[00:00:01]
MEETING FOR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15TH.MS. SWONG, CAN WE DO A ROLL CALL? I HAVE
NO, SHE TAKES ALL IT WAS ON THERE.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT'S ON THERE IS THE, UM, THE JUNE 4TH SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES.
AND BECAUSE THEY WERE REALLY, WE TAKE MINUTES AT THESE LIAISON MEETINGS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MAINLY MORE JUST FOR US, SO WE CAN REFER BACK TO, BUT I KNOW, UM, OUR, UM, OUR COUNSEL ACTUALLY APPROVED THESE MINUTES AFTERWARDS BECAUSE IT WAS CONSIDERED A SPECIAL MEETING VERSUS A LIAISON MEETING.
SO IF ANYBODY, I MEAN, HOPEFULLY THERE'S NOTHING WRONG ON IT NOW THAT I SAY THAT.
UM, AND SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT WERE ON THAT LIAISON MEETING ARE STILL TOPICS OF TODAY, SO, UM, BUT I DO THINK, I JUST WANNA ASK, WE'RE GOOD ON THE JOINT TOW BOARD, RIGHT? DO WE OR ARE WE STILL? WE'RE GOOD.
WE HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE WE NEED, UH, COUNSEL.
WELL, I THINK WE STILL NEED THE CITIZEN.
I'M ACTUALLY TALKING WITH PD A LITTLE BIT TOMORROW ABOUT THAT, BUT I KNOW YOU ALL APPROVED.
AND WE APPROVED OUR GOOD IN AUGUST, SO WE'RE GOOD.
WE'RE STILL LOOKING THAT SYSTEM, BUT I'M MEETING WITH OUR PD, KIND OF DISCUSS THAT.
IS THAT ON OUR WEBSITE? THAT APPLICATION? MM-HMM
SO NEXT IS GONNA BE BUSINESS ITEMS. AND, UM, BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED, WE KINDA LOOKED AT WHAT WAS ON THERE AND WE DECIDED TO MOVE SOME THINGS AROUND, MAYBE, UH, TAKE SOME OF THE SMALLER ITEMS AND GET, UM, GET THROUGH WITH THOSE FIRST.
AND SO THE FIRST, UH, TOPIC IS GONNA BE A REASSESSMENT UPDATE, AND I'M GONNA ASK THE COUNTY IF THEY CAN I ABSOLUTELY TALK TO SHERRY THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, SO THE INFORMAL ASSESSOR HEARINGS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
UM, SHE IS WAITING FOR THE FILE FROM COHEN.
UM, SHE DID ASK IF THE TOWN WOULD MENTION THAT WE ARE STILL TRYING TO RECRUIT FOR THE EQUALIZATION NUMBERS.
UM, SO WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP THAT YOU ALL ARE ABLE TO DO.
UM, PEOPLE CAN APPLY THROUGH THE CITIZEN APPOINTMENT.
UM, ON THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE, THERE'S THREE, RIGHT? I THINK I, I MEAN, THERE'S THREE PLUS ALTERNATE.
BUT FOURS WE'VE GOT HAVE FOUR.
DO YOU, I MEAN, I DON'T ALLOWED, TELL ME THIS, RIGHT? BUT DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY APPLICATIONS SO FAR? WE HAVE ONE.
AND IT COULD BE ANYBODY IN THE COUNTY, SO TOWN, COUNTY, RIGHT? MM-HMM
UM, CAN YOU REMIND ME BEFORE WE, BEFORE THE 26TH AT OUR NEXT MEETING, I'LL, I'LL BRING IT UP DURING MY MAYOR'S REPORT AND WE CAN ALSO SHARE IT YEAH.
THAT WOULD BE JUST SEND THEM, MAYBE PUT ON OUR WEBSITE TO YEAH.
OR DO A, UM, ON FACEBOOK A BLAST OUT.
SO, BUT THE IDEA IS WAITING ON THE FILES, SO ANTICIPATING THAT IT'LL BE IN ENOUGH TIME SO EVERYBODY CAN GET THEIR BILLS OUT BY JUNE.
AND MAYBE BECAUSE THIS IS, I BELIEVE YOU ALL CALLED IT A DESK ASSESSMENT, IT'S NOT GONNA TAKE IT LONG, SO.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM WAS THE JOINT TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.
AND MS. SCHOLARS, I KNOW YOU CHAIR THAT.
SO THE AGENDA WAS PRETTY EXTENSIVE.
WE HAD, UM, VO REPRESENTATIVES IN THE ROOM WITH US, AND THEN WE HAD ADAM CAMPBELL ON AND SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE ON ZOOM.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT WAS THE EMERGENCY EXIT, UM, OFF OF 66 ONTO, UH, STATE ROUTE SIX OH SECTION OR SHORES ROAD.
UM, THAT'S STILL WORK IN PROGRESS.
WE HAVE TO RULE OUT EVERY POSSIBILITY OF A WAY TO GET IN AND GET OUT SAFELY WITHOUT, UM, THE LAST DITCH EFFORT OF CUTTING THE GUARDRAIL TO MAKE A GAME.
UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHO OWNS 66 DOESN'T LIKE THE IDEA OF CUTTING BACK ON DEAL.
SO WE'RE STILL RULING OUT ALL THOSE POSSIBILITIES.
YOU REACHED OUT TO A, A PROPERTY OWNER TO SEE ABOUT A POSSIBLE, UH, EASEMENT TO GET A TOTAL NEW WAY IN AND OUT AS AN EMERGENCY.
YEAH, HE SAID HE'S TALKING TO HIS FAMILY.
I GUESS THAT HELPS IS IN, UM, SOME KIND OF TRUST AND THEY'RE MULLING
[00:05:01]
IT OVER.UM, THEN THE 5 22, UH, QUARTER IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU'RE SEEING GOING ON OUT THERE, UM, THAT WAS PART OF THE GUARD HILL ROAD WAS TALKED ABOUT.
AND, UM, THE ROUNDABOUT AT WALMART, THEY'RE GONNA PUT UP BARRIER TO MAKE IT A CHANNEL AROUND THERE SO THE CARS AREN'T MERGING AGAINST EACH OTHER SO MUCH.
UM, YOU'D HAVE TO SEE THE VISUAL, UH, THAT ADAM PUT UP TO REALLY MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.
BUT IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU GO TO TURN IN, THERE'LL BE A BARRIER AND YOU CAN KEEP GOING AROUND THE CIRCLE, OR YOU GO INTO THE WALMART PARKING LOT, UM, AND NO LONGER ALLOWED TWO FULL LANES YEAH.
TO, TO UH, GO THE CIRCUMSTANCE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE INTERESTING, WHICH TRACTOR TRAILER.
OR JUST INTERESTING PERIOD BECAUSE IT'S TAKEN PEOPLE YEARS TO, I STILL HAVE TO THINK,
YEAH, I MEAN, IT, IT, IT WAS KIND OF CONFUSING MY UNDERSTANDING.
AND OF COURSE WE WERE LOOKING AT SOMETHING ON THERE.
IT WOULD BE A LOW RAISE CURVE TYPE THING THAT YEAH, YOU COULD GO OVER IT, BUT IT, IT'S THERE TO DIRECT AND GUIDE YOU.
HOPEFULLY, UM, SPACE OF THE TRACTOR AND TRAILERS WOULD BE ABLE TO BUMP OVER IT.
UM, THEN THE SMART SCALE PROJECT, UM, THAT'S GOING ON OUT IN THE CORRIDOR AS WELL WAS DISCUSSED.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD, UM, AS FAR AS TOWN ISSUES AND COUNTY ISSUES, UM, THERE'S A WHITE RIGHT OF WAY OBSTRUCTION IN MY END OF THE COUNTY IN BROWNTOWN LOWERING THE SPEED AND, UH, MORE ENFORCEMENT ON THE BENTONVILLE DOWNTOWN ROAD.
UM, A SKILL WAY WAS DAMAGED BACK WHEN WE GOT THOSE HEAVY RAINS IN MY END IN BROWNTOWN.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN THAT'S GONNA BE REPLACED, UH, SIGNAGE ALONG THE GOONIE MANOR LOOP AND UM, PAVEMENT PATCHING, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
UH, THE INTERSECTION OF REYNOLDS PORT AND BLUE MOUNTAIN, THAT WAS ONE OF, UM, THE SPEED ISSUE UP THERE.
I, I PERSONALLY CAN'T IMAGINE ANYBODY BLUE MOUNTAIN ROAD, BUT OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE DO.
UM, SO THEY LOOKED INTO THAT AND THE AVERAGES THAT I WROTE DOWN, THEY PUT A SPEED CAMERA UP AND 85% WERE DRIVING 35, 38 OR LESS MILES PER HOUR.
AND, UM, THAT WAS ON I THINK THE EAST END AND THEN THE WEST END 85% WERE DRIVING ABOUT 41 MILES PER HOUR, SO THAT'S STILL PRETTY GOOD ON THAT, THAT LITTLE BIT ROAD THERE.
OH, AT MOUNTAIN IS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING YEAH.
I I, I ALWAYS BREATHE EASY WHEN I GET TO THE OTHER END OF IT BECAUSE WHEW, I HEIGHT BOTHERED ME IN LOOKING DOWN, UM, FOR THE TOWN IT WAS IN.
I'LL REMIND YOU SO YOU CAN PICK UP THE SOUTH STREET IMPROVEMENTS.
SOUTH STREET, UM, IS STILL UNDER DESIGN.
UM, THEY'RE WORKING APPARENTLY WITH THE NEW SHOPPING CENTER OVER AND, UM, GOING OVER REDESIGNING PERHAPS A WAY TO HAVE, I DON'T WANT TO SAY THIS, A LEFT HAND TURN LANE INTO THE EAST SIDE OF THE, THAT IS TO ALMOST HAVE IT TO WHERE YOU COULD STILL DO A LOT OF THE SAME THINGS YOU CAN DO TODAY.
UM, BUT YES, THE WEST BOUND, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO TURN LEFT INTO THE EAST SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT, RIGHT.
WHICH IS CONSIDERED LIKE THE ROLL KING SIDE.
SO ORIGINALLY THAT WAS ELIMINATED, RIGHT? SO NOW THEY'RE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THAT, BUT THEY'RE STILL IN THE DESIGN PHASE AND THEY REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY OTHER UPDATES OTHER THAN THAT.
AND CHRYSLER ROAD, ER ROAD SIDEWALK, SIDEWALK, UM, I, I BELIEVE THAT YOU'VE GOT A NOTE HERE.
I THOUGHT I HAD MY NOTES AND I DON'T, UM, RIGHT AWAY ACQUISITION AND THEY HAD IT FOR STARTING IT EARLY NEXT YEAR.
YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING DILIGENTLY ON IT.
WE ACTUALLY HAD AN EMAIL TODAY FROM ONE OF THE COMMUNICATION CONTRACTORS, ANY RELOCATION
[00:10:01]
EASEMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.SO IT IS PROGRESSING AND I THINK GOING WELL SO FAR.
AND IF I MAY INTERJECT THIS, BECAUSE IT, IT IS RELEVANT TO THE DISCUSSION, HE RASER THE BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT ALONG THERE.
UM, THIS ALL STARTED WITH THE CHURCH GOING IN OUT THERE AND THEN WE DISCOVERED, UM, WE OWN LAND, BUT IT'S IN THE COUNTY AND PART OF CROSSER ROAD IS IN THE COUNTY.
AND THE LAST DISCUSSION I GUESS WE HAD IS WE'RE GOING TO BRING THAT TO THE BOARD.
I GUESS WE HAVE TO DO THE SURVEYING AND THE YEAH, WE HAVE TO DO THE LEGALESE OF IT TO BRING IT TO YOU GUYS.
AND THERE SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM AGAINST THE BOUNDARIES BOUNDARY.
UM, REMEMBER THE DISCUSSION, HONESTLY, IT JUST FELL OFF THE RADAR.
WELL, AND, AND THAT PROJECT HAS NOT MOVED AT ALL WITH THE APPLICANT AND NOW THERE'S EVEN A DISCUSSION OF SOMETHING ELSE.
YOU PROBABLY KNOW MORE ABOUT IT SINCE IT'S IN THE COUNTY THAN I DO, BUT, UM, PORTIONS OF WEST CROSS ARE EVEN OVER INTO EAST CROSSER.
WE HAVE THE ISSUE OF THE BOUNDARY BECAUSE WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND PUT THOSE LIGHTS UP AND THE SIDEWALK, IT'S ALL NICE, BUT NOT ALL OF IT'S IN THE TOWN.
EVEN THOUGH WE OWN THE PROPERTY.
SO I THINK IT'S JUST A MINOR YOU CALLING, I, I, AS I BEST WAY IS KIND OF HOUSEKEEPING ESSENTIALLY, IS TO ADJUST THE CORPORATE BOUNDARY TO ALIGN WITH THE RIGHT OF WAY OF THE ROAD, WHICH THE TOWN, YOU KNOW, HAPPY TO MAINTAIN.
UM, I THINK IT WAS DISCUSSED WHEN DR.
DALEY WAS STILL HERE AND ESSENTIALLY WAS, IF THE TOWN DOES THE SURVEY, ALL THE LEGAL WORK, YOU KNOW, BOTH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY HAVE TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARINGS TO ADOPT IT.
IT WAS AT THE TIME ACKNOWLEDGED THAT YES, IF WE JUST DO ALL THE LEG WORK, BRING IT TO YOU ALL AND YOU CHECK OFF ON IT, THEN IT SOUNDED LIKE THE COUNTY WOULD ACCEPT THAT, UM, SIMPLE ADJUSTMENT.
BUT IT WOULD STOP AT THE RIGHT OF WAY OF THE ROAD AND NO, NO PROPERTIES OR ANYTHING ELSE WOULD BE ENCUMBERED BY THAT.
BUT YEAH, APPARENTLY WHEN IT WAS BEING DESIGNED, PEOPLE WERE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO.
WHAT WAS, WHAT?
IT'S JUST RIGHT DOWN THE, ESSENTIALLY THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
AND THEN AS YOU GET AS MENTIONED, WHEN YOU GET OVER ON THE OTHER SIDE, THREE 40, YOU, THE BUS DEPOTS UP IT, IT'S PRETTY CLOSE OVER THERE.
IT'S REALLY, THAT'S SIDE OF WEST REER TO LARAY AVENUE IS THE, THE PART THAT NEEDS SOME WORK.
BUT YEAH, IT, IT WOULDN'T IMPACT ANY, UH, PRIVATE PROPERTY THAT I'M AWARE OF.
I KNOW IF IT WENT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CREEK AND MADE AN ISSUE WITH I DON'T THE NURSING HOME AND NO, EVERYTHING IS NORTH OF, OF THE PROPERTY LINES ESSENTIALLY DOESN'T DO WE THAT'S GOOD.
JUST BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT AND BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN ON THE RADAR FOR A WHILE.
DO WE WANNA GIVE AN IDEA? DO WE WANNA, I GUESS COULD WE GIVE AN ESTIMATE OF LIKE, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO HAVE THAT DONE BY JULY NEXT YEAR? I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES, THE, THE LEGAL SIDE OF IT AND YEAH, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE DOWN A PERSON IN OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT, WHICH HAS PRESENTED JUST CHALLENGES OF GETTING THAT.
BUT WE'VE GOTTEN THE SURVEY DONE, WE'VE IDENTIFIED ALL THE PROPERTIES THAT BE PART OF IT.
IT'S JUST ACTUALLY GETTING INTO LEGAL.
COULD WE SEND THE SURVEY OVER, UM, TO THE COUNTY SO AT LEAST
LIKE I SAID, THIS WAS ON I THINK LIAISON WHEN DR.
DALEY WAS HERE AND I BELIEVE THE SURVEY WAS INCLUDED, BUT WE'LL MAKE SURE WE RESEND THAT.
AND THEN I THINK THE OTHER THING, UH, CHERYL WAS THE, UH, PROSPECT STREET BRAND AND THE DOTS IN THE, THE MIDST OF THEIR WORK FOR THAT.
I'M NOT SURE WE'VE APPROVED A CONTRACTOR.
WE HAVE FOR THAT RECENT ONE, RECENT MEETINGS.
SO I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A CONSTRUCTION DATE THOUGH.
THAT WOULD NEED TO BE ADVERTISED.
'CAUSE IT'LL CLOSE THE BRIDGE TO THAT SECTION OF TOWN.
AND OF COURSE THEY HAVE MANY OTHER WAYS TO GET OUT THERE.
BUT, UH, SO THAT, THAT'S HAPPENING.
I THINK IT WAS THE ONLY THREE PROJECTS MM-HMM
AND WE DID HAVE ONE CITIZEN COME IN TO, TO SPEAK ON, UM, LOWERING THE SPEED, UM, IN BENTONVILLE.
SO, AND UM, IT WAS, IT WAS GOOD TO HAVE SOMEONE THERE TO, YOU KNOW, SPEAK TO THEIR CONCERNS VERSUS JUST HEARING IT FROM US, YOU KNOW, AND HE BROUGHT ACTUAL STATEMENTS FROM HIS NEIGHBORS.
I MEAN, HE WAS VERY RESPECTFUL, HAD A LOT OF INFORMATION AND EXAMPLES.
UH, THE NICE THING I SIT THERE GRINNING IT MYSELF, IS THEY DIDN'T MENTION OUR COW TRASH TRUCK SPEAKING
[00:15:01]
UM, THEY'VE RECOGNIZED WHO THE CULPRITS TYPICALLY ARE, AND I THINK THEY, MIKE BERRY'S HAD CONVERSATIONS, MIRRORS HAD BEEN KNOCKED OFF.IT'S A NARROW PASSAGE COMING OFF OF THREE 40 UP THROUGH THERE AND COMING OVER THE HILL RETURNING FROM THE DUMP.
THEY'RE EMPTY AND RUNNING A LITTLE FAST.
AND HE DID BRING IN A BUCKET OF NUTS AND BOLTS AND SPROCKETS.
AND, UM, WHEN PEOPLE, AND THAT, THAT CAN BE YOU AND I, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE, UM, ESPECIALLY THE CONTRACTORS AND NOT PICKING ON ANYBODY, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF I HAD A PULL TRAILER AND I THREW, UM, EVEN IF I HAVE IT IN A BOX, WHEN YOU COME OVER THE RAILROAD TRACK, IF YOU'RE GOING EVEN A LITTLE BIT, UH, AND SPEED, UM, IT JIGGLES IT OFF.
I'VE GONE OVER ONE OF THE RESIDENCE, IT'S CALLED ME SEVERAL TIMES AND MR. HARD, HE, HE DOES THIS EVERY DAY.
AND WHAT WAS IN THERE WERE, IT WAS A BAGGIE FULL OF ROOF AND NAIL SCREWS AND, YOU KNOW, JUST A, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WANT TO RUN OVER THAT AND HAVE TO PAY TIRES.
UM, BUT THAT IT'S, IT'S A DAILY THING.
SO I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT BEAT OUT'S GONNA DO.
HE WAS HOPING TO GET IT DOWN TO 15.
DON'T THINK THEY'RE GONNA DO THAT.
BUT THE SHERIFF DID HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE THERE AND, UM, SHE, SHE SAID THAT SHE NEEDS STEP UP ENFORCEMENT DOWN THROUGH THERE.
SO, AND DIDN'T HE NOT AGREE TO PUT IN THE SPEED READERS? YES.
THEY PUT IN BOTH ON BENEFITS, MEASURE THAT AND, AND FIND OUT WHAT THE AVERAGE IS AND YEAH.
UM, BECAUSE THE HOUSES THERE, ONE OF HIS BIG CONCERNS WAS THE CHILDREN.
UM, YOU CAN LITERALLY STEP OFF YOUR PORCH AND BE LIKE, TWO STEPS AND THERE'S THE ROAD.
UM, AND THIS GENTLEMAN HAD BURIED SEVERAL PETS MM-HMM
AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SEE IT BECOME A CHILD.
BUT I, I REALLY APPRECIATE HIM COMING BECAUSE I THINK IT REALLY IMPRESSED, UH, MR. CARTER MORE SO THAN IF I HAD JUST SAID, HERE'S A COMPLAINT.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, UM, WHEN YOU GUYS SEND OUT THE EMAILS TO LUBAR STAFF IN, 'CAUSE OUR STAFF HAD, DIDN'T, THEY DIDN'T.
AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD CHANGES OVER, YOU KNOW, WE HAD CHANGES IN OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, MAKE SURE THAT, UM, AMBER BROUGHT THAT UP.
I THINK THAT'S USUALLY ROBBIE, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER AND ROBBIE ACTUALLY PUBLIC WORKS TOO, OUR PUBLIC WORKS PERSON THAT WOULD, I REMEMBER THERE WAS A CHANGE OF COUNSELING MEMBERS.
I JUST DIDN'T THINK BEYOND THAT.
AND I JUST ASSUMED THEY WERE STILL ON THE EMAIL CHAIN UNTIL ANNA BROUGHT IT UP.
AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY, WE'LL WE'LL FIX THAT FOR THE NEXT TIME.
THAT, THAT THEY DON'T MEET MONTHLY, DOES IT? TRANSPORTATION? NO, IT'S MORE LIKE THAT HAD BEEN, IT HAD BEEN QUITE A WHILE.
I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS ALL THERE FOR A WHILE.
IT WAS MEETING A LOT BECAUSE WE WERE IN RIGHT.
HAD THINGS THAT WERE MORE PRESSING GOING ON.
ESPECIALLY WHEN INVOLVES DDOT.
AND I HATE TO BRING THEM ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE JUST TO HAVE THEM SAY IT'S STILL PENDING BECAUSE IT'S A, A PROJECT THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE TIME YOU, IT'S AGREED TO START THE PROJECT, IT MAY BE TWO YEARS BEFORE IT EVER STARTS AND, YOU KNOW, SO I TRY TO TO MAKE SURE WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S RELEVANT AND, AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED VERSUS PULLING EVERYBODY IN JUST TO SAY NO CHANGE.
AND THAT'S AT THE END OF THE DAY AND THEY GOTTA TRAVEL AND I'M SURE THEY YEAH, BUT MR. CARTER COMES FROM EDINBURG, RIGHT? HE, THAT'S WHERE HIS OFFICE IS, BUT THEN HE LIVES EVEN MORE BEYOND THAT.
WELL, UH, ADAM CAMPBELL AND ANOTHER GENTLEMAN NAMED SOMEBODY ELSE, I DON'T KNOW ON THE, ON THE ZOOM, ANSWER SOME THINGS AND ADAM PUT UP THE GROUND ABOUT, AND THE 5 22 CORRIDOR FROM, UM, FROM UH, RIVERTON ROAD ABOUT TO, UM, CROOKED RUN AND COUNTRY CLUB.
BUT DID YOU NOTICE THAT THAT PRICE TAG WENT UP LIKE THREE TIMES? DOESN'T SURPRISE ME WITH THE COST OF FED.
WELL THEY WERE, I REMEMBER INITIALLY TALKING THEM, TALKING ABOUT, IT WAS THE STAR STUDY.
AND I, I HEARD $10 MILLION NOW FOR ALL THE THINGS THEY WANT TO DO.
AND I'M GOING, THERE'S VERY LITTLE CONSTRUCTION MM-HMM
BUT I THOUGHT, WASN'T IT STUFF WITH UTILITY LINES AND STUFF TOO? I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT ALL THEY WERE SAYING IN THAT, IN THERE, IN THAT CORRIDOR PIECE
[00:20:01]
STAR STUDY.OH, I REMEMBER JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY.
'CAUSE YOU SAID GUARD HILL ROAD.
'CAUSE THERE WAS A TIME WHERE GUARD HILL WAS GONNA BE PART OF IT.
AND THEN I THOUGHT THEY, IT CAME BACK LATER AND SAID, NO, THEY WEREN'T.
'CAUSE I TOLD SOME PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVE BEEN ON ME ABOUT IT, AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA PUT A LIGHT IN, BUT THEY ARE GONNA RETRIP, UM, THE LINES THERE TO, TO RECONFIGURE THE WAY YOU LINE UP THERE.
BUT THEY'RE STILL NOT GONNA PUT A TRAFFIC LIGHT THERE.
YOU SAY THAT WOULD BE DONE THE NEXT TIME THE LINE PAINTING CREW CAME THROUGH.
SO THAT DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER, I GUESS THAT COULD BE IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS.
I'M NEVER GOING LEFT WHEN I COME, UM, WHEN I'M COMING OFF OF GAR HILL ROAD, I'M NEVER GOING LEFT.
I'M JUST GONNA SAY LIKE I'M ALWAYS GOING.
SO I DON'T EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEMS, BUT I THINK THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE THAT THEN ARE GONNA GO LEFT.
AND IF I WERE THEM, I'D GO OUT ON THAT WRITTEN AND THEN GO RIGHT LIGHT DOWN.
BUT, SO THE NEXT ITEM THAT'S ON THERE IS MCKAY SPRINGS.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE IT SAYS MCKAY SPRINGS AND THEN IT'S SAYS THE CHANO BATTLEFIELD ASSOCIATION.
SOKAY SPRINGS SEEMS TO BE LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER TOPICS IN OUR WORLD.
WE TALK AND WE TALK, WE TALK, BUT SO, UM, I THINK THAT WE THOUGHT WE'D BRING IT UP AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY THINGS OVER THE YEARS WHERE WE'VE SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BUY YA.
YOU BUY US OUT, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE SHUT UP.
BATTLEFIELD ASSOCIATION IS LISTED THERE BECAUSE I KNOW AT ONE POINT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT WANTING TO ACQUIRE, YOU KNOW, PART OF IT.
AND, AND WE SAID WE'D BE, 'CAUSE I KNOW THEY CAME AND TALKED TO YOU ALL, BUT THEY NEVER CAME TO TALK TO US.
AND WE WERE LIKE, WELL, WE'D BE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD, WE WOULD ENTERTAIN THEM COMING TO TALK TO US, BUT THEN THEY NEVER REACHED OUT.
SO WE WERE JUST, I THINK YOU PROBABLY ARE GONNA HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THEM.
AND I THINK
I WAS, I WAS JUST SAYING THAT WOULD I, ME REACHING OUT TO THEM WOULD SUGGEST SAY THAT WE WANT TO DO IT.
AND I, I FELT LIKE IT WAS MORE THEM WANTING US TO CONSIDER IT.
BUT I, I GOT THE IMPRESSION WHEN THEY WERE THERE WITH US THAT THEY WERE OPEN TO TALK TO YOU, BUT THEY WERE, THEY WERE RELUCTANT TO GET INTO ANY CONTROVERSY, ALL THIS.
AND SO I THINK THEY PROBABLY ARE WAITING FOR AN INVITATION TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.
'CAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS THE OTHER DAY TOO, LIKE JUST TO REVIEW FOR FOLKS ABOUT THE LAND, WHAT WE OWN, WHAT YOU OWN LIKE, UM, AND REALLY FOR THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN BOTH BODIES OF DO WE ARE, DO WE WANNA MARKET IT AS COMMERCIAL? 'CAUSE THAT IS WHAT IT CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW IT IS OWNED COMMERCIAL ON THAT CORNER.
I MEAN, WHAT I'M SAYING IT'S GOTTA BE 'CAUSE IT WAS COMMERCIAL
I MEAN, CEDARVILLE GROCERY WAS THERE FOR A YEAR.
I MEAN I'VE BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS MM-HMM
AND I'VE PRESENTED HERE WHEN I WAS WITH THE COUNTY.
SO I'VE HAD A LOT OF, AND I HAVE SPOKEN, YOU KNOW, WITH MR. WALKER FROM THE BATTLEFIELD FOUNDATION.
AND I THINK THERE WAS ALSO SOME, YOU KNOW, JUST WITH SOME TRANSITION WE WERE WORKING WITH DR. MARTIN IN SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS WHEN THEY CAME PRESENT WITH YOU ALL.
I THINK I WAS TALKING WITH DR. MARTIN AND JUST GOT LOST IN SOME OF THAT TRANSLATION, UM, DURING SOME OF THAT TRANSITION.
SO, AND AS YOU MENTIONED, I DON'T THINK THEY WANNA GET CAUGHT UP IN, THEY, THEY'RE NOT HERE TO GET BETWEEN THE TWO OF US.
THEY WANT TO BE A COLLABORATIVE PARTNER IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
UM, AND THEY WILL BE READY WHENEVER WE'RE WILLING TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AS A GROUP.
UM, BUT YEAH, SO THE BIG RECAP IS THE TOWN OWNS PARCEL COUNTY OWNS PARCEL.
WE JOINTLY OWN TWO THE WAY IT'S CURRENTLY CONFIGURED.
IT IS NOT STRATEGIC TO DO ANYTHING WITH.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN THIS CONVERSATION OF IF YOU GO TO SELL IT, DO YOU BOUNDARY ADJUST NOW? DO YOU GET IT UNDER CONTRACT AND CONTROL? AND THEN YOU DO THE BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, NOT TO, YOU KNOW, PUT MORE PRESSURE ON MR. BARKER, BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, THAT ASSET WORKING FOR THE COUNTY, IT'D BE GREAT TO GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM HIM ON THOUGHTS, UM, FOR THE VIABILITY OF THE CO AND SEE WHAT IS LEFT FOR, AGAIN, THE PUBLIC USE OF THE SPRING, IF EVER NEEDED FROM A WATER SOURCE STANDPOINT.
AND TO ENSURE THE PROPER PRESERVATION OF THE MCKAY HOMESTEAD THAT'S STILL THERE.
[00:25:01]
UNDERSTANDING WHEN, AND THIS IS GOING BACK A YEAR AND CONVERSATIONS THAT SUPERVISOR JAMESON HAD WITH THE BATTLEFIELDS, THEY WERE WILLING, I BELIEVE, TO, UM, KEEP THE WATER RIGHTS OUT OF IT AND, AND THE MUNICIPALITIES COULD RETAIN THAT.AND THEN, UH, ALSO FOR THE HISTORIC RUNS, I THINK THERE'S LIKE A HALF ACRE EASEMENT AROUND THEM THAT THEY WOULD RESPECT THAT TOO.
OF COURSE, I HAVEN'T BEEN AT THE TABLE WITH MR. WALKER AND, AND I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT THAT IT DIED ON THE VEIN WITH DR. MARTIN.
SO IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY ON US TO, TO RENEW THAT OUT.
AND I THINK THEY'RE JUST OPEN TO ANY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST BRING THOSE IDEAS AS A GROUP TO THEM OF WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE AND THEN THEY CAN, I, I FEEL LIKE AT THAT POINT THEY'LL MAKE A DECISION ON IF IT'S WORTH FOR THEM TO BE THE HOLDER OF IT.
UM, BUT I DO THINK IT STARTS WITH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY TO COME TO SOME TYPE OF AGREEMENT OF WHAT WE SEE THAT FUTURE OF THIS PROPERTY.
BECAUSE REALLY BEFORE HAVING THE CONVERSATION WITH THEM, WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION AMONGST OURSELVES.
IS, I MEAN IF THE, THE DESIRE OF BOTH OF THESE BOARDS IS TO MARKET THAT AS COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, THERE'S NO POINT IN TALKING TO THEM ANYWAY.
I THINK AT THE TIME I THINK SOME CITIZENS HAD REACHED OUT TO THEM ABOUT WANTING TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT EITHER OF THE BOARDS HAD GOTTEN TO A POINT WHERE THEY WERE LIKE WILLING TO SAY, YEAH, WE'RE NOT GONNA, YOU KNOW, I MEAN WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL, THAT PROPERTY WAS BEING SOLD COMMERCIALLY BY, BY BUSINESSES, OR AT LEAST ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT I KNOW OF THAT TOOK, IT TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL.
IT WASN'T JUST LIKE AN INTEREST, BUT A TRUE INTEREST.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE WORLD FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN WITH EVERYTHING WITH THE EDA AND OR AND, AND SO I THINK THAT THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS.
AND THEN JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, IT'S JUST KIND OF HUNG IN THERE.
LIKE, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH IT? YEAH.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD, AS YOU SAID, MAYBE TO GET, UM, MR. BARK, LIKE MR. BARKER'S TAKE ON WHAT THE VIABILITY OF THAT SPACE WOULD BE MORE.
THE TWO THINGS THAT I THINK THAT THE TOWN HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR ABOUT, OR AT LEAST THE COUNCIL SINCE, YOU KNOW, IS THAT, UM, THAT WOULD NOT INCLUDE THE SPRINGS AND UM, AND THE RUINS.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT PEOPLE SAID AS MUCH ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO.
I THINK THAT HAS TO BE PRESERVED.
HISTORICALLY, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE WATER IS DIFFERENT RECOGNIZED SITE, BUT WE AS A GROUP, AND I BELIEVE SOME OF THE REZONINGS HAVE SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT, IT'S WRITTEN IN DOCUMENTS THAT WE'VE CARVED OUT A HALF AN ACRE.
AND THEN IT TALKS ABOUT HOW TO PRESERVE THAT AS RIGHT.
AND THEN THERE'S PROPERS ON A LOT OF IT ABOUT WHAT THE ARCHITECTURAL, WHAT THE END USERS CAN BE PROPER DOUBT SPECIFIC USES.
IT HAS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, ARCHITECTURALLY LOOK LIKE THE OLD RUINS, I THINK.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ITS OWN COLORS, ET CETERA, MEET THE HIGHWAY QUARTER OVERLAY DISTRICTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE THAT THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED AS WELL TO TAKE INTO A, IT WOULD ALSO BE GOOD TO GET FROM VO LIKE A, UH, A DEFINITIVE ANSWER ON WHAT INGRESS INGRESS WILL THEY CURRENTLY ALLOW.
BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING WHEN THE FARM STAMP THING WAS BEING DISCUSSED IS THAT THEY DON'T WANT ANY ENTRYWAY FROM 5 22.
SO IT'S GOTTA BE DOWN RELIANCE MM-HMM
UM, THEY'VE INCREASED THE BUFFER THAT'S REQUIRED.
SO GETTING THAT, UH, IN WRITING WOULD HELP ASSESS THE COMMERCIAL VIABILITY OF THAT LOT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS A COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL THERE, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW THE TAX REVENUE STREAM FROM THAT VERSUS IF IT BECAME A, SOME KIND OF A MONUMENT OR PARK OR WHATEVER THE BATTLEFIELDS WOULD DO.
UM, WHAT TOURISM IMPACT WOULD THAT HAVE? AND IT, IT MAY NOT BE AS MUCH OF A REVENUE DRIVER, BUT IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE A BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY MM-HMM
COMMUNITY AND, AND WORTH ASSESSING THAT.
AND THE PROS AND CONS OF BOTH.
I DEFINITELY THINK, AND NOT TRYING TO THROW ANYTHING AT THE LAST MINUTE, BUT YOU KNOW, WE FINALLY HAVE SOMEONE WITH THE EXPERTISE TO GIVE US AGREED.
THAT FROM THAT POINT OF VIEW, BECAUSE I KNOW I DON'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO SAY WHAT IS THE BEST USE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE SO MUCH LAND LEFT TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF.
SO I THINK WE, WE'VE GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN WHATEVER WE DECIDE TO DO AND AND HAVING, UH, HIM I THINK IS PROBABLY THE BEST THING FOR LET HIM EVALUATE IT AND THEN BRING US ALL TOGETHER AND SAY, AT LEAST FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW.
AND ACTUALLY I BELIEVE THE LAST TIME THAT WHEN
[00:30:01]
I WAS SAYING BEFORE THAT, UH, COMMERCIAL INTEREST WAS WHEN DOUG PARSONS WAS THERE, I'M PRETTY SURE.SO, UM, I WOULD TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.
BUT AS FAR AS THE FAIRVIEW, I STILL THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A STRUCTURE THAT'S THERE AND IT'S GONNA CRUMBLE AND DETERIORATE IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING.
SO, AND I KNOW THAT'S COUNTY, BUT STILL, UM, I DON'T, HE AT THE HOUSE IN FRONT OF CISCO MM-HMM
I COULDN'T REMEMBER HAD THE CARPET.
I THOUGHT MAYBE, AND I, YOU KNOW, I ASKED THE HOMESTEADERS ABOUT THAT.
WE EVEN ASKED, UM, THE BATTLEFIELD ASSOCIATION AND THEY, THEY DID SHOW SOME INTEREST IN THAT AS WELL MM-HMM
BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT'S PROBABLY, 'CAUSE THAT WAS A HOSPITAL, RIGHT? I THINK MM-HMM.
I MEAN IT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT BE, WELL I HAVEN'T BEEN IN, IT LOOKS MORE INTACT IN MORE INTACT THAN THE CHIMNEY CHINEY.
IF WE DON'T BE PROACTIVE, IT'S GONNA BE IN THE SAME SHAPE THAT THE OTHER IS.
AND IT IS A SHAME BECAUSE WEREN'T YOU'RE THE HISTORIAN ON THAT, WEREN'T THEY BROTHERS? YEAH, IT WAS FAMILY MCKAY AND THEN THE HUGHES ALSO.
BUT, AND WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I DO FEEL TONS OF THE ESSENCE OF THAT COULD END UP LOOKING LIKE THE OTHER, AND IT WAS GIFTED TO COUNTY AS PART OF THE CISCO ZONE WOULD BE GREAT TO SOMEHOW, AGAIN, MAKE THAT AS A PRIORITY AND AS, AS A COMM, AS COMMUNITY WIDE, YOU KNOW, TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT REMAINS THERE FOR ME.
THAT JUST BECAUSE THE HOUSE IS THERE AND THE ACREAGE THAT'S THERE, IF YOU LOOKED AT A PLACE FOR TOURISTS TO PULL OVER, UH, GET A LITTLE HISTORY IN A PICNIC AREA OR SOMETHING THAT MAKES MORE SENSE TO ME MM-HMM
THAN THE CASE, THE OTHERS, UH, THE SPRINGS JUST BECAUSE OF THAT BUSY INTERSECTION MM-HMM
I, AS A PARENT AND A GRANDPARENT, YOU'D HAVE TO CHANNELING FOR THAT THING ALL FOR ME TO FEEL SECURE TO HAVE CHILDREN AND WANT TO DO A PICNIC OR SOMETHING THERE.
WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN TALKING TO THE HERITAGE SOCIETY BECAUSE WE DO HAVE AN EXISTING MOU WITH THAT MOMENT.
AND LAST WEEK OR THE WEEK BEFORE, WE HAD A MEETING WITH, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO THE FORMER DIRECTOR WAS, UM, BEFORE YOU YES.
UM, SO PATRICK CAME IN KIND OF TALK THROUGH WHAT THE VISION WAS BEFOREHAND.
AND SO THE ENTRANCE WOULDN'T BE OFF OF 5 22, IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE WHERE THE BERM IS BEHIND THE HOUSE.
SO WE'D HAVE TO PARTNER WITH CISCO IN ORDER TO COME IN FROM THE BACK.
AND SO, UM, 'CAUSE THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HOUSE AS WELL AND HOW TO BASICALLY UPDATE THAT AND PROJECT IT.
I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE UNFORESEEN, YOU DRIVE PAST IT AND DON'T THINK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME, BUT IT IS A, A PIECE OF HISTORY MM-HMM
FOR THE COUNTY JUST AS MUCH AS THE OTHER ONE IS.
I HATE TO SEE BUILDINGS AND BARNS AND THINGS DETERIORATING AND FALL DOWN.
AND IT DOES SEEM LIKE THE BATTLEFIELD IS, 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE DIDN'T THEY JUST ACQUIRE SOMETHING ELSE RECENTLY TOO? I CAN'T THINK.
THEY'RE CONSTANTLY GETTING DIFFERENT ACREAGE IN.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T HAVE A, A LARGE PRESENCE IN WARREN COUNTY.
THEY HAVE SOME BELL GROVE AREA AND SOME OF EAST THERE, BUT IN DOWNTOWN, THEY DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE A LARGE PRESENCE FROM THE SHENDO VALLEY BATTLEFIELD FOUNDATION.
AND SO WE ARE KIND OF THEIR GATEWAY COMING IN FROM NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
SO WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS, HOW DO WE IMPLY THAT? 'CAUSE THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
YOU'LL SEE CIVIL WAR TRAILS, DIFFERENT ENTITIES, CIVIL WAR AND VALLEY BATTLEFIELD FOUNDATION.
SO THEY'RE NOT IN ONE IN THE SAME.
SO IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO DISTINGUISH THE TWO.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THE DIRECTION FORWARD THAT IS TO, UM, HAVE MR. BARKER, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY, UM, DIG INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND YEAH, I MEAN, I CAN MAKE BETWEEN, I'D SAY THAT MS. MEADOW AND MYSELF AND MR. BARKER GET TOGETHER AND PLAN TO PRESENT FUTURE OF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DIFFERENT IDEAS BASED ON, UM, WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH.
AND AFTER THAT, MAYBE WHEN WE SEE IT EVEN WORTH LOOKING AT YOU OR WHATEVER, WE COULD SHOW THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASSESS THE BATTLEFIELD ASSOCIATION MM-HMM
SO NUMBER FOUR WAS GONNA BE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATE.
SO WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ME? I KNOW, I, I MEAN, HONESTLY, WE USUALLY, WE USUALLY GO UP THERE, BUT
[00:35:01]
IT PROBABLY WOULD BE BETTER THERE AS LONG AS WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN HEAR IF EVERYBODY CAN HEAR IT.IT'LL BE OKAY, CHARLES, WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO TELL ME WHEN YOU WANT ME TO START THE POWER ALL.
I I CAN FOLLOW THAT, THOSE DIRECTIONS.
IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK IN FRONT OF YOU ALL.
SO, UM, BEFORE I GET INTO THE PRESENTATION, I JUST WANNA SAY IT, I, IT'S BEEN REALLY ENJOYABLE, UH, ALL THE WORK.
UM, I'M SURE YOU KNOW THIS ALREADY, BUT YOU HAVE FANTASTIC PEOPLE, UH, BOTH WORKING YOU BOTH IN THE, IN THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY, BUT ALSO IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THEY HAVE BEEN JUST BEEN SUPER GIVING AND, AND OFFERING YOU THEIR TIME AND, AND, AND SUCH.
SO, UM, JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW WHAT YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW, BUT SOMEONE COMING IN JUST TO REINFORCE THAT FACT.
SO, UM, SO, UM, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH TODAY IS JUST KIND OF WHERE THINGS HAS BEEN SINCE THE LAST TIME WE DID THE, THE KIND OF WORK PLAN UPDATE BACK IN JUNE.
AND A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IS MORE ABOUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE BRING WHAT IN SENSE.
YOU ALREADY KNOW YOU HAVE OVER HALF OF YOUR WORKING RESIDENTS LEAVING THE COMMUNITY EVERY DAY.
AND WHAT THIS, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK ON, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH TODAY IS KIND OF IN PART BUILT TO TRY TO BRING SOME OF THOSE HOME.
I THINK THAT'S AT THE END GAME WE GET THERE.
SO THIS IS A LONG LIST OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA COVER TODAY.
UM, WE'VE COVERED A LOT OF GROUND, UH, OVER THE LAST, YOU KNOW, THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.
UM, WE WILL GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE, UH, THEN WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL KEY ON SOME KEY TAKEAWAYS, UH, THAT WE WANT YOU, I WANT YOU ALL TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF.
TALK ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO NEXT, AND THEN WE CAN OBVIOUSLY HAVE A QUESTION AND ANSWER IF Y'ALL ARE, ARE WILLING TO DO THAT.
SO, UM, THE FIRST THING WE, I, LET'S TALK ABOUT LISTENING SECTIONS.
UM, I KNOW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, I KNOW IT WELL ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT TO DO, TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT NEEDS TO BE IN SYNC IN LINE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO I KNEW I NEEDED TO GET OUT THERE AND TALK TO PEOPLE.
UM, SO FAR I'M OVER LIKE 60 SOME ODD PEOPLE THAT I'VE TOUCHED WITH.
SO ANYONE THAT WOULD GIVE ME ANY TIME EMPLOYERS, PROPERTY OWNERS, COMMUNITY GROUPS, CITIZENS, SOMEONE ON THE STREET, DIDN'T MATTER.
UM, I REALLY WANTED TO HEAR FROM THEM BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO KIND OF, AS WE GO FURTHER ON, REALLY HELP TO SHAPE A LOT OF WHAT SLIDES, WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE TODAY.
UH, BUT THE KEY, UH, THREE, THREE TAKEAWAYS WHEN THOSE CONVERSATIONS WERE, UM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE GET TO THE TARGET INDUSTRY STUDY THAT A LOT OF THOSE, UM, GAVE ME KIND OF FILTERS OR TESTS ON WHAT COMMUNITY WANTED TO SEE.
AND I HEARD REPEATEDLY ABOUT WANTING JOBS THAT PAID ABOVE THE AVERAGE WAGE, WANTING COMPANIES COME IN HERE WITH A DECENT CAPITAL INVESTMENT THAT WOULD HELP CREATE TAX REVENUE FOR THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY TO HELP PAY FOR SERVICES LIKE FIRE AND RESCUE LIKE SCHOOLS AND TRY TO KEEP TAX RATES DOWN.
AND IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN TO BE A GOOD COMMUNITY FIT.
UH, SO IT WASN'T GONNA BE ANYTHING THAT EVERYONE IN NEEDED TO FIT WELL IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WHAT ALSO CAME OUT THAT IS I HEARD THAT, YOU KNOW, OUTDOOR RECREATION, WHICH AGAIN, WE'LL TALK ABOUT ONE OF OUR TARGETS LATER THAT, YOU KNOW, CAME ON THE LIST BECAUSE OF THESE CONVERSATIONS, BECAUSE YOU, AS YOU ALL KNOW, YOU'RE AT MILE ZERO, THE SKYLINE DRIVE, NATIONAL PARK GATEWAY.
UM, AND THEN WHAT WAS KIND OF SURPRISING WHEN I WENT THROUGH THAT, I KNEW WE HAD, YOU ALL HAD A LOT OF ALCHEMY POPULATION, AND I, I KIND OF HAD MY IDEA ON WHO THAT WAS, BUT WHEN I KEPT TALKING TO PEOPLE, THEY SAID, YOU REALLY NEED TO, TO, TO LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS A LITTLE BIT MORE.
THERE'S THERE'S MORE THAN THERE THAN JUST PEOPLE GOING TO OFFICE JOBS AND THEY WERE SMACK ON.
UH, YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE TRADES THAT ARE LEAVING.
SO YOU'VE GOT A PREBUILT WORKFORCE IN THIS THAT'S, UM, AND FOR A LOT OF THE OPERATIONS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT LATER, THAT COULD BE A POSSIBLE FIT FOR THAT.
SO, SO AGAIN, WE'VE DONE ABOUT 60 PLUS FOR THOSE.
I'M TRYING TO STILL GONNA TRY TO ADD 15 OR MORE, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT I DON'T PLAN FOR THIS TO STOP.
IT MIGHT JUST STOP IN THE NUMBER.
UM, BUT I'M GOING TO STILL TRY TO KEEP MYSELF AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THE NEXT BIG THING OBVIOUSLY IS, UH, RETENTION.
RETENTION RETENTION, UM, IS, UH, ARE YOUR EXISTING INDUSTRIES ARE YOUR BEST GROWTH POTENTIALS? FULL STOP.
UM, SO I REALLY WANTED TO GET OUT IN FRONT AND, AND, AND, AND GET SOME OF THESE STRUCTURED VISITS WITH KIND OF THE HIGH VALUE, HIGH IMPACT EMPLOYERS, WHICH I HAVE TO SAY WAS A LITTLE MORE PROBLEMATIC THAN I ANTICIPATED.
UH, UH, A LOT OF 'EM JUST HAD NOT 'CAUSE OF THE VOID YOU HAD IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I WAS KIND OF A, A WHO, A WHAT, YOU KNOW.
SO, UM, SO AGAIN, BUT AFTER WE STARTED, YOU KNOW, KNOCKING DOWN SOME WALLS AND GETTING INSIDE THERE, I MEAN, WE STARTED GETTING SOME BUY IN AND, UH, FOR ME WHAT I REALLY WANTED IT TO BE IS NOT JUST A CONVERSATION.
I WANTED THEM TO FEEL VALUE THAT I WAS ADDING VALUE TO THEM.
SO ONE OF THE LAST QUESTIONS I WOULD ALWAYS ASK THEM IS LIKE, GIVE ME SOMETHING IN
[00:40:01]
THE NEXT 30 OR 60 DAYS THAT I CAN KNOCK DOWN FOR YOU THAT'S GONNA ALLOW YOUR BUSINESS TO DO THINGS BETTER HERE.UM, SO OUT OF THAT, SO WE'VE GOT ABOUT 13 OF THOSE VISITS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE, UM, 14 ISSUES KIND OF CAME OUT OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FOUR MORE THAT ARE OUTSTANDING.
THERE'S FIVE OR SO EXPANSIONS THAT ARE UNDER DISCUSSION AND SOME DIFFERENT LEVEL AND IT'S DIFFERENT SIZES.
SO, UM, GREAT TO SEE, UM, THINGS I KEPT HEARING A LOT ABOUT, WHICH WON'T SURPRISE YOU.
UH, COMPANIES WERE HAVING CHALLENGES WITH THE ENTRY LEVEL WORKERS MM-HMM
UH, HAVING CHALLENGES, FINE FINANCING IN THIS KIND OF TURBULENT ECONOMY, UH, RATE WISE.
UM, AND THEN SOME OF 'EM IN PARTICULAR HAVING CHALLENGES, GETTING WORKERS TO THEIR PLACE OF WORK, UH, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION.
SO, UM, SO THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, ALL KIND OF GOOD, GOOD FOUNDATIONAL ASPECTS.
WE'RE GONNA KEEP THAT PROCESS GOING, TO TRY TO MEET WITH MORE AND MORE.
IT GETS EASIER AS I MEET WITH MORE THAN I CAN LEVERAGE TO SAY, HEY, WELL SO AND SO MET WITH ME, DON'T, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
SO OBVIOUSLY, AGAIN, YOU ALL KNOW THIS SMALL BUSINESS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT FABRIC OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO FOR ME, IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE WENT OUT AND GOT SOME PRACTICAL OPTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES HERE TO KEEP THEM GROWING HERE AND HOPEFULLY HELP 'EM DO ONE START.
SO WE GOT VARIOUS DIFFERENT OPERATIONS THAT WERE GOING ON.
UH, THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER OUT AT LAUREL RIDGE IS COMING OUT HERE THIS MONTH AND NEXT MONTH TO HOLD ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTATIONS.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA COME OUT AGAIN, UH, THE FOLLOWING DAY IN NOVEMBER, DO A SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOP ABOUT HOW TO GET YOUR COMPANY MORE SEEN ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA WEB.
UM, THAT PLAN, WE PLAN FOR THAT TO BE A SERIES.
UM, BUT WE WANTED TO GET SOMETHING ON THE GROUND.
NOW, UM, I'M WORKING ON HOW TO, HOW TO START A BUSINESS GUIDE.
SEEMS KIND OF SIMPLE, BUT THERE'S NOT ONE OUT THERE FOR THEM, UH, FOR NEW PEOPLE AND EXISTING PEOPLE ABOUT HOW TO GET THEIR BUSINESS UP AND RUNNING.
UH, THAT YOUR JOINT, EDA HAS A SEVERAL, UH, UH, LOAN PROGRAMS FOR SMALL BUSINESS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT UNTIL A COUPLE WEEKS AGO,
SO, UH, AND I'M SURE THERE'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES DON'T, SO PART OF ME IS GETTING THAT WORD OUT TO LETTING PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THAT.
SO, PARTICULARLY FOR THIS ONE HERE, PLEASE SHARE, UM, THESE RESOURCES WITH YOUR NETWORKS, PARTICULARLY THE LOAN PROGRAM AND THE WORKSHOPS.
THOSE ARE ALL FREE, AT LEAST THE WORKSHOP AND THE ONE-ON-ONES, THEY'RE ALL FREE.
UM, AND I WOULD SAY THE ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING IN OCTOBER, WE, THERE ARE ONLY FOUR APPOINTMENTS THAT THEY DO BECAUSE THEY DO AN HOUR AND A HALF SESSIONS.
THEY WERE LOCKED OUT IN 24 HOURS, SO, OH KNOW.
SO AGAIN, IT'S THE FIRST TIME SHOW.
WE'LL SEE HOW THE SOPHOMORE DANCE GOES, BUT I MEAN, AGAIN, YOU CAN AT LEAST TELL THERE WAS SOME APPETITE, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT KIND OF SERVICE.
I JUST, US CAN WE SHARE THESE DATES ON OUR LIZ ALREADY? THEY'VE BEEN GREAT.
SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA KIND OF START THE RAMP TOWARD THE, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE TARGET INDUSTRIES, AND OBVIOUSLY TO START THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
THE LISTING SESSIONS ARE A BIG PART OF IT, BUT ALSO IS KIND OF UNDERSTANDING WHO, WHO WE ARE, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO OFFER, AND WHERE WE PERHAPS LOSING GROUND TO SOME, SOME OF OUR PEERS.
SO A LOT OF IT WAS, YOU KNOW, DOING THE COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS, ASSET ANALYSIS AND SUCH.
WE'VE ALREADY HIT ON ONE BIG EDGE, GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE SKILLED AND LEAVING THE AREA EVERY DAY.
UM, ONE GAP THAT WE KNOW ABOUT, UM, UH, THAT WE HAVE KIND OF A MISALIGNMENT ON THE ENDOWMENT PROCESS IN THE COUNTY, IN THE TOWN, UM, AS RELEASED TO ZONING AND OTHER ASPECTS.
UM, AND CLEARLY WE'VE GOT SOME ISSUES ON SITE AND WORKFORCE AS FAR AS THE READINESS STATUS OF THOSE WE HAVE TO ADDRESS, PARTICULARLY ON THE SITE STANDPOINT.
THERE'S LIKE 600 SOME ODD ACRES IN THIS COMMUNITY.
ZERO OF IT IS WHAT I CONSIDER READY TO GO.
UM, AND THAT IS BASICALLY A TIER FOUR STATUS ACCORDING TO THE STATE SYSTEM.
SO, UM, THAT'S A, THAT'S, WE'LL GET INTO FURTHER A BIG TOPIC THAT WE JUST, IT, IT'S NOT, IT WILL NOT BE A A ONE OFF, IT WILL NOT BE A QUICK FIX.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, CHOPPING A TREE DOWN AND TRY TO GET THERE.
BUT THE NEXT STEP REALLY IS TO KIND OF WORK WITH AND EVALUATE THE PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE AND TRY TO KEEP MOVING THEM FORWARD AS WELL.
START TURNING AN EYE TOWARD THE DOWNTOWN AND THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE KIND OF, COULD USE SOME REDEVELOPMENT AND START FIGURING OUT WHAT'S THE BEST PROCESS TO, TO GO AFTER THOSE.
AND YOU KNOW, WHICH ONES HAVE THE MOST POTENTIAL BASED ON WHAT'S GONNA TAKE TO GET 'EM BACK TO, UH, REDUCTIVE PART, PART OF THE TAX ROLL AND THEN OWNERSHIP AND OTHER THINGS.
SO THEN ALL THAT LED UP TO THE TARGET INDUSTRY ANALYSIS.
SO OUT OF THAT WHOLE EFFORT, AGAIN FROM THE COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS, THE LISTENING SESSIONS WERE SIX, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDED SECTORS FOR YOU ALL.
THERE ARE EVENTS, ADVANCED PRECISION MANUFACTURING, VALUE ADDED,
ADVANCED LOGISTICS AND TRADE SERVICES, PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL SERVICES, FINANCIAL AND BACK OFFICE AND OUTDOOR RECREATION ECONOMY.
I WILL SAY HONOR THE FINANCIAL BACK OFFICE.
WE'RE STILL DIVING INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT TO MAKE SURE IT CAN GIVE US THE, GIVE YOU ALL THE WAGES THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY ASKED FOR.
[00:45:01]
AND FOR HAVE BEEN PUBLIC SINCE, UH, LAST MONTH.UM, IT WILL, IT WILL COME TO YOU ALL SEPARATELY IN YOUR, ONE OF YOUR MEETINGS FOR DISCUSSION APPROVAL, IF THAT IS WHAT YOU SEE FIT.
SO TO DIVE BACK A LITTLE BIT TO EACH ONE OF THESE, UM, WELL, I KIND OF HAVE 'EM SECOND IN THREE DIFFERENT GROUPS.
ONE IS KIND OF THE MAKING AND MOVING OF THE GOODS.
SO THAT'S YOUR ADVANCED POSITION.
THEY'RE ON THE LIST BECAUSE YOU GOT A LOT OF 'EM ARE ALREADY HERE, PARTICULARLY EXALTED AND TORY.
THEY REALLY PROVIDE A GOOD ANCHOR FROM THAT STANDPOINT.
PLUS WE TALKED ABOUT, AGAIN, REPETITIVE, WE HAVE SKILLS THAT ARE LEAVING THE MARKET.
UH, AND, AND THAT IS IMPORTANT.
SO PACIFIC SECTORS, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GO AFTER THIS, THIS GETS APPROVED OR THOSE, THOSE IN ADVANCED EVENTS, YOU KNOW, AEROSPACE KIND OF ARENA, THE UNMANNED, UH, UH, AERIAL SYSTEMS AND MODULAR POWER ASSEMBLY TO NAME FEW.
THE OTHER ONE ON THE ADVANCED LOGISTICS, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT GENERAL WAREHOUSING HERE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OPERATIONS THAT ARE CONTROLLED UNDER A, A MORE TIGHTER, UH, DISTRIBUTION NETWORK THAT REQUIRE MUCH MORE HIGHER, UH, HIGHER VOLUME OF SECURITY AND SUCH AND GOODS, HIGHER VALUE GOODS.
WE'LL PROVIDE A HIGHER INVESTMENT AND THEN HIGHER WAGES TO GO ALONG WITH IT.
AND THEN COUPLE THAT WITH THE SERVICES THAT RUN THE LOGISTICS.
SO YOUR CUSTOMS, YOUR TRADE OPERATIONS.
AND THEY'RE CLEARLY HERE BECAUSE OF GOT THE VIRGINIA INLAND 4 66 81 CONVERSION AND THE FOREIGN TRADE ZONE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER ONES, I KIND OF TELL THESE ARE KIND OF MORE LIKE THEY'RE ROOTED INSIDE THE BAY AREA.
UH, OBVIOUSLY IT'S EASY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE IS HERE, ALL THE AGRICULTURAL SUPPLY THAT FEEDS THIS MARKET BEING SO CLOSE TO THE WASHINGTON AREA WHERE A LOT OF THE CUSTOMER BASE IS.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING AFTER COMPANIES THAT ARE MAKING SUPPLEMENTS, NUTRITION PRODUCTS, PET FOODS AND SUCH ON THE OUTDOOR RECREATION.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S HERE BECAUSE THAT POPPED UP A LOT DURING THE LISTENING SESSIONS.
GATEWAY TO THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMPANIES THAT ARE MAKING THE GEAR AND APPAREL FOR THAT SECTOR.
YOU KNOW, UH, BRANCH OFFICES THAT MAY WANT TO HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, OUTDOOR BACKGROUND TO WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
SO, UH, AND ON THAT, I I, I WANTED TO REALLY PAUSE BEFORE WE GET TO THE NEXT ONE AND TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT, BECAUSE I FOUND OUT WHEN I WAS HAVING CONVERSATIONS, IT BECAME, THIS GOT A LITTLE VAGUE WITH SOME PEOPLE OR THEY, THEY GOT IT CONFUSED WITH TOURISM MM-HMM
AND, UH, JUST TO BE CLEAR THAT WE'RE ALL SELLING THE, IT'S THE SAME OUTDOORS THAT WE'RE ALL PITCHING.
IT'S JUST FOR TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF JOBS.
TOURISM OBVIOUSLY IS BRINGING VISITORS.
WHATEVER WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IN ECONOMIC ELEMENT IS BRING THAT THE COMPANIES AND THE JOBS WITH THAT.
SO WE'RE GONNA MEASURE SUCCESS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BY THE JOBS, THE WAGES AND THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
WHEREAS THE TOURISM'S LOOKING MORE AT LODGING, THE MEALS TAX MR ACCOUNTS AND SUCH.
SO THEY CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, LINK WITH EACH OTHER WHETHER, YOU KNOW, USING THE TRAILS AND THE TOURISM AS PART OF THE PACKAGE.
BUT WE'RE LOOKING TO RECRUIT THE COMPANIES AND THE, AND THE WORKERS THAT WILL COME WITH THAT.
SO JUST TO MAKE THAT CLEAR, THAT CLEAR THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO.
THE LAST ONE IS THAT PROFESSIONAL OFFICE WORK, THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GONNA FIND YOUR FINANCIAL BACK OFFICE SERVICES.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS ONE THAT'S, CAN WE GET, CAN WE GET TO THE HIGHER WAGE BECAUSE THIS IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST OCCUPATION THAT IS LEAVING THE AREA EVERY DAY FOR WORK.
SO CAN WE MAKE THIS INTO A HIGHER VALUE WAGE JOB? THAT HAS TO BE DETERMINED.
BUT THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE OFFICE SECTOR, AGAIN, THAT'S YOUR ENGINEERING, YOUR IT, CYBERSECURITY KIND OF OPERATIONS.
AGAIN, THE METRO LOCATION IS ONE BIG REASON WHY IT POPS HERE AS WELL AS HAVING YOUR TECHNOLOGY ZONE.
SO TO POWER ALL THOSE, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE SOME, SOME POLICY THAT KIND OF HELPS TO KIND OF ALIGN WITH THAT.
AND, UH, AND THAT REALLY IS TRYING TO MAKE OURSELVES YOUR, AS I SAID BEFORE, UH, YOUR BIGGEST ADVANTAGE IS THAT YOU'RE SMALL AND YOU CAN BE MUCH MORE NIMBLE THAN SOME OF YOUR LARGER COMP, SOME OF THE LARGER COMPETITION.
AND SOME OF THAT REALLY IS LOOKING AT THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING OF THAT COUNTY AND THE CITY HAVE AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT ALIGNS WELL WITH THE COMP PLAN AND THE TARGET INDUSTRY SECTORS.
IF, IF THOSE GET ADOPTED FROM A COUNTY STANDPOINT, THE ENTITLEMENT PROCESS, IT'S JUST BRINGING US UP TO THE SAME LEVEL AS SOME OF THE COMPETITION.
WHETHER IT'S SITE PLAN APPROVAL, WHETHER IT'S WATER AND SEWER FOR THE COUNTY GOING TO THE TOWN AND THEN LOOKING AT THE TECHNOLOGIES OUT FOR THE TOWN.
AND, YOU KNOW, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT RIGHT NOW THE ADMINISTRATION LIES WITHIN THE EDA, IS THAT BETTER SUITED TO COME TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO THIS DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, AS A WAY TO, UH, ADMINISTER THAT STUDY STANDPOINT.
A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS GOING ON.
BUT THE OTHER ONE IS THAT THEY, THAT BIG FORMAL INCENTIVE POLICY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADDING TRANSPARENCY AND, AND CLEAR DEFINITIONS ON WHO THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY REALLY ARE, ARE GOING TO GO THAT EXTRA MILE FOR.
UM, SO THE COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT AND THE COMPANIES KNOW THAT.
AND LASTLY, WE'RE PUTTING THE BIG BOW AROUND EVERYTHING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTA, WE HAVE A WAY TO TELL OUR STORY, YOU KNOW, TO THE EMPLOYERS SITE SELECTS AND RESIDENTS IN A WAY, IN ONE CLEAR, UNIFIED WAY.
UM, AND WE'RE DOING THAT WITH THE CONSULTANT CALLED CONSCIENTIOUS MEDIA.
[00:50:01]
A LOGO DESIGN AS WELL AS KIND OF COMING UP WITH THEIR KIND OF POSITIONING STATEMENT.YOU KNOW, FOR US, THE BRAND WILL COME IN SOMETIME IN LATER THIS MONTH LOGO, THE FOLLOWING MONTH WEBSITE, UM, SOON AFTER.
SO I HAD, I KIND OF PICKED THEM 'CAUSE I TOLD 'EM I WANNA MOVE.
UM, I, I DON'T WANNA BE WAITING A YEAR FOR, FOR THESE THINGS.
WE GOTTA, WE'RE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL.
WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO BE SMART, WE NEED TO PUT TOGETHER A GOOD PRODUCT, BUT LET'S JUST, LET'S GET THIS, GET THIS PROJECT DONE.
SO, AND THIS IS, THAT'S WHO, UM, JARED WOMAN COLORS AND MYSELF MET WITH.
AND THEY, I WILL SAY THEY DEEMED VERY, UM, VERY PROFESSIONAL.
I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA GET AN OUTSTANDING PRODUCT OUT.
YEAH, I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT I FELT CONFIDENT WITH THEM FOR SURE.
SO FOR YOU ALL THE KEY TAKEAWAYS ARE JUST TO KNOW GROUNDWORK'S BEING LAID OUT.
THERE WE'RE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE TARGET INDUSTRIES WE'RE WORKING ON KIND OF GET THE SITES TO A MORE READY STANDPOINT.
THE BRAND ITSELF IS MOVING PROCESS BOARD.
THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE THAT ARE LEAVING ARE GONNA BE, GOTTA BE PART OF THE PITCH, YOU KNOW, WITH OVER HALF OF YOUR COMMUTING.
IT, IT, IT, IT JUST, IT LEANS ON THAT REALLY HEAVILY.
UM, IF I SAID BEFORE, SPEED IS OUR FRIEND.
UM, RIGHT NOW SPEED IS OUR GAP.
UM, SO WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO CLOSE THAT IN A REASONABLE WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN BE COMPETITIVE FOR PROJECTS.
SO, AND I'LL JUST LEAVE YOU WITH THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, FROM MY STANDPOINT, THE INDUSTRY, UH, TARGET HISTORY ADOPTION IS PRETTY CRITICAL.
UM, THAT'S GONNA COME TO THE TOWN OF THE COUNTY INDIVIDUALLY.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'LL LEAD INTO THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO WHILE I'VE GOT THAT COOKING, I'M HESITANT TO KIND OF PUSH THAT FORWARD.
SO WE GET THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT DIRECTION ON THE TARGET INDUSTRIES, THE SITE READINESS IS SOMETHING THAT'S JUST GONNA TAKE TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON THAT WITH SLAVE RUN FARM.
WE'RE DOING SOME THINGS IN PROGRESS BUSINESS PARK, DOING SOME THINGS WITH APTEX, BUT IT JUST, THEIR THINGS ARE JUST, THEY, THEY TAKE TIME AND THEY TAKE MONEY MM-HMM
UM, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THE POLICY UPDATES, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GET ACTION ON THE, ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE COMING OUT.
BUT, UM, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS ON WHERE YOU, WHERE YOU WANNA SEE US PRIORITIZE ON, BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, I TELL PEOPLE EIGHT TIMES, I'M NOT BORED, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS TO DO.
UM, I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO BE STRATEGIC IN WHAT WE THINK CAN BE TO BRING THE MOST VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, AT THE, THE, THE, THIS, YOU KNOW, REASONABLE METHOD.
COULD YOU EXPAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ON SITE READINESS? I KNOW YOU AND I TALKED ONE ON ONE.
YEAH, I MEAN, WE DON'T, WELL, WE DON'T, UM, ACTUALLY OWN ANY LAND, BUT I MEAN, SITE READINESS IN MY MIND IS HAVING A PLACE THAT'S ALL GRADED OUT.
MAYBE IT'S, UM, UM, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR? UM, SLAB?
NOW, IT WOULD, THE ULTIMATE FIRST GOAL IS JUST GET A SITE READY THAT'S GOT ALL THE STUDIES THAT NEED TO BE DONE SO THAT THERE'S THE OTHER WORRY ABOUT IS THERE CAR TOPOGRAPHY, IS THERE ENDANGERED SPECIES, IS THERE A WETLAND THERE? YOU KNOW MM-HMM
UM, UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO LAY THE WATER SEWER IN THE ROADS, BUT WE NEED A CLEAR PLAN, AN ENGINEERED PLAN THAT TELLS SPECIFICALLY HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO TAKE AND WHERE THE MONEY'S GONNA COME FROM, FROM THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE BASIC, THAT'S THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO.
WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS KIND OF DOWN THE ROAD.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT, LITERALLY LET'S JUST GET TO THAT TIER FOUR STATUS, WHICH IS JUST HAVING AS MUCH AS YOU CAN DE-RISK AND KNOW, SO WHEN THE CLIENTS COME, YOU DON'T GOTTA SAY, HANG ON A SECOND, LET ME GO TALK TO PUBLIC WORKS AND GET AN ANSWER FOR YOU ON THAT.
SO, SO THAT, THAT'S LITERALLY WHERE WE ARE ON SOME OF THIS.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY ONCE WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA, AS WE CAN START MOVING SOME OF THOSE FORWARD, SO AGAIN, WE KNOW HOW LONG ROAD TAKES, WE KNOW HOW LONG, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP MOVE THOSE FORWARD? YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S, MAYBE WE CAN'T DO THE FULL ROAD, WE CAN GET A DESIGN DONE.
SO THAT PART AT LEAST IS DONE.
SO WHEN SOMEONE COMES IN, YOU'RE NOT WAITING THREE MONTHS FOR AN ENGINEER TO DO SOMETHING.
SO IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A LOT, BUT IT MATTERS A TON.
'CAUSE MOST COMPANIES, I MEAN, AGAIN, YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY BEFORE, IT'S A, IT'S AN ELIMINATION PROCESS AT FIRST, NOT WHO'S GOT THE BEST SIGHT.
AND RIGHT NOW WITH, WITHOUT HAVING, BEING ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND, AND, AND DE-RISK THINGS, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE LEFT OUT.
AND IS THAT, IN YOUR OPINION, IS THAT BEST MET THOSE INITIAL NEEDS BY HAVING AN IN-HOUSE ENGINEER OR GOING OUTSIDE TO GET CONSULTANTS TO LOOK AT TOPOGRAPHY, ROADS, UM, UTILITIES, THINGS LIKE THAT? THE STATE, THE, THE STATE CERTIFICATION PROCESS REQUIRES A LICENSED ENGINEER OKAY.
SO, UM, THE STATE HAS A, A GRANT PROCESS TO DO WHAT THEY CALL THE, THE FIRST, IT'S CALLED A SITE CHARACTERIZATION.
UM, WE ACTUALLY JUST DID THAT WITH SLATE RUN FARM.
UH, BUT, SO IT'S, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF USING THE TIMS GROUP TO EVALUATE IT.
UM, AND THAT SHOULD COME BACK HERE RELATIVELY SHORTLY AS FAR AS WHAT TIER STATUS THAT IT IS.
AND THAT'S THE FIRST STEP TO TELL US, OKAY,
[00:55:01]
WHAT ALL ELSE NEEDS TO BE DONE.AND AGAIN, THE STATE AND THEIR INFINITE WISDOM HAS AN ADDITIONAL GRANT PROCESS TO HELP DO SOME OF THIS STUDY WORK.
NOW, I'M SURE THE, THE, THE LIST WILL BE LONG AND WE'LL BE PRICING.
SO YOU HAVE TO PRIORITIZE WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA BUILD THIS IN ONE DAY.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO START MOVING ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT REPORTS OR STUDIES THAT AREN'T DONE THAT WE CAN TRY TO REASONABLY GO AFTER? AND THAT, THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL BE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER.
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, SO THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS FIRST PHASE WAS JUST COUNTED.
LET'S JUST GET IT DONE, FIGURE OUT WHERE WE ARE.
IT'S A LOW HANGING FRUIT, MODESTLY LOW COST FRUIT.
THE NEXT STEP'S GONNA BE SIGNIFICANT.
SO OBVIOUSLY YOU AND I, YOU AND HIM ARE ON THE SAME PAGE AND YOU'VE DISCUSSED THESE, BUT I THINK IT'S GREAT, AT LEAST FOR ME TO HEAR THAT.
AND I, I THINK FOR THE PUBLIC HERE, WHY THAT'S GOOD.
ASKED ON THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES FOR POLICY UPDATES IS THAT TO COME, IS THAT IT'LL COME, I THINK SOME OF IT'S WAITING FOR SOME OF THE STAFF SITUATION AT THE, OF THE TOWN STANDPOINT TO GET SETTLED.
CASE RELATES TO THE ZONING SIDE OF IT AND SUCH.
SO ONCE THOSE GET IN THE, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU'LL CLEARLY, I THINK THE INCENTIVE POLICY IS PROBABLY THE FIRST THING YOU'LL SEE.
UM, THAT'S FAIRLY CLOSE TO, TO BEING, UH, READY FOR, FOR THE BOARD AND TOWN'S CONSUMPTION.
UH, BUT THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SAYING THEY'RE COMING.
YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE SIDES THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WAITING FOR SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, JOE.
HE'S WELL AWARE, EAGER, JUST TO GET INVOLVED.
UM, WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO BE, UH, AWARE OF THE STAFFING SITUATION.
SO I JUST, ALL OF IT TAKES TIME.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO BRING IT UP AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AND, YOU KNOW, AND MOST DEFINITELY NEED TO, AND EVERYTHING NEEDS TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC.
THE TRANSPARENCY BE AS WE GO FORWARD, IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.
UH, PUBLIC NEEDS NEEDS AMPLE TIME AND REASONABLE TIME TO REVIEW DOCUMENTS, ASK QUESTIONS.
AS I TELL PEOPLE, ANYONE, MY DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M I'LL, I'LL MEET WITH JUST ABOUT ANYONE AS LONG AS I CAN FIT IT IN MY SCHEDULE.
SO IF THERE'S QUESTIONS MM-HMM
ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING ON THE TARGETS OR IN APA, LET'S, LET'S HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. BARKER? ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THANK YOU.
AND IF YOU WANT TO SEND THAT TO, UH, SWEET.
CHARLES HAS, YOU HAVE, HAVE ALL MY SECRETS WE CAN MAKE, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, IT'D BE GOOD TO SEND IT TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, JUST, YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY.
UH, THE LAST ITEM IS THE TOURISM.
UM, AND I THINK, THINK MR. PETTY SENT, UM, EDIT CHANGES.
OH, EVERYBODY HAS A HARD COPY TOO.
I HAVE, SO, SO THIS WAS THE COUNTY'S ORIGINAL ONE AND THIS WAS WHAT, UM, WHAT THE COUNCIL DISCUSSED THE OTHER NIGHT.
AND I THINK WHEN WE SENT IT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE THOUGHT IN CASE CHERYL WANTED TO COMPARE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, COMPARE THE TWO DOCUMENTS, I'LL BE HONEST, BUT THE LAST FEW DAYS HAVE BEEN SPENT DEALING WITH, UH, SICK FAMILY.
UM, DO YOU, I WAS GONNA SAY, BECAUSE YOU HAVE RED, PROBABLY THE RED LINE TOO, OR DO YOU WANNA GO OVER LIKE THE DIFFERENT, OR DO WE WANNA DO IT LIKE THAT? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU ALL WANT DO IT BECAUSE, SO WE COULD START OFF WITH, UM, THE VERY FIRST PARAGRAPH.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S DIFFERENT.
I THINK THE FIRST PARAGRAPH THE SAME, RIGHT? I, I I THINK A LOT OF IT, UM, WE JUST ACTUALLY JUST CUT SECTIONS OUT, TO BE FRANK.
UM, I THINK THAT FIRST PARAGRAPH I CAN HOLD UP MY SCREEN.
IT'S THE SAME, I'M, I'M LOOKING AT THE TWO THINGS THE VERY FIRST AND THEN JUST GOT A LITTLE BIT BIGGER FONT HERE.
I MEAN, ULTIMATELY WE WILL SAY THAT IT'S, IT WENT FROM SO MANY PAGES DOWN, EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT.
I THINK THE, YEAH, THE FIRST, THE FIRST EXACTLY.
I WAS LOOKING AT THE FIRST SECTION.
THE FIRST, ONCE YOU GET INTO THE PURPOSE, IT BEGINS TO CHANGE.
CAN I SAY SOMETHING BEFORE WE GET INTO THIS? SO, WITH THE ELECTION OF THE NEW BOARD AND THE CONTINUATION OF THE BOARD, I, I KNOW CHERYL HAS TALKED ABOUT THIS MANY TIMES AND, AND HER SLOGAN, SLOGANS WERE BETTER TOGETHER.
[01:00:02]
I WAS GONE FOR 11 YEARS, CAME BACK AND DECIDED THE LOVE OF THE COMMUNITY TO GET RE-INVOLVED ON A LOT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS.ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK THE TOWN, NOT MY OPINION OF THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY IN THE PAST HAS BEEN, THERE'S BEEN ANIMOSITIES, THERE'S BEEN DISAGREEMENTS, THERE'S BEEN, WE GOT ONE OVER ON YOU.
TRUST THAT WE SAY WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, OR YOU GUYS SAY WHAT YOU WERE GONNA DO.
I LIKE TO THINK THAT WE'RE IN A NEW CHAPTER IN THAT RELATIONSHIP.
UM, AND IN IN SAYING THAT, I, I HOPE THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THIS AS A DOCUMENT WHERE THERE IS GONNA BE A DEFINITE AMOUNT OF TRUST BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE IN UNCHARTED WATERS, UNKNOWN WATERS.
BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THIS GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY.
AND PATRICK MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR EDA VERSUS PATRICK'S ROLE, AND, UH, THE GOOD JOB YOU GUYS DID IN HIRING SOMEBODY AND WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO REALISTICALLY WITH OUR A DA.
AND I THINK AS WE LOOK AT THIS, AND LET'S JUST SUPPOSE WE COME TO AN AGREEMENT THERE AND THEN WE LOOK AT HOW CAN WE ASSIST IN ECONOMICALLY AND CAN WE FINANCIALLY HELP THE COUNTY WHO, UH, BECAUSE YOU HIRED A PROFESSIONAL, BLESS IF, IF WE CAN HELP FINANCIALLY TOWARDS THAT, WE ALL ACKNOWLEDGE HE'S AN EXPERT IN IT.
I WOULD NEVER WANT TO SAY, I'LL GIVE YOU $5, PATRICK, BUT YOU GOTTA SPEND IT ON THIS.
AND I SAY THAT TRUTHFULLY IN SAYING THERE'S GOT TO BE TRUST.
AND I THINK THAT IF WE DO THIS, THIS AGREEMENT GET GOING FORWARD, THERE'S OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALLY AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT COLLABORATIVELY OR COLLECTIVELY TOGETHER.
SO I, I JUST ASK, IF WE LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, WE'RE NOT COMPETING, WE'RE NOT COMPETITORS.
WE'RE TRYING TO UNIFY SOMETHING THAT MAKES IT THE BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I, I JUST ASK US ALL TO KEEP THAT IN OUR MIND AS WE GO THROUGH AND WHAT DO WE NEED IN THIS AGREEMENT TO FEEL COMFORTABLE, UM, GOING SO, SO BOB'S UP NOW, AND I DON'T, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD FAILED ATTEMPTS FOR MAKING THIS WORK.
NOBODY WAS DOING ANYTHING WITH IT.
AND I GOT KIND OF FRUSTRATED BECAUSE I DRIVE THREE 40, THAT'S WHERE I LIVE, AND I SEE ALL THE TOURS.
I'M GOING TO PAGE COUNTY, I NAVIGATE THE TRACTOR, YOU KNOW, THE TRAVEL TRAILERS.
AND, UM, WHEN I GO UP THERE, I SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND I, I'VE MISSED OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE WE COULDN'T COLLABORATE TOGETHER.
SO THAT WAS THE FRUSTRATION THAT SAID, OKAY, WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING.
AND THANK GOODNESS JANE, UM, BECAUSE I CAN SAY IT, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT.
AND THE BEAUTY OF WHAT CAME OUT OF THAT WAS A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT IT HAS GROWN AS, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE YOU'RE A PART OF IT HAS GROWN.
AND THE, THE THING I THINK THAT HAS MADE IT SUCCESSFUL IS WE HAVEN'T FOUGHT OVER THE MONEY.
MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.
BUT IT SURE MAKES, IT MAKES LIFE DIFFICULT AND, AND BETTER AT THE SAME TIME.
AND SO THAT, THAT'S THE STICKING POINT FOR ME.
IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T TRUST YOU, I JUST FEEL LIKE IS, AS I'VE SAID SEVERAL TIMES, WHAT WE HAVE IS, IS AN INFANT.
AND WE'RE WANTING TO SWITCH IT UP.
AND INSTEAD OF LETTING THE PROCESS GROW AND SEE WHERE I JUST FEEL LIKE IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER SO WELL AND WE'VE HAD SOME PRETTY DARN GOOD EVENTS THAT HAVE BEEN COLLABORATION.
WHAT WE HAVE IS A COLLABORATION AND AUGMENTATION OF EACH OTHER.
WE ALL BRING DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND WHO WOULD'VE EVER THOUGHT, I MEAN, WHEN I STARTED THIS, I WAS BEGGING PEOPLE TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE AND BECAUSE THEY WERE FED UP, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY WERE HONEST WITH IT.
UM, IT WAS, I WAS PART OF IT BEFORE AND IT BECAME A CRAP SHOW
[01:05:01]
AND THEY DIDN'T WANNA GET INVOLVED IN IT AGAIN.AND I BEGGED AND THEY ARE NOT ACTIVE IN THE COMMITTEE EVERY TIME IT NEEDS, BUT THEY'RE IN THE BACKGROUND AND ALWAYS THERE TO SUPPORT ANYTHING THAT GOES ON.
SO THAT, THAT IS WHERE I'M CONCERNED THAT WE'RE NOW GOING TO START MIXING MONEY AND IT'S ALREADY BACK HOW MANY BACK AND FORTH WE HAVE ON THIS.
THAT'S, AND YOU KNOW, SO TO ME, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, JOHN, YOU CAN STEP IN.
UM, I JUST FEEL LIKE GETTING BACK INTO WHO'S DOING WHAT WITH MONEY AND IT'S, IT'S GONNA CREATE AN ANIMOSITY THAT'S NOT THERE RIGHT NOW IN THIS THING.
WE'RE GONNA LOSE THE PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE THAT HAVE WORKED TO MAKE ALL THESE THINGS SUCCESSFUL AND HAVEN'T COST US ANYTHING IN LABOR.
IF WE LOSE THAT, IT'S GONNA COST BOTH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY MORE MONEY TO PAY FOR THOSE THINGS.
IT'S NOT THE DISTRUST OF WHAT ARE YOU GONNA SPEND THE MONEY.
I FEEL LIKE SINCE YOU KNOW, THE TOURISM MONEY, IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME THAT THE COUNTY HAS TO USE IT FOR TOURISM WHERE THE TOWN DOES IT.
SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERYTHING THAT IF THE STATE COMES, STARTS LOOKING AT WHAT DID YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY ON? THAT'S WHERE THE ACCOUNTABILITY PART ON MY, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, UM, THAT I HEARD THAT IT FELT LIKE IT WAS TOO RESTRICTIVE, UM, ON OUR SIDE.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE THAT COMES IN BECAUSE WE'VE HAD ENOUGH FINANCIAL PROBLEMS WITH AUDITS AND THINGS I DON'T WANT, AND NOT THAT I THINK YOU WOULD MISUSE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT'S, IT'S VERY EASY TO LOSE RECEIPTS OR INVOICES AND THIS AND THAT.
AND THEN THERE WE GO AND AUDIT COMES UP AND SOMEWHERE, SOMEONE, IT DIDN'T GET COVERED AND THEN THERE YOU GO.
SO THAT IS, FOR ME, I, I WISH WE COULD ALL, AND ON MY SIDE AS WELL, I ARGUE THIS WITH MY BOARD MEMBERS ALL THE TIME, THAT FEEL LIKE THERE'S REDUNDANCY GOING.
UM, I, I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE ON OUR SIDE TO, TO DO THE THINGS LIKE WE HAVE BEEN DOING AT EASTON PARK AND OUT AT ROCKLAND PARK AND WHO KNOWS WHERE, UH, FESTIVAL LEAVES WAS OUTSTANDING THIS YEAR.
BUT I CAN REMEMBER WHEN IT FIRST STARTED, WHY CAN'T YOU, IT WAS AT BEING CROSBY STADIUM.
IT WAS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
IT WASN'T ALL JUST AT MAIN STREET AND CHESTER STREET.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHO'S TO SAY THAT MAYBE A FUTURE FESTIVAL LEASE WILL BE AT ROCKLAND PARK VERSUS DOWNTOWN? I DON'T KNOW.
YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE OF PARKING IN ITSELF.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, I SAW, LIKE, WE WERE TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE PARKING, WE PARKED IN FRONT OF PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING AND I THOUGHT, OH NO, WE HAVE TO GETTING OUT BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE CRUISING TO TRY TO FIND A PARKING PLACE MM-HMM
AND, UH, BUT WHICH IS A GOOD THING THAT THERE WAS BIG PROBLEM AFTER THAT.
A BAD THING THAT YOU, WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE COULDN'T FIND A PARKING PLACE AND THEN WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
BUT, BUT THERE, BUT I, I DO AGREE.
'CAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER.
UM, AND IT'S, IT IS, LIKE I SAID, FOR ME, IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T TRUST YOU, I JUST WANNA BE PART OF THAT COLLABORATION MORE SO THAN WHAT I SEE IN HERE.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S ALMOST JUST GIVE US A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY AND WE'LL DO THE JOB.
AND WE'RE NOT GONNA BE AS INCLUDED AS THIS COMMITTEE HAS BEEN WORKING TOGETHER.
I THINK THEY'VE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF DOING THAT.
WELL, YOU WANT ME NEXT
I MEAN, AND YES, I THINK THAT, AND I THINK THAT THIS GIVES US THAT WORKING GROUP WITH, UH, NEW GUYS PICKING THREE, US PICKING THREE, AND THEN HAVING A STAFF MEMBER AND AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
I THINK IT GIVES US THE, THE COMMUNITY INPUT, THE ADVISORY BOARD, UM, IN, IN, IN GUIDANCE AND SUGGESTIONS AND THINGS.
BUT JUST LIKE IF WE COME TO SOME AGREEMENT WITH PATRICK, UH, OR YOU GUYS FOR PATRICK,
[01:10:02]
I'M ASSUMING THAT WOULD END UP LOOKING SOMETHING LIKE, THIS WAS AN ADVISORY REPORT WHO ADVISES, AND AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE NOT, IT'S NOT GOING TO TELL HIM WHAT TO DO BECAUSE HE, I THINK WE ALL ACKNOWLEDGE HE IS THE MASTER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.HE KNOWS A LOT MORE ABOUT IT THAN I EVER WILL.
IF WE SAY, WELL, THIS MONEY CAN ONLY GO FOR THIS OR THAT, I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE MONEY SHOULD GO THROUGH.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE LIZZIE LEWIS FOR.
DO WE SPEND SOME OF THIS MONEY ON MARKETING? DO WE ADD STAFF? BECAUSE SHE RUNS THE WHOLE THING.
NO, I THINK HER HANDS AND EVERYTHING.
AND THEN YOU, AND I THINK PEOPLE MISTAKENLY THINK, WELL, WE HAVE VISITOR EMPLOYEES.
THEY, THEY GREET PEOPLE, THEY FACILITATE THE VISITATION, BUT THEY'RE NOT DOING SPREADSHEETS.
THEY'RE NOT DOING, THEY DON'T, AND AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK TO YOUR STAFF WITH, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT THEY'RE SITTING THERE DOING, UM, AD LAYOUTS AND, AND, AND COPY AND PUTTING TOGETHER A
THEY MAY CONTRIBUTE TO IT, BUT THAT'S NOT THEIR EXPERTISE AT FOR J.
SO IF WE, IF, IF WE REALLY WANT TO PUT THIS MONEY TOWARDS MORE MARKETING AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AGAIN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN, IN THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MM-HMM
AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK HAVING SOMEONE ON OUR SIDE TO AUGMENT AND WORK WITH, AND YOU COMBINE THE ASSETS OF WHAT THE COUNTY HAS TO OFFER WITH WHAT THE TOWN HAS TO OFFER.
AND IT'S A COLLABORATION, NOT A REDUNDANCY.
AND IT COVERS THE INTEREST THAT WE HAVE IN COLLABORATION WITH WHAT YOU ARE ALREADY DOING OR THE ASPIRATIONS.
'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW LIZZIE DOES EVERYTHING SHE DOES, IT'S, I MEAN, I REALIZE HER PLATE IS FULL MM-HMM
AND I MEAN, AND SHE WOULD LIKE TO GET THAT ON TO, UH, SOMEONE ELSE'S PLATE.
UM, BUT I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN YOU'VE GOT A TOWN MANAGEMENT.
WE GOT A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
AND THEY WORK TOGETHER, I THINK VERY WELL.
UM, WE DON'T AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BECAUSE IF THERE, IF WE AGREE ON EVERYTHING AND DON'T DISCUSS AND FIND YOU'RE, YOU'RE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND YOU NEVER FIND OUT WHAT'S ON THE COLLATERAL ROADS.
UM, BUT I, I THINK THAT EVENTS THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE WE STARTED THIS COMMITTEE HAVE THAT COLLABORATION HAS BEEN TERRIFIC.
WE FIRST STARTED OUT, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE HERITAGE SOCIETY ON, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE LIBRARY GROUP ON.
IT'S GROWN, IT'S GROWN WELL ON THIS THE FIRST, BUT WE DIDN'T, WHEN WE SAT DOWN AND TALKED AND AS WE TALKED AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SO WE BROUGHT IT IN AND THEN IT WAS LIKE, OKAY, WE NEED TO GET THE AIRPORT IN.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
WHEREAS YOU DIDN'T, AND NO DISRESPECT TO, TO LIZZIE AT ALL, BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT UNTIL WE CREATED THIS.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, THE CHAMBER'S INVOLVED AND, AND ALL OF THIS, IT'S, THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF THE COLLABORATION THAT IT HAS.
AND I JUST WISH WE COULD WORK TOGETHER TO GIVE IT ANOTHER YEAR OR SO, SEE WHERE IT COULD GO.
AND THEN IF WE NEED TO TWEAK IT, FINE.
BUT WE'VE, WE'VE GOT WHAT IS WORKING FOR THE FIRST TIME? BECAUSE LET'S FACE IT, WE HAD, WHAT, TWO YEARS OR SO OF MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN? WELL, SOME PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THAT IT WASN'T, I'M NOT SAYING IT WAS OR WASN'T, BUT I'VE HAD PEOPLE REACH OUT TO ME THAT WERE PART OF IT AT THAT TIME.
AND THEY, THEY'VE BEEN OFFENDED BY SUGGESTING THAT WE DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING AT THAT TIME.
'CAUSE I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO IT OR NOT SPEAK TO IT, BUT, UM, BUT ANYWAY.
SO I'LL LET YOU START BECAUSE I'VE GOT PLENTY HERE.
FIRST, I, I WOULD THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING, UM, A, A SERIOUS AND A FAIRLY QUICK, UH, TURNAROUND FOR, UM, A RESPONSE.
I THINK IT WAS A MONTH, AND THAT'S PRETTY GOOD GIVEN WE MEET EVERY TWO WEEKS OR WHATEVER.
BUT, UM, UH, THAT SAID, IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO PROCESS, UH, BECAUSE IT WASN'T A, A TRADITIONAL RED LINE, SO WE HAD TO RUN, IT BROKE.
AND I THINK ZACH HELPED WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, COAX THE COMPUTER INTO SUSSING OUT WHAT ACTUALLY CHANGED.
SO HOPEFULLY GOING FORWARD, IF
[01:15:01]
THERE ARE MORE ITERATIONS, WE CAN JUST DO A TRADITIONAL RED LINE DOCUMENT AND WORD AND JUST KEEP THAT, IT JUST KEEPS IT CLEAR WHAT CHANGED MM-HMMI, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ON, ON WHY, UH, AND, UH, MAYBE THERE ARE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE A, A QUICK ANSWER OR MAYBE YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT, UM, AND, AND GET BACK TO US.
BUT I'M WONDERING WHY, WHY THE DEFINITIONS WERE TAKEN OUT AND, UH, PARTICULARLY THE, THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN DESTINATION MARKETING VERSUS DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT.
AND IF, IF THE TOWN HAS A FUNDAMENTAL OPPOSITION TO THAT, UH, THOSE, EITHER THOSE DEFINITIONS OR THAT SORT OF DIVISION OF, OF DUTIES THERE.
UM, SO THAT'S MY, MY FIRST KIND OF SUBSTANTIVE QUESTION ABOUT IT.
WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT EVERYBODY WAS IN AGREEMENT THAT THEIR DISTINCT MM-HMM
FUNCTIONS OR THAT THEY MAY BE COMPLIMENTARY, BUT ALSO THAT I, I THINK THAT WAS PART OF IT TOO, THAT THEY, HOW DO YOU CARVE THOSE MM-HMM
HOW DO YOU CARVE THOSE OUT AS BEING TOO, I MEAN, I'M NOT SAYING YOU AREN'T WORKING ON SOMETHING DIFFERENT, BUT I THINK THE COMMENT WAS LIKE, UM, BEST POSITIONED TO LEAD THE FUNCTION WAS CLOSELY ALLOWED WITH THIS EXISTING CAPACITY AND AUTHORITY.
AND THAT, THAT'S KIND OF A TOUGH ONE BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M GONNA LET YOU ASK ALL YOUR QUES YEAH.
WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY WAS, I, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE STARTED BEFORE YOU DID BECAUSE I WANTED TO GIVE THAT BROAD THING CHERYL HAD GIVEN AND THEN THAT WAY WHEN WE CAN GET INTO IT.
SO, SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'LL DO IT AND THEN WE'LL JUMP TO THAT.
SO MY OPINION, UM, WHEN THIS WHOLE THING STARTED, WHEN WE REACHED BACK OUT TO THE COUNTY ABOUT TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER, I, I REALLY SAW, WE SAW IT AS WE WERE TRYING TO HELP MM-HMM
UM, BECAUSE REALLY YOU ALL WERE NOT SPENDING THE MONEY.
I MEAN, PRIOR TO ALL THESE EVENTS, THE TWO 50, THERE WASN'T REALLY TOURISM MONEY BEING SPENT BY THE COUNTY, NOT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BY CODE.
UM, 'CAUSE THAT, WHEN WE HAD THAT MEETING IN JUNE, THERE WAS LIKE 1.2 MILLION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT STILL IN THERE.
SO, SO IT REALLY CAME FROM A PLACE OF LIKE WE WERE, AS THINGS WERE COMING BEFORE US THAT WE WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE DONE AND WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE PARTICIPATED.
I SHARED THAT WITH YOU IN A PHONE CALL.
YOU KNOW, THAT WE WERE LIKE, OH, WOW, WE REALLY WISH WE COULD DO THAT, BUT IT COST THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY AND WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE IT ANYMORE.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN OUR BUDGET.
AND SO, AND LIKE AROUND THE KING AND THE QUEEN COMING, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SAW LIKE WE WOULD, THERE WERE THINGS WE WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE DONE MORE.
BUT EVEN AFTERWARDS WE WERE LIKE, WOW, WE WISH WE COULD BE DOING THIS.
AND WE'RE SITTING THERE AND WE'RE THINKING, BUT THERE IS MONEY OUT THERE THAT NEEDS TO BE SPENT ON TOURISM AND IT WASN'T REALLY BEING SPENT.
SO IT WAS LIKE, HOW CAN WE MAKE, HOW CAN WE GET THE BEST BANG FOR THE TAXPAYER'S BUCKS? HOW CAN WE DO THIS? IN MY OPINION, THE TOWN HAS BEEN DOING TOURISM AND THEY, AND THEY NEVER STOPPED.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, LIKE THERE WAS THAT TIME PERIOD WHERE IT WAS, UM, WHEN WE HAD THE CONSULTANT AND ALL THAT STUFF, BUT IT WAS STILL HAPPENING AT THE VISITORS CENTER.
UM, BUT SO WE, WE DIDN'T STOP WHEN, WHEN IT WAS, WHEN THE PART THAT WHATEVER THE OTHER MOU WAS TERMINATED, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS 2021 OR 2022, WE PICKED UP THE BALL AND KEPT GOING.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS WHERE I THINK A LOT OF THIS CAME FROM.
IT WAS FEELING LIKE WE NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO DO MORE AND WE COULDN'T DO MORE WITHOUT THE RESOURCES.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHERE ALL THIS KIND OF CAME OUT WAS LIKE, ARE WE ARE DOING THE BEST THING WE SHOULD DO? AND I DO FEEL LIKE WE OWE IT TO OUR CITIZENS TO, TO, UM, DO YOU SPEND THE MONEY THE MOST WISELY? I DO WANNA SAY, I THINK EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM KNOWS IT, BUT I'M GONNA REMIND EVERYBODY.
CHERYL SAID IT, YOU SAID IT BEFORE I HAD TO, WE TOWN DOESN'T HAVE TO DO TOURISM.
WE COULD LITERALLY TAKE THAT 367,000 THAT WE BUDGET EVERY YEAR AND DO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR JUST THE TOWN STUFF FOR THE TOWN OF FRONT ROW, MAYBE SIDEWALKS, MAYBE OTHER THINGS THAT DIRECTLY BENEFIT THE CITIZENS WHO WE SERVE.
BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE ONE UNIT AND WE'VE ALL SAID IT BEFORE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE COMING TO, YOU KNOW, COMING TO FRONT ROW.
THEY ARE COMING TO FRONT ROW IN WARREN COUNTY, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY SEE.
AND VISITOR CENTER IS PERFECTLY LOCATED IN THE DOWNTOWN.
[01:20:02]
WE COULD SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE DON'T, THE COUNTY CAN DO TOURISM AND WE, WE WON'T, WE DON'T NEED TO SPEND THE MONEY ON THAT.AND MAYBE OUR CITIZENS WOULD SAY, SPEND THE MONEY ON THIS.
BUT AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THAT IN THE HEART, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT.
'CAUSE I DON'T THINK IT BENEFITS, UM, THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT I THINK THAT EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME GIST OR SAME OPINION ON WHAT TOURISM IS.
LIKE I, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, WHEN I FIRST, UH, CAME ON COUNCIL ALL THOSE YEARS AGO BEFORE WE DID THE CONSULTING, LIKE PEOPLE WERE TAUGHT BIG T, LITTLE T YOU KNOW MM-HMM
TOURISM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, I THINK IT SAYS THE STATE UNDERSTANDS TOO.
IT'S PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING FROM 50 MILES AWAY.
THE OTHER IDEA IS THAT THAT IS THAT, UM, THAT FOR EXAMPLE, THE FESTIVAL LEAVES THIS WEEKEND.
IT WAS AN AMAZING EVENT EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT.
UM, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S ALL TOURISM EITHER.
BECAUSE DID PEOPLE COME, DID THEY SPEND THE NIGHT? DID THEY, YOU KNOW, DID, WAS THERE LODGING WAS THERE, AND I'M NOT IN ANY WAY SAYING THAT IT WASN'T WONDERFUL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, BY ALL ACCOUNTS IT WAS THE BEST EVER.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND, AND I CAN BELIEVE IT BECAUSE YOU COULD SEE THAT AND PEOPLE WERE SO HAPPY ABOUT IT.
UM, THE KING AND QUEEN COMING, THAT REALLY WASN'T TOURISM EITHER.
PEOPLE DIDN'T REALLY COME HERE AND SPEND THE NIGHT, PEOPLE DROVE HERE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SPENT THE DAY LEFT.
I MEAN, SO I THINK THAT'S THE OTHER THING, LIKE WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT TOURISM, LIKE SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT, THAT THE JOINT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN DOING, I'M NOT SURE I CALL THOSE TOURISM.
I THINK THEY'RE PROBABLY MORE, THEY ARE EVENTS.
I THINK PEOPLE COME DO, I THINK PEOPLE CAME 50 MILES AWAY.
THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME, BUT THERE WEREN'T THOUSANDS.
DID THEY SPEND THE NIGHT? DID THEY BUY GAS? DID THEY EAT, DID THEY WAKE UP THE NEXT DAY AND HAVE BREAKFAST BEFORE THEY LEFT TOWN? UM, YOU KNOW, DID THEY GO TO SOME OF THE OUTSIDE? YOU KNOW? SO I THINK THAT'S THE OTHER THING IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TOURISM IS I'M NOT SURE THAT WE ALL AGREE ON WHAT TOURISM IS.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, SO, SO THERE'S THAT TOO.
UM, I THINK YOU SAID SOMEBODY TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE.
THERE WAS THAT IDEA THAT IT FELT LIKE, I MEAN, THE FIRST TIME I SAW IT, LIKE I HAD, I SAID IMMEDIATELY THIS FEELS LIKE THERE'S LIKE A TRUST ISSUE.
LIKE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS, YOU HAVE TO DO THAT.
IT FEELS A LITTLE LIKE IT'S MICROMANAGING AND YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THERE, YOU'LL DO THIS, YOU'LL DO THIS REPORT, YOU'LL DO THAT REPORT.
AND I'M KIND OF LIKE, GLEN, AND I FEEL LIKE THIS ABOUT US, OUR STAFF IN GENERAL, UM, THAT WE HIRE THE STAFF THAT WE THINK ARE GONNA DO THE JOB AND, AND TRUST, BUT VERIFY.
IF SOMEBODY'S NOT, IF THE JOB ISN'T GETTING DONE MM-HMM
BUT FOR, FOR ME AND I, FROM WHAT I SEE OUR TOURISM DEPARTMENT, I, IT'S, WELL, I MEAN, IT'S GOING WELL.
YOU GO IN THERE, PEOPLE ARE HAPPY.
WE, OUR NUMBERS ARE GOING UP, OUR VISITORS ARE GOING UP, THE MONEY'S GOING UP.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE'RE DOING THIS.
I, SOME OF THIS WAS, AND I WAS CLEAR, UM, APPARENTLY THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE PAPER TODAY, UM, THAT IT REALLY, WHAT, THIS REALLY WASN'T WHAT I ENVISIONED, I ENVISIONED THAT, THAT WE WOULD TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DOING TOURISM.
THAT THE COUNTY WOULD GIVE US MONEY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SPENT TOWARDS TOURISM, THAT WE WOULD DO TO HANDLE THE TOURISM ASPECT OF IT.
THE MONEY THAT YOU, THAT WAS LEFT OVER THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SPENT ON TOURISM, BUT THE COUNTY COLLECTS IN THAT EXTRA 3% THAT YOU COULD USE TOWARDS CAPITAL, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
WHETHER IT'S A SPORTS FLEX, WHETHER IT'S AN ICE RINK, WHETHER IT'S A CONFERENCE CENTER WHERE WHEREVER, MAYBE IT'S WAY FINDING WHAT, WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU ALL WOULD DO, THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY SAVE, WE WOULD ACTUALLY BE SAVING MONEY OR WE WOULD BE MAKING A, GETTING A BIGGER BANG FOR A BUCK.
THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I ENVISION.
I, I AM CONCERNED, AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M, I REPRESENT THE CITIZENS OF FRONT WORLD, BUT I AM A WARREN COUNTY CITIZEN TOO.
UM, AND I WORRY LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
YOU KNOW, YOU GOT DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT OVER HERE, DESTINATION MARKETING TOURISM OVER HERE, AND ARE THEY, I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT EVEN WORKING UNDER THE SAME ROOF.
YES, WE CAN SAY, WELL, THEY'RE GONNA COLLABORATE, BUT I FEEL LIKE IT WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER IF EVERYBODY WAS UNDER THE SAME DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, SO I SHARE ALL THAT TO SAY, SO THAT WHEN YOU ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT WHAT I THINK ABOUT DESTIN MARKETING AND DESTINATION
[01:25:01]
DEVELOPMENT, THAT I'M NOT SURE THAT I FEEL LIKE THEY'RE TWO DISTINCT THINGS.AND I DON'T THINK THAT ONE OF THEM IS, I DON'T KNOW THAT I THINK IT'S A FULL-TIME JOB AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A SALARY AND BENEFITS AND, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, AN OFFICE AND A THIS AND A THAT AND ALL THESE THINGS.
AND I, I THINK IT WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER UNDER ONE UMBRELLA.
BUT THE TOWN COUNCIL THE OTHER NIGHT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT, WE SAID IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER AND TRY THIS OUT TO, YOU KNOW, TO SO THAT WE COULD COLLABORATE RATHER THAN SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE DON'T LIKE YOUR IDEA.
WE'RE JUST GONNA GO IN ON OUR OWN.
OR TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU CAN DO IT.
YOU DO, YOU GET COUNTY CAN DO TOURISM AND WE WILL TAKE OUR $360,000 AND, AND JUST IMPROVE LIFE FOR THE CITIZENS OF FRONT ROYAL, YOU KNOW, IN GENERAL.
SO WE, WE WANT TO WORK TOGETHER.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I AGREED WITH THOSE COUPLE THINGS.
SO, BUT I'M NOT, THAT'S JUST ME AND JUST NO, NO, NO, NO.
I JUST, I WAS ASKING OUT CURIOSITY AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE ON THE OFFENSIVE EITHER.
I JUST FEEL LIKE I SAID IT THE OTHER NIGHT AND IT WAS PUBLIC, AND I WAS LIKE, I, YOU KNOW, I'VE TALKED TO YOU, I'VE TALKED TO YOU SOMETIMES.
I'VE ACTUALLY TALKED TO EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS ABOUT THIS.
SO I, I, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S WHERE I WAS COMING FROM.
I'M NOT SAYING I'M RIGHT BY ALL MEANS, I'M JUST SAYING THAT I THINK SOME OF THAT WAS, UM, ALSO TOO, TO LIKE TEAR IT DOWN MM-HMM
SO IT'S NOT LIKE 10 PAGES AND BEING SO SPECIFIC THAT LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE JOB AND THIS IS THE JOB.
SORRY, WHAT THE REST OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
AND GLEN, DID YOU WANNA, DID YOU HE ASK ABOUT THAT? NO POINTS.
AND JUST FOR CONTEXT, UH, THIS, THE DOCUMENT ACCOUNTING FOR REPORTS, UM, THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF PERSPECTIVES AND VIEWS ON THE BOARD MM-HMM
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S A PERFECT DOCUMENT THAT WE REPORT.
IT'S, IT'S KIND OF LIKE A CONSENT.
IT'S, IT'S A DOCUMENT THAT'S IN THE MIDDLE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO AT LEAST ALL SAY I CAN, I CAN GO ALONG WITH THAT.
UM, AND, AND SO WE, WE SET THAT TO, SO THERE PROBABLY IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
UM, UH, I, I DO THINK A LOT OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID RESONATES WITH ME.
AND, UH, LIKE BIG T TOURISM, I'M A SUPPORTER OF THAT.
I DON'T WANNA BE GATLINBURG, BUT, YOU KNOW, NO ONE DOES ME EITHER.
BUT, UH, NOW THAT I'VE BEEN
MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE TO SPEND THE NIGHT, BUT THEY SPEND SOME MONEY AND STEAK FOR MEAL, ALL THIS, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND MAKE THE DAY OF IT AND, AND DON'T JUST PASS THROUGH TOWN TO LEAVES AND MAYBE GO HOME AND TELL THEIR FRIENDS, THAT WAS A REALLY COOL PLACE.
UM, IT'S A, A LOT OF WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, I, I, I, I THINK I AGREE WITH, UM, BUT I ALSO SEE SOME THINGS THAT CAME OUT IN THE, IN THE REVISION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL ALONG YOU'VE BEEN SAYING, YOU KNOW, VISITOR CENTER IS, IS WELL SITUATED, UM, WHERE IT IS.
AND, AND, AND THAT THEY PROMOTE THE COUNTY AS WELL, WHICH WE KNOW IS, IS TRUE AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT, BUT THEN THE PARTS OF THE DOCUMENT THAT KIND OF CODIFIED THAT CAME OUT, SO LIKE, UM, THINGS ABOUT COUNTYWIDE CAME OUT OF THE DOCUMENT AND UH, THE SERVICE LEVELS ARE, ARE MAINTAINING CURRENT EFFORTS, UH, AROUND THE VISITOR CENTER AND OTHER THINGS CAME OUT.
AND I KNOW MAYBE THAT WAS RECEIVED AS MICROMANAGING, WHICH, WHICH WASN'T THE INTENT, BUT, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON TOURISM.
UH, WHEREAS WE DO, THE INTENT WAS THE MONEY'S GOING TO COME OVER TO YOU, BUT THEN IT'S IN THE CONTRACT THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE GETTING FOR IT AND THAT, THAT THAT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE OR GO AWAY.
AND THAT THE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS ARE THERE, INCLUDING THE REPORTING.
AND I KNOW SOME OF IT WAS A LITTLE, LITTLE DETAILED MAYBE, AND, AND THAT WAS KIND OF, UH, REWORKED INTO JUST KIND OF PERFORMANCE NUMBERS OR, OR SOMETHING TO BE A LITTLE MORE, UH, GIVE YOU SOME LEEWAY, I THINK.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, UH, I THINK NONE OF US WANT COMPETING DEPARTMENTS.
NONE OF US WANT REDUNDANT OR DUPLICATIVE EFFORTS THAT ARE, THAT LIBBY WATER DOWN THE DRAIN.
UM, IT NEEDS TO BE ONE VOICE, ONE MESSAGE.
AND THAT'S WHY WE WERE, I THINK, TRYING TO DIVIDE IT THAT WAY.
UM, BECAUSE ON THE DE DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT SIDE, THAT DOES GO TO THE CIP PART THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT MM-HMM
AND, YOU KNOW, MORE OF THE ASSETS THAT MIGHT BE DEVELOPED INTO SOME OF THOSE BIG TICKET ITEMS LIKE THE COMFORT CENTER OR ON THE COUNTY SIDE.
AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S A FULL-TIME JOB, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT ABLE TO, TO JUDGE THAT.
I THINK THAT'S UP TO, UH, STAFFING THE ADMINISTRATION TO FIGURE OUT.
[01:30:01]
THE INTENT WAS TO, TO FIND A WAY TO DO THIS WHERE THE, THE TOWN TAKES OVER MORE ON THE MARKETING LEAD AND, AND THE COUNTY CAN WORK ON, ON THE, YOU KNOW, THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE ASSETS AND, AND SO FORTH.AND, UM, IT, IT'S FINE THAT, THAT YOU SEE IT DIFFERENTLY.
I, I THINK WE'RE JUST IN A PROCESS OF ON A, ON A JOURNEY OF CONVERGING.
AND I THINK WE'RE CLOSER NOW THAN WE WERE A YEAR AGO.
AND HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT GONNA BE THAT LONG TO KEEP ITERATING TOWARDS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE FIGURED OUT.
SO, SO YOU WERE SAYING THAT YOU FELT LIKE THE PARTS THAT WERE TAKEN OUT WAS, UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS 'CAUSE NOW LIKE YOU'RE SAYING LIKE COUNTYWIDE OR LIKE ABOUT LIKE THE VISITOR CENTER, I GUESS.
I GUESS WHEN WE WERE, WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT IT, WE WERE LIKE, WE JUST ASSUMED WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THE SAME.
RIGHT? I MEAN THAT, THAT THE VISITOR CENTER AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT WOULD STAY AND WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING WOULD BE ENHANCING IT.
THAT WE WEREN'T GONNA, AND I KNOW THAT CAME UP BEFORE SOMEBODY ELSE SAID THAT IN JUNE, THAT THEY WERE AFRAID THAT IT MEANT LIKE, IF YOU ALL GAVE US THIS MONEY, WE WERE GONNA SUDDENLY DELETE OUR BUDGET BY $212,000.
AND THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT, AND I THINK THAT'S CAPTURED IN HERE THAT IT'S TO SUPPLEMENT, NOT REPLACE THE, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY THOUGHT THAT WAS.
AND IF THAT, IF THERE WAS A WORD THAT CAME OUT OF THERE BECAUSE OF THAT, I DON'T, UM, I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALSO DID WAS, UM, SO THE ONE YOU ALL SENT US OVER, LIKE A, WHAT WAS UNDER RESPONSIBILITIES, LIKE THE TOWN SHELF SERVICE LEAD ON DESTIN MARKETING, INCLUDING AND LISTED ALL THOSE THINGS.
UM, AND LIKE I KNOW THAT LAST ONE SAID, UH OH, YOURS SAID, PROVIDING MARKETING PERFORMANCE DATA, VISITOR CENTER ACTIVITY, WEBSITE ANALYTICS, CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE TO THE COUNTY.
AND OURS SAYS PROVIDING QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORTS TO THE COMMITTEE, TOWN COUNCIL AND COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
SO IT WAS JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WHERE IT SAYS THE COUNTY SHALL SERVE AS THE LEAD ON, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE JUST HAD COORDINATION WITH THE COUNTY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR OF PROJECTS WITH LONG TERM CAPITAL OR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPLICATIONS.
BUT THEN UNDER THE SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES, WE ADDED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE JUST THE COUNTY AND ADDED AND SHARED.
'CAUSE WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE SHARING THAT LONG RANGE DESTINATION AND TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING, JUST RECOGNIZING LIKE, ESPECIALLY LIKE WITH THE COMMITTEE, JUST LIKE YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOING WITH YOUR COMMITTEE, THAT THEY WOULD BE AN ADVISOR TOO.
AND THEN TOURISM RELATED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND GRANT ADMINISTRATION.
LIKE GRANTS, WE KNOW THAT, WE KNOW THAT, UH, THAT WOULDN'T JUST BE A COUNTY THING.
I MEAN, I WOULD, I MEAN WE GAVE GRANTS.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY THE TOWN, I MEAN, WE GOT GRANTS THIS YEAR.
UM, SO I THINK WE THOUGHT THAT'S LIKE UNDER SHARED.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL HAD SAID, NEITHER PARTY SHALL ESTABLISH OR FUND A STAFF POSITION PROGRAM OR CONTRACT TO FUNCTION WHOSE PRIMARY PURPOSE DUPLICATES, REPLICATE, LEAD RESPONSIBILITIES, BLAH, BLAH.
BUT OURS SAYS, NEITHER PARTY SHALL ESTABLISH OR FUND A PURPOSE WHICH DUPLICATES OR REPLICATES THE RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND, AND I'M JUST GONNA LIKE, FOR THAT PART OF IT, LIKE I THINK MY, I, AND MAYBE IT WAS WHEN I FIRST READ IT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE SAYING BEFORE IT MIGHT NOT BE THE INTENT, BUT LIKE I READ THAT IT'S LIKE, OH, SO WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T HIRE STAFF.
LIKE, WITHOUT IT BEING BACK AND FORTH ASKING PEOPLE.
I MEAN, THAT'S NOT, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S, THAT THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
I I I GET THAT YOU'RE SAYING YOU WOULDN'T WANT, IT'S VERY VAGUE.
VAGUE WHAT THE PURPOSE? WELL, I MEAN, DOES THAT MEAN WE WANTED TO HAVE AN EVENT OUTSIDE OF WHATEVER? I MEAN, IT, IT IS VERY VAGUE OF WHAT FIND A PURPOSE.
WELL, I MEAN, I MEAN, I READ THAT IT'S LIKE, WELL YOU'RE NOT GONNA USE THAT MONEY TO HIRE ANOTHER STAFF.
MY OPINION, MY OPINION, IF THIS HAD, IT'S COMING FROM GLEN, NOT COUNCIL, BECAUSE JUST LIKE YOU GUYS WITH FIVE PEOPLE IN YOUR ADMINISTRATOR, WE'RE SEVEN IN HERE AND EVERYBODY'S GOT A DIFFERENT IDEA.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO HARD TO YOUR POINT, TO TAKE EVERYBODY'S IDEA AND TRY TO INCORPORATE IT.
AND THEN IT BECOMES A 10 PAGE DOCUMENT WHEN IT'S, IT CAN BE FAIRLY.
SO I THINK THE ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBER WAS LIKE, SO IF YOU HIRE A SOCIAL MEDIA PERSON, WE DON'T NEED TO HIRE A SOCIAL MEDIA PERSON.
'CAUSE THAT IS COMPLETELY DUPLICATING.
AND IT'S LIKE, LET'S THINK ABOUT BEFORE YOU ADD SOMEONE, LIKE IF YOU PURCHASE A THING AND YOU DECIDE WE AREN'T GOING TO USE IT,
[01:35:01]
YOU GET RID OF IT WITH A PERSON.YOU'RE IMPACTING SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO BASICALLY PUT EITHER DEPARTMENT IN A POINT WHERE IT'S LIKE, WELL, WE DECIDED WE DON'T NEED YOU ANYMORE, SO WE'RE GONNA LAY YOU OFF.
AND THAT'S WHERE I GUESS THAT WAS LIKE, IF YOU DECIDE YOU NEED ADDITIONAL STAFF, THAT'S FINE.
THAT'S WHEN YOU DON'T USE THE MONEY THE COUNTY'S GIVING.
SO WE DON'T WANT THE, LIKE, IF THINGS SEPARATE LATER ON THEN BE LIKE, WELL, YOU HAVE TO GO BECAUSE THE COUNTY WAS FUNDING THIS POSITION.
WELL, AND THAT, THAT'S ALWAYS A DANGER.
THIS IS A LESS THAN A ONE YEAR CONTRACT.
AND IT WORRIES ME THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE GO FORWARD, WE GET THE MONEY AND, AND THE EVALUATION OF THE TOWN MANAGER AND THE, UH, TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER.
WE NEED ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER TO DO MARKETING AD LAYOUTS, WHATEVER.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE GET THE BUDGET LAST YEAR AND YOU GUYS SAY, WELL, THAT REALLY DOESN'T WORK OUT.
THEN WE HAVE A STAFF MEMBER WE EITHER HAVE TO FUND OR WE HAVE TO LET GO.
I MEAN, IT'S BEEN IN HR FIELD FOR 45 YEARS AND IT BLOWS THEM OUT TO THINK YOU MIGHT HIRE SOMEBODY AND THEN NOT HAVE A JOB FOR HIM, COME THROUGH LAW ONE.
BUT, AND AGAIN, 'CAUSE PATRICK'S IN THE ROOM, IF LET'S SAY WE GAVE YOU X NUMBER OF DOLLARS FOR PATRICK AND IF HE FELT THE BEST USE WAS TO HIRE AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, THAT'S GOTTA BE HIS DECISION.
OR IF HE WANTS TO PRINT BROCHURES AND MAIL IT ALL ORDER, THAT'S HIS DECISION.
I I, I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND QUESTION THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HIS NEEDS ARE.
AND THAT'S, IT WOULD BE THE SAME WITH THE MONEY YOU GUYS GAVE.
MS. LEWIS AND JOE FEEL LIKE, YEAH, HERE'S THE JOB DUTIES.
I MEAN, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A JOB DESCRIPTION, BUT I'M JUST SAYING WE KNOW HOW BUSY LIZZIE, LIZZIE IS NOW, AND WE WANT TO GET MORE, WE WANT TO INCREASE OUR TOURISM AND SHE'S GOTTA HAVE HELP IN MY MIND NOW THAT THAT'S FINAL DECISIONS, NOT GLENN'S FINAL DECISIONS.
BUT THAT FELT LIKE, WELL YOU WON'T DO THAT WITHOUT US AGREEING.
'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE THE SAME PERSON AT THE CROSSROAD.
BUT ACTUALLY WHAT YOU JUST SAID CONCERNS ME.
AND MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I MAYBE 'CAUSE I JUST, MAYBE I, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID, BUT YOU JUST SAID LIKE, BUT NOT TO USE ANY OF THAT 212 TOWARDS STAFF OR WHATEVER.
I ACTUALLY THOUGHT THAT WAS PART OF IT WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT IT.
BUT PART OF THE MONEY WAS STAFF.
WE WERE TAKING THE STAFF AND WE WERE BASICALLY DIVIDING IT.
AND THE REASON WHY I'M SAYING THAT IS, IS BECAUSE AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BE ABLE TO DO MORE MM-HMM
RIGHT? UM, AND, AND MAYBE THE MORE IS ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER, MAYBE THE MORE IS SOME PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS, MAYBE THE MORE IS AN INFLUENCER, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE, I, YOU KNOW, NOT EVEN GONNA PRETEND TO SAY THAT WE'RE NOT BARGAINING PEOPLE.
BUT THAT WAS WHAT, SO, BUT WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE ABOUT LIKE TO, LIKE, YOU HIRED THIS AND WE HIRED THIS AND THEY'RE DOING THE SAME THING.
NEITHER PARTY SHALL ESTABLISH WORD FUNDING PURPOSE, WHICH DUPLICATES OR REPLICATES THE RESPONSIBILITIES ASSIGNED TO THE OTHER PARTY UNDER THIS A I THINK, I THINK THAT'S, I WOULD RUN THAT ONE WORD PURPOSE.
BUT THE LAWYER, I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT READS A LITTLE WEIRD TODAY, BUT I UNDERSTAND THE INTENT.
THAT'S THE WORD THAT THROWS ME.
WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES PURPOSE MEAN? BUT TO YOUR POINT, MADE FOUR OF THE PURPOSE MONEY THAT WE WEREN'T UTILIZING.
WE DID UTILIZE, UM, WE DID, I KNOW WE USED, UM, TOURISM MONEY TO FINISH THE BOAT LANDING PROJECT.
WE, OTHER NIGHT WE WERE HOLDING IT BECAUSE WE HAD A $2 MILLION MATCH FOR THE GRANT FOR ROCKLAND.
SO IT WASN'T SITTING THERE JUST BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A PURPOSE.
NO, YOU, YOU APPLIED, I MEAN, THE BOAT LANDING IS ANOTHER ARROW IN THE QUIVER TO BRING PEOPLE HERE.
BUT AS FAR AS TOURISM, NO, OTHER THAN THE BOAT LANDING AND SAVING THE MONEY FOR ING, I'M NOT, I'M JUST SAYING, BUT TOURISM, IF PRIOR TO THE TWO 50 EVENTS, AND THAT'S NOT, NO, WE WEREN'T.
THAT WAS THE, BUT I, AND I'M, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT LIKE, 'CAUSE I JUST DON'T, I'M LIKE, I, I WOULDN'T JUST THROW THAT OUT THERE.
I WAS JUST, I, AND LIKE I SAID, MAYBE IT WAS COMING DOWN TO SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED THIS SPRING WHERE THERE WAS A PROJECT LEAVE AT ELECTED DONE AND IT WAS $15,000, WHICH MIGHT SOUND LIKE THE, YOU COULDN'T HAVE $15,000 YOUR BUDGET.
BUT WE FELT LIKE IT WOULD'VE BEEN USEFUL.
DIDN'T SO THAT, THAT, THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
BUT ANYWAY, BUT WITH DAD, I MEAN, THE TOWN'S
[01:40:01]
REACHED OUT TO TONY FOR MONEY BEFORE AND WE'VE NOT, UM, WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, ABSOLUTELY.BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE LIKE CIVIL WAR AND I THINK JOE AND LIZZIE, WE'VE HAD VERY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CAN YOU HELP FUND THE VISITOR CENTER? YES, WE CAN DO THIS.
AND I THINK IT BECAME A MUCH BIGGER THING THAN THE INITIAL CONVERSATIONS OF WE NEED ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR MARKETING.
CAN YOU ALL DO THIS? AND WE'RE LIKE, WE CAN DO THIS.
AND I THINK CHANGES OF BOARD AND THINGS, AND IT BECAME MUCH MORE COMPLICATED.
AGAIN, EVERYBODY GETS A, THEY WANTED, I THINK THE IDEA OF SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION JUST LIKE THE, UM, NONPROFIT STUDENT MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY REACH OUT TO US EVERY YEAR AND WITH DIFFERENT REQUESTS OF, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSE OF HOPE AND DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, EVEN THE BROWNTOWN COMMUNITY CENTER, THEY COME TO US AND THEY PRESENT A NEED.
AND IF WE CAN DO IT, WE DO IT.
SO TO ME, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A SMART WAY OF DOING THIS.
IF YOU HAVE A NEED SUCH AS YOUR 15,000, IF YOU HAD AN APPLICATION FORM TO SAY, OKAY, I I WANNA TAP INTO POSSIBLY YOUR TOURISM FOR THIS EVENT, AND IF IT QUALIFIED AS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AND THE MONEY'S THERE, THEN YEAH.
BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THOUGH, BUT I GET IT.
BUT LIKE TO ASK FOR MONEY TO DO SOMETHING, BUT YET WE ARE DOING, LIKE THE TOWN PROMOTES THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY AND IT'S THE TOWN'S MONEY AND, AND, AND, BUT THAT'S THE COUNTY'S PORTION OF, I MEAN, WE SHARE IT.
I UNDERSTAND ALL THE TOWN CITIZENS ARE ALSO.
SO THEY ARE, I MEAN, I I'M JUST SAYING LIKE, IT, IT, IT'S JUST TRICKY TO ME THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, THAT AGAIN, LIKE, I MEAN I LITERALLY ASKED MYSELF, IS THIS THE FAIR THING TO DO THAT THE TOWN CITIZENS ARE SPENDING THIS MUCH MONEY ON TOURISM AND EVERY PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING DOWN THERE OTHER THAN THE HERITAGE SOCIETY AND BELLBOY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF COUNTY ASSETS THAT THEY ARE PROMOTING THAT WE DON'T, THAT THE TOWN CITIZENS DON'T GET ANY BENEFIT FROM.
THE COUNTY GETS A BENEFIT FROM EVERYTHING IN THE TOWN AND IN THE COUNTY.
WELL, NO, I LOOK AT IT DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE ANYBODY IN THE TOWN CAN GO OUT, DO ANYTHING, ANY OF THE PARKS THAT THE COUNTY MAINTAINS, BUT THEY PAY, THEY PAY TAXES TO THE COUNTY.
I KNOW I'M SAYING THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET TO USE THOSE BECAUSE THEY'RE FUNDING THAT.
I MEAN, SURE, I CAN GO OUT HERE AND STAY IN THE MOTEL IF I WANT AND THAT'S GONNA GO INTO THE TOURISM DOLLARS.
BUT WE'RE TALKING, MOST OF THIS MONEY IS FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES.
THIS MONEY, UM, NOT ALL OF IT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE USE THE, BUT YOU KNOW, THE SHORT TERM RENTALS, THE HOTEL ROOMS AND THINGS, THAT'S WHERE THIS MONEY COMES FROM.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T SEE IT AS NECESSARILY, I SEE IT AS A LUMP SUM THAT GETS SHARED.
YOU DO WITH WHAT YOU WANNA DO WITH YOURS.
AND WE GET WITH, AND IF THERE'S MUTUAL AGREEMENTS AND THE MONEY'S THERE, WE SHARE ON THOSE PROJECTS.
AND THAT'S BEEN THE BEAUTY OF WHAT THIS COLLABORATION HAS BEEN IN THE PAST YEAR.
I KNOW WHEN THE MOBILE MUSEUM WAS HERE, WE PAID FOR THEIR LODGING TO BE HERE BECAUSE IT WASN'T, IT REALIZED THAT THEY DON'T SLEEP IN THE MUSEUM AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WAS A COLLABORATIVE.
LIZZIE REACHED OUT AND SAID, HEY.
SHE'S LIKE, WE DIDN'T BUDGET FOR THIS, CAN Y'ALL? ABSOLUTELY.
BUT LINDSAY WAS THE PROPONENT AND THE FACILITATOR TO GET THAT HERE.
SO I I, YEAH, I MEAN, YEAH, IT WAS A COLLABORATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD'VE BEEN, I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT EITHER.
AND THEN THERE'S, THERE'S THAT LITTLE THING YOU MISS, SHE REACHED OUT.
AND WE CAN GET BACK TO THIS NITTY GRITTY, BUT I JUST, BUT I AM GONNA SAY THIS THOUGH.
I'M JUST SAYING, IMAGINE IF THE TOWN SAID, WE'RE NO LONGER DOING, WE'RE NOT SPENDING ANY MONEY ON TOURISM, WE'RE JUST GONNA TAKE THAT BUDGET.
AND I'M JUST SAYING THAT 3% WOULD NOT GO VERY FAR TO BE ABLE TO RUN A VISITOR CENTER.
IT'S ONLY THE STATE LAW SAYS COUNTIES SHALL USE IT FOR COURSE.
SO THE TOWN WOULD NOT, I'M NOT SAYING I'M, LET ME BE CLEAR, WHOEVER'S,
[01:45:01]
I'M NOT STRESSING THAT.I'M JUST SAYING IN THAT WORLD, IF WE WERE LIKE, WELL WE, WE ARE NOT GONNA DO THAT AT ALL.
I, FIRST OFF, I THINK EVERY BUSINESS IN THE TOWN AND COUNTY, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT BENEFITS FROM TOURISM WOULD SAY, NO, DON'T DO THAT.
AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE DO THAT.
AND, AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID ORIGINALLY THAT WHEN WE BROUGHT THIS UP, IT REALLY TRULY WAS, WE THOUGHT WE CAN BE BETTER TOGETHER IF LET US DO THAT.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE, I FEEL LIKE THEY HA THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB AT IT.
AND LIKE I SAID, ANY OF US TOWN ITSELF OR COUNTY OR SCHOOLS OR WHATEVER, WE COULD DO MORE IF WE HAD MORE.
ALL OF US COULD DO MORE IF WE HAD MORE.
AND SO THAT, I THINK THAT WAS THE IDEA IS WE CAN, WE COULD DO MORE THINGS IF WE HAD MORE.
BUT ANYWAY, JOHN, YOU HAD THREE OTHER QUESTIONS.
I DIDN'T WANNA, NO, ACTUALLY, I, I WRAPPED THEM MOSTLY UP.
I HAVE ONE OTHER LITTLE NITPICK, WHICH IS ABOUT THE JOINT, UH, APPOINTMENTS.
UM, I LIKE THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATION, BUT TECHNICALLY I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A MECHANISM TO DO THAT UNLESS ONE, ONE BODY MAKES AN APPOINTMENT AND THEN THE OTHER ONE APPOINTS THE SAME PERSON TO KIND OF RATIFY IT.
UH, BUT THAT PROBABLY JUST NEEDS TO BE THOUGHT THROUGH AND SPELLED OUT.
AND I WAS TRYING TO THINK, I'M, I DON'T, NONE OF US ARE HERE.
THAT I DON'T KNOW MR. PETTY REMEMBER, BUT THE JOINT TOURISM COMMITTEE BEFORE WE RIGHTSIZED THE ORIGINAL, JUST THE ORIGINAL THAT THE, THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY DID IN 2017, I THINK THEY APPOINTED THEM IN 2018.
ONE OF 'EM HAD TO BE A LODGING PARTNER.
UM, I KIND OF LOOKED AT THIS ESSENTIALLY AS SAID WE WOULD MAKE AN AGREEMENT ON SEVEN AS WE JUST DID WITH THE TOW BOARD.
WE APPOINT THE SAME PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP OF DIFFERENT GROUPS.
UM, YEAH, THE ORIGINAL WAS THE TOWN APPOINTED THREE.
AND AT LEAST ONE HAD TO BE A LOT LIKE THE TOWN HAD TO HAVE A LOGIC PARTNER IN TOWN.
AND THE COUNTY HAD TO HAVE A LOGIC BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT IS THE MECHANISM OF THE FUNDING LODGING.
AND THAT, AND I REMEMBER THAT WAS TRICKY.
AND THE STATE CODE TALKS ABOUT ORGANIZATIONS THAT GENERATE REVENUE, HOSPITALITY, YEAH'S, LODGING, HOSPITALITY.
QUITE HONESTLY, IF WE SAID, WELL, WE'RE WES ANOTHER PROCESS WHERE WE BOTH HAVE TO AGREE, WHEREAS IF WE, WE PICK THREE AND YOU PICK THREE, THEN THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER AND COLLABORATE.
BUT WHAT IF, AND, AND, AND IN THE SPIRIT OF COOPERATING, WHAT IF IF YOU HAD SOMEBODY, PEOPLE JUST HAD A HEARTBURN ABOUT IT AND SAID, I I I'M SORRY THEY THEY JUST RUB US THE WRONG WAY OR SOMETHING.
DENTIST ARE GONNA BE THE RETALIATION.
WELL NOW WE'RE NOT GONNA PICK THIS PERSON.
I MEAN, I, I FEAR IT WOULD GET IN, IT COULD IT, IT COULD BE BECOME A DIVISIVE ISSUE.
WHEREAS WE PICK THREE, YOU PICK THREE FROM THE INDUSTRY AND THEY WORK TOGETHER AND JUST, JUST LIKE PLANNING COMMISSION OR ANYTHING ELSE WHERE OUR BOARDS AND OUR COUNCIL DOES THAT.
AND I DON'T THINK IN OUR EDITS WE HAVE THAT AGAIN, JUST HOW, I DON'T THINK IT, I DON'T THINK IN OUR EDITS DO WE HAVE IT LIKE THAT IN OUR EDITS? IT JUST SAID, UM, JUST SEVEN JOINTLY.
A JOINT TOURISM ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS ESTABLISHED CONSISTING OF SEVEN MEMBERS TO WHO JOINTLY APPOINTED BY PARTY COMMITTEE SHALL INCLUDE TOURISM INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVE LODGE PROPERTIES, WHICH ATTRACT TRAVELS TO THE LOCALITY, INCREASE OCCUPANCY OF LODGING PROPERTIES AND GENERATE TOURISM REVENUES.
IT SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS, LODGING, RESTAURANT, OUTDOOR RECREATION, RETAIL, AGRITOURISM, SPORTS, ATHLETICS, AND HISTORICAL.
AND THEN IT SAYS EACH MEMBER SHALL SERVE.
TWO YEAR TERM COMMITTEE SHALL MEET ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
I THINK THIS NEXT PART IS SUPER IMPORTANT.
'CAUSE I KNOW I HEARD THAT COMPLAINT BEFORE WE EVER SHIFTED ALL OF THIS WAS THAT, AND MEMBERS MUST ATTEND 75% OF MEETINGS EITHER VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON OR THEY MAY BE REMOVED.
NOT THAT ONLY BECAUSE LIKE, YOU DON'T WANNA GET SOME, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
YOU GET SOMEBODY ON THERE AND THEN THEY NEVER SHOW UP TO THE MEETINGS AND THEY'RE TAKING A SPOT FROM SOMEBODY ELSE WHO MAYBE WOULD'VE WANTED TO BE THERE.
UM, COMMITTEE SHALL SERVE AN ADVISORY CAPACITY ONLY IN SHELBY HAS NO INDEPENDENT LEGISLATOR OR FISCAL AUTHORITY.
UM, AND ALL THE MEETINGS WOULD BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, BUT ARE YOU THINKING WE SHOULD CHANGE THAT? IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING? THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD TAKE US THREE AND THEN THREE OR, AND I DIDN'T REALIZE, AND I PROBABLY OVERLOOKED THE SEVENTH.
OR MAYBE WE DO FOUR AND YOU DO THREE.
BUT I DON'T WANT THAT TO BE THE THING THAT STOPS US FROM, AND IT MIGHT BE EASIER IF WE SAID LIKE, WE ALL DO LODGING
[01:50:01]
AND YOU ALL DO OUTDOOR RECREATION.YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE ALL RECREATION PRETTY MUCH IS OUTSIDE.
THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
MAYBE WE LOOK AT THIS FROM THE, THE RIVER.
WE LOOKED AT WHAT WAS THERE AND SAID WE WE'D HAVE A BETTER POOL OF PEOPLE THAT WERE THIS.
SO, UM, SO I THINK STAFF CAN WORK ON THAT IF THAT JUST NEEDS BE OKAY.
MAYBE, UH, I KNOW THERE ARE PROBABLY OTHER COMMENTS, BUT MY LAST THING WOULD BE MAYBE THE BALL IS IN OUR COURT TO, TO TAKE WHAT YOU SAID AND DO SOME RED LINING TO TRY AND TRY AND HEAR YOUR CONCERNS AND, AND SEE WHERE WE CAN COME.
I MEAN, AND OF COURSE I TELL YOU WE'RE GETTING FURTHER INTO THE YEAR.
I KNOW YOU GUYS DISCUSSED THIS EVERY MONTH.
WE, WE, WE'VE MISSED OBVIOUSLY THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY PROMOTE THE FALL SEASON.
AND I HAVEN'T TALKED TO MS. LEWIS, SO I, I CAN'T READ HER MIND.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S THINKING ABOUT PROMOTING.
UH, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA HAVE A CHRISTOPHER MILL, MARK DOWNTOWN THAT MIGHT BRING PEOPLE, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT EVERY MONTH WE DEFER AND, BUT I, THE, THE THING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, WE'RE NOT GONNA REDUCE.
AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM PUTTING THAT FUNDING.
WE'RE NOT GONNA REDUCE ANY FUNDING THAT WE'RE SPENDING.
AND THESE DOLLARS WILL GO TO HELPING US WITH FUNDING STAFF.
I MEAN, WE, WE STILL HAVE TO RUN THE STAFF AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS CAN GO INTO MARKETING COMMERCIALS, WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE.
'CAUSE AGAIN, I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN THIS AREA.
AND THEN QUARTERLY REPORTS TO YOU GUYS, HERE'S WHERE THE MONEY WAS SPENT.
IF WE HIRE A STAFF MEMBER AND IT'S ONE QUARTER OF THE YEAR, UH, 10,000 WENT TO STAFF MEMBER A, UM,
SHE HAS TO RENEW THE UM, UH, CIVIL WAR TRAILS.
SO MUCH FOR, THESE ARE THE DOLLARS.
WE HAVE A GREAT FINANCE DIRECTOR.
AND UH, UH, AGAIN, IF YOU READ IT ON A SPREADSHEET AND YOUR AUDITOR SAYS, WELL, SHOW ME THAT MS. LEWIS, WHERE YOU PAID THIS, WE SHOULD HAVE THE RECEIPT WHERE WE PAID THE MEMBERSHIP AND WE SPLIT THE MONEY.
FULL DISCLOSURE AND TRANSPARENCY.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING I THINK WE'VE GOT TO INCORPORATE SOME TRUST HERE THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO THIS THING WITH OUR EYES OPEN WITH THE SAME GOAL OF INCREASING TOURISM FOR FRONT ROYAL WAR COUNTY.
I, I LOOK AT SEVERAL THINGS IN BOTH DRAFTS.
AND WE SIT IN THIS ROOM TUESDAY NIGHT AND, AND SEVEN PEOPLE HAD SEVEN OPINIONS.
WELL, THIS GIVES ME HEARTBURN.
WELL, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, THE FOUR OF US, MS. LEWIS AND THE MAYOR AND I SAT DOWN AND WE WORKED ON IT, AND WE DID IT WITH THE EXPECTATION OR COUNCIL.
WE COULD EXPLAIN IT TO 'EM AND THEY WOULD GO ALONG WITH THIS.
BECAUSE TRYING TO GET SEVEN PEOPLE TO AGREE ON EVERY LINE IN HERE, WHY THE SAME THING? SO HOW CHALLENGE YOU GUYS, I SAY TO YOU GUYS, MAYBE TRY TO TAKE THAT APPROACH WITH YOUR BOARD THAT A COUPLE OF YOU WORK ON AND GO TO THE BOARD, THIS IS WHY THIS MAKES SENSE OR DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
YOU KNOW, DOES SOMETHING GIVE YOU, YOU KNOW, HEARTBURN? I, I JUST CAN'T LIVE WITH IT.
BUT I, BUT I THINK SOONER THAN LATER, WE NEED TO, I WON'T SAY WHAT MY GRANDPA WOULD SAY, WE GET OFF THE POT, BUT NO, I AGREE.
THERE'S A DATE IN HERE THAT PROBABLY NEEDS TO SLIDE, BUT HOPEFULLY BY JANUARY 1ST THIS CAN BE IN EFFECT.
AND SPEAKING OF DATES, THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT I, I WAS GONNA SAY TOO.
I KNOW AS I WATCHED CHARLES'S MEETING TOO, AND THEY'RE GOOD POINTS, GOOD COMMENTS ABOUT LIKE, WELL, LET'S PICTURE THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT IT'S GOING WELL.
WE'RE NOT JUST DOING THIS IN PERPETUITY.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE ADDED THE DATE TO JUNE 30TH, 2028.
HERE'S THE THOUGHT, LIKE GLEN SAID EARLIER, IF WE DON'T START ORIGINALLY WHEN Y'ALL SAID NOVEMBER 1ST, LIKE YOU SAID, WE PRETTY MUCH MISSED THE LEAF SEASON AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW.
UM, BUT LET'S SAY WE STARTED AT JANUARY, FIRST'S GONNA BE REALLY HARD IF YOU ALL START LOOKING IN JUNE TO SAY, WELL, WAS THERE ANY IMPACT ON WHAT WE DID? DID THIS HELP, DID THIS WELL? WAS IT A PLUS? LOOKING AT WHATEVER, IT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH TIME YET, BUT MAYBE, AND I'M ASSUMING YOU ALL HAVE TO DO YOURS, YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE WITH THE BUDGET YEAR, I THINK IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE OF LIKE, TO DO LIKE 18 MONTHS.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT A WHOLE YEAR, YOU GOT A SUMMER, YOU GOT A SUMMER IN THERE, YOU GOT A FALL IN THERE.
[01:55:01]
A SUMMER AGAIN.BUT ANYWAY, I WAS, THAT WAS MY ONLY OTHER COMMENT WHEN YOU ALL GO BACK TO YOUR BOARD IS THAT, YOU KNOW, TO UM, TO LOOK AT IT FROM THAT STANDPOINT TOO.
MAYBE YOU SET A GOAL OF RESOLVING THIS BY JANUARY 1ST, AND THEN BECAUSE WE HAVE LESS MEETINGS, HOW ABOUT YOU SEE IF YOU COULD SELL IN 18 MONTHS? BECAUSE WE'RE, LET'S JUST SAY FOR A MOMENT, WE AGREE JANUARY ONE.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO SEE ON THE WHOLE 12 MONTH? HOPEFULLY IT'S STILL GOING UP BECAUSE WE'RE STILL MARKETING, WE'RE STILL, YOU KNOW, DOING THE TOURISM THING AND, AND THE, UM, THE FESTIVALS THESE GUYS HAVE PUT ON SUCCESSFULLY HAVE BROUGHT MORE PEOPLE TO YEAH.
I WAS TALKING TO ONE OF THE, UM, VOLUNTEER FIREMEN THAT WORKED THE GATE.
UM, AND HE WAS SAYING THAT HE TOOK NOTE OF THE OUTER STATE, UM, BARS, CARD TAGS AND THAT THERE WERE QUITE A FEW, UH, ALL THE WAY UP TO NEW JERSEY.
SO I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE BEST FESTIVALS IN VIRGINIA.
AND YOU GO BACK, WELL, THIS IS FOR OH, OH, AT THE, OH YEAH.
I, I MEAN, GOT THERE EARLY, THE RAIN HAD JUST STOPPED.
BUT WE ALSO SAW MORE PEOPLE COMING IN WHEN WE LEFT AT QUARTER ONE TO GET THAT BACK WITH YOU AND I MAYOR.
AND THE OTHER THING IS TOO, I DON'T KNOW, NONE OF US IN EITHER SPOT PASS IT BACK AND FORTH.
WE DIDN'T PUT ANY APPENDIX IN THERE.
LIKE IT SAYS IT, BUT WE DIDN'T PUT IN THERE.
DO YOU ALL FEEL LIKE IT NEEDS TO BE IN THERE? THE APPENDIX? WHICH THINGS? I THINK FOR THE PUBLIC, WE NEED TO BE ABLE, AND THIS IS WHERE COMING FROM AND PRIVATE INDUSTRY, THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ROI, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TELL PEOPLE WE INVESTED 200 AND SOME ODD THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THIS IS WHERE WE'VE SEEN IT GROW OVER TIME.
AND IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT STARTING POINT, 'CAUSE PEOPLE WILL BE LIKE, WELL, WHAT HAVE YOU ALL DONE? WELL, WHERE'D THE MONEY? AND SO THAT'S MORE OF A, SO WE, SO THIS IS MORE OF A STARTING POINT.
AND THAT'S WHERE, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY WHO KNOWS WHERE THE BASELINE IS WHEN NEED ESTABLISH AND WE HAVE NO OBJECTION.
I MEAN, IT'S A PUBLIC RECORD PUT IN THE CURRENT TOURISM BUDGET IN THERE'S AN AMENDMENT, OR NOT AN AMENDMENT.
AND I THINK THAT WAS THE POINT OF THE DATA REQUEST.
YEAH, BECAUSE MR. JAMESON DID A LOT OF WORK ON THIS AND YOU KNOW, HE'S DATA DRIVEN.
BUT DOING IT MONTHLY, WE DON'T EVEN LOOK AT THINGS MONTHLY.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE AGGRESSIVE, BUT YEAH, THAT WAS THE, THE REASON QUARTERLY MAYBE.
LIKE I HAD SAID TOO BEFORE THAT I SAID, I DON'T WANNA MAKE THIS SO MUCH HARDER ON LIZZIE, THAT SHE'S LIKE, JUST LEAVE IT AS THIS.
IF I GOTTA DO ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, I GOTTA GO SHOW UP AND PRESENT THIS BOARD EVERY MONTH AND EVERYTHING.
BUT SO DO YOU, SO JUST SO THAT WE ONLY HAVE ONE WORK SESSION IN NOVEMBER.
I'M JUST LETTING YOU GUYS KNOW BECAUSE OUR WORK SESSIONS ARE ON MONDAYS.
SO WE DO NOT HAVE THE ONE THAT NIGHT BEFORE THE ELECTION.
AND THEN WE ONLY HAVE ONE WORK SESSION IN DECEMBER OF THE, AND WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY ONE MEETING IN NOVEMBER, ONE MEETING DECEMBER.
SO I WAS JUST SAYING LIKE, IF YOU ALL GET BACK TO US, UM, SO THAT WE COULD AT LEAST ENTERTAIN IT AT OUR WORK SESSION, WHICH I BELIEVE IS ON THE NINTH, NOVEMBER 9TH, OUR NEXT WORK SESSION, WHY DON'T WE TRY TO DO SMALL FROM EACH, YOU KNOW, I'D BE WILLING TO SIT DOWN WITH THE TWO OF YOU IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT.
AND, AND WHOEVER ELSE FROM THE BOARD AND WORK WITH THE TWO AND JOE AND HASH THIS OUT MORE AND THEN PRESENT IT BACK TO BOTH.
MAYBE THAT WOULD EXPEDITE IT INSTEAD OF TRYING TO HIT WORK SESSIONS.
IF THOSE ARE, I FIND I LIKE SITTING DOWN LIKE THIS AT A WORK SESSION.
WELL, YOU GONNA GET MORE DONE.
UM, SO WE JUST NEED TO FIND A DAY BETWEEN NOW AND BEFORE YOU ALL MEET ON NOVEMBER 4TH.
SO WE JUST NEED TO FIND A DAY BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER 4TH WAS WHERE WE CAN ALL GET TOGETHER.
WHICH I'M LAUGHING 'CAUSE MR. PETTY AND I ARE SITTING, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND A DATE TO PETE WITH SOMEBODY ELSE THAT WE, WE COULD BARELY FIND ANYTHING.
AND JOHN, I'M ASSUMING YOU, UM, YOU'RE LIKE FOUR O'CLOCK ONE IS BEST FOR YOU, RIGHT? YEAH.
ALTHOUGH I, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE IT MIGHT BE BETTER OR RICH.
I WAS GONNA SAY RICH HAS BEEN A LITTLE MORE, UM, INVOLVED.
AND WANTS TO BE MORE INVOLVED.
I ACTUALLY, UH, ASKED HIM FIRST IF HE COULDN'T BE HERE.
SO YEAH, HE WAS DOUBLE BOOKED WITH, UH, SO WHY DON'T YOU TALK TO RICH? CAN HE BE DURING THE DAY? YEAH, HE'S A LOT MORE FLEXIBLE THAN I.
UM, MAYBE JUST SEND AN EMAIL WITH, WITH LIKE, THESE ARE ALL THE COMMON DATES THAT YOU ALL CAN MEET AND WE'LL SEE WHAT COMMON
[02:00:01]
DATES WE CAN MEET.SO I I'M JUST PUTTING THAT DOWN TO OUR DAUGHTER GAVE US 20.
MY CALENDAR THAT DAY WORKS TOMORROW, BUT OKAY.
I MEAN I CAN'T AT FIVE 30 YOU HAVE TO BE TIME FOR THE ED EDUCATIONAL ENDOWMENT DINNER.
BUT WE'RE TALKING EARLIER IN THE DAY.
I'M GOOD AT A MEETING FROM ONE TO TWO, BUT OTHER THAN THAT I CAN DO 2, 3, 3 OR THREE AT THREE O'CLOCK.
LET'S SET AT THREE O'CLOCK AND SEE BE, I'M NOT REALLY INTO MORNINGS NOW GONNA TELL YOU I'M NOT REALLY, THAT'S NOT TRUE.
I'M JUST NOT GETTING OUT 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE TO YET.
THAT'S WHAT RETIREMENT CALLED THURSDAYS WHEN I'M VOLUNTEERING AT THE SCHOOL.
DO YOU WANT IT'S JUST US THOUGH, RIGHT? YEAH.
DO WE WANNA DO TWO? SHOULD WE DO TWO 30 IS 2 30, 29? IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? YEAH.
I JUST HAVE TO BE AND AND LET OF YEAH, I GOTTA BE THERE.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA WRITE TO NO I I'LL LET YOU KNOW.
BRIDGE CAN'T, IF NOT WE I'M SURE WE CAN FIND ANOTHER.
AND THAT WOULD BE AT YOUR PLACE? YEAH, WE DID.
YEAH, LIKE NEXT WEDNESDAY WE HAVE A RECOVERY COURT IN THE AFTERNOON.
SO THAT'S A, I WAS SAYING I COULD PROBABLY EVEN DO EARLIER THAT DAY IF PEOPLE NEEDED TO.
'CAUSE SOME ALREADY PLANNED TO DO THAT.
DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING ABOUT THE ENDOWMENT.
THEY, I THINK I, SOMEBODY INVITED ME BECAUSE I JUST RETIRED.
I DIDN'T GET AN INVITE 'CAUSE I GOT AN INVITE.
PHIL INVITED ME TO BE HIS, HIS GUEST.
SO HE SAID, I THINK I WANTED YOU TO COME SINCE YOU JUST RETIRED.
UM, SO THAT'S, WE'RE GONNA DO THAT ON THE 29TH.
UM, PATRICK'S GONNA GIVE US A FOLLOW UP, NOT A FOLLOW UP BUT PATRICK, ABOUT THE CASE SPRINGS.
WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WAS ON THERE THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING? LIKE NOT FOLLOWING UP BUT I THINK THAT'S EVERYTHING, RIGHT? UM, JUST THE RUNAWAY, UM OH YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
AND THAT, THAT'S OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
SO WE HAVE TO, WE THE BALL IN OUR COURT.
THAT WAS THE ONLY OTHER WHATEVER THE LIAISON.
JANUARY WILL IS THE NEXT LIAISON MEETING.
SO HOPEFULLY WE OH BEFORE JUST UM, I'M THROWING THAT OUT BECAUSE SOMEBODY BROUGHT IT UP TODAY.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT BEHIND ROLE KING HAD STARTED.
I ONLY KNEW 'CAUSE I WALKED THE GREENWAY
SOMEONE CALLED ME AND WAS CONCERNED, NO CONSTRUCTION FENCE THAT BEEN PUT UP TO KEEP THE CHILDREN SEPARATED.
JOHN ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO MYSELF AND DAVID TODAY.
UM, AND I THINK THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SYSTEM.
SO GOOD BECAUSE YEAH, SEE I LEARNED SOMETHING TONIGHT.
ONLY 'CAUSE I WAS WALKING BY THERE AND I LOOKED OVER AND IT WAS LIKE THEY WERE MOVING DIRT, THEY WERE MOVING HER AND I WAS LIKE, OH OKAY.
UNLESS I GO TO THE LIBRARY, THE END OF TOWN.
WELL AND I WAS JUST AT THE LIBRARY.
ANYTHING SURPRISED? THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE ALL THESE OTHER PROJECTS ARE SO SLOW.
I MEAN, UM, AS LONG AS THEY JUST PUT THAT UP SO THAT THE KIDS ARE SAFE BECAUSE I KNOW WHERE MY GRANDSON WOULD BE THAT WON'T, THAT WON'T IMPACT NEXT YEAR'S SCHOOL THING.
'CAUSE I WAS GONNA SAY IF IT DID, YOU MIGHT WANNA, WE MIGHT WANNA GIVE THE SCHOOL BOARD A HEADS UP LIKE BECAUSE OF ALL THEIR NUMBERS.
BUT THAT BY THEN HE WILSON SHOULD BE DONE BY THEN AND EVERYTHING BACK TO NORMAL MAYBE.
UM, SCHOOL AND COUNTY BUILDING COMMITTEE HAS DISCUSSED THAT.
I WAS JUST THINKING 'CAUSE THEY WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO PUT EVERYBODY FOR NEXT YEAR.
BUT IT WON'T IMPACT, IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S GONNA BE BUILT BY CONSTRUCTION AND THE PARENTS PICKING UP THE KIDS.
YEAH, THAT ACTUALLY I WAS JUST TELLING HER LIKE THEY'RE ALREADY WORKING ON THAT.
LIKE 'CAUSE THE SCHOOL ENDS, PART OF THE LIBRARY ENDS PART LIKE THAT IN THERE.
[02:05:01]
THEREWELL THE COUNTY THEY OWN WATER PIECE OF THE PARK UNDERSTANDING WORKING DURING SCHOOL.
AND THEN THERE WAS CONVERSATION ABOUT, I GOTTA TELL YOU, SHARING THE LIBRARY.
I NEVER KNEW WHERE THAT ENDED UP AT.
I WISH THEY HAD BUILT THE BRIDGE OVER THE CREEK THERE THAT WOULD'VE MADE IT.
IT GOES ON PRIVATE PROPERTY SPEAKING.
'CAUSE THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE I'VE BEEN THAT WOULD'VE BEEN PEOPLE TALKING OF IT.
'CAUSE I WAS WITH FOURTH GRADERS IS YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE SHOPPING CENTER.
THE PERSON THAT BOUGHT THE SHOPPING CENTER THAT CAME TO US, THE TOWN COUNCIL NO LONGER AROUND SET SHOPPING CENTER KING.
BUT, BUT THE PART ABOUT LIKE THE PEOPLE THAT SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T AFFORD TO, LIKE WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT LIKE A BRIDGE GOING FROM THERE, THEY WERE LIKE, IT IS TOO EXPENSIVE NOW.