[00:00:05]
[A. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance of the United States of America]
IS 7 0 2 AND WE ARE READY TO BEGIN, UH, OUR, UH, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING FOR WARREN COUNTY, VIRGINIA ON, UH, AT, UH, ON, UH, TUESDAY, APRIL THE FIRST, WHICH IS APRIL FOOL, APRIL FOOL'S DAY.BUT I, I DON'T HAVE ANY APRIL FOOLS.
SO THE, UH, I'M CALLING THE, THE, UM, UM, MEETING TO ORDER.
AND I'D LIKE TO BEGIN WITH, UH, WITH A, UH, WITH PASTOR MARK ROBERSON IF HE'S AVAILABLE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU WILL.
AND THANK YOU FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE THAT YOU'VE CREATED JUST FOR US.
GIVE US WISDOM TO MANAGE THIS FOR THE TIME THAT WE HAVE IT.
AND NOW, UH, WE'LL CLOSE WITH WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED.
YOU JOIN ME IF YOU ARE WILLING.
OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME.
THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD, AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASSED AGAINST US.
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER.
IF YOU ALL PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME FOR THE PLEDGE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY, JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[B. Adoption of Agenda – Additions or Deletions]
ORDER OF BUSINESS IS THE, UH, ADOPTION OF AGENDA.DO I HAVE ANY, UH, ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS? DO YOU WANT ME TO ASK FOR THE DELETION? UH, MR. CHAIR.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE YOU TO LEAVE FROM OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, WHICH ONE? IT'S THE NUMBER SIX.
VOLUNTEER, FIRE AND RESCUE FISCAL POLICY.
SO YOU'D LIKE TO DELETE NUMBER SIX FROM TO JUST TO REMOVE IT TO TO, YEAH, TO TO REMOVE IT.
UH, SO WE WILL NOT BE DISCUSSING IT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS? OKAY.
DO I HAVE, UH, DO, DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED.
SO THE, SO THE MOTION IS TO ADOPT THE AGENDA WITH THE DELETION OF THE NUMBER SIX ON THE CON, UH, CONSENT AGENDA, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
[C. Public Comment Period for Items on the Agenda (30-Minute Time Limit)]
GOT THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.AND IF YOU'LL GIVE ME JUST, JUST A SECOND.
SO, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD SHALL BE, UH, LIMITED TO 60 MINUTES DIVIDED INTO TWO 30 MINUTE SEGMENTS.
THE FIRST 30 MINUTE PERIOD IS LIMITED TO COMMENTS PERTAINING TO ITEMS WHICH ARE ON THE MEETING AGENDA NOT ADDRESSED IN PUBLIC HEARINGS.
THE SECOND 30 MINUTE PERIOD IS FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS.
AS A REMINDER, THERE IS A MAXIMUM OF THREE MINUTES FOR ANY ONE SPEAKER.
SPEAKERS MAY ONLY SPEAK ONCE PER MEETING AND MAY NOT SPEAK DURING BOTH COMMENT PERIODS.
[00:05:01]
TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND NOT TO THE AUDIENCE.BE CONSIDERATE OF YOUR FELLOW SPEAKERS.
THERE SHOULD BE NO APPLAUSE, BOOING OR OTHER AUDIBLE, UH, AUDIBLE, UH, DISRUPTION TO THE PROCEEDINGS.
THROUGH A SHOW OF HANDS, THE CHAIRMAN MAY ASK FOR A SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR COMMENTS MADE BY THE SPEAKERS.
PLACARDS, POSTERS AND OTHER MEANS OF VISUAL DISPLAY 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 PUBLIC HEARING MAY BE ASKED TO TO LEAVE BY THE CHAIRMAN.
ANYONE WHO FAILURE TO LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING WHEN ASKED TO DO SO IS IN VIOLATION OF WARREN COUNTY CODE 56 DASH FOUR AND VIRGINIA CODE 18.2 DASH FOUR, UH, FOUR 15 AND IS SUBJECT TO A FINE OF UP TO $2,500 AND A JAIL SENTENCE OF UP TO 12 MONTHS OR BOTH.
FINALLY, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM USING INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE IN YOUR COMMENTS.
YOUNG CHILDREN MAY BE VIEWING THIS SESSION EITHER IN PERSON OR LATER ON, UH, ONLINE.
AND, UH, PEOPLE WILL PROBABLY HAVE LESS TENDENCY TO TAKE YOUR COMMENTS SERIOUSLY IF INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE IS USED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.
HELLO, MY NAME IS LOUIS MOTEN.
I'D LIKE TO THANK THE PASTOR FOR THE LORD'S PRAYER.
UM, SO I'LL ADDRESS THE ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA FIRST, UH, THANK YOU FOR REMOVING ITEM SIX.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S IN RELATION TO MY EMAIL, BUT IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE MY VOICE IS ACTUALLY BEING HEARD WITH SOME OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE WITH THE TREATMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, YOU GUYS CAN ADD SOMETHING TO THE CONSENT AGENDA, BUT I DO WANT TO BRING UP AN ISSUE THAT I'VE BEEN HAVING FOR OVER A MONTH NOW.
UM, SO I DID GET AN APOLOGY ABOUT IT, BUT, UH, APPARENTLY I DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY IS IN REGARDS TO THE GOVERNMENT HERE OF THE COUNTY OF WARREN.
UM, THERE ARE NEW SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS THAT WERE CREATED FOR A PUBLIC BODY.
UM, THERE WAS NO BUSINESS DISCUSSING THE CREATION OF THESE ACCOUNTS.
UM, AND I'VE BEEN TO ALL THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS AND SOME OF THE CLOSED MEETINGS AS WELL FOR THE PUBLIC PORTION OF THEM.
THE, UM, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN AND HEARD, UH, WARREN COUNTY CITIZENS LEFT COMMENTS, SOME WERE CRITIC CRITICIZING THE, THE BOARD THAT THESE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH.
THOSE COMMENTS HAVE SINCE BEEN DELETED.
ALL COMMENTS HAVE BEEN DELETED.
AND, UH, SOME OF THESE CITIZENS OF WARREN COUNTY HAVE BEEN BLOCKED FROM EVEN VIEWING THESE ACCOUNTS FOR THE PUBLIC BODY OF WARREN COUNTY.
THAT, THAT THEY'RE REPRESENTING THESE ACCOUNTS ARE NOT LINKED FROM THAT PUBLIC BODY TO, TO THOSE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS.
UM, AT THIS POINT, NOBODY, NO CITIZEN CAN COMMENT ON THIS PUBLIC FORUM ANY LONGER.
AND I FEEL THAT THAT IS A FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT THAT WE HAVE.
UH, NOBODY CAN VOICE THEIR OPINION.
UM, YOU KNOW, RATINGS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM IT AS WELL.
I COULD, I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT THERE'S ALSO BEEN A RECORD THAT HAS BEEN POSTED ONLINE THAT HAS BEEN MANIPULATED.
IT IS ONLY A 28 MINUTE LONG VIDEO.
AND ODDLY ENOUGH, IT BEGINS TALKING ABOUT HOW THIS PUBLIC BODY PRIDES ITSELF ON TRANSPARENCY, YET IT LACKS 15 MINUTES THAT WERE CRITICAL LEADING UP TO SOME CONTEXT OF WHAT HAPPENED AT THAT MEETING SPECIFICALLY TO ME.
UM, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
UM, I DID REVIEW SOME OF THE HANGAR APPLICATIONS AND SAW SUMMER WITHOUT WITNESS SIGNATURES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A BIG DEAL, BUT, UH, SOME OF THEM I COULD NOT DISCERN THE AIRCRAFT SERIAL NUMBERS.
SO YOU MIGHT WANNA LOOK AT THAT JUST TO MAKE SOME CORRECTIONS FOR CLARITY.
I I JUST JUST WANNA REMIND YOU ALL THAT, UH, THAT THIS PERIOD IS FOR, UH, ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU AND OF THE, UH, SO JUST WANNA REMIND YOU ALL OF THAT.
[00:10:20]
HELLO, MY NAME IS LEE MEADOWS AND I'M A CONSTITUENT OF THE HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT.I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND PROPOSED TAX RATES, UH, LISTED ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS OF THE BOARD WHILE SEEING THE COUNTY THROUGH THE REASSESSMENT PROCESS AND ANSWERING PROPERTY OWNERS' QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS AS YOU MOVE TOWARD EQUALIZATION AND THEN SET A NEW TAX RATE.
I HOPE ALL WARREN COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE SEEN YOUR EFFORTS LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR IN CONTROLLING TAX RATES AND ARE AWARE OF YOUR COMMITMENT TO FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, KNOWING HOW TIGHTLY YOU ALL HAVE SCRUTINIZED EXPENSES AND EXPENDITURES ACROSS THE COUNTY.
I WATCHED LAST WEEK'S JOINT BUDGET MEETING AND WAS ENCOURAGED BY MR. JAMESON'S COMMENTS SHOWING WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD ON A COMPROMISE TOWARD FILLING THE BUDGETARY NEEDS OF THE SCHOOLS.
AS MR. BUTLER, UH, RECOMMENDED.
I STAYED ON TO LISTEN TO THE REST OF THE MEETING, INCLUDING THE DISAPPOINTING ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MR. SOWERS OF THE $1.8 MILLION SHORTFALL IN PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.
OBVIOUSLY, CALCULATING TAX REVENUES CAN BE A MOVING TARGET AND A BALANCING ACT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO BE FULLY COGNIZANT OF THE IMPACT THAT UNDERESTIMATING THE TAX NEEDS OF THE COUNTY'S DEPARTMENTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
AS YOU LOOK AT THE PRIORITIES OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THINK ABOUT WHAT MAKES COMMUNITIES STRONGER AND VIBRANT, I HOPE YOU WILL WI BE WILLING TO ESTABLISH A RATE THAT WILL ALLOW THE COUNTY TO HAVE THE RESOURCES IT NEEDS TO MEET THE EVER CHANGING NEEDS AND DIVERSE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
A RATE THAT WILL ALLOW COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND THE SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO FLOURISH.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP, SIR.
[D. Reports – Board Members, County Administrator, County Attorney]
FOR, UH, BOARD MEMBERS.WHO DID I START WITH LAST, LAST WEEK? WAS IT MS. COOK OR WAS IT WITH, UH, I DON'T REMEMBER.
HOW ABOUT IF WE START WITH MR. JAMESON? NOT JIM JAMESON.
I WAS TOTALLY CONFUSED 'CAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WERE TO MY RIGHT.
UM, UH, JUST A BRIEF REPORT 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN DOWN WITH SOME KIND OF SURE.
UM, BUT, UH, I DID MEET WITH THE, UH, SCHOOL, UH, SUPERINTENDENT DR.
BALLINGER TODAY, UM, AS WELL AS WELL AS THE, UH, FINANCE DIRECTOR, UH, MR. BALLANTINE.
AND WE HAD A PRODUCTIVE, UH, ABOUT TWO HOUR CONVERSATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL BUDGET.
AND, UH, THE IT COMMITTEE MEETING WITH MR. JONES AND MRS. UH, MRS. COOK.
WE GOTTA LOOK AT SOME PERFORMANCE REPORTS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF THE SOLAR WIND SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED NOW, UH, AROUND THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT CAPABILITY BEING, UM, UTILIZED NOW, THE EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO EXTEND BEYOND SUPPORT TICKETING, TO HAVE THE IT, UH, HAVE THE IT GROUP PUT ALL OF THEIR PROJECTS TO BE MANAGED UNDER SOLARWINDS.
I EXPECT THAT'S GONNA BE A BIG HELP FOR BETTER SCOPING OF THEIR PROJECTS AND, AND REDUCING RISK OVER TIME.
ALSO MET THE IT TEAM'S NEW NETWORK ENGINEER, A VERY QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL.
I GOTTA HEAR SOME OF HIS ASSESSMENT AND IDEAS FOR STRENGTHEN OUR, OUR SECURITY SITUATION, WHICH IS GOOD TO HEAR.
UM, I ATTENDED THE SCHOOL'S BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING AND, AND, UM, A LOT OF THINGS WERE DISCUSSED THERE.
BUT THE MAIN TAKEAWAY, I THINK, UH, THE MAIN POSITIVE TAKEAWAY FROM THAT MEETING WAS THAT THERE'S A REAL POSSIBILITY THAT ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS ROOFS IS GONNA BE ABLE TO GET REPLACED WITH FUNDS THIS FISCAL YEAR, UH, WHICH BE GOOD IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
UH, I SUBMITTED A LETTER TO THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA DAILY IN SUPPORT OF THE SHENANDOAH RAIL TRAIL, UH, TO TRY TO SPREAD THE WORD THAT THE WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS UNANIMOUSLY AFFIRMED SUPPORT FOR THE RAIL TRAIL FOR THE THIRD TIME.
UH, WE DID, I BELIEVE WE DID THAT ON THE 18TH.
WE, WE PASSED ANOTHER RESOLUTION.
UM, IF I COULD TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO READ SOME OF, OF THAT, UH, LETTER.
ONE OF THE, THE PARAGRAPHS SAYS, OVER 9,000 RESPONDENTS TO THE VDOT ORIGINAL SURVEY AND AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS SHOWING TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF MUCH NEEDED BENEFITS TO THE VALLEY POINT TO A WORTHY PROJECT PRIOR TO HOLDING UP THE PROJECT
[00:15:01]
IN LATE 2023 TO TRY, ONCE AGAIN TO REVIVE A RAIL SERVICE WERE ALL PRIOR ATTEMPTS HAVE PROVEN UNECONOMIC.THE EXCITEMENT OF EMBARKMENT ON THE SHENANDOAH RAIL TRAIL WAS PALPABLE.
HAVING READ THE PHASE ONE VDOT STUDY OF RAILS WITH TRAILS, I BELIEVE IT'S CLEAR THAT THE SHENANDOAH RAIL TRAILS WOULD PROVIDE THE BIGGEST BANG FOR THE SMALLEST BUCK.
JUST AS IMPORTANTLY ON THE SHORTEST TIMELINE, THE ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION TIME AND COST TO ENSURE SAFETY FOR PEDESTRIANS ON THE RAIL TRAIL, THOUGH NOT YET PRECISELY ESTIMATED, WILL REPRESENT A SUBSTANTIAL BURDEN ON THE PROJECT IN TERMS OF COST AND RISK.
UM, THE, I READ THE ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY ON THIS PROJECT, AND IT REALLY IS AMAZING AND IT UNDERLINES WHY WE NEED TO RALLY WARREN COUNTY TO RESPOND TO THIS LATEST SURVEY.
UM, I'VE ASKED, UH, ZACH TO PUT THE, THE LINK TO THAT SURVEY THERE.
UH, THE, THE S THE LINK IS ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE, THE RAIL TRAIL, UH, WEBSITE ITSELF.
UH, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS, OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY ANNUAL SPENDING OVER $32 MILLION DUE TO VISITORS BY 20 3319 JOBS, $10 MILLION OF ANNUAL INCOME TO SMALL BUSINESS EMPLOYEES, $1.7 MILLION IN COUNTY TAX REVENUES.
AND DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE OF APPROXIMATELY FIVE TO SIX YEARS, $18.7 MILLION IN SPENDING IN 104 JOBS.
UH, IT'S BEEN SUPPORTED BY NINE MAYORS AND TOWN COUNCILS, THREE COUNTIES, BY THE WAY, WHICH IS A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE COUNTIES IN THE TOWNS THAT ARE IN THE RAIL TRAIL CORRIDOR.
UM, THE FIRST ITERATION OF THE VDOT SURVEY HAD OVER 9,000 SURVEY RESPONDENTS.
AND WE SHOULD HAVE A GOAL TO EXCEED THAT NUMBER THIS TIME, UH, TO SUPPORT THE RAIL TRAIL.
THIS COULD BE OPERATIONAL WITHIN FIVE YEARS IF IT'S ALLOWED TO MOVE FORWARD.
THE RAILS WITH TRAILS, OR, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, THE TRAIL WITH RAILS OPTIONED BASED ON THE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS TO ACCOMMODATE PEDESTRIANS SAFELY SEEMS LIKELY TO BE WELL OVER 10 YEARS TO COMPLETE.
THIS IS NOT PRECISELY ESTIMATED YET.
THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN ANOTHER VDOT PHASE OF THE, THE CURRENT STUDY.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THIS TRAIL IS NOTHING BUT POSITIVE FOR WARREN COUNTY.
IT ASKS FOR NO MONETARY SUPPORT FROM THE COUNTY, BUT IT COMES WITH BIG BENEFITS THAT ARE PERFECTLY ALIGNED WITH WARREN COUNTY'S, UH, CHARACTER AND COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO I JUST WANT TO, UH, IF WE COULD GO TO THE SLIDE THAT HAS THE, THE, THE WEBSITE.
I WANT TO ALSO EMPHASIZE, BESIDES GOING TO THAT WEBSITE AND FILLING OUT THE, THE SURVEY, UH, THERE'S A PUBLIC MEETING HERE FROM FIVE TO SEVEN ON APRIL 10TH.
UM, THAT WOULD BE A VERY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR VDOT TO HEAR FROM OUR FRONT ROW MORGAN COUNTY CITIZENS.
UH, MARCH 20TH I MET WITH CHIEF ANZANO AND ASSISTANT CHIEF TICO TO REVIEW THE POLICY FOR FIRE AND RESCUE SYSTEM BEING SUGGESTED BY FOR APPROVAL.
UM, ALSO HAD A DSS MEETING, BUT I WAS A LITTLE LATE GETTING THERE FOR THAT.
SO I CAME IN ON THE END OF THAT ONE.
MARCH 22ND, I ATTENDED A FUNDRAISING EVENT AS THE CHANDLE VALLEY GOLF CLUB TO BENEFIT, UH, LOCAL GIRLS SOFTBALL TEAMS. MARCH 23RD, I ATTENDED THE LADIES TEA EVENT AT THE SAMUELS PUBLIC LIBRARY, WHERE COLLEEN SNYDER GAVE A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY, GOING BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE LADIES TEAS MEETING TO FOSTER THE GROWTH OF THE LIBRARY, EXCUSE ME, LEAVING THE LIBRARY.
WENT TO THE NORTH WARREN FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, WHERE WE HAD HAD DINNER, A SPAGHETTI DINNER TO SUPPORT, UH, FUNDRAISER BY LOCAL FOUR H GROUP.
AND THOSE CHILDREN DID A FANTASTIC JOB.
THE PARENTS SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF THEM.
THEY, THEY WORKED HARD, WERE VERY POLITE SERVERS THAT EVENING.
MARCH 24TH, UM, WATCHED THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING FROM HOME, AND I WANNA CONGRATULATE THE TOWN COUNCIL ON THE DECISION TO HIRE JOE PETTY AS THE TOWN MANAGER.
AND I CONGRATULATE JOE AS WELL.
BALLINGER GRACIOUSLY TOOK ME TO AS RHODES, LFK, UM, LESLIE FOX, KAISER E WILSON MARSON, WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLS.
SO I COULD TOUR THE SCHOOLS, WHICH, UM, I WAS VERY GRATEFUL TO MEET WITH TEACHERS AND STAFF AND HEAR THEIR, UM, THEIR NEEDS AND TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH THE CHILDREN THERE.
MARCH 26, I ATTENDED THE JOINT COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, UM, BUILDING COMMITTEE, UM, MEETING.
AND WE'VE DISCUSSED WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AND THUS FAR THIS YEAR, AND
[00:20:01]
WHAT OTHER NEEDS.UM, I SEE SOME PEOPLE HERE, THE TENNIS COURTS WERE ON THAT LIST OF NEEDS AND, UH, FOR BOTH THE WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL AND SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, AS FAR AS ROOFING, UH, I THINK THERE'S, UM, SOMETHING CONSTRUCTION AND UPKEEP WISE AT EVERY SCHOOL.
UM, MARCH 27TH, I MET WITH A YOUNG LADY THAT AS A SENIOR AT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL, WHO ASKED ME TO COME ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS FOR A PAPER ASSIGNMENT THAT SHE HAD FOR A CLASS.
AND THEN ON MARCH 29TH, I ATTENDED THE CANOE RACES THAT THE HERITAGE SOCIETY AND THE DOWNRIVER ADVENTURE GROUP PUT ON, BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF, UM, IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES WHEN THIS TOWN WAS PACKED WITH PEOPLE COMING IN FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, MAYBE OUTTA THE COUNTRY EVEN, UM, THAT THE JCS USED TO SPONSOR.
AND IT WAS, UM, A GREAT REVENUE SOURCE FOR THIS COUNTY.
AND I SAW A CHALLENGE ON FACEBOOK FROM A RESIDENT, UM, WHO GRANDFATHER USED TO BE A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD.
AND THE SIX 19 BRIDGE IS NAMED AFTER HIM, WILSON BURKE.
AND HE CHALLENGED THE BOARD MEMBERS TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS THAT HE PUT FORTH.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO DO THAT QUESTION.
ONE WAS, WHY ARE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU A BOARD OF SUPERVISOR? AND SO MY ANSWER FOR MYSELF IS, I RAN TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF THIS COMMUNITY, TO BE HONEST, FAIR, AND TO LISTEN.
WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO DO? WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE DOING WHILE HOLDING THAT TITLE TO MAKE DECISIONS IN THE BEST END FOR ME TO MAKE DECISIONS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY, SET ORDINANCES, TAXES, SUPPORT THE CORE RESPONSIBILITY OF FUNDING LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE AND RESCUE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND HUMANE SOCIETY IS A, A MANDATED SERVICE AS WELL THAT, UM, WE NEED TO, TO SUPPORT.
WHY DO YOU, WHO DO YOU REPRESENT? FOR ME, I'M ELECTED BY THE RESIDENTS OF SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT, BUT MY VO VOTE AFFECTS ALL RESIDENTS OF WARREN COUNTY.
ARE YOU WORKING FOR THE BETTER OF OUR COMMUNITY AND SPEAKING FOR MYSELF? YES.
I DO MY BEST TO BE DILIGENT AND RESEARCHING AND ASKING QUESTIONS TO BE AS WELL INFORMED AS POSSIBLE.
I LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT ALL AGREE WITH MY DECISION, I TRY TO MAKE THE BEST DECISION FOR THE MOST RESIDENTS.
ARE YOU COMMITTED TO BEING A GOOD STEWARD WITH OUR TAX MONEY PAID TO THE COUNTY? ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN ON ACCOUNTABILITY IS WELL DOCUMENTED DURING PRIOR MEETINGS.
I BELIEVE COMPLETELY IN ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY.
I UNDERSTAND THE LEGAL NEED FOR CLOSED SESSION DISCUSSIONS, BUT I STILL DON'T LIKE THEM.
ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE THE COUNTY IN BETTER SHAPE AFTER YOUR TERMS ARE UP THAN WHEN YOU STARTED? MM-HMM
AND THAT'S WHAT MOTIVATED ME TO RUN FOR THIS OFFICE.
AND THAT'S BEEN MY GOAL FROM DAY ONE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE MY GOAL.
MY CHILDREN WERE AND STILL ARE HERE AS ARE MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE NOW.
AND I WANT THEM AND ALL RESIDENTS TO BE PROUD TO SAY I LIVE.
I AM FROM FRONT ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY.
AND THAT'S A MIGHTY RESPONSIBILITY, WHICH I DO NOT TAKE LIGHTLY.
MS. COOK, I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT.
SO I, I ONLY HAVE TWO THINGS TO, TO DISCUSS.
FIRST IS THE, UH, UH, AND THESE ARE THE MAJOR THINGS THAT ARE ON, ON MY AGENDA HERE.
THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, MEETING WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND TALKING WITH, UH, DR.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE, IT'S, UH, UH, I LIKE LISTENING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BUSINESS NEWS OF DURING THE MORNING.
AND, UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEPS COMING UP, AND IT'S A RECURRING THEME, AND THIS IS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IS THE, UH, ISSUES THAT THEY'VE GOT WITH, UH, WITH, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLING.
AND IT'S NOT REALLY AN EDUCATION ISSUE, IT'S NOT A FUNDING ISSUE, IT IS A CULTURE ISSUE THAT WE'RE RUNNING INTO.
AND THE, UH, AND THE REASON I BRING THIS UP IS BECAUSE THE, I KNOW THAT THE SCHOOL IS ASKING FOR MORE MONEY.
THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE GOT, UH, SOME, SOME, UH, UM, VERY CREDIBLE CONCERNS.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, I TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND I SAY, WELL, IS GIVING MORE MONEY TO CERTAIN AREAS THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR? IS THAT GONNA BE, IS THAT GONNA HELP? OR IS THAT, OR ARE WE, ARE WE GIVING MONEY TOWARDS SOMETHING THAT'S ACTUALLY REALLY A CULTURAL ISSUE AND NOT A FUNDING OR AN AN EDUCATION ISSUE? SO THE, UH, SO THAT, THAT'S THE LENS THAT I, I'M TAKING A LOOK AT THAT.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT, UH, THAT I'M GONNA BE FOR FLAT FUNDING.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT I'M GONNA GIVE, UH, THAT, THAT I'M GONNA VOTE TO GIVE
[00:25:01]
THE SCHOOL EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED.I'M GONNA BE VERY, UH, YOU KNOW, USE A, A VERY CRITICAL EYE ON THAT WITH THE IDEA THAT SOME OF THESE THINGS, THEY'RE CULTURAL AND THE, UH, WHEN I SAY CULTURAL, IT'S THINGS WHERE THE PARENTS NEED TO BE INVOLVED.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT AN ISSUE ACROSS THE, AND IT'S NOT ONLY HERE, IT IS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO THE, UH, UH, SO THAT'S, UM, THAT'S THE FIRST THING.
THE SECOND THING IS, IS THAT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UH, UH, I APPRECIATE THE, THE AUDIENCE OF, YOU KNOW, THE, WHEN, UH, WHEN WE HAVE, UM, UH, CONSTITUENTS GIVE UP, UH, GET UP AND, UH, YOU KNOW, GIVE, UH, THREE MINUTES.
I APPRECIATE THE, THE, UH, DECORUM THAT THEY FOLLOW.
AND, UH, I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM TO INCLUDE BOARD MEMBERS FOLLOW THAT SAME DECORUM, WHICH IS NOT TO INTERRUPT FOLKS, NOT TO, UM, UH, BUT TO, UH, TO LET FOLKS HAVE THEIR SAY AND THEN HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE FLOOR FROM THERE.
SO THE, SO THAT IS, UH, THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS THAT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION.
SO THE, UH, AT THIS POINT, DR.
UH, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT DOES THIS PROPOSAL MEAN AND WHAT DOES THAT PROPOSAL MEAN, ET CETERA.
SO I WANT TO CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT.
UH, COUNTY FINANCE HAS PREPARED A DRAFT RFP FOR LIBRARY SERVICES, EFFECTIVE JULY ONE.
UH, MR. HAM IS REVIEWING THAT NOW.
IT HAS BEEN SENT TO THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD FOR COMMENTS.
OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THAT ISSUED ON THIS FRIDAY ON THE FOURTH.
IF WE CAN POST IT THIS FRIDAY, THEN PROPOSALS WILL BE DUE BACK TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT ON APRIL 15TH, TAX DAY.
AND WE WILL THEN BE SENDING THEM TO, UH, THE LIBRARY BOARD TO REVIEW ALONG WITH A COPY TO MR. HAM AND THE STAFF REVIEW TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL OF OUR COMPLIANCE AND EVERYTHING IS COPACETIC.
UH, WE LOOK TO HAVE THIS COMPLETED BY THE 23RD, UM, THAT BACKED UP TO APRIL 15TH, BACK UP TO THIS FRIDAY RELEASE.
AND THEN IT WOULD BE ON THE BOARD AGENDA ON THE 29TH TO SELECT A VENDOR UPON THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, FROM THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND THE LIBRARY BOARD.
AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE THREE WEEKS TO PREPARE A CONTRACT MR. HAM WOULD BE WORKING ON WITH THE VENDOR.
AND THAT WE CAN THEN GET AN APPROVAL FOR THAT CONTRACT FROM THE LIBRARY BOARD BY MAY 14TH, SO THAT IT CAN BE ON THE BOARD AGENDA TO APPROVE A CONTRACT ON MAY THE 20TH, SO THAT THE CONTRACT WOULD THEN BEGIN JULY 1ST.
NOW THE OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED, AND WE SENT THE BOARD A COPY OF A REVISED PARTNER AGENCY REQUEST THAT WE RECEIVED YESTERDAY, THAT WILL BE IN THE BUDGET DOCUMENTS IN HERE, BUT THAT'S NOT PART, THAT'S NOT A RESPONSE TO THE RFP.
THE RFP HASN'T BEEN POSTED YET, AND IT WILL BE POSTED FOR ANY AND ALL VENDORS WHO ARE INTERESTED TO RESPOND.
SO THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT PROJECT, SIR.
AND WE'LL KEEP THE BOARD AND EVERYBODY ELSE POSTED WHEN THIS IS ANNOUNCED AND IT'S POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE AND WITH EVA AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
AND, UH, COUNCILLOR, SHOULD I EVEN ASK? WELL, I HAVE A COMMENT, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT WE PROBABLY, I HAVE NO COMMENTS OTHER THAN WE PROBABLY NEED TO START THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ZACH? UH, THAT'S JUST THE WARREN COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THESE TWO.
BEFORE I TURN THIS OVER TO KELLY TO MRS. WALL, I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR TAKING THEIR INDIVIDUAL, THEIR TIME INDIVIDUALLY WITH COUNTY STAFF, PROVIDING US INPUT FOR
[00:30:01]
THE REVISIONS, THESE MOSTLY FINAL REVISIONS TO THE PLANNING, UH, DEPARTMENT AND, AND FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.UH, I'D LIKE TO THANK, UM, THE OUTSIDE AGENCIES, OUR V VDOT AND SOME OF THE PRIVATE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS, UH, ALLIANCE FOR SHENANDOAH, UH, AND THEIR INPUT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE CITIZENS THAT PROVIDED, UM, SURVEY INFORMATION TO US.
THEY CAME TO OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH, UM, AND CERTAINLY THE PLANNING COMMISSION WITH THEIR INPUT AND THEIR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS DURING WORK SESSIONS.
I LIKE THE MOST OF ALL, UH, THANK PLANNING STAFF.
THEY'VE WORKED VERY, VERY HARD ON TRYING TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT FINDS A GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN CREATING LAND USES AND AREAS FOR, UH, PROVIDING A GOOD TAX BASE, BUT YES, YET ALSO PROVIDING A, UH, ABILITY TO CONTINUE THAT RURAL CHARACTER AND AGRICULTURAL, AGRICULTURAL, UH, LAND USES IN THE COUNTY.
SO, UH, I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THAT.
[F. Warren County Comprehensive Plan]
I'LL TURN IT OVER, UH, TO MRS. WALL TO, UH, PRESENT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.UH, SINCE THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PLANNING STAFF HAS MET WITH EACH OF YOU TO DISCUSS YOUR CONCERNS AND ANY PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE PLAN, AN ITEMIZED DETAILED LIST OF THE SPECIFIC CHANGES SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET THIS EVENING FOR YOUR REVIEW.
UM, AND IT'LL ALSO BE PROVIDED IN THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.
WE WILL HAVE, UM, ADVERTISED TWO OPTIONS FOR THE PROPOSED, UH, CORRIDOR FUTURE LAND USE MAP THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE PLAN.
YOU CAN APPROVE THE CONFERENCE OF PLAN AS CERTIFIED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION, OR YOU CAN AMEND THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PLANNING STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPT THE RESOLUTION APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AS RECOMMENDED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION, TOGETHER WITH THE AMENDMENTS REQUESTED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, AND INCLUDING OPTION ONE FOR THE PROPOSED FUTURE LAND USE MATTER.
THIS IS THE FIRST SUGGESTED MOTION, UH, STAFF WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN THE FIVE-YEAR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REVIEW AS REQUIRED BY VIRGINIA STATE CODE IN 2029 TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY FOR THE 2030 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WITH THAT, WE'LL, UH, JUST ROLL RIGHT INTO THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.
I CHANGES TO THE PLAN AS REQUESTED BY YOU GUYS.
IT WAS BROUGHT TO STAFF'S ATTENTION, UM, BY A SUPERVISOR THAT IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE PERCEPTION ON CLUSTER DEVELOPMENTS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THE LAST ADOPTION OF THE PLAN IN 2013.
SO WE DID, UH, REWRITE THIS SECTION TO ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT TO TAKE PLACE IN TOWN AROUND THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT AREAS AND WITH HIGHER EMPHASIS ON PROPER DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUBDIVISIONS.
SO THIS WILL BE THE NEW SECTION ON IMPLICATIONS OF CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS FOUND IN CHAPTER THREE, SECTION TWO.
A QUESTION ON THAT ONE, WHEN I READ THE FIRST PART, IT MAKES IT SEEM, AND IN THE PICTURE THERE IS THE VILLAGE OF BROWNTOWN MM-HMM
UM, THAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING THOSE CLUSTERS OUT IN AREAS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN I GET DOWN TO THE BOTTOM AND IT SAYS WE'RE ENCOURAGING THEM IN THE MORE URBAN TOWN FACILITY INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO IT'S, IT SOUNDS CONFLICTING.
WELL, THE PICTURE, WE ARE JUST TRYING TO FIND A RURAL PICTURE THAT WAS SHOWING DENSITY.
UM, OBVIOUSLY VILLAGE RESIDENTIAL AND BROWNTOWN SHOWS A LITTLE BIT OF HIGHER DENSITY.
UM, THERE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT.
THE HOLIDAY PLANTATION, UM, IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF CHALLENGES WITH CLUSTER DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, THEY HAVE TO MEET A LOT OF STANDARDS, AND THEY TAKE YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS TO DEVELOP OUT, UM, PARTICULARLY HOLIDAY PLANTATION.
THEY JUST WERE ABLE TO GET VDOT TO APPROVE OF ADOPTING THAT ROAD.
UM, SO WE WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THAT HIGHER DENSITY DEVELOPMENT SHOULD TAKE PLACE AROUND THE TOWN, BUT WE DO NEED TO SOMEWHAT ENCOURAGE THE CLUSTER DEVELOPMENTS TO TAKE PLACE IN THESE AGRICULTURAL AREAS BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT HOUSING AND, UH, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR RESIDENTS.
SO WE JUST TRIED TO REWRITE THIS IN A WAY THAT, UH, WE COULD PUT SOME HIGHER RESTRICTIONS ON THESE DEVELOPERS.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS WILL BE AN EFFECTIVE CHANGE.
I, I GUESS I, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, UH, THOSE CLUSTERS ARE, UH, THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT ARE IN MY AREA AND I, AGAIN, MY CONCERN IS, UM, WATER AND SEPTIC, AND I JUST, I HAVE CONCERNS THAT ENCOURAGING CLUSTERS OUT IN AREAS LIKE THAT IS NOT GONNA GO, THE LONG TERM EFFECTS ARE NOT GONNA BE POSITIVE.
[00:35:03]
MATT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD THAT? I'LL JUST MENTION THAT WE'VE HAD SOME SUCCESSFUL ONES SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.AND, AND A LITTLE BIT PRIOR TO THAT, THEY USUALLY DID NOT EXCEED 10 OR 12 LOTS.
UM, UH, HOLIDAY PLANTATION DID TAKE SOME TIME PRIMARILY FOR THE ROAD NETWORK.
UM, BUT IT DID PROVIDE SOME SMALL LOTS AND THEN ALSO SOME OPEN SPACE AREA.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT IS DRIVING THE CLUSTER SUBDIVISION IS, IS THE PRESERVATION OF OPEN SPACE.
AS PART OF THE CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT ITSELF, UH, YOU KNOW, APPROXIMATELY 60%, WE CALCULATE THAT, UM, OF THE, OF THE CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT IS RESERVED AS OPEN, OPEN SPACE.
SO IT'S, IT'S TRYING TO FIND, AGAIN, KIND OF THAT BALANCE THE SIZE OF IT.
UH, YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A LARGE NATIONAL DEVELOPER COME IN AND DO A HUNDRED, A HUNDRED HOME CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT.
BUT WE MAY SEE SOMETHING AROUND 10 TO 25 BY CUP, MAYBE 40 IF IT'S, IF IT CAN BE DONE.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE DEALING WITH PRIVATE WELL AND SEPTIC FOR THOSE.
THE FIRST PRIORITY, AGAIN, IS TO DIRECT DEVELOPMENT THROUGH, INTO THE TOWN, INTO THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT AREAS BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC SEWER AND WATER AND BECAUSE OF PUBLIC ROADS THAT ARE TAKEN CARE OF, THE CHALLENGES IS THE TOWN CONTROLS PRETTY MUCH THAT.
SO WE CAN USE THAT AS AN OPTION.
WE CAN SAY, LOOK INTO THE TOWN, SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THERE.
BUT IF THERE ARE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE LOOKING AT LARGER PARCELS THAT ARE NO LONGER BEING UTILIZED FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES AND WANT TO DEVELOP THOSE, THIS COULD POTEN, YOU KNOW, THE CLUSTER DEVELOPMENTS HAVE PROVEN IN SOME WAYS TO BE A, AN OPTION.
AND IT'S ALSO A REQUIREMENT BY THE STATE TO HAVE CLUSTER DEVELOPMENTS IN OUR CODE, IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO, SO THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY IT'S THERE.
BUT OBVIOUSLY IF SOMETHING COMES FORTH, UM, WE WOULD, UH, THERE'S, WE WOULD TAKE THIS TO THE, TO THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, FOR A SITE.
WE HAD SOME CHANGES TO IMPLEMENTATIONS.
UM, WE REMOVED AN IMPLEMENTATION REFERRING TO BONUS DENSITIES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AGAIN, WE WANT TO DIRECT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO URBAN DEVELOPMENT AREAS WITHIN THE TOWN RATHER THAN THE FOCUS BEYOND THE COUNTY.
UM, AND WE, WHILE THE IMPLEMENTATION STAYED, WE DID, UM, REMOVE REFERENCES TO THE EXPLORATION OF HOUSING FUNDING, INCLUDING LIKE SECTION EIGHT HOUSING WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT UTILIZING LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS FOR HOUSING PROGRAMS. ANOTHER SUPERVISOR HAD REQUESTED THAT WE EXPLORE, UH, THE UTILIZATION OF QUARRIES, UM, AS AN A SECONDARY OPTION FOR OUR WATER ISSUES.
SO WE'VE ADDED THIS AS AN OBJECTIVE SMORE UPDATES TO THE PLAN.
UM, IT, WE WERE ASKED TO ADD TO BIKE PATHS TO POSSIBLY LOOK AT EXTENDING, UM, A BIKE PATH FROM LEE RUN PARKWAY TO HAPPY CREEK TO CONNECT WITH SHENANDOAH SHORES, UH, REMOVED THE REFERENCE TO THREE AND A HALF ACRES FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE FOR THE ACCOMMODATION OF ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS.
SO WHEN WE BRING UP THE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS WITHIN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THERE WILL BE NO MORE REFERENCE TO THREE AND A HALF ACRES BEING THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE.
ONCE WE TAKE THAT TEXT AMENDMENT, UM, IN FRONT OF YOU, THAT WILL BE WHEN WE HASH OUT THE DETAILS FOR, AND THAT'LL BE AT YOUR ALL'S DISCRETION.
WE HAVE UPDATED CHARTS AND GRAPHS THROUGHOUT FOR, UH, READABILITY PURPOSES.
MEYER STUDENT UNION AND ACTIVITY CENTER UPDATED THE GOVERNMENT FACILITIES REFERENCE TO WARREN COUNTY COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND THE PHOTO WE REMOVED, UH, TO COMPLETE THE RENOVATION OF THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMPLEX, THAT THAT HAD BEEN COMPLETED.
AND WE DID A GRAMMAR AND FINAL FORMATTING CHECK, AND WE ALSO ADDED IN CHAPTER TWO, UH, LANGUAGE FOR THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU ALL PASSED FOR ADDITIONAL HEALTHCARE FOR WOMEN'S SERVICES.
IT WILL ALSO BE ADDED AS AN APPENDIX ITEM.
SO THIS IS NOW IN CHAPTER TWO.
THE ADDITION TO, UH, TABLE 7.2 IN CHAPTER SEVEN WAS JUST THE COST ESTIMATES THAT WERE PROVIDED TO US BY VDOT.
SO THIS, THIS TABLE HAD BEEN FILLED OUT.
WE JUST DID NOT HAVE THE COST ESTIMATE.
THOSE WERE PROVIDED BY VDOT AND INCLUDED, UM, OUR MAP CHANGES.
WE HAD SOME MINOR MAP CHANGES.
OUR GIS COORDINATOR, UH, COREY WENT IN AND ADDED SOME SOURCE REFERENCES TO THE MAPS
[00:40:01]
AND OUR CHANGES TO THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP IN THE CORRIDOR MOSTLY PERTAINED TO SLATE FARM.UH, BUT WE DID HAVE SOME OTHER CORRECTIONS.
WE REMOVED AN AGRICULTURAL BUFFER FROM THE SLATE RUN FARM LLC OWNED PROPERTIES AND REVISED TO ENTIRELY ENCOMPASS AN INDUSTRIAL ZONE AREA.
WE ADDED TAX MAP FOUR LOT 41 OWNED BY SLATE RUN AS A FUTURE LAND USE INDUSTRIAL.
IT WAS NOT ON THE, UH, FUTURE LAND USE MAP IN THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RESOLUTION.
AND, UH, WE CHANGED A PROPERTY THAT IS OWNED BY SLATE RUN FROM AGRICULTURAL TO COMMERCIAL.
WE HAVE AN ACTIVE REZONING APPLICATION FOR 5 22 PROPERTIES, LLC TO, UH, CHANGE TWO LOTS FROM FUTURE LAND USE COMMERCIAL TO FUTURE LAND USE INDUSTRIAL.
WE AMENDED TAX MAP FOUR LOT 44 FROM FUTURE LAND USE COMMERCIAL TO FUTURE LAND USE INDUSTRIAL.
AND THERE IN OPTION ONE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPTION ONE AND OPTION TWO IS THE ADDITION OF THE HIGHWAY CORRIDOR OVERLAY DISTRICT BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT TO INCLUDE TAX MAP FOUR LOT 38 TO BE PROPOSED FUTURE LAND USE.
COMMERCIAL OPTION TWO IS EXACTLY THE SAME, BUT WE REMOVE THAT OPTION TO EXTEND THE HIGHWAY CORRIDOR OVERLAY DISTRICT AND USE, UTILIZE THAT LOT AS FUTURE LAND USE COMMERCIAL.
SO THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF YOU GUYS WENT WITH OPTION TWO.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THIS PROPERTY HERE, SO THIS WOULD EXTEND THE HIGHWAY CORRIDOR OVERLAY DISTRICT.
THIS IS FAMILY DOLLAR OR TO NOT HAVE IT AS FUTURE LAND USE COMMERCIAL.
WE DO HAVE AN ACTIVE DOWN ZONING APPLICATION OR REQUEST TO GO FROM FUTURE LAND USE COMMERCIAL TO AGRICULTURAL.
SO PLANNING STAFF DEVELOPED THIS OPTION TO OFFSET THE LOSS OF THIS COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.
SEE, I I, I JUST HAVE A, A QUESTION, AND YOU MAY BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS OR MAY NOT.
LET'S SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, 20 YEARS AGO YOU CAME IN AND YOU BOUGHT SOME LAND AND, UH, YOU THOUGHT THAT IT WAS GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD EITHER BE AGRICULTURAL OR TURN INTO COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, EITHER THE COUNTY OR, OR THE, THE STATE COMES IN AND SAYS, NOPE, ALL THIS LAND HERE IS, IS NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, BIG DRAINAGE AREA, SO YOU CAN'T BUILD ANYTHING ON IT.
WHAT HAPPENS THEN? I MEAN, YOU DO YOU JUST SAY, OH, WELL, IT'S LIKE BUYING A BAD STOCK? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I WOULD SAY, UH, WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER STATE OR, UH, FEDERAL REGULATIONS RELATING TO STORM WATER, RELATING TO FLOODPLAINS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE COUNTY ON OUR FLOODPLAIN DISTRICT, THE SOUTH RIVER.
WE DO HAVE SOME LIMITED AREAS BECAUSE THAT WAS NEVER PLATTED, UH, FOR, FROM FEMA OTHER THAN THE RIVERS.
UM, AND LIKE I WOULD SAY WITH ALL LAND BUYS, UH, IT, IT CAN BE SPECULATIVE.
UM, WE HAVE SEEN THAT THROUGHOUT THE PAST 25 YEARS OR SO, IN THE PAST THREE ITERATIONS OF, UH, THE COMP PLAN, THE FUTURE LAND USE HAS ADOPTED AREAS INTO IT THAT BECAME COMMERCIAL, WHICH WERE EXISTING AGRICULTURAL.
AND SO WE'RE NOW AT A POINT IN TIME WHERE WE HAVE A COMMERCIAL BA, YOU KNOW, APPLICATION COMMERCIAL LAND USE DIRECTLY UP AGAINST AN AGRICULTURAL LAND USE.
SO IT'S JUST REALLY, IT, IT'S, IT'S CHANGE.
UM, WHAT THE FUTURE LAND USE DOES IS WE TRY AND DIRECT THAT CHANGE, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THIS.
UM, ALL LAND THAT I'VE SEEN HAS ITS CHALLENGES IN WARREN COUNTY AND EVERYWHERE, BUT WARREN COUNTY HAS A LOT OF, UH, DRAINAGE STORM WATER ISSUES BECAUSE OF THE TOPOGRAPHY OF IT.
WE'VE GOT CAR ISSUES IN THE, IN THE, UH, NORTH RIVER DISTRICT, UH, GEOLOGICAL ISSUES.
SO CONSEQUENTLY THAT'S A DUE DILIGENCE THING IN SOME WAYS.
UH, FOR SOMEONE WHO'S SPECULATING THAT LAND WILL BE WORTH SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE, UM, WE CAN DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH IDENTIFYING, DOES THAT MEET THE AREA THAT WE WANT TO SEE
[00:45:01]
DEVELOP FOR EITHER COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL IN THAT AREA? AND DO WE WANT TO, WHERE DO WE WANNA PRESERVE IT? AND SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT THESE FUTURE LAND USE MAPS ALLOW US TO DO.THAT CONCLUDES THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.
UM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL AGAIN AND THE PUBLIC FOR ALL OF YOUR INSIGHT AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PLAN.
UH, WE HOPE WE DID OUR BEST AND EXCEEDED YOUR EXPECTATIONS IN DRAFTING THE UPDATED COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION ON, AGAIN, THE, THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN OPTION ONE AND OPTION TWO, WHAT SEPARATES THEM? LET ME JUST KIND OF STEP OUTTA THE WAY.
SO THE ONLY DIFFERENCE, ALL OF THE CORRECTIONS TO SLATE RUN REMAIN THE SAME.
THE AGRICULTURAL BUFFER HAS BEEN REMOVED.
UM, THE POSSIBLE DOWN ZONING, THIS PROPERTY HERE, 4 38 HAS BEEN 4 44, I'M SORRY, HAS BEEN DESIGNATED A FUTURE LAND USE COMMERCIAL.
THERE IS AN AGRICULTURAL BUFFER TO PROTECT THE FLOODPLAIN ON THE BACK END OF IT.
SO THIS WOULD BE THE DEVELOPABLE LAND.
UM, AND THIS IS TO OFFSET THE LOSS OF THIS COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.
THEY'RE ALMOST EQUAL IN SIZE, JUST OVER 40 ACRES EACH.
AND THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS WE TAKE THAT AWAY.
CAN YOU FLIP IT BACK? FUTURE LAND USE, UH, THE, EXCUSE ME.
THE CORRIDOR OVERLAY STOP CURRENTLY STOPS HERE AT FAIRGROUND ROAD.
UH, AND THAT'S A, A PLANNING DESIGN REQUIREMENT OR A ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE.
IT'S THE, THE FINES THAT BOUNDARY.
SO IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK REAL QUICK.
AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS IF WE INCLUDE THIS 4 38, IT IS 4 38 AFTER
UH, IF WE INCLUDE THAT AS COMMERCIAL, WE'LL EXTEND THAT BOUNDARY UP SO THAT WHATEVER THAT IS DEVELOPED, IT HAS TO MEET THE PLAN REQUIREMENTS, THE ORDINANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE HIGHWAY CORRIDOR OF THE LAKE DISTRICT.
SO IT'S JUST BASICALLY EXTENDING IT TO ACCOMMODATE THIS LOT.
IF THIS LOT IS INCLUDED, THAT LOT IS DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM FAMILY DOLLAR.
IT DOES NOT ABUT ANY, UH, AG FOREST OR DISTRICT AND THIS BUFFER.
WOULD THE LEAVING THIS AS AGRICULTURAL FOR THIS FLOODPLAIN AREA WOULD PROTECT THE AGRICULTURAL LANDS AROUND IT? ACT AS A BUFFER BETWEEN THE COMMERCIAL.
SEE, THAT'S THE 34 ACRE LOT? YES, YES, YES.
IT'S JUST, JUST TO THE NORTH OF OKAY.
DIDN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW MUCH.
AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, FOR ANYONE WHO CAN'T SEE THE MAP, WELL THAT, THAT IS ON THE WEST SIDE OF 5 22 3 WEST SIDE OF 5 22 3 40.
SO IF YOU ARE ON 5 22 AND YOU ARE PASSING FAMILY DOLLAR WAREHOUSE, IT WOULD BE DIRECTLY TO YOUR LEFT IF YOU WERE HEADING TOWARDS WINCHESTER IDENTIFIED AS TAX MAP FOUR LOT 38, 34 ACRES IN SIZE.
AND IT'S, IT'S, UH, SO IT'S BASICALLY ACROSS FROM FAMILY DOLLAR, AND IT IS NOT ACROSS WELL, EXCEPT FOR MAYBE A TINY FRACTION OF IT.
IT'S BASICALLY MAYBE CATTYCORNER, BUT IT'S NOT ACROSS FROM THE 141 ACRE LOT THAT WAS THE SUBJECT OF NO, NO, THAT MUCH DISCUSSION.
UM, THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OWNS A SMALL LOT HERE THAT THEY HAVE A, A DWELLING, A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING ONE, I BELIEVE THAT'S RENTED.
AND THEN THE OTHER, UH, ACTUALLY I JUST MAKE SURE I'M NOT THE RIGHT PLACE HERE.
AND THEN THE OTHER, UH, PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH HAS A LOT UP HERE JUST NORTH OF THAT.
AND IT BASICALLY JUST LEVELS IT UP SO THAT THE CORRIDOR IS THE SAME BOUNDARY ON THE WEST AND ON THE EAST TO THE VERY BACK OF FAMILY JOBS.
AND THIS LOT HERE IS APPROXIMATELY 29 ACRES.
SO WE WOULD GAIN A FEW MORE ACRES BY CHANGING THAT TO FUTURE LAND USE COMMERCIAL, WHEREAS WE'LL LOSE THIS 29 ACRES.
THIS PROPERTY OWNER HAS BEEN, IT, IT, IT ACTUALLY IS CURRENTLY COMMERCIAL.
THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS BEEN TRYING TO MARKET IT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND HAS JUST NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO IT.
SO HE, HE REQUESTED IT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, POTENTIALLY THE DOWNSIDE.
UNDER THE NEW SECTION OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, IT'S ON PAGE 1 46 OF THE COMP PLAN.
WE HAVE A PARAGRAPH IN THERE SAYING, SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES A MILLION, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW HOW MUCH IT IS FROM WARREN COUNTY FOR FISCAL YEAR 23 AND SO FORTH.
MY QUESTION IS, IS WHY DO WE HAVE, UH, FINANCIAL DATA IN A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN? AND WE GET, WE HAVE LISTED ALL THESE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ALSO GET FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM WARREN COUNTY.
SO WE DID AT THE REQUEST OF SUPERVISORS REMOVE THAT AND
[00:50:01]
ADDED SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY TO THE LIST OF NONPROFITS.SO WE HAD ORIGINALLY JUST INTENDED TO KEEP IT AS IT WAS ALREADY THERE.
IT WASN'T ONE PARTICULAR ITEM THAT WAS UP FOR REVIEW UNTIL WE HAD MET WITH YOU ALL INDIVIDUALLY.
SO THAT WAS REMOVED IN THE AMENDED COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THAT PARAGRAPH IS NO LONGER THERE.
SO SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS, LI HAS BEEN LISTED WITH ALL THE OTHER NON-PROFIT WITH ALL THE OTHERS.
SO WHAT I'M SEEING HERE IS WILL NOT BE THERE.
I FIGURE IF WE'RE GOING TO PRO, YOU KNOW, UH, PROVIDE FINANCIAL DATA FOR ONE NONPROFIT, WE SHOULD DO IT FOR ALL, CORRECT? YES.
AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT APPROPRIATE IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, RIGHT.
AS I SAID, IT WAS JUST ALREADY THERE IN THE TWO TH IN THE 2013 VERSION.
UM, AND IS NOW IN, IT'S JUST LISTED WITH NO FINANCIAL DATA IN THE NONPROFIT TABLE.
AND I SEE THE TABLE AND I SEE THAT THEY ARE LISTED IN THE TABLE.
AND THE LAST THING I WANTED TO ASK, AND I WANNA THANK YOUR STAFF FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
IT WAS WELL PUT TOGETHER, VERY PROFESSIONAL, AND, UM, YOU, UH, YOUR WHOLE STAFF DID AN EXCELLENT JOB.
EXCUSE ME, MRS. COOK, YOU SAW THE TABLE? YES.
DID YOU SEE SOMEPLACE ELSE IN THIS VERSION OF THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO? YEAH, THE ONE THAT WAS PART OF OUR PACKAGE IN, SO THIS IS ON PAGE 1 46.
IN THERE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING? NOPE, ONLY ON ONE PAGE.
OH, HERE WHERE DOCUMENT SHOW ME.
SO THE PARAGRAPH ABOVE THE, UH, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IS WHAT SHE'S REFERRING TO.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE ITEMIZED LIST OF CHANGES AND REFERENCE ITEM E, OR I'M SORRY, F UM, WE REMOVED SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVED $1,024,000 FROM WARREN COUNTY IN FISCAL YEAR 2023 AND 172,238 FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA DURING THE 20 22, 20 23 YEAR, 125, 932 PEOPLE USE THE LIBRARY BUILDING.
AND THE 20 23, 20 24 YEAR IN-HOUSE CIRCULATION FIGURES GREW FROM X AMOUNT.
THAT PARAGRAPH HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REMOVED IN ITS ENTIRETY.
THE ONLY REFERENCE TO SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS NOW BEEN MOVED TO THE TABLE.
THERE ARE OTHER AREAS IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WHERE THERE IS REFERENCE TO SAMUEL'S LIBRARY, BUT IT'S ABOUT IT MOVING AND THE BUILDING BEING DEVELOPED.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS OR, I, I DO HAVE ONE.
COULD YOU REFRESH MY MEMORY? WHAT, WHAT IS THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE ACREAGE FOR A WELL, UM, THERE'S NOT A MINIMUM LOT SIZE ANCHORAGE BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY NON-CONFORMING LOTS IN THE COUNTY THAT ARE RESIDENTIAL ONES.
SO YOU COULD VERY WELL GET A WELL ON A 0.3 ACRE LOT.
UH, WHAT WE HAVE IS THAT WELL MUST BE A HUNDRED FEET FROM ANY ADJACENT, UH, DRAIN FIELD IN THE SEPTIC SYSTEM.
UH, SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT DRIVES THAT.
AND IN SOME CASES, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU HAVE A A, A BUNCH OF PROPERTIES THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED, IT COULD POTENTIALLY KILL A LOT THAT CAN'T MEET THAT SETBACK ANYMORE.
UM, AND SO THAT LOT WOULD BE BASICALLY COULD BE BOUGHT BY SOMEBODY AND JUST ABSORBED INTO THEIR LOT AND DONE THAT WAY.
THAT'D BE ANOTHER ONE OF THESE FLOODPLAIN THINGS.
WELL, THE, THE, THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE FLOOD PLANE IS THEY DO ALLOW WELLS IN THE FLOODPLAIN, BUT MANY PARTS OF THE AREA, MANY PARTS OF THE FLOODPLAIN, WE DON'T ALLOW THE HOUSES.
SO YOU MAY SEE A WELL ON A, A PRIVATE USE CAMPING LOT THAT CAN SERVE THAT LOT.
BUT, UM, AND EVEN DRAIN FIELDS, THEY'VE, WE, WE'VE SEEN THOSE, UH, APPROVED, UM, WITH SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS BY BUILDING, UH, BUILDING CODE.
IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, UH, HOW ABOUT IF WE MOVE TO APPROVAL OF MINUTES? WHAT? GOTTA MAKE A MOTION? OH, I'M SORRY.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT I'VE GOT ON.
SO THE, UH, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP? NO, NO, SIR.
OH, SO CLOSE THE, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? NO,
[00:55:01]
YOU'VE BEEN OPEN.SO THE PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN NOW.
SO, UH, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP? NO, SIR.
IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? I'LL SPEAK, UH, LEWIS BUN FROM NORTH RIVER.
I, I AGREE THAT FINANCES SHOULD BE REMOVED AS IT WAS ONLY ONE PLACE THAT WAS REFERENCING IT AND IT WAS ALREADY OUTDATED FROM A YEAR AGO.
UM, SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH MY COMMENT, SO THANK YOU.
SIR JOHN JENKINS, SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT.
I'M GONNA CUT RIGHT TO THE CHASE.
I'VE ALREADY, UH, ACCEPTING BID PROPOSALS FOR NEW LIBRARY BOARDS, WHATEVER, UH, BEFORE THAT GOES TO PRINT, WE WANNA MAKE MAYBE WAIT ANOTHER MONTH AND A HALF TO FIND OUT THAT THE LIBRARY IS STILL GOING TO BE THERE.
NO USE WASTING THE PRINT ON SOMETHING THAT IS VERY MUCH OBJECTABLE IN WHAT'S GOING ON WITH EVERYBODY HERE IN THE, IN THE COUNTY.
I AM THE PAGE IN WARREN COUNTY COORDINATOR FOR ALLIANCE FOR THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.
AND OUR MISSION IS OH AND 93 86 SOUTH CONGRESS STREET.
IN NEW MARKET IS WHERE OUR HEADQUARTERS ARE.
UH, OUR MISSION IS, UH, ALLIANCE FOR THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY INFORMS AND ENGAGES PEOPLE TO PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES, CULTURAL, HERITAGES, HERITAGES, AND RURAL CHARACTER OF OUR REGION.
IT'S BEEN A LONG PROCESS TO GET THE WARREN COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO THIS POINT, AND A LOT OF HARD WORK HAS GONE INTO ALL OF THE UPDATES.
UM, WE COMMEND THE STAFF FOR THIS FINAL DRAFT, UH, WHICH IS WELL ORGANIZED, VISUALLY APPEALING, AND WILL HELP GUIDE BOTH DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION FOR THE NEXT FIVE TO 20 YEARS.
UH, WE SUPPORT THE IDEALS STATED IN THE PLAN, INCLUDING PROTECTING NATURAL RESOURCES, SUPPORTING AGRICULTURE, AND STRIVING TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS THE TOWN IN ORDER TO CONSERVE THE RURAL CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY.
SPECIFICALLY, I AM GLAD THAT THE PARCEL OF LAND NORTH OF THE FAMILY DOLLAR DISTRIBUTION CENTER WILL REMAIN IN AG INSTEAD OF BEING PLANNED FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.
MR. MEYER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I KNOW YOU'VE, UH, BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SOME OF THE ROCKLAND FOLKS WHO WERE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED WITH THAT ISSUE.
UM, WE ARE RELIEVED THAT THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE FOR THE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS AND AG ZONE LAND WAS REMOVED FROM THE COMP PLAN.
I KNOW THAT WAS A CONCERN OF YOURS AND PERHAPS OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WHO SUPPORTED THIS LEVEL OF DETAIL TO THE UPCOMING ZONING ORDINANCE.
UH, THE ALLIANCE FOR THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY LOOKS FORWARD TO WORKING WITH WARREN COUNTY AND WITH THE COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE TO PRESERVE WHAT MAKES THE COUNTY A UNIQUE PLACE TO LIVE AND TO VISIT, AND YET GROW IN WAYS THAT ARE SENSITIVE TO THE EXTRAORDINARY NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES THAT DISTINGUISH OUR REGION.
AND, UM, NOT EXACTLY RELATED TO THE COMP PLAN, BUT DR.
JAMESON THANK YOU FOR, AND, AND ALL BOARD MEMBERS FOR THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE CHAND RAIL TRAIL.
WELL, I, I THINK THAT DOES FIT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, MA'AM.
SO ARE THERE ANY, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE CLOSED? THE, UM, HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT THEY'RE OFF LIMITS FOR ASKING QUESTIONS? NO.
IF, IF Y'ALL WANT TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS, GO AHEAD.
UH, SO I, I'M JUST INTERESTED IN THAT COMMENT THAT WAS MADE.
SO WHAT, WHEN, WHEN THERE'S NO REFERENCE TO THREE AND A HALF ACRES, WHAT IS THE IMPLICATION OF THAT? THERE IS NO IMPLICATION IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS SUPPOSED TO BE GENERAL IN NATURE.
SO, SO THERE'S NO REFERENCE TO ANY ACREAGE THEN THERE'S NO REFERENCE TO ANY ACREAGE WHATSOEVER.
SO THIS WILL BE WHEN, WHEN WE BRING THE TEXT AMENDMENT DRAFT IN FRONT OF YOU, WHICH WE BELIEVE WILL DO PROBABLY A WORK SESSION, IT'LL GO IN FRONT OF PLANNING COMMISSION.
THEN ULTIMATELY YOU ALL THOSE DETAILS WILL ALL BE HASHED OUT IN THE ORDINANCE WHERE IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THOSE THINGS TO BE DISCUSSED.
AGAIN, IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS SUPPOSED TO
[01:00:01]
BE GENERAL IN NATURE.SO WE'RE JUST OPENING THE ABILITY TO USE DO THE LAND USE.
IT'S JUST BASICALLY THIS IS A LAND USE THAT WE WILL CONSIDER.
ANYTHING ELSE? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS, CAN I MAKE A MOTION? OH, OKAY.
WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I'M JUST ALL PER SHUFFLED THIS, UH, UM, CAN, SO DO I HAVE A, DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPT A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE COMP, A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT AND INCLUDING OPTION TWO FOR THE PROPOSED FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
DO I HAVE A SECOND, SECOND ROLL CALL MRS. COLORS? WELL, DID YOU MEET OPTION TWO? I JUST WANTED TO CHECK.
YES, I, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE WORK AND I THINK IT'S GREAT.
MY ONLY ISSUE IS WITH THOSE CLUSTER SUBDIVISIONS, I, I'M JUST, I AM NOT TOTALLY SURE THEY'RE GOOD, ESPECIALLY FOR MY AREA.
SO THAT IS MY ONLY REASON FOR SAYING NO ON THIS.
UM, IT WAS IN THE DRAFT, IN THE ADOPTED VERSION IN 2013 AND WE JUST CARRIED IT ON.
WE TRIED TO DO OUR BEST TO, UM, IT HAS TO BE THERE AND JUST, I UNDERSTAND WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN ADDRESS AS THESE, AS ANYONE IS PROPOSED.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN MAKE ENSURE, UM, WITH WHAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO, UM, IN LAND USE THAT WITH THEY'RE DEVELOPED APPROPRIATELY AND ACCORDINGLY.
AND THAT THE OPEN SPACE IS, IS THERE AND IT'S CALCULATED FOR ACCORDINGLY.
NO, I JUST LOOK AT THE TWO YEAR DROUGHT AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE MAY BE INTO A THREE YEAR AND SO FOR THOSE REASONS, BUT I DO APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK.
MR. MR. MEYER, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE ALL UNDERSTAND WHICH OPTION WE'RE DISCUSSING.
SO I'M GONNA ASK MR. JAMESON TO, TO RETRACT THE MOTION OR DO WE NEED TO KEEP VOTING RIGHT? YEAH.
UH, MR. SANDMEYER, YOU NEED TO KEEP VOTING.
JAMESON HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE'S, HIS MOTION IS OPTION TWO.
AND THAT WAS NOT A MISTAKE, BUT I WILL TELL YOU, I MEAN IF, IF YOU LOOK FLIP BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE MAP, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL COMMERCIAL ELEMENT AT THE TOP ON THE WEST SIDE OF 5 22.
NO DIFFERENCES OTHER THAN WE DO NOT EXTEND THE HIGHWAY CORRIDOR OVERLAY DISTRICT AND WE REMOVE THAT AS FUTURE LAND USE COMMERCIAL.
THIS SPOT IS 34 YEAR LOT HERE.
AND THAT'S ADDING COMMERCIAL ON 5 22, WHICH IS REALLY ACCESSIBLE WHILE LOWER DOWN ON THE LOWER LEFT, THERE'S BEING COMMERCIAL REMOVED, WHICH IS ACTUALLY NOT VERY ACCESSIBLE.
YOU'D HAVE TO PUT A BRIDGE OVER CROOKED RUN.
AND UH, THE OTHER ONE IS DIRECT ACCESS OFF OF I 22 WITHOUT HAVING TO PUT THE BRIDGE IN THERE.
SO WE'RE LO IN MY VIEW, MY, IN MY VIEW, WE'RE LOSING SOME COMMERCIAL BY THE OWNER'S CHOICE BECAUSE HE HASN'T HAD SUCCESS IN DEVELOPING IT AS COMMERCIAL BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE OF THE BRIDGE.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE GAINING BASICALLY AN OFFSET THAT IS RIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY AND, AND ISCE AND IS VERY ACCESSIBLE.
WELL, OPTION ONE HAS THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.
OPTION TWO DOES NOT HAVE THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.
SOMEONE WITH, I'M WITHDRAWING MY MOTION.
CAN CAN WE, CAN WE DO THAT? I CAN WITHDRAW MOTION OTHERWISE GIMME A SECOND.
OTHERWISE WE HAVEN'T FINISHED VOTING.
ALRIGHT, JUST KEEP GOING THEN I VOTE.
IS THIS GOOD? CAN I DO AN APRIL 4TH? NO, NO, NO.
SO DO I HAVE A ANOTHER MOTION? CAN I TRY AGAIN? YOU CAN DO IT AGAIN.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPT A RESOLUTION ADOPTING A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT AND INCLUDING OPTION ONE FOR THE PROPOSED FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
MR. STAN MEYER AYE MRS. SCHOLARS? NO.
[01:05:02]
OKAY.[E. Approval of Minutes - March 18th 2025]
MOVE ON TO THE, TO THE MEETING MINUTES.SO DO I HAVE ANY COMMENTS, ADDITIONS, DELETIONS TO THE MEETING MINUTES FOR, UM, UH, MARCH THE 18TH? I'LL GIVE YOU ALL A UM, A MOMENT TO, UH, NO CHANGES FOR ME.
OKAY, MOVING ON TO, TO NEW MI UH, NEW BUSINESS CONSENT AGENDA.
[G. Consent Agenda]
WE'VE ALREADY DROPPED ITEM NUMBER SIX.SO DO I HAVE, UH, DOES ANYBODY WANT TO PULL ANY OF THESE FOR DISCUSSION? NOT FOR ME.
I'M GOOD IF NOT, DO I HAVE A MOTION I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
SECOND ROLL CALL MRS. COOK? AYE.
[H. Citizen Appointment(s) to the Board of Equalization]
IS THE, UH, CITIZEN APPOINTMENTS TO THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION.SO, SO AS I UNDERSTAND WE'VE GOT, UH, WE HAVE THREE.
WE HAVE THREE SO FAR AND THE BOARD HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR TWO MONTHS NOW.
SO WE'RE, WE HAD A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHO INDICATED THEIR INTEREST BUT THEY HAVE NOT GIVEN MR. HENDERSON AN APPLICATION.
DO I HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ON THESE? YOU'LL STILL NEED ONE MORE AS THE ALTERNATE.
SO THIS WILL BE BACK ON THE AGENDA AGAIN NEXT TIME.
AS SOON AS WE GET AN APPLICANT.
I JUST WANNA, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THE CANDIDATES THAT WE HAVE WITH MY READING OF THEIR APPLICATION FITS THE CRITERIA FOR BEING ON THE BOARD.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL IN AGREEMENT.
UM, 'CAUSE WE HAVE ONE THAT IS, UM, LET ME SEE REAL QUICK.
HERE IS A REAL ESTATE BROKER, WHICH THAT WOULD BE SOMEONE THAT WE WOULD WANT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A REALTOR.
THE OTHER ONE, UH, THAT I IS A REALTOR, SO THAT WOULD BE THE SECOND ONE.
AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE, UH, APPLICANT THAT HAS, THAT HAD EXPERIENCE IN COLLECTIONS AND IN, UH, PROJECT MANAGER IN CONSTRUCTION AND SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION.
SO TO ME, YOU KNOW, BASED ON, UH, THE RESUME THAT THIS PERSON WOULD, WOULD FIT AS A PRIMARY YES MA'AM.
BOARD MEMBER DOES IT, YOU KNOW, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I THINK WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF THE COLLECTIONS AND BEING A PROJECT MANAGER, ESTIMATOR WOULD, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW THE CRITERIA.
SO THEN WHAT WE WOULD DO IS THAT WE WOULD LOOK FOR ANOTHER PERSON TO BE THE ALTERNATE.
I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE'S IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT OR NOT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO
I'VE, I'VE READ THEIR APPLICATIONS AND I'M READING THIS, THE TEXT NOW AND IT SEEMS APPROPRIATE.
SO DO I HAVE A, UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION AT THIS POINT? YES, SIR.
I WILL MOVE TO ADD AMANDA SLATE, PATRICIA FEL AND WANDA HYMES TO THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION.
[I. FY 25-26 Tax Rates]
NEXT IS THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR 25 26 TAX RATES.[01:10:12]
SO YOU HAVE, UH, LAST WEEK DISCUSSED AND PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED ABOUT THE CONCERN FOR EQUALIZING THE RATE THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE VARIANCE THAT EVERYBODY HAS IN THE REASSESSMENT.AND YOU HAVE THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT, UH, SANITARY DISTRICTS THAT ARE GOING TO CHANGE, ARE REQUESTING TO CHANGE.
AND THOSE WILL BE AT A HEARING NEXT WEEK.
E AND WE ALSO WOULD NOTE, UM, MR. STEINMEYER REMINDED US ABOUT THE, UM, WATER RATES REGARDING SHENANDOAH SHORES.
AND MR. HAM SAYS WE CAN CORRECT THAT IN A SEPARATE, UM, A SEPARATE MOTION AND PUBLIC HEARING, BUT THAT DOES NOT AFFECT THE BILLINGS.
WHAT WE'RE WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WE WANT TO HAVE THE BILLINGS OUT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL AND THE MAILING AGENT HAS THEM FOR A WEEK TO 10 DAYS, AND THEN THE TREASURER HAS THEM FOR A WEEK TO 10 DAYS AND THE COMMISSIONER HAS 'EM FOR A WEEK TO 10 DAYS.
SO THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 30 DAYS FROM THE TIME THE BOARD APPROVES THE RATE TILL SOMEBODY OPENS THE MAILBOX AND THEN THEY ARE DUE BY STATE LAW UNLESS THERE'S A, UNLESS YOU CHANGE THAT, THEY ARE DUE JUNE 5TH.
SO, UH, NEXT WEEK YOU WILL ALSO HAVE THE PERSONAL PROPERTY RELIEF RATE, EXCUSE ME, WHICH WILL AS IT WILL BE A SET, BUT THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A HEARING.
AND THAT RATE LOOKS LIKE, I THINK YOU HAVE A COPY OF IT UP THERE.
UH, MRS. SAUERS THINKS THAT RATE'S GONNA BE ABOUT 26 AND THE ADJUSTMENT THERE WILL NOT BE AS MUCH AS SHE ANTICIPATED LAST WEEK, BUT THERE WILL BE AN ADJUSTMENT.
SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THE BUDGET WITH THOSE PARAMETERS.
SO AS I, AS I UNDERSTAND THE, UM, THAT THE ALLOWABLE MAXIMUM TAX RATE WITHOUT A PUBLIC HEARING WOULD BE, UH, UH, 47, 47 0.90 CENTS.
PER A HUNDRED DOLLARS VALUATION.
AND THAT, THAT WOULD BRING IN A, UH, ABOUT, UH, WHAT IS IT? UH, ABOUT 37.4 MILLION.
AND SO WHEN WE PUT THAT IN INTO THE BOX, WHERE DOES THAT FIT? WELL, THAT FITS RIGHT UP THERE, SIR.
AND THAT NUMBER WILL BE AN INCREASE, CONSIDERING THE CHANGES LAST YEAR, IT'S GONNA BE AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 2 MILLION FROM THE BUDGET LAST YEAR.
NOW, NOW, NOW WHEN YOU SAY, SAY AN INCREASE, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE COUNTY WILL BE BRINGING IN MORE? YES.
AND IT'S GOING TO HELP OFFSET WHAT MRS. SAUERS WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT THE DROP IN PERSONAL PROPERTY PROPERTY, OKAY.
'CAUSE THAT WAS SO, I'M SORRY.
YEAH, 'CAUSE THAT WAS A QUESTION I WAS GONNA ASK BECAUSE LAST YEAR WE INCREASED THE TAX ON PERSONAL PROPERTY TO HELP, UM, OFFSET THE 4 MILLION INCREASE IN REVENUE THAT WE WANTED TO PAY FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, THE FIRE RESCUE STAFF AND DSS AND ALL OF THE FOLKS.
SO IF THE PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENT WENT DOWN THIS YEAR, THOSE ARE REOCCURRING COSTS THAT WE APPROVED LAST YEAR WITH THAT INCREASE OF, UM, OF THE 4 MILLION.
BUT NOW THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE GONNA GET ANOTHER, UH, UM, WITH THIS, WE'RE GONNA GET AN ADDITIONAL 2 MILLION TO OFFSET THAT YOU'RE GONNA PICK UP ON THE LEFT HAND AND YOU'RE GONNA LOSE ON THE RIGHT.
[01:15:01]
REAL CLOSE TO A LEVEL BUDGET.WHICH IS WHY, SINCE THE QUESTIONS WERE MENTIONED ABOUT MEETING WITH SCHOOLS AND THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR THEM TO TAKE THEIR LEVEL FUNDED SCENARIO THAT THEY, THEY GAVE YOU AND TO ADD TO IT AND SHOW US WHAT A 1%, A 2%, ET CETERA INCREASE.
SO THAT YOU CAN SEE EXACTLY WHAT WOULD BE FUNDED.
AND THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, THOSE WERE WAITING UNTIL SCHOOLS CAN FINALIZE THEIR BUDGET TOTALS FROM LAST YEAR.
WE, WE CANNOT DO THAT FOR THEM.
THEY MUST GIVE US EXACTLY HOW MUCH MONEY THEY COLLECTED AND HOW MUCH THEY SPENT LAST YEAR.
AND THE BALANCE IS WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO ADDRESS FOR CAPITAL FOR THEIR CAPITAL THAT THEY REQUEST.
WE HAVE TO KNOW, WE HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS AND HOW MUCH THE BOARD THEN WANTS TO UTILIZE FOR THE CAPITAL.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING THAT DIRECTION.
SO THE, SO CURRENTLY THE, THE, OUR TAX RATE AND, AND REFRESH MY MEMORY MEMORY ON THAT PLEASE.
SO 53, SO WE'D BE DROPPING IT FROM 53 CENTS PER A HUNDRED DOLLARS VALUATION DOWN TO 40, 47 0.90 CENTS.
SO THE, SO SAY LIKE IF, IF YOU OWNED A, A MILLION DOLLAR HOUSE AND, UM, UH, NOW LET'S SAY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS HOUSE AND THAT'LL BE EASIER.
I WON'T HAVE TO COUNT AS MUCH.
BECAUSE THE, UH, I KNOW THAT MY HOUSE IS DEFINITELY NOT WORTH A MILLION DOLLARS.
THE UH, UM, SO IF, IF YOU HAD A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, THEN THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD MEAN THAT, UH, THAT YOU'D BE PAYING $479 VERSUS $530.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I PUT THAT INTO, INTO SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT, THAT I COULD UNDERSTAND.
SO DO I HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? UM, JUST ONE QUESTION REGARDING THE SANITARY DISTRICT GRADES, UM, LOOKING IN THE AGENDA PACKET, UM, IT DOES IT, UH, IS IT THE CASE THAT SHAND OF, UH, SHORES WAS REMOVED COMPLETELY? SO WE'RE NOT GONNA PASS SOMETHING ERRONEOUS AND THEN FIX IT, UH, IN A SEPARATE, UH RIGHT.
THEY'LL BE, THEY'LL BE SEPARATE NEXT WEEK.
I'D LIKE TO ASK ONE MORE QUESTION.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE'RE EQUALIZING, WE ARE FORECASTING THAT WE'RE STILL GONNA GET APPROXIMATELY 2 MILLION MORE THAN WE RECEIVED LAST YEAR, AN CRU OF REVENUE.
IS THAT WHAT I UNDERSTOOD YOU'RE SAYING? YES.
WHAT WAS THE DRIVING FACTOR FOR THAT? UH, I MEAN, IF THAT'S GOOD NEWS, DON'T GET ME WRONG.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T GET SURPRISE.
IS IT NEW CONSTRUCTION OR COULD IT BE THE, THE RESULT OF US ADJUSTING OUR FEES? IT COULD OR THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS? IT, UM, IT'S THE RESULT OF HOW, UM, THE REVENUES ARE RECORDED.
WELL, WE'RE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT THAT MAYBE, I THINK YOU HAVE A MEETING ABOUT THAT NEXT WEEK, DON'T YOU, MA'AM? OH, THAT'S A VERY GOOD, I UNDERSTAND.
AS YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE AUDIT AND GETTING THE AUDIT COMPLETE, IT'S A MATTER OF GETTING THE REVENUES RECONCILED FROM DECEMBER 23 ON MM-HMM
AND WE HAVE GOT SOMEBODY WORKING ON THAT, BUT IT'S NOT DONE YET.
AND THIS IS, AND AT THAT POINT WE'LL KNOW YES.
THE, THE REAL NUMBERS UNDERSTOOD.
UNTIL THE AUDIT'S COMPLETED, WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO, UM, UH, MAKE ANY ASSUMPTIONS.
IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION? NO, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
[01:20:01]
YOU'RE REFERRING TO NEXT WEEK, UM, ARE WE, WE HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE SANITARY DISTRICTS OR NOT? YES, MA'AM.ON THE ONES THAT ARE RAISING THEIR RATES.
AND THEY ARE NEXT WEEK, BUT WE ARE NOT GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AT ALL FOR THE TAX RATE WE'RE SETTING THAT TONIGHT.
PUBLIC HEARING IS NOT REQUIRED FOR THEM AND WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD.
NO, I MEAN, OUR TAX RATE, YEAH, OUR TAX RATE DOES NOT REQUIRE A PUBLIC HEARING IF WE, IF YOU ADOPT THE 47 9.
SO THE, THE RATE IS EQUALIZED, THE HEARING IS NOT REQUIRED.
SO A LOT IS GONNA HAVE TO COME OUT OF THESE, UM, BUDGETS.
IF WE ARE GONNA BE LEVEL A LOT OF THE REQUESTS FOR PERSONNEL AND SUCH, LIKE FIRE AND RESCUE, ALL THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO GO.
I THINK A LOT OF THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE NUMBER LAST YEAR WE STARTED WITH WAS 18 MILLION AND WE HAD TO TAKE THINGS OUT AND BRING THEM DOWN.
AND THE NUMBER THIS YEAR IS CLOSE TO THAT AND WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING THINGS OUT TO BRING THEM DOWN.
UH, THERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC NEEDS THAT THE BOARD HAS MENTIONED THAT THEY WANT TO ADDRESS.
AND AS I SAID, YOU NEED SPECIFIC SCENARIOS TO KNOW WHAT OTHER, WHAT, UH, WHAT WHAT WILL BE DONE SPECIFICALLY WITH THE MONEY.
WILL, YOU'VE HAD SOME ISSUES BEFORE WHERE MONEY IS ALLOCATED BY THE BOARD FOR PROJECT A AND TWO YEARS LATER YOU FIND IT WENT TO PROJECT B.
AND SO YOU NEED SOME SPECIFIC, AND YOU WERE THE ONE WHO FIRST BROUGHT THOSE TO MY ATTENTION, MA'AM, THAT THOSE HAPPENED.
SO YOU NEED SOME SPECIFIC SCENARIOS SAYING THIS IS WHAT WE WILL DO WITH THE INCREASE.
AND I GUESS THAT'S WHERE, FOR ME, I FEEL LIKE I, I'M GETTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, UM, BECAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T FEEL LIKE I HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF ALL THE FINANCES, TO BE HONEST.
UM, SO I FEEL LIKE I'M SHOOTING IN THE DARK WITH A NUMBER HERE AND SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR FAILURE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
UH, JUST THE WAY I, I HAVE TO STATE MY FEELINGS ON IT.
UM, I THINK IT, UM, I WOULDN'T CALL IT FAILURE, MA'AM, BUT IT IS IN A YEAR WHEN YOU HAVE THE REASSESSMENT, THE REASSESSMENT DRIVES MORE OF THE BOARDS FINANCE BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO, TRADITIONALLY THE BOARD DOES NOT WANT TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY.
IF SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING UP, AS MR. BUTLER POINTED OUT, THE AVERAGE IS 10%, SOME PEOPLE ARE GONNA GO UP MORE THAN THAT.
AND IF THEY ARE, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ADDING TO.
IT HAS BEEN TRADITIONALLY THE BOARD'S POSITION.
WHEN YOU ARE NOT DOING THE REASSESSMENT, THEN YOU FOCUS MORE ON WHAT ARE THE NEEDS AND HOW CAN YOU ADDRESS THOSE OR THE REQUESTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, WE'VE HAD BUDGETS WHERE YOU HAVE A BUDGET IN YEAR TWO IS LOWER THAN THE BUDGET IN YEAR ONE, SO THAT WE'RE NOT THAT FAR DOWN, BUT IT WILL BE A MINIMAL INCREASE IN THERE AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF, UH, REVENUE SOURCES AND THAT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE.
AND DON'T FORGET MY CIGARETTE TAX
WELL, AND I, I AM NOT WANTING TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY AT ALL.
'CAUSE I DO UNDERSTAND, UM, THE REASSESSMENTS HAVE BEEN A BURDEN AND A TAX INCREASE WOULD BE A BURDEN.
UM, BUT LIKE I SAID, I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE I HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF FINANCIALLY WHERE WE ARE TO, UM, TO ME MAKING A SOUND DECISION.
THAT'S JUST THE POINT I NEED TO MAKE ON IT.
I THINK IT'LL COME, IT'LL COME CLEARER WHEN, UM, SOME PEOPLE SHARPEN THEIR PENS TOMORROW, BUT WE'RE DOING IT TONIGHT BEFORE THE PENCILS ARE SHARPENED.
THEY WILL BE SHARPENING PENS TOMORROW.
BECAUSE IF, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WE'RE THE BUDGET, EXCUSE ME, THE, THE BUDGETS THAT ARE, HOW CAN I PUT THIS? THE REVENUE OR THE TAX RATE THAT WE'RE SETTING IS, IS NEUTRAL.
[01:25:01]
THE BUD, THE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS WILL PROBABLY REMAIN THE SAME THAT THEY HAD LAST YEAR.OR ARE WE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO THEIR BUDGET REQUESTS FOR NEXT YEAR? THEY WILL BE MAKING SOME ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, TO GIVE, GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES, UM, BUDGET A ON HERE IS UP 15.43%.
THEY WILL BE SHARPENING THEIR PENCIL.
THEY WILL HAVE TO, OR WE WILL BE DOING IT.
THEY MIGHT TWEAK IT A LITTLE BIT.
BUDGET C'S UP 24%, THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO GET SHARPENED UNDERSTOOD.
THEY CAN JUST SIT BACK AND WATCH 'CAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY DONE THEIR WORK.
THEY'VE ALREADY SHARPENED THEIR PENCIL.
SO WE'RE, AND IF YOU GO DOWN THE LIST, UM, THESE THAT ARE AT 2% OR LESS AND THAT THEY'LL, THEY'LL, THEY MIGHT SEE SOMETHING TWEAKED IN, BUT THEY'RE GONNA BE PRETTY CLOSE TO BEING ABLE TO DO WITH WHAT THEY SUBMITTED.
THOSE WHO ARE OVER HERE AT, UM, 15%, 24%, UH, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO SOME MORE LOOKING.
AND WE'LL BE ALL JOINTLY DOING THAT.
SO, SO THE, SO BASICALLY WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, UH, DR.
DALEY IS, IS THAT THE TWO APPROACHES ON THIS, THE FIRST APPROACH, AND, AND THIS IS I I THINK WHAT MS. COLOR IS, IS ALLUDING TO IS WHERE YOU'VE GOT THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, THEY COME ALONG AND THEY SAY, THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT I THINK I NEED A, B, AND C.
YOU KNOW, THE, I I NEED A HUNDRED DOLLARS HERE.
AND THEN THE NEXT ONE SAYS I NEED A HUNDRED DOLLARS, AND THE NEXT ONE SAYS I NEED $200.
SO NOW, NOW YOU KNOW THAT YOU, THAT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT $400.
SO THEN WE SET THE TAX RATE AND EVEN IF IT REQUIRES THAT WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AND WE RAISE THE RATE, WE SET THE TAX RATE SO THAT WE CAN BRING IN THAT $500 OR THAT $400, YEAH.
500, $400 VERSUS COMING ALONG AND SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THE INCOME COMING IN, UH, AT UH, UH, WE'RE ONLY GONNA INCREASE THAT BY MAYBE 1%.
AND SO THE, WE KNOW WHAT EVERYBODY'S ASKING FOR.
YOU'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE, THE, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF, UH, OUR, OUR, UM, UH, PRIORITIES OF, YOU'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, UH, THAT YOUR BUDGET WILL FIT INTO THAT.
AND UH, SO THAT'S THE SECOND APPROACH ON THIS.
SO THE, UH, AND SO THE, THE WAY I SEE IT IS, IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IN THIS BUDGET IS OF COURSE PUBLIC SAFETY, YOU KNOW, THE SHERIFF AND THE, SO I THINK THAT, THAT THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, FOCUS THAN THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST WORKING, UH, WE, WE DON'T WANT TO ADD ANY MORE TAX BURDEN TO THE CONSTITUENTS OF THIS COUNTY.
UH, THEN, UH, THEN WE CAN, OR THAT THEN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT TO AVOID THAT IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS LAST YEAR WITH ALL OF THESE.
UH, AND, AND I'LL, I'LL JUST FLAT OUT SAY THESE CRAZY, UH, REASSESSMENTS WHERE SOME PEOPLE, SOME PEOPLE WERE REASSESSED AT, UH, WHAT, UH, OF WHAT, 30, 40, 50%.
SO, UM, TO FOLLOW ON THAT, SIR, LAST YEAR, YOU HAD THINGS EARLIER BECAUSE YOU HAD THE REVENUE SIDE, YOU ALREADY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE AND WHAT AN INCREASE WAS GOING TO BRING.
AND YOU HAD A CHART, YOU COULD GO 10%, YOU COULD GO 12%, ET CETERA.
IS WHERE I THINK YOU ENDED UP AND YOU DID THAT 'CAUSE YOU COULD GO DOWN THAT LIST THIS YEAR, THE REASSESSMENT WASN'T SENT BACK TO THE COMMISSIONER UNTIL THREE WEEKS AGO.
SO TWO WEEKS AGO WE COULD TALK ABOUT, WE COULD START TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S THE POSSIBLE RATE, AND SHE CAME BACK LAST WEEK AND WAS ABLE TO CALCULATE THAT AT 47, 9.
[01:30:01]
WERE IN MARCH LAST YEAR BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE A REASSESSMENT.AND, BUT, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO SET THE RATE THE BEGINNING OF APRIL TO GET THE BILLS OUT, THE BEGINNING OF MAY TO GET THE PAYMENTS THE BEGINNING OF JUNE.
WELL, MY PRIORITY IS TO NOT, I, I WANNA MINIMIZE OUR TAX BURDEN ON OUR, ON OUR PEOPLE.
AND, AND IT'S GOOD NEWS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO OFFSET THE REDUCTION IN THE ASSESSMENTS IN OUR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX WITH NEW REVENUE COMING IN THAT STABILIZES THE, UH, THE PORTFOLIO.
SO I LOOK AT SETTING THE TAX RATE IS ACTUALLY ESTABLISHING THE BUDGET YES, MA'AM.
THAT WE NEED TO WORK, WORK IN.
MAYBE WE CAN THROW IN THAT CIGARETTE TAX TOO.
WELL, ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME
BUT YOU KNOW, FOR, BECAUSE OF IT WAS, I LOOKED AT IT MORE SOCIALLY DRIVEN, UM, ALSO THAT IT'S NOT A REOCCURRING COST, YOU KNOW, IT FLUCTUATES.
SO HOW DO YOU MANAGE A BUDGET WHEN, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S FORECASTS AND I KNOW THERE ARE ESTIMATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT I'M, I'M HESITANT TO HAVE A, A FLUCTUATING TAX RATE WHEN YOU'RE HIRING PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, BUT THEN ON THE OTHER HAND, I SEE THAT THE CIGARETTE TAX COULD BE USED IN ANOTHER WAY OF EARMARKING, EARMARKING, WHERE THE FUNDS ARE GONNA GO.
IN THIS CASE, PUBLIC, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THERE IT'S A ONE, ONE, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE SHOT Y YOU KNOW, AND SO, UH, I CAN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE CAN REVISIT THAT, BUT UM, IF WE CAN EARMARK THE CIGARETTE TAX TO SO THE OFFSET THE FIRE, UH, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, UH, THE CHIEF COMING IN, I THINK HE, TO, TO BE, FOR US TO, TO, UM, ALIGN WITH REGULATIONS WITH STAFF.
YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE A WAYS, UH, TO, TO GO TO GET UP TO THE REGULATIONS, UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT A LOT OF THE SHERIFF'S VEHICLES ARE, YOU KNOW, 150,000 MILES AND, YOU KNOW, BREAKING DOWN AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, UM, I'M, I'M WILLING TO, TO REVISIT THE DISCUSSION, UM, IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO, BUT I THINK FOR CAPITAL, FOR CAPITAL, UM, BUYS IMPROVEMENTS.
SO YOUR NEIGHBOR TO THE, UH, WEST OVER HERE, SHENANDOAH COUNTY FIVE, I BELIEVE FIVE OF THE LOCALITIES INSIDE THE COUNTY HAVE A CIGARETTE TAX.
THE ONLY PLACE SHENANDOAH COUNTY REALLY EARNS ANY INCOME FROM THE CIGARETTE TAX IS TOMS BROOK.
THEY TAKE IN 20,000 A MONTH MM-HMM
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S JUST MY 2 CENTS.
UM, SO I, I DID VOTE AGAINST THAT CIGARETTE TAX BECAUSE TO ME IT WAS AN EQUITABLE EQUITY ISSUE AND IT WAS TARGETED ON 20% OF THE POPULATION WHO TEND TO BE THE POOREST PEOPLE OR OTHERWISE MARGINALIZED PEOPLE, UH, VETERANS AND DISABLED PEOPLE OF THAT SORT.
UH, I DO THINK, UH, A TAX, UH, INCREASE, IT'S A LITTLE MORE BROAD BASED WOULD BE FAIRER.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO ANY SORT OF SERIOUS TAX INCREASE THIS YEAR, NOR DO I WANT TO, BUT JUST, UH, TWO THINGS POINTING OUT.
THIS IS A DECREASE IN THE RATE THIS WOULD BE IF WE PASS 0.479, UH, FROM 53.
UM, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE, WE RAISED IT LAST YEAR, EIGHT POINT 16%, WHICH, UM, AND THAT'S RECURRING REVENUE.
UM, AND THAT WAS EARMARKED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY LAST YEAR.
ALTHOUGH IN REALITY SOME OF IT ALSO GOT CONSUMED BY THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES ACT, UNFUNDED MANDATE, UM, BY THE LANDFILL PRICES GOING UP, WHICH ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR, OUR CONTROL OUTSIDE OF OUR COUNTY.
[01:35:01]
A COUPLE OTHER THINGS OF THAT SORT.SO SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL.
IF WE DO 0.479 NOW, IT IS A 1% INCREASE.
WHICH I DON'T LIKE THAT, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO KEEP PACING, UH, WITH INFLATION SO WE DON'T END UP WITH PENT UP DEMAND AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, MANY YEARS LATER HAVE TO DO A LARGE TAX INCREASE BECAUSE WE NEVER DID THE STEPWISE, UH, UH, KEEPING PACE.
SO IF PEOPLE'S, IF PEOPLE'S HOMES ARE UP 10% ON AVERAGE, AND THEIR REAL ESTATE, UH, REAL ESTATE TAX GOES UP ONLY 1%, THAT'S FEELS LIKE A, A PRETTY GOOD DEAL FOR ME, THE HOMEOWNER.
UM, THAT SAID, I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT TOO, MS. CALLERS ABOUT THE, THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVICES AND IT'S, UH, CERTAINLY PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRE, POLICE, UH, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, UH, FIRE AND RESCUE ARE, ARE PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE.
UM, I, I DO THINK THE SCHOOLS, UH, NEED A, A, A SECOND LOOK, UH, BECAUSE I, BASED ON WHAT I LEARNED TODAY, THAT I THINK THEY'RE RUNNING PRETTY LEAN AND THEY, THEY DO HAVE, AS, AS YOU STATED EARLIER, UH, MR. CHAIR, THEY DO HAVE, UH, LEGITIMATE CONCERNS.
UM, SO IT, IT'S GONNA BE TOUGH.
BUT I ALSO REMEMBER LAST YEAR, DR.
DALEY AND, UH, MS. SCOTT DID A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE JOB OF, OF TIGHTENING BELTS AROUND HERE, YOU KNOW, IN ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT THAT CAN HAPPEN.
UM, THAT, THAT SAID, WE'VE GOT A 3% COST OF LIVING INCREASE ACROSS THE BOARD AND INSURANCE PREMIUMS GOING UP PRETTY MUCH ACROSS THE BOARD SOMETIMES TO THE TUNE OF 10%.
UM, UH, IT DOES, IT DOES MAKE A CHALLENGE.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT AN EASY PROBLEM AND I THINK IN THE LONG RUN WE NEED TO FOCUS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INCREASING THAT INDUSTRIAL AND TOURISM SPACE, TOURISM SO THAT, AND, AND ALSO MAXIMIZING OUR, OUR TOURISM POTENTIAL, WHICH WE HAVE HUGE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL I THINK THERE.
AND SO, UM, I THINK WE'RE DOING A LOT OF THE RIGHT THINGS.
UM, THIS MIGHT BE A, A TIGHT YEAR.
BUT I THINK KIDS WILL GET BETTER.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, IT, IT, IT IS WHERE WE ARE TODAY, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WE CAN GO BACK IN AND FIND THE ROOT CAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHICH WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE'RE, WE HAVE A CHALLENGE AHEAD AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN OUR COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, WANTS TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, LIMITED, YOU KNOW, HOUSING AROUND, BECAUSE WE WANNA KEEP OUR COUNTY IN THE RURAL, YOU KNOW, AREAS AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DEBATE ON DATA CENTERS AND YOU KNOW, THE CORRIDOR, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL, BUT THERE'S NO WATER OUT THERE.
THERE'S NO SEWAGE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN TRY TO BALANCE WITH NO TAX INCREASES, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A CHALLENGE.
IT'S A REALLY CHALLENGE UNTIL WE CAN START BRINGING SOME MORE REVENUE IN OR EITHER THAT, OR START REDUCING OUR DEBT
UM, SO THE, THE ONLY PLACE I'M NOT WITH YOU, UH, POTENTIALLY IS ON, ON DATA SENSORS BECAUSE I THINK IF WE, IF WE TRADE AWAY WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT WARREN COUNTY, WE, WE TRADE AWAY A LOT OF OUR TOURISM POTENTIAL.
SO, AND, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY LOCALITY IN THE COUNTRY WHERE DATA CENTERS HAVE BEEN WELCOMED IN AND TAXES HAVE GONE DOWN LONG RUN, RUN TO HELP WITH THE REVENUE GONE DOWN IN THE LONG RUN.
BECAUSE, BECAUSE THEY, THEY WILL, THAT MONEY WILL GET CONSUMED.
UM, I KNOW IN FAIRFAX COUNTY, UH, THIS YEAR, IT'S A NICE PROBLEM TO HAVE.
THEY HAVE A $300 MILLION BUDGET SHORTFALL
BUT, UH, BUT IT'S 'CAUSE THEY PUT ALL THEIR EGGS IN THE, THE BASKET OF COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AND THEN WITH COVID THAT WENT SOUR.
UM, AND, UH, I DON'T WANT TO PUT UP, YOU KNOW, START, I SEE THESE COUNTIES THAT ARE GOING ALL IN ON DATA CENTERS, AND THAT MIGHT NOT ALWAYS BE THE GOLDEN GOOSE.
YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE EVEN HEARING NOW ABOUT THE AI BUBBLE READY TO POP AND MICROSOFT IS CANCELING, YOU KNOW, DATA LEASE OPTIONS AND SO FORTH.
SO, UM, YEAH, I, I THINK OUR GOLDEN GOOSE CAN BE TOURISM AND, AND YEAH, WE HAVE SOME, WE HAVE SOME, UM, INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY.
UH, I THINK THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS, BUT THAT, THAT'S A LONG-TERM PROJECT TO REALLY, UH, TO FOCUS ON, FOCUS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
YOU KNOW, SO YEAH, DEFINITELY WE'RE IN A CHALLENGED YEAR, WHICH WE COULD, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE NEW BOARD COULD ADDRESS NEXT YEAR ON HAVING A, A, A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD WITH ALL
[01:40:01]
OF THE, UH, ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO PAY TAXES.WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US AT LEAST GIVE THE SCHOOLS ENOUGH TO KEEP THESE READING SPECIALISTS AND INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANCE IN THE READING PROGRAMS. UM, IF THESE CHILDREN CAN'T PROGRESS IN THE READING, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND IF WE CUT THAT BUDGET TOO TIGHT, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO LET THOSE PEOPLE GO AND THOSE KIDS ARE GONNA SUFFER.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE, AS MUCH AS I AM A PRO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PRO FIRE AND RESCUE, WE, WE CANNOT KEEP LEVEL FUNDING THIS, THE SCHOOLS AND HAVE THOSE KIDS BE SUCCESSFUL WITH READING.
YOU KNOW, I, I, I HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU, THE, THE ONLY THING THAT I'D, I'D WANT TO DO IS MAKE A RESOLUTION THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, IF, IF WE GIVE MONEY SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT READING, THAT IT'S NOT USED SOMEWHERE ELSE MM-HMM
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, I I'VE SEEN BUDGETS BEFORE WHERE TODAY'S BILLBOARD IS TOMORROW'S BILL PAIR AND THE, UH, SO THAT, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, AND I AGREE WITH YOU, I THINK THAT THE, THAT THE READING SPECIALIST IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I JUST DON'T WANNA SEE THAT MOOT, THAT THAT MONEY, IF WE, IF WE SAY, OKAY, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA INCREASE YOUR BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO, TO PAY FOR THE, UH, THESE READING SPECIALISTS AND THEN FIND OUT THAT IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, USED FOR, I DON'T KNOW, RAINCOAT RACKS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, NO, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU, BUT HAVING GONE TO, UH, ABOUT HALF OF THE SCHOOLS AND I'M HOPEFUL TO GET THROUGH THE REST OF 'EM SHORTLY, THAT THAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE THING.
THE READING AND THE GREAT NEED TO KEEP THO THOSE STAFF.
SO I THINK WE CAN MAKE IT ALL WORK.
DALEY, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO TO, TO AS FAR AS THAT GOES? YOU KNOW, THE, IF WE SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, YOUR SCHOOLS AND, AND I'M JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, SCHOOLS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA BE FLAT FUNDED EXCEPT FOR THIS REQUEST FOR THESE READING SPECIALISTS AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU THAT EXTRA MONEY.
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THAT MONEY YOU ASK FOR SPECIFIC SCENARIOS AS TO WHAT INCREASED FUNDING WOULD BE USED FOR? KINDA LIKE THE LAST PAGE OF THE PRESENTATION LAST WEEK.
I MEAN, WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH EVERYTHING ELSE, WE FINALLY GOT DOWN TO NUMBERS ON THAT LAST PAGE AND THAT LAST PAGE, HE SAID, WITH LEVEL FUNDING, THIS IS WHAT WAS GONNA BE IN THE BUDGET AND THIS IS WHAT WAS NOT.
AND THEN YOU ASK FOR, ALRIGHT, YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS ADDED.
HOW MUCH IS THAT EXACTLY? OKAY.
AND WHAT DOES A 1% INCREASE? WHAT DOES A 2% INCREASE? ET CETERA.
KINDA LIKE YOU WERE GOING TO THE STORE, WHAT CAN YOU BUY FOR AN ADDITIONAL 1%? WHAT CAN YOU BUY FOR AN ADDITIONAL 2%, ET CETERA? SO THAT THEY GIVE YOU SPECIFICS ON WHAT THEM FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR.
SO IF WE MAKE THAT FIT IN THIS BUDGET, IF WE COME ALONG AND SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU THE, THE FLAT FUNDED EXCEPT FOR THESE READING SPECIALISTS, WE'RE GONNA ADD THOSE IN AND UH, UM, CAN WE DO THAT WITH THIS BUDGET? YES SIR.
THIS BUDGET WORK, THIS BUDGET WILL WORK WITH 47 9.
NOBODY WILL LIKE IT, BUT IT WILL WORK.
SETTING PRIORITIES THAT YES, MA'AM.
SO DO I HAVE A WHAT? SO, SO IF WE, IF WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE 47 9, YOU NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE TAX RATES AS PRESENTED, SIR? OKAY.
YEAH, THERE'S A MOTION IN THE AGENDA ITEM AND IT'S NOT JUST THE TAX RATES, IT'S ALSO THE SANITARY DISTRICT RATES THAT HAVE NOT INCREASED.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE SANITARY DISTRICT RATES? NOPE.
WE'RE JUST ADOPTING THE ONES THAT ARE NOT CHANGING, CORRECT? CORRECT.
I MEAN THE TAX RATE'S ACTUALLY GOING DOWN, BUT WE'RE ADOPTING THE ONES THAT ARE NOT GOING UP.
I MOVE THAT THE COUNTY AND THE SANITARY DISTRICT TAX RATES AND RATES OF CHARGE BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
MR. STAN MEYER? AYE, MRS. CUT.
[01:45:01]
AS WE MAKE SURE THE SCHOOLS GET THAT FOR THOSE, AYE, UH, I CAN'T, CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT THE, THAT THE SCHOOLS WILL GET IT, BUT I CAN GUARANTEE THAT WE WILL DO EVERYTHING THAT WE, THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY DO IT BE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET IT.IT CAN BE DONE WITHIN THIS BUDGET, SIR.
IF THEY GIVE YOU SPECIFIC SCENARIOS, GOOD.
SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE ANY ADDITIONAL NEW BUSINESS AND IF NOT, DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL NEW BUSINESS.
[K. Public Comment Period - General Comments (30Minute Time Limit)]
WITH THE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.AND FIRST UP FOR THAT SIR, IS JOHN JENKINS, DIDN'T HE ALREADY, DIDN'T HE ALREADY SPEAK? GOOD EVENING.
JOHN JENKINS, SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT REGARDING THE TAXES, YOU CAN RAISE THE TAXES, YOU CAN LOWER THE TAXES.
PEOPLE GOTTA PAY 'EM BECAUSE THAT'S A LAW.
WHAT THEY REALLY ARE DISAPPOINTED IN WHEN THIS BUILDING IS FULL OF PEOPLE, THEY WANT TO SUPPORT A LIBRARY AND THEY FEEL THAT THEIR VOICE IS NOT HEARD.
I'M ANGRY AND DISGUSTED WITH THE CURRENT PROGRESS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES WITH THE LIBRARY SINCE THE APPOINTMENT OF THAT LIBRARY BOARD, UH, TO MONITOR THE SPENDING AND SERVICES, THE LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LIBRARY AND THE BOARD HAS JUST DETERIORATED.
THERE'S NOTHING THERE THAT'S PARTIALLY DUE BECAUSE OF MEMBERS OF THAT BOARD ARE BIASED.
PREJUDICE AGAINST THE LIBRARY AND MONTHS AGO, TRY TO REMOVE BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY, WHICH THEY CONSIDERED IN CONFLICT WITH OUR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.
NOTHING MORE THAN AN ATTEMPT TO CIRCUMVENT THE CONSTITUTION AND INFRINGE ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS OF THE CITIZENS OF WARREN COUNTY TRYING TO B STEP DEMOCRACY, MOVE THE CHURCH IN SO THEY CAN TAKE OVER.
IN MY MIND, ANY APPOINTED BOARD RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING, SPENDING AND OPERATIONS SHOULD BE IMPARTIAL, OPEN-MINDED AND A WILLINGNESS TO RESOLVE ISSUES WITHOUT CREATING CONFLICT CHOSEN IN REFERENCE TO THEIR FITNESS FOR SUCH OFFICE.
THAT'S THE STATE REQUIREMENT THAT'S IN THE CODE.
SO WHY WERE THEY SELECT? NOBODY CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
IT WASN'T BECAUSE THEY WERE GONNA DO A GOOD JOB AND TRY TO RESOLVE THINGS BECAUSE THE ONLY THING THEY'VE DONE IS CREATE TURMOIL AND CREATE PROBLEMS. THIS ISSUE STARTED OUT BECAUSE THERE WAS A, A QUESTION ABOUT REVENUE.
NOW YOU'RE ABLE TO, ARE YOU REQUESTING BIDS FROM DIFFERENT COMPANIES TO COME IN AND TAKE OVER THE LIBRARY? SO IT'S NEVER BEEN ABOUT THE MONEY, IT'S BEEN ABOUT THE CONTROL TO BRING SOMEBODY IN THAT IS WILLING TO REMOVE BOOKS THAT SOMEBODY DOESN'T LIKE.
NOW YOU GOTTA REMOVE BOOKS ON THE SILVER WAR BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T AGREE WITH, WITH THE WAY THAT WENT.
THE FACT IS IT'S, IT APPEARS AND YOU CAN SPEND THIS NARRATIVE ANY WAY YOU WANT, BUT IT APPEARS THAT THIS APPOINTED LIBRARY BOARD IS DIRECTING YOU TO DO WHAT? TO DO WHAT THEY WANT.
NO DIFFERENT THAN LAST WEEK HAVING A SPECIAL MEETING THAT WAS ADVERTISED.
IT STARTED AT FIVE O'CLOCK, WHICH STARTED AT FOUR 30 TO ADDRESS A NON-SOLICIT PROPOSAL, WHICH WHAT CAME ABOUT BY THAT BOARD REQUESTING IT.
YOU COULD SAY THEY REQUESTED IT, SAY THEY DIDN'T.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS NOBODY IN THE COUNTY WANTS TO, THEY WANT TO BELIEVE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
BUT THEN AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF CONFLICT, THERE'S A LOT OF, LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON.
YOU AS THE BOARD ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING THE MONEY AND PROVIDING THAT MONEY TO THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
NOT FIVE OF YOU, BUT THE THREE OF YOU.
40,000 CITIZENS IN THE COUNTY AND THREE OF YOU ARE GONNA TELL US WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO WITH THE MONEY.
UM, SO I ACTUALLY DIDN'T PREPARE A SPEECH TONIGHT.
YOU GUYS HAVE KEPT ME REALLY BUSY.
UM, BUT I JUST HAD SOME COMMENTS ABOUT WHAT MR. DALEY JUST SAID.
SO YOU GUYS ARE GONNA DRAFT AN RFP AND POST IT ON FRIDAY AND THEN YOU'RE ONLY GONNA GIVE SEVEN BUSINESS DAYS FOR PROPOSALS AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA ONLY GIVE THE LIBRARY BOARD SIX DAYS TO REVIEW THE PROPOSAL.
SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS ALREADY HAVE SOMEBODY IN MIND.
UM, AND THOSE ARE FACTS THAT MR. DAILEY JUST SAID.
AND THEN WITH REGARD TO THE LIBRARY SYSTEMS AND SERVICES PROPOSAL THAT YOU ALL RECEIVED, I JUST, YOU SAID THAT YOU HAVE DECLINED IT FOR NOW, BUT WHAT OTHER SERVICE
[01:50:01]
VENDOR DO YOU THINK IS GONNA COME IN HERE? THEY'RE THE ONLY ONE IN THE NATION WHO PROVIDES THOSE SERVICES AND THEY'RE LITERALLY IN LITIGATION BECAUSE OF HOW TERRIBLE THEIR SERVICES ARE.THEY GET RID OF EMPLOYEES, THEY PROVIDE REFERENCE, UM, SERVICES VIA REMOTE AND THEY'RE ONLY REQUESTING 70% OF SAMUEL'S BUDGET BECAUSE YOU ALL ONLY PROVIDE 70% OF SAMUEL'S BUDGET.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THIS LIBRARY SYSTEM SERVICES OR SOMEBODY ELSE THAT YOU ALL HAVE, I'M SURE ALREADY PICKED, IS GONNA COME IN HERE AND PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICES.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUY A BUILDING, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUY FURNITURE, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUY BOOKS, AND THEY'RE GONNA DO ALL THAT WITH 70% OF SAMUEL'S BUDGET.
YOU GUYS ARE BEING ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.
NOT TO MENTION THE VOLUNTEER HOURS AND DONATIONS THAT SAMUEL'S RECEIVE.
WHO'S GONNA GIVE THAT TO A FOR-PROFIT AGENCY? NOBODY.
SO JUST IN SIX MONTHS, AT THE END OF 2024, SAMUEL'S VOLUNTEER HOURS TOTALED $188,850 WORTH OF HOURS AND THEIR DONATIONS WERE OVER $81,000.
NOBODY'S GOING TO DONATE HOURS TIME, MONEY TO A FOR-PROFIT AGENCY.
AND WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO PAY AN AGENCY THAT'S NOT EVEN FROM AROUND HERE? THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.
WE DON'T WANT OUR LIBRARY SERVICES OUTSOURCED.
YOU GUYS ARE WASTING TIME AND MONEY.
AND WHERE'S THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD'S BUDGET? BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY'RE GONNA NEED LEGAL SERVICES BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A BUILDING, YOU DON'T HAVE BOOKS.
SO WHERE'S THEIR BUDGET? WHERE'S THEIR BUDGET FOR THIS SUPPOSED LIBRARY THAT YOU GUYS ARE GONNA COME UP WITH? THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.
MY NAME IS GABRIEL TWEEDY AND I'M FROM WARREN COUNTY.
I'M ALSO THE CAPTAIN OF THE SKYLINE BOYS TENNIS TEAM.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE SKYLINE TENNIS COURTS AND WHY THEY DESPERATELY NEED TO BE REDONE.
TENNIS IS A LIFELONG SPORT AND INCREASES LONGEVITY BY ALMOST NINE YEARS.
IT'S UNIQUE BECAUSE IT'S ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND A ALL SKILL LEVELS.
YOU DON'T NEED A RACKET TEAM OR FANCY EQUIPMENT.
YOU JUST NEED A RACKET, A BALL, AND A COURT.
I'VE SEEN PARENTS PLAYING WITH THEIR KIDS, ELDERLY FOLKS GETTING THEIR EXERCISE, AND PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS COMING TOGETHER TO ENJOY THE GAME.
IT'S A SPORT THAT TRULY WELCOMES EVERYBODY AND THAT SENSE OF CONNECTION IS MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER.
DID YOU KNOW THAT 60% OF AMERICANS REPORT FEELING LONELY ON A REGULAR BASIS? TENNIS OFFERS MORE THAN JUST PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.
IT CREATES OPPORTUNITIES TO BOND, MAKE FRIENDS, AND BUILD COMMUNITY.
WHETHER IT'S A CASUAL GAME WITH NEIGHBORS OR FRIENDLY MATCH WITH TEAMMATES, IT HELPS COMBAT ISOLATION BY BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER BEYOND JUST SERVING THE COMMUNITY.
THE COURTS ALSO SERVE AS A VITAL PART OF OUR SCHOOL.
DURING COVID, MY FRESHMAN YEAR, HOMECOMING WAS HELD ON THE TENNIS COURTS TO MAKE THE EVENT POSSIBLE AND SAFE.
THESE COURTS BECOME MORE THAN JUST A PLACE TO PLAY.
THEY BECOME A SPACE TO MAKE MEMORIES, KEEP OUR SCHOOL AND KEEP OUR SCHOOL ALIVE DURING A TOUGH TIME.
BUT RIGHT NOW, THESE CARTS ARE IN BAD SHAPE.
THE CRACKS ARE NOT JUST AN EYESORE.
THEY'RE DANGEROUS PLAYERS RISK TRIPPING AND INJURING THEMSELVES EVERY TIME THEY STEP ON THE COURT.
IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT.
RENOVATING SKYLINES TENNIS COURTS IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST FIXING SOME CRACKS.
IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE OUR COMMUNITY HAS A SAFE, WELCOMING SPACE TO COME TOGETHER.
IT'S ABOUT SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOL, OUR ATHLETES, AND EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO ENJOY THIS LIFELONG SPORT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
HELLO, I'M BETHANY O'NEILL AND I RESIDE IN THE NORTH RIVER DISTRICT AT WORK.
WE LISTEN TO THE RIVER 95.3 RADIO STATION AND MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DAY, I HEAR THE AD PROMOTING THE WARREN COUNTY GOVERNMENT, THE AD STATES, LET'S LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD.
COME TO A BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING AND SHARE YOUR CONCERNS.
LET THEM KNOW HOW YOUR COMMUNITY CAN GROW.
IT EVEN GOES AS FAR TO SAY THAT EVERYONE WANTS YOU TO BE INVOLVED.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW.
IT'S NO SECRET THAT I'M A PROUD SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY SUPPORTER.
I'M IN DISBELIEF KIND OF, BUT NOT REALLY THAT YOU HAVE DEFUNDED THE LIBRARY.
THIS IS THE LIBRARY THE COUNTY HAS HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH FOR OVER 50 YEARS.
THIS IS THE LIBRARY THAT WON VIRGINIA LIBRARY OF THE YEAR.
NOT LIBRARY OF THE REGION OR DISTRICT, BUT LIBRARY OF THE ENTIRE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
THIS IS THE LIBRARY THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR OVER 200 YEARS.
THIS IS THE LIBRARY THAT TOOK BOOK BANNERS,
[01:55:01]
RIDICULOUS REQUESTS FOR REMOVAL FORMS, AND REVIEWED EACH BOOK WITH CARE.THIS IS THE LIBRARY THAT CREATED NEW LIBRARY CARDS AND CREATED A NEW SECTION OF THE LIBRARY WHEN ASKED, THIS IS THE LIBRARY THAT HAS MADE ALL THE BUDGETS AND EXPENSES PUBLIC.
THIS IS THE LIBRARY THAT GAVE YOU COLOR CODED LINE BY LINE SPENDING WHEN ASKED, THIS IS THE LIBRARY THAT HAS TAKEN PUNCH AFTER PUNCH FROM YOU, THE BOARD MINUS SUPERVISOR COLORS AND NOW THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD.
IF YOU TEAM UP WITH A FOR-PROFIT LIBRARY SERVICES ORGANIZATION OR ANYONE BESIDES SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY, YOU ARE ALREADY WASTING TAXPAYERS DOLLARS.
I DON'T HAVE TO REMIND YOU THAT CUSS LIED ABOUT CONTENTS IN THE LIBRARY.
YOU THE BOARD MINUS REPRESENTATIVE COLORS HAVE LIED TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
DEFUNDING THE LIBRARY IS NOT ABOUT TRANSPARENCY.
IT'S BECAUSE YOU FAILED AT BOOK BANNING AND YOU'RE STILL STILL DETERMINED TO SHUT DOWN THE GYM OF A LIBRARY WE HAVE IN FRONT.
ROYAL, I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP.
YOU WROTE A FORM TO REMOVE LAWN BOY SAYING YOU ONLY READ A DESCRIPTION IN THE LIBRARY COMPUTER AND STATED IT SHOULD BE REMOVED.
I READ THAT SAME DESCRIPTION AND READ THE ACTUAL BOOK AND I'M GLAD IT HAS REMAINED ON THE SHELVES.
SUPERVISOR JAMESON, I'M GOING TO GO OUT ON A LIMB AND GUESS THAT YOU WROTE HALF THE SUBMISSIONS THAT WERE SUBMITTED UNDER YOUR WIFE'S NAME.
I DON'T KNOW TOO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE TWO SEPARATE HANDWRITINGS FOR THE SAME PERSON.
MANY OF YOUR SUBMISSIONS STATED, YOU READ THE SUMMARY OF BOOKS.
I NOT ONLY READ THE SUMMARIES, BUT READ 55 BOOKS IN ENTIRETY.
AND AGAIN, I'M, LOOK, I'M GLAD THE BOOKS HAVE REMAINED ON THE SHELVES.
YOU WROTE THAT YOU, YOU WROTE THAT.
YOU READ THE SUMMARY OF I LOVE YOU BECAUSE I LOVE YOU AND YOU THOUGHT IT WAS INAPPROPRIATE AND UNSUITABLE FOR CHILDREN.
DID WE EVEN READ THE SAME BOOK? AND EVEN YOUR WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD MEMBER WROTE SUBMISSIONS.
RILEY MAYS, THE BOARD MEMBER STATED HE READ ENOUGH TO FORM AN OBJECTIVE OPINION AND THAT THERE WAS SEXUAL MATERIAL AIMED AT A VERY YOUNG CHILDREN.
AGAIN, I ASKED MYSELF, DID WE EVEN READ THE SAME BOOK? AND AGAIN, I'M GLAD THIS BOOK REMAINS ON THE SHELF.
I'M HERE LETTING MY VOICE BE HEARD, AND I FEEL THAT IT IS FALLING ON DEAF EARS.
WHAT BRINGS ME SOLACE IS THAT COME NOVEMBER WE CAN VOTE LIBRARY STRAIGHT DOWN THE TICKET AND END THIS NONSENSE.
I AM EILEEN DEREG FROM THE HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT.
SO NOW WE ARE AT THE STAGE WHERE FOUR OUT OF FIVE OF YOU HAVE EGREGIOUSLY DECIDED TO HEAR BIDS FROM ENTITIES OTHER THAN SAMUEL MILLS PUBLIC LIBRARY TO TAKE OVER AND RUN LIBRARY SERVICES FOR OUR COUNTY EXACTLY WHERE WE ALL KNEW WE WOULD END UP SINCE DECEMBER 10TH.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY HYPOTHETICAL SAVINGS COULD POSSIBLY JUSTIFY WHAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS DOING.
BUT FOUR OUT OF FIVE OF YOU ARE HELL, BEN, ON SPINNING THIS NARRATIVE TO FULL COUNTY RESIDENTS AND TO GOING ALONG WITH YOUR PLAN TO RUIN THE PERFECTLY WONDERFUL ASSET AND RESOURCE THAT OUR COMMUNITY INVESTED IN AND BUILT TOGETHER OVER MANY, MANY YEARS.
I'M ASTOUNDED THAT ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION COULD EVEN SERIOUSLY BE CONSIDERED, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT NO ONE IS BEING FORTHRIGHT ON HOW THE LIBRARY OF SERVICES MAY CHANGE STAFF REDUCTIONS.
ANY BOOKS REMOVED FROM THE SHELVES, ANY DRASTIC REDUCTION IN COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, WHY WOULD WE PUT A SINGLE CENT OF OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS TOWARD AN UNKNOWN ENTITY, MAYBE EVEN A PROFIT MARGIN BY THE LOOKS OF IT, INSTEAD OF DIRECTLY BACK INTO COMMUNITY SERVICES? THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ABUNDANT SERVICES SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY ALREADY PROVIDES TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND YOU'LL HAVE AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK FINDING ANYONE ELSE WHO COULD MATCH WHAT THEY DO AT A LOWER PRICE.
I'VE SAID IT BEFORE AND I'LL REITERATE IT NOW.
THE REAL WASTE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS HAS BEEN IN THESE UNRELENTING ATTACKS ON THE LIBRARY.
ALL OF THIS SHAMEFUL NONSENSE AND WASTE IN THE NAME OF BIGOTRY AND HATRED TOWARDS LGBTQ PLUS PEOPLE ALL IN THE NAME OF RETRIBUTION TOWARD THE LIBRARY FOR REFUSING TO FULFILL HOMOPHOBIC AND TRANSPHOBIC BOOK REMOVAL REQUESTS ALL OVER A RIDICULOUSLY CRAFTED NARRATIVE THAT BECAUSE WE ARE A 70 30 COUNTY, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE COUNTY MUST SUPPORT THIS NONSENSE AND BE UNABLE TO SEE RIGHT THROUGH IT.
AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE IN THE 70 WHO CARE ABOUT THIS ATTEMPT TO DEMOLISH A PERFECTLY GOOD COMMUNITY ASSET AND INVESTMENT.
AND THIS BLATANT WASTE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND THE 30 ARE STILL A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THIS COUNTY AND ARE STILL YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
YOU CAN TRY TO ERASE THOSE OF US FOR WHOM YOU HAVE DISDAIN AND HATRED ALL YOU WANT, BUT WE WILL STILL EXIST AND WE WILL STILL MATTER WHETHER YOU ALL LIKE IT OR NOT.
[02:00:01]
OUT HOW YOUR CONSTITUENTS TRULY FEEL, WHY WON'T YOU PUT IT ON THE BALLOT? LEAVE OUR LIBRARY ALONE.GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
MY NAME IS CARMEN O'NEILL AND I RESIDE IN THE NORTH RIVER DISTRICT.
I'M A SENIOR AT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL AND CAPTAIN OF THE GIRLS TENNIS TEAM.
I'M HERE TODAY TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUPPORT THE FULL FUNDING OF OUR SCHOOLS, WHICH INCLUDES REPAIRING THE TENNIS COURTS AT OUR SCHOOL.
THE ISSUE OF OUR CRACKED AND UNMAINTAINED COURTS AFFECTS NOT JUST OUR TEAM, BUT OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY BETWEEN THE GIRLS AND BOYS TEAMS. WE HAVE AVERAGED ABOUT 35 AND 40 TENNIS PLAYERS EACH OF THE LAST TWO YEARS EVEN.
SO THE CONDITION OF THE COURTS DIRECTLY IMPACTS PARTICIPATION.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE PAPERS IN FRONT OF YOU, THERE ARE PHOTO EXAMPLES AND ON THE BACK ARE SOLUTIONS.
WE HAVE HAD TEAMS REFUSE TO PLAY ON CERTAIN COURTS DUE TO THEIR CONDITIONS.
WHEN A BALL HITS A CRACK ON THE COURT, IT COMPLETELY ALTERS ITS TRAJECTORY, MAKING IT UNPREDICTABLE AND DIFFICULT TO PLAY.
THIS OCCURRENCE AFFECTS BOTH PLAYERS AND GAMEPLAY.
REPAIRING THE CRACKS ENSURES A SAFER, MORE ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE.
TENNIS IS SOMEWHAT UNIQUE AMONG THE SPORTS AND OUR SCHOOLS BECAUSE AN ACTIVITY WE CAN DO FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES WHILE MAINTAINED.
TENNIS COURTS CONNECT AS A CENTER FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
IN FACT, OFTEN WHEN OUR PRACTICES AND MATCHES END, THEY'RE BOTH SENIOR CITIZENS AND YOUNG CHILDREN WAITING TO GET ON THE COURTS TO PLAY.
WARREN COUNTY PARKS AND REC USES THE COURTS IN THE SUMMER FOR CLINICS OF ALL AGES.
IT TRULY IS A SPORT FOR ALL AGES, AND OUR COURTS PROVIDE AN ATHLETIC ACTIVITY FOR ALL IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO ONCE AGAIN, I ASKED YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER THE LONG-TERM BENEFITS OF FUNDING THE BADLY NEEDED REPAIRS ON OUR TENNIS COURTS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
I WAS JUST WONDERING, IS THERE ANY RELATION? YES, SHE'S MY DAUGHTER.
I I COULD, I COULD SEE THE, I COULD SEE THE I PLAN ON THOSE QUARTS TOO.
AND WE HAVE TO AVOID THE GIANT CRACKS.
WELL, I COULD SEE THE PROUD LOOK ON YOUR FACE WHEN SHE GOT UP.
UH, THAT'S ALL FOR THE PEOPLE THAT SIGNED UP, SIR.
IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO, UM, ANYBODY IN THE, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? OKAY.
MY NAME'S REBECCA TIES AND I'M A RESIDENT OF THE NORTH NORTH RIVER DISTRICT.
AND I, I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, AND I'LL KEEP COMING BACK AS LONG AS THIS, UM, BOARD WANTS TO TAKE OVER OUR WONDERFUL LIBRARY.
I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE THAT THIS IS OUR PUBLIC LIBRARY.
IT IS NOT YOUR CHURCH AND ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT WE HAVE THERE.
AND I'M, I'M A RETIRED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER AND I JUST LOVE CHILDREN'S BOOKS.
THEY'RE A WAY TO INTRODUCE IDEAS AND THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN OUR WORLD, WHETHER WE LIKE THEM OR NOT, BUT IT'S A GOOD WAY TO INTRODUCE THEM TO CHILDREN.
AND I HAVE A WONDERFUL BOOK HERE.
UM, AND I HAVE A COUPLE OF REVIEWS FROM THIS BOOK.
UM, THE BOOK LIST SAYS THIS TIMELY TITLE AND ITS WORM LOVES WORM.
THIS TIMELY TITLE IS A WARM AND EASY WAY TO INTRODUCE THE IDEA OF SAME SEX MARRIAGE TO CHILDREN.
LET'S INTRODUCE IT TO CHILDREN.
WHY NOT? WE CAN'T HIDE THESE THINGS FROM THEM.
IT'S OUT THERE, IT'S GOING ON.
AND LOVE IS LOVE AND MANY CHILDREN WILL GRASP THE LARGER MESSAGE.
WHILE OTHERS MAY SIMPLY ENJOY THE WARM CHARACTERS AND THE, UH, COMICAL STORY, ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT CHILDREN'S LITERATURE ARE THE ILLUSTRATIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL HAVE TIME TO FINISH THIS, BUT, UH, IT, IT'S JUST A REALLY HEARTWARMING, BEAUTIFUL BOOK AND THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE ADORABLE.
WORM SAID TO WORM YES ANSWERED.
YOU'LL NEED SOMEONE TO MARRY YOU.
THAT'S HOW IT'S ALWAYS BEEN DONE.
CAN WE BE MARRIED? SID WORM? WAIT, SAID BEETLE.
YOU HAVE GOT TO HAVE A BEST BEETLE.
NOW CAN WE BE MARRIED? SID WORM? WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
CAN WE BE THE BRIDES BEADS? PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.
[02:05:01]
NOW CAN WE BE MARRIED? YOU'LL NEED TO GET RINGS TO WEAR IN YOUR FINGERS AT CRICKET.THAT'S HOW IT'S ALWAYS BEEN DONE.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE FINGERS SAYS WORM.
NOW CAN WE BE MARRIED JUST TO MAKE SURE TO HAVE A BAND SO WE CAN DANCE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE FEET TO DANCE AT WORM.
NOW CAN WE BE MARRIED? SO I I'M JUST GONNA SKIP AHEAD BECAUSE IT'S, THAT'S THREE MINUTES GO BY SO FAST.
ARE YOU SURE THAT'S ACCURATE? SO, SO THEY WERE MARRIED.
WORM LOVES WORM AND LOVE IS LOVE.
IS THERE, UM, ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE? OKAY.
MR. CHAIRMAN, BEFORE WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN, I'D LIKE TO THANK THAT YOUNG MAN AND A YOUNG LADY FOR SITTING THROUGH THIS MEETING.
I'M SURE IT'S BEEN A BIT OF A INTERESTING EVENING FOR YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT AND, UH, SPEAKING, UH, YOUR PASSION ON THIS TOPIC.
THANK YOU MS. CALLERS AND, UH, AND, AND I DO APPRECIATE AND, AND, UM, UH, MS. O'NEILL, I DO APPRECIATE YOUR HAVING YOUR DAUGHTER COME HERE.
THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, I DO APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, RE REGARDLESS OF, OF WHAT YOUR STANCE IS OR WHAT YOUR BELIEFS ARE, THIS IS AMERICA.
AND WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT ONLY A, A PRIVILEGE.
I FEEL THAT IT IS A DUTY THAT WE, WE VOICE OUR OPINIONS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THIS COUNTRY IS BUILT ON.
YOU KNOW, I SPENT 32 YEARS IN THE ARMY AND, UH, AND I KNEW THAT, UH, THAT MAYBE I DIDN'T LIKE WHAT PEOPLE SAID, BUT I WOULD DEFEND THEIR RIGHT TO SAY IT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THIS COUNTRY'S ABOUT.
SO THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS WELL.
SO, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.