* 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.
           
          [00:00:09]
GOOD 
          [B. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance of the United States of America]
EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND WELCOME TO THE, UH, FEBRUARY 4TH WARREN COUNTY, VIRGINIA BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING. 
          IS, UH, PASTOR CAFA BROWN? IS HE, UH, AVAILABLE OR IS HE PRESENT? IF NOT, I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH JUST A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE. 
          THANK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. 
          AND, UH, WOULD YOU ALL PLEASE RISE FOR THE, UH, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED, UNITED AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE. 
          OKAY. 
          DO, UM, 
          [C. Adoption of Agenda – Additions or Deletions]
UH, ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA? DO I HAVE ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS? OKAY. 
          IF NOT, UH, DO I HAVE A, UH, A MOTION TO ADOPT THE, THE, UH, THE AGENDA? SO MOVED. 
          SECOND. 
          SECOND. 
          ROLL CALL. 
          MRS. COOK. 
          AYE. 
          DR. 
          JAMISON? AYE. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. 
          MR. STAN MEYER. 
          AYE. 
          MRS. COLORS? AYE. 
          [D. Tom Innes - All Points Broadband Progress Update ]
ALL RIGHT. 
          UH, WE'LL START OFF WITH, UH, MR. RICHARD SCHULMAN, AND THIS IS THE, UH, ALL POINTS BROADBAND PROGRESS UPDATE. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE THIS EVENING. 
          UH, I'M RICH SCHULMAN. 
          I AM NEW TO ALL POINTS, KIND OF. 
          I CAME IN LAST MAY, UM, BUT AS YOU CAN PROBABLY TELL, I'VE BEEN AROUND, UH, UH, BEEN AROUND A WHILE. 
          UH, I THINK I'M COMING UP ON MY 30TH YEAR OF, UH, BEING IN THE COMMUNICATIONS AND, UH, BROADBAND, UH, BROADBAND WORLD. 
          SO I'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR QUITE A WHILE. 
          UM, WHAT I'M GONNA DO TODAY IS KIND OF GIVE YOU AN UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE ON THE, ON THE PROJECT. 
          UM, WE'RE AT THE POINT NOW WHERE, YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY TALKED TO MR. DALEY MAYBE ONCE A MONTH. 
          UH, WE WILL BE SHIFTING OVER AND COMING UP HERE MUCH MORE OFTEN TO GIVE YOU BRIEFINGS AS AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN, IN THE, UH, IN THE PROGRAM HERE. 
          AND, UH, UH, MR. DALE WILL BE TALKING WITH ME A WHOLE LOT MORE. 
          I THINK I TALK WITH THE COUNTIES USUALLY, UH, ONCE A WEEK. 
          UH, I THINK THIS WEEK, UH, WE ARE VERY FAR ALONG IN HANOVER. 
          ANOTHER COUNTY I HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR, AND I'M USUALLY ON THE, ON THE PHONE WITH HIM PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY WITH UPDATES, IS WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE FROM US GOING, GOING FORWARD HERE. 
          SO, GOOD NEWS. 
          UH, I THINK I'VE GOT SOME GOOD STUFF TO SHARE, UH, THIS EVENING AND SOME GOOD PROGRESS. 
          SO I'LL, UH, KICK OFF. 
          I ALSO, UM, HAD SOME QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL SENT TO ME, SO HOPEFULLY I'LL BE INCLUDING EVERYTHING IN THERE, BUT GLAD TO ANSWER WHATEVER, WHATEVER YOU NEED ME TO. 
          I'M GONNA KIND OF HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS AND THEN IF YOU NEED ME TO COME BACK AND HIT ON SOME SPECIFIC AREAS, GLAD TO DO THAT. 
          BUT I WANT TALK ABOUT, BASICALLY TWO THINGS. 
          I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE VADI PROJECT, WHERE WE ARE IN THE VADI PROJECT, WHAT THE TIMING LOOKS LIKE THERE, AND THEN ALSO THE BEAD PROJECT, BECAUSE BEAD IS GONNA BE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY, UH, HERE IN WARREN COUNTY. 
          UH, BEAD IS GONNA BE REALLY CRITICAL FOR US TO GET TO SOME OF THOSE ADDITIONAL AREAS. 
          AND I'LL EXPLAIN TO YOU, UH, EXPLAIN THAT ALL TO YOU HERE IN JUST A BIT. 
          DID, DID YOU SAY THAT WAS THE BEAD OR THE BEAD? BEAD? THE BEAD. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          UH, A LITTLE BIT OF OVERVIEW AGAIN ON THE STATUS. 
          I THINK AS I WAS LOOKING BACK AT THE RECORDS, I THINK SUPERVISOR CALLERS WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS HERE WHEN THE PROJECT WAS ORIGINALLY DONE. 
          A FEW, A A FEW YEARS AGO. 
          SO IT MIGHT GIVE YOU JUST A MINUTE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROGRAM. 
          UM, ALL POINTS SAYS WE HAVE PROJECTS GOING IN 21 COUNTIES. 
          UH, WE JUST FINISHED OUR FIRST, UH, MULTI-COUNTY PROJECT IN THE NORTHERN NECK, WHICH IS, UM, FIVE COUNTIES DOWN THERE. 
          I THINK WE ISSUED OUR PRESS RELEASE LAST WEEK, ABOUT 10,000 CUSTOMERS THAT ARE ALL ONLINE THERE. 
          UH, I'M CURRENTLY WORKING IN PROJECTS IN, UH, THAT ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW IN HANOVER. 
          UH, OF COURSE, AUGUSTA, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT 'CAUSE IT'S PART OF THIS PROJECT, UH, CU PEPPER LOUDON. 
          UH, WE'RE JUST FINISHING MIDDLESEX AND, UH, KING WILLIAM COUNTY AS WELL. 
          SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT ARE A LOT, A LOT GOING ON AT, AT ONE TIME. 
          THIS PROJECT, UH, WHEN IT WAS ESTABLISHED WAS THE BIGGEST, AND I THINK IT MAY STILL BE THE BIGGEST PROJECT THAT, THAT WE'VE DONE IN VIRGINIA. 
          UM, PEOPLE KIND OF, UM, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN VATI PROJECTS 
          [00:05:01]
SINCE THE VERY FIRST ONE IN 2017 WITH A SINGLE COUNTY, BUT THIS IS KIND OF A UNIQUE PROJECT. 
          IT WAS TAKING EIGHT COUNTIES, PUTTING THEM TOGETHER, AND THAT ALLOWED, UM, A LOT OF GOOD SAVINGS TO HAPPEN BY PUTTING EIGHT COUNTIES TOGETHER IN, INTO A PROJECT. 
          SO USING THE, UH, NORTHERN SHENANDOAH, SHENANDOAH VALLEY REGIONAL COMMISSION, UH, AS KIND OF OUR LEAD PARTNER TO BRING EVERYBODY TOGETHER. 
          AND I KNOW WE'VE BEEN ATTENDING THESE, UH, REGIONAL MEETINGS, UH, TO KIND OF UPDATE, BUT THIS PROJECT COVERS EIGHT COUNTIES, 32,000 LOCATIONS. 
          UH, MOST OF THE FUNDING COMES FROM OUR COMPANY, ALL POINTS BROADBAND, AS YOU SEE THE 126, UH, MILLION DOLLARS ALONG WITH, UH, FUNDING FOR DOMINION IN SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE AREAS, NOT HERE, BUT IN SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE, UH, DOMINION IS ALSO A PARTICIPANT, UH, IN PART OF THE PROJECT USING THEIR MIDDLE MILE. 
          BUT HERE IT'S REC. 
          SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ON THE DOMINION POLLS OR HAVING, UH, DOMINION MIDDLE MILE HERE, THERE WAS 97 MILLION THAT CAME FROM THE, UH, THE VADI GRANT, AND THAT'S THE VIRGINIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS INITIATIVE, THE STATE FUNDING. 
          AND THEN 62.5 MILLION CAME FROM, UH, COUNTY PARTNERS. 
          AND I THINK I'M CORRECT THAT 6.9, UH, WAS THE CONTRIBUTION FROM WARREN COUNTY. 
          AND THAT WAS YOUR ARPA FUNDING THAT WAS USED, UH, AS PART OF THE, AS PART OF THE PROJECT HERE. 
          UM, IN DECEMBER, ACTUALLY LATE LAST YEAR, UM, THE STATE HAD SOME LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWED, UH, FOR LOOKING AT PROJECTS, UH, TO ALLOW WHAT THEY CALL THE RISK MITIGATION. 
          AND I THINK YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THIS, SO I'LL JUST KIND OF HIT IT, HIT ON IT QUICKLY FOR YOU. 
          BUT DA, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS THE STATE'S BROADBAND OFFICE, THEY APPROVED A, WE CALL IT A RISK MITIGATION PLAN, THAT MOVED SOME LOCATIONS FROM VADI TO BEAD. 
          UH, THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL FOR BOTH US AND I THINK FOR THE COUNTY AS WELL. 
          UM, THAT WAS PRESENTED IN SEPTEMBER, AND IT EXTENDED OUR TIMELINE FOR THE, FOR THE EIGHT COUNTY PROJECT TO JUNE OF 2026 WHEN WE DID THIS PROJECT. 
          UH, AND THIS EXTENSION, UM, IT TOOK WORKING WITH ALL OF THE EIGHT COUNTIES, YOU ALL WERE PART OF THAT AND ENGAGEMENT BY EVERYBODY TO COME OUT WITH A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME, WHICH WE THINK WE DID. 
          UH, WE, WE CALL IT A RISK MITIGATION PLAN. 
          IT REDUCED THE NUMBER OF POLES THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, ATTACH TO, TO LESS THAN 20,000 ACROSS THE ENTIRE, UH, REGION. 
          AND AS I SAY HERE, REDUCE, REDUCES THE RISK IN WARREN COUNTY, UH, AND GOT US STARTED IN OUR CONSTRUCTION, UH, WHICH IS UNDERWAY IN AUGUSTA RIGHT NOW. 
          ROCKINGHAM IS, UH, NEXT ON OUR, ON OUR LIST, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE REALLY INTERESTED IN, WHICH IS WHAT ARE THE KEY DATES FOR THE COUNTY? WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT? UM, OUR INITIAL LAST MILE CONSTRUCTION IS GONNA BEGIN IN JULY OF 20 OF THIS YEAR, 2025. 
          WE BUILD OUT THE NETWORK AND THEN WE HAVE TO ACTIVATE THE NETWORK. 
          SO WE HAND IT OVER TO OUR SPECIAL ENGINEERS THAT GO THROUGH AND DO ALL THE TESTING. 
          THAT NET NETWORK ACTIVATION SHOULD, UH, EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN SEPTEMBER OF 2025. 
          AND THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT WHEN, IF, IF CONSTRUCTION IS GOING IN, UH, JULY. 
          AND THEN THE PROJECT DEADLINE IS AS WE SAID, UH, JUNE 30TH, 2026, UH, WITH HOMEOWNERS CONNECTIONS THAT ARE CONTINUING AFTER THAT. 
          SO LET ME EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE ON CONSTRUCTION. 
          WE ARE NOT GOING TO BUILD, UM, STARTING IN JULY THE ENTIRE COUNTY OUT AND THEN START NET NETWORK ACTIVATION AND THEN START CONNECTING HOMES. 
          THAT'S NOT THE WAY WE, WE OPERATE. 
          SO WE'VE DIVIDED THE COUNTY UP INTO, WE CALL 'EM FIBER SERVICE AREAS AND WE'LL SHARE THE MAP. 
          I I, THE MAP I HAVE IS OUTDATED, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE I HAVE A, A NEWER MAP TO YOU ON WHERE THESE FIBER SERVICE AREAS ARE LOCATED. 
          BUT EACH FIBER SERVICE AREA GETS, UM, UH, AN ACTIVE CABINET. 
          IT GETS A CABINET THAT IS CONNECTED BACK TO THE BIG INTERNET AND IT'S GOT POWER TO IT. 
          AND FROM THAT CABINET, THAT'S WHERE WE GO OUT AND SPREAD OUT TO OTHER CABINETS THAT ARE PASSIVE CABINETS THAT DON'T HAVE POWER, AND EVENTUALLY OUT TO, TO ALL THE HOMES. 
          SO WE WILL BE GOING FIBER SERVICE AREA BY FIBER SERVICE AREA, DOING CONSTRUCTION NETWORK ACTIVATION, ATTACHING HOMES. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE SOME EARLY, SOME THAT ARE IN THE LATER FSAS ARE GONNA BE LATER IN, IN THE SCHEDULE. 
          BUT I KNOW WHEN PEOPLE SEE THOSE DATES, THEY THINK, WELL, YOU KNOW, ARE WE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE VERY END? NO, WE WILL BE DOING THIS, UH, FIBER SERVICE AREA BY FIBER SERVICE AREA AND LIGHTING THOSE UP. 
          AND AS SOON AS WE HAVE, UH, THE LATEST MAP FOR THAT, AND AS SOON AS WE HAVE A SCHEDULE FOR WHAT THE, THOSE FIBER SERVICE AREAS ARE GONNA LOOK LIKE, I WILL BE SHARING THOSE WITH, UH, MR. DALEY RIGHT AWAY TO GET OUT, GET OUT TO EVERYBODY. 
          UH, IN OTHER COUNTIES, I I WORK, WE, WE USUALLY TRY AND SET UP A NETWORK OR A SYSTEM FOR GETTING COMMUNICATIONS 
          [00:10:01]
OUT TO, UH, YOUR CITIZENS, MAYBE A PAGE ON YOUR WEBSITE. 
          I MEAN, I'LL TALK WITH MR. DALEY ABOUT SOME OPTIONS THAT, THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT WORK IN OTHER, UH, COUNTIES TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS CAN GO TO A SINGLE PLACE AND UNDERSTAND WHEN AM I EXPECTED TO SEE SERVICE? AND SOME OF THE OTHER DETAILS THAT I'LL GO OVER, LIKE, WHAT DOES PRICING LOOK LIKE AND, AND, UH, THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES AS WELL. 
          SO THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE PLAN THERE. 
          WANNA HIT THAT KEY POINT RIGHT UP FRONT. 
          UM, SO AS WE GO FORWARD, WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH REC AS KIND OF OUR, OUR, UH, THE PROVIDER HERE. 
          SO WE'RE GOING HAVE TO WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH THEM TO REDUCE THE COSTS AND IMPROVE EFFICIENCY. 
          I MEAN, YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD, UH, HEARD US SAY THAT THE, THE PRICES OF A ATTACHING THE POLES HAS BEEN EXPENSIVE. 
          WE KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME PLACES WHERE IT'S ACTUALLY MAKES MORE SENSE FOR US TO GO UNDERGROUND, AND WE'LL DO THAT WHERE IT MAKES MORE SENSE, WHERE IT'S, IT FINANCES WORK BETTER FOR US. 
          UM, AND THEN THE SECOND BIG PIECE, AND I'LL COME BACK, UH, ON, ON THAT IN A MINUTE TO TELL YOU THE LOCATIONS AND HOW TO LOOK THOSE UP. 
          BUT THE OTHER BIG PIECE IS $1.48 BILLION THAT THE FEDS PUT IN FOR THIS BEAD FUNDING TO GET TO THE RE REMAINING LOCATIONS THAT ARE UNSERVED. 
          AND OUR 1.5, OUR 1.48 BILLION IS ACTUALLY JUST A PIECE OF THE FOUR 2 BILLION NATIONWIDE THAT'S GOING, UM, THAT'S GOING TO THIS PROJECT. 
          I'VE GOT A SLIDE LATER ON, BUT I'LL, BUT I WANNA ALWAYS, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE PUT THIS COMMENT IN HERE, RIGHT UP FRONT BEAD PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND A 25% REQUIRED MATCH FROM THE PROVIDER, NO COUNTY FUNDS. 
          LEMME SAY THAT AGAIN, NO COUNTY FUNDS ARE INVOLVED IN THE BEAD PROGRAM COMES ALL FROM US OR THE, UH, THE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THIS. 
          UH, AND AGAIN, AS I TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, THE, UM, THE STATE BUDGET THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR GAVE US THIS OPTION TO, UH, UH, TAKE LOCATIONS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY MOVED OVER TO BEAD SO THAT THEY WOULD GET FUNDED. 
          UH, AND THAT HELPED US SHIFT SOME OF THE COSTS FROM, FROM THAT E OVER TO BEAD. 
          THE STATE IS SAYING PUBLICLY THAT THEY THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS TO BUILD OUT TO THESE LOCATIONS, THE BEAD LOCATIONS, UH, WHICH LEAVES THEM ALMOST HALF A BILLION DOLLARS. 
          AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT OTHER PROGRAMS THAT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN FOR BROADBAND ADOPTION AND OTHER THINGS. 
          SO, BUT THE, BUT THE KEY POINT THERE IS THE STATE IS CONFIDENT THAT THERE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH MONEY IN THIS BEAD FUND TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THESE LOCATIONS. 
          THE BEAD LOCATIONS, AND I'VE GOT SOME MAPS TO SHOW YOU ON THIS. 
          THE BEAD LOCATIONS ARE ALL OF THE REST OF THE LOCATIONS THAT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO YET, AND THERE'S ABOUT 130,000 OF THEM. 
          AND THOSE ARE THE LOCATIONS WHERE THERE'S, WHERE THEY WERE NOT HIT BY VADI AND, AND THE STATE WENT, THEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WENT BACK AND SAID, WHAT ARE THE LOCATIONS THAT DON'T HAVE 100, UH, MEG DOWN? UH, DOWNLOADS SPEEDS. 
          SO THOSE BEAD LOCATIONS ARE ALL GONNA BE COVERED, UM, BY THIS. 
          NOW, UH, SOMETIMES I GET A QUESTION, I THINK I MAYBE GOT ONE EARLY ON. 
          UH, IS, UM, WHAT ABOUT LOCATIONS THAT DIDN'T GET CAPTURED FOR WHATEVER REASON IN THE PROCESS BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED IN IT. 
          IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT PERFECT PROGRAM FOR FIGURING OUT WHERE LOCATIONS ARE. 
          UM, SO WHEN WE BUILD THE NETWORK, WE ARE BUILDING IT WITH CAPACITY TO GET TO ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS. 
          WE'RE NOT BUILDING IT JUST FOR THE EXACT NUMBER OF LOCATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO GET TO. 
          'CAUSE WE KNOW EITHER THERE'S GONNA BE SOME LOCATIONS THAT GOT MISSED. 
          UM, THEY'RE GONNA BE SOME LOCATIONS THAT GOT BUILT SINCE THE, UH, SINCE THE MAPS WERE ESTABLISHED. 
          SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, TO GET TO ALL THOSE LOCATIONS. 
          HAVING SAID ALL THAT, OUR FIRST PRIORITY, OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS GETTING TO THE VADI LOCATIONS THAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO GET TO. 
          UM, SOMETIMES I GOTTA ASK, WHAT IF THERE'S A HOUSE THAT'S NEAR WHERE WE ARE IN VADI? WE'LL GET THAT LOCATION, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA GET IT UNTIL WE GET ALL OF THE VADI LOCATIONS TAKEN CARE OF. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, IS TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT THOSE DONE. 
          THAT'S OUR, THAT'S OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU AND TO THE STATE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THOSE LOCATIONS, UH, LOCATIONS COMPLETED. 
          UM, AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE TALKED ABOUT. 
          THE SECOND POINT WAS NO ADDITIONAL COUNTY MATCH. 
          I'VE KIND OF HIT THAT, UH, HARD SO THAT YOU MADE SURE THAT YOU GOT DIDN'T, UH, THAT THERE'S NO CONFUSION THERE. 
          UM, THOSE LOCATIONS THAT ARE NOW THAT WE MOVED FROM VATI TO B, THEY ARE GONNA BE ON THE SAME SCHEDULE AS OUR VATI LOCATION. 
          SO WE'RE GOING TO, BECAUSE THEY'RE IN OUR CURRENT BUILD PLAN NOW. 
          UM, SO WE'RE GONNA GET TO THOSE ON THE SAME TRACK THAT WE GET TO OUR VALUE, UH, VALUE LOCATIONS. 
          THEY'RE IN THE SAME DESIGN. 
          A CUSTOMER REALLY WILL, SHOULD NOT SEE ANY DIFFERENCE A LOT, UH, IN WHETHER THEY'RE A VALUE 
          [00:15:01]
PROJECT OR WHETHER THEY'RE A A BEAD PROJECT. 
          IT'S GONNA BE, UM, ALL THE SAME FOR FROM THE CUSTOMER'S, UH, POINT OF VIEW. 
          AND THEN OF COURSE, THE, UM, WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE REGIONAL COMMISSION, UH, THAT'S GONNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, EVERYTHING GETS HANDLED THROUGH B JUST LIKE IT, IT IS THROUGH THE TI PROGRAM. 
          UH, ALRIGHT, THIS IS A BUSY SLIDE, UH, WITH SMALL, UH, UH, PRINT, BUT I CAN, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE GET YOU A BETTER VERSION THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY READ. 
          BUT THIS IS THE PROJECT SCHEDULE, AND THIS IS WHAT I DISCUSSED IN THE BEGINNING THERE, THE KEY ONE, AND I, I'VE ADDED A LITTLE LINE ON THERE THAT'S KIND OF HARD, EVEN HARD FOR ME TO READ. 
          UH, THE THIRD, UH, THE THIRD ROW FROM THE BOTTOM THERE IS THE LAST MILE CONSTRUCTION DATE. 
          THAT'S REALLY THE KEY DATE THAT WHERE FOLKS CAN EXPECT TO SEE THINGS THAT ARE ACTUALLY HAPPENING. 
          AS YOU CAN SEE THOUGH, THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT HAPPENS BEFORE WE ACTUALLY START THE CON CONSTRUCTION. 
          WE'RE OUT THERE LOOKING AT POLES. 
          WE'RE FIELDING POLES TO DETERMINE WHICH POLES WE NEED TO ATTACH TO, WHAT KIND OF MAKE READY WORK HAS TO BE DONE WORKING WITH, UH, REC FOR POLES WE WANT TO ATTACH TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MAKE READY WORK, UM, UM, GETS DONE ON, ON THOSE POLES. 
          A LOT OF ENGINEERING WORK THAT GOES IN. 
          UM, BUT THAT DATE IS WHEN, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT ARE OUT DRIVING AROUND ARE ACTUALLY GONNA SEE TRUCKS OUT THERE, OUR TRUCKS OUT THERE, UH, AND OUR CONTRACTORS THAT ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE, THE BUILD ON THE FIBER FIBER NETWORK. 
          AND THEN YOU HAVE THE CONSTRUCTION, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE, THE NETWORK ACTIVATION PHASE, AND THE CLOSEOUT, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, GETTING CUSTOMERS ACTUALLY CONNECTED UP AND, UH, DOING ALL THE WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO IN THE PAPERWORK TO CATCH UP, TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE OUT, UH, THE PROJECT. 
          AND ALL THIS HAS TO BE DONE FOR VADI BY THE END OF 2026. 
          AND THAT'S WHY OUR, THE, UH, THE AGREEMENT THAT WE'VE MADE WITH YOU ALL WITH THE STATE AND WITH THE REGIONAL COMMISSION IS GONNA BE JUNE OF 2026 TO HAVE EVERYTHING DONE. 
          GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF A BUFFER, BUT WE DON'T WANNA RUN TOO CLOSE TO THAT, UH, TO THAT BUFFER. 
          THESE ARE, THIS IS A MAP, UH, SHOWING THE VALUE LOCATIONS, UH, UH, THAT ARE IN THE CURRENT PLAN. 
          I THINK THE NUMBER IS RIGHT AROUND 1200. 
          I CAN CERTAINLY GET YOU MORE DETAILED MAPS. 
          I MEAN, WE CAN ACTUALLY ZOOM IN AND, AND SEE THE, UH, INDIVIDUAL LOCATIONS. 
          BUT, UH, THIS IS, UH, ALL OF THE VALUE LOCATIONS THAT ARE, UH, CURRENTLY, UH, IN THE PROJECT. 
          AND SO YOU MIGHT ASK, OR SOMEBODY MIGHT ASK, UH, HOW DO I KNOW WHETHER I'M IN THE PROJECT OR NOT? UM, SO I'M GONNA MAKE THESE SLIDES AVAILABLE AND MAYBE AGAIN, MR. DALE AND I CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY OF, OF MAKING THESE SO THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR CITIZENS TO CHECK. 
          BUT, UH, BASICALLY WHAT YOU DO IS YOU GO TO, UH, ALL POINTS BROAD OR APB FIBER.COM, THAT'S OUR WEBSITE. 
          AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, THIS IS THE PAGE IT'S GOING TO BRING, UH, BRING YOU TO, AND I'VE ADDED THESE, UH, RED COMMENTS AND RED ARROWS IN THERE. 
          SO YOU CLICK ON THAT GET STARTED, UH, TODAY BUTTON, AND THAT'S GONNA TAKE YOU TO ANOTHER SCREEN. 
          AND I JUST STARTED TYPING IN AN ADDRESS THAT I KNEW WAS IN THE COUNTY. 
          HOPEFULLY NOBODY HERE IS FROM 200 SCENIC OVERLOOK, BUT WHEN YOU START TO TYPE, WHEN YOU START TO TYPE THAT IN, IT GIVES YOU, UM, SOME CHOICES TO SELECT FROM. 
          SO YOU CAN SEE THERE, WE'VE GOT ONE OF THE SELECTIONS THAT WE WANT IN FRONT ROYAL. 
          SO I CLICKED ON THAT LOCATION, IT POPULATED THE LOCATION INTO THE, UH, INTO THE FIELD. 
          I THEN CLICKED ON CHECK ADDRESS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING I DID, AND I JUST TOOK SCREENSHOTS OF IT, OF JUST A RANDOM ADDRESS AND SAID, OKAY, WHAT DO I GET WHEN I DO THIS? WHEN I HIT CHECK ADDRESS, THIS IS WHAT IT TELLS ME. 
          IT SAYS, YOU ARE INSIDE OF A PLANNED SERVICE AREA. 
          GREAT NEWS. 
          AND THIS IS THE KEY PART I THINK FOR, FOR CITIZENS THAT ARE ON, THAT ARE WATCHING AT THIS POINT. 
          THERE'S AN OPTION ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE WHERE YOU CAN GIVE US CONTACT INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED TO, BUT IF YOU GIVE US YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, WE'LL START GETTING EMAILS AND MESSAGES OUT TO YOU TO TELL YOU WHEN THINGS ARE HAPPENING. 
          SO INSTEAD OF HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DO YOU GET A FLYER? DO YOU GET SOMETHING IN THE MAIL? WE'LL ACTUALLY SEND YOU AN EMAIL AS WE'RE GETTING CLOSE AND LETTING YOU KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE STATUS OF THE PROJECT, UH, STATUS OF THE PROJECT IS. 
          SO THAT'S KIND OF THE PROCESS, THE STEPS THAT, THAT SOMEONE, UH, WOULD GO THROUGH. 
          I THINK IT'S FAIRLY EASY. 
          I I DO IT A LOT. 
          SO I, I, UH, I THINK IT'S FAIRLY EASY TO GET THROUGH. 
          UM, THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME ADDRESSES WHEN, OR THAT FOLKS ARE GONNA PUT IN THERE AND MAYBE THEY THINK THEY SHOULD BE IN THE PROJECT, AND IT'S NOT IF THOSE COME UP, UH, I DEAL WITH EASE ALMOST EVERY DAY AS WELL. 
          UM, AND SOMETIMES THE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU PUT IN THE WORD, UH, ROAD OR IS THAT DR, IF YOU PUT IN THE WORD DRIVE, YOU JUST START TYPING AND YOU PUT IN THE WORD DRIVE INSTEAD OF THE DR 
          [00:20:01]
IT MAY NOT CATCH AND IT MAY NOT SHOW YOU ANYTHING AND YOU SAY, WHOA, WHAT'S GOING ON? UM, SO ANYWAY, AS WE RUN INTO THOSE AND WE DO ON OCCASION, YOU KNOW, GIVE US A CALL, I'M GLAD TO LOOK AT THOSE INDIVIDUALLY, NEVER A PROBLEM, UH, TO LOOK AT. 
          WE'LL GET MR. DALEY TRAINED UP ON BEING ABLE TO GO IN AND CHECK ON THIS AS WELL. 
          SO, UH, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE FOR, FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO, UH, RESPOND TO CITIZENS AS THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ON THIS. 
          AND IF YOU DID NOT SIGN UP FOR THE EMAILS, WE HAVE A WHOLE SERIES OF DIRECT MAIL PIECES, LETTERS, SO WE KNOW THE ADDRESSES. 
          WE'LL GO AHEAD AND SEND OUT LETTERS, UH, EMAILS, UH, AND AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE I, I CIRCLED IN RED THAT REMINDS PEOPLE GET ON REGISTER AT UH, ABB FIBER.COM. 
          UH, UH, SO THAT'S WHAT THEY'LL INITIALLY SEE. 
          LETTERS, DIRECT MAIL PIECES, PROBABLY 60 DAYS OUT. 
          UM, MORE DIRECT MAIL, UH, DOOR HANGERS THAT WE'LL PUT OUT THERE AS WE'RE OUT DOING THE CONSTRUCTION. 
          UH, THESE ARE SOME OF THE EMAILS THAT YOU'LL GET IF YOU'VE SIGNED UP. 
          SO, UH, AND AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A SAMPLE OF THE KIND OF COMMUNICATIONS THAT, THAT WE DO A LOT OF DETAIL THERE. 
          UM, PRICING, UH, I KNOW THERE WAS A QUESTION ASKED ABOUT WHAT THE PRICING IS, AND THESE ARE THE, UH, UH, THE RATES FOR, AND THESE ARE FOR ALL OF OUR PROJECTS THAT WERE FROM THAT, THAT VATI YEAR. 
          UH, SO THE PRICES ARE ALL THE SAME, UM, ALL THE WAY UP TO THE ONE GIG SPEEDS. 
          THE ONE OF THE KEY POINTS THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS KNOW, 'CAUSE THIS IS KIND OF A KEY POINT, IS THERE'S A, THERE'S A 1 99 INSTALLATION CHARGE, BUT THAT CHARGE INCLUDES ANY LENGTH OF A DROP THAT YOU HAVE. 
          SO SOMETIMES YOU'LL HEAR PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'VE GOT A REALLY, REALLY LONG DRIVEWAY, UH, HALF A MILE DRIVEWAY, UM, NORMALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS SOME AMOUNT OF THAT, UM, OF THAT DROP WILL BE COVERED 500 FEET, THEN MAYBE YOU PAY A LITTLE MORE FOR 500 TO A THOUSAND AND OVER A THOUSAND FEET, IT COSTS YOU EVEN MORE. 
          WELL, OUR OBLIGATION ON THE VATI PROJECT IS ANY SERVICE LENGTH DROP THAT IS A VATI LOCATION, WE ARE GOING TO COVER AT THAT 1 99 FEE, REGARDLESS OF HOW FAR OFF YOU ARE. 
          SO THAT'S A REALLY, REALLY NICE BENEFIT FOR FOLKS THAT HAVE THOSE LONG DROPS. 
          AND IT'S A BIG ISSUE I KNOW IN THE RURAL AREAS, AND THAT WILL BE GOOD FOR THE FIRST 12 MONTHS AFTER SERVICES AVAILABLE. 
          SO THAT'S KIND OF THE INCENTIVE FOR FOLKS TO SIGN UP QUICKLY IF YOU'RE A LONG DROP BECAUSE YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET COVERED BY THAT. 
          YOUR 1 99 COVERS THAT ENTIRE, UH, ENTIRE DROP, AND THAT'S 12 MONTHS FROM WHEN SERVICE IS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR, REMEMBER I TALKED ABOUT THOSE FIBER SERVICE AREAS. 
          WHEN YOUR FIBER SERVICE AREA IS AVAILABLE, THAT'S WHEN THAT, THAT 12 MONTH, UH, UH, TIME PERIOD KICKS OFF. 
          ALRIGHT, I'M GOING TO SHIFT OVER TO BEAD, UH, A LITTLE BIT AND I CAN DIVE AS DEEP IN AS THIS AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO, BUT, UM, I THINK IT IS VERY, LIKE I SAID, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY FOR, FOR, FOR WARREN COUNTY. 
          UH, AS I SAID, THERE'S ABOUT 130,000 LOCATIONS. 
          THOSE ARE LOCATIONS THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO 100 BY 20 MEG SERVICE. 
          UM, THE DEFINITION OF BROADBAND HAS CHANGED, UM, SINCE WE STARTED THIS PROJECT. 
          YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS TEN THREE, I ACTUALLY CAN PROBABLY REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS, UH, WHEN IT WAS A LOT LOWER THAN THAT WAS CALLED BROADBAND. 
          UM, BUT RECENTLY THEY CHANGED THE DEFINITION TO 100 DOWN AND 20 UP. 
          SO BEFORE YOU MAY HAVE BEEN SERVED BY A DSL SERVICE THAT HAD 25 MEG, WELL, THAT'S NO LONGER CONSIDERED BROADBAND. 
          SO THOSE AREAS ARE NOW, UH, ELIGIBLE FOR SERVICE AND COULD GET SERVICE UNDER BEAD. 
          ANOTHER CHANGE IN THE LAW THAT HAPPENED WAS, IT USED TO BE THAT IF THE, THE WAY THE STATE WAS DIVIDED UP WAS BY WHAT WERE CALLED CENSUS BLOCKS. 
          AND IF ONE CENSUS BLOCK ONE CUSTOMER IN THE CENSUS BLOCK WAS SERVED, THE FEDS IN THE STATE CONSIDERED THAT ENTIRE CENSUS BLOCK TO BE SERVED, AND NOBODY COULD GO IN AND GET, PROVIDE SERVICE IN THERE WITH, UH, WITH FUNDING. 
          AND IN THE LATEST ITERATIONS OF THE MAPS, IT'S NOW GONE TO INDIVIDUAL LOCATIONS. 
          SO NOW IT'S INDIVIDUAL LOCATIONS THAT WE USE TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOU HAVE BROADBAND. 
          SO THAT MEANS NOW THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'VE GOT LOTS MORE AREAS THAT WERE IN THOSE CENSUS BLOCKS THAT NOW ARE CONSIDERED UNSERVED AND WE CAN GET, GET TO THEM. 
          THE GREAT NEWS ABOUT BEAD IS THAT THE FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES VIRGINIA TO EXTEND BROADBAND TO ALL BEAD LOCATIONS. 
          SO THEY HAVE TO, THEY HAVE TO, UM, LET'S SEE, DO I HAVE IT ON HERE? FIVE, I THINK IT'S JULY. 
          THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT THEIR 
          [00:25:01]
PETITION BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WITH THE, THE STATE'S PLAN TO GET TO ALL OF THESE LOCATIONS. 
          AND IT'S GOTTA BE EVERY LOCATION THEY HAVE TO HAVE A SOLUTION FOR, FOR EVERY LOCATION THAT'S, THAT'S OUT THERE. 
          THE, UM, APPLICATION PROCESS OPENED ON DECEMBER 1ST FOR APPLICATIONS, AND THEY ARE DUE ON MARCH 1ST. 
          UH, AS I SAID IN HERE, THE THEY ARE OBLIGATED, UH, UM, PART OF WHAT WE DID WHEN WE MOVED SOME OF THE, UH, PROJECTS FROM VADI TO MAKE THEM BEAT ELIGIBLE, WE TOOK ON THE OBLIGATION TO APPLY FOR ALL OF THOSE LOCATIONS IN BEAD. 
          SO WE ARE GOING TO BID ON EVERY, UH, LOCATION THAT WAS MOVED OVER. 
          UH, AND AS SOON AS MARCH 1ST HITS, I'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU, UH, WHAT OTHER AREAS IN THE COUNTY THAT WE HAVE, UH, APPLIED FOR. 
          AND IT'S DONE BY, UH, A THING CALLED A, A ZIP CODE TABULATION AREA, WHICH IS KIND OF A, KIND OF A ZIP CODE. 
          UH, BUT THAT'S THE WAY THEY DIVIDED UP EACH OF THE COUNTIES. 
          SO, UM, WE, WE'LL, WE WILL BE APPLYING FOR EVERY ZCTA ZIP CODE TABULATION AREA IN WHICH, UH, WE HAVE PROJECTS OR LOCATIONS THAT WERE MOVED FROM VALUE TO BEAD. 
          UH, AND I'M GUESSING THAT WE'RE GONNA BID ON A LOT MORE, UH, IN WARREN COUNTY AS WELL. 
          UM, YEAH, SO THE NEXT POINT I WANTED TO, THIS ONE'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT, UM, BUT I AT LEAST WANTED TO SHOW IT TO YOU, UH, AND OFFER UP THE, UM, MY WILLINGNESS TO CHECK ON THESE AS WE GET 'EM. 
          SO THE NEXT QUESTIONS PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE IS HOW DO I KNOW IF I'M IN A BEAD LOCATION? UH, THERE'S A STATE WEBSITE AND THAT'S WHERE I, THAT'S WHERE THIS COMES FROM, AND I CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT, UH, WEBSITE AVAILABLE SO FOLKS CAN GO TO IT. 
          BUT YOU GO IN THERE AND THAT IS, THOSE ARE ALL THE BEAD LOCATIONS. 
          UH, IT IS A HORRIBLE MAP BECAUSE, AND THERE'S NO WAY TO CHANGE IT. 
          UH, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT CURRENTLY LOOKS LIKE. 
          BUT I DID GO IN AND ZOOM IN, TOOK A SCREENSHOT, ZOOMED IN A BIT, AND THEN THIS IS A, UM, A TIGHTER LOOK AT SOME OF THE LOCATIONS THAT ARE JUST OUTSIDE, UH, OUTSIDE OF TOWN HERE, JUST EAST OF US. 
          AND THOSE, YOU SEE ALL THE LOCATIONS THERE, THOSE ARE ALL CONSIDERED BEAD ELIGIBLE LOCATIONS. 
          SO FROM ALL POINTS PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE COUNTY AND WE ARE LOOKING AT WHERE ALL THE BEAD LOCATIONS ARE. 
          WE KNOW WHERE OUR NETWORK IS, AND THAT'S HOW WE'RE DECIDING, OKAY, WHERE ARE THE PLACES THAT WE NEED TO BID? WHAT'S THE RIGHT AMOUNT FOR US TO BID FOR THESE LOCATIONS? AND SO ANYWAY, THAT'S HOW YOU GET TO, TO BEAD LOCATIONS. 
          AND THEN IF YOU WANTED TO LOOK AT AN ACTUAL LOCATION AND SEE WHETHER YOU'RE INCLUDED IN BEAD, AND I'VE, AGAIN, HARD TO, HARD TO SEE ON THIS, I APOLOGIZE, HARD TO SEE ON THIS, UH, SCREEN SCREENSHOT. 
          BUT ON THE TOP RIGHT, I, I MADE A RED ARROW THERE THAT POINTS TO AN ADDRESS BAR. 
          SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY START TYPING AN ADDRESS IN THERE. 
          AND WHEN YOU PUT AN ADDRESS IN THERE, IT'S GOING TO SHOW YOU THAT LOCATION. 
          AND IT'S GONNA TELL YOU, AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ARROW ON THE FAR LEFT, HARD TO SEE, BUT IN RED IT SAYS UNSERVED. 
          SO THAT TELLS YOU THAT YOU ARE AN UNSERVED LOCATION AND WILL BE, UH, ELIGIBLE FOR, FOR BEAD. 
          AGAIN, VERY COMPLICATED WAY OF HAVING TO FIGURE THINGS OUT. 
          AND UH, AS I SAID, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY IF YOU GET CALLS ON THESE TO LOOK 'EM UP. 
          I DO 'EM EVERY SINGLE DAY TO LOOK UP LOCATIONS TO SEE WHETHER THEY'RE IN, IN BEAD OR NOT. 
          UH, SO AGAIN, UH, JUST HITTING ON A SUMMARY HERE. 
          'CAUSE I WANT TO RESPECT YOUR TIME. 
          I KNOW YOU GOT A BUSY NIGHT. 
          UH, DHC APPROVED THE BEAD MISSED LITIGATION PLAN. 
          UH, AND THAT EXTENDED THE TIMELINE TO JUNE, 2026. 
          ALL OF THE LOCATIONS THAT WERE SHIFTED, UH, ARE IN THE BEAD ELIGIBLE LIST, AND WE'RE GONNA BE APPLYING FOR THOSE BECAUSE WE SAID THAT WE WOULD, WE PROMISED WE WOULD, UH, BEAD PROCESS IS UNDERWAY. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, I JUST WANNA REITERATE, VADI REMAINS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY. 
          THAT'S THE ONE THAT WE HAVE THE CURRENT, UH, OBLIGATION FOR. 
          THAT'S THE ONE ON THE TIGHTEST TIMELINE RIGHT NOW. 
          SO WE ARE NOT, WE'RE NOT MOVING OUR FOCUS AWAY FROM GETTING, UH, VADI FINISHED ON TIME. 
          WITH THAT. 
          GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. 
          ANY, ANY QUESTIONS? I THANK YOU, ANSWERED ALL THE ONES I SUBMITTED, . 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION, AND I ALWAYS TRY TO LOOK AT THE GLASS HALF FULL, BUT I'M STILL SCARED THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN AUGUSTA NOW. 
          ROCKINGHAM NEXT. 
          THAT'S A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO GET TO WARREN COUNTY FROM THERE. 
          SO I, I KNOW INITIALLY, UM, WHEN JIMMY CAME AND WAS TALKING ABOUT THIS, HE SAID HE WAS DEPLOYING WORKERS IN MULTIPLE AREAS AT THE SAME TIME. 
          IS, IS THAT HOW YOU'RE GONNA GET HERE BY JULY? OH, YES. 
          IN 
          [00:30:01]
FACT, WE ARE OPERATING IN, WHAT IS IT, SIX COUNTIES RIGHT NOW WHERE WE'VE GOT CREWS OUT HAVING THE CREWS. 
          UH, THE GREAT PART ABOUT THE WAY THIS PROJECT AND ALL OF OUR PROJECTS WERE DESIGNED WAS WHEN WE BUILT THEM, UH, OR WHEN WE PLANNED THEM, WE KNEW THAT IT, THERE WAS A CHANCE WE WERE GONNA GET EVERYTHING. 
          AND IF YOU GET EVERYTHING YOU GOTTA HAVE NOW, YOU GOTTA HAVE THE LABOR, YOU GOTTA HAVE THE MATERIALS. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL BEFORE I GOT HERE, BUT SOMEBODY DID A REALLY, REALLY GOOD JOB OF PLANNING FOR WHAT MATERIALS WOULD BE NEEDED SO THAT THE MATERIALS ARE IN PLACE. 
          AND THEN ALSO BY, UM, TAKING ON AS MANY PROJECTS AS WE HAVE, WE ARE ABLE TO CONTRACT WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST NATIONWIDE CONTRACTORS TO COME IN AND DO THIS WORKFORCE. 
          SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF CREWS. 
          IN FACT, WE'RE KIND OF IN THE, THE HARD PART THAT SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW IS WE'VE GOT THESE CONTRACTING CREWS THAT ARE ON STANDBY AND THEY'RE LIKE, WHERE'S THE, YOU KNOW, GIVE US THE WORK, GIVE US THE PLANS TO GO, UH, THE, THE HOLDUP THAT WE HAVE IN SOME AREAS IS, UM, IF THEY'RE UNDERGROUND AREAS, IT'S JUST GETTING VDOT PERMITS. 
          AND, UM, WE'RE WORKING REALLY, REALLY WELL WITH VDOT FEW HICCUPS HERE AND THERE LIKE YOU, LIKE YOU HAVE WITH ANYTHING, BUT IT'S, IT'S A BIG DEMAND ON VDOT TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, GET THAT MANY PERMITS OUT, DO THE INSPECTIONS THAT THEY NEED, AND BE COMFORTABLE THAT WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, QUALITY WORK SO THAT THEY CAN GET THOSE THINGS INSPECTED. 
          THERE'S A BOND REQUIREMENT THAT WE, YOU KNOW, TENS OF THOUSANDS OR TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN BONDS THAT WE HAVE TO PUT UP, WHICH IS NOT A PROBLEM FOR US. 
          SO, UM, CONTRACTORS AND EQUIPMENT ARE NOT THE PROBLEM. 
          IT'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, GETTING OUR PERMITS IN PLACE, UH, AND GETTING MAKE READY WORK DONE, AND GETTING ENOUGH OF THAT DONE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THESE BIG CREWS COME IN AND, YOU KNOW, JUST TAKE ON LARGER. 
          MR. MR. YES. 
          I HATE TO CUT YOU SHORT. 
          YES, SIR. 
          BUT WE DO HAVE A, UH, A PUBLIC HEARING AT SEVEN 30. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. 
          SO, SO NEXT, UM, I, I, I DID HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. 
          I CAN, CAN WE, SO WE'LL, I'LL SEND 'EM TO DR. BAILEY AND THEN WE'LL SEND 'EM TO YOU. 
          GREAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I HAVE TOO AS WELL. 
          YEAH. 
          SO 
          [K. Resolution - Concerning Financing Life Saving Equipment from Stryker Sales LLC]
THE NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS THE RESOLUTION CONCERNING, UH, FINANCING, LIFE SAVING EQUIPMENT FOR STRYKER SALES, LLC. 
          AND DO WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR THAT AT MR. HAM? UM, REMEMBER CHIEF MYKO TOLD YOU ABOUT THIS LAST MONTH. 
          MR. HAM HAD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS HERE. 
          OKAY. 
          THE REASON WE'RE HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING IS BECAUSE IT'S A PAYMENT OVER TIME FOR OUR STRYKER ON THE EQUIPMENT. 
          SO, OKAY. 
          I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE EQUIPMENT. 
          I THINK YOU GUYS KNOW ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT'S WHY IT'S A PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE EFFECTIVELY BORROWING MONEY WITH THESE PAYMENTS OVER TIME FOR, UH, A LITTLE OVER SIX YEARS. 
          OKAY? SO DO I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? NOPE. 
          DO I HAVE A, UH, UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION? WELL, WE GOTTA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          OH, I'M SORRY. 
          SO THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN AND, UH, NO SIGNATURES, SIR. 
          IS THERE ANYONE OUT IN THE, UH, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO, TO SPEAK ON THIS SECOND CALL? PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. 
          UH, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? ALL RIGHT, SO DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPT THE RESOLUTION CONCERNING THE FINANCING OF LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT FROM STRYKER SALES LLC. 
          SECOND ROLL CALL. 
          MRS. COLORERS. 
          AYE. 
          MR. STAN MEYER? AYE. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. 
          DR. 
          JAMISON? AYE. 
          MRS. COOK? AYE. 
          MS. OKAY. 
          [E. Joe Petty - Request - Warren Heritage Society Letter of Support]
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS, UM, WARREN, UH, HERITAGE SOCIETY LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM MR. JOE PETTY. 
          GOOD EVENING BOARD. 
          UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU TONIGHT AND SEEKING POTENTIAL SUPPORT FOR THE WARREN HERITAGE SOCIETY. 
          WE CURRENTLY HAVE A, UM, BUDGET AMENDMENT IN WITH THE STATE OF VIRGINIA THROUGH DELEGATE DOLORES OATS, UM, HB 1603 71 17 H. 
          THERE WAS A FLYER ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA, KIND OF DETAILING WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR. 
          AND TONIGHT WE'RE ASKING FOR A LETTER OF SUPPORT 
          [00:35:01]
THAT WE CAN TAKE WITH US WHEN WE'RE IN RICHMOND ADVOCATING FOR THIS. 
          SPEAKING TO OUR HOUSE AND STATE SENATE REPRESENTATIVES DOWN AT THE STATE, WE'RE SEEKING $750,000 AND PRIMARILY THAT WILL BE FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF THE BUILDINGS AT THE HERITAGE SOCIETY. 
          IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE HERITAGE SOCIETY, WE'RE RIGHT UP THE STREET AT 1 0 1 CHESTER STREET, AND WE HAVE THREE HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND ADDITIONAL OUTBUILDINGS THAT ARE IN CRITICAL NEED OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION. 
          UM, SOME OF THEM HAVE JUST BEEN ONGOING AND SOME OF THEM JUST HAPPENED AT THE FESTIVAL OF LEAVES MOST RECENTLY. 
          THESE BUILDINGS AND THE THINGS THAT ARE INSIDE ARE CRITICAL TO OUR COMMUNITY AND KEEPING THAT HISTORY GOING FORWARD FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. 
          SO AN ASK LIKE THIS FROM THE STATE WOULD BE GENERATIONAL FOR US AND KEEPING THEM GOING FOR ANOTHER 50 PLUS YEARS IN WHICH WE'VE BEEN ESTABLISHED. 
          BUT ONE OF OUR BUILDINGS IS OVER 200 YEARS OLD AND WE WANT TO KEEP THAT OPEN FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. 
          OUR GOAL IN, UH, CENTER AND THE MUSEUMS IS PROMOTING, PRESERVING OUR LOCAL HERITAGE AND HISTORY. 
          AND SO WE ARE SEEKING YOUR SUPPORT TO KEEP THAT GOING. 
          UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE TODAY. 
          IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO THE HERITAGE SOCIETY, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO SWING BY AND TAKE A LOOK. 
          UM, THE THREE BUILDINGS THAT WE HAVE, THE BOUGHT THIS HOUSE AND THE BELL BOYCOTT OR PERIOD CORRECT MUSEUMS, THE IVY LODGE, WHICH WAS RECENTLY REDONE, IS A MUSEUM DEDICATED TO FRONT ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY WITH ROTATING EXHIBITS. 
          ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE THE LOWER VIRGINIA HALE ARCHIVES, WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE BELLBOY COTTAGE, WHICH CONTAINS OUR COMMUNITY ARCHIVES AND THOUSANDS OF DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS AND NEWSPAPERS. 
          SO NOT ONLY ARE WE TRYING TO PRESERVE THOSE BUILDINGS, BUT WE'RE OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF EVERYTHING THAT'S INSIDE OF THEM. 
          SO, UM, WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. 
          WE'RE NOT ASKING THE BOARD FOR ANY FINANCIAL, UM, CONTRIBUTIONS. 
          THIS IS PURELY A STATE, UH, ASK THAT WE HAVE. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? NO QUESTION. 
          I, I'VE SEEN THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE JUST IN THE IVY LODGE AND, UM, UM, I THINK THIS IS, IF WE CAN GET STATE MONEY TO KEEP THOSE BUILDINGS COMING, IT'S A GOOD THING. 
          AND THE ASK, YOU KNOW, IT IS A SUBSTANTIAL ASK. 
          WE ARE LOOKING TO USE THIS ON MULTIPLE BUILDINGS. 
          WE LOOKED AT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, AS YOU KNOW, A LOT OF GRANT OPPORTUNITIES HAVE ONE-TO-ONE MATCHES AND AS GENEROUS AS THOSE ARE AND HELPFUL, YOU KNOW, A ONE-TO-ONE MATCH EXCEEDS OUR OPERATING BUDGET. 
          JUST THAT MATCH. 
          SO THIS IS WHERE THIS TYPE OF, UM, FINANCIAL AS OF THE STATE IS, IS IMPORTANT FOR US. 
          JUST WONDERING IF YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO DIGITIZE SOME OF THE RECORDS THAT ARE, THAT YOU'RE PROTECTING BY MAINTAINING THE BUILDING? YEAH, SO THAT IS A PROCESS IN WHICH WE'RE DOING NOW. 
          WE'VE RECENTLY HAD SOME GREAT DONATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY TO HELP WITH THAT PROCESS. 
          AND WE'RE FUND, WE HAVE AN ACTIVE FUNDRAISER FOR THAT WITH THIS SPECIFIC, IT IS MORE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, PRESERVATION RATHER THAN THE DIGITIZING THING. 
          UM, LOUIS'S HERE TOO, HE'S BEEN HELPING US WITH SOME OF THAT DIGITIZATION. 
          WE'RE ACTUALLY REACHING OUT TO THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA FOR SOME OF OUR OLD WARREN SENTINELS THAT WE HAVE FROM THE 18 HUNDREDS. 
          SO WE'RE EVEN WORKING WITH THE STATE SO THEY CAN COME IN AND DIGITIZE THEM AND MAKE THOSE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC. 
          BUT YEAH, IT'S A CRITICAL THING FOR US, NOT JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CAPTURING ALL OF OUR DOCUMENTS IN A DIGITAL, BUT HOW WE STORE THEM OFF SITE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AS BARRING ANY, YOU KNOW, CATASTROPHE THERE. 
          WE WANNA MAKE SURE THEY'RE PROTECTED NO MATTER WHAT. 
          SO THAT, THAT IS AN ONGOING PROCESS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. 
          I KNOW THAT, UH, MY WIFE COMES OVER AND SHE'S A MASTER GARDENER AND SHE DOES, UH, WORK OUT OUTSIDE OF BELL BOYD. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND, UH, SHE SAID SHE REALLY ENJOYS THAT. 
          IT'S WONDERFUL. 
          THEY COME DOWN EVERY THURSDAY DURING THE END SEASON AND THEY KEEP THE GROUNDS BEAUTIFUL. 
          THE STATE OF GARDEN TOURS COMING THROUGH A IN APRIL. 
          UM, SO I'M SURE THEY'LL BE DOWN THERE BUSY WORKING, GETTING THAT PREPARED. 
          BUT THEY'VE BEEN A GREAT PARTNER OF THE HERITAGE SOCIETY AND I BELIEVE IT'S THE LONGEST GARDEN THAT THEY'VE BEEN MANAGING IN THE AREA. 
          GREAT. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO NEXT 
          [F. Janice Butler Shanks - Investment and Reporting on County Funds]
WE HAVE, UM, UM, THE, UH, TREASURER 
          [00:40:02]
AND THIS IS A INVESTMENT ON REPORTING ON COUNTY FUNDS. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          UM, I HAVE WITH ME TONIGHT OUR WEALTH MANAGEMENT GROUP FROM ATLANTIC UNION AND THEY'RE GONNA DO A PRESENTATION FOR YOU. 
          UM, YOU'VE BEEN HANDED OUT HANDOUTS THAT, UH, LIST ALL THE INTERESTS FOR THE YEAR OF 2024. 
          UM, AND I'LL LET THEM GO THROUGH THE, THE, UH, BOOKLET WITH YOU AND ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, THEY'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER. 
          UM, THEY ALSO DID, UH, JUST LET ME KNOW THAT IF YOU WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO PRESENT THE SAME THING FOR 2023, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT AS WELL FOR QUESTIONS THAT MAY BE LINGERING FROM PREVIOUS YEARS. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UH, THANK YOU. 
          I'M MITCH YORK, THE CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER FOR ATLANTIC UNION BANK. 
          AND, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE BANK, MYSELF AND MY TEAM, I'D CERTAINLY LIKE TO THANK, UM, UH, WARREN COUNTY, UH, THANK YOU, UM, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THE CITIZENS, UH, OF THE COUNTY FOR ENTRUSTING US WITH YOUR ASSETS. 
          UH, FOR THE TAX DOLLARS. 
          WE TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUS AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THAT TRUST AND FOR, UH, YOUR BUSINESS. 
          SO I'VE BEEN WITH ATLANTIC UNION BANK FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS. 
          I HAVE 30 YEARS OF INVESTMENT INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE, UM, 30 YEARS OF MANAGING CASH AND BOND PORTFOLIOS. 
          THE FIRST HALF OF MY CAREER WAS ALMOST SPECIFICALLY MANAGING PUBLIC MONEY IN FLORIDA WHERE I RESIDED, UH, FOR CITIES, COUNTIES, MUNICIPALITIES, AND LOTS OF POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS. 
          UH, WHEN I JOINED ATLANTIC UNION BANK, ONE OF MY FIRST, UH, MY, MY HIGHEST PRIORITY WAS TO EXPAND THE BANK'S FOOTPRINT IN MANAGING PUBLIC MONEY IN VIRGINIA. 
          BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, BECAUSE THE FIRST PART RELIES ON THE SECOND PART WAS ENHANCE OUR CAPABILITIES. 
          UM, SO MYSELF WITH AN EXPERTISE IN MANAGING PUBLIC MONEY, CASH AND SHORT TERM, UM, FIXED INCOME BOND PORTFOLIOS, I SAW THE NEED TO REACH OUT AND HIRE ANOTHER EXPERT. 
          AND WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HIRE JOHN ACKERMAN WHO'S HERE WITH US. 
          UM, WHO I CAN SAY CONFIDENTLY, UM, HAS THE SHARPEST MIND IN MANAGING PUBLIC MONEY THAT I'VE EVER MET. 
          UM, JOHN HAS FANTASTIC CREDENTIALS. 
          UM, BEFORE WHEN I HIRED HIM, UH, WE HIRED HIM, UH, FOR 10 YEARS. 
          HE WAS MANAGING MONEY FOR VIRGINIA, THE VIRGINIA TREASURY, UM, OVER $30 BILLION OF PUBLIC MONEY. 
          HE WAS THE MAN, THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER FOR VIRGINIA'S LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT POOL, THE , AND FOR THE TRE'S VIRGINIA'S EXTENDED MATURITY POOL. 
          UM, SO I CAN SAY WITH CONFIDENCE THAT, AND YOU'LL SEE THIS WHEN YOU SEE THE INVESTMENT RESULTS AND YOU SEE THE WELL THOUGHT OUT PORTFOLIO, UM, THAT YOU OWN, THAT YOU HAVE A WORLD CLASS TEAM LOOKING OVER YOUR MONEY AND, AND MANAGING IT. 
          UM, VERY CAPABLY. 
          AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO JOHN WHERE HE CAN GO OVER, UH, THE, THE RESULTS AND THE PORTFOLIO. 
          UH, THANK YOU. 
          UH, SO THE FIRST THING, UH, I WANTED TO COVER IS ON, UH, SLIDE THREE AND JUST, UH, TO REITERATE THAT ALL OF THE FUNDS, UH, IN WARREN COUNTY'S THREE ACCOUNTS, UH, WITH ATLANTIC UNION BANK ARE MANAGED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE INVESTMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS ACT OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA. 
          UH, THEY ARE FULLY INVESTED, UM, AND EARNING A COMPETITIVE RATE OF RETURN. 
          AND, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN NO REALIZED LOSSES IN ANY OF THE ACCOUNTS. 
          DO, DO YOU HAVE THESE SLIDES DIGITIZED THAT WE COULD SHOW UP FOR THE AUDIENCE OR, UH, NOT RIGHT NOW, UNFORTUNATELY. 
          UH, FINISHED UP THIS SLIDE DECK VERY, VERY RECENTLY, BUT SO WHEN YOU SAY SLIDE, YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE PAGE NUMBER? YES, YES. 
          PAGE NUMBER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES. 
          SORRY. 
          UM, ON THE FOURTH SLIDE, UH, THERE'S, WE HAVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE THREE ACCOUNTS. 
          UH, THE TOTAL, UH, DOLLAR VALUE IS JUST UNDER $16 MILLION. 
          AND IN CALENDAR YEAR 2024, UH, THE THREE ACCOUNTS EARNED 4.9%, UH, NET OF FEES THAT, UH, IS COMPRISED OF ROUGHLY SPEAKING 4%, UH, INTEREST INCOME AND THEN 0.9%, UH, INCREASE IN THE VALUE OF THE HOLDINGS. 
          UH, THE THREE ACCOUNTS, THE LARGEST OF WHICH IS, UH, ACCOUNT 8 0 1 8. 
          AND YOU SEE THAT HAS ABOUT $15 MILLION IN IT. 
          THE OTHER TWO ACCOUNTS, UH, ARE SMALLER SPECIAL PURPOSE ACCOUNTS. 
          UM, I, UH, SO WHEN I SAY THAT THE, 
          [00:45:01]
THE TOTAL RATE OF RETURN 4.9% WAS COUPON INTEREST AND INCREASE IN THE VALUE OF THE BONDS. 
          UH, WHEN WE'RE INVESTING IN DEBT SECURITIES, THAT'S, THERE'S TWO WAYS TO EARN MONEY. 
          SO YOU COULD BUY A BOND AT PAR AT 100 WITH A, LET'S SAY 5% COUPON. 
          UH, AT THE END OF A YEAR YOU WOULD GET YOUR $100 BACK PLUS 5% COUPON INTEREST. 
          UH, UH, CONVERSELY YOU COULD BUY A DISCOUNT SECURITY THAT MIGHT BE PRICED AT LET'S SAY $95 AND WOULD PAY OUT AT PAR. 
          AND SO THAT SECURITY WOULD NOT PAY A COUPON. 
          UM, BUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PRICE YOU PAID FOR IT AND THE MATURITY VALUE OF THE BOND WOULD BE YOUR INTEREST INCOME. 
          UH, BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, SO THE, UM, ACCOUNT 0 1 8? YES. 
          NOW THAT'S THE, UM, WHAT WAS REMAINING AFTER THE BOOKS CLOSED FOR FISCAL YEAR 24? THIS IS AS OF DECEMBER 31ST, 2024. 
          2024. 
          OKAY. 
          YES. 
          UH, I, AS OF SEPTEMBER, OR SORRY AS OF JUNE 30, 20, 24, THE VALUE, TOTAL VALUE OF THE PORTFOLIO WAS IF YOU WERE TO FLIP AHEAD TO PAGE NINE, THERE'S A MONTH BY MONTH, UH, ACCOUNT RECONCILIATION. 
          AND SO THE TOTAL VALUE OF THE PORTFOLIO AT THAT POINT WAS $17,530,397 AND 38 CENTS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, OH, GO AHEAD. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          IT'S JUST ONE, THE REASON IT IS, UH, HIGHER, NOTABLY HIGHER OUT OF JUNE 30 WAS THERE WAS A $2 MILLION WITHDRAWAL ON OCTOBER 31ST. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO, AND JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, SO THIS IS, WOULD THIS BE CONSIDERED, OH, THIS, WOULD THIS BE CONSIDERED OUR WEALTH MANAGEMENT ACCOUNT? OKAY. 
          YES. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S, I JUST NEEDED TO PUT THAT IN MY, UNDERSTAND THE DEFINITION OF THESE ACCOUNTS. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          SO I'D, I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT THE, UH, SO WE START OUT WITH, UH, AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE SHOWING THE TOTAL RETURN IN 2024 WAS, UH, SAY LIKE FOR THAT ACCOUNT NUMBER 8 0 1 8 AND THAT WAS 14,950,000. 
          AND, UH, SO THE, UH, AT, AND THAT WAS 4.92%, BUT WERE THERE, UH, AND AND YOU SAY THAT THESE ARE, THESE ARE BONDS. 
          UH, WHAT TYPE OF BONDS ARE THEY? SURE. 
          UH, SO THE INVESTMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS ACT LISTS SPECIFIC SECURITIES, UH, THAT ALL TYPES OF PUBLIC FUNDS INVESTORS IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA CAN INVEST IN. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THE TYPES OF SECURITIES IN, UH, IN YOUR PORTFOLIO ARE, UM, US TREASURY BONDS. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, US AGENCY BONDS. 
          SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, NOTABLY, UH, FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK, FEDERAL FARM CREDIT, UH, FANNIE MAE AND, UH, FREDDIE MAC. 
          UH, THEN COMMERCIAL PAPER ISSUED BY THE HIGHEST RATED ISSUERS MM-HMM . 
          WITH A MAXIMUM MATURITY OF 270 DAYS AND NO MORE THAN 35% OF YOUR TOTAL PORTFOLIO IN COMMERCIAL PAPER. 
          UH, AND THEN BANK CDS. 
          SO THE, SO, UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, AT LEAST WITH THE STATE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PUT THE MONEY IN TODAY AND YOU CAN TAKE IT OUT TOMORROW, YOU KNOW, DAY IN, DAY OUT. 
          WHAT DO YOU HAVE WITH, UH, WITH THESE BONDS? I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE PENALTIES THAT IF WE PUT THE MONEY IN AND WE TAKE IT OUT BEFORE A PERIOD OF A PERFORMANCE, LIKE, UH, IT HAS TO GO IN FOR THREE MONTHS, SIX MONTHS, MAYBE A YEAR? ARE THERE PENALTIES OF THAT, UH, THAT WE WOULD PAY ON THAT? UH, NO. 
          SO, UM, THE LGIP IS A STABLE VALUE FUND, AND SO YOU WOULD, UH, DEPOSIT MONEY AT A DOLLAR AND TAKE IT OUT. 
          UM, FOR, UH, ALL OF US INDIVIDUALLY, THAT WOULD BE A, A REGISTERED MONEY MARKET FUND. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, YOUR PORTFOLIO IS, UH, A NUMBER OF BONDS THAT ARE ALL LADDERED OUT SO THAT THERE ARE REGULAR MATURITIES. 
          UM, AND THEY'RE PROVIDING REGULAR REINVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR AS INTEREST RATES CHANGE OR WHENEVER, UH, YOUR NEEDS CHANGE AND YOU NEED TO TAKE MONEY OUT, UH, THE CHEAPEST WAY TO SELL A BOND IS FOR IT TO MATURE MM-HMM . 
          UM, AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAVE THESE REGULAR MATURITIES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE PORTFOLIO. 
          BUT NO, THERE ARE NO, UH, PENALTIES IF, LET'S SAY WE PURCHASED A BOND IN 2020 WHEN INTEREST RATES WERE ZERO AND THEN YOU WANTED TO SELL THAT SAME BOND, UH, TODAY MM-HMM 
          [00:50:01]
. 
          WHEN INTEREST RATES ARE 4%, UM, THE VALUE OF THE BOND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU PURCHASED IT AT ONE PAR AT 100, THAT THE VALUE WOULD BE LOWER. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THERE'S NOT A, A PENALTY, BUT THAT WOULD BE A REALIZED LOSS. 
          AND THAT'S NOT, NOW, NOW DO YOU DO ANY INVESTING IN, IN MONEY MARKET FUNDS? 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT, UH, SOME OF THESE, THESE FUNDS LIKE VANGUARD, THEY PAY, THEY PAY PRETTY WELL, YOU KNOW, ABOUT, UH, AROUND, YOU KNOW, FOUR AND A HALF, UH, BETWEEN FOUR AND A HALF AND FOUR POINT, UH, WELL, I THINK, UH, THE 4.92%, UH, YES. 
          SO WE DO UTILIZE A MONEY MARKET FUND. 
          OKAY. 
          FOR SWEEP INTEREST, WE USE A FUND FROM, UH, FIDELITY. 
          OKAY. 
          AND IT'S RATED, UH, YOU KNOW, AAA OH YEAH. 
          UM, THE, THAT FUND CURRENTLY, UH, REGISTERED MONEY MARKET FUNDS ARE AROUND LIKE FOUR POINT A QUARTER PERCENT. 
          UM, AND SO, AND, AND THE, THE, ANY INVESTMENTS IN THE COMMERCIAL PAPER THAT HAS THAT MAXIMUM MATURITY OF 270 DAYS MM-HMM . 
          WOULD BE, UM, A MONEY MARKET TYPE SECURITY, SAME TYPE OF, UM, INSTRUMENT THAT MONEY MARKET FUNDS WOULD BE OWNING AS WELL. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, BRIEFLY, THE NEXT THREE PAGES SHOW THE, UH, COLLECTED INTEREST, UH, BY MONTH BY ACCOUNT. 
          AND SO IN THE LARGEST ACCOUNT, UH, THAT FLUCTUATED BETWEEN UM, 40 AND, UH, ALMOST $90,000, UH, PER MONTH, UM, FOR THE TOTAL CALENDAR YEAR 2024, THE COLLECTED INTEREST, UH, WAS $607,000, 400, 600, $7,443 AND 52 CENTS IN THIS ONE ACCOUNT. 
          UM, THE TWO SMALLER ACCOUNTS HAD EARNED ROUGHLY 6,020 1000. 
          UM, AND THEN ON SLIDE EIGHT HAS THE MARKET VALUE OF EVERY ACCOUNT. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE, UH, VALUE IS GRADUALLY INCREASING AND THIS WHAT YOU EXPECT TO SEE FROM BONDS IN A, UM, RELATIVELY STABLE ENVIRONMENT IN A RELATIVELY SHORT PORTFOLIO. 
          WHICH, UH, ACCORDING TO THE INVESTMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS ACT, WE GO NO FARTHER THAN FIVE YEARS. 
          SO THE AVERAGE MATURITY IS LESS THAN ONE YEAR OF THE PORTFOLIO. 
          SO EVEN IF INTEREST RATES ARE RISING AND FALLING, WE DON'T EXPECT DRAMATIC, UH, CHANGES IN THE OVERALL MARKET VALUE. 
          UH, AND THEN AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, SLIDE NINE HAS THAT MONTHLY RECONCILIATION WITH, UH, THE MARKET VALUE, UH, COLLECTED INTEREST, UH, THE COLLECTED INTEREST YIELD, UH, AND THEN, UH, REALIZED GAINS AND, UH, TRANSACTIONS. 
          SO JUST THE ONE 2 MILLION WITHDRAWAL. 
          SO, SO YOU'RE SHOWING ABOUT 17 MILLION HERE. 
          ARE THERE ANY OTHER FUNDS AT ATLANTIC UNION BANK? THESE ARE THE ATLANTIC UNION BANK WEALTH MANAGEMENT. 
          THESE ARE THE THREE ACCOUNTS THAT WE MANAGE. 
          OKAY. 
          COULD YOU EXPLAIN, AND MR. BUTLER, I CAN ADD TO THAT TOO. 
          YEAH. 
          WE ALSO HAVE ALL OF OUR WORKING BANK ACCOUNTS AT ATLANTIC UNION AS WELL. 
          UM, WE HAVE OUR MONEY MARKET STEEP ACCOUNT THERE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND SO THAT ACCOUNT ALSO EARNED INTEREST FOR US FOR THE YEAR. 
          SO FROM JANUARY THROUGH DECEMBER WE EARNED 330,000, $24 11 CENTS. 
          SO, AND EACH MONTH THE INTEREST WAS 2.43%, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NOVEMBER, IT WAS 2.42% IN NOVEMBER. 
          UM, SO THAT INTEREST, EVERY SINGLE MONTH COMES IN THROUGH THE MONEY MARKET. 
          IT'S A SWEEP ACCOUNT, SO EACH NIGHT IT SWEEPS FROM ALL THE OTHER ACCOUNTS TO GET THE MOST INTEREST FOR THAT DAY. 
          AND THEN IT DISPERSES OUT TO THE VARIOUS ACCOUNTS WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE TO COVER INCOMING CHECKS, UM, AACH, H DEBITS, WHATEVER. 
          UM, AND THAT IS THE MONEY MARKET ACCOUNT. 
          SO THAT'S THE MAIN ACCOUNT IN ATLANTIC UNION. 
          AND THEN THERE ARE MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS UNDER THAT ACCOUNT THAT FUNNEL INTO THAT ACCOUNT. 
          HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH TOTAL IS, IS IN THAT, THAT THE, SO THE END OF DECEMBER, THAT ACCOUNT HAD 24,241,000 296 0 2, THAT ACCOUNT IS DAILY CHANGING. 
          YES. 
          SO THAT BUSINESS ACCOUNT, THAT'S OUR WORKING ACCOUNT. 
          YEAH. 
          SO EVERY 
          [00:55:01]
BUSINESS DAY THAT ACCOUNT BALANCE CHANGES. 
          UM, WOULD THE FLUCTUATIONS IN THAT ACCOUNT BE TIED TO, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE, ON PAGE NINE, THE COLLECTED INTEREST YIELD, UH, HAS A LOT OF VARIANCE MONTH TO MONTH AS HIGH AS 6.4% AND AS LOW AS 2.24%. 
          UM, SO THE MONEY MARKET ACCOUNT IS NOT TIED TO THE WEALTH MANAGEMENT ACCOUNT. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, UH, COULD YOU THEN EXPLAIN WHAT IS THE, THE RATIONALE THAT THAT THING IS, IS MOVING UP AND DOWN LIKE THAT? SURE. 
          THAT'S DUE TO THE TIMING OF WHEN BOND, UH, COUPONS ARE PAID. 
          SO IF THERE WERE, UH, LET'S SAY IN, IN SEPTEMBER IF THERE WERE A NUMBER OF MATURITIES OF BONDS THAT WERE PURCHASED AT A DISCOUNT, ALL OF THAT INTEREST IS REALIZED IN THAT MONTH. 
          UM, AND THEN BONDS LIKE TREASURY BONDS, AGENCY BONDS TYPICALLY PAY INTEREST TWICE A YEAR. 
          OKAY. 
          SO YOU MIGHT, UH, IT MIGHT ALSO BE A SITUATION WHERE ONE MONTH IS HIGHER THAN THE NEXT. 
          OKAY. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IF, UM, I, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHY WE MOVED $2 MILLION OUT OF OUR ACCOUNT IN OCTOBER. 
          I CAN ANSWER THAT. 
          THAT WAS A CASH FLOW. 
          WE HAD A CASH FLOW, RIGHT. 
          THE MONEY MARKET ACCOUNT WAS DOWN TO ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS. 
          AND NOVEMBER, THAT IS THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER BEFORE THE TAX BILLS GO OUT. 
          THAT'S, FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD HISTORICALLY, THAT'S A VERY LOW CASH FLOW TIME. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, I HAD SCHOOL PAYROLL COMING IN AND LOOKING AT WHAT WAS GONNA COME IN, IT WAS JUST TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. 
          SO I KNEW THAT $2 MILLION ENTIRE MONEY MARKET ACCOUNT, SO IT WENT STRAIGHT FROM WEALTH MANAGEMENT IN THE MONEY MARKET. 
          I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THAT WITHOUT ANY PENALTY OR LOSS. 
          MM-HMM . 
          SO I DISCUSSED THAT WITH MIKE SNOW BEFORE WE MOVED IT AND MOVED IT TOGETHER. 
          SO ARE WE EVER GOING TO REPAY THE $2 MILLION THAT WE TOOK OUT OF THIS FROM, OR ARE WE JUST GONNA RELY ON INTEREST EARNED TO MAKE UP FOR THE NO MARKET ACCOUNT? AND ACTUALLY, UM, MY INTENTION IS TO MOVE, UH, THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY FROM THAT, THE 2 MILLION PLUS ANOTHER THREE INTO THE DIP ACCOUNTS THAT I HAVE OPENED MM-HMM . 
          SO I'M GONNA START WITH THAT $5 MILLION DEPOSIT INTO THAT. 
          AND SO THAT MONEY WILL BE COMING FROM OUR GENERAL FUND ACCOUNT. 
          IT WILL BE, YES. 
          OKAY. 
          COMING FROM THE MONEY MARKET, MONEY MARKET ACCOUNT. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND THAT'S THE ACCOUNT WHERE WE RECEIVED ALL OF OUR, UM, TAX REVENUE AND FEES AND ALL THE OTHER, EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING TO THAT MONEY MARKET. 
          SO WE'RE ABLE TO REIMBURSE, UH, TO PAY BACK OUR WEALTH MANAGEMENT. 
          RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, CAN, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW DOES THAT, THAT STATE FUND WORK? YOU KNOW, THE, THE ONE THAT'S THE DAY IN, DAY OUT, CAN YOU USE THAT ONE TO, TO ALSO PAY YOUR, YOUR, YOUR BILLS? NO, CAN'T, NO. 
          OKAY. 
          NO, IT, IT IS AN INVESTMENT ACCOUNT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, THE DIFFERENCE IST AND I'M GONNA LET, UM, JOHN SPEAK TO THAT AS WELL. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, BECAUSE ATLANTIC UNION HAS A NEW, THE SAME TYPE OF, UM, THE SAME TYPE OF INVESTMENT ACCOUNT THAT, THAT VIP HAS. 
          OKAY. 
          VIRGINIA INVESTMENT BOARD. 
          OH, I'M SORRY. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, UH, THE, THE LGIP, UH, IS NOT, UH, DOES NOT DISPERSE MONEY EXCEPT TO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT. 
          SO THAT WOULD BE, UM, A, A SECURITY PROCEDURE. 
          SO YOU'RE NOT PAYING YOUR BILLS OUT OF THAT. 
          THE LGIP IS TRANSFERS TO AND FROM YOUR BANK ACCOUNT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND SO THEN A BANK ACCOUNT IS WHAT, UH, ALL PARTICIPANTS WOULD USE TO PAY BILLS. 
          THE ONLY REASON I WAS ASKING IT WAS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SHOWING THAT THIS, THIS ACCOUNT HERE, UH, PAYS. 
          WHAT ABOUT, UH, LIKE YOU SAID ABOUT 4.92% THAT THE ONE THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT PAYS ABOUT 2.5%? YES, SIR. 
          AND, AND I WAS JUST WONDERING, I KNOW THAT THE STATE ONE PAYS ABOUT 4.9%, THAT'S ONLY 2% DIFFERENCE, BUT THAT 2% ON, ON THAT, UH, $20 MILLION, THAT'S, THAT CAN BE A CHUNK OF CHANGE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. 
          IT COULD BE, BUT YOU CAN'T, UH, AS HE SAID, YOU, IT'S AN INVESTMENT ACCOUNT, SO YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T PAY ANYTHING OUT OF THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO YOU COULDN'T, YOU CAN DEPOSIT FROM YOUR ACCOUNT INTO YOUR INVESTMENT ACCOUNT, BUT YOU CAN'T PUT YOUR DAILY DEPOSITS OF, OF REVENUE IN THERE. 
          YOU CAN'T FUNNEL CHECKS THROUGH THERE. 
          SO IT'S NOT A WORKING BUSINESS ACCOUNT, IT'S AN INVESTMENT ACCOUNT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          NOW, HAVING SAID THAT, HAVING THAT QUICK TURNAROUND IN AND OUT DOES ENABLE YOU TO MOVE MONEY MORE OFTEN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET IT THE VERY 
          [01:00:01]
NEXT DAY IF YOU NEED TO. 
          UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WHEN I MOVED THAT $2 MILLION I WAITED BECAUSE IT'S IN AN INVESTMENT ACCOUNT. 
          SO YOU YOU DON'T WANNA MOVE IT. 
          UM, TWO MONTHS AGO WHEN I DID THAT, BUT I FELT LIKE AT THAT POINT I KNEW THAT IT WAS GONNA BE A COUPLE MORE WEEKS BEFORE THE REVENUE WAS GONNA BE HIDDEN FROM THE TAX BILLS. 
          AND WE NEEDED TO PUT SOME MONEY INTO THE MONEY MARKET ACCOUNT. 
          I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION. 
          UM, THE, THE INTEREST, THE, THE GREATER INTEREST IS GONNA BE ON THE LONGER TERM INVESTMENTS. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, BUT DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          IS THIS A FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT PICTURE OF THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN RECENTLY? I, UH, WE, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A PRESENTATION AT SOME POINT THAT INDICATED WE BASICALLY GOT EARNED NO INTEREST ON OUR MONEY FOR, FOR THE YEAR. 
          AND NOW IT'S, NOW IT'S 5%. 
          I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, UM, JUST ADDED IT UP QUICKLY. 
          ABOUT $730,000 OF, OF INTEREST ARE, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE, THE, THE MEANING LIKE WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE APPROACH APPROACHED THE PODIUM AND SAID THE COUNTY HAS EARNED NO INTEREST ON ITS MONEY. 
          AND I'M AWARE OF THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I THINK WHERE THAT MAY HAVE COME FROM, AND I CAN EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT. 
          THE GENERAL LEDGER, THE INTEREST INCOME NEEDS TO BE RECORDED IN THE GENERAL LEDGER EVERY MONTH. 
          HISTORICALLY IT'S BEEN RECORDED AS AN ADJUSTMENT. 
          SO THOSE ADJUSTMENTS WERE DONE WHEN THE INTEREST INCOME WOULD COME INTO THE ACCOUNTS. 
          THOSE ADJUSTMENTS WERE NOT DONE THERE HISTORICALLY. 
          THEY'D BEEN DONE IN THE TREASURER'S OFFICE. 
          SO THE GENERAL LEDGER WAS NOT SHOWING THOSE INTEREST AMOUNTS. 
          WE WERE COLLECTING THE REVENUE. 
          WE HAD THE REVENUE, BUT THE GENERAL LEDGER WASN'T SHOWING IT. 
          SO I THINK THAT'S, MAYBE THAT IS WHERE THAT CAME FROM. 
          BUT THE FIGURES THAT I PROVIDE EVERY MONTH ON THOSE ACCOUNTS, THE DIFFERENCE FROM THE MONTH BEFORE THAT IS THE INTEREST EARNED. 
          SO YOU COULD GO BACK AND ADD THOSE UP FOR THE WHOLE YEAR. 
          UM, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU WOULD GET YOUR 311,700 1832 IN THE WEALTH MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTS? IN THE, IN THE SWEEP ACCOUNT. 
          YES, SIR. 
          SO I THINK, I THINK THAT MAY HAVE COME FROM THE FACT THAT THE GENERAL LEDGER IS NOT UP TO DATE. 
          I'M WORKING WITH FINANCE RIGHT NOW TO CHANGE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS TO PAY JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER REVENUE THAT WE TAKE IN, BECAUSE, EXCUSE ME, IN FACT, IT IS REVENUE. 
          IT, YOU KNOW, WE COLLECT INTEREST INCOME FROM THE BANKS AND IT IS REVENUE. 
          SO WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THAT IN THE GENERAL LEDGER SO THAT IT IS ACTUALLY RECORDED AS A PAY, AS OPPOSED TO AN ADJUSTMENT. 
          BUT I, I WANTED YOU TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM ATLANTIC UNION, UM, 'CAUSE I KNEW THAT THEY WOULD BETTER BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN. 
          WELL, I MEAN, IT'S JUST A REMARKABLY DIFFERENT PICTURE THAN, THAN I THINK WAS PRESENTED BEFORE THAT WE'VE BEEN SITTING HERE GETTING, NOT NOTHING, EARNING NOTHING THIS YEAR. 
          YES. 
          SO, SO THAT'S DEFINITIVELY NOT TRUE, DEFINITIVELY NOT TRUE. 
          AND, AND, UH, SO THERE'S $40 MILLION FAR MISCONCEPTION. 
          WELL, LIKE TO PUT IT BACK BASED ON REPORTING, I GUESS, OR, OR NON-REPORTING OR SOMETHING. 
          YES. 
          I MEAN, YES SIR. 
          CONFUSION. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, WELL I KNOW THAT THERE'S A, A VERY BIG EFFORT TO GET COORDINATION BETTER SEAMLESS COORDINATION BETWEEN FINANCE. 
          YES. 
          THERE IT IS. 
          TREASURY, COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE. 
          SO ABSOLUTELY. 
          WE NEED TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM THAT THAT'S A, WE ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY AT THAT. 
          A VERY FUNDAMENTAL, WHICH MAKE THINGS MORE STREAMLINED. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          SO THERE'S $40 MILLION OF, OF CASH AND COMBINED INVESTMENTS IN, IN THE SWEEP ACCOUNT. 
          IS THAT 20 WE HAVE, WE HAVE, IN THE MONEY MARKET SWEEP, WE HAVE 24 MILLION, AND THEN IT'S ABOUT 16 MILLION, I THINK. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          YES SIR. 
          SO ABOUT 40 MILLION. 
          YES, SIR. 
          UM, AND IS THERE ANY, UM, CONTENT OR DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THIS MONEY THAT'S IN THE SWEEP ACCOUNT AND HOW MUCH IT COULD BE EARNING? DID YOU JUST BASICALLY EXPLAIN THAT'S THAT'S THE BEST IT CAN BE DONE? 'CAUSE IT NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND OUT ON A, ON A WELL, NO, I THINK, I THINK IT CAN BE IMPROVED ON, UM, CHRIS, THIS WAS MY FIRST YEAR, SO I NEEDED TO GET A FEEL OF THE MOVEMENT OF THE MONEY MM-HMM . 
          EACH MONTH WHERE THE LOW TIDES WERE, WHERE THE HIGHER TIDES WERE. 
          UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT CAN BE IMPROVED ON, BECAUSE I THINK THAT RIGHT AFTER TAXATION AND YOU HAVE COLLECTED ALL THAT REVENUE, I THINK THERE ARE TWO OR THREE MONTHS THAT YOU CAN MOVE MORE MONEY INTO THE INVESTMENTS, WHICH WILL EARN 
          [01:05:01]
MORE. 
          UM, BUT AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, FOR A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME, SO YOU'RE NOT GONNA EARN YEAH. 
          WHAT YOU EARN IN THE LONGER INVESTMENTS, BUT YOU CAN EARN MORE THAN THE 2.43. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT, BUT NEVERTHELESS, THE DELTA IS TO IMPROVE FROM 2.4 TO MAYBE THREE OR SOMETHING. 
          CORRECT. 
          AND, AND, AND THE, THE WEALTH MANAGEMENT ACCOUNT HAS IS IN THE, UH, MID FOURS FOR 2024, ACCORDING, AND THOSE ARE GOOD NUMBERS. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. 
          I MEAN, I'M HAPPY TO RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THIS IN TERMS OF PRIOR, UH, UNDERSTANDINGS? I WOULD JUST ASK THE BOARD TO LOOK AT YOUR AUDIT. 
          YEAH. 
          AT THE, YOUR, OUR AUDITS 2 23. 
          WELL, THAT WAS GONNA BE ONE OF MY QUESTIONS. 
          WHEN, WHEN ARE YOU GONNA BE ABLE TO GIVE THE INFORMATION SO WE CAN GET THESE AUDITS DONE? SO WE'RE WORKING WITH FINANCE. 
          WE, WE HAVE STILL NOT RECEIVED A TURNOVER AUDIT YET FROM THE END OF 2023. 
          SO, BUT WE ARE WORKING ON THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAD FROM DECEMBER OF 2023. 
          AND WE'RE WORKING, FINANCE HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL WORKING WITH US ON GETTING THE RECONCILIATIONS DONE. 
          SO WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE THEM DONE BY THE END OF JANUARY. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL KNOW THE CHIEF DEPUTY TOOK A JOB IN CEVILLE AS THEIR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. 
          SO, UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE LOST HER A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. 
          SHE'S WORKING PART-TIME TO HELP. 
          SO SHE'S COMING IN ON SATURDAYS TO HELP WITH THAT. 
          UM, HOPEFULLY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL ALL BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS. 
          BUT UNTIL WE HAVE CLEAR NUMBERS FROM THE TURNOVER AUDIT FROM DECEMBER 31ST, 2023, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET NUMBERS THAT WE KNOW HAVE INTEGRITY IT BE POSSIBLE TO GET A LIST OF THESE, UM, INVESTMENTS AND SEE AND WHEN THEY MATURE, YES. 
          HE SAID HE COULD DO THAT. 
          UM, SPEAKING OF PRIOR UNDERSTANDINGS, UM, IF I RECALL WHEN DAVENPORT WAS HERE, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT BOND RATINGS AMONG OTHER THINGS. 
          AND I, I THINK THE RULE OF THUMB, IF I RECALL THAT THEY STATED WAS, UH, 15% OF YOUR, OF YOUR BUDGET SHOULD BE IN YOUR RESERVES. 
          UM, WHICH IS RIGHT AROUND 15 MILLION. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. 
          CORRECT? YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          AND WE ARE, I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT THE 2 MILLION WITHDRAWAL THAT, THAT GETS US PRETTY CLOSE TO THAT LEVEL. 
          MM-HMM . 
          IT MAKES ME A LITTLE NERVOUS. 
          UM, SO JUST TO HAVE THAT IN MIND FOR CASHFLOW PURPOSES, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE MAINTAIN THAT, THAT LEVEL TO KEEP OUR BOND RATING UP. 
          OH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          ALYSSA ACTUALLY RAN THOSE NUMBERS AND WE WERE STILL IN THE GOOD MARGIN OF THAT 15% OF RESERVES. 
          YEAH. 
          'CAUSE WE HAVE A POLICY THAT SAYS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE 15%, YOU KNOW, AND SO, EXCUSE ME, WE, I AGREE WITH YOU. 
          YOU KNOW, WHEN DECISION, THE BOARD MAKES DECISION ON FUNDING THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF OUTTA SCOPE OF THE FISCAL YEAR BUDGET, AND THEY LOOK THAT THEY WILL BE USING THIS TO, UM, BACKFILL THAT, THEY NEED TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS OF THAT. 
          AND WHEN, WHEN THEY REMOVE THAT MONEY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T BREACH THE 15%. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, MY QUESTION IS WITH THESE, WITH THE INTEREST THAT WE'VE, WE'VE MADE AND, AND KNOWING THAT WE HAVE THE 15% CEILING ON THIS AT, AT, IS THERE, AT ANY POINT IN TIME THAT WE CAN MOVE THIS MONEY INTO THE GENERAL FUND, THAT WE CAN USE IT, MOVE IT OUT OF THE MAJORITY? OUT OF OUT, LIKE RIGHT NOW, 15 PER 13%. 
          IT IS LIKE $13 MILLION. 
          YOU KNOW, I, I AM SWAGING THESE NUMBERS RIGHT NOW. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THIS IS JUST A SCENARIO. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          I WAS LOOKING AT MY NUMBERS. 
          SO YEAH. 
          SO I'M JUST SWAGING IT RIGHT NOW. 
          SO, UM, SO AT THE END OF 24, UM, WITH OUR WEALTH ACCOUNT WE HAD $14 MILLION. 
          SO IF OUR 15% CEILING IS 13 MILLION, WE HAVE SOME EXTRA, YOU KNOW, FUNDING THERE AND I'LL MOVE IT FROM INVESTMENT INTO THE YEAH. 
          YOU KNOW, MOVING IT INTO THE GENERAL FUND TO USE IT FOR, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL PROJECTS OR, YOU KNOW, WELL, THAT'S WHAT I DID WITH, I REALIZED RISKS AND FINANCIAL RISKS AND THAT KIND OF THING. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE DO THAT OR IS THAT SOMETHING TO CONSIDER? OR WE COULD CERTAINLY CONSIDER THAT THAT IS NOT SOMETHING WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST WHEN I MOVED THE 2 MILLION, 
          [01:10:01]
IT WAS JUST BECAUSE WELL, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. 
          CASH FLOW. 
          YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT. 
          RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. 
          SO ANYWAY, IT IS JUST A, A THOUGHT WOULD REMIND THE BOARD OF THE CHART THAT YOU HAVE THAT SHOWS YOUR MONTHLY CASH FLOW FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS MM-HMM . 
          AND THE CYCLE, HOW THAT WORKS. 
          AND IT SHOWS WHEN YOU COME DOWN TO, DOWN TO JUST OVER 20 MILLION TOTAL, UH, IN THE FALL BEFORE, UM, EXCUSE ME, DECEMBER TAXES COME IN AND IT'LL BE THE SAME PLACE. 
          I DON'T LIKE PULLING OUT A SAVINGS TO SLIDE ANY INTO THE GENERAL FUND UNLESS WE HAVE AN ACTUAL REASON, LIKE WHEN THE CHILLER WENT DOWN AND WE HAD TO PUT OUT $500,000. 
          SO I THINK LEAVING IT IN THERE UNTIL WE HAVE AN ACTUAL NEED TO ME IS A BETTER, IF IT'S IN MY CHECKING, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S MONEY I CAN SPEND. 
          IF IT'S IN MY SAVINGS, I KNOW I LEAVE IT ALONE UNLESS THERE'S AN EMERGENCY. 
          UM, THAT'S JUST MY TAKE ON THAT. 
          ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION AND, UM, ANYTIME YOU HAVE A QUESTION, MY DOOR'S OPEN. 
          UM, AND I, I WELCOME ANY, ANY AND ALL THAT WANT TO COME IN AND SEE OUR PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES. 
          UM, YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU TREASURER. 
          SHAS. 
          BEFORE, WHILE THE TREASURER IS HERE, SIR, I'LL REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE TREASURER'S SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING A MONTHLY REPORT ON THESE ACCOUNTS TO THE BOARD ON HOW MUCH IS THERE, WHAT, WHAT THE BALANCES ARE AND WHAT THE INTEREST IS. 
          AND I CAN SEND THAT, I CAN DO THIS WITH ZACH AND THEN YOU, AND DO A HANDOUT FOR ALL OF YOU SO THAT YOU HAVE THAT EACH MONTH. 
          UM, I'VE BEEN SENDING THAT TO ED USUALLY BY EMAIL. 
          YEAH. 
          BUT I CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT. 
          WELL, WE, WELL, YOU OH, I'M SORRY. 
          YEAH, I, I WAS GONNA SAY THAT, UH, IN, IN, IF, IF EVERYONE ELSE AGREES WITH THIS, I, I, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR COMING UP AND, YOU KNOW, GIVING US A FIRSTHAND. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT, UH, THE TREASURER DOES REPORT THAT INFORMATION TO THE FINANCE AUDIT COMMITTEE EVERY MONTH. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, ONCE WE THE COMMITTEE RECEIVES IT, WE CAN SEND IT TO WHOEVER. 
          WE'LL SEND IT TO THE BOARD. 
          UNLESS DR. 
          DALEY WANTS TO TAKE ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY, THAT WOULD, THAT WILL WORK. 
          AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW, THE STATEMENTS USUALLY DROP AFTER THE 10TH OF THE MONTH, SOMEWHERE AROUND THE 12TH TO THE 15TH, UM, FOR THE PREVIOUS MONTH, SO MM-HMM . 
          WE CAN, WE CAN DO THAT. 
          AND I'LL PROVIDE 'EM TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. 
          THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          [G. Erin Rooney - Samuel's Public Library Semi-Annual Report]
NEXT UP WE HAVE, UH, MS. ROONEY WITH, UH, SAMUEL'S LIBRARY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. 
          UM, AGAIN, I'M AARON ROONEY. 
          I'M THE DIRECTOR OF SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
          AND SO THIS IS OUR SIX MONTH REVIEW FOR THE FIRST PART OF FY 25. 
          SO THAT'S THROUGH JULY THROUGH DECEMBER. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND AGAIN, OUR MISSION IS THAT WE BRING PEOPLE INFORMATION AND IDEAS TOGETHER TO ENRICH LIVES AND BUILD COMMUNITY AND SHOW HOW WELL WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT. 
          UM, HERE'S OUR SIX MONTH, UH, PER PERFORMANCE METRICS. 
          UH, SO THIS IS, AGAIN, THROUGH JULY, 2024 TO DECEMBER, 2024, UH, BASED OFF THE SAME, UH, TIME PERIOD, UH, FROM THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR. 
          SO THAT WOULD'VE BEEN BETWEEN, UH, JULY AND DECEMBER OF 2023. 
          WE'VE HAD A, UH, 3% INCREASE IN OUR, UH, OVERALL VISITORS WALKING THROUGH OUR DOORS. 
          UH, WE'VE HAD A, UH, TOTAL OF 4% INCREASE, UH, FOR ALL OF OUR CHECKOUTS, FOR ANYTHING THAT IS AVAILABLE TO CHECK OUT IN OUR LIBRARY FROM BOOKS, DVDS, OUR, UM, UH, WIFI HOTSPOTS, LAPTOPS, ALL, ALL THAT. 
          UM, WE STILL DO PROVIDE FREE COVID TEST KITS FOR ANYBODY WHO'S NEEDED THEM. 
          WE HAVE HAD A 50% INCREASE SINCE IT, UNFORTUNATELY IS STILL GOING AROUND. 
          AND, UM, IT, IT'S BEEN VERY POPULAR AND PEOPLE ARE STILL USING IT. 
          UH, WE HAVE ALSO HAD A, UM, 20 PER 28% INCREASE IN OUR DATABASE USAGE, WHICH IS FANTASTIC. 
          THIS IS ANYTHING FROM, UH, WE HAVE DATABASES FOR, UH, KIDS, UH, HOMEWORK HELP THAT THEY CAN GET HELP FOR THAT. 
          UH, FOR VETERAN VETERAN RESOURCES, WE HAVE IT FOR, UM, WE HAVE ONE CALLED 
          [01:15:01]
TRANSPARENT LANGUAGE. 
          YOU CAN COME IN AND LEARN HOW TO USE, UH, DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AS WELL AS, UM, THINGS LIKE OUR GENEALOGY DATABASES, SO NEWSPAPER.COM, ANCESTRY, ALL OF THAT. 
          WHEN YOU MENTION ABOUT, UH, WHEN YOU MENTION ABOUT VETERANS RESOURCES, WHAT KIND OF RESOURCES ARE THOSE? SO WE, IT'S ACTUALLY SIMILAR, UH, IN HOW OUR, UH, HOMEWORK HELP, UH, DATABASE IS. 
          YOU CAN ACTUALLY GO ON, IT'S CALLED, UH, VET NOW THROUGH YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE, CLICK ON THE DATABASE AND IT CAN, UH, CONNECT YOU AND DO ZOOM, UH, WORK WITH, UH, SOMEBODY WHO CAN, UH, WALK YOU THROUGH THE RESOURCES FOR VETERANS, UH, AS WELL AS JUST RESOURCE LIST AND BEING ABLE TO ACCESS 'EM DIRECTLY FROM THE DATABASE AS WELL. 
          WE'VE ALSO SEEN A 3% INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF ATTENDEES FOR, UH, PROGRAMMING, WHICH IS FANTASTIC. 
          UM, AND LIKE I MENTIONED THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE, UH, OUR NOTARY SERVICE IS INCREDIBLY POPULAR. 
          WE'RE ONE OF THE VERY FEW PLACES YOU CAN GET NOTARY SERVICES FOR FREE HERE IN FRONT ROYAL. 
          UH, AND PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT AND THEY WERE USING IT. 
          SO IT'S, AGAIN, 47% INCREASE. 
          WE ACTUALLY HAD TO ADD, UM, MORE NOTARIES TO STAFF, WHICH HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC HELP. 
          WE ALWAYS TRY AND HAVE SOMEONE IS WHEN WE'RE OPEN, THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR THE, UH, RESOURCE. 
          WE'VE ALSO SEEN A 7% INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF REFERENCE QUESTIONS. 
          SO ANYBODY COMING IN ASKING FOR HELP, FINDING A BOOK, HELP, ACCESSING RESOURCES, FINDING DIFFERENT RESOURCES, UH, ANYTHING LIKE THAT. 
          UM, WE'VE SEEN AN, AN UPTICK IN, UH, WE'VE ALSO SEEN A, UH, 26% INCREASE IN OUR VOLUNTEER HOURS, WHICH IS FANTASTIC BECAUSE THIS THEN, UH, ALLOWS, UH, FREES UP STAFF TO BE ABLE TO DO EVEN MORE, UM, PROGRAMMING AND OTHER SERVICES FOR THE PUBLIC. 
          AND THEN WE'VE ALSO HAD A 4% INCREASE IN, UH, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE USING OUR MEETING ROOMS AS WELL. 
          SO, SO WHEN, WHEN YOU SHOW THE, THE NUMBER OF, OF PATRONS THAT, UH, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THOSE, THOSE SENSORS THAT WHEN YOU COME IN THROUGH THE DOOR, DOES THAT COUNT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING IN AND GOING OUT OR ONLY COMING IN? ONLY COMING IN? YEAH, THAT'S ABOUT AS ACCURATE AS YOU CAN GET WITH ANY OF THE DOOR, ANY KIND OF DOOR COUNT THAT YOU CAN GET FOR THAT. 
          UM, SO YEAH, IT'S THE ONE WAY DIRECTIONAL COMING INTO THE BUILDING. 
          IT WILL, WILL, IT WILL COUNT IF SOMEBODY LEAVES. 
          YEP. 
          WE'LL NOT CAPTURE THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO GOING ON TO GENERAL UPDATES AND SERVICES. 
          UH, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES TO DO SOME GREAT, UH, OUTREACH, UH, OUTREACH WORK. 
          UH, I WAS ABLE TO WORK WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO HELP WITH THEIR ANNUAL TEACHER OF RECEPTION, WHICH WAS AT THE END OF JULY. 
          UM, WORKED WITH CHERYL COLORS ON THAT, WHICH WAS FANTASTIC. 
          UM, WE WERE ABLE TO DO OUR NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, UH, TABLE, WHAT WE DO EVERY YEAR. 
          HAD ABOUT 388 PEOPLE WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, UH, INTERACT WITH. 
          AND WE HAD GREAT GIVEAWAYS FOR KIDS THAT WERE, UM, SAFETY THEME BOOKS. 
          OUR YOUTH SERVICE AND CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY FUND DAY AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL. 
          AGAIN, 318 AND OR SO INTERACTIONS AS WELL. 
          UM, AND THE, UH, RUSTY JEFFRIES, UH, FALL FESTIVAL AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH WAS, UH, FIRST TIME WE'VE EVER DONE THAT. 
          AND IT WAS A, IT WAS A REAL TREAT. 
          WE JUST COMPLETED OUR FY 24, UH, BIBLIOS STAT SURVEY. 
          THIS IS A, UM, SURVEY THAT WE FILL OUT FOR THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA THAT, UH, ALLOWS US TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR STATE AID. 
          UH, THIS COVERS ANYTHING FROM, AGAIN, OUR PERFORMANCE METRICS TO ALSO ALL OF OUR FINANCES, UH, THAT HAS TO BE, UM, GIVEN TO THEM BY THE END OF THE YEAR. 
          AND THEN, UM, THAT ALL OF THAT DATA GOING BACK YEARS AS WELL AS OTHER LIBRARIES IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. 
          UM, THEY STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE FY 24 DATA, SO THAT PROBABLY WON'T BE AVAILABLE MOST LIKELY TILL AROUND THE SUMMERS AS WELL. 
          UM, WE WERE, UM, WE WERE GRATEFULLY ABLE TO RECEIVE, UH, FUNDING FOR OUR WINTER READING PROGRAM THAT IS CURRENTLY ONGOING. 
          UH, IT USUALLY HAPPENS DURING, UH, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY. 
          AND THAT WAS, UH, FROM THE NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY, UH, COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. 
          AND THEN WITH, UH, HELP FROM FOSSIL, UH, SHOUT OUT TO THEM. 
          THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. 
          THAT'S OUR FRIENDS OF SAMUELS LIBRARY ORGANIZATION. 
          UH, THEY HELPED US ATTEND THE VIRGINIA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION'S, UM, ANNUAL CONFERENCE, UH, FOR THEIR AWARD CEREMONY, WHERE, AS YOU'VE HEARD, WE'VE GOTTEN VIRGINIA LIBRARY OF THE YEAR FOR 2024, AS WELL AS TRUSTEE OF THE YEAR AND FRIENDS GROUP OF THE YEAR, SOME OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON. 
          UH, WE, UH, EVERY YEAR WE'RE A DROP OFF LOCATION FOR CAMPING FOR HUNGER. 
          THAT'S, UM, COORDINATED BY THE RADIO STATION. 
          UH, WE LOVE BEING ABLE TO DO IT EVERY YEAR. 
          WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE SEVERAL BOXES OF DONATIONS OVER TO THEM. 
          UH, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO ACT AS A COOLING AND HEATING CENTER FOR WARREN COUNTY, WHICH, UH, WITH THE EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER, UH, THIS WINTER AS WELL AS DURING THIS PAST SUMMER HAS BEEN A GREAT HELP. 
          AND WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING IN SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT REASON. 
          HOW, HOW DOES THAT WORK? UM, IT'S JUST, WE'RE A DESIGNATED AREA. 
          SO IF THERE'S PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, WE'RE LISTED AS A RESOURCE THAT THEY KNOW THAT, UM, DURING, ESPECIALLY DURING OUR OPEN HOURS, IF, UH, THEY HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO IN ORDER JUST TO GET OUT THE HEAT OR THE COLD, THEY KNOW TO COME DIRECTLY TO OUR BUILDING AND THEY'RE FREE TO, TO COME IN, USE OUR SERVICES AND JUST GET WARM OR COOL 
          [01:20:01]
OFF. 
          OKAY. 
          AS PART OF OUR FIVE YEAR TECHNOLOGY REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE. 
          UM, AND THIS KIND OF GOES INTO THE STUDIO, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT LATER. 
          UH, WE WERE ABLE TO REPLACE THE, WE HAD OLD PC COMPUTERS IN THERE THAT WERE OUTDATED. 
          UH, WE DECIDED INSTEAD OF GETTING NEW PC COMPUTERS TO, OR, UH, DESKTOP COMPUTERS TO GET, UH, REPLACEMENTS FOR LAPTOPS USING THE MELLON GRANT. 
          AND WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, COMPLETELY WIPE FACTORY RESET THE OLD ONES. 
          AND, UH, THEY WERE GIVEN TO THE EPILOGUE BOOKSTORE TO RESOL RESALE SO THAT, UM, THE PROCEEDS GO BACK TO THE LIBRARY. 
          ANYTIME WE END UP REPLACING ANY OF OUR TECHNOLOGY, WE TRY TO MAKE SURE IT EITHER GETS REHOMED SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE IT CAN BE USED OR, UM, SOLD FOR THE PROCEEDS. 
          GOING BACK TO HELP FUND OTHER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, WE RECEIVED A VERY GENEROUS DONATION TO RENOVATE THE STAFF BREAK ROOM, WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO DO. 
          IT HAD MUCH NEEDED. 
          UH, IT GOTTEN A MUCH NEEDED FRESH COAT OF PAINT, UH, NEW FLOORING AND FURNITURE, WHICH WAS, UH, GREAT, HELPFUL, UH, VERY HELPFUL FOR STAFF. 
          UM, AND THEN ALSO THROUGH DONATIONS, WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE PARTIAL NEW CARPETING IN THE ADULT AREA OF THE LIBRARY. 
          UH, THAT CARPETING HAS BEEN IN THERE SINCE WE MOVED IN, AND IT DEFINITELY LOOKED LIKE IT. 
          AND IT LOOKS MUCH MORE, MUCH BETTER RIGHT NOW. 
          SOME FACILITY REPAIRS. 
          UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE WERE HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH THE, UH, ROOF LEAKING. 
          WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME PATCHES DONE, SO WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON IT. 
          SO FAR, SO GOOD AND HAVEN'T HAD ANY, UH, ISSUES AS OF NOW. 
          UH, WE ALSO GOT, UM, SOME HELP WITH THE TOWN. 
          THEY WERE ABLE TO GET SOME OF THE LIGHT BULBS IN THE PARKING LOTS FIXED, SO IT'S NO LONGER, UH, BLACKOUT WE UP AND RUNNING AS, AS WELL AS IT WAS BEFORE. 
          SO, AND THEN WE ALSO RECEIVED, UH, OR STARTING TO RECEIVE SOME QUOTES FOR NEXT SE NEXT SEASON'S LAWN MAINTENANCE. 
          SO GOING ON TO PROGRAMMING. 
          UM, I THINK THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE, SOME OF THESE ARE KIND OF A RECAP BECAUSE IT WAS GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME. 
          UH, OUR SUMMER READING PROGRAM WENT REALLY WELL. 
          WE HAD 198 ADULTS WHO, WHO PARTICIPATED, AS WELL AS 689 YOUTH. 
          WE HAD 222,679 BOOKS THAT WERE READ BY YOUTH SPECIFICALLY. 
          AND WE HAD JUST CHANGED IT UP. 
          SO INSTEAD OF BOOKS READ, WE WENT TO, UH, MINUTES READ FOR ADULTS. 
          'CAUSE SOMETIMES ADULTS LIKE TO READ HUGE TONES, AND THAT'S NOT FAIR IF YOU'RE READING SMALLER BOOKS. 
          SO, UH, 352,719 MINUTES READ O UH, OVERALL, DURING THE MONTHS OF JUNE AND JULY, AS PART OF THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM, WE HAD A SEVERAL, UH, PROGRAM SPECIFIC TO IT FOR KIDS. 
          ONE WAS, UH, A REPTILE SHOW FORUM. 
          WE HAD OVER 200 AND, UH, FIVE ATTENDEES. 
          IT'S EXTREMELY POPULAR PROGRAM. 
          UH, KIDS ARE ABLE TO LEARN ANYTHING THEY WANT TO ABOUT REPTILES AS WELL AS GET TO HOLD SOME OF THEM AS WELL. 
          SO, UH, WE'VE ALSO STARTED DOING, UH, IT IS CALLED A TINY ART SHOW. 
          UH, THIS WAS OUR THIRD ANNUAL. 
          IT IS INCREASINGLY BECOMING MORE POPULAR. 
          UH, THIS IS WHAT WE CALL A PASSIVE PROGRAM. 
          SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY COME INTO THE LIBRARY WHENEVER YOU WANT DURING THAT TIME, PICK UP A KIT, TAKE IT HOME, DO THE PROGRAM YOURSELF, AND THEN IF YOU BRING IT BACK, WE END UP DOING A ART SHOW WHERE WE HAVE THE NEW BOOKS COMING IN AND SHOWCASE IT FOR THE REST OF JULY. 
          UH, WE HAD 286 KITS THAT WERE TAKEN HOME, AND WE HAD 109 THAT ACTUALLY, UH, SUBMITTED FOR, UH, THE ART SHOW. 
          SOME ADDITIONAL ONES FOR JULY AND AUGUST. 
          UH, WE HAD A TEENS CONNECT PROGRAM WHERE THEY COULD DO A CLOTHING SWAP BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED, WHICH WAS WELL RECEIVED. 
          AS WELL AS, UH, SHOUT OUT TO OUR GUEST SPEAKER FOR THE GENEALOGY CLUB FOR AUGUST. 
          UM, THAT WAS COLLEEN SCHNEIDER. 
          UH, SHE HAD A NEW BOOK COMING OUT CALLED IN SEARCH OF GIANTS, WHICH IS A FANTASTIC BOOK THAT WE DO HAVE, UH, AVAILABLE FOR CHECKOUT AT THE LIBRARY. 
          AND OF COURSE, OUR BIG SEPTEMBER PROGRAM WAS SAMMY KAHN. 
          UH, THIS YEAR'S THEME WAS LIBRARIES OPEN A WORLD OF MAGIC. 
          OUR DOOR COUNT HIT ABOUT 1,438, UH, PEOPLE COMING THROUGH THE DOOR. 
          WE HAD SOME AWESOME GUEST SPEAKERS. 
          UM, ONE WAS, UH, COMING BACK FROM LAST YEAR. 
          THAT WAS BEN HACKEY. 
          HE ALSO DID A PROGRAM, UH, DURING THE EVENT AS WELL AS JOHN GALLAGHER, WHO IS ANOTHER, UM, KIDS, UH, GRAPHIC, GRAPHIC NOVEL, UH, AUTHOR, AUTHOR AND ARTIST. 
          AS WELL AS, UM, A, UH, EMMY NOMINATED, UH, ANIMATOR FOR THE SIMPSONS, CASEY JOHNSON AND HER HUSBAND DREW JOHNSON, WHO IS A HUGO AWARD NOMINEE OR FINALIST, AS WELL AS A, UM, COMIC ILLUSTRATOR. 
          SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES WE HAD GOING ON, UH, WAS OF COURSE PRESENTATIONS FROM THE AUTHORS, ESCAPE ROOMS, SCAVENGER HUNT, UH, VENDOR HALL HALL, AND A LARPING DEMO, WHICH WAS, UM, JUST PEOPLE GO OUT AND PRETEND TO FIGHT. 
          IT'S REALLY FUN. 
          WHAT IS IT, WHAT IS THE LRP AGAIN? SO IT'S LIVE ACTION, ROLE PLAY. 
          MM-HMM. 
          SO, UM, USUALLY THEY USE LIKE FOAM SWORDS AND IT'S LIKE FAKE FANTASY FIGHTING. 
          UH, IT'S A EXTREMELY POPULAR, UH, THEY HAVE A LOT OF GROUPS IN, UH, WINCHESTER AND, UH, AND SURROUNDING AREAS. 
          SO I, UH, MY 9-YEAR-OLD, UH, UH, GRANDSON WAS, WOULD PROBABLY LOVE TO, BECAUSE HE DOES THAT WITH ME. 
          HE 
          [01:25:01]
DEFINITELY WOULD , UM, SOME ADDITIONAL ONES FOR SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER. 
          UH, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH, UM, ARC, UH, TO DO MULTISENSORY PROGRAM, UH, FOR, UM, OUR SPECIAL NEEDS, UH, COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS THEY HAVE A THEATER GROUP THAT DID A AWESOME PERFORMANCE FOR, UH, CHARLIE BROWN, UH, CHARLIE BROWN'S, UH, THE GREAT PUMPKIN, WHICH WAS, UH, WE HAD ABOUT 52 ATTENDEES FOR THAT. 
          UH, WE ALSO GOT SPONSORED BY THE ANTI LITTER COUNCIL TO DO, UM, OUR, UH, STORY WALK AT EASTON PARK, UH, AS A RECYCLING CLEANUP THEME. 
          SO IT WAS THE MESSY BOOK, WHICH WE HAD ABOUT 40 ATTENDEES WHERE, UH, KIDS COULD TO DO A SPECIAL STORY TIME AND GET TO DO, UH, CRAFTS AND DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          UH, TWO ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS. UH, WE HAD, UM, DR. 
          JONATHAN NOLES FROM THE SHENANDOAH UNIVERSITY'S MCCORMICK CIVIL WAR INSTITUTE. 
          UH, WE'VE HAD HIM COME BACK BEFORE. 
          HIS PROGRAMS ARE AMAZING AND HE DOES, UH, AND IT'S ALL ABOUT, UH, THE CIVIL WAR FROM THESE AREAS, AS WELL AS A VERY POPULAR GHOST HUNTING PROGRAM FROM, UH, OUR LOCAL GHOST HUNTING GROUP. 
          HELL TOWN HAUNTS. 
          SO UPDATE ABOUT THE STUDIO. 
          SO THIS IS ALL DONE THROUGH THE MELLON GRANT. 
          UM, WE FINISHED UP THE REMODELING OF THE OLD COMPUTER LAB. 
          ALL THE EQUIPMENT WAS PURCHASED. 
          WE HIRED OUR MAKERSPACE MEMORY LAB COORDINATOR, WHO'S DOING A FANTASTIC JOB. 
          WE HAD OUR RIBBON CUTTING ON OCTOBER 7TH, UH, HAD ABOUT A 50 ATTENDEES WAS GREAT, UH, SUPERVISOR. 
          CUT. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ATTENDING. 
          UM, AND SINCE THAT, UH, RIBBON CUTTING, WE'VE HAD, UH, OVER 60 ONE-ON-ONE APPOINTMENTS. 
          SO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO COME IN TO LEARN HOW TO USE ANY OF THE EQUIPMENT, THE MEMORY LAB, UM, 3D PRINTER, ANY OF THAT CAN COME IN AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH STAFF, WILL TEACH THEM HOW TO USE IT AND THEY CAN WORK ON DIFFERENT, UH, SELF, UH, SELF DONE PRO PROJECTS. 
          UM, WE'VE ALSO STARTED DOING WALK-IN HOURS, UH, WHERE IT'S A SPECIFIC TIME. 
          YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, BUT IF YOU COME IN DURING THAT TIME, UH, ANYTHING THAT YOU JUST WANNA KINDA LOOK AT OR JUST WANNA GO AHEAD AND SIT DOWN HOW TO USE, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND DO IT. 
          THEN. 
          WE'VE HAD ABOUT 25, UM, SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR MACHINES, UH, WE'VE SEEN SO FAR. 
          OF COURSE, THE MEMORY LAB HAS BEEN VERY POPULAR, SPECIFICALLY FOR EIGHT MILLIMETER FILM. 
          UH, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE PEOPLE SHARE SOME OF THEIR STORIES. 
          WE HAD A VIETNAM VET WHO HAD FILM THAT THEY HAD NOT SEEN SINCE THEY WERE OVER THERE THAT THEY HAD HAD FILMED AT THE TIME THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DIGITIZE AND LOOK AT. 
          UM, AS WELL AS A COUPLE CAME IN THAT HAD A FILM THAT THEIR MOTHER HAD AFTER THEY HAD GOTTEN BACK FROM EUROPE WHEN SHE WAS A KID. 
          SHE WAS IN A KID'S CAMP AFTER WORLD WAR II, NEVER SEEN THE FOOTAGE, AND WERE ABLE TO DIGITIZE AND PRESERVE THAT. 
          UM, SOME OF THE MAKERSPACE EQUIPMENT THAT'S BEEN POPULAR IS OUR SUBLIMATION PRINTER, WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO PRINT OFF IMAGES AND THEN, UH, HEAT PRESS THEM ONTO OBJECTS LIKE, UM, UH, T-SHIRTS, T TOWELS, AS WELL AS WE HAVE ONE FOR TUMBLERS, UH, MUGS, THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE OUR GLOW FORGE, WHICH WE'RE TRYING TO SLOWLY DO MORE AND MORE OF, WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO, UM, EITHER CUT WOOD OR, UM, ENGRAVE THINGS ON, LIKE SLATE. 
          SOME OF THE PROGRAMS WE'VE DONE, OF COURSE, IS OUR GENEALOGY CLUB. 
          WE'VE DONE SEWING, CROCHET, EMBROIDERY, CARD MAKING, AND MANY MORE TO COME. 
          UH, AS WELL AS WE'VE HAD A TRAINING WE WERE ABLE TO DO WITH THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ON RECORDING VETERANS ORAL HISTORIES. 
          UM, AND THIS WAS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS WE HAD SOME STAFF OVER FROM HANLEY REGIONAL LIBRARY, AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO SHOW THEM WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE, THE STUDIO SO FAR. 
          ALRIGHT, GOING ON TO NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER. 
          UM, WE OF COURSE HAD OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY WRITING CONTEST, WHICH WAS A GREAT HIT. 
          WE HAD ABOUT 250 ENTRIES, AND WE HAD ABOUT 300 ATTENDEES FOR THE RECEPTION. 
          UH, WE ALSO HAD A PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, HEALTH FAMILIES OF THE NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY FOR EXP EXPECTED AND NEW FAMILIES, WHICH WAS GREAT. 
          HOPING TO DO MORE OF THOSE AS WELL AS WE HAD OUR TWO PUBLIC Q AND A FORUMS SO PEOPLE COULD COME IN, LEARN INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THE LIBRARY WORKS, HAVE A CHANCE TO MEET TRUSTEES. 
          UM, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO ATTEND. 
          WE, OF COURSE, HAD OUR ALL ALSO HAD OUR HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE, WHICH WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE BIGGER AND BETTER EVERY YEAR. 
          UH, PE UH, PATRONS WERE ABLE TO COME IN, FAMILIES COULD DO FAMILY HOLIDAY PHOTOS. 
          WE HAD THE BLUE RIDGE SINGERS WHO WERE DOING CAROLING AS WELL AS ADULT AND KIDS CRAFTS. 
          UH, LOWE'S WAS ACTUALLY NICE ENOUGH TO SPONSOR THE KIDS CRAFT AND CAME IN WITH KITS FOR EVERYBODY. 
          AND THEN OF COURSE, WE ALSO HAD OUR, UH, SANTA CLAUS HOLIDAY TIME, UH, HOLIDAY STORY TIME. 
          AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MICHELLE LEISURE, WHO IS OUR TREASURER. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          AND THIS SHOULD TAKE ABOUT A WHOLE TWO MINUTES TO GO OVER THE FINANCES. 
          SO IS THERE A CLICKER OR DOES THIS JUST, OKAY. 
          HOW DOES THIS WORK? OKAY. 
          SO, UM, REAL QUICK FOR FINANCES, UM, WE HAD OUR AUDIT COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER BY, UM, INDEPENDENT AUDITORS, EXCUSE ME, YHB CPAS AND CONSULTANTS. 
          UM, YOU CAN FIND ALL OF OUR AUDITS COMPLETED, AUDIT, AUDITED, FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CAN BE, CAN BE FOUND ON SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY WEBSITE. 
          JUST GO TO ABOUT HIT FINANCIAL INFORMATION. 
          AND WE HAVE ALL OF OUR AUDITED 
          [01:30:01]
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS BACK TO 2007. 
          SO WITHIN THREE CLICKS, YOU CAN GET TO ALL OF OUR AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, A CLEAN AUDIT. 
          BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, IN OUR OPINION, VIA ACCOMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PRESENT FAIRLY IN ALL MATERIAL RESPECTS, THE FINANCIAL POSITION OF SAMUEL'S LIBRARY. 
          SO WHAT I'M GONNA GO OVER IS JUST BASICALLY OUR OP, WHERE WE STAND ON OUR OPERATING INCOME AND EXPENSES, UM, FOR MIDYEAR. 
          SO OUR INCOME THROUGH, UM, JULY THROUGH DECEMBER. 
          UM, SO FAR WE'RE AT A TOTAL OF $717,455 FOR INCOME. 
          YOU'LL SEE THE, UM, WARREN COUNTY FUNDING IS EXACTLY HALF OF, UM, WHAT THE MOA STATED, WHICH IS, UM, 1,024,000. 
          WE'VE RECEIVED 512,000 OF THAT. 
          UM, FROM THE STATE AID WE RECEIVED 124,283, AND SAMUEL'S LIBRARY FUNDING HAS BEEN $81,173. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, SO THE, SO YOU'VE GOT THE MISCELLANEOUS INCOME. 
          IS THAT FROM LIKE OF, OF NEW BOOKS? RENTALS, COPIERS, YEAH, VARIOUS. 
          IT'S, IT'S A MISCELLANEOUS INCOME, SO IT COMES FROM COPIERS, UM, INTEREST MEETING, ROOM INCOME, JUST VARIOUS LOCATIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, DONATION INCOME. 
          UM, THAT WAS, WE RECEIVED, UM, SOME MONEY FOR $12,000 FOR LEGAL EXPENSE. 
          WE HAD SOME MONEY COME IN FOR HELPING WITH THE BUILDING MAINTENANCE ONCE THE PUBLIC FOUND OUT THAT MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PULLED. 
          WE'VE GOT SOME GENEROUS DONATIONS KNOWING THAT WE NEEDED SOME MAINTENANCE WORK DONE. 
          SO WE SOME GENERATE SOME DONATIONS CAME IN. 
          SO THE DONATION INCOME BASICALLY REPRESENTS DONATIONS THAT CAME IN THAT WERE EARMARKED, UM, SPECIFIC SPEND FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. 
          OKAY. 
          OR FOR THE LIBRARY YEAR. 
          YEAH. 
          WHAT ARE THE LIBRARY FUNDS? THE LIBRARY FUNDS ARE A 3%, UM, DISTRIBUTION THAT WE TAKE FROM OUR RESERVE ACCOUNT INTEREST. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE BUDGET FOR EVERY YEAR. 
          OKAY. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE INCOME? OKAY. 
          SO ON THE, UM, EXPENSE SIDE, UM, WHAT WE WANNA MAKE CLEAR, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAD COME UP, I BELIEVE IN MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD, IS EXACTLY WHERE THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE GOING. 
          UM, AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS SAY, OKAY, LET'S BREAK OUT EXACTLY WHERE WE'RE SPENDING THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE ON THE INCOME SIDE THAT 512,000, UM, 92% OF THE MONEY OF THAT $512,000 IS GOING FOR. 
          AND I ALWAYS SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF BOOKS. 
          WE HAVE, WE HAVE COMPUTERS, BUT OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET ARE OUR PEOPLE. 
          AND ANYBODY WHO COMES TO THE LIBRARY WILL TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE STAFF. 
          UM, SO 92% OF THE MONEY THAT WE GET FROM THE COUNTY, UM, AND WHAT WE GET FROM OUR PEOPLE IN TAX MONEY IS GOING TO THE GREAT PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR THE LIBRARY. 
          SO THAT'S 92% OF WHERE THE COUNTY FUNDING GOES. 
          UM, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN SALARIES, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN TAXES AND BENEFITS. 
          NOW, WE DO HAVE SOME STATE FUNDING THAT ALSO GOES TO SALARIES, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE MONEY WE GET FROM THE COUNTY GOES TO PAY OUR, UM, INCREDIBLE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE WORKING FOR US, WORKING FOR SPL. 
          UM, A GOOD CHUNK OF MONEY GOES TO UTILITIES, SO TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, SO WE SPEND MONEY THERE AS, AS WELL. 
          UM, ANYTHING ELSE ON THE EXPENSE? SO AGAIN, THE GREEN IS WHERE WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING, UM, WHERE THE COUNTY FUNDING GOES. 
          ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? OKAY. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S IT. 
          OKAY. 
          AND I BELIEVE YOU ALL HAVE AN, A COPY OF THE AUDITED 2024 FINANCIALS. 
          PERFECT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          [H. Agenda Items - Public Comment Period (30 Minute Time Limit)]
NEXT UP, WE'VE, WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, AND, UH, WE'VE MADE A, UH, A, A CHANGE HERE. 
          UH, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD SHOULD BE LIMITED TO 60 MINUTES, UH, SPLIT INTO TWO 30 MINUTE SEGMENTS. 
          THE FIRST 30 MINUTE SEGMENT IS LIMITED TO COMMENTS PERTAINING TO ITEMS WHICH ARE ON THE MEETING AGENDA. 
          THE SECOND 30 MINUTE SEGMENT IS FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS, AND THAT'S FOR SAY LIKE, IF YOU WANT TO GET UP AND TALK ABOUT HOW GREEN THE GRASS IS OR WHATEVER THERE IS, UH, THERE'S A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES FOR, FOR ANYONE. 
          SPEAKER SPEAKERS MAY ONLY SPEAK ONCE PER MEETING AND MAY NOT SPEAK DURING BOTH COMMENT PERIODS. 
          SO AS A REMINDER, ALL COMMENTS WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND NOT TO THE AUDIENCE. 
          BE CONSIDERED OF YOUR FELLOW SPEAKERS. 
          THERE SHOULD BE NO APPLAUSE, BOOING OR OTHER AUDIBLE DISRUPTION 
          [01:35:01]
TO THE PROCEEDINGS. 
          THROUGH A SHOW OF HANDS, THE CHAIRMAN MAY ASK FOR A SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR COMMENTS MADE BY SPEAKERS, PLACARDS, POSTERS, AND OTHER MEANS OF VISUAL DISPLAY OF COMMENTS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED IN THE BOARD MEETING ROOM. 
          THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE INFORMATION OR MATERIALS USED AS PART OF A FACTUAL PRESENTATION TO THE, TO THE BOARD AT, AT THE HEARING. 
          THE BOARD WILL NOT TOLERATE PERSONAL ATTACKS ANY BY ANYONE ON ANY OF THE PARTICIPANT OR UH, PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROCEEDINGS. 
          ANYONE WHO VIOLATES THE GUIDELINES OF THE PUBLIC HEARING MAY BE ASKED TO LEAD BY THE CHAIRMAN FAILURE, FAILURE TO LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING WHEN ASKED TO DO SO, AND IS IN VIOLATION OF WARREN COUNTY CODE 56 DASH FOUR AND VIRGINIA AND CODE OF VIRGINIA 18.2 DASH FOUR 15 AND IS SUBJECT TO A FINE OF UP TO $2,500 AND A JAIL SENTENCE OF UP TO 12 MONTHS, EITHER OR BOTH. 
          AND FINALLY, UH, I SUGGEST YOU PLEASE NOT USE INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE, UH, IN, IN ANY OF YOUR COMMENTS. 
          YOUNG CHILDREN MAY BE VIEWING THIS SESSION ONLINE AND PEOPLE WILL PROBABLY HAVE, UH, LESS TENDENCY TO TAKE YOUR COMMENTS SERIOUSLY IF INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE IS USED. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          SO, UM, DO WE HAVE A, UH, DO WE HAVE A SPEAKER? FIRST UP IS JOHN JENKINS. 
          I GOOD YOU? JOHN JENKINS, SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT. 
          I'LL TRY TO FOLLOW THE RULES. 
          I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ON IT, BUT IF, I GUESS IF IT'S ON THE AGENDA, I CAN SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT. 
          UH, TRANSPARENCY AND DISCLOSURE. 
          UH, THAT'S A BIG TOPIC ON THE NEWS THESE DAYS WITH, UH, PRESIDENT TRUMP AND, UH, EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON DOWN IN DC. 
          SO I LOOKED AT THE, UH, WARREN COUNTY MISSION STATEMENT, AND THAT'S BASICALLY TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 
          UH, THE OTHER SPEAKER THAT WAS HERE, BIG DISCUSSION ABOUT THE INVESTMENTS FOR THE COUNTY BOOKLETS, NONE OF THAT INFORMATION WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. 
          WASN'T ON THE WEBSITE, NOTHING WAS HANDED OUT HERE. 
          SO I THINK, UH, ANYBODY THAT COMES AND ASK FOR THAT SHOULD BE GIVEN THAT BOOK. 
          UM, MY OPINION. 
          THE OTHER THING IS THE, UH, RECENT APPOINTMENT OF A BOARD TO REVIEW THE SAMUEL PUBLIC LIBRARY, THE, UH, INVESTMENTS IN OUR ACTIVITIES. 
          UM, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE BROUGHT UP TO EVERY DEPARTMENT, THAT THE COUNTY HAS ACTIVITIES THAT THEY'RE DOING, THE SPENDING THAT THEY'RE DOING. 
          AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE, THE BUDGET THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY, ANY INFORMATION ON THE BUDGET FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. 
          SO TRANSPARENCY AND, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 
          SO I'M ASKING THE BOARD TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC ON WHY THE AUDIT IS NOT READY AND WHY YOU'RE TAKING STEPS TO ADDRESS FUTURE SPENDING FOR THE COUNTY. 
          'CAUSE IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, ALL ABOUT THE TAXES. 
          YOU CAN'T ANSWER THAT IN A CLOSED SESSION, BUT YOU CAN RESPOND TO A REPORTER OR SOMEONE AT DIFFERENT TIME. 
          UH, ONE OF THE THINGS ON THIS AGENDA TONIGHT WAS THE, UH, APPOINTMENT OR THE, UH, HIRING OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM MANAGER AT A COST OF 75,000 TO $140,000 PER YEAR, OR $114,000 PER YEAR. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A NECESSITY OR NOT. 
          WHEN I'M LOOKING TO SAVE MONEY, UH, I DON'T NEED ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES. 
          UH, THE COUNTY NEEDS THINGS FOR OPERATION. 
          SOME OF THESE THINGS I DON'T THINK ARE NEEDED. 
          ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THERE IS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, COMPANY, PUBLIC RELATIONS OUTFIT. 
          REAL SIMPLE STATEMENT. 
          DON'T WANNA OFFEND ANYBODY. 
          WHEN, WHEN YOU HAVE A PILE OF HORSE POOP IN THE STREET, YOU NEED A MARKETING COMPANY OR A PUBLIC RELATIONS COMPANY TO TELL YOU THAT IT COME FROM A THREE STAR MICHELIN RESTAURANT. 
          SIMPLE AS THAT. 
          THAT'S GOTTA COST A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN $140,000. 
          IF YOU DO YOUR JOB, PEOPLE ARE GONNA LIKE YOU. 
          YOU DON'T NEED SOMEBODY ELSE TO COME BEHIND YOU AND MAKE YOU LOOK A WHOLE LOT BETTER. 
          SIMPLE FACT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          NEXT UP IS SAMANTHA. 
          GOOD. 
          HI, I AM SAMANTHA GOODE. 
          I'M IN THE SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT, BUT I'M ACTUALLY HERE TODAY, UM, REPRESENTING SAVE SAMUEL'S LIBRARY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE. 
          I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMMITTEE AND WE ARE IN NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY, ALTHOUGH WE DO SUPPORT THEM. 
          UM, WE JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT WE STRONGLY OPPOSE Y'ALL'S DECISION TO SPEND TAXPAYER MONEY ON A PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM TO MANAGE THE FOLLOWUP FROM YOUR OWN ACTIONS. 
          THIS MISUSE OF PUBLIC RESOURCES IS A CLEAR BREACH OF FIDUCIARY DUTY AND PRIORITIZES POLITICAL SELF-PRESERVATION 
          [01:40:01]
OVER THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          THE CURRENT CONTROVERSY IS THE DIRECT RESULT OF YOUR SUPPORT FOR A RADICAL MINORITY LED PUSH TO CENSOR BOOKS AT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY. 
          RATHER THAN TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ROLE IN THIS DIVISIVE AGENDA, YOU SEEK TO DEFLECT CRITICISM AND USE PUBLIC FUNDS TO PROTECT ITS REPUTATION. 
          SAFE SAMUEL'S LIBRARY PACT BELIEVES TAXPAYER DOLLARS MUST BE USED TO SERVE THE PUBLIC GOOD, NOT SHIELD ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM ACCOUNTABILITY FUNDS ALLOCATED TO THIS PR PROPOSAL WOULD BE FAR BETTER SPENT SUPPORTING ESSENTIAL SERVICES, INCLUDING SAMUEL'S LIBRARY'S PROGRAMMING, EDUCATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. 
          WE CALL THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO IMMEDIATELY RESCIND THIS IRRESPONSIBLE PROPOSAL, REDIRECT THESE FUNDS TOWARD INITIATIVES THAT DIRECTLY BENEFIT WARREN COUNTY RESIDENTS AND TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THEIR DECISIONS AND COMMIT TO ENGAGING TRANSPARENTLY WITH THE COMMUNITY. 
          THIS CRISIS IS NOT THE RESULT OF UNFAIR TREATMENT. 
          IT IS THE NATURAL CONSEQUENCE OF UNETHICAL DECISIONS. 
          WARREN COUNTY DESERVES LEADERSHIP THAT UPHOLDS TRANSPARENCY, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND THE VALUES OF INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM. 
          SAFE SAMUELS LIBRARY PAC WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNANCE AND STAND AGAINST EFFORTS TO UNDERMINE OUR COMMUNITY'S TRUST AND INTEGRITY. 
          AND WE DID NOTICE THAT ON YOUR AGENDA, YOU SEEM TO HAVE RENAMED THE PR CONSULTANT TO A COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT, WHICH IS INTERESTING SINCE YOU REAMED THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR ASKING FOR THAT LAST, JUST LAST YEAR. 
          NOW WITH REGARD TO THE SAMUELS PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THE ILLEGALLY APPOINTED WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD, I ATTENDED THE FIRST MEETING OF THE BOARD AND FOUND IT CONCERNING THAT THE BOARD MEMBERS SEEMED UNAWARE OF THEIR ABILITY TO ACCESS FINANCIAL INFORMATION THAT SAMUEL'S HAS MADE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. 
          LUCKILY, DESPITE SUPERVISOR COOK'S PAST CLAIMS THAT SAMUEL'S LACKS FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY, SHE WAS ABLE TO REPEATEDLY REFER THE BOARD MEMBERS TO SAMUEL'S WEBSITE FOR THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION THAT THEY REQUESTED. 
          YOU ARE NOT FOOLING ANYONE, YOU'RE WASTING YOUR TIME AND TAXPAYER MONEY ON AN ISSUE THAT AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF CITIZENS AT THE PUBLIC HEARING TOLD YOU TO LET GO. 
          OUR COMMUNITY LOVES SAMUELS PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
          YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. 
          AND THE SAFE SAMUELS LIBRARY PAC WILL BE SUPPORTING CANDIDATES WHO ARE COMMITTED TO RESCINDING THE DECISIONS THAT YOU HAVE MADE AGAINST THE WILL OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT UP IS A LIEN D RIG. 
          HELLO, I AM AILEEN DEAR FROM THE HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT. 
          TONIGHT I'M CALLING ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO RESCIND ITS PROPOSAL TO SPEND TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON A PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM. 
          THE $50,000 THAT YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY APPROVED TO SPEND ON PUBLIC RELATIONS CAN AND SHOULD GO DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE ACTUAL NEEDS OF WARREN COUNTY RESIDENTS. 
          THE AS ASSERTION OF SUPERVISOR JAMESON THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS A QUOTE, INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE BETWEEN THE FIVE OF YOU WITHOUT A PR FIRM IS FALSE. 
          THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS FUNCTIONED WITHOUT ONE SO FAR. 
          AND FOUR OUT OF FIVE OF YOU COMMUNICATE LOUD AND CLEAR WITH YOUR VOTES AND PRE-WRITTEN STATEMENTS WHILE DISREGARDING DOZENS OF PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT THE COMMUNITY PRESENTS TO YOU. 
          UNDOUBTEDLY, THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY INCLINATION FROM THE WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO EVEN HIRE A PR FIRM IF YOU ALL HAD NOT ILLEGALLY APPOINTED THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD OF WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD, THE CHAIR OF WHICH HAS FILED BOOK REMOVAL REQUESTS ON THE BASIS OF MENTION OF HOMOSEXUALITY AND GENDER IDENTITY. 
          IF YOU ALL WOULD PRIORITIZE THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY YOU PURPORT TO SERVE, THEN WE WOULD NOT BE WHERE WE ARE NOW. 
          AND UNDOUBTEDLY, YOU ALL WOULD NOT EVEN BE CONSIDERING A PR FIRM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT UP IS REBECCA ALTIZER. 
          GOOD EVENING. 
          MY NAME IS REBECCA TIES AND I LIVE IN THE SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT, AND AS YOU CAN TELL, WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY. 
          ALL OF THESE ILLEGAL THINGS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE AND DO YOUR CONSTITUENTS KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY YOU'RE SPENDING TO GET EXPERT ADVICE IN THE HISTORY? WELL, I, I, I WONDER, AND I'VE ASKED THIS BEFORE, WHAT IS YOUR AGENDA? WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVE FOR THIS? AND I THINK IT'S ALL ABOUT REVENGE. 
          YOU LOST THE FIGHT WITH SAMUELS REGARDING YOUR EXTENSIVE LIST OF BANNED BOOKS AND CONTINUE THIS RIDICULOUS FIGHT BY TAKING OVER AND DESTROYING THE FREEDOM OF OUR BEAUTIFUL LIBRARY. 
          AND 
          [01:45:01]
WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY. 
          AND ALL THE HISTORY OF PEOPLE COMING AFTER BOOKS, THERE WERE NEVER GOOD PEOPLE COMING AFTER BOOKS, THE NAZIS FIRST, WE TAKE THE BOOKS. 
          NOW I HAVE BEEN HERE AND, AND A LOT OF MY FRIENDS HAVE BEEN HERE. 
          AND, AND WE'VE SAID ALL OF THESE THINGS TO YOU BEFORE, BUT I THOUGHT MAYBE YOU COULD HEAR SOME QUOTES FROM VERY INTELLIGENT AND FAMOUS PEOPLE, PRESIDENT EISENHOWER. 
          AND THIS IS QUOTE, DON'T JOIN THE BOOK BURNERS. 
          DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOING TO CANCEL FAULTS BY CONCEALING EVIDENCE THAT THEY EVER EXISTED. 
          DON'T BE AFRAID TO GO INTO YOUR LIBRARY AND READ EVERY BOOK. 
          LYNDON JOHNSON BOOKS AND IDEAS ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WEAPONS AGAINST INTOLERANCE AND IGNORANCE. 
          YOU WANNA KEEP PEOPLE IGNORANT. 
          YOU WANT TO TAKE FROM THEM THE FREEDOM TO READ ABOUT THINGS THAT MAY POSSIBLY ENRICH AND BETTER THEIR LIVES. 
          AND BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, IF ALL PRINTERS WERE DETERMINED NOT TO PRINT ANYTHING UNTIL THEY WERE SURE IT WOULDN'T DEFEND ANYBODY, THERE WOULD BE VERY LITTLE PRINTED. 
          I AM VERY MUCH AN ADVOCATE OF, OF THE OUR COMMUNITY HAVING THE RIGHT TO READ WHAT THEY WANNA READ. 
          AND THIS IS, THIS IS A QUOTE FROM ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS, UH, JODY OLE. 
          THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH A PARENT DECIDING A CERTAIN BOOK IS NOT RIGHT FOR HER CHILD. 
          THERE IS A COLOSSAL PROBLEM WITH A PARENT DECIDING THAT THEREFORE NO CHILD SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO READ THAT BOOK. 
          AND INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT TO SEEK OUT AND RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM ALL POINTS OF VIEW. 
          NO MATTER HOW POPULAR THAT POINT OF VIEW IS OR NOT. 
          INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM IS IMPORTANT IN ORDER TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S ALL FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP. 
          SIR, I HAVEN'T SIGNED UP, BUT I HAVE A QUESTION. 
          IS IT OKAY? YES, PLEASE. 
          UH, YES SIR. 
          IS THIS ABOUT, UH, AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          SORRY. 
          SO, UM, THANKS ABOUT, IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'M HERE. 
          I'M ALSO FROM THE SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT. 
          I'VE BEEN LIVING IN THE COUNTY SINCE 99, SO I'VE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE. 
          AND YOUR NAME PLEASE? IVAR OL, I'M SORRY. 
          IVAR. 
          OL IVAR. 
          OKAY. 
          C-E-D-E-R-H-O-L-M. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, UH, LISTENING AND I KNOW I HAVE THE THREE MINUTES. 
          FIRST OF ALL, I LIKE TO, UH, CONGRATULATE YOU TO, UH, PLEASE DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH SAMUEL'S LIBRARY. 
          I THINK THERE ARE LOTS OF BOOKS. 
          WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT BOOK BURNING, BUT THERE ARE BOOKS THAT DEFINITELY SHOULDN'T BE ON A SHELF FOR CHILDREN TO LOOK AT. 
          AND I HOPE YOU DO YOUR JOB THERE. 
          UH, WHY I CAME TO ASK A QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE INVESTMENTS. 
          UM, I WORKED IN FINANCE FOR ALL MY LIFE AND I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A PROBLEM UNDERSTANDING, UM, THE RISK LEVEL THAT THIS VERY NICE. 
          UM, FUND MANAGERS EXPLAINED, I THINK THERE ARE RULES THAT YOU, YOU CAN ONLY INVEST IN CERTAIN PAPERS. 
          UM, PERSONALLY I THINK 4.9% IN 2024 IS NOT REALLY A VERY GOOD RETURN 'CAUSE WE HAVE HIDING INTEREST RATES. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY POSSIBILITY TO SEE HOW YOU CAN EXPAND THAT IN 2025. 
          AND I WOULD'VE ASKED THESE PEOPLE WHAT THEIR VIEW IS ON THE INTEREST RATES. 
          BECAUSE WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING FOR YOU GUYS IS NOT WHAT YOU EARNED IN THE LAST YEAR. 
          IT'S HOW ARE YOU GONNA INVEST YOUR MONEY IN 2025? BECAUSE THE OUTLOOK, OF COURSE IS, IS A BIT DIFFICULT BECAUSE INTEREST RATE MAY GO UP, MAY GO DOWN, WE MAY HAVE TAR FORCE, WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON, BUT I THINK IT WOULD'VE BEEN INTERESTING TO HAVE THESE PEOPLE PROVIDE A VIEW TO US TAXPAYER HOW OUR MONEY'S GONNA BE INVESTED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. 
          SO IF YOU, IF YOU WILL BRING THEM BACK AGAIN OR IF YOU, I THINK THE TREASURER LEFT. 
          YES, SHE DID. 
          UM, AS A TAXPAYER, I LIKE TO KNOW HOW INVESTMENTS ARE GONNA BE MADE FOR THE NEXT YEAR AND WHAT IS THE RISK LEVEL, WHAT KIND OF PAPERS ARE YOU INVESTING IN AND IS IT POSSIBLE TO GO OUTSIDE, UM, THE BOX? 'CAUSE I THINK THESE PEOPLE, UM, THEY'RE PROBABLY VERY SMART, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE 
          [01:50:01]
RESTRICTED ON HOW THEY CAN INVEST THE FUNDS. 
          SO IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT YOU CAN FIND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES WITH HIGHER YIELDS, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT BECAUSE I THINK, UM, YOU CAN MAKE ACTUALLY A BETTER RETURN THAN WE DID IN 2024 IF YOU HAD INVESTED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN THIS, UH, SEGMENT? HELLO, I'M LOUIS MOTON FROM THE NORTH RIVER DISTRICT. 
          UM, JOE MENTIONED MY NAME ABOUT SCANNING DOCUMENTS AND YOU HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THAT. 
          AND I WAS PUT, I WAS KIND OF INVOLVED IN PUSHING FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. 
          AS FAR AS I KNOW, I'M THE ONLY ONE DOING IT AND I DON'T HAVE TIME AND I DON'T, THERE'S SO MUCH THERE. 
          I DON'T BELIEVE I CAN DO IT IN MY LIFETIME. 
          SO IF YOUR INTEREST, I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU REACH OUT TO JOE AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN WORK OUT. 
          'CAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH, UM, THERE IN OUR HISTORY. 
          IT, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE WHAT'S, WHAT'S THERE AND WHAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE. 
          UM, I KEEP HEARING THE FIRE ALARM BATTERY GO OFF. 
          I THINK WE HAVE A FIRE MARSHAL HERE, SO I'D RECOMMEND TALKING TO HIM ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THE, THIS BROADBAND EFFORT, I THINK THE PRICE IS VERY HIGH. 
          A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TROUBLE JUST GETTING $400 IN THEIR BANK ACCOUNT. 
          AND I SEE A, AN INSTALLMENT FEE OF $200. 
          YOU CONSIDER THE, THE FIRST MONTH FOR LIKE, I THINK IT WAS LIKE A HUNDRED BUCKS. 
          UM, I HAVE BROADBAND HERE IN TOWN AND I ONLY SWITCHED OVER 'CAUSE IT WAS LIKE 10 BUCKS MORE THAN MY CABLE BILL. 
          AND THEY DIDN'T CHARGE ME FOR INSTALLATION FEE. 
          UH, MY, AND YOU COULD SAY IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE REMOTE. 
          MY FATHER'S IN A DEAD ZONE. 
          THEY RECENTLY CLOSED THE GENERAL STORE THAT WAS A POST OFFICE, SO THERE'S NOTHING IN HIS TOWN ANYMORE. 
          BUT HE DIDN'T PAY FOR ANYTHING AND HIS DRIVEWAY WAS LIKE A MILE LONG. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CAN WORK OUT IF THERE'S FEDERAL INCENTIVES FOR THESE PEOPLE. 
          I DON'T LIVE OUT THERE, BUT I THINK THIS, THIS, THERE, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME KIND OF PLAN FOR THESE PEOPLE, UM, TO GET INTO THE DIGITAL AGE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES MA'AM. 
          HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS SYDNEY PATTON AND I AM IN THE SHENANDOAH DISTRICT. 
          I DIDN'T ACTUALLY INTEND ON SPEAKING THIS EVENING, SO I DIDN'T PREPARE ANYTHING. 
          BUT I HAVE SAT HERE LISTENING TO A WHOLE LOT ABOUT FINANCES, A WHOLE LOT ABOUT PLANS AND COMMITTEES AND POLICIES AND SO ON. 
          BUT THE ONE THING THAT I THINK IS MISSING IN THIS ENTIRE DEBATE ABOUT THE LIBRARY IS THE PEOPLE, THESE STAFF MEMBERS ARE AMAZING AND EVERY DAY THEY ARE GOING TO WORK UNSURE OF WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN ON JULY 1ST. 
          YET THEY STILL STAND THERE AND THEY SMILE AND THEY ANSWER QUESTIONS AND DO EVERYTHING INSIDE. 
          THEY MUST BE TERRIFIED. 
          AS WE HEARD AT THE LAST MEETING, ONE OF THEM IS WORRIED ABOUT PAYING FOR HER HOUSE. 
          I HONESTLY DO NOT KNOW HOW THEY CAN DO THEIR JOB AND DO IT SO WELL, BEING SO UNSURE AND IT BREAKS MY HEART THAT WE HAVE TO DO THIS. 
          AND YOU TALK ABOUT NEEDING A COMMITTEE OR A PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM TO HELP YOU OBVIOUSLY MUST BE GETTING SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY. 
          NOW IMAGINE HAVING TO DO THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY IN YOUR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT FOR EIGHT HOURS A DAY. 
          CONSTANTLY HAVING PEOPLE COME UP TO YOU, ASK YOU QUESTIONS CONSTANTLY, NOT BEING ABLE TO GET AWAY FROM IT AND BEING PROFESSIONALLY REQUIRED TO, EVEN IF THEY SAY THEY DON'T LIKE YOU OR CALL YOU NAMES, STILL HAVE TO SMILE BECAUSE IT'S YOUR JOB TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY. 
          YOU GUYS OBVIOUSLY GO THROUGH THAT IN EMAILS AND THINGS LIKE THESE. 
          I GET IT. 
          BUT YOU DO GET A REPRIEVE. 
          THEY HAVE TO DO IT EVERY DAY. 
          SO ALL I'M ASKING IS THAT WE RETURN THE HUMAN ELEMENT TO THIS. 
          WE GET RID OF HYPOTHETICALS AND WE START CARING ABOUT THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY, THE PEOPLE OF THE LIBRARY. 
          YOU GUYS ARE OBVIOUSLY ALL PEOPLE. 
          WE NEED TO REMEMBER PEOPLE. 
          THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING. 
          SO I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE TIME AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND GOOD LUCK ON 
          [01:55:01]
YOUR DECISION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          HERE, HERE IS THERE I NANCY SMITH SHENANDOAH. 
          I, I STILL, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW IT'S GOTTEN TO THIS. 
          WHEN LOOKED AT THE PRESENTATION, ALL THE PROGRAMS, THEY'RE AMAZING. 
          AND WHEN THEY WENT THROUGH THE STATS OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE UTILIZED IT AND CHILDREN AND UM, AND THEN I KNOW THAT YOU CAN SEE ALL THE FINANCIALS ON THEIR WEBSITE. 
          IT'S THREE CLICKS AND YOU'RE THERE. 
          EXPENDITURES INCOME. 
          I ATTENDED THE FIRST WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD MEETING LAST, AND VICKY, YOU WERE THERE. 
          AND SO I JUST WAS REALLY SURPRISED THAT I FELT THAT THEY DIDN'T, THEY DIDN'T KNOW VERY MUCH ABOUT IT. 
          THOSE THAT HAD BEEN APPOINTED OR CHOSEN, LIKE THEY WERE ASKING ABOUT FINANCIALS AND I THOUGHT, OH, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO ON THE SAMUELS LIBRARY WEBSITE AND IT'S THERE. 
          I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR ROLE IS. 
          I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE INITIAL INTENT WAS OF YOU APPOINTING A WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD. 
          I DON'T UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING IS, WAS IN PLACE. 
          THE WEBSITE, THE PROGRAMS, THE FUNDING. 
          IS IT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST WANNA GET RID OF HAVING A LIBRARY AND NOT HAVE TO PAY 1.2 MILLION. 
          AND THEN HOW MUCH IS THIS? HOW MUCH IS THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD GONNA COST US? YOU HAVEN'T BEEN AUTHENTIC OR TRANSPARENT WITH THE NUMBERS. 
          YOU REALLY, IF YOU JUST BLINDSIDE US, IT FEELS LIKE BACK IN NOVEMBER, YOU KNOW, MR. JAMESON, YOU PUT THAT REPORT FORTH AND YOU NEVER MET WITH THE LIBRARY TO EVEN SHOW IT TO THEM. 
          I DUNNO. 
          I JUST, I I DON'T GET IT. 
          I DON'T GET IT. 
          I DON'T, I DON'T SEE ANY PURPOSE IN HAVING A WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD. 
          ZERO. 
          IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO, IS THERE, ANYBODY, ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          UH, THE FIRST PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED. 
          SO NEXT 
          [I. Reports – Board Members, County Administrator, County Attorney]
ON THE, UH, ON OUR AGENDA IS, UH, BOARD REPORTS. 
          AND, UH, MS. KOHLERS, ARE YOU, YOU READY? YES, SIR. 
          UM, ATTENDED ON JUNE, I MEAN JUNE, I'LL JUST GO UP ANOTHER FEW MONTHS. 
          JANUARY 30TH, ATTENDED THE TOWN COUNTY LIAISON MEETING AT THE TOWN HALL. 
          UM, FEBRUARY 1ST I ATTENDED, UM, THERE'S A, A GROUP CALLED WILD HAWKS. 
          THEY ARE COMPRISED OF PARENTS FROM SCOTLAND HIGH SCHOOL AND WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL. 
          AND IT WAS A FUNDRAISER FOR THE BASEBALL TEAMS. AND, UM, I DIDN'T WIN ANYTHING, BUT I NEVER GO EXPECTING TO. 
          SO, UH, BUT IT WAS WELL ATTENDED IN A FUN EVENT. 
          UM, I'VE MET WITH RESIDENTS ABOUT VARIOUS CONCERNS, MOSTLY THE REASSESSMENTS. 
          AND I'LL HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SEEING MY OWN, UM, I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS THAT LEAVES ME WITH A LITTLE CONFIDENCE IN THE WAY THIS ASSESSMENT DONE. 
          I JUST HAVE TO BE HONEST ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, WHEN I HEAR A RESIDENT SAY THAT HE WAS ASSESSED FOR A METAL BARN AT $690,000 LISTED ON A LOT, HE DOES OWN, BUT HE DOESN'T HAVE A METAL BARN. 
          SO THOSE ARE, AND I'M HEARING THAT FROM A LOT. 
          SO I JUST HAVE TO PUT IT OUT THERE BECAUSE I'M GETTING, AND I'M SURE EVERYONE IS GETTING THOSE. 
          UM, AND I ACTUALLY HAD ONE RESIDENT ASK ME TO PUT FORTH A MOTION TO FREEZE THESE, UM, ASSESSMENTS INTO FUTURE AND FURTHER REVIEW. 
          AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT PLACE TO DO IT BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE THE APPEALS TO GO THROUGH AND WE STILL HAVE TO APPOINT A BOARD OF EQUALIZATION WHERE YOU'LL GET TWO CHANCES TO APPEAL YOUR ASSESSMENTS TO THAT AND IT, AFTER THAT, I GUESS WE WILL, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT FROM THERE, HOW THAT'S GONNA GO. 
          BUT I AM AS CONCERNED AS YOU ALL ARE AND, UM, I HATE THESE. 
          I REALLY, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WHY DO WE MAKE THINGS SO DIFFICULT WHEN WE COULD SIMPLIFY THIS? 
          [02:00:01]
IN MY MIND, AT LEAST YOU BUY A HOUSE AND IT'S ASSESSED AND YOU PAY SAY, 600,000, WHY CAN'T WE JUST SAY FOR EVERY ASSESSMENT YEAR IT GOES UP 2%, 5%, WHATEVER. 
          WE COULD SAVE A LOT OF MONEY ON REASSESSMENTS. 
          AND YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT YOUR VALUATIONS ARE GONNA BE. 
          NOW IF YOU BUILD ON OR YOU DO A LOT OF INTERIOR STUFF, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S, THIS SYSTEM IS AWFUL. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          IT JUST IS. 
          AND THOSE ARE MY, MY THOUGHTS ON THAT. 
          UM, SO THAT IS MY REPORT AT THIS TIME. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          THANKS. 
          UM, UH, I ALSO ATTENDED THE TOWN COUNTY, UH, LIAISON MEETING WITH, UH, MS. CALLERS LAST WEEK. 
          UM, I MET WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE, UH, ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. 
          AND, UH, I'M ACTUALLY FEELING PRETTY COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE, WHERE IT STANDS. 
          UH, THE ISSUES THAT I'VE BROUGHT. 
          THEY'VE BEEN VERY ACCOMMODATING AND, UH, RESPONSIVE REGARDING, UM, AND WORKED ON A NUMBER OF CONSTITUENT ISSUES. 
          SIMILARLY, I'M, I'M GETTING PINGED ABOUT THE TAX BURDEN AND, UH, REASSESSMENTS, UH, I AM EXPLAINING TO PEOPLE THAT THAT'S, UH, NOT THEIR TAX BILL AND THAT, UH, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SET THE RATE. 
          UM, AND I, AND I SHARE WITH THEM THE REASSESSMENT, UH, APPEAL PROCESS. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GENERALLY THANKFUL FOR THAT. 
          UM, I'VE, I'VE ALSO REACHED OUT, UH, TO THE COMMISSIONER OF THE REVENUE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ACTUALLY GET, UM, SOME SORT OF REPORTING ABOUT THE OVERALL, UM, REASSESSMENTS, UH, UH, IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGE CHANGED, UH, AND MAYBE AT DIFFERENT COHORTS OF THE MARKET. 
          JUST, UH, THINGS THAT I WAS ABLE TO DO, UH, ON MY OWN A COUPLE YEARS AGO. 
          BUT THE, THE DATA IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FROM THE, UH, VIRGINIA MASS APPRAISAL NETWORK. 
          UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO, TO DIG INTO THAT STUFF NOW, OTHER THAN DOING ONE HOUSE AT A TIME. 
          UM, OTHER CON CONSTITUENT ISSUES I'VE DEALT WITH HAVE BEEN KIND OF RANDOM, UH, FERAL CATS, UH, SPOTTED LANTERN FLY INFESTATIONS, UM, AND SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT DATA CENTERS. 
          SO THAT'S MY REPORT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU SIR. 
          DR. 
          JAMESON, I, UM, ALSO MET WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AGAIN TO WORK OUT SOME MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. 
          UH, MY INTENTIONS IN WORKING ON THIS HAVE LARGELY BEEN FOCUSED ON, ON THE DUAL OBJECTIVE OF KEEPING DENSITY HOUSING FROM SPREADING INTO THE RURAL COUNTY AREAS, UH, WHILE ALSO TRYING TO FACILITATE THE ABILITY TO INCREASE THE HOUSING STOCK ON A DISPERSED BASIS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY TO TRY TO RELIEVE SOME OF THE PRICE PRESSURE THAT EVERYBODY'S EXPERIENCING, ESPECIALLY AFTER THESE ASSESSMENTS HAVE COME OUT. 
          I'M ALSO TRYING TO FACILITATE THE MOVEMENT OF LAND IN THE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR INTO THE APPROPRIATE ZONING CLASSIFICATION, UM, EFFICIENTLY AND AS FAST AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THE COUNTY'S NON-RESIDENTIAL TAX BASE CAN GROW AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, UH, WHICH IS OF COURSE THE INTENTION OF THE INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR. 
          I'VE ALSO TAKEN SEVERAL CALLS FROM ANY EMAILS FROM CONSTITUENTS, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ASSESSMENTS AND THE ASSESSMENTS PROCESS. 
          AGAIN, I ALWAYS ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO MAKE A FORMAL APPEAL. 
          UM, THERE IS A, SOME CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES A FORMAL APPEAL. 
          WHAT CONSTITUTES A, A HEARING? UH, I THINK I'M, I AGREE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME, SOME REPORTING AND STATISTICS FROM THE ASSESSOR THROUGH THE COMMISSIONER OF THE REVENUE TO SEE WHAT, WHAT THIS IS LOOKING LIKE COUNTYWIDE, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOMETIMES PEOPLE REPORTING THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING A PHONE CALL REVIEW. 
          UM, I HAVE HAD, UH, ACTUALLY BEEN REASSURED BY THE ASSESSOR THAT HE'S ACTUALLY FILLING OUT A FORM DURING THOSE PHONE CALLS. 
          AND SO THAT SHOULD COUNT AS A, AS A OFFICIAL, UH, APPEAL. 
          UM, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THIS. 
          I THINK. 
          UM, CLARIFICATION WOULD BE GOOD IDEA. 
          UM, I ALSO, EVEN, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT, IT MAY, I GUESS IT MIGHT NOT BE OBVIOUS, BUT I'D ALWAYS REITERATE TO PEOPLE THAT THE ASSESSMENT IS NOT THEIR TAX BILL. 
          UH, THERE CERTAINLY WILL BE A RATE ADJUSTMENT AS, AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. 
          UM, I WANNA MAKE A, A, A A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THE LITIGATION, UM, THAT SAMUELS HAS ENTERED INTO AGAINST THE COUNTY. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I WATCH A, A PRESENTATION THAT SHOWS, AND, AND I'VE SAID MANY TIMES, UH, THERE'S NOT A DISPUTE ABOUT WHETHER SAMUEL WAS PROVIDING A GOOD SERVICE TO THE, TO THE COUNTY. 
          UM, BUT IT'S DISAPPOINTING, UH, TO SEE THAT, THAT THERE'S, THERE'S BEEN NO, UH, RECOGNITION OF, OF THIS PROCESS. 
          THERE'S A, A OF, I DON'T KNOW, SAY I THINK IT'S INSTRUCTIVE THAT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INCORPORATED A PRIVATE NONPROFIT COMPANY THAT 
          [02:05:01]
RUNS WARREN COUNTY'S LIBRARY UNDER AN OPERATING AGREEMENT, HAS LITIGATED AGAINST WARREN COUNTY ITS CUSTOMER TO TRY TO STOP THE FORMATION OF WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD, WHICH WAS ALREADY BEEN DONE. 
          PRIVATE CONTRACTORS SUCH AS SAMUELS, THAT ARE SPENDING OVER A MILLION DOLLARS OF TAXPAYER FUNDS CANNOT BE LEGITIMATELY ALLOWED TO BE MONOPOLIES BY SUING THE COUNTY TO STOP IT FROM CREATING A LIBRARY BOARD, WHICH MORE THAN 95% OF THE COUNTIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH HAVE TO GOVERN. 
          PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES SEEMS IS NOW WAGING LAWFARE IN WARREN COUNTY TO TRY TO MAINTAIN A MONOPOLY AND AVOID A COMPETITIVE PROCESS TO PROVIDE CON CONTRACTED SERVICES. 
          IT SEEMS A PLOY TO TRY TO BLOCK ANY CONSIDERATION OF COST COMPETITIVE ALTERNATIVES TO THE BY THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD. 
          IT WOULD BE MORE CONVINCING TO THE PUBLIC IF SAMUELS TOOK ON THE CHALLENGE OF UNDERSTANDING THE LIBRARY BOARD'S OBJECTIVES AND PREPARING TO MAKE A COMPETITIVE PROPOSAL, RATHER THAN SUING THE COUNTY TO STOP THE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD FROM EVEN EXISTING. 
          IT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE AT LEAST PLAUSIBLE THAT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PER YEAR OF SAVINGS MAY BE REALIZED BY THE COUNTY. 
          AND IN MY OPINION, ONE OF THE FIRST RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD IS TO PURSUE INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSSIBLE COST SAVINGS OF LIBRARY SERVICES. 
          FORTUNATELY, THIS ATTEMPT AT A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL, AND WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD DISCOVERS IN THE COMING MONTHS. 
          UNHINDERED BY LEGAL MANEUVERS FROM SAMUELS CONTRACTED PUBLIC SERVICES MUST BE SUBJECT TO COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT IF TAXPAYERS WOULD BE BEST SERVED. 
          THIS IS A UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PRACTICE, AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD WILL ACT IN THE TAXPAYER INTEREST. 
          PLEASE, PLEASE, NO CLAPPING. 
          ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? NO. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU MS. COOK. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WELL, UH, TO GO DOWN TO, UM, THE THINGS THAT I HAVE, UM, BEEN INVOLVED WITH IS, UM, WE HAD THE R-S-W-R-S-W REGIONAL BOARD MEETING. 
          UM, NOW THAT I'M AN ALTERNATE TO THE IT COMMITTEE, UM, THAT, UH, THAT THE BOARD HAS, UM, I'VE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN A LOT OF IT CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND, UM, IT'S VERY, UM, VERY ENCOURAGING FOR ME THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT OUR NEEDS AND HOW WE CAN, UM, PROVIDE MORE TRANSPARENCY TO OUR, OUR CONSTITUENTS. 
          UM, OF COURSE, AS EVERYONE'S BEEN HERE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UM, WE HAD OUR FIRST, UM, WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD MEETING, UM, LAST WEEK AT THE GOVERNMENT CENTER. 
          SO WE HAVE ANOTHER PLANNED ONE FOR TOMORROW, BUT THERE'LL BE A DIFFERENT LOCATION. 
          THERE'LL BE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER OFF FA VILLA AVENUE. 
          UM, I WANTED TO ALSO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT ALL OUR CONSTITUENTS CALLING US ON THEIR ASSESSMENTS. 
          AND, UH, MY TAKEAWAY FROM THE FOLKS THAT I HAVE TALKED TO, I'VE TALKED TO IS THAT, UH, THE ASSESSMENTS, THE, THAT WHAT WE APPROVE THE ASSESSMENTS TO BE EQUALS TAX INCREASE FOR THEM. 
          THAT'S THAT TO ME, THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT I'M, I'M GETTING. 
          SO I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE THE BOARD WHEN WE GO THROUGH THESE BUDGET PROCESS, THE, THE BUDGET PROCESS, THAT WE DO OUR BEST TO BALANCE THE BUDGET AND LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS SO WE DON'T HAVE TO RAISE TAXES. 
          UM, UH, BECAUSE IT'S, UM, IT, IT'S IMPORTANT. 
          YOU KNOW, I, I'VE HEARD EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE SENIORS, YOU KNOW, WE GOT THE VETERANS, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE EVERYONE THAT LIVE PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK AND THEY HAVE TO LIVE WITHIN THEIR MEANS. 
          SO WE NEED TO LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS, AND I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT WHEN WE GO THROUGH THESE BUDGET PROCESS. 
          ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THA THANK YOU MS. COOK. 
          SO THE, UH, SO THE 22ND I MET WITH A, UH, A COUNTY CONSTITUENT, UH, CONCERNING SOME IDEAS THAT HE HAD ON, UH, ON ROUTE SIX 19, UH, ON THE 24TH AND 25TH. 
          UH, THAT'S FRIDAY AND SATURDAY I ATTENDED SOME TRAINING OVER IN 
          [02:10:01]
RICHMOND, UH, CONCERNING BEING THE, THE NEW CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          UH, LAST OF LAST TUESDAY, A WEEK AGO, I MET WITH, UH, JUST LIKE, UH, UH, DR. 
          JAMESON WAS SAYING THAT I MET WITH THE, UH, THE PLANNING, UH, FOLKS. 
          AND, UH, WE WENT OVER THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THEY WERE SHOWING ME SOME OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE IDEAS, KIND OF, KIND OF DRILLING DOWN INTO THAT. 
          UM, THE 29TH ON WEDNESDAY, I MET WITH, UH, UH, UH, CHIEF FOLEY, AND IT WAS CONCERNING THE, UH, E EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, UH, OVER AT THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING AS THE, AS THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          I AM THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR FOR THE COUNTY. 
          THAT THAT'S CORRECT, DIDN'T IT? YEAH. 
          DIRECTOR, SIR. 
          I'M, YOU ARE THE DIRECTOR. 
          MR. FOLEY IS THE COORDINATOR. 
          OKAY. 
          SORRY, CHIEF, I'M THE DIRECTOR. 
          HE'S THE, HE'S THE COORDINATOR. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          UH, ON THE 30TH, UH, I ATTENDED THE, UH, THE TOWN HALL, UH, MEETING AND, UH, THE, UH, AND THEN, UH, TODAY, UM, I WAS DOWN IN, UM, UH, STANTON AND, UH, ATTENDED, UH, ATTENDED THE FIRST OF THREE DAYS OF TRAINING FOR THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, OF WHICH I'M THE DIRECTOR FOR THE COUNTY. 
          AND, UH, THAT IS, THAT IS MY, UH, MY REPORT. 
          SO DR. 
          DALEY, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          IF I COULD FOR JUST A COUPLE MOMENTS TO REMIND YOU ABOUT THE REASSESSMENT PROCESS. 
          UM, THIS REASSESSMENT WE HAVE, UH, RECEIVED, EVERYBODY'S RECEIVED THEIR INITIAL NOTICE AND WE ARE NOW HAVING HEARINGS. 
          THE HEARINGS YOU CAN CALL THERE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. 
          THEY ARE DOWN THE HALL. 
          YOU CAN COME DOWN THERE AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. 
          YOU CAN KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND THEY WILL MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. 
          ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO COME AND SEE THEM MAY DO SO. 
          IF THEY WANT TO DO IT OVER THE PHONE, THEY MAY DO. 
          SO IN EITHER CASE, AFTER THEY ARE COMPLETED, THE END OF FEBRUARY, THE BOARD WILL GET THE RESULTS OF THE REASSESSMENT IS WHAT THAT AMOUNT OF RE RECALCULATING EVERYTHING. 
          AND YOU'LL GET A REPORT FROM THE COMMISSIONER THAT TELLS YOU THIS IS WHAT EVERYTHING IS UP AND SO FORTH. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE HOW YOU WOULD ADJUST THE RATE. 
          THAT'S JUST A REMINDER OF THE TIMES WHEN YOU CAN COME IN TO SEE THEM. 
          THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION WILL BE STARTING TO MEET IN APRIL. 
          IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT PROPERTIES, YOU CAN FOLLOW THIS PROCESS, AND THIS IS ON OUR WEBSITE. 
          YOU CAN COME AND LOOK AT IT AND YOU CAN LOOK AT ANY OF THE PROPERTIES IN THE COUNTY. 
          AFTER ALL OF THAT IS COMPLETED AND YOU HAVE THE TOTAL PICTURE, YOU WILL BE RE REASSESSING THE RATE, YOU WILL EQUALIZE IT. 
          AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, YOU MUST BE WITHIN 1% OF THE REVENUE FOR THE LAST YEAR. 
          SO YOU TAKE LAST YEAR'S REVENUE TIMES 1.01, AND THAT'S THE MAXIMUM YOU CAN BE AT WITHOUT GOING TO A PUBLIC HEARING AND ACTUALLY RAISING THE RATE. 
          THEN THERE'S THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION. 
          THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS NEEDS TO APPOINT THREE MEMBERS AND ONE ALTERNATE. 
          UNLESS SOMEONE FROM THE BOARD HERE OBJECTS, WE ARE GOING TO ADVERTISE THAT ON OUR WEBPAGE NOW SO THAT YOU CAN START RECEIVING APPLICATIONS BECAUSE YOU WILL NEED TO COMPLETE THAT PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT BOARD UP AND RUNNING IN APRIL. 
          AND YOU HAVE RECEIVED PREVIOUSLY THE, THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PHYSICIAN AND SO FORTH AND WHAT THEY DO. 
          UM, SO DOC, DR. 
          DALEY, COULD YOU CLARIFY? SEE LIKE IF SOMEBODY GETS THEIR AS ASSESSMENT, THEY TAKE A LOOK AT IT, THEY HAVE NO 
          [02:15:01]
PROOF OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THEY, IT JUST DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT. 
          THEY CAN BRING THAT IN, SIT DOWN WITH THE, UH, THEY CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND SAY, COULD YOU PLEASE LOOK AT THIS? 'CAUSE SOMETHING JUST DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT ON THAT. 
          I MEAN, THEY CAN DO THAT, CAN'T THEY? THEY CAN DO THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, THEY ARE, THERE'S, THERE'S A RAPID INCREASE FOR EVERYONE. 
          AND, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS, THEY'RE HAVING THE SAME INCREASES AS THERE'S THIS DON'T GO TO WORK, WORK AT HOME. 
          SO PEOPLE ARE MOVING AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE MOVING. 
          A LOT OF 'EM, IF YOU LOOKED AT THE VIRGINIA MAP LAST MONTH THAT YOU GOT, THE AREA THAT'S DECLINING POPULATION IS NORTHERN VIRGINIA. 
          THE AREA THAT'S GROWING IS FREDERICK AND WARREN. 
          AND THOSE PEOPLE, QUITE BLUNTLY ARE BRINGING MONEY WITH THEM. 
          THEY CAN BUY PROPERTIES. 
          YOU CAN SELL YOUR HOUSE OVER THERE, TAKE ALL THE CASH, AND YOU CAN PAY CASH HERE AND PUT MONEY IN THE BANK. 
          YOU HAVE, EVERY MONTH YOU RECEIVE, PEOPLE WHO COME IN HERE ARE LOOKING TO INVEST MONEY. 
          THEY WANNA HAVE SOME SHORT TERM RENTALS. 
          YOU GET THEM FROM MARYLAND, YOU GET THEM FROM NORTHERN VIRGINIA, YOU GET THEM FROM WASHINGTON, YOU GET THEM FROM WASHINGTON STATE, YOU HAD ONE FROM TEXAS, YOU GET THEM FROM OREGON. 
          THOSE PEOPLE ARE INVESTING HERE AND THEY ARE DRIVING YOUR MARKET. 
          AND UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S THE WAY IT IS. 
          THAT'S THE MARKET WE ALL LIVE IN. 
          AND SO WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT WITH, I I JUST WANTED TO, OUR ASSESSMENTS JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU ADDED 2% TO THE, TO THE HOUSE EACH YEAR OR EACH, EACH TIME THAT YOU REASSESSED IT, THAT'D BE GREAT BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE THESE HUGE FLUCTUATIONS. 
          BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN HAPPY BACK IN 2008 WHEN THE HOUSING MARKET DROPPED BY 25% AND, AND MY HOUSE WAS REASSESSED AT 2% MORE THAN, THAN WHAT IT, UH, WHAT IT HAD BEEN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. 
          I, I WOULDN'T BE REAL HAPPY WITH THAT. 
          SO THE, UH, SO I KNOW THAT IT'S A, IT'S A PAINFUL SYSTEM OF SOMETIMES YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT. 
          I KNOW THAT, THAT, THAT OUR HOUSE WENT UP IN THE, IN THE, THE, UH, ASSESSMENT. 
          UH, BUT THE, UH, UM, I'VE JUST, UH, TRUST THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO, TO WORK THROUGH THIS AND EQUITABLY AND, UH, UM, SO WANT TO DISCUSS BRIEFLY YOUR SCHEDULE FOR THE NEXT MONTH OR SO. 
          I'LL REMIND YOU THAT THIS THURSDAY, LIKE THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, YOU WILL BE HERE TO INTERVIEW YOUR RECRUITER PROPOSALS. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THAT'S NEXT WEEK. 
          THIS WEEK, I'M SORRY, IS THE AGENCIES. 
          YES, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THIS WEEK IS THE AGENCIES, AND YOU START YOUR DEPARTMENT BUDGETS. 
          NEXT WEEK IS THE, NEXT TUESDAY IS THE RECRUITERS. 
          NOW TO, TO CLARIFY, THAT'S THURSDAY, ISN'T IT? THAT THE, THAT'S, UH, NO, THAT'S THIS WEEK. 
          THAT'S A TUESDAY. 
          NO, THIS WEEK, THURSDAY WE HAVE A MEETING THIS THURSDAY. 
          YEAH. 
          YES, THIS THURSDAY OF THE AGENCIES. 
          OKAY. 
          STARTING AT FIVE O'CLOCK FEBRUARY THE 25TH, YOU WILL HAVE REMAINING DEPARTMENT BUDGETS. 
          AND ON MARCH 11TH, WE WILL HAVE A WORK SESSION AND ASK YOU TO REVIEW THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. 
          AGAIN, WE WOULD REQUEST THAT YOU DELETE ITEM ONE FROM YOUR CONSENT AGENDA UNTIL THIS IS COMPLETE. 
          REMEMBER, THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS ADOPTED A DRAFT PLAN TO SUBMIT TO YOU A RECOMMENDATION. 
          AND THAT IS THE ONE RIGHT NOW THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE HEARING ON. 
          AND THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT EACH OF YOU TALKED TO THE STAFF ABOUT. 
          SO WE NEED TO GET OUR, GET EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE THERE. 
          SO WE REQUEST THAT YOU DELETE ITEM L ONE, AND THEN YOU WILL HAVE THAT, THE REVIEW OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ON THE WORK SESSION MARCH 11TH, 
          [02:20:02]
MARCH 25TH IS YOUR WORK, WORK SESSION ON THE BUDGET, ANY REMAINING DEPARTMENTS, YOUR CIP, THE ASSETS, YOUR REVENUES, HOPEFULLY THE DISCUSSION ON TAX EQUALIZATION AND YOUR SCHOOL BOARD PRESENTATION. 
          UM, AND THAT'S ON MARCH, WHAT AGAIN? MARCH 25TH, MA'AM? 25TH. 
          YES. 
          REMIND, UH, YOU AND DR. 
          JAMISON THAT THERE IS A MEETING TOMORROW AT FOUR O'CLOCK TO DOWN THERE AND SEE WHAT THEY HAVE FOR YOU TO LOOK AT. 
          UM, I WANNA RESPOND BRIEFLY TO DR. 
          JAMISON'S QUESTION EARLIER. 
          UM, UM, WE KIND OF HAVE TO GO BY THE AUDIT. 
          THE AUDIT TELLS US THIS IS WHAT, UH, MR. MICHAEL COMES IN AND STAMPS AND HE COMES IN AND TALKS TO YOU EACH YEAR. 
          THIS IS WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE. 
          THIS IS WHAT THE STATE HAS. 
          SO WE, WE KIND OF FEEL LIKE WE KIND OF WE'RE BOUND TO THAT AUDIT FOR JUNE 30, 19, 20 20. 
          THE AUDIT REPORT FOR REVENUE FROM INTEREST IS $517,000, 2021, $130,000, 2022. 
          A NEGATIVE. 
          REPEAT THAT. 
          NEGATIVE $478,000. 
          TWENTY TWENTY THREE, THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY $8,000. 
          NOW IF YOU REMEMBER THE LITTLE CHARTS WE HAD WITH THE MONTHLY REVENUE AND THE LITTLE LINES MRS. COOK PUT ON THERE TO SHOW HOW IT WORKS. 
          THOSE WERE ALWAYS ABOVE, UH, THE AVERAGE WAS ALWAYS ABOVE $30 MILLION. 
          HE DIPPED DOWN INTO THE TWENTIES IN, UH, THE FALL, LIKE OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, AND IN THE SPRING, APRIL, MAY, BUT THEN IT WOULD GO BACK UP TO 40. 
          SO THE AVERAGE IS APPROXIMATELY $30 MILLION, AND WE CAN GET YOU A BETTER NUMBER. 
          BUT APPROXIMATELY THAT, AND FOR MY MATH, 3%, ASSUMING THE AVERAGE BETWEEN TWO AND FIVE, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THAT THREE. 
          GIVE 'EM THE BENEFIT OF A DOUBT. 
          THAT'S $900,000. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S $900,000 THAT WE CAN PUT INTO OUR BUDGET. 
          NO MA'AM. 
          I'M SAYING THAT IF YOUR AVERAGE BALANCE IS $30 MILLION MM-HMM . 
          AND THAT'S INVESTED AT 3%, THAT'S $900,000 THAT WILL JUST STAY IN THE WEALTH FUND. 
          THAT WE WOULDN'T UTILIZE IT IN OUR, NO MA'AM. 
          ANNUAL BUDGETS? NO, MA'AM. 
          I'M SAYING THAT'S JUST THE MULTIPLICATION. 
          I SEE. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M SAYING THAT IN 23 YOU EARNED 358. 
          IN 22 IT WAS A NEGATIVE 478. 
          YEAH, I GOT THAT 21. 
          IT WAS 130. 
          IN 2020 IT WAS 517. 
          SO IF YOU AVERAGE IT AT 30,000 IN THE MEDIUM, AT 30, 30000000% EACH YEAR, WE SHOULD HAVE GOT 900,000. 
          THAT'S SHOULD BE AN AVERAGE THERE. 
          ASSUME THE, AND USING 3% AS THE INTEREST. 
          MM-HMM . 
          I TRIED TO BE VERY CONSERVATIVE ABOUT THIS. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANY CONTEXT BEHIND THE YEAR WITH THE NEGATIVE INTEREST? I DEFER THAT QUESTION, SIR, TO THE TREASURER. 
          WELL, YOU HAD THE GENTLEMAN TELLING YOU, AND IF YOU PUT THE MONEY IN THE STATE ACCOUNT, THE VIRGINIA INVESTMENT POOL, IT'S DAY IN, DAY OUT, AND YOU CAN TAKE IT OUT ANY DAY YOU WANT. 
          SO THE, SO THE, SO IF YOU CAN, IF IT, BUT, BUT YOU CAN'T WRITE CHECKS ON IT, BUT YOU CAN PULL IT OUT AND PUT IT IN THE BANK ACCOUNT AND THEN WRITE CHECKS ON IT, CAN'T YOU? YOU CAN WRITE CHECKS OUT AND PULL IT OUT THE SAME DAY. 
          OKAY. 
          BECAUSE I FIGURED IT OUT. 
          IT THAT WAS, THERE'S A, THERE'S A CASH FLOW SYSTEM THAT IS NEEDED THERE, BUT THAT MONEY CAN BE INVESTED UP UNTIL THAT TIME POINT. 
          [02:25:01]
OR IS WHAT WAS SUGGESTED HERE IS THAT THAT'S INVESTED AT 2%. 
          AND IF YOU TAKE THAT TIME PLUS THE FIVE, I AVERAGE THAT AT THREE. 
          I'M TRYING TO GIVE THE BENEFIT THERE. 
          WELL, WELL, I FIGURED OUT THAT, UH, THAT'S 900 HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, SIR. 
          OKAY. 
          WHAT YOU'RE MAKING A COMMENT ABOUT IS THE PAST HISTORY OF THIS FIRM. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          YES, SIR. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, AND WHAT WAS PRESENTED TODAY WAS 2024, WHICH IS NOT AUDITED. 
          CORRECT. 
          BUT, BUT I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT, I MEAN, THE POINT IS IT'S NOT AUDITED, NOT THAT IT'S THAT OTHER THAN THE TRUTH OTHER THAN WHAT HAPPENED. 
          BUT, BUT YOU'RE MAKING A POINT. 
          BUT I THINK THE FACT THAT THE, THE, THE CHOICE OF, OF WHERE TO PARK THE MONEY HAS BEEN THIS SPOT FOR MANY YEARS NOW, AND YOU'RE POINTING OUT THAT RECORD OVER THOSE MANY YEARS. 
          AND TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION WAS ABOUT 2024. 
          YES, SIR. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, LET'S JUST KEEP ON WORKING THIS. 
          YES MA'AM. 
          COUNSELOR, I HAVE NO COMMENT MR. GERMAN. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          SO NEXT 
          [J. Approval of Minutes - January 21st Regular Meeting ]
ON OUR, ON OUR AGENDA IS THE, UM, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR JANUARY 21ST REGULAR MEETING. 
          I HAVE NO CHANGES. 
          I'M GOOD NOW PER I MOVE TO PROVE THE MINUTES, SIR. 
          UH, ON THE MINUTES. 
          AYE. 
          WHAT? I DIDN'T, I THINK YOU NEED A SECOND. 
          WAS THERE A MOTION? OH, OH, OH. 
          NO, NO, NO. 
          I, I WAS JUST, JUST ASKING DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED TO CHANGE? NO, NO. 
          I'M FINE. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE MINUTES? UH, AS, UH, PUBLISHED? SO MOVED. 
          SECOND. 
          SECOND. 
          MRS. COOK? AYE. 
          DR. 
          JAMESON? AYE. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. 
          MR. STAN MEYER. 
          AYE. 
          MRS. SCHOLARS? AYE. 
          [L. Consent Agenda]
ALRIGHT, SO THE, UM, NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE CONSENT AGENDA. 
          UM, CHAIRMAN BUTLER, I MOVE TO, UM, REMOVE ITEM ONE FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. 
          PULL THAT OFF, UH, AND, UH, TABLE IT UNTIL AFTER, UM, A WORK SESSION ON MARCH 11TH. 
          UH, SO THAT ITEM IS THE AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE WARREN COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. 
          OKAY? YES. 
          I'LL SECOND THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ROLL CALL. 
          WAIT A MINUTE. 
          I'D LIKE TO PULL ITEM 15. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          OFF OF THAT I THINK. 
          I'M SORRY, BUT YOU'RE PULLING THAT FOR DISCUSSION, AREN'T YOU MA'AM? YES. 
          SO THAT'S SEPARATE THAN THIS MOTION TO TABLE UNTIL THIS DATE. 
          OKAY. 
          SORRY. 
          I'LL WAIT. 
          SO ROLL CALL MRS. CUT. 
          AYE. 
          MR. STAN MEYER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. 
          DR. 
          JAMIS AYE. 
          C**K? AYE. 
          [L.15. Request for Quotes for a Communications Consultant - Edwin Daley, County Administrator]
OKAY. 
          ARE THERE ANY OTHER CHANGES? I'D LIKE TO POOL NUMBER 15. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THAT IS THE, UH, REQUEST FOR QUOTES ON A COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT. 
          YES, SIR. 
          UM, I KNOW YOU GUYS HEARD IT ON TUESDAY, HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS, BUT TO GO ON THE RECORD TONIGHT, I I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS IS A WASTE OF TAXPAYERS MONEY, UH, ESPECIALLY AFTER HEARING MRS. COOK TO SAY, WE NEED GOING INTO THIS BUDGET TO LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS. 
          AND WE DON'T NEED THIS. 
          WE'VE NEVER HAD ONE. 
          AND I JUST THINK WE ARE ELECTED TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE. 
          IF THE PEOPLE WANNA TALK TO US, THEY WANNA GET IT FROM US. 
          I DON'T, I HAVE A NEIGHBOR WHO BACK IN 2019 WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT RAISING THE TAXES 10 CENTS AND THIS ROOM WAS PACKED ABOUT THAT AND SHE GOT UP, SHE'S A HARDWORKING WOMAN AND SHE PUT IT VERY SIMPLY THAT YOU 
          [02:30:01]
CAN PUT LIPSTICK ON A PIG, BUT IT'S STILL A PIG. 
          AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S KIND OF A GOOD ANALOGY WITH THIS. 
          UM, WE CAN TRY TO SELL IT. 
          THEY'RE NOT BUYING IT, THEY DON'T TRUST IT. 
          AND I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, WITH THE MONEY BEING AS TIGHT AS IT IS AND WITH THESE ASSESSMENTS BEING WITH IT IS, AND THE BURDEN ON THE COMMUNITY, THIS IS AN UNNECESSARY BURDEN ON THE COMMUNITY. 
          WE CAN TAKE CARE OF GETTING THROUGH THIS. 
          WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT AND IT'S TO ME, ENCUMBERED ON US AS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ELECTED TO DO THIS JOB, TO BE THE COMMUNICATORS, NOT HIRE SOMEBODY TO BE THE MIDDLE PERSON. 
          AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. 
          'CAUSE I THINK I'VE SPOKE AT AS MUCH AS I NEEDED TO TUESDAY, BUT THAT'S WHERE I AM. 
          I CAN'T SUPPORT THIS. 
          YEAH, I'M, I HAVE A, A PREPARED STATEMENT AND BEFORE I READ THE PREPARED STATEMENT, I'M GONNA, I WANNA MAKE A COMMENT, UM, IN REGARD TO SOME SEVERE CRITICISM. 
          I, I RECEIVE, YOU KNOW, AND I'M, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, UM, ABOUT THE PREPARED STATEMENTS THAT I READ AND, AND THAT'S ANNOYING TO THEM. 
          UH, I'M NOT AN EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKER. 
          I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN POLITICS. 
          UH, I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT I NEED TO SAY, SO THAT'S WHY I DO IT. 
          UM, AND IT'S, THAT'S THE WAY I FEEL I CAN COMMUNICATE WHAT I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT AS CLEARLY AS I CAN. 
          THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS A FUNDAMENTAL DUTY TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY TO OUR 30,000 TAXPAYER CITIZENS ABOUT MATTERS AFFECTING THEIR DAILY LIVES. 
          PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION SUPPORT WILL HELP THIS BOARD PROVIDE ACCURATE, TIMELY INFORMATION DIRECTLY TO CITIZENS ABOUT ESSENTIAL MATTERS LIKE PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS AND TAX RATE DECISIONS. 
          COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CHANGES TOURISM AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. 
          AND YES, DECISIONS SURROUNDING PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES SUCH AS THE COUNTY LIBRARY. 
          THIS SERVES THE PUBLIC INTEREST BY ENSURING THAT TAXPAYERS HAVE ACCESS TO FACTUAL INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S ACTIVITIES AND DECISIONS. 
          CURRENTLY, OUR COMMUNITY RECEIVES INFORMATION PRIMARILY THROUGH LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS THAT HAVE DEMONSTRATED CONSISTENT BIAS RATHER THAN OBJECTIVE REPORTING. 
          OFTEN MISQUOTING INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD, MYSELF INCLUDED, PUBLISHING UNSUBSTANTIATED FALSEHOODS THAT THEY HAVE TO RETRACT OR CHANGE AND PRESENTING ADVOCACY OPINION, WRITING IN THEIR STORIES AND ANTAGONISM TOWARD POLICY DECISIONS THEY'RE OPENLY AGAINST. 
          ACCORDING TO GALLUP, THE MEDIA IS NOW THE LEAST TRUSTED CIVIC AND POLITICAL INSTITUTION RANKING EVEN BELOW CONGRESS. 
          THIS EROSION OF TRUST MAKES DIRECT ACCURATE COMMUNICATION WITH CITIZENS EVEN MORE CRITICAL. 
          I BELIEVE IT'S A PUBLIC GOOD FOR THE COUNTY TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES AT, AT A NOMINAL COST. 
          INCIDENTALLY, I DO THINK IT IS FAIR TO POINT OUT THAT IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET, THE FIRST ONE THAT I PARTICIPATED IN FORMING $55,000 WAS CUT FROM THE BUDGET LINE ITEM FOR THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          THAT IS TO SAY THIS BOARD SAVED THE COUNTY $55,000. 
          'CAUSE IT DID NOT USE BENEFITS. 
          IT WAS ENTITLED TO RECEIVE AS PART-TIME EMPLOYEES OF THE COUNTY. 
          IF WE ARE WEIGHING EVERYTHING IN THE BALANCE, I THINK IT'S FAIR THAT SOMETHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE THAT HAS A CLEAR PUBLIC BENEFIT IS CERTAINLY JUSTIFIED AS AN EXPENSE IN LIEU OF PERSONAL BENEFITS THAT WE COULD BE RECEIVING BUT ARE NOT DOING. 
          SO SOME HAVE DRAWN A FALSE EQUIVALENCE BETWEEN THIS LEGITIMATE PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS FUNCTION AND THE SAMUELS LIBRARY PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN IN 2023, WHICH I HAVE STATED WAS AT DIRECTED AT THE WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          THE DISTINCTION IS CLEAR SAMUELS, A CONTRACTOR TO THE COUNTY USED THOSE RESOURCES TO RESIST TAXPAYER OVERSIGHT AND PRESSURE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DURING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. 
          IN CONTRAST, THIS BOARD, IF THIS BOARD USES A COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONAL, IT WILL BE TO FULFILL ITS PUBLIC INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS RESPONSIBILITIES ACROSS ALL AREAS OF COUNTY GOVERNANCE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YEAH, I I JUST WANNA SAY FIRST OF ALL, WHAT WE'RE APPROVING IS, IS, IS A, UM, RFP, IT DOESN'T HAVE A PRICE TO IT. 
          I KNOW WE WERE THROWING $50,000 BACK AND FORTH, BUT WE REALLY HAVEN'T COME UP WITH A, A BUDGET. 
          I KNOW THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, WE WERE ASKING WHERE THE, THE MONEY WOULD COME FROM. 
          AND, UH, MR. JAMESON, AS YOU POINTED OUT, THAT WAS ONE OF MY IDEAS THAT, YOU KNOW, 
          [02:35:01]
WE DID CUT BACK ON ON THAT, ON THE, UM, BENEFITS FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF DR. 
          DALEY HAS A STAFF, YOU KNOW, LOOKED AND SEE WHERE THEY WOULD ABSORB THIS COST FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. 
          UH, WOULD REMIND THE BOARD THAT THIS, IF, IF YOU APPROVE THIS DRAFT, WHICH WE ARE ASKING YOU TO APPROVE, IS THE MOTION, WHICH JUST AUTHORIZES US TO SOLICIT PROPOSAL. 
          THAT'S IT. 
          YOU'RE NOT APPROVING THIS DOCUMENT PER SE. 
          CORRECT. 
          BUT THAT WOULD BE DONE. 
          AND BY THE TIME YOU INTERVIEWED, WE WOULD BE TALKING MID-MARCH. 
          MARCH. 
          AND SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MONTHS. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND I HAVE, I HAVE MORE TROUBLE FINDING OUR INTEREST MONEY THAN I DO THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR A CONSULTANT, MA'AM. 
          , I STILL HAVE AN ACTION TO FIND OUT WHERE OUR DELINQUENT TAXES HAVE BEEN POSTED AS WELL. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, CAN SEE THE BOOK, HUH? YOU YOU CAN SEE THE BOOK. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, SO THAT YOU, AND THAT'S ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, A REVENUE STREAM, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'VE COLLECTED, YOU KNOW, OVER $3 MILLION. 
          OF COURSE DR. 
          DALEY HAS, YOU KNOW, HIS QUESTIONS OF WHERE THEY'VE BEEN POSTED IF THEY'VE BEEN POSTED, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT COULD PICK UP THIS, THIS COST AS WELL. 
          UM, AND THE LAST THING I WANNA POINT OUT, EVERYONE KEEPS CALLING IT A PR UM, UH, POSITION, BUT IT'S REALLY A, UM, COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT. 
          IT'S NOT A PR FIRM. 
          IT'S NOT WHERE THEY STRATEGIZE OR MARKET OUT OR MARKET ANY, YOU KNOW, HELP US SELL OURSELVES, UH, TO THE PUBLIC. 
          IT'S JUST A COMMUNICATIONS, UM, SPECIALIST. 
          SO, AND MR. JONES DID COME TO THE PODIUM AND MAKE A CLARIFICATION CLEARLY DELINEATING BETWEEN THOSE TWO FUNCTIONS, RIGHT? AND SO, UH, I THINK THAT'S RELEVANT AND THAT IS WHY THE WORDING CHANGED. 
          MM-HMM . 
          YES SIR. 
          THAT, THAT'S CORRECT. 
          HE DID. 
          SO, UM, SO AGAIN, I JUST WANNA AGAIN POINT OUT THAT THIS IS ONLY APPROVING FOR THE RFP. 
          OKAY. 
          IT'S NOT MAKING A FINAL DECISION. 
          THAT'S ALL I HAVE. 
          RIGHT? DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA OF LESS ITEMS ONE AND 15. 
          SO MOVED. 
          SECOND ROLL CALL MRS. COLORS. 
          AND THIS IS NOT, UH, I WANT MAKE IT CLEAR WE'RE NOT APPROVING ON THIS VOTE. 
          ONE OR 15? THAT'S CORRECT. 
          AYE. 
          MR. STEINMEYER? AYE. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. 
          DR. 
          JAMERSON? AYE. 
          MRS. COOK? AYE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, UH, NOW, UH, ITEM 15, ITEM ONE WAS TABLED AND ITEM 15. 
          UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION, UH, FOR, UH, ITEM 15? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SOLICIT QUOTES FOR A COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT. 
          DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. 
          ROLL CALL. 
          MRS. COOK? AYE. 
          DR. 
          JAMESON? AYE. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. 
          MR. STANIER? AYE MRS. SCHOLARS? NO. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, SO ADDITIONAL NEW BUSINESS. 
          ANY ADDITIONAL NEW BUSINESS? I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS WOULD BE ADDITIONAL NEW BUSINESS, BUT A COMMENT, UM, I ASKED TO DATE HOW MUCH WE HAD SPENT ON THE LIBRARY ISSUE AND IF THIS GOES THROUGH, I MEAN, THIS WHOLE THING WAS, YOU KNOW, TO BE FINANCIALLY, UM, PRUDENT WITH THE LIBRARY AND WE'RE HEADING TOWARDS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PLUS JUST MESSING WITH OUR, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE THING. 
          AND I THINK IT'S JUST A DARN SHAME I HAVE TO SAY THAT. 
          ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, SO THE, UH, THIS IS THE, THE, THE, UM, SECOND OF THE TWO PUBLIC COMMENT PERIODS. 
          PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE, UM, UH, SECOND 30, 30 MINUTE SEGMENT IS FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS. 
          DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP? NO, SIR. 
          DOES ANYBODY IN THE, IN THE, UH, OKAY SIR, WE, UH, YOU CAN ONLY SPEAK ONCE. 
          ONCE IN THE FIRST SECTION? NO, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ONCE, IT'S, UM, SPEAKERS MAY ONLY SPEAK ONCE PER MEETING AND MAY NOT SPEAK DURING BOTH PUBLIC COMMENT PERIODS, SO YOU WERE, YOU 
          [02:40:01]
WERE WELCOME TO COME BACK NEXT MEETING AND, AND SPEAK. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          ANYTHING ELSE? ALRIGHT. 
          UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. 
          SECOND. 
          SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          AYE.
* 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.