* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:05] TODAY IS TUESDAY, [A. Discussion - Upcoming Zoning and Subdivision Text Amendments] JUNE THE THIRD, AND WE WILL BEGIN WITH A, UH, IT'S A 5:30 PM WORK SESSION FOR THE, UH, UPCOMING ZONING AND SUBDIVISION TEXT AMENDMENTS. DISCUSSION DR. DALEY. GOOD EVENING. SO, UH, WE HAVE THESE THREE TEXT AMENDMENTS, UH, THAT WE'RE GONNA GO OVER WITH YOU FOR THE MEETING. THEY ARE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING FOR AUTHORIZATION ADVERTISED FOR A PUBLIC HEARING WITH THE INTENT TO HOLD THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 24TH OF THIS MONTH TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE THROUGH BEFORE JULY 1ST. UM, SO WE'LL START WITH THIS AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS IN THE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS. SO FUNCTIONALLY, UH, THE, THE, UH, ACTION HERE IS TO MAKE AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS BY RIGHT IN THE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIALS ZONING DISTRICTS. THIS WAS DRAFTED BY THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, AND SO WHAT HE DID WAS HE WENT THROUGH OUR, OUR ZONING ORDINANCE AND KIND OF FOUND THE MORE ACTIVE, MORE INTENSE AGRICULTURAL USES, WHICH WERE CONFINED FEEDING OPERATIONS AND ABATTOIRS. AND BASICALLY HE IDENTIFIED THOSE AS USES THAT WOULD BE BY CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, UH, FOLLOWING THIS REZONING OF A PROPERTY INTO THE COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICT. AND SO BASICALLY ALL AGRICULTURE BY RIGHT, AND COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL, BUT IF IT IS A CONFINED FEEDING OPERATION OR ABATTOIR, IT IS BY RIGHT. IF IT WAS ALREADY ESTABLISHED BEFORE THE PROPERTY IS REZONED, OR IF IT WAS NOT ALREADY ESTABLISHED, A NEW CONFINED FEEDING OPERATION, ATO AVATAR WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE CONDITION. WHAT IS IT? ABATTOIR? ABATTOIR IS A FACILITY THAT'S USED FOR THE SLAUGHTERING OF ANIMALS, PROCESSING OF OF ANIMALS. OKAY. AND SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO ALIGN THE ZONING ORDINANCE WITH A TAXATION TAX AMENDMENT YOU GUYS DID EARLIER THIS YEAR. UM, AND IT, IT'S NECESSARY FOR AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS TO BE ALLOWED IN THE COMMERCIAL OR IN INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICTS IN ORDER FOR THE FIRST HALF OF WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE TO WORK. UM, SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THIS FIRST ONE. IT'S, IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE, BUT, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I CAN TAKE THOSE. ANY, ANY QUESTIONS, SO, SO ANY QUESTIONS? NO, CHERYL. SO WHY DO WE HAVE THAT? THE, THE FIRST ONE, YOU KNOW, BY THE RIGHT ABOUT THE, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT ABATTOIRS, UH, EXCEPT FOR COM, UH, CONFINED FEEDING OPERATIONS AND ABATTOIRS, UNLESS SUCH USES LAWFULLY EXISTED AT THE TIME OF REZONING. SO DOES THAT MEAN WHAT, EXPLAIN THAT TO ME. YES. SO IT'S TO IDENTIFY IF THERE IS AN EXISTING ABATTOIR OR CONFINED FEEDING OPERATION ON A PROPERTY THAT IS ZONED AGRICULTURAL, AND THE DESIRE IS TO REZONE THAT PROPERTY TO SAY INDUSTRIAL. UM, THEN SINCE IT IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED AND LEGALLY EXISTING, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO GET A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AS A RESULT OF THE REZONING. IT WOULD BE ALLOWED BY, RIGHT NOW, IF THEY JUST HAD FARMLAND AND WEREN'T REALLY USING IT FOR ANYTHING, WANTED TO REZONE AND THEN, UH, WANTED TO START A CONFINED FEEDING OPERATION OR AN ABATTOIR, THEY'D HAVE TO GET THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT. SO THEN MY, MY, MY FATHER-IN-LAW IS A, UH, HE, HE, HE WAS, HE'S RETIRED NOW, BUT HE WAS A FARMER. MM-HMM . AND I REMEMBER HE USED TO TAKE, UH, ANIMALS OVER TO, UH, I FORGET WHERE IT WAS. HE, HE TOOK ME WITH THEM A COUPLE OF TIMES AND, UH, HE WOULD, HE WOULD DROP THEM OFF. IT WAS A SMALL OPERATION. MM-HMM . HE'D DROP 'EM OFF AND THEN HE'D GO BACK AND HE'D GET WHATEVER MEAT THAT, THAT HE HAD. UH, UH, HE, HE HAD, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKED OUT WITH A, WITH A GUY THAT HE WAS DROPPING OFF WITH. SO THAT WOULD BE AN APERTO, CORRECT. YEAH. IF THEY PROCESS ANIMALS, UM, TYPICALLY TAKE IT FROM LIVE ANIMAL TO FOOD PROCESS. OKAY. ALRIGHT. DO, DO WE HAVE ANY CASES LIKE THAT? SO, UM, A FEW YEARS AGO WE ADDED AN EXEMPT POULTRY ABATTOIR, WHICH ALLOWS FOR A SMALL SCALE FARM. I THINK IT'S UP TO A THOUSAND BIRDS A YEAR. UM, AND THAT IS BY, RIGHT, YOU'VE GOT, UH, ACREAGE REQUIREMENT, SETBACKS FROM, UH, WATER SOURCES, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. OKAY. UM, SO WE HAVE HAD ONE OF THOSE COME THROUGH, UM, THAT IT WAS BIG PROPERTY UP IN ROCKLAND, SO IT ALL, EVERYTHING WORKED OUT FINE. UM, THE ONLY OTHER ONE I KNOW OF IS BLUE RIDGE MEETS OFF OF GUARD HILL ROAD AND IT IS NONCONFORMING IT'S GRANDFATHER. OKAY. SORRY, IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME. . ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON. OKAY. SO THIS IS, UH, OUR SECOND TEXT AMENDMENT WE'RE GONNA GO OVER. AND SO THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO. UM, SO THE STATE HAS ACTUALLY CHANGED THE CODE AS IT, UH, [00:05:01] SPEAKS TO, UH, SUBDIVISION PLAT REVIEW APPROVALS, PROCEDURES. ALL OF IT HAS BEEN KIND OF TWEAKED A LITTLE BIT TO MAKE IT A MORE EFFICIENT PROCESS FOR SOMEONE WHO'S TRYING TO SUBDIVIDE. AND SO THE, UH, BILLS YOU SEE THAT HAVE BEEN SIGNED INTO LAW AS OF MARCH, EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST REMOVES PLANNING COMMISSION AND GOVERNING BODY, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AS THE APPROVAL AUTHORITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW PROCESS FOR PLATS AND PLANS, AND ASSIGNS SUCH AUTHORITY SOLELY TO A DESIGNATED AGENT, ALSO EXPEDITES THE REVIEW PROCESS BY SHORTENING THE TIMEFRAME FOR FORWARDING PLATS AND PLANS TO STATE AGENCIES FOR REVIEW. AND THE OTHER BILL, UH, SHORTENS THE TIMEFRAMES FOR VARIOUS LOCAL GOVERNMENT APPROVALS OF SUBDIVISION PLATS. SO THE ACTUAL TEXT AMENDMENTS THAT WE ARE TAKING, UH, BEFORE YOU, THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO TWEAK IN OUR ORDINANCE TO MATCH THAT. UM, THEY DO REMOVE ALL REFERENCES TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AS REVIEWERS AND APPROVING AUTHORITIES FOR SUBDIVISIONS THROUGHOUT THE ORDINANCE AND ASSIGN SUCH AUTHORITY TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. THE AMENDMENTS ALSO ELIMINATE THE SUBDIVISION CLASS SYSTEM CURRENTLY IN THE SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE, WHICH BREAK DOWN PLAT SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS IN APPROVING AUTHORITY. BASED ON THE NUMBER OF NEW LOTS CREATED OR CREATION OF A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, ALL SUBDIVISIONS WILL BE HELD TO THE SAME PLAT SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS AND ALL SUBDIVISIONS WILL BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR UNDER THE DRAFTED ORDINANCE. UM, SO I CANNOT TAKE CREDIT FOR THIS. WE MADE SURE THE ATTORNEY WENT THROUGH THE ORDINANCE WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB, FOUND EVERYTHING THAT NEEDED TO BE CHANGED. WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF CHOICE ON THIS. UM, IF WE DON'T GET THIS FIXED BEFORE JULY 1ST, WE WOULD HAVE AN INVALID SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE, BASICALLY ANYONE PRESENTING A PLAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'D BE RISKING, UH, IT GETTING AUTOMATICALLY APPROVED. THAT BEING SAID, THERE'S A LOT HERE. IT'S A HUGE ORDINANCE. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL TAKE 'EM. ANY QUESTIONS? I, I JUST NEED, UH, I GUESS SOME CLARIFICATION. SO THIS IS JUST GIVING, TAKING AWAY APPROVAL OF PLATS, WHICH, SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO COME IN AND CREATE A SUBDIVISION, WE HAVE NO SAY IN WHETHER THAT IS, UH, APPROVED OR NOT. SO IT, IT IS STILL CONFINED BY THE ORDINANCE. UM, SO THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE CONTROL OF IS THE ORDINANCE AND HOW YOU'RE GONNA CONSTRAIN THOSE SUBDIVISIONS INDIVIDUALLY AND IT WOULD APPLY TO ALL PROPERTIES ACROSS THE BOARD AS ORDINANCES DO. UM, THE ONE THING I MIGHT POINT OUT IS FOR UNDER THE CURRENT, THE WAY WE'VE BEEN DOING IT, UM, UH, WITH THE BOARD AS THE FINAL APPROVAL FOR SAY A CLASS C SUBDIVISION, THE WAY THAT WORKS IS IT IS ACTUALLY STILL A MINISTERIAL ACT. SO IF THEY CHECK ALL OF THE LEGAL BOXES AND MEET ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS, IT WOULD BE UNLAWFUL FOR YOU TO DENY IT. SO IT WAS ALREADY ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION, IT WAS JUST MADE BY YOU GUYS, UM, WHICH ADDED TIMEFRAME TO THE PROCESS. OKAY. SO EXAMPLE, JUST SO I GET IT CLEAR IN MY HEAD, UM, WE DENIED ONE OUT ON RELIANCE ROAD. YES. SO THAT EXAMPLE, THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. THAT WAS A CLUSTER HOUSING SUBDIVISION APPLICATION FOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT. SO CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS ARE UNAFFECTED BY THIS CODE CHANGE. YOU STILL HAVE THE CONTROL OVER THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS. SO IN THIS SITUATION, IF THAT EXAMPLE, IF HE HAD DONE THE BUY RIGHT LIMIT OF LOTS INSTEAD OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO GET MORE LOTS OUT OF IT, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE ABILITY TO SAY NO IF YOU MET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS EVEN, I MEAN, LET'S LET'S SAY SITE DISTANCE, THE VDOT RULES, DO THEY STILL APPLY TO YES. YEAH, EVERYTHING ELSE IS STILL INTACT. YOU STILL GOTTA HAVE YOUR ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS THEY HAVE TO MAKE, DO THEIR REVIEW AND, AND GET COMMENTS BACK TO US FASTER. THAT'S A BIG CHANGE, BUT UH, THAT'S NOT ON US. THAT'S ON THEM. OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . UM, SO, UH, WHEN, UH, MR. JOHN FOOT WAS HERE SPEAKING ON ANOTHER MATTER, UM, BUT I, HE'S A VERY HIGHLY RESPECTED LAND ATTORNEY. UM, HE BASICALLY SAID THAT, UH, THE SUPREME COURT OF VIRGINIA AND ALL THE WAY UP TO THE SUPREME COURT WOULD ALWAYS DEFER TO THE LOCAL GOVERNING BODY FOR THE GOVERN, FOR THE, UH, DEMOCRATIC PROCESS TO REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENTS. AND SO IF THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, UM, SAY THE WHOLE COMMUNITY UP HAD AN UPRISING AND SAID, WE DON'T WANT THAT SUBDIVISION, ARE YOU SAYING THAT, UH, UNDER THE NEW ORDINANCE IN VIRGINIA, WE WOULD HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PASS IT IF THEY CHECKED ALL THE BOXES? YEAH, I WOULD SAY UNDER THE CURRENT ORDINANCE YOU HAVE TO DO THAT. OKAY. IT'S JUST YOU DOING THAT INSTEAD OF THE SUBDIVISION ADMINISTRATOR. SO HAS, TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE, HAS ANY PREVIOUS BOARD OR PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, DENIED A SUBDIVISION REQUEST THAT WAS NOT A CEP? MATT WOULD BE THE BETTER ONE TO ASK. THE BEST EXAMPLE I COULD THINK OF WAS THE CLUSTER HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WAS A LAND USE, UM, IN EXCESS OF WHAT WAS ALLOWED BY RIGHT. AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS, YOU HAD THE ABILITY TO DENY IT. CAN, CAN [00:10:01] YOU GIVE, UH, CAN YOU GIVE ME A, A DEFINITION FOR DESIGNATED AGENT? IT'S A THIRD LINE UP THERE. IT SAYS, UH, ASSIGN SUCH AUTHORITY TO SOLELY DESIGNATED AGENT. DOES THAT MEAN THAT IT'S, SO, UM, THE STATE CODE HAS A DEFINITION FOR THAT, A NEW DEFINITION FOR THAT IN THIS BILL THAT THEY PASSED. I DON'T HAVE IT MEMORIZED. OUR CODE BASICALLY SAYS THAT SHALL BE THE PLANNING DIRECTOR OR THEIR DESIGNEE OR DRAFT THAT WE'RE PRESENTING. BUT, BUT THE DESIGNATED AGENT WOULDN'T BE, SAY LIKE, UH, YOU HAVE SOMEBODY PUTTING IN A SUBDIVISION MM-HMM . AND THEY, THEY HAVE A PLANNING DIRECTOR WHO'S DOING ALL THE PLANNING AND STUFF. WOULD THAT BE THE DESIGNATED AGENT? OH, NO, NO, NO. IT WOULD BE THE PLANNING DIRECTOR OF THE COUNTY OF WARREN. IT WOULD BE OH, OKAY. OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR, . I SEE. OKAY. SO THEN IT WOULD BE A GOVERNMENT ENTITY. YES, IT IS STILL A GOVERNMENT ENTITY. IT'S ACTUALLY NOT US. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. AND, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE, CHASE IS GONNA BE ON THE AGENDA AT SOME POINT IN TIME FOR DEPUTY SUBDIVISION ADMINISTRATOR. OKAY. SO THAT'LL BE SIGN OFF. ALRIGHT. AND I'LL JUST MENTION TWO THAT COME TO MIND. AROUND 2007, 2008, UH, SENT CEX, UH, WAS LOOKING AT DOING A THOUSAND HOME SUBDIVISION OVER HAPPY CREEK. UM, AND THEN THE, THE ECONOMY TANKED, THEY PULLED AND THEN SHORTLY AFTER THAT, I THINK THE BOARD AND NEXT, A GOOD PORTION OF THAT INTO THE TOWN, UH, FOR THOSE, UH, URBAN DEVELOPMENT AREAS TO BE DEVELOPED, WHICH SINCE THEN, IT'S JUST KIND OF SAT THERE. BUT, UH, UM, AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER BROOKFIELD, I THINK A LITTLE BIT AFTER THAT IN THE FORK DISTRICT OFF CATLIN MOUNTAIN ROAD. AGAIN, THAT NEVER WENT ANYWHERE MM-HMM . UH, WE USUALLY SEE HIGHER, UH, RESIDENTS DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CLUSTER SUBDIVISIONS, AND WE JUST REALLY HAVEN'T HAD MANY OF THOSE. AND, UH, AND AGAIN, UH, THE ONES WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS BY CUP IS, IT'S A LEGISLATIVE DECISION THAT THAT CAN BE DONE. SO, UM, WHAT WE NORMALLY SEE COMING TO IN THE PAST FEW YEARS ARE CLASS B SUBDIVISIONS WHERE IT'S, UH, I'D SAY FIVE OR MORE, UM, LOTS. AND, UM, THEY STILL HAVE TO MEET THE STATE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE VDOT AND FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. AND THEN WE USUALLY HAVE EVERYTHING TAKEN CARE OF, PACKED UP, AND THEN, UM, THEN WE BRING IT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR FINAL APPROVAL. USUALLY WE'VE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THAT, SO, UM, THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE CLASS BS. ALL RIGHT. UM, DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE SUBDIVISION STUFF? I DON'T THINK SO, NO. SO LIKE I SAID, YOU'LL SEE THAT ON FOR PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 24TH. OKAY. AND MY LAST ONE HERE, IT'S PRETTY MINOR. UM, THE FIRST POINT IS TO REMOVE THE WORD SUBDIVISIONS FROM THE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ZONING ORDINANCE. SO THERE'S A SECTION OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR, UH, APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS AND IT STARTS WITH A LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT THOSE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS APPLIED TO AND SUBDIVISIONS SHOULD NOT HAVE THAT APPLIED TO IT. SO THE IDEA IS TO JUST REMOVE THE WORD SUBDIVISIONS. ALL OF THOSE RULES ARE IN THE SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE. THAT'S WHERE THEY BELONG. I DON'T KNOW WHY IT WAS THERE TO BEGIN WITH . UM, THE OTHER THING, UM, SO THAT WAS IDENTIFIED BY THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, UH, THAT THE SUBDIVISION WORD DIDN'T BELONG THERE. UM, THEY ALSO, UH, NOTED THAT THERE IS A WAIVER PROVISION IN THE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS, UM, WHICH BASICALLY SAYS, UM, FOR A SIMPLE OR UNCOMPLICATED USE, CERTAIN APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS CAN BE WAIVED ADMINISTRATIVELY BY STAFF. AND, UH, THERE IS ALWAYS THE ABILITY FOR THE BOARD OR ANYONE ALONG THE WAY TO REQUIRE IT ANYWAY. UM, SO AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, A SHORT TERM TOURIST RENTAL APPLICATION, IT IS USE OF A HOUSE, ALBEIT FOR A COMMERCIAL PURPOSE, IT IS STILL JUST USE OF A HOUSE AS A HOUSE. UM, AND SO YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO SEE THEM HAVE TO PAY FOR A $10,000 ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT STUDY , UH, JUST TO APPLY FOR THE SHORT TERM TOURIST RENTAL. UM, AND SO THE WAY IT'S WORDED NOW, IT'S VERY SPECIFIC. IT SAYS AS IN WHERE NO USE IS PROPOSED, NO USE OR STRUCTURE IS PROPOSED, WHICH ARGUABLY IN THAT EXAMPLE, IT IS STILL USE BEING PROPOSED. AND SO IT SHOULD BE REQUIRED UNDER THE LETTER OF, OF THE CODE. WE'VE BEEN A LITTLE LOOSER WITH THAT AND IT'S BEEN OUR GENERAL PRACTICES FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL OR COMMUNITY IMPACT STATEMENTS, UNLESS IT IS AN OBVIOUS BIG INTENSE USE, WE KIND OF DEFER TO YOU GUYS TO REQUIRE THAT, UH, IF YOU THINK [00:15:01] THAT THAT'S APPROPRIATE AS PART OF THE PROCESS. UM, AND SO THE TEXT CHANGE IS JUST TO REMOVE THAT SPECIFIC WORDING THAT SPECIFIES WHAT SIMPLE AND UNCOMPLICATED IN NATURE MEANS TO ALLOW US TO USE IT LITERALLY IF THE, THE APPLICATION IS SIMPLE AND UNCOMPLICATED. SO DEFINITELY NEED TO GET RID OF THE SUBDIVISION WORD. THE OTHER THING IS JUST TO ALIGN WITH OUR, UH, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT PRACTICES. IS, IS JUST COMMON SENSE, WHAT'S SIMPLE AND UNCOMPLICATED? OR IS THERE A, THAT'S THE IDEA. IS THERE ANY CRITERIA TO THAT? NO, NOT RIGHT NOW. UM, OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD'VE BEEN A LITTLE MORE WORK TO, TO BUILD OUT A SEPARATE CRITERIA. WE THINK THAT, UM, SINCE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ALL DISAGREE, LIKE YEAH, WHY DIDN'T THEY DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT? YOU CAN TABLE THE ITEM AND AND REQUIRE IT UNTIL, AND NOT, IT DOESN'T COME BACK UNTIL THEY HAVE IT, YOU KNOW? UM, THAT'S GENERALLY BEEN THE WAY WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, UH, FOR LIKE, LIKE I SAID, THE SHORT TERM RENTALS, GAS HOUSE, PRIVATE USE, CAMPING, THOSE KINDS OF SIMPLER USES. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, I THINK THAT THESE ARE PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. UH, EXCUSE ME. ALRIGHTY. WELL IF YOU THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE, FEEL FREE TO SHOOT ME AN EMAIL. OTHERWISE THEY'RE ON FOR CONSENT LATER. WILL BE PUBLIC HEARING 24TH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU DR. DALEY. ANYTHING ELSE? NO, SIR. JUST, UM, HAVE ANY PAUSE UNTIL MR. HAM. ALRIGHT. SO WE WILL, UH, OH, WELL HE IS SPEAKING OF MR. HAM SESSION, SO WE HAVE A 12 MINUTE RECESS SIR. SO, UH, SO WE WERE GETTING READY TO TALK ABOUT YOU, BUT THEN YOU WALKED IN THE DOOR, SO I GUESS WE WON'T BE ABLE TO YOU THEY DON'T WANNA BE HERE AT 5 45. THERE I AM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SO [B. Closed Session - Section 2.2-3711(A)(8) and (A)(29)] WE, WE WILL TAKE A RECESS UNTIL SIX O'CLOCK AND THAT'S WHEN WE WILL START A CLOSED SESSION. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, [C. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance of the United States of America] CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE? IF YOU HAVE AN OPEN SEAT NEXT TO YOU, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALRIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE ONLY PERMITTED STANDING IS ALONG THE BACK WALL. SO IF YOU'RE STANDING ANYWHERE OTHER THAN THE BACK WALL, YOU NEED TO MAKE YOUR WAY TO A SEAT. THEN WE'LL DETERMINE OCCUPANCY COUNTS AND WE'LL SEE IF WE NEED TO SHUFFLE ANYBODY TO THE HALLWAY WHERE THEY CAN ATTEND THE MEETING FROM THE HALL. BUT WE NEED TO KEEP THE AISLE WAYS CLEAR. NO STANDING ALONG THE SIDES, ONLY THE BACK WALLS PERMITTED FOR STANDING. ARE THERE ANY MORE EMPTY SEATS? RAISE YOUR HAND. THANK YOU. OKAY, IF I CAN HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE. MR. UM, MR. MEYER, WOULD YOU PLEASE READ US OUT OF, UH, CLOSED SESSION? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD CERTIFIES TO THE BEST OF EACH MEMBER'S KNOWLEDGE. CAN I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD CERTIFIES TO THE BEST OF EACH MEMBER'S KNOWLEDGE ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS UNDER SECTIONS 2.2 DASH 37 11, A 29, AND EIGHT OF THE VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, AND ONLY SUCH BUSINESS MATTERS AS WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE MOTION BY WHICH THE CLOSED MEETING WAS CONVENED, WERE HEARD, DISCUSSED OR CONSIDERED IN THE MEETING BY THE PUBLIC BODY. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. ROLL CALL MRS. COOK? AYE. DR. JAMESON? AYE. MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. MR. STAN MEYER. AYE. MRS. COLORS? AYE. NEXT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, REVEREND DR. CHRISTIE MCMILLAN GOODWIN, LET US PRAY. HOLY ONE. WE COME BEFORE YOU WITH GRATITUDE THIS EVENING. WE THANK YOU FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF WARREN COUNTY AND FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE IN THIS ESSENTIAL TASK. THEIR WORK IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THEIR DECISIONS AFFECT THE DIGNITY, SAFETY, AND WELLBEING OF ALL OF OUR COUNTY'S RESIDENTS. WE ASK THAT YOU GIVE THEM COURAGE TO SET ASIDE THEIR DIFFERENCES, SO, SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE POSITIVE DECISIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. WE ASK THAT YOU GUIDE THEM WITH WISDOM SO THAT THEY CAN PUT THE INTEREST OF OTHERS ABOVE THEIR OWN MAY. EACH SUPERVISOR REMEMBER THOSE RESIDENTS WHO ARE FORGOTTEN OR OVERLOOKED, THOSE WHOSE VOICES ARE IGNORED [00:20:01] AS THEY VOTE THIS EVENING. WE THANK YOU HOLY ONE. FOR THE STAFF AND THE MANY EMPLOYEES OF OUR COUNTY. MAY THEIR LABOR ACCOMPLISH MUCH FOR ALL WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO CALL WARREN COUNTY HOME. WE KNOW THAT THEIR WORK MAY BE OVERLOOKED OR EVEN LOST IN THE BUSYNESS OF OUR COUNTY. WE PAUSE TO GIVE THANKS FOR THEM. WE PAUSE TO HONOR THOSE WHO WORK IN THIS BUILDING, FOR THOSE WHO WORK IN OUR SCHOOLS, FOR THOSE WHO WORK FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, FOR THOSE WHO WORK IN OUR FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE, FOR THOSE WHO WORK IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, FOR THOSE WHO WORK AT OUR LIBRARY, FOR THOSE WHO WORK OUTSIDE. AND FOR ALL OF THOSE I'VE NOT MENTIONED, THANK YOU FOR THEIR SERVICE AND FOR THEIR THEIR DEDICATION. MAY EACH PERSON WHO ATTENDS THIS MEETING AND MAY THOSE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK MAY THEY SPEAK WITH HONESTY, HELPFULNESS, AND CLARITY. AND MAY EVERYONE BE WILLING TO BE OPEN WITH EACH OTHER, RESPECT EACH OTHER, AND BE SUPPORTIVE OF EACH OTHER. AND ABOVE ALL, MAY PEACE AND KINDNESS BE PRESENT HERE THIS EVENING. AMEN. AMEN. PLEASE STAND FOR THE UH, PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FATHER OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THANK THE REPUBLIC FOR 40 STANDS, ONE NATION ON YOUR GOD INVIS WITH LIBERTY OF US ALL. [D. Adoption of Agenda - Additions or Deletions] THANK YOU. SO THE, UM, ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA, DO I HAVE ANY ADDITIONS FOR DELETIONS? UH, YES. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ITEM AGE 14, CITIZEN APPOINTMENT TO THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION. OKAY. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK IF SINCE WE HAVE SUCH A LARGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, IF WE COULD COMBINE THE COMMENT PERIOD SO THAT EVERYONE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY. JUST A THOUGHT. WELL, I I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT UH, WE DID, WE DID, UH, UH, ADOPT A, UH, UH, PERIOD WHERE HALF OF IT WILL BE, UM, ADDRESSING WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA AND THE OTHER HALF WILL BE JUST, UH, UH, GENERAL COMMENTS. SO THE, UH, BUT I'M, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, UH, THE, UH, UH, LEMME SEE HOW THE BOARD FEELS ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WE ADOPTED THIS AND, UH, IF WE MAKE IT, IF WE MAKE IT AN EXCEPTION NOW, THEN WHY EVEN HAVE THIS JUST A THOUGHT. SO, SO THE, UM, HOW DOES THE BOARD FEEL ABOUT IT? WE NEED TO FOLLOW POLICY. OKAY. . OKAY. SAME, SAME, SAME. ALRIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. SO, SO MR. SO THIS IS THE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PUBLIC, I'M, I'M SORRY, MR. CHAIRMAN? YES. UH, SO MR. STAN MEYER, YOU'VE MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA WITH THE ADDITION OF ITEM H 14 CITIZEN APPOINTMENT. OKAY? YES. UH, THANK YOU FOR CATCHING THAT. I APPRECIATE THAT. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAD A SECOND IN A VOTE. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. ROLL CALL MRS. COLORS. AYE. MR. STAN MEYER? AYE. MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. DR. JAMESON? AYE. MRS. COOK? AYE. ALRIGHT, SO [E. Public Comment Period for Items on the Agenda (30-Minute Time Limit)] FOR THE UM, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD SHOULD BE LIMITED TO 60 MINUTES DIVIDED INTO TWO 30 MINUTES SEGMENTS. THE FIRST 30 MINUTE PERIOD IS LIMITED TO COMMENTS PERTAINING TO ITEMS WHICH ARE ON THE 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. ALL COMMENT PERIOD. UH, ALL COMMENTS WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND NOT THE AUDIENCE. BE CONSIDERATE OF YOUR FELLOW SPEAKERS. THERE SHOULD BE NO APPLAUSE, BOOING OR OTHER AUDIBLE DISRUPTION TO THE PROCEEDINGS. THROUGH A SHOW OF HANDS, THE CHAIRMAN MAY ASK FOR A SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR COMMENTS MADE BY SPEAKERS. PLACARDS, POSTERS AND OTHER MEANS OF VISUAL DISPLAY WILL NOT BE PERMITTED IN THE THE, THE 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, [00:25:01] UH, ON ANY OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROCEEDINGS. ANYONE WHO VIOLATES THE GUIDELINE OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS MAY BE ASKED TO LEAVE BY THE CHAIRMAN. FAILURE TO LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING WHEN ASKED TO DO SO IS IN VIOLATION. WARREN COUNTY CODE 56 DASH FOUR AND VIRGINIA CODE 18.2 DASH FOUR 15 AND IS SUBJECT TO A FINE OF UP TO $2,500 AND A JAIL SENTENCE OF UP TO 12 MONTHS OR BOTH. FINALLY, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM USING INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE IN YOUR COMMENTS. YOUNG CHILDREN MAY BE VIEWING THIS SESSION EITHER IN PERSON OR LATER ONLINE, AND PEOPLE WILL PROBABLY HAVE LESS TENDENCY TO TAKE YOUR COMMENTS SERIOUSLY IF INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE IS USED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. UH, ZACH, WHO DO WE HAVE UP FIRST? FIRST UP WE HAVE EILEEN DE I AM AILEEN DERICH AND I RESIDE IN THE HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT. SOME MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD HAVE CLAIMED THAT THEY ARE NOT TRYING TO REPLACE SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY. REALLY? YOU ALL KNEW THAT THEY HAVE A VALID LEASE THROUGH 2038. YOU ALL KNEW THAT SUBMITTING A BID WOULD'VE MEANT AGREEING TO A LEGAL FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT BY THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD. YOU ALL KNEW THAT THE ORDINANCE SAID ANY PROPERTY WOULD'VE BECOME COUNTY OWNED AND THAT BIDDING WOULD'VE RISKED THE ENTIRE COLLECTION THAT SAMUEL'S HAS BUILT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. OVER THE YEARS, EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS KNEW THAT SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY COULD NOT SUBMIT A BID. AND YET YOU'VE GONE FORWARD WITH THE BID FROM LIBRARY SYSTEMS AND SERVICES, AN OUTSIDER FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION THAT HAS NO LEGAL OBLIGATION TO THE TRANSPARENCY THAT YOU ALL HAVE HOUNDED SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY TO SHOW WHICH THEY HAVE DONE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. BUT IT'S NOT A HOSTILE TAKEOVER OF OUR LIBRARY, RIGHT? WE DO NOT WANT OUR LIBRARY OR OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS OUTSOURCED TO LSNS. THIS IS ABOUT SAVING MONEY THAT HAS TO BE THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS, IRONIC LIE ANYONE COULD TELL ABOUT THIS DEBACLE BECAUSE THE EXACT OPPOSITE IS TRUE. FOR ONE, YOUR NEGOTIATIONS PROMISE LSNS THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE GIVE SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY. HOW MANY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS HAVE BEEN WASTED ALREADY BY THIS BOARD AND THEIR RELENTLESS ATTACKS ON SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY? WHAT ABOUT THE $250,000 THAT OUR COUNTY WILL AUTOMATICALLY HAVE TO HAND OVER TO LSNS IF THEY DON'T GET THE BUILDING? YOU ALL ARE PROMISING. WHAT ABOUT THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OR MAYBE MORE OF DOLLARS IN LAWSUITS THAT ARE SURE TO COME? I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THE INTENTIONAL WASTE OF OUR MONEY IN PURSUIT OF CONTROL OVER OUR AWARD-WINNING LIBRARY. IF I HAD THE TIME, THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAS THE POWER TO END THIS SHAMEFUL FIASCO TONIGHT, BUT I KNOW ONLY ONE WILL VOTE THE WAY WARREN COUNTY DESERVES. I WISH I COULD SAY THAT I'M SURPRISED THAT THE RECKLESS GOVERNANCE BY FOUR OUT OF FIVE OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD WHO HAVE NEGLECTED THEIR DUTY AS ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES AND FAILED TO SERVE THE GENUINE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR COMMUNITY ALL OVER SOME LGBTQ PLUS BOOKS. THOSE BOOKS, OUR LIBRARY AND THE LGBTQ PLUS HUMAN BEINGS IN WARREN COUNTY ARE NOT THE ONES TRYING TO ROB IT OF ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE THAT WE INVESTED IN TOGETHER OR WASTE AN OUTRAGEOUS YET UNTOLD NUMBER OF WARREN COUNTY TAXPAYER DOLLARS. HAPPY PRIDE MONTH Y'ALL MEANS ALL PLEASE. NEXT UP IS BILL GRU. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS BILL GRU AND I LIVE IN THE FORK DISTRICT. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. MY COMMENTS ARE DIRECTED TO THE FOUR SUPERVISORS WHO HAVE NOT COMPLETED SUPERVISOR TRAINING. THE SAMUEL'S LIBRARY PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP HAS SERVED WARREN COUNTY EXCEPTIONALLY WELL FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS. LAST NOVEMBER, YOUR LIBRARY REPORT ACCUSED SAMUEL'S LIBRARY OF BEING TOO EXPENSIVE. THEN YOU TOOK ACTION TO END THE SAMUEL'S LIBRARY PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP CALLING YOUR LIBRARY PARTNER A MERE VENDOR THAT COULD BE CANCELED AS EASY AS NETFLIX TODAY. AFTER THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND THOUSANDS OF HOURS SPENT OVER THE PAST SEVEN MONTHS BY YOURSELVES, YOUR LAWYERS, YOUR LIBRARY PARTNER, COUNTY EMPLOYEES, AND CONCERNED [00:30:02] CITIZENS, NOW YOU ARE GONNA SIGN A CONTRACT WITH A FOR-PROFIT LIBRARY COMPANY THAT WILL COST THE COUNTY MORE FOR LIBRARY SERVICES. CLEARLY THE SAMUELS LIBRARY PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IS NOT TOO EXPENSIVE AND FOR THE PAST SEVEN MONTHS, YOU HAVE BEEN LYING THROUGH YOUR TEETH. LYING THROUGH YOUR TEETH MEANS TO LIE WITHOUT SHAME OR HESITATION WHILE APPEARING. TO BE SINCERE, THE LIAR IS UNCONCERNED WITH THE TRUTH AND IS CONFIDENTLY TELLING A LIE EVEN THOUGH IT IS OBVIOUSLY FALSE. OBVIOUSLY SAMUEL'S LIBRARY PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IS AFFORDABLE TODAY AND A GREAT VALUE FOR THE FUTURE. EVERY TAXPAYER DOLLAR THAT OUR WORLD CLASS NON-PROFIT LIFE LIBRARY RECEIVES IS SPENT ON LIBRARY SERVICES IN WARREN COUNTY. YOUR FOR-PROFIT COMPANY WILL SUCK HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PROFITS OUT OF WARREN COUNTY. THAT IS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THAT ARE NOT SPENT ON LIBRARY SERVICES. ADDITIONALLY, OUR NONPROFIT LIBRARY BRINGS IN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN GRANTS, DONATIONS AND VOLUNTEERS, WHICH ARE THE EXTRA RESOURCES NEEDED TO MAKE SAMUELS A WORLD CLASS LIBRARY. YOUR FOR-PROFIT LIBRARY WILL NOT HAVE THESE EXTRA RESOURCES AND YOUR FOR-PROFIT LIBRARY WILL NEVER BE WORLD CLASS. SAMUEL'S LIBRARY IS THE FINEST THING THAT WE HAVE IN WARREN COUNTY. DON'T YOU THINK THE CITIZENS OF WARREN COUNTY DESERVE TO HAVE A WORLD CLASS AWARD-WINNING LIBRARY? NEXT UP IS LEE MEADOWS. LEE MEADOWS HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT. AS I PAID MY TAXES TO TOWN AND COUNTY LAST WEEK, I WAS REMINDED OF THE SAYING NOTHING IS FREE IN THIS WORLD. WE AS TAXPAYERS PAY FOR PUBLIC SERVICES, THE BOARD HAS CLAIMED TO WANT TO SAVE TAXPAYERS MONEY AND HAVE KEPT THE REAL ESTATE TAX LEVEL, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE HANDICAPPING ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT THE COUNTY PROVIDES. IT ALSO LOOKS LIKE SOME OF YOU HAVE DECIDED THAT YOU'RE GOING TO PROMOTE SCHEMES FOR NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN WARREN COUNTY WITH A RUSH TO IMPLEMENTATION. KIND OF MAKES ME THINK OF JENNIFER MCDONALD. THINGS THAT SEEM LIKE GREAT IDEAS ON THE SURFACE, LIKE DOING AWAY WITH ROLLBACK TAXES OR IMPLEMENTING A HOMESTEADERS HUB ON COUNTY PROPERTY. BUT WHEN I LOOK DEEPER INTO THESE ACTIONS, I SEE COST TO THE TAXPAYERS THE REMOVAL OF THE ROLLBACK TAX MEANS TWO THINGS. ONE, THE COUNTY GETS LESS TAX REVENUE WHEN AG LAND BECOMES COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL. AND TWO, AG LAND BECOMES MUCH MORE ATTRACTIVE TO DEVELOPERS AND SPECULATORS. IDEALLY, THIS WOULD ATTRACT BUYERS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND TO BE USED, DEVELOPED INTO AN ACCEPTABLE REVENUE PRODUCING TAX PAYING OPERATION. AND THE REDUCED STARTUP EXPENSE MAKES THESE AREAS MORE ATTRACTIVE. YET DOING AWAY WITH THE ROLLBACK TAX FURTHER REDUCES THE TAX REVENUE COMING INTO THE COUNTY. AND THAT ROLLBACK TAX IF PAID, WOULD ACTUALLY HELP ENSURE WARREN COUNTY HAS TAX REVENUES TO OFFER ESSENTIAL SERVICES. THAT TAX ALSO HELPED PRESERVE THE RURAL CHARACTER OF WARREN COUNTY THAT SO MANY PEOPLE FIND ATTRACTIVE THE SPEED TO APPROVE THE CHANGE AND LACK OF THOROUGH DEBATE OVER THE DECISION TO SURPRISE ME AND MADE ME WONDER IF A SUPERVISOR HAD A FRIEND WITH A POTENTIAL LAND DEAL IN THE WORKS. I'M ALSO SURPRISED AT THE SWIFTNESS OF THE HOMESTEAD HUB IDEA COMING TO THE BOARD AND THEN BEING ACTED ON TONIGHT. WHY THE RUSH? WHEN I LOOK AT THE IDEA, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT DEF, IT DEFINITELY HAS POTENTIAL, BUT THERE ARE KEY QUESTIONS THAT AREN'T ANSWERED AND ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSED PLAN THAT HAVEN'T BEEN FULLY DEVELOPED. WHAT ARE THE ASSOCIATED COSTS TO IMPLEMENTING THIS SAFELY AND HOW DOES THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE BENEFIT FROM IT? WILL MONEY COME BACK TO THE COUNTY AND REVENUE FROM THIS VENTURE? OR ARE TAXPAYERS PROVIDING SERVICES YET AGAIN WITH OUR TAX MONEY TO A LIMITED GROUP THAT SEEMS TO HAVE A SUPERVISOR ACTING STRICTLY ON THEIR BEHALF? WHY ISN'T A TOURISM MANAGER OVERSEEING THIS PROJECT AND ENSURING THAT IT IS IMPLEMENTED SAFELY AND IN THE MOST COST EFFICIENT WAY POSSIBLE? TO ME, THAT WOULD BE THE IDEAL COUNTY EMPLOYEE TO HEAD UP A PROJECT LIKE THIS AND MAKE SURE IT WAS DONE RIGHT IF WE HAD ONE, BUT IT WAS MADE VERY CLEAR BY THIS BOARD THAT THEY WOULD NOT RUSH FILLING THAT POSITION UNTIL A NEW COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR WAS IN PLACE. SO WHY RUSH THIS PROJECT AND WHO'S OVERSEEING [00:35:01] IT? WHY IS THIS BEING PUT ON COUNTY PROPERTY WHERE THERE ISN'T A SECURE AREA OR SAFE EGRESS FOR TRAFFIC INSTEAD OF BEING DIRECTED TO A LOCATION, MORE SUITED FOR HANDLING TRAFFIC FLOW ON REGULARLY MAINTAINED LAND WHERE THERE WOULD BE 24 HOUR OVERSIGHT LIKE MAYBE WARREN COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS WHERE THEY ALREADY HAVE ESTABLISHED FACILITY AND SECURE GROUNDS. HAS ANYONE REACHED OUT TO SEE? THANK YOU MA'AM. IF THEY MIGHT BE WILLING. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT UP IS SAMANTHA. GOOD. HI, I'M SAMANTHA. GOOD. I'M FROM THE SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT, THANKFULLY SUPERVISOR JAMESON. YOU'VE LIVED HERE WHAT, 10 YEARS YOU WON YOUR SEAT WITH 1,420 VOTES AND NOW YOU GET THINK THAT YOU GET TO BURN DOWN ONE OF THE OLDEST PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS IN VIRGINIA. HOW DARE YOU. YOU ARE THE ONLY NAME ON THE BALLOT AND STILL 646 PEOPLE WROTE SOMEONE ELSE IN. THAT'S NEARLY A THIRD OF YOUR OWN DISTRICT SAYING ANY ONE BUT YOU. YOU GOT 1,420 VOTES, LESS THAN 20% OF YOUR DISTRICT AND JUST 3% OF THIS COUNTY IF THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL REPRESENTATIVE. YOUR STANDARD IS GARBAGE LIKE THE REST OF THIS BOARD EXCEPT CHERYL COLORS. YOU ARE NOT FROM HERE. YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER CITY TRANSPLANT WHO THINKS YOU'VE GOT THE RIGHT TO REWRITE A PLACE YOU BARELY KNOW. YOU DIDN'T BUILD THIS COMMUNITY. YOU JUST SHOWED UP AND STARTED SWINGING A WRECKING BALL. WHERE WAS ALL THIS CONCERN ABOUT GOVERNANCE WHEN CHRISTEN COLLEGE WAS DUMPING SEWAGE INTO THE SHENANDOAH? NO PUSH FOR OVERSIGHT. NO ACCOUNTABILITY, NOTHING BUT A PUBLIC LIBRARY THAT HANDS OUT BOOKS. THAT'S YOUR LINE IN THE SAND. SAMUEL'S LIBRARY WAS FOUNDED IN 1799. IT'S OLDER THAN MOST TOWNS. IT'S SURVIVED WARS, DEPRESSIONS, AND GENERATIONS OF CHANGE. AND NOW IT'S BEING TORCHED BY A BOARD THAT JUST GOT HERE. IT'LL SURVIVE YOU TOO. YOU TRIED TO SMEAR SAVE SAMUEL'S LIBRARY PACK BY TWISTING THE NUMBERS AGAIN RECENTLY. SO HERE'S THE TRUTH, YOU LEFT OUT 117 TOTAL DONORS 96 FROM WARREN COUNTY, 83% GAVE UNDER A HUNDRED DOLLARS WITH THE AVERAGE DONATION OF $64 AND 30 CENTS. THAT'S NOT OUTSIDE INFLUENCE. THAT'S WARREN COUNTY SHOWING UP BECAUSE YOU FAILED TO. AND HERE'S THE PART THAT REALLY STINGS SAVE. SAMUELS HAS MORE ACTIVE MEMBERS IN WARREN COUNTY THAN YOU HAD VOTERS IN YOUR ENTIRE ELECTION. 20 TO 30 SUPPORTERS. LOOK AT THIS ROOM PLEASE. YOU MOCK THE PUBLIC. YOU CALL COMMUNITY VOICES. FACEBOOK NOISE. YOU ACT LIKE YOU'RE TOO IMPORTANT TO BE QUESTIONED. BUT HERE'S THE TRUTH, YOU'RE NOT FEARED, YOU'RE NOT RESPECTED, YOU'RE NOT EVEN TOLERATED ANYMORE. YOU'RE NOT A LEADER. YOU'RE JUST THE CLOWN WHO SLIPPED THROUGH WHILE NO ONE WAS LOOKING. PLEASE. NEXT UP IS BOB HILL. ROBERT HILL, THE FORKS. A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO I WAS INVITED TO A SUPERVISORY MEETING, WHICH WASN'T REALLY A SUPERVISORY MEETING. IT WAS A MEETING IN WHICH SOME OF THE MEMBERS HAD TO TALK ABOUT THEIR GOALS AND HOW THEY PERFORM TOWARD THEIR GOALS. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT ONE INDIVIDUAL WHO HAD AS HIS NUMBER ONE GOAL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEW HOSPITAL HAD AN O-B-G-Y-N SERVICE. HIS LEAST IMPORTANT GOAL WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT HE CONTROLLED MONEY. I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. MR. JAMISON, I UNDERSTAND YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE A NEW SKATING RINK. WHAT'S THE COST OF THE BUILDING THAT SKATING RINK AND IS IT A YEAR-ROUND RINK? BY THE WAY, HAS ANYBODY ON THIS BOARD EXPLAINED TO THE COMMUNITY HOW THIS FOR-PROFIT LIBRARY IS GOING TO BE RUN? WHAT? YOU KNOW, AS I UNDERSTAND, WE HAD A MEETING ABOUT ABOUT HOW TO DIVIDE SUBDIVISIONS. THERE WERE RULES. ONE OF THE RULES IS A BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SHOULD BE EXPLAINING TO THE COMMUNITY EXPENSES SHOULD BE WATCHING OVER THE EXPENSES. WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THIS TOWN, ONE OF THE MARVELS WAS THAT MY HOUSE THAT I PURCHASED WAS NOT LISTED PROPERLY AND [00:40:01] I ALLOWED AN ASSESSOR TO COME IN TO LOOK AT THE HOUSE. AND I CAME TO THAT MEETING AND I ASKED A QUESTION, HOW FREQUENTLY ARE HOUSES WITHIN THIS COMMUNITY MODIFIED WITHOUT PERMITS? AND I SAID, HEY, THAT'S REVENUE. YOU GUYS LET GO. YOU KNOW, I'M TIRED OF LIVING IN THIS COMMUNITY AND WONDERING WHAT YOU DO BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T SERVE US THE TAXPAYERS. IT'S SHAMEFUL. NEXT UP IS BETHANY O'NEILL. HELLO, I'M BETHANY O'NEILL FROM THE NORTH RIVER DISTRICT. I, ALONG WITH MANY PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, HAVE BEEN SPEAKING AT MEETINGS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS IN SUPPORT OF SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY. AND HERE WE ARE WITH SAMUEL, STILL UNDER ATTACK. BUT THIS VOTE TONIGHT TAKES IT TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. FIRST AND FOREMOST, IF YOU VOTE TO SIGN THE CONTRACT WITH ELLIS AND S, YOU'RE ACTING IN LEGAL DEFIANCE. IT SEEMS OBVIOUS YOU HAVE A NEGLECTIVE DUTY RESULTING IN IGNORING URGENT NEEDS IN THIS COUNTY WHILE CHASING A PERSONAL AGENDA. OUR SCHOOLS ARE UNDERFUNDED. OUR SHERIFF AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE BEGGING FOR SUPPORT. BUT YOU'RE READY TO WASTE OVER $600,000 OF TAXPAYER MONEY ON A FANTASY CONTRACT. AND ILLEGAL FIGHT INCOMPETENCE MEANS SIGNING A CONTRACT WITH NO PLAN, NO BUILDING, AND NO ACCESS TO THE COLLECTION. SAMUELS HAS 14 YEARS LEFT ON THEIR LEASE. THIS ISN'T A TRANSITION, IT'S A SETUP FOR FAILURE. AND YOU'RE HANDING TAXPAYERS THE BILL MISUSE OF OFFICE IS DOING THE BIDDING OF A SMALL OUTSIDE FACTION AND LYING TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT KIDS AND TRANSPARENCY. SAMUELS HAS DONE EVERYTHING YOU'VE REQUESTED OF THEM. MOVED BOOKS, NEW CARDS, A LINE ITEM BUDGET. THEY EVEN SENT YOU A NEW MOA IN A FLAT FUNDED BUDGET THAT'S COMING TO THE TABLE. THIS DIDN'T START WITH TRANSPARENCY. IT STARTED WHEN A FEW PEOPLE YOU HELPED ORGANIZE DIDN'T LIKE BOOKS AND WANTED TO CONTROL WHAT THE REST OF US COULD READ. WHAT REALLY MADE YOU MAD? A PUBLIC LIBRARY THAT DIDN'T BEND TO YOUR BIGOTRY. YOU WANT TRANSPARENCY. THIS CONTRACT WITH LS AND S GIVES YOU THE OPPOSITE. IT'S A PRIVATE FOR-PROFIT COMPANY, NOT SUBJECT TO FOIA, NO LINE ITEM BUDGET, NO PUBLIC OVERSIGHT. THEY ANSWER TO INVESTORS HIDING BEHIND CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. BUT THE PART THAT I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED THAT GETS ME THE MOST IS THERE IS NO BUILDING AND NO BOOKS. A FOR-PROFIT COMPANY WITH NO BUILDING AND NO BOOKS, NO BUILDING AND NO BOOKS. BUT HERE'S WHAT YOU DIDN'T COUNT ON THIS COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER. WE'VE PACKED THESE MEETINGS, WE'VE CALLED, WE'VE WRITTEN, WE'VE DONATED. SOME OF US ARE DEMOCRATS, SOME ARE REPUBLICANS. SOME NEVER CARED ABOUT POLITICS AT ALL, BUT WHAT WE SAW, BUT WE SAW WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND WE'RE NOT LETTING YOU ERASE 225 YEARS OF WARREN COUNTY HISTORY. HERE'S THE ASK TO THE PUBLIC TONIGHT VOTE IN THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY ON JUNE 17TH FOR HUGH HENRY AND TONY CARTER ARE SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY FRIENDLY CANDIDATES. IT'S OUR ONE SHOT TO STOP THIS MADNESS. IT'S SO TERRIBLY SAD THAT WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO DO. YOU'RE GOING TO SIGN LS AND SLS AND S CONTRACT ANYWAY, MINUS MS COLORS, BUT DON'T PRETEND IT'S FOR THE PEOPLE. AND THE PEOPLE ARE STANDING RIGHT HERE TONIGHT TELLING YOU NO. NEXT STEP IS JOHN JENKINS. YES. YEP. MR. JENKINS. UH, JOHN JENKINS. YES. JOHN JENKINS, SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT. UH, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, UH, THIS IS A SAD DAY IN WARREN COUNTY AND A SAD DAY FOR DEMOCRACY WHEN FOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS CAN VIOLATE A SWOT OATH TO SUPPORT THEIR CONSTITUENTS WHEN THEY'RE ALLOWED TO VIOLATE THE COUNTY AND STATE CODES WHEN THEY'RE ALLOWED TO APPOINT A BIAS PREJUDICE LIBRARY BOARD WHO OPENLY OPPOSED THE LIBRARY WITH ONE AGENDA. AND THAT WAS TO DESTROY SAMUELS PUBLIC LIBRARY. MEMBERS WHO MADE MEMBERS OF THAT SAME BOARD WERE ABLE TO GO OUT AND FIND RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT THE LIBRARY BOARD VIOLATED AS FAR AS MEETINGS, AGENDAS, UH, MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS. AND YET THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND OR UNABLE TO RECOGNIZE OUR OWN VIOLATIONS OF THE COUNTY CODE AND THEIR INTERFERENCE WITH THE PURCHASING OF, UH, OF, UH, THIS LIBRARY BOARD TO SELECT, UH, PROPOSALS FROM IT. USING YOUR EXECUTIVE POWER TO SHAME SAME REPUBLIC LIBRARY WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN. YOU'LL BE REMEMBERED AS THE WORST ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SERVE ON THE WARREN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. [00:45:02] IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO TAR AND FEATHER YOU AND HAVE YOU DRUG OUT OF TOWN WITH A WARREN COUNTY SHERIFF ESCORT, I WOULD ASK FOR THAT BE DONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M FINISHED. . NEXT UP IS JULIETTA HERNANDEZ . HELLO, MY NAME IS JU HERNANDEZ AND I AM RESIDING IN THE FORK DISTRICT. I COME TO TALK TO YOU ALL HERE ON A HUMAN LEVEL. I HAVE COME TO THESE MEETINGS BEFORE AND ME AND MANY O OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED WHY THIS LIBRARY IS SO IMPORTANT TO US. AND I HAVE NOT FOUND IT SURPRISING AND DISAPPOINTING TO FIND OTHER, UH, RESULTS AT THE END OF THE MEETINGS EITHER WAY. UM, I COME TO TELL YOU THAT I DO FIND IT INSANITY THAT YOU ALL ARE MAKING THIS DECISION TO GUT ONE OF THE BEST LEARNING INSTITUTIONS THAT HAS TOUCHED MANY LIVES, INCLUDING MINE, AND HAS ALSO CAUSED AN INSANE COMMUNITY DIVIDE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY THAT I'VE COME BACK TO. THERE ARE MANY OTHER ISSUES IN THIS TOWN, INCLUDING KIDS SMOKING CIGARETTES, VAPING, THERE'S SO MANY ISSUES, AND A LOT OF THESE KIDS COULD HAVE THAT LIBRARY AS AN OUTLET, BUT WITH A CENSORSHIP LEADING TO THIS INSANE CHOICE TO, TO JUST FUND IT OFF TO SOMEONE THAT ISN'T EVEN IN OUR STATE. SURPRISES ME TO MOST OF YOU TONIGHT. TO JOHN STAN MAYER, TO JEROME BUTLER, TO RICHARD JAMESON AND TO VICKI COOK. I AM DISAPPOINTED, BUT I ALSO WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW AS WELL THAT THIS WILL BE REMEMBERED IN HISTORY, THE DECISION THAT YOU MAKE, AND NONE OF US WILL FORGET IT. THAT INCLUDES THE NEXT GENERATION AS WELL. THE ERRORS OF TODAY WILL BE CLEARED BY THE NEXT GENERATION, BUT IT'S GONNA BE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE FOR US TO FIX THIS MESS BECAUSE OF WHAT I KNOW YOU GUYS WILL VOTE FOR TONIGHT. I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW, TO BE AWARE THAT WE SEE THE DECISION THAT YOU'RE MAKING, AND I HOPE YOU SEE ALL OF US WHO ARE ASKING YOU TO NOT MAKE THIS DECISION. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. SINK SUB TYRA. BUT I GUESS THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS APPLY. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS JACKIE AND MARCELA, UH, JACKIE ELA, UM, HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT. UH, MA'AM, WOULD YOU PLEASE SILENCE? WHAT? WHATEVER THAT IS. SORRY. THANK YOU. DO YOU WANT ME TO START OVER? YES, PLEASE. OKAY. WOULD YOU START, WOULD YOU START HER TIME OVER AGAIN? OKAY. THANK YOU. JACKIE ELLA, HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT. UM, SO YOU COULD HAVE ALL JUST SAID THE QUIET PART OUT LOUD THAT YOU HATE ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOU, LOVE, LIKE YOU, AND BELIEVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN MORE HONEST THAN THE CIRCUS YOU'VE BEEN PUTTING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH. INSTEAD, YOU'VE CREATED CHAOS, YOU BULLIED LIBRARIANS, YOU PUSHED OUT PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO RUN THE PLACE, AND NOW YOU'RE ABOUT TO HAND OVER A PUBLIC SERVICE TO A FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION THAT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A PLACE TO OPERATE FROM. LET'S RECAP. THE COUNTY'S STILL UNDER A LEASE WITH SAMUELS FOR 14 MORE YEARS, LS AND S WON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE BOOKS. COMPUTERS ARE FURNITURE AND THERE'S NO EFFECTIVE START DATE BECAUSE THERE'S NO PUBLIC LIBRARY BUILDING FOR THEM TO USE. ALSO, WHY ARE WE SPENDING MONEY WHEN YOU HAVEN'T EVEN DONE YOUR AUDIT YET, BUT SURE, SIGN THE CONTRACT, PAY THE PENALTY, LIGHT MORE OF OUR MONEY ON FIRE. WE KNOW YOU WILL, EXCEPT FOR SUPERVISOR COLORS, WHO SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY ONE ON THIS BOARD WITH A CONSCIENCE. THIS ISN'T LEADERSHIP. IT'S BIGOTRY WRAPPED IN BUREAUCRACY. AND MAYBE I'M SCREAMING INTO THE VOID RIGHT NOW, BUT I JUST WANT IT ON RECORD. THIS ISN'T ABOUT THE LIBRARY, IT'S ABOUT CONTROL, ABOUT PUNISHING PEOPLE WHO DARE EXIST OUT OF YOUR NARROW WORLDVIEW. YOU'RE NOT PROTECTING KIDS, YOU'RE POLICING LIVES. AND I HOPE SOMEDAY THE HARM YOU'VE CAUSED WILL KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT. BUT LET'S BE REAL, IT WON'T. NEXT UP IS SUE LAWRENCE. GOOD EVENING. I'M SUE LAWRENCE WITH THE, UH, NORTH RIVER DISTRICT. WHEN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BREAKS INTO THE REGULAR CHORUS OF FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT, LIKE IT'S THE COUNTY'S NEW THEME SONG, YOU START TO WONDER DO THEY ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? OR THEY JUST REALLY INTO SHOUTING BUZZWORDS LIKE THEY'RE ON A POLITICAL GAME SHOW. HERE'S A QUICK REFRESHER FOR THOSE PLAYING ALONG AT HOME. FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT MEANS KEEPING AN EYE ON MONEY, MAKING SURE IT'S NOT GETTING FUNNELED INTO SHADY BACKROOM DEALS OR PERSONAL ENDORSEMENTS. IT MEANS USING TAX DOLLARS RESPONSIBLY. NOVEL CONCEPT I KNOW. AND YET FOR MONTHS NOW, WE'VE BEEN TOLD WITH THE SAME BREATHLESS BREATHLESS DRAMA [00:50:01] AS A REALITY TV REVEAL THAT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY HASN'T BEEN TRANSPARENT WITH ITS FINANCES SCANDAL. BUT WAIT, BUT WAIT, I LOST MY PAGE SO I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS. IT'S OKAY. UH, , BUT WAIT. VICKI COOK SAT AT THE LIBRARY BOARD FOR A LONG WHILE. SO EITHER A, SHE SAW SOMETHING SHADY AND SAID NOTHING, OR SHE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON AT ALL. LET'S BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHY WE'RE HERE. THIS ISN'T ABOUT BUDGETS, IT'S ABOUT RETRIBUTION. THIS ISN'T ABOUT JAMESON. THIS IS ABOUT JAMESON'S RESPONSE TO A PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD THAT DECLINED TO HAND HIM A CONTROLLING SEAT AT THE TABLE. THAT LIBRARY BOARD STOOD FIRM IN ITS DUTY TO UPHOLD LIBRARY INDEPENDENCE AND REJECT UE INFLUENCE. AND NOW WE'RE WATCHING AN ATTEMPTED END RUN AROUND THE REFUSAL. ONE THAT PUNISHES THE PUBLIC FOR THE TRUSTEE'S INTEGRITY. THAT'S NOT GOVERNANCE. THAT'S A GRUDGE. THIS CONTRACT WILL COST TAXPAYERS AT LEAST 250,000. THAT'S A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN. YOU MIGHT AS WELL THROW IT IN A WOOD CHIPPER LABELED COUNTY MISTAKES ADD TO THE PILE. HONESTLY, TOSS IT ON TOP OF THE JLL TOURISM DEBACLE THAT COST US OVER 600,000 AND ROSE MARSHMALLOWS OVER THE SMOLDERING SMOLDERING RUINS OF COMMON SENSE. THIS IS AN OVERSIGHT. THIS IS LACK OF SIGHT BLIND DECISION MAKING AT ITS BEST. AND THAT LSS UNSOLICITED PROPOSALS SENT DIRECTLY TO ERIC BELK. LIKE A ATOR. YEAH, SURE. TOTALLY RANDOM. JUST LIKE HOW I ACCIDENTALLY END UP WITH COOKIES EVERY TIME. WALK PAST A BAKERY, EVEN IF OUR AMAZING LIBRARY VOLUNTEERS HANG IN THERE, WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL BE IN THE LSS BUDGET AND WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE LOSING SERVICES, PROGRAMS, COMMUNITY TRUST, AND HOW MUCH LOCAL CONTROL ARE WE HANDING OVER WHEN THIS CONTRACT GETS SIGNED? SPOILER ALERT, THEY DON'T GIVE OVERSIGHT TO THE BOS. ALSO, REMEMBER HOW THE APPOINTMENT OF THE NEW WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD SHOULD HAVE TRIGGERED A PUBLIC HEARING. YEAH, THAT NEVER HAPPENED. APPARENTLY TRANSPARENCY IS SOMETHING THIS BOARD ONLY DEMANDS OF OTHERS. STRONG LIBRARIES BUILD STRONG COMMUNITIES, BUT STRONG COMMUNITIES CAN ONLY EXIST WHEN THEIR INSTITUTIONS REMAIN IN PUBLIC HANDS ACCOUNTABLE, TRANSPARENT, AND PROTECTED FROM PRIVATE AGENDAS. STRONG COMMUNITIES DON'T SELL OUT THEIR LIBRARIES TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER. THIS BOARD HAS A CHOICE. UPHOLD PUBLIC TRUST. THANK YOU MA'AM. WILL PRIVATIZE IT FOR THE SAKE OF ONE PERSON'S FOOT DATA PLEASE. THANK YOU MA'AM. CHASE THE PUBLIC. THAT'S ALL FOR THE FIRST LIST, SIR. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO [F. Reports - Board Members, County Administrator, County Attorney] NEXT IS THE, UH, REPORTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS. WE'LL START WITH MS. COOK. I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT. UH, MAY 22ND. I MET WITH A REPRESENTATIVE OF A PROSPECTIVE DEVELOPER ON RELIANCE ROAD. UH, THEY'RE LOOKING AT A POSSIBILITY OF A BY RIGHT CLUSTER SUBDIVISION WITH 38 HOMES. UH, THERE WOULD BE NO REZONING OR, OR ORDINANCE REQUEST ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT. MAY 26TH WAS MEMORIAL DAY, ATTENDED THE COMMEMORATION AT THE COURTHOUSE. UM, ON THE 28TH, I ATTENDED A DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, UH, REVIEW MEETING VIA ZOOM AND ALSO THAT AFTERNOON ATTENDED THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MEET COMMITTEE MEETING ON, UH, WE GOT A REPORT ON A NEW SET OF OPTIONS FOR POSSIBLE LONG-TERM PLANS TO ADDRESS THE SKYLINE IN WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS COURTS. THANK YOU, SIR. MS. KOHLERS? UH, YES, MAY 21ST. I ATTENDED THE SAMUELS LIBRARY QUESTION, AN ANSWER, UH, FORUM, MAY 24TH. I ATTENDED THE DOGS OF WAR EVENT AT THE HUMANE SOCIETY, AND THEN I WENT UP TO THE GAZEBO FOR THE SALUTE TO SERVICE, UM, WHICH WAS A, A REALLY NICE, BOTH OF THOSE REALLY NICE EVENTS. UM, CONTINUED TO TRY TO GET DOWN TO THE FARMER'S MARKET, WHICH GROWS, UM, EACH SUNDAY AT THE GAZEBO. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN, THEY'RE OPEN FROM NINE TO TWO. UM, A LOT OF GOOD THINGS THERE TO LOOK AT AND PURCHASE MAY 26TH. I ATTENDED THE MEMORIAL DAY EVENT ON THE COURTHOUSE LAWN. ANOTHER VERY NICE, UH, EVENT TO REMEMBER OUR, THE PEOPLE THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ALL OF US TO BE HERE AND ENJOY OUR FREEDOMS. UM, MAY 28TH, I ATTENDED THE JOINT COUNTY AND SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING LIKE MR. JAMESON WAS SAYING. UM, COACH BROWN PRESENTED, UM, THE CONDITION OF THE TENNIS COURTS AND THE PLAN FOR REPAIRING THEM. UH, MR. HELME GAVE AN UPDATE ON THE SUMMER JOB LIST TO GET THE BUILDINGS READY FOR THE RETURN OF THE 25 26 SCHOOL YEAR. AND THEN I STAYED AND ATTENDED THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING THAT FOLLOWED THAT MAY 29TH. WE HAD THE TOWN COUNTY, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE MEETING. WE HAD DISCUSSION ON [00:55:01] VARIOUS ISSUES THAT CONCERN BOTH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY AS FAR AS, UM, OUR ROAD SYSTEM AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, ITEMS VDOT DIDN'T, UH, ATTEND, BUT, UM, WE DID HAVE SHERIFF KLEIN AND LIEUTENANT GLADYS THERE. WE GOT A BIT OF AN UPDATE ON THE THOMASON HOLLOW WHERE, UM, WE, UM, HAVE DECIDED TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF CHANGING OF THE SIGNS THAT ARE THERE, AND I'LL GO INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE. THEY, WE REMOVED ALL THE SIGNS ON ONE SIDE OF THE STREET OR THE ROAD, MOVED THEM OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE. UM, THERE'S GONNA BE A SMALL AREA BEFORE THE LAST DRIVE, UH, WAY ON THE RIGHT WHERE YOU, YOU CAN'T PARK RIGHT UP CLOSE TO THAT. AND WE'RE IN THE WORKS OF GETTING TOWING SIGNS SO THAT EVERYBODY'S WELL AWARE. IF YOU PARK WHERE IT SAYS NO PARKING, YOU'RE POSSIBLY GONNA GET YOUR VEHICLE TOWED. UM, THAT'S NOT UNUSUAL. OR JUST AT THOMPSON HOLLOW. I THINK ANYBODY THAT'S PROBABLY EVER PARKED WHERE YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO, MAY HAVE BEEN TOWED AT ONE POINT IN YOUR LIFE. UM, MAY 30TH, UH, ATTENDED A ROUTE TO TABLE EVENT AT ANO. SHELLY COOK'S PLACE OUT ON SIX 19 WHERE FARMERS BRING IN THE FOOD, UH, FARMERS AND HOMESTEADERS FROM AROUND THE AREA AND THE FOOD FOR THE NIGHT IS PREPARED FOR THAT. AND THEN THEY, EACH FARMER HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY RESOURCE THE FOOD AND ABOUT THEIR FARM. AND HOMESTEADING BUSINESS WAS A REALLY NICE EVENT. UM, TODAY I MET WITH, UM, HARMONY HIKE AND THAT THEY HAVE WHAT'S CALLED HIKES KIDS, WHERE THEY'RE DOING A FUNDRAISER DUELING DISCO. IT'S PLANNED FOR JUNE 27TH. UM, IF YOU CAN GO ONLINE, I THINK, I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT ADDRESS, BUT IF, I THINK IF YOU PUT IN HIKES KIDS, YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IT. THEY'RE TRYING TO, UM, DO A FUNDRAISER TO SUPPORT KIDS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. IT'S A REALLY GOOD EVENT. UM, THERE'S EIGHT OR SO, UH, LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS IN TOWN AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT THAT ARE ALL GOING TO BE DOING SOME DISCO DANCING FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND. SO, UM, AND YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND VOTE FOR THEM. SO THAT'S, UM, A GOOD AND WORTHY EVENT TO, TO BE A PART OF. I WANTED, UM, THE WEEK OF MAY 18TH THROUGH THE 24TH. I DIDN'T KNOW IT AT THE TIME, BUT THAT WAS PUBLIC WORKS NATIONAL, UH, RECOGNITION WEEK. SO MY APOLOGIES FOR MISSING THAT IF ANYBODY FROM PUBLIC WORKS IS HERE. BUT I WANTED TO THANK MR. BARRY, TRAVIS JONES AND DONNA SHACKLEFORD AND THEIR TEAMS FOR ALL THEY DO. JUNE 2ND THROUGH THE EIGHTH IS NATIONAL CHILD SAFETY WEEK. SO WE ALL NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT AND NOT JUST DURING THIS WEEK. ALSO THIS WEEK IT'S NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK. SO FOR ALL YOU VOLUNTEERS OUT THERE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR VOLUNTEER WORK. UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO PUT A SHOUT OUT TO, UH, THE SKYLINE, THE RAPPAHANNOCK SKYLINE IN WARREN COUNTY REGIONAL JAIL FOR MOWING. IF ANYBODY GOES OUT, UH, THREE 40 SOUTH, UH, IT, YOU COULDN'T SEE THE DEER VERY WELL THERE FOR A WHILE, BUT THEY MOWED AND IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD. SO I WANTED TO GIVE THEM A SHOUT OUT. ALSO. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, MR. ACK, WHO KEPT, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF STILL HERE, BUT THERE WAS A WATER RESCUE TODAY. AND THANKFULLY THE PERSON, UM, WAS SAVED. SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR FIRE AND RESCUE WATER, UH, RESCUE TEAM AND LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT DEALT WITH THAT. UM, THAT'S A HAPPY ENDING. SO ANYBODY THAT GETS ON THE RIVER, JUST ESPECIALLY WHEN THE RIVER HAS BEEN UP, YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DRIFT. THE TREES AND THINGS THAT GET PICKED UP AND THEN DEPOSITED OR AROUND THE WAY YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY HAVE CANOED THAT PART OF THE RIVER A THOUSAND TIMES, BUT AFTER A FLOOD IT'S DIFFERENT. SO JUST BE AWARE, KEEP YOUR LIFE VEST ON AND BE AWARE OF THAT. THEN I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS, UM, THAT HAVE COME UP IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. UM, YOU KNOW, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD FIVE AND A HALF YEARS, I'VE TAKEN MY POSITION AS THE SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT SUPERVISOR VERY SERIOUSLY. I, I TEND TO OVER SERIOUS THINGS BY MYSELF, AND I'VE TRIED TO BE RESPECTFUL, PROFESSIONAL, AND, AND TO REPRESENT SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT IN WARREN COUNTY TO THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY. AND I UNDERSTOOD WHEN, UM, MY UNWILLINGNESS TO AGREE WITH MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS ON THE COURSE OF ACTION AGAINST SAMUEL'S LIBRARY, THAT THAT WAS PROBABLY GONNA CAUSE A RIFT BETWEEN US. UM, BUT THAT SHOULDN'T MEAN THAT WE CAN'T WORK COOPERATIVELY ON OTHER ISSUES. AND I CAN ALSO SEE VOICING MY THOUGHTS ON THE DIRECTION OF IMPORTANT ITEMS AS I'M DOING NOW IS FROWNED UPON BY SOME. AND, UM, BUT I WOULDN'T BE REPRESENTING THE [01:00:01] PEOPLE IF I SIT HERE SILENT, WHICH I JUST CAN'T DO AND I'M LISTENING. UH, I'M WILLING TO LISTEN AND WORK WITHOUT ANYONE. I BELIEVE IT'S OUR JOB. AND TO CAN LISTEN AND CONSIDER WHAT EVERYONE HAS TO SAY EVEN WHEN THEY'RE LESS THAN THE RESPECTFUL AND THE DELIVERY OF THEIR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS. I DO HEAR BETTER WHEN PEOPLE, WE HAVE A CONVERSATION THAT'S CIVIL. BUT THAT BEING SAID, I I WANTED TO ADDRESS A RECENT FACEBOOK POST, UM, THAT A WARREN COUNTY RESIDENT THAT'S ALSO AN ELECTED OFFICIAL FELT IT NECESSARY TO CALL ME OUT AS A LIAR. SO I WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CLARIFY MY COMMENTS THAT LED TO THAT. UM, BECAUSE I TRY TO BE VERY HONEST IN WHAT I DO. UM, I HAD QUESTIONED STAFF ABOUT THE COST OF WHAT THE LEGAL FEES AND OUR STAFF TIME WAS DEALING WITH THIS ATTACK ON SAMUEL'S LIBRARY. AND I ASKED FOR A BALLPARK AVERAGE, AND I WAS TOLD ABOUT 20 5K FOR BOTH. SO IT WOULD ADD UP TO APPROXIMATELY 50. AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A PR PERSON AT THE TIME THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY A 50. SO THAT I SAID WOULD BE CLOSE TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS SPENT ON THIS. AND THEN I LOOKED OVER AT DR. DALEY AND MR. HAM AND I SAID, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. AND MR. HAM ADVISED ME THAT THAT 20 5K WAS NOT ENTIRELY ON THE LIBRARY BECAUSE HE DIDN'T ITEMIZE IT OUT. UM, THE PARALEGAL HERE DOES THAT. SO MY APOLOGIES IF I PUT OUT WRONG, BUT I DON'T FEEL LIKE I LIED BECAUSE I LOOKED OVER AND SAID, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG AND I WAS CORRECTED. UM, YOU KNOW, BUT THIS MANIPULATION OF THE TRUTH IS JUST NOT HEALTHY FOR THE COMMUNITY AND IT NEEDS TO STOP. UM, AND THEN I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE THOMPSON HOLLOW CONCERN. UM, I, YOU KNOW, I WAS CALLED FROM THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVED THERE WHOSE ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIFE AND LIVING AND SAFETY WERE BEING IMPACTED BY PEOPLE BLOCKING THEM IN FOR HOURS AT A TIME. SO I FACILITATED A MEETING WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS TO TRY AND DISCUSS AND FIND A SOLUTION. AND, UM, THOSE STAKEHOLDERS, I CALLED THE PARK SERVICE AND TALKED TO RANGER MAHONEY ON SEVERAL TIMES, GAVE THAT INFORMATION TO, UM, THE SUPERINTENDENT AS WELL. I DON'T, AND SO WE HAD SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT THERE, THE PROPERTY OWNERS THERE, VDOT THERE. AND I HAVE NO AUTHORITY OVER VDOT OR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IN REGARDS TO ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS PERTAINING TO STATE OWNED ROADS. UM, I DID FIND IT DISTURBING THAT INSTEAD OF CALLING MARY, EMAILING ME WITH HER CONCERNS, MRS. COOKY MADE IT PART OF YOUR REPORT AND SEEMED TO LINE UP WITH MRS. MATTHEWS TO TACKLE MY INTEGRITY AND CREDIBILITY. AND THEN YOU SET UP A MEETING IN THOMPSON HOLLOW WITH THE PARK RANGER AND THANK YOU MR. BUTLER, FOR LETTING ME KNOW, OR I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT, UM, BECAUSE I COULDN'T GO TO SUPERVISORS GOING, THAT WOULD'VE MADE IT A QUORUM. UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA HAVE AN ILLEGAL MEETING. SO, UM, I DID NOTIFY THE RESIDENTS AND SHERIFF KLEIN AND TOLD THEM THEY NEEDED TO BE THERE BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT ME THERE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT REALLY PERSPECTIVE IN UNDERSTANDING YOU WOULD'VE HAD OF THE AREA. SO I, I JUST QUESTIONED THE INTENT THERE OF WHY YOU WOULD MEET WITHOUT HAVING ME THERE. BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE RETURN OF A BOARD THAT COMMUNICATES AND WORKS TOGETHER FOR THE BEST INTEREST AND BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY. THAT EVEN IF WE DON'T AGREE THAT WE DO SO IN A WAY THAT BENEFITS THE CONVERSATION AND THE END RESULTS ARE TO THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. AND THAT WE, AS THE REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS, REMEMBER, WE WORK FOR ALL THE PEOPLE IN OUR DISTRICTS, NOT THE FEW. AND THAT'S MY REPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. I ATTENDED THE RSW REGIONAL JAIL COMMITTEE MEETING ON MAY 22ND. UM, WE PASSED A, AN ANNUAL BUDGET FOR THE JAIL THAT DAY, UH, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS. UM, ALSO RELATED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. I WANTED TO THANK SHERIFF KLEIN, UM, FOR HER, UH, VERY STRONG PRESS RELEASE IN RESPONSE TO THE WRONGFUL DESIGNATION OF THIS COUNTY BY DHS AS A SANCTUARY COUNTY. UM, NOT ONLY THE PRESS RELEASE, BUT ALL THE WORK IN THE MEETINGS AND THE OUTREACH THAT WENT INTO THAT. UM, THIS ISSUE WAS ON MY RADAR AS EARLY AS SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR WHEN THE JAIL WAS ALSO WRONGLY LISTED AS UNCOOPERATIVE WITH NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WITH REGARD TO DETAINER ACCEPTANCE. AND SO WHEN THIS CAME ALONG, AGAIN, I WAS KIND OF INVOLVED IN SOME CHATTER ON FRIDAY, UM, AND ANSWERING CONSTITUENTS ABOUT IT. UH, BUT, UH, OUR, OUR COUNTY IS FULLY COOPERATIVE WITH ICE AND DHS AND THE SHERIFF MADE A STRONG STATEMENT ABOUT THAT. UM, ON, UH, MEMORIAL DAY, UH, MAY 26TH, I ALSO ATTENDED THE, UH, THE CEREMONY AT THE COURTHOUSE, UH, MY THIRD YEAR DOING THAT. AND IT'S A WONDERFUL [01:05:01] FAMILY, UH, PATRIOTIC THING TO HONOR, UH, THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN INTO AND ALSO HONOR ALL THE, THE PEOPLE EVEN WHO ARE STILL SERVING ON THAT DAY. UM, I BELIEVE ALL OF US, OR AT LEAST FOUR OF US WERE THERE. AND, UH, UM, MY, MY FAMILY CAME AND REALLY ENJOYED IT. UM, IT'S, IT'S A REALLY GOOD DAY OF UNITY AND, AND PRIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, SO I'D RECOMMEND NEXT YEAR IF, IF YOU, UH, HAVE THE TIME GO TO THE COURTHOUSE AT NOON ON MEMORIAL DAY. UM, IT'S, IT'S VERY MUCH WORTH IT. UM, ON MAY 29TH, I ATTENDED THE BOX HANGER DISCUSSION, UH, VIRTUALLY, UH, WITH PERSONNEL AT THE AIRPORT. UM, THERE'S, UH, A LOT TO BE EXCITED ABOUT THERE, AND I'LL, I'LL DEFER TO, UH, UH, CHAIRMAN BUTLER, IF YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT. SURE. UM, ON MAY 28TH, I ATTENDED THE TOWN COUNTY TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE, COMMITTEE MEETING AS WELL WITH, UM, WITH MS. COLORS. AND, UH, I WAS VERY PLEASED TO HEAR THE COMPROMISE THAT WAS WORKED OUT, UM, ABOUT THOMPSON HOLLOW. UM, I'M AN AVID HIKER, AND SO FINDING OUT FOR THAT FOR A SHORT TERM, UH, THERE WAS NO PARKING REALLY WITHIN HALF A MILE OF THAT TRAILHEAD FOR, TO THE NATIONAL PARK WAS, UH, CONCERNING TO ME. BUT, UH, I THINK WE'RE IN A GOOD PLACE NOW WHERE, UH, WE KIND OF HAD OVERSHOT THE MARK. UM, WE DO NEED TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S ACCESS AND THE FIRE AND RESCUE'S ACCESS TO THEIR DRIVEWAYS. UM, AND I THINK WE HAVE A VERY GOOD SOLUTION NOW, AND WE WILL SOON HAVE PROPER SIGNAGE SO THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE THAT IT'S A TOWING ZONE. UM, SO, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THAT, UH, INCLUDING THE SHERIFF AND, UH, MS. MS. CULLERS AND, AND OTHER SUPERVISORS AS WELL. UM, DOT AS WELL, UM, UH, ON CONSTITUENT ISSUES. IT'S BEEN A QUIET COUPLE OF WEEKS. UH, I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH ONE, UH, FAMILY ON AN URBAN AGRICULTURE APPLICATION. UM, AND THROUGH THAT IT CAME TO MY ATTENTION THAT WE HAVE PRETTY TIGHT REGULATIONS ABOUT HAVING A ROOSTER. UM, AND, UH, YOU CAN HAVE HANDS PRETTY EASILY, BUT ROOSTERS, UH, IT CAN GET COMPLICATED. I KNOW THEY, IT CAN BE NOISY. UM, I THINK THE TOWN HAS A GOOD PATH FORWARD ON THIS THAT WE MAY WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT EMULATING. UM, AND SO I MAY BE TALKING ABOUT THAT MORE IN THE FUTURE. UM, ROOSTERS ARE REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, TO SUSTAIN AND PROTECT THE FLOCK. UM, AND IT'S PART OF THE AGRICULTURAL, UH, VIBE THAT WE'RE HOPING TO, TO PRESERVE HERE IN THIS COUNTY. UM, LASTLY, KIND OF A FUN THING. UM, THE FRONT RAIL CARDINALS, UH, STARTED PLAYING, AND, UH, THEY'VE GOT GAMES THIS WEEK, TUESDAY, THURSDAY, SATURDAY. UM, AND NEXT WEEK, TUESDAY AND FRIDAY, UH, THE HOME GAMES, THE, UH, ENTIRE SCHEDULE'S ONLINE. IF YOU GOOGLE IT, IT'S PRETTY EASY TO FIND. UH, THAT'S MY REPORT. WELL, THANK YOU. SO THE, UM, I'LL START OUT WITH, UM, UM, I HAD, UH, GONE OUT TO THOMPSON HOLLOW, YOU KNOW, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT, UH, MS. MS COLORS, I'D LET HER KNOW. AND, AND I MET AT, AND I WAS OUT THERE WITH, UH, SUPERVISOR COOK. AND THE REASON I WANTED TO GO OUT THERE WAS JUST TO GIVE ME AN IDEA AS TO WHAT THIS LOOKED LIKE, BECAUSE I, I DON'T THINK THAT THE PICTURES REALLY DID JUSTICE. I DID APPRECIATE SEEING SHERIFF KLEIN OUT THERE THAT GIVES ME A, THAT, UH, THAT WARM AND FUZZY THAT SHE KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE. AND, AND MY, MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE, TO THE FOLKS WHO LIVE THERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE, THEY'VE GOT THESE FOLKS WHO COME IN FROM, FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE. AND I CAN JUST IMAGINE, YOU KNOW, THAT PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WELL, WHY DO THEY, WHY DID THEY BLOCK THE, UH, THEIR, THEIR DRIVEWAYS? WHY DO THEY PARK WHERE THEY SHOULDN'T BE PARKING? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE ARE NO PARKING SIGNS OUT THERE. AND I'M THINKING, WELL, SOME OF THESE PEOPLE DRIVE FOR TWO, THREE HOURS AND THEY GET THERE AND THERE'S NO PLACE TO PARK. AND THEY GO, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M WILLING TO TAKE A CHANCE. AND, AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, IF I SEE A NO PARKING SIGN, WHETHER IT SAYS THAT THERE'S NO TOWING, OR IF IT SAYS THAT YOU WILL BE TOWED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, AND I SHOW UP AND MY GONE WELL, I WILL AUTOMATICALLY FIGURE, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT SAID, NO PARKING. I SHOULDN'T HAVE PARKED THERE. SO THE, UM, THAT, THAT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS. THAT'S THE WAY THAT I LOOK AT IT. NOW, SOME FOLKS SAY THAT, NO, YOU SHOULD PUT A, A TOWING AND FOUR SIGN UP THERE. WELL, OKAY, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, UH, BUT, BUT THAT'S JUST ME. AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD THING TO PUT A, UH, A TOWING AND FORCE SIGN, BECAUSE THAT WAY, THAT WAY PEOPLE KNOW THAT, WELL, I REALLY AM TAKING A CHANCE, SO IF I SHOW UP, I KNOW THAT NUMBER TO CALL. 'CAUSE THAT WAY I CAN FIND MY CAR. SO I'M NOT ADVOCATING NOT TO PUT TOWING SIGNS UP. I'M JUST, UH, I'M JUST SAYING THAT IN MY MIND, IF IT SAYS NO PARKING AND YOU SHOW UP AND YOUR CAR'S NOT THERE TOO BAD. UM, THE, UH, ON, ALSO ON THE 22ND OF MAY, THE, UM, UH, THE, THE, UH, FRONT, THE WARREN COUNTY, OR RATHER THE WINCHESTER AIRPORT, OF WHICH WE ARE, UH, WE'RE PART OF THAT SYSTEM, THEY, UH, THEY HOSTED A, UM, UH, IT'S CALLED ONE LOGISTICS. AND, UH, THEY'VE GOT [01:10:01] A BUILDING OUT THERE THAT'S A MILLION SQUARE FEET UNDER ROOF. AND SO THE, UH, JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT, UH, THAT THEY'VE GOT THAT CAPABILITY OUT THERE. UM, ON THE, UM, 26TH OF MAY, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, AND IT'S TO, TO ME IT IS, IT'S, UH, VERY HEART RENDERING. UH, THE, UH, THE, THE YOUNG MAN WHO GOT UP AND SPOKE, HE HAD LOST SOME FOLKS OVER IN AFGHANISTAN. AND, UH, I KNOW THAT THAT'S, THAT WAS A REALLY TOUGH THING FOR HIM. SO MY HEART GOES OUT TO, TO ALL THE VETERANS, TO THE, UH, TO THE, OUR PRECIOUS WORLD WAR II VETERANS THAT ARE STILL WITH US, THE VIETNAM VETS, WHO NEVER REALLY GOT OF, YOU KNOW, THE RECOGNITION THAT THEY, THAT THEY SO DEARLY DESERVE THE KOREAN WAR VETS OF, AND THEN THE GULF WAR, THE AFGHANISTAN, AND THE IRAQ BEDS. UM, THE, UH, ON THE, UM, I MADE AN UNOFFICIAL VISIT TO THE TRANSFER STATION ON THE 28TH OF MAY. IT WAS ACTUALLY ON PERSONAL BUSINESS, BUT I LIKE GOING OUT THERE BECAUSE IT'S A VERY WELL RUN, UH, OUT IN BENTONVILLE. AND, UH, AND I THINK IT'S, UH, THEY DO A GOOD JOB OUT THERE. UH, ON THE FIFTH, UH, I WENT TO THE BOX HANGER DISCUSSION OVER AT, UH, UH, THE AIRPORT. WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT, UH, HANGERS, UH, AT, AT, UH, AT, AT THIS AIRPORT, AT, AT ANY AIRPORT, ARE IN VERY HIGH DEMAND. UM, SOME OF THESE, UH, LISTS ARE 2, 3, 4 YEARS LONG. SO THAT, UH, IF YOU WANT TO SIGN UP FOR A HANGAR, IT'S GONNA TAKE YOU A LONG TIME. SO THEY ARE LOOKING AT EXPANDING THE, UH, UH, THE AVAILABILITY OF HANGERS. UH, IT IS A VERY SMART MOVE FOR, FOR, UH, THE FRONT ROYAL AIRPORT. AND, UH, AND I, I WELCOME THAT. SO THAT IS THE, UH, THAT'S MY, UH, UM, MY REPORT. DR. DALEY. THANK YOU, SIR. AS YOU ARE AWARE, THIS IS THE 250TH, UH, CELEBRATION, 2025 AND 2026, THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE COUNTRY ON ELECTION DAY. THE 17TH IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF OUR NAMESAKE, UH, GENERAL DR. JOSEPH WARREN. AND, UH, MATT WENDLING, WHO I DON'T BELIEVE IS STILL HERE. THERE HE IS. MR. WENDLING OVER THERE HAS, UH, SPEARHEADED OUR EFFORT OF THE NEW BENCH, THE 250 BENCH THAT'S DOWN IN FRONT OF THE COURTHOUSE. AND I HOPE YOU HAVE SEEN IT AND SEEN WHAT A NICE JOB THEY HAVE DONE THERE. AND ON THE 12TH AND NEXT THURSDAY AT 10:11 AM WE WILL HAVE THE ANNUAL CEREMONY IN RECOGNITION OF DR. WARREN OF HIS BIRTH WAS THE 11TH. THE 11TH, AND THEN HIS DEATH WAS THE 17TH OF JUNE. SO EACH YEAR, UH, DURING THAT WEEK, WE RECOGNIZE HIM. AND THIS WILL BE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT SINCE IT IS THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY. AND WE WILL ALSO BE DEDICATING THE NEW BENCH. AND SO ENCOURAGE YOU TO PUT THAT ON YOUR CALENDAR. THANK YOU, SIR. DR. DALEY, YOU KNOW, JUST TO ADD TO THAT, THE, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, HAD, UH, UH, MAJOR GENERAL WARREN LIVED THAT THERE, THAT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, WARREN DC INSTEAD OF WASHINGTON DC BECAUSE HE WAS THAT PROMINENT, BUT UN UNFORTUNATELY HE WAS, HE WAS KILLED. YES, SIR. SO, UM, COUNSELOR, I HAVE NO COMMENTS, MR. CHAIRMAN. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA, DO WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING, ANY, ANY MORE REPORTS? DO WE? OKAY, GOOD. NEXT [G. Approval of Minutes - May 20th 2025] ON THE AGENDA IS THE, UM, APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR MAY THE 20TH. DO I HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? NO. NO SIR. DO YOU HAVE ANY? NO. OKAY. SO DO I HAVE A, UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION [01:15:01] I MOVE TO, GO AHEAD. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR MAY 26TH AS PRESENTED. ALRIGHT. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. ALRIGHT. ROLL CALL. MRS. COOK. AYE. DR. JAMESON? AYE. MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. MR. STAN MEYER. AYE. MRS. CUTS? AYE. ALRIGHT. [H. Consent Agenda] SO THE NEXT THING IS THE, UH, NEW BUSINESS AND THAT WOULD BE THE CONSENT AGENDA. AND BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, I WOULD LIKE TO PULL ITEM NUMBER 10, CONTRACT FOR LIBRARY SYSTEMS, UH, CON CONTRACT FOR LIBRARY SERVICES. SO PULL THAT FOR DISCUSSION. I'D LIKE TO PULL NUMBER NINE. NUMBER NINE. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, SO FOR, UM, SAVE FOR ITEMS NINE AND 10. DO I HAVE A, UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED. SECOND. SECOND. ROLL CALL MRS. COLORS. AYE. MR. STAN MEYER? AYE. MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. DR. JAMISON? AYE. MRS. COOK? AYE. OKAY. [H.9. Authorization for Parks and Recreation to utilize County-Owned Property on Reliance Road for the Warren County Homesteaders. ] SO NUMBER NINE, AUTHORIZATION FOR PARKS AND RECREATION TO UTILIZE COUNTY OWNED PROPERTY ON RELIANCE LOAD ROAD FOR WARREN COUNTY HOMESTEADERS. YES SIR. I'D LIKE TO, UM, TABLE THIS AND UM, I'D LIKE TO ADD, TO REQUEST A WORKSHOP WHERE WE HAVE A GATHERING OF ALL INTERESTED HOMESTEADERS SMALL FARMERS, UM, THAT WE COULD BRING THEM TOGETHER TO DISCUSS THIS AS A LARGER GROUP. UM, I TALKED TO MRS. COOK, SHE SAID SHE WOULD BE GLAD TO HOST IT OUT AT ROTANA. OKAY. UM, WE HAD ON, ON OUR PLANNING COMMISSION, ONE OF THE RISING STARS IN HOMESTEADING, KAYLEE RICHARDSON. AND THE REASON SHE CAME OFF THE PLANNING COMMISSION WAS BECAUSE SHE HAS WRITTEN A BOOK, THEY'VE ALREADY ASKED FOR A SECOND BOOK AND SHE'S GONNA BE TOURING, UM, ON THAT BOOK. SO WE, WE HAVE A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE IN, IN THIS AREA. AND I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS A BIT RUSHED FOR ME PERSONALLY AND THAT I, I JUST THINK THAT BRINGING THIS GROUP TOGETHER TO HAVE LIKE A WORKSHOP AND TO COMPARE IDEAS AND THOUGHTS BEFORE WE JUMP IN AT THIS SITE, IT MIGHT END UP BACK HERE, BUT I JUST THINK IT'S WORTH, UH, PUTTING A LITTLE MORE TIME IN AND CONVERSATION. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UM, I, I WOULD ONLY SAY THAT THE, UH, PROPOSED MOTION, UM, APPROVES THE USE FOR THIS PURPOSE, BUT IT DOES SAY SUBJECT TO, UM, A USE AGREEMENT TO BE DRAFTED. SO, UM, IT DOES SAY DRAFTED BY THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, BUT PERHAPS WE COULD APPROVE IT, YOU KNOW, SUBJECT TO THE AGREEMENT BEING DRAFTED AND WITH INPUT FROM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS WORKSHOP AT, AT ANO OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES. I WOULD JUST HATE TO SEE US GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE LEGAL TIME AND THE COST OF THAT, OF A CONTRACT AND THEN FIND OUT THAT THERE'S ANOTHER AVENUE THAT IS BETTER. AND THEN WE'VE, WE'VE WASTED THAT TIME. I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE THE WORKSHOP IN THE CONVERSATION AND BRING IT BACK. SO, SO YOU, YOU'D PREFER TO TABLE IT, UH, AT THIS TIME? OKAY. YES. TO, UM, AND NOT FOR AN INDEFINITE LENGTH TIME, BUT I THINK WE COULD GET THIS PUT TOGETHER RATHER QUICKLY. 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST AND, AND PASSION FOR THIS. UM, JUST MAKING SURE AGAIN, THAT WHEN WE DO IT, WE DO IT RIGHT, SO IT BENEFITS EVERYBODY TO THE BEST, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FARMERS AND HOMESTEADERS THEIR TIME AND, AND THEIR, THEIR PRODUCTS AND THE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SELL THEM TO THE BEST OF THEIR BENEFIT AND FOR THE EASE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE, UM, THEIR CUSTOMERS AS WELL. UM, I, I THINK THERE'S A, SOME MAYBE A PERCEPTION OF EXCLUSIVITY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THERE, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NOTHING THAT WOULD EVER IMPEDE ANY OTHERS FROM GATHERING AND, AND, YOU KNOW, HOSTING SOMETHING AT A SIMILAR SITE, WHETHER IT WAS PRIVATE OR IF ANOTHER SITE CAME UP. UM, THIS A LIKE A VERY SIMPLE, UM, A VERY SIMPLE PROPOSITION, WHICH IS A VERY LIGHT TOUCH. UH, YOU KNOW, SO I'M NOT SURE. I THINK, I THINK IT'S WHEN YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO DO SOMETHING POSITIVE AND THERE'S REALLY NOTHING, NO BARRIER, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, NO. OKAY. PLEASE. I DON'T DISAGREE [01:20:01] THAT IT'S A GOOD IDEA. I MEAN, I'M A FARMER. I, I SUPPORT FARMING WHOLEHEARTEDLY IN THESE HOMESTEADERS. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE DO IT RIGHT AT THE RIGHT PLACE AND THAT EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE. UM, AND LIKE I SAID, I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GOOD RESOURCES HERE TO COLLABORATE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING IT RIGHT. SO, SO YOU JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. CONSEQUENCES. YES. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. SO, EXCUSE ME, MR. CHAIRMAN. YES. UM, SINCE HE'S HERE, COULD WE ASK, UH, MR. WENDLING TO TELL US WHAT HE FOUND OUT TODAY FROM VDOT? SURE. JUST TO BE AWARE, THERE IS SOME THINGS WE'VE GOTTA WORK OUT. WE WERE JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND WORK 'EM OUT, BUT YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF 'EM SINCE YOU TALKED MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. UH, YES, I SPOKE WITH, UH, STACY SAGER, THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR VDOT. THEY DID A, A VISIT TO THE SITE. UM, THEY DID IDENTIFY THAT THE CURRENT ENTRANCE THAT IS GRAVELED IS, UH, DOESN'T MEET THE VDOT STANDARDS FOR, UH, DISTANCE FROM THE INTERSECTION. OKAY. THE VDOT STANDARD IS ABOUT 225 FEET. UM, HE, HIS COMMENTS WERE THAT, UH, IT SHOULD BE AS FAR WEST AS POSSIBLE ON THE, UH, PROPERTY. THERE IS ANOTHER PLATTED EASEMENT RIGHT OF WAY ON THE MAP, UH, SO IT COULD GO THERE. UM, HE SAID THAT HE'S GOING TO SPEAK TO HIS SUPERIORS AND DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH THEM AND THEN GET BACK TO ME AND SEE WHERE THEY'RE AT WITH THINGS. SO, UH, WE'LL ASK HIM MAYBE TO GET SOMETHING IN WRITING OR, UM, AN EMAIL TO YOU AND THEN I'LL, I'LL, I'LL CAN FORWARD THAT TO MR. DALEY AND, AND THE BOARD. OKAY. OKAY. WOULD YOU THINK, UM, WHAT TIMEFRAME WOULD YOU HAVE IN MIND, JUST SO THAT THIS DOESN'T BECOME INDEFINITE? WHAT WOULD YOU THINK? NO, UH, I, I WOULD SAY, UM, KNOWING HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO GATHER PEOPLE ON THE SAME SCHEDULE AT AT LEAST A MONTH, I WOULDN'T WANT IT TO GO TOO MUCH FURTHER THAN THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING INTO, OF COURSE, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A BIT OF, UM, A TIME GETTING INTO GARDENS AND THINGS. SO CROPS, DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU'RE SELLING MAY BE A LITTLE DELAYED ANYWAY. WELL, THAT WAS ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE MOTIVATIONS TO GET TO GET GOING. SO, SO YES SIR. JULY 1ST IS YOUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING, SIR, ALL OF YOUR OTHER MEETINGS ARE SPECIAL MEETINGS THAT ARE DEDICATED FOR THE REST OF THIS MONTH. YOU THINK WE COULD DO SOMETHING BY JULY 1ST? I WOULDN'T WANNA PIN IT TO JULY 1ST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I, I'M SPEAKING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE IN AVAILABILITY OF PEOPLE, BUT I WOULD HOPE AT LEAST THE MIDDLE OF JULY, I I THINK WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, JULY 1ST THAT'S, THAT'S HOLIDAY WEEK. SO, SO, SO MAYBE THE JULY THE 15TH, WE CAN AIM FOR THAT. WHAT, WHAT DO, WHAT DO YOU THINK? I THINK THAT'S FINE. I, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT YOUR FIRST REGULAR MEETING IS GONNA BE THE FIRST. OKAY. AND IF YOU WANNA TAKE THIS TO THE 15TH, THAT'S FINE. I THINK THAT'S FINE. THAT, THAT MAY BE THE BEST THING TO DO BECAUSE OF THAT, THAT HOLIDAY WEEK, THERE'S A SO I HAVE THAT'S GONNA WORK IT OUT AND THAT'LL GIVE THEM TIME TO DO IT. I HAVE A QUESTION. YEAH. SO HAVING THIS MEETING, IS THAT GONNA DETERMINE THAT THERE, THAT THIS LOCATION IS NOT GOOD FOR THE HOMESTEADERS TO USE? OR IS IT, IS THERE, IS IT A MEETING JUST TO TALK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN, HOW THEY CAN, UM, BETTER ENHANCE THE AREA? I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, A COLLABORATION OF THE, THE GROUPS THAT WANT TO DO THIS. THEY WOULD BE LIKE, IF AN ADVISORY BACK TO US, AND I MEAN, RIGHT NOW YOU'RE, YOU'VE GOTTA WAIT ON VDOT TO SEE IF IT'S EVEN GONNA BE ALLOWABLE. YEAH. BUT LIKE, MY QUESTION IS ARE IS THIS GROUP GOING TO JUST HELP THEM GET ESTABLISHED OR IS IT, YOU KNOW, CREATING A LARGER GROUP OF, OF HOMESTEADERS AND FINDING A DIFFERENT LOCATION FOR THEM TO, TO DO THEIR, UM, THEIR EVENT? WELL, NOT EVENT, YOU KNOW, FOR THEY'RE SELLING THEIR PRODUCE. I CAN'T TELL YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT WHAT THE CONVERSATION'S GONNA BE. I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE ONE. UM, SO, AND I, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ONE SPEAKER, MS. MEADOWS, WHO IS THE FFA TEACHER WHO HAS VOICED A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN ON THE RUSH OF IT. UM, I, I JUST THINK IT NEEDS A LITTLE BIT MORE CONVERSATION THAN WHAT WE'VE HAD SO FAR. WELL, I THINK, WELL, I NO, YOU GO AHEAD. I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, WELL I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE WHY WE CAN'T DO IT CONCURRENTLY. I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MOTION, [01:25:01] IT'S JUST SAYING THAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA PROVE THE PARCELS FOR THE USE AS THE FARM STAND HUB, THAT RESIDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO USE SUBJECT PROPERTY TO THEIR EXECUTION SUBJECT. IT SAYS SUBJECT TO THEIR EXECUTION OF A RELEASE AND USE AGREEMENT TO BE DRAFTED BY THE COUNTY ATTORNEY. SO, AND I UNDERSTAND ALL THAT, SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S AN IMMEDIATE THING, YOU KNOW, IS SUBJECT TO THAT. I UNDERSTAND ALL THAT. MY THOUGHT IS WHY WOULD WE, WE'VE GOT AN UNSURE VDOT ENTRANCE ISSUE, SO WHY PUT THE MONEY IN FOR, UM, MR. HAM TO DRAW UP A CONTRACT THAT WE MAY NOT EVEN BE ABLE TO PUT IT THERE. IF VDOT SAYS, NO, YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SITE DISTANCE OR CLEARANCE FROM WHATEVER, OR IF THIS GROUP WERE TO COME UP WITH, OH WOW, WE DIDN'T KNOW THERE'S THIS OPPORTUNITY OVER HERE, WE'D RATHER GO OVER HERE. AND WE'VE PUT TIME AND EFFORT AND MONEY INTO, I MEAN, WE'RE ALL CONCERNED WITH TAXPAYER DOLLAR AND THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING AT AND THE FACT THAT, UM, I THINK THIS GROUP AS A WHOLE, UM, NEEDS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO MEET AND, AND LEARN FROM EACH OTHER A LITTLE BIT MORE. IT'S, UM, IT WAS A GOOD PRESENTATION THE OTHER DAY, BUT THEY'RE IN INFANCY AND I, I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR GROWTH AND, UM, COLLABORATING TOGETHER, UM, TO, TO MAKE IT A BETTER SYSTEM THAN, WELL, I THINK THE GROWTH, THE GROWTH AND THE COLLABORATION ARE OPEN. IT'S AN OPEN DOOR AND ALL OF THAT CAN ALWAYS HAPPEN, BUT THERE'S NO REASON TO BUREAUCRATICALLY STALL, UH, YOU KNOW, A A, AN OPPORTUNITY THAT'S JUST RIGHT THERE, UNUTILIZED AND I DON'T KNOW, UH, THERE'S NO, UM, CONTRACT, UH, THERE'S, I DUNNO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO, OKAY. WELL, I THINK SHE WAS READING IT OFF AS WELL. SO I'M, I'M JUST WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A BUSY AREA. IT'S, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE VANDALISM, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, GETTING IN AND OUTTA THERE TRAFFIC WISE AND IF THERE'S A VDOT ISSUE WITH THE DISTANCE AND SO FORTH. I FEEL LIKE WE'RE RUSHING IT AND I, I CAN'T SIT HERE AND NOT SAY THAT. UM, AND I FEEL LIKE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THIS BETTER FOR EVERYONE BY JUST GETTING TOGETHER AND DISCUSSING IT. I DON'T SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I'M NOT SAYING DON'T DO IT, DON'T DO IT. I'M JUST SAYING I FEEL LIKE WE'RE RUSHING IT AND THAT TO MAKE IT A BETTER SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, HAVE A, AN EVENT WHERE THEY CAN GET TOGETHER, COLLABORATE, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT WE'RE MAKING THIS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY WE CAN. EVEN IF IT COMES BACK HERE, IF VDOT CLEARS IT, I, THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. I DON'T KNOW WHY THERE'S SUCH A DIG IN HERE, BUT THERE'S, WELL, ONE OF THE REASONS IS THAT IT IS GROWING SEASON AND THE OTHER IS THAT IT'S, IT'S, THERE'S NO, UH, A CLOSING OFF OF COLLABORATION. ALL HOMESTEAD PEOPLE ARE ARE WELCOME TO, UH, JOIN IN THIS. IT, THAT'S ONE OF THE POINTS. UM, ALSO I DID A FAIR AMOUNT OF LOOKING AT, UH, COUNTY ASSET, COUNTY ASSETS AND, AND LAND THAT'S NOT BEING UTILIZED LIKE THIS. SO, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T SUPPORT TABLING IT. SO DO I. NOPE. I'VE, I'VE SAID MY PIECE AND ALL I SAY IS I HOPE WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING COVERED AS FAR AS LIABILITY AND, AND ALL THAT. AND THAT NO ONE GETS HURT OUT THERE. AND SO, DO I HAVE A MOTION, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVE THE USE OF PARCELS 12 A ONE 13 DASH ONE THROUGH 12 A 1314 FOR USE AS A FARM STAND HUB AND THAT RESIDENTS BE ALLOWED TO USE SUCH PROPERTY, UH, SUBJECT TO EXECUTION OF A RELEASE AND USE AGREEMENT DRAFTED BY THE COUNTY ATTORNEY. DO I HAVE A, DO DO I HAVE A SECOND OR ANOTHER COMMENT? SECOND. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. I'LL DO IT. MRS. COOK, MR. CHAIRMAN. AYE. YES. AYE, AYE. OH, YOU'RE OUTTA HOARDER. I THINK YOU'VE ALREADY STARTED VOTING, SIR. I'LL, I'LL JUST START OVER. UM, MRS. COOK? AYE. DR. JAMESON? AYE. MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. MR. STAN MEYER AYE MRS. CUTS? NO. ALRIGHT. NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN? YES. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE BOARD ALL UNDERSTANDS WE WILL NOT [01:30:01] ISSUE ANY PERMITS UNTIL THE ISSUE WITH VDOT IS RESOLVED, RIGHT? THAT'S UNDERSTOOD. THAT'S GREAT. THAT WAS GONNA BE THE COMMENT. ALRIGHT. PLEASE KEEP, KEEP YOUR COMMENTS DOWN. OKAY. [H.10. Contract - Library Systems & Services LLC - Contract for Library Services - Eric Belk] NEXT ON THE, UH, THE AGENDA IS THE, UM, LSNS, UH, DELIVERY AGREEMENT. DO I HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? NOPE. I I THINK THAT THE, UH, DELIVERY AGREEMENT MIGHT NEED SOME FINE TUNING BASED ON FEEDBACK IN MY OWN READING OF THE CONTRACT. SO I CAN'T HEAR YOU. WE CAN'T HEAR NOW. I, I THINK THE AGREEMENT, UH, NEEDS A LITTLE WORK AND, UH, SO I'M HAPPY TO DISCUSS IT OR I'M HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION TO THAT END. DO I HAVE A, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION? YEAH, I MOVE THAT THE LIBRARY SERVICE DELIVERY AGREEMENT BE REFERRED TO THE WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD FOR FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS. DO I HAVE A SECOND, SECOND ROLL CALL MRS. COLORS? WELL, I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO JUST SEE IT DUMPED AND WE STAY WITH SAMUEL'S, BUT I PLEASE, PLEASE, I DIDN'T, I SAID A OKAY. I DIDN'T HEAR THAT, SIR. SORRY. UH, MR. SANDMEYER. AYE. MR. CHAIRMAN? AYE. DR. JAMON? AYE. MRS. COOK? AYE. OKAY, [J. Public Comment Period - General Comments (30Minute Time Limit)] NEXT IS THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, PLEASE. THESE ARE GENERAL COMMENTS THAT DO NOT PERTAIN TO ANYTHING THAT WAS ON THE, THE AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING. DO PLEASE KEEP YOUR, PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS, DAN. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP? UM, FIRST UP IS SIDNEY PATTON. YES. HELLO? UM, MY NAME IS SIDNEY PATTON. I AM FROM THE SHENANDOAH DISTRICT AND I AM ACTUALLY, UM, AS MY FIRST PROFESSION, I AM A CYBERSECURITY EXPERT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I AM WORRIED ABOUT IN VARIOUS DEALINGS IS THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY, INCLUDING WARREN COUNTY, ARE NOT PRIORITIZING THE PROTECTION OF DATA. CERTAIN CONTRACTS ARE BEING CRAFTED WHERE COMPANIES CAN COME IN AND TAKE PERSONAL DATA AND POTENTIALLY SELL IT FOR PROFIT. AND I'M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THAT. AND OTHER POTENTIAL SIDE AGENCIES GET TO HAVE ACCESS TO DATA THAT PERTAINS TO CHILDREN. AND I DON'T LOVE THAT I, I WORRY ABOUT DATA NOT JUST AT OUR IT LEVEL, BUT AT ALL OF THE LEVELS, INCLUDING THE BASIC THINGS LIKE, LIKE LIBRARY SERVICES, LIKE HUMANE SOCIETY THINGS, ALL OF THOSE IMPORTANT THINGS. WE NEED TO KEEP DATA SAFE. AND I'M HOPING THE COMMUNITY PAYS ATTENTION TO WHERE THEIR DATA IS GOING AND WHO HAS ACCESS TO IT. BECAUSE ONCE IT'S OUT THERE, YOU DON'T GET IT BACK. THE OTHER THING, AND I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT CLEAR ON THE RULES, SO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, UM, IN RECENT TIMES THERE, THERE'S BEEN TALK ABOUT MY OTHER PASSION IS I AM THE PRESIDENT FOR FRIENDS OF SAMUEL'S LIBRARY AND WELL, I'M PRESIDENT ELECT. SORRY, I DON'T BECOME PRESIDENT UNTIL JULY. AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT CONTRACTS AND GETTING ORGANIZATIONS TO WORK FOR OTHER THINGS. AND I'VE ALREADY, WE'VE COME TO YOU AND STATED BEFORE THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO WORK WITH ANYBODY ELSE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD JUST LIKE TO TELL YOU GUYS IS WHAT GOES IN TO A FRIEND'S GROUP. OKAY, MA'AM, THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED ON THE LIBRARY. OKAY. SO THESE ARE GENERAL COMMENTS. OKAY. THEN CAN I TALK TO, I GOT THIS, MR. CHAIRMAN, COULD I HAVE A MOMENT? YES. COULD WE HAVE A VERY BRIEF RECESS? YES. I'LL TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS. MS. PATTON, YOU CAN WHEN, WHEN WE'RE DONE, YOU CAN PICK BACK UP. [01:35:30] ARE YOU GOING EXECUTIVE SESSION? PLEASE CONTINUE. AND, UH, AND, AND MS. PATTON, WE'RE GONNA START YOU AT THREE MINUTES AGAIN. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. DO I NEED TO STATE MY NAME AGAIN OR ARE WE GOOD? NO, NO, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD. OKAY. ALL RIGHT THEN. UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS WHAT GOES INTO CREATING A 5 0 1 C3? UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO IS TO HAVE A BOARD. THAT MEANS YOU ARE GOING TO NEED A PRESIDENT, YOU ARE GOING TO NEED A VICE PRESIDENT, YOU ARE GOING TO NEED A TREASURER, AND YOU'RE GOING TO NEED A SECRETARY AT MINIMUM. THESE ARE VOLUNTEER POSITIONS TYPICALLY. SO TO FIND A TREASURER IS AN INCREDIBLY HARD THING TO DO BECAUSE THESE ARE ACCOUNTANTS. THEY GET PAID A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN WHAT THEY'RE GONNA VOLUNTEER THEIR HOURS FOR. AND A PRESIDENT MIGHT NOT SEEM LIKE A HARD THING, BUT YOU HAVE TO MANAGE ALL OF IT. YOU HAVE TO KEEP IT GOING. YOU HAVE TO INSPIRE PASSION IN WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO DO. AND IF YOU CAN'T DO THAT, YOUR 5 0 1 C3 IS GOING TO FAIL. AND THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. THE ONE THAT PER I WORK FOR TOOK 30 YEARS TO GET HERE. IT REQUIRES BUILDING TRUST FROM THE COMMUNITY OR WHATEVER ORGANIZATION THAT YOU'RE GOING FOR AND GETTING SUPPORT. AND ME PERSONALLY, I SPEND ALMOST FULL TIME HOURS EVERY WEEK ON TOP OF THE WORK, ON TOP OF SCHOOL, ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT I DO TO MAKE THE ONE THAT I AM FOR SUCCESSFUL. IT IS NOT AN EASY THING, BUT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT AND I'VE BEEN ABLE TO WITH MY BOARD, WITH MY VOLUNTEERS, ALL OF THAT MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL. BUT THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. YOU CANNOT EXPECT TO GET THE LEVEL OF SUCCESS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE JUST OUTRIGHT. AND I DON'T LIKE THAT THE NAME OF MY GROUP HAS BEEN USED IN OTHER THINGS LIKE WE ARE GOING TO BE TRANSFERRED OVER OR GIVEN AWAY. I AM NOT OKAY WITH THAT. SO WHAT MY GOAL WAS HERE TODAY WAS TO INFORM YOU GUYS OR THE COMMUNITY OR HOWEVER YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO ADDRESS IT, THAT ONE SHOULD CONSIDER WHAT IT TAKES TO DO A 5 0 1 C ONE SHOULD CONSIDER, CAN YOU GET THAT SUPPORT? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THE ONE I HAVE JUST HIT 250 MEMBERS, THAT IS AN ALL TIME RECORD. IT'S TAKEN US 30 YEARS TO GET THERE. DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GET THAT? DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GET THE AMOUNT OF VOLUNTEER HOURS? WE RUN A BOOKSTORE TO STAFF, A BOOKSTORE? DO YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN GET ALL OF THAT COHESIVENESS OVERNIGHT? IF YOU DON'T THINK YOU CAN DO THAT, THEN I WOULD NOT COUNT ON THOSE FUNDS TO JUST MAGICALLY APPEAR. BUT MOST OF ALL, I WOULD DEFINITELY MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T COUNT ON ONES THAT ALREADY EXIST, GOING ALONG WITH SOMETHING THAT LEGALLY THEY CAN'T AND MORALLY THEY NEVER WOULD. SO THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME TODAY AND FOR HAVING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS AN IMPORTANT THING TO ME AS MUCH AS PROTECTING DATA. SO THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH, PLEASE AND THANK YOU. WHO'S NEXT? NEXT UP IS SUNNY PRISM. [01:40:06] HI. UM, CAN'T HEAR ME. MY NAME IS SUNNY PRISMA. I LIVE IN STRASSBURG. UM, I FIRST WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR MORE TIME AS I'M A DHD AND AUTISTIC AND I HAVE STRUGGLE. I STRUGGLE WITH, UM, COMPLETING MY SENTENCES AND GETTING MY PO POINT ACROSS, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE PRESSURE OF A TIME LIMIT. PLEASE PROCEED. OKAY. SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS BEEN A FRONT ROYAL LANDMARK SINCE LONG BEFORE ANY OF US WERE BORN. IT'S NOT JUST THE LIBRARY, IT'S A COMFORTING MEMORY. MY FAMILY IS FROM FRONT ROYAL. I GREW UP HERE AND, UM, THEY HAVE BEEN IN FRONT ROYAL FOR THREE GENERATIONS. THOUGH I NOW LIVE IN STRASSBURG, FRONT ROYAL WILL ALWAYS BE MY HOME. AND I REMEMBER SAMUEL'S BEING A SAFE HAVEN FOR ME AND MY SIBLINGS GROWING UP. NO MATTER WHAT WENT WRONG, WE WERE ALWAYS WELCOMED. IT'S A PLACE THAT HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE, AND I BELIEVE THAT THREATENS YOU. IT THREATENS YOU SO MUCH TO BE INCLUSIVE THAT YOU WOULD DIG UP COSTS FROM 2009 ABOUT THE THE NEW BUILDING THAT WAS BUILT, WHICH FOR THE RECORD WERE ALL NECESSARY COSTS IN INTENT TO TAKE. TAKE IT DOWN BECAUSE YOU HATE BEING LABELED AS HOMOPHOBIC IN A SOCIETY THAT IS EVOLVING WHEN YOU AREN'T. YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS I DO THAT THE HOMOSEXUAL CONTENTS IN THE BOOK THAT, SORRY, THAT THIS IS ABOUT THE HOMOSEXUAL CONTENT IN THE BOOKS WITHIN THE LIBRARY, NOT ABOUT COSTS THAT WERE EITHER PAID OUT OF POCKET FROM THE NEW OWNERS OR WERE COMPLETELY NECESSARY TO HELP THE LIBRARY MOVE FORWARD. IF YOU DON'T LIKE A BOOK, DON'T READ IT. TO HAVE TO EXPLAIN THIS TO A GROUP OF ADULTS MUCH OLDER THAN I IS MIND BLOWING TO ME. YOU WON'T SILENCE QUEER VOICES, ESPECIALLY NOT DURING PRIDE MONTH. ALL ARE WELCOME AT SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY. AND I FEAR THAT UNDER A THIRD PARTY BUYER, THAT STATEMENT WON'T BE TRUE. TO BE ABLE TO GO TO A PUBLIC LIBRARY AND FIND QUEER STORIES IS OUR RIGHT UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT. LIBERTY AMERICA MEANS LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, NOT JUST THE STRAIGHT WHITE MEN. TO TAKE QUEER VOICES AWAY FROM A LIBRARY AND THREATEN TO SELL IS A POWER HUNGRY MOVE. IT SHOWS THAT YOU TRULY HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO. AND FRONT ROYALS, TAXPAYER, FRONT ROYALS, TAXPAYERS MONEY SHOULD NOT BE SPENT HAVING MEETINGS ON SOMETHING SO OTHER, UTTERLY STUPID. DO REAL WORK INSTEAD OF ANTAGONIZING THESE YOUNG WOMEN THAT WORK FOR SAMUELS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. AND I THOUGHT YOU DID VERY WELL. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS CLAIRE MARMAL MALEO. HELLO, I AM CLAIRE MARILLO AND I RESIDE IN THE NORTH RIVER DISTRICT. I'M A TERRIBLE PUBLIC SPEAKER, SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME. I'M A HOMESCHOOLING MOM IN WARREN COUNTY AND HAVE LIVED HERE FOR 17 YEARS. I'M ASKING YOU TODAY TO PLEASE SAY NO TO LIBRARY SYSTEMS AND SERVICES TO SIGN A CONTRACT. THIS CONTRACT OR ANY WOULD A RECKLESS USE OF TAXPAYER FUNDS. THE ONLY REASON I FEEL YOU WOULD EVEN CONSIDER SUCH A DEAL IS BECAUSE YOU ARE DEALING WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY AND ISN'T COMPLETELY COMING DIRECTLY FROM YOUR OWN POCKET. YOU KNOW, LIKE A $10,000 FOYER REQUEST THAT YOU ALSO HOPED TO SADDLE THE TAXPAYERS WITH. WE SHOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY CONSIDERING A NEW LIBRARY SERVICE PROVIDER. YOU FOUR SUPERVISORS SHOULD HAVE DONE THE JOB YOU WERE ELECTED TO DO AND TRIED TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY, THE, THE NONPROFIT THAT HAS FAITHFULLY SERVED OUR COMMUNITY FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS. YOU NEGLECTED YOUR DUTY TO THE CITIZENS OF OUR COUNTY BY NOT ONE SPEEDING WITH THE SAMUELS LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO TRY TO ACHIEVE COMMON GOALS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. IF YOUR TRUE GOAL IS TO SAVE MONEY AND HAVE BETTER OVERSIGHT, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED LIKE HONORABLE ADULTS WITH OUR CURRENT PUBLIC LIBRARY. YOU CANNOT TAKE THE MORAL HIGH GROUND WHEN YOU CONTINUOUSLY CHOOSE TO TAKE THE LOWER ROAD. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, OUR COUNTY SUFFERED A GREAT SCANDAL. WHAT WAS AT THE HEART OF THAT SCANDAL? A WOMAN WITH A GAMBLING ADDICTION AND A LACK OF CONCERN FOR TAXPAYERS IN WARREN COUNTY. HOW IS THIS SO DIFFERENT? YOU ARE CONSIDERING TO USE YOUR POSITION AS PUBLIC SERVANTS TO GAMBLE OUR WAY. SORRY TO GAMBLE AWAY OUR MONEY YET AGAIN ON A CONTRACT WITH A FOR-PROFIT COMPANY THAT WILL COST US AT THE VERY MINIMUM AS IT IS WRITTEN NOW, A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS. THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE [01:45:01] THE VAST AMOUNT OF LEGAL FEES YOU ARE PREPARING TO SADDLE US WITH. YOU ARE TAKING A GREAT RISK ON YOUR HOPE THAT YOU CAN EVICT SAMUELS AND SEIZE THEIR PROPERTY. AND THE WORST PART IS YOU'RE CLAIMING TO DO IT IN THE NAME OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND GOVERNANCE. AND YET YOU, YOURSELVES WILL NOT BE GOVERNED BY THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED YOU. INSTEAD, YOU KEEP INSISTING THAT OUR TAX DOLLAR, OR SORRY YOU KEEP INSERTING OUR TAX DOLLARS INTO A HYPOTHETICAL SLOT MACHINE, PULLING THE LEVER AND HOPING FOR THE JACKPOT. YOU ARE HOPING THIS NEXT UNDERHANDED TACTIC WILL BE THE WINNING ONE. AND WE THE CITIZENS OF WARREN COUNTY ARE GOING TO FIT THE BILL. YOU GET TO MAKE A CHOICE, A CHOICE THAT CAN PUT WARREN COUNTY ON A DIFFERENT TRAJECTORY. YOU CAN END THIS NEEDLESS SPENDING AND YOUR CHARADE OF TAXPAYER ACCOUNTABILITY. OR YOU CAN CHOOSE TO SUBJECT WARREN COUNTY TO A DICEY CONTRACT WITH LIBRARY SYSTEMS AND SERVICES. THANK YOU MA'AM. THAT WILL FOREVER CONNECT YOUR NAMES TO THE GREAT WARREN COUNTY LIBRARY SCAM. THANK YOU MA'AM. NEXT UP IS ANGELA FRITZ. CHAOS. CHAOS. CHAOS. I'M ANGELA FRITZ FROM THE SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT. I LOVE YOU CHERYL. THIS IS NOT FOR YOU TO ENTER INTO A 10 YEAR CONTRACT WITH A FOR-PROFIT EMPTY LIBRARY SERVICE THAT WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT AT A STARTING COST OF A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS. TO US, THE TAXPAYERS, WHEN WE HAVE AN AWARD-WINNING FULLY STOCKED LIBRARY ALREADY FUNCTIONING IS MALFEASANCE AT BEST AND A TOTAL MISUSE OF OFFICE AT WORST. PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T INSULT US WITH LIES ABOUT THIS NOT BEING ABOUT BOOKS AND YOUR RELIGIOUS PRACTICES. WE'VE BEEN HERE, I'VE BEEN HERE FIGHTING THIS SINCE APRIL OF 2023 OVER TWO YEARS. AND YET YOU COME UP WITH NUMBERS THAT THERE ARE 20 TO 30 PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY. WE ARE HUNDREDS. WE ARE HUNDREDS. AND WHEN WE UNSEAT YOU AND WE WILL, UH, YOU'LL SEE THE NUMBERS, THEN I ONLY HOPE THAT WE CAN COME AFTER THE FOUR OF YOU CIVILLY TO RECOUP ALL THAT LOST MONEY AS THIS IS PLAIN OLD FASHIONED DERELICTION OF DUTY. AND I WILL SEE YOU IN COURT. NEXT UP IS STEVE FOREMAN, STEVE FOREMAN FORK DISTRICT. ALTHOUGH I MUST SAY I DON'T REALLY FEEL THAT I'M BEING REPRESENTED VERY WELL, WE'RE EXPERIENCING THE EFFECTS OF HISTOR HYSTERIA THAT STARTED YEARS AGO. WE FIRST FELT THE EFFECTS IN 2023 WITH A STAGE SPECTACLE IN THIS ROOM. CITIZENS OFFERING UP THEIR OUTRAGE BY READING SNIPPETS OF BOOKS THAT WERE DEVOID OF CONTEXT OR BACKGROUND. THIS WAS HARDLY AN ORGANIC EXPRESSION OF LOCAL CONCERN, BUT WAS FOSTERED AS PART OF A NATIONWIDE ATTEMPT AT CENSORSHIP. THE EFFECT OF THEIR SHOWPIECE WAS AN ATTACK ON AN AWARD-WINNING INSTITUTION. ONE ESTABLISHED IN THE 18TH CENTURY PUBLIC OPINION. LUCKILY, WOR WON OUT AND FUNDING WAS RESTORED TO SAMUEL'S PUBLIC LIBRARY. ANOTHER CHALLENGE AROSE LAST YEAR WITH SOME OF THE BOS QUESTIONING THE FINANCES OF SAMUEL'S. THEY DISCONTINUED COUNTY MAINTENANCE OF THE LIBRARY AND ONE SUPERVISOR EVEN QUESTIONED THE SOURCE OF LIBRARY FUNDS FROM THE SALE OF THE PREVIOUS LIBRARY BUILDING. HE WAS DISCREDITED BY THE WORDS OF AN EX SUPERVISOR WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSACTION WAS A GOOD DECISION FOR THE COUNTY. BUT THE BOS CONTINUED IN THEIR QUEST TO FIND FAULT BY PRO DOSING DOCUMENTS, ATTEMPTING TO PROVE THAT THE LIBRARY WAS FISCALLY MISMANAGED. MEMBERS OF THE SAMUELS BOARD WERE ACCUSED OF NOT REPRESENTING THE FINANCIAL INTERESTS OF CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE SAMUELS BOARD IS RUN BY DEDICATED CITIZENS AND TAXPAYERS PASSIONATELY WORKING FOR THE BENEFITS THAT SAMUELS PROVIDES TO THE COUNTY. THE BOS STATED THAT THEY WOULD APPARENT APPOINT AN ALTERNATIVE LIBRARY BOARD AND SELECT QUALIFIED PEOPLE. MANY PEOPLE APPLIED BUT FEW WERE INTERVIEWED IGNORING SOME WITH ACTUAL LIBRARY OR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. IT SHOULD SURPRISE NO ONE THAT THE NEW BOARD WAS MADE UP OF THOSE WHO SHARED THE ATTITUDES OF THE BOS MEMBERS WHO WERE PREJUDICED AGAINST SAMUELS. NOW THEY ARE DETERMINED TO BRING IN A NON A FOR-PROFIT COMPANY [01:50:01] TO RUN THE LIBRARY IN THE PLACE OF VOLUNTEERS, BUT CAN DEMONSTRATE NO COST SAVINGS IN THIS EFFORT. I MENTIONED THAT THIS ORIGINATED AS PART OF A NATIONAL ATTACK ON BOOKS AND LITERARY FREEDOM. MUCH OF OUR CURRENT LEADERSHIP LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY DEMONSTRATES THE WILLINGNESS TO PURSUE A GOAL REGARDLESS OF THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES RESULTING FROM THEIR CONTROL. WHEN THEIR VIEW IS CHALLENGED, THEY DOUBLE DOWN REGARDLESS OF THE OBSERVABLE FACTS AND DISREGARD THE MAJORITY OPINION IN FAVOR OF THEIR OWN PREJUDICES, THEIR EFFORT. THIS EFFORT IS STAGED BY A MINORITY AND IGNORES THE CONCERNS AND WELFARE OF THE CITIZENS OF WARREN COUNTY AT ROOT. THIS AGENDA ASSUMES THAT SOME HAVE THE RIGHT TO TELL OTHERS HOW TO LIVE THEIR LIVES. WHAT'S MISSING IS THE CONSIDERATION OF THE BENEFITS THAT SAMUEL'S LIBRARY PROVIDES TO THIS COUNTY. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS MICHELLE SMELTZER. HI, MY NAME IS MICHELLE SELZER. I'M IN THE HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT. I NORMALLY DON'T READ, SO I'M JUST GONNA, UH, I WANT TO TALK TONIGHT ABOUT SOMETHING BIGGER THAN POLITICS. SOMETHING STRONGER THAN CONTRACTS OR COURT BATTLES. I WANNA TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WARREN COUNTY RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THESE PAST MONTHS IS PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER NOT JUST TO SAVE A LIBRARY, BUT TO STAND UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT TO PROTECT SOMETHING THAT BELONGS TO ALL OF US. YOU'VE GOT LIFELONG RESIDENTS WORKING SIDE BY SIDE WITH NEW NEIGHBORS, REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS, INDEPENDENTS, PUTTING DIFFERENCES ASIDE, PARENTS, TEACHERS, VETERANS, BUSINESS OWNERS, TEENAGERS SHOWING UP WEEK AFTER WEEK, WEEK REFUSING TO BE IGNORED. THAT'S NOT DIVISION, THAT'S STRENGTH. WE DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS FIGHT, BUT WE SURE AS HECK ANSWERED IT. AND WE DID IT THE THE WARREN COUNTY WAY BY LEANING ON EACH OTHER, ROLLING UP OUR SLEEVES AND NEVER BACKING DOWN. SAMUELS ISN'T JUST A BUILDING, IT'S PART OF OUR STORY. AND THE FACT THAT IT'S STILL HERE IS STILL OPEN IS BECAUSE THIS COMMUNITY KEPT GOING THROUGH DONATIONS, THROUGH VOLUNTEER HOURS, THROUGH GRIT. WE HELD THE LINE. AND WE'RE NOT JUST FIGHTING TO PROTECT WHAT WE HAVE. WE'RE FIGHTING TO BUILD A FUTURE. WE'RE PROUD OF ONE WHERE OUR KIDS HAVE ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE WHERE TRUTH MATTERS, WHERE PUBLIC SPACES BELONG TO THE PUBLIC AND WHERE DECISIONS ARE MADE WITH THE COMMUNITY. NOT BEHIND ITS BACK. YOU MIGHT STILL SIGN THIS CONTRACT, BUT KNOW THIS WARREN COUNTY WAS WOKEN UP. WE FOUND EACH OTHER, WE FOUND OUR VOICE AND WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED BECAUSE WE LOVE THIS PLACE AND WE BELIEVE IN IT AND WE BELIEVE IN EACH OTHER. NEXT UP IS HUGH HENRY. HUGH HENRY FORK DISTRICT, CURRENT MEMBER OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. ALSO CANDIDATE FOR BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR FORK DISTRICT. OH, I'VE CAMPAIGNED DOOR TO DOOR AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS SAME WAS GROUP IS NOT A MINORITY GROUP OF 20 OR 30 DAMN PEOPLE. IT'S HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF THEM. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE THAT I'VE WENT TO. IT'S THEIR SINGLE ITEM. THEY'RE LITERALLY GONNA COME OUT AND VOTE JUST BECAUSE OF THIS. FOR THAT, I'LL SAY THANK YOU 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S HELPING ME 'CAUSE I'M VERY STRONGLY IN SUPPORT OF SAYING THIS LIBRARY. PLEASE. BUT I DO HAVE TO TELL 'EM THERE'S OTHER TOPICS TOO. WE'RE, WE'RE JUNE, WE STILL DON'T HAVE A BUDGET. SEEMS LIKE WE'VE GOT A PRIORITY PROBLEM. WE'RE PRIORITIZING FIGHTING THESE PEOPLE. WHEN SHOULD WE SHOULD BE WORKING ON OUR OWN PROBLEMS. WE'RE TRYING TO RUSH THROUGH SOMETHING FOR HOMESTEADERS, WHICH I THINK EVERYBODY WILL SUPPORT. MAYBE MOVE IT TO THE FAIRGROUNDS. OF COURSE, THE FAIRGROUNDS WANTED TO PARK A FEW TRUCKS FOR SOME EXTRA MONEY AND THEY WERE COMPLETELY SHOT DOWN BECAUSE OF E DDOT. I WOULD'VE WAIVED THE RULES FOR THEM THE SAME AS I WOULD THE HOMESTEADERS IF IT'S LEGAL. BUT I GOT A FEELING IF YOU WANNA PLAY FAIR AND YOU PUT THEM THROUGH THE SAME SET OF RULES THAT YOU PUT THE FAIRGROUNDS THROUGH, IT WON'T GO THERE EITHER. TRUTH BE KNOWN IF THAT'S A VALUABLE PIECE OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, IT OUGHT TO BE SOLD, PUT BACK IN THE TAX BASIS. WE'RE SUFFERING FROM BUDGET SHORTFALLS. WE NEED SOME NEW INCOME. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE IN YEARS THAT EDA SCANDAL HAS BEEN USED AS A WAY TO NOT DEVELOP, NOT TO CREATE NEW INCOMES AND THIS CRAZY TOURISM IDEA, THIS ICE SKATING RING AND A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP FOR, FOR ANY KIND OF BUILDING AFTER WHAT SAMUELS HAS BEEN THROUGH [01:55:01] NO PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. THAT DOESN'T HELP THE TAXPAYER EITHER. THAT'S USUALLY DID COST. IF WE DO DO THE THING ON RELIANCE ROAD, WHO'S PAYING FOR THAT INFRASTRUCTURE? WHO'S GONNA PUT THAT VDOT ENTRANCE IN? WHO'S GONNA DO ALL THAT WORK? I DON'T THINK THE HOMESTEADERS CAN AFFORD IT. WE'VE ALREADY GOT A NICE FACILITY AT THE FAIRGROUNDS. I WOULD WORK HARDER WITH THEM. THE OTHER THING IS, IF YOU REALLY, YOU KNOW, THE ELECTION'S COMING UP, WE DIDN'T FUND A TOURISM DIRECTOR BECAUSE WE SAID WE WERE GONNA WAIT FOR DR. DALEY TO BE REPLACED. WHY DON'T YOU PUT THIS LIBRARY DOWN TO AFTER THIS ELECTION AND YOU'LL SEE WHO WAS RIGHT AND WHO WAS WRONG ABOUT IT. YEAH, PLEASE. I THINK THE ELECTION'S GONNA SHOW IT. I FEEL IT PRETTY STRONG. THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS IF YOU THINK THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE A MINORITY AND YOU WANT TO TRY TO KEEP THEM FROM TALKING WITH THE CRAZY PUBLIC HEARING RULES, GO AHEAD AND COME UP WITH ANOTHER RULE AND ADD ANOTHER 30 MINUTES FOR THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SPEAK AGAINST SAMUEL LIBRARY. I DON'T SEE THEM HEARING. I'VE NEVER SEEN THEM AT A MEETING. YEAH. ALRIGHT, PLEASE, I'LL STAY THE OTHER 30 MINUTES IF THEY'RE HERE TO LISTEN TO WHAT THEY GOTTA SAY, BUT I DON'T SEE 'EM HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS JOANNE KERIG. HI, I'M JOANNE CARNEY. I LIVE IN THE SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT. THANKFULLY, I I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO NOT APPROVE THE LMS CONTRACT. I'M ALSO HERE TO REMIND YOU THAT LIKE SO MANY OF YOUR COLLEAGUES AND PRO PREDECESSORS, YOU'RE FAILING TO LOOK AT THE LONG VIEW. YOU MAY SEE THINGS LIKE THIS PRIVATIZATION AS A SHORT TERM FIX TO YOUR MORAL OR ETHICAL GOALS. BUT YOU WILL NOT BE ON THE BOARD FOREVER. AND YOUR LEGACY WON'T BE AS HEROES SAVING US FROM OURSELVES OR THE BIG BAD WOLF INSTITUTION OR PHANTOM FISCAL MALFEASANCE. YOUR LEGACY WILL BE A MESS, AN ABUSE OF POWER, AND WASTED TAXPAYER MONEY. IF YOU WANT PROOF, LOOK AT HOW PRIVATIZATION OF THE TOWN'S, ONCE THRIVING AND GROWING TOURISM DEPARTMENT AND VISITOR CENTER WORKED OUT UNDER THE ILL-ADVISED, MUCH CONTESTED PLAN OF THE TOWN MANAGER. HE'S GONE. THE PRIVATE COMPANY DID NOTHING OF SIGNIFICANCE. OUR TOURISM DEPARTMENT IS ALL BUT DEFUNCT AND THE VISITOR CENTER IS A SHADOW OF WHAT IT ONCE WAS. NOW THEY, THE TOWN HAS TO RESTORE WHAT WAS ALREADY THERE AND ALREADY WORKING. SORRY, I LOST MY SPOT. OF WHAT WAS ALREADY THERE AND ALREADY WORKING. WHEN YOU ARE REPLACED AND YOU WILL BE, ALL YOUR GRAND PLANS WILL BE SWEPT AWAY AND REPLACED. WE'VE SEEN A TIME AND AGAIN IN HISTORY AND WE, THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTY WILL FACE THE TASK OF RESTORING WHAT WAS ALREADY THERE AND ALREADY WORKING. SO FACE THE REALITY. YOU ARE NOT KINGS AND QUEENS RULING OVER FRONT ROYAL FOR LIFE, ENACTING YOUR WHIMS. YOU ARE TEMPORARY CIVIL SERVANTS SWORN TO LISTEN TO AND SERVE YOUR CONSTITUENTS, ALL OF THEM, AND TO FOLLOW THE TRUTH AND THE FACTS, REAL ONES NOT THOSE MADE TO FIT A NARRATIVE AND TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE ENTIRETY, NOT JUST YOUR PET PROJECTS AND PET PEEVES. NOT FOR THE MINORITY, NOT FOR YOURSELVES. ANY PLANE PLAN TO REPLACE OPERATIONS OF SAMUEL'S WITH A PRIVATE COMPANY IS UNJUSTIFIED, UNNECESSARY, WASTEFUL AND JUST PLAIN STUPID. AND THOUGH WE MAY LOSE THIS PADDLE, WE, THE SUPPORTERS OF SAMUELS WILL OUTLAST YOU ALL IN THE LONG ROOM. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS CHRIS LEE. HI, I'M CHRIS LEE. COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON EVERYTHING HERE. I'M FROM, UH, HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT AND I WAS A PHYSICAL THERAPIST AND, UH, UH, UH, UH, A A A CLINIC DIRECTOR. AND WE, UH, IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE WE ARE ALL WISER WHEN WE WALK IN SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES FOR A FEW PAGES IN A BOOK. AND, UH, ALL BOOKS AND, UH, BEING A PROLIFIC READER SPARKED, UH, MY IMAGINATION. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, IT MAKES YOU GROW AND, AND, AND LESSONS ARE LEARNED LIKE IN, UH, I HAVE, UH, JACK LONDON'S, UH, CALL THE WILD. YOU KNOW, BEATING A DOG IS, IS AN INAPPROPRIATE WAY. IF YOU WANT TO GET THAT SLED SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, SHERIFF KLEIN'S DONE A GREAT JOB OF HELPING ANIMAL CONTROL AND, AND, AND FOCUS ON ANIMAL ABUSE DECREASE IN THIS AREA. AND, AND THAT'S FANTASTIC. UM, WE, WE ALL SHOULD, YOU KNOW, SEEK LEARNING AND, AND DECREASE SCREEN TIME AND, AND BOOKS CAN DO THAT. AND OUR, OUR LIBRARY IS FULLY FUNDED AND, AND HAS OWNS ALL ITS BOOKS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE NEXT YEAR. IT DOESN'T NEED ANY MONEY. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SHOULD LOOK [02:00:01] AT IT FROM SEEKING HARMONY, UH, PERSPECTIVE OF, UH, WE ALL GET TOUCHED AND THAT MAKES US PURSUE SOMETHING. YOU KNOW, I I, I WAS AN OKAY STUDENT, BUT NOT A GREAT ONE. WHEN I MET JANE GOODALL, A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LECTURE SERIES, AND SHE TOLD ME, FIND YOUR WAY IN SCIENCE. WELL, I DID. YOU KNOW, AND I, I I HAD TO WORK HARD AND NOW MY SONS ARE DOING IT. AND EDUCATION AND, AND BOOKS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR EVERYBODY AND NOT THE ONES THAT ARE JUST, UH, UH, FAVORABLE IN ONE EYE. YOU KNOW? AND, AND, AND, UH, CATCHER IN THE RYE HAD SOME, SOME THINGS IN IT THAT WE ALL NEEDED TO LEARN WERE WORDS THAT YOU JUST WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO SAY. AND THAT'S HOW YOU LEARN THOSE WORDS. AND SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THIS IS MY MOTHER'S MOTHER'S LIBRARY. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HEAPS OF BOOKS. OH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS TONY CARTER. GOOD EVENING. UM, TONY CARTER, HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT. AND I THINK YOU'RE PROBABLY GLAD TO SEE ME BECAUSE I'M PROBABLY THE LAST SPEAKER FOR THE NIGHT. SO THAT'LL WORK. UH, I'M NOT SURE IF I CAN ADD ANYTHING TO WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD. I WOULD. IT'S ALMOST LIKE YOU READ WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU TAKE A PAUSE AND RECONSIDER THE PATH YOU'VE CHOSEN, AND NOW AT LEAST YOU'RE TAKING INTO SOME MORE CONSIDERATIONS AND HOPEFULLY MORE, UH, WAYS TO LOOK AT THINGS. AND THE NARRATIVE RIGHT NOW BEING SAID IS THAT THE LIBRARY ISSUE IS OVER. AND I'D HAVE TO DISAGREE. I MEAN, TO PARAPHRASE KAREN CARPENTER, IT'S ONLY JUST BEGUN GUN. IT'S JUST STARTING. HOW WILL THE FOR-PROFIT COMPANY OPERATE WITHOUT A BUILDING BOOKS AND FURNISHINGS? HOW MUCH TIME, ENERGY, AND MONEY HAS BEEN WASTED SO FAR? AND LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT THE DIVISIVENESS. I KNOW THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER SAID SOMETHING ABOUT HIS KIND, BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER, BUT IT WAS DIVISIVENESS THAT DID THAT. AND THIS HAS CAUSED, THIS HAS CAUSED IN OUR COMMUNITY A GREAT DEAL OF THAT. AND AGAIN, FOR THE FUTURE, HOW MUCH TIME, ENERGY, AND TAXPAYER MONEY WILL BE WASTED ON FUTURE LAWSUITS. I CAME HERE IN NOVEMBER WHEN A SUPERVISOR SAID IT WAS IRRESPONSIBLE THAT A FORMER BOARD HAD BOUGHT THE OLD LIBRARY, AND I EXPLAINED IT TO THEM. AND THERE AGAIN, PART OF THIS IS LACK OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE. HOPEFULLY, WELL, SOMETIMES THE BOARD MAKES A DECISION IN THREE OR FOUR, AND YOU HOPE YOU MAKE IT FOR THE BEST REASONS. BUT DOWN THE ROAD, A NEXT BOARD MAY SAY, WHY DID THEY DO THIS? THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. AND I DON'T KNOW IF, IF, WHEN THAT FIRST WAS PUT OUT THAT IT WAS IRRESPONSIBLE TO DO THAT. IF IT WAS MISINFORMATION OR DISINFORMATION, I'LL LET PEOPLE DECIDE THAT IN CLOSING. AND, AND IT'S ALREADY BEEN TOUCHED ON A LITTLE BIT, SOMEONE SAID FROM YOUR BOARD THAT THERE WAS ONLY 30 PEOPLE THAT SUPPORTED SAMUELS. I'M NOT A MATH WHIZ, BUT I REALLY DO THINK THERE ARE MORE THAN 30 PEOPLE BEHIND ME TONIGHT WHO SUPPORT SAMUELS. AND IN CLOSING, THANK YOU. AND PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING. AMEN. THAT'S OFF FOR THE SIGN UP, SIR. OKAY. WE HAVE ABOUT ANOTHER FIVE MINUTES LEFT. IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE, UH, I'M, I'M SORRY. SORRY SIR. A A FEW PEOPLE DID GO OVER. I ASKED THAT YOU HAVE A DECLARATORY JUDGMENT MOTION BEFORE YOU SIGN THIS CONTRACT TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOU HAVE A CLAIM TO THE ASSETS OF THIS LIBRARY. BECAUSE IF YOU OBLIGATE THE TAXPAYERS BEFORE YOU TO PAY FOR THIS CONTRACT TO PROVIDE A FACILITY, MATERIALS, BOOKS, FURNITURE, COMPUTERS, AND THE DATA NECESSARY TO RUN THE LIBRARY, IF YOU DON'T OWN IT, IT'S MALFEASANCE. SO I WOULD SAY TO MR. HAM, FILE A DECK ACTION TO FIND OUT WHETHER YOU'RE EVER GOING TO OWN IT OR NOT. THANK YOU. PLEASE. WE HAVE TIME. WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE. CHERYL, TELL YOU MORE. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS REE HOWARD. I LIVE IN THE HAPPY, HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT. I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT DESPITE THE VIGOROUS OBJECTIONS TO EFFORTS TO [02:05:01] SHUT DOWN THE LIBRARY AND AN OUTPOURING OF PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE LIBRARY'S CONTINUED SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY, YOU WERE ABOUT TO TRY TO LOCK THE STAFF OUT OF THE BUILDING AND PROCEED WITH AN EVICTION AND SEIZURE OF PROPERTY, LOCK, STOCK AND BARREL, AND GIVE IT AWAY TO A FOR-PROFIT COMPANY THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO ROOTS IN THIS COMMUNITY AND NO HISTORY. THAT INSPIRES CONFIDENCE, ALL BECAUSE OF A DEEP SEATED PREJUDICE AGAINST THE LIBERAL CONCEPT OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN THE WRITTEN AND VISUAL ARTS, IN THE NOTION OF PROVIDING A SAFE PEOPLE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND ENJOY AN OPPORTUNITY TO BORROW BOOKS, TAPES, AND MOVIES FOR FREE. TWO, WHAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING A 10 YEAR CONTRACT WITH A $250,000 PENALTY THE MOMENT IT IS REVOKED IS FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE. ANY CONTRACT LIKE THIS SHOULD BE REVIEWABLE AND SUBJECT TO WITHDRAWAL WITH AFTER A YEAR WITHOUT PENALTY. THIS IS NOT LIKE BUYING A HOUSE OR A BUSINESS, IT'S A CONTRACT FOR SERVICES AND SERVICE CONTRACTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ANNUALLY. THAT'S MY FIRST OBSERVATION ABOUT THE FISCAL ISSUES. THE MAJORITY OF THIS BOARD SEEMS TO BE DETERMINED TO BE FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE. THREE, THOSE OF YOU ON THIS BOARD WHO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS PROPOSAL WILL BE REPLACED AS AS POSSIBLE UNDER THE LAW. THE COUNTY'S RESIDENTS HAVE MADE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THERE ARE A LOT MORE THAN 30 OR 40 OPPONENTS TO YOUR ACTIONS. THERE IS A CLEAR MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS WHO ARE EXTREMELY UNHAPPY WITH YOUR SCANDALOUS ACTIONS. FOUR. SAMUEL'S PUB PUBLIC LIBRARY IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A LIBRARY. IT IS A PLACE WHERE I ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES SEND STAFFERS TO MEET WITH CONSTITUENTS TO HELP PROVIDE CONSTITUENT SERVICES TO PEOPLE RIGHT IN THEIR COMMUNITY, IN PRIVATE MEETING ROOMS. IT IS A PLACE WHERE TUTORS CAN MEET WITH STUDENTS AFTER SCHOOL TO HELP THEM WITH SUBJECTS THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH AND LEARN. IT IS A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS, AND ADULTS CAN COME AND DISCOVER A WORLD FAR BEYOND THEIR IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENTS. IT'S A PLACE OF GROWTH. AND SHEER WONDER IF YOU COULD SOMEHOW PUT ON YOUR THINKING CAPS AND GO VISIT IT, I THINK YOU WOULD FIND IT A WONDERFUL RESOURCE FOR THIS ENTIRE DIVERSE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT IS OUR LAST SPEAKER FOR TONIGHT. SO DO I HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL NEW BUSINESS? IF THERE'S NO, ANY, ANY ADDITIONAL NEW BUSINESS. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. SECOND. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AYE. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.