* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:02]
          THANK YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS, UM, OUR WORKING SESSION FOR, UH, FOR TODAY, TUESDAY. 
          AND, UM, BEGINNING THE MEETING. 
          UM, WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, MAKE ROLL CALL MRS. COOK? AYE. 
          DR. 
          JAMON? AYE. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. 
          MR. STEINMEYER? AYE. 
          AYE, MRS. SCHOLARS? YES. 
          OKAY, GOOD. 
          AND DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF? NO, I'M OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND WE'LL 
          [A. 5:00PM - 5:20PM - Budget Request - Warren Coalition ]
START WITH THE, UH, WARREN CO COALITION. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          MORNING AND ALL. 
          MY NAME'S KRISTA SHIFFLET. 
          I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE WARREN COALITION AND I'M GOING TO TRY TO KEEP MY COMMENTS AROUND WHAT OUR REQUEST IS FOR THIS EVENING, BUT I WILL JUST TAKE TWO SECONDS. 
          IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE COALITION, WE'RE ACTUALLY CELEBRATING OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR. 
          WE SERVE BIRTH TO DEATH IN WARREN COUNTY, UM, AND WE PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES AROUND SUBSTANCE MISUSE, TREATMENT PREVENTION, AS WELL AS TRAUMA SUPPORT, UM, ADDRESSING VIOLENCE AND BULLYING AND PROTECTIVE, BUILDING PROTECTIVE FACTORS, AND REDUCING YOUTH OBESITY. 
          SO WE, WE COVER A LOT OF GROUND. 
          UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF RECOVERY HOUSES THAT ARE OPEN HERE IN TOWN. 
          I LITERALLY JUST CAME FROM RSW WHERE I SAW AND TAUGHT CLASSES ALL DAY TODAY. 
          UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM PROVIDING DIFFERENT SUPPORTS FOR KIDS FROM THE VERY SMALL ONES UP TO THE SENIORS. 
          WE ALSO DO A LOT OF WORK WITH LAUREL RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AROUND MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE MISUSE. 
          SO TONIGHT I WANNA TALK ABOUT HALO REED. 
          AND HALO FOR US STANDS FOR HELPING ALL LITTLE ONES READ. 
          UH, THIS IS A DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY. 
          WE ARE AN AFFILIATE OF THEIRS, AN OFFICIAL, OFFICIAL AFFILIATE. 
          WE BEGAN IN NOVEMBER OF 2020 DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE PANDEMIC AND HAD A KICKOFF EVENT ACTUALLY OVER AT THE PARK. 
          AND WE ARE SERVE KIDS WITH THIS PROGRAM LITERALLY FROM THE DAY THEY'RE BORN UNTIL THEIR FIFTH BIRTHDAY. 
          UM, AND THE BOOKS ARE MAILED NOT BY US, BUT FROM DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY TO THEM. 
          UM, EVERY MONTH USUALLY TAKES ABOUT A MONTH FOR THE CHILDREN. 
          ONCE WE GET THEIR REGISTRATION, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND REGISTER THEM WITH DOLLY PARTON. 
          AND GENERALLY A MONTH AFTER THAT, WE ONLY PROVIDE SERVICES TO CHILDREN IN WARREN COUNTY THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. 
          WE ARE JUST THE WARREN COUNTY AFFILIATE. 
          NOT ANY OTHER COUNTIES ARE SERVED WITH THIS MONEY. 
          THERE IS NO COST AT ALL TO FAMILIES FOR THIS. 
          IT IS COMPLETELY FREE. 
          WE DO HAVE COSTS, HOWEVER, SO WE HAVE STAFF COSTS. 
          WE HAVE A PROGRAM COORDINATOR, UM, WHO HAS TO SEND IN THE REGISTRATIONS, KEEP TRACK OF IF PEOPLE MOVE THAT SORT OF THINGS, MAKE SURE WE GET THAT DONE. 
          ALSO, RECRUIT FAMILIES. 
          THAT'S A BIG PART OF IT IS HOW DO WE MAKE THIS KNOWN? HOW DO WE GET IT OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY? SO GOING TO ANY KIND OF FAIRES THAT ARE OPEN ANYWHERE WE THINK WE CAN FIND KIDS, DEFINITELY BE THERE TO SET UP, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN GET THOSE. 
          I CAN TELL YOU THIS WEEK WHEN I GOT THE MAIL, I HAD FOUR APPLICATIONS FOR HALO REED, UM, IN THE MAIL. 
          AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S SORT OF WHERE WE ARE. 
          UM, THIS IS SORT OF BY THE NUMBERS. 
          AND I DID NOTICE WHEN I WAS PUTTING THIS TOGETHER LAST NIGHT, I ACTUALLY, AND THE FIRST PART OF THE APPLICATION, NOT THE SECOND WHERE I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE NEED, BUT IN THE BEGINNING, THE NUMBERS I WAS QUOTING WERE LAST YEAR. 
          DOLLY PARTON GIVES BASED ON THE, UM, BASED ON THE POPULATION OF THE AREA THAT YOU'RE SERVING, SHE GIVES A TARGET NUMBER OF HOW MANY CHILDREN SHE EXPECTS YOU TO HAVE ENROLLED. 
          SO WHEN WE FIRST BEGAN THIS, OUR TARGET NUMBER WAS 300. 
          POPULATION OF THE COUNTY HASN'T GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY, SO WE'RE STILL THERE SINCE INCEPTION. 
          SO SINCE NOVEMBER, 2020, WE'VE HAD 667 CHILDREN RECEIVE BOOKS AGAIN ON THEIR FIFTH BIRTHDAY, THEY'RE OUT. 
          SO 300 OF THOSE HAVE GONE OUT AND WE HAVE 360 8 IN SERVICE AS THE TIME OF APPLICATION. 
          WE ANTICIPATE NOW WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB SATURATING AND REACHING PEOPLE. 
          SO ADDING ABOUT 20 ADDITIONAL PEOPLE FOR, AND THEN HAVE THE NUMBERS GOING OUT. 
          UM, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, SO ABOUT A 2020 NUMBER INCREASE PER YEAR. 
          UM, SO WHEN YOU GO ON AND IF YOU GUYS WANTED TO DO THIS, IT'S UM, IT HT HTTPS COLON SLASH IMAGINATION LIBRARY.COM. 
          THEY LIST THE BOOKS LIKE YOU CAN SEE A LIST FOR EACH AGE GROUP. 
          SO BIRTH, BIRTH TO ONE THROUGH ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, AND THAT, THAT'S HOW THEY'RE BROKEN DOWN. 
          YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE BOOKS ARE THAT THEY, UM, THAT THEY GAVE OUT THIS PAST YEAR. 
          AND THE AVERAGE, THE VALUE OF THE BOOKS THAT THEY SEND OUT IS BETWEEN 85 AND A HUNDRED DOLLARS A YEAR. 
          THEY'RE ALL FROM PENGUIN PUBLISHING. 
          THAT'S THE ONLY, THAT'S THE ONLY GROUP THAT THEY WILL ISSUE BOOKS FROM. 
          AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. 
          SO RIGHT NOW, FOR EACH OF THOSE BOOKS, THE COST TO MAIL THOSE IS $2 AND 60 CENTS. 
          OBVIOUSLY WE KEEP SEEING POSTAGE INCREASES. 
          WE'RE EXPECTING ANOTHER POSTAGE INCREASE. 
          SO YOU CAN SEE THE MATH WITH THAT. 
          THAT'S ADDING 20 ADDITIONAL CHILDREN THAT THE COST OF THAT PER YEAR, 12,000 105 60. 
          THE STATE HAS A PROGRAM 
          [00:05:01]
THEY VERY MUCH SUPPORT EARLY LITERACY AND THEY ARE WILLING TO PAY HALF THE COST OF THE POSTAGE. 
          SO THEY WILL COVER $6,000 OF THAT OR WHEREVER THAT LANDS, WHATEVER, WHEREVER THAT IS, THEY'LL COVER HALF. 
          UM, SO WE IN OUR REQUEST ASK FOR 62 50. 
          UM, IF THERE'S NO POSTAGE INCREASE, WE'LL USE IT TOWARDS THE SALARY. 
          FOR THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR, WE HAVE TO RAISE THAT EVERY YEAR. 
          AND THE SALARY RUNS ABOUT $5,000 A YEAR. 
          IT'S NOT A HUGE, IT'S NOT A HUGE COST, BUT IF YOU GOTTA RAISE IT, UH, $5,000 CAN BE TRICKY WHEN THERE ARE OTHER NONPROFITS, EVERYONE WHO HAS THEIR HAND OUT. 
          SO, UM, THAT'S THAT. 
          AND I JUST HAVE SOME QUOTES IN HERE. 
          SO THESE ARE QUOTES AND I'M NOT GONNA READ TO YOU 'CAUSE I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE READ TO ME FROM POWERPOINTS. 
          YOU ALL CAN READ. 
          BUT THESE ARE JUST SOME QUOTES IN HERE ABOUT WHY IT'S IMPORTANT WITH EARLY LITERACY. 
          AND I WILL SAY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, SO MY MASTER'S DEGREE IS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, AND I KNOW FROM EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE HAD THAT THE EARLIER YOU READ TO THOSE CHILDREN, THE BETTER THEIR CHANCES ARE FOR FURTHER LITERACY. 
          AND IT ALSO HELPS ON THE MATH SIDE. 
          UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, WE'VE HAD MANY IN-SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND I HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE CLASSROOM NOW SINCE 1996. 
          IT'S BEEN A MINUTE, EVEN THOUGH I TOLD YOU I JUST GRADUATED TWO YEARS AGO. 
          UM, BUT MY FOURTH GRADERS, UH, WERE IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE THAN THE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS I WAS WORKING WITH JUST A FEW YEARS AGO. 
          THE LITERACY IS WAY DOWN, UM, FROM WHAT WE HAD AND WHAT I WOULD'VE EXPECTED FROM A REPORT FROM A FOURTH GRADER, I WAS NOT GETTING THAT ANYWHERE CLOSE FROM SEVENTH GRADERS. 
          JUST SAYING IT'S NOT THERE. 
          AND WE'RE ALL, WE ALL WILL PAY THE PRICE FOR THAT IF WE DON'T INVEST IN THIS. 
          HENCE THIS IS WHY THE STATE, I THINK IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS AGO NOW, HAS DEEMED WE NEED TO PUT MONEY UP TO TRY TO GET THESE BOOKS OUT TO KIDS. 
          DOLLY PARTONS, UM, IMAGINATION LIBRARY ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAS PROVIDES BOOKS TO ONE IN SEVEN CHILDREN ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. 
          SO IT'S VERY WELL ACCESSED. 
          VIRGINIA IS TRYING TO GET IT TO BE ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH IF THEY CAN GET AFFILIATES, BUT OF COURSE YOU'VE GOTTA COME UP WITH THE OTHER PARTS OF THE MONEY. 
          SO IS THEIR BUY-IN. 
          THESE ARE JUST MORE QUOTES ABOUT WHY THIS IS TRUE. 
          UM, THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING. 
          I DO, UM, A PROGRAM WITH DR. 
          TOMMY BALL FOR THE RESIDENTS AND THEY ALWAYS COME AND SEE ME AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A PROJECT. 
          SECOND YEAR RESIDENTS HAVE TO COMPLETE A PROJECT AND ONE OF THE ONES WE TALKED ABOUT THEM WAS PROMOTING EARLY LITERACY. 
          THEY WERE VERY INTERESTED IN THAT. 
          AND I GUESS WHEN YOU BECOME A PATIENT WITH THEM, THEY GIVE A BOOK TO YOU BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE WHAT AMERICAN, THE AMERICAN, UH, ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS IS SAYING ABOUT WHY IT'S IMPORTANT. 
          AND WHEN YOU'RE INTRODUCED AS A PATIENT, THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WE GIVE BOOKS TO KIDS. 
          SO THAT WAS A PROJECT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, TRYING TO GET MORE PROMOTION AROUND WITH THE RESIDENTS HERE IN TOWN. 
          THIS PART IS REALLY INTERESTING AND I WILL SAY THIS, YOU CAN READ WHAT'S UP THERE, BUT I WILL SAY THIS FROM, UM, MY WORK IN THE JAIL. 
          SO ONE OF THE CLASSES I TEACH IN THE JAIL IS A CLASS CALLED GETTING AHEAD WHILE GETTING OUT. 
          IT'S REALLY ABOUT TRYING TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM COMING BACK INTO THE JAIL AND LAYING OUT PLANS TO DO THAT. 
          BUT IN THAT BOOK, RUBY PAYNE, WHO'S ONE OF THE FOREMOST EXPERTS ON POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES, TALKS ABOUT THE WORD COUNT AND HOW LITTLE EXPOSURE THERE IS TO, FROM PEOPLE IN POVERTY, GETTING EXPOSED TO WORDS, PEOPLE SORT OF IN THE WORKING CLASS VERSUS JUST MIDDLE CLASS. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE UP THERE WHERE THEY'RE DESCRIBING THAT TO YOU. 
          AND THE DISADVANTAGE THAT PUTS PEOPLE COMING OUT OF POVERTY AT BECAUSE THEIR, THEIR EXPOSURE TO WORDS AND THEIR ABILITY TO BE PREPARED FOR SCHOOL IS MUCH LESS THAN PEOPLE COMING FROM MIDDLE CLASS HOUSES. 
          SO WE'RE THE GIRL, THE WOMAN WHO RUNS THIS, SHE WAS A TEACHER, BUT SHE WAS ALSO SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, UM, OR ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS HERE FOR A WHILE. 
          AND ALSO IN CLARK COUNTY, JOYCE JENKINS, WIMMER. 
          SO BIG EDUCATOR, LONG TIME STILL SUBSTITUTING IN THE SCHOOL, A BRAVE WOMAN. 
          BUT ANYWAY, UM, AND SO WHO SELECTS THE BOOKS? SO THIS IS FOR THE US THEY DO IT DIFFERENT. 
          'CAUSE CANADA HAS THIS, UH, AUSTRALIA, GREAT BRITAIN, SHE'S IN MANY DIFFERENT PLACES. 
          BUT WE HAVE THE BLUE RIBBON RIBBON, UM, BOOK SELECT COMMITTEE. 
          IT'S A SPECIALIZED PANEL WHO UNDERSTANDS EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY, WHO LOOKS AT THE BOOKS, REVIEWS THE TITLES AND DECIDES EACH YEAR WHAT BOOKS THEY'RE GOING TO PUT UP FOR. 
          UM, SELECTION FOR TITLES. 
          AND I DID JUST DO, UM, I DID JUST DO LIKE, THIS IS A SAMPLE AND THIS ISN'T THE TITLE, BUT SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT GROUP ONE AND, UH, FROM BIRTH TO BASICALLY TILL THEY TURN TWO, THAT WOULD BE GROUPS ONE AND TWO. 
          AND WHAT THEY LOOK FOR IN PUTTING THOSE BOOKS TOGETHER. 
          SO IS IT BRIGHT AND COLORFUL? IS IT GONNA GET THEIR ATTENTION? THERE'RE NOT A LOT OF WORDS IN THERE. 
          IT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO BE, UM, A CARDBOARD, A HARD BOOK. 
          'CAUSE THE KIDS PUT 'EM IN THEIR MOUTH. 
          UM, SING-SONGY RHYTHM. 
          YOU COULD SEE AT THE END THEY TALK ABOUT LULLABY THEMES. 
          DEFINITELY THAT THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU WOULD HEAR WITH A TODDLER OR MAYBE SINGLE WORDS ON A PAGE, THAT SORT OF THING. 
          AND IF YOU WENT ON AND LOOKED AT THEIR WEBSITE, YOU WOULD SEE IT BREAKS IT DOWN BY EACH GRADE. 
          SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S TWO YEAR OLDS, IT TALKS ABOUT NOW WE'VE ADDED THIS TO IT. 
          AND THEN WHEN YOU GET TO THREE YEAR OLDS, WE'VE, NOW WE'VE 
          [00:10:01]
ADDED THIS. 
          AND THEY ALSO HAVE, THEIR WEBSITE IS REALLY NICE BECAUSE THEY HAVE VIDEOS, SHORT VIDEOS FROM EXPERTS. 
          SO LIKE IF YOU WENT AND LOOKED AT SAY, I DON'T KNOW, THE SNOWY DAY, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BOOKS THEY DO, THERE WOULD BE AN EXPERT THAT SAYS, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD DO WHEN YOU'RE DOING THIS WITH YOUR CHILD. 
          ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THEY TALK ABOUT IS SNUGGLE TIME. 
          SO YOUR KIDS SITTING VERY CLOSE TO YOU WHEN YOU'RE READING AND THEN THEY GIVE YOU HINTS LIKE POINT TO SOMETHING AND ASK THE KIDS IF THEY CAN TALK, YOU KNOW, SAY, WHAT'S THAT COW? THAT KIND OF THING. 
          OR GREEN OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF THING. 
          BUT THEY GIVE VERY GOOD SHORT SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARENTS. 
          AND NOW AND NOT TOO LONG. 
          'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOUR INFANT DOESN'T HAVE A LONG ATTENTION SPAN AS COMPARED TO YOUR 4-YEAR-OLD. 
          SO YOU DON'T WANNA STRESS THE KID OUT. 
          I REALLY LIKE THE WAY THEIR WEBSITE IS LAID OUT BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S VIDEO, WHICH OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THE WORLD'S GONE TO VIDEO. 
          GIMME A SHORT 32ND VIDEO ON WHAT I NEED TO DO. 
          I CAN PAY ATTENTION TO THAT AND I CAN GO FORWARD. 
          SO THEIR, THEIR WEBSITE IS VERY WELL LAID OUT. 
          THEY HAVE, YOU CANNOT BELIEVE THE DOCUMENTS WE HAD TO SIGN TO BE AN AFFILIATE AND WHAT WE SAY WE WILL AND WON'T DO. 
          WHAT? DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY. 
          AND THIS LADY HAS EVERY ONE OF HER DUCKS IN A ROW AND HAS GIVEN OUT LIKE 3.2 MILLION BOOKS. 
          UM, SINCE SHE STARTED THIS, SHE'S GIVEN OUT A LOT OF BOOKS. 
          THAT'S A LOT OF MAILING FRIENDS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S ALL I WANNA SAY ABOUT HALO REED. 
          DO YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT OR ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COALITION HALO HELPING ALL LITTLE ONES READ, HELPING ALL LITTLE ONES READ. 
          ANYONE ELSE? ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, I, I DO. 
          UM, I'M LOOKING AT THE, THE BUDGET FORM MM-HMM . 
          THAT YOU SUBMITTED. 
          AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR REQUEST IS LOWER THAN WHAT YOU ASKED FOR THIS YEAR, RIGHT? YES MA'AM. 
          I DON'T NEED MORE THAN THAT. 
          AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF YOUR GRANTS HAVE GONE UP? NO, IT'S JUST BECAUSE FOR WHAT I'M ASKING YOU FOR MONEY FOR THIS IS WHAT I NEED TO COVER THE COST OF WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO. 
          I'M NOT GONNA ASK FOR MORE MONEY THAN I NEED OR MORE MONEY THAN I'M GONNA SPEND. 
          THAT'S NOT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. 
          SO I'LL ASK YOU FOR WHAT I NEED AND HOPE YOU GIVE ME WHAT I ASK FOR. 
          CAN WE CLONE YOU  ? I THINK IF YOU REALLY KNEW ME, YOU'D THINK THAT WAS A HORRIBLE IDEA AND RUN IN FEAR, BUT SURE. 
          GIVE IT A TRY. 
          . 
          YEAH. 
          I'M GONNA ASK YOU FOR WHAT I NEED AND WHAT I KNOW I'M GONNA SPEND. 
          JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I WAS READING THIS CORRECTLY. 
          YOU WERE READING IT CORRECTLY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WELL, WELL I'VE, I'VE PARTICIPATED IN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND UM, I, YOU KNOW, THE, WHAT YOU DO WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU HAVE IS AMAZING. 
          AND THEN TO HAVE THAT ATTITUDE OF YOUR REQUEST, UM, IT'S, IT'S VERY APPRECIATED FOR THE SERVICES YOU DO AND FOR CONSIDERING BEING, YOU KNOW, SOUND ON THE SPENDING AS WELL. 
          SO IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED. 
          WELL, I MEAN, I TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. 
          IF YOU'RE GOING TO ENTRUST MONEY TO ME, I'M GONNA DO WHAT I NEED TO DO WITH IT AND I NOT TAKE MORE THAN I NEED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. 
          UM, THE PHILOSOPHY REALLY FOR THE COALITION HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME. 
          THERE ARE A LOT OF NONPROFITS IN THIS AREA WHO DON'T HAVE GRANT WRITING SKILLS, PARTICULARLY. 
          I'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE, GOTTEN VERY LARGE GRANTS WITH THAT. 
          AND WE, UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY, I HAD NEVER ASKED THE PUBLIC. 
          I'VE BEEN AT THE COALITION FOR 15 YEARS. 
          I HAD NEVER ASKED THE PUBLIC TO DONATE MONEY. 
          WE WERE DOING IT CELEBRATING A 30TH ANNIVERSARY AND WE ASKED, I'D NEVER DONE IT BEFORE THAT. 
          WE MIGHT ASK BUSINESSES TO SPONSOR THINGS, BUT SHORT OF, HEY, DONATE MONEY TO THE COALITION, LET THE CO LET, LET THE, WE, WE COOPERATE WITH LOTS OF THE NONPROFITS, LET THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THE MONEY, GET THE MONEY FROM THE PEOPLE. 
          WE HAVE ANOTHER WAY TO DO IT AND WE VALUE ALL THE NONPROFITS CONTRIBUTIONS THAT HAPPEN IN THE COUNTY. 
          SO THAT'S REALLY THE SORT OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF WHERE WE OPERATE FROM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MM-HMM . 
          ELSE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. 
          OFF TO PLAY BINGO WITH THE CHILDREN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO NEXT, 
          [B. 5:20PM - 5:40PM - Budget Request - Northern Virginia 4-H Center ]
UH, WHAT WE HAVE THE UH, NORTHERN VIRGINIA FOUR H CENTER AND DO YOU ONE OF THESE WE HAVE PREFERENCE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I WAS JUST LOOKING. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING. 
          I APPRECIATE COMING AND BEING ABLE TO SHARE SOME OF THE AMAZING THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING AND HAPPENING AT THE FOUR H CENTER. 
          I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A KIND OF A GOOD IDEA OF WHERE WE ARE. 
          SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THE FAST FIRST PART A LITTLE BIT QUICKLY SO I CAN FOCUS MORE ON 
          [00:15:01]
SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT WE HAVE. 
          THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT THE FOUR H CENTER, WE ARE ONE OF SIX IN VIRGINIA, IS THAT WE ARE ALL OUR OWN 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFITS. 
          SO IT GETS VERY CONFUSING BECAUSE WE ARE PARTNERED WITH FOUR H AND I MYSELF AM A VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION EMPLOYEE JUST LIKE EMILY SCHULTZ THAT IS HERE IN YOUR OFFICE. 
          BUT THE FOUR H CENTER DOES NOT GET ANY OF THAT STATE OR FEDERAL FUNDING. 
          AND WE'LL KIND OF TALK ABOUT THAT. 
          BUT WE DO HAVE THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH FOUR H AND THAT VISION TO MAKE THE BEST BETTER AND TO EDUCATE, INSPIRE AND CONNECT THOSE YOUTH AND THOSE KIDS TO OUTDOORS AND TO LEADERSHIP AND TO BEING THE NEXT PEOPLE THAT COULD BE SITTING IN YOUR SEAT EVEN. 
          WE JUST GOT TO GO TO DAY AT THE CAPITAL LAST WEEK AND WE HAD AN EVENING OF FOUR H WHERE WE WERE RECOGNIZING SOME AWESOME TEENS FROM AROUND THE WHOLE STATE. 
          AND THREE OF THEM CAME FROM OUR CAMPING DISTRICT AND IT WAS JUST AMAZING TO SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THEY WERE DOING IN STEM AND WITH YOUTH AND IT ALWAYS MAKES MY HEART REALLY PROUD. 
          UM, FORMER TEACHER AS WELL. 
          SO WE FOCUS ON MAIN THINGS. 
          WE HAVE RETREAT GROUPS, SUMMER CAMPS AND FIELD TRIPS. 
          SO WE HAVE 229 ACRES OFF HARMONY HOLLOW. 
          IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN UP THERE LATELY, I WOULD LOVE TO COME GIVE YOU A TOUR. 
          THERE ARE LOTS OF EXCITING THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND WE OPERATE YEAR ROUND. 
          THAT'S ANOTHER COMMON MISCONCEPTION THAT PEOPLE THINK. 
          WE JUST OPERATE IN THE SUMMER. 
          WE ARE 12 MONTHS A YEAR. 
          SO WE HAVE 10 YEAR ROUND STAFF AND THEN WE HIRE ON ABOUT 30 SEASONAL STAFF DURING OUR BUSY SEASON. 
          OUR BIG PUSH AND WHY I'M HERE IS WITH OUR SUMMER CAMPS. 
          SO WE HOST FOUR H SPECIFIC SUMMER CAMPS. 
          WE HOST SPECIALTY CAMPS SUCH AS WARREN COUNTY SHERIFF'S CAMP, WE DO MILITARY CAMP AND SEVERAL OTHER THINGS. 
          WE DO CAMP SMILE, WHICH IS KIND OF LIKE HALF A DAY OF SCHOOL AND THEN HALF A DAY OF CAMP FOR SOME RISING SIXTH GRADERS. 
          AND OUR KIDS ALWAYS HAVE REALLY AWESOME THINGS TO SAY WHEN THEY LEAVE. 
          SOME OF THE DATA FROM THIS YEAR WAS 97% REPORTED THAT THEY COULD BE KIND TO OTHERS. 
          EXCUSE MY TYPO THERE, 96 THAT THEY HAVE A GOOD ATTITUDE, 95% SO THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN THINGS WHEN THEY'RE AT CAMP. 
          WE TEACH THEM RESPONSIBILITY. 
          SO THEY CLEAN UP THEIR BUNKS, THEY HELP SWEEP THE FLOOR IN THE DINING HALL. 
          THEY ARE THERE TO LEARN HOW TO BE FUNCTIONAL CITIZENS AS WELL AS CAMPERS. 
          AND WE ALSO WANT THEM COMFORTABLE OUTDOORS. 
          THAT IS A BIG PUSH OF OURS. 
          SO WE DO CLASSES WHICH ARE FUN LIKE GAGA. 
          WE DO YOGA AND SELF MEDITATION FOR THAT MENTAL HEALTH PIECE. 
          WE DO YOUR TRADITIONAL, YOU KNOW, CANOEING AND SWIMMING. 
          WE HAVE ABOUT 14 TO 16 CLASSES EACH WEEK THAT WE TEACH THROUGH OUR SEASONAL STAFF. 
          SOME OF THE OTHER QUALITATIVE RESEARCH, THEY SAY I'M MORE RESPECTFUL. 
          I DON'T GET AS FRUSTRATED AFTER CAMP. 
          I CAN FORM MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS. 
          ONE OF MY FAVORITES, I CAN LIVE WITHOUT MY PHONE. 
          THAT IS A HUGE THING IN THIS WORLD THAT SOMEONE CAN COME AND BE WITHOUT THEIR PHONE FOR FIVE DAYS. 
          THEY'RE WITH US FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON UNTIL THURSDAY AFTERNOON. 
          AND WE A HAVE TERRIBLE SERVICE, WHICH HELPS US, BUT WE ARE NO CELL PHONE FACILITY. 
          SO THEY LEAVE 'EM AT HOME, THEY LEAVE 'EM WITH THEIR PARENTS AND THEY REALLY FOCUS ON INTERACTING WITH OUR PEERS, WHICH IS A LOST SKILL IN TODAY'S WORLD. 
          WE ALSO DO LOTS OF FIELD TRIPS FOR OUR LOCAL GROUPS, ANYWHERE FROM ENVIRONMENTAL ED AND STEM MEETING THOSE SOLS TO OUTDOOR LIVING SKILLS AND THE FUN, CANOEING AND HIGHS CHALLENGES ALONG THE WAY. 
          BUT WHY DOES THIS BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY? WHY AM I HERE ASKING YOU TO HELP SUPPORT US? SO IN ADDITION TO THOSE CAMPS, SOME OF OUR FIELD TRIPS THIS YEAR WE HAD RMA, WE HAD DOMINION RIDGE ACADEMY EAST, UM, E WILLIAM MORRISON. 
          WE DO A TON OF PROJECTS WITH THEM AS A LOWER INCOME SCHOOL AND WORK WITH SOME GRANTS TO GET THOSE KIDS OUTSIDE. 
          WE ALSO EMPLOY PEOPLE FROM WARREN COUNTY. 
          WE HAVE ABOUT 67% OF OUR FULL-TIME YEAR ROUND STAFF LIVES IN WARREN COUNTY AND OUR SEASONAL STAFF THAT RATES A LITTLE BIT LOWER CLOSER TO 35, 40%. 
          'CAUSE WE DO BRING IN A LOT OF COLLEGE STUDENTS TO HELP WITH OUR SUMMER PROGRAMS. WE ALSO OFFER RETREATS. 
          WE'VE HAD WARREN COUNTY SCHOOLS OUT TO DO RETREATS, ROCKLAND BASEBALL, WARREN COUNTY ROTARY. 
          WE HAVE THAT MEETING SPACE IN ADDITION TO THE CAMPING FACILITIES, WE HAVE OUR POOL AND OF COURSE THE FIREWORKS EVENT THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR. 
          SO OUR AIM IS TO BE KNOWN IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          I KNOW THAT WASN'T ALWAYS THE CASE. 
          I KNOW BEFORE MY PREDECESSOR CAME, THE FOUR H WAS KIND OF THIS THING THAT WAS KIND OF OUT THERE AND JUST DID ITS OWN THING. 
          AND I'VE WORKED REALLY HARD TO KIND OF BREAK DOWN THOSE BARRIERS AND MAKE IT MORE COMMUNITY FOCUSED. 
          SOME OF THE WAYS WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT IS OFFERING CPR AND FIRST AID TRAININGS. 
          MY PROGRAM IS A CERTIFIED RED CROSS INSTRUCTOR. 
          SO WE OFFER THOSE TRAININGS JUST FOR THE COST THAT RED CROSS CHARGES US. 
          WE DON'T TAG ON AN EXTRA FEE FOR THAT. 
          WE ALSO TRAIN LIFEGUARDS. 
          MOST OF OUR SEASONAL POOL STAFF COMES HERE FROM WARREN COUNTY. 
          A COUPLE COME IN FROM RAPPAHANNOCK. 
          I'VE HOSTED TWO PROJECT LEARNING TREE TRAININGS LAST YEAR. 
          SOME OF THE LOCAL TEACHERS 
          [00:20:01]
FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CAME IN FOR THAT WITH SOME INFORMAL EDUCATORS, SOIL AND WATER DISTRICT AND SOME OF THOSE MORE LESS FORMAL EDUCATORS. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO PARTNER WITH A HOPE AND REST TEMPORARY SHELTER FOR SHOWERS. 
          SO THEY VAN AND BUS IN ONCE A WEEK OR TWICE A WEEK DEPENDING ON THEIR SCHEDULE TO USE OUR SHOWERS FOR THEIR RESIDENTS DURING THOSE WINTER MONTHS THAT THEY'RE OPEN. 
          SOME OF THE WAYS WE'RE LOOKING FOR 2025 TO INCREASE THAT INPUT. 
          YOU'LL SEE IN A MOMENT HERE WE HAVE COMPLETELY RENOVATED TENNIS PICKLEBALL COURTS AND BASKETBALL COURTS THANKS TO SOME GRANT FUNDING. 
          AND THOSE ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO DO COLLABORATIVE EVENTS LIKE WE'RE DOING THE GLOBAL DAY OF UNPLUGGING MARCH 7TH AND EIGHTH WITH THE WARREN COALITION WITH A HIKE AND SCAVENGER HUNT TO GET PEOPLE UP ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL. 
          IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE, WE HAVE AN EIGHTH OF A MILE CONNECTOR TRAIL. 
          SO WE HAVE HIKER PARKING WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND PARK AT THE CENTER WHERE THEY KNOW THEIR CAR IS SAFE AND THEN ACCESS THE TRAIL RIGHT THERE AND BE RIGHT ON THE AT. 
          SO SOME OF THE REALLY COOL THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING THIS YEAR, WE HAD OVER $400,000 IN GRANTS AND DONOR DONATIONS FOR FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS. 
          I PICKED A SELECT FEW, THERE'S A BUNCH MORE THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT ON HERE, BUT I PICKED SOME OF THE MORE OUTDOORSY ONES. 
          SO WE COMPLETELY RENOVATED THE TENNIS COURTS AND KEPT ONE TRULY DEDICATED TENNIS COURT AND ADDED FOUR PICKLEBALL COURTS. 
          SO THOSE HAVE REMOVABLE NETS. 
          SO THEY, THAT SPACE CAN JUST ALSO BE USED FOR OPEN PLAY A LOT OF TIMES IN THE SUMMER. 
          THEY JUST GOT DONE THE END OF JUNE, WE USED IT FOR LIKE NINE SQUARE IN THE AIR OR KICKBALL OR THINGS WHERE YOU JUST NEED A FLAT SPACE, WHICH IS KIND OF A UNIQUE THING TO FIND OUT. 
          AT OUR CENTER ON THE MOUNTAIN, WE ALSO REDID THE BASKETBALL COURTS. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE THAT PICTURE. 
          THAT'S PROBABLY MY FAVORITE. 
          BEFORE AND AFTER, WE ADDED A FIRE PIT MEMORIAL PATIO FOR MR. TOM BAKER, WHO WAS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF SPECIAL LOVE, WHICH HELPS US COAST OUR CAMP. 
          FANTASTIC. 
          WHICH IS OUR CAMP FOR KIDS WITH CANCER. 
          SO THAT WAS A REALLY COOL SPACE. 
          WE HAVE. 
          WE GOT A AMAZING NEW CANOE SHED DONATED BY WARREN COUNTY ROTARY. 
          AND THEN PART OF THE LOWE'S GRANT. 
          WE REDID OUR CAMPFIRE CIRCLE AND TOOK OUT THE AILING BENCHES THAT HAD BEEN THERE FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS THAT WERE STARTING TO TIP OVER AND REDID SOME OF THAT LANDSCAPING THERE. 
          SO THOSE WERE JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS. 
          OTHER THINGS I DON'T HAVE LISTED, WE REDID OUR HEALTH CLINIC TO MAKE IT A DA FRIENDLY. 
          SO WE TOOK OUT THE TUBS, PUT IN ROLL IN SHOWERS, PROPER TOILETS, TILTED MIRRORS, UM, THE HAND SOAP THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO TOUCH, YOU JUST STICK YOUR HAND UNDER, IT'S AUTOMATIC. 
          THAT WAS ANOTHER BIG ONE. 
          WE REPLACED ALL OUR PARTITIONS IN OUR SHARED SPACES WITH A LIC COMPOSITE INSTEAD OF THE OLD RUSTY METAL ONES THAT WERE NOT VERY SAFE ANYMORE. 
          WE DID SOME ROOFING REPAIRS. 
          WE REBUILT ONE OF OUR OUTLOOKS THAT'S OUT BY, UP BY THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL. 
          AND OUR OTHER CAMPFIRE CIRCLE, OUR SMALLER ONE GOT REDONE THROUGH AN EAGLE PROJECT. 
          SO WE HAVE REALLY BEEN FOCUSING ON IMPROVING THE FACILITIES THAT GOT INTO A LITTLE DISREPAIR ALONG THE YEARS. 
          SO JUST A COUPLE FUN FACTS AS I STATED EARLIER. 
          SO I AM A VIRGINIA TECH EMPLOYEE THAT IS CONTRACTED OUT TO THE CENTER AND MY PROGRAM DIRECTORS A VIRGINIA TECH EMPLOYEE, THEY PAY MY SALARY AND THEY PAY HALF HER SALARY. 
          THE REST OF OUR $1.5 MILLION BUDGET WE HAVE TO RAISE. 
          SO WE HAVE TO APPLY FOR GRANTS, WE HAVE TO APPLY FOR FUNDING, WE HAVE TO CHARGE FEES FOR OUR PROGRAMS. AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE FOUR H CLUBS AND UNITS. 
          SO VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION PAYS FOR, FOR WARREN COUNTY FOUR H TO HAPPEN. 
          THAT IS ALL COVERED UNDER BUDGET ITEMS. WE HAVE TO RAISE PRETTY MUCH EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE SPEND. 
          AND LAST YEAR WE HAD 30% OF OUR CLIENTELE. 
          IT WAS A LITTLE, ALMOST 4,000, 3,883 CAME FROM WARREN COUNTY. 
          AND THE GIFT THAT WE GOT LAST YEAR WAS ABOUT 0.16% OF OUR BUDGET. 
          SO THE ASK, WHAT WE DO IN OUR REQUEST IS REALLY FOCUS ON THOSE CAMPERS THAT IS OUR BIG INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING. 
          AND TO MAKE CAMP INCLUSIVE FOR ANYONE TO ATTEND, WE OFFSET THE PRICE. 
          SO A KID CAN COME TO A WEEK OF CAMP FOR UNDER $400 A WEEK. 
          THAT IS FIVE DAYS, FOUR NIGHTS, LODGING ACTIVITIES, ALL OF THE THINGS, UM, IF YOU'VE SENT YOUR KIDS TO ANY OTHER CAMP, YOU KNOW, THAT IS DIRT CHEAP. 
          AND THE WAY WE DO THAT IS BY COMING TO OUR ACCOUNTING GOVERNMENTS AND ASKING YOU TO HELP OFFSET THOSE FUNDS. 
          AND THEN WE HELP OFFSET THOSE FUNDS WITH OUR OTHER GROUPS. 
          SO OUR RENTALS AND OUR USER GROUPS AND THE RETREATS THAT COME IN IS WHERE WE TRY TO DO THAT. 
          WE LOSE ABOUT A HUNDRED DOLLARS A CAMPER, SO WE TRY TO MAKE UP 50% OF THAT AND WE ASK THE COUNTIES TO HELP US MAKE UP 50% OF THAT. 
          SO OUR REQUEST IS STRICTLY BASED OFF THE NUMBER OF WARREN COUNTY CAMPERS WE HAD IN 2024. 
          SO IF YOU SEE THAT NUMBER IN THERE, THAT IS WHERE THAT IS COMING FROM. 
          WHAT QUESTIONS 
          [00:25:01]
DO YOU HAVE FOR ME? I'M LOOKING AT YOUR BUDGET NUMBERS HERE AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I KNOW WHAT YOU DO AND YEAH, AND IT, IT'S REALLY GREAT THAT WE HAVE YOU OUT THERE. 
          I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M LOOKING AT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO ON THE REVENUES IT SAYS FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 THROUGH 25, WARREN COUNTY BUDGETED TWO, UH, $2,500, WHICH I SEE HERE ON OUR, OUR SHEET THAT WE HAVE HERE. 
          THEN FOR 24 25 PROJECTED IT JUMPS TO $7,800. 
          SO I MIGHT HAVE FILLED THIS OUT WRONG. 
          OUR ASK WAS FOR 7,800, THE BOARD GRANTED US 2,500. 
          SO THAT'S WHY I PUT PROJECTED 'CAUSE THAT WAS WHAT THE ASK WAS. 
          THAT WAS WHAT YOUR ASK WAS. 
          THAT WAS WHAT THE ASK WAS. 
          THAT'S ALL I NEEDED CLARIFICATION. 
          YEP. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO THAT I'M CLEAR THIS, THIS NUMBER OF REQUEST IS TO SUPPORT THE CAMPERS, THE CAMPERS IT IS SPECIFICALLY SO THE KIDS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO GO. 
          YES. 
          WE TRY TO KEEP IT INCLUSIVE. 
          WE TRY TO KEEP THOSE COSTS DOWN, BUT WE CAN ONLY LOSE SO MUCH MONEY. 
          UM, LIKE IN 2023 WAS LAST YEAR WE DID LIKE A FULL ANALYSIS AND IT WAS AROUND $136,000 WE LOST ON CAMP BECAUSE WE SUBSIDIZED THAT CAMP FEE. 
          SO HOW MANY CHILDREN YOU SAID AVERAGE ABOUT 400. 
          SO YOU'RE ONLY GETTING, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF KIDS THAT DON'T GET TO GO THE LESS MONEY WE DON'T GET. 
          OKAY. 
          YEP. 
          I GOTCHA. 
          YEAH, WE HAD 143 THAT MADE IT FROM WARREN COUNTY LAST YEAR. 
          THOSE WERE OUR NUMBERS FROM WARREN COUNTY. 
          DO YOU HAVE, UH, AN AVERAGE OF HOW MANY KIDS? WAS THAT THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT APPLIED TO GO OR THAT WAS NOT THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT APPLIED? UM, I WOULD HAVE TO GET WORK WITH EMILY TO GET THAT. 
          AND WE DO OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS. 
          SO WE HAVE AN ENDOWMENT FUND THAT WE FUND THROUGH PRIVATE DONORS TO HELP OFFSET SOME SCHOLARSHIPS. 
          AND THEN WARREN COUNTY FOUR H AGENT EMILY SCHULTZ ALSO DOES SOME SCHOLARSHIPS. 
          SO THERE ARE SOME OTHER FORMS KIND OF COMING IN TO HELP, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO CHECK WITH HER TO GET THOSE EXACT NUMBERS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT, UM, WHAT, A YEAR OR SO AGO IT CAME UP AND UM, MS. MEADOWS AND I TOOK A TOUR AND LOOKING AT THOSE PICTURES. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THAT'S AMAZING. 
          I'M SO GLAD YOU GOT THAT MONEY. 
          UM, I I KINDA STEP OUTTA MY COMFORT ZONE ON MONEY ANYMORE. 
          AND THE NEW DIRECTOR DOWN IN, UH, BLACKSBURG, WHEN I MET HIM AT A MEET AND GREET, THAT WAS THE FIRST THING I SAID TO HIM WAS, YOU NEED TO PUT MORE MONEY IN THE WARREN COUNTIES FOUR H CENTER. 
          IT'S IN BAD CONDITION. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW IF HE DID THAT OR WHERE YOU GOT THAT MONEY, BUT YEAH, THAT WAS ALL GRANTSON DONATIONS. 
          NONE OF THAT CAME FROM THE STATE. 
          SO WE WERE ABLE, NO, I WROTE A LOT OF GRANTS LAST YEAR. 
          . 
          WELL, IT IT WAS VERY MUCH NEEDED. 
          THAT'S, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY. 
          YEAH, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, IT WAS, HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN THERE? 40 YEARS. 
          PROBABLY BEEN ABOUT 40 YEARS SINCE ANYTHING HAD BEEN DONE TO A LOT OF THOSE. 
          AND UM, YEAH. 
          AND NOW WE'RE PLAYING CATCH UP. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, AND I'M SURE WHEN PEOPLE SEE IT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MORE PEOPLE WANT TO COME BECAUSE IT, THOSE PICTURES LOOKED AMAZING. 
          SO I NEED TO GET BACK UP THERE AND SEE IT IN PERSON. 
          YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          I'D LOVE TO GIVE ANY OF YOU A TOUR. 
          YEAH, I'D LOVE TO GO AND, AND ALL THAT. 
          WAS THAT $400,000 OF WORK? I MEAN THAT'S, YES. 
          SO THIS, YOU GOT ALL THAT WORK DONE FOR 400,000. 
          WE GOT ALL THAT WORK DONE. 
          AND THE THINGS I DIDN'T SHOW YOU PICTURES OF THE HEALTH CLINIC, THE BATHROOMS, LIKE WE WERE VERY TIGHT ON OUR BUDGETS. 
          WE DIDN'T KNOW WHO YOUR SUPPLIERS ARE. 
          YEAH. 
          . 
          WELL, DIDN'T YOU HAVE A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS? I REMEMBER WE DID HAVE A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS. 
          SO WE HAD TWO BIG VOLUNTEERS DAYS THIS YEAR. 
          UM, RAP HAND AND GALCHER COOPERATIVE, ONE OF THOSE THAT CAME OUT AND DID A LOT OF IN KIND WORK AND THEY PROBABLY, WITH THE EQUIPMENT SUPPLIES AND EVERYTHING, PROBABLY ABOUT 40,000 OF THAT $400,000 WAS RE'S IN KIND WORK THAT THEY DID FOR US. 
          I'D LIKE TO CONTACT YOU AND, AND GET A TOUR. 
          YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          SHOW YOU WHAT, WHAT AND SEE. 
          YEAH, I'LL GIVE YOU MY CARD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          HOW MUCH WERE YOUR TENNIS COURTS? OUR TENNIS COURTS, WE GOT THEM DOWN TO $130,000. 
          THE ORIGINAL PRICE TAG WAS ABOUT 1 65. 
          WAS THAT PER TENNIS COURT? THAT WAS FOR THE WHOLE PROJECT. 
          REALLY? YES. 
          WOW. 
          , I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED THE FOUR HII GO THERE, TAKE MY KIDS TO THE POOL. 
          I USE IT AS A BASE FOR HIKING. 
          UM, BEEN TO PRIVATE EVENTS THERE THAT HAVE BEEN VERY NICE. 
          UH, IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL. 
          UM, MY, MY QUESTION, UH, IT'S ABOUT, UH, PERSONNEL LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO SEE A PRETTY BIG BUMP, UH, FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR AND THEN OPERATIONS ARE GOING UP. 
          ALTHOUGH TWO YEARS AGO THEY WERE SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER. 
          SO IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR, YOUR ACTIVITIES PROBABLY EBB AND FLOW, WHICH MIGHT , THEY DO EBB AND 
          [00:30:01]
FLOW. 
          SO A LOT OF OUR OPERATING IS UTILITIES AND FOOD COSTS. 
          IF YOU'VE GONE TO THE GROCERY STORE, SOME OF OUR THINGS LIKE A VAT OF OIL, USED TO BE $40. 
          IT'S $110 NOW. 
          YEAH. 
          SO A LOT OF THE OPERATION INCREASE IS THAT INFLATION AND WITH PERSONNEL? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. 
          WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO ADD POST COVID. 
          WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET BACK TO BEING FULLY STAFFED. 
          SO WE ADDED ONE AND A HALF POSITIONS FOR 2025. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S A BIG PART OF THE INCREASE. 
          AND THEN ALSO TRYING TO GIVE A 3% STAFF, UM, INCREASE IN THEIR WAGES TO KEEP THEM THERE SO THEY DON'T LEAVE ME FOR SOMEWHERE ELSE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WHAT ARE PROGRAM REVENUE? PROGRAM SERVICE REVENUES? SO PROGRAM SERVICE REVENUES ARE WHEN WE HAVE OUR CONFERENCE, OUR RETREAT GROUPS, OUR RENTALS, OUR FIELD TRIPS THAT COME OUT. 
          SO ANYONE THAT COMES TO US TO EITHER BOOK A PROGRAM, EVENT OR RETREAT, THAT'S THAT'S PRETTY GOOD. 
          YEAH, PRETTY GOOD. 
          I MEAN, THAT'S A BIG PART OF YOUR YES. 
          BUDGET. 
          IT IS A BIG PART OF OUR BUDGET AND THAT'S HOW WE OFFSET OUR KIND OF SHARE OF THOSE CAMP NUMBERS IS WE TRY TO HAVE SOMEONE ON GROUNDS. 
          I'D LOVE TO HAVE SOMEONE ON GROUNDS SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, BUT THEN I NEED MORE STAFF. 
          SO WE HAVE DO YOU BRING IN PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE THE COUNTY FOR THOSE TIMES? WE DO, YEAH. 
          YEP. 
          SO LIKE I SAID, ABOUT 30% OF THOSE NUMBERS WERE WARREN COUNTY. 
          WE TECHNICALLY SERVE ALL OVER VIRGINIA AND OTHER STATES. 
          SO WE HAVE GROUPS FROM MARYLAND THAT COMES IN. 
          WE HAVE GROUPS IN PENNSYLVANIA, WE HAVE RETREATS AND THINGS AND DOING RETREATS AND OKAY. 
          NEAT. 
          DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, I WENT TO FOUR H CAMP EVERY YEAR FOR MOST OF MY CHILDHOOD. 
          UM, AND WE ALWAYS HAD KIDS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTIES, WHICHEVER COUNTY WAS IN THAT REGION, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY. 
          YEAH. 
          WE CAN'T BUY CLUSTER. 
          SO LIKE CLARK WARREN IS LIKE A CLUSTER THAT WE BRING IN TOGETHER. 
          SO CLARK AND WARREN WILL CAMP TOGETHER BECAUSE WE HAVE 19 COUNTIES THAT WE SERVE. 
          AND WITH THE SUMMER WITH KIDS GOING BACK FOR SPORTS, WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT EIGHT WEEKS TO FIT THAT INTO. 
          SO WE'D TAKE TWO OR THREE COUNTIES AND PUT 'EM TOGETHER FOR A CLUSTER. 
          YEP, YEP. 
          AND IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. 
          I, THAT'S WHERE I LEARNED HOW TO OFFICIALLY SWIM INSTEAD OF JUST BEING THROWN IN THE CREEK AND SAYING SWIM OR SWIM, LUCK SINK. 
          UM, AND IT'S, IT'S AN EXPERIENCE THAT I'M GLAD WE'RE STILL ABLE TO, TO OFFER KIDS, UM, DISCONNECT FROM THAT PHONE AND LEARN SOME SOCIALIZATION IF NOTHING ELSE ANYMORE. 
          BUT YEAH, ALL THE OTHER ACTIVITIES I REMEMBER YOU HAD TO LINE UP IN THE STRAIGHTEST LINE WAS THE FIRST ONE TO GET TO GO IN AND EAT. 
          SO YEAH. 
          YOUR MATH SKILLS YEAH. 
          AND YOUR WORKING TOGETHER SKILLS, UM, IT CAME A LONG WAY WITH THAT LEARNING HOW TO TO BE COOPERATIVE, UM, WHERE YOU WERE THE LAST LINE TO GO IN. 
          YEAH. 
          SO I, I THINK THAT'S AN EXPERIENCE I HOPE GOES FOR THE UNFORESEEN FUTURE AROUND HERE. 
          IT'S VALUABLE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          ANY MORE QUESTIONS? OKAY. 
          OH, YOU'VE GOT IT ON THERE. 
          OKAY, PERFECT. 
          THANK IT. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          I THINK IT WAS SITTING UP HERE. 
          [C. 5:40PM - 6:00PM - Budget Request - Access Independence Inc. ]
SO THE NEXT WE HAVE IS THE, UM, ACCESS INDEPENDENCE INCORPORATED. 
          I MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, CHARLES HARBAUGH, MAYOR OF MIDDLETOWN, CEO, ACCESS INDEPENDENCE, HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH YOU GUYS IN SEVERAL ASPECTS. 
          AND, UH, UH, ADMINISTRATOR DAILY IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH OUR ORGANIZATION. 
          SO, UM, IF YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW ONE OR TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS, BUT WE HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN FIVE COUNTIES. 
          FREDERICK CLARK, SHANNON OA PAGE, WARREN CITY OF WINCHESTER. 
          WE'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 1985. 
          UM, WE'RE CELEBRATING OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY. 
          YOUR FORMER SUPERVISOR DELEGATE OATS, UH, SHE GOT US A RESOLUTION LAST YEAR CELEBRATING THAT MILESTONE. 
          UM, WE SERVED 102 OUT OUR, OF OUR 678 CLIENTS WERE FROM WARREN COUNTY LAST YEAR. 
          AND WE HAVE A MYRIAD OF SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY. 
          UM, SOME OF THOSE, AND, AND I GUESS REALLY WHY WE'RE FAMOUS IS OUR DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT. 
          IF I'M CHARLES AND I NEED A WHEELCHAIR AND I LIVE IN, IN BENTONVILLE, WE CAN GIVE YOU A FREE WHEELCHAIR AND SAVE YOU THE MONEY. 
          IF I'M, IF I LIVE IN, IN FRONT ROYAL, WE CAN DELIVER A FREE KNEE, SCOOTER, WALKER, SHOWER HANDLE, GRAB BAR, WE DO RAMPS AND OTHER PROJECTS. 
          AND, UM, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THOSE HERE IN WARREN COUNTY, UH, SINCE MY TIME THERE. 
          SO IT'S JUST A, A WONDERFUL NOBLE NONPROFIT AND SERVICE THAT WE'RE OFFERING, UH, SAVES PEOPLE A LOT OF MONEY IN, IN SITUATIONS. 
          WE ALSO MANAGE 243 INDIVIDUALS FINANCES WITH OUR REP PAYEE PROGRAM. 
          A LOT OF FOLKS, THEY CAN LIVE INDEPENDENTLY, PHYSICALLY WITH THEIR BODY, BUT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND, WELL, WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T PAY MY WATER BILL? WELL, YOU GET CUT OFF, YOU PAY A RECONNECTION FEE, A DISCONNECTION FEE, AND YOU CAN KIND OF GET BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE DISABILITY. 
          SO, UH, THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION LICENSE US TO DO THAT. 
          AND WE PROVIDE THAT SERVICE TO A, A LOT OF WARREN COUNTY RESIDENTS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE. 
          WE ALSO HAVE A DEAF AND HEART OF HER HEARING SERVICE 
          [00:35:01]
CENTER. 
          WE'RE ONE OF TWO CENTERS OF INDEPENDENT IN LIVING IN VIRGINIA THAT HAVE THAT SERVICE. 
          SO, UH, WE HAVE CAP COCKTAIL PHONES AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN READ THE TRANSCRIPT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO SOMEBODY WHO'S NOT DEAF. 
          UM, SO THAT KIND OF REALLY HELPS, HELPS OUT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. 
          WE HAVE INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS, TRAINING INFORMATION FOR REFERRAL TRAVEL ASSISTANCE. 
          UM, WE ALSO HAVE PRE ETS WHO ARE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS, UH, TEACHING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THAT ARE ABOUT TO GRADUATE. 
          UH, LIFE SKILLS. 
          YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU MAKE A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT? HOW DO YOU MAKE A DENTAL APPOINTMENT? HOW DO YOU FOLD YOUR LAUNDRY? HOW DO YOU COOK DINNER? WE ALSO PROVIDE, UH, DRIVER'S ED TRAINING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHO MAY HAVE BEEN TOLD THEIR WHOLE LIFE THAT YOU'LL, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO DRIVE. 
          UM, AND SO WE GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY AT OUR ORGANIZATION. 
          UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE AND, UH, JUST A GREAT NONPROFIT GIVING AWAY TONS OF STUFF LEFT AND RIGHT. 
          IF YOU GUYS KNOW OF ANYBODY, WHOEVER NEEDS OUR SERVICES, WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO PROVIDE THIS. 
          WE ALSO DO SERVICE FACILITATION FOR 111 CLIENTS WHERE WE GO TO THEIR DOOR, THEY GO TO THEIR HOUSE AND CHECK IN ON THEM AND THEIR LIVING SITUATION AND IF THEY'RE TAKING THEIR MEDICATION, IF THE HOUSE IS ACCESSIBLE, WE DO SITE REVIEWS FREE OF CHARGE FOR FACILITIES LIKE THE FOUR H CENTER. 
          SHE REACHED OUT TO ME AND WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PLACE IS ACCESSIBLE. 
          ARE THERE ENOUGH GRAB BARS IN THE BATHROOM? IS THERE STEPS THAT NEED RAMPS? IS THERE LOW LIGHTING? IS THERE, YOU KNOW, UNNECESSARY RUGS ON THE FLOOR? SO THAT'S A FREE SERVICE WE PROVIDE TO, TO, UH, A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS, UM, IN, IN, IN THE AREA. 
          SO THAT'S A GIST OF, OF ACCESS, INDEPENDENCE AND UH, VERY PROUD TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS. 
          I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE A TOUGH JOB AND A BUNCH OF GREAT NONPROFITS ARE ALL GOOD AND, AND, UM, YOU HAVE TOUGH DECISIONS TO MAKE. 
          SO HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH, MY PLEASURE. 
          YEAH, IF WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER ALREADY HERE, MAYBE WE CAN TAKE TWO OUT OF ORDER AND KEEP GOING. 
          EIGHT. 
          OH, YOU'RE , UH, YOU'RE NORTHWESTERN COMMUNITY SERVICE. 
          YEAH, SURE. 
          I SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO HOME AND SAY, WOW, I GOT IN, GOT OUT QUICKLY. 
          JUST A SECOND. 
          FINANCIAL OFFICER COMING. 
          SO IF YOU ASK ANY FINANCIAL QUESTIONS, MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO 
          [J. 8:00PM - 8:30PM - Budget Request - Northwestern Community Services ]
GOOD EVENING CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. 
          THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. 
          MY NAME IS ELLEN HARRISON, I'M WITH THE NORTHWESTERN COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARD. 
          BEEN IN MY POSITION ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS. 
          SO, UM, I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE DO. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN THE PAST. 
          I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE, UM, CONTRIBUTED TO OUR OVERALL FINANCIAL BUDGET EVERY YEAR FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. 
          NORTHWESTERN COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARD HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 50 YEARS. 
          WE CELEBRATED OUR 50 YEAR MARK IN 2024, AND IT WAS AN EXCITING TIME. 
          UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE MANDATED BY THE CODE OF VIRGINIA TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR ALL LOCALITIES, AND OUR LOCALITIES COMPRISE THE FIVE OF CLARK FREDERICK PAGE, SHENANDOAH WARREN IN THE CITY OF WINCHESTER. 
          UM, WE SERVE ABOUT, OR LEMME START OVER. 
          WE HAVE, WE, WE COVER ABOUT, UM, 1,635 SQUARE MILES. 
          IT'S A POPULATION OF 247,000 PEOPLE. 
          UM, BUT WE DO SERVE WARREN COUNTY OF COURSE, AND WE SERVE JUST LAST YEAR IN 2024, 4,400 CLIENTS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. 
          AND FOR WARREN, WE SERVED 842, WHICH COMPRISES JUST UNDER 20% OF THE TOTAL, UM, POPULATION THAT WE SERVE. 
          [00:40:01]
UM, FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARDS. 
          WE HAVE, UM, NINE CORE SERVICES THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE TO COMMUNITIES THAT'S MANDATED IN THE VIRGINIA CODE. 
          UM, THEY ARE, UM, COMPRISED OF THE SAME DAY ACCESS, SO BEING ABLE TO, UM, SERVE CLIENTS THE SAME DAY THAT THEY ASK FOR SERVICES. 
          SO THEY WALK IN, THEY CAN ASK FOR AN ASSESSMENT AND WE ARE ABLE TO MEET WITH THEM AND THEN FIGURE OUT WHAT SERVICES THEY MIGHT NEED AND THEN WHAT SERVICES WE CAN PROVIDE IN ALL OF THE DIFFERENT LOCALITIES THAT WE, UM, COVER. 
          AND THEN WE CAN PROVIDE EITHER MEDICATION MANAGEMENT, WHICH IS ONE OF THOSE NINE CORE SERVICES, OUTPATIENT THERAPY. 
          WE PROVIDE PEER SERVICES, CASE MANAGEMENT, SUBSTANCE USE SERVICES, AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY SERVICES. 
          SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE AND CRISIS SERVICES, AND THAT'S 24 7. 
          SO WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE DO. 
          WE, UM, IN THE, IN TERMS OF THE COVERAGE OF THE SERVICES OUTSIDE OF THE NINE CORE SERVICES THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT, WE ALSO PROVIDE ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT, WHICH IS A HOSPITAL DIVERSION TYPE PROGRAM. 
          WE REWORK WITH THE HIGHEST RISK INDIVIDUALS IN THE NORTHERN COUNTY, WHICH DOES, OR THE NORTHERN AREA, WHICH DOES INCLUDE WARREN COUNTY, UM, PROVIDING VERY INTENSIVE SERVICES SO THAT WE ARE DIVERTING PEOPLE FROM HOSPITALIZATION. 
          IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THAT SUPPORT, THEY MIGHT END UP IN A PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY. 
          AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO HELP WITH THAT STABILIZATION PROCESS OVER TIME. 
          WE ALSO PROVIDE, UM, OAT, WHICH IS OFFICE-BASED ADDICTION TREATMENT, AND THAT'S FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE EITHER OPIOID OR ALCOHOL. 
          UM, USE IS VERY, VERY HIGH AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO ENTER INTO RECOVERY SO THAT THEY CAN LEAD A SOBER LIFE. 
          BUT THAT TAKES A LOT OF INTENSIVE SERVICES INCLUDING MEDICATION MANAGEMENT AND INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT THERAPY, WHICH CAN BE GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL AND PEER SERVICES. 
          WE ALSO PROVIDE HOMELESS, UM, SHELTER PLUS CARE, UM, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, CRISIS SERVICES, MEDICATION MANAGEMENT. 
          WE'RE PART OF THE CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM TRAINING, UM, TEAM THAT WILL PROVIDE 40 HOURS OF TRAINING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES SO THAT WE HAVE GOOD SOLID RESPONSES TO OUR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN CRISIS. 
          SO THEY DON'T END UP IN JAIL, BUT THEY END UP WITH TREATMENT THAT THEY NEED AND CAN GET BACK INTO THEIR LIVES AND BECOME PRODUCTIVE. 
          CITIZENS IN THE COMMUNITIES HAVE A LOT OF, UM, PREVENTION SERVICES THAT WE'RE DOING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. 
          PREVENTION, UM, YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE STARTS IN KINDERGARTEN OR EVEN EARLIER, REALLY TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE IDENTIFY HIGH RISK AREAS AND BECOME MORE RESILIENT AND RECOVERY ORIENTED. 
          SO YOU START WITH YOUR KINDERGARTNERS AND YOUR SELF-ESTEEM AND THEN YOU MOVE INTO THE HIGH SCHOOLS AND OUT INTO THE COMMUNITIES TO HELP THOSE, UM, CITIZENS BECOME PRODUCTIVE LIVES. 
          WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES AS WELL. 
          UM, WE HAVE VERY COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND SHARED POSITIONS AND ALSO WITH JUVENILE PROBATION. 
          UM, WE ARE MEMBERS, VERY ACTIVE MEMBERS OF FT AND ALSO CPMT, UM, DOING A LOT OF THERAPY, MEDICATION MANAGEMENT AND CASE MANAGEMENT WITH CHILDREN AS WELL, INCLUDING DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES. 
          SO WE'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVE. 
          WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS ON AN, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THE REGULAR FOR 50 YEARS. 
          UM, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER 50 YEARS IN THIS COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF WHAT WE DO. 
          UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM. 
          I WILL SAY THAT, UM, THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE PUT FORWARD, UM, TO YOU IS FOR $346,000, WHICH IS 5% HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR. 
          AND YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT FOR US RECRUITING AND RETAINING, UM, POSITIONS IS, IS QUITE THE STRUGGLE AS IT IS FOR EVERYONE. 
          WE HAVE ABOUT, UM, JUST UNDER 300 EMPLOYEES. 
          SO HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. 
          I, UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION. 
          YES. 
          SO WITH THE 5% INCREASE THAT YOU'RE ASKING FROM ALL THE LOCALITIES, SO WHAT IS THE DRIVER BEHIND THAT? THAT IS FOR THE, UM, THE OPERATING EXPENSES OF COURSE ARE GOING UP AND THEN ALSO SALARIES AND BENEFITS ARE GOING UP FOR US. 
          AND LOCAL CONTRIBUTION COLLECTIVELY IS 10%. 
          UM, FROM ALL OF THE LOCALITIES, THE, THE REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE IS ABOUT 1.5% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET. 
          WE DO A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF BILLING TO MEDICAID, UM, FOR SERVICES THAT WE DELIVER. 
          SO FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE MEDICAID AS AN INSURANCE, THEN WE DO THE BILLING FOR THAT TO OFFSET A LOT OF THE COSTS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES MA'AM. 
          UM, IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, FROM THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR TO THE ONE WE ARE CURRENTLY IN NOW, YOUR OVERALL FUNDING AND EXPENDITURES HAS GONE UP MASSIVELY. 
          UM, AND I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT, WHAT INCREASED, UH, OPERATIONS OR SERVICES CAME ALONG WITH THAT. 
          UM, 
          [00:45:01]
I'M GONNA GET ON THE RIGHT PAGE. 
          UH, I'M LOOKING AT THE, UH, REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES PAGE, UH, WHERE THE REVENUES GO UP FROM 9.6 MILLION TO 24 MILLION. 
          AM I IN THE WRONG CHART THAT YEAR? THIS YEAR TO DATE? DATE? OH, THAT'S YEAR TO DATE. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH, SO WE, WE ANSWERED QUESTIONS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR VERSUS LAST. 
          YEAH, MY MISTAKE. 
          APOLOGIZE. 
          NO PROBLEM. 
          SO I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS ON THIS. 
          THE, UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'VE GOT FOR WINCHESTER CITY, IT'S UH, YOU KNOW, REQUESTING 290,000 FROM THEM AND, UH, AND I'M NOT REAL, REAL CLEAR ON THE OF WHAT, WHAT IS THE POPULATION OF, OF WINCHESTER CITY? IS THAT, I DON'T HAVE THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          OKAY. 
          I I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS. 
          27,000. 
          SO 27,000. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL THEN THAT WOULD BE RIGHT IN RIGHT IN LINE WITH THAT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO DO YOU GO BY CLIENT SERVED TO DESIGNATE TO COME UP WITH NUMBER, THE PROPORTIONALITY NUMBER? YES. 
          UM, BECAUSE LOOKING BACK, WE ARE FAIRLY CLOSE WITH SOME OF THE OTHER LOCALITIES ON NUMBERS SERVED, BUT DOES SEEM LIKE WE'RE A LITTLE AHEAD OF THEM ON REQUEST FOR REVENUE. 
          'CAUSE I THINK WE WERE IN FIVE OF WHICH EITHER WINCHESTER CITY, I THINK I GOT MY NUMBERS RIGHT, UH, YES, WINCHESTER CITY 5 96 AND WE'RE 5 91. 
          BUT JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO BY CLIENTELE, OUR NUMBERS SHOULD BE A LITTLE CLOSER TO THAT. 
          WHEN WE, WHEN WE BREAK IT OUT, IT'S, IT'S REALLY BROKEN OUT BY THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS SERVED TO THE PROPORTIONALITY FOR THE 10% TOTAL. 
          SO WE ARE MANDATED BY VIRGINIA CODE TO REQUEST 10% FROM OUR LOCALITIES OVERALL IN A COLLECTIVE. 
          AND SO THEN THAT'S BROKEN OUT BY EACH OF THE, THE FIVE COUNTIES IN THE CITY IN TERMS OF HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SERVED TO THAT 10% TOTAL TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH WE WOULD ASK FROM EACH COUNTY AND SAY, DOES THAT MAKE, DOES THAT ANSWER? I, YOU, I MIGHT NOT BE ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION. 
          SEE YOU SAYING THAT WHEN I LOOK AT NUMBERS SERVED AND WHERE THERE'S FIVE INDIVIDUAL, UM, AND THEY'RE AT 2 98 17 AND WE'RE 3 46 5 LOOKS LIKE THEY, THEIR EXPENSES SHOULD BE A LITTLE HIGHER THAN OURS 'CAUSE THEY SERVE FIVE MORE PEOPLE THAN THAN WARREN. 
          THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE TWO CLOSEST FOR COMPARISON ON THAT. 
          IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONING IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOING BY PEOPLE SERVED, THEN I CAN, I CAN CERTAINLY GET THAT, THAT ANSWER BACK TO YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M HAPPY DO THAT. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          I APOLOGIZE FOR, WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE GOING EARLY, SO KATIE'S ON WAY, SO I DO APOLOGIZE. 
          NO, THAT'S, THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE. 
          AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S JUST, JUST A QUESTION ON LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS. 
          YEAH, HAPPY TO GET THAT BACK TO YOU. 
          ARE THERE ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, JOHN? THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO NEXT WE 
          [D. 6:00PM - 6:20PM - Budget Request - Blue Ridge Opportunities ]
HAVE, UM, BLUE RIDGE OPPORTUNITIES. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING READY TO, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF MINUTES EARLY. 
          APPRECIATE THAT. 
          OH, NO PROBLEM. 
          IT'S LIKE I HAVE, I WAS COUNTING UP, IT'S LIKE I, I'VE DONE THIS FOR 18 YEARS NOW THAT I'VE STOOD IN FRONT OF, UH, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND I STILL GET NERVOUS EVERY YEAR. 
          SO, UM, MY NAME IS KATHY WOLF AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT BLUE RIDGE OPPORTUNITIES. 
          UH, WE ARE HERE IN FRONT ROYAL ON WATER STREET NEXT TO NOW IT IS EVER GROW, UM, ACROSS THE STREET FROM EVER GROW. 
          AND NEXT TO THE DMV, WE SHARE THE PARKING LOT WITH THE DMV. 
          MM, THE THREE QUARTERS OF IT IS OURS, . 
          UM, SO WHEN YOU HAVE PARKING ISSUES THERE, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S NOT OUR PROBLEM. 
          UM, WE SERVE ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES PRIMARILY AND A LOT WITH CO CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS ALSO. 
          UH, WE SPEND, UM, THE MAJORITY OF OUR DAYS WERE THERE MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. 
          THE INDIVIDUALS COME TO OUR PROGRAM AND THEY PARTICIPATE IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, MOST MOSTLY COMMUNITY-BASED ACTIVITIES. 
          UM, WE REALLY 
          [00:50:01]
TRY TO IMMERSE THE INDIVIDUALS WE SERVE INTO OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AND DO A LOT OF VOLUNTEERISM AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT, UH, YOU AND I, I ACTUALLY, UM, WE'LL TAKE FOR GRANTED BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUALS WE SERVE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE GENERAL PARKS AND RECREATION. 
          THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO MUSEUMS, THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A LOT OF THINGS THAT YOU AND I DO, UM, DAILY. 
          SO WE ACTUALLY PROVIDE THAT FOR THEM. 
          THE, OUR, OUR SERVICES ARE MEDICAID FUNDED FOR WHEN WE ARE THERE. 
          SO WE'RE ABLE TO BILL, UM, FOR THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE. 
          HOWEVER, THAT'S GENERALLY NOT ENOUGH TO COVER ALL OF THE EXPENSES THAT, THAT WE HAVE. 
          UM, WE DO SIGNIFICANT FUNDRAISING AND, UH, NOT AS SIGNIFICANT AS WHAT I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE, BUT, UM, FUNDRAISING IS QUITE DIFFICULT THESE DAYS AND TRY TO FILL IN OUR BUDGET IN THE PLACES THAT, UH, THAT WE CAN. 
          UM, WE, WE ARE STANDING ON SOME REALLY EXCITING GROUND RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, LAST YEAR, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR, THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD ISSUED ANOTHER, UH, 3,550 WAIVER SLOTS. 
          I'M FOLLOWING NORTHWESTERN AND THEY DO AWESOME SERVICES AND THOSE ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE NORTHWESTERN AND WE'RE JUST A PRIVATE PROVIDER THAT DOES WORK FOR NORTHWESTERN, UM, THROUGH THESE SERVICES. 
          SO THOSE WAIVERS ARE NOW GETTING, THEY'RE CLEARING THE PRIORITY ONE WAITING LIST. 
          SO THAT MEANS, UM, THOSE THAT ARE ON THE PRIORITY ONE WAITING LIST WILL BE GETTING THE WAIVERS, WHICH IS WHAT PAYS FOR OUR SERVICES WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS. 
          SO WE ARE, UM, EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO, UH, LAUNCH A SECOND PROGRAM. 
          OUR PROGRAM IS FULL, WE'RE AT CAPACITY. 
          UM, WE, WE HOVER BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THAT ONE PERSON CAPACITY, BUT I HAVE FOUR PEOPLE ON MY WAITING LIST CURRENTLY THAT I JUST CANNOT GET INTO, GET INTO THE DOOR BECAUSE WE JUST CAN'T, WE JUST DON'T HAVE ROOM. 
          UM, WE'VE MAXIMIZED STAFF, WE'VE MAXIMIZED EVERY, EVERY INCH THAT WE HAVE IN ORDER TO SERVE AS MANY AS THE, AS WE CAN, BUT WE'RE GETTING READY TO LAUNCH THAT SECOND PROGRAM. 
          UM, I'VE GOT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, UH, FUNDRAISING GOAL. 
          WE'RE AT ABOUT $30,000 OF THAT AT THIS AT THIS POINT IN TIME. 
          UM, WE LAUNCHED THAT IN JULY AND WE HAVE NOW FOUR PEOPLE OF THE 10 THAT I NEED ON THE WAITING LIST IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY LOOK FOR A BUILDING AND DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, UM, IN ORDER TO CONTINUE SERVING THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UM, I THINK MOST OF YOU'RE FAIRLY FAMILIAR WITH OUR AGENCY AND WHAT, WHAT WE DO. 
          UM, PREVIOUSLY WE USED TO BE A SHELTERED WORKSHOP, BUT THAT'S KIND OF LIKE, UH, AN OLD SCHOOL TYPE OF MENTALITY, UM, WHICH IS ACTUALLY MORE EXPLOITIVE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. 
          AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE NEVER REALLY LIKED, BUT WE DID IT BACK IN THE DAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU DID. 
          UM, BUT NOW WE WORK A LOT ON THOSE PRE-VOCATIONAL SKILLS. 
          SO WHEN SOMETHING, UH, TYPICALLY BEHAVIOR, UM, GETS IN THE WAY OF BEING ABLE TO HOLD A COMPETITIVE JOB OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE'RE WORKING VERY CLINICALLY ON THE BEHAVIOR TREATMENT PLANS AND MAKING SURE THAT THE SOCIAL SKILLS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND ALL OF THOSE SKILL SETS THAT, UM, PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES SOMETIMES ARE LACKING. 
          SO WE BUILD THAT UP AND THEN WE SEND THEM OVER TO THE DEPARTMENT OF REHAB SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY GO GET THEIR JOB. 
          THE DEPARTMENT OF AGING AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES, THEY PROVIDE JOB COACHING AND STUFF LIKE THAT AND THEN THEY USE PEOPLE LIKE NW WORK. 
          SO WE WORK COL COLLABORATIVE WITH COLLABORATIVELY WITH OTHER AGENCIES IN ORDER TO GIVE THEM THE FOUNDATION AND THE BASIS IN ORDER TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STEP. 
          WE DID NOT CONTINUE WITH THE SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT MODEL BECAUSE WE JUST DIDN'T FIND IT VERY VIABLE IN WARREN COUNTY. 
          WE HAD A HARD TIME FINDING EMPLOYERS THAT WERE WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK TO EMPLOY, UM, INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. 
          SO WE JUST DECIDED THAT THE WINCHESTER REGION WAS A BETTER FIT FOR THAT AND HAVE GIVEN ALL OF THAT WORK THEN TO NW WORK SO THAT THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO AND CAN CONTINUE CARRYING, CARRYING OUR FOLKS ON TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO. 
          SO, AND THEY REACH OUT TO OUR REGION ALSO, JUST LIKE WE, WE REACH OUT, WE, WE VERY ARE VERY COLLABORATIVE IN OUR, IN OUR WORK TOGETHER. 
          UM, WHAT ELSE? WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE ON FACEBOOK, BUT IF YOU ARE ON FACEBOOK, YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THE BLUE RIDGE OPPORTUNITIES FACEBOOK PAGE. 
          UM, WE PARTY HARD, WE HAVE A GOOD TIME. 
          IT IS A GREAT TIME EVERY DAY TODAY IS YA A DABA DUE DAY? SO I ADMIT I HAD TO GO HOME AND CHANGE MY CLOTHES AND GET OUT OF MY FRED FLINTSTONE T-SHIRT IN ORDER TO COME HERE TONIGHT AND ACTUALLY GET DRESSED UP LIKE A, AN 
          [00:55:01]
EXECUTIVE. 
          AND, UM, BUT WE DO, UH, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO DO EVERY DAY IS JUST FULL OF JOY. 
          IT, YOU WALK IN THE BUILDING, YOU CANNOT HAVE A BAD DAY AT BLUE RIDGE OPPORTUNITIES. 
          IT IS HAPPY, IT IS EXCITING AND IT'S LIKE, AND IF YOU ARE HAVING A, A CRANKY DAY OR ANYTHING, COME VISIT US BECAUSE YOU WILL BE TOLD THAT YOU ARE LOVED, THAT YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL, UM, THAT YOU ARE AMAZING AND ALL OF THOSE GREAT THINGS. 
          SO WORKING WITH THE INDIVIDUALS THAT, THAT I DO IS VERY JOYFUL AND SELF-FULFILLING AND ALL THAT GOOD KIND OF STUFF. 
          SO, UM, WE TAKE THAT OUT TOO. 
          LIKE WE VOLUNTEER FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE DO THEIR MAILINGS, WE DO CLEANING FOR THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 
          IF YOU HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN IN THERE RECENTLY, WE HUNG ALL THE PICTURES AND DID ALL OF THAT KIND OF STUFF FOR THEM. 
          UM, WE DELIVER WEEKLY FOR THE, UH, BACKPACKERS PROGRAM TO, UH, RUSSY JEFFREY SCHOOL AND, UH, TAKE FOOD TO ALL OF THE KIDS. 
          SO WHENEVER THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE CAN GET OUR HANDS INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY AND GIVING BACK, THEN WE DO THEN, THEN WE DO DO THAT. 
          SO, UM, I MEAN WE ARE ON THE WALKING TRAILS NEARLY EVERY DAY. 
          THERE'S A GROUP THAT IS ON SOME WALKING TRAIL IN THE, IN, IN THE COUNTY AND EVERYBODY CARRIES THEIR LITTLE, THEIR LITTLE UH, UH, MARTIN'S BAG AND THEY'RE PICKING UP TRASH ALONG THE WAY, TRYING TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY CLEAN AND NEAT. 
          SO, AND I HAVE A LOT OF FUN. 
          SO I, I THINK I HAVE THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD. 
          AND, UM, WE CERTAINLY DO APPRECIATE YOU GUYS SUPPORTING US FOR ALL THE TIME THAT, THAT YOU HAVE. 
          UM, DO YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS? UM, MA'AM, I'VE GOT A QUESTION HERE. 
          THE, THE, SO YOU'VE GOT, UH, SIX, UM, SIX AREAS, UH, WARREN, FREDERICK CLARK, UH,  SHENANDOAH, AND PRINCE WILLIAM. 
          BUT, UH, THIS YEAR WARREN COUNTY REPRESENTS 47%, AND NEXT YEAR IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE 52%. 
          YES, SIR. 
          WHAT IS, WHAT IS IT ABOUT WARREN COUNTY DO? WELL, OUR MAIN FOCUS IS WARREN COUNTY. 
          WE DO TRY TO KEEP MOST OF OUR, WE USED TO BE THE, THE PERCENTAGE IN WARREN COUNTY KEEPS DWINDLING BECAUSE OF THE RESIDENTIAL CARE, UM, INDIVIDUALS WITH AGING PARENTS. 
          UH, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT ARE IN THEIR EIGHTIES, AND THE INDIVIDUALS ARE STILL LIVING AT HOME ONCE THEY ARE NOT CAPABLE OF TAKING CARE OF THE INDIVIDUAL ANY LONGER THAN THEY NEED TO GO INTO A GROUP HOME. 
          WARREN COUNTY DOES NOT DEVELOP, UM, PROVIDERS JUST ARE NOT DEVELOPING HOMES. 
          I MEAN, COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES OF VIRGINIA JUST HAS PUT ANOTHER THREE BED HOME IN, BUT I THINK, I ONLY KNOW, I ONLY KNOW OF THREE, UM, CURRENT GROUP HOMES IN WARREN COUNTY ITSELF. 
          UM, RIGHT NOW, THE, THE PUSH IS FOR THE BOCE AREA IS WHERE PROVIDERS ARE REALLY PUSHING TO BUILD, UM, WHITE POST VOICE, UH, THAT KIND OF STUFF. 
          CLARK COUNTY IS A NORTHERN VIRGINIA RATE. 
          I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WARREN COUNTY IS NOT, UM, UTILIZED MORE BECAUSE NORTHERN VIRGINIA RATES ARE ALSO PAID IN WARREN COUNTY, LIKE THEY ARE IN CLARK. 
          WHEREAS IN FREDERICK COUNTY AND WINCHESTER AND SHENANDOAH COUNTY, THEY'RE PAID REST OF STATE RATES, WHICH IS A LOWER RATE. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT IS, IT'S JUST NOT HAPPENING. 
          UM, BUT WHEN OUR INDIVIDUALS AGE OUT, WE ARE TRYING TO, WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE SOME OF THE BURDEN OFF OF FAMILY'S DAY TO DAY TO DAY, SO THAT FAM THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN STILL STAY AT HOME AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. 
          UM, BUT AS, AS, AS WE SEE PEOPLE MOVE, THEY'RE ALWAYS MOVING TO WINCHESTER OR CLARK OR AN ANOTHER AREA OUT OF, OUT OF OUR, OUT, OUT OF, OUT OF THE COUNTY, JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT DEVELOPED HERE. 
          IF YOU DON'T MIND, UM, TO CLARIFY THAT THEN, SO ARE, IF, IF IT'S A WARREN COUNTY RESIDENT THAT HAS GONE INTO A GROUP HOME IN FREDERICK COUNTY OR CLARK COUNTY, ARE THEY COUNTED AS WARREN COUNTY? NO, THEY'RE COUNTED WHERE THEY LIVE. 
          SO THAT WOULD BE, SO PROBABLY IN THE FREDERICK COUNTY LINE WHERE THE 14 OF THAT LIVE IN FREDERICK COUNTY. 
          I WOULD SAY PROBABLY AT LEAST SIX OR SEVEN OF THEM ORIGINATED IN WARREN COUNTY. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT THEY TECHNICALLY LIVE IN FREDERICK COUNTY NOW, AND OKAY, GOT YOU. 
          I I, YOU WAS WONDERING IF THOSE WERE THE 18 PLUS, THE FOUR ANTICIPATED WERE WARREN COUNTY AND THEN THE OTHERS WERE FREDERICK COUNTY RESIDENTS. 
          BUT BEFORE I ANTICIPATED, I KNOW THAT I HAVE ON MY 
          [01:00:01]
WAIT LIST AND I KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND I KNOW WHAT THEIR FAMILY SITUATIONS ARE. 
          THEY'RE THEY ALL, THEY'RE ALL INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE IN WARREN COUNTY. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THAT LIVE AT HOME WITH THEIR FAMILIES, UM, THAT ARE ANTICIPATED TO GET THOSE WAIVERS BEFORE APRIL. 
          SO THAT'S, IT'S LIKE USUALLY, I DON'T KNOW, ANTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, A A, A STRONG ANTICIPATED NUMBER IN THE SPRING BECAUSE IT CHANGES, WE FIND OUT IN JANUARY. 
          WE FIND OUT IN APRIL, JULY, AND THEN OCTOBER WHEN, WHEN SOMEBODY'S COMING IN. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THOSE SIX TO SEVEN PEOPLE THAT ARE NOW LIVING IN FREDERICK COUNTY, DO THEY COME BACK TO WARREN COUNTY FOR YOUR SERVICES? YES. 
          MM-HMM . 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE TRY, WE TRY, I MEAN, WE'VE GOT FAMILIES THAT GET TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA GO TO WINCHESTER IN ORDER TO SEE THEIR INDIVIDUALS. 
          SO THAT WE PROVIDE THAT SPACE. 
          EVEN DURING COVID, THE ROTARY HELPED US BUILD OUT OUR, UM, LOADING DOCK AREA INTO KIND OF MORE LIKE A PICNIC AREA WITH HANDRAILS AROUND THE ENTIRE LOADING DOCK AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BECAUSE WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO HAVE OUTSIDE PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING, BUT WE COULD PROVIDE A SPACE OUTSIDE FOR FAMILIES TO BE TOGETHER AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          SO WE TRY TO KEEP THAT, THAT FAMILY UNIT TOGETHER AS LONG, AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND MAKE ANY KIND OF ACCOMMODATIONS WE NEED TO. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL THAT, THAT CLARIFIES THAT THE SERVICES YOU RENDERING ARE WARREN COUNTY PEOPLE. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? GOOD. 
          THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. 
          THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO THE, UH, SO OUR NEXT ONE IS NOT UNTIL SIX 20 IS BLUE RIDGE LEGAL, UH, SERVICES, UH, SIR, MAY, MAY I ASK OF WHICH, UH, UH, WHICH AGENCY OR WHICH? I'M SENIORS FIRST. 
          SENIORS FIRST, OKAY. 
          UM, MAYBE AFTER BLUE RIDGE AREA AGENCY ON AGING? YES, SIR. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          NORMALLY KNOWN AREA. 
          YEAH. 
          WELL, SO YOU COULD GO AHEAD, SIR. 
          WOULD, UH, WOULD 
          [F. 6:40PM - 7:00PM - Budget Request - Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging ]
YOU BE AVERSE TO, UH, GOING A LITTLE BIT EARLY? NO, THAT'S FINE. 
          LEMME JUST GET READY HERE REAL QUICK. 
          I HAD A LITTLE POWERPOINT, WOULD THAT BE ALRIGHT? SURE. 
          YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          IT JUST SAYS WARREN ON IT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THE, SO IF WE DO HAVE SOME DEAD TIME, THERE'S, UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, UH, UH, THAT I WANTED TO GO OVER THAT I LEARNED AT THIS TRAINING LAST WEEK, BUT I WON'T, I'LL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY WHEN, IF, IF WE GET, IF WE GET THAT OPPORTUNITY. 
          THIS IS OFF THE, ACTUALLY IT'S TODAY. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THE TOP PIECE THERE, UM, IS, IS JUST A NEW BROCHURE THAT WE DEVELOPED. 
          WE HAVE PLACE CARDS ALL OVER THE PLACE DURING PRESENTATIONS, AND LET'S, LET'S TAKE IT DOWN TO ONE PIECE. 
          BUT THE OTHER PIECE THERE FROM THE, FROM THE, UH, EXAMINER, UH, IS THE SENIOR ALLIANCE TEAM THAT WE JUST FORMED. 
          TODAY WAS THE FIRST DAY. 
          SO WE'RE, IT'S A COLLABORATION BETWEEN OTHER AGENCIES TO, UH, UH, WORK WITH SENIORS TO KEEP HIM IN THEIR HOME AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. 
          SO, GOOD EVENING. 
          I'M JIMMY ROBERTS. 
          I'M THE, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SENIORS FIRST, AGAIN, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE SHENANDOAH AREA AGENCY ON AGING. 
          AND ONE OF MY BOARD MEMBERS WAS GONNA COME AND I, OH, I THINK SHE'S A LITTLE BIT LATE. 
          WELL, SHE'S NOT LATE. 
          I'M, I'M EARLY, BUT THAT'S OKAY. 
          WE HAVE, UH, A REVEREND DR. 
          CHRISTIE MCMILLAN GOODWIN, WHO IS APPOINTED BY THE BOARD, UH, SERVING ON OUR BOARD. 
          THE PICTURES THAT ARE GONNA, OH, THEY'RE UP, THEY'RE UP NOW. 
          THESE ARE ALL, UH, WARREN COUNTY SENIORS, UH, IN ALL THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES. 
          SOME OF 'EM ARE THE SENIOR CENTER, THE OLD SENIOR CENTER. 
          SOME ARE NEW SENIOR CENTER, AND SOME OF 'EM WERE, ALL THE SENIORS GET TOGETHER IN ONE BUILDING. 
          AND THIS WAS ALL IN THE CALENDAR YEAR OF 24. 
          SO THIS YEAR, UH, WE ARE ASKING FOR $54,000, WHICH IS A 7% INCREASE COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, UM, BECAUSE WE WERE CUT 7% LAST YEAR. 
          SO IF, IF, IF WE GET OUR 7% BACK, THEN WE WOULD HAVE LEVEL FUNDING FROM THE PREVIOUS EIGHT YEARS. 
          SO I USUALLY COME UP HERE AND I GIVE YOU ALL KINDS OF STATISTICS ON HOW WARREN COUNTY HAS PARTNERED WITH US AND ALL THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE FROM THE 18,255 
          [01:05:01]
MEALS THAT WE SERVE YOUR SENIORS IN FY 24 OR THE 3085 RIDES WE PROVIDED, OR THE 1042 HOURS OF IN-HOME CARE, UH, JUST TO NAME A FEW. 
          BUT I'VE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. 
          AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION, WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN WE SAY YOU'VE CHANGED A LIFE? WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN WE SAY YOU'VE CHANGED A LIFE? I WOULD JUST LIKE TO READ YOU TWO VIGNETTES THAT I BELIEVE WOULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION FIRST. 
          AFTER THE PASSING OF HIS WIFE OF 67 YEARS, HARLESS OR HT, AS HE LIKES TO BE CALLED AT 88 YEARS OLD, FACED THE EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES OF GRIEF AND DEPRESSION. 
          IT WAS THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF HIS DAUGHTER AND THE WELCOMING ATMOSPHERE OF THE SENIOR CENTER THAT HE FOUND SOLACE AND A NEW SENSE OF BELONGING. 
          HE SPEAKS WARMLY OF THE SINNER'S ACTIVITIES FROM CRAFTING TO SOCIAL EVENTS LIKE THE VALENTINE'S DAY KING AND QUEEN, CELEBRATION, ALL THE OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, WHICH HAS HELPED HIM FEEL MORE APPRECIATED AND CONNECTED AGAIN FOR HT, THE SENIOR CENTER AND HIS FAMILY HAVE BOTH BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING HIM FIND JOY AND PURPOSE DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME IN HIS LIFE. 
          THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY DAILY ACTIVITY AND SHARED EXPERIENCES HAVE LIFTED HIS SPIRITS AND ENCOURAGED HIM TO EMBRACE EACH DAY WITH OPTIMISM. 
          IT'S A PLACE WHERE YOU FIND NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, AND A NEW SENSE OF PURPOSE. 
          HE SAYS HT HAS REDISCOVERED HIS PASSION FOR LIFE, WHETHER THROUGH THE LOVE OF MUSIC, DEDICATION TO THE COMMUNITY, SERVICE, OR FRIENDSHIPS HE'S FORMED, HE CONTINUES TO CONTRIBUTE MEANINGFULLY TO THE WORLD AROUND HIM, DEMONSTRATING THAT LIFE'S GREATEST JOYS OFTEN COME FROM THE CONNECTIONS WE MAKE AND THE COMMUNITIES WE BUILD. 
          FOR HT IT MEANS HE CAN LEAVE BEHIND SOME OF THE GRIEF AND DEPRESSION AND BEGIN THE NEXT CHAPTER OF HIS LIFE CHANGE DOES OCCUR. 
          SECONDLY, I STARTED A PROGRAM IN OUR SENIOR CENTERS THAT I CALL TECHNOLOGY TUESDAY. 
          IT ORIGINALLY HAD THE GOAL OF BRIDGING THE ELECTRONIC GAP THAT EXISTS WITH MANY OF OUR SENIORS. 
          AND WHILE IT WAS MEANT TO BE WITH FOR SMARTPHONES AND DIGITAL MEDIA PLAYERS, UNIVERSAL REMOTES, COMPUTERS OR, OR WHATEVER THE SENIORS MAY BE, UH, WANTING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OR STRUGGLING WITH, DORIS BROUGHT IN A OLD REEL TO REEL TAPE. 
          I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS RECOGNIZE THIS, BUT THIS WAS WHAT WE USED WAY BACK IN THE DAY FOR SOUND. 
          ANYWAY, SO SHE BRINGS IT IN, AND IT WAS RECORDED BY HER MARINE SON, WES, UH, WHILE HE WAS IN VIETNAM IN 1970. 
          SHE RECEIVED THE TAPE IN THE MAIL 54 YEARS AGO, BUT HAD NEVER HEARD IT. 
          AND SHE SAID SHE WASN'T EVEN SURE HOW TO PLAY IT. 
          WELL, WEST PASSED AWAY IN 2007, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO CONVERT THE TAPE FROM THE, TO A DIGITAL AUDIO FILE. 
          AND WE PLAYED IT FOR DORIS, WHO BY THE WAY, IS NOW 92. 
          HER 94-YEAR-OLD SISTER WAS ALSO IN THE ROOM. 
          I WAS ALSO IN THE ROOM THAT DAY WHEN WE PLAYED THE RECORDING. 
          AND I CAN TELL YOU DORIS'S LIFE WAS CHANGED. 
          SHE WAS OVERWHELMED, FLOODED BY THE WONDERFUL MEMORIES TRIGGERED BY THE SOUND OF HER SON'S VOICE. 
          WHILE NOT EVERY SENIOR HAS A STORY LIKE HT OR DORIS, EACH ONE HAS NEEDS AND A, AND, AND NEEDS MAY NEED SPECIAL CARE. 
          SOME SENIORS COME TO US WITHOUT A LOT OF NEED, OTHERS ARE VERY MUCH IN NEED, AND STILL OTHERS. 
          THEY JUST NEED SOME TIME TO ADJUST TO LIFE'S CHANGES. 
          WELL, THESE ARE JUST TWO EXAMPLES OF MANY THAT I BELIEVE ANSWER THE QUESTION, WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN WE SAY YOU'VE CHANGED A LIFE? THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP OVER ALL THESE YEARS. 
          THIS IS OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY. 
          WE STARTED RIGHT HERE IN WARREN COUNTY, AND WE'RE STILL HERE SERVING, UH, ALL OF YOUR SENIORS. 
          THIS CONCLUDES MY REMARKS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR OUR SENIORS. 
          I SEE IT FIRSTHAND ALL THE TIME. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I GUESS THAT THERE'S NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR FURTHER COMMENTS. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO I BELIEVE OUR 
          [E. 6:20PM - 6:40PM - Budget Request - Blue Ridge Legal Services ]
NEXT ONE WOULD BE THE, UH, 
          [01:10:01]
BLUE RIDGE, DR. 
          DAILY. 
          IT'S GOODWOOD. 
          OH, I'M SORRY, I JUST BLUE RIDGE LEGAL SERVICES. 
          LET'S SEE. 
          HI, I AM JENNIFER LOCKE AND I'M THE MANAGING ATTORNEY OF THE WINCHESTER OFFICE OF BLUE RIDGE LEGAL SERVICES. 
          AND I KNOW MOST OF YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT WE DO, AND YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN ME HERE BEFORE. 
          BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR, UH, BLUE RIDGE LEGAL SERVICES IS A LEGAL AID SOCIETY LICENSED BY THE VIRGINIA STATE BAR TO PROVIDE FREE LEGAL SERVICES IN CERTAIN CIVIL MATTERS TO LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS IN OUR SERVICE AREA. 
          AND WE HAVE FOUR OFFICES. 
          OUR MAIN OFFICE IS LOCATED IN HARRISONBURG. 
          OUR OFFICE IS LOCATED IN WINCHESTER. 
          AND OUR WINCHESTER OFFICE SERVICES THE LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS OF CLARK COUNTY, CITY OF WINCHESTER, FREDERICK COUNTY, WARREN COUNTY, AND SHENANDOAH COUNTY. 
          AND WE'VE BEEN SERVING THE LOW INCOME RESIDENTS OF WARREN COUNTY FOR OVER 40 YEARS NOW. 
          AND WARREN COUNTY HAS CONSISTENTLY PROVIDED US FUNDING FOR AT LEAST 25 OF THOSE YEARS. 
          SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          UM, WE APPRECIATE THE CONTINUED SUPPORT. 
          AND BEFORE I TALK TO YOU TONIGHT ABOUT, UM, WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE LAST YEAR, I WANTED TO, UM, ADDRESS WHAT MIGHT BE THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, WHICH IS THE INCREASE IN OUR FUNDING REQUEST THIS YEAR. 
          UM, WE CURRENTLY RECEIVE 4,300 IN FUNDING FROM WARREN COUNTY. 
          AND AS I'M SURE YOU NOTICE, WE HAVE INCREASED OUR REQUEST THIS YEAR TO $10,364. 
          AND THIS WAS NOT A FIGURE THAT WAS PULLED OUT OF THE AIR. 
          RATHER, IT REFLECTS A CHANGE IN OUR FUNDING FORMULA. 
          SO FOR OVER 40 YEARS, IT'S CONSISTENTLY BEEN OUR FUNDING FORMULA WHERE WE SEEK $1 PER POOR PERSON IN EACH LOCALITY. 
          AND WE'VE DEFINED POOR PEOPLE AS FALLING UNDER 100% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINE. 
          IN INITIALLY, WHEN WE SOUGHT FUNDING 40 YEARS AGO, WE COULD ONLY ASSIST THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHOSE HOUSEHOLD INCOME FELL UNDER 100% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINE. 
          AND OVER THE YEARS, THAT THRESHOLD HAS INCREASED. 
          AND AS OF 2020, WE CAN NOW ASSIST, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHOSE HOUSEHOLD INCOME FALLS UNDER 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINE. 
          SO OUR FUNDING REQUEST IS SIMPLY REFLECTING THE EXPANSION OF OUR SERVICE POPULATION IN OUR INDIVIDUAL SERVICE AREAS. 
          AND ACCORDING TO 2021 CENSUS DATA, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 10,364 INDIVIDUALS IN WARREN COUNTY WHO FALL UNDER THAT 200% THRESHOLD. 
          UM, SO HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS THAT QUESTION. 
          SO I WANTED TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE LAST YEAR. 
          IN THE LAST YEAR, WE CLOSED 49 CASES FOR LOW INCOME WARREN COUNTY RESIDENTS WITH ISSUES RANGING FROM DEFENDING EVICTIONS, ASSISTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS, DRAFTING WILLS, AND OTHER RELATED ISSUES IN CONSUMER AND DEBT RELATED CASES. 
          AND OUR, OUR WORK BENEFITED 111 LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS. 
          IN TOTAL, WE OBTAINED OVER 23,000 IN FINANCIAL BENEFITS FOR WARREN COUNTY RESIDENTS AND AVOIDED OVER 19,000 IN LIABILITIES, FULLY ACHIEVING OUR CLIENT GOALS IN 93% OF THOSE CASES. 
          BUT IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, UM, STATISTICS ARE A LITTLE BORING. 
          SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A HUMAN ELEMENT, UM, AND KIND OF TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT OF ABOUT ONE OF OUR CLIENT SUCCESS STORIES. 
          SO AS YOU MAY KNOW, WE HAVE A, A PRO BONO PANEL, AND THAT IS A LIST OF PRIVATE ATTORNEYS THAT ARE WILLING TO TAKE SOME OF OUR CASES FREE OF CHARGE. 
          AND WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY EIGHT ATTORNEYS WHO ARE WILLING TO TAKE WARREN COUNTY PRO BONO CASES. 
          TWO OF THOSE ATTORNEYS ARE ACTUALLY IN THE WARREN COUNTY AREA. 
          AND THE MAJORITY OF THOSE CASES THAT WE REFER OUT TO PRIVATE ATTORNEYS ARE NO FAULT UNCONTESTED DIVORCES, SOME BANKRUPTCY, SOME SIMPLE WILLS. 
          UM, BUT THIS PARTICULAR PRIVATE 
          [01:15:01]
ATTORNEY WAS WILLING TO TAKE ON A MUCH BIGGER TASK, A MUCH BIGGER CASE. 
          AND I WANTED TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. 
          SO IN THE SUMMER OF 2021, OUR CLIENT SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY TO GET CERTAIN RENOVATION WORK DONE ON HER, HER ON HER HOME. 
          THE CLIENT PAID $70,000 UPFRONT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT SAID FUNDS WOULD BE USED TOWARDS RENOVATING HER KITCHEN AND BATHROOM PAINTING, AND WOULD ALSO BE PAID TO A REPUTABLE SUBCONTRACTOR THAT SHE HAD FOUND TO INSTALL A NEW METAL ROOF DURING THE EIGHT MONTH PERIOD. 
          AFTERWARDS, THE COMPANY'S EMPLOYEES VISITED OUR CLIENT'S RESIDENCE NO MORE THAN EIGHT TIMES IN AN EIGHT MONTH PERIOD. 
          THE WORK THEY PERFORMED DURING THIS PERIOD DID NOT MEET THE MOST MINIMAL OF INDUSTRY STANDARDS, AND THE EMPLOYEES DAMAGED MORE THAN THEY REPAIRED. 
          WHEN OUR CLIENT VOICED HER CONCERNS TO THE CONTRACTOR, SHE WAS TOLD THAT THE COST OF MATERIALS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED AFTER THE COVID PANDEMIC, AND THEY NEEDED MORE MONEY TO FINISH THE CLIENT, THUS GAVE THEM AN ADDITIONAL $40,000 HOPING THAT THIS WOULD ADDRESS SOME OF HER CONCERNS. 
          AT THIS POINT, THE CLIENT'S KITCHEN HAD BEEN GUTTED, HER BATHROOM WAS WRECKED, AND OVER ALL HER HOUSE APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN STRUCK BY A TORNADO. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, INSTEAD OF HER SITUATION IMPROVING THINGS GOT FAR WORSE. 
          THE CLIENT'S ROOF WAS REMO OR THE CLIENT'S HOUSE'S ROOF WAS REMOVED WITHOUT HER PERMISSION NOT DONE BY THE SUB SUBCONTRACTOR OF HER CHOICE. 
          AND WITHOUT NOTICE, NOT ONLY WAS IT REMOVED, THE EMPLOYEE ALSO MADE NO EFFORT TO COVER THE UNDERLYING STRUCTURE ONCE IT WAS REMOVED, THUS ALLOWING THE HOME TO LAY BARE EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS WITHOUT A TARP PROTECT, PROTECTING THE HOME'S INTERIOR. 
          AND NO ADDITIONAL WORK WAS EVER PERFORMED ON THE HOUSE, DESPITE OUR CLIENT'S PLEA. 
          EVENTUALLY THE CEILINGS OF THE HOME COMPLETELY COLLAPSED, THUS MAKING THE HOME UNINHABITABLE AND DESTROYING ALL OF CLIENT'S BELONGINGS. 
          SINCE THEN, THE CLIENT HAS HAD TO LIVE WITH VARIOUS FAMILY MEMBERS. 
          WELL, OUR PRO BONO ATTORNEY IN 2024 FILED A COMPLAINT IN THE CIRCUIT COURT ON THE CLIENT'S BEHALF ALLEGING MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS OF THE VIRGINIA CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT, ACTUAL AND CONSTRUCTIVE FRAUD AND CONVERSION. 
          AND ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, WHICH IS WHY THIS WASN'T ON OUR FUNDING REQUEST, BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED TWO WEEKS AGO, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT OUR PRO BONO ATTORNEY WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN A JUDGMENT AGAINST THESE INDIVI INDIVIDUALS. 
          AND IT WAS MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS OF JUST UNDER 1.1 MILLION. 
          SO THIS, THIS CLIENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THE FUNDS TO PAY A PRIVATE ATTORNEY. 
          THEY WOULDN'T AFTER WHAT THEY HAD GONE THROUGH. 
          THIS IS WHY WHAT WE DO IS IMPORTANT. 
          SO TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE, THE HUMAN ELEMENT IN THE FACES BEHIND WHAT WE DO, UM, WITH A REALLY IMPRESSIVE SUCCESS STORY, THANKFULLY, TO THIS PRO BONO ATTORNEY. 
          SO I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE, AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT. 
          THANK YOU FOR THIS STORY, . 
          IT'S A GOOD ONE. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE THE STORY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THIS INCREASE, I KNOW THERE'S, I HAVE SENT CONSTITUENTS TO YOUR AGENCY FOR HELP, AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE TURN AWAY FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER WITH THIS INCREASE THAT YOU'RE ASKING, IS IT GOING TO PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHER WARREN COUNTY CONSTITUENTS THAT MAY NEED YOUR HELP? THAT FALLS WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT YOU CAN PROVIDE AS, AS LONG AS THEIR INCOME FALLS UNDER 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINE AND THEY HAVE CERTAIN EXPENSES LIKE THEY PAY RENT OR A MORTGAGE, WHICH MOST OF OUR CLIENTS DO MM-HMM . 
          UM, THEN THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR OUR SERVICES. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, UM, AND THEN IT HAS TO BE OBVIOUSLY IN, IN AN AREA THAT WE HANDLE. 
          'CAUSE WE DON'T HANDLE EVERY CIVIL PROBLEM THAT COMES THROUGH THE DOOR. 
          WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES. 
          RIGHT. 
          BUT OUR HOPE IN EXCEL WAS OUR HOPE, UM, IS ALL OUR FUNDING. 
          THE BEST WAY TO VIEW IT IS GOING INTO ONE BIG POT TO DEFRAY THE COST OF, 
          [01:20:01]
OF THE, THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE. 
          AND THE HOPE IS THAT WE CAN KEEP THE NUMBER OF ATTORNEYS AND SUPPORT STAFF SO WE CAN KEEP HANDLING THOSE CASES. 
          BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE FOUR ATTORNEYS AND TWO SUPPORT STAFF TO HANDLE OUR SERVICE AREA. 
          UM, WHICH IS, FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF ATTORNEYS WE'VE EVER HAD. 
          I'VE BEEN WORKING THERE SINCE, UH, 1998. 
          SO WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO , BE ABLE TO EMPLOY THAT NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES. 
          'CAUSE IT, UM, IMPACTS THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE CAN HANDLE. 
          AND IT ALSO IMPACTS THE EXTENT OF OUR SERVICES. 
          UM, WE DON'T EVER WANT TO BECOME AN AGENCY THAT JUST GIVES ADVICE AND COUNSEL. 
          UM, IF IT WERE UP TO US, IF A CASE HAD MERIT, WE'D BE REPRESENTING EVERY CLIENT IN COURT. 
          UM, SOMETIMES THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE, BUT WE DO OUR BEST AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL ALLOW US TO DO THAT. 
          CONTINUE TO DO THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SURE. 
          SO, SO MISSY, YOU WERE USING A, UH, A FIGURE AND YOU WERE SAYING 100% OF THE FEDERAL GUIDELINE FOR, FOR WHAT, WHAT DID YOU CALL IT? POVERTY, THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINE? YES. 
          WHAT, WHAT, WHAT FIGURE IS THAT? THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES? WELL, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW. 
          SO IT USED TO BE WHEN WE STARTED OUT ABOUT 40 YEARS AGO, THE, UH, PEOPLE, IF THEY WANTED TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR OUR, OUR ASSISTANCE HAD TO FALL UNDER 100% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINE. 
          NOW IT'S 200%. 
          BUT WHAT IS THAT? UM, THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, IT'S GUIDELINES, I'M ASSUMING THAT'S ISSUED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT DEFINES POVERTY IN SOME WAY BASED ON HOUSEHOLD INCOME. 
          OKAY. 
          AND RIGHT NOW, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, FOR A HOUSEHOLD OF ONE, 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINE IS $2,510. 
          SO ALL OF OUR IS THAT PER MONTH? IS THAT, IS THAT PER MONTH OR YES. 
          PER MONTH, YES. 
          SO THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT $24,000 A YEAR? I'M SORRY, $24,000 A YEAR IS IS WHAT THEY WOULD BE. 
          YES. 
          UH, TH FOR A HOUSEHOLD OF ONE ANNUALLY, IT WOULD BE 30,120 WOULD BE 200% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY. 
          THAT LINE, THAT'S 200%. 
          30,120. 
          WOW. 
          YEAH. 
          I, I'M JUST WONDERING BECAUSE THE 2000 A MONTH WOULD BE 24. 
          I, I I JUST FIGURED TWO 2,510. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO YEAH, ACTUALLY I HAVE A CONSTITUENT WHO I BELIEVE WAS REFERRED TO YOU. 
          UM, AND SHE PROBABLY HAD TO BE TURNED AWAY BECAUSE SHE WAS MAKING, UM, AS A HOUSEHOLD OF ONE, SHE WAS MAKING ABOUT 2000 A MONTH IN FIXED INCOME, WHICH BEFORE IT SWITCHED TO 200%, SHE WOULD BE OVER THAT THRESHOLD. 
          CORRECT. 
          BUT, UH, SO MY QUESTION IS, IT'S IT'S GOOD FOR PEOPLE IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS THAT THAT THRESHOLD GOES UP, BUT DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH LAWYERS READY TO TAKE ON ADDITIONAL CASELOAD OR WILL YOU JUST HAVE A DIFFERENT KIND OF A BOTTLENECK, UH, IN TERMS OF AVAILABLE SERVICES? SURE. 
          AND AND OUR, OUR, UM, THE THRESHOLD WENT UP TO 200% IN IN 2020 ACTUALLY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE'VE BEEN OPERATING UNDER THAT FOR OKAY. 
          QUITE A, QUITE A FEW YEARS RIGHT NOW. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, OKAY. 
          AND I, I WOULD SAY EVERYBODY THAT COMES THROUGH OUR DOOR THAT IS ELIGIBLE FOR SERVICES, RECEIVED SUBTYPE OF SERVICE, UM, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF USUALLY WHAT THE EXTENT OF THE SERVICE MIGHT BE. 
          WHETHER IT'S JUST SIMPLE ADVICE AND COUNSEL OR SOMETHING MORE EXTENDED LIKE REPRESENTING THEM IN COURT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THANK YOU. 
          SURE. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MA'AM. 
          [G. 7:00PM - 7:20PM - Budget Request - St. Luke Community Clinic ]
SO NEXT, AND MA'AM, MAY I ASK, UH, WHICH, UH, WHICH AGENCY YOU'RE WITH? WELL, OBVIOUSLY IT'S ST. 
          LUKE, I CAN SEE ON YOUR, MA'AM, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO GO NOW? I SURE WILL. 
          OKAY. 
          LET'S GO BACK IN . 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          SO I THINK WE WERE ASKING FOR $8,500 THE BEGINNING. 
          WE WERE ASKING TO HELP PAY FOR A ROOF FOR THE CLINIC. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THE DEVASTATION WE HAD BACK ON THE 10TH WHERE ONE OF OUR SPRINKLER SYSTEMS BLEW AND IT FLOODED THE CLINIC. 
          HMM. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO THE CLINIC, BUT IT'S AN OLD HOUSE IN THE FRONT AND IT'S BEEN ADDED ON TO, IT WAS A NURSING HOME IN THE BACK 'CAUSE THERE WAS A NURSING HOME AND THERE WAS RESIDENTS 
          [01:25:01]
THERE 24 7. 
          THEY HAD TO PUT IN A SPRINKLER SYSTEM. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT BLEW, UH, DEVASTATED THE WHOLE BACK PART OF THE BUILDING WHERE OUR PROVIDER IS OUR OFFICE MANAGER, OUR EVERY WOMAN'S LIFE COORDINATOR IN OUR PATIENT ROOMS. MM-HMM . 
          IT DIDN'T AFFECT THE FRONT PART OF THE BUILDING WHERE MY OFFICE IS AND THE DENTAL CLINIC IS. 
          SO THANKFULLY OUR DENTAL CLINIC WASN'T, UH, UH, AFFECTED, BUT THE WALLS HAVE CAVED IN, THE CEILINGS COLLAPSED. 
          IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE REBUILT. 
          WE JUST OPENED UP LAST THURSDAY ON A LIMITED BASIS, TAKING A LIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY COMPACT IN THERE LIKE SARDINES AND, UH, CAN ONLY TAKE ABOUT FOUR PEOPLE AT A TIME IN THE CLINIC. 
          BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GET BACK, AND I KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE VERY COSTLY, UH, WE'VE LOST A LOT OF EQUIPMENT. 
          I'VE HAD TO PURCHASE A LOT OF EQUIPMENT TO GET US THROUGH ALL THIS. 
          SO, BUT LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY NUMBERS. 
          FROM LAST YEAR. 
          WE SERVED 723 PEOPLE. 
          OUT OF THOSE 723 61 0.7% WERE EMPLOYED. 
          THEY WORK AT JOBS LIKE RURAL KING, MCDONALD'S, UH, NURSING HOMES, HOUSEKEEPERS, PLACES THAT DON'T OFFER INSURANCE. 
          AND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE POVERTY LEVEL. 
          THEY'RE ALL BELOW 300% OF THE POVERTY LEVEL. 
          WE ALSO SEE ELDERLY PEOPLE THAT ONLY HAVE MEDICARE PART A AND CAN CAN'T AFFORD PART B, WHICH PAYS FOR OFFICE VISITS AT, AT DOCTOR'S OFFICES. 
          SO WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT COME TO THE CLINIC. 
          UH, NEW PATIENTS LAST YEAR, 118, WERE LIKE A REVOLVING DOOR. 
          PEOPLE COME AND GO. 
          THEY GET LAID OFF, THEY MOVE TO THE COMMUNITY AND JUST NEED INSURANCE FOR TWO OR THREE MONTHS. 
          SO WE'RE JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, FILLING THOSE CRACKS FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. 
          UM, 93.5% OF OUR PEOPLE COME FROM FRONT ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY. 
          WE DO TAKE PEOPLE FROM OTHER COUNTIES, USUALLY JUST BECAUSE OF THE DENTAL CLINIC OR OUR WOMEN'S CLINIC BECAUSE A LOT OF OTHER CLINICS DON'T OFFER WOMEN'S HEALTH AND THEY DON'T DO DENTURES. 
          UH, FAR AS POPULATION. 
          I DID PUT THIS IN, WE'RE OF, OUT OF OUR POPULATION, 30.7% OF OUR PATIENTS ARE HISPANIC. 
          WHEN I FIRST CAME THERE EIGHT YEARS AGO, IT WAS LESS THAN 6%. 
          SO THAT NUMBER'S GROWING TOO. 
          IN OUR DENTAL CLINIC, WE HAD 287 VISITS LAST YEAR. 
          WE EXTRACTED 208 TEETH. 
          WE DID RESTORATIVE CARE ON 94 TEETH. 
          UH, ORAL HYGIENE WAS 39 AND WE DID FOUR DENTURES. 
          UH, WE HAVE A MACHINE NOW CALLED THE DEXA SCANNER WHERE WE CAN SCAN THEIR MOUTHS. 
          WE SEND THE SCAN DOWN TO HAMPTON, VIRGINIA TO A CLINIC. 
          THEY MAKE US 3D DENTURES AND SEND IT BACK. 
          IT COSTS $500 A PAIR SET FOR THE 3D DENTURES. 
          THAT'S OUR COST. 
          THAT'S NOT COUNTING, THAT'S JUST OUR COST FOR THE DENTURES ITSELF. 
          THAT'S NOT ALL THE VISITS THAT IT TAKES TO GET UP TO THAT POINT. 
          AND THE COST FOR OUR OVERHEAD AND THE COST FOR OUR DENTIST. 
          AND THIS YEAR ALREADY, DESPITE OUR PROBLEMS, WE'VE HAD, WE'VE ALREADY DONE FOUR PAIR DENTURES. 
          SO IT WAS A SLOW START. 
          WE JUST GOT THE DEXA SCAN LAST YEAR AND IT'S A SLOW START, A LEARNING CURVE TO LEARN HOW TO USE IT. 
          BUT WE'RE REALLY DOING WELL WITH THAT. 
          SO, UH, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR CLINIC, WE OFFER MEDICAL, BOTH ACUTE AND CHRONIC. 
          WE OFFER DENTAL. 
          WE HAVE ONE PART-TIME DENTIST AND ONE LIKE PER DIEM DENTIST THAT JUST IS THERE LIKE TWO DAYS A MONTH. 
          WE HAVE MENTAL HEALTH, WE HAVE BOTH A MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR AND THEN WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH NURSE PRACTITIONER. 
          WE OFFER WOMEN'S HEALTH WHERE WOMEN CAN COME IN AND GET COMPLETE PHYSICAL CHECKUPS. 
          THEY GET A PAP SMEAR, A VOUCHER FOR A MAMMOGRAM. 
          AND IF THEY'RE FOUND TO HAVE BREAST OR CERVICAL CANCER, MEDICAID WILL PICK 'EM UP AND EXPEDITE 'EM AND TAKE CARE OF 'EM UNTIL IT'S RESOLVED. 
          UH, LET'S SEE. 
          THE ALLIANCES CLUB, THE FRONT ROYAL ALLIANCES CLUB COMES ONCE A MONTH AND OFFERS EYE EXAMS AND GLASSES TO UP TO 10 PEOPLE AND HEARING AIDS. 
          SO I THINK THAT'S ALL WE DO IN A NUTSHELL. 
          SO THE MONEY WILL BE USED TO HELP WITH OUR RENOVATIONS OF OUR PROBLEMS. 
          [01:30:01]
WE'VE HAD, WE HAD, YOU KNOW, UH, EXAM TABLES, WE HAD TWO NEW BRAND NEW EXAM TABLES. 
          AND I KNOW THE INSURANCE WON'T GIVE US WHAT EXAM TABLES COST. 
          YEAH, THEY'RE LIKE $27,000 FOR BOTH OF 'EM. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? IS THE INSURANCE AT LEAST GONNA MAKE YOU WHOLE FOR THE BUILDING RESTORATION? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW. 
          THEY'RE  THEY'RE FIGHTING THE SPRINKLER COMPANY ON THIS BECAUSE THEY THINK IT'S A A THE THURSDAY BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, WE, WE HAD JUST GOT THE NEW ROOF PUT ON, SO WE SAW A LEAK IN THE OFFICE MANAGER'S OFFICE. 
          SO WE CALLED THE ROOFER AND SAID, WE'RE NOT GONNA PAY YOU UNTIL YOU FIX THIS LEAK. 
          THE ROOF'S LEAKING. 
          WELL, THEY CAME OUT AND WENT UP IN THE CRAWL SPACE AND THEY SAID IT WAS A PIPE. 
          IT'S NOT THE ROOF. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO THEN WE CALLED THE CORNET, THE SPRINKLER COMPANY, AND THEY CAME OUT AND LOOKED AT IT AND THEY TOLD US THEY WOULD SEND US A QUOTE MONDAY AND LET US KNOW HOW MUCH IT WAS GONNA COST. 
          AND THEN IT HAPPENED ON FRIDAY. 
          OH MY GOODNESS. 
          OH MY. 
          SO THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS ASKED ME TO GIVE 'EM ALL THE BACK RECORDS OF THE SPRINKLER COMPANY. 
          AND I THINK THEY'RE INVESTIGATING. 
          HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET PAID, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THE BUILDING REBUILT. 
          I MEAN, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO GUT THE WHOLE BACK 'CAUSE THE CEILINGS HAVE FALLEN IN, THE WALLS HAVE CAVED IN, AND I THINK THE FLOORS MIGHT NEED TO BE REDONE AND MOST OF IT. 
          AND IT AFFECTED OUR BASEMENT TOO. 
          AND THEY FOUND ASBESTOS IN OUR BASEMENT. 
          SO IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT FOUR MONTHS, IF NOT LONGER. 
          IT'S A LARGE AREA. 
          I WORKED THERE WHEN I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, MY FIRST YEAR OF NURSING SCHOOL. 
          I WORKED THERE . 
          UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S A LOT OF ROOM. 
          THAT IS. 
          WOW. 
          I CAN, I JUST HATE THE THOUGHT OF IT 'CAUSE UM, SO WE'RE ALL COMPACTED UP IN THE FRONT PART OF THE BUILDING. 
          SO TODAY I HAD TO ORDER A, UH, REFRIGERATOR THAT'S, UH, MEDICALLY REGULATED WITH A THERMOSTAT AND A LOCK ON IT SO WE CAN KEEP MEDICATION. 
          WE LOST A LOT OF PATIENT MEDICATION. 
          A LOT OF MEDICATION WE CAN GET FROM PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES IS LIKE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE REFRIGERATED, LIKE INSULIN. 
          AND WE LOST ALL THAT. 
          ALL OUR SUPPLIES, I'VE HAD TO ORDER NEW GLOVES, UH, NEW DRAPES, NEW GOWNS. 
          A LOT OF, WE'VE LOST ALL OUR, EVEN OUR COPY PAPER, SO ALL THAT GOT DAMAGED. 
          SO I'M SURE THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL PAY US, EXCUSE ME, A GREAT DEAL, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA PAY FOR EVERYTHING. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. 
          I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, SIR. 
          I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO COME TAKE A TOUR, YOU CAN'T GO BACK IN THE BACK. 
          IT'S CONDEMNED, BUT I'LL BE GLAD TO LET YOU SEE KIND OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. 
          TAKE A PEEK INSIDE. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT WE'VE GOT, UH, UH, ANY OF THE OTHER FOLKS, UH, WHO ARE COMING IN THE, UH, AT LEAST NOT RIGHT NOW. 
          WE'RE ABOUT 45 MINUTES AHEAD OF SCHEDULE IF, IF NOT EVEN FURTHER. 
          SO, UM, ITEM K, SIR. 
          ITEM K. 
          AND THAT'S THE TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, PR. 
          WE HAD A, WE HAD ANOTHER AGENCY THAT WAS COMING, BUT THEY BACKED OUT ON US AND WE COULDN'T GET A REPLACEMENT IN THERE AT THE LAST MINUTE. 
          SO WHO, WHO WAS THAT? THE LIBRARY SIR. 
          OH, THE LIBRARY, OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO 
          [K. Discussion - Board of Supervisors interest in appointing a Public Relations Specialist ]
ITEM K IS THE, UM, OF INTEREST IN APPOINTING A PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALIST. 
          SO WITH THE, UM, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS MM-HMM. 
          GO THROUGH. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THIS PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALIST, IS THAT GONNA BE A COUNTY EMPLOYEE OR ARE WE GOING TO CONTRACT FOR A SPECIALIST? WELL, THAT MY, UH, UM, MY VISION ON THIS WAS THAT IT WAS, UH, IT WAS JUST GONNA BE, IT INITIALLY JUST A, A, A PART-TIME. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          UH, WHAT THAT UH, IT, THAT THEY'VE GOT SOMEBODY THAT THEY USE RIGHT NOW. 
          AM I CORRECT ON THAT? UH, ED, THEY HAD, THEY HAD WORKED WITH THIS PERSON BEFORE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I THINK, AND I DON'T MEAN TO SPEAK FOR THE BOARD. 
          MM-HMM . 
          [01:35:01]
I THINK THE BOARD IS TALKING ABOUT A CONTRACT, A CONTRACT EMPLOYEE IS WHAT I, IS KIND OF WHAT I HAVE HEARD. 
          YEAH. 
          FROM THE BOARD THAT YOU WERE LOOKING AT, YOU WANTED TO HAVE A CONTRACTOR, UH, YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO IF IT'S A PROFESSIONAL POSITION, DO THEY HAVE TO PROCURE IT OR CAN THEY JUST TIRE IT? IF, UH, IF I, I JUST WANTED MAKE ONE COMMENT 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN CONTRACT IS THE CONTRACTOR AND NOT HIRE A PART-TIME OR TRY TO ABSORB AN EXISTING STAFF PERSON WHO'S ALREADY DOING SOMETHING ELSE. 
          BECAUSE WITH A CONTRACTOR, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SET THE TERMS AND THE CONDITIONS AND WHEN THE AGREEMENT EXPIRES, SO ON AND SO FORTH, YOU KNOW. 
          YEAH. 
          SO GO AHEAD, MS. SCOTT. 
          NOW, I JUST WANTED, JUST TO CLARIFY THAT WITH THE BOARD FOR ENGAGING WITH AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR, YOU WOULD JUST GO THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS MM-HMM . 
          SO DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT, UH, THAT WOULD INDICATE WHAT TYPE OF A SOLICITATION IT WOULD BE. 
          SO IF IT WAS OVER $50,000, IT WOULD BE SEALED. 
          SO WE WOULD GO OUT FOR IFB OR RFP. 
          IF IT WAS LESS THAN THAT, THEN WE WOULD PROBABLY JUST SEND IT OUT FOR QUICK QUOTE. 
          UM, YES, AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR WOULD GO THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS. 
          WELL, DO WE HAVE AN IDEA AS TO, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH A, A CONTRACTOR LIKE THAT WOULD COST? BECAUSE, UM, I'M NOT LOOKING AT SOMEBODY WHO'S GONNA BE HERE, YOU KNOW, FULL TIME. 
          UH, POSSIBLY SOMEONE THAT, UH, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, CHIME IN, PLEASE. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE ANY, ANY OTHER IDEAS, SOMEBODY THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE MAYBE 10 TO 12 HOURS A WEEK. 
          I, I DON'T KNOW. 
          WHAT DO YOU THINK? WELL, THERE'S A, A, A PROPOSAL THAT'S BEEN MADE ALREADY, UM, IN SEPTEMBER, IT CAME TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MUCH DISCUSSION THERE WAS ABOUT IT, BUT, UM, THIS COMPANY THAT HAL ALREADY HAS EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY, WORKED WITH THE WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT, WORKED WITH THE SOCIAL MEDIA SETUP. 
          SO, UM, AND THEIR PROPOSAL WAS FOR A MINIMUM 80 HOURS PER MONTH, WHICH IS, UH, 2020 HOURS. 
          UM, SO THERE'S A, THERE'S ALREADY, I MEAN, THERE'S A PROPOSAL THAT'S BEEN MADE. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT REQUIREMENTS ARE, UH, IS THERE, IS THERE A, UH, A PRICE ON THAT OR? YEP, IT'S A, THERE'S A PROPOSAL FOR $4,000 A MONTH FOR A MINIMUM OF 80 HOURS A MONTH. 
          AND WHO, WHICH DEPARTMENT THIS IS, UH, REQUESTED IT, THIS PROPOSAL, THIS CAME THROUGH, I BELIEVE THIS CAME THROUGH THE, IT IT, OKAY. 
          THAT PROPOSAL THAT YOU HAVE THERE CAME THROUGH IT. 
          UM, THIS PERSON, UH, CONTRACTOR, ET CETERA, IS PROBABLY GONNA BE WORKING WITH THE SUPERVISORS DIRECTLY. 
          THAT'S WHAT I WOULD EXPECT. 
          YEAH. 
          I THINK EIGHT 80 A MONTH, ALTHOUGH I, THE HOURLY RATE ON THAT IS NOT BAD. 
          BUT 80 A MONTH IS, I THINK THIS IS GONNA EBB AND FLOW AND LIKE, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE CURRENT CONTROVERSY. 
          I, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS ABOUT THE BUDGETING CYCLE AND, YOU KNOW, IF THERE NEEDS TO BE A TAX INCREASE OR, UH, DOWN THE ROAD, I, I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK INTO A, UM, A BOND REFERENDUM AROUND FIRE AND RESCUE, FOR EXAMPLE MM-HMM . 
          SO ALL THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. 
          I THINK IT WOULD HELP TO, TO HAVE A BIT OF A, A PR EXPERT. 
          YEAH. 
          I MEAN, I HAVE A, A LIST OF THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. 
          TAXES, SCHOOL BOARD BUDGET, LIBRARY, TOURISM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FIRE AND RESCUE REFERENDUM. 
          I MEAN, THERE'S JUST ROCKLAND PARK, ROCKLAND PARK, I MEAN, THERE'S, BUT IT'S GONNA EBB AND FLOW AS MUCH. 
          IT'S GONNA EBB AND FLOW. 
          AND I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT I'M, I'M, I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO THIS PERSON, BUT I THINK THAT, THAT I, HOWEVER THESE CONTRACTS WORK, THERE COULD PROBABLY BE A A A A MAX PER, YOU KNOW, MAYBE MM-HMM . 
          UM, WHICH IS THE WAY IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY PROPOSED. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, WELL, SO THE NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE WHERE WOULD THE FUNDING COME FROM? YOU KNOW, AND MY, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, UH, IN OUR FINANCE AUDIT COMMITTEE, THE TREASURER HAS SAID THAT THEY HAVE COLLECTED ABOUT 3.3, $3.6 MILLION IN DELINQUENT TAXES. 
          TAXES. 
          AND, UM, OF COURSE THAT'S NOT REOCCURRING COSTS. 
          YOU KNOW, THEY'RE FROM TAXES FOR BACK WHEN I KNOW THERE'S DISCUSSIONS GOING ON. 
          AND IF YOU, WHEN HAVE WE COLLECTED ALL THAT MONEY? AND IF WE ARE, WHERE, WHERE 
          [01:40:01]
IS THE MONEY? THAT KIND OF THING, WHICH I'M WORKING WITH THE TREASURER RIGHT NOW TO KIND OF TRACK THAT DOWN, UH, AND, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR AS FAR AS THE FUNDING GOES. 
          BUT, UM, WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT A CONTRACT LIKE THIS IS THAT IT'S NOT RECURRING. 
          THERE'S NO OBLIGATION. 
          RIGHT, EXACTLY. 
          IT COULD BE, AND THAT'S WHY I WOULD THINK THAT THE DELINQUENT TAX TAXES THAT WE HAVE COLLECTED MM-HMM . 
          WE CAN USE FOR, FOR THIS. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OR RECOMMENDATION OR COMMENTS, BUT THAT, UH, WELL, NUMBER ONE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DECEMBER REPORT, YOUR REVENUE REPORT OF TAX COLLECTIONS, YOUR DELINQUENT TAXES, IF THERE ARE TAX AMOUNTS, ALSO ACTUALLY GOES DIRECTLY INTO THE LINE ITEM FOR REAL ESTATE OR PERSONAL PROPERTY. 
          THE INTEREST AND PENALTY IS DOWN BELOW. 
          YOU INCREASED REAL ESTATE APPROXIMATELY $4 MILLION LAST YEAR. 
          A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN THAT, AND YOU INCREASED PERSONAL PROPERTY, I BELIEVE IT WAS 7%. 
          UM, AGAIN, THAT'S ABOUT, UM, 140, ABOUT ABOUT $400,000. 
          SO IF YOU DIVIDE THAT IN HALF, THEN THE REPORT THAT YOU LOOK AT FOR DECEMBER SHOULD BE FOR REAL ESTATE, SHOULD BE $2 MILLION MORE THAN DECEMBER 23. 
          AND THAT'LL TELL YOU THE IMPACT OF THESE DELINQUENT TAX AND YOUR TAX COLLECTIONS. 
          UM, I THINK THE OTHER, THE OTHER COMMENT I WOULD MAKE IS, THIS WAS ONE PROPOSAL THAT AT THE BOARD'S REQUEST, UH, MR. JONES WENT OUT AND SOLICITED, IF THE BOARD IS GOING TO DO THIS, YOU REALLY SHOULD POST IT AND TAKE WRITTEN QUOTES. 
          AND IF NO ONE ELSE SUBMITS, THAT'S FINE, BUT YOU POSTED IT SO THAT SOMEBODY ELSE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY. 
          I AGREE. 
          WELL, I HAVE, I HAVE QUESTIONS. 
          AND THE FIRST ONE IS, IS IN GENERAL, WHY, WHY WE'VE NOT HAD A PR PERSON? UM, WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH QUITE A LOT OF CONTROVERSIAL THINGS SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD. 
          THE BIG ONE BEING THE EDA. 
          WE DIDN'T HIRE A, A, A PR FIRM. 
          AND SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY. 
          I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THE MONEY'S COMING FROM. 
          I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE SCOPE OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE GONNA BE AND HOW WE JUSTIFY THIS. 
          AND THIS TIME WHEN WE JUST HAD A HUGE ASSESSMENT TWO YEARS AGO, WE'VE GOT ANOTHER, I DON'T CARE WHAT THE PERCENTAGES ARE, I'VE SEEN THE NUMBERS AND A LOT OF THINGS. 
          UM, ANOTHER HUGE ASSESSMENT ON PEOPLE. 
          AND NOW WE'RE GONNA THROW IN A PR PERSON THAT TO ME, I, I PERSONALLY CAN'T JUSTIFY IT. 
          AND I, HOW ARE WE GONNA JUSTIFY THIS TO THE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE LIBRARY, I THINK IS PART OF THIS FROM THE MESSAGE. 
          UM, CHAIRMAN BUTLER LEFT ME TO DEAL WITH THAT, AND WE, MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD CRITICIZE THEM FOR HIRING A PR FIRM. 
          SO THOSE ARE JUST MY THINGS. 
          UH, TO START OFF WITH, I'M, I WILL SAY I'M, I'M TOTALLY AGAINST THIS. 
          WELL, I THINK THE, THE, THE WHY, UH, IS RELATIVE TO THE THINGS THAT A BOARD LIKE THIS, THE, THE NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE DEAL WITH. 
          AND, AND AS A CITIZEN, WHEN I WATCHED THE BOARD GO THROUGH ISSUES, WHAT I SEE AND, AND WITNESSED AND EXPERIENCED IS THAT THERE'S AN INABILITY. 
          THERE'S A, THERE'S A, A, UH, BLOCKING OR AN INEFFICIENCY OF, OF FIVE PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO GET A MESSAGE TOGETHER. 
          AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD ENDS UP BEING ON ITS HEELS AND ALL OF THE MEDIA AND ALL OF THE PUBLIC ATTENTION IS DIRECTED AGAINST. 
          AND, AND THERE'S A, AN INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE A MESSAGE. 
          UM, AND, YOU KNOW, OUR CITIZENS NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT MESSAGE IS. 
          THEY HAVE A, UH, YOU KNOW, A BENEFIT OF 
          [01:45:01]
HAVING A BOARD BE ABLE TO COLLECT ITS THOUGHTS, COMMUNICATE ALONG, YOU KNOW, LINES OF COMMUNICATION THAT ARE, THAT ARE NORMAL AND THAT PEOPLE EXPECT RATHER THAN SILENCE. 
          AND A VACUUM, UH, IS NOT BENEFICIAL TO OUR, TO OUR CITIZENS. 
          UM, SO I THINK THAT THERE'S A, A REASONABLE BENEFIT, UH, COMMUNICATION IS, IS A RECOGNIZED VALUE AND, AND, AND BETTER COMMUNICATION OF A BOARD TO ITS CITIZENRY IS A VALUABLE THING. 
          UM, AND I THINK THERE ARE, THERE ARE A, A WHOLE SMATTERING OF THINGS THAT WE DEAL WITH THAT WE CAN DO BETTER, COMMUNICATING WITH OUR CITIZENS, UH, BY PROCURING THIS TYPE OF SERVICE. 
          SO IS THIS BOARD, THIS COMMUNICATION GOING TO BE WHERE THE MAJORITY RULES ON WHAT IS GONNA BE PUT OUT AND EVERYBODY ELSE HAS TO BE SILENT? OR ARE WE STILL GONNA BE ABLE TO, UH, COMMUNICATE IF OUR THOUGHTS WERE DIFFERENT THAN THAT COMMUNICATE WAS PUT OUT? WELL, IN MY OPINION, NOBODY'S EVER BARRED FROM COMMUNICATING. 
          SO, UH, THAT IS, THAT'S JUST A GIVEN. 
          EVERYBODY CAN COMMUNICATE. 
          UH, I THINK THAT THAT IT BY NATURE, UH, WE DO HAVE A BOARD AND, AND EVERYTHING WE DO, UH, IS ON A VOTE BASIS. 
          SO IF WE HAVE A PREPONDERANCE OF, OF SUPERVISORS WHO, WHO HAVE A CERTAIN, UH, DESIRE TO MAKE A PRESS RELEASE, THEN I THINK THAT THAT PREPONDERANCE CAN CARRY IN NO WAY. 
          UH, AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT, IT CAME UP BEFORE WHEN, WHEN I WAS TRYING TO COMMUNICATE SOME PRESS RELEASES THAT, UH, WE WOULD HAVE THE, A METHOD OR, OR SOMETHING THAT ENABLES THOSE SUPERVISORS WHO ARE PROPONENTS OF THE PRESS RELEASE TO BE ON THE PRESS RELEASE SO THAT THEY DON'T SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY WHEN THERE'S NO UNANIMITY. 
          SO I THINK THOSE CL THOSE PRACTICAL THINGS CAN BE ACCOMMODATED SO THAT NOBODY IS HAVING, UH, COMMUNICATIONS OPPOSED UPON THEM. 
          AND MOST DEFINITELY, AND NOBODY WOULD EVER HAVE TO BE SILENT. 
          AND THAT'S, THAT'S IN, THAT'S MY OPINION. 
          I, I, I AGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU DISAGREE WITH A, WITH SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD IS DOING, THEN BY ALL MEANS, YOU KNOW, THAT NEEDS TO GET OUT. 
          BUT I, BUT I'LL TELL YOU OF, I CAN'T DEPEND ON THE, THE, THE, THE CURRENT COMMUNICATIONS RIGHT NOW TO GET MY, TO, TO GET A CLEAR STORY OUT OF THE, UH, AND I, I PERSONALLY THINK THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR US TO HAVE OF A, A, A PR FIRM THAT COULD SPEAK, UH, FOR US, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, UH, AND ED, OH, GO AHEAD. 
          I JUST WANT TO GET YOUR ATTENTION WHEN YOU'RE DONE, SIR. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          SO THE, SO, UH, I THINK THERE WOULD BE, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO GET A, A, A MESSAGE OUT THAT PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND AND KNOW WHERE THE BOARD IS COMING FROM BECAUSE RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK THAT'S HAPPENING. 
          I CAN'T DEPEND ON THE, THE, THE CURRENT, UH, THE, THE CURRENT WAY THAT, UH, THAT THINGS ARE, ARE GOING ON FOR THAT TO OCCUR. 
          SO I THINK IF YOU DECIDE YOU WANT TO SOLICIT AND THEN CONTRACT WITH SOMEONE, A, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT MESSAGES. 
          THERE IS THE BOARD MESSAGE MM-HMM . 
          AND THAT DOES NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE EACH BOARD MEMBER, BUT IT DOES HAVE TO BE THE BOARD. 
          AND THEN THERE'S THE MESSAGE OF SUPERVISOR A AND SUPERVISOR B AND SUPERVISOR C. 
          AND THOSE CAN ALL BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT OR DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT. 
          UH, BUT YOU CAN'T PUT YOUR CONTRACTOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          LAST YEAR, THE BOARD MAJORITY VOTED TO INCREASE TAXES. 
          I'M GONNA PICK ON HER 'CAUSE SHE'S THE CLOSEST. 
          MRS. COOK DID NOT, I VOTED. 
          NO, YOU CAN'T PUT THIS CONTRACTOR OUT THERE AND SAY, THE COUNTY'S MESSAGES IS, MRS. COOK'S MESSAGE IS THIS, SHE HAS TO BE ALLOWED TO DO THAT HERSELF. 
          THAT IF SHE WANTS TO PUT SOMETHING, BUT THIS CONTRACTOR CAN'T BE TRYING TO 
          [01:50:01]
REPRESENT TWO DIFFERENT MESSAGES, YOU'RE REALLY GONNA DRIVE THE PERSON CRAZY VERY QUICKLY. 
          I DON'T FORESEE THAT IN ANY WAY. 
          SO, WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET BACK. 
          YOU'VE, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE ONE, WHATEVER THE, WHATEVER YOU VOTE TO DO, THAT HAS TO BE THE MESSAGE. 
          AND IF SOMEBODY HAS THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL TAKE ON IT, THAT'S THEIR MESSAGE. 
          WELL, WHAT I SAID WAS NOBODY WOULD BE SILENCED. 
          AND THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE. 
          NOBODY CAN EVER BE SILENCED. 
          NO. 
          AND, AND I'M, I DON'T MEAN TO DISAGREE, SIR. 
          I AGREE WITH THAT FULLY. 
          I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS CONTRACTOR IS NOT AN, SO BASICALLY TO REPRESENT BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE. 
          SO BASICALLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, AND THIS IS WHAT, THIS IS MY TAKE ON IT, IS THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT IF A BOARD MEMBER DISAGREES WITH IT, IT IS UP TO THAT BOARD MEMBER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GO OVER TO THAT TO THE, TO THE PR PERSON AND SAY, I DISAGREE WITH THIS AND HERE'S THE MESSAGE THAT I'D LIKE YOU TO PUT OUT ON MY BEHALF. 
          AM I CORRECT ON THAT? NO. 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK THE PERSON CAN CAN DEFINITELY SAY I DON'T AGREE WITH THE MESSAGE. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT I THINK IT'D BE THAT SUPERVISOR WOULD PUT OUT THEIR MESSAGE. 
          NO, THAT'S WHAT I MEAN. 
          THE CONTRACTOR CANNOT PUT OUT TWO MESSAGES. 
          COULD YOU HAVE OH, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. 
          SO LIKE, SO, SO IF THERE WAS A, A MESSAGE COMING FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND FOUR BOARD MEMBERS FOR ALL BOARD AND ONE WAS NOT, THEN IF THAT ONE MESSAGE GOES OUT, YOU KNOW, WITH, UH, FROM THE FOUR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND STATING IT'S ONLY THOSE FOUR THAT, BUT THAT'S THE COUNTY POSITIONS, THAT'S IT. 
          RIGHT. 
          YOU CAN'T, WHATEVER, WHATEVER THAT POSITION IS. 
          THE COUNTY'S POSITION LAST YEAR WAS THAT WE NEEDED TO INCREASE TAXES AND WE WANTED TO ADD THESE ADDITIONAL FIRE AND RESCUE PERSONNEL. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND THAT WAS THE MESSAGE. 
          CORRECT. 
          AND EVERYONE IS ON BOARD WITH THAT. 
          AND WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T GO OFF AND DO ANOTHER MESSAGE, BUT MRS. COOK DISAGREES BECAUSE THAT PUTS THE CONTRACTOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT. 
          I THINK THAT IS IS A SEPARATE MESSAGE THAT YOU WOULD DO YOURSELF. 
          COULD YOU HAVE BY NOT USING, NOT USING THIS CONTRACTOR CORRECT. 
          TO DO. 
          CORRECT. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THAT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE SOMETIMES THERE'LL BE FOUR AND FIVE DIFFERENT POSITIONS ON THE SAME ISSUE AND THE CONTRACTOR CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO DO FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT POSITIONS. 
          WELL, IF, IF HOWEVER YOU DECIDE THERE'S A COUNTY POSITION, IT'S BY MAJORITY VOTES, YOU KNOW, FOR THE TAX RAISING, FOR EXAMPLE MM-HMM . 
          YEAH. 
          UM, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE CONTRACTOR GO OUT AND PUT OUT A SIDE MESSAGE OR A DISSENTING OPINION LIKE FOR THE SUPREME COURT, BUT COULD YOU JUST HAVE A LITTLE FOOTNOTE THAT SAYS, THE FOLLOWING SUPERVISORS HAVE SIGNED ON TO THIS MESSAGE AND LIKE SMALL FONT. 
          AND THAT WAY IT WOULD AT LEAST GIVE SOMEONE'S, YOU CAN DO SOMEONE TO ACKNOWLEDGE TO SAY WITHOUT GOING INTO DETAIL YEAH. 
          THAT, UH, THESE CON THESE SUPERVISORS HAVE APPROVED THIS MESSAGE. 
          YEAH. 
          AND JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. 
          AND MAYBE SOMEONE WAS JUST ON VACATION AND THEY DIDN'T APPROVE IT, BUT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, YOU EXPLICITLY DON'T WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT MESSAGE. 
          AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S FINE. 
          AND THAT'S A NONDRAMATIC WAY TO ACHIEVE THAT. 
          I THINK WE WANT TO KEEP IT AS SIMPLE FOR THE CONTRACTOR AS POSSIBLE. 
          RIGHT. 
          WE DON'T WANNA PUT 'EM IN THE MIDDLE. 
          NO, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT. 
          SO THAT WOULD ALL BE IN THE SCOPE OF WORK. 
          SO, SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU ALL, WOULD IT BE, WOULD, WOULD IT BE SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL WOULD ENTERTAIN THAT, UH, SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF THIS, UH, UH, THIS CONTRACT HERE. 
          SO LIKE, UH, UH, A SIX MONTH CONTRACT WITH AN OPTION FOR ANOTHER SIX MONTH CONTRACT. 
          AND THAT WAY IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE HOW THIS IS WORKING. 
          AND UH, THEN, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF SIX MONTHS IF WE SAY, UH, IT'S THIS, THIS REALLY ISN'T THE BANG FOR THE BUCK, YOU KNOW, WE CAN JUST GO AHEAD AND, AND TERMINATE IT. 
          UH, I, I'D GO SO FAR AS TO, TO TRY TO ARRANGE A QUARTERLY, I MEAN, THERE'S QUARTERLY. 
          OKAY. 
          IT'S, IT DEPENDS WHAT YOUR SUPPLIERS WILL, WILL OFFER. 
          OH, YEAH. 
          MR. JONES HAD A COMMENT ON OUR DISCUSSION THERE. 
          YEAH. 
          I JUST WANT TO MENTION, UM, YOU NEED TO CLARIFY. 
          PUBLIC RELATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATIONS IS A, IS IS AN IMPORTANT THING AND A VERY POSITIVE THING. 
          PUBLIC RELATIONS IS MUCH MORE COMPLICATED. 
          AND THAT'S WHERE YOU GET INTO ONE PERSON FEELS THIS WAY AND ANOTHER PERSON FEELS THAT WAY AND HOW TO HANDLE THAT. 
          BUT COMMUNICATIONS OVERALL, UM, I THINK THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. 
          UM, AND IS ALWAYS A POSITIVE WHEN 
          [01:55:01]
YOU CAN IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS, THE PR THING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S UP TO Y'ALL TO DECIDE WHAT YOU WANNA DO WITH THAT. 
          BUT BE CLEAR THAT THOSE ARE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          SO WOULD THE PR PERSON WOULD, WOULD THE PR HANDLE SOME OF THE COMMUNICATION OR WOULD THEY, YOU KNOW, PUT THE MESSAGE OUT OR THEY, THEY COULD. 
          OKAY. 
          IF YOU WROTE YOUR CONTRACT THAT WAY THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR PR AS WELL AS COMMUNICATIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          'CAUSE WHAT, WHAT WOULD THE PR PERSON DO IF THEY WEREN'T INVOLVED IN COMMUNICATIONS? I THINK YOU HAVE A COMPLACENT OF TERMS HERE. 
          ARE WE CONFLATING TERMS? YEAH. 
          I MEAN, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. 
          I HEAR, I HEAR SOME OF YOU SAYING, WE NEED A PR PERSON. 
          WHILE A PR PERSON BUILDS STRATEGY AROUND THE MESSAGE YOU WANT TO GIVE AND HELPS YOU, ENCOURAGES YOU AND GIVES YOU DIRECTION ON HOW TO GET THAT MESSAGE OUT THERE. 
          A COMMUNICATIONS PERSON ON THE OTHER HAND, JUST FINDS THE OUTLETS YOU HAVE FOR COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNICATES A SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD MESSAGE YOU WANT. 
          UM, IT'S, THEY'RE REALLY KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          ONE'S MORE OF A STRATEGY, WHEREAS THE OTHER ONE'S MORE OF JUST GIVING THE INFORMATION OUT TO THE CHANNELS THAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE. 
          SO THE, UM, I'M GOING TO USE THE, UH, RADIO PROGRAM WE DO AS AN EXAMPLE. 
          OUR GOAL WITH THAT IS COMMUNICATIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT DIFFERENT PROGRAMS IN COUNTY, AND WE WANT TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT SOME OF OUR INDUSTRIES IN THE COUNTY AS OPPOSED TO PUBLIC RELATIONS OF TRYING TO PROMOTE A POSITION. 
          I'M GONNA CALL IT PROMOTED POSITION. 
          RIGHT. 
          ALRIGHT, WELL, IF I COULD JUST READ OFF OF THIS SCOPE OF WORK A COM AS A COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST'S RESPONSIBILITIES WOULD INCLUDE MANAGING DEDICATED PRESS RELEASES. 
          I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING I, I IDENTIFY WE COULD USE HELP WITH. 
          UM, ENSURING CLEAR, CONSISTENT, AND POSITIVE MESSAGING IS DIRECTED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          I CAN IDENTIFY WITH THAT. 
          I DON'T PARTICULAR IF, IF PUBLIC RELATIONS IS SOMEBODY WHO DOES STRATEGY, I DON'T THINK THIS BOARD NEEDS SOMEONE TO DO THEIR STRATEGY. 
          FOR ME. 
          THAT MEAN, THAT'S WHAT I WAS COMMUNICATING ABOUT. 
          WHAT, WHAT THE PREPONDERANCE OF OPINION ON THE BOARD IS, I THINK IS, IS WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN. 
          MM-HMM . 
          RESEARCH, CONDUCTING NECESSARY RESEARCH TO SUPPORT DECISION MAKING, ENSURING THE PUBLIC, THE PROJECT REMAINS INNOVATIVE AND RELEVANT IN, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT, ENHANCING THE PROJECT'S, VISIBILITY AND ENGAGEMENT THROUGH TARGETED SOCIAL MEDIA. 
          I MEAN, COUNTY HAS A FACEBOOK PAGE, BUT THIS, THERE'S ABSOLUTE DEAD SILENCE ON THE, FROM THE, FROM THE BOARD SUPERVISORS ON ANYTHING. 
          BECAUSE IF FIVE PEOPLE CAN'T ALL, YOU KNOW EXACTLY AGREE ON THE SAME THING, THE ANSWER IS NOTHING. 
          AND THAT, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH. 
          I THINK THIS BOARD OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE COMMUNICATIONS EVEN IF IT'S NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT. 
          UH, AND THEN I THINK JOHN'S SUGGESTION IS ONE THAT I'VE ACTUALLY MADE AMONGST ALL OF US IS THAT IF, IF YOU COULD HAVE JUST A LITTLE SIGN ON AND IF YOU DON'T WANNA SIGN ON, DON'T SIGN ON AND THEN SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT FROM THE DEUS AND THE PAPER, UH, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S IT. 
          I THINK IT'S WORKABLE. 
          I THINK, I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU, I I MEAN I, THAT'S WHERE I THINK YOU NEED TO, I THINK YOU'RE LOOKING FOR COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTS. 
          YEAH. 
          I THINK WE'VE CONFLATED TERMS BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE TERMS. EXACTLY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, I AGREE IT'S, IT'S COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANCE THAT, THAT, UH, WE CAN HELP GET HELP WITH COMMUNICATIONS RATHER THAN PUBLIC RELATIONS. 
          YEAH, I THINK SO. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO, SO IF WE COULD PUT THAT ON THE, ON THE, YOU KNOW, THE, ON OUR NEXT, UH, ON THE NEXT AVAILABLE SESSION AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SO IT IS TENTATIVE ON YOUR AGENDA NEXT WEEK. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, IF YOU WANT IT THERE, THEN I'M, I'M SENSING THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE OF YOU THAT DO MM-HMM . 
          DO YOU WANT TO DEFINE SOMETHING AS TO WHAT WE WOULD PUT IN THIS RFP AND IT WOULD BE SHORT AND TO THE POINT? I THINK WE CAN MAKE IT FAIRLY SIMPLE. 
          UH, OR DO YOU WANT US TO DO IT? DO YOU WANNA DO IT AND YOU WRITE IT AND BRING IT NEXT WEEK? OR DO YOU WANT US TO WRITE IT AND BRING IT NEXT WEEK? I, I THINK RICH HAS A, YOU GOT A GOOD STORY. 
          WELL, THIS IS THE PREVIOUS, THIS IS THE PROPOSAL THAT ALREADY MADE. 
          YEAH, THAT'S THE PROPOSAL. 
          THAT'S RIGHT. 
          IT'S APPARENTLY, IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY NOT VALID ANYMORE, BUT, BUT, UH, NO, BUT I MEAN, I DON'T WANNA WRITE IT. 
          I, I, I, TODD HAS EXPERIENCE. 
          OKAY. 
          THIS IS GONNA BE A SOLICITATION IS WHAT IT IS, WHICH WE WOULD PUT TOGETHER. 
          PROBABLY LIKE TO READ IT, WHAT'S WRITTEN BEFORE IT GOES OUT. 
          BUT YOU CAN, WE'LL HAVE, SO YOU ALREADY HAVE 
          [02:00:01]
A DRAFT, SO WE'LL HAVE IT BACK OUT TO YOU TOMORROW THAT YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AND COME PREPARED NEXT WEEK THAT IF A THREE OF YOU WANT TO DO THIS, THREE OF YOU AGREE ON WHAT YOU WANT THAT TO SAY SO WE CAN GET IT OUT. 
          AND WE HAVE POSTED 10 DAYS SO THAT YOU COULD BE LOOKING AT TRYING TO HAVE, UH, DEPENDING UPON HOW MANY PROPOSALS YOU HAVE, HAVE SOMEONE BY THE 1ST OF MARCH, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOMETHING JUST, JUST LIKE WHAT RICH HAD, UH, MENTIONED ABOUT, UM, OF, YOU KNOW, A, IT'D BE A ONE YEAR CONTRACT WITH A, UH, WITH, WITH THE BEGINNING, WITH THE FIRST QUARTER AND WITH THE OPTION OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE NEXT THREE QUARTERS. 
          AND, AND THE REASON BEING IS IT WOULD GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF LIKE, SEE, OKAY, IS THIS WORKING? IS THIS WHAT WE NEED? AND IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S ANY, ANY CONTRACT THAT YOU PUT, YOU CAN PUT A TERMINATION CLAUSE OKAY. 
          OF HOWEVER LONG YOU WANT. 
          IF YOU MAKE IT A, YOU CAN MAKE IT A QUARTERLY CONTRACT, RENEWABLE OKAY. 
          FOR THREE QUARTERS. 
          OKAY. 
          OR YOU CAN MAKE IT FOR A YEAR SUBJECT TO A TERMINATION 30 DAYS NOTICE. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW WHICH WORKS, WHICH YOU'RE GONNA GET BETTER CONTRACT RESPONSE FROM. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING. 
          IF, YOU KNOW, SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TOO, THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA DO THAT, THEN YOU NEED TO PUT QUANTIFIABLE INFORMATION AS TO WHAT IS JUDGED AS MEETING THE MARK OR NOT MEETING THE MARK. 
          BECAUSE THE LAST THING THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WANTS TO COME IN AND DO IS DO THE JOB AND THEY THINK THEY'RE DOING WELL. 
          AND THEN EVERYBODY GIVES THEIR OPINION. 
          THEY NEED TO KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT ARE THEY DOING THAT'S IMPROVING THE COMMUNICATIONS AND, AND WHAT IS NOT. 
          SO QUANTIFIABLE INFORMATION AS TO WHAT THEIR EXPECTATIONS ARE FOR WHAT I THINK YOU SHOULD TRY FOR QUARTERLY RENEWABLE. 
          I, I DON'T, YEAH. 
          I DON'T ADVOCATE FOR STICKING A WHOLE YEAR OUT THERE AND THEN HAVING TO CANCEL. 
          IT'S EASIER. 
          I DON'T DISAGREE, BUT YEAH. 
          YEAH, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH, THAT'S GOOD. 
          SO THAT'S TWO. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THE, UH, THAT'S JUST TWO. 
          I'M LOOKING FOR A THIRD. 
          OH, HE, HE'S LOOKING FOR A THIRD. 
          YOU CAN USE ME IF YOU, YOU'D LIKE, BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA GET THE MONEY. 
           THEN MAYBE I'M NOT THE THIRD. 
          I MEAN, I'M, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE MONEY TOO,  AND LIKE, IF WE'RE GONNA, IT SOUNDS LIKE 50,000 IS THE, YOU HAVE TO BID ABOVE 50,000. 
          WE'RE GONNA BID. 
          THAT MIGHT DRIVE THE BIDS ABOVE 50,000 AND WE HAVE AN OFFER FOR 48. 
          I JUST WANNA MAKE, I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAVE AND UP IN LIKE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TERRITORY. 
          NO, WE, WE HAVE TO PUT A CEILING, YOU KNOW, AND I MEAN, I CAN, I CAN LOOK AT, AND I, I WON'T DO THIS, BUT I MEAN, I, I COULD JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE EXPENDITURE REPORT AND, AND DETERMINE WHERE THERE'S SOME MONEY THAT HASN'T BEEN USED, AND WE CAN DIP INTO THAT. 
          BUT I WON'T GO THAT FAR. 
          I DIDN'T THINK SO. 
          THAT'S JUST WANTED TO KNOW ANYBODY THAT WASN'T USED. 
          WHAT'S THAT? MS. COLORS? WE, WE WEEK FROM WEEK, WE NICKEL AND DIME EVERYTHING. 
          EVERYBODY COMES UP HERE REQUESTING, AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN WE CAN FIND MONEY FOR THIS. 
          THAT'S THE MOST ABSURD THING. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          I JUST, WE DO IT EVERY, EVERY TIME ANYONE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, WHOEVER COMES UP, WHERE'S THE MONEY COMING FROM? JUSTIFY IT. 
          JUSTIFY IT, JUSTIFY IT. 
          THINGS THAT ARE PART OF OUR CORE SERVICES THAT WE, THESE GUYS NEED TO DO THEIR JOB AND NOW WE'RE GONNA WASTE MONEY ON THIS. 
          I JUST, I'M SORRY. 
          IT'S ABSURD. 
          WELL, THIS IS NOT WASTING MONEY ON THIS. 
          AND I WAS JUST SAYING THAT THAT'S ONE WAY WE CAN DO IT. 
          AND, AND I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT, YOU KNOW. 
          BUT YES, I AGREE WITH YOU. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT THE BOARD COMES UP. 
          I CAN SAY ROCKLAND PARK AS AN EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A OR OTHER, YOU KNOW, UM, SPECIAL INTEREST PROJECTS THAT WE ALWAYS SIT UP HERE AND DO THE, AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT, AND WE ALWAYS FIGURE OUT WHERE THE FUNDS ARE COMING FROM WITHOUT RAISING TAXES. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONLY, WE'RE ONLY THINKING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT $50,000. 
          SO PARK IS A CORE EXAMPLE OF THAT. 
          I'M SORRY, BECAUSE ROCKLAND PARK IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVING OUR COMMUNITY AND TO BRING IN MORE REVENUE. 
          THIS IS JUST EXPENDITURE TO CYA, THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO. 
          SORRY. 
          IT IS. 
          I DON'T SEE IT AS CYAI, I SEE IT AS, AS GETTING WORSE IF WHETHER YOU DO OR THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY'S DOLLARS ARE PAYING FOR IT. 
          SEE, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS, WHAT'S 
          [02:05:01]
GOING ON EXACTLY. 
          AND MAY AND, AND PUTTING IT OUT THERE SO IT'S EASIER TO UNDERSTAND. 
          WELL, THEY SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AND THEY DON'T TRUST IT. 
          SO HIRING SOMEBODY TO SPILL OUT THE SAME THING THEY DON'T TRUST ALREADY. 
          IS IT WASTE OF MONEY? SORRY. 
          IT JUST IS. 
          WELL, WELL, I RESPECT YOUR OPINION. 
          SO I'M NUMBER THREE. 
          SO, UM, IF I MAY, IF YOU DO THIS EFFECTIVE THE 1ST OF MARCH, THEN THE POSITION WOULD BE PUT INTO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AND WHERE IT'S GONNA GO IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. 
          I DON'T KNOW OFFHAND. 
          AND YES, SOMETHING WOULD NOT BE IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET THAT WE WOULD'VE SPENT THE MONEY ON OTHERWISE, YES. 
          I MEAN, IF, AND THAT'S NO PARTICULAR ITEM AT ALL. 
          BUT IF I PUT $48,000 50, I'M GONNA CALL IT 50, $50,000 IN THE 26 BUDGET, THEN THAT'S 26,000 I MIGHT NOT HAVE SPENT ON SOMETHING ELSE. 
          AND I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC THING BECAUSE I'M NOT PICKING ANYTHING TO TAKE OUT. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M ONLY LOOKING FOR THEN 16,000 THIS YEAR. 
          AND A THERE IS NO MORE MONEY. 
          B, WE WILL FIND, UM, WHAT THAT AMOUNTS TO THERE. 
          AND WE'LL SEE THAT. 
          WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT AS OF TODAY, ROCKLAND PARK IS ON HOLD UNTIL IT IS DETERMINED WHAT FEDERAL CON GRANTS ARE GOING TO BE FUNDED AND WHICH ONES ARE NOT. 
          BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY'RE ALL FROZEN AS OF TODAY. 
          AND THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF FEDERAL FUNDING. 
          THERE'S NUMBER ONE, THE GRANT THAT WE HAVE NOT APPLIED FOR THAT WHAT, UH, KRISTA WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT SHE'S WRITING, SHE'S GOING TO APPLY FOR. 
          AND THEN B, THERE IS THE ROCKLAND GRANT, WHICH HAS BEEN AWARDED BUT NOT SPENT. 
          AND C THERE ARE GRANTS LIKE OUR SAFER GRANT THAT HAS BEEN SPENT, BUT WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED YET OUR LAST PAYMENT AND HOW THIS NEW POLICY IS GOING TO AFFECT ALL THREE OF THOSE. 
          WE DO NOT KNOW AND WE DON'T WANNA SPECULATE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE JUST FOR THE TIME BEING ROCKLANDS ON HOLD, JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          DOES THAT AFFECT OUR, UM, OUR AIRPORT GRANTS? THE FAA STUFF? POTENTIALLY. 
          OKAY. 
          YES, SIR. 
          OKAY. 
          THIS, YES, DEFINITELY THAT WOULD BE IN ANOTHER CATEGORY. 
          UM, I'M, THERE'S ALSO THE QUESTION OF ANY IMPACT ON OUR HUMAN SERVICE ACTIVITIES OUT IN SOCIAL SERVICES. 
          UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT THOSE YET TO BE ENCUMBERED THIS YEAR. 
          THIS IMPACTS, I DON'T THINK THAT'S BEEN DETERMINED YET. 
          IT'S STILL UNDER A FREEZE FOR THE TIME BEING AND WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. 
          SO THESE ARE FEDERAL GRANTS, NOT STATE GRANTS. 
          NO. 
          RIGHT. 
          THIS IS ALL FEDERAL MONEY, BUT SOMETIMES FEDERAL GRANTS ARE FED DOWN TO STATE GRANTS. 
          YES. 
          SO THERE COULD BE A POTENTIAL. 
          THIS IS SPECIFICALLY WITH THE PORTAL THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT USES FOR THEIR GRANTS. 
          IT'S CALLED ASAP UHHUH. 
          AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FUNDING, NOT NECESSARILY FOR THE APPLICATION OF GRANTS, BUT IF YOU WANT YOUR MONEY, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET IT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S FROZEN. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          AND STATE GRANTS FROM THE FEDS TO THE STATE ARE IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS GRANTS FROM THE FEDS TO THE COUNTY. 
          SO IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WAIT AND SEE, WAIT AND SEE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          NOT GOOD OR BAD. 
          WE JUST DON'T KNOW. 
          WELL, I HAVE, UM, I HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT LOOKING AT AREAS TO FUND THIS, SO I'LL JUST SEND IT TO YOU OKAY. 
          TO YOU AND SEE IF THERE IT'S WORTHWHILE. 
          AND OF COURSE, I'LL LET THE REST OF THE BOARD KNOW, OR I'LL SEND IT TO YOU AND YOU CAN SEND IT TO THEM. 
          HOWEVER WE CAN WORK IT OUT. 
          BUT I, I'VE GOT A FEW IDEAS. 
          GOOD. 
          SO BEFORE WE MOVE ON, THERE'S A, THERE'S A COUPLE OF ISSUES THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I WENT TO TRAINING AT, UH, IN RICHMOND ON, UH, BEING A, UH, A, A CHAIR FOR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          THAT WAS HIS LAST, UH, LAST FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. 
          AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, UH, THAT, UH, UH, THAT WE DISCUSSED THAT 
          [02:10:01]
I, I THOUGHT WOULD BE, UH, GOOD FOR ME TO, TO, UH, MENTION HERE. 
          THE FIRST ONE IS THE, AND BOTH OF THESE HAVE TO DO WITH THE, THE CHAIN OF COMMAND WITHIN THE COUNTY. 
          AND THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, UH, OF THEY, THEY SAID TO ENCOURAGE THE, THE BOARD MEMBERS TO GET OUT AND TALK WITH COUNTY OF, UH, FOLKS, YOU KNOW, BUT IF, UH, IF THEY, IF THEY HEAR SOMETHING OR, OR SAY LIKE IF, UH, IF SOMEBODY HAS A, AN ISSUE THAT, UH, TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU, YOU LET THAT EMPLOYEE KNOW THAT, WELL, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE UP WITH YOUR BOSS AND YOUR BOSS'S BOSS, AND IF YOU DON'T GET, UH, RELIEF FROM THAT, TAKE IT OVER TO, TO HR. 
          BUT THEY, THEY STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT THE BOARD MEMBERS NOT GET INVOLVED IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS. 
          UH, THE, THE SECOND ONE WAS ABOUT THE, UH, UH, BOARD MEMBERS GOING AND, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, TALKING TO A, UH, A COUNTY PERSON AND, UH, ASKING THEM TO DO SOMETHING THAT THEY, THEY STRESS THAT, THAT THIS SHOULD BE, UH, THIS SHOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE, TO THE BOARD MEMBERS. 
          AND THEN IT GOES THROUGH THE, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. 
          SO THESE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT THEY BROUGHT UP AND THEY TALKED TO US. 
          THE THIRD ONE. 
          AND I, I JUST WANT TO GET A KIND OF LIKE A, A GENERAL SENSE. 
          UH, THEY SAID THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE'RE, UH, IF WE'RE HAVING, UH, PRAYERS AT THE, UH, AT THE, THE MEETINGS JUST TO GET, JUST TO GET A GENERAL CONSENSUS, DO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS WANT TO HAVE PRAYERS CONTINUED? I PERSONALLY DO. 
          AND, UH, JUST WANTED TO GET A, A FEELING THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, UH, AND I'VE GOT THE, THE IMPRESSION THAT ALL OF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THAT. 
          I DO. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE A, A CONSENSUS AND, UH, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR SETTING THAT UP LAST YEAR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO THE, UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. 
          SO, 
          [H. 7:20PM - 7:40PM - Budget Request - Virginia Regional Transit ]
UH, FOR, FOR OUR NEXT, UM, ARE, UH, ARE WHO, WHO ARE YOU ALL WITH? IS IT THE, UH, VIRGINIA REGIONAL TRANSIT? YES, SIR. 
          OKAY. 
          SO DO Y'ALL MIND STARTING ABOUT, UH, FIVE MINUTES EARLY? YEP. 
          ABSOLUTELY NOT. 
          WELL, WE'RE BACK AGAIN. 
          THE GUY'S FROM VIRGINIA REGIONAL TRANSIT. 
          HOW IS EVERYBODY? GOOD, MR. CHAIRMAN, MY NAME IS MIKE SOHA. 
          I'M THE TRANSIT MANAGER FOUR YEAR PROGRAM HERE IN WARREN COUNTY, AS WELL AS FRONT ROYAL. 
          I OVERSEE THE OPERATIONS IN THE CENTRAL REGION, WHICH ALSO INCLUDE CULPEPER IN GORVILLE, ER, AND WARRENTON. 
          SO THE TERRITORY IS PRETTY LARGE. 
          I ALSO HAVE OUR DIRECTOR OPERATIONS HERE, MR. PHIL THOMPSON. 
          'CAUSE I KNOW THIS IS PROBABLY GONNA BE ALSO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BUDGET, BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE. 
          I ALWAYS LIKE COMING BACK AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON HOW THINGS ARE GOING. 
          SO LET ME FIRST BEGIN WITH . 
          I GOT THIS HOT OFF THE PRESS, AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M GONNA APPROACH EVERYBODY AND GIVE YOU A COPY OF IT. 
          I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE'RE STEPPING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION STEP BY STEP. 
          THIS IS KIND OF LIKE OUR PROPOSAL TO GET ASSIGNED OUT THERE. 
          WE'RE TALKING 14 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY THAT WE COULD PUT THESE PHYSICAL BUS STOP SIGNS THAT HAVE YOUR FEET ATTACHED TO IT, WHICH I THINK WILL BE REAL EXCITING. 
          AND I THINK IT'LL DRAW ATTENTION TO THE SERVICE ITSELF. 
          IF YOU WANNA TAKE YOUR CELL PHONE OUT AND HIT THAT QR CODE THAT'S ON THERE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT'LL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO OUR VRT WEBSITE, WHICH IS OUR LIVE VIEW. 
          YOUR BUS HAS A LIVE VIEW ON IT NOW, AND WE COULD TRACK IT FROM CU PEPPER, KNOW WHERE IT'S AT. 
          SO WHEN SOMEBODY CALLS IN AND SAYS, WHERE'S THE BUS? WE CAN TELL 'EM EXACTLY WHERE IT'S AT AND WHEN IT'LL BE AT ANY ONE OF THOSE LOCATIONS. 
          IF YOU'RE A USER OF THE PROGRAM, YOU CAN ALSO HIT THAT LOOK AT THE QR CODE AND YOU COULD PHYSICALLY SEE THE BUS COMING TO YOU AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME THAT IT SHOULD BE THERE. 
          AND, UH, I'M REAL EXCITED ABOUT IT AS IT INTERFACES ALSO WITH FRONT ROYAL TROLLEY, THEY CAN CONNECT FROM ONE TO THE TROLLEY TO THE CONNECTORS SO THAT YOU GET MULTI-USE OUT OF TWO PROGRAMS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          REAL EXCITED. 
          SO THAT IS THE DRAFT HOT OFF THE PRESS. 
          I THOUGHT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THAT. 
          THE OTHER THING IS WE CREATED MIDWAY, WE CREATED A, A SATURDAY SCHEDULE. 
          NOW, MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, YOU HAD A SERVICE THAT RAN FROM 5 45, UH, TILL 
          [02:15:01]
LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. 
          THEY HAD THE HOURS IN FRONT OF ME, UH, WITH A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT MIDDAY BREAK. 
          AND IF YOU RECALL LAST, LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I I REALLY, IT DISAPPOINTED ME 'CAUSE THE BREAK WAS SO GREAT THAT WE REDUCED THE BREAKDOWN AND PEOPLE WERE REALLY POSITIVE ABOUT THANK YOU FOR REDUCING THE WAIT TIME. 
          IF YOU'RE AT WALMART, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR FOUR HOURS TO COME BACK. 
          SO WE CAN GO THROUGH THAT. 
          BUT WITH SATURDAY, YOU GOT IN FRONT OF YOURSELF ABOUT MID MIDYEAR. 
          WE SAW A REDUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF BUDGET. 
          AND SO WE MODIFIED OUR SATURDAY SCHEDULE INSTEAD OF ROLLING OUT AT 5 45 IN THE MORNING. 
          YOU SEE THAT WE RUN OUT AT SEVEN 15. 
          EVERYBODY THOUGHT, OH, GOODNESS GRACIOUS. 
          WELL GUESS WHAT? WE WENT TO THE DRIVERS. 
          WE WENT TO YOUR, UH, RIDERS OF THE SERVICE AND SAID LEAST IMPACT. 
          GIMME SOME INFORMATION. 
          SEVEN 15 STARTUP. 
          SEVEN 15 STARTUP. 
          WE DID ON-OFF STUDIES FROM 5 45 TO SEVEN 15 THROUGHOUT BEFORE WE PULLED THE TRIGGER ON THAT ONE. 
          AND LITERALLY WE HAD VERY INSIGNIFICANT NUMBERS ON SATURDAY AT 5 45 IN THE MORNING. 
          MOST OF YOUR RIDERS AT SEVEN 15 IN THE MORNING. 
          SO WE TOOK YOUR BUDGET, THE REDUCTION IN THE BUDGET, WE MODIFIED THE SERVICE. 
          EVERYBODY WAS EXCITED. 
          AND I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, COMPLAINTS IN THE OFFICE ABOUT THAT MODIFICATION OF SERVICE. 
          NONE. 
          NONE. 
          YOUR COMMUNITY'S INVOLVED. 
          THE RIDER ARE INVOLVED. 
          AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE TRUE THING. 
          I BROUGHT A TEMPLATE OF WHAT, JUST PICTURE YOUR NAME, NOT WARRENTON, BUT WORN IN FRONT OF THAT, THAT IS THE SIZE OF THE SIGN. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE OUT ON THE STREET ON A POLE. 
          BREAKAWAY POLE. 
          HIGH ENOUGH THAT PEOPLE CAN GO UP THERE AND IT COULD GO ON ANY ONE OF THOSE 12 LOCATIONS. 
          I KNOW SOME ARE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, TARGET, WALMART, WE CAN WORK THROUGH THOSE ISSUES. 
          MR. DALEY GIVES YOU THE RIGHT NAME ON WHO TO TALK TO, AND I COULD TAKE CARE OF THAT. 
          SOME OF THOSE THAT MIGHT BE ON, UH, OUT THERE IN THE INDUSTRIAL PARK, THEY MIGHT BE ON COUNTY RIGHT AWAY. 
          WE COULD, WE COULD WORK OUT THOSE. 
          WE DO IT IN OTHER PLACES AND IT WORKS SUCCESSFULLY. 
          BUILD IT, AND THEY WILL COME BUT HAVE SIGNS AND THEY KNOW. 
          SO IT'S FEEDING THE INFORMATION TO OUR PASSENGERS. 
          WE HAD A FAIRLY DECENT, UH, YEAR FROM JANUARY THROUGH DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR. 
          WE CARRIED 88,486 PEOPLE FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. 
          I WAS REAL EXCITED ABOUT THE NUMBERS. 
          I SAID THEY'D BE UP, THEY WERE UP A LITTLE BIT OVER 20, 23. 
          NOT SIGNIFICANTLY UP BUT UP. 
          BUT HERE'S THE INTERESTING POINT. 
          NINE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS WE'VE EXCEEDED EVERY MONTH PRIOR TO 23. 
          SO IN THE MONTH OF APRIL, WE SAW AN INCREASE. 
          MAY AN INCREASE JUNE, AN INCREASE JULY. 
          WE ARE TRENDING ON AN UPWARD THING BY THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE OUT THERE AND WE'RE PROVIDING OUT THERE TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          SOME INCLEMENT WEATHER, SOME HEAT DAYS, SOME UH, WINTER COLD. 
          WE HAD TO MODIFY SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE SERVICE. 
          OTHERWISE, I THINK THE NUMBER WOULD'VE BEEN, I, I I QUOTED THAT WE MIGHT HIT 10,000. 
          I'M STILL COMFORTABLE WITH SAYING THAT MOVING FORWARD WE COULD HIT 10,000. 
          I REALLY DO JUST CONTINUE TO FEED THE INFORMATION TO THE USER AND MAKE IT IT APPROPRIATE FOR THEM. 
          UM, THE AM SHUTTLE TO THE INDUSTRIAL PARK. 
          VITAL. 
          VITAL. 
          YOU MIGHT NOT THINK NOT WE'RE ALL SLEEPING, BUT THEY'RE OUT THERE AND THEY'RE RIDING THE BUS AND WE GOTTA GET 'EM THERE. 
          AND WE GET THE PHONE CALLS USER, THE SERVICE. 
          NOW COMING FROM RSW, WE'RE STARTING TO GET REGULAR CALLS NOW. 
          I NEED TO GET OUT. 
          I NEED TO GET BACK IN. 
          SO THE MR. DALEY, THOSE ARE PHONE CALLS THAT HAVE RECENTLY STARTED COMING OUT. 
          SO THE COMMUNITY IN SOME RESPECTS IS POST COVID STARTING TO GET IN THE MOJO. 
          UM, WE STARTED USING YOUR WARREN COUNTY THEME IN DECEMBER, 2024. 
          THAT'S REFLECTED ON THE, UH, NEWER BUS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE. 
          YOU DON'T HAVE THAT BIG CITY LINE BUS THAT LOOKED LIKE A SMOG GOING BY, BUT IT'S A NICE BODY ON CHASSIS. 
          BUS DRIVERS LIKE IT, PASSENGERS LIKE IT, UH, COMFORTABLE SEATING. 
          GOT THE LIVE VIEW IN IT. 
          GOT CAMERA SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT, UM, A DA ACCESSIBLE. 
          IT'S, AND THE DRIVERS REALLY HAVE REPORTED NOTHING BUT POSITIVELY ABOUT IT. 
          WE NEED TO MAINTAIN CONNECTIVITY WITH THE VIRGINIA BREEZE. 
          GO ONLINE. 
          LOOK AT THE VIRGINIA BREEZE TODAY. 
          THEY ANNOUNCED IN FOUR DIFFERENT STATIONS THE INCREASE ON THE VIRGINIA BREEZE FOR EACH OF THE ROUTES THAT THEY'RE DOING FROM BLACKSBURG THROUGH FRONT ROW, FROM DANVILLE, UP THROUGH FARMVILLE, ALL THE WAY ACROSS ALL FOUR OF THEIR, UH, ROUTES THAT THEY HAVE ARE EITHER SINGLE DIGIT OR DOUBLE DIGIT INCREASES. 
          AND YOU'RE GETTING USAGE OF IT WITH CONNECTIVITY AT THE SHOPPING CENTER OUT NEAR WALMART. 
          SO IT'S VERY VITAL THAT WE KEEP THAT LINK GOING FOR PEOPLE COMING IN AND COMING OUT. 
          AND HONESTLY, SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY RIDING IT COMING IN ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THE NATURE TRAIL AND DOING THE AT TRAIL. 
          SO WE'RE GETTING THEM, THEY'RE CALLING US AND WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING IT FEATURED IN SEVERAL MAGAZINES. 
          WHEN YOU GET THE FRONT ROLL, YOU CAN GET THE TROLLEY. 
          WHEN YOU GET THE TROLLEY, YOU CAN GET THE CONNECTOR AND THEY TALK AND THEY TALK AMONG THEIR OWN GROUP. 
          AND IF SOMEBODY WAS HERE, I'M SURE THEY'D VOUCH FOR THAT. 
          YOUR DRIVER THAT DROVE FOR, UH, YOUR WARREN CONNECTOR. 
          UH, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS BECAUSE 
          [02:20:01]
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. 
          SHE'S A FULL-TIME OPERATOR. 
          HIRED HER ONE MONTH AFTER I STARTED WITHOUT ACCIDENT, WITHOUT INCIDENT, WITHOUT ANY SAFETY FIRST VIOLATIONS. 
          SHE HAS PERFORMED LIKE WAY UP HERE. 
          NEVER MISSES A BEAT, ALWAYS AT WORK AT FIVE 15 IN THE MORNING. 
          SHE WAS NOMINATED AS EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR. 
          THIS YEAR. 
          SHE WASN'T SELECTED, BUT SHE WAS FEATURED AT OUR PROGRAM. 
          UH, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT A LOT OF WORK GOES INTO THAT. 
          AND TO HAVE SOMEBODY THAT HAS GOT THAT KIND OF CALIBER OPERATE IN YOUR PROGRAM FOR YOU IN A SAFE, IN A SAFE MANNER IS IMPRESSIVE ENOUGH TO SHARE WITH ALL OF YOU. 
          UH, MR. THOMPSON, I KNOW HAS, UH, INFORMATION HAVING TO DO WITH THE BUDGET, BUT I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL? I HAVE TWO REAL QUICK. 
          YES, SIR. 
          UM, I BELIEVE LAST YEAR YOU, WE TALKED AT THE DOLLAR PER FAIR AND I'M NOT SURE IF THEY WERE ACTUALLY COLLECTING IT OR THEY KIND OF WAIVED THAT. 
          I'M WONDERING WHAT THE CURRENT STA STATUS IS. 
          CURRENT STATUS IS STILL REMAINS THE SAME AS FAR AS WE COULD FORECAST OUT OR STILL BE FREE FARE. 
          OKAY. 
          FREE FARE. 
          YEP. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, OTHER THAN WHAT'S ON THIS MAP, ACTUALLY THIS TWO PART QUESTION, OTHER THAN WHAT'S ON THIS MAP, UM, ARE YOU CONSIDERING ADDING ANY OTHER STOPS? I WOULD LIKE TO SURE. 
          DID YOU HAVE ANY, LIKE A SHORT LIST OR IS THAT JUST HYPOTHETICAL? UM, SOME HYPOTHETICAL, SOME REQUESTS. 
          CAN YOU STOP HERE? PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU'RE COMING OFF THE, UH, LAUREL RIDGE AND YOU'RE COMING BACK INTO TOWN MM-HMM . 
          UH, RIGHT WHEN WE GET OFF ON THE EXIT, THEY WANNA STOP THERE AT THE MCDONALD'S . 
          THERE'S OTHER PLACES THEY WANNA STOP AT SHEETS AS YOU'RE LEAVING OUTTA TOWN. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UH, SO THERE ARE SOME PLACES WE'VE GOTTA TAKE A LOOK AT. 
          WHAT I LOOK FOR WHEN I LOOK AT A STOP, FIRST OF ALL, DO I HAVE LIGHTING? OKAY? MM-HMM . 
          DO I HAVE LIGHTING FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING? ALRIGHT. 
          THE OTHER THING IS I NEED TO LOOK IF IT'S A DA ACCESSIBLE, BECAUSE IF NOT, THEN I'VE GOT A, I'VE GOT ANOTHER ISSUE ON HAND. 
          SO I LOOK AT THE LIGHTING, I LOOK AT THE A DA ACCESSIBILITY, THE LAST THING I LOOK AT, IT SHOULD BE FIRST, BUT THE LAST THING I LOOK AT IS, UM, IS IT SAFE? IS IT A SAFE AREA IN TRANSIT? SOMETIMES IT MAY NOT BE THE SAFEST AREA IN THE WORLD, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE ESTABLISHED. 
          STOP. 
          SOMEHOW. 
          SOMEHOW WE GOTTA FIGURE IT OUT. 
          UM, BECAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE CLUSTER OF ROW HOUSINGS, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, OR SHOPPING MALL OR WHATEVER. 
          UM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, YOU CAN'T RUN INTO A TRANSIT BUS, NOR CAN YOU RUN IN ANY OTHER VEHICLE, YOU KNOW? AND, AND WE DO HAVE SIGNS IN THE BACK OF THE BUS. 
          THIS BUS MAKES FREQUENT STOPS. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE ACTUALLY LOOK AT THAT AND, UH, I CAN, I CAN COME BACK WITH A, A PROPOSAL FOR YOU. 
          YES, SIR. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND THEN LASTLY, THE, THE TIMETABLE THAT, THAT'S ON HERE, ARE THESE AVAILABLE AT THE STOPS AS WELL? LIKE ON A SIGN OR NO? PARDON? THE, THE PHYSICAL STOPS ARE NOT UP THE BUS STOP SIGNS. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH, I WOULD JUST SUGGEST THAT'S THE GOAL, HAVING THE TIMETABLES LIKE ON SITE AT THE STOPS SO PEOPLE COULD SEE THAT WE, WE'VE DONE OUR BEST TO TRY AND PASS OUT THE BROCHURES AT THE LOCATIONS. 
          UM, SOME PLACES HAVE SHELTERS, SOME PLACES HAVE, UM, POSTERS INSIDE THE SHELTERS. 
          THERE'S SOME PLACES AT DSS WE CAN GET THEM POSTERS. 
          WE, WE'VE TALKED TO THEM, WE'VE MET WITH THEM. 
          WE'VE COME UP HERE WITH THE JOB FAIR TO NETWORK WITH THEM. 
          AGAIN, WE'VE GOTTA PUT THE INFORMATION OUT. 
          IF WE JUST RUN AND HIDE AND JUST SAY THEY'LL FIGURE IT OUT, IT'S NOT GONNA WORK. 
          WE'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO PUBLICIZE IT. 
          SO TRUST ME WHEN I TELL YOU I'VE HEARD EVERY WORD YOU SAID, THANK YOU. 
          WHEN THEY DO THIS, IS THAT INFORMATION ON, ON THIS? OKAY. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          GO. 
          SO I'M A LITTLE JEALOUS. 
          MIKE GETS TO DO THE FUN PART ABOUT ALL THE, ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT TRANSIT DOES FOR PEOPLE AND THE IMPACT STATEMENTS YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU, OUR BUDGET REQUEST. 
          SO YOU'VE GOT THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF YOU. 
          AND YES, IT IS A, A, A SMALL INCREASE TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $5 PER HOUR. 
          UH, THE WAY THIS ALL WORKS, 50% IS FEDERAL, 18% STATE, 32% LOCAL MATCH. 
          SO REALLY THE INCREASE TO THE COUNTY, THE ASK THERE IS A DOLLAR 60 PER HOUR. 
          SO, UH, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS WITH REGARDS TO THE BUDGET, UM, FEEL FREE TO ASK 'EM. 
          I'LL TAKE THOSE AT THIS TIME. 
          WHEN MIKE TALKS ABOUT THE CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SIGNS AND BUS STOP SHELTERS AND IMPROVEMENTS LIKE THAT, PLEASE NOTE THAT THOSE ARE AT REALLY NO COST TO THE COUNTY. 
          THOSE ARE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT WE APPLY FROM MERIT CAPITAL GRANTS FROM THE STATE FOR, SO THOSE BUS STOP SHELTERS AND THINGS, THERE'S LIKE A LOCAL MATCH OF 4%, BUT TO DATE, WE'VE NOT ASKED FOR THAT FROM ANY LOCALITY. 
          SO JUST KNOW THAT THOSE PERKS AND AMENITIES AS THEY SHOW UP ALONG THE WAY, UH, ARE, ARE A BONUS. 
          SO, SO WHEN YOU SAY THAT IT, IT'S A DOLLAR INCREASE PER HOUR, THEN IT'S, IT'S ABOUT 4,000 HOURS OR TWO FULL-TIME EQUIVALENTS THAT, UH, THAT, THAT YOU'VE GOT, UH, EMPLOYED HERE OR THE TOTAL OPERATING HOURS FOR BOTH ROUTES ARE APPROXIMATELY 3029 HOURS A YEAR. 
          3000, OKAY. 
          YES, SIR. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          [02:25:05]
SO I'M LOOKING AT YOUR BUDGET REQUEST. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND THERE IS NO NUMBERS FOR EXPENDITURES CHURCH. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, IS THERE A REASON WHY I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE DOCUMENT? IT'S ON THE SECOND PAGE, ALTHOUGH EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS, IS A REIMBURSEMENT BASE. 
          THE TOTAL COST FOR THE OPERATING THE SYSTEM IS, UH, 234,000, 2 34, OR THEY'VE GOT 2 36. 
          2 62 HERE. 
          YEAH. 
          BECAUSE I SEE THE REVENUE IS 2 36, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE NEXT TABLE UNDERNEATH THAT TABLE. 
          AND IT'S EXPENDITURES. 
          YOU KNOW, SO MUCH FOR PERSONNEL, SO MUCH FOR OPERATIONS. 
          WELL, CAPITAL IS NOT PART OF THE EQUATION. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SO IT WOULD ALL BE OPERATING, BUT I WILL, I WILL HAVE, UM, IS THIS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE SUBMITTED IN THE PAST? OH, I DON'T REMEMBER. 
          I CAN, I CAN HAVE FINANCE DIG INTO THIS AND, AND BREAK THOSE PORTIONS OUT. 
          I JUST, YEAH, IF YOU DON'T MIND. 
          YES, INDEED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IT, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTED. 
          SO I'LL MAKE SURE OF THAT. 
          BUT AGAIN, THAT 2 36, 2 62, UM, REMEMBER THAT 50% IS FEDERAL, 32% IS LOCAL MATCH. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT WE WERE REQUESTING FROM THE COUNTY. 
          IS THE LOCAL MATCH PORTION OF THAT AT 75 6 0 4? THIS IS OKAY. 
          YES, SIR. 
          THIS IS BASED ON THE SATURDAY CHANGE WE TALKED ABOUT. 
          YES, INDEED. 
          SO THERE WAS A REDUCTION IN FUNDING. 
          SO SINCE WE CAUGHT THAT MID-YEAR, WE MADE THE REDUCTION A SIX MONTH REDUCTION TO ABSORB ALL OF THAT SHORTFALL. 
          BUT WE, SINCE WE KNOW THAT THE SCHEDULE WORKS, WE IMPLEMENTED THAT SCHEDULE IN THIS BUDGET FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. 
          SO YOU ACTUALLY SEE A REDUCTION IN HOURS. 
          UM, SO YOU'RE GETTING THAT BENEFIT AS WELL TO OFFSET SOME OF THE INCREASE. 
          OKAY. 
          GREAT QUESTION. 
          AND CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT, WHAT WERE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF, UH, PERSON TRIPS RIDDEN LAST YEAR ROAD LAST YEAR? EIGHT. 
          ABOUT 8,500. 
          OKAY. 
          8,500. 
          YEAH, YOU PUT MY GLASSES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO, SO I WORKED THAT OUT. 
          AND LET ME SEE. 
          DO REMIND ME, UH, DO Y'ALL WORK ON, DO, DOES THIS OPERATE ON SUNDAYS? IT DOES NOT. 
          SO SUNDAYS, SO THEN IT'S SIX DAYS A WEEK. 
          SO THEN, UH, LET ME THINK. 
          THAT'S PROBABLY, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IT, IT, IT, IT WORKS OUT TO BE ABOUT, UH, BETWEEN 25 AND 30 PEOPLE A DAY WHO ARE, WHO ARE USING THIS. 
          UM, LET ME THINK. 
          UH, THAT'D BE, YEAH, ABOUT 25, 30 PEOPLE A DAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          A CURIOSITY QUESTION. 
          UM, ARE ALL THE VEHICLES THE SAME? IS IT A JUST A FLEET OF ALL THE SAME SIZE VEHICLES? THAT IS. 
          SO WHAT'S PICTURED IS I THINK A 20 PASSENGER BODY ON CHASSIS. 
          MOST OF OURS ARE THAT WE DO RUN A DIVERSE FLEET. 
          SO WE'VE GOT THE FRONT ROYAL TROLLEY IS ONE, UH, WE HAVE 12 AND TWOS, WHICH ARE NON CDL BUSES. 
          GENERALLY THOSE WILL OPERATE IN, UH, MORE A DA DEMAND RESPONSE TYPE SERVICES. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THEN THE 20 PASSENGER, WHICH YOU HAVE HERE, UH, IS THE MOST VERSATILE BECAUSE IT CAN HOLD THOSE 20 OR TWO WHEELCHAIRS AND 16 PASSENGERS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO HC SOMETHING LIKE 30 A DAY, 30 PASSENGERS A DAY. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND, AND THERE'S LIKE HOW MANY VANS RUNNING? I'M JUST TRYING TO, IT'S JUST ONE. 
          YEAH, WELL, ONE VAN. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I JUST, THE, THE, THE QUESTION IS LEADING TO HAVE THERE, HAVE THERE, HAS IT EVER BEEN, UH, HAVE SMALLER VEHICLES BEEN EVALUATED FOR, FOR BEING ABLE TO USE THIS TYPE OF THING? LIKE A MINIVAN FOR EXAMPLE? OR, OR RIGHT. 
          YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE TRANSIT CONNECTS. 
          UH, UP UNTIL THIS PAST YEAR, THE TRANSIT VANS WEREN'T ON THE STATE CONTRACT. 
          UH, WE DO PURCHASE THROUGH EVA AS DO ALL YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE, UM, VEHICLES HERE, SO MM-HMM . 
          UM, BUT THE TRANSIT, UH, A DA VANS WEREN'T ON THAT STATE CONTRACT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE. 
          OKAY. 
          MM-HMM . 
          GREAT QUESTION. 
          SO THAT COMES OUT TO BE ABOUT, UH, 27.1 PEOPLE TODAY, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET 0.1 PERSON ON THERE. 
          SO WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR THAT PERSON, PROBABLY 27. 
          IT'S ALWAYS FUN THAT WHEN WE DO OUR ON OFF STUDIES TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE HOT SPOTS, WHAT ARE THE GREAT, UM, SPOTS TO 
          [02:30:01]
DROP FOLKS OFF? WHAT, WHAT'S PEAK RIDERSHIP? WE GENERALLY WILL HAVE 28 PEOPLE GET ON DURING THE DAY AND THEN 27 GOT OFF. 
          SO WE ALWAYS MISS ONE. 
          WE, WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THAT ONE PERSON . 
          IT IS USUALLY A PENCIL ERROR. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANY MORE QUESTIONS? NO, SUPER. 
          THANKS. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          WE APPRECIATE IT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO NEXT AND LAST UP WOULD BE THE, UH, 
          [I. 7:40PM - 8:00PM - Budget Request - Browntown Community Center ]
BROWNTOWN COMMUNITY CENTER. 
          CHERYL, UH, CAN YOU REMIND ME, IS BROWNTOWN IS NOT OUT YOUR WAY, IS IT? MM-HMM . 
          WELL, IT IS OUT YOUR WAY. 
          IS IT FAIRLY? BECAUSE, UH, LET ME THINK. 
          UM, I'M JUST TRYING TO REMEMBER THE, UH, 'CAUSE WE, WE WERE JUST OVER AT THE DUMP, UH, UH, IN AND THE DUMPS OVER IN YOUR AREA, CORRECT? MM-HMM . 
          OKAY. 
          UH, BUT BROWNTOWN, IF, IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE, UH, TO THE REFUSE CENTER BROWNTOWN, YOU'VE GOTTA GO ABOUT FIVE MILES TO THE, TO THE WEST, UH, NO, TO THE EAST, DON'T YOU? YOU WOULD CONTINUE PAST, UH, INSTEAD OF TURNING INTO THE TRANSFER STATION, YOU KEEP GOING AND THAT WILL PUT YOU INTO THE VILLAGE OF BROWNTOWN. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          I WAS JUST TRYING TO, 'CAUSE I KNOW HOW TO GET TO BROWNTOWN FROM THE, WHEN YOU GO GO DOWN BY THE HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN YOU, YOU TAKE THAT ROAD DOWN THAT I KNOW HOW TO GET THERE. 
          BUT, UH, I'VE BEEN OVER TO THE TRANSFER STATION AND I'VE SEEN SIGNS FOR BROWNTOWN, BUT I'M J JUST WAS SURE. 
          I I DROVE YOU BOTH WAYS WHEN WE TOURED MY AREA LAST YEAR. 
          OKAY. 
          T BACK THERE. 
          YOU'VE MISSED OUT. 
          IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO BROWNTOWN. 
          , THAT'S TRUE. 
          . 
          I THINK IT'S A VERY SPECIAL PLACE. 
          BUT ANYWAY, MY NAME IS MARTHA ACKER AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE BROWNTOWN COMMUNITY CENTER. 
          AND, UM, WE'VE SUBMITTED FOR 2,500. 
          UM, I THINK WE INCLUDED EVERYTHING CORRECTLY THIS YEAR. 
          , UM, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND I'D BE HAPPY TO GIVE YOU A HISTORY ON THE COMMUNITY CENTER IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT. 
          UM, THE COMMUNITY CENTER IS ACTUALLY THE OLD BROWNTOWN SCHOOLHOUSE AND THE COUNTY SOLD IT TO THE COMMUNITY FOR A DOLLAR BACK IN THE SEVENTIES WHEN THEY DISCONTINUED THE THREE ROOM SCHOOLHOUSES. 
          AND IT'S BEEN REALLY THE CENTER OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          IT'S THE ONE PLACE THAT WE HAVE WHERE WE CAN MEET AND, UM, KIDS CAN HAVE BIRTHDAY PARTIES. 
          UH, WE HAVE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, WE HAVE COMMUNITY EVENTS. 
          OUR RED BUD FESTIVAL IS IN APRIL, AND, UM, IT'S WELL ATTENDED AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE MAYBERRY OF FESTIVALS. 
          IT'S NOT BIG LIKE THE WINE FESTIVAL, BUT, UM, IT'S, IT'S A NICE SMALL TOWN FESTIVAL. 
          WHAT WAS THE, WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE FESTIVAL? THE RED BUD FESTIVAL. 
          OH, THE RED, OKAY. 
          IN APRIL, THE RED BUD TREES ON BROWNTOWN ROAD ARE JUST OUTSTANDING. 
          AND SO WE KIND OF PICKED UP ON THAT AND, UH, YOU SHOULD COME. 
          IT'S A LOT OF FUN AT THE RED BUD FESTIVAL. 
          WE HAVE A DUCK RACE AND MUSIC AND , ALL KINDS OF THINGS. 
          UM, BUT IT IS A, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLHOUSE AND, UM, THIS YEAR WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, UM, STARTING A FACILITIES PLAN BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD BEFORE AND TRYING TO GET ALL THE, YOU KNOW, LONG TERM POSSIBLE COSTS SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THINGS WHEN WE NEED TO DO IT. 
          AND, UH, SO FAR THAT'S GOING PRETTY GOOD. 
          WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT A GOOD GROUP WORKING ON THAT. 
          WE HAD A, AN INSPECTION, LIKE A HOME INSPECTOR CAME AND, UM, WENT OVER THE BUILDING AND SO WE'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY NEED WORK. 
          UM, NOW THERE'S NOTHING HUGE AT THE MOMENT. 
          UM, THERE'S A FEW TERMITE EATING BOARDS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED, UM, ON THE, ON THE, UH, THE BAND BOARDS ON THE FOUNDATION. 
          BUT, UM, THAT, THAT'S NOT GONNA BE TOO MUCH OF A PROBLEM. 
          SO IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST THE ONE PLACE THAT WE HAVE IN, IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND, UH, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT. 
          WELL, I MEAN, WE HAVE NATIONAL PARKS AND STATE PARKS AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY COMMUNITY PARKS OTHER THAN BROWNTOWN. 
          SO THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO US. 
          WELL, I KNOW, I, I WENT TO A, A VALENTINE'S DAY DANCE, SO SEVERAL YEARS BACK AND, AND WE WENT TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER, SO REALLY ENJOYED THAT. 
          IT WAS VERY NICE. 
          THANK 
          [02:35:01]
YOU. 
          AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE USED TO DO BEFORE COVID, WE USED TO DO BLUEGRASS THERE FOR NIGHT FOR, UH, FOUR TIMES A YEAR. 
          AND SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STARTING THAT BACK UP AGAIN AND IT'S ALL ABOUT GETTING ENOUGH VOLUNTEERS, , SO, BUT WE GOT A PRETTY GOOD GROUP THERE RIGHT NOW. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, I HAVE A FEW. 
          SO IN YOUR REVENUE, I SEE THAT YOUR REVENUE FOR NEXT YEAR HAS DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY, WAS GOOD. 
          DECREASE. 
          DECREASE. 
          YEAH. 
          WE HAD, UM, OVER THE, AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY CENTER THANK YOU. 
          SINCE, UM, SINCE THE LATE SEVENTIES AND WE STARTED OUT WITH NOTHING. 
          AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO PRETTY MUCH HAS BEEN A FUNDRAISER TO TRY TO JUST KEEP THE BUILDING GOING. 
          WE'VE BEEN EXTREMELY FORTUNATE IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS TO HAVE HAD SOME BENEFACTORS THAT LEFT US MONEY. 
          UM, SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A CUSHION, AND I SAY A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT, FOR US IT WAS SIGNIFICANT, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COST, IF WE HAVE TO REPLACE THE ROOF ON THE BUILDING, THAT'S 50,000. 
          UM, SO THAT WOULD WIPE US OUT AND WE'RE JUST KIND OF PLUG IT ALONG TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, JUST KEEP EVERYTHING AS MAINTAINED SO WE DON'T HAVE EXPENSIVE COSTS. 
          UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S WELL OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD AND IT, AND IT COSTS MONEY TO DO PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING THERE THAT WE WANNA UPGRADE. 
          SO, SO WHEN YOUR REVENUES YES, YOU HAVE OTHER FUNDING, AND SO IT WENT DOWN, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 21 K. 
          SO WE HAD, SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD SIGNIFICANT DONATIONS THAT WERE, UM, JUST THAT HAD BEEN LEFT TO, YOU KNOW, IN OUR, IN SOMEONE'S WILL. 
          UM, THAT THOSE WERE THE BIG ONES. 
          WE MAKE, I THINK WE ESTIMATED 14,000 LAST YEAR THAT WE MADE OFF OF OUR TWO YARD SALES AND PROBABLY ANOTHER 7,000, UM, ON OUR RED BUD FESTIVAL. 
          AND WE HAVE LITTLE THINGS THROUGH THE YEAR, BUT THOSE ARE THE MAJOR ONES. 
          AND, UM, YEAH, SO THEN WE, I I WOULD ASSUME THAT WOULD BE IN YOUR FUNDRAISING YES. 
          ROW, BUT I'M LOOKING AT IT JUST AS OTHER FUNDING. 
          IT'S RIGHT ABOVE THE TOTAL FUNDING. 
          WHERE LAST YOU, YOU PROJECT FOR THIS YEAR? 2020 2K. 
          AND IT'S GONE DOWN TO YOUR ESTIMATE OF $500. 
          I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHERE, I MEAN, THE OTHER FUNDING IS JUST OUR FUNDRAISERS, SO, SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T GET ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER, UM, SO THIS OTHER FUNDING OF 20 2K FOR 24 25 AND ANOTHER FOR, OH, ACTUALLY IT'S THE SAME YEAR. 
          SO LAST YEAR YOU'RE FOUR, YOU FORECASTED 20 2K, AND FOR NEXT YEAR YOUR FORECAST YOU ONLY 500 K $500 FOR OTHER FUNDING. 
          WOULD THAT OTHER FUNDING HAVE BEEN THOSE DONATIONS OUT OF THOSE WILLS? OTHER FUNDING WAS DONATIONS AND WE DON'T EVER KNOW WHEN WE'RE GONNA GET ANYTHING LIKE THAT. 
          WE DON'T, THOSE, THOSE ARE JUST DONATIONS FROM NEIGHBORS AND, WELL, FROM PEOPLE THAT WE HAD PROBABLY 3, 2, 3 YEARS AGO. 
          UM, WE HAD A GENTLEMAN THAT THAT'S THERE THAT KIND OF, I GUESS HE NEEDED A TAX BREAK AND HE, AND HE MADE A, A $25,000 DONATION. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND THEN WE HAD TWO FOLKS THAT WERE PASSED AWAY AND LEFT US MONEY IN THEIR WILLS. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I THINK ONE WAS 20 AND ONE WAS 25. 
          SO WE DID INVEST THAT, PUT IT IN A TREASURY BILL SO THAT WE COULD GET SOME INTEREST ON IT, BECAUSE WE'D NEVER HAD MUCH MONEY BEFORE. 
          SO IT, WE NEVER HAD A REASON TO HAVE AN INTEREST BEARING ACCOUNT. 
          SO WE DID, UM, INVEST THE MONEY SO WE WE'VE GOT SOME OF IT SET ASIDE. 
          THAT COULD BE A REASON WHY IT, IT FELL BELOW THEN. 
          YEAH. 
          I MEAN, IF WE, WE DON'T EVER, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, I'VE BEEN THERE 40 YEARS OR MORE, AND THESE WERE THE FIRST THREE SIGNIFICANT DONATIONS THAT WE GOT. 
          I MEAN, SOMETIMES WE'LL GET A THOUSAND OR TWO, BUT, UM, ANYTHING OF SIGNIFICANCE WE'VE NEVER GOTTEN BEFORE AND WE JUST DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE EVER GONNA GET THAT AGAIN. 
          SO WE'RE TRYING TO HANG ONTO IT  AND KEEP IT FOR OUR, MAKE SURE THAT WE COVER ALL OF OUR EXPENSES. 
          AND THEN THE INCREASE IN YOUR OPERATIONS, UH, FOR THIS YEAR IT WAS 14 K AND NOW IT'S JUMPED UP TO 20 2K. 
          AND THAT'S JUST FOR, 
          [02:40:01]
UM, THOSE I AM, I'M SORRY, NANCY IS OUR TREASURER AND SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TONIGHT AND HER HUSBAND IS VERY ILL. 
          OH, I'M SORRY. 
          UM, SO SHE COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT AND I HAD YOU, YOU COULD GET BACK. 
          I CAN GET BACK TO YOU. 
          GO TALK TO HER AND, AND HAVE HER JUST GO TO MS. SCOTT AND YEAH. 
          BE AND THE REASON WHY, 'CAUSE I'M LOOKING QUESTION NUMBER 10. 
          IT SAYS IF YOU'RE REQUESTING FOR AN INCREASE, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, EXPLAIN. 
          AND IT, IT'S NOT EXPLAINED HERE. 
          THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS. 
          SO, OKAY. 
          I MEAN, WE, WE, I THINK WE ASKED FOR 2,500 LAST YEAR. 
          UH, TWO. 
          WE GOT 2000. 
          WELL, YOU GOT 2000. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          SO ANYWAY, YEAH, JUST GET, TALK TO YOUR TREASURER AND HAVE HER GET WITH MS. SCOTT AND ALL RIGHT. 
          IT'S GOOD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MM-HMM . 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK THAT, UH, SUMS UP FOR, FOR THIS EVENING. 
          DOES ANYONE ELSE, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? I, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR, FOR DR. 
          DALEY. 
          UM, SO SAW SOME EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE TODAY ABOUT, UM, THE RECRUITER INTERVIEWS, OR THE HEADHUNTER INTERVIEWS I THINK ARE FEBRUARY 11TH. 
          YES, SIR. 
          UM, AS SOON AS THEY'RE KNOWN, COULD YOU SEND OUT THE SPECIFIC TIMES? UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE I CARVE THOSE TIMES AND KEEP 'EM FREE. 
          BEGINNING, UH, WITH, CHECKED WITH MR. BUTLER, THEY BEGIN AT FIVE O'CLOCK. 
          OKAY. 
          5:00 PM THANK YOU. 
          AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S 1, 5, 6, AND SEVEN. 
          YEAH. 
          FIVE, SIX, AND SEVEN. 
          YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THAT'S IT. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. 
          SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ALL OPPOSED? NOBODY. 
          OKAY, GOOD.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.