* 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.
          [00:00:07]
          UH, AT, UH, UH, SIX O'CLOCK OR RATHER 20 AFTER SIX. 
          I DO WANT TO SAY THAT, UH, UH, MS. COOK IS NOT AVAILABLE TONIGHT. 
          SHE IS ON, UH, UH, ZOOM AND MS. COOK, WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, TELL THE, UH, UH, AUDIENCE HERE AS TO WHERE YOU'RE AT AND WHY YOU'RE THERE? EXCUSE ME. 
          YOU WANT ME FEEDBACK? I'M IN CALIFORNIA. 
          I'M IN STATE CALIFORNIA RIGHT NOW WITH A FAMILY OBLIGATION. 
          COULD COULD YOU TURN YOUR, YOUR MIC OFF BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING FEEDBACK. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NO, WE CAN'T HEAR. 
          YOU CAN, CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? NO. 
          NOT GREAT. 
          IS ZACH GONNA GO GET IT? FIGURED HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE BACK THERE. 
          CAN, CAN YOU GO BACK? YEAH, I'LL GO CHECK IF HE'S THERE. 
          UH, DOUBLE CHECK THAT THEY CAN HEAR YOU. 
          IS YOUR MIC WORKING TESTING? YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IF I CAN HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE. 
          WE'LL, WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE, UH, THE WORK SESSION. 
          SI SILENCE PLEASE. 
          [B. Discussion - Tax Deferral for Industrial Property]
UH, THE, UH, WE'LL START WITH, UH, MR. HAM FOR THE, UH, TAX DEFERRAL FOR INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY. 
          SO, IN YOUR PACKET IS A EXPLANATION AND SUMMARY. 
          AND MR. CHAIRMAN, I THINK I PROBABLY COULDN'T DO BETTER THAN I I DID HERE, SO I'M JUST GONNA READ IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BOARD AND, AND THE PUBLIC. 
          PER VIRGINIA CODE 58.1 DASH 32 37 GA LOCALITY MAY ENACT AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING THAT WHEN A CHANGE IN ZONING OF REAL ESTATE TO A MORE INTENSIVE USE AT THE REQUEST OF THE OWNER OR HIS AGENT OCCURS, ROLLBACK TAXES SHALL NOT BECOME DUE SOLELY BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE IN ZONING IS FOR SPECIFIC, MORE INTENSIVE USES SET FORTH IN THE ORDINANCE. 
          SUCH REAL ESTATE MAY REMAIN ELIGIBLE FOR USE VALUE ASSESSMENT AND TAXATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE. 
          AS LONG AS THE USE BY WHICH IT QUALIFIED DOES NOT CHANGE TO A NON-QUALIFYING USE, AND NO ROLLBACK TAX SHALL BECOME DUE WITH RESPECT TO THE REAL ESTATE UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE USE BY WHICH IT QUALIFIED CHANGES TO A NON-QUALIFYING USE. 
          SO, DEVIATING FROM THE SCRIPT A LITTLE BIT, THE TWO CODE SECTIONS HERE WOULD DO JUST THAT, AND THE USES WOULD BE, UH, THOSE TO SET FORTH IN THE CODE WITH RESPECT TO INDUSTRIAL OR COMMERCIAL NATURE. 
          UM, UH, THE INTEREST RATE IMPOSED WOULD BE 6% FOR THE ROLLBACK TAX. 
          AND, UM, IN THE EVENT THAT THE BOARD WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, A A COUPLE OF THINGS, THIS WILL BE EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, 2026. 
          UH, THE VIRGINIA CODE PROVIDES THAT, UH, IF YOU ENACT ANYTHING RELATED TO THIS, UM, BY JUNE 30TH, THEN IT TAKES EFFECT THE FOLLOWING, UH, JANUARY 1ST. 
          SO IF THE BOARD WANTS TO PROCEED WITH THIS, THEY WOULD NEED TO TAKE ACTION BY JUNE 30TH. 
          THE BOARD WOULD ALSO NEED TO, UH, CHANGE WARREN COUNTY ZONING CODE ONE 60 DASH 23 AND ONE 60 DASH 23.1, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, ONE OF THE MOST, THE, THE FIRST ONE IS INDUSTRIAL, THE SECOND IS COMMERCIAL. 
          THEY DON'T ALLOW, 
          [00:05:01]
UH, AGRICULTURAL USES IN THOSE ZONES. 
          SO IF YOU WERE TO REZONE TO IN INDUSTRIAL, YOU WOULD THEN BE ABLE TO DO, YOU KNOW, WOULDN'T, IT WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF WHAT'S, UH, ATTEMPTED TO, TO HAPPEN HERE. 
          SO THE THOUGHT I KNOW WAS TO INCREASE DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE OF COURSE, IF YOU ARE SITTING ON A BIG PARCEL OF AGRICULTURAL LAND AND YOU REZONE IT, YOU'VE THEN GOTTA PAY, YOU KNOW, THE ROLLBACK IMMEDIATELY. 
          AND BY PASSING THIS, UH, THESE ORDINANCES, YOU COULD ENABLE PEOPLE TO REZONE TO COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL AND NOT TRIGGER THE ROLLBACK. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? NOT A QUESTION. 
          I JUST WANTED TO, TO, TO, TO SAY THAT THERE, THE, THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS COUNTY IS CHALLENGED BY IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          WE HAVE A, A, A NORTHERN CORRIDOR AND WE CALL IT THE FIVE TWENTY TWO A COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR. 
          UH, THERE'S A LOT OF PROPERTY THERE. 
          AND, UH, THIS, AN IMPEDANCE INVOLVED IN THESE ROLLBACK TAXES. 
          SO IF WE WANT INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, AND I PERSONALLY DO, UH, I CAMPAIGNED ON IT TO DEVELOP IN THAT AREA CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UH, THEN THIS IS SIMPLY A FACILITATING, UH, MOVE. 
          UM, SO I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I SUPPORT IT AND, UH, THAT I DO MS. CALLERS. 
          ANY, ANY COMMENTS? NO, I, I AGREE THAT, UM, WE WANT TO HAVE, THAT IS THE DESIGNATED AREA OUT IN THE CORRIDOR FOR INDUSTRIAL. 
          AND WHEN YOU HAVE A LARGE PIECE OF LAND, IT, YOU KNOW, YOU REZONE IT, IT MIGHT BE A FEW YEARS BEFORE THAT CAN ACTUALLY DEVELOPMENT START. 
          THE COST IS SO ENORMOUS WITH THE, THE CHANGE AUTOMATICALLY THAT THE LAND WILL SET THEIR STAGNANT AND NO DEVELOPMENT CAN HAPPEN. 
          SO IN ORDER TO DO THIS, YOU, UM, YOU REAP THE BACK TAXES BACK AT THE INCREASED VALUE, BUT, UM, YOU DON'T IMPOSE IT TO THE POINT WHERE IT JUST MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO EVEN DO SO. 
          I, I AGREE THAT, UM, DOING THIS IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF, UM, BUILDING OUR INDUSTRIAL BASE TO HELP RELIEVE THE RESIDENTIAL TAX BASE. 
          I AGREE. 
          WE NEED TO, UH, FACILITATE, UH, INDUSTRIAL IN THE INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR AT 5 22 IS ENVISIONED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND THIS CHANGE WOULD HELP WITH THAT. 
          UM, SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY YOU'RE, YOU'RE LEAVING MONEY ON THE TABLE IF YOU, UM, MAKE THE ROLLBACK CHANGE. 
          UM, HOWEVER, I THINK THE AMOUNT OF, UH, ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT THAT THIS WILL UNLOCK WILL MORE THAN COMPENSATE FOR THAT, WHICH IS, UM, MAKES IT REVENUE POSITIVE. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, THE GOAL IS TO TAKE BURDEN OFF THE TAXPAYERS AND TO, UM, BUILD UP OUR INDUSTRIAL BASE BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE WE'RE LACKING. 
          AND, AND, UH, TOO MUCH IS WRITING ON THE BACKS OF THE TAXPAYERS RIGHT NOW, AND THIS WOULD HELP FOR HELP ALLEVIATE THAT. 
          MS. COOK, I HAVE NO COMMENT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UH, I THINK THAT, UH, ANY COMMENTS THAT I WOULD HAVE, HAVE ALSO BEEN, UH, UH, HAVE ALSO BEEN COVERED. 
          SO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ON THE WORK SESSION? UH, NO. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          SO WE WILL PUT THIS ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE SINCE IT IS AN ORDINANCE AND REQUIRES THE, THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ADVERTISEMENT. 
          RIGHT. 
          OKEY DOE. 
          WELL, SO THE, UH, THIS ENDS THE WORK SESSION. 
          WE WILL HAVE, WE WILL MEET AT, UH, UH, 7:00 PM FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE, UH, UH, UH, FOR THE, UH, UH, FOR OUR NEXT, UH, PUBLIC SESSION. 
          [C. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance of the United States of America]
GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND WELCOME TO THE, UH, WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING FOR MARCH 4TH, 2025. 
          AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THE MEETING WITH, UH, IS, UH, OF PASTOR JUSTIN DOVE AVAILABLE. 
          IF NOT, I'D JUST LIKE TO, TO TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE THEN, PLEASE. 
          [00:10:10]
ALL RIGHT. 
          UH, CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC, WHICH IS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. 
          NOW, MR. CHAIRMAN, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE SUPERVISOR COOK, WHO'S PARTICIPATING REMOTELY. 
          SO SUPERVISOR COOK, UH, WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, ANNOUNCE WHERE YOU'RE AT AND WHY YOU'RE THERE? IF I'M IN, UH, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA AND I'M ON BECAUSE OF MY FAMILY OBLIGATIONS. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          SO, 
          [D. Adoption of Agenda – Additions or Deletions]
UH, NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS IS ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA. 
          DO I HAVE ANY ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA WITH THE ADDITION OF ITEM I DASH FIVE AGREEMENT OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, BETWEEN THE WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          LEMME START OVER. 
          AGREEMENT OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD AND THE WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          OKAY, DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND DISCUSSION. 
          OKAY. 
          ROLL CALL MRS. COOK. 
          AYE. 
          DR. 
          JAMESON? AYE. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. 
          MR. STEINMEYER? AYE. 
          MRS. CUTLER? AYE. 
          [E. Extension Office - Quarterly Report]
OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE, UH, THE EXTENSION OFFICE, THE QUARTERLY REPORT, A STATE AGENCY AS WELL AS THE COUNTY. 
          OKAY, MA MA'AM, JUST A SECOND. 
          I DON'T THINK YOUR MICRO IS THE LITTLE GREEN LIGHT ON IT IS. 
          IS THAT BETTER? OKAY. 
          THERE WE GO. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THANK YOU AGAIN. 
          IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. 
          I'M KAREN POFF AND I AM THE UNIT COORDINATION COORDINATOR OF THE, UH, VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OFFICE IN WARREN COUNTY. 
          AND WE ARE A FEDERAL AND STATE AND LOCAL AGENCY. 
          SO, UH, WE SERVE AT YOUR PLEASURE AND WE WANNA DO OUR BEST TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF WARREN COUNTY. 
          SO, UH, YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKET A QUARTERLY REPORT FROM US. 
          UH, THERE IS A REPORT FROM EVERY AGENT THAT SERVES WARREN COUNTY, INCLUDING THE ONES WHO AREN'T HOUSED HERE. 
          BUT RATHER THAN DELVING INTO THE DETAILS OF THE REPORT TONIGHT, I WANTED TO OFFER YOU, UH, BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING ALL OF YOU, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW FAMILIAR YOU ARE WITH EXTENSION, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE DO AND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE COUNTY THROUGH VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION. 
          SO WE ARE, UH, A PART OF THE THREE LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT COOPERATING THAT IS THE COOPERATIVE AND COOPERATIVE EXTENSION. 
          AND WE ARE A NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF, UM, ORGAN OF EXTENSION SYSTEMS THROUGH, UH, THE LAND GRANT UNIVERSITIES IN ALL OF THE STATES. 
          AND THERE'S AN EXTENSION OFFICE IN MOST EVERY COUNTY AND CITY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. 
          SO YOU DON'T HAVE JUST THE RESOURCES OF VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OF EXTENSION AVAILABLE TO YOU. 
          YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES OF ANY LINK GRANT UNIVERSITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THE RESEARCH BASED INFORMATION THAT THEY PRODUCE AND THEN MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE PEOPLE. 
          SO IN VIRGINIA, THAT'S 125 FACILITIES. 
          AND, UM, THE WEBSITE IS ON THERE. 
          IF YOU WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, UM, VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, OUR MISSION, IT'S A LONG MISSION STATEMENT, SO I DIDN'T, UM, BORE YOU WITH THE ENTIRE THING, BUT THE CRUX OF IT IS INCREASING THE WELLBEING OF VIRGINIANS. 
          AND EVEN THOUGH THAT'S VERY BROAD, WE DO A WIDE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO, UM, BENEFIT PEOPLE IN A NUMBER OF AREAS. 
          AND I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT, UH, DIFFERENT ONES AS WE GO THROUGH. 
          SO FIRST, JUST TO FAMILIARIZE EVERYONE WITH THE STAFF THAT SERVE WARREN COUNTY, WE HAVE FOUR STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY HOUSED IN WARREN COUNTY AND SERVE WARREN, MYSELF, AND THEN OUR FOUR H AGENT, EMILY SCHULTZ, OUR, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE AND FISCAL ASSISTANT OCTAVIA WALKER. 
          AND THEN THE, UM, AGRICULTURE AGENT IS VACANT RIGHT NOW. 
          UH, MANY OF YOU KNEW COREY CHILD, WHO, UH, DID A FANTASTIC JOB IN THAT POSITION FOR MANY YEARS. 
          [00:15:01]
THAT POSITION WILL BE ADVERTISED SOON, PROBABLY END OF MARCH, MARCH OR EARLY APRIL. 
          SO WE WILL HAVE THAT FILLED SOON. 
          AND WE HAVE ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT SERVE WARREN. 
          WE HAVE THREE AGRICULTURE AGENTS, UH, ADDITIONAL FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES AGENT AND A PROJECT ASSOCIATE. 
          AND I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THOSE, UM, IN A MINUTE IN THE VARIOUS PROGRAM AREA DISCUSSIONS. 
          SO OUR AGRICULTURE AGENTS, UM, INCLUDE THE WARREN COUNTY VACANCY AND THEN ELIZABETH BALDWIN, WHO'S HOUSED IN PAGE COUNTY, BOBBY CLARK, WHO'S HOUSED IN SHENANDOAH COUNTY, MARK SUTFIN, WHO'S HOUSED IN FREDERICK COUNTY, AND JOANNE ROYALTY, WHO IS, UM, IN FREDERICK COUNTY AS WELL. 
          AND THE WAY IT WORKS IS THEY EACH HAVE A SPECIALTY EXPERTISE. 
          SO RATHER THAN GETTING ONE PERSON SERVING WARREN WITH A GENERALIST ROLE, UH, THEY GET IN DEPTH TRAINING IN THEIR SUBJECT MATTERS, AND YOU HAVE A MUCH GREATER DEPTH OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE. 
          ALL OF THEM ARE AVAILABLE TO SERVE RESIDENTS IN, UM, WARREN COUNTY. 
          UH, THEIR PROGRAMMING IMPROVES, UH, FARM PROFIT PROFITABILITY, IMPROVING THE SUSTAINABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY OF FARMING, UM, AND HELPING THEM USE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND COMPLY WITH REGULATIONS. 
          WE'RE NOT A REGULATORY AGENCY, BUT WE'RE AN EDUCATIONAL ROLE TO SUPPORT THE FARMERS IN COMPLYING WITH THE REGULATIONS. 
          UM, WE ALSO PROVIDE EDUCATION FOR CONSUMERS ABOUT HOME HORTICULTURE, PEST MANAGEMENT, AND INVASIVE SPECIES. 
          WE OFFER SOIL TESTING, PLANT AND WEED IDENTIFICATION, INSECT AND DISEASE IDENTIFICATION, PESTICIDE APPLICATOR RECERTIFICATION COURSES, AND LOTS OF OTHER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. UH, WE ALSO DO A LOT OF HELPING PEOPLE FIND THE RIGHT PLACE TO GET THEIR INFORMATION. 
          IF THEY COME TO US AND, UH, THEY DON'T KNOW AND IT'S A WILDLIFE ISSUE, WE CONNECT THEM AT THAT AGENCY AND SO FORTH. 
          UM, SO ANYBODY CAN CALL US AND WE WILL STRIVE TO GET THEM TO THE RIGHT PLACE. 
          FOUR H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT. 
          OUR EDUCATOR IS EMILY SCHULTZ AND, UH, SHE'S BEEN HERE ABOUT A YEAR AND I JUST, UH, LEARNED THE OTHER DAY. 
          SHE HAS DOUBLED THE PARTICIPATION IN FOUR H WITHIN THAT YEAR, SO THAT IS REALLY EXCITING. 
          UM, THAT'S QUICKLY GROWING THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS EXCITING. 
          SHE OFFERS A VARIETY OF YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES THAT INCLUDES COMMUNITY AND SPECIAL INTEREST, FOUR H CLUBS IN SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING, SUMMER CAMPS, AND A LOT MORE. 
          AND THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS, THE YOUTH LEARN BY DOING. 
          THAT'S THE FOUR H MOTTO, AND THAT GROWS THEM INTO RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS AND GREAT LEADERS FOR OUR FUTURE COMMUNITY. 
          THEN I SERVE AS THE EXTENSION AGENT FOR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ECONOMICS. 
          AND THESE PROGRAMS OFFER A WIDE RANGE OF OPTIONS THAT TEACH BOTH YOUTH AND ADULTS HOW TO MANAGE THEIR MONEY EFFECTIVELY AND HELPS THEM ACHIEVE FINANCIAL STABILITY. 
          SO, UM, WE HAVE LOTS OF WORKSHOPS. 
          UH, WE CAN HAVE INDIVIDUAL, UH, ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE ONE-ON-ONE, UM, FINANCIAL EDUCATION, UH, AND LOTS OF DIFFERENT, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR BOTH YOUTH AND ADULTS. 
          BUT OUR NEWEST PROGRAM THAT I THOUGHT I'D HIGHLIGHT IS CALLED RECOVERING YOUR FINANCES. 
          AND IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL EDUCATION RECOVERY FOR ADULTS IN RECOVERY FROM SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. 
          SO WE WORK WITH THE RECOVERY COURTS AND OTHER RECOVERY PROGRAMS TO OFFER AN EIGHT SESSION SERIES TO THOSE FOLKS TO HELP THEM, UH, WITH THE RECOVERY AND TO AVOID RELAPSE FROM FINANCIAL CAUSES. 
          UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG STRESSORS THAT, UM, CAUSES PEOPLE TO RELAPSE. 
          SO THAT, UM, THAT IS A GREAT ADDITION TO OUR OFFERINGS. 
          THEN OUR FOOD, NUTRITION AND HEALTH PROGRAMS ARE, UM, OFFERED BY AMANDA JOHNSON, WHO IS, SHE'S ONLY BEEN HERE SINCE DECEMBER, SO SHE'S BRAND NEW. 
          BUT THE TYPES OF THINGS SHE OFFERS, UH, ARE PROGRAMS RELATED TO PREVENTION OF CHRONIC DISEASES THROUGH NUTRITION EDUCATION, AS WELL AS FOOD SAFETY, FOOD PRESERVATION, AND OTHER HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS. THEN WE HAVE, UH, TWO ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBERS, UM, THAT SERVE WARREN COUNTY THROUGH THE FAMILY NUTRITION PROGRAM, WHICH IS A GRANT FUNDED, FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAM. 
          SO THESE PEOPLE DON'T RECEIVE THE, THE STATE AND LOCAL FUNDS. 
          IT'S, IT'S THROUGH FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS. 
          UH, KELSEY KLEIN, UH, SERVES AS THE EXTENSION AGENT FOR SNAP EDUCATION. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE A VACANT POSITION THAT'S A NUTRITION EDUCATION FACILITATOR. 
          SO THE TYPES OF PROGRAMS THEY DO, UH, KELSEY PROVIDES IN SCHOOL PROGRAMS THROUGH EDUCATORS. 
          SHE WORKS WITH POINT, POINT OF PURCHASE LOCATIONS TO HELP INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOODS AND ENCOURAGE AT FOOD PANTRIES AND FARMER'S MARKETS AND THINGS, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES AND FOR HEALTHY CHOICES TO BE OFFERED. 
          UM, AND SHE COLLABORATES WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS 
          [00:20:01]
BROADLY TO PROMOTE HEALTHY FOOD ENVIRONMENTS. 
          AND THEN THE COMMUNITY EDUCATOR EDUCATOR POSITION, UM, PROVIDES NUTRITION WORKSHOPS DIRECTLY TO LIMITED RESOURCE, UH, AUDIENCES. 
          THINGS LIKE OUR SUPER PANTRY PROGRAM. 
          I KNOW, UM, MS. COLE COLORS AND MS. COOK WOULD REMEMBER THE SUPER PANTRY PROGRAMS WHEN I'VE TALKED ABOUT THEM BEFORE. 
          UM, SO WE'RE NOT OFFERING THEM RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE POSITION IS VACANT, BUT THEY SHOULD, UM, PICK BACK UP AGAIN WHEN THAT'S ONCE THAT IS FILLED. 
          SO, UM, IN TRYING TO BE BRIEF, THAT COVERS EVERYBODY. 
          . 
          UM, IT DOES NOT COVER EVERYTHING THOUGH. 
          WE HAVE SO MANY PROGRAMS, IT WOULD TAKE AN HOUR OR MORE TO, TO TELL YOU ABOUT ALL OF THEM, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS. 
          AND YOU'RE ALSO FREE TO CONTACT ANY OF THE PEOPLE IN THE REPORT. 
          THE CONTACT INFORMATION IS ON EACH PAGE. 
          UH, SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN MORE ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAMMING, UH, YOU'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT AS WELL. 
          ANY QUESTIONS, MS. COS I NO QUESTIONS. 
          I JUST WANNA COMMEND YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO DO AND, UM, FOR SOMEONE WHO GREW UP IN FOUR HII WOULD, I'M SO EXCITED THAT YOUR NUMBERS ARE DOUBLING. 
          UM, AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVE CHILDREN HERE OR GRANDCHILDREN, GET THEM INVOLVED. 
          IT'S, IT'S THE BEST PROGRAM THAT YOU CAN DO. 
          UM, HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          REGISTRATION FOR CAMP OPENED ON SATURDAY. 
          SO , UH, CONTACT OUR OFFICE IF YOU HAVE KIDS BETWEEN NINE AND 13 FOR CAMP. 
          I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I, UH, SENT A, UH, CONSTITUENT YOUR WAY. 
          UH, WELL TO, UM, MS. JOANNE ROYALTY MM-HMM . 
          REGARDING INVASIVE SPECIES. 
          SHE WAS CONTENDING WITH, UH, A MASSIVE SPOTTED LANTERN FLY INFESTATION. 
          AND, UH, SO HOPEFULLY SHE'LL GET WHAT SHE NEEDS AND, UH, THAT WILL END WELL. 
          SO JOANNE'S GREAT. 
          YEAH, SHE, SHE DOES A WONDERFUL JOB. 
          EXPLAINS IT AT A, A LEVEL THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND. 
          SO WE'RE, WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE THERE. 
          ANYTHING ELSE, RICH? NO, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. 
          I REALLY ENJOYED IT. 
          MS. COOK? MM-HMM . 
          VICKY, DO YOU HAVE ANY? THANK YOU. 
          UH, I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU. 
          YES. 
          DO Y'ALL HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH THE, UH, WITH THE MASTER GARDENERS WITH THE SHENANDOAH MASS? YES. 
          UH, THE, THE, UM, NORTHERN SHENANDOAH VALLEY MASTER GARDENERS ARE ACTUALLY THE VOLUNTEER ARM OF VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION. 
          SO OUR AGRICULTURE AGENTS WORK WITH THE MASTER GARDENERS, THEY PROVIDE THE TRAINING FOR THEM AND THEN OVERSEE THE PROGRAMMING. 
          UH, SO IT'S A, IT'S AN EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH AND WHEN YOU SEE OUR REPORTS AND YOU SEE VOLUNTEER NUMBERS, A LOT OF THOSE INCLUDE THE MASTER GARDENERS AS WELL. 
          ALRIGHT, OUR ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH ISN'T QUITE READY YET FROM 2024, WILL HAVE A WHOLE SECTION ON MASTER GARDENERS. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          HAVE A GREAT DAY. 
          OKAY, 
          [F. Public Comment Period for items on the Agenda, (30 Minute Time Limit)]
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. 
          SO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS DIVIDED INTO TWO 30 MINUTE PERIODS EACH. 
          THE FIRST 30 MINUTE PERIOD IS RESERVED FOR ONLY THOSE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA NOT ALREADY COVERED BY A PUBLIC HEARING. 
          THE SECOND 30 MINUTE PERIOD IS OPEN FOR ANY COMMENTS. 
          AS A REMINDER, PUBLIC COMMENT, SPEAKERS ARE LIMITED TO A THREE MINUTE TO TO THREE MINUTES. 
          A PUBLIC COMMENT SPEAKER MAY ONLY SPEAK ONCE PER MEETING. 
          ALL COMMENTS WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND NOT TO THE AUDIENCE. 
          BE CONSIDER OF YOUR, UH, FELLOW SPEAKERS. 
          THERE SHOULD BE NO APPLAUSE, BOOING OR OTHER AUDIBLE DISRUPTIONS TO THE PROCEEDINGS. 
          THROUGH A SHOW OF HANDS, THE CHAIR, 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 BOARD AT THE HEARING. 
          THE BOARD WILL NOT TOLERATE PERSONAL ATTACKS BY ANYONE ON ANY OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROCEEDINGS. 
          ANYONE WHO VIOLATES THE GUIDELINES OF THE PUBLIC HEARING MAY BE ASKED TO LEAVE BY THE CHAIRMAN. 
          FAILURE TO LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING WHEN ASKED TO DO SO IS IN VIOLATION OF WARREN COUNTY CODE 56 DASH FOUR AND AND CODE OF VIRGINIA 18.2 DASH FOUR 15. 
          AND IT'S SUBJECT TO A FINE OF UP TO $2,500 AND A JAIL SENTENCE OF UP TO 12 MONTHS, EITHER OR BOTH. 
          FINALLY, WE REQUEST YOU ONLY USE APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE IN YOUR COMMENTS. 
          PLEASE REMEMBER, THESE SESSIONS ARE RECORDED AND YOUNG CHILDREN MAY HAVE ACCESS TO THEM IN THE FUTURE. 
          ADDITIONALLY, PEOPLE WILL HAVE LESS TENDENCY TO TAKE YOUR COMMENTS SERIOUSLY IF INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE IS USED. 
          SO FIRST UP, WE HAVE SAMANTHA GOOD. 
          HI, I'M SAMANTHA GOODE FROM THE SOUTH RIVER 
          [00:25:01]
DISTRICT. 
          I STAND BEFORE YOU TO ADDRESS SOME SERIOUS CONCERNS REGARDING THE ONGOING DISCUSSION AROUND SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY AND ITS FUTURE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY CLEARING UP THE MISUNDERSTANDING SURROUNDING WHAT WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD MEMBER ERIC BELK HAS REFERRED TO AS A SECRET MEETING. 
          IN REALITY, THIS WAS A BOARD OF TRUSTEES SPECIAL MEETING CLEARLY OUTLINED IN SECTION THREE POINT 10.3 OF SAMUEL'S LIBRARY'S BYLAWS AS REQUIRED BY LAW, THE MEETING WAS ADVERTISED ON SAMUEL'S WEBSITE AND PHYSICALLY POSTED AT LIBRARY INFORMATION AND THE DOOR OF THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S OFFICE WELL BEFORE NOON ON DECEMBER 13TH, 2024. 
          THIS FULLY COMPLIES WITH THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS AND THEREFORE SAMUELS IS NOT IN BREACH OF THE LIBRARY FUNDING AGREEMENT AS HAS BEEN CLAIMED BY MR. BELK AS A MEMBER OF THE SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEMBER CHARITABLE COLORS WAS INVITED TO ATTEND THE SPECIAL MEETING HELD ON DECEMBER 17TH, 2024. 
          HOWEVER, I WANNA CLARIFY THAT MS. COLORS WAS INVITED IN HER CAPACITY AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. 
          SAMUELS IS NOT UNDER ANY OBLIGATION TO DIRECTLY INVITE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO ITS MEETINGS AS IT IS GOVERNED INDEPENDENTLY. 
          NOW LET US ADDRESS THE AMENDMENT OF SECTION 10 OF SAMUEL'S ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION. 
          THIS WAS DONE IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE IRS GUIDELINES FOR SUCH CLAUSES AND ENSURES THAT THE LIBRARY REMAINS LEGALLY SOUND AND OPERATES WITH INTEGRITY. 
          THIS WAS NOT AN ARBITRARY DECISION, BUT A CAREFUL AND LAWFUL PROCESS THAT PRESERVES THE LIBRARY'S INDEPENDENCE. 
          ADDITIONALLY, NONE OF SAMUEL'S ASSETS HAVE BEEN FUNDED BY THE COUNTY. 
          THEY HAVE BEEN FUNDED THROUGH PRIVATE DONATIONS, GRANTS, AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT. 
          FOR ANY FURTHER INQUIRY REGARDING THIS, I ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS TO CONTACT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES DIRECTLY. 
          THEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. 
          NOW I TURN TO THE MORE PRESSING MATTER AT HAND. 
          THE MOTION SET FORTH BY THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD ON FEBRUARY 26TH, WHICH PROPOSED TO SEVERELY UNDERMINE THE LONGSTANDING PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN WARREN COUNTY AND SAMUELS PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
          FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS, SAMUELS HAS OPERATED SUCCESSFULLY AS A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. 
          WARREN COUNTY HAS PROVIDED PARTIAL FUNDING WHILE SAMUELS HAS MANAGED OPERATIONS SECURED GRANTS, AND ENSURED THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS TO BOOKS, PROGRAMS, AND THE RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR PERSONAL AND EDUCATIONAL GROWTH. 
          BUT NOW THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ARE SEEKING TO END THIS PARTNERSHIP AND SEIZE DIRECT CONTROL OVER LIBRARY OPERATIONS. 
          THESE MOTIONS ARE A DIRECT ATTEMPT TO DISMANTLE A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP AND SEIZE CONTROL OF AN INSTITUTION THAT HAS LONG BEEN A CORNERSTONE OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          SAMUELS HAS FLOURISHED BECAUSE OF ITS INDEPENDENCE, BECAUSE AS IT IS A COMMUNITY DRIVEN INSTITUTION THAT IS NOT BEHOLDEN A POLITICAL INTEREST. 
          THIS INDEPENDENCE HAS ALLOWED THE LIBRARY TO BE A NEUTRAL SPACE WHERE ALL VOICES ARE WELCOMED AND NO POLITICAL AGENDA TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. 
          IF THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS VOTES TO PROCEED WITH THESE MOTIONS, WE WILL LOSE AN INDEPENDENT LIBRARY AND GAIN ONE THAT IS POLITICALLY CENSORED AND CONTROLLED BY THOSE WITH AN AGENDA THAT DOES NOT REFLECT THE DIVERSE AND VIBRANT COMMUNITY WE SERVE. 
          THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT FINANCES OR FUNDING AGREEMENTS, IT'S ABOUT THE FREEDOM OF OUR COMMUNITY TO MAINTAIN AN INDEPENDENT AND UNBIASED LIBRARY IF WE LET THESE MOTIONS PASS, WE ARE NOT JUST JEOPARDIZING BOOKS, WE ARE JEOPARDIZING THE CORE VALUES OF ACCESS, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY. 
          NEXT, NEXT UP IS PLEASE, PLEASE NO CLAMPING. 
          NEXT UP IS GENEVIEVE VALISE. 
          GOOD EVENING, GENEVIEVE VALISE, SHENANDOAH DISTRICT. 
          I COME TO YOU TODAY AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO VALUES EDUCATION, INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM, AND THE RIGHT OF EVERY PERSON, EVERY CHILD, EVERY TEENAGER, AND EVERY ADULT IN THIS COUNTY TO ACCESS A LIBRARY THAT SERVES THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. 
          SAMUEL'S LIBRARY IS MORE THAN A BUILDING FILLED WITH BOOKS. 
          IT'S A PLACE OF LEARNING, A GATHERING PLACE FOR FAMILIES, A REFUGE FOR THOSE SEEKING KNOWLEDGE AND A RESOURCE FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD THEIR OWN SHELVES OF BOOKS. 
          IT'S A PLACE FOR WHERE, WHERE EVERY PERSON, NO MATTER THEIR BACKGROUND, CAN FIND A STORY THAT HELPS THEM SEE THEMSELVES, UNDERSTAND OTHERS, AND GROW INTO INFORMED, COMPASSIONATE CITIZENS. 
          AND YET THE LIBRARY IS UNDER ATTACK, NOT BECAUSE IT'S FAILED ITS MISSION, BUT BECAUSE A SMALL GROUP HAS DECIDED THAT PERSONAL BELIEFS SHOULD DICTATE WHAT OTHERS CAN AND CANNOT READ. 
          THESE ARE STORIES THAT REFLECT THE REALITY OF THE WORLD. 
          WE LIVE IN STORIES THAT HELP CHILDREN NAVIGATE FRIENDSHIP GROWING UP, IDENTITY AND BELONGING. 
          THIS IS NOT ABOUT PROTECTING CHILDREN. 
          THIS IS ABOUT CONTROL. 
          IT'S ABOUT TELLING SOME OF OUR CITIZENS THAT THEIR STORIES DON'T BELONG. 
          IT'S ABOUT SILENCING VOICES THAT MAKE SOME PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE. 
          AND THE IRONY IS OF SOME PEOPLE SO EAGER TO BAN THESE BOOKS HAD ACTUALLY READ THEM. 
          PERHAPS THEY'D HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY WERE SO DETERMINED TO ERASE. 
          PERHAPS THEY'D BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN A THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION INSTEAD OF RESORTING TO FEARMONGERING. 
          PERHAPS THEY'D BE MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON KNOWLEDGE RATHER THAN KNEE-JERK REACTIONS. 
          BUT INSTEAD THEY CHOOSE IGNORANCE. 
          AND NOW THE BOARD IS CONSIDERING USING THAT IGNORANCE AS JUSTIFICATION TO DISMANTLE A LIBRARY THAT SERVED THIS COUNTRY SINCE 1799. 
          THE COUNTY HAS NOW TAKEN STEPS THAT NOT ONLY THREATENED THE BOOKS ON THE SHELVES, BUT THE EXISTENCE OF THE LIBRARY 
          [00:30:01]
ITSELF APPOINTING A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED BOARD THAT LEGALLY HAS NO RIGHT TO OVERSEE AN INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT IN VIRGINIA AND NOW CONSIDERING PULLING FUNDING THAT WILL GUT THE BELOVED AND AWARD-WINNING INSTITUTION. 
          IF YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PLAN, YOU'RE NOT JUST BANNING BOOKS, YOU'RE BANNING A LIBRARY FROM FUNCTIONING AS IT SHOULD, FROM SERVING A COMMUNITY SPACE FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST THOSE WHO AGREE WITH YOU. 
          IF YOU PULL THIS FUNDING AND RETALIATION FOR UNFOUNDED FINANCIAL GRIEVANCES AND ACCUSATIONS OF SECRET MEETINGS, YOU'LL TURN YOUR BACKS ON CHILDREN WHO NEED A SAFE PLACE TO STUDY AFTER SCHOOL ON PARENTS WHO RELY ON EARLY LITERACY PROGRAMS ON SENIORS WHO COME FOR CONNECTION AND ON. 
          AND FOR THOSE WHO DEPEND ON PUBLIC INTERNET ACCESS TO APPLY FOR JOBS AND CITIZENS LIKE MYSELF WHO JUST WANT TO STAY INFORMED, BUT KNOW THIS, THE PEOPLE OF WARREN COUNTY WILL NOT QUIETLY WATCH OUR LIBRARY BE DISMANTLED. 
          SAMUEL'S LIBRARY HAS STOOD FOR OVER TWO CENTURIES AND WILL FIGHT TO MAKE SURE IT STANDS FOR ANOTHER A HUNDRED YEARS. 
          WE WILL RAISE FUNDS, WE WILL CROWDFUND, WE WILL SEEK LITIGATION, WE WILL RALLY TOGETHER AND WE WILL NOT ALLOW THIS ACT OF OVERREACH TO GO AND CHALLENGED. 
          THANK YOU MAYOR, PLEASE NO CLAPPING. 
          NEXT UP IS VERONICA BLAIR. 
          HI, MY NAME IS VERONICA BLAIR. 
          I AM IN HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT AND I'M READING A LETTER ON BEHALF OF TIMOTHY AND JANICE BOWMAN, DEARMAN, WARREN COUNTY RESIDENTS AND LIBRARY SUPPORTERS. 
          WE ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF DISMANTLING OUR PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE THAT APPEAR TO BE WANTING A DIFFERENT KIND OF LIBRARY FOR THE VALUES AND BELIEFS OF ONE SECTOR OF OUR COUNTY CITIZENS. 
          ONE THAT IS NOT INCLUSIVE FOR ALL WARREN COUNTY CITIZENS. 
          IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT OUR AWARD-WINNING LIBRARY IS UNDER FIRE AS THE BATTLE BEGINS AND HAS TO DEFEND ITSELF FROM ITS LONG AND WONDERFUL SERVICE. 
          ON BEHALF OF WARREN COUNTY CITIZENS OF ALL VALUES AND BELIEFS, WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCREASED ADVANCE OF CENSORSHIP, NOT JUST IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT IN OUR COUNTRY. 
          THAT DIMINISHES THE VERY FOUNDATION OF HOW WE SHARE OUR IDEAS, HISTORY, INTERPRETATIONS OF EXPERIENCES, SCIENCE, LEARNING ABOUT OURSELVES AND OTHERS, CULTURE, ENVIRONMENT, ET CETERA. 
          HOW CAN ONE FACTION OVERRIDE OUR COLLECTIVE SHARING? I'M SORRY, ONE MOMENT. 
          OUR COLLECTIVE SHARING OF ALL THE DIMENSIONS OF LIFE IF WE DO NOT PROVIDE SUCH IDEAS WITH ONE ANOTHER. 
          FOR INSTANCE, IF A CITIZEN IS DOING A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF A PARTICULAR ISSUE, CERTAINLY THE LIBRARY PROVIDES THIS HISTORY WRITTEN FROM DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW. 
          WE THINK PERHAPS OUR COUNTY NEEDS TO STEP BACK AND THOUGHTFULLY LOOK AT OUR LIBRARY HISTORY AND ITS INCREDIBLE SERVICE TO OUR COUNTY CITIZENS. 
          WE ARE ALWAYS AMAZED AT HOW DIVERSE THE LIBRARY HAS ADVANCED IN THEIR OFFERINGS, SUCH AS CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS, VIDEO LIBRARIES, HISTORICAL RECORD, LIBRARY PROGRAMMING, LEARNING, AND ITS INCLUSIVE OUTREACH TO NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY SUCH AS ALZHEIMER'S EDUCATION, COMPUTER EDUCATION, ET CETERA. 
          CENSORING INFORMATION AND HAVING ONE POINT OF VIEW DOMINATE ANOTHER BERRIES, THE POTENTIAL OF UNDERSTANDING ONE ANOTHER AND HOW WE SHARE OUR HISTORY, IDEAS, VIEWPOINTS, CULTURES, INTERPRETATIONS OF EXPERIENCE, AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF PRESENTING POTENTIAL WAYS WE MIGHT SEE THE FUTURE. 
          WITH THIS CURRENT LIBRARY UPHEAVAL, WE ARE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN THAT ONLY ONE PART OF OUR CITIZENS CAN BE REPRESENTED IN PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND ONLY THOSE VIEWPOINTS AND IDEAS ARE ACCEPTABLE. 
          WHERE IS AMERICA RIGHT NOW? WE ARE A SMALL COMMUNITY OF VAST DIFFERENCES. 
          SOMEWHERE WE NEED TO CONTAIN OUR ZEAL FOR CENSORING DIFFERENCES AND IDEAS OF HOW ONE FACTION OF OUR SOCIETY DECIDES FOR EVERYONE THE FUTURE ON BEHALF OF THE COMMON GOOD AND BENEFIT FOR ALL. 
          WHAT WE SEE IN THIS SITUATION IS THAT ONE FACTION SEEMS TO THINK THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO SHARE THE LIBRARY'S WEALTH OF INFORMATION AND MANAGEMENT. 
          WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS NEW LIBRARY BOARD AND HOW ONE BOARD OF SUPERVISOR HERSELF APPOINTING HERSELF TO THIS LIBRARY BOARD TO PERHAPS LEAD THIS CHARGE. 
          WE THINK THE CURRENT LIBRARY HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT, EXTRAORDINARY JOB ON BEHALF OF OUR CITIZENS AS IT IS WITH OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION AND TRANSPARENCY ABOUT THEIR PRACTICES. 
          WE FEEL THE LIBRARY HAS ADVANCED THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR CHILDREN STUDENTS. 
          THANK YOU MISS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT STEP IS EILEEN. 
          NEXT STEP. 
          NEXT UP IS EILEEN DERICH. 
          I AM EILEEN DERICH AND I RESIDE IN THE HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT. 
          SO IT HAS COME TO THIS WHEN AN EXTREMELY DARK DAY IN OUR COUNTY'S HISTORY. 
          I STAND BEFORE A BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THAT IS SUPPOSED TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY I HAVE CALLED HOME 
          [00:35:01]
ALL MY LIFE. 
          FOUR OUT OF FIVE OF WHOM I KNOW WILL NOT BE MOVED BY ANYTHING I COULD POSSIBLY SAY WHO I KNOW ALREADY HAVE HAD THEIR DECISION AND VOTE SET FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS ENTIRE ONSLAUGHT OF ATTACKS AGAINST OUR BELOVED LIBRARY. 
          I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR EVERYTHING IT HAS DONE FOR MY FAMILY AND I AS I BELIEVE THAT AT THIS POINT, THAT IS ONE OF THE ONLY TRULY MEANINGFUL WAYS I COULD USE THIS TIME. 
          FROM THE BOOKSHELVES I WOULD WALK END TO END OVER AND OVER AT VILLA AVENUE TO FIND NEW BOOKS TO TAKE HOME WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL TO CRIER ROAD WHERE I HAVE GOTTEN SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST BOOKS FROM OUR LIBRARY COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND CLUBS WHERE I'VE FORMED CONNECTIONS WITH WONDERFUL PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND HELP FROM THE INCREDIBLE LIBRARY WORKERS AND INTERNET AND WIFI ACCESS WHEN I HAVE NEEDED TO SEEK HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT AND DID NOT HAVE ANOTHER WAY TO DO SO. 
          A 225 YEAR LEGACY IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AN AWARD-WINNING LIBRARY NOW ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK BECAUSE OF INFLAMMATORY ACCUSATIONS THAT HOLD NO REAL WEIGHT FROM THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD, WHICH WE ALL KNOW WAS FORMED WHILE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS KNEW FULL WELL THAT SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY CANNOT LEGALLY OPERATE WITH ITS FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT AS A 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT. 
          THEN YOU ALL CRY FOUL ABOUT LITIGATION FROM THE LIBRARY WHEN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BACKING THEM INTO A CORNER AND LEAVING THEM NO OTHER CHOICE. 
          BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY THAT HAS BEEN WASTED ON THIS POLITICAL THEATER THAT HAS BEEN FABRICATED FROM THE FALSE PRETENSE OF FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY. 
          I KNOW THAT YOU ALL KNOW HOW HORRIBLE AND AMORAL THIS ALL IS, DESPITE THE CAREFULLY CRAFTED BUT HOLLOW ARGUMENTS SOME OF YOU MAKE AGAINST OUR LIBRARY. 
          WHAT I WISH FOUR OUT OF FIVE OF YOU KNEW IS JUST HOW SHAMEFUL IT ALL REALLY IS. 
          AT THE END OF THE DAY. 
          ALL OF THIS TIME, MONEY, AND EFFORT TO BRING DOWN A LIBRARY OF ALL THINGS. 
          WHAT AN AWFUL LEGACY IN STAYING THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL LEAVE BEHIND. 
          IF SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY IS DEFUNDED, IT ISN'T JUST AN INVALUABLE COMMUNITY RESOURCE. 
          THIS IS A PLACE THAT IS EXTREMELY NEAR AND DEAR TO THE HEARTS OF SO, SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          DO NOT DEFUND SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
          YES, PLEASE NO CLAP. 
          NEXT UP IS JACKIE MARCELA. 
          OKAY, UH, JACKIE MARCELA HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT. 
          LET'S NOT WASTE TIME PRETENDING THIS IS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY. 
          WE ALL KNOW IT'S NOT. 
          THE AWARD-WINNING LIBRARY YOU'RE TRYING TO HIJACK HAS A PLATINUM RATING FROM GUIDESTAR. 
          THAT IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY RECOGNITION YOU CAN GET. 
          THAT'S NOT AN OPINION, IT'S A FACT. 
          UNLIKE THE EXCUSE THAT YOU'RE USING TO JUSTIFY THIS BLATANT POWER GRAB AND FOR WHAT THE LIBRARY COUNTS FOR BARELY 1% OF THE ENTIRE BUDGET. 
          YEAH. 
          HERE WE ARE WATCHING YOU WASTE COUNTLESS TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON BATTLES AND BUREAUCRACY BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE THAT THE LIBRARY SERVES EVERYONE. 
          LET'S BE REAL. 
          THIS ISN'T ABOUT BUDGETS EFFICIENCY OR OVERSIGHT. 
          IT'S ABOUT CONTROL. 
          SPECIFICALLY CONTROLLING WHAT PEOPLE CAN READ, LEARN, AND EVEN WHO THEY CAN BE. 
          FRANKLY, I'D HAVE MORE RESPECT FOR YOU IF YOU JUST OWNED IT. 
          JUST SAY IT. 
          YOU DON'T WANT L-G-B-T-Q PEOPLE TO EXIST IN A PUBLIC SPACE AND YOU CERTAINLY DON'T WANT THEM REFLECTED IN BOOKS, PROGRAMS, AND SERVICES. 
          BUT BE HONEST, BE HONEST ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU BELIEVE IT'S PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE FOR A CHILD TO THINK BEING DEAD IS BETTER THAN BEING QUEER BECAUSE OF YOUR HATEFUL RHETORIC. 
          AT LEAST THEN WE CAN SKIP THIS TRADE. 
          BUT HERE'S THE THING, THE LIBRARY'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE. 
          IT'S A MISSION TO PROVIDE ACCESS, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY FOR ALL WILL OUTLAST ANY POWER GRAB. 
          YOU CAN REWRITE POLICIES, STACK BOARDS, PUSH YOUR AGENDA, BUT YOU CANNOT ERASE REALITY. 
          SO GO AHEAD, KEEP WASTING TIME AND TAXPAYER MONEY ON THIS NONSENSE. 
          THE REST OF US SEE EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WE WON'T FORGET IT. 
          COME NOVEMBER. 
          YEAH. 
          ALRIGHT, NEXT IS BETHANY O'NEILL. 
          HELLO, MY NAME IS BETHANY O'NEILL AND I'M IN THE NORTH RIVER DISTRICT. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO READ THE PRESS RELEASE THAT WAS RELEASED BY SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY THAT I READ DURING MY LUNCH BREAK. 
          TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES, MELODY HOEK, PRESIDENT AND ERIN ROONEY, LIBRARY DIRECTOR, THE SAMUELS PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES ARE ASKING OUR ELECTED BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO WEIGH TONIGHT'S DECISION VERY CAREFULLY. 
          THEY HOLD IN THEIR HANDS A 220 5-YEAR-OLD AWARD-WINNING 
          [00:40:01]
INSTITUTION THAT IS BELOVED BY ITS CITIZENS. 
          THE FAR REACHING EFFECTS OF THIS DECISION ARE UNKNOWN, FUTURE COSTS, DEGRADED SERVICES, A HIT TO TOURISM, AND AN ABILITY TO ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS. 
          THE CURRENT VALUE AND MISSION OF SAMUEL'S LIBRARY IS KNOWN A FISCALLY SOUND, TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE PARTNER, BRINGING PEOPLE INFORMATION AND IDEAS TOGETHER TO ENRICH LIVES AND BUILD COMMUNITY. 
          SAMUEL'S LIBRARY IS FULFILLING ITS MISSION EVERY DAY. 
          EACH SUPERVISOR WILL LEAVE A LEGACY WITH THIS VOTE. 
          IT'S NOT TOO LATE. 
          LET'S COME TO THE TABLE AND TALK LIKE WE USED TO FOR THE GOOD OF ALL THE CITIZENS OF WARREN COUNTY PARTNERS SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS BEEN SERVING THE PEOPLE OF WARREN COUNTY AND THE TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL AND AN OFFICIAL PARTNERSHIP. 
          SINCE SAMUEL'S LIBRARY BECAME A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN 1978, THIS HAS BEEN AN AMICABLE RELATIONSHIP THROUGH THE YEARS UNTIL LAST YEAR'S BOOK CHALLENGES YEARLY, THE WARREN COUNTY SUPERVISORS INFORMS THE LIBRARY OF THE ALLOCATION FOR LIBRARY SERVICES. 
          AND IN TURN, SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY, OH, I LOST MY SPOT THE LAST THREE YEARS. 
          THE COUNTY CHOSE TO FLAT FUND THE LIBRARY WHILE AT THE SAME TIME LEVERAGING OUR NONPROFIT STATUS AND SERVICES FOR THE TAXPAYERS TO SAVE APPROXIMATELY 30% OF ACTUAL EXPENSES ACCORDING TO OUR LAST THREE AUDITS. 
          AND AN ADDITIONAL VALUE EQUATING TO 750,000 IN VOLUNTEER HOURS. 
          WHAT WE HAVE WITNESSED THIS YEAR, AND ESPECIALLY LAST WEEK, IS A CONCERTED EFFORT UNBECOMING OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THEIR AGENDAS TO REWRITE THE FACTS. 
          WHAT WE PREFER NOT TO COMMENT ON THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD IS WE ARE IN LITIGATION. 
          THEY HAVE MADE ALLEGATIONS THAT MUST BE, UH, A RESPONSE THAT IS WARRANTED. 
          ASSETS. 
          THE LIBRARY PROVIDES A SERVICE TO THE COUNTY. 
          AS WITH OTHER NONPROFIT SERVICE PROVIDERS THE COUNTY ENGAGES WITH, WE COME UP WITH OUR OWN ASSETS AND EXPERTISE TO GET THE JOB DONE. 
          SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES ARE WELL WITHIN THEIR RIGHTS TO MAKE CHANGES TO OUR ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION AS THEY DEEM NECESSARY. 
          THE CHALLENGES TO NUMBER 10, DISSOLUTION. 
          PARAGRAPH PROTECT, PROTECT THE ASSETS PURCHASED BY SAMUEL'S LIBRARY THROUGH DONATIONS, FUNDRAISING, AND STATE FUNDING. 
          THE CHANGES TO THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION WERE APPROVED BY THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA. 
          NO ASSETS WERE PURCHASED WITH COUNTY TAXPAYER DOLLARS. 
          THE COLLECTION AND OTHER ASSETS ARE FOR EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WE INTEND TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE LIBRARY SERVICES TO THE RESIDENTS OF WARREN COUNTY FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. 
          SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY FOIA REGULATIONS. 
          PERIOD. 
          THANK YOU MISS. 
          ALRIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I JUST WANNA SAY THIS ONCE, IF YOU CONTINUE TO DO THIS, I WILL ASK TO HAVE THE ROOM VACATED. 
          NEXT UP IS STEVE FOREMAN. 
          PLEASE KEEP YOUR YOUR CLAPPING DOWN. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          STEVE FOREMAN FORK DISTRICT. 
          SO HERE WE ARE AGAIN. 
          WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WARREN COUNTY HAS PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. 
          LAST YEAR WE HAD THREATS FROM WILDFIRES IN A LATE SUMMER. 
          CONCERN ABOUT WATER SHORTAGES. 
          WE HAVE A NEARLY NEW HOSPITAL WITH NO MATERNITY SERVICES. 
          THERE IS A HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM. 
          WE HAVE DIFFICULTIES FINDING AND KEEPING TEACHERS IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. 
          NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO BROADBAND NETWORK. 
          THAT IS A NECESSITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY. 
          HOW ARE WE ADDRESSING THESE THINGS? OUR COUNTY'S HISTORY REVEALS SERIOUS ISSUES. 
          THE MASSIVE RESISTANCE IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES WAS PROMPTED BY CITIZENS WHO DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT THE EQUALITY SPELLED OUT IN OUR BILL OF RIGHTS APPLIED TO AN EQUAL EDUCATION FOR EVERYBODY BECAUSE THEIR PREJUDICES TOLD THEM. 
          SO A FEW YEARS BACK, THE COUNTY LOST WELL OVER $6 MILLION THAT WAS STOLEN BECAUSE OF A LACK OF COUNTY OVERSIGHT. 
          SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE SAW HISTOR HYSTERIA ERUPT IN THE COUNTY AND BOS WHEN THE STATE LEGISLATURE CHANGED HANDS INSTEAD OF A PREDICTED GUN GRAB. 
          WE HAVE SENSIBLE AND EFFECTIVE LAWS TO PROTECT CITIZENS, SOME OF WHICH A FORMER BOS MEMBER IN A POSITION OF POWER WOULD LIKE TO OVERTURN. 
          WHY IS THE BOS AN ENEMY OF THE CREDIBILITY OF WARREN COUNTY? NOW WE ARE AFFECTED WITH ANOTHER MANUFACTURED CRISIS THAT IS DIVIDING THE COUNTY. 
          IN 2023, MEMBERS OF THE BOS AND A VOCAL MINORITY DECIDED THAT THEY DISAPPROVED OF SOME BOOKS IN THE SAMUELS PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
          THE LIBRARY ADDRESSED THEIR CONCERNS, BUT THE BOS PURSUED 
          [00:45:01]
CONTROL BY THREATENING FUNDING FOR THE LIBRARY. 
          EVENTUALLY, THE BOARD RELENTED SAMUELS PROVIDES AN EXEMPLARY COMBINATION OF PUBLIC PRIVATE LEADERSHIP AND IS GOVERNED BY A GROUP OF LOCAL TAX PAYING CITIZENS WHO OVERSEE THE LIBRARY AND PUBLIC NOT IN CLOSED SESSIONS LIKE SOME OTHER COUNTY ORGANIZATIONS PREFER TO DO. 
          EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO USE THESE, THE LIBRARY SERVICES FREE OF CHARGE. 
          SO WHY DOES THE BOS INSIST THAT THE LIBRARY IS INCAPABLE OF SELF-GOVERNANCE? THE FICTION THEY PRESENT IS A LACK OF TAXPAYER ACCOUNTABILITY. 
          SO MY QUESTION IS, WITH ALL THE OTHER PRESSING NEEDS OF THIS COUNTY, WHY DO YOU ON THE BOARD SPEND RESOURCES ON ENDANGERING THE BENEFITS PROVIDED BY THE LIBRARY? I BELIEVE YOUR FOCUS IS ON CULTURAL ISSUES AND YOUR INSISTENCE ON CONTROL OF A COMPLETELY FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION. 
          THIS IS AN ATTACK ON FREE SPEECH AND INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WHO DO WE HAVE NEXT? NEXT UP IS BOB HILL. 
          BOB HILL, UH, LIVE ON THE FORKS. 
          I'VE COME TO YOU A FEW TIMES. 
          UH, I GUESS TODAY, TWO THINGS COME TO MY MIND. 
          YOU REPRESENT US AND AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE, YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO US. 
          BUT IT SEEMS THAT'S NOT THE CASE. 
          VERY OFTEN CALLS ARE MADE, PEOPLE DON'T RESPOND. 
          BUT I'M A MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION. 
          THAT IS THE ECONOMICS OF THIS AREA IN THIS TOWN, THIS COUNTY. 
          WHAT WILL BE THE COST OF LOSING THE LIBRARY AND TAKING THE RESPONSIBILITY ON TO THIS COMMUNITY? DO YOU HAVE AN ANSWER? ANY ONE OF YOU? HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT IT? YOU CREATED A BOARD TO OVERSEE. 
          THEY RECOMMEND THAT THE COUNTY CLOSED THE LIBRARY. 
          I'M ASSUMING YOU THOUGHT THAT THROUGH TO SAY, OH, IF WE DON'T HAVE A LIBRARY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY ON TO MAKE ONE. 
          WHAT'S THAT MEAN FOR THE TAXPAYERS? WHAT'S THAT MEAN FOR THE CONSTITUENTS THAT COME BEFORE YOU AND SAY, DON'T RAISE MY REAL ESTATE TAX. 
          DON'T RAISE MY PERSONAL TAX. 
          SOME OF YOU HAVE HAD THOUGHTS ABOUT OTHER MATTERS. 
          START THINKING YOU'RE NOT DOING A VERY GOOD JOB OF THINKING ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY AND ITS POTENTIAL GROWTH OR LACK OF GROWTH. 
          INTELLECTUAL GROWTH, PERSONAL GROWTH, COMMUNITY GROWTH. 
          THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WHO DO WE HAVE NEXT? WHO NEXT UP IS NOELLE WILLIAMS. THANK YOU. 
          I'M NOELLE WILLIAMS FROM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT DISTRICT, BUT I'M HERE TO SAY I DON'T SEE NO REPRESENTATION ON THIS BOARD. 
          THE LIBRARY BOARD FOR ME AND PEOPLE OF COLOR AT ALL. 
          AND SECONDARILY, THESE CHILDREN FAILED THE STANDARDS OF LEARNING. 
          AND THIS IS THE 18TH TIME I DONE SAID THIS. 
          WE WERE 50 OUT OF THE 50 STATES IN STANDARDS OF LEARNING AND MATH AND READING. 
          AND YOU'RE TRYING TO CLOSE DOWN A LIBRARY. 
          LET'S GET REAL PEOPLE. 
          THESE KIDS NEED TO LEARN HOW TO READ, READ. 
          IF WE DON'T HAVE A LIBRARY IN SCHOOL WHERE THEY CAN'T READ IN PUBLIC, WHERE THEY CAN'T READ, HOW ARE THEY GONNA PASS THESE TESTS? WE CAN'T BE 50 OUT OF 50 STATES IN READING. 
          THAT IS RIDICULOUS. 
          I HAVE GREAT NEPHEWS TO GO TO THESE PUBLIC SCHOOLS HERE. 
          MY MOM LEFT THIS COUNTY IN THE SIXTIES 'CAUSE SHE WAS SEGREGATED. 
          SO I LEARNED IN MARYLAND, I'M HIGHLY EDUCATED. 
          I WENT TO ALL TOP SCHOOLS. 
          THEY, THEY'RE TALENTED AND GIFTED NOWADAYS. 
          ACADEMY OF NOTRE DAME AND WASHINGTON DC UH, MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, TALENTED AND GIFTED. 
          COOPER LANE ELEMENTARY, KENMORE MIDDLE SCHOOL, TALENTED AND GIFTED. 
          SO I WAS HIGHLY EDUCATED AND I HAD A CAR ACCIDENT. 
          SO I'M DISABLED NOW, BUT IT TOOK ME FIVE YEARS TO RELEARN HOW TO READ. 
          BUT I CAN TELL YOU NOW, I LEARNED THAT ON MY OWN. 
          BUT THESE KIDS NEED HELP. 
          THE GOVERNOR, I WATCH THE NEWS, 
          [00:50:01]
HE GIVES MONEY FOR THESE KIDS TO GET THEIR STANDARDS UP. 
          SOMEBODY FROM THIS TOWN, WHOEVER'S OUR REPRESENTATIVE, NEED TO GO DOWN TO RICHMOND AND FIND OUT WHERE THEM GRANTS LOANS AND GET THIS MONEY FOR THIS COUNTY, FOR THESE KIDS TO LEARN HOW TO READ. 
          I, I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT IS OR HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE I HAVE TO CALL. 
          I'VE BEEN CALLING BEN KLEIN OFFICE. 
          I'VE BEEN CALLING THIS GOVERNMENT OFFICE, GET THESE KIDS THIS MONEY AND GET THAT LIBRARY, THAT MONEY AND GET THESE KIDS READING. 
          THAT'S SIMPLE AS THAT. 
          I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT KNOWS THESE THINGS. 
          AM I THE ONLY ONE WATCHING THE NEWS? I DON'T THINK SO. 
          EVERYBODY ELSE, WATCH THE NEWS. 
          IT'S GRANTS OUT THERE. 
          GET THE MONEY FROM THE GOVERNOR. 
          HE PUT IT OUT THERE. 
          BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR READING THE MATH. 
          'CAUSE WE LAST LET'S GET THE FIRST. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S ALL I GOT TO SAY. 
          WHO'S NEXT? NEXT UP IS AARON KENNEDY. 
          GOOD EVENING, SUPERVISORS. 
          MY NAME IS AARON KENNEDY AND I'M A RESIDENT OF THE HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT. 
          I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN AND A PASSIONATE SUPPORTER OF SAMUEL'S, OUR AWARD-WINNING 220 5-YEAR-OLD LIBRARY. 
          I'M HERE TO OPPOSE THIS BOARD'S EFFORTS TO DEFUND OUR LIBRARY. 
          THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT BOOKS AND BUILDINGS, IT'S ABOUT THE VALUES OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          IT'S ABOUT ACCESS TO INFORMATION, EDUCATION, AND A RESOURCE THAT SERVES PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, BACKGROUNDS, AND WALKS OF LIFE. 
          LET ME START BY DRAWING A COMPARISON THAT MAY SEEM A BIT UNCONVENTIONAL BUT IS VERY RELEVANT. 
          WE'VE ALL HEARD ABOUT ELON MUSK. 
          IN HIS APPROACH TO GOVERNMENT, HE'S MADE HEADLINES, CUTTING PROGRAMS WITH LITTLE INPUT FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED, EMPLOYEES, USERS, AND CITIZENS. 
          WHEN DECISIONS ARE MADE BY UNELECTED INDIVIDUALS, WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE PUBLIC'S WISHES, THE RESULTS CAN BE DISASTROUS. 
          THE SAME APPLIES HERE WITH THE UNELECTED LIBRARY BOARD. 
          THEY MAY HAVE THEIR REASONS FOR WANTING TO TARGET SAMUEL'S LIBRARY'S STRUCTURE AND FUNDING, BUT THOSE REASONS DON'T REFLECT THE WILL OF THE MAJORITY OF THE CITIZENS WHO ACTUALLY USE AND BENEFIT FROM SAMUEL'S LIBRARY. 
          JUST LIKE MUSK'S DECISIONS OFTEN IGNORE THE NEEDS AND DESIRES OF THE GREATER PUBLIC. 
          THE MOTIONS YOU ARE CONSIDERING TONIGHT, IGNORE THE MAJORITY OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO WILL RELY ON THE LIBRARY AS WELL. 
          ESTABLISHED AND SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND RESOURCES. 
          CUTTING LIBRARY PROGRAMS MEANS CUTTING ACCESS TO CRUCIAL EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN, SENIORS, AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN. 
          SAMUEL'S LIBRARY IS NOT JUST A PLACE TO CHECK OUT BOOKS. 
          IT'S A SAFE SPACE FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, A RESOURCE FOR JOB SEEKERS, A HUB FOR LIFELONG LEARNERS, AND A PLACE WHERE THE COMMUNITY CAN COME TOGETHER. 
          IF YOU DEFUND THE LIBRARY, YOU ARE TAKING AWAY SOMETHING THAT THE MAJORITY OF WARREN COUNTY SUPPORTS. 
          PROGRAMS THAT ARE INTEGRAL TO THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY SHOULD NOT BE SACRIFICED ON THIS. 
          BOARD'S IDEOLOGICAL ALTAR CAMOUFLAGED AS FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY. 
          PEOPLE DON'T LIKE WHEN PROGRAMS THEY RELY ON ARE TAKEN AWAY AND THEY ESPECIALLY DON'T LIKE WHEN THOSE DECISIONS ARE MADE WITHOUT INPUT FROM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED. 
          WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE THE LIBRARY IS BELOVED AND WIDELY USED. 
          IN FACT, IT WAS VIRGINIA'S 2024 LIBRARY OF THE YEAR. 
          LET THAT SINK IN. 
          ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS AND SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THIS COUNTY IS BEING THREATENED BY YOU. 
          WE SHOULD BE WORKING TOGETHER TO PROTECT IT, NOT DISMANTLE IT. 
          I ASK YOU MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TO WEIGH YOUR ACTIONS CAREFULLY. 
          KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OUR LIBRARY. 
          IT IS A VITAL PART OF WARREN COUNTY AND ITS VALUE FAR OUTWEIGHS THE SUPPOSED SAVINGS THAT THESE MOTIONS MAY OFFER. 
          LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT KEEP OUR LIBRARY STRONG AND VIBRANT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S ALL. 
          THAT'S ALL FOR THE FIRST PART, SIR. 
          OKAY, GOOD. 
          SO 
          [G. Reports – Board Members, County Administrator, County Attorney]
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE, UM, REPORTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS, MS. KOHLERS. 
          UH, YES SIR. 
          ON FEBRUARY 19TH, UM, I ATTENDED THE FIRE CHIEF'S COMMITTEE AND, UH, WE HAD DISCUSSION ON BUDGET ITEMS. UM, EACH, UH, DEPARTMENT THAT WAS UH, REPRESENTED THERE TALKED ABOUT THEIR EQUIPMENT, WHAT WAS IN SERVICE AND SO FORTH. 
          SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOING GREAT THINGS, BUT WE HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO FOR, UM, WE HAVE THE EQUIPMENT AND EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO CONTINUE AND HOPEFULLY WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE WILDFIRES. 
          SO I WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THERE IS A FIRE BAND, UH, CHIEF MATT, I KNOW YOU'RE HERE SOMEWHERE. 
          I THINK IT'S AFTER 4:00 PM THAT YOU CAN'T OPEN BURN. 
          UM, FEBRUARY 20TH, I ATTENDED THE NORTHERN CHANDRA VALLEY REGIONAL COMMISSION MEETING, AND THEN I LEFT THERE AND WENT TO THE VIEWING OF THE 
          [00:55:01]
KNOCKING DOWN WALLS. 
          AND I DO BELIEVE MS. TIMBERS IS HERE. 
          AND MR. KILBY, THEY, UM, WERE INSTRUMENTAL AND THAT WAS A, IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED IT, I THINK IT'S ON YOUTUBE IF I'M CORRECT. 
          AND THEY SAID TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T JUST PUT KNOCKING DOWN WALLS OR YOU'RE GONNA GET INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS ON HOW TO KNOCK DOWN WALLS, . 
          UM, SO YOU MIGHT WANNA PUT WARREN COUNTY OR SEGREGATION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          BUT IT'S, I I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED WATCHING IT EVEN THOUGH IT BROKE MY HEART THAT WE WENT THROUGH THAT AND I'M GLAD WE'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT. 
          UH, FEBRUARY 21ST, I ATTENDED AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TRAINING IN STANTON, AND THEN I CAME BACK THAT AFTERNOON AND ATTENDED A HEALTHY LIVING EVENT. 
          UM, AT, UH, I PROBABLY SAY THIS ROTO VINEYARD, UH, PUT ON BY KAYLEE RICHARDSON. 
          SHE'S A LOCAL, UH, YOUNG LADY THAT, UM, HAS, SHE'S INTO HERBAL AND THAT KIND OF, UM, UH, THING. 
          AND, UM, IF YOU HAVE NOT MET HER, SHE IS A PHENOMENAL YOUNG WOMAN. 
          AND, UM, IF YOU'RE LOOKING INTO ALTERNATIVES TO, UM, MODERN MEDICINE OR WHATEVER, SHE'S, SHE CAN HOOK YOU UP WITH ALL KINDS OF HERBAL TEAS AND THINGS. 
          UM, FEBRUARY 22ND, I ATTENDED THE FORUM AT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY. 
          AND THEN ON FEBRUARY 23RD, DR. 
          PENCE AND I HAD OUR SECOND, MY THIRD COMMUNITY MEETING SINCE BEING ON THE BOARD AND OUR SECOND TOGETHER, UM, SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT COMMUNITY MEETING THAT WAS AT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL. 
          AND I WANNA THANK CHIEF BONNO AND ASSISTANT CHIEF MIKO AND SEVERAL OF THEIR, UH, FIRE AND RESCUE PERSONNEL THAT THERE WERE THERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. 
          WE ALSO HAD RICH SCHULMAN THERE FROM ALL POINTS BULLET, UM, BROADBAND TO GO OVER AND GAVE A VERY GOOD, UM, PRESENTATION ON THE BROADBAND AND WAS ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM THE PEOPLE. 
          WE HAD 68 PEOPLE THERE. 
          FIRST TIME I HAD A MEETING, WE HAD FIVE SECOND MEETING, WE HAD TWO. 
          SO I THINK 68 WAS A HOME RUN FOR US. 
          UM, AND I, I PLANNED TO, TO MAKE THOSE YEARLY. 
          I KIND OF SLOUGHED OFF ON 'EM BECAUSE OF, UM, THE POOR, UH, TURNOUT, BUT I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO MORE OF THEM. 
          UM, AND I WANT TO THANK MATT AND MATT, I'M GONNA MESS UP YOUR NAME. 
          REISNER FROM THE VOTER REGISTRAR'S OFFICE. 
          HE WAS THERE AND I APOLOGIZE, I FORGOT TO SAY HE WAS THERE IN CASE ANYBODY HAD VOTER REGISTRAR. 
          SO APOLOGIES, MATT. 
          UM, I HAD, UM, CARDS AND I'VE ACTUALLY GOT 'EM HERE TONIGHT, UH, WHERE I HAD PEOPLE WRITE DOWN THINGS THAT THEY WANTED ME TO TAKE CARE OF OR LOOK INTO. 
          AND I AM WORKING DOWN THAT LIST ALSO. 
          I HAD CARDS MADE AND I PUT SOME ON THE TABLE OVER THERE ON THE ONE CARD. 
          IT GIVES YOU THE HOW TO CONTACT YOUR DELEGATE. 
          UM, UH, WARREN COUNTY IS SPLIT BETWEEN DELEGATE OATS FOR THE MOST OF, UM, WARREN COUNTY. 
          AND THEN MY AREA, SOUTH RIVER HAS TODD GILBERT, AND THEN WE'RE ALL COVERED UNDER TIMMY FRENCH. 
          SO ALL THEIR INFORMATION'S ON THE CARD, IT'S ON THE TABLE. 
          THEN I HAD ANOTHER CARD MADE UP AND IT'S GIVES YOU THE VDOT IF YOU HAVE ROAD PROBLEMS. AND IT'S HARD TO FIND THE VDOT NUMBER TO TURN IN A ROAD IF YOU GOT A DEAD DEER OR WHATEVER OUTSIDE YOUR RESIDENCE. 
          SO ON ONE SIDE IT'S VDOT INFORMATION. 
          ON THE OTHER SIDE, IT GIVES YOU THE PHONE NUMBER. 
          UM, IF YOU LIVE IN A SANITARY DISTRICT AND YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, THE TELEPHONE NUMBER'S THERE FOR THAT. 
          IF YOU LIVE IN THE TOWN AND YOU HAVE A ROTOR STREET NUMBER'S THERE FOR THAT. 
          AND THEN I PUT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT NUMBER ON THERE AS WELL. 
          SO THEY'RE THERE. 
          I'VE GOT MORE OF 'EM IF YOU NEED 'EM. 
          UM, THEN FEBRUARY 24TH, I WATCHED. 
          I DIDN'T GO, I KIND OF SLOUGHED OFF. 
          I WATCHED THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING AT HOME. 
          AND THEN I'VE MET WITH, UM, SEVERAL PEOPLE, UM, TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND THINGS DURING THE WEEK. 
          AND ALSO MET WITH, UH, STAFF TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND SOME POTENTIAL CHANGES THAT ARE GONNA GO ON THERE. 
          UM, SO AT THIS TIME, THAT IS MY REPORT. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          JOHN. 
          UH, ON FEBRUARY 19TH, I ALSO, UM, ATTENDED THE FIRE CHIEF'S ADVISORY MEETING AT STATION THREE, UH, WITH SUPERVISOR CALLERS AND CONCUR. 
          IT WAS A, A PRODUCTIVE TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET AND ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL STATIONS. 
          UM, AND SHE'S RIGHT THAT WE HAVE A A WAYS TO GO STILL WITH THAT. 
          UM, SIMILARLY, I DID ALSO ATTEND THE, UH, LIBRARY FORUM AT SAMUEL'S ON SATURDAY, UH, THE 22ND OF FEBRUARY. 
          UM, COUPLE OTHER THINGS I'VE BEEN WORKING 
          [01:00:01]
ON. 
          UM, I'VE BEEN PUSHING ON VDOT REGARDING THE, UH, THE, UH, EMERGENCY EXIT RAMP, NOT EXIT RAMP, BUT THE EMERGENCY FIRE AND RESCUE RAMP PROJECT, UH, AT I 66 AND NANDO SHORES ROAD. 
          UM, BEEN WORKING ON SOME CONSTITUENT ISSUES, UH, INCLUDING WILDLIFE ISSUES, UH, AND ZONING VIOLATIONS IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS. 
          UM, TAKING SOME CONSTITUENT INPUT, UH, FROM TEACHERS IN PARTICULAR ABOUT THE, UH, UP UPCOMING SCHOOL BUDGET. 
          UM, AND THEN LASTLY, UH, THE SHENANDOAH FARMS SANITARY DISTRICT, UH, ADVISORY BOARD MEETING. 
          THE NEXT MEETING FOR THAT HAS BEEN SET HERE ON THURSDAY, MARCH 13TH AT 7:00 PM. 
          UM, THAT'S MY REPORT. 
          THANK YOU, DR. 
          JAMISON. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, YEAH, I PARTICIPATED IN A ZOOM CALL WITH THE SHENANDOAH RAIL TRAIL PROJECT. 
          UH, THIS IS A PROJECT THAT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR MANY YEARS WITH A POTENTIAL FOR VERY SIGNIFICANT TOURISM TRAFFIC FOR WARREN COUNTY. 
          UH, WARREN COUNTY'S AT THE NORTHERN END OF THE TRAIL AND WOULD BE A PERFECT ENTRY POINT FOR ALL OUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA VISITORS. 
          THERE WASN'T AN UNEXPECTED DELAY LAST YEAR FROM A DIFFERENT GROUP THAT HAS A DIFFERENT VISION FOR HOW TO, TO, TO USE THAT RAIL CORRIDOR. 
          UM, THAT TRIGGERED ANOTHER VDOT STUDY PERIOD, WHICH IS HOPED TO BE OUT THIS SUMMER. 
          IT IS DELAYED AND THE DELAYED RELEASES, HOPEFULLY THIS SUMMER, WARREN COUNTY, STRASSBURG, WOODSTOCK, AND ALL POINTS SOUTH OF US OVER OR OVERWHELMINGLY IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT. 
          AND, UH, SO WE NEED TO KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT THE VDOT STUDY CONFIRMS THE PREVIOUS OUTCOMES THAT INDICATED THE PROJECT WOULD MOVE FORWARD. 
          AND I TRY TO, UH, PARTICIPATE IN ALL THEIR, THEIR ZOOM MEETINGS, TRY TO KEEP ABREAST OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT PROJECT, MAKE SURE THAT, UH, UH, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WARREN COUNTY IS BEHIND IT. 
          UM, I'VE ASKED THEIR COUNTY ADMINISTRATION FOR A LIST OF ALL THE REAL PROPERTY THAT WARREN COUNTY OWNS. 
          UH, THE INTENTION IS TO EVENTUALLY HAVE A SUPERVISOR WORKING SESSION TO GO THROUGH A THOROUGH EVALUATION OF WHAT THE COUNTY OWNS, FOR WHAT PURPOSES, HOW MUCH IT IS WORTH, AND WHAT SORT OF REVENUE THE COUNTY COULD GENERATE FROM SALES AND ANY SUBSEQUENT TAX REVENUE FOR PROPERTIES THAT ARE DEEMED, UH, NOT CRITICAL TO THE COUNTY. 
          UH, FINALLY I STARTED TO BUILD A FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYZING A SPORTS TOURISM OPPORTUNITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROCKLAND SPORTS COMPLEX. 
          UH, THE TRAVEL SPORTS YOUTH TRAVEL SPORTS IS A $19 BILLION MARKET INTERNATIONALLY. 
          THERE ARE SOURCES OF DATA AVAILABLE TO BRING INTO A LOCALIZED ANALYSIS HOW WARREN COUNTY MAY BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE AND BENEFIT FROM IT. 
          OUR GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, UH, AND POSITION ON I 81 AND I 66 INTERSECTION IS VERY FAVORABLE FOR THIS. 
          UM, I'M HOPING TO, THAT WE'LL SEE A PATH TO PROVIDING RECREATIONAL FACILITIES THAT WOULD INCREASE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR CITIZENS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AS WELL AS INJECTING A SIGNIFICANT TOURISM BOOST ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRAVEL SPORTS MARKET. 
          THAT'S MY REPORT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, MS. COOK. 
          UH, THANK YOU. 
          UM, I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT THIS EVENING. 
          ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO, IN, IN MY REPORT, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UH, I HAD A, UH, AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF THE, THE COUNTY CONSTITUENTS. 
          AND, UH, THEY MENTIONED THAT, UH, I, AND I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS, BUT THE, UM, THE BROTHER OF JOHN MARSHALL, WHO WAS OUR FIRST, UH, SUPREME COURT JUSTICE IS BURIED UP ON THE, UH, THE, THE, THE HILL JUST BEHIND THE, UM, UH, THE HOSPITAL THERE. 
          AND, UH, IT'S LITTLE THINGS LIKE THIS. 
          AND, AND HE WAS, HE WAS ONE WHO WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE, UH, BY GEORGE WASHINGTON TO GO TO AUSTRIA AND FREE, UH, LAFAYETTE, WHO WAS, UH, HE WAS A, HE WAS THE, UH, THE FRENCH NOBLE THAT HELPED SO MUCH IN, IN OUR, UM, UH, IN OUR CAUSE FOR FREEDOM. 
          SO THE, UH, SO THERE IS A LOT OF, UM, OF HISTORY AND I CALL IT HIDDEN HISTORY IN THIS COUNTY THAT, UH, I THINK THAT, UH, THAT THIS COUNTY COULD, COULD TRULY BENEFIT FROM BECAUSE, UH, FOLKS THAT FOLKS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN COMING AND SEEING DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, SO THAT, THAT IS MY REPORT. 
          SO THE, UM, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT WE STILL HAVE FOUR POSITIONS OPEN ON THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION. 
          UM, TAXES AND THE ASSESSMENT ARE A VERY MUCH A HOT TOPIC. 
          SO, UM, THE EASY WAY TO DO THE APPLICATION IS TO GO TO THE MAIN COUNTY WEBSITE, GO TO THE VERY BOTTOM, AND YOU'LL SEE CITIZEN APPOINTMENTS AND THAT WILL LINK YOU TO THE APPLICATION AND EVERY CITIZEN APPOINTMENT FOR ALL BOARDS, UM, THROUGH THE COUNTY. 
          AND THEN THIS COMING FRIDAY IS EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY. 
          SO WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE STAFF THAT WORK FOR 
          [01:05:01]
WARREN COUNTY. 
          THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. 
          I HAVE NO COMMENTS, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          IF I COULD HAVE IT JUST A SECOND. 
          UM, ASSISTANT CHIEF TICA INFORMED ME, I GOT IT WRONG ABOUT THE BURN THERE. 
          HE SAID IT'S, UH, NO BURNING AFTER FOUR. 
          I SAID NO BURNING AFTER FOUR. 
          IT'S ACTUALLY, YOU CAN BURN BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 4:00 PM AND MIDNIGHT, SO NOT BEFORE 4:00 PM BUT 4:00 PM TO MIDNIGHT AND WHEREVER YOU ARE, UM, MR. KU, I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          WELL, YOU, YOU WERE THE ONE THAT TOLD ME THAT, UH, THAT THE REASON WHY THAT, UH, THAT YOU CAN BURN BETWEEN FOUR AND MIDNIGHT IS BECAUSE 4:00 PM AND MIDNIGHT IS BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THE, UH, TRADITIONALLY, THAT'S WHEN THE, UH, VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, WAS AVAILABLE. 
          WELL, THAT WAS PART, AND I GOT EDUCATED ASSISTANT CHIEF , I DON'T KNOW WHERE, GET OVER THERE . 
          IT'S MUCH BETTER TO COME FIRST PERSON THAN TWO OR THREE TIMES DOWN AND I GET IT WRONG. 
          SO THANK YOU. 
          UM, YEAH. 
          SO WE'RE CURRENTLY UNDER THE 4:00 PM BURN BAN. 
          UH, WHAT THAT IS IS THAT'S A VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY, UH, REGULATION. 
          IT'S STATE LAW. 
          UH, NO PERSON CAN KINDLE A FIRE BEFORE 4:00 PM UM, AND IT HAS TO BE FULLY EXTINGUISHED BY MIDNIGHT. 
          UH, HISTORICALLY THAT WAS, YOU COULD ADD NO MATERIALS AFTER MIDNIGHT. 
          UH, BUT WHAT THE STATE FOUND WAS HAPPENING IS EVERYBODY WAS PUTTING EVERYTHING ON IT RIGHT AT, UM, MIDNIGHT AND IT WOULD STILL CONTINUE. 
          THAT'S HISTORICALLY BASED OFF OF WEATHER CONDITIONS BEFORE THE FOUR O'CLOCK HOUR. 
          UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE CURRENTLY WATCHING, UM, MOISTURE CONTENT IN OUR GROUND SURFACE FUELS. 
          UH, LUCKILY WE HAD SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALLS THIS YEAR, SO THAT GREATLY, UM, HELPS US. 
          UH, BUT WE'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT IF THERE IS ANY NEED FOR A, UH, LOCAL BURN RESTRICTION. 
          UM, OUTSIDE OF THE 4:00 PM UH, QUITE FRANKLY, WE'VE ALREADY HAD TWO, UH, FIRE DANGER WARNINGS AND WATCHES ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. 
          UM, CURRENTLY OUR PARTNERS JUST OVER THE HILL IN WEST VIRGINIA ARE BATTLING SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT WILDFIRES. 
          UH, WE'LL PROBABLY SEE SOME SMOKE IMPACTS TO OUR COMMUNITY, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS FROM THOSE WILDFIRES. 
          SO WE CONTINUE TO WATCH. 
          WE JUST ASK OUR COMMUNITY TO, UM, USE CAUTION. 
          UM, ACTUALLY JUST BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED, I, I TOOK A PHONE CALL FROM A BATTALION CHIEF. 
          WE HAD SOME NEGLIGENT BURNING TAKING PLACE. 
          UM, SO WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT ACCORDINGLY. 
          SO WE JUST ASK OUR COMMUNITY TO USE CAUTION, REMAIN VIL, UM, UH, THROUGH THE PROCESS. 
          AND IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THEY CAN CONTACT ANY FIRE STATION OR OUR FIRE ADMINISTRATION OFFICE SAY TO, TO, TO CLARIFY THAT'S, THAT'S ANY OPEN FIRES SAY LIKE, UH, IN, IN, IN A FIRE PIT, ANYTHING LIKE THAT. 
          BUT IF IT'S A CHARCOAL FIRE IN A, IN A, UM, OH, A BARBECUE GRILL. 
          YEAH. 
          BARBECUE GRILL. 
          YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT. 
          THAT IS WHAT THEY, THAT IS ONLY LIMITED TO OPEN AIR BURNING. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S CLASSIFIED AS ANY BURNING THAT TAKES PLACE THAT DOES NOT PASS THROUGH A CHIMNEY OR A DUCT. 
          UM, IT IS NOT INCLUDING ANY TYPE OF COOKING COMPLIANCE, CHARCOAL GRILL, PROPANE GRILL. 
          IT ALSO DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY PROPANE FIREPLACE THAT YOU MAY SEE OUTSIDE. 
          THOSE ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY COMMON AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE PREFER THOSE, THAT'S A MUCH SAFER OPTION, UM, TO OPEN AIR BURNING. 
          SO THEN IF YOU'VE GOT ONE OF THESE, THESE, UH, FIRE PITS THAT YOU CAN BUY OVER AT LOWE'S THAT HAS THAT GRATE THAT YOU CAN PUT OVER IT, THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE A CHIMNEY ON IT. 
          CORRECT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          [H. Approval of Minutes - February 18th 2025]
SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR FEBRUARY 18TH, 2025. 
          DO I HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? UH, YES SIR. 
          THERE'S A CORRECTION OF, UM, UH, A STATEMENT THAT HAS THAT I SAID IT AND I DO BELIEVE, UM, MR. STAN MEYER SAID IT. 
          I DIDN'T CATCH THAT, UH, IN THERE. 
          UM, THE ONE ABOUT THE PHONE CALL WITH MR. DILLON. 
          I KNOW I DIDN'T TALK TO HIM. 
          OH, YEAH. 
          CORRECT. 
          UM, ZACH, THAT WAS ME. 
          WHO HAD THE CALL WITH MR. DILLON? YEP. 
          ANY OTHER CORRECTIONS, MS. COOK? I'M FINE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          SO DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THAT WE 
          [01:10:01]
ACCEPT THE MINUTES WITH THE CHANGE OF, UH, MY NAME FOR MR. STAN MEYERS ON THE ONE SENTENCE. 
          OKAY. 
          DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. 
          ROLL CALL. 
          MRS. S AYE. 
          MR. STAN MEYER? AYE. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. 
          DR. 
          JAMISON? AYE. 
          MRS. KECK? AYE. 
          [I. Consent Agenda]
ALRIGHT. 
          SO ON NEW BUSINESS, UH, CONSENT AGENDA, UH, WE'VE ALREADY HAD ONE ADDITION. 
          DO I HAVE ANY, ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE PULLED? IF NOT, DO I HAVE A MOTION I MOVE TO PRESENT? UH, PROOF THE CONSENT AGENDA? SECOND. 
          SECOND. 
          ROLL CALL. 
          MRS. COOK. 
          VICKY? YEAH, WE, WE MAY HAVE LOST HER. 
          OH, SO DO I JUST KEEP, OKAY, WHAT DO I DO? MR. CHAIRMAN, I MIGHT SUGGEST YOU TOOK THE REST OF THE VOTES FIRST AND THEN HOPEFULLY SHE GETS BACK ONLINE. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UH, DR. 
          JAMON? AYE. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. 
          MR. SANDMEYER? AYE. 
          MRS. CU AYE. 
          OKAY. 
          WHILE WE WAIT FOR HER TO GET BACK, WOULD YOU MIND EXPLAINING A LITTLE BIT WHAT WE ADDED TO THE CONSENT AGENDA SINCE IT WAS A LAST MINUTE ADD? UH, I THINK IT'S, IT, UH, REGARDING THE AGREEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD, I, I THINK SOME PEOPLE MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THAT. 
          WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SPEAK TO THAT? YEAH, SURE. 
          YEAH. 
          UH, SO THERE HAS BEEN A LONGSTANDING MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT REGARDING THE SHARED USAGE OF FACILITIES. 
          AND THIS IS IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE USE OF OUR FACILITIES IN BOTH THE SCHOOLS AND THE COUNTY. 
          UM, THE LAST AGREEMENT WAS IN 2011, UM, AND IT WAS A 10 YEAR AGREEMENT, AND AFTER THAT IT HAD A YEAR TO YEAR CONTINUATION. 
          WE WENT THROUGH AND UPDATED THE AGREEMENT BECAUSE WE'VE SHIFTED STAFF FROM PARKS AND REC TO PUBLIC WORKS. 
          SO SOME OF THE VERBIAGE OF THE AGREEMENT JUST WASN'T ACCURATE ANYMORE. 
          UM, BUT THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES. 
          UM, ALL OF THE FACILITIES ARE THE SAME. 
          I THINK WE ACTUALLY ADDED IN A NEW FACILITY SINCE 2011, SO WE WERE ADDING IN THAT PARK. 
          SO IT'S AVAILABLE FOR THE SCHOOL USE, BUT THE INTENTION IS THAT BOTH PARTIES UTILIZE THE SPACE IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE USE OF ALL, UM, TAXPAYER FACILITIES. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO ADD TODAY BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEIR FIRST GAME TOMORROW, RIGHT? IT REALLY DOESN'T IMPACT ANYTHING WITH THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THE SCHOOL BOARD, THEY ACTUALLY SENT IT OVER TO US IN DECEMBER. 
          UM, BUT BECAUSE OF BUDGETS WE'VE BEEN PUSHING IT BACK. 
          UM, SO THERE WAS SOME REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE IT BEFORE, SO THAT'S WHY SHIFTED FORWARD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO VICKI, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE BACK. 
          YES, I AM. 
          OKAY. 
          THE, UH, WE, WE WERE, UH, UH, VOTING ON, UH, THE, UM, MINUTES. 
          SENATOR, OH, I'M SORRY. 
          THE CONSENT AGENDA. 
          I, OH, I, I ACCEPT IT AS PRESENTED. 
          OKAY, GOOD. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          [J. Library Funding Agreement]
SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE LIBRARY FUNDING AGREEMENT. 
          AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THIS UP WITH, UM, MR. BELK. 
          SO, MR. BELK, UH, FOR, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, UH, MR. BELK IS THE CHAIR FOR THE, UH, WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD. 
          GOOD EVENING SUPERVISORS. 
          THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME. 
          AS YOU NOTED, MY NAME IS ERIC BELK. 
          I LIVE IN FORK DISTRICT. 
          I AM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD. 
          I WANNA BEGIN BY CLARIFYING THAT NOBODY ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, NOBODY ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, IS ADVOCATING TO DEFUND OR CLOSE THE LIBRARY. 
          LIBRARY. 
          THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED. 
          BOARD TRUSTEE, ANY SUGGESTION TO THE CONTRARY IS A FALSE NARRATIVE. 
          IT'S A FALSE NARRATIVE THAT WAS FIRST ADVANCED BY A PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, THAT THE LIBRARY PAID $50,000. 
          FOR NOW, OUR ONLY MISSION HERE IS TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND EFFICIENCY OF A FREE AND OPEN PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM FOR THE CITIZENS OF WARREN COUNTY. 
          CLICKER UP HERE SOMEWHERE. 
          [01:15:01]
THERE WE GO. 
          NOW, RECENT ACTIONS BY SAMUEL LIBRARY INC'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES HAVE RAISED SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE LIBRARY'S ASSETS, GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 
          SPECIFICALLY, A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WAS MADE TO THE ORGANIZATION'S DISSOLUTION CLAUSE, WHICH ALTERS THE INTENDED RECIPIENT OF LIBRARY ASSETS IN A WAY THAT NO LONGER GUARANTEES THEIR CONTINUED USE FOR THE CITIZENS OF WARREN COUNTY. 
          WE ON THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO BRING THIS BEFORE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND PROTECT THE COMMUNITY'S LONG-TERM INTEREST IN OUR PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
          ON DECEMBER 10TH, 2024, THE WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ENACTED CHAPTER SEVEN, ESTABLISHING THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD TO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNANCE FOR FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM IN WARREN COUNTY. 
          THIS INCLUDED ENSURING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF COUNTY ALLOCATED LIBRARY FUNDS. 
          AS PART OF THIS EFFORT, I REACHED OUT MULTIPLE TIMES TO MS. MELODY HOEK, PRESIDENT OF SAMUEL LIBRARY, INC'S BOARD OF TRUSTEES, TO APPEAR BEFORE US TO DISCUSS THE FINANCIALS, POLICIES, PROCEDURES OF SAMUEL'S LIBRARY, INC. 
          I OFFERED TO MOVE THE MEETING DATES, MOVE THE TIMES, ACCEPT ANYONE FROM HER BOARD TO SPEAK ON ANY ISSUE WITHIN THEIR PURVIEW. 
          DESPITE ACKNOWLEDGING THE COUNTY'S LEGAL RIGHT TO ESTABLISH THE LIBRARY BOARD, MS. HOEK DECLINED TO MEET WITH US ULTIMATELY CITING ONGOING LITIGATION THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ITSELF INITIATED AGAINST THE COUNTY. 
          UP HERE IS THE LETTER THAT I RECEIVED FROM MS. HOEK. 
          EVERYONE IN THIS COMMUNITY, I'M SPEAKING OF EVERYONE HERE, HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN REFERRING ME TO THE WEBPAGE. 
          THE WEBPAGE, ACTUALLY, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MAINTAINS EVERYTHING IS THERE. 
          I WAS TOLD. 
          YOU CAN SEE MS. HOEK HERSELF ALSO REFERS ME TO THERE AND I'LL QUOTE ROBUST WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN FIND UPTODATE INFORMATION, INCLUDING POLICIES, FINANCIAL REPORTS, TRUSTEE MEETING RECORDS. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT I DID. 
          IN REVIEWING THE JANUARY 13TH, 2025 BOARD PACKET, I STUMBLED ACROSS A SINGLE SENTENCE THAT INDICATED THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES HAD TAKEN A VERY DISTURBING ACTION THAT APPEARS TO BE CONTRARY TO THE RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY. 
          THE BOARD PACKET HAD A SINGLE PAGE OF MINUTES FROM A SPECIAL MEETING THAT TOOK PLACE ON DECEMBER 17TH, 2024, BUT I COULD FIND NO RECORD THAT SUCH A MEETING HAD TAKEN PLACE BECAUSE OF THE ONGOING DUPLICITY AROUND THE NOTICE ISSUE, WHICH CONTINUED. 
          EVEN TODAY, I FIND I'LL HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS NARRATIVE IN DETAIL, THIS FALSE NARRATIVE. 
          NOW, I REVIEWED THE MEETINGS LISTED ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES SITE. 
          THIS IS WHERE THEY LIST THEIR MEETINGS. 
          THERE IS NO MENTION OF ANY MEETING ON DECEMBER 17TH. 
          THERE IS NO BOARD PACKET. 
          THERE WAS NO AGENDA, THERE WAS NO STATED PURPOSE FOR A MEETING ANYWHERE ON THE SITE. 
          I THEN CHECK THE LIBRARY CALENDAR. 
          I WANT PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THIS ON THIS CALENDAR, WHICH CONTAINS HUNDREDS OF ENTRIES. 
          THERE'S A CHECKBOX THAT ALLOWS ONE TO SEARCH FOR LIBRARY MEETINGS. 
          THAT SEEMS A REASONABLE PLACE TO START WHEN CHECKING THAT BOX. 
          IT REVEALS THAT NO LIBRARY MEETINGS WERE HELD IN DECEMBER OF 2024. 
          NONE. 
          NOW I WANTED TO CHECK, DO THEY USE THIS FOR ALL THEIR MEETINGS OR WAS THIS SIMPLY SOME OVER? THEY DON'T USE IT FOR ALL OF THEM. 
          SO I CHECKED JANUARY AND WHEN YOU GO TO JANUARY, THE CALENDAR SHOWS THE JANUARY 13TH, 2025 MEETING. 
          IT ALSO SHOWS THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING. 
          THEREFORE, AND THERE'S ALSO THE EVEN LAST THIS MONTH, THE UH, SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY POLICIES AND COMMITTEES MEETING I ATTENDED LAST NIGHT WAS LISTED AS A LIBRARY MEETING. 
          THEREFORE, THE ONLY LOGICAL CONCLUSION ONE MAY DRAW IS THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES KNOWS EXACTLY WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW TO POST THEIR MEETINGS, THEIR PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND DELIBERATELY CHOSE NOT TO DO SO. 
          NOW, IF YOU GO ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM OF THOSE CHECK BOXES ON THE LIBRARY SITE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE IS A BOX THERE FOR EVENT TYPE. 
          AND THERE ARE THREE CHOICES IF YOU CHECK RESERVATION. 
          SURE ENOUGH, WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THAT LIST AND YOU GO DOWN ON THE 17TH AND YOU GO PAST THE CROCHET GROUP MEETING AND THE GIRL SCOUT MEETING ALL THE WAY AT THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE THEY RESERVED A ROOM FOR A SPECIAL MEETING, JUST A RESERVATION FOR A ROOM, NO AGENDA, NO TOPICS LISTED FOR DISCUSSION, NO BOARD PACKET, NO INDICIA OF A MEETING WHATSOEVER, JUST A ROOM RESERVATION. 
          NOW A REVIEW OF THE ORGANIZATION'S BYLAWS SHOW THAT THEY'VE GIVEN THEMSELVES THE RIGHT TO CREATE A SPECIAL MEETING WITHOUT PUBLIC NOTICE. 
          [01:20:02]
THERE'S, AND AGAIN, THEY DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE ANY NOTICE TO ANYBODY UNDER THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. 
          NOW, OF COURSE, THAT RAISES MAJOR CONCERNS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING SIGNIFICANT GOVERNANCE CHANGES AS HAPPENED HERE, LET'S CONTINUE. 
          NOW SINCE OUR MEETING LAST WEDNESDAY, I RECEIVED A COPY OF AN EMAIL REFERENCING THE DECEMBER 17TH MEETING. 
          THIS WAS SENT BY AARON ROONEY AROUND NOON ON DECEMBER 13TH. 
          THIS I'LL REMIND THE BOARD IS LESS THAN 72 HOURS AFTER YOU CREATED THE LIBRARY BOARD ON DECEMBER 10TH, LESS THAN 72 HOURS IT READS. 
          MELODY ASKED ME TO SEND THIS OUT. 
          SHE IS CALLING A SPECIAL BOARD MEETING TO INCLUDE A CLOSED SESSION TO TALK ABOUT LEGAL MATTERS ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17TH AT 5:30 PM IT WAS SENT TO MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT OF THE LIBRARY. 
          NO NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC, AS IN THEIR BYLAWS, IT SAYS, WE DON'T HAVE TO GIVE NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF THE SPECIAL MEETING. 
          NOW, IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS THAT A NOTICE SENT TO A BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON FRIDAY AT NOON FOR A MEETING ON TUESDAY AT FIVE 30 IS NOT THREE BUSINESS DAYS. 
          NOTICE THAT'S A GIVEN. 
          SO THE WHOLE ARGUMENT THAT THE MEETING WAS PROPERLY NOTICED UNDER FOIA CRUMBLES INSTANTLY, THIS WAS NOT FOIA COMPLIANT. 
          LET'S GO ON THE FACTS. 
          TELL THE STORY. 
          NOT EVEN THREE DAYS AFTER THE LIBRARY BOARD WAS CREATED, THEY'D ALREADY BEGUN TAKING STEPS IN AN EFFORT TO SUBVERT THE PURPOSE OF THE LIBRARY BOARD AND THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE IN THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS. 
          THERE WAS NO NOTICE WE HAVE DECOR. 
          PLEASE EXCUSE, EXCUSE ME, LET ME REPEAT THAT IN CASE PEOPLE DIDN'T HEAR IT. 
          AFTER THREE DAYS AFTER THIS LIBRARY BOARD WAS CREATED, THEY HAD ALREADY BEGUN TAKING STEPS IN AN EFFORT TO SUBVERT THE PURPOSE OF THE LIBRARY BOARD AND THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE IN THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS. 
           NOTICE WAS SENT TO THE TRUSTEES A ROOM RESERVATION. 
          MAY I CALL FOR DECORUM, PLEASE, A ROOM RESERVATION. 
          AND THE NOTICE TO THE TRUSTEES IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETING LAWS IN VIRGINIA. 
          IT DIDN'T MEET THE POSTING REQUIREMENTS OR THE TIME REQUIREMENT DID NOT STATE A VALID OR IN FACT ANY PURPOSE FOR THIS MEETING OTHER THAN LEGAL MATTERS, AND THEREFORE CONSTITUTED A MATERIAL BREACH OF THE LIBRARY FUNDING AGREEMENT SINCE THEY AGREED. 
          AND THEY ARE BOUND BY THE VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. 
          PUTTING ASIDE THE FOIA REQUIREMENTS, THOUGH, VIRGINIA LAW ACTUALLY REQUIRES MUCH, MUCH MORE FROM A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION. 
          THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED THE VIRGINIA NON-STOCK CORPORATION ACT. 
          THIS REQUIRES THAT IF A NON-STOCK CORPORATION DESIRES TO CHANGE ITS ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, IT SHALL GIVE NOTICE NOT LESS THAN 25 DAYS NOR MORE THAN 60 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING, EVEN ASSUMING A TIMING FOIA NOTICE WAS GIVEN, WHICH I DO NOT. 
          FRIDAY TO TUESDAY, IS TWO BUSINESS DAYS, NOT THREE DAYS NECESSARY FOR FOIA COMPLIANCE. 
          CERTAINLY NOT 25 CALENDAR DAYS MANDATED UNDER THE NON-STOCK CORPORATION ACT ACT. 
          SUBSECTION C OF THE SAME LAW NOTES THAT A SPECIAL MEETING SHALL STATE THE PURPOSE OR PURPOSES FOR WHICH THE MEETING IS CALLED. 
          YOU WILL RECALL THAT THE LETTER, THE EMAIL THAT WAS SENT TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES SAID LEGAL MATTERS. 
          AND FINALLY, THE ONLY THING THAT IS PERMISSIBLE IS ONLY BUSINESS WITHIN THE PURPOSE OR PURPOSES DESCRIBED IN THE MEETING. 
          NOTICE. 
          THEREFORE, NONE OF WHAT TOOK PLACE THERE WAS LEGITIMATE UNDER EITHER FOIA OR UNDER THE VIRGINIA NON-STOCK CORPORATION ACT. 
          IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE. 
          AND HERE'S WHY THAT MATTERS FROM ITS INCEPTION. 
          SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INCORPORATED WAS INCORPORATED AS A NONPROFIT CHARITY ORGANIZED TO MANAGE A FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR THE CITIZENS OF WARREN COUNTY. 
          LIKE ALL 5 0 1 C3 ORGANIZATIONS HAD HAD A DISSOLUTION CLAUSE AT THE TIME WHEN SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INC BEGAN OPERATING THE LIBRARY ALL THE WAY UP TO DECEMBER 17TH, 2024. 
          THE ORGANIZATION'S DISSOLUTION CLAUSE READ UPON DISSOLUTION OF THE LIBRARY, THE BOARD SHALL DISTRIBUTE ALL LIBRARY ASSETS EXCLUSIVELY FOR LIBRARY PURPOSES TO THE COUNTY OF WARREN, VIRGINIA. 
          SO UNDER THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION THAT WERE IN EFFECT, WHEN WARREN COUNTY CONTRACTED WITH SAMUEL'S LIBRARY EIGHT TO OPERATE A PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR THE CITIZENS OF WARREN COUNTY, SAMUEL LIBRARY INCORPORATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION STATED THAT IT WOULD HOLD THESE ASSETS FOR WARREN COUNTY AND IF AT ANY TIME IT CEASED TO OPERATE, IT WOULD GIVE THOSE ASSETS TO WARREN COUNTY 
          [01:25:01]
EXCLUSIVELY FOR LIBRARY PURPOSES. 
          THAT'S THE CONTEXT UNDER WHICH THIS CONTRACT WAS MADE. 
          THIS IS AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT IT'S FILED WITH THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION. 
          PARTIES ENTERING INTO CONTRACTS ARE ENTITLED TO RELY UPON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE STATE NOTE. 
          THIS WAS TO WARREN COUNTY EXCLUSIVELY FOR LIBRARY PURPOSES. 
          BOTH POINTS ARE IMPORTANT. 
          BOTH POINTS MATTER. 
          BOTH PARTIES UNDERSTOOD THAT AND WARREN COUNTY RELIED ON THAT LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN THIS OFFICIAL CORPORATE DOCUMENT FILED WITH THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION. 
          BY THE WAY, I WANNA POINT THIS OUT THAT DISSOLUTION CLAUSE DOESN'T SAY THAT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INC WILL GIVE THE ASSETS BACK ONLY IF WARREN COUNTY PAID FOR THEM. 
          IT SAID DISTRIBUTE ALL LIBRARY ASSETS EXCLUSIVELY FOR LIBRARY PURPOSES TO THE COUNTY OF WARREN VIRGINIA, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHO PAID FOR THOSE ASSETS ANY AFTER THE FACT RETROSPECTIVE ALLOCATIONS MADE BY SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INC. 
          ARE MEANINGLESS. 
          WARREN COUNTY HAS A 100% VESTED INTEREST IN ANY FUTURE DISTRIBUTION OF THOSE ASSETS BY OPERATION OF LAW. 
          THEN THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ELECTED TO DO SOMETHING HARDLY REGRETTABLE. 
          THEY DECIDED TO HOLD A SECRET MEETING WITH A SECRET AGENDA. 
          PERHAPS THEY DID SO TO CREATE WHAT IN THE CORPORATE WORLD WE WOULD CALL A POISON PILL, WHICH ALONG WITH THE LITIGATION THEY HAD PLANNED TO FILE, THEY MUST HAVE BELIEVED WOULD STRONG ARM THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO BEND TO THEIR WILL OR PERHAPS THEY THOUGHT THEIR ACTIONS WOULD JUST SAIL PAST US UNNOTICED, EXCUSE ME, NEVER TO BE DISCOVERED. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          PLEASE KEEP A, PLEASE KEEP THE, THE CHATTER DOWN AND ANY TYPE OF, UH, UH, OF UH, UH, ANY TYPE OF APPLAUSE OR LAUGHING OR ELSE I WILL ASK TO HAVE THE, THE SHERIFF CLEAR THE ROOM PLEASE. 
          THANK YOU, MR. BY OR PERHAPS THEY THOUGHT THEIR ACTIONS WOULD JUST SAIL PAST US, UNNOTICED NEVER TO BE DISCOVERED TO BE SPRUNG UPON THE COUNTY IN THE NEXT WEEK OR MONTH OR YEAR. 
          LET'S LOOK AT THOSE ACTIONS IN CONTEXT. 
          ON DECEMBER 17TH, IN THIS SECRET MEETING, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES VOTED 11 ZERO TO AMEND THE DISSOLUTION CLAUSE. 
          MS. COLORS WAS NOT PRESENT AT THAT SECRET MEETING. 
          IF SHE CHOOSES TO, SHE CAN TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT MATERIAL SHE RECEIVED OR WHEN SHE RECEIVED NOTICE OF THIS CHANGE. 
          THIS DISSOLUTION NOW READS UPON DISSOLUTION OF THE LIBRARY, THE BOARD SHALL DISTRIBUTE ALL LIBRARY ASSETS TO SUCH ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZED AND OPERATED EXCLUSIVELY FOR CHARITABLE OR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, AS SHALL AT THAT TIME QUALIFY AS AN EXEMPT ORGANIZATION UNDER 5 0 1 C3. 
          NOW WITH THIS CHANGE, AND I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH, IF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES DECIDES TO DISSOLVE SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INCORPORATED, IT CAN IMMEDIATELY DISTRIBUTE THOSE ASSETS TO ANY NONPROFIT ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY FOR ANY CHARITABLE OR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE. 
          LET ME ALSO REMIND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS THAT A NONPROFIT NEED NOT BE BANKRUPT TO DISSOLVE THE CORPORATION. 
          THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES COULD VOTE TOMORROW TO DISSOLVE SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INCORPORATED, DISSOLVE IT, AND INSTEAD OF DISTRIBUTING ALL LIBRARY ASSETS EXCLUSIVELY FOR LIBRARY PURPOSES TO THE COUNTY OF WARREN, VIRGINIA, THEY COULD SEND IT ANYWHERE THEY WANTED TO, TO ANY NONPROFIT FOR ANY PURPOSE. 
          NOW, I MEAN, WHEN I SAY THAT, I MEAN ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY TO ANY 5 0 1 C3 OF ITS CHOOSING, THE BOARD WILL RECOGNIZE THAT WARREN COUNTY IS NOT A 5 0 1 C3. 
          THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY HAVE A RIGHT TO ENJOY THOSE ASSETS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE, AS NOTED, THE COUNTY HAS A 100% VESTED FUTURE OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF THOSE ASSETS ON BEHALF OF ITS CITIZENS. 
          NOT TO SOME VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY IN SOME OTHER TOWN STAYS HERE IN WARREN COUNTY FOR THE PURPOSES OF A LIBRARY AND FOR NO OTHER PURPOSE. 
          NOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CHANGES SIDE BY SIDE, YOU CAN SEE JUST EXACTLY HOW EGREGIOUS AND DETRIMENTAL THIS ALTERATION IS TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY. 
          THE LIBRARY BOARD HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CONCLUDE THAT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INCORPORATED MET IN SECRET TO CREATE THE FRAMEWORK UNDER WHICH THEY CAN DENY THESE LIBRARY ASSETS TO TAXPAYERS OF WARREN COUNTY, THE CITIZENS THAT HAVE SO FAR GIVEN OVER $26 MILLION TO SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INCORPORATED OVER THE YEARS. 
          AND I HAVE TO POINT OUT, ALTHOUGH WE'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT TAXPAYERS, THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT TAXPAYERS. 
          ANYONE WHO EVER GAVE A DIME TO THIS LIBRARY, EVERYONE WHO COLLECTIVELY HAVE CONTRIBUTED OR DONATED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THEM FOR THE SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE PURPOSE OF OPERATING A FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY HERE IN WARREN COUNTY, CAN NOW SEE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS BEING SENT ANYWHERE FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN A PUBLIC LIBRARY 
          [01:30:01]
HERE IN WARREN COUNTY. 
          IS THAT LEGAL? NOT FOR ME TO DECIDE, BUT I'LL DRAW THE SUPERVISOR, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ATTENTION TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 57 57 PROHIBITED ACTS, WHICH STATES NO PERSON SHALL USE OR PERMIT THE USE OF THE FUNDS RAISED BY A CHARITABLE SOLICITATION FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN THE SOLICITED PURPOSE. 
          IT WOULD BE A DIRECT VIOLATION OF THIS STATUTE TO TAKE THE FUNDS SOLICITED FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAINTAINING A FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN WARREN COUNTY AND TO GIVE THEM TO ANYONE FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN A FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN WARREN COUNTY. 
          CHARITABLE FUNDS MUST BE USED FOR THEIR SOLICITED PURPOSE AND FOR NO OTHER TO REDIRECTING PUBLICLY FUNDED ASSETS AWAY FROM THEIR INTENDED USE. 
          EVEN ATTEMPTING TO DO SO MAY VIOLATE STATE LAW AND WARRANT. 
          FURTHER REVIEW ALL THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVI, BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF SAMUEL'S LIBRARY, INC. 
          AGREEING LESS THAN 72 HOURS AFTER THE CREATION OF THE LIBRARY BOARD TO MEET IN SECRET TO CONCOCT THIS POISON PILL, FILING SPECIES LITIGATION AGAINST THE COUNTY, NON-COMPLIANCE WITH NUMEROUS STATUTES REFUSING TO MEET WITH THE LIBRARY BOARD THAT THEIR OWN PRESIDENT ADMITS WAS LEGITIMATELY CREATED. 
          ALL OF THESE ACTIONS HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PRESERVATION OF A FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN WARREN COUNTY, VIRGINIA. 
          BUT EVERYTHING TO DO WITH SAMUEL LIBRARY INCORPORATED OWN SELF-PRESERVATION AT THE EXPENSE OF THE CITIZENS OF WARREN COUNTY. 
          THE MESSAGE HERE THAT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INC. 
          IS SENDING TO US AND TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY IS THAT IF HE CAN'T RUN THE LIBRARY IN WARREN COUNTY, THEN NO ONE CAN LET ME ADDRESS THE PRESS RELEASE ISSUE TODAY BY MS. HOEK AND MS. ROONEY ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. 
          I WAS VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT SOMEONE HAD READ IT TO YOU EARLIER. 
          UH, I HAVE COPIES IF YOU NEED THEM AS WELL. 
          ISSUING THIS PRESS RELEASE IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF STEPPING ON A RAKE. 
          FIRST, THEY SAY, WE COME WITH OUR OWN ASSETS. 
          DID THOSE ASSETS JUST MATERIALIZE SUDDENLY OUT OF THIN AIR? NO. 
          THEY WERE PAID FOR BY OUR TAX DOLLARS AND OUR DONATIONS. 
          IT IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO SAY, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IT IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO SAY THAT NO COUNTY MONEY WAS EVER USED TO PURCHASE ASSETS. 
          WE ALREADY HAVE NUMEROUS RECORDS STRETCHING BACK AT LEAST 20 YEARS, SHOWING SOME THINGS THAT THE COUNTY HAS ACTUALLY DIRECTLY PAID FOR, INCLUDING FURNITURE AND OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS. 
          SECOND, THE MONIES RECEIVED BY SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INC. 
          ARE COMPLETELY FUNGIBLE. 
          EVERYTHING THEY RECEIVE, COUNTY MONEY, STATE MONEY, DONATIONS ARE ALL INTENDED TO STAY IN WARREN COUNTY FOR THE OPERATION OF THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
          AND IT ALL GOES INTO THE SAME POT. 
          THIRD, THEY IGNORE THE FACT THAT UNDER THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION THAT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INC. 
          FILED WITH THE STATE, THE COUNTY HAS AS A MATTER OF LAW, A 100% VESTED INTEREST IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF ANY DISSOLUTION. 
          YOU CANNOT MANIPULATE THAT AFTER THE FACT. 
          FOURTH, THERE WAS A CLEAR VIOLATION OF FOIA FOR ALL THE REASONS I DISCUSSED FURTHER INCLUDING THE DECEPTIVE NATURE OF THE ALLEGED POSTING. 
          AND EVEN IF YOU ACCEPT THAT AN EFFECTIVE POSTING WAS MADE, WHICH I DO NOT, THIS PRESS RELEASE CONFIRMS THAT IT WAS MADE WITH TWO DAYS NOTICE, NOT THE STATUTORILY REQUIRED THREE DAYS ACCORDING TO VIRGINIA FOIA COUNSEL, AND I'M QUOTING FROM OPINION A OH SIX DASH ONE SEVEN FROM 2017. 
          WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY SUMMARIZED THESE NOTICE REQUIREMENTS BY STATING THAT THE GENERAL RULE THAT NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING SHOULD BE POSTED THREE WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEETING AS SET FORTH IN SUBSECTION C. 
          THREE WORKING DAYS DO NOT INCLUDE WEEKENDS OR LEGAL HOLIDAYS. 
          AND THE DAY OF THE MEETING SHOULD NOT BE COUNTED AS ONE OF THE THREE WORKING DAYS. 
          A ROOM RESERVATION ON A FRIDAY FOR A MEETING MEETING ON A TUESDAY DOES NOT MEET THE FOIA REQUIREMENTS. 
          FIFTH, YEAH, I'M A LITTLE AHEAD. 
          I'M PUSHING THE WRONG BUTTON HERE. 
          FIFTH. 
          ANY CHANGE TO THE DISSOLUTION CLAUSE IS SUBJECT TO THE VIRGINIA NON-STOCK CORPORATION ACT, WHICH REQUIRES A MINIMUM OF 25 DAYS NOTICE AND REQUIRES VERY SPECIFIC CONTENT FOR THAT NOTICE, NONE OF WHICH CAN BE FOUND IN THIS ROOM RESERVATION. 
          SIX. 
          THE PRESS REPORT CONFIRMS THAT THE DISCUSSION, THIS IS IMPORTANT. 
          THE DISCUSSION TO CHANGE THE DISSOLUTION CLAUSE WAS HELD IN A CLOSED MEETING. 
          NOW THERE ARE SEVEN GENERAL TOPIC AREAS THAT YOU CAN DISCUSS IN A CLOSED MEETING. 
          YOU HAVE TO ANNOUNCE AHEAD OF TIME WHAT THOSE ARE CHANGING. 
          THE DISSOLUTION CLAUSE IN THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION IS NOT ONE OF THEM. 
          SO THIS PRESS 
          [01:35:01]
RELEASE THAT THEY HELPFULLY ISSUED CONFIRMS YET ANOTHER VIOLATION OF FOIA AND IT ALSO CONFIRMS YET ANOTHER VIOLATION OF THE VIRGINIA NON-STOCK CORPORATION ACT. 
          SEVENTH. 
          THEY SAY THE CHANGE TO THIS SOLUTION CLAUSE WAS APPROVED BY THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION. 
          I GUESS WE CAN BE SURE THAT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INC. 
          TOLD THEM ABOUT THE MULTIPLE FOIA VIOLATIONS IT WENT THROUGH TO REACH THIS POINT. 
          TOLD THEM ABOUT THE MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS OF THE VIRGINIA NON-STOCK CORPORATION ACT AND THE LACK OF ANY SUBSTANTIAL NOTICE AND THE FACT THAT THIS WAS CARRIED OUT IN A CLOSED CIRCUIT SECRET MEETING. 
          SURE, THEY TOLD THEM ALL THAT AND THEY APPROVED IT ANYWAY. 
          OF COURSE, NOT EVERY POINT IN THIS PRESS RELEASE. 
          EVERY POINT THAT WAS RAISED IN PUBLIC DISCUSSION BEFORE I CAME HERE HAS BEEN THOROUGHLY DEBUNKED. 
          UNAMBIGUOUSLY THOROUGHLY DEBUNKED. 
          I'M GLAD THE ISSUED THIS PRESS RELEASE BECAUSE IT UNEQUIVOCALLY CONFIRMS EVERY POINT I'VE MADE. 
          I HAVE PROVIDED NO MISINFORMATION. 
          EVERYTHING I SAID IS FACTUAL AND VERIFIED. 
          BUT THE LEVEL OF DISINFORMATION COMING FROM SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INCORPORATED IS ABSOLUTELY STAGGERING. 
          THESE ACTIONS HAVE TRAMPLED ANY NUMBER OF VIRGINIA LAWS IN THE PROCESS. 
          MOST OF ALL, THEY HAVE VIOLATED THE CITIZEN'S TRUSTS. 
          THESE AREN'T CASUAL MISTAKES. 
          ONE-OFFS, MINOR CLERICAL ERRORS. 
          NO. 
          AS THIS ILL-ADVISED, PRESS RELEASE IS MADE CLEAR. 
          THESE ARE A SERIES OF INTENTIONAL ACTS DESIGNED TO CREATE A FRAMEWORK THAT ONCE EXECUTED WILL ENABLE THEM TO TAKE THESE LIBRARY ASSETS OUT OF WARREN COUNTY TO DISPOSE OF AS THEY WILL. 
          ONE MIGHT WELL CONCLUDE THAT ANY SINGLE ONE OF THESE ACTS VIOLATES THE PUBLIC TRUST. 
          COLLECTIVELY, ONE MAY CONCLUDE THAT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INCORPORATED NO LONGER MAYBE THEY ONCE HAD, BUT NO LONGER HAVE THE BEST INTEREST AT THIS COMMUNITY AT HEART AND SHOULD PLAY NO FURTHER ROLE IN THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF THE COUNTY'S FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM. 
          NONETHELESS, WE HELD OUT AN OLIVE BRANCH TO THEM OFFERING TO WORK WITH THEM. 
          IF THEY WOULD SIMPLY PUT THESE MISTAKES BEHIND THEM, REVERSE WHAT THEY DID, AND PROVIDE A RELIABLE GUARANTEE THAT THEY WILL NEVER AGAIN ATTEMPT TO REPEAT IT. 
          WE WERE CERTAINLY WILLING TO WORK WITH THEM. 
          THIS OFFER WAS MET WITH DEAFENING SILENCE AND A DOUBLING DOWN ON THE DEMONSTRABLY FALSE PRE PRETENSE THAT THIS SECRET MEETING WAS PROPERLY NOTICED TO THE PUBLIC. 
          AT THIS POINT, I DON'T HOLD OUT MUCH HOPE THAT THEY WILL STOP EMPLOYING THESE TACTICS DESPITE THE VARIOUS SYRIANS NATURE OF THE WHAT THEY'VE DONE. 
          THE IRONY IN ALL THIS, THE IRONY IN ALL THIS IS THAT I PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE DISCOVERED THESE DECEPTIONS, BUT FOR THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, CONTINUAL UNREASONABLE REFUSAL TO MEET WITH US, WE WERE ALL LASER FOCUSED ON THE BUDGET. 
          EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US DIGGING INTO THE NUMBERS, WE HAD QUESTIONS, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ANSWERS FROM THEM. 
          WE NEEDED MORE INFORMATION FROM THEM. 
          ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS COME TO THE TABLE. 
          THAT'S ALL WE ASKED. 
          THEY REPEATEDLY REFUSED. 
          THEIR REPEATED REFUSAL MADE US DIG DEEPER, UNCOVERING MORE AND MORE QUESTIONABLE ACTIONS. 
          AND HERE WE ARE AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO FIND MORE. 
          THIS IS, IN SHORT, AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS OF THEIR OWN MAKING. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          SO DUE TO THE REFUSAL OF SAMUEL'S LIBRARY TO PRESENT THEIR BUDGET TO US AND ANSWER QUESTIONS AS MANDATED BY THE ENABLING ORDINANCE, I'M SORRY TO REPORT THAT WE CANNOT BRING A BUDGET TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AT THIS TIME AND IT APPEARS THERE'S INSUFFICIENT TIME NOW TO DO SO. 
          AND TIME FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO ALLOCATE FUNDING BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF LIBRARY FUNDING AGREEMENT. 
          THIS WAS SIMPLE. 
          THIS IS SIMPLE. 
          THIS COULD HAVE SIMPLY BEEN AVOIDED HAD THEY COME TO THE TABLE. 
          SINCE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF SAMUEL'S LIBRARY, INC. 
          HAS REFUSED TO COME TO THE TABLE. 
          AND IN LIGHT OF THE OBJECTIVELY IMPROPER ACTIONS TAKEN TO DATE BY SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INCORPORATED, THE LIBRARY BOARD PASSED A SERIES OF MOTIONS ON FEBRUARY 26TH, 2025 WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE ARE NOT BINDING ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          AND IT IS EXPECTED THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL TAKE WHATEVER ACTIONS THEY CONCLUDE ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF AND MOST BENEFICIAL TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY. 
          WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY, COLLABORATIVELY, AND IN GOOD FAITH TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUES TO ENSURE THAT WARREN COUNTY HAS A THRIVING, TRANSPARENT AND PUBLICLY ACCOUNTABLE LIBRARY SYSTEM THAT SERVES ITS GENERATIONS FOR YEARS TO COME. 
          I WOULD WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. 
          HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU ATTEMPT TO GET A MEETING WITH, UH, LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES OR AT LEAST REPRESENTATIVES THEREOF? SO THERE WERE, UH, THERE WERE TWO MEETINGS THAT WE HAD WHERE WE HAD INVITED THEM. 
          AND WITH THE FIRST MEETING, THERE WERE PROBABLY, I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT 
          [01:40:01]
BACK AND FORTHS WHEN I WAS TRYING TO EITHER MOVE THE MEETING, MOVE THE TIME, AND I GOT, UH, NO TIMES, NO DATES AVAILABLE, UH, FROM THEM. 
          NOT THAT THERE WAS NO DATE AVAILABLE, BUT SHE DIDN'T WANNA MEET WITH US. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND, UH, CONSTITUENT ASKED ME ABOUT, UM, SOME OF YOUR LOGIC AT AT LEAST PRESENTED THE WEDNESDAY OF LAST WEEK, UH, TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE INTERNET ARCHIVE OR THE WAY BACK MACHINE, AND THEY STATED THAT THAT IS NOT A, A DAILY SNAPSHOT, SO YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY MAKE CONCLUSIONS FROM THAT. 
          SO I'M JUST WONDERING HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT TO THIS FOIA CONCLUSION? WELL, THEY, THE, I WENT TO THE WAY BACK MACHINE JUST IN CASE. 
          MAYBE THERE WAS SOMETHING ON THERE THAT I HAD THAT'S NOT THERE ANYMORE THAT I COULD SAY I COULD POINT TO AND SAY, OH LOOK, THEY DID SCHEDULE THE MEETING, IT JUST FELL OFF THE CALENDAR OR WHAT HAVE YOU. 
          BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. 
          AND THE WAY BACK MACHINE IS ACTUALLY A SNAPSHOT ON THAT DAY AT THAT TIME. 
          SO THAT IS AN ACTUAL, IT'S NOT ACCURATE IN THE SENSE THAT IT HAS THE, UH, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE, THE, UH, CSS, BUT IT HAS THE HTML, WHICH MEANS YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET THE SAME FORMATTING THAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW, BUT IT'LL HAVE ALL THE SAME INFORMATION ON THAT. 
          MAYBE JUST NOT IN AS PRETTY A FASHION. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU MS. KOHLERS. 
          NO QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME. 
          THIS NOTE WAS NOT ADDING UP. 
          I DON'T, THANK YOU. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, BEFORE WE GO TO A MOTION ON THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS ON, ON THIS. 
          AND I'VE WRITTEN THEM DOWN SO I KEEP MYSELF ON TRACK, WHICH I DON'T USUALLY DO, BUT I GET OFF TRACK IF I DON'T. 
          SO WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND, AND YOU CAN SIT DOWN 'CAUSE I'M NOT GONNA ASK YOU ANY QUESTIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          IF YOU OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          UM, ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME? ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA? I GOOGLED THIS TODAY. 
          A BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEMBER IN VIRGINIA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ESTABLISHING POLICIES AND ACTING LAWS AND REPRESENTING THE INTEREST OF THEIR COMMUNITY. 
          AND TO ME, COMMUNITY IS INCLUSIVE OF EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND I WAS ELECTED TO REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY OF SOUTH RIVER DISTRICTS, WHICH NEEDS, I NEED TO BE ACCESSIBLE, LISTEN, RESEARCH THE CONCERNS, TRUST, BUT VERIFY, AND THEN COMMUNICATE ON A CONTINUAL BASIS. 
          I BELIEVE IN THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND I BELIEVE IN THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH. 
          I AM 100% FOR TRANSPARENCY, FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT, AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 
          AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I DID NOT VOTE ON THE ACCOUNTS AT THESE VERY BOARD MEETINGS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF LINE ITEM DESCRIPTIONS, WHICH I WAS CRITICIZED, UH, QUITE A BIT. 
          I BELIEVE THAT SHOWS MY LEVEL OF SCRUTINY AND OVERSIGHT. 
          I WAS OPENLY CRITICIZED BY A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD FOR MY REFUSAL TO APPROVE THE ACCOUNTS. 
          THE SAME MEMBER WHO NOW IS PART OF THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD AND ITS MOVEMENT TO CUT TIES WITH SIMON SAMUELS LIBRARY INC. 
          AND THE SAME BOARD THAT HAS NO, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT REPRESENTATION, WHERE, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD, ALL DISTRICTS SHOULD BE REPRESENTED ON EVERY BOARD. 
          I'M CONFUSED BY THE DOUBLE STANDARD OF PRACTICE HERE. 
          IT'S ACCEPTABLE NOT TO HAVE LINE ITEM DESCRIPTIONS ON THE COUNTY ACCOUNTS AND APPROVE THEM, BUT UNTIL RECENTLY, NOT EVEN ASKED FOR A LIGHT ITEM DESCRIPTIONS FROM SAMUELS INC. 
          AND ACCUSED THEM OF QUESTIONABLE MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS. 
          I WAS INFORMED BY A RESIDENT OF WARREN COUNTY THAT THE LIBRARY HAD SPENT $10,000 ON A SET OF BARN DOORS FOR A STORAGE CLOSET. 
          AND THAT WAS PROOF THAT THEY HAD NO REGARD FOR TAXPAYERS MONEY. 
          I ASKED MS. GRADY ABOUT THE EXPENDITURE, AND WITH FIVE MINUTES THE RECEIPT WAS RESEARCHED AND THE COST, I BELIEVE, AND I HAVE THE RECEIPT, IT WAS $1,447 AND 44 CENTS. 
          AND, UM, AND IT WAS THE CORRECT COST AND THE MONEY WAS FROM SAMUEL'S INC. 
          FUNDS NOT COUNTY TAX FUNDS. 
          THE AMOUNT OF MISINFORMATION BEING SPREAD ON FACEBOOK IS BEYOND REALITY. 
          THE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD ARE WELCOME TO MEET WITH MS. GRADY TO GO OVER LINE, LINE AND FINANCES AND HAVE ANY DONE. 
          SO WOULDN'T THAT HAVE BEEN THE FIRST THING WE SHOULD HAVE DONE? HOW CAN A BOARD MEMBER ON ONE HAND MAKE PUBLIC ACCUSATIONS OF CO-MINGLING A FUND AND POSSIBLE FINANCIAL MISCONDUCT OF GOVERNMENT FUNDING? THEN ON THE OTHER HAND, INSTRUCT FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD TO GO LOOK AT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INC WEBSITE FOR THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION THEY WANT BECAUSE IT'S ALL THERE. 
          I'M CONFUSED. 
          AND I'M ALSO CONFUSED 
          [01:45:02]
HOW AT THE FIRST MEETING OF THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEMBERS STATED, SHE WAS APPOINTED TO THE BOARD BY ALL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          AND THAT'S INACCURATE AS I DID NOT VOTE IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION. 
          I DO BELIEVE I AM AN EQUALLY ELECTED MEMBER OF THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS NEEDS TO DO THE JOB THAT WE WERE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          WE NEED TO BE WORKING IN COOPERATIVE MANNER WITH SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INC. 
          NOT TO FORM A GO-BETWEEN BOARD TO DO OUR JOB. 
          BEING A SUPERVISOR TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT. 
          IT ENTAILS MAKING DIFFICULT DECISIONS THAT YES, MAKE US UNPOPULAR AT TIMES, BUT IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY. 
          I HAVE ASKED REPEATEDLY TO BE SHOWN THE COST SAVINGS OF HIRING A NEW LIBRARY CONTRACTOR, A NEW CONTRACTOR THAT WILL PROVIDE, IN MY OPINION, THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICES AND PROGRAMS THAT THIS COMMUNITY CURRENTLY RECEIVES, DEPENDS ON AND DESIRES TO HAVE CONTINUED. 
          AND I'VE NOT BEEN SHOWN THAT INFORMATION. 
          THERE IS NO WAY THAT A NEW CONTRACTOR CAN BE BROUGHT IN WITHOUT DISRUPTION OF CONTINUED SAME LEVEL SERVICES THAT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INC. 
          IS NOW PROVIDING. 
          SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THE HOMESCHOOL STUDENTS THAT CURRENTLY UTILIZE THE FREE PROGRAMS OFFICE AT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY FOR THEIR CONTINUED EDUCATION? WHAT HAPPENS TO THE ELDERLY POPULATION THAT USE OF FREE SERVICES THEY NEED ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY FOR THOSE SERVICES OTHER PLACES? THIS OLD ISSUE HAS BEEN SO RUSHED THROUGH WITH NO CARE OR CONCERN TO THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE TO THE COUNTY, THE COMMUNITY . 
          THIS SHOULD NOT BE A POLITICAL OR A RELIGIOUS ISSUE. 
          THERE IS SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE FOR A REASON, AND I WOULD REQUEST THAT THIS MOTION IS DENIED AND I WOULD MOTION THAT A CONTRACT BE APPROVED WITH SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INC. 
          FOR ANOTHER ONE YEAR TERM ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2026. 
          I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MOTION THAT THIS MATTER OF CONTINUED CONTRACT PROVIDER OF LIBRARY SERVICES BE PUT ON A REFERENDUM ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT FOR THE VOTING RESIDENTS OF WARREN COUNTY TO DECIDE WHO WANT, WHO THEY WANT THEIR TAX DOLLARS TO BE USED FOR LIBRARY SERVICES, SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INC. 
          THE CURRENT PROVIDER OR A CONTRACT WITH A NEW PROVIDER. 
          AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MOTION THE DISSOLUTION OF THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD AND THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DO WHAT WE WERE ELECTED TO DO AND WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY AGENCIES AND PARTNERS, INCLUDING SAMUEL'S LIBRARY, INC. 
          TO PROVIDE THE FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND TRANSPARENCY. 
          OUR REP, OUR RESIDENTS ELECTED US TO PROVIDE MS. COOK, ARE YOU STILL ON LINE? HUH? YOU DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? NO. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THE ONLY THING I WANNA ADD TO ADD TO THIS IS THAT, UM, WE ALL VOTED ON HAVING THE WARREN COUNTY LINE LIBRARY VOTE BOARDS, BUT THE EXCEPTION MS. CU OF COURSE, AND NOW WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE STATING THAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THIS BOARD, UM, AS WHEN IT GOING FORWARD WITH THIS FUNDING AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. 
          YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO, UM, REVIS THIS CONTRACT TO INCLUDE THE LIBRARY BOARD NOW THAT IT'S, IT'S IN THE ORDINANCE. 
          UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, ALSO WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH THE LIBRARY BOARD AND MAYBE, MAYBE IF WE REVISE THIS, THE EXISTING FUNDING AGREEMENT THAT WE WILL BE, BE ABLE TO START THE PROCESS THE WAY THE ORDINANCE IS, UM, IS PUT TOGETHER. 
          UM, ANOTHER POINT I WANNA ADD WITH THE, UM, WITH UPDATING THE EXISTING FUNDING AGREEMENT, THEN THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT IS, IS A FUNDING AGREEMENT. 
          IT'S NOT A CONTRACT. 
          I THINK WE NEED TO ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE SERVICES THAT OUR FUNDING, UH, TAX DOLLARS ARE GOING TO BE USED FOR AND HOW THEY'RE BEING ALLOCATED. 
          SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S, I JUST WANTED JUST TO EXPRESS MY, UM, MY PERSPECTIVE AND MY OPINION GOING FORWARD. 
          YEAH, DR. 
          JAMESON OF WHICH I THINK THIS BOARD IS RESPONSIBLE TO DO WITHOUT ALLOCATING IT TO A SUB BOARD. 
          I, I STAND BY WITH WHAT I READ DR. 
          JAMESON. 
          UM, YEAH, LIBRARY BOARDS ARE THE NORM. 
          WHAT, WHAT THIS COUNTY'S ADOPTED IS A, A PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD, WHICH IS WHAT, 95, 90 6% OF ALL THE COUNTIES IN 
          [01:50:01]
THE, IN, IN THE STATE USE. 
          AND EXCUSE ALSO. 
          WELL BE THAT AS IT MAY. 
          OKAY. 
          I STILL SAY PUTTING THIS ON A REFERENDUM AND LET THE PEOPLE OF THIS COMMUNITY DECIDE IT'S THEIR TAX DOLLARS. 
          ALRIGHT, SO THE ALL SPECULATION ABOUT THE ELIMINATION OF SERVICES, LIKE ELDERLY PEOPLE NOT HAVING A PLACE TO GO OR HOMESCHOOLERS NOT BEING ABLE TO USE THE LIBRARY IS HYPERBOLIC , UM, EXCUSE ME, DO I HAVE THE CLICKER? LEARN HOW TO ALARM. 
          HEY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS MY LAST WARNING AND I'M SERIOUS ABOUT THIS. 
          IF I HAVE ONE MORE OUTBURST LIKE THIS, ONE MORE LAUGHING, I WILL ASK THE, THE SHERIFF TO CLEAR THE ROOM. 
          IS THAT UNDERSTOOD? THANK YOU. 
          I'VE PREPARED THIS PRESENTATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL OF THE PUBLIC AND TO GET ONTO THE, TO THE PUBLIC RECORD, UM, CERTAIN FACTS, I'M GONNA START BY GOING THROUGH AN EXPOSITION OF WHAT IT TAKES TO GET COUNTY FINANCIAL DATA. 
          I'M NOT GONNA SPEND A LOT OF TIME GOING THROUGH THESE SLIDES. 
          THEY'RE PUBLIC DOCUMENTS AND ANYBODY CAN OBTAIN THEM. 
          THIS PROCESS ENTAILS OBTAINING ACCOUNTS PAYABLE REQUIRED BY THE, FOR ANY COMPANY VENDOR AND REPORT FROM WARREN COUNTY FINANCE DEPARTMENT, WHICH RESULTS IN A PDF FILE. 
          THAT ACCOUNTS PAYABLE INQUIRY IS CONVERTED TO A SPREADSHEET. 
          OBTAINING COUNTY RECORDS OF FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS RESULTS IN A PDF FILE FROM THE COUNTY RECORDS. 
          THE PROCESS THEN ENTAILS MATCHING FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS TO LINES IN AN AP REPORT, CATEGORIZING THOSE REPORTS IN THE EXCEL FILE, AND THEN USING EXCEL FILTERS TO AGGREGATE DATA ACCORDING TO THOSE CATEGORIES. 
          THIS ISN'T EXPECTED TO BE READ ON THE SLIDE, IT'S A PUBLIC DOCUMENT. 
          THIS IS AN ACCOUNTS PAYABLE, UH, REPORT FROM THE, FROM THE COUNTY SYSTEM FOR SAMUEL'S LIBRARY. 
          THIS IS A ANOTHER PAGE OF THAT. 
          THIS IS WHAT'S WHAT'S CONVERTED INTO EXCEL. 
          THIS IS THE EXCEL SPREADSHEET THAT'S BEEN CONVERTED INTO THIS MAKES IT USABLE DATA RATHER THAN SIMPLY TEXT A PDF FILE, THERE'S AN INDEX WHERE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE, OR FINALLY THIS IS IN THIS, THIS INQUIRY IS CONVERTED TO EXCEL. 
          THAT'S THE SECOND PAGE OF IT. 
          NOW A PAINTING COUNTY RECORDS, THERE'S AN EXAMPLE HERE OF A PAINTING COUNTY RECORDS FOR THE ER ROAD CONSTRUCTION. 
          THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE CASH TRANSFERS TO, TO SAMUEL'S FROM LIBRARY. 
          THIS IS THE DOCUMENTATION. 
          IT HAS THE DATE, IT HAS, THE AMOUNT IT HAS, THE FUND IT CAME FROM. 
          THAT MEANS THAT THIS ITEM CAN BE IDENTIFIED IN THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE REPORT, THE AMOUNT, THE DATE SINCE THE DOC, THE COUNTY DOCUMENT SHOWS WHAT IT'S FOR. 
          WE CAN CREATE A, IN THE LAST COLUMN, A TAG WHICH CATEGORIZES IT AND ENABLES IT TO BE LABELED. 
          THAT WAS A CONSTRUCTION EXAMPLE. 
          HERE WE HAVE AN ANOTHER EXAMPLE LIBRARY FURNITURE. 
          THERE'S A COUNTY DOCUMENT SHOWS THE DATE, THE AMOUNT THAT WAS TRANSFERRED, THE AMOUNT OF THE LOAN. 
          HERE AGAIN, UH, THAT DOCUMENTATION CAN BE USED TO IDENTIFY THE, THE DATA AND THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE REPORT. 
          THEN THAT CAN BE, UH, CATEGORIZED AND LABELED, WHICH ENABLES IT TO BE FILTERED AND AGGREGATED. 
          SO ALL OF THAT THAT I JUST WENT THROUGH, SHOWS THAT THE LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION FUNDS DISPERSED WERE $6.38 MILLION. 
          THE FURNITURE LOAN WAS THREE $56 MILLION FOR A TOTAL OF $6.7 MILLION. 
          THE FURNITURE LOAN WAS DISTINCT AND ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CONSTRUCTION FUNDING. 
          NOW, HOW DO WE OBTAIN DATA FROM SAMUELS IRS FORM NINE 90 ARE OBTAINED AS PDF FILES. 
          WE LOCATE SECTION SET PART PART SEVEN, SECTION B INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS, THE FIVE HIGHEST PAID. 
          HERE WE HAVE A RECORD OF TOTAL PAYMENTS OF $6.397 MILLION AS, UH, REPORTED ON THE IRS FORMS NINE 90. 
          UH, OF THAT $448,000 OF THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS WERE PAID FOR BY WARREN COUNTY LIGHT BY BY WARREN COUNTY. 
          THE FURNITURE LOAN OF $356,000 WAS A DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT TRANSFER I'VE SEEN AS PREVIOUS SLIDES. 
          BRINGING THE TOTAL WARREN COUNTY TRANSFERS TO $6.738 MILLION FOR A TOTAL FURNITURE EXPENSE OF 804,589, OF WHICH 56% WAS PAID FOR 
          [01:55:01]
BY THE WARREN COUNTY TAXPAYER, NOT THE LOAN. 
          HOW DO WE OBTAIN SAMUEL'S DATA? PUBLIC PUBLIC SUPPORT DATA ACQUISITION, AGAIN, WE REFER TO THE IR RSS NINE NINETIES. 
          THESE ARE PDF FILES. 
          WE LOCATE SCHEDULE A, SECTION C COMPUTATION OF PUBLIC SUPPORT PERCENTAGE. 
          ON THE LEFT SIDE IS A TABLE, UM, THE LEAST OVER FROM 2006 TO 2 24. 
          THE SMALLEST PERCENTAGE OF PUBLIC SUPPORT OF SAMUEL'S LIBRARY WAS 92 POINT SOMETHING PERCENT. 
          THE MAXIMUM, I CAN'T SEE IT IS, OR 95 POINT SOMETHING PERCENT AT NO TIME WAS PUBLIC SUPPORT OF SAMUEL'S LIBRARY. 
          ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN IRS FORM NINE NINE, THEY'RE REPORTING LESS THAN 92%. 
          NOW I ADDRESS THE SEGREGATION OF PUBLIC FUNDS. 
          SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INC. 
          HAS MADE PUBLIC STATEMENTS INDICATING THAT WARREN COUNTY FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED SPECIFICALLY TO CERTAIN EXPENSE CATEGORIES SUCH AS SALARIES AND OPERATIONS. 
          WHILE OTHER EXPENSES SUCH AS MATERIALS ACQUISITION ARE FUNDED THROUGH ALTERNATE SOURCES. 
          HOWEVER, SAMUEL'S LIBRARY'S OWN FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CLASSIFY BOTH COUNTY FUNDING AND STATE FUNDING AS QUOTE WITHOUT DONOR RESTRICTIONS. 
          AND EXPLICITLY STATE THAT THESE GRANTS ARE UNCONDITIONAL AND ARE RECOGNIZED AS REVENUE RECEIVED. 
          MONEY IS INHERENTLY FUNGIBLE. 
          ONCE RECEIVED, DOLLARS CANNOT BE DISTINGUISHED FROM ONE ANOTHER. 
          WHEN AN ORGANIZATION RECEIVES UNRESTRICTED FUNDS FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES, THE ALLOCATION OF THOSE FUNDS TO SPECIFIC EXPENSES IS FUNDAMENTALLY AN ACCOUNTING EXERCISE RATHER THAN A PHYSICAL SEGREGATION OF DOLLARS. 
          KEY POINTS FOR PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING, UNRESTRICTED FUNDS DEFINITION ACCORDING TO STANDARD ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES WITHOUT DONOR RESTRICTIONS MEANS EXACTLY THAT THE FUNDS CAN BE USED FOR ANY LEGITIMATE ORGANIZED PURPOSE WITHOUT SPECIFIC CONSTRAINTS. 
          PROSPECTIVE RETROSPECTIVE ALLOCATION WHEN AN ORGANIZATION CLAIMS SPECIFIC DOLLARS WENT TO SPECIFIC EXPENSES AFTER THE FACT. 
          THIS IS TYPICALLY AN ACCOUNTING ALLOCATION, NOT A REFLECTION OF HOW FUNDS WERE ACTUALLY SEGREGATED OR SPENT. 
          WARREN COUNTY FUNDING THE COUNTY'S FUNDING TO SAMUEL'S LIBRARY IS EXPLICITLY CLASSIFIED AS WITHOUT DONOR RESTRICTIONS AND THEIR OWN FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, MEANING THESE FUNDS ARE LEGALLY AVAILABLE FOR ANY ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSE. 
          SIMILARLY, STATE FUNDS ARE TO, ARE ALSO CLASSIFIED AS WITHOUT DONOR RESTRICTIONS, AGAIN, AVAILABLE FOR ANY ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSE. 
          THE ONLY MEANINGFUL RESTRICTIONS, THE ONLY SUBSTANTIAL RESTRICTED FUNDS IDENTIFIED IN SAMUEL'S OWN STATEMENTS ARE THE $500,000 MEMORY LAB AND THE $30,000 AMPHITHEATER ILLUSTRATING THAT THEY DO PROPERLY IDENTIFY TRULY RESTRICTED FUNDS WHEN THEY EXIST. 
          THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT ADMISSION, SAMUEL'S OWN FINANCIAL STATEMENTS EXPLICITLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT QUOTE, THESE GRANTS ARE UNCONDITIONAL AND ARE RECOGNIZED AS REVENUE WHEN RECEIVED CONFIRMING THE UNRESTRICTED NATURE OF STATE FUNDING. 
          THE ACCOUNTING REALITY IS THAT WHEN SAMUELS PRESENTS DETAILED BREAKDOWN SHOWING COUNTY FUNDS GOING EXCLUSIVELY TO CERTAIN EXPENSES, THIS REPRESENTS A POST HAWC ACCOUNTING ALLOCATION RATHER THAN ACTUAL SEGREGATION OF FUNDS. 
          THIS IS EQUIVALENT TO CLAIMING THE SPECIFIC DOLLARS FOR YOUR PAYCHECK GO TOWARD YOUR MORTGAGE WHILE OTHER DOLLARS GO TOWARD GROCERIES. 
          WHEN IN REALITY YOUR INCOME GOES INTO A SINGLE POOL FROM WHICH THE EXPENSES ARE PAID. 
          THE CLAIM DOESN'T HOLD UP. 
          AT LEAST 56% OF THE FURNITURE ASSETS WERE PURCHASED FROM CONSTRUCTION FUNDS PROVIDED BY WARREN COUNTY AND DISTINCTLY SEPARATE FROM THE $356,000 LOAN WARREN COUNTY OR THE, UH, PROVIDED TO SAMUELS. 
          FOR THAT PURPOSE, SAMUELS HAS PROVIDED THE LIBRARY SERVICES TO WARREN COUNTY WITH OVER 93% ON AVERAGE PUBLIC SUPPORT, ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN IRS REPORTING. 
          THE CLAIM THAT NO ASSETS WERE PURCHASED WITH COUNTY DOLLARS DOES NOT HOLD UP TO SCRUTINY. 
          IN CONCLUSION, TONIGHT'S VOTE, FIRST OF ALL, IS MERELY OPTING OUT OF AN AUTOMATIC CONTRACT RENEWAL, WHICH PRESERVES OPTIONS FOR THE COUNTY. 
          WARREN COUNTY TAXPAYERS HAVE A RIGHTFUL EXPECTATION THAT PUBLIC SERVICES PAID FOR WITH PUBLIC FUNDS SHOULD BE UNDER OVERSIGHT OF A PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD. 
          THERE WOULD NOT, THERE WILL NOT BE ONE SECOND OF TIME IN WARREN COUNTY WHEN PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICES ARE NOT FUNDED. 
          CLAIMS OF DEFUNDING THE LIBRARY ARE AIMED AT CREATING ALARM AND TURMOIL. 
          [02:00:01]
THAT'S ALL I HAVE. 
          ALRIGHT, SO IF THERE'S NO OTHER DISCUSSION, I, I'VE GOT A FEW THINGS. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, JUST WANTED TO, UM, WANTED TO KEEP MY COMMENTS, KEEP MY COMMENTS SEPARATE FROM MY QUESTIONS FROM MR. BELK. 
          BUT, UM, UH, A FEW THINGS. 
          UH, I JUST WANTED TO RESPOND TO A COUPLE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT WERE SAID TONIGHT. 
          UM, FIRST OF ALL, SOMEONE SAID THE LIBRARY IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE. 
          AND I, I AGREE WITH THAT. 
          WE, WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE A LIBRARY. 
          UM, UH, WHAT CORPORATION IS ON THE OPERATING END OF THAT, UM, COULD CHANGE, BUT I, I DON'T FORESEE A LIBRARY GOING AWAY. 
          I DON'T FORESEE, UH, THE LIBRARY BEING DEFUNDED, UM, OR SHUT DOWN ANY OF THOSE THINGS. 
          THAT'S NOT, UH, THE INTENT HERE. 
          UM, IT WAS RAISED, THE ISSUE WAS RAISED, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON FIRE AND RESCUE, FOCUS ON WATER, FOCUS ON MATERNITY FOCUS ON FINDING TEACHERS. 
          WE'VE BEEN VERY FOCUSED ON ALL OF THOSE THINGS ACTUALLY. 
          AND, UH, THE, THE WILDFIRES, UH, LAST MARCH 15TH AND 16TH WERE DEFINITELY A WAKE UP CALL TO ALL OF US. 
          BUT, UM, FIRE AND RESCUE WERE THE, THE FOCUS OF OUR, UH, BUDGET EXPANSION. 
          THE ONLY PLACE THAT, AND, AND PUBLIC SAFETY WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT WHERE WE REALLY GREW THE BUDGET. 
          UH, EVERYTHING ELSE WAS CUTS. 
          UM, THE WHOLE POINT OF, UH, THE, THE TAX INCREASE LAST YEAR WAS, WAS TO ENABLE, UM, SUPPLYING AND PROPERLY EQUIPPING AND STAFFING, FIRE AND RESCUE AND, AND THE, UH, SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, UM, REGARDING WATER. 
          UM, THE, THE TOWN HAS ITS OWN WATER SYSTEM. 
          MOST OF THE COUNTY IS ON WELL WATER. 
          UM, BUT EVEN, EVEN SO, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE WATER ISSUE AND, UH, WORKING IDEAS AROUND THAT INTO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANT. 
          UM, AT LEAST I HAVE, UM, MATERNITY, THIS BOARD PASSED UNANIMOUSLY A RESOLUTION INVITING, UM, INVITING NEW COMPETITION FOR MATERNITY SERVICES IN THIS UNDERSERVED AREA. 
          UM, FINDING TEACHERS IS A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE OF OUR, OUR PURVIEW, BUT, UH, UH, THERE'S A SCHOOL BOARD THAT HAS THAT MANDATE. 
          UM, BUT EVEN STILL, UH, I'VE, I'VE CONVINCED PEOPLE NEAR AND DEAR TO ME, IN MY OWN LIFE TO, TO BECOME TEACHERS IN WARREN COUNTY. 
          AND I THINK IT'S A FINE, FINE CALLING. 
          WE NEED MORE GOOD TEACHERS. 
          UM, AS FOR THE COMMENT, UH, WHAT WILL BE THE COST? UM, WE'LL NEVER KNOW UNLESS WE'RE ABLE TO DO THIS AS A RECOMPETE. 
          UM, SO THAT'S HOW YOU FIND OUT THE COSTS. 
          UM, UH, AND, UH, AS I SAID BEFORE, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO CLOSE DOWN THE LIBRARY. 
          UM, I AGREE WITH YOUR ANALOGY. 
          IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY TURNING OFF AUTORENEW. 
          LIKE WHEN YOU GO IN NETFLIX OR HULU AND YOU GO TO YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND YOU TURN OFF AUTORENEW, IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE NEVER GONNA HAVE NETFLIX AGAIN. 
          UM, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TRYING TO GET YOUR FINANCES IN ORDER, UM, REGARDING MR. BELK'S FINDINGS. 
          UM, AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS A FOIA VIOLATION OR A MATERIAL BREACH OF THE MOA, UM, I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY SECONDARY. 
          UM, I MEAN, GRANTED, THOSE THINGS ARE A BAD LOOK. 
          UM, THERE'RE BAD LOOK IN THE SPIRIT OF TRANSFER, UH, TRANSPARENCY. 
          BUT THE REAL PROBLEM, I THINK, OR THE, THE BOTHERSOME PIECE HERE, IT'S, IT'S NOT THE MERE HOLDING OF A MEETING, UM, OR SOMETHING ABOUT THE NONSTOP CORPORATION ACT, UM, IN 25 DAYS NOTICE. 
          I MEAN, THINGS LIKE THAT CAN BE REMEDIED. 
          THE REAL PROBLEM IS THE BY-LAW CHANGE, TO ME, THAT'S SENDING A SIGNAL THAT SAMUEL'S FIRST INTEREST IS IN SELF PRESERVATION, UM, AND CROWDING OUT ANY OTHER POSSIBLE OUTCOME. 
          UM, IT IS THE WARREN COUNTY TAXPAYERS WHO HAVE PUT IN A LOT TOWARD THE LIBRARY AND TOWARD THOSE ASSETS. 
          AND THE IDEA THAT THEY COULD JUST BE SENT ANYWHERE, UM, IS, UH, IS FRANKLY, IT'S OFFENSIVE TO THE, TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PAID THEIR TAXES EVERY YEAR AND TO, TO GET THESE SERVICES. 
          UM, PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME IF, YOU KNOW, SAMUEL'S, THEY'RE SAYING IT'S A PARTNER, IT'S NOT A VENDOR. 
          YOU, YOU'RE TREATING THEM LIKE A VENDOR, BUT IT'S A PARTNER. 
          UM, MAYBE THEY'RE BOTH, THAT'S SUBJECTIVE. 
          UM, BUT THEY ARE IN REALITY PROVIDING A SERVICE FOR A FEE. 
          THAT'S WHAT A VENDOR DOES. 
          UM, THERE'S BEEN A PATTERN THOUGH OF, OF, UM, NOT ENGAGING, UM, WHICH WOULD BE ABSURD FROM A VENDOR THAT'S SEEKING RENEWAL AND UNBECOMING OF A PARTNER AS WELL. 
          UM, SO I WOULD INVITE THEM TO ENGAGE AND, 
          [02:05:01]
UH, TO ACCEPT MR. BELK'S INVITATION TO MEET, UH, THE LIBRARY BOARD. 
          WE CREATED IT. 
          UM, UH, AND FRANKLY, I EXPECTED IT TO TAKE SOME OF THE WORK. 
          I I CALLED IT A FORCE MULTIPLIER BEFORE, BECAUSE FRANKLY, I WOULD RATHER BE FOCUSED ON FIRE AND WATER AND MATERNITY AND EVEN FINDING TEACHERS. 
          UM, BUT, UH, WE NEED THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THEIR JOB. 
          AND, UM, JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN THE CURRENT MOA, YOU KNOW, PER SUPERVISOR COOK'S CONCERN, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE NOT WORTHY OF FAIR ENGAGEMENT REGARDING A FUTURE POTENTIAL CONTRACT TERM THAT THAT'S NOT UNDER THE CURRENT MOA, I THINK IT'S IN SAMUEL'S BEST INTEREST TO ENGAGE, UM, BASED ON ALL OF THESE THINGS, I, I'M IN FAVOR OF TURNING OFF THE AUTO RENEW. 
          IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, UH, THAT SAMUELS CAN'T COME TO THE TABLE AND COMPETE, UH, OR EVEN FIND A, FIND A PATH TOWARDS, MAYBE IT DOESN'T RECOMPETE, BUT FIND A PATH TOWARDS COOPERATION, COMES TO THE LIBRARY BOARD AND SIT DOWN. 
          UM, BUT, UH, I'LL BE, I'LL BE VOTING TO TURN OFF THE AUTO RENEW. 
          I THINK ONE THING THAT IS MISSED HERE, WE KEEP SAYING SAMUEL'S LIBRARY. 
          THE LIBRARY IS A BUILDING WITH BOOKS IN IT. 
          WHAT MAKES IT EXIT THE HEART THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE IN HERE TONIGHT IS THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT THEY HAVE BUILT WITH THE COMMUNITY. 
          UM, THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL THAT WALKED UP TO ME, UM, AT ONE OF THE FORUMS, UM, I DON'T KNOW, IT WASN'T THE FORUM. 
          I, I WENT FOR THE CHRISTMAS THING WAS THAT YOUR DAUGHTER WALKED UP TO ME BY HERSELF AND TOLD ME, AND SHE'S WHAT? SIX? YEAH, SHE'S SIX. 
          WHAT THE LIBRARY MEANT TO HER. 
          AND SHE'S BEEN GOING THERE. 
          SHE'S ON A FIRST NAME BASIS WITH EVERYBODY. 
          UM, AND VERY ADULT-LIKE, TOLD ME HOW IT, I IMPACTED HER LIFE. 
          AND SHE'S READING CHAPTER BOOKS AND HAS BEEN READING CHAPTER BOOKS FOR QUITE A WHILE. 
          AND THAT IS WHERE THE PASSION THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE BRINGING HERE, YEP, YOU CAN GET ANOTHER CONTRACTOR, BUT ARE THEY GONNA BUILD THOSE KIND OF RELATIONSHIPS? AND TO ME THAT'S AS IMPORTANT AS ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS THE, THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE BUILT THAT THESE PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING THERE. 
          AND THE SERVICES AND THE PROGRAMS. THAT'S JUST ICING ON THE CAKE. 
          IF YOU'RE NOT FELT WELCOMED, YOU'RE NOT GONNA WANNA GO THERE. 
          AND I'VE BEEN THERE, UM, LIKE I SAID, THAT YOUNG MAN SITTING BACK THERE STILL HAS A SMILE ON HIS FACE. 
          AND THEN HE JUST HEARD, YOU'RE GONNA END THE CONTRACT. 
          HE DOESN'T KNOW IF HE'S GONNA HAVE A JOB OR NOT, BUT HE'S STILL SITTING THERE SMILING AND HE GOES TO WORK EVERY DAY AND DOES IT. 
          AND I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UM, SO I THINK, AND MAYBE I HUMANIZE THINGS TOO MUCH, BUT I'LL, I WILL NEVER CHANGE ON THAT. 
          AND I, I JUST, I THINK WE NEED TO STEP BACK AND THIS BOARD WORK WITH THAT BOARD TO MEND THIS RELATIONSHIP AND COME TO THE AGREEMENTS WE NEED. 
          I JUST, I, I, I STAND FIRM THAT THAT'S THE WAY WE NEED TO DO. 
          AND I STILL SAY WE NEED TO PUT THIS ON A REFERENDUM. 
          IT'S THEIR MONEY. 
          WE'RE USING IT. 
          THEY OUGHT TO HAVE A DECISION IN IT. 
          PLEASE. 
          OKAY. 
          AT THIS POINT, DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THAT THE LIBRARY FUNDING AGREEMENT NOT BE RENEWED AND THAT THE NOTICE OF NON-RENEWAL BE PROVIDED TO SAMUEL'S LIBRARY INCORPORATED. 
          DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND . 
          THANK YOU. 
          ROLL CALL MRS. GUTS? NO, MR. STAN MEYER. 
          AYE. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. 
          DR. 
          JAMESON? AYE. 
          MRS. COOK? AYE. 
          OKAY. 
          THE, UH, LAST RECALL VOTE MY NAME. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          WILL BE EMBARRASSED BY YOUR ACTIONS. 
          SHAME ON YOU. 
          I HOPE YOUR FUTURE OFF. 
          I HOPE YOUR GRAND SHAME ON YOU, 
          [02:10:02]
BUT I DON'T THINK, LOOK THE WAY HE DID REMEMBER NOVEMBER. 
          YOU SHADE SHOULD KNOW BETTER, SHOULD LEARN, ESPECIALLY . 
          OKAY. 
          WHAT IS, UH, WHAT'S NEXT ON OUR AGENDA? 
          [K. Additional New Business]
UH, BUT THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL NEW BUSINESS. 
          THE NEXT IS THE SECOND PART OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. 
          OKAY. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A MOTION FOR ADDITIONAL NEW BUSINESS. 
          I'D LIKE TO, UM, MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE GO BACK TO THE ONE PUBLIC'S COMMENT PERIOD. 
          INSTEAD OF SPLITTING IT IN TWO. 
          I THINK THIS IS JUST TWO ONEROUS ON THE PEOPLE TO HAVE TO STAY SO LATE. 
          UM, WE'RE STILL GONNA HEAR THEM, SO WHY NOT HEAR THEM AND NOT MAKE THEM SIT HERE ALL NIGHT TO DO THAT? YEAH. 
          THE, THE, THE, ACTUALLY THE THE SECOND COMMENT PERIOD IS OPEN TO ANYTHING. 
          I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT MAKING IT SO LATE, IT'S A BURDEN ON THEM. 
          SO I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DENY IT, BUT I'M MAKING THE MOTION THAT WE MOVE IT BACK TO THE WAY IT WAS BEFORE. 
          OKAY. 
          HOW ABOUT IF WE, HOW ABOUT IF WE DISCUSS THAT AT A, AT A WORKING SESSION? OKAY. 
          CAN I, HMM. 
          SO WHO DO WE HAVE? SO I, I JUST WANNA HAVE CLARITY FOR OUR RECORD. 
          UM, SUPERVISOR COLORS HAS MADE A MOTION TO ADD TO THE AGENDA REVISING THESE RULES, AND THAT WOULD NEED TO BE UNANIMOUS. 
          AND SO SUPERVISOR CALLERS, DO YOU WANT TO CALL THAT FOR A VOTE OR DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THE CHAIRMAN SUGGESTION? WE MIGHT AS WELL BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT GONNA PASS, BUT I WANT IT TO, TO BE GONE THROUGH. 
          SO YOUR MOTION WOULD BE TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO CONSIDER THAT TONIGHT? UH, YES. 
          UNDER ADDITIONAL NEW BUSINESS. 
          DO I HAVE A SECOND? WOULD THAT BE A SECOND TO PROCEED WITH AN AMENDED AGENDA OR, OR IS IT A SECOND ON THAT? MR. CHAIRMAN? YES, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          I, I, I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT, UM, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE VOTING ON. 
          IS THERE A NEW MOTION? IT IS A MOTION TO ADD TO THE AGENDA THE DISCUSSION OF AMENDING THE MEETING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. 
          TO GO BACK TO THE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, IT WAS MADE BY SUPERVISOR COLORS UNDER Y'ALL'S RULES, IT WOULD NEED TO BE UNANIMOUS. 
          AND RIGHT NOW IT'S A MOTION WITHOUT A SECOND. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          DO I HAVE A SECOND? OKAY. 
          THE MOTION FAILS. 
          [L. Public Comment Period for general comments not on the Agenda (30 Minute time limit)]
SO, UH, THE FIRST UP ON THE SECOND PART IS CAROL OLSON. 
          HI, MY NAME IS CAROL OLSON. 
          UM, MY FAMILY LIVES IN, UM, SHENANDOAH FARMS AND THE, UM, SHENANDOAH DISTRICT. 
          UM, WE'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 1984. 
          UM, MY SONS WERE BORN HERE. 
          MY TWO SONS WERE BORN HERE. 
          UM, THREE YEARS LATER. 
          THEY, UM, THEY HAVE AUTISM AND THE LIBRARY HAS BEEN A REAL GODSEND TO THEM. 
          THEY HAVE, UM, THEIR, THEIR CAREGIVERS, UM, GO WITH THEM TO THE LIBRARY AND USE THE CONFERENCE ROOMS AND THEY DO THEIR WORK AND THEY DO THEIR STUDIES. 
          AND THEN, UH, NOT TO KIND OF RECENTLY THEY'VE ALSO BEEN VOLUNTEERS THERE WITH THEIR CAREGIVERS AND THEY 
          [02:15:01]
HELP SHELL BOOKS AND DUST SHELVES AND DO ANY NUMBER OF THINGS. 
          UM, THE LIBRARY IS INVALUABLE TO OUR FAMILY AND WE, UM, URGE YOU AND PLEAD WITH YOU TO, UM, KEEP, KEEP IT, UH, FULLY FUNDED. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          NEXT UP IS JOHN JENKINS. 
          MS. JENKINS, JOHN JENKINS, SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT. 
          UH, DECISION'S ALREADY BEEN MADE ABOUT THE LIBRARY, BUT I HAVE A COUPLE THINGS I'D LIKE TO ADD. 
          UH, TONIGHT HERE, ONE OF THE THINGS WAS, UH, FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, SEPARATION OF STATE AND CHURCH AND ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO NO LONGER SUPPORT THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMUNITY. 
          WHAT FACTORS WERE INDIVIDUAL INFLUENCED FROM WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN 2023 TO ALTER ITS RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD THE CITIZENS OF WARD COUNTY AND TO CREATE A LIBRARY FUNDING AGREEMENT? SURRENDERING TO THE WILL OF A HANDFUL OF RADICAL RELIGIOUS EXTREMISTS VIOLATES A SWORN OATH TAKEN BY ELECTED OFFICIALS. 
          THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LIBRARY FUNDING AGREEMENT MANDATED THAT THE ADMINISTRATION SIGN AND ACCEPT TO RECEIVE COUNTY APPROVED FUNDING, EFFECTIVELY COERCING THEM INTO COMPLIANCE. 
          I CALL THAT BLACK WIDOW. 
          THOSE RELIGIOUS EXTREMISTS WOULD BE BETTER SERVED TO RESOLVE ISSUES WITHIN OUR OWN ORGANIZATIONS INSTEAD OF TRYING TO IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS AND REMOVAL OF READING MATERIAL. 
          FROM SAMUEL PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
          AND THE OTHER ISSUE IS HOW CAN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SELECT THE LIBRARY BOARD TO OVERSEAS SPENDING AND OPERATIONS WHO ARE BIASED, HAVE CONFLICT WITH THE LIBRARY STAFF AND OPERATIONS. 
          AND WERE PART OF THE GROUP WHO INITIALLY ATTEMPTED TO CENSOR READING MATERIAL AND REMOVAL OF BOOKS THAT WERE SEXUAL IN NATURE. 
          THAT IS NO DIFFERENT, IN MY OPINION, THAN APPOINTED OFFICIALS TO SERVE ON A JURY OF A BLACK MAN WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE KU KLUX KLAN. 
          THIS IS 2025, NOT 20, NOT 1925. 
          YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO THE CITIZENS. 
          HOW MANY PEOPLE NEED TO FILL THIS ROOM TO GET YOUR ATTENTION, TO MAKE THE CORRECT DECISION. 
          NOW, IF IT'S ABOUT MONEY AND THE BUDGET AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT MILLION DOLLARS, I KNOW THAT YOU INCREASE THE BUDGET FOR THE FINANCE AND TREASURY DEPARTMENT OF ABOUT $650,000, 150,000 OF THAT GOING TO THE COMPANY THAT DID THE REASSESSMENTS. 
          AND YET WE DON'T HAVE THE AUDIT COMPLETE. 
          IT'S EIGHT YEAR, EIGHT MONTHS BEHIND, BUT YET YOU, IT'S OKAY TO GIVE THEM ANOTHER $600,000, NO DISRESPECT TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, BUT HIS BUDGET IS 424,000. 
          NOW IS THAT ONE ATTORNEY OR A GROUP ALSO IN PART OF THAT BUDGET THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON, IS A $1,500,000 FOR BALL FIELDS AT ROCKLAND PARK THAT NOBODY IN THE COUNTY HAS REQUESTED. 
          THE TIME THAT YOU TOOK TO REVIEW THE LIBRARY'S BUDGETS, IT WAS TWICE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT YOU USED FOR ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET. 
          EVEN THOUGH ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT ONLY KNEW A LOT OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THEIR BUDGET IS FIVE TIMES MORE. 
          SO THE WHOLE AGENDA IS TO DISCREDIT THE LIBRARY AND ITS BOARD OR BOARD MEMBERS FOR THE LIBRARY, NOT THE BOARD THAT YOU APPOINTED BECAUSE THEY SHOULDN'T BE THERE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NEXT STEP IS WHO NEXT? WHO NEXT STEP IS GREG CROWN IS IS, UH, UM, OKAY. 
          I HAVE NO GREG CROWN. 
          THE NEXT STEP IS T JENKINS. 
          I AM TERRY JENKINS AND I, I, UM, I RESIDE IN THE FORK DISTRICT. 
          UM, I HAD A PREPARED SPEECH, BUT I'M JUST GONNA SPEAK OFF THE CUFF HERE. 
          THANK YOU MS. COLORS FOR STANDING FIRM ON SUPPORTING. 
          UM, WHAT WE SEE AS THE, UM, SUPERVISOR'S ROLE HERE IS TO SERVE THE PUBLIC, ALL OF THE PUBLIC OF THIS COUNTY. 
          UH, REGARDLESS OF YOUR, UM, R OR D OR I NEXT TO YOUR NAME, REGARDLESS OF WHAT 
          [02:20:01]
YOUR RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION IS, UM, BASICALLY, I JUST WANNA SAY SHAME, SHAME, SHAME, SHAME. 
          YOU GUYS ARE HACKING AWAY AT, UH, UH, AN INSTITUTION HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND DESPITE WHAT YOU, YOU SPEAK TO US AND SAY WE'RE NOT TRYING TO DEFUND THE LIBRARY, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO TAKE THE LIBRARY AWAY. 
          UM, YOUR ACTIONS REALLY SPEAK THE TRUTH OF WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          SO NEXT STEP IS JENNIFER RITEN BOW. 
          I AM JENNIFER RITTENBACH. 
          I LIVE IN SHENANDOAH. 
          I'M TIRED OF COMING TO THESE THINGS. 
          I GO TO THE LIBRARY ALMOST EVERY DAY. 
          I WORK WITH TWO DISABLED MEN. 
          WE USE THE ROOMS FOR TUTORING AND VOLUNTEER TWICE A WEEK TO GIVE BACK TO THE LIBRARY. 
          WE SAID THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD WOULD TRY TO TAKE OVER THE LIBRARY AND WE WERE RIGHT. 
          THE NONPROFIT OWNS THE ASSETS AT THE, AT SAMUEL'S, UH, OF SAMUEL'S, NOT THE COUNTY. 
          IT'S CLEAR THE W THE WCLB IS GRASPING AT ANYTHING TO HAVE AN EXCUSE TO TAKE OVER SO YOU CAN GET YOUR BOOK BAN. 
          BOOK BANNING IS THE START OF AUTHORITARIANISM. 
          IN 1933, THE NAZIS BURNED AROUND 25,000 BOOKS FOR BEING TOO LIBERAL, TOO LEFTIST, TOO JEWISH, AND TOO QUEER. 
          THE ALLIES BEAT THEM BACK, BUT THE FASCISTS DIDN'T GO AWAY. 
          THEY JUST WENT UNDERCOVER. 
          WAIT UNTIL THEY COULD SHOW THEIR FACES AGAIN. 
          WE WILL KEEP SHOWING UP TO SHUT YOU AUTHORITARIANS DOWN YOU SWORN OATH. 
          TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, YOU ARE REQUIRED TO UPHOLD THE FIRST AMENDMENT. 
          YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT ALL CITIZENS. 
          YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE AUTHORITARIAN THEOCRATS. 
          IN THE LONG RUN OF HISTORY, THE CENSOR AND THE INQUISITOR HAVE ALWAYS LOST. 
          THE ONLY SHORE WEAPON AGAINST BAD IDEAS IS GOOD IDEAS. 
          YOUR RELIGIOUS DOGMA WILL NOT REPLACE OUR FIRST AMENDMENT. 
          WE WON'T LET YOU DESTROY ALL OF THE GOOD INSTITUTIONS WE BUILT AS A SOCIETY. 
          STOP INTERFERING WITH THE LIBRARY. 
          THANK YOU, MS. COLORS AND ONLY MS. COLORS. 
          NEXT STEP IS JIM AL. 
          HI. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YEAH. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          I'M JIM BOAL. 
          I'M IN SHENANDOAH DISTRICT. 
          UH, MR. BUTLER, YOU CAN IGNORE MY EMAIL. 
          I SHOULD HAVE GONE TO YOU , UH, EARLIER TONIGHT. 
          AND I'M HUNGRY AND I WANT TO GO HOME. 
          UH, I, I CAME TONIGHT 'CAUSE I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE VOTE ON THE LIBRARY. 
          UM, I HAVE A NUMBER OF YEARS IN, UM, CONTRACTING AS A CONTRACTING OFFICER FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. 
          AND YEAH, ABSOLUTELY ANY ENTITY LIKE THIS COUNTY HAS THE RIGHT TO STOP THE AUTOMATIC RENEW BUTTON. 
          THAT'S A PREROGATIVE. 
          THAT'S ALWAYS A RIGHT. 
          BUT ALL THE REST OF THE STUFF SURROUNDING THIS, LIKE THE PRIVATE ARTICLES OF THEIR ORGANIZATION, LIKE THE DISSOLUTION CLAUSES THEY ADDED, THAT'S PRIVATE TO THEIR ORGANIZATION. 
          UM, NORMALLY IF THAT'S NOT LIKED BY THE COUNTY, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU TALK ABOUT WHEN YOU RENEW THE AGREEMENT. 
          IN MOST, MOST PLACES I'VE WORKED, IF YOU HAVE AN AGREEMENT THAT HAS THE FORCE OF CONTRACT, SO IT'S USUALLY NOT ACCURATE TO SAY THAT'S NOT A CONTRACT. 
          AND THE REASON I REALLY CAME, ASIDE FROM WHATEVER FEELINGS I HAVE ABOUT THE LIBRARY, GOOD PLUG, WHATEVER IT, WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS OPENING. 
          WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IS OPEN THE COUNTY TO LAWSUITS, WHICH IS A HUGE WASTE OF THE TAX DOLLARS. 
          YOU KEEP SAYING YOU WANT TO PROTECT AND A HUGE WASTE OF EVERYBODY'S TIME. 
          YOU KNOW, THIS CORE ISSUE, DID THEY MEET IN SECRET OR NOT? YOU KNOW, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY ADVERTISE IT. 
          I WILL SAY I'VE ALSO BEEN A CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN CHARGE OF SECURITY, IN CHARGE OF ALL THINGS. 
          IT ALSO A PROGRAMMER TO RELY ON THE WAY BACK FOR ANYTHING IS REALLY KINDA LAME. 
          UH, IT'S NOT REALLY A GOOD, A GOOD SOURCE AND ALL THIS GOBBLEDYGOOK ABOUT THE NON-PROFIT AND RUNNING FAST AND LOOSE. 
          I'VE GOT SOMEBODY IN THE FAMILY WHO'S RUN A NON-PROFIT FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND A GOOD NUMBER OF THEM IN THE STATE, ALMOST ALL OF THEM IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. 
          AND I CAN TELL YOU THERE'S NO WIGGLE ROOM IN VIRGINIA TO BE A SLEAZY NON-PROFIT. 
          IT'S QUITE RIGOROUS. 
          SO I I LIKE REALLY THE CORE OF THIS IS YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE RENEW AND DO IT TO COMPETE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          BUT ALL THE STUFF THAT'S BEEN WRAPPED AROUND DOING THAT DOESN'T PASS THE SNIFF TEST AND IT'S REALLY WEIRD AND IT'S GONNA OPEN THE COUNTY UP TO LAWSUIT. 
          THANKS. 
          NEXT UP IS JOHN KERM SMEC, SIR. 
          HE LEFT, UH, AFTER THAT IS 
          [02:25:01]
CHARLES STEWART. 
          I THINK CHUCK LEFT TOO. 
          AND THEN WE HAVE GRANT. 
          COME ON GRAHAM. 
          IT'S ALRIGHT. 
          HI, I AM GRANT CONNET. 
          I'M FROM THE SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT. 
          AND JUST WANNA START OUT BY SAYING I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT CHERYL COLOR SAID. 
          I THINK IF YOU ALL REALLY THINK YOU REPRESENT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, WHY WOULD YOU BE SCARED TO LET THE PEOPLE VOTE IN A REFERENDUM ON WHETHER WE HAVE SAMUELS OR SOME OTHER NEBULOUS CONTRACTOR WITH AN UNKNOWN PRICE TAG ASSOCIATED WITH THAT? AND SO IN THIS, WANT TO JUST MENTION IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS WHERE THE COUNTY LIBRARY, BUDGET COUNTY, OR COUNTY FUNDING FOR THE LIBRARY BUDGET HAS INCREASED BY 2%. 
          MY OWN REAL ESTATE TAX BILL HAS NEARLY DOUBLED. 
          THE LIBRARY'S BARELY SEEN A PENNY OF IT OR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR THAT MATTER. 
          NOW, THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CHERYL COLORS, BELIEVES IT'S WORTH SPENDING UP TO $50,000 OF TAXPAYER MONEY ON A PR FIRM. 
          WE LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY. 
          IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO LIKE WHAT YOU DO, DO WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT. 
          SO INSTEAD OF PAYING FOR GOVERNMENT FUNDED PROPAGANDA, HOW ABOUT YOU TAKE THAT $50,000 YOU'RE ABOUT TO WASTE, SPEND IT INSTEAD ON DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AT THE LIBRARY, OR BETTER YET, MAKE AN EVEN BETTER FINANCIAL DECISION BY HAVING COUNTY MAINTENANCE STAFF TAKE CARE OF LIBRARY MAINTENANCE ISSUES AS THEY HAVE DONE FOR YEARS. 
          I URGE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO FOCUS YOUR TIME AND OUR MONEY ON SOMETHING THAT'S ACTUALLY USEFUL RATHER THAN DIVIDING OUR COMMUNITY BY TRYING TO FIX WHAT ISN'T BROKEN. 
          IF YOU THINK YOU CAN REPLACE WHAT WE GET FROM SAMUELS FOR SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN WHAT YOU'RE PAYING NOW, THEN YOU, YOU AND YOUR CONS CONSTITUENTS WILL BE SORELY DISAPPOINTED, WILL BE A STAIN ON YOUR LEGACY. 
          AND NO PR FIRM PROPAGANDA IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO ERASE THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THAT'S ALL FOR SIGNUP, SIR. 
          MS. GOOD? WHAT? FOR WHAT? WELL, I THOUGHT YOU'D INDICATED THAT YOU WANTED TO GET UP AND SPEAK. 
          OH, I JUST WANT A COMMENT ACTUALLY ABOUT, UM, WHAT MS. COLOR'S MOVE TO DO. 
          THIS PUBLIC COMMENT SPLIT UP. 
          IT LASTS REALLY LATE. 
          I WAS HERE UNTIL 10 30 THE OTHER NIGHT. 
          THAT IS REALLY LATE TIME FOR ALL OF US. 
          I'M A HOMESCHOOLED MOM. 
          I DO NOT HAVE, UH, CHILDCARE OPTIONS. 
          LUCKILY MY HUSBAND GOT OFF WORK EARLY TODAY, BUT, UM, THEY'RE, THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. 
          I MEAN, A LOT OF US, SOME OF US, SOME OF US ARE ELDERLY, SOME OF US HAVE HEALTH ISSUES. 
          IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET HERE. 
          IT'S REALLY HARD TO SIT HERE FOR A LONG TIME. 
          OKAY. 
          I JUST, I I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU GUYS WON'T EVEN CONSIDER THAT WE ARE COMING HERE TO TALK TO YOU AND WE WANT YOU TO HEAR US, BUT YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, LET US GO HOME , BECAUSE WE, WE UNDERSTAND YOU GUYS HAVE WORK TO DO. 
          WE THEY WORK FULL-TIME JOBS TOO. 
          YEAH. 
          SO I JUST, THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT WITNESS MS. COLOR. 
          THANK YOU, MA'AM. 
          I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT POINT. 
          THE, THE REASON THIS WAS DONE WAS BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA WHO ARE WAITING FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S THE SPLITTING UP THE PUBLIC COMMENTS IS HAVING SOME PEOPLE WHO, WHO MANAGED TO BE ABLE TO GET HERE FIRST, BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE COMMENTS, BUT NOT HAVING THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA, SITTING AND WAITING FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS. 
          IT WAS A, IT WAS AN INTENTION TO CREATE A BETTER SITUATION FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BUSINESS BEFORE THE COUNTY THAT ARE NOT PUBLIC. 
          COMMENTS UNRELATED. 
          THAT, THAT'S THE RATIONALE BEHIND IT. 
          AND, AND I THINK OUT OF DEFERENCE TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO DO HAVE BUSINESS BEFORE AND ON THE AGENDA BEFORE THE BOARD TO NOT HAVE TO WAIT IS, IS RATIONAL. 
          AND THE, AND THE FIRST THING TO DO SEEMED TO BE TO SPLIT IT IN HALF. 
          I GUESS THAT'S THE BASIS. 
          IT'S AN HOUR THOUGH OF PUBLIC COMMENT VERSUS HOURS THAT WE SAT HERE WAITING TO GET THREE MINUTES. 
          SO MAYBE SPLIT IT UP IN THE TIMEFRAME AT THE BEGINNING. 
          THANK YOU ZACH. 
          UM, THAT NEXT IS, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE ON THE AGENDA, SIR. 
          DOES ANYONE FROM THE, FROM THE, UH, THE AUDIENCE WISH TO SPEAK? OKAY. 
          Y'ALL TALK A LOT ABOUT OVERSIGHT FOR THE LIBRARY, BUT WHERE IS YOUR OVERSIGHT? UM, MY QUESTION IS HOW DOES IT WORK THAT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF YOU, YOU ARE LOVELY. 
          HOW DO Y'ALL GET TO JUST HAVE YOUR JOBS PAID FOR BY US? AND THEN JUST IGNORE EVERYTHING THAT WE SAID. 
          [02:30:01]
I WAS AT A PREVIOUS MEETING WHERE ALL OF YOU HAD YOUR, UH, YOUR LITTLE RESPONSES TYPED OUT BEFORE THE MEETING EVEN STARTED. 
          YOU DIDN'T EVEN LISTEN TO US. 
          SO LIKE, WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALL OF THIS? THAT'S LIKE A LEGITIMATE QUESTION. 
          I WOULD LIKE AN ANSWER LIKE WITH YOUR VOICES, MA MA'AM, IT IS NOT A DIALOGUE. 
          IT'S, IT'S YOUR COMMENT PERIOD. 
          SO I I'M JUST, I'M VERY CONFUSED ABOUT HOW THIS WORKS AND WHY YOU GUYS ARE JUST WASTING ALL OF OUR TIME DOING THESE MEETINGS AND THEN YOU JUST MAKE THE DECISION BASED ON YOUR MORAL COMPASS, UM, AND NOT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING YOU TO BE REPRESENTED. 
          SO LIKE, DO WE REMOVE YOU GUYS FROM POWER? HOW DOES THAT WORK? BECAUSE IT'S YOUR JOB TO LISTEN TO US. 
          THAT'S THE WHOLE THING. 
          SO I GUESS WE'LL KEEP THIS IN MIND FOR NOVEMBER EVENING. 
          MY NAME'S TIM FRANCIS. 
          I'M FROM THE FORK RIVER DISTRICT. 
          I, UM, I'VE BEEN TO A NUMBER OF THESE MEETINGS AND HAVE WATCHED THE COMMENTS IN THE NEWSPAPERS ON ALL SIDES, THE VARIOUS REPORTS. 
          UM, AND THEY'RE ALL PRETTY HOSTILE. 
          THE THE WHOLE ARGUMENTS BACK AND FORTH ON THIS ISSUE ON ON ALL SIDES HAVE GOTTEN TO BE PRETTY HOSTILE. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S A BAD THING. 
          AND I WISH THERE WAS A WAY, UH, THAT WE COULD TRY TO SET SOME OF THAT HOSTILITY ASIDE AND, AND TALK THIS OUT. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME BETTER EXPLANATION FROM YOUR SIDE MIGHT WOULD BE GOOD ON WHY. 
          UH, THERE'S SO MUCH FOCUS ON THIS ISSUE, FOR EXAMPLE, AND NOT ON OTHER ELEMENTS IN THE BUDGET, AS SOME OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID. 
          UH, AT THE SAME TIME, I AGREE THAT SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE, ARE PRETTY HOSTILE TOWARD YOU. 
          AND I GET IT, WE'RE ALL HUMAN, UM, AND WE HAVE HUMAN RESPONSES WHEN PEOPLE GET ANGRY AT US. 
          BUT I DO THINK THERE'S, THERE SHOULD BE SOME WAY THAT YOU AND THE, THE LIBRARY BOARD YOU SET UP AND THE SAMUELS LIBRARY BOARD THAT EXISTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO TALK THIS OUT TO COME TO SOME AGREEMENT THAT WORKS. 
          THAT THAT SOME COMPROMISE THAT KEEPS EVERYBODY HAPPY AND GOING FORWARD. 
          BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE, A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE WORRY QUITE A LOT THAT THE LIBRARY'S GONNA, SOMEHOW THE SAMUEL'S LIBRARY THAT THEY KNOW AND LOVE IS SOMEHOW GONNA GO AWAY. 
          AND THEY, THAT'S WHERE THAT THIS ANGER FROM THE PUBLIC SIDE IS COMING FROM. 
          RIGHT? AND I KNOW YOU'VE TRIED TO SAY IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT, BUT CLEARLY IT'S NOT ENOUGH COMMUNICATION. 
          ANYWAY, JUST WANTED TO COME UP AND SAY THAT ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO GET THE HOSTILITY OUT OF THIS AND COME TO SOME SOLUTION. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          I, I'M SORRY, BUT YOU'VE, YOU'VE ALREADY SPOKEN, UH, THIS EVENING. 
          COULD I SPEAK AGAIN? NO, THANK YOU MR. BUTLER. 
          THANK YOU FOR OPENING THIS UP FOR EXTRA PUBLIC COMMENTS. 
          I APPRECIATE IT. 
          UH, NAME'S GREG MOVI. 
          I LIVE IN THE NORTH RIVER DISTRICT. 
          UH, I HAVE A MILLION THINGS I WANT TO SAY, BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF THE LAST SPEAKER, UM, I THINK I'LL FOLLOW THAT THEME. 
          WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT OVERSIGHT OF PUBLIC FUNDS AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY AND TAXPAYER FUNDS. 
          AND AGAIN, I'LL TAKE YOU, I'LL AT YOUR WORD THAT THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ACTUALLY ABOUT AND NOT THE GAY PENGUIN BOOKS OR WHATEVER. 
          IT'S, UM, I JUST CAN'T WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THE FACT THAT BEFORE THIS STARTED, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE THREAT OF LITIGATION LOOMING OVER FINANCIALLY. 
          WE DIDN'T HAVE THE UNKNOWN COST OF AN UNKNOWN VENDOR AND WHAT THEY MIGHT BRING OR NOT BRING TO THE TABLE, HOW MUCH THEY MIGHT COST, UH, FOR WHAT LEVEL OF SERVICE. 
          UH, AND NOW WE HAVE THE, WHAT USED TO BE A HYPOTHETICAL AND NOW A REAL LIKELIHOOD THAT THIS NONPROFIT, 
          [02:35:01]
UH, HAS FOUND A WAY TO KEEP ALL OF THEIR MATERIALS, ALL OF THEIR BOOKS IN A WAY THAT NOW THE COUNTY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THOSE. 
          OR, YOU KNOW, UH, SOME SUBSTITUTE VERSION OF THE MATERIALS THAT SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS LOOKING ONLY AT THE OVERSIGHT OF PUBLIC FUNDS RESPONSIBILITY. 
          ALL OF THIS IS SELF-INFLICTED. 
          UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE, BUT I WOULD GUESS 95, 96, 90 7% OF THE TAXPAYERS IN THE COUNTY THOUGHT THE LIBRARY WAS DOING FINE, WHETHER THEY HAD AN OPINION ABOUT IT OR NOT, WHETHER THEY WENT THERE EVERY DAY LIKE SOME OF US DO, OR WHETHER YOU DID. 
          BUT THERE WASN'T AN OUTRAGE AMONGST 90 SOMETHING PERCENT OF THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND NOW WE HAVE THIS VERY REAL POSSIBILITY THAT ALL OF THESE ARE GONNA BE A DRAWN ON TAXPAYER FUNDS, UH, AGAIN, SELF-INFLICTED. 
          UM, SOMEBODY MADE THE COMMENT ABOUT WHY DIDN'T SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY RESPOND TO THE INVITATION FROM MR. BELK. 
          I'LL TRY TO BE QUICK. 
          I WORKED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE FOR 28 YEARS NOW. 
          A LOT OF THEM ARE BULLIES AND A LOT OF 'EM ARE VICTIMS. AND THE ANALOGY I WOULD MAKE IS THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT A BULLY DOESN'T ALWAYS HIT THAT THEY THREATEN, THEY LOOM, THEY TRY TO OVERPOWER, INTIMIDATE, AND SOMETIMES THEY BACK SOMEBODY ALL THE WAY SO FAR BACK INTO A CORNER THAT THEY HAVE NO OTHER OPTION AND THEY'RE PUTTING THEIR CHIN OUT, LIKE SAYING, HIT ME. 
          AND THEN WHEN THAT FIRST PERSON FEELS AGAINST A WALL AND THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE AND THEY STRIKE BACK, UH, THEY'RE ACCUSED OF ASSAULT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES, MA'AM. 
          MY NAME IS DR. 
          OWNER LEE MCGRAW, AND I'M A LOCAL MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY OF FRONT ROYAL AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE INSTITUTE, WHICH IS A NON-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL GROUP THAT WORKS ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT. 
          AND WE HAD THREE GOVERNMENT GRANTS IN OUR PAST TEACHING HIGH SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS. 
          AND, UM, MOST OF THE TIME I USE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT THROUGH CLASSIC FILM. 
          AND I, UH, OUR PROJECT WAS INSPIRED WHEN I WAS AN EXCHANGE STUDENT TO HOWARD UNIVERSITY WHEN I WAS A JUNIOR, UH, IN COLLEGE AND ACTUALLY HEARD MARTIN LUTHER KING SPEAK OUT AND CALL FOR, UH, STANDING UP FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. 
          AND I WAS PROUD TO BE PART OF THAT. 
          I TOOK FILMS LIKE A RAISIN IN THE SUN, SIDNEY PORTER'S GREAT FILM, WHICH WAS IN THAT VERY TIME. 
          AND I'VE SEEN HOW OUR COUNTRY HAS BECOME SO DIVIDED, SO POLARIZED, AND IT BREAKS MY HEART TO BE A CITIZEN OF WARREN COUNTY AND FIND OUT THAT BECAUSE I DON'T AGREE WITH, UH, WHAT MOST OF THE SPEAKERS HAVE HAD TO SAY, I'M PROBABLY A BOOK BURNER. 
          I'M PROBABLY A HATER. 
          I'M PROBABLY SOMEBODY THAT WANTS TO SHUT DOWN THE LIBRARY. 
          AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT WHEN THE FOUNDERS AND WE'RE SORE BLESSED TO BE IN WARREN COUNTY TO LIVE HERE, WHICH IS WHICH SAW THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR AND THE CIVIL WAR, I WAS PROUD TO BE FRIENDS WITH MR. KILBY AND MY SON ALSO. 
          UM, WE SHARED SUCH GREAT, THE LATE MR. KILBY AND I WAS ALWAYS TALKING TO HIM ABOUT OUR PROGRAM AND HIS BIG SISTER WENT TO HOWARD JUST AS I DID. 
          UM, I THINK IT'S TIME WE STOP, UH, SAYING THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE A LITTLE DISAGREEMENT WITH SOMEONE. 
          UH, THERE'S A OR A BIG DISAGREEMENT THAT THAT MEANS THAT THEY, THEY ARE HORRIBLE. 
          WE ARE GREAT. 
          WE ARE VICTIMS OF THEIR AGGRESSION. 
          WE ARE GOING TO BE, OUR COUNTRY WILL BE DESTROYED. 
          WE MUST RISE UP. 
          WE MUST, UH, UH, DEFEAT THESE EVIL PEOPLE WHO, WHO, WHO DISAGREE WITH US. 
          AND I'VE SEEN SLIDES GO UP HERE. 
          I HAVE NO IDEA OF ANY OF THIS, MOST OF IT. 
          UM, IT'S JUST THAT I BELIEVE IN OUR COUNTRY. 
          I BELIEVE IN FIGHTING FOR OUR COUNTRY. 
          AND I, AND I DON'T THINK 
          [02:40:01]
YOU SHOULD JUST HAVE A WE WIN LOSE OR YOU LOSE, WE WIN. 
          I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A NEW TURN HERE IN WARREN COUNTY AND, AND AND, AND, AND AND I THANK YOU FOR WHAT THE WORK YOU'VE DONE. 
          I REALLY TRULY DO. 
          I'M A VERY GRATEFUL CITIZEN FOR YOUR WORK. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU MA'AM. 
          IS THERE ANYONE ELSE, SIR? I, UM, I'D LIKE TO ASK FOR MORE TIME BECAUSE I AM AUTISTIC AND A DHD AND I STRUGGLE WITH, UM, SPEAKING CLEARLY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO THAT'S A NO. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, SO I GREW UP IN WARREN COUNTY IN FRONT ROYAL FOR MOST OF MY LIFE. 
          AND, UM, SAMUEL'S LIBRARY WAS A SAFE HAVEN FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. 
          WE GREW UP IN AN ABUSIVE HOUSEHOLD AND EVERY TIME MY DAD WAS DRUNK AND OFF HIS ROCKER, WE WOULD ESCAPE TO SAMUEL'S AND THAT WOULD BE WHERE WE WOULD GO TO FEEL SAFE. 
          AND OKAY. 
          AND THE FACT THAT YOU'RE TAKING THAT OPPORTUNITY AWAY FROM OTHER CHILDREN IS REALLY MESSED UP. 
          AND THE FACT THAT YOU HAD NO OTHER ARGUMENT TO SAY THAT IT WAS BAD, OTHER THAN THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT IT COSTS TO REBUILD THE NEW LIBRARY IN 2009 IS KIND OF SILLY. 
          THAT'S THE ONLY EVIDENCE THAT YOU HAD AGAINST IT FROM 2009. 
          THAT'S IT. 
          THAT'S ALL YOU HAD. 
          AND THE ONLY REASON YOU WANT TO TAKE IT AWAY IS BECAUSE THERE ARE A COUPLE GAY BOOKS. 
          CHILDREN KNOW WHAT THEY ARE WHEN THEY'RE CHILDREN. 
          I KNEW I WAS GAY WHEN I WAS A CHILD THE FIRST TIME I CAME OUT TO SOMEONE I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. 
          THOSE CHILDREN KNOW WHAT THEY ARE. 
          AND IF THEY DON'T WANNA READ THE GAY BOOKS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO. 
          THERE'S BILLIONS OF OTHER BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY. 
          I JUST, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. 
          YOU'RE TAKING SAFE HAVENS AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND THAT'S REALLY, REALLY MESSED UP. 
          SO I WANNA THANK YOU MRS. COLORS FOR VOTING TO, UM, KEEP THE LIBRARY FOR US AND FOR THE CHILDREN THAT NEED IT. 
          UM, AND THANK YOU FOR NOT GIVING ME ANY MORE TIME BECAUSE I DIDN'T NEED IT. 
          THANK YOU, MR. HENRY. 
          UH, AND JUST TO LET YOU ALL KNOW, MR. HENRY WILL BE THE LAST SPEAKER FOR THE NIGHT BECAUSE THE, UH, UH, BECAUSE THAT WILL CONCLUDE OUR 30 MINUTE PERIOD, SIR. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          GLAD TO BE LAST. 
          UH, HUGH HENRY, UH, FORK DISTRICT, UH, CURRENT PLANNING COMMISSIONER, UH, AND UH, ALSO TRYING TO BE A REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR THE FORK DISTRICT BOARD OF SUPERVISORS NEXT YEAR. 
          OH, THE FEELING I'M GETTING A LITTLE BIT FROM THE CROWD ON SPLITTING THE TWO PUBLIC SESSIONS PLANNING COMMISSION. 
          WE ALWAYS DO 'EM UP FRONT, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE A CROWD LIKE THIS VERY OFTEN, SO THAT KIND OF CHANGES THE DYNAMIC OF IT. 
          BUT, UH, I'M IN AGREEMENTS A LITTLE BIT. 
          I DON'T MIND THE TWO SESSIONS BEING SPLIT, BUT THEY OUGHT TO BE PUT UP FRONT BECAUSE THE, UH, I DON'T THINK IT WAS THE BOARD'S INTENTION THAT WAY, BUT IT FEELS LIKE, UH, FROM THE COMMENTS THAT I'M HEARING SITTING OUT IN THE AUDIENCE THAT IT WAS DONE TO DETER PEOPLE, HEY, WE'LL JUST WAIT 'EM OUT AND THEY'LL GO HOME AND THAT, AND THAT KIND OF BLOCKS THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO GET THEIR INPUT. 
          AND, UH, UH, I'D BE STRONGLY AGAINST THAT, YOU KNOW, SITTING OVER. 
          I DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, BEING ELECTED PUBLIC INPUT IS IMPORTANT. 
          AND THEN THE, UH, I'M GLAD I'M NOT SITTING THERE YET. 
          AND Y'ALL ARE FIGHTING OVER THE LIBRARY, . 
          OH, BUT I, I WOULD, I WOULD JUST CAUTION A LITTLE BIT SAMUEL PUBLIC LIBRARY RATE NUMBER ONE IN VIRGINIA. 
          SO YOU, YOU COULD AS A LOCAL CONTRACTOR. 
          OH, I'M NOT ALWAYS THE CHEAPEST EITHER, BUT MY SERVICE IS PRETTY GOOD. 
          MY REPUTATION CARRIES THAT AWAY. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU PUT THIS THING OUT FOR BID, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A CHANCE YOU, YOU PROBABLY GET SOMEBODY CHEAPER. 
          BUT, UH, BE VERY CAUTIOUS THAT YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. 
          'CAUSE UH, YOU KNOW, SAMUELS, UH, HAS PRETTY GOOD REPUTATION FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS. 
          UH, IT'S BEEN A LONG STA YOU KNOW, FROM MAYBE YOU THAT WEREN'T BORN HERE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN A STAPLE AS LONG AS WE'VE BEEN ALIVE FOR GENERATIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT NAME. 
          SO, UH, CHANGING THE NAME ON THE SIGN, EVEN THOUGH THE BUILDING MAY STILL BE THERE, MIGHT, YOU KNOW, UH, SO I I WOULD JUST REALLY CAUTION, UH, YOU KNOW, YES, PRICE IT OUT. 
          YOU KNOW, FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY IS IMPORTANT TO THIS BOARD, ESPECIALLY FOR COUNTY THAT'S HAVING DEFICIT AND TAX ARGUMENTS AND ALL THOSE KIND OF THINGS. 
          BUT YOU'RE GETTING TO A POINT NOW 
          [02:45:01]
WHERE IT'S ENOUGH OF THE POPULATION INVOLVED WITH THE LEGALITY OF IT. 
          IF WE KEEP FIGHTING, WE'RE GONNA SPEND HALF OF WHAT THE BUDGET WOULD'VE BEEN TO START WITH. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, SO, SO MAYBE IT IS A TIME AND TYPICALLY, UH, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, GOOD TENSIONS MAY BE PUTTING A COMMITTEE TOGETHER TO WORK BETWEEN, BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN AS A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN, I HAVE NEVER SEEN GOVERNMENT DO A GOOD JOB RUNNING ANYTHING. 
          I'VE JUST, I'VE, I CAN COMPETE WITH MY BUSINESS AS SMALL AS IT IS. 
          I CAN CRUSH, UH, RESPONSIBILITY AND EFFICIENCY TO ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY. 
          AND I THINK A PRIVATE VENDOR WOULD DO THE SAME. 
          SO YOU HAVE TO USE SOME CAUTION THAT AWAY. 
          AND THEN, UH, CAUTION OF THE QUALITY OF THE VENDOR THAT YOU USE. 
          UH, YOU MAY PAY LESS, BUT IF, YOU KNOW, IF YOUR PAYS LESS, BUT YOUR SERVICES HALF AS GOOD, UH, THAT'LL REFLECT BACK. 
          AND THEN, UH, IT'S A BIG STAPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          SINCE THERE IS NOTHING ELSE ON THE AGENDA, DO I HAVE, UH, A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I MOTION TO ADJOURN. 
          SECOND, SECOND, SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          AYE, AYE. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU.
* 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.