[00:00:01]
ORDER[Town Council Work Session on October 13, 2026.]
THE, UH, UH, TOWN COUNCIL WORK SESSION FOR MONDAY.NO, IT IS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH.
SO OUR FIRST ITEM TONIGHT IS ACTUALLY AN ACTION ITEM.
UM, UH, IT'S A RESOLUTION TO CANCEL THE NOVEMBER 2ND, 2026 REGULAR WORK SESSION.
UM, IT'S THE NIGHT BEFORE, UM, ELECTION DAY.
WE HAVE, UM, SOME COUNCIL COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MYSELF INVOLVED IN THE ELECTION THE NEXT DAY.
AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD A QUORUM.
UM, SO, UM, THAT'S REALLY, UM, THE, TOTALLY THE GIST OF THAT ACTION ITEM.
THE SUMMARY SAYS BECAUSE OF THE ANTICIPATED LACK OF A QUORUM OF COUNCIL NECESSARY TO CONDUCT BUSINESS ON NOVEMBER 2ND, 2026 DUE TO ELECTION DAY BOND ON NOVEMBER 3RD AND THE DESIRE OF SEVERAL MEMBERS COUNCIL TO CAMPAIGN PROFITS AHEAD OF THE ELECTION, THEREFORE BEING UNAVAILABLE TO ATTEND THE REGULAR WORK SESSION AVOID INCONVENIENCES TO THE PUBLIC COUNCIL DECIDED TO CANCEL IN ADVANCE THE REGULAR WORK SESSION NOVEMBER 2ND, 2026.
UH, I DO WANNA LET COUNCIL KNOW BECAUSE OUR, UM, MEETING SCHEDULE IS IN OUR TOWN CODE, IT, IT REQUIRES AN ACTION ITEM, UM, IN ORDER OR RESOLUTION, UH, IN ORDER FOR US TO ACTUALLY CANCEL A WORK SESSION OR, UM, A REGULAR MEETING.
I'LL MOVE SINCE I'M NOT, I'M NOT IN THE ELECTION.
I MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THE RESOLUTION CANCELING THE NOVEMBER 2ND, 2026 REGULAR WORK SESSION AS PRESENTED.
AND I THINK IN THE FUTURE WE SHOULD MIX IT UP AND START SAYING AYE.
JUST, JUST FOR KIDS, RIGHT? ALL RIGHT.
SO, UM, NEXT UP WE HAVE NEW BUSINESS, UM, AND THE FIRST ONE IS GRANT FUNDING THROUGH THE VIRGINIA GRID RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, BGRIP.
UM, AND THEN MARY ELLEN'S GONNA HEAD THAT ONE UP FOR US.
SO JUST HERE TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION, UM, ABOUT SOME FUNDING THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SERVICES HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR THROUGH THE VIRGINIA GRID RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
SO INCLUDED IN THAT, UM, WE'VE GOT FIVE TARGETED IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN OUR SYSTEM STUDY THAT WAS DONE BY OUR ENGINEERING SERVICE, UM, SOUTHEASTERN CONSULTING ENGINEERING.
AND SO COLLECTIVELY THEY WILL IM - THESE IMPROVEMENTS WILL STRENGTHEN THE TOWN'S ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM BY ENHANCING RELIABILITY, RESILIENCY AND IMPROVING SYSTEM CAPACITY AND MODERNIZING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, THERE'S A LIST OF THEM HERE, BUT WE'LL DIVE INTO THEM A LITTLE DEEPER, UM, IN A FEW PAGES.
SO I FIGURED WE'D GO OVER BUDGET AND FUNDING FIRST.
SO THE TOTAL ESTIMATED PROJECT COST CAME TO 348,575, UM, WHICH IS FUNDED THROUGH A COMBINATION OF MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE STATE WHICH WAS ACTUALLY PASSED ON TO LOCALITIES AND THEN LOCALITIES AS WELL.
SO I PUT A LITTLE, UM, BREAKDOWN HERE FOR YOU TO SEE THE FEDERAL FUNDING 233,750.
AND THEN WITH THAT TOWN CONTRIBUTION AND STATE SHARE COMBINED, THAT BRINGS OUR CONTRIBUTION TO 114,825.
IT DID SAY UNFUNDED STATE, SO I, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT, BUT I SAW ON THE MATCH THAT IT WAS, UM, GONNA BE A, A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR AS THE STATE SHARE.
HEAR A LITTLE CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
SO, SO THAT'S JUST INCLUDED IN OUR TOTAL.
THE STATE PASSED THEIR COST ONTO US BECAUSE THEY JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS FOR IT, RIGHT? SO, UM, IN THAT BREAKDOWN, WE WERE JUST KIND OF TRYING...
WELL, WE'LL GET TO THAT IN A FEW PAGES, BUT THE IDEA WAS TO JUST SHOW YOU WHERE OUR MONEY WAS GOING, WHAT OUR MONEY WAS GOING TO BE GOING TOWARDS.
WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT THE STATE DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY.
SO WHERE OUR MONEY IS COMING FROM WOULD BE, UM, OUR LINE ITEM REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE, $72,508 AND THEN INCLINE STAFF TIME AND FRINGE BENEFITS, 42,317, BRINGING OUR TOTAL MATCH TO 114,825.
NEXT PAGE IS JUST OUR, UM, COST SHARE COMMITMENT LETTER.
[00:05:01]
GOOD TO THROW IT IN THERE.BASICALLY JUST GIVES A SUMMARY OF EVERYTHING WE JUST DISCUSSED.
AND THEN THAT, UH, COST SHARE CALCULATOR, THIS IS NOT THE ONE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, BUT THIS JUST GAVE US A BREAKDOWN OF WHERE WE GOT THOSE NUMBERS FROM THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US FROM THE STATE.
NOW THIS FORM, UM, HERE, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE LAST PAGE IN OUR BUDGET JUSTIFICATION THAT WE HAD TO DO AS PART OF OUR PRE-AWARD PAPERWORK.
AND I JUST WANTED TO INCLUDE IT, LIKE I SAID, TO KIND OF GIVE A DIG IN DEEPER TO SHOW WHAT THE TOWN'S MONEY WOULD ACTUALLY BE, THE TOWN'S SHARE PORTION WOULD ACTUALLY BE GOING TOWARDS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN THERE OF PERSONNEL, TIME AND FRINGE BENEFITS, UM, PURCHASE OF SUPPLIES, AND THEN THE STATE SHARE.
WE JUST HAD TO SAY THAT WAS GOING TO GO TOWARDS SOMETHING.
SO WE WOULD PUT IT TOWARDS A PORTION OF THE CONTRACTOR COSTS.
UM, THESE PROJECTS WILL BE DONE BY CONTRACTOR.
SO NOW WE CAN DIG INTO THE MEAT AND POTATOES OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
SO, UM, THE FIRST THING WOULD BE TO RECONDUCTOR AND REALIGN THAT POLE LINE ON NORTH ROYAL AVENUE.
UM, THIS POLE LINE HAS BEEN THE VICTIM OF MANY VEHICLE ACCIDENTS OVER THE YEARS, UM, AND THE WIRE SIZE NEEDS TO BE UPGRADED.
SO, UM, THE IDEA IS TO JUST MOVE THAT POLE LINE BACK AND DO THE UPGRADE ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THE RELI- RELIABILITY BENEFIT THERE, REDUCE OUTAGE RISK FROM VEGETATION AND ROADSIDE IMPACTS, SPECIFICALLY THE ROADSIDE IMPACTS AND IMPROVE PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, NEXT IS THE, TO RE-CONDUCTOR AND UPGRADE HERE AT OLD WINCHESTER PIKE.
UM, THIS ONE, AGAIN, THE WIRE SIZING IS, IT NEEDS TO BE, UH, IT'S A LITTLE SMALL.
IF, IF YOU GUYS HAVE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS, WE DO HAVE ALAN OVER HERE, UM, TO MAYBE DO A LITTLE BETTER JOB THAN ME TO DESCRIBE THE WISE, BUT THIS AGAIN WAS IDENTIFIED IN OUR SYSTEM STUDY, UM, TO HELP.
I GUESS THE IDEA IS IF WE NEED TO, UH, BE ABLE TO TRANSFER LOAD, THAT WIRE SIZE CURRENTLY ISN'T CAPABLE OF ACCOMMODATING THAT.
UM, THE NEXT THREE ARE ALL SWITCHES, UM, AT DIFFERENT PRESCRIBED LOCATIONS.
SO SWITCHING, UM, THIS IS A TOOL THAT'S USED TO BALANCE LOAD OR SAY IF WE HAVE A BIG OUTAGE IN ONE AREA, WE CAN PICK THAT LOAD UP AT A DIFFERENT SUBSTATION QUICKLY, EASILY, UM, AND EFFICIENTLY.
SO THOSE THREE LOCATIONS ARE GONNA BE HERE AT WEST MAIN STREET AND MASSEY STREET, AND THEN ON KIRKWOOD AVENUE NEAR LURAY AVENUE, AND THEN ANOTHER ONE BETWEEN SHORT STREET, UM, AND COMMERCE AVENUE.
SO IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS...
THE WEST MAIN, UM, SWITCHES THAT COUNCILMAN RAPPAPORT.
THE IDEA IS JUST, AGAIN, TO BE ABLE TO, UM, REDUCE THAT OVERLOADING RISK.
SO WE'D BE ABLE TO MOVE SOME LOAD AROUND DURING PEAK TIMES, UM, PREVENT OUTAGES, INCREASE RELIABILITY, WHICH WE, WE'RE ALREADY VERY SOLID IN OUR RELIABILITY AREA, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
WHAT IS THE TIMEFRAME FOR THIS? COMPLETION? YEAH.
I MEAN, SO WE'RE STILL IN JUST, UH, THE PRE-AWARD PHASE WITH THE STATE AND THEN THEY GET TO PASS IT ON TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND WE HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN GIVEN A, A SOLID, THIS IS WHEN IT'S GONNA BE APPROVED, BUT WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE IT COMPLETED BY 2032, WHICH WE HAVE NO, UH, NO CONCERN THERE.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR ANY TIME WE CAN GET MONEY.
WE'VE NEVER GONE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE AND WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY EXPECTATION THAT WE WOULD BE AWARDED ANYTHING, SO WE WERE EXCITED.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOU ALL THAT WORK FOR ME.
SO IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I'M ASSUMING WE'LL JUST PUT THIS, THIS - SO THIS WILL COME BACK.
SO RIGHT NOW ENERGY SERVICES IS LOOKING AT GETTING A GRANT MANAGER WHO WILL JUST MANAGE IT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MEETING ALL THE FEDERAL PROCUREMENT POLICIES, DAVIS-BACON ACT, EVERYTHING.
UM, BUT ONCE EVERYTHING IS APPROVED AND READY TO GO, WE GET THE GO AHEAD, THIS WILL COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR A BUDGET AMENDMENT SO WE CAN ACCEPT THE FUNDS IN.
SO THAT'S NOT, NEEDS TO BE DONE IN OCTOBER.
UM, BUT AT THIS POINT WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD TO GET THE APPLICATION IN AND GET EVERYTHING DONE WORKING WITH ALAN AND MARY ELLEN'S TEAM TO COMPLETE THIS AND WE'LL BE BRINGING IT BACK TO COUNCIL, BUT NOW YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS WHEN IT COMES TO IT.
SO NEXT UP IS A DEED OF EASEMENT FROM RSW REGIONAL JAIL
[00:10:01]
AUTHORITY TO THE TOWN FOR 20 FOOT SANITARY SEWER EASEMENT FOR TOWN UTILITIES OVER ON CROSS AND UNDER THE PROPERTY TAX MAP NUMBER FOUR TO 45D.SO COUNCIL HAS SEEN MANY OF THESE OVER THE YEARS.
UM, THIS IS JUST FOR SEWER, BUT IT'S OUT OF TOWN AND TOWN HAS NO RIGHT OF, RIGHTS OF WAY OUTSIDE OF TOWN IN WHICH TO LOCATE WATER AND SEWER MAIN.
SO THIS IS TO EXTEND IT FROM A POINT ON WINCHESTER ROAD ACROSS RSW TO THE PROPERTY OWNER OWNED BY 522 PROPERTIES LLC.
UM, AND 522 PROPERTIES LLC WILL CONSTRUCT, UH, SEWER MAIN, UH, TOWN WILL INSPECT AND THEN ACCEPT INTO THE TOWN SYSTEM.
AND - YEAH, SO WE JUST HAVE THE MAP PULLED UP JUST SO EVERYBODY CAN ORIENT YOURSELF.
UM, SEWER LINE RUNS BEHIND THE JAIL AND THEY WILL BE, THE EASEMENT IS TO CROSS THE SEWER PROPERTY IN FAVOR OF THE TOWN AND THEN THEY WILL HAVE TO FOUR UNDER 522 TO GET TO THEIR PROPERTY OVER HERE.
SO THEY JUST HAVE TO GET THE SEWER LINE WHICH RUNS BACK HERE OVER TO THEIR PROPERTY.THIS WAS, IF YOU RECALL, WE DID THE OUT OF TOWN UTILITY APPLICATION WITH STAFFORD ONE, UH, LLC ABOUT OVER A YEAR AGO.
THAT WAS FOR WATER, RIGHT? YEAH, FOR WATER, YEAH.
SO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO WATER - YEAH.
FROM ANOTHER - IT'S OVER ANOTHER COMPLETELY DIFFERENT POINT.
BUT THE SEWER THEY - THE SEWER, THEY HAVE TO GET ACROSS THE JAIL.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? I CAN JUST ADD THAT I DID RECEIVE TODAY A EXECUTED COPY.
UM, SO I AM ASSUMING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADD TO OUR OCTOBER MEETING AND BECAUSE IT DOESN'T REQUIRE A PUBLIC HEARING, WE CAN, RIGHT? AND THEN THE NEXT QUESTION IS NOT HERE TO JUMP TO THE CONCLUSION FIRST, BUT IS THIS SOMETHING WE CAN PUT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, MR. SONIC? YES.
I MEAN, IF NOT, WE DON'T HAVE TO.
UH, ITEM 3C IS THE DEED OF EASEMENT FROM N3M LAND AND HOMES, LLC TO THE TOWN FOR A 20 FOOT WIDE SANITARY SEWER EASEMENT FOR TOWN UTILITIES OVER UPON ACROSS AND UNDER THE PROPERTY LOT 21 BLOCK Q, MARLIN SUBDIVISION, TAX MAP 20A8 - 21-Q-21.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE ONE WE WERE LOOKING AT MAPS EARLIER.
IS THAT YOU? OH, SORRY, IT'S MR. SANITY.
NOW I HAVE TO EAT MY WORDS AFTER SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONLY A PROBLEM OUTSIDE OF TOWN LIMITS.
THIS ONE'S IN TOWN LIMITS AND IT'S A FAIRLY RECENTLY DISCOVERED SITUATION WHERE - 20- 2016, UH, IT APPEARS THEY FOUND IT 2016, BUT - A SANITARY- SANITARY, BUT THERE WAS NEVER AN EASEMENT.
THERE WAS NEVER AN EASEMENT DEDICATED ACROSS THE PROPERTY.
TYPICALLY, THESE WOULD BE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THERE, SOMEBODY I THINK PURCHASED THE PROPERTY AND WANTED TO PUT A DWELLING.
COME TO FIND OUT THERE WAS A SANITARY SEWER THROUGH THE PARCEL.
THEY BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTENTION AND SINCE THERE'S NO EASEMENT, THEY'VE ASKED TO DEDICATE THIS EASEMENT AND THAT WAY IT WOULD ALSO SET BACK THE HOME FAR ENOUGH AWAY THAT IF ANY WORK NEEDED TO BE DONE, THEY PROVIDED THE SURVEY FROM THE OWNER, WHICH IS IN THE PACKET THAT WOULD DEDICATE THE 20 FOOT WIDE SANITARY SEWER EASEMENT OVER THE EXISTING PIPE.
UM, AND THEN THEY ALSO HAVE THE PROPOSED DWELLING LOCATION ON THERE, WHICH SHOWS IT OUTSIDE OF THINGS.
SO THE BENEFIT TO THE TOWN IS CLEAR, WHICH IS THAT IT BECOMES OF RECORD.
UH, THE EASEMENT BECOMES OF RECORD.
AND JUST, THIS IS JUST CURIOSITY.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WAY BACK WHEN WASN'T DONE, RIGHT? JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, WHAT KIND OF YEAR FRAME WOULD THAT HAVE BEEN?
[00:15:01]
OH, OF WHEN THE PIPE WAS PUT IN? YEAH.I MEAN, IT HAD TO HAVE BEEN, BECAUSE THAT WHOLE SUB - THAT WHOLE MARLOW HEIGHTS OR MARLOWE SUBDIVISION, BUT MARLOWE HEIGHTS, WHAT IT WAS CALLED.
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS HEIGHTS, 60S.
WAS IT REALLY LONG? THANKS, JOHN.
SO WHO KNOWS WHO WAS BEING CHARGED BACK IN 1946? AND THE OTHER SUBDIVISION WAS IN 1967, SO WE'RE ASSUMING IT OCCURRED - FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS WAS 1967, RIGHT? OR BETWEEN THOSE DATES.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT EITHER? AND I'M GONNA ASSUME THAT THIS ONE COULD ALSO BE ON CONSENT IF EVERYBODY'S OKAY WITH THAT.
3D IS THE RELEASE OF RESTRICTIVE GOVERNMENT AND TAX MAP PARCELS, ALL THOSE NUMBERS.
AND MR. YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF THIS AGAIN, RIGHT? SO THIS WAS ONE OF THE DELIVERABLES, IF I CAN DESCRIBE IT THAT WAY - UH-HUH.
FROM THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN, THE, UH, FORT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY, UH, INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
AND, UH, FB&T BANK AND UNITED BANK.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE TOWN'S DELIVERABLES, AND THERE ARE DELIVERABLES ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND WE'RE WORKING ON THOSE.
AND, AND, UH, THE OTHER PARTIES HAVE APPROVED THE FORM.
AND I, I, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS END? I MEAN, I, I FEEL LIKE WE UNDERSTAND THIS, SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S...
I MEAN, IT WAS IN THE PACKET, BUT DO WE NEED TO DISCUSS IT PUBLICLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OR CAN WE ASSUME THAT PEOPLE, WE CAN ASSUME THAT PEOPLE...
SO BASICALLY RELEASING THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT - RIGHT.
UM, AND THIS WAS PART OF, AS MR. SONIC SAYS, DELIVERABLES, UM, ONE OF THE, UM, THINGS THAT WERE PART OF A DISCUSSION AND AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY EDA AND THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL.
NEGOTIATED OVER QUITE A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
NEGOTIATED OVER A VERY LONG TIME.
AND SO I'M, I'M, I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'RE GETTING FURTHER AND FURTHER THROUGH THIS AND I'M, I'M ACTUALLY HAPPY ABOUT THIS.
HOPEFULLY IT HAPPENS IN OCTOBER.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DO A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS EITHER, RIGHT? NO.
UM, I'M AFRAID TO ASK, CAN THIS BE ON CONSENT? YES.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH US PUTTING IT OUT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA OR DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I FEEL LIKE YOU ALL HAVE HAD, THIS SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN FOR A LONG TIME, SO I'M SURE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALREADY ASKED.
THERE'S ALWAYS THE OPTION OF PULLING IT OFF CONSENT AT THE TIME.
WELL - ANY COUNCIL MEMBER DECIDES DISCUSSION.
I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE FOR THE PUBLIC THAT THE PROPERTIES WOULD REMAIN SUBJECT TO ALL APPLICABLE TOWN ZONING AND SUBDIVISION REQUIREMENTS DESPITE RELEASING OBSTRUCTIVE COVENANTS.
AND THESE COVENANTS WERE FROM WHAT YEAR? IT'S, IT'S BEEN - 202017.
SO MOVING ON TO THE JOINT TOURISM AGREEMENT.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF I NEED TO TEE THAT UP, MR. HENNY, WHOEVER, BUT...
SO, UM, YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE, FOR QUITE SOME TIME, UM, ENCOURAGED THE COUNTY TO COME ALONGSIDE US IN THE TOURISM EFFORTS.
UM, WE, AND I SAY WE, THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL, SINCE 1993, WHICH IS 29 YEARS, UM, THE TOWN HAS BEEN PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR TOURISM PROMOTION AND THE OPERATION OF THE VISITOR CENTER.
UM, THERE WAS LIKE A LITTLE TIME PERIOD THERE FROM 2021 TO 2023.
WE TRIED TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
UM, IT, IT, UM, THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME WAS, WAS NOT, UM, WAS NOT IN FAVOR OF CONTINUING THAT LITTLE BRIEF PERIOD THAT WE TRIED SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
UM, BUT ONCE THE COUNTY, UM, INSTITUTED THE, THE...
SO LET ME BACK UP FOR THE PUBLIC'S KNOWLEDGE.
SO THERE'S A TOT, WHICH IS A TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX THAT WOULD BE HOTELS, MOTELS, SHORT-TERM RENTALS, AND THAT'S 2%.
THE STATE ALLOWED, UH, THE STATE ALLOWED COUNTIES OR WHOMEVER TO, UM, TO MAKE THAT TAX UP TO 5%.
BUT WHATEVER YOU, WHATEVER THE DELTA WAS
[00:20:01]
BETWEEN THE 2% AND TO WHATEVER IT WAS THE LOCALITY CHOSE, THAT HAS TO BE SPENT ON TOURISM, AND THAT'S THROUGH STATE CODE.SO IT'S NOT LIKE A, A CHOICE THING, RIGHT? I'M NOT...
I HAVEN'T SAID ANYTHING INCORRECT YET, RIGHT? OR, OR, OR, UM, EMBELLISHED.
UM, SO, SO AS I SAID, YOU ALL KNOW THAT TOWN HAS BEEN, TOWN'S BEEN TAKING CARE OF TOURISM FOR THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY, UM, UH, MARKETING, YOU KNOW, UH, MARKETING ALL, UH, OUR ASSETS IN THE TOWN AS WELL AS THE COUNTY.
AND SO, UM, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S BEEN A YEAR OR MORE, BUT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THE COUNTY ABOUT, FOR ONE THING, JUST THE FACT THAT WE FELT LIKE WE COULD DO MORE IF WE HAD MORE RESOURCES, FUNDING, STAFF, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WHAT- WHATEVER IS NECESSARY IN THAT.
AND SO WE KIND OF STARTED THOSE CONVERSATIONS AT LIAISON MEETINGS.
UM, AND, UM, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THERE'S MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS NOW THAT ARE WILLING TO ENTERTAIN THIS IDEA.
WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS THE, UM, TOURISM MOU THAT, UM, WARREN COUNTY SENT OVER TO US FOR US TO REVIEW AND TALK ABOUT.
AND THIS THURSDAY NIGHT, COUNCILMAN WOOD AND MYSELF, UM, AND MR. PETTY WILL BE AT THE LIAISON MEETING, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE, THE AGENDA TOPICS.
SO REALLY JUST WANTED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHERE EVERYBODY IS ON THAT.
UM, COUNCILMAN WOOD AND MR. PETTY AND, AND I, AND, UM, MS. LEWIS MET AND KIND OF LOOKED OVER IT, HAD SOME THOUGHTS, HAD SOME IDEAS, AND, UM, EVEN REALLY KIND OF, UH, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR? BASICALLY TRIED TO CLEAN IT UP SOME FROM OUR END OF WHAT WE THOUGHT.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S THE BEST PATH FORWARD AS TO, LIKE, HOW YOU ALL WANNA DISCUSS THIS.
DO YOU WANNA DO IT LITTLE BY LITTLE? DO YOU WANNA, YOU KNOW, UM, ARE YOU STILL AMENABLE TO THE IDEA OF DOING THIS? UM, I...
WE EVEN MET IN JUNE, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS VERY THING.
ALL COUNCIL AND ALL OF THE SUPERVISORS MET IN JUNE FOR A JOINT MEETING, AND, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT THAT TIME.
I WILL SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT HAPPENED AT THAT MEETING, UM, WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE ADDED MONEY THAT CURRENTLY THE COUNTY HAS, UM, THAT SHOULD BE GOING TOWARDS TOURISM THAT HADN'T BEEN.
UM, I KNOW THIS YEAR THEY'VE BEEN MADE MORE OF A, UM, CONCERTED EFFORT ON SOME ACTIVITIES AND THINGS, A LOT OF THE STUFF AROUND THE 250.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCILMAN WOOD ASKED AT THAT MEETING, WHICH MANY PEOPLE HAVE CALLED THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION, AND WE'VE NEVER QUITE GOTTEN AN ANSWER, WAS, UM, WHAT IS THE TOWN NOT DOING THAT THEY FEEL LIKE NEEDS TO BE DONE? THAT WAS REALLY...
AND I THOUGH THAT WAS A REALLY EXCELLENT QUESTION.
WE NEVER REALLY GOT A RESPONSE TO IT.
STILL HAVEN'T REALLY GOTTEN A RESPONSE TO IT, AND I, I MIGHT ASK IT AGAIN ON THURSDAY NIGHT, BUT, UM, SO Y'ALL HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ON THE, THE MAU? I, I DO, BUT I DON'T WANNA, UH, I WANNA HEAR YOUR ALL'S THOUGHTS FIRST.
COUNCILMAN WOOD, SORRY, IS OKAY WITH STARTING.
I MEAN, HE'S BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN THIS ROUND.
YEAH, HE CURRENTLY REPRESENTS COUNCIL ON THE TOURISM COMMITTEE THAT...
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CALL IT A COMMITTEE.
I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT THEY DO CALL IT.
M- MANY OF WHICH ARE REALLY PART OF THE COUNTY PART, ALREADY RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY.
WELL, I MEAN, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS I THINK MR. PETTY AND MS. LEWIS WORKED ON THIS AND HAIRED IT DOWN QUITE A BIT TO, UH, STATE WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS, WHAT WILL WE BE DOING, WHAT WILL WE NOT BE DOING, UM, THE REPORTING STRUCTURE, UM, WHERE THE COUNTY, UM,
[00:25:01]
HAS THE RIGHT TO SEE WHERE THE MONEY'S GOING.UH, PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS SENT TO US, TO ME, SEEMED TO WANT TO MICROMANAGE, UM, TOURISM, WHAT THE MONEY COULD BE SPENT ON AND WHATNOT.
UM, AND, AND WE TAKE THE POSITION, WE DO TOURISM, WE DO IT VERY WELL, WE HAVE A STAFF, UM, WHAT WE NEED IS FUNDING.
AND I THINK GETTING SOME OF THE, UM, LANGUAGE OUT OF HERE, WELL, YOU'LL DO THIS OR YOU'LL DO THAT OR YOU WILL NOT DO THIS, ALLOWS US TO USE THE MONEY THAT WE BEST SEE FIT TOWARDS, UM, INCREASING TOURISM WHILE ALSO PROMISING WE'RE NOT GONNA REDUCE OUR, OUR, UH, FUNDING, UH, AND WE WON'T SUBSTITUTE THEIR MONEY FOR THAT SO THAT WE CAN TAKE THE MONEY AND PUT IT ALL AROUND ANOTHER DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'LL UPHOLD THIS BY KEEPING OUR FUNDING IN PLACE, AND THEY'LL GIVE US SOME MONEY, AND, UM, THERE WILL CERTAINLY BE THESE MONTHLY MEETINGS, UM, AND IT'S EXPLAINED IN HERE WHO CAN BE ON THIS MEETING.
SO IT'S AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, HAS NO, UM, VOTING PRIVILEGES OR...
I, I FORGET THE LANGUAGE IN IT, BUT IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'RE AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, THEY CAN SAY, "WELL, I THINK YOU OUGHT TO DO THIS OR THAT OR NOT DO THAT," BUT IT'S AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THE FINAL DECISION IS LEFT TO, UH, UH, MS. LEWIS AND, AND OBVIOUSLY MR. PETTY.
UM, I THINK IT'S A GOOD BEGINNING.
IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO SEE WHAT WE ACCOMPLISH COME JUNE OF NEXT YEAR BECAUSE IF WE GET THIS IN PLACE NOVEMBER ONE, WE'VE MISSED THE LEAF SEASON, UM, BUT WE CAN CONCENTRATE AND, AND I HAVEN'T TALKED TO MS. LEWIS ABOUT THIS, BUT WE CAN CONCENTRATE ON WINTER ADVERTISING, UH, CERTAINLY SPRINGTIME, OUTDOORS, INDOORS.
I MEAN, WE HAVE, WE HAVE AN EVENT CENTER HERE.
SO THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO HAVE THIS THREE MONTHS AGO.
THREE YEARS AGO? THREE YEARS AGO, BUT I, I WOULD HAVE TAKEN IT JULY ONE.
UM, WE JUST ON THE HEELS OF, UH, ALL COUNT, UNFORTUNATELY I WASN'T HERE ALL COUNT.
WE HAD A FABULOUS, UH, FESTIVAL OF LEAVES, AND I'VE HEARD THE NUMBER 20,000 PEOPLE.
SO, UM, WE DID PRETTY GOOD NOT HAVING EXTRA MONEY TO MARKET, BUT WE CAN DO EVEN BETTER.
AND, AND OF COURSE, UH, DIVIDING THE DUTIES UP WITHIN OUR, OUR TOURISM DEPARTMENT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, UH, HOW WE'RE GONNA APPLY THE MONEY.
WE HAVE A PROFESSIONAL DOING THAT.
TO ME, IT'S A LITTLE REMINISCENT OF ANOTHER DISCUSSION I HOPE WE HAVE ABOUT THE EDA.
THE COUNTY HIRED A PROFESSIONAL FOR EDA.
IF WE WOULD CHOOSE TO HELP FUND THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE KNOWS ABOUT EDA.
I WOULD NOT SIT HERE AND TRY TO SAY FOR THIS MONEY, IF WE GIVE HIM MONEY, FOR THIS MONEY, YOU MUST DO THIS AND YOU MUST DO IT.
WE WANT TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL.
SO, UM, I, I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST THING THAT WE COULD COLLABORATE WITH AND SHARE WITH THE COUNTY, WHICH ULTIMATELY SAVES THE TAXPAYERS MONEY.
AND THEN I THINK WE HAVE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES IF WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER LOW HANGING FRUIT OUT HERE.
WE, WE CAN SAVE MONEY FOR OUR TAXPAYERS IF WE, IF WE COLLECTIVELY US AND THE BOARD.
ANYBODY ELSE WANNA TALK ABOUT THE...
I GUESS MY QUESTION FOR COUNCILMAN WOOD IS, AS THIS MOU FOREST STANDS, IS IT SUFFICIENT? I, YEARS AGO, I WAS ON A JOINT TOURISM EFFORT VERY PASSIONATELY BACK WHEN DELEGATE OATES WAS A SUPERVISOR.
AND WE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS MEETING BOTH GOVERNING BODIES, SUB-COMMITTEES, AND IT JUST SEEMED TO IMPLODE AT THE VERY END EVERY SINGLE TIME.
I WENT TO MY FIRST VIRGINIA MUNICIPAL LEAGUE EVENT AND CAME BACK AND I WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE LIKE THE CLEARBROOKS CHRISTMAS LIGHT WALK FESTIVAL.
I FOUND OUT HOW MUCH REVENUE THEY MAKE FROM THOSE AND BULL RUN AND MANASSAS AND I THOUGHT THE, THE DOG PARK, WE HAVE THAT SIDEWALK, IT'S STILL AN OPERABLE THING DURING THE DAY.
AND, AND VML, THEY HAD A COMPANY THAT WOULD COME IN.
[00:30:01]
THAT THE TOURISM, WHOEVER PAID FOR IT WOULD PAY.AND ANYWAYS, THEY WERE VERY EAGER TO COME TO FORT ROYAL AND GIVE US THAT AND THAT COULDN'T EVEN BE AGREED UPON.
SO I, LIKE AS IT STANDS, I'VE REVIEWED IT.
I HAVE SOME CONCERNS AND SOME NUANCES, BUT I MEAN, ONE, YOU MENTIONED WE HAVE THE STAFF, WE HAVE THE EXPERIENCE, WE HAVE THE HISTORY OF BEING SUCCESSFUL, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND, UM, THAT, THAT WAS A POINT OF CONTENTION PREVIOUSLY, UM, BECAUSE WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT THE APPROPRIATED BUDGET, THE OPERATING COSTS AND THE MAINTENANCE AND EXPENSE COST OF THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE APPROPRIATE.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE POINTS OF CONTENTION IS THAT WE WERE MAINTAINING THE BUILDING AND TAKING CARE OF IT AND REPLACING, LET'S SAY AN HVAC SYSTEM, WHATEVER IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
AND SO WE THOUGH THOSE SHOULD COUNT AS PART OF OUR INVESTMENT IN TOURISM PREVIOUSLY AND THE COUNTY DID NOT AGREE WITH THAT.
WHY, WHY, I GUESS, UM, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY IS IT OUT THE FUNDS THAT WOULD BE ALLOCATED CAPPED AT 212,000? I THINK, UM, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME.
SO THIS KIND OF DATES BACK A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THE JUNE MEETING, I THINK.
STAFF STARTED TALKING, SO MS. LEWIS, MYSELF, AND THEN IT WAS DR.
MARTIN, INTERIM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
ACTUALLY THE INDATED BACK TO, UM, ADMINISTRATOR GOTCHA.
WE ACTUALLY HAD ENGAGED IN SOME EARLY CONVERSATIONS.
MS. MEADOWS AND THE 212 CAME ABOUT BECAUSE WE HAD DRAFTED THIS FRAMEWORK ESSENTIALLY OF WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO ESSENTIALLY MATCH, UH, CERTAIN THINGS OR PROVIDE EQUAL SHARE FOR.
AND SO THE 212 WE DISCUSSED WITH DR.
MARTIN AND MS. MEADOWS AND MS. LEWIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE TOWN'S EXISTING MARKETING BUDGET.
UM, I THINK IT WAS PRINTING AND BUYING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THIS PROMOTIONAL DOLLARS, WHATEVER THAT WAS, WAS BEING MATCHED.
SO I, I CAN PULL IT OUT HERE, BUT IT WAS LIKE, IF IT WERE $50,000 AND WE WERE SPENDING ON MARKETING, WE WOULD WANT $50,000 TO MATCH, DOUBLE THAT MONEY.
IT WAS ALSO TO PROVIDE EQUAL SHARE FOR STAFFING COSTS.
SO RIGHT NOW OUR PART-TIME BUDGET IS 99,000.
UH, THE COUNTY WOULD THEN PROVIDE HALF OF THAT FOR OUR PART-TIME BUDGET.
AND THEN IT ALSO INCLUDED FUNDING FOR AN ADDITIONAL FULL-TIME PERSON IN THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT PERSON, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION OF WHAT THAT PERSON MIGHT DO OR WHAT THEY MIGHT BE, BUT YOU CAN ASK MS. LEWIS.
EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT IN THAT DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE RUN A VISITOR CENTER, SO SOMETIMES THAT PERSON'S GONNA BE AT THE VISITOR CENTER.
OTHER DAYS THEY MIGHT WORK AN EVENT OR THEY MIGHT BE DRIVING TO FREDERICKSBURG TO DO A TAKEOVER AT THE VISITOR CENTER IN WHICH WE DO DURING OUR PRIME SEASON.
THERE'S NO SPECIFIC DUTY THAT WE CAN JUST SAY THAT THAT FULL-TIME PERSON WOULD DO, BUT THE MAIN THING IS, IS THEY WILL BE PROMOTING TOURISM IN FRONT OF WARREN COUNTY IN SOME CAPACITY UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MS. LEWIS IS WHAT WE PROPOSED.
THAT CAME OUT TO BE APPROXIMATELY $212,000 AND THAT NUMBER IS KIND OF STUCK THROUGH SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, THE DRAFT MOU DOESN'T CLEARLY FOLLOW THAT GUIDANCE IN WHICH THAT FRAMEWORK PROPOSED WHETHER IT WAS LIKE FULL-TIME PERSON MATCHING THESE.
RIGHT NOW IT'S CLEARLY DEFINED AS IT WOULD JUST BE MARKETING AND OPERATIONS FOR THAT, BUT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ADDITIONAL FULL-TIME PERSON.
THE OTHER FULL-TIME PERSON IS I READ THIS MOU WOULD ACTUALLY BE A COUNTY EMPLOYEE, NOT AN ADDITIONAL TALENT.
UM, WHICH AS I'VE SPOKEN WITH STAFF AND, AND I, I DO HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS WITH OF HOW THAT COLLABORATION REALLY WORKS WITH THE TWO DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
I ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE, THERE, THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY, UM, OPTION FOR IF, IF, IF YOU'RE WORKING ON SOMETHING AND IT'S, IT'S IN PLAY, THERE'S NO ROOM FOR CARRY OVER.
[00:35:01]
TO GO BACK.AND THAT'S, I THINK IT ALSO, AND I THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME IN THERE ABOUT UNLESS APPROVED BY THE GROUPS.
LIKE AND I THINK THAT'S, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS SO STRONG IF THERE'S, IF THEY SEE THE VALUE IN IT.
IF THEY ARE SHOWING UP AND SEEING THAT VALUE THAT, THAT THIS TOURISM MONEY IS BEING USED APPROPRIATELY, THEY'RE GOING TO BE PROVIDING GREAT INSIGHT OF MARKETING CAMPAIGNS.
IF IT'S A HOLIDAY LIGHT PROGRAM OR A PUMPKIN OR SOMETHING, THEY'RE GOING TO BE PROVIDING VALUABLE INPUT INTO HOW THAT MONEY IS SPENT TO PROMOTE TOURISM.
AND SO IF SOME OF THOSE INITIATIVES MIGHT HAVE TO CARRY OVER TILL THE NEXT YEAR, SOME OF THESE IDEAS, THOSE WILL BE PROPOSED TO BOTH BODIES AND HOPEFULLY WE'D BE ABLE TO CARRY THOSE DOLLARS FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR, CONTINUE TO BOOST THAT.
WILL, WILL THIS LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO REACH, UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY, UH, WILL BE HANDLING DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT.
UH, SO MY, MY QUESTION IS WILL, WILL IT INHIBIT THE TOWN'S ABILITY TO REACH, TO REACH OUT FURTHER? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GOING TO BE, THERE SHOULD BE, I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT IT.
THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME, SOME, UH, CARRYOVER WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE DOING, WE'RE DOING - DUPLICATING EFFORTS.
YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME DUPLICATION.
WELL, THE MOU SAYS THAT WE CAN'T.
THAT'S WHY I'M BRINGING IT UP.
YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT'S WHY I BRING IT UP.
WELL, TO GO BACK TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE FUNDS, OBVIOUSLY, UH, ANY LEFTOVER CARRYOVER FUNDS REVER - BE RETURNED BY THE TOWN TO THE COUNTY AT YEAR END OR MAY BE CARRIED FORWARD ONLY WITH COUNTY APPROVAL FOR IDENTIFIED TOURISM PURPOSES.
SO IN MY MIND, IF WE HAVE SOMETHING SUCCESSFULLY GOING ON IN THE SPRING THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE, WE HAVEN'T SPENT ALL THE MONEY, WE COULD, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR QUARTERLY REPORTING TO THE COUNTY SAY, LET'S SAY THERE'S 20,000 HOURS LEFT, WE'D LIKE TO KEEP THAT FOR THIS PROGRAM AND THIS IS WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO.
BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS, I MEAN, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON THE OTHER SIDE ABOUT, WELL, LET'S PRORATE THE MONEY, LET'S DO THIS.
AND THEN FINALLY DECISIONS MADE, YOU KNOW, LET'S GIVE THEM THE ENTIRE AMOUNT AND LET'S SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO WITH IT.
UM, BUT WE COULD END UP AT THE END OF THE YEAR WITH MONEY LEFT OVER BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE NOT STARTING UNTIL NOVEMBER.
SO I, I MEAN, IT, IT, IT'S THERE.
IT'D BE UP FOR DISCUSSION AND THE COUNTY WOULD HAVE THE, THE FINAL SAY ON ANY LEFTOVER FUNDS.
SO I WAS GOING TO SAY THREE, THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SPOKEN.
JOSH OR COUNCILMAN INGRAM, COUNCILMAN ANY OF YOU ALL WANT TO ADD ANYTHING AT THIS POINT? AND THEN WE'LL CIRCLE BACK AROUND AND KEEP THE DISCUSSION GOING.
THIS COPY THAT WE HAVE, IS THIS, IS, UH, DOESN'T INCLUDE Y'ALL'S DISCUSSION MINUS DOES IT? IT DOES NOT.
MR. PETTY, UM, SENT, UM, SENT AN EMAIL OF THE, WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER LIKE EDITS OF WHAT, LIKE WE LOOKED AT IT AND, UM, TOOK, YOU KNOW, JUST SOME OF THE WORDING, CLEANED IT UP A LITTLE BIT AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE CERTAIN PARTS OF IT THAT, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT - I'M BANKING ON Y'ALL PROBABLY HAD THE SAME, SAME QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS THAT I WOULD.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE ALL - COMMON SENSE.
MR. PETTY WAS LEADING THAT DISCUSSION AND HE DID HAVE A DOCUMENT, HE HAD NOTES, UH, DRAFTED IN THE SIDE OF IT.
I, I MEAN, THERE WERE SOME CONDITIONS THERE WE, WE JUST DIDN'T WANT TO BE A PARTY TO.
WE FELT LIKE IT, THAT COULD BE, UM, A GOTCHA THING.
UH, WELL, YOU KNOW, SUBSECTION C, ITEM I SAYS THAT, WELL, DON'T FORGET YOU'RE GONNA DO THIS.
WELL, AGAIN, GO BACK TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE THE EXPERT, WE HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
LET HER MAKE THOSE DECISIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HER MANAGER AND LET'S SEE WHERE WE GO WITH THIS THING.
TRUST US JUST AS IF WE DECIDE FUNDING GOES TO THEM.
I, I DON'T SEE US WRITING A 10 PAGE ADDENDUM OF HOW THEY'LL USE WHAT LIMITED FUNDS WE MAY OR MAY NOT GIVE THEM.
THEY HAVE A PROFESSIONAL RUNNING ORGANIZATION.
THEY KNOW WHERE THEY NEED TO PUT THE MONEY.
[00:40:01]
TO US FROM THE COUNTY, I WILL, I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT PROBABLY WAS THROWN, I MEAN, NOT THROWN TOGETHER, BUT I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY OBVIOUSLY PROBABLY HADN'T TOTALLY LOOKED IT OVER BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE THEY HAVE MS. MEADOWS LISTED AS THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND - YEAH.SO WE KNOW THAT THERE'S, WE KNOW THAT THEY HAD SOME ISSUES WITH IT AND THE APPENDIX, THEY'VE GOT LIKE ALL THESE APPENDIX, BUT THE APPENDIX WEREN'T PART OF THE, WHAT WAS SENT OVER TO US.
SO I DEFINITELY THINK THERE WERE THINGS IN THERE AND THAT'S WHAT WE TRIED TO ATTACK OR, OR, YOU KNOW.
WE, WE HAD DISCUSSIONS AND THEN, UH, MR. PETTY AND MS. LEWIS TOOK THE BALL AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, TWEAKED IT.
I WILL SAY THAT, UM, WELL, A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE, I'M JUST GONNA SAY, UM, THE ONE THAT WAS SENT OVER TO US, AND I THINK MR. WOOD ALLUDED TO IT IS, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME GOTCHA MOMENTS OR SOME, UH, AND MICROMANAGING.
I, I ACTUALLY FELT LIKE WHEN I READ IT THAT IT SCREAMED TO ME TRUST, LIKE TRUST, LIKE, IS THERE NO TRUST THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO, TO DO A GOOD JOB BECAUSE AS WE WOULD ALL ACKNOWLEDGE, WE'RE ALREADY DOING A GOOD JOB, IN MY OPINION, WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED QUITE A BIT.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF, THERE WERE PARTS IN THERE WHERE IT DID FEEL LIKE IT WAS A LITTLE MICROMANAGING, YOU WILL THIS AND YOU WILL THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT WAS, THAT WAS WHAT I'M GETTING AT TOO.
AND SO, SO WITH THE EDITS, THAT WAS CLEANED UP A LITTLE BIT.
THERE WERE THINGS WHERE IT SAID THE TOWN WILL THIS, THE COUNTY WILL THIS, AND THEN SHARED.
AND SO SOME THINGS WERE ADDED TO THE SHARED, LIKE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT IS GONNA BE A SHARED THING.
UM, I, I WANNA SAY I DON'T VOTE AS THE MAYOR UNLESS THERE'S A TIE, BUT I'M GONNA GIVE MY OPINION ON THIS.
UM, THIS REALLY WASN'T WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.
I'M JUST GONNA BE REALLY HONEST WITH YOU ALL.
WHEN WE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION, UH, PART OF THE REASON WHERE I WAS COMING FROM WAS THAT I FELT LIKE WE, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WE COULD DO MORE IF WE HAD MORE.
THERE HAVE BEEN OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE COME BEFORE THE TOWN THAT WE WERE LIKE, OH MAN, I WISH WE COULD HAVE DONE THAT.
WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT.
UM, AND THE FACT THAT THE TOWN IS PROMOTING THE TOWN AND COUNTY, OKAY? AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
THERE'S NOTHING IN THE STATE CODE THAT SAYS THAT THE TOWN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, TOURISM OUTSIDE OF OUR...
THERE'S NOTHING THAT SAYS WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR TOURISM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE TO SPEND ANY OF THIS, THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GETTING ON THAT, YOU KNOW.
BUT WE ARE BECAUSE IT BENEFITS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
THE REASON WHY I FELT LIKE I WANTED TO GO DOWN THIS PATH IS BECAUSE I, I FELT LIKE, FOR ONE THING, THAT WE COULD DO MORE IF WE HAD MORE, AND WE CAN'T GET MORE OUT OF OUR TOWN CITIZENS.
BUT THE COUNTY IS COLLECTING THIS EXTRA 3% THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO SPEND AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN.
AND THAT, THAT'S, I MEAN, I GET IT.
THEY, THEY STRUGGLE WITH STAFF AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THEY, THEY, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN.
THEY HAVE NOT BEEN DOING TOURISM THERE.
SO, UM, I FELT LIKE THAT WE WERE BEING HELPFUL, THAT WE WERE LIKE, "YOU KNOW WHAT? WE CAN DO TOURISM.
WE'RE GONNA SAVE YOU GUYS THE TROUBLE OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO, YOU KNOW, HIRE A STAFF, COME UP WITH A DEPARTMENT, ALL THOSE THINGS." 'CAUSE I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY TOWN CITIZEN IS ALSO A COUNTY CITIZEN, RIGHT? I THOUGHT THAT WE COULD FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO THIS THAT WOULD, ONE, UM, ALLOW US TO, YOU KNOW, BE BETTER AT, AT IT WITH THOSE EXTRA RESOURCES, AND WITH THAT WOULD HELP ALL OF THE TOWN AND COUNTY CITIZENS AND ALL THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IN THE TOWN AND COUNTY.
UM, AND THEY, AND WHAT, IT FEELS LIKE THEY'VE COME BACK...
THERE'S ANOTHER PART IN HERE WHERE THEY SAY THE PARTIES AGREE THAT DESTINATION MARKETING AND DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT ARE DISTINCT, BUT COMPLIMENTARY FUNCTIONS, AND THAT EACH PARTY IS BEST POSITIONED TO LEAD THE FUNCTION MOST CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH THIS EXISTING CAPACITY AUTHORITY.
IF YOU WANNA SEE MY NOTES, I WROTE, DISAGREE.
I, I, I'M WITH YOU ON THAT - YEAH.
BECAUSE I WAS GONNA RAISE THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION.
AND LIKE, WHAT ARE THEY REFERRING TO AS DESTINATION MARKETING AND DESTINATION? YEAH.
BUT I THINK THEY WERE THINKING THAT THERE COULD BE A POSITION IN THE COUNTY THAT WOULD JUST WORK ON DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT AND THAT WE WOULD TAKE OVER ALL OF THE MARKETING, WHICH WE'RE ALREADY DOING MARKETING,
[00:45:01]
RIGHT? BUT MY, I JUST, I DON'T KNOW THAT I THINK THAT THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS.I THINK THOSE ARE THINGS THAT SHOULD BE WORKING TOGETHER IN THE SAME STATE.
IT'S THE SAME THING AS US SAYING WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH PATRICK ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT WE'RE ALSO GONNA HIRE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR FOR THE TOWN TO DO JUST THE TOWN PORTION WHILE WE RELY ON PATRICK TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
THAT'S WHAT - IT'S JUST SO - YEAH.
BUT I WILL SAY THEY HAVE DONE SOME THINGS WITH THEIR TOP MONEY THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED TO DO BY STATE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BEEN TWO OR THREE YEARS AT THIS POINT, BUT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO SPEND THAT MONEY BY LAW.
OUR TAXES THAT WE PAID TO THE COUNTY, IF, IF THERE'S TAUGHT WHICH WHEN THE TOWN, MADAM MAYOR, HELPED HOST THE KING AND QUEEN, THERE WAS A LOT OF TOP TAXES THAT WERE COLLECTED BY THE COUNTY, UM, THAT OUR TOWN MARKETED.
BUT THEIR LAST BIG INITIATIVE THAT I SAW FUNDS GO TOWARDS THAT WERE MATCHED AT THE COUNTY WAS THE IMPROVEMENT OF A BOAT LANDING.
AND THAT WAS FOR TOURISM PURPOSES.
DO PEOPLE COME HERE TO BOAT AND CANOE AND KAYAK? YES.
IS ALL OF THAT MONEY BEST USED IN THAT POSITION AT THAT TIME? IS THAT THE MOST PRESSING THING? THAT'S DEBATABLE.
AND I DECIDED TO SET THIS BATTLE OUT THIS TIME BECAUSE AFTER OUR LAST JOINT MEETING, I DID SAY TO SOME OF THE COUNTY THAT I DIDN'T WANT LIZZIE AND HER STAFF TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE SHE'S NOW LATERALLY MANAGING HER STAFF AND HER DEPARTMENT WITH ANOTHER MEMBER FROM A DIFFERENT GOVERNING BODY BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
IT'S VERY CONVOLUTED AND IT'S, IN MY OPINION, AND I THINK I SAID THIS BACK IN JUNE, JULY, WHENEVER WE HAD THAT MEETING, IT WAS, IT'S OFFENSIVE IN MY OPINION TO LIZZIE AND HER STAFF AND THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU TOUCHED ON AN IMPORTANT FACT THAT IS GOING TO BE VERY CONTENTIOUS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A REQUIRED OBLIGATION TO SPEND MONEY ON TOURISM.
AND WHILE I THINK THAT TOURISM IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, AND I KNOW SEVERAL BUSINESSES IN FORT ROYAL ONLY OPERATE YEAR ROUND BECAUSE OF THE TOURISM REVENUE THAT THEY RECEIVED DURING PEAK LEAF SEASON, THERE IS A PORTION OF OUR BUSINESSES IN FORT ROYAL WHO GET HURT FROM TOURISM AND DECLINE FROM TOURISM AND HAVE TO CLOSE FOR CERTAIN THINGS.
AND THE CONSERVATIVE PART OF ME WILL JUST REMIND PEOPLE THAT IT IS VERY GENEROUS OF US BECAUSE WHILE WE ARE SUPPORTING THESE BUSINESSES WHO THRIVE OFF OF THE REVENUE FROM TOURISM, HOW MANY SMALL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR NEARLY A HUNDRED YEARS DON'T RECEIVE A CENT OF REVENUE BASED OFF OF THE TOURISM THAT WE FUND.
THEIR BUSINESS DOES NOT MAKE MONEY OFF OF TOURISM.
SO FOR THE HANDFUL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY LOUD ABOUT SPEND MORE TAXES TO MAKE ME MORE MONEY, THERE ARE A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN FORT ROYAL WHO AREN'T MAKING MORE MONEY BECAUSE WE'RE SPENDING MORE ON TOURISM.
AND I WILL SAY THAT BECAUSE THERE WERE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO SAT AROUND THIS TABLE AND BROUGHT THAT POINT UP MANY YEARS AGO AND PEOPLE DIDN'T SEEM TO GRASP THE CONCEPT.
BUT TO PUT IT INTO PERSPECTIVE FOR YOU, IF YOU HAVE A LAW OFFICE OR A SETTLEMENT AGENCY OR A CONTRACTING OFFICE OR AN ELECTRICAL BUSINESS, THE TOWN ISN'T DOING YOU ANY FAVORS BY SPENDING MORE MONEY ON TOURISM.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE COUNTY SEEMS TO IMPLY THAT WE'RE BEING GREEDY BECAUSE IT JUST HONESTLY SHOULDN'T BE MORE OF A BURDEN TO OUR TAXPAYERS TO GIVE MORE MONEY TO TOURISM TO HELP A PORTION OF OUR BUSINESSES IN FORT ROYAL.
I KNOW IT WAS HARD TO COMPREHEND LAST TIME FOR A GREAT PORTION OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BUT I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT.
US SPENDING MORE TOURISM MONEY IS VERY GENEROUS TO THE SELECT BUSINESSES THAT IT HELPS BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT GETTING HELP BY THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK TOO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT OR WHEN THIS CAME DOWN THE PIKE WAS THE IDEA WAS THAT WE WERE GONNA TRY TO BE MORE, BE EFFICIENT AND BE MINDFUL OF DOLLAR, THE TAX DOLLARS.
I, I THOUGHT BY US SAYING, "YOU KNOW WHAT? LET US DO TOURISM.
YOU GIVE US SOME OF THE MONEY SO WE CAN HAVE MORE RESOURCES." IF THAT WAS GONNA, THAT, THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, BE A BETTER
[00:50:01]
USE OF THE MONEY.I DON'T, I STRUGGLE AND I'M, I STRUGGLE WITH THIS BECAUSE, SO WE'RE GONNA DO THIS AND, AND, AND TAKE MONEY THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT HAS TO BE SPENT ON TOURISM SINCE NOBODY'S BEEN DOING IT OVER THERE.
UM, BUT THEN THERE WOULD BE A POSITION THAT WAS HIRED THROUGH THE COUNTY THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA COST, BY THE TIME YOU TALK ABOUT BENEFITS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, $100,000.
AND THAT JUST DID, IT STILL DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
SO WHILE I AGREE THAT I WANT TO WORK WITH THEM AND LIKE COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN WOOD SAID, THIS IS A START AND I DO AGREE WITH THAT, BUT I JUST WANT TO GO ON THE RECORD WITH THIS WAS NOT WHAT I ENVISIONED.
THIS IS NOT WHAT I THINK IS IN THE BEST USE OF THE MONEY FOR TAXES.
FOR ONE THING, WHAT THEY WOULD, WHAT COUNTY, SOME OF THE BOARD SUPERVISORS HAVE EXPRESSED IS THAT THE MONEY THAT IS LEFT OVER FROM THEIR TOTS, LIKE THEY'RE GIVING, LET'S SAY THEY'RE GIVING US 212 AND THEN THEY HIRE THIS EXTRA POSITION OVER THERE THAT I'M NOT EVEN CONVINCED AS A FULL-TIME POSITION.
AND THEN, BUT THEN THE LEFTOVER MONEY THEY COULD USE TOWARDS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, YOU KNOW, IT LIKE, I'M JUST THROWING THIS OUT THERE, BUT LIKE A SPORTS FLEX OR A, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S, UM, BOAT LANDINGS OR, OR WHEREVER IT IS THAT THEY'RE GONNA USE FOR CAPITAL, UM, IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TOO.
LIKE I FEEL LIKE THEY'D BE BETTER OFF TO HAVE EVEN MORE MONEY THAN WHAT'S LEFT OVER.
LIKE WHY HIRE ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, PERSON FOR THAT? I, I, I, THAT'S WHAT I STRUGGLE WITH ALL OF THIS, UM, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT I, I, AND I ALSO DON'T KNOW HOW YOU HAVE PEOPLE WORKING ON BASICALLY, IT'S THE BIG PICTURE.
I RECOGNIZE SOMEBODY'S WORKING ON THIS AND SOMEBODY'S WORKING ON THAT, BUT IT'S STILL THE BIG PICTURE, WHICH IS TOURISM IN FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY.
AND IF YOU'VE GOT THIS DEPARTMENT OVER HERE THAT'S LOCATED AT THE VISITOR CENTER AND YOU GOT A POSITION OVER HERE THAT'S WORKING ON, UM, DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT, HOW, HOW, HOW IS THAT THE BA - LIKE, HOW ARE YOU PUTTING ALL YOUR HEADS TOGETHER? I JUST DON'T, I CAN'T, I CAN'T WRAP MY HEAD AROUND IT, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THIS IS A START AND THAT'S A GOOD THING, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY LIKE THIS WASN'T WHAT I ENVISIONED.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW - IS THIS THE, HAS OUR, HAVE OUR EDITS THAT MR. PETTY SENT TO COUNCIL BEEN SENT BACK TO THE COUNTY YET? IS THAT BEING PRESENTED TO THEM AT THE LIAISON MEETING? YEAH, IT CAN BE, BUT WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY WAS GOOD WITH IT HERE.
WERE THE SUPERVISORS, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD ASK AND WILL ASK TO THE ONES THAT I COMMUNICATE WITH.
WERE THEY COMFORTABLE WITH THE VERSION THAT WAS SENT TO US? BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SEEM CONDUCIVE TO WHAT THE CONVERSATIONS THEY HAD WITH ME AFTER THE LAST JOINT MEETING WAS.
IT WAS, THIS WAS DISCUSSED AT, SIMILAR TO THIS.
IT WAS DISCUSSED IN A WORK SESSION, REGULAR MAN, I CAN'T REMEMBER.
IT WAS DISCUSSED AT A MEETING AND THEN IT WAS WATCHED IT LATER.
UM, AND IT WAS AGREED TO SEND IT FORWARD.
THE ATTORNEY MADE SOME MINOR EDITS AT THE END AND IT WAS FORWARDED TO US.
THEIR ATTORNEY WROTE THIS? NO, HE, HE DID NOT WRITE IT.
STAFF, FROM WHAT I'M AWARE OF STAFF AND SOME SUPERVISORS HELPED WRITE IT.
I WATCHED THE MEETING AND THE ATTORNEY DID HAVE TO MAKE ONE EDIT REGARDING THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF IT AT THE END.
YOU CAN GO BACK AND WATCH THE MEETING, HE JUST HAD TO MAKE THAT EDIT.
HE WROTE IT DOWN.E EDIT TO WHERE HE'S THE ATTORNEY? AND THEN HE, UH - I FORGOT THAT PART.
AND THEN IT WAS FORWARDED TO US.
UM, BUT IT WAS DISCUSSED AS WE ARE TODAY IN AN OPEN MEETING.
IT JUST, IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE, WOW, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING IT SO WELL FOR FREE.
WHY GET TO A RESOLUTION?
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT SOME OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THERE SAID IN THE OPEN MEETINGS THAT- THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID TO ME, YEAH.
THAT MAKES MORE SENSE TO GIVE US SOME, GIVE US SOME OF THE MONEY RATHER THAN THEM STARTING AN ENTIRE DEPARTMENT THEMSELVES.
AND I JUST THINK MAYBE THEY SHOULD BE REMINDED THE SUPERVISORS OR THE INTERIM STAFF THAT THE TOWN OF FORT ROYAL, THE LAST TIME A JOINT EFFORT WENT SIDEWAYS IS WHO MADE NOTE OF AND REPORTED THE, UM, IMPROPERLY USED FUNDS.
SO OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT IS ON THE UP AND UP AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO DOT OUR I'S AND CROSS OUR T'S AND SHOW EVERY
[00:55:01]
DOLLAR SPENT.AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IT ESSENTIALLY WITH THE PARTNERSHIP OF LIZZY'S CREW BECAUSE THEY HAVE DATA AND ANALYTICS TO SHOW WE HAD THIS EVENT, WE SPENT THIS MUCH AND THIS WAS THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
WELL, NOT HAVING SEEN Y'ALL'S, Y'ALL'S EDITS, BUT I MEAN, FROM WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED, I, IT SEEMS LIKE Y'ALL HAVE CAPTURED WHAT MY CONCERNS WOULD BE ON IT, YOU KNOW, FROM JUST FROM WHAT I'VE, I'VE HEARD Y'ALL SAY.
I WOULD BE ABLE TO - AND IT WAS SENT TO YOU ALL IN AN EMAIL TOO.
IF Y'ALL ARE LIKE ME, I GET LIKE HUNDREDS OF THEM EVERY DAY.
BUT, BUT IT WAS SENT IN THERE.
BUT IT WAS, BUT IT WAS LIKE TAKING THINGS LIKE, OKAY, THIS, THIS REALLY ISN'T NECESSARY THERE AND CLEANING UP, UM, I THINK LIKE ARE THE DEFINITIONS OR LIKE, I'M NOT EVEN SURE THAT...
SO I GUESS I TOOK, I THINK THE DEFINITIONS, LIKE SOME OF LIKE ARTICLE TWO ANYWAY, UM, UH, BUT, AND LIKE I SAID, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WAS LIKE THE TOWN'S GONNA THIS, THE COUNTY'S GONNA THAT, AND THIS IS WHAT'S SHARED.
WE MOVED SOME THINGS FROM SOME OF THOSE DOWN TO SHARE, LIKE WE'RE ALL, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, LONG RANGE DESTINATION, UH, TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING OR LIKE WHERE IT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT LIKE THE TOWN'S GONNA PRESENT TO, TOWN'S GONNA PRESENT TO THE COUNTY, IT'S, THE TOWN'S GONNA PRESENT TO THE COMMITTEE.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LIKE THE, UM, UH, THE GRANT ADMINISTRATION WAS IN THERE TOO WHERE IT SAID THE COUNTY WAS GONNA DO THAT.
IT'S LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GRANTS THAT, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU FEEL LIKE THERE'S A, A HIGH LEVEL - WE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A FEW THINGS SPECIFIC CHANGING SOME OF THOSE DEFINITIONS TO BE A LITTLE MORE VAGUE AND GIVE THAT COMMITTEE MORE OF THAT, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT POWER.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE SEVEN MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE.
WE DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THERE WOULD BE A COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE AND A BOARD OF SUPERVISOR REPRESENTATIVE.
THEY'RE NOT REALLY A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE.
YOU ALL APPOINT WHO WOULD GO TO THOSE.
THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING, IT WOULD BE LIKE MS. LEWIS WOULD PRESENT TO THE COMMITTEE.
IT WOULD BE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER OR THAT BOARD SUPERVISOR TO KIND OF THEN DISSEMINATE THAT BACK TO THEIR RESPECTIVE BODY OR THE STAFF THAT'S ALSO ATTENDING.
UM, IT, IT WAS REALLY JUST TO SIMPLIFY A LITTLE BIT.
AND AGAIN, I HONESTLY JUST FEEL, I THINK IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED IS, YOU KNOW, WE DO, AND I HAVE DISCUSSED IT IN OUR MEETINGS, WE HAVE THE PROFESSIONAL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT MY ROLE.
UH, WE HIRE PEOPLE, WHETHER IT'S ENERGY SERVICES WHO WERE HERE EARLIER OR PUBLIC WORKS OR TOURISM, OR IF IT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS THE COUNTY HAS HIRED AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, MR. BARKER, THESE ARE THE PROFESSIONALS THAT WE BRING ON.
I TRUST OUR STAFF IS, IS RESPONSIBLE IN THAT, UM, TO KIND OF LEAD THIS EFFORT.
NOW, AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT THE COMMITTEE IS THERE FOR.
I'M NOT ASKING THE COUNTY FOR A BLANK CHECK BY ANY MEANS.
I THINK THERE'S CHECKS AND BALANCES.
IT'S, WE DID THIS MARKETING CAMPAIGN.
WE'RE DOING THIS PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITY TO THE COMMITTEE.
ARE YOU GOOD WITH THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE MOVING, MONITORING STATISTICS WITH, BUT THAT CHANGES EVERY YEAR, YOU KNOW? AND, AND I THINK IT WAS ALSO BEING DEFINED, WHAT ARE THESE PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS THAT WE'RE BEING HELD TO? ONE, THEY WEREN'T IN THE APPENDIX ALREADY, SO IT'S TOUGH TO AGREE TO THAT IF YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE BEING HELD TO.
BUT LAST YEAR DURING OUR PEAK SEASON, THE PARK WAS CLOSED.
AND I GET IT, WE CAN SAY, WELL, COMMON SENSE THAT WE WOULDN'T ACCOUNT FOR THAT, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CLEAR, THAT TOURISM CAN CHANGE EVERY YEAR.
WE WERE ONE OF THE FEW LOCALITIES THAT ACTUALLY INCREASED SPENDING THIS YEAR.
OTHER LOCALITIES WENT DOWN IN, IN PRE - THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
SO IT CHANGES AND WE WANNA REMAIN FLEXIBLE, BUT THAT IS WHERE THIS IS A JOINT EFFORT IN THAT, THAT TRUST AND THAT UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR THIS TIME, WE CONTINUE TO MARKET THE COUNTY, WE'VE NEVER STOPPED.
THE VISITOR CENTER SAYS FRONT WORLD WARREN COUNTY, THAT WON'T STOP.
IT'S JUST, WE NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE RESOURCES TO AMP THAT UP, TO BRING THAT IN.
AND THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE WERE ASKING FOR IN THAT SUPPORT.
JUST A NOTE TOO WITH THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, JUST IN CASE, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, THAT ON THAT COMMITTEE, AND THIS IS HOW IT WAS BEFORE WHEN THERE WAS THE JOINT COMMITTEE, THERE'S, UM, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE APPOINTED TO THIS COMMITTEE WOULD COME FROM LODGING, RESTAURANT, OUTDOOR RECREATION, RETAIL, AGRITOURISM, SPORTS ATHLETICS, AND HISTORICAL.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THAT, AGAIN, THEY'RE THE...
[01:00:01]
THEY'RE THE ONES AND, UM, AND EACH MEMBER WOULD SERVE LIKE A TWO YEAR TERM.75, THEY, THEY NEED TO BE AT 75% OF THE MEETINGS OR, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN COUNTY COULD SAY WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON, YOU KNOW, FIND SOMEBODY ELSE.
SO, UM, ARE YOU ALL GOOD WITH US BRINGING THIS TO THE LIAISON MEETING, THIS, THIS EDITED VERSION? I'LL RESEND IT.
AND, UM, THE ONLY THING I WILL SAY, LIKE THIS APPENDIX STUFF, LIKE THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT WITH THEIRS.
ARE WE, ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BRING IT OR - AND I DON'T KNOW WHY WE HAVEN'T - I THINK THAT WAS CLEAR.
IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE ASKING LIKE FOR BUDGETS.
WE CAN CREATE THAT, BUT - YEAH.
JUST BECAUSE THE NEXT ITEM WE HAVE COMING UP IS THE ACES SUBCOMMITTEE.
ON PAGE 42 OF OUR AGENDA, THE COMMITTEE SHALL SERVE IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY ONLY AND SHALL POSSESS NO INDEPENDENT LEGISLATIVE OR FISCAL AUTHORITY.
IT SHALL PROVIDE ITS RECOMMENDATIONS TO BOTH THE TOWN COUNCIL AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
NO TIEBREAKING, NO TIEBREAKING MECHANISM IS ESTABLISHED FOR THE COMMITTEE.
THE PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS APPOINTMENT STRUCTURE MAY RESULT IN A DEADLOCK ON CERTAIN VOTES.
THEY'RE AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE THOUGH.
SO - WE HAVE TO AGREE ON WHAT THE ADVICE IS.
SO IS THAT WRITTEN, IS THAT LANGUAGE WRITTEN INTO THE ACES PROPOSAL THAT WAS BEFORE US LAST MONDAY NIGHT THAT THEY CAN VOTE TO PROPOSE SOMETHING TO COUNCIL AS AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE? IT'S THE EXACT SAME THING.
KEEP IN MIND THIS WAS THEIR LANGUAGE.
SO IT'S IMPLIED THAT?THAT THEY VOTE TO - OKAY.
WE'LL ADDRESS THAT ON THE NEXT SUBJECT THEN.
WHAT, WHAT THE ADVICE OR THE POLICY RECOMMENDATION IS.
YEAH, BECAUSE THAT COMMITTEE IS GONNA BE, THAT COMMITTEE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT MONEY.
LIKE IF THINGS ARE ORDERED I'M TALKING ABOUT.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT I THINK THEY SPEND A TON OF MONEY THOUGH BECAUSE WE DON'T ALLOW THEM A LOT OF MONEY BUT- BUT WE HAVE MATCHED OR PAID FOR STUFF FOR THEM.
BUT IT'S AN ADVI - IT'S THE SAME LANGUAGE, AN ADVISORY CAPACITY ONLY, BUT THEY CAN VOTE TO ADVISE.
SO THAT'S THE SAME STUFF I WAS TALKING ABOUT LAST MONDAY NIGHT WHICH IS WHY - WELL WE CAN TAKE IT OUT IF Y'ALL WANT TO.
WE CAN - I DIDN'T HAVE IT IN MY VERSION.
WELL THAT'S WHY I KEPT LOOKING BECAUSE I'M COMPARING THEM SIDE BY SIDE.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS DOING TOO.
SEE I WAS LOOKING AT THIS ONE TOO.
IT SAYS THE COMMITTEE SHALL SERVE IN AN ADVI - THE NEW EDITED VERSION.
THE COMMITTEE SHALL SERVE IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY ONLY AND SHALL POSSESS NO INDEPENDENT LEGISLATIVE OR FISCAL AUTHORITY.
I DON'T WANT TO COMPARE THE TWO.
I DON'T WANT TO COMPARE THE TWO TOO MUCH AND GET AHEAD, BUT YOU KNOW, IN MY MIND, ACES, ACES HAS ACTION THAT THEY TAKE AND THINGS THAT THEY DO REGARDLESS OF SEPARATE, MAYBE NOT SEPARATE, BUT IN ADDITION TO THE ADVISEMENT THAT THEY GIVE THE COUNCIL.
AND WITH THIS GROUP, I'M NOT SEEING ANYTHING, WHERE IS THEIR ACTION THAT THEY CAN TAKE? BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU, THEY'RE GOING TO JUST BE A GROUP OF PEOPLE AND IT'S THE RIGHT STRUCTURE.
I THINK IT'S PERFECT STRUCTURE.
BUT WHAT ACTION DO THEY GET TO DO? BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT'S GOING TO BECOME A REAL FRUSTRATING GROUP IMMEDIATELY.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME WHEN IT CRUMPLED.
SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS, UH, TO ME, I DON'T THINK THEY NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE AUTHORITY, BUT IF WE'RE REALLY GOING TO USE THEM, THEN WE WANT THEM TO HAVE SOME SORT OF ACTION THAT'S HELPING US.
NOT JUST HERE'S ANOTHER GROUP OF INFORMED AND GROUP OR, YOU KNOW, GROUP WITH EXPERTISE THAT CAN GIVE THEIR OPINION.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST FEEL LIKE WE, WE WANT TO USE THEM IN SOME WAY.
SO WHAT ACTIONS CAN THEY DO? WHAT WORK CAN THEY DO ON OUR BEHALF TO AMPLIFY OR, YOU KNOW, BE A FORCE MULTIPLIER FOR US? THAT'S WHAT I WANT IT TO BE.
THERE'S A CURRENT JOINT, UM, COMMITTEE NOW, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T, FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE NOT NECESSARILY CONSISTENTLY REPRESENTED EACH MONTH.
IT'S MAINLY LIKE SOME ORGANIZATIONS AND, UM, DEPARTMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
[01:05:01]
THAT COMES, UM, THAT, THAT OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HELPING TO PULL UP LIKE THE 250 EVENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.BUT, UM, AND I, I WILL SAY THAT I AGREE WITH YOU.
I THINK BEFORE WE HAD ALL THIS SHIFT BACK IN 2020, THEY HAD A JOINT TOURISM, UH, COMMITTEE.
UM, AND I THINK IT WAS, IT WAS MORE WELL ATTENDED, BUT I THINK THAT, OR LET ME SAY, MORE WELL ATTENDED BY THESE, UM, THESE DIFFERENT, YEAH, REPRESENTATIVES OF LIKE LODGING AND, AND RESTAURANTS AND, AND OUTDOOR RECREATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND I THINK THEY REALLY BOUGHT INTO THAT ROLE BECAUSE THEY WERE REPRESENTING ALL OF LODGING OR ALL OF, YOU KNOW, THE CANOE COMPANIES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU THAT NOBODY WANTS TO BE ON A COMMITTEE THAT'S JUST IN NAME ONLY.
LIKE I, I TOTALLY HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
BUT, UM, I, I GUESS WE JUST NEED TO KNOW, BECAUSE ON THURSDAY NIGHT THIS IS GONNA COME UP AGAIN.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT FROM WATCHING THE MEETING, THE COUNTY WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE HAD THIS ALL TAKEN CARE OF BY NOVEMBER 1ST.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW WE CAN DO THAT BECAUSE WE'RE MEETING TODAY.
WE'RE GONNA TALK TO THEM ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND BASICALLY GIVE THEM OUR LIKE, HERE'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, HERE'S YOUR SUGGESTIONS, HERE'S OUR SUGGESTIONS AND THEN THEY'VE GOTTA GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT.
UM, AND THEN WE WON'T BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN UNTIL A WORK SESSION UNLESS WE HAD A WORK SESSION BEFORE THE MEETING.
WE CAN AMEND THE AGENDA WHILE GIVEN EVERYBODY WOULD BE IN AGREEMENT OR LIKE THE LANGUAGE.
IF, IF A DRAFT THAT IS FEASIBLE TO COUNCIL GETS BACK TO US BEFORE OUR OCTOBER REGULAR MEETING, WE COULD AMEND AND ADD AN ITEM TO THE OCTOBER REGULAR MEETING SESSION TO DIRECT AND ALLOW THE MAYOR, TOWN MANAGER AND TOWN ATTORNEY TO SIGN AND ADOPT AN MOU IF WE- WE COULD.
I JUST FEEL LIKE WE WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO, I'D HAVE TO CALL A SPECIAL WORK SESSION, LIKE TO IRON OUT.
JUST TO LET PEOPLE MAKE SURE, BECAUSE YOU DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO TAKE, YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE SOMETHING FOR AN ACTION BEFORE PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALLY GOTTEN TO DISCUSS, RIGHT? WELL, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DISCUSS IT WITH THE TOWN ATTORNEY, THE TOWN MANAGER, BUT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DISCUSS IT AS A COUNCIL.
AND SOMETIMES QUESTIONS, ONE MEMBER BRINGS UP A QUESTION THAT ACTUALLY SPURS SOMEONE ELSE'S QUESTION SO THAT KIND OF DISCOURSE HELPS.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO NOT HAVE IT DELAYED.
I GUESS I SHOULD SAY I HAVEN'T BEEN BROUGHT IN ON THIS AT THIS POINT.
I GUESS ASSUMING THAT WE WERE WAITING TO SEE IF IT WAS GOING TO LAUNCH.
WELL, BECAUSE THEY, THEY SENT US THEIRS AND WE HAD THE, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU, BUT YOU'RE NOT LISTED ON YOURS.
I DON'T KNOW, HE'S ON MY VERSION.
I WAS GOING TO SAY HE, HE, HE'S ON HERS.
DOESN'T HE APPROVE ALL OF THOSE? YEAH.
UM, SO IF EVERYBODY'S OKAY ON THURSDAY NIGHT, WE WILL TAKE THE EDITED VERSION AND SHARE WITH THEM.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IF BETWEEN NOW AND THURSDAY NIGHT YOU ALL LOOK THROUGH THIS AND SEE LIKE AND GO, NO WAIT, HOLD ON, I'M NOT OKAY WITH THAT.
I MEAN, I, I GUESS JUST REACH OUT TO ME AND WE COULD STILL BE LIKE, OKAY, THESE ARE IDEAS.
BUT, BUT I GOTTA TELL YOU, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT REALLY, IF ANYTHING IT'S PAIRED BACK AND IT'S MORE CONSISTENT AND, UM, I'M NOT SAYING I AGREE WITH IT.
I'M JUST SAYING IT'S A BETTER, YOU KNOW, IT'S BETTER THAN I THINK WHAT WAS SAID TO US INITIALLY.
I JUST THINK IT MISSES THE BOAT ON WHAT I WAS HOPING WE COULD DO.
BUT, BUT IF, UM, BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WE WANT OUR, YOU KNOW, WE WANT, UH, OUR TOURISM TO BE ABLE TO BE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BE EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN IT ALREADY IS AND IT IS.
I MEAN, WE, WE SAW THE DOLLARS THAT WERE BROUGHT IN, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND LIKE I SAID, CONSIDERING THAT WE'VE REALLY BEEN THE ONES THAT ARE DOING IT, I'M GONNA SAY EVEN ALL THE TOURISM, WHAT WAS IT AGAIN WAS IT LIKE? SORRY, I'M, I'M BREAKING MY OWN RULE AND YELLING OUT INTO THE AUDIENCE.
WAS IT LIKE 31, WHAT WAS THE TOURISM DOLLARS FOR, FOR OUR COMMUNITY? WHAT WAS THE NUMBER FROM THE STATE? FOR OUR VISITOR SPENDING FOR 2025? YES.
UH, IT WAS $96 MILLION, I THINK.
98 MILLION DOLLARS? WE'RE JUST
[01:10:01]
SHY OF 100.YEAH, $98 MILLION THAT WAS VISITOR SPENDING.
AND, AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT LYING.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT EMBELLISHING.
THAT WAS THAT, THAT WAS THE TOWN DOING IT BECAUSE THERE WAS ONE ACCOUNTING TOURISM APARTMENT.
SO I'M JUST GONNA SAY, I THINK THAT WAS PRETTY SUCCESSFUL ON OUR PART, 98, UH, WILLIAM.
LET'S NOT LEAVE OFF THE 0.2, RIGHT? THURSDAY NIGHT, MR. WYNN, UH, WILL PRESENT THIS.
CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION? ABSOLUTELY.
WAS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT...
I, I NOTE HERE UNDER ARTICLE EIGHT IS ABOUT TERMINATION.
WAS THERE ANY, ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT AT SOME POINT WOULD THERE BE JOINT INTEREST BY THE TOWN IN SOME CAPITAL PROJECTS? THIS STATES THAT IT WOULD BASICALLY GO BACK TO THE COUNTY.
WELL, SOLE OWNER OF ANY CAPITAL PROJECTS.
IS THAT IN
IT WAS KIND OF GOING BACK TO THAT CONVERSATION IS STAFF WOULD, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT MONEY WOULD BE THE COUNTIES.
ALL THAT EXTRA WOULD BE THE COUNTIES FOR CAPITAL INVESTMENT OR WHATEVER INITIATIVE WE DECIDE, BUT THE IDEA WAS CAPITAL TOURISM PROJECTS.
UM, AGAIN, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE WHERE THEY VOTE OR PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS OR LIKE THE STATE CODE SAYS CONSULT.
UM, THEY COULD PROVIDE INSIGHT ON HOW WE'RE BEST SPENDING THAT MONEY OR TO HELP GUIDE US WHETHER IT'S FEASIBILITY STUDIES ON WHETHER THE SPORTS FACILITY IS THE BEST SENSE OR IS IT SOMETHING ELSE OR IS IT TIME FOR WAYFINDING, BUT IT'S JUST NOT A WHIM OF, WELL, WE'VE GOT A MILLION DOLLARS, LET'S SPEND IT.
AND ESSENTIALLY IS IT KIND OF HELPING DEVELOP A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR OUR TOURISM DOLLARS? UM, AND THEN OTHER LOCALITIES HAVE MARKETING, CAPITAL INVESTMENT, AND THEN A GRANT PROGRAM IN WHICH THEY PROVIDE GRANTS TO EVENTS OR ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE TOURISM.
I MEAN, IS THAT SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE CAN USE SOME OF THAT EXTRA FUNDING FOR? UM, BUT THESE ARE JUST DIFFERENT WAYS THAT I THINK IT'S VALUABLE TO HAVE THE STAFF, LEADERSHIP IN THE ROOM, AND THEN PEOPLE WHO DO BENEFIT FROM TOURISM AND DO ATTRACT TOURISM IN THE ROOM TO DISCUSS REALLY WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW THAT MONEY GOES BACK TO THE COUNTY AND IT'S THE COUNTY'S DECISION TO USE FOR CAPITAL INVESTMENT IS HOW IT'S DEFINED THE FEELING.
AND THE COUNTY IS DOING, UH, GRANTS, THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU CAN APPLY FOR A GRANT FOR DIFFERENT THINGS AND IF THEY FEEL THAT IT'S GONNA PROVIDE AN INFLUX OF PEOPLE OR INCREASE SALES, WHATEVER, THEY MAY APPROVE IT.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF, UM, UM, UH, RULES OR REGULATIONS ABOUT IT AS I UNDERSTAND, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY ONE THING.
WE STARTED, PETTY STARTED WITH A FOUR PAGE DOCUMENT, YOUR INITIAL ONE.
WENT OVER THERE, EIGHT PAGE CAME BACK, NOW WE'RE SENDING A FOUR PAGE BACK.
BECAUSE BESIDE THE, WELL, WAYNE'S NOT HERE, BUT BESIDE THE SEVEN PEOPLE AND THE ATTORNEY AND THE TOWN MANAGER IN THIS ROOM, YOU'VE GOT FIVE PEOPLE, A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND AN ATTORNEY IN THAT ROOM.
WE'RE TRYING TO IRON OUT AS SIMPLISTIC, UM, AN AGREEMENT AS POSSIBLE TO SEE IF COLLABORATION AND THE USE OF THIS MONEY WILL BENEFIT US ALL.
AND JUST ADDING LANGUAGE TO IT AND, AND, AND THESE APPENDIXES, I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT WE NEED THAT.
YOU KNOW WHAT? WE GET TO JUNE, YOU DON'T LIKE IT.
WE MAY HAVE TO ADJUST THINGS AT THAT POINT DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, MS. LEWIS' BUDGET.
[01:15:01]
I DON'T WANT TO SEE IT START SOMETHING THEN, YOU KNOW, THE TRAIN COMES OFF THE TRACK.BUT I SAY, LET, LET'S, LET'S TRY TO WORK TOGETHER.
LET'S TRY TO GET THIS ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
AND I, IT, IT MAY, I THINK IT WILL OPEN OTHER DOORS TO COOPERATION, COLLABORATION THAT WILL EVENTUALLY SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY.
AND, AND, AND IN ALL RESPECT, WE CAN SIT HERE AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT DO, BUT THEY'RE A GOVERNING BOARD AS WELL.
IF THEY WANT TO HIRE A PERSON, 10 PEOPLE, THEY HAVE MONEY, THAT'S UP TO THEM.
WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT WE CAN DO, WHAT WE CAN LIVE WITH AND TURN IT OVER TO OUR STATE.
SPEAKING OF THE GRANTS, YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT GRANTS FOR EVENTS.
NOW, UM, WAS THERE A GRANT FOR THE FESTIVAL LEAVE? SO, SO COUNTY AND COUNTY BOTH FUNDED - TOWN AND COUNTY BOTH FUNDED FESTIVAL LEAVE STUFF, RIGHT? YEAH.
I WILL SAY IN THE COUNTY'S VERSION, UNDER THE NON-DUPLICATION OF EFFORT, IT SAYS NEITHER PARTY SHALL ESTABLISH OR FUND A STAFF POSITION.
OR PROGRAM OR CONTRACTED FUNCTION.
I KNOW, BUT WE, BUT THEY'VE ALREADY SAID ABOUT THE DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT MANAGER.
I THINK THEY MEAN SEPARATE FROM THAT.
AND, AND THAT'S OUT OF THE EDITED VERSION.
MAINLY BECAUSE, LIKE, WE CAN'T, LIKE, WE CAN'T GET TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN'T HIRE A STAFF PERSON BECAUSE, YOU KNOW - AGAIN, IT'S LIKE TELLING PATRICK, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU X NUMBER OF DOLLARS, BUT YOU, YOU CAN DO THIS OR YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HIRE A PERSON TO DO IT TOO.
THE IDEA, AND I DON'T THINK ANY, ANY OF US ARE, NO ONE, I WOULDN'T THINK, NOBODY HERE WANTS, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GONNA, WE DON'T WANNA LIKE WASTE MONEY AND LIKE HIRE ANOTHER PERSON THAT'S GONNA DO THE SAME THING THAT SOMEBODY ELSE IS DOING.
I THINK THAT, UM, IF I CAN, I MEAN, THE, TO ME, SOME OF WHAT'S, UH, GLEN SAID RESONATED IN TERMS OF WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS AGREEMENT LIKE, DOES THIS PROMOTE OUR ABILITY TO WORK TOGETHER? DOES IT ESTABLISH AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S GOING TO ALLOW US TO GET TO THE GOALS, WHICH WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY ARE YET BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A, WE DON'T HAVE A SHARED VISION YET.
THERE WAS AN APPENDIX FOR HIM.
WE DON'T HAVE A SHARED VISION, BUT WE DEFINITELY WON'T GET TO A SHARED VISION IF WE DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THAT, BUT I THINK THAT'S THE THING THAT YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, CONTINUALLY WRAP THROUGH YOUR BRAIN IS, DOES THIS STRUCTURE WORK? AND THEN ONE, BUT THE THINGS THAT STOOD OUT TO ME WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR EDITS ARE EQUITY IN TERMS OF, UM, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE FINANCES.
I AGREE WITH TRUST, BUT I, I DO SAY THAT IF, IF WE COME TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO SAY THE COUNTY GETS THE RIGHT TO EXAMINE OUR RECORDS, I THINK THAT HAS TO GO BACK TO WE EXAMINE THEIR RECORDS TOO.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS NEED TO BE EQUITABLE, OTHERWISE YOU'RE ESTABLISHING THE COUNTY AS, YOU KNOW, LIKE THIS AND THEN WE'RE NOT, UM, WE'RE NOT PARTNERS.
UM, AND SO I, UM, BUT I DO, I DO SORT OF UNDERSTAND THEIR DIFFERENCE TO, UM, I CAN SEE IT COMING THROUGH A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF THEY ARE, IN MY MIND, THEY ARE POSITIONED FOR, FOR MORE OF THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND THEY, AND THEY DON'T WANT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY DON'T WANT IT OR, OR HE'S NOT INTERESTED OR WHATEVER, BUT TO ME, YOU KNOW, PATRICK IS THERE AND HE'S BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, BEYOND OUR BORDERS AND YOU, THAT'S A GOOD FIT FOR THAT.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY WANT SOMEBODY TO, TO DO THAT DIFFERENTLY.
UM, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T FEEL THAT THAT'S WHERE OUR STRENGTH LIES.
I FEEL LIKE OUR STRENGTH IS, IS MORE AROUND, YOU KNOW, MORE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF, UM, AND THE MARKETING AT A, AT A DIFFERENT KIND OF LEVEL THAN THE BIG CAPITAL PROJECTS.
BUT, UM - THEY WERE CLEAR, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW FROM THE MEETING, THEY WERE CLEAR AT THEIR MEETING THAT THAT WAS PAT, THAT WAS, THAT WAS NOT GONNA BE PATRICK.
PATRICK'S ROLE WAS NOT ABOUT THAT, BUT ANYWAY.
YOU GUYS GO THURSDAY AND THROW IT AT THE WALL AND SEE WHAT STICKS.
AND THEY ONLY HAVE THEIR ATTORNEY - APPROVE IT AS WELL.
AND THEY ONLY HAVE THEIR ATTORNEY ONCE WHEN YOU GOT LONG DOCUMENTS.
WELL, I DON'T LIKE THIS LINE OR YOU DON'T LIKE THAT LINE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE CONDENSED FOUR OF US.
YOU'RE EFFICIENT, YOU'RE COHESIVE, IT'S DIRECT.
[01:20:01]
OF THE FOUR OF US WORKING EIGHT PAGES DOWN TO FOUR PAGES.AND THEN BRINGING IT FORTH FOR, FOR IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS, I CAN LOOK AT THAT ACCOUNT WITH THEM.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING ALL THIS TIME TO DO THAT TOO BECAUSE - OH WE DO.
WE NEED, WE NEEDED EVERYBODY'S INPUT, SO, AND I'M SURE THEY WILL TOO.
DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL ALREADY AT TOURISM, WE'RE TRYING TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL.
I DO THINK, I THINK THAT THE DOWN, I THINK THAT THE TIMELINE IS A LITTLE, GOING TO BE A LITTLE TRICKY.
AND I ALSO THINK THE TIMELINE OF SAYING OKAY, THAT BY NEXT JUNE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO - IT'S LESS THAN A YEAR.
DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS SUCCESSFUL OR NOT.
AND I WILL SAY THAT SOME OF THEIR BOARD MEMBERS ACTUALLY SAID THAT AT THE MEETING TOO, THAT THEY WEREN'T SURE THAT IT WAS GONNA - WHY NOT NOVEMBER TO NOVEMBER, DECEMBER TO DECEMBER, WHATEVER IT IS.
AND MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE OF BUDGETS AND SOME OF THAT BUT STILL, LIKE I THINK THEY OUGHT TO DO LIKE NOVEMBER UNTIL THE NEXT - RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, FINISH THAT FINANCIAL YEAR.
SO, UM, THE NEXT THING IS 3F, TOWN HALL MEETING ROOM.
SO AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE CURRENTLY USE THIS SPACE FOR TWO MEETINGS A MONTH AND TOWN HALL, OR UH, THE GOVERNMENT CENTER FOR ANOTHER MEETING.
PLANNING COMMISSION USES THIS AND THE GOVERNMENT CENTER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS MONTH WE WILL BE HOSTING A LIAISON MEETING HERE.
UH, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTER.
UM, THEY TYPICALLY DO THE FALL MEETING.
AND THEN OUR REGULAR MEETING, WE'VE MOVED IT TO WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY'RE DOING SOME NECESSARY RENOVATIONS IN THE GOVERNMENT CENTER WHICH ARE NEEDED.
AND SO WE'RE EXCITED FOR THAT, BUT THAT OBVIOUSLY MEANS THAT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO MEET THERE.
UM, WE WANT TO PROVIDE SOME FLEXIBILITY AT TIMES TO WHERE WE CAN USE OUR HOME HERE AT TOWN HALL, UH, AS NEEDED.
PART OF THAT'S BASED IN THE CODE AND PART OF THAT'S JUST ALSO TECHNOLOGY OR HONESTLY CONVENIENCE, YOU KNOW, FOR US, YOU KNOW, FOR STAFF TO MAKE COPIES, ACCESS OUR NETWORK.
WE CAN EASILY GO BACK AND GET THEM AFTER THE MEETINGS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO LOOK AT THE REALITY OF TECHNOLOGY HAS GIVEN US THE OPPORTUNITY TO WHERE WE CAN LIVE STREAM THESE MEETINGS.
WHILE WE APPRECIATE EVERYBODY SHOWING UP, WE DON'T PACK THE HOUSE EVERY NIGHT.
AND SO SOMETIMES IT JUST FEELS LIKE THE GOVERNMENT CENTER MIGHT BE ALSO EXCESSIVE FOR SOME OF OUR NEEDS.
UM, PROBABLY 95% OF OUR MEETINGS COULD BE HELD RIGHT HERE, TOWN HALL WHEN NEEDED.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH OUR STREAMING SERVICE AND THAT CONTRACT IS SET TO EXPIRE.
AND SO BOTH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY HAVE INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS FOR THAT.
WE'RE BOTH EXPLORING OPTIONS OF THE NEXT STEPS, UM, THAT ARE BOTH, YOU KNOW, FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BUT ALSO PROVIDE US ALL THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE AS TECHNOLOGY HAS EVOLVED.
ESPECIALLY AS CHARLES WILL TELL YOU, THERE ARE A LOT OF ADA REQUIREMENTS COMING WHEN IT COMES TO VIDEO, BOTH BROADCASTING LIVE AND RECORDED.
SO WE'RE EXPLORING ALL THESE OPTIONS.
SO WITH THAT, UM, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS LIKE WE HERE AT TOWN HALL AND ALSO WE ARE, YOU KNOW, OBLIGATED TO ALSO HELP WITH THE COST OF THE GOVERNMENT CENTER.
UM, SO THOSE ARE ALSO PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
SO WE WANT, AND I ALSO KNOW IT'S JUST COME UP HERE BEFORE ABOUT SOMETIMES MEETING AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTER VERSUS MEETING HERE.
IT'S A LONGER CONVERSATION AND I THINK IT DOES REQUIRE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THIS COLLABORATION WITH THEM SINCE THE GOVERNMENT CENTER OPENED APPROXIMATELY IN 2000.
AND WE WANT TO BE MINDFUL OF WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE, BOTH OURS, ESPECIALLY CHARLES.
BUT WE WANTED TO BRING THIS TO COUNCIL'S ATTENTION TO SEE IF COUNCIL HAD ANY SUGGESTIONS OR, OR YOUR THOUGHTS ON, YOU KNOW, HOW WE UTILIZE THIS SPACE, UM, EITHER SHORT TERM, LONG TERM.
UM, WHEN WE UTILIZE THE GOVERNMENT CENTER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OPEN TO IDEAS, BUT I'D SAY FROM LIKE A STAFF AND OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT, IT IS NICE WHEN IT'S HERE AT TOWN HALL.
UM, THERE'S SOME CONVENIENCES HERE, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE GOVERNMENT CENTER DOES HAVE CAPACITY FOR ME.
SO WE WOULD ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE THAT OPTION AVAILABLE TO US.
SO WE'RE JUST SETTING THE STAGE IF ANYBODY HAS ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, THIS, THE, THERE WILL LIKELY BE OPTIONS,
[01:25:01]
CONTRACTS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE MAYBE THAT COME TO YOU ALL, BUT THIS IS A DISCUSSION WE'RE ALSO WITH THE COUNTY CONSTANTLY, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY SIDE, UM, ABOUT WHAT THOSE NEXT STEPS ARE.WE HAD A FORMER TOWN MANAGER WHO ACTUALLY BROUGHT IT UP, SO IT WASN'T MY IDEA.
BUT I LOVED THE IDEA AND MOST OF STAFF LOVED THE IDEA AND I WAS VERY SAD THAT WE NEVER GOT IT OFF THE GROUND.
BUT PLANNING AND ZONING IS IN A VERY ACCESSIBLE SPOT TO THE PUBLIC AND TO EVERYBODY.
A LITTLE BIT MORE SO THAN NECESSARY BECAUSE IF YOU'RE AN APPLICANT OR YOU'RE APPLYING FOR SOMETHING, YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THEM OR COMMUNICATION WITH THEM.
SO THE DISCUSSION WAS TO MOVE PLANNING AND ZONING UPSTAIRS, DO A LITTLE RENOVATION DOWNSTAIRS BECAUSE ALSO IT'S A BIT DIFFICULT TO GET OUR ELEVATOR UP AND DOWN IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER SOMETIMES.
AND NOT ONLY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT NEED TO USE THAT, BUT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO ATTEND OUR MEETINGS.
SO THEN THIS ROOM WOULD BE DOWNSTAIRS ON THE FIRST FLOOR AND WE'D HAVE OUR OWN ENTRANCE EXIT FOR MEETINGS SO STAFF WOULDN'T BE TIED UP WHEN WE'RE HAVING A LATE CLOSED MEETING TO LOCK THE OTHER PARTS OF THE BUILDING.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY LARGER THAN THIS SPACE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE THE WHOLE LENGTH OF THE BUILDING DOWNSTAIRS.
SO WE'D HAVE MORE SEATING CAPACITY.
AND FOR REGULAR MEETINGS VERSUS WORK SESSIONS, WE COULD BE POSITIONED LIKE ON ONE SIDE OF THE ROOM SO THERE COULD BE MORE CHAIRS.
AND HONESTLY, WHEN WE'VE HAD REALLY ANTICIPATED REALLY LARGE MEETINGS, WE CONTACT THE SCHOOL TO SEE IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE, NOT THE GOVERNMENT CENTER.
AND THE TECHNOLOGY IS AN ONGOING ISSUE THERE, WHETHER IT BE FOR SLIDESHOWS, FOR MICROPHONES, FOR STREAMING.
ONE OF OUR, ARGUABLY THE BIGGEST MEETING I'VE EVER BEEN A PART OF WAS ALMOST CANCELED DUE TO TECHNOLOGY ISSUES AND THIS COUNCIL WOULD HAVE BEEN PUBLICLY SHAMED FOR THAT FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, AND IT WAS BEYOND OUR CONTROL, BUT NOBODY UNDERSTOOD THAT IN THAT MOMENT.
SO I'D BE INTERESTED IN SEEING IF WE COULD INVEST THAT MONEY IN DOING THAT BLIP HERE AND PUTTING THE MONEY INTO TOWN HALL.
SO SHE BRING UP, SO WITH SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT, SO WE AT SOME POINT HAD SET ASIDE FUNDS FOR SOME SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT TOWN HALL FROM THE SECOND FLOOR TO FIRST FLOOR, ET CETERA.
AND WE'RE GOING TO EVALUATE, POTENTIALLY WE CAN EVALUATE, USE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS.
UH, PROBABLY BRING IN A PROFESSIONAL TO ALSO LOOK LIKE CODE REQUIREMENTS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE WHENEVER YOU HAVE THESE ASSEMBLY USES AND WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO.
THERE ARE SOME WALLS DOWNSTAIRS, WHAT'S LOAD BEARING, WHAT'S NOT, ET CETERA.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WOULD BE MORE OF A LONG TERM OPTION.
OBVIOUSLY WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT OVERNIGHT, BUT AS WE GET INTO THE BUDGET TIME, THAT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
WE DO FEEL WE CAN MAKE SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS IN THIS ROOM TO ACCOMMODATE SOME ADDITIONAL CHAIRS, UM, AND, AND DO SOME CAMERA WORK THAT WOULD ALSO BE A LITTLE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR WHEN WE HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
IT'S NORMALLY WHEN THE CHALLENGE, YOU ALL SIT OVER HERE AND THE FOCUS IS, BUT WE THINK THERE'S SOME SHORT TERM OPTIONS AND LONG TERM OPTIONS FOR TOWN HALL.
IF WE DIDN'T RENOVATE DOWNSTAIRS, I JUST WONDERED.
I WAS THINKING IF WE WERE ALONG HERE, WHETHER THAT WOULD BE BETTER FOR US.
DO YOU WANT TO TELL THEM WHY THAT WON'T WORK?
THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, MULTIPLE CONCERNS.
IT'S ALSO THE LAYOUT AND ACCESSIBILITY OF THE ROOM.
SO IT'S JUST - PLANNING AND ZONING I DON'T BELIEVE WANNA BE DOWNSTAIRS EITHER.
THERE'S A LOT OF OPTIONS, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN, APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT UP BECAUSE IT'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT INTERNALLY AND THE GOOD THING IS I DIDN'T COME UP WITH THE IDEA.
SOMEBODY ELSE HAS ALREADY BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT.
SO WE'RE JUST REVISITING THAT AND, AND SEEING HOW WE CAN POTENTIALLY MOVE FORWARD.
BECAUSE BEYOND THE SIZE OF THIS ROOM BELOW US FOR THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WHERE CHARLES AND GRANT AND THEM ARE OVER THERE.
UM, FOR THE TECHNOLOGY PIECE, THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS IF WE SWITCH PROVIDERS, UM, DO WE, UH, CONTRACTUALLY, ARE WE ALLOWED TO KEEP ALL THOSE VIDEOS FROM THAT? OH YEAH.
SO, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY CHARLES HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO ALL OF THAT, BUT YEAH, WE WOULD STILL HAVE ALL OF OUR VIDEOS, BUT, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF OPTIONS OUT THERE AVAILABLE TO US.
AND EVEN WITH OUR EXISTING VENDORS, TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES AS WELL TO STAY ADVANCED.
BUT THERE ARE, THERE ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS, LIKE I SAID, WITH ADA COMPLIANCE.
IT'S REALLY DRIVING SOME OF THESE CHANGES AS WELL THAT WE HAVE TO UPGRADE A LOT OF INFORMATION.
SO THE REASON WHY IT'S ON THIS MEETING IS BECAUSE IT'S OCTOBER.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WE, UM, THE CONTRACT OR WHATEVER WITH THE COUNTY IS GONNA BE LIKE WE JUST, WE
[01:30:01]
NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT DO WE WANT TO MAKE THAT SHIFT OR WILL WE BE WANTING TO MAKE THAT SHIFT BEFORE WE SIGN ON TO SHARING THE COST OF TECHNOLOGY, UM, ENHANCEMENTS OR DEVELOPMENTS OR REPAIRS OR WHATEVER OVER THERE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN SIX MONTHS IN SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE GOING TO START DOING IT AT TOWN HALL BECAUSE IT MAKES MORE SENSE.RIGHT? SO, SO THIS IS OCTOBER.
WE JUST, WE DIDN'T WANT TO, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT IT AND THEN WE CAN ADD IT TO A FUTURE WORK SESSION AGAIN.
WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE, BUT IT IS VERY LIMITED IN, YOU KNOW, THE KIND OF NICHE MARKET.
BUT WE WILL COLLABORATE AS BEST WE CAN IF WE CAN HAVE THE SAME KIND OF TECHNOLOGY.
I KNOW WE JUST TALKED ABOUT REDUNDANCY, BUT THIS COULD BE A GOOD THING LIKE IF ONE BODY RENOVATIONS OR WHATNOT IN THE FUTURE, WE CAN GO, WE CAN TRANSITION.
I KNOW THAT'S COME UP BEFORE WHEN THEY, YOU KNOW, BEING BOOKED.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL CONSISTENTLY HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT AS WELL BECAUSE WE WANT TO REMAIN, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THE OPPORTUNITY ARISE OR WE NEEDED THE GOVERNMENT CENTER OR EVEN IF THEY NEEDED TOWN HALL, THAT THAT TECHNOLOGY WOULD STILL OVERLAP SOME.
LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, THIS MONTH, WE CAN'T BE THERE THIS MONTH.
THE SCHOOL'S GOING TO ALLOW US TO HOLD OUR OCTOBER MEETING THERE.
AND I FEEL LIKE THIS HAS HAPPENED JUST A COUPLE OF TIMES ALREADY THIS YEAR.
LAST MONTH OR THE MONTH BEFORE WE COULDN'T BE THERE FOR - WHEN THEY HAD TO PAY AUGUST, AUGUST WAS THE MONTH.
I ALSO, NO SHADE TO THE COUNTY, BUT I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHO ON THIS COUNCIL WAS HERE FOR IT, BUT THE CHAIRS WERE A PROBLEM IN THE DIALYSIS AND IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM AND IT WAS A, IT WAS A PRETTY CONTENTIOUS STANDOFF AND WELL, HOW MUCH OF THE CHAIRS THE TOWN SHOULD REPLACE AND WE WERE LIKE, BUT YOUR STAFF AND YOU GUYS USE THEM ALL THE TIME AND WE PAY A CONTRACT AND THEN ALSO IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM WHEN WE NEED TO HAVE CLOSED MEETINGS OR SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS, WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THEIR TECHNOLOGY IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM.
THE SPEAKERS, THE SCREENS, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH THE SIGNS ON THE CENTER OF THE CONFERENCE TABLE WHEN WE HAVE CLOSED SAY LIKE YOU'RE NOT - I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN'T OR NOBODY REALLY KNOWS HOW TO DO IT.
NO, THERE'S A, THERE'S A SIGN ON THE TABLE THAT THEY PLACED THIS YEAR THAT SAYS WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH ANY - OKAY.
THE PHONE, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THE PHONE.
IT JUST HAS NEVER WORKED FOR ME.
WE USED TO USE THEIR SPEAKER LIKE THAT THAT THEY HAD IN THERE.
WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THAT.
IT OFTENTIMES DID NOT WORK, BUT ANYWAY.
ALL RIGHT, SO EVERYBODY HAS LEASED, YOU'VE HEARD ALL THE SAME INFORMATION AND WE'LL, YOU'LL FOLLOW UP WITH US.
FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR IDEAS.
I'M HAPPY TO LIKE - I WAS JUST WONDERING THAT, THAT OFFICE IS AT GROUND LEVEL THERE NEXT TO THE, THE TELLER FINANCE ANALYST.
YEAH, WOULD THAT BE PART OF - I THINK THERE'S A SOLID WALL.
THERE'S TWO BATHROOMS AND THERE'S ALSO TWO BATHROOMS. IT'S THE ELEVATOR AND THE MECHANICAL FOR THE ELEVATOR.
THERE IS SOME CHALLENGES BUT IT, IT IS ABOUT THE SAME.
WE, WE - BUT WE WERE THINKING OF IDEAS AND LIKE I SAID, WE'LL - IT'S ALSO ON THE FIRST FLOOR FOR ANYBODY THAT'S GOT TO BE TRYING TO GET UP AND DOWN.
UM, AND FOR SAFETY REASONS TOO, LIKE WE'RE UP HERE.
WE COULD BE LIKE HE WANTS SOME MORE STUFF.
I'M JUST SAYING WHO'S COMING IN THE DOOR DOWNSTAIRS? DO ANY OF US KNOW? RIGHT.
I MEAN, UH, IN THE STORES ROOM YOU'LL PROBABLY FIND THE MODEL FOR THE JOHN PAYNE CIVIC CENTER THAT NEVER - THAT NEVER WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN HERE? YEAH.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN HERE.
I'M IN FAVOR OF USING THIS AS A SHORT TERM MEANS TO AN END WHILE WE SAVE MONEY AND FIGURE OUT THE BUDGET BECAUSE WE SAT ON THE DYES LAST MONTH.
WE WISH PEOPLE CAME TO TELL US HOW THEY FELT ABOUT THIS.
AND I THINK ASIDE FROM STAFF, WE MIGHT HAVE HAD FOUR PEOPLE AND THAT INCLUDED THE PRESS SETTING.
I MEAN REALLY OTHER THAN THE JUNE MEETING, I CANNOT THINK OF ANY MEETING THIS YEAR THAT WE HELD THAT COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IN THIS ROOM.
RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE SPORTS ALL ON THE SAME NIGHT BUT NOT BAD.
THEY WEREN'T ALL ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO BE ON THE SAME NIGHT I THINK.
BUT JUNE, JUNE DEFINITELY WE WOULD ADD ANOTHER SCHOOL.
BUT YOU KNOW THE COUNTIES HAD TO DO THAT TOO.
I MEAN THEY, THEY'VE HAD LARGE SCHOOL BOARD TOO.
THEY'VE ACTUALLY NOT MET THERE AND MET, YOU KNOW, IN A LARGER
[01:35:01]
SPACE TO GIVE.WE JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT THE AGENDA INCLUDES.
UM - CAN I MAKE ONE COMMENT BEFORE OH ABSOLUTELY.
THE THREE OF US AT LEAST HAVE CALLED IN BEFORE AND TRIED TO ZOOM IN AND THE TECHNOLOGY IS TERRIBLE BEING ON THE OTHER END.
I MEAN I WATCHED A COUNCIL MEETING AND IT FROZE UP AND I THINK I TEXT HIM AND WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON? I'M HERE.
YOU MEAN IN THIS BUILDING OR OVER THERE? NO, NO HERE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU WANT TO ZOOM IN ON A, A WORK SESSION YOU'RE NOT IN TOWN.
UM, SO I'M, I'M ALL FOR BETTER SPEAKERS TO HEAR PEOPLE, TO HEAR SOMEONE AT THE PODIUM.
WELL, YEAH THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT I'VE HEARD UP HERE THAT THE AUDIO IS NOT VERY GOOD WHEN SOMEONE'S SPEAKING.
AND I WILL SAY TOO, IF YOU WATCH THE MEETINGS DOWN AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTER, UM, AND, AND IT'S, I'M NOT SAYING IT HAPPENED ALL THE TIME BUT IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN HAPPENING IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
LIKE YOU'RE LITERALLY WATCHING IT AND THEN THERE'S NO SOUND.
AND, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I'LL HAVE TO REFRESH AND REFRESH AND REFRESH AND REFRESH.
BUT ANYWAY, SO I MEAN I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THAT ON OUR MEETINGS TOO.
I WOULD SUSPECT, SUSPECT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, UM, IT'S NOT THE STAFF.
IT'S THE WHATEVER'S GOING ON IN THAT BUILDING, IN THAT ROOM.
BUT ANYWAY, UM, AND PEOPLE HAVE BECOME DEPENDENT UPON WATCHING MEETINGS INSTEAD OF COMING TO MEETINGS.
YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A TIME WHERE YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT CHOICE.
IF YOU WANTED TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS BEING SAID, YOU HAD TO COME, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE THAT ANYMORE.
THE LAST IS OLD BUSINESS 4A AND THAT WAS THE ORDINANCE TO REPEAL AND REVIVE TOWN CODE 156-3 ADVISORY COMMISSION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ACES.
AND MR. SONIC, YOU PASSED SOMETHING OUT.
DID YOU, WAS THAT IN RELATIONSHIP TO THIS TOPIC OR THE - NO, IT APPLIES TO - BOTH TOPICS.
THAT'S JUST THE ENABLING STATUTE AS FAR AS THE CREATION OF COMMITTEE TO ADVISE THE GOVERNING BODY.
DO YOU WANT TO START? YEAH, SO JUST, JUST IN YOUR PACKET IS THE HANDOUT THAT WAS GIVEN LAST WEEK MINUS ONE CORRECT B2 DEFINES WHAT A QUORUM IS.
WE DID DISCUSS THAT LAST WEEK.
THAT'S ALSO DEFINED ELSEWHERE IN TOWN CODE THAT COMMITTEES, IT'S A MAJORITY.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS, IT'S A CLEANED UP VERSION LAST WEEK.
I SHARED THIS WITH ACES FOLLOWING LAST WEEK'S MEETING.
UM, IT WAS, UNFORTUNATELY, I DIDN'T REALLY GET TO SEND IT TO THEM AND I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THEY'RE BUSY PEOPLE.
SO WE, I WAS ABLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM AFTER THE PACKET WAS PUBLISHED.
THERE'S STILL SOME COMMENTS BACK AND FORTH.
THE ONE THING WE TALKED ABOUT TO, I SENT THEM SOME INFORMATION ON FRIDAY.
ONE OF THE THINGS IS THIS IS A CODE THAT REQUIRES A PUBLIC HEARING.
WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THIS THIS MONTH.
UM, NOVEMBER, NOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE MEETING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH, MAKES IT A CHALLENGE TO DO THE PUBLIC HEARING THERE.
ADDITIONALLY, ACES WON'T MEET AGAIN UNTIL NOVEMBER 19TH TO DO SOME SCHEDULING.
SO I ASKED THEM IF THEY WERE UPDATE TO, IF I UPDATED COUNCIL TONIGHT, WE WOULD WORK WITH ACES, YOU KNOW, SOME OF ACES MEMBERS TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE ALL THEIR COMMENTS ARE MET AND WE COULD DISCUSS IT AT THEIR MEETING ON NOVEMBER 19TH.
AND THEN THAT WOULD BE SENT TO COUNCIL WITH ANY UPDATES FOR YOUR REGULAR MEETING IN NOVEMBER BECAUSE THE DATES ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
UM, BECAUSE, AND IT, THIS IS, COUNCIL'S UP TO THIS.
UM, ACTION COULD BE THEN DONE AT A PUBLIC HEARING ON DECEMBER 14TH BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE TIME BETWEEN THE FIRST DECEMBER MEETING AND THE PUBLIC HEARING TO PROPERLY ADVERTISE.
SO IF IT WANTED TO BE DONE BY THE END OF THE YEAR, THAT'S THE BEST WE COULD DO, UM, IN THAT SENSE.
AND THAT WOULD GIVE THAT ACES THAT OPPORTUNITY AT THEIR MEETING.
IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, GIVE YOU ALL THAT TIME TO STILL HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, UNLESS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN ADVISORY BODY TO
[01:40:01]
COUNCIL ONCE COUNCIL WHAT'S GOOD WITH THIS, YOU DIDN'T WANT TO CHANGE IT.UM, BUT LIKE I SAID, I DID TALK TO THEM AND I DID GIVE RESPONSES THAT TIMELINE DID WORK FOR THEM BECAUSE I GAVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE REVIEW.
I WOULD BE DOWN FOR DECEMBER 14TH.
MEANING THAT, THAT THEY WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS ON NOVEMBER 19TH AND THEN GIVE US INPUT.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE INPUT.
YEAH, THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN.
I SAID LAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, PUT THIS TOGETHER AND THEN WE HAD A DRAFT AND WE HAD ANOTHER DRAFT THAT WAS HANDED TO US AND WE OWE IT TO THEM TO GET THEIR COLLECTIVE THOUGHTS ON THIS INSTEAD OF SAYING HERE, HERE'S WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO, YOU KNOW? SO IF THEY CAN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW IT BACK TO US AND, UH, WE GET, YOU KNOW, WE GET WHAT THEY THINK OF AS A WHOLE, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS Y'ALL HAVE AT THIS TIME ABOUT THAT OR NO? OKAY.
SO WE'LL JUST THEN, SO THEN, THEN NEXT STEP IS THAT ACES WILL LOOK AT THIS NOVEMBER 19TH, WHICH, YOU KNOW - EXCEPT MY FEELINGS THAT IT WOULD BE BUSINESS ITEM AT THE REGULAR MEETING IN NOVEMBER.
UM, SO WE CAN SHARE THE, WHATEVER CAME OUT OF ACES AND, AND THEN YOU CAN THEN MOVE THAT FORWARD FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING IN DECEMBER.
SO AT THE NOVEMBER 23RD MEETING, IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A PRESENTATION BY STAFF OR IN A COMPANY WITH.
IT'S JUST LIKE TELLING US THERE'S GOING TO BE NO ACTION TAKEN.
SO THAT - WE CAN CHANGE THAT DRAFT.
NO, I MEAN, BUT ON THE 20, ON THE 23RD.
UM - 'CAUSE YOU HAVE ENOUGH TIME BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON DECEMBER 14TH.
WHATEVER COMES OUT ON THE 23RD WILL BE ADVERTISED.
MEET AGAIN FOR A WORK SESSION UNTIL DECEMBER.
NO, BUT AT THE NOVEMBER 23RD MEETING, IT'LL BE LIKE A, KIND OF LIKE THIS.
IT'LL BE LIKE A DISCUSSION TO HEAR ABOUT IT AND YOU ALL TALK ABOUT IT AND THEN IF YOU'RE GOOD WITH IT - NOVEMBER 23RD ISN'T A RE - IS A REGULAR MEETING.
IT'S THE MONDAY BEFORE, UM, THANKSGIVING.
BUT HE SAID WE'RE GONNA, THAT PARTICULAR ITEM - WE'RE GONNA IRON IT OUT DURING THAT? YEAH.
I MEAN HOPE, LIKE HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE IT CLEANED UP BY THEN.
IT'LL BE A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE.
AND WE'LL KEEP YOU ALL IN THE LOOP OVER THAT.
AND REALLY AT THAT POINT IT'S JUST US DECIDING, YEAH IT'S READY TO GO TO A PUBLIC HEARING OR NOT.
IF IT'S NOT READY TO GO TO A PUBLIC HEARING, THEN WE JUST DON'T, WE WAIT TILL JANUARY, YOU KNOW.
IT'S JUST BECAUSE OF OUR DECEMBER CALENDAR IS A LITTLE TRICKIER BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY ONE WORK SESSION AND ONE REGULAR MEETING AND WE DO THEM BACK TO BACK.
SO BASICALLY ANYTHING WE DISCUSS IF THE DECEMBER WORK SESSION WON'T BE A PUBLIC HEARING TILL JANUARY ANYWAY.
AND THEY, THEY ALSO HAVE SOME SCHEDULING CONFLICTS THAT THEY NORMALLY MEET EARLIER IN THE MONTH, BUT BECAUSE THERE'S PEOPLE OUT OF TOWN, THEY'VE ASKED TO RESCHEDULE IT TO THE 19TH.
SO THAT KIND OF - THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE, JUST FOR CLARITY, THEY'RE NOT ON THE 19TH, UM, BUT THAT'S OUR MEETING.
THEIR MEETING, ARE THEY VOTING ON RECOMMENDATIONS? THEY'RE DISCUSSING.
THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE JUST DISCUSSING AND OFFERING RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU, YOU OR WHO WILL BE LIKE DRAFTING.
I'LL BE THERE AT THE MEETING WITH THEM.
WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME TECHNOLOGY AS YOUR MEETINGS BECAUSE, UH, THE TECHNOLOGY WE USE FOR THAT, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR A MEETING.
SO WE USE TEAMS. IT'S HARDER TO HEAR.
BUT IT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE TECHNOLOGY WE'RE USING RIGHT NOW.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET AT LIKE IF, IF THEY'RE MEETING AND DISCUSSING AND, AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE GIVING ALL THE INPUT AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE A UNITED FRONT FOR THEIR INPUT BEFORE IT COMES TO US.
IT JUST MAKES THE WHOLE PROCESS SMOOTHER.
I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT WAS HAPPENING.
THAT WAS OUR CONVERSATION VIA EMAIL TO TRY AND, WE'LL USE THAT MEETING TO IRON OUT ALL THE STUFF.
AND WE'VE ALREADY COMMUNICATED A LOT BACK AND FORTH.
AND THEN WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE, IF YOU MEET ON THE 19TH WITH THEM AND GET THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, SO THOSE WON'T GET ADVERTISED TO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE YOU, YOU'VE ALREADY SENT OUT THE AGENDA BEFORE THEN FOR
[01:45:01]
OUR MEETING.WE'LL BE DISCUSSING IT AT THE MEETING.
IT'LL BE ON THAT THURSDAY SO IT WON'T BE IN THERE SO WE'LL HAVE, BUT THEN IT WILL BE ADVERTISED PRIOR TO, IT'LL BE END OF 201 BE ADVERTISED IS THIS DRAFT, BUT THAT'S THE SAME INFORMATION THAT THEY, BUT WE WON'T BE VOTING ON ANYTHING UNTIL DECEMBER.
IT'D BE NICE THOUGH WE COULD HAVE IT, LIKE AS SOON AS YOU HAVE IT, IT WOULD BE JUST NICE TO HAVE IT IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING IN ADVANCE OF THE NOVEMBER MEETING IF POSSIBLE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS POSSIBLE FOR ONLY FOUR DAYS, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO BE PRESENTING IT BUT - MY HOPE IS WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A NICE DOCUMENT BEFORE THEIR MEETING THAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WORK INDIVIDUALLY WITH SOME OF THE MEMBERS TO KIND OF MAKE SURE WE'RE MEETING SO THAT CAN BE PUT IN THERE AS LIKE THE, WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO ACES AT THE WEEK BEFORE AND THEN WHEN WE COME TO THE MEETING AT THE REGULAR MEETING THERE'S A PRESENTATION OF WHAT WAS CHANGED.
AND MAYBE IT'LL BE TWEAKS VERSUS SUBSTANTIAL.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE GROUP? THURSDAY NIGHT, DON'T FORGET, SIX O'CLOCK.
I SAT HERE AND CHANGED MY CALENDAR.