - BUT, BUT NO, THAT'S...
SO ANYTHING ELSE? YES? THE COUNTY SEEING ANY PROBLEM WITH EMPTY STOREFRONT OUT THERE? WELL, I WOULD THINK THAT, OH, YOU'RE...
I MEAN, THAT'S PROBABLY A QUESTION WE CAN ASK MR. BARKER.
THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE PERSON TO...
YOU MEAN OUT IN THE CORRIDOR? OBVIOUSLY, WE, WE'RE HAVING ISSUES HERE, BUT - YEAH, BUT SOME OF OUR PEOPLE ARE LEAVING HERE TO GO THERE.
I WOULD SAY THEY'RE ACTUALLY GETTING SOME INSTEAD OF LOSING SOME.
UM, OR AT LEAST ONE THAT I CAN THINK OF.
UM, BUT, UM, ANYTHING ELSE THAT ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN ADDING? AND, AND THIS HAS TO BE SENT TO THEM BY, I WANNA SAY MONDAY.
WHAT? MAYBE BY FRIDAY? WE'LL SEND IT THIS WEEK.
THE REASON WHY I WAS ASKING THAT IS THAT IF Y'ALL THINK OF SOMETHING BETWEEN NOW AND FRIDAY THAT YOU THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE ADDING, YOU CAN REACH OUT TO ME AND WE CAN ALWAYS ADD IT.
UM, NOW, WHO IS, UM, WANTS TO GO WITH ME THIS TIME? I WILL SAY THIS, COUNCILMAN WOOD, SINCE YOU SERVE ON THE TOURISM COMMITTEE AND TOURISM MIGHT BE A LARGE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION NEXT THURSDAY, IT MIGHT BE BEST IF YOU COME, BUT I DON'T...
DO YOU HAVE PLANS ON THURSDAY THE 15TH?.
IS IT, IS THAT OKAY WITH EVERYBODY IF GLEN, IF COUNCILMAN WOOD GOES THIS TIME? OKAY.
THE LAST ITEM WE HAVE IS OLD BUSINESS AND ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS TOWN CODE 175 REGARDING DATA CENTER DEFINITIONS AND ZONING DISTRICT REGULATIONS.
AND SO BASICALLY WHAT THAT IS, IS THAT, UM, WE'VE NOW HAD SOME, UM, LEGAL GUIDANCE AND WE HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS TOPIC.
IT'S NOT THE TOPIC, IT'S ON THE, WHAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S AMENDMENT GOT SENT TO US.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, OBVIOUSLY, JUST LIKE ANYTHING ELSE, WE WOULD, THE PUBLIC WOULD BE TALKING, GIVING US THEIR INPUT ON THAT AMENDMENT, BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE ACTION LATER ON THAT NIGHT, IT COULD BE, WE COULD, WE CAN, UH, USE WHAT THEY HAVE.
WE CAN, AT THAT MOMENT, AFTER, BUT WE, BUT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON WHAT CAME OUT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO THE TOWN COUNCIL.
SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS TO ADDING THAT TO THIS OCTOBER, SEPTEMBER, TO OCTOBER 26TH? AND IT WOULD BE A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND THAT WOULD PUT US AT, WHAT, FOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS? AS LONG AS WE PRIME THIS SPACE.
SO WE, THIS COUNCIL CAN'T HAVE OUR OCTOBER 26TH MEETING AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTER BECAUSE AS I SAID EARLIER TONIGHT, THE GOVERNMENT CENTER IS, UM, THERE'S WORK BEING DONE IN THE, UM, THE ROOM.
CAUCUS ROOM IS INSIDE ROOM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CALL IT, WHATEVER.
THE, THE MAIN ROOM WHERE WE USUALLY MEET.
SO WE NEED TO FIND ANOTHER LOCATION THAT WOULD, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THESE PUBLIC HEARINGS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE
[02:20:01]
HAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.UM, SO MR. PETTY, MS. WILFONG, COULD YOU GUYS MAYBE CONTACT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND ASK IF WE COULD USE ONE OF THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS? I THINK THAT'S THE BEST, I THINK THAT'S THE BEST ENVIRONMENT.
SO ANYWAY, UM, HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY ONE OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS OR ANY OF THE SCHOOLS THAT HAS AN AUDITORIUM WOULD BE GOOD.
SO EVERYBODY GOOD WITH THAT? YES.
CAN WE ALL SAY AYE FOR ADJOURNMENT? NO.
I NEVER SAY I MAINTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN, BUT I, I'M GONNA ADJOURN.